Review: The Forever of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

The Forever of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen
Series: The Secret #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 28th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

Ella and Micha have survived tragedy and heartbreak. When they’re together, anything seems possible. But now they are thousands of miles apart, and managing their long distance relationship will put their love to the test.

Ella is back at school, trying hard not worry so much about her future. But with her father in and out of rehab, she’s having a hard time making it through the days. All she wants is Micha by her side, but she refuses to let her problems get in the way of his dreams.

Micha spends his days touring the country with his band, but deep down he knows something is missing. Being away from Ella is harder than he thought it would be. He wants her closer to him-needs her with him. But he won’t ask her to leave college, just to be with him.

The few moments they do spend together are intense and passionate, but it only makes it more difficult when they have to part. They know they want to be together, but is wanting something enough to get them to their forever?

Book 1, The Secret of Ella and Micha, was only an okay read for me, so I was hoping that book 2 would impress me more, and it did! I really enjoyed Ella and Micha’s romance this second time around. It’s not as angst-driven or as intense as the first book, but it’s still sweet and heartwarming.

In The Forever of Ella and Micha, Ella and Micha have to deal with having a long-distance relationship. Ella is seeing a therapist, working through her depression, and finally coming to terms with her mother’s death. Micha, bless his soul, can’t be there for Ella in person, but he’s always there in heart. Ella has a harder time showing how much Micha means to her, but Micha has no problem with showing his love for his ‘pretty girl’.

Ella is it for me. The way I feel about her is never going to change. I will love her forever, but I need her closer to me, not thousands of miles away.
How am I supposed to tell her, though, that I’m ready to begin her future, when I know she has no clue what her future is yet?

BUT the two of them still have problems even though they love each other. Ella feels that she has too much baggage, and that she’ll only bring Micha down. It’s so heartbreaking to read what Ella is going through, because she’s not a happy girl. Micha makes her happy, but they can’t be together physically right now. Micha is traveling with the band, but he’s always worrying about Ella. Micha fights for the two of them, because he knows that the two of them are perfect for each other, and he’s going to make Ella realize it too.

“Ella, when are you going to realize that you two belong together? Everyone who lays eyes on you can see it and is envious of it because that kind of love isn’t supposed to exist.”
I wipe my some water from my face. “What kind of love are you talking about?”
“The kind of love that owns you.” She gets up, gives a quick look in the mirror, and combs her fingers through her damp hair. “The kind where you know the other person inside and out. Where you can go through hell and back and still make it out okay.”

I really enjoy reading Jessica Sorensen’s writing. It’s very simple, and yet elegant. And the way she writes Ella and Micha, she makes them feel so real, makes their emotions seem so real. I was finally connecting with both Ella and Micha, and rooting for them to have their happily ever after. And when they take a step back from their romance, and slow down a bit, they can finally appreciate and understand the love they have, and how beautiful and powerful it is.

“But, Ella, we can wait around, wasting years, hoping we’ll reach perfection in our lives. But it doesn’t exist. We’ll always have problems, but as long as we work through them together, I think we’ll be okay.”

I’d definitely recommend this series for romance lovers. The Forever of Ella and Micha didn’t have as many twists as the first book, but was okay, because I really liked book 2 more than book 1. This series, well, anything by Jessica Sorensen, is written in a very hipster-ish way. It’s an emotionally-driven book, and Ella and Micha just have the most heartfelt romance. 4 hearts!

Reading Order: The Secret series

#0.5 ~ The Prelude of Ella and Micha: Ebook • Goodreads (Nov. 11, 2014)
#1 ~ The Secret of Ella and Micha: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Forever of Ella and Micha: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Temptation of Lila and Ethan: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ The Ever After of Ella and Micha: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#5 ~ Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Nov. 18, 2014)

25Dec2013

Review: Fracture Me by Tahereh Mafi

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Fracture Me by Tahereh Mafi
Series: Shatter Me #2.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 17th 2013
Purchase: Ebook

In this electrifying sixty-page companion novella to the New York Timesbestselling Shatter Me series, discover the fate of the Omega Point rebels as they go up against The Reestablishment. Set during and soon after the final moments of Unravel Me, Fracture Me is told from Adam’s perspective.

As Omega Point prepares to launch an all-out assault on The Reestablishment soldiers stationed in Sector 45, Adam’s focus couldn’t be further from the upcoming battle. He’s reeling from his breakup with Juliette, scared for his best friend’s life, and as concerned as ever for his brother James’s safety. And just as Adam begins to wonder if this life is really for him, the alarms sound. It’s time for war.

On the battlefield, it seems like the odds are in their favor—but taking down Warner, Adam’s newly discovered half brother, won’t be that easy. The Reestablishment can’t tolerate a rebellion, and they’ll do anything to crush the resistance . . . including killing everyone Adam has ever cared about.

Fracture Me sets the stage for Ignite Me, the explosive finale in Tahereh Mafi’s epic dystopian series. It’s a novella not to be missed by fans who crave action-packed stories with tantalizing romance like Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Legend by Marie Lu.

Fracture Me was… okay. I mean, I really liked it, but Adam just got really annoying sometimes. The novella takes place at the same time as near the ending of Unravel Me, when Warner has escaped, and everyone at Omega Point is planning an attack on The Reestablishment. Juliette is freaked, which makes Adam freaked, Kenji has just woken up from almost dying supposedly because of Juliette, and Adam has to take care of his little brother.

I was really hoping this novella would make me like Adam more. He started turning really, and I mean really, whiny in Unravel Me. That wasn’t the main reason why I switched to Team Warner

because Warner does just fine on his own (SQUEEEEE I love Warner so freaking much). I was just hoping that Fracture Me would change my mind about Adam the same way the previous novella, Destroy Me, changed my mind about Warner. And I guess it kind of did. I like Adam more as a brother to James than as a love interest for Juliette.

In Fracture Me, it’s all about James vs. Juliette, which is not okay. I didn’t like how Adam had to choose between his brother and his love.

But Tahereh Mafi’s writing is flawless as always, and she builds up the tension and intensity of the war so well. And that sneak peek of Ignite Me? Yeah, that was my favorite part of the book. I suppose it’s not absolutely necessary to read Fracture Me, unlike Destroy Me, where we get a lot more info and a different perspective than just the rebels, but for fans of the series, or for those on Team Adam, you should give Fracture Me a go.

Reading Order: Shatter Me series

#1 ~ Shatter Me: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Destroy Me: Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Unravel Me: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Fracture Me: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads
#3 ~ Ignite Me: My Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
Unite Me (paperback bundle of Destroy Me & Fracture Me): Paperback • Goodreads

24Dec2013

ARC Review: Torn from You by Nashoda Rose

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Torn from You by Nashoda Rose
Series: Tear Asunder #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 20th 2013
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Love is like an avalanche. It hits hard, fast and without mercy.

At least it did for me when Sculpt, the lead singer of the rock band Tear Asunder knocked me off my feet. Literally, because he’s also a fighter, illegally of course, and he taught me how to fight. He also taught me how to love and I fell hard for him. I mean the guy could do sweet, when he wasn’t doing bossy, and I like sweet.

Then it all shattered.

Kidnapped.
Starved.
Beaten.
I was alone and fighting to survive.
When I heard Sculpt’s voice, I thought he was there to save me.

I was wrong.

Torn from You begins immediately after the cliffhanger at the end of With You. I highly, highly recommend reading With You before starting Torn from You, because in the prequel, we get a much stronger sense of the love between Emily and Sculpt. It’s not absolutely necessary, but the relationship between the main characters makes a lot more sense. Plus, we get to fall in love with Sculpt along with Emily! He’s a totally hot, domineering alpha-male. 😉

Emily has been brutally kidnapped, and is held captive in a dark place. She doesn’t know where she is, she doesn’t know who’s taken her, and all she wants is Sculpt, or as she calls him by his real name, Logan, the love of her life. She wishes that he’d find her and save her from wherever she is, because she’s absolutely terrified.

I don’t normally read dark romances, but there’s a certain allure and fascination that comes with reading something, well, bad. I have read books that involve slavery, and in Torn from You, there is sex trafficking. Emily has been thrust into this dark, horrifying, and truly evil world. It turns out she’s been taken to Mexico, and… by none other than Logan, the man she thought who loved her. Like, holy shit, right? I mean, from the blurb, you can kind of tell that Logan did take Emily, but it’s still so unbelievable. Logan was so loving and sweet to Emily in With You, and everything is torn apart once Emily knows Logan was the reason why she was kidnapped. She’s betrayed, her heart is beyond shattered, but ultimately, this girl is angry.

In this world of sex slaves, and evil, disgusting men, Emily has to learn to survive. She’s can’t risk the ire of Raul, the man in charge, or else she’ll be taken away from Logan and sold to someone else. Because right now, Logan owns her, and he’s the only thing preventing her from being sold to some unknown man. And yet even as Emily is hating Logan, she can’t help her reactions to him. She loved him, is attracted to him, and she hates that she feels this way every time he’s in the room with her. There’s a very thin line between what’s right and wrong, even though it should clearly be black and white. I suppose it’s the allure of this kind of story, but whatever it is, it hooked me in. I couldn’t stop reading, even though the book went to dark, unimaginable places. Logan is cold and ruthless, and it’s as if the man Emily loved never exists, but then, there are moments where the Logan she knew pops up. So who is the real Logan? He protects her from the truly horrific things, but he’s the one who brought her there in the first place.

“I will always do everything I can to protect you from others hurting you. I don’t want you to be scared of me. I would do anything for you. You know that, right?”

Thank god the book isn’t entirely in Mexico, because I don’t think I’d be able to handle too much of the dark side of the story. It’s fascinating, yes, but it can get a little hard to stomach. In the first part, maybe the first third, of the book, Emily is in the hands of Raul, and the rest of the story deals with the aftermath. It’s been 2 years since Emily escaped from Mexico. She hasn’t seen Logan since, and she’s been healing, but it’s a very slow process, and she’s still a little broken. Her love for horses has been her coping mechanism, but then everything changes the second Logan walks back into her life.

“Sculpt, you have to let me go.”
“Never ask me to do that.”

My heart was torn up! Do you see these quotes? They’re all from Logan, and he wants Emily back. He has never stopped loving Emily, and here their love story begins all over again. She can’t forget the past, but he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make her love him again. And oh my god, everything is crazy and intense. Everything changes when Logan comes back. The truth comes out, and Logan… oh gosh, this man is truly the best. I don’t want to give anything away, but it was because of the majority of Torn from You where Emily is free that made me love the book!

“We were torn apart, because Eme–I’d never have stayed away from you any other way.”

Eeep! The entire time Emily tries to push Logan away, he never gives up. He’s incredibly sweet and loving, and yet he’s still an undeniably sexy, dominant man. Nashoda Rose messes with your head so much in Torn from You. Is Logan truly good or bad? Can Emily ever forgive him, and maybe even love him again? Oh my gosh, I had the best time reading this! Highly, highly recommend this book for those who want to venture into this genre. It’s not too intense in the dark parts, but it’s still enough to make your heart race. And the romance–sooo good!

“You, Emily. You’re worth fighting for. I fought all my life, but never for anything worthwhile. Now… Now I’m fighting for my heart. Bullshit ends here and now.”

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Tear Asunder series

#0.5 ~ With You: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1 ~ Torn from You: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Overwhelmed by You: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Shattered by You: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Kept from You: Goodreads (Dec. 5, 2016)

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23Dec2013

ARC Review: With You by Nashoda Rose

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

With You by Nashoda Rose
Series: Tear Asunder #0.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 20th 2013
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Sculpt is an illegal fighter.

He’s also the lead singer of a local rock band.

No one knows his real name.

And from the moment I met him, he made me forget mine.

In order to convince Sculpt to give me self-defense lessons, I had to follow his one rule—no complaining or he’d walk. I didn’t think it would be a problem. I could handle a few bruises. What I hadn’t anticipated was landing on my back with Sculpt on top of me and my entire body burning up for him.

I tried to ignore it.

I failed of course. And having a hot, tattooed badass on top of me week after week, acting completely immune to what he was doing to my body—it was frustrating as hell, so I broke his rule—I complained.

Then he kissed me.

Oh my, hot hot hottie alert! Sculpt is one delicious hunk of man, and my latest indulgence. He’s an underground fighter, he’s a total alpha-male, he’s in a freaking band, and he’s one bad, bad boy. He’s the total package, and I loved him in With You!

“I kiss you Emily… there’s no going back. No other guy kisses you, touches you, or gets to taste what’s mine. I don’t share.”

With You is a novella and prequel to the Tear Asunder series, and tells the story of how Emily and Sculpt meet. Emily needs someone to teach her how to protect and defend herself, since she was attacked by a man recently, and Sculpt, while not the ideal man, is perfect for the job. But when Emily asks Sculpt to teach her how, he’s rude and a complete jerk, in that usual, domineering, alpha-male way. But Emily is a tough girl, and she won’t back down from Sculpt. Sculpt finally relents and agrees to help Emily, starting them down a path towards a fierce, passionate love.

There so much tension between the two! Emily is not unaffected by Sculpt’s good looks, but she doesn’t do anything because even though she’s confident enough to fight for what she wants, she doesn’t have confidence in herself. But Sculpt makes her see herself differently. As the two become closer, they start to fall for each other. And these two are just the sweetest together. Sculpt may be controlling and a bit possessive, but it’s so obvious how much he treasures Emily.

“Emily. You’re a fuckn’ trophy. My trophy.”

And yet Sculpt is still shrouded in mystery. Emily doesn’t truly know who he is, but the scene where he tells her his real name… *dreamy sigh* It always gets to me when the guy wants the girl he loves to call him by his real name, the name no one else knows or gets to call him. But while it seems that Emily and Sculpt are on their way to a happily ever after, everything changes one night.

With You ends with a cliffhanger, but luckily, Torn from You is out too! I adored this novella–and highly recommend reading it before starting Torn from You. In With You, we get to see the love blooming between Sculpt and Emily, which is really important to read before going into book 1 of the Tear Asunder series.

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Tear Asunder series

#0.5 ~ With You: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1 ~ Torn from You: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Overwhelmed by You: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Shattered by You: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Kept from You: Goodreads (Dec. 5, 2016)

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23Dec2013

Blog Tour + Review & Giveaway: Addicted for Now by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Posted in 6 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Addicted for Now by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie
Series: Addicted #2 (full reading order below)
Release Date: November 30th 2013

He’s addicted to booze. She’s addicted to sex…staying sober is only half the battle.

No. More. Sex.

Those are the three words Lily Calloway fears the most. But Loren Hale is determined to be with Lily without enabling her dangerous compulsions. With their new living situation—sleeping in the same bed, for real, together—Lily has new battles. Like not jumping Lo’s bones every night. Not being consumed by sex and his body.

Loren plans to stay sober, to right all of his wrongs. So when someone threatens to expose Lily’s secret to her family and the public, he promises that he’ll do anything to protect her. But with old enemies surfacing, Lo has more at stake than his sobriety.

They will torment Lily until Lo breaks.

And his worst fear isn’t relapsing. He hears the end. He sees it. The one thing that could change everything. Just three words.

No. More. Us.

New Adult Romance recommended for readers 18+ for mature content

Buy Links:
Amazon Ebook • Amazon Paperback • Barnes & Noble

Holy fudgebuckets, this book is pure perfection! I honestly loved Addicted for You, and I didn’t think the series could get any better, but boy was I wrong. And you have no idea how happy to be wrong I am! For those of you who’ve read Addicted to You and thought that book was insane (in the best way possible!), then you are in for a wild ride in Addicted for Now. I loved this book so hard. It was everything I could expect for Addicted to You’s sequel and more. It’s action-packed–there’s never a dull moment, and you’ll be hooked on every word from start to finish.

I was actually pretty worried about how Lily and Loren would find a way to be together after Lo comes back from rehab, because Lily’s problem as a sex addict is still not fixed. Lo is now completely sober, though he’s tempted a lot, and Lily has managed to stay celibate for the entire time Lo was gone. But now that he’s back, it’s hard for her to curb her desires. She wants Lo, badly, but he knows that he can’t enable her addiction anymore. He loves Lily so, so much, and he knows he can’t give in to her. With the help of Lily’s therapist, and their friends, Connor, Ryke, and Lily’s sister Rose, Lily tries to tone down her sexual urges.

The book is told through both Lily and Loren’s POVs, and even though Addicted for Now deals mainly with Lily’s addiction, this is as much Lily’s story as it is Lo’s. Lily journey towards a healthier life is heartbreaking, because it hurts her so much not to have sex. Sexual thoughts and urges are so compulsive to her, and it takes everything she has and then some to be on the path of recovery. But Lo is there for her every step of the way. He’s finally found the help he needed at rehab, and even though he’s also battling urges himself, he won’t let Lily down.

And I step out of the car.
Ready to help Lily. Ready to be there.
Ready to change.

I loved loved loved that fact that even though we get lots of Lily and Lo, we also get tons more about Rose, Connor, Ryke, and even Lily’s youngest sister Daisy. When they all take a trip to Mexico, things really start heating up, and not just in a sexual way. Connor and Rose are still working on their relationship, even though they’re so perfectly suited together. And there miiight be a little something going on between Ryke and Daisy. We got the sense that there might be something happening between them in Ricochet, but Daisy is only 16 while Ryke is 23. So nothing ever really happens, but tensions are way off the charts, and I am dying to read their own stories. I’ve become so invested in these secondary characters, and while they provide so much humor and love to the story, they are all important to Lily and Lo’s road to recovery. It’s always just been Lily and Lo, but their family of two has grown to a family of six, and with the help their friends and family, they’ve truly changed for the better.

But some things set their recoveries back a step. Someone has been threatening to out Lily’s addiction to sex, which will ruin her family’s reputation. Lily spirals down towards depression while everyone is trying to help her and find the culprit. But I had nothing but love and admiration for Lily. This girl is tough, strong, and unwavering in her love for Lo. Her addiction brings her down, but she’ll always get back up.

He lifts me into a hug, and I promise myself that I’ll try harder. Even if everything starts slipping away again, I’ll remember this moment, how long it took me to right what I had done wrong. I don’t want to start that vicious cycle again. I want to break it. I want to beat my addiction for good, no matter if outside forces pull me down.
I can do it this time.

Throughout the entire book, Lily and Lo have a strong, supportive, and unwavering love for each other. Both of them might not be completely cured of their addictions, and they might sometimes have urges, but they’ll always stand by each other to support, respect, and love one another. They’ve grown to believe in themselves and each other, and I fell in love with their story all over again. It was heartfelt, moving, and phenomenal to read.

“Lo… I need you to know that I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be here when you come home. There will always be an us.”
“A Lo and Lily,” I breathe.
“Or a Lily and Lo.”

6 hearts! Absolute perfection.

Reading Order: Addicted series

#1 ~ Addicted to You: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Ricochet: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Addicted for Now: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.1 (Calloway Sisters #1) ~ Kiss the Sky: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.2 (Calloway Sisters #2) ~ Hothouse Flower: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Thrive: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Addicted After All: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.1 (Calloway Sisters #3) ~ Fuel the Fire: My Review •˜ Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.2 (Calloway Sisters #4) ~ Long Way Down: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 (Calloway Sisters #4.5) ~ Some Kind of Perfect: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Becca Ritchie is a carnivore of pop culture, television, film and of course YA and NA books. While in college, she worked at The CW television network and put her vampiric knowledge to good use, blogging about hit series and swooning over actors’ abs. When she’s not blogging, she writes novels and has teamed up with her twin sister for their New Adult novel ADDICTED TO YOU. Available July of 2013.

Krista Ritchie is the mind behind popular trading website YA Book Exchange and created Nawanda Files, a book blog that also features books into movies news. When not pouring over entertainment news and the newest releases, she spends her time conducting research in a genetics lab. She’s happy to join forces with her sister, harnessing their twin powers to produce the first in a New Adult series.

Author Website • Nawanda Files • YA Book Exchange
Becca’s Links: Goodreads • Twitter
Krista’s Links: Goodreads • Twitter

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