Review: Crave Part One, by E.K. Blair

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Kason and Adaline.

From the moment they met, they started to fall. Neither of them predicted just how far the drop would be, though.

Loving Adaline was all Kason had ever wanted to do. But layer by layer, he started to unravel, forcing Adaline to face an addiction she never could’ve imagined.

This is what happens when one person loves beyond the craving and the other craves beyond the loving.


Review
3.5 out of 5 stars

I have to admit I went into this book somewhat blind - which I NEVER do!  My blog partner loves this kind of experience, me...not so much.  But, I have always loved E.K. Blair's books and thought why not.  Crave centers on the story of two high school characters navigating first love and addiction.  They come from opposite ends of life.  While they both primarily are raised by single mothers, Kason's mom works two jobs and can barely make enough to keep them in a dumpy apartment on the wrong side of the tracks.  Adaline's mom on the other hand is a well-to-do lawyer and they live in a gorgeous house situated in a posh neighborhood.  As far as material things go Adaline wants for nothing and Kason works hard for everything he has.  At first glance they couldn't be more different, yet almost from the first time they meet they are irrevocably drawn to one another.

Before long these two lovebirds are inseparable but is clear Kason is waging a very secret hormonal war.  I'll be honest I didn't think much of it in the beginning because he's a 17 year old teenager - of course he's going to be horny!  But as the story progresses you realize to Kason this is a much bigger deal than at first glance.  His addiction brings forth the catalyst that is the turning point in the story.  It definitely provided a good dose of angst but I cannot help but feel as if something was still missing in the story.  

It's not as if I didn't like Kason because I did and his back story absolutely broke my heart but I just couldn't find myself rooting for either him or Adaline, and I would like to see them together as a couple, they have the potential to be great, but individually they just aren't there yet.  They both have redeeming qualities and I appreciate the fact E.K. Blair chose to have these characters be honest.  Their honesty with one another, no matter how difficult, was truly refreshing and the best part of the book for me because I feel as though I read so much where the climax all boils down to dishonesty or rather a character just not speaking their mind.  So kudos for a change in pace.  I don't know.  I feel like Kason and Adaline have so much potential as both individuals and a couple but they have a long way to go.  My hopes is in the next book they both are strong enough to face their insecurities and choose to do so.  

I'm going to give you fair warning that this one ends on a cliff hanger.  Unfortunately I don't really think I like the direction this cliff hanger is going to take the story, but on the other hand it may be just the catalyst that is needed to allow both Kason and Adaline open themselves up to the power of a healthy all consuming love. 

   

COMING SOON

Crave: Part Two – Releases October 16

AUTHOR BIO 

E.K. Blair, takes her readers on an emotional roller coaster with her dynamic and intense writing style. Noted for her ability to create fleshed-out characters that will evoke a realm of reactions, you can be assured that her stories will linger with you far beyond the last word.

A former first grade teacher with an imagination that runs wild. Daydreaming and zoning out is how she was often found in high school. Blair tends to drift towards everything dark and moody. Give her a character and she will take pleasure in breaking them down, digging into their core to find what lies underneath.

Aside from writing, E.K. Blair finds pleasure in music, drinking her Starbucks in peace, and spending time with her friends. She’s a thinker, an artist, a wife, a mom, and everything in between.


AUTHOR LINKS

Website: http://www.ekblair.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EKBlairAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EK_Blair_Author
Instagram: https://instagram.com/authorekblair/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/e-k-blair

Review: Keep by Rachel Van Dyken

http://amzn.to/29Pmj7Y

My name's shouted on rooftops.
It's written on bras, bathroom stalls, hell my name is everywhere. To say my name is to experience an orgasm without ever leaving your house.
My name?
Zane "Saint" Andrews.
I'm sex.
I'm a rock god.
I'm also a virgin.
What they don't know won't kill them right? Give the people what they want. And what they want is the idea of me; the pleasure they gain at listening to my song and knowing without a doubt I'm talking about them and only them.
It worked for a while.
Until a nerdy girl with glasses falls at my feet, literally, and suddenly I don't want to be Saint anymore, what I want? What I really need?
Is to be kept.
By her. 

Review:  4.75 of 5 Stars

I first fell in love with Zane Andrews in Capture, Book 1 of the Seaside Pictures series. He was funny, a little strange and obsessed with marshmallows.  Oh did I mention that he loves to walk around naked, like all the time??  I didn't understand it, but I knew the back story had to be amazing.   His childhood is haunting and leaves him with some major issues that need to be resolved.  I especially love that reading about Zane gave me an appreciation for celebrities and the loneliness they must face everyday.  How can you ever tell who likes you for you and who just wants something from you.  How do you overcome the battle of everyone having a preconceived notion based on tabloid rumors?  How do you find a true friend?  Despite the money and fame, it still must be a hard life at times. 

Fallon, the nerdy girl next door, is adorable.  I love that she doesn't go fawning after Zane and was sold on her character when she gave him a fake number when he asked.  She has guts, despite her stuttering and legally blind vision.  When Zane is searching for a friend and bribes Fallon to hang out I knew that sparks were going to fly!  She was exactly the type of person he needed in his life.  She knew when to push and when to be patient; but more importantly she knew how to earn his trust.

Once Fallon and Zane finally give into their desire and fall in love, BAM, Rachel blew me away.  Totally blindsided.  I never saw the twist coming and it was so, so, epic.  Keep is a beautiful love story with the perfect mixture of angst, humor, sexiness and love.    Rachel Van Dyken totally rocked this book and left me wanting "s'more"! 

Review: Confessions of a Queen B, by Crista McHugh

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Synopsis

Alexis Wyndham is the other type of Queen B—the Queen Bitch.

After years of being the subject of ridicule, she revels in her ability to make the in-crowd cower via the exposés on her blog, The Eastline Spy. Now that she's carved out her place in the high school hierarchy, she uses her position to help the unpopular kids walking the hallways.

Saving a freshman from bullies? Check.

Swapping insults with the head cheerleader? Check.

Falling for the star quarterback? So not a part of her plan.

But when Brett offers to help her solve the mystery of who’s posting X-rated videos from the girls’ locker room, she’ll have to swallow her pride and learn to see past the high school stereotypes she’s never questioned—until now.

Review

4 out of 5 stars

When I read the blurb of this book, it sounded so fun I just had to say "yes" to reviewing!  I cannot help it, I have a soft spot for YA romance, especially those that center around high school drama, young love, stereotypes, etc.  Confession...it's one of my most favorite guilty pleasures! 

So our main character Alexis was betrayed my her best friend, humiliated she decided to do everything in her power to assure she wouldn't ever find herself in such an embarrassing position again.  Did she choose to be the most popular?  Nope, she went the other direction, she's the queen B****.  As an avid blogger she has her sights set on exposing the truth and she's good at it, so good at it that her peers quiver in her presence, choosing to stay as far away as possible.  It's a lonely position, but she would rather be lonely than picked on and humiliated.

So what happens when she is paired up with the school's most popular senior and high school football star?  She doesn't want those pesky butterflies bothering her when they're together, but she just cannot seem to shake them.  Will Brett prove to be the typical stereotypical jock or is it possible he might just break the mold?    

This was a really fun read with an endearing heroine.  Yes, she is frustrating, but she is also a teenager trying to navigate high school and survive.  She is quick tempered and stubborn, but she is also passionate and at her core she is pretty compassionate.  Lexi is just a girl trying to find her place.  She makes plenty of mistakes and jumps to many crazy conclusions, but I also appreciated seeing her character's honestly with herself, and choosing to acknowledge the truth even when it wasn't easy.

This was a really great start to a series I am looking forward to reading more of.  I wasn't ready to say goodbye to Lexi and Brett so I will be anxiously awaiting to see where author Crista McHugh takes us next on Alexis' journey.  I highly encourage you to say yes to one-clicking this fun YA Romance.  I think you will be surprised at how quickly you get sucked into this dose of teenage drama!  It's the perfect mix of everything you would hope to find in a YA book.

About Author Crista McHugh

Crista McHugh is an award-winning author of fantasy and romance who writes heroines who are smart, sexy and anything but ordinary. She currently lives in the Audi-filled suburbs of Seattle with her husband and two children, maintaining her alter ego of mild-mannered physician by day while she continues to pursue writing on nights and weekends.

She is an active member of the Romance Writers of America (including the Greater Seattle Chapter and the Seattle EastsideChapters), and Romance Divas.

Just for laughs, here are some of the jobs she’s had in the past to pay the bills: barista, bartender, sommelier, stagehand, actress, morgue attendant, and autopsy assistant.

And she’s also a recovering LARPer. (She blames it on her crazy college days)

Find Crista Online:

http://www.cristamchugh.com/wordpress/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3035791.Crista_McHugh

https://www.facebook.com/CristaMcHugh

https://twitter.com/crista_mchugh

http://www.amazon.com/Crista-McHugh/e/B004C6F86Y/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1434738454&sr=8-1