Tag Archives: Book Review

Book Review: Fifty Shades Of Grey – E. L. James

Posted on June 4, 2014 | Leave a comment

Published May 25th 2011 by Vintage

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I wasn’t keen on reading the highly popular erotic novel (and its subsequent sequels) Fifty Shades of Grey but with my friends non-stop gushing about “Christian Grey” and “Anastasia Steel,” (mostly it was Christian) I finally decided to give in and ride on the bandwagon (esp now that the film’s version is slated for release February of next year)

 Penned by E L James, Fifty Shades of Grey centers on the naïve college girl Anastasia Steel who met the “elusive, supersexy, BDSM*-loving, demigod looking billionaire” Christian Grey through an interview she did for a friend. Grey immediately took interest on her and eventually offered her something that would deliver the young Anastasia into the dark, sensual world and shattering past of the powerful Christian Grey.

The book obviously has more than its share of erotic scenes – like way too many! It also carries as a whole the irresistible charm of Christian Grey. At times, I find Anna’s character annoying because of her uber-innocence but hey, that just me putting myself in her shoe..uh, LOL. And is it disturbing to mention how the character of Christian Grey reminds me so much of Edward Cullen from Twilight minus the pangs, vampirism and all? LOL

After reading the book, I realized that I liked both characters – Christian Grey, Anastasia and her inner goddess! She was awesome! Fifty Shades of Grey simply has its own appeal that lures you to the erotic, dark and troubled world of Christian Grey and tags you along Anastasia’s journey into it. It’s worth reading after all…

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

*BDSM (Bondage, Discipline, Sadism, Masochism) is a variety of erotic practices involving dominance and submission, role-playing, restraint, and other interpersonal dynamics. (source)

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Book Review: Always – Kindle Alexander

Posted on June 3, 2014 | 3 comments

“Always” is a heartbreakingly beautiful story of two souls finding their perfect match. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve shed tears while reading this book that I can’t even discern which emotion was predominantly directed towards the two main characters in this book.

The poignant narrative of Avery Adams and Kane Dalton serves as a poignant testament to the boundless nature of love. Their story demonstrates that genuine love transcends all boundaries and can endure even beyond life itself. Perhaps the sentimentality is overwhelming for some, but for me, this book has rightfully earned its place among my all-time favorites.

Discovering this exceptional read has been a delight. Both men serve as sources of inspiration, leading a remarkable life despite societal norms. Kindle Alexander deserves commendation for crafting such a compelling narrative.

In a literary landscape often cluttered with overly complex interpersonal dynamics, it’s refreshing to encounter a story where love is depicted in its purest form. While Avery and Kane’s relationship may seem idealized, it nevertheless resonates as a possibility in our world. “Always” reminds us that true love, though rare, has the power to transcend any obstacle.

In the end, “Always” serves as a poignant reminder that true love has the capacity to overcome all challenges.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
ebook, 280 pages
Published March 11th 2014 by Kindle Alexander LLC (first published March 8th 2014)

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Book Review: Aftermath – Cara Dee

Posted on June 2, 2014 | Leave a comment

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I absolutely adore this book! It was written beautifully and it tugs to your heart in so many levels. Austin Huntley is a family man who lives his life in order. He’s got a nice career and a nice family and is simply content with what he’s got. Cameron Nash on the other hand is an antisocial mechanic with very little patience when it comes to dealing with – err life. Bonded by their five months traumatic captivity together, the two men formed something that they realized is more than just their will to escape their captor but something that will change their lives forever.

I didn’t expect this book to be so good. I mean, I loved how the author seemingly tied everything together while going back and forth from the past to the present every other chapter. I love the “love” element in it though, I find the whole kidnapping thing a bit puzzling but it’s okay. It’s no biggie to be honest since it kinda helped the story development. It’s also nice to note that both characters have their own identity that was easily dissected throughout the book. Cam’s character for one is a very interesting character. I liked the fact that his Asperger Disorder was discussed here and it didn’t become an issue at all because seriously, it’s no biggie. Cam’s so adorbs here to be honest. It’s actually surprising that the book isn’t that dark at all. Their situation was traumatic ofcourse but it sure was nice to note that the author was able to turn it into light reading – in a good way.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Book Review: More Than Him – Jay McLean

Posted on May 31, 2014 | Leave a comment

More Than HimMore Than Him is the third book from the More series by Jay McLean. It’s the continuation of what transpired during the second book of the series (More than Her.) Basically, it’s still about Logan and Amanda. Personally, I was not at all excited to read this one because I thought the author could’ve concluded their story in the second book and moved on with the other characters. You see, their story has become repetitive. There’s too much going on in it- too much drama, too much sex, too many conflicts. It felt like the author tried to stretch the story which became utterly unbearable. I’m very disappointed with this after having high regards on the first book. This one didn’t live up to its promise at all and review ratings for that matter. It’s such a shame because it could’ve been great. At the end, it’s obvious that there’s an impending book again and it’d be about Cameron and Lucy – whilst I love these two, I think I’d skip a Jay McLean for now after reading the last two titles from her. It was just exhausting reading those. Gaaaahhhh! I’d love for it to work but it just didn’t (atleast for me)….it was just frustrating and all. The whole POV writing style also became a bit inconsistent – like there are moments that the characters will be talking directly to the reader and it will change again. This was just utterly disappointing for me. Maybe I’d give it time and perhaps I’d be able to read Luce’s story – she’s my favorite character to begin with.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

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Book Review: The Fault In Our Stars – John Green

Posted on May 31, 2014 | Leave a comment

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I’ve read this one like a few months ago and I still enjoyed re-reading it every now and then. This was the first John Green book I’ve read as well. This book is narrated by Hazel Grace Lancaster, a sixteen year old cancer patient who is forced by her parents to attend a support group where she met the handsome Augustus (Gus) Waters whom she eventually fell in love with.

Hazel’s a rather quirky girl and does have a unique sense of humor. Gus on the other hand was more carefree on the surface but deep inside, he’s someone who take things a lot more seriously. For the record though, I’ve read this book prior to learning that there will be a movie adaptation set to be released this year – next week actually! (exciting huh?!)

It was so hard letting go of Hazel and Gus, I mean finishing the book – I was a bit depressed and was feeling so bad because of how it ended. You see, It’s actually a beautiful ending – bittersweet perhaps? It’s a connection from the characters that you fell in love with and if something bad happen to them – it feels like youre heart is breaking for them. I’m getting overly-sentimental here but it’s true. This book is an inspiring book, a spirit-lifter and a book that tells you that nothing’s really permanent in this world. And yes, I did cry reading this book. I know, I know but hey’ crying is good right?

‘tis one of my favorite quotes from the book:

“There will come a time when all of us are dead. All of us. There will come a time when there are no human beings remaining to remember that anyone ever existed or that our species ever did anything. There will be no one left to remember Aristotle or Cleopatra, let alone you. Everything that we did and built and wrote and thought and discovered will be forgotten and all of this will have been for naught. Maybe that time is coming soon and maybe it is millions of years away, but even if we survive the collapse of our sun, we will not survive forever. There was time before organisms experienced consciousness, and there will be time after. And if the inevitability of human oblivion worries you, I encourage you to ignore it. God knows that’s what everyone else does.”

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Book Review: More Than Her – Jay McLean

Posted on May 30, 2014 | Leave a comment

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The story of More Than Her centers on Logan Matthews (Jake’s best friend from More Than This.) He’s got a very interesting back-story. He was abused as a child and was adopted by the Doctor who checked on him when he was brought to the hospital by his biological mother. Unlike Jake, Logan here is the resident playboy amongst his group of friends. He’s fooling around like a normal teenage boy does and it was revealed here that he actually thought that he’s in-love with Mikayla (Jake’s gf) until he realized that it’s actually just a sisterly-love of some sort. Then enter Amanda, the girl whom he eventually dated for a night and things seemed to fall into places – only it did not. You see, Logan’s a very good character – actually, he’s much more interesting than Jake but his story / history became too much over the course of the series. It was alarming how slow the pacing was when the dates in the book are moving. I mean, the whole Amanda-Logan-Shit-WeLoveEachOther-But-WeCannotBeTogether was getting redundant by the time that you actually realized that you’re at the last chapter. I mean, seriously now? I can’t even begin to comprehend the stupidity of both parties. I’m just glad that every now and then, Lucy came along the picture and gets into a Drunk Lucy state. Man’ those are the best parts of the book. After easily giving More Than This a very good rating, I was hoping and expecting that the second book would surpassed it but unfortunately – it was a rather wasted effort to read the whole thing. I’m sad and disappointed with the outcome of this second book.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

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Book Review: More Than This – Jay McLean

Posted on May 29, 2014 | Leave a comment

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If you’ve read The Secret of Ella and Micha, you’d notice a striking resemblance on the writing style of Jessica Sorensen and the author of this book, Jay McLean. Not that it’s bad but it feels like reading a book from the former. But hey, this first book from the “More series” is actually truly much more than the “Secret series by Sorensen”. This I enjoyed reading tremendously. I appreciate the characters more and the story development is more enticing and fast-paced.

 You see, Mikayla and Jake met each other under some horrible circumstances. Mikayla caught her boyfriend cheating with her bestfriend, then her whole family was murdered and these things happened in just one night. A girl couldn’t handle that much right? That’s where the knight in shining armor, Jake Andrews shows up and helps Mikayla get through all of these. With all of these things, both developed feelings for each other but they are both scared to admit it believing that they’re not yet ready for it or the other may feel differently.

 I just love how progressive the characters here are. They are funny in a very strange way and they’re adorable all at the same time. Jake’s character so reminds me Micha that is why I mentioned the book by Sorensen but the reminder only begins at their “loyalty” with one girl and it stops there. I love the chemistry between him and Mikayla. I love that they have friends who are much involved. I love one of their friends Lucy who loves reading e-books and is a mean drunk! That girl’s way too funny! My one slightly unfavorable critique is the interchanging POV. It gets a bit confusing a couple of times but I guess that’s okay. I mean, the story’s beautifully written and the characters are well introduced. It was a strong book and a great start of a series!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Book Review: The Forever Of Ella And Micha – Jessica Sorensen

Posted on May 28, 2014 | Leave a comment

Published October 15th 2013 by Forever

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Maybe I’m truly a masochist because reading this book was terribly painful and I went through it even if it hurts – bad pain that is. I was thinking that I owe it to my friend (who bought some ebooks for me including this one and eight titles from the same author) to finish the book since I’ve already started it but this one’s just utterly disappointing! It’s probably one of the worst books I’ve read so far this year.

Ella and Micha have survived tragedy and heartbreak. When they’re together, anything seems possible. But now they are thousands of miles apart, and managing their long distance relationship will put their love to the test.

Ella is back at school, trying hard not worry so much about her future. But with her father in and out of rehab, she’s having a hard time making it through the days. All she wants is Micha by her side, but she refuses to let her problems get in the way of his dreams.

Micha spends his days touring the country with his band, but deep down he knows something is missing. Being away from Ella is harder than he thought it would be. He wants her closer to him-needs her with him. But he won’t ask her to leave college, just to be with him.

The few moments they do spend together are intense and passionate, but it only makes it more difficult when they have to part. They know they want to be together, but is wanting something enough to get them to their forever? (source)

The pacing of the story was my main problem here and the story arc isn’t going anywhere – that is beside the fact that it tends to be predictable. I wasn’t even hoping for redemption of some sort at the end because the whole thing feels so heavy – just unbearable. I didn’t expect that I’d have such intense dislike of these first two titles from the series. For now, I think I’m going to skip the rest and delay reading the other eight titles that I’ve gotten from the same author.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

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Book Review: The Secret Of Ella And Micha – Jessica Sorensen

Posted on May 27, 2014 | Leave a comment

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I’m currently on the second book (The Forever Of Ella And Micha) while writing this review. I was able to finish this book in six hours and it’s not because it’s that good but because I just want to get over the whole thing. It’s not that bad though, I’m just really disappointed with the whole story.

Ella and Micha have been best friends since they were kids. But one tragic night shatters their friendship and their lives forever.

Ella used to be a rule-breaker with fiery attitude who wore her heart on her sleeve. But she left everything behind when she went to college and transformed into someone that follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. But now it’s summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home.

Ella fears everything she worked so hard to bury might resurface, especially with Micha living right next door. If Micha tries to tempt the old her back, she knows that it will be hard to resist.

Micha is sexy, smart, confident, and can get under Ella’s skin like no one else can. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. And he’s determined to bring his best friend, and the girl he loves back, no matter what it takes. (source)

I thought the beginning was very promising and the characters of Ella and Micha are very interesting but the whole vibe of the story’s just borderline boring. I love the setting but I didn’t like the narrative at all. Ella’s character’s just too overbearing for me. Whilst I love Micha’s character – I thought it lacks characterization. I’m even more interested with Ethan and Lila’s character (their respective bff’s and I’m glad that they have their own book which I’m more excited to read in the coming days.) Anyways, I’m gonna make this quick. I still want to give this two a chance (since I’m having more fun this time reading the second book) but the first one was just a total snooze fest. I thought the title’s great but really – the inside of the book is nowhere near the impressive and curious title.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

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Book Review: Tangled – Emma Chase

Posted on May 25, 2014 | 3 comments

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This book got me smiling from ear to ear in less than three pages from the moment I started reading it. Crazy right? But true, the book’s really quite funny. I feel like reading the diary of the male version of Carrie Bradshaw! Drew’s narration of his epic love story is funny, witty, clever and 100 percent honest to goodness orgasmic! LOL. Now top that!

You see, Drew’s got the looks, the power, wealth and that sexy adorable charm. The guy’s got everything – yup, almost until he catches “the flu”. Yup, dear ol’ Drew fell for Katherine Brooks – a newbie from his father’s investment firm where he’s the main star – until Kate came around the picture. And she’s engaged.

With his main mantra, “What Drew wants, Drew gets” – our loverboy is set to sweep Kate off her feet but Kate’s like Drew  in every sense so how on earth could he win her especially if he never fell in love before?

Pretty interesting huh? You got to love the way Emma Chase tells you the story through the perspective of a guy who almost have it all and Drew’s telling it straight like a boss – straight in your face honest-no-bull-crap. This is actually a good self-help book for women if I’m being honest. Haha.

I am so getting on with the Tangled bandwagon – after all, the book’s author won last year’s Debut Goodreads Author of the year for this piece! It was freaking amazing that’s why it won so many hearts and so many swooning book dork (like moi.) This is one book I don’t mind seeing on the big screen! It’s just a total mouth orgasm! It’s too good a book not to be realized in the big screen! Cmon’ people start the petition and make this into a movie NOW!!!!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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