Tag: Melody Grace

Guest Review: Unbroken by Melody Grace

Posted May 1, 2013 by Tracy in Reviews | 1 Comment

Tracy’s review of Unbroken by Melody Grace.

Be warned: This review has major spoilers in it. In fact I pretty much told all.

“Mom always told me there are two kinds of love in this world: the steady breeze, and the hurricane. Emerson Ray was my hurricane….”

Juliet McKenzie was an innocent eighteen-year old when she spent the summer in Cedar Cove—and fell head over heels in love with Emerson. Complicated, intense Emerson, the local bad boy. His blue eyes hid dark secrets, and just one touch could set Juliet ablaze. Their love was demanding and all-consuming, but when summer ended, tragedy tore them apart. Juliet swore she’d never go back, and she’s kept that promise… Until now.

Four years later, Juliet’s done her best to rebuild the wreckage of her shattered life. She’s got a great boyfriend, and a steady job planned after she graduates. Returning to Cedar Cove to pack up her family’s beach house to prepare it for sale, Juliet is determined that nothing will stand in the way of her future. But one look from Emerson, and all her old desire comes flooding back. He let her go once, but this time, he’s not giving up without a fight. And Emerson fights dirty.

A heartbreaking history. An unstoppable passion. Torn between her past and future, Juliet struggles to separate love from desire. But will they find a way to overcome their tragic secrets—together? And after so much damage has been done, can a love remain unbroken?

Juliet fell in love with Emerson when she was 18 (he was in his early 20’s, I believe). Their love was hot and all encompassing and they made plans to rearrange their lives so that they could be together. At the end of that summer Juliet’s mother died and next thing you know Emerson is breaking up with Juliet. He says that it’s all too hard and that everything he said about love and their plans together was a lie. She is devastated and leaves Cedar Cove to go start college as planned. She’s depressed, has anxiety attacks and basically between her mother’s death and the death of her relationship she’s not dealing with life well.

Now it’s four years later and she’s headed back to Cedar Cove. Her father wants to sell the house cuz he needs the money but Juliet’s not willing for him to let all those memories be trashed so she will pack the house herself. She arrives at the beach house with the thought that she can pack up and be gone without ever seeing Emerson. Wrong. On the first night she’s in town they see each other and Emerson acts cruel to her. Juliet’s confused as to why he acts mad at her when he’s the one who broke her heart all those years ago. They continue to see each other around town and soon he’s making a move on her. They’re in the middle of making out when Juliet comes to her senses and tells him she has a boyfriend. Emerson stops but leaves her with:

“You‘re mine,” he says again fiercely. “Not his, not anyone else’s. You can try and pretend you don’t feel it, but you do. You’ll always be mine.”

This is a bit weird after he treated her so awfully when he first saw her again (and previously broke up with her), but ok.

Juliet heads back to her real home and ends up breaking up with her boyfriend (which was a ridiculous break-up as she didn’t even give the guys a chance but she just knew she was in love with Emerson) and heading back to Cedar Cove. (Daniel, the boyfriend, definitely got the short end of the stick with this one as he was such a nice guy. A bit misguided when it came to Juliet’s family but still a nice guy.) Juliet and Emerson spend a wonderful day and night together and then he disappears the next morning and then texts her with a lie as to his whereabouts. When she does see him he’s incredibly cruel to her once again but then she finds out some why he broke up with her 4 years prior all is forgiven and yay – an HEA. Yeah, right.

Can you tell I was more than a little unimpressed with this book? I have to say that I did like the writing. Melody Grace sucked me in and I seriously couldn’t put the book down (it was a quick read at just 215 pages). That being said I didn’t care for the story as both Juliet and Emerson acted like they were 14 years old and not able to decide what the hell they wanted.

Emerson was running hot and cold the entire book. I have no idea why he treated her with cruelty when he first saw her again after 4 years because soon after you could tell he cared for her. However, that didn’t stop him from being a complete and total ass to her once again after they spent a wonderful day and night on his boat. What was up with that? We never actually find out why he took off and why he lied to her about where he was. It was inferred that he was having second thoughts but who really knows?

Juliet can’t make up her mind what the hell she wants and like I said before, acts like she’s 14 and is all googly eyed with Emerson even though she has a steady boyfriend. Even when Emerson was treating her badly she was still mad for him. Frankly if Emerson had talked to me that way – even if it was pushing me away “for my own good” I’m not sure I could forgive him. I also never got the love feel from Juliet. Even after being in her head for the entire book all I got from her was lust and obsession and to me that’s just a disaster waiting to happen. I definitely didn’t see the couple staying together for the long term

As I said – I did like the author’s writing style so I will give her another go in the future but I can’t say I recommend this one at all.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 (It would have gotten a 1 if not for the writing)

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place.

This book is available from Melody Grace Books, Inc.. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

1 Comment

What I Read Last Week

Posted April 9, 2013 by Tracy in Features | 4 Comments

I’m so behind this week! So sorry!

Last week I was feeling a little bad and hoped I wouldn’t get sick. Yeah, no one listened to me and my hopes and I got the cold and headache from hell. Just an all around bad week but I’m recovered now so that’s a good thing!

I also have some news about my sister who lives in Kansas. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the beginning of the year after multiple tests. She is the first one in either side of the family to have it and it’s been a bit of a crazy time mentally – for everyone. (I want to say mind fuck because it fits it so well. For my sister more than anyone.) On the first of April she had a double mastectomy – luckily they caught it very early – and she’s home and doing really well so far. Obviously there’s pain but she’s been a trooper from what I understand. My mom has been with her since the day before Easter and I’m so happy she’s able to do that and be there for her. My mom put some info up on her blog about what Allison went through just to be diagnosed (the cancerous lump was NOT found via regular mammogram – fuckin scary!) so if you want to read more you can go here. Anyway, any prayers you might want to send up for her would be more than welcome. 🙂

Not much happened last week except sickness and lots of reading so I’ll get on to what I read last week (I’m not putting in author links this week – sorry!):

I started off the week with Dangerous Refuge by Elizabeth Lowell. This is the story about Tanner an LA cop who is in the Sierra Nevada’s due to the death of his uncle. He knows almost from minute one that there’s something off about his uncle’s death and starts to quietly investigate. He does this with the help of Shaye from the conservancy that the uncle was going to sign the land over to at one point. They work together to find the killer as well as fall in love. Good book. You can read my full review tomorrow her on the blog. 3.75 out of 5

Next up was Big Boy by Ruthie Knox. This was a great book about a couple who only see each other once a month and role play. Unfortunately that isn’t enough for either but they’re not sure they can make it work otherwise. You can read my full review for this great book here. 4.5 out of 5

Before the Moon Rises by Catherine Bybee. The story is about Janet, a nurse whose last patient of the night goes from unconscious to totally ok – freaking her out just a bit. The patient, Max, is a werewolf and for some reason just didn’t come to as quickly as normal and was found in the streets of LA. Max is taken with Janet and asks her out. He ends up not only taking her out but falling hard for her. Unfortunately his arch enemy also has fallen for Janet and would like nothing more than to cause Max pain and takes Janet. This was a decent story yet a bit strange. Max seemed a bit odd at first even though I knew going in that he was a werewolf. In the end it was good but short. 3 out of 5

Next up was Lord of Wicked Intentions by Lorraine Heath. It’s FINALLY Rafe’s book in the Lost Lords of Pembrook series. Rafe is intrigued by Evelyn who is being sold as a mistress to the highest bidder – by her half brother. He hates her because she’s the daughter of their father’s mistress and wants her gone NOW. Rafe intends to make her his mistress but alas love gets in the way. It was a really good book and I’ll be posting my review for it later this month. 4 out of 5

Unbroken by Melody Grace was the story of Juliet who goes back to a town that she hasn’t been in for 4 years to pack up the family’s summer house as it’s to be sold. Four years prior she had had a scorching summer with Emerson and was devastated when he broke it off as they had made plans for their future. The book is about the couple seeing each other again and the feelings that that brings out in them. I basically thought the story was mess. I liked the writing in the story as it completely kept me engaged but the characters in the story acted immature and their love was more obsession than love, imho. I read this one for The Book Binge so I’ll let you know when my review posts. 2.5 out of 5 (as I said in my review – it would have gotten a 1 if not for the writing.)

Taking Shots by Toni Aleo is the first book in the Assassins series. The Assassins are a pro hockey team in Nashville and their captain, Shea Adler, sees photographer Ellie Fisher and wants to get to know her better. The story covers their relationships, their troubles, Ellie’s insecurities and more. You can read my review for this one here on the blog on Friday. 3.75 out of 5

Finding Forgiveness by Dana Marie Bell is an m/m story about wolf shifter mates who haven’t mated. One mate, Ben, believes that the headaches that he feels his mate Dave have are due to alcoholism when in fact they are debilitating migraines. When Ben finds out what he’s done – he hopes that Dave will find it in his heart to forgive him. The story was cute – pretty hot and I really liked the sense of humor. 3 out of 5

Next was Ten Reasons to Stay by Sabrina Jeffries. An Earl who is only half English and has been living in his mother’s country of India sets foot on English soil after many years only to catch a horse thief in his stable. The thief ends up to be Eliza who is trying to run away from her uncle who plans on marrying her off to a man she’s never met. She’s trying to get back to her school to seek help from the headmistress. The Earl, Colin, ends up locking up Eliza in his house until he can get to the bottom of things as he doesn’t believe her story. During the course of the story the two fall in love but it’s rather quick. Good story though. I’ll review this later this month. 3.5/3.75 out of 5

Beauty and the Blacksmith by Tessa Dare was wonderful. This novella is set in Spindle Cove and is Diana Highwood’s story. If you’ve been reading the series you know that Diana’s mom is set on getting her married to a title while all Diana wants is the local blacksmith. I’ll be posting my review of this one in the next couple of weeks but know that it was good. 4.5 out of 5

Last for the week was Reaper’s Property by Joanna Wylde. This is a much harder and harsher type of romance than I normally read but it was oh so good. The story is set, for the most part, in the inner workings of a motorcycle club. If any of you watch it just think Sons of Anarchy and you’ll get the gist. The story is about Marie whose brother gets involved with the Reaper’s Motorcycle Club. Some of the members start coming over to talk to him and Marie, who has just left her abusive husband, meets Horse. Horse wants Marie from minute one but Marie has serious problems with what they call their women in the MC – like sweet butt, property and old lady. She eventually has to make a decision about being with Horse to save her brother but it’s a great way of getting her to be with him which is all he wants. Like I said it’s definitely a harsher romance but it was really good and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. 4 out of 5

My Book Binge Reviews that posted last week:
Let it Be Me by Kate Noble
Only Lycans Need Apply by Michele Bardsley
Love is Blind by Elizabeth Cole
Bite Me, Your Grace by Brooklyn Ann

Happy Reading!