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freyafaithfull's reviews
384 reviews
Emery by Cora Rose
5.0
Emery (Unexpected book 3) by Cora Rose ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Emery is definitely one of my favourite characters. He's like an excitable puppy, candy loving kid, pouty teenager and rambunctious sex fiend all rolled into one. His skittish brain and wild thoughts are so entertaining and he's got a huge sweet tooth, always wandering around with a lollipop in his mouth.
Unlike Emery who is impulsive, his stepbrother August is reserved and tends to overthink things. I really wanted August to sort himself out much sooner and found him incredibly frustrating at times. At the same time though, I couldn't help but adore the way he cared for Emery and became the support system that Emery so desperately needed. He accepted Emery for who he was, and truly loved all aspects of him.
This book deals with a lot of darker themes but somehow still manages to be heartwarming and humorous throughout. Emery's past is so heartbreaking and even with this current struggles he somehow still manages to be this endearing, sweet guy who just wants to be accepted and loved. I'm so glad that Emery got his happy ending, he more than deserved it.
CW: child abuse and neglect, PTSD and other mental health issues, addiction, brief mention of suicide of a parent, brief mention of childhood sexual abuse
Emery is definitely one of my favourite characters. He's like an excitable puppy, candy loving kid, pouty teenager and rambunctious sex fiend all rolled into one. His skittish brain and wild thoughts are so entertaining and he's got a huge sweet tooth, always wandering around with a lollipop in his mouth.
Unlike Emery who is impulsive, his stepbrother August is reserved and tends to overthink things. I really wanted August to sort himself out much sooner and found him incredibly frustrating at times. At the same time though, I couldn't help but adore the way he cared for Emery and became the support system that Emery so desperately needed. He accepted Emery for who he was, and truly loved all aspects of him.
This book deals with a lot of darker themes but somehow still manages to be heartwarming and humorous throughout. Emery's past is so heartbreaking and even with this current struggles he somehow still manages to be this endearing, sweet guy who just wants to be accepted and loved. I'm so glad that Emery got his happy ending, he more than deserved it.
CW: child abuse and neglect, PTSD and other mental health issues, addiction, brief mention of suicide of a parent, brief mention of childhood sexual abuse
Cross the Line by Becca Steele
5.0
Cross the Line by Becca Steele ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
⚽ The golden boy and the delinquent ⚽
After acting out to try and gain his parents attention, Kian is suspended from the football team and risks losing his spot to new student Preston. This starts Kian's one sided rivalry against Preston, as he can't let go of the idea that he is being replaced. Preston however, is only interested in gaining more of Kian's attention, whether in the form of irrational arguments or heated moments that he hopes will eventually lead to more.
Kian had his walls built high, being used to constant disappointment from his absent parents. Deep down, he just wanted someone to see him and love him for who he truly was and luckily for him Preston saw through his mask and embraced him wholly.
Despite their rocky start, once they both give in to their feelings, their relationship soon blossoms and they find comfort and happiness within each other.
Kian and Preston complement each other perfectly. Kian encourages Preston to let go and have fun whilst Preston helps Kian believe he's worthy of love and affection. I love this pairing so much and was so happy to see their cameo later in Blindsided!
CW: violence, brief mention of childhood abuse
⚽ The golden boy and the delinquent ⚽
After acting out to try and gain his parents attention, Kian is suspended from the football team and risks losing his spot to new student Preston. This starts Kian's one sided rivalry against Preston, as he can't let go of the idea that he is being replaced. Preston however, is only interested in gaining more of Kian's attention, whether in the form of irrational arguments or heated moments that he hopes will eventually lead to more.
Kian had his walls built high, being used to constant disappointment from his absent parents. Deep down, he just wanted someone to see him and love him for who he truly was and luckily for him Preston saw through his mask and embraced him wholly.
Despite their rocky start, once they both give in to their feelings, their relationship soon blossoms and they find comfort and happiness within each other.
Kian and Preston complement each other perfectly. Kian encourages Preston to let go and have fun whilst Preston helps Kian believe he's worthy of love and affection. I love this pairing so much and was so happy to see their cameo later in Blindsided!
CW: violence, brief mention of childhood abuse
Budding Attraction by Saxon James
5.0
Budding Attraction by Saxon James ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The sweetheart mechanic and florist with a wild side.
Orson's character was such a welcome surprise and completely different than I had pictured him. Instead of the shy, reserved, romantic guy we saw in the first two books, we get to see a different side of him. A side that's feisty, funny and full of surprises.
Ford was the sweetheart I expected and I love how he's seen as this big tattooed scary guy but really deep down he's just a flirty, squishy, cinnamon roll who loves a cuddle.
Ford is so accepting and patient with Orson throughout the whole book, on board to be with Orson in whatever way he needs. Their friendship is so much fun and the progression into a romantic relationship feels genuine and organic.
This is an enjoyable, low angst read and definitely my favourite book of the series so far.
CW: grief, loss, cheating (referenced, not between mc's)
The sweetheart mechanic and florist with a wild side.
Orson's character was such a welcome surprise and completely different than I had pictured him. Instead of the shy, reserved, romantic guy we saw in the first two books, we get to see a different side of him. A side that's feisty, funny and full of surprises.
Ford was the sweetheart I expected and I love how he's seen as this big tattooed scary guy but really deep down he's just a flirty, squishy, cinnamon roll who loves a cuddle.
Ford is so accepting and patient with Orson throughout the whole book, on board to be with Orson in whatever way he needs. Their friendship is so much fun and the progression into a romantic relationship feels genuine and organic.
This is an enjoyable, low angst read and definitely my favourite book of the series so far.
CW: grief, loss, cheating (referenced, not between mc's)
Christmas Bubble by Ana Ashley
3.0
Christmas Bubble by Ana Ashley ⭐⭐⭐.5
A sweet age gap story with lots of cute Christmas fun! Bubbles name perfectly encompasses his vivacious personality and I loved his sugar sweet view of the world. Personally, I felt like too many questions about both Curtis and Riley's pasts were left unanswered. Some of the elements of the story didn't quite click for me but it was still overall an enjoyable festive read.
A sweet age gap story with lots of cute Christmas fun! Bubbles name perfectly encompasses his vivacious personality and I loved his sugar sweet view of the world. Personally, I felt like too many questions about both Curtis and Riley's pasts were left unanswered. Some of the elements of the story didn't quite click for me but it was still overall an enjoyable festive read.
Whit by Cora Rose
4.0
Whit (Unexpected book 1) by Cora Rose ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
An emotional rollercoaster ride of two very different people who find themselves inadvertently drawn to each other. Caleb's the sunshine to Whit's grumpy and brings vibrancy and stress into Whit's life through his messiness and childish antics.
Whit is the mysterious and unknown, keeping secrets and lies which ultimately become his downfall. After learning more about his brutal childhood you get to see more of a glimpse of the broken man he is rather than the studious, perfectionist that he presents to the world.
We see very little of the story from Whit's perspective, though what we do see really helps in understanding the deeper aspects of his character.
This was almost a 5 star read for me but the ending felt slightly rushed compared to the rest of the book and there were a few grammatical inconsistencies that pulled me out of the story.
There was no trigger or content warning in the actual book which would have been helpful as this story does deal with some heavy topics.
CW: suicidal thoughts, grief, loss and mentions of self harm, suicide attempts and mental and physical abuse.
An emotional rollercoaster ride of two very different people who find themselves inadvertently drawn to each other. Caleb's the sunshine to Whit's grumpy and brings vibrancy and stress into Whit's life through his messiness and childish antics.
Whit is the mysterious and unknown, keeping secrets and lies which ultimately become his downfall. After learning more about his brutal childhood you get to see more of a glimpse of the broken man he is rather than the studious, perfectionist that he presents to the world.
We see very little of the story from Whit's perspective, though what we do see really helps in understanding the deeper aspects of his character.
This was almost a 5 star read for me but the ending felt slightly rushed compared to the rest of the book and there were a few grammatical inconsistencies that pulled me out of the story.
There was no trigger or content warning in the actual book which would have been helpful as this story does deal with some heavy topics.
CW: suicidal thoughts, grief, loss and mentions of self harm, suicide attempts and mental and physical abuse.
Until Him by Cora Rose
4.0
Until Him by Cora Rose ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A jock/nerd romance with a twist.
Logan needs a chemistry tutor to keep from being kicked off the water polo team. He approaches highly recommended tutor Theo, to request his services and they end up striking an unconventional deal.
Logan goes through a journey of sexual self discovery during his tutoring sessions with Theo and starts to crave Theo's company, wanting to delve deeper into the mysterious, stern man and uncover his secrets.
Theo is standoffish from the beginning and we don't uncover why until much later on in the book. When he finally lets Logan in and decides to trust him, his walls come down and we see a completely different side to him.
Both Logan and Theo feel broken in some way and haunted by things that have happened in their pasts. Once they both open up and realise what the other is going through they manage to find solace and comfort in each other.
I really enjoyed the addition of Logan's family and best friend Finn, and of course Curie the cat stole the scene many times throughout the book.
My only complaint with this story was that everything seemed to end quite abruptly and I would have liked to have seen more of what happens with Theo's dad and the progression of Logan and Theo's relationship after they are officially together.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, however as with several other books by Cora Rose, I really wish there was a content/trigger warning available for those who need it.
CW: PTSD, a deal existing of the exchange of sex for tutoring services, marijuana use, underage drinking (by a secondary character)
A jock/nerd romance with a twist.
Logan needs a chemistry tutor to keep from being kicked off the water polo team. He approaches highly recommended tutor Theo, to request his services and they end up striking an unconventional deal.
Logan goes through a journey of sexual self discovery during his tutoring sessions with Theo and starts to crave Theo's company, wanting to delve deeper into the mysterious, stern man and uncover his secrets.
Theo is standoffish from the beginning and we don't uncover why until much later on in the book. When he finally lets Logan in and decides to trust him, his walls come down and we see a completely different side to him.
Both Logan and Theo feel broken in some way and haunted by things that have happened in their pasts. Once they both open up and realise what the other is going through they manage to find solace and comfort in each other.
I really enjoyed the addition of Logan's family and best friend Finn, and of course Curie the cat stole the scene many times throughout the book.
My only complaint with this story was that everything seemed to end quite abruptly and I would have liked to have seen more of what happens with Theo's dad and the progression of Logan and Theo's relationship after they are officially together.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, however as with several other books by Cora Rose, I really wish there was a content/trigger warning available for those who need it.
CW: PTSD, a deal existing of the exchange of sex for tutoring services, marijuana use, underage drinking (by a secondary character)
Always Him by Cora Rose
5.0
Always Him (Inevitable Book 2) by Cora Rose ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A childhood best friends to lovers romance
A childhood best friends to lovers romance
Sidelined by Becca Steele
4.0
Sidelined (LSU book 2) by Becca Steele ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A sweet, low angst, best friends to lovers story
A sweet, low angst, best friends to lovers story