Being Brooke
Standalone
Romance, adult contemporary 
283

Rating : 3.0

Buy it here

My name is Brooke Barker...
And I'm a freaking disaster.
No, seriously. I’m a college drop-out working a dead-end job, my best friend Carly’s dog gets more action than I do, and I have more bad dates in my diary than there are movie remakes.
Not to mention I'm completely and utterly in love with Cain Elliott.
The problem? He’s in a relationship. With a girl who’s so plastic she makes Barbie cry herself to sleep with jealousy.
The second problem? He's my best friend.
My shut-up-and-put-on-Harry-Potter, yes-this-is-your-shirt, help-I-have-no-power, crap-I’m-out-of-tampons, kinda best friend.
And that’s all he can be, right?
Right.

Restraint isn't a skill I've ever learned— unless you count the fact I've made it just over twenty-four years and haven't been arrested for murder. With my temperament, that's worth celebrating. 

Girl, I totally understand. 

I'm not into reading romantic comedy's, or even watching them except for on the occasion. *Ducks from judgement* I'm not sure why I wanted to read this, but I guess the mood struck for something funny. I've only read a book or two by Emma Hart, so I knew a bit about her writing style and figured I would like this one, too. 

Brooke is in love. Not with the boy next door, or the hot CEO that happens to be her boss. No, she's in love with her best friend. He doesn't know, of course, why would he? If he did, it would ruin everything Brooke holds dear to her: their friendship. So she tries to keep it platonic, but as things start to heat up and hiding her love becomes more of a challenge than she'd like, she has a choice to make. 

I love Brooke. She's funny, down to earth, and totally knows whats up. She watches Harry Potter, drinks wine all day, and thinks scratching her back is too much of a workout. So, really, she's me but in book form. She's just so relate able and cool, and since she's like me, it was like reading about myself. Woah. She tries so hard to remain cool and passive around Cain (her bff slash crush. Keep up!), and often fails at times. I was constantly wondering how Cain couldn't figure it out, the poor girl had it written all over her body!

“Tonight has been the craziest, most insane night of perhaps my entire life—except the one I was born. I imagine that’s insane, coming out of a vagina and all that.” 

Cain doesn't realize his best friend likes him. He's too busy trying to ignore those feelings that almost, kinda swarm inside him. Besides, he's got a girlfriend already, he shouldn't be thinking about Brooke like that. But boy, does he! His girlfriend, I couldn't stand her, therefore, I don't have a name for her. Let's go with plastic Barbie. Plastic Barbie is exactly how her name sounds. She's fake, whiny, and doesn't like Cain hanging out with Brooke. (Plus, her boobs are obviously fake).


It took a while for Cain to get into gear, but when he finally did, everything went the way I expected. They had their share of problems and arguments, but found a way to get over them and their awkwardness. Man, their awkwardness was awkward.

“I'm twenty-four, it's a Friday night, and I'm waiting in for a take-out gyros and fries in my onesie. My life is just so exciting I can barely stand it.  ” 

By the way, the above quote doesn't match me perfectly. I'm 20, thank you.


I think this was a fun book. The plot was interesting even though the friendship to lovers thing happens so much. It can become a cliche type story, so I'm glad Emma Hart could make it different and entertaining. Her writing is great, and really kept me immersed in the story. 

I don't really dislike anything about this book, and while it was fresh, I felt like it missed something. But the characters really got my love and for that reason, its has three stars. 

Review: Lip Service by Simone Sowood

Lip Service
Standalone
Romance, erotica
239
Four and a half stars

Buy it here

Out of curiosity, I checked out her videos. Who wouldn't?
I didn't count on being tempted by her silky voice or her full lips.
Too bad she's off limits.
Being a single dad isn't easy, and I have rules -- no relationships, and no screwing close to home.
But when I become the subject of her posts, I can't keep my hands off her any longer.
I have to teach her everything she got wrong in her videos.

"Ox man: I promise you I can each you more than what's in that book, guaranteed. Anytime you want a lesson, baby."

Dang, okay.

Lip Service is about two characters who just want to have some fun and not worry about being in a relationship. But of course, that fickle thing called love gets in the way and ruins what could possibly be the best thing to ever happen to them.

Avery is our main character, and she's pretty cool. I've read books where the chicks have the same jobs, like fashion designer or farm lady with the cool Stetson, but never have I read a book where the chick's job is YouTube. More precisely, a channel where she talks about sex, toys, and other neat things. I think that's super cool, not only because it's different but how open about the topic Avery is. It almost feels taboo to have a character actually know what she's doing, seeing as how so many women characters are seen as innocent dolts who don't know the first thing about their own body, let alone a hunky mans.

I do really love Avery, though. Outside of her awesome "fake" bedroom, she's a great person. She's loving, tender, and just wants her next door neighbors heart. And other things...

Knox (phew, that name!) is a single dad who just wants some fun. Piper is his first priority, has been since she was born, and because of that, relationships aren't his thing. He doesn't want a bunch of women to come around, only for his daughter to see them leave. While at first he was a jerk of a neighbor, he realizes that he has the hots for Avery, especially after learning about her being a sex expert with a channel. Thus begins the secret hookups.

"I meant I don't want a relationship with you. Because I have Piper, and she's my priority."

I adored Piper, you could see she was a little match maker from the beginning, and I loved the bond between her and Knox, and how she became to trust in Avery. I wish they had a few more scenes together, ones that really would have made their bond with each other more tight and important.

While I loved this book, I was a tad confused about it's genre. It felt like a romance occasionally switching to a erotic story. It's not a bad thing, but I would have liked for it to be more one or the other. There are some points where Knox or Avery does something that seems like an erotic bit but then the next page it becomes a regular romance story. Not sure if this is just me, but it's still a good story, nonetheless.

This is my first book by Simone and I'm sure I'll be reading more by her. The writing is great and draws you in. I have no regrets reading this book, and I know you won't either. It's also available on Kindle Unlimited, so why not give it a go?

Review: Everything, Everything-Nicola Yoon

Everything, Everything
Standalone
Young adult
336
Five stars

Buy it here

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla. 

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He's tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Could this book have possibly rid me of my slump? Well, I hope so. After three months of torment, I finally was able to read. Who knew it would be this on? I only got it because I heard it's going to be a movie, so i figured it must be good. 

Everything, Everything is about a girl who is sick of, well, everything. Maddy hasn't left her house since she was a baby. She spends her time reading (as would I), or playing games with her mom. Life is simple for her, yet there's always this wish for it to be different. For her to be able to go outside, be in school and have friends. Who wouldn't? Despite all this, Maddy is strong and lives with it. She doesn't brood, she doesn't scream or throw a fit because life has dealt her with one heck of a blow. She's calm and likes her days filled with books.

“Sometimes I reread my favorite books from back to front. I start with the last chapter and read backward until I get to the beginning. When you read this way, characters go from hope to despair, from self-knowledge to doubt. In love stories, couples start out as lovers and end as strangers. Coming-of-age books become stories of losing your way. Your favorite characters come back to life.” -Maddy

Olly lives next door with his non functioning family. He's curious about her and they soon begin to email. What's between them is a bond that starts as friendship and changes into more. Maddy doesn't think love can kill her, and sets out on a journey she knows will be life changing. 

“prom·ise (ˈpräməs) n. pl. - es. 1. The lie you want to keep. [2015, Whittier]”

I really loved this book. I don't typically read YA contemporary books much, but I guess the mood struck. I think the concept was interesting, and was wonderfully done. It almost has an uncertain feel to it, like wondering how it'll end well with her being unable to go outside and be with him. 

“You're not living if you're not regretting.”

What really had me was the delightful humor Maddy gave throughout the book. Especially in her journal posts. They really added to the feel, and made her seem like a real person and had real emotions.

Yoon wrote an amazing book with down to earth characters and story line. I look forward to reading her next book I have, The Sun is Also A Star.

Review: Vicious-L.J. Shen

Vicious
Book 1 in the Sinners of Saints series
Romance
328
Four stars

Buy it here

Emilia

They say love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances, and it’s true. 
The man who comes to me in my dreams also haunts me in my nightmares. 
He is a brilliant lawyer. 
A skilled criminal. 
A beautiful liar. 
A bully and a savior, a monster and a lover. 
Ten years ago, he made me run away from the small town where we lived. Now, he came for me in New York, and he isn’t leaving until he takes me with him. 

Vicious

She is a starving artist. 
Pretty and evasive like cherry blossom. 
Ten years ago, she barged into my life unannounced and turned everything upside down. 
She paid the price. 
Emilia LeBlanc is completely off-limits, my best friend’s ex-girlfriend. The woman who knows my darkest secret, and the daughter of the cheap Help we hired to take care of our estate. 
That should deter me from chasing her, but it doesn’t. 
So she hates me. Big fucking deal. 
She better get used to me.

I'm so glad I found this book. I was in one of my book slumps (oh, who am I kidding? I've been in one for months now), and taking a gander in the store like I always do. The cover caught my eye, I mean, come on. I know we aren't supposed to judge a book by the cover, but how can you not when it's this great?

Anyway.

This one is a bit different from the usual read I like. Vicious is mean, and hateful. He teases Emilia down to her last breath, and he enjoys every second of it. Deep down, he's a guy who's just looking for revenge. Which is where Emilia comes in.

Emilia is poor, at least compared to Vicious. She doesn't get to throw caution to the wind like he does. She has to work for it, and to help out her family, she does so without being honest to her parents boss, Vicious. This causes problems. Major ones. I like Emilia, she doesn't take Vicious' crap and throws insults right back at him, which of course he doesn't enjoy.

The story moves on a few years and they're basically in the same situation. Vicious is still a jerk with more money, and Emilia is working two jobs to keep her apartment with her sister, who is sick. There was some serious sexual tension between these two, and I just wanted to squeeze them together until they both realized that they like each other. It drove me nuts. But when it finally happened, it was great. Explosive.

This is a standalone story, and I'm looking forward to book 2, though I have no idea what it's about. Shen really knows how to write a story and draw you in. I couldn't put this one down, and I hope it's broken the silly slump I'm in once and for all.

7 Best Books of 2016

2016 has been a year of many lows and many highs. But alas, this is a blog for books, not for the astoundingly crazy, stupid, horrifying things that have happened this year. I've started a Booktube channel, finished and published my fourth book (book 2 in the series), and started this book blog for reviews. It's been plenty busy and new, and looking back on it all, I'm astounded at how much I've accomplished. So here's to 2017, may it be peaceful, loving, and full of books!

The first book on my list doesn't come as a surprise if you know me. It's my top favorite book of 2016, and will probably remain so for 2017:

                                                                               


This is book two of A Court of Thorns and Roses, and it doesn't disappoint. In fact, I loved this one way more than book 1! That doesn't happen often. I realized I never made a review for this one, so when I read it again (because I will!), I'll make sure to remember and leave one here.













The second book on this list is one that, for some reason, has stuck with me. It's confusing, maddening, and downright ridiculous:

Wink Poppy Midnight makes no sense, and yet it makes total sense. It's one of those books that stick with you for a long time just because you're still trying to figure it all out. Here is my review, and if you have read it, wanna discuss?
















The third book on this list is one that is also a mystery but with like, fantasy, paranormal, and who knows what else involved:




The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is one of those that is everywhere. It started as a regular non-fiction mystery with a tad of romance I expected and then it just went off the rails into some other territory. Here, read my review if you want to know more. Not that it'll help probably, but take a gander.
                                                                   













The fourth book on this list is one that tugged at my heartstrings and had me reading till 3am to finish in a puddle of salty tears:

This one certainly knows how to wrap a fist around your heart and soul and crush it without feels. It's about two people who begin to heal with each other, despite not wanting or knowing they needed to. Review.












The fifth on this list is one I had been waiting for, because I was dying to see the conclusion and make sure it ended the proper way. Otherwise, I'd have to have a serious talk with Mrs. Cass!

I remember when this series came out and I finished all three in two days and was in desperate need for the rest. Should have paced myself out, because all I ended up with was a hangover the size of Russia and a few months wait for the next one. Check out my review here.















Book six on this list still amazes me:



This is a retelling of Peter Pan with a neat twist. This one is set in a post apocalyptic future with a steampunk setting, a bunch of lost boys, a girl fighting for her family, and a hot, young, man in Hooks place. What more could you want? Review.












And last but not least:

This is book 2 in the Lunar Chronicles, and I love it. While Cinder was a little slow in pace, Scarlet really knows how to kick it up a notch. I loved reading about her and Wolf, and how the story unfolds with parts from book 1. It's a pretty neat series, so try to make it through Cinder.

Review: Rescuing Harley-Susan Stoker

Rescuing Harley
Book 3 
Romance
320
Four and a half stars

Buy it here

Video game coder, Harley Kelso, thought a tandem skydive would help her make her latest game more realistic. Instead, it literally put her in the arms of the sexiest man she s ever seen. Geeky to the core, Harley is the polar opposite of big and burly Beckett, but that doesn t stop her from wanting to play more carnal games with the sexy soldier. 

When Beckett Coach Ralston offers to fill-in at a friend s skydiving club, he doesn t suspect he ll meet a woman who will change his life and he definitely doesn t expect her to save it. But that s exactly what happens when an accident mid-air forces Harley to land them both safely. She s earned Coach s complete gratitude, and even more, sexual interest 

Until she disappears without a trace. 

With Harley missing, a happy ending might not be in the cards for the man who loves her especially when he becomes the main suspect.

I swear, every time I read a book that wasn't asked for me to read, I end up forgetting to highlight quotes. So here I am, stuck because I forgot to highlight the stupid quotes. Guess I'll just have to improvise and actually write a review for once. << Joking! You totally know I actually write reviews with less quotes than words all together in the actual book.

Heh. Yeah.

Anyway, I've been reading Mrs. Stokers books since the beginning. Like her first character, Caroline. So, yeah, I feel a little cool at that fact. Let me bask in it.

Harley Kelso is cool. So cool, I can use the term like a bowtie is cool, because I can. She's a video game artist, meaning she makes games and is kickass at playing them, because, duh. I love her personality and how down to earth she is. Mrs. Stokers characters are always down to earth, but since we're talking about Harley, I'll point out her down to earthness. As Harley is making her current game, she can't seem to get the scene to look real enough and decides to skydive.

I mean, why not?

This is where Harley meets Coach, one of the tandem skydivers that helps out. He's hot, strong, and obviously an alpha male. Like all of Mrs. Stokers fine specimens of guys she writes about, Coach is there for Harley and falls for her quick. It's hot and strong, something he can't back away from. He wants Harley, and with patience, he'll keep her.

Their relationship is adorable and hot. He's so slow with her, not wanting to rush anything and show her that looks don't always matter and that he loves her for who she is. Geeky clothes included. And she's there to reign in his grr grr, I'm full of testosterone maleness. They're perfect together.

But this isn't just a regular, everyday romance. No way. Throw in some suspense and action, and you've got a great story. I love seeing all the other characters in this book. That's what I love most about these books, is that characters from different series come in to play. It's cool to be reminded that they're all in the same world. I'm always looking forward for the next character and their book, never letting a second slip by when its pre-order time!

The only reason I gave this four and a half stars is because I felt like the suspense and climax were rushed. It wasn't drawn out and left me with white knuckles as I realized the truth and what not. It seemed like that part was second to their romance, which isn't a bad thing. I just expected more.

These are all HEA, standalone stories but I highly recommend reading in order OF SERIES when beginning this journey with hot guys and non damsels-but always in trouble women.

Review: Vampire Academy-Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy

1 of 6 

Young Adult, paranormal, vampire

340

5 stars

Buy it here

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever

“Taking a deep breathe, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life.
I walked away.” 

This isn't the first time I've read this book. Or series. If I had to count, I couldn't possibly do so because I can't even count that high. 

So, it's a lot. 

This story follows Rose Hathaway, a Dhampir in training who has the personality of, well, myself. She's sarcastic, blunt, and often times doesn't know when to stand down. Rose is brave but emotional, keeping herself in check because Dhampir's shouldn't be emotional. They're job is to protect the Moroi, the special ones of their kind. They are vampires. Rose is my abosolute favorite character, the way she draws us into her mind is perfect. I feel like she's my best friend, and her snarky side is the best. 

“Jesse: " Hey Rose, welcome back. Still breaking hearts?"
Rose: " Are you volunteering?”

Vasilisa is her best friend, and Rose is determined that she'll become her Guardian, the one who will always watch over her. Lissa is a princess, and is a huge target for those out to take the Moroi down. I love their friendship, it's the epitome of what friends should be like. They're there for each other all the time, both physically and emotionally, especially Rose for Lissa.

“She accused me of wearing pants from the salvation army."
"Rose, your pants ARE from the salvation army."
"That's SO not the point!” 

Dimitri Belikov is surely on the top of my book boyfriend list. He's dreamy, he's large, and Russian. What does Russian have to do with it? No idea, but he's hot. He tries to stay distant from Rose, needing to be only her teacher and nothing else but that doesn't work. Who can resist Rose? Certainly not Dimitri. He's tough and is hard on her, getting her to understand it's not a walk in the park to go after Strigoi, the Moroi turned bad. 

“My name is Dimitri Belikov. I've come to take you back to St. Vladimir's Academy, Princess.” 

This will always remain my favorite series out there. It has so much action and drama, it's so different compared to other vampire stories I've read and that's what I love about it. Please check this out, you won't regret this series.