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bookwifereviews's review
4.0
Another fantastically angsty book by Linde. I loved this story. Natalie is a writer and she has a job house sitting for a rich family that has a house on the beach. So she thinks it's the perfect place to write... until the owners son and his friends show up. She had a one night stand with Penn 6 years ago and he doesn't remember her. This is how the book starts and it had me laughing. She is all madd and he has no idea why.
They are from different worlds but want to make it work. I love them. I am anxiously waiting for the next book!
They are from different worlds but want to make it work. I love them. I am anxiously waiting for the next book!
bookishlynerdy's review
4.0
Wow. This book took me on a roller coaster better than any theme park.
KA Linde was astounding in this book, making the characters as intricate as possible while not exaggerating anything. It all seemed so real. The glitz, the glamour, and the deceit.
If I was Natalie I would have punched somebody. But I'm not her. Although that would be nice. Natalie's arc was tremendous. Of course to get the full effect one should read ONE CRUEL NIGHT, a sort of prequel for it.
But anyway, Natalie grew. Tremendously so. She started out as resentful and hurt and totally unsure of herself. Throughout the course of the book, she becomes confident, realizes her sister isn't perfect, and learns to forgive. One could argue that the book ends with Natalie in much the same way it started, but I think that's wrong. Natalie at the end is willing to fight for something that she knows she deserves, and fight wholeheartedly. She doesn't have any grudge or anything like that being held anymore and if that's not growth, i don't know what is. Penn...he...I have opinions about him. Not all good. I think that at times he is a complete idiot and a weakling. But then I know the manner of thinking that led him there. Unfortunately, I can't say much more without spoiling so...moving on!
In this book, Linde delivered dual point of views, which were so insightful to the story as a whole! It made it fuller. The fights against right and wrong, against oneself and the past, against a real bitch named [redacted for spoilers] were epic and heart wrenching. Maybe not in the traditional way but it definitely tears your heartstrings apart. I can't wait until the conclusion!
KA Linde was astounding in this book, making the characters as intricate as possible while not exaggerating anything. It all seemed so real. The glitz, the glamour, and the deceit.
If I was Natalie I would have punched somebody. But I'm not her. Although that would be nice. Natalie's arc was tremendous. Of course to get the full effect one should read ONE CRUEL NIGHT, a sort of prequel for it.
But anyway, Natalie grew. Tremendously so. She started out as resentful and hurt and totally unsure of herself. Throughout the course of the book, she becomes confident, realizes her sister isn't perfect, and learns to forgive. One could argue that the book ends with Natalie in much the same way it started, but I think that's wrong. Natalie at the end is willing to fight for something that she knows she deserves, and fight wholeheartedly. She doesn't have any grudge or anything like that being held anymore and if that's not growth, i don't know what is. Penn...he...I have opinions about him. Not all good. I think that at times he is a complete idiot and a weakling. But then I know the manner of thinking that led him there. Unfortunately, I can't say much more without spoiling so...moving on!
In this book, Linde delivered dual point of views, which were so insightful to the story as a whole! It made it fuller. The fights against right and wrong, against oneself and the past, against a real bitch named [redacted for spoilers] were epic and heart wrenching. Maybe not in the traditional way but it definitely tears your heartstrings apart. I can't wait until the conclusion!
gardenofevils's review
1.0
Wow what shallow writing, characters and story. If you like reading books that shove class stereotypes down your throat, paint the rich as always calculating and looking to make others feel beneath them, while also playing into the "not like other girls" toxic mentality... then this book is for you!
The heroine seems to start off as a woman who doesn't take shit and has a good head on her shoulders but then she just turns into an insecure girl who only sees black and white in a world of grey. She became more immature as the book went on as did most of the characters. There was your classic pretty girl who only exists to try and ruin the heroine and take her man, a heroine who literally called everything in the beginning of the book and then failed to communicate while also turning a blind eye to all of the warning signs and red flags from all other characters, and a male how wasn't well developed and all he wants to do is fuck.
This book was trite.
The heroine seems to start off as a woman who doesn't take shit and has a good head on her shoulders but then she just turns into an insecure girl who only sees black and white in a world of grey. She became more immature as the book went on as did most of the characters. There was your classic pretty girl who only exists to try and ruin the heroine and take her man, a heroine who literally called everything in the beginning of the book and then failed to communicate while also turning a blind eye to all of the warning signs and red flags from all other characters, and a male how wasn't well developed and all he wants to do is fuck.
This book was trite.
ireadergosum's review
5.0
Okay, so I had some prior knowledge about some of the characters in this book because I started with the Seasons Series which meant I was cringing with some of the interactions between Natalie and the Crew right from the start. I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop and the anticipation almost killed me. I was sucked right in and loved/hated every moment in the best way. There is a reason cruel is part of the title, and it kept me on the edge of my seat. Even with having an idea where it was going, this book just kept me enthralled the entire time. I fell in love with Natalie and Penn! I actually really dislike when a couple's story is a trilogy because I'm impatient and want my HEA by the end of book 1, but Natalie and Penn are so worth it. Plus, where the author leaves off at the end made me wonder how these two would find each other again. Don't worry, I obviously stayed up all night so I could get through book 2 and start book 3! Haha. Obviously I'd recommend this book!
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