Review: Avoiding Temptation (Avoiding, #3), by K. A. Linde

Avoiding Temptation by K.A. Linde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The final book in the ‘Avoiding’ series, ‘Avoiding Temptation’ provides the answers to all of the questions that I had. At last, I can put my frustrations to rest. Finally, I know how things work out for Lexi.

I don’t want to spoil this series for anyone, so I won’t say exactly who Lexi ends up with…or if she ends up with anyone at all. However, I will say that if you’re a fan of angst that this is one of the most angst-filled series that I’ve ever encountered. I could not believe the massive amounts of drama that played out over the course of this series.

This book certainly lived up to the reputation of earlier books in the series in that regard. There was never a dull moment. I couldn’t get enough of this salacious soap opera. This series is such a guilty pleasure. I know I should be appalled by the characters’ actions…but I just can’t stop reading!

As glad as I was to finally know how things worked out for Lexi and her string of male admirers, I was sad to see this series come to a close. I loved every minute of this series. It is probably one that I will re-read in the future, because I just can’t get enough of these characters.

I don’t want to ruin it for anyone, so I’ll just say that this is one series that you want to read. If you like forbidden love stories with a TON of angst, look no further. This is the series you’ve been looking for!

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Review: Avoiding Intimacy (Avoiding, #2.5), by K. A. Linde

Avoiding Intimacy by K.A. Linde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you’ve read the first two books in the ‘Avoiding’ series, then you probably love Lexi’s fiercely loyal best friend, Chyna, like I do. Every girl needs a Chyna in their corner. She’s been there to support her best friend through thick and thin, despite Lexi’s less than stellar choices.

From her first appearance in this series, I’ve wanted to know more about this mysterious lady. She plays the part of the spoiled, rich “princess” when it suits her, but it is clear that there is far more beneath the surface. This is Chyna’s story. It was raw. It was painful at times, but it was everything that I wanted.

Chyna yearns for intimacy and connection. Mostly, she just wants to feel wanted…to be someone that somebody else cannot live without. She needs to be needed and loved. This is in stark contrast to the “tough girl” facade that she tries to project.

Like the other books in this series, ‘Avoiding Intimacy’ bounces back and forth between past and present, slowly revealing all pertinent details to readers little by little. While this can be a bit confusing at times, I think it works well for this series. In fact, it kind of became the signature-style of this series – a calling card of sorts.

As such, much of this story takes place during the same time period covered in earlier books in the series…just from Chyna’s perspective. For much of this time, she was in Italy modeling, and away from Lexi. So, if you’re expecting Lexi, and/or Jack, to be a central focus, then you will be disappointed. Lexi has a few appearances, but this book is not centered on her like the others have been.

Before reading this book I liked Chyna. After reading it, I loved her. This is one strong-willed, tough lady. Her story goes to show that money doesn’t buy happiness. For a girl that seemed to have everything at the tips of her fingers, she was incredibly lonely. I gained a whole new respect for the “pretty little rich girl” after reading this book.

That being said, Chyna isn’t perfect by any means. She is her own worst enemy. More often than not, she sabotages her relationships before she can get too close. As much as she craved connection, she feared it in equal measure.

As expected, Adam plays a significant role in this book. However, a new man is introduced that ends up being a major player as well. Marco is vastly different from Adam, but his relationship with Chyna proves to be equally important in Chyna’s life.

One man is what she needs. The other is the embodiment of her darkest desires. Both want to claim her as their own.

Overall, I thought that this was another great addition to the ‘Avoiding’ series. Granted, I didn’t love it as much as Lexi’s story, but I did enjoy it quite a bit. I probably should have seen Lexi’s books through to the end before diving into Chyna’s vs. reading them in chronological order. I found myself rushing to get through this one, not because I wasn’t enjoying it, but because I was dying to see what would become of the Lexi/Jack/Ramsey fiasco. I recommend reading books 1, 2, 1.5 and 3 before coming back to this one. Then, you’ll know how things work out for Lexi and her guys and can savor Chyna’s story.

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Review: Avoiding Decisions (Avoiding, #1.5), by K. A. Linde

Avoiding Decisions by K.A. Linde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After reading ‘Avoiding Responsibility’, I simultaneously read ‘Avoiding Decisions’ while listening to ‘Avoiding Intimacy’. Of all the books in the series, ‘Avoiding Decisions’ was the only one that was not available in Audible format. I like to start and finish a series in the same format, so that kind of bugged me…but not nearly enough to keep me away. This series is my latest addiction!

Unlike the other books in the series, ‘Avoiding Decisions’ wasn’t really a full-length book. It is a compilation of two “novellas” really. While I enjoyed every minute of it, it read like an “extra” or “bonus material” vs. an actual book.

The first part of ‘Avoiding Decisions’ describes Jack and Lexi’s first encounters from Jack’s POV. Reading this helped me to understand some of his actions, even if I disagreed with his choices. I needed reassurance that Jack’s feelings for Lexi were sincere after everything he’d put her through. This book gave me that.

Likewise, the second part of ‘Avoiding Decisions’ provides Ramsey’s account of his first encounters with Lexi. In much the same way as Jack’s story convinced me that he had real feelings for Lexi, Ramsey’s story did not. If anything, his story confirmed my suspicions that Lexi was a fill-in for Parker and that he was never really in love with Lexi.

That being said, this book only covered a very brief period of time from the POVs of either Jack or Ramsey. It is quite possible that Ramsey later came to love Lexi very much, as he professed. It is also possible that Jack later fell out of love with Lexi, as this book only provided a brief glimpse into the beginnings of these relationships and did not follow them for the entire course of their relationships.

My only gripe is that I still feel like Lexi was never enough. Jack supposedly loved her, but still didn’t care enough to make her a priority. Why were her feelings always less important than everyone else’s? It drove me nuts!

This was a very quick read and well worth it if you’re a fan of the series. Like the other books in this series, I ate this one up. I cannot get enough of this sordid, angsty, drama-fest! I just love it!

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Review: Avoiding Responsibility (Avoiding, #2), by K. A. Linde

Avoiding Responsibility by K.A. Linde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Once I finished reading ‘Avoiding Commitment’, I immediately downloaded ‘Avoiding Responsibility’. I was completely sucked in by this story and I couldn’t wait to find out where Lexi’s life was going to take her after the upset at the end of the first book. Even though Lexi epitomizes poor choices and a lack of self-respect, I cannot get enough of her story. I’m a masochist like that!

If you haven’t read ‘Avoiding Commitment’, know that this review may contain some spoilers for that book. ‘Avoiding Responsibility’ is the second book in the ‘Avoiding’ series and the books should be read in order to maximize enjoyment and understanding of this story.

Back in New York City, Lexi is left to lick her wounds. Meanwhile, the planning for Jack and Bekah’s wedding is underway. Talk about a nightmare! I spent a fair amount of time moping around, grieving and alternately raging, with Lexi for most of this book. It was just so unfair!

While Jack is relegated to a background role in this second book, Ramsey becomes a primary focus. Where Jack has left Lexi broken, Ramsey sweeps in to pick up the pieces. As much as I liked Ramsey – and I really did like him – I had “friend-zoned” him long ago. So, when Lexi begins to see him as more than a friend, I never really got on board with that.

It’s a hang-up of mine. I always want the heroine to end up with the “first” guy that I experienced her falling in love with. (If that makes any sense.) Even though Jack was a complete and total douche, I was still doodling “Lexi + Jack forever” in my mind.

Since this book centers on Lexi and Jack moving on with their lives without each other, I was left with a hole in my chest. No matter how destructive, it was hard to let go of the idea of their love. It pained me.

While Jack and Lexi’s relationship may have changed drastically, Lexi’s tendency to make very poor decisions did not. Poor Lexi always settles for second-best. It was sad, really. My heart broke for her as she again picked a guy that would never place her first. Ramsey may have even grown to love her on some level, but it was clear that he was still hung up on his ex-girlfriend, Parker. I just kept thinking, “Man, Lexi really knows how to pick them!”

Of course, this book had several twists and surprises along the way. Jack may have been less of a central focus this time around, but he’s still lurking in the background. No matter what they say, Lexi and Jack have not gotten past whatever it was they had together. Sparks fly and feelings get hurt. If you think you’ve seen the end of the drama surrounding these two, you’d be sadly mistaken. It isn’t over, baby!

Overall, I am still loving this series. I am a sucker for an angsty, forbidden romance that rips your heart out. This story definitely delivers on that account. I plan to listen to the next book immediately. I am very thankful that I didn’t read these books immediately upon their release. The wait for the release of the next books would have killed me!

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Review: Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding, #1), by K. A. Linde

Avoiding Commitment by K.A. Linde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow! I am still trying to get my emotions – mainly anger – under control after reading this one. I have not wanted to pummel a hero like this in a long time! Ugh! I’m not sure I can articulate how furious I am with Jack, but I’m going to give it a shot.

The story begins in present-time, with Lexi receiving an unexpected phone call from an old friend, Jack. It is very apparent that Jack broke Lexi’s heart and that there are some unresolved feelings lingering. Clearly, the two had an intense history and Lexi never recovered from whatever Jack did to her.

Almost immediately, I wanted to strangle Jack. I didn’t know who this guy was exactly at this point in the story, but I couldn’t believe his audacity. With the obvious heartache that Lexi was still harboring, he calls and asks her to convince his new girlfriend that he is capable of commitment. Say what? I was like, “This guy has some damn nerve!”

Ultimately, Lexi caves. She agrees to do this “favor” for her old “friend”. I knew that it would play out that way, but I was still like “Oh, hell no!”. After all, the story had to go somewhere.

As I’m sure you can guess, Lexi and Jack together results in a flood of sexual tension and unresolved issues. It is so obvious that neither one has ever really gotten over the other one. You know that you’re in for a lot of drama and angst.

The girlfriend, not surprisingly, ends up being a royal bitch. I loathed Bekah. Honestly, if she weren’t so despicable, I might have felt bad for her. After all, she loved Jack and he was messing around with Lexi all the time. The fact that Bekah was such a horrible person really made it easy to overlook Jack and Lexi’s indiscretions…which was crucial to enjoy this story.

Like Lexi, I began to fall for Jack’s charm and it was so easy to see how she got sucked in again. However, Jack’s sketchy behavior and indecisiveness has Lexi being jerked around. As their story unfolds through repeated flashbacks, it becomes clear that this is a long-standing pattern of behavior between Jack and Lexi.

Lexi and Jack meet in college and always seem to find their way back to each other. From their first date, Lexi is hooked. She can’t get enough of him. The feeling is mutual, but there’s a problem…Jack has a girlfriend!

When the cat’s finally out of the bag, Lexi is outraged. She, rightfully, walks out on Jack and tells him exactly what a scumbag he is. Yay, Lexi! At this point, I’m totally with her. I was feeling all indignant and high on my “girl-power” mojo. (Picture me walking around my kitchen with my headphones on, drinking a glass of wine and cursing Jack while making dinner.)

Unfortunately for Lexi, that isn’t the last time she will cross paths with Jack. Through mutual friends, their lives are intertwined. Lexi eventually begins to date one of Jack’s friends, which leads to more “chance” encounters between Jack and Lexi.

This is where I started wanting to shake some sense into Lexi. You know that saying, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…”? Never has it been more applicable to a situation than it was to Lexi’s. No matter what this guy did, she caved and fell for his charms again and again. It was incredibly frustrating. At the same time, I couldn’t help but want Lexi and Jack to end up together. I guess I kind of fell for his charms too.

Jack is definitely a character that I loved to hate. He was irresistible, even though your brain tells you that he’s bad news. There were so many times that I wanted to scream as he repeatedly broke Lexi’s heart. At the same time, I was incredibly conflicted because she did her fair share of harm to others in her pursuit of Jack.

Part of me questioned whether or not Jack ever truly cared about Lexi at all. After all, his actions sure didn’t show it. Maybe I’ve deluded myself as much as Lexi did, but I just can’t believe that he didn’t really love Lexi.

Regardless of what my heart says, my brain says that Lexi should have some self-respect. Honestly, the things that Jack did were inexcusable. Not that he spent much time groveling, but I’m not sure that there would be enough groveling – ever – to make up for the way he treated Lexi. Lexi’s best move would be to pack up and move somewhere far, far away.

The ending of this book really threw me for a loop. I could not believe it! I wanted to throw a temper tantrum.

That being said, I could not pull myself away from this story. I immediately jumped into the next book in the series and have marathon read the entire series in a couple of days. It was like watching a bad wreck unfold in front of my eyes. I couldn’t stop watching as their sordid lives played out for me.

I don’t think I’ve read a cheating book that was this angsty and had me tied in knots like this since reading S. C. Stephen’s ‘Thoughtless’. Holy hell! It’s painful, but I’m hooked.

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