This was my first introduction to B.B. Reid’s work. I found her writing style very reminiscent of Tijan’s work. What I mean by that is the reader isn’t hand-fed the story. There’s several times I had to make an assumption or conjecture to continue with the story. Some may love this type of writing but for me I’m not always certain that what I’ve guessed is accurate. Perhaps I’m a lazy reader and just don’t want to work for my story. 😉
For the story itself I was sucked in with the intriguing description. The juxtaposition of disgustingly rich to the floundering poor. From pearls & designer heels to motorcycle helmets & coveralls. Sounded fan-freaking-tastic! All the elements mixed together with love, hate, angst, jealousy, and absolutely no parental involvement…I was hooked. I found all of the characters involved were a tad melodramatic and some of the dialog and actions repetitive. (Hence the 4 star rating.)
Will I read the next book in the series? Maybe. I’m not itching for it but I enjoyed the premise enough to continue the series.
Elodie’s character was a unique spin on the classic contemporary romance heroine. She’s brash, edgy, and admits to wild child behavior as a child including…shoplifting (gasp)! For a “goody two-shoes” like me these were not necessarily welcome attributes. As the story and characters progressed I found value and density (weird description but it’s apt) in her early years, struggles, and rough edges.
Hollis’ character was well-crafted. Aloof yet endearing. Handsome yet moody. A successful and career-driven professional who’s also the custodian of his 11 year old niece and a comical bird named Huey. (Perhaps my only gripe is that there weren’t enough “bird” scenes in the book.) As a single mom with 2 young kids I loved the realism and challenges that both Hollis and Elodie faced to balance their responsibility for Hailey and their desire to explore their relationship. It’s a constant balancing act that requires patience and flexibility.
The “twist” towards the end was as beautiful as it was painful to read about. I won’t mention any more as to not ruin it for new readers. Trust me… it’s juicy!
These authors can do no wrong! Both their individual and co-author projects are always literary gold. They develop unique characters and setting with just the right pacing and mixture of steamy and intrigue EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.
I re-read this book in honor of it going into movie production.
In a time when so many romances focus on first loves and characters in their early twenties it was refreshing to visit Magdalene and meet so many enchanting “forty somethings”. While some of the dialog (Josephine) was over-the-top I’ll happily overlook those scenes because of the overall beauty this story possesses.
Now I’ll not so patiently wait for the movie’s release. Looking forward to seeing the film version of Jake “The Truck” Spear, his adorable children, and the ever glamorous Josephine.
One of my favorite tropes (damsel in distress) mixed with one of my least favorite (virgin) – an interesting combination but it worked out for the better.
Alright- so first I’ll admit that when the story begins I was confused. Based on the synopsis I (incorrectly) assumed that our damsel in distress Emmy Barton had always been just that…a damsel in distress. For the record Emmy Barton and her brother live a comfortable lifestyle and is on equal (or at least closer) footing with Stephen Hastings in their youth. I mention this in case you as a reader also go into the book with that preconceived notion. Now that we’ve got that cleared up I’ll continue with the review.
Emmy Barton is a strong single mother. Several times during the story I wanted to give her a high five or a hug for putting her son’s needs first. As a single mother myself I immediately felt connected to her character. Her ex is a dickwad, her son has special needs, and Emmy does her best to stay afloat.
Stephen Hastings was an interesting character. He was slower to evolve throughout the book compared to many romance heroes. Most stories you’ll read the male love interest will fall in love and immediately want to tie down his lovely lady in holy matrimony. This is not the case for Stephen. While he steps in to assist Emmy and her son his interest in her is temporary with no long term plans to be in their lives.
While I liked Emmy and Stephen’s characters the real highlight of the book for me was Stephen’s aunt. Through her meddling she put Stephen on the path to discover Emmy’s plight. She was wealthy but not judgemental, quick to accept Emmy, and generous in her affection and celebrations. Truly a refreshing character that I found charming.
Don’t you just love it when you stumble upon a really great book?!? I discovered Jessica Gadziala by pure chance. She happens to follow similar authors that I do on Instagram so her account was “recommended”. So what did I do? Started following her on Instagram and added this book to my “Want to Read” list, of course!
If you are not a fan of MC romances then I’d suggest you turn away now! This book is as beautiful as it is gritty. If you follow my reviews you’ll know I have a love affair with biker boys…the more dangerous, the better! Therefore it should come to no surprise to you that I enjoyed every moment of this story. Danger, revenge, drugs, strippers, tattoos, and brotherhood… perfection!
We first meet Thayer (absolutely perfect MC name BTW) as he’s released from prison after 3 long years. Those years he’s spent bulking up and plotting revenge on his backstabbing MC brothers. Thayer is the perfect alpha with his calculating intensity, strength, intelligence, unique code of morals, leadership skills, and sexual prowess. Thayer accepts the darkness inside of him without shame or apology. He’s ruthless in defending his legacy and family. My reaction to Thayer – instant lust and many, many swoons throughout the story.
Now let me introduce you to Sera. She’s not your typical damsel in distress. She’s lived a hard-knock life and shouldered more responsibility than most people experience in a lifetime. Sera is gorgeous and tattooed. She wears clothes for comfort, not style. Sera is also a goddess at managing meager budgets, caring for her sister, and taking no crap from her male coworkers. She’s rough and honest…the perfect bada$$. If anyone deserved a happily ever after it’s Sera.
Jessica Gadziala did a fantastic job of not only developing intriguing characters but a plot that was addicting. As a reader I was twisted up in the anguish that Sera experiences as she watches her sister deteriorate. I was on the edge of my seat worrying and wondering how Thayer would retake his property and defeat those that wronged him. I loved the all consuming hatred and revenge experienced by both Sera and Thayer. This book sang all the loveliest notes to my dark soul.
The perfect contemporary romance book! Adorable animals, a woman with a heart of gold, hunky military pilot, and LOTS of junk food.
From the very first chapter I fell in love with Lilah Young. She’s down-to-earth (rocking her Carnhardtt’s), goofy (don’t trust her to back up the truck!), animal rescuer (the duck Abigail is over-the-top adorable), and a junk food lover extraordinaire. What makes Lilah particularly beautiful is the combination of strength, compassion, and honesty. Jill Shalvis created a beautiful character that was so endearing you celebrated her story.
Brady Miller – Take a moment to close you eyes (after you read this description, of course!) and imagine a handsome former soldier, skilled in piloting any aircraft. Exuding confidence and testosterone. Slow to react and loyal to the core. Scarred from years of foster family transfers -he comes across as aloof but genuine. Brady’s character is believable (at least I want to believe men like him exist!) because he wasn’t over-the-top. What I mean by that is Jill crafted a character that was realistic. Not obscenely wealthy, perfect, or boasting inhuman strength. Brady is flawed and watching his personal growth throughout the book was engaging.
Reading this book will give you all the happy, glowing satisfaction of reading two endearing characters find their happiness. There was no over-the-top danger or drama. If you have a stressful life I’d recommend slipping into this beautiful book for a few hours. It’s the perfect prescription to overcome a chaotic day.
Recently had the wonderful opportunity to meet the lovely authors behind this book. I’m a huge fan of their other series- Vampire Girl. During our conversation, Lux asked me if I had read I Am The Wild– which I had not yet had the pleasure. Fast forward a week and I’m basking in my post book consumption glow.
This book starts out with an odd job advertisement that Eve oddly feels drawn to. (Ladies, in real life I HIGHLY discourage you from taking a newspaper offered by a transient and going to a job interview with no description. That’s how you end up dead in a dumpster.) Alas, this is paranormal awesomeness so Eve ends up with an AMAZING job offer instead of what would happen to us normal folks.
At this point I would be remiss if I didn’t introduce you to the Night brothers. All smoking hot, mysterious, and successful lawyers. Sebastian is the first brother to be introduced and in the story and therefore I felt drawn to his character compared to the other 3.
I don’t want to share too much and accidentally rob you of discovering the characters and surprises yourself. There were a few “what the heck” surprises including one MAJOR (yes, I had to type that in all caps to emphasize) plot twist at the end. Actually, perhaps it’s more of a cliff hanger? I’m not sure which is the appropriate term but when you read it you’ll know what I’m referring to.
While I love the authors and this book I wanted to share two thoughts. They are very, very minor complaints and perhaps once you read the book you’ll disagree with me. First, I felt like there was a bunch of name dropping that wasn’t necessary. For example, Count Dracula and Albert Einstein. I didn’t feel they were necessary and in the case of Count Dracula I would have enjoyed a new character verses relying on the mystic and myths that accompany Dracula’s persona. Second complaint- part of vampire lore that I enjoy the most is the mystery, secrecy, and cunning abilities vampires have crafted over centuries of experiences. Within a few days of being hired Eve is welcomed into the Night brother’s home and most important business affairs. It would have been more realistic had they kept some separation. In regards to the cunning abilities it’s Eve who “saves the day” with her higher level thinking. Where were the intelligent, highly successful vampires who have been attorneys for ions?!?
I’m going to crank out a review before I get distracted with the chaos that is my life.
Usually if a book didn’t tickle my fancy I skip providing a star rating as to not negatively impact the book’s average. Most times I chalk my dissatisfaction with a book to my own personal preferences or experiences. Today however, I felt this book earned it’s 3-star rating. Why?
First, the book was obnoxiously repetitive. Cole repeats himself throughout the entire book. Every epiphany and new lesson he masters is the same concept just worded slightly differently. It was tiresome as a reader yet the author would present it as character growth. It was the same awareness of his loss, grief, moving on, etc. While the angst and turmoil in the beginning of the book was strong enough to hook readers the rest of the book didn’t have the same quality of plot.
Secondly, Harper is a mix of bold yet subservient. It gave me whiplash and made her character unbelievable. Sometimes she was hyper aggressive in her sexual demands with Cole. For example, in one conversation she makes a crass statement about “fucking”. Yet that dominance didn’t come through in other aspects of her life. She seemed absolutely satisfied to continually mention Cole’s first wife. While certainly they needed to come to some understanding in the beginning of their relationship it was highly inappropriate to mention her all.the.time…especially during her wedding vows. That’s YOUR day, Harper!
Lastly, (well, not lastly but I don’t need to butcher this book to death) when Cole and Harper decide to pursue a relationship it’s mentioned they love each other…yet Cole’s first conversation is to learn about Harper’s life. She’s such a stranger to him that he has to inquire about where she grew up, her parents, how many siblings, etc. Based on the information provided to me as the reader their attraction was lustful but not based on meaningful conversation, mutual interests, or awareness of each other’s needs/wants.
My dearest book buddies, please know that I hate to bash books. The author has taken time, their creative energy, and invested part of themselves to bring the project to completion. I respect their craft and admire their tenacity to see the project to fruition. (Something I have yet to do!) However, I want people that follow my reviews to see my honest opinion. If I gave every book a 5-star rating that just wouldn’t be accurate or fair.
Boy, oh boy…what an ending! A more accurate reaction would be “Boy, oh boy! What a series!”. I’m not quite sure how I stumbled upon this literary gold. Perhaps it was during one of my browsing sessions on “kindle store recommendations”. Whatever it was that brought me to being a lucky reader, I’m forever grateful.
For those of you considering this series (which you definitely should!) be sure to start with Written with Regret! You would rob yourself of some fantastic reading by jumping straight to this one.
Written with You picks up right where the previous book and mind-blowing cliff hanger left off. It’s true what they say…it’s a cruel, cruel world out there. I finished the first book in this series and had to wait 5 days until this book was released. 5 WHOLE DAYS of suffering. Luckily, when the book was delivered to my kindle i was able to wrap myself into the story of Hadley, Rosalee, Caven (gorgeous, perfect Caven), and Willow. The dynamics between the characters, the pacing, and foreshadowing lured me in and kept me captive. Perhaps it’s the sign of true talent (or my dark heart) but I’m completely satisfied with the tragic events that unfolded. There is so much more that I want to say but I’m stumbling over the words in my head, afraid that I’ll unintentionally spoil parts of the book.
Bottom line, this is an author I am going to be following. If her other work is as creative and intriguing I’ll most likely start a fan club and establish myself as president.
This was my first introduction to Aly’s work… and what a splendid encounter it was! Equal parts tragic, lusty, and adorable. First and foremost I want to mention how well crafted the characters were. Multidimensional and genuine. (Is it fair to label fictional characters as genuine?) I found myself intrigued and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. From boiling rage and turmoil, heartache, excitement, amusement, and steam. This story took me everywhere I wanted to go as a reader.
Fantastic story- highly recommend to all you book buddies out there!
