{Book Review} Wicked Sexy Liar by Christina Lauren

From Goodreads

For two people ambivalent about dating and love, they sure get naked around each other an awful lot . . .

London Hughes is very content to surf daily, tend bar, hang out with her group of friends, and slowly orient herself in the years after college. Everything’s going great and according to the non-plan.

But when a wave knocks her for a loop one morning, then Luke Sutter’s flirtatious smile knocks her for another that evening, she veers slightly off course…and into his path. Sure, he’s a total player, but the Why not—it’s only one night is a persistent voice in her ear.

For his part, Luke’s been on hookup autopilot for so long that he rarely ever pauses to consider what he’s doing. But after an amazing time with London, he realizes that he hasn’t been moving on from a devastating heartbreak so much as he’s been drifting to wherever—and whomever—the current takes him. With London he wants more.

Every relationship involves two people…plus their pasts. And as much as she enjoys her fling with Luke, when London learns about his past—more specifically, who’s in it—everything becomes the brand of complicated she strives to avoid. It’s up to Luke then to change some things in order to try and ensure he’s not something she’ll outright avoid as well.

My Thoughts

3.5 "Side Characters Steal the Show" Stars

(I have a cold, so this may be a little disjointed!)

Wicked Sexy Liar is the fourth book in the Wild Seasons series, and it can be read as a standalone, though you get a fair bit of backstory by reading in order. Wicked Sexy Liar is about London and Luke; London is Lola's (Dark Wild Night) roommate, and Luke is Mia's (Sweet Filthy Boy) ex-boyfriend. We get to see a few nights of blazing passion along with a slow burning romance between the pair, along with some great interactions from the previous book characters. 

I enjoyed the banter between this couple immensely. They had an easy back-and-forth that was quite enjoyable and kept me interested in their on-page interactions. Their chemistry was nice, not off the charts, but nice. The San Diego setting was rich, the writing on par with the duo's usual flair, and there was a good bit of humor that kept me chuckling throughout the story.

I liked Luke as a whole. He's a manwhore, but this is the first book I've read where the guy regrets his promiscuity and it has a real impact on his relationships. That was a refreshing and realistic twist I wasn't expecting, and it was interesting to see how Luke handled the situation.

He has a good relationship with his family, especially his sister. That's always a pleasant change, though I admit to cringing when his sister stayed the night at his house while Luke and London were getting busy. If I heard one of my brothers banging, I'd vomit. And leave.

I wasn't a big fan of London. She didn't have much depth behind her, in part because she wasn't a big part of the other books in the series. She was a bit wishy-washy, and definitely needed to get a backbone.

That brings me to my biggest issue with this book. London is horrified when she realizes that Luke is Mia's ex. Even though they aren't close friends, London is determined to break off her fling with Luke until she speaks with Mia. Mia, incredibly happy with Ansel (and come on, can you blame her? Gimme that filthy french boy!), isn't phased by this news and gives London the go ahead. I've never really gotten that whole "chicks before dicks" thing, but whatever.

What I really did not get was how freaking crazy Harlow got. She threw a temper tantrum of epic proportions, and was a brat to both London and Luke. London was cowed by Harlow, and pulled back from Luke. I don't understand that. Mia was fine with it, and last I checked, they're all grown ups!

The sex scenes were some of the best in the series!

The story is around 380 pages or so, though it felt quite a bit longer than that. I felt like several things could have been cut to speed things along. 

The side characters really stole the show on this one. Ansel, Mia, Not-Joe, Lola and Oliver were fantastic. Lola and Oliver are definitely better as supporting characters than on their own, and I love seeing Mia and Ansel. They livened things up and kept the story going. 

Overall, this was a fun and sexy read with a great look at all the previous characters. I'd suggest it for fans of the series, but if you're new to it, go for book one first.

- The Bibliophile Babe

{Book Review} Soulless (King, #4) by T.M. Frazier

From Goodreads

The finale to Bear and Thia's epic love story.

My Thoughts 

*Spoiler Free for this Book!*

3.5 "Crazy Bastard" Stars

Well, the Goodreads summary blows. :p  You can read my 4.5 star review of the first book in this couples' story, Lawless, by clicking here, but to recap the gist of the first book's storyline:

The third book in the King series focuses on Bear, the late 20s, roguishly sexy member of the MC Beach Bastards. When we first met Bear, he was hiding out from the head of the MC, who just so happens to be his father. After some unspeakably terribly events in book two, Bear is not the same man he used to be. He's laid down his cut and left the MC, drowning himself in booze, drugs, and women. 

Enter Thia Andrews. 

Thia first met Bear at the age of ten, in a rather unusual way. Now eighteen and wrongly accused of a sickening crime, Thia explodes back into Bear's life with the force of a hurricane. 

With the law closing in on Thia and the MC gunning for Bear, these two are riding the most intense, adrenaline-fueled roller coaster imaginable. 

In Soulless, we pick right back up and are thrown into chaos. With Bear's old MC splintering apart and loyalties going every which way, it's nearly impossible to know who to trust. Their wrath has now extended to Thia, and Bear will stop at nothing to stop it, even though it means going toe to toe with his own father.

This is the fourth book in the King series, and while you can start Lawless first, I would highly suggest reading in order.

It was far from a romance. But it was still a love story. 

I was so anxious for the next installment of Bear and Thia's story after the epic cliffhanger in Lawless. I immediately dived into this book, and devoured it in less than a day. It was fast paced, action packed, sexy and addictive.

T.M. Frazier has a way of making me like things I normally can't stand to read about, like:

Age gaps

Beards (I don't get this current beard craze! Stubble and scruff is great, but not a beard)

Motorcycle clubs

Instalove

Extremely possessive men

Despite my dislike of them, I always enjoy it when Fraizer writes it!

Bear was as beautiful as he was hard. He was as complex as he was simple. He was both the storm and the calm. The fear and the solace. The rage and the peace.

My life and my love. 

The sex was hot, the pacing fast, the writing engaging and captivating. I couldn't wait to get back to reading it whenever I was forced to put it down. I love the rich Florida setting, the appearances of beloved characters, and the distinctive voice of both protagonists. 

Soulless had one of the most interesting side characters, a real mass of contradictions, and I can't wait to get her story. 

The series is a bit like an overly dramatic show or movie - a guilty pleasure you can't help but love, even though it can get a bit extreme sometimes.

This one fell a little flat for me in a few ways. The series has always been a tad over the top (in a good way!), but Soulless bordered on ridiculous on more than one occasion. I belong to the author's Facebook fan group, and I felt like there was a lot of fan pleasing in this book; almost like the author would've taken a slightly different road if not for the fans' murmurings. One rather big reveal really shouldn't have been possible with a subplot in a prior book, and it just so happened to be something the fans were most loud about. 

Love isn't about wanting a hero. It's about wanting to be one for the other person. 

Overall though, I did enjoy the book! I laughed, cringed, bawled like a baby and panted like a dog in heat. It was a smoking hot, addictive, wild ride, and set the scene for future books. I suggest trying this series!

- The Bibliophile Babe 

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to TRSoR Promotions and T.M. Frazier. 

{Book Review} Priest by Sierra Simone

This is a revised review from earlier this year; should be new to most of you!

From Goodreads:

There are many rules a priest can't break. 
A priest cannot marry. A priest cannot abandon his flock. A priest cannot forsake his God.

I've always been good at following rules. 
Until she came. 
My name is Tyler Anselm Bell. I'm twenty-nine years old. Six months ago, I broke my vow of celibacy on the altar of my own church, and God help me, I would do it again. 
I am a priest and this is my confession.

My review:

(If you couldn't tell by that scorching cover and summary, this is an erotic romance. Some of the direst smut I've read all year. You've been warned.)

Fucking. Filthy. Hot. Porn. With. Plot. That's the sum of this review. 

I stopped seeing a penitent. 

I stopped seeing a child of God. 

I stopped seeing a lost lamb in need of a shepherd.

I saw only a woman in need - ripe, delicious need.

Ah, Priest. As one of the most buzzed about erotic romance releases of this year, this book caught my attention right off the bat. The cover, early reviews, and synopsis brought up every sordid, deviant fantasy my bored, oversexed agnostic mind has ever came up with when I accompany my very Catholic family to Mass, though I've never encountered a priest like Father Bell. ;) 

This kind of kinky, forbidden smut is my weakness, and Priest was a very satisfying read. My expectations were surpassed in some aspects, and in other places the book fell a little flat. Let's jump right in. 

I wasn't just desperate to fuck her. I wasn't just happy to help her find her faith. I was well and truly on my way to being in love with her. 

Tyler Bell is  29 years old, and isn't at all who you'd picture for a priest. Before taking his vows, he led an intense sexual lifestyle. When tragedy strikes his family, he decides to become a priest in attempted atonement for his sins and those surrounding the event's circumstance.

I personally was not a fan of the way the "event" was played out in the book, or how it dictated Father Bell's choice of priesthood. I didn't see how the two connected, and the effect of his choice on his family made his decision make even less sense. I could see what the author was trying to do, but it didn't pan out as intended.

Other than that though, I enjoyed Father Bell's character. He was well developed, sexy as sin, and I thought his emotions revolving around breaking his vow of celibacy were realistic and heartfelt. He managed to be a non-preachy, shove-it-down-your-throat (well...his view on religion. Other things are fair game. ;)) priest, which I really appreciated. 

"You're a good priest, Father Bell. But you're also a good man, and doesn't a good man deserve a little indulgence every now and then?"

Poppy is the love interest, and I just...didn't like her. She was two dimensional, vapid, and I didn't connect with her. 

She was from a rich upper crust family with parents who pushed her to follow every rich women's footsteps, so she leaves it all behind to become a stripper. Okay.....

She feels the need to confess her sins, and what starts as a cathartic experience soon turns into a bit of an obsession with our good Father. 

The story fell a bit flat for me, as pretty much every character besides Father Bell isn't fleshed out at all. It gave the story a very introspective feel. That was to the book's benefit in some ways, and its downfall in others.

The ending was a bit overused and predictable, but was still a nice finish to the book.

Sacred and profane were blending and blurring together, fussing and welding themselves into something new and whole and singular, and if this was what love was, then I didn't know how anyone could bear the weight of it.

I was a bit surprised at just how much religion is in the story. I know that sounds odd, given the book is about a priest, but I wasn't expecting the level of detail and angst over the Catholic religion. Once I got used to it though, I appreciated and even enjoyed Father Bell's musings on the topic.

There's a lot of info given to help the reader better understand the workings of the Catholic church.

Having a very Catholic family myself, I could skim pass those parts, but I can definitely see the merit of it for a viewer unfamiliar with Catholicism. 

I couldn't lose her, and I couldn't keep her. 

The writing was engaging, thought provoking, and very, very sexy. It's more than just a pornfest, and I really appreciated that aspect: sex scene after sex scene after sex scene can get really repetitive and diminishes the quality of the sex in my opinion. It's fabulous to have an actual story with hot sex, rather than just a porno. It made the sex scenes all the better, as the anticipating leading up to each was the best kind of book-foreplay. 

The sex scenes....holy shit. The sex itself is 5 star. Sinfully sexy, descriptive, dirty, and panty-melting. The bits of kink and the forbidden aspects just sweetened the deal, and being in Bell's head was spectacular. The author has such a way with words, and wove the pictures in vivid detail. It really was some of the best smut I've read, and I'm looking forward to reading more from Sierra Simone.

Overall, I recommend Priest for anyone who likes their erotica forbidden and dirty. It has a few issues, but was a highly enjoyable and smokin' hot read.

Stats:

Rating: 3.5 stars as a story, 5 stars for smut

Genre: Adult, erotic romance

POV: 1st person, single perspective

Steam/sexual content: It's porn with a plot, and hotter than hell

Warnings: Rough sex, anal sex, light bondage, plus the whole sexy priest angle ;)

Series: Standalone

HEA: Yes

Cliffhanger: No

My own copy

Add to Goodreads

- The Bibliophile Babe

Book Review: Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent

From Goodreads:

By blood, by word, by magic…

Most can't touch the power. But Liv Warren is special— a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood.

Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one.

But when her friend's daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can't rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her.

Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner…every touch…every kiss.

And more blood will be spilled before it's over…

My Review:

3.5  "Serious Potential" Stars

Olivia (Liv) Warren is a powerful Blood Tracker, the best in the city. All she needs is a sample of someone's blood, and she can track them within a radius of several hundred miles. As such, her skill is in high demand. 

Gifted people such a Jammers, Trackers, Seers, and Shadow Walkers are a hot commodity; as they are not officially acknowledged by the government, they are able to move forward when law enforcement cannot. In a city split between rival syndicates who've bound countless people to their businesses, you have to be careful to survive in this city.

Six years ago Liv abruptly left the love of her life, Camden (Cam) Caballero, to protect him from a tragedy foretold to her by a Seer. Liv works as a freelancer on the surface, but if you look a little deeper there's something much worse going on. In order to keep Cam safe, Liv has temporarily bound herself to Ruben Cavasaz, syndicate and the man who's bound half the city to his nefarious scheme. If Liv does not find the person Cavasaz has her set to track within the next six months, she'll be his to do with as he pleases, forever.

When a high school friend suddenly comes back into Liv's life and asks for help, Liv can't say no. Bound to each other since the age of 12, she has no choice but to obey. That means working along side the once-love of her life, Cam, and racing the clock to save a little girl's life.

I'm so torn on my feelings for Blood Bound. On the one hand, it's a very unique and refreshing paranormal/urban fantasy world (no vampires, werewolves, fairies, zombies, ect here!) that had me completely absorbed into the story and dying to learn more.

On the other hand....it has a few issues that picked at my nerves. Let's break it down, shall we? 

First, the positives.

Like I said, RVincent has created a fascinating world. The different powers, their uses and the way they are expressed was so interesting and refreshing. The emphasis on not using full names and destroying any traces of blood (to keep safe from other Trackers) was an interesting twist that worked well for the story, and added a great layer of tension. Every time someone got hurt I kept thinking "get the blood, get the blood!", and it kept the reader engaged in the story. 

I enjoyed the fast pace and near constant action. The story spans the course of two (or maybe three?) days, and you really got to experience the characters' fatigue, adrenaline, and stress throughout. It has a lot of twists and turns, with tiny bits of information you may have brushed off coming back into play in a big way. It kept me guessing, and held my interest.

I really, really enjoyed the ending. That's when things started to come together, and the climax was fabulous. Everyone's character had a good bit of growth, and Cam especially was a very different person from when we first met him. In a good way, trust me!

Cavasaz wasn't a character I ever expected to enjoy when we're first introduced to him, but as the story went on and his personality is fleshed out I wound up enjoying him hugely. He was a complex villain that wasn't all bad, and despite some of the horror he inflicts, I didn't hate him. I want to know more about him, and I can't wait to start the second book to see what he'll force upon our protagonists next. 

Liv was an enjoyable character, albeit it more than a little naive at times. Her voice was easy to get lost in, and she was relatable. She isn't a perfect, and she wasn't always on top of her game. She often lets her feelings for Cam or her hatred for Cavasaz cloud her judgement, but that was a character flaw I liked. It gave her realistic feel, and I appreciate where RVincent took her character over the course of the story.

Despite being nearly 500 pages, I finished Blood Bound in a little over a day (work day, at that!), so it's very fast read.

And now for the not-so-positive.

The story is told in alternating 1st person perspective between Olivia and Camden, and objectively speaking that's a smart idea for the storyline. However, their voices were so similar I frequently couldn't immediately tell who was talking! The chapters aren't marked by names, and they often switched within the same chapter. I'd be reading Olivia, turn the page, and think I was still reading Olivia until Cam thought her name. A few times I was like "okay, why is this chick referring to herself in the third perso-....oh. Oh, we're back to Cam. Okay.". 

On that same note, Cam's voice came across as very feminine. It didn't work for the character that Liv saw, and it made him less appealing as a hero if I'm being perfectly honest.

There were several plot twists in the book that I saw coming paragraphs or even chapters before Cam and Liv did. I felt like they were glaringly obvious, and wasn't sure if mystery/suspense just isn't RVincent's thing or the characters were just dense. Normally I want to keep reading to see if my idea was right, not to verify my rock solid confidence that that is absolutely what happens.

I didn't buy the romance between Cam and Liv, at least not in the extreme it's portrayed as. They had a good connection and decent chemistry, but I didn't get the whole "love of my life/been pining for 6 years" thing. I didn't feel any connection to their shared history, which is a pretty integral part of the story.

Overall, I enjoyed Blood Bound. It was fast paced, unique, and engaging with enjoyable (for the most part) characters and an action packed plot. It's an absorbing urban fantasy series that I'm excited to continue. 

While I wouldn't suggest you pick this up as your first Rachel Vincent book (go with The Stars Never Rise instead), I would recommend this if you're a paranormal/urban fantasy fan. Reviews for the other books will be up once I finish!

STATS:

Rating: 3.5 stars

Genre: Adult, urban fantasy, romance

POV: 1st person, alternating dual perspective

Steam/sexual content: Some steam, very mild sex

Warning: Violence

Series: Unbound #1, trilogy

HEA: Not sure!

Cliffhanger: Yes

Length: 463 pages

My own copy

Goodreads, Amazon

- The Bibliophile Babe

Reading Slump No More!

Hey, guys!



Since early June or so, I've been in the worst reading slump. Nothing was holding my attention, it took me days to finish a single book, and I hadn't read a 5 star worthy read since I didn't know when. I'm so happy to report that that is gone! The book that kicked it was The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent. It seems like an author I like, a fast paced setting, an anticipated release and an unusual take on paranormal is just what I needed to get back into reading.

Last Sunday I finished Bad Romeo instead of shelving it as a DNF, and I suddenly wanted to do nothing but read. I'm back to being able to get lost in a book, reading lightning fast, and I had both a 4  star and a 5 star read. Yay!

I finished 8 books last week. Six physical books, two eBooks, six full length novels, one short little story and a fairly short, smutty anthology. I'd been trying to finish Bad Romeo for weeks, but the rest were completed within a day or so. This was with a very full work schedule, too! Pretty happy with myself, in case you couldn't tell. :D


Here's what I finished. Reviews will be coming for all of these over the next week or two, and one has already been posted and is linked below.

Add to Goodreads

I was not bested! 2 stars.

Add to Goodreads

2 stars. My review is here.

Add to Goodreads

3 stars

Add to Goodreads

This just might have been the dirtiest, smuttiest book I've read all year, and that's saying something because I read a lot  of book porn.
3-3.5 stars, still deciding.

Add to Goodreads

Part one, very short. An okay 2.5 stars.

Add to Goodreads

5 stars! Beautifully done novel. 

Add to Goodreads

A fair smut collection. I liked the second book best, though the third was admittedly hot. 3 stars.

Add to Goodreads

Not Cosway's strongest novel or my favorite in the series, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it! 4 stars.

Have you read anything good lately?

- The Bibliophile Babe

Book Review: Lover Awakened - J. R. Ward

WARNING: This is the third book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and it's the only one I've read. There may or may not be some minor spoilers in this review, as I don't know what is and isn't common knowledge for starting the series. 

 

From Goodreads:

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Of these, Zsadist is the most terrifying member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion—until he rescues a beautiful aristocrat from the evil Lessening Society.

Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for one another begins to overtake them both, Zsadist’s thirst for vengeance against Bella’s tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now, Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past, and find a future with her…

Zsadist, or Z, is one of the six bothers in the Black Dagger Brotherhood. He was captured at a young age and used as a blood slave and sex slave for decades, and the scars left on him by the experience run deep, both physically and mentally. A cruel and ruthless vampire, he lives a life of constant anger, pain, humiliation, and a cold detachment from his fellow vampires, even his own Brothers. Getting off on the terror of others and constantly punishing himself because of how he is, he is trapped inside a life of hopeless darkness - until he meets and rescues Bella. Bella is a stunning aristocrat who was held captive by the vampires' sworn enemy, The Lessers. 

Once freed, they struggle to come to terms with their connection; Z, terrified of being near Bella, fights it every step of the way, while Bella is determined to crack down his walls and be let in. With a very rough road ahead of them, and danger and drama at every turn, the two must decide just how much damage can be repaired, and what is worth fighting for.

That is really all I can say about it without spoiling the story, but it has an interesting and engaging plot. Now, on to the review!

This book was...a bit ridiculous, but I truly enjoyed it. Definitely going on my "guiltiest of guilty pleasures" shelf, right next to my Crossfire and Night Huntress series. I devoured it, and will covertly be reading the others. 

I had several issues with this book, some of which were mild, others had me grinding my teeth in annoyance. 

First and foremost being holy fucking multiple points of views! There's at least 6 regular, alternating voices, and it got both confusing and frustrating trying to keep everyone straight. There's Zsadist, Bella, Phury (Z's twin), John, the main Lesser, and occasionally a bit from Butch and Bella's brother. The book is in third person, which made it even more tough to follow. I felt like I kept getting spoiled by bits, or wasting my time with unnecessary information. Don't get me wrong, I can see why Ward put more people in than just Z and Bella. Phury was an excellent addition, and I grew to really like John's view of the world. Everyone else, though? I could've happily done without them. Truth be told, I wound up skimming some of this novel.

All the strange names for people and things! I had to constantly refer to the glossary in the beginning of the book. 

The names of the Brothers. Maybe it's explained in the first two books, but why such odd spellings? Zsadist, Phury, Rhage, Vishous, Thorment.... I don't get it. 

The way the book panned out was a bit weird for me. The ending felt very, very rushed, and we didn't get to see much of Z and Bella actually being together. It was a fairly long book at around 440 pages, but it felt like there should've been more to it. We had all this angst and longing between the couple, and there wasn't much closure for me. 

On that note....while the ending was sweet, I didn't really see it as fitting for the couple. Maybe if we'd gotten to see them being together I would've been more satisfied, but given the way it was, it felt more just like Ward was trying to wrap everything up with a cute moment. 

There's a pretty big thing that happens towards the climax of the book, and while I understand that this story wasn't for that character, it felt totally unresolved. Even in the epilogue we don't get a mention, and I read the scene as being monumental to the Brotherhood. 

This line: "An 18-wheeler orgasm overtook him. As the top of his cock blew off..." I'm sorry, but all I pictured is someone getting smushed by a Mac truck, while dealing with a very bloody and very painful dick. 

Apart from that though, I really enjoyed this book. It says something that I could have so many issues with a novel and still devour it. And third person, no less! 

"You are clean."

"Oh, no, I'm not. I'm really not. I'm filthy.  I am so very dirty. I am dirty, dirty.... Can you see the dirt? I see it everywhere. It coats me. It seals me in. I can feel it on my skin -"

Zsadist. I love him. My heart broke for him at every page. Despite having so, so many issues, he didn't read like the typical self-loathing male. He truly believes that he is beyond repair, and he doesn't enjoy the feeling the way so many book men do. I teared up on more than one occasion reading what he felt, what he experienced, or how he thought about himself. He starves himself, washes himself raw, deprives himself of the most basic forms of comfort, and it broke me to read him. The scars left on him by his physical and sexual abuse run so deep, and he can't hide them. Can't fix them. 

"What are you saying, Zsadist?"

He glanced back down at the pencil in his hand and then turned to the table. Flipping the spiral notebook to a new page, he bent way over and labored on the top of the page for quite a while. Then he ripped the sheet free.

His hand was shaking as he held it out. "It's messy."

Bella took the paper. In a child's even block letters there were three words: 

I love you

"Maybe you can't read it," He said in a small voice. "I can do it over."

(this expert is what made me want to read the book)

Zsadist is illiterate. Of all the things, this one struck especially hard. Just imagine for a minute what it's like to not be able to read. Looking at this post and not comprehending a single thing I've written. It probably is a greater horror for us as passionate readers to imagine, but even if you weren't someone who took such joys in reading and writing, the effects of illiteracy are staggering. Not being able to read street signs, warnings, directions. Not being able to write your own name. It's a horrifying thought that there are people, adults, who can't read. It's not as uncommon as you may think. There's more than likely at least one person in your town who doesn't know the gift of words. It's simply appalling to even think of that.

I couldn't get a good read on Bella. I never really connected with her, so I had a difficult time seeing things through her eyes. 

The sex scenes were interesting between Z and Bella. We delve so deep into Z's issues that their trysts become more about how he is coping and thinking, rather than getting turned on by vampy sexy times, and I loved that. Z's sexual abuse has shaped him so much into what he is and how he processes, and the sex between them really did a good job of illustrating how far he could go and how much he was willing to try and repair himself, even when he wasn't actively acknowledging it. It was a clever way to show that Z was willing to try and heal for Bella, even as he so desperately fought it.

"You've got to understand that I die for you every day. Your pain is mine."

Something I found fascinating was the relationship between Zsadist and his twin brother, Phury. That bond they have...holy hell. It was so intense! Sometimes you read a book and two characters' chemistry just jumps off the page. Whether between lovers, friends, or siblings, it's an amazing thing to see. That's how it was with Z and Phury. The care Phury has for his brother, the torture he goes through at seeing him hurt, the way he will do anything in his power to help Z was so beautiful. And Z, for all his problems, cares just as deeply. The reconciliation scene...I cried. I enjoyed seeing the two of them interact more than anything else in the entire story.

It took me 100 pages or so to really get into the book, but after that I breezed through it. It was fast paced, engaging, and kept me wanting. When I wasn't reading it, I was itching to get back to it. That's the sign of a good book to me, despite the problems I had with it. I would recommend it, with a tissue warning.

STATS:

Rating: 3.75 stars

Genre: Adult, paranormal romance

Length: 334 pages (paperback)

Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood, book 3

POV: 3rd person, multiple

Steam/sexual content: Steamy, explicit sex

Warnings: violence, graphic mental, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, graphic sex, drug use

Cliffhanger: For this couple, no

HEA: Yes

From my library 

- The Bibliophile Babe 

Book Review: Maybe Someday - Colleen Hoover

Hey, guys! Happy June. :) I have a review for you today of Colleen Hoover's book Maybe Someday, so let's jump right in.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!!! DON'T READ BELOW THE RED LINE IF YOU HAVEN'T YET READ THE BOOK AND DON'T WISH TO BE SPOILED!!!

Maybe Someday - Colleen Hoover

Synopsis

At twenty-two years old, Sydney is enjoying a great life: She's in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers that Hunter is cheating on her--and she's forced to decide what her next move should be.

Soon, Sydney finds herself captivated by her mysterious and attractive neighbor, Ridge. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there's something about Sydney that Ridge can't ignore, either. They soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one.

A passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance, Maybe Someday will immerse readers in Sydney's tumultuous world from the very first page.

Ridge works from home, and writes songs for his and his brother's locally successful band, Sounds of Cedar. He is in a five year relationship with  Maggie, a beautiful and sweet girl, and shares his home with two quirky and amusing roommates, Warren and Bridgette. He and Maggie are currently doing  semi-long distance for their relationship, and she comes to visit him around every other weekend or so. 

"I can't deny it, though. Anyone who watches how passionately this guy plays would crush on his talent."

Sydney is a college student, rooming with her best friend Tori, and in a two year long relationship with her boyfriend, Hunter. 
Sydney and Ridge are neighbors, and connect through a mutual love of music. Ridge plays the guitar on his balcony nearly every night, and Sydney tentatively starts writing songs to his melodies. When it is reveled that Hunter has been cheating on Sydney -with Tori, no less -, Ridge opens his door to Sydney until she gets back on her feet.

"It's not so easy when you're trying to win the war against the heart."

From there, we are swept away on a very slow-building romance between the two, with a heavy emphasis on the characters' connection and dealing with feelings for someone else while already being in a "committed" relationship. There are brilliant highs and staggering lows, and it's even more complicated than you'd think. We learn something monumental around 60% of the way into the book, and that puts an entirely new spin on this almost three way relationship (no, not like that, you dirty ho ;)). 

"For her I bend, for you I break."

As usual with Hoover's writing, I breezed through Maybe Someday. Her writing is effortless and completely absorbing. She has a real gift for story telling and absorbing the reader that I've only ever seen in a few other authors.

"I want you to hear me love you."

In a very unusual turn of events for the New Adult genre, Ridge is deaf.  I found this to be interesting and refreshing to see, and it made Ridge's inner voice so compelling. It put a unique perspective on all of his relationships and the way he saw life altogether, and that was beautiful. I love a hero that isn't perfect. 
The connection between Sydney and Ridge was beautiful and intense, and aside from the issue I'll be talking about in a second, this would've been a 4.5 star read for me. I loved seeing them together, I loved their interactions and banter, and I adored how they just got each other. 

I really, really enjoyed the lyrics throughout the book. This is sort of a theme with Hoover's writing; her books Slammed and Confess both had art elements in them (poetry and painting, respectively) and as an artist myself, it's something I appreciate seeing. 
The book actually has its own original soundtrack done by Griffin Peterson, and it's really good. It adds an extra element to the book that made it come alive. You can find it on iTunes under either Griffin Peterson or Maybe Someday, and of course it's on YouTube. 

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------------SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!-----------------SPOILERS!!!!!!!------------------SPOILERS!!!!!!----------

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Seriously, you will be spoiled if you read any more.

What almost ruined this book for me was surprisingly not the love triangle, but the way Ridge handled Sydney. As we learn a little more than halfway into Maybe Someday, Ridge's girlfriend, Maggie, has a life threatening and life shortening genetic condition. While Ridge admits to being in love with Sydney, he adamantly refuses to leave Maggie, citing her condition as the reason. Not only is the beyond unfair to Sydney, it's wrong to Maggie. "Hey, babe, so I've met this other girl. She's amazing, and I'm completely in love with her. But don't worry, I'm staying with you because you'll probably be dead by the time you're 30, and I feel bad leaving you. Soooo, I'll stay with you while constantly thinking about and missing this other girl. M'kay?"

That rankled me beyond belief, and he only went to Sydney because Maggie cut him loose. In my eyes, Sydney will always be second best, and that is not something I'd want to be in a relationship. God. I'm getting pissed all over again just talking about it. It says something about Hoover's talent that I was able to finish and mostly enjoy the story after reading that.  Ridge did redeem himself a bit towards the end, though.

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"It's you. My heart wants you."

Aside from that, I really enjoyed this story. The ending was beyond sweet, and their sex scene was tasteful and beautiful. It wasn't my favorite Colleen Hoover book, but I did like it and it was well written and engaging.

STATS:

Rating: 3.5 stars

Genre: New adult, contemporary romance

Series: Standalone, with a spin off of another couple

POV: Dual 1st person

Steam/sexual content: Some steam, mild/non-explicate sex
Cliffhanger: No
HEA: Yes
Warnings: Cheating, mild sex, mild language 
Length: 384 pages
Published: March 18th, 2014
Publisher: Atria Books
Goodreads, Amazon

- The Bibliophile Babe