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merlin_reads's review against another edition
2.0
There are multiple things that turn me off when reading a book:
1. Drama for the sake of drama
2. Pop culture references that add nothing to the story
3. Sex in place of plot
That’s just a few. And Connected had all of the above. Dahila London has lost everyone – her parents, her fiancé. She’s given up. For two years she just exists, never leaves her house. Finally, her best friend convinces her to go back to work and on her first assignment, Dahlia meets someone she thought she’d never see again, rock star River Wilde. River hasn’t stopped thinking about Dahlia since he met her that one night years ago. When she stumbles back into his life he’s determined not to let her go.
What seemed to be a story about heartbreak, loss and the pain of rebuilding your life after everything dies, turned into sex, sex, drama, and more sex. While I felt for Dahlia, I also found her to be extremely naïve and brainless. Her fiancé is acting really strange right before he is killed, her house is ransacked but nothing was taken, she’s attacked after the killer is released from jail – and this is all just coincidence??? How is she so oblivious?
While I enjoyed River, I felt absolutely no connection between the two other than physical. It doesn’t help that on every page there had to be at least one mention of how attractive the other was. Real connections are more than skin deep and I didn’t feel it with them. And the sex, that seemed to be all they did. You can’t substitute plot with sex, it doesn’t work. I skimmed half of the book because of this.
When they weren’t having sex, the author just threw out random plot drama that was so overdone I found myself rolling my eyes. There was also too much focus on materialistic things such as outfits and cars. It made the characters, especially Dahlia seem shallow. And I get that River is a musician, but the constant mentions of songs was a little too much. I felt like I was being drowned in the playlist for no reason.
The ending was sort of a cliffhanger. I will be reading the next one just to see how that cliffhanger plays out and also to find out if the author is as predictable as I think she is. Hopefully, we get less of the materialistic padding we got here and more focus on actual character development.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
1. Drama for the sake of drama
2. Pop culture references that add nothing to the story
3. Sex in place of plot
That’s just a few. And Connected had all of the above. Dahila London has lost everyone – her parents, her fiancé. She’s given up. For two years she just exists, never leaves her house. Finally, her best friend convinces her to go back to work and on her first assignment, Dahlia meets someone she thought she’d never see again, rock star River Wilde. River hasn’t stopped thinking about Dahlia since he met her that one night years ago. When she stumbles back into his life he’s determined not to let her go.
What seemed to be a story about heartbreak, loss and the pain of rebuilding your life after everything dies, turned into sex, sex, drama, and more sex. While I felt for Dahlia, I also found her to be extremely naïve and brainless. Her fiancé is acting really strange right before he is killed, her house is ransacked but nothing was taken, she’s attacked after the killer is released from jail – and this is all just coincidence??? How is she so oblivious?
While I enjoyed River, I felt absolutely no connection between the two other than physical. It doesn’t help that on every page there had to be at least one mention of how attractive the other was. Real connections are more than skin deep and I didn’t feel it with them. And the sex, that seemed to be all they did. You can’t substitute plot with sex, it doesn’t work. I skimmed half of the book because of this.
When they weren’t having sex, the author just threw out random plot drama that was so overdone I found myself rolling my eyes. There was also too much focus on materialistic things such as outfits and cars. It made the characters, especially Dahlia seem shallow. And I get that River is a musician, but the constant mentions of songs was a little too much. I felt like I was being drowned in the playlist for no reason.
The ending was sort of a cliffhanger. I will be reading the next one just to see how that cliffhanger plays out and also to find out if the author is as predictable as I think she is. Hopefully, we get less of the materialistic padding we got here and more focus on actual character development.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
leep_frog's review
3.0
Cliffhanger
So this story seemed to drag on and on for me. I think it kinda fell short because I had the audio book and it didn't match up with the words, so that was confusing. I feel like the book was just starting to get good... and then the ending makes it so it can't be a stand alone. I really didn't like Ben at all. I think this will be a series I will have to come back to. I really loves the songs and the thought that the author put into the playlist. Brilliant!
So this story seemed to drag on and on for me. I think it kinda fell short because I had the audio book and it didn't match up with the words, so that was confusing. I feel like the book was just starting to get good... and then the ending makes it so it can't be a stand alone. I really didn't like Ben at all. I think this will be a series I will have to come back to. I really loves the songs and the thought that the author put into the playlist. Brilliant!
lotusxlane's review
2.0
To be fair, I give this book about a 2½ to 3 star rating because it started off really really good. But somewhere in the middle it slowed down to almost a crashing hault and I was bored to tears!
You first meet Dahlia who is a happy relationship with her long time boyfriend Ben, when she decides to go to a club and there she meets River. There is insta-love that she doesn't want to admit to and for the next 4 years she pushes him out of her mind and ends up getting engaged to Ben. And then Ben dies. [spoiler? get over it. It's better to crush your soul now if you actually plan on reading it.] I could handle Ben's death, and I thought she did a proper [if there is a such thing] amount of grieving and self loathing before decided to get back into the world and take a job offered by her best friend to interview....River Wilde. [Anyone else hear the ominous dun-dun-dunnn?]
The way River takes control of the situation and let's her know from the beginning how he feels, made me love him. The fact that Dahlia let herself feel something she didn't want to be real because she felt it betrayed or lessen Ben's love; proved to me that she was stronger than she let on.
Ohh folks, this is where I have to stop with the lovey dovey-ness towards this book.
After Dahlia decides that she can't live in this fantasy any longer and must go home and deal with real life thus begins the back and forth and even when they finally DTR [determine the relationship], it still just feels like random, pointless scenes to fill the book until either the climax--or what I hoped would happen soon--the ending.
I gave up half way through the chapters that were from River's POV. He thought too much about how he loves her & her pouting and how he wants her body. I didn't get a real sense of his life and therefore, I was done, 80% through.
This may be the book for some, but it just wasn't for me.
You first meet Dahlia who is a happy relationship with her long time boyfriend Ben, when she decides to go to a club and there she meets River. There is insta-love that she doesn't want to admit to and for the next 4 years she pushes him out of her mind and ends up getting engaged to Ben. And then Ben dies. [spoiler? get over it. It's better to crush your soul now if you actually plan on reading it.] I could handle Ben's death, and I thought she did a proper [if there is a such thing] amount of grieving and self loathing before decided to get back into the world and take a job offered by her best friend to interview....River Wilde. [Anyone else hear the ominous dun-dun-dunnn?]
The way River takes control of the situation and let's her know from the beginning how he feels, made me love him. The fact that Dahlia let herself feel something she didn't want to be real because she felt it betrayed or lessen Ben's love; proved to me that she was stronger than she let on.
Ohh folks, this is where I have to stop with the lovey dovey-ness towards this book.
After Dahlia decides that she can't live in this fantasy any longer and must go home and deal with real life thus begins the back and forth and even when they finally DTR [determine the relationship], it still just feels like random, pointless scenes to fill the book until either the climax--or what I hoped would happen soon--the ending.
I gave up half way through the chapters that were from River's POV. He thought too much about how he loves her & her pouting and how he wants her body. I didn't get a real sense of his life and therefore, I was done, 80% through.
This may be the book for some, but it just wasn't for me.
amanda_'s review
1.0
Items ticked off: 15
His eyes aside, the words handsome and gorgeous weren't strong enough adjectives to describe him.
Clearly they weren't given that that 50% of this book was dedicated to describe how handsome the hero was. Am I harsh? Pfft. Don't think so. I'll break down the book's plot. Dahlia meets a hot stranger one night. They CONNECT. But she has a boyfriend. Oh, look at that, an accident that end badly, and now the boyfriend is out of the picture. Fast forward a year. Dahlia meets hot stranger again. He's got. He's in love with her already. They fuck. And then mundane life. Epilogue ends with a cheap cliffhanger. That sums up the entire book. There's some minor drama, but it's solved within a few pages so that doesn't count. But basically, all this is about is how insanely gorgeous our hero, River, is.
Let's break it down into numbers instead, shall we?
Here is the word count for:
attractive: 27
Powerful (green) eyes: 15
Connect: 67 (!)
Beautiful: 112 (!!!)
I am not amused.
Apart from River's hotness, the other 50% of the time, it's about how "connected" these two characters are. First off all, River didn't have a personality, so I don't see how he had any substance to be connected with in the first place, but whatever. And our Dahlia... well, she wasn't much better. She's your standard NA heroine who is only defined by how much her boyfriend luvs her. Gag. How am I supposed to take her serious when she says shit like:
He definitely was not a stalker. He was a guy that was adorably charming and utterly charismatic, a guy who had a simple ease about him that I really liked, and a guy I didn’t ever need to see again.
Yup, all stalkers are strange, ugly weirdos. (Not gonna argue there aren't stalkers like that, but please, give me a break.)
And back to River. I said he didn't have substance. I'm real. He barely sounds like a real person. Like, for example:
“I wasn’t just kissing you. I was also whispering in your mouth."
I rolled my eyes so hard they fell out of their sockets. Or I wished they had, because at least that way I hadn't needed to continue reading this.
Last but not least, other details. Like, the POV switch around the 80% mark? Did it serve a purpose? Nope. Did it add anything to the story that the reader couldn't already figure out? Nope. Did it add anything to River's character? Nope. So, completely unnecessary. I also mentioned a cliffhanger, right? Yeah... cheap, that's all I can say. If the author had cut out all the admiration of River's abs or whatnot, and their supposed incredible connection, she could've fit the second book - which I refuse to read - into this first. That way, this one might even had a plot. Oh well, what can you do?
adominiquereads's review
3.0
I'm not so sure how to feel about this. The story was great, but I got a little pissed off at Dahlia whenever she compares River to Ben. I understand that she's still hurting, but there was just something so off about it.
And I was kinda expecting a lot from the book. I love music-based books, and since River Wilde is The Wilde Ones' lead singer, I was hoping to see how he acts and and moves in front of an audience, just listening to his songs. I've read some books like "Thoughtless" and "The Mighty Storm" (of which both of the bands and the lead singers were mentioned by River, which really made my day), and what I loved about them is how they performed. I want to read about River's performances.
I got a little disappointed with this. :(
And I was kinda expecting a lot from the book. I love music-based books, and since River Wilde is The Wilde Ones' lead singer, I was hoping to see how he acts and and moves in front of an audience, just listening to his songs. I've read some books like "Thoughtless" and "The Mighty Storm" (of which both of the bands and the lead singers were mentioned by River, which really made my day), and what I loved about them is how they performed. I want to read about River's performances.
I got a little disappointed with this. :(
becxreadz's review
4.0
The ending saved it from a 3 star rating. In the beginning I got bored with the same old descriptions of how River was charmingly adorable. I get it he's charmingly adorable, o wait what is he?? Charmingly adorable you say!! That and he does this thing to her ear that send shivers down her spine again and again. Same wording and everything like it was cut and pasted inton the story. Plus I was getting worried that it took these two characters so long to get in the real world and stop having sex. I mean interact with other people once and awhile, I need other characters here. That ending though...DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!!!! Really liked how the author switched it up to River's pov towards the end and that cliffhanger....WHAT!!!!! Now I HAVE to read Torn to see what happens.
lili_darknight's review
5.0
Jedna z tých kníh s pomerne jednoduchou dejovou líniou, málo postavami a úžasnou emočnou základňou. Ale ten epilóg bol vraždený. To myslí vážne?
jaimearkin's review
2.0
Probably 1.5 stars but I'm rounding up because I actually finished it.
Dahlia has known tragedy. She’s lost everyone that has meant something to her, but a chance encounter with someone from her past, has her opening her heart again.
River isn’t going to lose Dahlia again. The connection he had with Dahlia wasn’t imagined and when they cross paths he’s determined to become a part of her life.
But they both harbor guilt and when something shocking happens will their love survive or will their connection be lost?
I have to say… I did it again. I went into a book with high hopes & expectations because of all the rave reviews and I turned the final page with nothing but disappointment.
The cover … gorgeous.
The plot … interesting.
The execution … fail.
First and foremost this book needs another go through by an editor. I am not even exaggerating when I tell you that Dahlia tells us that River is gorgeous or sexy or attractive a minimum of 20 times.
”He’s so unbelievably good-looking.”
“I can’t help but notice how how he looks”
”I want to ask him if he has any idea how attractive he is. ”
”I can’t help but grin at how sexy he is. ”
”He really is the sexiest man alive. ”
”He is so hot. ”
I don’t need to go on do I? AND all of these are before I even hit 40% into the book. I get it … he’s sexy, he’s attractive, he’s gorgeous and you’re beautiful. I know that too because he mentions it a few times “You are so beautiful.”
Listen. I get it. We love our sexy guys and beautiful girls. But you don’t have to beat us over the head with how amazing these characters are. Dahlia came across as one of those shallow ‘look at how hot the guy I’m with is’ girls every single time she mentioned it after that first time and to be perfectly honest it took me out of the story. I can’t be the only person who noticed this while reading. I just can’t be.
Next… manufactured drama. I actually really enjoyed the start of this story and thought I was going to love this because what happens is sad and heartbreaking. (even though it’s QUITE apparent that something fishy is going on.) However, I really felt like this ended up being a lot of words for very little story. The major events that occur … one at the beginning and one at the end are bookending a lot of sex and some shopping. At least that’s what I took away from it. I need more to my books than that unfortunately. While Dahlia realizes that yes she can move on from her past, I needed more than a sexual connection to believe it.
The drama between River and Dahlia occurs at about 65% and was poorly thought out in my opinion. While it was resolved within a few pages, I found myself thinking ‘overdramatic much?’ It just didn’t make sense to me and added unnecessary drama.
And yes… there is a cliffhanger at the end of this book, but to be perfectly honest, I’m pretty sure I don't even care enough about the characters to read the next one. I may pick it up just to see if the writing is better and the editing is better, but I am pretty sure if it’s not, I won’t be torturing myself to finish it like I did this one.
If you like your reads filled with sexy, gorgeous rockstars, lots of sexy times and drama then this might be the perfect book for you. I believe that this one is going to be 6 books – but it looks like they turn into companion books after book 2.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
This review will post to Fiction Fare closer to release.
Dahlia has known tragedy. She’s lost everyone that has meant something to her, but a chance encounter with someone from her past, has her opening her heart again.
River isn’t going to lose Dahlia again. The connection he had with Dahlia wasn’t imagined and when they cross paths he’s determined to become a part of her life.
But they both harbor guilt and when something shocking happens will their love survive or will their connection be lost?
I have to say… I did it again. I went into a book with high hopes & expectations because of all the rave reviews and I turned the final page with nothing but disappointment.
The cover … gorgeous.
The plot … interesting.
The execution … fail.
First and foremost this book needs another go through by an editor. I am not even exaggerating when I tell you that Dahlia tells us that River is gorgeous or sexy or attractive a minimum of 20 times.
”He’s so unbelievably good-looking.”
“I can’t help but notice how how he looks”
”I want to ask him if he has any idea how attractive he is. ”
”I can’t help but grin at how sexy he is. ”
”He really is the sexiest man alive. ”
”He is so hot. ”
I don’t need to go on do I? AND all of these are before I even hit 40% into the book. I get it … he’s sexy, he’s attractive, he’s gorgeous and you’re beautiful. I know that too because he mentions it a few times “You are so beautiful.”
Listen. I get it. We love our sexy guys and beautiful girls. But you don’t have to beat us over the head with how amazing these characters are. Dahlia came across as one of those shallow ‘look at how hot the guy I’m with is’ girls every single time she mentioned it after that first time and to be perfectly honest it took me out of the story. I can’t be the only person who noticed this while reading. I just can’t be.
Next… manufactured drama. I actually really enjoyed the start of this story and thought I was going to love this because what happens is sad and heartbreaking. (even though it’s QUITE apparent that something fishy is going on.) However, I really felt like this ended up being a lot of words for very little story. The major events that occur … one at the beginning and one at the end are bookending a lot of sex and some shopping. At least that’s what I took away from it. I need more to my books than that unfortunately. While Dahlia realizes that yes she can move on from her past, I needed more than a sexual connection to believe it.
The drama between River and Dahlia occurs at about 65% and was poorly thought out in my opinion. While it was resolved within a few pages, I found myself thinking ‘overdramatic much?’ It just didn’t make sense to me and added unnecessary drama.
And yes… there is a cliffhanger at the end of this book, but to be perfectly honest, I’m pretty sure I don't even care enough about the characters to read the next one. I may pick it up just to see if the writing is better and the editing is better, but I am pretty sure if it’s not, I won’t be torturing myself to finish it like I did this one.
If you like your reads filled with sexy, gorgeous rockstars, lots of sexy times and drama then this might be the perfect book for you. I believe that this one is going to be 6 books – but it looks like they turn into companion books after book 2.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
This review will post to Fiction Fare closer to release.