Tangled by Emma Chase
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Why did it take me so long to dive into this book?!? Tangled has patiently waited on my “Want to Read” list for several months. Time and time again I passed over it and now I’m asking myself “why”?!

As the first exclusively male POV book that I’ve read, it could have turned me off to similar books in the future. Alas, my worries were unfounded. I loved following the story from Drew Evan’s perspective. Emma Chase crafted a character that was humorous, honest, arrogant, compassionate, competitive and sexy. What I wouldn’t pay to grab a beer or sit across a conference table with this character! Drew Evans is a highly successful professional working for his father’s company. He puts the “man” in manwhore but his cheeky comments and brutal honesty allowed me to still root him on throughout the story.

Katherine “Kate” Brooks was a ball buster. There’s no better way to describe her behavior. She’s smart, aggressive and hard working. She’s also loyal which is the only way I can wrap my head around her long term LOSER boyfriend whom I’ll lovingly refer to as a douche canoe.

Thanks to Drew’s incessant and hilarious inner dialogue the book is an enjoyable read.

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Real by Katy Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Real by Katy Evans was a “REAL”ly intense book but before I get into the nitty gritty of the story I’d like to applaud Katy Evans for creating the most handsome man in book existence. Remington Tate is my new fantasy “boyfriend body”. Plus, if I’m being completely honest his name is pretty kicka$$ which earned him more favor in my mind.

Now, I hope you’ve noticed that I said he was my favorite boyfriend-appearance wise. Notice I’ve not mentioned his personality or mental faculties. This is where the intensity of the book made me extremely uncomfortable. MAJOR SPOILER ALERTS COMING UP! Remington Tate is bipolar with extreme manic episodes that most often result in violent behavior and property damage. Fellas- in this day and age I’m happy to say that mental health is becoming a larger topic of discussion. As someone who was personally victimized by someone with mental illness (former best friend is a sociopath)- let me assure you firsthand that it’s no walk in the park. Bipolar disorder and aggressive tendencies should be taken extremely seriously. It’s not merely something to be swept under the rug or to be perceived as adding mystery or intrigue. Especially when the person diagnosed has declined professional help or medication.

While I applaud Remington’s character for (finally) being honest with his partner regarding his diagnosis I still felt they were dancing on the ledge of danger and therefore I was unable to completely submerse myself in the book. Perhaps I have too much real-life experience (aka baggage) to truly enjoy the book without cringing every time Remington had a violent episode. Make no mistake, bipolar disorder isn’t a death sentence but I felt that the characters could have taken a more proactive approach to treatment options.

And now I’ll step off my soap box and proceed with my day.

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Untouched by Alexa Riley
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Wha… What the hell just happened?!? Imagine this- you purchase some land to build an airstrip on. Upon visiting the land you see a “castle-like” building and notice movement inside. How do you react? Bust inside, find a fair maiden, race her upstairs and bang the ever-loving-$hit out of her repeatedly while using dirty talk.

If Alexander is doing it right, then I’ve been doing it wrong my entire life. Let’s be honest I’m a huge fan of this genre and dirty talk speaks directly to my soul. However this story was beyond preposterous and I couldn’t buy into the outlandish characters.

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