Book Review: Shredded (Extreme Risk, #1) by Tracy Wolff

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Buy: Amazon UK | Amazon US | 

Format: Kindle

Publishers: Flirt

Published: 4th February 2014

Pages: 304

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Main Characters: Ophelia, Z
Date Read: 13th June - 17th June 2015

Rating Given:

Synopsis:In this intense and exhilarating New Adult series debut, a hotshot snowboarder and a vulnerable rebel with a cause try to let go of the past—and find a future in each other.
Twenty-one-year-old professional snowboarder Z Michaels is the bad boy of Park City, Utah. He’s always had his pick of any girl in town—and on the competition circuit. But underneath his cool exterior is a young man in turmoil, trying to take the edge off tragedy by overindulging in sex and shredding the slopes. In fact, Z’s reckless behaviour is a thinly veiled attempt to blunt his emotional suffering with physical pain.
Ophelia Richardson isn’t like any girl Z has ever met. Though she’s from New Orleans high society, she’s no Southern belle—and she’s not shy about being miserable in frozen, godforsaken Park City. But laying low is her only option after her ex, a rich boy who couldn’t take no for an answer, nearly killed her in a jealous rage. Following that terrifying encounter, the last thing Ophelia needs is a boyfriend—especially one as rich and arrogant as Z. But Ophelia soon discovers that he isn’t what he seems. If anything, Z may be even more damaged than she is.
Tormented by their pasts and feeling alone in the world, Z and Ophelia find a connection unlike any they’ve ever known. But with Ophelia hiding the details of her life in Louisiana and Z’s death wish reaching terrifying new heights, their relationship seems to be going downhill before it even begins—unless they can find the strength in each other to trust, grow, and love again.

 I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What you can see of the guy I would say is a pretty good match to the male character Z which is good however, I do feel like it's a photoshopped body as it just doesn't look real enough for me. I love the use of simplistic colours as it makes the cover pop.

For me this book was a bit hit and miss for me as there was times when I was really enjoying it so much so I didn't want to put it down but then there was a lot of times when I just rolled my eyes at how unbelievable it was. The setting was great with the way in which it was written I was able to visualise the location. I loved the sport side of the story even if there was some terminology that I didn't understand I was still able to read between the lines and picture what was happening. I think what really let me down was I was thinking one thing was going to happen but in the end something else entirely happened which when reading back it didn't feel like it flowed as what the characters where thinking and then what they admitted didn't really match. Sometimes I could feel the chemistry between the two main characters but for the most of the time I just didn't get them as for me it all felt out of character. For me this book was a little too dark for me as the characters hardly seemed happy and yes I get they've both had difficult pasts so they're not going to be happy all the time but it would've helped me get through the book if they where happy at least a little bit more than what they where. The last half of the book was what really pulled the rating down for me as things happened that I felt was unforgivable. I also felt the ending was rushed and then the cliff hanger didn't even have anything to do with the two main characters so for me there was no real ending as in the end I don't believe Z and Ophelia whereas solid as what they make out to be.

Not a huge fan of the two main characters but the secondary characters where a lot more likeable. Ophelia was pretty annoying through out the book but what she did near the end really put me off her character. Z was like two completely different people as in the being he was a jerk and just a train wreck that I just can't stand which is probably why I found it hard to like him. Towards the end he came across as a sweet and caring person but by the end the damage was already done for me. Ash, Luc and Cam where far better than the two main characters so I'm glad they will get their own books but I'm scared that I'll end up hating them if I read their books.

Overall for me the two main characters let this book down so much so that I'm not sure if I can carry on with the series.

The Real Thing Blog Tour - Review & Excerpt plus a giveaway!

The Real Thing by Cassie Mae
Published by Flirt
August 19, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-553-39253-1

The Real Thing on Goodreads

In this electrifying novel from Cassie Mae, two close friends surprise themselves by shifting from platonic love to sexual attraction.
Eric Matua has one friend—his best friend and childhood sweetheart, who needs a place to stay for the summer. Mia Johnson has thousands of friends—who live in her computer. Along with her email chats and Facebook notifications, Mia also devours romance novels, spending countless hours with fictional characters, dreaming of her own Romeo to sweep her off her feet. When she starts receiving supersweet messages from a stranger who thinks she’s someone else, Mia begins to believe that real love is possible outside her virtual world.
When the two friends become roommates, Mia finds herself falling harder than she ever thought she could. But Eric keeps his desires locked away, unsure of himself and his ability to give his best friend what she deserves in a boyfriend. As her advances are continually spurned, Mia splits her time between Eric and her computer. But she soon realizes she’s about to lose the only real thing she’s ever had.

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About Cassie Mae
Cassie Mae is a full-time writer and mother from Utah. She loves being glued to the computer, thinking up new stories, and writing the day away while the kids run wild at her feet. When she finished her first novel, she started a blog that now gets more than five thousand hits a month. Her group blog is also dedicated to reaching out to aspiring authors by providing critiques and other marketing tools to help them succeed in the industry. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with the youth in her community as a volleyball and basketball coach, or searching the house desperately for chocolate.


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My Review:

As soon as I started this book I fell in love with it. What I love the most about this book is that it is so realistic with the use of social media and it also made me see just how much we all seem to use it. Another part of the story that I loved was that it wasn't all about the romance and social media but body issues and what is so unique about this is that it isn't the girl that is hung up about her body but the guy which was great to see. I loved the relationship between Eric and Mia as they was friends first which I felt like it made the book even more realistic than if they had jumped into a relationship without knowing each but in this case they had know each other for year whilst secretly wanting each other for pretty much the same amount of time. When they where together it was sweet but also hot I just needed them to be together forever as they made such a cute couple. I loved the ending for this book as it was the kind of ending that I always feel like I need in a stand alone book, as we got to see what was happening a year later.

I absolutely adored Eric he is the sweetest guy ever he seemed so genuine that I just couldn't help but love him. He did break my heart a lot of the time but not because of anything he had done but the issues that he has had to deal with. With Mia I had a love/hate relationship with her as there was a lot of times when I felt she was sweet especially when she was in the same room as Eric but she was annoying at times and I wanted to slap her phone/computer away from her. It was great that in this book we got to read from both Eric and Mia's perspective as this gave us the chance to get to know what each of them was thinking which I always want to know what the other person was thinking and in this book we get to know.

Overall this was a great modern day romance book that everyone who loves contemporary romance should read.


Excerpt
“Should I reply?”
I raise an eyebrow, glancing at her profile. She pulls at her bottom lip, tilting her head back and forth as she stares at the screen.
“What would you say?” I ask.
Her fingers tap the home row, and she gives a little shrug. “Not sure. But I feel bad if he thinks the right Mia is ignoring him. But seriously, you’d think he’d know her email if they were going out.”
“I don’t know.” I point to her email address at the top. “How many Mia Johnsons are there in the world? And not all people have relationships with their computers.”
She turns to face me, almost smacking me in the nose. I must’ve gravitated toward her without thinking.
Instead of making it majorly awkward, she presses her forehead to mine and says, “But some online relationships are the best kind.”
I gulp, and then my mouth goes dry. I can’t argue with her. It was because of the Internet that we’ve been able to keep up with each other—the reason we’re here together now like we just talked yesterday. We did talk yesterday.
I’m about to make a stupid move by tucking hair behind her ear just to touch her, but then I remember I’m still in my sweaty clothes, and I get a dizzy spell and pull back.
“Uh, I’m gonna jump in the shower,” I stutter as I slide from the bed.
Em nods and clicks her mouse pad a few times. “Okay. I’m going to order some food. You still like Hawaiian pizza?”
I think I do, but I don’t eat pizza anymore.
“Get what you want. I’ve already eaten.” It’s bullshit, but if I have one slice of pizza, before I know it, I’ll have eaten five more.
Her brow furrows and her eyes drop to the bottom corner of her screen. “Oh crap, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize what time it was. And you’re probably still in a different time zone in here.” She pats her stomach, flicking her eyes from the screen to me.
“It’s no big deal.” I smile and go to hit her door frame on the way out, but she
stops me.
“Oh, Eric?”
“Yeah?”
“The whole ‘make yourself at home’ thing goes both ways.” She nods toward my chest. “I don’t care if you walk around without a shirt on.”
“Huh?”
She points at my neck, and I look down and see the tag sticking out under my chin. Inside out . . . and backward.
“Whoops.”
She laughs and her eyes rest on the screen again. I let her return to her email, but I keep my shirt covering me until I’ve locked myself in the bathroom. Twenty more pounds and I’ll walk around buck-ass naked if I want to.



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Book Review: Switched by Cassie Mae

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Format: Kindle (earc)

Publishers: Flirt by Random House 

Published: 2nd December 2013

Pages: 259

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Main Characters: Kayla, Wesley, Reagan, Talon

Date Read: 15th February - 20th February 2014
 

Rating Given:

 

Blurb: 

Ever since high school, Kayla has been crazy for gorgeous football player Talon. But before she could muster the courage to tell him, he became a hot item with her beautiful BFF, Reagan. The only person who knows Kayla’s secret is Wesley, Talon’s best bud—and he’s got it bad for Reagan. Now they’re all in college together, hanging out 24/7. For Kayla, seeing the two lovebirds together is absolutely unbearable. So Kayla and Wesley hatch a plot to drive them apart before Talon has a chance to give Reagan the Christmas gift she’s been waiting for.

Soon enough, the once happy couple is fighting. Reagan suddenly can’t get enough of Wesley’s goofy sense of humor, and Talon seems to be paying more attention to Kayla than a guy who’s “only a friend” ever should. But just when everything seems to be falling into place, Kayla and Wesley accidentally spend a night together and discover a hitch in their plan they never considered: that switching partners may not lead to a perfect ending after all.

I found this book on Netgalley and I thought it sounded like an interesting book so I requested it and I'm glad I did as I loved every minute of it.

 The cover looks a little bit like the Losing It by Cora Carmack cover but a little more colourful. I do like this cover but that mainly has to do with the use of colours, I just don't feel like it's in keeping with the story, for starters the book is set over Christmas but this cover looks more like Spring.

After thinking the blurb sounded interesting last year to this year thinking I might not like it, I wasn't expecting a lot but I was addicted to it and I just wanted to read more and more and then when I was nearly finished I didn't want it to end. I found Switched to be such a sweet, light hearted and funny book which I just wasn't expecting. Even when I had (eventually stopped for some sleep) stopped I found myself thinking about what is going to happen next and how it's all going to get resolved but I didn't expect what did happen to happen. I loved seeing the growing attraction between Wesley and Kayla it was so sweet even if they didn't see it themselves which is where some of the humour came into the story. The ending was brilliant as it tied everything up in a bright and shiny bow!

I never expected to like any of the characters but I found them all endearing in their own unique way. Kayla was the main one that I expected to hate seeing as she was trying to get her best friend to split up with her boyfriend that she wanted but for some reason I couldn't hate her. Wesley was my favourite characters in this book as he was so funny but he was also kind (even if he wanted to split up his best friend so he could be with his girlfriend) and was always there for Kayla. I wish Wesley was in it more or even better if it had some of the story from his point of view as I would have loved to have seen how he was coping with everything going on plus it would be more Wesley time which I couldn't get enough of. Reagan I think was my least favourite character through out the book as she always wanted to embarrass everyone which is a quality I don't like. By the end I did warm to her as she seemed to be a true friend. Although Talon was in the book a lot I still don't feel like we got to know the real Talon but what did come across was he was a sweet guy.

Overall a new surprise favourite of mine as I enjoyed every minute of Switched.