Review: MR. BIG by Delancey Stewart!

My Review: First off, let me admit that I was excited for this book solely based on the title and cover. Can you blame me, really? And when I read the description, I was that much more fired up for the release. Alas, at least for me, this book didn't live up to the hype. It could be that I built it up too much in my mind before reading it... but I'm thinking that's not the real reason.

It started out rough for me. When we first really meet the hero... he's a complete jerk. Not just a jerk, but a whiny "poor me" jerk. I get it, he was dealt a seriously rough hand right in the first chapter, but he was so immature when he came back to yell at his friend and the lawyer. It took me a while to get past that. And then when he meets Holland, he has some hardcore insta-lust moments. He goes so far as to say talking to her for a few seconds brought some light back into his dark life. I eye rolled hard after reading that.

This book just didn't keep my attention. There wasn't enough depth or draw to get me hooked. And I so, so wanted to get sucked in. 

Cover Lovin': Oh my. Whew. 

Recommendation: No prior knowledge necessary.

Final Rating: TWO POINT FIVE out of FIVE stars (2.5/5)! The book didn't live up to the hype, leaving me disappointed. 

About MR. BIG

Once upon a time, I had everything: money, power, a multimillion-dollar company, a loving family. Well, at least I thought I had everything. Then my parents died, and I found out my whole life was based on a lie. That’s pretty much the moment when I went numb. Told the world to f*** off and went on a bender of epic proportion, just to see how far I could fall before I hit rock-bottom.

Now I’m back and all I want in this world is my morning—okay, afternoon—coffee. Then one of my employees has the nerve to call me out for cutting the line at the coffeehouse at the company I own. Sure, I’m a little scruffier than usual, but come on, bitching out the CEO? Not a smart career move. Just who does this smart-mouthed ball-buster think she is? And more important, what do I have to do to get her number? Holland O’Dell may be uptight, but I wouldn’t mind taking her back to my place and ripping off that business-casual blouse/skirt combo and burying myself in her curves. She pushes my buttons, but at least I’m feeling something. And whatever it is, I won’t stop until I get more. Advance praise for Mr. Big “Mr. Big is the kind of smart, sexy delight that every woman deserves to read! [Delancey] Stewart will make you believe in true love in this steamy, heart-wrenching tale.”—USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone “With a smart, feisty heroine and hot, tortured hero, Mr. Big has everything I look for in a contemporary romance. Witty, sexy, and full of heart!”—Melanie Harlow, USA Today bestselling author

Get your hands on MR. BIG now:

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About Delancey Stewart

Delancey Stewart has lived on both coasts, in big cities and small towns. She's been a pharmaceutical rep, a personal trainer and a wine seller. Despite lots of other interests, she has always been a writer.

A military spouse and the mother of two small boys, her current job titles include pirate captain, monster hunter, Lego assembler, story reader, and tech writer. She tackles all these efforts from her current home outside Washington DC.

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Review: UNBOUND by Lauren Hawkeye!

My Review: I'm a bit torn about this serial. On one hand, I'm let down because I thought the synopsis for this series was awesome and I was eager to read about a female archaeologist. Unfortunately, it seems like the actual plot was barely an afterthought. On the other hand, the sex scenes were super hot. I read some raunchy things on an every day basis, and even I was blushing a little. 

It took me some time to try and put into words exactly what didn't work for me about this book, and I think I finally figured it out. It felt disjointed, like it was trying to be two different things at once, and ended up failing at both. The plot of the threats against Cari, and the need for a bodyguard to ensure her safety is interesting - but it falls by the wayside when it comes to all the sex Cari and Jasper are having. At the same time, the erotic scenes are super hot, and then it feels like an abrupt turn when the suspense angle comes back in. I think this book needed to either put more focus on the story line itself, or go all the way to the other end and just focus on the sex. 

Cover Lovin': All the covers for this serial work well together. 

Recommendation: Each book picks up where the previous one left off, so they must be read in order. 

Final Rating: TWO POINT FIVE out of FIVE stars (2.5/5). This serial felt a little too bipolar. Trying to be two different things at once meant it unfortunately didn't come close to succeeding at either aim. Definitely hot though, whew. *fans self*

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

About the Uninhibited! Series

Celebrity archaeologist Cari Dunn is so over the Georgia heat, the red tape at her dig site, and the threatening messages left on her motel door. She just wants to dig, and the network just wants to keep her safe—with a bodyguard. She can’t complain. Jasper Benjamin radiates raw masculinity that penetrates her to the core and ignites passion she’s never felt. Too bad for him, she's not going to be easy to handle.

Lusting after the bodyguard shouldn’t be so tempting, especially when her life is on the line.

Grab your copy of UNTAMED (Uninhibited! #1) now:

Amazon | Kobo | Barnes and Noble | iBooks

Get your hands on UNBOUND (Uninhibited! #2) today:

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Preorder UNDONE (Uninhibited! #3) - Releases July 17th

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About Lauren Hawkeye

Lauren Hawkeye/ Lauren Jameson never imagined that she’d wind up telling stories for a living… though when she looks back, it’s easy to see that she’s the only one who is surprised. Always “the kid who read all the time”, Lauren made up stories about her favorite characters once she’d finished a book… and once spent an entire year narrating her own life internally. No, really. But where she was just plain odd before publication, now she can at least claim to have an artistic temperament.

Lauren lives in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada with her husband, toddler, pit bull and idiot cat, though they do not live in an igloo, nor do they drive a dogsled. In her nonexistent spare time Lauren can be found knitting (her husband claims that her snobby yarn collection is exorbitant), reading anything she can get her hands on, or sweating her way through spin class. She loves to hear from her readers!

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Disclaimer: I received a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Review: "Ares: Bringer of War" by George O'Connor

Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Release Date: January 27, 2015

Type: Graphic Novel, History, Greek Mythology, Mythology, Ares, The Iliad, War of the Gods, Book 7, Series, So Much Death and Destruction

About the Book: The myth continues in the tenth year of the fabled Trojan War where two infamous gods of war go to battle. The spotlight is thrown on Ares, god of war, and primarily focuses on his battle with the clever and powerful Athena. As the battle culminates and the gods try to one-up each other to win, the human death toll mounts. Who will win this epic clash of power? And how many will have to die first?

My Review: This volume felt like a let down when compared to the previous ones - especially the Poseidon and Aphrodite volumes, since those were particularly awesome. The art is still on par with the rest of the series, but it was the story itself that didn't work for me.

I didn't like this volume as much as the previous ones. The author decided to take on The Iliad for Ares' story and it became a confusion of names more than once. Unless the reader is already familiar with the story, this would have been a bumbling mess. But the quality of the previous volumes is still there. 

That said, I think this would be a great companion story to anyone working their way through the Iliad. The rest of the series I recommend giving to anyone struggling in a mythology class, or maybe just someone who can't stop devouring mythology books - but this volume isn't something I would just hand to someone. It almost feels like it comes with some extra homework.

I am hopeful there will be more books in this series. George O'Connor does a fantastic job capturing the Greek myths in graphic novel form. And hey - he hasn't even finished the 12 Olympians, so he better keep going!

Cover Lovin': Well done on the cover. It matches the rest of the series, and I'd say this battle cry stance fits the god of war perfectly.

Recommendations: For fans of Greek Mythology, and Graphic Novels. This would be a good companion for a high school or college student reading the Iliad, as well.

Final Rating: TWO POINT FIVE out of FIVE stars (2.5/5). As stated above, this seems like a step down in quality compared to the previous books in the series. Unless the reader has a good grasp of Greek history and/or the happenings of the Iliad, this book will seem like an info dump.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda at Novel Addiction ~!~