Reliving Fate by Natasha Preston

 Reliving Fate by Natasha Preston

Blurb: 

Murder.
Guilt.
Obsession.

When Bella stumbles upon her dead sister’s diary, she sets out on a mission to find her sister’s killer, but it leads her to the wrong side of town.

And right into the path of Rocco, a loner, a bad boy, who is determined to keep her away. After all, you protect your own, and Bella certainly doesn’t belong with the likes of him.

But it’s hard to move on when you’re chained to the past, and Bella is intent on getting justice for her sister…even if it’s at the cost of her own life.


My first reaction when I thought about this book was to give it zero stars because the ending absolutely gutted me. Then I realized that the fact that I felt so passionately about it probably meant that it has earned many more stars than that. That's how I ended up at four. I'm still not sure whether I'll ever forgive the author.

The story was well spun, I really loved the characters even though I was so upset with Isabella's parents. The way they grieved wasn't healthy at all in my eyes. I know that people deal differently with loss but in this case everyone was supposed to take part in it even though it was really extreme and considering the fact that the murder happened many years ago, they were living far too much in the past. Well, there were so many more situations where I could have screamed and was so furious when it came to her parents, nope, I'm no fan of theirs. Not at all.
Rocco was an amazing character and I wanted it all for him, the girl, the white fence and everything. He is a real bad boy but he is also soft, passionate and ....well, amazing.
The search for her sister's killer is what keeps Bella going. Justice for her sister, no matter what. Even if that means risking her own life....

What bugged me the whole book long though was an inconsistency. Right at the beginning Bella finds something that made me think that the police never really looked into her sister's murder because I would have expected them to find that and to look into it even it seemed to be a simple case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Oh, and in the end I wondered about something as well, though - no spoilers.
Depsite those points, I can definitely recommend this book - just keep your mind open to the possibility of heartbreak and tissue-wringing.

★★★★

Because of Him by Terri E. Laine - audiobook -

***

First of all, I must apologize. It's been a very long time now since I have posted my last review but life and the stupid internet or rather a lack of internet due to technical problems (old cables and such annoying things) interfered. But I am back now, my internet is back and ....the reviews are back!

***

 Because of Him by Terri E. Laine

read by 

  Jason Clarke and‎ Erin Mallon

 

 ***

Blurb:

Past and present intertwine with light and dark to tell a story ...Because of Him

Something inside me fiercely craves normal.
Sheltered all my life and taught to be afraid, I want to be bold, fearless.
Up until now I've kept myself and my heart safe.
Tade Astor, a guy so hot he steals my breath away, jeopardizes it all.

He isn't the kind of guy to give up on what he wants—me.
He’s determined to prove my safe world is missing something—him.
Even though he may not be the cocky guy I assumed him to be...
He’s definitely not the guy I should give my heart to.
But each time I see him, he becomes harder to resist.
I want to be brave and give him a chance... though it might come back to haunt me.

At the heart of Because of Him is a love story. But due to certain sensitive topics, it might not be suitable for all readers. 


I got this book as an audiobook from the author with a warning that it might not be easy to listen to for some people because due to some sensitive topics it might trigger reactions. Okay, I didn't think that that would be a problem because even though some things are really hard to read and some books I would never read because I find them too hard to stomach, on the whole, I don't have a problem with such topics. That's what I thought at least.
I had definitely underestimated the effect of an intense and well-done narration versus reading myself. Listening to a good narration, you have fewer chances of blocking unwanted images and emotions than when you are reading the text yourself.

Soooo... if certain topics could be a problem, you might want to read it first instead of listening or - the trigger warning is real, the book deals with some really hard stuff. The author kept the fine balance between telling enough to get the horror of the things done to the young girl across and keeping it vague enough that the situation and the images weren't overwhelming.  It's a very fine line but without ever belittling the horror and the pain of everything that happens and that is done to her, Terri E. Laine succeeds at writing a story that is captivating and beautiful while still showing this very dark part of the human nature and the pain and the suffering of those who are caught in it.

Right, this book was absolutely intense, like - standing in front of your supermarket, listening on and on and finally going in with red, puffy eyes and such intense. It wasn't even the hard parts that really made me cry but the beautiful and wonderful parts in between. Tade's awakening love for Reagan, Reagan, spreading her wings, defying her mother (Oh. my. ....that was really hard. You get why her mother reacts that way, at least, you think you get it and you probably do so but nevertheless, this is so hard and I was so proud when Reagan pushed and fought to rid herself of her mother's fears and worries), daring to love and to trust. Nothing is easy for them because their history isn't easy and there are always those around them that interfere and make things even harder but I love how they fight for their love and how they stand together.
Reagan frees herself and Tade, well, I think you can see him grow and become more mature. He was never a bad guy (just a wild one) but loving Reagan makes him realize what really counts and well, just read it  - or listen to it.

The story is amazing, beautiful and, yes, I have to repeat it, intense and the audiobook is really well done. A wonderful narration that makes you feel and dread and hope even more.
As I ordered the print book the moment I finished the audiobook, I think it is safe to say that I can definitely recommend this book and I am really looking forward to the next books in this series. Gavin's story is already out and will find its way on my reader very soon....and next year, well, I am so very much looking forward to that one!

★★★★★

 

 

 

 

Alpha's Prize (Bad Boy Alpha's #3) by Renee Rose

  Alpha's Prize by Renee Rose

Blurb: 


 MY CAPTIVE. MY MATE. MY PRIZE.

I didn’t order the capture of the beautiful American she-wolf. I didn’t buy her from the traffickers. I didn’t even plan to claim her. But no male shifter could have withstood the test of a full moon and a locked room with Sedona, naked and shackled to the bed.

I lost control, not only claiming her, but also marking her, and leaving her pregnant with my wolfpup. I won’t keep her prisoner, as much as I’d like to. I allow her to escape to the safety of her brother’s pack.

But once marked, no she-wolf is ever really free. I will follow her to the ends of the Earth, if I must.

Sedona belongs to me.

Publisher’s Note: Alpha’s Prize is a stand-alone book in the Bad Boy Alphas series. HEA guaranteed, no cheating. This book contains a hot, demanding alpha wolf with a penchant for protecting and dominating his female. If such material offends you, do not buy this book.


This book was a nice and quick read. I must admit that I was a bit worried about the claiming part because I wasn't sure whether it would be like some kind of "rape-happy-to-meet-you-despite-that" scenario which I hate but the author managed to turn a forced situation into something where I definitely could accept the chemistry that leads to the mating.

Even hormone-and instinct-driven, Carlos is honorable and kind, just the kind of alpha that a she-wolf would dream of. Sedona, being an alpha herself, is the perfect match for him.
Okay, the situation with his pack that seems to be stuck somewhere in the middle ages, well, that is a tough nut to crack especially as the council is rather creepy and ruthless - and seems to hold all the power.

There is a lot going on, the story is fast-paced but sometimes I didn't understand the motivation, at least that of the villains. Maybe that's just due to the fact that villains don't need a reason to be evil but somehow I missed that explanation. Or maybe it really is just about power and the chance to do some research?

Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading this book and will check out other books by the authors as well.

★★★ 

Invincible by Alana Alberson

Invincible by Alana Albertson

Blurb:

I’ll be honest with you—I’m no hero. Sure, the media tries to brand every Navy SEAL as some kind of Batman dressed in cammies. There’s even a line in one of our cadences: Superman is the man of steel, he ain’t no match for Navy SEAL. You’ve seen the movies—we’re infallible, invaluable, invincible. But that night, the one you read about in the papers … all I really wanted to do was get laid.

One harmless fuck with an Aruban whore, no strings attached. I picked her out of a lineup—wild, dark hair, long legs and a crooked smile. After she sucked me off, I relaxed back onto the creaky, cum-stained cot, thankful for the blissful moments she gave me when I actually forgot for a second the faces of my buddies who died because I made the wrong call, the tears of the children I couldn’t save, and the eyes of the enemies I slaughtered during their last seconds of life.

But before I left, her hazel eyes peered into my soul. She whispered in a distinct Californian accent, “My name is Annie Hamilton. I’m an American citizen. I was kidnapped on spring break five years ago. You’re my last hope. Please save me.”

One desperate plea. This wasn’t a Hollywood blockbuster or a New York Times best-selling thriller. I knew this time there was no room for excuses, no margin for errors. I had one chance to put on the cape and be her hero. 


This book wasn't perfect by far but it drew me in from the first page on and kept me glued to my reader. I loved the story even though Patrick was not a hero who was easy to love but he grew on you, with every page and with every step toward Annie's rescue it was easier to like him. He was never a "bad guy", simply one who made bad choices and, well, I was very upset when I found that a woman is a woman and not a whore no matter what the circumstances when she is an American as in "an American woman in contrast to a native woman". 

As I said, the hero definitely wasn't perfect but I think you got that by reading the blurb, didn't you?
Why I was captivate by the book despite a lot of things that really annoyed me - well, there is nothing about sex trafficking that can't annoy you. It's people like Patrick who don't mean harm but who enable this business, who represent the market and those others, the victims, they suffer for it. 
It's people who -unlike Patrick- don't go back and help those victims or at least tell about them and their fate so that somebody else may go and find them who make this system profitable and who condemn people to a life in hell. 

And that's why Patrick grew on me. He made mistakes but he went back, he brought Annie back and he is at her side and helps her. Yes, he has a problem with her past but he is honest with himself and he is able to work it out and accept her past. 
Annie, well, life definitely was hell for her but she is strong and she is able to overcome her experience. Sure, she can't undo it, it will always be a part of her life and will probably haunt her forever but she learns to live with it. 
Perhaps things are a bit easier for her than for vicitims of sex traffick in real life but you could feel her pain and her terror and - well, it is a book, isn't it? So some liberties are justified, I think, especially as I think that it is important to show that there is a life or at least a possibility of a real life even after an ordeal like that. 

★★★★

I read this book shortly after having heard Ashton Kutcher's passionate speech on Capitol Hill against Human trafficking, that deeply impressed me. I knew that sex trafficking is still an issue but I had never before realized how much of an issue it is. 

For those of you who want to listen to his full speech:

*Short video with German subtitles*

About THORN, the "Digital Defenders of Children, driving tech innovation to fight child trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children" - and a group supported and founded by Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher among others.

https://www.wearethorn.org/child-sexual-exploitation-and-technology/

“WHILE OUR WORK IS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A HUMAN ISSUE. 

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE’S CHILD, SOMEONE’S SON OR DAUGHTER, SISTER OR BROTHER.”

-DEMI MOORE, CO-FOUNDER, THORN