Landline by Rainbow Rowell

I'm sorry for what I'm going to write in this review as I feel like it's not going to be very nice. It's my personal opinion (obviously) and should be taken as such. I added this book through a recommendation and read a few other very positive reviews when I finally decided to add it so .. take all of that into consideration. For me this book can be described with just one word - 'Pointless'. Also, generally speaking "nothing happened", it was mostly in our MC's head. Which was strange as it wasn't written in 1st person - which felt even stranger on an audio book. 

 Georgie McCool knows what she wants, for me it feels like she wants to "eat the world" but not always willing to pay the price. Her main focus is her own TV show. She is VERY close to achieving this goal but her family - husband and 2 daughters - are standing in her way. Rather, the family vacation to Neal's mom on Christmas is timed all wrong for her latest deadline. Granted it IS a very important one but it's also seems like the way she lives. She LOVES her husband but he is just there behind the scenes, taking care of the house, the kids, her (as she can't even cook basic food). He career is FAR more important to her than anything else in her life. She might say "Neal, Neal, Neal" a thousand times throughout this book, but spoken truthfully, it's obvious through even move she made throughout the years, she expected Neal (with the kids) to follow and accept the fact she basically lives with her "best friend" (co-writer) in their office. She spends far more time with him. I could see why Neal was jealous even if he didn't really expressed that. 

Arrange Us (The Arranged Duo, #2) by Katy Regnery

I've written a review and decided to change it up completely.. So if you've been here and it suddenly looks different, yep there's a reason for it. I'm known as being totally and absolutely blunt yet I HATE being unnecessarily mean so I hope you'll take my review as my PERSONAL opinion and nothing else. This book rubbed me the wrong way as it deals with a subject I feel STRONGLY about and though I've love SO MANY of Katy's books (I've read them ALL) this one in my personal opinion is HORRIBLE in the way it glorifies deception when it's for the "right" reasons (that's all I'm willing to say while staying spoiler free..).

While I had my issues with the previous installment, it was mostly "personal taste" and though I wasn't pleased I accepted Courtney's decisions as her own, even if I HIGHLY disagreed with most of them if not ALL of them. A lot of people found the story to be quite unique and REALLY enjoyed it. I guess I'm too "modern" in my thinking to romanticize arranged marriages (the problems Courtney and Josh dealt with in this one were EXACTLY why I thought it was a bad idea from the start... just saying..).

For me this one was absolutely NOT A ROMANCE NOVEL. To say I disliked this book would be an understatement. I was RAVING MAD most of the book. I highlighted like crazy all those HORRIBLE thoughts and discussions between Courtney and Josh that showed how this is NOT WORKING and for good reasons. I was truly WAITING for them to break up because I think it would have been the best solution as they are CLEARLY not looking for the same things in life (though the sex is great..).

I actually haven't even finished reading the whole thing.. I've read 95% - leaving out the Epilogue - as I just didn't want to read them "finding HEA" as it would have been a total unbelievable lie the way I see it. I don't think these two CAN have a happy life together with a shattered foundation filled with selfishness, lies and deception. There is no trust, no respect. So how could there be ANY future?

I know I haven't really written anything about the plot and I'm not going to.. instead I'll add a pretty line and after it I'm going to ramble with EXACTLY what made me so mad. It's going to be long, it's going to contain HUGE spoilers so be advised..

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Gemini Keeps Capricorn (Signs of Love #3) [Wesley & Lloyd] by Anyta Sunday

This book was IMPOSSIBLE for me to read. It MIGHT get better but I just don't care and It's really unlike me to throw a book after just 9%, especially by an author I ADORE and enjoyed SO many of her books but I simply CAN'T and WON'T continue.

Nearing the end of the 2nd (!) chapter I feel totally and absolutely LOST. I swear I have NO idea what's going on.. and reading a few reviews (which I don't usually do while I'm still reading a book) I see some people had the same issue. The feeling is like you're starting the book somewhere in the middle. WHO are all of those characters? WHAT or WHY are the relationships between them. HOW do the MCs know each other and WHY do they have this strange relationship which isn't even a friendship. Are they friends? Maybe not really? Then why does Wesley keeps constantly harassing Lloyd?

Beneath This Ink (Beneath #2) [Con & Vanessa] by Meghan March

This book is everything I WON'T accept not only in a romance novel but in real life. The behavior of two men in this book - Con, the MC (!) and Lucas who is going to be the MC in the 4th installment is UNACCEPTABLE unless they are planning to serve time for it. I'm SO MAD right now I want to vomit. This is an ABSOLUTE DNF at 27% and I had to made myself get there let me tell you. It just got worse by the minute.

I understand "Alpha Man", I understand "Bossy" I DON'T UNDERSTAND - Manhandling when the woman is CLEARLY uncomfortable and distressed, blackmailing her to date you - officially and unofficially, planning to hurt another man for looking at a woman who won't even like you. Propositioning a woman like a whore (in his own words) and making her do things she is VERY uncomfortable with just because your mind is set on YOUR agenda. Would you believe me that ALL of the above happened withing a quarter of the book by the "hero" against Vanessa our heroine? Would you believe me there is actually ANOTHER GUY who behaved as badly toward her? and is going to be a "hero" in another book?

I rarely react the way I do now toward a book. I understand clearly that taste in men vary. It's actually great. But abusive behavior IS abusive behavior and should NEVER be excused or promoted. NEVER.

Beneath This Mask (Beneath #1) [Charlie & Simon] by Meghan March

Really enjoyed this one. It was quite an angsty ride, maybe because it's been a while since I've read New Adult. Yet I can't fault it for what it was considering the situation our main character was in. Trust is such a fragile sentiment, especially when you know so little about the person you are falling in love with.

Charlotte Agoston's life on the outside was perfect for her first 22 years. VERY rich family, she had it all. Yet she didn't exactly had a mind of her own with her demanding parents. She did what she was expected. Her life changed when her father is found guilty of stealing BILLIONS of dollars and as the money itself was never found, he is sentenced to eons in jail and she runs for her life not to become an accomplish to his foul deeds.

Hammer & Air by Amy Lane

I didn't have patience for this one at all. The language was strange so it was difficult to read at times, our MC Eirn tells us his and his best friend Graeme story. Their lives was pretty horrible even if he just told it "as is" (I guess because that was just life for them). 

Eirn's thoughts are consumed by Graeme or as nicknamed - "Hammer", mostly on the sexual side. Up till where I got (25%) it was about 90% sex thoughts or acts with A LOT of possessiveness from Hammer's side.  This one feels more like an Erotica (PNR?) novel. I"m not even sure how old they are because as Eirn tells it, he runs a bit from past to present and he sounds a bit "childish" to me. 

The Belle vs. the BDOC (Bend or Break) by Amy Jo Cousins

I'm HIGHLY annoyed. This started off funny and nice, but then I got totally lost in Shelby's POV. First, though I AM a girl of the 90s, I am still too young (was at high school at the time, not college) and second Shelby is WAY WAY WAY too competitive for me. Everything with her was SO OTT I was just annoyed with her. Everything was a game to be won and everything was done with the highest of emotions - winning, fucking, whichever. I don't have one competitive bone in my body and if I wanted someone BADLY, the one LAST thing I would do is try to destroy everything he (in this case she) achieved. It started with Trivia nights and went to a game of assassin. 

Sing to Me by Jeffrey Rivera

I guess my rating makes it clear I didn't like this book and yet I think it's extremely important to say what my main problem was - this is a Young Adult Romance novel. There are very few of those I can tolerate. If you are into this genre, you might really enjoy this book but I personally just don't have the tolerance for "kids" (even though  the MC in this one are round 19-20 years old). I"m usually more careful with the books I chose but with this one, there weren't enough Tags on the GoodReads page and also not many reviews which is how I totally missed it being YA.

Sworn to Protect (Sugarland Blue #1) [Shane & Daisy] by Jo Davis

I knew I didn't really like Daisy from the prequel.. but I hoped that it's going to be somehow different when we got the whole story. Sadly I was wrong. Nothing about her made sense to me, not considering she is a grown women. Shane was okay, I really liked him but couldn't see what he found in Daisy which was a part of the problem.. I struggled with this one almost from the start. At the third mark I knew it's NOT going to be a favorite but on 56% I decided it's only getting to a place when I want them APART and not together so.. that's where I stopped. 

Neanderthal Seeks Human: A Smart Romance (Knitting in the City #1) by Penny Reid

I wanted to love this book, I even expected to! It sounded as my cup of tea as I started reading it. A strange kinda gal, not especially good looking (or rather not your typical beauty), smart in an unconventional kind of way, the kind who attracts too much attention to her strangeness and embarrass herself when she is trying her best not to. This sounds so ME on so many levels! It should ABSOLUTELY be my "thing", yet I was annoyed and bored out of my mind I couldn't be bothered to listen to Jaine's inner voice. 

Sadly, this is a DNF at 13%. Usually I give a quarter of a book a chance before I give it up, but here since the main character won't change there is no use in waiting for the plot to save me as Jaine seems to be the sole POV in this one so no matter what happens I am stuck with her anyway... 

Swim Recruit by Jennifer Lane

I had this really short novella on my list for a long time. I wasn't sure about reading it since I'm not really into Young Adult. I have my problems with the immature behavior of teenagers.. I just don't have the patience for it. Here I had other problems actually.. mostly that half of the story was "swim talk" I didn't understand AT ALL. While I enjoy swimming I don't know anything about swimming as a sport so all the things mentioned here were just words and words that might helped Abby, a recruit for a swimming team, make her small talk and get to know people around her, but for me it meant nothing..

The Hook Up (Game On #1) by Kristen Callihan

I really wanted, and actually expected, to fall in love with this book but sadly I was mostly annoyed and finally put it down at 10%. It's not usually my style, I usually give a book at least 20-30% before I declare I'm thoroughly finished but here, both MC behavior and inner dialogue just put me off. 

Four Years Later (One Week Girlfriend #4) [Owen & Chelsea] by Monica Murphy

I'm 23% into this book and I'm just bored.. I don't feel any pull from either MC. Chelsea is a total bore, and Owen's problems are also not that interesting (mainly his mother that pushes him into ditching his commitments..). So sadly, I'm putting this one aside and in general I'll be VERY picky about trying new books by Monica.

Drew + Fable Forever (One Week Girlfriend #3.5) [Drew & Fable] by Monica Murphy

After the previous two books that in my eyes were kind of disappointing I didn't know what to expect but since it's a short novella and we return to Fable and Drew I decided to give it a go. 

The first four chapters (which I should say are a THIRD of this short novella) were boring as hell, soooo sappy I almost died of sugar overdose. It was all about them getting married. I kept waiting for SOMETHING to happen or intrigue me but it was like a summary of the relationship from both their views (NOT necessary) then sappiness galore of how they love each other SOOOO much and want to have sex all the god damn time. Everything was so pink and totally overdone. 

Three Broken Promises (One Week Girlfriend #3) [Jen & Colin] by Monica Murphy

Sadly, this one is a DNF at 40%. I just couldn't be bothered to keep on reading. Both MC made no sense to me, I was reading each one of their POVs and keep saying to myself "what? why? really? no.. no.." 

We met both Colin and Jen in the second installment of the series. Colin, Fable's boss was REALLY strange in the previous book, I didn't understand him AT ALL. I kept thinking he was somehow a creeper especially when we learnt he was housing Jen - a fellow waitress that works for Colin as well. But then we learn that they share a past together and here comes their story of HEA. Well, I guess they get it, where I finished reading they were being secretly stupid in love with one another but mostly just being stupid with each other or in general behaving stupidly. 

Of Blood and Bone (The Minaldi Legacy #1) by Courtney Cole

While I didn't really know what to expect from this book what I DIDN'T expect is an absolute and total disappointment! The story itself had it's potential but it was ruined by too many things. With all the hailing reviews I can't believe that I'm giving it one star but I can't say that I found this book interesting, maybe the prelude was, but the story itself and mostly the way it was written felt cold and detached to me so I couldn't feel anything during the whole ride. The mystery could have been good (even if it WAS a bit predictable) but the writing and mostly Eva the main character was just unrealistic and not even true to character. 

Losing It by Audra North

Sadly this is a DNF at 36% I just didn't get invested in the story. I didn't get neither Emery nor Ryan. Emery was kind of strange. She was really emotionally detached in a way but on the other hand she was too invested in her emotions (burst out crying for no apparent reason) which didn't make any sense. Ryan's plot was uninteresting because it wasn't moving. 

Tied (Tangled #4) by Emma Chase

On the review of "Twisted" the last installment of Kate and Drew, I couldn't write (and spoiler) a few things that annoyed me and made me a bit reluctant to read this one. Yet we had "Tamed" in the middle so I actually forgot how much I disliked "Twisted" and just HOW MUCH I should be worried of this one.

Lets start with a side note before I forget to mention it. Tattoos. I LOVE tattoos, they're great, they're sexy, they're fun (not during, naturally.. after they are done..), I have a few myself and I'm contemplating my next ones.. YET there is nothing more terrible than a name tattoo. In "Twisted" Drew got a tattoo of "Kate". REALLY? I'll ask that again Drew style - R-E-A-L-L-Y-?

Claiming His Fate (Feral Breed Motorcycle Club #1) by Ellis Leigh

I'll start by admitting I'm not a fan of werewolves. Never was. I always laugh and say it's because I'm a fan of Vampires and those usually don't play for the same team. But actually I think it's more about me not liking the "alpha show" in general, not in "realistic" romance as well as in Paranormal Romance. Granted, in Paranormal novels, no matter which paranormal creature we mean, I accept that a lot more than I would in a "realistic" novel. I guess there's more to it than that, the pack thing, which is also related to the alpha concept, the aggression underneath that isn't fueled by anything but more than plain ego just doesn't seem to "grab" me.. I like me a strong man, but as it seems I'm not a big fan of wolves because what's under the skin, what makes them tick, doesn't in any way appeal to me. 

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

I read SO many raving recommendation of this one I didn't even read the blurb before I delved into it. I only read what it was about when I was quite surprised the plot takes place in 1916..

This book suppose to be divided into two parts, one in WWI and the second in "our times" (2006), told by two different women, both at a quite difficult time in their lives - the first, during the war and the second after losing her husband. It's also suppose to be some kind of love story. But since this one is a DNF at 25% I can't tell you a lot..  I can only write of what I actually read...