Review: When It's Love (When It's Love #1)

When It's Love by Emma Lauren

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Titillating. Mind-boggling. Pure sin.

Such rich, and utterly sensual material.  [The story] really got my full attention and kept me at the end of my seat. Loved how the reader kept the reader guessing and a bit in the dark about Sydney's tragic past. Finding out who she really is and why her mom is the way she is. Most writers explain it all in the beginning, but Sydney's backdrop gradually came to light whenever certain things would trigger memory.

It gave the writer the chance of elaborating the main character's situation with a better understanding for the reader. I, honesty, was able to put two and two together in the very beginning and new the truth behind the emails Sydney received and Henry's behavior and need to stake claim whenever he got the chance. I feel sorry for Sydney having a past without much needed love and nurture, even her grandparents were a bit stand-offish, much less her mother. The words were so raw with emotion that I felt it all coming off at me in waves. The love scenes were extremely well written, for some it is hard to not come off and corny or porn-y, but rest assured it was enticing to read and flowed deliciously.

In the end, I wondered what Sydney was going to do about Henry, and if she will be able to overcome what he did, but it seems that the answer will be in the sequel.

Overall, I really enjoyed this quick read and totally recommend it. I'm looking forward to the next step Sydney takes in the sequel When It's Over. Thank you Emma Lauren for allowing me to read your story, keep up the good work!


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Review: The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was one of the funniest saddest books I've ever read. Never really read anything like this before, but proud to say that I could relate, understand, as well as agree, disagree along side these characters. The people in the story were awfully bright, very intelligent. But in real life not many people might ask those questions on a regular basis, maybe only when they!re on the verge on dying or know they are dying. But we all know that we are dying, its just the matter of when.
In my family's medical history, there was traces of breast cancer and was what most of the older woman in my family died from. But some time ago, when I was younger, my older cousin was diagnosed at 13 years of age with a rare type of cancer (I won't go into details but if you want to know then message me) but lived to be 14 then soon after passed away. And she was only 2 yrs. older then me. And this made me think of what am I doing in life, what am I doing for my life, an do I love or hate what I'm doing? I'm now 18 yrs. old, and wondering what could I be doing, what should I be doing, and how am I doing it? Then I wonder what my cousin would be doing, what could she be doing, and would she like it? Was she just like the characters in the story? Was she damning the universe for its unfairness, calling bullshit on people who she thought were someone else, falling in love, egging somebody's car? I don't know. I do know that I laughed with these characters, cried with them, and fell in love with their story.
And like Hazel Grace, I would like to know what happens later on. How long does she last, does Isaac ever stop being so cynical, and get over Monica, truly? What happens to Gus' parents, do they become another statistic in people that divorce after their child dies? Same for Hazel's parents, does her mom become "a Patrick"? Does her dad still cry alot. Does Hazel still think of Gus. Is Gus really watching over her now, or could it be just a metaphor to help us deal with the grief and loss of a loved one? What would Gus have to say for himself? He probably say, "I'm grand, I love you Hazel Grace."


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Review: Reclaiming the Sand

Reclaiming the Sand by A. Meredith Walters

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This story belongs up there with some of the greats.. As of yet the best work I've read from this outstandingly amazing author.

This material was refreshing, raw, and real. Although this is considered fiction, the events are without a doubt possibile outcomes of some actual event. Its always easy to acknowledge that whatever you were exposed to is out there whether it be mostly good or mostly bad. In this case particularly, majority was bad. And sometimes its hard to comprehend how bad things can be. Thus, why this story basically has worst case scenario from the get-go with majority of the characters with their backdrop story, and gradually brings out the goodness that was there underneath all that gunk.

There was some funny moments, pull-your-hair-out moments, pull-your-teeth-out-moments, ass-kicking moments, ball-racking moments ( on Stu, Shane, Dania, Reggie, and *sigh* yes Ellie too), and tear-jerker moments (mainly from Flynn but Ellie and of course we can't forget Dania), but most of all, every single moment these characters had was heart-felt and meaningful. Not always from one character to another, but from the reader. To see how things happened, why they happened, and what was done to change it. Fix it. Everything was utterly significant, and promising.

A lot was to the max and very vuglar in reference to the things some of these characters did, and a lot left harm on others as well as themselves. They didn't have a care in the world. This was sickening and saddening. To read about how these characters were was raw and real and refreshing, because it was all straight up, no sugar-coated words. None of that was ever present, especially where Flynn was concerned with his own trouble understanding and comprehending human behavior and emotions. He spoke whatever came to mind. Tough-as-nails Ellie wasn't wasting her breath either. And with the rest of the gang, it was a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of thing. Nevertheless, this material was extraordinary and unique and commonplace in a weird, but fitting way.

Overall, this book brought me to the edge of my seat, falling of tears, pick-up smiles, and sweet words that were meant more than what they plainly said.

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Review: The One: The Tale of a Lost Romantic in Seoul

The One: The Tale of a Lost Romantic in Seoul by Steve Justice

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Love it!. Insightful. Intriguing. An absolute MUST READ. Would definitely recommend!.

In the beginning, it has the narrator spout what he did. Like having a conversation (something I took quite a liking to) with a third party outsider with no personal interest in the matter, but nonetheless a story to be told.

This particular story pulled me in not because of the fact that it was a student/teacher complex, but that it was of a completely different perspective. The persona of the narrator is probably more common then we think, but we never really get to hear from this side of things, especially the teacher's point of view.

I know I haven't. I have literally never read anything like this before.
How the narrator mentions the other people in his life obviously explains how much of a constant they are in his life and of there importance to him.
In his wife's case, lack thereof, for she is not given the credit of importance, but rather the credit of inconvenience, the old ball and chain as the narrator so eloquently puts it.


The only person he considered a friend would be Adam, but that does not last.

When his student, Hana Kim, makes her presence known, the shock the narrator felt was sure enough to give him whiplash. His infatuation with her soon became an obsession. His life was so uneventful before that most thing he started to do post-Hana, even the smallest gesture I felt chills up my back every time he got the courage to do something out of the ordinary. 


What had actually stood out to me was that he only wanted somebody to love, and be loved.
He was certainly missing that in his childhood. The only other time was with his first love, Jess.

When he confides in Adam about everything, the reaction Adam has finally dawns on me as to why he is his bravado, wild, and single self. He mentioned before what he yearned for, although the narrator didn't pay much attention to it.
My solution was to switch their places in life, and they would be right at home. They envied one another, and my guess would be that if they had grown up in the other's shoes, they would turn out exactly the way that seemed fitting for them. But things didn't work that way.


Everything the narrator said I either ate up or made me think, agreed with or agreed to disagree. This was something refreshing to me to read, and I loved every bit of the author's outstanding writing.


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