Review- Better When He's Bad by Jay Crownover

Summary-

Welcome to the Point

There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who’s bad . . . meet Shane Baxter.

Sexy, dark, and dangerous, Bax isn’t just from the wrong side of the tracks, he is the wrong side of the tracks. A criminal, a thug, and a brawler, he’s the master of bad choices, until one such choice landed him in prison for five years. Now Bax is out and looking for answers, and he doesn’t care what he has to do or who he has to hurt to get them. But there’s a new player in the game, and she’s much too innocent, much too soft…and standing directly in his way.

Dovie Pryce knows all about living a hard life and the tough choices that come with it. She’s always tried to be good, tried to help others, and tried not to let the darkness pull her down. But the streets are fighting back, things have gone from bad to worse, and the only person who can help her is the scariest, sexiest, most complicated ex-con The Point has ever produced.

Bax terrifies her, but it doesn’t take Dovie long to realise that some boys are just better when they’re bad.

Review-

I have read Rule and Jet by Jay Crownover and they were pretty average for me and that is the reason I didn't bother picking up the rest of the series. But then recently I had been hearing a lot of buzz around the Welcome to the Point series by Jay Crownover so I decided to give her books one more chance. I am glad I decided to read Better When He's Bad because I enjoyed it.

So Shane Bax, our hero has just gotten out of prison after a five year stint. He is one of the bad guys and not in the sense that he has good inside. He is hard and has always been on the wrong side of the law. At first, I didn't like Bax at all. I felt he was too reckless and stupid. But after he meets Dovie and we start seeing what she sees in him we kinda start understanding him. Bax kinda grew on me by the end of the book.

Then we have Dovie. Dovie is Bax's best friend's half sister. She is a girl who knows all about the hard life but still she works hard to meet ends meet. Despite all the bad surrounding her Dovie has remained untouched and innocent. I really liked Dovie. Though she was portrayed as the good girl she was brave and not afraid to stand up against Bax. 

Bax and Dovie could not be more opposite if they tried. I have to admit I was not very convinced of them in the beginning. I was not entirely convinced of the book in the beginning, but soon I liked their chemistry. Things really started moving for me after about 30% and that's when I started rooting for Dovie and Bax.

I also really liked meeting the myriad of characters which make up the Point. Each one is broken because of the world surrounding them but we still get glimpses of good once in a while. While I cannot say Better When He's Bad was an exceptional read, I enjoyed the start of the new series and I hope to read more from Jay Crownover.

Waiting on Wednesday #134

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith

Publication date- September 1st 2015

Goodreads Summary:

On the night before they leave for college, Clare and Aidan only have one thing left to do: figure out whether they should stay together or break up. Over the course of twelve hours, they'll retrace the steps of their relationship, trying to find something in their past that might help them decide what their future should be. The night will lead them to friends and family, familiar landmarks and unexpected places, hard truths and surprising revelations. But as the clock winds down and morning approaches, so does their inevitable goodbye. The question is, will it be goodbye for now or goodbye forever?

This new must-read novel from Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, explores the difficult choices that must be made when life and love lead in different directions.

I've only read the author's first book, and the other books are on the TBR, so why not this?

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Top Ten Tuesday #58

Top Ten Tuesday is a bookish meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is: 

top ten of Sarika's auto-buy authors

Here's my list:

Please note that all author images have been taken from Goodreads. Also, I don't necessarily read books by these authors as soon as they're out, but I buy them anyway. *winks* 

1) J. K. Rowling- I'm a  Potterhead, so JKR is my queen. 

2) Khaled Hosseini- No one can tell raw and real stories like him. 

3) Kelley York- She blows away my mind with her mind-fucking story-telling, every damn time. 

4) David Levithan- The. Most. Brilliant. Contemporary. Writer. 

5) John Green- His books are too interesing and cannot be skipped! 

6) Trish Doller- Her story-telling is very, very intriguing. 

7) Krista and Becca Ritchie- Their stories are very different and refreshing. 

8) Abbi Glines- She's my go-to author for when, once in a while, I'm in the mood for silly reads that aim for reader entertainment. 

9)  Laura Lee- Her stories are unconventional and really well thought of. 

10) Chetan Bhagat- King of controversy, yes. But I have to buy his books, for the collection, if nothing else.  

Do link me up to your posts in the comments below. Thank you for stopping by. Happy reading, everyone! 

Review- The Arithmetic of Breasts and Other Stories by Rochelle Potkar

Goodreads Summary:

Narain who lusts for Munika, hypnotized by her bosom in The Arithmetic of Breasts, and old Jaganlal who wants a favour from young Dia in The Room with a Sea-view.

Jackie who is in love with Nic in Sky Park, and the surgeon in Dr. Love who is changing much more than Sneha’s hairline, nose, lip and chin.

Shonali and Neel who are realizing that infidelity might not be such an easy thing in The Scent of a Conscience, and a woman who walks the tight rope between tradition and sexual exploitation in A place they call Scary.

And Sunil who meets the woman of his desires in What Men Want through an adult dating site.

Through these stories, Rochelle Potkar explores the intensely personal ‘unrelationship’ that exists alongside its conventional and socially articulate twin, the relationship.

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of The Arithmetic of Breasts and Other Stories by Rochelle Potkar from the author in exchange for an honest review. We thank Rochelle for the book! 

Author Rochelle Potkar's The Arithmetic of Breasts and Other Stories is a very offbeat and interesting collection of short stories that focuses on a series of themes, but ends up being about sexual drives and desires mostly. When I first heard about the book, I assumed that the common theme in all the stories would be the female breast- which is what made it interesting for me, as I have worked on the subject before. It was only when I read the first story that I realised that The Arithmetic of Breasts is just the title of the first story. So while exploitation of the breast wasn't the focus of this collection, it still leans towards feminism, which works well enough for me. 

While some of the stories seemed every vague and sometimes incomprehensible to me, the others were absolute hits. Some of my most favourite being- The Arithmetic of Breasts, Dr. Love, The Scent of a Conscience and Our Lovers. These four out of a total of nine stories really struck a chord with me, not just because they ticked all the boxes of some great story-telling on the part of the author, but also because these stories had human emotions and feelings at their core, which made it very raw and real. Some were even uncanny and rather difficult to fathom just because of the intensity of them. But honestly, those are the stories I hunt for, so it was satisfying. 

Coming to author Rochelle Potkar's writing, it was very smooth and easy to follow. The language was really well thought of and developed, with as tiny a use of colloquial language as possible, which is again a hit. I can easily see Rochelle's writing next to the feminist giants of the literary world that I have grown to admire and appreciate. I feel that the author's stories and most importantly, her story-telling are both very powerful. Just the way every story was different from the other and was equally gripping at the same time is real work on the author's part. 

Overall, there were a few stories in The Arithmetic of Breasts and Other Stories that I don't really care about, but as mentioned before, there are four stories that really stood out for me and that I have carried with me outside of the book. This is a great collection of short stories that really makes sense, has the reader contemplate over common human urges and basically just keep the reader occupied and entertained as well. It's definitely worth a read, or two in case one loves a story so much that it calls for reread or to just read some stories again only to understand them better. 

RATING:

Release Week Blitz: Review + Giveaway- The Moment of Letting Go by J.A.Redmerski

You can follow the rules or you can follow your heart...THE MOMENT OF LETTING GO

Sienna Murphy never does anything without a plan. And so far her plans have been working. Right after college, she got a prestigious job and gained the stability she'd always craved-until work takes her to the sun-drenched shores of Oahu and places her in the path of sexy surfer Luke Everett. For the first time, she lets her heart take control. Drawn to his carefree charm, she makes a spontaneous and very un-Sienna-like decision to drop everything and stay in Hawaii for two more weeks.

Luke lives fast and wild. When he meets Sienna, he's convinced that some no-strings-attached fun is just what she needs. As their nights quickly turn from playful to passionate, Luke can't deny the deep connection he feels. But there's a reason Luke doesn't do long-term. He can't promise Sienna forever, when the enormity of his past has
shown him just how fragile the future can be . . . 

Review-

I decided to read J.A.Redmerski's The Moment of Letting Go solely based on the fact that it had a pretty cover and the summary sounded really intriguing. I enjoy reading new adult contemporary romances but The Moment of Letting Go was so much more than just another romance. This book totally blew me away and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Let's start with Sienna. Sienna has seen her parents struggle financially when she was growing up so now she never does anything without a plan. She has a well paying job though it doesn't give her much time to pursue her passion of photography. But everything changes when she meets Luke in Hawaii. I really liked Sienna. She was such a sweet girl with her head on her shoulders. I loved her personality and she was very easy to relate to.

Then we have Luke. Luke likes living on the edge. When we first meet him you think he is just another guy but there is SO much more depth and history to him. Luke likes doing extreme sports for a reason and he is still dealing with the loss of a loved one. He finds peace when he is with Sienna and the attraction between them is easy to see. I loved the fact that Luke was a good guy. He genuinely cared about Sienna and her feelings. 

Sienna and Luke have chemistry from the instant they meet. You'd think this book would go like a no strings attached relationship but I was happy to be proved wrong. It kinda goes the slow burn romance way but the friendship and attraction is there ever present. I loved how Luke helped Sienna overcome her fears. Sienna gave Luke the peace he was searching for. They both overcame a lot of their issues by the end of the book.

I also enjoyed Luke and Sienna's friends. All the side characters were fully fleshed out and had an important role to play. This book sends out such a great messgae. We sometimes get so wrapped up in achieving the material things in life that we forget to live freely. This book just hit all the right notes for me and I would highly recommend it to everybody.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided via Netgalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Buy the book!

Amazon

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BAM

About the author:

J. A. Redmerski, New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas with her three children, two cats and a Maltese. She is a lover of television and books that push boundaries. 

Connect with the author!

Website

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Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share link- https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/26635ce2238/

Thank you so much guys and happy reading! :)

Review- The Moment of Letting Go by J.A.Redmerski

Summary-

You can follow the rules or you can follow your heart...THE MOMENT OF LETTING GO

Sienna Murphy never does anything without a plan. And so far her plans have been working. Right after college, she got a prestigious job and gained the stability she'd always craved-until work takes her to the sun-drenched shores of Oahu and places her in the path of sexy surfer Luke Everett. For the first time, she lets her heart take control. Drawn to his carefree charm, she makes a spontaneous and very un-Sienna-like decision to drop everything and stay in Hawaii for two more weeks.

Luke lives fast and wild. When he meets Sienna, he's convinced that some no-strings-attached fun is just what she needs. As their nights quickly turn from playful to passionate, Luke can't deny the deep connection he feels. But there's a reason Luke doesn't do long-term. He can't promise Sienna forever, when the enormity of his past has shown him just how fragile the future can be . . . 

Review-

I decided to read J.A.Redmerski's The Moment of Letting Go solely based on the fact that it had a pretty cover and the summary sounded really intriguing. I enjoy reading new adult contemporary romances but The Moment of Letting Go was so much more than just another romance. This book totally blew me away and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Let's start with Sienna. Sienna has seen her parents struggle financially when she was growing up so now she never does anything without a plan. She has a well paying job though it doesn't give her much time to pursue her passion of photography. But everything changes when she meets Luke in Hawaii. I really liked Sienna. She was such a sweet girl with her head on her shoulders. I loved her personality and she was very easy to relate to.

Then we have Luke. Luke likes living on the edge. When we first meet him you think he is just another guy but there is SO much more depth and history to him. Luke likes doing extreme sports for a reason and he is still dealing with the loss of a loved one. He finds peace when he is with Sienna and the attraction between them is easy to see. I loved the fact that Luke was a good guy. He genuinely cared about Sienna and her feelings. 

Sienna and Luke have chemistry from the instant they meet. You'd think this book would go like a no strings attached relationship but I was happy to be proved wrong. It kinda goes the slow burn romance way but the friendship and attraction is there ever present. I loved how Luke helped Sienna overcome her fears. Sienna gave Luke the peace he was searching for. They both overcame a lot of their issues by the end of the book.

I also enjoyed Luke and Sienna's friends. All the side characters were fully fleshed out and had an important role to play. This book sends out such a great messgae. We sometimes get so wrapped up in achieving the material things in life that we forget to live freely. This book just hit all the right notes for me and I would highly recommend it to everybody.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided via Netgalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Waiting on Wednesday #133

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Dream Things True by Marie Marquardt

Publication Date: September 1, 2015

Summary-

A modern-day Romeo and Juliet story in which a wealthy Southern boy falls in love with an undocumented Mexican girl and together they face perils in their hostile Georgia town.

Evan, a soccer star and the nephew of a conservative Southern Senator, has never wanted for much -- except a functional family. Alma has lived in Georgia since she was two-years-old, excels in school, and has a large, warm Mexican family. Never mind their differences, the two fall in love, and they fall hard. But when ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) begins raids on their town, Alma knows that she needs to tell Evan her secret. There's too much at stake. But how to tell her country-club boyfriend that she’s an undocumented immigrant? That her whole family and most of her friends live in the country without permission. What follows is a beautiful, nuanced, well-paced exploration of the complications of immigration, young love, defying one’s family, and facing a tangled bureaucracy that threatens to completely upend two young lives.

The summary of Dream Things True looks really interesting so I'm looking forward to reading this one.

What are you waiting on? :)