The Dare by Harley LaRoux Review

This novella review contains mild spoilers for The Dare by Harley LaRoux. The actions depicted in this novella do not represent accurate or safe BDSM encounters — reader discretion is advised.

I honestly don’t even think I have the words to describe this novella to the extent that I need to — TikTok was definitely not lying when everyone said it was something else. I have read my fair share of steamy and taboo books (shoutout to Credence by Penelope Douglas), but this certainly was an experience I was not expecting to go through, especially with how the story progressed. Jessica and Manson have a past, however fleeting it may be, but that certainly does not stop either one of them from engaging in one of the most public and ill-acknowledged erotic relationships that I have seen. For some reason, while everyone at the party was super invested into their Drink or Dare competition, the interest immediately died down just when it was getting interesting.

We’ve got knives, we’ve got humiliation, we’ve got… clowns? I actually laughed out loud when I saw clowns listed in the warnings before the beginning of the story — I was going in blind and this threw me for a loop before I even got to page one. It is very fast-paced once we get to the initial plot point that puts Jessica into the situation that she is in — and doesn't seem to want to get out of. She is getting humiliated in front of dozens of party-goers, and yet she is also the most confident person in the room — besides Manson.

Now when we finally got to the clowns, I literally had to mentally prepare myself for whatever the author had in store for us. Yes, this takes place during a Halloween party with young adults, but I could not help but picture a children's birthday party clown costume when the boys were finally mentioned in the store. Totally not scary and definitely what I did not want to be picturing while reading this novella. Luckily, we move on pretty quickly from the clowns and Jessica's involvement with them, and go straight into...you guessed it — knife play! No worries, there is nothing gory mentioned.

We somehow manage to be going back and forth between Jessica literally being used in a dozen different ways by the hands of Manson to catapulting into Manson's backstory. It adds maybe a little shock to the plot, but if you are reading too fast and skim over the two sentences it takes to reveal that the house that the party is at is actually Manson's house, you won't be missing much.

If you need a quick and steamy read, The Dare is for you. I would definitely recommend this novella to fans of more taboo story-telling, but it's overall pretty mild and any newcomer to the genre would not have an issue with anything mentioned or depicted in the story.

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Praise (Salacious Players Club, #1) by Sara Cate Review

This review contains spoilers for Praise (Salacious Players Club, #1) by Sara Cate. Please read with caution if you have not already read the book.

We are immediately thrown into Emerson's world with the first sentence of the book -- which makes it all the more intriguing, as I went into this read with very little known details about the plot. I was looking for a fun, quick read as I make my way through my TBR pile, and was instantly intrigued by Praise. Emerson, our resident 40-year-old father who definitely does not seem old enough to have an adult son, has particular interests in what he wants in a woman and in the bedroom. Charlie, the now ex-girlfriend of Emerson's son, certainly stumbles into his world hoping to get her security deposit back without a hassle, and ends up in a precarious situation.

I love the immediate connection that Emerson and Charlie have -- not the first time they meet, but rather, when Charlie is hired as his secretary and they visit the club together. They are already forming their own dialogue with each other, and we are thrust right into their blooming dynamic as Emerson continues to show his interest in Charlie and his fascination with the way that she conducts herself in new situations. She has little to no knowledge of what she is getting herself into, even with her rabbit-hole searches she conducted after finding out what Emerson does for a living.

Charlie is over here living the dream with Emerson telling her that she does not have to wear shoes when she comes into the office/his house -- what I would give to be open to take my shoes off at my desk while I"m at work!

Their dynamic is so great to read - it moves quickly, and you're not stuck reading through endless pages waiting for something small to happen. Go big or go home was definitely in the author's mindset, because when Emerson and Charlie start being involved, even with the basics, we are put right into their building relationship. I absolutely loved seeing the dual POVs as they begin to figure out what they want and the opposing sides of Emerson being so experienced and Charlie being so incredibly new to the club and to Emerson's life.

I love the relationship that Garrett has with Charlie -- it's nice to see her interacting with people that are not Emerson or her sister, but it's also good to see her enjoying her life. They give off this big brother-little sister dynamic, full of teasing and joking, and definitely getting on Emerson's nerves.

The way Beau keeps showing up into Charlie's life -- whether he's actually seeking her out or if he is there to see his father -- had me throwing the book across the room. He did not appreciate her in the beginning, and his phone call to her was no better. From the short scenes that he is in, we get this picture of him being this man-child who didn't know what he had and doesn't know how to keep it. The distaste he has for his father's sexual endeavors is now getting placed on Charlie, and yet he continues to want to be in her life but not his father's -- but he'll take his money. He definitely won me over -- maybe just a little bit -- by the end of the book, especially when he finally decides to own up to the mistakes that he has made and they way that he treated his father and Charlie.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of Fifty Shades of Grey -- while the age gap is a little more jarring in Praise, both have similar circumstances in a general sense. I definitely enjoyed this read -- it's quick, it's fun, and it's finally nice to see a main character that knows her worth and what she wants.

You can add Praise on Goodreads now, as well as the rest of the series, and follow the author to stay up to date on publications and releases.

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People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins Review

 

This book contains discussions of gun violence, death, attempted suicide, and sexual assault - reader caution is advised. Mild spoilers for People Kill People are mentioned in this review.

I have to say that I already was a fan of Ellen Hopkins' writing and poetry, and this book did not disappoint. When it comes to approaching such a topic, Hopkins is able to derive emotion where many would see just an inanimate object. The structure of the book works very well in order to take breaks from one character's story to another, while also including breaks that allow the reader to digest what they just read and apply it to the broader issues of gun control and violence in today's society.

It is an unfortunate time in our society that I read this book as mass shootings continue to skyrocket in the United States, with white supremacists using guns and violence to cause terror among communities. There is no excuse for using such violence in our world, and we should be speaking up against these individuals that use their unnecessary hatred to inflict pain onto others and take lives. Hopkins does an excellent job showing the consequences and heartbreak that gun violence brings upon to not only the people directly effected by these disgusting acts, but to the communities and overall population in which they occur.

The change in POV between the select characters shows an interesting dynamic on the mentality that they all hold on political views and attitude towards gun use and ownership. We are shown atrocious, bigoted views of several characters, while transitioning to the acceptance and hope from other characters, many of which who have been directly effected by gun violence or sudden death. Characters that begin with alt-right views begin to question their beliefs towards the end of the book, but only when they are finally confronted with the realization that arguments and violence will get them nowhere. Ashlyn has such an extreme mindset, that is riddled with alt-right ways of thinking, and when she finds herself arrested after pepper spraying a number of people at the rally, she begins to question why she is has this mindset and how this will play out.

Other characters we see experience traumas that are not directly related to gun violence, but allow them to use their experiences to work towards fighting against hatred -- Noelle was in a serious car accident, and begins to use her energy towards fighting for immigrant rights, through the encouragement of her sister. We see Cami, after being involved in the robbery at Denny's and her arrest for marijuana, begin to fight for herself, her child, and her life at the age of 19-years-old as she begins to confront the fact that her life is not going in the path she she saw for her and her family. Rand, Cami's husband, has experienced a brutal sexual assault, as we see how it impacts him and how he begins to view his relationship and his worries that Cami is slipping away from him -- just as Daniel begins to believe that Grace is going to leave him once she begins to spend more time with her sister and build a better relationship with her.

The absolutely heartbreaking reality of children getting ahold of a poorly contained gun, resulting in an accidental death haunts the ending of this book. So many stories in the news detail the unfortunate deaths caused by parents not properly locking up firearms, and in combination with curious children, lead to tragic deaths, many of which are of children themselves. Hopkins provides readers with resolutions for nearly all characters -- some of which are left uncertain, but are shown how acts of violence forever impacted their lives.

I highly encourage everyone to read this novel -- Hopkins is able to show the realities of what gun violence, among other atrocities, does to individuals and how mentality can change once something is experienced first-hand. Despite this being fiction, this is a major reality for so many people, especially in the United States, that has constantly impacted society and government response. These scenarios are very much a reality in today's society, and education on gun reform and public action are some of the many ways that our communities can work together in order to make our lives safer. No one should ever have to experience the grief of losing a loved one by firearm misuse and hatred -- we must come together and find a way to ensure that this stops from happening.

To those who have been impacted by gun violence and bigotry, I send my deepest sympathies and urge everyone to be aware of what is happening in your country. Violence is never the answer, and we must hold people accountable for these disgusting acts of violence.

You can add People Kill People on Goodreads, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!