Monday, August 30, 2021
Sunday, August 29, 2021
Review: There with You
There with You by Samantha YoungMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I devoured this book!
It was so nice to go back to the world of the Adairs. I really really loved the Scotland vibe that this book series gives. I couldn't stop googling every tidbit that it shares about Scotland. I even want to check the ancestry visa. lol. Moving ooon.
At first, I'm not sure if I would like the romance because of the age difference of the two characters but, it didn't even matter. The chemistry that these two give is AMAZING. The relationship build up transitioned so smoothly that I just kinda go with the flow with it. What started with a crush to friendship to admiration to being the person to trust to falling in love, completely sold me. Yep, Samantha Young did it again. Soooo sooo good with this storytelling, I loved it.
The children. ADORABLE. These two always stole the show. How they loved Regan from the start and cling to her at all times was a super bonus. I especially love Lewis because the shy type and serious boy who has taken to liking the nanny who is very understanding and cool was fun to read.
The drama. Yes the drama. I loved that this focused on the life-changing problems of both characters and how they were able to fight to be not swallowed and drowned by those problems that haunts them. It's very realistic in my eyes. The pain the Regan has to go through inside her head what with the feeling of being abandoned, coincides with the way that Thane's wife died and left him. It's tragic that both of them have that kind of great pain in their lives, but it's still comforting to know that they have each other to carry each other's weights. Not only that but they have the great support of their siblings. How Robyn and Lachlan's presence in their lives spark a great light that shines their dark days, it's the best ever!
"I've just gotten into habit of being happy-go-lucky no matter how I'm really feeling because I know most people don't want to hear the truth."
This quote hits me so hard. Pretending that everything is just fine and not divulging every aspect of your life to your friends is sometimes easier because sometimes it's hard to react to it. From the person pretending, maybe it's hard to digest and express what's going inside her head.
Also, to the next Adairs, I see what you did there. So excited for Mac and Arro, Erredine and Brodan? Right? It's Brodan right? Say yesssss!
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Friday, August 27, 2021
Review: The Kiss Thief
The Kiss Thief by L.J. ShenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
"Do you have to be mad to fall in love?"
"Of course, you do. Falling in love is, by definition, going crazy for someone else."
This book is so addicting. Also, I cried. Absolutely 5 STARS!
Senator Wolfe Keaton is the perfect anti-hero. Buckets and buckets of praises for his character. The guy is an asshole, aloof, cruel but when you got his attention, I mean really really hooked him, he will do everything for you. The sad story of his past really gave justice as to how he acts in the story. No one can be so forgiving what with all the tragedies that happened in his life. How he fell in love with Nemesis was really exciting to read because the build up is a real tease! I cannot contain my happiness with it.
Francesca Rossi is one of my favorites as well because her character is the image of pure, good, expressive and not annoying. She's fantastic because she was able to attract Wolfe and then eventually fall madly in love with her. I wasn't even annoyed with the Angelo crush because it was realistic for me. Honestly, who would forget their first love simply because a gorgeous senator married her by force. The feelings won't just go away and the story was able to portray that. Loved it!
Their banter, the innocent seductions, the glorifying attraction, i'm giving it 10 stars! lol
I even loved that vegetable garden, their deal, the vacation in that cabin with Artemis. ALL OF IT.
This book is my favorite. I never thought it will overpower my love for The Villain, but it did. I'm so sorry Cillian. ahha!
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Monday, August 23, 2021
Review: Playing with Fire
Playing with Fire by L.J. ShenMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Let me seeeee...
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The book started off, ok. The romance build up between the two characters was something that got me hooked up immediately. But then, I guess the self pity and insecurities of the girl got to be a little too much for me. Also, the way the guy self-blames/self-hates himself is not really my cup of tea.
I still liked the story but maybe not that much.
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Monday, August 16, 2021
Saturday, August 14, 2021
Thursday, August 12, 2021
Review: Broken Knight
Broken Knight by L.J. ShenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
So this is my 2nd read of this book. I'm really in awe of the fact that it's so much better to read this now, since I've read all the SOS books. It gives me a lot of perspective from the characters, how they grew and transformed. It's so much more emotional since even though life was hard before, we get to see how they live with the new challenges that are thrown at them. It's a lot! It's so heartbreaking, this book.
So let meeee share my thoughts:
1. Luna Rexroth
I mentioned before that she was one of my favorite because of what happened to her and how she coped with her abandonment issues. She's a selective mute and she really tried to be as best as she can be. I guess coming from her, it's hard to be committed to someone if you know that you're different and you don't know if you really can give that person all of you. All her life she was protected and treated as fragile. So it's really breathtaking that she was able to experience independence by going away to college. Yes, it did separate her from her loved one especially our precious Knight, but she was able to find that courage to drive her own wheel called life.
2. Knight Jameson Cole
This guy, I am crushing on this guy so bad. So anyway, no one could be more loyal and protective as this guy. From toddler to adulthood, he has always shown how attracted and fascinated he was with Luna. That's just the best ever. Swoon-worthy level is high high high. How she adores Rosie, his mother, how he respects his dad, Dean. This guy is just perfect. Yeah, he's not perfect in the sense that he paraded a lot of girls in front of Luna and he was not able to fully express how he loved her so much he can just explode. Let's give it to him because Luna friendzoned him so bad. haha!
3. Dean and Rosie
I've been in loved with this couple since Ruckus, but this one made me cry. Because in this book we get to see the end of their relationship. How Dean suffered and cannot really function as the father to his kids because his wife is dying on him. He tried for as long as he can to fight and we can see how he felt devastated when the end is nearing. Rosie's so strong what with her plan for her husband and sons. But what made me liked her in this book is how she continues to cherish every single second that she has. How she tries to be more present and alive for Dean and their children. Even after her death, she still continues to look after them. It's just so sad because death is really something that is final. Rosie not existing in Dean's life is like the end of everything. And every time they face the last remaining days of Rosie's life is like the ultimate torture or another way of killing me softly.
Btw, chapter 24 and 25 made me cryyyy buckets! It's just so sad and it's making me so so so emotional I cannot contain it.
Giving up too fast was cowardly. But not giving up when all the signs pointed to long-lasting heartache was dangerous, too.
We can see how Luna continues to experience defeat what with the confusing relationship that she has with Knight. I know if they just cleared everything maybe just maybe they would have been together immediately, but then this on and off/ hot and cold thing kept me reading this like a girl on crack. haha! Anyway, as I was saying I kinda agree with the statement above, cause you can only take so much hurt. If you can already see that it's going to spiral down to more heartache why not just stop right? Just give up. Sometimes, all you have to do is protect yourself.
What if tomorrow never comes?
Then my darling boy, we'll make the best of today.
Yessss! Cherish every moment because we will never know when our life will end. We may reach a long life or we may get into an accident tomorrow. Sometimes, it's just how you live your life to the fullest that you can say that you enjoyed your life. Collect all the happy moments and embrace them.
We break things all the time. It's called life. If you don't break, you don't live. You don't move. You don't try. You don't take chances. Breaking is a part of living.
I guess this statement makes me want to think that you cannot really achieve of conquer what you desire if there's no breaking in between. Maybe we need to experience the hardship and the anxiety because it allows us to fight for what we want and it molds us to become someone that can overcome the obstacles thrown our way. Yes we need to try, we need to act because if we don't do something nothing will happen. Pain makes us strong because we learn how to avoid them when the time comes. We learn how to be at peace with ourselves.
If you love someone, don't set them free. Smother the fuck out of them until they realize they have no chance of escaping.
Spoken like a true and determined lover. I want to hug Dean Cole. haha!
PS, I'm not sure I like Dixie for Cole, maybe because I really really adore him with Rosie. But hey, who knows, right? It's Dean's life. haha!
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Monday, August 09, 2021
Review: Pretty Reckless
Pretty Reckless by L.J. ShenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
So this is already a re-read review. When I first read this, I remember that I really liked it because Daria is such a bitch haha! I mean it's not even bad, it's like looking at a villain's perspective. Daria is not actually a villain because she's the lead here but you know how she's do bad things and hurts others? But then you appreciate the people around her, like his loving and loyal father, her asshole but supportive childhood friends, her nice but very dramatic mother and the boy who crushed on her so hard he cannot erase her from his system. Yes Penn, we know you're so gaga over Daria.
Soooo thoughts:
1. Daria is such a bitch but hey everyone of us has our inner bitch, right?
Every one has their bad side, right? I guess for Daria, it's all because of her insecurities and lack of trust in herself especially when she treat other girls as competition. Also, maybe how Melody treated her as not the kind of daughter that Daria wants to feel. I mean honestly, Via should have just gone bye bye. I don't like that girl! Annoying is one word but pure evil is the perfect description for how i HATE HER. Daria is entitled to feel the way she feels. Although I'm not so sure of the other sins that she has in her black book haha!
2. Penn, I know you are driven by your pain but you cannot control who you love, I guess?
How Penn was introduced here was like the very definition of a cute romance. But then, it ends abruptly or rather it turned to a hateful experience because of what happened to her twin and what his participation in that incident. I know he likes to get his "revenge" but I guess love overpowered him. We can definitely see how he cares for Daria, how he considers that Daria is just a lonely girl who lives in an unfair situation. What's so emotional about this is he was able to see the good in Daria and how that amplified his actions towards loving her.
3. Jaime's POV!!!! Woooot! Also, Melody redeem yourself haha!
The hotholes reunion was the best! haha! Jaime being a loving loyal father is the BEST EVER! How he's always team Daria all the way, I mean I cannot contain my happiness. Jaime is sexy here! Melody better step up in which she did by the way. But I really wanted to slap her sometimes because hello!!! Melody are you THAT blind? Come on girl, don't be stupid!
4. That breakup scene WRECKED ME! How dare you Penn and Daria!!! Good thing there's Vaughn.
That scene had me crying!!!! I cannot I cannot! Daria's pain was omg. that part really hurts! When Penn told her that they should end it because he has Adriana and Harper, I was like the hell with that!!!! Daria finally found someone as hers then you will just throw her away like she's a nobody. waaaah! I don't know how to explain this in a really vivid way but hell, I just, I cannot haha!
When Vaughn hugged Daria though, omg I want me some Vaughn Spencer, please? If you're listening God, I want one please. Or maybe Santa? Santa, pleaseeee!
Hahha! All in all, THIS ONE IS GREAT! Yassss!
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Saturday, August 07, 2021
Review: Scandalous
Scandalous by L.J. ShenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
My very first thought is that 18? REALLY? At 18? I remember how judgy I was toward Melody but then there comes Trent Rexroth and Eddie Van Der Zee. OMG. haha! When sparks fly, it launches spaceships. This one is a huge whoa!
Sooooo thoughts:
1. Luna is the best!
The cute kid who loves seahorse. I know she does not talk but she's still cute. How she interacts with Edie. How she appreciates her surroundings. How he tries to make his father happy. Everything! I know she's not the main lead here but you know when someone just stole the show. Yep. She's that girl.
2. Edie is a tough cookie.
Yep, this girl right here knows how to be a tough one. She's really brave and does not give a shit about anything. Well maybe her father but he's a really evil person that one.
Crushing on an adult. Woooot! I mean I have crushes too but dang, Edie just claimed that man. You go girl! I don't how to find that kind of confidence, I guess it's love? haha!
3. Trent deserves this! Give him a break, life!
Yeah, Trent deserves this HEA. He really does. I just still can't comprehend the age gap. haha! But But butttt, whatever works, right? If it's love it's love? Right? So many wrecking balls in Trent's life happened and he really needs to have a break. In a form of a teenager who loves him with all of his baggage.
This is truly scandalous! But I love it!
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Friday, August 06, 2021
Review: Ruckus
Ruckus by L.J. ShenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I know I said before that Vicious book is my favorite, but I think this one can compete. I mean, HELLO DEAN RUCKUS COLE? The womanizer stoner who is easygoing and can be really flirty? Need I say anything more? But seriously, I first encountered Dean and Rosie in Broken Knight (yeah, I know I shouldn't have done that coz I ruined the ultimate SOS ASH experience) But well, I can't go back now haha! I can't really remember them since I read that last year, that's why I'm re-reading BK now. Let me tell you, reading their names in BK just want to make me bawl and cry and self destruct. lol. too much? Yeah, I know. I feel so extra. haha!
Soooooo, here are my thoughts:
1. Really Dean? Really?
Dean is a manwhore haha! Yep, this guy loves threesomes. Always has a new woman everytime Vic calls him on the phone. Will take her date on family emergencies. I can go on and on. This guy is a huge flirt and I don't even know how to handle someone like him if I ever met one. But then, there are swoon worthy sides to this guy. How he claimed Rosie to be his since he was a teenager. How he can be really sweet when he puts his mind into it. How he shares astronomy facts and be sexy at the same time. How he was good to Emilia even though he likes Rosie more. How he made a sacrifice because Rosie asked him to. He has his faults but at the end of the day, I would kill to be with someone like Dean. Rosieeeee you are so lucky!
2. Rosie, I know you love him, he loves you too.
Dean and Rosie's relationship started very young. They crushed on each other for so long but then there are priorities to be made or should I say issues to be handled? But when both of them are now free of those stuff, they can now be together. Yay! However at the end there I thought death will come knocking at their door. I wanted to cry when Rosie was all alone in that pouring rain and Dean was not there to open the door. How Dean has his own battles to fight because of his biological father. How everyone was against on allowing Dean to be there for Rosie during the time in which feels like the end. I want to cryyyyyy so bad!
*sings Bleeding Love*
3. Sirius and Earth for life!
Astronomy can be soooo sooo sexy. I love how this is Dean's outlet on how he copes being all alone in that field. How he compares Rosie to the brightest star, Sirius and how Rosie compares Dean to planet Earth. Swooooon.
4. How can you give up if the fight is still on? How can you stop fighting if there's still hope for a win?
How will you know if it's the end? What if it surprises you and you don't know how to handle it? Yes, they can still give you time to but you know it will still end soon. It's hard to think that you can accept a short life especially if the that short life is the love of your life. You just want to ask why? Why her? Why not me? Why not someone else? But the thing is that even though it will end soon, it doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the time left. You can still make happy memories and be full of life and give it your all. It will be really hard when the end comes, but you tell yourself that at least you were able to experience great joy, amazing life and deep everlasting love. That's how Dean and Rosie survived.
Let me just sing in peace now...
Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby, I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace
You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby, I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away
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Thursday, August 05, 2021
Review: Defy
Defy by L.J. ShenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ok time for Jaime Followhill and Melody Greene.
My first reaction to this was, why does Jaime only get a novella? Why not a whole book? Right now, I still don't know the answer to this. I might ask in the FB group haha! But for now, this is still something that bothers me.
Sooooo my thoughts:
1. Jaime you one naughty boy. Melody same to you. lol.
Yeah, that's right. Little Jaime has a cruuuuush. Ok, well obviously Jaime is not really little. I mean he's 18. But still, a boy. Compared to his English teacher who is 8 years older. The romance intrigued me because I want to know if there's something that will make me like the concept of a student getting his HEA with his teacher. Hmmmm, I liked the story, Jaime is really crushable, I just don't know if I like Melody. She's not annoying but maybe I feel like I'm one of the judgmental people out there. haha! I'm soooooorrry! But then ok, let me backtrack, I LIKED THE ROMANCE. The build up and all. How Jaime is really dedicated to spend time with Melody, how he likes hanging out and how special their relationship is. Jaime is swoon-worthy hands down. I'm actually crushing on this guy in Vicious. He's likeable, he's not annoying, his personality is very very afhlkanflkahf I cannot explain how he is, i just like him haha! In addition, how Melody, being an adult in the relationship handled it. She has her faults but I can say her actions are justifiable. So yeah, the romance was good.
2. It's so hard to think that you will eventually get your peace and quiet.
The drama, the scandal. I mean I know if I were ever involved in this kind of relationship, people will judge you. It's hard for them yes, but they made it work. The mother problem was a killer thought but they were able to fight that.
3. Sometimes love is love, i guess?
Whatever the problem is i think when you love someone deeply, it's how you handle in continuing that love for as long as both of you are happy. I don't think I made sense haha! But, the point is that, I guess, love conquers all. hahah!
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Wednesday, August 04, 2021
Review: Vicious
Vicious by L.J. ShenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
So, first of all, I didn't know that I added this book last January 2017. The question now is why the hell didn't I read this book last 2017? Maybe just maybe, I would have known who Vicious Spencer and Emilia LeBlanc! But I guess it's ok since I get to binge read on the SOS books. haha!
Sooooo here are my thoughts on this book:
1. Ohhh teen love/hate romance.
The book speaks about enemies to lover. Sorry for stating the obvious. lol. I really liked the way Vicious always gives Emilia the hate treatment. I mean, I know it's because he liiiiikes her and all, he just doesn't know it yet or maybe he just doesn't want to acknowledge it at first. Also, I know Emilia likes her back. What with the way she always has him in her mind. Even though she has Dean, it's always about Vicious. Their interactions are really fun to read. The jealousy and those dirty thoughts lol.
2. Hello hello, Baron Vicious Spencer.
Hellllllloooo Vicious! Ok, time to calm down and write something about this. So, Vicious. He is one hot male. I mean, I think if I ever had to talk to him I'll be really REALLY intimidated. He's soooo aloof and cold and just vicious. But what I like about him is he's real with whoever he encounters. He shows off his true colors and no bullshitting with him at all. He can be cruel, especially when it comes to Emilia. But when he shows how he's attracted to her, I can just swooooon all the way to his mansion lol. He can be jealous, especially, again with Emilia. How he's always annoyed with Dean, how he cannot get over Dean's "betrayal" since Vicious thinks Emilia is obviously belongs to him. (not that he claimed her before, but in his mind, she is his. ok Vic ok.) He can be sweet. Oh how he treated Emilia during their first date. Their spontaneous time in NYC was sooooo sweet I swimming in a large bowl of syrup sweet, i cannot contain my happiness. He can be persistent. How he never gave up on Emilia. He really brought his A-game. When he realized that Emilia is IT, his forever, he just exploded and made sure that everything will be according to what he planned. AND IT WAS AMAZING.
3. Emilia, I don't know, but if I were you I would have punched Vicious so hard because of all his BS.
The thing about this one is if I was Emilia, I would have made Vicious feel ALL the pain when he drove her out from Todos Santos. Being alone, how scared she was living in an unfamiliar place, how lonely it was to be separated from her family. I MEAN THAT WAS SO HARD TO DO. I know Vic was all over the place when Em left but still, ZERO POINTS FOR YOU VIC. EMILIA WAS ALL ALONE. Some mental breakdown right there. It's good that Em was tough. The part when Emilia finally FINALLY decided to let Vic go, I was like: yeaaaah go girl! You deserve to be happy, this man is making you unhappy and hurt, just forget about him. But then again, we all know what Vic did. He did good, wait no, he did an excellent job on winning Em back.
4. This romance gives me all the feels.
Did I mention that this is hands down swoon-worthy? Yes. IT DEFINITELY IS.
That painting of Emilia at the end. OMG I can feel the love. Vicious sure did. He felt really smug actually haha! But yeah, that's some grand gesture right there.
5. I'm only reading this because they were the perfect parents in Angry God.
How devoted Vicious is to Emilia. I cannot. I just, I want to know how they started. Let me tell you, they were already perfect in Angry God, but they were a lot more perfect in Vicious.
YOU GUYS SHOULD READ THIS!!!
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Monday, August 02, 2021
Review: Angry God
Angry God by L.J. ShenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I feel like writing a review for Angry God is too late now since, I read this 2 weeks ago. I feel like I should re-read it to give this a better review. I mean, this is Vaughn Spencer.
But then the story is still to fresh in my mind to re-read. Lol. I just wasted your time for reading the previous sentences. Lol. Sorry not sorry.
So let's do this. Here are my thoughts:
To say that I've waited to read this book since Pretty Reckless makes me feel so disloyal when I ended up skipping this entirely for months. I'm so sorry Vaughn because I read Hunter's book first.
Yeah, so sorry that I did not expect that this book will blow my mind away. We can all agree that Vaughn's character is a lot like Vicious. He's very complicated and is not a keen to expressing himself of what he wants or how he feels. Always so serious this one. I mean there are his actions that completely says that he likes Lenora Astalis as more than a friend but he can't really admit them. haha! See? Complicated. He feels possessive but he wants to hurt her. He wants to claim her but he wants to taunt her and drive her away. Inflicting pain on the person that you feel so strongly is like his way of flirting.
Even though he's complicated, I like how Lenora was able to handle herself and handle Vaughn at the same time.
She's not a pushover and she knows how to fight back. Good for her. I feel sad though because she was hurt when she was not able to get the spot in the art school. It feels so unfair that felt degraded because she can only get in if she was to become one's assistant.
Vicious and Emila
Still so strong. I like how Vicious handled Vaughn's problem. We get to see how Vicious as a father and a very loving and devoted husband to Emilia. Gaaaah this book. Melts my heart.
The end.
Yeaaaaaah that ending was swoon-worthy. How everything was unraveled, I really like it when Vaughn confessed that he was always there for Lenora and protected her in his own way. How he can't stop thinking about her and how he can't just stay away. It was revealed in Broken Knight that he loves all things British and how he's like enamored with the Lenny. That right there gives all the bonus points to Vaughn. Lenora gave it her best to face all the bullies and that annoying Arabella. How she also feels the same to Vaughn, just look at her sculpture. omg.
I don't know what to say anymore. I just really really like this book.
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