I hate reading the same book in a different pov usually.Usually the 'male voice' comes off..all wrong. It usually makes me feel that the guy has no life outside from the first person's story. But I have to give it I KH she nailed it.I think I'm a having a girl crush on her .
I can believe I ignored this series for so long. This book was a little less 'fun' and a little heavy on the angst for me, but I still loved it.
Karina Halle is my going on the list of authors to stalk, and Lying Season is my favorite in this series. I loved it.
 - Karina Halle)
I had the misfortune the last few reads(yes i sometimes measure time by number of books read), to stumble upon a few disastrous historical romances, that left me itching for a strong heroine (physically and emotionally) who would restore my faith in my gender and a non misogynistic cast of character. This book delivered.On the downside, it took me a lot of time to 'get into it' I'm not sure if I will keep the four stars rating in the future.
The second part of the story would be a 4 stars. But it's irrelevant how much I liked certain parts, the characterization, the way the story seemed to flow. I don't care if he's redeemed and disgusted with himself, there's only so much I would forgive a 'rake' before I give up on him, and I don't know about the others but rape is a big freaking red line. once crossed, there is no coming back.The reason I refuse to rate this badly (aside from the fact that I loved the narration, and that it got me hooked from the start) is that the author acknowledges all the issues I have with Sebastian and Rachel having a relationship.
The same man who meekly submitted to her ministrations, whose demands on her now were tentative, even courteous, was the same patient, methodical, remorseless lover who had made it a crusade to steal every last shred of her pride. She told herself that if she forgot that or ignored it, she would deserve all the consequences.
She wasn't so naive as to think his about-face was completely unselfish, but she was needy enough to welcome it on any terms. Affection, warmth, kindness—she couldn't have rejected those gifts if an ogre had offered them. Under other circumstances, she might withhold trust from a man who had done to her the things Sebastian had done. But these were her circumstances, and pride and prudence were luxuries her bankrupt emotions couldn't pay for. At least not yet
See, she knows that it's wrong. I guess she's really that desperate.
I tried to dupe myself and tell her that he was merely an ass to her, to pretend it didn't go as far as 'rape'. If it didn't happen I would be happy to give it a decent rating, but seeing how ambivalent I am about it, I'd rather not rate it at all.
Many are gushing about what a strong female protagonist Whitney is. I beg to differ.Whitney might have given me a good first impression, she had a mouth on her and always had a comeback at the ready, I loved that.
But when push came to shove, she just bend over and took it like the meek spineless doormat she secretly was.
I fell in love with a strong-willed teen filled with potential, and was bitterly disappointed to see what has become.
this saying seems to apply perfectly to Whitney's case
Her short term memory never ceased to amaze me. Every time she forgave Clayton and acted like his offense never happened, the feminist in me barfed a little bit in her mouth.He hits her not much after they meet and then they make-out?right after he took her to his knee?
Don't even get me started on how fickle she is. She loves Paul, but she kisses Clayton back. She despises him and wants to drive him away, then she lets him hold her, she enjoys his company and she even gets jealous of him.I just can not stand her.
Yeaaah, I don't like her.
I'm not even willing to give it an other star for the writing style, and the story telling. I hate the message this book sends, I hate it with an all consuming one-stared passion.
How can this even be considered a romance, this is so effed up.
2.5 stars. not for me.Nothing I haven't read before. The separation between Derek and Sara felt forced.
I loved how Kleypas payed special attention to portraying the gap between the social classes, I love Derek and where he comes from, and what he had to go through to achieve his goals in life ( even though it's surreal that some one can amass that much money in 25 years starting from scratch, but hey stranger things have happened in romance novels :p )
2 stars = meh.It was not for me. Too much feelings too fast. They fell in love in two weeks? I'm not buying it. I need some realism with my romance and I also like to be taken by surprise every now and then. The twist at the end was unexpected I'll give it that, but every thing else followed the popular formula everyone is selling these days: rich hot womanizer fall for responsible pretty-but-she-doesn't-know-it girl, they agree to physical relationship with no strings attached, he catches feelings and in the end he screws-up and she leaves him to wallow in despair even though she loves him too.
Cue Book 2 : The grovelling
I could predict everything that happened from the first few chapters, needless to say, I couldn't get emotionally involved and I was bored to tears reading about a relationship I've read about a dozen times before, the only differences being, the names, and professions(even the trusty, sexually adventurous best friend/roommate was there).
If the previous points don't bother you much, go ahead and give it a chance, the writing is not terrible (I wont be gushing over the prose anytime soon) and there wasn't a reason for me to one-star it.
3.5 stars'Charley must be Loralai Gilmore's long lost twin' the thought kept hitting me every time I picked a book in this series. Seriously, if you have watched the Gilmore girls, you would know what I mean.
I have finished the 4 books that are already out, and I'm waiting for the fifth. And I LOVE Charley, and here is why:She's smart, confident, independent,she can tell the difference between being in love and being in lust, she has her priorities straight( her romantic interest in Reyes doesn't eclipse her work responsibility and neither does he turn into a psycho/mess over her which is refreshing).Don't get me wrong fireworks go off whenever they're together, but they're not all over each other all the time.
BUT! As much as I hate to say this, the funny tone of the storytelling kinda ruined it at moments. See when I 5star a book, it means that it had me under its spell the whole time, that I was so immersed in it my heart beats faster and I'm tensed at the edge of my seat, It has to make me FEEL something intense. And sadly, it didn't deliver in that particular department. Books 3 and 4 are handling it better, but the only thing that got me there was the characters. Thumbs up for the characters!
What else... the general arc is what got me hooked, and unfortunately for me, the main focus of each book is the case Charley is working on, I didn't care much for it, since I knew the characters involved were fleeting and I just kept skipping to the good parts that included the main cast, which was mostly the last few chapters, after the case was wrapped-up.
Simplistic plot, cliché ridden writing and barely sketched characters.It was predictable down to every single detail.Nothing
Hunter and Serena's connection was shallow and didn't go beyond a mutual physical attraction and 'horny-ness'.
Another problem I had, was how fast Serena got over the death of her only friend. Seriously, she has no one else in the world and a few days after her death her thoughts revolve for the most around how 'hawt' Hunter is, when she should've been out of her mind with grief.
I liked the Lux series better, it had a strong cast of characters, better developed relationships and a plot line that kept me interested. This book felt rushed. I think Armintrout ought to focus on quality over quantity.
This is a series I'll keep following. I had fun reading it but I found it a bit slow-paced through the first half of the book. I know it's a romance/erotica, but I expected more, the sex kept getting in the way of the plot a lot and when in the first 2 books i felt it added to the story, in this one it felt repetitive and I found myself skipping through much of it.Thumbs up for how Sylvia handles her secondary characters. I'm genuinely invested in them. All of them.
Can't wait for book 4. *sigh*
3.5 starsI liked it, it was an enjoyable read.It didn't keep me up all night and I found myself a little bit emotionaly distant. The characters cast could've been explored more in depth, and I was sorry to see that even though Ember's family moved with her, they kind of disappeared once she was settled in the high school scene,Ember was upset about 'loosing' Adam, but she completely forgot about him after that.
The blurb was promising, however the execution failed to deliver in my humble opinion.Main issues I had with this book:
1- Melanie, the best friend, she kept getting on my nerves. I thought she was immature
2- Brook, the protagonist and sadly the one who's pov we get. She came across as shallow, she objectifies Remy for a long time before she starts to know him. All we hear is how physically attractive he is, it makes me think less of her.
3- Remy's condition is used as a plot device, and to hear the author, you'd think it's something out of a pnr.
4- Some readers appreciated the playlist we get through the book, to sot of, set the mood for a scene. I'm not one of them. I felt like she was telling me how to feel, and I don't like the song she used to begin with.
5-Nora, getting a personality make over, just because it's convenient.
6-The romance felt rushed, and therefore I found it not believable.
Sigh, I will not be reading the sequel.
