The Fall of January Cooper By Audrey Bell

Some books need to be released in segments or edited to focus on the more important points. This was one of them.

Did January Cooper fall? In a sense.

January Copper is a walking, talking, contradiction. She is ditsy but intelligent and has more confidence than can be written about. She is also the definition of crazy, mean girl, Queen B and every other snob/diva related title you can find. She pulls it off so well though, that you can't help but to love her.

Let's get honest though, January Cooper was technically down on her luck for maybe 5 minutes. Yes, she does loses a lot but living like the average college students is still better than being unable to even attend college. There are a lot of discrepancies with this story but the characters personalities and series of events occasionally overshadow the underlying issues.

The relationship factor of this novel is too fast and small of a window for me to take it seriously. They make really good frenemies but I can't relate to their "passionate" moments or the times they decide to be a "couple", because I spent 76% of this novel interacting with them as friends. Their relationship by then needed time to grow into more and we also needed some of that time to understand and re-establish them in my mind as a couple.

I don't fully understand Christian's guilt and reasoning but I feel like his story is a unique one that needed more light. I'm not asking for dreams from the grave but his story needed more elaboration. We spent so much time having random conversations that led to literally nothing but filling a space and I kept thinking about all the things we could have learned about him in that time period.

On top of all that, I left this story feeling like it wasn't ready to end. We are moving slow and building to the end then in the last 10% it's one big rush. I, for one, kept checking the percentage, waiting to see when they would seal the deal, until I just called it a pipe dream and gave up. You can then imagine how shocked I was to see that there really was going to be a coupling.

Surprisingly, I liked the cattiness of the females in this novel because it was a true representation of their social circle. I believed every character profile and I love how the hero wasn't glorified. He was a regular middle class guy who once dominated college hockey.

The flow of this story is nice and has really great transitions. However, somewhere on the way to the end, it all got lost and the story felt like being short changed. Still, I liked the characters and I think the writing wasn't bad either, with the exception of a few grammatical errors. It's a quick read with an engaging story and though it's not perfect, it wasn't a failure either.

- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22552788-the-fall-of-january-cooper

Lead By Kylie Scott

I was never bored; I was kept entertained, given depth and full character profiles, but I still left this novel feeling lost and incomplete. I was interested, love the flow and the steady progression, but as is usual with this series, the end was abrupt. The meaningful fight comes way too late and then it is resolved faster than it took to develop.

Jimmy and Lena are a feisty pair and I love them as a couple. They brought a nice change, where they let it all out, then work on it, as oppose to pulling teeth to find the problems, then fixing it. Even if he bought his way out the dog house a few times.

Though unrequited, for a period of time, there was never a doubt as to what these characters wanted and how they felt. They were uniquely, awkward but they understand and compliment each other.

Lena is sarcastic, witty and a word I've never used before in a review, brave. She never backs down and when you expect her to run, hide and cry, she puts on her strongest face and puts you in your place. She is even in your face demanding her own demise, as long as it's on her terms.

Jimmy is not what I expected but then again, I read 'Play' and 'Lick' eons ago! There are layers to this man and his thoughts, reasoning and perspective was one to assess. I only wish that we could have gotten it straight from him to really understand how his mind works.

Surprisingly, the music aspect of the novel was low. Other than a Maroon 5 nod in the end, it didn't give much musical moments. It was more comedic and filled with dating advice.

For those who are all about the sex, be forewarned, while it is there, it too is tame. There isn't much steamy or passionate scenes and even then they found things to laugh about.

Riddled with grammatical errors, this novel threw me off a few times as I corrected these errors to understand a conversation. I, for one, don't like to be unaware of the words I use and read, so if I don't know it, I goggle it! We seemed to get a little European and Australian slangs as we went and all that did was brought to my attention that we didn't really have much American culture in this novel. Still, that's fine with me. It didn't deter me from the novel, it just removed the American authenticity.

It was good that the rest of Stage Dive also got to highlight where they currently sat in the relationships we were privy to before but there was also a few unanswered questions and unaccounted characters in the end.

If your looking for something fun, quick and flirty then this is the book for you. It has it's moments when it tugs at you but it's not emotional or overly filled with love. It's mostly clueless fun with a spunky heroine and a clueless lead singer.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21401910-lead

Cover reveal: The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen!!!

Today is the cover reveal for The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen. This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours.

        The Understatement of the Year 

    (Ivy Years #3)

By Sarina Bowen

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age category: New Adult

Release Date: October 1, 2014

Blurb: 

What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.

Five years ago, Michael Graham betrayed the only person who ever really knew him. Since then, he’s made an art of hiding his sexual preference from everyone. Including himself.

So it’s a shock when his past strolls right into the Harkness College locker room, sporting a bag of hockey gear and the same slow smile that had always rendered Graham defenseless. For Graham, there is only one possible reaction: total, debilitating panic. With one loose word, the team’s new left wing could destroy Graham’s life as he knows it.

John Rikker is stuck being the new guy. Again. And it’s worse than usual, because the media has latched onto the story of the only “out” player in Division One hockey. As the satellite trucks line the sidewalk outside the rink, his new teammates are not amused.

And one player in particular looks sick every time he enters the room.

Rikker didn’t exactly expect a warm welcome from Graham. But the guy won’t even meet his eyes. From the looks of it, his former… best friend / boyfriend / whatever isn’t doing so well. He drinks too much and can’t focus during practice.

Either the two loneliest guys on the team will self destruct from all the new pressures in their lives, or they can navigate the pain to find a way back to one another. To say that it won’t be easy is the Understatement of the Year.

Warning: unlike the other books in this series, this heartbreaking love story is about two guys. Contains sexual situations, dance music, snarky t-shirts and a poker-playing grandmother. 

                                         

                              You can find The Understatement of the Year on Goodreads

You can pre-order The Understatement of the Year here:

- Amazon

- Kobo

Excerpt: 

Bella grabbed the front pocket of my Vermont sweatshirt and actually pulled me through the din of the most crowded room, toward a table where Graham sat in a booth, across from Hartley. 

Ugh. I had no idea this would be so cozy. In fact, there was nowhere for me to sit. For a second there I felt like it was seventh grade all over again, and I didn’t know where to sit in class. 

That’s how I met Graham — seventh grade Spanish. We were the two runts in the back row with terrible gringo accents and no friends. The teacher always made the class pair up to practice dialogue. Graham and I were partners. 

Hola, Miguel.
Hola, Juan.
Te gusta el futbol?
Sí, me gusta el futbol. 

The early days of middle school had been awkward. But this? So much more awkward than that. 

“I’ll sit on Graham’s lap,” Bella suggested, grabbing a slice of pizza off the tray. 

“Naw, let me find a chair,” I said, turning quickly into the crowd. And lo, by the grace of God, I found one in front of an ancient pay phone. Setting the chair at the end of their booth gave me some much-needed distance. Bella sat on the end, boxing Graham into the corner. Bella’s hand found its way onto my knee about two seconds after I sat down. 

Someone filled my glass. “Have a slice?” Hartley offered. 

“Thanks, I already ate,” I said quickly. But I sucked back some of the beer. It was pretty wimpy stuff, but I’ll bet the price was right. 

“Tell us about your transfer,” Bella prompted while the others dug in. “You said you’d tell it over beers.” 

Right. Too soon. “Well,” I hedged. The thing was, I’d told people I was gay many, many times. I was actually pretty good at it. But you don’t say it when you’re all trapped at a table. You have to drop the bomb when your victims are free to walk away from you. Because even the people who are going to turn right back around and be there for you often need a minute to digest the idea. 

And the fact that Graham was sitting three feet away, staring at his slice of pizza as if it might reveal the secrets of the universe, made this a particularly bad time. I didn’t want to look vulnerable in front of him. I’d tried that before in my life, and it ended badly. Very badly. 

“Thing is, I haven’t had enough beer yet to tell it.” 

“There you go with the buildup again,” Bella said, nibbling on a slice. 

“Yeah? Well my stories don’t usually disappoint.” That was a bit of pointless bravado. But it was probably true. 

I happened to glance toward Graham then. And even in the low light of the pizza place, I saw him freeze. And I realized just how far a little smack talk about stories I might tell would freak him out. I hadn’t meant it like that. But the effect on him was instant and powerful. His jaw went hard and his fist clenched on the table.
Easy, boy. “Tell me about the practice schedule,” I said to change the topic.

About the Author:

Sarina Bowen makes her home in the Green Mountains of Vermont, where she lives with her family, eight chickens and a large pile of skis and hockey equipment. She is a graduate of Yale University.

You can find and contact Sarina here:

- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads

There is a tour wide giveaway for the cover reveal of The Understatement of the year. You can win a signed set of paperback books which includes: The Year We Fell Down (Ivy Years #1), The Year We Hid Away (Ivy Years #2) and Blonde Date (Ivy Years 2.5). The giveaway is open international. You can enter the giveaway below, good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Q: Is Harkness College from the Ivy Years series based on Yale?

A: Heck yes! But it’s based on a Yale which has gone soft and fuzzy in my mind, in all the best ways. So I’ve fictionalized it to avoid the errors and inaccuracies that I’d be likely to make if I tried to get everything just right.

Q: Why did you decide to write a book about two guys?

A: In the first place, I didn’t really decide, so much as the idea for Graham’s struggle surgically implanted itself in my brain and would not let go. And when I pictured the two of them meeting up again in a locker room after five years of silence, I just got the chills. This became the book that I cheated on all my other books to write. (If my editors of other projects are reading this… sorry! I’ll get back to work now. Probably.)

Q. Why college hockey?

A. Because… duh! Hockey players are hot. And hockey is a fast-paced game where whining is categorically disallowed. Interestingly, fighting is not legal in college hockey, either. It’s all about the game. I love that!

Q: How many Ivy Years books do you have planned?

A: Five, if you’re counting the novella. After Rikker and Graham’s book, Bella is going to need her own book. What, you haven’t met Bella yet? You will on October 1st, when Understatement of the Year is published. She is a kick-ass chick in much the same way as Corey, Scarlet and Katie. You’ll love her. You can read a bit more about all the titles on The Ivy Years page on my website.

Q: How are the Gravity books different from The Ivy Years?

A: The Gravity books are a heck of a lot steamier than my New Adult titles. And book #1 is angstier, in my opinion. They’re set in Vermont, featuring top-level snowsports athletes. That part is so much fun for me, because we really do have a lot of awesome athletes that live up here. Today my husband spotted Olympic medalist Hannah Kearney in the grocery store. That’s the kind of celeb sightings we have on the Vermont / New Hampshire border.

Q: How did you come to write romance?

A: I’ve always loved novels—all kinds of novels. And my goal is to make the reader do three things when she’s reading my book: cry, laugh, and sigh. Romance is the best vehicle for that goal, and I’ve really enjoyed the ride.

Blonde Date: An Ivy Years Novella By Sarina Bowen

I've never given much thought to the Katie's or Andy, but this novella placed them on my radar. 'Blonde Date' follows Katie Vickery (blonde Katie/K1) and Andy (Bridger's dorm neighbour) on a sorority mandated date. It turns out there is more to blonde Katie than meets the eyes and Andy is just that. Andy. What you see is what you get.

Though it was just a couple hours spent on Sorority Row; drinking and socializing, there is more to this novella than Katie's need for a date and Andy's dreams coming through.We got background information on both lead characters and Dash, as well as, twists, drama and a little adult entertainment.

'Blonde Date' opened me to the possibility of reading a full length novel about both Katie and Andy. Now that I have gotten the opportunity, I wanna know more about blonde Katie and all the pressures that seem to accompany her world. She is more than bandannas on doors and sorority row.

Andy got his time in the spotlight but it's Andy, so the only difference was being privy to his thoughts. I've never thought of him as a nerd, lacking in self-confidence but I liked when he spazz out and over analyzed Katie's signals. There is something about this novella that doesn't try to place them on a pedestal. It keeps them genuine. Katie is a hottie and Andy isn't a 100 on the hot meter but he is one of the good guys and even them deserve their time in the sun.

Thing is, though I enjoyed date night and exam day, I could see these two going their separate ways and remaining friends. A one night stand and fling? Maybe. But the fact that Katie kept Dash as a constant reminder and Dash revealed his true feelings towards Katie, I can see them getting back together. I don't wanna break Andy's heart, but maybe K1 isn't the girl for him in the long run; though we all gotta have our first :)

Dash's POV was welcomed and helped solidify my original thought that just maybe that spark will ignite again, because Andy and Katie are missing one element that Dash and Katie have in common.

As always, Sarina keeps the sex as PG as possible because they are college kids, who are just learning their crafts, sex included and it was actually quite hilarious to get both their accounts of this sexual experience.

If your looking for a quick read while you transition through novels, or just want something light and fluffy, then look no further. 'Blonde Date' is just the right read. It's short, to the point and has enough elements to keep you interested and leave you wanting more. Your're re-introduced to Dash, Katie and Andy; then your gifted a sneak peek at Graham and Rikker's story. Other than a full length novel on this triangle, what more could you ask for?

***ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.***

- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22692381-blonde-date

For Fallon By Soraya Naomi

I have come to realize that I once again fall in the minority of people who aren't that fond of a novel, while everyone else showers it with praises.

'For Fallon' does nothing for me as a complete body of work and didn't really grab my interest until the 60% mark. It was just another Mafia romance, even though they play by a few different rules.

Fallon is one of the most annoying heroines I've ever met and I was not her biggest fan from beginning to end. I kept thinking, especially in the end, that Luca can do better and I would even trade the copywriter for the stripper any day.  For those who have read this book, it's not in regards to her final decision and more on her overall decisions. She is quite dumb for an intelligent lady and while her reactions might be a more realistic one, I still can't relate, understand or empathize with her character.

If you read my reviews, you will know that I like them bad and a little crazy. Though Luca isn't the crazy type, he has these bad undertones that makes him come to life! Which in turn made me preferred his POV, though Fallon's had their place.

The events of this novel leave much to be desired with most of the action and intrigue coming literally in the last 3%. I despise unnecessary cliffhangers but I feel like this story needed that break to transition into the next story line. I just wish this first installment had excited us a little more.

Relationships, with the exception or Luca and Fallon's, don't get much elaboration. They stay on a need to know basis and offer up no more. I still admired the friendship between Adriano and Luca and how they work as a team. That scene with Alex and subsequently, Camilla and Fallon, wasn't ruthless but it was calculated and showed them working together while using as little force and bloodshed as possible.

There was no one focus and so I am uncertain as to the point of it all. There is the Mafia element that's only highlighted when it's Luca's POV, because he has to do something with his days; then there is the Danny element that started it all and rounds out with the romance, that just happened until there was none left.

Mafia element aside, the rest would make for a good story line but we never met the catalyst for the story line, even when he was a door away; and not being the biggest supporter of their relationship from the beginning, left me hoping that 'For Luca' will see Luca with a new woman. Honestly, Fallon is not the one.

The sex is to the point and there is no domination. No games, circles or questions. Just good old sex! The story line adapted this principle occasionally and saw us cutting to the chase, sometimes without giving us strong enough character development to move forward. Apart from Luca, when he's confused, betrayed and hurt, not much stood out for me.

Don't take this to mean that I am saying this story tanked, because I am sure I will want to read book 2, but it just wasn't a memorable or impactful story. It can easily be filed away under general, with the other generic Italian Mafia romances, without much diversity. It was flat and commercial, so I am hoping for a better book 2.

- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21941909-for-fallon

Ruthless People By J.J. McAvoy

I expected this novel to be a good one and I wasn't disappointed. Liam and Melody had rocky starts in the personality department and while Melody didn't redeem herself, I got to understand and acclimate to her character as the story progressed.

I think everyone in this story with the exception of Olivia and Coraline are ruthless. They can act with the best of them but this family loves blood, chaos and drama. They thrive on it! While Liam eventually broke his mold to accommodate Melody, she stayed true to her character until the end. There is no clear cut reception to this story because their are different stages to their madness. In the beginning, I was a little skeptic, because Melody is not easy to like, as she was the only character that came out guns blazing and stayed that way. Even when she disconnects from the world, she's remains cocky, self-righteous and nonchalant about everything and everyone with the exception of Liam and Evelyn.

Liam's character is like an oxymoron. He shocks me with his decisions and he baffles me even more when he clicks the switch that turns him into a sociopath. I just can't see him as one. He at times seem almost preppy but then in an instant he's killing six year old girls so they don't grow up into "La femme Nikita" and retaliate against his family.  I expected a struggle for dominance but really, one of them gave up before the struggle even began.

If not for Liam's need to love, I could see this story having zero romantic tones. The romance actually takes a back seat to all the criminal affairs. Still, you can't discount that they make a really good team and somewhere along the line, I found myself riding their power wave. They actually make you feel like they are untouchable.

Half way through this novel, we started to get other characters POVs but I am on the fence as to their significance. Yes, it's a different view and thoughts from the family but importance was lacking. I didn't mind getting in their heads but their issues had no bearing on the current story line.

There is sex, love, family, power, drugs and murder. Everything you were promised on the cover. What stood out most though was the title. You can't sleep on these two because they are forever scheming and manipulating everyone, including each other. Every time I think they are redeemed and becoming less power hungry, I realize that they are just planning their next scheme.

The sex isn't as explosive or passionate as I thought it would be but it's not very detailed either so you are quick to get back to the wave of crimes they have planned. In retrospect, not even the criminal acts were given much light either, unless Liam are Melody were suiting up. We weren't always apart of the plan and found ourselves watching the mayhem with the rest of the family.

I found that their banters with their family and men were what made this story interesting and gave us those funny moments.

There is a noticeable amount of grammatical errors and normally when a book captures me enough, I can probably dismiss it but this story is from a publishing house with a professional editor, so I don't think they should be so glaringly obvious.

I had expected more Italian and Irish culture but it was more All-American. I've never read about the Irish or their mobs before so I would have loved to seen more Irish culture and dialect.

Novels with language barriers normally leave me running to Google translate, so I was glad for the key at the end and the ease in navigating between the translation page and the rest of the story.

'Ruthless People' isn't one of those stories that come with a lot for you to gush about. It is precise, to the point and grabs your attention from beginning to end. If you blink, you might miss something and everything and everybody are chess pieces.

They are murders, thieves and liars with no intention of ever slowing down. They love what they do and NOTHING will change that. It's gruesome and leaves you questioning their sanity and the subject of ethics and moral, because they have none.

- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22237407-ruthless-people

Scare Crow By Julie Hockley

You know what pisses me off? When I spend an entire novel, waiting for those good moments, only to have them when my kindle reads 96%, leaving the ending as my beginning. You know what hurts even more? When I have to admit that it made the story line and progression a tad brilliant and original and fueled my anticipation for a follow up.

I don't know what to do with myself now because I spent a year waiting on the release of this novel, only to have the first 90% filled with things I could care less about. I have never read a novel where the main characters managed to stay apart throughout the entirety of the novel, only to make the biggest ripples in the world of organized crime and when they finally do come together, you ask me to wait another year for the fireworks.

You know what I love though? When I feel like my opinions were heard and taken into consideration; even if they weren't. After reading this novel and my review of 'Crow's Row' (http://litjungle.blogspot.com/2013/07/crows-row-by-julie-hockley.html), I felt like Mrs. Hockley, read my review and gave me everything I requested. There was dual POV, former love interest, a clearer understanding of Spider and Carly; more depth, interest and realistic adaptations of the underworld and even Cam seemed more like the leader of all things deemed organized crime. It was perfectly imperfect and I have no idea how she gave me everything I asked for but still kept me longing.

I know which Cameron I like and I hope he's here to stay. He was confident, grounded, cocky, ruthless, calculating and everything I would come to expect of his role. He was the perfect criminal and I love that we got to know him better, which in turn, helped us to decipher the puzzles that are Spider and Carly.

Emmy. Sighz. I don't know what to do with this chick! One minute I am rooting and campaigning for her and the next all I can see is the naive saint, trying to save everyone and slowly killing herself in the process. She however, had her moments and I loved her business acumen. She was her father's child when she needed to broker a deal.

There continued to be ridiculously fake situations and solutions but it's a work of fiction and I have decided to give it some slack. It bothers me but I can live with it.

The characters of  Emily and Cameron were strengthened, especially as individuals. I can imagine that the next book will be filled with tons of upset but I am anticipating the logic for solving all these problems. I wanna see their work as a team.

While you read this novel, you will be annoyed and questioning the relevance of all the business talk. It literally took me finishing this novel and then analyzing it as a whole to understand and appreciate the creative concepts. Some of you might never even agree. There is no sex and romantic fallacies. There is hardcore scheming and puzzle solving, as everyone finds their footing and places, behind the line in the sand.

While I have high hopes for the upcoming the novel, I wouldn't be surprised if many didn't agree or like this one, especially with the wait. It's one of those novels that your either gonna like or dislike. I liked it after I sat with it for a while and though it has it's faults; prospective ends, answered questions and seeing all I wanted from book 1, made me overlook these faults in hope of a superb ending.

- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21898444-scare-crow

Taming the Storm By Samantha Towle

Taming the storm was just that ... tame. While it's a good, flowing story, with an interesting enough cast of characters, I got use to the explosiveness that is Tru and Jake. I felt like this was a softer side to TMS and while I didn't hate it, it didn't blow me out the water either.

As usual, there is an array of song for you to discover and share. I have always turned to this series to give me unforgettable tunes that I can enjoy, long after I have finish reading the story. To this day, I still sing and listen to 'You have started' by Ou est le swimming pool.

Lyla is feisty and a little withdrawn but if you get her angry enough you see another side and let's not talk about how she shocked me when it came to sex. They both make for an an interesting couple but their story felt level with no real dynamics. At times, I think it's because it was such a shock of a prologue, that nothing else in the novel can compare.

I like the way Tom's past was highlighted and that the usual cliche was kept to a minimum. He actually felt untouchable, like a band manager/stranger, in the beginning and we got to take our time and get to know the guy behind the bass. His back story interesting, gruesome and an original one. Still, it remains a far fetched theory when reasoning out his demons. Though I understand, there is still some aspects, that are just really out of sync with his present ideologies and anonymity.

The Tom Carter of TTS is not the one we met and saw throughout this series. He is definitely a changed man and I don't know which one I like better. This Tom was hardly a challenge but his change was interesting. He was funny, intense and much more level headed than I expect.

This novel is broken into two parts; The chase and the sex. The chase was enlightening because we got to watch Tom and Lyla learn about each other and what they were bringing to the table; Everything after was laced with fear, confusion and a ton load of sex! At this point, Tom should just tape his mouth to Lyla's "Virginia" and what is up with him and being fully naked to have sex? o.O

They had some steamy sex scenes and the fact that their both animals in the bedroom helped to heighten the experience. Lyla was never one to shy away and Tom can think of nothing else but sex when Lyla is laid out before him.

The level of drama in this novel is low even though Lyla has zero filter and Tom has slept with almost every woman he has ever met in the past. Her lack of filter made this story humorous and she became the star of this novel. It also helped that this go, it was the woman who was the talent and the man the groupie.

This story had dual POVs but it is sporadic where Tom's take is concerned. I wish we had more time with Tom because a lot of  times I found myself wanting to know his thoughts. The fact that their first sex scene was taken from his POV also, made it different and left us quite entertained. It's almost like reading two different stories depending on who is narrating that chapter.

Some might call it a beautiful end to the series and while I am glad to see every one and to get an update on their lives, I still felt it was incomplete, because we technically went through that event in WTS and I wanted a unique ending focused on Lyla and Tom. The series is over and they only get one novel; It's only fair!

- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17335212-taming-the-storm

Hudson By Laurelin Paige

Is it possible that a companion novel can hold more feelings than the original body of work? Yes, it can and 'Hudson' is the perfect example. If not for me reading another companion novel late last month, I would probably say it's because I read this story before and I loved it. However, this was like a fresh tale to me and I completely suppressed Alayna's side of the story, as I focused on Hudson and what made him into the man we saw in the trilogy.

The quote at the beginning of this novel was apt for the focus and I find that I loved going between the before and after to piece together the puzzle that is Hudson Pierce. I felt like I was revisiting all the characters and seeing them through new eyes.

Sorry to disappoint, but I think we spent more time on the Hudson/Celia dynamic, than we did the Alayna/Hudson aspects, but we had already explored those from the 'Fixed' trilogy so it was good to see a different side in the mix.

There were new twist and scenes that were never exposed before, that made this story whole; while shining a light on Alayna in Hudson's eyes. All her flaws were lauded and I forgot she was battling her own issues.

Hudson laid himself bare in this novel and I had a great time dissecting. He was cold, calculated and an addict in his own right but I always had a soft spot for the crazies and Hudson is the King of that hill! I have never thought much about people with disassociation of emotions but this novel has made me take a stop and look. Though it was entertaining to see him do his "experiments", it also showed how lost he was and the underlying issues that eventually made way to the perfect Hudson. He held some of his old qualities while he finalized the biggest experiment of his life ... himself.

Playing a big part in his past and eventually his future, Celia is a character that sways you. You want to hate her but she is so well taught that you don't know what to do or feel. She makes me wanna threaten her with death too but then I remember the Celia in the beginning chapters and remind myself that she too is a product of Hudson's illness.

This story is a twisted tale that held all the right notes and moves. It was more than the characters themselves and gave us a more in depth look at the Pierce/Werner clan and what was ahead for this insane group of friends and families.

Jack continues to amuse me as a character and Chandler was just as absent. I am selfish enough to admit that this story answered all my questions but I still want more; I wanna see Hudson handle temptation and Alayna off the wagon because there is something about this couple and how they strive within drama.

The story line doesn't only visit the past and present but the future as well. We got some answers as to what happened after their wedding day and I for one was grateful for the update. As I said before, I can't get enough of these two.

Naturally, there are elements from this story that reviews previous scenes from the trilogy but the best thing about this book is that coming from a different POV makes everything seem like a new story. It never got repetitive and I was never bored. If anything, I wanted to read the trilogy again and I assume that's the aim of a companion.

I will admit that you might get a different opinion if you start reading this exactly after the 'Fixed' trilogy but I can assure you that you will get variety and a fresh story line for you to invest in. I loved this story and I am extremely happy that two of my favourite characters were brought back to life with the right balance of past, present and future. I shouldn't but I still wanna ask for more :)

- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21417430-hudson

How We Deal with Gravity By Ginger Scott

I love novels that aren't afraid to tackle controversial issues and I love them even more when they succeed. This novel is a balance between complete success and falling short. It needed one more push to either make it a failure or an epic success but it stayed on the line.

It's fast but is's slow and their isn't much in the way of conflict or character development but it held it's own and had it's heart warming moments. The problem I have is that I can't make a concrete assessment of anyone in this novel, except for Max and I think that's due to his schedule and illness. I would have loved to spend more time with him because my favourite parts, is getting to know the insanely intelligent 5 year old with autism.

There wasn't much development in the relationship between Avery and Mason and I assume that is because they already spent their formative years together. However, we weren't there, so I would have liked a little more than walks down memory lane. I wanted to see their relationship start and develop as oppose to the insta-awakening in Mason and the easy acceptance of Avery.

Speaking of Avery, I would give anything for her to cry less. That chick cries a lot and it doesn't take much to jerk her to tears. The Avery at the beginning of this novel was strong, confident and had no problem showing Mason who was in charge while she handled being the mother of a child with autism. In the end, she became a blubbering mess who confused me to no end. I still don't understand her feelings or decisions after that night of unpleasant star gazing.

I wish that we focused more on Max and autism, as I felt like we only scratched the surface by focusing on their need for a routine and Max's talent in science and music. I wanted more interaction with Max because those times were the most memorable and humorous scenes.

For a character, that barely spoke a chapter worth of words, Max took the cake! I understand that it is his autism that makes him react to situations different than others but I loved his intuitive moments and his snarky responses and actions. The kid doesn't care and I love it!

Mason is the prefect man a woman could have and I never once saw him as a womanizing bad boy, even though he has an edge. I loved his honesty and reservations, even his reactions to simple things like a stripper rubbing up on his junk. He's a man after all, so no use lying to ourselves. He remained true to himself and everyone around him. He was the anchor to this story and I love that even though he could have been, he wasn't an angry, washed up musician, sulking and blaming the world for his problems. He didn't have much but what he had he made it work.

For the first time, I couldn't relate to the music in a novel but I think that's more because it was a secondary notion and was only highlighted to give emotions to situations.

There are a few missing elements to this story but I think the overall body of work makes it inconsequential. I was intrigued, interested and if not for my days being crazy, I could see myself reading this book in a day. You don't need to have or know anyone with autism to understand this story, as it touches you on more than one level and though I would have preferred a different ending for Ray, it was a catalyst that gave us a balanced end.

This novel is a delicate balance because while it held steady and keeps you interested, by the end, you realize that it didn't accomplish much as it relates to character development and proper conflict. Still, it was good enough to leave the possibility of me reading another Ginger Scott novel or an update on the Street/Abbott gang.

- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22701323-how-we-deal-with-gravity