Tangled by Emma Chase (Tangled #1)

Blurb: Katherine Brooks is brilliant, beautiful and ambitious. She refuses to let anything - or anyone - derail her path to success. When Kate is hired as the new associate at Drew’s father’s investment banking firm, every aspect of the dashing playboy’s life is thrown into a tailspin. The professional competition she brings is unnerving, his attraction to her is distracting, his failure to entice her into his bed is exasperating.

Then, just when Drew is on the cusp of having everything he wants, his overblown confidence threatens to ruin it all. Will he be able untangle his feelings of lust and tenderness, frustration and fulfillment? Will he rise to the most important challenge of his life?
Can Drew Evans win at love? 

 4.5/5 Hearts

“Newsflash, ladies: We can’t read your thoughts. And frankly, I’m not entirely sure I’d want to. The female mind is a scary place to be.” 

 

When I started reading this book I wasn't sure I was going to like it. You're not just reading a story, but the main guy - Drew is actually telling you the story. This took a bit of getting used to for me. Unlike most other new adult books, this book is told from the point of view the guy - Drew. 

“You know on TV when there’s one of those awkward, shocking moments and all you hear are the crickets in the background?
Well chirp fucking chirp...this is one of those moments.”

In the beginning of the book, I really didn't like Drew. He's a pompous selfish ass who thinks he's gods gift to women. He treats women like dirt and sometimes the crudeness made me feel a little uncomfortable. But when he starts to enteract with a new co-worker at his business, Kate, I started to like him better. The story was at times very funny and had me laughing out loud.

“It makes me want to kiss her and strangle her at the same time. I’ve never been into S&M. But I’m beginning to see its benefits.” 

I really liked Kate from the start. She's a strong, no nonsense girl and the banter between the two characters was at times very funny. As the story continued I started to like Drew more and more and I actually hoped the two of them would end up together. The heat is really there and you can sense the sexual tension as they get to know each other better. It was a very enjoyable read and I'm curious to find out how the story continues once the second book becomes available.

“She talks like you. It’s not every day you hear a four-year-old say Prince Charming is a douchebag who’s only holding Cinderella back.”
"That’s my girl.” 

I didn't give this book 5 stars because, as most New adult books, it was very predictable and didn't really bring anything new to the table - except the male point of view. I also thought the writer was unnecessarily crude at times which annoyed me a little. But other than that I really enjoyed it and I'd recommend it to somebody looking for an entertaining story with lots of (explicit) sexual tension.

Read in August 2013. The next book will be from Kate's POV.

Rule by Jay Crownover (Marked Men #1)

Blurb: Shaw Landon loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule is everything a straight--A pre-med student like Shaw shouldn’t want--and the only person she’s never tried to please. She isn’t afraid of his scary piercings and tattoos or his wild attitude. Though she knows that Rule is wrong for her, her heart just won’t listen.

To a rebel like Rule Archer, Shaw Landon is a stuck-up, perfect princess-and his dead twin brother’s girl. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. He doesn’t have time for a good girl like Shaw-even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is.

But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails, and spilled secrets lead to a night neither can forget. Now, Shaw and Rule have to figure out how a girl like her and a guy like him are supposed to be together without destroying their love . . . or each other.





3/5 Hearts

“It’s always been you even when I didn’t want it to be, even when it broke my heart over and over again. It’s just always been you.” 

Rule is about the ultimate bad boy. I'm starting to think that maybe the bad boy thing just isn't for me. It was a reasonably enjoyable book, but more like a guilty pleasure. there is plenty in the book that could be taken out without a missing a thing. 
 Both storylines with the parents are a little over the top and unbelievable. Also for a tough guy, Rule is very hard to like and I got a little tired of all his whining. 

I enjoyed some parts, hated other and in the end had a very conflicted opinion about this book. There were some steamy things in the book but they were sometimes too crude for my liking and I didn't really like how Shaw changed her whole appearance to fit Rule. 
It was an okay read, but I don't think I'll be reading this book again and I'm not sure I'll read the other ones in the series.

“You have me Shaw, any way you need me, any way you want me, you have me.”  

Read in July 2013