Back At It: First book of 2015: LAW MAN

Last year was a crazy ride, with super tough bio and chem classes. But I'm back. And hopefully for good.


Any better way to start off the year than with a Kristen Ashley book? I think not.

(All ratings are out of 5)

Title: Law Man

Author: Kristen Ashley

Cliffhanger: No.

Happily Ever After?: Yes.

Overall Rating : 4

Series: Dream Man (#3)

Steam: VERY

Hero: 5

Heroine: 4

Recommend?: Yes.

Hero: Mitch Lawson

- Police Detective

Heroine: Mara Hanover

- Sells mattresses

NEIGHBORS.

Mara has had a "thing" for Mitch (who lives across from her) for a while now. 4 years to be exact. He's (obviously) attractive, has a good job, and has women hanging off him. Thinking she ranks at a 2.5 (out of 10) and Mitch is a clear 10.5, Mara stays away as much as possible (because the 10s aren't in the same league as the 2s. The 10s date other 8-10s while the 2s go out with the 1-3s). She has no self-confidence. One day, she gets a call from a pay phone saying her druggie and drunkard cousin's two kids are waiting at a market alone, she takes off to go get them. On the way out, she (literally) collides into Mitch. And Mitch, being 10.5 Mitch, helps her and drives her to the mart to pick up the kids. From there, starts the romance and the thriller in Law Man.

Altogether, I really liked this book. Sure, it's really nothing "new," but seeing the character development really made me like the book even more. The romance was great, it developed very beautifully. However, my favorite was Mara's gain in self-confidence. She'd been always put down by her poor-excuse-of-a-mom and aunt, and always saw herself as way less than she actually was. Mitch brings out the best in her and helps her see that she is worth so much more than she gives herself credit to.

Also, the kids were great. Billy and Billie (because their dad, BILL, thought it would be HILARIOUS to name his son and daughter both Billie/Billy except with different spellings) were such adorable children. I really felt terrible for the amount of responsibility 10 year old Billy had taken on so early in his life. Kids shouldn't have to worry about having food at home, keeping their sister safe from their dead-beat dad's friends, having money, etc.

The rating system Mara used in "Mara World" was a bit over exaggerated. It was mentioned too many times. Also, Mara was pretty much had no backbone the first half of the book. I think after she got her reality check in the middle about Bill and the mafia and all she grew a backbone, but she wouldn't stand up for herself and it really bothered the feminist inside me.

This wasn't my favorite KA book, I don't think any will take the place of Own The Wind (motorcycles + me = gah!), but it was a very engaging read that kept me on my toes and wondering what was going to happen next!

Favorite lines:

What kind of friend are you?” Billy asked.
“A different kind of friend,” Mitch answered.
“What kind of different?” Billy shot back.
“A good kind of different,” Mitch replied.”

Forever With You (Fixed; #3)

FOREVER WITH YOU BY: LAURELIN PAIGE

(#3 IN FIXED TRILOGY)

"Oh the web we weave, when first we decide to deceive."

I couldn't help myself. And personally, I think this quote encompasses this third and final book in the Fixed trilogy.

The mystery is finally revealed, and let me tell you, it really surprised me! I can usually predict what's going to happen, but this came out of no where for me. Needless to say, if I thought outside the box, then maybe I'd get it sooner, but I didn't and it surprised me, and it was awesome! (when the time came)

So... Hudson and Alayna are together and totally in love with each other and there are no more secrets: honesty and transparency is the key. Well, for Alayna it is. Hudson on the other hand... Uh yeah, not really. He's still hiding his secrets and won't disclose anything to Alayna.

The first half of the book was slow and really kinda boring. Nothing really happened other than:
"Hudson what are you hiding?"
"Nothing"
...
"Hudson"
"Yes"
"Honesty and transparency"
"I can't tell you everything"
...
"Hudson are you lying?"
"No" but yeah.
you get the jist.

And guess what, after two whole books, there's still no ily. "The man couldn't say I love you."
And when Hudson finally says the three coveted words... not once, but twice!

OMG HE SAID I LOVE YOU.
took him long enough.

The second half did it for me. Hudson has demons, he's fighting his past. His past always comes to bite him in the ass. And Alayna's ass too, unfortunately. Speaking of which..


CELIA WERNER: hated that bitch. EXCUSE MY FRENCH. But she was horrible and would never quit. It got to the point where I didn't want to finish the book anymore because I couldn't stand seeing her name!

I present to you: Miss Celia Werner.









THE SEX: So, I got fed up* with the steamy scenes in the second book; it was just too much for me to handle. Way too much sex, combined with zero communication = I can't continue this way.
*I skipped every sex scene in this book. Just wanted to get that out there. (That's not to say there was a lot; there was actually very little compared to the previous books, but I just couldn't get myself to read about the same scenes over and over again)

**It is explained in this book why there is so much sex; "With us, it was speech. Which might have something to do with why we still had such trouble talking to each other." Sounds about right!

But I will say, this book did have communication (finally) and at least in the second half, we were able to see that Huds and Laynie didn't need sex in order to be in a relationship. They actually talked. OH AND THEN THEY BROKE UP. 

No sex => break up. And Alayna's miserable. And so is Hudson. But this is the way it has to be. Blah blah blah blah blah.

But it's okay because the last 20% of the book was really good. I felt like I was watching a suspense film!

And the epilogue: IT'S FROM HUDSON'S POV! and it's presh. *precious

  Alayna's constant condescension toward herself really upset me. She depends on Hudson and without him, she truly feels as if she can't go on. I don't know if that's what everyone in love feels like, but I don't. INDEPENDENCE is key. Yes, you have a boyfriend, but don't lose who you are.

Alayna's words:
"In many ways I didn't deserve it."
"But I would never betray him again. I'd grown past that."
"With a sinking horror, I feared that Jordan was right -- Hudson's feelings for me were obvious. Obviously gone."
I sense a pattern.

"dammit, feelings were confusing."

"The problem with secrets -- anything was potentially the truth." (One of my favorites!)

My favorite character was Mira! Absolutely love that girl! She's hilarious and snarky and now with her pregnancy hormones.. She's the best!!!

Fixed On You (Fixed trilogy #1)

FIXED ON YOU BY: LAURELIN PAIGE

(book one in the trilogy: Fixed)

Hmm... Where to start with this one?

This definitely had me reading nonstop; I couldn't put the book down! But that's not to say that the storyline is completely original (but, to be honest, most aren't nowadays). Let's see.Billionaire, handsome, emotionally detached hero with a past? Check. Insecure heroine, with her own past, who finds herself unconsciously falling for the hero? Check. A love that's not going to work because of the protagonist's pasts and the intrusion of family members? Check. Sound somewhat familiar?

Although the story wasn't original, there were aspects to it that were and that's what drew me to this story.


Stalking and restraining orders are a thing of Alayna Wither’s past. With her MBA newly in hand, she has her future figured out—move up at the nightclub she works at and stay away from any guy who might trigger her obsessive love disorder. A perfect plan.

But what Alayna didn’t figure on is Hudson Pierce, the new owner of the nightclub. He’s smart, rich, and gorgeous—the kind of guy Alayna knows to stay away from if she wants to keep her past tendencies in check. Except, Hudson’s fixed his sights on her. He wants her in his bed and makes no secret of it.

Avoiding him isn’t an option after he offers a business proposition she can’t turn down and she’s drawn further into his universe, unable to resist his gravitational pull. When she learns Hudson has a dark history of his own, she realizes too late that she’s fallen for the worst man she could possibly get involved with. Or maybe their less than ideal pasts give them an opportunity to heal each other and finally find the love their lives have been missing. 


I hadn't read a book before where the characters had the same pasts as in this book. Of course there were brutal family members who didn't approve of the arrangement (cough Hudson's mom Sophiathebitch cough), but Alayna has stalker tendencies. When she fall, she falls hard and her paranoia eats at her which is why she becomes obsessive with the guys she dates. Hudson on the other hand, had a very different past. His secret is[ that he manipulates women into falling in love with when he has absolutely no feelings towards them and once the woman has fallen deep for him, he cuts them off and goes on in life without a care as to what happened to the woman. And he's done this many times, especially to Celia, whom he feels extreme guilt for until now. (hide spoiler)] BUT... he doesn't want to hurt Alayna, he wants to move on and be with her; he wants to break his ways.




Their journey begins with a proposition:
"I need you to break up an engagement." 

So their pretend relationship begins. Two people broken by their pasts who don't think they can love freely embark in a fake relationship.

The first 25-30% really was slow for me, not gonna lie. Alayna was way too indecisive and basically gave all power to Hudson. She's basically turn into goo in his hands and if he asked to jump off a bridge, she probably would. Personally, I love when a guy has alpha male characteristics, and Hudson was amazing! His possessiveness and commanding nature was great and he made the story for me; I wouldn't mind myself some Hudson Pierce! But I would've loved to see Alayna stand up for herself more and not be as insecure as she was: A girl with a backbone is actually really hot, let's be honest I know she had problems and all, but she basically let him do anything with her and happily went to his"fuck pad" with him without any protests. A little more backbone would be nice.



Mind you, the story in this book takes place in the span of around 3 weeks.
He sees her. She sees him. They formally meet. (One week gone). 
He propositions. She accepts. They canoodle and start their love affair, fake relationship. (Second week gone). 
She gets paranoid. Secrets come out. They break up, they make up. . THE ENDING which I LOVED by the way . And that's a wrap!

Soooo... Although I had some ehh moments, I really did enjoy this one and couldn't put it down. I haven't read much of the alpha/rich guy with the insecure heroine since the Beg series (which didn't cut it for me) and the Crossfire series. So if you just wrapped up Crossfire or FSOG or the Stark Trilogy or anything similar.. I'd say read something else and come back to this in a couple months. But if not, pick this up because the sex scenes are steamy enough to fog up the glass and the ending is really nice; kinda rushed, but nice. BUT HEY, there's a SECOND and THIRD book!!! Which I will definitely be reading! 

Pick it up, you won't regret it!




  

Favorite parts that stuck:
I apologize for overwhelming you. That wasn't my intent. But I want you to know that whether or not you decide to help with my situation, I will continue to seduce you. I'm a man who gets what he wants. And I want you."

"We were both vulnerable now. Two damaged souls spilling our brokenness in a private therapy session. Was this what he had wanted between us? Sharing like this, without judgment, without shame? It was ... nice."

"I wanted to win you. But I didn't want to hurt you."

"That that's what we were feeling. That it was love.
It was. It is.
Hmm. I never felt this before. I didn't know" 

4/5 PIERCING ;) STARS because it was captivating. and I want you Hudson Pierce. Can't wait for the next book!