Tag: new adult (Page 15 of 17)

Unbreakable by Rebecca Shea

August 27, 2013 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I picked this up for 99c after I saw it in one of Dear Author’s Daily Deals posts (which are hell on my wallet).

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Jessica Harper is the epitome of perfection. She’s a good daughter, makes excellent grades, and always strays on the safe side of life. The last thing she thought would ever happen was falling in love with her best friend’s brother. But sometimes fate just has a way of bringing two people together.

Wide receiver for the University of Arizona, Gabe Garcia, seems to have it all. When his feelings for Jessica come to surface, Gabe will give up everything to be with her.

But what happens when a tragedy abruptly changes the course of your life? For Jessica and Gabe, everything they thought they knew about each other will be questioned. Sometimes, there are scars in life that are cut too deep to completely heal.

Will their love prove to be unbreakable, or will it shatter and prove fate is just another lie?

**Warning: Although there is very little graphic/on page violence, those with rape triggers may want to avoid this book. Also, here be spoilers.**

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Even though I found numerous editing issues (typos, bad grammar, repeated words) in the text, there was something in the story which kept me reading and mostly engaged until the story went off the rails a bit in the second half. But it really needed a good editor.

Shrugging my shoulders, Dad moves in on our hug and wraps himself around both mom and me.

Reading that sentence (which appears later in the book) I was puzzled: how does one shrug someone else’s shoulders?

Even with my concerns about the editing issues, I was pretty much entertained but about halfway through the book took a right turn which made it difficult for me to really enjoy the story. I think the author has an engaging voice but this book was a mixed bag, with the mix weighting towards the negative for me.

Wait for You by J. Lynn

June 20, 2013 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I’d heard mostly good things about this self published new adult novel, so I bought it when it was 99c at Amazon. I thought it was a pretty low risk investment. It was subequently picked up by HarperCollins.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Some things are worth waiting for…Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

Warning: I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that this book contains a (not very graphic) description of sexual assault. It’s not by the hero, but those for whom rape is a hot button may want to avoid it.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): For the hero-centric reader, there is a lot to enjoy in how very nearly perfect Cameron is. Even his flaws arise out of being protective and caring. He falls for Avery almost from the beginning, is very patient with her without ever being doormat. He’s gorgeous, popular, and not an asshole, so: win.

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

June 14, 2013 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I bought this New Adult book a little while back and finally decided to open it up and see what was inside.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): This is a hard book to say much about because the plot hangs on one thing and it’s either going to work for you or it won’t. I think, overall, it was too melodramatic for me. I liked Trent and Kacey together but the big reveal cast a whole new light on what had gone before and it left me feeling a bit strange.

Defiance by Stephanie Tyler

June 8, 2013 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I received a review copy from the publisher. I like New Adult and I liked Motorcycle Man and Reaper’s Property. I liked Beyond Shame. So, this one, combining a motorcycle club, a post apocalyptic world and young adult protagonists looked promising.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Rebelling against her legacy as the MC’s princess, Tru Tennyson escaped the ruthless, male-dominated culture of the Defiance motorcycle club. Three years later, her newfound freedom is ripped away, thanks to a massive hybrid storm that killed millions. Now, in the post-Chaos world of semi-darkness and near-total anarchy where gangs rule, she discovers the dangerous world of Defiance may be the one thing that can keep her safe.Tru is at the MC’s mercy when she’s dragged back to her former home … and to the only man she’s ever pictured a future with. Caspar is the bastard son of the club’s leader, her safe haven when life got rough — and her onetime lover the night she left. When Tru refuses to trade sex for power and be claimed by a rival club leader, she also dares to announce she wants Caspar instead, throwing the MC into turmoil.Tru’s brazen revolt could start a gang war and destroy the club from within. Now both Tru and the MC must wait for Caspar’s response … and the inevitable fallout.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Unfortunately, for me, the book didn’t live up to its promise. I found the world building confusing and… not terribly believable and I think in the end, the author’s style just doesn’t work for me. She is a bestselling author so there are obviously plenty of people who like her style just fine but I wasn’t as engaged as I’d hoped I’d be.

Vegemite: It’s a Matter of Taste

June 1, 2013 / Kaetrin

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vegemiteontoast_large.jpg

I like Vegemite^. A sparing amount over freshly made and hot buttered toast, can be just the thing for breakfast if I’m in a toast kind of mood. Other than that I grew up eating it and I like the flavour of umami reasonably well (or, possibly, just saying “umami”), I really can’t explain it though. I don’t expect you to understand. It is almost black and thick and kind of … greasy. It is a by-product of the beer brewing process. (And it LOOKS like a petroleum by-product.) But I like it. It is okay for me to like it. It is also okay for you not to like it.

If you’d like, I will try and explain why I like Vegemite but if you don’t “get it”, it doesn’t mean I have failed you. I’m not obliged to keep trying to come up with new ways to justify to you why I like Vegemite. I am not a Vegemite-Evangelist. I’m a Vegemite-Live-and-Let-Live-r. Vegemite, like many things, is something that ultimately, you either “get” or do not. And LOADS of people DON’T. LOADS.

True by Erin McCarthy

May 11, 2013 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) When Rory Macintosh’s roommates find out that their studious and shy friend has never been with a guy, they decide that, as an act of kindness they’ll help her lose her virginity by hiring confident, tattooed bad boy Tyler Mann to do the job…unbeknownst to Rory.Tyler knows he’s not good enough for Rory. She’s smart, doctor smart, while he’s barely scraping by at his EMT program, hoping to pull his younger brothers out of the hell their druggy mother has left them in. But he can’t resist taking up her roommates on an opportunity to get to know her better. There’s something about her honesty that keeps him coming back when he knows he shouldn’t…Torn between common sense and desire, the two find themselves caught up in a passionate relationship. But when Tyler’s broken family threatens to destroy his future, and hers, Rory will need to decide whether to cut her ties to his risky world or follow her heart, no matter what the cost…

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I have mixed feelings about this book. There were parts of it that resonated with me, parts which infuriated me and all manner of things in between. The writing is engaging and eminently readable. On the other hand, I thought the characterisations were sometimes thin and some plot threads didn’t really go anywhere. I’m finding this one hard to grade, I hope to have reached a decision by the time I finish writing the review.