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sabakne's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mrszagata's review against another edition
4.0
Now that I have a grip on the story I've been sucked in... What ups and downs these 2 have, I can't wait for awaken
fictioncourt's review against another edition
5.0
5 heartbreaking stars!
This one picks up exactly from where Arouseleft off. Olivia and Dean are facing a surprise and they think that things between the two of them are better now. They went through a phase and secrets were revealed.
But the truth is, they didn't really deal with them after all.
Dean and Liv are moving on, not yet ready for a baby but moving on nonetheless.
They had a fallout and now when a crisis arises, they deal with it together.
He didn't want a baby because he thought he would screw up like it happen with his ex wife, so he hid that part of his life completely. She kissed someone else to show him than there he should not take her for granted and instead of not talking about thing, they should face them together.
Sure, they both made mistakes, no one is perfect. They are both flawed and they both have a lot to deal with.
This book wrecked me. It wrecked me so deeply.
Just as they both find a silver lining and are able to break the wall between them, life throws them another curve ball. And another.
Having to leave for California to deal with Dean's family emergency - even knowing that his family is not that fond of Liv - she supports him and they now have to deal with his family and her ex ganging up on her.
What I loved about this book is that even the drama that was there made sense. They marriage is so real and their problems make sense. It could be a real story with real characters. It felt real and it broke my heart.
Dean is trying so hard not to make the same mistakes and to protect his wife even from himself most of the time that he really deserves a break.
He is the sweetest and all he wants to do is slay all the dragons and shield her.
To say that I loved it would be an understatement. I can't wait for the 3rd book!
This one picks up exactly from where Arouseleft off. Olivia and Dean are facing a surprise and they think that things between the two of them are better now. They went through a phase and secrets were revealed.
But the truth is, they didn't really deal with them after all.
“I moved closer to Dean, breathing in the scent of his skin, the heat of his body. "Remember when you told me everyone has a key to unlocking their secrets?" I whispered. " And you wanted to know what mine is?" He nodded. "And you told me you didn't have a key." "I think I do." "What is it?" "You.”
Dean and Liv are moving on, not yet ready for a baby but moving on nonetheless.
They had a fallout and now when a crisis arises, they deal with it together.
“He is imprinted in my bones, my soul. He has marked me in ways more permanent than time.”
He didn't want a baby because he thought he would screw up like it happen with his ex wife, so he hid that part of his life completely. She kissed someone else to show him than there he should not take her for granted and instead of not talking about thing, they should face them together.
Sure, they both made mistakes, no one is perfect. They are both flawed and they both have a lot to deal with.
This book wrecked me. It wrecked me so deeply.
Just as they both find a silver lining and are able to break the wall between them, life throws them another curve ball. And another.
Having to leave for California to deal with Dean's family emergency - even knowing that his family is not that fond of Liv - she supports him and they now have to deal with his family and her ex ganging up on her.
What I loved about this book is that even the drama that was there made sense. They marriage is so real and their problems make sense. It could be a real story with real characters. It felt real and it broke my heart.
Dean is trying so hard not to make the same mistakes and to protect his wife even from himself most of the time that he really deserves a break.
He is the sweetest and all he wants to do is slay all the dragons and shield her.
“Loved. I hadn't even realized how desperately I'd wanted love.How much we both needed to know that in a world of dark corners and sharp needles, there really is a place where kisses taste like apple pie and where stars spill like suger across the sky. A place where unknown roads no longer scare you because you have another hand to hold. A place where butterflies always flutter whenever you see each other, and a single touch tells you that you are not alone. A place where every kiss still feels like the first. In that place of us, Liv and Dean, love has its own poetry and language. Allure, quartrefoil, fleur-de-lis...Professor. Beauty.”
To say that I loved it would be an understatement. I can't wait for the 3rd book!
literaturesque's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
The second book was equally as enjoyable as the first, and it was good to come back to this couple and see a peak at how their relationship was before the problems arrived in the first book.
Liv's continued discovery of herself and who she wants to be is very interesting to watch, and it's nice to see her fight for equality in her marriage with Dean: for so long he's been her protector and she's allowed him to be that, to the point that he often has come to her to be HIS protector or at the very least the one he relies on. She's fighting for him to do that and he's finally seeing that he can't always rely on himself for everything.
The whole pregnancy and miscarriage breaks my heart. For Liv, but especially for Dean. It was so sad to see him believe that he failed his wife, and that he couldn't be their for her. And they way his family acts towards Live, lawd I was pissed.
The problems that happen regarding his work made me so ragey - very nervous about how that's going to be solved in the next book. This one ended a lot less abruptly or leaving you with questions like the previous, and I can't wait for the third book to come out.
The second book was equally as enjoyable as the first, and it was good to come back to this couple and see a peak at how their relationship was before the problems arrived in the first book.
Liv's continued discovery of herself and who she wants to be is very interesting to watch, and it's nice to see her fight for equality in her marriage with Dean: for so long he's been her protector and she's allowed him to be that, to the point that he often has come to her to be HIS protector or at the very least the one he relies on. She's fighting for him to do that and he's finally seeing that he can't always rely on himself for everything.
The problems that happen regarding his work made me so ragey - very nervous about how that's going to be solved in the next book. This one ended a lot less abruptly or leaving you with questions like the previous, and I can't wait for the third book to come out.
these_thats_and_prose's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my goodness this book was just as good as Arouse. I loved Liv and Dean's continued journey and can't wait to find out what happens next.
lvlewis's review against another edition
4.0
If you are able to read Arouse and Allure together, this would be my suggestion, and as you proceed with my review, do so with caution because there be spoilers in them there words below!
It's so very nice to read a book about two grown and sexy people who are married and there's no game playing or series of events contrived to get them together. Apparently, in Arouse, the first book, Liv and Dean's marriage is stretched almost to the breaking point by real conflict that many couples face. The first book ended in somewhat of a cliffhanger because you just know from Dean's reaction to the previous "pregnancy scare" the news Liv shared might not be welcome.
Allure is author Nina Lane's sophomore offering, which is constructed a bit differently than the first book with alternate points of view, sandwiched between flashbacks, much like book one. While writing books preach against the flashback, somehow, I found this worked largely do to the construct of the story. There were only a couple times that flashbacks interrupted something current which I thought could probably have waited for a more opportune time.
The relationship between these two is much stronger than they each agonize over in their heads, and like most stories where you as the reader knows more than the characters, I often found myself muttering to the characters to talk to each other about their fears, their concerns, their hurts real and perceived, for goodness' sake!
Allure picks up where Arouse left off. Liv has shared with Dean that she is, in fact, pregnant despite the scare they experienced previously and they pulled away from each other emotionally. Liv from Dean because she misinterprets his reaction to the pregnancy scare and seeks friendship, solace-something in the friendship with her cooking instructor. Dean draws from his work as a Medieval History expert and Professor at King's College. The pregnancy, even as a happy event, exacerbates the pressure that has already been brought to bear on their relationship.
After a steamy opening scene between the couple, Judge Robert West, Dean's father has a heart attack, necessitating an impromptu visit to Dean's childhood home in California. The dysfunctional lot which is Dean's family give Liv either the cold shoulder or indifference.
As they work to heal the rift in their marriage from events that occurred in book one, they dive headlong into family and work drama unlike anything they endured in book one. Liv's pregnancy and her new resolve to make herself into someone who is more respected than loved by her husband, she reveals to Dean a woman who isn't as fragile as he originally believed. Dean's attempts to temper his protectiveness and assuage his guilt, continue to cause problems, and a new problem on Dean's job tests them both in ways they could never have imagined. There's no dangling cliffhanger at the end, but the reader still comes away wanting to read the next book, because you realize they still have some issues they need to resolve.
As is Nina's style, the writing is crisp, intelligent, and very sexy. As only an erotic romance can be, it is equal parts entertaining and titillating.
I give Allure four out of five stars!
It's so very nice to read a book about two grown and sexy people who are married and there's no game playing or series of events contrived to get them together. Apparently, in Arouse, the first book, Liv and Dean's marriage is stretched almost to the breaking point by real conflict that many couples face. The first book ended in somewhat of a cliffhanger because you just know from Dean's reaction to the previous "pregnancy scare" the news Liv shared might not be welcome.
Allure is author Nina Lane's sophomore offering, which is constructed a bit differently than the first book with alternate points of view, sandwiched between flashbacks, much like book one. While writing books preach against the flashback, somehow, I found this worked largely do to the construct of the story. There were only a couple times that flashbacks interrupted something current which I thought could probably have waited for a more opportune time.
The relationship between these two is much stronger than they each agonize over in their heads, and like most stories where you as the reader knows more than the characters, I often found myself muttering to the characters to talk to each other about their fears, their concerns, their hurts real and perceived, for goodness' sake!
Allure picks up where Arouse left off. Liv has shared with Dean that she is, in fact, pregnant despite the scare they experienced previously and they pulled away from each other emotionally. Liv from Dean because she misinterprets his reaction to the pregnancy scare and seeks friendship, solace-something in the friendship with her cooking instructor. Dean draws from his work as a Medieval History expert and Professor at King's College. The pregnancy, even as a happy event, exacerbates the pressure that has already been brought to bear on their relationship.
After a steamy opening scene between the couple, Judge Robert West, Dean's father has a heart attack, necessitating an impromptu visit to Dean's childhood home in California. The dysfunctional lot which is Dean's family give Liv either the cold shoulder or indifference.
As they work to heal the rift in their marriage from events that occurred in book one, they dive headlong into family and work drama unlike anything they endured in book one. Liv's pregnancy and her new resolve to make herself into someone who is more respected than loved by her husband, she reveals to Dean a woman who isn't as fragile as he originally believed. Dean's attempts to temper his protectiveness and assuage his guilt, continue to cause problems, and a new problem on Dean's job tests them both in ways they could never have imagined. There's no dangling cliffhanger at the end, but the reader still comes away wanting to read the next book, because you realize they still have some issues they need to resolve.
As is Nina's style, the writing is crisp, intelligent, and very sexy. As only an erotic romance can be, it is equal parts entertaining and titillating.
I give Allure four out of five stars!
biblio_bee's review against another edition
5.0
Aaaaaaah!!! This book series just keep on getting better! After reading Arouse ( which I really loved!) , I can't help but to expect more from the next book. What can I say? Ms. Nina Lane exceeded my expectations! I love Allure as much as I loved Arouse.
And yes! I still felt the same emotions....feelings ..like I did before...BUT , yes, a BUT! But , only this time it was magnified!
Oh! You can definitely say that I "fangirled" MUCH over the drool...lust-worthy Prof. Dean West!! I think he just ...uhmm..he might be ...well, now look at me ?! Stuttering ?! just the mere mention of his name?! Or thought? I am shivering with...desire?! Dean West gave me "ideas" what to demand from my future husband?! Like, calling me "Beauty" for starters?! ....and show me same passion, intensity ala Dean style?! I am referring to the "closet scene" and the "balcony scene"?! ( which was just too hawt!! *fans myself* ) Eeep! Now.now... Do I sound too demanding?! Well, a girl like me can wish? Or dream? Dean..Dean..Dean...*sigh*
“You’re the first woman who’s ever made my heart beat like that. You’re the first woman I’ve ever wanted to spend all my time with, the only one who could convince me to start a new life. You’re the first woman who’s ever made me genuinely happy. Who makes me glad to be alive, who makes me burn hotter than fire. You’re the first woman who’s ever made me afraid.” -------> Awwww ! Do I need say more??!! *swoon*
Well, who wouldn't want a love as fierce as what Dean has for Liv? He'll even move mountains for her?! He wants to do EVERYTHING for Liv, and made it his mantra to love, protect her by all means. Picture perfect, I know? But not everything is all about them. As outside forces , certain situations begun to threaten their union...again, their marriage was put into another test. It was a make it or break it decision...and it was up to them.
“I’d never wanted to prove myself to anyone the way I did Liv. I liked her too much. Liked the way I didn’t feel cold inside when I was with her, the way I didn’t think about anything except her. I liked that she was a mystery. I liked the way she looked at me, as if she knew I would protect her. That I could.
Until… I couldn’t” -------> Awwww! Come 'mere , Dean..I wanna kiss you! *puckers my lips*
Again, I love how Ms. Lane made me feel while reading Liv and Dean's struggles , I was more involved and not just a mere spectator. There are times when I was so affected, I have to close my eyes and ask, why..why this is happening?? Or shook my head then groan ...ugh! Bad...bad idea!! Yes! Again, I was getting all carried away...throughout the entire book... till the end! I just loved that feeling! Emotional. Intense. Just amazing!
My intense love for Ms. Lane's books ( most specially this series!) remains unchanged. I will definitely ....and excitedly be jumping over to the next book!
And yes! I still felt the same emotions....feelings ..like I did before...BUT , yes, a BUT! But , only this time it was magnified!
Oh! You can definitely say that I "fangirled" MUCH over the drool...lust-worthy Prof. Dean West!! I think he just ...uhmm..he might be ...well, now look at me ?! Stuttering ?! just the mere mention of his name?! Or thought? I am shivering with...desire?! Dean West gave me "ideas" what to demand from my future husband?! Like, calling me "Beauty" for starters?! ....and show me same passion, intensity ala Dean style?! I am referring to the "closet scene" and the "balcony scene"?! ( which was just too hawt!! *fans myself* ) Eeep! Now.now... Do I sound too demanding?! Well, a girl like me can wish? Or dream? Dean..Dean..Dean...*sigh*
“You’re the first woman who’s ever made my heart beat like that. You’re the first woman I’ve ever wanted to spend all my time with, the only one who could convince me to start a new life. You’re the first woman who’s ever made me genuinely happy. Who makes me glad to be alive, who makes me burn hotter than fire. You’re the first woman who’s ever made me afraid.” -------> Awwww ! Do I need say more??!! *swoon*
Well, who wouldn't want a love as fierce as what Dean has for Liv? He'll even move mountains for her?! He wants to do EVERYTHING for Liv, and made it his mantra to love, protect her by all means. Picture perfect, I know? But not everything is all about them. As outside forces , certain situations begun to threaten their union...again, their marriage was put into another test. It was a make it or break it decision...and it was up to them.
“I’d never wanted to prove myself to anyone the way I did Liv. I liked her too much. Liked the way I didn’t feel cold inside when I was with her, the way I didn’t think about anything except her. I liked that she was a mystery. I liked the way she looked at me, as if she knew I would protect her. That I could.
Until… I couldn’t” -------> Awwww! Come 'mere , Dean..I wanna kiss you! *puckers my lips*
Again, I love how Ms. Lane made me feel while reading Liv and Dean's struggles , I was more involved and not just a mere spectator. There are times when I was so affected, I have to close my eyes and ask, why..why this is happening?? Or shook my head then groan ...ugh! Bad...bad idea!! Yes! Again, I was getting all carried away...throughout the entire book... till the end! I just loved that feeling! Emotional. Intense. Just amazing!
My intense love for Ms. Lane's books ( most specially this series!) remains unchanged. I will definitely ....and excitedly be jumping over to the next book!
cecveg's review against another edition
5.0
This was a nice change from Arouse.. I mean, I was practically giggling and smiling throughout this book! The little illustrations and puns they have each other we're so cute, my heart couldn't stand it!
But once again, this is an amazing book so can recommend any day!
But once again, this is an amazing book so can recommend any day!