Review: The House Mate

Title: The House Mate 
Series: Roommates #3 
Author: Kendall Ryan 
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Self-Published 
Publication Date: April 18, 2017
Source: Bought

What’s sexier than a bad boy? A bad ass man who’s got his shit together.
Max Alexander is nearing thirty-five. He’s built a successful company, and he’s conquered the professional world, but he’s never been lucky in love. Focusing so much time on his business and raising his daughter, adulting has come at the expense of his personal life.
His social skills are shit, his patience is shot, and at times, his temper runs hot.
The last thing he has time for is the recently single, too gorgeous for her own good young woman he hires to take care of his little girl. She’s a distraction he doesn’t need, and besides, there’s no way she’d be interested. But you know what they say about assumptions?
This is book 3 in the Roommates series, but each can be read as a complete standalone, as they feature new couples.

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I'm just so . . . meh about this book.  While it wasn't bad, it just felt like it was a compilation of every other romance book I've ever read.  Nothing felt new or fresh, all of it was just pretty standard for the genre and I could guess everything that was gonna happen.  While I'm not against books that follow traditional plot lines and story arcs, I found that I was fairly bored throughout this one.  I can't say it wasn't well-written but my attention to it lagged throughout.  

 I'm a tentative fan of the single dad trope and tend to have fun when reading books like this!  The single dad in this novel, Max, was an okay guy but he felt very . . . one dimensional -- like a cardboard cut out of every other guy like him in novels that fall into this genre.  He was well written and he made me smile while reading at times, he just wasn't super rememberable.  The same is true for the heroine, Addison.  She was a well-written character but lacked the spark that made her stand out for me.  They had some chemistry but nothing mind blowing.  I did like the somewhat slow-burn of their relationship and that they were establishing a friendship before getting together romantically.  

Honestly, I don't have a whole lot more to say about this book.  It was pretty standard for the genre.  There was some unnecessary drama and angst which I wasn't a huge fan of but, for the most part, it was well-written and a decent read.  If you're looking for a quick and easy romance, this one would probably work out for you!  

"It was the most domestic evening of my life, and I was happier that a pig in shit." 

Three Teapots

Review: Turtles All the Way Down

Title: Turtles All the Way Down 
Series: None 
Author: John Green 
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers 
Publication Date: October 10, 2017 
Source: Gifted. Thank you!

Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.
Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.
In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.

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I really didn't plan to read this book.  The only John Green book I've read and liked was The Fault in Our Stars and even with that, the like kinda wore off after a while.  However, there was tons of hype surrounding this book and a couple of my friends were reading it and saying good things so I decided to pick it up!  While I liked it more than I anticipated, there were still so many things about it that bothered me.

Something I've noticed in all John Green books is the super . . . philosophical and introspective voice.  While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, I have come to the realization that I do not like this writing style at all.  For one, it gets a little boring after reading book after book with the same voice.  It's like each character in his novels is the exact same person with the exact same voice.  Also, while I'm sure there are exceptions, I have never in my life met a teenager -- let alone an adult -- that thinks this philosophically every single moment like the main character, Aza does.  It made me roll my eyes reading that throughout the entirety of the novel.

Another thing I didn't really like (I swear, I did like some things . . . I'll get to those later) was the plot line with the missing billionaire.  I honestly feel so cheated being invested in that storyline because it went absolutely nowhere.  The book would have been better had they just cut that entire section and only followed Aza, Davis, and their friends.  To be fair though, I didn't really like the characters much.  Aza and Davis were pretentious and unrealistic, and Aza's friend Daisy was terrible toward Aza and made some very hurtful and rude comments about Aza's anxiety.  

Okay, aspects I did like: I thought the portrayal of Aza's anxiety was incredibly realistic and well-written.  As someone who also deals with anxiety, it was nice to read about a character who has a similar thought process and feelings.  I really liked that it wasn't something that just miraculously stopped -- Aza dealt with and will deal with it for the rest of her life and that life will still be awesome and worth living.  

For the most part, this book led to a lot of scoffing, eye rolling, and laughing if I'm being totally honest.  The characters just didn't click with me and I found the writing style to be a bit pretentious and not very fun to read.  However, the anxiety representation was realistic and well-thought out and written.  While not my favorite novel, I don't regret reading it!

“The thing about a spiral is, if you follow it inward, it never actually ends. It just keeps tightening, infinitely.” 

Three Teapots 

Review: Sure Thing

Title: Sure Thing
Series: N/A
Author: Jana Aston 
Genre: Adult, Romance, Contemporary 
Publisher: Rutherford Press 
Publication Date: October 10, 2017
Source: Bought

Have you ever set out to have a one night stand with a sexy stranger?
No? I’m the only one?
Just kidding, I would never.
Ever.
Not usually.

But then I figured, why not? My entire life I’ve been good and it’s gotten me nowhere.
No job.
No apartment.
No boyfriend.

I’m owed a little fun, aren’t I? A reward for being good.
Sure, a new pair of shoes would be more appropriate, but Mr. Sexy Stranger is more appealing. And when he speaks—in that British accent—it’s a done deal. Every American woman has a hot British guy fantasy. Well, most do. I haven't taken a poll or anything, but I’m pretty sure it’s a fact.

Except…
You know that saying about best-laid plans?
Good, because I don’t either, but I assume they go awry.
Like my one night stand…

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Aw, man.  I wanted to like this one so much more than I did.  I don't know, maybe I over hyped it because I was excited to get another Jana Aston book but this one didn't sit as well with me as her previous ones did.  While it wasn't terrible, it just didn't live up to my expectations. 

My main issue was the main characters.  Apart, they were fine.  But together, I couldn't feel the chemistry.  Maybe it was because they got together so quickly (they met as a one night stand).  I tend to like romances that have a bit more build up than that; there's something that's not really as fun and exciting if everything just happens right from the start of the book.  I wanted some more conflict and some flirting and build up before they actually got together and I didn't really feel that.  And the fact that the whole book took place over about a week, it didn't feel like enough time for them to form the sort of relationship they did.  It wasn't quite instalove but it was pretty darn close.  

The overall plot wasn't super engaging either.  Basically it was just filler between when Violet and Jennings (the main characters) hooked up.  I would have liked seeing a bit more to the story, a bit more conflict and dimension.  It was interesting at points but a lot of it felt repetitive (Jennings wondering if Violet was hiding something, Violet worrying about the fact that she was hiding something).  I just wanted more.  

This definitely isn't my least favorite book by Jana Aston but it's not near the top either.  I felt like it was lacking the usual spark between the characters that I'm used to seeing in her novels.  I still plan on reading whatever she comes out with next but I can't deny that this one was disappointing.  

“Look, I’m a sure thing,” I tell him with a small shrug while shifting my eyes away then back. 

Three out of Five Teapots

  

Review: The Invansion of the Tearling

Title: The Invasion of the Tearling
Series: The Queen of the Tearling #2
Author: Erika Johensen
Genre: Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: June 9, 2015
Source: Bought

Kelsea Glynn is the Queen of the Tearling. Despite her youth, she has quickly asserted herself as a fair, just and powerful ruler.
However, power is a double-edged sword, and small actions can have grave consequences. In trying to do what is right - stopping a vile trade in humankind - Kelsea has crossed the Red Queen, a ruthless monarch whose rule is bound with dark magic and the spilling of blood. The Red Queen's armies are poised to invade the Tearling, and it seems nothing can stop them.
Yet there was a time before the Crossing, and there Kelsea finds a strange and possibly dangerous ally, someone who might hold the key to the fate of the Tearling, and indeed to Kelsea's own soul. But time is running out...
Erika Johansen's fierce and unforgettable young heroine returns in this dazzling new novel of magic and adventure, set in the beguiling world of the Tearling.

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It took me SO.  LONG. To read this book.  Honestly, I started it in the middle of September and put it down for three weeks before picking it up again.  It's not necessarily because it was uninteresting and boring; in fact, it was really interesting once I got into reading it.  But it was one of those books that didn't beg me to pick it up after I put it down.  I wasn't dying to see what happened next which was quite the change from the first book.  

I think my main issue with this book was the fact that I just started to dislike the main character, Kelsea.  I felt like she was making bad decisions after bad decision.  Not only that, but she wasn't very nice to anyone!  I wanted to see her have a somewhat healthy and supportive relationship with someone in this book but it didn't really happen.  The power of her magic and the crown really started going to her head in this book and it made me frustrated with her constantly.  I wanted to see some decency in her but it was hard to overlook the decisions she made and how she treated some of the others in the book.  Like Mace!  Mace is one of my favorite characters but it frustrated me to no end that he and Kelsea seem to have a terrible relationship where they can hardly have a conversation.  

Most of this plot was waiting for the Red Queen to invade the Tearling.  While interesting at parts, some of it felt fairly repetitive.  Also, a lot of the story took place in the past from the POV of a new character named Lily.  It took me a while to warm up to her because I was so anxious to get back to Kelsea's story and see what was going on with her.  But Lily's POV ended up being really interesting and insightful.  

Overall, this book was a bit of a disappointment compared to the first one.  It was still interesting and I was invested in the story, but it didn't grab me like the first one had.  I'm still looking forward to reading the third book and finding out what happens in this story!

“When it fails, they do call it madness, Lazarus. But when it succeeds, they call it genius.” 

Three out of Five Teapots

Mini Review: Fling

Title: Fling 

Series: Wrong 2.5 

Author: Jana Aston 

Genre: Adult, Romance, Contemporary 

Publisher: Self Published 

Publication Date: November 1, 2016

Source: Bought

I have a crush on my boss’ best friend.
At least it’s not my brother’s best friend.
Or my best friend’s brother.
Or… never mind. It’s all pretty cliche.
And worse? My boss’ best friend is his business partner. Which sort of makes him my boss too. Okay - it’s not sort of. It’s definite. Gabe Laurent is off limits. Totally off limits.
Which is fine. I make do with my imagination. He’ll never know. Ever. Unless my work bestie passes me an eighties-style teen movie sex quiz during a meeting and I fill it out.
And it ends up in Gabe’s hands… 

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If I'm being totally honest, I didn't look hard enough at this book before buying it to realize that this was a novella.  I just bought it because it's a Jana Aston book and I really enjoy her writing!  I don't normally read novellas because they feel too short and there isn't as much time with the characters and story to really get invested.  

Unfortunately, this held true for this book.  I didn't really feel the genuine connection between the two leads to get behind their relationship and root for them.  It felt like they had maybe two major encounters throughout the entirety of the novella and I really wanted more between them!  To be fair, what we did see between them was really promising.  I just wanted more! 

Had I known this was a novella, I probably wouldn't have bought it.  I don't totally regret picking it up since it was a quick read and Jana Aston is still a great writer, but I was left wishing for more time with the characters more than anything.  

Three out of Five Teapots

Review: Breaching the Contract

Title: Breaching the Contract 

Series: Conflict of Interest #1 

Author: Chantal Fernando 

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Adult

Publisher: Pocket Star 

Publication Date: September 18, 2017 

Source: An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! 

New York Times bestselling author Chantal Fernando returns with BREACHING THE CONTRACT, book one in a brand new series—The Conflict of Interest Series—about a brigade of lawyers who, despite being bad boys at heart, always end up just on the right side of the law.
Katerina Dawson knows exactly what she wants from life. And as the new associate at the top law firm in the city, she’s ready to live out her dreams of becoming a criminal lawyer. But going on coffee runs and babysitting kids during the day was definitely not what she had in mind. She knows that anyone else would kill to be in her shoes, but she has to draw the line somewhere. That’s easier said than done, though, when Kat has to confront her handsome boss…
Tristan Channing and Jaxon Bentley run a successful law firm together and the two partners couldn’t be busier right now. When Jaxon suddenly takes a leave of absence, Tristan begrudgingly assumes responsibility of the new associate, the hot new associate, who has curves for days. Needing to keep his distance from her, Tristan sends Kat on needless errands and has her doing work even an intern wouldn’t touch, like picking up his kids. But his plan backfires when he sees his children grow attached to Kat and sees her getting comfortable in his home. It triggers something deep within him, and it feels right to have her there. Will Tristan be able to keep his work and personal lives separate, or will he find that his heart holds the final verdict? 

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This book was just kind of . . . meh for me.  I wanted to like it so much because 1) Office Romance and 2) sounded like an enemies to lovers story, both things I love.  Unfortunately for me, I just didn't get into it as much as I was supposed to.  I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two main characters and found the plot slow in some places.  

The two main characters were okay.  Apart, I found them fine.  Kat was a little starry-eyed and didn't really give off the professional feel to me all the time but I liked how nice she was and how willing and determined she was to earn her place in the law firm.  She wasn't afraid to do the work that needed to be done and there was actually quite a few scenes of her working or interviewing clients.  This aspect made the story a bit slow for me personally since I'm not super interested in law, but I appreciated Kat's work ethic and how the story focused on her journey as a lawyer as well as her romantic relationship.  Tristan . . . okay well, we didn't see a whole lot of Tristan outside of being with Kat but he seemed like a good guy who was maybe a little too engrossed in work but had the best interests of his kids in mind.  

They were a pretty classic pairing -- boss and employee -- so I expected them to be great together with lots of chemistry.  Unfortunately, I just couldn't get behind them.  They felt so . . . bland.  And kind of forced.  Kat seemed to read really far into all their interactions and some of her conclusions felt like a bit of a stretch.  It felt like there was no chemistry and then suddenly they were super close and she was spending all this time with his kids and I was just like . . . you guys haven't even been out on a real date.  It just felt really serious, really fast without any real chemistry.

While I didn't feel the heat between Tristan and Kat, I was invested enough in them as characters to get through this one fairly quickly.  The plot wasn't super interesting but it was interesting enough to hold me interest.

This was, like I said, kinda meh.  I don't have any super strong feelings about it either way.  There were some good aspects, some bad aspects.  I don't think this one will be very memorable for me but I'm willing to give the author another chance.

Three our of Five Teapots

P.S. I'm currently doing a giveaway in which you could win a *signed* copy of Leigh Bardugo's latest novel, Wonder Woman: Warbringer! Enter here to win! 

Review: So Good

Title: So Good 
Series: Alpha Dogs #1 
Author: Nicola Rendell 
Genre: Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Self-Published 
Publication Date: August 7, 2017

On the roof of a house outside Truelove, Maine, master carpenter Max Doyle looks down through a skylight and sees the most beautiful woman he’s ever laid eyes on. She’s naked, she’s gorgeous, and everything about her is perfect, down to the ball-busting tattoo of a rose that wraps around her hip. But it isn’t just any woman making his knees buckle. It’s his best friend, Rosie Madden. And as he stands there, mesmerized and precariously close to toppling off the roof, he knows he’ll never, ever be able to look at her the same way again.
Rosie can’t help but notice that Max is suddenly acting very strange—lots of long stares, totally tongue-tied, and not at all like the slightly cocky hunk she’s proud to call her best friend. She can’t figure it out, until later that night when Max rescues her from the world’s worst date, challenges her to a game of pool, and shows her just exactly what she’s got him thinking about. Repeatedly.
But life is complicated. Rosie’s cat, Julia Caesar, wants to eat Max’s dog Cupcake for an afternoon snack. A dream job threatens to pull them apart. And another glance through the skylight changes everything, one more time. Yet try as they might, they can’t go back to being just friends, because falling in love with the one you’ve always adored?
It feels so good.

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This book was far from perfect but it was entertaining.  It was the kind of book that made me want to pick it up and once I picked it up, it kept me reading.  There were some parts that made me cringe or roll my eyes, but for the most part, it was a genuinely enjoyable and mostly angst-free romance!

Okay, so if I'm being totally honest, I was not a fan of Max at the beginning of this book.  I didn't like how he spied on Rosie, even though it was plainly laid out in the blurb.  Like, I knew it was coming but it was creepy and his sudden revelation afterwards that she was the woman for him had me rolling my eyes.  He sees her naked and suddenly realizes he loves her?  Mhmm, okay.  He gets better after that, though.  It's clear he cares so deeply for Rose, with a solid foundation of friendship.  They were so sweet together and I loved learning little tidbits about their past. 

 

Rosie was a great heroine; she was incredibly strong but also soft.  She wasn't afraid of being a bit vulnerable, even though she was terrified of losing her friendship with Max.  I just really love how important their friendship was to them.  Since they were friends before anything romantic happened between them, they had this trust with each other that wouldn't be there otherwise.  It was so sweet and swoony.  

The plot was great and kept me interested and I really liked how it was just easy to read.  There was no huge drama fests, no unnecessary angst.  It was so refreshing and it made me happy to read.  It was just a genuinely fun time.  ALSO!  I loved the role their pets took in this book.  They were so freaking funny I was laughing out loud at times.  Especially the cat, Julia Caesar.  She reminded me so much of my cat!  

While So Good was entertaining and fun to read, there were definitely some problems and it wasn't very memorable.  It was one of those books that I enjoyed while reading but more than likely won't pick up again.  Still, I'm glad I read it and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next from this author.  

"He was my rock. He was my compass. Our friendship was my anchor."

Three Teapots

Review: Wesley James Ruined My Life

Title: Wesley James Ruined My Life
Series: None
Author: Jennifer Honeybourn
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Publication Date: July 18, 2017
Source: Bought

Sixteen-year-old Quinn Hardwick’s having a rough summer. Her beloved grandmother has been put into a home, her dad’s gambling addiction has flared back up and now her worst enemy is back in town: Wesley James, former childhood friend—until he ruined her life, that is.
So when Wesley is hired to work with her at Tudor Tymes, a medieval England themed restaurant, the last thing Quinn’s going to do is forgive and forget. She’s determined to remove him from her life and even the score all at once—by getting him fired.
But getting rid of Wesley isn’t as easy as she’d hoped. When Quinn finds herself falling for him, she has to decide what she wants more: to get even, or to just get over it. 

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I wanted to like this one so much.  It had all the components that I normally like in a YA contemporary; a hate-to-love romance, a cute guy, a seemingly strong heroine.  Unfortunately for me, only two of those three things were true.  Quinn, the main characters, was anything but strong in this one and she infuriated me throughout this book.  While it was still entertaining (I finished it in roughly three hours if that tells you anything), I would have enjoyed it so much more had Quinn not been so horrible.  

Okay, I'm just going to air out all my frustration toward Quinn before getting to anything else.  Quinn was exactly the type of main character that makes me want to rage.  She was so whiny and blamed everyone else for her problems.  And I hated how she manipulated and took advantage of other people without any thought for how it would affect them.  Actually, she did think about it occasionally.  She'd do something horrible and be like "I'm a bad person" but then continue to do exactly what she was doing previously.  It was so frustrating -- it felt like she just never learned.  Even at the very end of the novel, it felt like she was still exactly where she had been at the beginning -- making rash assumptions about other people and using them for her own means.  Ugh.  

Had it not been for Quinn, I would have really enjoyed this one.  Her friends were great and Wesley was so sweet -- I honestly couldn't understand how she could hate him so much.  He was never anything but nice to her, even after she was rude and cold to him for seemingly no reason.  It also didn't feel very much like a romantic relationship.  I didn't feel any chemistry between them and there was really no romantic moves made.  

I wish Quinn had been a better character -- I might have liked it more if she were.  As it is, my opinion of this book suffered due to Quinn.  Besides her, the other characters were good and the plot was entertaining enough that I read the whole book in one sitting. 

"I may not be able to do anything about Wesley going to my school or being a part of concert band or even having the same circle of friends, but there is one thing I might be able to do.

Get him fired."   

Three out of Five Teapots

Review: Mister Romance

Title: Mister Romance 
Series: Masters of Love #1 
Author: Leisa Rayven 
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Adult 
Publisher: Ovation 
Publication Date: May 2, 2017 
Source: Bought 

Max Riley is the man of your dreams. Or at least he will be, for a price. 
 As his alter-ego Mister Romance, Max is a drop-dead gorgeous escort who makes romantic fantasies come to life. No sex, just swoon-worthy dates to die for, and the cream of New York's socialites can't get enough.  Whether they want a dominating billionaire, bad boy with a heart of gold, hot geek, sexy biker, or best friend who loves them from afar, Max can make it all happen, but he's careful to keep his real identity a secret.
Enter investigative journalist Eden Tate. Having caught wind of the urban legend of Mister Romance from a lovestruck client, Eden is determined to publish a scathing expose on Max and his ability to swindle lonely society women out of their fortunes.
Desperate to protect his anonymity and his clients, Max challenges Eden to give him three dates. If she doesn't fall in love with him, she can run her story with his blessing. If she succumbs to his charms, the story dies.
Cynical Eden has no doubt she can resist his fake romance personas, but when the real Max admits he’s falling for her, she has to decide if the professional liar is telling the truth, or if the passionate man with the mysterious past is just one more character designed to con her out of her career-making story.
 
Don’t miss this sizzling new standalone from the internationally best selling author of Bad Romeo, Broken Juliet, and Wicked Heart.

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You know, I originally gave this book four stars when I finished.  It was a pretty good read!  I was kept entertained for the most part and thought the different personas Max took on were funny because I've seen every single one in other books I've read.  The more time that passes, though, the more I'm feeling this was more of a three star read for me.  I liked the concept and the plot for the most part, but I just couldn't connect with the main character.  

 The main issue I had with this was the main character (lol).  While reading, I could overlook my annoyance with her, but the more I think about it, the more I just can't stand Eden.  I just found her so . . . uppity?  Whiny?  Lazy?  Like, she definitely had this whole "woe-is-me" thing going on that rubbed me the wrong way.  For example, she constantly talked about how she deserved better stories and a better position at her job but she didn't work to prove herself?  She just kind of talked about what a jerk her boss was and took shortcuts.  And she made so many decisions that made me want to rage.  She was just so short sighted and overreacted to the littlest things.

Max was an interesting character, and much better than Eden.  But I didn't really feel like I knew him.  We got his backstory and everything but we weren't able to spend as much time with Max being Max as I would have liked.  So much of the time spent with him was him as his characters -- still fun but I wanted to see Eden interact with the real Max rather than all these little bits and pieces of him in his characters.  

I was a little disappointed I didn't like this one more, especially since I loved Leisa Rayven's other books in the Bad Romeo series.  Even though this wasn't my favorite, I'll definitely be following along with this series as it goes on!  

“We all need fantasies now and then. Sometimes believing our lives can be different is the only thing that keeps us going.”

Three Teapots 

Review: Dating You / Hating You

Title: Dating You / Hating You 
Series: None 
Author: Christina Lauren 
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Adult 
Publisher: Gallery Books 
Publication Date: June 6, 2017 
Source: Bought 

All’s fair in love and work. The first standalone romance by New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren (Beautiful Bastard) is a sexy, compulsively readable romantic comedy that dives headlong into the thrill and doubt of modern love.
Despite the odds against them from an embarrassing meet-awkward at a mutual friend’s Halloween party, Carter and Evie immediately hit it off. Even the realization that they’re both high-powered agents at competing firms in Hollywood isn’t enough to squash the fire.
But when their two agencies merge—causing the pair to vie for the same position—all bets are off. What could have been a beautiful, blossoming romance turns into an all-out war of sabotage. Carter and Evie are both thirtysomething professionals—so why can’t they act like it?
Can Carter stop trying to please everyone and see how their mutual boss is really playing the game? Can Evie put aside her competitive nature long enough to figure out what she really wants in life? Can their actor clients just be something close to human? Whether these two Hollywood love/hatebirds get the storybook Hollywood ending or just a dramedy of epic proportions, you will get to enjoy Christina Lauren’s heartfelt, raucous, and hilarious romance style at its finest.

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To be perfectly honest, I feel a little cheated here with the title.  I've been on the lookout for another amazing hate-to-love romance after reading (and adoring) The Hating Game by Sally Thorne.  This sounded like it might be perfect.  However, there was a distinct lack of hating in this one.  In fact, the main characters hit it off super well at first.  The only thing that I guess could be called "hating" in this book is the bit of competition between Carter and Evie and the childish pranks.  Despite this, I still enjoyed this book for the most part.  

My biggest problem with this book was with the characters.  I just . . . didn't click with them much at all.  Or rather, I didn't feel them click with each other.  Sure, they were nice and cute at times but I didn't feel the sizzle of chemistry between them like I wanted to.  I feel like this may have been because of the lack of a hate-to-love romance like I had been expecting.  Instead of the heated hating I expected, I got some childish pranks than I found annoying rather than endearing.  They were set against each other to vie for a position at work and that's where all the pranking and "hating" started.  I don't know, I just really didn't understand or feel the spark.  Which makes me sad.  

What I did like about Dating You / Hating You was how it dealt with sexism in the workplace!  Evie has an absolute trash-heap for a boss -- he's disgusting and treats the female workers unfairly compared to their male coworkers.  Evie, who's worked hard, been at the company longer, and is arguably the most successful agent there is constantly given menial tasks and passed over for opportunities just because she's a girl.  It made me burn with rage and I loved that the author called it out so much in this book.  A lot of the plot of the book (outside of the romance aspect) centered around this problem and I appreciated the attention it was given.  While the story line moved slowly and predictably at times, I didn't mind too much because I liked how thoroughly these issues and obstacles were being explored.  

Despite the romance not really capturing my interest, I still enjoyed Dating You / Hating You for the most part.  It dealt with some important issues like sexism in the work place.  I loved how unflinchingly the authors discussed this and I'd love to see more of this in the books I read!  I'm a little let down this didn't fill the gaping hate-to-love hole left in me after The Hating Game, but I'm glad I read this one. 

"I'm so tired of wanting to shove him into the wall and then shove my hand down his pants.” 

Three Teapots 

   

Review: Deeper

Title: Deeper 
Series: Caroline & West #1 
Author: Robin York 
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, New Adult 
Publisher: Bantam 
Publication Date: January 28, 2014
Source: Bought

In Robin York’s sizzling debut, a college student is attacked online and must restore her name—and stay clear of a guy who’s wrong for her, but feels so right.
When Caroline Piasecki’s ex-boyfriend posts their sex pictures on the Internet, it destroys her reputation as a nice college girl. Suddenly her once-promising future doesn’t look so bright. Caroline tries to make the pictures disappear, hoping time will bury her shame. Then a guy she barely knows rises to her defense and punches her ex to the ground.
West Leavitt is the last person Caroline needs in her life. Everyone knows he’s shady. Still, Caroline is drawn to his confidence and swagger—even after promising her dad she’ll keep her distance. On late, sleepless nights, Caroline starts wandering into the bakery where West works.
They hang out, they talk, they listen. Though Caroline and West tell each other they’re “just friends,” their feelings intensify until it becomes impossible to pretend. The more complicated her relationship with West gets, the harder Caroline has to struggle to discover what she wants for herself—and the easier it becomes to find the courage she needs to fight back against the people who would judge her.
When all seems lost, sometimes the only place to go is deeper.

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This book is so complex and interesting and it deals with some hard topics.  It hit me hard at parts while reading and made me uncomfortable in a way that felt important, especially in the way it shed light on consent and sexual abuse.  This was obviously a hard topic to read about but it is so important.  The author handles this issue so well and I was given a different perspective on the motivations and results of this sort of abuse and manipulation.  

What I liked most about this book was Caroline. She's the main character and I found it inspiring to see the way she handled the situation she was put in.  Her ex boyfriend posted sexually explicit pictures of her online without her consent and she had to deal with the fallout.  It made me so angry seeing how much this effected Caroline and her life and how her ex had almost no change in his life.  I was furious that she was being punished, despite having done nothing wrong.  But she was so strong throughout all of this, and learned how to deal with the fallout and grow from it.  I especially loved the group of friends she surrounded herself with.  They were all so supportive and kind to her -- they lifted her up rather than pushing her down like the rest of the world was doing.  

The only part of this book that made me feel not so great (in a way the author didn't seem to intend, at least) was the romance.  West just . . . rubbed me the wrong way.  I get that he was supposed to be super sexy and irresistible and badass BUT the way he sometimes acted toward and thought about Caroline made me uneasy.  Like, he knew all too well what Caroline went through and that she was feeling pretty vulnerable and yet he still seemed to take advantage of that vulnerability.  Not all the time, only sometimes, but sometimes was too much.  I just didn't like him much at all.  

This definitely wasn't the end of Caroline and West's story, but I don't know if I'll be reading the next book.  I loved watching Caroline grow and gain confidence and strength throughout this book and I'm worried that if the story continues, she'll take steps backwards rather than forwards.  That was the most important part of this series for me and I'm not as interested in the romance aspect.  I don't know, I meant end up picking up the second book eventually.  

“You arm yourself with love, friends, knowledge. You figure out who you are. What you want. You figure it out, and you go after it with everything you've got. And that means sometimes you have to let yourself be scared.”

Three Teapots