The hero, Jake Gyllenhaal, cheats on his girlfriend, takes her virginity and is confronted with a pregnant evil OW. Heroine takes off with a little soThe hero, Jake Gyllenhaal, cheats on his girlfriend, takes her virginity and is confronted with a pregnant evil OW. Heroine takes off with a little something extra only to have her secret plot moppet die of leukemia. She tried, oh so hard, to tell the H he had another baby but the evil OW kept answering the phone. Hokay.
Heroine is on the run from her formerly doting, slightly overbearing mafia man husband. She didn't know he was mafia, but he was a great dresser so she should have known.
She runs away, her mother is killed in the car accident meant for her and she runs into the man she hates for cheating on her so she shows him, and has sex with pretty much right away. He's still as conceited as ever and runs off to play MC with the other boys.
This was the fictional equivalent of a woman that wear all of her jewelry at once. Why have a plot moppet with a disease of the week if you aren't going to get blood marrow for him?
Lots of stuff happens that wasted my time, but the clincher is the heroine has her gun trained on the evil OW when mafioso husband steps in and she doesn't even shoot him.
Oh and her secret father is part of Bratva....more
Started out where the heroine has obviously moved on from her cheating and condescending husband and on to a hunkier I guess it could have been worse.
Started out where the heroine has obviously moved on from her cheating and condescending husband and on to a hunkier and much more appreciative beau. Unfortunately lives next door to her husband and the evil OW who seduced him.
(view spoiler)[ Dog in the manger hero wants her back as soon as he sees her pregnant. OM turns out to be a rock god, ex of the evil OW.
Lots of stuff happened that was fairly entertaining, but stars dropped when the heroine cheats with her ex so she can induce labor. Who cheats on a faithful Irish rock singer that is crazy about you?
Bottom line, I guess the H and h deserve each other as they both cheat.
Be careful what you ask for...kind of. There was a thread on FB about books where the h is taken for granted by her family. This more than delivered. Be careful what you ask for...kind of. There was a thread on FB about books where the h is taken for granted by her family. This more than delivered. Not only is she abused, but her dad abuses her half-sisters by doing things like kick them in the head when she doesn't deliver. Not delivering is things like the H might bring her home early. Daddy is essentially a pimp. Don't feel too sorry for the half-sisters either, they're financial vampires as well. Heroine is a little stupid.
Anyhoo, the prose isn't over;y graphic but CM certainly knew how to deliver.
There's a pretty nice, hunky OM, but the heroine didn't deserve him since she strung him along. Falling for a guy, planning to have sex with him before your arranged marriage, then crying because got caught feel sorry doesn't make you good person.
The Too Cool for School gang with their undoubtedly pouty Calvin Klein perfume lips are back as cool as ever. Heroine is taking the H's down one by onThe Too Cool for School gang with their undoubtedly pouty Calvin Klein perfume lips are back as cool as ever. Heroine is taking the H's down one by one, and when I mean taking down I mean we are heading into reverse harem territory. Ho hum.
Still fun, still thriller baby. Lots of rotten relatives....more
This is a new generation Susan Fox channeling The Black Sheep, The Bad Penny, Wild at Heart and more. Romance complete with a downtrodden heroine thatThis is a new generation Susan Fox channeling The Black Sheep, The Bad Penny, Wild at Heart and more. Romance complete with a downtrodden heroine that no one loves, a cruel hero, a dead paternal nightmare, an evil OW and an even more evil mama. I mean EVIL. Loved it.
This poor bland chick can't cut a break. I still felt sorry for her even when she got her happy ever after. Trying to think if he even attempted a grovel, and nope....more
A serious lack of trigger warnings. If the author wants to write dark, fine, but give a freaking head's up.
Just too much rape/gang bang rape as well aA serious lack of trigger warnings. If the author wants to write dark, fine, but give a freaking head's up.
Just too much rape/gang bang rape as well as flashback rape in graphic detail for me. I don't need to read the extent of what orifice is raped and how the bad guys humiliate and debase the heroine. I could have spared the author a 1 star if I had known. Ironically, while the author has no problem describing the pain the heroine goes through, I don't recall much written about the death of the bad guys. Now they deserved a painful death.
A revenge marriage is one thing, but the H emotionally abuses the heroine, and the author uses good sex as a means of therapy. I have a hard time buying that a young girl that was gang raped and tied to a pole for years is going to enjoy sex the first time she has "real sex" no matter how magical the hero's penis is....more
This was a mess. INSTA love, beta hero with great abs and arms that has the emotional stability of a 13 year old, confusing timeDNF at the bitter end.
This was a mess. INSTA love, beta hero with great abs and arms that has the emotional stability of a 13 year old, confusing timeline, too many plot points, slow pacing, and the most ridiculous coincidences ever...
(view spoiler)[The H is the father because he donated sperm on a lark to keep his bros company, yea okay. I guess there are worse reasons. And the ex-nanny heroine turns out to be the mother even though she never gave birth. She forgot she donated her eggs when she was younger. Who forgets donating their eggs? As an adopted child and as someone who's been through IVF and contemplated using an egg donor this was...insulting, I don't know what. On top of everything else, it was boring. (hide spoiler)]
Neither character was likable. He ditches her to level up. He doesn't say it exactly like that, but that's what it is. He already has the new and imprNeither character was likable. He ditches her to level up. He doesn't say it exactly like that, but that's what it is. He already has the new and improved girlfriend literally on hand as he ditches the heroine. I guess she was there to coach him. So emotional cheating or no? Who cares.
The heroine moves and blocks the H which yay. A spine! Year or two later he's back with stalker puppy dog eyes and a serious need of a restraining order. He's insane and not in a fun way. Other men abound and she has a friends with benefits she treats like dirt. Really! He thinks she can do better than this bozo so she ditches him....more
This was kind of messy as in real life messy where people don't know what they want.
High school sweethearts are apart because he cheated. He's moved oThis was kind of messy as in real life messy where people don't know what they want.
High school sweethearts are apart because he cheated. He's moved on, she hasn't really until she meets Office Hunky.
Heroine was put into an OW position without knowing it for about a minute. Ex turns into a dog in the manger when she moves on. Kind of sad to see two people acknowledge decades of memories as they grew up but have to put them aside to move on....more
This started out promising where the hero and heroine are totally besotted in their little MOC. The heroine doesn't tell the hero something she reallyThis started out promising where the hero and heroine are totally besotted in their little MOC. The heroine doesn't tell the hero something she really should have. It was stupid not to, but hardly deserves the scorched earth temper tantrum from the H. He lets off the abusive, possibly homicidal brother and despicable mother off with less of a tell off than the heroine.
This was okay, but the bait and switch at the end was very, very frustrating as this is essentially half a book. When I first read it checked the blurThis was okay, but the bait and switch at the end was very, very frustrating as this is essentially half a book. When I first read it checked the blurb of the second book which seemed to have all new characters. The reason became clear at rhetorical end.
Passive doormat is flailing around in a sinking marriage. Handwriting is on the wall. She has nothing to do blah, blah. She can't do her art anymore, she can't make her husband happy, money seems to be an issue. I just wanted her to go get a job and quit whining. Her BF is there for her all the time.
It's obvious the husband is a cheater and moves out. Bottom line (view spoiler)[she gets pregnant and so does his sidepiece, her best friend dun dun DUN. There is no confrontation with the best friend, nothing. She tells off her husband, packs her bag and the book ends. That's it. There's a preview of the next book eighteen years later. Next book is $2.99. It's not much, but I feel like this is a bait and switch. Unless something epic happens in the next book there is no reason to split his story up.
This is a really good sweet heroine wins over the very grumpy hero. I read it a couple of weeks ago and, yikes, my memory, but these missed all the grThis is a really good sweet heroine wins over the very grumpy hero. I read it a couple of weeks ago and, yikes, my memory, but these missed all the gross and obvious tropes. His very gruff and dissmissive at first but really steps up to the plate of her. She's sweet and innocent and given her up brings and HORRIBLE parents, not a doormat.
What seems to be an intelligent heroine drops IQ points and ruins her character. She's unknowinglD.N.F.
Heroine is TSTL, and too stupid to care about.
What seems to be an intelligent heroine drops IQ points and ruins her character. She's unknowingly has an affair with a married DEA agent. Clarification, she knows he's a DEA agent but does not know he's married with kids. She ditches him when she finds out (view spoiler)[ so he digitally rapes her, bruises her face and bites her lip. (hide spoiler)] Does she A) file a police report, B) contact his supervisor, C) shoot him, D) at least have a friend take photos of the bruising and teeth marks. Yes, teeth marks. Nope to all of the above. He shows up later to threaten that more stalking will be coming soon and she still does nothing. So DNF'ing at 10%.
I suspect based on other similar plots that she will get beaten up/kidnapped/insert some level of violence that fictional female characters are so often doomed to at least one more time, her new boyfriend will be attacked, and the villain will end up dead. She'll have nightmares that she is responsible for the death of a man and boo hoo.
I just don't have time for recycled misogynistic BS especially when written by women. The heroine in Starting Over was celibate while the H moved on for hookups until they meet up again, he prioritized his friendship with her brothers over her, and she was then stalked, roofied, totally beaten up and almost killed by a really bad guy.
I was at least hoping that she would be a stand up heroine and file a report then the villain would go rogue, or be protected by his police buds, or, hey here's a thought, let his police force abduct buddies condemn him and find a more original way to insert angst in the story. Or she and the furious ex-wife could plot and bring him down together....more
Another stupid, stupid H. How can you be Alpha when you are henpecked by Elders, so stupid to not do due diligence on whether the heroine is guilty orAnother stupid, stupid H. How can you be Alpha when you are henpecked by Elders, so stupid to not do due diligence on whether the heroine is guilty or not by association, and even more carelessly stupid to leave her unguarded.
I simply do not understand this book's premise. Not a romance.
We have two people in love, know they will marry, but the H goes ape when she gets pregnI simply do not understand this book's premise. Not a romance.
We have two people in love, know they will marry, but the H goes ape when she gets pregnant. He's abusive and not in the oh so charming HP verbal abuse and shaming way. Nope, he's violent. She has a miscarriage and he's still violent. Heroine is as bad. He's so mean, but he's so cute....more
Give me a break, this guy is going to commit suicide when he hits 50.
Guy cheats because, guess, he's turning 30 and isn't the young stu30. 30. 30. 3o.
Give me a break, this guy is going to commit suicide when he hits 50.
Guy cheats because, guess, he's turning 30 and isn't the young stud in the field. His wife gets him to try yoga and he goes for the cliche ridden and annoying anything-goes, very flexible, very immoral yoga instructor who gets off scot free. Cheating is the responsibility of the cheater, but someone so full of themselves with absolutely no care to cruel consequences needs a comeuppance.
A happy ending would have been the heroine writing a Yelp review:
Loved the class! Great flexibility and accommodating hours, but really not crazy that the bell ringing yoga teacher slept with my husband. Was downward doggie included?
Really enjoyable for a variety of reasons: surprises, that rare bird...an intelligent heroine, a plot, and a sad retribution for a bad mate on a univeReally enjoyable for a variety of reasons: surprises, that rare bird...an intelligent heroine, a plot, and a sad retribution for a bad mate on a universe changing level.
I'm not going to get into story elements due to how the author unfolds her story, but it's a Rashomon meets Sliding Doors approach to the story. It's less of a romance and more of Charlie's journey. So KU sex fiend readers, that means you are going to be a little disappointed.
There is a revenge element to the story that had me laughing out loud so there is that.
P.S. Love how she differentiates between what their wolf spirit feels (as in YOU ARE AN IDIOT) nd what the human thinks and does....more