Book Review: Until There Was You by Jessica Scott

Title: Until There Was You (Coming Home #2)
Author: Jessica Scott
Release Date: October 8th 2012
Publisher: Loveswept (A Loveswept Contemporary Military Romance)
Source: Received from the author for an honest review

He plays by the rules, she’s not afraid to break them. Now these two strong-willed army captains will prove that opposites attract . . .

A by-the-book captain with a West Point background, Captain Evan Loehr refuses to mix business with pleasure—except for an unguarded instance years ago when he succumbed to the deep sensuality of redheaded beauty Claire Montoya. From that moment on, though, Evan has been at odds with her, through two deployments to Iraq and back again. But when he is asked to train a team prepping for combat alongside Claire, battle-worn Evan is in for the fight of his life.

Strong, gutsy, and loyal, Captain Claire Montoya has worked hard to earn the rank on her chest. In Evan, Claire sees a rigid officer who puts the rules before everything else—including his people. When the mission forces them together, Claire soon discovers that there is more to Evan than meets the eye.

He’s more than the rank on his chest; he’s a man with dark secrets and deep longings. For all their differences, Evan and Claire share two crucial passions: their country and each other.

My Thoughts

I read Jessica Scott's first novel in her Coming Home series, Because Of You and you can read my review here.

I started reading Until There Was You, hoping for a similarly well written story and well defined characters that the author had presented with her first novel.
Unfortunately, I found myself floundering and feeling let down by its distinct lack of the afore mentioned qualities.

I did not like, nor was I able to connect with Claire. She's pushy and rude, and while I understand that there is a certain need to be strong willed and stoic in the military, she just came across as a bitch.
And while Evan is described as a rigid officer who puts the rules before everything else, he actually comes off as more of an uptight coward who hides behind the rules.
I just struggled to find anything to like about either of the MC's.

The story also, was far more about their training and getting ready for deployment than it was about a building romance. I was bogged down with military drills and procedures, infighting amongst the ranks, and the senseless drivel presented by the secondary characters that I guess was supposed to strengthen the main storyline.

I just felt that the whole book needed another edit, the story fleshed out some more, the characters built up and refined, and more romance and feeling added because I just didn't feel anything, and therefore I didn't enjoy this book on any level.

I do however think that Jessica Scott can write a good story, but this one needed more work, and in order to be a romance there needed to be more attention spent building the attraction and sexual heat between her characters, that was evident in her first book.
 
For me, this was a disappointing follow up, 2 Stars :|

LINKS

Author's website

Twitter

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Book Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie MacGuire

Title: Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1)
Author: Jamie McGuire
Release Date: August 14, 2012 (originally released May 26th 2011)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc. (originally self published)
Imprint: Atria
Source: Received from the publisher via NetGalley

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

My Thoughts

I thought it got off to a rough start, the writing was a bit disjointed and rather jumpy to begin with and I almost gave up on it, but it did settle down enough that I wasn't completely frustrated by it.
 
The story was okay, however I was very distracted by the constant to and fro-ing between Abby and Travis and wondered if I should take a Prozac to settle my nerves; it seriously was a train wreck relationship.
But I have to confess, some of it was rather appealing, Travis did try to woo Abby after all.
At one time or another, I think we've all had, or wanted to have, someone to be so in love with us that they literally cant survive without us; a true co-dependent existence. But that kind of relationship is often destructive and unhealthy, and there were moments in this book that it went too far.
I lived with a boyfriend for a year in my late teens and suffered both mental and physical abuse before I finally left, and Abby and Travis's relationship was very reminiscent of that time for me. Travis never actually hits Abby, but at the end of the day, it's sometimes the emotional bruises that are far harder to heal.

I didn't particularly like Abby all that much to be honest, I just found her to be a bit stuck up and standoffish. Travis wasn't much better either. In fact, I had problems with all the characters. They were all a very mismatched, shallow bunch of people that annoyed me.

I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under the age of 18 and even though I thought their relationship was abusive (depending on your definition) it is something that happens, and therefore I'm not going to condemn the author for it. But I am a little disappointed that this kind of behavior was romanticized, which may lead a younger reader to think that this kind of relationship is healthy and okay; and its not (IMO)

An okay read, but definitely not for everyone.
Just a 2 Star read :|

*note*

Walking Disaster (Beautiful #2) is the same story but written from Travis's POV and is set for a release date in April 2013.
If you visit the author's website you can read an excerpt, and I must say I actually liked what I read more than I did Abby's POV.

Book Review: Charming Blue by Kristine Grayson

Title: Charming Blue (Fates #8)

Author: Kristine Grayson
Release Date: September 1st 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Source: Received from the publisher via NetGalley

Once upon a time...he was the most handsome of princes. But now he's a lonely legend, hobbled by dark history. With too many dead in his wake, Bluebeard escapes through the evil spell of alcohol. But it's a far different kind of spell that's been ruining his life for centuries. Jodi Walters is a fixer, someone who can put magic back in order. But Blue has a problem she's never encountered. And worse, she finds herself perilously attracted to him.

   

My Thoughts

Although this is book #8 in a series, it is the first book I have read by this author.

Its a modern day world in which this story is set, with 'fairytale' characters happily living amongst us trying to fit in. But not everything is all rosy because they have 'fixers' like Jodi to run to for help.

I'm sorry but I found the characters weak and unlikeable.
Jodi is a boring, ageless, up-her-self châtelaine who I didn't connect with, I just did not like her - at all. She moaned and groaned her way through the entire book. I wanted to tell her to make a run for it - if you're so damn unhappy, leave, but for crying out loud stop complaining!
And Blue wasn't much better. He is a weak-kneed, down trodden, wet dish cloth - definitely not a hero to lust after.

There really wasn't any depth to the story, and other than their initial attraction there isn't any romance to speak off.
The blurb reads "she finds herself perilously attracted to him"
Perilously implies danger, what danger?...oh you mean when see looked in his eyes and thought "Oh he's so charming, he's charming me with his eyes, I mustn't look, Oh my" or did you mean he was dangerous because he's the killer Bluebeard?
There were no overly heated looks, touches, thoughts...in fact; there wasn't anything hot or dangerous about either of them to speak off at all. And the ending to the mystery was so unsatisfying and so underwhelming, so what? who? when? it just didn't make a whole lot of sense.
The whole book was just too full of holes and plot letdowns, and to top it all off; it suddenly ended with Jodi being madly in love with Blue and they live HEA - yep, okay, whatever.

Kristine Grayson has a writing style that flows well and is easy to read, however I found the world building weak, the story was down right boring, and the character development shallow at best.

(an overly generous) 2 Star read :|

Book Review: Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Once Burned (Night Prince #1)

Author: Jeaniene Frost
Release Date: June 26th 2012
Publisher: Avon
Source: Purchased for my own reading pleasure.

She's a mortal with dark powers...

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...

He's the Prince of Night...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

My Thoughts

I have been lusting after this book since I first heard about it last year and then in January when the cover was released, well hell, I hungered for it.

Vlad has been one of the reoccurring characters in Jeaniene Frost's The Night Huntress series that has held my attention with his smart sexy mouth and heated sexy glances, his soulful sexy eyes and drop dead gorgeous sexy body...you get the idea!

Vlad Tepesh exudes primal sex, and yet this book, does not :(

Before I complain, I'll start with what I did enjoy.

The story flowed well, it had plenty of action and intrigue to keep me guessing.
Leila has an interesting gift, and she's a bit ballsy, although we don't get a lot of background on her other than a brief look at how she got her injury.
Vlad and Leila's journey together has a good amount of attraction, and they have to work together in order to solve a mystery and save the lives of their friends.

Had I not read any previous books by Jeaniene Frost I probably would have given this book a 4 Star rating.

However there are some things that I just couldn't get past.

It says right there on the front cover 'A Night Prince Novel'
So I was expecting a book based around Vlad, from Vlad's point of view.
Not so.
Its a book based around Leila, and written from her POV.
I initially didn't mind, but as the story progressed I got bored with the constant self berating and 'oh darn, he can hear that/knows what I'm thinking' commentary.

Vlad and Leila's attraction was well...dull.
Vlad has to be one of the most lusted after vamps of all time with extraordinary powers, a body to die for, and hundreds of years of experience under his belt.
He knows how to lure a lady, how to turn on the charm, but I found his pursuit of Leila stilted and awkward.
And when they did finally come together, it was pretty average.
I was hoping for fireworks, not unlike those of Cat and Bones in book #1 *wink wink* but what I got was safe and (dare I say) lacklustre.

Speaking of Vlad; the Vlad in this book is different from the one I know from TNH books.
The Vlad I know is a tease, darkly sexy and broody, has a wicked sense of humor and flirts mercilessly with all females.
This Vlad was moody and arrogant, and I really didn't care for him all that much.
I actually felt bereft.
Who was this impostor because it sure as hell wasn't my Vlad?
Maybe that's what was missing, not enough Vlad.

And the ending - what kind of ending was that?
Yes, I know it the first book in a series but what the hell?
I don't think it made sense to end it so abruptly, so half arsed!

Perhaps I would have enjoyed Once Burned more had it been written from Vlad's POV...
or if there had been more heat, more great sex...
or maybe I would have enjoyed it more if the ending had been more complete...
I'll never know.

What I do know is - I was left feeling angry, bitterly disappointed, and almost had a throw-it-against-the-wall moment!

I couldn't with good conscience give Once Burned anything more than 2 Stars :|

Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss by Maya Banks

Title: Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss

Author: Maya Banks

Publisher: Harlequin

Release Date: March 2012 

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley

No Man’s Bargaining Chip

Devon Carter was her first; now newly wed Ashley wants their passion to last. But her dreams of true love are crushed by the discovery that their marriage is another of Daddy’s business deals. Her strategy: act the part of perfect wife and make Devon love her.

But Devon misses the bubbly, no-holds barred woman his wife used to be. Who is this Ashley with the steely demeanour of a society wife? And will he find a way to rekindle the fire in her eyes…especially now that she’s pregnant?

My Thoughts

Ugh, what can I say? 

I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either.

Maya Banks can write so much better than this. 

I really like her KGI and Brazen series.

This...well this was very mediocre, painfully cliched, and just boring.

I never really liked either of the characters, the story was weak, and nothing really happened.

They dated, had sex, got married, got pregnant, separated, He's sorry, She's sorry, HEA, the end!

There was no pop and sizzle, no real moment of connection, and definitely no romance.

It saddens me to give Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss 2 Stars :|