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| B071HB37S3
| 3.69
| 235
| 2017
| Apr 27, 2017
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Review to come... *An ARC was received in exchange for n honest review. Trust me, it'll be honest. Merged review: Review to come... *An ARC was received Review to come... *An ARC was received in exchange for n honest review. Trust me, it'll be honest. Merged review: Review to come... *An ARC was received in exchange for n honest review. Trust me, it'll be honest. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Apr 26, 2017
not set
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Apr 27, 2017
not set
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Oct 31, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| B01NCIBSK9
| 3.68
| 282,396
| Oct 03, 2017
| Oct 03, 2017
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liked it
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I would like to take a moment and say that I appreciate the fact that there are authors out there who are willing and motivated to write about issues
I would like to take a moment and say that I appreciate the fact that there are authors out there who are willing and motivated to write about issues close to their heart and issues that are happening in the world today. CoHo does this and once again, I feel like this book will have a great impact. With that being said, and the fact that I'm a huge Colleen Hoover fan (I've read them all except Too Late -- I'm getting there!), I don't have a problem with saying that this was not my favourite book of hers. And you know what? That's fine. Cool, even. Not every reader is going to like every book and that's just dandy. Doesn't mean she's not a fantastic author or I'm suddenly not a fan of hers, it just means that this story didn't work as well for me as it may for some other people. And before I forget, I need to mention that Colleen makes herself a character in this book. She made herself a secondary character! HA! She's such a savage and I love it! I started laughing when I realized what was going on, it was fantastic. I feel like I need to start by saying how addictive this book is. Once again, Hoover delivers a story packed with emotional clarity, dry humour, shaking your head with a smile on your face craziness, and unconventional themes. She does these things quite well time and time again. From the moment I picked this book up, I couldn't stand to put it down. I was excited, dare I even say giddy, even though I wasn't 100% sure what was even happening. There's a lot to take in and with so many secrets to be had, there are plenty of things to focus on. Basically until you learn where 'Without Merit' comes from, I was enamoured. It was more so after this point though that the main theme of the book became apparently, and I started to lose interest. It felt like there was a big bunch of logs slowing down the river I was floating down. NOT because of this theme/issue, might I add. I just lost its spark for me. I was no longer addicted. I was no longer bouncing with giddiness. I was holding out all of my hope for Sagan and Merit because I didn't really know where the author was taking this story or how to come back from the bomb that had just been dropped. Until everything just...was. There was a lot of family drama unleashed and even more secrets (perhaps a tad too much on both accounts), and I don't really know why it turned for me so suddenly. Even some of this drama or some of the characters presence seemed over the top or forced to me in one way of the other. Something I really look for and/look forward to in books is the climax. I love the tension building higher and high between a set of characters until all of a sudden everything explodes. I love the chaos this brings and to see everyone work their way back. The only instance I can think of in Without Merit was when the secrets came out, but there was still a significant chunk of the book after this to come. From this stand point, I felt like since there was still so much story to come, I didn't want to think of this as the big moment that I was looking for. I was left waiting and waiting for something big to happen next, but it was just getting slower and slower the farther I got. Okay, so the big twist or issue or theme or whatever you want to call it, let me just get this out in the open. I appreciate that Hoover pushes the boundaries constantly on what we perceive as conventional. Where it's romance, fiction, young adult, so be it. If there's a line, Hoover pushes it and maneuvers it where she wants. That's awesome. I applaud her for this. Sort of in the same sense as her last book, It Ends With Us, the book changes at some point into dealing with an issue that you did not expect. It just seems that in this particular sense, this book wasn't as successful to me as a reader as some of her others have been. I understand why she wrote this how she did. I understand the powerful statement that this can bring. I understand the help that this book can and will give some readers. I agree that this book is important. But in the same breath, just because I agree it's important, doesn't mean I particularly liked it a whole lot. Which is crappy, because I loved the beginning. I'm not sure how to properly phrase this in a way that won't make people want to rip my head off, so I'm just going to go for it. If this paragraph doesn't make sense, you don't agree, or you think I an idiot, that's cool, please just move on. Basically, I feel a little bit cheated with this book. Everyone has genres that they like, yes? Well this is a CoHo book, who is known for her monumental, everlasting, earth shattering love stories. Without Merit is very vague, between both the cover and blurb so you don't have a good sense of what you're going in to. But between the author (come on, we all know what we're getting when you hear the name Colleen Hoover) and the opening chapter -- OMG MY HEART -- well, I expected one of those monumental, everlasting, earth shattering love stories. And I didn't get it. I feel like I was lead on or something because that seemed to be the way the book was heading, until it wasn't. I was rooting for Sagan and Merit so hard until, well, it became a story that I didn't want it to. And frankly, who cares what I want, I get that, but when you're expecting one thing, hoping for one thing, and you don't get it... Well, it's a little disappointing. Even Goodreads has Romance tagged as one of the genres but yet, here we are. So with that being said, let me get this off my chest. This is not a love story. It's not a romance. It's a coming of age novel about a 17 year old girl and a family full of secrets and deceptions, all trying to coexist somewhat peacefully. It deals with mental disorders and people making mistakes. It deals with the fluidity of sexuality and how everything can change based on your perspective of the world around you. But no where in this did I find a love story. And I feel like some people will come at me saying "well it's a story of Merit learning to love herself and her life!", but is it though? Because from my point of view, the story ended before any of that could happen. I thought it was abrupt and forced into a neat little package but considering how much said packages exploded only several days prior, I really don't see how this can be. I'm not sure how strong of a resolution this story has, because I'm still left with some questions or concerns. Add in the fact that yes, even though we get explanations for all of the secrets, lies and deceits, it still didn't change my perception of some of these characters. Her dad for instance, I think is a major DB and I don't think saying something along the lines of "you have no idea how hard it's been / I may be an adult but that doesn't mean I have my life together" is a viable excuse for his actions time and time again. Even the reasoning for Honor's issues, I didn't find that this absolved her of everything put into the readers mind based on Merit's thoughts. I didn't like either of these characters come the end of the book. Hell, I don't even know how much I liked Merit come the end of the book either. I liked Sagan, so that's a bonus, but I don't even know exactly where he came from in the first place. So would I say this story is resolved? Definitely not. This seems like a big, depressing pity party and I apologize for that. I wish more than anyone that I didn't feel this way about this book but alas, here we are, and I felt the need to get this off my chest. I buddy read this book with my girl Quinn and overall we have fairly similar thoughts. Granted we generally like the same things, I just felt like this tidbit should be mentioned. *An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 24, 2017
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Sep 25, 2017
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Sep 24, 2017
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Kindle Edition
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| 1682309800
| 9781682309803
| 1682309800
| 4.11
| 22,660
| Sep 18, 2017
| Sep 18, 2017
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really liked it
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These two authors have quite the reputation to their writing duo and this book definitely did not fail them. In true Penelope and Vi fashion, we're gi
These two authors have quite the reputation to their writing duo and this book definitely did not fail them. In true Penelope and Vi fashion, we're gifted with a funny and charming intro with a swoony hero who is quite hard to ignore off the bat. Not that we'd want to, of course. Immediately, you get the warm fuzzy type feelings from the writing and can't wait to see how the story is going to progress. From here, they dive right in with the plot and characters, never wasting time or words. These ladies are right to the point with their books and I love it. "Love makes you stronger, not weaker.” If I had to describe this story in one word, it would simply be cute. Everything about this is cute. The hero, Simon, is cute. The heroine, Bridget, is cute. Brendan is cute. The main couple working together is cute. The first two accidental meetings were cute. Are you catching a theme here? Overall, it's just the type of story to put a smile on your face and make your heart happy. Even the fact that this book is Bridget starting to move on with her life and open herself up again, it was done in a (dare I say) cute way. And I'm sorry, but Simon? Hello swoony! Excuse me doctor, I'm feeling a little short of breath. Could you give me mouth to mouth? The expression on my face must have looked like a mixture of terror and amusement. At least, that was how I felt. “Simon…” I think you get the gist of what I'm saying, but just in case, I'll mention it one more time. This is a feel good type of book. It's not messy or angst riddled, but it's also not fluff either. The perfect in between. It was also a fairly quick read, and given these two thoughts, I don't know how memorable it might be in the long run, but definitely a strong contender for a "Books Everyone Should Read" type of list. “It’s true that the greatest risk may be not taking one. But a risk is taking a chance when you have the potential to gain or lose something in the future. When that future is certain that you’re going to lose that something—it’s not taking a risk, Simon. It’s jumping out of a plane without a parachute and expecting to land on your feet anyway.” Getting farther along, this book had a fantastic twist. Just a little question for those out there who have read this: did you see that coming? Because I did NOT! And I love to guess plot twists. I never even suspected it. I was reading on my lunch break at work, in my own little blissful, ignorant world, and all of a sudden I had an epiphany. I'm like, "wait, no. What I'm thinking can't be true. That wouldn't happen. Would it? Could it? No!" But then, much to my dismay, it did indeed happen. I was shocked. Great twist though, I love how the characters dealt with it and how it changed the dynamic of the story. “Number four—must dislike Celine Dion.” I looked up at him. “What’s wrong with Celine?” I know there are going to be many, many five star reviews for this book and that's amazing! This book deserves those. Personally. For me to rate a book as 5 stars, it has to move me in some way. This is a good book, it's fun and cute and the hero is definitely a swoony one, but in my own world, it wasn't an earth shattering read and wasn't in love with it. But nevertheless, it's absolutely a solid 4. *An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 13, 2017
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Sep 14, 2017
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Sep 13, 2017
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ebook
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| 3.88
| 2,521
| Sep 27, 2017
| Sep 27, 2017
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liked it
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***Keep in mind I read this 2 months ago, just totally forgot to post my review on here. It was on the blog and well, I'm a idiot sometimes.*** I’m not ***Keep in mind I read this 2 months ago, just totally forgot to post my review on here. It was on the blog and well, I'm a idiot sometimes.*** I’m not sure if it’s the weather, my mood, the seasons changing or what but man, I am just not in the mood to read. Usually I’d be the person reading anywhere from two to five books in a week, just because there are so many stories out there that I want to read. But these days? I’m lucky to finish one book a week and actually be exciting about it. I’m in such a funk! And I’m grumpy about it too! I can’t seem to focus on what I’m reading, I’m not becoming immersed in the stories and I can’t seem to shut my brain off enough to actually enjoy the book I pick up. Just to put this in a little bit of perspective, between ARCs and whatnot, at the end August I started a series that I’m in LOVE with. It’s 12 books long and I’m halfway done. I can’t even be bothered right now to start book 7 because I just simply don’t want to read right now. I don’t know where this mood came from but I really hope it goes away soon. It’s annoying AF to me and not really fair to the few ARCs I have left before my fall reading break (real life gets super busy in the fall). So, keep that in mind and please take this rating with a grain of salt. So with this being said, I just couldn’t get into this story. But duh, that’s my issue. The characters didn’t grab me, the heroine seemed extremely naive at times, the plot which I figured I would be enamoured with just felt okay, and I feel like an overall crappy person for not liking this. I 100% believe that this is a case of me, not you. I see all of the good pieces of this book, I can see the merit in the relationship between these characters. The writing, in true Kelly fashion, is superb and the unique element of a wine contest is bursting with originality. But yet I’m over here rolling around on the ground like a slug because I feel like doing that instead of reading. Dear God. Can you read too much? Have I broken myself? I applaud Kelly for the amount of research and knowledge she has/gained in order to make this book successful. And no, I’m not just talking about drinking a lot of wine, though I’m sure that was also quite taxing. But the amount of knowledge on grapes, regions, smells, high notes, and the different fruit/vegetable/spice etc. influences on each type of wine was quite impressive. Even one of the lessons that the characters used to help decipher flavours was amazing! I’m not even a wine drinker, but I feel the need to right now open a bottle. Maybe that’ll help my issues. On a separate but not unrelated note, thank the lord for piercings. . . . That’s all. On an additional separate note, I worry about this author watching the Discovery Channel because OMG even I was cringing! Candiru, ewwww! Not cool missy! That was terrifying. Hilarious, but cringeworthy goodness all wrapped into one. And a perfect way to scare off guys at the bar, might I add. I may be stealing this little fun fact. Oh and that little twist at the end? Ha! That snuck up on me big time. One of my favourite pastimes is trying to guess plot devices or twists in the story (because I’m a horrible person, obviously), and I wasn’t even close on this one. That shocked me in a very good way. So basically what I’m getting at is even though I’m currently a grumpy hag who wants nothing to do with the words, you should ultimately ignore everything I say and go read some other reviews for this book instead. I’m sure they’re much better. *An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 10, 2017
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Sep 12, 2017
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Sep 10, 2017
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Kindle Edition
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| 163576114X
| 9781635761146
| 163576114X
| 4.15
| 632
| Sep 12, 2017
| Sep 12, 2017
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did not like it
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**Actual rating: 1.5 Stars** This is the second book in a series, eh? No worries if you haven't read the first, they're interconnected standalones. So **Actual rating: 1.5 Stars** This is the second book in a series, eh? No worries if you haven't read the first, they're interconnected standalones. So once upon a time I skipped on out of Canada land and ventured into my neighbours country down south. It was great. We ate great food, met some cool people and got some awesome books. Sounds like a good time, eh? It was splendid! And in this journey, I happened to also meet the two authors of Taming Mr. Flirt. Awesome ladies, those two. Funny, sweet, loved to chat with readers, we had a great time down there, eh? I even read the first book in this series, Finding Mr. Wrong and quite enjoyed it. So with that being said, I'm sorry to have to do this, but in true Shannon fashion, I've got my sassy pants on and we're going for a ride. Hold on, this one drove me more than a little nutty, eh? I feel like at some point while writing this book, the authors had a conversation going something along the lines of this, eh? "Let's think of every Canadian cliche and stereotype, then jam them all in to this because it'll be funny or cute!" I know, eh? I'm sure no one has come up with that idea before. Not like you'll piss off a bunch of people though, eh? In case you needed clarification, yes, I'm purposefully being obnoxious. I shall continue. You know what I say to that? A big f*** off. I'm generally an easy going person, but this is damn ignorant and tacky. Yeah sure, there's Canadian jokes that fly around, who cares? But to blatantly use all of these stereotypes and while trying to make it a joke is downright disrespectful. It's pretty clear that these authors aren't Canadian or apparently didn't actually do any research. Even something like finding a Canadian beta reader. Someone somewhere along the lines should've been like, "um, I think this might be a tiny bit much on the Canada shit". You know why? BECAUSE YOU DON'T JUST GO WRITE ABOUT A DIFFERENT COUNTRY OR CULTURE OR GROUP OF PEOPLE WITHOUT RESEARCH FIRST. Like come on! The way they used "eh" was wrong. Just blatantly wrong, almost every time. Would you guys gasp if I actually told you we don't say that a lot? Or only in certain circumstances or with certain phrasing? In theory, we use "eh" to change a statement into a question. But with that being said, it does NOT work in every single situation. So seeing something like: "What now, eh?" <--- that just sounds stupid, no one would say that. "So, don’t freak out when I open a door for you, eh?" <--- this is worded in a very odd fashion. "Eh" is not interchangeable with "okay". If I was to actually try and say this, it would be along the lines of -- You won't freak out when I open the door for you, eh? “Maybe you need to get laid yourself, eh?” <--- this, like the first example, is already a question. Therefore, "eh" is redundant. And also it still sounds stupid. That's about enough of those examples, eh? Time for more Canadian fun! By 50% of this book, the dreaded "eh" had been used already seven times, we learn that the hero had childhood dreams of becoming a professional hockey player *how original, is that all we can think of here? No dreams of becoming perhaps a doctor? Race car driver? Zookeeper? Accountant?*, and there was a conversation involving beavers being the national animal. BUT WAIT! There's more. There has also been two instances where maple syrup was brought up, and one including the heroine asking if the hero was planning to bathe in it because he bought sooooooo much. The homeland has also been brought up no less than four times, because O Caaannadaaaaaaaa (Imagine someone starting to sing our magical anthem). I'm over the book already. And all I've discussed is my damn country. Also, I case you're curious, I feel qualified to comment on the likes of Canada because I've been here for approximately my entire life. That's a long time, eh? <--- I'm done, I promise. Lord help us all in the next book with an Italian hero. Should we start taking bets on how many times he'll say "ciao bella"? Remember when plot used to be important in books? Yeah, those were the good ol' days. I couldn't even wait to get to the end of this book before I started my review. I'm at 50% and just had to start making notes. You know what's happened so far in this book? The couple fucks. Then they talk to their friends. Then they fuck. Then they go to work, and then fuck. Halloween party, work, fuck, work, fuck, dinner, fuck. Play with perfume, fuck. Several times in public places as well. That's. It. I'M NOT EVEN READING THE SEX SCENES ANYMORE. And that's kind of sad. So with that being said, I've only gotten "meh" type vibes since the beginning. It's clearly a cliche, overdone, FWB type of situation. Two people who don't do commitment and only want a physical relationship, they make rules to abide by, break said rules, freak out (prediction) once they realize that they're dating each other. Been there. Read that. ***All of this was written after finishing the first half of the book. I'm now continuing into the second half and any additional thought I have will go from here on.*** Well, I have a small tidbit to add about the actual storyline. Around 60% or so, it actually started to pick up and I was liking it a hell of a lot more than I had been. There was some emotion, characters were actually doing some thing other than sleeping with each other, things were looking up! But then it promptly slowed right back down and came back to "meh/you've got to be kidding me" levels. Then the epilogue came out of nowhere. Actual book wise, I feel like I've simply got nothing to say. This didn't intrigue me. Nothing grabbed my attention and there sure as hell wasn't anything to keep it. I've read this exact storyline time and time again. It's been done, it's predictable. How many times can I say this? It felt unoriginal, basic, one dimensional, etc. Harsh? Yeah, but I know these authors are capable of better than this. Maybe if they didn't focus so hard on creating the most cliched AF hero possible because, CANADA, and focused more on say, plot, character development, story line, it may have gone better. Now are you ready for more Canada info? Yup, I've got more to say. First, let's start with the fact that either the word Canada or Canadian is used over twenty times in the novel. This short novel. WE GET IT. This is the point were I'm getting really irrationally angry for no reason other than this has made me so annoyed, I can't help it. Oh, and Kyle's phone alarm is the Canadian national anthem. Sometimes he feels the urge to break out in song and sing it. Cool. Can't say I've ever felt that way. Let's talk about Thanksgiving - YES! We have it in Canada. Fall, pumpkins, turkey... It's fairly similar, except we do a three day weekend instead if an entire week thingy. So to suggest that the Canadian character doesn't understand the holiday.. Where did that thought come from? Again, research people. It needs to happen. Quote from character - "I had no idea what all the hoopla was about". Our thanksgiving is in October (at a regular time of the year, thank you very much ;) *I'm kidding, don't throw the tomatoes*) as opposed to yours (USA) in November. Other than that, the holiday is for the exact same thing. We just don't celebrate football as a religion. Moving on, have you ever heard of a place called Niagara Falls? Yeah, that's a fun spot. They've got some water, or so I hear. Yeah, so, I've been more times in my life than I can keep track of. I've been twice this summer alone, once staying overnight. This book suggests that there's a light show over the falls because it's a holiday - false, there's a light show at the falls every night, regardless of holiday status. According to this book, the crowd 'ooooohed and ahhhhhed' along with the lights. Okay, let's say I believe you, let's say that because it was almost Christmas, for some reason there was a crowd gathered at that specific time to see the lights. Now in reality, the light show goes on for hours. There's no crowd gathered, there's a few groups of people walking along but you're not throwing elbows and pushing old ladies down to try and get to the railing to see it. I can't do anymore. I need to stop at some point, and I'm picking now. Please, in the future, don't disrespect my country and my nationality. I honestly can't think of a book that I've read this year that has aggravated me as much as this one. I feel like I just got slapped in the face by Canada. It wasn't meatball bonding. *An ARC was received in exchange for an honest (extremely honest in this case) review. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 30, 2017
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Sep 2017
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Aug 30, 2017
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Paperback
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| unknown
| 3.77
| 1,266
| Aug 22, 2017
| Aug 24, 2017
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it was ok
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This is no blockbuster hit, let me tell you. Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes? I don't watch award shows, I have no clue which is which, but whichever awa
This is no blockbuster hit, let me tell you. Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes? I don't watch award shows, I have no clue which is which, but whichever award goes for TV shows, these characters definitely wouldn't be winning based on this performance. *le sigh* Well, I'm throwing in the towel for reading Willow Winters books. First one I read (this past week) was barely a one star and this is barely getting to a 2 in my books (See what I did there?). Let's just start with the major issues, shall we? As a reader, how do you feel about childish, immature characters, zero character development, an underwhelming and underdeveloped plot, and a toxic relationship? If you do indeed like those things, this is the book for you! If you're like me and DON'T appreciate those aspects, well, it's safe to say you may want to pass on this one. From discrepancies in the timeline to the stupidest fights ever --- which occur over nothing at all, mind you --- to very little romance and minimal effort put into the relationship by not one but both characters, I'm just fed up with this book. What do you do if you want to know if a character actually wants you? Fight them and push them away to see if they chase you, obviously. #winning. What do you do when you see an ex boyfriend from ten years ago that left you and doesn't want to talk to you about certain issues that you keep bringing up? Hide, obviously. This is a romance, after all. What do you do when you finally start talking again with said ex, and everything turns into a fight? Sleep with him in your dressing room and be loud enough for everyone to hear, obviously. Wait, let me add one more, this is kind of fun. What do you do when the hero won't tell you he loves you (does he actually? I have no clue) after you "reconnect" (*cough* start sleeping together) for a few days? Run away because the tabloids say he's using you, obviously. Can we just... Stop? I've had enough. The relationship between these two was extremely volatile and toxic in the first place, I don't understand the reasoning to try and get back together. As kids, volatile. As adults, volatile. This shit is not healthy, folks. Yelling and screaming and refusing to talk with each other, that makes for a good start to a relationship these days, does it? Oh, maybe that's what I'm doing wrong. A small detail but annoying nonetheless, but if a book follows a specific timeline, double check the damn timeline. If it starts with "April, 10 years ago" and goes through April, has flashbacks from March and some info from June, that's all fine and dandy. But then when flashbacks start from "September, 10 years ago", it is actually eleven years ago, because it is the September previous to the April where the story starts. To smooth this out a little easier: September they started dating, and we're on and off until April. But there was jumping around and almost showing the teenager side of the relationship in reverse. It felt odd. And for the love of all that is holy, just get the stinking years right. Am I right? Or am I wrong? I could be wrong, but for instance: current date - ten years ago in April would be 2007. For them to have started dating in September, they would've started in 2006. So eleven years ago. *Grrr*. Small details folks, we notice them. *An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 25, 2017
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Aug 27, 2017
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Aug 25, 2017
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| 3.86
| 4,651
| Sep 12, 2017
| Sep 12, 2017
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did not like it
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You know what? Apparently I'm not the type of reader that this book needs. I'm way too analytical. I need facts. I need reasons. I need to know the pu
You know what? Apparently I'm not the type of reader that this book needs. I'm way too analytical. I need facts. I need reasons. I need to know the purpose of actions and dialogue. And I was gifted with none of that. Starting off, you know absolutely nothing about this book. From the blurb, sure I expected a few damaged characters who maybe got their second chance romance love story going in a perhaps darker-ish way. Because that makes sense? Whatever. What I actually got was a story with minimal plot, and... That's about it. I seriously cannot think of the point of this book. I feel like there was barely a story told, and I'm left with too many holes and questions for me to even consider this complete. But too, even if this was somehow a darker read, I enjoy the occasional dark book! I'll read a few a year to completely take me out of my element. I like the twisted mind fucks and the questionable decisions and weird situations. I was looking for that addictive and depraved quality that I usually get when reading this type of story, but was mostly left scratching my head and looking at my watch (I don't wear a watch) waiting an actual story to begin. Let's please also separate the "darker themes" from crazy. Crazy does not equal dark, nor does dark equal crazy. Sure, you can argue that these characters have a dark past but so little of it is exposed, I think that's a cop out. This book is focusing on them "trying to fix each other" based on what their past broke inside their minds. But again, crazy and dark do not mean the same thing. These folks just had some simple, itty bitty, average (have you caught on to the sarcasm?) psychological issues. Somewhere along the lines, everyone's wires got crossed one too many times. And a love story? Really? Where? Because I didn't just read one. Someone might need to point that out for me because there was no falling in love. There were obsessive tendencies and "I've always loved him", quotes thrown around repeatedly. Really though? Even though you haven't seen him in 20 years? <-- Not a spoiler, don't yell at me. "But Shannon, there's an epilogue and an HEA!" Don't even get me started on the epilogue. I refuse. This feels like there are seriously so many different cliches and "subplots" - I don't even want to call it that - that are somehow mashed all into one book. Nothing flows, there's no rhyme or reason, holes in the story, random side details that relate to nothing, no rising action, climax or falling action. And the big reveal/issue that's hinted at? I figured it out like 20% before it was revealed. So really, what did I even just read? If you want to try and tackle a complex subject matter like this, freaking give it everything you have and make it count! Oh! Another thing! After I finished this, I noticed a prequel to the story at the back of the book. You know what I thought about that? Fuck it. That's what. It was never mentioned, nor should it be there in the first place. If you want to include a prequel, put it at the beginning. I'm not reading it because at this point, anything in there is irrelevant to this story as it is currently portrayed. Is it going to give insight? Answer questions? I don't care, if it's relevant to the story, it's needs to, dare I say it, be in the actual story. The end. *An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review. (<-- had to edit this to add that) ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 21, 2017
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Aug 22, 2017
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Aug 21, 2017
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Kindle Edition
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| 0999025309
| 9780999025307
| B0749XHW4B
| 4.13
| 10,497
| Sep 26, 2017
| Sep 26, 2017
|
really liked it
|
So this review is probably going to be very short and vague, so I'll start with just telling you that you should probably one click these books if you
So this review is probably going to be very short and vague, so I'll start with just telling you that you should probably one click these books if you haven't already. College wrestlers and the girls that bring them to their knees, what more could you possibly want? The author has also asked that we avoid spoilers at all costs, including the main characters names, so I apologize in advance if I just start talking about this guy or that girl. It'll all make sense once you read the book. ;) Jumping right into it, likes chat about the hero, shall we? He was so sweet, and a far cry from how the heroes in the previous two books acted which was a refreshing twist that Sara worked with. He was so sweet, occasionally nervous, modest, adorable, a tad naive in the most endearing way and just overall, heartwarmingly awesome. This guy was perfect for this book. Oh and um, HE SPEAKS FRENCH! If your lady parts aren't quivering like the heroine's, they should be by this point. That brings us to the heroine, and to be honest, I was a little worried near the beginning of how these two were going to work together. To me, they seemed more like oil and vinegar than anything. But being the strong headed, stubborn girl that she was, the heroine here actually did the chasing which was fun to see. And I feel the need to point out that I really didn't like this girl at the beginning. She was arrogant, vain, self centred and catty. It's only then that I realized, "wait a second, this is the douchebag series. The heroine is the DB in the case instead of the expected hero!" After I figured this out, it went smoother for me and yes, just like the boys in the previous books, this girl does worm her way into your good graces. There was one tiny aspect of this story that I was becoming a little annoyed with and that was the *pranks* (changed what I would originally say to avoid spoilers. If you read the book, you'll understand. I get it, it's college, they're serious athletes, but just relax a little, would you? It just seemed like one thing after another and this hero was getting everything dumped on him when he was already so unsure of everything in his life. I seriously felt bad for the guy! I don't think I've ever wanted to hug a fictional character so badly. I guess what I'm getting at is I wish this was toned down a little to then develop the relationship between the MC and the team a bit more. My favourite part of the books I read is the fun, flirty dialogue. I like those moments when the characters are first meeting or connecting and everything is fun and exciting. In The Learning Hours, Sara gives us PLENTY of that and I was one happy camper! You get to witness entire texting exchanges between these characters and it really helped to show how their relationship originally starts, considering they don't yet know each other in person. I know this really doesn't give a lot of info but if you're reading this, it means you're already at least somewhat interested in the book. So go for it. And while this didn't knock my boy Zeke (book 2) out of the top spot for my favourite DB book, it was right up there and definitely a strong companion. So let's raise our red solo cups to Sara Ney on another winner! I can't wait for early 2018 when her next series (BASEBALL!!!!) starts. <3 *An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review, ...more |
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1
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Sep 21, 2017
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Sep 24, 2017
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Aug 11, 2017
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ebook
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| 4.10
| 214
| May 24, 2015
| unknown
|
it was ok
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I'm so fed up with having to leave 'ranty' or unpopular reviews these days. I'm just over it. So as of right now, I'm just going to say that I didn't
I'm so fed up with having to leave 'ranty' or unpopular reviews these days. I'm just over it. So as of right now, I'm just going to say that I didn't like this book. It didn't captivate me, I didn't find it intriguing or frankly enjoyable and the heroine was even a bit pitiful at times. Okay, moving on. I might come back and review this one day but I kind of doubt it. If you read it, I hope it resonates better with you than it did I. ...more |
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1
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Aug 04, 2017
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Aug 07, 2017
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Aug 04, 2017
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Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||||
| 1501105825
| 9781501105821
| 1501105825
| 3.94
| 14,517
| Aug 15, 2017
| Aug 15, 2017
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it was amazing
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Some books you pick up because they sound entertaining, and some books you pick up because you're already a fan of the author. I'm a relatively new re
Some books you pick up because they sound entertaining, and some books you pick up because you're already a fan of the author. I'm a relatively new reader to Renee Carlino, have been curious about her writing and kept seeing all of the buzz for this book, so it was definitely on my radar. But then I started and was granted so much more than just a story about two people falling in love. It's about finding yourself, even when you don't know where to start looking. It's about embracing life with a sunny outlook, no matter the amount of rainy days. It's about stealing Chinese food from a stranger on the street at midnight and discussing the merits of dancing wolves. It's about love, life, hope and happiness. Acceptance, perspective, and the importance of dreaming about, and creating your future. There are some authors that come along and you fall into reading them by happenstance. You are entranced not by their fancy words or worldly plots and characters, but their tone and their voice. The realness that they inject into their writing and the vivid imagery that they can create. This is exactly with Carlino and Wish You Were Here. Her voice was what drew me in, the story was what kept me. It's an extremely visceral feeling to read a book like this with such potent intensity. This story can, and will change someone's life. I went in to this story completely blind and I seriously suggest you do the same. I didn't look at any other reviews, I didn't ask friends that I know have read it, I just turned to page one and dove in. Having no idea why to expect, I didn't even read the blurb. Isn't that part of the fun of reading though? Experiencing a story as it was meant to be read, not by finding hints or seeing biased reviews beforehand. Though who am I kidding, this review is biased. But I'll also do my best to not actually tell you anything about the story other than how it made me feel. We read books to escape, don't we? To meet other people and places and see the stories that we might not get to see. To feel. This book accomplishes all of those and more. Wish You Were Here swept me up in such a whirlwind of emotions, it was anything but what I expected. I had no clue how this book would go but I never could've imagined what we actually got. I don't know how I would've felt if I knew any details going in, and it was so raw and powerful to experience all of this without any outside whispers of what was happening. I feel like this book changed something in me. Even two weeks later, I can't even reread my notes and highlighted quotes for this book because I FEEL ALL OF THE THINGS that I previously mentioned. I fell in love while reading and embraced the emotions as they came. I only hope that you can do the same. I've had several people ask me about certain content in this book, but I really don't want to tell you much about it. Just read it because this hurts so good. The only advice that I can give though is that with everything you read, file that away. Once you finish, think about the different perspectives that this gives you. Step back from the book and look at the bigger picture of everything you just read. THIS, in my opinion, is how I think the story is meant to be experienced. Ultimately, I agree with this story and love how it was done. I thought that there was 10% near the end or so that I wasn't totally sure on, it almost felt a little bit callous to me, but by the time we got to the epilogue, there was a giant lightbulb that went off in my head. I had a quiet, "I understand now" moment, and just had a minute of calm and reflection for what I just read once that happened. So with that being said, I'll leave you with this little sound bite: Beautiful Life by Nick Fradiani was on repeat in my house for several days while I danced, sang, and lived with these characters in my heart. ...more |
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1
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Aug 2017
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Aug 02, 2017
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Aug 01, 2017
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Paperback
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| unknown
| 4.05
| 3,832
| Aug 08, 2017
| Aug 08, 2017
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really liked it
|
So... I've tried to write this review like three times already and it's just not coming out in a way that I'm happy with. I'm still too spastic over A
So... I've tried to write this review like three times already and it's just not coming out in a way that I'm happy with. I'm still too spastic over Austin and Julia just generally being awesome and my words aren't flowing as eloquently as I'd like for them too. With that being said, I think I'll try a bit of a different format with this review. I'm going to start with point forms and expand slightly where I feel like it. That work? Because I think that's all I can manage. Likes: - Addiction portrayal, denial, doesn't want help, etc. - The struggles that this puts on individual relationships and the main couple because of such - The inner demand that Julia do what's best for herself - The angsty bits - Did you know that Austin isn't always a big jerk face? Sometimes he's actually cute AF! - Glimpses into sober Austin and what he's like underneath the facade - Slip ups. Who doesn't have them? No one is perfect. Both characters show this. - Did I mention the angsty bits? They're the flipping best. - Don't worry though, it's heavy subject matter at times (duh) but not suffocating sort of stuff - But definitely enough to make you feel your heart tearing a bit - And a bit more - Letters. I'm not explaining this at all. It'll come in due time. But OMG. <3 - Waffle - The banter, when it doesn't turn hostile and ruin everyone's lives - Favourite book of the series There's actually several things that I would've liked to see differently/changed/(I don't know, I'm talking out my butt) that I'll go over too. Because, you know, real talk. But with that being said, like I mentioned, THIS IS STILL MY FAVOURITE IN THE SERIES SO OBVIOUSLY THIS LIST DOESN'T EVEN MATTER. *deep breath*. I'm just giving some perspective and/or opposing thoughts. Dislikes: - How it switched so quickly from fighting and disliking Austin to dating him. I wanted him to work at not being an ass and actually show that he deserves a second chance. - Heidi was nosey and pushy AF, I actually couldn't stand her in this book. - Her (Julia) past was randomly thrown in, didn't necessarily seem to fit. --- off hand comments, nothing mentioned until it was a HUGE DEAL to everyone. I just think it could've been transitioned a bit better - Timing was inconsistent --- she said they were together almost 2 years ago, friends said a year and a half, he would refer to it as last fall, then it ended up being in a January/February timeframe? I don't know, but that's all I can think of. I can't wait for Morgan's book next! I've been waiting patiently for hers since the beginning of Jensen's book! Soundtrack: When The Lights Go Down by Matt Simons *An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 31, 2017
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Aug 2017
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Jul 31, 2017
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| 3.86
| 16,808
| Aug 19, 2017
| Aug 21, 2017
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liked it
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Drunk Dial has one of the best meet cutes that I've ever read. Seriously! From the get go, it's exciting, witty, it gives you little butterflies in yo
Drunk Dial has one of the best meet cutes that I've ever read. Seriously! From the get go, it's exciting, witty, it gives you little butterflies in your stomach and makes you so excited for everything to come. The banter and flow are exquisite. From that first phone call, I couldn't wait for the journey that these two would take me on. Clearing my throat, I did my best to sound like a composed woman, one who’d maybe just had a drunken demon exorcised from her. “Hello?” Landon is so sincere about wanting to know Rana again, it's so sweet. She originally just wanted answers from him but once he picked up that phone call and realized who she was, you can feel exactly how much he wanted to talk to her. It's amazing. And sweet. And swoony. Landon is all of the things. “What do you think I look like?” Landon planning a date is the best thing ever. When I read about the first date that these two went on, I'm pretty sure I had legitimate hearts in my eyes and I think I might have melted from swooning so hard. So prepare yourself ladies! This is serious stuff. Landon is the kind of guy that exemplifies top Book Boyfriends. He's just that good. “Who’s this?” I don't know, I might be the only one, but I felt like this relationship moved very fast. From the first phone call to several, to the emotional intensity and the 'I love yous', I just felt like it moved extremely quickly but without really getting deep into the relationship and learning who they are as people now. They became very dependant on the other person quite early on. I think because of all of this, I ultimately had a harder time trying to connect with the characters as a couple. "I overreacted. I’m so flawed.” So at this point, you're probably thinking, "but Shannon, you rated it 3.5 stars! Why would you do that if you've loved everything up until this point?" Well thanks for asking! Let me tell you. I felt like over the course of the book, this story went from out of this world with its vibrancy and charming hero, fun banter and exotic situation to for lack of a better word, 'meh' with its cheesy dialogue, predictable twists and scenarios and heavy nature. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for heaviness when dealing with important issues and such, but this book in particular when dealing with these issues, lost all of the vibrancy that I had initially loved about it. Though I feel the need to mention that I do like that these characters talked to each other about their issues instead of just waiting for it to come out some how. This way, they controlled how information was received and it left little room for miscommunication, this eliminating couple drama from said dreaded secrets. "You can’t put out a fire by dancing around it. You have to deal with it, douse it with water until there’s nothing left. Once the fire’s out, you can either choose to rebuild or abandon the rubble." There's one little part of the storyline that I honestly can't figure out how it's suppose to fit in. It just doesn't make any sense to me because it doesn't lead anywhere. In the beginning it was kind of a deal but then completely phased out until no one cared anymore. Was there a point to this? Cute story over all. I did indeed like it, my three star rating is more for the fact that I was head over heels in love with it in the beginning, but couldn't really care less by the end. I mean, come on! How could you read this and not fall for Landon? The beginning of this book for me was magic. It just turned from said magic to a sense of like, to then mildly entertaining but with an underlying feeling of uninspired. I don't know. Maybe I'm just grumpy? That's also a valid option. We were both silent until he said, “Don’t stop talking to me, Rana.” ***Revised to 3.5 stars because I really did like the beginning*** *An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 17, 2017
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Aug 19, 2017
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Jul 30, 2017
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ebook
| |||||||||||||||||
| unknown
| 4.18
| 2,476
| Jul 07, 2017
| Jul 25, 2017
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really liked it
|
This series started off a little bit rocky for me but has become more and more solid with each book. I really enjoyed the second book, The Eagle, and
This series started off a little bit rocky for me but has become more and more solid with each book. I really enjoyed the second book, The Eagle, and almost wish that this one, The Society, was longer! I don't really feel like it answers any questions for me but just added on a lot of extra information. Don't worry though, there's still plenty of action, mystery and suspense to go along with it! I'm warming up the the relationship more so now too between Huntley and Lorenzo. This is first book where I'm actually understanding and believing her reasoning, feelings and emotions as they relate to the King of Montrovia. Between conspiracy theories, assassinations, spies, secret societies, sex trafficking, and uncovering the mystery surrounding her mothers death, Huntley really delivers in this novel. This is e kind of stuff I expected from this series and it's such a joy to read! For some reason, I expected this to be the last book in the series, so I was a little worried about all of the questions I didn't didn't have answers to or the loose ends that needed to be tied. But then Jillian goes and throws in a pretty decent cliffhanger (and by that I mean damn, I hanging here!), which I then had to immediately check on the next book. Of course, there's more books - I'm actually really excited for this - and the story will continue with book 4, The Valiant, in March, 2018. Do you think if I ask nicely, it'll come sooner? Because I really don't think I can wait that long. Stay tuned for Huntley, Ari, Intrepid and Lorenzo to continue unraveling these mysteries and to do so while staying out of harms way. After reading The Society (and with that ending!), I can't wait to see where their story goes next! *An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 22, 2017
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Jul 23, 2017
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Jul 22, 2017
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Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||||
| B073WFSG3Z
| unknown
| 4.10
| 50
| unknown
| 2017
|
really liked it
|
As a prequel novella, this author did a fantastic job of giving the readers enough of a tease to get them interested in the full length story of Ryan
As a prequel novella, this author did a fantastic job of giving the readers enough of a tease to get them interested in the full length story of Ryan and Vanessa. Starting with Ryan, we get glimpses of a tragic accident in his past and his downward spiral since. After picking himself up, along with wingman and best friend Blake, named themselves the Kings of Mystic, has gone back to his playboy ways. That is, until he meets Vanessa... Taking place in Mystic Beach, I can't wait to read the story that these two will bring! I love Ryan's cocky, rich boy attitude and how Vanessa is already making him work for it. But not in a hard to get type of way, more so the fact that she knows she's worth more than being treated like any random girl. I'm about to jump into The Last Summer Girl and see how this goes! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 23, 2017
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Jul 23, 2017
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Jul 21, 2017
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Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
| 9781940652726
| unknown
| 4.10
| 3,174
| Sep 13, 2016
| Oct 10, 2016
|
really liked it
|
I think I would've absolutely loved this book if the romance was just taken out. I know, I know, I'm the last person that you'd ever expect to say tha
I think I would've absolutely loved this book if the romance was just taken out. I know, I know, I'm the last person that you'd ever expect to say that just it's so confusing, unbelievable and inconsistent to me that I'm flat out ignoring it and pretending it isn't there. #sorrynotsorry Truthfully, I don't even see it as romance. I see a teenage girl toying with a guys feelings while sleeping with another and flirting with anyone and everyone. But alas, I digress. Okay, so the first book didn't tickle my fancy too much but I didn't hate it either, I felt like I just had too many questions or problems with certain things. So starting this one, it was sort of along the same lines but then perhaps midway through, it's like a flip was switched and HOLY CRAP this just got awesome! Now THIS is the kind of story I expected to get with having a secret op trained girl on a mission to find her mothers killer. Guns, combat, secret passage ways, fast cars, this is what I'm talking about! And the best part? No confusing emotions: -yes I like him, -no, I don't want to be with him, -I was trained to not have feelings, -I won't be friends with benefits because I'm already with the other guy, even though I'm not with the other guy -blah blah blah See what I mean? Annoying. In the terms of excitement, this book definitely picked it up and was a lot better than the first. I'm looking forward to reading the next book now, though the ending doesn't give us much to go on or get excited about. Hopefully that changes in the beginning of The Society! *An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 19, 2017
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Jul 20, 2017
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Jul 19, 2017
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| 9781940652719
| unknown
| 3.86
| 5,653
| Apr 12, 2016
| Apr 12, 2016
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liked it
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None
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Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 19, 2017
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Jul 19, 2017
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Jul 19, 2017
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ebook
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| 4.01
| 4,180
| Jul 18, 2017
| Jul 19, 2017
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really liked it
| “You’re the kind of good girl bad guys always go for.” Second chance romances aren't one of my favourite tropes ever - I know, I'm in the m “You’re the kind of good girl bad guys always go for.” Second chance romances aren't one of my favourite tropes ever - I know, I'm in the minority - but then there's sometimes where I stumble upon a really well written second chance, and it changes my perspective. If you want to make me believe that these characters had a past and loved each other, you need to SHOW me! I'm a show, not tell type of gal. Pretty words won't fool me, give me proof. That's exactly what the author does in Fractured Love. This book is rightfully broken down into two parts, part one, the past, and part two, the present (logic, I love it). Starting as teenagers, I loved every scene and detail that this author created for these characters. I fell so fast and hard into their world, I didn't care if I ever got out. And please, you can't tell me that you've never been tempted by something deemed as forbidden... “I know—as he holds me in his hard, strong arms, as our frantic mouths wage tender war—why they call it falling.” In a romance book, I always want to see the characters meet and ultimately, fall for each other. This is especially important in a second chance book, so don't try to skip out on the details, I'll notice! But Fractured Love felt exactly like those sweet YA books I can't help but swoon over. Troubled boy meets golden girl. Can you see how this story is going to go? Sure, you get the unlikely friends and bonding moments but it was so much more than that. I could feel Landon's struggles through the page. He almost felt haunted, in a way. And Evie, with her caring soul, jumps in head first to bring him some calm, some happiness in his tragic life. There were the monumental changes in their relationship, through car rides and soccer practices to late night conversations, but I felt every moment that the relationship shifted. The tender, the scared, the aloof, the heartbroken, the joy, all of it. And too I really appreciate that Landon didn't show up at school and become the new kid who all of the girls wanted and instantly became popular. He has his issues and he found his people but in a far from cliched, overdone way. “Stay with me forever, okay,” he says softly. “I don’t ever want to live without you, Evie.” Now moving into the present day when the characters face each other for the first time in ten years. Based on how their story ended as teenagers, I was so flipping excited to see how this would go down. Would there be tears? Guilt? Reservations? Ignorance? Flippancy? THERE ARE SO MANY OPTIONS! I could've cared for a bit more emotion but ultimately like how this ordeal was handled. Even the two of them moving forward with work and each other was nice to see, but then I feel like nothing really happened? It sort of coasted, in my opinion. Now for those who read the book, yes, stuff actually does happen, otherwise this would've been pretty boring, but there just wasn't anything that sucked me in like it did in the first half. I didn't care for the characters like I did in their teen years. “I’m sorry,” I say softly. “I’m a mess.” I don’t even plan the words, they just roll out, because I’m me and he’s Landon.” I'm not usually one to point out mistakes, especially when reading an ARC because, well, it could be changed by the final copy, but there was something that didn't add up here for me and it's the ages/time apart/year. It's math! LOL. This tripped me up. It's mentioned in the blurb that Evie is 16. The story starts in 2006. Okay, so far so good. Nothing is mentioned of Evie's age at first, though we know she has her own car and can drive on her own. For where I live, the teen either has to be 17 or very close to 17 (like within a few months of their birthday) for this to happen. Enter Landon: Landon is 17, in a class with Evie and they are the 'same age'. Okay, so from here I expected her to be 17. Maybe she has a late birthday that wasn't mentioned?. Small difference from the blurb, so whatever, but then it's mentioned that she's 16. I just ignored it from here on out. So now we get to present day (I'm assuming 2017, unless this is written for a time in the future and I just didn't know?) and the characters are 29 (the blurb said, they never did). I would've expected 27 or 28, you know, depending on when in the year their birthday is. ;) I'm a smart ass, don't worry, I'm aware. SO then, they talk about how they have been separated for 10 years. Basically what I'm getting at is you can't be 16 in 2006, 29 in 2017, and have been separated for 10 years because, well, math. So being my first book from this author, I did enjoy it. If things stayed as emotionally charged as the first half, I probably would even become her new biggest fan. Alas, I also know that not every story will always be as heartbreaking and angsty as I want them. <3 All is fair though. And if you discount my little math rant, all is well that ends well! I do though feel a need to buy some of her other books like right this moment. “I left the day he left. He took my heart. I’ve never found it.” *An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review. And yes, I'll be buying a copy when it comes out to check the math. :) ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 18, 2017
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Jul 18, 2017
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Jul 18, 2017
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Paperback
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| 4.34
| 7,988
| Jul 19, 2017
| Jul 19, 2017
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it was ok
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***Well, here my review is, folks! Beware, I end in a mic drop so... Sorry*** You know how a lot of times when reading a story, there can be that lull ***Well, here my review is, folks! Beware, I end in a mic drop so... Sorry*** You know how a lot of times when reading a story, there can be that lull between say, 50-70%? You know the one, after the characters finally get together but before the actual drama starts in the form of a climax. Sort of stuck in a lull, the status quo, not rocking the boat and coasting along... Well, to be frank, when reading Swink, I felt like I was stuck in this blank space for the entire book. That may sound harsh, and I'm not trying to be, I'm just trying to portray my thoughts as honestly and bluntly as I can. As you can see, absolutely everyone, save for basically myself, Wil and 3 or 4 other reviewers has been head over heels in love with this book. Some of you will look at my review and think I'm too critical or have my head up my butt or am just nasty. You know what? Good for you. Think what you wish. If you disagree with me, all the power to you! But I for one was disappointed in this book and let me tell you why. First off, this relationship has been hinted at since Lincoln's book (book 2, for those of you who don't know. Cam's story is book 5), so this is really not a new idea. With that being said, I expected this story may run parallel with the others or pick up fairly early on in their relationship, but NOPE. It starts when they had already been dating for ten months. Okay...? Where's the fun in that? A romance book for me needs to have that meet cute, those initial butterflies and the warm fuzzy feeling, stupid smiles, staying up late, thinking about the other person, etc. That to me is the best part of the book, and in Swink, it was completely skipped over. But it's not even like we got flashbacks or memories to relive those moments, it just wasn't mentioned. Zip. Nada. Zilch. So this immediately put me off a bit, but don't worry, I'm flexible, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. But then as I kept reading, nothing happened. And I couldn't really understand how I was reading so many pages and going through the chapters but there was nothing happening. Now this brings me to my next point. Readers love seeing cameos from their favourite characters in previous stories. I'm personally not this type of reader. Anyways, to me this didn't feel like a Camilla and Dominic story. This felt like a Landry Family Special starring Barrett and Alison and Huxley and Lincoln and Danielle and Ryan and Graham and Mallory and Ford and Ellie and Sienna, with side appearances from Camilla and Dominic and Nate. *deep breath, that was a lot*. I kid you not, I was 30% into this book, and the ONLY thing that had happened so far was announcements (babies and marriages all around, oh the joy) from the other characters as it related to their own stories, and a family dinner at the Farm. There wasn't romance, there wasn't character development between the main couple, and there sure as hell wasn't any plot. I didn't read this book because I wanted to catch up with the other siblings, I read this because I wanted to see Camilla's love story, and I felt cheated out of that. Also, this is a fighter book? News to me. It's barely mentioned. Dom has one fight, it's hardly a big part of the story and he can just walk away from it so easily? A fighter is who you are as a person, not just a hobby. And I for one didn't get the whole alpha vibe on top of that, but I digress. After I finished this book, I made a point form list of everything that I could think of that happened, and sent it to a fellow blogger who also read Swink. *Note* we both read this book but didn't discuss thoughts or details until we had both finished, as to not sway any opinions, and you know what? We felt the same. So I sent her this point form list, it had, I don't know, ten to twelve or so items on it? From this list, which I included EVERYTHING I could think of (seriously, one of the points was that Dom has a bubble bath), six, I repeat, SIX (half of twelve) had to do with the MCs. So there's already half of the story down the drain with other sibling stuff that I didn't care about. From those six, again, -Dom had a bubble bath, -they bang, and -something about money, all made this list. I know, I probably sound like an ass right now but I don't really care. Frankly, I love Adriana. I've enjoyed the Landry books that I've read, The Perception was one of my top favourite books of 2016, and I never thought that I'd get to this place with her, but I'm so disappointed in this book. Authors say that they must be current to stay on the radar of readers, but I'd rather have you put in enough time and effort to produce a complete story instead of a mediocre, rushed one. And in the same note, can you not take a little more time, come up with a solid story, and let readers discover another author in the mean time they might enjoy? It's not a competition, it's not an either or. People love to compare coffee and books, so here it goes. You can get a book from a different author, just as easily as you can get a coffee from a different store. It doesn't mean it changes your preference or favourites, it just means you're *gasp* getting something different that day. I do not see this as a story. There was no plot, there was minimal romance (and even what was there was hardly believable --- the hero couldn't decide how he felt about the heroine. I'm sorry, you've been together for TEN MONTHS, figure it out, mkay?), and there was plenty of extra shit that I just didn't care about. So I guess what I'm getting at is: I read this book. I wasn't a fan. This is the last I going to think about it. I'm going to wipe my hands of it now that I've said what I thought. I did promise an *honest* review, after all. So I'm sorry if this seems to mean for anyone or if you think of me as the grinch who stole Christmas because Dom and Camilla were just so swoonworthy in your eyes. I'd have to politely, but firmly, disagree with you. Adios. -drops mic- ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 17, 2017
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Jul 17, 2017
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Jul 17, 2017
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ebook
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| 1546749535
| 9781546749530
| 1546749535
| 4.23
| 799
| Jul 21, 2017
| Jul 21, 2017
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liked it
| “Once upon a time someone called me a pirate.” The prologue of this book sets the entire story in motion, but it's so powerful on its own t “Once upon a time someone called me a pirate.” The prologue of this book sets the entire story in motion, but it's so powerful on its own that I just felt the need to address it. It sends you back, gives you a taste of history but also a glimpse into what the characters in this story are fighting for. "I would find Isabella. I would tell their story, be their voice, share with the world their brief but touching love story." Knowing absolutely nothing about this book, the blurb is so fantastic at drawing in a reader. The cover is gorgeous, and with promises of history, Pirates and treasure, what's not to like? Now timeline wise, you see different events from different times in the main characters lives before they even meet. We glimpse at their childhood, their teen years, all the way into early adulthood before they even meet. Then we move farther into the present day when they're in their thirties. I liked seeing all of the stages and how they impacted the specific characters at certain times in their lives. Though I may be partial to Mr. Travers, he might be my favourite kind of person ever. “A wise man told me once if I ever found someone who made my stomach twist and my palms sweat, someone who made everything else just fade from existence…that I should take her hand because I wouldn’t be sorry I did.” His hand tightened on mine. “I learned what love was from him, but I learned how it felt from you.” There were a few small details that I caught on to which I thought were so interesting, and they're the underlying magic of fate or how the universe works. Willow could sense Noah around her or feel his presence, until a certain incident happened. Her outlook on this was quite intriguing, and the answer for it even more so. Noah's involvement, his lifestyle, and how it impacted this ideal was really cool. Before I go any farther, I feel the need to express that I did really enjoy this book. I'll get into what my problems were to only rate it as three stars, but as a whole, I enjoyed the story. Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that this is a romance novel, and frankly, I didn't believe or like the romance between Willow and Noah very much. There were small glimpses of romance or shall we say love that I just wanted to hold onto and believe, but then there would be contradicting actions or words from (mainly, but not always) the hero and I just didn't know what to think. I couldn't grasp this romance, I guess because it's not at all how I expected two people, supposedly in love, the act. I get it, he's a pirate and it's not your average story but throughout the entire book, I got very little idea or feeling from Noah to actually suggest he liked Willow more than just having sex with her. Small glimpses, yes, and I think I highlighted every one because let's be honest, there weren't many. He intended to still do horrible things to her even while 'loving' her. And she was going to let him because she 'loved' him back. Where did this love even come from? It was an infatuation from one day they shared eight years ago that Willow couldn't let go of, and it's suggested that Noah was the same. That turned to love before he even came back into her life. That's great for me, fine and dandy, if they then started again and grew from where they were before, but it didn't feel like that at all. I fully believe that she loved the guy from her past and transferred that onto the Noah she met in the present day. She even kept saying this herself! How she didn't know Noah, wasn't comfortable with his actions or his life but she wouldn't let him bend or change himself because she already loved him when he came back to her. How does this create a healthy relationship? I just have a really hard time buying the 'one day a long time ago I fell in love with him and I've been treasuring this memory for so long so that means I already love him now'. To me personally, that's not how a romance novel should be, and I think that's where my problems with the romance aspect come from. And, well, I get he's a pirate but show me that he actually feels something for this girl! It seemed superficial, and when he did have a few nice words, he would immediately go back and contradict everything the reader was just lead to believe. It confused me and kept me from getting attached to these two. I was merely reading about a treasure hunt with two people who liked to bang. "I wanted to keep her, but she was never mine. She was just an elusive dream, a fucking beautiful dream. I slipped out as silently as I slipped in, but I left my damaged heart in that room with the angel who had claimed it." Now on the flip side of this, the pirate aspect, the treasure hunt, the mystery behind what was happening to the yachts, that was all extremely well done, super exciting and so fresh and unique that it keeps the reader guessing. I never knew what to expect from this group or what might happen next. Though I think there were a couple of minor instances that could've been explained a little more, it was generally easy to follow along and keep up. I have no clue how the author would've come up with this plot but it's like nothing I've ever read before and that's always an exciting journey to take. I can also really appreciate how it's not just one specific hunt that's happening, there're many different layers to the story. So sure, there's the love story between Alejandro and Isabella that's dissected. The research and dedication into trying to find the ship, what might be on board, piecing together what caused the ship to sink in the first place, etc. All of that could've made one story, but Fiore added so much more to add complexity, suspense, and mystery. But the way she does it, weaving all of these aspects into one singular story line, is practically genius. “You got a little pirate in you woman. I like it.” I've always loved reading LA Fiore books and by no means is Elusive the exception. Sure, I had some grievances over the who love story part of it, but I got over it and focused on remembering the rest of it that I loved. *An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 15, 2017
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Jul 16, 2017
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Jul 16, 2017
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Paperback
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| B072M65WTT
| 4.13
| 909
| Jul 19, 2017
| Jul 19, 2017
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liked it
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Reading For Finlay, I loved those characters so much and I definitely had a soft spot for Trace Forester so when I found out he was getting book, of c
Reading For Finlay, I loved those characters so much and I definitely had a soft spot for Trace Forester so when I found out he was getting book, of course I jumped on it! As for the relationship aspect of this book, I sorry to be blunt but here it is: I feel like this is just a mask. A lot of pretty words, but no substance behind it. I don't understand how, why, or where this relationship even came from. Separated from her husband and son in tow, Marin meets Trace (again) and he pursues her. The only start to this relationship is how Trace goes on and on about how frowning up (she's ten years older than him), Marin used to be his fantasy. He's great with CJ, sure, and I won't say that she was in an emotional place and this is the only reason why, but it just felt like such an unlikely couple. I couldn't grasp what they could actually have in common or where it was all coming from. I felt zero chemistry or attraction from their 'budding' romance, just Marin's inner monologue about how they can't be together since he's a teenager and her friends telling her to go for it because he's hot. After finishing this book, that's honestly all I got from the beginning. I threw my hands up. “Oh, great. Now the neighbors are gonna see you sneaking out of my house.” So sure it's cutesy and whatnot (though more cheesy as the story progresses), the first few weeks, but just as I didn't feel the beginning of the relationship, they were all of a sudden head over heels and I feel like I missed the entire thing. Then Trace goes back to college and (shocker), drama comes knocking from every corner. Overall it's a nice read for its escapism factor, but the originality and execution left room for improvement in my eyes. It just felt - my opinion - average, a been there, done that, sort of story. And trust me, I was more than a little upset by this considering how much I loved For Finlay. “I didn’t want you hurt.” I will saw though that I liked the little twists and roadblocks that the author used to turn the plot around a bit. Show a different side of the characters, add some drama, ex husband stuff, etc. It was good, but so insanely frustrating at the same time. What happened to characters that speak to each other? An adult that can properly portray words to another adult? When did ignoring people become the new standard? This is the kind of stuff that aggravated me, ESPECIALLY with said drama going on. And no, I'm not talking whatsoever about the college student, I'm looking at the heroine. I don't even know how to really end this now. It was a fine read, but I think overall I'm just a bit disappointed. I had such a high bar after first book in this series, I expected that to continue but I guess from these last few paragraphs, you know how I actually feel about it. Always a sad day when this happens, but let's be honest, if the author decides to make another story in this series (Sabrina??) I'd still most definitely be wanting to read it. *An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 11, 2017
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Jul 11, 2017
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Jul 11, 2017
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Kindle Edition
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my rating |
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| 3.69
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Apr 27, 2017
not set
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Oct 31, 2023
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| 3.68
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liked it
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Sep 25, 2017
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Sep 24, 2017
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| 4.11
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really liked it
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Sep 14, 2017
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Sep 13, 2017
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| 3.88
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liked it
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Sep 12, 2017
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Sep 10, 2017
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| 4.15
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did not like it
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Sep 2017
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Aug 30, 2017
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| 3.77
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it was ok
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Aug 27, 2017
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Aug 25, 2017
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| 3.86
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did not like it
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Aug 22, 2017
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Aug 21, 2017
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| 4.13
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really liked it
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Sep 24, 2017
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Aug 11, 2017
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| 4.10
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it was ok
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Aug 07, 2017
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Aug 04, 2017
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| 3.94
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it was amazing
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Aug 02, 2017
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Aug 01, 2017
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| 4.05
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really liked it
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Aug 2017
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Jul 31, 2017
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| 3.86
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liked it
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Aug 19, 2017
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Jul 30, 2017
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| 4.18
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really liked it
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Jul 23, 2017
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Jul 22, 2017
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| 4.10
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really liked it
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Jul 23, 2017
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Jul 21, 2017
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| 4.10
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really liked it
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Jul 20, 2017
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Jul 19, 2017
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| 3.86
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liked it
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Jul 19, 2017
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Jul 19, 2017
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| 4.01
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really liked it
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Jul 18, 2017
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Jul 18, 2017
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| 4.34
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it was ok
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Jul 17, 2017
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Jul 17, 2017
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| 4.23
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liked it
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Jul 16, 2017
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Jul 16, 2017
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| 4.13
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liked it
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Jul 11, 2017
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Jul 11, 2017
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