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Jaded Hollow #4
Awaken Me
Once upon a time, Nick was in love. It was a love so deep and abiding, he knew nothing, and no one, could tear them apart.
He was wrong.
Death happened, and it left Nick an empty shell of the man he used to be. Angry at the world and filled with unbearable pain, he lashes out at anyone who comes close.
Especially Chris.
Unable to admit it to himself, Chris is the only person who makes him feel alive after years of grief. Only she can make the dead organ in his chest beat again, and he hates her for it, letting her know at every opportunity.
Will Nick give into the incessant attraction he feels for Chris? Or will he go too far and lose her forever?
***This title was previously published as Awaken Me, Book Four in the Jaded Series***
He was wrong.
Death happened, and it left Nick an empty shell of the man he used to be. Angry at the world and filled with unbearable pain, he lashes out at anyone who comes close.
Especially Chris.
Unable to admit it to himself, Chris is the only person who makes him feel alive after years of grief. Only she can make the dead organ in his chest beat again, and he hates her for it, letting her know at every opportunity.
Will Nick give into the incessant attraction he feels for Chris? Or will he go too far and lose her forever?
***This title was previously published as Awaken Me, Book Four in the Jaded Series***
428 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2016
About the author
Alex Grayson
46 books2,398 followersAlex Grayson is the bestselling author of heart pounding, emotionally gripping contemporary romance including the Jaded Series, the Consumed Series, and two standalone novels. Her passion for books was reignited by a gift from her sister-in-law. After spending several years as a devoted reader and blogger, Alex decided to write and independently publish her first novel in 2014 (an endeavor that took a little longer than expected). The rest, as they say, is history.
Originally a southern girl, Alex now lives in Ohio with her husband, two children, two cats and dog. She loves the color blue, homemade lasagna, casually browsing real estate, and interacting with her readers. Visit her website, www.alexgraysonbooks.com, or find her on social media!
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Alex-Grayson...
Amazon author page - http://amzn.to/2x6LcWJ
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AlexGrayson10
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alexgrayson...
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/alexgrayson...
Newsletter - http://eepurl.com/bAxPLf
Website – www.alexgraysonbooks.com
Email – alexg@alexgraysonbooks.com
Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alex-...
Book+Main - https://bookandmainbites.com/alexgrayson
Originally a southern girl, Alex now lives in Ohio with her husband, two children, two cats and dog. She loves the color blue, homemade lasagna, casually browsing real estate, and interacting with her readers. Visit her website, www.alexgraysonbooks.com, or find her on social media!
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Alex-Grayson...
Amazon author page - http://amzn.to/2x6LcWJ
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AlexGrayson10
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alexgrayson...
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/alexgrayson...
Newsletter - http://eepurl.com/bAxPLf
Website – www.alexgraysonbooks.com
Email – alexg@alexgraysonbooks.com
Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alex-...
Book+Main - https://bookandmainbites.com/alexgrayson
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 261 reviews
November 17, 2016
For the love of God, if these two MC's weren't fictional, I would shoot them myself.
The H is a sadistic, poor-pitiful-me bastard still obsessed with his dead wife. The h makes HarleyLand tstl, spineless heroines look like Margaret Thatcher. Sorry, I can't think of anyone else at this point.
The h wants to help the poor angsty hero despite the fact that he treats her like dirt, worse than dirt. He is a fricking pig.
Cruel and cold rejection happens time and time again, but she's, "Yes sir, may I have another."
The H is a sadistic, poor-pitiful-me bastard still obsessed with his dead wife. The h makes HarleyLand tstl, spineless heroines look like Margaret Thatcher. Sorry, I can't think of anyone else at this point.
The h wants to help the poor angsty hero despite the fact that he treats her like dirt, worse than dirt. He is a fricking pig.
Cruel and cold rejection happens time and time again, but she's, "Yes sir, may I have another."
Read
December 18, 2016Dnf @ 40%
I'm not going to rate this as I couldn't finish it and I feel it wouldn't be fair to rate it because of my personal taste and nothing to do with the writing.
I'm not a fan of heroine chasing the guy, I guess I'm pretty old fashioned in that I prefer the guy to do the chasing. Chris (heroine) was just too much for me. I understand she wanted to help him but she just wouldn't leave him alone! He was so horrible to her because of the fact he was still grieving for Anna but it was like Chris was a glutton for punishment as she just took his abuse and just kept coming back for more. Her inner thoughts were of helping him move on and she didn't begrudge him the love he had for Anna but she wanted a relationship with him. All their friends knew she had feelings for him so when Nick (hero) accused her of being "desperate" I actually agreed with him! What I don't get is why she was so shocked that Nick saw her that way. If it was just pure intentions she had for helping him I would have respected her but her pining for him and just constantly in his face made me cringe in embarrassment for her. Bottom line her chasing him around constantly was not to my taste so I gave up.
I'm not going to rate this as I couldn't finish it and I feel it wouldn't be fair to rate it because of my personal taste and nothing to do with the writing.
I'm not a fan of heroine chasing the guy, I guess I'm pretty old fashioned in that I prefer the guy to do the chasing. Chris (heroine) was just too much for me. I understand she wanted to help him but she just wouldn't leave him alone! He was so horrible to her because of the fact he was still grieving for Anna but it was like Chris was a glutton for punishment as she just took his abuse and just kept coming back for more. Her inner thoughts were of helping him move on and she didn't begrudge him the love he had for Anna but she wanted a relationship with him. All their friends knew she had feelings for him so when Nick (hero) accused her of being "desperate" I actually agreed with him! What I don't get is why she was so shocked that Nick saw her that way. If it was just pure intentions she had for helping him I would have respected her but her pining for him and just constantly in his face made me cringe in embarrassment for her. Bottom line her chasing him around constantly was not to my taste so I gave up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2019
Whew!! This was one brutal read. I adore Asshole Heroes, and Nick absolutely took the cake in this story. Chris was such a doormat through too much of the story. Her actions were so cringy and difficult to witness. She was majorly in love with Nick, despite knowing he couldn't move on with his life since Anna's death. Nick loved Anna completely and felt he didn't deserve happiness without her in his life now. Nick refused to move on with his life, and refused to ever love anybody else. I think Nick vindictively enjoyed being able to repeatedly hurt Chris every chance he got though.
Nick was scathingly hateful to Chris. He viewed her as the pathetic doormat she was in her attempts to support him and help him through his difficult time. He flung so much hateful and detestable treatment and words her way, and yet she just kept coming back for more, allowing him to cut her to the bone every single time. Nick was absolutely the most cruel and hurtful asshole hero I have ever read, and yet I could not look away.
Although this couple's story was difficult and infuriating to read, the Universe definitely had plans to finally bring these two together as a couple, and it was cool seeing how this ending came together perfectly. Nick, was forced to pull his head out of his ass finally and become a decent human being again. It was nice to see him finally grovel like he should have through most of the story. I'm pretty impressed with this author's ability to turn this major asshole hero into someone I actually loved by the ending.
April 4, 2020
This book is utter bullshit! The heroine was so inlove with the hero that she just can’t get a life. The hero was right about her, she’s fucking desperate, a tail-chaser and a pathetic bitch! Even the sex part was traumatizing! The hero is hot and cold all through out the book, and in my head I was like “make up your fucking mind already you asshole”. I am going to kill them both myself if I can, these MCs almost gave me an aneurysm. I am totally scarred for life by this author and I will never go back for seconds. Never.
January 10, 2021
double standards abound
if the roles were reversed and the hero pursued the heroine like this, he would be a damn twisted weirdo
if she rejected him the way he rejects her, she'd be lauded as the strong feisty kickass heroine
either way, they're both damn sickos
and Amazon - or whoever chooses the genre - what are you on about???
where's the romance?
this here? why??
#16,647 in Romantic Suspense (Kindle Store)
#21,604 in Romantic Suspense (Books)
#41,966 in Contemporary Romance (Kindle Store)
if the roles were reversed and the hero pursued the heroine like this, he would be a damn twisted weirdo
if she rejected him the way he rejects her, she'd be lauded as the strong feisty kickass heroine
either way, they're both damn sickos
and Amazon - or whoever chooses the genre - what are you on about???
where's the romance?
this here? why??
#16,647 in Romantic Suspense (Kindle Store)
#21,604 in Romantic Suspense (Books)
#41,966 in Contemporary Romance (Kindle Store)
July 1, 2020
This book has the doormatiest doormat of the dormant heroines I have ever read about. If you love weak-willed heroines that just sit there and take the abuse over and over again, this book is definitely for you.
Read
April 4, 2016Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to mourn the passing of Lauren’s heart. While it was strong, a book by Alex Grayson destroyed it, leaving nothing left. It was a good heart for Lauren, but alas, it wasn’t able to withstand Nick and Chris’ heartbreakingly good romance story. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the “Fund of Too Many Feels” to benefit other readers who are battling the same illness to which Lauren succumbed.
That’s right. You heard or well, in this case, read me. Alex Grayson broke my heart with Awaken Me. Where I thought I was once strong willed and emotionally unshakeable, Grayson has taken the biggest sledgehammer she could find and tore down my walls like a sheet of paper trying to withstand a category five hurricane. Even days later, my heart remained buried and broken because of this story. At one point in reading this novel, I told my co-blogger that I should snatch up stock in Kleenex before the release of this book because I’d make a killing in the increased demand. This is the by far the most emotional book I have ever read in my two years as a blogger and over twenty years as a reader. It is simply stated a marvelous read.
This is the part where I would normally break down the characters or the plot, but I am not going to do that this time. I am simply going to talk about how much this book has completed this series of beautifully broken characters needing redemption, a second chance, or even a chance at all. Grayson has taken tragic romance and morphed it into romance shrouded in darkness and the tears of her readers. Awaken Me not only concludes the series, but combines every little detail that I loved about the Jaded Series and wove it into one gritty and beautifully written book. Grayson had the right emotional connection and combination to hit you just the right way at precisely the right time. Awaken Me hits the emotional ground running and doesn’t let up until the end.
I’ll even go so far as to admit that this series will be one I greatly miss as Grayson as stepped the final “The End” onto the last page. While I used to be hesitant about emotional romance novels, I find myself seeking them out like a long, lost friend. Through reading Alex’s books, I have learned so much more about myself and my emotional capacity to understand and feel tragedy and pain, even if it is fictional. She’s also given me a better understanding about how love doesn’t have to be found on the straight and narrow path. Sometimes the greatest kind of love is found at the end of the most dangerous, curvy, and painstakingly scary path. That is the kind of love that is worth every drop of blood, sweat, and tears that falls for it to be imagined.
I want to finish off this review by actually thanking Alex Grayson for giving me the Jaded Series world. Even as I faced my own personal tragedies over the last year, your books gave me hope that even at the end of a darkened tunnel I will find peace and happiness again.
That’s right. You heard or well, in this case, read me. Alex Grayson broke my heart with Awaken Me. Where I thought I was once strong willed and emotionally unshakeable, Grayson has taken the biggest sledgehammer she could find and tore down my walls like a sheet of paper trying to withstand a category five hurricane. Even days later, my heart remained buried and broken because of this story. At one point in reading this novel, I told my co-blogger that I should snatch up stock in Kleenex before the release of this book because I’d make a killing in the increased demand. This is the by far the most emotional book I have ever read in my two years as a blogger and over twenty years as a reader. It is simply stated a marvelous read.
This is the part where I would normally break down the characters or the plot, but I am not going to do that this time. I am simply going to talk about how much this book has completed this series of beautifully broken characters needing redemption, a second chance, or even a chance at all. Grayson has taken tragic romance and morphed it into romance shrouded in darkness and the tears of her readers. Awaken Me not only concludes the series, but combines every little detail that I loved about the Jaded Series and wove it into one gritty and beautifully written book. Grayson had the right emotional connection and combination to hit you just the right way at precisely the right time. Awaken Me hits the emotional ground running and doesn’t let up until the end.
I’ll even go so far as to admit that this series will be one I greatly miss as Grayson as stepped the final “The End” onto the last page. While I used to be hesitant about emotional romance novels, I find myself seeking them out like a long, lost friend. Through reading Alex’s books, I have learned so much more about myself and my emotional capacity to understand and feel tragedy and pain, even if it is fictional. She’s also given me a better understanding about how love doesn’t have to be found on the straight and narrow path. Sometimes the greatest kind of love is found at the end of the most dangerous, curvy, and painstakingly scary path. That is the kind of love that is worth every drop of blood, sweat, and tears that falls for it to be imagined.
I want to finish off this review by actually thanking Alex Grayson for giving me the Jaded Series world. Even as I faced my own personal tragedies over the last year, your books gave me hope that even at the end of a darkened tunnel I will find peace and happiness again.
July 25, 2019
Holy mother of pearl this book wrecked me. Punched me in the gut, consumed my soul, messed me up. The angst, ye gods, the angst! It was intense, as in being hit by a freight train intense. Nick was such a freaking bastard!!! I totally got that he was grieving and immersed in sorrow but that didn’t give him any right to be such a cruel goddamn dick to Chris. The pain that woman went through because of him was just unbearable. I cried, then I cried some more, and then, yep you guessed it, I cried even more. Nick was such a stubborn ass who thought only of himself and indulged in his misery. My patience wore off really quick with him. Chris was such a kind and sweet person. He completely and utterly destroyed her, I’m talking complete TKO of her heart and soul. This book was so angsty, featuring so many of the classic intense drama tropes that it was easy to predict a lot of what was going to happen. However, I’m an angst whore and absolutely loved it. I savored the emotional pain and suffering, ate it with a spoon. And it wasn’t just one or even two super intense situations of angst but one after another after another. It was like going into a dessert buffet and being overwhelmed with greed over the vast array of pies and cakes. I just grabbed all the desserts and stuffed my face into them and came up for air wanting more and more. And man, did the author deliver and then some! Nick was such a prick that I was really worried that he wouldn’t be able to redeem himself but he really did. We’re talking groveling, weeping, not eating or sleeping level of redemption here. It was intense and delicious. I started this book sometime this evening and only put it down to make dinner. I could not stop reading it and absolutely loved all of it. It’s now 4 am and while my body will be unhappy with me later today due to lack of sleep, my angst addiction is extremely satisfied. Are you a fellow angst whore? Do you like extremely hurtful asshole heroes who do a 360 and completely redeem themselves? Do you like long suffering heroines who endure so much emotional pain from the hero that they eventually just shut down? Do you enjoy super intense heroine almost dies and hero almost loses his mind over it scenarios? If you answered yes to the above, read this book!
I very much appreciated the three epilogues and that they covered an extended amount of time. I felt that they were very much needed for a story like this and and were brilliantly executed. A 4 1/2 stars read. Loved it!
I very much appreciated the three epilogues and that they covered an extended amount of time. I felt that they were very much needed for a story like this and and were brilliantly executed. A 4 1/2 stars read. Loved it!
July 31, 2024
The H was unnecessarily cruel towards the h, and for very selfish reasons—to protect his own feelings. The coward. He did this repeatedly. But the way she accepted it and excused it every single time, was even worse, the freaking masochist. It’s this type of thing that ruins it for me. I read these books for the angst and grovel but weak heroines get in the way of the fun. I did feel her angst, the author accomplished that quite well. I got teary-eyed for her, but she also made me rage. No pride, no self-respect. She gave in right away. Towards the end, just when I thought she was finally going to grow a spine and make him suffer for once, she relapsed quite quickly. In regards to the asshole-y hero, in the end he managed to say all the right things and delivered all the grand gestures (miraculously). I appreciate that, it was satisfying…but yikes, I can’t forget how pathetic she was the ENTIRE book.
2 Stars for the angst and the satisfying HEA. I did really like the epilogue.
2 Stars for the angst and the satisfying HEA. I did really like the epilogue.
November 8, 2022
Lesson one- stop watching tic toc. Lesson 2 don't trust the reviews. Those 4/5 star people are delusional or like abuse. I get Nick the hero went thru something tragic. I get he wants to be a grouch but he was way worse than that. And the heroine? WHAT THE F IS WRONG WITH HER????? He was hateful, abusive and humiliated her at every turn thru the whole book!!!! And she kept coming back for more.
I wanted to shake her and yell grow a backbone lady. Don't let any man abuse you and it was verbal abuse. Where are these 4 and 5 star reviews coming from????
Maybe they were paid. Wish someone paid me for the money and hours I wasted.
I wanted to shake her and yell grow a backbone lady. Don't let any man abuse you and it was verbal abuse. Where are these 4 and 5 star reviews coming from????
Maybe they were paid. Wish someone paid me for the money and hours I wasted.
February 26, 2021
*** Book Q & A***
* How did the book make you feel?: I love angst and I saw this on a fellow angst-loving Goodreads friend’s shelf, so I knew I would enjoy it, and I did!
* How do you feel about how the story was told?: Some of the self-loathing, misery monologue was a bit repetitive, but the story was well-paced.
* What did you think about the main characters?: The H was a miserable person and his grief was palpable. The h was one of the most OTT doormats I have read in a loooooong time. I wanted to shake her and tell her that nothing she was putting up with was okay, but that’s partly what made the book un-put-down-able.
* Which parts of the book stood out to you?: The H did some unforgivable things to the h. Their first scene was all of the heartbreak! Probably one of the most memorable first hookup wtf scenes ever!
* What themes/tropes did you detect in the story?: dead gf, grieving H, martyr h
* What did you think about the ending?: I would’ve liked to have see more reconciliation and I feel the book would’ve been better without the devastating loss at the end. For me, it was hard for the H to redeem himself after that last nail in the coffin, but I’m glad they found their HEA and I enjoyed the epilogue.
* What is your impression of the author?: I enjoy this author a lot!
Triggers: rape, kidnapping, murder (all off-page), miscarriage
* How did the book make you feel?: I love angst and I saw this on a fellow angst-loving Goodreads friend’s shelf, so I knew I would enjoy it, and I did!
* How do you feel about how the story was told?: Some of the self-loathing, misery monologue was a bit repetitive, but the story was well-paced.
* What did you think about the main characters?: The H was a miserable person and his grief was palpable. The h was one of the most OTT doormats I have read in a loooooong time. I wanted to shake her and tell her that nothing she was putting up with was okay, but that’s partly what made the book un-put-down-able.
* Which parts of the book stood out to you?: The H did some unforgivable things to the h. Their first scene was all of the heartbreak! Probably one of the most memorable first hookup wtf scenes ever!
* What themes/tropes did you detect in the story?: dead gf, grieving H, martyr h
* What did you think about the ending?: I would’ve liked to have see more reconciliation and I feel the book would’ve been better without the devastating loss at the end. For me, it was hard for the H to redeem himself after that last nail in the coffin, but I’m glad they found their HEA and I enjoyed the epilogue.
* What is your impression of the author?: I enjoy this author a lot!
Triggers: rape, kidnapping, murder (all off-page), miscarriage
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2020
Wow...so the author really hated Chris (the heroine) huh?
Yeah, kinda don’t blame her. I wasn’t a fan of her pathetic arse either.
Don’t need to mention the “hero” or his friends. They were shit, too.
Another author that doesn’t work for me.
Le sigh.
Yeah, kinda don’t blame her. I wasn’t a fan of her pathetic arse either.
Don’t need to mention the “hero” or his friends. They were shit, too.
Another author that doesn’t work for me.
Le sigh.
August 19, 2019
Mmm.
Well fuck me, Nick. You ARE a dick. :)
This dude was so obsessed with his dead wife that he hurt the heroine (Chris) sooo many times it was awful. Don't get me wrong I love this type of stories where the H is a complete asshole to her, but Nick was something else. Something else enterily. But I knew that before starting this book.
The thing that truly upset me was that Chris just took his shit like she was grateful for the fertilizer. I can't even begin to understand how deeply unlovable she must feel to let another person treat her like that. It's so damn sad I want to kill her myself to stop her suffering. :)
I admit I cried a time or two reading this book and that's the only reason why I'm giving this a two star rating. It could have been a three stars, but I got tired of all the incessant description of events that happened in previous books, too.
Well fuck me, Nick. You ARE a dick. :)
This dude was so obsessed with his dead wife that he hurt the heroine (Chris) sooo many times it was awful. Don't get me wrong I love this type of stories where the H is a complete asshole to her, but Nick was something else. Something else enterily. But I knew that before starting this book.
The thing that truly upset me was that Chris just took his shit like she was grateful for the fertilizer. I can't even begin to understand how deeply unlovable she must feel to let another person treat her like that. It's so damn sad I want to kill her myself to stop her suffering. :)
I admit I cried a time or two reading this book and that's the only reason why I'm giving this a two star rating. It could have been a three stars, but I got tired of all the incessant description of events that happened in previous books, too.
August 1, 2019
3 stars
Review to follow
Review to follow
May 16, 2023
How do you ever come back from calling someone’s pregnant with your child a bitch and telling her to get rid of the baby? And what a spineless woman could ever be with that kind of monster after all the things he said and did? Women, don’t ever let men disrespect you like that. Ever.
February 11, 2023
Haven't finished it yet but I will. The main girl is actually pathetic. If a guy tells you he doesnt want you then he doesnt want you. Hes not any better but hes grieving and noone seems to respect that. The girls brother fully just dropped her off at his house and she gatecrashed his life like what happened to just checking up on people and then respecting their wishes. She wants to fix him but the kind of thing he's going thro requires him to work on himself not her to force her way into his life. His friends aren't any better they were all on the girls side like she's been their friend for 2 years and they choose her over the guy who needs his childhood friends to support him. She's so whiny he tells her straight up he doesn't want her and then she cries and acts shocked whenever he says something mean to her
Updating it with a spoiler cuz ew wtf
So she accidently gets pregnant and like the guy is not mentally stable for a kid he only wants one with his dead fiance and do u know what his friends reactions are
"Maybe this will be a wakeup call for him"
That is a disgusting attitude
Idk why she thinks she's so important like how do you fall in love with someone who's been mean to you the entire time hes known you. She gets on my nerves trying to take over his ex fiancé's place.
The man should have just left the town honestly and started a new life everyone he knew was so toxic and didn't actually care about what he wanted
Update with a spoiler
So she accidently gets pregnant and everyone should know by now that the guy doesn't want a kid with anyone who isn't his dead fiance and guess what his friends reactions are
" maybe this will be the wakeup call he needs "
Excuse me that is a disgusting attitude.
I don't even care that he told her to get an abortion like he didn't want a kid he didn't even want a relationship it was just sex and she knew that.
Like normally I'm team the mfc but this bitch has annoyed me that much that If she died I wouldn't care
Updating it with a spoiler cuz ew wtf
So she accidently gets pregnant and like the guy is not mentally stable for a kid he only wants one with his dead fiance and do u know what his friends reactions are
"Maybe this will be a wakeup call for him"
That is a disgusting attitude
Idk why she thinks she's so important like how do you fall in love with someone who's been mean to you the entire time hes known you. She gets on my nerves trying to take over his ex fiancé's place.
The man should have just left the town honestly and started a new life everyone he knew was so toxic and didn't actually care about what he wanted
Update with a spoiler
So she accidently gets pregnant and everyone should know by now that the guy doesn't want a kid with anyone who isn't his dead fiance and guess what his friends reactions are
" maybe this will be the wakeup call he needs "
Excuse me that is a disgusting attitude.
I don't even care that he told her to get an abortion like he didn't want a kid he didn't even want a relationship it was just sex and she knew that.
Like normally I'm team the mfc but this bitch has annoyed me that much that If she died I wouldn't care
November 8, 2016
2.5 "ANGSTY" STARS
*You need to read the first 3 books before reading this book, if not all 3, at least the 1st book.
So much happened in this book
Some triggers and Spoilers
But there were some parts which were good, also really gripping till the very end and I admit, this book was a great way to end the series so I am rating this 2.5 STARS.
*You need to read the first 3 books before reading this book, if not all 3, at least the 1st book.
So much happened in this book
Some triggers and Spoilers
But there were some parts which were good, also really gripping till the very end and I admit, this book was a great way to end the series so I am rating this 2.5 STARS.
August 2, 2024
3.5 stars. I was holding off on reading this and finishing the series because I do not like the dead girlfriend/wife trope. They always leave a bad taste in my mouth and leave me unconvinced of the love for the new h. I've only read one other book that convinced me. But reading my friend Lydia's review on here I knew I needed to finish the series.
I like and dislike this book at the same time. Was I convinced Chris was it for Nick? Yes. But only from the last 10% of the book. We get both POVs and it was heartbreaking. I felt myself have more love for Nick though than Chris unfortunately. Even though he was an epic ass. But he obviously has trauma and PTSD he's not getting help for. He tries to commit suicide. That's how bad a place he was in. Chris frustrated me. She was so weak and strong at the same time. I would have never stayed in a situation like that.
Now on to the dead girlfriend from the first book in this series. She and her memory are around the whole series, and by the time we got to the end of this book I was tired of her. Does that make me a bad person? I don't know, but her ghost is around from beginning to even in the epilogue. They've all martyred her and have given her sainthood and that irritated me. In my opinion Chris was given a backseat in the final book. She was even willing to just take sex even though knowing Nick would be thinking of his dead girlfriend. Spoiler he wasn't. The author wrote the book as Anna being his first love, and Chris as his soulmate. I was still frustrated though the author did convince me. This isn't an epic love story. It's about grief and healing from said grief. They have a good HEA, but still Anna is and will always be there in the background.
Trigger warning: suicide attempt
I like and dislike this book at the same time. Was I convinced Chris was it for Nick? Yes. But only from the last 10% of the book. We get both POVs and it was heartbreaking. I felt myself have more love for Nick though than Chris unfortunately. Even though he was an epic ass. But he obviously has trauma and PTSD he's not getting help for. He tries to commit suicide. That's how bad a place he was in. Chris frustrated me. She was so weak and strong at the same time. I would have never stayed in a situation like that.
Now on to the dead girlfriend from the first book in this series. She and her memory are around the whole series, and by the time we got to the end of this book I was tired of her. Does that make me a bad person? I don't know, but her ghost is around from beginning to even in the epilogue. They've all martyred her and have given her sainthood and that irritated me. In my opinion Chris was given a backseat in the final book. She was even willing to just take sex even though knowing Nick would be thinking of his dead girlfriend. Spoiler he wasn't. The author wrote the book as Anna being his first love, and Chris as his soulmate. I was still frustrated though the author did convince me. This isn't an epic love story. It's about grief and healing from said grief. They have a good HEA, but still Anna is and will always be there in the background.
Trigger warning: suicide attempt
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2024
Ok.. it was a good and a bad book for me.
Here is why..
Good because it's angsty.. (thanks to the stupid AF hero..we'll get to him later).
Bad because of a lot of things.
First of all, you should know that I love a heartbreaking story. Full of hurt and angst. A gut wrenching story and makes me ache and want to hurt someone.
However, whatt makes an angsty story good, is an even more greater groveling..
IT IS A VERU SIMPLE AND KNOWN FACT.
Let's start with our H nick.
He lost his finacée Anna whom he loves so so much.. He grieves and is drowing in his pain and sorrows. Makes sense.
At first he was a total a**hole towards the h (chris).. treated her like trash.. he used her.. had sex with her. Slept with her to prove that he is not good for her (what ever the heck that means). Called his dead fiancée's name during his climax (oh my god Rachel PTSD) (did so to hurt the h and push her away).
In this part of the novel Nick is not in the wrong. I understood the guy most of the times. It's our stupid spineless hoe of a heroine who chases tiressly after him. Forces herself in his mesirable life. can u guess why?..
Because he needs fixing!!!! HAHA
Yep!!..she wants to fix him..
(Her head can do with some fixing..bcuz maaaaan!! I wanted to swing at her sooo bad).
So, she accepts a sex-only relationship with Nick.. agreeing fully to him using her.. (no dignity no self-repect whatsoever)
And then, Our h "Chris" is pregnant. she tries to hide it at firt..bcuz she's scared ..not knowingfpr sure what our hero's reaction will be.. and right she was.. bcuz he flipped..
said:
1- "is he mine?"
2-" did u do it on purpose?"
3- "I don't want a baby..get rid of it..fix it..deal with it on your own".
A normal reaction from a sane woman would be slapping him not once..not twice..but 3 times.. right?!
But our h tries to strongly convince him.
After they argue our hero stroms off angry.. and Chris loses the baby..
And surprisingly, the hero feels sorry and regrets his actions and words..
After a couple of days.. he forces himself in chris's house ..takes care of her.. and boom!.. she forgives him..after ofcourse he gets on his knees asking for forgiveness..
LET ME STOP HERE FOR A SECOND...
Here is why I didn't really give a shit abt him kneeling.
it's bcuz I felt like the author forced it. Didn't look genuine at all. Like the author wanted him to do so for as readers could "forgive him"..
Going forward a little.. the h gets hurt and what does our hero do?..
He runs away again..like a coward.. after telling her he doesn't want anything between them. (Giving major teenager problems and attitude not a grown man at all).
and after couple hours he decides that he is sorry.. and didn't mean what he said earlier. (Very immature) But finds Chris burning up.. due to some complications from the miscarriage. Chirs falls in a coma and nearly dies and he is there beside her every single second of the day.
and when her heart stops and she survives and wakes up can you guess what's the first thing that she does?.
she forgives him right then and there.
Not just that but tells him that he loves him and she was him in pain and scarred when they were bringing her back to life.. u gonna ask how?..
I'll tell u..
And I SHIT U NOT.
when she flat lined, her soul was in the hospital room. she was with his dead fiancéetalking and she tells her that she needs to go back to him. bcuz she is the one meant for him, not her (his fiancée).. and that her death(his fiancees death) didn't break him just damaged him (whatever that means).. but her death (chris's) would destroy him..(word for word guys.. )
If u ask me why I don't like reading about second love?.. it's bcuz of things like this..
When author make the H or h unvalidate his/her feelings for the ex party.. just to prove how strong their new love is..why?.. why can't he/she just love the dead ex and embrace the new love?..
This was a 2 star rating... now it's 1 star.
I do not recommend u to this this book.
Do not waste ur time or money.
Here is why..
Good because it's angsty.. (thanks to the stupid AF hero..we'll get to him later).
Bad because of a lot of things.
First of all, you should know that I love a heartbreaking story. Full of hurt and angst. A gut wrenching story and makes me ache and want to hurt someone.
However, whatt makes an angsty story good, is an even more greater groveling..
IT IS A VERU SIMPLE AND KNOWN FACT.
Let's start with our H nick.
He lost his finacée Anna whom he loves so so much.. He grieves and is drowing in his pain and sorrows. Makes sense.
At first he was a total a**hole towards the h (chris).. treated her like trash.. he used her.. had sex with her. Slept with her to prove that he is not good for her (what ever the heck that means). Called his dead fiancée's name during his climax (oh my god Rachel PTSD) (did so to hurt the h and push her away).
In this part of the novel Nick is not in the wrong. I understood the guy most of the times. It's our stupid spineless hoe of a heroine who chases tiressly after him. Forces herself in his mesirable life. can u guess why?..
Because he needs fixing!!!! HAHA
Yep!!..she wants to fix him..
(Her head can do with some fixing..bcuz maaaaan!! I wanted to swing at her sooo bad).
So, she accepts a sex-only relationship with Nick.. agreeing fully to him using her.. (no dignity no self-repect whatsoever)
And then, Our h "Chris" is pregnant. she tries to hide it at firt..bcuz she's scared ..not knowingfpr sure what our hero's reaction will be.. and right she was.. bcuz he flipped..
said:
1- "is he mine?"
2-" did u do it on purpose?"
3- "I don't want a baby..get rid of it..fix it..deal with it on your own".
A normal reaction from a sane woman would be slapping him not once..not twice..but 3 times.. right?!
But our h tries to strongly convince him.
After they argue our hero stroms off angry.. and Chris loses the baby..
And surprisingly, the hero feels sorry and regrets his actions and words..
After a couple of days.. he forces himself in chris's house ..takes care of her.. and boom!.. she forgives him..after ofcourse he gets on his knees asking for forgiveness..
LET ME STOP HERE FOR A SECOND...
Here is why I didn't really give a shit abt him kneeling.
it's bcuz I felt like the author forced it. Didn't look genuine at all. Like the author wanted him to do so for as readers could "forgive him"..
Going forward a little.. the h gets hurt and what does our hero do?..
He runs away again..like a coward.. after telling her he doesn't want anything between them. (Giving major teenager problems and attitude not a grown man at all).
and after couple hours he decides that he is sorry.. and didn't mean what he said earlier. (Very immature) But finds Chris burning up.. due to some complications from the miscarriage. Chirs falls in a coma and nearly dies and he is there beside her every single second of the day.
and when her heart stops and she survives and wakes up can you guess what's the first thing that she does?.
she forgives him right then and there.
Not just that but tells him that he loves him and she was him in pain and scarred when they were bringing her back to life.. u gonna ask how?..
I'll tell u..
And I SHIT U NOT.
when she flat lined, her soul was in the hospital room. she was with his dead fiancéetalking and she tells her that she needs to go back to him. bcuz she is the one meant for him, not her (his fiancée).. and that her death(his fiancees death) didn't break him just damaged him (whatever that means).. but her death (chris's) would destroy him..(word for word guys.. )
If u ask me why I don't like reading about second love?.. it's bcuz of things like this..
When author make the H or h unvalidate his/her feelings for the ex party.. just to prove how strong their new love is..why?.. why can't he/she just love the dead ex and embrace the new love?..
This was a 2 star rating... now it's 1 star.
I do not recommend u to this this book.
Do not waste ur time or money.
Shelved as 'dnf-for-now'
March 6, 2024I read this one today, or tried. I did get though half of it, which if I do I'll usually rate, but I'm not going to. I really didn't like the writing, felt superficial to me and I didn't feel the angst. Eh, tastes are different for each reader so ymmv.
December 24, 2021
In reality it’s a 3.5 starts but rounded it to a 4 stars
February 28, 2016
What do you do when you lose the single most important thing in your life? You grieve. You sink so deep in a hole, you can no longer see the top. All you see is dark. Your life becomes dull and dreary. You withdraw from your friends, lash out at the ones your closest to, and become so absorbed in your pain, you feel the only way out is to end it permanently. Your heart no longer pumps properly and you can never get enough air in your lungs. You drink, you neglect your health, and you rent dirty hotel rooms with the sole purpose of ending your pain in them. Guilt eats at you for not being at the one place you were needed the most. And you become angry because you were left behind.
Or at least, that’s what I did. Until she came along…
Chris, the bane of my existence. She’s always there in the background, watching me, trying to ‘be there’ for me. But I don’t want her help. I don’t need her to butt in where she’s not wanted. I just want to be left alone in my grief. But she not giving up, even when I throw insult after insult her way. Every time I turn around, there she is. And what’s worse, she’s starting to make me want things. Things I never thought I could have again. She’s making me forget the pain and bringing color back into my life with her fiery red hair, bright green eyes, and the silly faces she makes at herself in the mirror. But what happens if I let her in? Could I be brave enough to open myself up, knowing the possibility of having it snatched away again. Once I know the feeling of touching Chris, of having her heart and soul blend with mine, I would never survive losing that.
Can I take the chance of her being my savior, even knowing that she could also be the one that could push me other the edge of self-destruction?
I want to say Thank you to Alex for giving me that opportunity of reading Awaken Me. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me to see how Nick and Chris’ story would come out. After reading Shatter Me and Reclaim Me all I wanted was their story. I now had the opportunity of reading it and I must say the emotion that Alex put into this one I felt every bit of it. Their journey had us all wondering how it would turn out and I will admit I was being to think it wasn’t going to happen. So when you read this please be reading for the emotional roller coaster of their love. I couldn’t ask for a better ending then this. I can’t believe that this series has finally come to a conclusion in the final book.
Thank you Alex for letting me fall in love with Jaxon, Bailey, Mia, Mac, Andrew, Jase and finally Chris and Nick. The Jaded Hallow series will forever have a place in my heart and if I could go and visit Jaded Hallow I would but I know I can revisit them when I re-read this series.
Or at least, that’s what I did. Until she came along…
Chris, the bane of my existence. She’s always there in the background, watching me, trying to ‘be there’ for me. But I don’t want her help. I don’t need her to butt in where she’s not wanted. I just want to be left alone in my grief. But she not giving up, even when I throw insult after insult her way. Every time I turn around, there she is. And what’s worse, she’s starting to make me want things. Things I never thought I could have again. She’s making me forget the pain and bringing color back into my life with her fiery red hair, bright green eyes, and the silly faces she makes at herself in the mirror. But what happens if I let her in? Could I be brave enough to open myself up, knowing the possibility of having it snatched away again. Once I know the feeling of touching Chris, of having her heart and soul blend with mine, I would never survive losing that.
Can I take the chance of her being my savior, even knowing that she could also be the one that could push me other the edge of self-destruction?
I want to say Thank you to Alex for giving me that opportunity of reading Awaken Me. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me to see how Nick and Chris’ story would come out. After reading Shatter Me and Reclaim Me all I wanted was their story. I now had the opportunity of reading it and I must say the emotion that Alex put into this one I felt every bit of it. Their journey had us all wondering how it would turn out and I will admit I was being to think it wasn’t going to happen. So when you read this please be reading for the emotional roller coaster of their love. I couldn’t ask for a better ending then this. I can’t believe that this series has finally come to a conclusion in the final book.
Thank you Alex for letting me fall in love with Jaxon, Bailey, Mia, Mac, Andrew, Jase and finally Chris and Nick. The Jaded Hallow series will forever have a place in my heart and if I could go and visit Jaded Hallow I would but I know I can revisit them when I re-read this series.
February 24, 2024
80% of the time, I cannot stand the dead wife/girlfriend trope, because the h always ends up as the second choice, and it feels as if the H will never truly love her as much as he loved his ex. To my utter surprise (although it was not a pleasant one at all), that was not the case here. In fact, that was the least of the problems that their relationship had been saddled with since the very beginning. That being said, they can burn in hell together for all I care, because do I care a single ounce for their happiness?? No, methinks I certainly do not. They made their own, shitty beds, and they can damn well rot in it.
Let me explain.
We have a h who works at a bar, who is quite new to town and befriends a giant group of closely-knit friends. One from the friendgroup, H, was with OW since they were 13 and 14, but she died two years ago. Since then, he has withdrawn from the group and has fallen into a deep depression nothing can bring him out of. When h first meets him, she feels a connection, but H is mean to her at every turn since he's broken-hearted and wants nothing to do with her. So, skip to the present and he is back in town for the time being. His friends are worried about him because all he does is drink himself silly, so after he fails to show at a dinner he said he'd go to, one of the friends from the friend group and the h go out to his house to see if he is still alive and breathing. Of course, he is drunker than a skunk living in a distillery, so the h decides to stay at his house for a few days to monitor his drinking. Meanwhile, he is pissed, because who wouldn't be if the strange girl you've never liked stayed at your home to baby-sit you instead of any of your numerous close friends? But PLOTTWIST, he doesn't actually hate her, he only hates the fact he feels attracted to her because he's still mourning his ex.
LE GASP whaaaaaaat.
Didn't see that coming at aaaall.
🙄
Anyway, tensions rise, they shout at the other, falling in love and a cookie-cutter HEA including a (two epilogues, in fact!! wow!) happy little ditzy epilogue.
You know. Really fun, wholesome, A-typical romancey stuff. Totes' fun.
Not.
You know, you know you're likely doomed when the plot is shit. There is, however, one way that can easily be fixed; having great characters who have wonderful banter, glowing personalities that the reader can empathise with. Well, based on the rating and the tags, you already know what my stance on the main couple in this book is. Let's start with the heroine, shall we?
Chris, my darling Chris. If there was one thing the h was, she is the reigning monarch of delulu-Land. She came to town, as fresh as a daisy, took one look at the complete stranger with the sad, sad eyes, felt an instant connection and decided that she could fix whatever it was that made them sad. They weren't ever friends to begin with, hadn't spent time together or talked as far as I know before she started catching feelings. So basically, homegirl fell in love with a man who constantly rejected and insulted her. So romantic. But hey, who knows. Perhaps she's a masochist.
Periodically she says that she can fix him, that she is there for him. You know that one kid who always wants to get near the neighbourhood cat and bring it home, despite it clearly being agitated by the nosy kid and very obviously belonging to the old woman who lives down the street? Yeah, that's Chris. She would not take no for an answer, even though the H always lashed out at her and she cried so much I'm sure she could've powered a water wheel by herself. The girl's got patience, because every single day she was at his house, she did not give up because "she could fix him." But hey! It clearly worked out for her, because she got the man in the end. Bob the builder who? I only know Fix-him-Chris!
On top of that, she's desperate as all hell. I mean, girl, I get it, he's hot, and really, that's the most a man is good for anyway, but come on!
I have no words. Literally no words.
And the thing is, that would still be okay, if she hadn't let him back into her life after that! But guess what Miss Girl did? She did not block his ass and say good riddance! Oh nooo. Miss Construction Worker was still alive and kickin', and she took his ass (and dick) back! I mean, fine. What was that saying? "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me"? Nah, apparently, that's not how it goes in h's head. Her motto "I can fix him" even after the bazillionth time he does something stupid and hurts her. Which is about 90% of the book.
No, it's not wrong. In fact, if you had half a braincell, that would be the logical thing to do. But since you don't lemme spell it out for you.
STAY AWAY FROM HIM. Goddamn.
One positive thing I will say about her, however, is that homegirl apparently smells fucking delicious. H is always smelling sugar and vanilla when he's around her, even when she's spent days at the hospital. Jeremy Fragrance would be green with envy, because nobody, and I mean nobody at all would still smell like a freshly-baked cookie after days of not showering.
Anyway. That was Chris. Now for the H.
Nick is, to put it lightly, an asshole.
Actually, he should be renamed Flip-Flop, because homeboy flips and flops, changes his mood faster than you can clap, and at the 80% mark, still doesn't know if he likes Chris or not. Not even love, nooooo. Just whether or not he likes Chris more than physically.
As for the love confession, he didn't even put in any effort whatsoever. It was as if he scrolled through Tumblr, found something he thought sounded deep and swoon-worthy to recite to the h, when in fact, it was cringey as all fuck. But of course, Queen Delulu lapped it all up.
[image error]
Yeah, anyway, I honestly don't have the energy to go further in depth about all the things that make him so disgusting a human. I'm sure you've formed some sort of picture from some of what I've said above.
Apart from the main characters though, the side characters were all utter crap. Tell me why these people, who have known him for multiple years and have grown up with him, would let a random lady they know he hates live with him just because of "an attraction" he never admitted to, instead of being the ones themselves to look after him??? And her friends were just telling her to keep on going and to keep trying with him, despite seeing themselves how bady he hurts her? Dude. I do not care if the H was my loving brother, I would not tell my friend to keep trying to win his affection if I see that each single time they interact, she leaves with tears in her eyes. Wtf. Absolutely horrible friends for encouraging her. The only sane one from that friendgroup was her brother, because he was (for some unfathomable reason) the only one mad when the H fucked up. And believe me, he epically fucked up.
This could have been a beautiful story, because the author's writing style was not bad at all. Sadly, there were a few choices she made that rendered the H completely unredeemable for me. Maybe if she made the h a childhood friend the H never really acknowledged, or if she deleted that one scene entirely (you know which one I mean) and made them hesitant FWBs, it would've been a different story.
Bottom line, don't read unless you want a bald head due to pulling your hair out at the "angst". No joke. I think I have a bald spot now.
AVOID AVOID AVOID
Let me explain.
We have a h who works at a bar, who is quite new to town and befriends a giant group of closely-knit friends. One from the friendgroup, H, was with OW since they were 13 and 14, but she died two years ago. Since then, he has withdrawn from the group and has fallen into a deep depression nothing can bring him out of. When h first meets him, she feels a connection, but H is mean to her at every turn since he's broken-hearted and wants nothing to do with her. So, skip to the present and he is back in town for the time being. His friends are worried about him because all he does is drink himself silly, so after he fails to show at a dinner he said he'd go to, one of the friends from the friend group and the h go out to his house to see if he is still alive and breathing. Of course, he is drunker than a skunk living in a distillery, so the h decides to stay at his house for a few days to monitor his drinking. Meanwhile, he is pissed, because who wouldn't be if the strange girl you've never liked stayed at your home to baby-sit you instead of any of your numerous close friends? But PLOTTWIST, he doesn't actually hate her, he only hates the fact he feels attracted to her because he's still mourning his ex.
LE GASP whaaaaaaat.
Didn't see that coming at aaaall.
🙄
Anyway, tensions rise, they shout at the other, falling in love and a cookie-cutter HEA including a (two epilogues, in fact!! wow!) happy little ditzy epilogue.
You know. Really fun, wholesome, A-typical romancey stuff. Totes' fun.
Not.
You know, you know you're likely doomed when the plot is shit. There is, however, one way that can easily be fixed; having great characters who have wonderful banter, glowing personalities that the reader can empathise with. Well, based on the rating and the tags, you already know what my stance on the main couple in this book is. Let's start with the heroine, shall we?
Chris, my darling Chris. If there was one thing the h was, she is the reigning monarch of delulu-Land. She came to town, as fresh as a daisy, took one look at the complete stranger with the sad, sad eyes, felt an instant connection and decided that she could fix whatever it was that made them sad. They weren't ever friends to begin with, hadn't spent time together or talked as far as I know before she started catching feelings. So basically, homegirl fell in love with a man who constantly rejected and insulted her. So romantic. But hey, who knows. Perhaps she's a masochist.
Periodically she says that she can fix him, that she is there for him. You know that one kid who always wants to get near the neighbourhood cat and bring it home, despite it clearly being agitated by the nosy kid and very obviously belonging to the old woman who lives down the street? Yeah, that's Chris. She would not take no for an answer, even though the H always lashed out at her and she cried so much I'm sure she could've powered a water wheel by herself. The girl's got patience, because every single day she was at his house, she did not give up because "she could fix him." But hey! It clearly worked out for her, because she got the man in the end. Bob the builder who? I only know Fix-him-Chris!
On top of that, she's desperate as all hell. I mean, girl, I get it, he's hot, and really, that's the most a man is good for anyway, but come on!
I have no words. Literally no words.
And the thing is, that would still be okay, if she hadn't let him back into her life after that! But guess what Miss Girl did? She did not block his ass and say good riddance! Oh nooo. Miss Construction Worker was still alive and kickin', and she took his ass (and dick) back! I mean, fine. What was that saying? "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me"? Nah, apparently, that's not how it goes in h's head. Her motto "I can fix him" even after the bazillionth time he does something stupid and hurts her. Which is about 90% of the book.
I hate him at this moment. It's wrong of me to think that way, but I do.
No, it's not wrong. In fact, if you had half a braincell, that would be the logical thing to do. But since you don't lemme spell it out for you.
STAY AWAY FROM HIM. Goddamn.
One positive thing I will say about her, however, is that homegirl apparently smells fucking delicious. H is always smelling sugar and vanilla when he's around her, even when she's spent days at the hospital. Jeremy Fragrance would be green with envy, because nobody, and I mean nobody at all would still smell like a freshly-baked cookie after days of not showering.
Anyway. That was Chris. Now for the H.
Nick is, to put it lightly, an asshole.
Actually, he should be renamed Flip-Flop, because homeboy flips and flops, changes his mood faster than you can clap, and at the 80% mark, still doesn't know if he likes Chris or not. Not even love, nooooo. Just whether or not he likes Chris more than physically.
As for the love confession, he didn't even put in any effort whatsoever. It was as if he scrolled through Tumblr, found something he thought sounded deep and swoon-worthy to recite to the h, when in fact, it was cringey as all fuck. But of course, Queen Delulu lapped it all up.
You don't mean anything to me, Chris, because you mean everything to me. I don't care for you a little bit, because I love you with everything I have in me. And you don't have just some of my love, you have every single ounce I have to give.
[image error]
Yeah, anyway, I honestly don't have the energy to go further in depth about all the things that make him so disgusting a human. I'm sure you've formed some sort of picture from some of what I've said above.
Apart from the main characters though, the side characters were all utter crap. Tell me why these people, who have known him for multiple years and have grown up with him, would let a random lady they know he hates live with him just because of "an attraction" he never admitted to, instead of being the ones themselves to look after him??? And her friends were just telling her to keep on going and to keep trying with him, despite seeing themselves how bady he hurts her? Dude. I do not care if the H was my loving brother, I would not tell my friend to keep trying to win his affection if I see that each single time they interact, she leaves with tears in her eyes. Wtf. Absolutely horrible friends for encouraging her. The only sane one from that friendgroup was her brother, because he was (for some unfathomable reason) the only one mad when the H fucked up. And believe me, he epically fucked up.
This could have been a beautiful story, because the author's writing style was not bad at all. Sadly, there were a few choices she made that rendered the H completely unredeemable for me. Maybe if she made the h a childhood friend the H never really acknowledged, or if she deleted that one scene entirely (you know which one I mean) and made them hesitant FWBs, it would've been a different story.
Bottom line, don't read unless you want a bald head due to pulling your hair out at the "angst". No joke. I think I have a bald spot now.
AVOID AVOID AVOID
April 9, 2016
Love the series, but I Hated Chris in this story. I hate that she was weak and a doormat. All the characters were so strong and I thought we'd get a strong firey girl to bring Nick back to life. Nope, just a pathetic little girl. I Hated her through most of it. I was so happy when she finally stuck up for herself only to take him back again and again. Ugh! But the story was well written and I still love the author. I just looked forward to the version of the girl in my head that would get through to Nick. Oh well.
June 17, 2023
I gave this book four stars because the ending was blown for me in the previous book's epilogue... As well as a few missing words...
Overall, this series was one of my most favor for this whole year so far.
Perfect amount of angst, love, tears, terror, drama and love. Oh and smut.
I wish there were a spin-off involving the kids of jaded hollow.
I think that would be epic.
I would love to.read.Trent and Mari's story.
Overall, this series was one of my most favor for this whole year so far.
Perfect amount of angst, love, tears, terror, drama and love. Oh and smut.
I wish there were a spin-off involving the kids of jaded hollow.
I think that would be epic.
I would love to.read.Trent and Mari's story.
December 31, 2021
I read this last month and I still remember how I felt reading it! It was an amazing read about second chances. I agree, the heroine seemed to be sometimes a doormat, but I liked her nonetheless.
June 7, 2016
Awaken Me
By Alex Grayson
Reviewed by Nerdy, Dirty & Flirty
5 emotional, gut wrenching stars.
This book is part of a series and the other books must be read first in order to fully understand the storyline for these characters.
I feel like I’ve waited years for the story of Nick. In the first book of the Jaded Series, he’s a supporting character who goes through a terrible loss. So the build up to his story has been gradually climbing with each book in the series. To say I had high expectations is a severe understatement. It has to be said though, this book blew my expectations out of the water. If a book makes you cry within the first couple of pages; if it requires you to keep tissues close by; if it causes you to breakdown emotionally with the characters…it’s a damn good book.
Nick lost the love of his life. He was done; a shell of the man he once was. He’s lost in a sea of pity, guilt and devastation. Chris refuses to let the shadows of Nick’s past consume him. Although she wasn’t around before his tragedy happened, she knows he his past is haunting him and she wants nothing more than to help him through the darkness. The story is a battle of Nick against his inner demons and Chris against Nick’s stubborn personality.
As a reader, you feel for Nick and Chris both. The author did an amazing job of making the characters realistic. I personally felt everything, there were times of joy, sadness, anger and even pity and loneliness. Clear your schedule before starting this one, you will not be able to stop once you start it.
You get glimpses of all of the characters from previous books in the series, which I love. The author did great by keeping all of the characters continuously growing even after their story has been told. I’m sad to see this series come to an end, but know that Nick and Chris’s story is the perfect ending to the Jaded Hollow group.
I love the entire series, but this is by far the best of all four of the books. Very well worth the wait.
April 3, 2016
5 KICK @SS STARS
This book completely wrecked me. I have been in a emotional fog now for 3 days. I have read a lot of books many have broken my heart, and had me crying but never has a book left me this emotionally wrecked. Even days later just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. Nick and Chris's story is so well written. If you have read the prior books then you know the part of struggle and depression Nick is fighting. It Awaken me we get to see it up close and personal.
Chris she is a diamond. She wants to be there for Nick and help him through his pain, but Nick just keeps pushing her away. She is so strong but how much heartache and rejection can she endure? Will Nick ever be able to get over the grief, guilt and heartbreak of loosing Anna? Read this book and find out..
I have loved all of Alex Grayson books, but Awaken Me is my absolute favorite and the best Ugly Cry I have ever read.. I do recommend plenty of wine !
Add this one to your TBR! It can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading the prior books in The Jaded Series. You wont regret it.
Christy
Radical Reads Book Blog
ARC provided in exchage for my honest review..
Thank you Alex Grayson
This book completely wrecked me. I have been in a emotional fog now for 3 days. I have read a lot of books many have broken my heart, and had me crying but never has a book left me this emotionally wrecked. Even days later just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. Nick and Chris's story is so well written. If you have read the prior books then you know the part of struggle and depression Nick is fighting. It Awaken me we get to see it up close and personal.
Chris she is a diamond. She wants to be there for Nick and help him through his pain, but Nick just keeps pushing her away. She is so strong but how much heartache and rejection can she endure? Will Nick ever be able to get over the grief, guilt and heartbreak of loosing Anna? Read this book and find out..
I have loved all of Alex Grayson books, but Awaken Me is my absolute favorite and the best Ugly Cry I have ever read.. I do recommend plenty of wine !
Add this one to your TBR! It can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading the prior books in The Jaded Series. You wont regret it.
Christy
Radical Reads Book Blog
ARC provided in exchage for my honest review..
Thank you Alex Grayson
September 15, 2020
My goodness he was a SOB
Wheewwwww this was a hard one! I read this book out of order because it came highly recommended in one of my book clubs. I will be having words with them shortly!
Moving on - this was my 1st book by this author and I hated most of it. Nick was a complete sh💩t-head!! & I don’t really mind jerks. I could’ve dealt with that and moved on if it wasn’t for the fact that he didn’t quit being a sh💩t-head until the last chapter of the book and I was super annoyed 😤!!
And then there was poor pathetic Chris she was the worst. I didn’t get it, she didn’t even know this guy. It’s not like they had a friendship or relationship of any kind beforehand so I don’t know why she was so invested 🤷🏽♀️. He used and abused her over and over until I was just exhausted.
Last chapter he apologized and it ended. They got their “HEA” but does it even matter at this point?? Nope,not to me, the writer can’t redeem all of the crap he did with a few paragraphs. Unbelievable, again super annoyed 😠
This wasn’t for me some readers like this type of H and again I don’t mind it but can’t we work on making him better at maybe 65 or 75% of the book?? Not at the very end sheesh 🙄
Wheewwwww this was a hard one! I read this book out of order because it came highly recommended in one of my book clubs. I will be having words with them shortly!
Moving on - this was my 1st book by this author and I hated most of it. Nick was a complete sh💩t-head!! & I don’t really mind jerks. I could’ve dealt with that and moved on if it wasn’t for the fact that he didn’t quit being a sh💩t-head until the last chapter of the book and I was super annoyed 😤!!
And then there was poor pathetic Chris she was the worst. I didn’t get it, she didn’t even know this guy. It’s not like they had a friendship or relationship of any kind beforehand so I don’t know why she was so invested 🤷🏽♀️. He used and abused her over and over until I was just exhausted.
Last chapter he apologized and it ended. They got their “HEA” but does it even matter at this point?? Nope,not to me, the writer can’t redeem all of the crap he did with a few paragraphs. Unbelievable, again super annoyed 😠
This wasn’t for me some readers like this type of H and again I don’t mind it but can’t we work on making him better at maybe 65 or 75% of the book?? Not at the very end sheesh 🙄
March 1, 2016
OMG where to start with this book. This is so hard without giving anything away. Let’s start off with I was given this book by the Author for my honest opinion and review. With that being said let’s get to it. I can say this, Nick as everyone knows from the other books is grieving and in a very dark low place. A dark place he cannot get out of. My heart breaks for him. Then you have Chris. A strong person who only wants to help Nick out of his dark place by being his friend. But Nick is not having any of that. This book is a freaking roller coaster ride of emotional heartbreak over and over again. Alex knows how to write a book and suck you in to just rip your heart out and shred it all in front of you while she stands back laughing at you the whole time. Each book gets better and better. I love how all the characters are in the story. This is the final book and is a great read. Alex closes it out with a bang. Grab your tissues because you will need them. This heart wrenching story is a must read.
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