Review: The Consequence of Rejection by Rachel Van Dyken

You know the universe is trying to tell you something when you get struck by lightning, but only after getting hit on by the elderly, almost getting ran over by a semi, and running into the one who got away. 

Why do they say it like that anyway? 

Like I accidentally lost her when she was the one that got in the car with my best friend and left me. 

The day after I proposed. 

We were eighteen. 

I wanted forever. 

She didn't. 

It's been ten years. 

I tried to move on, tried to get married, had that same wedding crashed by my now best friend who says the only way for me to stop pissing off the universe, is to gain closure with the one woman I can't forget. 

So I do it. 

I embark on a journey down memory lane that not only lands me in prison but on the receiving end of a fist fight in front of the entire town, this naturally happens after drunken pool sex, climbing the same girls window, and getting threatened at gunpoint by her father.

To say the universe is trying to tell me something anything, is a giant understatement. 

I just hope I survive the message. 

And then, I hope I survive her--again. 

Review:  4 of 5 Stars

The Consequence Series by Rachel Van Dyken has been an interesting ride. The characters in each book are unique in their own way.  I loved Milo and Colt's story in the first book and have read all the books in the series.  

Jason is Milo's brother and Colt's best friend.  He has honestly had the worst luck in this entire series. He seems to have a black cloud that follows him around and if something bad is going to happen, it will happen to him.  

Maddy Summers is Jason's high school sweetheart that walked out the door on him the day after he asked her to marry him.  He never knew why or what happened but when she shows up back in town after 10 years, you can bet it is going to get interesting really fast.  

Throughout all of these books, there is a lot of comedy and while I enjoy it, at times it is a bit over the top for me.  I love Max's character, but sometimes he exhausts me and I am just reading about his plots, plans and antics.  As always, if you love Rom-Com and hilarity and chaos, this book is the ticket.  I am super happy with how it all worked out for Jason and I really enjoyed the journey to get there.  

Review: The Valiant (Spy Girl #4), by Jillian Dodd

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From USA Today bestselling author Jillian Dodd comes the fourth book in a sizzling series filled with action and adventure. Fans of The Selection and The Hunger Games will discover a heart-pounding thrill ride of espionage and suspense set in glittering high society.


What will happen when the world goes ka-boom? 

The assassin known as The Priest was tasked with a series of three hits, and the last one blows up in his face—literally. 
People will die. 
People will go on. 
Unlikely alliances will be formed.
And when British intelligence learns that a series of nuclear backpack bombs were smuggled into their country, there’s a lot more to worry about than discovering why a covert agent was assassinated over six years ago or what’s going to start in Montrovia.


Review
4 out of 5 stars

I was on pins and needles when the bomb went off in book #3 and then ended, leaving us wondering about Huntley and Lorenzo's potential demise!  I mean if they had died there really wouldn't have been a need to continue the story so I felt confident they would make it but I was dying to know how Jillian would spin it.  Let me just say she did it brilliantly!

So what did I love about this installment?  Mainly Huntley and Lorenzo's relationship.  It's like they are both finally on the same page, the same team and have the same goals in mind.  They have finally freely admitted their feelings for one another and while Huntley is struggling to balance feelings she was trained to stay away from she continues to push through and choose love.  I was so excited and felt all the "feels."  She's a girl on a mission and I especially enjoyed the "treasure hunt."  I think watching her re-live her memories left me feeling more connected to her character.

What I found myself frustrated with was trying to keep track of all the secondary characters and their back stories.  Jillian, if you're reading this review, can we get a flow chart or something at the start of the next book with a little brief synopsis of where the previous book left off?  I think because I read other books in between waiting on the new releases of this series I forget important details and then I spend the first several chapters trying to re-familiarize myself with the players and that takes away from really being able to focus on the important details and clues as the new material progresses.  Maybe I should just re-read the previous book before I start the new release?!?!

I do wish Huntley hadn't reacted so quickly and stormed out at the first sign of trouble in paradise.  I would have loved to of seen the two of them stand united, fight for one another and their relationship.  I think they are stronger and better together and only hope they figure this out very quickly in the next  book because I'd much rather see them stand together than apart.

Needless to say I love these characters and really do enjoy this series.  I without a doubt recommend you take the plunge into this series yourself!  It's full of mystery, love and seriously who wouldn't want to pretend they were living vicariously through this Spy Girl as they escaped their own reality?

Review: Consequence, Book Two, The Confidence Game #2 by Rachel Higginson

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Consequence, the conclusion to Sayer and Caroline’s epic love story

Five years ago, I escaped a dangerous life I had always wanted to leave. I got away. I found freedom. But it cost me the love of my life.

For five years I lived in hiding, protecting my most valuable secret while Sayer Wesley sat in prison paying for both our sins. I promised to love him forever. I promised to never leave him. 

I broke my promises.

Five months ago Sayer found me.

Five weeks ago, I was forced to face my past.

Five days ago, someone took my daughter. They kidnapped her in order to make Sayer and me suffer. I will do anything to get her back. Even if that means coming clean to Sayer, letting him into my life and introducing him to our daughter.

All I wanted was to protect her from this life and now she’s right in the middle of the chaos. Sayer is the only one that can help me. He’s the only one that can get her back.

But it might mean losing him again.

Fifteen years ago, I fell in love with Sayer Wesley. Now I must pay the consequences for falling in love with a con man. 

Review:
4.75 out of 5 stars

From the moment I finished Constant, I was dying to get my hands on Consequence. I absolutely fell in love with Caro and Sayer and I had to know how their story ended.  Without a doubt my love for mafia drama is what sucked me into this story from page one. 

 Consequence begins exactly where Constant ended.  Juliet has been taken from day care and Caro and Sayer are hell bent on getting her back and exacting revenge on whoever is responsible.  Intertwined in the present day drama are a lot of flashbacks from Sayer and his childhood and what occurred in his life.  Some are the same scenes from Constant but with a totally different point of view.

Caro is still reeling from Juliet's kidnapping and is struggling with trusting Sayer.  She definitely wants to blame him for a lot of things and her inability to see what I could through flashbacks was at times annoying to me.  But, I realized I had the luxury of more information than she did, and so I tried not to let my aggravation with her waffling emotions keep me from liking her character.  One of the things I loved most about Caro was her tenacity.  She is strong, stubborn, smart and she loves with all she has.  She is one heck of a mama bear and will always protect her child.

For me, Sayer is just about the picture perfect hero.  Obviously he's hot as hell with a side dose of brooding and dangerous.  But as much as he's dangerous at his core is also this deep sense of loyalty and protectiveness towards Caro as well as Juliet.  While he's never had the luxury of meeting Juliet in person his parental bond to protect and get revenge is just as strong as Caro's. 

I always worry when starting part 2 of a two book series that perhaps the second book will loose momentum, I was pleasantly surprised this one never lost it's pace.  While I knew in my gut Caro could trust Sayer I loved watching the story play out and was pleasantly surprised to see some twists.  Whether or not you as a reader like Caro or even agree with her dramatics one thing is for certain she loves Sayer, he is the only person for her and Sayer's heart will only always beat for Caro!