Review- Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling

Very Good Lives on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

In 2008, J.K. Rowling delivered a deeply affecting commencement speech at Harvard University. Now published for the first time in book form, Very Good Lives offers J.K. Rowling’s words of wisdom for anyone at a turning point in life, asking the profound and provocative questions: How can we embrace failure? And how can we use our imagination to better both ourselves and others?

Drawing from stories of her own post-graduate years, the world-famous author addresses some of life’s most important issues with acuity and emotional force. 

Release date: April 14th 2015

Published by: Little, Brown and Company

Page numbers: 80

REVIEW: 

Before I begin writing about Very Good Lives, I just wanted to point out that I read this book on an epic day in magical history, and that's 31st July, 2016 which aside from marking the birthdays of my hero Harry Potter and my Queen J. K. Rowling, also happened to be the release of the most awaited book that had Potterheads all over the world go mad, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Well, I read it more in honour of the Queen's birthday, but it was a special day overall. 

I have never reviewed a J.K. Rowling book before, and frankly, I don't need to; because no matter what she writes, it's gold, it's always going to remain etched in my heart and it's going to get five out of five bright and shining stars. Nonetheless, I decided to write something about Very Good Lives because I honestly feel that this book deserves to be read as much as Harry Potter, because it is very important. I don't know how she does it, but JKR makes me cry every time with her powerful writing, that conveys so much. 

Very Good Lives is barely a half an hour read, which gives us the opportunity to read the speech JKR delivered at the Harvard 2008 graduation. I so wish I had graduated from Harvard in 2008, but that's when I got done with school, so I feel it's easy to pretend this was written for me. Anyway, the speech is packed with so much power and influence that it really touched me and had me thinking how is it that we Potterheads haven't made a big deal out of this beautiful piece of art? Because it certainly deserves that. 

There's not much I want to say aside from the fact that JKR knows how to tell stories AND influence people better than anyone else. She keeps saying that all the magic we need is within us, but really, she is magic. Everything she does is wonderful. I don't care when everyone reads this book, but I sure hope they do, because they might not know this, but they need it. Read this book. Please. 

Buy the book: AMAZON/ FLIPKART

Review- Kiss the Sky by Krista and Becca Ritchie

Kiss the Sky on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

Virgin. Sex addict. Daredevil. Alcoholic. Smartass … Jackass. Her five friends are about to be filmed. Reality TV, be prepared.

Rose Calloway thought she had everything under control. At twenty-three, she’s a Princeton graduate, an Academic Bowl champion, a fashion designer and the daughter of a Fortune 500 mogul. But with a sex addict as a sister and roommate, nothing comes easy. 

After accepting help from a producer, Rose agrees to have her life filmed for a reality television show. The Hollywood exec is her last chance to revive her struggling fashion line, and boundaries begin to blur as she’s forced to make nice with a man who always has his way. 

Twenty-four-year-old Connor Cobalt is a guy who bulldozes weak men. He’s confident, smart-as-hell and lives with his equally ambitious girlfriend, Rose Calloway. Connor has to find a way to protect Rose without ruining the show. Or else the producer will get what Connor has always wanted—Rose’s virginity. 

This New Adult Romance can be described as Friends meets The Real World. Expect fist fights, drugs, sex of varying degrees, crude humor and competitive alpha males. Definitely for mature readers audiences only.

Release date: February 20th 2014

Published by: K.B. Ritchie

Page numbers: 442

REVIEW: 

I'm a fan of the Addicted series. I had read and absolutely enjoyed Addicted to You, Ricochet and Addicted for Now two years ago maybe. For me, the series is very fresh, different and new compared to all the monotonous New Adult books doing the rounds. Unlike said books, I cannot predict what the characters from this series are going to do next. For some reason or the other, I kept putting the rest of the series on hold, until recently, when I finally began Kiss the Sky. And I am so glad I did. 

Kiss the Sky is the story of the second eldest Calloway sister, Rose, who, as the book cover perfectly describes, is a "perfectionist, genius and virgin." Previously, I liked how Rose has always been strong and and super protective about her sisters. Her perfectionism was admirable. A cleanliness freak, a thorough feminist and a feisty fighter, Rose's head was fun to get into. There were times when- especially the more explicit material- which made me question Rose's character. 

Then we had Connor to perfectly balance out her urge to dominate. I had only heard fantastic and fabulous things about Connor Cobalt (thanks to Mrs. Cobalt aka Siiri @ Little Pieces of Imagination). I don't remember much of how he was before, but I bet he was good, as he only got better and better in this book. A perfect match for Rose, Connor too is a genius. His intelligence did turn me on. There were times when- and yes again, especially the more explicit material- when Connor seemed like a smart and intellectually pleasing version of Christian Grey, but even I know that comparison is unnecessary. This book is very much adult, in my opinion, with an erotic and BDSM dimension. 

Together, Rose and Connor were far more than just a couple. They were a team of two strong, like-minded, intelligent and responsible individuals who put their group of family and friends before anyone else. It was nice to see the two maintain poise even when they were mentally disturbed and shocked by the current happenings of the situation where the characters (Lily, Loren, Rose, Connor, Daisy and Ryke) were part of a reality TV show. Now the whole reality TV show concept was neither new nor fascinating for me. But just the fact that all these amazing guys who I've grown to love were together made it enjoyable. Somewhere along the way, Kiss the Sky became everyone's book, rather than just Rose and Connor's. 

Even though Kiss the Sky is Rose and Connor's story, someone stood out far more than the two of them, for me at least. Even though I adore Rose and Connor's grammar nazism and it made me silently moan with pleasure, the person whose vocabulary that turned me on the most and that's the closest to mine is Ryke. He is fucking amazing! I cannot wait to read Daisy's and his story in Hothouse Flower. I can already tell that they are going to be my favourite couple. I still love Lil and Lo (who doesn't?), but Daisy and Ryke will be something else entirely. 

The length of my review brings me to the length of the book, which is a problem I have. And the books just keep getting bigger. It doesn't stand as a grant issue though, it only takes me time to read long books. It's really fun to spend time with these six amazing people who seem like your own by the end. Kiss the Sky did start out slow and it took me a lot of time to get into it, but at last, it was  all worth it, especially after the sweet and sexy epilogue. And it did, after all, help me cope with my reading slump.  

BUY THE BOOK: Amazon (IN)

Review- Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

BOOK SUMMARY:

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

Release date: January 5th 2012

Published by: Michael Joseph (UK)

Page numbers: 481

REVIEW:

When I take almost a month to finish just one book, it either means that I read it just for the sake of it or that I love it so much that I take my time with it because I don't want it to end and because I don't just want to read the book; I want to devour it. Thankfully, Me Before You falls in the latter category. Who am I kidding? I knew all along that I would end up falling crazily in love with this cute and catastrophic story. My March 2016 was spent with Me Before You and what a journey it has been! 

There is nothing about Me Before You that I have to say that hasn't been said before, but let me just get one thing straight- this book isn't really sad. I would say it is rather joyful and cheerful because it's not the destination, but the journey that counts, right? And this was one tear-jerking, yes; but completely colourful and celestial ride. There is so much more to it than what meets the eye. This book is about chances and choices and it shows its philosophical colours in a very mature and muted way. So if you really think about it, it isn't really sad, but just very raw and real. 

Yes, it is a huge book, but it is totally worth it. There were absolutely no flaws in author Jojo Moyes' writing, character building and storytelling. Everything was perfect and there is nothing that could have been done better. This book had both laughter and tears and it was shown in the most adorable, gut-wrenching yet heart-warming way possible, making Me Before You a very simple and still sophisticated book, because that writing! That writing was so English, and so beautiful and so perfect. 

Without a doubt, I would recommend this book because it teaches you compassion and humanity. At least, that's what it taught me. All those kickass heroines are awesome, but Louisa was the true heroine because in no world can I imagine myself in her selfless and giving shoes. I loved Will the most though because he was true. This book has been a wonderful journey that I was so glad I devoured. 

Buy the book: AMAZON / FLIPKART

Review- Two of Hearts by Christina Lee

Summary-

Dakota Nakos was always the resilient, strong-willed achiever. But when her father dies and she’s entrusted with the family’s casino, she feels vulnerable, scared, and more than a little emotional —not exactly the best time to see an old lover she’s never really gotten over.

Dakota once meant the world to Shane Garrity. Then suddenly he left town to train as a U.S. Marshal, and their love for each other crashed into a memory. Now he’s come home for her father’s funeral, and one look at the girl he left behind stirs up both memories and regrets, and reignites a fire he feared he’d lost forever.

Dakota may be the same driven girl she always was, but she’s also changed in ways neither could have anticipated. She’s not just a young woman searching for own identity in the Native American community in which she was raised, but one questioning her new life outside her father’s shadow. Above all she wonders if Shane can push past her weakened defenses to rekindle what they once had, or whether the intense blaze between them will ultimately reduce her heart to ashes.

Review-

I have not read any book by Christina Lee yet but I had read several really good reviews of her other new adult series. I wanted to read Two of Hearts after reading the blurb of it. I always seem to enjoy a well done second chance romance and that is exactly what Two of Hearts gave me. This was a good read.

Dakota is our heroine. She was always been strong and stubborn, standing for what she believes in in her Native American community. The one person she has never been able to get over is Shane and after the unexpected death of her father Dakota is not feeling so strong. I really liked Dakota. She was a strong woman who had a lot of responsibilty on her shoulders. She wanted to rely on Shane but her insecurities got in the way.

Shane is a U.S. Marshal. Shane has trained hard to get where he's at now but the only thing he regrets is walking away from Dakota. He wishes she would have fought for him but now he's back in town and he can't help but feel possessive over Dakota. I really liked Shane. He was completely in love with Dakota and willing to fight for her. I loved how determined he was and how he always stood by Dakota.

There was no doubting the connection Dakota and Shane shared. The tension in the room went up as soon as the two of them were in the same room with each other. I loved Shane's protectiveness. Dakota tried hard to keep her feelings at bay but she couldn't help but rely on Shane's strength. Shane and Dakota were also really hot together. 

Both Shane and Dakota had growing up to do and that is why this made such a good second chance romance. I also loved getting to know more about the Native American culture. There were also a bunch of secondary characters which added to the story. With a good romance and suspense plot Two of Hearts was a good read.

Review- Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher

Goodreads Summary:

When reclusive novelist Senna Richards wakes up on her thirty-third birthday, everything has changed. Caged behind an electrical fence, locked in a house in the middle of the snow, Senna is left to decode the clues to find out why she was taken. If she wants her freedom, she has to take a close look at her past. But, her past has a heartbeat... and her kidnapper is nowhere to be found. With her survival hanging by a thread, Senna soon realizes this is a game. A dangerous one. Only the truth can set her free.

REVIEW:

I was completely blown away by Tarryn Fisher's Love Me with Lies series. While I didn't love it as much as everyone else did, I still liked it enough for it to be on my mind for a long time after I finished reading it. I was quite excited about Mud Vein as the both the cover and the summary intrigued me at first glance. Unfortunately- and I say unfortunately because I don't particularly like this feeling- I have mixed feelings about the book. If this were a book I had to study, I would have opted for a detailed character analysis, but because it isn't, I'll just try to sum up my thoughts on the plot, the psychology, the characters and the writing. And as usual, I will leave it up to readers to know the story. That's not my part to tell, but the reader's to figure out.

The plot: This was one interesting and engaging plot. The book started out very slow and I have no idea what made me continue with it. I was just about to give up when something really astounding came up and I knew I had to know what would come next. The approach was something new and great but the way in which it was executed was not all that fancy. The book is basically divided into three parts, each named as per the stages of grief and that was something truly kick-ass to do. The second part was really well put down. It just flowed and it was the only part where I felt connected to the story. Other than that, I found the plot to be less engaging. I felt like I was waiting for something that never happened. I especially did not like the conclusion of the whole issue that was going on. It was too average for my liking. Although what I did love was the end. For a change, I found a kind of ending that I like to read about and that's real. 

The psychology: Like with her Love Me with Lies series, Tarryn Fisher takes up basic human psychology in Mud Vein as well, and that is such a feat. The author puts down human emotions and human nature in their natural, raw and true form. It's messed up but then it gets too messed up. Inertly, we are all very similar but we aren't very open about how we really feel. But the main character in this book is exactly the way she is, inside and out. It's all a game in this novel. Life is a game and everyone plays hard. The psychological aspect was pretty apt and strong. At the same time, it was too heavy and suicidal.   

The characters: The main female character is Senna. The main male character is Isaac. Then we have Senna's love, her shrink and her parents. What I didn't get about Senna is that she calls what her shrink says "existential crap", she hurts herself, she likes pain, she loves death, she is isolated, she doesn't take well to conventions and society and yet, she exists. Some might say she is strong to survive, while others might say she's just too weak to give up. She doesn't accept love, she doesn't express herself, she lives alone, and she walks out of conversations midway. She has an entire room painted white. I get it. I understand her. Even I can be as dangerous as her sometimes. But my point is, why inflict so much torture upon yourself? No matter what she does, she suffers anyway. Isaac and her shrink try hard to get her on track but she won't listen to anyone. Why? Because she's just like that. With Senna, it's either love or hate. There's no in-between. She is a modern, independent, strong yet confused woman whom I didn't really understand and I'm not even trying.

The writing: Wow. Tarryn Fisher's writing is so cool. I absolutely love it. If there's anything I absolutely love about this book, it's the writing. It's so pure and full of passion. I could actually make out how much the author loves writing and how passionate she is about her words. Her words have so much depth to them, it's hard to not praise it and fall in love with it. Even simple stuff was put down so meticulously and some of the lines were just too magical and so real. I loved loved loved the writing.

Mud Vein was a dark, deep, dirty, disgusting and dangerous read that I both liked and disliked. I loved certain significations in it and I loved the whole concept behind the title. It was something very different and that, for me, was refreshing, but at the same time, if I am to read only one book for the rest of my life, this wouldn't be the book I'd pick. Tarryn Fisher has some absolutely smashing ideas and she is a superb writer. She shows human nature in its true and unfiltered form and I love that about her. While Mud Vein had some great stuff in it, I wanted more. It didn't blow me away and I really wish it had. Save aside an incident or two, I didn't feel anything throughout the course of the story and I feel nothing after having finished it. Maybe that's the point of it or maybe it isn't. 

RATING:

Review- Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire

Goodreads Summary:

If A Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever. But what if he didn't love you, first? 

No-nonsense Liis Lindy is an agent of the FBI. Deciding she is married only to her job, she breaks off her engagement and transfers from Chicago to the field office in San Diego. She loves her desk. She is committed to her laptop. She dreams of promotions and shaking hands with the director after cracking an impossible case. 

Special Agent in Charge Thomas Maddox is arrogant, unforgiving, and ruthless. He is tasked with putting away some of the world’s toughest criminals, and he is one of the best the Bureau has to offer. Though, as many lives as he’s saved, there is one that is beyond his reach. Younger brother Travis is faced with prison time for his involvement in a basement fire that killed dozens of college students, and the media want a conviction. Travis’s only savior is his unusual tie to the mob. In a deal that will spare his brother, Thomas has agreed to recruit Travis into the FBI. 

Liis is stubborn, defiant, and yet somehow softens Thomas’s rough edges, making her the perfect agent to accompany him to the ceremony. Posing as a couple, they must travel to Travis & Abby’s beach vow renewal and give him the news, but when the pretending ends, she finds herself wondering if they were pretending at all. 

In the second installment of the Maddox Brothers books, experience firsthand the mysterious world of the elusive Thomas Maddox, and how good love can be when you’re not the first, but the last.

REVIEW:

I went into Beautiful Redemption without any expectations whatsoever as I was highly disappointed by the first book in the Maddox Brothers series, Beautiful Oblivion. While it is no secret that I love love love the Beautiful series (and by that I mean Travis Maddox), I was hoping that Beautiful Redemption wouldn't be another Abby and Travis retelling from another perspective. I'm not saying that it wasn't. But this story had an actual fixed plot and really strong characters that made it a very good read or maybe it's just that I hadn't read a thorough Jamie McGuire romance or any romance in a long time, so I found this to be cute. 

There are only two negatives that I could come up with when it comes to Beautiful Redemption and unfortunately, those two points end up playing a major role. I did not like the way the story started and neither did I like the way it ended. Major turnoff, I know. And it has me confused about my final rating of the book. But trust me, what happened in between the start and the end was just too good. The story of two FBI agents, I didn't really care or even understand the mystery/ thriller aspect as I'm not the biggest fan of the genre. The characters, however, were well developed and most importantly, they were adults. For me, Beautiful Redemption is more of an adult romance. 

Speaking of the characters, Thomas Maddox was just too cute to be true. We didn't ever really get to know him before or even meet him for that matter. So he was always a mystery, and from the little that we saw of him in Beautiful Oblivion, I wasn't the biggest fan. But in his own book, he was awesome. I love how protective he was of his family. His love interest Liis was perfect for him. A career-oriented woman, I enjoyed how real she was as a person and her kick-ass attitude in a contemporary novel was a fresh and much needed change. But it was irritating when she tried denying her feelings all the damn time. Together, Liis and Thomas made for a cute couple who acted immature sometimes and took way too long to make things work. 

As always, it was great to meet the Maddox family who I didn't even realise I missed so much. Obviously we have Abby and Travis who we all know always sell. But thankfully Beautiful Redemption didn't revolve around them. Their part in the story was an amazing surprise that I enjoyed reading. But this book for me, is Liis and Thomas all the way. Beautiful Redemption was a fantastic read with fabulous characters and even though it had negatives, it was an enjoyable and funny read overall. 

RATING:

Review- Confess by Colleen Hoover

Goodreads Summary:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a new novel about risking everything for love—and finding your heart somewhere between the truth and lies. 

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…

REVIEW:

Even though I was pretty apprehensive about reading Confess as I have had both positive and negative experiences with Colleen Hoover previously, I was quite excited to read the book after following all the teasers the author was sharing on her social media. Confess started out as really cute read, then went onto to become too much of a drama, but ended on the sweetest note. So all in all, this was a good read that I enjoyed. 

Confess is a typical Colleen Hoover book which is generally comprised of the wonderful combination of friendship, family, love, issues and problems and most importantly, characters who show human nature as being good or bad, which isn't necessarily a good division to make all the time. As our main characters, we have Auburn as the female lead, who was really sweet and showed immense character development by the time the book ended. There were times when she was extremely vulnerable and the fact that she didn't stand up for herself irritated me, but her situation was always explained. 

Then there is Owen, who was just as sweet as Auburn, but I did feel that he was way too good to be true. He came with his own guilt baggage, but never once did he make his situation seem more important than that of those around him, which was good. There were also two other guys who played an important role in the book, and they were Adam and Trey. Adam was the hero of the book for me, and Trey was way too dumb to ever get his way. 

Coming to the chemistry between Auburn and Owen, it was quite good and I liked how they both had bigger problems than what they seemed to be showing. Although the instalove between them had me questioning the whole relationship and their secrets were too big to be hidden, they made for a good couple. It's just that we didn't get to see them actually sit down together and discuss their problems. Everything was kind of in the air and left to find it's own way. 

Overall, as I said before, Confess was a cute read that did have some downs. But just for the fact that this one didn't annoy me like the previous few books by Colleen Hoover, I feel that it stands out as a good read. Not as good as the first half a dozen books by the author, but still, quite good. 

RATING:

Review- Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire

Goodreads Summary:

The Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster phenomenon continues in the first heart-pounding new adult romance in The Maddox Brothers series.

Fiercely independent Camille "Cami" Camlin gladly moved on from her childhood before it was over. She has held down a job since before she could drive, and moved into her own apartment after her freshman year of college. Now tending bar at The Red Door, Cami doesn’t have time for much else besides work and classes, until a trip to see her boyfriend is cancelled, leaving her with a first weekend off in almost a year.

Trenton Maddox was the king of Eastern State University, dating co-eds before he even graduated high school. His friends wanted to be him, and women wanted to tame him, but after a tragic accident turned his world upside down, Trenton leaves campus to come to grips with the crushing guilt. 

Eighteen months later, Trenton is living at home with his widower father, and works full-time at a local tattoo parlor to help with the bills. Just when he thinks his life is returning to normal, he notices Cami sitting alone at a table at The Red. 

As the baby sister of four rowdy brothers, Cami believes she’ll have no problem keeping her new friendship with Trenton Maddox strictly platonic. But when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever—even if she is the only reason their already broken family could fall apart.

In the first installment of the Maddox Brothers books, readers can experience the rush of reading Beautiful Disaster for the first time, all over again.

REVIEW:

Okay, first and foremost, let me make one thing absolutely clear. The first book in Jamie McGuire's Maddox Brothers series and one of the most anticipated releases of 2014, is not the story of one single couple, Cami and Trenton. It is the story of three couples and I mean that in a negative way. With the #Trentislikewoah hashtag going around like wildfire, I was expecting Trent, Trent, Trent and more Trent. Unfortunately, this is not just about Trent, but T.J, Brazil, Kody and Travis.

I wouldn't say I absolutely disliked Beautiful Oblivion because I didn't. If anything, I was just disappointed. For me, it seemed like Abby and Travis- and I admit that they're one of the greatest couples out there and I heart them both large- seemed like sugar. You put it in anything and it'll sell. And in this case, it doesn't have to be a dessert, savoury will do too. I see nothing wrong in it. In fact, I was delighted to meet my most favourite book boyfriend. But honestly? We read Beautiful Disaster. We read Walking Disaster. And now we read. The. Exact. Same. Stuff. In Beautiful Oblivion. Besides, Beautiful Oblivion is essentially Cami and Trenton's book. This brings me to another part. I was so disappointed to see- and I keep the hashtag in mind here- that Trent didn't get a point of view. Maybe we'll read. The. Exact. Same. Story. From Trent's point of view in Walking Oblivion (totally made up) perhaps?

Now onto the better stuff. I must admit that I had fun reading his book. It was a nice change for me from a lot of intellectually heavy stuff I've been reading these days. So in that way, it was a nice read. But as I contemplate over it, I realise that there are many aspects to Beautiful Oblivion that seriously make me question it. I didn't appreciate how Cami was hiding such a major aspect of her life from Trenton. I got the why of it, but how? You say you love someone and then you don't tell them the truth. How is that going to work? And the same goes for Trenton. I mean, come on. You are a Maddox. Aren't you boys supposed to be walking sex? Why did you have to wait so long to tell the girl you love, that you love her? And why, someone please tell me why do you need a child- any and whom so ever's child- to make stuff pleasant?

I feel so bad to have said the stuff I have said, but it is what it is. Like I said, I did have some fun here and there when reading Beautiful Oblivion, but once I shut the book and started gathering my thoughts, I realised it wasn't all that worth it, and there's plenty of stuff to be discussed in there. Overall, Beautiful Oblivion wasn't as promising as it promised to be. And New Adult and I have gone- for the nth time this year- on an off relationship again. 

RATING:

Review- Dirty Red by Tarryn Fisher

Goodreads Summary:

Dear Opportunist,

You thought you could take him from me, but you lost. Now, that he's mine I'll do anything to keep him. Do you doubt me? I have everything that was supposed to be yours. In case you were wondering; he doesn't ever think about you anymore. I won't let him go....ever.

Dirty Red

Leah Smith finally has everything she has ever wanted. Except she doesn't. Her marriage feels more like a loan than a lifelong commitment, and the image she has worked so hard to build is fraying before her eyes. With a new role and a past full of secrets, Leah must decide how far she is willing to go to keep what she has stolen.

Love Me With Lies series:

Sarika's review of The Opportunist (Love Me With Lies #1)

REVIEW:

Dirty Red is the second book in Tarryn Fisher's Love Me With Lies series. You can find my review of the first book, The Opportunist, here. While I had mixed feelings about the first book, I loved the whole experience of reading it which is a plus. Dirty Red, however, was, as the title aptly suggests, a dirty read that I did not like as much as book #1. 

I tend to see good in all people, in spite of how they actually are. Janhvi is an intelligent girl who does her research well before diving into a book. She knew that the MC in this book is a crap head and so she asked me to review the book, thinking that I would see the good in her. 

Well, surprise! I did not like the main character at all. She only ever had one intention- to get her man and keep him. Her family situation, no matter how bad it was- and I can be a sympathetic person- did not make me feel anything for her. All I wanted was to slap her and kick her out. She was the epitome of qualities I absolutely detest- artificiality, bitchiness, egocentricity and manipulation. Ugh. 

I am not even going to bother saying anything about the story. It's one of those things that you have to find out for yourself. What I can say is what I didn't say in my review of the first book. I was so engrossed in decoding the characters that I forgot about the author. Tarryn Fisher's writing is absolutely beaut. Her stories might be mind fucking but her writing is enough to make you love her books. Her writing is accuracy, exactness, precision and this might shock you, but even the truth, all put in one. It's a psychological mess, all of this. 

So all in all, Dirty Red gave us something different and similar at the same time. We only heard from a different person's perspective. Other than that, I didn't find anything quite amusing or extraordinary about it. I didn't exactly devour the book, but I more like sat through it. It was a well written and mind blasting book but not my favourite for sure. I don't know why but I don't really like what everyone else loves and maybe that's why I'm finding it hard to love this series. 

RATING:

Review- The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher

Goodreads Summary:

Olivia Kaspen has just discovered that her ex-boyfriend, Caleb Drake, has lost his memory. With an already lousy reputation for taking advantage of situations, Olivia must decide how far she is willing to go to get Caleb back. Wrestling to keep her true identity and their sordid past under wraps, Olivia’s greatest obstacle is Caleb’s wicked, new girlfriend; Leah Smith. It is a race to the finish as these two vipers engage in a vicious tug of war to possess a man who no longer remembers them. But, soon enough Olivia must face the consequences of her lies, and in the process discover that sometimes love falls short of redemption.

REVIEW:

Janhvi told me about the Love Me With Lies series over coffee one day. That girl knows what books I will like practically better than I know myself. All she had to say was 'this is messed up' and I was up to buddy read it with my most favourite buddy reader. It's no surprise that Janhvi is a brilliant girl, but I'm sorry to say dude, this was way too messed up than you gave it credit for. 

The Opportunist fucked my mind. Majorly. 

I don't even know how to review this book. Notice I took up the first part to give you a brief about how I got into the book because I either don't have much to say or I have a hell lot to say. And I can't pick between the two so I'll just tell you in two simple words how this book is- frighteningly obsessive. 
I am really not going to say anything about the story. There was a flow between the past and the present which both made everything easy and difficult to understand. 

Have you ever had the feeling where you read or see something you wish you hadn't read or seen? If you haven't, then remember that The Opportunist has many such scenes. It'll make you wish you'd just skipped that one line or that one word. 

Man, my mind is overdriven after reading about so much of obsession, compulsion, manipulation and treachery. The Opportunist shows the excess level of love where it gets obsessive and possessive to such an extent that it tends to turn into masochism. 

There are various ways to interpret the almost electrifying characters and the complex ways in which they want to prove their love. For me, it really was very masochistic where one person only wanted to see their lover go through pain and they loved seeing it. And not in a sexual way at all. It was all about dishonesty, disloyalty, narcissism, mind games and manipulation. It's one big, complicated psychological jumble. 

Well, if you've read my review until here, you might think that I have some serious issues with the book and that I didn't like it. It was an absolutely frightening read- not in a scary way but more in a creepy way- that literary gave me goosebumps more times than once. But it was a thrilling read that has left my mind fucked up beyond recognition. Honestly, I don't know if I love it or hate it. But I sure as hell loved reading it, so that's a plus. Hopefully. 

RATING:

Review- Finding My Forever by Heidi McLaughlin

Goodreads Summary: 

Everywhere I look, my friends are settling down - marriage, children, white picket fences; but not me. Marriage isn't in the cards for me. I’m a ladies man. 

A rock star. 

I was born and raised in the industry. 

I love everything about my life, especially the attention from the women that my status brings me. 
Women find me. I don’t chase. I know what they want and they know I’ll deliver. 

But after one look, one touch, one night... 
Now I’m the one doing the chasing. 

I need to find a way to show her that I’m serious, that I can change. 
I need to find a way to show her that I can love her fully, and only her. 
I need to find a way to show her that she’s my forever.

The Beaumont Series: 

Sarika's review of book #1, Forever My Girl

Sarika's review of book #1.5, My Everything

REVIEW:

I remember the time I read Heidi McLaughlin's Forever My Girl and fell in love with the story. I found the novella, My Everything to be pretty okay and after that I was a little out of touch with the Beaumont series. But thanks to my great buddies Janhvi and Aman (you can read her review of the book here), I recently read the super sweet second book, My Unexpected Forever just in time for the third book, Finding My Forever which I buddy read with the girls as our January Endless Read. 

Finding My Forever is the story of Jimmy, the third and final band member of 4225 West, the other two being Liam and Harrison; and Jenna, a Beaumont native who is friends with Liam's and Harrison's girls, Josie and Katelyn. Jimmy has had a disappointing and heartbreaking relationship of three years with Chelsea and he's been a complete player ever since while Jenna has been in an abusive marriage to her friend. It's pretty obvious about what happens when the two come face to face in Beaumont. There's lot of drama and spice and some really silly and stupid going ons that finally lead to a sweet ending. 

While I did enjoy the first 40% and last 30% of the book, the in between, that's from 40% to 70% really put me off because to rip off the band-aid and put it simply, it was shallow. Both Jimmy and Jenna seemed really stupid and a number of things came up at the wrong place and wrong time that really put me off. Things either took place too early or too late for my taste and that tends to get very annoying. Dependency, making someone else responsible for your happiness, becoming better for someone who isn't even in the world yet, not for yourself... Ah, I just cannot understand all that. 

It may seem like I didn't like this book at all, but it's not true. I did like many things about it. I liked how Jimmy was funny and how he changed for the benefit of those around him. I liked how Jenna had her venerable and weak moments that made her real. And I especially liked meeting all the other Beaumont people. 

Overall, Finding My Forever wasn't as good as the previous books in the series and it's a disappointment because this is an adult series that I actually enjoy and look forward to and maybe that's why I may seem a wee bit partial to it. When I discussed the story with the two girls, I realized that we all had a point in saying whatever it is we have to say about it. Nonetheless, the book was a good one time read that I enjoyed.

RATING: