Black by
Elin Peer
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
What the what even was that?
I could not even believe what I was reading.
But clearly, I kept on reading, like a serial killer watching a crime scene. I just couldn’t look away.
I picked this up, because I read the Men of the North series by this author, which made me want to read all of her novels, and this one just came out of the blue and side smacked me across the face with a shovel. I have rarely been so absolutely stunned when reading a story. I just don’t even know how to put anything that I felt into words.
It ranged from curious:
To absolutely dumbfounded:
To strangely excited, though I didn’t want to admit it:
To shocked:
To slightly disgusted:
To outraged:
To intrigued:
Back to momentarily disgusted:
To shocked again:
And then back to this:
Followed by really into this:
And concluding with the most traditional ending ever for a truly nontraditional story, which made me feel all:
I still don’t know what in the world I just read, but clearly I liked the majority of this weird, messy, totally unexpected shit that occurred, even though if it had happened to anyone I know in real life, I’d have advised them to run the *** away and report malpractice to the feds.
But it wasn’t in real life, so instead I watched this go down like:
The narration by Noelle Bridges and John Masterson is spot on. John has a nice, deep, sexy voice, and Noelle reads with a lot of emotion.
**My original review for this book was censored and edited, for language and content, for the purposes of this blog (by me). Find me on Goodreads for the unedited truth.
Violet by
Elin Peer
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
This is the most bizarre series, which I'm really enjoying, and I am seriously a big fan of Elin Peer. She writes such interesting stories that don't feel repetitive of everything else I've read, which can be hard especially in the romance genre and because I read a lot.
Book one was kind of crazy, and book two took things in a whole different yet interesting direction. These 2 characters, at their core, have very different beliefs and values, so watching them try to reconcile that kept things tense and emotional.
What I like most is that when I open each new book in this series, I have absolutely no idea what to expect. Then, just once I think I'm settling into the story and know what's going on, there's always something throw in that takes me absolutely by surprise. I like that.
The narration for the audiobook is by Noelle Bridges and John Masterson, and they do an excellent job. I enjoy the contrast between the two readers.
Green by
Elin Peer
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
This is another enjoyable opposites attract story in the Clashing Colors series. I occasionally wanted to smack the male lead, while also being amused and charmed by him. He was a handful, but also fun and sweet.
The female lead is feisty and emotional. My only one minor complaint is that they both wasted too much time bouncing around with other partners that weren't that well-developed, so I could have used less of that. Otherwise, it was a good read. I am really enjoying how different this series is from other contemporary romance.
Blue by
Elin Peer
My rating:
5 of 5 stars
I loved this one! It's so funny, sexy, and sweet, another opposites attract situation. There's a theme of hidden identities, as well as some delicious Scottish yumminess. Plus **
I gave this 4 stars originally, but I think it actually deserves 4.5, so I've gone ahead and rounded up. It was my favorite in the series so far.
**My original review for this book was censored and edited, for language and content, for the purposes of this blog (by me). Find me on Goodreads for the unedited truth.
Yellow by
Elin Peer
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
Such an unlikely couple, which made this an engaging read. I especially loved how this novel tied in the title, as well as the series title. It's like the whole thing came full circle, and I really enjoyed that.
This one has lots of drama and silly mix-ups, as well as a twin swap that amused me. Both characters had to reevaluate who they were and what they really wanted in life. It made for an interesting journey, though I do wish they had stayed in the woods longer.
Happily Ever After by
Kelly Oram
My rating:
5 of 5 stars
Well, I'm just obsessed with Brian and Ella, so I really enjoyed having a bit more time in their world. This was a good addition that only made me want more books in this series. It also addressed a lot of issues, in regards to body image, in a healthy and real way, which I appreciated.
I really need to read more stuff by this author, as she does an excellent job showing how characters can grow. This story tugs at all of my emotions, and I appreciate the struggles paired with occasional wins.
The narration by Kirsten Leigh is clear and emotional.
Making Up
by
Helena Hunting
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
Cosy and Griff are adorable. There's a bit of an age difference and plenty of humor in the way they meet up. A few things are a bit to convenient, but that is often the way with romance novels. I enjoyed this read. Side characters could have been more relevant and developed better, but overall, it is a decent and interesting read.
Handle With Care
by
Helena Hunting
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
This was a really fun office romance. Linc and Wren totally won over my heart with their stubbornness and banter. There are lots of fun moments, paired up with plenty of drama and family issues.
#Junkie by
Cambria Hebert
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
I adore Trent and Drew, and this story has lots of heart. The only thing I don't like is the chopped off cliff-hanger ending that provides no resolution. It makes this feel like an incomplete story, which basically, it is. I guess there's a second thing that I don't like, and that's some of the stereotypes in this story. I could do without those, as well. Otherwise, it's a good read.
The narration is by Luke Itzvic and Guy Locke, both who do a great job.
#Rev by
Cambria Hebert
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
This is the second half of Drew and Trent's story, and while I like it fine, I wish these first 2 books had been combined to create one better story. I don't think it all needed to be drug out for so long, especially considering that some things still weren't addressed very well. I think if this had been edited down to the heart of their story, then it could have easily been one book, which would have made it stronger overall.
Despite that, I still read and mostly enjoyed this story. There are some things I wish would have been handled better, but Drew and Trent are both so lovable that it pushed me to look past gaps in the storytelling. It's all pretty predictable, in terms of how things occur, so for needing 2 books to tell their story, I guess I just wished for something more.
This is a 3.5 for me, so I've rounded up to 4 stars.
#Swag by
Cambria Hebert
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
There are a lot of elements that I really loved with this story, including two outcasts coming together. It gave us an opportunity to see the softer sides of both. I also thought it was interesting that this addressed a lot of gender and sexism issues, though I do wish the female lead would have handled a few things differently along the way. Despite that, I really enjoyed this story. Things get heated quickly, and there's plenty of clashing.
#Blur
by
Cambria Hebert
My rating:
5 of 5 stars
My favorite in the series so far. Lots of depth and emotional range, with two fantastic main characters.
#Nerd
by
Cambria Hebert
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
This has a bit of a One Tree Hill vibe that I enjoyed. But I’m a big sucker for the nerdy girl gets the hot guy trope.
#Hater by
Cambria Hebert
My rating:
2 of 5 stars
What a disappointing book 2. It completely fails to offer anything new, Including a solid story structure. Since I generally liked the characters in book one, it shouldn’t have been so difficult to keep my attention.
Unfortunately, this story is a lot of unnecessary melodrama that both starts and ends on a cliffhanger...but not the kind of cliffhanger that comes after some resolution. Don’t expect any resolution or growth for that matter. It’s just the same stuff over and over again, and I’m over it and stopping the series here.
And I’m bummed, because I liked these characters. Having more time with them should have been a good thing, but it was mostly meh.
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Annabel
Alex by Lauren Oliver
