LETTING GO by Molly McAdams

 

Thatch Series Book One

William Morrow
November 1^st, 2014
978-0-06-235840-0
Contemporary, New Adult
Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Publisher

2.5 Hearts


Grey and Ben fell for one another at age thirteen but life would throw them a curveball when Ben died just days from his wedding to Grey. Grey is devastated at the loss of Ben and worries everyone as she just moves through life in a haze of grief. Until her other best friend, Jagger, shows her that she has the strength to go on even as he keeps his heart and love for Grey a secret. But when Grey finds out that Jagger has loved her forever, can she move past the heartache of losing Ben to see that loving Jagger is not a betrayal of their love for one another but might be something Ben would have wanted for Grey?

Okay I got to admit I like Molly McAdams books at times. They can be thought provoking, heartbreakingly wonderful and other times so steeped in clichés and other annoying angst that I have a hard time finishing the book. On one hand it is heartbreaking and emotional and other times it is the whole ‘come on already, stop waffling’. I just couldn’t figure out if I loved it or hated it. All I can come up with is that it was an okay book that had some good moments and some really over long moments that just bored me. The story has promise…if it would be in a novella length instead of novel length. The story would have been more of an impact on me if it was shorter, had the long overly tedious passages cut out and other items that just lost my interest in LETTING GO at times. The other thing I didn’t care for was the constant POV shifts that the author does in her books. It felt like a tennis match at times as I tried to keep up with the two points of views that kept changing each chapter. Sometimes an author does a great job in capturing that dual point of view in a story but here it was just a distraction and a turn-off.

The characters themselves had their moments to shine but for the most part, spent time doing the whole “will I or won’t I?” question. I just couldn’t get into Grey at all. She spent most of the book grieving to the point of it borderline melodrama and making me wish she would just get on with her life. We never really meet Ben except in passing and from other people. That right there was hard for me to invest into a relationship between Grey and Ben. What little was said had me wondering what was the point of it all. Jagger was just boring and content to watch his best friend get the girl and the HEA. He was a character that just sat around, never made a life for him or anything while watching Grey and Ben’s happiness on the offside. I would have liked these two characters more if they grew with the story and as a person. Yes, you can grieve but sooner or later life will kick you in the pants and says wake up and move on. That doesn’t mean I begrudge Grey her grief just that it was quite tedious to read over and over again. The relationship between these two was quite uneven and at times as well, I felt like they needed a wake-up call of some kind. Life is meant to be living, not just plodding along until the day ends and another starts.

The pacing of LETTING GO was uneven and at times disjointed. It felt like the author has a check list of what to put in the book and made darn sure they did it all regardless if the story needs it or not. That was the deal breaker right there for me in this latest by Molly McAdams. With LETTING GO, the author has a great premise and with the right characters and storyline it would have been a great read but with uneven pacing, storyline clichés and a lack of character development, LETTING GO was a major disappointment to this reader. I am not sure if I will pick another of this author’s books up in the future because the last few just have not given me anything to rave about.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

SHARING YOU by Molly McAdams

Sequel to Capturing Peace

William Morrow

July 1^st, 2014
978-0-06-229940-6
New Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Publisher
3.5 Hearts





For Brody Saco, his life was one of pure hell. When his girlfriend got pregnant he did the right thing, stepped up to the plate and married her so his child would have two parents. But tragedy struck and now Brody lives a life full of pain, hate and more emotional turmoil a sane person can go through. Meeting Kamryn Cunningham was the one bright spot in a life beaten down by actions, words and more.

Kamryn left behind a life of privilege and pain in a small town to open her bakery. She doesn’t have time for hook-ups, relationships or one sad eyed guy who stirs her emotions. But Kamryn isn’t a cheater and she refuses to be the other woman either. The more these two are together; the hotter the sparks fly between them. It will take the combined strength of these two people to weather the storm that is coming. Can Kamryn face her past and let go of it all to have a life with Brody? Can Brody find the strength to get out of a toxic relationship and let his heart heal with Kamryn?

SHARING YOU is one of those intense books that just floor you with emotions, rips your heart out and then hands it back to you on a platter.  Molly McAdams is a hit or miss author depending on the story but with SHARING YOU, I got pure emotional breakdown. I cried, I stewed, I growled and I rooted for two characters to get their own happily ever after. The book does have some issues-minor ones that added up in the end. One was the few sub-plots that just went nowhere. What happens after the lawyer issues threats? What about Kamryn’s parents or Brody’s wife? Where were those scenes? I am not sure if the author did this intentionally or not but it felt like those aspects of the story were just tossed in to keep the reader from guessing too fast what happens for Brody and Kamryn. Molly McAdams is a good storyteller that can capture my attention with one huge emotional story (like Taking Chances) and delivers a soul stirring, heart pounding ride from start to finish. SHARING YOU was trying to be that but at times, in my opinion, fell a bit flat.

Meet Brody and Kamryn. Two people who are damaged in some way, either by a toxic relationship or past family issues that make a person flee their small town in a hurry. Brody has been living in hell with his marriage and when he meets Kamryn, he finds a balm to his weary soul, a woman who refuses to do anything with him. He has never cheated but with Kamryn, Brody finds a level of peace he hasn’t felt in quite a long time. Oh boy is Brody one hero that is flawed in m ore ways than I can count. The author delivers an intense character with a wounded heart, one that draws the reader in little by little. And in the end steals your heart. I got to admit this author knows how to create some of the most amazing characters around. Brody is one of those alpha heroes who hide a broken heart. Kamryn is a woman fleeing her past and not looking for a relationship in her new town. What these two needs is each other and a little forgiveness. I loved the scenes between Kamryn and Brody, especially as she finds herself falling for him as she tries to resist. They are engaging, heart stealing wonderful. The cheating aspect I think was just used as a plot point and not really addressed in any way through the story.

SHARING YOU is stand alone titles so if you haven’t read Capturing Peace, don’t worry; this is an easy book to get lost in. The author does a good job in capturing her characters hearts and vulnerabilities perfectly as well as the effect an affair can have on a relationship. Ms. McAdams does a great job in capturing her characters perfectly-warts and all. I am thinking of grabbing Capturing Peace and then reading this one again. If you enjoy an emotional story with intriguing characters, a love triangle that makes you root for the one couple of your dreams, then grab SHARING YOU and settle in for one heck of ride.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

FORGIVING LIES by Molly McAdams

William Morrow
October 29^th, 2013
978-0-06-226774-0
Contemporary, New Adult
Trade Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Publisher
2.5 Hearts

For Undercover cop, Logan Ryan, falling for his sexy next door neighbor is a distraction he just can not have right now. He is on an important case involving a serial killer and he needs to focus on that; not the way Rachel Masters stirs his blood and makes him long for things he just can’t have at the moment.

Rachel Masters has been hurt and deceived before and she would prefer to be alone than go through that pain again. But there is something about her devilishly sexy neighbor, Logan that trips all her switches. All he needs to do is look at her with those grey steel eyes and she is a whimpering need of lust. But secrets come to the surface when Logan’s job causes issues and his lies for it catch up to them. Can Rachel forgive the man who stolen her heart and made her long for love again?

I normally find this author’s books a hit or a miss for me. Sometimes she finds the perfect balance in the story and other times, I struggle to get through the book as I tried to suspend disbelief at a few scenes that had me going ‘huh?’ The author tries but I felt they missed the mark with this one. It felt too formulaic and I had a feeling the author was just clicking off plot points on a word document. Rape scene? Check. Self-centered friend? Check. Sexy neighbor with a Harley and tattoos? Check. Man needs to save girl? Check. It just got to be too much for me to enjoy. I kept putting the book down and reading something else as it just did not keep my interest very long. The characters are at times, quite annoying. They acted unrealistic at times and I wanted to smack some sense in them countless times. I had no sympathy for them and could, by the end of the book, tolerate them. It felt like the characters were written in for the plot and reactions between characters were just wrong to my eyes. The best friend rubbed me the wrong way and the scenes in the beginning with Logan and Rachel felt like it didn’t belong in the story.

FORGIVING LIES could be a good story if you enjoy new adult themes but if you are looking for a complex story with intriguing characters, well this is not it. Molly McAdams does a good job in trying to tell this story but falls flat in my eyes. I just wished the characters were more than one dimensional and grew with the story rather than just plodding along. FORGIVING LIES was a miss for me though many may enjoy this one as well as the cliffhanger that had me scratching my head going ‘now what?’. Unfortunately, this book just didn’t rev my engines and left me reaching for something else to read.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

TAKING CHANCES by Molly McAdams

William Morrow

April 16^th, 2013

978-0-06-226768-9

Contemporary, New Adult, Coming of Age

Paperback

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Publisher

 

For eighteen year-old Harper, going off to college meant she can finally let herself live a little and spread her wings. Her father, a Marine, always kept strict control over her. But when Harper meets her new roommate, Breanna, she finds herself finding herself in the world, enjoying everything college has to offer and falling in love for the first time. But Harper finds herself in the position of falling for two sexy guys- Brandon, her first boyfriend and her roommate’s brother, Chase. Both are perfect for Harper but forces are at work and Harper will find she will have to choose and soon because one man will do anything for her while the other will step back and let Harper be happy if that is what she wishes.

Molly McAdams delivers a strong, passionate story of one young woman’s desire to be loved and happy, finding herself as she steps into the wide world at college and learning about herself even as she finds her heart engaged by not just one guy but two. TAKING CHANCES is a coming of age story that will charm you, make you feel everything Harper does and more and you will laugh, cry, sigh and cheer all the while you flip the pages, eager to see what happens next for Harper, Brandon and Chase. The author does a wonderful job in crafting a story that leaves you breathless one minute, on the edge of your seat the next. The twists shocked me, had me gasping as tears ran down my face and in the end, as I closed the last page, I felt at peace as Harper finally got the love she needed and had all along. The author created some amazing cast of characters in TAKING CHANCES, though it took me a bit too really fall in love with them.

Meet Harper, Brandon and Chase. Harper is on her own for the first time, experiencing college life, finding her place in the world when two guys, Brandon and Chase, start vying for her affections and heart. The problem is Harper has fallen in love with them both. Now the question is, can Harper choose the one she needs or will that choice be made for her in the end? I had a hard time liking Harper in the beginning. She is a little standoffish and made some choices that had me shaking my head and muttering but eventually you begin to see her heart, the real person behind all those youthful mistakes, etc. Chase and Brandon are perfect for Harper and I had a real hard time choosing which one she should be with. Both guys bring happiness to Harper and as she struggled with her choice, I found myself on the edge of my seat wondering if she will choose one or the other. I won’t say who she ended up with in the end but know the path to Harper’s happily ever after is fraught with emotional ups and downs, heartbreak and heartfelt moments that leave you reeling at times and other times reaching for a tissue as you cry and smile. The author delivers a story full of complex, vulnerable characters that you just can not help loving them all. The story is tight, weaves a spell around you and captures your imagination.

TAKING CHANCES is more girl meets boy; they fall in love and live happily ever after. It is about choices, hearing what your heart says and making difficult decisions in light of dark days. It is about love in all its forms, about friendship and family and most of all, about forgiveness. Ms. McAdams delivers a story that left me crying more than once as I flipped those last few pages and I cheered quietly as Harper found her own happy ending finally after a few years of trials and tribulations, of happiness and pain & of love won and lost. TAKING CHANCES is truly one of those stories that will leave you aching for more. Kudos to Ms. McAdams for creating such a wonderful heartfelt story that the reader will enjoy immensely. I know I did. I can not wait to see what else this author has in store for her readers in the future.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

 

STEALING HARPER by Molly McAdams

William Morrow

July 2^nd, 2013

978-0-0622-9211-7

Contemporary New Adult Romance

E-ARC from Netgalley

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Author Publicist

 

Chase Grayson wasn’t the type to want a forever kind of a relationship. One night stands are more his thing until he meets Harper and she blows everything he thinks is not right for him into something that makes Chase long for that forever kind love that you only see in movies. But Harper makes her disdain known of Chase’s actions and behavior and this wonderful, adorable girl needs a prince instead of a screwed up guy like Chase. Until he finds out that Harper is falling for the one man Chase thinks as a brother, a man who Chase knows will be good for Harper but he can’t help feeling that she is his in all ways. Can Chase find a way to let Harper go to the one she loves or will lines be crossed as hearts shatter on the ground from his choices? The path to love is fraught with hidden corners, a person’s good intentions and a heart that wants one thing-Harper’s love.

Oh my, is all I can say after reading this. This is a story that you literally can’t put down. It is absolutely heartbreaking and at turns so amazing, you don’t know where the story line will take you as you follow Chase and Harper in STEALING HARPER. This is a story that will rip out your heart, stomp on it a few times and toss it back to you-broken, bleeding and broken. I have to say though I read this one before Taking Chances (which I recommend reading first before STEALING HARPER), I was a little lost at first but it does stand on its own two feet, per say. I can’t say too much because you need to experience it yourself. You will literally be ripped to shreds when you close the book and sob hysterically as I did as I grabbed tissue after tissue. The author does a phenomenal job in creating three characters that are by far the most life-like, multi-dimensional characters I have ever read in a long time. You laugh, cry, smile and enjoy these characters even as they do things that leave your heart in your throat and with trepidation, flip the page to see what happens next. I can honestly say you are taken on an very emotional ride from start to finish.

Author Molly McAdams delivers a story so emotionally charged; you can’t help but fall under her spell. Her writing is tight, story flows so very nicely and you get an idea who these characters are under all the layers. It’s the good, the bad and the ugly. It is layers upon layers of emotions being uncovered as the readers finds themselves on the edge of their seat, wondering if the thing they think may happen will and then the shattering of hearts as what you feared to happen does, indeed, happen. With the right amount of emotional tension, captivating and yet flawed characters to enjoy and a story so riveting, you won’t want to put it down, you will find STEALING HARPER a story about love in all its many splendid forms and also about forgiveness. It’s a story how nothing is ever guaranteed in life and to get what you want, you need to make things happen…taking a risk that may not pan out the way you think. Molly McAdams delivers an astounding story that left me speechless for days afterwards. It is a strong, multi-layered story that will literally steal your heart the moment you open it. I hope to read the first book, TAKING CHANCES, then STEALING HARPER again to see the entire story in order.

I highly recommend this wonderful well written book to anyone looking for a new author to try…just remember to keep a box of tissues nearby-you will need them, I guarantee. Kudos to Ms. McAdams for giving the readers something that will take their breath away.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement