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Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher
Series: Standalone
Genre: Psychological Thriller (I think)
Age Group: Adult
Release Date: April 5th 2014
Length: 287 pages
Format: Kindle
Source: Purchased
Review Date: April 8th 2014
Steam Rating: Mild
Overall Rating: 5 STARS

Spoiler-Free Review:
First I would like to point out that I think this book should be read after the Love Me With Lies series. This novel has absolutely nothing to do with that series but to understand the beauty of all that is Tarryn Fisher and this novel I believe you must know her other writing. You must know her style. She writes for the masochistic reader like myself, and if you don’t like to put yourself through hell than she is not for you. She is so real, raw, and honest in her writing. I don’t know Tarryn personally but if I had to guess I would say she is a complex person. At least that is how she writes her characters.

I have been thinking about how to describe this book for a few hours, and I still do not have adequate words. I mean I will try but I know that I will be re-reading this one soon. It was somewhat of an enigma for me. I was seriously lost for about half the book, and then slowly the puzzle pieces started to make sense. And that is what I felt like I was doing, solving a complex and depressing puzzle.

Mud Vein was HEAVY, intense, and unpredictable. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and I NEVER knew what was going to happen next. It is supposed to be read that way, but it left me emotionally exhausted. The sorrow depicted was so real, so vivid, I swear I felt it myself. It is one of those books where I do not know where it ended and I began.

So what was it about?

I just can’t get to much into the storyline without spoiling it. I suggest going in blind but if you want a little tidbit of info I will give you that (minus spoilers of course).

Senna our “heroine” is a very depressing character. She is a recluse, she is anti-social, and she is silent. I mean this chick would be a total drag to be around–no smiling, no (okay very little) talking, no laughing, and no feeling. She has some serious mental and emotional issues in the beginning which only get worse with time. She has been through some trauma in her life (who hasn’t) but she does not deal with this well. She just completely shuts down.

Life is too short to hide your wrongs. So I hide myself instead.

I was not a big fan of Senna for most of the book. I thought she was weak and selfish. But she grew on me like mold. I ended up sympathizing with her. Mud Vein is told from her POV so it’s hard not to after awhile. She is not a bad person, just sick (IMO). But that’s Tarryn’s MO, writing anti-heroines ;)

And then there is Isaac our hero. I absolutely adored him the entire time. He was everything beautiful a man could be, patient, kind, smart, caring, talented, and handsome. I really could go on and on about him. I felt an immediate love for him that stayed with me the entire book.

And he was the only one who knew how to handle Senna. He let her be silent, but not when he needed her to open up. He tried to be everything for her, and I ached for him.

I try to look away but he holds my face so that I can’t move. I don’t like being this close to him. He starts seeping into my pores. It tingles.
“I’m crying, but I don’t feel anything,” I assure him.
He pulls his lips into a tight line and nods.
“Yes, I know. That’s what hurts me the most.”

I really felt like she was darkness and he was light. And I kept fearing she was going to suck the life right out of him. IDK maybe she did…

But I still haven’t told you what is was about :)

Sorry there will be no plot disclosure for you! It has to be that way. You will understand when you read it. And you will read it… It has to be killing you–I know it was killing me.

If I had to describe this novel in one word it would be tragic. One single tragedy after another with a continuous tragedy entwined throughout.

What makes it worth reading is the writing. It is so beautiful it hurts. Like I said before it was honest, and every single person will be able to relate to something Senna has or is going through.

Some people have mentioned it’s not a romance. Well it’s not but it has a romance in it, albeit a tragic one.

“What’s the difference?” I asked him. “Between the love of your life, and your soulmate?”
“One is a choice, and one is not.”

Overall, Mud Vein was nothing like what I expected, and everything I expected. If you are already a fan of Tarryn’s then you will know what I mean. I expected phenomenal writing that will gut me, and that is exactly what I got. But the storyline–well no one will be prepared for that.

You are my truth, Isaac, and you set me free.

~StacyHgg
Books Unhinged Book Blog

Twisted by Emma Chase
Series: Tangled #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult
Release Date: March 25th 2014
Length: 273 pages
Format: Kindle eARC
Source: NetGalley
Review Date: April 2014
Steam Rating: Hot
Overall Rating: 4 STARS

Review:
First I want to mention how much I absolutely ADORED Tangled. I LOVED Drew in all his arrogant ass glory. So I was extremely excited to see what happened next with Kate and him. And wow do they mess up royally in Twisted! Talk about miscommunication *eye roll* I mean it was really quite ridiculous at times. So I am having a hard time rating this one. The end/Epilogue was 5 STAR worthy, but the rest well… I’ll get a little into what I did and didn’t like.

No matter how well you think you know somebody, how confident you are of their feelings, their reactions. They can still surprise you. And in the most of devastating of ways. ~Kate (from eARC)

Twisted is told mostly from Kate’s POV. We have a little from Drew at the beginning and end (which were my favorite parts). It is told in a narrative voice like the first one, which I absolutely adore. I really felt like I got to know Kate, and I think she is a great heroine. We only got to see her through Drew’s eyes in Tangled so I thought she was a bit more hard-ass. In this one she showed a softer more vulnerable side, with many insecurities about being with someone like Drew. And let me tell you I could totally relate to her.

But a little into it I could already see where it was going and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. And for the most part I didn’t. The writing and dialogue was still amazing, but the direction the storyline took just frustrated me. I am not a fan of unneeded drama and Twisted is FILLED with it! I can’t tell you what the “big” misunderstanding is about but I will tell you that it a B.I.G.MISUNDERSTANDING and they both act like children during this time. Now if a humorous twist was put on it I may have enjoyed it more, but it was dealt with seriously. I was actually quite heartbroken for awhile there.

This is not to say there was not humor in it, because there was, but not as much as the first. And I really think it needed more. However, I was still engrossed throughout the entire novel and this has become increasingly hard for me. If I can put a book down then I really can’t fully recommend you read it. I mean it does not mean it’s a terrible book, but there are too many great books out there to be fooling around with the mediocre. But I never wanted to put Twisted down so I can, and do recommend it to everyone who read and loved Tangled. I feel there is still more to their story but the next novel is about Dee Dee (Kate’s BFF) so I’m not sure how it will all play out. I do know that I will be reading anything Emma writes from know on. Her unique writing style just sucks me in and doesn’t let me go until the last page!

StacyHgg
Books Unhinged Book Blog

Tangled by Emma Chase
Series: Tangled #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult
Release Date: August 2nd 2013
Length: 257 pages
Format: Kindle
Source: Simon & Schuster
Review Date: March 2014
Steam Rating: Scorcher
Overall Rating: 5 STARS

Review:
HELL friggin yeah! That is just what I needed to bring me out of a reading slump! I have NO idea why I waited this long to read this fabulous book! When a ton of readers and book bloggers rave about a title it’s usually because it’s good, and Tangled is beyond good, it was absolutely friggin brilliant!

I went into this one knowing practically nothing about it except that it is told from Drew’s perspective and it is humorous. And it is funny, actually LOL funny at many times. But what I thought was so great about this humor was that it was ironic humor told directly to you the reader from Drew. He is actually speaking to you while telling you the story. It’s not just first person POV, it’s a narrative. And I really felt like I knew Drew as a person after reading it.

And let me tell you that Drew is an arrogant asshole for much of the book—but in a funny way (or at least I thought so). If you don’t take yourself too seriously than you will learn to love Drew too.

Don’t look at me like that. I’m not a bad guy. I don’t lie; I don’t sandbag women with flowery words about a future together and love at first sight. I’m a straight shooter. I’m looking for a good time—for one night—and I tell them so. That’s better than ninety percent of the other guys in here, believe me. And most of the girls in here are looking for the same thing I am.
Okay, maybe that’s not exactly true. But I can’t help it if they see me, fuck me, and suddenly want to bear my children. That’s not my problem. ← See what I mean ;-)

He is basically telling you the female reader the ins and outs of the male psyche, and it’s a bit scary, but oh so comical at the same time. I have no idea how Emma was able to pull it off but I think she is probably pretty accurate in how men think o.O

When Drew finally meets the one girl that he wants to change his ways for he reaches an obstacle, she’s engaged. Yep, engaged. :-( So what does he do? Does he do the gentlemanly thing and back off? Well if you know Drew you would know that he is not much of a gentleman. He sees that she wants him so he pursues her anyway, to no avail of course. But there are things that make their relationship interesting, like their professional lives. I don’t want to go into that, but let’s just say they have similar professional interests and they are both very competitive. This fact alone leads to many comical scenes.

Eventually they become close (take from that what you wish) and fall for one another. Kate our heroine is a great character; I loved the strong willed determination she had in all faucets of her life. I completely understood why Drew was so enthralled with her.

I thought this one was going to be all fun and humor but then there at the end Drew pulled out the big guns and had me sobbing like a lunatic. I mean seriously I was really touched by what he did for Kate at the end (which of course I won’t tell you). It added so much to it. So it had everything, great writing & storyline, humor, romance, and of course sexy time. There was plenty of steam, this is after all told in Drew’s POV and he is a horny little devil ;-)

So if this one has been on your TBR do not wait a second longer, it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! I picked it up and read it in one sitting, it was un-put-down-able! I am now moving right on to Holy Frigging Matrimony and Twisted!
StacyHgg
Books Unhinged Book Blog

Underestimated by Jettie Woodruff
Series: Underestimated #1
Genre: DARK Erotica
Age Group: New Adult
Release Date: June 26th 2013
Length: 535 pages
Format: Kindle
Source: Amazon
Review Date: March 2014
Steam Rating: Nuclear 5/5
Overall Rating: 4 STARS



Review:
Wow. This is one of those books that you must really heed the warning. It’s C-R-A-Z-Y! ← notice how I capitalized all those letters ;) That’s because it’s the best way to describe this book in one word. This book is D-A-R-K and will take you out of your comfort zone and keep you there indefinitely. Seriously, this one is a roller coaster ride of dark sex, ruthlessness, and violence. Move on if you are not already a fan of dark reads, this is not one to start with.

Morgan our heroine has had a tough life. One I couldn’t even imagine. She grew up very poor with abusive and neglectful parents. And things only get worse for her.

Drew is an extremely wealthy man who goes to Morgan’s high school to donate to it when he meets Morgan. After a short conversation with her he tells her she is going to be his wife one day. But this is not where the story begins.

Morgan is on the run. She is paranoid, has taken on a new identity, and moved to a small town where she hopes Drew won’t find her. ← that is where the story begins. As she starts off her new life she recalls her old life and has flashbacks and horrific nightmares of her times with Drew and her childhood. So we slowly learn what exactly she is running from and why. And it was frightening.

The first half of the book started off really slow for me, and I found some of Morgan’s fears were overly repeated in her inner monologue. I know this would have been a constant in her mind but I didn’t think it needed to be repeated as much as it was. I got how horrible it was. It was made EXPLICITLY clear. And that is where the warning above comes in. We are spared NO details when it comes to the abuse she endured in the hands of Drew. He was a sadistic son of a bitch. And she HATED (and I) him for it.

If you have read Aleatha Romig’s Consequences series this book is somewhat similar BUT like I said before, it is explicit. Consequences had more of a fade to black during the sexually abusive scenes whereas Underestimated amped it up to RED HOT. I didnt want to think any of the scenes were hot but as with most dark reads, you can’t help it. That is why they are a guilty pleasure ;)

Morgan meets Dawson, the sheriff of the small town she ran away to and they fall in love. He is everything she has never had, sweet, caring, loving, and gentle. He knows exactly what she needs and when she needs it. Or does he? As she reluctantly discloses her past to him and tells him of the sexual abuse she endured at the hands of Drew she becomes turned on and asks for the some of the same things. He refuses to treat her that way. He truly loves her.

I really liked Dawson but I could tell that Drew was not out of the picture. I had NO idea how this Author was going to bring him back in and I was SHOCKED at how it happened! At about 50% in the storyline picked up and I was enthralled! I was like NO FUCKING WAY!!!!! Holy Shit!!! 8-O I kept getting slammed with CRAZYNESS that I wasn’t prepared for and did not expect!

I read the synopsis of book two because I decided to review it for the upcoming blog tour and I wish I did’nt. DO NOT READ THE SYNOPSIS FOR BOOK TWO! It will contain spoilers. This book can be read a standalone so it has no cliffhanger but the second book (which i’m reading now) is a continuation of the story.

Another WARNING → cheating does not bother me in my books but I know it bothers many readers and this one contains a ton of it. And the heroine is extremely indecisive so this may be frustrating at times as well. I usually can’t stand indecisiveness but for some reason it didnt bother me too much in this book.

Overall, I really liked Underestimated and could not wait to dig into book two. There was a lot of editing issues that at times halted the flow of my reading but I do not take off points for editing. I just like to mention it so you can be forewarned.

StacyHgg
Books Unhinged Book Blog

Forgiving Lies by Molly McAdams
Series: Forgiving Lies #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Release Date: October 29th 2013
Length: 371 pages
Format: Kindle eARC
Source: Edelweiss
Review Date:
Steam Rating: Hot – 3 STARS
Overall Rating: 4 STARS (I think)

Review:
Deceiving Lies was so hard to rate. I was so drawn into the story, and the intensity had me gasping for breath at times. But there were other times when I just had to roll my eyes in frustration :roll: I don’t know if it’s because I am comparing this novel to Taking Chances, because I have no idea how she could ever top that. Taking Chances is infamous and for good reason, it’s one of the best books I have ever read. – But Deceiving Lies just couldn’t compare :-(

That’s not to say it wasn’t good, because like I said it had me captivated, and on the edge of my freakin seat most of the time. In order for me too keep turning the pages vigorously I have to be drawn in, and Molly McAdams is an extremely talented writer who is able to do just that.

So what is it about?

Logan “Kash” is an undercover police officer in Florida whose cover has been blown and he has a hit out on him. So he is sent to Texas to investigate a serial killer under an alias of course. As soon as he and his partner Mason move in to their new apartment they meet Rachel and Candice. They live across the hall, and Mason and Candice immediately hit it off and start a meaningless sexual relationship. But I digress…

Rachel is a college junior who has been through a ton of tragedy for her age. Her parents died four years prior, and a man she thought she knew betrayed her in the worst possible way by brutally assaulting her. So her “best friend” Candice and her family are basically all she has left in the world.

As soon as she meets Kash (pronounced cash, lol) she feels an attraction to him, but she really isn’t in a place emotionally to deal with a romantic relationship. Why you ask? Well this is where my beef starts with this book, but definitely not where it ends. She never came forward with the assault, and when she tried to tell her “best friend” Candice about it she didn’t believe her O.O Yeah I know, what a friend… So even though it was supposedly shown throughout the book that she was otherwise a good friend, I really disliked her from that moment on and had no idea why Rachel didn’t drop her like a bad habit. If she was such a great friend she would have trusted her… Honestly I hated Candice, and even after reading it and her supposedly being redeemed, which she totally wasn’t, I still hate her.

So because of all that drama she and Kash take things slow, but he realizes early on that she has issues. He slowly gets her to open up to him about what happened, and their friendship becomes something more. I loved how deep their affection for each other went, I could literally feel the love pouring off the pages. It was so beautiful at times it made me tear up. And when they finally did decide to give in to their feelings for each other their connection was so deep and powerful that I did actually cry, a good cry ;-)

But Rachel is in danger, and more danger than Kash or her could possibly know. Little by little things are revealed that made me so scared for her. Can Kash protect her?

These were the parts that had me on the edge of my seat. I knew something was very wrong, but I also knew that Rachel was very bad at protecting herself. Kash was continuing to keep the fact that he was a police officer a secret. He knew she would feel betrayed when she found out so after the “hit” was dropped that made him come to Texas in the first place, I didn’t understand why he continued to keep it a secret from her?? It was unnecessary drama that could have been easily prevented. There was enough drama in the rest of the story that his unreasonableness in this was unneeded.

And then there was her unreasonableness when she finally found out… It’s not a spoiler because I hope you would have guessed that eventually she would need to find out. When she did I just wanted to strangle her for her stubbornness, and ridiculousness. I know she went through hell in this novel, but I just didn’t get her.

And then there is the reason I waited so long to read it in the first place. The dreaded cliffhanger. Well let me tell you, it was a cliffhanger but not a terrible one in my opinion. I mean it was shocking, and I was like WHAT O.O but I knew it was coming so I wasn’t too disappointed. That and the fact that I have the second book Deceiving Lies on my iPad ready to go didn’t hurt either ;-)

Overall, I liked some parts, loved some parts, and disliked some others. So now you know why it was a hard rate for me. But I am anxious to start the next installment of their story because no matter how much I wanted to smack the characters upside the head at times, I was extremely drawn in too. If you are a fan of Molly McAdams I think you should give this one a try :-D

~StacyHgg
Books Unhinged Book Blog

Taking Something by Elizabeth Lee
Series: Give Me Something #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Release Date: February 16th 2014
Length: 228 pages
Format: Kindle eARC
Source: via tour host
Review Date: February 2014
Steam Rating: Mild (for NA)
Overall Rating: 3.5 STARS

Review:
We met Nick in Give Me Something as a con-artist with little regard for how he treated people. However, by the end of that book Nick had grown on me and I really wanted him to be happy. So I was excited for his story and his chance at a HEA.

Do you need to read Give Me Something first? No. But you will probably be scratching your head a little during the scenes with Lila from the first book. So it’s would be a good idea to.

Nick has been trying to live his life on the straight and narrow but he is an opportunist. He sees a chance to get in good with a major record label as a producer (his dream job) and he takes it. Effectively “conning” his way in the door, and to lock the position down he beds the beautiful pop star he is working with, Sadie Sinclair. But with this con he’s bitten off more than he can chew.

Sadie Sinclair is a narcissistic sociopath. I mean I could tell you she’s selfish, bratty, and spoiled, but that wouldn’t convey how evil I found her character to be. Nick finds himself “trapped” in a relationship with her early on, knowing that if he leaves her she will take any chance of his future career goals away from him. He was warned beforehand not to get involved with her, but he did anyway and I didn’t feel bad for him. I felt as though he made his bed now he’s got to lay in it.

What makes this all the more frustrating for Nick is that he is falling for her assistant Gia. He basically pursues her relentlessly knowing they can’t be together because it would cost them both their jobs. Which was another dick move on Nick’s part. He really does make a ton of bad decisions throughout the book, I wanted to root for him but sometimes I just wanted to slap him upside the head…

So basically it boils down to love or money. If you read the first one you know how far Nick will go for money. Will he also give up his chance at true love?

Overall, I liked but not loved Nick’s story. I wanted to “feel” more connected to his character than I was. However, it was a great storyline, with interesting characters. If you liked the first one I highly recommend you read this one. I don’t think I’d recommend it as a standalone.

~StacyHgg
Books Unhinged Book Blog

Review to come...

Interview with a Master by Jason Luke
Series: #1 of 3
Genre: BDSM Erotica
Age Group: Adult
Release Date: February 8th 2014
Length: 258 pages
Format: Kindle
Source: Purchased
Review Date: February 10th 2014
Overall Rating: 5 STARS

Review:
I think it is important to start out with what this book is not before I tell you what I think it was. It is NOT a Romance novel. It is not even Erotic Romance. It is exactly as the synopsis states — a series of interviews between a young reporter and a handsome wealthy BDSM Master.

That is not to say there was no chemistry between the characters because there was. I went in with NO expectations and I LOVED it! But I only expected it to be exactly as the title stated, and I got so much more.

I wanted to read this novel because it intrigued me that a man wrote it with actual experience in the BDSM lifestyle. Well I can’t tell you if that is true or not because I know nothing about that lifestyle, but I can tell you that this dude knows women better than most know themselves. It’s kind of scary, a bit intriguing, and definitely disheartening when comparing the average man to “him.” It was like he was a sexual buddha with all this insight into the female psyche that was profound at times. I wonder if he wants to start an Academy on how to understand women better :-P he could make a freakin fortune!!!

And here is my proof:

Women don’t want to be forced to their knees. They want to be made to feel weak at the knees. Husbands and lovers need to make the woman in their life feel conquered.” …

… “Conquered?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Every woman who is aroused by submission is also aroused by an alpha male who can tame her. These women aren’t looking for a husband in the bedroom who will make them feel safe and loved. They already have that in their relationship. These women are looking for a man who is strong enough to conquer them.

…That’s the turn-on for women. They don’t want to be submissives… they want to feel like they can’t resist submitting.”

I know right??? O.O

But I could quote from this one forever. Seriously, I highlighted half the book, but really it all boils down to is the the book was AMAZING! The writing was fabulous, Jonah was sexy, mysterious, and intriguing, the heroine never annoyed me, and it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I was greedily reading it as fast as I could to find out what happened next. In my opinion, that makes a book 5 STAR worthy! Jason Luke knocked this one out of the park!!! It does not end on a cliffhanger, but there is much more to the story. I believe there will be three books and I can’t flippin wait to get my hands on the next one!

I really wish I could explain just why I loved it so much, but it is so different from what I normally read that it’s hard to categorize why in my mind. I mean I have read Erotica but like I said this is more a fictional story of a set of interviews. But it’s INSANELY Erotic the way he recalls his experiences to Leticia the journalist. We are in his mind, but we are only there while he is interviewing with her. It is obvious early on that he is hiding something but we have no idea what and I was completely shocked when I found out. I didn’t see any clues at all throughout the story, but after I knew some things fell into place.

Overall, I highly recommend this one as long as your not looking for a novel full of romance. It was PHENOMENAL. Jason Luke will be hitting multiple bestseller lists with this one and it is well deserved, especially for a debut novel.

Anticipation draws out the moment so that the moment then becomes exquisite

~StacyHgg
Books Unhinged Book Blog

Carnage by Lesley Jones
Series: The Story of Us #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult
Release Date: February 14th 2014
Length: Full-Length Novel
Format:Kindle eARC
Source: via tour host
Review Date: February 4th 2014
Steam Rating: 4.5/5 Scorcher
Overall Rating: 4-4.5 STARS

→ This is a preliminary review. May be changed for blog tour on 2.19.14
Review:
It's been a full twenty-four hours since I finished this book and I still am at a loss for how I want to do this review. I had a love/hate relationship with it for about half the book. There were times when I wanted to scream and throw my Kindle against the wall (or at the heroine), and then there were times when I loved the story so much I had happy tears in my eyes. To say it was a roller-coaster ride would be a HUGE understatement. It literally chewed me up and spit me out and by the end I was exhausted. The angst level was so high I felt like I needed a nap after every few chapters.

But don't think I am saying I didn't like it, because I did. I really did. If I was not pulled into the story it would not have affected me so much. I felt like I was on a journey that was so freakin beautiful at times I had to weep.

So what is it about?

It is the story of Georgia Rae "G" and the love of her life Sean "Maca." They meet when she is eleven and Sean is thirteen. They have an immediate sort of connection. Sean is the new lead singer in G's brother's band Carnage. They hang out a lot because of this, but don't go further because, well she's eleven. However, when she is fourteen they have their first kiss and they become inseparable and madly in love for the next few years. Their young love is so beautifully written and I loved going through that with them. It is told entirely from G's POV but we can tell that Sean is MADLY in love with her even at his tender young age.

But it is young love, and they are naive and make some mistakes. Sean and G's brothers band makes it big around the time G turns seventeen. This causes a lot of stress on the couple, and in time tears them apart. But this is where I had a problem with G. I know she was young so in turn naive, but she seemed to be unable to communicate with Sean even though they were extremely close. As close as a couple can get. And this frustrated me to no end → grrrr... I just wanted her to talk things out with him!!!! It just came off as unnecessary drama.

"...what we got, blows all of the others out of the fuckin water, Romeo and Juliet, Bonnie and Clyde, Sandy and Danny, even Baby and Johnny, they can't touch us." ~Sean

And I believed that. I believed they needed each other to breath. When they were apart they were each extremely depressed. Their love was so all-consuming and I could FEEL it as if it were my own love. Now as you see there is a mention to Baby and Johnny from Dirty Dancing. Their story starts in 1980 when they are eleven and thirteen, and goes through decades of their lives as the synopsis says.

And Sean, oh Sean... He was so flippin HOT, sexy, loving, sweet, I mean I could go on and on and on. He was every girls dream come true. And G knew it. She knew she was lucky to have him, but she was also very insecure because she knew as their band became more popular, more and more women were showing interest in him. She didn't handle this well, actually she didn't handle much of anything well. She wasn't the strongest of heroines. But I still liked her, even when I was mad at her ;-)

I wish I could go into the storyline more but I just can't and not spoil it for you. There is SO much more to the story. There was Sex, Drugs, Rock n Roll, LOTS of HOT as Sin men, and even gangsters. And it was really steamy sex which of course is always a plus :-D

It is set in England so there is some slang I did not quite get at first but it didn't hurt the flow of the story if you don't know it. Most of the time it actually made me laugh. The guys would call women "birds" and of course underwear is called "knickers" which always makes me giggle. Oh yeah and "spunk" ;-) which is self-explanatory (I hope).

Overall, I highly recommend it if you're in the mood for a HIGHLY EMOTIONAL tear-out-your-heart kind of novel. I was completely SHOCKED at how it ended (don't worry no spoilers). I didn't know if it was part of a series and I just HAD to know "some" things. So I messaged the Author via Facebook and asked her if it was part of a series and she said yes. *sigh* THANK GOD... I mean it could have ended where it did, but I really wanted more closure. There were so many loose ends. Book two cannot come soon enough!!!

"I love ya Georgia Rae, show us your tits." ~Sean

~StacyHgg
Books Unhinged Book Blog

Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan
Series: Sign of Love #4 (Standalone)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Release Date: January 25th 2014
Length: 338 pages
Format: Kindle
Source: Purchased
Review Date: January 30th 2014
Steam Rating: Scorcher
Overall Rating: 5+++ STARS

Review:
I’m the type of reader that when I LOVE a book, like really love a book I want to shout it from the rooftops. I guess that’s why I started a book blog. Archer’s Voice is one of those books. I couldn’t help but go on Twitter and Facebook while reading it to tell people how much they needed to read this book like now. I usually wait until I’m finished a book, but I just couldn’t… It was that good.

So as you may know if you follow my blog I have been in a bit of a reading slump, hence the Plot Holes and Clichés post two days ago. Well that is OVER!!! Thank You soooo freakin much Mia Sheridan, I thought I would NEVER get out of it!!!

So let me get to why I loved it so much. First, it was extremely well-written, told mostly from the heroine’s POV with some flashbacks, and an amazing epilogue. Second, it made me FEEL every word. I FELT the characters pain, their joy, their sadness, and their deep love for each other. I was so overcome with emotion that I had tears in my eyes continuously for most of the novel. It wasn’t just the sad times, it was the happy ones too. I think the happy times made me cry the most. It was one of those novels you have to stop because you can’t read through the tears in your eyes.

But most of all what drew me in was the uniqueness of the story. I LOVED the main characters. They NEVER annoyed me. Bree was an amazing heroine. She was sweet and loving, but also strong and defended what she thought was right. And she defends her man fiercely!

And Archer, oh sweet Archer… He was the most beautiful hero inside and out that I have ever read. I really don’t know how to put into words how amazing he really was. You will just have to take my word for it.

I didn’t know enough to dream about you, Bree, but somehow you came true anyway. How did that happen? He rubbed his nose along mine, pausing then pulling back again. Who read my mind and knew exactly what I wanted, even when I didn’t?

And Bree felt the same about Archer.

He was so beautiful. I felt something catch in my chest and knew it was just him, taking my breath away.

Yeah he took my breath away too Bree :-)

Bree and Archer have had rough lives to put it mildly. They have both been through so many traumas in their young lives that it is heartbreaking. But with the help of each other they become stronger individually. I don’t think I should go into the storyline too much because I refuse to spoil any of it for you. I went in practically blind and I was very happy I did.

I want to be able to love you more than I fear losing you, and I don’t know how. Teach me, Bree. Please teach me. Don’t let me destroy this.

And something which I didn’t expect was the extremely hot sex. I mean VERY HOTT. But it was so loving too. Not kinky, just hot and full of emotion. I mean it was… wow.

Overall, I cannot recommend this novel highly enough. It will be going on my all-times fav’s list. It is a MUST READ so do not let it sit on your TBR. You will be missing out on an incredible journey. I have read Mia Sheridan before, and loved her work. And I will continue to read anything she writes. She truly is amazingly talented.

Someday, I said, when we’re old and gray, I’m going to look at you lying in bed beside me, just like this, and I’m going to look in your eyes and know that its only ever been you. And that is going to be the great joy of my life… ~Archer

~StacyHgg
Books Unhinged Book Blog

Darkhouse by Karina Halle
Series: Experiment in Terror #1
Genre: Paranormal (Ghost)
Age Group: New Adult
Release Date: May 13th 2011
Length: 346 pages
Format: Kindle
Source: FREEBIE
Review Date: January 30th 2014
Overall Rating: 2.5 STARS

Review:
This one had me scratching my head half the time, and the other half I was just bored and wanted to put it down. The saving grace for it was that I was actually interested in the story enough to want to see how it all played out. Unfortunately, I shouldn't have bothered.

I picked up this book because it was on my TBR and comes highly recommended by people I trust in the book community. I feel the need to say that because it may just be me, and maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it... IDK :-(

I know that Karina Halle's Artist Trilogy is a HUGE hit, and I will still read it. It has been on my TBR for awhile. This book hasn't changed my desire to read that series at all. But this was written before that and I think that she has probably evolved as a writer. She shows promise but this one didn't do it for me.

First, what I liked about it was the dry wit, and the sardonic humor. I literally LOL a few times, and I liked the banter between Perry and Dex the two main characters. Did I necessary like the characters themselves? NO.

Perry has recently graduated from college and is working as a receptionist. She only took the job because it has room for advancement but she hates it, and she lets us know this frequently. It came off as annoying and I thought she was full of self-pity. I mean she really didn't have it that bad.Her mom was a bitch but... Not everyone's parents are perfect.

So the basic storyline is that Perry sees things that noone else does. And she is drawn to this lighthouse on her uncle's property where she literally bumps into Dex, a novice ghosthunter and experienced cameraman. They don't exactly hit it off, but they have the same agenda so they decide to work together to find out what the heck is going on in this creepy lighthouse.

I was never really scared, so I wouldn't classify this as a horror novel. Some scary things happen but I never really felt like I was in the story so it fell short of actually making me scared. If you have ever watched on of those ghost hunter shows on TV than you get what Perry and Dex were trying to accomplish. And you know they don't really make you scared. They are just kinda creepy.

Let me get to what really bothered me. There was plot hole after plot hole that had me shaking my head and wondering if I was reading it right. For example, when Dex and Perry first meet he literally disappears into thin air. He calls her a few days later like it never happened, AND she DOESN'T EVEN FUCKING ASK HIM ABOUT IT!!!! It's not even in her inner monologue so it's like she just FORGOT ABOUT IT!?!? Never to be spoken of again??? *eye-roll*

Another example, they go back to the lighthouse with a bunch of equipment, camera's tripods and such. But THEY DON'T EVER BRING A FLASHLIGHT TO A HAUNTED PLACE AT NIGHT!?!? 8-O It's not like they said to themselves "shit we forgot a flashlight," they used their cell phones and the camera light. But the cell phone's didn't put out much light, and the camera wasn't always on so they were frequently in the dark for no apparent reason??? I could go on and on but you get it.

Overall, it has some fun scenes but I didn't like it. I was rolling my eyes way too much. This is only the beginning to Dex and Perry's journey so there was no closure, for anything... I won't be reading the next one to get any either. And if your looking for romance (which I wasn't) this isn't the book for you. There is some chemistry between the main characters but it is mild and not really expounded upon. However, I believe this one is always a freebie so you can make up your own mind about it without spending a dime.

~StacyHgg
Books Unhinged Book Blog

Whispers in the Dark by K.I. Lynn
Series: standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance (Steamy)
Age Group: Adult
Release Date:
Length: 34 pages
Format: Kindle eARC
Source: via tour host
Review Date: January 21st 2013
Steam Rating: Scorcher
Overall Rating: 4 STARS

Review:
I have never reviewed a standalone novella/short-story before so I'm not really sure how to, but I will try my best. ;-) I also haven't read anything by K.I. Lynn however her Breach series is high on my TBR so i thought I would try this one out. It was cute and steamy but I didn't have time to get too invested in the characters.

Mia meets Tristan after a sucky day in the stairway to her apartment and sparks immediately fly. She is pretty forward with him, so much so that she even surprised herself. After her bad day gets even worse she finds herself in his apartment during a storm. They try to fight their growing attraction to each other, but as the night goes on it proves impossible.

Overall, it was a sexy, fun read that is well written. I would definitely read another title by her in the future. If your short on time this is a good little story to pick up!
~StacyHgg
Books Unhinged Book Blog

The Unidentified Redhead by Alice Clayton
Series: Redhead #1
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Age Group: Adult
Release Date:
Length: 8 hrs 14 min
Format: Audiobook (Review Copy)
Source: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Date: January 24th 2014
Steam Rating: Nuclear
Overall Rating: 5 STARS

Review:
Let me start out by saying that I LOVED these characters! They were funny, witty, sarcastic, and endearing. This book is hard to rate because i usually read very emotionally “heavy” books, but I needed a reprieve so I chose this after Christina The Book Bitch recommended it. It was exactly what I needed. I don’t really like light and fluffy books but this did not come of as that even though it was low “stress.” I was VERY invested in the characters from the beginning to the end without all kinds of emotional drama. And I literally LOL at quite a few scenes, while with others I shed a tear or two.

But I say “Why does a book have to give me a coronary for me to be able to throw a 5 STAR rating at it??” For what it is it was perfect. It was VERY sexy, graphicly so ;-) but not tacky. Jack was a total babe, I LOVED him to death, and I understood why Grace was willing to overlook the pretty large age difference. He is 24 year-old SEXY AS SIN budding movie star, and she is a 33 year-old aspiring actress who recently decided to completely turn her life around. She lost a bunch of weight and started caring for herself physically and emotionally. She was so inspiring!

So Grace moves to LA to live with her best friend since college who happens to also be a successful agent. An agent to none other than Jack himself. They meet and sparks immediately fly but there is a few things that are always in the back of their minds keeping them from enjoying themselves to the fullest. Well they DO enjoy their sex life to the fullest, I mean their relationship.

The ending is not a cliffhanger, but this is not a standalone and could not be read as one. Their story is just beginning. Luckily the next two Audiobooks have already been released and are sitting in my iPad ready to go!

As for the audio Keili Lefkovitz was fantastic and I felt like she was a perfect Grace. She spoke it like it was her story.

I highly recommend this Audiobook or Novel to those who need to get over a book hangover. Or those who like fun, sexy reads. I can’t wait to listen to the rest of the series!

~StacyHgg
Books Unhinged Book Blog

Night Owl by M. Peirce
Series: Night Owl Trilogy #1
Genre: Romance < Erotica
Age Group: Adult
Release Date: September 6th 2013
Length: 233 pages
Format: Kindle
Source: Purchased
Review Date: January 13th 2013
Steam Rating: Nuclear
Overall Rating: 5+ STARS

Review:
I want to start out with a quote from the book which pretty much represents how I feel about it.

“An author writes book after book, throwing darts at the board. Many stick, but one hits the bull’s-eye. The one they were meant to write”
…
“I read to find the bull’s-eye”

Night Owl is M. Peirce’s bull’s-eye. It was absolutely brilliant in every way. There is no other rating for it but 5 STARS. All I had to do was read the first few chapters, and I was hooked. You could not pry me away from it if you tried. I had been in a little bit of a reading slump, and had heard all the fan-fare about this book, so I thought I’d try it to get out of my slump. Well it was exactly what I needed. It was so different, so unique, so intriguing, so mysterious, so complex… So GOOD…

I went into this book absolutely blind. I had NO idea what is was about, and I really think it’s better that way. So much of my review will just be how I felt about the book. With just a little storyline ;-)

In the beginning we really don’t know much about either character except that they are writing a novel together and don’t know each other. They meet online to “chat” about their story and exchange notes. But one night things go too far and they end up having cybersex.

“Spread your legs. Help me come. God, my heart is pounding.”

If I could only describe this book in two ways it would be SMOKIN HOT SEX, and phenomenal writing. That is what stood out to me the most. It was literary brilliance meets SMUT. Which is just up my alley ;-)

“God Hannah. I’ve been thinking about fucking you. It’s like there’s something wrong with me. I can’t stop thinking about it. I want my body against yours, my cock inside you. It’s driving me wild. Does that frighten you?”

Night Owl is told in alternating POV’s between our two main characters Matt and Hannah. Hannah is pretty much an open book, while Matt is VERY secretive → to us the readers, and to her. But we do find out his secrets and why he is the way he is by the end, and it is very sad. That was the thing about the writing, I FELT whatever the characters felt. If they were feeling lust, longing, depression, or even if their heads were spinning, I not only felt it, I WAS IT. And I LOVE when an author can do that.

And Matt was as SEXY as they come. His filthy dirty mouth was the hottest I have EVER read. Seriously, he had me squirming in my seat constantly! I could not get enough of him!

Matt's smirks came in flavors -- two parts kindness, one part wicked amusement, a little lust in the mix. Oh, and one hundred percent smug bastard

“Greedy little bird, aren’t you? I thought about your breasts pressed into the tiles. I wouldn’t be gentle Hannah. I would force your legs apart and finger you like I owned you.”

Yeah and...

“…you like it, too. You like how filthy I am. You like it when I embarrass you.”
“Yes.”

And just one more tease…

“I know you love to suck my dick Hannah, but I’ll put it in your mouth when I want it there. You don’t give me pleasure, do you understand? I take it from you.”

Yeah, Matt has such a way with that sexy tongue of his ;-)

But we also got to see a more vulnerable side of him too. He was tortured, and at times he was just like a scared little boy with a huge heart.

I have to touch on the ending because for one it is part of a trilogy, and second it is a cliffhanger. But not in the normal sense. I usually HATE cliffhangers, and will not read them until all the books are out, but this one was different. I can’t explain exactly why, but it had closure enough that I was satisfied at the end, and also dying to know what happens next. I know it doesn’t make much sense but you have to trust me that you CAN read this without the next one already out. You won’t be sorry, or cursing me (at least I hope not) ;-)

Overall, I CANNOT recommend Night Owl enough! It is one of those epic reads that will stay with me for a long time. I would read ANYTHING this author comes out with in the future. Seriously. Anything.

~StacyHgg~
Books Unhinged Book Blog