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Showing posts with label first in series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label first in series. Show all posts

Thursday, March 31, 2022

Review: RACHEL, OUT OF OFFICE by Christina Hovland

Title: 
Rachel, Out of Office
Author: Christina Hovland
Mommy Wars #1
Publisher: Entangled Amara
Publication Date: January 25, 2021
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Single mom Rachel Gibson seriously needs a break. Between an absent ex-husband, rowdy twin boys, and running her own work-from-home business, her candle isn't just burning at both ends, it's a full-blown puddle of wax. She's the go-to girl for other entrepreneurs, handling all the tasks they dread. Social media posts? She's got it. Website updates? She's on it. Light bookkeeping? She loves it.

Thank goodness Rachel's about to get a reprieve, as her former in-laws plan to whisk her boys away for a summer of fun at the family lake house. But when her ex backs out at the last minute, she finds herself in a pickle. Even though she's drowning in to-dos, she's horrible at saying no—especially when it comes to providing some stability for her kids.

Once Rachel arrives at the lake house, she struggles to keep up with work and balance the demands of family, all the while fending off pesky new feelings for her ex-brother-in-law. Which makers her wonder... is falling for her ex-husband's brother just one more messy complication added to the dumpster fire of her life? Or is anything possible when she's out of office...?
"Limits don't mean you're weak... They actually mean you're strong enough to 
recognize the importance of the other things in your life."

Where do I start?? I loved this book very much! It's one of my favourite reads of 2021. Rachel, Out of Office featured many of my favourite tropes including single parent, second chances, close proximity and the biggie "you picked the right sibling this time" (does this count as a trope? anywho..). More so than the romance which was so darn sweet, I greatly enjoyed and related to Rachel's character development. You go, Rachel! I'm rooting for all the people struggling to balance work and family (and self-care). We are in the same boat.

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Dual Review: SEMPRE + SEMPRE:REDEMPTION


Confession: it took me a while to figure out what to call this post. I didn't think I should call it a series review since there are other books/novellas in the series (like Made—Corrado's story [which I la-la-la-loved dearly]). Most of my reviews are quite short too, so calling these 'mini reviews' didn't seem right either hah. So, I'm taking a page out of Siiri's genius book and doing a dual review! Warning: Be prepared for a lot of nonsensical flailing and gushing because I love these books so much. They were truly my perfect blend of drama and romance, with a hint of action and suspense!

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Review: ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes

Title: Me Before You
Author: Jojo Moyes
Me Before You #1
Publisher: Penguin Books
Publication Date: July 30, 2013
Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than her tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel--and he is not interested in exploring a new one.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, Lou sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn't have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?
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"It has been the best six months of my entire life."

I am warning you, dear reader, that this review may contain spoilers. If like myself, you already have a sense of how this story will go (as I did after reading the synopsis of the sequel), or if you've read the book then go forth and read my jumbled emotions! Either way, this was an unforgettable read that everyone should give a chance. It's your choice whether to like it or not, of course.

Friday, October 30, 2015

Review: UPSIDE DOWN by Lia Riley

Title: Upside Down
Author: Lia Riley
Publication Date: August 5, 2014
Off The Map #1
Twenty-one-year-old Natalia Stolfi is saying good-bye to the past-and turning her life upside down with a trip to the land down under. For the next six months, she'll act like a carefree exchange student, not a girl sinking under the weight of painful memories. Everything is going according to plan until she meets a brooding surfer with hypnotic green eyes and the troubling ability to see straight through her act.

Bran Lockhart is having the worst year on record. After the girl of his dreams turned into a nightmare, he moved back home to Melbourne to piece his life together. Yet no amount of disappointment could blind him to the pretty California girl who gets past all his defenses. He's never wanted anyone the way he wants Talia. But when Bran gets a stark reminder of why he stopped believing in love, he and Talia must decide if what they have is once in a lifetime . . . or if they were meant to live a world apart.
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"Leaving is the only way to move forward. If I never get lost, I'll never be found."

Witty and heart-warming. Talia and Bran pulled at my heart strings. From the moment they met, I had an inkling that they'd have me grinning and giggling (which they did). It was instant chemistry between the two. I really enjoyed how their relationship grew. But there were many times where I wanted to shake either characters, I must admit. Both Talia and Bran are flawed, but it's how they owned up to their mistakes that made me root for them even harder.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Review: BANG by E.K. Blair

Title: Bang
Author: E.K. Blair
Black Lotus #1
Publication Date: May 9, 2014
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They say when you take revenge against another you lose a part of your innocence.
But I'm not innocent.
I haven't been for a very long time.
My innocence was stolen from me. Taken was the life I was suppose to have. The soul I was born with. The ruby heart embedded in a life full of hopes and dreams.

Gone.
Vanished.

I never even had a choice.
I mourn that life. Mourn the what-ifs.
Until now.
I'm ready to take back that was always meant to be mine.

But every plan has a fatal flaw. Sometimes it's the heart.
**Due to the dark and explicit nature of this book, it is recommended for mature audiences only as some scenes may be particularly disturbing**
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"Nothing is real until you break down the walls and reveal the ugliness."

"What on earth did I just read?" was my first thought after finishing this book. "OMFG" was my second. Dark erotic suspense novels aren't everyone's cup of tea but I'm starting to find it's one of my guilty pleasures. I was so torn on how I'd go about rating this book to be honest. But even though Bang took me way out of my comfort zone, it's undeniable that this book was brilliantly written. I'm still reeling and in shock with how it ended though. WHAT WAS THAT CLIFFY?! Bang would make one epic revenge thriller movie. Holy smokes.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Review: CINDER by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles #1
Publication Date: January 1, 2012
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Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.
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"She was a cyborg, and she would never go to the ball."

I have an undying love for fairy tales and this was my first retellings book. Needless to say, I la-la-LOVED all the Cinderella parallels. It blew my expectations right out the water to be honest. I didn't expect such a complex story or an equally complex yet wonderful group of characters. Cinder quickly became one of my top fave heroines of all time! She's sarcastic, intelligent and brave. She's a take-action kind of character that I always love to read about. She's just so bad-ass and awesome :D

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Review: Amour Amour by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Title: Amour Amour
Authors: Krista & Becca Ritchie
Publication Date: December 12, 2014
Standalone
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Love is a circus

"Every day," he says lowly, "I hold a person's life in my hands. The circus is based one-hundred percent off trust. I give it all to someone, and they give it all to me."

The best aerial technique won't land 21-year-old Thora James her dream role in Amour—a sexy new acrobatic show on the Vegas strip. Thora knows she's out of her element the second she meets Amour's leading performer. Confident, charming and devilishly captivating, 26-year-old Nikolai Kotova lives up to his nickname as the "God of Russia".

When Thora unknowingly walks into the crosshairs of Nikolai's after-show, her audition process begins way too soon. Unprofessional. That's what Nik calls their "non-existent" relationship. It's not like Thora can avoid him. For one, they may be partners in the future—acrobatic partners, that is. But getting closer to Nik means diving deeper into sin city and into his dizzying world.

Thora wants to perform with him, but when someone like Nikolai attracts the spotlight wherever he goes—Thora fears that she's destined to be just background to his spellbinding show.

This sexy and exhilarating New Adult Romance can be best be described as Cirque du Soleil meets the steamy, athletic romance of Center Stage.
*standalone & no love triangles--recommended for readers 18+ for mature content*

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"Don't count your losses before you see the scoreboard."

I love Cirque du Soleil. So when Krista and Becca Ritchie announced that their next book would have an acrobatic circus setting, I was dancing on tables. Amour Amour was fun, unique and captivating. This spectacular writing duo can do no wrong in my book. They excel at writing family dynamics and the Kotovas stole the show in my opinion. My heart went all warm and fluttery whenever they were all together, especially that Thanksgiving scene *wipes tear*. If you haven't read the Addicted series yet (which I highly recommend that you do), Amour Amour would be a great book to read for a feel of their writing style. The Addicted series references in this book though, my goodness, made me a very happy camper. This was my first 'circus' themed book and it was incredibly entertaining!

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Review: ACE'S REDEMPTION by A.C. Bextor

Title: Ace's Redemption
Author: A.C. Bextor
Devil's Despair #1
Publication Date: January 1, 2012
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Cherry
Memories alone can ruin you. Fear has a paralyzing effect, and love isn't always enough to keep you safe.

Ace was the gateway to freedom I hadn't known since I was fifteen. He offered his protection from the demons that haunted me; both living and dead. Although I knew I wasn't enough to keep him, this didn't deter my hope that one day he'd love me for who I was, not the broken girl he tried so desperately to save. In the end, the ghosts of my past found me. Their malevolence knew no bounds, and I was forced to succumb to their will of darkness. Each threat named against those I loved made any escape impossible; choosing my life for theirs became my desolate absolution.

Inevitably, it was my own weakness and self-doubt that became my undoing.

Ace
Emotional ties are sometimes severed. Friendships down always endure their hardships, and love offered isn't always returned.

I was in love once. For me, leaving her back in Ohio was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. For her, moving on with her life that included her son and the man she loved was no less than she deserved—unconditional happiness. My reasons to bring Cherry home to California were obvious. I needed help with my family, and she needed help staying clean and convincing her parents she was ready to give her son the life he deserved. It was the perfect plan. However, the best laid plans often get lost amidst their best intentions.

Cherry fell in love with me, and in return my love for her acted as the catalyst to her destruction.
*This novel contains material that is not suitable for individuals under the age of 18. Content includes: drug use, explicit language, violence, rape, and other scenarios with content that readers may find offensive. Please use caution when deciding on this book, as every reader has the right to understand the product before purchase.

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**ARC was kindly provided by author A.C. Bextor via The Book Nuts in exchange for an honest review**

"I don't think it's possible to forget, but eventually you'll make other memories—
good ones that will outlive the bad ones."

I really, REALLY enjoyed this one!! It wasn't what I was expecting, which was a story centering around a male motorcycle club member (the name Ace just screams 'hot biker' you know?) falling in love with a distraught woman that club saves. I wasn't entirely off the mark though. Ace was a MC member, specifically the Lights of Peril MC. He gave up his cut and returned home to California, to his sister, grandmother and his friends, because he couldn't stand seeing the woman he loved (Sadey) be happy and in love with the club President. Peril was actually where Ace first met Cherry. She was the 'club whore'.

Raegan, aka Cherry, had an extremely rough past. She was caught up in drugs and terrible people. She was forced to give up her baby boy at a young age because of it. Eventually, Cherry became a club whore at Peril for a place to stay and belong. She was intimately acquainted with Ace and was there for him during the times he wallowed over Sadey. From there, they became friends. And as a friend, Ace agreed to take Cherry with him to Cali and help get her life back on track if she helped with his family and stayed clean. 

"I'm your friend, and you can talk to me... even if you want to talk about her."

I loved Ace and Cherry's relationship. Ace was protective of her and cared for her but he couldn't bring himself to love her because of his lingering feelings for Sadey. They were just friends, but he couldn't imagine Cherry being with anyone. The just the thought pissed him off. He was a controlling alpha but he was also very sweet. Then there was Cherry. Words cannot express how much I felt for this girl. She's certainly become one of my favorite heroines! Having gone through what she did, she was still sassy and strong. She didn't let the past define her. The fact that she wanted to get clean for her son was admirable as well. Learning about her unrequited love for Ace made my heart ache. Cherry's the kind of character that you can't help but cheer for.

The secondary characters of Ace's Redemption were wonderful. I loved them all, even man-whore Hayden! Ace's friends were a funny bunch and a part of a band called Devil's Despair. They accepted Cherry into their folds easily, as did Ace's grandmother Bean and little sister Sarah. Cherry hadn't spoken with her parents since dropping off Decklan (her son) with them long ago. You really notice how much love she had to give, so seeing her have a close relationship with Ace's family was heart-warming.   

"You can't always protect those you love from everything, and feeling guilty 
about it doesn't help the circumstance."

I did love that Cherry reconnected with her dad. But most of all, I got all teary-eyed when she was finally face-to-face with her son! I had a feeling Cherry's past would come back to haunt her though. And when it did, I couldn't stop reading. I was on a mission to get to that happy ending!! I felt disgusted and angry learning the details of her horrid history. I wanted those responsible to suffer a painful death. Although, I could understand her actions as a means to protect her loved ones, I wanted to shake her when she tried to 'escape' the way she did. I cried a good amount during the last 30% of the book, let me tell ya.

The only reason I docked half a star was because there were some time jumps. I would have loved to have witnessed Ace and Cherry's romantic relationship develop the first few months after they finally got together. Overall, Ace's Redemption was an intense and incredible read! Great romance and character dynamics. Ace and Cherry first appeared in the Lights of Peril series but I thought, having not read that series myself, A.C. Bextor did a spectacular job in 'introducing' them and their complicated relationship quickly. I will probably end up reading Lights of Peril anyway though haa. I can't wait for the next book in the Devil's Despair series! :D

"No more escapes. You never need an escape again and most certainly never from me."

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Bean
The wise and loving grandma. 
She refers to texting as "sending words" (how adorable right? heh).
She didn't have much dialogue but when she did, you shut up and listen.
I loved when she gave Ace the 'you're worth it' speech.

I'm right here
"I'll give you anything as long as you don't go anywhere without me. I miss you, Rae."
Every time Ace called Cherry by her real name my heart got all warm.
This scene made me teary-eyed! He was laying out his feelings without actually saying I love you.
And to me, it was just as meaningful, if not more, given their history. 


Friday, September 19, 2014

Review: UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi

Title: Under the Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
Under the Never Sky #1
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
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Worlds kept them apart.

Destiny brought them together.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its places, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild—a savage—but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.
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"If there was no fear, how could there be comfort? Or courage?"

I LOVED IT. I was incredibly hyped about starting this book because I was told that the romance was a glorious slow burn and that the secondary relationships were incredibly heart-warming (I'm a sucker for bromance and friendship). Under The Never Sky met those expectations and left me wanting more! More Perry. More Roar. More Perry and Roar. Oh, yeah and more Aria. I loved that she got pretty kick-ass in around the last third the book. Yay for character development! :D

"I never really wanted to sing. Now I have the urge to do it. Songs are stories. 
Maybe I've got my own stories to tell now."

The story was unique, amazing and complex. You had Aria who lived inside the Pods and then Peregrine who lived outside them. I loved being able to read both their perspectives and get a feel for both worlds. There's quite a lot of terminology and I found myself writing them down or asking questions to make sense of it all. But I did like how new information about the setting was given at a pace that didn't overwhelm me. One feature of Aria's world that I really liked was the 'Smarteye', a virtual reality device worn over one eye. Everyone living inside the Pods were dependent on these devices, they never took it off. With the device, the world was brighter and more colorful. Within the Realms the device can take you to, there was no need for fear and no sense of pain. When Aria finds herself on the outside without her Smarteye, she has to learn how to survive.

""A world of nevers under a never sky." She fit in well then, he thought. A girl who never shut up."

Ahh I loved how Perry and Aria's relationship developed. Every moment I felt they were growing emotionally closer, I couldn't help but grin. I love enemies-to-friends-to-lover scenarios cause I find they often have the most amusing dialogue between the main characters. And their bantering...oh, their bantering was excellent. I liked Aria from the start. I liked her even more at the end. She was strong-minded when she had a plan and she wasn't one to stand to the side and let other's do all the work. She'd want to help, even if it meant the possibility of killing. She wasn't afraid to do things on her own and her determination to find a way out made me admire her even more.

I have a deep love for Perry. Right off the bat, I felt for him, I felt his worries and his love for his nephew, Talon. His conflicting feelings about his brother, Vale. He was incredibly caring. He always had the tribe's best interest in mind. All the little things he did for Aria, like making her shoes and teaching her how to pick berries (Perry's pov during this scene was priceless), everything, made my heart all warm and fuzzy. He was a natural leader with killer instincts. And when he has his sights set on you, he can be incredibly smooth. Their kiss... I can't even...so many feels when it finally happened!!! Then there's Roar, Perry's best friend, who made me smile until my cheeks hurt. He was such a fantastic secondary character and great comic relief.

"Everyone feels lost and low. It's how a person acts that makes them different."

I cannot wait to continue with Perry and Aria's story, but before that I must know that Roar has a happy ending! For anyone who hasn't read Under The Never Sky yet, DO IT. There's friendships, love, alliances, betrayals, supernatural powers, deaths, twists, scenes that melt your heart, scenes that make you grin and chuckle, and more!

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Roar
I love Roar! He's charming and witty.
Reasons why I think he's awesome:
1. He's desperately in love with Liv
2. He's compassionate (e.g helping Cinder)
3. He's the perfect wing-man

Tosca Aria
It was almost like the words of the aria were foreshadowing the future of their relationship.
They were telling each other their feelings without actually saying them.
The feels were strong with this one.
"They reached for each other then like some force had pulled their hands together."


Extras: Aria+Perry edit

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Review: THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER by Michelle Hodkin

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Mara Dyer #1
Publication Date: September 27, 2011
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Mara Dyer believes life can't get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killer her friends and left her strangely unharmed.
There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She's wrong.
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"Sometimes, the mind has a way of protecting us from things until we're ready to deal with them."

Woah. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was my first YA, paranormal read after a long line of adult contemporary romances. It. Was. Awesome! The build-up was wonderful and though I felt the excitement leveled off a bit part-way through, it picks right back up and leaves you hanging. Literally too. There's a cliff hanger!! I haven't read a book with a cliff hanger in what feels like forever. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.

"Thinking something does not make it true. Wanting something does not make it real."

Mara wakes up in a hospital bed with no recollection of how she got there. But she quickly learns that she was the only survivor among her friends of a horrible accident. Mara (with her family) moves to Rhode Island and enrolls into a private high school hoping to start anew and move on from the tragedy. Unfortunately, she's suffering from PTSD and hallucinations. As the story progresses, she begins to question her sanity (as did I) as the line between reality and fantasy begins to blur.

I really liked how the flashbacks were spread throughout the book. The pacing was good and it felt more realistic that she didn't remember everything all at once. The story was intriguing and kept me on edge, questioning what happened and what would happen. There were many memorable secondary characters. Mara's family was a big one. I loved how overbearing and protective her mother was. Or how her older brother Daniel would look out for her at school or even at home. Then there's Noah Shaw. Oh, Noah.

"Today. Tonight. Tomorrow. Forever. I was made for you, Mara."

Cue swoon. I was suspicious about him at first, especially with his interest in Mara but he stole my heart pretty quickly. Noah's "the guy" when it comes to whose pants the female population of Croyden want in. Luckily, he's not an a-hole about it and he's actually quite the gentleman. Saving Mara from the humiliation of her art book being shown (+10 brownie points) and always opening doors for her (+5 brownie points). 

And that ending!! I'll be honest, I didn't see that coming at all and I'm not entirely sure I believe it was even real. I look forward to reading what the sequel, The Evolution of Mara Dyer, will have in store. There's a HEA in the horizon... right?

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Jamie Roth
I really hope we see more of him!
Any moment with Jamie present was enjoyable.
He was a great friend and was good comic relief in an otherwise intense story.

A Better Person
"You're the only one who knows, Mara. The only person who knows me. I don't want to lose you."
I won't lie. Even though Noah made my heart melt in this scene, 
I was secretly chanting "Do it." The dark side was just too tempting.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Review: BARE ESSENTIALS by M.L. Stephens

Title: Bare Essentials
Author: M.L. Stephens
Dirt Roads #1
Publication Date: June 1, 2014
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He's a cowboy with a guitar and an attitude. She's Nashville's toughest, most sought after music agent. They have one thing in common: country music.

Cutter Harrison relies on two things: beer and music—his music. At twenty-six, he's happily divorced and plans to keep it that way.

Holly Avery is on the hunt. She's determined to discover the next country music superstar and is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.

An unexpected meeting in Arkansas makes them question their pasts, their futures, and the bare essentials of love. Country music brought them together, but will their dirty little secrets keep them apart?
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**A complimentary copy was kindly provided by author M.L. Stephens via The Book Nuts in exchange for an honest review**

“There’s nothing wrong with pain. You need it so you know what does and doesn't matter. Without it, there’s no healing, no appreciation…no satisfaction.”

I have mixed feelings about Bare Essentials. On one hand I really liked the main characters, but on the other hand I couldn’t connect with their relationship. It felt rushed.

Bare Essentials tells the story of Cutter Harrison, Arkansas cowboy and talented singer/songwriter, who unexpectedly gets scouted by Holly Avery, top-dog music agent. Cutter was a mix of sexy and adorable. He was devoted in helping his parents run the Harrison farm even from a young age. He wrote songs about his ex Angie, whom he loved dearly but wouldn't take him back, and sung them for emotional release. Cutter was honest and wasn’t ashamed to shed a tear in the moment. Whenever he did though, I just wanted to hug him! 

I loved Holly. She went after what she wanted with no restraint. A single mother, she was a spit-fire, intelligent and witty. Their attraction was instant and slowly, Cutter’s thoughts were plagued with Holly rather than Angie. Holly was determined to keep things professional though. Their banter during their very first meeting had me laughing. Here's a quote from that scene:

“Are you kidding? This is the best ass in Arkansas.” He clenched his glutes for effect. 
“If that’s the case, the population of Arkansas must have dramatically dropped since the last census.”

But, like I mentioned earlier, I couldn’t connect with how their romantic relationship started in the first place. Mainly because in a span of a few days, Cutter was smitten with Holly and Holly didn’t really fight the attraction for someone wanting to stay professional. Whenever she did give in though, she'd give the cold shoulder the next day. I really wished that there were more scenes of them getting to know each other before the time jump into Cutter's music career. For me, bonding over the world’s best hamburger wasn’t enough reason for Cutter to start constantly thinking about her when he was heart-broken from Angie.

Besides that, the rest of the novel was wonderful. I loved that Cutter admitted to being afraid of losing who he was, his roots, once he becomes a Country star and how he was concerned with the welfare of his parents' farm. Gah, I love family loyalties, it makes me feel big time! On that note, I would have liked seeing Ray Ann, Holly's daughter, playing a greater role in the story. Overall, this book was good read, light and enjoyable. I do look forward to reading Jax’s story though. In the few scenes he had, he left an amusingly good impression.

“That’s how legends are created. You be one-hundred percent you and no one else.”

Extras: Song edit