Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire | Book Review

Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire
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Reading Group Rating: M for Mature

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: No-nonsense Liis Lindy is an agent of the FBI. Deciding she is married only to her job, she breaks off her engagement and transfers from Chicago to the field office in San Diego. She loves her desk. She is committed to her laptop. She dreams of promotions and shaking hands with the director after cracking an impossible case. 
Special Agent in Charge Thomas Maddox is arrogant, unforgiving, and ruthless. He is tasked with putting away some of the world’s toughest criminals, and he is one of the best the Bureau has to offer. Though, as many lives as he’s saved, there is one that is beyond his reach. Younger brother Travis is faced with prison time for his involvement in a basement fire that killed dozens of college students, and the media want a conviction. Travis’s only savior is his unusual tie to the mob. In a deal that will spare his brother, Thomas has agreed to recruit Travis into the FBI.
Liis is stubborn, defiant, and yet somehow softens Thomas’s rough edges, making her the perfect agent to accompany him to the ceremony. Posing as a couple, they must travel to Travis & Abby’s beach vow renewal and give him the news, but when the pretending ends, she finds herself wondering if they were pretending at all. 
In the second installment of the Maddox Brothers books, experience firsthand the mysterious world of the elusive Thomas Maddox, and how good love can be when you’re not the first, but the last.

Cover: For all of the Beautiful Series covers, they involve some animal.  A butterfly for Travis, a peacock for Trent, and an eagle for Thomas.  I think the eagle was chosen here because it's such a powerful bird, but it also has a sense of freedom to it, both of these traits can describe Thomas and Liis.

Summary: Liis Lindy goes to the bar across from her apartment the night before her new job and brings a very attractive man home with her.  However, the next morning she discovers that that man is her new boss, Thomas Maddox.  She was brought on as a translator because Maddox needs her to double check the work of the guy they already have.  He is purposefully messing up the translations.  Thomas and Liis have a weird connection-they slept together, they work together, he lives directly above her, he drives her to work-that causes them to grow close.  However, they have bigger problems.  Travis Maddox is at risk of going to jail for 20 years because of his involvement in an on campus fire that killed hundreds.  The alibi his wife, Abby, tried to come up with didn't work.  It's been a year and Thomas has to go to their vow renewal to try and get Travis to work undercover as a double agent with the FBI and Benny instead of him going to jail.  Thomas promised his mother that he would take care of his little brothers, but Travis promised to never lie to Abby.  But Trent also has plans for this weekend away.  He's going to propose to Cami, whom Thomas still loves.  But he also loves Liis.  A Maddox boy never falls out of love, he loves forever, but that's kind of difficult to explain to your girlfriend when you still love your ex-girlfriend.  When Thomas calls Liis "Cami" that's when she realizes that Thomas needs to be fully over Cami before he can love her.  At the end of the book Liis and Thomas are outside and the original translator comes and tries to shoot them.  He shoots Thomas through the back and the bullet exits him and goes into Liis' abdomen.  She wakes up in the hospital room next to Thomas.  Travis agreed to work with them.  The epilogue includes Thomas and Liis moving to DC, they are still dating and Liis is pregnant.        

My Review: Another great one!  Who couldn't love the Maddox brothers?  I like that it goes with the idea that when you break up with someone, but they're still apart of your life (and, ya know, marry your younger brother) it's hard to forget how much you cared about that person.  Especially the way things ended with Cami and Thomas.  He has to work extra hard to prove himself to Liis because he also has to prove himself to himself.  I also liked that Liis is a tough girl.  Now no girl in Jamie McGuire's novels are ever damsels in distress, but neither Cami nor Abby were trained to fire a gun by the FBI.    
The only thing that I didn't really like was the timing of the epilogue.  It's 11 years after Abby and Travis got married in Vegas, so 10 years after the vow renewal that Thomas and Liis went to.  They have been dating for 10 years and still aren't married?  Also, Thomas is the oldest brother and Travis is the youngest.  Even if all the boys are close in age, there would still be at least 4 years between them, but I think there is more than that (I can't remember if it says his age in the book.  Does anyone remember?).  No matter, he's in his late twenties, early thirties when the book starts, so he's in his late thirties early forties at its end.  I just wish it was a little sooner.  It's still a fantastic book.
I love how every Beautiful Series book is so different, but still the same.  Especially with the boys.  It's such a realistic example of a big family and I love it.

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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Free Falling by Kirsty Moseley | Book Review

Free Falling by Kirsty Moseley 
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***This is a companion novel to Always You by Kirsty Moseley.  You don't necessarily have to read that before you read this one, but I would highly recommend it***

Reading Group Rating: I would say High school+  But maybe more like Sophomore Year+

Personal Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: They say that your school years are supposed to be the best years of your life, and that you should make the most of them because you’ll miss them when you’re all grown up. Up until Maisie Preston’s senior year, she would have totally agreed with that statement. Life was great, she had everything going for her, excellent grades, great parents, an annoying yet caring twin brother, and an impossibly sweet boyfriend. 
Everything was perfect - that is until the arrival of Zach Anderson. A misfit delinquent that seemed to bring with him a lot of bad karma. Is it just a coincidence that his arrival marks a significant change in Maisie’s life? Up until senior year, life was perfect, but things seem to be going downhill fast.

Cover: An envelope and Calla Lily, the things that held the threatening messages towards Maisie, the main plot of the story

Summary: Senior year of highs school and Maisie's life is perfect.  However, after attending a party and witnessing her boyfriend, Luke,  having sex with her arch nemesis, Sandy, her world flips upside down.  She leaves the party in Luke's car intoxicated.  She nearly crashes into Zach Anderson, a new boy in town who she's supposed to be tutoring, but he hadn't showed up in school.  Zach is into parkour and dreams of being a stunt man for movies, but he has ADHD and hasn't been able to focus in school.  Maisie and him become very close and she makes sure that he graduates high school.  She told Luke that they can't be together anymore because every time she sees him she thinks about him and Sandy, but she agrees they can be friends.  He takes this, but he is still trying to get her back.  He loves her and made a mistake (they discover that Sandy put something in Luke's drink, but he does say he didn't feel that she took advantage of him).  One day at school a frog escapes from a science room.  Maisie is petrified of frogs and jumps into Luke's arms to get away from it.  Soon after that she starts getting weird phone calls and threats.  Her dog even gets poisoned.  She thinks it's Sandy, but when Sandy gets murdered and the calls still come she doesn't know who it could be.  She goes to the local fairground with a group of friends to watch Zach's parkour group and that night she get's back together with Luke.  The next morning they're driving home from a bakery when Maisie's friend, a computer whizz, texts her the phone number of the caller.  She calls the number and realizes it's Luke who has been terrorizing her.  After the frog incident he realized that if he could get Maisie to see that she still needs him, she would take him back, but he the whole thing got out of control.  Maisie tells him that she doesn't think she can get past this (SINCE HE KILLED SOMEONE), but he has a "if I can't have you no one can" mentality and drives them off a bridge.  Luke, who was unbuckled, dies on impact.  Maisie can't get the seatbelt off her once they're in the water and drowns, but is saved by someone who say the accident.  She wakes up in a hospital a few days later.  She decides to not tell anyone about the conversation she had with Luke before he died because she doesn't want his reputation to be ruined.  She goes off to college and the next year runs into Zach, who's the main stunt guy in the movie that's being filmed on Maisie's campus.  The book ends hinting that Zach and Maisie will soon be dating.

My Review: Can I just start by saying that I love/think it's funny that Kirsty Moseley is from the UK, but her characters are in the United States.  She never says what town or even what state this book takes place, but she'll give you a distance (it takes 9 hours for Maisie to drive to Oregon State College) so you're sitting here reading and trying to figure out where the characters are.  She also writes in UK English obviously so there are a lot of extra "u's" (favourite) and "s's" instead of "z's" (realised).  These aren't wrong from her point of view, but the first time I read it (in Always You) I was a little taken aback.  Her characters also so "yeah" a lot (let's do this, yeah?), which I think is a UK thing or at least no one I've met says yeah that much.  None of this stuff has anything to do with the plot, nor does it change my opinion of the novel, I just think it's cool.
The only thing that really bothered (that word seems too harsh here) me about the book was that there were some spelling/grammar mistakes.  It would say "he" instead of "her," "rough" instead of "through," once it said "a" when I thought it should have said "he."  Kirsty Moseley is a self-published author and I have so much respect for that, but I know from myself that when I write I miss things even if I reread it eight times.  Even on here I'll look back at old posts and be like, "Oh, that's not right.  Should have read that one more time."  I feel that Kirsty Moseley just needed someone else to read it one time before she published it (a job I would happily do!).  The mistakes weren't ginormous, you could still read the book easily, they just stopped for a moment.
The book itself was so good!  I loved it!  I got frustrated with Maisie because I wanted her to be with Zach from the beginning and leave Luke completely.  He still could have tried to get her to need him, but I wish she called Zach for help a few times instead of Luke.  This book also had a very serious message to it that I think we could all benefit from:  If your partner (or anyone in your life really) is doing things to get your attention and you find out in a place where you can't easily get away, like alone with him in a car, don't say you're breaking up with him.  Say whatever you need to to get home safe and then go to the police.  I thought it was cute how protective her brother was when he needed to be.  And having already read Always You it was funny to see how Maisie's dad eluded to stuff that happened in that novel (dealing with police, Maisie's mom being good in hospitals).  This book was definitely worth the read!   


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Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Beautiful Beloved by Christina Lauren | Book Review

Beautiful Beloved by Christina Lauren 
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Reading Group Rating: M for Mature

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: The seventh work in the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling series that started with the Beautiful Bastard, Beautiful Stranger, and Beautiful Player novels. Featuring all the Beautiful characters…plus one tiny new addition to the group.

In Beautiful Stranger, finance whiz Sara Dillon met the irresistibly sexy Brit, Max Stella, at a New York City club. Through the series we’ve watched them learn to balance commitment with their less than private brand of playfulness. In Beautiful Beloved, Max and Sara take it to the next step. But the question is: Will they be able to find a balance between the wild sexcapades they aren’t ready to retire, and the demands of parenthood that come along with their new Beautiful bundle of joy? Parenthood: it’s not for the weak of heart.


Cover: Keeping in tradition of their signature simple covers for their adult books, Christina and Lauren chose to capture a very pregnant Sara as their cover-girl.

Summary: Max and Sara are parents!!  And all they want is one night alone.  They try to have George babysit, but that date was a disaster.  Food was dropped, milk was produced and shown through Sara's dress, and the valet hit a pole.  So then they try Will, but Will is a bit nervous around small babies and keeps texting updates.  It's not until Niall gets there that Max and Sara get to go out and have some alone time.

My Review: I will never get over how funny Christina Lauren novella's are.  I feel like they take their main novels (Bastard, Stranger, Player) to introduce the characters and have a serious situation occurring through each, but they use their novellas (Bitch, Bombshell, Beginning, Beloved) to show just how funny this group of friends can be and I cannot get enough of it!
Sara and Max just want to go on a date!  But life as parents is so different and they just can't catch a brake!  This novella is super short, but definitely worth the read.  I love how this is how Niall Stella is introduced to the storyline as he is the main character of the upcoming novel Beautiful Secret.  This story does bypass Sara's pregnancy, Sara and Max's 'wedding,' and Annabel's birth which is kind of disheartening, but that's not what this story is about so that stuff would take too much time away from the fact that Max and Sara need a night out.   


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Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Beautiful Beginning by Christina Lauren | Book Review

Beautiful Beginning by Christina Lauren 


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Reading Group Rating: M for Mature

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: One beautiful bastard of a groom. The most beautiful bitch of a bride. A panty-ripping office hook-up turned true love everlasting. 

Wedding bells can’t chime soon enough for Chloe Mills and Bennett Ryan. Chloe, exasperated and stressed by all the last-minute to-dos, is on the verge of saying “I do” to eloping. For his part, Bennett’s so worried about being distracted by Chloe’s body that he makes a no-sex-until-the-wedding-night rule that only seems to be making things worse by continually backfiring on him. As their crazy families descend for the big day- only a few of them actually trying to be helpful- the fiery lovers are about to test whether the couple that argues together can keep it together long enough to exchange rings, and not just heated words.



Cover: Chloe in her wedding dress.  It's the only cover where you see the entire face of the person or at least from hairline to chin.

Summary: Here comes the bride... Chloe and Bennett are finally getting married and Chloe is going crazy.  She wants to elope, there's too much stress that comes with a wedding and family is coming out of the woodwork for this thing.  However, Bennett decides that he doesn't want to have sex until their wedding night to make it more special.  Chloe takes it as a challenge, doing whatever she can to break him.  Bennett also tells two of Chloe's aunts that Will would have sex with them and they follow him around the entire trip.  At the wedding rehearsal, Chloe gets mad when the officiant says man and wife instead of husband and wife, but because both of them are so worked up they start making out in front of everyone, and then again in the car ride to the rehearsal dinner.  At the dinner Chloe's aunts are hanging off of Will so he grabs the DJ's microphone, calls out Hanna's name, and then proposes.  That night Bennett is ready to break and have sex with Chloe, but the wedding party comes in and takes her away because the groom can't see the bride on the wedding day.  On the day of the wedding the original set up is flooded; Bennett picks up the dresses from the dry cleaners, but doesn't close the back of the van so they end up all over the highway (Sara's bridesmaid dress ending up with tire marks across the front of it); and his wedding band gets scratched.  But they do get married!  After the reception Bennett blind folds Chloe and brings her to the hotel they stayed at for the conference, the exact same room!

My Review: I legitimately laughed out loud reading this.  The parts where they would be fighting with each other just because they knew it would lead to kissing.  I also liked that it was Bennett who said they had to wait until marriage to have sex again, I feel like it's usually the opposite.  And then just as he's about to break, the wedding party takes Chloe out of the room for the night!  I also love how Will has to try to fight off the aunts and he ends up proposing to Hanna partly because of it.  It made me appreciate the epilogue of Beautiful Player more because if he had just proposed I would have been slightly confused and thought it was just an attempt to get the aunts away, but because he already hinted at it and Hanna already said she'd say yes it made the moment cuter.  (Speaking of: I am so excited to see how Hanna's family reacts to that.  I hope that comes up in a new book.)  Also, it was so cute that they had their wedding at the same place they finally came out and said they cared about each other.  I am such a sucker for things that incorporate things that have multiple meanings or special memories like that into another special moment!


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Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren | Book Review

Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren 


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Reading Group Rating: M for Mature

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: A bombshell bookworm. A chronic Casanova. And a lesson in chemistry too scandalous for school.

When Hanna Bergstrom receives a lecture from her overprotective brother about neglecting her social life and burying herself in grad school, she’s determined to tackle his implied assignment: get out, make friends, start dating. And who better to turn her into the sultry siren every man wants than her brother’s gorgeous best friend, Will Sumner, venture capitalist and unapologetic playboy?

Will takes risks for a living, but he’s skeptical about this challenge of Hanna’s…until the wild night his innocently seductive pupil tempts him into bed- and teaches him a thing or two about being with a woman he can’t forget. Now that Hanna’s discovered the power of her own sex appeal, it’s up to Will to prove he’s the only man she’ll ever need.


Cover: The cover depicts Will, wearing a pinstripe top rolled up to his elbows and a vest.  Like their other covers, you can't see the entirety of his face, which I personally love.

Summary: When Hanna's older brother tells her to contact his friend Will Sumner to get her out of the house and lab he accidentally sets the scene for Will Sumner and his sister to finally find love.  Hanna gets in contact with Will and they start going running every morning.  Will is no stranger to training for marathons and triathlons, but Hanna is no runner.  They talk as they run and Hanna is a girl with absolutely no filter.  She says whatever's on her mind and at first it really throws Will off, but he gets used to her eventually.  The two constantly call each other out in innuendos, their conversations are very much "That's What She Said" worthy.  Hanna asks Will to help her get laid, essentially.  However, when she brings him to a party, they decide showing is better than telling and that's the first they start getting to know each others bodies, let's say.  It doesn't take long for Will to fall for Hanna, but he has such a history with her family that he doesn't think he should have feelings for her.  Hanna goes on three dates with a boy named Dylan before deciding she wants Will, but he has a a schedule for the two girls he sleeps with.  Hanna quickly becomes close to Chloe, Bennett, Sara, and Max.  They all know that Will is head-over-heels for her and they all like her, but Hanna and Will never say they're dating.  Will comes home with Hanna for Easter, but on the way home Hanna sees a text one of Will's not girlfriends, Kitty, and realizes that this relationship means different things to them.  She starts to avoid him until the day of the half marathon that they do together.  Kitty is there and tells Hanna that she hasn't been with Will since February (pre bachelor party, which is right before he meets up with Hanna) and that he officially ended it with her.  After the race Hanna goes back to Will's place and apologizes for avoiding him.  They make up.  In the epilogue they're on the plane to Chloe and Bennett's wedding and Will tells Hanna he wants to propose to her.

My Review: Will and Hanna are my favorite couple out of the Beautiful Series!  I love that they don't break up, actually I love that Will doesn't let them break up.  Not that they were ever officially dating, but come on, they were dating.  He knows that Hanna must have interpreted something wrong and he gives her space, but never does he say they're broken up.  Hanna is so hilariously blunt and Will gets adorably jealous.  He never get annoyingly jealous like other characters in other books do sometimes, he doesn't try to talk Hanna out of anything she's doing, he just hates that she's doing it without him.  It's one of those classic 'I've known you forever, but I haven't seen you in a while and now I'm falling in love with you' stories, but Christina Lauren is able to put their own spin on it that hooks you in and makes you reread your favorite part (the epilogue when he hints at proposing to her on the plane even though they've only been dating for two/four months...swoon) over and over again.

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