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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Bleeding Violet in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves
Genre: YA, Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 4/5
My Summary: Hanna is a freak. Diagnosed with Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia, Hyperactivity, Insanity, and nearly shut away as a maniac-depressive, she runs away from home in search of the mother she never knew. On arriving in her mother’s strange town called Portero, she makes a deal with her mom—if she can fit in with the people in this town within two weeks, she can stay. Her mother scoffs at the idea of Hanna being able to fit into the town—but Hanna soon learns that this has nothing to do with her, and everything to do with the town. Portero is like nothing she’s ever seen or heard of or imagined before. Strange creatures, invisible doors, a police-like force with a strange sense of right and wrong, a boy who she’s not sure if she likes or hates (but knows for sure that he’s hot), and a mayor who thinks she’s a god, Hanna starts her two-week challenge trying to fit in—and ends it trying to save the lives of everyone she loves.
Review:
Bleeding Violet was freakishly amazing, morbidly exciting, and realistically romantic.
I love it when the romance between the characters is real—not two perfect people who never fight who get along perfect. No, the romance between Hanna and Wyatt was not perfect, but it was there and it was special, and it was funny.
This whole book was funny. Though parts of it were strange and morbid, a lot of it was moderately confusing in an understandable way (Does that make any sense? probably not. Remember that Hanna is insane. She hallucinates… and makes some pretty interesting things happen near the end. It is confusing because it’s impossible, but understandable because she’s crazy.). I laughed almost the whole way through. It’s light and heavy, witty and serious, all mixed with the color purple.
The characters were my favorite. All the characters were very distinct and different. Sometimes when reading a story, some of the minor characters kind of blend together and seem similar, not defined enough, because they don’t really matter. But in Bleeding Violet, all the characters are distinct. I’m not sure if telling everyone that I identify with Hanna would be a wise idea because it might scare you… but to a certain extent, I did (and do) relate to her. Not just because of my own insanity (mwa-ha-ha!) but because her character was written in a very clear personal way. The story is told from first person inside Hanna’s head, so I knew exactly what Hanna was thinking all the time. Wyatt wasn’t perfect either. He had his flaws and that made him a real person. The change in Rosalie (the mother) was… both interesting and wonderful to see (Trying to keep this spoiler-free… but those of you who’ve read it already know what I mean by “change”).
The plot was engaging and fast paced, but not rushed. The details enhanced the story, rather than slowing it down just for the sake of telling you what something looked or felt like.
Bleeding Violet has a good mix of reality and paranormal. It’s mixed well enough that you can relate to it and it feels like our present day, age, and atmosphere, but the paranormal aspects are still strong and don’t feel out of place.
The low points of the book were the writing, and the ending. The writing was nothing special, but for the most part it was acceptable. The ending wasn’t a let down, but it could have been better. It was cute and sweet, but it didn’t fix all the problems, didn’t answer all the questions, and didn’t have quite enough closure for me.
Content: There was some sex, but no explicit details. There were some sexual references, moderate language, and some morbid details. Not for the easily offended or the weak of stomach.
Recommendation: Ages 16+ to anyone who doesn’t mind being a little freaked out or surprised by crazy people.
Will I buy this book and read it again? Yes, probably. (I read the e-book copy for review.) It will (hopefully soon) have a permanent spot on my bookshelf.
~Haleyknitz
Genre: YA, Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 4/5
My Summary: Hanna is a freak. Diagnosed with Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia, Hyperactivity, Insanity, and nearly shut away as a maniac-depressive, she runs away from home in search of the mother she never knew. On arriving in her mother’s strange town called Portero, she makes a deal with her mom—if she can fit in with the people in this town within two weeks, she can stay. Her mother scoffs at the idea of Hanna being able to fit into the town—but Hanna soon learns that this has nothing to do with her, and everything to do with the town. Portero is like nothing she’s ever seen or heard of or imagined before. Strange creatures, invisible doors, a police-like force with a strange sense of right and wrong, a boy who she’s not sure if she likes or hates (but knows for sure that he’s hot), and a mayor who thinks she’s a god, Hanna starts her two-week challenge trying to fit in—and ends it trying to save the lives of everyone she loves.
Review:
Bleeding Violet was freakishly amazing, morbidly exciting, and realistically romantic.
I love it when the romance between the characters is real—not two perfect people who never fight who get along perfect. No, the romance between Hanna and Wyatt was not perfect, but it was there and it was special, and it was funny.
This whole book was funny. Though parts of it were strange and morbid, a lot of it was moderately confusing in an understandable way (Does that make any sense? probably not. Remember that Hanna is insane. She hallucinates… and makes some pretty interesting things happen near the end. It is confusing because it’s impossible, but understandable because she’s crazy.). I laughed almost the whole way through. It’s light and heavy, witty and serious, all mixed with the color purple.
The characters were my favorite. All the characters were very distinct and different. Sometimes when reading a story, some of the minor characters kind of blend together and seem similar, not defined enough, because they don’t really matter. But in Bleeding Violet, all the characters are distinct. I’m not sure if telling everyone that I identify with Hanna would be a wise idea because it might scare you… but to a certain extent, I did (and do) relate to her. Not just because of my own insanity (mwa-ha-ha!) but because her character was written in a very clear personal way. The story is told from first person inside Hanna’s head, so I knew exactly what Hanna was thinking all the time. Wyatt wasn’t perfect either. He had his flaws and that made him a real person. The change in Rosalie (the mother) was… both interesting and wonderful to see (Trying to keep this spoiler-free… but those of you who’ve read it already know what I mean by “change”).
The plot was engaging and fast paced, but not rushed. The details enhanced the story, rather than slowing it down just for the sake of telling you what something looked or felt like.
Bleeding Violet has a good mix of reality and paranormal. It’s mixed well enough that you can relate to it and it feels like our present day, age, and atmosphere, but the paranormal aspects are still strong and don’t feel out of place.
The low points of the book were the writing, and the ending. The writing was nothing special, but for the most part it was acceptable. The ending wasn’t a let down, but it could have been better. It was cute and sweet, but it didn’t fix all the problems, didn’t answer all the questions, and didn’t have quite enough closure for me.
Content: There was some sex, but no explicit details. There were some sexual references, moderate language, and some morbid details. Not for the easily offended or the weak of stomach.
Recommendation: Ages 16+ to anyone who doesn’t mind being a little freaked out or surprised by crazy people.
Will I buy this book and read it again? Yes, probably. (I read the e-book copy for review.) It will (hopefully soon) have a permanent spot on my bookshelf.
~Haleyknitz
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Treatment (The Program, #2) in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I loved The Program by Suzanne Young, so I had to get The Treatment as soon as it was released to find out what happened to James and Sloane. While I didn't love The Treatment as much as The Program, this was still a good read.
I like the title. It's a good fit for what the books about, and it fits with the first boo in the series.
I like the cover. I like how, to me, it kind of portrays James and Sloane on the run. I had the hardback copy of this book, so when I took off the dust jacket, it had the pill cover which is the treatment.
The world building was done fantastically! I could see each of the scenes in my mind clearly. This time, the setting of the book takes James and Sloane all over the United States.
The pacing was a bit slow for about the first two-thirds of the book, and I was really disappointed. However, I kept reading because I desperately wanted to like this book. Luckily, I was rewarded when the last section of the book picked up pace, and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
The plot is good. Sloane and James are on the run from the Program after rekindling their romance from before the Program. They meet other rebels who are on the run, and they all try to stay one step ahead of the Program. Sloane is still wondering if she should take the Treatment, which would restore all of her memories, that Realm gave her. The only thing I didn't like about the plot is that it was too mushy when it came to the romance. The first book in the series wasn't as bad as this. Plus, it seemed in this book that James and Sloane were having sex at the end of almost every chapter!
I thought the characters were written really well even if James and Sloane were humping like rabbits all the time! Sloane is still a very strong female character, and in this book, we're introduced to Dallas who is also a very strong female character. Dallas does have some vulnerability though, and I found it very interesting to learn what she was like before the Program. We're also introduced to Cas in this book. Cas was like the comic relief in this book. He would always try to defuse the situation. Realm is back in this book, and I don't really like him. He's not written poorly, but he just grates on my nerves the way he's always trying to make Sloane second guess her love for James. James is very hot-headed in this book. I still do like him as a character, and I can understand why he got angry.
I enjoyed the dialogue especially when Dallas or Cas where involved in the scene. The dialogue felt very natural and fitting for a young adult book. There is some swearing in this book as well as violence. There are some sexual scenes in this book although they aren't graphic.
Overall, The Treatment (The Program #2) by Suzanne Young starts off being slow but picks up during the last third of the book. The characters are still written very well, and the world building is fantastic.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ who enjoyed The Program and want to know more about Sloane and James.
I loved The Program by Suzanne Young, so I had to get The Treatment as soon as it was released to find out what happened to James and Sloane. While I didn't love The Treatment as much as The Program, this was still a good read.
I like the title. It's a good fit for what the books about, and it fits with the first boo in the series.
I like the cover. I like how, to me, it kind of portrays James and Sloane on the run. I had the hardback copy of this book, so when I took off the dust jacket, it had the pill cover which is the treatment.
The world building was done fantastically! I could see each of the scenes in my mind clearly. This time, the setting of the book takes James and Sloane all over the United States.
The pacing was a bit slow for about the first two-thirds of the book, and I was really disappointed. However, I kept reading because I desperately wanted to like this book. Luckily, I was rewarded when the last section of the book picked up pace, and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
The plot is good. Sloane and James are on the run from the Program after rekindling their romance from before the Program. They meet other rebels who are on the run, and they all try to stay one step ahead of the Program. Sloane is still wondering if she should take the Treatment, which would restore all of her memories, that Realm gave her. The only thing I didn't like about the plot is that it was too mushy when it came to the romance. The first book in the series wasn't as bad as this. Plus, it seemed in this book that James and Sloane were having sex at the end of almost every chapter!
I thought the characters were written really well even if James and Sloane were humping like rabbits all the time! Sloane is still a very strong female character, and in this book, we're introduced to Dallas who is also a very strong female character. Dallas does have some vulnerability though, and I found it very interesting to learn what she was like before the Program. We're also introduced to Cas in this book. Cas was like the comic relief in this book. He would always try to defuse the situation. Realm is back in this book, and I don't really like him. He's not written poorly, but he just grates on my nerves the way he's always trying to make Sloane second guess her love for James. James is very hot-headed in this book. I still do like him as a character, and I can understand why he got angry.
I enjoyed the dialogue especially when Dallas or Cas where involved in the scene. The dialogue felt very natural and fitting for a young adult book. There is some swearing in this book as well as violence. There are some sexual scenes in this book although they aren't graphic.
Overall, The Treatment (The Program #2) by Suzanne Young starts off being slow but picks up during the last third of the book. The characters are still written very well, and the world building is fantastic.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ who enjoyed The Program and want to know more about Sloane and James.
Siren's Surrender (Dark Tides #2)
7.0
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Never embracing her mermaid heritage, Gwen Lonike lives in the human world as the owner of a Maine...
Inseparable (Rise of the Iliri #4)
9.0
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DISASTER! THE BLACK BLADES DISBANDED, AN ALLIANCE IN TURMOIL... Growing ever more tender yet always...
ArecRain (8 KP) rated My Dirty Detour in Books
Jan 18, 2018
This is not my normal read (mafia/gangster/etc.) But the author personally contacted me, and I have a hard time saying no. I figure if the author can go out of her way to personally ask me, I can take time to read it and give my honest opinion especially since I feel that, despite having my preferences, I can usually look beyond my biases to give it a fair review. I did not accept the author's offer of a complimentary copy, though, and instead bought it from Amazon.
First of all, whoa. I wasnt not expecting this. At first, I felt the writing was a bit long winded. The first couple pages seemed filled with endless descriptions that I didnt care about. That stopped there. Once Violet meets Rocky (within the first couple pages) it only gets better and the writer flows smoothly.
I loved Violet. I honestly related with her a lot on multiple levels from her love of organization to her wanting to try new things but not really follow through to her hesitance with Rocky. Omg their interactions are just the best! At first, Rocky is a raging d***, but that changes. Honestly, Violets interactions and dialogue with him mirrored my own and how I would have done it. She is such a strong character but different from what other typically consider strong. What others would see as giving up, I saw as the strength to walk away, from abuse she didnt need and a situation that made her unhappy. Staying didnt make her strong, walking away did. And Rocky truly redeems himself on multiple counts.
I dont want to ruin any of the story for you because it is one of the best I have read in this genre. You can truly feel the blood, sweat, and tears the author put into this novel. It is such an intense powerful read both plot wise and erotically, that I had to put it down a couple times to pull myself together. The cast of characters is amazing. The steamy scenes full of fire. And the writing is spot on. Risata is clearly a skilled writer and story teller who knows how to bring everything together to make an entertaining story. So if you are looking for a powerful yet hot and hilarious Alpha male romance featuring a strong female, look no further!
First of all, whoa. I wasnt not expecting this. At first, I felt the writing was a bit long winded. The first couple pages seemed filled with endless descriptions that I didnt care about. That stopped there. Once Violet meets Rocky (within the first couple pages) it only gets better and the writer flows smoothly.
I loved Violet. I honestly related with her a lot on multiple levels from her love of organization to her wanting to try new things but not really follow through to her hesitance with Rocky. Omg their interactions are just the best! At first, Rocky is a raging d***, but that changes. Honestly, Violets interactions and dialogue with him mirrored my own and how I would have done it. She is such a strong character but different from what other typically consider strong. What others would see as giving up, I saw as the strength to walk away, from abuse she didnt need and a situation that made her unhappy. Staying didnt make her strong, walking away did. And Rocky truly redeems himself on multiple counts.
I dont want to ruin any of the story for you because it is one of the best I have read in this genre. You can truly feel the blood, sweat, and tears the author put into this novel. It is such an intense powerful read both plot wise and erotically, that I had to put it down a couple times to pull myself together. The cast of characters is amazing. The steamy scenes full of fire. And the writing is spot on. Risata is clearly a skilled writer and story teller who knows how to bring everything together to make an entertaining story. So if you are looking for a powerful yet hot and hilarious Alpha male romance featuring a strong female, look no further!
Debbiereadsbook (1410 KP) rated Obsessed: Meik and Sebastian in Books
Aug 18, 2018
so bloody short!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I purchased my copy of this book.
SHORT!!! SO bloody short!
I did know that going in, that it was only some 70 odd pages, but those pages got eaten up so quickly, I blinked and the whole book was finished!
Not the story, just THIS part of it.
Meik is, by his own words, bored. Bored of his day to day life; of the endless supply of secretaries (both male and female) willing to get down on their knees under his desk for the chance of a pay rise. Wandering the streets, a few guitar notes pull him in, and Meik is obsessed with Sebastian. It really is the only word that fits!!
After a blow job in the alley, Meik wants more of Sebastian, but he can't find him, and the longer Meik can't find him, the more he MUST find him.
I'm gonna be incredibly frustrated with these books, I know I am. Here's why: if they keep coming in these short bursts, I'm gonna be so bloody impatient waiting for the next one, and I don't do patience when it comes to my books!
I loved this, it pushes all my buttons and then some. It's super sexy and super hot!
BUT!!!
It does only come from Meik's point of view and this is the ONLY reason I can't quite stretch to 5 full stars: single person point of view. Because of COURSE I wanted to hear from Sebastian! I need to know what was going through his head in the alley, and later, when Meik takes him home. I NEEDED to hear that, and I don't.
At this moment, this is NOT a romance. This is simply about Meik first obsessing over, and then possessing, Sebastian. Whether that will change, I have no idea, I really don't care, to be honest. Meik is nothing if not honest about what, or rather, WHO he wants. But I have a feeling he might surprise us, maybe even himself.
Can't wait to see what these two get up to!
SO, because only Meik has a say, and even though its so bloody short...
4.5 stars (rounded up to 5 for the blog)
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
SHORT!!! SO bloody short!
I did know that going in, that it was only some 70 odd pages, but those pages got eaten up so quickly, I blinked and the whole book was finished!
Not the story, just THIS part of it.
Meik is, by his own words, bored. Bored of his day to day life; of the endless supply of secretaries (both male and female) willing to get down on their knees under his desk for the chance of a pay rise. Wandering the streets, a few guitar notes pull him in, and Meik is obsessed with Sebastian. It really is the only word that fits!!
After a blow job in the alley, Meik wants more of Sebastian, but he can't find him, and the longer Meik can't find him, the more he MUST find him.
I'm gonna be incredibly frustrated with these books, I know I am. Here's why: if they keep coming in these short bursts, I'm gonna be so bloody impatient waiting for the next one, and I don't do patience when it comes to my books!
I loved this, it pushes all my buttons and then some. It's super sexy and super hot!
BUT!!!
It does only come from Meik's point of view and this is the ONLY reason I can't quite stretch to 5 full stars: single person point of view. Because of COURSE I wanted to hear from Sebastian! I need to know what was going through his head in the alley, and later, when Meik takes him home. I NEEDED to hear that, and I don't.
At this moment, this is NOT a romance. This is simply about Meik first obsessing over, and then possessing, Sebastian. Whether that will change, I have no idea, I really don't care, to be honest. Meik is nothing if not honest about what, or rather, WHO he wants. But I have a feeling he might surprise us, maybe even himself.
Can't wait to see what these two get up to!
SO, because only Meik has a say, and even though its so bloody short...
4.5 stars (rounded up to 5 for the blog)
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated A Wedding in December in Books
Apr 20, 2020
A Wedding in December is a book that was long overdue. I was supposed to read it for Christmas, but yet, here we are in February. Nevertheless, it was an amazing experience and I am so glad I finally read it.
Sarah Morgan has an extremely good talent in human relations and relationships. She puts these relationships on paper so easily… Do you know that feeling where you can sense people’s mood by just walking into a room? She managed to capture this moment in most of her scenes - and it was a true joy to read that.
The Synopsis
Maggie has two daughters: Katie and Rosie. While Katie has always planned everything in her life and never failed (becoming doctor is her biggest achievement), Rosie is the complete opposite. She changes her mind all the time and never knows what she truly wants.
And one evening, Rosie calls her mum to tell her she is getting married. All of a sudden. Not in her hometown in the UK, but in some snowy mountains in the USA. For Christmas. THIS Christmas. In just a few months.
Everything is happening so fast, and Maggie is afraid for her daughter. But most importantly, Maggie is afraid that she will finally reveal to her girls that she is getting divorced from their dad.
My Thoughts
In a lovely snowy atmosphere, we get to see this family, and their different personalities coming together, in a book where love wins in the end. Reading this book under a warm blanket and with a hot chocolate definitely gave me the true feelings of Christmas again.
I encountered some interesting scenes, a couple of plot twists, a bit of a mystery behind one of the sisters. The importance of mental health as well, and how important is to share our troubles with someone. Anyone.
Some of the relationships, new or current, happened at a very fast pace, which wasn't too my great pleasure. There was some sense of unnecessary urgency which didn't feel believable nor relatable to me. But in hindsight, a wonderful book to spend your evenings with.
If you love romance novels and you also love Christmas, A Wedding in December will probably end up being your favourite book. I highly recommend it!
Sarah Morgan has an extremely good talent in human relations and relationships. She puts these relationships on paper so easily… Do you know that feeling where you can sense people’s mood by just walking into a room? She managed to capture this moment in most of her scenes - and it was a true joy to read that.
The Synopsis
Maggie has two daughters: Katie and Rosie. While Katie has always planned everything in her life and never failed (becoming doctor is her biggest achievement), Rosie is the complete opposite. She changes her mind all the time and never knows what she truly wants.
And one evening, Rosie calls her mum to tell her she is getting married. All of a sudden. Not in her hometown in the UK, but in some snowy mountains in the USA. For Christmas. THIS Christmas. In just a few months.
Everything is happening so fast, and Maggie is afraid for her daughter. But most importantly, Maggie is afraid that she will finally reveal to her girls that she is getting divorced from their dad.
My Thoughts
In a lovely snowy atmosphere, we get to see this family, and their different personalities coming together, in a book where love wins in the end. Reading this book under a warm blanket and with a hot chocolate definitely gave me the true feelings of Christmas again.
I encountered some interesting scenes, a couple of plot twists, a bit of a mystery behind one of the sisters. The importance of mental health as well, and how important is to share our troubles with someone. Anyone.
Some of the relationships, new or current, happened at a very fast pace, which wasn't too my great pleasure. There was some sense of unnecessary urgency which didn't feel believable nor relatable to me. But in hindsight, a wonderful book to spend your evenings with.
If you love romance novels and you also love Christmas, A Wedding in December will probably end up being your favourite book. I highly recommend it!
Worth The |Risk (Infinity #1)
5.3
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Some risks are scarier than others because they’re the most important ones we’ll ever...
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Thick as Thieves (Aster Valley #4)
8.0
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Julian: I've been in love with my best friend since forever. Okay, fine. Like, kindgergarten. It...
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated A Kiss of Madness in Books
Jan 14, 2019
Too much smut (3 more)
Unbelievable plot
Underdeveloped and unlikable characters
Book is confused about the plot
Reads More Like a Rough Draft
I love reading books about mental illness, and even more so if they take place inside an asylum. When I saw A Kiss of Madness by K.B. Everly and Stacy Jones, it seemed like the perfect read for me. Unfortunately, I was left very disappointed.
The synopsis for A Kiss of Madness sounded very interesting. It could have been a very interesting book except there's too much going on in the story. Lydia gets sent to Brocker's Center for the Criminally Insane after having a vision and throwing a chair through a window as well as attacking an innocent bystander. She could have chose jail time or to voluntarily commit herself to Brocker's. She chose the latter. While there, she gets feelings about people and doesn't feel like she belongs. She meets three guys who are patients with their own issues. However, she ends up thinking they're hot, and they also think she's hot. The guys all agree to be her boyfriends and end up following her everywhere. When one of the other female patients goes missing, Lydia tries to uncover what really happened putting herself in grave danger. I was confused if A Kiss of Madness was trying to be more of a romance novel, a mystery/crime novel, or a paranormal novel. I got the insane asylum vibe for a few chapters, but soon this book lost its whole mental illness vibe. I felt like the insane asylum setting was just thrown in there to make this book sound more interesting than it actually was. It soon turned more into an erotic novel which made me like the book even less. There was just too much pointless fairly graphic sex for my liking. I feel like all the fairly graphic sex and sexual references really took away from the story. I also didn't like the ending. It just felt too rushed. Actually, the whole story just felt really rushed. I also didn't understand how one character who had a violent past could have such a great job. I won't go into further details because it's a spoiler.
I started out liking Lydia and was on her side for the first few chapters or so. However, I found myself losing the connection I felt with her the more I read. She just came across as being very irresponsible and immature. I didn't really care for Pierce, Emmett, or Mason/Jason either. None of the characters in A Kiss of Madness were fleshed out enough to be likable or believable.
The pacing starts out great in A Kiss of Madness. However, it soon slows down once the sex scenes come into play. Then it slows down and becomes more of a smut novel instead of a decent read. Luckily this is a short read or I would have given up on it when I got to the sex parts.
Trigger warnings for A Kiss of Madness include violence, murder, mental illness, attempted sexual assault, fairly graphic sex scenes, sexual references, and profanities.
Overall, A Kiss of Madness started out great. However, it soon went downhill close to halfway through the book. I feel like this book feels more like a rough draft on what could be a decent read. It just needs a lot more work to be good. Get rid of a lot of the pointless sex scenes and references, bulk up the story and characters a bit, decide on what angle to go with, and give this book some guts! At this time, I would not recommend A Kiss of Madness by K.B. Everly and Stacy Jones.
The synopsis for A Kiss of Madness sounded very interesting. It could have been a very interesting book except there's too much going on in the story. Lydia gets sent to Brocker's Center for the Criminally Insane after having a vision and throwing a chair through a window as well as attacking an innocent bystander. She could have chose jail time or to voluntarily commit herself to Brocker's. She chose the latter. While there, she gets feelings about people and doesn't feel like she belongs. She meets three guys who are patients with their own issues. However, she ends up thinking they're hot, and they also think she's hot. The guys all agree to be her boyfriends and end up following her everywhere. When one of the other female patients goes missing, Lydia tries to uncover what really happened putting herself in grave danger. I was confused if A Kiss of Madness was trying to be more of a romance novel, a mystery/crime novel, or a paranormal novel. I got the insane asylum vibe for a few chapters, but soon this book lost its whole mental illness vibe. I felt like the insane asylum setting was just thrown in there to make this book sound more interesting than it actually was. It soon turned more into an erotic novel which made me like the book even less. There was just too much pointless fairly graphic sex for my liking. I feel like all the fairly graphic sex and sexual references really took away from the story. I also didn't like the ending. It just felt too rushed. Actually, the whole story just felt really rushed. I also didn't understand how one character who had a violent past could have such a great job. I won't go into further details because it's a spoiler.
I started out liking Lydia and was on her side for the first few chapters or so. However, I found myself losing the connection I felt with her the more I read. She just came across as being very irresponsible and immature. I didn't really care for Pierce, Emmett, or Mason/Jason either. None of the characters in A Kiss of Madness were fleshed out enough to be likable or believable.
The pacing starts out great in A Kiss of Madness. However, it soon slows down once the sex scenes come into play. Then it slows down and becomes more of a smut novel instead of a decent read. Luckily this is a short read or I would have given up on it when I got to the sex parts.
Trigger warnings for A Kiss of Madness include violence, murder, mental illness, attempted sexual assault, fairly graphic sex scenes, sexual references, and profanities.
Overall, A Kiss of Madness started out great. However, it soon went downhill close to halfway through the book. I feel like this book feels more like a rough draft on what could be a decent read. It just needs a lot more work to be good. Get rid of a lot of the pointless sex scenes and references, bulk up the story and characters a bit, decide on what angle to go with, and give this book some guts! At this time, I would not recommend A Kiss of Madness by K.B. Everly and Stacy Jones.