Review: Thoughtful (Thoughtless #1.5)

Reviewer: Kristen

Author: S. C Stephens

Pages: 558

Format: eARC 

My Rating: 1 out of 10

Summary (thanks Goodreads): Every story has two sides, and in this new book, the epic love story between Kiera and Kellan is shown through his eyes. 

All Kellan Kyle needs is his guitar, and some clean sheets of paper. Growing up in a house that was far from a home, he learned a hard lesson: You're worthless. Now his life is comfortably filled with passionate music, loyal band mates, and fast women... until he meets her. 

Kiera makes him ache for more. Makes him feel for the first time that he'sworth more. But there's one problem— she's his best friend's girl.

Just when Kellan thought his emotional defenses were rock solid, Kiera's indecisive heart wreaks havoc on his soul, changing him forever. Losing Kiera is not an option. 

My Thoughts: I think that the best way that I can describe this novel is that some things are better left unsaid. Seriously. It's just... Kellan Kyle was almost completely ruined for me when I started reading this book, and it was one of my most anticipated books of 2015. In the vein of full disclosure, I stopped reading this book around the 200 page mark. I was just desperately hoping that things would change before the end. 

I just... I don't even know where to begin. In Thoughtless, we only get Kiera's perspective, so we don't see just how manipulative or mood-swingy Kellan truly is. I definitely did not understand Kellan like I thought I did and I didn't understand any of the relationships in the novel, apparently, either. I just didn't see the appeal of other character. I thought that maybe Kiera would have some more redeeming qualities in this book that made me understand why both Denny and Kellan looked at her like she was the moon, but I didn't. And I thought that seeing what makes Kellan tick and what he thought of all the events would make me love him even more, and it definitely didn't. So, ultimately, I just started to question the relationship, and that's the opposite of what I wanted to be doing when I received this. 

The writing was great, again, and that almost goes without saying. S. C Stephens is a great story teller. I just wish that I could understand the characters motivation, and that is not what I got from this. Instead, I questioned why I even liked them in the first place. I haven't tried to re-read Thoughtless since reading this one, but I hope that I can still enjoy it without thinking of Kellan how he is portrayed in this instalment. I need to learn my lesson, I very rarely enjoy the male perspective of books, apparently. 

Final Thoughts: Please don't use this book as a meter stick for the rest of the series, it was much better, I promise.

Review: Ten Tiny Breaths

Reviewer: Kristen 
Author: K.A. Tucker
Pages: 262
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 1 out of 10 

Summary (Goodreads, I lava you): Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness. 
My Thoughts: I know that I should be more positive on this blog, and I really debated whether or not I should even review this because I didn't even finish it, but I'm going to anyway because I wanted to explain myself and my thoughts about it (or at least try to, y'all know how I ramble). Normally, I love me a good contemporary. I love it when it's gut-wrenching and sad and full of hot swoon worthy boys who make me gag with the sickly cute stuff they say to each other. But this one just didn't do it for me. And neither have the last few that I have read, so this may not be a contemporary issue and may just be a Kristen issue. 

The plot of the book had so much potential, and I thought that I would just connect with the main character and understand her and feel for what she's gone through. I mean, she's this badass kickboxin mother trucker who seemingly has a good head on her shoulders and is doing her best to keep her sister out of harms way. She won't let anyone stop her from successfully getting her sister away from the crappy situation that they were in. And that sounds awesome, right?! Kacey has so many demons to overcome and I just wish that she could have believed in herself a little more (mind you, this could have been her character arc but I just didn't get to that point). 

The romance was a little too cheesy for me, and Trent was a lot too stalker-y for me. Actually, I stopped reading the book when he kept coming to the strip club where Kacey worked just to see her. Hello, they've had like one conversation and I wouldn't even call them acquaintances, and there he is. Not drinking (which is supposed to be hot), not talking to other ladies who work there (also supposed to be hot) and just staring at her (okay, dude I'm going to need you to tone down your Edward just a little bit). He just didn't do it for me. Again, maybe he actually isn't as creepy as he seems at first (I truly doubt it) but it was enough for me to put it down.

I did love Storm though, she was completely unexpected and a complete badass in her own right. She was what kept me going for as long as I did. 

I also really need to point out that none of the issues that I had was with the writing of the book itself. I thought that the writing was fantastic and whatever was being described I could actually see. The characters were just a little iffy to me. I know that I am in the minority when it comes to what I thought about this book, so if you've read it, I'd love to have a discussion with you about it! Let me know what you thought down below. 

Final Thoughts: I wish that I could have loved this, but I tried twice and just could not do it.