Five Overlooked and Brilliant Books You Must Read

I have a feeling like a lot of readers are chasing after current, the newest, upcoming releases and in whole process a lot of amazing (a little bit older) books are forgotten and pushed aside. That is why today I am sharing some of my favorites with you. I really hope that you will decide to give them a chance. 

Entangled by Cat Clarke

Confusing, emotional and so good. 

If you like stories that will keep you on the edge until the very end, you should read Entangled. 

Goodreads summary:

"The same questions whirl round and round in my head: What does he want from me? How could I have let this happen? AM I GOING TO DIE? 17-year-old Grace wakes up in a white room, with table, pens and paper - and no clue how she got there. As Grace pours her tangled life onto the page, she is forced to remember everything she's tried to forget. There's falling hopelessly in love with the gorgeous Nat, and the unravelling of her relationship with her best friend Sal. But there's something missing. As hard as she's trying to remember, is there something she just can't see? Grace must face the most important question of all. Why is she here? A story of dangerous secrets, intense friendships and electrifying attraction.

Lovely, Dark and Deep by Amy McNamara

Realistic prose at its best. I am not exaggerating. This novel has that lyrical feel - Amy McNamara is master of writing about emotions and fighting our inner demons. 

Goodreads summary:

"Since the night of the crash, Wren Wells has been running away. Though she lived through the accident that killed her boyfriend Patrick, the girl she used to be didn’t survive. Instead of heading off to college as planned, Wren retreats to her father’s studio in the far-north woods of Maine. Somewhere she can be alone.

Then she meets Cal Owen. Dealing with his own troubles, Cal’s hiding out too. When the chemistry between them threatens to pull Wren from her hard-won isolation, Wren has to choose: risk opening her broken heart to the world again, or join the ghosts who haunt her."

 Take Me There by Carolee Dean

Take Me There is unlike any other young adult novel you have ever read. Carolee Dean pushes the boundaries of the genre and brings us a story about troubled young man and ending that will hunt you for the rest of your life.

Goodreads summary:

"Dylan has a bad-boy past and a criminal record. He knows that rich, beautiful Jess is way too good for him, but she has always been the one person who sees through his tough exterior and straight to his heart, and he has been hopelessly in love with her from the first time they met. He would change his life for a chance with her. But trouble follows Dylan wherever he goes, and a deadly mistake soon forces him to hit the road and leave his dreams behind. He's on the run and in search of answers; answers to questions he wishes he'd never asked."

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly 

"Normal is an ideal. But it’s not reality. Reality is brutal, it’s beautiful, it’s every shade between black and white, and it’s magical. Yes, magical. Because every now and then, it turns nothing into something."

Goodreads summary:

"Sixteen-year-old, music- and sound design-obsessed Drea doesn't have friends. She has, as she's often reminded, issues. Drea's mom and a rotating band of psychiatrists have settled on "a touch of Asperger's."

Having just moved to the latest in a string of new towns, Drea meets two other outsiders. And Naomi and Justin seem to actually like Drea. The three of them form a band after an impromptu, Portishead-comparison-worthy jam after school. Justin swiftly challenges not only Drea's preference for Poe over Black Lab but also her perceived inability to connect with another person. Justin, against all odds, may even like like Drea.

It's obvious that Drea can't hide behind her sound equipment anymore. But just when she's found not one but two true friends, can she stand to lose one of them?"

 Flawed by Kate Avelynn

This book broke my heart into million tiny pieces. 

Goodreads summary:

"Sarah O’Brien is alive because of the pact she and her brother made twelve years ago — James will protect her from their violent father if she promises to never leave him. For years, she’s watched James destroy his life to save hers. If all he asks for in return is her affection, she’ll give it freely.

Until, with a tiny kiss and a broken mind, he asks for more than she can give.

Sam Donavon has been James’ best friend — and the boy Sarah’s had a crush on — for as long as she can remember. As their forbidden relationship deepens, Sarah knows she’s in trouble. Quiet, serious Sam has decided he’s going to save her. Neither of them realizes James is far more unstable than her father ever was, or that he’s not about to let Sarah forget her half of the pact." 

Happy reading,

Waiting on Wednesday (#135)

You know the story. This is a meme created by Breaking the Spine and every week we pick books we're waiting for. Here are our picks for this week.

We can't wait to read...

 Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.

She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.

When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of makes it so amazing.

Expected publication date: May 26th 2015

Happy reading,

 

#CoverLust: Bitting Cold by Chloe Neill

Welcome to #CoverLust - where we talk about all those books we picked up because of the beautiful covers. 

 All of us did this at least once so far. Sometimes we end up loving the book and other times... we blame it on  how pretty it looked. 

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble 

Chicagoland Vampires, along with Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, is one of my favorite urban fantasy series. Forget about book boyfriends - 

I am in love with Merit.

That girl is all kinds of amazing! 

So, what do you think?

Burned by Karen Marie Moning

Buy the book at 

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Author's 

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Rating: 4 stars

Book summary:

It’s easy to walk away from lies. Power is another thing.
MacKayla Lane would do anything to save the home she loves. A gifted sidhe-seer, she’s already fought and defeated the deadly Sinsar Dubh—an ancient book of terrible evil—yet its hold on her has never been stronger.
When the wall that protected humans from the seductive, insatiable Fae was destroyed on Halloween, long-imprisoned immortals ravaged the planet. Now Dublin is a war zone with factions battling for control. As the city heats up and the ice left by the Hoar Frost King melts, tempers flare, passions run red-hot, and dangerous lines get crossed. 
Seelie and Unseelie vie for power against nine ancient immortals who have governed Dublin for millennia; a rival band of sidhe-seers invades the city, determined to claim it for their own; Mac’s former protégé and best friend, Dani “Mega” O’Malley, is now her fierce enemy; and even more urgent, Highland druid Christian MacKeltar has been captured by the Crimson Hag and is being driven deeper into Unseelie madness with each passing day. The only one Mac can depend on is the powerful, dangerous immortal Jericho Barrons, but even their fiery bond is tested by betrayal.
It’s a world where staying alive is a constant struggle, the line between good and evil gets blurred, and every alliance comes at a price. In an epic battle against dark forces, Mac must decide who she can trust, and what her survival is ultimately worth.

Dani are you OK? Are you OK, Dani? (will you tell us that you're OK)

Tanja: Glass, sorry it was stronger than me. Anyhow as each chapter in this book starts of with some popular lyrics I shall do the same (with some changes, though). But still it sums up the whole book for me. So, if you are ready let's discuss it.
Glass: LOL, it does sum up latest Fever novel - I've been waiting for so long to find out what happened with Dani. But... I thought that Burned would be told from her POV, just like the previous book. Not that I am complaining - I love Mac and I was happy to see what was going on with her. It's just that I had certain expectations. And Burned crushed all of them.
Tanja: Somehow I'm used to that when it come to Moning. She really manages to crush all my expectations ever since book one. But back to the narrator issue, I truly wish she stick to the original plan. Somehow Dani is my girl. I do understand that people have issues with her age, but then again look at Victorian novels and their age. Times change so do norms.
Glass: I completely agree with that. It is sad that she felt a need to indulge to the all negative responses and change original storyline. Burned was exciting, action-packed and fun, I loved it - but still there is that big plot twist (let's call it like that to avoid spoilers). What did you think about that? I am still not sure. It was unexpected (which is good thing), but also I'm disappointed because I'm pretty sure that it is not how the story should have developed judging by Iced.
Tanja: Yes it was certainly unexpected, but then again I have no idea what to think of it. Somehow I like the way she dealt with everything. This is really a good way to make everyone happy. I do appreciate it, but it really just depends how it goes from here. It's pretty much open.
Another thing I think we should warn our ladies about are guys here. I think we need to tell them to stay away (I certainly do, as you and me fighting for the same guy is already enough *wink*)
Glass: Oh my... *dreamy eyes* I want to lock away all of them in our fictional harem, Tanja. All of them! They can be infuriating and rude and damn bossy, but also, they are fierce, protective and loyal. And hot.
One thing that I appreciate when it comes to Karen Marie Moning is how she keeps you on your toes. I love that all options are, as you put it, open - everything is possible and you can't even guess what will happen next.
Tanja: Don't tell me about locking them away, you know me and alpha males. I'm a goner when it comes to them. But yes, that's what Moning is amazing for and which reminds me that once again you and all who love this series should most definitely read Kate Daniles series. I'll just leave it here. Back to Burned, I really have no idea how to either sum up or wrap up this just because I have no idea what's going to happen next. It's as usual, we have to wait and see. But also Moning announced that we can expect Feverborn in October, which frankly made my year!
Glass: Let's just hope that publication date won't be pushed again. And again. And again. We will anxiously waiting to see what will happen with our favorite characters.

Until the next time,

Bookish Problems #20 - Review Requests

Hiya! Well, I know it's been a while since we posted one of these, but you know holidays and you know exams and that thing called life. But also I really wanted to do one of these, but simply had no ideas. So I got one, finally!

Today I'd like to mention something called review request. I'm sure you have got plenty of these and you know how they go and I have seen quite a lot posts about rude requests and authors. This is something I have no experience with so I won't go there.

Here is the other thing that rather confuses me. While I do get a lot of review request some of them I simply have no time to accept and sadly I have to say no. I must say that I hate doing it, as I know we can help those self published authors a lot, but I do accept a lot and then get really pilled in with plenty of books and it's always a chaos. 

But one thing I always do while saying no is offer those authors different type of posts, or how we called them Spotlight Posts! And surprise surprise, a really small number of them accepts this! I wonder why?! 

I do know it's not the same, but honestly it's something. I mean you don't lose anything. Or am I just not seeing things right. 

Enlighten me! Have you had such experience? Share your thoughts even if you did not! I love reading them! 

Love, 

The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead

Buy the book at 

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Author's 

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Rating: 4 stars.

Book summary:

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.
After their secret romance is exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead’s New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series. When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world.

Glass: We have been scared of this day. Last Bloodlines novel. What will we do with our lives now?
Tanja: Yeah, I wonder the same. It's just damn bittersweet. We've been in this world for so long and it's nice to see it reaching this point but then I'll miss it. Still let's keep it where it is and let it go now.
Glass: That is something I wholeheartedly agree with - Vampire Academy and Bloodlines fictional world should end here. We are a little bit biased when it comes to these books - our friendship actually started  because of our shared love for Rose, Dimitri and Adrian. (We even named our little nephew Adrian.) That doesn't mean that we can't recognize bad sides of this story. Like how it started really slow and ending was rushed.
Tanja: Exactly, especially after all that crescendo we went through at the end of Silver Shadows. For me it felt like stepping into anther story altogether at the start. I needed some getting used to the pace and plot line. (Even though, as always Mead didn't fail to repeat things, which still drives me crazy. I see point of it, but honestly it's not like someone will read this before any other book in both series and wouldn't know about dhampirs and moroi and all that).
Glass: But she actually toned it down in final book, I was more annoyed by it in previous one.
What did you think about Sydney and Adrian? I know that you prefer Dimitri, but Adrian was always my favorite. He truly grow up in The Ruby Circle.
Tanja: Oh I adore him too. I mean I always did, but it bothered me how immature he was in the previous books. I did like his boy charm and all, but now I think I fully grew to love him. I like how more serious and adult he became. Which is amazing in this series, as you really saw him change. Both him and Sydney, but I think it was more present in his character.
Glass: Sydney was kind of consistent trough whole series - she is responsible, too mature for her age, ambitious, confident, smart and strong. That is why I loved her, she is not the most usual female character you can find in this type of books.
But the way everything ended and that epilogue! I just loved epilogue!
Tanja: That thing was like cherry on top! I was kind of worried how all this will end, somehow the whole book was so rushed at the end that I was scared for the epilogue but then Mead did was I will always be grateful for. She combined the two and closed this world. Like I always say, we might have left this world, but parts of our hearts will still remain there. As it should be.

As always it was a pleasure to share our joint review with you and we hope that you'll enjoy it. Stay tuned as there will be more to come.

Until the next time,

Waiting on Wednesday (#134)

You know the story. This is a meme created by Breaking the Spine and every week we pick books we're waiting for. Here are our picks for this week.

We can't wait to read...

Game of Thrones meets Ocean's Eleven in this brand-book in the world of the Grisha by New York Times-bestselling author Leigh Bardugo.

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

Expected publication date: October 6th 2015

Just look at that pretty cover! 

Love,

 

#CoverLust: Left Drowning by Jessica Park

Welcome to #CoverLust - where we talk about all those books we picked up because of the beautiful covers. 

 All of us did this at least once so far. Sometimes we end up loving the book and other times... we blame it on  how pretty it looked.

Left Drowning by Jessica Park

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble

I loved Flat-Out Matt, Jessica Park debut novel, so I was looking forward to reading Left Drowning. Plus, this cover is pretty, that I'd add it to my TBR list just because of that. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoyed it as nearly as I hoped I would.

Spotlight: Realm of Goddess by Sabina Khan

Buy the book at Amazon 

Book summary:

Seventeen year old Callie discovers she is an avatar of the powerful Hindu Goddess Kali and she has to save the world from Mahisha, the King of Demons. Now Callie has to accept her fate and control her powers. Before she can face Mahisha, she must find the Sword of Knowledge that the Immortals had given Kali five thousand years ago.As Callie embarks upon the dangerous quest to find this weapon, she must travel deep into the jungles of India to find a temple that time has forgotten. The Rakshakari, who are sworn to protect the Goddess, guide her on this treacherous journey, fraught with demons and mortal conspiracies.She is accompanied by the gorgeous, enigmatic Shiv for whom she feels an inexplicable but undeniable attraction. Can she trust Shiv with her life or are there dark forces at work that will divide loyalties and leave Callie at the mercy of Mahisha and his army of demons?

Excerpt

Ten years before, my parents and I had lived in Kolkata, City of Joy — only I didn’t remember a whole lot of joy, just heat. Intense heat and an unbearable stench. It was everywhere, rising from the open sewers in waves and permeating the air so that it stayed with you wherever you went. And all the people. I was used to big crowds and intense heat, but this was ridiculous. You could barely move, and then only at a snail’s pace. That was bad, because your first instinct was to get out of the crowds and into a secluded spot, preferably in the shade. But here on the banks of the Hooghly River in Kolkata in the middle of summer there was no escape. We were visiting the temple of the Goddess Kali, one of the oldest, most revered places of worship in the city. That morning we tried to get an early start to avoid the crowds that were expected later in the day, but judging by the number of people there already, I didn’t know how there could be any more. As we slowly made our way to the temple grounds, the crowd started to thin. I could see many people heading off toward the courtyard while a few entered the main temple that housed the famous statue. Mom had told me that she and Dad had to get special permits to enter the restricted areas on the inside. Apparently some of the worshippers did not come for the Goddess but rather to try to steal the valuable gold ornaments she wore and the ancient artifacts she held in each of her six arms. “Wow,” I said breathlessly as we approached the main temple. “This is amazing.” The two-thousand-year-old structure stood majestically, its nine spires rising up to meet the sky. The intricate carvings on the outside ran all the way to the top. Dad put his arm around my shoulder. “Callie, we’ll need about an hour with the head priest to go over our research, but you can look around, okay? Just don’t leave the main building. We don’t want you getting lost.” I rolled my eyes. “I’ll be fine, Dad. Just don’t take too long. You promised we would go to the mall after.” Just then the head priest came out to meet us. He was dressed in a cream-colored dhoti and a saffron shawl, typical attire for a man of his position. In the middle of his forehead was a vermillion circle surrounded by three white vertical lines and a Y-shape. I knew that the Y-shape meant he was a devotee of the Goddess Kali and Lord Shiva, her consort. “Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Hansen. You have arrived at last. I trust your journey was pleasant.” He greeted us warmly and deftly maneuvered his rather large frame down the stone steps that led down from the temple. He joined his hands in a namaste, the traditional Indian greeting, and bowed slightly. After we had all exchanged pleasantries, he led us back up the stairs toward the main temple. As we entered the inner sanctum, I was struck by how large it was inside. The high ceilings and curved walls gave it a cave-like appearance, while the low, discreet lighting kept the temple cool and dark. After my parents had left with the priest, I looked around first to decide where I was going to start. The main statue stood in the center of the inner temple, while several smaller ones were scattered around the periphery. Each had its own alcove and was cordoned off with thick ropes, no doubt to deter sticky fingers. I decided to leave the Kali statue until the very end and made my way over to some of the smaller ones. I came to a stop in front of a statue of Lord Shiva the Destroyer. There he was in his famous dancing pose as Lord of Dance. I liked this particular version of him, dancing on top of the demon of ignorance. I moved on to the next few statues. There was one of the Goddess Parvati, Shiva’s wife, as well as other minor gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. Finally I came to a stop in front of the statue of Kali. I’d saved the best for last. It was awesome. She was usually depicted as dark and a little frightening, but here she was, bronze and quite beautiful — if you liked strong, powerful and kick-ass women, that is. She was supposed to elicit terror in the evil-hearted, but to me she was the coolest goddess of them all. She was dressed in a beautiful sari made from red silk with gold threads woven in an intricate pattern. Her eyes were black and fierce. Around her neck she wore a necklace of skulls. They belonged to all the demons she had killed. With each of her six arms she carried a weapon. With her three left arms she carried a bow with arrows, a discus and a mace. With the right she carried a thunderbolt, a trident and her sword. Legend had it that all these weapons were given to her by the gods who created her so that she could vanquish the demon king, Mahisha. The gods had each given her their powers so that she was virtually indestructible. My parents, who were both anthropologists, talked about this sort of stuff all the time, so I was quite well versed in Hindu mythology. I stared at the goddess. She looked right back at me, her piercing eyes unwavering. I shook myself mentally, laughing at my silly imagination. As my gaze wandered down, I noticed something. Centered on the base of the statue was a rectangular engraved metal plate with the words DO NOT TOUCH. I really wanted to touch the goddess. I looked around furtively to make sure no one was watching then gingerly reached out to touch the cool stone surface of the statue. Instantly a painful jolt shot up my arm.

About the author

Sabina Khan is the author of Realm of the Goddess, the first in a series of YA Paranormal Fantasy books based on the gods and goddesses of India. She is an educational consultant and a karaoke enthusiast. After living in Germany, Bangladesh, Macao, Illinois and Texas, she has finally settled down in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, with her husband and three daughters, one of whom is a fur baby. She is passionate about the empowerment of girls and women, hoping to inspire them with the strong female characters in her novel.

Author's

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Until the next time,

The Sunday Post (#43)

Hello all. Well, as some of you know Sundays are always reserved for Sunday Post which is a meme created by lovely Kim @Caffeinated Book Reviews!

Hiya all. First of all I (Tanja)  want to apologize for sudden disappearance last week. There were some family issues that needed taking care of and with all that my exams. It was quite hectic. But I'm back now. In the meantime Glass was around and she took care of everything, while I couldn't get near my books. It was painful and let's not experience that again. So even though your dream team is back, still our post for the next week aren't still ready as today will be a big review writing day for both of us. So, stay tuned! 

• Where the Road takes Me by Jay McLean 
• Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire 
• Waiting on Wednesday (#133)
• The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers

Hopefully, you like surprises! :)

Glass' haul 

Thank you: Disney-Hyperion, Bantam and 47North

Tanja's haul 

Thank you: 47North and Bloomsbury Children's

Till soon, 

The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers

Buy the book at 

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Author's 

Website / Facebook / Goodreads

Book summary:

Seventeen-year-old Jocelyn follows clues apparently from her dead twin, Jack, in and around Seale House, the terrifying foster home where they once lived. With help from childhood friend Noah she begins to uncover the truth about Jack's death and the company that employed him and Noah.
Jocelyn's twin brother Jack was the only family she had growing up in a world of foster homes-and now he's dead, and she has nothing. Then she gets a cryptic letter from "Jason December"-the code name her brother used to use when they were children at Seale House, a terrifying foster home that they believed had dark powers. Only one other person knows about Jason December: Noah, Jocelyn's childhood crush and their only real friend among the troubled children at Seale House.
But when Jocelyn returns to Seale House and the city where she last saw Noah, she gets more than she bargained for. Turns out the house's powers weren't just a figment of a childish imagination. And someone is following Jocelyn. Is Jack still alive? And if he is, what kind of trouble is he in? The answer is revealed in a shocking twist that turns this story on its head and will send readers straight back to page 1 to read the book in a whole new light.

         Even though, I'm always going on about how I want to read some mystery stories, I never to. Why? Well, first they usually aren't that mysterious and well I do watch plenty of TV crime shows, so I kinda of need a break sometimes. But it turned out that a real mystery has found me now. Go figure.

        Speaking about OTP! So, it's not a strange thing that I love damaged characters in my stories, so when I got to meet Jocelyn here we clicked from the start. There is just something in that girl that I'd love to hug. She is been through hell and back, and you can see it. She is not your kickass strong girl all the time, she is, to put it simply human. Right after she got back and met with Noah I was instantly captivated. It's just match made in heaven. I really loved how they got back to living with their past and getting to know each other again. Well, I kinda went all squee and ahhh whenever they appeared on the page together.

        Mystery is mysterious! Yeah, you don't hear this a lot, but honestly I couldn't predict absolutely nothing here. I just kept reading and whenever some big twist happened I just had to stop. It's everything from slowly revealing their past to the all Jack's mystery clues game. Not to talk about the ending, which is simply mind-blow.

        Throw in some really good writing and nice organization, when you get past revealed little by little and twist happening one at the time and well you won't be surprised to see my rating. I had no idea that I'd grow to love this so much. But I'm so happy I did. Hopefully you will too.

Rating: 5 stars.

Until the next time,

Waiting on Wednesday (#133)

You know the story. This is a meme created by Breaking the Spine and every week we pick books we're waiting for. Here are our picks for this week.

We can't wait to read...

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy. After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

Happy reading,

 

Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire

Buy the book:

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Author's:

Website / Twitter /  Goodreads

My rating: 2.5 stars

Book summary:

"No-nonsense Liis Lindy is an agent of the FBI. Deciding she is married only to her job, she breaks off her engagement and transfers from Chicago to the field office in San Diego. She loves her desk. She is committed to her laptop. She dreams of promotions and shaking hands with the director after cracking an impossible case.

Special Agent in Charge Thomas Maddox is arrogant, unforgiving, and ruthless. He is tasked with putting away some of the world’s toughest criminals, and he is one of the best the Bureau has to offer. Though, as many lives as he’s saved, there is one that is beyond his reach. Younger brother Travis is faced with prison time for his involvement in a basement fire that killed dozens of college students, and the media want a conviction. Travis’s only savior is his unusual tie to the mob. In a deal that will spare his brother, Thomas has agreed to recruit Travis into the FBI.

Liis is stubborn, defiant, and yet somehow softens Thomas’s rough edges, making her the perfect agent to accompany him to the ceremony. Posing as a couple, they must travel to Travis & Abby’s beach vow renewal and give him the news, but when the pretending ends, she finds herself wondering if they were pretending at all."

Short?
      It was okay, but main female character was so damn annoying.

 Longer version? Here we go...

 

      I was probably among first hundred people who read and loved Beautiful Disaster, before whole "new adult wave" and x-number of Travis Maddox rip-offs. Yes, I did read all sequels because, let's be honest here - all of us have that one series we keep reading no matter the fact that it's not good as the "original" story. Jamie McGuire and her Maddox Brothers are that for me.

So, what happened with Beautiful Redemption?

       At first, I was excited because, finally, setting of the story is not college or underground fighting circles, characters are older and it looked as if it would have more suspense elements.
      Um... No! It is, after all, Jamie McGuire who, along with S.C. Stephens, writes the most annoying female characters you can imagine. But seriously, they are begging you to hate them.

 
       Liis Lindy is an agent of the FBI and she is supposed to be this tough, bad-ass girl who takes down bad guys with her mad skills. Well, for someone who is "the best in her field of work", she acts like immature teenage girl who throws tamper tantrums because shade of her nail polish doesn't match her current mood.  

Whole book is rinse and repeat of following:

1. Let's have sex.  
2. Let's ignore the fact that we had sex.  
3. Act like a jealous girlfriend/boyfriend even though we agreed we won't do relationship.
4. Let's have sex again. But just because our super important, secret mission. Yeah, that's the reason... And when can we repeat it again?
5. I know that I said that we will not be couple, but let me be complete bitch because you still haven't gotten over your ex-girlfriend.   
6. Repeat number 3.  
7. Repeat number 4.  
8. Repeat number 5.
9. Again number 5.  
10. Repeat... okay you get the point.

       Considering all alpha male melodrama that follows every Maddox brother, Thomas is quite tame compared to his brothers. That is probably one of the rare good things in Beautiful Redemption. We finally get a different character. Premise of the story was really good, but I have to admit that I couldn't follow many FBI related details. It was confusing and rushed. Especially in the end.

      I did enjoy reading this novel - as I said, I just can't resist Maddox clan and I can rant until the end of the world, but I will still read every new sequel. Beautiful Redemption had potential to be the best so far, but sadly it failed.