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B07H78JKKH
| 4.21
| 16,038
| Sep 13, 2018
| Jan 2024
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really liked it
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this book is the definition of heartbreaks. Rtc!
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Nov 09, 2024
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Nov 15, 2024
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Oct 30, 2024
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1685450830
| 9781685450830
| 1685450830
| 4.16
| 45,093
| May 06, 2021
| May 2022
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it was amazing
| “I love you, Mr. Volkov.” Rina Kent proved she can be a mastermind when she wants to be. I’ve read many dark romances, but n “I love you, Mr. Volkov.” Rina Kent proved she can be a mastermind when she wants to be. I’ve read many dark romances, but nothing quite like the Deception Trilogy. It’s a brilliantly structured, well-developed, and mind-blowing mafia story. Rina definitely put all her brain cells to work while writing these books. All the missing pieces finally clicked into place, and everything that had been confusing or fragmented in the earlier books suddenly made perfect sense. There isn’t a single plot hole, and Rina intricately wrapped up this trilogy with such precision—it’s amazing and applaudable. This book has become my favorite in Adrian and Lia’s story. They finally proved their love, honesty, and trust to one another, and it was incredibly moving and beautiful to witness their growth, both as a couple and as individuals. It was a beautiful culmination of their journey. Lia Volkov is the best female character in the Rina Kent Universe. After going through the worst years of her life, and confronting the reality of Winter and her past, Lia began exploring her new self in a new light. She finally realized how much Adrian means to her, accepted her feelings, and even started her mental healing journey. I loved Lia's newfound strength and bravery, and how she slowly integrated herself into Adrian's criminal world—the one she had hated in the past—while making a respectable place for herself. She proved that her strength, resilience, and independence could thrive even under Adrian’s protection. “She’s always felt like home, the one I think about going back to whenever I’m away from it.” Adrian Volkov—I will defend him for the rest of my life. I loved him in previous books, but this one cemented my love for him. He’s still unhinged and dangerous, but he finally redeemed himself, showing his vulnerability and complexity bit by bit. His past completely broke my heart—the horrors and pain he endured, and how he had to numb himself to any emotions just to survive. It all shaped him into the man he is now, and finally understanding that makes everything about him fall into place. I love how he loves Lia, like he genuinely cannot live without her and would do anything to keep her and Jeremy safe. Daddy Adrian was hitting so hard here, and I was swooning every time he was with Jeremy. He’s still not a gentleman, but he’s making efforts in his own way, showing feelings and proving his love to Lia. I mean, the man was ready to die for her—what more could I want for his redemption? “She’ll always be my lone rose—the resilient rose that I’d pluck from the side of the road over and over again, even if her thorns caused me to bleed. She’s my rose.” Adrian and Lia are my new obsession. Their story is unforgettable and epic. They are so toxic for each other, but also so right together. Their relationship might not have started in the normal way, and they are nowhere near perfect humans, but it’s their story—as imperfect and toxic as it is—and their love for each other and their family is stronger than anything. Adrian’s roughness and darkness match Lia’s softness and elegance, and they are perfectly compatible as a couple and as soulmates. After the tragic events in the previous two books, they began rebuilding their relationship on a foundation of trust, friendship, and love. It was difficult, given their lost faith in each other, but they both gave their all to prove how much their marriage and family mean to them. Their family moments with Jeremy were everything, and they healed my broken heart. Adrian and Lia started with blood and death, but now their love is beautiful, passionate, and forever. They are such a beautiful and perfect family, and seeing baby Annika was a sweet bonus. “I’ll try to be better. Though I’ll probably never be a hero.” “I do love you, Lia. I always have. But my form of love isn’t sweetness or softness. It’s nothing noble or delicate. My love is selfish and villainous. My love is the type where I will kill people to protect you and erase others to avenge you. My love is possessive, obsessive, and knows no boundaries, not when I first met you and certainly not now.” I love everything about these characters and cannot wait to meet them again in the next books of the Rina Kent Universe. ————— I NEED ADRIAN VOLKOV TO WIFE ME UP! rtc ————— pls pls pls no more tears ...more |
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1
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Oct 05, 2024
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Oct 07, 2024
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Oct 05, 2024
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B002R88G5E
| 4.44
| 1,601,180
| May 2007
| Feb 24, 2009
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it was amazing
| “Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always.” Tragic. “Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always.” Tragic. Heart-rending. Poignant. Powerful. Hopeful. A Thousand Splendid Suns is a masterpiece. It's a story that needs to be read atleast once in your lifetime, a story of hope and oppresssion, a story of familial bonds, mother-daughter relationship, friendships, survival and hope. A story of women's opression, their rage and sufferings and hopelessness in the midst of war that will leave you with so much compassion and empathy for Afghan women. I can not forget this riveting and compelling story that evoked countless emotions inside me, from feeling Afghan people's pain to hoping for them to get the life and freedom they deserved, from grieving with them to enraging on their behalf for what they all had been put through for decades, from feeling a sparkle of hope for their survival, new life to see that hope ripped out of their hearts in pieces. “Tell her she is the noor of my eyes and the sultan of my heart.” The story is depressing and heartbreaking but above everything it tells countless stories of different people who fought unabashedly against their oppressors, the display of human spirit and resilience, the indefatigable strength of Afghan woman depicted through Laila and Mariam's story, surviving, praying, grieving and fighting but also hoping for a better future. I have never read such a thought provoking story about women and what it truly means to be a woman in this world. ➸ Mariam's tragic story broke me in the worst possible ways. A little girl who just wanted to be loved and cherished, a young woman who just wanted a loving family and husband, a woman who has been betrayed by everyone in her life and left to suffocate in the world never deserving of her love, kindness and compassion. I love her with my entire heart. What truly inspired me was that no matter how many betrayals she'd lived, brutality she had suffered, she never stopped being a selfless and kind woman. She never lost herself to the tragedy of her life that only brought her pain. She was always resilient and humble and took Laila and her daughter in her care and loved them as her own and though she never had a family she could call her own I was happy that she experienced what it is meant to be loved by the family she choose to love. “Though there had been moments of beauty in it, Mariam knew that life for the most part had been unkind to her.” ➸ Laila is my precious girl. Her character is genuine and altruistic in so many ways. She was passionate about her life until the war broke her soul. She has dealt with grief on every stage of her life and it broke my heart to see her went through so much as just a child. She is such a brave and kind soul and the way she loves people is truly amazing. She never lost her courage and strength and she was always the resilient one in her household, never backing down and always standing up. I admire her so much for all the things she did in this book. Laila is the definition of that woman don't need physical strength to fight for their lives and she is the inspiration for so many women out there. “Mammy’s heart was like a pallid beach where Laila’s footprints would forever wash away beneath the waves of sorrow that swelled and crashed, swelled and crashed.” ➸ Tariq was a genuine and thoughtful man. The way he was with Laila and her children healed my heart after that tragic ending. “Me?” he says. “I’ll follow you to the end of the world, Laila.” : ̗̀➛ Mariam and Laila's bond is the purest and most beautiful thing in this book. They formed an unexpected friendship, a mother-daughter relationship after being exposed to the brutality of Taliban and their husband. Their love and hope kept them alive and going for years and they did everything in their power to keep the other person safe. They fought and sacrificed for each other and I was so happy for them to found each other in times like that. “For me, it ends here. There’s nothing more I want. Everything I’d ever wished for as a little girl you’ve already given me.” : ̗̀➛ Laila and Tariq's love story was tragic but a beautiful and mesmerising one indeed. Their love is so beautiful and selfless. I cherish every moment they had together as friends, adults and then lovers. They gave me all the happiness that this book couldn't and their ending healed everything inside me. “You know.” I have always loved Khaled Hosseini's writing. It's exquistie, metaphorically beautiful and very atmospherically vivid and raw. The way he teleports me right into the world of his book by his descriptive details of the neighbourhood in Afghanistan. The way he portrayed every minuscule emotions in his characters and wrote their realistic and riveting personality. I am mesmerised. His words were like a dagger to my heart, I was engrossed with the story and had this dooming feeling all the time in my heart that maybe something really bad is about to happen. There were some moments of beauty, happiness and nostalgia and I cherish each and every one of those moments in my heart. What really kept me going was Mariam and Laila's hopeful dreams of a future where they are free of all the brutality and cruelties of their world. Where they are happy and in love with their life and dreams. Where they don't have to spend every minute of their day praying for not be the next woman to be raped and killed by Taliban. It was reassuring and comforting. I will never forget this book. Maybe one day I'll read it again to understand it better or maybe not because I am not that much of a masochist. But if you ask me which book I recommend to every reader in this world? It's definitely ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’. “One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.” —————— i know i won't survive this book ...more |
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1
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Jul 07, 2024
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Jul 14, 2024
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Jul 07, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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B096TBHC9B
| 4.37
| 46,385
| Feb 10, 2022
| Feb 10, 2022
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it was amazing
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So someone flagged my review of this book for plagiarism and gr removed the review as well as the book from 'read' shelf, when in reality i had spent
So someone flagged my review of this book for plagiarism and gr removed the review as well as the book from 'read' shelf, when in reality i had spent an hour writing my own review? And it does nothing when it comes to people plagiarising my reviews?
...more
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Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 12, 2023
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Sep 25, 2023
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Jul 04, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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0349439273
| 9780349439273
| 0349439273
| 4.51
| 178,472
| Nov 29, 2018
| Aug 29, 2023
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it was amazing
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“For keeps?” I breathed. He kissed my shoulder. “For keeps.” Did I finish this book or did it finish me? Heartbreaking, soul-crushing, profound but abov “For keeps?” I breathed. He kissed my shoulder. “For keeps.” Did I finish this book or did it finish me? Heartbreaking, soul-crushing, profound but above all an unforgettable and a beautiful story. I expected this book to be full of sunshine and happiness, but it was so much intense, emotional and heartbreaking than B13. There were so many dark and heavy topics in this book and Chloe didn't hesitated to show us the raw, realistic and blatant vulnerability in this book. But above everything else, this book has one of the best, beautiful and genuine found family. The romance was tender, charming, adorably awkward sweet. K13 focused more on the family dynamics, characters' growth and development, trauma and healing of the Lynch siblings. Chloe delved deeper into Lynch's family dynamics, showed us the pain and darkness that lurked inside their house, showed us that not everything in reality is always black and white, and that sometimes freedom, forgiveness and happiness costs life and death. I can't even imagine the pain the Lynch siblings has suffered for the years and its incomprehensible until you step into their shoes and Chloe reflected their pain, trauma and unhappiness in this book and let me tell you it was gut-wrenching and heartbreaking in the worst way possible. “Well, I don’t want easy. I want you. Just the way you are. Every part and every piece.” ➸ Shannon Lynch I really liked how Shannon tried to come out of her shell in this book. It was a small growth on her part but I don't expect her to do a one-eighty in just a few months because Shannon has been through hell in her entire life. She is finally trying to let other people in her life and I liked how she's not lying to anyone even when it goes against her surviving nature. She stood up for herself against her family and her bullies when it was needed. She's so precious and strong and resilient and maybe she doesn't know it yet but she is a survivor through and through who did everything in her power to climbed back up on her feet. “I’m here for Johnny the boy. Not Johnny the rugby player. I’ll stay for both, but I’m only in love with one.” ➸ Johnny Kavanagh The Bulldozer Johnny Kavanagh the gentleman you are ...more |
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1
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May 07, 2024
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May 19, 2024
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May 07, 2024
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B0CFD5NCP9
| 4.26
| 57,388
| Apr 16, 2024
| Apr 16, 2024
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it was amazing
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4.75 stars “Claire Biggs had a lot of things. My back. My attention. My heart. My soul. Yeah, she had all of me and that wasn’t an exaggeration.” Jokes 4.75 stars “Claire Biggs had a lot of things. My back. My attention. My heart. My soul. Yeah, she had all of me and that wasn’t an exaggeration.” Jokes on me for thinking Taming 7 would be less painful and heartbreaking than the previous ones in this series just because it is about two sunshine emanating characters. Jokes on me for thinking Chloe can write love stories without breaking my heart in the process. I am destroyed by this series. AGAIN. For the millionth time. Taming 7 is a funny and comforting story and Gibsie and Claire definitely poured sunshine and joy in this book but it also had it's heartbreaking, dark, tragic and soul-crushing moments. I wasn't expecting this to be a heavy read with so much trauma and pain. The romance balanced the pain and angst part of the story. ➸ Claire Biggs Claire is the definition of sunshine walking on earth in human form. She is brimming with life, hope, heart and sincerity and this girl radiates happiness and sunshine on daily basis. I have always loved Claire and I love how she's very forthcoming about her feelings, how she understands people and sympathises with them and how much she cares for the people she loves, especially the boy she loved all her life. Claire’s character felt real and authentic because she always shows everyone her real side and it was refreshing because sometimes I want to read about characters who don't put a façade to keep others happy. The things she did for Gibsie for years, how she kept him alive and safe in her own safe bubble, protected him from his nightmares day and night, gave him a safe place, gave him the reasons to love and live and the way she loves him with so much passion and joy was incredible. She loved him when he was incapable of loving himself, she loved him even when she lost herself in him and it just shows that no matter what love is messy and raw and heartbreaking at times but it is always worth for the right person. “This boy was the boy. The boy my heart had been created to beat for. The boy I was made to love.” ➸ Gerard Gibson Gibsie is always seen as the class clown, the joker, the sunshine boy, the mischievous boy. The boy who can make anyone laugh with his antics and jokes but no one ever saw what he hides behind those jokes and laugh except his best-friend, Claire. He is the most thoughtful person in this series, he's the one who's always there for everyone, the one who keeps their group happy and alive. And I never thought his story would break me like this. I never expected to see this side of Gibsie — the boy with demons in his mind, monsters in past, nightmares and trauma. But it's always the people who smiles and laughs the most hides the greatest pains in the world, and Gibsie was excellent at hiding his pain, heartbreaks, burden, anger behind the jokester façade he created to tell himself and others that he's okay. The deeper exploration of him only made me love him more. It showed and explained in intricate details his trauma, the several layers he had wrapped around his heart as coping mechanisms to his trauma and his reasons behind his carefully crafted persona and it all broke my heart. He deserves the best in the world. “She was the best part of a broken childhood.” : ̗̀➛ Claire and Gibsie I never knew how much I needed sunshine-sunshine dynamic until I met Gibsie and Claire. They both compliment each other so well, fit so perfectly in each other's life, and I love how even though they both exudes warmth and happiness, they always have a balance in their friendship with their different dynamics. Their childhood friendship gives me so much comfort knowing that Gibsie always had Claire by his side, in his darkest times. Their lifelong frienship gives pure soulmatism vibes, and it's a beautiful and pure concoction of loyalty, humour, banter, comfort and love. I loved everything about Gibsie and Claire and especially the moments when they were kids and how Claire helped Gibsie healed and over come his fears. Their special bond has all my heart. “You were dreaming?” Their story was equally painful and beautiful but the way they finally let down their walls enough to give their love a chance was everything. Seeing Gibsie accepting her love and giving Claire the commitment and security she needed in return from him made me so much happy for these two. It took quiet a good scenes of jealousy and bad dates but he finally accepted his defeat. They are perfect. They are everything. “I loved her. Every part of me. With every bone in my body. Defective and all as I was. I couldn’t help it. It was instinctive. It was ever consuming. It was forever.” It's criminal how underrated Johnny and Gibsie's friendship is. They are so adorable as friends. And the scene where Johnny was holding Gibsie, telling him how much he means to him while Gibsie was crying and breaking in his arms ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 30, 2024
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Sep 04, 2024
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Apr 18, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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0349439303
| 9780349439303
| 0349439303
| 4.63
| 80,513
| Mar 24, 2023
| Nov 28, 2023
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it was amazing
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♾ stars “Ride or die, Joe.” This book wrecked my heart, shredded it in pieces, devasted my soul and mind. I will never be same aft ♾ stars “Ride or die, Joe.” This book wrecked my heart, shredded it in pieces, devasted my soul and mind. I will never be same after reading Joey and Aoife's epic and unforgettable love story. They will stay forever in my heart and soul. If I could describe what heartbreaks and devastation feel like, I'll tell you to read this book. If I could tell you what true and all consuming and emotional love feel like, I'll tell you about Joey and Aoife's love story. If you ask me if soulmates are a real thing, I'll tell you about Joey and Aoife. If you ask me the meaning of hope, I'll tell you about Aoife's love for Joey because her love is the definition of love that can bring someone back to life, love that breathes life and hope into someone who is constantly dying every day, every minute of his life. Aoife's love is the ray of sunshine, a spark of hope that gives Joey a million little reasons to survive, live, and fight for himself and for her. He exhaled and whispered, “I’m really fucking drowning here, Aoife.” “Don’t worry, Joe. I won’t let that happen,” I replied, nuzzling his nose with mine. “I won’t let your head go under.” “Promise?” I leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I promise.” ➸ Joey Lynch With every page, every word, I fell for Joey Lynch a little bit more. I can never get over his story, the things he's been through, the monsters he fought in real life and inside his head everyday of his life. It was heart-rending in the worst way possible. I have never seen devastation in real life but Joey is the definition of it in every manner possible. My heart hurts for him, my heart beats for him, my heart loves him. He failed again and again but he also proved and redeemed himself again and again and he finally got his second and last chance. Joey was in a dark phase here, he couldn't fathom the idea of being alive because he was tired of his life. He was tired of living for other people, his siblings and nobody saw what he was going through all alone except Aoife. She was his hope his entire life and she brought him back to world again and again with her love, trust and believe in him. Joey was broken by his mother. She couldn't love him the way he deserved to be loved and it just breaks my heart because he is the sweetest and most thoughtful person ever and he deserves the world. He was the worst version of himself here, repeating mistakes, falling into old patterns, did so many horrible things to himself and hurt Aoife countless times but he also fought for her everyday. What really broke my heart was how he didn't believe in his own capability to get better. He was lost all the time and he missed so many things about Aoife's pregnancy. He fought so many inner battles, real ones, but he found his courage to fight for his love and his little family, started living for himself but also for them and that's all that matters. His character development wasn't done magically and he still has a long way ahead for redemption but I just know he's going to build an epic future for himself and his little family. “Something about this girl settled something deep inside of me. I couldn’t understand it, much less explain it, but when I was with her, I felt like I was drowning and breathing at once. I felt like I was riding this thrilling wave, and it didn’t matter if I fell or not because I could only land on softness.” ➸ Aoife Molloy Aoife was incredible in this book. She presented the definition of a strong and brave woman with an altruistic nature. All the horrible things she went through, all the heartbreaks she endured, she did all with a head held high and that's just amazing. I haven't seen anyone love the way she loves Joey. If it were someone other than Joey I'd be calling her a stupid fool for losing herself in loving a man this way. She brought all her love and life in one person because she saw something in him that was blinded to other people. It was so beautiful and selfless as much it was heart-rending to see her go through all the horrible things because she loves him. I saw people blaming her for the things she did, decisions she made but she was right all along. She was scared of pushing him to another deep end by telling him about pregnancy because he was in a dark phase. She gave him many chances to redeem himself and he still fucked up but she never gave up on him even when he gave up on himself and that's just admirable. I love her so much for that. Aoife will always be my favourite girl in this series. She possess strength and unwavering commitment that's so hard to find in a female protagonist. She's a woman of her own, always stood for what's right and always stood up for Joey against everyone in the world. And I also liked when she tried to put herself first in here when she needed that. She also showed insecurities related to her body changing due to this new phase in her life and her future on hold and my heart broke for her because she deserved the best but also loved how she made the best out of that situation even when she was all alone, but not once she blamed Joey because she knew how much he was hurting himself and her by succumbing to his addictions. She is an inspiration. “I was in love with him. The boy he used to be. The man he had become. All of his versions. I loved them all.” : ̗̀➛ Joey and Aoife “Hey, stud.” “Hey, queen.” Joey and Aoife. Aoife and Joey. You can't separate them from each other. They are what soulmates looks like, feels like. The way they love each other is beyond this universe. I can't even imagine going through this many struggles and heartbreaks and still be in love with other person. But they say love is beautiful and voilent at the same time. It makes you but it destroys you in other ways. Love is never perfect and what they have is raw and messy but also unforgettable, irrevocable and mesmerising. Aoife was breaking her heart everyday for the boy she loved for years and yet she couldn't stop loving him, believing in him because she knew he is worth all the heartbreaks and devastation he is causing her. I can never imagine that kind of love for myself but I also want it for me because to be loved the way they love each other and to love the way they love is just something you only get to have once in a lifetime. “Please just… please keep loving me.” “Always, Joe,” she breathed against my lips. “Always.” “What if I can’t get better, Aoife?” he choked out, holding onto my body for dear life. “What if this is who I am?” “Then you’ll still be stuck with me,” I told him. “Because I love you, stud. In all your shapes and forms.” There were hard decisions to make, selfish and heartbreaking ones, and Joey and Aoife went through hell in this book to finally get to their happy and hopeful chance at life. What really broke me was how much they hurt each other and yet kept coming back to each other because they didn't know what life meant without loving the other person. Joey so desperately wanted to heal but he couldn't because of the horrible people in his life and Aoife did everything in her power to give this boy her everything but it wasn't enough for Joey. Together they weathered the storm of destruction and darkness and they came out of it alive and together, with scars that will heal with time, love and trust. Perception is everything when it comes to understanding Joey and Aoife's love story. Some would say they are moving towards a destructive path and some would say they are healing together to have a chance at a peaceful and happy life. Me? I love the bones of them. I am so happy that they finally have the family they deserves and are surrounded by so much love and joy. It healed my broken heart. “I’ll never leave you on your own again,” he vowed, wrapping both of his arms around me. “I will never fail you again.” I could hear the sincerity in his voice, and I needed so badly for him to be right about this. For him to stay. “It’s my turn, Molloy.” He kissed my hair. “To look after you.” “Every part of me loved every part of her. The good, the bad, and the ugly.” Reading about Joey and Mammy K relationship in this book was everything. Mammy K is the best! They opened their door for Lynch siblings and gave Joey a chance at fighting for his future. She treated him the way he deserved and though Joey doesn't treat her like a mother because he never had any but Edel always treats him like a son and that's just so comforting and beautiful. “I’m not your boy.” “And I already told you that we’re keeping you.” She chuckled. “Finders keepers, Joey love. You’re mine now.” Redeeming 6 deals with some heavy topics so please read trigger warnings before reading this book. This book was a dagger straight to my heart. I couldn't stop crying for hours because of the torrent of emotions crashing through me. Chloe was very blunt with this story, she never tried to dulcify anything related to Joey and his depression and drug addiction. Everything was on-page and some scenes were so raw and heart-crushing that I couldn't breathe through my tears. That's how much devastation this book caused me. But looking back at it right now, I know every tear I shed for him was worth it because Joey Lynch is worth everything in this world. He is priceless. I loved how we got to see Joey's rehabilitation journey and to understand his past and his present better. It was an important part of his story and Chloe did an amazing job at writing about it. I am finally at peace knowing he is happy and is living his best and happy life with the people he loves and the family he deserves. I am already missing them and I already want to reread these books! I just want to inject his books so I can never get Joey and Aoife out of my system. At this point, you can call me a brainrot and that's what I have become. “It was her. It always had been. It always would be. The girl from the wall.” “Still?” ———————— I love joeyaoife with every atom of my being. You guys have no idea how much I adore them. I am already missing them and planning my reread of their books lol ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 2024
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Aug 09, 2024
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Apr 18, 2024
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Paperback
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0349439281
| 9780349439280
| 0349439281
| 4.48
| 98,586
| Feb 14, 2023
| Nov 28, 2023
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it was amazing
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♾ stars “I see you, Joey Lynch,” she continued, stroking her nose against mine. I never knew ♾ stars “I see you, Joey Lynch,” she continued, stroking her nose against mine. I never knew what devastation truly meant until I read his story. I never knew how demons inside someone's head can eat them alive until I saw his. I never knew what heartbreaks meant until I watched him break hers time and again. I never knew what this book would do to me but here we are. It's strange how one day you read a book, a character's life story, just a few thousand words and it changes your life completely. How these characters make a home inside your heart, mind and soul. Joey and Aoife's story is that for me. It's a story that I will never be able to forget in my life, one I will always keep close to my heart, in my heart, one I will be rereading for forever because I want to remember what love and healing means. “The only time that I allow myself to feel anything is when I’m with you.” Saving 6 is more than just a romance story. It is a story of a boy who is battling his darkest demons in his head every day of his life while self-destructing himself in the process. It is a story about a girl falling in love with a hopeless boy and pouring life and hope into him. It's about fighting his demons with her unwavering love and support. It is a story of soulmatism and healing through love, care and trust. ➸ Aoife Molloy Aoife is my favourite girl ever. The girl with a face of an angle and tongue of a devil. I don't know if I want to be her or be with her. She has the purest heart and gentleness that goes so well with her fierce and protective nature that just makes you instantly love her. Aoife is also wild and free-spirited as compared to Joey and this girl kept him on his toes for six years with her antics. I love how self-assured and confident she is about herself all the time. What she wanted she always got it. No matter what. Even Joey was not immune to her charming and ballsy personality. And the way she loves people? It's wholeheartedly and with every atom of her being. Once she's in and once she believes that someone is worth loving and saving Aoife would do anything to make that happen. She's just so perfect and one of the fierce and compassionate girl. She never stopped loving Joey and believing in him even though he gave her no reasons. She always gave him her best and all versions of herself to show him how much she loves him and that's the purest form of love. “The quintessential lost boy.” Her lips grazed mine as she spoke. “Don’t worry, Peter Pan, I’ll be your Wendy.” ➸ Joey Lynch Joey is the definition of devastation. The man with nightmares, demons and monsters in his head. He has been fighting to stay alive since he was just a kid, masking his pain with his temper and I can't imagine the things that happened to him in his own house and by the very people who were suppose to love him, they broke his body and mind in million pieces and then left him to deal with it own his own. I always knew he is going to be my favourite BOT boy and I was right. How can one person self-distruct himself to the level of no return and I get why he does that because he needed escape from his horrible life and that came in form of drugs, but it just breaks my heart to see him give up on himself like that. Joey is so precious and lovable and he doesn't even realise that. He is a beautiful soul with the kindest, most thoughtful and loyal heart and the things he does for his younger siblings even though he was just a child himself breaks my heart but also makes me proud of him. He was forcefully thrusted into the protector role and caring for his siblings, he became a mother, father, a brother to them and in midst of all this, he was losing himself to drugs to cope up with his trauma. Aoife was like a lifeline to him, the only person who saw good in him even though he is the definition of bad boy. “Don’t hate me, Molloy. You’re all I have to wake up for in the morning.” : ̗̀➛ Aoife and Joey “I don’t love you.” “I don’t love you back.” Aoife and Joey are the definition of soulmatism. They are twin flames, soulmates, lovers, bestfriends. I knew they had something special from their first meet cute when they literally fall for each other at first sight. Joey was a goner for her the moment he laid his eyes on Aoife and Aoife saw what nobody ever tried to see in Joey. She saw the real Joey, one who is selfless even though he acts like he's the worst person, one who knows what love and care means even though he never had that for himself and she loves all his versions. She saw him as who he truly is, she heard his silent cry for help, she peeled back all his layers and saw what an amazing and wonderful man he is behind all the terrible traits and loved him for his worst and good things. Joey made efforts to bring changes in his life and yes he messed up many times but he is trying even when his life is crumbling around him and sometimes trying is all that matters. “Please just stay.” He paused to release another slow breath before continuing. “This is the only time it’s ever stopped. Please don’t break it.” Their love story is tragic and devastating but it also is the definition of true love. No matter where they are and what situation they are put into they always find their way back to each other. They grew up together, became friends, then lovers and it was a beautiful transition because they have everything in one person. The teenage love feels here were so cute. The stolen moments, lingering touches with copious amount of sexual tension and desire between them. They explored each other's hearts, body, mind and soul together. I really love their love for music. Their banter is superior and their friendship is the proof that they'll always have each other no matter what. Seriously where do I find love and friendship like that, and even if it's heartbreaking most of the times no one can deny that Joey and Aoife's love is once in a forever kind of love. Love that consumes a person so deeply that they neither see nor hear anything except that person and it's a good kind! “You’re my favorite friend, with my favorite legs.” Their love story taught me that if a person loves you, they will see you no matter how much you try to hide yourself. They will see your pain, your destruction and they will want to help you because it hurts them as much as it hurts you. They will love all versions of you, the bad and best because that makes you, YOU. Aoife loves Joey enough to step into his complicated world, she loves him enough to make him see how wonderful he is, she loves him enough to make him feel happy and alive, and Joey loves her enough to let down his walls to give her a glimpse in his life, to give her his trust, his love, care and he loves her enough to get better for her and for himself. “I wanted to rescue him, to shield him from the horrors he had been born into. I wanted to be his armor when he couldn’t fight back. I wanted to wade into battle for him, protect his beautiful soul. But I’d been so determined to save him that I hadn’t noticed I’d lost myself in the process. Our love was toxic.” I hate Joey's mom. She broke Joey in the worst way possible but I am happy he has Tony as a father figure in his life. Lynch siblings deserves the world and my heart broke everytime Joey had to sacrifice his life for his siblings. “I’m not replacing you, Molloy.” I couldn’t. “I’m trying to fix me.” For you. The last chapters of this book were anguish and painful. The angst and heartbreaks were palpable and the way they laid their broken hearts just to make other see, to make each other realise what loving and caring for each other is doing to them. My heart cracked in my chest a million little times. I am carrying their pain and love in my heart and all I want is for them to have a happy and lovely life they deserves because I cannot survive any other way. Anyway I am jumping right into Redeeming 6 because I just need to know what's going to happen to my precious babies. ———————— so this is what devastation feels like... rtc when i am not crying just by thinking about this broken boy bcs i am heartbroken ———————— just finished mp3 yesterday and now i am ready for another heartbreaking read? do i need therapy or tissues? ...more |
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Jul 26, 2024
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4.51
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really liked it
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— 4.5 stars ★ “Still?” she asks with a watery smile. Kennedy was born to write books and I was born to rea — 4.5 stars ★ “Still?” she asks with a watery smile. Kennedy was born to write books and I was born to read her books. If Grip was angsty and intense, then Still is heartbreaking, profound and inspiring. I haven't read all her books but Grip trilogy is her best works in my opinion. It's the way she wrote this trilogy so beautifully, lyrically and poetically and Grip and Bristol's story shattered my heart again and again with the hardships and the struggles and hurt they both faced in this book. To simply say, this book GUTTED me. I was silently sobbing at 2 am reading the last 30% of this book. It was just so painful and heartbreaking but there was an inexplicable beauty to it. To find a light in the darkness of sorrow and pain. Still follows the story of Grip and Bristol after their happily for now ending in Grip. At first, I thought it would be just some fluff and heartwarming moments of their extended story. But, Kennedy had to write another heart wrenching book because she loves to torture her readers with it. In Still, Grip and Bristol's love is tested by the world and their people, their careers are on a different paths now from before, there's more to lose, more to gain, their world is shaking again and they are again thrown into the mess of racism, white privileges, black men falling for white women. I loved how smartly and paitently they construed and resolved all those situations and problems together. Their healthy communication and acceptance of each other's life and culture was admirable. This book is divided in two parts. In part 1, we get to read about how Bristol is trying her best to understand the struggles of black people while simultaneously trying to understand Grip at a personal level, they both are trying to navigate their lives with their busy schedules and soaring success, Grip is trying to leave a mark in the community and how he wants to unite the communities together for the better future with his music and his words. “There’s something helpless about truly being in love, the kind of love they write songs about, that inspires poetry and launches ships and wreaks havoc. It leaves you slightly off balance, controlling when you mean to cherish, smothering when you mean to hold close.” In part 2, their love and marriage is tested again but this times it's not their differences, it's their choices and the pain and grief that will come after those choices. Part 2 was so hard and heavy on my heart. I was crying the whole time I was reading it. Kennedy's words and Grip and Bristol's pain and grief broke me on another level and I don't know how to move on. “We feel the things we need to know instead of say them. With my chest pressed to his back, forgiveness, love, understanding, and tenderness transfer noiselessly between the layers of our clothes, an emotional osmosis through blood and bone, through hurt and fear.” ➸ Bristol is the strongest female character I have ever read about. I am amazed by her capacity to love so unconditionally and wholeheartedly. The way she is always the one who reaches out to people and never shy away from loving them and understanding them and asking them for the love she deserves. But above all, her strength to hold everything together was just...amazing and everything. She made the hardest choices as a mother, a wife and a woman, that I can not even dream of and she did all that because she saw life and hope in it. I grieved with her in this book and I just wanted to hug her and cry with her. Bristol inspired me a lot in this book. ➸ Grip is an incredible and magnificent man. He's more than just a hip-hop rapper who wants to bring a change and hope for black people community. He's so passionate about his music, Bristol and his community. His soft-hearted yet possessive personality only adds more to his personality. And the way he loves Bristol? It's just something I cannot explain in words. His words? His poems? His wedding vows? His music? I love all the things about him and all the bits and pieces of him. His loyalty to his brothers and community was commendable. He's been through a lot in his life, his people were dragging him in the mess of racism, but he never stopped giving them the support and hope he believed in. ╰┈➤ Grip and Bristol Is there a way to find a love like theirs? In the midst of hate and destruction and dismay, they found a love that could not only heal the broken parts but can also give hope, inspiration and possibilities to all the people in the world. Bristol understood Grip and his life, struggles and his ambitions even though it took her a lot of time to understand Black people's struggle and I loved how paitent and kind Grip is with her when she's trying to make a place for herself in his life with his people. They fought, they bickered, they loved but they finally managed to get beyond the labels of white privileges and minority between Black and white. Ask me when your belly is full like the moon, The way they both tried to find the hope, beauty, possibility and life when all was dark and chaos in their life was so precious. I am so proud of them for the choice they made even though it was the hardest thing for them to do but they did it together. I loved how Grip reached out to her when he needed her in their hardest times and how he tried to be strong for her and loved her because it was the only thing he was capable of at that moment. What they have and found in their life is so hard to even see in real life. Their story left a imprint on my mind and heart and I will never forget it. “Anything that ended would never be enough for a love like ours. A love like ours is only satisfied by forever.” Kennedy, you did an exceptional, wonderful, admirable job by writing this book for the world to read. The message and hope you wanted to be delivered with this book has been received and I will never forget it. If there's one book in the whole wide world that I want everyone to read. It's the Grip trilogy and trust me this book will change you in the ways you never expected. You ask me today if I love you,...more |
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Mar 27, 2024
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Mar 30, 2024
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Mar 21, 2024
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B00QHMU0PU
| 4.58
| 68,499
| Dec 02, 2014
| Dec 02, 2014
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really liked it
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4.5 stars "Fight because you don't know how to die quietly. Win because you don't know how to lose." This book was everything 4.5 stars "Fight because you don't know how to die quietly. Win because you don't know how to lose." This book was everything ...more |
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May 10, 2024
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Mar 07, 2024
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1301824291
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| 4.37
| 70,703
| Jul 10, 2013
| Jul 10, 2013
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really liked it
| “He was their family. They were his. They were worth every cut and bruise and scream.” This book was totally unhinged, painful, heartbreaking, masochis “He was their family. They were his. They were worth every cut and bruise and scream.” This book was totally unhinged, painful, heartbreaking, masochistic and insane, and I'd be lying if I say I don't love all the characters because I do even though they are a little fucked in the head. I was not ready for this book. I knew it would be heavy and gut-wrentching but some of the topics that were discussed in this book and how it affected the characters' life was just painful to read. My heart hurts for each and every character in this book and they better get their happy ending in book 3. At first, I thought I would hate this and was warned that if I don't like this book and then there's no way I'll like book 3 which is the best book in this series. I went with very little expectations and ignored how much I hate Nora's writing, and it went surprisingly well because this book made me love each and every character in Foxes. I loved the romance and all the couples are unique and interesting in their own way. It's not the main part of the story but it adds more to the story and the dramatics. The women in this book are something else and I admire them for their strength and power. “Your parents are dead, you are not fine, and nothing is going to be okay. This is not news to you. But from now until May you are still Neil Josten and I am still the man who said he would keep you alive.” I still don't understand the game rules and all but the matches are exhilarating and I love the determination Foxes have for Exy. Even though their team is divided in two parts they still give their bests in the game and even stood up for each other in worst times. The found family is one the best elements of this book. They all have their own traumatic and sad experiences in life and their love for Exy brought them closer. They fight and bicker all the time but in the end it's just Foxes against the whole world. “It’s about family. Not necessarily the one we were born with, but the one we choose. This one. The people we trust to be part of our lives. The people we care about.” ➸ Neil Josten: Neil my precious boy. He deserves the world and the happiness. Learning about his past always breaks my heart. He's so passionate about Exy and I love how protective he is of his team-mates. Neil is the quiet and observant type until he shows his feral side and I love it when he stand up against Riko and his team and show them their place with just his words. He's my favourite Fox. His character development is one of the best and I am so happy he's finally found the people who loves him unconditionally. He's finally coming out of socially introvert zone and I can't wait to see how that goes for him. “But Neil Josten was a Fox. Andrew called his home; Nicky called him family. Neil wasn’t going to lose any of it.” ➸ Andrew Minyard: I don't think I'll ever be same after knowing his story ...more |
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Apr 16, 2024
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Apr 22, 2024
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Mar 07, 2024
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ebook
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1398717002
| 9781398717008
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| 4.48
| 54,097
| 2022
| Dec 15, 2022
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really liked it
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“Every loud and perfect symphony, every immaculate clash of pastel colours in every sky that this stupid, beautiful world has ever given us—he is all
“Every loud and perfect symphony, every immaculate clash of pastel colours in every sky that this stupid, beautiful world has ever given us—he is all of it.” Loving this series and it's characters has undone me wide open. This book should be named Julian Haites: The great undoing because this book was all about him and I am not even complaining but I NEEDED more of Christian and Daisy's romance! The romance was really so beautifully written in this book, with all the emotional, angsty and wholesome moments ever. The new year's eve scene at rooftop is peak literature no arguement and it's my roman empire and it will forever be engraved in my mind. She drops her head on my shoulder and my head falls back and I stare at nothing in the sky, take a big breath, breathe in how much I love her. This book and Jessa's haunting writing again wrecked my heart in the worst way possible. The story started off good and I was hooked in Julian's side of story because Daisy and Tiller's 'normal' relationship was dragged on for more than half of this book. Honestly, I think Jessa only wanted to see Christian living a miserable life where the only true love of life is busy living her normal life because Christian couldn't do the normal with her. It's so heartbreaking to see how much he went through in this series only to get his heart shattered in the end AGAIN. “I love this one,” she tells me. The first half was a little bit boring and just dragged on with no actual content but the second half of this book is everything! The drama and the angst was to die for. I liked how Jessa focused more on Julian's story in this book and how he come to love Magnolia and what are the actual reasons for behaving the way he did in MP2. Jessa shattered my heart at first with how Daisy and Christian still loves each other but can't have their normal, then Jessa put it back together by reuniting them, only to stomp on my heart again with her six inch heels and with that punch to the gut ending —which I hate with every fiber of my being. ➸ ...more |
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Feb 19, 2024
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Feb 23, 2024
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Feb 19, 2024
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1398721743
| 9781398721746
| 1398721743
| 4.38
| 39,203
| Feb 13, 2024
| Feb 13, 2024
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it was amazing
| “Took us a minute, took the long way home to get there but we’re here now and I wouldn’t change a fucking thing.” This review contains spoilers! So if “Took us a minute, took the long way home to get there but we’re here now and I wouldn’t change a fucking thing.” This review contains spoilers! So if you haven't read MP2 please look away! Reading this book was like falling into the darkness, completely losing sense of any reality and entering in this place where there is no hope and you are forced to witness Magnolia and Beej drown in their grief and sorrows. The pain was heart-rending. I don't how I read this book but Magnolia and Beej finally won the The Great War. I lost count of how many times I cried reading their story but it was all worth it in the end. It took them years to finally build their love again from scratch with all the broken and mended pieces of their hearts and they taught me another meaning of love with their story. Love is all about forgiveness, second chances, efforts, healing and choosing the person your heart desires the most but that doesn't mean you have to ignore their wrongdoings. Beej and Magnolia put us and their friends through some crazy fucked up emotions and wild rides but what a ride it was! “She’s the only thing I’ve ever properly wanted in my adult life and I’ve got her. She is the home I’ve spent years building.” I am still not over the ending of MP2. I still cannot believe she is not alive and it took me months to accept that fact and step out of my delutional phase and read this book. I was not ready and I grieved with Magnolia for the loss she has suffered. Bridget was her everything and the only person who knew Magnolia inside and out and to lose that person just broke something innate inside her. This book was an emotional mess of feelings and grief and it took a lot of time for Magnolia to navigate those feelings and finally step in her healing phase. The portrayal of grief, anxiety and mortality in this book was written in a very poignant and tragic way. I was depressed reading this book and Magnolia's inner thoughts and how broken she was all the time. “You know how ballerinas pick a spot to look at when they’re doing a pirouette so they don’t get dizzy? Bridget was Magnolia’s spot on the wall.” Jessa's narrative took a mournful turn in this book but it was so poetically and tragically beautiful. The story was heavy after the events that happened in MP2. It not only focused on Magnolia and Beej's realtionship and them healing their way through the mess of their lives but there was this vulnerability and complexity about Magnolia and Beej that made them more real. “My crowning achievement, probably. One of two. Being her sister, being loved by him.” ➸ Magnolia Parks Magnolia's grief and struggles in this book were a dagger straight to my heart. It was real and poignant and it reflected her inner turmoil and the reasons behind why she is the way she is. There is more depth to her character and I saw her at her worst in this book. She was always so resilient, fashionable and controlled person in previous books and definitely a dramatic rich girl but you'll finally see what had made her that way. The past chapters were heartbreaking and I hated everyone who treated with worst intentions. She was just a girl who was thrusted into this glamorous limelight just to be taken advantage. I hated how the media was tearing her down at every chance and how she felt alone all the time, grieving and healing and moving on. What I really loved was how she made efforts for herself and for her relationship as well. “BJ, I love in an unquestionable way. I love BJ like he’s the sun. Blinding, bright, unbridled, unavoidable. He’s the thing that sustains the galaxy of me. He drives the currents of me, he dictates the climates and the seasons. I feel his warmth on my face, and when he’s gone, it’s colder. He is the centre of everything, and the gravity of me is loyal to him above all.” ➸ BJ Ballentine Beej, you are a poet. His thoughts about Magnolia and the things he says to her? I swoon every damn time. There is huge character development and he finally started working on himself and his past traumas and all that was reflected in his present personality and how healing and therapy helped him to be the man Magnolia deserves. It was refreshing to see him in this new light, where he is not trying to destroy everything and making efforts to be his better version. I was amazed with how supportive and protective he was of Magnolia all the time. He truly showed her how much he loves her with his actions and words and patience. He redeemed himself and proved himself over and over again to everyone and especially, Magnolia. I was already a Baxter James Ballentine apologist and I am never leaving that title behind. “I wish I could tell you all the ways that I tell you I love you without telling you that I love you, but I don’t know what they are—” She kind of sighs and I look for her eyes. “Because I think at this point all of me is a big fucking ode to just loving you—But in case that’s not good enough, can I maybe just tell you to your face forever that I love you.” : ̗̀➛ Magnolia and Beej “Would you like to rewrite some history?” Magnolia and Beej are written in the stars. I truly and wholeheartedly love them no matter how many times they fucked up, destroyed each other in the process of finding their way back to each other. There is something about bjparks that you cannot ignore and can't help but want them to be together. It's indescribable and maybe that's what soulmatism means? Seeing them peel back layers of their unforgettable love and discovering why they broke each other in such an irreplaceable way and finally finding a way to heal their broken hearts together was something I needed so badly in this book and Jessa wrote that in such an agonisingly beautiful way. They had unresolved matters and trust issues but they worked to make it better whenever they fought. “Loving you is the thing I grab first when the house is on fire, and the house has been on fire before”— she gives me a look—“ and it might even catch on fire again. I really hope not, but if it does— how much I love you will forever and ever be the first thing I reach for.” I am also proud of them for finally getting into couple therapy because that was needed for years. I loved how Beej shielded Magnolia from every worst thing and how she tried to trust him everyday even though it was against her basic instincts. I just was so happy to see them happy and in love, building a life and healing together for the better future. The bathtub scene wrecked my heart but also healed it and their wedding vows? Absolutely mesmerisingly poetically beautiful. I can read that chapter over and over again. “How many loves do you get in a lifetime? That’s a question I’ve wondered before . . . If you ask The Sun, I’ve had far too many, and in some ways that’s true, I have. But actually, I’ve only had two great ones.” I love all these characters with all my heart and I am not ready for what's about to happen in Daisy's books but I need to know if Christian got his girl or not. Please, let them be happy because I cannot see Christian with a broken heart again. I also want Julian to have his own happy love story because man deserves that and I will never stop asking Jessa for that. ——————— I lost how many times I actually cried reading this book but bjparks are happy and in love and that's all I ever wanted ...more |
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1
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Jul 18, 2024
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Jul 25, 2024
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Feb 13, 2024
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Paperback
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9798985331738
| B0B6D9FY3V
| 4.28
| 68,648
| Jul 14, 2022
| Jul 11, 2022
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it was amazing
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“In every quiet whisper, every subtle and nuanced thread in the fabric of time, all the tiny ripples in the universe will tell you, that I’m actually
“In every quiet whisper, every subtle and nuanced thread in the fabric of time, all the tiny ripples in the universe will tell you, that I’m actually just Parks’.” ...more |
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Jan 26, 2024
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Feb 03, 2024
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Jan 26, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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0593548426
| 9780593548424
| 0593548426
| 4.20
| 27,534
| Jul 16, 2024
| Jul 16, 2024
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it was amazing
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♾ stars “The one thing that hasn’t changed at all is him loving me. And me loving him. It’s our tether, the thing that’s never let us drift too far.” T ♾ stars “The one thing that hasn’t changed at all is him loving me. And me loving him. It’s our tether, the thing that’s never let us drift too far.” This book ruined me and healed me in all the best possible ways. It touched my soul and heart in an irrevocable way. I don't why I am a masochist for second chance romances but this one is a masterpiece in this genre. The Ex Vows is a beautiful, realistic and riveting story of two people, Eli and Georgia who after their five years of cataclysmic breakup, are on the road to reckoning to mend their broken hearts while also trying to save the cursed wedding of their bestfriend, Adam. Will they follow Georgia's lists or give in to their temptations to find love in chaos and messiness of the cursed wedding preparations. It's a heartbreaking and very raw and realistic story and it took me on a wild ride of emotions both mentally and emotionally. “How strange it is to have a first for the second time. How lucky and messy and perfect.” The romance. So beautiful. Just mesmerising, swoon-worthy, painful and sweet enough to love every second of it. The chemistry is palpable and Eli and Georgia has the sparks even after the five years gap that we so badly want in real life. The banter and the angst was effervescently present. I loved the wedding preparation moments and they added the fun element to the story. The friendship is one of the best thing in this book. I loved each and every side character and how they brought nuances to the story with their different personalities. Jessica weaved a story of second chances, self-discovery and healing of broken hearts with comforting moments of warmth, happiness and joy that came with reminiscing the past and exploring present amidst the madness of cursed wedding. It stirred a spectrum of emotions, giving hope and happiness amidst the messiness of Eli and Georgia's relationship. ➸ Georgia Woodward Georgia with people pleasing tendencies, lists for days, and hyper-independence capabilty is me. It was like looking in a mirror. She is the personification of 'mirror ball'. Georgia's monologues are so beautifully written, full of remarkable profundity and vulnerability that evidently shows her benevolence, devotion, compassionate and altruistic nature for the people she loves. She is dealing with her own anxiety and abandonment issues, she never felt enough, always doing what others wanted, suppressing her wants and love. It was beautiful to see how she leaned on Eli for help and her needs, how he made sure she felt enough. “Because when he’s messiest, that’s when I see myself reflected in him.” ➸ Eli Mora Eli is for the hot hyper-independent girls. He is the man who loves unconditionally and thoroughly, but will also break your heart. His need to have a stable life, supporting his family consumed him to his core. He deals with anxiety and that played a major role in this story. Eli with his newfound dediction is making efforts, finally pushing himself to be better; to be the Eli that Georgia fell for, one who loves his life and himself as he is without the burden to live for financial stability. He is a man of few words as he believes in showing his love through actions and that's the sweetest thing about Eli. “You deserve to let yourself feel whatever you need to. You can be messy. A disaster, if you need to. The people who love you will accept every single piece of it, I promise you.” : ̗̀➛ Eli and Georgia Two estranged exes and a cursed wedding? What could go wrong? Apparently everything. Eli and Georgia are the prime example of why loving someone will never be enough. Their breakup was mutual and so realistic it hit me right in the heart. They made so many mistakes but they were just new adults at that time, trying to figure out their life and dreams, navigating through hard truths of adulthood, making sensible decisions, pushing each other away for the safety of the life they craved. Their first meet almost wrecked my heart. The overwhelming and complicated emotions, hurt and love they still have for each other even after five years of their breakup were heart-rending. The lingering touches and tension that's filled with longing, hurt and suppressed desires orchestrated their newfound love and passion. “Isn’t that the way I deserve to be loved— completely, messily, imperfectly? Isn’t that the way I deserve to love myself? And isn’t it what Eli deserves, too?” Their previous ostentatious friendship that was for their friend's group bloomed into ardent flames of love forgotten when they were forced to plan a wedding. I loved how they slowly and steadily let each other in their lives, cultivated trust, showed messy and ugly parts of their lives, but also showed how much they still love each other with their actions and words. The emotional and vulnerable moments in this book made me question what true love is in reality and is it really enough if love is all you have to give? What about efforts, comprises and good communication skills? I loved how they struggled but didn't let their past and fears associated with it to control their present and it was hopeful and comforting. “And maybe it’s not stupid, I think as he presses me into the mattress in a way that feels vital, like I’m being consumed by him. Maybe it’s just like going back to visit a home that isn’t yours anymore. Maybe you don’t have the key, but someone lets you in anyway, and you stay awhile, and it feels so good just to be somewhere you once belonged.” The intimate scenes in this book deserve praise. It was very poetical and emotional. (Eli's chain also played a major role in those scenes and I was going feral everytime it made an appearance!) I am transfixed by Jessica's exquisite, poetical, tender-hearted and deeply atmospheric writing. I resonated with the main characters and that's why this story is special for me and why this book touched my heart in a profound and true manner. Jessica delved deeper into characters' past to carefully devise their present personalities and their struggles based on it. She effortlessly reflected the frustrating decisions and heartbreaking situations with a perspicuous and rational approach. I absolutely loved the ending. I will not talk about it much but just that it was satisfying and beautiful. Special thanks to my bestie Rae who was there with me everytime I was crying and screaming in our dms. And special thanks to Jessica Joyce because I had a lovely time chatting with her about this book. She is the sweetest person ever ...more |
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Apr 02, 2024
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Apr 07, 2024
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Liu, Ken
*
| B0DM27DKJH
| 4.58
| 4,214
| Mar 2011
| 2016
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really liked it
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“Son, I know that you do not like your Chinese eyes, which are my eyes. I know that you do not like your Chinese hair, which is my hair. But can yo
“Son, I know that you do not like your Chinese eyes, which are my eyes. I know that you do not like your Chinese hair, which is my hair. But can you understand how much joy your very existence brought to me?”
I'm not crying you are. This was such a beautiful and an emotional short story. It's just 30 pages but I couldn't stop crying. The mom is so precious and she has all my heart and after reading her letter all I want to do right now is just give my mom the biggest and longest hug in this world ...more |
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Dec 12, 2023
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Dec 12, 2023
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Nov 16, 2023
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ebook
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B075RLXL3T
| 3.81
| 51,439
| Oct 31, 2017
| Oct 2018
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really liked it
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“A second is always a second; that’s the one definitive value we have on earth. Everyone is always negotiating, all of the time. You’re doing the d
“A second is always a second; that’s the one definitive value we have on earth. Everyone is always negotiating, all of the time. You’re doing the deal of your life, every day. This was mine.”
...more
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Nov 07, 2023
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Nov 07, 2023
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Nov 06, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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B09TZZKY5V
| 4.35
| 77,872
| Nov 15, 2022
| Nov 15, 2022
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it was amazing
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4.75 stars “I laughed. Then she laughed and I wondered if this—finding someone you can laugh with when everything hurts—was the stuff happily ever afte4.75 stars “I laughed. Then she laughed and I wondered if this—finding someone you can laugh with when everything hurts—was the stuff happily ever afters were made of.” Beautiful. Powerful. Heartbreaking. Incredible. Before I let go is one of those books for me that I will never forget in my life. I have never read such a well written book which not only is devastating and heartbreaking. The journey of two broken people—Josiah and Yasmen and how they moved on from their grief, depression and the loss of their loved ones. This is my first Kennedy Ryan book and I must say I am a fan of her words and the way she wrecked my heart with those words. The writing is stellar and Kennedy wrote this masterpiece book — a poignant and compelling story about two heartbroken characters who are struggling with grief, hurt and trauma after losing their loved ones. Once a happily married couple for life are now two heart-broken people still trying to recover from their past. The romance was just so beautiful and precious but it is also super angsty and heartbreaking. The way Kennedy wrote about grief, depression and healing was so raw and realistic. I loved how she equally focused on both character's growth, mental health and healing and how therapy was one of the main topics in this story and how that helped in reforming the characters and their new phase of life after loss. This book taught me a lot and that how people struggles differently with their grief and sadness after loss. The therapy lessons taught me a lot and Kennedy did an exceptional job in including them in the storyline to give more insight to Yasmen and Josiah's healing. “Love happens in the fragile context of our mortality. That love and life occur just beyond the reach of our control. There is only one letter of difference between love and lose, and somewhere along the way, for me they became synonymous.” This is not just a romance story it's about Yasmen and how she struggled with depression and the fear of losing herself for forever to grief and agony. It's about friendships and women empowerment, about Yas rising again and trying to find her new self while also forgiving herself. It's about her finding love again with Josiah. It's about Yas taking charge of her own destiny. It's about her trying to restore her family and her tattered relationship with her kids, it's about Josiah finally coming to terms with his own complicated grief and to finally give himself time to feel all the hurt, sadness and pain he never allowed himself to feel. It's about healing after loss. “If any of you are in that place tonight, I encourage you not to give up. To give yourself time to heal, to grow, to find joy again. What a difference a year can make, and in just a few minutes, we get a brand-new one. As long as you have a new year, you have another chance.” ➸ Yasmen Wade This woman inspires me a lot and in so many ways. An amazing and affectionate mother, a loving and loyal friend, a compassionate partner but mostly the most extraordinary and exceptional woman. She's strong-willed, protective, defiant but also caring and lovely. It took her a lot of time and efforts to come out of her depression and I am so proud of her for accepting that she needed help and she took therapy and help to overcome her trauma and depression. Her personality is complicated. She is still trying to come terms with her reality and her post-depression self while also trying to save her relationship with her daughter and her ex-husband. Her self-doubts about her parenting and being a good human were so real and raw and heartbreaking at so many times and it took her time to reconcile with her past-self who had lost a part of herself while also discovering her new version of herself and realising that even if she is not capable of completing healing that wound of losing her son, she can take a next step forward in her life and not feel like she does not deserve this life. She can try to heal while also not forget about what and whom she lost in the past. I'm so so so proud of her. “Even in that new loneliness, there was a kind of relief to have only one thing to save. Not my marriage, but just myself.” ➸ Josiah Wade He may be all hard edges and level-minded, sceptical but inside he's just a protective, lovely and loyal husband and a father to his kids. His story made me understand that it's never too late to ask for help. He did infuriated me sometimes but I also understand why he developed trust issues after how Yas left him. He lost everything he ever loved in the blink of an eye. He always acted like his life is not falling apart and his need to isolate himself and drown and his feelings with work was mostly because he was afraid of breaking down like Yasmen did. He never truly knew what it meant to let yourself feel the pain of losing someone. He never let himself fully grieve the loss of his loved ones ever in his life because all his life he's been living in this cocoon he built around himself to keep him safe from all the potential hurt until he was forced to break down all his exterior walls to let himself feel something for real and tangible in his life. He's just amazing and I loved how he overcome his “I don't need a therapist because I am okay” attitude. “I was no walk in the park, Merry.” ╰┈➤ Yasmen & Josiah They were perfect until they weren't. Josiah and Yas never dealt with their grief and pain in the same way and definitely not in a healthy way. Yas felt every emotion to her core and couldn't move on while Josiah never let himself felt any and was moving on. It took them therapy sessions, and two years of being alone together to finally come to terms with each other's grief, to finally talk about how, why and what they felt during their hard times. Their relationship was painful but also so beautiful at times and I don't remember how many times I cried because there were so many heartbreaking and angsty moments. The way they relearned each other again for the second time, the way they communicated about their pain and depression. That scene where Josiah retraced every hidden and visible scar on Yas's body to tell why he loves her ...more |
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1
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Feb 09, 2024
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Feb 12, 2024
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Sep 08, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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B07GY1TRL4
| 4.17
| 24,276
| Nov 13, 2018
| Nov 13, 2018
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really liked it
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4.5 stars “What I needed was her. I wanted her to have all my pieces, even the ugly, misshapen ones.” True to its name, Tragic was nothing if not tragic 4.5 stars “What I needed was her. I wanted her to have all my pieces, even the ugly, misshapen ones.” True to its name, Tragic was nothing if not tragic, heartbreaking, and painful and as a masochist I loved every second of it. The story is achingly beautiful and heartwarming as much as it's gut-wrenching. I had no hopes in this series but this book revived my love for Devney's novel. Tragic is a story about two broken people, Kaine and Piper. The story started off with a very heartbreaking prologue, and I knew that this book is going to make me ugly cry and it did (many fucking times). The story is fast paced and that's what makes it much more interesting. There is an undercurrent mystery about Kaine and why he is hiding in a cabin alone from the world and it only adds more to his character and the story. “When you were broken, breaking others wasn’t all that difficult.” Devney's writing really improved in this book. There was more depth in characters and their past and how it shaped them in the present scenario. The romance was done so perfectly in this, despite it being a insta-lust/love. ➸ Piper Campbell Piper is just coming out of a nasty divorce and is now trying to build a new life for herself in Lake Cove. She's fierce, relentless, thoughtful and a selfless woman. Piper is all about her passion for work, family and love. Piper is a nuturer through and through. She wanted kids but that's not in the cards for her and I liked how precisely Devney handled this topic. I loved her character from the get-go. She's a closed off person like Kaine and doesn't know how to let out those feelings, but I liked how she came out of it all. Her character growth throughout the book was amazing. I liked how she drove Kaine insane because she's just won't take his bullshit. I love a woman who knows her worth and won't let anyone step over her. “I might have saved him, but he completed me.” ➸ Kaine Reynolds I have a thing for broken heroes. The grumpiest man who had a tragic allure to him, that screamed pain, sorrow and loss. Kaine has been living alone in a cottage in the middle of woods for three years after the tragedy that broke him into pieces. He's s very closed off person, he doesn't talk to anyone only Piper (he was a goner for her the moment he saw her), he came across as rough, cold and arrogant man but behind all that façade is just a very caring, shy and soft-hearted person who's also a dumbass sometimes because he is very bad at communicating his feelings and emotions. Kaine took a lot of the time to actually talk about his past with Piper and as much as it was frustrating, it was also reasonable because he was running away from it instead of grieving and feeling it and no one had ever asked him about his loss for three years until Piper. “When he was in the room, I wasn’t the loneliest person there. He was.” ╰┈➤ Piper and Kaine Piper and kaine did not started off well. They hated each other but also felt the pull and chemistry they had. It was kind of insta-lust which transitioned into love and it was done so well. They went from being friends with benefits to friends to lovers. The casual-no-strings-attached-just-awesome-sex between neighbours did not turned out well because they knew how much they felt for each other and the emotional connection between them was potent and tangible to ignore it just keep it all casual. They both were broken beyond repair and they healed each other with their patience, love and care. I loved how they cherished each other and how careful they were with each other's past and heart. They didn't talked about their broken past until it felt right to them and I liked how they also didn't rushed the other to confess everything but just waited for the other to confided in each other and trust them with it. They grieved the loss of the life they both were supposed to have together but they did it at their own pace and I loved it. He sighed and relaxed, the weight of his neck and head on my thighs. Of their own volition, my fingers found their way into his silky, dark hair. The surprise pregnancy was an unexpected shocking thing in this book and I was scared that it was going to destroy this book, but Devney handled it perfectly. Somehow, it was also needed for both Piper and Kaine's growth and for them to move on from their past and the fears related to it to find something new and beautiful and healing. “It’s going to be okay,” I promised. Then I took her face in my hands and gazed at her beautiful face. The face that started and ended my day. The ending was perfect. There was a lot of drama and painful moments and I liked how everything was handled from Kaine forgiving his brother to giving his family another chance for redemption. I also loved the epilogue. It was just wholesome and everything I needed after all the pain and hurt this book put me through. Kaine being a daddy was the sweetest thing in this book. I can't wait to read Isaiah's book! I already know it's gonna be one of the best redemption arc and I am here for it. ——————— Cried like a baby in the last 5 chapters but this book was worth it ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 15, 2024
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Apr 18, 2024
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Aug 06, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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B07BLZ7S7T
| 4.18
| 61,760
| Mar 20, 2018
| Mar 20, 2018
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really liked it
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4.5 stars “If you were mine, Iris, there would be no doubt what position you’d hold in my life. You’d be center. I’d play you at the five.” Kennedy 4.5 stars “If you were mine, Iris, there would be no doubt what position you’d hold in my life. You’d be center. I’d play you at the five.” Kennedy why did you do this to me. My heart was broken by this book again and again, but augustiris mended it with their love. But I don't think I’ll ever be same after reading this book. I don't even know how to write this review without bursting into tears— because this book changed something inside me. I love and hate Kennedy and her stories and it's mostly because she make me a emotional mess everytime I read her books. Honestly, I had no idea what I was getting myself into because this book is marketed as a forbidden romance story set in the explosive world of NBA, and while it's true it is a romance story about Iris and August and their selfless and beautiful love, it's so much more than that. It's about survival, escaping the monster disguised as human, it's about selfless love and connection that is so strong that it helped you endure all the pain and life than live it, it's about breaking cycles and making life-altering choices and decisions, it's about regrets and then finally accepting the truth and fighting for your life and survival, it's about Iris Dupree the woman who chose to be her own saviour rather than waiting for someone to come and help her, it's about how August never stopped chasing Iris and his love for her. “Can you miss someone you’ve never had? Because I miss Iris.” Kennedy's writing is exceptional and I have no words to describe it. She ripped out my heart apart with her words, then shattered it again in million pieces and then she put it back in it's place with a sweet little smile on her face. You get it how many emotions this book made me go through. She made sure I read and feel every fear, sorrow and helplessness that Iris felt when she lived her nightmare everyday of her life. I loved the starting and the first meet-cute of Iris and August and though it was a bit insta-love on both the character's part, but I didn't mind it a bit, because when you know you know. Iris and August had this undeniable connection and they understood each other so well that August made Iris his life mission to give her the life she deserved but never got. The accidental pregnancy trope bugged me a little in the starting because of how Iris never wanted it and it was all Caleb's doing but I think I understand why it was there in the first place, because Sarai gave Iris the strength and power she needed to get out of that hell. ➸ Iris DuPree Iris is one of the strongest woman I have ever read about in a book and I admire her for her bravery, resilience and strength she showed when everything in her life was falling apart. She always wanted to be a woman with ambitions and career but sometimes life gives you the most hard choices and she did her best with them. She was affraid but she fought for her life and her freedom and she is not just a survivor but a warrior who didn't needed a man to save her and her daughter. I get it why she made those choices and why she blamed herself for them but she never knew and all she ever wanted was to achieve her dreams and be loved. I liked that even after going through this much trauma in her life, she never stopped trying and believing in herself. She fought through the shame and guilt to find her happiness and I love her for who she is and what she did with her life. “I couldn’t have known that the first hit, that baptism into violence, doesn’t just sting the flesh. It startles the soul.” ➸ August West August is the man you find once in a lifetime and never let go of. The charming and perfect NBA player who can make your heart melt into a puddle with his sweet words and his actions. He's just incredible and he also had his faults but above all he is an amazing human who knows how to love, care and protect his loved ones. He is selfless, kind and ambitious just like Iris and I love how he loves his life and dreams and Iris. He had been through a lot in his life, but he is a chaser who never stops and no matter how many hardships are there in his life, he is determined to get what he wants and that is an admirable trait because that determination helped him find his true-self and his true love. I loved seeing him fall in love with Iris and her daughter. “Iris is my constellation. She took the darkness as her cue to shine. It only made her brighter, stronger, and tonight, her hard-won glimmer lights up the sky.” ╰┈➤ Iris and August Iris and August are the embodiment of right person, wrong time. The two misfits. The soulmates in every universe. Their journey started that night in dive bar where they pour out their hearts to each other, a night that ended bittersweet for them but they were inevitable. I love them so much and the way they loved each other was truly so beautiful and so pure. They had a few interactions but Iris and August always understood each other so well like they were always suppose to find their way back to each other. They always knew what they meant to each other but their situation made it harder for them to be together. Iris was trapped in the baby drama with Caleb and Caleb was August's rival who did everything in his power to destroy both of them. “Time is not a line. It’s a circle, and we, August and Iris, we stand at the center.” What I really loved was how August never stopped loving Iris, he was always chasing her and loving her, encouraging her when she never believed in her potential. Their love is so beautiful and selfless that even after going through hell they both found their way back to each other. I liked how August earned her trust, gave her the slow and space she needed, encouraged her and supported her dreams, waited for her to come back to him but also never let her go, he was always there for Iris and Sarai. And their family moments have all my heart. The way Iris accepted August in her little family and the way August loved Sarai was so precious and emotional. I love the three of them so much. “The daughter captivates me at a glance, just like her mother did, and my heart falls right out of my chest and lands at this baby’s feet.” The ending chapters were so painful to read but the ending was everything I wanted. Thankfully, Iris killed Caleb or I would've done it myself because that man is a monster in human flesh. Also, I loved the epilogue and bonus epilogues ...more |
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4.21
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really liked it
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Nov 15, 2024
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Oct 30, 2024
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4.16
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it was amazing
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Oct 07, 2024
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Oct 05, 2024
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4.44
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it was amazing
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Jul 14, 2024
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Jul 07, 2024
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4.37
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it was amazing
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Sep 25, 2023
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Jul 04, 2024
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4.51
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it was amazing
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May 19, 2024
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May 07, 2024
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4.26
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it was amazing
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Sep 04, 2024
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Apr 18, 2024
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4.63
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it was amazing
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Aug 09, 2024
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Apr 18, 2024
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4.48
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it was amazing
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Aug 2024
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Apr 18, 2024
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4.51
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really liked it
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Mar 30, 2024
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Mar 21, 2024
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4.58
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really liked it
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May 22, 2024
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Mar 07, 2024
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4.37
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really liked it
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Apr 22, 2024
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Mar 07, 2024
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4.48
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really liked it
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Feb 23, 2024
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Feb 19, 2024
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4.38
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it was amazing
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Jul 25, 2024
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Feb 13, 2024
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4.28
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it was amazing
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Feb 03, 2024
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Jan 26, 2024
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4.20
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it was amazing
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Apr 07, 2024
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Dec 01, 2023
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Liu, Ken
*
| 4.58
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really liked it
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Dec 12, 2023
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Nov 16, 2023
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3.81
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really liked it
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Nov 07, 2023
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Nov 06, 2023
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4.35
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it was amazing
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Feb 12, 2024
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Sep 08, 2023
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4.17
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really liked it
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Apr 18, 2024
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Aug 06, 2023
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4.18
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really liked it
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Mar 16, 2024
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Jul 17, 2023
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