Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Sy reviews: KNIGHT by Kristen Ashley


Title: Knight
Series: Unfinished Hero #1
Author: Kristen Ashley

Anya Gage has learned that to get anything good in life, you have to work for it. She has no expectations, no dreams.

Then she finds herself at a party where she doesn’t want to be and she meets Knight.

Knight Sebring knows who he is, what he wants and what he likes. And he gets it. But he never expected something as sweet as Anya Gage to wander into his bedroom during a party he did not expect to be having to borrow his phone.

Knight tries to leave Anya to the life she deserves of white picket fences and a man who watches football on Sundays – good, normal and clean. But when Anya comes to his nightclub and finds herself in a situation, he knows someone has to look after her, he can’t fight it anymore and he decides that man will be him.

Knight teaches Anya that, just as with the bad, in life you should also expect the good. And he teaches her this by giving it to her.

But Knight has a dark past and just as he desires Anya for exactly who she is, he fears when she finds out exactly the man he has become and always intends to be, she’ll leave him for good, normal and clean.

WARNING: This book is an ADULT EROTIC romance featuring an anti-hero. This novel contains explicit sex scenes and language. The hero in this novel lives a life by his own code with no apologies. He is not your "normal" hero. If you do not enjoy the above, this novel may not be for you.

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~Review~

I was a bad girl. A very very bad girl. I talked and judged this book too soon. Way too soon.

So I'm sure the whole universe knows by now how much I love and adore and love more KA's books and her alpha males. I was a little hesitant though to get started on Knight because I've been hearing more negative feedback over this than positive ones. Then one day, I decided to read it and guess what? I wasn't feeling it so I did not finish it. I guess that decision to not finish the book was also clouded by so many mixed reviews for that book.

As a KA fan and self-declared rock chick though, I feel some sort of an obligation to read all her books. So during one of those evil week-long book funk, I picked up Knight again and decided to give it another try. And I'm so glad I did.

Knight, I love Knight. He is utterly sweet and generous and controlling in a way that works for me. And if I'd usually get irritated at weak heroines, for some reason, Anya's submission to Knight almost immediately all the time works for me too. Now that is the the kind of opposites attract that I find beautiful and sweet.

So the "Daddy" thing maybe a little too much for me but I was willing to let that slide because there were other parts of the story that more than made up for it.

My favorite parts of the book? First was the end result of "Honey, you haven't even kissed me yet." I read that part a million times because it's just indescribably too swoon-worthy. Second, Knight's birthday. What he said was so touching I was in tears. Third, when Knight gave Anya a ring (it's not what you think) and he said some words that even if it's not what a girl wanted and have always dreamed of hearing from her man, it was so heartfelt that it's more than enough. Lastly, when Anya shared her "secret" on the last part of the book. That part right there, where not much words were said but how KA described the scene was too perfect again it left me in tears.

This is not just a Dominant-Submission kind of book. This is more of a story about love and accepting and loving a person for who they truly are and what they do and what they believed in even if it's against or opposite your beliefs. Knight may not be the conventional dream man every girl wishes to have. He may not be the ideal alpha male I was used to but when I got to know him, he has won me over. Knight may not be the kind of fairy tale I've always known but it's the kind of fairy tale that's real and for that I love it. So for those who rallied and almost bossed me to give Knight a second chance, thank you!

~Playlist~

Here's my Knight playlist:
Matt Nathanson - Run
Jason Walker - You Fill My Heart
Ron Pope - Perfect For Me


Rating:

DIAMOND RECORD








About the Author


Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!). Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched). Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up. And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Monday, July 28, 2014

Sy reviews: PROMISED by Jodi Ellen Malpas



Title: Promised
Series: One Night #1
Author: Jodi Ellen Malpas

Livy notices him the moment he walks into the coffee shop. He's heart-stoppingly stunning, with a blue-eyed gaze so piercing she's almost too distracted to take his order. When he walks out the door, she thinks she'll never see him again. Then she finds the note he left on his napkin . . . signed M.

All he wants is one night to worship her. No feelings, no commitment, nothing but pleasure. Every defense mechanism Livy has adopted during her solitary life is at risk of being obliterated by this confounding man. He's obnoxious but well-mannered. He's a gentleman but aloof. He's passionate but emotionless. Yet the fascination is so powerful, Livy can't deny him... or herself.

M awakens something in Livy, something deep and addictive that she never knew existed -- and that she fears only he can satisfy. But she senses that behind the fast cars, fancy suits, and posh apartment, he's aching inside. To have him, body and soul, she'll have to brave his dark secrets. Delving into his world and breaking down his defenses become her obsession - an obsession that could shatter her heart beyond repair..

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~Review~

If you think this is another one of those dominant billionaire story, think again. It may seem like it is but I promise you it is not.

Promised started off with M being all rich and snob and cocky and of course hot and Livy being all sweet and kind and beautiful. M made a proposition to Livy which she eventually agreed on because really, she didn't have any choice. I mean, how could she have with someone like M?

This is a budding love story shrouded with mysteries and dark & secret pasts from both main characters. There are parts of the story that made me swoon, laugh, made my heart ache and made my ereader almost burst into flames.

As a lover of romance and steamy novels (did I really just say that? Haha! I did), it is rare to find a story that veers away from what is usually written and still make you, as a reader, feel full and satisfied. A good sign of a love story for me is if I get so sucked in with the story and the characters that it puts me in a trance for sometime. And Jodi Ellen Malpas did exactly that the whole time I was reading Promised.

This is an achingly beautiful yet twisted love story that's full of promise.

~Playlist~

Here's my Promised playlist:
Talking to the Moon - Bruno Mars
Regina Spektor - Samson
Uncle Kracker - You Make Me Smile
Gabrielle Aplin - Ready to Question

I just wanna say that when M showed Livy his paintings and they sat on the couch facing the London night sky and he told her that some nights he could sleep there, I think that was just beautiful in a very heartbreaking and sad and lonely way. And then Bruno Mars's Talking to the Moon has been playing in my head after that.

Rating:

PLATINUM RECORD








About the Author




Jodi Ellen Malpas was born and raised in the Midlands town of Northampton, England, where she lives with her two boys. Working for her father’s construction business full time, she tried to ignore the lingering idea of writing until it became impossible. She wrote in secret for a long time before finally finding the courage to unleash her creative streak, and in October 2012 she released This Man. She took a chance on a story with some intense characters and sparked incredible reactions from women all over the world. Writing powerful love stories and creating addictive characters have become her passion - a passion she now shares with her devoted readers. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Sy reviews: MAYBE SOMEDAY by COLLEEN HOOVER



Title: MAYBE SOMEDAY
Author: COLLEEN HOOVER

~Synopsis~


At twenty-two years old, aspiring musician Sydney Blake has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her good friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter cheating on her with Tori—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by her mysterious neighbor, Ridge Lawson. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the daily guitar playing he does out on his balcony. She can feel the harmony and vibrations in his music. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either: He seems to have finally found his muse. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance—and the enchanting music that inspires one young woman to put her life back together.

From the author of the New York Times bestsellers Slammed, Point of Retreat, Hopeless, This Girl, and Losing Hope, Maybe Someday is destined to become another bestseller and long-lasting fan favorite.

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Purchase from:
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~Review~


No amount of emotional or mental preparation has really prepared me when I started reading this book. This has been the only Colleen Hoover book I've stalled reading because of the mixed reviews I've seen. I was so paranoid and scared to even get started on it especially with how people have reviewed this story that I even thought someone died in this book. At some point, I even questioned if Colleen Hoover would even disappoint me with Maybe Someday. 
I won't bore you with details of what Maybe Someday is all about because that's what blurbs are for. I do have a lot of things to say though about this book.
I have been under an extreme amount of emotional stress almost 80% of the time while reading this. Love triangle and cheating are two of the four things I do not want to ever read in a book (in case you're curious, the other two are death and rape). And it happened to me before that I didn't finish a book because the cheating was just so frustrating and just got the best of me but Maybe Someday isn't like that. The reason why I powered through reading this book was because I wanted to see if there was even a happy ending for these characters. 
This story made me questioned myself whether why something that started so wrong and was still wrong most of the time felt so damn right. It made me question myself why I was rooting for the wrong. But then again when two people who are obviously in love but can't be together because sometimes life sucks will make you cheer for them. Cliche as it may sound but people in love deserve a damn break, you know? 
This book is filled with just enough humor and a whole lot of heartache that I think when people read it their favorite things in life should always be at arms reach to comfort them a little. I'm serious. This story is also filled with so much love, selfless love, painful love.
I think Colleen Hoover has captured really well and put into words and music how difficult it is to fight and control your feelings, how hard letting go is and how some things and some people you want so bad stay in your life but just can't. And for that she didn't disappoint me. For all the frustration and emotional stress my heart has been up to the entire time I was reading this, I think the last 10 pages of the book more than made up for it. 
♥♥♥

~Playlist~

Here is my playlist!
Sam Smith - Make It To Me
Sam Smith - Leave Your Lover
Matthew Perryman Jones - Out Of Reach

I have been having a Sam Smith moment to the point that I was humming the songs from this book to Leave Your Lover. I don't think I can give enough justice to make a Maybe Someday playlist because Griffin Peterson already did that. I can always try though.

Rating:

PLATINUM RECORD






About the Author


She loves music. LOVE music. Namely The Avett Brothers, Lumineers, Pink, Eminem. She has eclectic taste? If you have any recommendations, send them her way! She's addicted to diet pepsi and could tell you in a taste-test which restaurant it came from. It's a serious addiction. She gets stoked whenever she gets a message from goodreads saying she has a new friend request... If you want to know when she has new books out or just want to be inundated by random, pointless blog posts, stalk her!