Review: Verity by Colleen Hoover

Published December 7th 2018 by Hoover Ink, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen's feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife's words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

A standalone romantic thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, releasing December 18th.

My Review

“...the things lurking around inside the mind can be just as dangerous as tangible threats.”

I had forgotten how much I like Hoover's writing sometimes. It isn't that her books have some mind boggling plot lines or because they have something new to offer. It's just the way she writes her characters. She makes her characters seem so real and her books read so easily that it's impossible to put them down. It's very easy to connect to her characters because Hoover knows how to get inside her readers' minds and manipulate their emotions. I've always thought that she is one of those authors who writes angst very well. After reading Verity I realized that she can write creepy even better.

Throughout Verity, she creates an eerie atmosphere of foreboding and doubt. I couldn't help but turn page after page, coming up with my own theories as to what might happen next. It was interesting to read about a character who's an author from an author's point of view. 

“A writer should never have the audacity to write about themselves unless they’re willing to separate every layer of protection between the author’s soul and their book. The words should come directly from the center of the gut, tearing through flesh and bone as they break free. Ugly and honest and bloody and a little bit terrifying, but completely exposed.” 

It was also easy to imagine how writing about fucked up characters might fuck up the author's mind in the process. Because, aren't all fictional characters a piece of the author's soul, however small that piece maybe? Don't the events of a book sometimes have an element of wish fulfillment attached to them?

The only issue I had with the book was that even though the plot escalated quickly, the actual climax was a bit meh. The ending felt kind of rushed, almost as if it were an afterthought. It left me feeling dissatisfied and I didn't find it worthy of the buildup.

I had come up with my own crazy little theory that the whole manuscript was written from Verity's husband's POV and he was the actual author in the story, writing under the pseudonym of his wife's name. That would mean that all the crazy things mentioned in the manuscript were his doing and writing them down as though his wife did it was just a way of covering his tracks and putting the blame on her. Yes yes, my mind works in twisted ways.

But overall, it's definitely a great quick one time read that is bound to give you the creeps. Rating: 3/5 stars!

Review: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

“Just because we didn’t end up on the same wave, doesn’t mean we aren’t still a part of the same ocean.” 

Published August 2nd 2016 by Atria Books

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS

SOMETIMES THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU IS THE ONE WHO HURTS YOU THE MOST

Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan - her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

This book contains graphic scenes and very sensitive subject matter.

MY REVIEW

“There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things.” 

Umm... I have some conflicted views regarding this book. I just can't seem to make up my mind about how much of this book I actually liked. It showed up in my Goodreads feed when it won the annual award for the best Romance novel and many of the reviewers whose taste in books match my own were raving about it. So I thought, Yeah! I should give this one a try! I went into it with some inhibitions since I'm not the biggest Colleen Hoover fan. Though her stories read very easily and the flow she establishes is flawless, they aren't as plot rich or have enough character development for my taste. 

So, the things I liked about the book were:

1. The theme. After reading the blurb I was kind of expecting a love triangle. But the book was about an important topic and sent out a powerful message. I would have liked to say something else about this, but I can't really do that without giving away spoilers. And I, like several other reviewers, believe that going into this book blind would probably make the reader enjoy the book more. 

2. I liked all the characters in the book. Even the ...ahem... negative ones, though there is no negative character per-say. There are just normal people who are caught in bad situations. And Hoover writes their emotional turmoil very beautifully. There were instances in the book when I nearly cried at their misery, primarily because no one was at fault and because the situations described in the book were very real situations that probably happen every day in multiple households. 

3. The flow of the story. Yes. Like I mentioned before, it's the best thing about this author. Once I start a book, the words flow so easily that it's impossible to put it down. 

“He pulls back to look down at me and when he sees my tears, he brings his hands up to my cheeks. “In the future... if by some miracle you ever find yourself in the position to fall in love again... fall in love with me.”

4. The part about Lily's diary entries which she addressed to Ellen Degeneres. This was a fun and quirky habit that I loved. 

Now, the things that I didn't like:

1. Insta everything. Ugh. I hate when authors do this. Ryle and Lily meet at a rooftop one night and ZAP! Instant attraction! He tells her that he wants to fuck her and she's breathless with desire for him. **pulls a meh face** And what was with all of Ryle's creepy behaviour? Was it supposed to be sexy? Well, it wasn't. And if it wasn't enough that there was insta love, there was also insta friendship! Lily and Issa meet and BAM! They are instant BFFs. 

2. The part of the book where everything was sickeningly perfect and everybody was deliriously happy. Seriously, it was very fake and irritating. 

I might also be a little put off by the ending, even though in retrospect it was perfect. But I was just hoping so strongly for everything to be all right. But then again, that's life. :-( And the world is not a wish granting factory. 

All in all, an okay one time read. 

Review: Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S King

Published October 12th 2010

Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

“I was also built from delusional optimism and folly.” 

Goodreads Synopsis

Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?

Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising. 

My Review

“I knew not to give the best of myself to the worst of people.” 

You know those kind of books that build up a lot of momentum throughout? The books that begin with a crazy prologue and continue with an element of utter mystery and there are flashbacks and subsequent revelations as the mystery unravels? Sometimes you are able to predict what might happen, what the big secret is. But some books leave you with your mouths hanging open, eyes wide, almost breathless with the knowledge of the secret that has been divulged. 

Please Ignore Vera Dietz was one of the books with a lot of built up momentum, a lot of anticipation. There was something about the writing style that put me on edge and made me flick the pages faster, eager to get to the end. The book begins with a death and then deals with the events that led up to it and its aftermath. There were a lot of things I loved about the book. There was the fascinating character of Vera, who was so realistic in her troubles and her approach towards living life. She is tired of turning a blind eye to all atrocities going around her, like she has been taught to do so by her cautious parents. She's just a teenager harbouring some secrets of her own, trying to become invisible. I loved her little eccentricities, her love for her Dad and Charlie, her desire to do the right thing.

Her best friend Charlie was her complete opposite- wild, unrestrained, rebellious, excessively passionate, holding out a lot of suppressed anger. It was impossible to really like Charlie, not with everything he did. But it was possible to feel a little sympathy for him. He was just a kid in need of a little love, a little affection, some reassurances. Then there was Vera's Dad. Described as excessively cautious and parsimonious, you'd think that he'd be an unlikeable character. Instead, I liked him best. He is a loving and caring parent who is unsure as to how to raise a teenage daughter all by himself. He is plagued by demons of his own, the greatest of them being that his daughter might turn out to be an alcoholic due to the strong alcoholic genes that run in his family. He is unsure how to be happy or let go of the past. He is almost as vulnerable as his daughter. 

I loved, loved, loved Vera's Dad's flowcharts concerning life. Here's one of them:

It made me think- if only life was really as straightforward as these flow charts, things would be a helluva lot easier. 

The book deals with death, teenage angst, friendship and a lot of problems like domestic abuse, perversity etc in a great way. 

Then again, there were several things that I did not like. For instance, the character of the antagonist in the book was not very greatly shaped. The author tells us that indeed they are the devil's incarnate but gives no reason whatsoever as to why that is. There was no real reason or motive for whatever that happened. Also, the ending left a lot to be desired. All that build up, all that anticipation, amounted to almost nothing and the ending was superbly meh. A lot of things were left unexplained and it just seemed hastily put together. 

All in all, it was a slightly unsatisfactory although entertaining read. 

“She launched the airplane and it caught a current and circled down toward the town, like a promise of something good.” 

Review: Be Careful What You Wish For (Clifton Chronicles #4)- Jeffrey Archer

Hardcover, 387 pages

Published March 11th 2014 

St. Martin's Press / MacMillan 

“If you've struck gold, why go in search of brass?” 

Goodreads Synopsis

Bestselling author Jeffrey Archer's Be Careful What You Wish For opens with Harry Clifton and his wife Emma rushing to hospital to learn the fate of their son Sebastian, who has been involved in a fatal car accident. But who died, Sebastian or his best friend Bruno?

When Ross Buchanan is forced to resign as chairman of the Barrington Shipping Company, Emma Clifton wants to replace him. But Don Pedro Martinez intends to install his puppet, the egregious Major Alex Fisher, in order to destroy the Barrington family firm just as the company plans to build its new luxury liner, the MV Buckingham.

Back in London, Harry and Emma’s adopted daughter wins a scholarship to the Slade Academy of Art where she falls in love with a fellow student, Clive Bingham, who asks her to marry him. Both families are delighted until Priscilla Bingham, Jessica’s future mother-in-law, has a visit from an old friend, Lady Virginia Fenwick, who drops her particular brand of poison into the wedding chalice.

Then, without warning, Cedric Hardcastle, a bluff Yorkshireman who no one has come across before, takes his place on the board of Barringtons. This causes an upheaval that none of them could have anticipated, and will change the lives of every member of the Clifton and Barrington families. Hardcastle’s first decision is who to support to become the next chairman of the board: Emma Clifton or Major Alex Fisher? And with that decision, the story takes yet another twist that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Be Careful What You Wish For showcases the master storyteller’s talent as never before – when the Clifton and Barrington families march forward into the sixties, in this epic tale of love, revenge, ambition and betrayal.

My Review

“The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.” 

The Clifton Chronicles always remind me of a dramatic Hindi soap spanning across several generations. The similarities are uncanny- evil exes striving for revenge and coming with diabolical plans to destroy their targets even after repeatedly being beaten down, one ignoble villain with minions in secret places trying to dismantle the family, unforeseen tragedies, people miraculously thwarting death and the usual circle of love, hate and merriment. Though the books change, the central protagonists change and the story changes; the essence of the plot and the chain of events remains constant. 

But this stuff is almost like a guilty pleasure. You know it is going to be nothing more than an endless cycle of revenge, betrayal, narrow skedaddles and reconciliation, but you're still hooked on until the last page. 

Be Careful What You Wish For was no exception to this rule. The book is more focussed on other characters than Harry and Emma Clifton. Their love story no longer holds the limelight. Instead it is shifted onto the future of the Barrington company. Don Pedro is back with a vengeance with the sole purpose of ruining the Clifton and the Barrington families. There's a set of new characters featuring as friends and foes of the two families and the book ends on a cliffhanger….again. One would think that after 4 books the story would become lack lustre and soulless. But surprisingly, while the gist of the story is predictable the plot itself is quite incalculable. The moment you think that a character is finally beaten down by the circumstances, he makes a striking comeback and adds the spice of unpredictability to the story. Latinquid pro quo at it's best.

What I liked best about the book was it's emphasis on Emma's achievements. The fact that her character had a life of her own, separate from that of Harry's was like a breath of fresh air. Her ambitiousness, intelligence and competence were very appealing. I loved that she was a cool, level headed and self dependent woman who made excellent choices and admirable decisions and was unfazed at times of crisis. 

“You’re so bossy.” 

“Why is a woman always described as bossy, when if a man did the same thing he’d be thought of as decisive, commanding and displaying qualities of leadership?” 

The ending was frustrating. In a good way, the made-me-crave-for-the-sequel way. After this book it is evident that cliffhangers are also an integral part of the ever-present-elements list of the Clifton Chronicles. 

If you enjoy pure unadulterated drama served with a tantalising British garnishing, then this is the book for you.

Rating: 3/5 stars!

Blog Tour: Gargoyle Addiction- Livia Olteano (Review and Intl Giveaway)

Gargoyle Addiction

Otherworlds Summons Book One

Livia Olteano

Genre: New Adult (Spicy!) Paranormal Romance

Expected Publication: July 15 2013

Synopsis:

Summonari don’t trust. Under their command, they summon any number of creatures from the Otherwolds—but never trust them outside of the summoning.

Gargoyles don’t love. Fierce descendants of dragons, they function on power and fear—never love.

Karla isn’t the happily-ever-after type of girl. No territory-hungry guy is going to stick flags all over her unclaimed grounds.

Kann’s world is death and betrayal. As Dar Primus of Haus Varis, he’s expected to follow tradition but he’s not your regular gargoyle. In fact, he’s anything but.

One fateful Friday night, Otherworlds collide. Stuck together in one world or another, Karla and Kann face everything from Awakenings and turbulent love to Festnavals and bloodthirsty scorned suitors.

If there’s one thing they can’t escape, it’s the addiction to each other. And they’ve got it bad.

Review:

Move over vamps, werewolves and all other oh-so-humdrum supernatural creatures....the GARGOYLES are here! Coloured skin, piranha like teeth, bulky bodies and ferociousness personified- these creatures are descended from the mighty dragons and have a preference for blood, raw meat, gory battles and deadly 'mating games'. Livia's world building was amazingly good. For one, the bad guys actually sported red skin and forked tongues- quite an invigorating change from the usual six packs and droolworthy eyes.  The entire setting of the Otherworld Piatra and it's residents- the gargoyles- along with their....ahem...unusual lifestyle was extremely captivating.

Klara's hopes of having a peaceful birthday are dashed when her favourite fictional character(who incidentally happens to be a gargoyle) appears in her bedroom, demanding to know why SHE summoned him. After narrowly avoiding suffering a coronary due to his (to mildly put it) unexpected appearance, she realises that the stereotypical bad boys only seem perfection personified from afar. While Kann's gorgeous physique( barring the sharp teeth and greyish skin) present a not-entirely-unwelcome distraction, his ruthless nature, dangerous temper and pseudo rapist tendencies are distinctly unattractive. But Kann- irrevocably drawn to Klara- is determined to have her. Through a whirlwind of steamy courtship, both end up in the perilous world of Piatra where a deranged sister, a bloodthirsty ex and a stealthily tyrannical Haus elder threaten to break the happy couple apart. Caught between two worlds and an unforeseen road to self discovery, Klara is torn between what she wants and needs while Kann would stop at nothing to keep her at his side.

Livia's Olteano's sizzling debut is a page turner. While the plot could have been better, the world building and Kann and Klara's scorching chemistry kept me hooked on. Klara's POV was engaging and (thankfully!) not centred around just the general hotness of Kann. The unprecedentedly wild lifestyle of the gargoyles was interesting, especially the idea of mating games and their community events. The ending was a bit of a let down. I'd been expecting a twist or at-least more info about Klara's  impulsive deal with the dragon. 

But definitely looking forward to see which turn the story takes in the sequel...

Rating- 3/5 stars!  

Excerpt:

The thing leaned forward a bit more, its head poking out into the cascading beams of moonlight. Those eyes seemed to shine even brighter as light hit its...his...face. I wanted to scream but I was so beyond panicked my voice didn’t work anymore. The plan was to get my cell phone and call 911, but before I could even end the thought, he did a blurry motion and suddenly my phone wasn’t there anymore. Eyebrows raced toward the top of my head and I opened eyes so wide they stung.

“So, what do you want, witch?”

I almost screamed. His voice had the jarring quality of a whisper though I heard it too well for it to have been simply whispered. My skin burst in prickly points and my legs clattered. He sounded off and in a very bad mood.

“Well? What do you want?” he snarled.

Want? To place a call to 911 is what I wanted. Hell, a SWAT team, the thing...creature looked dangerous!

He drew in a gulp of air, releasing it with a whoosh. “I don’t have a lot of patience, I warn you.”

He seated his tall—very tall—and ferocious-looking body on the edge of the bed with uncanny grace. I tried to scoot away, frantically looking for my phone again. He placed one hand on the other side of me effectively restricting any escape route. Okay. Okay. It had to be a dream. A dream, simple as that. I took deep, hopefully calming breaths, but my heart twitched like it was possessed.

He wrinkled his nose. “You smell.”

“Excuse me?” I screeched.

“You stink, in fact. Like...bodies, writhing bodies, sweaty, horny. And plenty of them.” He snorted, and it was perhaps the complete stillness he exuded that put something of a damper on my panic. I was seething instead.

“What. The. Hell. Are you doing in my room? Who are you?”

He cocked his head to the side. His eyes caught light and shined that ominous silver again. A shudder emerged from someplace deep inside me, a primal place. I wanted to bolt so bad my feet itched.

“You’ve summoned me and I suggest you be quick about your request. Your smell is appalling. Enjoy an orgy tonight?”

“WHAT? Listen, you maniac, I don’t know where you get off...”

Before I could blink, I was lifted from the bed, my back pressed against the wall. Mean hands fitted snuggly around my arms. Those silver eyes scared the living days out of me from barely a breath away. He certainly put the F in feral.

“You won’t speak like that to me again. Or those will be your last words, are we clear?” 

About the Author:

Livia lives in Europe where she listens to obscene amounts of music and devours every reading material in sight. When she’s not doing either of the two, she fiddles with anything remotely customizable within reach.

She spamificates the world online via:

Website: http://www.liviaolteano.com/

Blog: http://blog.liviaolteano.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LiviaOlteano

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiviaOlteano

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11350038-livia-olteano

Giveaway!

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Review: Faking It- Cora Carmack

“I'm tired of the way we both pretend.
Tired of always wanting and never giving in.
I can feel it in my skin, see it in your grin.
We're more. We always have been. 

Think of everything we've missed.
Every touch and every kiss.
Because we both insist.
Resist.”

Goodreads Synopsis

Mackenzie “Max” Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they’re expecting to meet a nice, wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has a neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.

Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he’s kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take the stage. When Max approaches him in a coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, he agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they’re forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel.

My review

First off, an inane observation- Cade's cover model is better looking than Losing It's Garrick (marginally, but still). Sorry Team Garrick folks, but it was impossible not to compare and make distinctions.Losing It didn't do Cade justice- neither the character, nor his fate. It seemed unfair that he received no closure and was damned to misery. But of course, Cora Carmack had better plans for the guy. FAR better plans...

Max's character was an unpredictable and entertaining one. I loved her feistiness, the impulsiveness, the hilarious side comments, the boldness that Bliss so terribly lacked, her passion for music...even the tattoos. 

Max Miller—musician and raging bitch. I’m sorry for slapping you.

The convivial first meeting and the resultant chain of events that unfolded a ridiculously cliched but undoubtedly cute love story was adorable. Cade, the 'golden boy' was of course perfect, even with all his issues. It was a relief when he switched from mopey goody-two-shoes to a cocky new avatar.

My name is Cade Winston—MFA student, volunteer, mom-hugger, and your boyfriend for the next twenty-four hours. It’s nice to meet you.

Milo and his very effective prep talk along with the alcohol gods vs Cade challenge was absolutely hilarious and by far my favourite part of the book. The use of alternating POVs was great as it gave insights on the feelings of both Cade and Max.

Overall quite an explosive package with drama, angst, humour, love and plenty of steaminess. New adult at its best!

Rating:- 3/5 stars!

About the author

Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

Question for fellow readers!

vs

Who do you think rates higher on Swoon-worthy Scale? Cade- golden boy and situation saver extraordinaire or Garrick- hot Professor with the British accent?