Archive for April, 2010

FEVER SERIES BOOK 4: DREAMFEVER
Karen Marie Moning
ISBN: 9781423342090
August 18, 2009
Brilliance Audio
Urban Fantasy
MP3-CD  UNABRIDGED

In DREAMFEVER the 4^th book of The MacKayla Lane series, Karen Marie Moning (KMM), picks up right where she left off in book three of the series (FAEFEVER); leaving Mac naked and writhing on the floor of a church at the mercy of three (or was it four) ‘death by sex’ fae, and unable to control her sexual hungers. The Lord and Master, Mac has been trying to kill for causing the death of the her sister Alina, has finally got the upper hand after tearing down the walls between the worlds, and now he’s turned Mac Pri-ya (a Fae sex addict) .  Not only has Mac’s body been raped but so has her mind – scraped clean of every memory of who and what she is.  However, as dark as the outcome appears to be, our heroine is not out of the game yet and with the help of some friends, she just may live to fight another day.

*** Never have I ever been so consumed by a set of novels as KMM’s incredible urban fantasy series has wrought. It is truly amazing, and not only is the writing and originality unsurpassed, but the underlying fact that I’m the biggest fan of this genre, has completely blown my mind.  It’s been a real trip watching MacKayla grow from a rather spoiled, cosseted underachiever to this new purposeful super-woman type heroine who is something to behold as she keeps on discovering more and more secrets and powers about herself.  This latest installment is probably one of the best from this series, as well as one of the darkest – and yet there have still been moments when listening (to the unabridged audio) that I have had more than a few hearty chuckles. 

KMM made some changes going back and forth from first person to third person in the telling, but while I am still shocked over the expected cliff-hanger (there’s one in each book) I’m hoping that KMM will pull a miracle out of her hat and not let it be the end of one of my favorite characters.  That would be criminal! 

Speaking of characters, there are plenty of them both old and new, and bit by bit their secrets are all starting to unfold – just teasers of course – but enough to give the reader some satisfaction as to what’s going on and who the good guys are in relation to the bad guys.  Even Barrons gives up a little of his mystique in this issue, not that the enigmatic man is an open book, but enough to see how much he cares for Mac, or is it just that he doesn’t want to lose his major OOP detector? 

V’lane the fae is still a major player in the action packed adventure as well, but I have to say that Mac’s arse-kicking sidekick and fellow sidhe-seer Dani almost stole the show with some of her antics and unforgettable dialogs.  It’s dangerous out there in Dublin now and I certainly pray KMM doesn’t let anything happened to the freckled face imp Dani, for as dark as the book gets, Dani let’s in a bit of sunshine.

Ms. Moning has created a masterpiece with this series and even though one has to wait nine more months for the fifth and final book in this series SHADOWFEVER (darn!), it will be well worth the wait, with unforgettable characters that have left a bold imprint in the mind.  If you are already following this series, just think – “misery loves company”  as we all wait with bated breath.   For those of you who haven’t discovered this series – jump in now and get swallowed up in the highly anticipated release of the final book in this series.   THIS IS AN AWESOME AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED book and series.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

 

THE DECADENT DUKE
Virginia Henley
ISBN: 9780451225429
November 2008
Signet
Historical Romance
Mass Market Paperback

Youngest daughter of the Duke of Gordon, Lady Georgina “Georgy” Gordon has yet to make her “debut”  but knows beforehand that her mother has great expectations for the last of her chicks.  Having watched her mother match up her four sisters with rich, powerful and noble families Georgy knows that the Duchess of Gordon has even higher ambitions for her – in short nothing less than a duke will do!    In fact, Georgy also knows that that her mother has already  earmarked the handsome, but dull and boring Francis Russell, Duke of Bedford as the main target.  Pressured by her family, Georgy is willing to play along with her mother’s fantasy, but does so only to catch the eye of the Duke of Bedford’s younger brother, John Russell, the one roguish man whom she truly has a disturbing attraction to!

*** No one, but Ms. Virginia Henley, the “queen of sensual historical romances” can thread together fiction with real history and make it come alive to so entrance the reader.  History was just not meant to be so entertaining – interesting yes –  but not deliriously sensual and energetic!  Yet, Henley does it again with the Decadent Duke, a fictionalized account which weaves in historical events along with  prominent leading figures of the times in another brilliantly played out tapestry of sensual rapture. 

I am not a historical purist so, if the author uses literary license to rearrange dates, etc. then that is perfectly okay with me.  The fact I recognize the names and their fame or their part in history is enough for me to simply sit back and enjoy the tableau Ms. Henley fictionalizes in order to enhance her story.  Who is to say that Georgina and John’s love story was not just that, namely a perfect love match.  With all the politically arranged marriages that took place in those days, why couldn’t theirs have been the real deal – after all the factual history does record that Lady Georgina  and John Russell, Duke of Bedford did end up having ten children together!

Some of the things I most loved about the story was how Ms. Henley affected Georgy into such an adorable and lovable minx, and allowed her such latitude in being able to unleash her spontaneity and not afraid to push the limits of propriety.  There were times that Gerogy probably should have had her “arse tanned” for her brat-like behavior, but her interaction with John Russell’s three sons, especially young Johnny and being able to coax him out of his shell to realize life could be filled with laughter as well as pain was truly heartwarming and only endeared her more to me. 

Once again Ms. Henley serves her special blend of romance and history that will fire up your imagination with passion and have you sighing with pleasure.  Lovers of historical romance will never be disappointed with the excellence of Ms. Henley’s efforts to deliver brilliance time after time!   Very Highly Recommended!

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

Buy the book from Samhain:

COLTERS’ LEGACY BOOK ONE: COLTERS’ WOMAN
 Maya Banks
ISBN: 978-1-59998-145-1 (eBook)
ISBN: 978-1609280239 (Trade Paperback)
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
April 6, 2010
Erotica/Contemporary
Erotica/Menage
eBook and Trade Paperback

When Adam Colter finds Holly lying in the snow, he knows he’s finally found the woman he’s been looking for and so do his brothers. For Adam and his brothers are looking for one woman to share their bed and their lives, like their fathers’ and grandfathers’ before them. Yet, despite the feelings raging inside Holly for the Colter men, she has a past that she can’t escape from. How can she accept her future, when she has so much trouble from her past that still haunts her?

Maya Banks is an author who is pretty much an auto-buy for me. Whenever I see one of her single-title releases, I make sure I pick it up. So, I’ve been curious to read one of her e-book releases. However, before I’d even received a copy of COLTERS’ WOMAN I’d heard the buzz about this book. There were several bloggers who read COLTERS’ WOMAN and just didn’t like it. I figured, because I’m such an ornery person and often march to the beat of my own drummer that since everyone else didn’t like it, I’d love it.

Well, I wouldn’t go that far. The first third of COLTERS’ WOMAN had my eyes rolling. I had serious issues with the set-up. If I hadn’t read Ms. Banks works before and if the writing wasn’t so good, I probably wouldn’t have kept reading COLTERS’ WOMAN. However the last two-thirds of COLTERS’ WOMAN was better drawn out and motivated.

The beginning really bothered me. It involves a man getting turned on by a woman who’s near death. It (and other instances) gave me a feeling of “eww.” I mean seriously. I felt like climbing in the novel and giving Holly tips on how to fill out a personal protection order against one of the heroes of the book.

To elaborate, in the opening of COLTERS’ WOMAN, Adam finds Holly in the snow near death. He immediately gets turned on. No I’m not kidding. It was very off-putting. He takes her home (where he’s brothers’ feel turned on by the unconscious heroine as well) strips her clothes to get her warm and climbs in bed with her (and no, it’s not explained that he’s doing it for warmth – he’s not). The thoughts going through Adam’s head really creeped me out and I swear my fingers were going to the phone so that I could dial 911. Adam and his brothers were treating Holly not as a stranger but as a woman they had known all their life and expected her to immediately accept that she was theirs now.

Umm, I guess I should explain. Adam and his younger brothers are looking to find the one woman who completes them all, like their fathers’ and grandfathers’ before them. They despair of ever finding a woman who will meet their needs until Holly appears. They can’t wait to make Holly their own, but Holly has secrets of her own.

Holly seems to accept this unconventional life-style a little too easy for me, especially with all that she’s been through. It was hard for me to suspend disbelief regarding the situation.

Ms. Banks writing and storytelling abilities carry the story for me. If the writing wasn’t so awesome, I doubt if I would’ve kept reading. I’m glad I did, as the middle and end of COLTERS’ WOMAN definitely made up for the rocky start. I ended up loving Holly and her men, and intrigued to see the next installment in this series.

DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL
Mary Sharratt
978-0547069678
April 2010
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Historical Fiction
Hardcover

Poverty is rampant in Lancaster in the early 1600s but Bess Southerns has discovered a talent to keep her family fed. As a cunning woman, she is able to perform healings and provide simple charms to the local people. The church heavily frowns on such behavior, and Bess is aware that she is just one whisper away from being condemned for witchcraft. Will the changing political and cultural climate of the times cost Bess, her family and her friends everything because of the superstition surrounding the cunning craft?

DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL is fictional but is based on the real-life historical accounts of Pendle Forest. Mary Sharratt depicts the voice of her characters quite realistically, almost too realistically as it takes a bit of time for the modern reader to adjust to the cadences and flow of the language. The storyline switches viewpoints later in the tale, and Mary Sharratt appropriately changes the “voice” of the characters so that it is easy to see the various characters portrayed.

DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL is a tale of superstition, prejudice, and ultimately the perseverance of spirit in even the most horrific of circumstances. I was already somewhat familiar with the historical background of the tale and so was surprised at how Mary Sharratt made such a tragic tale uplifting. Through Bess and her family, we see strength and a sense of determination to survive that is admirable. The plight of James is especially troubling as his differences are scorned and condemned, making me appreciate the modern social work services we have even more so than I already do.

One aspect that I particularly like about DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL is how Mary Sharratt puts the story within the context of the times. We are able to see how the older religious rituals were prohibited as even using certain prayers and blessings was considered heresy. This gave a very “common man (or woman!)” perspective on the real impact of the king or queen changing the religion from Catholic to Protestant.

DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL is a stunning tale, as intense as it is descriptive. The vivid descriptions make the reader feel immersed in the time period and it was with great sadness that I finished this book. Highly recommended!

THE ENVY CHRONICLES BOOK 2: EMBRACE THE NIGHT ETERNAL
Joss Ware
978-0061734021
February 2010
Harper Collins Publishers/Avon Books
Paranormal Romance/Futuristic
Urban Fantasy
Mass Market Paperback

When Simon Japp awoke from a mysterious sleep that lasted 50 years without aging him a day, he found himself in a world that was changed dramatically.  As he attempts to move through this drastically changed world and society, he is haunted by his past. He denies his attraction to Sage Corrigan, hoping she will choose another man even as he longs for her. Unfortunately for him, recent events are going to throw them together in the most intimate of ways as their search for the mystery behind the Strangers and the gangas leads them to the settlement of Falling Creek.

Joss Ware takes readers back into her post apocalyptic world with this second book in the series. EMBRACE THE NIGHT ETERNAL can easily be read as a stand alone although there is a core group of characters appearing in both books. Readers should also note that there is a subplot involving two characters, Quentin and Zoe, who are the main figures in the third book, ABANDON THE NIGHT.

I was a little worried about how Joss Ware would resolve the romantic triangle between Sage, Simon, and Theo as friendships have ended over less. Instead, however, Joss Ware uses this conflict to redeem Simon from his past and show the sense of honor he so desperately wants to have.  The ideology behind Falling Creek is a bit over-the-top and yet makes sense within the context of the world, particularly as the history is shown to us through the brief journal entries of Julie Davis Beecher. I almost wish Joss Ware would write those stories- the ones that occurred during the catastrophes- as the glimpses at it are fascinating!

The world of EMBRACE THE NIGHT ETERNAL is dark and disturbing… and yet it’s impossible to stop reading about it. Joss Ware shows readers how hope survives even in the bleakest of worlds, keeping the tone from becoming depressing. The mystery behind the Strangers only deepens with this second installment and I can’t wait to see how the threads resolve themselves in ABANDON THE NIGHT!

TO LOVE A WICKED LORD
Edith Layton
ISBN: 978-0061757709
October 27, 2009
Avon
Historical Romance/Regency
Mass Market Paperback

Phillipa “Pippa” Carstairs, the granddaughter of a highly respected retired government official is engaged and ready to be married, when her fiancé up and disappears.  The incident has left Pippa in a rather awkward position and after waiting some months for her intended to show his face, she and her grandmother enlist the aid of Lord Maxwell Sutton, to try to track down her elusive fiancé.  Their journey takes them through England and across to France, where the peace treaty between England and Napolean is so fragile it may fall apart at any second. 

 Lord Maxwell is not the dandy he pretends to be and Pippa quickly surmises that his foppish ways hide a keener mind than the bored aristocrat he pretends to be.  While Pippa believes she must find Noel, she can’t help falling for the enigmatic Maxwell, who in turn has found himself overly attracted to Pippa.   However, Max knows he must find the missing fiancé before he has any chance of Pippa knowing for sure where her heart lies.

  ***  Ms. Layton never fails to come up with the best and most sincerely heartfelt romances.  In this latest book TO LOVE A WICKED LORD, she developed the perfect motivation for why a young woman (Pippa) would go to such extremes in looking for a missing fiancé.  In the social world of the haute ton Pippa was caught between a rock and a hard place, so to speak – she had not married so widowhood would not be an acceptable option to be able to socialize in public again, and being identified as deserted/jilted was also ruinous to her reputation.  With nothing to lose, it was imperative for Pippa to find out the truth of her fiancés disappearance and be able to get on with her life.   

 Naturally, it was also bad form to be chasing around the country for said missing fiancé.   However, Pippa needed some kind of closure rather than the limbo she was now confined to as a betrothed young woman.  Layton had her traipsing all over England and France with Lord Maxwell looking for the errant fiancé, which was bad enough and she did have her grandmother, Lady Carstairs acting as a chaperone.   Pippa’s grandmother gave Ms. Layton an enormous lift in comedic timing as a grande old dame, who was thoroughly enjoying the adventure while reliving her own younger years.  Actually, so much so that Pippa was thinking her grandmother had completely lost her marbles! 

 Filled with excitement, adventure, wry humor, delightfully funny dialogs and sensual passionate encounters, Ms. Layton has gifted the reader with another of her unforgettable and strong spicy romances that is a tribute to this courageous author’s memory.   This was a great read, that is highly recommended.

 Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

THE HELLION AND THE HIGHLANDER
Lynsay Sands
ISBN: 978-0061344794
February 23, 2010
Avon
Historical Romance/Medieval
Mass Market Paperback

Lady Averill Mortagne was taught by her mother early on in life to control her fierce temper. But if her father continues to parade her before one more English lord who looks askance at her flame-colored hair, and beauty mark on her cheek, she’ll simply scream! Thank the Lord, since her brother Will’s return from the Crusades she has one pleasant diversion; that of tending to the unconscious wounded Scot, Kade Stewart, whom her brother brought with him after they’d both escaped from the prison they’d been in for the last three years.

Kade is truly grateful for the care Lady Averill has given him.  Finally able to open his eyes and focus, he finds Averill to be quite beautiful, but knows he could never subject such a sweet and gentle lady to the rough life of a Stewart laird’s bride . . . or could he?  After Kade heard of her latest run in with a prospective suitor,  Kade realized that the woman he thought gentle and sweet was as fiery as her hair and if that was so, she just might be able to handle being a Highlander’s wife.

***  True to form Ms. Sands in her inimitable style brings her unique brand of humor to another Highland adventure where the antics of the lead protagonists will often have you laughing out loud.  Her newest Highland series composed of THE DEVIL OF THE HIGHLANDS #1, and THE TAMING OF THE HIGHLAND BRIDE #2, are a welcome and need not be read in any particular order as all are stand alone.  I’ve long awaited the return to Sands’ to her historical romances. This is not to say that her Argeneau Vampire series are not superb examples of this authors tremendous writing talent, but ever since first discovering this author’s comedic writing talent reading  THE KEY  and  THE DEED – (two of most hilarious medieval romances I have ever read) I longed for more of the same.

Averill is another of Sands’ outstanding heroine creations molded  from the same recipe she has used successfully in the past; our heroine being unaware of her own beauty, clever, kind, and ready to do battle for the man she loves. Averill had nursed Kade for weeks after he survived a near fatal head injury. Sands used the opportunity of having Averill keeping vigil by the side of her ‘unconscious’ patient as a tool for  Averill to reveal quite a bit about herself, much of which Kade heard during his convalescence.   Kade realized how comfortable Averill felt knowing he could not see her, so that after regaining consciousness Kade kept the fact he could see her to himself so that he could keep Averill by his side.

I loved the way the author brought about the marriage, using some lovely scenario’s as Averill tried to let Kade off the hook because she figured he hadn’t really gotten a good look at her.  However, Kade liked what he saw and Averill’s attempts to convince him otherwise only endeared her more to him.  Plenty of adventure was inserted into the story as the bride and groom set out for Stewart Castle and the intrigue continued when Kade kept having ‘accidents’ (almost always when he was trying to ‘tup’ his comely wife), until they figured out someone was trying to kill him.   Considering Kade had been out of the country fighting for the last three years this led to a lot of speculation as to who would have held a grudge this long to want to have Kade killed.  Sands did a marvelous job of keeping you guessing right through to the end in trying to figure out who could have wanted Kade dead. 

Sands filled the story with plenty of unforgettable characters, including Laddie, Averill’s adorable pint sized bodyguard; along with Averill’s plan to get her in-laws to quit drinking;  and some amusing instructions from her maids as to what Averill should expect on her wedding night and how to ‘please’ her handsome new husband.  [Don’t miss the greased hand suggestion which when put to use was probably the one of the most outrageously funny ones.]

All in all, Sands blends adventure, passion, laughter and suspense into one book you won’t want to put down once started.  THE HELLION AND THE HIGHLANDER is a definite must read and highly recommended book!

 Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

WIDOWS CLUB BOOK 4: Secrets of a Scandalous Bride
Sophia Nash
ISBN:  978-0061493300
February 23, 2010
Avon Books
Historical Romance/Regency
Mass Market Paperback

Elizabeth Ashburton has been living on the edge for the past two years; posing as a widow although never having been married; and hiding from a most ardent and dangerous pursuer.  From the moment Elizabeth spots General Leland Pymm, she knows she must escape, but her spontaneous escape plan sees her jumping from the frying pan into the fire – into the arms of the biggest wastrel in London, Rowland Manning.  However, once she’s spent time in Rowland’s company, Elizabeth’s instincts as to his true character kick in and she sees the honorable man he truly is beneath the cold, cynical, hard core surface he portrays to the world.

***  Having read previous books in this series, I will say right from the start that Ms. Nash has outdid herself in character development with the protagonists in SECRETS OF A SCANDALOUS BRIDE!    Both Elizabeth and especially Rowland were amazing!  Stories abound in this genre featuring the illegitimate children of the nobility, but I must say that Nash perfected the haunted and tortured hero who used inner strength  and intelligence to pull himself out of the dregs of humanity to a  position of admiration for his accomplishments – this is not to say people necessarily liked Rowland, but they did seem to respect him especially after Elizabeth was able to start influencing his behavior a bit.

The dialogs and sensuality were marvelously worked together with the requisite despicable villain, and the edge of the seat suspense was turned up each time you dared to think all was worked out and nothing else would go wrong.  The plot is strong and the opportunity to catch up on the lives of the other widows and heroes from prior books was a bonus.   Additionally, Nash put together a marvelous secondary cast of characters who provided extra romantic storylines that were as lovely and almost as endearing as the main one.

I really enjoyed the originality Nash employed using one ploy of the old adage of the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach and not only did Elizabeth win over all of Rowland’s employees with her gingerbread recipe as well as Rowland himself, but Nash made her more than just a pretty face.  However, I won’t reveal the best parts that will enchant the readers into cheering for Elizabeth and Rowland. My advice is to rush out and grab a copy of SECRET’S OF A SCANDALOUS BRIDE and discover for yourself why Nash’s star has soared to top as an author to put on your auto-buy list.  I HIGHLY Recommend this series and especially this novel – outstanding writing.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

BUY IT! 

LIFE CLASS
Scarlet Blackwell
ISBN: 978-1-60504-970-0
March 30, 2010
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Erotica/GLBT
Erotica/Contemporary
eBook

 

Ryan earns his living by posing as an artist for models and often doing “extra” things on the side for the woman who hire him. So he’s relieved when his next commission comes from a male artist. What he doesn’t expect is the chemistry that ignites between him and Harley, a successful artist. When Harley kisses him he explodes and leaves Harley’s studio. Contact between the two ends until Ryan sees Harley at an art gallery where Ryan’s portrait is the highlight of the show.

Now that Harley and Ryan are back in each other’s orbit, no matter how hard they try to fight it, they can’t deny the chemistry between them. Things come to a head when Harley asks Ryan for one night. However, for Ryan, one night might not be enough.

I closed LIFE CLASS with a sense of satisfaction and the slight disappointment that it was over. That hasn’t happened to me in a long time. My only qualm with LIFE CLASS was that it has a slow start. LIFE CLASS starts off in the present then spends a lot of time rehashing something that happened between Harley and Ryan six months before LIFE CLASS starts. While I appreciated seeing the back story, for me it dragged and took away from the here and now. I wished that LIFE CLASS started at the moment Harley asked Ryan to sit for him, went through that quickly, and then went to where they were reunited. Of course, when they were reunited that’s when the story really shined.

LIFE CLASS is a flipping story. By that I mean when a gay hero falls in love with a straight man. It was beautifully written. I loved how Ryan (the straight hero) was portrayed. His anger and conflict was very realistic. And umm . . . the sexual tension between Ryan and Harley was very hot and alpha. Two strong men arguing and following in love and umm getting it on . . . big turn on.

Another thing that I didn’t like about LIFE CLASS was how Ryan’s poverty was explained. Sorry, but for a single man without any obligations, I couldn’t see how he couldn’t just suck up and get a job to pay the bills so he wouldn’t lose his apartment. For him to sabotage decent jobs like that, I just didn’t get it.

These problems were minor, because I really loved LIFE CLASS.

Buy It from Samhain:

THE LONNIGANS BOOK 1: ALL OF YOU
Dee Tenorio
ISBN: 978-1-60504-983-0
April 6, 2010
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Erotica/Contemporary
eBook

Jessica Saunders is not happy with her relationship with Lucas, but just when she decides to end things, Lucas suddenly turns into a man she cannot resist. She soon learns that Lucas is not Lucas, but his twin brother Kyle.

 Kyle is a man used to charming woman and getting what he wants and what he wants is Jessica. Unfortunately Jessica doesn’t want him, so Kyle must use all his wiles to convince Jessica that they could have a future together.

 I really enjoyed reading ALL OF YOU. I’ve seen Ms. Tenorio around the internet and social networking sites before but this is the first book of hers that I read.

 What I loved:

• The humor in ALL OF YOU was wonderful. There were several moments inside the story where I howled with laughter. I appreciated that. ALL OF YOU really took me away, which is what you want when you pick up a romance novel.
• The hero Kyle and this twin brother Lucas were both compelling characters that I’d love to get to know better. I loved the fact that they didn’t have the typical brother relationship, especially as they were twins. They each had distinct personalities, yet I could tell they came from the same family.
• Jessica’s assistant was original and well drawn-out. I really loved her as a character.

 The characters of ALL OF YOU were original and really made me keep turning the pages to see what’s happening next.

 What I thought could be improved:

• The whole suspense sub-plot involving Daniel seemed contrived to me. I can’t tell you without spoiling the plot (think mistaken impressions and the DEA). I felt it didn’t add to the story or to Jessica and Kyle’s developing relationship and could’ve been lifted from the book without anything being missed.
• Jessica struck me as not as well-drawn out as Kyle or even his twin brother. I think if a little more back-story was woven into her character, even if it was only a sentence or two that would’ve made me feel more empathy for Jessica as a character. You didn’t get an explanation for her actions until half-way through ALL OF YOU and in my humble opinion, that shouldn’t have been the case. When you do understand her back-story, I felt that it was too heavy-handed. I literally felt that violins should have been playing in the background. I wanted to shout “get over it, everyone has crappy lives and people had it worse than you. Besides you’re not a kid anymore, it’s time to think like an adult and not a sullen teenager.” But that could’ve been just me.

Overall: I loved ALL OF YOU but thought the heroine Jessica was too wishy-washy. She reminded me of a heroine in a YA romance instead of a grown woman in an erotic romance novel.