"Red Hill" by Jamie McGuire

Series: Red Hill #1
Genre: Zombies/ Romance
Format: Audible
Publication: October 2013 by Simon & Schuster
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: When the world ends, can love survive?

For Scarlet, raising her two daughters alone makes fighting for tomorrow an everyday battle. Nathan has a wife, but can’t remember what it’s like to be in love; only his young daughter Zoe makes coming home worthwhile. Miranda’s biggest concern is whether her new VW Bug is big enough to carry her sister and their boyfriends on a weekend escape from college finals.

When reports of a widespread, deadly “outbreak” begin to surface, these ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances and suddenly their fates are intertwined. Recognizing they can’t outrun the danger, Scarlet, Nathan, and Miranda desperately seek shelter at the same secluded ranch, Red Hill. Emotions run high while old and new relationships are tested in the face of a terrifying enemy—an enemy who no longer remembers what it’s like to be human.

Set against the backdrop of a brilliantly realized apocalyptic world, love somehow finds a way to survive. But what happens when the one you’d die for becomes the one who could destroy you?

My Thoughts: I wanted so much to love this book. When it first came out (five years ago) I was so excited to read it, but because my TBR shelf is never ending it kept getting pushed back and pushed back. Finally I ran across it on my Audible wish list and decided I wanted a GOOD Zombie book. Well, I'm sorry to say that this was not that for me. My first problem with Red Hill was the THREE POV we're given. It felt like a little much. I honestly feel like this book would have been 50% better with just one POV and 90% better if that POV was Miranda's and not Scarlet's. Which brings me to my second problem: Scarlet. I don't know the last time I hated a main character more. She was one of the most selfish, and at the same time boring, characters I have ever read about. And speaking of boring... this story dragged on and on. There were so many times when I almost stopped listening, but I was already four hours in and I kept thinking it would get better. I was wrong. The reset of my issues are big time spoilers so if you plan to read this book you need to stop reading my review now (just know that I rated it 1 Star and do not recommend it to anyone).

!!!!!SPOILERS!!!!!

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Okay, now normally I do not write reviews with spoilers in them, but I'm so pissed off at this book I needed to. Warning, this is more of a rant than a review. Seriously, this is your last warning. SPOILERS. The only TWO characters in the whole novel that kept me reading she killed off at the end. And they didn't even get an epic death. One second I'm listening to Miranda get turned away by Joey and the next second BAM he's dead. Oh, and we don't even get to see it. We just hear about it from douchebag Scarlet on one of her  stupid selfish "clear" missions. THEN Miranda dies trying to save Scarlet's kids or trying to help Bryce. It's a little unclear, but it is so stupid and not the ending Miranda deserved at all. By the time this book was over I was ready to throw it at a wall and set it on fire.


Bottom Line: I love Jamie McGuire, but this book missed the mark for me.

My Rating: 1/ 5 Stars

"The Wall of Winnipeg and Me" by Mariana Zapata

Genre: Contemporary/ Romance
Format: Paperback (Library Edition)
Publication: February 2016
Cover Rating: 2/5 Stars

From Goodreads: Vanessa Mazur knows she's doing the right thing. She shouldn't feel bad for quitting. Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans and none of them include washing extra-large underwear longer than necessary.

But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she's beyond shocked.

For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn't find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He's asking for the unthinkable.

What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants? 

My Thoughts: First of all, huge thanks to my lovely friend Anna over at Annaberry Reads for recommending this one to me!

When I picked this up from the library my first thoughts were "Holy cow this book is huge for a contemporary romance!", I figured it would take me a while to read it (especially since I've become a slow reader thanks to my little), but I was wrong. I read it in four days. It was so good and well paced, I didn't even think about it being 673 pages long.

The thing you need to know about The Wall of Winnipeg and Me is that it is very character driven. There's not a lot of action going on, but we get to know the characters so well we feel like they're  our friends by the end of the book which is what I love. In that sense, it reminded me a little of Thoughtless but without all the angst.

I'm also going to gush for just a second on how freaking awesome Vanessa is. Rarely do we see a heroine like her in novels- one that we can actually relate to and who's not perfect. Not to mention, Vanessa takes NO crap from anyone which I loved. She is definitely a character I would want to hang with and watch Dragonball Z with 😂

I really believe the only reason I'm not rating this one five stars is because Aiden just wasn't my type and I didn't feel quit as connected to him as I should have. To me, Aiden took the strong SILENT type to a whole other level, and honestly he doesn't get a lot of dialogue in the book. At least, it didn't feel that way for me. Some of his exchanges with Vanessa and personal moments felt a little awkward and that threw me out of the novel, but it was never enough for me to think "Oh, I"m not enjoying this." I knew I wanted to continue reading to find out what happened between these guys and how Vanessa's life turned out.

Bottom Line: I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who loves a contemporary novel!

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

"Starlight Nights" by Stacey Kade

Series: 738 Days #2
Genre: New Adult
Publication: January 9, 2018
Format: Kindle
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: At twenty-three, Calista Beckett is trying to overcome her early fame and fortune. The former savior of the world on Starlight is now a freshman at college--miles away from L.A. and her former existence. She sees it as her start to a new life, a normal life, one where she won't make the same mistakes she made before--a brush with heroin addiction and losing her freedom to her controlling mother, thanks to a court order.

Eric Stone played her older brother, Byron, on Starlight. But she's been in love with him pretty much since they kissed--her first kiss--while auditioning. When Eric shows up on campus out of the blue asking her to return to California for a role, Calista's struck immediately by two things: first, in spite of everything that's happened, she still feels something dangerous for him, and second, she's absolutely determined not to let him ruin her life again.

Only Eric's not giving up so easily.

My Thoughts: Let me just say, I love Stacey Kade! She's such an awesome author and if you're not reading her books or following her on social media you are missing out big time.

So basically, I have been waiting very impatiently on this novel for over a year! Stalking facebook posts, twitter, netgalley, etc. I fell head over heels for the first book, 738 Days (review found here), and from there I was seriously jonesing for more. So you can imagine how THRILLED I was when I opened my e-mail and found out I had received one of the ARC's! I may or may not have squealed and jumped up and down in delight.

I'm just going to be honest with you guys, I went into this book with really high hopes, and I was NOT disappointed! I was always curious about what went on with Calista and Eric and how they were turning out. What I really loved about this book is how flawed these characters are (especially Eric), and yet you can't help falling for them and rooting for them. You get angry at them and then you find yourself rooting for them.  Just like in the first novel, you get quickly sucked into this story and you are left turning the pages late into the night to find out what is going to happen between these people who really need each other. For me, friends to lovers is kind of hit or miss genre. It doesn't always feel real, but Stacey nailed it. The chemistry between Calista & Eric was electric and I loved their story!

Bottom Line: If Stacey Kade writes it, I'm reading it and recommending it!

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

"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

"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