He knew me from the moment I stepped through the broken window.
Studying me.
Watching me.
Changing me.
I was unaware of him at first; my life was too out of control to notice. The constant moving and lack of money after Mom divorced Dad was turning her into a different person. All she did was drink and she was now this angry person I didn't want to know.
But once I stepped through the window inside that house, I could feel the peace surrounding me. Hugging my body as if it had arms. Protecting me. Loving me. It was like the house knew what I craved and it felt too good to question any of it. So I went back, day after day. I hungrily guzzled up the euphoria like a raging alcoholic, reaching for another drink.
Just like my mother. My Review
It has been way too long since I've read a good Paranormal book. I was so excited to read Atticus. GAHHHH....that synopsis.
It was good, a solid three stars. It started out strong, teasing me with vagueties (yes it's a word if I say it's a word) and intrigue. It was extremely creative, and kept me engaged the entire time. I was entertained, but it didn't really go further than that. Atticus pulled me along a little too fast. Even though it is a full length novel, it read more like a novella. There were so many amazing aspects of this story that could have been developed a little bit deeper. The characters, the history of Atticus, the romance. Without truly developing the quality of the story, there were so many random coincidences that just seemed to be thrown in. Mrs. Stephens' involvement was crucial, but it seemed to come out of nowhere, and the ending wrapped up way too quickly. Even in the end, it was hard for me to tie everything together. However, the cliffhanger has me believing that this book has just scratched the surface of what's to come. I'm excited to see where this story is headed, and I definitely need more Brad (love me some Brad). Despite my critiques, what the author did give me was enough to make me want more, to need more development. To crave more story. That right there, is what a good story is all about.
This story is perfect for any paranormal fan that it looking for something a little on the lighter side. A quick read, wrapped in a lot of mystery.
Fresh out of college, Ellison Edson has fallen through the cracks of rock bottom. While staying in her family’s vacation home in Colorado, her behavior has finally gained the attention of her parents—but not in the way she hoped. Cut off from the millions she’s always taken for granted, and left alone to fend for herself, Ellie spirals further out of control, making a mistake she can’t take back.
Like his twin brother Taylor, Tyler Maddox is a member of the Alpine Hotshots, fighting wildland fires on the frontline. As arrogant as he is charming, Tyler’s nomadic lifestyle makes it easy to contain his relationships to one night. When he meets Ellie at a local party during off-season, her extreme personality and dismissive attitude fascinates him at first, but as his feelings deepen, Tyler realizes that the crippling inner demons of the woman he loves might be the strongest enemy any Maddox has ever faced. A leap of faith... I am going to be gratingly honest when I say that after the first few chapters, I was done. Done. Ellison was not a character I wanted to read about. I had no desire to continue. However, I decided that I needed to stop and decompress before doing anything rash. So I did. I set the book aside, and after much deliberation decided that Jamie McGuire has more than earned my trust over the years. I owed her some blind faith. It was time to take a leap. So I lept. I lept right into Tyler Maddox. Next to Travis, I am almost certain that Tyler has to be my favorite Maddox brother. Yes, I just went there. There was a unique softness to Tyler that I never picked up on with any of the other brothers. Yes, they all have huge hearts wrapped in tattoos, but Tyler was different. Tyler is different. He didn't need a woman to tame his wild Maddox ways. He had already grown into that man. In Tyler, being a Maddox wasn't a characteristic, it was a quality. Ellie took a lot more time to win me over. I realize now that Jamie McGuire very much intended for me to feel all sorts of hostile disdain for Ellie in the beginning. We were suppose to see her at her worst, and it was bad. So bad, it made me not want to read anymore. Definitely a new meaning to the phrase, "rock bottom." I'm so glad I didn't give up. Her growth was amazing. However, since the book encompassed such a huge amount of time, requiring large time gaps between scenes, it was sometimes hard not to see her initial transition as rushed. I kept on having to remind myself about the passage of time. This was a reoccurring problem for me throughout the book. The big gaps sometimes gave the essence that something was missing, and I missed it. I missed the in between. I guess it's always a problem of wanting more. Speaking of more. My absolute favorite part about this novel was the time Ellie spent with the Hotshots. I cherished every moment. I would have loved more, more, more of this. There was so much this book had to include, so I understand things having to be scaled down, but I would have loved more scenes of Ellie and her boys. More scenes of Ellie at the fires. Seriously, I could read a whole book about Ellie and the Hotshots. When they all stood up for her at the bar, I died. I seriously died in a gooey puddle on the floor, and I might have even clapped. I just loved everything about this, them....the whole thing. Loved!! The end was a bit rushed for me and I seriously could have done without the whole Paige drama, but Tyler and the Hotshots made everything worth it. Tyler's unconditional heart is what made this book so special. Hell, Ellie even won me over in the end, but it was Tyler that held everything together. I'm so glad I lept. READ ON!!
Summary Penny Beck is a girl who says yes when she means no. She keeps to herself, follows the rules, and does what she's told. After a disastrous experience with her boyfriend, she's determined to change from the spineless person she's always been into the strong woman she wants to become. All she needs is a little practice. On a cross-country trip to check on her grandpa, she strives to become bolder and more outspoken with the strangers she meets. Penny's plan is to practice saying and doing what she wants without worrying about what anyone else thinks. Then she meets Archer, an introspective loner to whom she finds herself drawn. She realizes she does care what he thinks, very much. Will Penny be able to stick to her plan, or will she revert back to her people-pleasing ways? Review
I almost fell....
Throughout the entire story, I was on the precipice of a cliff, coming dangerously close to falling in love with this book. Don't get me wrong, just because I didn't fall doesn't mean I didn't enjoy reading Outspoken. In fact, it has been far too long since I've engaged in a good ole contemporary YA-romance. I definitely enjoyed the experience.
At first, the book started off a little slow, I felt like too much was being told to me. I wanted to actually be involved in the story, but once the story finally engages the reader, the momentum definitely picks up.
What was expected to be a story about a character's self discovery ended up being more about the relationship between Penny and Archer. However, I was completely and totally okay with this. I loved the slow development of their relationship. You definitely see something there from the start, but you get to experience it's growth.
There were also some great secondary characters; Penny's grandpa, George Baker (whom I lurved so much), Marissa, Mike...the list goes on. However, it was almost too much. With the addition of so many characters, I felt the author tried to tackle too much in one story. I kept wanting the focus back on Penny and Archer. With so much going on, I felt like some scenes were almost cut short. I was left thinking, "That part's over? What happened?" I can't help but feel that the shortened scenes were necessary in order to address all aspects of the story. I guess I just wished there was more focus.
Even in the end, after the last page, I was left with a bit of disappointment. "It's over?.....It can't be over." It just felt cut short. However, the author should feel proud that she created something special between Archer and Penny that had me craving more, I just wish I would have gotten it.
Definitely a unique YA-experience for those who need a fix.
When you think you know what's happening, you're only half way there.
It is enough to break any man: watching what could have been my future slip away before it was ever in my grasp. The possibility of losing someone I loved before she was even mine is something I never would have imagined -certainly nothing I'd ever wish on anyone. I went to her every day and waited. Waited for the impossible, for a sign, for her to look at me ... hoping sinner are granted miracles, too.
Just one glimpse of him was all it took. In the next lane, at a stop light was the man I would fall in love with and marry. People talk about love that takes time - the kind you fall in to. We were more like a crash and burn. When our lives intertwined I knew I would never be the same. He was the man I would cherish the rest of my life, who would father my children. In an instant our life together began, and in an instant it would end. The late nights; the excuses; the lies. And in the blink of an eye, it was like we never were.
Review
Sweet Nothing was nothing like I expected, even while reading I found myself a little stupefied (by the end, a lot stupefied). It started off so strong, I felt a connection to the story, but also a strong involvement with the romance. The pacing of Avery and Josh's relationship was perfect, an instant connection, while still taking its time with development and just the right amount of tension. As the story progressed, it lost some momentum and began to stagnate. At the halfway mark, I felt like I had already read a complete story. This only served to pique my interest, wondering where the story could possibly be going considering it was only half way done. A big shoe was about to drop. The synopsis says it all:
"When you think you know what's happening, you're only half way there."
Even though I didn't see it coming, by the beginning of the wedding scene I had a strong sense of where this story was going. Things were about to get interesting. And they did. At first, it was a little difficult to switch gears that fast. It was such a sharp turn that I felt like I was being pulled into a completely different book. It was a little unsettling, but intriguing at the same time. As creative as I found this new twist, I felt like its development needed more time. Then it ended. It just ended. I was left feeling incomplete. Unfinished. Confused. Then I couldn't help but question my own intelligence, feeling incredibly dense because I didn't "get it." I didn't understand. So what happened? What?
So many questions.
Part of me wondered if that was possibly the intent, leave it open for interpretation, but it was hard for me not to feel like I was missing something. Did I miss something? Perhaps the whole purpose of this book was to mess with my head. And it did. My head is messed.
Jamie McGuire was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She attended Northern Oklahoma College, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Autry Technology Center where she graduated with a degree in Radiography.
Jamie paved the way for the New Adult genre with the international bestseller Beautiful Disaster. Her follow-up novel, Walking Disaster, debuted at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. Beautiful Oblivion, book one of the Maddox Brothers series, also topped the New York Times bestseller list, debuting at #1. Beautiful Redemption and Beautiful Sacrifice, books two and three of the Maddox Brothers series, respectively, have also made appearances on the New York Times bestseller list.
Novels also written by Jamie McGuire include: Red Hill, an apocalyptic thriller; the Providence series, a young adult paranormal romance trilogy; Apolonia, a dark sci-fi romance; and several novellas, including A Beautiful Wedding, Among Monsters: A Red Hill Novella, and Happenstance: A Novella Series.
Jamie lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, with her husband, Jeff, their three children, three dogs, three horses, and a cat named Rooster. When Jamie is not writing, you can find her hiking, running, or looking for a sweater.
Find Jamie at www.jamiemcguire.com or on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Teresa Mummert grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania where she began dating her husband when they were only sixteen years old. They married at eighteen and soon moved to Louisiana as her husband began his military career. They are the proud parents of four children, that they are raising in Georgia.
Teresa began writing when her husband was deployed to Afghanistan as a way to cope with him being away at war. She soon became a New York Times and USA Todaybestselling author. Her work includes, the word of mouth bestselling, White Trash Trilogy which landed here a three book publishing deal with Simon & Schuster. She has also written the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel The Note, The USA Today bestselling novel Safe Word, Perfect Life, Pretty Little Things, the Honor Series, Rellik, The Good Girls, Something Wicked, and Sweet Nothing.
The spotlight doesn’t only shine. Sometimes, it burns.
Being the bad-boy bassist for the world’s hottest band has earned Griffin Hancock some perks: a big house, a fast car, and most importantly his incredible wife Anna. The one thing it hasn’t brought him is the spotlight. Anna tells him to be patient, that his talent will win out. But Griffin is through waiting for permission to shine.
Without warning, Griffin makes a shocking decision and takes the gamble of a lifetime. Suddenly he’s caught up in a new level of lights, cameras, and chaos—one that pushes his relationship with Anna to its limits. Anna has always found his unpredictable behavior sexy, but lately he’s seen an ache in her eyes, and it has his soul in knots. Just as the recognition Griffin seeks is finally within reach, the thing he loves most in life could be slipping through his fingers…
REVIEW
I had the worst of intentions for reading Untamed, ulterior motives. I read it for every character, BUT Griffin.
Sorry Griffin, you were a great secondary character, a pimp of comic relief, but leading man....leave that to Kellan. Don't get me wrong. This is one of my favorite series of ALL TIME, but I hate to admit that I wasn't all that excited about Untamed. Nope, not really. I was more excited about the idea of getting more Kellan and Kiera. More excited about a new S.C. Stephens book, but excited about Griffin...nope. In the end, I decided that I would tolerate him to get more story. This was a pleasant surprise. Sometimes being wrong is the best right. Not only did I enjoy Griffin as a main character, but I found myself doing more than just tolerating him. I understood him. I related to his character. I even felt bad for him. As much as it shocks me to say this, I was on Griffin's side. From the very beginning, I was rooting for him. I thought this entire story was so creatively done, and the ending was perfect. The only reason I didn't rate it higher was because I found myself so in touch with Griffin's character that I couldn't help but be angry with how he was being treated. I never felt the other guys' behavior was justified, even in the beginning. It made me see everyone, even Kellan, in a whole new light and I didn't like it. They were wrong. I also found myself torn between being enamored by Griffin's character growth and wanting him to stay original, and not change a bit. He is who he is, and I felt his friends should have been a little more accepting. Irregardless, D-Bag fans will truly enjoy this unique addition to what has been a fantastic journey. It was so great experiencing a different side of the Hulk. Griffin fans are going to go crazy for this truly inspired story of perseverance. Thank you S.C. Stephens! ROCK ON! EXCERPT
“What was all that about?
And what did you mean at the end there? You are a part of this band, Griffin.
You always have been, and you always will be.”
Pushing him back a step, I
snapped, “It’s a little late for the pep talk, bro. If you think I’m so valuable, you could have stood up for me
in there.” I lifted my arms for emphasis. “It gave me the warm and fuzzies how
you let him walk all over me.”
Kellan sighed. “It’s complicated,
Griff. Matt’s a genius on guitar…he’s…it’s his instrument, the one he’s born to
play. But us saying that isn’t an insult to you. You’re amazing on bass, gifted
even. It’s just…we each have our part, you know? And we have to do them the
best we can.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “For the sake of the band, I’m
asking you to let this go and just…forget about lead. Please?”
I could only stare at him.
I felt numb inside. Was this what giving up your dream felt like? For as long
as I could remember, I’d wanted all eyes on me—I’d wanted to be the center of
attention. Matt had never wanted that. But he was given the instrument that
shone while I was given the one that everyone forgot about. My part was
designed to blend, designed to go unnoticed. It was everything I wasn’t, and I
was sick of being stuck with it. I wanted more, but they wouldn’t give me more.
Without answering him, I
turned and walked away, toward the house. What could I say to that anyway? Matt
had just permanently rejected my chances at ever being lead guitar. Forgetting
was the only thing left that I could do. Forget, or stew, and right now, I
wanted to stew.
When I got back to the
living room, Jenny and Rachel were there working. “Need something, Griffin?”
Jenny asked, her pale eyes practically sparkling with happiness.
Ignoring both her good
mood and her question, I called out for Anna. “She’s upstairs with Kiera,”
Rachel quietly replied.
Harrumphing some sort of
thank-you, I began plodding my way to the stairs. Fucking stairs. I stomped up
them, cursing my bandmates with each step. I imagined that the carpet treads under
my feet were their squishy faces. I felt a little better by the time I reached
the top. “Yo, Anna! Where are you?”
Both Anna and Kiera
instantly appeared in a bedroom door frame. Simultaneously, they both put
fingers to their lips. “Shhhhhhh,” they both scolded.
I was tired of being
reprimanded today, so I didn’t lower my voice any. “Wake up Gibson. We’re
leaving.”
Anna instantly edged
around Kiera to step into the hallway. “What’s wrong?” she asked me, while
Kiera stepped out of the room behind her. The two sisters were pretty similar,
but Anna definitely had a lot more curves than her slimmer and straighter
sister. Generally I appreciated those curves, but at the moment, I just wanted
to shove them into the car and get out of here.
“There’s no point being
here right now, so we’re leaving. Actually, there’s no point in ever coming
back here, so we’re leaving.” I opened the door closest to me, hoping I’d find
my sleeping daughter behind it. Nope. Empty.
I moved to try another
door, but Anna stepped in front of me. “Let’s go outside, get some fresh air.”
Dramatically tossing my
hands in the air, I gave up. “Fine.” What did it matter, since nothing was
working for me today anyway?
I headed back to those
goddamn stairs while Anna told Kiera she’d be right back. Not waiting for my
very pregnant wife, I sped down the steps and out the door. The fresh air on my
face helped calm me down a little, but I was still riled up. I paced the front
porch while I waited for Anna. Those sanctimonious assholes.
“Griff?” A soft touch on
my shoulder spooked me, and I jumped. Turning, I saw Anna behind me, her green
eyes worried. “What’s going on?” She indicated the front step, and I grudgingly
sat down.
Once I was seated, my mood
dropped. I’d started the day so positively, knowing without a shadow of a doubt
that this tour was going to be the one.
But not anymore. It was going to be the same old crap. Dropping my head, I
slumped over. Anna sat beside me, and her fingers lightly caressed my back in a
soothing pattern. It helped my residual anger, but not my rising
disappointment.
“One song. I asked for one
fucking song…and they wouldn’t even give that to me…” I studied my fingers in
my lap while my dreams dissolved in my hands. “Matt just told me that he’s not
ever going to give me a chance to play lead, and the rest of the guys agreed
with him. I’m done…forever stuck on bass…forever in the shadows. I just wanted
one song, one moment in the spotlight.” With a sigh, I looked up at her. “Four
minutes? Is that so much?”
Anna’s eyes were heavy
with sympathy. Reaching up, she threaded her fingers through my hair.
“No…that’s not much at all.”
I nodded and dropped my
vision to my lap again. “Yeah, I didn’t think so either. But they can’t even
give that to me.” The anger resurfaced, wrapping disappointment around it like
a blanket. “Between me and you, babe, sometimes…I really don’t like those
guys.”
Anna kissed the back of my
neck and wrapped an arm around my shoulder in sympathy. “I’m sorry, Griffin.”
Closing my eyes, I let her comfort wash
over me. At least there was one person on earth who gave a shit about me.
About the author
S.C. Stephens is a #1 bestselling author who spends her every free moment creating stories that are packed with emotion and heavy on romance. In addition to writing, she enjoys spending lazy afternoons in the sun reading, listening to music, watching movies, and spending time with her friends and family. She and her two children reside in the Pacific Northwest.
Twenty-four-year-old Summer Johnson knows two things. The first is that due to a quickly worsening medical condition, she faces a risky surgery in three months’ time that may or may not end in her death. The second is that she would like to fall in love before then.
As spring sinks into her namesake season on the Florida coastline, Summer plays the odds and downloads a new dating app - and after one intriguing message from a beautiful surfer named Cooper Nichols, it becomes clear that the story of what may be her last few months under the sun is about to be completely revised. All she has to do now is write something worth reading.
Tender, honest, devastating and triumphant, The Summer Remainsexplores a very human battle being waged in a very digital age: the search for a love that will outlast this temporary borrowing of bones. In an era when many feel compelled to share and re-share anything about everything, prepare to feel a love so special, you will want to hug it close and make it yours forever. My Review SO MANY HANDS!!!
Have you ever wanted so badly to love a book that it’s almost physically painful when you find imperfections? When you know, you know that it deserves to be loved, but you still see its faults. You agonize over the parts that you thought were amazing compared with the parts you tried to overlook, but couldn’t.
On one hand, I had raw emotion. The final 20% wrecked me. The final 20% is what connected me with Cooper. I felt. I cried. I ached; that deep ache right at the base of your throat. I felt everything. However, on the other hand, I had the parts of the book I tried to overlook, the parts that distracted me from everything this book could be.
I feel like these two hands were constantly smacking me in the face…repeatedly.
There is a part in The Summer Remains where Cooper decides to let Summer read his book, a rough draft, something he’s never shown to anyone else. Her thoughts about Cooper’s book perfectly parallel my own.
“The book wasn’t totally perfect, and there were some typos and clunky paragraphs he could have smoothed out, but the bones of greatness were absolutely there.”
I’m pretty sure Seth King didn’t intend for me to use his quoted words to express my very own thoughts about his book, but ironically I couldn’t have said it better myself.
I had a very hard time connecting with the main character. I’m not sure if it was the immaturity of her voice, the constant “likes” or “whatevers”; I just didn’t feel like I was reading the POV of a twenty-four year old woman...girl? Girl woman? Her dialogue was very repetitive and certain phrases were used repeatedly. I felt like I was reading a rough draft and it ultimately distracted me from developing the feelings and emotion I think I was suppose to. It was a definite struggle in the beginning.
Then enters Cooper.
Copper highlighted the amazing writing that Seth King is capable of. If it wasn’t for his character, I may not have made it trough to the emotional hailstorm of part two. His dialogue possessed such an infectious quality. It was clever, witty, and added such a tangible eminence to the plot; I couldn’t help but want more. I think if the beginning would have had more dialogue and character interaction, and less monologue, I would have made the connection I was craving, and experienced the emotion that didn’t explode until the very end. Unfortunately the first 80% of the book just wasn’t for me.
Once we get to Cooper’s POV, everything changes. The author tapped into something genuine and so heart catching that it physically hurt to read. That is the type of writing that deserves to be praised. I just wish I didn’t have to wait until the end to get it. I bled so much emotion in that last 20% that I was overwhelmed. Those are “the bones of greatness”.
The rest of the story just needed some editing, structure and a little more cohesion; things I feel will develop with more experience. However, based on some of the beautiful quotes I read throughout the book and the emotional response torn out of me in the end, Seth King has the type of creativity and talent that can’t be taught. With that much potential, I can’t wait to see what comes next.
From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Where Sea Meets Sky comes a new adult novel about a young woman who becomes a nanny in Capri and falls for her charges’ bad-boy brother.
It’s time for twenty-four-year-old Amber MacLean to face the music. After a frivolous six months of backpacking through New Zealand, Australia, and Southeast Asia, she finds herself broke on the Mediterranean without enough money for a plane ticket home to California. There are worse places to be stuck than the gorgeous coastline of southern Italy, but the only job she manages to secure involves teaching English to two of the brattiest children she’s ever met.
It doesn’t help that the children are under the care of their brooding older brother, Italian ex-motorcycle racer Desiderio Larosa. Darkly handsome and oh-so-mysterious, Derio tests Amber’s patience and will at every turn—not to mention her hormones.
But when her position as teacher turns into one as full-time nanny at the crumbling old villa, Amber finds herself growing closer to the enigmatic recluse and soon has to choose between the safety of her life back in the States and the uncertainty of Derio’s closely guarded heart.
My Review
No one can argue, Karina Halle is maddeningly flawless with her ability to create fantastical imagery. Her innate ability to transport her readers to exotic places, seeing everything through the eyes of her characters, is her gift.
This gift was overwhelmingly evident in Where Sea Meets Sky. The artistry of her writing was inspiring, but unfortunately the plot could not keep up. It was good, a nice story, but the strength of her descriptives smothered it. It was missing something, It needed something. A plot to match the power of her writing.
Racing the Sun got it right! I was engaged in the plot just as much as I was with the beauty of her writing. When reading a book, sometimes it’s painfully obvious that the author is trying to tell a story. The effort is obvious. Karina Halle doesn’t try, she is telling a story.
I hate comparing books to other novels, but in this case I do it with the most positive of intentions, with the intent of expressing the stories classic romantic feel intertwined with a uniquely written modern day romance. Derio and Amber’s story was reminiscent of a mixture between Beauty & The Beast and Jane Eyre. I really couldn’t put it down.
The tension. The build. Did I mention the tension?
It wasn’t without flaws. However, they didn’t tarnish my overall feel for the book. I was left with a few unanswered questions about “the accident” and the ending’s resolution did transpire a little quickly. I understand how the “tragic event” made Amber re-evaluate her issues with their relationship, but her one-eighty was rather abrupt. She just seemed to drop her concerns without any real resolution.
Maybe I’m being selfish. In fact, I know I am, but I also wish we could have gotten more out of the epilogue. I guess I just needed more Derio and Amber. See. Selfish.
Overall, I found this to be a great summer read. Truly engaging and enticing. I seriously couldn’t put down. In fact, I may have to go read it again.
Armed with two years' worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude.
Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn't let her die, but he also couldn't risk being identified at the scene—so, he ran. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, how wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around. Chasing her off would be the smart move.
Maybe it's because he saved her life, or maybe it's because he's completely different from everything she's left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone.
And River isn't the kind of guy she'd want to catch.
My Review Chasing River is my very first novel in the Burying Water series. It’s my first K.A. Tucker novel since Ten Tiny Breathes, which I absolutely LOVED by the way!! I mean truly. If you haven’t read Ten Tiny Breathes. Buy. Click. Now.
Okay. Back to Chasing River.
Let me start off by saying that I have personally traveled to Dublin (and other parts of Ireland), and K.A. Tucker did an amazing job transporting me right back there. She also enlightened me on some aspects of history that I never really knew about. She did this in a way that was not too over-descriptive or wordy. She effortlessly weaved it into the story, while still keeping the pace.
Amber and River’s story starts off with a bang, literally. Their intense meeting is what grabbed me from the very beginning. River is a complete stranger who saves Amber’s life after she unfortunately finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Due to the extreme circumstances, they form an instant connection. On the surface, one may call their relationship insta love, but K.A. Tucker beautifully develops the romance progressively, causing the relationship to reach its crescendo at a perfect pace. I am not one to like insta-anything, but the author some how found a way to slowly build the romance at a quickened pace. The perfect conundrum.
Though the relationship was perfectly paced, I did find the overall plot to stall a bit at times. I kept expecting Jimmy to set his sights on Amber while adding to the intensity and angst leading up to the climax. The climax. It was intense and strong, but saturated with a lot of things happening extremely quickly. I feel like a lot of that suspense and excitement could have been shared throughout the book instead of all at once towards the end. Though I did love the ending.
I haven’t mentioned much of the secondary characters, but I have to say that they were truly a refreshing compliment to Chasing River. I can’t wait to read more about Rowan Delaney. There is undoubtedly a story there to be told, and I can’t think of a better person to tell it than K.A. Tucker.
This book can definitely be read as a standalone, but I guarantee that I will be going back and reading the rest of the Burying Water series. It’s a great summer read because it’s a romance without painful angst and unnecessary drama. It won’t leave you with a painful book hangover, but will entertain you with its unique plot filled with action, romance and a little bit of everything in between. Definitely a quick read.
Atticus by Leslie Fear
