itsdanielledickson's review
3.0
The whole plot is such a good story, but it kills me to say I don’t think I was carried out as well as it could’ve been.
I didn’t like either character. I thought Justine was a little weak and needy, and Rafael was awful to her at times as well as full of himself. It seemed like every time they were together they were having sex, and I wanted more story instead. I enjoyed the narrative of when the weren’t together, but it just didn’t meet my expectations unfortunately.
Had I have read it instead of listened to the audiobook, my review may be different, but the narrators male voice didn’t appeal to me.
I do like this narrator for a female POV though.
Overall the writing was good, the story just wasn’t for me.
I didn’t like either character. I thought Justine was a little weak and needy, and Rafael was awful to her at times as well as full of himself. It seemed like every time they were together they were having sex, and I wanted more story instead. I enjoyed the narrative of when the weren’t together, but it just didn’t meet my expectations unfortunately.
Had I have read it instead of listened to the audiobook, my review may be different, but the narrators male voice didn’t appeal to me.
I do like this narrator for a female POV though.
Overall the writing was good, the story just wasn’t for me.
linzreadz13's review
5.0
*4.5 Stars!
This was my first book by Tamara Lush and I’m so happy it was. It’s no secret that I’m a complete, and total sucker, for second chance romances. This was such a great one! I loved the backstory we receive right from the get-go with the prologue set 15 years in the past. It helps us to immediately become invested in the characters and find out what happened, why, and what’s going to happen next.
With the print industry rapidly declining, like in real life, Justine is trying to keep her beloved newspaper afloat. When Rafael comes back into her life, playing the hero part, she’s not quite sure how to handle it. Is he back in her life to really help her? Or is he back for some kind of revenge for the way things ended up in the past?
I absolutely loved Rafael and Justine as individual characters and as a couple. Their relationship was full of ups, downs, and even a lot of twists and turns. They both have a lot of baggage, things they need to move past in order to move on and have a future. Even after 15 years, their chemistry has not waned. If anything, it felt hotter, spicier, and more intense.
The addition of Rafael’s sweet talk, in Spanish no less, was brilliant. It took nothing to fall for him and rooting for his and Justine’s relationship. Yes, there are moments where I loved to hate him but overall he was caring, sweet, and oh so swoony!
I’m still in shock at how quickly I ate this book up. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. This book definitely left me wanting more. I wish more of an epilogue was given which is the reason I couldn’t give it a full 5 stars. I will definitely be going to check out Tamara’s other books!
If you’re looking for a hot, steamy, second chance romance, look no further! Go snatch this one up right now!
Grateful to have received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first book by Tamara Lush and I’m so happy it was. It’s no secret that I’m a complete, and total sucker, for second chance romances. This was such a great one! I loved the backstory we receive right from the get-go with the prologue set 15 years in the past. It helps us to immediately become invested in the characters and find out what happened, why, and what’s going to happen next.
With the print industry rapidly declining, like in real life, Justine is trying to keep her beloved newspaper afloat. When Rafael comes back into her life, playing the hero part, she’s not quite sure how to handle it. Is he back in her life to really help her? Or is he back for some kind of revenge for the way things ended up in the past?
I absolutely loved Rafael and Justine as individual characters and as a couple. Their relationship was full of ups, downs, and even a lot of twists and turns. They both have a lot of baggage, things they need to move past in order to move on and have a future. Even after 15 years, their chemistry has not waned. If anything, it felt hotter, spicier, and more intense.
The addition of Rafael’s sweet talk, in Spanish no less, was brilliant. It took nothing to fall for him and rooting for his and Justine’s relationship. Yes, there are moments where I loved to hate him but overall he was caring, sweet, and oh so swoony!
I’m still in shock at how quickly I ate this book up. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. This book definitely left me wanting more. I wish more of an epilogue was given which is the reason I couldn’t give it a full 5 stars. I will definitely be going to check out Tamara’s other books!
If you’re looking for a hot, steamy, second chance romance, look no further! Go snatch this one up right now!
Grateful to have received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
rcoffey10's review
5.0
I absolutely loved it. I was drawn into this book from the very first page and it definitely leaves you wanting to continue reading. I was hooked!
lmiller's review
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jesbruno's review
4.0
Constant Craving by Tamara Lush is an erotic romance that will set your Kindle on fire. As this was my first book by this author, I was not disappointed for wanting to read this book. Justine Lavoie is the publisher of the St. Augustine Times, this newspaper has been slowly going under and Justine is looking for an investor but she wasn’t expecting it to be her ex. It’s been 15 years since Rafael Menendez has seen his ex, Justine. He has a proposition for her he will save her newspaper if she spends the month with him. What will Justine do to save her family’s legacy?
Second chance romances are my favorite genre and this was fantastic. The back in forth from Justine and Rafael was really enjoyable to read; you didn’t know what the other one was going to say next. The writing was really good and boy those bedroom scenes were HOT!
Second chance romances are my favorite genre and this was fantastic. The back in forth from Justine and Rafael was really enjoyable to read; you didn’t know what the other one was going to say next. The writing was really good and boy those bedroom scenes were HOT!
midnight_rose_reads's review
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
One of my favorite second chance romances!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Miscarriage
lindas_bookstoread's review
5.0
I am volunteering to leave a review for an ARC of this book. This is a tragic love story. Two people, madly in love, forced apart by a family member who does not appreciate or like Rafael. Justine, at the same time, was dealing with a highly emotional issue. Finally, a time comes, when Rafael can come back into Justine's life. Can they find their way back to one another, or do they have to tragically pull apart once again? This is a very emotional, highly charged romance. I loved every last paragraph!
nadenetotallyaddictedtoreading's review
3.0
What measures would you take to save your business? Would you sleep with your ex to save your family legacy? Well, Justine Lavoie faced this dilemma. Justine is the publisher for the Times a well-established newspaper in the city of St. Augustine. Unfortunately, it is plagued with financial difficulties forcing her to seek a bailout from an equity firm. It so happens that the firm, which chose to invest in the newspaper, her ex Raphael Menendez de Aviles recently purchased it. Now Justine faces her biggest challenge coming to terms with her past while trying to save her family legacy.
The story told from Justine’s POV provided insight into her current and past feelings for Raphael. It is clear she never stopped loving him as such accepting his proposal of spending a month with him in exchange for him helping her business was not a hard feat. However, will she be able to walk away at the end of the thirty days as she did fifteen years ago?
I became absorbed in Justine’s life. I may not have agreed with some of her actions, but her motives were clear. I think that having the story told from her perspective helped, as I was privy to her thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I sympathized with her then next I wanted to shake her. Why would she allow him to treat her that way? I know she wanted to save her paper, and she never stopped loving Raphael but no woman worth her salt should allow any man to treat her like a whore no matter the circumstances.
I found Raphael cold and distant, and as a result, I had a hard time connecting to him. It would have been great to get things from his perspective. It appears revenge motivated his actions, but was it because Justine walked away ending their relationship or did it go deeper? One thing that came out in all of this was Raphael’s fear of having his heart broken once again. Despite this, I still did not understand who he was as an individual.
These two frustrated me at times. They kept blaming each other for their breakup, but never tried to discuss the issues that led to the demise of their relationship. I kept wondering what could have caused the break up seeing they love for each other was so deep. My frustration with them increased when the reasons for their relationship ending came to light. If only they had communicated with each other, then they could have avoided their current situation.
I like the fact the story went back to their days in college providing insight in to how their love for each other developed. These were the scenes that convinced me of their love for each other. A love that intense would definitely stand the test of time. Due to the slow pacing I had a hard time getting into the story at first (the narration did not help) eventually things picked up and I hoped these two will get it right the second time around.
Narration
Unfortunately, the narration did not work for me. I tried listening at 1.5x and the narrator sounded like someone pumped on helium. I ended up listening at1.20x. At this speed, she sounded flat, and the narration had no life. Her male and female voices were distinct; however for Raphael the Spanish accent was non-existent. Her pronunciation of the Spanish words needs work.
What saved this for me was the fact that read and listened to the book. If I had to rely on the audio solely, I would have given upon the book.
Conclusion/Recommendation
Overall, this was a good story, I am not sure I would listen to more from the narrator but I would definitely read more from this Tamara Lush.
The story told from Justine’s POV provided insight into her current and past feelings for Raphael. It is clear she never stopped loving him as such accepting his proposal of spending a month with him in exchange for him helping her business was not a hard feat. However, will she be able to walk away at the end of the thirty days as she did fifteen years ago?
I became absorbed in Justine’s life. I may not have agreed with some of her actions, but her motives were clear. I think that having the story told from her perspective helped, as I was privy to her thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I sympathized with her then next I wanted to shake her. Why would she allow him to treat her that way? I know she wanted to save her paper, and she never stopped loving Raphael but no woman worth her salt should allow any man to treat her like a whore no matter the circumstances.
I found Raphael cold and distant, and as a result, I had a hard time connecting to him. It would have been great to get things from his perspective. It appears revenge motivated his actions, but was it because Justine walked away ending their relationship or did it go deeper? One thing that came out in all of this was Raphael’s fear of having his heart broken once again. Despite this, I still did not understand who he was as an individual.
These two frustrated me at times. They kept blaming each other for their breakup, but never tried to discuss the issues that led to the demise of their relationship. I kept wondering what could have caused the break up seeing they love for each other was so deep. My frustration with them increased when the reasons for their relationship ending came to light. If only they had communicated with each other, then they could have avoided their current situation.
I like the fact the story went back to their days in college providing insight in to how their love for each other developed. These were the scenes that convinced me of their love for each other. A love that intense would definitely stand the test of time. Due to the slow pacing I had a hard time getting into the story at first (the narration did not help) eventually things picked up and I hoped these two will get it right the second time around.
Narration
Unfortunately, the narration did not work for me. I tried listening at 1.5x and the narrator sounded like someone pumped on helium. I ended up listening at1.20x. At this speed, she sounded flat, and the narration had no life. Her male and female voices were distinct; however for Raphael the Spanish accent was non-existent. Her pronunciation of the Spanish words needs work.
What saved this for me was the fact that read and listened to the book. If I had to rely on the audio solely, I would have given upon the book.
Conclusion/Recommendation
Overall, this was a good story, I am not sure I would listen to more from the narrator but I would definitely read more from this Tamara Lush.
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