Abby Joy B.: new adult

I AM STILL ALIVE BUT I'M BARELY BREATHING!!!!! I'll be out for a while locked inside my dungeon aka I am stuck reviewing and preparing for a big exam that is bound to happen on Sept 7. It's called an Exit Exam for my math subject! Emergerd. I am damn anxious and scared X( Wish me luck! Going to be back soon! :D

UGLY LOVE

Author: Colleen Hoover

Series: Standalone

Date of Publication: Aug 2014

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Synopsis:

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.

WHAT.
THE.
FU.
IS.
THIS.
(this is not poetry, Colleen. It's not and not and not!!!!)

I don't want to rant, but I am going to anyway. I love all your previous books, Colleen, why do you have to hurt me like this :((( Let's get over with this swiftly and try not to be obnoxious. Shall we, Abby?

Seriously, this book is a big ball of disappointment and a cringe-inducing soda (what). I wanted to give up on this book for almost eighty four times during my reading escapade (I counted!). The problem really lies on the main characters. They are the major source of rage and fury. Tate is the kind of woman that is very bff material at first for a) She's not a morning person b) She had that sense of badassness and devious personality BUT as the story unfolds, I found myself hating and hating her character.

How the hell are you going to fall in love with someone who've you only exchanged like 4-5 sentences with? As they say, "silence that says it all" but Miles's silence is just downright annoying and so not a total turn on. Tate agreed to be in a friends with benefits kind of relationship to be closer to Miles. Okay, let's give that an arched brow. But then Miles treated her like some one night stand, she got hurt, she tried to console herself, pep talked herself of letting Miles USE her to get rid of his pain, they had sex again because she gave in to the mysterious and broken Miles, then the cycle went on. Oh gooooosh, I have so many things going on my mind and not even a single word can describe how fucked up the romance here. Hoover is trying to punctuate that a broken person is okay to hurt someone and that someone can have no self-respect as long as the hormones are raging and the attraction is dazzling. THAT'S SO NOT COLLEEN HOOVER. THAT'S SO NOT HER. Miles is an asshole and don't try to romanticize the "I AM BROKEN AND DEAD INSIDE" to me.

The total WHAT THE FUCK MOMENT?

I feel as if Hover is trying to venture on the poetic or lyrical writing to make the situation more poignant for the readers, but for me her writing style didn't even amuse me for a tiny bit! The most annoying thing about the writing is Miles' POV:

"My thoughts are Rachel.
I can’t fall in love with you, Rachel.
I look at the sink. I want to look at Rachel.
I breath the air. I want to breathe in Rachel.
I close my eyes. I only see Rachel.
I wash my hands. I want to touch Rachel."

Believe me, Miles POV is like some 5 year old learning to talk and form sentences. My gosh. Rachel is the girl Miles is head over heels with before Tate came in the picture. Here's another one:

"My new favorite flavor is Rachel.
My new favorite thing is Rachel.
I want Rachel for my birthday.
I want Rachel for Christmas.
I want Rachel for graduation."

The only good thing about this book is Cap/Sam.

“If that boy can't see what a good thing he could have with you, then he ain't worth your time.”

“Some people they grow wiser as they grow older. Unfortunately, most people just grow older.”

“When life gives you lemons, make sure you know whose eyes you need to squeeze them in.”

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Welcome to my new feature called Like, Okay, Nope! Yes, a lame and lousy title for a lame person like me. Anyways, this is a series review. Sometimes I marathon series because WHY NOT. Marathon-ing series especially if there are already many published books save us from the agony of waiting.

The first series on the grill is Sea Breeze by Abbi Glines. The whole series revolved around a group of friends living in coastal town Sea Breeze, Alabama. I wasn't a fan of Abbi's other books, but I still found time to try this series since I was told that all the stories are quick read with predictable plots, but very compelling characters. My first thought was, "I got nothing to lose anyway." And so, I read Because of Low. I instantly jumped into the second book randomly. The rest is history..

L I K E - ★★★★

Because of Low (Sea Breeze #2): Really entertaining. Gripping. It tackled a very sensitive social issue that concerns affairs in family. It was a hard subject but the writing made it lightweight. As soon as the story starts, Marcus Hardy instantly snugged all my attention. He's so charming, funny, gentleman (yes he's hot but he's more than oozing hot or yummy!). He loves his family and he was his family's strength in times of mishap. Willow is a strong heroine, I found myself liking her despite the fact that I feel that she was selfish sometimes (because of that thing with Cage). Their relationship wasn't rushed, as well as reconciliation that happened in the end. I loved that their relationship worked in progress. And man the s scene? You'll be surprise!

Misbehaving (Sea Breeze #4): Kudos to this book! It made me misty-eyed. That says a lot to be honest. Once a story got me engaged, I know that it won't be long for me to call it as a very very good emotional book. It sort of wrecked me because the situation of Jesse is very poignant. Although she's known for causing trouble and the kind of "make-all-boys-kneel" because of his body, she still is a very vulnerable and insecure person. Jason is rich and quite famous because of his brother, but he isn't a jerk and cold prince in the making. He's also charming, playful, naughty (in a way), genuine and thoughtful. The chemistry between them is palpable, that I admit made me really like this book. Their relationship also went to a lot of downhill and while I enjoyed those parts (I was in a mood for a dramatic one), my heart also ached for them to be just together. Both Jesse and Jason amazed me. That and the "out of my league" plot made me really like this book.

O K A Y - ★★★

Just for Now (Sea Breeze #4): This book is nothing but cliche. But I still liked it and thought it was okay. Innocent meets the tainted one, huh? I was trying hard not to laugh at Amanda. She's innocent, sweet and infatuated to the bad boy, Preston. She's really desperate for his affection and eventhough he was acting like a jerk on her she still looks at him with so much adoration. Girl,you gotta love yourself first. Preston is hot, but the thing about him that made me "Awww" is he is family oriented. He does everything for his siblings's welfare. Their relationship was a constant "I want you" and "I am not good enough for you". It was tiring that I actual just want to skip through the last 60 pages to see what the big plot twist is. They deserve each other, I believe that and 'til the end, I thought that this book is still worth my time. (Warning: A number of sexual intercourse here ugh).
While it Lasts (Sea Breeze #3): Cage York, the known bad boy and player is actually that sweet and loyal. Yep. Actually the issue I have here was Eva. I think there were like 10 moments I want to grab and shake her so that she'll make up her mind. She's very confusing and sometimes I feel like she's just experimenting. Oops. Harsh. Cage isn't perfect too, he's too much of an alpha male, possessive and too sexual. I like the story though, two people mending and recovering.
Bad for You (Sea Breeze #7): So you've read the title.... The guy is bad for the girl. Boom. They fell in love. End of story. I really don't have much to say except that it's very typical. Krit has personality issues that affected his relationship with Blythe. On the other hand, he was gentle with her and their relationship was fluffy! OH EM GEE. Fluffy, really? Yes.

N O P E - ★
11479285

Breathe (Sea Breeze #1): I dislike this so much. I think my head throbbed so hard from all the eye-rolls I made. Of course, the issue goes to the main characters, Sadie and Jax.
Hold on Tight (Sea Breeze #8): Dewayne seriously scared me. I don't know why I cared to read this, but for the sake of finishing the series (which actually doesn't end here because there'll be a 9th book, i just knew that yesterday haha). Actually, I just skimmed it because this is a predictable as duck as Breathe.

Last book is titled, Until the End. Expected release date: October 14, 2014.

Let me just rank the guys acc to my own preference:
1. Jason Stone
2. Marcus Hardy
3.5. Cage York & Preston Drake
5. Krit Corbin
6.5. Jax Stone & Dewayne Falco

Aaaaaand I am back! Sort of. Two weeks vacation to catch up with my TBR and blogging. I am going to visit a lot of blogs so you better prepare for the coming of the dark lord. Seriously, I missed blogging! Stressful first year in college just ended, I felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders. I am just now waiting for the final grade *anxious anxious anxious* I won't even fuss about the change in my template. ~~I am sorry I can't help it.~~

Do you like to marathon series? Have you read any of the books listed? What are your thoughts about this kind of review system? Do share!

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Wait for You
Author: Jennifer Armentrout / JLYNN
Published Date: Feb 26, 2013
Genre: NA, romance

Synopsis:
Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

I would keep this review simple with not much elaboration. I will use a lot of gifs to express my thoughts LOL. NOTE: All the gifs were taken from tumblr. I don't own them neither created them. All rights go to the respectful owners.

“As long as the sun’s shining, shit can’t be that bad.”

Meet Cameron Hamilton. The oh-so-swoon-worthy guy. He likes baking, frying eggs and petting Raphael (his turquoise). Isn't he just adorable? And yummy.

I really liked his character; he is open, bold, sweet, caring and really patient. Although I was a little cynic about his "perfect" physical description, his attitude totally made way for a developed character. He can be very cocky, but not to the point that it gets on anyone's nerve. His cockiness brought out the humor to the story. And not to mention......he got this. Yup. DIMPLES.

Meet Avery. A catastrophic past hunts her until the present. It made her scared to alot of things; she goes very jumpy and anxious when it comes to socializing and "touching". At some point her character can really irk me especially if she's too stubborn and too wimpy, but Jennifer Armentrout handled her "condition" in a way that it won't be a dole-out and just be realistic.

Cam and Avery 's relationship.

But then because of Avery's wariness and being a closed book about her past, they go...

It took them a couple of "space" for them to be together again and to fix the shits. It amazed me how Cam handled everything although it hurt him so bad. With the help of Jacob (fabulous character) & Brit (sassy chick) they were able to realize a lot of stuff.

“We are your friends. It is the law of friendship that you tell us things you don’t want to tell us.”

But ofcourse with trust and all the shits that go with commitment. I felt the emotions and that unwavering connection between them.. And then they go back to this...

This book has to be a good NA with a couple of steamy scenes. The characters are likable especially when they engage in a battle of wit and flirty banters. I really liked the chemistry of Cam & Avery, they are just so cute, yet sensual when they are together. A combination of dark past, angst, humorous dialogues, romance, and steamy scenes, JLA has done it again!

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Working It
Author: Kendall Ryan
Published Date: Nov 11, 2013
Genre: NA, romance
Rating: ★★

Synopsis:

Emmy Clarke is out of her depth in New York City’s fashion world, but when she lands a job as an assistant at a modeling agency it seems like the perfect mix of business and pleasure. Working under the notorious Fiona Stone is a nightmare, but there’s one distinct perk: ogling the ridiculously hot male models who parade through the office—particularly rising star Ben Shaw.

Ben is everything Emmy’s not: exquisitely gorgeous, highly paid, and well-traveled. He’s also got more issues than Vogue. Emmy looks after Ben on photo shoots, but she refuses to become another one of his lusting groupies. Ben finds Emmy’s refreshingly real attitude to be surprisingly attractive.

Against a backdrop of the most fashionable cities in the world, casual flirting turns into an illicit affair, but when Ben’s twisted past is revealed, and the bitter Fiona catches wind of their relationship, their careers and hearts are threatened.

Oka.....y? Out of sheer curiousity, I downloaded this e-book and tried so hard to finish it. Why? The prologue and the first few chapters left an impression. I thought that this Sexy World Class Model fell in love with the Commoner motif will sweep me off my feet, but I guess it just swept some dusts. Working It is another NA novel that belongs to the MEDIOCRE shelf. I can't really feel the emotions from the story. I had a lot of problems with the plot twists and bitchy antagonist. The main characters were flimsy from my perception and their relationship was another steamy-but-that's-it? kind.

Emmy was sweet and really caring. I appreciated her non-slut shaming character from the start, but I guess Ben brought out the dark and wild side of her. What ticked me off was her vulnerability and week character. Sometimes I want to punch her, sometimes I just want her to grow some balls (not literally that'll look awful). Ben was a little bit cold, distant and juvenile at first. I thought that will make me yearn for the ALPHA side but i guess it really didn't. To think that he was a to die for world class model, he was just average.

Fiona the bitch. She was damn immature with al lher actions, glare and spatted words. Narrow-minded and real desperate for a scene. I think 75% of the reason why I didn't like this book was because of the "the antagonist should fuel the fire" thing didn't really happen. Fiona just made things worse for the book.

I can say that this novel needs more substance in the story. It really lacked climax and exciting scenes. The mood of the story was seriously neutral all through out. The plot twist at the end was predictable. The story was giving away too much not substantial things making the plot lousy and awful. A really unsatisfying read.

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Breaking Nova
Author: Jessica Sorensen
Published Date: 2013
Genre: NA, contemporary, romance, dark
Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis:
Nova Reed used to have dreams-of becoming a famous drummer, of marrying her true love. But all of that was taken away in an instant. Now she's getting by as best she can, though sometimes that means doing things the old Nova would never do. Things that are slowly eating away at her spirit. Every day blends into the next . . . until she meets Quinton Carter. His intense, honey brown eyes instantly draw her in, and he looks just about as broken as she feels inside.

Quinton once got a second chance at life-but he doesn't want it. The tattoos on his chest are a constant reminder of what he's done, what he's lost. He's sworn to never allow happiness into his life . . . but then beautiful, sweet Nova makes him smile. He knows he's too damaged to get close to her, yet she's the only one who can make him feel alive again. Quinton will have to decide: does he deserve to start over? Or should he pay for his past forever?

Review:

(ALL THE PICTURES AREN'T MINE. CREDITS TO THE OWNERS)

Breaking Nova is a very emotional read for me. From page 1 'til the last it never failed to bring a canon of emotions from all the characters. I was iffy with the whole "i am so depressed so I need drugs to forget" theme for this novel, but later then I gave in.

The characters were flawed and painfully broken. Nova lost Landon, her boyfriend aka the love of her life, because of a suicide. On the other hand, Quinton lost Lexie, her girlfriend aka the girl she wanted to marry, through an accident in which Quinton was the one driving. They were both trapped in the past and they can't find the way back to the present and look forward for the future. Then one day they met and they felt that a piece of them came back to its senses. It didn't end there because they kept questioning their capability to love again and to be whole again. So many unfortunate events that lead their life into vain and so much pain. I can literally feel their despair, desolation and emptiness through Jessica's writing style.

They developed a relationship with a lot of "what ifs". Their relationship was as complicated as the turmoil of emotions going through them. They find peace, but there's always a loophole for chaos and perplexity. The tension between them is flaring with raw emotions that I felt like gasping for air. They were both confused and out of love.

It is not the romantic aspect that made a big deal out of this. It is how Nova fought the numbness and emptiness to start again with a whole positive and hopeful view in life. The scene where she watched the video of Landon, that broke me into pieces. I didn't exactly cry but i felt my whole heart crying inside my ribcage. In the end, she learned to forgive and admitted:

“I'm learning that it's okay. It's okay to hurt. It's okay to cry. It's okay to admit we need help. It's okay to let go.”

Quinton still has a long way for this. He badly needs help as he drowns himself to drugs. Guilt and shame still lingers on his veins and he can't help but try everything to be dead inside and maybe outside. It is pitiful, but at the same time sympathetic The ending gave a glimpse onto how will the second book will start and continue the broken story.

At some point, I can totally relate to whatever they are feeling minus the feeling of suicidal and all.

The end was a cliff-hanger but it was written in a way the readers will understand their story is not just a stand alone book.... Indeed this book was a rollercoaster ride of emotions that tackled about how it felt to be flawed, empty, hopeless, numb, broken and how someone can change us and how we can change ourself. Life is wonderful. Don't take it for granted. Kudos Jessica Sorensen!

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