Thief by Tarryn Fisher

Thank you +Tarryn Fisher  for Caleb, Olivia, and Leah.

My world has felt just a tad-bit smaller since finishing the last line of this story. My heart hasn’t stopped breaking over the realization that this is it.

This story has the kind of love that can stain your soul, make you beg not to have one, just to escape the spell that it has put you under. I’ve tried to break myself of this story over and over, but it’s pointless. I’ve got more of this story in my veins than blood.

I can’t take credit for those words, but they are the only ones that will ever come close to describing this book for me. To experience the original fifty words in their intended context, you’ll have to read line 14-17 of Thief.

Dirty Red by Tarryn Fisher

Ummm...what kind of emotions did this book evoke?

The kind where you book a flight to Seattle in hopes of tracking down the author. You have a legitimate game plan for when you arrive that you probably spent WAY too much time plotting out. 

Once you’ve searched every coffee shop and knocked on every door (and managed not to get arrested for trespassing – YAY!), you finally to spot her in the local grocery store buying a tub of Cherry Garcia (WTF?!?!). You casually walk up to her and unleash a profanity-laced tirade on her west-coast ass!

And once that’s all out of your system, you hug her, beg for her forgiveness for losing your shit, and get her Starbucks.

Once you’ve had a chance to chat with her and miraculously managed to convince her that you are not some lunatic stalker who flew across the country to yell at her, you say your Hail Tarryns. Because this author is the book-god that you have been praying to.

Then you get you’re ass home, because you just realized that you have to start Thief, but you forgot your ereader at home, and it would be just a tad too expensive to buy yet another one.

To quote the ever sublime Beyonce, Bow down bitches because Tarryn Fisher is fucking royalty.

One Pink Line by Dina Silver

This is not going to be a full-out review of yet another book I loved. This is going to be a thank you note.

To the author Dina Silver,

You wrote 260 pages of words that I connected to. That had me infuriated along side the characters. That had me shedding tears of frustration, sadness, and utter joy. I've been very fortunate to have read a lot of wonderful books in the recent months, and One Pink Line is no exception. It will be one that I will re-read many more times to come.

To Jessica Park,

You can now add 'Recommender of Totally Amazing Books' to your business card.

Sincerely, 
Me

Lick (Stage Dive #1) by Kylie Scott

Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my face for the 100th time today. You're probably thinking I just finished the book moments ago. Nope. So wrong you are. I finished it yesterday around this time and I've been horribly distracted because of it for the past 24 hours. Swooning over fictional characters doesn't always make for a productive day.

I think some would agree with me when I say there are a few choice rock star 'book-boyfriends' out there who are worthy of mass hysteria (i.e. changing ones last name to that of the character's on social media, naming kids after him, tattoos, etc). Some authors will try to replicate a formula that works well for others, but somehow manage to fall short in the 'I'd leave my significant other for this a**hole with an amazing soul who is so effing hot so nothing else really matters' category.

And then there's David. Holy mother F*** (if I post this on amazon, they'll reject it because of the swear words, so I'm playing by their rules)! I'm not trying to promote another book in this post, but David Ferris gives Kellan Kyle a SERIOUS run for his money.

KK should be scared - really scared. Once the entire world discovers how delicious David is, husbands will be left, dogs won't be walked, and dinners won't be made (not trying to be sexist, so don't go there).

The gist of the story is that Evelyn Thomas wakes up in Vegas married to someone she vaguely recognizes. Turns out that 'someone' is David Ferris - as in a famous rock star. Before you think 'yeah, that's been done already', take a chill pill! The premise is old, but the writing is really sharp. The dialogue is hysterical, and the characters are really easy to love (I want Mal to be my friend!). The author has managed to take a cliche and make it one of the best books I've read this summer. And if for nothing else, read this book because of David Ferris. He's the perfect mix of alpha-male, vulnerable rocker, and sex on a stick.

p.s. for those in Toronto CANADA...wait until this heat wave passes, because you will combust! It's that HOT!

Picturing Perfect by Melissa Brown

This book has a lot of things going for it that make it a really great read.

Douche-nozzle of a boyfriend? Check! (Thank the ever-holy book-gods for how that turns out!)

Funny t-shirts? Check!

Totally swoon-worthy guy who is a WRITER and wears funny t-shirts? Check!

And this guy wears glasses? Check! (somehow, I love him just for this *sigh*)

THE best references to 80s music and movies? Check!

Hadley and Jason have known each other for a long time. She's been in love with him for what seems like forever. But seeing how he has felt about her, is what has made me a huge fan of this author.

I love love. But I go BANANAS when love is written in a way that has me hungover for days. Which is what this book did to me. Sure, Hadley and Jason's circumstances aren't ideal for fostering a lasting relationship. Yeah, not every guy out there is as stand-up as Jason. But somehow, you know everything is going to work out, because this was after all Jason.

I loved everything about this book. Except Tucker. That mo-fo needed a run-in with a speeding train for being the asshole of the year. I would have trashed the entire ebook had he gotten in the way of Hadley and Jason. And if he all of a sudden decided he wanted to be a part....AGH! I can't even say it. This was where my mind initially went, and I was ready to bring some hurt to my ereader. Imagination is a wonderful thing, except when it's all wrong!

But this is the story of Jason and Hadley, and from what I now know of the author, she really writes amazing love. There are two people who are meant to be. Then you get to the end, and in that moment, Jason Kelly will forever be alongside the likes of Noah Calhoun.

This is one of those books that is a must-read for every die-hard hopeless romantic. 

Sweet Thing by Renee Carlino

I finished this book about two weeks ago, and I'm still thinking about it. I figured anything that has the ability to stick with me deserves a review (even if it's just my rambling thoughts).

I bought this book because of the cover.

No other reason - just the cover.

There are numerous reasons to read this book; the well-developed characters, the angst, the brilliance of the heartbreak, the author's amazing writing style. But the reason I will reread this story more times that I will ever admit to: WILBUR.

Yep, the boy's name is Wilbur (though he goes by Will).

He's a musician. He's not a fan of flying. He loves dogs. He's very passionate. And he really loves Mia.

Mia.

I'm not a violent person, but I would have gladly gone a couple of rounds with her so she could have had some sense knocked into her.

Yes she has her reasons for not wanting to be with Will. I even get her trying to work through that and trying to find a guy that fits her idea of a 'future', but there were times where I just found her to be mean.

All that aside, this is a really good love story. It doesn't have a cliffhanger. It doesn't leave you with a thousand unanswered questions. This book gave me a fantastic ending that the HEA-feind in be is still reeling from.

The Low Notes by Kate Roth

You know the best thing about not knowing anything about a book before you actually start reading it? The utter joy when it’s not what you thought it would be because it’s so much better.

When Kevin and Nina first meet, I was reminded of when Allie and Noah first met in The Notebook. I know it’s a pretty bold statement, but it’s the way it came across to me. It might have been Nina’s original nonchalant demeanor, or Kevin’s eager text message, but something about these two characters together had me holding out hope for a great love story.

Fast-forward a couple of chapters, and I was knocked down a few pegs because as their circumstances unfold, I realized that this book had serious potential to bruise my HEA-seeking heart.

What made this book really (REALLY!) good for me was the sheer desperation of Nina and Kevin wanting to be together. Their reality was the constant obstacle, but the intensity of what they felt for each other never seemed to waver. Even in those moments where I thought ‘this is it – they’re done’, I could literally feel their heartbreak as they tried to put some distance between themselves.

I think that some readers might initially be skittish about this type of ‘forbidden’ romance and the subsequent age gap. But I found that Nina was written more like an ‘old soul’, so any grimacing moments I thought I might have never materialized. Had she been nonsensical and flippant, I would have despised this story.

Though I love a happily-ever-after like it’s no one’s business, I don’t like it when it comes on a silver platter. Having had the ending draw out the way it did just solidified to me that what Kevin and Nina had was not a ‘you want it because you can’t have it’ type of affair. It was grounded in something deeper that, even with a valiant effort on both parts, neither could live without.

The beginning captured me, the middle gutted me, and the end mended my heart. This is one of those stories that I need in paperback. And if you know anything about me, you know that’s saying a lot.