kerasalwaysreading's review against another edition
5.0
gah!!! I was so hesitant to read this. I didn't want Lexi to end up with the wrong guy... But this book was so incredible and once I got past the third chapter I just couldn't stop!!
This series ended PERFECTLY. But I will say that I did have to jump to the back of the book to set my mind at ease. Once I did, I devoured each page. Linde is DEFINITELY one of my new Favorite authors. She did an incredible job closing the series out. I just wish that I could go back to the beginning and read them all again as if I had never read them. Just to experience them again. FANTASTIC!! I love how each character is flawed. It makes them all so real and relate-able. There is no crazier place than in a woman's head, and Lexi sure is no exception. The inner struggle that she deals with throughout not only this last book, but the whole series was incredibly written.
This is definitely in the ranks for my all time favorite series'
This series ended PERFECTLY. But I will say that I did have to jump to the back of the book to set my mind at ease. Once I did, I devoured each page. Linde is DEFINITELY one of my new Favorite authors. She did an incredible job closing the series out. I just wish that I could go back to the beginning and read them all again as if I had never read them. Just to experience them again. FANTASTIC!! I love how each character is flawed. It makes them all so real and relate-able. There is no crazier place than in a woman's head, and Lexi sure is no exception. The inner struggle that she deals with throughout not only this last book, but the whole series was incredibly written.
This is definitely in the ranks for my all time favorite series'
karinciksok's review against another edition
3.0
I originally left this book 30 pages in so frustrated, I couldn't even think about it for the following year. Then suddenly I thought about all the series I had not finished and decided to give it another shot.
So I started reading it and became more and more perturbed and needed an outlet for all my misery. In 25 minutes I wrote a 1500 word rant about how much I foreboded this ending when I started reading the book and became more and more convinced about how much I would hate it, how it went against character development etc. Then I kept reading and my frustration resulted in a 2365 word essay loaded with quotes and other proof about how justified my frustrations were. Then came the last half of a book in this series and I admit - I ended up not despising it as much and not dreading every next word.
All in all the conclusion I get is that I should write about books while I'm reading 'em and not after. Or just never finish the books I have to talk about during lessons in school.
bgilvaja's review against another edition
4.0
The Avoiding series was one of the first series that I read that was filled with angst and drama around every corner. The story of Lexi and Jack's past gave me chills and pissed me off to no end, but I couldn't get enough of it! I've been anxiously awaiting the final installment in the Avoiding series and K.A. Linde did not disappoint!
Here's the break down of my "feels" regarding Avoiding Temptation.
1. THANK YOU SWEET BABY JESUS. She ended up with my guy AND (most importantly) he deserved it!
2. I'm proud of Lexi damn it. She has grown and realized that SHE is the only one who can truly control her fate. I loved loved LOVED the character development that she went through and I whole heartily believe that K.A. Linde did our girl Lex justice.
3. I'm also proud of Jack. He essentially grew up and put his money where his mouth is. Bravo love, you finally lived up to being the person that I knew you could be.
4. To the guy who didn't win our girl's heart, all is not lost. I'm thankful that he was in her life and helped her find her way to her true self. Yeah he had his share of hang ups and I never "clicked" with him BUT he was an extremely important person in Lexi's life and is exactly what she needed at one point in her life.
5. Karma is a bitch! Ain't that right Bekah ;)
To say that I was pleased with the ending of this series would be an understatement. I loved it. So, so much and while I'm sad to see it go, I'm very happy that everything came full circle and Lexi got the HEA that she deserved.
I'm also beyond stoked for "All that Glitters" which we get a preview of at the end of AT. Holy shit. That book is going to be crazy hot!!! Can't wait!
-B
Here's the break down of my "feels" regarding Avoiding Temptation.
1. THANK YOU SWEET BABY JESUS. She ended up with my guy AND (most importantly) he deserved it!
2. I'm proud of Lexi damn it. She has grown and realized that SHE is the only one who can truly control her fate. I loved loved LOVED the character development that she went through and I whole heartily believe that K.A. Linde did our girl Lex justice.
3. I'm also proud of Jack. He essentially grew up and put his money where his mouth is. Bravo love, you finally lived up to being the person that I knew you could be.
4. To the guy who didn't win our girl's heart, all is not lost. I'm thankful that he was in her life and helped her find her way to her true self. Yeah he had his share of hang ups and I never "clicked" with him BUT he was an extremely important person in Lexi's life and is exactly what she needed at one point in her life.
5. Karma is a bitch! Ain't that right Bekah ;)
To say that I was pleased with the ending of this series would be an understatement. I loved it. So, so much and while I'm sad to see it go, I'm very happy that everything came full circle and Lexi got the HEA that she deserved.
I'm also beyond stoked for "All that Glitters" which we get a preview of at the end of AT. Holy shit. That book is going to be crazy hot!!! Can't wait!
-B
cegleston's review
5.0
Wow!!! As frustrating as these books were, this ending was well worth it!!! The emotions provoked by this book were intense!! Fantastic story and I'm sad to see Lexi go!!
chloboyoung's review
5.0
That was the best ending. Im glad it ended how it did and I'm glad about Lexie finally taking control and putting herself first. I did tear up at the end because it's all over, that's it now.
I really did love this book and the series and I think even from the beginning I know who Lexi would end up with in the end, and I'm glad they both got their happy ending.
I really did love this book and the series and I think even from the beginning I know who Lexi would end up with in the end, and I'm glad they both got their happy ending.
kspear22's review
2.0
UPDATE 12/12/13: I finished this last night and, well... after *THAT*, I can't write a spoiler free review. If you don't want to know, don't read anything in the spoiler tag. It's going to be a vent session and will definitely ruin the story for anyone who hasn't finished the book.
This is your final warning!
Alright. I was Team Ramsey going in. Was he perfect? No. But he LOVES Lexi. He loves her the way she deserves to be loved. He's absolutely adorable, masculine, alpha... just pure yum! So yes, the book starts off on a great note. Lexi's phone rings while she's in bed with the gorgeous Mr. Bridges. As excited as some people will be, I know better. The fact that they are together in the beginning of this book is a bad sign. Because you know that asswipe Jack is coming back into the mix. And Lexi is an absolute dipshit where he's concerned. The phone call is of course the tool and he "needs" her. PUMP THE BRAKES!!! I'm sorry, what?? WHO CARES?!?!?! Okay, somehow in the two years since Jack went against what YOU wanted and married Bekah, you still manage to be friends with him?? Nope. I'm sorry, but absolutely not. The guy is an idiot, plain and simple. I don't care how hot he is. I can hold a grudge like no other. And sometimes you just need to let. It. Go. By "it" I mean "him". Anyway as per usual with Alexa, she has to meet him. Before they do, Ramsey PROPOSES. FREAKING PROPOSES and it's the most beautiful and sweetest thing ever!
They just don't make them like Ramsey Bridges in real life and that's a damn shame.
Oh yeah. So soon after she meets up with Jack. Get ready for a shock --- BEKAH IS DIVORCING HIM! Uh huh. After everything she has done. Weird. It seems fishy. Why would she give him up unless there's a bigger issue? So I figured this would be intriguing! There was a big scheme from day one --- for some reason she always wanted to destroy Jack's life. I needed to find out! (More about this at the end.) Bekah's reasoning for the divorce? Infidelity. I could not be joking. Okay, this bitch really is crazy. Well, Crazy with a capital C. BUT --- she doesn't deserve the blame for all of this mess. Lexi and Jack were adults who couldn't get their shit together for years. So she may have given things a push, but there's no way I can put all the fault on her. After discovering he signed a pre-nup with an infidelity clause, Lexi feels sorry for and wants to help Jack. Get ready for the why... She doesn't believe he did it! Huh? Excuse me? What? Ugh. This is when I knew I was probably going to hate this book.
Before I get back to the story, I've seen people saying they had no idea who she was going to choose until the very end. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm not sure who they're trying to kid because I knew very early on what her choice was going to be. I kept hoping that there would be a crazy twist, though, to prove me wrong.
Oh! Did I mention the past and present switches each chapter? Oops. Because I believe the description makes it sound as if John was really a threat. He's not. So don't even THINK he has a chance. Yes, they have sexual chemistry but he's about as relevant in these books as he was in Chyna's novella... To be honest the addition of him to the story was to add more drama and angst. As if dealing with Parker and Jack weren't enough, let's toss this guy in to stir up even more crap. This was another thing that didn't work for me.
There were so many red flags throughout the story. Lexi's constant questioning to herself if she was truly happy was the biggest one. If that wasn't an indicator of which direction things were going, then I don't know what is!! By 11% of the book (after they were engaged) I had decided that I'd be pissed if she ended up with Ramsey. SHE DOESN'T DESERVE HIM. She acts like the world's biggest bitch for the entire book and really proves who she is as a person. Yes, they have all made mistakes in this series, but Lexi is stupid. Absolutely, 100%, without a doubt, STUPID. And even though I don't think she deserved him I also didn't want Ramsey's heart to break.
PAUSE: K.A. Linde asked before the book released what Jack would have to do for girls on Team Ramsey to accept him to get Lexi. (The same was asked of Teams Jack and John.) For me? I didn't really know a specific thing, but I knew it had to be HUGE. EPIC. More than just a verbal apology. It would have to be the grandest of gestures. I'm no writer so it's not for me to determine how a guy redeems himself. I didn't think the guy could.
So things begin progressing, albeit SLOOOOOWWWWWLLLLLYYYYY. The divorce proceedings are all going Bekah's way since her family owns all the best lawyers and judges in Atlanta. Blah blah blah. Lexi and Ramsey are wrapped up in their jobs. Parker is causing trouble. But not really. And this is where I really get pissed off. Because I felt like throwing her and Ramsey together was used as a ploy to cause people to side with Lexi when she was feeling jealous and insecure. It would work *IF*, and I stress the if, Ramsey actually seemed to act on anything with her. HE NEVER DID!! He was dedicated to Lexi. Yes, he made some stupid decisions but nothing that would be enough to make me question his love for her. If anything it affirms everything I believed about him. And made me fall deeper for him. Too bad I knew the poor guy was going to get the shaft. How did I know? She didn't care about wedding planning. She didn't care to look for a dress. She criticized him for making choices for her. Yeah, such a bad guy trying to take the stress of of you and also giving you everything a person could want. Asshole...
I know what people will argue. "But that's not what Lexi wanted. She just wanted simple and the original 'I Don't Give a Shit' Ramsey Bridges." Perhaps that's true. But people change. He did what he did to make her life better. Lexi sure changed! I don't think she felt like the same person throughout this series. She became a selfish twit and it was really hard to like her at this point.
Again there are shifting chapters in the book, but since they mainly focus on John I don't feel the need to really discuss them. There were a few that were centralized around Parker. These were probably designed to lead us to think that Ramsey still loved her. Sorry, but I didn't buy it. There is ONE that is supposed to be mindblowing and shocking. If you've read the "she says it's my baby" teaser then you can figure out what I mean. So what was it? Supposedly Ramsey had sex with one of his former strippers and gotten her pregnant. She claimed the kid (under a year old) was his. This means he'd have cheated on Lexi. I didn't buy this one either. But of course it put doubts into her pea brain. More problems arise and somehow during all this, Jack is being portrayed as the nice guy. It's quite laughable. All of the sudden he's defending Lexi. He's comforting her. Gag me. What Ms. Linde did was switch the mens' personalities. Well, she tried. She tried to make Ramsey a douche bag and it didn't work. She tried to make me fall for Jack, but that didn't work either.
I'm really just trying to hit all the big points. Like I said earlier, a lot of this book feels repetitive. She's constantly doubting her feelings for Ramsey and trying to deny those for Jack. Throwing John in there was absolutely pointless... Finally at Chyna's wedding (yes, she gets married) the shit hits the fan. She sees how Adam and Chyna look at each other standing at the altar and realized she can't see herself like that with Ramsey.
^ That's me throat punching Lexi. Because even though I was trying to hold out hope that she'd realize Ramsey was who she wanted forever, I knew it wasn't going to be. And I suddenly felt like this book was a complete waste of my time.
I'm just gonna sum up the rest briefly. They get home from the wedding and she decides she's going to postpone the wedding. She walks in early one night and finds Parker in Ramsey's office. Fully clothed, he's reading papers and she looks guilty. In yet another SHOCK (sarcasm), Parker DIDN'T have an abortion. It was a miscarriage all along. She leaves him. And where does she go? Yep. To Jack. For 5 days, I believe. They don't have sex but they cuddle and talk. This should have been Jack's epic moment. Actually, I lied. He should've made that move awhile ago. Anyway --- what does this jack ass do to prove his love has always been for her? Basically apologizes and tells her that. And that he wants her. That's it.
Yeahhhhhhhh... NO. But of course Lexi realizes she loves him and always will... blah blah blah. She breaks it off with Ramsey and devastates the best man in her life. God, how my heart broke for him in that moment. And while I agree he deserves someone who's going to love him and only him forever, it doesn't hurt less. It was absolutely painful. And I HATED Lexi more in that moment than any other time in the series. She wasted three years of his life. I was now glad that she was with Jack. Those two idiots deserve each other. This all happens around 78% of the book. I wish I was kidding. The rest of the story is too drawn out and I ended up skimming. Basically I just wanted to find out what Bekah's deal was. The answer was NOTHING. Apparently she's just a psycho who enjoys screwing with peoples' lives. She admitted to getting the miscarriage papers for Parker and setting the stripper thing up to destroy Ramsey and Lexi's relationship... but then this was explained away because there were already issues with the relationship, blah blah blah.
Amazingly everything in divorce court is wrapped up in Jack's favor by... CLARK! He decided to get back at Jack by having an affair with Bekah. So in actuality it was her who broke the clause. He agrees to walk into court with them to scare her into telling the truth. She does. Jack wins. YAY! Who cares. I swear after this I read the words, "God I love this man" 724928961 times. The ending is stupid. I'm just gonna be straightforward and say that. I think it proves these two never grew up. You're being led to believe he's going to propose. Instead he gives her a promise ring. I literally laughed.
Thank god it was over!!
I will say that Ms. Linde can write. It's not the actual writing that's the problem. With the exception of some repetitiveness, it's well-written. BUT --- she did manage to throw her feelings about Lexi's decision in as the voice of Chyna. Something along the lines of "Fuck everyone and do what you want, it's your life." Yes, Chyna has always been outspoken but it was obvious the true meaning. Also, I felt that she had to keep reiterating how much Lexi loved Jack once the choice was made. It was as if she didn't think anyone would believe it so she had to literally put it into words. UGH. I don't care that she picked Jack. Hell, I knew this was going to happen months ago! I just think it should've been written into the story better. Once again jack didn't have to do a single fucking thing to win. He sat back and let things crumble. I take that back. He did insert himself into her life as "a friend" which would never work. But he waited for her to be weak (once again) and took advantage of the situation. In my opinion, he never really fought for her. And I don't believe for one second that he'd have ever divorced Bekah on his own. Which makes that entire scenario even more ridiculous because she wouldn't have done it either. The bitch likes to win. It didn't make sense for her to give him up. I wanted to love this book. Regardless of the outcome, I felt everything was too contrived to get to that final destination. For me, none of it flowed. The flashbacks were awkward and didn't add to the story. And there was far too much sex. I'm no prude, but I don't need all the sex scenes to get to the end. Especially when all were with Ramsey and she wasn't going to end up with him. POINTLESS!!
The only addition I'd like to see from this series is a novella for Ramsey to give him his pov. He deserves his HEA and I'd rather see it with anyone BUT Parker. Because I never lost my love for him, but I felt that things were written into the story to make people switch sides. He'd make a stupid decision and I'd get so angry that I'd want to throw my Kindle. The man deserves better than what he got.
I've left this pre-release review up as it's what netted 101 votes.
Wtf??? How is anyone Team D Bag Jack?!?!?!
When it comes to love triangles, I have ALWAYS chosen the first guy. EVERY SINGLE TIME. Except this series. Jack is a complete dick. He's a POS, scumbag who WILL NEVER CHANGE, especially with Lexi. The guy is too good looking and manipulative. Not to mention HE CANNOT BE FAITHFUL! TO ANYONE!! He will not give Lexi the HEA we all want to see for her and what she deserves. He and Bekah deserve each other. They are both selfish and manipulative. Ramsey makes sense. He's kind, sweet, and willing to do whatever it takes.
Can someone PLEASE try to list things that make Jack worthy and redeemable? Because I'm not seeing it. He had a gf when he met Lexi. He strings her along for years. They cheat on their significant others but he never made things official with her! WHY NOT?? It makes me crazy. Is he out for money? Even if he loves her, it's not enough. You don't treat someone you love the way Jack has treated Lexi. Ugh... and people! His wedding day?!?!?! No. Just no. Unforgivable.
All I know is that Lexi better stick to her guns this time around. Otherwise, someone's gonna owe me a new iPad, Nook... whatever device I'm reading on!!
Go away Jack and Bekah, or I might get stabby!
Update! Avoiding Temptation??? Oh crap!! I'm sure to have major anxiety over this one. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE end well!
Oh boy. After the blurb was released, I got even MORE nervous. Things were bad enough when it was two guys --- and now a THIRD?!?!?! I can't take it. I've read the Jack POV from when he and Lexi first met. It made me remember the days when I liked him, but I'm still Team Ramsey!! Sorry, Jack and fans, but a few sweet moments don't excuse the rest of his f*** ups.
This is your final warning!
Spoiler
Okay. I just want to start off by saying that I found this book to be absolutely pointless. The remaining part of the story - basically just Lexi's choice - was so drawn out. There were parts that felt repetitive. Sometimes I'd read a paragraph or sentence and have to make sure I didn't have a faulty copy because I was positive I'd already read those exact words. This trend along with Lexi's annoying back and forth monologue in her head, her wishy-washy behaviors, and flat out bitchiness made it nearly impossible for me to want to read.Alright. I was Team Ramsey going in. Was he perfect? No. But he LOVES Lexi. He loves her the way she deserves to be loved. He's absolutely adorable, masculine, alpha... just pure yum! So yes, the book starts off on a great note. Lexi's phone rings while she's in bed with the gorgeous Mr. Bridges. As excited as some people will be, I know better. The fact that they are together in the beginning of this book is a bad sign. Because you know that asswipe Jack is coming back into the mix. And Lexi is an absolute dipshit where he's concerned. The phone call is of course the tool and he "needs" her. PUMP THE BRAKES!!! I'm sorry, what?? WHO CARES?!?!?! Okay, somehow in the two years since Jack went against what YOU wanted and married Bekah, you still manage to be friends with him?? Nope. I'm sorry, but absolutely not. The guy is an idiot, plain and simple. I don't care how hot he is. I can hold a grudge like no other. And sometimes you just need to let. It. Go. By "it" I mean "him". Anyway as per usual with Alexa, she has to meet him. Before they do, Ramsey PROPOSES. FREAKING PROPOSES and it's the most beautiful and sweetest thing ever!
They just don't make them like Ramsey Bridges in real life and that's a damn shame.
Oh yeah. So soon after she meets up with Jack. Get ready for a shock --- BEKAH IS DIVORCING HIM! Uh huh. After everything she has done. Weird. It seems fishy. Why would she give him up unless there's a bigger issue? So I figured this would be intriguing! There was a big scheme from day one --- for some reason she always wanted to destroy Jack's life. I needed to find out! (More about this at the end.) Bekah's reasoning for the divorce? Infidelity. I could not be joking. Okay, this bitch really is crazy. Well, Crazy with a capital C. BUT --- she doesn't deserve the blame for all of this mess. Lexi and Jack were adults who couldn't get their shit together for years. So she may have given things a push, but there's no way I can put all the fault on her. After discovering he signed a pre-nup with an infidelity clause, Lexi feels sorry for and wants to help Jack. Get ready for the why... She doesn't believe he did it! Huh? Excuse me? What? Ugh. This is when I knew I was probably going to hate this book.
Before I get back to the story, I've seen people saying they had no idea who she was going to choose until the very end. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm not sure who they're trying to kid because I knew very early on what her choice was going to be. I kept hoping that there would be a crazy twist, though, to prove me wrong.
Oh! Did I mention the past and present switches each chapter? Oops. Because I believe the description makes it sound as if John was really a threat. He's not. So don't even THINK he has a chance. Yes, they have sexual chemistry but he's about as relevant in these books as he was in Chyna's novella... To be honest the addition of him to the story was to add more drama and angst. As if dealing with Parker and Jack weren't enough, let's toss this guy in to stir up even more crap. This was another thing that didn't work for me.
There were so many red flags throughout the story. Lexi's constant questioning to herself if she was truly happy was the biggest one. If that wasn't an indicator of which direction things were going, then I don't know what is!! By 11% of the book (after they were engaged) I had decided that I'd be pissed if she ended up with Ramsey. SHE DOESN'T DESERVE HIM. She acts like the world's biggest bitch for the entire book and really proves who she is as a person. Yes, they have all made mistakes in this series, but Lexi is stupid. Absolutely, 100%, without a doubt, STUPID. And even though I don't think she deserved him I also didn't want Ramsey's heart to break.
PAUSE: K.A. Linde asked before the book released what Jack would have to do for girls on Team Ramsey to accept him to get Lexi. (The same was asked of Teams Jack and John.) For me? I didn't really know a specific thing, but I knew it had to be HUGE. EPIC. More than just a verbal apology. It would have to be the grandest of gestures. I'm no writer so it's not for me to determine how a guy redeems himself. I didn't think the guy could.
So things begin progressing, albeit SLOOOOOWWWWWLLLLLYYYYY. The divorce proceedings are all going Bekah's way since her family owns all the best lawyers and judges in Atlanta. Blah blah blah. Lexi and Ramsey are wrapped up in their jobs. Parker is causing trouble. But not really. And this is where I really get pissed off. Because I felt like throwing her and Ramsey together was used as a ploy to cause people to side with Lexi when she was feeling jealous and insecure. It would work *IF*, and I stress the if, Ramsey actually seemed to act on anything with her. HE NEVER DID!! He was dedicated to Lexi. Yes, he made some stupid decisions but nothing that would be enough to make me question his love for her. If anything it affirms everything I believed about him. And made me fall deeper for him. Too bad I knew the poor guy was going to get the shaft. How did I know? She didn't care about wedding planning. She didn't care to look for a dress. She criticized him for making choices for her. Yeah, such a bad guy trying to take the stress of of you and also giving you everything a person could want. Asshole...
I know what people will argue. "But that's not what Lexi wanted. She just wanted simple and the original 'I Don't Give a Shit' Ramsey Bridges." Perhaps that's true. But people change. He did what he did to make her life better. Lexi sure changed! I don't think she felt like the same person throughout this series. She became a selfish twit and it was really hard to like her at this point.
Again there are shifting chapters in the book, but since they mainly focus on John I don't feel the need to really discuss them. There were a few that were centralized around Parker. These were probably designed to lead us to think that Ramsey still loved her. Sorry, but I didn't buy it. There is ONE that is supposed to be mindblowing and shocking. If you've read the "she says it's my baby" teaser then you can figure out what I mean. So what was it? Supposedly Ramsey had sex with one of his former strippers and gotten her pregnant. She claimed the kid (under a year old) was his. This means he'd have cheated on Lexi. I didn't buy this one either. But of course it put doubts into her pea brain. More problems arise and somehow during all this, Jack is being portrayed as the nice guy. It's quite laughable. All of the sudden he's defending Lexi. He's comforting her. Gag me. What Ms. Linde did was switch the mens' personalities. Well, she tried. She tried to make Ramsey a douche bag and it didn't work. She tried to make me fall for Jack, but that didn't work either.
I'm really just trying to hit all the big points. Like I said earlier, a lot of this book feels repetitive. She's constantly doubting her feelings for Ramsey and trying to deny those for Jack. Throwing John in there was absolutely pointless... Finally at Chyna's wedding (yes, she gets married) the shit hits the fan. She sees how Adam and Chyna look at each other standing at the altar and realized she can't see herself like that with Ramsey.
^ That's me throat punching Lexi. Because even though I was trying to hold out hope that she'd realize Ramsey was who she wanted forever, I knew it wasn't going to be. And I suddenly felt like this book was a complete waste of my time.
I'm just gonna sum up the rest briefly. They get home from the wedding and she decides she's going to postpone the wedding. She walks in early one night and finds Parker in Ramsey's office. Fully clothed, he's reading papers and she looks guilty. In yet another SHOCK (sarcasm), Parker DIDN'T have an abortion. It was a miscarriage all along. She leaves him. And where does she go? Yep. To Jack. For 5 days, I believe. They don't have sex but they cuddle and talk. This should have been Jack's epic moment. Actually, I lied. He should've made that move awhile ago. Anyway --- what does this jack ass do to prove his love has always been for her? Basically apologizes and tells her that. And that he wants her. That's it.
Yeahhhhhhhh... NO. But of course Lexi realizes she loves him and always will... blah blah blah. She breaks it off with Ramsey and devastates the best man in her life. God, how my heart broke for him in that moment. And while I agree he deserves someone who's going to love him and only him forever, it doesn't hurt less. It was absolutely painful. And I HATED Lexi more in that moment than any other time in the series. She wasted three years of his life. I was now glad that she was with Jack. Those two idiots deserve each other. This all happens around 78% of the book. I wish I was kidding. The rest of the story is too drawn out and I ended up skimming. Basically I just wanted to find out what Bekah's deal was. The answer was NOTHING. Apparently she's just a psycho who enjoys screwing with peoples' lives. She admitted to getting the miscarriage papers for Parker and setting the stripper thing up to destroy Ramsey and Lexi's relationship... but then this was explained away because there were already issues with the relationship, blah blah blah.
Amazingly everything in divorce court is wrapped up in Jack's favor by... CLARK! He decided to get back at Jack by having an affair with Bekah. So in actuality it was her who broke the clause. He agrees to walk into court with them to scare her into telling the truth. She does. Jack wins. YAY! Who cares. I swear after this I read the words, "God I love this man" 724928961 times. The ending is stupid. I'm just gonna be straightforward and say that. I think it proves these two never grew up. You're being led to believe he's going to propose. Instead he gives her a promise ring. I literally laughed.
Thank god it was over!!
I will say that Ms. Linde can write. It's not the actual writing that's the problem. With the exception of some repetitiveness, it's well-written. BUT --- she did manage to throw her feelings about Lexi's decision in as the voice of Chyna. Something along the lines of "Fuck everyone and do what you want, it's your life." Yes, Chyna has always been outspoken but it was obvious the true meaning. Also, I felt that she had to keep reiterating how much Lexi loved Jack once the choice was made. It was as if she didn't think anyone would believe it so she had to literally put it into words. UGH. I don't care that she picked Jack. Hell, I knew this was going to happen months ago! I just think it should've been written into the story better. Once again jack didn't have to do a single fucking thing to win. He sat back and let things crumble. I take that back. He did insert himself into her life as "a friend" which would never work. But he waited for her to be weak (once again) and took advantage of the situation. In my opinion, he never really fought for her. And I don't believe for one second that he'd have ever divorced Bekah on his own. Which makes that entire scenario even more ridiculous because she wouldn't have done it either. The bitch likes to win. It didn't make sense for her to give him up. I wanted to love this book. Regardless of the outcome, I felt everything was too contrived to get to that final destination. For me, none of it flowed. The flashbacks were awkward and didn't add to the story. And there was far too much sex. I'm no prude, but I don't need all the sex scenes to get to the end. Especially when all were with Ramsey and she wasn't going to end up with him. POINTLESS!!
The only addition I'd like to see from this series is a novella for Ramsey to give him his pov. He deserves his HEA and I'd rather see it with anyone BUT Parker. Because I never lost my love for him, but I felt that things were written into the story to make people switch sides. He'd make a stupid decision and I'd get so angry that I'd want to throw my Kindle. The man deserves better than what he got.
I've left this pre-release review up as it's what netted 101 votes.
Wtf??? How is anyone Team D Bag Jack?!?!?!
When it comes to love triangles, I have ALWAYS chosen the first guy. EVERY SINGLE TIME. Except this series. Jack is a complete dick. He's a POS, scumbag who WILL NEVER CHANGE, especially with Lexi. The guy is too good looking and manipulative. Not to mention HE CANNOT BE FAITHFUL! TO ANYONE!! He will not give Lexi the HEA we all want to see for her and what she deserves. He and Bekah deserve each other. They are both selfish and manipulative. Ramsey makes sense. He's kind, sweet, and willing to do whatever it takes.
Can someone PLEASE try to list things that make Jack worthy and redeemable? Because I'm not seeing it. He had a gf when he met Lexi. He strings her along for years. They cheat on their significant others but he never made things official with her! WHY NOT?? It makes me crazy. Is he out for money? Even if he loves her, it's not enough. You don't treat someone you love the way Jack has treated Lexi. Ugh... and people! His wedding day?!?!?! No. Just no. Unforgivable.
All I know is that Lexi better stick to her guns this time around. Otherwise, someone's gonna owe me a new iPad, Nook... whatever device I'm reading on!!
Go away Jack and Bekah, or I might get stabby!
Update! Avoiding Temptation??? Oh crap!! I'm sure to have major anxiety over this one. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE end well!
Oh boy. After the blurb was released, I got even MORE nervous. Things were bad enough when it was two guys --- and now a THIRD?!?!?! I can't take it. I've read the Jack POV from when he and Lexi first met. It made me remember the days when I liked him, but I'm still Team Ramsey!! Sorry, Jack and fans, but a few sweet moments don't excuse the rest of his f*** ups.
daisybox's review
2.0
I loathe this series so much I don't even know what to say about it without being a bitch !
The writing was not the problem. It was quite good.
But the characters... every single of them... they were LOATHING and DISGUSTING. They lied, they cheated, and they manipulated the ones they were supposed to LOVE. (Chyna spent her time to drink alcohol... if I were her, I would be so hangover right now)
To me it's not a love story. I can't imagine how Jack and Alexa can love each other. I mean they spent all the fucking 3 books being hateful. They didn't even trust each other. He was a major jerk and she was a major bitch.
They didn't deserved a HEA (even if... LOL the end.. like REALLY, I mean WTF, after all this freaking time she's still not ready to commit to Jack BITCH PLEASE) they just deserved to be slapped with a big and heavy wooden chair. I HATE THEM SO MUCH !
The writing was not the problem. It was quite good.
But the characters... every single of them... they were LOATHING and DISGUSTING. They lied, they cheated, and they manipulated the ones they were supposed to LOVE. (Chyna spent her time to drink alcohol... if I were her, I would be so hangover right now)
To me it's not a love story. I can't imagine how Jack and Alexa can love each other. I mean they spent all the fucking 3 books being hateful. They didn't even trust each other. He was a major jerk and she was a major bitch.
They didn't deserved a HEA (even if... LOL the end.. like REALLY, I mean WTF, after all this freaking time she's still not ready to commit to Jack BITCH PLEASE) they just deserved to be slapped with a big and heavy wooden chair. I HATE THEM SO MUCH !
jessek103's review
3.0
I have loved this series from the beginning, but this book made me so angry!! I was super annoyed with Lexi for most of it and I didn't agree with many of the decisions she made. I guess it all worked out in the end. That being said, I absolutely love, love, love Ramsey.
heidi_boyles's review
2.0
2.5 stars. It barely held my attention and I only finished because I wanted to know who Lexie wound up with at the end. The best part was a little side note of Kellan Kyle and the D-Bags. What I wouldn't give for another book about him!!