theresidentbookworm's reviews
3256 reviews

10 Things I Loved About Full Measures

1. December

2. Josh

3. Interesting plot line

4. Lack of unnecessary drama

5. Romance

6. December's family

7. Respectable and romantic smut

8. Unexpected plot twist

9. Romance yet again

10. Very satisfying ending

If people could marry phones, I think I would marry my iPhone. Why, you might ask. The answer is simple: iBook. Being my first rodeo with an iPhone, one of the first perks I discovered was iBooks and the plethora of free books available for download. I downloaded some classics, Finding Cinderella, and a dozen romances I would never admit to reading but that made me squeal in delight when I did. Hired by the Cowboy is the latest of my cheesy free romances.

This is not your average marriage of convenience story. Alexis Grayson is alone, pregnant, and homeless, working at a smoky bar to keep food in her mouth. Connor Madsen is desperately trying to save his family's ranch from falling apart, but he needs to access the trust fund his parents set up for him. Problem is that he can't get into it until he's 30 or married. Meeting by chance, sparks fly between Alexis and Connor. Realizing that Alexis could help him and needs some help in return, Connor offers her a proposition: marry him so he can get into the trust fund and stay until her baby's born and she's back on her feet, and he'll make sure her and her baby are taken care of. Though reluctant, Alexis really has no other choice and agrees to the deal. Of course, ignoring the increasing attraction they share will be difficult as they continue to grow closer and closer...

I'll admit I liked this way more than I probably should. Alexis was a good heroine: tough and strong, able to take care of herself, but so vulnerable and unsure of what the future would look like for her and her daughter. It's easy to see how she could fall for a man as honorable and kind as Connor Madsen. I fell for him a bit myself. Connor is so kind-hearted and completely unlike any guy I've ever met. I loved how much he cared for Alexis even when he didn't want to admit to it. Johanna was another bright spot. I've never had a grandmother, but I did I'm pretty sure I'd want her to be like Johanna. I loved how gentle and kind she was with Alexis, a girl who's had little love in her life.

The only thing that continually frustrated was the yes-no tango Alexis and Connor seemed to be doing. As soon as one took a step forward, the other took a step back. It drove me up the wall. I wanted to shout, "Get over yourselves and realize you're in love already!" I didn't because it was like one in the morning, but I would've otherwise. Luckily, everything ended up working out in the end. Doesn't it always? The epilogue had me squealing and jumping in joy, and I am not ashamed to say I want the follow-up because I'm now hooked.

If you have iBook, go download this right now!

I originally discovered Dear Old Love in my recommended books on this website, and the concept sounded so interesting I went to the blog and started reading the posts. I immediately got hooked and started checking the posts every day. I love stories, and I'm fascinated by how so much of what happened in a relationship (the good, the bad, the funny, the awkward, the heartbreaking) can be expressed in just a sentence or two. I really started thinking about the stories behind them, and my imagination took off. I started concocting little stories to go along with certain posts and still do. When I saw Dear Old Love on sale on iBook, I took the chance for more inspiration.

What I love about books like Dear Old Love is the lightness of them. I read it, pick out a few parts I love, and that's that. If it's awful, there's no obligation to continue it. It's not a novel with a plot line or a nonfiction book that always ends with a point. There is no point to a book like Dear Old Love, and that's what makes it enjoyable. I liked going through it, laughing and crying, and not being obligated to anything at the end.

Read Dear Old Love and check out their blog because the quotes on there are twice as good as in this book (though there are good ones in here too).

A Jumble of Thoughts Disguised as a Review (in Numbered Parts)

1. Why is the girl on the cover in a bikini top? I don't remember that from the book. Why are the two people on the cover always in such awkward positions? His mouth isn't close enough to hers for a kiss, but his head's not positioned low enough to be resting near her boobs. Who else does not understand?

2. Free iBook romances are evil. And way too short. Which increases their evilness. Ha, that is a word! Sweet! Anyway, I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to judge something that barely had the time to get started.

3. That being said, The Start of Us at the very least tried to avoid instant love. There was some initial chemistry and such, but these two characters just spent an enjoyable night together without making such a big deal out of it. That's what bumped it up a star.

4. What exactly does the main heroine do to men that's not having sex with them and yet makes her so valuable? Explanation would be nice.

5. Ending? Way too many questions, not enough interest.

6. Sadly, not going to continue with this series. I'm getting the same vibe here I did from When I Break by Kendall Ryan, and I really should've trusted my gut on that one.

Recipe For Success (Bluegrass Series Style)

Add one strong, smart, and loveable heroine and a sexy former crush and current hunk who cares deeply about said heroine. Throw in amazing supporting characters in the form of sweet old Southern sisters, a bubbly new BFF, and a Middle Eastern sheik. For spice, add a dash of a mystery/suspense subplot that always keeps the reader on her twos. For sweetness, create the sweetest relationship between heroine and hunk. Keep readers on their toes until the very last page. Edit until perfect. Keep readers wanting more by having various sequels.

And that's success a la Kathleen Brooks, everyone! I definitely recommend Bluegrass State of Mind and can't wait to dive into the next book in the Blugegrass series. Hopefully it lives up to my high expectations!

Think Princess Diaries + The Prince & Me, and you basically have Suddenly Royal. Of course, Suddenly Royal is much sexier, funnier, and more enjoyable than you have ever had with either of those movies. Stop watching your Netflix and pick up this book. I command it!

After reading the gloriously painful Eleanor and Park, it's hard for me to see the appeal of new adult novels. I guess I see so much of it as superficial. Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to love someone to have sex with them. As Eleanor and Park proves, you also don't have to have sex with someone to love them. Love and sex are not these intertwined cords. They're two different pieces of rope people sometimes get tangled in a knot. I guess I want to read about love: true, in your face, whisk you off your feet, woo you slowly kind of love. The kind of love that just might be in If You Stay.

As far as content goes, If You Stay wasn't too extreme. Yes, Pax was messed up, but it made sense with his backstory. Mia was set up at first to be the Little Red Riding Hood to Pax' Big Bad Wolf so to speak (high five if you like my reference), but she had demons and spunk of her own. I enjoyed seeing them in love, and I appreciated how issues were dealt with. Pax decided that, in order to be the man he wanted to be for Mia, he needed to get his crap together first. Love does not heal or change by itself, but it does make you want to be better. To me, that's what If You Stay was really about.

Excluding the limited smut, If You Stay was a pretty good love story. I wonder why it's so hard to do these days. You either have sex, sex, sex or Nicholas Sparks. What happened to a middle? To the days of passion and romance like Gone with the Wind or Pride and Prejudice? I guess that's why young adult books having taking over these past few decades. Everyone wants to remember what it's like to be young and in love, but the adults seemed to have forgotten how.

So much potential, and yet... Rule sadly falls flat on its face. There really is no one I like in this entire novel. Everyone ends up being an a-hole in the end, and I found it hard to root for anyone. Rule and Shaw's relationship is too fast and slow at the same time. The evolution just wasn't making sense, and I didn't buy it. The whole Shaw's ex-boyfriend's stalking her subplot was more distracting than interesting, and Shaw's reveal of Remy's big secret makes this whole novel feel like a bad after-school special. There are some funny bits of dialogue and a few genuinely lovely romantic scenes between Rule and Shaw, but it is not enough to save this novel.

I don't know if a book has ever pissed me off like Bully has. Anger is not my usual reaction. Sadness and frustration and pity sometimes, maybe, but usually it's pure joy when I read. Not this time. This time I was pissed. I was pissed because at first I saw a girl I could relate to, a girl who had been bullied by the same boy all of high school. Worst of all, he used to be her best friend. After a year away in France, Tate decided to let Jared stop bothering her. I understood. She starts standing up for herself, breaking noses and refusing to let herself be treated badly anymore. I cheered. Then, suddenly, she's kissing this boy and having feelings for him. Well, I tell myself, she's conflicted, but at least she still knows he's a jerk. Okay, fine. But then the worst thing happened. Jared groveled and told a sob story and told Tate he loved her, and she freaking believed him! She forgave him and told him she loved him and had sex with him! This is where I lost all respect for Tate and this book. I kept reading, yes, but now I was mad.

Bully is aptly titled because it is about a bully in many ways, but Douglas (in my opinion) belittles everyone who has ever been bullied by writing this book. She excuses Jared's behavior, ignores the emotional and psychological damage it has sure to caused Tate's, and pretends like the apology is enough. It isn't. Tate will never have those two years of high school back. She will never have good memories of those. That stuff isn't so easily wiped away, Ms. Douglas, and a bully isn't so easily forgiven. I'm a junior in high school, and I still haven't forgiven the boy who bullied me in elementary school. I still remember the taunts and the tears I cried, and I couldn't imagine kissing him no matter what he told me or how he apologized. Jared and Tate's relationship is not healthy, and Jared's very unstable. He might've had good intentions, but he crossed boundaries and hurt Tate and just would not be a very good boyfriend. In fact, the act of bully seems to not matter to any of the people in Tate's life. Her best friend defends Jared several times, and most of Tate's peers join in. Frankly, I was sickened. Why didn't a teacher step in? Why didn't Tate tell her dad? I was not impressed.

I can't even tell you what I think of anything else in the novel just because the concept itself is so ludicrous I can't wrap my head around it. Don't read this novel! It doesn't deserve its rating. Is this the message we want to send to girls? That it's okay to date guys who have belittled you and made you cry for the last two years of your life? No! I will never read anything Penelope Douglas writes ever again because I am so disgusted with this book.

Wanted: A Breakdown of My Reactions Per Chapter

*These numbers are estimates mostly because I don't actually count these things. I could have during Wanted though because I was so freaking bored.

# of eye-rolls at the cliches ridden throughout the plot and characters: 25

# of times I actually laughed at something witty or funny being said: 3 at least

# of sounds of disgust I made at too-much mush or really dumb plotlines: 3,000. My throat got sore from all the little sounds I was making.

# of country references I counted: I can't even put an estimate on this. It was exhausting. I felt like I was locked in a playlist of country albums on repeat.

Consensus: Wanted was actually painful to read. I could not wait to be done with it. It contains every NA cliche with a country twist. I didn't waste any money because it was free, but I wasted some of my time. Not recommended!