In Harmony || Book Review

Title: In Harmony

Author: Emma Scott

Publication Date: February 13, 2018

Publisher: Trillian
Links: Goodreads || Amazon 

Ari's Rating: ★★★★
Britt's Rating: ★★★★.25

Synopsis via Goodreads: "In Harmony...gives a voice to the voiceless..."


The root of all madness is an unbearable truth…

At seventeen, Willow Holloway’s life was torn apart. The happy, driven girl is gone, and she is left wracked by post-traumatic stress her body remembers even if she does not. When her father suddenly uproots the family from their posh penthouse in New York City to the tiny town of Harmony, Indiana, Willow becomes more untethered and lost under the weight of her secret. On a whim, she auditions for a part in the community theater’s production of Hamlet and unexpectedly wins the role of Ophelia—the girl who is undone by madness, and her love of Hamlet…

Isaac Pearce is from the ‘wrong side of the tracks.’ The town bad boy. Girls pine for his attention and guys are in awe of him. That he’s an acting prodigy only adds to his charisma. Isaac utterly disappears into his characters; the stage is the only place he feels safe from his own traumatic home life. He wants nothing more than to escape to Broadway or Hollywood and leave Harmony behind for good.

No one can play Hamlet but Isaac, and when the director pairs him with Willow in acting class, they clash again and again—neither willing to open their hearts to anyone. But clashing leads to breaking, breaking leads to the spilling of terrible secrets, and soon Isaac and Willow find Shakespeare’s words mirroring their lives. When they are cruelly torn apart, neither know how this play will end—with madness and heartache? Or healing, love, and the discovery of who they are truly meant to be.

In Harmony is a standalone YOUNG ADULT/NEW ADULT love story, and is intended for readers 18 and up. PLEASE NOTE, this book contains sensitive material such as physical abuse, and the aftermath of sexual assault (off the page). Reader discretion is advised.

EMMA SCOTT IS BACK AT IT AGAIN WITH ANOTHER EMOTIONAL RELEASE!

ARI: I didn't read the blurb before picking up In Harmony so I had no idea what this book was going to be about but having read Emma Scott's novels before, I knew I was in for an emotional roller coaster of a ride. After reading the dedication, I knew that In Harmony would be much different than Scott's previous books. It would be a story that would stay with me long after I read the last page.

BRITT: Emma Scott is an author that I had finally read for the first time last year, and after reading one of her books I instantly feel in love with her writing and story telling and she shot to the top of my faves list. Having a few books of hers read under my belt I've come to know that no matter what I read from her, I know that the story and characters will subtly come and pack a punch and as usual In Harmony was no different.

ARI: In Harmony is a story about two broken souls finding their voice through art. Emma Scott has taken a story line that I've read numerous times before, put her own creative spin on it and has crafted a story that utterly ruined me! I gotta say that the integration of the play Hamlet throughout this book was pretty damn unique and unexpected. Truthfully, I was never a fan of Hamlet but using it as a backdrop intensified this story. I loved how the play and this story kind of mirrored one another and how Hamlet and Ophelia's relationship was similar to Willow and Isaac's relationship. All these little details just brought more depth to story. As for the romance, it has Emma Scott's signature slow-burn written all over it. This story is about survivors so it's less about swoon-worthy moments and more about healing. I liked the fact that the romance wasn't used as a way to "save" either of these characters, but rather both Willow and Isaac provided each other with the support they needed in order open up and work through their fears. Their relationship felt authentic and I loved it.       

BRITT: As I mentioned above Emma Scott knows how to create characters and story-lines that pack a punch in a very subtle way. You start off thinking you're reading a typical romance book but the more you read the more the feels creep onto you. You get so invested and and connected to it all which always makes for such a gripping story. In In Harmony we follow two lonely souls that are just trying to make it through each day. Each day is a day spent trying to survive and stay afloat despite everything going on around them. Willow and Isaac are seemingly the complete opposites on the outside, but on the inside there is so much that they can relate to. Thanks to a local play in town for Hamlet, these two end up having to spend a good amount of time together going over lines, but they unexpectedly get to know one another as well on a deeper level. The way that Scott was able to weave together parts of Hamlet with parts of the story and characters was unlike anything I think I've read before and I loved reading it. It made this read super unique and brought something a bit more to the overall story. The things both Willow and Isaac endured made them both damaged but their tentative friendship helped them both feel the support they may have felt lacking before, and it let them come to terms on ways they could have a better future. Like Ari has mentioned, this isn't a story about how love can "heal" or "save" someone from something but more like how friendship and support can create a framework for something stronger, and show that love can still be possible even if you felt like it never could've been before.

ARI: My heart broke completely for Willow Holloway. After being sexually assaulted, Willow has become a shell of herself and she struggles to cope with the aftermath. It also doesn't help that her parents aren't there for her emotionally. When her father announces that they will be moving due to his job, she uses the opportunity to find herself again and no longer live in the fear. Watching Willow struggle and break down was not easy. There was so much raw emotions on the page and I had to take break so I could cry my eyes out before continuing. But the pain was worth it because to see her build herself back up and find her voice to speak her truth was everything. Even if you haven't been where Willow has been, you will feel her pain, understand it and maybe even relate to it. 

BRITT: Willow's story is one that a lot can relate to unfortunately. After being sexually assaulted she's only a shell of her former self now. Gone is the confident girl from NY that was outgoing in her actions. Now she's retreated into herself and keeping her assault hidden is starting to take a bigger and bigger tole on her. And her parents lack of care beyond the superficial isn't helping. When her dad announces they'll be moving to a much smaller town she's beyond ready to pack up and start over away from it all. Her story is truly heartbreaking and one that will make readers feel very emotional. Her story is also one that so many are facing right now. Scott shows the raw truth of how power, male power specifically can make it harder for women to come forward and speak up. So many times you hear people asking why someone who was abused didn't speak sooner, or you hear a survivor of abuse telling their story and saying how they waited so long because the abuser had more power or influence than them. That is really shown in this book and although it is utterly shitty, it's the hard truth that is in our society today. Watching Willow heal and speak her heart out through a simple play is so powerful. The more she found her voice in acting the more she started to find her voice again in her real life. She slowly took her life back after her abuser took it, and she proved that although it may be so damn hard at first, it is possible to have life again.

ARI:  When we first met Isaac Pearce, I wasn't quite sure what to make of him. He's not a man of many words, but his silence speaks volume. His family fell apart after his mother passed away and in a sense, so did he. He too has to find his voice again and he does so while on stage. That is where he bears his truth. I'll admit, it took me a while to warm up to Isaac, but once I did I realized that Willow isn't the only survivor in this story—Isaac is one too. It was in that moment that a switch flipped and I fell in love with Isaac's character and I just wanted him to find his own happiness. 
  

BRITT: Issac was dealt is own hardships in life, and is still dealing with them when he's introduced in the story. He's slow to open up to anyone and because of his home life he faces a ton of scrutiny from the small town. But when he gets on stage it's all forgotten. Instead of being the bad guy with no money that lives on the wrong side of town he's whoever he wants to be on stage. When he's performing in front of an audience they don't talk about the bruises he would get at the hands of his father, or bring up his mother's death. It was all about his performance in those moments if even for a little bit. He was never expecting to find a friend in Willow or even love for that matter because he was only focused on leaving the town for good and become an actor. Willow comes along and shows him that you can find beauty in anything, whether it be the new girl that's just has lost and damaged as he is, or in the town that once made him want to flee with no looking back.

ARI: In the blurb (which I read went back and read after I finished, lol) it states "In Harmony...gives a voice to the voiceless..." and Emma Scott did just that! Willow's story is a powerful, emotional and impactful read and one that is so relevant considering all that is going on in today's society. I don't think I will ever get tired of praising Emma Scott for all her words and if you do decide to pick this book up, have all the tissues handy because you're gonna need them! 

BRITT: In Harmony brought me what I've come to expect from Emma's writing so far. A deeply emotional story-line, with gripping characters that will stay with you even after finishing. The subject matter of this one is so important, especially at this time, because it brings to light something that so many are quick to dismiss. Even though it can be such an ugly situation, this book still shows that there is beauty and strength in falling to your lowest point, getting back up again, and proving that your voice, your soul, and that YOU matter. No matter if you're already an Emma Scott fan or not, without a doubt you will fall in love with this book and remember it long after you've read the last page.

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Team Player: A Sports Romance Anthology || Book Review

Title: Team Player: A Sports Romance Anthology

Authors: Adriana Locke, Charleigh Rose, Ella Fox, Emma Scott, Kate Stewart, Kennedy Ryan, L.J. Shen, Mandi Beck, Meghan Quinn, 
Rochelle Paige, Sara Ney

Publication Date: December 14, 2017

Publisher: Self-Published
Links: Goodreads || Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads: Hot jocks. We love them all. 
Sexy baseball players. Intense footballers. Sweaty MMA fighters, and sizzling hockey hotties. Score!
The good news? Eleven bestselling authors have gathered to give you a set of stories focused on the men we love most—sports heroes. We bet you’ll love this thick … book.
The bad news? The men in these novellas don’t actually exist.
Enjoy this naughty Christmas treat!*
*This anthology does not contain calories, just eleven original, never-before-seen stories by the following authors: Adriana Locke, Mandi Beck, Charleigh Rose, Kennedy Ryan, LJ Shen, Meghan Quinn, Rochelle Paige, Ella Fox, Kate Stewart, Emma Scott, and Sara Ney. We aren’t responsible for melted devices.

Team Player: Adriana Locke (Cross), Charleigh Rose (Yard Sale), Ella Fox (Out of Formation), Emma Scott (One Good Man), Kate Stewart (Sweeping the Series), Kennedy Ryan (Full Court Press), L.J. Shen (The End Zone), Mandi Beck (Sin Bin), Meghan Quinn (Back in the Game), Rochelle Paige (Slapped Into Love), Sara Ney (Switch Hitter). 

When the Team Player: A Sports Romance Anthology was announced, we both hit 'Want to Read' so fast on Goodreads because we could not pass up on a romance anthology that included novellas by some of our favorite authors. We were also excited to check out some new-to-us authors that we've both been curious about but haven't gotten around to reading yet and hoped that maybe this will give us a little push to finally go read their series. We will only be reviewing six of the eleven novellas in this anthology because this book is thick as fuck and we too lazy to read all of them. Let the games reviews begin!

BACK IN THE GAME by MEGHAN QUINN

ARI'S REVIEW

★★★★½

I love Meghan Quinn's romances so I started with her novella first. Back in the Game is the most adorable novella of all the novellas I've ever read! It's a single-dad sports romance about a professional hockey player who is learning to put himself out there again. Calder is guarded when it comes to letting women into his life after the mother of his child abandoned them after their daughter, Shea, was born. But when he runs into a woman while out with his daughter, he decides that maybe it's time to get back on the horse. First and foremost, CALDER IS BAE! Like who can resist a guy who is willing to wear fairy wings and a tiara out in public to please his little girl??!! He is also a little old school when it comes to dating and I adored how he treated Rachel, such a gentleman. Rachel is hilarious and I liked how she helped Calder to get out his shell. She also didn't let Calder off the hook when he tried to push her away and fought for a chance to let their relationship to grow into something more. The romance was sweet and sexy and I was so sad when I got to the epilogue because I didn't want it to end. *sobs* This novella is also a prequel to Quinn's upcoming release, Three Blind Dates, and I'm dying to know what happens to Hayden. He better end up getting the girl or I will riot!

BRITT'S REVIEW 

★★★★

After having read one of Quinn's books before I was excited to get to this one because I knew I'd be in for something funny ans super cute. Thankfully I was not disappointed!! Calder is not only a hot hockey player but he's also a super devoted single father. He'd do anything to keep a smile on his little girl's face, even dress up in fairy wings and a tiara in public. It's then that he meets Rachel, the sassy woman that stirs something in him for the first time in years. After putting is daughter first for years he decides it's time for him to start getting back out there and dating again, and he works up the nerve to ask Rachel. What comes after was the cutest story in this novella. I really loved this story, I love Quinn's humor because she's actually funny and she doesn't go into anything that's too cringe-worthy and annoying. Calder was such a sweetie and y'all know I love a good single daddy romance so this hit the spot for me. I also really loved Rachel, she was super funny and she and Calder really fit well together, they each got each other's humor and you could just feel them having the best time ever. The epilogue was also so cute and had me cheesing, and I'm super excited to continue reading more of Meghan's works.

SWEEPING THE SERIES by KATE STEWART

ARI'S REVIEW

★★★

I read Kate Stewart's recent release, Drive, a few weeks ago and I'm still a little ticked-off by that book. I ended up not writing a review for it because I just didn't have much positives thoughts and I wasn't in the mood to deal with the rage that book caused. So when I started Sweeping the Series, I set my expectations low just so I wouldn't be disappointed again. Sweeping the Series is a second-chance romance and follows our two main characters, Ren Makavoy and Erica Wild. The two were romantically involved years ago, but Erica walked away from the relationship just when Ren's career was picking up and never said why. Now the famous player needs to clean up his act and rid himself of this playboy image and Erica may be the only woman cut out for the job. First, let's start with the good. I really do like Stewart's writing which is why I wanted to give her a second shot. I also liked Erica...well I liked her at the start of the novella. I kind of felt sorry for her and the way Ren was treating her, but she did some things towards the end that irked my nerves. Ren is a straight up bitch ass. I hate him. I think he's a cocky son-of-a-bitch who don't deserve and I wanted to slap him. My main issue with this novella was the miscommunication. Every time the opportunity came up for these two to discuss their issues, one of them would shut it down and walk away. LIKE HOW Y'ALL EXPECT TO FIX Y'ALL RELATIONSHIP IF YOU NOT WILLING TO TALK TO ONE ANOTHER??!! The length of this novella was another issue. It was long for no damn reason and I basically just ended up skimming the last few chapters. I think I'll probably read one more book by Stewart and it it ends up being a flop, I'm just gonna call it quits on her books.

BRITT'S REVIEW 

★★½

I read The Brave Line by Stewart sometime at he beginning of this year and if I remember correctly I had a few problems, but I enjoyed it, I just never reviewed it cuz I'm lazy af lmao. So going into this one I thought that maybe I'd like it like I enjoyed my previous read from her. Well, I won't say that I completely hated it, but I definitely didn't fall head over heels in love. And tbh I've pretty much forgotten what happened in this one which should let y'all know it wasn't very memorable, just very meh. I remember there being some dumb shit about her leaving him years before ( I can't even remember what the reason was), so this was a second chance romance which I love so I had some excitement for that. I remember the guy played baseball lmao, I also remember some passing out thrown in somewhere aaannnnndddd that's about it.

FULL COURT PRESS by KENNEDY RYAN

ARI'S REVIEW

★★★★½

Say hello to the main reason for why I picked up this anthology in the first place. Y'all all know Britt and I are obsessed with Kennedy Ryan so I already knew that I would enjoy her novella. Full Court Press is kind of a second-chance romance between a successful sports reporter, Avery Hughes, and a retired NBA player, MacKenzie Decker. The two met years ago when Avery was just starting out as a reporter and Decker was starting to make a name for himself, but a mishap during an interview leads to Avery being reassigned. Years later, Decker takes a job to fill-in as Avery's co-host on her show and spark is ignited between the pair. Full Court Press is definitely the most emotional novella in this book. My feels were all over the place and I was not prepared for it. The writing was beautiful and gripping and this novella had me in tears at one in the morning. Avery is a woman who has faced a great loss and lives with guilt everyday. She struggles to move on but things take a turn when Decker walks back into her life. Decker too has his own baggage but he somehow feels that this is is second shot at a missed connection and he does his best to win Avery over. I was like a cheerleader rooting for these two to get together. It's a slow-burning romance and there are numerous obstacles this pair has to work through, but when they do finally end up together is was FIRE! Full Court Press is kind of a prequel to Ryan's basketball romance series releasing next year and if her full length novel is anything like this novella, then I best stock up on some tissues stat!

BRITT'S REVIEW 
★★★★½

Let's be honest here, the main reason we even wanted to read this book of novellas was because we saw that Kennedy was writing a story for it. And as always I was not disappointed at all!! I'm convinced she can't write a bad book. In Full Court Press we follow Avery who has worked her way up to becoming a successful sports reporter after being reassigned years before when she first meets Decker. Throughout a few years they would see each other in passing but life has a way of handling things and they never got to be anything besides casual acquaintances that saw each other at various events. She goes on to get engaged and he goes on to get married and have a daughter. Now years later he's divorced and retired and gets the opportunity to be a brief co-host on Avery's show. Old feelings that have been repressed since the day they met start to show but Avery is reluctant to act on them because she's dealing with some hardships, but Decker doesn't mind just being a friend to her and hoping that one day they can start to build something more serious. What ensues is a hot, emotionally charged novella that'll have you fanning yourself one second, and wiping tears away the next. And in true Kennedy fashion the writing is nothing short of beautiful. I love that Avery is a black woman, a successful one at that because we don't get a lot of those on NA still so I was so excited about that diversity, Decker was hot AF, and together I was just so here for them!! I can't wait for the full length basketball novel to be released because I know that it's going to slay my entire life!!

SWITCH HITTER by SARA NEY

ARI'S REVIEW

★★★★

Sara Ney is a new-to-me author and I've heard great things How to Date a Douchebag series so I was excited to read her novella. Switch Hitter is a story about twin sisters, Amelia and Lucy. Popularity has always come easy to Lucy and she finds herself in a bind when she agrees to go out with two guys on the same night. So she asks her twin Amelia to step in and pretend to be her, but the situation becomes a sticky one when Amelia ends up falling for her date, star catcher of the baseball team, Dash Amado. Fun fact, I've always enjoyed stories involving twins, but more specifically, I love stories where the more shy twin ends up coming out of their shell and end up finding their voice. I don't know why, maybe I'm just a sucker for the underdogs. I was hooked on this romance from the start and connected with Amelia right off the bat (look at me using baseball idioms). She's a bit of a fumbling mess and I was entertained by her being all tongue-tied whenever she was around Dash. Dash is so sweet, even though he could be a little cocky at times. I liked the development of the romance and thought that Amelia and Dash had great chemistry. The thing that was off to me about this novella was the writing. Since Dash is Latino, there are some parts where he speaks Spanish and what annoyed me was the English translation right after those lines. It messed up the flow and honestly, the Spanish used was so basic that I'm pretty sure anyone would be able to understand what Dash was saying by using context clues. Switch Hitter is kind of a prequel for Ney's upcoming series releasing next year and I'm definitely going to check it out when it releases so I can catch up with Amelia and Dash.

BRITT'S REVIEW 
★★½

Ok, so Sara Ney is an author that has been making waves this year with her douchebag series, which I tried to read the first book before and couldn't really get into. So going into this one I wasn't to hype about it, but I was also hoping that maybe I'd like this one so that I could give her series another shot. But I just wasn't really feeling this one. I did like the whole twin aspect and them switching places cuz it reminded me of Sister, Sister or something, I liked that ole dude was Hispanic cuz diversity is always good, aaannnndddd I think that's about all I liked to be honest. I feel like it took too long for the point to get to the reader in this one, and by the time they finally got some act right and got together the damn story was over so we didn't get too much of them being disgustingly cute as a couple. Also the Amelia's sister that she pretended to be to talk to Dash really annoyed me, she was so shallow and self-centered which I'm sure is supposed to be the point with her but still homegirl was lowkey a bitch to like everybody and had she been my twin I would've been put her in her damn place. Also the Spanish in this book was pretty laughable because you just KNOW that Ney just put everything she wanted to say into Google Translate, then proceeded to copy and paste into her book. Anyone who as taken a Spanish class, especially at the college level knows you don't do that shit because it comes off so obvious and it doesn't flow or read right. I translates things way to literally and never takes unto account any nuances within languages. My old Spanish professor wouldn't even grade an assignment if she saw you Googled everything. Also there's something about Ney's writing that I just can't get down with, her writing style for me is just not my fave at all. Sometimes she cuts sentences off too short when they could've been combined to make more sense, and it made things read too stilted and abrupt, and felt a bit jarring at times. So needless to say this one wasn't my fave and I probably won't try too many more of her books in the future.

ONE GOOD MAN by EMMA SCOTT

ARI'S REVIEW

★★★½

One Good Man follows an aspiring journalists named Janey who gets caught up in all that is going on with the Vietnam War so her father sends her away to Paris to keep her safe. There she meets a star fútbol player, Adrian, and is asked to interview him. Janey thinks this interview will get her nowhere, but it may just lead to her big break. I've been enjoying Emma Scott's books a lot this year and I'm sad to say that I didn't end up loving her novella as much as I had hoped. I didn't end up loving this novella because of two reasons: the time period and lack of character connection. The story is set during a time of war so the story started out with a lot of tension and then it kind of died down and the tone fell flat. I also couldn't connect to either Janey or Adrian at all. It took me quite a few chapters to become invested in the story, but once sparks started flying between Janey and Adrian I was completely hooked. I give Scott props because she managed to write a slow-burning romance in only a few chapters and I also loved the fact that family is yet again a major theme in this story. The ending was rather sweet and I'm happy with how the events played out for Janey and Adrian.

BRITT'S REVIEW 
★★★★

Emma Scott has quickly become a favorite author of mine this year and when I saw that she was going to have a story in this novella I was super excited!! Thankfully I ended up really enjoying this one. I'm not one for any kind of historical time periods, so when I first started this one and saw that it was set back in the day I got a bit nervous but surprisingly I really got into it. Janey is a journalist who is desperately trying to find her "big" story. Being a young woman in the field at this time means that she's not taken seriously by anyone, not even her father. After she's on the scene at a riot and gets falsely arrested her father thinks it would be best for her to be shipped off to France to finish her studies and hopefully stay safe. At first she refuses but with some convincing from her best friend she realizes that she can still hunt for her big story in France. With the Vietnam War going on there are so many places being affected so she vows to write a story that will hit people right in the guts and expose the horrors experienced so that no one will be blind to them anymore. When she gets there she's disappointed to find out that she's still getting thrown all the athlete stories, but after getting to know popular fútbol player Adrian she realizes that sometimes your biggest stories can you unexpectedly. Like I said I really enjoyed this story even though it wasn't set in the present time, I think that factor really helped set this story apart from all the others for me which was great. I really loved Janey's character and her tenacity to prove her worth in such a male dominated field. Y'all ever heard of that show on Amazon called Good Girls Revolt? I watched like one episode lmao but I really liked it and this novella automatically reminded me of it when I started reading. I also really loved Adrian's character because nothing was ever what it seemed with him, on the outside he was this confident guy but on the inside he has his own struggles and hardships. Seeing each layer of him being revealed made him easier and easier to connect to and I really thought is development was done so well.

CROSS by ADRIANA LOCKE

ARI'S REVIEW

★★½

Adriana Locke is another new-to-me author and while I've read mixed reviews about her books, I still hoped that my first read by her would end up being a decent one. Unfortunately, all them hopes went out the damn window after I read the first chapter in this novella. Cross is definitely my least favorite novella which it shocking because I love me some second-chance romances, but y'all this whole novella was a MESS. It follows are two main characters Kallie and Cross. Kallie is finally returning to her home town after a scandal occurs at her current job and she ends up running into her first love, Cross. She tries her best to resist him, but he's not giving up his second-shot at love so easily. This novella is basically just a tale of miscommunication and "I hate you, we break up, you call me, I love you". Kallie is all like "you're no good for me" and then has the nerve to accuse Cross of cheating on her WHEN THEY WEREN'T EVEN A COUPLE AGAIN. Like Kallie has only been back a week and y'all ain't even sorted out your issues that led to y'all breaking up in the first place but you wanna lay some claim on a man you're not ready to commit to again?? The ending was extremely rushed and I'm still confused about the fact that these two ended up together even though they still haven't discussed their issues with one another. *cue eye roll* This second-chance romance could've been a whole lot sweeter if only...Imma leave it at that because there's so many things I wanna change about this story that I don't even know where to start.  

BRITT'S REVIEW 
★

Y'all.

This was the WORST story that I read out of this bunch.

THE

WORST!!

I can't even get my thoughts together collectively because my rant is so strong right now, but I also don't wanna spend anymore time on this damn story. I was pretty excited to read this story because I've heard and seen Locke's stories around for a long time now so I was thinking that if this went over well then I could finally get that push to read her books next year. But nah. This was some straight up booty. First of damn all I wanted to throat punch the main girl SO BAD!! I have never read about such an insecure, childish, immature, character before and if I have I just can't remember. She was the absolute worst!! She never talked things out when shit happened between them, just ran and cried like a baby and complained about how shit never goes right in her relationships and "woe is me because I'm a good person"...

Like

Bitch

Really??

Of course nothing goes right cuz you run at the drop of a damn hat and start acting crazy as all fuck!! She would just accuse, accuse, accuse, with barely any evidence at all, no facts, no nothing. You can't get anywhere in any relationship if you don't fucking TALK AND COMMUNICATE DUMBASS!! How the hell do you expect for anything to grow if you refuse to listen?? Let's not forget that after they slept together like one time she went off on him about something I felt was extremely stupid cuz they hadn't even said one damn thing about being together again, she just assumed they were. Then she did that crazy girlfriend shit, you know when a chick gets mad about something dumb then rolls up on the guy throwing a fit? yeah that shit. We all have a friend or family member that does that childish mess. Well she did that then ran because apparently homegirl was a track star back in school and has to run every damn where after every damn problem.

Then she proceeded to go home to mommy and complain and then they did some slut shaming together which was so random and unnecessary and made me wanna throat punch mama bear too. Then of course her and whatever is name is made up and of course he was made to apologize profusely even though I still feel he didn't do shit wrong, I think she maybe said a sorry too and thankfully it ended. I wanted to DNF throughout but Ari wouldn't let me. You know it's bad when you wanna DNF a damn novella. Needless to say I'm not all curious about Locke's books anymore and again, I'm just glad it's over.  

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Forever Right Now || Book Review

Title: Forever Right Now

Author: Emma Scott

Publication Date: October 24, 2017

Publisher: Trillian
Links: Goodreads || Amazon 

Ari's Rating: ★★★★½
Britt's Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis via Goodreads: Darlene Montgomery has been to hell and back…more than once. After a stint in jail for drug possession, she is finally clean and ready to start over. Yet another failed relationship is just the motivation she needs to move from New York to San Francisco with the hopes of resurrecting her dance career and discovering that she is more than the sum of her rap sheet. As Darlene struggles in her new city, the last thing she wants is to become entangled with her handsome—but cranky—neighbor and his adorable little girl...

Sawyer Haas is weeks away from finishing law school, but exhaustion, dwindling finances, and the pressure to provide for himself and his daughter, Olivia, are wearing him down. A federal clerkship--a job he desperately needs--awaits him after graduation, but only if he passes the Bar Exam. Sawyer doesn’t have the time or patience for the capricious—if beautiful—dancer who moves into the apartment above his. But Darlene’s easy laugh and cheerful spirit seep into the cracks of his hardened heart, and slowly break down the walls he’s resurrected to keep from being betrayed ever again.

When the parents of Olivia’s absentee mother come to fight for custody, Sawyer could lose everything. To have any chance at happiness, he must trust Darlene, the woman who has somehow found her way past his brittle barbs, and Darlene must decide how much of her own bruised heart she is willing to give to Sawyer and Olivia, especially when the ghosts of her troubled past refuse to stay buried.

EMMA SCOTT HAS LEFT US FOR DEAD WITH HER LATEST HEART-WARMING ROMANCE!

ARI: I read the Full Tilt duet a few weeks ago and was totally gutted by not one, but two epic love stories. I had so many emotions while reading those books that I didn't think I would be able to read another book by Scott for the rest of the year (dramatics). But when I saw that her newest release had the 'single daddy trope', I knew I had to have it! And of course I wasn't about to endure this heartbreak all by myself so I asked Britt to buddy-read Forever Right Now with me...because who better to suffer with than the person who got me hooked on Scott's books in the first place. 

BRITT: I read the Full Tilt duology at the beginning of this year and I had to suffer all the pain and feels by myself. I had no idea what I would be getting into when I read the story, and my ass binged both books and cried by myself in my room cocooned in my blankets. Naturally I had to tell Ari about it and make her buy the books so she could feel my pain and so we could both be crybabies. And when we saw Emma tweet about Forever Right Now we were reaaadddddyyyyyyy!! All we saw was single daddy and we were down!!

ARI: Forever Right Now is a contemporary romance about new beginnings, love and and the true meaning of family. I'm not going to discuss the plot because it's best to go into this book with as little information as possible but I promise that this book will have you hooked from the start. Scott's writing is on a whole other level and her stories will take you on a journey that you will never forget. Her words are like poetry and I was highlighting and bookmarking every other page just so I could go back to read all my favorite scenes. Darlene and Sawyer's story had my heart in shambles. Their story is not an easy one as there is a lot of pain from both of their pasts that they still need to work through making this a very slow-burning romance. Scott totally slays when it comes to slow-burns and it's one of the reasons why I enjoy her romances so much. The plot twist in this book was a genius move and I never even saw it coming! It shifted the whole tone of the story and had me sitting at the edge of my seat, crossing my fingers for a HEA. I was looking like Rudolph with my nose all red by the time I got to the ending but I assure you that it was totally worth it!

BRITT: MY HEART IS SO DAMN FULL AND HAPPY!! From the very first page I knew that Forever Right Now would be another one of my faves, and that Emma Scott would continue to cement herself into my favorite authors list. and I'm so happy that I wasn't disappointed or let down. She's one of those authors that can take the most simplistic words and turn them into pure beauty, every word you read instantly transport you into the story and completely captures your heart. I was so extremely hyped when I saw the plot for this one because ya girl loves her some single daddy books. Just something about the hot guy being completely devoted to their kid is soooooooooo cute to see, and Sawyer was a DADDY y'all!! His relationship with Olivia had my heart ready to burst because you could feel every inch of love that he had for his little girl, despite the circumstances. And Darlene is now one of my favorite female characters!! Her outlook on life, her personality, and her determination were all so damn great to see in her. She brought something so great to Sawyer and Olivia's lives and they are all my babies!! 

Plus A fucking plus to Scott for writing a realistic storyline!! I never once felt that things were overly dramatic for no reason or unbelievable. The plot was written and crafted to thoughtfully and I really appreciated that because it made the story feel a million times more authentic.

ARI: Emma Scott writes some of the most complex characters I've ever read about and Darlene Montgomery was no exception. She's an addict in recovery who is trying to get back on her feet and I mean that in the literal sense because she is also a dancer. The thing about Darlene is that despite her excessive baggage, I found her to be very relatable. I've been in a similar place as Darlene, the metaphorical "rock bottom", so I get how hard it can be to pick yourself back up once you've reached that place. Darlene grows so much throughout this story and I loved seeing her learn to love herself and do better for her own self and not because she wanted to please someone else. She has a big heart filled with dreams and a whole lot of love and I was rooting for her to reach her goals by the end.

BRITT: Like I mentioned above Darlene is now one of my favorite female characters!! She was this headstrong, sassy women that wasn't scared to go after what she wanted in life. Because of her past she has decided not to let anything hold her back from changing her life for the better and making her family and most importantly herself proud. Here characterization just like all of Scott's characters was so spot on you'd think they were real people. I loved her drive and how much she loved other people. It didn't matter how long she had known a person, they all became like family to her. Her heart was so pure and she definitely deserved every bit of happiness that she received.

ARI: Sawyer Haas is one of my new favorite heroes and no, it's not because he has photographic memory like me...okay maybe I'm a little partial to him because of that one particular trait but I can't help it dammit! Sawyer is a single father to an adorably smart little girl named Olivia. He balances fatherhood with being a student and never slows down because he wants to provide the best for his little girl. Sawyer comes off as a bit of an asshole in the beginning, but it's all an act. He's a genuine sweetheart and every moment with him and Olivia made my heart burst. SAWYER AND OLIVIA DESERVED THE BEST LIFE AND I WAS READY TO FIGHT ANYONE WHO TRIED TO MESS IT UP! 

BRITT: Sawyer Haas, Sawyer the Lawyer, no matter the name I love him!!

Sawyer was a DADDY!! He was a MAN!! SAWYER COULD GET IT!! But seriously though Sawyer was such a strong character, not many would have done what he did. Hell a lot of men don't. The things that were thrown his way were handled by him no matter the sacrifices that he had to make, no matter how hard and long he had to work. He did whatever it had to take to provide the absolute best care possible for his daughter, and I commend him a million percent for the choices he made. And when the plot twist was revealed I loved him even more!! Sawyer is the ultimate y'all!!

ARI: Forever Right Now is one of the most heartfelt romances I've read this year. Emma Scott broke my heart and put it all back together within a matter of pages which is why she has earned the title of QUEEN OF HEART-WARMING ROMANCES! She has also become an auto-buy author for me and I can't wait to devour her next release! 

BRITT: I was already a huge fan of Scott's after Full Tilt and All In, and I'm an even bigger fan with Forever Right Now!! She is now one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE AUTHORS!! Her words and her stories are so damn good!! They're believable, authentic, soul crushing, and heart-warming!! I got to buy like all her books on sale not too long ago and I will definitely be binging them soon so that I can experience all her other stories and get my life!! There may even be some more buddy reviews and I'm sure tons of buddy reads for us too!!

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Still || Book Review

Title: Still

Author: Kennedy Ryan
Series: Grip

Publication Date: September 24, 2017

Publisher: Self-published
Links: Goodreads || Amazon 

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis via Goodreads: I'll be there.
Through thick and thin.
Ride or die.
You can count on me.

The promises people make. The vows we take.
Assumptions of the heart.

Emotion tells us how we feel, but life...life has a way of plunging us in boiling water, burning away our illusions, testing our faith, trying our convictions.
Love floating is a butterfly, but love tested is an anchor.

For Grip and Bristol
Love started at the top of the world
On a Ferris wheel under the stars
But when that love is tested, will they fly or fall?

KENNEDY RYAN HAS DONE IT AGAIN!

It's been well over two weeks since our buddy-read of Still and we are still at a loss for words. We've put off writing off our review because we don't quite know how to articulate our feelings about this book or this series in general. Like how does one even begin to review the best romance series for 2017??!! Well we're going to try and hopefully this review ends up making sense...

ARI: Earlier this year I buddy-read Flow and Grip with Britt and absolutely fell in love with Kennedy Ryan's writing. I loved every minute of Bristol and Marlon's story and even though their story ended on a good note, I WANTED MORE. NEEDED MORE. I couldn't get this story out of my head and spend weeks re-reading all my favorite parts between current reads. I even went on the binge-read the Soul series (the series where we are first introduced to Bristol and Grip) just so I could be in that world again. I WAS A READER OBSESSED AND I HAVE NO REGRETS. So when Kennedy Ryan announced that there was going to be a sequel to Grip, I was over-the-moon! My wish was granted and I was finally going to see my babies get married and have babies of their own and be successful and live happily-ever-after and just—okay I'm rambling, but y'all get my gist. I was excited and who better to buddy-read this book with than my partner in crime, Britt. We started this series together, might as well end it together too!

BRITT: When Grip ended I had to lay down and try to collect my ENTIRE life and heart because I was so damn gone!! Kennedy Ryan had single-handedly slayed me with the story and characters she created. Ari and I laughed and cried during our reading experience, and the story stayed with us well after that last page. My love for Kennedy's writing was definitely established at that point and my Grip review turned into a massive essay about how much I loved and appreciated the story. I thought about the book days and weeks after finishing and NEEDED more from my babies because I NEEDED to see them happily married with tons of little babies and doggos and all that happy shit!! I was over the damn moon when Kennedy announced the sequel and then it was the longest waiting game for the synopsis, book cover, and most of all the release date. But let me tell y'all it was so worth it!!

ARI: Just like with Grip, Still touches on a number of social issues and just like with Grip, Ryan tackles each and everyone one of them head on! Interracial relationships is definitely the main focus in this sequel as not everyone is on board with Grip and Bristol's relationship. But Grip and Bristol keep on fighting, proving that though they may comes from different worlds, their love for one another will help them to work through their differences. It's what makes this romance so epic because these two are constantly growing and going the distance to prove their love for one another. The writing in Still is on a whole other level. It's lyrical, poetic, insightful, powerful, breath-taking...I could go on and list as many adjectives as I want but to sum it up, Still is absolute perfection and by far the best romance I've read in years! THIS BOOK IS WHY I READ ROMANCE Y'ALL SO DON'T SLEEP ON IT!

I also was not at all expecting what went down in the second part of Still. Kennedy Ryan took this story in a direction I was not prepared for and I was gutted by the end. Ryan was giving no fucks about our feelings y'all. She was trying to rip us a new one and by the end of this book I was on the floor with my heart ripped to shreds. 

BRITT: When I say that Still made me emotional, it made me EMOTIONAL!! Whereas in Grip we get the foundation of Bristol and Marlon's relationship as they come to finally be together and overcome some obstacles, Still shows us just how difficult things can get and how hard they challenge them. They truly see what they have to navigate in their relationship and and it means to be an interracial couple. Grip was truly just the beginning for them, and they learn quickly just how hard they'll have to fight in order to keep themselves together and show people that they deserve to be happily in love just like other couples, and they also have to show people close to them. Kennedy Ryan truly knows how to weave a believable, beautiful story that takes a hold of your heart from beginning to end, and even when things get so fucking hard (and they do), she still knows how to write the hard times in such a way that evokes the strongest emotions, but also puts you back together again. You trust her to grab your hand and bring you back to the light just as she does for her characters. And the way she brings in racial issues today? Top fucking notch!! Even those who may not understand the racial issues many of us face, or who haven't experienced them before can't help but to understand and FEEL them when reading this. I said it in my Grip review and I'll say it again. Thank you to Kennedy for taking to huge chance and risk to talk about these issues in a romance book. In a world where our issues are often pushed to the side and glossed over it's so appreciated to see an author go against the grain and show that our stories DO matter, and that when written with respect and care people of all kind WILL read about them. There are very few authors centering on black lives so I love seeing them get the love they deserve.

ARI: Bristol Gray has come a long way and has grown the most throughout these three books. I'll admit, I wasn't a big fan of hers in the beginning. Bristol comes from a somewhat sheltered life so she kinds of oblivious when it comes to certain social issues. But with a little help from Grip, she has learned so much and has come to understand the struggles people of color face everyday. She is also a fighter because despite the fact people have told her time and time again that her relationship with Grip is wrong, she still stands by his side. She is not a woman to be trifled with and has no problem putting people in their place. But the thing I admire most about Bristol is her strength, especially after everything that went down in this final book.

BRITT: Bristol is a huge fighter for who and what she loves and it's even more true in Still. We definitely see Bristol come into her own in this book and I loved it!! Another thing I loved about her is that she never got complacent or comfortable in learning no matter how long she was with Grip. She was constantly still wanting and doing everything she could to understand the struggles Grip had to go through as a black man, and I love that so much. It really further proved that no matter what she TRULY loved everything about him even if she may not always relate to it. She was always confident in the previous books, but I think she developed a new kind of confidence in Still, and I'm always here for character growth.

ARI: Then we have Marlon James a.k.a Grip a.k.a Commander in Clit a.k.a my future hus—okay let me not finish that last one before Britt comes for me for trying to claim ownership of her man. But in a nutshell, Ryan has basically ruined me for future book boyfriends. Maybe even future boyfriends in real life because where am I going to find someone as smooth as Marlon James in real life?! I adore this man so much! His words, his thoughts, I swear I can listen to him go on all day because he's so damn passionate about making the world a better place through his music. He's an artist, an activist, a role-model, a son, a husband and a keeper. 

BRITT: Y'all see Ari tryna steal my man?? How dare she?? It's bad enough everyone else is trying to steal him. Grip is miiiiinnnneeeee!! Repeat after me GRIP IS MIIINNNNNEEEEEE!!

 

Anywho, There's never a bad thing for me to say about Grip, he's such a strong amazing character who fights hard and loves harder. 😏😏 I loved reading how hard he fought for his relationship and stood tall even when people tried him. Like people really tested my boo in Still, but he never gave up. He really proved that just because he was in an interracial relationship it didn't mean that he loved black women or issues any less, that he forgot his culture and where he came from, or that he would turn his back on his own. And I think it was so important to include those conversations in the book. Plus he fine, he's the Commander In Clit, and like I said he's allllll miiiinnneeeee!!

ARI: I honestly could continue to talk about Still for days, but instead I'm just going to tell y'all to read this series. If you love romance, you'll love this series. Even if you don't love romance, still read this series because it's not one to be missed! Gripstol will not only steal your heart, their story will snatch you soul. These two have definitely left a mark on my little bookworm heart and I'm so glad to have read a love story as powerful as theirs. This romance is a classic and will forever be dear to my heart.

BRITT: Anyone who loves honest, emotional, and raw romances should read this series, anyone who likes more lighthearted romances should read this series, anyone who doesn't like romances should read this series, honestly everyone should read it. It may make you uncomfortable, it may break your heart, and it may make you see things in a different light but it is so worth it. You get to experience two different worlds by reading both POVs and you get to read about these tough racial issues that are handled in the most beautiful way. Don't hesitate to read this series if you're scared of the issues, even if you may not understand them at first you will within the first few pages, and I PROMISE, you'll love Grip and Bristol's story with your ENTIRE heart!!

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