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.

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Breach (Catalyst Moon, #2) by Lauren L. Garcia Review

 

I would first like to thank Inkitt for providing me with a copy of Breach to review - after reading Incursion (Catalyst Moon, #1) through Inkitt, it was amazing to have the opportunity to give an honest review through them once again.

You can read my review of Incursion, the first installment of the Catalyst Moon series here.

This review contains minor spoilers for Breach - please read with caution if you have not completed the book.

I was so excited to finally get back into the Catalyst Moon series, and the second installment did not disappoint. Garcia does an excellent job at world-building and character development, so much so that you can clearly see what is happening during each chapter, and you can feel the emotion behind the dialogue and inner thoughts of the characters. Stonewall and Kali are such a unique pairing, and as we saw in the first book, their bond forms significantly more from their initial meeting. We get to see so much more of their relationship take shape as we experience the complexity of their stations unfold, and the romance really takes off in this second installment.

When Kali was healing the woman in the village along with other mages and soldiers, I knew something was going to happen and did not anticipate that in trying to heal this woman, she actually ended up killing her. It was heartbreaking to see the aftermath of that scene, but great to see people standing up for Kali to prove that she did not intentionally mean to harm that woman.

I really enjoyed how we see the storylines begins to merge towards the end of the book - everything starts coming together and brings you so much anticipation on how everything will either be resolved or left to us to find out more in the next book. In my opinion, this installment has a quicker pace to it than the first book, which I believe compliments the story and gives both world-building and action their own spotlights, respectively. Things are much more high stakes in Breach, and it adds to the tension between Kali and Stonewall's romance, as well as to their own individual journeys throughout the book and series. It definitely builds upon what we saw in Incursion, and doesn't gloss over any information that we needed more details - it is excellent character development all around.

I can't wait to continue on with this series and see what Lauren L. Garcia has in store for us next!

The latest installment of the Catalyst Moon series, Sacrifice (Catalyst Moon, #5) was released on August 30th, 2021. You can add Breach and the rest of the Catalyst Moon series on Goodreads, and follow the author for more updates.

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!

Vanishing Twins: A Marriage by Leah Dieterich Review

This review contains mild spoilers and details for Vanishing Twins: A Marriage. Please read with caution.

I admit, I did not know a lot about this book when I first opened it - it had been sitting on my bookshelf for some time, and I have finally been able to start tackling my never-ending growing TBR pile. But right off the bat, the description on the back cover caught my eye. A list of things that we, the readers, will learn from this book: Alternate reading of the myth of Narcissus? How to smoke a novella? The mysterious equations of distance, difference, desire, and love? Consider me intrigued!

The use of ballet comparisons and writing style is captivating - you can feel her pain, her resentment, and her utter confusion and longing for understanding through the page. She explores her triumphs that turn into defeats, her attachment to Eric as though they are one and the same, and the struggles of their relationship through both separation and exploration of both of their sexualities.

Her relationship with Elena showed a side of Leah's struggles of having Eric understand her need for flourishment and her own personal growth, while at the same time not telling Eric about their relationship for some time and then still only letting him in on a little information. However, Eric is also going about the country on business and various retreats where he tells Leah of his sexual encounters and revelations, so I cannot blame her for wanting to keep Elena to herself, especially when Eric wasn't up much for the throuple idea that was initially on the table.

Her twin left her behind. Then ballet was gone. And now, Eric was in New York for a year, away from Leah, leaving her left behind once again.

We see Eric start to explore a life outside of Leah once he goes to New York - he sleeps with a woman with a serious resemblance to Leah, and then tells her that he has been seeing a psychoanalyst for some months. It is interesting to see how Leah becomes upset at this confession - while they are in an open relationship, she has been "hiding" the extent of her (then) relationship with Elena with telling Eric only some of the details, but gets upset when he is seeing another man or just having casual sex with people he encounters.

She does not want to "murder their relationship," but does not understand how it could continue as is while they live together again after a year of what was a significant shift in their relationship and their own self discoveries.

Overall, I have some mixed feelings about Vanishing Twins: A Marriage. I feel myself content with the ending of Leah and Eric's story, yet wanting to see them beyond their final cohesion back together at the end. They were separated for so long and are finally back together under the same roof, yet to me, they feel oceans apart. I do recommend this book for readers looking for an interesting approach to self-reflection and discovery through a nontraditional writing style for nonfiction.

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Paris Undressed: The Secrets of French Lingerie by Kathryn Kemp-Griffin Review

This book provides readers with the ins and outs of French lingerie and sensuality, sexuality, and seduction. Kathryn and her husband decide to make a spur of the moment move from Canada to Paris after a coin toss, and that is where Kathryn begins her journey through the lingerie scene in Paris.

We get a really rich history about corsets, lingerie, and the evolution of how women were able to express themselves through lingerie and the numerous uses it provided. As someone who speaks French, I loved Kathryn's abundant use of French terminology and common phrases - it really allows the reader to immerse themself into the journey she goes through.

The addition of illustrations in this book really allows for the reader to understand the visual evolution today's bra underwent, from corset to padded bra with straps, we are able to see its construction and constant reevaluation over the decades.

Walking us through every part of the bra and learning the importance of each piece and how it completes the bra gives readers a new appreciation for quality-made bras, as well as learning exactly which style and type of bra works best for your outfit choice. When Kathryn deconstructed a poorly-made bra and a well-made bra, she was able to understand the underlying details on what truly makes a bra a quality piece.

I find myself relating to this book once again - I have a degree in Neuroscience, and found the comparison of fabrics to sensory receptors eye-opening and truly a unique and genius choice of description. Different fabrics and fibres completely change the game when it comes to creating and wearing a garment, and with lingerie being the most intimate garment someone can own, it is so important to make sure what you're wearing feels the best for you.

I love how Kathryn goes beyond the "underwear" aspect of lingerie - we get to learn and see stockings, holsters, tassels, and more. Her experience in each of these classes that she attends to learn more about the sensuality of lingerie and how women can truly find enjoyment just by wearing it in everyday life. The better you dress, the better you feel, I always say. And if you feel great, your day will surely be just as great.

The addition of French lingerie websites towards the end of the book was a fabulous idea - it allows the reader to not only apply what they have learned through Katherine's experience and lessons from the book to purchasing lingerie, but just viewing the different styles and fabrics in itself is a great way to visualize what you want in your lingerie.

This is a fantastic read for the fashion-inclined, lingerie loving person. I absolutely recommend this to any up-and-coming fashion student or anyone who is curious to what makes lingerie so intimately for you.

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Normal People by Sally Rooney Review

This review contains spoilers for Normal People - please read with caution.

The only thing I knew about Normal People before going into the story was that the author writes her novels without quotation marks in the dialogue, and I immediately knew it was going to take all but five pages before I felt like I was losing my mind. It actually took seven pages before the feeling came, so, yay! But seriously, if I had the time, I would have taken a pen to every line of dialogue and added quotation marks because your eyes are so trained to transition from paragraphs of descriptions to speech that you miss sections of talking because you're not even registering them as actually exchanging conversation.

I immediately wanted to talk some sense into Connell, because obviously any girl who spends her lunch hour reading novels in the library or cafeteria has read The Communist Manifesto. Marianne is basically the smartest person in school and top in English, and you think she hasn't read it?

Also, if a guy asked me to not talk to him and pretend that I don't know him and am not literally hooking up with him, I would toss him immediately. Connell acts like he would be committing social suicide by associating with Marianne, when in reality, people would just talk about how they would maybe be an unlikely pair - it would not cause the fall of their social hierarchy. The way that Marianne makes it so clear to Connell that she wouldn't do the same to him that he is doing to her, he has this fleeting moment of a morality change, and I started to like him just a little bit.

I know I did not just read people laughing at Marianne literally getting physically assaulted at this pub while she tried to sell raffle tickets. She has got to find better people to hang around with and these people have got to get better morals. Also, I don't know if it's just because I recently read I Hate Men by Pauline Harmange, but Connell is literally doing the minimum for Marianne - the bar is on the floor. Shoutout to Lorraine for trying to knock some sense into Connell because the boy is as dense as they come.

The writing becomes significantly more tolerable once Connell and Marianne go to college - the flow is better, the dialogue runs smoother, and the character development vastly improves. Jamie and Helen are the worst people to be around Marianne and Connell - the borderline abuse from Jamie and the slut shaming from Helen makes them intolerable to read about.

Marianne's relationship or "agreement" she has with Lukas is unconventional, and her using sex as a coping mechanism in what appears to be a response to her brother speaking and acting horribly to her is sad to read. She has so much going for her, and watching her become isolated from her friends, and quick frankly from herself as well, is heartbreaking.

I actually really started to like the direction that the book was headed towards the end, and then Alan had to come in and ruin it all, followed by what I saw as a rather obvious ending to Marianne and Connell's ending. The sentiment of it all can definitely resonate with readers, but it felt as though we were moving constantly away from the idea that they could ever end up together.

I will personally buy Sally Rooney a keyboard with the quotation mark key so I never have to experience that writing style again. In all honesty, I have never encountered a book more that I wanted to DNF so badly before I even got to page 50. It definitely improved about halfway through the book, but I could not help but feel disconnected from both Connell and Marianne - constant miscommunication and "right person, wrong time" felt so repetitive that I found myself hoping that it would just end. I do not think this was a bad book - I just think that it may not have been a book for me.

You can add Normal People on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on publications and releases. Normal People is available now to watch exclusively with a Hulu subscription in the United States.

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