Stealing Our Hearts

“You’re exactly as I dreamed you’d be.”

Let me just start out by saying that this book took me almost 3 days to finish. It has never taken me so long to read a book. There were many times in the first 100 pages that I almost threw in the towel and gave up. When I say I was bored still I am not exaggerating. *YAWN*

Who thought it was a good idea to write an entire prologue as a book? This book is basically just backstory, character building. Not a good look to start a series with. ACOTAR was a solid 3 star book for me until the last two thirds. Once we got into the yummy, rich part of the story I was all ears. I finally felt invested and interested in our characters. I’m excited to start the second book in this series because I’ve heard that it is where things get really good. 

Okay so let’s dive right in. 

Tamlin. Hmm…I really did like him. I did. I even felt sorry for him at the end. There are some morally grey areas that I’m sure we will explore more in book two, but for now we’re doing fine where we are. He had a tough go-around. He did what he thought was best and what he felt he needed to do. Unfortunately for our readers, we weren’t given insight into the other lives of the affected High Fae, so we couldn’t get a clear picture on whether or not Tamlin’s decisions were “right”. He has some good qualities and he can shift which is pretty hot. I’m a fan of his sexual appetite too, and Feyre had no qualms there either lol. 

Feyre. Hey girl. She had it ROUGH. I’ve never felt more empathy for a character than I did for her when I read this book. She throws her heart and soul into the people she cares about and it’s not always returned in kind. That same tale is spun over and over again throughout this story. It’s heartbreaking. Also…spoilers: she fucking dies. She dies. Like what?! Her neck gets SNAPPED. It was rocky there for a minute, for me. I wasn’t sure where my mind was at when I read the end of this book. Everything was spinning out of control and then suddenly we all pack up and pretend like the world didn’t almost just end? These fairies are crazy.

And now…finally…Rhysand. My lady friends, I get it, okay? I understand why you are attracted to him. I usually would be into him too except for the whole drugging thing with the fairy wine. I can see both sides – yes. He made her drink it so she didn’t have to endure night after night of watching Tamlin from afar. He made her drink it so Tamlin would see her dance for another man. He made her drink it and then touched her without her consent. BIG NO, friends. I get it – he didn’t touch anywhere but her arms and stomach (it doesn’t matter). So as you can see, Rhys and I are on rough grounds right now. If he wants to win my heart, he better have one hell of a redemption story. 

Lastly – just a pet peeve of mine. If this is truly turning into love triangle, I’m going to have way more to complain about in the next book. Pray for me. I’m giving this puppy 4 stars. Jumping into book two. See ya on the flip side! 

This is my absolute favorite Catherine Cowles book to date. Her stories just keep getting better and better, but I knew this one would shine from the first moment we met Caelyn in Reckless Memories. She is the best heroine that Catherine Cowles has ever written, in my opinion. She’s brave and strong and the most genuine and kind woman you can imagine. We learned a little bit about her past before this book, but we get to dive deep into it in this story and let me just tell you…it is A LOT. Caelyn is the sole guardian of her three younger siblings: Mia, Ava, and Will. I think what truly set this story apart for me was the fact that I’m also the oldest of four. I have two younger sisters and a younger brother, and I would whole heartedly lay down my life and dreams for them. That’s exactly what Caelyn does in this story. She drops out of college and moves home to take care of her siblings after they lost their parents (sort of – read the book to see what I mean). It’s fascinating and empowering to witness her day to day life: taking care of her siblings, working, and still making time for friends. She’s a BOSS. 

To add a little spice to our tale, we are introduced to Griffin. Yummy, delicious, insanely gorgeous Griff. Oh man. He also has a dark past. That’s where we really got into the meat of our story. Griffin experienced great loss and heartbreak. The kind a lot of people might never recover from. He is back in Anchor to handle his family’s property. It was vandalized and ransacked. The contents in the house were basically destroyed and the entire house is in need of repair. Griffin makes it his mission to take on the house alone, with no help. He doesn’t realize how much he needs love in his life until he gets closer to Caelyn and her siblings. Will, Caelyn’s brother, helps Griffin with renovations. Mia and Ava bring him joy and sprinkle color into his life. And of course, Caelyn brings friendship and romantic love. It’s the perfect ingredients for a happy family. 

Honestly, there isn’t too much I want to say about the plot of this one because I fear it would spoil the novel! I will say this: I cried more in this book than any of Catherine Cowles other novels. It’s powerful and so beautiful. If you’re looking for a sexy book, this isn’t it. There are a few sexy scenes, but it’s more about the suspense and the emotional depth than anything else. It is AWESOME. 5 stars!! 

“There’s no magic amount of time when it comes to love, Holt.  Sometimes, you just know.”

Holt and Harmony. Where to begin? This story is different than all the others. This is the first time we’ve been back in Brentwood since Carson’s book, The Dugout. Side note: that’s my favorite book in this series. Anyway, so this book is 7th in the series and we haven’t been truly back to Brentwood since the 2nd book. Talk about a LONG break. I almost forgot that some of these guys went to college together! I missed Knox and Carson more than anything. I feel like we haven’t had a chance to see them in a while and, even though this book was actually just a look into the past, it filled me with so much happiness. 

Okay so here we have another badass b*tch. Harmony is an icon. She comes from almost nothing, is working her way through college, paying for as much as she can, while also taking a full course load and trying to get an internship. She is a BOSS if I’ve ever known one. She meets Holt one night when he and his baseball buddies (looking at you Knox, Carson, and maybe someone else that I can’t remember at the moment) come into her diner drunk off their butts. They are crass and she doesn’t put up with it. Harmony is hard to warm up to for the first 25% of the book. She’s cold and jaded. There is a good reason for that, but you’ll have to read the book to figure out why. Anyway, after some deep conversations with her best friend and mom, she finally gives into Holt’s relentless date offers. I mean…if she wasn’t actually into him I feel like it could be considered stalking. He was ALL about her. He was a little pushy at times too, which she really needed. I found his adoration and commitment to be incredibly endearing and charming. I think Harmony would agree with me. So Holt and Harmony both dive head first into this relationship once all of the walls have been knocked down, and I’m not kidding when I say that they go from zero to one hundred in like maybe(?) a month. It was QUICK. But it was the most believable love, truly. They are so young in this book, both only juniors in college, and Meghan Quinn knows what she’s doing when she writes by age. Comparing these two to Cory and Natalie? The maturity levels are astoundingly different, but not in a bad way. It just shows the true talent of our favorite author! 

This review might be a little short, but really I was just so happy that we were gifted another book in this world. I know all things must come to an end, but I do hope that Meghan Quinn continues this series for a little while longer. I am completely and totally obsessed with these men and their strong, brave women. I would also REALLY like to see maybe a glimpse of some of these characters later on down the road. Especially with the way this one ended so abruptly (again, not in a bad way) I hope we are able to see these two grow into their love. Ugh so so incredible. I love Meghan Quinn! 5 stars! 

“If girls are foolish enough to call me Sun God, then you are the goddess of the moon. Diana. Selene. Artemis. Luna. My pale and ethereal queen.”

Hi. Let’s talk about the Crooked Sinners series for a second. So I read book book one, Riot House, last year. It’s the tale of Wren and Elodie. It was mysterious and magical. It was weird and scary. It was a lot of things, but let me tell you this…it was NOTHING compared to this book. Holy hell. Carrie and Dash are explosive. This story was incredible. I feel like I don’t have the words to describe how it made me feel. All I know is that I’m fully invested in this world. I love that this story took us back to before Elodie arrived, took us through the time that we read about in book one, and then brings us into the future. It’s dynamic and passionate. We get to see what went on behind Elodie and Wren’s backs. We get to relive the terrifying night where people almost lost their lives. We get to witness obsession from a new angle and get a different perspective on the world we thought we knew. 

So just wanted to be clear with everyone about this book: it is LONG. I’m talking like suuuuper long. Almost 500 pages. I’m not used to books that long unless they are written by Mariana Zapata, so I wasn’t sure how I would make it through this one. BUT…it doesn’t feel long. It flies by. You’re so engrossed in this world and re-living what you thought you knew that you look up and you’re 85% of the way through and feel like crying because you wish it would never end. The other thing about long books? They take a while to write. I don’t even want to think about how long it will be until we get Pax’s story. We get a sneak peak at the end of this book and I’m telling you right now…I don’t think I will ever be ready for that novel. It’s going to punch us in the feels. 

So Carrie and Dash. Talk about the ULTIMATE love story. Dash doesn’t see Carrie for the first couple of years of school. One day he looks up and she’s bulldozed her way into his life and it’s never the same. Carrie has been secretly in love with Dash since she first saw him. He’s British and a Lord and probably the sexiest man alive (I cannot say that with certainty because we haven’t received Pax’s story yet). Dash is a romantic. I’m talking like big, sweeping romantic gestures that have to be hidden away for fear of the backlash he might receive from his friends. See, in the first book, Wren falls for Elodie and ruthlessly pursues her without a doubt in his mind. Dash is less confident. He doesn’t want his friends to touch Carrie. He wants to protect her from everything, even himself, so he hides his feelings away. It isn’t until everything blows up in his face that he admits the truth…he was a coward. In this novel we live through their romance, their downfall, and then their ultimate reunion. There are times when I wasn’t sure I was going to make it, honestly. My heart was bleeding for this couple. 

“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in my entire life.”

Carrie has a terrifying past. We get a taste of the brutality of this series in book one with Elodie’s past, but Carrie suffers just the same. It’s scary, guys. She’s alone in this world, running from everything, never trusting anyone. She never allows herself any goodness, until Dash. He breaks open the shell she’s been hiding in. We get to witness her love, her passion for the stars, her brilliance. Dash shows us a different side of him. One we never saw in book one. It was delicious and captivating. I can’t go into much detail without spoiling anything. Just know that you should have tissues ready because the reunion is like nothing you will imagine. You won’t be ready for it. One of my favorite things about Callie Hart’s writing is that she doesn’t bullshit. She doesn’t give you 5 epilogues and a happy ending. There’s always a little bit left over for your imagination. That’s what draws me in. That’s what keeps me guessing and what leaves me thinking when I turn the last page. This is a series I won’t soon forget. Bravo! 5 stars. 

“My darkest fantasy…has always been you.”

“You saved me, Rosie. In the beginning, I thought I was the hero of our story. But it’s you.” He kisses me deeply, stealing my breath like he always does. “You’re the one who rescued me.”

I will admit that I had been fascinated by the mystery man who gifted his PI business to Jay in Magic Man, back when I read it last year. I was obsessed with the Good Guys series when I first discovered it and I ate up every one of those novels as quickly as I could. The idea of having a series surrounding heroes that are good guys rather than the bad/mysterious guys that we usually love was exciting to me. The concept was brilliant and the execution was perfect! In this novel we finally get to meet Preston, or Ethan as he was known by Jay in Magic Man.  He is a bit of a mystery to us. If you’ve read the blurb then you probably already know that he is on a mission to rescue Rosalie and bring her to her father. He is undercover working as a grounds keeper on the property where she lives. We don’t know his age at the beginning of the novel, all we know is that his hair is greying on the sides and Rosalie thinks that he’s too old for her. I got really excited thinking this was a super age gap book because Rosalie believes she is turning eighteen when our story begins. So it’s safe to admit I was a little disappointed when Preston finally admits that he’s greying prematurely and it actually 27. LOL. That was just a bit of a let down for me, but it didn’t take away from the story! It was lust at first sight for these two. Preston is insanely attracted to Rosalie from the moment he sees her picture and her father asks him to get her back for him. Rosalie fantasizes about Preston from afar, but is incredibly innocent and naive due to her circumstances. 

As our story takes off, our couple is swept up in their romance. I would classify this as a road trip romance to an extent too, because a lot of the story happens while they are on the run. There are some mafia elements as well when we find out that Rosalie’s father, Ivan is kind of a “big bad”…but maybe not as bad as we are lead to believe originally? I loved the book but around 75% it felt like everything suddenly became too easy. Everything that the couple thought might keep them apart suddenly didn’t pose a threat and a new unforeseen threat arose tearing them apart. And then one of my least favorite tropes happened. I won’t say what it is, but if you’ve read the novel then you’ll know what I’m talking about. It’s truly just a pet peeve of mine. Regardless, I still loved the ultimate resolution for our couple and their HEA was exactly what I wanted. The sex scenes were *chef’s kiss* as with ALL of Jamie Schlosser’s novels. Just delicious! Preston and Rosalie’s chemistry was delectable. I also absolutely adored that we got to meet back up with Jay and Casey for a hot second in this novel. I forgot about much I really loved Jay. His story was very moving – one of my favorites in the series. 

If you’re looking for an easy read that dabbles in drama and suspense, this is the perfect book for you! A wonderful conclusion to the Good Guys series. Do NOT sleep on this series, my friends!! The first novel, Trucker, is my absolute FAVORITE. Bravo, Jamie Schlosser! Another great novel! 4 stars!

“There is no before me. There is no after me. You. You’re all me.”

I wasn’t really sure how to start this review when I sat down to write it. I had trouble finding the words because this story was so extraordinary. I’m a huge fan of mafia romance but this was on a whole other level. This was dark and rich and raw. There was a perfect blend of thrill and romance that kept you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire book. This story also puts you through the ringer, you become so addicted to these characters that you feel like they are living, breathing humans. I experienced every emotion during the duration of this novel. I cried, I laughed, I got angry and closed my book. I felt EVERYTHING.

If you know me, you probably already know that I’m a huge fan of the grumpy/sunshine trope. I love the strong alphas who protect and defend. Talk about delicious! Capo is exactly that. He was born into the mafia world; that’s all he’s ever known. His first kill was at age fifteen (maybe sixteen). He knows loss better than most. Because of all of this, he has closed off his heart. He is cold and unfeeling most of the time. Mari is the opposite. She feels everything. She’s loud and honest. She’s funny and strong. She meets Capo tit for tat and it’s magical to watch. Now I’m not sure how much detail I can go into about Capo and Mari. I don’t want to risk spoiling anything for any of my readers. Capo and Mari have a past. Capo has seen some sh*t, let me tell you. When I was explaining this book to my fiancé (he’s an avid gamer), his reaction/response to some of the gruesome details was “wow…my games aren’t even that graphic and that’s saying a lot”. So yes, this book is intense. But honestly, it’s nothing I couldn’t handle. But Capo and Mari’s past is haunting, it’s dark and dirty. Capo is significantly older than Mari and there’s a big reason for that which you will see when you read. Everything is intentional. I think that’s what made this book so special for me. There are so many treats throughout that come back later to help move the story along. Rosary. Butterfly. Wolf. Italy. Blood. Journals. Everything has a purpose. Gah! It’s so good!

There’s also SO MUCH beauty in the language and dialogue of this novel. Our author weaves Italian words and phrases throughout the book, giving us even more of a deeper look into the world. Capo and Mari spend time in Italy together, they eat special Italian food, Capo speaks to Mari in Italian many times. I just find it so beautiful when something so unique is included in a story. This novel has a solid foundation but the true beauty of it lies within the magic used to build the world. I will say one last thing – there’s a reason there are so many positive reviews for this book on Amazon. It’s THAT good. If you’re up for a dark, mafia, arranged marriage, age-gap romance, definitely check this book out. I can’t wait to start this next book in the series! 5 stars! 

“Tutto suo. Tutto mio. Per sempre. All his. All mine. Forever.”

I will admit. I am kind of scared to be writing this review. I’m judging myself right now. I’m all about taboo books but ya’ll…this was more than that…and it was so fucking good. (Sorry for swearing but I don’t even know what to say right now). This was dirty and scary and raw and real and I got nauseous so many times but also turned on and I don’t even know where my head is at right now. Yikes.

Okay so…incest. How are we doing? Yes, I just dropped that big, bad word. Still with me? Alright. So this is the story of a brother and sister falling in love. Guys. What is happening in my head right now because…like…I was ROOTING for this couple. Rylie suffers from bipolar disorder, she has her entire life. She’s seventeen when this story starts, still in high school. Hudson is in college playing baseball and trying to stay faithful to his girlfriend, Amy. And then their parents die in a tragic car accident, throwing these two together in a way they never have been before. Rylie was always the annoying little sister to Hudson. She was always a nuisance who caused more trouble than she was worth according to Hudson. Until the death of their parents. Rylie clings to Hudson like a second skin and instead of being irritated by it, Hudson craves it. He can’t deny her anything. He sees her in a new light. Now, Rylie has ALWAYS had a thing for her brother. I’m talking huge, massive crush that gets her hot in seconds just thinking about him. The instances start out really small. Lingers looks and touches. They sleep wrapped up in each other. Then it gradually gets more and more intense. 

The sex in this book is more than hot. Could be because it’s forbidden? I don’t know. I don’t want to go that far. If you’ve made it to this part of my review, it’s safe for me to assume that you might also be into this book. I read The Wild and The Free before this, but didn’t write reviews for those. The Wild was interesting because you think it’s a father/daughter relationship until you find out that it’s not at the very end. But The Free? That’s some first-cousin loving. Truthfully though, those were TAME compared to this bad boy. I feel so dirty now but I wouldn’t take back a second of this reading adventure. You have to open up your mind here. It’s about breaking the mold. This is a real love story, deeper than most people might be able to dive. But hey, love is love, right? I’m delirious right now. All I want to do is re-read but I’ve decided to take a little breather and try out some vanilla books for a while. I need a cool down. Alright my friends, this is a judgement-free zone so if you read and love this and want to chat, come at me. 5 stars. 

Side note: this is a BANNED book. You cannot purchase it on Amazon. I purchased my copy off of Eden Books. Praise hands for that website. 

ANOTHER side note: I understand that this book is taboo and banned for a reason. If it’s not your cup of tea, I completely understand! Please don’t come at me for enjoying this book! It’s not difficult for me to suspend my disbelief and gain something from a book like this. To each their own. Lots of love! Xoxo.

“Nobody has to know.”

“Sometimes, you proved your worth by showing what you were willing to give up.”

And here we are again, ladies and gents. Another SMASHING hit by the stunningly talented Karla Sorenson. I am completely obsessed with the Ward family. I didn’t know what to expect from Lia’s story, but nothing could have prepared me for this. I wish I could rewind and re-read this book over and over again for the first time. Truthfully, I feel that way about all of Karla’s book (especially this Ward series) but this one had something extra special about it. 

In Faked, we learn that Lia has been given an opportunity to travel to Europe and study under one of her biggest literary influences. She is beyond thrilled about this opportunity and when this story begins, she has already landed in London. She’s living there for a few months, writing a research paper on the Bronte sisters, and exploring a bit of the world. The only problem is, she’s never been this far away from her family and she misses them terribly. We learn that Lia might have some attachment/abandonment issues – she struggles with change and with acceptance, and she might even have a difficult time feeling independent. She is a twin, so that’s probably also part of it. Anyway, so she speaks with Claire (her twin sister) on the phone one day and she ends up pushing herself outside of her comfort zone. BAM. One night stand with a super sexy British man. She really went all out. More power to her! So then yes, she gets pregnant. It’s not a spoiler because it’s literally in the blurb of the book, but oops, sorry if you didn’t already know that part. This is a story of growth and maturity. It’s beautiful and remarkable. I cried more times in this book than the other two in this series combined. It was THAT good. 

Jude is different than any of the male characters Karla has written before. Logan is my all time favorite, of course, but Jude has a depth to him that is almost unmatched. (I can’t say that it will stay that way forever because Aiden is coming in hot and I have a reeeeally good feeling about him). Jude is cocky but reserved. He doesn’t open up to anyone…not even Lia. It takes losing the thing that’s most important to him to realize what he wants out of his life. He makes huge strides in his interpersonal relationships and his character arc is magnificent. I think my favorite thing about this novel is that both of our characters are extremely flawed. Their flaws sometimes outweigh the good things about them, but that’s what it makes it so intriguing. Regardless of the things that hold them back, they fit together perfectly. Lia and Jude are perfectly imperfect each in their own way, but they are like the final missing puzzle piece for each other. I cannot express my adoration for this series and these character in a more eloquent way…just, read this book. You will not be disappointed in the least. It is worth every second of your time. I cannot wait until Isabelle’s story in June 2021! Counting down the months! Bravo – 5 stars! 

“I think what makes the great great is something inside them. Even when their body betrays them, it’s still there.”

“Surprisingly, you’ve been the best kind of heartache, Jason Thorn.”

This is my third time around the sun with one of Ella Maise’s books and I cannot preach about her writing enough. Ladies (and gents), if you haven’t read anything by this author you are SORELY missing out. The craftsmanship, the eloquence, the pure imagination! Ella Maise knows EXACTLY how to capture and captivate her readers. She takes you on a wild ride every time you open one of her books. They are the perfect blend of romantic comedy, dramatic realism, and all around sexy-fun-time. I’ve cried, laughed, and swore. I am a true believer in the work of Ella Maise. I cannot wait for her next release. I’m unsure if she’s currently working on anything new but I will happily read her old stuff over and over again. 

This story is classic. Brother’s best friend, friends to lovers, movie star, second chance…it’s a bit of everything you could ever want. Oh! And don’t forget the most important trope…fake marriage. Yes. I’m telling you guys, I honestly think this might be one of my favorite tropes. It’s really growing on me and Ella Maise knows how to bring it to life. So we’ve got Jason Thorn. Hollywood playboy and all around charismatic sex-god. And we’ve got Olive Taylor. Romance novelist and quiet, girl-next-door. These two grew up together. Jason was Olive’s brother, Dylan’s, best friend. He basically lived at their house until his mom died and he had to move and live with his father in LA. We get a little of the back story when the book first begins, but the meat is in their first meet up eight years later. I’m serious when I say that their meet-cute (if you can even call it that) was one of the best I’ve read. I got goosebumps. My heart was racing. I felt everything that Olive felt in that moment. Our author knew exactly how to craft her words to pull her readers into the story from the moment you open the novel. Truly remarkable. 

Jason finds himself in a bit of a bind and ends up needing Olive to help him out. Queue the fake marriage. It’s all fun and games until it’s not. The chemistry between these two is palpable. It’s erotic and delicious. You find yourself drawn in and hypnotized by it. This novel has got the perfect balance of sexy and serious. You get a riveting storyline sprinkled with passionate scenes and topped with hilarious banter. Don’t forget the drama thrown in, though! There are definitely things that you don’t see coming which only make it even more enthralling. I cannot commend Ella Maise enough for this marvelous story! I’m diving into another one of her books next! Wish me luck! 5 stars!!

“Why do you believe in me, Zane?” “Because I can see you.”

Bravo again, Anna B Doe! She slayed with the newest installment of the Blairwood University series. Our author took us on a new journey with this one. Here we get to dip our toes into a lot of new topics that haven’t been a large part of the Blairwood University world. Zane is a hockey player at Blairwood, training to be a doctor. He is from Ashton Heights which is known for not being the safest place. He grew up with his single mom, Candie, who is an alcohol and drug addict. Eventually, he is taken in by Grams, a woman that he considers to be his mother/grandmother figure. We meet Grams in book one, Kiss To Conquer, because Hayden is also raised by Grams alongside Zane. We are allowed small glimpses into Zane’s mind about how ashamed he is of his past, but how he still strives to make himself better. He works HARD.

On a similar note, we meet Rei. She’s basically a figure skating prodigy. She was raised by a single father because her mother died in childbirth when Rei was born. Her father is relatively absent (to an extent) because of his job, so she spends a lot of her time with her coach, Alexei. It’s teased during parts of the novel that Alexei is attracted to Rei, but never actually divulged. I’m conflicted about this because on one hand, I think I would have liked to have seen a little more drama, but I also appreciated that the entire novel wasn’t focused on that. Rei spends a majority of this novel training for the Worlds, which is technically the Olympics. I loved that Anna B Doe took the time to dig deeper into the figure skating world and teach the reader a few things! It was fascinating.

This was a special type of enemies to lovers, sports romance and I was HERE FOR IT. I appreciate when the couple becomes “friends” or “lovers” more quickly in the novel, rather than focusing on the enemies part for a long time – our author did this perfectly. Zane and Rei were wary and aggressive towards each other for the first third of the book, but once they made that leap to friends and eventually lovers, they never looked back. I loved how quickly Zane was able to move past his prejudices against Rei because of the clothes she wore and the kind of car she drove. But sadly, rather than dispel the prejudices all together, he turns them on himself and constantly berates and belittles himself for not being “good enough” for her because of how he grew up. It’s heartbreaking. It takes him a while to not see her wealth as superior to him. Eventually he overcomes it, but it takes a majority of the novel. We do get a small taste into racial prejudices as well towards the end of the book when the police get involved in something and Zane is treated differently because of his skin color. I loved that Rei acknowledged and loved Zane for who he was and how he treated her. This story was so sweet. The romance was delicious and I am so excited for the next book in the series to release! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we get Maddox’s book soon. 4 stars!