Memphis || Book Review

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Title: Memphis
Author: Ginger Scott
Publication Date: February 23, 2018
Publisher: Self-published
Links: Goodreads || Amazon

Rating: ★★
Synopsis via Goodreads: My mom always said it was just something about the way he moved. 

The same swagger Archie Valentine wore in the ring when he took his opponents down followed him like a halo everywhere he went. But make no mistake about it—he was no angel. He was like a drug. My mother was his addict.

I never understood it…how love could make you blind and convince you to drink the poison. Not until I met Memphis Delaney.

At first, it was the familiar form. He’s a fighter, built like a god from the past, the kind of man the universe doesn’t make anymore. His eyes hide a story, and every time I’m in his presence I want to keep reading him until I get to the end. And then…there’s the way he moves. His boxing is violent but beautiful, and his body is a seductive weapon. When he’s in the ring, he wears the stare of a man committed to the battle until his very last breath.

He could end me; turn me into her. Too much of him will leave me as a shadow, and I’ve lost so much of myself already.

But I have discipline. It came the hard way. Lessons learned, scars left behind, and trust stripped away from life.

I will breathe his air, but I won’t fall for a man like him. The only boxer who’s ever going to break my heart is the one who gave me my name.
Memphis is a fighter romance about getting back up no matter how many times life knocks you down. After her ex-husband is convicted in a Ponzi scheme, Olivia Valentine finds herself right back at the one place she tried so hard to run away from. The Valentine family is anything but welcoming and while her return home may be only temporary, Olivia can't stop herself from wanting to know more about Memphis Delaney, a fighter who trains at her family's gym. Sparks fly and although she may have been reluctant at first, Olivia slowly starts falling for Memphis. But when the past comes to light, what ends up being revealed may just break these two apart.

I had no idea what to expect when I picked up Ginger Scott's latest release but it's been a long ass time since I last read a fighter romance so I was excited to see what Scott was serving up. Memphis is a romance with layers. It starts off slow and the thing is, I went into this book expecting a very simple romance, but I was totally thrown for a loop. I don't want to give too much away because the plot-twist is just too good to be spoiled for but holy hell what a twist! I did not see this story taking that kind of turn and Ginger Scott did an amazing job at bringing this story full circle.  

Liv's family wins the award for being ONE OF THE WORST FICTIONAL FAMILY I've ever read about. I don't think there is even a word to describe how much hatred I feel for them but they truly are worst than scum. All their actions, their lies, their snakish ways made my blood boil because how can one be so cruel to their own flesh and blood? They are not redeemable in anyway and they deserved so much worse than what they got. 

Memphis Delaney stole my heart! He's been knocked down a few times but he always gets back in the ring. I think what surprised me most about Memphis was his laid-back personality. I thought he would have a lot of built up aggression considering his back story, but he is so kind and willing to help those in need. Memphis is by far my favorite hero by Ginger Scott has written to date! Although Olivia might not want to admit it, she definitely has some fighter instincts in her. She may be rough around the edges, but there is a softness to her and Memphis helps to bring that part out. The romance is a slow-burning one which is understandable since Liv is so hell-bent on not following in her mother's footsteps by falling in love with a fighter. It's ironic because all these two ever wanted was a place to call home and they managed to find that in each other.

The epilogue absolutely gutted me. It was told from a POV that wasn't Memphis or Liv's and I wasn't expecting that but it was beautiful! I CRIED ALL THE TEARS AND I COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER WAY TO END THIS STORY!


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I don't think I've said this before but Ginger Scott is truly an amazing writer and if you haven't read one of her books yet then what are you waiting for?! Her ability to turn what would seem like a simple romance into something so much more is a gift and I can't wait to see what type of romance Scott brings us next!  


WWW Wednesday: March 7, 2018

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Hey Guys!
WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World Of Words. Simply answer the following questions: 
 What have you recently finished reading?
 What are you currently reading?
 What do you think you’ll read next?

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Virgin Territory by Lia Riley

ARI: Virgin Territory was an okay read. It was on the short side and I wished the characters had been fleshed out more.

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On the Line by Liz Lincoln

ARI: This is my first book by Liz Lincoln and I'm enjoying it so far. There's lots of angst and I can't wait to see how things play out between these two.

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Second Chance Charmer by Brighton Walsh

ARI: This will be my first standalone book by Brighton Walsh and I'm so excited to read it!

What are you all reading this week? Leave us your links down below!

Monthly Wrap-Ups: February 2018

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ARI'S MONTHLY WRAP-UP
Hey guys! How is it already March?! I feel like the year just started and things are moving way too fast for my liking. February was an interesting month for me personal wise because there were a lot of decisions to make and changes that occurred. I turned 25 and I always said that when I turn 25 I will have my quarter-life-crisis and I TOTALLY DID! I think it was a actually a good thing if I'm being honest because I figured some shit out and made some choices that would make my life better. Hopefully things go my way in March because a girl needs a the luck she can get right now.  

WHAT I READ
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I read a total of 14 books this month which is better than last month and what I usually average a month so I'm happy about that. Most of these books were meh but my faves for the month are Memphis, Spiders in the Grove, Sex, Not Love and Starry Eyes.  



MARCH MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASES
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So many new releases by some of my favorite authors and I cannot contain myself! I honestly don't know how I'm gonna balance new releases with ARCs but a girls gonna try her best. Also not included because the cover hasn't released yet is Two Wedding Crashers by Meghan Quinn.

BRITT'S MONTHLY WRAP-UP
Hey y'all!! Can you believe it's already March because I can't!! This year is already starting to fly by and it's pretty crazy lmao. February was a pretty lowkey month for me with a bit of fun thrown in towards the end. I got to see Black Panther with my this past weekend and it was so lit!! I have been restored and plan on relocating to Wakanda with my peeps 😂😂Seriously if y'all haven't seen it then please go!! I think March is going to be a very interesting month for me and I really cannot wait, so here's to all the blessings falling over us all for this coming month!!

WHAT I READ
Shame (Shame Me Not, #1) Make It To the Altar (Shame Me Not, #1.5) The One Lazaretto #1 
The Beauty, Vol. 1 
 I read a total of 5 things this month and overall they were all really good!! I finally got around to reading Shame, and I was able to hop right into the newly released novella afterwards. Then I read The One by a fav author that I've been meaning to read more from. Annnnnnndddd I finally started to dip into comics after wanting to for quite a few years now which I'm really excited about. They're the perfect reading material to squeeze in when you need a quick cleanser in between reads and want to still be reading something. I currently have a review for Shame up now and my review for The One will be up soon. If you want to know any of my thoughts on the comics then be sure to check out my Goodreads.

MARCH MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASES
Long Shot:  A Standalone Basketball Romance 
*screams into the void* YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

This is literally all I can focus on for this month y'all. Plus all my other faves decided to be so disrespectful and release new books back to back in February so I'm hella behind on those and really need to catch up *cries*

JANUARY REVIEWS

JANUARY MEMES, TAGS & DISCUSSIONS


That is all for the month of February. Feel free to check out any of the above posts mentioned if you haven’t done so already.
Let us know in the comments which March releases you all are most excited for!


Shame Me Not - Book Review

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Title: Shame (Formally Shame Me Not)
Author: Fiona Cole
Publication Date: January 23, 2018 (First published July 26, 2017)
My Rating: 4/5
The girl next door. Pretty. Sweet. Kind.

Submissive.

Until I met her, I was alone with the dark desires that I didn't understand, that I couldn't reconcile.

She became my best friend, and then she became so much more.

Desire. Disgust. Shame.

Dominance.

I wouldn’t have survived until college without her. When we were together, I was at peace for the first time in my life.

But it was too good to last.

Our appetite for pain and pleasure destroyed us. And all the drinks in the world weren’t enough to get used to missing her.

On the verge of earning my degree, Ana walks back into my life, those gray-blue eyes still able to see right through me. It’s the chance I’ve been waiting for. One last chance to overcome my shame.

If only it were that easy.
Purchase Links:
Amazon  Goodreads

In Shame me Not we follow two teenagers Kevin and Anna. Anna and her mother move in next door to Kevin's family after her mother and father divorce. Upset at the fact that she has to uproot her life and start fresh at a new school are just a few of Anna's problems. The fact that her dad seems to be somewhat avoiding spending any real time with her is another problem. She soon finds that the handsome boy next door becomes more than being her next door neighbor and surprisingly becomes one of her best friends. The pair form an undeniable connection as the years progress and are always there for each other whenever  they need a close listening ear.

But as the years progress they also separately discover that they both have a particular... preference. One that they are both too shameful to admit, even to each other. But once the secret gets out they decide who better to trust and explore this with than each other?

 I first heard about this book on my various bookish feeds, and noticed that my co-blogger Ari had read it as well. I had plans to read it but kind of always put it off for another time. Fast forward to last month and this book caused quite a frenzy because it was banned on Amazon, and me being the nosey person I am I knew that if and when it ever got put back I HAD to finally hop on it so I could see what all the fuss was about (plus get to it in case it ever got banned again lol). 

I think one of the most interesting things about this book is how these two discover their kinks at fairly young age, and how they try to navigate it. The two meet at age 16 and start such a strong and cute friendship. Like I said they become instant best friends and are there for one another throughout high school. Kevin was such a sweetie and the biggest gentleman. He was always so supportive of Anna and never pushed her past any limits that she was uncomfortable with. especially when they decided to test the waters of what they both enjoyed.

Shame is a strong feeling throughout the novel, and it could be felt so strongly. Each time Kevin or Anna had an intense feeling of shame or self doubt in themselves and what they enjoyed I could feel their emotions so strongly. I think that the author did a really great job of conveying these emotions in a way that the reader can empathize with the characters, even if they don't share the same viewpoint. There were so many times where my heart went out to each of them because the emotions that they went through could be felt so deeply. And the angst on top of it all made me want to jump into the book multiple times and to hug them, and also shake them on a few occasions hahahaha!!

The BDSM aspect of this book was so well done in my opinion. It wasn't just thrown in to make the story spicy just for fun, it was an integral part of the story and you can tell that the author took great care to make sure that she presented the subject matter with good care. I feel like even someone who doesn't enjoy BDSM books will find themselves hooked into this story and with Kevin and Anna.

Another thing I loved about this book is that there was a bit of a slow burn quality, and it was friends to lovers which is one of my all time favorite tropes. The book spans 10 years of the trials and troubles that they have to go through in order to reach their happy place. Seeing them grow into who they are and what they love felt so complete by the end of the book and I'm definitely glad that I was finally nosey enough to snatch this up once it was available again.

Anyone looking for a book that looks like simple smut on the surface layer, but is actually deeper than that and goes into depth about BDSM aspects then you definitely need to check this book out. Kevin and Anna will take you on a journey that will test you as they are tested, it will make you feel the shame that they feel even if you can't relate, but it will also make you feel whole and accepted with them by the time it all wraps up.

 

WWW Wednesday: February 28, 2018

No comments:

Hey Guys!
WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World Of Words. Simply answer the following questions: 
 What have you recently finished reading?
 What are you currently reading?
 What do you think you’ll read next?

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Vlad by Ker Dukey & K. Webster

ARI: K & K's newest release was an okay read for me. I wasn't wowed by it but I'm interested to see where things go in the sequel.   

The One
The One by Danielle Allen
BRITT: I recently finished The One and I enjoyed it, the story-line was one that I hadn't read before so that kept it interesting for me. I do feel like I had some minor issues, but overall I liked it. I also finished up some comics too but I'll mention those in our wrap up post, so stay tuned!!

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Virgin Territory by Lia Riley

ARI: I'm so excited to start Virgin Territory because virgin heroes are my fave.


 
The Ones Who Got Away (The Ones Who Got Away, #1)
The One Who Got Away by Roni Loren

BRITT: I'm excited to start this book because I've heard so many amazing things about it, and the story-line is one that I have never read about before so I'm super interested to see how this goes.

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ARI: I actually don't know what I'm gonna read next because I haven't written up my reading schedule for March as of yet, lol.



After The One
After The One by Danielle Allen

   
BRITT: Since there's a sequel to The One I definitely want to go ahead and read it while book one is still fresh in my mind!!

What are you all reading this week? Leave us your links down below!