Title: Break In Two (Full Hearts #1)
Author: MJ Summers
Publisher: Piaktus Books
Published: November 21, 2014
ISBN: 978-0349407067
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Thirty-one year old Claire Hatley is running from Seattle having just discovered that her live-in boyfriend has traded her in for a twenty-two year old hostess. Devastated and alone Claire must make a fresh start. She answers an ad for a chef at a guest ranch just outside Colorado Springs and finds herself face to face with Cole Mitchell, quite possibly the sexiest man to ever ride a horse. Common sense tells them to stay away from each other, but their attraction is not to be denied. He gives her a glimpse of what love should be, but just as she starts to trust him, the past comes back to tear them apart.
Join Claire and Cole as they embark on the stormy love affair of a lifetime.
(Oh...and for those of you with husbands/boyfriends, please tell them “you’re welcome” from MJ.)
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
No. No. Non. Niet. Nee. Jo. La. Ne. Nej. Nein. Ohee. Lo. Nei. Ni. Nai.
Ok, I can't think of any other languages to say no in. But you get the point.
All of the nope.
I DNF'd at 22%
I think the casual use of rape as a plot point to further a romance is what really put me off this.
The characters are shallow and one dimensional. I struggled to engage with the female main character and spent most of the time actively disliking her. There is no chemistry between her and the love interest.
The romance developed too quickly. Insta!love is not appreciated in most literature and it is definitely not appreciated in badly written literature. Which this is.
The plot is flat and overdone. A similar plot (putting aside that it's a PNR) is taken in How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf which gets it absolutely, 100% right. If the blurb of this book caught your attention? Go read How to Flirt instead and save yourself some pain.
Somehow the book manages to promote both misogyny and misandry. Which is a feat I have never seen accomplished before. I don't know whether to congratulate Summers or go on a book burning campaign.
And this was cheesy in the worst possible way. Like, this book should come with a box of crackers and maybe some grapes and little bit of salami to go with the sheer amount of embarrassing, cringe-worthy cheese that this book is made up from.
M.J. Summers has gone straight onto my Do-Not-Read list.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Title: The Winner's Curse
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Published: April 10, 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
ISBN: 978-1408858202Genre: Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Kestrel lives the lavish lifestyle of a Valorian General's only daughter, and such riches come at a cost for Valoria's captives and for her. As the Herrani face death or slavery, Kestrel's destiny is shaped by her father. He gives her two choices: join his army or get married. Desperate to realise her own future and knowing that it will invite scandal, she pays a small fortune for a handsome Herrani blacksmith at a slave auction. Arin not only plays Kestrel's power games, he understands what she needs and soon she is torn between loyalty to her people and her feelings for him. But Arin is not all he seems and Kestrel will learn that the price she paid for him is much higher than she ever could have imagined.
The first novel in a stunning new trilogy, The Winner's Curse is a story of romance, rumours and rebellion, where dirty secrets and careless alliances can be deadly and everything is at stake.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Okay, this has been a pretty controversial book from what I've seen of the reviews around the internet.
The writing and pacing and characters and plot are generally well liked.
The treatment of slavery is not.
I'm going on the record here to say: The only reason this book got 3 stars is because I am holding out hope that Kestrel can pull her head out of her arse in the next two books.
I can appreciate that most of the book is told from Kestrel's POV and that hers is the mindset that she is the daughter of the Empire's greatest general who was brought up around slavery and that while she doesn't readily agree with it, she realises that she would only cause more trouble for her and the slaves if she were to do something. I can also appreciate the villainising of the Slaves at the end because, again, we're seeing things from Kestrel's POV.
Just because I can appreciate and understand what has been done in the book does not mean I agree with it.
I don't.
I started this book thinking: Yes. We have our heroine. She's going to fall in love with a slave, find out about the uprising and help them to overcome their oppressors. As it should be. I went along quite happily in this book.
That is not what I got. I am not happy with what I got. The last 35% of this book did not make me happy.
The last 35% of this book insulted me.
And, err ...
Can we say Stockholm syndrome?
Also, that ending? No. Nope. All the nope.
I really, really hope The Winner's Crime can redeem this.
