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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Dusty by YellowBella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Simply put…I think it would have been easier to rip my heart out and rub it against a cheese grater for a few hours. This book takes torturous romance to the next level AND I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT!

I’m adding this book to my all time favorite angst-riddled romance novels. It joins The Story of Us and Complicate Me. Those books have the power to seize you by the gonads until you’re on your knees begging the author for compassion.

Thomas AKA Dusty is damaged with a capital D. A character with a potent cocktail of handsome, cocky, selfish and destructive. His perception of love is completely warped and he chooses to envelope those around with his misery. Leighlee Bliss is a product of overbearing parents and a naivety that borders on willful ignorance. Together they bastardize the love they share and seem to relish in the continual torment of their relationship.

Proceed with caution my fellow librocubicularists!

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Trouble by Samantha Towle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Samantha Towle- author of my all-time FAVORITE series The Mighty Storm has once again given me a lust-worthy book boyfriend. Jordan Matthews is gorgeous and he knows it. Let me tell you folks, there are far worse things in life than a cocky alpha male.

Mia Monroe, Mia Monroe…what a sorrowful childhood you’ve been given. In Fifty Shades of Grey the male protagonist describes himself as “5o shades of fucked up”…if that was the case poor Mia Monroe is probably 5,000 shades of fucked up. Referring to some of her memories as cringe-worthy doesn’t seem to do them justice. The fact that she’s a semi-functioning adult is a nod to the resiliency of the human spirit. I’m usually the sadistic SOB chanting for authors to add more angst and turmoil in their plot lines. In this case I feel like handing Samantha Towle a voodoo doll and a margarita so she can channel some of her angst away from poor Mia.

This was the perfect, angst-riddled literary nugget to sink my teeth into this summer. I encourage you to do the same. Happy reading my fellow book lovers!

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