Reviewer: Rowena Frisk Me by Lauren Layne
Publisher: Hachette Books, Forever
Publication Date: July 28th 2015
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
Officer Luc Moretti had no idea that his dive into the East River would have him drowning in a media frenzy. No matter how many times he tells reporters he was just doing his job, they're determined to make him into NYC's newest hero. Coming from a long line of NYPD's finest, Luc knows that being a cop has nothing to do with headlines and viral videos, and he's more than ready to get back to life away from the cameras—until he meets the gorgeous but jaded journalist assigned to film a TV special on him.
Ava Sims may be the only woman in NYC who isn't in love with Officer Moretti. That's why she's going after the real story—to find out about the man behind the badge. Ava's determined to keep things strictly professional, but the more time she spends around Luc, even she has to admit there's something about a man in uniform . . . and she can't wait to get him out of his.
I guess it had to happen sooner or later. I DNF’d my first Lauren Layne book and I’m still pretty surprised about it. If you know me then you know of my love of all things Lauren Layne. I adored her Oxford, Sex, Love & Stilettos and Wedding Belles series. I am enjoying her Love Unexpectedly series. There hasn’t been a book of hers that I absolutely hated (I have hated some character antics and thought processes but I haven’t hated any books) so imagine my surprise when I just couldn’t get into this book.
This book follows Luc Moretti, a New York Police Officer who is being praised for being a hero and Ava Sims, the reporter who is covering his story. Ava and Luc do not like each other and Ava’s attitude pissed me off too much for me to continue on. The way that she yelled at Luc, who was giving her a parking ticket because she was parked illegally on a public street pissed me off because she was yelling that he was violating her freedom of speech. WTF does that even mean? She was working so she’s above the law now? I’m sorry but…
Don’t even get me started when we get to the present time and she sees Luc again for the first time in three years. On top of Ava’s attitude, she’s a reporter and I have a love and hate relationship with reporter heroines so after some convincing from my besties, I stepped away from this one. I’m sure she got better as the book wore on but I just couldn’t do it so that was my first DNF.
Reviewer: Rowena Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Publication Date: January 1st 2006
Genres: New Adult
Pages: 361
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
Jessica Darling's in college!
Things are looking up for Jessica Darling. She has finally left her New Jersey hometown/hellhole for Columbia University in New York City; she's more into her boyfriend, Marcus Flutie, than ever (so what if he's at a Buddhist college in California?); and she's making new friends who just might qualify as stand-ins for her beloved best friend, Hope.
But Jessica soon realizes that her bliss might not last. She lands an internship at a snarky Brooklyn-based magazine, but will she fit in with the uberhip staff (and will she even want to)? As she and Marcus hit the rocks, will she end up falling for her GOPunk, neoconservative RA . . . or the hot (and married!) Spanish grad student she's assisting on a summer project . . . or the oh-so-sensitive emo boy down the hall? Will she even make it through college now that her parents have cut her off financially? And what do the cryptic one-word postcards from Marcus really mean?
With hilarious insight, the hyperobservant Jessica Darling struggles through her college years--and the summers in between--while maintaining her usual mix of wit, cynicism, and candor.
I’ve been wanting to read Charmed Thirds since I finished Second Helpings…the only problem with that is that I read Second Helpings years ago and I don’t know if it’s my old age but Jessica Darling was exhausting to read about and I was disconnected from everyone (including Marcus and I loved him before) so after a while of not really caring what was going on and wanting Jessica to take a breath, I just stopped reading this. It just didn’t hold my interest so I moved on.
Reviewer: Rowena Corrupt (Devil's Night, #1) by Penelope Douglas
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: November 17th 2015
Genres: New Adult
Pages: 460
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
Erika
I was told that dreams were our heart’s desires. My nightmares, however, became my obsession.
His name is Michael Crist.
My boyfriend’s older brother is like that scary movie that you peek through your hand to watch. He is handsome, strong, and completely terrifying. The star of his college’s basketball team and now gone pro, he’s more concerned with the dirt on his shoe than me.
But I noticed him.
I saw him. I heard him. The things that he did, and the deeds that he hid…For years, I bit my nails, unable to look away.
Now, I’ve graduated high school and moved on to college, but I haven’t stopped watching Michael. He’s bad, and the dirt I’ve seen isn’t content to stay in my head anymore.
Because he’s finally noticed me.
Michael
Her name is Erika Fane, but everyone calls her Rika.
My brother’s girlfriend grew up hanging around my house and is always at our dinner table. She looks down when I enter a room and stills when I am close. I can always feel the fear rolling off of her, and while I haven’t had her body, I know that I have her mind. That’s all I really want anyway.
Until my brother leaves for the military, and I find Rika alone at college.
In my city.
Unprotected.
The opportunity is too good to be true as well as the timing. Because you see, three years ago she put a few of my high school friends in prison, and now they’re out.
We’ve waited. We’ve been patient. And now every last one of her nightmares will come true.
***Corrupt can be read as a stand-alone. No cliffhanger.
Corrupt was a book that was brought to my attention by well, everyone. I’ve been seeing such good things about this author and this book in particular that I bought it and prepared myself for an interesting read. There’s a darkness to this book and to the hero that I just could not get behind. I tried three different times to get past what the hero and his friends were doing, to get past what they blamed the heroine for and though I was told that not all is what it seems, I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t finish it and it was messing with my reading mojo so I stepped away from this one. Who knows if I’ll pick it back up later, I just know that I can’t do it now.
Have you DNF’d any books lately? Share your DNF stories with us. Which books should we steer clear from? Help a sister out!
Hands Rowena a tissue to blub in! My mind is blank at the moment on a DNF title. It has been blank all week! Will give my brain cell a rattle! Lol!
Thanks, I think these books ruined my reading mojo. I haven’t read books the same since…:(
Frisk Me is the only book of Lauren Layne’s that I’ve tried thus far, and I gave it up unfinished. I guess this means I should try something else she’s written!
I’ve left unfinished a number of books lately; however, I’ve managed to forget them already. So, sadly, I can’t help you out.
That series is different from her other stuff, I recommend you try her other stuff. The Oxford series is a good one. Love those guys!
That’s how things should be when you DNF, forget them so you can move on. I hope you’re reading better things these days, Kareni!
I also DNF’ed Frisk Me and for pretty much the same reasons you did. I usually avoid reporter main characters (male and female) so I should have known better than to try that book. I’ve had a couple of DNFs this month. Her Soldier’s Touch by J.M. Stewart had a secret baby plot line, which I usually love but I just couldn’t get into this one. I think it was because there was lots of telling, not a lot of showing when it came to the main characters’ feelings. I also DNf’ed The Duke’s Undoing, a Regency by GG Vandagriff. The book initially read like an old-style Georgette Heyer-like Regency, but it had a total lack of historical accuracy that drove me crazy and I finally just had to put it down.
I feel the same way about reporter books. I thought because it was a Lauren Layne book, I could power through but nope. I was wrong. Oh well, there are so many other books of hers that I love so I’ll have to keep my love for those and let this series go.
I haven’t heard of the other two books you DNF’d but I can see why you didn’t finish them. Hope this week treats you better on the reading front. 🙂
Oh yeah, I would have major issues with Ava in Frisk Me. Major issues!
I’m sure she got better as the book wore on but that initial impression soured me to even finish. Too bad, because Lauren Layne is the bomb. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.