I started this series reading book 3 because I had it on my kindle and didn't realize that it was book 3. Book 3 is my least favorite and this has to come second.
There is a great back story. Kalquorians have been exposed to a virus that has rendered most of their females sterile. Other Kalquorian females who have been able to conceive mostly give birth to males and have found that the virus has mutated Kalquorian DNA and females are now born with defects. The leaders of Kalquor have made it one of their priorities to find mates of other species on other planets that are compatible in order to keep their race alive. Their first choice is to find out if Earthers are compatible because of their many similarities.
There is a lot of rolling in the hay, on the floor, on the table... on anything available really.
Although I enjoyed most of the actual story, I didn't like a lot of the BDSM. It just took a weird twist along the way. Instead of it being a pleasurable kind of thing it became a forced kind of thing. Rape is involved in the book and it's twisted so that it comes out that Amelia (the main protagonist) really did want it and is turned on by rape... I don't know it was a bit crazy.
Book 2 is much better and possibly my favorite of the series at the moment.
4.5
This was hot!! I love the storytelling. There's a plot y'all!!
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I needed more of the sexy times.
Stephanie Lawton is a poet.
I think what you need to understand about Want and its short story Aftertaste is that it's not just a story that is being told. Stephanie Lawton creates ambiance and these two stories have a very thick feel to it. Oh and that flow... You're watching things transpire in slow motion and you can't help but to feel/ anticipate that something very important is about to happen.
I read Want about two weeks ago and have read a few books in between. The moment I started to read Aftertaste I was immediately transported into that ambiance. I find that amazing. To be able to be right back in that mood that was created in Want without having to adjust takes skills.
This short is written in Isaacs POV, which I appreciated. Isaac really doesn't let you in while reading Want. He keeps things to himself, a lot. In fact the secrets or feelings revealed throughout the book are revealed by others and rarely by Isaac himself. To get a glimpse of his tortured soul was a treat.
I just can't help but to like Isaac, feel for him, root for him to figure things out and be happy even if I knew he couldn't be the one although I wanted him to be the one... AGH! Yeah...
This is a freebie y'all. Pick it up AFTER you read Want!
This was a great story with loveable characters and a great back story. I wish it would have been longer because it definitely has enough good material to be a longer book.
This is a Kindle Freebie! Grab it and enjoy a great story.
My opinion might be the least common or the least desirable but my criticisms about the book seem to be extremely outlier-ish.
Just a Bit Bossy will forever be my favorite. I loved the banter and comedy above everything else. It's a book I re-read several times a year. For this reason alone I was incredibly excited to read this book but it fell a bit short.
First, I was on board with how everyone could feel intimidated by this man. He really didn't give psychotic vibes but it didn't mean they weren't there. I was on board with even thinking he wasn't psychotic but had to do questionable things in order to survive. You learn the reasons why. For Pete's sake he's a mafia boss... is anything out of the realm of possibility.
What wasn't plausible was Jordan not feeling an ounce of scared while around the mafia and the mafia boss. What wasn't plausible was Jordan speaking up and making a room full of people he just met, speak to him in English because he feels it is disrespectful to speak in their native tongue in their native land. LIKE WTF. AND they did! That was bullshit. Please don't go to another country and force yourself on people. People do not have to speak YOUR language in THEIR country. It was cringe and a turn-off.
Jordan just felt way more privileged and entitled than I thought should be afforded to him.
I do think the kidnapping should have been an opportunity to get much closer and although the two did get closer it still felt incomplete when they were out of the situation. It didn't feel like it was enough to get to where they were in the story.
I'm now reading book 14 in the series and Jordan's brother is giving this overly important vibe as well. It's one thing to be confident and believe in yourself but it's another to think you are the universes' gift to humanity.
CW: Child Rape, Assault, Attempted Suicide, Near Death Experience
A LOT happens in that third scene. Like one thing after another. Also, this spoils the Grip series a bit.
I love how Kennedy Ryan handled beliefs surrounding Vodun. It was respectful.
Edit: 5 mins later
After reading a review where the reader (who is entitled to their own uneducated opinion) stated that there was silly Voodoo and 14 year olds don't need that much counseling because they are self absorbed and don't care that much about their parent's divorce AND the typical bitchy ex wife—I bumped my rating to a 5 star.
** Vodun is a beautiful religion. Comes in clutch when you are just trying to survive, trying to live and accept yourself. It's usually a journey of self discovery which Kennedy Ryan captures and depicts perfectly in Lotus' story, past and present. It is through her teachings that she understands when to step back and deal with underlying issues. It is through these teachings that she stays quiet enough to really listen to her surroundings. It is through these teachings that she saves herself after the tragic events that brought her to live with her grandmother.
If it's not your thing—cool, but don't shit on it. Just move on but know that there are other people in the world than just you. And you called 14 year olds self absorbed...
14 year olds are extremely emotional. They feel everything and it is all in the surface but unfortunately don't know how to channel those feelings or are rarely given permission/encouragement to voice those feelings. They need that permission because adults are always trying to impose their authority over them. Counseling is often frowned upon or not as widely accepted among POC families. The fact that the author included this and made it normal and necessary was amazing and needed. Yes, there are bitchy and petty ex wives. There are bitchy and petty ex husbands. It happens A LOT. So??
A little girl is told by her sister that she was “made in China” like toys and clothes. Naturally, she seeks out her father to set the record straight.
I really liked this story. It was easy to read and to understand and most of all the feelings it tried to provoke radiated off the pages. I think the words the little girl's father used to explain adoption and what she meant to their family were pretty perfect.
I do think that the sister's behavior should have been addressed. It was ugly and unacceptable. This took away from the book that, per the synopsis, was meant to address adoption as well as sibling relations.
Overall, great conversation starter but as a parent, be prepared to add more to it than what was written.
ARC was provided by Vanita Books via NetGalley.
I marked this 2 stars but it's more like 1.5.
I don't even know what to say about this short story. It was well written like she knows how to put words together :-) but this story was way to short and I found myself confused. In one word the story was TRIPPY. That's how it read. Like it was one acid trip... or what I would imagine it to be.
I wasn't impressed or left to want more because if more meant more of what I had read then, no, I can do without.
This is the last short story book in the Beyond Time Series. These books are the first I have read from the author Elizabeth Marshall. I have to say I can't wait to read more from her and just added the other book she wrote on my to read list.
In this last installment we find Grace finding little notes she has left herself from 400 years in the past. We see her getting ready for the travel back in time because of her own advice sent 400 years before. On her way back from shopping for the things she will need in the 1700's, Grace is caught in a horrible snow storm. Just when she thinks she will die out in the storm, she travels back in time and Robert Hamilton is waiting for her. The rest of the book was about her adjusting to the 1700's. Some parts felt rushed but again this is a short story so some things have to be rushed. The entire series happens in a span of a week and I have to say it was executed nicely.
I do have to mention that I thought this last book was and bits and pieces of the other two resonated a lot with Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. There were some similarities and not just because it involved an English married woman who travels 400 years to the past. There were other similarities but I will leave you to form your own opinion.
I think this is a nice read for anyone. It's not a scary read. It's more of a cuddle up against the fire/ radiator ;-) read. It's a fast read and if anyone just wants to fit it in, I think you should.
At this point I'm not sure where the author is going with this series. I know the author is gay but we don't know if our homeboy is. He has not come out. OK ok, there were the magazines. There are other signs but isn't that stereotyping? I'm just here trying to figure out ish like the rest of the family as well as Hiroki.
Dad is a disgusting human being at this point. He's going to have to go through some major growth. His views on gay people and then women in general create much suckage.
As the synopsis states Kate, her sister Brit and her best friend Brad unknowingly enter a portal that sends them into another world. This new world, Encardia, is one that Kate knows well because she has been dreaming about it for years as well as the man who awaits her on the other side of the portal, Arland.
Wilde's Fire started off on fire. I was digging it from the very beginning! That was until I got to the middle. The middle consisted of Kate finding out more about Encardia, her ties to this world and learning to fight. It also consisted of Kate going back and forth about her feelings for Arland and her best friend Brad. I think this last part was overdone... by a lot. These were moments when I couldn't see growth in Kate and she became a bit whiny for me. (I can't do whiny, sorry.)
Once we got passed this middle it went right back to a very action packed, fast paced story which I enjoyed until the end. The plot is a very interesting one and I really did enjoy this read. One of the best parts of this book was how the author was able to make Kate and Arland's love believable even if they had physically been around one another for only 3 weeks or so. It felt totally plausible and allowed me to accept their instalove as one that was built on a very sturdy foundation. (If you read the book you'll know exactly what I mean.) All of the characters were well developed and the world building was impressive. This one is definitely a keeper. So much so that I delved right into book 2, Wilde's Army, right away.
Congrats to Krystal Wade on a wonderful first book!
ARC provided by Curiosity Quills Press via NetGalley
Clearly I'm missing something and didn't realize it until I finished the whole thing. This is the epilogue that takes place 5 years after Back To School (which I'm now reading but dreading a little bit because there might be abuse.)
I love BL manga but mostly light, slice of life, cute BL manga. If it has to be heavy, I'd like for it to have a smooth happy ending with hope. What I don't like, which tends to be a theme in most BL, is where one of the MC is totally into the other MC but that MC seems to not want love, affection, sex, or the other MC. Yet, they are in a committed relationship, living their lives like any other couple but with this unease always there. I don't like it. This one had a lot of that. It just sucks to be in a relationship where you are constantly being rejected and nothing is reciprocated. NO means NO but if you say NO and really mean yes and are saying no just to have the other person beg all the time... that gets tiring, is abusive and manipulative. The relationship then begins to feel toxic.
I'm reading the origin story simply out of curiosity. We shall see how it goes.
This cover is so beautiful! I love it!
This story is short, sweet and hot. I'm still trying to get used to BDSM and it's intense (for me at least). It was written so well creating a need to find out more about Amelia Barker and Keon Munro after their first meeting. :-)
I really enjoyed this story. For being a short it was packed with the right amount of sweetness, intrigue, drama, and heat. Its pace was nice and ended just as nice. The characters are pretty great and I can't wait to read the follow up to visit with them some more.
OMG! What can I say about this book?! It was just hilarious, cute, light and totally refreshing. Once again I find myself kicking myself in the rear for not reading this sooner.
I loved everything about it!
Sebastian is totally confident! This comes off as being cocky but it worked. He wasn't a jerk, he was just funny. No matter what he was loyal to his mother, his friends and he had rules/standards that he lived by... Needless to say it was absolutely awesome being in his head for the duration of the book. I'm not sure if it's because I have an open mind or just that great of an imagination but I could totally see these characters as real people as well as the situations they faced. :-)
I totally fell in love with Sebastian and crew, the author/her writing and the guys in her life that helped to create Sebastian.
I have to admit I didn't sleep at all to read this book and when I finished I immediately bought the companion What a Boy Needs and didn't stop reading that...not even for sleep.
I'm a fan...fo' sho'...word.
ARC provided by Centrinian Publishing via NetGalley
I really enjoyed this wonderful new story. We follow Charlie as he meets a few friends (Derkein, Alex and Richmond) who help him to unravel a world full of mystical creatures, angels, demons, action, danger and intrigue.
I couldn't help but feel a strong familiarity as I read the book. The sensations I felt were the same as when I read parts of Harry Potter. With that said, Alecia Stone has managed to create a really unique tale with its own voice in spite of that familiarity. All of the characters in this book are strong and well developed. They are likable and full of passion. They are the kind of characters you want to know more about, be friends with, and help out along the way while rooting for their success.
There were a few wonky transitions and the reader is given a lot of information at once about the mystical races that might be hard to follow.
All in all it was a great read that people of all ages can enjoy. I can't wait to introduce this new series to my son. I really can't wait to read the next book as I am sure it will be full of adventure and intrigue!
Goodreads Says: Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable–except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning–and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.
I was really excited about reading this book because I really am a lover of Greek Mythology. It's a breath of fresh air anytime I get to read something that's not vampire/werewolf related. :-) So when this came up on my Goodreads feed for new books being released in February I rushed to buy it...well, that and the awesome .99 Kindle deal.
There were good things going on with this story but in the end, as a whole, it fell short for me.
What I liked:
You are immediately thrown into Elyse's world. Author didn't hold back in letting you know what the deal was. The characters were likable enough. Well, “the good guys”.
The back story on how the main characters are related to the Greek gods and how they correlate to their abilities. The X-Men feel of the school everyone attended to learn about their abilities, Greek Mythology and history.
Uncle Mac and the great ending. What I didn't like:Immediately I felt as though this should be an adult book because it read as if Elyse was an adult. That was...
Until she started sounding like a kid or even worse like an adult that sounds like a kid that should sound like an adult. The insta-love. Holy crapage! It hits you like BAM and never really gives you time to get used to it let alone recover from the initial blow.
There were parts that felt rushed, not cohesive and loaded with inconsistencies. One minute she meets William, runs away from William and next day he's sleeping on her couch a few hours later is sharing her bed. ??
One minute she knows she ages slowly, next minute she finds out she is a descendant of gods, next day she enrolls in a school and fits right in... no adjusting period she just does. Secrets are kept from Elyse that at the height of the story when she finds out who she really is should just be revealed to her because why the heck not?!
This story/plot has so much potential. There really are good ideas here. I just don't think they were executed in the best possible way. I think the fact that all these “teens” still act like teens but are nearly 90 years old is not believable. They might look 18 but they have lived enough years to have matured by now and they haven't. If the author still wants this book to remain a YA then I think she needs to explain why they are emotionally and mentally still immature although they have been alive for nearly 90 years. The alternative would be to make this an adult book and have adults who look like teens but are really adults. I'm sure this isn't possible but this is a dilemma for me.
Something else that has been nagging me is the villain in the book, Ryder. Ryder has this awful hate towards Elyse. He really really hates her and beats on her ugly for no reason. I understand that there has to be a villain but why he despises her so really falls short with me. If anybody wants to clarify this please do.
Back to the insta-love. The feelings Elyse has for William and vice versa, the way they are with one another, would be easier to accept had the author given the reader time to grow in love with them. I mean the book was over 300 pages. There was definitely time to have their love grow into something believable.
The ending was literally a few pages in length when we meet William's uncle and let me tell you he felt the most real to me.
All of the things that bugged me about the book could easily have been remedied and fleshed out I feel. All in all this book is receiving really great reviews so maybe its just not what I expected because I expected something different or too much? I don't know. What I do know is that the last few pages definitely made me want to read the next installment to find out what happens. I really hope it gets better because I am willing to give it a try.
Until then...On to the next.