Stealing Our Hearts

THIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.

Book 4 in the Miles Family Series, written by Claire Kingsley, popped up as recommended on my Kindle home page a few weeks back. It had a full 5 star rating, so I saved it and figured I’d give it a shot when I had some downtime. And WOW am I glad I took that chance.

I read this entire book in about 3 hours tonight. I couldn’t put it down for a second…I’m not joking. Kingsley sucks you in from the very beginning with captivating characters and an intense but relevant storyline. These two beautiful humans meet in an online gaming chat and their friendship blossoms over a few years. Our story begins well into their friendship, but only when the magic really starts happening.

True to form, our lovebirds meet under incredible circumstances (since they have never exchanged names or important personal information). Our leading lady, Hannah, is insanely smart, quirky, and caring. She’s everything we need her to be. Our hero, Leo, suffers from severe PTSD from his stint in the military…leaving half of his body completely scarred. When these two finally meet in person, the chemistry is mind-blowing. The text simply melts off the page; it is all so intensely beautiful.

We get to experience Hannah’s pain and bravery as she leaves behind a seriously abusive relationship, and finds refuge with Leo and his family at their vineyard estate. Hannah agrees to move into Leo’s home the very same day she officially meets him in person…so romantic ❤ To top off the drama, Leo’s father is in prison for dealing heroin and we find out later that the mafia is after him! THE MAFIA.

This book slayed me. Leo is able to overcome his crippling PTSD with the help of Hannah, and in turn, save his family. There are definitely more than a few surprises eloquently placed throughout the novel. Our author does not disappoint!

I cried. I laughed. I cried some more. I can’t wait to go back and read all of the other books in this series because I know Kingsley has so much more to give to us. A great takeaway from this book was the metaphor of the crutch – you don’t have to use it forever. The crutch is there to help you until you can stand on your own again. And with that I leave you:

“But my point is that this is a process. You’re healing. And yeah, maybe it’s hard, and maybe it’s slower than you want. But my crutch analogy stands. You use them now and soon you won’t need them anymore.”

HOLY CANNOLI my friends. This book was SUCH a pleasure to read. Harlow James is a wonderfully, gifted storyteller. I couldn’t put this book down!!

Okay, honestly though, I think Tyler might actually be my dream man. Handsome and smart and completely devoted from the very first moment he laid eyes on Hayley…there is nothing more perfect than that! Hayley is also totally a dream. She’s beautiful and sweet and compassionate. A perfect heroine for our story.

We meet Tyler and immediately learn that he is running from his past. It takes a while for our author to bring us up to speed with what really happened to cause him to run, but that’s what keeps the reader so engaged. Brilliant! His past comes back to haunt him (as it should) and causes some issues between him and Hayley (which we all knew was going to happen). It’s how Hayley handles the news that shows us just how incredible of a character she really is. Such empathy and strength. UGH SO GOOD!!!

Umm can we also talk about how this suddenly turned into a telenovela for a hot second and thoroughly spiced up the story line. Obsession and guns and attempted murder are all gifted to the reader…you’d think that adding something like that in at the last second might take away from the story, but it just added more depth and carried us through until the end.

Every twist and turn on this journey was meticulously placed and carefully planned in such a way that nothing distracted from the artistry. This is an example of storytelling at its finest. 5 stars and a million snaps. I wish I could go back and re-read for the first time all over again. Thank you for this gift, Harlow. As promised:

“You make everything hurt less.”

This novel by Kristin Mayer is very much a millionaire love story. Our leading lady, Addilyn, is smart and witty and brave. She is living paycheck to paycheck after her first marriage ending left her with nothing. At first, I was under the impression that this book was going to be about two people meeting online and falling in love. I thought “Oh wow! That could be a really interesting book!”. Turns out it wasn’t reeeally about that, which left me wanting a bit…

We get to experience real life issues with BOTH of our main characters. Addilyn, with her financial issues, and trying to figure out how to immerse herself into a life she never dreamed of having …while also maintaining her independence. And Lucian (oh man, what a name) with his custody battle and trying to run a company.

This story is truly chalked full of issues and relatable problems that connect you to the characters in such a beautiful way. I enjoyed myself while reading, but I wasn’t moved in any way. Mayer started out strong with a brilliant story that could have been developed in much greater detail, but decided to skip to the more “soap opera” issues.

I can’t comment on this anymore, because I don’t have much more to say. It is definitely worth your time to give it a read! Please let me know your thoughts. The quote I chose is from the end of the book:

“We make our own music. We always have.”

Have you ever read a book and at the end of it you’re like “Umm what did I just read?”. That was this book for me.

Written by Michelle Dare, this novel attempts to cover incredibly sensitive topics such as child abuse, suicide, and murder in a matter of 260 pages. A tough battle to win, but not impossible. Unfortunately, our author isn’t able to achieve that with this narrative.

This story revolves around Cy, a popular boy turned man, who has a very dark past. He is “saved” by Eve, an ordinary, smart (or so I thought when I first began reading), simple woman who he tormented in high school. I draw a hard line when it comes to bullying, especially in high school, when kids are so susceptible and fragile. Our heroine decides to dedicate her life to helping a man deal with his personal issues because she basically has nothing else to do. It was pretty disappointing to read.

Okay #1…this guy still lives at home with his MOM even though he’s filthy rich! What is that?!

AND

#2 he bullied her up until he tried to kill himself and then suddenly decided she is all he has to live for???

Later, we get to read about child abuse and attempted rape…the entire story is thrown together so quickly, it’s nearly impossible to feel anything for any of the characters. They experience such traumatic events, it only seems fair that we, as an audience, should be forced to shoulder some of the burden with them as we make our way through their story.

The true villain of the story, Cy’s stepfather, doesn’t get any screen time until the very end of the novel when our author has him make a very rash and completely outrageous decision. Maybe she was trying to spice up the novel? Keep driving it to the very end?

My opinion on this, obviously, is just that – mine. I never regret the books I read because there is always something to learn from them. I am very thankful that our author added hotlines and emergency phone numbers at the end of the novel for anyone who may have been triggered by some of the text or in need of help. It takes a lot of courage to write a story and bring it to fruition. I would suggest everyone to check this one out and let me know what they thought. As always:

“Because your life is worth more than my hurt feelings.”

Everyone loves a good old fashion military romance, right? Well…that’s not what this book is LOL. I went in thinking I’d fall in love with our hero, Eli, because of his struggles with PTSD or undying loyalty to the red, white, and blue. But no, I fell in love with him for something much simpler, but far more beautiful.

This is a story of love at first sight. I know, I know, a lot of you probably don’t believe in that sort of thing…but stories like this might change your mind.

Ava, at 19, is the perfect example of a Texas teen, fresh out of high school, rebellious and free spirited. I would know…I grew up in a small town in Texas. I can’t speak for all of us Texas women, but I think a lot of us were instilled with a desire for military men. Our parents raised us to respect the honor and sacrifice behind choosing the service. This story doesn’t romanticize that choice, though. Ava and Eli meet briefly, for four days, and their lives are never the same. Unfortunately, their journey doesn’t get it’s happily ever after right off the bat. That would be too easy, wouldn’t it?

LJ Evans crafts a narrative where both characters learn what it means to truly love another person. Eli and Ava were both raised by single parents. Ava, by her father, after her mother died in a tragic accident when she was only 6 months old. Eli, by his mother, when he father was killed on duty, for the Coast Guard, when he was 10. Their backgrounds not only bring them together from the very beginning, but enable them to relate to each other and the decisions they each make years later. Evans gives us a 4 year gap, painful but necessary, between when the lovers first meet and when their story truly begins. Little is left to be desired when Eli finally sees Ava again for the first time in four years…some might call it fate. The theme of fate is prevalent throughout the book whether or not our author intended it to be. The idea of destiny and soul mates soars through the pages of this novel.

We are rooted back into reality when we read of the struggles Eli faces while serving in the Coast Guard, a decision he made purely based on his father (slight character flaw perhaps?). We cannot forget about Ava and all that she endures while battling to overcome the abuse she endured from her father for 19 years. She works to take back control of her life and her decisions, while Eli has to learn how to let go and face an uncertain future.

I cannot forget the very BEST part of the entire novel though! The country music lyrics at the beginning of every chapter. DEAR GOD if that wasn’t a brilliant move from our beloved author, I don’t know what the purpose of writing is anymore. We get everything from Kenny Chesney and Miranda Lambert to William Michael Morgan and Tim McGraw. Ava is a lyricist and a composer, and the idea Evans uses of including current country music lyrics that fit so poetically with everything our hero and heroin are feeling… it’s pure excellence. BRAVO, EVANS!

This tale is worth every word, though I will caution you, it is emotionally exhausting. I had to put it down for a few hours to get a handle on my heart before I continued. I’ll leave you again with my favorite line from this beautiful book:

“I realized that, sometimes, the perfect love story was simply to have loved.”

My very first blog post…and book review. Where do I even start?

I guess I can tell you that I’m a HUGE advocate for romance novels. Maybe it’s because I was an acting major? Maybe it’s because I suffer from depression and paranoia? Maybe it’s simply because fiction is so much better than reality 9 times out of 10? Who knows. One day I picked up a kindle and purchased an unlimited membership and I unlocked a whole other world.

Tell Me Goodnight by Kelsey Kingsley is probably the 50th book I’ve read this year…it’s May, I know. I decided to start my blog after reading this book because I couldn’t think of a better story to review. So here we go…

Tessa and Jon’s story is unlike anything I’ve read. I won’t spoil anything for you guys, but I hope after you read this review, you might pick up the book and give it a chance. I find that I don’t usually enjoy stories that involve children. They tend to cause a lot of unnecessary obstacles and frankly, they can be downright annoying. Fortunately, Kelsey crafted Lilly, Shelly, and Annabelle perfectly. These three little darlings not only brought joy and heartbreak into Tessa and Jon’s journey, but they brought a beautiful truth to a fictional story. Jon is suffering through the worst (in my opinion) kind of grief from the get-go. He lost the love of his life, tragically, and is a struggling artist trying to raise three little girls. His love for his children humanizes him in a way that most romance novels fail to capture with their hero. That’s precisely what he is. He overcomes his own shortcomings and we are given the best gift any author can give their reader…a beautiful character arc. Tessa’s story comes to fruition with her obvious struggle of loving an emotionally unavailable man (but I mean, come on, can you blame her?). Kelsey makes it easy to connect to Tessa on the basic level of compassion and understanding. This woman falls in love with the children she is employed to babysit, and no, it’s not as cliche as it sounds. Our heroin is experiencing her own struggle as an author with no inspiration, trying to care for her sick grandmother. Struggling is what brings people together. These two tragic people find their muses within one another. This beautiful story captures life so perfectly; I couldn’t put it down for a moment.

Of course, all of my stories have happy endings, so you already know how this one goes down. But is it really ever about the ending?

I’ve decided I’ll end each of my posts with my favorite quote from the novel.

“Everything worth having hurts.”