Everlost Review!

I know I intended to finish The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness first but I wasn't feeling it and decided to finish this series up! If you read my review for the last book (here) then you know I was a little weary of the third installment in this series, so let's get on to it and see if my predictions were true or not!

Synopsis:
Tatiana is stuck in Natatoria in a crumbling kingdom bound to the man she hated with a passion, but things change. Facing a war in her own mind, a constant fluctuation of anger and love Tatiana faces her own truths and sees first hand the deceit and lies that make up the kingdom. Left alone in a kingdom she must decide for herself to do what's easy or to do what's right.

Review:

3 or 3.5/5

Though this book was fun, it didn't have me gripping my phone in a death vice like the last one. I started this book right after I finished the second one and just finished it now. Unlike the previous one, this one didn't hold my attention very well. There's lots of good and not so good things I found with this book so I guess we should sift through that now.

The fear I had expressed in the last review was that we'd go back to under developed characters and a strange point of view. Thankfully I was wrong on the character point so let's all throw a mini dance party there! WOO! Tatchi is the character that throughout the series you know what she wants and what she's like. She's a mermaid who wants to live like a human, she wants choices, she wants to empower the female Mers and control her own destiny. Through Ash's eyes we learned a lot about Tatchi, so when this one came in her point of view it wasn't nearly as startling as I expected it to be. Points for Pandos.

The downfall was how achingly annoying Tatchi became. At times I wanted to shake some sense into the girl. I feel like the same points could have been made without it being drawn out for the majority of the book. Her love / hate promised feelings with Azor was giving me whiplash. I understand that the promise makes people act strange but this abusive relationship seemed like a stretch for a character that has always had more backbone than any of the ones before her. I won't go into details cause spoilers but I really don't feel like the extremity of the situation and the duration it was drawn out for fit this character. 

Points for Pandos again with the action, there was stuff happening in this book, albeit there were some faults here and there. If it wasn't a physical fight in this book it was mental. However, there was a slight downfall - the mental side of things didn't seem to have a whole lot of progression. Until towards the end of the book there didn't seem to be any earth shattering realizations here which meant a whole lot of scenarios that were basically the same situation rehashed in as many ways possible. On the other hand the physical fighting was progressing, you could see the reason behind the actions be it. Azor's anger, or his greed, Jacob's loyalty and desires which were changing and progressing through the book which made Tatiana's mental standstill all the more frustrating to me.

Unfortunately it wasn't until the mental game starting progressing that I finally found myself able to engage. After that, things got a lot more interesting, unfortunately this affected how I approached the rating of this read. The start of the book is a three, it was good not great and didn't hold my attention well. Had the ending been attached to a better beginning I might have boosted it to a 4 but it's pulled down and is stuck with a 3.5.

Overall Series:

 Overall I would say this series was enjoyable, and I would definitely recommend it for a younger reader than myself. There's a lot of series and books that can cross the age gap but this one doesn't seem to quite have that yet. If the first and the last books were like the second book and matched in intensity and purpose this would have been a phenomenal series! In the meantime if you want something fun and easy to read this is your find.

Blurred Lines Series Review!

It's been a while, but if you've read the title than you may have a clue of what's going on. I haven't read just one book, I have read five and a half since my last review! Coincidentally five of them happened to be books I read on my trip and five of them also happen to be from the same series. However, rather than break these ones up I decided to keep them together due to their similarities and why not do a whole series? I also will be posting a book haul soon because I grabbed up a bunch of really good finds while I was away too!

For now we'll move onto the reviewing!

By the picture above you can learn a few things, like the fact that I read these on my phone, they are some sort of romance and the series in question is Blurred Lines by Erin McCarthy. This is going to be a bit different so I'm going to do series, then break it down to book and wrap up with some full series thoughts at the end. I'll mark individual book reviews by pictures of their covers and because they're e-reads I'll even post the price I got them for... you know what, let's just do this.

So originally the first book in this series came up in my daily BookBub suggestions. (If you don't know what BookBub is check it out here. Basically, gives you lists of cheap e-books!) I'll be the first to admit that I don't like buying e-books, I'll download the free ones and the really cheap ones but I have a fear that I'll lose them and my money will be wasted. So when the first book in the series came up with that glorious word 'Free' beside it, well, you couldn't stop me!

I picked it up to kill time really, but then I ended up bingeing the whole series - it was better than anticipated. Overall, this New Adult Contemporary - Romance was brilliant so let me tell you a bit about it.

Overview:
The Blurred Lines series takes place predominantly in the state of Maine and prominently features a town called Vinalhaven and University of Maine. The series circles around the romances of a group of individuals that are all in some way connected. Through various ups and downs they find their own place in their worlds and their relationships, interlocking together in a way they never thought would be possible. Starting with the story of Cat and Heath and ending with the story of Anya and Kane, covering everyone in between.

Book One: You Make Me

Purchase Info: Purchased for free on the iTunes/ iBook platform.

Synopsis:
Cat is a girl with a less than ideal family situation in her past she's hiding and a determination to become the perfect girl with her prize catch Ethan at her side. With dreams of the perfect job, perfect guy, perfect family, how can she resist when he pops the big question? Had she known the past would come streaking into the future at mach fifty, she might have held off. Enter Heath, Cat's first love - a love that neither of them has let go of with questions that need more than answers, they need explanation. Now Cat is faced with a choice: past self, or future self? And can Ethan marry a woman he has come to realize he really knows nothing about?

Review:

4/5

This is where it all begins, Cat and Heath. From the beginning you're pining for Heath, well, at least I was cause hot ex-marine, come on people! You feel bad for Ethan but... they weren't as compatible, so, moving on. All and all I enjoyed this, it's a contemporary romance, it's not meant to be some Earth shattering story it's meant to be light and fun and easy to read and it was all of these things. However, no matter how much I like a book there are always areas that didn't seem quite perfect. So what kept it from being a 5/5? Firstly, as much as I enjoyed it there were some issues regarding reality, the main one being the fact that she's going to get married and then within days she's in the arms of another man! Despite their past that seems a little far fetched to me, I mean you were prepared to marry someone, is it just me or is that not something you just get over? Putting that aside, I did enjoy the dynamic of the relationships Cat has and the closeness she shares with her foster siblings but not her biological sibling. The twisted history they share and the stories where they all connect. All and all, even though there were a couple typos and a couple minor unrealistic parts the actual story was interesting. The characters had history to them and relationships, they had identities individual to themselves and if you didn't learn as much about them as you wanted it was probably because one of the next books is about them!

Book Two: Live For Me

favourite of the series!

Purchase Info: Purchased for $3.99 on the iTunes / iBooks platform

Synopsis:

Tiffany has been in the foster system for nearly her whole life, despite the fact she has a living grandma nearby. When her grandmother gets sick, Tiffany takes the bait, despite what her foster sister Cat says and goes to help her sick, ungrateful grandmother. It isn't long before she's kicked out once again on her own. Old enough now to not be in the foster system she's left to fend for herself. With the want to help people in life the way they never helped her, she takes on a job as a house sitter for a man who's hardly ever home. What better way to get to nursing school than by hardly seeing anyone and getting paid for it? Of course things change when the owner - music producer Devin Gold stops by one Tiffany's first day of work. She likes him, he likes her, the problem? She may be eighteen but she looks sixteen and he's in his thirties. Hailing from two completely different worlds they're thrown together in a tempting but dangerous relationship.

Review:

4.5/5

I think this one was my favourite in the series as there is a lot going on outside of their relationship. What turned me off that point five you ask? The exact same line, that's what! At one point in this novel (as I was reading this the same day I read the first one) I noticed something so incredibly blatant I actually stopped reading and read it again in hopes it wasn't real! Devin has a line in this book that is the exact same as a line Heath says in the first book. Now I know it's a romance but come on! Once I got past that little tidbit, I'm happy to inform that there wasn't another line that was so blatantly obvious that it was the same in the rest of the series. I liked the dynamic of this duo, it wasn't a love at first sight relationship like the first one, this was a work in progress and even when they got to the point of facing the relationship it was still a work in progress! Plus there was psychotic famous ex-wife action on top of a few other things as well as some other drama both famous world and not famous world that had some big repercussions. I don't want to give away all of the things, but this one had the most action in it and I love me some high action everything!  

Book Three: Let Me In

Purchase Info: Purchased for $3.99 for the iTunes/ iBooks platform.

Synopsis:
After being jealous of Cat for so long about her ability to attract relationships and not losers, Aubrey finally finds herself in a relationship of her own. Little did she know how it would turn out. When her 'man' (I use that term extremely loosely here people) Jared hits her with a belt and knocks her teeth out Aubrey realizes something serious - he might just kill her. She runs, but is constantly afraid of what's behind her. She moves somewhere far away, somewhere he's not likely to find her, she runs to her friend Cat in the small town of Vinalhaven. An island with one way in and out - the ferry and if he catches up with her there, she knows that will be it. Aubrey isn't expecting that her panicked visit to the rocky shore would lead her to fall halfway down a cliff to be rescued by a local guy named Riker. When Riker finds out about Jared it's game on, when Aubrey finds out the truth about Riker will it be game off?

Review:

4.5/5

Though this one didn't quite give me the feels book two did, it certainly deserves it's 4.5/5. This is probably my second favourite in the series as it also has a lot of action in it. It misses the five for one solid reason - Riker and Aubrey remind me a lot of Cat and Heath. Aubrey and Cat are from the same sorority not to mention Aubrey is Ethan's sister, aka Cat's ex fiancee. They're best friends and in a sense, their personalities are fairly close. Enter Riker who's Army to Heath's Marines, difference is Riker isn't ex-army and he doesn't exactly have a stellar job. I'm not going to go further because spoilers but there's a lot Aubrey doesn't know about this guy she's fallen for. The secrets in this book are slightly f#^*%*& up. Seriously, like end game serious here people, but at the same time you can't help but like Riker. All and all I enjoyed the action and the hint of mystery that came with the secrets in this book.

Book Four: Meant For Me

Purchase Info: Purchased for $3.99 for the iTunes/ iBooks platform

Synopsis:
After breaking things off with his fiancee Cat, Ethan finds himself in a downward spiral. Dropping out of law school and getting drunk every night Ethan hates himself for waking up next to various women on a regular basis, but faces it with a 'who cares?' attitude. Hungover and heading out to visit his sister Aubrey in Vinalhaven Ethan is faced with a reality he's struggling to come to terms with - that he will inevitably face Cat on this trip. When he surprises himself by falling for a girl with no voice he's the first and the last to expect it. Frustrated with his inability to communicate effectively with Chloe, his silent girl he begs to know what's going on in her head and when he finally gets it, he's surprised to say the least.

Review:

4/5

This one fell a little flat for me. I enjoyed the story and the characters but I just wasn't feeling this one that much. I was happy to see Ethan finally moved on from his moping, but after the last two books this one was quite a bit less dramatic. This was probably one of my least favourite in the series between this one and the fifth book. Don't get me wrong this is a good book, but come this point in the series I'm kind of sick of hearing about Ethan's downward spiral. I am also thoroughly disappointed that Ethan didn't meet Riker, I would have loved to see how that conversation went, reaction and then the question 'What do you do for work' would have been an amazing addition to this book. That briefest interaction would have had me liking this so much more. I am happy however, that we changed perspectives here! This book is from Ethan's perspective and it was nice for the change, had it been the other way around I'm not sure it would have been as good as it was. I did like the addition to the ending with Anya, won't say much there cause spoilers, but it really broke up the 'I wish I knew what she was thinking' and 'I wish I could hear her voice' thoughts from Ethan. Basically just compared to the last two this one dulled a bit in comparison. Good, not great.

Book Five: Breathe Me In

Purchase Info: Purchased for $4.99 on the iTunes/ iBooks platform.

Synopsis:

After meeting Chloe and Ethan and being kicked out of her apartment in New York Anya's got nowhere left to turn but to them. With nothing but the clothes on her back and her baby on her hip she travels from New York to the door of her just met and last hope sister Chloe. If only it was that easy. After stealing some baby food from a convenience store she passes out and is helped by Kane, a local off duty police officer. Their paths aren't to be split yet as they cross in a dangerous tango of deceit as Anya tries to use her feminine powers to get more than the forty bucks he already gave her out of him. Kane knows that Anya's game can't be true, he knows he's probably going to be conned, but he can't help but feel something for her. Kane hails from a large family unit and Anya hails from a fend for yourself foster care raising with two different mind sets and feelings in between they fight to figure out what it all means.

Review:

3.5/5

This is probably my least favourite in the series for quite a few reasons, but ultimately I felt like this one was really predictable and I wasn't a fan of the end. Their relationship starts off weird from the get go and falls apart which is no shock, at all. What starts to make it unrealistic for me is when she starts listing off her rap sheet and he's still all in. Ok, I'll roll with it, love is blind, yadda yadda. She needs help but refuses it at every turn, and I know she's supposed to be all independent and stuff but when you're passing out because you haven't ate in days and someone gives you money for lunch, you take it no questions asked. It just felt like she was stretching it a little too far. My kid doesn't have diapers, I don't have a job or money, but I won't accept that you want to buy us some? The reality of this one is a little too far off for me, and from experience I know that when you're that down and out, you'll accept a little help survival partially depends on that. I tried to move past that, about mid way things started to get a little more realistic and I was like, 'ok I can deal with this'. I enjoyed that middle section of the book, wasn't super realistic to me, but I enjoyed it. Then that ending happened and it was a little too nonchalant for me. Still a good story, and it was interesting to see both characters point of views but it was little killer to feel so out of reality. 

Series:

Overall I really liked this series, if you like New Adult romances you'll enjoy Blurred Lines. Like every series there's high points and lower points so I wouldn't be turned off by the flux in ratings here, they were all good stories. The fact that I binged them all one after the other in less than a week should tell you that! They are not completely dependant on each other, you can figure out what happened quite easily especially since they primarily focus on their own relationships. However, you do risk spoilers if you jump around in this series, they aren't that disconnected. Overall the whole series I would rate 4/5 and would recommend to anyone looking for a quick, light read.

In other news, as I mentioned at the start, be on the lookout for a new haul post! I am also halfway through The Knife of Never Letting go by Patrick Ness so there should be a review for it soon as I am returning to it now. If you have suggestions for books, let me know! Also, was this post a little too long?