Quick Take: This series has been a joy to read! It’s the perfect blend of romance, intrigue, and suspense. It’s a high-action two-part novel (so far), and the best part being a female superhero!
(more…)Brokenhearted, A Series by Amelia Kahaney
B
Magnolia (Magnolia Branch, #1) by Kristi Cook
M
Series: Magnolia Branch
Release Date: August 5th, 2014
<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
In Magnolia Branch, Mississippi, the Cafferty and Marsden families are southern royalty. Neighbors since the Civil War, the families have shared vacations, holidays, backyard barbecues, and the overwhelming desire to unite their two clans by marriage. So when a baby boy and girl were born to the families at the same time, the perfect opportunity seemed to have finally arrived.
Jemma Cafferty and Ryder Marsden have no intention of giving in to their parents’ wishes. They’re only seventeen, for goodness’ sake, not to mention that one little problem: They hate each other! Jemma can’t stand Ryder’s nauseating golden-boy persona, and Ryder would like nothing better than to pretend stubborn Jemma doesn’t exist.
But when a violent storm ravages Magnolia Branch, it unearths Jemma’s and Ryder’s true feelings for each other as the two discover that the line between love and hate may be thin enough to risk crossing over.
<strong>Ending</strong>
HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Black side characters
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Hurricane storm
• Death
• Cancer
• Death
• Cancer
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• Does have OM drama
– The Heroine kisses and goes on dates with OM (before the Hero and her get close)
• Does have OW drama
– There’s a rumour that the Hero hooked up with the Heroine’s cousin (we never find out if it’s true)
– Hero leads on OW–Heroine heard the Hero and the OW made out but there’s no clarification if that happened or not
– The Hero was trying to make the Heroine jealous
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• No separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• Does have OM drama
– The Heroine kisses and goes on dates with OM (before the Hero and her get close)
• Does have OW drama
– There’s a rumour that the Hero hooked up with the Heroine’s cousin (we never find out if it’s true)
– Hero leads on OW–Heroine heard the Hero and the OW made out but there’s no clarification if that happened or not
– The Hero was trying to make the Heroine jealous
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• No separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
(more…)Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
G
Series: Standalone
Release Date: May 4th, 2012
<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Marriage can be a real killer.
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.
One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn.
<strong>Ending</strong>
HFN… Kind of?
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Murder
• Violence (Blood and gore)
• Use of false rape claims as a plot device
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Psychological abuse
• Violence (Blood and gore)
• Use of false rape claims as a plot device
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Psychological abuse
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• Infidelity
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
(more…)Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick
G
Series: Standalone
Release Date: April 30th, 2013
<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Inner beauty wants out.
When eighteen-year-old Becky Randle’s mother dies, she’s summoned from her Missouri trailer park to meet Tom Kelly, the world’s top designer. He makes her an impossible offer: He’ll create three dresses to transform Becky from a nothing special girl into the most beautiful woman who ever lived.
Becky thinks Tom is a lunatic, or that he’s producing a hidden camera show called World’s Most Gullible Poor People. But she accepts, and she’s remade as Rebecca. When Becky looks in the mirror, she sees herself – an awkward mess of split ends and cankles. But when anyone else looks at Becky, they see pure five-alarm hotness.
Soon Rebecca is on the cover of Vogue, the new Hollywood darling, and dating celebrities. Then Becky meets Prince Gregory, heir to the British throne, and everything starts to crumble. Because Rebecca aside, Becky loves him. But to love her back, Gregory would have to look past the blinding Rebecca to see the real girl inside. And Becky knows there’s not enough magic in the world.
A screamingly defiant, hugely naughty, and impossibly fun free fall past the cat walks, the red carpets, and even the halls of Buckingham Palace, Gorgeous does the impossible: It makes you see yourself clearly for the first time.
<strong>Ending</strong>
HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
• LGBTQIA+ side characters
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Death of family
• No abuse
• No abuse
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
• No cheating
• No OW/OM
• Does have the Heroine pushing away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• No OW/OM
• Does have the Heroine pushing away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
(more…)The Selection, A Series by Kiera Cass
T
About the Series
The Selection series has been an awesome adventure and started out as a girl already in love being forced to participate in a competition she wanted nothing with. But throughout these three books, we’ve witnessed America stand her ground for what she believes in, fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, and truly find herself.
The Selection is a series to read again, and lucky us, Kiera Cass is releasing a companion series, continuing America’s story through her daughter in The Heir.
The review of the series includes reviews on each of the following books (listed in order of release):
Note: The review of the second and third books may discuss spoilers from the first (and second) book(s).
(more…)A Different Blue by Amy Harmon
A
Series: Standalone
Release Date: March 23rd, 2013
<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Blue Echohawk doesn’t know who she is. She doesn’t know her real name or when she was born. Abandoned at two and raised by a drifter, she didn’t attend school until she was ten years old. At nineteen, when most kids her age are attending college or moving on with life, she is just a senior in high school. With no mother, no father, no faith, and no future, Blue Echohawk is a difficult student, to say the least. Tough, hard and overtly sexy, she is the complete opposite of the young British teacher who decides he is up for the challenge, and takes the troublemaker under his wing.
This is the story of a nobody who becomes somebody. It is the story of an unlikely friendship, where hope fosters healing and redemption becomes love. But falling in love can be hard when you don’t know who you are. Falling in love with someone who knows exactly who they are and exactly why they can’t love you back might be impossible.
<strong>Ending</strong>
HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• Native American biracial main character
• Hispanic side characters
• Native American biracial main character
• Hispanic side characters
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Sexual abuse
• Drug addicted parent
• Allusion to molestation (flashback)
• Abandonment
• Teen pregnancy
• Drug addicted parent
• Allusion to molestation (flashback)
• Abandonment
• Teen pregnancy
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Not Safe
• Kinda cheating
– The Hero kisses the Heroine and is in love with her while dating the OW (so the Heroine is kind of the ‘other woman’)
• Does have OW drama
– The Hero has a childhood friend who he’s in a physical relationship with–the Heroine sees them kissing and believes they are a couple
• No OM
– The Heroine sleeps with OM but the sex isn’t detailed
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does not have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
– The Hero kisses the Heroine and is in love with her while dating the OW (so the Heroine is kind of the ‘other woman’)
• Does have OW drama
– The Hero has a childhood friend who he’s in a physical relationship with–the Heroine sees them kissing and believes they are a couple
• No OM
– The Heroine sleeps with OM but the sex isn’t detailed
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does not have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
(more…)Reboot, A Series by Amy Tintera
R
About the Series
If you like reverse-gender roles (the heroine is the physical badass, while the hero is the one who possesses EQ) and complex heroines, this is the series for you!
The Reboot series uniquely employs the Romeo and Juliet trope by having the heroine be the most accomplished Reboot while the hero is the least impressive (and most human) Reboot. The action, conspiracies, and slow-burn romance make Reboot and its sequel, Rebel, page-turners.
The review of the series includes reviews on each of the following books (listed in order of release):
Note: The review of the second book may discuss spoilers from the first book.
(more…)The Queen of The Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling, #1) by Erika Johansen
T
Series: The Queen of the Tearling
Release Date: October 31st, 2013
<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Kelsea Gylnn is the sole heir to the throne of Tearling but has been raised in secret by foster parents after her mother – Queen Elyssa, as vain as she was stupid – was murdered for ruining her kingdom. For 18 years, the Teraling has been ruled by Kelsea’s uncle in the role of Regent however he is but the debauched puppet of the Red Queen, the sorceress-tyrant of the neighbouring realm of Mortmesme. On Kelsea’s 19th birthday, the tattered remnants of her mother’s guard – each pledged to defend the queen to the death – arrive to bring this most un-regal young woman out of hiding …
And so beings her journey back to her kingdom’s heart, to claim the throne, earn the loyalty of her people, overturn her mother’s legacy and redeem the Tearling from the forces of corruption and dark magic that are threatening to destroy it. But Kelsea’s story is not just about her learning the true nature of her inheritance – it’s about a heroine who must learn to acknowledge and live with the realities of coming of age in all its insecurities and attractions, alongside the ethical dilemmas of ruling justly and fairly while simply trying to stay alive …
The Queen of the Tearling introduces readers to a world as fully imagined and terrifying as that of The Hunger Games, with characters as vivid and intriguing as those of The Game of Thrones, and a wholly original heroine. Combining thrilling action and twisting plot turns, it is a magnificent debut from the talented Erika Johansen.
<strong>Ending</strong>
Cliffhanger
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Slavery
• Torture (including that of a child)
• Murder
• Assassination
• Death
• Rape
• Torture (including that of a child)
• Murder
• Assassination
• Death
• Rape
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• Allusions to sex
• Discussion of drugs
• Allusion to abortion
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• Discussion of drugs
• Allusion to abortion
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Rating: 5/5 stars
(more…)Offside by Shay Savage
O
Series: Standalone
Release Date: August 3rd, 2014
<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
I have to be the best. I am the best. I’m quick. I’m strong. I’m smart. I’m the star keeper of my high school soccer team, and I’ve got major leagues scouting me. As their captain, my teammates will do anything I say – on or off the field. Girls practically beg to be added to my list of conquests. As long as I manage to go pro for the best team in the world, I won’t have to worry about my father’s earth.
I’m Thomas Malone, and I’ve seen to it that the world revolves around me.
There’s a new girl at school, and it’s just a matter of time before she gives in to my charm. This one’s just a little more stubborn than most – she won’t even tell me her name! She’s smart, too. Maybe too smart. I can’t let her in. I can’t let anybody in. I’m not too worried, but even I have to admit she’s interfering with my focus on the goal.
Dad’s not going to be happy about that.
Did I mention I love Shakespeare? Yeah, I know. I’m a walking contradiction, According to the Bard, ‘Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Somehow, I got all three.
<strong>Ending</strong>
HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Sexual assault (off-page, memories)
– Heroine drugged and then coerced into sexual acts which were then photographed
• Death of parent (off-page, memories)
• Domestic abuse (on-page)
• Suicide (on-page)
• Traumatic accident resulting in serious injury (on-page)
– Heroine drugged and then coerced into sexual acts which were then photographed
• Death of parent (off-page, memories)
• Domestic abuse (on-page)
• Suicide (on-page)
• Traumatic accident resulting in serious injury (on-page)
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Not Safe
• No cheating
• Does have (light) OW drama
– An ex-hookup of the Hero’s spreads rumours about the Heroine because the OW is jealous
• Does have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
– Before the Hero meets the Heroine: one descriptive scene at the beginning of an OW giving the Hero a BJ
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
– They were separated for a couple of months
– Assumed they were both celibate but not confirmation
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• Does have (light) OW drama
– An ex-hookup of the Hero’s spreads rumours about the Heroine because the OW is jealous
• Does have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
– Before the Hero meets the Heroine: one descriptive scene at the beginning of an OW giving the Hero a BJ
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
– They were separated for a couple of months
– Assumed they were both celibate but not confirmation
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Rating: 4/5 stars
(more…)Where I Belong (Alabama Summer, #1) by J. Daniels
W
Series: Alabama Summer*
Release Date: June 28th, 2014
<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
When Mia Corelli returns to Alabama for a summer of fun with her childhood best friend, tessa, there’s only one thing keeping her on edge.
One person that she’d do anything to avoid.
Benjamin Kelly. World’s biggest dickhead.
Mia hates him with a fury and has no desire to ever see him again. When she decides to start her summer off with a bang and finally give away her v-card, she unknowingly hands it over to the one guy that excelled at making her life miserable, learning a valuable lesson in the process.
Always get the name of the guy you’re going home with.
Ben can’t get the girl he spent one night with out of his head. When she leaves him the next morning, he thinks he’ll never see her again. Until he sees her lounging by the pool with his sister.
Mia is determined to prove he’s not the same guy he used to be.
What happens when the one person you wish never existed becomes the one person you can’t imagine being without?
<strong>Ending</strong>
HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Drug addiction
• Impaired driving
• Cancer
• Death of family member
• Impaired driving
• Cancer
• Death of family member
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
– The Heroine is a virgin
– In the Hero’s POV, there are allusions to past sexual activities with the OW (his baby momma)
– The OW attempts to give the Hero a BJ but he turns her down
• Does have OW drama
– The Hero’s baby momma is jealous of the Heroine and attempts to cause problems for them (see above)
• Does have the Heroine pushing away
• Does not have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
– The Heroine is a virgin
– In the Hero’s POV, there are allusions to past sexual activities with the OW (his baby momma)
– The OW attempts to give the Hero a BJ but he turns her down
• Does have OW drama
– The Hero’s baby momma is jealous of the Heroine and attempts to cause problems for them (see above)
• Does have the Heroine pushing away
• Does not have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Rating: 4.25/5 stars
*Each novel in the series is Standalone
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