Wedding Shenanigans, Alpha Males & Sin City || Mini Reviews

TWO WEDDING CRASHERS by MEGHAN QUINN

★★★★

“Happily ever after. That's what my world revolves around and yet, I struggle to find one myself.”

Two Wedding Crashers is the second book in the Dating by Numbers series and by far Meghan Quinn's most hilarious book to date. Fair warning, don't read this book while consuming any foods or liquids because you might choke from laughing too much. I should also like to note that while this book can be read as a standalone, I still suggest picking up the first book in this series because you're not gonna wanna miss out on the shenanigans in that book.

Two Wedding Crashers is a romance about two people who've been guarded from love for so long that once it's standing in front of them, they're not quite sure what to do next. I was a little hesitant going into this book because truth be told, I wasn't a big fan of Beck Wilder's character in Three Blind Dates. He was kind of a playboy with a secret past and I thought he would continue to play games in this sequel, but he surprised me so much! I ended up falling so hard for Beck and I think once I got a better understanding for why he was so guarded, I let his previous behavior slide. He is a genuine softie and I loved how he was willing to do whatever to takes to win Rylee's heart. While I loved Beck, it took me a really long time to feel the same way about Rylee Ryan. She's a hilarious character and I loved that she was a romance writer, but I just couldn't connect with until the end. I was also expecting her secret to be a little more...dramatic, considering the way she was acting and all. 

I wanna give some love to the secondary characters in this book. Beck and Rylee's friends are a riot and there were times I couldn't breathe because I was laughing too hard from their dialogue. I am dying, and I mean DYING to read the next book in this series. I need to know how the fuck Hayden became someone's baby daddy and I'm also hoping to catch up with the boys from the Binghampton series.

ALPHAS LIKE US by KRISTA & BECCA RITCHIE

★★★½

“I know and he knows that what we share is greater and stronger than whatever the world has to throw at us. We won't end here.”

The Like Us series and I got off on a rocky start but along the way the series has somewhat grown on me. I'm not completely sold on the series yet, but I'm still sticking around to see what happens to the mini Hales, Cobalts and Meadows. Also, I'm a sucker for drama and I swear this series is just like Keeping Up with the Kardashians but in book form.  

Alphas Like Us picks up right where Lovers Like Us left off as Moffy and Farrow's relationship is now out in the public eye and everyone and they mama wants to throw in their two cents about it. I'm just gonna get this out of the way and say that the main reason why I'm still not loving this series is because of Moffy. I've come to accept that our personalities are polar opposites and we will never connect. However, I am starting to like Farrow more. I think he's good for Moffy's ego. He grounds him and it's why they make a good match. 

Besides the nosy ass public getting in between Moffy and Farrow's relationship, we see Farrow making tough decisions about his future and what career path he wants to take. I wish we could've focused more on that aspect of the story instead of all the fame drama. I loved the fact that we got see more of the younger kids in this book! They are so freakin' sassy, it was adorable! So Moffy and Farrow's love story has come to an end (for now) and I'm so ready to move on the Jane's book. I've been waiting over a year for Jane's book so it better live up to all my expectations! 

SIN WITH ME by J.A. HUSS & JONATHAN MCCLAIN

★★★

“He is everything I need tonight. Like...salvation. He's my fucking salvation.”

I am a huge fan of J.A. Huss' dark romances but I wasn't quite sure what to expect with her newest release. Collaborations are always a hit or miss with me and while I'm willing to give new-to-me authors the benefit of the doubt, sometimes I just can't connect with their way of storytelling.

Sin With Me is an erotica romance about two broken souls trying to find their way in the city of sin. Tyler is haunted by demons from the past and he just wishes he could fix all his past mistakes. Maddie is a stripper who can't seem to get her life together. The pair end up meeting one night and their lives are forever changed. 

The main reason why I didn't enjoy this book as much as I would've liked is because I wasn't a fan of McClain's writing. It was a bit over the top and all the capitalization in the dialogue was just unnecessary. The plot was all over the place and it's because of all the secrets that both Tyler and Maddie are hiding but I felt like things could've gone smoother. The romance isn't really a romance just yet, it's just all lust right now but considering there are three more books to go, I'm sure things will start to develop more between these two in the next book. I'm still going to pick up the sequel because that cliffhanger has me hooked and I need to know what is going to happen next!

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A Hit, A Miss and Something In Between || Mini Reviews

THE OTHER BROTHER by MEGHAN QUINN

★★★★½

“...from as far back as I can remember, I've always been the other. The other friend, the other employee...the other brother. For once in my life I want to be the only.”

Let me start off by saying that I don't like the cover for this book. This is not how I pictured Aaron aka Smalls. Now that I've gotten that off my chest, onto the review. I'll admit that I had my doubts when I first read the synopsis for The Other Brother. I don't like love-triangles whatsoever, especially those involving brothers, but if Meghan Quinn can make me love a book about a girl who falls in love with her best friend's ex, then maybe I can let the love triangle slide...

Letting Amelia Santos go has been Aaron Walters' only regret in life. Now he has a chance at gaining back her trust and proving to her that he's worth a second shot. The only problem? She's dating his brother.

I don't know why I ever went into this book with any doubts. I should be slapped upside my head for doubting Meghan Quinn in the first place. I mean what other author can write a book with my most hated trope, love triangles, and my most loved, second-chances, and somehow make me love it? Meghan Quinn did just that! I could not put this book down and I liked how the flashback moments were seamless added to the story. The flashbacks gutted me. I cried so much because Aaron and Amelia were so happy together and then they weren't. 

Oh Aaron Walters, how I love thee, let me count the ways! Aaron is like a big teddy bear. He is so sweet and caring and selfless. Although he may have been foolish to let Amelia go in the first place, I personally thought it was good move because Aaron had to learn to love himself before he could allow himself to let someone in. I was on the fence about Amelia in the beginning but she eventually grew on me. I don't know how she found the will to resist Aaron because my ass would've don—okay let me not finish that thought but I admire her strength considering all that she was going through. The Other Brother was another exceptional read by Meghan Quinn and if she ever does decide to write another book set in this world, I would totally be here for it!

CRAVE: PART TWO by E.K. BLAIR

★★

“Maybe we were too perfect, and because of that, we were meant to be pierced by thorns.”

I wasn't a big fan of Crave: Part One, but the cliffhanger at the end was what pushed me to pick up the sequel. I needed answers. I needed to know what would become of Kason and Adaline's relationship. I needed to know if the sequel would be any better than the first book. Let's just say that I may have set my expectations a bit too high with this book. There will be minor spoilers in this review so don't keep reading if you still want to read the first book!

Crave: Part Two picks up right where Part One left off, with Adaline waking up and having no memory of what happened the night before. She feels embarrassed and blames herself for letting a guy she barely knew take advantage of her while under the influence. Adaline starts on a downward spiral and she begins to isolate herself from everyone, including Kason. Can these two survive this trauma or will secrets be the end of their relationship?

Like with the first book, Crave: Part Two also touches upon a difficult subject matter: rape. Majority of this story deals with Adaline coming to terms with her rape and realizing that she is not to blame. The thing is though, I didn't like the fact that rape was used as a plot twist. It just rubs me the wrong way. That was the first thing that made me not like this book. The second was THE UNNECESSARY ADDITION OF A LOVE INTEREST MAKING THIS A LOVE TRIANGLE!! Gosh, I hate any type of geometrical relationships in romances and considering everything Adaline had already gone through, I don't think there needed to be another love interest. It was pointless because if she wasn't ending up with Kason at the end, then WTF would be the point of all of this?!

As for the characters, their POVs didn't do anything for me. I just disconnected after I realized that there was probably going to be a new love interest. I really wished that both these books had more POVs with Kason. I wanted to get to him more and I wish that his addiction was discussed more. I'm hoping my next read by E.K. Blair will be much better because this series is definitely my least favorite by her.

LOVERS LIKE US by KRISTA & BECCA RITCHIE

★★★½

“I've been fucking stubborn, but I'd rather be stubborn with you than without you.”

Damaged Like Us is my most disappointing read for 2017 so I went into Lovers Like Us with no expectations so I wouldn't have to deal with being disappointed again. I'm happy to say that I did enjoy this sequel a bit more than the first book, but the series itself still has some flaws.

Lovers Like Us picks up some time after the rumors about  Moffy and Jane being in a romantic relationship have died down and things are slowly getting back to normal. There is still a bit of tension now that Moffy and Farrow have come out to their family and the security team about being in a relationship so in hopes of turning all this negative attention into something positive, the group decides to go on tour to meet their fans and help raise money for a good cause. But that's easier said than done.

I wasn't too excited to read yet another book about Moffy and Farrow and I'm really glad that this sequel didn't focus so much on this relationship. Instead we got to see more of the secondary characters and the security team. Jane is my favorite and I'm patiently waiting for her book. I feel like she deserves so much more than she gets and I just want her to be happy. The security team is a fucking riot! I couldn't not keep a straight face while reading their scenes and I'm looking forward to getting to know all the guys better as the series continues.

I'm just going to come right out and say it: I don't think I will ever like Maximoff Hale. I'm so tired of his "god-like" complex and the fact that everyone goes to him when they're in trouble. I don't get the obsession at all and I think Charlie Cobalt expressed all my thoughts about Moffy perfectly. Farrow is okay, I guess? I just feel that because Farrow's world revolves around Moffy, we don't really know who he is without Moffy at his side and I kind of want to get to know that Farrow. I'm very curious to see how things turn out for these two in the final installment because things are definitely about to get crazy now that the cat is out of the bag but I'm going to probably keep my expectations low once again so I don't hype myself up too much.

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Damaged Like Us || Book Review

Damaged Like Us by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Series: Like Us

Publication Date: June 27, 2017

Publisher: K.B Ritchie
Links: Goodreads || Amazon || Barnes & Nobles  

Rating: ★★½

Synopsis via Goodreads: Don’t date your bodyguard. 
It was the one rule he had to break.

Maximoff Hale is a force of nature. A ship unwilling to be steered. Headstrong, resilient, and wholly responsible — the twenty-two-year-old alpha billionaire can handle his unconventional life. By noon, lunch can turn into a mob of screaming fans. By two, his face is all over the internet. 

Born into one of the most famous families in the country, his celebrity status began at birth. 

He is certified American royalty. 

When he’s assigned a new 24/7 bodyguard, he comes face-to-face with the worst case scenario: being attached to the tattooed, MMA-trained, Yale graduate who’s known for “going rogue” in the security team — and who fills 1/3 of Maximoff's sexual fantasies. 

Twenty-seven-year-old Farrow Keene has one job: protect Maximoff Hale. Flirting, dating, and hot sex falls far, far out of the boundary of his bodyguard duties and into “termination” territory. But when feelings surface, protecting the sexy-as-sin, stubborn celebrity becomes increasingly complicated. 

Together, boundaries blur, and being exposed could mean catastrophic consequences for both.

If you know me, then you know that the Addicted/Calloway Sisters series is one of my all-time favorite series EVER! I completely adore everything about the Addicted world: the characters, their struggles, the families, the romances...literally everything.  So like many others who are a fan of Krista and Becca's books, I too was excited to dive into the next generation of Hale/Calloway/Meadows. But I think my over excitement got the best of me because I didn't end up loving Damaged Like Us as much as I had hoped...

Damaged Like Us takes us back to the Addicted world, but this time it's all about the new generation. The Hale, Calloway, and Meadows children are all grown up, taking on the world and dealing with the struggles of being in the spotlight. Their lives are plastered on the pages of magazines and they are forever being stalked by the paparazzi. Being the oldest of all the children, Maximoff Hale has become quite protective of his family and will defend them at all cost. He's already accomplished so much at the young age of twenty-two, but when it comes to the romance department, he has his guards up. So when Maximoff's new bodyguard turns out to be none other than the guy who fills all of his fantasies, lines become blurred and Maximoff finds himself letting his guard down for the one person he can't have.

*DEEP SIGH*

So I may be exaggerating just a bit, but to be honest I can't say that there was much about Damaged Like Us that I actually liked. I went into this new series expecting it to be a lot like the Addicted/Calloway Sisters series and combined with my high expectations, I think I totally set myself up to be let down. But before we get to the bad, let's talk about the good stuff. I love the fact that family plays a major role in this new series and that the Hale/Calloway/Meadows crew stick together. They may argue and disagree over certain matters, but when shit hits the fan they have each others backs. I also liked how protective Moffy was of everyone with his little descriptions of how he would totally end you if you tried to hurt it family! It was cute to be honest. ALSO, SEEING THE CORE SIX! Although we didn't get to see much of Lily, Daisy and Rose, still being able to see any of the core six at all was enough for me. I miss them so much and I'm so proud of how far they've come.

Now onto the bad. Damaged Like Us is a forbidden romance with a bit of a friends-to-lovers thrown in and I was very excited to see Moffy and Farrow get together. I'm a big fan of the bodyguard trope, but this romance just fell a bit flat for me. I wish that there was more of a build-up when it came to the romance. I wanted more angst. I think I also was expecting a stronger emotional connection between the pair, but everything just felt very shallow. 

While I liked how protective and caring Moffy was for his family, I'm not a big fan of Moffy himself. Moffy is totally idolized in this book by his siblings and cousins. Moffy is the one who helps with all of their problems. Moffy is successful and gets what he wants. Moffy can literally do no wrong. It just became annoying and I was rolling my eyes after a while. Also, why was Moffy constantly concerned about the media comparing him to Ryke? I thought this issue was resolved during Some Kind of Perfect so why was it even relevant in this book?! It was just excessive drama and shouldn't have been included.

But the worst part was the damn plot twist. THE PLOT TWIST PISSED ME OFF SO MUCH! 

JANE DESERVED BETTER!

My girl Jane and the core six were honestly done so dirty. Like y'all can fight me on this, but this plot twist wasn't even necessary. Things could've gone in a totally different direction and Jane wouldn't have been hurt. I can't even predict how shit will go down in the sequel because we already know that the media is unforgiving so how exactly does Moffy expect things to work out?! It was just straight up bullshit and I'm still mad about how things went down.

Damaged Like Us is my most disappointing read for 2017. I don't even know how I feel about the fact that three books in this new series will be revolve around Moffy and Farrow. Like why though?? At this point, I'm hoping Jane and Sulli's books won't let me down or I may riot.

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