Sweet Trouble by Susan Mallery

So...the thing is...for about 50% of this book I was super pissed off. Because well, ummm, you see, what had happened was...it seemed like everyone blamed Jesse for a lot and she just took it. She just took it because she felt so guilty about things she shouldn't have felt bad about. I thought it was a bunch of bull honky. Her sister Nicole blames Jesse for sleeping with her ex-husband Drew, which she didn't even do! Matt blames Jesse because she left while she was pregnant with Gabe, their now four year old son, after he told her that she was a slut and he didn't believe that the baby was even his. Which, was pretty bad on its own, no? Then on top off that he also said that even if it was his baby, he wouldn't want a baby with her. Umm...I'm thinking I would take off too! Not one time in this whole damn book did Matt apologize for that, or the fact that it's because of his own words and cruelty that she ran in the first place. That she had to struggle for four years of their sons life being a single parent, just barely making ends meet! He took no blame, he played with her emotions, and he intentionally set out to hurt her using their child as a pawn...



He could have taken it upon himself to locate her and Gabe on his own and with his millions of dollars it would have been easy. It would have been the responsible thing to do, knowing she was pregnant with what very well could have been his baby. It's safe to say my feelings about Matt throughout the book had some ups and some MAJOR downs. Same thing with Nicole. I mean, I don't think Jesse was a saint by any means either. Yet...at least she owned up to her wrongs. She made the best of her mistakes, made the best life possible for her and her child, and busted her ass to get where she is. That definitely deserves more respect than what she got. Yes, she ran and should have told Matt about Gabe sooner. Correction, she should have tried harder to get him to understand sooner. Even though it was kind of his fault she left town to begin with...but hey, it's her fault she stayed away all that time knowing Gabe was Matts child. I mean, it's not like Matt verbally abused her for something she didn't even do before she left town. Oh, and it's not like he made it totally clear that even if the baby was his, he didn't want a baby with her.
Oh wait...
Well, shit.
I guess that did happen.
Still by the end of the book I'm happy the two end up where they do. I know it sounds like I completely hated Matt but I didn't hate him by the end of the book. Just to be clear though, I wasn't singing his praises either. Even though he seemed OK by the end of the book I'm still fuming a little bit on the inside over everything. And even though the book pissed me off as much as it pleased me I still loved it. I enjoyed reading every frustration filled page.

4 Stars.

Tempting by Susan Mallery

Susan Mallery was my first romance read. We all remember our first time right??? I was 14 years old and my mom kept her books in her bedroom...normally scattered all around hell because her room never stayed clean for longer than a week. I was always an avid reader and had just finished my last book from the library but I wasn't ready to stop reading. That's when I went into her room, under the cloak of darkness of course because my mother had strictly prohibited me from reading her books, and grabbed a book from under her bedside table. It helped that she was at work so I didn't have to worry about getting caught. I opened the book and it was love at first chapter. I started regularly taking the books from my mother's room so that I could continue reading the Fools Gold series and ever since it's been one of my favorites series, and Susan Mallery has been one of my favorite authors.
The other day I happened across Tempted while I was on Scribd and I dived in eagerly. I am so happy I did! Susan Mallery books never disappoint me but this book was just...awesome. If I could think of a better, more appropriate word for what I was feeling about this book I would. Magnificent is more fitting. We'll go with that one. The book was friggin magnificent! Alex was a great male character and I almost wish I was Dani...minus her shitty history with men because that would just really suck. Read the book and you'll understand. Actually, just read the book because it's kind of great. The whole plot is great, and I like the added aspect of Katherine and Dani being faced with how to handle finding out about the possibility of Mark being Dani's biological father. The characters are all great, but my favorite is actually Ian. Ian has a small part, but his personality is big enough to stand out in any crowd.
I can't wait to get my hands on the other books in the Buchanans series. I'm excited to learn more about Dani's brothers because even though they were mentioned in this book you don't find out very ugh about them. I'm extremely curious about their lives. But this particular book in the series is definitely not one you would want to miss. I'm seeing a Susan Mallery binge in my future.



That's what my Scribd library looks like right about now. Can't wait! But my rating for Tempted by Susan Mallery is....
5 Stars!

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

"I knew the second I met you that there was something about you I needed. Turns out it wasn't something about you at all. It was just you."

Yesterday in my post about Abbi Glines I mentioned that Beautiful Disaster is one of my absolute favorite books. It's the truth. Jamie McGuire wrote this story and it speaks to me on so many different levels. Not only because of the story itself but because of the message I see in it. Beautiful Disaster is the first book I read that made me feel like there was perfection in imperfections. Travis Maddox is far from perfect but he still finds his way. He screws up, he's crude, possessive, a fighter, a player, and he makes mistakes. Yet, on some deeper level it's his flaws that make him so perfect just the way he is. It's the same thing for Abby. She's overly cautious, her past is checkered, she's too timid at times, and she has some serious family issues. But Travis and Abby see the perfection in eachother, and I don't mean that they only see the good in one another. That saying "love is blind" is overrated. What I mean is that they see all the flaws and they still think of the other as perfect. That is what I see as the best kind of love.
When I was a little girl I had a security blanket. It was pink, green, and white with fringe on all four sides and had bunnies on it. And most importantly...it made me feel safe. We all had something that gave us that feeling when we were children. Some people had special nightlights, stuffed animals, or something to that manner. As we grow, get older, and mature we give up those things. Some people just throw them out, some people pass that safety blanket or object down, or they might simply pack it up. For me, I replaced that safety blanket with books. This book is my safety blanket. Beautiful Disaster is my peace of mind. It's been with me through break-ups, fuck-ups, fights with my best friend, fights with my parents, moving out of my hometown, my first prom, and so much more. To this day, my best friend and I talk about this book and it's author with nothing but reverance.
Abby Abernathy is a symbol to young women everywhere that we don't have to let our past define our future. Her past is in poker matches, drinking games with her dad, and being raised by mobsters. However, she started over. Now her future is with Travis. Travis Maddox is a symbol that someone that fights illegally for a living, someone that used to sleep with anything in a skirt, someone that takes very little seriously, can change his way of living, and can break the bad habits. Can be monogamous, can make a better future, and can love and be loved even if he never thought it was possible. I'm not saying that any of the things I just listed are necessarily bad things. He just wants to be the best version of himself. This whole book is a rollercoaster of emotions, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's a book about friendships, good and bad relationships, and love.
The best parts of Beautiful Disaster are not just Abby and Travis. America and Shepley are a true example of what friendship should look like. America is fierce, sassy, protective and loyal to a fault. The best kind of friend. Shepley is the ying to Travis's yang. The light to Travis's dark. All four friends bring out the best in eachother. They're family. That is how true friendships should feel. This book is a paragon for all books I read. I compare most books to this one. I would recommend this book to young women 16-24 years of age. It does contain adult content so I would ask readers to be mature but I read this at a young age so I'm not going to say 18+ years of age because it's not realistic. I just hope if you read it, you enjoy it. If not, no hard feelings! Different books tend to have different meanings for many people.

5 Stars