Karissa
Easily a 5-star read. I loved this book. I understand how the separation of Lio and Cassia and their longing for each other could tire other readers because it is a good chunk of the book that they are separated. But I loved it so much– there was so much character development for Lio and even for Cassia. I adored Xandra calling Lio out on his shenanigans. Someone had to and I think that'll only strengthen his relationship with Cassia as he takes Xandra's words to heart. And then once they were reunited.... ahhhhhh so good. And that ending though!!!! So so good.
I don't have words for this book. I took it up on a recommendation from some website for soccer related romances and I was skeptical but oh my god. I loved it. I laughed, I swooned, I groaned in frustration at the 3rd act. This book was exactly what I needed and scratched a very specific itch for me. Jake Weston... swoon... He makes me want my own small town bad boy.
I wish this was longer. I think that the conversations it started to have about trauma and recovery were important to be had, but because it was so short, it didn't feel as impactful. However, seeing as the next book is a full-length novel, I'm hoping we get more of Mensah's recovery as well as SecUnit's continued character development.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Source: Purchased :: Audio
Summary (Spoiler Free): I find it really hard to summarize this book. It is the conclusion to the Unwind Dystology and much of the book is wrapping up the loose ends from the three previous books. Connor and Risa are determined to get the organ printer into the hands of a company who can mass produce them, all in the hopes of putting an end to unwinding. Cam still works behind the scenes to take down Proactive Citizenry, and Lev is ... well Lev.
My Thoughts: After the rest of this series, this book was kind of.. whomp whomp. I wanted to read it because I'd gotten this far in the series and wanted to know how it ended, but.. I don't know. It just didn't wow me. There were some unnecessary parts, and others were just plain too convenient. The parts that were supposed to get you emotionally, just didn't do it for me and I think that just shows how disconnected I was from the characters by this point in the series. It was an okay read and I'm glad that I know how things end, but I would've definitely changed some things and took out the convenience of the ending.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Source: Purchased :: Physical and Audio
Summary (spoiler free):
Gavin Scott, second baseman for the Nashville Legends, has had his world turned upside down. His wife, Thea, has been keeping a big secret from him. A pretty BIG secret: she's been faking it in bed. For three years. And, well, his reaction was less than stellar, putting a strain on their already tense and taunt relationship. When Thea asks for a divorce, Gavin is willing to do anything to change her mind and to save their marriage. Even if that something is joining a book club run by fellow Legends' players. A romance book club. When everything already seems to be going wrong, what could Gavin possibly have to lose?
My Thoughts:
The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams is definitely a romp of a book. There were several moments in the book where I actually laughed out loud. Most of them involved Braden Mack. It's not often that you see romance books about a couple fighting to stay together. Divorce is typically a topic that most avoid, so it was refreshing to read something that showed the growing pains of a relationship, not just the lovey-dovey honeymoon stage. It was definitely a slow burn romance, but the book was actually pretty well paced. There were definitely some frustrating troupes present, namely miscommunication. Many of the issues that Thea and Gavin had were due to lack of communication, which at times made me want to shake both of them. But, that being said, I think that was done purposefully as each character grows as a communicator throughout the book. Doesn't make it any less frustrating at times to read, but definitely realistic and at least there was progression. Often times when miscommunication is used as a plot device, you don't see the characters become better communicators– not really anyhow. Instead, they somehow patch up the problem and move on. But this book really shows the work that goes into communicating with a partner and into a relationship, while being totally fun at the same time.
Usually with series, I stop reading halfway through the second book and then stop; there's something about the 2nd book curse in series that gets me. That was totally not the case for Lair of Dreams. I didn't love it as much as I loved the first book, but it was still a solid read that I very much enjoyed. If you have not started this series, what are you doing??
I have been sitting with my thoughts on this one for a few days to decide how I wanted to rate it and I think I have to give it 5 stars. Every single story could have been its own separate book. I definitely will look for more John Marrs stuff in the future because The One was such a unique and interesting read.
