Book Review: Finding Home by Lauren Baker and Bonnie Dee

Book Stats:
Finding Home by Lauren Baker and Bonnie Dee
Source: Purchased
Format: Kindle, 300 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publication Date: 01/06/2006
Reading Level: Adult/ Mature YA (17+)
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Drama, Sociology

Goodreads Summary: Her family, her friends and her conscience all say it's wrong to fall for the hustler she rescued from the streets. How come it feels so right? When Megan first meets Mouth, a homeless teenage hustler, on the streets of L.A., he's the perfect subject for the street life expose she hopes will help her break into journalism. She doesn't expect to be drawn into his life and become his friend-or to take him in after he's been beaten and robbed by thugs. As they learn to live together, a powerful attraction flourishes between Megan and the young man. Although he's street smart, tough and mature, he's also a youth in transition. When they finally give in to the sexual heat between them, Megan fears she's taking advantage of her position as his mentor. Their relationship challenges every aspect of her life. Megan must make difficult choices between the conflicting demands of her friends and family, her career and love. Warning: Explicit sex, reference to underage sex, graphic language, violence.

Please leave your morals out the door and keep an open mind when reading this book because it's a pretty dark book. It covers prostitution, homelessness, abuse, drugs.. but immediately after finishing the initial chapters, I was completely hooked.

Megan, a 23 year old aspiring writer, was working on her debut article that covers the life of kids in the boulevard who sells their bodies for money. Really wanting to prove she had talent to her boss other than proofreading, she pursued getting interviews from the kids themselves and that's where she met the 17 year old hustler, Sean aka. Mouth.

As Megan spends more time with the kids and at the boulevard, she finds herself attracted at the young man and they started a civilized friendship. After not seeing him for a few days, she finds him beat up. Concerned for his safety, Megan took Sean to her home where he stayed for a while as he tried getting a job and completing his GED. As the days go by, the sexual tension between them sizzles and the two finds themselves in a situation that has written doomed from the start.

Whoa, what a ride. Realistic.. heartbreaking and beautiful. The story was written in 3rd person but the thoughts are mostly from Megan. Being attracted to Sean and all, it was pretty weird hearing about her non-stop sexual desires. I like that she wasn't an insecure heroine or a fucked up one, she was... pretty normal but I did questioned her initial intentions with Sean because the girl was pretty damn horny for him. I didn't think this was supposed to be erotica but there was a lot of descriptive sex! She appeared selfish at times but I believe her heart was really in the right place.

"I'm a fucking whore," he continued. 

"The people I meet either want to fuck me or fuck me over. End of fucking story."

Oh Sean... you broke my heart. I just wished I could have heard his own thoughts in the story because even though he was there, it didn't really feel like it. The romance plot, his business and his past.. he would have been a more interesting and heartbreaking voice to listen to. I just can't help but feel bad for him especially when he meets Megan's family and friends.

I'd say age is nothing but a number, but i'd be a hypocrite because I know I would have felt better if I knew he was 18 instead. He went through so much and knows so much, it's easy to forget he's only 17. The age thing was almost overkill since the prostitution part was already a potent subject but oh well, it did add more drama.

This book just had everything that can tear your heart to pieces but the last few chapters definitely made it worth the heartbreak. I want more though, Ms. Baker and Ms. Dee should really write a companion novel or a sequel! Maybe Sean's POV or with the other street kids because their stories we're pretty sad too.

★★★★

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Lauren Baker: Goodreads

Bonnie Dee: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
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Adult Book Review: Halfway to the Grave by Jeanine Frost

Book Stats:
Halfway to the Grave by Jeanine Frost
(Book #1 of Night Huntress)
Source: Purchased
Format: Kindle, 394 pages
Publisher: Avon Books
Publication Date: 9/1/2007
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Mystery

Goodreads Summary: Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother’s life. Then she’s captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership. In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She’s amazed she doesn’t end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn’t have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side... and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

This adult paranormal series have been long talked about that I knew I just had to see what the fuss was all about and I think, Halfway to the Grave deserves every bit of its hype. Well surely, I've taken prejudice over it's title and its cover, that this is will be a very cheesed out albeit adult novel. I was amazed by how easily I got into the story! I've read too much vampire novels to be surprised about the content but I liked every bit of the world Jeanine Frost created here in the first book of the Night Huntress. Most of all, I fell in love with its characters!

Let's start with the protagonist, Cat. Oh Cat.. I loved her feisty character! She was strong and determined but also compassionate. She has issues and she has insecurities which showcases her human side then there is also the vampire side that is just straight up bad-ass! 

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you my favorite word as of the moment and it's… BONES. Jeanine Frost sure knows how to make a girlfriend swoon over a fictional character. He was just perfect to me. The descriptive image of his white blond hair and that Australian or British accent won't surely leave my perverted train of thoughts for a while. Oh also, another favorite word of mine as of the moment is SHAG. Was that inappropriate?

Anyways, the romance was… *insert dreamy sigh* was nicely executed. It developed not too fast but not achingly slow from my preference. It was so swoony and steamy that it makes me wanna cry! As you can probably tell, I love this couple! There is sex but it was written in a tasteful but suggestive manner. I really don't think this was meant to be erotica anyway.

"I love you, Bones.” 

A weight seemed to lift from me I hadn’t known was there.

 Funny how much I’d feared something that shouldn’t have frightened me at all. 

“Again.” He started to smile, and a beautiful, pure joy filled up the emptiness I’d carried my entire life. 

“I love you.”

I found myself laughing out loud with this book. Again with the prejudice, looking at the cover, I would have thought otherwise but there's so many things I really thought wrong. This has pretty dark content like rape and gory murders but Jeanine Frost seemed to have balanced that with the perfect touch of romance and the light mystery. The action was sufficient enough for me. It wasn't all ass-kicking. I love me some crime related books and this gave me a nice paranormal twist. 

I don't think it was a good idea to have read this though because I just found another book to fangirl about. A girl can only take so much squealing!

★★★★★

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Early Book Review: Risking It All by Jennifer Schmidt

Book Stats:
Risking It All by Jennifer Schmidt
Source: ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley
Format: E-book, 319 pages
Publisher: The Writer's Coffee Shop
Expected Publication Date: 9/27/2012
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Erotica

Goodreads Summary: Kennedy Monroe barely got her foot in her college dorm her freshman year before she was being warned about a certain dark-haired, blue-eyed self-proclaimed Casanova. There were only so many tales of heartache – and incredibly steamy nights – she could listen to before she started to believe them. But after a run in with the most sought after college womanizer, her ill feelings toward him change and soon a friendship forms that surprises everyone. Twelve years later Kennedy and Memphis Adams are closer than ever - and only friends despite what those around them think, including Kennedy’s boyfriend Ian Brooks. When Kennedy accepts an invitation to vacation in Alaska from Memphis, her relationship with Brooks is tested as is her restraint when it comes to the desire she has always had for her best friend. Alone with Memphis in Alaska, Kennedy finds it increasingly harder to ignore temptation and wants nothing more than to give into her secret desires with the one man that has always been off limits. But is one night of passion worth the possible risk of losing their friendship over? Feeling torn between doing the right thing and doing what she wants, Kennedy fears losing her best friend. She knows she needs to sort out her feelings for the two men in her life and deal with the consequences of her actions, but how can she when everything seems to be falling apart so fast? And how much can Memphis take before he’s pushed too far and can no longer take Kennedy’s inability to make a decision about what and who she wants? Kennedy discovers the harsh reality of how one night can change everything and leave her risking it all.

Photographer Memphis Adams has always been easy with the ladies but never one to take them seriously. Kennedy Monroe was a girl all too familiar with his reputation and the fallout of being with Memphis, so despite the instant attraction for him, she want nothing to do with him at all. Until one day at a coincidental visit at the beach, Kennedy sees the other side of Memphis that softened her judgment for the boy and they've been best friends ever since.

Risking It All is a contemporary read that evokes strong emotions out of a reader, whether it's for the good or the bad. In my case, both. I live in Alaska so the little premise of falling in love at my hometown was mainly what got me excited.

I was never one to love a story that involves love triangles especially when the heroine simply cannot choose between the two. I remember reading Thoughtless and I was on the verge of pulling my hair out of exasperation. I was on the verge of that once again with Memphis & Kennedy. It's so hard because I hated what they both do to each other but at the same time, you can't help but root for both of them you know? As simple as things should have been, they both made it VERY difficult for each other. 

As difficult as it might have been, the sex in this book was hot but don't think it's all mindless screwing, you can see that they bared everything they had for those moments and the emotional pull of those scenes just makes you wanna melt in a puddle of goo.

Jennifer Schmidt did an awesome job blurring the thin line between friendship and love. Sometimes you won't be able to tell which is which but I was able to FEEL the friendship and the love that Kennedy & Memphis portrayed. 

  

★★★

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Review: Love's Rhythm by Lexxie Couper

Book Stats:
Love's Rhythm by Lexxie Couper
Pages: (Kindle) 192
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Publication Date: 4/17/2012
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Romance, Erotica, Contemporary

Goodreads Summary: His music moves the world. Can his love move her heart?Nick Blackthorne knows all about words of love. They’re the reason he’s the world’s biggest rock star. The irony? He turned his back on love a long time ago, lured away by the trappings of fame. An invitation to a friend’s wedding is a stark reminder of how meaningless his life has become. When he enters that church, there’s only one woman he wants on his arm—the one he walked out on a lifetime ago. But first he has to find her, even if all she accepts from him is an apology.Kindergarten teacher Lauren Robbins once had what every woman on the planet desires. Nick. Their passion was explosive, their romance the stuff of songs…and it took fifteen years to get over him. Then out of the blue Nick turns up at her door, and all those years denying her ache for him are shattered with a single, smoldering kiss.But molten passion can’t hide the secret she’s kept for all these years. Because it’s not just her heart on the line anymore…and not just her life that’ll be rocked by the revelation. Product WarningsRemember your first crush on a rock star? Now add smoldering sex, a raw and undeniable passion, soul-shattering orgasms. And secrets…

Final Verdict:
I understand that Nick had a pre-story before this and appeared in one of Lexxie Couper's series. I was confused when I saw the "Dedication" part, but now I know the reason behind it. This story played on a lot with the typical rockstar mojo. The fame, the tours, the groupies. Nick Blackthorne had that in the palm of his hands until an invitation to his friends' wedding brought him out to sought the life he left 15 years ago.
Lauren, the girl who Nick left for the fame and fortune, continued with life even as the bitter memories of Nick haunt her everyday. She got her job, a home and... a family. Until Nick suddenly showed up in her school's parking lot where she accidentally knocked him out cold but bringing out the passionate heat in her that only he can.
Being fictional did this book a favor because I would have never, in a million years, think all of that could have been realistic whatsoever but hey, I know nothing about the life in the limelight! It's a sweet short story of redemption of a long lost love over the deluding lure of fame and the chinks brought on by insecurities. My heart goes out for both of them actually. It's nice to have both of their POVs alternate in chapters because it gave me more insight to their situations. There was a lot of skepticism, longing, hatred and love. It's not necessarily an angst filled story but you could just feel the burning heat... *phew!
I don't know if I'll ever get used to it and I've read a handful of Adult novels/Erotica but it never fails to make cringe whenever they try to dirty talk or use really derogative terms while doing the deed. Am I the only one? Hm? Sometimes, It does work for the feeling it's trying to give the story but often, it's more than what my brain could handle. Other than that, I didn't really have issues with this book.
I wasn't expecting much with this being only 192 pages. I don't know if it was the characters urging me the feeling of sympathy or maybe the steamy sex between the protagonists but I liked it enough to read the whole thing in one sitting. There was more to it than just that, there were little twists to it that I would have never thought could fit but Lexxie Couper made it work for Nick and Lauren's story!
Sometimes, It's nice to wind down with fast-paced short stories that aren't too complicated and if you're looking for that, Love's Rhythm can definitely bring a bang for your buck.

Rating:

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Review: In Bed With A Highlander by Maya Banks

Book Stats:
In Bed With A Highlander 
by Maya Banks
(Book #1 of  the McCabe Series)
Source: Purchased
Format: Kindle, 368 pages
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Publication Date: 8/30/2011
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Romance, Historical, Erotica

Goodreads Summary: Maya's beguiling new trilogy features three unforgettable brothers risking everything to save their clan and their legacy—and surrender their hearts to love. Ewan McCabe, the eldest, is a warrior determined to vanquish his enemy. Now, with the time ripe for battle, his men are ready and Ewan is poised to take back what is his—until a blue-eyed, raven-haired temptress is thrust upon him. Mairin may be the salvation of Ewan’s clan, but for a man who dreams only of revenge, matters of the heart are strange territory to conquer. Though the illegitimate daughter of the king, Mairin possesses prized property that has made her a pawn—and wary of love. Her worst fears are realized when she is rescued from peril, only to be forced into marriage by her charismatic and commanding savior, Ewan McCabe. But her attraction to her ruggedly powerful new husband finds her craving his surprisingly tender touch; her body comes alive under his sensual mastery. And as war draws near, Mairin’s strength, spirit, and passion challenge Ewan to conquer his demons—and embrace a love that means more than revenge and land.

Honestly, even after reading a pretty promising synopsis, I don't know what took over me to jump on reading it right away. I even dropped the book I'm currently reading to see what it's all about. I actually don't know what I was in for, I only read couple of books dated in a historical setting or era. I guess, that was part of the pull, because it was different.
Okay, immediately, the story was in full throttle and I found myself flipping through pages like a maniac. Honestly, I couldn't read fast enough!

I guess you can call this a fluffy read despite the really hot sex scenes. I really thought this was under the genre of comedy because I burst out laughing more than I usually do with adult books. The dialogues we're very different, so that added more humor to it.
I don't know how many times I've face-palmed myself over the things that Mairin did or said because I really did lost count. She was so... innocent but acts like she knows what she's doing. Truly, I was laughing my ass off! It's not hard to like a character when she's just a warm soul yet ever so spirited. I immediately liked her character from the beginning. She does have the sense of royalty in her character with the way she takes care of things but she also snorts like a normal woman. Pay in mind that this was in the times of castles and dungeons where unladylike behavior was frowned upon but she was a woman of her own.

Ewan. I have a hard time saying his name without incessant giggling but I don't know, it just sounds funny to me because in my language, Tagalog, "Ewan" means "I don't know". Anywho, his character wasn't one I warmed up to right away because he was cold but I can't deny the spark he gives to the dialogues. He was as witty as Mairin, so the two find themselves squaring off more than usual. Not to mention, he was a king and she didn't cower on his feet. But I eventually liked him when he showed the other side of him. Shoot, I like my men protective and loving. Ewan became just that.

The romance was not abrupt, even though they we're married initially, it only escalated and gave way to genuine romantic tension. Their relationship had mature roles and needs but sweet all the same, I found myself sighing and awwing.

I liked the other sub-characters. As much as I immediately warmed up to Mairin, I also did with Ewan's son, Crispen. His brothers, Alaric and Caelen. They we're not focused on but I liked them anyway. As well as the others who served their kingdom. They were, as they said, A clan. A family. It really did felt like that.

I was impressed by how much I liked the characters despite the little hateful ones. I wasn't expecting much with this book. To my surprise It did give me enough and more! The story wasn't mind-blowing but it was thoroughly enjoyable. I have to admit, I was hesitant at point to continue because I thought it wouldn't end good. This is my first book from Ms. Maya Banks and I'm for sure going to read more of her work. I think I'll have to read the other one of the McCabe series next because I'm looking forward to Alaric's story!

★★★★

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Recommendations: Dark and captivating books

I've recently read these books as of late:

Sempre by J.M. Darhower

Captive In The Dark by CJ Roberts

Slave by Sherri Hayes

Now, I have read pretty disturbing and depressing books before but the titles above have taken it to another level. They have different stories on their own but they all touch on a similar subject involving the taboo being of "slaves". The stories in the book are just so captivating that it's hard to stop even though you're starting to have goosebumps.

Out of all the three, I read Sempre first.

 [Here is my full review in Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/350118980]

I love this book. It tells such a beautiful story about love, sacrifice and of course, freedom. It will make you laugh, it will definitely make your heart hurt and it will give you hope.

I was so in love with Sempre that I started looking for a second book similar to the theme of Sempre. It wasn't too long that I stumbled upon Captive In The Dark.

[Here is my full review in Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/352488958]

Despite reading an already shocking book before this, this book has managed to shock me out of all sorts and I was thoroughly speechless for a few seconds after finishing then millions of thoughts came into my head after! It was.... mind-blowing. It is very... very disturbing. It touches on scenes of rape, violence, murder and other stuff you wouldn't normally think about. So I will give you fair warning that this book won't really give you a happily ever after.

It is a very gutsy subject to be written about but the author has done it beautifully that you won't want to stop reading and.... Ms. CJ Roberts, will DEFINITELY lure you into reading the next book.

Lastly, still not over my Dark-books-cravings, I starting reading Slave.

[Here is my full review in Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/353119354]

 

This book was not AS visually disturbing as Captive In The Dark but the thought was still there. It's a story of redemption rather than an adrenaline induced story like Sempre and Captive In The Dark. It was a "fluffy" read comparing to those two but it is still good so I'm considering of reading the sequel in the Finding Anna series.

Actually, I'm considering to read ALL of the books' sequels and I can hardly wait to get my hands on them. Especially for Sempre and Captive In The Dark!

Buy these amazing books from Amazon!