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mommasaystoread's review
5.0
Captured Memories is a beautifully written, second-chance romance. There's a lot of story packed into this novella length read and I found it both captivating and compelling. Both Zane and Liv are dealing with some pretty heavy issues and while their individual stories will break your heart, the strength they find in each other will warm it.
Liv and Zane's love story is both sweet and steamy. It's the story of two people who find their own inner strength as well as each being a rock for the other, but it's also the tale of two people living through and dealing with the fallout of trauma and coming through that darkness to find hope, love, and happily ever after.
I have to add that I started this book at bedtime, with the intention of reading a couple of chapters before heading off to dreamland. Before I knew it, I was turning the last page because I absolutely couldn't stop reading this fascinating story. The title is perfect for this one because it certainly captivated this reader.
Liv and Zane's love story is both sweet and steamy. It's the story of two people who find their own inner strength as well as each being a rock for the other, but it's also the tale of two people living through and dealing with the fallout of trauma and coming through that darkness to find hope, love, and happily ever after.
I have to add that I started this book at bedtime, with the intention of reading a couple of chapters before heading off to dreamland. Before I knew it, I was turning the last page because I absolutely couldn't stop reading this fascinating story. The title is perfect for this one because it certainly captivated this reader.
book_lover_97's review
4.0
Easy to read novella, that is a fell good read that involves some heavy/darker topics (trama). This is a beautiful second chance romance with incredible characters. The storyline has great development, emotion and heart breaking and warming moments.
I am voluntarily leaving a honest, unbiased review.
I am voluntarily leaving a honest, unbiased review.
apagetoturn's review
4.0
Captured Memories is my very first Katherine McIntyre novel, and it did not disappoint! I was truly captured and captivated from the very start. The characters are so read and flawed, and believable.
I would call this story a second chance - it was written in a way that I've never really read though. Zane is the ultimate book boyfriend and due to bad decisions in his younger life, he missed out on an opportunity to be with Liv then; but due to fate and serendipity, they have another chance to see what might happen. Their attraction was real, palpable, and honest. I loved their romance from the start and rooted for them until the very end.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinions.
I would call this story a second chance - it was written in a way that I've never really read though. Zane is the ultimate book boyfriend and due to bad decisions in his younger life, he missed out on an opportunity to be with Liv then; but due to fate and serendipity, they have another chance to see what might happen. Their attraction was real, palpable, and honest. I loved their romance from the start and rooted for them until the very end.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinions.
soulwinds's review
2.0
I was given this book to read in exchange for a fair review.
2 stars, because it was okay.
Plot and my Thoughts
I actually started taking notes a few chapters into this book to keep a record of a few thoughts that went through my head while I was reading this book. I couldn't quite place, at the time, what was bothering me about this book. Also, as a disclaimer, you should know I haven't read the 2 books in this series that preludes this one. But I don't think that really matters.
Captured Memories is about two people who believe they are too damaged to ever find someone who would want to have them in their lives. Olivia is suffering PTSD as a result of being raped in her 3rd year of college by a friends she trusted to get her home safely . Zane is an ex-con and a recovering alcoholic loner. Friends in their younger years, they are reunited when they both go to a cafe in response to a random letter they both received. No doubt it was an advertising ploy by the cafe to get people in for Valentine's Day, but that is never fully confined, if memory serves. It's love rekindled at first sight.
Liv has always kept her crush on Zane alive through the years. She kept his leather jacket and wears it when she needs to feel safe going out into the world. Zane disappeared after being arrested for something that is not revealed until the last 25% of the book, although you can maybe figure it out if you're paying attention.
As I said, there was something about this book that bothered me. For the lack of a better term, I'm going to call it the writing style. The easiest way to sum up my feelings about this book (and show you what I mean) is to show you what I listed as likes and dislikes.
Likes
Now this quote just goes to show that there is some good writing in this book that totally jived with me...
"...the sort that puked Valentine's Day all over the page."
How is that not hilariously well said? I wouldn't be able to say it better.
I like how the two main characters knew each other as teenagers, and had a bit of a thing going on so the sudden romance now doesn't seem ludicrous. Insta-love is a pet peeve of mine and this relieves a lot of insta-dislike. People who have known each as children and then teenagers before losing contact for a few years falling in love later in life totally works for me.
I like the depiction of how much Zane struggles to keep his sobriety, showing what a struggle addiction can be. It's all through the book.
Liv's PTSD episodes are, again, well depicted by the author.
I love Sampson, Zane's AA...sponsor?The proper term may be eluding me at this very moment. But I like him when he comes out with things like,
"and as for me walking away, tough luck, asshole. I didn't invest this much time in you to ditch now."
There should have been more Sampson in this book. He seems like an awesome guy.
Dislikes
The writing style. I could not get over the writing style. At first I couldn't figure out what it was about it...until I realized I was seeing words on a recycle pattern. McIntyre has a thing for words that have to do with fire, storms, and cold.
Examples taken from 19 pages of text only: For fire, explosion x2, spark, firework, fire, igniting. For cold, frozen, iced over, tundra, arctic temperatures, ice, thaw, melted, icy depths.
"The connection sizzled, so electric, so igniting he almost dropped the glass. A mere touch from her lit his veins on fire..."
"Even though the sun beat down on her with a fiery insistence, she slipped her leather jacket on...(the very next sentence) Despite the heat, Liv's insides plummeted to arctic temperatures."
Liv's body does hit 'arctic temperatures' at least twice in this book. It, unfortunately, annoyed me. Perhaps because this books is quite short, so you really notice when things are being recycled by the author.
Another thing I disliked enough to write down was about three scenes that were supposed to be hot and heavy, but actually just succeeded in making me think of cannibalism. Recycled...again. In the margins, the first time I wrote about it, I jokingly put "Is Zane a cannibal?" The second time I wrote "OMG Zane, stop wanting to eat Liv's!" and the third time I wrote "Oh God it's catching , now she wants to eat him!" the first quote takes place fully clothed, as they first meet up for a date...if memory, once again, serves.
"The way she smelled...made him want to sink his teeth into her smooth skin and take a bite"
"Creamy thighs he wanted to sink his teeth into..."
"She was dying to sink her teeth into his bronzed skin."
Speaking of recycling. Twice nipples are tightened. Multiple times her body acts like she has had way too much caffeine. Twice I winced as Liv moaned over Zane's cooking and Zane's libido got a rise out of it.
Another thing is how Liv, at the beginning, is annoyed because a man keeps looking at her boobs (granted he IS annoying her in other ways as well), but when Zane does it 15 seconds after laying eyes on her after 10 years of not seeing her she gets a lady hard-on. I don't know about you, but if I just met an old crush and the first thing he does is stare at my boobs and size me up, I wouldn't be gushing (sorry for the imagery) in my panties for him.
How do you not envision glowing eyes complete with wafts of smoke from the corners with this one?
"...a smoky glow in her chocolate eyes."
In Conclusion
It was okay. It wasn't something I actively tried to read every free second I had, which usually means it can't score over 3 stars in my book. Books that are excluded from this rule are books that are ridiculously well written, which brings me to my last point. I'm not a huge fan of the writing style or the way a lot of words and their synonyms were used over and over again (part of the writing style issue really), which is why it lost another star with me and became a 2 star book. I didn't hate it, it just isn't something I would actively recommend to others or plan to read again.
There were a few things I definitely appreciated about hits book, like the showing of how PTSD and addiction can colour and effect peoples lives. The depiction of these two things in such a short (it was short by my standards) story was quite well done. And again, loved Samson. Could have used a lot more Samson.
2 stars, because it was okay.
Plot and my Thoughts
I actually started taking notes a few chapters into this book to keep a record of a few thoughts that went through my head while I was reading this book. I couldn't quite place, at the time, what was bothering me about this book. Also, as a disclaimer, you should know I haven't read the 2 books in this series that preludes this one. But I don't think that really matters.
Captured Memories is about two people who believe they are too damaged to ever find someone who would want to have them in their lives. Olivia is suffering PTSD
Liv has always kept her crush on Zane alive through the years. She kept his leather jacket and wears it when she needs to feel safe going out into the world. Zane disappeared after being arrested for something that is not revealed until the last 25% of the book, although you can maybe figure it out if you're paying attention.
As I said, there was something about this book that bothered me. For the lack of a better term, I'm going to call it the writing style. The easiest way to sum up my feelings about this book (and show you what I mean) is to show you what I listed as likes and dislikes.
Likes
Now this quote just goes to show that there is some good writing in this book that totally jived with me...
"...the sort that puked Valentine's Day all over the page."
How is that not hilariously well said? I wouldn't be able to say it better.
I like how the two main characters knew each other as teenagers, and had a bit of a thing going on so the sudden romance now doesn't seem ludicrous. Insta-love is a pet peeve of mine and this relieves a lot of insta-dislike. People who have known each as children and then teenagers before losing contact for a few years falling in love later in life totally works for me.
I like the depiction of how much Zane struggles to keep his sobriety, showing what a struggle addiction can be. It's all through the book.
Liv's PTSD episodes are, again, well depicted by the author.
I love Sampson, Zane's AA...sponsor?The proper term may be eluding me at this very moment. But I like him when he comes out with things like,
"and as for me walking away, tough luck, asshole. I didn't invest this much time in you to ditch now."
There should have been more Sampson in this book. He seems like an awesome guy.
Dislikes
The writing style. I could not get over the writing style. At first I couldn't figure out what it was about it...until I realized I was seeing words on a recycle pattern. McIntyre has a thing for words that have to do with fire, storms, and cold.
Examples taken from 19 pages of text only: For fire, explosion x2, spark, firework, fire, igniting. For cold, frozen, iced over, tundra, arctic temperatures, ice, thaw, melted, icy depths.
"The connection sizzled, so electric, so igniting he almost dropped the glass. A mere touch from her lit his veins on fire..."
"Even though the sun beat down on her with a fiery insistence, she slipped her leather jacket on...(the very next sentence) Despite the heat, Liv's insides plummeted to arctic temperatures."
Liv's body does hit 'arctic temperatures' at least twice in this book. It, unfortunately, annoyed me. Perhaps because this books is quite short, so you really notice when things are being recycled by the author.
Another thing I disliked enough to write down was about three scenes that were supposed to be hot and heavy, but actually just succeeded in making me think of cannibalism. Recycled...again. In the margins, the first time I wrote about it, I jokingly put "Is Zane a cannibal?" The second time I wrote "OMG Zane, stop wanting to eat Liv's!" and the third time I wrote "Oh God it's catching , now she wants to eat him!" the first quote takes place fully clothed, as they first meet up for a date...if memory, once again, serves.
"The way she smelled...made him want to sink his teeth into her smooth skin and take a bite"
"Creamy thighs he wanted to sink his teeth into..."
"She was dying to sink her teeth into his bronzed skin."
Speaking of recycling. Twice nipples are tightened. Multiple times her body acts like she has had way too much caffeine. Twice I winced as Liv moaned over Zane's cooking and Zane's libido got a rise out of it.
Another thing is how Liv, at the beginning, is annoyed because a man keeps looking at her boobs (granted he IS annoying her in other ways as well), but when Zane does it 15 seconds after laying eyes on her after 10 years of not seeing her she gets a lady hard-on. I don't know about you, but if I just met an old crush and the first thing he does is stare at my boobs and size me up, I wouldn't be gushing (sorry for the imagery) in my panties for him.
How do you not envision glowing eyes complete with wafts of smoke from the corners with this one?
"...a smoky glow in her chocolate eyes."
In Conclusion
It was okay. It wasn't something I actively tried to read every free second I had, which usually means it can't score over 3 stars in my book. Books that are excluded from this rule are books that are ridiculously well written, which brings me to my last point. I'm not a huge fan of the writing style or the way a lot of words and their synonyms were used over and over again (part of the writing style issue really), which is why it lost another star with me and became a 2 star book. I didn't hate it, it just isn't something I would actively recommend to others or plan to read again.
There were a few things I definitely appreciated about hits book, like the showing of how PTSD and addiction can colour and effect peoples lives. The depiction of these two things in such a short (it was short by my standards) story was quite well done. And again, loved Samson. Could have used a lot more Samson.
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