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readlovereviewblog's review against another edition
3.0
This book is in Rio. This book beings kinda creepy with a stalker watching a lady named Maria. They kidnapped a kid she was watching. Then the book jumps to four years earlier in London. RJ Santos is a rockstar, and I'm still trying to get a read on him and what he has to do with the beginning of this book.
Jumping to Carol, she is flying home to Rio to take over her family's failing business. We jump back to the present day with Carol. Carol is working her dream job with advertising and working with a man named Marco.
We jump back to RJ in London four years earlier. In this book, I am jumping around so much I have no idea what characters have to do with what. I kinda wish it would give us the main characters and the current or past all at once. We're back in the airport with RJ and Carol, waiting for their flight. Something about Carol and a marriage contract to win a case against her family business.
Present-day in Rio. Carol gets a letter about her kidnapped son a random note and calls Maria to confirm. Then we jump back again in time to the airport. The suspense is killing me, and also, why can't the story stay at a one-time point. It is nice to see Carol gets a backbone, and I wonder how her choices four years ago affect her circumstance present day.
This book does get more strange as it goes. This time we jump to San Paulo present-day with Josh Santos, the older brother to RJ from the airport. With all the jumping back and forth, we only get pieces of this story at a time, and some of it is repeated.
This story gets more twisted about halfway through, but getting there is kind of slow, with the bouncing back and forth. The characters and the interconnections are definitely suspenseful. I have to honestly say I am struggling to read thru this story. It is very twisted, has very dark themes, and is kinda a disoriented story. We get more answers to answer the suspense, and both Ricardo and Carol have a significant miscommunication issue.
Okay, once I got to the end of the book, and all the mystery and suspense were solved, I understood the reasons for the jumping back and forth in the timeline. The author did involve more characters. Sometimes, things were from their perspective and applied to solving the mystery behind the main storyline. This book definitely fell under romantic suspense, with each piece bringing you closer to the end of the story. This story was dark, tragic, and heartbreaking. I like the groveling food and twinges of humor in the tale among the jumps backs and sad moments. However, Carol and RJ finally get a happy ending which was quite surprising to find out who was behind all the problems.
I really struggled with this book trying to decipher who was essential to the main plot and who wasn't as each character was presented in the past or present. There were a lot of names in this; who did it? It took me most of the book to piece it together; the twist was surprising when I did.
Jumping to Carol, she is flying home to Rio to take over her family's failing business. We jump back to the present day with Carol. Carol is working her dream job with advertising and working with a man named Marco.
We jump back to RJ in London four years earlier. In this book, I am jumping around so much I have no idea what characters have to do with what. I kinda wish it would give us the main characters and the current or past all at once. We're back in the airport with RJ and Carol, waiting for their flight. Something about Carol and a marriage contract to win a case against her family business.
Present-day in Rio. Carol gets a letter about her kidnapped son a random note and calls Maria to confirm. Then we jump back again in time to the airport. The suspense is killing me, and also, why can't the story stay at a one-time point. It is nice to see Carol gets a backbone, and I wonder how her choices four years ago affect her circumstance present day.
This book does get more strange as it goes. This time we jump to San Paulo present-day with Josh Santos, the older brother to RJ from the airport. With all the jumping back and forth, we only get pieces of this story at a time, and some of it is repeated.
This story gets more twisted about halfway through, but getting there is kind of slow, with the bouncing back and forth. The characters and the interconnections are definitely suspenseful. I have to honestly say I am struggling to read thru this story. It is very twisted, has very dark themes, and is kinda a disoriented story. We get more answers to answer the suspense, and both Ricardo and Carol have a significant miscommunication issue.
Okay, once I got to the end of the book, and all the mystery and suspense were solved, I understood the reasons for the jumping back and forth in the timeline. The author did involve more characters. Sometimes, things were from their perspective and applied to solving the mystery behind the main storyline. This book definitely fell under romantic suspense, with each piece bringing you closer to the end of the story. This story was dark, tragic, and heartbreaking. I like the groveling food and twinges of humor in the tale among the jumps backs and sad moments. However, Carol and RJ finally get a happy ending which was quite surprising to find out who was behind all the problems.
I really struggled with this book trying to decipher who was essential to the main plot and who wasn't as each character was presented in the past or present. There were a lot of names in this; who did it? It took me most of the book to piece it together; the twist was surprising when I did.
jenniekns's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first Jina Bazzar book, and I’ll admit that romantic suspense isn’t usually my go-to read, but I have to say that I was pleased with what I read. Before I go any further, full disclosure – I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for providing a review of some sort.
The basic plot of the story is about Carol and Ricardo, former lovers who broke up years ago under bad circumstances, and who are now forced to work together to save Carol’s kidnapped son.
Carol and Ricardo are both well-written, well-developed characters. They exist as their own unique entities, not to prop each other up or simply to give the other character someone to play off of. This is emphasized with the focus of the storytelling, dual POVs where the plot moves forward from each of their viewpoints. Also, I’m a sucker for a well-crafted independent heroine who doesn’t NEED the MMC to get through the story but is also willing and able to show vulnerability and love where required.
The story is fairly well-paced, but I’ll admit that have some problems with the way that the story jumps around in time. There’s a dual-timeline approach with some back and forth that was really jarring and hard to follow early on in the book. It made more sense later and on the gaps were filled in, but I had to push to get to that point because I felt like I got lost a few times. I kept going back to re-read chapters because I felt like I had missed something, and later I realized I just hadn’t been clued in yet.
The mystery part of the story was, in fact, mysterious. I do love a good suspense novel where I can’t figure out the whodunnit in the first few chapters. Looking back, I see the clues that were there the whole time, but they weren’t immediately obvious in the first round.
Lastly, I can’t say enough about the writing. Jina Bazzar crafted a world with her words, providing imagery and background without holding up the pace of the storytelling. That’s no small feat – a lot of authors will either sacrifice the ambiance in favour of the immediate plot, or they’ll get so lost in the descriptions that they forget to move the story forward. This was a balance of the two, and it benefited the overall story.
This book is definitely worthy of the 4-star review that I’m handing to it, and I’m adding this author to my must-read list moving forward.
The basic plot of the story is about Carol and Ricardo, former lovers who broke up years ago under bad circumstances, and who are now forced to work together to save Carol’s kidnapped son.
Carol and Ricardo are both well-written, well-developed characters. They exist as their own unique entities, not to prop each other up or simply to give the other character someone to play off of. This is emphasized with the focus of the storytelling, dual POVs where the plot moves forward from each of their viewpoints. Also, I’m a sucker for a well-crafted independent heroine who doesn’t NEED the MMC to get through the story but is also willing and able to show vulnerability and love where required.
The story is fairly well-paced, but I’ll admit that have some problems with the way that the story jumps around in time. There’s a dual-timeline approach with some back and forth that was really jarring and hard to follow early on in the book. It made more sense later and on the gaps were filled in, but I had to push to get to that point because I felt like I got lost a few times. I kept going back to re-read chapters because I felt like I had missed something, and later I realized I just hadn’t been clued in yet.
The mystery part of the story was, in fact, mysterious. I do love a good suspense novel where I can’t figure out the whodunnit in the first few chapters. Looking back, I see the clues that were there the whole time, but they weren’t immediately obvious in the first round.
Lastly, I can’t say enough about the writing. Jina Bazzar crafted a world with her words, providing imagery and background without holding up the pace of the storytelling. That’s no small feat – a lot of authors will either sacrifice the ambiance in favour of the immediate plot, or they’ll get so lost in the descriptions that they forget to move the story forward. This was a balance of the two, and it benefited the overall story.
This book is definitely worthy of the 4-star review that I’m handing to it, and I’m adding this author to my must-read list moving forward.
knottykay's review against another edition
3.0
Received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Carolina Montenegro has faced a lot of hardships throughout her life. She's overcame her mother's murder, her father's destruction of the family's reputation and fortune, an arranged marriage set by her grandmother, and much more. On her way back home to face her biggest hardship yet, a delay at the airport changes her life forever.
Ricardo may have a life that most envy but that doesn't mean things haven't always worked in his favor. With the lost of his best friend and bandmate and the lawsuit filed by his crazy ex-girlfriend claiming her child is his, Ricardo is in a slump. A snowy day in the airport and a beautiful woman impacts his life more then he could ever imagine.
This storyline is very predictable but that doesn't take away from the charm of this novel. The romance and suspense in this book keep you on the edge wanting to read more. I did find it hard at times to keep up with the storyline as the book tends to switch to multiple different point of views. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this novel!
Carolina Montenegro has faced a lot of hardships throughout her life. She's overcame her mother's murder, her father's destruction of the family's reputation and fortune, an arranged marriage set by her grandmother, and much more. On her way back home to face her biggest hardship yet, a delay at the airport changes her life forever.
Ricardo may have a life that most envy but that doesn't mean things haven't always worked in his favor. With the lost of his best friend and bandmate and the lawsuit filed by his crazy ex-girlfriend claiming her child is his, Ricardo is in a slump. A snowy day in the airport and a beautiful woman impacts his life more then he could ever imagine.
This storyline is very predictable but that doesn't take away from the charm of this novel. The romance and suspense in this book keep you on the edge wanting to read more. I did find it hard at times to keep up with the storyline as the book tends to switch to multiple different point of views. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this novel!
penelopecanosreads's review against another edition
4.0
I was reached out by the author to review this book and I was super excited to. It was in itself a suspense, thriller and romance novel in my opinion. It was very easy to read even with all the characters it introduces. I enjoyed reading this novel a lot. The fast paced plot allowed me to get really into it because I always wanted to know what was next. I will do a little more in-depth review on my blog check it out at https://penelopecano.wordpress.com/
spookshow's review against another edition
3.0
You can find this review and all my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating of 3.5
Carol has been through a lot. She's suffered through and survived heartbreak, the loss of the family business and attempted murder, yet this is not the worst thing that she will need to endure in her life. When Carol was younger she met a man named Ricardo at a time in her life when everything seemed dark. They spent a whirlwind weekend together of which neither had ever experienced before, it was a dream come true. However, you can only escape from real life for so long, when their pasts found them, the weekend they shared together went down in a hail of flames. Fast forward a few years and Carol is running a lucrative Advertising agency and minding her own business taking care of her children, but when a psychopath decides that she is a prime target, her world comes crashing down. She has only one choice to make, swallow her pride and approach rockstar Ricardo for help with the ransom, or let her son die. But will Ricardo be as forgiving as she hopes?
I've never really read a romantic thriller before so I was super keen to check this one out. The story is told through alternating POVs and alternating time lines. We jump between the past which is roughly four years ago when Carol and Ricardo first met, and the present day where Carol is trying everything she can to get her son back unharmed. At first the alternating timelines seemed very full on as I had to keep switching my brain to past and present and connect the dots, but once I fell into the rhythm of this it was a breeze. It was great to get a step by step reveal of how Ricardo and Carol's weekend together turned into something they both wish they could forget. I feel like writing it in this way was a brilliant way to give the reader all the information without it being a huge info dump.
The story line itself was well written and well thought out, and while I had picked one of the small twists (if it even was a twist) about Carol's son, I didn't quite pick the culprit or who all were involved in the kidnapping itself until virtually the reveal which was fantastic. I was keen to see if Carol's son would be returned safely, because at times it seemed like this would not be the case. So having those moments of uncertainty kept me reading as I needed to know what would happen. The romance story line was done tastefully and I love that it was a story of redemption and learning to trust again and open their hearts. I was rooting for them the whole time and couldn't wait for them to just give it a chance, I may have been silently yelling at them both because they were incredibly frustrating, yet at the same time I completely sympathised with their reason for not wanting to trust each other again.
The characters were well written, though we didn't get to really know the characters of the children, I was still incredibly sympathetic to the son as he went through absolute hell at such a young age, and in the end, he is a child. The characters of Carol and Ricardo were well written, I was endeared to them from the beginning. Carol because she was being forced into a life that she did not want because of past family infighting, and Ricardo because of the lies that his ex had told about him, forcing him to be scrutinised under the public eye to prove himself innocent. When these two met, at first I wasn't really feeling it and felt Ricardo was a little bit creepy, I actually thought that he may have been involved in the kidnapping, but his character soon turned into the sweet, charming man that he is. Getting to see the heartache and the turmoil both these characters were going through really made their character development that much deeper and made them seem real. Even though Carol came across as quite a cold person, you could see underneath it all that she was just trying to protect herself from being hurt again. All the support characters worked wonderfully and really rounded out the cast of characters nicely.
The story itself I felt that the pacing was a little bit lacking at times where it felt like it was dragging along. There's a lot to get through in this book because we don't only have the kidnapping, it's also a redemption love story, so there's a lot going on. I did feel like the kidnapping almost took a bit of a back seat and was the driving point behind the love story, which worked great for it. The sense of urgency was there which kept you reading. I'm not sure how the pacing could be fixed, I think there's just a lot to get through, I don't feel that any parts should be cut out as they all served a purpose. There's a reason behind everything in the story which is fantastic.
I did feel like the climax happened rather quickly, but again, this actually worked really well for the story because we got our closure and everything was tied up in a neat little bow and it wasn't dragged out unnecessarily, and we were able to focus back on the redemption story line which was nice.
All in all, this was a rivetting read, at times the pacing fell a bit short for me and I felt like it was a push to get through, I did want to throttle Carol on occassion, but I could also understand her reluctance to let herself trust Ricardo again, and vice versa. This was a strong addition to the romantic thriller genre, and I feel like I'll be keen to check out more books like this.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating of 3.5
Carol has been through a lot. She's suffered through and survived heartbreak, the loss of the family business and attempted murder, yet this is not the worst thing that she will need to endure in her life. When Carol was younger she met a man named Ricardo at a time in her life when everything seemed dark. They spent a whirlwind weekend together of which neither had ever experienced before, it was a dream come true. However, you can only escape from real life for so long, when their pasts found them, the weekend they shared together went down in a hail of flames. Fast forward a few years and Carol is running a lucrative Advertising agency and minding her own business taking care of her children, but when a psychopath decides that she is a prime target, her world comes crashing down. She has only one choice to make, swallow her pride and approach rockstar Ricardo for help with the ransom, or let her son die. But will Ricardo be as forgiving as she hopes?
I've never really read a romantic thriller before so I was super keen to check this one out. The story is told through alternating POVs and alternating time lines. We jump between the past which is roughly four years ago when Carol and Ricardo first met, and the present day where Carol is trying everything she can to get her son back unharmed. At first the alternating timelines seemed very full on as I had to keep switching my brain to past and present and connect the dots, but once I fell into the rhythm of this it was a breeze. It was great to get a step by step reveal of how Ricardo and Carol's weekend together turned into something they both wish they could forget. I feel like writing it in this way was a brilliant way to give the reader all the information without it being a huge info dump.
The story line itself was well written and well thought out, and while I had picked one of the small twists (if it even was a twist) about Carol's son, I didn't quite pick the culprit or who all were involved in the kidnapping itself until virtually the reveal which was fantastic. I was keen to see if Carol's son would be returned safely, because at times it seemed like this would not be the case. So having those moments of uncertainty kept me reading as I needed to know what would happen. The romance story line was done tastefully and I love that it was a story of redemption and learning to trust again and open their hearts. I was rooting for them the whole time and couldn't wait for them to just give it a chance, I may have been silently yelling at them both because they were incredibly frustrating, yet at the same time I completely sympathised with their reason for not wanting to trust each other again.
The characters were well written, though we didn't get to really know the characters of the children, I was still incredibly sympathetic to the son as he went through absolute hell at such a young age, and in the end, he is a child. The characters of Carol and Ricardo were well written, I was endeared to them from the beginning. Carol because she was being forced into a life that she did not want because of past family infighting, and Ricardo because of the lies that his ex had told about him, forcing him to be scrutinised under the public eye to prove himself innocent. When these two met, at first I wasn't really feeling it and felt Ricardo was a little bit creepy, I actually thought that he may have been involved in the kidnapping, but his character soon turned into the sweet, charming man that he is. Getting to see the heartache and the turmoil both these characters were going through really made their character development that much deeper and made them seem real. Even though Carol came across as quite a cold person, you could see underneath it all that she was just trying to protect herself from being hurt again. All the support characters worked wonderfully and really rounded out the cast of characters nicely.
The story itself I felt that the pacing was a little bit lacking at times where it felt like it was dragging along. There's a lot to get through in this book because we don't only have the kidnapping, it's also a redemption love story, so there's a lot going on. I did feel like the kidnapping almost took a bit of a back seat and was the driving point behind the love story, which worked great for it. The sense of urgency was there which kept you reading. I'm not sure how the pacing could be fixed, I think there's just a lot to get through, I don't feel that any parts should be cut out as they all served a purpose. There's a reason behind everything in the story which is fantastic.
I did feel like the climax happened rather quickly, but again, this actually worked really well for the story because we got our closure and everything was tied up in a neat little bow and it wasn't dragged out unnecessarily, and we were able to focus back on the redemption story line which was nice.
All in all, this was a rivetting read, at times the pacing fell a bit short for me and I felt like it was a push to get through, I did want to throttle Carol on occassion, but I could also understand her reluctance to let herself trust Ricardo again, and vice versa. This was a strong addition to the romantic thriller genre, and I feel like I'll be keen to check out more books like this.
onreviewbysara's review against another edition
3.0
I was lucky enough to receive this book from the author. I hope the prospective reader will read this review fully before making any prejudgments on the book. I will give the book my thoughts. These thoughts are completely my own and not swayed in any way by anyone else’s reviews or opinions.
Check out my blog for more: www.onreviewbysara.com
My Rating: I give this book a 3 out of 4 stars. The book was good, but I found myself getting completely lost at moments and instead of moving forward, I was moving backwards trying to catch up. I really did enjoy this book. I think that it had its moments. I found that I will go back and read some parts, but probably not the whole book again from start to finish. I do believe that anyone who would like to read this book should know the importance of the disclaimers. There are moments that could be uncomfortable to some readers. This book is for adults and has adult themes and subjects.
Check out my blog for more: www.onreviewbysara.com
My Rating: I give this book a 3 out of 4 stars. The book was good, but I found myself getting completely lost at moments and instead of moving forward, I was moving backwards trying to catch up. I really did enjoy this book. I think that it had its moments. I found that I will go back and read some parts, but probably not the whole book again from start to finish. I do believe that anyone who would like to read this book should know the importance of the disclaimers. There are moments that could be uncomfortable to some readers. This book is for adults and has adult themes and subjects.
onebookmore's review against another edition
4.0
From Fame to Ruin is a standalone romantic thriller with a gripping story and a unique second-chance romance. The story follows Carol and Ricardo, a couple who had a whirlwind romance that ended disastrously. Years later, Carol seeks out Ricardo for help after her son is kidnapped and held for ransom. Will old feelings resurface as this couple works to find Carol’s son? Will they find her son and who kidnapped him?
Carol and Ricardo are well-developed characters, and since the story is told in dual timelines from both Carol and Ricardo’s perspectives, you really get to understand their points of view when it comes to what happened in their past and what is bringing them together in the present. The dual timelines also reveal a lot about their families, friends, careers, and the pressures put upon them by all of these things over the course of many years. Neither has had an easy life, and though they are from very different worlds, they definitely connect on a deep level.
Though Ricardo still feels the sharp sting of betrayal, he doesn’t hesitate to help the woman who broke his heart. You can tell both have been hurt and are wary of love, but their bond is still strong, and their chemistry is palpable. Both have complicated and layered stories, and their relationship is filled with obstacles, including lies, miscommunication, secrets, and more. It’s interesting to see how they handle their feelings for each other in the midst of the chaos and danger that they face.
I love the chapters that show how Carol and Ricardo met and how special their time was when they were together. These chapters, which have a more romantic and optimistic tone, contrast greatly with the chapters that take place in the present. These are suspenseful and intense as Carol and Ricardo must work together to rescue Carol’s young son who has been kidnapped and held for ransom. It’s unclear who took her son, but there are many possibilities, including scorned exes, rivals, and people with insurmountable power. I like that the story keeps you guessing for a while before revealing the villain.
I also enjoyed many of the secondary characters and how they influenced, both positively and negatively, Carol and Ricardo’s lives. Carol’s friends are fantastic and supportive, and I love the found family they create. They are more of a family than Carol’s family, and she is so lucky to have such great people in her life. Ricardo’s brother and parents are also interesting characters, as are Carol’s daughter and Ricardo’s friends.
I enjoyed this story and think readers of romantic suspense with a second-chance romance will enjoy it too. There are some graphic parts, so I would check the trigger warning. Scenes that include violence, death, overdosing, and more might prove triggering for some readers. Thanks so much to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Carol and Ricardo are well-developed characters, and since the story is told in dual timelines from both Carol and Ricardo’s perspectives, you really get to understand their points of view when it comes to what happened in their past and what is bringing them together in the present. The dual timelines also reveal a lot about their families, friends, careers, and the pressures put upon them by all of these things over the course of many years. Neither has had an easy life, and though they are from very different worlds, they definitely connect on a deep level.
Though Ricardo still feels the sharp sting of betrayal, he doesn’t hesitate to help the woman who broke his heart. You can tell both have been hurt and are wary of love, but their bond is still strong, and their chemistry is palpable. Both have complicated and layered stories, and their relationship is filled with obstacles, including lies, miscommunication, secrets, and more. It’s interesting to see how they handle their feelings for each other in the midst of the chaos and danger that they face.
I love the chapters that show how Carol and Ricardo met and how special their time was when they were together. These chapters, which have a more romantic and optimistic tone, contrast greatly with the chapters that take place in the present. These are suspenseful and intense as Carol and Ricardo must work together to rescue Carol’s young son who has been kidnapped and held for ransom. It’s unclear who took her son, but there are many possibilities, including scorned exes, rivals, and people with insurmountable power. I like that the story keeps you guessing for a while before revealing the villain.
I also enjoyed many of the secondary characters and how they influenced, both positively and negatively, Carol and Ricardo’s lives. Carol’s friends are fantastic and supportive, and I love the found family they create. They are more of a family than Carol’s family, and she is so lucky to have such great people in her life. Ricardo’s brother and parents are also interesting characters, as are Carol’s daughter and Ricardo’s friends.
I enjoyed this story and think readers of romantic suspense with a second-chance romance will enjoy it too. There are some graphic parts, so I would check the trigger warning. Scenes that include violence, death, overdosing, and more might prove triggering for some readers. Thanks so much to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
cbramblings's review against another edition
5.0
Thanks To The Author For gifting me a copy of this book in exchange For an honest review.
This book was so thouroughly well balanced... The story, The relationship, The characters... Everything gives you The perfect insight..It's amazing To read
It's a romantic thriller told in dual time lines as well as dual perspectives, and It Is exactly What you need To understand What makes everybody tick.
It's a second chance romance and We get their first try At a relationship .. How The met, How It developped and What tore them appart... And It Is intertwined with What It's happening in The present Which makes It Feel so full circle... You understand easily How they got To this point and We can see The potential they still have as a couple.
This dual timeline also helps round them as characters, It makes It easy To understand their feelings and reactions... How Their friends, then and now influence them For Good and bad.
That is another thing I adored ... Their found family.
It's The perfect balance between romance and thriller... It will keep you on The edge of your seat until you figure out Who is The real villain..
A great read all around.
This book was so thouroughly well balanced... The story, The relationship, The characters... Everything gives you The perfect insight..It's amazing To read
It's a romantic thriller told in dual time lines as well as dual perspectives, and It Is exactly What you need To understand What makes everybody tick.
It's a second chance romance and We get their first try At a relationship .. How The met, How It developped and What tore them appart... And It Is intertwined with What It's happening in The present Which makes It Feel so full circle... You understand easily How they got To this point and We can see The potential they still have as a couple.
This dual timeline also helps round them as characters, It makes It easy To understand their feelings and reactions... How Their friends, then and now influence them For Good and bad.
That is another thing I adored ... Their found family.
It's The perfect balance between romance and thriller... It will keep you on The edge of your seat until you figure out Who is The real villain..
A great read all around.
ravensandlace's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Find this review and others like it at https://aravenclawlibraryx.wordpress.com
I have been writing reviews since 2016 roughly and yet I never know how to start them. Sometimes the words click and I’m able to come up with a good introduction. But normally that happens when I dislike a book. I often have a harder time coming up with introductions for books I really liked. You would think I would have figured out the secret by now but I haven’t. So I’ll just jump right in.
I really enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I was going to. I expected a gritty and tense novel, sure, but not to this extent. The amount of angst and tension in this book between the MCs was insane. There were a couple times I had to just set my Kindle down because the angst was too much. I literally felt like jumping out of my body because the angst was so much. But it was a good thing, I promise.
I loved the way the book was written. It was told with the past and present with both Carol and Ricardo getting equal amounts of page time so we got an idea of everything that happened between them and what was causing the crazy amount of angst we were experiencing. We experienced everything, the tension, the passion, the angst. Everything!
Both MCs were great on their own but oh my lord, they were so damn stubborn. I didn’t really have a favorite, I liked them both equally. There were so many times I just wanted to smack the heck out of them and force them to just communicate.
Overall, this was a great book. While the angst was a bit much at times, I was hooked on this book and truly didn’t want to put it down even though I had to several times. It was so different then what I normally read and I can’t wait to see what else this author has in store.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
charliadams's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Thriller and Romance are like peanut butter and chocolate. They are great together and separate. This story took me a bit to get into, but it held my interest enough to keep me reading. The pacing worked for this story. It was not too fast, but some points slowed down too much for my liking. During the timeline transitions, the pacing slows a bit, kind of like there was a speed bump, but it picks its self back up.
Carol is a headstrong and relatable character. She went through hard times in her past and it ends up circling to her present. As a reader, you can see when and how her walls were being created, started cracking, and patched back together. Carol, out of the characters, ended up being my favorite character. She is strong and willing to push forward to prove it to herself.
Ricardo, for me, was more stubborn than headstrong. As a reader, there are times you want to love and root for him. Then there are the other times you want to yell and give him the “Gibbs slap”. Ricardo was a character that, unfortunately, everything went wrong in his past all at the same time. But unlike taking the bull by its horns like Carol did, he went into himself and gave up.
The rest of the cast were very likable characters. I loved how Carol’s group did everything they could to help emotionally. As a reader, you can tell about the relationships they all held. Ricardo’s group was the same way. Even though he did not want them in his business or bothering him, some of his family did not give up on him. They helped move the story forward and held importance and not just another character.
What I liked about this story was how you got two timelines. Within these timelines, you had the point of view of the main characters. This was how we, the readers, learned about the relationship between the two characters. The timeline and point of view change were not confusing and did not pull you out of the story. The author executed this style very well.
I enjoyed this story. It felt predictable, but it held my interest. I would recommend this story to those who like romance, head strong characters, suspense, and a good story.
*I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest opinion.
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