ESCAPISMS: February 2013

This Man

Young interior designer Ava O’Shea has an appointment for a first consultation at The Manor with the owner, Mr Jesse Ward. She is expecting nothing more than an overweight, cravat wearing, well-to-do countryman, and on arrival, nothing would suggest otherwise. How wrong could she be? This Man is devastatingly handsome, charming and confident. He is also a conceited, hedonistic playboy, who knows no boundaries. Ava desperately does not want to be attracted to him, but she can’t control the overwhelming affect he has on her. Every instinct is telling her to run, so she does, but Jesse Ward is not so willing to let her go. He wants her and is determined to have her. She knows she is heading for heartbreak, but how can she run when he won’t let her? - Goodreads

REVIEW

Blame it on my Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to you withdrawal but I have never liked an Alpha Male before Jesse Ward. He definitely put the word control to the extreme. I have experienced my fair share of super alpha males before and had fallen in love with them - Christian Grey, Gideon Cross and Travis Maddox topped my list however I could not deal with Jesse Ward. He's possessive, crazy, stubborn and has some serious anger-management issue. I know this is just pure fiction but it made me curse some expletives while reading.

I don't intend to go into details about this book because the story is too cliche in the lines of hot millionaire meets a nice girl - sparks fly - he pursues her - bedded her and started an out of this world relationship but other than that it was totally flat. The plot was totally centered on them figuring each other out. It wasn't that bad at first but it was too dragging and boring. I think almost all of its content is pure sex. Don't get me wrong, I adore reading sex scenes because it makes a book complete and much more real but if this is just the main core of a book without any support of a good background story - forget it. This happened to me while reading this book. I couldn't count the number of times I flipped through pages of sex scenes not because I was disgusted but because it took out the interest I had on this at the beginning that is starting to diminish pages after pages.

I was looking for something to love about this book but I just can't. I was totally frustrated with it. I love stories good or bad but this book isn't my cup of tea. And I hated myself because I know I will still read the next book because I need to finish the series. I'm like that. It doesn't matter how bad or how I don't like the book, I would still continue reading it.

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Book Review

Come Away with Me

Being confronted on the beach by a sexy stranger wasn't part of Natalie Conner's plans for a peaceful morning taking photos. And why on earth would he think she's taking pictures of him, anyway? Who is he? One thing’s for sure, he’s hot, and incredibly romantic, feeding Natalie’s wounded soul.

Luke Williams just wants the world to give him a break, so seeing yet another camera aimed at his face has him ready to pounce on the beauty behind the lens. When he finds out she has no idea who he is, he's intrigued and more than a little tempted by her. Natalie has a body made for sex, a sassy mouth and Luke can’t get enough of her, but he’s not ready to tell her who he really his.

Natalie is a no nonsense girl who doesn’t do well with lies and secrets. What will happen to this new relationship when she discovers what Luke’s hiding? - Goodreads

REVIEW

I read this book hoping that it will live up to the blurb, a good cover and the good reviews I heard about this. I went to all things needed just to get a copy of this but I was so disappointed in the end. In the beginning, Luke and Natalie were swoon worthy. I like how they met at the beach because it was a good background for a good romance story. But then it felt short. Halfway to the book, I was already bored. The story became too repetitive that I found myself skimming and flipping through pages. I kept waiting for the drama or a conflict to build up but there was none. It was just - flat. The only spice on this so called plot was Luke's identity but after it was discovered in the first few chapters, it went downhill. Its just pure conversation, sex, conversation, sex and so on and so forth. I also felt like the author had many ideas and she crammed everything unto this and it just didn't made any sense at all.

The only thing that surprised me with this book, was the male character. He was not a bad boy, nor a rockstar and he doesn't have any troubled past and no extra baggage. It was sort of refreshing in such a way that He is just too perfect to the point of boring. But this summed up everything because this was what the whole book is about - boring.

This could have been a great story. The author could have written a great plot with characters that have depth. I know this is just the first book of the series but hopefully, the rest will fair better than this.

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Book Review

Hopeless

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever. - Goodreads

REVIEW

After reading the blurb, I knew I had to get a copy of this. This wasn't my first Colleen Hoover book. I had already read Slammed and Point of Retreat and when I heard about this, I was ecstatic. I love Ms. Hoover and after reading Hopeless , I love her even more.

Hoover's attention to little details and her ability to incorporate everything makes this book unputdownable. The story was so engaging right from the get go that I didn't know I was already done with it after an hour. Her ability to create heartfelt story with realistic characters never cease to amaze me.

I have to say that I didn't expected the big reveal (if you wanna know what it is, you have to read this). I had my suspicions about one part of the story. I knew before the revelation that Dean and Sky are more interconnected than just a chance encounter outside a grocery store. I knew that somewhere in the past they met and became more than just acquaintances but I didn't see the other revelations coming. This is what I love about this book. All the pieces of the puzzle came, the clues was solved and the questions were answered and it just blew you away.

I'm not gonna divulged any other information about the plot because I'm not gonna ruined the fun to those who hadn't read this one yet. But I had to say, Colleen Hoover created another masterpiece. A book that will touch you and leave a mark to your life just like what it did to mine.

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Book Review

The Proposal

In the weeks following Aidan’s betrayal, Emma has tried her best to move on. Ignoring his countless texts, voice mails, and flowers, she isn’t sure she wants to be won back by him. But Aidan isn’t going down without a fight—especially not until Emma lets him reveal the secret of his past that caused him to be so commitment phobic.

But fate intervenes when premature labor forces Emma on strict bed rest for two weeks. Aidan steps forward with a shocking proposal. To prove his love and commitment for her and their unborn son, he will take a leave of absence from work to care for her around the clock. Vowing to guard her heart, Emma reluctantly agrees.

While she is touched by Aidan’s attentiveness and tender loving care, Emma is thrown for a loop by the amorous attentions of ER doctor, Alpesh “Pesh” Nadeen. Pesh is everything Emma could ever want—successful, stable, and ready to settle down and be a husband and father. Pesh wants nothing more than to win Emma’s heart, but she is not sure she’s able to give it.

Her heart may still belong to the very man who broke it—the one who is so desperately trying to win her back. - Goodreads

REVIEW

Ms. Ashley did it again! The Proposal was everything I hope it would be and much more. After the shocking scene and that cliffhanger on the first book, I really hated Aidan. He had a wonderful woman that truly loves and care for him deeply but he risked it all because he's afraid of the big C - commitment. I really thought that he would not be able to redeemed himself after what he did but man, I was so wrong! He did not only redeemed himself but he did it with flying colors. I was also proud of Emma. She did not only succumbed right away to Aidan's woos and doings but she gave him a hard time and even dragged a handsome Doctor with her.

Speaking of the handsome ER Doctor, when I first read the blurb, I was thinking that there would be a serious love triangle issue here and it excites me because there's nothing more intriguing than having another man coming into an existing complicated relationship. And it was not just a man but a gorgeous and established man at that. I was really hoping that he will stir their relationship with his entry but was a bit disappointed that Ms. Ashley did not fully developed his character and incorporated him more on the storyline. Nevertheless, It also made sense because this is Aidan and Emma's story and Ms. Ashley gave her readers what they want, a happily ever after for the two.

What I love about this book and the whole series is its pure and honest characters and a simple storyline closer to reality. It has no pretensions and no dark pasts nor disturbed characters to dealt with. I felt like I'm watching a Drew Barrymore or Sandra Bullock rom-com on my couch with popcorn in hand. Its a refreshing book to read if you want something new and not in line with bad boys and rock stars hero that is so in trend nowadays.

This was so worth the wait. From the 1st page to the last, it didn't disappoints me. I laughed, teared up and was left smiling when I was done. Though I loved The Proposition much better, this is still a good follow up to the first book and I can't believe that I have to say goodbye to Aidan and Emma.

Thank you Ms. Ashley for the wonderful series. Till next time ;)

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, by Unknown

This Man

Come Away with Me

Hopeless

The Proposal

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