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texcare1's review
5.0
Wow I usually write a review right after I read a book but this one WOW. I had to take a break and breath, this book was so powerful emotional that I'm still spinning on it What a aweome book. I'm really speechless is all I can really say. It's worth reading, I really loved it and Mia Asher all I can say is WOW and OMG !!!!!!!!!!!!
sandeeisreading's review
4.0
“Love is infinite. There is no beginning and no end. There's no starting point and no finishing line. Love just is. Love is born, grows, matures, and sometimes it dies. But the memory will remain with you for the rest of your breathing hours. You will fall in love, you will fall out of love. But you will love again. You always do.”
Awwwww.
Crap.
Crap.
Crap.
This f*cking broke my heart.
I feel so broken.
I feel so betrayed.
I feel the pain. I feel the sorrow. I feel the heartache.
Arsen is the cause of all this emotional babble that I am currently sharing with you guys. It made me happy, it made me cry, it broke my heart, it ripped it apart, it smashed it to pieces and then mended it all back together.
Here's a short GIST on what this book is about.
Is love really enough to save a marriage?
Ben and Cathy have been together for 11 years. And 6 years of those years, they were married
Everything was perfect.
Cathy was perfect.
Ben was perfect.
Their love and passion for each other was just crazy.
They were the perfect example of
But then everything started to crumble when... Cathy had a miscarriage. Then another one... Then another... Cathy was going out of her mind and she feels that Ben was not feeling the same way she is. She feels alone. She feels betrayed. She feels suffocated with how much love Ben is still showering her even if she couldn't carry their child long enough for them to hold their baby in their arms.
Just when everything was turning upside down, Cathy meets Arsen.
Arsen.
He was your typical bad-boy womanizer. He has the face of an angel but a mouth of a devil. He will flirt with you. He will f*ck you. And then tomorrow, you are yesterday's news. He will do it again with someone else.
Even though Arsen was bad news, Cathy can't help but be drawn to him. She was like a moth that's drawn to fire, the fire that was Arsen.
She denied herself the fact that she was attracted to Arsen and that she liked the attention she was giving him.
To her, he was air. An air that she needed to continue breathing.
Cathy loses control after she loses her 4th baby.
She needed to forget.
She needed to let herself forget this pain.
She reached out.
She reached out not to her husband but to Arsen.
And things happened... Things that weren't supposed to.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I've read tons of good reviews about it so I decided why not? I've never really been a fan of love-triangles, especially ones that involves cheating or adultery. I am not a big fan of cheating and lies and all that so I was so sure I was going to hate this book. Imagine my surprise when I liked it despite the topic. Despite the hatred that I had for Cathy.
I had to problems on the first few chapters. I actually kind of liked Cathy. I feel for her. But then when I got further through the story... I disliked her... A lot.
MEET THE CHARACTERS
Cathy
Cathy was a lucky, ungrateful b*tch. Seriously. What I wouldn't give to have a husband like hers and I am very disappointed with her. She doesn't deserve Ben.
I understand where she was coming from. I really do. I am not that heartless not to understand her pain and suffering of not being able to keep a child in her womb but that doesn't really justify what she did.
Unfaithfulness.
Cheating.
Lying,
Those things are avoidable. There is never going to be an excuse good enough to rationalize what she has done. Even she knows that. She knew what she was doing but she just chose to ignore. She chose to ignore the one person who has been loyal, who has been faithful and who has loved her without hesitation. Her husband.
First few chapters, I just felt sad for her. I felt all of her pain. Then the next few chapters after that, I am starting to get annoyed. Pissed. Upset. Her train of thoughts were becoming disturbing. Her thoughts about Arsen was just disgusting. All the time I was like...
"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING CATHERINE!! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO THAT TO BEN?!" I wanted to b*tchslap her ass to the next dimension!
Ben
Oh Ben!
My poor Ben!!
This guy is the best husband ever. If every guy was like him, the whole world will be a damn perfect place.
My heart just felt for this man.
He didn't deserve all those hurt and pain that Cathy caused him.
What kind of person are you to cheat on a guy who worships you like a goddess and loves and accepts everything about you? Obviously, Cathy was one of those people who don't realize a good thing until its gone.
I loved Ben from start to finish. There was nothing to hate about this guy. Well except maybe that he fell for a no-good woman like Catherine.
Ben has been tempted. He was. He admitted it. But he never, not once, gave to it unlike Cathy. He loved Cathy too much. And she doesn't deserve that love or any part of Ben. Even on the backflashes, I already knew Cathy wasn't right for Ben. At first I thought she was, but then during that thing at Julian's place, I absolutely changed my mind. There are all sorts of wrong with Cathy. I want to count everything but it will take my whole review to enumerate all of them so lets just forget it.
Anyhow, back to Ben! He got hurt before by someone else. Then Cathy hurt him too. I guess nice people really get taken advantaged of. Maybe because they are so nice, other people think they could get away with it by saying sorry.
Arsen
This is the guy who caused all this trouble.
Arsen, like Cathy, was not easy to love. But unlike Cathy, he had some redeeming qualities mid part of the book but then it all sort of fell down the drain again towards the end.
For me, he was just your typical bad-boy with family and previous love issues.
What else can I say about this guy? Well he was good looking, no freakin doubt about that? He was every woman's fantasy: rich, tall, popular, good looking, and last but not the least a monster in bed. All though he was all these things, all I can say is...
Ben + Cathy + Arsen = A complicated love triange
I think one line each applies to all three of them. I am not going to say who its for though, you guys better read it. LOL.
Ben and Cathy. I really liked it when I read how they first met and how absolutely attracted they were to each other. It was really good. I think the flashbacks to the past was a pretty good touch to this story, it made me understand better what happened before and what was happening in the present.
Ben was a good husband and Cathy was a good wife too. They had great chemistry but everything changed when Cathy started losing their babies. It took a toll on her but that is no excuse to cheat. Crap. I'm going on and on again about the cheating part.
It was hard but why did she have to push Ben away? That is the confusing part for me. Why push the guy who wants to be with you and take care of you when you are experiencing hardship? What the hell was that Cathy?
Arsen and Cathy's relationship for me was all sex from the start. I got that feeling.
I don't think there is any excuse for cheating. You'll see here how Cathy knew exactly what she was doing with Arsen. Her thoughts were clear as a crystal. She knew that she was hurting Ben. She knew and she doesn't care. And guess what?
FINAL THOUGHTS
This book is one of those books you won't forget. Not only was the story different but also the characters were something you'll also remember. They were amazing characters. I loved Ben and I despised Cathy and Arsen. Well, I hated Cathy most of all because I think everything was her fault. LOL.
I think
Nothing Last Forever by Maroon 5 kept on playing in my head while I was reading this. I mean it is a song I think Cathy will dedicate to Ben.
Everyday with every word whispered
We get more far away
The distance between us makes it so hard to stay
But nothing last forever but be honest, babe
It hurts but it may be the only way
I fell in love with this book when I was expecting not to. It was just so real and raw and genuine. The story wasn't perfect. Everything didn't fall in to place quickly. The pace was slow at first which made me pull my hair a lot. I am not a fan of slow paced books but I'll have to make another exception for this one.
I liked the message of the book. Value the people who value you. Don't settle for someone who doesn't know what you're worth. Cathy learned that lesson the hard way but at least she learned. Everyone makes mistakes. The most important thing is to admit you were wrong and learn from it and also don't do it again. If you did it the second time, you are really screwed in the head. LOL.
Arsen? What about him? Well I just wish guys like him disappear from the surface of the earth.
My final, final words...
In the end, it is still Ben who took my heart away.
Awwwww.
Crap.
Crap.
Crap.
This f*cking broke my heart.
I feel so broken.
I feel so betrayed.
I feel the pain. I feel the sorrow. I feel the heartache.
Arsen is the cause of all this emotional babble that I am currently sharing with you guys. It made me happy, it made me cry, it broke my heart, it ripped it apart, it smashed it to pieces and then mended it all back together.
Here's a short GIST on what this book is about.
Is love really enough to save a marriage?
Ben and Cathy have been together for 11 years. And 6 years of those years, they were married
Everything was perfect.
Cathy was perfect.
Ben was perfect.
Their love and passion for each other was just crazy.
They were the perfect example of
But then everything started to crumble when... Cathy had a miscarriage. Then another one... Then another... Cathy was going out of her mind and she feels that Ben was not feeling the same way she is. She feels alone. She feels betrayed. She feels suffocated with how much love Ben is still showering her even if she couldn't carry their child long enough for them to hold their baby in their arms.
Just when everything was turning upside down, Cathy meets Arsen.
Arsen.
He was your typical bad-boy womanizer. He has the face of an angel but a mouth of a devil. He will flirt with you. He will f*ck you. And then tomorrow, you are yesterday's news. He will do it again with someone else.
Even though Arsen was bad news, Cathy can't help but be drawn to him. She was like a moth that's drawn to fire, the fire that was Arsen.
She denied herself the fact that she was attracted to Arsen and that she liked the attention she was giving him.
To her, he was air. An air that she needed to continue breathing.
Cathy loses control after she loses her 4th baby.
She needed to forget.
She needed to let herself forget this pain.
She reached out.
She reached out not to her husband but to Arsen.
And things happened... Things that weren't supposed to.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I've read tons of good reviews about it so I decided why not? I've never really been a fan of love-triangles, especially ones that involves cheating or adultery. I am not a big fan of cheating and lies and all that so I was so sure I was going to hate this book. Imagine my surprise when I liked it despite the topic. Despite the hatred that I had for Cathy.
I had to problems on the first few chapters. I actually kind of liked Cathy. I feel for her. But then when I got further through the story... I disliked her... A lot.
MEET THE CHARACTERS
Cathy
Cathy was a lucky, ungrateful b*tch. Seriously. What I wouldn't give to have a husband like hers and
Spoiler
she just left him for the sake of a better f*ck!I understand where she was coming from. I really do. I am not that heartless not to understand her pain and suffering of not being able to keep a child in her womb but that doesn't really justify what she did.
Unfaithfulness.
Cheating.
Lying,
Those things are avoidable. There is never going to be an excuse good enough to rationalize what she has done. Even she knows that. She knew what she was doing but she just chose to ignore. She chose to ignore the one person who has been loyal, who has been faithful and who has loved her without hesitation. Her husband.
First few chapters, I just felt sad for her. I felt all of her pain. Then the next few chapters after that, I am starting to get annoyed. Pissed. Upset. Her train of thoughts were becoming disturbing. Her thoughts about Arsen was just disgusting. All the time I was like...
"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING CATHERINE!! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO THAT TO BEN?!" I wanted to b*tchslap her ass to the next dimension!
Ben
Oh Ben!
My poor Ben!!
This guy is the best husband ever. If every guy was like him, the whole world will be a damn perfect place.
My heart just felt for this man.
He didn't deserve all those hurt and pain that Cathy caused him.
What kind of person are you to cheat on a guy who worships you like a goddess and loves and accepts everything about you? Obviously, Cathy was one of those people who don't realize a good thing until its gone.
I loved Ben from start to finish. There was nothing to hate about this guy. Well except maybe that he fell for a no-good woman like Catherine.
Ben has been tempted. He was. He admitted it. But he never, not once, gave to it unlike Cathy. He loved Cathy too much. And she doesn't deserve that love or any part of Ben. Even on the backflashes, I already knew Cathy wasn't right for Ben. At first I thought she was, but then during that thing at Julian's place, I absolutely changed my mind. There are all sorts of wrong with Cathy. I want to count everything but it will take my whole review to enumerate all of them so lets just forget it.
Anyhow, back to Ben! He got hurt before by someone else. Then Cathy hurt him too. I guess nice people really get taken advantaged of. Maybe because they are so nice, other people think they could get away with it by saying sorry.
Spoiler
Well not all the time "I'm sorry" works Cathy. He was kinda got fed up but you are so f*cking lucky he still took you back!Arsen
This is the guy who caused all this trouble.
Arsen, like Cathy, was not easy to love. But unlike Cathy, he had some redeeming qualities mid part of the book but then it all sort of fell down the drain again towards the end.
For me, he was just your typical bad-boy with family and previous love issues.
Spoiler
Her ex-gf died in an accident and he was driving. That's what you get for drunk driving a**hole.What else can I say about this guy? Well he was good looking, no freakin doubt about that? He was every woman's fantasy: rich, tall, popular, good looking, and last but not the least a monster in bed. All though he was all these things, all I can say is...
Ben + Cathy + Arsen = A complicated love triange
I think one line each applies to all three of them. I am not going to say who its for though, you guys better read it. LOL.
Ben and Cathy. I really liked it when I read how they first met and how absolutely attracted they were to each other. It was really good. I think the flashbacks to the past was a pretty good touch to this story, it made me understand better what happened before and what was happening in the present.
Ben was a good husband and Cathy was a good wife too. They had great chemistry but everything changed when Cathy started losing their babies. It took a toll on her but that is no excuse to cheat. Crap. I'm going on and on again about the cheating part.
It was hard but why did she have to push Ben away? That is the confusing part for me. Why push the guy who wants to be with you and take care of you when you are experiencing hardship? What the hell was that Cathy?
Arsen and Cathy's relationship for me was all sex from the start. I got that feeling.
Spoiler
And guess what? I was f*cking right!! Well at some point yes but towards the end.. That was freakin insane!! I never would have thought this f*cker had a heartI don't think there is any excuse for cheating. You'll see here how Cathy knew exactly what she was doing with Arsen. Her thoughts were clear as a crystal. She knew that she was hurting Ben. She knew and she doesn't care. And guess what?
Spoiler
She got hurt too!FINAL THOUGHTS
This book is one of those books you won't forget. Not only was the story different but also the characters were something you'll also remember. They were amazing characters. I loved Ben and I despised Cathy and Arsen. Well, I hated Cathy most of all because I think everything was her fault. LOL.
I think
Spoiler
Cathy and Arsen should have ended together. They deserve each other. Ben is too good for Cathy.Nothing Last Forever by Maroon 5 kept on playing in my head while I was reading this. I mean it is a song I think Cathy will dedicate to Ben.
Everyday with every word whispered
We get more far away
The distance between us makes it so hard to stay
But nothing last forever but be honest, babe
It hurts but it may be the only way
I fell in love with this book when I was expecting not to. It was just so real and raw and genuine. The story wasn't perfect. Everything didn't fall in to place quickly. The pace was slow at first which made me pull my hair a lot. I am not a fan of slow paced books but I'll have to make another exception for this one.
I liked the message of the book. Value the people who value you. Don't settle for someone who doesn't know what you're worth. Cathy learned that lesson the hard way but at least she learned. Everyone makes mistakes. The most important thing is to admit you were wrong and learn from it and also don't do it again. If you did it the second time, you are really screwed in the head. LOL.
Arsen? What about him? Well I just wish guys like him disappear from the surface of the earth.
My final, final words...
In the end, it is still Ben who took my heart away.
simonaisbooked's review
2.0
Fu, tak veľmi som sa snažila to dočítať. Pri každej príležitosti som to v čítačke otvorila, ale nakoniec som to aj tak zrušila a prešla k niečomu inému. Nejde o to, že by príbeh bol zlý, nebol nič extra, ale hlavná hrdinka, ktorej meno si ani nepamätám,a to je už čo povedať, mi strašne, ale strašne liezla na nervy. Takže, možno niekedy skúsim knihu dočítať, ale momentálne sa pritom cítim ako keby som jedla šmirgľový papier.
cierra_mccauley_cierrascorner's review
5.0
Devastating
This book was an emotional rollercoaster. I hated it I loved it! I wanted to FUCKING burn it! I cried till I couldn't see strait, my gut churned with guilt, disgust, anguish I felt it all. This author is truly talented to make you feel every emotion the characters are experiencing its like you're right there with them. I don't usually read this kind of book, nobody likes a cheater. But this book is so raw so consuming it deserves much more than 5 stars it deserves movies and awards. It left me broken and filled me with Heartache and peace at the end. It's not a easy love story no instant love here. It's and all consuming flame that burns you deep deep down. It's the kind of book that stays with you burned forever in your brain. A MUST read. Don't pass it up. It's not a easy read you have to push past the ugliness and stick with it all of it. Because it's so beautiful and worth it. Damn you Mia Asher! You have left your mark on me. I will have a book hangover for days/weeks and I will be wanting more. More of their story. More phenomenal reads! Thank you.
This book was an emotional rollercoaster. I hated it I loved it! I wanted to FUCKING burn it! I cried till I couldn't see strait, my gut churned with guilt, disgust, anguish I felt it all. This author is truly talented to make you feel every emotion the characters are experiencing its like you're right there with them. I don't usually read this kind of book, nobody likes a cheater. But this book is so raw so consuming it deserves much more than 5 stars it deserves movies and awards. It left me broken and filled me with Heartache and peace at the end. It's not a easy love story no instant love here. It's and all consuming flame that burns you deep deep down. It's the kind of book that stays with you burned forever in your brain. A MUST read. Don't pass it up. It's not a easy read you have to push past the ugliness and stick with it all of it. Because it's so beautiful and worth it. Damn you Mia Asher! You have left your mark on me. I will have a book hangover for days/weeks and I will be wanting more. More of their story. More phenomenal reads! Thank you.
pamgodwin's review
4.0
In this drama of deceit, the main narrator is the antagonist. You only need to read the blurb to know what you're getting into. She's a liar. A cheater. A vile monster. One that will make you vibrate with seething hatred. You will NOT enjoy reading this. But if you dare, it will leave something inside you, something penetrating and thought-provoking.
As Cathy's emotional affair transitions into a physical one, you'll feel the weight of the wrecking ball heaving closer, building momentum, and the impact to your heart is as unavoidable as it is irreparable. You'll want the book to end--Just make it fucking stop!--but you'll be so pulled in, you won't be able to escape this endless loop through hell. This is owed to MA's potent writing and talent in constructing despicable characters.
What I loved about this story is that it's crushingly and frighteningly plausible. Cathy's POV is deeply excavated, exposed, rode hard and willingly unlovable. Her narration invites you to abhor her with vehemence. And oh, the whore of desperation and attention, how I loved to hate her!
She magnificently demonstrates how to destroy a perfect marriage with neither reason nor care. Her mantra might as well have been: Don't be honest. Don't communicate. Cut off sexual intimacy. Hurt him, break him, that man who adores you.
What's her motivation? I struggle to define this, but I think it is simply that she's unhealthily fixated on the only two things she can't have--a baby and a celebrity man-slut.
Amidst the suffering, the lesson is mighty. Marriage is work. Adultery destroys. Cathy is the cheater, the self-serving villain, the example of what not to do. And here's where the plot doesn't work for me. The moral of the story is genuine and demands an equally tenable conclusion, a detonation of justice. But, the consequence of her treachery is overlooked, and the message, the lesson so painstakingly laid, loses its purpose. The villain gets what she wants in the end! No, no, no! The villain isn't supposed to win! Did she learn anything? Did she find absolution? Not if her last fucking thought is anything to go by.
Other than the profusion of unneeded flashbacks and scenes out of chronological order, the writing is riveting. MA tackled a plot that is unpalatable and agonizing to digest, and wrote it spectacularly from the antagonist's POV. A damned difficult feat. Out-fucking-standing.
As Cathy's emotional affair transitions into a physical one, you'll feel the weight of the wrecking ball heaving closer, building momentum, and the impact to your heart is as unavoidable as it is irreparable. You'll want the book to end--Just make it fucking stop!--but you'll be so pulled in, you won't be able to escape this endless loop through hell. This is owed to MA's potent writing and talent in constructing despicable characters.
What I loved about this story is that it's crushingly and frighteningly plausible. Cathy's POV is deeply excavated, exposed, rode hard and willingly unlovable. Her narration invites you to abhor her with vehemence. And oh, the whore of desperation and attention, how I loved to hate her!
She magnificently demonstrates how to destroy a perfect marriage with neither reason nor care. Her mantra might as well have been: Don't be honest. Don't communicate. Cut off sexual intimacy. Hurt him, break him, that man who adores you.
What's her motivation? I struggle to define this, but I think it is simply that she's unhealthily fixated on the only two things she can't have--a baby and a celebrity man-slut.
Amidst the suffering, the lesson is mighty. Marriage is work. Adultery destroys. Cathy is the cheater, the self-serving villain, the example of what not to do. And here's where the plot doesn't work for me. The moral of the story is genuine and demands an equally tenable conclusion, a detonation of justice. But, the consequence of her treachery is overlooked, and the message, the lesson so painstakingly laid, loses its purpose. The villain gets what she wants in the end! No, no, no! The villain isn't supposed to win! Did she learn anything? Did she find absolution? Not if her last fucking thought is anything to go by.
Other than the profusion of unneeded flashbacks and scenes out of chronological order, the writing is riveting. MA tackled a plot that is unpalatable and agonizing to digest, and wrote it spectacularly from the antagonist's POV. A damned difficult feat. Out-fucking-standing.
bookishblasian's review
5.0
There's honestly no other way to say it except THIS BOOK RUINED ME! Honestly, it started out kind of slow, but it came me interested. By the middle of the book, I couldn't stop reading. Except, I did. Recently I've been reading books in a day and it took me 6 to finish this one. I think it's because of the havoc it wrecked on my emotions. Cheating is one of those things that hits very close to home for me. So as I read this, I just hated Cathy more and more (btw, hated the name Cathy. Cathy does not sound like a hoe who cheats on her hubby lol). As much as I hated the things this book did to my emotions, I seriously couldn't stop reading. It was like the car crash you couldn't stop looking it. I didn't get completely ruined until the end though. Like.. I'm so done. This book has forever ruined me. I will probably never stop thinking about it. I'm going to make every single one of my friends read it. I can't believe a book has bought out this kind of emotion in me. It's one of the many things I love and hate about books. I will probably spend the rest of my day thinking about these fictional characters and their lives, so thank you Mia Asher lol. I certainly did not enjoy the whole book, but as someone else said on here "it made me feel" the whole time so that is why I loved it. Who knew a book could bring out such strong emotions from me?
jackiemcee's review
3.0
I am not actually sure about that 3 stars, was thinking of 1. If I will rate this book solely for Ben, I would've given it 5. His character deserves it, not Catherine nor Arsen. I don't have words for how frustrated I was while reading this. The connection between Cathy and Arsen is so lacking but the fcking makes it for that, I guess. For Ben, I cried because that's what true love is. The author was trying to justify Cathy and Arsen's relationship as love and I couldn't, for the life of me, fathom why because of how ridiculous it was. No, it was purely sex. And you can't mistake love for sex.
Love can destroy you.
Love can erase you.
Love can heal you.
Love can reinvent you,
And, if you are lucky enough,
Love can make you whole again.
-Ben Stanwood
"When you were broken, I loved you for the two of us."
-Ben Stanwood
Love can destroy you.
Love can erase you.
Love can heal you.
Love can reinvent you,
And, if you are lucky enough,
Love can make you whole again.
-Ben Stanwood
"When you were broken, I loved you for the two of us."
-Ben Stanwood
gthomson31's review
5.0
this book was so real I felt for every character the pain they all felt made me cry at time I loved how I understood Cathy and altho sometimes wanted to bang her head off a wall still loved and wanted to protect her its easy to see why the guys had the same need this book will stay with me and that's one of the reasons its getting a 5 ......for the other reasons .....ul have to read to find out x