Tag: Death

Posted in Jamie McGuire, Suspense

Red Hill – Jamie McGuire

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

17457124Synopsis

When the world ends, can love survive?

For Scarlet, raising her two daughters alone makes fighting for tomorrow an everyday battle. Nathan has a wife, but can’t remember what it’s like to be in love; only his young daughter Zoe makes coming home worthwhile. Miranda’s biggest concern is whether her new VW Bug is big enough to carry her sister and their boyfriends on a weekend escape from college finals.

When reports of a widespread, deadly “outbreak” begin to surface, these ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances and suddenly their fates are intertwined. Recognizing they can’t outrun the danger, Scarlet, Nathan, and Miranda desperately seek shelter at the same secluded ranch, Red Hill. Emotions run high while old and new relationships are tested in the face of a terrifying enemy—an enemy who no longer remembers what it’s like to be human.

Set against the backdrop of a brilliantly realized apocalyptic world, love somehow finds a way to survive. But what happens when the one you’d die for becomes the one who could destroy you?

4 out of 5 stars

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My Review

For someone who doesn’t like anything Zombie related – books, TV shows, films…I surprised myself by actually wanting to read Red Hill and see just how disturbed I could be by reading a Zombie book.

I began reading this one morning on the way to work, and to be honest, I wasnt so far in when I began to feel really faint – Told you I wasnt good with zombies and gore and anything hospital related. So I stopped and told myself I would wait until I was home, but all throughout the day it was all I could think about, so on my lunch I read a bit more until I was sneaking bits between doing my work for the rest of the day.

Jamie took a big risk switching genres but it definitely paid off. I was hooked, despite my emotions all over the place and I even dreamt about Zombies coming after me when I put it down for the night. Although this book is about Zombies, it really is more about the people doing whatever they can to survive this apocalypse, to make it to safety, to make it to the ones that they love – and each character are entwined in one way or another – they just don’t know it yet.

Behind the backdrop of a now apocalyptic world, it is a fight for survival, a fight to stay alive and not get caught by the ‘Teds’ – which Zoe calls them. We see the fear of the three groups we follow, the fight to make it to Red Hill – to the safe haven where it’s far into the countryside that they are save and away from the Teds, despite a few rolling across the fields and the stretch of road.

We meet all the characters the day of the breakout, we watch them panic and set off to find loved ones so they can get to safety. We meet Scarlet first, she was working in the hospital when it broke out and as her children are with their father that weekend, she is determined to get to them, to get them to Red Hill and safe. We watch her kick into survival mode, doing whatever she can to get to her children. I’m not a mother but I can completely understand her panic over getting to her children. I can just imagine not being there to console them, keep them from harms way and it tore a new one in my heart over how she just wanted them with her NOW! We watch her going it alone, we witness the heartbreak when she gets to her ex-husbands house and they arent there. She writes where she is going, knowing them with know where it is and she sets off, in the hope that they will return to the house and make their way to her. Hope is all she has left and throghout the book we see her everyday waiting to see her children walking over the hill to the house. Never once does she let go of that hope and as the reader, I was with her, wishing for her children to be alive and safely making there way to her.

Scarlet really is a badass too! She can shoot a gun, she can get close enough to crack their skulls and she truly is amazing in my eyes. Despite wanting her children, she has the strength to make it through the apocalypse. She really was a tough chick.

Nathan and his daughter Zoe got to me a lot. He;s in a loveless marriage and the only person he looks forward to seeing is Zoe. When he finds out about the breakout, he races to Zoe, and races to his brother-in-laws as Skeeter has the guns and the strength to make it though the invasion. We watch Nathan’s determination to keep Zoe safe and from harms way throughout the book. He is one tough cookie but he is a softy underneath. He never lies to Zoe or promises anything he cant keep and I liked that about him. They are facing a brand new life of always being so close to death and to tell her it will be fine would be a complete lie.

Miranda, her sister Ashley and their boyfriends Bryce and Cooper are on their way to her Dad’s house – the same place which Scarlet is cooped up in as she worked with their father. They are shit scared, especially Ashley, but Miranda has to stay focused and get through the hysteria of humans and zombies running past her car. She has to get to the house and hug her dad and know they are safe away in the countryside. Miranda was a tough character, she had definitely set in survival mode and Ashley really hadnt. She was petrified and did annoy me at times. She needed to be consoled all the time, reassured all the time. You dont have time to act like a scary cat, you just need to get your shit together and fight to survive. Saying that, her and Cooper were really cute together and you could see how much they loved each other; they could sense each other even if they weren’t facing one another.

When Miranda picks up a guy, Joey…oh I loved him so much and Miranda started to fall for him too – when they made it to the house. Joey lost his girlfriend to the virus, has only just got back form Afghanistan but he was hard, he know just want needed to be done to get to the house, to get running water…he knew what to do. Underneath his hard ass, he was sweet and really liked Miranda too.

They all witness deaths, they all see and kill Zombies – apart from the kids, and they all grieve in their own way. Too many of my favourite characters died and I think the worst death was the one we didnt read about, but just told about because, oh holy hell, he was definitely my favourite 😦

We do see the growing attraction between Nathan and Scarlet. We see them start as friends, Nathan being there for Scarlet, we watch them care about each other, fall in love and find happiness during the dark times. They dont meet until late in the book, but it would see easy to just bond over going through the same things and they were really sweet together, although the romance doesnt play a huge part of the book, it was nice to have something.

Throughout the book it got me thinking about what I would do if our world became overrun by Zombies…to be honest I had visions of my flatmate being bitten, me hiding in my room, door locked and sat against it while she tried to get in…and then I couldn’t sleep. I really would hope I would go into survival mode and do something, but knowing my luck I’d be bitten and turn into one. You really do think about what you would do, where you would run to to hide, who you would want to get to throughout the book. The fears of who you would lose, who you would see turn and that freaks me out just a bit. I’m not good at the whole thinking this could happen…lets just hope it never does.

If you are like me and have never touched a zombie book, seriously, pick this one up. It’s not just about Zombies, its about the fight to stay alive, to be with the ones you love and doing whatever you can to get to them whilst staying alive. Thee is romance, but its not heavily based at all, and despite being a lover of all things romance, it didn’t actually bother me at all….i was more concerned over who was going to die and who was going to live.

Give it a go…you may even want to read more Zombie books…

Posted in Book Tours

BOOK TOUR: Fall from Love – Heather London

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

FallFromLoveTourBannerToday is The Book Lover’s stop on the Fall From Love book tour. I will be sharing my review with you.

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17695128Synopsis

Struggling to put her life back together after a tragic mountaineering accident kills her college sweetheart, twenty-one-year-old Holly Treadwell is trying to set aside her grief, forge ahead in school, and find herself again.

When Carter Hansen, a guy who brings back horrible memories from the night of the accident, finds his way back into her life, Holly’s unsure if she should let him in. He terrifies her in more ways than one and invokes feelings in her that she thought were buried forever. Regardless of her fears, she knows she must face him in order for her heart to heal.

Everyone tells Carter that what happened on the mountain that night was just a terrible accident, but even then, he can’t help but carry around the guilt and is unable to forgive himself. He’s drawn to Holly and being near her helps ease his conscience and gives him the release he needs.

As Holly and Carter’s relationship grows, they begin to realize that the more time they spend with one another, the more their wounds begin to heal—her grief and his guilt. But when Holly learns the details about the night of the accident—what everyone has been keeping from her—it will rip open old wounds and tear apart what they’ve both worked so hard to overcome…

4 /5 stars

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My Review

If Holly could rewind that night, she would have never let college sweetheart walk out the door. That night changed everything and since her boyfriend died after a tragic mountaineering accident, she is struggling to put her life back together. With the help of her best friend Jenna, she is trying to put her grief aside and get on with her life. But it’s just hard.

Carter Hansen was with Holly’s boyfriend the night of his death. He brings back horrible memories from that night but he finds a way back into Holly’s life. He just wants to know shes okay and he wants her to know the truth about that night too. Although she doesn’t want anything to dowith him, the more time they have to spend together, the more they become friends. He evokes felings in her she thought she’d never feel, but shes scared.

Carter has seen more death in his life than he should have and even though everyone tells him that night wasn’t his fault, he can’t help but feel guilt and he can’t forgive himself. He needs to forgive himself but he needs Holly to understand the truth of that night first.

What happens when their relationship grows, their wounds begin to heal but Holly finds out about that night? That everyone knew apart from her? Will it tear Holly and Carter apart?

When I saw Fall From Love was having a tour, I literally signed up that very moment. I had read the synopsis and had wanted to read the book asap. As soon as it was gifted to me, that was it. I HAD to read it. I was pulled in from the very first page and from then on, I was sucked in and had to get to the end, to know what was going to happen and see the journey that Holly (and Carter) take, along and together.

Ms. London has a way in which she captivates you within the fiction world. She wrote characters in which you care for. You feel for them, whether it’s to smack them across the head, cry for them, want to give advice or want to be their friend, I felt this way with Holly. Wanting to help her through everything she was feeling, wanting to get her to open her eyes, but then I felt the same with Carter too.

You really do go through the motions. You cry, laugh, swoon, want to beat them around the head, want to shout, throw your kindle down, have your own heart aching, but I love these emotions. It made the book and the pain of what Holly and Carter had been through real.

Carter – I loved him. I can’t reiterate how much I loved reading about him. He’s broken, having known so much about death in his 22 years. He has guilt pouring through him, he has pain pouring through him and since that night of Adam’s death, all hes wanted to do was protect Holly. His caring side showing through. Wanting to make sure she was okay, wanting to save her really from the grief that overtook.

Although consumed with pain, feelings shone through Carter. Feelings that he didn’t really understand but feelings that he welcomed, even if he couldn’t share them. He was a great character, he was funny and sweet and vulnerable too.  You wanted to help take away the pain, be there for him, be his friend, be his girlfriend. Help him through the night of Adam’s death that he held onto so badly.

But he was a dipstick at times. He wanted Holly, he wanted her more than a friend but he was scared. Scared of losing her, of losing her if things didn’t work out and scared of telling her the truth. You just wanted to smack him across the head and tell him that Holly wanted him too and to just go for it. You could see the confliction go through him. He had lost so much and if he lost Holly too, it would kill him. The journey he takes, you see him forgive himself, fall in love and revert back to his old self, the person who is happy and loved up. It was a great sight to see.

I loved Holly and her journey. You see her retreating, and rightly so when her boyfriend Adam dies. You see the pain, the grief, the longing for him to be there with her. She just can’t get over the fact that one night he was there, and the next he was gone. Ripped from her. Her pain eats her up.

Her journey is a tough one. She takes it day by day. Some days are good, some are bad, but she proceeds to try and get over her grief with the help of her best friend Jenna and Carter. You see her become stronger day by day, fall in love with Carter, but shes petrified of her feelings. Her feelings for Carter and scared about losing him, as he is too.

There is such a strong connection between them, that they try to ignore it, but they both feel it. With the help of loved ones, she finally breaks down the barrier she has up, she lets go of her pain and the grief she holds onto and although she will always love Adam, she loves Carter. When a certain situation happens, you see just how much she loves him, going to him, waiting for him and showing him that he won’t lose her.

I loved watching her grow, loved watching her become herself again, finding herself, finding love and becoming the strong girl she used to be.

There love was a slow build up. From friends, to best friends, to lovers. It was great to see their relationship move slowly, getting to know one another, falling in love over time. Nothing was rushed, it was taken at a steady pace and even though there were so hiccups along the way, everything turns out fine in the end. Everything is sorted out and they finally succumb to their feelings, after shying away and hiding them for so long. Afraid to change what they had together.

My favourite scene includes Carter and Holly. It involves a night when Carter is mountain rescuing and Holly is freaking out. I’m not going to say anything else about what happens, but it’s a pivotal point between these two and one that changes their whole relationship. For the better or for worse? That is something that you need to read to find out yourself 😉

Jenna and Josh (Carters bff) are amazing secondary characters…okay they aren’t so secondary as they are literally a foursome, they all do everything together. They are so cute and funny together, you can see the love they have for one another and for their respecitive best friend. Jenna is awesome, she is always there for Holly, through thick and thin and she will do whatever she can to make sure Holly can get through Adam’s death and slowly convert back into the old Holly, the one who was full of life. She’s there to help her heal. Josh is the same with Carter. Carter and Josh have been best buds since they were little and have been through so much together. Both friends just want to see their friends happy….with each other as its obvious that Holly and Carter want one another. They say the best things to push them together and I loved Josh and Jenna, together, in their relationship and as friends to the two.

Fall From Love is an emotional journey. A journey of grief, friendship, love and overcoming your past to focus on your present and future. It truly was a great book to read, and I would recommend it to all you lovely people to grab your copy and become engrossed within the story of Carter and Holly. It’s definitely real and heart-clenching and a book that should be read by everyone.

Posted in Erotica, New Adult

ARC: Lover Undercover – Samanthe Beck

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

17698384Synopsis

He’s undercover. She’s in over her head. Yoga instructor Kylie Roberts is the good twin. At least she was—until an accident forces Kylie to step into her twin’s sexy stilettos at a posh Hollywood “men’s club.” But nothing could’ve prepared Kylie for the dead body in the club’s parking lot or the ridiculously hot detective who insists the killer is targeting her regulars.  Detective Trevor McCade needs Kylie’s help to draw out the killer. It means long nights undercover and long dances where Kylie’s body tempts him with sensual promises. Dances that leave them both wanting more. But despite Kylie’s hidden identity and the danger lurking in the shadows, it’s only a matter of time before Kylie and Trevor take this undercover operation under the covers…

4/5 hearts

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My Review

*Thanks to Publishers via NetGalley for approving me of reading Lover Uncover in exchange for an honest review*

Kylie and Stacy Roberts have been joined at the hip since forever, well they are twins. People back in their home town always had expectations that they were never amount to anything especially Stacy who is deemed the ‘bad’ Robert, so why not live up to that reputation. When they were old enough to move away and try to prove them wrong, L.A came calling.

Kylie is the ‘good’ sister and is a yoga instructor, focussing all her time and effort on her job, which means romance and dating has taken a backburner since…well forever. When her sister is involved in an accident, Kylie is forced to step into her twin’s shoes at a posh Hollywood ‘men’s cub.’ Cursing her sister for making her pretend to be her so they can pay their rent, Kylie couldn’t have imagined she’d find a dead body after her first night or that a smoking hot detective insists the killer is targeting her regulars.

Detective Trevor McCade needs Kylie to help him with the investigation to make the killer strike out again…at him. This means long nights undercover at the club and long dances where Kylie’s body seduces him into a frenzy. Her dances are leaving both of them wanting more and it’s only a matter of time before Kylie and Trevor take this whole undercover service under the covers.

After reading Private Practice by Samanthe Beck, when I saw this book was by her and when I read the synopsis, I clicked ‘request’ and was so happy when I received an email to say I was approved to read it. Gosh, I loved every single moment of reading this book. Samanthe keeps you in tenterhooks, with the investigation, wondering who the killer is, to Kylie’s journey and discovering it’s okay to have people help you and to open yourself up to romance and of course, the ‘undercover’ romance between both Trevor and Kylie- hot, hot, HOT!! Swooooosh!

Samanthe Beck’s writing is engaging; it draws you in so you have to keep turning the pages and its all kinds of sexy and informative – with the police investigation and the sexy scenes. With the investigation and how it was handled, it seemed that Ms. Beck has done her research on how victims should be handled and treated, how secret you must be when undercover and how fast you must react when the killer strikes. Although there are obvious some scenes that in no way would be allowed to happen, it all added to the fun of this book. It all interested me until the very end and I had many different men on my list of suspects. I can guarantee you probably won’t guess who it is…I sure as hell didn’t.

When her twin sister Stacy breaks her leg, she cons Kylie into pretending to be her until its healed as Stacy is technically the one earning the money to pay their rent. Kylie isn’t happy at all, not wanting to pretend to be her sister and to be a stripper but if they want to stay in their house, its something she has to do. Kylie is literally the sweetest character you can imagine. She’s taken a backburner on the dating scene because her mother royally screwed up around men and with her bad parenting, whereas her sister went the other way, screwing men then leaving them, not thinking she is good enough for a relationship.

Kylie is loyal, bright, determined and straight-thinking, yet she’s fiercely independent and doesn’t like the thought of a man coming between her and her dreams of opening her own yoga studio. Because of her mother, who was so dependent on men, it’s turned her the other way to not want a man and to not let him stop her in any way. I kind of admired that about her, yet it annoyed me too. Being in a relationship, you can still have you independency whilst leaning on them to help you with your dream. But I think with her up-bringing it just made her cautious and that is why she was the way she was.

Trevor is a detective who has recently been given a case suddenly has a link when a stripper is seemingly connected to the two men who have been beaten to death. The two men who were regulars of this stripper. Both loyal to Stacy. But with Kylie pretending to be Stacy, its Kylie who had to keep up appearances and who is slap bang in the middle of this investigation into finding the killer. Going undercover, Trevor knows that the more time he spends with Stacy (Kylie) the more he is falling for her but first he needs to know what she is hiding.

Trevor is a loyal character, he’s lovable, a hard worker and protective. He also has a big heart, and the way hes attracted and falling for Kylie is just so sweet, even when he finds out the truth. He wants to be there for her, prove that not all men will ruin your dreams, he especially will help her at any costs to achieve hers. His protectiveness for Kylie throughout catching the killer pulled my heartstrings. He would do anything for her, to make sure she is safe. He is such a cutie.

The attraction that Trevor and Stacy (Kylie) have is instant. They both feel the pull, the need to get closer to one another and when Trevor is the detective on scene of the death of a man Kylie found, that first proper meeting he is there every step of the way with Kylie, both undercover and in real life. You can see the chemistry and that Kylie feels nervous around him…well she is lying about who she is…but also shes never felt the way she does for ANYONE and now Trevor has turned her into this gooey mess. But she’s also turned him into this gooey mess, especially when she dances for him in his undercover-ness. The more he has to pay for dances and pretend to become a regular to get the killer after him, the more its becoming harder for the two of them to not jump one another and just have sex right then and there in that private room as the dances were particularly steamy!

That epilogue. Holy shit, it reminded me of another book in some ways, but I’m not going to mention what book as it could potentially spoil the ending, but dear god, let me find a guy to do that please! Or let me be Kylie so I can have Trevor. It was the perfect ending and perfect for both of them to be ended like that in the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There is a lot I haven’t mentioned, but I want you to read it yourself to find out what occurs. I have given you the bare minimum to at least catch your attention in reading Lover Undercover and I truly hope it makes you want to buy it when it comes out!

Pushing aside the investigation and the sexy scenes, Lover Undercover takes Trevor and Kylie on a journey. More Kylie really. It takes her on a journey of growing up, of self-discovery, of love and acceptance and a journey that not all men want you to give up your dreams; you just need to find the right one who will support them. From being a shy women to growing up and blossoming into a confident women, who now knows what she wants.

If you loved Private Practice, you will definitely love Lover Undercover too!

Posted in New Adult, Romance

Falling Into You – Jasinda Wilder

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

17448960Synopsis

I wasn’t always in love with Colton Calloway; I was in love with his younger brother, Kyle, first. Kyle was my first one true love, my first in every way.
Then, one stormy August night, he died, and the person I was died with him.

Colton didn’t teach me how to live. He didn’t heal the pain. He didn’t make it okay. He taught me how to hurt, how to not be okay, and, eventually, how to let go.

5/5 stars
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My review

So you know how I always mention that if a book makes me cry then it’s a great one? Well I full on ugly cried throughout this book, so much so, I had to stop, redo my make-up so I could go to work.

Oh god, Jasinda Wilder completely drew me in with Falling Into You. It didn’t take me long at all to read it because I literally devoured it. I couldn’t get enough. Ms. Wilder had me beaming, then sobbing then feeling every single emotion both Nell and Colt were feeling. The songs, dear god, they set me off and because I was also listening to music on my Ipod, songs that were convenient to that scene appeared and I was a mess. But I did like feeling this way as I’ve said; books that make me sob are great ones.

Nell and Kyle grew up together. Since the moment they were born they have been inseparable and to everyone, it seemed inevitable that one day they would end up together. During one argument, their confusion for how they were looking at each other differently came to light and since that moment, they had been together. From best friends to lovers, it seemed an easy transaction for them both. And it was perfect. As a first love, Jasinda captured what it was all about. From the awkwardness of talking about sex, to the desire they had for one another.

But then, I was on edge, because of the synopsis. I was waiting in suspense of when the death of Kyle would happen. I didn’t like that feeling at all because I was dreading it. Dreading to find out how he would die. And oh god, I cried so much I had to put my kindle down and take a few minutes before I could continue.  My heart broke for both Kyle and Nell.

I instantly loved Kyle. He was the best friend Nell ever had. He was always there for her, making her happy, comforting her when she was sad or upset and he was protective over her. They were both there for each other. When feelings changed for one another, it was inevitable. They grew up together, spent every day together; they knew everything about each other so it was just down to time as to when they would be together.

They were happy-go-lucky, in love with one another, waiting to take the next step all their friends were taking. Shift two years in to the future, and they were the happiest they could have been. Then one night it was all taken from Nell. Kyle was taken from her in the most terrible and perhaps heroic way. He saved her but Nell couldn’t see that. She saw her kill him.

When this scene occurred I, 1. Thanked my stars I wasn’t on the train to work, and 2. Cried my heart out until I just had to shut my kindle down and get some sleep. It was just heartbreaking watching Nell’s reactions and sobs and cries for Kyle, and it just hit my core, the amount of pain they were both feeling, all different types of pain consuming them.

Since that fatal day, Nell was never the same. She didn’t cry anymore, she held all the pain and guilt inside of her, still blamed herself for Kyle’s death and just pottered on in life, having nightmares of that night. She still held on to everything, wanting Kyle back. It choked me up over how she kept all the pain inside and wouldn’t let it out. Kyle was her best friend and boyfriend whom she loved and watching him die that way, I know I would never be the same again.

At the funeral we meet Colton – Kyle’s brother whom Nell has never met. There is this connection between them, they share pain over Kyle but it was more than that. But Nell runs and tries to ignore it. She has just lost Kyle.

When she saw Colton after two years, busking in Central Park, that spark is still there, but so is the pain, for both of them, but more so Nell. Colton can see that and is determined to help her through it. Not to tell her it will all be okay, because it won’t, but just get her to open up, get her to release all the pain and to cry. He sure as hell knows about pain, suffering through his childhood and then the pain he suffered in New York. But he’s dealing with it and tries to help Nell deal with it too.

I loved Colton. Sure he seemed like the tough guy and he was, but he was now reformed. Under all the exterior and the tattoos he was just has broken as Nell, but he found ways to get through it. He was caring, protective and music was his way of speaking. I adored all the music he wrote, they were all heartfelt and had me crying. He wasn’t perfect by any means but he really loved Nell and would do anything to help her through the pain, in turn, helping himself too. His advice and his own past experiences of pain and getting through it were enlightening and truthful. And as I’ve mentioned, they both went through horrific things but together, they were trying to make things okay and less painful.

I liked how things weren’t all rosy and cherries on top, they were both feeling the effects of losing loved ones but together, they made it bearable to live each day and to find love with one another. Even at the end of the book, they were still hurting but being together, falling into each other, they knew they were meant to be and they would always be there, to ease the pain somehow and down the line, maybe erase the pain and just leave the guilt and grief behind and turn it into great memories of lost loved ones.

The sex scenes. Oh heck. Seriously, you’ll be fanning yourself because the chemistry between the two of them is off the scale as is the sex. Colton certainly knows what he is doing and how to bring intense and explosive pleasure to Nell. There’s this overwhelming connection that they both share and it just made the sex between them even hotter. They both know what they want and how to please each other and I just…*sigh* would like a Colton for myself.

Music is a massive factor in this book. The music spoke the emotions that both Nell and Colton are going through. Each song represented what they were feeling, from pain, to love, there was a song for each chapter of their life. And it didn’t help that I was listening to my IPod when I was reading this book and songs relevant to the scenes would play, which in turn made me break down reading the scenes.

Falling Into You, is definitely a Five star book. I loved every second of this book. It’s emotional, but there are parts where I was laughing and smiling despite the theme of the book. You’ll want to hug all the characters, take their pain away too and connect with them, not just through the music but you’ll think about your own losses. Your heart will ache but it will get better, you’ll make it through the book, through Nell and Colton’s journey to try and be okay and in the end, you will be.

You all need to give Falling Into You a read, Jasinda Wilder wrote an AMAZING book!

Posted in YA

The Fault in Our Stars – John Green

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

11870085Synopsis

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs… for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind,

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My Review
“It would be my privilege to have my heart broken by you.” ~Gus

Hazel, at 13 was diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer and was prepared to die. But at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs…for now. She still lives with cancer but it’s kept at bay.

Now sixteen, Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tanks and continues to use the medical miracle to keep the tumours at bay. The Doctors have told her she could live for a long time, but she doesn’t have a normal life. Until one boy came and change her life around.
One evening at a cancer kid support group, she meets Augustus Waters. He’s gorgeous, in remission and is in to Hazel. They become friends fast and begin to spend their time together. Their journey together is much needed and they both feel at ease together. Spending time with Augustus has Hazel examining everything in her life. From her sickness, to health, to life and death and how it will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

This book review is going to go a little different today. I have such a book hangover with The Fault in Our Stars that for the first time ever I woke up crying because of it. Baring in mind, I finished this book around 1am (UK time) and went straight to bed, still thinking about the book and trying to stop my tears. Whenever I now think about this book, tears well up in my eyes and I have to do everything not to cry.
So yes, a different review today. I’m going to use GIFs to express my feelings for this amazing book because I don’t have the words right now to comprehend how much this book got to me.

I went into this book kind of blind sighted. I had downloaded TFIOS many months ago and now have I only got around to reading it. I knew it was about two cancer patients but other than that, I didn’t re-read the synopsis, I wanted to go in not knowing what was going to happen. But even if I did read the synopsis, the whole book caught me by surprise. I couldn’t put it down and I was tearing up at parts that weren’t sad, just happy, if you can say that.

THIS was me at the end and as I’ve said, whenever I think about this book.

Props to David Tennant!

Hazel and Augustus were a delight to read. Yes, they spoke like they were so much older than 16/17 years old, but it’s because they aren’t your normal teenagers. Hazel, albeit is still alive with the medical miracle pills, is still carrying cancer around with her. The tumours may have shrunk but for how long? How long until this pill will stop? Having spent 3 years with cancer, its under her skin, in the literal sense. Its not going away and she has to live with the fact that its terminal. Although the Doctors tell her she could live for a long time, she thinks of herself as a grenade. That could go off any second. It was heartbreaking that she thought that about herself.

Shes had a lot of growing up over the years, and its made her see life, especially her life differently. She’s not like us ‘normal’ girls, who can run around for hours on end. No, shes tethered to an Oxygen tank to help her breathe as her cancer has attached itself to her lungs. Although she lives her life normally, there are many thing shes cannot do without the cancer stealing her breath away or filling her lungs with fluid. But despite all this, shes a great character to read, who goes through a journey of self-discovery and a journey that she can do ‘normal’ things. I was so proud of her walking up the steps at the Anne Frank memorial because she pushed herself and was determined to make it up to the attic. Although it caught her breath, I smiled that she had made it up there, because of her strength and determination to prove she could do it.

(I love J-Law)

Augustus stole my heart from the get go. He was so grown-up before his time but he still had that teenage feel about him, much like Hazel. Of course, having cancer is going to make you grow up and think about the world and how you fit in differently, but together, it seemed that they could do anything. I would have liked him to sound like a 17 year old though, because at times, I just wanted him to act like he was a teenager (yes he played video games) but he was so grown up in the way of his speeches that sometimes, it annoyed me. But other than that, he was defiant in the way he was. He said things bluntly, he never held back and he was confident in how he wanted to be with Hazel, about how much he loved her and didn’t want to hide it.

Even in pain he was using humour to hide it. He seemed to brighten up Hazel’s life day by day just by spending time with her and being with her. He was brave and when he said this line to Hazel:-
“I lit up like a Christmas Tree, Hazel Grace.”
I was a gonna. Tears streaming down my face. Gus was a great, big part in Hazel’s life and they both loved each other dearly and to think that everything could change just tore me apart.

(I love Santana)

He and Hazel just seemed right together. They seemed to both feel the same way about the world and in terms of their own cancer. They were weird together (Their parents words) and seemed to go through a journey together, trying to see where they fit in this world. I loved how much they cared about one another, would make each other happy and it filled me with joy that they were just…together.

It is beautifully written, you cannot fault that at all. John Green has you hooked from the get-go and the only time I put it down was when I went out for a couple of hours with some friends but then I picked it right back up when I came back home. I felt so many emotions throughout this book. And when it got to the pivotal point, that’s when everything went to pot and I couldn’t stop crying. This has only happened once when I can’t stop crying and that was with The Edge Of Never- J.A Redmerski.

It’s a great book and a fantastic read. You will feel so many emotions throughout this book. You all really need to grab a copy and experience the awesomeness of The Fault In Our Stars. It’s about cancer, it’s about love, it’s about discovery, about death and it’s heartbreakingly good!

I definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Posted in New Adult

If You Stay (Beautifully Broken #1) – Courtney Cole

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

17032328Synopsis

24-year old Pax Tate is an asshole.
Seriously.

He’s a tattooed, rock-hard bad-boy with a bad attitude to match.

But he’s got his reasons.

His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with guilt although he doesn’t understand why. What he does know is that he and his dad are left alone and with more issues than they can count.

As Pax grew up, he tried to be the kid his father always wanted; the perfect golden boy, but it didn’t work. His dad couldn’t overcome his grief long enough to notice and Pax couldn’t keep up the impossible perfect façade.
So he slipped far, far from it.

Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the ugliness, the black void that he doesn’t want to deal with. If he pretends that the emptiness isn’t there, then it isn’t, right?
Wrong.

And it’s never more apparent than when he meets Mila.
Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air to his hardened frown, the beauty to his ugly heart. He doesn’t know how to not hurt her, but he quickly realizes that he’s got to figure it out because he needs her to breathe.

When memories of his mother’s death resurface from where he’s repressed them for so long, Mila is there to catch him when the guilt starts making sense. Mila is the one…the one who can save him from his broken troubled heart; from his issues, from the emptiness.

But only if he can stop being an asshole long enough to allow it.

He knows that. And he’s working on it.

But is that enough to make her stay?

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My Review

Pax is a 24 year old ‘fuck-up’. He’s a bad boy with a bad attitude to match but he’s got his reasons for acting like an asshole all the time.

When he was seven, his mother died, and it’s left Pax with a hole in his heart and guilt that he doesn’t know where it has come from. Due to his mother’s death, his dad uprooted them away from his childhood home and as the years have gone on, he and his dad have many issues that they just haven’t sorted out and since trying to be the perfect son and getting nothing back from his dad, Pax slipped, slipped so far that he began to use drugs, alcohol and girls to deal with his past.

But there is still an emptiness that fills his heart, no matter how hard to tries to pretend it’s not there.

Then he meets Mila and shes like this breath of fresh air. She softens his heart. He knows deep down the line he’s going to hurt her, but he’s going to try his damn hardest not to because he needs her.

But when the memories of his mother’s death resurface, Mila is there for him when the guilt becomes too much, but he’s retreated back into his asshole state, as it’s the only way he knows how to survive. Will Mila stay around or will it be too much for her to cope?

HOLY MOLY! I freaking loved If You Stay and I was so glad that I downloaded it. I had seen the hype around this book on Twitter and knew I had to get my hands on it. I love the whole bad boy/good girl love affair and I was totally indulged in the story right from the beginning. It was totally a bold move to open the book that way, but by hell it caught my attention (I read it on the train, my eyes were wide open and I was hoping no one was watching me) and from then on, I was hooked right until the very end.

If You Stay has so much packed into the plot that it’s hard not to feel for the story and all the characters involved. It’s not a story I have ever read before and I salute Courtney Cole for it. It’s got a raw feeling to it, with how both Mila and Pax go on about their lives before they meet. Pax is rough around the edges, whereas Mila sees everything in the world through her artist mind, seeing colours and beauty where there is none. I think that is why these two were so perfect for one another. They blended both of their different colours together and created a new one, just for them.

I loved Pax. He was fucked-up yes, but at the start, with how he handled life – well it was the only way he knew how. How to get through his day. His void was alcohol and drugs and when his life was in danger, it took that moment to make him see just how close he was to death and how he needed to do something because next time he really could be dead. And that’s how Mila fits in. When he was with Mila, it was like he had a new lease of life. He didn’t want to be the old him; he wanted to change for the better, for himself and to prove he’s not a fuck-up like everyone thinks of him. Mila was his ray of sunshine. The one person he could rely on and make him feels things he hadn’t for a long time.

Mila was a great character. She worked hard, she ran a successful business, she helped out at her parent’s restaurant and she really did see the best in everyone but she was closed off. She didn’t want her heart to be broken like it was when her parents died. But then there was something about Pax that she never really felt with any other guy. Mila wants to take that risk with Pax, even though she’s on guard with her heart, but Pax tries so hard for her and you can really see how easy it is for them both for fall for each other.

I really enjoyed the dual narratives. They really divulged into their fears, their feelings and their emotions; not just about themselves but about each other too. It was great to read their progress during their relationship from both Pax and Mila and of course, how deep they both fell for each other, through their struggles and the drama that surrounded them.

I loved their story, their journey to becoming the people they ended up being together. Mila helps Pax with his childhood memories that have enclosed and forgotten for years and even though their relationship struggled as Pax was hurting and didn’t know how to handle it, Mila never gave up on him, wanting to help him through the pain.

There are so many scenes that I absolutely loved reading about, but the one that had me giggling and really wanting to do is the naked painting. You could feel the emotions pouring off the characters and through the kindle over this scene and it was hot as hell.

So readers, if you like bad boys with a past, good girls who fall for said bad boy, a road to recovery, deep, dark secrets of the past and of course, scenes of a sexual nature then download your copy now and get reading If You Stay. I guarantee you will fall in love with this book too!

Posted in Colleen Hoover, New Adult, Romance

Slammed (#1) – Colleen Hoover

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

13372690Synopsis

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she’s losing hope.
Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.
Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

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My Review

Three days ago, I was devastated, bitter, and hopeless. Today I woke up feeling happy for the first time in months.

After the sudden death of her father, 18 year old Layken is quite literally forced to be the rock in her family, for her mother and 9 year old brother. With her mother selling their house in Texas, they are uprooted from the house they have lived in all their life, to a smaller house in Michigan and Lake is not happy to be leaving at all. She’s still processing the death of her father, but she needs to act strong for everyone else.

What she didn’t expect to find upon her arrival was a very attractive neighbour in the form of Will Cooper. 21 years old, has a passion for slam poetry and has captured Lake’s attention, much as she has captured his. Within days, they are spending time together and have formed in intense emotional connection, leaving Lake with a feeling that maybe, just maybe she will be okay living here. But after a heart-stopping first date, Monday morning rolls around and shocks them both with the realization of what cannot happen between them both.

Daily encounters are painful, and with both their brothers becoming best friends and spending every second together, it’s becoming harder to keep a balance of being ‘just friends’ to staying away from one another when their feelings for each other keep pulling them back together, no matter how much they try to keep them at bay from the outside world.

I have to admit, I’m not one for poetry. It never has captured my attention and I just hated reading/writing it in school, but Colleen Hoover is the one exception! I have never heard of Slam Poetry but by gosh, the way Will describes how much it means to him plus his Slam poems really had me hooked on his every word, much like it did with Layken. Once I finished the book (1am UK time), I laid in bed, thinking of my own poem – it wasn’t very good, so I think I’ll let Will stick to the writing and performing it, he seems to know much better than me.

I say this with a lot of book that everyone on my Twitter timeline tweets about, but WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS?! This is the second book I’ve read of Colleen’s and I was as much captivated by Slammed as I was with Hopeless. For avid readers of my reviews, you will know that I LOVE to read forbidden relationships and the forbidden factor of the whole relationship when they both eventfully find out who each other are. And Slammed, in no way, disappointed me.

Lake was super close to her dad, so when he died it was like her whole world fell apart. But she knew she had to be there for her mother and brother, to help them through the heartache too. I think that was one of the reasons she was so resilient in her life. On moving day, she meets her neighbours across the road, Will and his little brother Caulder, who instantly seems to become best friends with her brother Kel.

Upon meeting Will it was love at first sight – for both of them. Will asks Lake on a date, but it’s unlike any date she’s ever been on. They don’t indulge in the obvious ‘do you have a cat etc’ questions and he’s not about to take her to dinner either. Oh no, his plans involved Slamming and Slamming good!

Lake becomes absorbed in the Slam poetry, finding it powerful to hear and she begs Will to do one of his. He obliges and Lake just can’t seem to get enough of this guy. He’s something completely different and she’s fallen. But everything changes on that Monday morning, and her heartbreak over the realisation of who he is has not only shock her, but also Will. What is going to happen?

Will had had to grow up faster in his 21 years of life. He looks after his 9 year old brother Caulder, works his ass off to make sure he can pay his bills, put food on the table and make sure Caulder is okay. They have been through so much in their young lives that they only have each other now. He’s been closed off for years, but something sparks inside of him when he spots his new neighbour and he just has to know who she is.

Will knows this girl has awoken something in him and so he asks Lake out on a date. Of course, Will is different to every other guy and takes her to a club where he recites Slam poetry. Watching Lake’s reaction to the words people are expressing on stage, he’s falling that bit more for her over the fact she’s so affected by it.

Happiness being together has consumed both of them, even if they haven’t known each other long, but when he sees her Monday morning, he’s broken, he doesn’t know why this has happened, and no matter how much he wants Lake, he knows he can’t have her now. Not when it could affect his job and Caulder, who he has to put first.

Although both of them know they can’t be together, no matter how much it hurts seeing each other day in and day out, as well as having brothers who spend every spare minute together, they try to reach a middle ground where they try to be ‘friends’ because of their brothers but it’s getting harder and harder everyday to push their feelings away and act civil. They have to overcome many obstacles throughout the book, and you really do root for them to be together – they belong together. Everyone knows they belong together.

You go through all the emotions too; the fun times, the heartbreak, the tears. It broke my heart that Lake was hurting over knowing that she couldn’t have Will. She literally became obsessed with watching him come home from school, just so she could see a glimpse of him every night. But with so many factors standing in their way, and at times I did get annoyed at Will. Lake was doing so well trying to stay away and Will would just pull her right back in and made her start all over. I became obsessed to get to the end, hoping it was happy one, but although it was, in a way, I still had tears flowing down my face.  It really is such  a powerful book!

All the secondary characters in my eyes weren’t that. They were as much as the story as Will and Lake were. I loved Eddie from the beginning. She was a very bubbly person who embraced Lake on her first day and adopted her into her small group. You find out about Eddie’s past and you come to see that now, where she is, is where she should be. She keeps Lake grounded when everything is going to pot and she really is the best friend Lake could have in her life.

Julia, Lake and Kel’s mother was a wise one. She moves them to Michigan because ‘they have no money’ but Julia is hiding something from her children, which you will find out and it will leave you heartbroken over her news. She really has some great words of wisdom for every character, and she adopts Caulder and Will into their life, which in turn, she treats them both like her own. She forces Lake is ‘man up’ and do the right thing regarding Will, which includes a stage and her poem and you can really see how much Julia is respected in every characters life.  Regardless of her secret, she really was a breath of fresh air.

There are way too many parts of the book to choose from as a favourite, but one that sticks out is at the start of the book, when Lake finds a hairclip from her childhood that her dad gave her. Although it’s dusty and mucky, it holds so many memories of her dad that she just can’t leave it behind in Texas and it means so much to her, even if she doesn’t use it again, she knows that it’s ‘magic’ to her.

Slammed is not just another fluffy book – it speaks to you through Slam poetry, which is so powerful that even as someone who hates poetry, become absorbed in each Slam poem that was expressed on the pages, through each character that got on stage and poured their heart out. It gives you wisdom, it gives you heartache and it gives you love. The power of the words, the poems, the advice and wisdom really stick with you after the finish the book. It kind of gives you hope that one day you will find someone like Will, who will be your own rock and soul mate.

I also have a new book boyfriend in the form of Mr Will Cooper and book little brothers in the form of Caulder and Kel – those two are so sweet, especially when they fell asleep together, with their hands in the shape of a gun. Oh adorable. They are the little troublemakers you definitely would want as your brothers.

If you were like me and either have this book on your kindle, sitting there for months or haven’t grabbed yourself a copy of Slammed (And Point of Retreat – which shall be read tonight) then GET IT NOW! Colleen Hoover drags you into the story until you just have to keep turning pages to know what is going to happen. It’s completely entrancing and I cannot wait to continue Will and Lake’s story in Point of Retreat!!

Posted in Family, Suspense

The Seeds of a Daisy – Alison Caiola

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

17194127Synopsis

From the outside looking in, Lily Lockwood, popular star of the hit TV show St. Joe’s, has it all. Recently nominated for an Emmy, her star is definitely on the rise. She shares her gorgeous Malibu beachfront home with her even more gorgeous actor boyfriend. Perfect, right? Not so much! Within a matter of just a few days, it all falls apart. The wind is knocked out of her when she finds out that her boyfriend, on location shooting a western, is riding horses all day and his curvy co-star all night. Before Lily can catch her breath, she gets word that her mother, best-selling author Daisy Lockwood, is in intensive care after a near-fatal accident. Lily flies across the country to be by her side. The girl, who has a hard time deciding if her Chai Latte should be Grande or Venti, is now faced with making crucial life and death decisions. While rifling through Daisy’s papers, she comes across shocking information about her mother that threatens to shake her very foundation. Lily embarks on a journey of self-discovery and closure as she seeks to unlock the mysteries of her mother’s past.

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My Review

Lily Lockwood seems to have it all. She’s a famous actress on a TV show called St. Joes, she’s got the perfect boyfriend, her mother is her best friend and she’s just become nominated for an Emmy. All seems completely perfect to her. BUT within a few days everything turns upside down. Her boyfriend is cheating on her with his busty co-star and her mother, best-selling author Daisy Lockwood has been in a fatal car accident and is in a coma. Everything has fallen apart and now Lily has the crucial decision over what to do. While trying to sort out Daisy’s papers for the hospital, she discovers things about her mother’s past that she never knew of and it takes her on a journey of self-discovery and closure as she starts to unlock the secrets of her mother’s past.

The story starts off with Lily at her mother’s hospital bed, sobbing and asking her to wake up. As she waits for the doctors to tell her the news of her mother’s condition, Lily begins to reflect on her life and relationship with her mother, who brought her up single-handedly and supported and helped her into the Hollywood world – always being there for Lily throughout everything in her life. As the days pass by, and with tests and operations being done on her mother, Daisy’s close friends come to be with her and Lily to await the news of Daisy’s condition and to support Lily.

I really felt for Lily, because Daisy, although her mother is her best friend and the only person that she can lean on, and for her to be in a coma – it was so sad to read as she just wanted her to be okay and wake up. My mum is one of my best friends too and I would be completely lost without her if anything happened to her, which I’m sure everyone can relate to as well, so yes, I definitely felt for Lily having to go through this. As much as she’s a famous TV star, she’s still a scared, vulnerable little girl inside; scared about what is happening to her mum.

Although this book is focused on Lily and her self-discovery, it’s all centered on Daisy, You never get to read Daisy speaking in the present, but you do in the flashbacks and stories that Lily thinks about throughout the book. You do get a feel that you know Daisy as her voice is pretty strong and even if she is in a coma, I did fell like I knew her, regardless of her not speaking. You also get to know more about Daisy in her diary entries, which Lily finds and reads. They give Lily and the reader an insight into Daisy’s childhood – one that she has never told Lily. You find out many a secret about Daisy and there’s a huge shock of a secret which I was not expecting at all!

It was great to see the supporting characters coming to the hospital to visit Daisy and support Lily throughout the ordeal of the accident. The friends were completely special to read about and definitely felt like a small family to Lily and Daisy to me. Her Auntie D, who is childhood friends with Daisy, was such an amazing character to read. She was there for Lily when she was younger and is still there for Lily years later. Her and Daisy have been through a lot in their past and they are still best friends to this day. It was brilliant to see so much support and love coming from Donna, even when she was hurting because her best friend was in a coma. You can see that Donna will always be there for lily, no matter what happens.

Alison’s writing style comes to life. You can see she has really researched all the hospital scenes and the jargon used in this book. She writes about a colourful and lovely mother-daughter relationship that you just want for yourself and it’s the bond of the two that really gels this book together. It’s the heart of the book. It seems exceptionally realistic, especially the hospital scenes as you could really feel yourself acting the way Lily was with the Doctors (Who was a bit of an arsehole) and just wanting to know what was happening with her mother. I felt every single emotion she conveyed and this book actually got me thinking about if I was in Lily’s position. The story really did make Lily stronger, in a way, and really make her see life as being precious. It’s a great book to read and I would definitely recommend it as it was difficult to put down once I started it!

Posted in Erotica, Romance

The Wrong Sister – Kris Pearson

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

13335736Synopsis

Fiona Delaporte has an impossible assignment – to care for her newly widowed brother-in-law and his tiny daughter. (The newly widowed tall, dark and delicious brother-in-law she’s secretly wanted for five long, frustrating years.)

Christian Hartley would rather spend time with anyone except the tempting woman who reminds him so much of his cherished wife. But she has six weeks leave from her cruise-liner job on the other side of the world, and seems determined to do her family duty. How can craving the wrong sister feel so right?

WARNING:Contains one hot man who always gets what he wants – in bed and out.

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My Review

Fiona’s sister Jan has only be deceased for 8 days, and to her parent’s request, she has temporarily moved into her brother-in-law Christian’s house, to help him out and to bond with her niece, Nicola.

The problem is, since Fiona set eyes on Christian – at his wedding to her sister – she has been attracted to him ever since and has secretly wanted him for five, long years. So to move in with him for five and a half weeks will be torture. She has to keep her feelings to herself and not slip up.

Christian loved Jan, but then he met Fiona on his wedding day and something stirred inside of him. He wanted her too. Don’t get him wrong, he adored Jan and whenever Fiona came to visit, he would make himself scarce, which in turn made Fiona think he didn’t like her. No, it was so he wouldn’t be tempted by her.

Now that Jan is gone and Fiona is staying for a while until she goes back to work on her cruise-liner, Christian doesn’t want her around. She reminds him of Jan too much but also he’s craved her for years too and it would be too hard to have her around him without giving into temptation. They were both forbidden fruits they couldn’t have.

Kris Pearson wrote this book to perfection in my eyes. It’s about two people, who secretly love each other but, alas, they can’t do anything about it as it’s a forbidden relationship. They both hide their feelings well around each other, at least for a little while. They do try to stay away from each other as you could feel the sexual tension between them but when an accident causes Fiona to need help, Christian can’t stay away, no matter how much he feels he should…

Don’t be put off from reading this book from the title. It is no way a sordid love affair behind a sister’s back. It is much more than that. It’s about being forbidden to each other, loving each other from afar and never knowing the other has harboured feelings for so long until they are forced into admitting them. It sounds wrong as Christian was married to her sister. He really did love Jan, but he loved Fiona too. He did his best to stay away, but in the end, love conquers all.

It takes a long time for them both to have sex. Albeit, their chemistry is hot and no matter how much they tried to stay away, it just wasn’t happening. But you could really see the love they had for each other and really it was Christian pursuing the relationship with Fiona until the very end. When they did have sex, it was special for them both, finally having the chance to be as one.

It also highlights the issue of how long a widower should wait before starting a new relationship. It took about two/three months before they finally got together and the ending was so sweet. Jan wrote them both letters before she passed away, and you get to understand her feelings about the two of them.

This really was a great read that I couldn’t put down. It pulled me in with the whole forbidden storyline and when they finally succumb to their feelings, no matter how much Fiona felt it was wrong until the very end, it was so right for the both of them to be together at last.

Posted in Romance

Heaven Can Wait – Cally Taylor

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

6437740Synopsis

‘What would I do without you, Lucy Brown?’ he said, and kissed me softly. I held his face in my hands and kissed him back. I felt that life just couldn’t get any more perfect. And I was right, it wouldn’t. By the end of the next day, I’d be dead.

Lucy is about to marry the man of her dreams – kind, handsome, funny Dan – when she breaks her neck the night before their wedding. Unable to accept a lifetime’s separation from her soulmate, Lucy decides to become a ghost rather than go to heaven and be parted from Dan.

But it turns out things aren’t quite as easy as that. When Lucy discovers that Limbo is a grotty student-style house in North London she’s less than thrilled. Especially after meeting her new flatmates: grumpy, cider-swilling EMO-kid Claire; and Brian, a train-spotter with a Thomas the Tank Engine duvet and a big BO problem.

But Lucy has a more major problem on her hands – if she wants to become a ghost and be with Dan she has to complete an almost impossible task. How the hell does a girl like Lucy find a girlfriend for the dorkiest man in England? IT geek Archie’s only passions are multi-player computer games and his Grandma.

But Lucy only has twenty-one days to find him love. And when she discovers that her so-called friend Anna is determined to make a move on the heart-broken, vulnerable Dan, the pressure is really on..

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My Review

It’s the night before Lucy and Dan’s wedding, and with Dan leaving Lucy alone, she decides to climb up to the attic to retrieve her gift for Dan. Only problem is, she falls and breaks her neck.

Lucy Brown is now declared dead.

After waking up in Limbo, Lucy is given an ultimatum – She can go to Heaven for eternity and be with her parents, or return as a Ghost/living dead on Earth, and therefore be around Dan once more.

As she misses Dan a hell of a lot, she decides to return to Earth, but the thing is, she has to complete a mission before she can become a ghost and be around Dan forever. She only has 21 days to complete this mission – And the mission is to find computer geek Archibald Humphries-Symth his soulmate. Will Lucy manage to find his soulmate in such a short time and become a ghost or will she fail and end up in Heaven, in a life without Dan until he joins her?

I’m so very glad that I found this book. I love reading about soulmates and with the added ‘Death’ involved in this one, as well as everlasting love, I knew I had to download it and give it a read. I was not disappointed at all in it!

Throughout the 21 days, Lucy occurs friendships with her two ‘ghost’ housemates, which were so special to read. Although they started off roughly -especially with Emo girl Claire – in the end, before both Claire and Brian completed their 21 days, they all grew closer together and looked out for one another when things didn’t go completely their way, helping out when they could. You always got to know both their stories for ending up in Limbo, and why they were doing the mission as to who or what they wanted to stick around if they completed their task.

Lucy’s friendship with Archie – I loved it so much. Albeit, it was for a mission, but it seemed so real to me. She really wanted to help him find someone – it was her mission after all – but the things she does to facilitate her mission touched my heart. I actually thought Lucy and Archie would end up falling in love with one another, but I was sourly mistaken. It was really sad when they met up on her last day. You could tell she was really going to miss him and he was her too, although she had been a complete idiot the night before.

The thing with this book is that when I think something will happen, it takes a turn and surprises me when it doesn’t go that way. That’s what I loved about this book.

Throughout the book, you got to see snippets of Dan and Lucy’s life, and their love for each other was something you really want for yourself. They both had banter together, they both couldn’t live without the other and I really couldn’t see Dan getting with anyone after Lucy’s death, no matter how hard a certain someone tried. Ghost Lucy’s grief and despair really showed throughout the book and I felt so sad that all she wanted was to be with Dan again. Cally really engaged me and I felt all the emotions from all the characters in the book through all the different situations.

On her last day, when Bob from Limbo calls her, she makes a really tough decision about what to do. I really felt for her, because after everything she had done in the 21 days and the things she had seen, it would have been torture to choose what she did, BUT oh my gosh, that ending! I was not expecting that at all. That was one major plot twist. As I type this, tears are still falling down my cheeks but in a really good way. I loved how Cally kept me on my toes over what was going to happen in the end. It really could have gone either way, but I’m so very happy it ended how it did. Hence the tears!

If you want to read a book about loss, forever love and friendships, this book has to be on you book list. It made me laugh, cry, gasp and want a ‘happy’ – as you can be when you’re dead – ending and this book did not fail.