For Better Or Worse by Lauren Layne {Review}

Title: For Better Or Worse (The Wedding Belles #2)
Author : Lauren Layne
Genre : Adult, Contemporary
Publication Date : August 30th, 2016
Publisher :  Pocket Books
| Goodreads | Amazon |

When small-town girl Heather Fowler finally gets promoted from assistant to actual wedding planner, she’s determined to make it as one of Manhattan’s elite Wedding Belles. Unfortunately, her first client demands an opulent black-tie affair at the Plaza…in five months’ time. Heather’s days quickly become a flurry of cake tastings, dress-fittings, RSVP cards, and bridal tantrums. But what she’s really losing sleep over is the live music blaring from her playboy neighbor’s apartment all night.

Five years ago, Josh Tanner was an up-and-comer on Wall Street, complete with the penthouse and the migraines. But a grim cancer diagnosis made him realize there is more to life than the corner office. If only he could convince his pretty, workaholic neighbor to let loose, too. As Heather lets down her guard, Josh is surprised when he starts falling for the sweet, vulnerable woman hiding beneath those power suits. Soon, it’s Heather’s turn to convince Josh to take the biggest risk of all: love.

REVIEW

Seriously.  Seriously.  This series only gets better, and I know not what to do with myself until the next books comes out in October.  Anyhoo, without cribbing too much (for now) I’d like to quickly take you through the amazingly, ridiculously, cute story that is For Better Or Worse.  And yes, I do realise calling an Adult story “cute” is not exactly the best way to introduce it, but bear with me here, I’m onto something.

With For Better Or Worse, we come back to the Weddings Belles’ and meet Heather Fowler.  She’s a small-town girl with big dreams, and successfully making it in Manhattan’s elite wedding planning agency takes centre post.  She’s almost there, but to work as hard as Heather wants to, a girl’s gotta get her sleep.  And Heather’s sleep has been terrorised by her bad boy neighbour Josh Tanner.  Cranky requests to tone down his rather loud band practice turns into fun banter and flirty conversations, and arouses Heather’s interest in Josh greatly.  But of course, Josh has secrets of his own, and he’s not going to give them up to Heather very easily.

Now, while we’re on the subject of Josh, here’s the thing:  He wasn’t my favourite hero.  There.  I said it.  Like ripping a fucking band-aid.  The thing is, for me, first impressions do matter, and Josh didn’t make the best of first impressions.  He was quite crude and at the cost of giving away a little too much, he actually kissed Heather to “shut her up.”  That’s…well, weird and not normal is one thing, but it’s also, technically, assault.  Again, I wasn’t too impressed by it, and even though it was pretty hot, (at least for Heather) I was a little turned off by that kind of behaviour.  It fit into his character profile, definitely, but just no.  Okay?

Apart from this slightly psycho behaviour in the beginning, I liked Josh.  He was a typical bad boy, but not the type that would make you roll your eyes and punch something.  He was a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, he used to be a big deal on Wall Street so he’s obviously not an idiot, and the guy can sing.  Musicians > Non-Musicians any time, so my irritation with Josh’s behaviour died a comfortable death.  On the other hand, Josh was, well, a guy, and we know guys can be dense, so he took his own sweet time with his relationship with Heather.  I wouldn’t exactly call it slow-burn, but I did feel like romance took its own sweet time to get to that sweet spot we all love.

Heather, by God, was an angel.  LL writes exactly the kind of women that I want to be when I grow up, and Heather was no different.  She was smart and talented and gorgeous, but she was also this kind-hearted girl, whose depth you could see when she was faced with difficult situations.  The book follows the Robinson wedding that Heather was planning, and it was clear how much Heather’s dream meant to her through it.  She was determined, a force to be reckoned with, and maybe a little obsessed with not taking anyone’s help.  It was amazing to see how she kept herself together, no matter what.

LL obviously knows what makes her audience tick, because she hits the nail on the head each time, bang on.  She is a talented writer, no doubt, but For Better Or Worse also proves that she can handle a plethora of emotional issues in a book, without compromising the two things readers flock to her for—banter and romance.  The only thing that you can do next is A) Rock yourself back and forth waiting for To Love And To Cherish and B) Wait for someone to pick up movie rights, because GODAMMIT it’s about time!

PS – I want to know exactly whom to contact about the two month gap between this book and the next, why, Publisher WHY?

I WAS PROVIDED A FREE EARC OF THIS BOOK BY POCKET BOOKS THROUGH NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE OF AN HONEST REVIEW. THIS DID NOT IN ANY WAY, HOWEVER, INFLUENCE THE CONTENT OF THIS REVIEW.

Rock Wedding by Nalini Singh {Review}

Title : Rock Wedding (Rock Kiss #4)
Author : Nalini Singh
Genre : Adult, Contemporary
Publication Date : July 19th, 2016
Publisher :  TKA
| Goodreads | Amazon | 

After a lifetime of longing for a real family, Sarah Smith thought she’d finally found her home with rock star Abe Bellamy, even if she knew Abe didn’t love her the way she loved him. But their brief relationship, filled with tragedy and heartache, nearly destroyed her. Alone, emotions in turmoil, and already shaky self-esteem shattered, Sarah struggles to pick up the pieces in the wake of their divorce.

Abe knows he’s to blame for the end of his marriage. Caught in a web of painful memories, he pushed away the best thing in his life – the sexy, smart woman he adores – breaking them both in the process. Then fate throws him a second chance to get things right, to prove to Sarah that she means everything to him. Abe desperately wants that second chance at love…even if he knows he doesn’t deserve it.

But can he convince Sarah – now strong and independent without him – to risk her wounded heart one more time?

REVIEW

I am a disgruntled, disappointed, highly frustrated potato sitting six feet under the ground in my field of high expectations.  You see, Rock Wedding was supposed to be the book that takes the Rock Kiss series out with a bang.  But Rock Wedding turned out to be the weakest book of the series—I’ve given this much thought, and unfortunately, it’s true.  

Rock Wedding is the story of Abe Bellamy—the member of Schoolboy Choir that we know the least about—and his ex-wife Sarah Smith.  The gist of the story is that while they were married, Abe had these phases where he was everything Sarah wanted, but also a nightmare when he was on drugs and booze.  Basically, one of those men who make you feel on top of the world and in the same breath push you six feet under with only their cruel, cutting words.  Now, at the cost of sounding hella immature, I’m going to say that Abe was a complete tool.  He was an asshole, most definitely, but he also played the role of dumb, mindless alpha male perfectly.  The only reason I continued to read the book is because of my love for all things Nalini Singh and Rock Kiss.

Sarah was probably the character that disappointed me the most.  She was clichéd and from what I read about her, she was also quite the Mary Sue—which is a surprise because all of the previous ladies in the series have brought their own unique personalities to the table.  In what might one of the lamest moves to make as an ex-wife of a drunk and doped up rocker, Sarah let Abe’s manipulations guide her into taking him back.  He was a dick to her, an inattentive husband, and had there been more angst and more begging for forgiveness, I might have even been convinced of their “love.”  But sex was made out to be the unspoken healer of all old wounds, and Sarah went on doing exactly everything that I didn’t expect she would.  She also had the story of a woman who stood up on her own two feet and against all odds with little to no education, became a successful entrepreneur.  Obviously, nothing but passing references were made to this.  WHY?!  WHYYYYYYY

Abe, on the other hand, was as insufferable as his counter-part, so these two were made for each other in that way at least.  He was all “I’m so sorry,”  “I was an asshole,”  “I’ll never do that again,” but he was not above using sex for manipulation.  It grated on my nerves majorly and took away all my excitement for this series.  I was not convinced by this character, not convinced by his motivations, and unfortunately, I blame the poor writing.  The Abe of the past occupied too big a part in my mind while I tried to reconcile him with the change Abe of the present, but it just didn’t happen.  Also, the boys seemed to be on a hiatus, and while I understand that they wanted a break and some time with their women, damn it made me sad.  I wanted to see them make some music, jam together, anything.  Rock Wedding, instead, turned out to just be a collection of weddings, this huge, muscular guy Abe, and neatly tying all plot holes with hot pink ribbons.

Giving this book a two star rating makes me reconsider and want to read the entire story again—but sadly, this is what I feel.  I was expecting so so much, and what I got was a rush ended book from an author whose work I usually adore.  I have heard all about a spin-off series featuring Gabriel’s rugby brothers—and I am looking forward to it—but sigh.  Somehow, the magic of the first two books was majorly AWOL in the follow-ups and here’s me being miserable about it.

I WAS PROVIDED A FREE EARC OF THIS BOOK BY TKA Distribution THROUGH NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE OF AN HONEST REVIEW. THIS DID NOT IN ANY WAY, HOWEVER, INFLUENCE THE CONTENT OF THIS REVIEW.

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff {Review}

Title : Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle #1)
Author : Jay Kristoff
Genre : Adult, Fantasy
Publication Date : August 11th, 2016
Publisher :  Harper Voyager
| Goodreads | Amazon  | 

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.

The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

REVIEW

Slight word of warning for all potential readers:  Nevernight is an ADULT book about YOUNG ADULTS.  The fact that these characters are teenagers has nothing to do with the fact that the content in this book is explicit and graphic.  If you are under 18 years of age, you may need to hold off on reading this one, at least until you’re a bit older.

Moving on!

Nevernight was a journey in itself, you guys.  It was a crazy, bloody absolutely violent journey and I had an amazing time wrapping my head around the entire concept of the book.  This is only my second Jay Kristoff book and I am well on way to believe that he may be one of those authors the world loves and with good reason.  In Kristoff’s own words, Nevernight is set in a place like Hogwarts, if Hogwarts taught you to murder the shit out of people.  And this is delivered.  There is more murder in this book than I have read in a while, and it made me extremely happy.  That’s not where it ends, though, and Nevernight brings the reader so much more!

This book follows the story of Mia Corvere who has made it her aim in life to avenge her father’s death—and so with a little help, Mia trains to become a lethal assassin.  To complete her training, she must make her way to the Red Church where she will be taught by the most masterful, craft teachers you will ever read, and become a Blade.  Only four out of the whole lot that go will become Blades, and Mia is determined to become one come what may.  Of course, this may be made slightly difficult by the fact that the Red Church is in fact a murder cult, and death runs unrestrained inside its walls.

 

The Good Stuff:

• Nevernight has an “assassin school” concept that I just adored.  It’s so new and the way it was done made me a really really happy reader.  I especially liked the way the Red Church was described in terms of the little history we learn about it, and the building itself.  It’s really visual and I loved that it was maze-like, meaning you can actually get lost inside of it.  A++ for the excellent world-building that keeps you engrossed and amazed, and makes you want to lose yourself inside this land with three suns.

• One of my favourite characters to read in Nevernight was the not-cat Mister Kindly.  I’m not going to speak too much about it, but Mia and Mister Kindly’s conversations were entertaining af!  Mister Kindly is sassy and basically the best friend a girl can have.  It’s intentions are not really revealed, not even what it is is hinted on, but I’m looking forward to reading all about Mister Kindly in the next books!

• The teachers at the Red Church were just brilliant creations.  While I read them, I could fit them all into Prof Snape, Prof McGonagall, Prof Lupin kind of categories.  It was amazing (and terrifying) to see so many different teachers, all of them murderers, of course, moulding these young killers into expert assassins.  I anticipated each class that the book showed, and I had an unusually great time finding out how exactly one becomes a Blade with the help of these psychopaths 😃

• Now, there has been many different opinions about the footnotes that are a part of this book.  The footnotes basically give the backstory about a particular incident/person/building that has been mentioned throughout the book.  There are more than 70 of these, if I’m not mistaken, and personally, I loved them!  They were concise and informative and funny, and I can imagine them coming straight out of the narrator’s mouth as a buffer through the tough parts of the book!

 

The Not-So-Good Stuff:

• Nevernight had a lot of scope for plot that could have driven the reader crazy with fear and exhilaration…but alas, there was close to none.  For me, the book only started to get interesting around the 30% mark, and that isn’t something I would’ve stuck around for in the case of other books.  It was only Illuminae that kept me faithful to seeing this book through, and that should never be the case.  The book has a slow start, and little to no plot outside of Mia’s training at the Red Church.  Though not completely dependent on one another, the slow pacing made me want to stab Mia in the eye.  Even after the book picked up in speed, I didn’t completely get behind Mia, and the only sad reason I can give for this was that the setup > plot.

• The book was over-written.  (Is that a thing, btw?)  Nevernight was full of flowery descriptions and fancy writing that I could have done without.  It fit in with the tone of the book, I guess, but it was irritating, it really was.  An entire paragraph to convey a single thought?  Half of which flies right over my head?  Fuck no.

• So the hashtag that is going around for promotions of the book is #StabStabStab.  In my opinion, there wasn’t enough stabbing.  I loved every little murder scene that was shown at all, but for the amount of gore and blood and flowing body fluids this book promises, it fell flat.  I’m hoping that the next book brings more bile flying this way and that, but this book was pretty disappointing in that sense.

• Lastly, the romance.  I didn’t see any real emotion between the two except lust (and I’m glad that was the only emotion the book portrayed too) but the little attempts at convincing themselves that “it must’ve been love?”  No.  Just no.  I would’ve enjoyed this whole fest much much more had Mia not engaged with Mr Typical YA Love Interest.

I WAS PROVIDED A FREE EARC OF THIS BOOK BY HARPER VOYAGER THROUGH NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE OF AN HONEST REVIEW. THIS DID NOT IN ANY WAY, HOWEVER, INFLUENCE THE CONTENT OF THIS REVIEW.

To Have and To Hold by Lauren Layne {Review}

Title: To Have and To Hold (The Wedding Belles #1)
Author : Lauren Layne
Genre : Adult, Contemporary
Publication Date : July 26th, 2016
Publisher :  Pocket Books
| Goodreads | Amazon |

Discovering her fiance is an international con man just moments before they exchange vows devastates celebrity wedding planner Brooke Baldwin’s business—and breaks her heart. Now a pariah in Los Angeles, she seeks a fresh start in New York City and thinks she’s found it with her first bridal client, a sweet—if slightly spoiled—hotel heiress. Then she meets the uptight businessman who’s holding the purse strings.

Seth Tyler wishes he could write a blank check and be done with his sister Maya’s fancy-pants wedding. Unfortunately, micromanaging the event is his only chance at proving Maya’s fiance is a liar. Standing directly in his way is the stunning blonde wedding planner whose practiced smiles and sassy comebacks both irritate and arouse him. He needs Brooke’s help. But can he persuade a wedding planner on a comeback mission to unplan a wedding? And more importantly, how will he convince her that the wedding she should be planning… is theirs?

REVIEW

Dammmmmn Lauren, back at it again with the sexy alpha heroes ❤️