Voyager ~ Diana Gabaldon

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 - 4.5 stars.

So...I seem to always have the unpopular opinion.
For me, the previous book, Dragonfly in Amber was a much more interesting read for me. I preferred all the quiet, emotional moments in DIA than the seemingly over-the-top adventures  in the second half of Voyager. Not to say I didn't still devour this book like a starving man.

As with the first book, I found myself being extremely frustrated with Claire throughout Voyager. Constantly doubting Jaime when he has proven himself time and again to her. Yes, the situation (view spoiler)[ LegHair (hide spoiler)]  was messed up. BUT....she was gone for 20 flipping years!!! He wasn't supposed to have a life without her? It's not like her life didn't continue when she left him. And while she was admittedly far from happy with FR...it is extremely selfish of her to just assume that if Jaime did survive that he would remain alone forever. But...I digress. That is obviously a sore subject for me, Claire's double standard way of thinking....so I will leave it alone now.

Anyway, I liked the addition of the new characters...especially LJG. I for one think John Grey is in incredibly interesting addition to the series, and while I realize that fans either love him or hate him...i personally love him, and am even more excited to read his side books that tie into the main series.

So, to wrap up....I enjoyed Voyager quite a bit. Was it without bumps in the road for me? No. Did I find myself wanting to punch Claire in the face at times? Yes. But, the overall world that Gabaldon has created here is addictive and well written enough to keep me coming back for more.

Pushing The Limits ~ Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

6+++ captivating, obsessively readable, perfectly imperfect stars.

I am almost at a loss for words after finishing this book.

It has been sitting on my Kindle for so long, and I honestly have no idea why it took me this long to read it.

Over the last several months, I have been unable to read much YA fiction. I'm not sure if i was burned out on it, or if I just attempted to read too many books with similar storylines, but my list of YA books i haven't been able to finish is ridiculously long. But in much the same way that Colleen Hoover knocked me on my ass with her ability to blow the YA/NA genre apart with amazing characters and stories that captivate the imagination, Katie McGarry has given us Pushing The Limits. Hands down one of the the 5 best books I have ever read in my lifetime. Period.

I could sit here and go over every aspect of the book that I loved. Tell you all about the plot and the brilliant way that McGarry made this world come alive. But so many others have done a far better job than I ever could at expressing how much this story means on an emotional level. This is not your typical story of teen angst with cookie-cutter characters that everyone knows all too well. This story is dark and edgy. And raw. The pain and loneliness that both Echo and Noah feel...it's real and I felt and breathed every last bit of it right along with them.

When i write reviews I usually try and give an overview of how the book made me feel, and what I was thinking as i finished it. But, to be honest...this book had me feeling so incredibly emotional by the end that I would sound like even more of a sappy fangirl than i normally do when discussing a book that made this much of an impact on me. So...instead i decided to just go for stream of consciousness this time around.

In Echo and Noah, McGarry has given us two of the most beautifully and realistically brought to life characters that i have come across in a long time. They are both far from perfect, and neither one of them always make the right choices. But, they are strong and passionate, and deeply devoted to each other and their own unique versions of 'family'. Echo is one of the most inspiring and strongest female characters i have seen...especially in YA...in years, and I loved her to pieces. And Noah was the perfect blend of cocky 'bad-boy-who-really-isn't-bad, and sweet and vulnerable. He loves Echo and his little brothers so fiercely and his desire to have a real family again is heartbreaking, and it is impossible not to want him to find happiness.

This book was beautiful, and romantic. And sad and heartbreaking. And uplifting and full of hope. It made me feel so many things, and cry the ugliest of tears. But then it made me smile and laugh like a crazy person. It touched me on a very deep and personal level, and I will never forget the experience.

Night Owl ~ M. Pierce

Night Owl by M. Pierce
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

6+++ beautifully emotional and haunting stars!!!

I dove into this book out of curiosity. It seemed like every one of my book blogging friends was reading and reviewing this book lately. And while i very rarely seem to agree with the masses about books that receive a lot of hype, I decided to give it a try in the hopes that it might snap me out of my reading slump.

All i can say is, wow.

For the first time in months, i was IMMEDIATELY hooked on a story. Within the first couple of sentences, i knew this book was going to be one of those reading experiences that leave a lasting impression on me. Yes. I knew that quickly.

At first I thought, while incredibly addictive and well written, this was just going to be a hot, sexy read about a rich guy with a dirty mouth and the spunky girl that falls for him. But Night Owl ended up being so much more than that.

The first half of the book is very much an erotic story. The chemistry between Matt and Hannah is just ridiculous. I hereby crown this author the King/Queen of writing dirty talk. I seriously felt like I needed to smoke an entire pack of cigarettes after reading certain scenes.

And then we get to the latter half of the book.

The author throws us one hell of an emotional curveball that left me reeling and unable to tear my eyes away from my e-reader if my life had depended on it. Normally I am not a fan of an overload of angst, but here...because I cared so deeply for these characters and what happened to them...i completely bought the influx of emotion and pain.

Buried just beneath the surface of this seriously sexy love story, lay some mighty dark themes. And the author handles it perfectly. Beautifully.

The problems that plague one of our main characters - problems which are revealed slowly and deliberately - are handled in an honest and unflinching way. And there is nothing sugar-coated about this character's struggle to come back from such a dark place. It's raw and emotionally exhausting to experience as a reader. Which is exactly how it should have been. That is brilliant storytelling, folks.

This wasn't an easy review to write. I don't want to give too much away, so it's hard to touch on certain aspects of the plot that moved me, angered me, made me blush, made me giggle, and me cry ugly tears.

Let me just say this.
If you go into this book expecting a sexy little story about likable characters with lots of steamy goodness, fine. You will get all of that in spades. But, you will also get so much more. By the end you will feel like you have been on a journey with these characters. And, I for one, feel so privileged to have gone on that journey. And I can not wait to see what else this author has in store.

In a sea of FSOG and Bared to You knock offs...Night Owl blows the lid off the erotic fiction status quo, and sets the new standard.

Into The Hollow ~ Karina Halle

Into the Hollow by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

6 stars. Of course.

Having just devoured this entire book in one evening, to say that I am feeling a wee bit shell shocked and emotional would be putting it rather mildly.




It is not a secret that I love this series. I have made quite the pest of myself by pimping it out to just about everyone I know. But, I can honestly say that with each book Karina Halle exceeds my expectations. Her talent as an author is just staggering to me. And I'm not just saying that as a gushing fangirl. I am genuinely in awe of this woman. So much so that each time I sit down to attempt to write a review, I feel like a complete ass because I never know the right things to say to convey to someone who hasn't read one of her books, just how amazing they really are.

But...I will keep trying.



Thanks to the insane events leading up to this book... (view spoiler)[Perry's possession and subsequent exorcism in On Demon's Wings, and all the revelations revealed through Dex's POV in The Dex Files (hide spoiler)] my anticipation was through the roof going into this story. And as a result of some of the huge events that have gone down over the last couple of books, the Dex & Perry that we see in Into The Hallow are quite different than the ones we were first introduced to at the beginning of the series. That is both good and bad. Bad in the sense that I sort of miss the Perry from Darkhouse...a slightly awkward & insecure firecracker that I felt a kinship with immediately. But, the Perry Palomino that we have in book 6 has been through some intense shit (talk about an understatement), and she has come out the other side both stronger and more closed off. Which is understandable. But still, there were a few times while reading this that I wanted to shake that girl like a snow globe. More about that in a minute. On the good side of things...we also have the new and improved Dex Foray. Who has gone from a slouchy smoker with a rapist mustache to a (somewhat) clean-leaving badass with a 6 pack and a hell of a lot of new found strength. His transformation is for the most part in the hopes of becoming a better man...good enough for Perry. And I have to say...I love the Dex. Not only is he more confident (though still as pervy as ever, bless his soul), but he is opening himself up to Perry like never before.

Now, here is where my emotions will get the better of me. When Perry shuts down completely after she and Dex have sex again. THAT was when I wanted...NEEDED to shake that girl like there was no tomorrow. Yes...I know how much he hurt her. I know how much pain she was in. But all she was really doing was punishing Dex (and herself!). Giving him a taste of his own medicine, which quite frankly was childish. Especially after he completely ripped himself open and offered his heart to her on a silver platter. And she still walked away. After everything he had done...all the times he saved her, proved that he was trustworthy and truly cared about her...she threw it all back in his face. Even though she regretted it afterward...like she did when she swapped out his meds with placebos as an 'experiment'...it drove me nuts. I'm obviously biased when it comes to Dex, but I love Perry as well. And I hate to see her sabotaging herself. Gah. Okay....done.*steps off soapbox*




Moving on...

The decision to take Perry out of the toxic hell that was her parents house and have her move to Seattle with Dex was an excellent one, though I did miss Little Fifteen something fierce. And having said that, I'm hoping to have much more Ada and much less Douchecaneo Maximus in the future (though I know we are probably far from seeing that last of that ginger bastard unfortunately). The location for most of the story...an isolated cabin in the snowy Canadian mountains...was perfect with it's creepy & claustrophobic feel, and as usual the paranormal aspect of the story worked well.

And a review of this book wouldn't be complete without mentioning the llamas. Oh, Twatwaffle. How I enjoyed our short time together.

And then there was the ending.

It was part


and part


While not a traditional cliffhanger, it definitely left me with a lot of questions as to the future of my favorite fictional couple. really hope that Perry has managed to pull her head out of her ass when it comes to being with Dex. But, I have a feeling that things won't be that simple.
This review is all over the place, and not much more than random thoughts slapped together, but...it's what I'm good at and I am nothing if not consistent. :P

As usual, I leave you with a few of my favorite quotes. Slightly spoilery so read at your own risk! :)




"I was trying to be a better man, Perry. For you."
I shifted in my seat, "Dex..."
"And I'll keep trying," he quickly said, voice low and somber. "Until I get it right."

"You know, we could always make a clothing optional rule around each other. That way we'd always be naked and never have to do laundry."

"Who is it?" I asked teasingly.
"Bigfoot," Dex answered from his room.
"What do you want, Mr Foot."
"Please, just call me Big."
I snorted. "You wish."
"You know."

"You can talk the talk, but you can't walk the walk."
His eyes narrowed in challenge. "Oh, I can walk the walk. I can walk the walk so hard you'll be sore for days."

"Within your light, I lose the madness."
"You," He said slowly. "You're the light. You're my light."

The Dex Files ~ Karina Halle

The Dex-Files by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I honestly thought it was impossible for me to love the snarky, complicated asshat that is Dex Foray any more than I already did. And then I read this novella, and realized how wrong I was.




Holy...smokes.

Now, it will come as no surprise to anyone who has been following my updates and reviews lately to know that am a HUGE fan of the EIT series. So, my expectations going into this novella were high to begin with. But once again, Karina Halle blew all my expectations out of the water.

Warning: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.

Dex has been a mystery to fans of the series from the beginning, so having the chance to get a peek inside that twisted, pervy head of his?! Sooo damn gratifying. Getting to see his take on some of the key scenes from the series to date was eye-opening to say the least. For example, finding out that Dex was already having feelings for Perry before the end of their first adventure...made my inner Dex/Perry-shipping fangirl want to do wind sprints around the yard.



Of course getting a glimpse inside Dex's head was eye-opening for many reasons. Least of which was seeing just how much of a pervy weirdo he really is. And I will stand here and proclaim for all the world to hear: I APPROVE!!! :P



"I wondered if she'd let me grab her thick, dark mane and hold it like a pair of reins, if i could make her come with my girth alone or if I'd need to reach down and stroke her until she literally dripped on the carpet."



Um...yeah. I will freely admit I thought that entire chapter, Big Dumb Sex would put me in my grave. I will never listen to that Soundgarden song the same way again, let me tell you! But despite my hormonal overload while reading certain parts of this novella, the main thing I truly loved about The Dex Files was getting to see not only how vulnerable and conflicted Dex was most of the time...but how fiercely protective and loyal he was with Perry right from the beginning. Even when he seemed cold and pushing her away, he was struggling with his feelings for her, and the need to protect himself from letting his guard down and ending up with his heart being ripped apart again.

There was something so vulnerable and restrained about Perry, something that made me want to do stupid, ridiculous things to keep her safe. At the same time, I wanted to draw her out and make her strong, like a diamond from coal.
Without even realizing it, I found myself gazing deep into those blue eyes, totally fucking lost in them. My heart did a little flip. Christ, this was not a good idea. My heart of all hearts did not need to be flipping.




Okay. I know what you're thinking; I need to get a hold of myself here. Every time I write a review for one of the books in this series I come off sounding like some smitten fangirl. Well...that's because I AM a smitten fangirl. My love for this series and these characters is ridiculous. And that kind of makes it impossible for me to sound professional when writing about them. So, if that's wrong...so be it!!



So, I will continue to pimp these books out to my friends, and anyone willing to listen. Because they deserve a bigger audience.
Karina Halle is a badass force to be reckoned with, and I am so effing glad I allowed myself to get sucked into this incredible series that has been consuming my life for the last few weeks.


She was mine. For the sake of appearances, she was my wife, but she was mine anyway. She didn't know it yet, but I did. It was wrong and it made no sense, but she belonged with me. No one else, not anyone else.

Lying Season ~ Karina Halle

Lying Season by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

6 mind blowing stars


Where do I even begin with this review?!?



WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

I finished Lying Season in the wee hours of the morning (sleep? Who needs sleep?!), and now several hours later, I am still finding it difficult to put my thoughts together in order to write this review. It has been stated by several people that this series only gets better and better with each book, and that is definitely true.

Karina Halle's skill at creating a story that grabs you from the first page and forces you to ignore every aspect of your day to day life until you have reached the end of another mind-fuck of a roller coaster ride, knows no bounds. Seriously...I think she might be a witch.

I have been an avid reader since I was a child, and I can not remember ever being this obsessed with a series of books in my life. After finishing the previous book in the series, Dead Sky Morning, I decided to take a break from the EIT-verse and read something by another one of my favorite authors. I got about 10 pages into the book and could. not. get Dex and Perry out of my head long enough to concentrate on anything else. So, I gave up the fight and dove into this book with wild abandon.

In Lying Season we definitely have the creep factor that this series is known for. This time out Dex & Perry are poking around inside a partially abandoned mental hospital. And considering both Dex & Perry's history of emotional problems, it was bound to be an intense aspect of the book. And it definitely worked very well. However, unlike the previous books in the series, this time around the main focus of the story was on the characters and their secrets. The underlying theme throughout the book is lies and how each one, little or massive, has consequences. To say that this book was a turning point in the series is putting it mildly. It was a complete game changer.

We are introduced to some new characters in this book, and chief among them is Jenn. Dex's seemingly perfect girlfriend.



Up until this point Jenn has been this shadowy figure, mentioned in passing and those of us who ship Dex/Perry already didn't like her to begin with despite knowing next to nothing about her. Well, here we see Jenn in all her bitchy, obnoxious glory and it is not a pretty picture.



Now, it's obviously no secret that I am a huge fan of our favorite Ghost Hunters, but there were times when I was reading this book where I seriously wanted to throttle Perry. She has a habit of making bad decisions, but something that she did here just went beyond the pale for me. Switching out Dex's medication with placebos as an 'experiment'. Yes, I know that she regretted it, and knew that she did the wrong thing, but for me this was a huge breach of trust. Not only that, but the potential hazards to Dex's already fragile emotional state and physical well-being were enormous. It was just an incredibly cruel and selfish thing to do on her part.


After getting that out of my system, I guess it's time for me to get down to the nitty gritty. Something fans of the series have been waiting for since the first book... Dex & Perry finally have sex. And it's hot as hell.

"The things I want to do to you..." he whispered roughly.
I...brought his ear down to my mouth.
"Do them," I breathed back.




But...of course things couldn't be that simple. Nope. Not in Dex & Perry's world. And even as I was squeeing myself into fangirl oblivion, I knew that things were going to get ugly before too long. And...they did, Damnit.




To sum up my thoughts - despite the emotional ass-beating I took while reading this book, allow me to continue sounding like a broken record. The EIT series continues to blow me away in every way imaginable. 4 1/2 books in and I have yet to give anything less than a 5+ star rating. I have never come close to doing that before.Karina Halle in a very short time has officially become my favorite author.

"I want you to stay with me," he said. "And that's the problem. Every time you leave me, I need you a little bit more."

"If you could see the way his face lights up when he talks about you, when he looks at you, and compare that to Jenn. Oh, darling, no comparison."

"Dex has a heart. He just doesn't know how to use it."

"It's not magic, Perry. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever known and before you say anything, you've always been that way to me."

"You're the light in all this madness. You're my light. I should have been with you..." The thought hit him as his face crumpled in amazement. "Oh God, why am I not with you?"
"Because you're an idiot." I said.
And then i kissed him.




Read more of my reviews at my blog: http://ravingbookaddict.blogspot.com

Dead Sky Morning ~ Karina Halle

Dead Sky Morning by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

6 mind-blowing stars

An Open Letter To Karina Halle,



Hi!

I think your books are hazardous to my health.
There. I said it.

*glances over at the clock and confirms that it's nearly 3am.*

I need my sleep. I really, really do. But ever since I started reading your Experiment in Terror series a few days ago, I have been a woman on a mission. And it seems my mission is to read your books as fast as possible. I feel like some kind of drug addict, unable to kick the habit. I keep telling myself that I'm going to pace myself...slow down and make the books last. That I can stop anytime I want to. But no. I find myself sitting on my couch at 2am...again...unable to put my Kindle down because I *have* to know what happens next. I don't know why I'm surprised. I haven't made it to bed before 3am since the night I started Darkhouse.

Well played Ms Halle. Well played.

Dead Sky Morning was of course completely and utterly brilliant. On every level. I could sit here and go on and on about all the little things I loved about it. The truly creepy...no, downright frightening atmosphere of the setting (an abandoned island that used to be a leper colony), the insane tension that built throughout the book. The chemistry between Dex and Perry that almost burned my fingers right off my Kindle(corny, but come on...it's 3am. Cut me some slack), the truly terrifying images that are forever embedded in my brain... (view spoiler)[(the shoe with a foot still inside...and the baby. The freaking baby with it's skin peeling off.... (hide spoiler)]



Oh wait. I guess I did just sit here and go on and on about all of that. Silly me.

But you know what the craziest part about all of this is? Even though I am exhausted and feeling more than a little loopy right now. And even though I will spend another day in zombie-mode at work tomorrow. Despite all that, you know what?



Yeah. It was worth it.

So thank you, Ms Halle. Thank you for making me stay up most of the night reading your fan-freaking-tastic books. Thank you for creating the crazy, twisted world that encompasses the EIT universe. And thank you most of all for dreaming up Dex Foray & Perry Palomino (okay, maybe a little bit of an extra thank you for Dex. :P). I can't think of two better fictional characters to spend a few sleepless nights with.

Yours truly (and deliriously),
Holly


Read more of my reviews at my blog: http://ravingbookaddict.blogspot.com

Darkhouse ~ Karina Halle

Darkhouse by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 stars

Every once in a while I stumble across an author that just completely takes me by surprise in a wonderful, squee-inducing way. This time, it was Karina Halle.



I had heard some amazing things about her Experiment in Terror series, and have been meaning to check it out for quite a while. And after only reading the first few pages of Darkhouse, I knew this was something special.

22 yr old Perry Palomino has been haunted by bizarre dreams that have a habit of coming true. While on a weekend getaway with her family, she decides to explore an abandoned lighthouse on her uncle's property.

A lighthouse that is rumored to be haunted.


While there, Perry not only gets the bejesus scared out of her, but she stumbles across one Mr Dex Foray. Filmmaker and wannabe ghost hunter. The two form an unlikely alliance as Dex convinces Perry to help him make a 'demo' ghost hunting documentary for a website he works for.



Perry...oh how I loved this spunky little spit-fire. And I could relate to her on so many levels which only added to my love of this book. She's snarky, and insecure. Just trying to find her way in life & she sees Dex and his plan of becoming ghost hunters as a way out of her dull life.


And speaking of Mr Foray. He's mysterious and sexy...a smartass to Perry one minute, and fiercely loyal to her the next. He can be a little scary, and a lot vulnerable. He's a hipster with a porn 'stache, and probably more than a little crazy. He is all those things and more, and I love him to pieces.




The creep factor in this book was impressive. I don't spook easily, but there were definitely times when this book made me feel unsettled. And don't get me started on Crazy Clown Lady...



Some of my favorite highlights:

"Now wait a minute," I started, "how do I know that this is legitimate? I mean, you could still be a bald-headed meth addict hobo I stumbled upon in the lighthouse."
"I'm not bald yet."

"If we head into that lighthouse and see a bunch of weird whatnots and such and such, it's not going to make any sense unless we know the how, the why and when."

"We should probably have a safety word too," he said.
"A safety word? Like in S&M?"
His smile flashed, animated and bright.
"The safety word is 'Jell-O'."
God help me if I ever had to say 'Jell-O' for any reason.

"How come you aren't afraid?"
"Because I find life scarier than death."




With just the right mix of chills, snark-tastic banter among two fantastic characters & a plot that kept me entertained from page one, Darkhouse is a great start to a series I'm anxious to dive back into.

DARKHOUSE IS STILL FREE ON AMAZON. NO REASON TO DELAY...CLICK HERE AND GRAB THIS BOOK NOW!!

Come Away With Me ~ Kristen Proby

Come Away With Me by Kristen Proby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

6 gushtastic stars

The perfect blend of sweet, angst-free romance and super hot sex.



I have had this book for quite a while, and to be honest...after reading some of the less than stellar reviews I kept pushing it down my TBR list.
If I have learned anything from this experience it's that I really need to ignore other people's reviews and go with my own gut instinct, because in the end...I absolutely adored this book.



Confession time: When i started reading this book, it took me a while to get past a couple of issues that i had. First of all, in the beginning it really felt like fanfiction to me. Not to say that the writing wasn't enjoyable to read...it was just that something felt a little off...which brings me to the other issue that i had. From the very first scene in which Natalie stumbles upon him, I had the impression that the author had based Luke's character on Rob Pattinson. And then...I read this.

Luke had stared in three vampire movies that not only did well, but became such a huge sensation that you couldn't go anywhere without seeing the stars or merchandise of all kinds.



But you know what? After that revelation, something amazing happened. I put the whole idea of fanfic and Edward Cullen out of my head...and lost myself in the story. Because what Kristen Proby did was bring to life an incredibly sweet, and blessedly angst-free love story that completely blew me away. And offered up more swoon-worthy moments than almost any other book I have ever read.





Luke is...hands down...the most romantic male character I have ever stumbled upon in fiction. Some of the things he does for Natalie almost made me cry because they were so overwhelmingly sweet. But not roll-your-eyes-to-the-back-of-your-head kind of sweet. No, Luke's sweetness was...just right in the scope of this incredibly romantic story, if that makes any sense?!

Something else that I absolutely loved about this book is that Natalie is not a stick-figure. She has curves, and Luke never stops letting Natalie know how much he appreciates those curves. It was refreshing to me to read about a man who appreciates a real woman's body. And while I will always love my bad boys, it was so nice to read about a guy who was head over heels in love with his girl and wanted the whole world to know it.

And did I mention the fact that i loved the lack of angst?! God, talk about a breath of fresh air! I for one have read way too many books where the H/h flip flop on their feelings and torture themselves (and the reader) with their (mostly self imposed) struggles to be together. Natalie and Luke embrace their feelings for each other and even though I realize the speed at which their relationship progresses may annoy some people, for me it felt natural.

"You are every fantasy I have ever had come true, Natalie...
I'm almost afraid to touch you," he whispers.
"Why?" I cock my head to the side, confused.
"I'm afraid you're not real."



In case you're beginning to think that there was no heat in this book...let me set your mind at ease. The sex scenes are hot! And yes, there are a lot of them. Luke and Natalie's chemistry is insane right from the beginning. If I was going to be nit-picky, I would admit that I got a little tired of reading the word 'impressive' when Natalie was thinking about a certain part of Luke's body, and the sheer number of times that Luke commented on how wet Natalie was. But again...that's being nit-picky. :P

Come Away With Me was a beautiful, swoon fest of a book. I was truly sad to see Luke & Natalie's story come to an end, because I loved being lost inside their world. <3



He leans down and gently presses his cheek to mine. "Thank you," he whispers.
"For what?" I whisper back.
"For being mine."

The Gamble ~ Kristen Ashley

The Gamble by Kristen Ashley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

6 stars!!!

It's rare that I finish a book and can't wait to write a review for it but at the same time I haven't a clue what I should say about something that touched me as deeply as this book touched me. Many others have given incredibly eloquent reviews for this book, so I will bypass trying to sound like I know what I'm talking about as far as story line and world building goes, and instead focus on talking about the many things I loved about this book and these characters.

Shortly after finishing this book tonight a song popped up on my iPod that pretty much captured my version of Max & Nina and their amazingly beautiful relationship.




I walked, through the thickness of your heart
Straight through the middle of your deepest, darkest dream
I wrote the melody that brought you back to life, love
Come hear it for yourself



Who says we're wrong for opening the wrong doors?
Lock up, swallow the key
You'll never replace me.
'Cause back then I told you, if you fall I'll fall too
Wake up and feel the breeze
You'll never replace me
~Replace Me by Andrew Belle

That's always been one of my favorite songs, but now it will forever have even deeper meaning for me.

Things I loved About The Gamble:

First and foremost?
**MAX!!!

"Yes, I was right. Max was becoming more wonderful and I was in trouble."

You and me both, sister! Holy....cow.
I recently wrote a review for another book where I mentioned that there was a difference between being a strong Alpha Male and being a bully. In my opinion...Max is the epitome of the perfect Alpha Male. Dominant? yes. Possessive? Hell yes. But mean and cruel? Never. Max literally adores Nina practically from the moment he first sees her, and he doesn't have any problem showing how he feels. Be it the fact that he is always touching her in some way, even in front of both their families. Or the way he remembers the small things, like how she likes her coffee, or if she drinks in the evening she'll be passed out dead asleep within a couple of hours. Or, most tellingly...and this comes at the very beginning of their relationship...the way he takes care of Nina when she is delirious with a fever. I mean, could there be a more perfect man?

"Found somethin' I want, don't tend to fuck around when that happens, Duchess. Ever."

"You think to slide back, settle for something that made you run away because you think it's safe, because it's familiar, because you're scared of taking a gamble on me. I'm warnin' you now, Duchess, I'm not gonna allow that."

Yeah...like I said...he's pretty much perfect. <3

**NINA

"Only Holden Maxwell would think my neurotic was cute."

God, I loved this woman! And I think part of the reason I did was because I could somewhat relate to her. We have similar insecurities and I understood why she warred with herself over letting herself get close to Max, expecting that she would always be 'second best' to him. Which made their HEA that much sweeter. <3

And speaking of that HEA...


**The Epilogue
Without giving anything away, all I can say is Swooooooooon!!!
It wrapped up Nina & Max's story perfectly and I have to say I adored getting a glimpse inside the mind of Max at the very end of the book. It just capped off what had already been one of the most enjoyable reading experiences I have had in a really long time.

Funny thing is, several months ago I attempted to read this book and gave up without even making it to the end of the first chapter. I'm not sure if i was just not in the mood for a romance, or hell...maybe i was just in a crappy mood that day. Whatever the case may be, I am so glad...so glad...that i decided to give this book another shot. Because I absolutely loved every minute of the ride this time. And I can't wait to dive into more books by this author!