The Big Bad Wolf & Little Red Riding Hood

Title: If You Stay
Series: Beautifully Broken #1
Author: Courtney Cole
Publisher: Lakehouse Press
Get your copy from: Amazon

Book Review: Freeing Carter

by Nyrae Dawn

Review: 4/5

I fell in love with Carter from the first chapter, and continued to until the last page. He was someone that his family could count on. At an age that he should be enjoying girls, booze and friends - he was stuck making sure that his mother and sister were fine. Who would not love him?

But Carter has a secret...


Secret he's not willing to share even with his best friend.

He tried his best in keeping his sister and his mother safe. But sometimes, even strong people falter and needs help. Carter was in denial and refused help from people who are willing to give a hand. He thought he was man enough to keep things together. I loved him more when he finally admitted that he needed help- although it took one eye opener to make him realize that he can't do it all by himself.

Kira - is a breath of fresh air and the girl who can pull off an orange hair :)


She too has some personal issues that she should be dealing with, but you never see it in her. I find her cool, and the kind of people that loves living life one day at a time. Carter perfectly described her: She's fun, and wild, and free and happy. Tears don't belong in her eyes. Frowns don't belong on her lips. It's not right. Kira is what Carter really needed. Someone strong, is not capable of much drama (because Carter doesn't need more of it), nonjudgmental and dependable. She knew how to pacify him when he's too stressed out.

Nyrae Dawn once again:



You did not just make a great heck of a love story. You mixed in family dynamics that will break your reader's heart for the boy who tries his best to be the man that his family needed.

Favorite Quotes:

• “Things said in the heat of the moment never count.”
• “You have skeletons, too, Carter Shaw. Don't think I don't know it. I think...I think people with secrets, or with a past, I guess I should say, I think we're kindred spirits. Like maybe we see something in each other that no one else takes the time to see.”      

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Book Review: I'll Be Here

by Autumn Doughton

Review: 5/5
Of course It's a 5!

Autumn Doughton - you have a knack for describing a heartbreak.


Note: This isn't paranormal. I just like the pic :)

Inside of me is all whirl and spin. A cockroach is doing pirouettes on my chest. A cockroach in a tutu. I would breathe but a giant has his grubby hands wrapped around my lungs and he’s squeezing. Tighter.

And these are just the first paragraphs of the book - wait till you get a hold of the whole book...

Thank you Jas for recommending this book - I admit I already had this one on my Kindle, but it wasn't on my priority list. But hey, it was short and I decided to forgo my list for a while, and insert this one. I wasn't disappointed. Autumn Doughton proved to be an exceptional author who writes the perfect words (in metaphor or not) in depicting emotions (whether it is good or bad).

“You dump trash. You dump yard waste and old ripped couches that smell like body odor and forgetfulness. You dump cigarette butts and banana peels and hazardous waste. But people?”

Yeah, Willow was recently dumped by her boyfriend of two years. And the hardest thing was that- she didn't saw it coming. They were not having any problems at all (well, nothing she knew of) and suddenly, here was her boyfriend ex trying to break up with her in a steak house over fries.

Now she starts from scratch: no more cool boyfriends, her used to be friends were non-existent and she got the biggest surprise of her life when she finally realized why Dustin broke up with her.

Good thing she has old friends who easily forgives and forgets. Laney, the friend she forgot when she became Dustin's girl came to the rescue along with others. They were her savior after the whole school has been treating her like she has leprosy. I also adore her mother, who tried ALL the time to reach out to her, trying to be there when she needed the most. It took a while for them to fix their relationship because of some previous issue. She went back to her previous passion: Art. Something she gave up as well when she was going out with Dustin.

And Alex, oh Alex. You were exasperating at times, lovable most of the time, and just frustrating at the near end. An old flame she wanted to forget - now here he comes back into her life: in a the most 'broken' time of her life. Why?

I love this book! I'm an avid YA reader and let me tell you - this book is one of those YA-novels that rocks! I'll Be Here tells a story of how a young girl with a broken heart picks up the pieces, found and loved herself, and finally moved on with life and love. It's a short read (that's why I love it more), but even though it's short, I didn't find it lacking. I was contented with the ending and was not disappointed at all.

I'd recommend it to readers who likes (1) heartbreak, (2) moving on (3) family issues that aren't so heavy and totally dramatic (4) sweet but not to the point of mushy (5) Short but complete read.

Favorite Quotes:

• “I'm miserable but the thing is that I want to be miserable. It's kind of nice. Like a comfortable sweater that you put on around the house but wouldn't be caught dead wearing in public.”
•    “You dump trash. You dump yard waste and old ripped couches that smell like body odor and forgetfulness. You dump cigarette butts and banana peels and hazardous waste. But people?”
• “People are just preprogrammed to want what they don’t have. It’s like it’s a universal law.”

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Book Review: The Wallbanger

by Alice Clayton

Review: 5/5

Alice Clayton You had me at the title!!!

This book is pretty awesome: it's fun, sweet and sexy.

Did I had fun reading this???!!!

It's basically about two strangers, who met in a very weird circumstances - yeah, the thump, thump, thump sound from the wall allowed the meeting of Caroline and Simon.

Caroline has been having problem in trying to find her big O. And of course, as the blurb would suggest - it didn't mean Oprah. So after series of dates and frustrations - she decided to let go of the dating arena for the mean time.

Here comes Simon - who seemed to have a harem at his disposal making her sleepless at night with all those sounds being made against her wall. Oh how can he be so ruthless? Here she was: her sex life was in drought and her big O was missing and Simon was just giving it away to all those girls.

When Caroline had it with all the thump-thump sound against the wall - she knocked on his door on her pink nighties and told him to stop what he was doing because she wasn't getting any sleep. What a first meeting, right? I think so too.

But despite the fact that their first meeting was a little bit weird - the two of them called a truce and became friends. Amidst the over flowing sexual tension, and attraction between the two: they set it aside and really became great friends.

This is what I love about this story because it was not rushed. It is very well-phased and love took its time. Oh there were a lot of laughter inside this novel - especially coming from Clive The wonderful, wonderful CAT and their pair of friends with mismatched partners.

I like Simon - and he was an amazing person. Not just because he allowed the friendship to grow rather than had her on his bed immediately. But he was sweet, understanding and very generous as well. He took her to places where she wanted to go and gave her the time of her life. It's a good thing that there are men would think with using the right head.

Would love to recommend this book to readers to:
1) wants a good laugh
2) loves romcom
3) loves Sarra Manning's book (because this book reminded me so much of hers, but in a way still different)
4) wants to fall in love all over again
5) adores cats because Clive - he's sooooooo Clive & second to these two - he's the star of the book 

Favorite Quotes:

• “Why do all men seem to think they need to rescue a woman? Are we not capable of rescuing our damn selves? Why do I need to be rescued? I don’t need a man to rescue me, and I certainly don’t need no wallbanging, Purina-fucking, listening-at-my-wall-like-a-goddamn-psycho coming over here to rescue me! You got that, mister?”   

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Book Freak: If I Were You

Book Description:

Fifty Shades of Grey meets Basic Instinct 

Book 1: If I Were You
Book 2: Being Me 
Book 3: Revealing Us 

About IF I WERE YOU…

How it began…

One day I was a high school teacher on summer break, leading a relatively uneventful but happy life. Or so I told myself. Later, I’d question that, as I would question pretty much everything I knew about me, my relationships, and my desires. It all began when my neighbor thrust a key to a storage unit at me. She’d bought it to make extra money after watching some storage auction show. Now she was on her way to the airport to elope with a man she barely knew, and she needed me to clear out the unit before the lease expires.

Soon, I was standing inside a small room that held the intimate details of another woman’s life, feeling uncomfortable, as if I was invading her privacy. Why had she let these items so neatly packed, possessions that she clearly cared about deeply, be lost at an auction? Driven to find out by some unnamed force, I began to dig, to discover this woman’s life, and yes, read her journals—-dark, erotic journals that I had no business reading. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I read on obsessively, living out fantasies through her words that I’d never dare experience on my own, compelled by the three men in her life, none of whom had names. I read onward until the last terrifying dark entry left me certain that something had happened to this woman. I had to find her and be sure she was okay.
Before long, I was taking her job for the summer at the art gallery, living her life, and she was nowhere to be found. I was becoming someone I didn’t know. I was becoming her.

The dark, passion it becomes…

Now, I am working at a prestigious gallery, where I have always dreamed of being, and I’ve been delivered to the doorstep of several men, all of which I envision as one I’ve read about in the journal. But there is one man that will call to me, that will awaken me in ways I never believed possible. That man is the ruggedly sexy artist, Chris Merit, who wants to paint me. He is rich and famous, and dark in ways I shouldn’t find intriguing, but I do. I so do. I don’t understand why his dark side appeals to me, but the attraction between us is rich with velvety promises of satisfaction. Chris is dark, and so are his desires, but I cannot turn away. He is damaged beneath his confident good looks and need for control, and in some way, I feel he needs me. I need him.
All I know for certain is that he knows me like I don’t even know me, and he says I know him. Still, I keep asking myself — do I know him? Did he know her, the journal writer, and where is she? And why doesn’t it seem to matter anymore? There is just him and me, and the burn for more.

Book Review: 2/5

I think an intelligent person knows the old adage, Curiosity kills the cat . But I didn't think she had heard of it despite being a school teacher with an masters in Art. 

BDSM-themed book has been the hype in the literary world when the Fifty Shades Trilogy made it to the top of the best seller's list. Even in countries like in the Philippines in which Sex is still considered a taboo, it became the most sought-after book (whether it's an ebook or the tangible one). Now, the main point is that: should I expect another to-die for Christian Grey in this novel? Or an annoying Anna Steele? 

Well - yes. There's a rich as Croesus artist Chris who wanted a simple, art-major, school teacher Sara. It's a classic FSoG-like character. BUT what I love about this novel is that the mystery does not only surround the characters, most especially Chris. There's Rebecca and her journal - where is she and what happened to her? The male characters who are also a wonder to most readers, the gallery owner, Mark and the artist Ricardo. Who are they? What are their connections to Rebecca? Some things to look forward besides the steamy scenes. 

I am left with a major cliffhanger in the end that left me breathless (and not really panting for more). I'm looking forward for the next book and hopeful that the suspense conclusion is worth the wait :)

Favorite Quote:

• “The art does not always mimic the artist. You never know the real person until you slide beneath their surface” 
• “Other people’s perfection is a facade we create when we are second guessing ourselves” 
• “The end of starvation is quite delicious.” 

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