Exodus by Kate Stewart

Synopsis:

Can you live a lie?

It’s a ghost town, this place that haunts me, the one that made me.

It’s clear to me that I’ll never outgrow Triple Falls or outlive the time I spent here.

I can still feel them all, my boys of summer.

Even when I’d sensed the danger, I gave in.

I didn’t heed a single warning. I let my sickness, my love, both rule and ruin me. I played my part, eyes wide open, tempting fate until it delivered.

There was never going to be an escape.

All of us are to blame for what happened. All of us serving our own sentences. We were careless and reckless, thinking our youth made us indestructible, exempt from our sins, and it cost us all.

I’m done pretending I didn’t leave the largest part of me between these hills and valleys, between the sea of trees that hold my secrets.

It’s the reason I’m back. To make peace with my fate.

And if I can’t grieve enough to cure myself in my time here, I’ll remain sick. That will be my curse.

But it’s time to confess, to myself more so than any other, that I’d hindered my chances because of the way I was built, and because of the men who built me.

At this point, I just want to make peace with who I am, no matter what ending I get.

Because I can no longer live a lie.

My Review:

I'm totally at a loss for words. this book... oh this book..😭😭😭😭

the heartbreak..

"If you had waited for me, I would have given you the opposite of nothing." 😔

No one prepared me for chapter 25.. I would never not beable to read this line without crying, 

"We love rainy days, don’t we, baby?"


"Are you happy?... So f... happy pup."😢

The nerve of this man.. after finally getting her life back on track NOW NOW NOW he shows up? MEN!!

"My future has no more room for tears." Mine either!!

This book took me through all of the emotions!! Call me sadistic because I loved it!!

Flock by Kate Stewart

 

I don’t know why I avoided this series for so long. I can honestly say I get it now.

Cecelia, at the very young age of 18, moves in with her estranged father. A father who has NEVER shown interest in her.. like ever..just so she can take over the company. In said company is where she meets Sean and Dominic. In a nutshell, Sean is the charmer women fawn after, Cecelia and Sean become a thing pretty quickly. While Dom is the moody best friend who hates everyone.. or is that just a facade?


Sean:
I loved Sean.. I mean, how can you not Hes sweet, attentive fling any girl could ask for.. (Pup is my new favorite pet name.. I'm literally cheesing just thinking about it)


Dom:
Dom is that guy you know is trouble and should stay away from.. but us women don't listen. If I'm being honest, I will never not be attracted to the guy who doesn't want me.. like literally.. So It's no surprise Cecelia falls for him too..


The ending, though.. that kinda threw me for a loop.. like what the hell just happened?
I'm so confused right now


freaking cliffhangers man...

4 Stars

His Ruin By Juliet Coven

 

Synopsis:

When Melody’s mother marries billionaire Maxwell Wilder, her life is rewritten overnight. New money. A sprawling estate. A powerful new family. And a new brother.


Kaden Wilder is everything Melody isn’t—controlled, stoic, untouchable. At first, their bond is innocent, two kids who found comfort in each other as newfound siblings.

Until something shifts.

Kaden’s affection warps to fixation, and his protection becomes possession. Every line is crossed, blurring the paths of right and wrong. Their connection burns bright from the very beginning, engulfing them both in fiery passion.

But Kaden has his own secrets that could fracture the very fabric of their love and shatter the illusion.


This is a dark romance with a HEA. Some themes may be triggering for readers. It’s encouraged to read the trigger warnings listed at the beginning of the book.




My Review:

Kaden's fixation with Melody is completely intense at times. But when Melody learns of the life he has been concealing, everything truly changes. She is left trying to make sense of feelings that don't match reality when the version of Kaden she thought she knew suddenly begins to fall apart.

If you're looking for a great taboo forbidden romance, look no further, His Ruin is it!

3.5 stars

The sinner By Sierra Simone

The Sinner is the second installment of the Priest Series. Unlike his brother, Sean Bell wants nothing to do with  God, the church, or any other part of it. Then, in true God fashion, he runs into Zanny. His best friend's little sister, who is not so little anymore. She is breathtakingly gorgeous. He insistently remind himself that he must stay away from her; she is too young for him, way too young.  Although he knows he should stay away, little Zany is practicing to become a nun; she has one final test she must pass, and that is to learn about sex. Who better to turn to than your brother's best friend? Someone you've known all your life and trust completely, what could possibly go wrong?

I’m a sinner with a dimpled smile and perfect hair, and I know how to make sin feel like heaven. 🫠🫠🫠

 These Bell Brothers are just built differently...

I'm late to the party, but good lord, I'm loving catching up!! What a ride this book was!! From start to finish, I was completely captivated by everything Sean Bell. Now I love love love Father Bell after reading the priest, I found it very hard to believe anyone else could top that. I'm so happy to report that Sean Bell definitely does.

“Well, I do feel like I should mention that I think virginity in general is an arbitrary construct designed by men as a system of control and fear. And it’s heteronormative. And limiting, because why do certain sexual acts preserve virginity and some destroy it? What if I fucked a dildo every night, but I hadn’t fucked a man? Why doesn’t anal sex count? And what if I was with someone and penetration wasn’t an option, for any number of biological or emotional or identity reasons—would that make our sex less somehow? I’d be a virgin forever?”

Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor!! And have I ever thought of it that way? There were many moments throughout this book when I felt the author was speaking to me directly. 

This was for sure a 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ with a scorching spice level 🥵🥵. I simply cannot get enough

And with that, I'm off to read about the youngest brother, Aiden 😊

The Way I Used To Be by Amber Smith

 

The book starts off with 14-year-old Eden dealing with head-on trauma. With many failed attempts to tell her friends and family about said trauma. Eden decides she's just gonna keep it to herself, as many in her situation do; she believes no one will believe her. Barely coping, we watch as she handles this trauma the best way she knows how. 

“I feel these forbidden thoughts creep in sometimes without warning. Slow thoughts that always start quietly, like whispers you're not even sure you're hearing. And then they get louder and louder until they become every sound in the entire world. Thoughts that can't be undone.
Would anyone care?
Would anyone even fucking notice?
What if one day I just wasn't here anymore?
What if one day it all just stopped?”

For me, this book starts off slow. And after reading it in its entirety, I do understand why that is. I'm just impatient lol. Some of the events in this book were hard to read without crying because of how close to home this book hit. Personally, I think this book should be read by EVERYONE!! especially those who believe they are all alone. But more so for those whose loved ones have survived trauma of any kind.

This book also doesn't have a traditional HEA ending. However, it does have a holding on to hope vibe, which I felt was very fitting.

Now the question remains... do I continue this series? Have you read it? If so, is it gonna break my heart further? 😬

⭐⭐⭐.5

One killer Night By Trilina Pucci

So here's the thing… I usually go into a book blind right. Here's the down side to that. In the case of this book.. I was lost while reading this book in the beginning. I had no idea what genre this book was. This book and I had a rocky start, and I take full responsibility for that.

The meet-cute was good, but the pacing had me like, what's really happening here 🤔 I actually had to put the book down and come back to it later.

Good thing there was an audiobook, because I’m not sure I would’ve made it through otherwise.

Once the tension picked up, things started happening, and I literally couldn’t put it down.

“Because you scare the shit out of me, Goldie. You make me want shit I didn’t think I could have.”

I don’t read a ton of romantic suspense, but I am trying to branch out with my reading tastes, and this one ended up surprising me. A slow start, yes, but once it hits its stride, it becomes an addictive ride.

Overall, I ended up really liking it and would definitely recommend it.

⭐️ 3.5 stars

People Like Them By Carol Ann Eastman

People Like Them follows Cissy and her friends on their journey to fight for the right to love and live freely in the world of Eka. It’s a story about the courage to love freely, defiance, and refusing to let anyone dictate who you are.

I mentioned something similar in my review of the first book in this series, People Like Us: no one ... absolutely no one should have the power to decide who you can or cannot love. It doesn’t matter who they are or what authority they think they hold. Cissy and the friends drive that message home with incredible force.

This story is powerful and deeply relevant. It reminds us that no matter where we come from, no matter what we believe, every single one of us has a voice that deserves to be heard. In many ways, the struggles in this book mirror the world we’re living in today.

We also get glimpses into the backstories of several characters, which adds depth and helps us understand how they became the people we see now. Those moments made the story feel even more real and relatable.

By the end, I laughed, and I cheered when they stood up to authority.

If you’ve never read one of my reviews before, if you’ve never taken my recommendations seriously, let this be the one you trust. If you enjoy testing boundaries, forbidden romance, and a fiercely powerful FMC, I strongly urge you to read this book.

You can thank me later.

No Question 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Netflix, I hope you're paying attention 😉 😉