Book Review: Ruckus - LJ Shen

Title: Ruckus
Series: Sinners of Saint #2
Author: L.J. Shen
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 26, 2017




Rosie

They say that life is a beautiful lie and death a painful truth. They're right.
No one has ever made me feel more alive than the guy who serves as a constant reminder that my clock is ticking.
He is my forbidden, shiny apple.
The striking fallacy to my blunt, raw, truth.
He is also my sister's ex-boyfriend.
One thing you should know before you judge me;
I saw him first. I craved him first. I loved him first.
Eleven years later, he waltzed into my life, demanding a second chance.
Dean Cole wants to be my bronze horseman. My white knight has finally arrived. Hopefully, he isn’t too late.

 

Dean

 
They say the brightest stars burn out the fastest. They’re right.
She sets my mind on fire.
All smart mouth, snarky attitude and a huge heart.
In a world where everything is dull, she shines like fucking Sirius.
Eleven years ago, fate tore us apart.
This time, I fucking dare it to try.
Getting to her is a battlefield, but man, that’s why they call me Ruckus.
Rosie LeBlanc is about to find out how hard I can fight.
And conquering her will be the sweetest victory.




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LJ Shen did it again. Ruckus has been sitting on my Kindle for a few days before I got the chance to devour Dean. And it was as good as it can get.

Out of all the HotHoles I’ve read so far, I think I love Dean’s story the most. I kind of predicted the twist at some point along the way but the big reveal was unexpected. I love the kind of stories that almost gives you whiplash because of its element of surprise. Something that’ll make you back pedal and question what you just read. I also liked how the timing and storyline was predictable and surprising at the same time. This almost made me miss my sleep. Almost. And that is just rare these days. The snippets of astronomical analogy added a flare of entertainment, at least for me, too.

Rosie and Millie’s relationship reminds me of my relationship with my sister. She is the Rosie to my Emilia. So it kind of spark something in me too. Add the fact that she’s sassy and feisty if she wanted to. And despite her weak physique, she is strong willed and a fighter. She stands up for what she wants. Dean is a different story altogether. His will power is something to admire. And his determination to win over the person he loved the most despite all the odds makes him all the more tempting. He would run havoc into your life and ironically, you’d gladly want him too. The darkness that seeps through his light makes him whole. Dean and Rosie also complemented each other. They’d been to hell and back, making them one of those #CoupleGoals. HotHoles appearances here and there didn’t hurt either.

I’d give this a 4.5 stars. I could’ve given it a 5 if it made me up all night to finish it in one sitting. But my eyelids still won at some point.

Book Review: Emilia (Part 1) - Lisa Cardiff

Title: Emilia: Part 1
Series: Trassato Crime Family #3
**Author:*" Lisa Cardiff
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: May 16, 2017



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Freedom and a meaningful life away from the violence of the Trassato Crime Family is all I ever wanted…

But what I want doesn’t matter now that I’m caught in a tug of war between two men in the dangerous world of organized crime.

Marcello Masciantonio is the man my father expects me to marry. He wants me because I’m the daughter of Dominick Trassato, New York’s most powerful crime boss. He says he’s my future, and I want to hate him, but I can’t deny the spark that burns between us.

Salvatore D’Amico is perfect. He supports me. He understands me. He’s willing to betray my father and give up his family to have me. He doesn’t care about the power that comes with being part of my family. He wants me for me.

My choice is simple, right?

Wrong.

Everyone has an agenda, including Salvatore and Marcello, and just when I think I have everything figured out, I realize I don’t know a damn thing.

Truths are lies. Freedom is lonely. But worst of all…

My love triangle is actually a hate triangle.



This should’ve been posted a week ago. But because of some unforeseen events, I wasn’t able to get into it even if I wanted to. Now I’m second guessing my choices.

I really love reading stories that make you feel alive, make you feel things you normally wouldn’t, something that will actually get a reaction our of you. And Emilia did just that. I nearly threw my phone when I came to the twist of events, cursing and all that kind of things. The story lags in the first few parts but when it escalated, it really did put up with its name. It kept me on my toes and the fact that you don’t know how the story is going to end make it a lot more interesting. The only thing that’s keeping me from loving it full force is a few Italian words here and there. But not really much of deal breaker and not something I can’t look up.

I’m at a loss for words on what to say about the characters. I liked them at one point but then I wanted to hate them in another. I keep second guessing what the characters would do. Sometimes I’m right, and sometimes not. Emilia’s responses on how the men in her life treat her are acceptable if she came from a regular family. But I think if you come from a family that’s all crimes and mafias; it would’ve made you more apprehensive. But that wasn’t the case for her. But it was okay nonetheless because it gave the story much depth, at least for me. I was torn between Sal and Marcello. Both would’ve been good at one point in Emilia’s life.

I would give this 4.5 stars, mainly because it kept me on my toes and kept me excited. One thing that I didn’t understand was why they would’ve “five years ago” at the beginning of the story when the whole novel was actually five years ago, if you get what I mean. But overall, this is one interesting read and I can’t wait for the part two to be released.

Book Review: Fix Her Up - Carey Heywood

If Finley Reeves is an expert at anything, it’s making mistakes. She proved this true by falling for and marrying the wrong man. Ten years later all she has to show for it is a divorce and a broken heart.
Needing not only to get away, but also to start over somewhere new, she buys a fixer upper that’s one step away from being condemned. Deciding to tackle this project alone might be her biggest mistake of all.

That is, until Noah Thompson shows up at her front door like a knight in a shining tool belt. Determined she doesn’t need any help she pushes him away until he makes her an offer she’d be crazy to refuse



Read 22-24 May

I’ve been staring at the blinking cursor for a whole two minutes and can’t seem to work on an introduction for this, so I guess I’ll just dive right in.


I honestly don’t know what to expect when I started this book. Although this is not the first book I’ve read from Carey Heywood, i feel that I haven’t read enough to prepare me for what’s to come. Fix Her Up is a humorous light read. The story is as realistic as it could be. Although I read every so often to escaoe reality, it is still nice to read reality at your fingertips. And at least it wasn’t the clichéd Insta-Love. I liked how the everything played out at the right speed: not too fast but not too slow either. It’s pacing was just enough not to overwhelm you with the chain of events but not to slow to bore you and have you skip the next few pages.


I liked that Finley, despite being a bit broken, is not so much tainted that it affects her entire persona. I liked her positive outlook and the way she sees things in a brighter light. Noah’s kind heart and tough persona makes him a perfect package. Add up the fact that he knows his way around houses, is a plus points in my book. It was also nice that both families are supportive of their children. I rarely see a book that the parents are actually in good terms with the heroes AND heroines. Normally, one side tends to be the “bad guys”. It shows that it is possible to have a tight bond with your family despite everything you’ve been through.


I’d give this book 4 stars. It was entertaining and fun. Just a little more twist and heart stopping moments would’ve make it a five for me. But it is a recommended read nonetheless.

Book Review: Winning the Game - Leesa Bow

Title: Winning The Game
Author: Leesa Bow
Genre: New Adult/ Sports Romance Standalone
Cover designer: Najila Qamber



Troubled Aussie football star, Rhett Williams’ infamous off-field misdemeanors land him in front of his club’s board with an ultimatum: clean up his bad-boy image or lose his contract.

There’s one catch: appear on a reality show to reinvent himself.

Football is Rhett’s lifeblood, but his family and the orchard farm in the country where he grew up means more, especially as his family relies on his wage to keep the business afloat. So Rhett puts his opinion of reality shows aside to concentrate on doing whatever it takes to be re-signed.

Career-focussed TV mentor, Tori Winchester doesn’t have time for men, or a social life, which suits her fine. When Rhett Williams arrives on set with his blond beach hair and his mesmerising blue eyes, her resolve begins to crumble. He’s not the spoiled bad boy casting had told her to expect.

Getting involved with someone like Rhett could not only damage her long-term career prospects, they could both lose everything.

In a game of cat and mouse, Rhett is playing the one game he doesn’t want to win…



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Read 16-19 May

Being a blogger who loves free books, I have the tendency to sign up for new books that catches my interest. But because I suck at organizing stuff and noting what I signed up for, it came as a surprise, and a good one for that matter, when I find Winning the Game on my Kindle app.



I’m not really a sports person, so it delighted me that the technical stuff were at a minimum and just get to enjoy the story. It was also my first time to read a book set in Australia. It was nice reading something new every now and then. The story flowed smoothly and light. Although the timeline may have been a little inconsistent for me, I’m not really sure if I just missed something. One of my pet peeves in books are those inconsistencies, but since the story progressed good and it I'd catch my attention, I let it slide (and I’m still thinking that I may have just missed or misinterpreted something). Although you kind of expect what the ending would be, the story was full of thwist that you are still on your toes on how exactly it will happen. The plot itself is something new to me so it’s kind of interesting. Unfortunately, it can only hold my attention for some time. I was intrigued enough to finish the book but it didn’t really held into me for me to forego my sleep. So I’d say it was just on the okay side. Also, there were scenes that I didn’t really see the point of it being there. I mean, it didn’t really so much to accentuate anything or prove a point in the story.



The characters were portrayed pretty well. I like that Rhett was a family oriented guy and at what lengths he would go just for those he love. And despite being a player, he wasn’t much of an ahole. I just didn’t really feel that he was a “bad boy”, unless I really did miss the whole point. Tori was okay. She is somewhere in between a damsel in distress and an independent woman who wouldn’t need a knight in shining armor to come and rescue her. While it is nice that she can hold her own in conversation, it’s kind of disappointing that she tends to be on the indecisive side. But I think they complement one another, which is a very good thing in the foundation of a relationship.



Overall, I’d give this 3 stars. Its entirety was okay and not really on the “why in the world did I waste my time reading this”. Just not enough feelings to catch the emotions I wish I could feel and is looking for when I read a book.

Book Review: Chance Encounter - Jessica Prince

There are three kinds of nerdy women in the world.
- The Sexy Nerd
- The Confident Nerd; and
- The So-Socially-Awkward-it’s-Painful-to-Watch Nerd.

You can probably guess which one I am. After witnessing me making a fool of myself, Chance Hoffman decided to take pity on me. He’s smart, sexy, charming, and totally out of my league… and for some unexplainable reason, he wants to help me. Who am I to say no? Besides, I need all the assistance I can get.

There are three things that make a woman irresistible.
- Confidence
- A Wicked Sense of Humor; and
- A Killer Rack.

Melany Fitzgerald had none of those things. Or so I thought… until I really got to know her. She’s the total package and she doesn’t even realize it. Now I’m stuck with the uncomfortable task of helping her land another guy, all the while trying to ignore the fact that I’m starting to fall for her.

She thinks she’s an ugly duckling and wants to become a swan. All I want is her. And I’m not giving up without a fight.



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I’ve been procrastinating my reading these past few days. I’m just getting by one ARC at a time. I’ve been swamped with workload and things I’d need to study. And Jessica Prince is one of the few reads I’ve enjoyed reading.

Chance Encounter’s blurb got me interested, and it didn’t fail. The story went smoothly and it was fun reading it. The story timeline was realistic for a love story to build on. Not an insta-love but not so much as love that was there ever since the world began. The plot made sense and can be relatable. It was written in way that it covered most if not all of the aspect of the plot that doesn’t leave much of a loophole. I liked that the timeline was consistent and steady. It wasn’t fast paced but not slow moving as well. It pinched my heart just the right amount to feel the characters emotions.

I liked the way the characters are described too. Melany, although a little awkward, is not so much as a pushover. I feel bad about what she went thru but despite it all, she remained a good spirited and kind hearted. And I loved what she did for Chance. Something not all girls, even those not suffering what she has, could actually do. I especially loved Chase. He is confident and cheeky but not in an annoying kind of way. And I liked that he knows how to show emotion. I loved how he treated Melany with utmost care. I also love the little snippets of the Trio of Terror. Despite their disgusting behavior, they’re quite adorable.

I’d give this a 4.5 stars. Almost a five but not quite and not quite a four too. Just the right amount of humor and smut that I’ll recommend it to someone who wanted a new book boyfriend on their list. Yes, Chase Hoffman is definitely coming in my list.

Book Review: Love on Tap - Meg Benjamin

Wyatt Montgomery knows a barrel of legendary Zoria imperial stout will help his Denver gastropub stay on top. The only problem is the brewery that made it is no longer in business. When Wyatt hears the brewmaster has only one barrel left, he won’t stop until it’s his. He doesn’t consider what this mythical barrel might cost him. And he certainly doesn’t anticipate his reaction to the heart-stoppingly beautiful brewmaster he needs to convince to sell him the beer.

When Wyatt rushes into Bec Dempsey’s small-town cooperative offering to buy the last barrel of her precious Zoria, she’s thrown for a loop. She’s been burned by city-slickers before, and she’ll be damned if she’ll let it happen again. But when things start heating up between them, Bec decides to make Wyatt a counteroffer. One she hopes he won’t refuse.




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Read 01-03 May

I love reading new authors. Someone who will open new possibilities for me. And Meg Benjamin just did it for me.

The story was just light and easy to read. Something interesting that’ll make you want to know what’ll happen next, but not too much heart-gripping that a heart could not handle. The story doesn’t have
much complication and too many twists. Mostly, the story was pretty much straight forward and not too much drama. I don’t know if that was a good thing, but it was actually just the right amount of emotion for me at this point in my life. Despite the lack of a little more feels
to it, the story was pretty much interesting that you’d like to read it until the end. A little bump in the story makes it much more interesting. But other than that, the story is smooth sailing and I
liked it like that.

The characters are also created reasonably. I mean, given their story,
it is understandable that they acted that way. Their personality is as real as it could get. And at least I get to see another book boyfriend that isn’t as damaged. Bec was something altogether. I am not in any way a feminist but it kind of felt nice reading someone who actually
defied what the society is actually stereotyping. And it’s really nice that despite all her downfalls, she managed to remain a little more positive than what is expected from someone who actually endured what she had.

I’d give this a 4 star for entertaining me the way it did. It’s also a plus point that it was written in a third person POV. I hardly get to read those these days.

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