Review Of: The Force Of Gravity

"I blast the stereo in a vain attempt to drown out my thoughts. I don’t want to be thinking about him and analyzing every detail of first period. It makes me feel like a young, foolish girl, and I’m embarrassed that I can’t control the way my body reacts every time his eyes meet mine."

In a quiet town in the East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona, everything in life is seemingly perfect for eighteen-year-old Kaley Kennedy. She has loving parents, loyal friends, and is dating the hottest boy in school. With only a few months left of her senior year, she’s looking forward to an epic summer before heading off to Los Angeles for college.

Without warning, a gorgeous new math teacher interrupts Kaley’s predictable little world, challenging who she is. Suddenly, parties, dates, and Friday nights with her friends seem empty and unfulfilling as she finds herself obsessing over his every move. Desperate for something more, but determined to ignore her fierce attraction, every single relationship in her life begins to crumble by forces beyond her control. Struggling to transition from adolescence to adulthood, Kaley must choose between playing it safe or risking more than just her heart. . . 

At about the 50% mark I was standing on the edge trying to decide if I really wanted to finish this book or not.  I really thought I wouldn't but by some miracle I was able to push through and make it to the finish line.

I have no problem reading teacher/student relationship but the way TFOG is written made it really hard to trudge through.  Really I should say it was the characters that made it hard for me to accept their reality. Our MC Kaley is 18 and Mr. Slate is only 25 so the age gap isn't creepy at all.  Mr. Slate takes over Kaley's math class in March of her senior year so it's not as if they forever till Kaley graduates.  All of those facts combine to make it possible to read TFOG without feeling icky about it. What makes it hard to get through is the fact that Kaley is a very immature 18.  From her fights with her friends and boyfriend (yeah, she has a boyfriend who is very much her age) to the grudges she holds against her parents she shows how young her thought process really is.  There were a couple of instances where I really thought Slate would come to his senses and call her out on her child like tantrums. He didn't. Because he thinks she's amazing baby. *Eye roll*

If her immaturity wasn't enough, they're lust filled relationship definitely sealed the deal.  Remember how I said he took over the class in March? Yeah, from day one Kaley couldn't think or act straight around him, beginning the cringe worthy moments that would stay present for me throughout the whole book.  Which, this is one thing I don't understand.  Why is it these girls can't control themselves in the face of their crush? Pull yourselves together ladies, it is possible to lust after someone without revealing yourself and making yourself look a fool. Lordy.  Kaley isn't the only one to blame though because Mr. Slate falls head over heels for Kaley the moment she walks into class.  From that moment on they are both doomed.  They call it love but it is soo lust.  They know nothing about each other, not even by the end of the book! And the declaration he makes at the end? Ha! Give me a break.  I would give them maybe 6 months in the real world before the whole thing fell apart! And that's being optimistic!

Obviously,  I didn't like the Force of Gravity.  Does that mean you shouldn't try it? No, but don't say I didn't warn you!

Review Of: Anna and the French Kiss

Can Anna find love in the City of Light?

Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection. So she's less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year.

But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he's taken —and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she's waiting for?

Oh Anna. How do I explain my feelings for you?

I really wanted to love Anna and the French Kiss as I've heard nothing but good things about the whole series.  I didn't hate it, but I feel pretty impartial to it.  I think that if the main couple weren't a bunch of cheaters and hypocrites I would have had a better bond with them resulting in me feeling a better connection to the story. 

If I separate the facts from the love story it is very charming, it's also in no way an instant love type of situation which helped with my opinion of the overall book. Anna and St. Clair's relationship builds up over time, from acquaintances to friends to best friends to love.  It was fun and heartfelt watching their relationship bloom, if only they would have waited until St. Clair had ended things with his girlfriend!

There were secondary characters present and while they don't completely fade into the background there isn't a whole lot of interaction between them and Anna.  I believe a few of them will pop up in the next books but I can't say that after Anna I'm left wondering what happens with them.

Overall, Anna and the French Kiss is an enjoyable contemporary romance about a girl making her place in a new world and gaining friendship as well as love along the way.  If you don't hold tight to your morals I'm sure you will enjoy reading Anna's story.

Review Of: The Stars Never Rise

Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she's too busy trying to actually survive. Her town's population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago.

When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their very existence, she'll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal Church and its army of black-robed exorcists. And Mellie's sin has put her in serious trouble.

To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?

Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can't survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her.

Oh, how amazing this book was.  There were so many twists and surprises that I didn't expect, at all, which totally added to my enjoyment The Stars Never Rise.

I've read my fair share of books about angels and I'm no stranger to stories involving demons but this was a whole new take on the whole thing. The writing and pacing was fantastic, the characters unique in their own right and the love aspect....a challenge that I am dying to see play out.

 

I really don't want to say too much for fear of giving away things that I enjoyed being surprised by. For what it's worth, I completely loved the book and can't wait for the next installment!

Sexy Saturday Spotlight: All I Want By J. Daniels

Sexy Saturday Spotlight is a new feature where I shine the spotlight on some of the steamier books I read.  These books are usually rated 18+.

This week the spotlight is shining on All I Want by J. Daniels.

Luke Evans is a heartbreaker.
I didn’t want to give mine to him. Not when he kept me out.
He gave me enough, just enough to make me fall in love with him. I say this to convince myself. But I know the truth.
I would’ve fallen in love with him at a distance.
Handing my heart over to Luke was the easiest thing I’ve ever done. I was naive when I wished for more, when I hoped he wanted the same things I did.
I try to hate him. I try to forget him.
But it’s not that easy.
Love is a ruthless bitch, and I’m her latest victim.

Tessa Kelly is a man-eater.
When she sets her sights on you, she doesn’t just consume your heart, she goes for your soul.
What we had was perfect, real, and all I would ever want.
But she destroyed it.
She destroyed us.
I try to hate her. I try to forget her.
But it’s not that easy.
Love is for people who have hope, and I have none.

All I want is the second book in the companion series Alabama Summer.  It technically can be read alone but if you want the background of Mia and Ben you should start with Where I Belong.

One thing I will say about these books is that everyone cusses like a sailor!  I don't know of anyone in real life who uses the word Fuck so frequently in day to day conversations, not to mention pussy and titties.  It's one thing to run across those words during sex scenes but the characters use them freely throughout normal conversations with each other.

All I Want is just as steamy as the Where I Belong but this story belongs to Tessa and Luke.  Luke has a lot of background issues that he wants to keep from Tessa, not because he doesn't love her but because he wants to protect her from it.  Tessa believes he doesn't actually want a future with her causing her to resent him. This all starts the cycle of misunderstanding and heartbreak.

Luke represents the kind of guy every girl wants to take home and fix.  That, along with his stellar skills in the bedroom, combine to make it impossible for Tessa to walk away.  Their so called hatred for each other equates to some steamy angry sex along with sensual make up sex.  For two people who hate each other they have a lot of sex, which I was okay with. I mean, seriously.

I actually preferred Mia and Ben's relationship to Tessa adn Luke, which made me prefer the sex scenes in Where I Belong.  That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy Tessa and Luke, they were still amazing and if I had read them first I probably would have had no problems.  But as it stands Tessa and Luke come in second place.