Review: One With You

Title:  One with You
Author: Sylvia Day
Series: Crossfire (#5 Final)
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

Gideon Cross. Falling in love with him was the easiest thing I've ever done. It happened instantly. Completely. Irrevocably.

Marrying him was a dream come true. Staying married to him is the fight of my life. Love transforms. Ours is both a refuge from the storm and the most violent of tempests. Two damaged souls entwined as one.

We have bared our deepest, ugliest secrets to one another. Gideon is the mirror that reflects all my flaws ... and all the beauty I couldn't see. He has given me everything. Now, I must prove I can be the rock, the shelter for him that he is for me. Together, we could stand against those who work so viciously to come between us.

But our greatest battle may lie within the very vows that give us strength. Committing to love was only the beginning. Fighting for it will either set us free ... or break us apart.

Heartbreakingly and seductively poignant, One with You is the breathlessly awaited finale to the Crossfire® saga, the searing love story that has captivated millions of readers worldwide.

Review:

I picked up the first book in this series two or three years ago.  At first, I didn't have high hopes for it; I thought it was just going to be a slightly less kinky version of Fifty Shades of Grey.  I was so wrong!

This series was beautiful most of the time.  I admit the third and fourth books were slow compared to the rest, and I complained in the past about the repetition of relationship issues, but this book more than made up for those instances.

My favorite was the last 200 or so pages when Gideon and Eva finally seem to just click in that magical way we've always been craving.  The ultimate last hurtle for them was amazing as well.  And Lucky was the cutest little sidekick ever.

I really recommend reading this entire series.  There is some sex scenes, sure, but they by far do not overshadow the genuine writing and relationship between characters.

Review: Captivated By You

Title:  Captivated By You
Author:  Sylvia Day
Series:  Crossfire (#4)
Rating:  4/5

Summary:

Gideon calls me his angel, but he's the miracle in my life. My gorgeous, wounded warrior, so determined to slay my demons while refusing to face his own.

The vows we'd exchanged should have bound us tighter than blood and flesh. Instead they opened old wounds, exposed pain and insecurities, and lured bitter enemies out of the shadows. I felt him slipping from my grasp, my greatest fears becoming my reality, my love tested in ways I wasn't sure I was strong enough to bear.

At the brightest time in our lives, the darkness of his past encroached and threatened everything we'd worked so hard for. We faced a terrible choice: the familiar safety of the lives we'd had before each other or the fight for a future that suddenly seemed an impossible and hopeless dream...

Review:

I LOVE this series.  Seriously.  I hate the idea and writing of everything that has to do with Fifty Shades of Grey, but the Crossfire series actually has substance on top of the sex scenes.  Gideon is just... wow, what a man.  His demons just make me love him more.  And Eva, she's perfect in all of her imperfections.

There are two reasons why I gave this book a 4 out of 5 instead of the full rating:  POV shifts and lack of problem resolution.  First, the POV shifts aren't big, just jumping one chapter for Gideon and one for Eva and so on, however it's kind of a pet peeve of mine and it wasn't done in the first three books of the series.  On the second point, I mean it's the repetitive problems we've been seeing for four books now with little to no progress, but there was some progress I suppose.

All in all I cannot wait to read the fifth and final book which just came in the mail!

2016 Reading Challenge: A Book Published This Year

A Book Published This Year

I thought it would take me a few more months to find a book published this year that I liked enough to review and include in this challenge, but that's not the case.  Read my review of the book here.

Title: The Girl Who Fell
Author: S. M. Parker
Rating: 5/5
Published:  March 1, 2016

Summary:

His obsession. Her fall.

Zephyr Doyle is focused. Focused on leading her team to the field hockey state championship and attending her dream school, Boston College.

But love has a way of changing things.

Enter the new boy in school: the hockey team’s starting goaltender, Alec. He’s cute, charming, and most important, Alec doesn’t judge Zephyr. He understands her fears and insecurities—he even shares them. Soon, their relationship becomes something bigger than Zephyr, something she can’t control, something she doesn’t want to control.

Zephyr swears it must be love. Because love is powerful, and overwhelming, and…

Terrifying?

But love shouldn’t make you abandon your dreams, or push your friends away. And love shouldn’t make you feel guilty—or worse, ashamed.

So when Zephyr finally begins to see Alec for who he really is, she knows it’s time to take back control of her life.

If she waits any longer, it may be too late.

2016 Reading Challenge: A Book That Was Banned at Some Point

A Book That Was Banned at Some Point

This book of the challenge was just easy.  What book hasn't been banned or at least challenged at one point or another?  However, I had higher hopes for this book than what it delivered.

Forever by Judy Blume

Summary:

There's a first for everything.

When you build up something in your mind -- really imagine it, wish for it -- sometimes, when it actually happens, it doesn't live up to your expectations.

True love is nothing like that.

Especially not for Katherine and Michael, who can't get enough of each other. Their relationship is unique: sincere, intense, and fun all at the same time. Although they haven't been together all that long, they know it's serious. A whole world opens up as young passion and sexuality bloom.

But it's senior year of high school, and there are big changes ahead. Michael and Katherine are destined for another big "first": a decision. Is this the love of a lifetime, or the very beginning of a lifetime of love?

Review:

Eh, I really expected more from Judy Blume, and I've read plenty of her books in the past.  It wasn't bad per-say, but it wasn't exactly engaging either.

As for banned, Texas in it's usual controlling way hated children to learn about sex and love.  Here is a very nice post about where any why it was banned and challenged: Censorship & Judy Blume.

Top Ten Books I Enjoyed Recently That Weren't My Typical Genre

Presented by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books I Enjoyed Recently That Weren't My Typical Genre

1. The Martian by Andy Weir

I don't really do science fiction, pretty much ever.  If I delve into that side of literature I go towards fantasy, but this book was amazing.

2. The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

I actually read this as a brand new book, that I requested through the library because it had been on the bestsellers lists (or at least the author had).  I don't typically read mainstream, new releases, but this was kind of hilarious.

3. Breakwater Bay by Shelley Nobel

Just a basic family drama/romance, not normally exciting for me.

4. Awesome Sh*t My Drill Sergeant Said by Dan Caddy

This was straight up hilarious, and nonfiction is not my favorite genre by far.

5. If You Feel Too Much by Jamie Tworkowski

Again, nonfiction, but it's from To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA), so I had to because I love them, and I loved this.

6. Raising My Rainbow by Lori Duron

Blah memoirs usually, especially whiny ones about how someone is different and life is hard, but I found this rather inspiring.

7. American Sniper by Chris Kyle

Again, memoir, but war.  I love war movies, not typically books.  This was the best book I read in 2015 hands down.

8. Entwined With You by Sylvia Day

I normally find myself embarrassed by reading books that are known to be about sex and not much more, but this series has actual plot and Sylvia Day can actually write, so I make the exception for her.

9. Who Was Alfred Hitchcock? by Pamela D. Pollak

Need I say memoir again?  I'm starting to think I read these more than I think, but this was childrens level.  If you have a child and they don't like nonfiction, introduce them to this series of books, they'll love it.

10. The Terrorist's Son by Zak Ebrahim

Memoir!  Mostly I loved it because it was related to a Ted Talk, and if you don't know what Ted Talks are, then google it.  Now.  Seriously.

Top Ten Swoony Quotes From Books

Top Ten Swoony Quotes From Books

I don't keep track of quotes as well as I used to, so these aren't my favorites, but they are some of my most liked ones from books that I've read in the last few years.

“He had a nice smile. Seeing it, I felt like I’d won a prize, because he was so sparing with them.” 

― Sarah Dessen, Saint Anything

“I miss you."

"That's stupid," she said. "I saw you this morning."

"It's not the time," Levi said, and she could hear that he was smiling. "It's the distance.” 

― Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl

“I play the music of Steven

for Steven;

ragged, helpless,

it owns me, enveloping me

with an incomprehensible love -” 

― Stasia Ward Kehoe, The Sound of Letting Go

“Oh, I wouldn't mind, Hazel Grace. It would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you.” 

― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

“Angel, a crowd of millions couldn’t hide you from me. I found you once. I’ll always find you.” 

― Sylvia Day, Entwined with You

“I'd rather argue with you, angel, then laugh with anyone else.” 

― Sylvia Day, Reflected in You

“Love is wild and when it is cut returns again, stronger whether you want it to or not.” 

― Jessica Anthony, Chopsticks

“I love you now for what we've already shared, and I love you now in anticipation of all that's to come.” 

― Nicholas Sparks, Nights in Rodanthe

“Loving someone and having them love you back is the most precious thing in the world.” 

― Nicholas Sparks, The Rescue

“My love is selfish. I cannot breathe without you.” 

― John Keats, Bright Star: Love Letters and Poems of John Keats to Fanny Brawne