The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater

Mr. Darcy is my ultimate book boyfriend. No one holds a candle to him in my heart, but his inner thoughts have always proven illusive, as Jane Austen never made us privy to them in Pride and Prejudice. When I came across this novel, I jumped at the chance to step inside my literary crush's head. My expectations might have been too high, however. I was left rather disappointed by this one.

The Darcy in my head far out paced the Darcy of this book. I found Slater's Darcy rather dull, with the many of his entries consisting of detailed descriptions of what he ate that day. There was an attempt to add some spice with mentions of Darcy's trysts with chambermaids and his attempt to help Bingley get over Jane by setting him up with a kept woman. While not unfathomable, I didn't like the idea of some of my most beloved characters acting in such a manner. It is hardly consistent with the idealized version (complete with pedestal) that I have in my head.

After Darcy's first failed proposal, the novel did pick up a little steam for me, but not enough to make this a worthwhile read. While not the worst I've ever read, I cannot say that you will be missing anything if you don't pick this one up. 

The Beautifully Broken Series by Courtney Cole

"To anyone who knows what it's like to be broken and to everyone who is stronger because of it."

Book I: If You Stay
Pax Tate is an asshole, and he knows it. He embraces it. After the death of his mother, Pax's life has spiraled. He uses drugs and woman to fill the void, to avoid feeling the pain of a past that he can't remember, but haunts him. He is content to live in oblivion, until he meets Mila Hill.

Mila never could imagine the turn her life would take when she comes across Pax on the beach, near death from an overdose. The connection between Pax and Mila is strong, and Mila finds herself wanting to save Pax.

As Pax and Mila fall for each other, Pax knows that he has to find a way to face his past and deal with it. When the dark secrets from his past are finally revealed, Pax resorts to his assholian tendencies and shuts Mila out. Mila does her best to be there for him, but his coldness drives her away. When he realizes that he may have just driven away the only good thing in his life, Pax sets out to tackle his demons once and for all and give Mila a reason to stay.

Loved this book! Despite Pax's assholian behavior, it was clear from the beginning that it was all just a front to cover up a beautifully broken soul. I loved Pax and all of his tattooed swagger. He is a character teetering on the edge - one step away from darkness, one from light. Mila is his saving grace. This story got me - hook, line, and sinker - from the very beginning. It was angsty, full of plenty of steamy scenes, and of course, had a swoon worthy male lead who is redeemed by love. What more could a girl ask for? A happy ending? It's got that too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book II: If You Leave
Former Army Ranger, Gabriel Vincent, has a dark secret, a demon that followed him home from Afghanistan. He is content to keep everyone at an arms length. Then he meets Madison Hill. A chance encounter goes awry and Madison catches a glimpse of the demon haunting Gabe. He is happy to pretend like nothing happened, believing that he will never see Maddy again.

When Jacey, Maddy's friend, tells her that her brother is coming to visit, Maddy never expects Gabe to walk through her restaurant's door. Maddy, bent on proving that she doesn't need anyone, tries to ignore the connection between her and Gabe. It is clear that Gabe's got issues, and the last thing Maddy needs is a messed up relationship like her parents had.

Despite their vows to stay away, Gabe and Maddy are drawn to each other. The closer they get, the harder Gabe struggles to keep his demons at bay. When Gabe unconsciously lashes out at Maddy, he knows that the safest thing for him to do is leave. But in doing so, Gabe will face the most important decision of his life: leave and stay away forever or leave and finally face the demon that haunts him, and pray that Madison will give him another chance.

I loved this one even more than the first book. I've always has a soft spot in my heart for men in uniform, and Gabe is the perfect solider. It breaks my heart to see soldiers coming back with PTSD, damaged by the things they are asked to do while defending our freedom and safety. It was heart warming to see him redeemed by love and reach a place where he was able to forgive himself. I know that not everyone reaches that place in the real world. This is an intense story, much more than If You Stay. I couldn't put it down and I wanted a happy ending for this couple so badly. Thankfully, that's exactly what I got.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book II.V: Until We Burn
Dominic Kinkaide is damaged. While living in the public eye, no one knows the real Dominic. He covets the darkness, prefers to stay detached, seeks the depraved, because he knows that he doesn't deserve better. This short novella is meant to introduce us to Dominic and give us a glimpse into this life, which is very dark. While the reasons behind his darkness are not revealed, it is clear that this sexy-as-sin bad boy is damaged goods. He's in the same vein as Christian Grey, without the mommy issues. I think you can take this novella or leave it. You can enjoy Dominic's book without having read it, but I do think it adds to the understanding to his character.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book III: Before We Fall

Dominic Kinkaide's life changed forever when he was a senior in high school. Now he is haunted by a past he can never escape. As one of Hollywood's golden boys, everyone recognizes Dominic, but no one really knows him. He has shut himself off to real connection, choosing to stay in the shadows of life. 

Jacey Vincent is always looking for love in the wrong places. Ignored by her father, Jacey seeks affection in the arms of any man willing to give her the time of day. After a tragic accident that puts her loser ex-boyfriend in jail, Jacey is determined to get her life back on track, to make better decisions. Dominic Kinkaide is exactly the type of guy she knows she needs to stay away from, but the connection between the two is undeniable.

As Dominic falls for Jacey, he will be forced to confront the ghosts of his past, exposing the truth once and for all.

This is another great one. Dominic and Jacey's story is another intense one, but in a different way than If You Leave. This is a dark story and contains plenty of situations that are reminiscent of 50 Shades. Dominic is clearly a damaged and haunted soul and there are plenty of surprises in this story, particularly as the truth of what really happened to Dominic is revealed. This is another page turner with a happy ending. 

I highly recommend this series if you enjoy angsty romances with damaged guys who are ultimately redeemed by love. I sincerely hope that Courtney Cole is planning to continue this series. There are a few other characters (Gabe's friend, Brandon and Dominic's brother, Sin) who I would love to see get their own books. I haven't seen any announcements for more books, so I guess for now I will have to keep my fingers crossed and just hope.

Falling for a Bentley by Adriana Law

"We are all broken in some way. But it's all the shattered pieces that give us depth. Like a stained glass, it's how the pieces and colors that fit together that truly makes us beautiful."

Not every story is a fairytale.

Victoria Anderson has spent her whole life feeling invisible. She used to like it that way, giving into her mother’s demands without a fight. Now that she’s ready to fly free, no one can see or hear who she really is...

Until Sterling.

Sterling Bentley is determined not to fall for his cousin’s girl. If his past taught him one thing, it’s that love has no meaning. His life has been an empty, black void for so long, that he’s ready to let it take him. Hell, he’s ready to dive straight down. But he can see the fire that Victoria hides inside, and it beckons him. And he has to wonder…

Can two broken people fit together?

The more Sterling knows about Victoria, the more he knows he’s no good for her. He does everything he can to push her away, but Victoria isn’t about to let go of the one person who gave her the courage to finally live her own dreams — no matter how dark a place those dreams lead her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I really enjoyed this novel, in fact, I couldn't put it down. I gave myself a book hanger staying up till 2 AM to finish it. The story is reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast and has plenty of angst to go around. The characters where beautifully broken, especially Sterling. My heart ached for him and I wanted a happy ending for him desperately. Thankfully, I was quite pleased with how the novel ended. I don't know if this was a self-published novel or not, but there were quite a few grammatical and mechanical issues throughout the novel. Normally this would drive me insane, but I was so invested in this story that I was able to overlook the obvious flaws. Fair warning, this novel does deal with some pretty heavy topics - abuse and drug use - so it's not for everyone. However, if you are willing to to give this book a chance, I don't think you will be disappointed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Falling for a Bentley is a stand alone novel, but there is a spin off novel involving Sterling's brother, Sawyer. It is scheduled for release in January, 2014. Check out the cover and blurb below.

Always protected by his older brother, Sawyer Bentley wants to be the one doing the protecting for a change which is why he went into law enforcement. Everything is going according to the plan: cool apartment overlooking the city, the satisfying career, a slobbering St. Bernard to share his bed with and the perfect hassle free lifestyle as one of Los Angeles sexiest, unattainable bachelors. Until one night tests his integrity and loyalty for what matters most…his job.

Even the nick name hides the truth of who she really is. After losing the only man she has ever loved, her unborn child, and her dreams of a happily-ever-after Starr does the unthinkable…she uses again. As her carefully maintained illusion of recovery begins to crumble around her she is brutally attacked, ending with her attacker in a coma and unable to voice what really happened.

Starr says it was self-defense.

Sawyer’s not so sure.

Talk about being in the wrong place at wrong time--being the first cop on the scene Sawyer is expected to give his testimony in court of exactly what he witnessed that night, problem is he’s not so sure what he walked up on and to find out the truth, he will have to spend time with the one woman he vowed to stay away from …his brother’s EX.

Starr's fate rest in Sawyers hands. Can Los Angeles sexiest bachelor handle catching a fallen Starr?

A Beautiful Wedding (Beautiful Disaster #2.5) by Jamie McGuire

You know that Abby Abernathy unexpectedly became Mrs. Maddox. But what do you really know?

Why did Abby pop the question?
What secrets were shared before the ceremony?
Where did they spend their wedding night?
Who else knew about it . . . and didn’t tell?

Everything about Abby and Travis’s elopement was top-secret . . . until now. Fans of Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster will get all of their questions answered in this whirlwind tale of the wedding day (and night!)—and as with all good stories, this one will definitely have been worth the wait.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a fun little novella that gives us a little more insight into the wedding of Abby and Travis, as well as a (brief) look into the future. I enjoyed this story, and at 160 pages, it is a fairly decent sized novella. There were a lot of really sweet and touching moments, especially those involving Travis's mom. There are no surprises that lead me to believe there will be anymore to Abby and Travis's story. If you are a fan of the Beautiful Disaster series, then you will enjoy this one. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Narrated by Death, The Book Thief tells the story of a small German town of Molching during World War II. Next to her brother's grave site, Liesel Meminger will encounter something that will change her life forever - a book. This is her first act of book thievery.

With the help of her foster father, Liesel learns to read and finds a new passion - words. This passion will lead Liesel to many more acts of book thievery. She shares these words with her neighbors during bomb raids and with the Jewish man her family is hiding in the basement. In this dangerous time, surrounded by tragedy and death, words will become Liesel's lifeline.

This book is AMAZING. It is one of those books that latches onto your soul. A book that will change you. I couldn't put it down. Even though the book is over 500 pages long, I flew through it. Seen through the eyes of Death, this POV provides a truly unique reading experience, fitting for the time period of the story. This book made me laugh and it made me cry. I grew to love each of the characters. It is beautifully written and well crafted. It is storytelling at it's best.

Now a major motion picture...

The Ever After of Ella and Micha (The Secret #4) by Jessica Sorensen

When Ella leaves Micha standing at the alter, his worst nightmare seems to have come true. Ella has run away. Again. But while Ella is having second thoughts, it's not about marrying Micha. When a mysterious package appears on their doorstep including a journal that belonged to Ella's mother, Ella finds herself plagued by old doubts. She knows she wants to marry Micha. He is her light in the dark. But now she is having second thoughts about marrying Micha without their families.

So Ella and Micha head back to Star Grove, where it all started. As Ella comes to terms with the journal, Micha gets offered the chance of a lifetime - to tour with his favorite bands for three months. Accepting the tour means leaving Ella behind for three months, something that Micha doesn't want to do. But can he really ask her to give up school and her job to come with him?

Ella and Micha know that they are meant to be together. However, happily-ever-afters aren't always easy. Ella and Micha will once again have to overcome their fears and doubts, face challenges head on, and fight for their love if they are going to have the future they want.

"It's because of those things that I know that you'll walk up that aisle that Lila's going to make you walk up, say your vows, kiss me, and then we'll have our happy, sad, sometimes good, sometimes bad, crazy, bumpy, intense, worth-the-journey ever after."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the perfect conclusion to this love story. Ever After is not nearly as angsty as the previous novels, but I don't think it needed to be. If there were ever two people made for each other, it's Ella and Micha. It offers us glimpses into the past - the first time Ella and Micha met, how their friendship grew, when they realized they had feelings for each other. These moments were heartwarming and sweet, and serve to affirm that these two really are soul mates and meant to be together. This book was about healing and moving forward. I loved watching these two characters finally get the ending that they deserve. Jessica does a perfect job of wrapping up their story and I feel completely content with where we leave Ella and Micha.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Up next in the series...

Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always - expected release December 24, 2013

Lila Summers just wants to know one thing for certain: that Ethan Gregory will be with her always. Once her friend, he's become so much more, melting the pain of her past away with each kiss. Now Lila is on a road trip with Ethan, in the wilderness under the stars, and she can't imagine her life without him. But when she talks about the future, something in Ethan changes . . .

Ethan has no doubts about his feelings for Lila. His life with her gets better every day-and that's the scary part. How can he walk into a future where he has everything to lose? With Lila, his whole heart is on the line for the very first time. But if Ethan can't give her the promise she needs, his greatest fear might come true: he'll lose Lila for good.

Living the Dream by Daniel Floyd

I have always been a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. The reason is not always clear, and oftentimes isn't clear until sometime after the occurrence. I was raised a Roman Catholic, and while I have always believed in God, I never really felt connected to my church. I had faith, just no connection to the institution, the religion. I also had a tough childhood. While it wasn't all bad, there were times when it was downright miserable and it certainly had a profound affect on me and my faith. I stopped going to church, except on Christmas and Easter. In many ways, I felt abandoned by God.

This went on for years, until my best friend convinced me to go to LifePoint Church. I was hesitant at first because I have been to similar churches and they just never felt right. LifePoint couldn't have been any different from the traditional stand-sit-kneel of the Catholic Church. It was slightly overwhelming, but I felt more at home there than I ever did in the church I grew up in. When I heard Pastor Daniel preach that day, I swear he was preaching to me. It almost brought me to tears. I have been attending LifePoint for a little over two months now, and I know that God was acting through my friend. Before I felt disconnected, couldn't relate to the sermons I was hearing, and I felt faraway from God. While I don't pretend to have everything figured out, I can say that I am further along in my faith journey now than I ever was before.

A lot of that has to do with Pastor Daniel and his amazing ability to "unpack" the lessons of the Bible in a way that is both relatable and understandable. I used to leave church feeling like nothing the priest said related to me and my life. At times I had trouble understanding sermons that were bogged down in dogma. Not the case with Pastor Daniel. Each week I walk away with something. Something that makes me think, that clarifies something, that gives me hope. I also appreciate the fact that he doesn't pretend to be perfect, that he is honest with his own struggles in faith. I used to resent the "holier-than-thou" vibe I used to get from the priests. We're all human and we all make mistakes, and I appreciate Pastor Daniel's willingness to recognize that fact, not only in us, but in himself.

This is what led me to pick up his book. I never in a million years expected to have the epiphany that I did while reading this book, but like I said, things always happen for a reason. Once again, Pastor Daniel's straightforward style (mixed with a little humor) led me to a greater understanding. I think that we all have our own personal struggles when it comes to our relationship with God. Mine is trust. I am not a trusting person by nature. I have been disappointed too many times by those around me. I have always felt that there is something holding me back in my faith and now I know what it is. It seems so obvious now, but sometimes you can't see what's right in front of your face. So while, I still have a ways to go, at least now I feel like I have some direction.

If you are interested in learning more about LifePoint or Pastor Daniel, check out http://visitlifepoint.org/