lilmooniex's reviews
122 reviews

Things I Wanted To Say (but never did) by Monica Murphy

challenging dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Spoiler filled review / summary: 

Summer's step brother Yates pursues her heavily. Her first encounter with a man was at a rich guy's party due to who her mom works with - she also found out her mom was cheating on her step dad at the same party after Whit Lancaster told her. Whit let her know because it was his father that she was cheating with. Later on Summer ends up going to the same prestige school as Whit and he ends up making her an outcast because she ignores him and he "always gets what he wants." Whit basically becomes her bully without lifting a finger, getting everyone to bully her harder, physically pushing her until she agrees to his terms (a few blowies for her to finally get some friends, yay!) Elliot is Whit's friend and takes things to the next level trying to assault Summer because she won't have sex with him and she ended up kneeing him in the balls in front of everyone. Due to her humiliating him he came to retaliate when she was alone in the rain, about to assault her with his friend before Whit came to save her. Whit ended up getting his ribs bruised from the fight and Summer took care of him in her dorm where they hooked up for the first time while he continues to call her a whore for the umpteenth time. After the oral chronicles, Whit steals Summer's journal that he found in her drawer that she writes all the important events of her life so she doesn't forget them. He's using it as blackmail if it comes down to it. Sylvie (Whit's sister) is the only friend Summer has because she isn't afraid of his bullshit. Sylvie is dying, she said she is in poor health. Jonas Weatherstone, Summer's step dad died in a house fire which definitely had something to do with Summer. Whit is blackmailing Summer for sexual favors because her mom destroyed his family and is taking everything out on her instead. Whit is actually obsessed with her and ever since his first encounter with her he's been smitten just like she has. Too bad he's expressing his feelings in a shitty way but it seems consensual at least. He begins to actually read her journal and I think finally begins to get a better grasp of who Summer is. After Whit's visit with his own father he basically tells him he could give up on his family and marry a commoner or carry on their family name by marrying someone wealthy enough to keep his name going. Whit's obsession with Summer only grows after his visit realizing all the preppy rich girls don't compare. They bang around more until the day of the halloween party, they broke up a little before because Whit was destined to get married off to someone and instead dressed up super sluttily and hit on everyone at the party. She was not against people even slapping her ass. She was going to leave with one of the men from the party before Bryan tried to rape her, Whit ending up stopping the whole interaction. After all was said and done they still have trouble getting back together as Whit has a temporary girlfriend Caitlyn who is just obsessed with him but he won't sleep with her because he knew her obsession would only grow. Summer is planning on spending Thanksgiving with Sylvie and Whit goes terribly wrong - Sylvie's turns out to be a bitch easily manipulated by their mother. Since Summer was spending all of her time with Whit she felt betrayed and thought she only became friends with her for Whit and began calling her a whore and saying she is much like her mom. Summer finally grows some balls and tells her she's a spoiled rich lady like her mother. Sylvia (whit's mom, not sister) found Summer's journal and found out that Summer killed Yates and her step father with a candle she tipped over after he raped her one night. Summer's mom later told her when she visited after storming away from that terrible holiday that she actually beat Yates over the head with something causing him to bleed out after he threatened to tell his dad that she molested him after her mom confronted him about him sleeping with his step sister (Summer.) She then tipped the candles over the window curtain causing the house to go up in flames because Summer would never cause a fire the way she did. After a year in Paris Summer has time to evaluate her life Whit ends up showing up due to Monty the gay new friend she kept in touch with from school. Monty gets Summer all dressed in a beautiful skimpy outfit to impress a rich Paris suitor, turns out it was Whit reclaiming what's his. Whit returns the journal finally before he tells her everything going on in his life and how the arranged marriage is off and his mom has no say in his love affairs anymore. Letticia the bride to be turned out to be bisexual and was doing coke to numb the pain of being forced into marriage for family fortune and hierarchy. She now has a girlfriend. They pick up where they left off. Honestly they belong together he still wanted her back even after thinking she took a bribe / money from his mom to stay away. Sylvie and Summer never officially end up making up in this book. My first Bully story and damn was it crazy the lusty love is worth it, I think I can deal with bully as long as it's consensual. After a 5 year time skip and Summer is finally pregnant with child number two and they have an almost three year old. They're finally preparing for their wedding day after 5 yrs of being together officially and two kiddos. It ends with a cute tender moment between them being lovey, preparing, and that last intimate scene. The smut was GREAT but that last scene was kind've boring.

Does this count as my first bully story? I like enemies to lovers but danggg he straight up calls her a *redacted to avoid spoilers* more often than her name but "likes her?" A fun journey that I ate up very quickly. It had me kicking my feet like I just got a new crush and all. I'm not a fan of bully stories but seeing his perspective gave me a LITTLE ease to enjoy it immensely. I enjoyed the smut hella and I finished this book so quickly for it being a bit longer. This author for sure got me out of my readers slump. 

Wonderlight by Tina Spencer
Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.

Didn't care for the writing. 

Metamorphosis by FAKKU, Shindo L

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This books revolves around Saki. She goes to high school and learns about make up for the first time. She met an older guy who during their very FIRST sexual encounter gets her drugged up on a pill. It made her think sexual experiences are meant to be that intense that heightened and opened her up to the world of drugs. She falls for him but he only thinks of her as a sex friend. She later finds out he is in some financial problems and offers to help get him out by using her body.

A crazy ride if you can handle it! This had me anxious at times, stressed, but always rooting for the FMC! 
God knows she needed someone rooting for her at the very least. Book had me wondering just how far this book was going to go. Crazy two editors quit in the process of making it but it came out really well. Would like to read more things from this creator, even if it's not as depressing or dark. 

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Spoiler filled review/book summary

The story follows a person named Mallory Quinn who volunteered in a research clinic to get paid in amazon gift cards. They realized they weren't getting prescreened to participate and sniffs/ takes perc 40. The clinic experiment was to feel the male gaze while blindfolded she was the first person during all 3 rounds to actually guess with a 97% accuracy. She claimed it to be a spidey sense of hers and she could almost feel as it happened. The lady said she would get in touch but Mallory sold her phone later that night for oxy 80's. After getting clean she has many regrets and wonders what would have happened, she was never able to find any info on the lady at the college that focused on perception. Now she wonders if it was a hallucination from constant drug abuse. Russel is Mallory's sponsor he keeps her on track and does not believe that there was an actual clinic experiment she was part of. Mallory pulls up to Caroline's house where she is meant to babysit her child, Teddy. The child heard her clicking the doorbell and knew she was there even though it was currently broken. Teddy has a weird imaginary friend named Anya that he tends to draw. He says she sleeps under his bed where he hears her singing. It was difficult for her to get the job at first due to Caroline's husband , Ted or Mr. Maxwell, is being skeptical about hiring a prior drug addict. But with perseverance and making an impact on Teddy, Mallory got the job as a live in nanny. Caroline gave Mallory a stungun attachment to add to her key ring for self defense - foreshadowing ? Mallory gives up meetings after staying with the Maxwells feeling comfortable in her sobriety. Uh oh accident waiting to happen. She overhears Teddy to Anya again in secret and the photos he draws because of her becomes more vulgar. The next one is a woman being dragged by the ankles and Anya said it was not for Teddy's parents, that one was for Mallory. Teddy tells Mallory that the man Anya was with buried her in a hole and showed her the picture Anya instructed him to make.  Mallory heads over to the neighbor Mitzi's house and hears a bunch of conspiracies from the nutcase but she also tells her about children being able to channel spirits. She shows her the photos that Teddy is drawing and Mitzi offers to do a seance. Teddy drew another picture of Anya getting choked out. Mallory confronts Teddy's parents about the weird drawings he's been making and Caroline basically gets upset and tells her to mind her business and Ted basically agrees, telling her to leave all the worrying about him to Caroline that he was their miracle baby. Mallory was told by Teddy that Caroline told him not to show any more photos that photos could throw Mallory back over the edge of addiction. Lowkey Caroline is two faced, making up with her the next day and telling Teddy something different. Teddy hides his drawings in the trash and they have progressed to more realistic, Mallory reaches out to Adrian and he is seeking a picture of Annie Barrett to see if that is what Teddy is drawing. Mallory realizes that Teddy's drawings are getting more and more realistic and less like a 6-7 year old child, it is almost professional quality of the same drawing of a woman dragged and being tossed into a hole that a man had dug. Teddy denies drawing the new pictures. Caroline told Russell her sponser that she was worried about Mallory and saw her digging in the trash (she didn't know she was looking for the missing drawings Teddy threw away) Mallory took a voluntary drug test for her parole officer, it came up squeaky clean proving she is not currently using. The drawings keep appearing in Mallory's personal space when she isn't home and she still has no clue how it ended up there. Mallory sets up a camera to finally catch Teddy drawing during quiet time and there is a lot of weird time skips even though it is in real time and freezing before Teddy convulses on his bed. She finds out that Teddy is basically possessed and Anya uses his body to draw these elaborate photos and disposes of it before he can ever find it but she interrupted the process before it was complete, causing Teddy to actually see what happened and what he drew. Teddy is also a lefty but his elaborate drawings are made with his right hand. Mallory fell asleep leaving Teddy unattended for 4 hours, he played video games on an ipad in that span of time and she ended up drawing on the walls in place of Teddy when there was no paper available. Her fingers dark with Charcoal so Caroline and Ted finally have enough and say it's time for them to explore new opportunities and that they do not trust their son with her any longer. Ted and Caroline are kind've jerks from my perspective through Mallory's eyes but I understand seeing my walls all written up with weird shit. She was force drug tested and she passed of course which pissed me off all that just for her to fire her after watching her tinkle. She can sue them both for sexual assault as far as I'm concerned. Adrian gives Mallory time to explain everything in regards to her past drug use and abuse. She explains it all began when she was ordered to take her kid sister to an event with her friend, Mallory was so wrapped up in her phone since she couldn't make her track meet because she had injured herself, she wanted updates on who finished from her friend and ended up speeding up and ending up in the hospital. Mallory leaned on Oxy from all the broken bones and issues she had experienced after the car accident, becoming addicted. She leaned on asking her classmates for drugs in their parents cabinets then buying from a real dealer til it got too expensive, then she went with heroin. It was cheaper and felt almost the same. Adrian ends up believing her when he found a photo in his own home, realizing it was no way possible for her to drop it there. After visiting Mitzi's house to get the note they did from the seance, Adrian and Mallory find that Mitzi had passed away and police are at her home. They said she was found in the woods in her nightgown. They decode the note from Misty and it is a hungarian message from Anya, "saying to beware thief help flower." They align all the photos she drew through Teddy and herself, realizing that Anya's daughter was taken and Anya had been buried alive in a deep hole. Apparently Mallory figured out Teddy was actually a girl after the day of swimming and that he was the child that had been kidnapped, and Ted was basically pleasing with Mallory to leave well enough alone but she wouldn't. She kept pushing and Ted ended up cracking her over the head, locking her in the shed with her hands tied behind her back. Caroline was had heroin she had gotten from Mitzi that had to be mixed with fentanyl that caused her to overdose, Caroline is planning on forcefully injecting her and getting rid of her problem once and for all. Teddy's real mom's name was Margit and his real name is Flora. She was Hungarian. Caroline told her she was a bad mother by showing her but ultimately was happy to use the rabbit as a diversion because her mom had been ignoring her for hours at a time painting and had come up with a routine to sit outside with Flora on the blanket as she worked. After Caroline walked away with Flora for a walk to give her attention and was going to head back at some point she was caught and hit Margit in the head, she had a seizure. Mitzi never messed with drugs Caroline wanted to get rid of her after the spirit board kept guiding Mitzi to them. Caroline injects Mallory with Heroin mized with fent and she wakes up later thinking she was dead, Ted is untying her and basically professing his love. Misconstruing their relationship and thinking they could run away together. He claimed he replaced the heroin with baby powder. Caroline hears them running away together and shoots Ted multiple times through the shoulder and chest and while dying helps Mallory escape. Mallory makes a run for it, taking Teddy out of his bed in the process to help him escape and meanwhile Caroline is chasing them both through the woods with a gun. Teddy had conflicting thoughts but Margit (Teddy's real mom through possession) did not. Margit (Teddy) stabbed Caroline repeatedly in the throat with a spear arrow. Mallory took the blame for everything that happened while wading in the water with Teddy to wake him up from the trance. The book ends with a flash forward Teddy is now living with her father and decides to go by her birth name Flora. She may experience gender identity issues throughout her life because of Caroline's kidnapping and forcing her to become a gender she isn't. Flora is living with her father who is farm life through and through, it's definitely an adaptation from the previous life she had. She differentiates Teddy and herself differently. Mallory's mom reaches out to her after she saw everything on the news with Caroline being stabbed and her being a hero basically because it all seemed like self defense in her case as Mallory did not speak about the supernatural portions of the events and Teddy surely doesn't remember due to the possessions. They are finally in touch again (this part doesn't sit well with me after her mother cut her off completely now after everything she's searching for her daughter? Nope! But I guess that's maternal love. ) Her mom tells her that the lady from the experiment had been trying to reach out for years to give her the results and updates, Mallory didn't care at that point in her life and didn't want to be found. Mallory later tried to visit and it was extremely awkward and she realized she has no place in Flora's new life and reminded her of bad memories, she drew one last photo of Mallory and Flora together before hugging Mallory before she left and that was the end of the book. Adrian and Mallory are still a thing and Caroline and Ted are dead.

 

• This book was definitely different! Not my favorite read of the year but I'm still glad I read it. I love the illustrations it really adds to the book and makes it super unique. Wasn't the most exciting or shocking book but I still enjoyed the ride.  Would recommend to someone if they were interested in a quick, fun, and easy to read thriller. The characters aren't really that loveable or memorable though. 

Accidentally Yours by Mallory Funk

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Spoiler filled review / description: 

Damien had given his sperm after a car accident to make sure his semen was still viable but there had been a mix up after the accident, they had kept it and accidentally inseminated the wrong woman. Ella and Jeff had been trying for a baby for years before he found out he has low sperm count, after she had offically gotten pregnant with a donor's sperm (they didn't care whose it was, they were from foster care families and were ready to spoil their little one) he fell off the curb and got hit by a car. She didn't have any other family other than the baby since Jeff died on impact. Damien had a dead beat dad and isn't planning on going anywhere. Ella's mom died from Cancer when she was still a kid causing her to go into foster care. Damien is a MC biker and even though Ella is pregnant, he doesn't intend on settling, but he sure as hell is going to be in his kid's life. They finally meet and neither are disappointed. He is vice president of the MC and his prez finally wants to meet Ella. Damien invites Ella to family day, no club whores allowed. The prez had a kid with someone years ago and she dipped when he was on the run, after Damien brings her to the club house she pulls out an old photo that looks like a young prez, opening up worms that Prez is her dad and she finally discovered who he was after her death. Bianca (Ella's mom) couldn't stand back and watch Prez with Lilly, his old lady. They let her know she is extra special because she is the club's princess (Prez's daughter) and carrying Damien (VP's) baby. An arch MC enemy said Ella's mom sold her to him when she was pregnant and dipped before he could collect and that he was going to take his time breaking her. They admit they have feelings for one another. Ella says she isn't ready for anything serious just yet because of her husband but she doesn't want Damien fucking with anyone else either if he wants her. He professes he wants her to be his old lady. Demon the MC enemy fucked and killed the whores belonging to Damien's MC before they were cast out for being rude to Ella. 2 weeks after Ella has the baby Demon takes her from the hospital from her post op appointment, he did not make light of his promises. Their relationship grows and so does the tension, he doesn't push her to do anymore than she can handle since losing her husband. Damien waits on her to make the first move to touch, suck, and to initiate sex. As the years go on Demon finally kidnaps her but they get into a car accident and Ella's MC club works tirelessly to save her. In the end Damien wants Ella as his old lady and gets her knocked up again after a year. Everyone is excited and are happy to welcome in a new baby and openly welcomed Ella where she belonged in the MC. Ella's mom is the real mf villian she let her go to foster care instead of letting her dad know about Ella, just out of jealousy of Lilly.

 


An Adorable apple juice loving MC. It was just a sweet love story, kind've surrounded by tragedy but definitely with a beautiful ending - it came with patience. Pretty short read I binged it quickly and forgot my little world for a day. I definitely can understand the drops in reviews for the writing / editing style it could use a little cleaning up BUT if you keep going honestly I adored it. It was such a cute fast book, different than what I am used to but I am so happy I gave this book a chance personally. 

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Too slow paced, but I know the ending is better, i think. 

DNF for now - stopped reading page 108ish. 

The book begins with Willem and Jude looking to get the perfect apartment but were told they don't make a big enough income. It was considered "odd" that they weren't a couple and were looking to rent out a one bedroom. They're parents died so they have no cosigners, they had been friends since college and wanted to live with one another. Friends JB and Malcom try to make light of the bad news. JB lives with Merritt (he's gay). Jude lives with Malcom after his sister Flora moved out. JB (who is black/Haitian) is an artist that was going through a hair black phase going to barbers and making sculptures out of it. Annika seems to have a crush on Willem. She is their new landlord after him and Jude agreed on a place. Although it was a shithole it was a cheap shithole that came with a never before used futon. The first day they moved in the elevator broke after Willem asked about it whether the elevator was secure or not. Jude has severe pain in his legs. He has external pins drilled into his knees since he was younger. Jude used a cane throughout college and only Willem knows the extent of the pain, seeing him puke his brains out from the pain having to carry him home since he couldn't balance on his own feet. Willem might have a crush on Jude, he's cuddled him through his pain and seems to put distance now. Malcolm's father seems to like "fabulous" Flora better and hates that she moved 15 minutes by car away. It was obvious Malcolm's father did not care for him in the same way or much at all. He's planning on moving out and getting away. JB has an identity crisis sharing a studio space with 3 others, feeling less Haitian than the others of his culture he had seen on a bus speaking Creole. Jude seems the self conscious of the crew, he used to cover his mouth anytime JB or anyone tried to photograph him. He even gave him an option to veto if he didn't like a photo. Jude was JB's favorite to draw and each glimpse was precious because it's rare. JB gave Willem a reality check, telling him he's spoiled and he thinks he's so good looking but they all are and he's not special and things aren't just going to fall in his lap with no effort. Willem thought that it was rich coming from JB because he's even caught JB on the phone telling his mom that he needs new underwear that she needs to buy him and he'll pick it up when they meet for dinner. Willem had a older brother Hemming he had taken care of, he was not progressing as fast or well as he had been, Willem ended up his primary caretaker when his parents got careless. Their parents seemed emotionally unavailable, they had lost about 4 of their children before ending up with Willem. After constant surgeries on Hemming, Willem couldn't afford the ticket and didn't want his brother left alone in the hospital - Malcolm gave him the money. Both of their parents ended up dying the same year, his dad of a heart attack and his mom of a stroke. Malcom was jealous of Jude and Willem's relationship, feeling as though there was more they didn't know about.

 

Not sure what to make of this book but I'm here for the ride. Page 60ish it got a LITTLE more interesting. 

Chasing Her Fire by Claire Kingsley

hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Spoiler filled review/description: 

This is a small town love story about two enemies Cara and Logan, they had hooked up during a night of drinking but are still mortal enemies. Logan cannot stop thinking about her body even though he wants to hate her still. They slept together after a banquet event and both keep reminiscing while thinking of one another but are too pussy to admit it. Cara had gotten pregnant after their one night stand. Cara finally told Grace (her bestfriend) and she stood by her letting her know that their babies would be related at least with Logan as the dad. Logan was surprisingly very active in the role of fatherhood, actively accepting what they had done and the consequences, he wanted to appease Cara in any way to be part of the childs life. There was a minor miscarriage scare but it was normal spotting and Logan was the gentleman that she deserved. They become friends with benefits until it gradually grows into something more, Logan ends up eventually asking on her on a proper date. As the baby grew and their relationship, he began to realize he loved her and her crazy self and he was grateful for knocking her up. They met when Cara was sideswiped by a drunk driver and he was the responding EMT but she was okay just shaken. She self sabotaged their relationship from the beginning when Logan began to like her she became bitchy and doubled down on her, returning the attitude. Once Cara finally told him this years later he finally told her he loved her and wanted to marry her crazy ass, nothing would change it or drop the other shoe. Cara got into another accident in present time swerving away from a deer not to hit it but the brakes didn't pump fast enough on the raining / gloomy evening. The same day she ends up having her baby the same day, going into labor after the accident. They named the baby Brodrick after her dad. It's funny because he calls everything Bro or Broseph. Cara decides to kick her mom out of her life after she kept saying that she was a mistake since she was born. Later they all found out that Cara's breaks were tampered with and that it basically was attempted murder and not an deer accident while she was pregnant. The book ended with a beautiful wedding ceremony with all of their loved ones.

 

The smut was so fawking hot, holy crap. The climax after they got together was so freaking worth it. Such a sweet love story, enemies to lovers for sure has to be a favorite. The passion is like no other. It was a sweet book that I would for sure recommend to anyone that loves a pregnancy trope (which sadly isn't many.)

The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding
Did not finish book.

spoiler filled description:

The book revolves around an intelligent woman named Lee who ended up homeless, living out of her car. Doug had given her a blade because of her being out in the open on her own. One day she wakes to two men on either side of her car looking in to see what to steal and possibly worse. One shattered the window and stole her purse, it had all her valuables and money. We find out that the reason Lee is homeless is because she went into business with someone named Damon and when covid hit her restaurant closed down causing her to go bankrupt. Damon was not understanding and he hit her hand with a mallet and threatened to break a finger a week causing her to flee. Lee needs a cash advance from her boss Randy bc of the broken window but he is not budging, says if he has to do it for her he has to do it for everyone. Vincent, the frycook, knew she needed a new phone after the robbery and hooked her up with a street phone from his friend. Lee and her sister have some unresolved trauma from the last time they spoke, leading me to believe Lee stole from her. Since Lee's car is broken she has been sleeping in a nice rich neighborhood, one night as she was sleeping in her car by the ocean she noticed a woman apologizing to no one and diving into the freezing ocean, trying to kill herself. She ended up saving her but said she wishes Lee hadn't, saying her husband is a defense lawyer and is very abusive and sadistic and she can't live her life like this. She finds out the drowning woman is named Hazel as she came back the next morning with breakfast and an expensive figurine that she could see if she felt up for it as a thank you. Hazel says she has to be come by 6:30, saying it is similar to master and slave with her husband Benjamin. Jesse, one of her patrons, invited Lee on a date he was very sweet and took care of her when she fell asleep during it - waking up in his bed. He gave her food and wanted to try another date when she was well again. Lee wanted to exchanged numbers but he said," I know where to find you" giving me a kind've bad vibe. Lee and her sister Teresa stopped talking because her fiance was cheating on her but instead of telling her right away she was planning on blackmailing him, getting the money, then telling her sister. He confesses before any of it can happen and makes Lee look like the world's worst sister. Hazel meets up with Lee again and she told her that her husband Benjamin and her were in a dom/sub relationship but then she eventually stopped enjoying it and Benji did not give a fawk and enjoyed how uncomfortable it made her. He even has a soundproof room to lock her up in if she acts out of line.  She is only allowed 20 mins on the beach. Benjamin is a powerful lawyer so she can't leave without him threatening to kill her. Lee has been seeing Jesse and flirting and I have to say I do NOT trust him. He seems quite shady and seems to ask a lot of personal questions about her home life and family (casually) but I feel like for a reason. Hazel offered to get Lee a whole new identity when they hatch an escape plan, wanting to run away from both of their problems. At this point I trust no one, not even Lee. Hazel giving a little Shady but I give her a lil credibility bc I see the chapters change perspectives at some point. Lee sees Hazel in a shop while trying to look up both Jesse and Benjamin but Hazel was acting brand mf new acting like she didn't know her and gave her $50, humiliating her while she was with her two rich friends. I feel like there's little hints being dropped about Jesse even his apartment is scarce. Lee is a thirsty girl just wanting some sort of sexual contact/ human contact and finally bangs Jesse. Jesse could be hazel's son ? He mentioned an abusive parental atmosphere. Also later when he sees her again he did a quick hump and dump against the car before darting off which was weird and so mf sudden ?? Hazel feels guilty for acting posh and says it was her husband's friend's wives that she was with and that they were not her friend and ends up buying her a spa ticket for the day - she got her a bikini wax, mani pedi, and a massage. I almost feel as though she's going to he caught bc Hazel obviously won't be smooth downstairs but is paying for this extra service, she can always paint her toe polish. Lee went thru the works and the visit was not paid for but Hazel comes rushing in with a black eye, an apology, and her debit card. Lee and Hazel swapped places, Hazel thought Lee looked just like her after the spa treatment and wanted her to go to her home and make it look like it were her so Hazel could get a two hour headstart with her new identity and then they could both leave before Benjamin came home. Everything went as planned, the 50k was in the drawer along with Lee's new identity except when Lee went into Benjamin's office, she found Jesse dead in the chair. Jesse and Hazel had known each other, he was hired by Benjamin as her personal trainer when he began to hate her body. They had an affair and he knew about her controlling husband, trying to help her escape - but ever since finding out about Lee the plan was for her to go down for murder using the knife in her house to make it look like she was stealing and murdering from the clean nice rich lady. Hazel's friendship to Lee was all a sham set in motion basically by Jesse. Lee is a little confused on who to trust after seeing her knife and the netzuke egg is gone from her area. Lee ends up breaking into Jesse's house and realizes Hazel and him were actually together and that Jesse may not have even been his real name - it could have been Carter. She dips when she hears excessive banging on the door, stealing his notebook. In the notebook Lee digs and finds a number before she could hang up he called her by her name, asking where she is - I wonder what the hell is happening. Lee finds Jesse/Carter's brother, Sean, and breaks the news to him letting him know he was murdered. Since they were in a lot of legal trouble, Hazel's wife Benjamin had been the one representing Carter/Jesse - all the pieces falling into places and many enemies on his back. Benjamin asked Lee for a meet up after he called her on Hazel's phone, saying she was the one that was actually evil and plotting. Lee ended up with 75k after Ben bribed her to leave because he wanted her out of the equation.

 

DNF, I got bored. 

A Long Time Coming by Meghan Quinn

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Spoiler filled review / description: 

Lia joins SSS (Secret society of scrabble) where she meets Breaker and they become friends who like to play a bunch of nerdy board games. Breaker is getting sued by one of his ex employees for a hostile work environment even though the employee named Gemma would torment and hide supplies. Lia has a now fiance named Brian and she is making every excuse not to tell Breaker about their soon to be marriage. Brian thinks it's possible they have feelings for each other even though she keeps reassuring him she doesn't. She's stressed because her parents are not there to celebrate with her anymore. Mrs. Beaver (Brian's mom) is a huge control freak while Brian is a major mama's boy and is turned all the way off. Breaker decides to make Lia's life easier, he would become the "maid" or man of honor in her wedding since she doesn't have any other support. He seeks help from his brothers JP and Huxley to decide what he should do with Lia and their relationship. Breaker and Brian are trying to put their bad blood to rest when Brian asks Breaker on a double date, A BLIND double date with a woman names Birdy. Ever since the blind date Lia seems to notice Breaker more and want him ever since noticing how interested he was in another woman. The more sexual tension growing between Birdy, the awkwardness and jealousy grows between the jealousy and awkward space grows between Breaker and Lia. He is even leaving more room for her and Brian to spend time with one another. Breaker realizes he is starting to love Lia and fully panics. after a bad cake tasting Lia starts yelling at Brian and his mom because they keep disrespecting her and she throws off the wedding. Breaker is Happy and slowly makes a move on her. They had their first time making each other orgasm after drinking, the day of the engagement got broken up. It was HOTT. But Lia bailed immediately after the experience scared it would ruin the friendship. They eventually buildup their relationship because she has never seen that side of him, Breaker wants to make her comfortable and gives her time to adjust to him and the sexual side before even having sex. By the end their feelings only seem to grow heavier and he ends up asking her to marry him during the epilogue.

 

Final thoughts: 

Their first sexual experience was explosive and the passion and built/pent up passion was more than worth it. I finished the book and was amazed by the author. She sure knows how to write a well written love story with backstory that just makes sense. This was such a freaking adorable story and I would recommend it, a fantastic friends to lovers book with heavy HEAVY passion. 

Our Way by T.L. Swan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.

Not a fan of the writing style.