hiding – Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Meet Rochelle Evans: pretty, popular – and never been kissed. Meet Noah Flynn: badass, volatile – and a total player. And also Elle’s best friend’s older brother… When Elle decides to run a kissing booth for the school’s Spring Carnival, she locks lips with Noah and her life is turned upside down. Her head says to keep away, but her heart wants to draw closer – this romance seems far from fairy tale and headed for heartbreak. But will Elle get her happily ever after?

2/5 stars

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My Review

I had wanted to read The Kissing Booth for a while now but when my computer crashed one night, I forgot what the book was called, seeing as I had a whole load of books in different tabs. But when I was browsing on NetGalley, this book appeared and reading the synopsis, I knew this was the book.

So thanks to NetGalley for approving me to read The Kissing Booth.

I really started out liking this book. The whole good girl/bad boy, best friend’s brother scenarios really catch my attention and I love reading them!! You’ve got to love a bad boy and how deep down he’s not really that bad, he’s just been ‘looking’ for the right girl.

Elle started off great. She’s popular, had the same best friend, Lee, all her life and has harboured a crush on Lee’s brother for years – even if she denies it to everyone and herself. She’d never been on a date, let alone kissed a guy, but it’s never seemed to bother her. She seemed content in her life, going to school, hanging out with Lee and their friends, life seemed great. Then The Kissing Booth came along and she kisses Noah – Lee’s brother – and that changes everything about her. And that is when Elle changes too. When her crush grows once again for Noah and he starts to harbour feelings for her too.

But then I started to get bored. It started to get tedious and Elle started to grind on me really badly. After the kiss, it was all back and forth, hiding this ‘relationship ‘which wasn’t even a relationship really. I’d describe it more as hook-ups – even though all they did was kiss. She never acted like she was taken, but I suppose you wouldn’t if you were keeping it a secret from your BFF, but still! She got pissed at him like all the time. I literally wanted to shake her and be like ‘GIRL! Just tell Lee so you can stop acting so goddamn bitchy and irritating.” If I was Noah, I’d tell her to grow the F up and tell Lee they were together. If my BFF and brother got together, I’d be more than happy they were both happy with one another. Although her reasoning was because she didn’t want to lose Lee, if he was any kind of best friend, he’d support they relationship, even if he didn’t really approve of it.

Okay so Noah. It seemed that he had always liked Elle, seeing as he warned off every guy from going near her or asking her out. Okay, so that would majorly have annoyed the hell out of me if my BFF’s brother did that, but Elle didn’t know he was doing that until someone tells her. I never really understood why Noah did that, because it’s just immature. She’s a big girl, she can date whomever she wants, but each to their own I suppose.

I didn’t actually think Noah should have been blamed for everything that happened. Elle should have taken the blame too. She seemed to let Noah take the blame, which annoyed me so much. He wasn’t even a player, like everyone dubbed him. We never saw that side. What we did see was a hot, overprotective, caring and sweet guy who truly liked Elle, even if he went a weird way of showing her at times. I never really understood why he wanted Elle though. She was just so irritating. But you can’t help who you fall for.

I did love the friendship that Lee and Elle had. It was great to see BFF’s that didn’t fall in love. Their friendship withstood anything thrown their way AKA the Noah fiasco. They were protective of one another, spent all their time together and were just there for each other, through the happy and sad times. I truly did love their relationship and it did show you the value of friendship, being there for one another when you don’t actually approve. (Even though Lee did get over the fact his BFF and brother were together in the end.)

I have to say, when I was sixteen and in 6^th form, I was going to 6^th form parties hosted by people in our school and getting drunk beforehand as we knew we wouldn’t get served alcohol. I was also going to house parties and drinking. I know many people are moaning about that fact, but most people who are 16 are drinking and having sex, so this didn’t bother me in the slightest.

The ending. Yeah it was okay. It did end on a way where there could be another book but if there isn’t, then it’s a nice way to finish it. We, as the readers, can think about what happens to Noah and Elle and if they do stay together or not. I, for one, would like to see another book, to see how they manage the relationship, but if there isn’t, then I can only imagine.

I’d also like to say that before reading The Kissing Booth, one of my friends mentioned that a girl from our (old) secondary school wrote it (This was before she knew I was about to read it) and when I googled Beth Reekles and the book, it really made me proud that someone local wrote this book and also acknowledged my old English language teacher at the end. He was a great teacher, got to be said!

So would I recommend it? I’m going to say yes. It probably wasn’t the book for me but it may be the book for you.

Synopsis

Happily ever after doesn’t come easy. But for love, it’s always worth the fight.

Olivia finds bliss unlike any she’s ever known in Cash’s arms. He sets her skin on fire and melts her heart right inside her chest. Unfortunately, their happily ever after is short-lived when a shadow from Cash’s past threatens to turn their world upside down.

Dangerous people from his father’s world have discovered that Cash holds information that could put them away for a very long time. And they’re willing to do anything—and hurt anybody—to get it back. Giving it up means Cash must choose between the life of his father and the life of Olivia.

Having nearly overcome her wariness of bad boys, Olivia’s trust is shaken when this new threat arises. Now she finds that Cash is not only a danger to her heart, but his family has associations that are a danger to her life as well. She soon discovers that there are some situations in life where trust is a girl’s only option. And this is one of them. If she’s to live, she must trust Cash with her life. But to Olivia, that’s much, much easier than letting go and trusting him with her heart.

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My Review

Olivia and Cash have finally found bliss like no other with each other. They are finally with the person who sets their world alight at every corner. But their happily-ever-after is threatened abruptly when people from Cash’s past begin to turn his world upside and they will do anything – even if it means killing – to stop the information Cash has from getting out.

Giving up the information is a hard bargain and it means that Cash must choose between his father’s life and Olivia’s life. He will do whatever it takes to keep them both safe, but he needs Olivia to trust him if it means she can be protected and kept alive. Can Olivia trust Cash? Even when she is utterly scared of the situation at hand? Especially when her life is now also in danger? Trusting Cash with her life is easy; it’s just trusting him with her heart that’s the hard part.

It’s really hard to write a review for Up To Me because so much of it is spoilers! So I’m going to have to be very careful in what I say about this book so if anyone who hasn’t read it yet, won’t go into the book knowing too much about the plot. It does start off from where Down To You finishes so if you haven’t read that, what are you waiting for?

A lot happens in this book. There is more action, more suspense and steamier sex scenes. But that is all I’m going to say because I’ll be a spoiler review and I really want you to go into the book not knowing a hell of a lot about what it’s about.

Cash is still his sexy self. Even more so in this book because you see his character develop even more throughout his chapters. He’s even more determined to keep Olivia safe and his feelings for her shine with every page. Being a ‘bad boy’ and never staying with one girl, it was great to see how much he cared for Olivia and how much it scared him too. He’s just as vulnerable as the next guy when threats are targeted at him and people he loves and I really liked seeing so much emotion from him. It proves how strong his feelings are for Olivia and just how he will do anything to be with her.

The sexiness of Cash throughout the book to me stems from him being in danger – yes, I’m a girl who likes a guy who will protect her at any cost – and taking reins on the plans of putting away the dangerous people from his father’s past in order to keep everyone safe. Even when trying to protect everyone, he’s still the same old Cash we all fell in love with in book one, the one who knows how to swoon Olivia and knows how to work her body in the bedroom. The sex scenes, Jesus Christ, I need to find someone who will re-in-act those scenes with me! They were hot and steamy and you could feel the sexual tension pouring from the pages when those two were together. I’d also like a bottle of Jack Daniels and Cash ASAP please!

With Olivia, she’s obviously had to grow up a lot since book one, even though it continues straight away but with everything that has happened in the first few pages, it was obvious that although she totally loved Cash, she was utterly scared shitless about everything that was happening and going to happen in her and Cash’s life. They were in danger and she was petrified to lose Cash. And although she had mental battles, she knew she’d never leave Cash and their relationship just grew stronger and stronger towards the end of this book. It did start off a little rocky, with Olivia seemingly pulling away from Cash and when she didn’t listen to Gavin in the middle – STUPID GIRL! But Olivia went through a lot in this book and with both alternating views, I loved how much they were both scared to be without one another and would do anything to be with each other in the end.

Uhhh Gavin! Can I have him and Cash in my bed please? Gavin is Cash’s partner at the club but he also has a dark past. He used to be a mercenary and his character makes him out to be a sexy, hot, dangerous and mysterious bad boy. He’s one you should definitely stay away from but holy hell, since when do any of us listen?! I’d have him in a heartbeat. Despite his past, he’s cheeky and funny and his banter with everyone, especially Cash is great to read. You can see that they truly are best friends and he will do anything for Cash. I hope down the line, he gets his own book, because I’d love to know more about him.

I do have to say that there is a MAJOR surprise in this book. One I was not expecting at all but by god, it was a bloody good one! I’m so not going to say what it is, but you will be going ‘HOLY SHIT’ when it’s revealed.

Up To Me is a sexy and exciting follow up to Down To You which includes sexy times, action, twists, bad guys and banter. I cannot wait for book three to be out and I know who it is about…but I’m not going to say as you have to read Up To Me to find out. But from the epilogue, I am definitely curious about what is going to happen. DEFINITELY read Down To You and Up To Me. You will not be disappointed and you too, will fall for Cash Davenport. YUMMY!