Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

O. M. G.

You know, I sat down a few months ago and wrote my first review on Callum & Harper, and thought there aren’t a lot of books that I deem worth writing a review on.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not being snobby, but as they say time is money, and if I have extra time or money, it ends up on my Kindle.

But again, O. M. Butterflying G.

I loved, loved, loved Slammed.  I did, and still do.  Its marked as a favorite on my Kindle so I can easily access it. When I bought it and read it, I didn’t think about how fast I’d read it to worry about getting its sequel, Point of Retreat. So of course, I finish Slammed at like 2 am, knowing I have to work the next morning, but I sat up downloading POR anyway, lying to myself, saying, “Laura, we’ll only read one chapter.”  Next thing I know, I’m like six chapters in. Just like Slammed, there are too many quotes to quote back to you guys, but again, I would. 

Okay, so maybe I should actually write about it?  POR follows up on the story of Will and Layken, aka Lake and their siblings Caulder and Kel.  Will Cooper, is butterflying awesome.  I’d marry Will Cooper in a butterflying second and have his butterflying babies. Good lord, let’s not get me started. 

Colleen’s writing is incredible, and I fell in love, heartbreak and laughter throughout, agonizing over the end, and how I did not want to finish, yet at the same time I couldn’t stop reading. I’ve been at work reading and getting frustrated to have to stop for the 5 minutes I have to get some real work accomplished. 

Colleen, you aren’t making nearly enough off your books.  I’d certainly pay more for either of them.  Of course, if they go up in price, I’m glad I got them at $3.99 each.  Best four bucks spent with Amazon yet- minus C&H.  After reading POR, you will never look at stars, butterflies, and hair trimmers the same.

** These books have now become bestsellers since I read them, and even are being published in hardback!!! They are a little more expensive than what I have quoted above but still worth the price.

Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard

Best Advice:  Look up some of the artwork and pieces from the book; it helps to know what they are discussing sometimes.

Good lord, why did I ever put off reading this one?  It’s wonderful!

“Julia never asked herself why bad things happen to good people, for she already knew the answer: bad things happen to everyone.”

“And any man who would leave you because you were sexually inexperienced is not worth missing.”

“If I have a soul, it’s yours.”

“Listen motherfucker, you’re lucky we aren’t in the same room or you’d be spending the evening in surgery trying to have your head reattached to your body.  If I find out that you’ve contacted her again, in any way, I’m going to come after you, and not even your father, whoever he is, will be able to make you sentient again.  Do you understand?  Never contact her again.”

So Julianne is in love with her Professor who is about ten years her senior. Only its not as taboo as it sounds, first, they met years prior- he just doesn’t remember. I can’t stress how much I love Gabriel, even when he is being an ass, and he is told several times.  I hate how weak Julia can be at times, but I understand from her circumstances why she is so, but I’m also thankful for Gabriel and he willingness and ability to bring out her stronger self.

Read it, and then like me, endeavor to read the sequel. I can’t wait to buy it!

Significance by Shelly Crane

Wow… what’s a girl got to do to have her own Caleb Jacobsen?

I freakin’ love this series by Shelly Crane.  Significance is about a young girl Maggie who meets and imprints with Caleb, thus becoming each other’s significant.  First off, Maggie is a strong independent girl which I love having main female characters this way.  I get so sick of seeing females cast as the damsel in distress at all times.  Don’t get me wrong- I’m sure we girls also secret dream of having a handsome man to protect and ride in on his white horse, and trust me Significance doesn’t fail in either respect.

Yes, there are some aspects that are not uncommon- special powers and fated love, but the way Shelly Crane incorporated what most consider reoccurring themes in most media, is refreshing and spun in an unsuspecting way.

Its literally $2.99 on Amazon.  There’s no excuse- it’s less than the price of a gallon of gas.  So don’t go anywhere- download it and park your butt in the driveway reading.  Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

Consume by Shelly Crane

Best Advice:  Just buy everything Shelly Crane writes.

Starting off, I'm disappointed... disappointed that Consume is the end of this series.  I could really go for more Eli and Clara.  But I do think this was one of the best endings I have ever read.

Consume starts off right where Devour left off, and though I read in some reviews that it starts off slow, I didn't think it was.  I mean the romance lover in me wanted to skip some parts to where Eli was involved, but once they are on the run- it's fast paced and a total page turner.

So Shelly?  Uh, if you can't find it in you to add a third Eli & Clara, please, pah-leese, put out the next Significant book. 

I'm dying here.

Slammed by Colleen Hoover

"It wasn't death that punched you, Layken.  It was life. Life happens.  Shit happens.  And it happens a lot.  To a lot of people."

AND...


"I got schooled this year
by
a
Boy.
a boy that I'm seriously,
deeply, madly, incredibly,
and undeniably in love
with.
And he taught me the most
important thing of all...
To put the emphasis
On life."

AND...

He takes my face in his hands and wipes the tears away with his thumbs. "I love you, Lake." He smiles and presses his forehead against mine.  "You deserve to come first."


I can't even list all the great quotes from this book, because quite LITERALLY there are just too many to list.  I'm in love with Will Cooper.  I love Julia for all the things she does for her daughter, especially her encouragement and understanding.

I tend to fall in love with a lot of books, but this one is worth falling for. I finished it within 24 hours, and could not wait to get the second one downloaded.

Buy it, Loan it, Download it.
Totally worth the $3.99 or so, on Amazon. As a matter of fact, I'd have probably paid more than that for it.

LITERALLY ONE OF THE BEST OF 2012.

Devour By Shelly Crane

Best Advice: Mark this as a favorite.

“You have to make your own happy. You can’t depend on other people for that.”

“I love how guys say 'it meant nothing' like that's supposed to make it all ok. You only stopped because you got caught.”

This is my second series by Shelly Crane, and I loved it. Though I think I loved her Significance series even more, this is still a 5 star series.

It's a fresh new paranormal- and when I say fresh, I mean, unique and I don't know of any other novel or story with the same storyline.

Clara + Eli = Instant Attraction. Add in a boyfriend, soon to be ex, and you get tension. Add in revelations of power and you'll get drama. So basically? It has it all. Clara is strong, and despite what she believes of herself, is positive and coping with the death of her parents while Eli is struggling with himself and his power. They meet, instantly attract, and after injecting himself into her life, really get to know each other. Enter the drama, steroids, and evil and you get the perfect combination for a really great young adult read.

Deadly Obsession by Kristine Cayne

Honestly, this came out of NOWHERE.

I got this on a whim, for 99 Cents. I mean, you can rarely beat that especially to get a book with great writing, strong characters, and an incredible plot.

I know it sounds like the complete Lifetime expected type of movie story where star meets nobody girl and they fall in love. Oh, and they do, but its the characters and the writing that have you forgetting the cliches.

Now, I will say, the villain is pretty much clear, but honestly I don't think Cayne wrote this intending it to be some big twist- the fact was she's writing a love story- not a mystery.

Read this. Don't judge the cliche story you think you'll get, or you'll miss out on a great read.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief By Rick Riordan

Buy THEM ALL.

So what if I love young adult fiction? Who CARES?! I’m not really sure how I ended up reading this series, but I was literally finished reading the Percy Jackson series within a week. Rick Riordan’s writing style is so laid back and easy to follow, and it reminds of you of how you’d think, feel, and talk to both others and yourself at that age.

Gah, and I haven’t even talked about the concept of the Greek gods having children? I’m not sure what I love about it so much, but I like Greek lore, and the best parts are that even if you don’t know Poseidon from Hades Rick Riordan still spins a story in such a way you don’t need to know. Basically it has it all- love, action, suspense and mystery.

Just read them. Don't analyze the fact that its for young adult, because the worst thing you can do is assume, or think its beneath you.