Ultramarine

Hey, it's been a while since I last came to visit. 

But though I still follow a few blogs here, I don't visit the site itself anymore and I"m quite reluctant to update it even just on a monthly basis. I rather invest my time actually reading and reviewing than maintain another book inventory site (though this one is more social which IS a plus, yet since it can't replace the book inventory abilities of GoodReads I'll be staying there for the moment).

So what I'm doing here this moment?

Just letting you know where you can find me :)

First my independent blog on Blogger - Ultra Meital Reviews - which I update with reviews of all the books I've read and also monthly recap / goals (as I did over here).

I also update my Facebook and Twitter account on my reads and plans. You are welcome to follow me on either or both :)

I also recently updated my Pinterest reading board. There I only upload link to specific book reviews, not to my other "ramblings" (mainly the Monthly Goals and Monthly Recap posts).

Last but not least you can follow me of GoodReads. Since there is no option for posts there, like with my Pinterest board I only update book reviews and nothing else. 

See ya over there ;)

Have a wonderful day with a great book at hand :)

Meital.

 September 2014 Recap / October 2014 Goals

Off Topic - My New Tattoo :)

Summer Moon (Celtic Wolves #2) by Jan DeLima

My Deliberate Mistake (Drowning #1) by Claire Svendsen

Mine by Mary Calmes

Not Fade Away (Hell or High Water #3.5) by S.E. Jakes

Second Chance by Audra North

Promise Me This (Between Breaths #4) by Christina Lee

Tangled (Tangled #1) by Emma Chase

Tangled Extra Scenes (Tangled #1.1) by Emma Chase

Holy Frigging Matrimony (Tangled #1.5) by Emma Chase

Twisted (Tangled #2) by Emma Chase

Tamed (Tangled #3) by Emma Chase

Tied (Tangled #4) by Emma Chase

Caught on Camera by Meg Maguire

Tempted by Midnight (1001 Dark Nights, #10) (Midnight Breed #12.5) by Lara Adrian

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Whitetail Rock (Whitetail Rock #1) (Pre-Romancelandia #1) by Anne Tenino

The Fix (Whitetail Rock #2) (Pre-Romancelandia #1) by Anne Tenino

Too Stupid to Live (Whitetail Rock #3) (Romancelandia #1) by Anne Tenino

Billionaire with Benefits (Romancelandia #2) by Anne Tenino

Losing It by Audra North

The Wedding Trap (Second Service #1) by Adrienne Bell

The Agent Next Door (Second Service #2) by Adrienne Bell

The Trouble with Temptation (Second Service #3) by Adrienne Bell

That's it for this month! see you soon and have happy readings :)

This month I have been reading A LOT! which was a real treat. I'm not sure why other months I read more or less but I KNOW that when I do read a lot I feel more relaxed. 

Only thing I regret is not finding also time for reading my favorite blogs. But I"ll get to that! :)

SO first off, you know, that my blog is actually - HERE. I"m just updating you with the reviews I posted there on September.

Here's last month Recap and the Goals I made for this month. I should say that I read more than I thought I would! YAY :)

Defying the Odds (Battered Hearts #1) - Kele Moon

The Girl You Left Behind - Jojo Moyes

The Wedding Fling - Meg Maguire

Inking Him (Losing It #1.6) - Cora Carmack

Faking It (Losing It #2) - Cora Carmack

Finiding It (Losing It #3) - Cora Carmack

Seeking Her (Losing It #3.5) - Cora Carmack

Every Time I Think of You - Tracey Gravis-Graves

The Beautiful Ashes (Broken Destiny #1) - Jeaniene Frost

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

The Year We Fell Down (The Ivy Years #1) by Sarina Bowen

The Year We Hid Away (The Ivy Years #2) by Sarina Bowen

Blonde Date (The Ivy Years #2.5) by Sarina Bowen

The Understatement of the Year (The Ivy Years #3) by Sarina Bowen

Beyond Addiction (Beyond, #5) By Kit Rocha

Though I had some disappointment this month (including 3 DNF and one I struggled with) I DID really enjoyed most of the other books especially Cora Carmack's Losing It series and Sarina Bowen's The Ivy Years.  

I totally forgot to post this one! I actually had it made but somewhere between getting lost in Special Forces I forgot this post....

So here are the reviews of the books I've read in the previous month.

First - Here's again the link to my blog. You are welcome to follow me there :)

As I start all months, here's my July Recap and August Goals (which I'm quite pleased with how I've managed)

One to Tell the Grandkids - Kristina M. Sanchez

The Start of Us (No Regrets #0.5) - Lauren Blakely

The Thrill of It (No Regrets #1) - Lauren Blakely 

Crave the Night (Midnight Breed #12) - Lara Adrian

Special Forces #1 Soldiers - Aleksandr Voinov (Vashtan) & Marquesate

Special Forces #2 Mercenaries Part 1 - Aleksandr Voinov (Vashtan) & Marquesate

Special Forces #2 Mercenaries Part 2 - Aleksandr Voinov (Vashtan) & Marquesate

Special Forces #3 Veterans - Aleksandr Voinov (Vashtan) & Marquesate 

Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress #4) - Jeaniene Frost 

First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World #1) - Jeaniene Frost 

Eternal Kiss of Darkness (Night Huntress #2) - Jeaniene Frost

This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress #5) - Jeaniene Frost

One Grave at a Time (Night Huntress #6) - Jeaniene Frost

Once Burned (Night Prince #1) - Jeaniene Frost

Twice Tempted (Night Prince #2) - Jeaniene Frost

See ya next month! Well, actually in about 2 weeks...  

Hello Again! 

It's been a while since I've been here.. I "moved out" about a month ago and worked my ass of to make my new home what I wanted it to be. With a lot of decorations and room furnishing, meaning, making my blog presentable and also adding my Series Pages and a more convenient way to navigate my previous post I FINALLY feel at home!

Only thing is, my home kinda feel lonely over there.. so I thought I might write a monthly post here of what I've been up to there so you can go check it out :)

1. Here the link to my new blog

June 2014 Recap

July 2014 Goals

Free Falling - SE Jakes

Hold on Tight - Serena Bell

Marked by Midnight (Midnight Breed #11.5) - Lara Adrian

Back to You - Leighton Rose

Harder (Caroline and West #2) - Robin York

Daylight Again (Hell or High Water #3) - SE Jakes

The Siren (The Original Sinners #1) - Tiffany Reisz

The Angel (The Original Sinners #2) - Tiffany Reisz

The Prince (The Original Sinners #3) - Tiffany Reisz

The Mistress (The Original Sinners #4) - Tiffany Reisz

Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1) - Jeaniene Frost

One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2) - Jeaniene Frost

At Graves' End (Night Huntress #3) - Jeaniene Frost

I hope you'll follow me to my new home, comment, like and enjoy reading and reviewing with me :)

Cheers! 

Hey!

So I decided that right now I prefer updating my book inventory only on GoodReads but since I DO like having a blog and since there are a lot of things I want to organize I opened one on Blogger's platform. 

So here is the link to my new blog

http://ultrameital.blogspot.co.il

You are all welcome! :)

It's still somewhat under contraction. I copied quite a lot of my book reviews but still not ALL of them and besides, I have things planned like organizing my series. I want for each series to have a page with a little about the series and a link to all book reviews in one place. 

I also want to make it more of "my own", so I'll probably upload more things besides book reviews but we'll see how it goes :)

Cheers! 

Hey there, I'm not even sure how many people read what I'm writing so here goes nothing :)

I'm considering leaving this website.

While I DO enjoy the positive vibe and the connections to people who read the same books as I do I find that this website as a book inventory is useless. I'm used to GoodReads, looking for a book, finding editions, looking for reviews, searching for series, it all takes too long and it's too damn time consuming in this website (especially now that we have editions which actually made it worse than better.. :/)

I love the interface of this website, I love the blog and its format, I love that I have an opportunity to promote myself through this website so more people read my reviews. 

But all in all, this is all this website is. A nice blog community. It's not a book inventory. 

If GoodReads had this feature I wouldn't be here. I just love it that I can write and bring what interests me in a place which is all books. 

So I don't know. I had few blogs in the past, mostly on Blogger. I can open a new blog and promote it through GoodReads and a little on Facebook / Twitter. 

Why are YOU here. What do you love about this website and makes you stay even though it's not exactly what it was "suppose" to be. 

UPDATE - THAT'S MY NEW BLOG ADDRESS 

http://ultrameital.blogspot.co.il/

i'M NOT DISAPPEARING FROM HERE YET BUT i'VE STARTED MOVING MY REVIEWS

This has been a nice enough story. I got good recommendation on it from a friend.

The story starts with Taylor and Alex breaking up. They both love each other but their relationship somehow doesn't really work. They keep fighting. I don't know what they were fighting about since it wasn't mentioned but I guess since they were both quite young I can get it (round 21-22 years old). Alex is the one to break the relationship not wanting to get to the point were they break up while hating each other. 

Alex moves to another city far away to keep away from Taylor and we continue the book 2 years later where the both of them try to make it work with someone else but right about that time something happens that make Alex come back. 

Naturally since the both of them miss each other and want each other it flows into the direction of returning to each other. Taylor is skeptic but Alex really want to make it up to Taylor. 

There were a few side characters - both Alex and Taylor's family, Taylor's friends and Alex's best friend. I thought that they weren't developed enough. The characters were quite flat. There was something more interesting about Taylor's guy (the one he started dating) but we didn't get enough details for the character to feel really substantial (since this one is the first in a series I guess either he or Alex's guy - or both! - will be in the next one so we'll get the story).

Both Taylor and Alex were really sweet but I felt they were to emotional for two guys.. can't really explain this one better..

So while the story was sweet and the return together was nicely done I felt that this story lacked in substance. This is Leighton's first book so I can understand the struggle to bring her best to us. I liked the writing and I liked how the story progressed so all in all it was an enjoyable read. Leighton published her second book quite recently so I'll give it a go as well. 

This one was a short novella telling us of Mathias Rowan (who used to work for the Darkhaven Enforcement agency and helped the Order) finding his Mate in the very colorful Nova. 

They meet when Mathias is helping an old friend with an investigation of a possible serial killer. His special ability brings him to the door step of the tattoo shop Nova works in. 

I really enjoyed seeing their "play" until they "got" to each other. Him being a stubborn white knight wanting to save the pretty woman, an she, a woman who can take care of herself and is in no need of such a knight (or so she says ;))

As with most short novellas it all happens so fast, the romance or rather the quality and quantity of their feelings is a little to much too soon in my opinion but they ARE vampires so I tend to forgive this point but what reduced a star for me (for 5 to 4) was the fact that it rapped up too quickly leaving us with too much information unknown especially of Nova's past.  

All in all a nice and enjoyable read for the avid Midnight breed fan especially since next month the 12th book "Crave the Night" will be published - YAY!

This month I have quite  a blend of books to read.

Harder (Caroline & West #2) 

by Robin York

This is the second (and last) book in the series, the first been Deeper which I absolutely LOVED! no surprise there! I loved everything Robin wrote in the pan name Ruthie Knox, so naturally I utterly fell in love with this one as well. Yeah, it's going to break my heart but I can't help myself, I really can't..

Marked by Midnight (Midnight Breed #11.5)

by Lara Adrian

Another short novella in a series I really enjoy. Can't wait for the full novel though so this one is a fair teaser ;)

Daylight Again (Hell or High Water #3)

by SE Jakes

I planned on reading this book in the previous month with two other novels in the world of Hell or High Water but didn't find the time. Hope it'll be as good as "Free Falling" which was really a pleasure to read!

The Siren (The Original Sinners #1)

The Angel (The Original Sinners #2)

The Prince (The Original Sinners #3)

The Mistress (The Original Sinners #4)

by Tiffany Reisz

I got a really good recommendation for this one and I postponed it FOREVER since I wasn't sure how I would feel about it, but after reading Beyond and loving it (though I though I wouldn't :P) I really want to give it a (fair!) chance.

Back to You

by Leighton Rose

Another one which came with an amazing recommendation! 

Need You Now (1001 Dark Nights)

by Lisa Renee Jones

Though I was disappointed with "Inside out" series I DID enjoy Lisa's other short stories. 

The Vampire Shrink (Kismet Knight, Ph.D., Vampire Psychologist #1)

by Lynda Hilburn

I read a great review of this one and really felt like giving it a go! Just recently I've realized it's actually a series... so we'll see how it goes.. 

Fatal Shadows (Adrian English #1)

A Dangerous Thing (Adrian English #2)

by Josh Lanyon

I've heard this one is a good MM series so I'm giving it a go. Didn't plan for the next books in the series since I have SO MUCH books to read so I'll see what I'll do with the rest of them if they're as great as I've heard. 

This month I think the "better" greetings will be - GOOD LUCK :)

 January Goals / January Recap

February Goals / February Recap

March Goals / March Recap

April Goals / April Recap

May Goals / May Recap

June Goals / June Recap

Well, hello again! it's "the time of the month" so to speak and actually I feel reluctant to write since I haven't really been reading.. :/ and I think I was mostly disappointed of my reads so... 

I also didn't listen to audio books much, I had planned on listening to the Chronicles of Dragon Lance by Margaret Weiss and Tracey Hickman but I only finished the first one yesterday (I'll write the review in the next few days). I'm not adding this book to the list of this month since I want all three of them together. Yeah they are separated books but actually since it's one adventure I want to relate to all of them together (even if I review them apart)

Favorite Book and Author of the Month: Hold On Tight by Serena Bell

I already raved about this one yesterday on my review. I'm putting this one in both the category of favorite book and favorite author since it surely deserve both! I've read everything Serena published - 3 short novellas and 3 pull books. The novella I REALLY enjoyed (and it's not that easy writing a good short story!) and out of the 3 full novels one was okay and the other two were a BLAST! I'm talking about this one (naturally) and Yours to Keep (which was my favorite book of the month in March). 

Just a few words about this book (though you can read it all in my review). I really enjoyed both main characters. I found them both to be strong and independent, while both having "their issues" I felt that they were inspiring in the way they each dealt with their problems. I loved that neither one needed rescuing though having one another was a blessing to both of them.

Disappointment of the Month: The King (Black Dagger Brotherhood #12)
By J.R. Ward

The King opened up my readings for June and sadly it was quite a disappointment. I knew I might have problems with this one since I'm not really invested in both the main characters but actually the problem was a lot in the plot didn't make sense to me or was played in a way I didn't appreciate. I guess it's hard coming to the 12th book in a series being able to invent as well as to follow the previous plot lines, previous ideas, but I guess, we, the readers are quite selfish we want what we want and have our own expectations of what we want to happen next.

As I've written in the review, though this one was a sort of fail for me I really would recommend this series to any Paranormal Romance lover and I will also not skip on reading the next ones. 

Discovery of the Month: Summer Rain Anthology 
(Alexandra Haughton/Audra North)

I feel kinda strange putting this book in here but what the hell :) thing is, I was really excited when I heard of this book. Mainly because it has a story by Ruthie Knox and by Charlotte Stein but also because I have a few more authors to try out. But except for Ruthie and Charlotte I only enjoyed two others.. Alexandra Haughton's "Storm Warning" and Audra North's "Fitting In". There is no such thing as a "waste of time" reading a book so I take from this one the things I liked, the stories I enjoyed and also two authors I'd like to follow. 

Fun Break of the Month: Free Falling by SE Jakes

Well, putting this book in this category is a little stretch since it's not that it was THAT funny, it's actually an action packed short novella. But I'm putting this one here because even though it was short I really enjoyed the ride. Enjoyed mostly Blue one of the main heroes. I also think this book should "own a slot" here since I didn't like the previous book I've read by SE Jakes - Dirty Deeds (my review) which is a spin off to "Hell of High Water" series which this one (Free Falling) is a part of (though it is a stand alone novella). So grabbing this one and enjoying the read somehow meant more after the disappointment.. I also wanted to read "Daylight Again" Jakes' third novel in "Hell of High Water" but didn't find the time so I postponed it to July. 

I didn't mention in the "Disappointment" section the "Inside Out" series by Lisa Renee Jones though I WAS disappointed with the series, well, with the first book. I had my hopes about this one, heard there's a lot of "vibe" about it but I didn't find it appealing. So even though I meant to read the whole series this month I didn't finish the first one.. (my review). 

So that's it for June. I really hope that FINALLY I'll return to reading as I've planned. It's not about the accomplishment its about the peace of mind and enjoyment I have from reading and I truly miss it. So here for reading amazing stories! Cheers!

This book was simply AMAZING. I don't even know how to write this down so you'll get it - it's just a beautiful read. I loved the two main characters, appreciated both of them for being who they are and how they are, for being inspiring for me, for being strong each in his/her own way and for finding each other and completing the circle bringing them to a place of happiness they just couldn't have had before.

Yet, before I continue raving on how I enjoyed this read I HAVE to say something. I really do. Because otherwise you'll ask yourself who actually wrote this review?! It couldn't really be me without the next paragraph :) so here it goes!

Before reading this one I had a discussion with a friend about "all those books having a girl pregnant at an early age and having the kid" and I asked her - why the hell IS that? fuck it, they are young, they have their whole life ahead of them, why screw it up with a baby?

She gave me two answers, the first I accepted with a sad smile and the second made me laugh but also realize THAT'S the answer. Why a sad smile? because religion makes people react badly to abortion. If I got pregnant there isn't a doubt in my mind first thing I'll do after the first hour of absolute shock would have been trying to get it OUT! (and not 9 months later..). I'm quite fond of my life you see, I'm single, my problems are my own, I"m self centered on the things I enjoy doing and don't see myself sacrificing it all to take care of someone from now till the day I die. I rather take care of a dog. Less responsibility and they also don't talk back :P 

Returning back to business the second explanation my friend gave was - what's the story about if she got an abortion?! well, DAMN! She is RIGHT!

So as you've guessed, kids, books with kids is totally and absolutely against my motto in life. If I don't want kids in real life why would I want them in books?! aren't books suppose to be ideal in a way? That's a good question since a lot of books takes us out of our comfort zone, tells us horrors and not only beautiful love stories in which a prince and a princess with not a care in the world get married and live happily ever after... 

Now that I've said all that I can continue with telling you about this book and the fact that I LOVED it!! Even though having a kid DID fuck up Mira's life but don't worry it all worked out well in the end :)

So Mira and Jake met when he was on leave from his army service. He only had one order for this vocation - don't fall in love! so naturally he did, with Mira. Yet even though Mira was the only person Jake can actually talk to and share his life, his difficulties, he couldn't stay, and he couldn't commit to a relationship with her. He just wasn't ready and thought he never will be in a long term relationship especially not when he isn't even around to have the relationship in the first place. 

Mira got her heart broken when she opened up to Jake and he left her hanging. They parted ways and didn't look back. When she found out she was pregnant she decided to have the baby despite the fact she couldn't find Jake and her father REALLY disapproved. She wanted something of her own, something that was truly hers in the controlling world her father made her live. 

So Jake went back to service and Mira raised their kid without him even realizing he had one. 9 years has passed and now they meet again. Mira is out of her father grasp in a city far away from her parents, trying for the first time to really live on her own and Jake is back missing half a leg and haunted with survival guilt. Their reunion doesn't start in a very positive way but after they both have a chance to breath in and out Jake realizes he does want to get to know his kid and so they start to dance a very difficult dance. 

Mira doesn't know how much time she has with Jake until he disappears again. Getting her heart broken once, she knows the price, she would have paid it again, but she couldn't put Sam in this place. Jake loves spending time both with Mira and his kid but he too realized he doesn't know how much long it will last. The crazy attraction between the two of them makes it even more difficult especially as Jake is dealing with the loss of his leg (and in a way his masculinity). 

As I've said, I loved both Mira and Jake for being who they are - for being strong in mind and heart, for fighting for what they believe in, for fighting for each other and being there for one another. For opening up when it's most difficult, for fighting the limitations in their lives, for striving for more, for a better life. I loved that they each could have had the world alone, they don't "need" each other to be amazing, but together they are AWESOME! and the kid, yeah, they have the kid and he's actually quite sweet (when he's not in the way) and he makes it more than just about them, it's about having a family, something more than just the two of them, something Jake wouldn't have dreamed of having. and you know what, I kept thinking how I would have felt if I was in his shoes - finding out I have a kid I didn't know about (yeah, that's kinda impossible being a woman hehe but I was thinking about it anyhow :P). It's strange but I know that like Jake I would have loved to have this intimacy, having something that's more than just the relationship with my significant other. Yeah, I also know that I would have wanted OUT pretty soon after the responsibilities of life would have crushed on me :P but well, I'm no love story :D 

OH!!! one more last thing before I forget! I loved Jake's character especially because that even though he was the "tormented" he wasn't all broken and needed saving. He did all the saving on his own. A little like Mira had to build her life when Sam was born. I guess I already said that in different words I just loved that the both of them weren't someone charity case, they didn't need one another to get better, maybe they needed the motivation and the right person to open up to, but basically they just needed to let go a little of the strict "make it on my own" vibe.

So I'm saying just go ahead and read it. It's amazing and awesome and all those great words I've already wrote too damn much over this review. It's just a love story, yeah, they all are just that, but here it's somehow different. Half way through I felt like I really need to DO things in my life I was putting away. I just felt inspired by Jake and how he pushes toward his goals. So I stopped reading, put the kindle aside for a while, and actually DID something to promote myself then with a smile on my face I returned to my reading realizing that I too only needed the right motivation. JAKE! :)

After finishing this one, do yourselves a favor and also read Serena's "Yours to Keep". Another awesomeness! :)

HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! 

It's strange.. as much as I didn't like the previous book I've read by SE Jakes (Dirty Deeds) I REALLY enjoyed this one. I felt I could really see Mick and Blue's relationship building even it wasn't in a very "orthodox" kinda way.. I  loved getting to know both of them. I think about half of the book at least was building the relationship (and having A LOT of sex!) and them WHAM BAMM crazy action I couldn't put my kindle down and yet we ended in a peaceful and happy note. I also loved that we had the aggressive moments as well as the more tender ones. I did find myself almost with tears at one scene (then the action took me right out of the moment! wooooosh!)

This was a full story told in not that long book (~120 pages) which was great. Usually it's insta-love, mind blowing sex and not a lot of plot. Here we had it all!

We start of hearing about how Mick and Blue met for the first few times ending up not in the most happy note. They we fast forward a year in which Blue gets caught in the crossfire of a deal went wrong for Mick playing as a buyer interested in a new "rape drug". Trying to protect Blue, Mick convinces the seller that drugging Blue was too public and now they have to get rid of him - taking on himself the job so he can try and take Blue OUT of the crossfire. Then comes the sex portion of the novella though it still has a lot of feeling to it, and it's nice seeing how Blue is falling for Mick simply because he can't help himself, he ISN'T himself but also seeing how much Mick is trying to hold himself at an arm's length but can't succeed with someone like Blue around. They we return to the action as Mick has to return to "business" so he can take out the bad guys (which naturally doesn't really happens as Mick planned..)

I LOVED Blue's character. He is such a sweet heart on the one hand but he is also a real bad ass on the other! Not like the other guys - being a cold heart and well trained killer for being a professional thief and being good at it, having fun on the job and beyond it, climbing building for fun, timing himself on how fast he can do the staff he's good at. He kinda remind me of a Kender *.

[ * That's a fictional race in the "Dragon Lance" World which I've been reading again lately (Chronicles of Dragons Lance). Brought me back to my origins. To a bunch of friends having adventures together. I'm glad I can find the things I loved growing up, the things that made me laugh and forget myself in a world so different from my own (see, they have dragons and staff we don't :P) ]

Mick was a good character I just found Blue to be more interesting as a character. We also had a little glimpse of Prophet (one of the main characters in Hell or High Water).

The plot in this book takes place before the first book in Hell or High Water and it's a stand alone novel. So basically I'm saying you can read it if you want to have a feel to the world of EE (The company the guys at Hell or High Water work for and partially in Dirty Deeds, it's the same world and characters so..)

So, yeah - Recommended! 

Well, hello there! :) I was gone for a long while now, mostly because I haven't been reading of late.. I've been tired, my eyes were tired, dunno, the hot weather doesn't agree with me as it seems.. Hope to be back to myself because these past few months have been too much out of my comfort and relaxed zone. I miss me, ya know?

So let's do this review, shall we?

This is the spin off to "Hell or High Water" telling us of Cillian and Mal and how they "got together" so to speak. It's been a while since I read the previous book by SE Jakes and I gotta say I don't really remember what was the issue with John (the one who betrayed Prophet) it was too bad that there wasn't a good reminder to that or something to connect people who either haven't read the previous books or doesn't remember (enough). 

I didn't find myself invested in the story for the most part since I didn't understand, well, too much! I couldn't remember what John's deal was, I didn't understand why Cillian is interested in him (and we don't get that explanation), I didn't get what's going on around Cillian (until it was explained and that was pretty far ahead), I didn't understand what's Mal's real part (until it was explained, again, pretty far ahead) and well, their sessions together, I kept waiting for the shoe to drop - for Cillian to get who Mal was but it ended too abruptly leaving us waiting for the next installment. 

So basically the first 10 chapters where quite a bore (mostly because I didn't understand who's against who and why) and then a lot of action, things moving, explanations and all then - BAMM! - quite the reveal then - THE END.

I'm not even sure how I feel about all of this. I don't know if I'll read the next one though I'm curious to how things will go with the two of them and the information that was revealed nearing the end. Yet, I didn't feel a connection to either one of them. 

Kind of a miss for me. 

This anthology contains 9 short stories, each has something to do with "rain" and together support in its profits RAINN organization (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network).

I was hyped about this one when I first saw it on Ruthie's website. It's no wonder, I'm hyped about anything she writes :) then I saw that Charlotte has a novella in it as well and I was really interested in reading it as well. I read two amazing short stories by her (Curve Ball and Run to You) but then I tried reading another and it was a miss. I want to check more by her so this was a great opportunity. The other authors I didn't know but ever since "Strangers on a Train" I feel like these anthologies are a great way of getting to know more authors with no "real commitment".

Sadly, this one was kind of a miss for me.. I'd buy it again even if I'd known I wouldn't like half of them because there is no way I was going to miss both Ruthie and Charlotte's novella and well, this is a donation to something important. Yet, most of the other stories weren't that good. You'll see from the individual review.

Before I begin the separate review I really recommend reading the preface by each author to her novella. It gives the context as well as the "vibe" to the story. 

I'm NOT going to write this review by the order the stories are laced in this bookn, I'm going to place them by rating. why? because I want to emphasize the good. There were 4 really good stories (Redemption, Real Feelings, Fitting In & Storm Warning) but the rest of them were so-and-so. 

Redemption / Ruthie Knox    5 Stars

I read this one on a total disaster of day. I was feeling miserable, not necessary because what happened that day. it was just one of those days you realize everything is wrong. I was so not in the mood for anything, so angry I couldn't even consider going home, I just wanted a break, even a small one. I went to my favorite coffee shop and ordered my favorite meal (yeah, they didn't make it as they used to, and yeah the service wasn't that great either..) so I just sat there, opened my kindle and read this one. When I finished, with almost tears in my eyes (I don't believe in crying in public places) I closed the kindle and smiled, paid for my food and went home. Back home my poor mood came back but at least I had my well deserved time-out. So thanks again Ruthie for being the amazing author that you are! :)

Yeah, I didn't forget this one suppose to be a review! I just felt like I have to share this before. 

This story is of Jessie and Mike. Both of them had a hard life and as it seems it's not getting better. Jessie has tried so many things in her live, so many new starts, so many new places but she never had a real home, never had a feeling of a community. She never let herself fall in love, you have to be able to give something in a relationship and she doesn't have anything left to give. Mike is in no better place. He has lost his wife, his business he was proud of and living of HAMBURGERS his mother's dinner and fixing other peoples homes. But what about HIS life? There is nothing in there, and he too feels like he has nothing to give to a woman. He can barely make it on his own. Together they form a sexual based relationship with nothing even close to friendship between them. It's just the sex. Until one day they actually HAVE a conversation and after that, when Jessie has to leave both of them have to make a decision. 

Storm Warning / Alexandra Haughton      5 Stars 

Chronologically this is the last story. After being quite disappointed from half of these I think it was good that i got a cherry for making the effort and reading it till the end since this one was a beautiful story I will totally check out more work by Alexandra.

This is the story of Amy and Tom. They were best friends for ever and they even considered moving on to the next step when Amy told Tom she is going far far away to work as a party planner in L.A.. Panicked that she is leaving him he says things he shouldn't and breaks her heart. When she returns 5 years later, her heart is still broken from the things he said and the fact that he was actually right to assume she wouldn't make it up there alone. When a storm hits and they are forced to stay together for a few hours it's time for them to talk it through because seeing each other again brought back a lot more than just heart ache it brought longing and attraction as well. 

Real Feelings / Charlotte Stein     4.5 Stars

Charlotte has a very interesting voice, a way of seeing the world and describing it so I guess it's no wonder she brought us a strange kind of a story where the main hero has just bought an "android boyfriend" and is having a hard time with the fact that he is just suppose to obey her every word and he doesn't have a mind of his own so she keeps trying to make him decide mostly not very successfully :D The whole story is from her POV and it was interesting seeing the way she sees him and how he changes little by little. 

Fitting in / Audra North     4 Stars

This one was really nice!!! It's about shame, about dealing with shame. Stas always wanted to fit in. He wanted to be appreciated for who he is. He is good looking, he is smart, a nice person yet up until college he wasn't judged for who he is but for the fact that he was raised by two fathers.. He loves them both dearly but when deciding on a college he chooses one far away so he could start a new. 

On a party gone wrong he meets Leila - the weird girl. Yeah, he shouldn't judge but somehow he does, he doesn't want to be seen with her, he had enough shame dealing with his gay parents... yet he finds Leila's companionship to be a pleasure and she, harboring a secret crush on him, enjoys his company as well.  

Leila has a "dark secret" as well. Though everyone assume they know the real story of her past, actually all they got is the immature version of her stupid vindictive ex-boyfriend. Leila decided long ago she won't be ruled by shame of what she did and her decisions. After hearing her story and how good he felt being with her Stas realizes  there is more to life than being popular, especially if you need to hide who you really are while doing it. 

I once tried having a clean slate like Stas did, though for whole other reasons and at a different age. What I found out? that the past is there, the past goes wherever you are. You can't ignore it or really put it behind you as it never happened. We are who we are and if we don't feel happy with that, we can change it so it suits OURSELVES. I guess that's what Leila decided but it's such a brave decision it shouldn't be taken for granted. It takes a lot of courage and self assurance. GO LEILA! (and now - go Stas! :))

The Heart of it / Molly O'Keefe    3 Stars

This one was a disappointment. It started interesting - we have a strange meeting between Gabe and Elena. Gabe is a famous author but he has a dark secret from his past preventing him from building a relationship or even having sex with a woman (unless he is drunk). Gabe pays for a high quality escort service where he meets Elena. The first chapter was good. It was all about how they interact together, The connection they form with one another. The other two chapters were so-and-so, somehow it stopped working for me. The narration became distant especially since every few paragraphs time flows by. The end tied it together but I felt there wasn't enough feel left not like it was in the beginning. 

Private Study / Shary Slade     2 Stars

I wasn't really into this story. It'a about Tess posting sexual content into the web. I don't really get why people do it. I don't. Because people will misuse this and when you are young (and stupid) you might upload a picture or a video you found "a little sexy" but when you're 30 or 40 things looks different, your life might be different and the choices you made back then when you were young and stupid will follow you because the net is endless and nothing really disappears even if you delete it.. 

Tess isn't a character I can even like. She is just, well, unappealing. When someone is sweet to her (after another guy was an ass) she treats him like dirt. She presumes too much and all of it is wrong. She is too aggressive towards a perfectly nice guy for no apparent reason, she is a spoiled brat who got everything anyone could wish for in life except for her freedom. Yeah, that sucks a little, but damn girl, can you appreciate SOMETHING in life? no, she can't.. 

Jamie is a total sweetheart though he kinda gave a vibe of a 16 year old.. not in a bad way, it's just I guess he was too naive (I'm not talking just about the sex). 

I didn't like the ending, I didn't feel I could "believe it" it felt "off character" and generally what works for one person shouldn't be also the answer for another.. 

Considering the only POV and the plot itself was a total miss I'm still giving this one two stars because I DID enjoy the writing - It was flowing, easy going and clever. 

Sacrifice / Cevilia Tan    1 Star

I didn't like this story at all :( The story was strange. Very strange. Some sort of Historical Romance with a bit of Paranormal in it. The main hero is a semi god and the main heroine is brought to him as a sacrifice so he would provide rain so the crops will grow. The main hero story didn't make any sense. I didn't like the was the attraction was described from both characters. The sex scene was, well, terrible. Realizing he's going to put his dick inside her body because she saw two dogs mating in the past was BEYOND disgusting and downright DISTURBING! A real miss. 

Rainy Season / Mary Ann Rivers     1 Star

Sometimes I wonder at my own silliness. I tried reading 2 short novellas by Mary Ann and since I had the same exact problem with both of them I knew I shouldn't even try reading this one. Yet I DID read it, yep, and as expected - I didn't like it AT ALL. The problem (as before) was the writing. The sentences doesn't "work" for me, too long or too strange or repetitive. Something there makes me dislike the story and characters even if it's not really "them" or the plot. I felt bad writing it before and I feel terrible writing it now yet it is the way it is and since a very good friend of mine absolutely LOVE her I feel less bad about it. I feel like it balances the equation somehow. I donno.

It's a story of a woman who is somehow "stuck" in her life, I think, I didn't really understand her problem, the guy who helps her is a math teacher who frequently comes to the coffee shop she works in. I didn't understand his metaphors or what he was trying to tell her but I was never very good at math :P

The Rain in Spain / Amy Jo Cousins     1 Stars

Well, this one was a disappointment as well... What was wrong with this one? It felt like I was traveling in Spain with a teenage girl who only wants to run around and do whatever it is she wants while her mother (scratch that, I meant her husband!) tries to plan the perfect vocation - for her! and she is exasperated about it. Hearing Madga's voice was tedious. She wants her husband to be someone he is not, she wants him to accept her as she is, she wants him to change, but she doesn't want to do a damn thing from her side of the matter not even talk to him about what's wrong! All along she keeps thinking about the talk they need to have and when it finally arrives he asks "what's wrong" and she says "nothing" and he has to coax her to talk. What was all the rumbling around till now, ha? Either you want to talk to him or you don't. 

For me this story have been unrealistic firstly because they are too childish to be at whatever point they are in like and second because a relationship like theirs would NEVER work on the long run. When one person gives up right about everything to please the other and the other one just wants to be a care free person it just isn't enough to build something solid for years. Javi is really sweet. He is. Which is why he deserves someone who actually appreciate him enough to want what's good for HIM not only what's good for her. 

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So that's it.I took me FOREVER to read this one mainly because I have been really tired of late and couldn't hold my eyes open long enough to read. I kinda miss my evening reads when I get lost in a novel and close it and go to sleep only when I feel that my stinging eyes can take NO MORE! 

To better evenings and to Summer Rain (coz it's too damn hot!)