Review: Make Me (Broke and Beautiful #3) - Tessa Bailey

(⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5 stars)

Finally we have here the last novel of the Broke and Beautiful Series - Make Me.

The story of rough Russell Hart and posh Abby Sullivan, after we witnessed how their best friends fell in love with each other.

Again, Bravo to Tessa Bailey’s light and easy way of writing her books! I enjoyed this one the most!!!!! So uncomplicated and funny, we fall in love with the characters pretty easily.

The plot goes like this: Russell, the tough guy of the Supergroup is madly in love with Abby, the multimillionaire virgin that rents really expensive apartments to the other two broke girls of the series at a affordable amount for them, all because she thinks she’s unable to make any friends. So, Russell spends all his time in the friend-zone and fantasizing about Abby, because he thinks he’s not good enough for her - everything changes after Abby one day realize that he’s really good looking and that they have some sort of connection.

I have to say this is my favorite couple of the Supergroup! Totally opposites but son in sync at the same time - they really fulfill the needs of the other one and the way Russell loves Abby is really sweet and surreal. I enjoyed their conversations about love and their sexual interactions the most.

Great way to close a series!! So if you haven’t read it and you’re in the market for lite, uncomplicated, nothing-box reading, this is your thing!

From HERE on be aware that I might drop some SPOILERS over the lines.

Let’s get juicy on the details! Russell (OMG!!!) is amazing as a main character - is like a man-man! Handy, DIY, brave and really hard on the outside, we can see how sensible he actually is in the inside. Not only because he’s always caring for Abby, his family and friends, but also because he has his family issues to cope with. Finding his mother dead by depression made him a little rough on the edges, but not incapable to love - in fact, from all three male characters of the series, he’s the most emotional one - and that contrast with he’s outside is what makes even more interesting.

Then, there’s Abby - a rich girl who seems to have it all, except real relationships and experience in her life. Raised in a family where there was no allow to make mistakes because you ended dealing with them alone, she always felt like an outcast. Up until she decided to “buy” herself some friends by renting the rooms of her how at a cheap price. But even then, who really made her feel like she belong to someone was the cranky friend of Roxy’s boyfriend who was always there, no matter what she said to him. Being inexperience emotionally and sexually, it takes time for her to realize that what she had been sharing with Russell is not a normal friendship but something different.

Mix all that with a sexual chemistry accompanied by kind of dominant sex and the result is great! Because, beside from the fact that Russell wants to protect Abby from EVERYTHING so she doesn’t end like his mother, the kind of rough and direct way he treats her in that heated moments makes this book even more fun.

So I’m giving it five shining stars and I’m really looking forward to read new things from Tessa Bailey!

Hope you had enjoyed my review - feel free to add anything that you want down there.

As always, see you between the pages...

Trish ❥

Review: Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

(⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 3/5 stars)

Ready Player One….

>Enter

Welcome to the OASIS… Or should I said The Matrix or Room 13 or Second Life or World of Warcraft in the future. So yes, you guys get the idea. This is a story about a future society that lives online (At least the majority) in a virtual reality world called The Oasis. The author is Ernest Cline and he has another book called Armada (similar stuff). 

It follows the story of Wade, a 18 year old dude that even study in the Oasis and it is obsessed with 80´s pop culture (As everyone else) in the 2040´s. Wade is a Gunter, part of a massive group that spend every little single second outside of school looking to play the ultimate game: a quest all over The Oasis to find an egg the founder of this virtual reality (An 80´s geek called Halladay) put somewhere – the winner will take billions of dollars and the control of the Oasis. 

It is said that Steven Spielberg is looking forward to do a Film about this book. That could mean really good news (Jaws) or not so good ones (A.I). If it´s true, it won’t happen for a while know. I think it´s the future´s Elder Scroll (ehww).

I´m a 90`s kid: so you should take this review with a pinch of salt.. I you lived the 80´s in your prime or if you are obsess with the decade, especially if you play D&D and all kind of classic video-games, please go ahead and read this book – you will have a blast! For the rest of us, let´s see how this unfolds: 

THIS is the place where you STOP if haven't read the book, because I can get some SPOILERS over the lines!

Things that I liked about RP1:

✔︎ It was fun. For sure, light and fast reading that will entertain you. It does not matter if you do not get every little reference. The story unfolds quite fast and everything happens in a straight fashion. There is some romance, but mainly adventure and action.

✔︎ 80's pop culture. It is amusing. Pacman, D&D, everything  Matthew Broderick did, War Games and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Plus, the song about The Piña Colada (who would love that! c´mon!). There is a first plane where the 80´s references habit and all makes for a great background.

✔︎ The futuristic failed society is a great one. I think there is a nice message there: we, as a society, think we are facing huge perils in the near future because of recent global financial problems and global warming. If things follow the path news portrayed the world everyday it looks like we will, sooner or later, reach a point of extreme depression. I loved the “real world” where Wade and everyone else lives in – a group of trailer stacked one over the other (20-30 high) in order to create an improvise building – fascinating background. It is that world of depression. 

✔︎ The idea of avatars as a mean to do things you would not do in real life…. But wait, what it´s real life? (Is this the real world, or is just fantasy… you can go on in your head). This is a thing we already see all over the internet, please visit the comment section in youtube or any sub-reddit and you will find human nature without any restraint. It is a nice touch and theme present in the book. There is some gender issues and people looking for themselves. 

✔︎ The research: astonishing the amount of detail – particularly with the 80`s references.

Things that I did not liked about RP1:

✘ It was fun. But it wasn't good. At least was not perfectly written, too much flaws and predictable outcomes. Do not get me wrong, this is a fun book, but it is not as intelligent as it could be. I did had a good time, it was not cerebrally challenging – think Elder Scroll and not Dune/Foundation. 

✘ 80's pop culture. Too much for me. Again, if you lived the decade and loved it, no problem. But do we really have to listen to every single obscure little easter egg about the 80`s. I know that you are thinking: but Andrew, isn´t that the main reason of the book. Well, yes; and it does add some nice texture to everything in the story; but I do not think the 80´s was as memorable as Ernest Cline thinks it is…. 90`s kid here, I told you.

✘ It's full of laughable impossibilities: like a 18 year old having seen every episode of every 80s TV show somehow, and being an expert in Pacman and a great player of Joust, Tempest, and the 1000's of other games that you think may be important in the quest including knowing the script of every movie and all Japanese anime references… too much. I understand that he is obsesses over all of this, but there is no time to know all that in a life time. Sorry.

✘ Finally, towards the end of the book I did not fear for one second for Wade and his friends. He seemed to experience almost no actual barriers to success and the bad guys were very incompetent (a Google like multi-billion enterprise) vs a bunch of 18 year olds. Aha, not believable and too easy for our heroes. 

This a 3/5 for me. A good read for a casual reader and a great read for a 80`s kids. Overall: good nice book. You can pass on it if you are not intrigued. 

As always… thanks for reading.

Andrew ♆

Review: Manwhore+1 (Manwhore #2) - Katy Evans

(⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Finally I'm coming with the review of a sequel I was eagerly waiting! And I'm sure, after the hanging finale of Manwhore, I wasn't the only one! 

With this book I cannot avoid SPOILERS coming between the lines, so if you haven't read it, STOP here.

After waiting so much to get to know what happened between Rachel and Malcolm in that thrilling last encounter in his office, I finally got my wish and learned what was next for this couple.

I have to say that, even if I think this is a good sequel to the first book, my expectations where a little high... and don't get me wrong, I still LOVE Malcolm and is my favorite handsome millionaire of all, but I was expecting more struggling from his side and less shyness from Rachel's part. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

In my opinion, Katy Evans did an amazing job by surprising us in the beginning of the book - I can bet most of us where expecting something entirely different from the first meeting between Rachel and Malcolm after Rachel's betrayal, but certainly not a job offer - fact that left us as speechless as Rachel was in the first moments of that meeting.

And since we are talking about Rachel, let's get deeper in the matter - as a character, she became more scared and insecure that in the first novel, I'm sure due to the fact that she was really ashamed for what she did, but she lost a lot of her ability to speak to Malcolm directly and that kind of bothers me a little... part of her charm rested in the fact that she was not that intimidated by him. In this book, we can feel a shift in this. 

Also, she spend a lot more time in her head day-and-night-dreaming about Malcolm and describing him over and over again:

"His sticking face is perfectly shaven today, and his sensual lips look so achingly full I can almost feel them against mine. Six feet-plus of perfectly controlled male power stands before me, in a perfect black suit and a killer tie. He's the very devil in Armani; strong-boned, square-jawed, gleaming dark hair and those penetrating eyes. He's got the best eyes."

Chapter 1: Four Weeks

"I'm breathless as I absorb the feel of his tanned skin against one, the strength of his muscles, the ripples of his abs against my tummy."

Chapter 3: My life now

"Tan, cut muscles, over six feet of pure testoterone-primed man. His skin feels so smooth and hot and hard when he lowers himself over me."

Chapter 14: Rebooting us

"He is perfection. He looks impenetrable in a business suit, as if nothing can touch him. But naked, he's a god, all tanned, toned chest muscles. Dark hair rumpled from my hands, those green eyes liquid."

Chapter 30: The Final Leap

So YES, we get it!!!! Malcolm is HOT!!!!

And I have so many good things to say about him in this book! Malcolm is the best character without doubt! BEST OF THE BESTS - he's really my guilty pleasure!!! And I think it has something to do with the fact that, in my head, he's exactly like Henry Cavill (Superman version ---> OMG!!!!) Hahahahah.

But aside from all jokes, he's a great main character that is not bullshitting around very much - he's angry with Rachel but still have feelings for her, so he wants to protect her from his father (reason why he offers the job in the first place)... Then his anger begins to fade because he wants to be with her - all of this happens in a non-creepy way, just as natural as any couple that got into a fight. He slowly gets back in trusting her again and develops a way to forgive her.

I missed a little bit more action in Malcolm's father's department - I thought it was going to be more direct and more messy. But I assume the author wanted to be more like in real life and she got that effect! Just legal business that were solve in the legals grounds.

Also, Evans kept the friends pretty superficial again and I really was curious about the Gina and Tahoe's - hopefully we are going to see more of them in next books.

So, we'll keep waiting until October 5th, for Ms. Manwhore's publishing, to see how this story ends (is it ends!!)...

Hope you had enjoyed this review and if you want to say anything, leave me a comment bellow ⬇️

As always, see you between the pages!!!

Trish ❥

Summer Reading: E-books vs Paper books

In a world where everything around us seems to be digital, there are still some things we can pick to do in the traditional non-screen way. One of this things is reading. But even this task is disappearing into the technology. 

With the boom of E-readers, tablets and reading apps for smartphones, the non-digital atmosphere around reading is becoming smaller and smaller - Of course, due to the perks of digital reading, paper books apparently are loosing the battle. 

But some of us, romantics, are still attached to the fact of have an actual book in our hands - call us nostalgics but I personally think is not the same experience. 

And don't get me wrong, I love e-books and is the way I do most of my readings, but there is nothing like sit in a comfortable place with a cup of coffee or tea and a real book in hand - turning page after page to see what comes next in the story. 

And I know is an old fashion kind of thinking, but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one with that feeling - There is something magic about that scenario.

But, of course, the weight of the book that doesn't allow me to carry it with me all the time, the lack of space in my teeny tiny flat and the higher cost compare with a Kindle versions had push me to migrate to the digital version - because, not reading is simple unacceptable!!!!

Convenience,  light weight, smaller costs and variety are some of the up sides of e-books and this things are strangling the traditional way of deep yourself into a story - but there are some things, and places, where paper seems like a better option.

As we're in the summer time (at least, in the norther part of the world), where beaches, pools and a lot of water seems to be involve, some prefer paper over digital for obvious reasons - getting your e-reader or tablet wet can cause serious damages; also, a digital screen is not that convenient under the sun and an actual book is more comfortable while you're tanning in the hammock ;)

In my case, this summer, I was stuck in a series of which I only had the digital version. This led me to bring my tablet to the beach, and while it wasn't as unpleasant as I though it would be, it wasn't the best reading experience (despise the perfect background). Looking around me, I found people enjoying their time with an paper book and it got me thinking.

Here's what I figure out: paper books are not dying, their just modifying their market and time of consuming (as in marketing) - while on-the-go, e-books seam as the perfect solution because is easier to carry them around, there are still some momentum to paper books - like the beach or that chair in your house where you can loose yourself in actual pages - at least, from now on, that's the way I'm gonna use both of them!! ;)

What do you think about it??? 

You can leave your comment bellow ⬇️

Hope you had enjoy and as always...

...See you between the pages!

Trish ❥

Review: Need Me (A Broke and Beautiful Novel #2) - Tessa Bailey

(★★★★ - 4 of 5 stars)

I think is safe to start this post saying that I completely adore the way this author presents her stories, specially in this series...

Characters introduce without to much fuzz and in a light and easy way, that allow us to get caught pretty fast in the events developing through the chapters.

This time was Honey and Ben's turn, in the second book of the series, Need Me - Teacher and student classic seduction situation that's gonna turn up the heat in your room a few degrees higher, if you know what I mean ;)

Student Honey Perribow wants to seduce her English professor while professor Ben Dawson wants to stay away of young temptations any of his students might represent - all of this in the middle of an inevitable reunion outside the classroom, since Honey is Ben's best friend's girlfriend roommate - meaning Louis and Roxy (main characters on the 1st book --> Chase Me).

I know, I know - What a coincidence, right? But I cannot stop enjoying this everyone-know-and-love-each-other books!!! Hahahaha

In this case, compare to the first book, the erotic content and sex scenes are more explicit - but c'mon, the situation makes room for more forbidden and hot interactions. Anyway, Tessa Bailey finds a way to let us get to know the characters and why they behave like they do, with the right amount of details but (again) without the drama.

Although, there're not many details to share with you about this book without falling into redundancy, there's still some things we can discuss more deeply... so if you haven't read this book, STOP now because some SPOILERS might come in the next lines.

Let's start with the most important thing in this book, the CHEMISTRY between Honey and Ben - WOOOOWWW!!! The thing that I liked the most was the fact that the author, through her main female character, makes us realize that great sex, it doesn't depend on a big dick or a lot of experience from the man who handles the intercourse - Great sex has EVERYTHING to do with the chemistry two people share in the moment and for me, Bailey let us know she thinks the same when Honey is sharing their first time with her friends and thinks to herself (Chapter 9):

“Ben had basically taken any prior knowledge she’d had about sex and crushed it up against the wall, right along with her? He’d known what to do to make her climax, which didn’t sound like an uber-amazing feat unless you’d been with members of the opposite sex who couldn’t find a clitoris with a flashlight and magnifying glass. He’d played her body so effortlessly, so confidently. Part of her wondered if she’d just picked the wrong partners in the past, sorry Elmer, or if it was just Ben. Yeah. She had a feeling it was just Ben. Or Ben and her, specifically.”

A lot of point to the author for this, since is important to let the audience know that you don't have to land a Brad Pitt in order to have a world-rocking orgasm;)

And I'm not saying Ben doesn't have the looks! In my mind, his the hot nerdy type - and most of us had this kind of crush on college (a really hot male/female teacher), so we can understand Honey's fascination with him! Plus, the contradiction between the always polished and serious professor Dawson versus the dirty talking jeans-and-no-shirt Ben highlights his appealing! A 25 year old trapped in older people manners...

...While Honey is the exact opposite to that. She's all young and innocent, but not stupid! Her initiative to seduce a professor shows that, beside her short 19 years, she knows what she wants and is not afraid of ask for it. She's strong and doesn't break when things don't go her way --- in this book, we rarely see her crying over Ben or feeling sorry for herself, she just take things the way they come and man up for the future! I loved that about this girl!

Finally, we also got hints of what Abby and Russell' relationship is gonna stand for in the next book, Make Me, which I'm pretty much expecting now - It's gonna be published on August 11th of this year, so a couple of weeks to find out how the last couple of the Super Group find the happy ending!!

Anyway, hope you had enjoy this lines - Dying to hear your thoughts below ⬇️

See you between the pages...

Trish ❥