ARC received from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review
"I want all of you, London."
The first time Kai made an appearance in the Tear Asunder books, he caught my attention and I was instantly under his spell. Something about his aura, the mystery, and coldness about him stuck with me and I was already intrigued. Nashoda Rose did not fail in living up to my expectations. If any, she actually hypnotized me even more. Kai grew up tortured, stripped of emotions, a criminal but when he saw London, the daughter of the scientist who Vault, where Kai grew up in, creating a drug for them, things changed for him. London brought him light in his darkness and reading how she affected and slowly chipped away at Kai's steel walls was so sweet in its own way. Nashoda Rose made me feel like I was watching a fast-paced, thrilling movie instead of reading it. The characters felt alive and the journey of their story was so exciting that I was buzzing until the very end and even at that point, the author still didn't let my attention go because now I'm looking forward to Connor's story!
Perfect Ruin perfectly ruined my sleep, but it was also perfectly worth it because Kai and London's bumpy story was the perfect story for them. And okay, I would say there were some tear-marks on my pillow from that one scene with London and her dad. The author just had to touch my sensitive feelings. The grit and darkness of Perfect Ruin were balanced by the sexy and romantic aspect of it making it a perfectly enjoyable read for me. Now, I'm looking forward to Connor's story!
ARC received from T.M. Frazier for an honest review
“I wanted you because of who you are, not regardless of who you are.”
If you've read King and Tyrant, then you've met Bear. At least some parts of him. For me, those parts were enough to make me want to get to know about him more. I felt there was a story for him and I'm so happy when I found out that he's having his own book. Excited. Curious. Giddy. His parts in Tyrant sealed my interest in him even further and Lawless was more than I expected it would be. IT WAS UHH-MAY-ZING-LY ADDICTING!
T.M. Frazier wrote a hypnotic story between Bear (a.k.a Abel) and Thia (a.k.a Cynthia), as a reader, I was left flipping the pages or tapping the screen, if I may so, like there was no tomorrow. I was instantly hooked on the meeting of two young Bear and Thia and how they talked with each other. It may seem somewhat strange to feel the chemistry between two young character especially if one of them is just 10-years old, but believe me, it's so adorably innocent but cute enough to make me smile and picture them together in the future.
Now years later after their first encounter, Thia is ready to cash in on the help that Bear promised her after a tragic incident happened but what she got isn't what she expected at all. No Bear, no help, just more pain and more trauma. What I liked about Thia though, is that she's one tough cookie. One really tough cookie. So thank you, T.M. Frazier for writing yet another heroine that's sweet yet still kicks ass. When Bear finally came in to the rescue, it wasn't easy. He was drowning in himself without the MC but I admire his sticking with his decision about the Beach Bastard leadership under his old man and he wants nothing to do with it. However, now that he's out of the club, he doesn't know what to do but when Thia showed up in his life again, the protective and caring (in his own way) Bear resurfaced.
I loved Lawless, I loved how the author wrote her characters with a good amount of spunk, fierceness, action, thrill, and sex. I am a huge sucker for age gaps and Bear and Thia had 10 years between them but it's like *sigh* I love everything about them! And that ending is a cruel cliffhanger ohmygoodness! But it looks like T.M. Frazier can write all these cliffhangers and I will still read and love them all as long as they are as brilliantly written as the King series. All the wait is totally worth it! Stars:5 stars Recommended to:Readers who want to get thrilled while swooning for the hero, this is for you. And let's not forget about the kick ass heroine. Not a pushover doormat. Series:Book 3 in the King series but the first of two in Bear's story. POV:First person. Dual POV. Extra Comment:There's a whole lot of King and Doe appearance and they're beautiful!!!
She can forgive, but can she forget? Some days, Everly still thinks she sees him. In the food court at the mall, or in a car speeding past as the light changes. It only lasts a second, but when it happens, she slips back to a time when she was ruled-and nearly ruined-by August Kincaid. And it doesn't matter that she's moved on, that she's about to marry another man. In those moments the only thing she can do to regain control is take a deep breath and remind herself that August can't hurt her-because he's in a coma. Except that he's not anymore. August is awake. With no memories, he sets out to solve the mystery of his lost life. He unearths a photograph of a beautiful redhead named Everly and knows instinctively that she's the key. But when he finds her, the August she describes is more monster than man. Tortured by the thought of having hurt her, August wants only to become the man Everly deserves. As the new August emerges, Everly glimpses the person she first fell in love with. But can she trust that this August is real? When the final secret of their shared past is revealed, one of them will make a choice that changes their future forever . . .
4 August Stars
ARC received from InkSlinger PR for an honest review
"Could the heart remember what the mind couldn't?"
There is not one book of J.L. Berg's that I didn't love right off the bat. She always had that magic touch for me in which she introduces her characters and their stories in a way that intrigues me and makes me fall slowly in love. So, excuse me while I flail around and throw objects at the wall because...
WHAT THE FLIPPING BATMAN DID I GET MYSELF INTO WITH FORGETTING AUGUST?!
...
(and that's me yelling in a loving way, by the way)
Okay, now that I've let that out, let me explain. If you've read my reviews and you've seen the kind of books I read, you would know that I am not big about love triangles. A little background or a snippet, maybe I can do, but that's not to say I haven't read and even ended up loving a book or two with love triangles, but I do try my best to steer clear of them especially if they are ARCs. But come on, since this is J.L. Berg and she's never failed me once, I wanted to give this a try. The cover was stunning, the synopsis was intriguing, and the author is one of my favorites, why not read this new duet?
I dove right in. The Prologue hooked me but to be honest, I struggled with the first few chapters. Not because it was horrible or boring but because my emotions couldn't handle all that's going in. And that just proves how effective the author is in her storytelling. You would know that this is not my normal cup of tea, but my brain couldn't stop trying to figure out the whys, the whats, the hows, the whos. As much as I would love to ramble (believe me, I can ramble on and on about how this book made me feel), I couldn't do that without possibly giving out spoilers. That would be a shame because Forgetting August is best experience blindfolded and once that blindfold is removed, you'll experience one hell of a surprise!
So for now, I'm leaving you all with little pieces of advice:
- If you are not a fan of love triangles, August and Everly's story is a bit complicated with lots of history, and try to stick it out because it will be worth it
- Cliffhangers are the bane of our reading experience, I know, so be prepared to handle a good cliffhanger with this one. And by good, I mean good enough to pull our hairs out until the next book comes out next year
- Everly frustrated the heckles out of me but August? August got to me right away. So, get ready to fall in love with August, as unlikely as it may seem from what the synopsis implies
- Chocolates, wine, or whatever comfort food you love. Keep them handy, you'll need them while reading and while waiting for the second book
This is a thrilling, emotional, thought-provoking first book and if this is anything to go by, I am looking forward to how August and Everly's happily ever after will conclude. I don't even know how I managed to survive this and that just goes to show how beautiful of a writer J.L. Berg is. Cheers!
Stars: 4 stars
Recommended to: If you enjoy some suspense and twist in your stories, grab your copy of Forgetting August now!
Series: Book 1 of 2 of The Lost & Found series
POV: First person. Dual POV.
Extra Comment: I'm ready! Give me the second book now! ;)
Forever Romance and J.L. Berg invite readers to join them for a Facebook party on December 9 from 7 – 10 PM EST to celebrate FORGETTING AUGUST, on sale December 1. In addition to fun guests and giveaways, there will be a great discussion about the book as J.L. Berg takes fan questions. RSVP here.
About J.L. Berg
Author J.L. Berg is a California native living in the South. She is the author of the self-pubbed Ready series, which has sold over 100,000 copies. Married to her high school sweetheart. She and her husband have two beautiful girls that drive them batty on a daily basis. When she's not writing, you can find her with her nose stuck in a romance book, in a yoga studio or devouring anything chocolate. Website| Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads| Newsletter
