REVIEW: Connected by Kim Karr

Connected by Kim Karr
Published: 22nd March 2013
Format: Kindle
Genre: New Adult
Overall: [DNF]
Goodreads | Amazon

What if a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ could happen twice?

Suffering from a past full of tragedy, Dahlia London's soul has been left completely shattered. Happily ever after is a far cry from reality in her world. But, when she is reconnected with her past, the bonds that form are irrefutable.
When River Wilde, lead singer of The Wilde Ones, comes back into Dahlia’s life, the intensity that fires their relationship combined with underlying feelings that have never died lead her to believe she has met her soulmate.

Struggling with confusion as old connections fade and new ones begin, Dahlia's grief begins to lift--but guilt remains. River wants to be the one to mend all that is torn within her.

But with a past that is never really gone, can their future survive?

My thoughts:
To be fair, I give this book about a 2½ to 3 star rating because it started off really really good.  But somewhere in the middle it slowed down to almost a crashing hault and I was bored to tears!

You first meet Dahlia who is a happy relationship with her long time boyfriend Ben, when she decides to go to a club and there she meets River. There is insta-love that she doesn't want to admit to and for the next 4 years she pushes him out of her mind and ends up getting engaged to Ben. And then Ben dies. [spoiler? get over it. It's better to crush your soul now if you actually plan on reading it.] I could handle Ben's death, and I thought she did a proper [if there is a such thing] amount of grieving and self loathing before decided to get back into the world and take a job offered by her best friend to interview....River Wilde. [Anyone else hear the ominous dun-dun-dunnn?]

The way River takes control of the situation and let's her know from the beginning how he feels, made me love him. The fact that Dahlia  let herself feel something she didn't want to be real because she felt it betrayed or lessen Ben's love; proved to me that she was stronger than she let on.

Ohh folks, this is where I have to stop with the lovey dovey-ness towards this book.

After Dahlia decides that she can't live in this fantasy any longer and must go home and deal with real life thus begins the back and forth and even when they finally DTR [determine the relationship], it still just feels like random, pointless scenes to fill the book until either the climax--or what I hoped would happen soon--the ending.

I gave up half way through the chapters that were from River's POV. He thought too much about how he loves her & her pouting and how he wants her body. I didn't get a real sense of his life and therefore, I was done, 80% through.

This may be the book for some, but it just wasn't for me.

Plot:
Characters: ½
Ending: --
Writing:
Cover: (The girl looks brunette though Dahlia is supposed to be blonde.)

Author Info:
Kim karr lives in Florida with her husband and four kids. She’s always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, she wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. She went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise her family. Kim currently works part-time with her husband and recently decided to embrace one of her biggest passions—writing.
Learn more on her: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

REVIEW: Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines

Fallen Too Far by Abbie Glines
Published: 14th December 2012
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary
Format: Kindle
Series: Too Far, book one.
Goodreads | Amazon | Author

To want what you’re not supposed to have…
She is only nineteen.
She is his new stepfather’s daughter.

She is still naïve and innocent due to spending the last three years taking care of her sick mother.

But for twenty-four year old Rush Finlay, she is the only thing that has ever been off limits. His famous father’s guilt money, his mother’s desperation to win his love, and his charm are the three reasons he has never been told no.
Blaire Wynn left her small farmhouse in Alabama, after her mother passed away, to move in with her father and his new wife in their sprawling beach house along the Florida gulf coast. She isn’t prepared for the lifestyle change and she knows she’ll never fit into this world. Then there is her sexy stepbrother who her father leaves her with for the summer while he runs off to Paris with his wife. Rush is as spoiled as he is gorgeous. He is also getting under her skin. She knows he is anything but good for her and that he’ll never be faithful to anyone. He is jaded and has secrets Blaire knows she may never uncover but even knowing all of that…
Blaire just may have fallen too far.

My thoughts:
I'm not going to rehash the plot and just get straight to the review. 

I have almost every book Abbie Glines has written on my Kindle, and this was probably the worst book to judge the author by. I haven't read any of her books before this one, and a part of me doesn't even want to bother with the rest.

Aside from it being so poorly written, it had absolutely no foundation to their attraction to each other. I didn't understand why she wanted him so badly when she rarely ever spent time with him. And because she never spent time with him, you don't get to know anything about him. Nothing about the book felt substantial or real.

I thought I was going to like the Blaire's character; she seemed so bold at the beginning, but she was just another weak, submissive girl who does whatever she's told by some guy who is a jerk whom she believes is absolutely perfect for no reason. Her obedience went beyond her fear of being kicked out, especially after she had enough money to move out. She was borderline obsessed with this guy she put unfairly on a pedestal he didn't belong on.

He puts her in a room under the stairs and I could do nothing but laugh. And did nothing but picture her as Harry Potter when she mentioned it.

I spent more time laughing than actually being in a serious state of mind.

She believes he is perfect, he believes she is perfect... Neither of them have any reason to believe so. At all.

There was a "revelation" towards the end that is meant to be a shocker, but honestly, I saw it coming. It was one of the three theories I had in mind. Nothing about it was shocking.

At the end she seemed to develop a backbone and hold her own, and then she quickly let that go for a "proper goodbye" that was just completely idiotic in my opinion.

I don't know why authors have this need to write about girl's who are just strong minded enough to somehow make them a protagonist that we like, but then tear it all down when she falls for a guy? Why can't she be strong, strong willed, strong minded, independent, smart and fall in love without losing that part of her. Without getting weak kneed every time he speaks or touches her? Submission isn't cute. At all. And I'm 100% over bad boys.

I will read the second one in hopes that I learn more about Rush and possibly get more of the other characters I actually liked, such as Woods, Grant and Bethy.

I'm super glad to see that Woods and Grant will be getting their own books as well!

[Cover: I absolutely love the colors and scenery, but that is the most awkward cover kiss. And her hair is too blonde for us to believe that's natural.]

I sincerely hope that her other books are better and they're not just taking up space on my Kindle.
Teasers: one | two

½

REVIEW: Easy by Tammara Webber

Easy by Tammara Webber

Published: May 25th, 2012
Format: Kindle
Genre:New Adult, Contemporary

Rating:

goodreads | amazon | website

A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?
When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.
Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.
When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

My thoughts:
I wasn't completely aware of the genre New Adult or it's premise, but I'm completely hooked now!

Jacqueline follows her boyfriend to his college choice and soon after he decides he wants to end their three year relationship. She goes to a frat party and when she leaves early, she's approached by one of her ex's friends and he does the unthinkable--he tries to rape her. That's when a mysterious and very cute guy saves her and she soon begins to see him everywhere.

At the beginning of this book, I was instantly hooked and loved Jacqueline's voice. She was a normal girl yet still had a  bad ass side and the vulnerable side. Even after her idiot boyfriend dumps her, she took her wallowing period and then pushed forward, showing that going to a school that wasn't her choice at all wasn't a completely bad decision.

Jacqueline's roommate initiates OBBP--aka Operation Bad Boy Phase--and suggests she go after Lucas (mystery boy who saved her) to let go of her creep ex. But she isn't sure it can just be a phase once she meets and gets to know Lucas. However guarded he may be, there's still something about him that pulls her in.
And pulls me in.

I liked Lucas a lot. But yet, there was something about him that I just didn't completely connect with. I felt like there was something in his character that still left me wanting more. That I wasn't 100% with him, maybe he slightly creeped me out or I just loved him. I'm just not sure. However I loved how protective he was of Jacqueline and how much he genuinely cared about him. But again, at the same time, it made me nervous for some reason. Then again he had this whole sexy vibe thing going that made me a little hot for him.

Jacqueline is the kind of protagonist I would call a heroine. Someone whose words spoke to me. Whose fight made me feel lucky to be a woman. I kind of want to take self-defense classes myself.
This book with it's very thick thread of rape has made me very aware of those around me. It's just something that happens too often and sadly the person(s) responsible just aren't held accountable like they should be.

I'm glad the girls in this book are able to speak up and fight.

Though I didn't fall in love with this book, I did like it a lot. There were sexy parts, sweet moments, a little mystery, strong female voices and cute guys. All high points for me in a contemporary novel!
I may just have to try out her other books.
Go ahead and give this book a try! ^_^"

REVIEW: On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

Published: August 31st, 2012
Acquired: Amazon
Format: Kindle

Overall:

Goodreads | Amazon

Four years ago, Jocelyn Butler left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Edinburgh. Burying the grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without any real attachments has worked well for her so far but when Joss moves into a fantastic apartment on Dublin Street, her carefully guarded world is shaken to its core by her new roommate's sexy older brother.
Braden Carmichael is a man who always gets what he wants. And what he wants is Jocelyn in his bed. Knowing how skittish Joss is concerning any kind of relationship, Braden proposes a sexual arrangement that should satisfy the intense attraction between them without it developing into anything 'more'. An intrigued Jocelyn agrees, completely unprepared for the Scotsman and his single-minded determination to strip the stubborn young woman bare... to the very soul.

Contains strong adult content. For readers ages 18+

My thoughts:
Jocelyn, aka Joss, has been through a lot in her life and has managed to put it all in a steel trap door. Along with any emotions she may develop for anyone in her life. Her parents and sister died when she was just 14 years old and she was left with nothing but her memories and a bunch of money in the bank. After moving to Ireland she began to find her place, but never really opening up to anyone completely.
When she needs to move out of current flat, she finds the perfect place and possibly the perfect roommate and then there's the roommates obnoxious but devilishly sexy brother, Braden.

From the moment she meets Braden in the back of the cab on her way to Dublin street, I knew he'd be an annoying character that I just didn't connect with. No matter what happened or the amount of girls fawning over him, I would just not like him. The way that Samantha Young describes him made me think of "Handsome Squidward" {just click here to understand--I have a very active imagination.}.

Let me say everything I loved, Samantha Young's writing. Uhm, yeah... love. The sex scenes in this book were hot, but not in "a trashy, make you blush kind of way," more in "an ohmigawd that is sexy and beautiful and perfect and I want to read more." I could only hope to write those types of scenes that well. Her writing in general was so so good and I hope the rest of her books I plan on reading in the future are as good.

Even though I loved her writing, I just couldn't connect to this book the way I wanted to. Jocelyn was just too passive. And there were times where I thought even the most heartless person would've done the right thing. Her "steel trap door" shut way too many times for my comfort. I wished that she would have breathed. I get tragedy, trust me, I do. And people handle them differently, but the way she navigated the world was toxic to herself and others.

Braden. I do not do well with authority, bossiness or rudeness. I could not stand his attitude or that he was always so stern with Joss like she was his child. I don't find it sexy, at all. I don't care how you look, who you are, or how good you are in bed; you try to tell me what to do and the last thing you'll see is the front door shutting in your face. Even with his sweet gestures and how protective he was of his sister and Joss, I couldn't forget Bossy Braden.

Joss's roommate, Ellie--too adorable for words. I read all of her parts in an Irish accent just for the hell of it. She was fun, caring and a great best friend. Loved her and how much she cared for her entire family and Joss.

Overall the book was good, the writing was amazing. I just didn't connect to the main characters like I should have. I have read nothing but gushing reviews, so I know that this book may be right for most, but not for all.