Pages & Prose

Tons & Tons of Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 06:11:00 +0000

I have a lot of personal things going on. I've read so many books lately and I have a few reviews that I've made notes on but with all that's going on in my personal life, I've not even attempted to type it up. Please bear with me as I get through this trying time.

10 Darker Reads For Summer 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Tue, 26 May 2015 17:31:00 +0000

Can't decide what to read this summer? this handy list can help!

The smell of freshly mowed grass, honeysuckle, and coconut tanning oil. These are all smells that make me think of summer, of warm, wet skin, ponytails, and flip flops. I remember lying out in the yard with my best friend, slathered in tanning oil, listening to the portable radio and praying the batteries lasted. We always brought a pile of books to choose from because, what can chase away boredom like literature?

If you enjoy reading, books are a must have during your down time. Here's a list of books to keep you entertained in the summer sun.
Click on the pics for a synopsis of the book.

The Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor

Disclaimer by Renee Knight

Smother by Lindy Zart

Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler

Wolf Winter by Cecilia Ekback

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters

Houdini Heart by Ki Longfellow

The Pact by Jodi Picoult

Tell No One by Harlan Coben

Enjoy!

Review of Eve by Anna Carey

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Mon, 25 May 2015 07:05:00 +0000

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Book review

Eve by Anna CareyPublished October 4, 2011
Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062048503
English
3.7 of 5 stars | 29,724 ratingsMy rating: 3 of 5 stars

First let me say I went into this with an open mind. I read the reviews but didn't let them cloud my judgment of the book. And, honestly, Eve wasn't that bad. Ms. Carey is a talented writer, especially in her use of sensory description. She is also good at writing emotional scenes; one, in particular, toward the end, almost had me in tears The boys, "I love you, I love you." sigh I enjoyed her style and thought the idea was interesting. I read the book in one sitting; it was a quick read.

That said, I did NOT like the main character, Eve. She was one of those TSTL (too stupid to live) characters. I rolled my eyes and sighed at almost every move she made. And, just when I thought she was making progress/wising up, she would make another idiotic move The code at Marjorie's house to name one.

It boils down to good and bad.

The Good
*Arden - She was the most interesting character. The others seemed bland and/or like caricatures of people.
*Ms. Carey is excellent at writing description. 'Thick blankets of flowers, their blooms no more than a few inches wide.' or 'lungs caked with dirt.' Those were just a couple that I liked.
*M & O Marjorie & Otis - I almost cried. For real.

The Bad
*Eve is a HORRIBLE friend, It really pissed me off that the first thing she did was leave Pip & Ruby at school when she knows about the 'sows'. Even if she kind of made up for it with Arden, she still let Arden take the heat from the guards. Ugh....
*For someone who grew up thinking that men were bad, Eve latched on to Caleb very quickly. It felt almost forced. I know I would have been extremely wary of men if I'd been taught, for 13 years no less, that men were evil, couldn't be trusted, etc.
*Eve has no worries about others. People tell her its dangerous, that people are looking for her specifically & they can kill others for hiding her yet she still does pretty much what she wants. Talk about impulse issues! She just lets people die/get hurt/cover her ass without even thinking about them.

The bad is mainly because of the main character. She was impulsive, self-centered, silly, and ignorant. Now, ignorance isn't necessarily a bad thing if you learn from it, but she just kept on making the same silly mistakes and not taking other people's lives into account.

Overall, though, the book wasn't terrible. Make Arden the main female character and it might even be good. I plan to read the next one because I want to see if Eve gets any smarter. I have my fingers crossed. I think Ms. Carey is a talented writer and it would behoove her to have a better main character.

GoodReads - Tara

Look What eBook I Just Bought!

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Sun, 24 May 2015 17:58:00 +0000

Super stoked over this!

I've been meaning to buy some new fiction books or ebook so, I took the plunge and purchased some ebooks since I had plenty of physical books. I showed you those yesterday.

I'm so excited to show you what I got!!!

Poor Little Dead Girls

Oblivion (Fiction - Young Adult)

The Last Good Day of the Year

I can't decide which to read first! What's your opinion?

Stacking The Shelves

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Sat, 23 May 2015 21:22:00 +0000

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Books I've bought this week.

Brought to you by Tynga's Reviews, Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. So, whether bought at the bookstore or online, let us know what you've picked up!

I'm a huge fan of books, especially cheap books in my preferred genres. So, today I ended up at Barnes & Noble for a few hours without the whole family. I ended up with three historical fiction books and two self-help books. Here's what I bought.

The Gilly Salt Sisters by T. Baker
A Hundred Summers by B. Williams
The White Princess by P. Gregory
90 Days to Your Novel by Sarah Domet

I also ordered some books from Barnes & Noble & Amazon.

I also blogged some this week. :)

Review of "A Midsummer's Nightmare."

Lunch Time Book Freebies and Deals

Review of "Going Too Far."

Have a great weekend, my lovelies!

Book Review: A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Wed, 20 May 2015 06:46:00 +0000

A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody KeplingerPublished June 5, 2012
Poppy
ISBN: 0316202126
English
3.83 of 5 stars | 13,432 ratingsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay...I freely admit...this book made me cry and cry hard. In a (mostly) good way.

I'm a sucker for an emotional book that makes me cry (Jamie McGuire's Beautiful Disaster and Annabel Joseph's Comfort Object being two of my favorite ones)and an even bigger sucker for emotional books that are well written. Like this one.

I began reading this because I thought it would be a quick, easy read on my day off. It started off that way but changed a few chapters in. It surprised me because I thought it would be a funny story about a troubled teenage girl who has a breakthrough, becomes all shiny and new, and lives happily ever after. Well, it kind of was, but...it was so much more than the formulaic YA story.

While Whitley had a few not-so-endearing qualities and made a bunch of piss poor choices, I had to like her. We all have our scars and we've all made stupid choices in our past. It makes us human and much more lovable. Same with Whitley. I was rooting for her and glossing over her silly mistakes.

(I'm on a Grey's kick, don't kill me!)

I'm very impressed with Kody Keplinger and will keep my eyes peeled for more from her!

View all my reviews - Tara

Lunch Time Book Freebies & Deals

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Mon, 18 May 2015 13:55:00 +0000

It’s a dreary Monday, the perfect time to read if you ask me. So, I’ve been perusing the ‘net to see what’s going on out there. Here are some of the best deals I’ve found today. Enjoy!

Aberration by Lisa Regan - $0.99
The White Queen: A Novel by Philippa Gregory - $1.99
At Bertram's Hotel - Miss Marple 11 by Agatha Christie - $1.99
Hidden - Bone Secrets 1 - by Kendra Elliot - $1.99
The Day She Died by Catriona McPherson - 1.99 .
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn - $2.99
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - $2.99
If I Stay by Gayle Forman - $2.99
The Shining by Stephen King - 1 .99 Outlander: A Novel by Diana Gabaldon - 1 .99 The Silent Girls by Eric Rickstad - $2.99

Here are some links to sites with free and bargain eBooks.
104 Free Kindle eBook downloads
More Bargain and Free Books for 5-18-15
Book Riot Deals of the Day
Book Deals Monday Morning
Free eBooks: The Joy of Less, Etsy Business for Beginners, Mom Enough, plus more!

Kobo Book's Deal of the Day
Barnes & Noble Nook Daily Find

Book Review: Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Mon, 18 May 2015 06:10:00 +0000

Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
Published March 17, 2009
Pocket Books/MTV Books
ISBN: 1416571736
English
3.95 of 5 stars | 30,492 ratings
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Going Too Far was a strange book. I didn't like it at all. The main character, Meg, was okay and I liked the love interest, John, but found, many times, that I was completely lost. Meg would go on some rant or start talking about something completely out of context and I was like "Huh?, Did I miss something? Anything?"

What irritated me most was Meg's back and forth between adult thinking and stupid, childlike, self centered thoughts. I didn't get it at all and thought the plot was kind of silly because it was obviously forced. I mean, c'mon, now.

I just did not enjoy this book at all. But, I did finish it!

View all my reviews - Tara

Book Review: Anathema

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Sat, 16 May 2015 09:14:00 +0000

Anathema by K.A. Tucker

Published May 25, 2011
Smashwords Edition

ISBN: 9780986915529
Avg rating: 3.88
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a free book and oh. my. god. I loved it!

"I know; it's hard not to like me," Amelie said, throwing her arm around my shoulder. "I'm extremely charming."

I fell in love with the characters, especially the (view spoiler), Sofie, Leo, and Max. The above par writing was an added bonus. There were a few mishaps (doddle instead of dawdle being a very noticeable one in the first or second chapter) but nothing that took away from the story.

I cannot wait to read more from K.A. Tucker!

View all my reviews - Tara

Book Review: The Wanton by Rosemary Rogers

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Thu, 14 May 2015 08:37:00 +0000

The Wanton by Rosemary Rogers
Published April 1,1985
Avon Books
ISBN: 0380861658
English
3.26 of 5 stars | 195 ratings ·
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Actually, 3.5 stars out of 5.

I remember reading The Wanton as an early teen (13 maybe). I found it hidden in a bedside drawer and once I started reading I realized why. I thought it was crazy then and, at 37 I still think the same thing. I mean c'mon look at that cover. What early 90's teenager could resist reading this when their parents weren't home?

When it comes to stupid, there are times the main character, Trista, takes the cake, especially when it involves her stepbrother, Fernando. In her defense (and in the beginning), she was 16 years old and it was the 1800s. And, she'd been shit on a lot by her mother. She was a definite masochist and unreliable narrator. I couldn't tell if she enjoyed the non-consensual BDSM thing every guy in the book had going on for her, but I sure as hell found it interesting.

Except for the brother thing. And, the "I will rule you" thing. I can't believe the father and aunt never realized what was going on with Trista and her brother, Fernando, and I've never been able to understand her fascination with him.

The writing was difficult to follow most of the time. I often wondered if the characters and the writer were tripping on acid, that's how far out there the plot and writing seems. I've read other books by Rosemary Rogers, such as Love Play and Sweet, Savage Love, but none were as disjointed and just plain weird as The Wanton.

But, hot damn, Blaise Devenant!

View all my reviews - Tara

Book Review: We Were Liars

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Wed, 13 May 2015 22:50:00 +0000

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Ebook, 228 pages
Published May 13, 2014
Delacorte Press
ISBN: 0375984402 ASIN: B00FPOSDGY
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There's a ridiculous amount of feels and tears right now. Lots of angst. Sorry, it's been awhile since my last post in 2014. Wow!! Anyway, on to the good stuff!

We Were Liars is about Cadence Sinclair Easton, one of THE Sinclairs. The clan is tall, square chinned, and dripping old money. They are perfect, happy, and always right. At least, this is what Cadence tells us in the first chapter.Actually, very little is how it seems as first. Cadence is most definitely an unreliable narrator. She has selective amnesia and is on high doses of pain killers thanks to an accident that no one wants to talk about.

In a lot of ways, I felt sorry for poor little rich Cadence with her God complex grandfather and WASP-y mother. Especially when I read things like this:

It tasted like salt and failure. The bright red shame of being unloved soaked the grass in front of our house, the bricks of the path, the steps to the porch.

She made me act normal. Because I was. Because I could. She told me to breathe and sit up.And I did what she asked. Again.”“Don’t cause distress, she said. Don’t remind people of a loss. “Do you understand, Cady? Silence is a protective coating over pain.

There’s nothing in our whole house that says he ever lived with us, except me. Why are you allowed to erase my father and I’m not allowed to—”“Erase yourself?” Mummy says.

But, then we get glimpses of how Cadence was before the mysterious accident. How she behaves with those closest to her, cousins Johnny and Mirrin, and love interest, Gat. She was a bit of a bitch, oblivious to those 'beneath' her.

We, the reader, eventually learn about the mysterious accident, which caused a sea of tears (from me). The writing was beautiful, the plot interesting, the characters varied and multifaceted. I was very, very impressed. Would I read it again? Probably not, but I enjoyed the prose and would recommend it to others.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Breeders

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 14:06:00 +0000

The Breeders by Katie French
Published August 1, 2012
ISBN: 9781476108469
English
3.66 of 5 stars | 1,732 ratings
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Why, why, why isn't this author getting more attention? This book is tight; writing, plot, characters, everything.

Brilliant writing and well-defined characters. I wasn't expecting this level of writing in a free book. I can't wait to read more from Ms. French.

Read it people!!

View all my reviews - Tara

Book Review: Finding Claire Fletcher

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 13:46:00 +0000

Finding Claire Fletcher by Lisa Regan
Published December 6, 2012
Sapphire Star Publishing
ISBN: 1938404181
English
4.06 of 5 stars | 1,008 ratings
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finding Claire Fletcher is a brutal, heart-wrenching story of a girl kidnapped at age 15 and subjected to emotional, mental, and physical torture for 10 years. Through it all, Claire struggles to keep hold of hope, her memories of her life before her capture, and herself. Even when she feels helpless and despairing, she never stops fighting.

Honestly, Finding Claire Fletcher was truly a joy to read from the first page to the last. It was...awesome, amazing, thrilling, exciting, and many other descriptive words that I'm too enthralled to come up with at the moment.

Lisa Regan is an incredibly talented author and I can't believe that FCF is her first novel. I found no fault with the writing and the descriptions were superb. Finding Claire Fletcher engrossed me from page one. I laughed, cried, and became infuriated along with Claire and because of Claire.

I would (and do) recommend this book to anyone. I can't say enough good things about FCF or Lisa Regan.

View all my reviews - Tara

Book Review: Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 17:54:00 +0000

Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne
Published December 20, 2011
Simon Pulse
ISBN: 1442421142
English
3.17 of 5 stars | 624 ratings
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The main character is annoying, there is very little tension and/or creepiness, and the book ends (at least the main plot) abruptly.

The writing wasn't terrible, however, I never really cared one way or the other about any of the characters. Well, none if them other than the MC, Hannah, whom I considered supremely selfish. Seriously, they could have been picked up by the Death Star & I wouldn't have cared...except to wonder why Vader found them so fascinating.

I kind of loathed Hannah, which is strange...usually I just find characters annoying. Perhaps it was her clear disrespect toward other people's homes and belongings. Or perhaps it was her lackadaisical attitude toward work. Or it could have been her selfishness in the light of her boyfriends obvious apprehension. Whatever it was I actually disliked her enough to hope she would be picked up the Death Star or Jabba the Hutt. sigh i cant believe i actually said that and meant it...

I don't recommend this. It was a good premise and the author has talent, but it could have been so much better.

View all my reviews - Tara

Book Review: The Kiss Off by Sarah Billington

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 14:16:00 +0000

The Kiss Off by Sarah Billington
Published June 2012
Billington Media
ISBN: 9781469998558
English
3.6 of 5 stars |· 893 ratings
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Kiss Off was a quick, fun read and, while I had issues with some of the decisions the MC made, it had a good message.

Spoilers removed from this page but can still be accessed on my GoodReads review

I knew from the first sentence that this would be a fun, easy read. The first chapter was a bit all over the place; the main character, Poppy, brought in a multitude of new characters within the first few pages. I had no idea who any of these people were and it took a bit to figure it out. Poppy was also a bit of an with typical YA background parents, but I felt that she grew a bit in the story and learned a lesson. At first she annoyed me, but eventually, I kind of enjoyed her antics.

While parts of the writing were somewhat convoluted (see above paragraph), I think Ms. Billington has a flair for writing. She wrote better than many 'best selling' authors I've read and had a tween/teens voice down perfectly. Good job!

There were many, many alcoholic and sexual references and I really found the lack of parental units/lack of discipline crazy. Maybe I'm behind the times?

Overall, I liked the book. I had issues with a few things, but it was as intended; a fun, fluffy read. I like the intended message and think the author did a great job writing a book that younger teens/tweens could relate to while giving them information on serious subjects. I applaud Ms. Billington for that

.

View all my reviews - Tara
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Book Review: Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Okay, I know I need to review this, but I'm not sure where to start. This review was difficult for me because I usually enjoy the author's books and because I wanted to like the book. I expected to enjoy it. If only everything lived up to expectations.

I'm giving Deadlocked a 2/5 only because it did get better toward the end. The last few chapters were the book's saving grace. Also, we (the readers) saw a softer, gentler side of Sookie than we have in previous books in the series. I enjoyed that.

I suppose I should say that I've been readying the Sookie Stackhouse books for a few years and many of them I've loved. However, when I picked up this one I realized that I couldn't even remember what had happened in the previous two or three books. Everything blended together in this huge mish-mash of jumbled ideas. I felt kind of lost when I first started reading Deadlocked, but I soon figured out everything that was going on, which was a lot of nothing, until the final few chapters.

Ms. Harris is an interesting writer. She has Sookie's voice down pat (a born & bred Southern gal can smell her own), but this book read like a first draft and the story line seemed to go nowhere. I made a ton of notes/comments on my ereader about how terrible the writing was (view spoiler).

I'm majorly disappointed.

It was obvious by the end of Deadlocked what the story line will be in the 13th and final novel of the series. I won't add any spoilers, but if you read it, you probably know what I'm talking about. Deadlocked's plot outcome was obvious, anyone could guess the bad guys from the beginning. I just...wow. I have nothing else to say about it.

I don't recommend this to fans and especially not to those new to the series. I suggest y'all just skip this one and call it a night. Read Ms. Harris's Harper Connelly series if you want a southern style paranormal series that's well written. I highly recommend that series.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Rogue's Pawn by Jeffe Kennedy

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 16:34:00 +0000

Rogue's Pawn by Jeffe Kennedy
Published July 16, 2012
Carina Press
ISBN: 1426894066
English
3.68 of 5 stars | 258 ratings ·
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.75 out of 5 stars
I received this ARC through NetGalley and I'm so glad I requested it.

Jennifer lives a life of lies; lies to make her happy, to make her feel that everything is okay in her life. The problem?

The lies aren't working.

She's stuck in a relationship with a man she doesn't even like and she's plagued by dreams of a large, black dog. While at a party with the annoying fiancé she leaves after a disagreement and takes a drive, only to end up at the Devil's Tower (which confused me because I still have no idea what it was). She spends the night, decides to go for a walk the next morning (in heels and a cocktail dress, no less. Now, that's pure awesomeness!), and ends up in Fairie World.

That's when the fun starts. For Jennifer and the reader.

I have to say that Jennifer/Gwynn is one of my favorite heroines out of the books I've read lately. She's tough, intelligent, and, for the most part, highly logical. Those irritating women who seem to misplace logic as soon as they're faced with a hot guy get annoying. Jennifer was not one of those chicks and I loved it. Sure, I didn't agree with all of her decisions, but I understood why she did them. She was pretty badass.

The world was complex and well thought out. I loved that Fairie World was dark and somewhat sad. As an adult reader, I want the dark because not everything is bright and beautiful in life. That's how I picture my fairies. Gorgeous to look at and scary as hell up close. I was completely sucked into their world and didn't want to leave when the book ended. Only one series of books have had that effect on me, Stacia Kane's Downside Ghosts, and that, in itself, was a revelation. I like/love certain books, but I'm not sad to leave the world when they end like I was here.

Write more, Jeffe!

It took awhile for me to get into the book, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. The reason I gave it 4.75 out of 5 stars is because in some places the writing was confusing. It was almost too much description, which I never thought I'd say. I'm aghast at my words! But, they're true. And, this is a small thing, but it bugged the crap out of me for some reason, (Spoilers removed from this page but can still be accessed on my goodreads review)

My other complaint is that I still don't know what was so special about Jennifer/Gwynn or why Rogue called her. Fill me in!

Honestly, this book was awesome. Intelligent and beautifully written. I will definitely read more of Ms. Kennedy's books and I highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys non-cookie cutter type heroines, heroes, and worlds.

Go pre-order your copy of Rogue's Pawn now! Seriously.

View all my reviews - Tara

Book Review of Creep by Jennifer Hillier

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Creep by Jennifer Hillier
Published July 5, 2011
Gallery Books
ISBN: 1451625847
English
3.7 of 5 stars | 4,116 ratings ·
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amazing! The writing was spectacular, the characters were well fleshed out and very 'human'/easy to relate to; I read the entire book in one sitting!

A recovering sex addict, Dr. Sheila Tao is newly engaged and engaged in an affair with Ethan, one of her teaching assistants. She tries to break it off, but instead of getting the hell out of Dodge, he kidnaps and brutally terrorizes her. Things come eventually come to head with a surprising and terrifying ending.

Creep is a thrill ride from the first page to the last. I couldn't put it down. I seriously can't wait for Jennifer Hillier's second novel Freak.

View all my reviews - Tara

Book Review: Comfort Object by Annabel Joseph

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Comfort Object by Annabel Joseph
Published October 28, 2009
Loose Id
ISBN: 2940013238633
English
3.76 of 5 stars | 3,529 ratings
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book moved me. The characters and the growth they each showed was obvious and well written. Since it's an erotic novel, explicit language peppered the dialogue and graphic sex scenes happened throughout the story, but, in all honesty I almost skipped over the sex to see what was happening to the characters emotionally.

Comfort Object is the story of Nell, a submissive who does not enjoy pain, but enjoys submitting, and Jeremy, a bona fide dominant who gets a little too much joy out of humiliating Nell (in my opinion). I cried while reading this book. Literally, I bawled like a baby, waking my husband up and everything. He found it amusing that I cried so much while reading an erotic novel, but it spoke volumes to me. If I cry, that means it pulls at my heart-strings, which means, in my opinion, that it's awesome.

What made it better than many novels is the writing. The plot is great, the characters are fully fleshed out and change over time. Jeremy, especially, grew a bit and, I have to admit, even though he was a real jerk at times, I still liked him. I understand why he acted the way he did. I also understand Nell and her motivations. Ms. Joseph was able to get that across with no problem.

Really, Comfort Object is superbly written. Ms. Joseph can write emotionally charged and overtly sexual scenes with exceptional skill. I don't think I've read an erotic novel where the author could do both of those things so well. I plan to read more of Ms. Joseph's work.

Purchase Comfort Object here or at any of your local booksellers. I highly recommend it!

View all my reviews - Tara

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Book Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

noreply@blogger.com (Tara) — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 23:55:00 +0000

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Published May 26, 2011
Jamie McGuire, LLC
ISBN: 2940012575814
English
4.19 of 5 stars | 325,533 ratings
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the story of a completely dysfunctional, co-dependent, unhealthy relationship, but I couldn't put it down. As someone who has been in a very similar relationship (though my Travis had less of a temper/could go longer than 5 minutes without beating the crap out of someone), the story hit a chord.

BIG TIME.

Abby & Travis meet at a 'fight club' type fighting match. It wasn't love at first sight, at least on her part, but something was going on between them. I found Travis charming at the beginning and a little hard to take toward the end. I didn't have as much of a problem with the ending as many do, but that's because I know people who have been in that situation (with what happens, not the co-dependence...though I guess I've known people in those situations, too) and they turned out just fine. Argh! I hate having to tiptoe around so I don't give out spoilers. I end up sound vague & bland. So not fun.

Abby's backstory annoyed me. It's stupid, but I guess she had to be flawed in some way. The timely arrival of dear ol' Mick seemed out of place but gave the author a way to show the obsessiveness & craziness of Abby & Travis's relationship.

I also thought Abby was wishy-washy in the beginning before they fell in 'love'. It made me want to tear my hair out. Parker was annoying, America was a screaming Harridan and a good friend (view spoiler), Finch cracked me up (he was one of my favorite characters), Travis was crazy, their relationship was, indeed, a disaster, and I enjoyed Travis's family. The writing was okay.

That said, I'll probably read it again.

UPDATE: And I have read it again. I was just as intrigued and just as annoyed with the parts mentioned above. My rating hasn't changed. Ms. McGuire did well by me. :)

View all my reviews - Tara