Category: A reviews (Page 8 of 16)

The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan

September 8, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: My blogger friends were tweeting how good this book is so I asked the author for a review copy and she very kindly said yes. (yay!)

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) The rules: no kissing on the mouth, no staying the night, no telling anyone, and above all… No falling in love.

Anna Jones just wants to finish college and figure out her life. Falling for star quarterback Drew Baylor is certainly not on her to do list. Confident and charming, he lives in the limelight and is way too gorgeous for his own good. If only she could ignore his heated stares and stop thinking about doing hot and dirty things with him. Easy right?

Too bad he’s committed to making her break every rule…

Football has been good to Drew. It’s given him recognition, two National Championships, and the Heisman. But what he really craves is sexy yet prickly Anna Jones. Her cutting humor and blatant disregard for his fame turns him on like nothing else. But there’s one problem: she’s shut him down. Completely.

That is until a chance encounter leads to the hottest sex of their lives, along with the possibility of something great. Unfortunately, Anna wants it to remain a hook up. Now it’s up to Drew to tempt her with more: more sex, more satisfaction, more time with him. Until she’s truly hooked. It’s a good thing Drew knows all about winning.

All’s fair in love and football…Game on.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I really liked this book. A lot. Sometimes when friends tell me they’re enjoying a book and I should get hold of it, I wonder if my expectations will have been built too high. I’m kind of afraid of over-selling the book for that reason. I don’t want people to get promo fatigue and miss out on a great book. Because it totally met and/or exceeded my expectations. I really loved it.

“Your voice isn’t noise. It’s a song I want to hear over and over.”

The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen

September 6, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: This was recommended by Jane from Dear Author so I bought it.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) The sport she loves is out of reach. The boy she loves has someone else.

What now?

She expected to start Harkness College as a varsity ice hockey player. But a serious accident means that Corey Callahan will start school in a wheelchair instead.

Across the hall, in the other handicapped-accessible dorm room, lives the too-delicious-to-be real Adam Hartley, another would-be hockey star with his leg broken in two places. He’s way out of Corey’s league.

Also, he’s taken.

Nevertheless, an unlikely alliance blooms between Corey and Hartley in the “gimp ghetto” of McHerrin Hall. Over tequila, perilously balanced dining hall trays, and video games, the two cope with disappointments that nobody else understands.

They’re just friends, of course, until one night when things fall apart. Or fall together. All Corey knows is that she’s falling. Hard.

But will Hartley set aside his trophy girl to love someone as broken as Corey? If he won’t, she will need to find the courage to make a life for herself at Harkness — one which does not revolve around the sport she can no longer play, or the brown-eyed boy who’s afraid to love her back.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Okay, this one grabbed me from the start and made me stay up too late last night finishing. I’d say it’s a fairly low conflict story even though each main protagonist has plenty of “shit to shovel”. Corey and Hartley become friends quickly and that friendship builds and grows over time. Corey basically falls in love with him but they are just friends because Hartley is taken. His extremely high maintenance girlfriend is studying abroad for a few months. So there is chemistry and some light flirtation which neither acknowledges as flirtation because he’s taken, and a very slow build to the romance.

The Girlfriend by Abigail Barnette

August 15, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I had this one on the TBR and I started it immediately upon finishing The Boss because I don’t do cliffhangers. Fortunately, it’s only 99c so the two books cost less than $2.00.

**SPOILERS FOR THE BOSS FOLLOW – BE YE WARNED**

It’s possible some may consider my review to be spoilerish for The Girlfriend too. But I can’t talk about the book without talking about these things so… I have hidden the worst of it under a spoiler tag.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Unemployed, blacklisted, and pregnant, Sophie Scaife’s life is totally upside down. Her relationship with publishing magnate Neil Elwood is on the rocks. Her best friend’s career is igniting. And Sophie is afraid she’ll make one of the toughest decisions of her life alone…

When a devastating diagnosis forces Neil to return to London, Sophie throws caution to the wind to follow her heart across the Atlantic. Keeping a scorching D/s affair as red-hot in sickness as it was in health is a challenge, even for two lovers as inventive as Sophie and Neil. But Sophie is more than willing to try anything her Sir commands, and their fantasies of control become a welcome refuge from the daily stress of illness.

While Neil’s wealth and privilege make adjusting to her new situation easier, Sophie finds herself rebuilding her life around an uncertain future. And while both of them face the changes between them head-on, they’re all too aware that their happiness may be fleeting—and Sophie could lose Neil forever.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): In this second book in the series, Barnette dials up the angst factor but she does it in a way that, at least to me, felt organic and believable and… grown up. I don’t really have a clear understanding of what “id vortex” reading is (I’ve read a few definitions but they’re all slightly different, which I find confusing, so as a concept it’s still pretty vague for me) but I guess this series would probably fall into that category. However, while it does have plenty of drama, I felt it was grounded in reality and not ridiculous jealousies, stalking and such. Authors manipulate my feelings all the time – it’s part of why I read (or watch tv or see movies for that matter). There are times when I willingly go along for the ride even though it’s a bit ridiculous. Which is how I’d describe something like the Crossfire series – over the top and with a side of cheese; I say this with some affection. (Even though I only read to the end of the second book, I had been enjoying the series. I would have read the third book but then the whole saga was extended to five books and I was out.) I have fond memories of Bared to You and Reflected in You. This series seems different to me. The set up of the characters feels smarter and more believable and the problems they deal with feel more real world. Yes, Neil is a billionaire but as the book shows, while his wealth can give him some serious advantage, it can’t protect him from everything.

The Martian by Andy Weir, narrated by RC Bray

July 11, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: This sci-fi book was highly recommended and I bought the audiobook a little while back. It’s not a romance but I don’t mind a little break every now and then and, as I’ve said before, I tend to be more adventurous with audiobooks anyway. I hear this one is being made into a movie starring Matt Damon, to be directed by Ridley Scott. If they don’t muck it up, it will be awesome.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive?and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills – and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit – he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

What worked for me (and what didn’t): This book was an absolute cracker. Honestly, I was hooked from the beginning and the story kept me gripped right until the end. I am trying to restrain myself from just fangirl gushing about it – it was just that good.

Mark Watney has been left alone on Mars. His crew, for valid reasons, thought he was dead and they had to leave in a hurry. He is alone, in a hostile environment and has no communication with Earth or his crew’s ship (Hermes) because the same storm which caused the quick departure took out the comms. So, at first, no-one even knows he’s alive. What follows is him making a plan to survive until the next Mars mission which is four years away. He is a mechanical engineer and a botanist, which, as it turns out, if you’re going to be stuck alone on Mars, include the perfect skillset. He basically MacGyver’s what is available to him in order to survive.

Review at AudioGals

June 12, 2014 / Kaetrin

I’m over at AudioGals with a review of Wait for You by J. Lynn, narrated by Sophie Eastlake. I reviewed it in print here and it was fun to revisit the story with a favourite narrator.

In For A Penny by Rose Lerner – Happy Re-Release!

June 4, 2014 / Kaetrin

Everyone throw streamers, In For A Penny is back on digital shelves again and a whole new audience can discover the joy of it. Originally released by Dorchester (who went bust), the author finally got her rights back and Samhain have now re-released it, with a pretty new cover and everything.

Rose Lerner is having a giveaway to celebrate the event – go here for details.

In honour of the occasion, here is my review – originally posted on 29 March 2010 (my birthday so extra special!). I was pretty new to blogging and review writing back then but the sentiment holds true and I have resisted any edits.

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I bought In For A Penny after reading AnimeJune’s review over at Gossamer Obsessions. Thank you AnimeJune!!

The Blurb: No more drinking. No more gambling. And definitely no more mistress. Now that he’s inherited a mountain of debts and responsibility, Lord Nevinstoke has no choice but to start acting respectable. Especially if he wants to find a wife-better yet, a rich wife. Penelope Brown, a manufacturing heiress, seems the perfect choice. She’s pretty, rational, ladylike, and looking for a marriage based on companionship and mutual esteem. But when they actually get to Nev’s family estate, all the respectability and reason in the world won’t be enough to deal with tenants on the edge of revolt, a menacing neighbor, and Nev’s family’s propensity for scandal. Overwhelmed but determined to set things right, Nev and Penelope have no one to turn to but each other. And to their surprise, that just might be enough. Continue reading