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beckyrendon's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Baby Girl is a sad story. It's a tale of loss and denial. A story of girl so afraid of her grief she runs away but eventually she can't run any more.
It's sweet and sexy. I have a huge crush on that sexy Cajun. I absolutely adore that C.M. Stunich made his dialogue authentic. It's so easy to follow that delicious accent in your head with the way it's written. Unforgettable...and down right sexy as Hell.
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
Baby Girl is a sad story. It's a tale of loss and denial. A story of girl so afraid of her grief she runs away but eventually she can't run any more.
It's sweet and sexy. I have a huge crush on that sexy Cajun. I absolutely adore that C.M. Stunich made his dialogue authentic. It's so easy to follow that delicious accent in your head with the way it's written. Unforgettable...and down right sexy as Hell.
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
vikcs's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this new story by C.M. Stunich. It was different from her usual books, not just because it’s not reverse harem, what she writes mostly lately but think it’ different from her earlier stories as well.
Baby girl is a fast paced, emotional and mostly raw romance, not as much teetering on the edge of taboos but still representing quite a few unconventional relationship elements. I think the warning in the beginning of the book is phased in an especially brilliant way. It sums up the atmosphere of the story quickly, simply but really efficiently.
Thanks to the pace of the story I think the story didn’t leaves as much of an emotional impact as it could have. Don’t get me wrong there is still plenty of heart wrenching moments in it but I think it could have been stronger.
The plot is simple and straightforward but really exciting, dynamic and eventful. The whole storyline has a beautiful and really thought out arc. I particularly flew through it.
The plot mostly concentrates on grief and moving on. It paints a beautiful picture of different ways of grieving, and while personally I can’t really relate to the loss Phoenix and Embry experienced I had a bit of a problem how the girl acted.
Her reaction to her loss is locking down and pretending it never happened while expecting from others to let her handle her feelings as she likes. I can understand this but when she started to criticize and judge other for the way they grieved, she started to piss me off. And this one wasn’t the only thing in her personality and actions I didn’t like but somehow the plot and the other characters just faded out her negative traits.
I liked Phoenix even if he made a lot of bad decisions; he is kind of the victim of his circumstances. Yet I loved him in all his glory.
The phenomenal plot, with the interesting characters and a couple of small things that I love in books like the MMA element or the tattoo shop just created the perfect combination. I enjoyed it and while I don’t know if it’s a stand alone or we can except other books but either way I’m good with it.
Baby girl is a fast paced, emotional and mostly raw romance, not as much teetering on the edge of taboos but still representing quite a few unconventional relationship elements. I think the warning in the beginning of the book is phased in an especially brilliant way. It sums up the atmosphere of the story quickly, simply but really efficiently.
Thanks to the pace of the story I think the story didn’t leaves as much of an emotional impact as it could have. Don’t get me wrong there is still plenty of heart wrenching moments in it but I think it could have been stronger.
The plot is simple and straightforward but really exciting, dynamic and eventful. The whole storyline has a beautiful and really thought out arc. I particularly flew through it.
The plot mostly concentrates on grief and moving on. It paints a beautiful picture of different ways of grieving, and while personally I can’t really relate to the loss Phoenix and Embry experienced I had a bit of a problem how the girl acted.
Her reaction to her loss is locking down and pretending it never happened while expecting from others to let her handle her feelings as she likes. I can understand this but when she started to criticize and judge other for the way they grieved, she started to piss me off. And this one wasn’t the only thing in her personality and actions I didn’t like but somehow the plot and the other characters just faded out her negative traits.
I liked Phoenix even if he made a lot of bad decisions; he is kind of the victim of his circumstances. Yet I loved him in all his glory.
The phenomenal plot, with the interesting characters and a couple of small things that I love in books like the MMA element or the tattoo shop just created the perfect combination. I enjoyed it and while I don’t know if it’s a stand alone or we can except other books but either way I’m good with it.
lyndajdickson's review
3.0
On the night of their senior prom, Embry’s fiancé Codrick dies in a car crash. But he’s not the only one who dies that day. Unable to cope with her grief, Embry runs away to college, vowing to never return, while best friend Phoenix buries himself in his memories, his work, and in cleaning up his father's mess. Just over a year later, Embry comes home to visit her father in hospital. She struggles with her growing feelings for Phoenix, while he tries to keep his love for her hidden. Can you have more than one soulmate?
The story is told in alternating chapters from the points of view of Embry and Phoenix. In the prologue dealing with Codrick’s death, I didn’t feel anything, as I had never “met” him. The story could be improved by introducing the reader to Codrick while he is still alive, seeing his interactions with Embry, and getting a feel for this love that is so strong it leads two teenagers to get engaged. I struggled with the characters’ names: why the name Codrick, when he’s also referred to as Rick?; Embry’s name is way too close to “embryo” to be sexy; and Phoenix’s name just doesn’t suit him. His Cajun accent is also annoying, and he lapses out of it, especially when he is narrating. Other issues: too many descriptions of eye and hair color, using a different simile each time; numerous editing errors including punctuation, missing words, extra words, use of incorrect homonyms, mixture of past and present tenses; any excuse to get naked, it gets a bit tiresome; the crude dialogue is not sexy; overuse of the phrase “nipples pebbling”. And does Phoenix seriously start taking about Codrick when he’s having sex with Embry?
On the plus side, the story gives us a realistic depiction of the seven stages of grief: shock and denial, pain and guilt, anger and bargaining, depression/loneliness, the upward turn, reconstruction and working through, and acceptance and hope. Embry’s been counting the days since Codrick died but, now that she’s back in town, and especially when she’s with Phoenix, she’s starting to lose count; this shows that she’s moving on. She also manages to cry for the first time since Codrick’s death.
Not what I was expecting from the description.
Warnings: extremely coarse language, graphic sex scenes, violence.
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post: https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.com/2018/02/baby-girl-by-c-m-stunich.html
The story is told in alternating chapters from the points of view of Embry and Phoenix. In the prologue dealing with Codrick’s death, I didn’t feel anything, as I had never “met” him. The story could be improved by introducing the reader to Codrick while he is still alive, seeing his interactions with Embry, and getting a feel for this love that is so strong it leads two teenagers to get engaged. I struggled with the characters’ names: why the name Codrick, when he’s also referred to as Rick?; Embry’s name is way too close to “embryo” to be sexy; and Phoenix’s name just doesn’t suit him. His Cajun accent is also annoying, and he lapses out of it, especially when he is narrating. Other issues: too many descriptions of eye and hair color, using a different simile each time; numerous editing errors including punctuation, missing words, extra words, use of incorrect homonyms, mixture of past and present tenses; any excuse to get naked, it gets a bit tiresome; the crude dialogue is not sexy; overuse of the phrase “nipples pebbling”. And does Phoenix seriously start taking about Codrick when he’s having sex with Embry?
On the plus side, the story gives us a realistic depiction of the seven stages of grief: shock and denial, pain and guilt, anger and bargaining, depression/loneliness, the upward turn, reconstruction and working through, and acceptance and hope. Embry’s been counting the days since Codrick died but, now that she’s back in town, and especially when she’s with Phoenix, she’s starting to lose count; this shows that she’s moving on. She also manages to cry for the first time since Codrick’s death.
Not what I was expecting from the description.
Warnings: extremely coarse language, graphic sex scenes, violence.
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post: https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.com/2018/02/baby-girl-by-c-m-stunich.html
daleydale's review
4.0
Baby Girl is a thoughtful story about grief, love, and finding your inner strength. Though the plot felt a little crazy at times, the characters were endearing and the romance steamy as hell, making this book one that was hard to put down.
Though it can be a hard theme to tackle, I felt that C.M. Stunich addressed the topic of grief fairly well. You could really feel Embry’s pain at the death of her boyfriend, and it was easy to understand how she wanted to shove it down and away to a place where it couldn’t hurt her anymore.
At the same time, you can’t help but feel horribly sorry for Phoenix. Being left behind by Embry—his one connection to Codrick, and the only person who could share his grief—must have been devastating. And yet he wasn’t angry with her; he embraced her return with all the comfort and love he could give, even if she wasn’t willing to receive it.
I really adored these two characters; even though Embry was prickly and unlikeable, you still wanted to root for her, and Phoenix’s infallible loyalty and love was too sweet. And when the two got together, there was some major steam! You’ll probably want to take a cold shower after some scenes from this book.
I thought the story was well written, from both characters’ first-person perspectives. I know some people took issue with Phoenix’s Cajun accent being included in the writing, but I didn’t really mind (though to be fair I don’t know what a real Cajun accent sounds like, so I don’t know if it’s accurate or not). The tones for both character’s perspective were unique and entertaining, so I have no complaints.
The plot, I thought, did get a little wild at times. The story includes a sub-conflict where Phoenix has gotten himself wrapped up in some dangerous business, and they work together to pull him out of it, but I thought some things were a little bit of a stretch—like honestly, I’m from Florida and I would NEVER consider swimming through the swamps, even to save my life. Gross!
But with a little suspension of belief, I could get past it. In the end I found it hard to put down this book, and I found the conclusion wholly satisfying. This book deals with some dark topics, but it handles them well, and at no time did I feel uncomfortable or anxious reading it. It’s a great read for those interested in contemporary romance!
Though it can be a hard theme to tackle, I felt that C.M. Stunich addressed the topic of grief fairly well. You could really feel Embry’s pain at the death of her boyfriend, and it was easy to understand how she wanted to shove it down and away to a place where it couldn’t hurt her anymore.
At the same time, you can’t help but feel horribly sorry for Phoenix. Being left behind by Embry—his one connection to Codrick, and the only person who could share his grief—must have been devastating. And yet he wasn’t angry with her; he embraced her return with all the comfort and love he could give, even if she wasn’t willing to receive it.
I really adored these two characters; even though Embry was prickly and unlikeable, you still wanted to root for her, and Phoenix’s infallible loyalty and love was too sweet. And when the two got together, there was some major steam! You’ll probably want to take a cold shower after some scenes from this book.
I thought the story was well written, from both characters’ first-person perspectives. I know some people took issue with Phoenix’s Cajun accent being included in the writing, but I didn’t really mind (though to be fair I don’t know what a real Cajun accent sounds like, so I don’t know if it’s accurate or not). The tones for both character’s perspective were unique and entertaining, so I have no complaints.
The plot, I thought, did get a little wild at times. The story includes a sub-conflict where Phoenix has gotten himself wrapped up in some dangerous business, and they work together to pull him out of it, but I thought some things were a little bit of a stretch—like honestly, I’m from Florida and I would NEVER consider swimming through the swamps, even to save my life. Gross!
But with a little suspension of belief, I could get past it. In the end I found it hard to put down this book, and I found the conclusion wholly satisfying. This book deals with some dark topics, but it handles them well, and at no time did I feel uncomfortable or anxious reading it. It’s a great read for those interested in contemporary romance!
tina27596's review
4.0
Enjoyed
This one starts out heart wrenching but has a positive ending. Not a spoiler - CM Stunich mentions this in her prologue. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. My heart went out to both main characters.
This one starts out heart wrenching but has a positive ending. Not a spoiler - CM Stunich mentions this in her prologue. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. My heart went out to both main characters.
bobosbookbank's review
5.0
BABY GIRL is a new adult, contemporary standalone and probably my most favorite story by author C.M. Stunich so far. This book had me in it's clutch with the prologue alone...I was crying ten minutes in! (Thanks for the warning, Ms. Stunich!!)
Phoenix, Embry and Codrick were best friends since childhood. And although they all loved each other deeply, it was always supposed to be Codrick and Embry together. (This is NOT a love triangle, there's no cheating or menage situations!) When tragedy strikes, their friendship falls apart. This is the story of Embry and Phoenix putting the pieces back together.
I absolutely ADORED the characters in this story! Phoenix...oh my GAWD...Phoenix had me swooning all over the place! Embry often described him as a "gentle giant" and he really was. He was charming, sweet, loving and incredibly patient with Embry and at the same time strong, passionate and protective. (Plus, I loved his Cajun accent!) Embry struggled so much with her grief, it was palpable and intense and left her a shell of her former self. But she also had a wealth of courage buried under her sorrow and it took some tough situations to bring it to the surface. My heart ached for these two! And even though the "ghost" of their best friend hung over them, it was also that powerful connection that drew Phoenix and Embry together.
This is a friends to lovers, new adult romance with C.M. Stunich's signature sexy scenes but this also has some suspenseful moments that keeps the story moving at a fast pace. I basically DEVOURED this book! It gave me all the feels, pulled at my heart strings and was beautifully written amongst all the ugliness of grief. I'll definitely be revisiting this story and will put it on my READ AGAIN E-SHELF! Told from dual POVs with a happy ever after. I received, read and voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Phoenix, Embry and Codrick were best friends since childhood. And although they all loved each other deeply, it was always supposed to be Codrick and Embry together. (This is NOT a love triangle, there's no cheating or menage situations!) When tragedy strikes, their friendship falls apart. This is the story of Embry and Phoenix putting the pieces back together.
I absolutely ADORED the characters in this story! Phoenix...oh my GAWD...Phoenix had me swooning all over the place! Embry often described him as a "gentle giant" and he really was. He was charming, sweet, loving and incredibly patient with Embry and at the same time strong, passionate and protective. (Plus, I loved his Cajun accent!) Embry struggled so much with her grief, it was palpable and intense and left her a shell of her former self. But she also had a wealth of courage buried under her sorrow and it took some tough situations to bring it to the surface. My heart ached for these two! And even though the "ghost" of their best friend hung over them, it was also that powerful connection that drew Phoenix and Embry together.
This is a friends to lovers, new adult romance with C.M. Stunich's signature sexy scenes but this also has some suspenseful moments that keeps the story moving at a fast pace. I basically DEVOURED this book! It gave me all the feels, pulled at my heart strings and was beautifully written amongst all the ugliness of grief. I'll definitely be revisiting this story and will put it on my READ AGAIN E-SHELF! Told from dual POVs with a happy ever after. I received, read and voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
amoeller15's review
2.0
Disappointing
LOVE CM but I was so disappointed with this read. Embry is selfish and self absorbed. Instead of realizing that Phoenix was grieving too she made it all about her. I was really annoyed with her. Also, Phoenix’s POV was kind of hard to read because of his Cajun roots but I adjusted pretty quickly. It just wasn’t my favorite.
LOVE CM but I was so disappointed with this read. Embry is selfish and self absorbed. Instead of realizing that Phoenix was grieving too she made it all about her. I was really annoyed with her. Also, Phoenix’s POV was kind of hard to read because of his Cajun roots but I adjusted pretty quickly. It just wasn’t my favorite.
ania_star's review
5.0
Received from Xpresso Book Tours
You know the book is written well, if it makes you care for characters and cry within first few pages.
Baby girls is incredibly beautiful and painful story of three best friends. When one dies, the world colapses for both of them and they deal with it in very different ways.
Codrick and Embry were very much in love and engaged by the time they were 17. When he died she ran away, away from her best friends (Phoenix) and her family. She thought she will never be able to love again.
Phoenix stayed. His life was very hard and there is lot going on under surface. When Embry comes back in his life after more than a year, he is determined to get her back.
The story start on very sad note (I was crying so much...) and end on very happy one. I was amazed at the writing, the characters were very much alive for me, I was rooting for them both from the start. Neither were perfect, with a lot of faults, but there was just something, that made me love them.
I love the setting of the story, every time Phoenix talked I imagined him sounding like Mama Odie in Princess and the Frog 😆 (that's probably totally wrong:))
It's such a great story, I enjoyed reading it. :)
You know the book is written well, if it makes you care for characters and cry within first few pages.
Baby girls is incredibly beautiful and painful story of three best friends. When one dies, the world colapses for both of them and they deal with it in very different ways.
Codrick and Embry were very much in love and engaged by the time they were 17. When he died she ran away, away from her best friends (Phoenix) and her family. She thought she will never be able to love again.
Phoenix stayed. His life was very hard and there is lot going on under surface. When Embry comes back in his life after more than a year, he is determined to get her back.
The story start on very sad note (I was crying so much...) and end on very happy one. I was amazed at the writing, the characters were very much alive for me, I was rooting for them both from the start. Neither were perfect, with a lot of faults, but there was just something, that made me love them.
I love the setting of the story, every time Phoenix talked I imagined him sounding like Mama Odie in Princess and the Frog 😆 (that's probably totally wrong:))
It's such a great story, I enjoyed reading it. :)
vikit's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this new story by C.M. Stunich. It was different from her usual books, not just because it’s not reverse harem, what she writes mostly lately but think it’ different from her earlier stories as well.
Baby girl is a fast paced, emotional and mostly raw romance, not as much teetering on the edge of taboos but still representing quite a few unconventional relationship elements. I think the warning in the beginning of the book is phased in an especially brilliant way. It sums up the atmosphere of the story quickly, simply but really efficiently.
Thanks to the pace of the story I think the story didn’t leaves as much of an emotional impact as it could have. Don’t get me wrong there is still plenty of heart wrenching moments in it but I think it could have been stronger.
The plot is simple and straightforward but really exciting, dynamic and eventful. The whole storyline has a beautiful and really thought out arc. I particularly flew through it.
The plot mostly concentrates on grief and moving on. It paints a beautiful picture of different ways of grieving, and while personally I can’t really relate to the loss Phoenix and Embry experienced I had a bit of a problem how the girl acted.
Her reaction to her loss is locking down and pretending it never happened while expecting from others to let her handle her feelings as she likes. I can understand this but when she started to criticize and judge other for the way they grieved, she started to piss me off. And this one wasn’t the only thing in her personality and actions I didn’t like but somehow the plot and the other characters just faded out her negative traits.
I liked Phoenix even if he made a lot of bad decisions; he is kind of the victim of his circumstances. Yet I loved him in all his glory.
The phenomenal plot, with the interesting characters and a couple of small things that I love in books like the MMA element or the tattoo shop just created the perfect combination. I enjoyed it and while I don’t know if it’s a stand alone or we can except other books but either way I’m good with it.
Baby girl is a fast paced, emotional and mostly raw romance, not as much teetering on the edge of taboos but still representing quite a few unconventional relationship elements. I think the warning in the beginning of the book is phased in an especially brilliant way. It sums up the atmosphere of the story quickly, simply but really efficiently.
Thanks to the pace of the story I think the story didn’t leaves as much of an emotional impact as it could have. Don’t get me wrong there is still plenty of heart wrenching moments in it but I think it could have been stronger.
The plot is simple and straightforward but really exciting, dynamic and eventful. The whole storyline has a beautiful and really thought out arc. I particularly flew through it.
The plot mostly concentrates on grief and moving on. It paints a beautiful picture of different ways of grieving, and while personally I can’t really relate to the loss Phoenix and Embry experienced I had a bit of a problem how the girl acted.
Her reaction to her loss is locking down and pretending it never happened while expecting from others to let her handle her feelings as she likes. I can understand this but when she started to criticize and judge other for the way they grieved, she started to piss me off. And this one wasn’t the only thing in her personality and actions I didn’t like but somehow the plot and the other characters just faded out her negative traits.
I liked Phoenix even if he made a lot of bad decisions; he is kind of the victim of his circumstances. Yet I loved him in all his glory.
The phenomenal plot, with the interesting characters and a couple of small things that I love in books like the MMA element or the tattoo shop just created the perfect combination. I enjoyed it and while I don’t know if it’s a stand alone or we can except other books but either way I’m good with it.