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: Entrapment (Infidelity, #4), by Aleatha Romig

Entrapment by Aleatha Romig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Intense

The fourth book in the ‘Infidelity’ series, ‘Entrapment’ serves to build tension and keep you on the edge of your seat. With only one book remaining in the series, this books paves the way for what is bound to be an explosive ending. Of course, you’ll be left hanging for a while longer, dying to know what fate awaits Alex and Nox, until the last book is released. Surely, you didn’t think your questions would be answered yet.

Picking up where the last book left off, Alex is back under the control of the diabolical trio–Alton, Suzanna and Bryce. Every move she makes is watched and her free will has been forfeited. The constant threat of having her mother harmed or being denied access to her mother is used to keep her in line.

Meanwhile, Nox and his father team up to try and rescue the women that they love from their house of horrors. Despite their troubled history, they have finally found some common ground and put their differences aside temporarily. It was nice to see the father-son duo working together for a change.

While I found Alex’s choices to be pretty frustrating in this book, I can see that the groundwork has been laid for an amazing finale. I spent a lot of time wanting to shake some sense into Alex this time around, much like Nox, I’m sure. Time after time, she placed herself in increasingly compromising positions. It was like she lost all sense of self-preservation.

Chelsea plays a more pivotal role in this installment as well. Her character really kept me engaged in the story. It was clear that she was suffering even more than Alex. Yet, she hung around out of a sense of loyalty to her best friend, despite being treated horribly. I gained a whole new respect for Chelsea.

Bryce also showed his true colors in this book. We’ve seen glimpses of his arrogant, ill-tempered behavior before, but now we’re given the whole, ugly truth. He is a psychopath!

When he was in a scene, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. This guy is a violent predator that gets off on humiliation and domination. Rest assured that Bryce probably has a string of victims everywhere he’s traveled.

Oren and Adelaide’s history continues to be revealed little by little. I enjoyed every little crumb of their story that was thrown my way. Poor Adelaide deserves to have someone watching out for her for a change.

Patrick also plays a crucial role in this book. I just love his character. Like Chelsea, he proves to be a loyal friend to Alex. His mother also stepped up to help out in this book, which was a nice twist.

While I loved the way everything seems to be coming together and building up to a big ending, I have to admit that I’m ready to see this series come to a close. With each book, this story gets more complicated and convoluted. I’ve enjoyed it, but I’m ready to see things come to a close.

The things that Alex and her mother have endured for the sake of money, all while claiming not to care about the money, is ridiculous. Why they just haven’t given Alton the middle finger and walked away is beyond me. It is kind of unbelievable, especially when they’ve both had incredibly wealthy men that have wanted to play knight in shining armor. I just don’t get it.

Overall, I thought this was another great addition to the series. In spite of my few reservations, I continue to enjoy this series. After the huge cliffhanger that this book ended with, I am dying to see how everything ends.

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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: Deception (Infidelity, #3), by Aleatha Romig

Deception by Aleatha Romig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this third book in the ‘Infidelity’ series, Alexandria’s life continues to prove to be ever more complicated than imagined. Betrayal after betrayal comes to light, revealing a complex web of deceit. The manipulations and lies are everywhere, with her own family seemingly controlling things from afar.

Despite a few rough patches, this book shows Nox and Charli settling into a more stable relationship. However, secrets revealed about Nox’s business affairs may prove to haunt them yet. It seems that his life is not entirely his own, much like Charli’s.

What made this book memorable to me was the history between Oren and Adelaide. As their past relationship was unveiled in small pieces interspersed among the present-day viewpoints, I found myself having to fight the urge to skip ahead until the next tidbit of their story was told. I was, and still am, dying to learn the full extent of what transpired between them.

Adelaide also proved to be the most interesting character for me in the present-day storyline as well. Finally, she is growing a spine and setting out to right some wrongs. Aside from her past with Oren, more details are provided about her past at Montague Manor, which provide more insight. She’s finally trying to fight back, even if doing so places her in grave danger.

Like each of the earlier books in this series, ‘Deception’ ends with a cliffhanger. Ms. Romig has dropped a big bomb and we’ll have to wait until September to see where she’s going to take us. With Alex back Under the influence of her crazy stepfather, there’s no telling what’s to come.

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Review: Cunning (Infidelity, #2), by Aleatha Romig

Cunning by Aleatha Romig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Picking up where the first book left off, Nox now “owns” Alex for a year. Gone is the considerate man she was falling in love with in Del Mar, replaced by a cold, shut-off stranger, determined to degrade and punish her. Alex is determined to make it through this year and to leave him wanting her when their time is up.

As Alex and Nox’s story unfolds, they begin to reconnect again. Nox has some serious control and trust issues to work through. Meanwhile, Alex’s past refuses to go away and she has yet to explain everything about who she is to Nox.

When Alex’s best friend and roommate is attacked, they take a trip back to San Francisco. While there, Alex is confronted with some abhorrent accusations about Nox. Being far from forthcoming about his deceased wife, Nox inadvertently causes Alex’s suspicions to mount.

Flashing back in time, the story of Alex’s mother, Adelaide, unfolds. It seems that her relationship with Alex’s step-father, Alton, is more miserable than it first seemed. I actually felt bad for Adelaide as she recounted the events that led up to her marriage to Alton.

Talk about cold and calculating! This family is more screwed up than I could have imagined. It seems that Alex has more weight on her shoulders than she ever could have known.

Little by little, the mysteries surrounding Alex and Nox are beginning to be exposed. I enjoyed this chapter in their evolving story, but have to admit that I didn’t love it as much as I expected to. I expected some darkness and a twisted, disturbed anti-hero in Nox, reminiscent of Tony Rawlings. It didn’t happen. This book felt like it provided the necessary background information for things to come, but never really built to a climax for me.

Usually, Ms. Romig has me on the edge of my seat. This time around, the story seemed kind of “flat” for me. I kept waiting for something big to happen, but it never came. There was a bit of a twist at the end, but I’m sure it will be explained as a play on words in the next book.

Overall, I give it a solid 4 stars. Despite my gripes, Ms. Romig still writes a fantastic story. At her worst, her books are still far superior to most of the books I read. I’ll definitely be continuing this series. I only hope that the next book is a little more eventful. So many seeds have been planted now and I’m dying to see what becomes of them.

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