"After We Collided" by Anna Todd- Did Not Finish Review

Series: After #2
Genre: New Adult
Publication: November 2015
Format: Kindle
Cover Rating: 4/5 Stars

From Goodreads: Tessa has everything to lose. Hardin has nothing to lose…except her. AFTER WE COLLIDED…Life will never be the same.

After a tumultuous beginning to their relationship, Tessa and Hardin were on the path to making things work. Tessa knew Hardin could be cruel, but when a bombshell revelation is dropped about the origins of their relationship—and Hardin’s mysterious past—Tessa is beside herself.

Hardin will always be…Hardin. But is he really the deep, thoughtful guy Tessa fell madly in love with despite his angry exterior—or has he been a stranger all along? She wishes she could walk away. It’s just not that easy. Not with the memory of passionate nights spent in his arms. His electric touch. His hungry kisses.

Still, Tessa’s not sure she can endure one more broken promise. She put so much on hold for Hardin—school, friends, her mom, a relationship with a guy who really loved her, and now possibly even a promising new career. She needs to move forward with her life.

Hardin knows he made a mistake, possibly the biggest one of his life. He’s not going down without a fight. But can he change?Will he change…for love?

My Thoughts: Fair warning, I did not finish this book. I couldn't even chalk this up to a Guilty Pleasure anymore because it just became too much for me. Spoiler Alert: They make up. They have sex. Repeat. Basically through 688 pages that happens. I got 50% through with this and finally just said I couldn't take it anymore. The first book held some potential, and I think that's why I continued on with the series. The ending of After just dropped a huge bomb that made up for a lot of what the book lacked, so I got sucked into that. But this book... I just couldn't put myself through the torture of Tessa again. She really is one of the most ridiculous characters I have ever come across. Not to mention the back and forth of her and Hardin's relationship was so annoying for me. I think this is one of those series that you either really love it or you really hate it because it has SO many great reviews. I guess it just wasn't my taste.

"After" by Anna Todd

Series: After #1
Genre: Romance/ New Adult
Publication: October 2014
Format: Kindle
Cover Rating: 4/5 Stars

From Goodreads: There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there’s everything AFTER... Life will never be the same. #Hessa

Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She’s got direction, ambition, and a mother who’s intent on keeping her that way.

But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she's used to.

But he's also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before.

He'll call her beautiful, then insist he isn't the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper.

Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin's prejudice about nice girls like her?

Unless...could this be love?

My Thoughts: I don't know anyway to write this review other than just by being brutally honest, so just try and stay with me as I sort through the complete mind warp that is After. I'll start off by saying I LOVE angsty romance. If you think the amount of angst is just right, I'm the person sitting at the table that's like "No, keep it coming. Just a little more angst please." Example: I absolutely am in love with Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens. It's one of my favorite books ever. Anyway, the point is this book should have been like the holy grail for me. Unfortunately it wasn't.

I started out this book and I knew almost immediately that I was going to have some real issues with it. The main character, Tessa, is over the top, ridiculously naive and "innocent" (seriously, I hated that word in this book). The love interest, Hardin, is a complete asshole. Sorry for the language but there's no other word for it. He is. There are really no redeeming qualities other than he's the guy you tell your best friend to get the hell away from him because he's toxic. The plot is dragged out over a period of almost 600 pages of nothing but them fighting and making up and fighting and making up, over and over again. Oh, and the supporting characters? Basically their just names that move the plot along. No real substance to them at all.

And yet... I read the whole book. There were many, many times that I asked myself "Why are you doing this to yourself? Put this crap down and go read something else." I didn't. I kept reading it and then when I was on that last stupid page I was furious because I knew I was going to turn myself right around and buy the second book.

I know. I'm just as confused as you are. The only thing I can figure out is that After is like that greasy pizza you have on Monday nights when you're too tired to cook dinner. It's quick, mindless, yet satisfying in all it's greasy cheesy glory.

Bottom Line: Despite the fact that I originally wanted to give this book 1 star, I can't. I read it. I finished it and I immediately went and bought the second novel in the series. It doesn't make sense to me either, but ultimately I can't say I hated the book. ....I guess I feel about it the same way the main characters feel about each other. They love to hate each other.

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Giveaway & Blog Relaunch!!

Hi guys! Welcome to the new blog!

When I started this blog back in 2011 I was so excited to finally discover a place I could go to talk about books and meet others who fangirled just as hard as I did over them. Throughout the years my taste would change and I would alter the blog in one way or another, but ultimately at it's core it's always been a book review blog (sometimes with bits and pieces of my parenting journey added into it).
However for the past two years the blog has taken a back seat to me finding my footing as a new mom. While I still reviewed, it was nowhere near as much as I had in the past. Well, I'm here to say that I am finally getting back to my own hobbies and making time for reviewing has once again become a top priority for me.

So to celebrate I decided to throw a giveaway for a $10 Amazon gift card! Of course, I hope you spend it on buying a new book for yourself, but it's not a requirement. Enjoy and don't forget to share!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"The Idea of You" by Robinne Lee

Genre: Romance/ Fiction
Publication: June 2017
Format: Kindle
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: Solène Marchand, the thirty-nine-year-old owner of an art gallery in Los Angeles, is reluctant to take her daughter, Isabelle, to meet her favorite boy band. But since her divorce, she’s more eager than ever to be close to Isabelle. The last thing Solène expects is to make a connection with one of the members of the world-famous August Moon. But Hayes Campbell is clever, winning, confident, and posh, and the attraction is immediate. That he is all of twenty years old further complicates things.

What begins as a series of clandestine trysts quickly evolves into a passionate and genuine relationship. It is a journey that spans continents as Solène and Hayes navigate each other’s worlds: from stadium tours to international art fairs to secluded hideaways in Paris and Miami. For Solène, it is a reclaiming of self, as well as a rediscovery of happiness and love. When Solène and Hayes’ romance becomes a viral sensation, and both she and her daughter become the target of rabid fans and an insatiable media, Solène must face how her romantic life has impacted the lives of those she cares about most.

My Thoughts: I should probably wait to write this review until I have had time to formulate my thoughts, but I can't. I just finished the last page and I am desperate to talk about it. The Idea of You was captivating and so beautifully written. There are so many times when I will pick up a book and from the first page I just know it's going to be just "okay"... nothing that will stay with me over the years. This was not one of those books. These characters broke my heart and they will stay with me. The older I get the harder it becomes for me to find characters that I can relate to in my life, and I'm only 29. I know it's out there, but I just don't find a lot of literature for this phase that I'm in. I'm not going to say that I can completely relate to Solene, because I'm a decade younger than she is, but the aspect of getting washed out by just being someone's mother... I think that's something that every woman feels at some point. The fact that she is cautious and guarded with her heart... I just felt like I understood her. I also completely loved the fact that she had her whole life going on in addition to falling in love with this 20 year old guy. She didn't just start living her life once he entered it. Solene has a life worth living. She loves what she does and she is passionate about it. You have no idea how refreshing that was for me. So many times I will read a romance book and it's poor girl has no life or no money until she meets a man. That wasn't so for Solene.

As for Hayes, well I'm completely and utterly in love with him. I'm not going to lie, I have a huge secretive guilty pleasure crush on Harry Styles and every time I pictured Hayes I was basically picture him. Maybe the author was channeling him? Or maybe not. Regardless, Hayes stands on his own as a character. He isn't perfect. He has flaws and he's charismatic and basically everything you would expect someone in his line of work to be. The point is, he felt real. They all did.

I bought this an e-book, but I can tell you now I'm already going to be purchasing the paperback version to add to my bookshelf. It instantly became one of my favorites and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good story, especially a good real love story.

Rating: 5/5 Stars