Review: Thrive by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Thrive by Krista & Becca Ritchie
Series: Addicted #2.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 18th 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Two years will change them forever.

When rumors spread like wildfire—like having three-ways with her boyfriend’s rock climbing brother—Lily Calloway spirals into a dark place. Her bedroom. Loren Hale is more confident and determined to keep their sex life private, even from their friends, and he helps Lily in the only way he knows how. But how much love is too much?

Their lives are filmed, watched, and criticized. And through it all, Lily and Loren have to face enemies they never thought they’d see, demons they don’t know if they should bury, and setbacks they didn’t think they’d meet. Not this soon.

And one rumor could be too much for them to handle. It will test their greatest limitations, and if they don’t hold onto each other, someone is going to drown.

A full-length New Adult Romance that bridges the gap between the second and third books. Thrive must be read before Addicted After All if you have not read the Calloway Sisters spin-off series.

Lily and Lo are BAAAACK!!!

Thrive is yet another fabulous, intense, and thrilling installment in the Addicted series, a series that I’m so utterly and ridiculously in love with. Each book in the series (and the spinoffs) is so exceptionally well written, and I really just can’t get enough of the characters. And Thrive is just as brilliant as the previous books, if not more so. I loved every single part of this book–I could totally gush all day about Thrive! It’s made me fall even more in love with all of the characters (who knew that was even possible?) and left me with such a warm, gooey feeling in my heart. So for all you Addicted series fans, Thrive should not be missed!!

“We’re going to have our happy ending. It just may take us awhile to get there.”

First off, Thrive takes place a little before Kiss the Sky all the way through a little after Hothouse Flower, so for those who haven’t read the spinoffs but plan to, you shouldn’t read Thrive just yet, because it WILL spoil the plots for KTS and HF. And if you’re worried that Thrive will be just a retelling of KTS and HF, let me assure you that it’s NOT! There’s so much new material and nothing felt repetitive.

Thrive is a huge game changer in the series. It’s dense–it’s a fairly big book packed with almost two and a half years worth of stuff that happens in the Addicted series world. But luckily, Krista & Becca Ritchie are ~~superhuman~~ ridiculously talented and managed to make the book perfectly paced and perfectly, well, perfect. We’re back to Lily and Lo’s POVs, which I’ve missed so much. Lily is honestly the most adorable narrator ever–it’s so cute that nearly everything is a sexual innuendo to her. And I love, absolutely loooove, how much stronger Lily grows in Thrive. The two and a half years will test Lily’s strength, but she’ll come out on top. Lo though, is the one who breaks my heart. His voice is blunt and harsh and raw, and my heart was literally aching for him throughout the book. He has so much hatred and self-loathing, I just wanted to tuck him close to me and hug him (which he would definitely not approve of). But Lo does have his strengths, and he too grows into them. Lily and Lo definitely do not have an easy road ahead of them–they have so many challenges ahead of them, but with each other, they can handle anything on their road to recovery.

“How do you know that I’m strong enough?”
“Because you’re better now,” he said, almost convincing me. “And you have me–sober me. I’ll make sure you don’t spiral out of control.” His voice lowered, and his forehead touched mine. “I don’t want to live if you’re not living with me.”

The thing about Lily and Lo, the thing that sets them apart from the others and makes them my favorite couple ever, is the fact that they are committed to each other 100%. Before, they were each others’ enablers, but now, they are each others’ greatest motivators. Lily is recovering from her sex addiction for Lo and Lo is recovering from his alcoholism for Lily, and I honestly think that that’s one of the most beautiful things about their unconventional relationship. They love each other unconditionally and without hesitation and this comes across so clearly in Thrive. I am in love and in awe of their romance that is just so perfectly imperfect.

Very softly, he says, “I wouldn’t be here without you.” It is bigger than an I love you. It is a declaration that solidifies what I’ve known for so long.
We aren’t connected by our addictions.
But by our childhood. Souls fused together from the very, very start.

Thrive is split into three parts, and in each part there are different events (some we have seen, but most we haven’t seen before) that shape Lily and Lo’s progression. There are the high days where we get to laugh with the characters and get warm, fuzzy feelings from how much Lily and Lo, Rose and Connor, and Daisy and Ryke have become so important to each other. You just know how much everyone loves each other, despite how much they make fun of each other. The Addicted series has one of the best cast of characters I’ve ever read–each relationship is distinct and unique, each character is an integral part of the group, and each character is unforgettable. (And I just have to say, I love Lo, but omg CONNOR!!! Connor is fantastic in Thrive!)

But even with all the laughs and giggles, there are still the low, low days where every minute of every day is a struggle for Lo and Lily. This couple has been through so much that it seems like a never-ending battle for them. They have to battle their addictions, battle the media that won’t give them any privacy after Lily’s sex addiction was revealed, and they even have to battle their family and friends. And no, they don’t end up winning all of their battles, but at the end of the day, no matter how much they’ve been tested, no matter how much they’ve been poked and prodded, Lily and Lo still have each other. They will always have each other.

“The world is never going to understand us,” he tells me, his eyes so impassioned that I can’t look away. “But it doesn’t matter, Lil. We have each other, and I get your pain, I understand how badly it hurst, so I need you to block out the other people today, okay? They don’t exist in our world.”

Thrive is one beautifully told story that is both gut-wrenching and heartwarming. You will laugh with the characters, you’ll cry with the characters, and most of all, you’ll fall in love with them all over again. It’s a phenomenal book that had me hooked from start to finish. I’m seriously addicted to this series ;).

Our love is rare. It’s one I can’t abandon, even if I tried. When she screams, an identical one rips through me. When she cries, my world rains with grief. When she loves, I truly, truly fly.
I have never wanted anyone else but Lily.

5 hearts for Lily and Lo! I love them to death!

It’s not necessary to read the spinoffs, but I highly, highly recommend reading them! So here is the complete Addicted series reading order, including the Calloway Sisters spinoff series!

Reading Order: Addicted/Calloway Sisters series

#1 ~ Addicted to You: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Ricochet: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Addicted for Now: My Review • 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: 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

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15Jul2014

Release Day Review + Giveaway: Tamed by Emma Chase

Posted in 5 hearts, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Tamed by Emma Chase
Series: Tangled #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 15th 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Gallery Books) in exchange for an honest review

What does Drew Evans have to say next? Find out in this forty page short story, filled with his sexy charm, unique advice and hilarious one-liners.

Marriage: the final frontier. Steven went first. He was kind of our test subject. Like those monkeys that NASA sent off into space in the fifties, all the while knowing they’d never make it back.

And now another poor rocket is ready to launch.

But this isn’t just any posh New York wedding. You’ve seen my friends, you’ve met our families, you know you’re in for a treat. Everyone wants their wedding to be memorable. This one’s going to be un-frigging-forgettable.

OMG!! I. Love. Matthew Fisher!! I never expected it, but I love him JUST as much as I love Drew! While Drew had that ‘womanizer’ thing going on (until Kate, of course), Matthew is the kind of guy that you can’t help but LOVE. He’s sweet, charming, sexy, and just a plain ol’ good guy. He’s friendly with the ladies, has a fabulous time with them, but he’s not as bad as Drew was. So Matthew is pretty much perfect hero material–and when you partner him up with Delores Warren? You get one fun, wild ride.

This is a story about a player, who meets a slightly crazy girl. They fall in love and the player changes his ways forever. It’s a story you’ve probably heard before, maybe even from my buddy, Drew Evans. But the thing is, while he and Kate were figuring their shit out? There was this whole alternate universe going on with Delores and me that you don’t know about. So stick around, even if you think you already know the ending. Because the greatest part of a road trip isn’t arriving at your destination. It’s all the wild stuff that happens along the way.

This quote is the absolute PERFECT way to describe Matthew and Dee’s story. No matter what you think you might already know of their story, Tamed still ends up being unique, refreshing, and such a fun read. Matthew’s voice is distinctly different from Drew’s, all while keeping up the hilarity that is the Tangled series. I absolutely loved reading from Matthew’s POV–his and Drew’s relationship as well as his and Alexandra, Drew’s sister’s, relationship, had me laughing so much!

We already know who Delores is. Dee is that fierce kind of girl who’ll protect her best friend with her claws out. She’s tough, stubborn, insanely smart, hilarious, and so much fun. Everyone who knows Dee is slightly afraid of her. And that’s just how Dee likes it. She doesn’t need anyone getting close to her. She doesn’t let anyone get under her skin–until she meets Matthew. They were supposed to just have a one-night-stand, but that one-night-stand becomes so much more.

Matthew has never met anyone like Dee–he sees the tough persona she puts on as well as the vulnerable side she hides. Dee’s been burned more than once, and doesn’t trust easily. Matthew grows to care for Dee more and more, and before he knows it, he’s in love with her. I love Matthew’s humor, but the best part I love about Matthew is the soft side he shows to Dee. I loved seeing Matthew in love, seeing him fight to bring down all of Dee’s walls.

I’ll work at convincing her, that I’m one of the chosen few she can give her trust to.
Because Delores is worth waiting and working for.

*Sigh* I swoon madly for Matthew.

Emma Chase once again writes a story I fell so easily in love with. Her stories and characters are just so addicting. And Emma’s male POV is once again top-notch. Once I picked Tamed up, I couldn’t put it down–this book is sweet, heartfelt, hilarious, romantic, and I never wanted it to end. Matthew and Dee definitely don’t have an easy road ahead of them–there’s some hurt and there’s some angst, but they’ll fight for each other because they’re perfect together. Tamed made me smile, laugh, and cheer for Dee and Matthew the whole way through, and I loved it.

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

Reading Order: Tangled series

#1 ~ Tangled: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Holy Frigging Matrimony: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Twisted: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Tamed: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Tied: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Paperback copy of Tangled

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14Jul2014

Blog Tour + Early Review & Giveaway: Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

Posted in 5 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Click the banner to see other stops on the tour!

Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally
Series: Hundred Oaks #5 (full reading order below)
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication date: July 15th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.

“Breathe, Annie, Breathe is an emotional, heartfelt, and beautiful story about finding yourself after loss and learning to love. It gave me so many feels. Her best book yet.” — Jennifer Armentrout, New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You.

Purchase:
Amazon Kindle • Amazon Hardcover • B&N • Kobo • iTunes

Oh, my heart is still fluttering after reading this book! Without a doubt, Breathe, Annie, Breathe is my favorite of the Hundred Oaks series so far. Miranda Kenneally does YA contemporary romance so well, I already knew I would end up enjoying this latest book of series, but I just never expected to love it THIS much!

I was in the perfect mood for reading a sweet, heartfelt story, and Breathe, Annie, Breathe gave me all that and more. It’s a quick read, but it packs powerful emotions within its pages. I felt every emotion Annie felt–I laughed when she laughed, I ached when she ached, and I loved when she loved. This book is about loss, but it’s also about hope. It’s about trying to find your way through life, and Miranda Kenneally does an excellent job of conveying this in Annie’s journey.

A quarter mile more.
One foot after the other.
Breathe, Annie, breathe.

After the loss of her boyfriend and love of her life, Annie signs up for the Music City Marathon. Her boyfriend, Kyle, was training for it until he died, so Annie decides to honor him by running the race for him. She hires a trainer, and every practice is brutal–Annie has to practice running for miles and miles before she’s ever ready for a 26.2 mile marathon. But what I loved best about Annie is that even when she wants to give up, she doesn’t. She keeps on going. And I loved that fact that she hated running–because I can completely relate to that. I am awful at running, but reading about Annie and her perseverance made me want to pick up a pair of jogging shoes and go out running.

Annie is easily relatable–she’s lost her sense of direction in life, and doesn’t know how to move on from Kyle’s death. She’s about to attend college in the fall, but doesn’t know what to do. It’s like she’s going through the motions in her life, but running is the one thing that makes her feel alive. She meets new people, new friends, while training. We see Matt, from Things I Can’t Forget, who is her trainer. And Annie becomes especially close to Matt’s younger brother Jeremiah.

Jeremiah is a total sweetheart. He’s cute, funny, and cheers Annie on throughout the entire book. Jeremiah wholeheartedly believes in Annie and believes that she has what it takes to finish the marathon. He’s also peculiar in that Jeremiah’s an adrenaline junkie–he’s always looking to find a new challenge to feel a rush. I loved how supportive he is of Annie, and I loved the tension between them. Sparks fly between Annie and Jere–they’re so perfect with each other, for each other. Their banter is hilarious and their friendship is rock-solid.

“Aren’t you gonna run up front and try to win?” I ask.
“I’d rather run with you.”
“You want to come in 5,094th place?”
His mouth quirks into a smile. “I don’t care.”
“Jeremiah? You make me happy.”
“You make me happy too,” he says quietly.

I just can’t get enough of these two! They had me smiling for the entire book. They’re absolutely adorable together!

But Annie, understandably, holds back. She loved Kyle, and finding new love is a scary thing. I loved seeing them grow close to each other, to learn to lean on each other. They fall in love slowly, and my heart was bursting for them.

We get cameos of other characters from the other books in the series, which totally made me squeal!

Overall, I had the most wonderful time reading Breathe, Annie, Breathe. I never expected to love a book about running, but I do! I was cheering for Annie the whole way through. I loved seeing her grow, both as a runner and as a person. The whole book is so emotional, and Annie’s journey warmed my heart.

If you don’t put yourself out there, if you don’t take risks, you can’t truly feel.
And I’m ready to feel again.

I was honestly so sad to get to the end of this book–I never wanted it to end!

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

Reading Order: Hundred Oaks series

#1 ~ Catching Jordan: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Stealing Parker: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Things I Can’t Forget: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Racing Savannah: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Breathe, Annie, Breathe: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Jesse’s Girl: My Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#7 ~ Defending Taylor: Shirley’s Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

Website • Goodreads • Facebook • Twitter

2x 50$ B&N Gift Card
3x Signed copy of Breathe, Annie, Breathe

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5Jul2014

Review: The Wild Side by R.K. Lilley

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

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!

Reading Order: The Wild Side series

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

26Jun2014

Review: Donners of the Dead by Karina Halle

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Donners of the Dead by Karina Halle
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: February 22nd 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

A note about this book: Donners of the Dead is set in 1851 – couples were often thrust into marriage together with short courtships, racism was widespread and not overly frowned upon, and women had little to no rights. What wouldn’t fly in today’s day and age was unfortunately the norm back then – it is worth keeping that in mind when reading this book.

Jake McGraw was unlike anyone I’d ever known. He was brash, rude, unapologetic and arrogant; chauvinistic, close-minded, and terribly stubborn. He was built like a tree, tall with a hard chest and wide shoulders and hands that looked like they could wrestle a bear. He was a cigar-chomping, scruffy-faced, beast of a man. I was pretty sure I hated him. And I know he hated me. But among the flesh-eating monsters in these snow-capped mountains, he was the only thing keeping me alive

The year is 1851 and pioneers in search of California gold are still afraid to travel on the same route as the tragic Donner party did years before. When the last wagon train to go into the Sierra Nevada mountains fails to arrive at their destination, Eve Smith, an 18-year old half-native girl with immense tracking skills is brought along with the search party, headed by an enigmatic former Texas Ranger, Jake McGraw.

What they find deep in the dangerous snow-covered terrain is a terrifying consequence of cannibalism, giving new meaning to the term “monster.” While the search party is slowly picked off, one by one, Eve must learn to trust Jake, who harbors more than a few secrets of his own, in order to survive and prevent the monstrosities from reaching civilization.

***This is NOT New Adult***

A warning to those who are a bit iffy on creepy stuff–DO NOT READ THIS AT NIGHT. I repeat–DO NOT READ THIS AT NIGHT. This book will freak you the eff out. It’s got guts and blood and gore and tons more… Donners of the Dead was one hell of a book to read.

I usually stay away from anything horror. I don’t read gory books, and I sure as hell never even watch scary movies. But this was Karina Halle, so of course I had to read it! And the synopsis was completely intriguing as well. So I set aside my fears, and I ended up really enjoyed Donners of the Dead. It’s personally not my favorite of Karina’s books (hello, Mateo!), but for fans of the author, I’d say to give this book a try.

Donners of the Dead is really like nothing I’ve ever read, never mind that I don’t read horror. It’s the fact that this book has got everything in it–it’s part horror, part romance, part suspense, and part western. How many of you can say you’ve ever read a book that’s like zombies meets the wild, wild west? And what’s even better is that Karina Halle does a fantastic job blending these different genres together.

Donners of the Dead is a twisted, sinister tale based off of the famous Donner Party story. It’s set in the mid-1800s, and we have our heroine Eve who is half white and half Native American. Because of her mixed heritage, Eve is not respected in her community, and she is thrown to the wolves by her family when a search party arrives and wants Eve to help them track some people. Eve absolutely doesn’t want to go–it’s incredibly dangerous, but her uncle forces her to go anyway. I had a hard time connecting with Eve throughout the book, but I could easily admire her for her bravery in going through with being the tracker for the search group. She’s not a delicate girl–she’s headstrong and tenacious throughout the journey.

The search party consists of a variety of men, some of whom gave Eve, and me, the creeps. But then there’s Jake McGraw, the former Texas Ranger. He’s very much a man’s man–he’s big, burly, smart, harsh, and very good with a gun. But he’s got a strong prejudice against Eve, and this means it’s hate at first sight for Jake and Eve. They do NOT get along at all when they first meet, but sometime along their treacherous journey the two of them develop feelings for each other. I actually really enjoyed the pace of their relationship. It wasn’t too fast or too slow, and the romance balanced perfectly with the horror aspect of the book. That being said, even though I really liked the sexual tension between Eve and Jake, their chemistry didn’t make me feel for them. I wish I could have connected with the characters more, but I at least appreciated Jake once he started showing his feelings and being all romantic. 😉

What really got my heart pounding though, was the creep factor in this book. The stuff Karina Halle comes up with is seriously the stuff of nightmares. Okay, so it wasn’t exactly SCARY, but just majorly CREEPY. I literally had to put the book down several times to calm myself down ~~and look over my shoulder to see if anything was there…~~.

Karina Halle rocks at writing–she made the horror come to life in this book! I can always count on enjoying the writing and the storytelling when it comes to Karina. So even though the story wasn’t the best, the writing and storytelling was compelling enough to make up for it. I didn’t LOVE the book, but I definitely enjoyed myself while reading. Karina Halle fans should definitely give Donners of the Dead a try!

3.5 hearts!

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Review: Thrive by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Reading Order: Addicted/Calloway Sisters series

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