walk the beat
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GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
Ambrose Young was beautiful. He was tall and muscular, with hair that touched his shoulders and eyes that burned right through you. The kind of beautiful that graced the covers of romance novels, and Fern Taylor would know. She'd been reading them since she was thirteen. But maybe because he was so beautiful he was never someone Fern thought she could have...until he wasn't beautiful anymore.
Making Faces is the story of a small town where five young men go off to war, and only one comes back. It is the story of loss. Collective loss, individual loss, loss of beauty, loss of life, loss of identity. It is the tale of one girl's love for a broken boy, and a wounded warrior's love for an unremarkable girl. This is a story of friendship that overcomes heartache, heroism that defies the common definitions, and a modern tale of Beauty and the Beast, where we discover that there is a little beauty and a little beast in all of us.
MY REACTION
5 'Do you feel that?' Stars
Hell yes, I felt it! I felt the innocence, the humor, the love, the hurt, the regret, the fear, the guilt, the anguish, the misery, the heartache...I felt it ALL. I felt it so much, I had to keep reminding myself that this was only a book. Only a story about a made up town with made up characters. These people aren't really going through this. This didn't really happen. But the beauty and sadness of it all is that this is reality. This isn't some paranormal romance about werewolves or zombies. This is real life. This is probably someone's reality. I was absolutely enraptured by these characters. I grew to love them like I knew them. I experienced this story like it was one I knew personally and that's the reason why I'm rambling in this review with a runny nose and red-rimmed eyes.
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.
Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .
But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?
MY REACTION
I'll really be surprised if there ever comes a day I give a Rainbow Rowell book less than 5 stars. Her writing style is beautifully simple and simply beautiful. These characters, for lack of a better term, are just REAL. This is the third book I've read by Ms. Rowell and it just gets better and better. She has a talent that can't be denied. Even the fanfic in the story had me wishing Simon Snow was an actual book series. Harry Potter who? Put your wands down, guys. I'm only kidding. Cath is introverted, anxiety-ridden and unsure. Levi is sweet, overtly social and painfully charming. Sounds like a perfect match, right? Ha! They were entrancing to watch read. Anytime an author can leave you wanting more, I think they've succeeded at their job. This isn't a case of wanting more because I need questions answered or situations resolved. This is because I'm being outright selfish and I want more time with Cath & Levi. I want more time in the world that is Fangirl.
Willing Captive
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
(Author note: This is NOT a dark romance.)
Delilah “Lily” Flynn is used to her drab existence. Lily’s been living it for twenty two years.
Her boring life is suddenly turned on its head when she’s rudely kidnapped from her bedroom.
Or so she thinks.
Nox Taylor is far too high up in his field to be assigned a babysitting job.
There’s nothing more he wants than to complete his mission so he can be rid of the smartass tomboy, Lily.
Day after day, Nox watches Lily and her strange ways. She’s unlike any woman he’s ever met.
Getting close to the girl is purely for her own protection…right?
Lily never imagined she’d make her first real friends in captivity.
What lengths would she go through to keep them?
MY REACTION
This book pretty much had me at hello! I appreciated Lily's realness so much! As my friend Gertrude would say, "She reeeeal coooool." Belle Aurora knows how to write a likable and relatable female character. I have to be honest, the title had me thinking this was some "dark duet" type stuff. Frankly, that sh*t scares me. Luckily there's a disclaimer in the synopsis. Dark, this is not. Entertaining? Hell yeah! This was sweet, sexy, and funny as hell! There were moments of happiness and tears and uncertainty that had me freaking the freak out! Nox is my hero and I love him! A well deserved 5 stars for this one!
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Until November
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
November is looking forward to getting to know her father and the safety of a small town. After leaving the big apple and her bad memories for Tennessee, November starts working for her dad at his strip club doing the books. The one time she’s allowed there during club hours she runs into Asher Mayson. He’s perfect until he opens his mouth and makes assumptions. November wants nothing to do with Asher but too bad for November fate has other plans. Asher Mayson has never had a problem getting a woman that is until November. Now all he can think about is making November his and keeping her safe.
Warning 18+ sexual content and a strong Alpha Male.
MY REACTION
Aurora Rose Reynolds has a new fan. She just might want to get a new editor. I'm the type of person who can ignore the errors if the story is good enough, and this one surely was. The love was on speed and things progressed pretty quickly, but there was an explanation for that in the story that I thought was so adorable it made it easy to overlook. November was a real joy and I appreciated that. I sometimes get so easily annoyed with the heroines in love stories. Liking her was so refreshing. And that Asher James Mayson started off as a jerk (which I love and actually wanted more of), but ended up being an absolute dream! The Mayson brothers had the side piece action overflowing and those beautiful whores (I call them that with the utmost affection) get their own books. Score! November's mother was mommy dearest reincarnated and that was just plain old sad. I would've liked more insight into why she was the way she was other than obvious jealousy. Maybe a flashback or a heart to heart moment could've been helpful. Other than that, this was a great read and I'm looking forward to more from Ms. Reynolds...That was fun, Asher, but now I've got my sights set on Trevor!
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