Tag Archives: mystery

Joint Review: Never Never by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher

Posted in 4.5 hearts, 5 hearts, Reviews by

Never Never by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher

Never Never by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher
Series: Never Never #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 8th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Best friends since they could walk. In love since the age of fourteen.

Complete strangers since this morning.

He’ll do anything to remember. She’ll do anything to forget.

HOLY MACKERAL!!!! WHAT did I just read!?!?

So I got this book because 1) it’s Colleen Hoover, 2) it’s Colleen Hoover, and 3) it’s Colleen Hoover. I fucking love that woman and everything she writes. I could honestly read anything she puts out and love it, and Never Never is no exception. It’s completely different from the other books she’s written and has a completely different feel. Never Never is darker, edgier, more mysterious, and more suspenseful than anything she’s written before and this book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

I’ve never read anything from Tarryn Fisher, but if her books are anything like Never Never, I’m going to read them asap. I mean, hello, she wrote this:

How odd to be made of flesh, balanced on bone, and filled with a soul you’ve never met.

Tarryn Fisher’s writing is genius! Her and Colleen Hoover’s writing flowed perfectly together, yet each of their writing styles was distinct and unique. The story they’ve woven is also genius – I’m not sure what goes on in these authors heads to have created the mindfuck that is Never Never, but I’m seriously glad they wrote this book. This is the kind of book that is everything I never knew I wanted or needed, and these authors wrote it flawlessly.

I’m not going to say much about the plot, because I highly recommend going into this blind. The blurb doesn’t tell you much, and that’s exactly the way it should be. All I will say is that even though it’s highly suspenseful and heart-pounding and you’re literally going “What the fuck is going on” the entire time, at its heart, Never Never is a love story – a love story that’s captivating and heartwrenching. I fell in love with the Charlie and Silas. Especially Silas. The two of them together are a hot mess and yet they’re perfect for each other.

I adored Silas (like, can he exist in real life?).

“You think you can make me like you again?”
I look over at her and give my head the slightest shake. “No. I’m gonna make you fall in love with me again.”

My heart was just gone at what he said there, because he totally stole it and owned it from then on. Sigh.

In actuality, we don’t really know anything about these characters since they themselves are “complete strangers” to each other, but somehow Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher were able to write them in a way that makes them lovable and relatable. I never wanted to stop reading about Charlie or Silas.

I can’t give a perfect 5 hearts because dang it – I just needed MORE! Shirley and I were discussing last night about the possibilities of what could happen next (after that amazingly horrid ending), and we came to the conclusion that we have no effing clue. At the end, I was left with more answers than questions, which usually annoys me, but I’m willing to forgive because I totally expect the other books in the series to blow me away just as much as, if not more than, Never Never did.

4.5 hearts
lacey

HOW DO I EVEN START.

Wow. WOW WOW WOW. Alright let me first say that I am in love with Silas. He is cute, artistic, caring, athletic and such a sweetie. Second. OH. MY. GOD. COLLEN HOOVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you.

This book was…mind-blowing to say the least. I love how Tarryn Fisher and Colleen Hoover tied in this, supernatural sort of world with the “normal” world of high school. I love how as I was reading it, I was as clueless as the characters were and as they were slowly discovering themselves, I was also being introduced to them at the same time. I love that Silas and Charlie are MADE FOR EACH OTHER AND SHOULD ALWAYS BE TOGETHER AND NEVER BREAK UP. Love, love, love.

I could imagine thinking up of a plot like this but as it continued further down the line and I reached the end…HOW CAN ANYONE THINK OF THIS?! I can 500% think of a story where the characters lose their memories, but…the ending. HOW. How do you possibly move on from that point and think of a reason for what was happening?! I’m sorry I had to rant about that so if you want to empathize, read the book 🙂

5 hearts for you, Colleen Hoover (& Tarryn Fisher)! As always.

5 hearts
shirley

NOTE: Soooo for those who are wondering when Never Never #2 will be releasing, rejoice! The authors have announced that part 2 of the series will be releasing May 17, 2015!!!

Reading Order: Never Never series

Never Never by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher Never Never Part Two by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher Never Never Part 3 by Collen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher

#1 ~ Never Never: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Never Never: Part 2: Lacey’s Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Never Never: Part 3: Goodreads (Jan. 26, 2016)

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Release Day Review: Sublime by Christina Lauren

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by

Sublime by Christina Lauren

Sublime by Christina Lauren
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: October 14th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Hardcover
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

True love may mean certain death in a ghostly affair of risk and passion from New York Times bestselling duo Christina Lauren, authors of Beautiful Bastard. Tahereh Mafi, New York Times bestselling author of Shatter Me calls Sublime “a beautiful, haunting read.”

When Lucy walks out of a frozen forest, wearing only a silk dress and sandals, she isn’t sure how she got there. But when she sees Colin, she knows for sure that she’s here for him.

Colin has never been captivated by a girl the way he is by Lucy. With each passing day their lives intertwine, and even as Lucy begins to remember more of her life–and her death–neither of them is willing to give up what they have, no matter how impossible it is. And when Colin finds a way to physically be with Lucy, taking himself to the brink of death where his reality and Lucy’s overlap, the joy of being together for those brief stolen moments drowns out everything in the outside world. But some lines weren’t meant to be crossed…

I’m very… conflicted about this book. On one hand, it’s gorgeously written – Christina Lauren’s writing is poetic. It makes Sublime feel haunting and mysterious. But on the other… I was NOT a fan of the romance. Still, it’s a fascinating read, no doubt, but Sublime wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. I wanted an epic ghost romance, but the romance fell flat. I mean, I knew that a story about a boy and a ghost girl couldn’t exactly end well, but I wanted something more substantial for the plot. For the most part, the writing was what kept me hooked.

“I think I’m here for you.”

Lucy is a ghost. She doesn’t realize she’s a ghost at first – she wakes up at a school with no memories, no idea who she is, and it’s only when she tries to interact with others and they ignore her, don’t see her, that she realizes something is off. But it turns out Lucy’s not invisible to everyone, because Colin can see her.

As if she can feel him staring, she turns, an involuntary smile lifting the corner of her mouth. Her dimple makes him think of giggled pleas, mischievous promises, and the taste of sugar on his tongue. Gunmetal eyes meet his, and the color is alive, churning like an angry ocean, pulling him in.
He lets himself drown.

Colin and Lucy have an instant connection with each other. They are drawn to each other and neither are hesitant about forming a relationship, even though they don’t understand what that connection is or why Lucy is there as a ghost. I was a bit skeptical about their insta-love, but I was rooting for them to find a way to be together. It was pretty innocent at first – boy and ghost girl fall in love, they want to be together, it seems like they’re meant to be together. It’s only when they actually TRY to be together, in the physical sense, that things started turning a bit dark, even sinister.

Lucy and Colin become slightly obsessed with one another. It didn’t bother me at first – I wanted them to find a way to be together, but there’s a point where you have to pause and think, exactly WHAT will you do to be together? Their relationship started turning unhealthy – Colin kept putting himself in harm’s way to be with Lucy. At this point, their romance was a bust for me. So I turned my focus on the why’s and how’s of the story. Why was Lucy there? What happened to her? How was she a ghost?

Every step of the way, I wasn’t sure what was going on, which was a good and bad thing. Sublime intrigued me to no end – I expected some answers, but all I got were more questions. None of my questions were answered, and I was really disappointed about that.

So yeah, the writing was what kept me reading. And I have to say, the writing was beautifully written, even though I didn’t exactly like the content. I liked HOW Sublime was written, not WHAT was written. Christina Lauren really have outdone themselves with the writing in Sublime – it’s hauntingly gorgeous and elegant.

The premise held a lot of potential but I’m sad to say Sublime was only an okay read for me. There were some aspects I loved, some aspects I hated. I expected a lot more than I got. The romance just did not sit right with me, so I wouldn’t recommend reading this for the romance. Mainly, you should try Sublime out for the writing.

3 hearts
lacey

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

Review: The Wild Side by R.K. Lilley

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

The Wild Side by R.K. Lilley

The Wild Side by R.K. Lilley
Series: The Wild Side #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 20th 2014
Purchase: Ebook

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE A WALK?

Alasdair Masters is in a rut. He just hit forty, has been nearly celibate for the past year, and his life has turned into a daily sequence of lonely patterns that revolve around avoiding human contact.

His tidy life is turned on its head when a hot young blonde at the gym that’s been pseudo-stalking him decides to rock his world. A very young blonde. Way, way too young for him. The problem is, he can’t seem to tell her no, and she just keeps coming back for more.

It doesn’t help that he’s ninety percent sure she’s a criminal, and still, he can’t seem to turn her down. What is a dull introvert to do when a chaotic cyclone that oozes sexuality comes twisting into his life?

At first, he thinks she’ll give him a heart attack, but after his twenty-year marriage ended a year ago, he’s been a little lost, and when she comes crashing into his life, he realizes that he’s never felt more alive.

Is a walk on the wild side just what he needs to get his on track or a disaster in the making? Is it possible for someone that much younger to be just what he needs, or is she a fortune hunter, as everyone keeps telling him? Is it his hormones telling him that the mysterious younger woman is the one, or could it be more?

I’m not the biggest fan of serials, but every once in a while I’ll try them out. They’re usually a hit or miss for me, but fortunately, I enjoyed The Wild Side so freaking much!! It was funny, it was sexy, and it was outrageously scandalous! I don’t think I’ve read a book that made me blush so much!

This raunchy book is definitely not for the faint of heart. It’s erotica to the max. It’s hot and wild and sensual and all-around one of the sexiest books I’ve ever read (but it’s not the sexiest book–the top spot for that belongs to Double Time). So sex is like, the main ingredient in The Wild Side–it’s what brings together 40-year-old Alasdair and 24-year-old Iris, after all. The age gap was honestly the thing that drew me into this book in the first place. An older man and a much younger woman? Uh, yeah, I definitely had to check this book out.

Alasdair, or Dair, is a… different sort of hero. Iris is a different sort of heroine as well, and it was refreshing to read about characters who were like nothing I’ve read before. Dair is a successful author who was recently divorced. He’s the type of guy who doesn’t go looking for trouble, but trouble certainly finds him at his gym in the form of a gorgeous 24-year-old woman.

She was young.
I was old.
She was wild.
I was tame.

I really liked Dair for most of the book. I didn’t expect this, but Dair is so funny! The book is told solely in Dair’s POV, and his narration is fantastic. He’s got this sarcastic, blunt, sort of resigned way of thinking, and I loved it. He made me laugh quite a bit, because he’s so utterly baffled by the fact that Iris wants him. He thinks of himself as an old, slightly creepy man for wanting someone so out of his league.

She sat beside me, our hips touching. She patted my knee and went to town on the Popsicle like she was giving me the show of my life.
“Jesus,” I muttered as it disappeared completely into her mouth.
I was so outclassed here.

But the body wants what the body wants, and Dair and Iris embark on a sexual relationship, despite the fact that Dair honestly knows absolutely nothing about Iris. Her character is mysterious, and everything about her is hidden. We don’t know who she is, what she does, or if she genuinely wants to be with Dair (though I got the feeling she genuinely did want to be with him). She doesn’t open up, no matter what Dair does. I was okay with not knowing much about Iris, because all in good time, right? So as a serial, the pacing of this first part of the story is good, but I definitely need some answers in the next book.

The best part about Dair, what drew me to his character, a 40-year-old man who I normally wouldn’t be able to connect with, was his need of a connection. Ever since his divorce, he’s been quiet and reclusive. He doesn’t really have a purpose in life anymore–all he does is do stuff as an author and go to the gym. It’s not a very glamorous life. But Iris is able to wake Dair up–awaken his life and his sexuality.

The point was that this beautiful woman would let me take her every way I could think of, and I relished that.
Loved it. Needed it.
She made me feel so desirable, when I’d felt so unwanted for so long.

So all in all, this was a mind boggling book (with tons of hot sex). I expected some answers and only got more questions (which I’m hoping will be answered soon!!). I had expectations after reading the blurb, and The Wild Side certainly didn’t disappoint. It’s a fast read with never a dull moment–I did mention how ridiculously sexy this book is, right? The song Drunk in Love by Beyoncé ft. Jay Z is featured a few times throughout the book, and the song is pretty much a perfect match with the story. This book had me hooked and fascinated from the first page, and I could never predict what would happen next. So if you’re planning on reading The Wild Side (which you should!), be prepared for a wild ride.

4 hearts!

4-hearts

lacey

Reading Order: The Wild Side series

The Wild Side by R.K. Lilley Iris by R.K. Lilley Dair by R.K. Lilley

#1 ~ The Wild Side: Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Iris: Ebook • Goodreads
#3 ~ Dair: Ebook • Goodreads