Review: Here to Stay (The Fish Tales, #3), by Suanne Laqueur

Here to Stay by Suanne Laqueur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The third book in ‘The Fish Tales’ series, ‘Here to Stay’ chronicles Erik and Daisy’s new beginning. After everything that they’ve been through and all the pain that they’ve inflicted on themselves and each other, they are finally trying to work things out. However, a past like theirs is not easily forgotten. It will take a lot of understanding and forgiveness to move past the hurt that they’ve hung onto for so long.

As happy as I was to see one of my new favorite couples find their way back to one another, they still had a lot of healing ahead of them. There was no way that they could ever pick up where they left off. Too much had happened. I’ve never seen a couple that caused each other so much pain, even as they loved each other so much.

Aside from repairing his relationship with Daisy, Erik also has to make amends with Will. For me, the disintegration of their friendship was just as heartbreaking. I was so glad to see them reunited and to have Erik acknowledge his mistreatment of Will.

While Erik and Daisy are navigating the new terms of their long-distance relationship, there are some expected insecurities on both of their parts. Understandably, Daisy fears abandonment. Erik has his own worries about his fertility and what that will mean for their future.

Along the way, Erik finally faces his past. He has allowed the actions of his father to model his future for too long. When a long lost relative reaches out to Erik, he and Daisy go on a journey of self-discovery. He uncovers family secrets that shed light on his father’s sudden disappearance. While he doesn’t get all of the answers that he was looking for, he gains a better understanding of the demons that haunted his father.

Of course, nothing comes easy for Daisy and Erik. Just when you think that they’re going to ride off into the sunset and live their happily ever after, tragedy strikes. I swear, they just can’t catch a break.

Old habits die hard and the couple must overcome the desire to slip back into old coping strategies. This time around, they are more mature and better able to help each other heal. I was very glad to see that they were able to work through this upset together and come out stronger as a couple because of it.

‘Here to Stay’ was a wonderful finale to Erik and Daisy’s story. I have loved every minute of this series and the vibrant characters that Ms. Laqueur has brought to life. I highly recommend this series. I listened to the Audible version and the narration was fabulous as well.

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Review: Preppy: The Life and Death of Samuel Clearwater, Part Two (King, #6), by T. M. Frazier

Preppy: The Life and Death of Samuel Clearwater, Part Two by T.M. Frazier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Preppy is back, but he isn’t the same Preppy that we’ve grown to love over the course of the ‘King’ series. His time in captivity has really done a number on him. After everything he endured, it is nothing short of a miracle that he managed to survive…and surviving is exactly what he’s doing, no more.

When Dre seeks closure, she never imagined that she’d find Preppy alive. So much for saying “goodbye” and making her peace. She is immediately taken back to their time together, even if she’d rather forget the heartache that he left her with.

As Preppy begins to heal physically, he is plagued by the psychological after-effects of the torture. While all of his closest friends want him to face his issues, he wants nothing more than to escape from the pain. He loses himself in drugs and alcohol, racing to the bottom.

The only time that Preppy is able to find any peace is when he is with Dre. She has a calming affect on him. Despite the pain he’s caused her, she still can’t seem to give up on him. She does her best to keep him at arms-length, but as always, he manages to creep into her heart.

At times, I did find myself scratching my head over details related to the timeline of some events. It just didn’t seem to add up for me, but I could have been mis-reading something. At one point, Preppy’s captivity is said to have been for a few months. Yet at other points in the story, it was implied that he didn’t know about the kids that Doe and King had. He was also clueless to the fact that Bear had entered into a serious relationship and Thia was now “huge” in her pregnancy, which wouldn’t happen until the third trimester. So, I was a little confused as to how he could have missed so much if he’d only been away for “months”. Again, maybe I mis-read something along the way. I’ll have to go back and re-read this at some point to clarify.

If you’re a fan of this series, like I am, expect to enjoy this book. I have been a big fan of Preppy from the start, so it was hard to meet this broken version of the usually boisterous character that I love so much. However, things are looking up for Preppy.

That being said, I continue to be perplexed by the number of typos and grammatical errors that make it into the published versions of this author’s works. I’m not sure if there is a big rush to meet deadlines, or what else might be contributing. However, the editing needs some work. Simple mistakes like using the word “your” when the word should be “you’re” or typos like “phon” in place of “phone” are sprinkled throughout the book. It was distracting at times and does take away from the story.

Given that the story itself is so fantastic, which takes a lot of talent on the part of the author, it is a shame to see basic editing oversights and technicalities mess with it. I’m no grammar expert myself, but there should be a few grammar experts on the team of this best-selling author, in my opinion. Her work is incredible and I hate to see it not live up to it’s potential because of such elementary mistakes.

Even with the editing oversights, this was a highly enjoyable book. It does end with another cliffhanger, so expect to be waiting anxiously for part 3 of Preppy’s story. I will be sure to buy it as soon as it is released.

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Review: My Skylar, by Penelope Ward

My Skylar by Penelope Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Once I finished ‘Jake Undone’, I had to start ‘My Skylar’ to get Skylar’s story. This book can be read as a standalone, but reading ‘Jake Undone’ will provide a brief introduction to Skylar and a little insight into her background. Similarly, you’ll have the backstory for Jake and Nina, Skylar’s super-supportive friends, if you’ve read that book first. However, it is not necessary to read ‘Jake Undone’ first to understand and/or enjoy ‘My Skylar’.

Skylar and Mitch meet when they are young children. Mitch’s grandmother lives across the street from Skylar’s family. He comes to stay with his grandmother one summer while his parents split up.

The two find that they have a lot in common, despite their separate upbringings. In no time at all, they become best friends. They spend every waking moment with each other, until Mitch has to return to his home.

When Mitch’s father shows up unexpectedly early to pick him up, he is surprised. He is only more surprised by the news that his parents are getting divorced. As a young boy, the demise of his parent’s marriage has shook his belief in the foundation of marriage. He even questions the permanence of “love”.

Skylar does not hear from Mitch for years. As a teenager, she hears his name at a party and immediately the memories come back. She has never forgotten the boy that walked into her life all those years ago, even if he seemed to have forgotten her.

When Mitch returns as a teenager to live with his mother in his grandmother’s home, Skylar and him pick up their friendship where they left off. It is almost like he never left. Only, now there is a definite sexual attraction brewing between the two.

This was a story that delivered a ton of angst and teenage melodrama. There were several times that I found myself wanting to shake Mitch and Skylar. So much heartache could’ve been avoided if they had only been open and honest with each other. It was incredibly frustrating at times, as they danced around each other ignoring the elephant in the room.

Along the way, the story takes a few unbelievable twists. I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy the story, but I did think that some of the twists were over-the-top. Skylar and Mitch were dramatic enough without having some of the extra twists in my opinion. I kept thinking “What else?”. It was like the universe was working to keep these two apart.

This story follows Mitch and Skylar’s relationship from childhood into adulthood and there are plenty of angst-filled moments along the way. They are together, then they aren’t. They’re inseparable, then they’re estranged. It was enough to give me whiplash at times.

Despite all of the back and forth, I found myself glued to my headphones while I listened to their story. It was angsty and over-the-top, but I loved it. My heart broke at times, but it worked out perfectly in the end. I recommend this story for anyone that loves a HEA, but isn’t afraid to work for it or cry a few tears along the way.

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Review: Fidelity (Infidelity, #5), by Aleatha Romig

Fidelity by Aleatha Romig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Aleatha Romig is one of my all-time favorite authors. She has a way of pulling me into her stories and keeping me utterly captivated from start to finish. I am addicted to her special brand of antiheroes. Nobody can craft a guy that you love to hate and hate to love quite like her.

It goes without saying that I devoured every word of the ‘Infidelity’ series. I loved the taboo and twisted circumstances that surrounded Nox and Charli throughout this series. They were nothing, if not complicated.

That being said, this series was not my favorite of Ms. Romig’s series. While I love the way she takes the time out to develop her characters and the storyline, at times that meant that the story seemed to move at a snail’s pace. There were several times when I found myself questioning the necessity of some of the redundant details while reading this series. Book 4, in particular, seemed to have several slow spots for me.

The fifth, and final, book in the series, ‘Fidelity’ ties up all of the loose ends. I wasn’t left with any lingering questions. I also felt quite satisfied with the way everything worked out, which was a far cry from how unsettled I felt at the end of the last book.

As expected, Nox and Charli, aka Alex, are a huge part of this book. However, I found myself equally intrigued with Oren and Adelaide’s story. Some of the supporting characters seemed to become a more important part of the story this time around, giving way to some new questions. I wonder if any of them will get their own spin-off books.

I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Fidelity’. It was a fantastic conclusion to a great series. As much as I enjoyed this series, I have to say that I’m glad to take a break from the Montagues, Fitzgeralds, Demetris and Spencers. It was nice to see things eventually work themselves out, but it was definitely exhausting.

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Review: Dirty Ugly Toy, by K. Webster

Dirty Ugly Toy by K. Webster
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you follow my reviews, you know that I love dark, twisted stories. Based on the title alone, I knew that this story would be right up my alley. K. Webster never fails to deliver just the type of mindf*ck that I love and this book was no exception.

‘Dirty Ugly Toy’ begins with a scene that immediately had me questioning exactly what kind of a sick individual Braxton Kennedy really was. He has finished with one of his “toys”. She is bound, gagged and it is time to make her disappear from Braxton’s presence forever.

Once he’s disposed of his last toy, Braxton goes on the hunt for another one. He has particular tastes. He wants the filthiest, most drug-addicted and desperate woman on the streets to act out his depraved fantasies with. He will pretty her up, just to break her down again.

Jessica turned to prostitution in order to feed her heroin addiction. She will do anything for her next fix. Self-respect left her long ago. The woman she used to be would not recognize herself now.

When Jessica, aka “Bunny”, is picked up by Braxton, she cannot resist the lure of the $500,000 that he promises for 6 months of her time. She would do anything for that kind of money and all the heroin that it would buy. Without reading the fine print, she signs his contract and becomes Braxton’s new toy.

From the start, Jessica proved to be a challenge for Braxton. She challenged him in ways that he had never been challenged before. She was anything but submissive, even as he did his best to humiliate and degrade her.

Braxton behaves in a reprehensible manner. He was a really hard character to like because his behavior was so damn cruel and deplorable at times. It was clear that he was one seriously messed up individual, but I couldn’t excuse his callous treatment of Jessica. Regardless of his “mommy issues”, his treatment of her was despicable.

That being said, the story was actually not as dark as I had anticipated. There were a few scenes with violence, but Braxton’s cruelty was most pronounced in the emotional abuse he subjected Jessica to. The flashbacks from her past were the source of the darkest content and not her BDSM relationship with Braxton, which ended up being pretty tame.

Overall, this was a great story. It was dark-ish, but I would’ve liked for it to be a little darker. There was plenty of twists and turns to hold my attention throughout this book. If you like dark stories with a bit of mystery/suspense, then this is a good choice.

On the other hand, I should say that I was not overly impressed with the Audible narration for this book. The narrators’ voices just didn’t appeal to me at all. This is one that I’d recommend reading vs. listening to. It took me quite a while to get into the story because the voice of the narrator was so off-putting.

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Review: Undo Me (The Good Ol’ Boys, #3), by M. Robinson

Undo Me by M. Robinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The third book in ‘The Good Ol’ Boys’ series, ‘Undo Me’ is the story of Dylan and Aubrey. These two had one of the most tragic and complicated stories that I’ve ever read. Never have I wanted a couple to get their HEA so badly. As I listened to their story, I hurt for them. They deserved some happiness after everything they went through.

While reading ‘Complicate Me’, I was sure that I had figured things out between Dylan and Aubrey. In fact, I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to read this book because I was so sure that I already knew how things would play out. I was so wrong. ‘Undo Me’ was so much more than I expected.

Of all the “Good Ol’ Boys”, Dylan was the one that I felt least connected to at the onset of this book. He was kind of just the player in the background in the first two books. He was dating Aubrey…then he wasn’t. He went from the dedicated boyfriend to a manwhore, seemingly overnight, without any explanation. I didn’t know why, but it was off-putting to me.

My questions were answered in this third book. Finally, I know what events led up to the downfall of Dylan and Aubrey. Now that I know, I can say that my perception was completely inaccurate.

I had expected this book to be the “shallowest” of the series. However, I was greatly mistaken. This book was the most emotional and dealt with the “heaviest” content in the series to this point. I don’t want to give too much away, but if you’ve read the first two books in the series, you already know that abuse is going to be addressed. It doesn’t stop there. This book will gut you.

This book would’ve been a 5-star book for me, if it weren’t for the fact that it got so far-fetched toward the end. Don’t get me wrong. It was a great story. However, some of the events toward the very end were a bit too convenient and far-fetched for me.

Overall, it was a deeply emotional read. I would recommend this book if you’re looking for something angsty and touching. Keep your tissues handy, but rest assured that things will work out eventually. It doesn’t come easy for this couple, but they get there in the end.

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Review: An Exaltation of Larks, by Suanne Laqueur

An Exaltation of Larks by Suanne Laqueur
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was absolutely spectacular! I am in awe of this author’s abilities. ‘An Exaltation of Larks’ was the first book I’ve read by Ms. Suanne Laqueur, but it certainly will not be the last. I’ll be adding all of her books to my TBR list ASAP!

From the opening lines, I knew that this was going to be a story that would stick with me…and it has. The writing is flawless and incredibly poetic. I could not pull myself away from this story, even falling asleep with my propped up on my chest at night. I was entirely consumed with the fascinating lives of these characters.

This story was so rich with history and emotion that I am still digesting everything I read days later. I loved the way that Ms. Laqueur was able to weave fact and fiction together so seamlessly. The end result was a superb story that ended up being enlightening and deeply touching, as well as highly entertaining.

At the onset of the book, I was sure that I knew what direction the story would head in. It had the ominous feel of danger, as a young Alejandro Penda hides in his parents closet in the days following the overthrow of Chile’s government by a military coup on September 11, 1973. The air was thick with the fear of Chile’s citizens, as many are rounded up and taken away, never to be seen again. His own parents had been taken, leaving a young Alejandro to fend for himself.

After days of being left alone, Alejandro’s father returns. He is able to get safe passage for Alejandro to the United States, to stay with an uncle. However, he cannot go with Alejandro. He decides to stay behind to search for his wife, who is pregnant with their second child. Alejandro watches his father walk away from the U. S. Embassy, never to see his parents again.

Although Alejandro can never completely move on, haunted by the unknown, he quickly assimilates himself into his new life. Going by the name of “Alex”, he is befriended by the children of his uncle’s friends, the Larks. Their son, Roger, becomes Alex’s best friend. One of their daughters, Valerie, becomes the object of his affections. They all grow up together in the peaceful community of Guelisten, NY, where the Lark family is practically a legend.

When Alex’s uncle dies several years later, the Lark family assumes guardianship of Alex. He is older, but still in school and too young to live independently. The dynamics of his relationship with Val change drastically, but the attraction is still there, just below the surface.

This book spans decades, from the time that Alex is a young child, well into his adult life. The story follows the characters through their childhoods, chronicles their struggles as college students and young adults, and later as adults with families of their own. This book sees the rise and collapse of governments as the political climate changes across the globe. In one word, this story is “epic”.

Along the way, we are introduced to Javier, a young man terribly abused and cast out by his own family. Forced as a teenager to make his own way on the streets of New York City, he is eventually introduced to work as an escort. Under the tutelage of his mentor, Gloria, he quickly rises through the ranks, becoming one of the most sought after male escorts in the city.

At first, I didn’t understand where Ms. Laqueur was going with Jav’s story. He seemed to be introduced out of nowhere, pulling me away from Alex and Val’s story. However, fate has plans for all of them. Soon all of their lives will intersect in life-changing ways.

I don’t want to give too much away, or spoil this story for anyone. It is a story that deserves to be read and savored individually. If you’re sitting on the fence with this one, read it.

This was a beautiful, multifaceted story. It is just the type of thought-provoking story that I needed to start my year off right. It was breathtaking and so much more than I had ever hoped it would be. I highly recommend this book. It is absolutely spectacular!

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Review: Hellraiser (The Devil’s Own, #2), by Amo Jones

Hellraiser by Amo Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you’ve read ‘One Hundred & Thirty-Six Scars’, then you’ll remember Braxton “Hella” Ward as the insensitive, promiscuous biker that had a thing for Meadow’s friend, Melissa. I’d like to say that by the end of this book that I came to understand the reasons for Hella’s obnoxious behavior, but I can’t. I did grow to like him a little more, but that’s about all I can say for him.

Whereas Melissa Hart was kind of “along for the ride” in the first book, ‘Hellraiser’ focuses on her tumultuous relationship with Hella. This is a guy that enjoyed flaunting other women in her face, just to get a rise out of her. Yet, despite her tough reputation, she can’t seem to get enough of this jackass. I guess we all have our weaknesses!

The Army is also out for revenge. As The Devil’s Own plan for Beast and Meadow’s wedding, The Army has their own plans underway. Once again, Melissa finds herself on “lockdown” at the club compound.

While some things never change, like the repeat of a crisis requiring a lockdown at the biker club, there were a few new elements to this story. Melissa’s estranged sister, shows up on her doorstep. She is very secretive about why she’s left her life behind as a nun, but it is clear that she is running scared from something.

Of course, we also get more of Melissa’s story. From the once naive college girl, to the strong woman that she grew into, it is easy to see how her life events made her the person that she is. Her past was a brutal one.

In more ways than one, the past collides with the present in this book. Seemingly unrelated events end up being anything but “unrelated”. Eventually, it all comes to light in a brutal twist.

While I still had many of the same issues with this book that I had with the first book in the series, I do think that there were some improvements in the writing and editing. Yes, the author still uses phrases like “deep, shallow breaths” and “usually, always”, which drives me crazy. However, these mistakes did seem to be less frequent.

Like the first book, things just seemed to happen without any reasonable transition. For example, Hella’s character is all about sleeping around and he flaunts the fact that he isn’t going to settle down right up until the moment that he does. Before you could blink, he has committed himself to Melissa and has an entire personality change without any explanation or plausible progression of his feelings being portrayed.

It was like the author needed certain things to happen for the story to go where she wanted it to, so she just wrote it without making an attempt to make it believable. It was like reading the creation story. You know, “Let there be light” and it just happens. Things fell together too easily.

Similarly, the conflict between Melissa and Hella seemed contrived just to create some drama. It was pretty ridiculous. Then was forgotten just as easily. I definitely rolled my eyes a few times.

I once again find myself curious about where the next book will go. ‘Hellraiser’ ended with a huge cliffhanger. Even though this book was just an “okay” read for me, I am dying to know what happens in the next book with Melissa’s sister. I’m having a bit of deja vu here, since I felt the exact same way after finishing the first book. So, I’m going to read the next one, but if it doesn’t improve significantly, I’m calling it quits for this series. I hope I don’t regret it.

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Review: Punk 57, by Penelope Douglas

Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was one of those over-the-top high school stories that I could not put down. ‘Punk 57’ is my latest guilty pleasure. I enjoyed every implausible, melodramatic moment!

Misha Lare and Ryen Trevarrow have been pen-pals for years, ever since their teachers mistakenly thought they were the same gender in elementary school and assigned them as pen-pals for a class project. They’ve been writing to one another ever since. Over the years, the two have become best friends, even though they’ve never met in person. Now in high school, things are about to get impossibly complicated.

Misha’s band is close to getting their big break. He spots Ryen at a promotional event being held for his band and initiates a conversation. Never, does he tell her who he is. Unbeknownst to them at the time, that night will change everything.

Ryen is the type of girl you love to hate. She makes hating her easy. Popular, beautiful and nasty as hell, she is the type of “mean girl” that are the source of high school nightmares. She is a bully, but she doesn’t hate anyone nearly as much as she hates herself. The only person she’s ever allowed to glimpse the person that she really wants to be is Misha, the pen-pal that she’s never even met in person.

When Masen Laurent starts attending Ryen’s school, she is immediately caught off-guard by the hot new guy that gives her a taste of her own medicine. He isn’t afraid of her and he makes it a point to call her out on all of her horrible ways. In fact, he seems to be on a personal mission to bring her down a few rungs.

As Ryen’s rivalry with Masen heats up, she is forced to face the person that she’s become. Misha has stopped writing to her without explanation and Ryen is feeling lower than she’s ever felt before. Her walls seem to be closing in on her, as she is forced to choose between the person she has become and the person she wants to be.

While there is a “secret” in this story, it isn’t really a surprise to readers. In fact, you know the big twist all along and it is just a matter of waiting for the characters to figure everything out. That being said, it doesn’t make the big reveal any less explosive.

From start to finish, I could not put this book down. It was full of high school melodrama and a pretty unrealistic storyline, but I loved every minute. After all, who wants to read something that sounds like your daily routine? Not me. This book was emotional and addictive. I loved it!

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Review: King of Wall Street, by Louise Bay

King of Wall Street by Louise Bay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

‘King of Wall Street’ was just the type of sweet, straightforward love story that I was craving. I listened to the Audible version during my daily commute and it was a great way to pass the time. It had humor and plenty of heat. Even without big twists and surprises, this story held my attention.

Harper Jayne has idolized Max King for years. She’s landed an entry-level research position working under the Wall Street business mogul, right out of grad school. She is determined to prove herself and stand on her own two feet, refusing the assistance of her wealthy father.

However, Max King is determined to prove something himself. He’s dead set on proving to himself that he can avoid his attraction to the sexy new junior employee. He’s never mixed business and pleasure before. He plans to stay far away from the likes of Ms. Harvey Jayne, lest he lose all control. Max King is not a man that ever loses control.

As Max tries to push Harper away, she manages to creep into his life. For her part, Harper cannot understand why Max is so nasty to her. She figures it is just her luck to end up having him infiltrate her life outside of work as well.

After a few chance encounters outside of the office, these two are going at it like bunnies. They try to keep work and private activities separate, but that can only last for so long. Despite their attempts to keep their outside relationship strictly sexual, their feelings only grow stronger.

I’m sure you can imagine how things play out, there’s no big surprises here. However, I really enjoyed this predictable office romance. The characters were easy to relate to and I loved the fact that Max had a teenage daughter, Amanda. Her character gave a little different spin to the billionaire meets intern storyline.

Overall it was a highly enjoyable, straightforward and fun read. It was a nice way to pass the time. I listened to the Audible version and the narration was well done also.

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