Book Review: Never Never (Never Never #1) by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: January 7, 2015
Publisher: Hoover Ink
159 Pages

Best friends since they could walk. In love since the age of fourteen.
Complete strangers since this morning.
He'll do anything to remember. She'll do anything to forget. 

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So...

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This book was extremely hard for me to rate and I know that it's because it's a two part novella. I felt like we're only getting half of the story, so how should I rate it?

Well, let me just start off by saying that I would read anything Colleen Hoover puts out. I may not always love her stories, but I love her writing style and Never Never wasn't any different. Having never read any of Tarryn Fisher, I still found myself enjoying the writing style.

Now I love a good mystery. But this was just one giant "WTF". My head was spinning by the end trying to figure everything out. Nothing was concluded, not even something small. It really seemed like a nice marketing gimmick, "Want answers, buy our next book!". (I think I may be a little upset that this was initially one book then was split into 2.)

Then there were the characters. I did not like Charlie at all and while Silas seemed like a good character, the more that came out about him just put him on the same level as Charlie.

I will be reading the next installment because I really want to know what happens, but I'm just not a fan of how it was presented.

*My opinion of the story as a whole may change pending the outcome of the entire product.*

 

ARC Review: The Distraction (The Body Works Trilogy #2) by Sierra Kincade

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: February 3, 2015
Publisher: Berkeley
352 Pages

The seductive story that started in The Masseuse continues...

Anna Rossi knows that opening your heart only gets you hurt. But Alec Flynn is just too good to resist…

It’s been three long months since Anna’s seen Alec, since he saved her life and lit up her soul with unquenchable desire. Being without him has left her on edge, but his bravery has motivated her to change her life and go after what she’s always wanted—a job where she can help people. She can’t wait to show Alec the woman she’s become in his absence, or to prove how much she’s missed him…

Three months away has done nothing to slake Alec’s need for Anna. Unfortunately, it hasn’t made his life any less dangerous. The last thing he wants to do is hurt Anna, but if giving her up is the only way to save her, he’s not sure he can do that either. He’s determined to have her for as long as he can. Except his past is creeping up on him faster than he knows, and this time he may not be able to keep her from becoming collateral damage…

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Having your boyfriend in jail sucks. Just ask Anna Rossi. She's been counting down the days until Alec Flynn is released and she's not very patient. But when Alec is released, Anna doesn't count on the awkwardness that follows them around. Add in the danger of such a high profile case and you have a very emotional roller coaster of a ride.

I definitely enjoyed this installment more than the first. And I think that was mostly in part to Anna. She grew as a character in this book and became more mature and more self-sufficient.

Alec to me was still very stiff and lacking any real type of personality. Maybe it was because we don't see a lot of him, but he was very bland and their chemistry beyond sexual is very hard to see.

What I really enjoyed were the side stories. I loved the parts with Mike and his daughter and Anna's best friend and her daughter. I really want to know more about them and watch their relationship grow because, come on, we all know where that's going.

Also, the author does really well with writing believable crime drama. Most of the books I've read, writers take liberties relating to crime involvement and it ends up taking me out of the story because of it's absurdity. But Kincade wrote situations that, although extremely dramatic, weren't completely unbelievable.

I really enjoy Kincade's writing style and I felt like it grew in this book right along with her characters. She does love to end her books on a little of a clifhanger, so I am definitely looking forward to reading the next, and last, installment.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

ARC Review: Last Hit (Hitman #1) by Jessica Clare & Jen Frederick

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: February 3, 2015
Publisher: Berkeley Trade
368 Pages

From two bestselling authors—the first in a deliciously bold new series that takes readers to the most dangerous edge of desire . . .

Nikolai: I have been a contract killer since I was a boy. For years I savored the fear caused by my name, the trembling at the sight of my tattoos. The stars on my knees, the marks on my fingers, the dagger in my neck, all spoke of danger. If you saw my eyes, it was the last vision you’d have. I have ever been the hunter, never the prey. With her, I am the mark and I am ready to lie down and let her capture me. Opening my small, scarred heart to her brings out my enemies. I will carry out one last hit, but if they hurt her, I will bring the world down around their ears.

Daisy : I’ve been sheltered from the outside world all my life. Home-schooled and farm-raised, I’m so naive that my best friend calls me Pollyanna. I like to believe the best about people. Nikolai is part of this new life, and he’s terrifying to me. Not because his eyes are cold or my friend warns me away from him, but because he’s the only man who has ever seen the real me beneath the awkwardness. With him, my heart is at risk . . . and also, my life.

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Umm…this book was kind of all over the place. Russian hitman falls for country bumpkin who knows nothing about the world. The premise didn’t grab me, but I figured, what the heck, I would give it a shot.

This was insta love. Plain and simple. Nick sees Daisy from his building across the street and instantly knows she must be his. And when I mean sees her from across the street, I mean, he spies on her from his apartment into hers. I’m sorry but that’s not romantic (come on, Daisy!). He also tends to stalk her and destroy her things so he can buy her new ones.

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Then there’s Daisy, the little innocent virginal flower. Her mother was killed in a random act of violence and because of that, her father shut the out the outside world and raised his daughter within the confines of his own house. Only letting her leave for a few hours each day to buy food. Somehow Daisy manages to run away and it’s in the big city where she meets Nikolai.  She literally knows nothing about life and easily trusts Nick almost from the moment they meet.

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The book then proceeded to go the way most insta love books go: everything super-fast and super unbelievable. He teaches her about her sexuality while also lying about his profession (oh he’s a hitman). He tries to get her to quit her job because it’s not safe and he can’t protect her there.  And then DRAMA.

Of course Nick’s profession was going to cause problems. And poor little Daisy gets caught up in the crossfire. Sigh…predictable. Unfortunately, this book just didn’t cut it for me. And when your side characters are more interesting than your main, there’s a problem. What this book did do for me was entice me to read the next one.  Regan and Daniel just seem so much more interesting than Nikolai and Daisy.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review.