Review of The Baby Bargain by Jennifer Apodaca

The Baby Bargain by Jennifer Apodaca

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Suspense, Marine, Adult Fiction.

Published: March 2013

Length: 184 pages (e-book)

3 out of 5 Stars (It was a cute read)

I wasn’t sure what I was going to think about this one, but the plot was interesting and kept my attention.

Megan is a veterinarian who is being accused for stealing a show dog by an influential man in her town. She seeks the help of an old love, Adam. Adam does not know that Megan has been keeping the fact that they have a 2 year old son. Once Adam finds out the child, he wants to protect his family, but he is not sure if he can be a father especially with the secret he has been holding.

I was a little nervous that we would not find out about the child, Cole, until closer to the end of the book, but that did not happen. As soon as Adam found out about his “C-Man” (I loved that nickname that Adam gave his son) the story took off.

Megan was a great heroine. She was sweet and understanding, but strong at the same time.  I was upset with the fact that she did not tell Adam about Cole until he was 2 years-old.  I think a man should always know. However, we learn what happened in her life with her father so I kind-of understood her fear.  That whole story line about Megan’s father was believable.  Usually when an author tries to write a story to make the readers understand the character’s angst, it is not so believable.  This, I was able to understand and see how that could truly make her feel that Adam would  do the same.

I thought the scenes between Megan and Adam were enduring and passionate. They were pretty hot. The author did a good job allowing me to experience their passion and love for one another.

I liked the suspense part of the story.  I loved that Adam was the protector, but then I was disappointed because he seemed to “run” every time anything got hard.  The miscommunication of him “thinking” what he thought Megan was thinking or feeling about him got on my nerves in the end.  I want a man to act like a man and not be afraid to confront the issues.

• Did I skim? No
• Did I connect to the characters? Yes. It was easy to.
• Pace of story: Pretty. I have to be honest I thought it was going to drag, but I liked how the author took us and made the reader understand Megan and Adam’s love before Cole was introduced to the story.
• Positives: It was written well.
• Negatives: I hated that Adam basically waited until the last minute to tell Megan about why he was having those bad dreams.  It honestly pissed me off.  I liked Adam, but wanted to throw an apple or something at him so he would wake up and see him holding stuff in was only making things worse.
• Do I recommend? Overall, if you are looking for a simple cute love story with a bit of suspense, I recommend. It was a cute story even though the story got a little too sappy for me towards the end. However, I did not feel like I wasted my reading time.

Happy Reading

Book/Format: ARC courtesy of the publisher for an honest review.

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Follow Jennifer Apodaca on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jenniferlyon

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Jennifer Apodaca Website: http://jenniferlyonbooks.com/jennifer-apodaca/

The Baby Bargain on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Baby-Bargain-ebook/dp/B00BQMKC5O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1363630712&sr=1-1&keywords=the+baby+bargain+jennifer+apodaca

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Review of Second Chance by Carla Caruso

Second Chance by Carla Caruso

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Adult Fiction.

4 out of 5 Stars (Made me think what would I do?)

How many of us have thought if only we could back in time we would tell an old sweetheart exactly what we feel?

Flora feels that the “love of her life”, Ruben, got away 15 years prior on her 21^st birthday.  On her 36th birthday she walks into a bar only to see him propose to another woman.  She reflects on her life, wishing she could go back and change that day 15 years ago. Flora feels she would not be lonely and she would still have the love of her life.  Only Flora, gets her wish and goes back 15 years, but in the end, was everything as she remembered?

I felt a lot of what Flora was experiencing.  If only, I could go back in time, I would change this and that.  If only I had a second chance.

Half of the book was highlighted in my Kindle.  The author did an amazing job going back in time and bringing us to the mid-90s.  Spice Girls, Vanilla Ice, the slang “NOT”, saying “bodacious” or “eat my shorts”, P. Diddy (previously known as Puffy Daddy),  seeing Titanic for the first time” I loved all of them.

But that is not the only thing I appreciated in the story. I loved how the Flora thought if she could go back in time and change certain things that her life would be better.  However, when she did, there were only so many things she could change.  Maybe what happened, happened for the best.  I think the saying “all things happen for a reason” is the perfect theme for this book.

The inner dialogue was needed since the reader had to understand what Flora was reflecting on when she went back in time. I thought about the book after I was finished it. I questioned “what I would do in Flora’s situation?” I will recommend this book to my followers.

• Did I skim? No
• Did I feel connected to the characters? Yes. Flora is a very likeable character.
• Pace of the story: Good
• Positives: Great character development.
• Negatives: I was getting a little annoyed by how she was just “not getting” certain things until it was almost closer to the end. It was a little frustrating.
• Do I recommend? Yes

Happy Reading

Book/Format: ARC courtesy of the publisher for an honest review.

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Second Chances can be purchased at http://www.destinyromance.com/

Carla Caruso’s Website:  http://rbpp-carlacaruso.blogspot.com/

Follow Carla Caruso on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarlaCaruso79

Carla Caruso on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6541142.Carla_Caruso

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Review of The Lonely By Tara Brown

The Lonely by Tara Brown

Genre: Dark, NA-College, Erotica, BDSM, Romance, Adult Fiction 18+.

Published: February 2013

Length: 356 pages

Book Format:  Amazon Kindle

4.5 out of 5 Stars (I loved everything about this one)

When I bought The Lonely, I thought I was going to read a book about a nice girl, who struggles with her OCD that goes away to college with her best friend.  At college, she was going to meet a hot guy, date him and fall in love with maybe a little bit of drama here and there.   Yeah, maybe it started that way, but it did not continue that way.  About 33%, the book took a 180 degree turn and my brain had to  “adjust” to what was happening.  How did we go from a nice contemporary romance to THIS?

That is what made this book awesome. The author did not wait until the typical 51% to get to the main plot of the story. It happens when you least expect it.

If you want to know what the story is about, here is what I think I can give you.

We meet Emalyn Spicer who lives with “the lonely.”

“It’s what I call the lonely. It creeps up whenever I’m uncomfortable. It freezes me up. I feel it enter new places with me, like it’s in the bag I packed.”

She wants to be “normal” and decides to go away to college with her best friend, Shell, for a New Leaf. Emalyn has a Mr. Uncle Daddy Benefactor that takes care of her. He pays for her school, he hires a driver to take her anywhere and everywhere, he texts and calls her anytime she makes a move without letting him know first. He knows where she is day and night, BUT she has never met him in person.

“Maybe he is Big Brother and I am in 1984.”

While at college, Emalyn meets Sebastian.  Sebastian is kind, loving and everything “normal” she is looking for. However, then all the darkness that she has been hiding inside her brain comes out to the surface and again the unthinkable happens to her.

“All of this has been planned to free you. You were never going to get better.”

FOUR words….this book was AWESOME!!!!!

I didn’t know what was going to happen even though I read several reviews. However, I was captured by Emalyn’s emotions and what she was going through.

“I can’t help but wonder if there was ever love and peace inside of me? Was I always so filled with fear and pain? Was there ever a time when someone held me in their arms and made me feel safe?”

I loved the writing style. I loved that even though it was written in first person, there was NO unnecessary inner dialogue.  There are so many wonderful quotes, I wish I could share more, but it would give away the story and I do not want to do that.

The author took me on an amazing ride.  I laughed, I cried, I held my breath.  Not a dull moment in this book.

To Tara Brown: Thank you for writing this amazing story and I cannot wait for the companion/sequel.

• Did I skim? No.  I took my time reading this book. I did not want to miss one word.
• Did I feel connected to the characters? Yes. Many times, my heart broke into a thousand pieces.
• Will I reread? Yes, probably before the sequel comes out.
• Pace of the story? Perfect.
• Positives: I did not know where the story was going.  With so many twists and turns, I had no idea how it was going to end. I love that in a book.
• Negatives: I didn’t understand why certain things happened the way they did, but I am hoping a lot will be answered in the sequel. I can’t say what they are since I do not want to give anything away. 
• Do I recommend?  Drop what you are reading and start reading this book!

The sequel, The Lost Boy, comes out this Summer 2013.  I. CAN. NOT. WAIT!!!!

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Tara Brown Website: http://tarbrow.wix.com/tara-brown-author

Tara Brown Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TaraBrownAuthor

Tara Brown Twitter:  https://twitter.com/TaraBrown22

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Review of Fighting for Flight By Jamie Salsbury

Fighting for Flight (Fighting #1)  by Jamie Salsbury

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports, UFL Fighter, Erotica, Suspense.

Published: February 2013

Book Format: Amazon Kindle

3.5 out of 5 Stars (The series has a lot of potential)

I started by loving the Prologue, it sucked me in, but then somewhere along the way the story lost me.

UFL fighter falls for a cute, sweet girl who mechanic.  Jonah Slade, a famous UFL fighter slash playboy, hires Raven Morretti to help him fix up an old car. Jonah finds out that Raven’s mother is a prostitute and a daughter of a well-known pimp, Dominick Moretti, in Vegas.  However, Jonah can’t seem to stay away or fall in love with Raven.   Jonah has to make big decisions about his career when Dominick tells Raven’s his plans for her when she turns 21.  Will Jonah risk everything to save Raven?

First let me start by saying I love these types of stories, but I had a few problems.

The love story between the characters was too inst-love for me, too much…too soon.  The minute they saw each other they fell in love hard and fast.  I don’t mind when the couple find immediate attraction to each other, but it should not be the first minute that they see each other.  However, saying that though, I want to add that the first initial love scene between Raven and Jonah were beautiful and hot.  It was VERY well written.  And don’t get me wrong, I loved how Jonah loved Raven.  She deserved it, but I wished it wasn’t so sudden.

Raven best friend, Eve, I had a huge problem with her.  In the story, Eve, finds herself a boyfriend.  Later Raven finds out that Eve was telling this boyfriend all of Raven’s personal information. I mean everything. I won’t tell you more about who the boyfriend was and all the circumstances that followed Eve’s big mouth, but I have a problem with that. Desperate or not to have or keep a boyfriend, your friends should not be telling the guys they are having sex with your personal business. And what a “dumb” girl Eve was not to question why her “boyfriend” was asking about her friend.

I loved Blake, Jonah’s best friend. LOVED that playboy! I want him to have his own story.  However, here is my plea to the author…I DO NOT want the story to be between Blake and Eve.  Blake was “smooth” talking playboy in the book.  He made me laugh out loud. I loved all his one liners and I loved that he had a huge heart when it came to people he cared about.  However, Blake’s big thing was he never slept with women who had kids.  SO I am hoping that the author, in Blake’s book *hint, hint* meets a girl who is strong, but is having a hard time but also has a child.  She could be waitress or do some other legitimate job in the casino. BUT this girl for Blake has to be independent and not take his crap but sees what the good person he is. I want this relationship to be about friendship and love.

• Did I skim? A little. Some of the dialogue needed to be smoothed out.
• Did I feel connected to the characters? Yes
• Pace of story? Okay
• Positives:  I loved the concept of the story.  I think this author has a lot of potential. If she writes another book and especially if it is about Blake, I will probably be the first one to buy it.  I think I loved Blake a little bit more than Jonah. Jeez, I really do have a thing for bad boys…Blake was HOT!!
• Negatives: I did enjoy the story overall, it did lack “something” in certain scenes.
• Would I recommend?  Bottom line, I am giving this book 3.5 stars, but I do RECOMMEND IT. Overall, it was a cute story, AND if hear that the next story if about Blake, I want to be the first one to read it.

NOTE: I see that since I wrote my review that Jamie Salsbury is having a sequel about Blake!! *squee*

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Series Reading Order:

Fighting for Flight (Fighting #1)

Fighting to Forgive (Fighting #2)

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Jamie Salsbury on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JbSalsbury?fref=ts 

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Review of The World of Karov by Elyse Salpeter

The World of Karov by Elyse Salpeter

Genre: NA/ 15+, Dark Fantasy.

Published: December 2012

4 out of 5 STARS (I was surprised as to how much I enjoyed this book)

I love when I find an author that I have never heard of before and come to enjoy their work.

This is story about 2 twins.  One good and one evil.  Adam is kind, loving and caring.  Alec is hurtful, evil and jealous.   Adam will bring home a stray animal and Alec would kill it.  Complete opposites even though both grew up in an abusive home.

Adam works hard to make a better life for himself and even meets a girl, falls in love, proposes to her with the hope to move on from his previous life and start a new one.  Only the day of the wedding, Alec kidnaps Adam’s fiancé.  Adam spends months looking for her in the forest only to be approached by a stranger who brings him to a world of magic.  A place where there is a king and magical things happen. In Karov, Adam begins to rebuild his life and moves on from his tragedy.  He learns he has gifts and even grows a status in his new home. Just when Adam thinks he has moved on, the terror returns.

The World of Karov was so captivating that it was hard for me to put down.  I did not know how this book would be and once I started reading, I had to know what was going to happen.

The writing is really good. I could picture all the people and their surroundings perfectly without the author going on and on.  Sometimes when the author gives too much of description, the writing gets mundane. That did not happen in this book.

I actually do read the Acknowledgements.  It is my favorite thing to read in the book.  I loved how the author wrote about her friend that pushed her into trying something called nanowrimo where you are required to write a specific amount of words per day for thirty days.  The result was this little gem called The World of Karov.

I don’t want to give too much away, but it was awesome.  Too much information in a story can ruin the story.  However, the plot is what got me hooked.

• Did I skim: No
• Did I feel connected to the characters? Yes
• Do I look forward to the sequel? Yes.
• Pace of the story:  Good.
• Positives: Great plot.
• Negatives: I wish the author would have expended a little more on the relationship of Arianna and Adam in the beginning of the story. I know Adam said he loved her but I did not feel Adam’s lose at first when Alec kidnapped her. I wish there was more dialogue between Arianna and Adam.
• Do I recommend: Yes.  AMAZING cliffhanger.  Loved it. 

Format: ARC from author for an honest review

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Elyse Salpeter: http://www.elysesalpeter.com/

Elyse Salpeter Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/elysesalpeterauthor?fref=ts

Elyse Salpeter Twitter: https://twitter.com/elysesalpeter

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Review of Beyond Control By Kit Rocha

Beyond Control (Beyond #2) by Kit Rocha

Genre: Erotica, Ménage, Dystopia, BDSM, Adult Fiction.

 Published: March 2013

Format: ARC from Publisher

In the first book, Beyond Shame, I really liked the characters Lex and Dallas.  So I was excited that Beyond Control was their story.

Alexa “Lex” came from sector 2 where there was a lot of poverty and people were not treated like animals.  When she escaped, she joined Dallas’s sector 4 and found a place where people were treated like humans and not like slaves.  Dallas is the leader of sector 4.  He loves Lex, but he knows that he cannot push her to do anything, least of all commit to him.  However, when Lex decides to give it a try and give him a chance at a relationship, business calls at sector 2 where bad memories are still at the core for Lex.  Will Dallas’s agreements with Sector 2 affect their relationship?

Dallas and Lex are two very strong people who like to be in control so it was interesting to see the change in the dynamic in this book.

I loved the start of the book and I loved the last 25% of the book.  However, some parts in the middle, I felt got off track.  I loved the general plot in the book, but in the middle, I felt like a lot of it was masked with all the unnecessary sex.

When Dallas and Lex were thrown into the “mix” with Noelle and Jasper, I started to think that there were no real feelings for each other. However, I am glad that when Dallas and Lex finally committed, their most intimate moments were in private.  I had no problem when they liked to “play” with others in the book, but sometimes it got a little too much.

I love the fact that the author added the POVs of Bren, Six, Rachel, Ace and Cruz.  To be honest, those characters’ POVs were my favorite parts of the book. I cannot wait to read about Bren and Six in the next book.

• Did I skim? Unfortunately yes. Like I said the middle got a little carried away for me.
• Did I feel connected to the characters? Yes.
• Do I look forward to the sequel? Yes.
• Will I reread? Probably not.
• Pace of the story? Okay
• Positives: Author has a great writing style and there is a good plot. In the end, it is a good dystopian story.
• Negatives: I think I said it a couple of times already…the middle.
• Do I recommend?  Surprisingly yes. There are great characters in these books. You may just some of the “interactions” between these couples a little uncomfortable.  However, overall this is a good series.

 

Series Reading Order:

Beyond Shame (Beyond #1) – Published September 2012 – Check my review

Beyond Control (Beyond #2) – Published March 2013

Beyond Pain (Beyond #3) – Expected Publication  Fall 2013

Beyond Jealousy (Beyond #4) – Expected Publication End of 2013/Beginning 2014

Kit Rocha Website: http://kitrocha.com/

Kit Rocha Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thebrokencircle?fref=ts

 

Review of Reaper’s Property By Joanna Wylde

Reaper’s Property by Joanna Wylde

Genre: Motorcycle, Erotica, Adult Fiction.

Published: January 2013

Length: 285 pages (Kindle)

4.5 out of 5 Stars (I am glad I bought and read it.)

This book was a little pricey so I was leery of purchasing it.  However, I was in the mood for a biker read and thought why not give it a try.

Let me tell you, it was awesome.  No disappointment.  It had everything I like in a good biker book.

#1 – Hot, alpha biker guy

#2 – Sweet, pretty non-biker girl who thinks the scary biker is hot.

#3 – A great story.

#4 – It was steamy

Marie just left her abusive husband and moved in with her brother, Jeff, who does some business for a motorcycle group called the Reapers.  The Reapers are a dangerous motorcycle club and one of their members is the hot, bad-ass biker, Horse. Yes, Horse is his name.

The minute that Marie sees Horse, she knows he is danger and everything she wants avoid.  However, Horse is one man that knows what he wants and does not take no for an answer. When Jeff is found stealing from the Reapers, Horse makes Marie an offer that she knows that she cannot refuse if she wants to save Jeff’s life.  The offer is for Marie to move into his home and do everything and anything he asks her to do…no questions asked.

Horse can be a jerk and I wanted to kick him sometimes.  I understand through his POV in the book why he had to be a jerk, but it doesn’t mean I had to like it. Horse is just lucky he was as hot and sexy and showed his loving side to Marie or he would still be on my crappy jerk list. Yeah, I have a list!

This is a book that many friends told me to read and said even though the plot is very simple story with an alpha biker it is worth my time. After finishing it, I have to agree.  No regrets paying the money and reading this one.

• Did I skim? No. The story had my interest.  I loved the writing style. The story did not drag.
• Did I feel connected to the characters? Yes.
• Will I pick up other books by this author? Yes.
• Pace of story? Good
• Positives:  It was hot with enough drama that it kept my attention.
• Negatives: It could be a little corny sometimes, but you know in the end I loved it all. It worked.
• Do I recommend? Yes.

 

Joanna Wylde’s website: http://www.joannawylde.net/

Follow Joanna Wylde on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joannawyldebooks

 

 

Review of Escorted By Claire Kent

Escorted by Claire Kent

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotica,  Adult Fiction (18+),

Published: December 2012

Length: 326 Pages

4 out of 5 Stars (It was worth my time to read)

Synopsis: The main character, Lori, is a 26 year old successful romance writer who is also a virgin. Lori has become frustrated with all her previous attempts at losing her virginity so she looks into hiring an escort just for one night. Who Lori “hires” is a highly paid escort by the name of Ander. Lori’s one night with Ander turns to a regular weekly appointment and before she realizes it she can’t stay away from him even though she knows it is foolish for her to develop any types of feelings for him.

When I picked this one up, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about a “relationship” between a woman and a male gigolo. The whole prostitution factor bothered me.  I wasn’t sure of I was going to buy anything more than “sex” between Lori and Ander. There was obviously steam in the story, but more than it being descriptive sex, it was emotional. Yeah, I can’t believe I just said that about a relationship between a woman and a male prostitute, but there was growth that you saw in the characters.

So I understand if you started rolling your eyes and thinking “so predictable.” If you are having those thoughts, stop them. It was worth my reading time which is precious to me as I know it is too many of you. Yes, some things are predictable, like any contemporary romance novel, but this one was written so well that I got lost in the story.

• Did I skim? No.
• Did I feel connected to the characters? Yes.
• Would I reread? Yes.
• Did I look forward to returning to the book when I had to stop reading? Yes.
• Positives:  Just enough of “everything” for the story to flow nicely.
• Negatives: I was skeptical as to how a 26 year old can’t just find a date and get the issue of her virginity over with. The author discusses that in the book, but that is the one thing that I questioned even when I finished. I guess that is one thing I did not “buy” in the book.
• Do I recommend? Yes. It was a great read.

Happy Reading!

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Comfort Food By Kitty Thomas

Comfort Food

Genre: Sociology/Abuse, Erotica, Adult Fiction, BDSM.

Published: March 2010

Length: 138 Pages

5 out of 5 Stars (I am still thinking about this story)

I can’t believe I almost did not read this book.  This was an amazing read.

Synopsis: Emily Vargas, who is a successful self-help author and speaker.  While on one of her speaking engagements, something is slipped into her drink and she wakes up in a small dark room, held captive.  Emily does not know why she was kidnapped.  She does not even know who her captor is. In this story, we go through this journey of mental “abuse” where her captor conditions her to be what he wants her to be.

“That’s the thing about conditioning. You can know it’s happening all you want; it doesn’t change the results.”

The minute you start reading, you are immediately involved in what is happening to Emily.

Is there an HEA? Is there romance? Is this a love story?  These are questions that you will ask yourself and answer when you finish reading this book.

I do not want to give away much more.  I do not want to spoil the story for you since I want you to experience the events with fresh eyes.

The ending left me speechless.  The epilogue was brilliant.  Many times when I read the ending of the book, I thought how I could have written that better or thought of a better ending.  This ending could NOT have been more perfect. It left me thinking and I love when a book does that.

The author, Kitty Thomas, did an amazing job.

• Did I skim? No.
• Did I feel connected to the characters? Yes
• Did I think about the book when I finished? Yes.  I finished the book at night and woke up in the morning thinking about the characters. This book has stuck with me.
• Will I reread?  Not sure if this is a story I will want to experience again. I think it was an excellent book. Maybe it is still too fresh in my mind to think if I will ever reread it.  I am still shaken by all the events.
• Positives: I wasn’t expecting a lot of what happened in the story and I love that in the book.  The writing was amazing.
• Negatives:  Don’t know.  Can’t think of any. I have seen reviews that said that the story was too short, but I disagree.  I think it ended at the right time.

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Review and Interview of Consequences By Aleatha Romig

Review and Interview of Consequences

 

Review

Consequences (Consequences #1) by Aleatha Romig

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Romance, Erotica.

Length:  526 Pages

Synopsis: Claire Nichols wakes up in a strange bed in a house she has never been to and not sure how she got there.  The only things she does know is that the man keeping her captive, Anthony Rawlings,  is the tall, handsome, and wealthy man who she just met at the bar she works at.   Was Claire just at the wrong place at the wrong time?  Was she just the object of lust by a wealthy man who is use to taking whatever he wants?

What Claire does not know is that her captor has been following her for a long time and has been manipulating many of the pivotal moments in her life.  What Anthony does not know is the he will become captivated by the beautiful and kind Claire.  What they both will learn is that actions have consequences.

When I first finished this book, I had a wide range of emotions… terror, sadness, happiness, lust and then sadness again.  My emotions were literally all over the place.  How I felt about Anthony depended on what page I was reading.  How could I hate this man, be attracted to him and love him all in the same book?  I was on an emotional roller-coaster, but one that wanted to go back on once the ride was over!!!

Certain scenes were raw, gritty, dark and disturbing.  It was an emotional read that stuck with me for days.

There is a mystery of sorts that will be pieced together with flashbacks every few chapters.  At first, these flashbacks were frustrating, but I am glad I did not skip through them.

I did not expect this book to capture me as much as it did. I made the mistake of reading Consequences the week of Thanksgiving, which I was hosting.  I was reading and cooking. Thank god that turkey came out good.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars. (I love these stories and this one did not disappoint.)

• Did I skim? No
• Do I recommend? Yes
• Did I feel connected to the characters? Yes. I was emotionally attached to the characters.
• Will I reread? Already have.
• Did I look forward to the sequel when I was done? Yes.  
• Ending/Cliffhanger: “OMG”

Author Interview (Part I)

Let me first start by saying how happy I am that you agreed to do this interview, Aleatha.  Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day.

Christine, thank you for inviting me!

How did you come up with idea for Consequences?

The opening scene of Consequences came to me.  I’m not sure if it was a dream or a thought… but I imagined it. The more I thought about it, I wanted to know what was happening. I sat down and started to write…to find out.

I am always curious about this, how did you come to give your main characters their names?

That is a great question. I don’t know.  I’ve always liked the name Claire.  But Anthony? I think I wanted something that could sound distinguished and also casual… Anthony / Tony.  This sounds silly, but his last name came from a ball in my garage- “Rawlings”.  Kind of like the “Wilson” in Castaway.

The quotes you have before each chapter, did you write them before or after you wrote the chapter?

Mostly after, I looked for quotes that reflected the mood or essence of the chapter.

If the Consequences series were to be made into a movie, who would you like to play Tony? Claire? Catherine?

Tony was always Joe Magellano in my mind.  But lately Jon Hamm and David Gandy have been suggested. I think they would work too.  For Claire, I like Natalie Portman or Olivia Wilde.  I honestly haven’t given Catherine much thought.

When did you know you wanted to become a writer?

Writing was always a dream and a passion.  I don’t think I ever thought I could do it.

When is your favorite time of day to write?

Late at night or very early in the morning, when the house is quiet.

What is your favorite quote and/or scene from Consequences?

That is very hard. I like it all.  I love many quotes. One that comes to mind right now is:  “He spoke again as if he hadn’t just shattered his promise and her security.  Her house of glass now lay in a pile of shards.” … kind of sad.

I am always curious about this, how did you come to give your main characters their names?

That is a great question. I don’t know.  I’ve always liked the name Claire.  But Anthony? I think I wanted something that could sound distinguished and also casual… Anthony / Tony.  This sounds silly, but his last name came from a ball in my garage- “Rawlings”.  Kind of like the “Wilson” in Castaway.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging when you write?

Time, balance, organization! I want about 10 more hours in each day.  Yet, I’m not sure I’d use them properly… I need more discipline.

What type of reactions did you get from readers after Consequences was published?

Mixed, some people loved it, others hated it. I enjoy evoking emotion and I think I do.  Now that Truth is also out, the responses are more positive. It helps that people can see the transformation in the characters.

Is there something in particular you like to eat and/or drink when you write? (I am sorry, I love to eat.)

Everyone knows I like my wine. But, when I’m really into writing I don’t eat or drink much of anything.  I’ve lost one laptop and had another very close miss with stemware.  So when I do drink, anything,  I use stemless glasses!

I have heard repeatedly that many readers felt that what Claire was experiencing with her feelings for Anthony was Stockholm Syndrome.  Do you agree?

In Consequences, most definitely.

I was recently asked on Twitter who my favorite villain is. I love when people ask me unexpected questions.  So I ask you, who is your favorite villain?

I would have to say Dexter.  Or is he an anti-hero?  I’m not sure, but I like him!

Series Reading Order:

Consequences (Consequences #1)

Truth (Consequences #2)

Convicted (Consequences #3)