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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Fleeing from their equally unstable home lives, Sylvie and Creed formed a deep bond as children despite their significant age difference and economic situations. After sixteen devastating years apart from each other, the two cross paths again and all hell breaks loose.
This one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. On one hand, the structure of this book is just one big mess. There is no overarching conflict holding the whole thing together. All of the minor conflicts either resolve themselves quickly, fizzle out, or hit a complete dead end and are never resolved. After about the 30% mark, it just felt like I was reading a series of vignettes and not a cohesive novel. Also the story is very flashback heavy and, unfortunately, I thought the flashbacks were done with a really heavy hand and found most of them to be really extraneous and distracting.
On the other hand, Sylvie and Creed, were awesome. Like, all capital letters AWESOME. Sylvie comes waltzing in on page one with her badass PI/hired gun swagger and I was hooked. Ten Creed shows up with his own badass swagger tightly reined in but ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice and I was hooked even deeper. Both were were fascinating, complex, and deeply sympathetic characters. There's a seriously strong romance here buried under a big ole mess.
Here's a sexy Creed quote, for your reading pleasure:
“Baby, get this, woke up without you for sixteen years. Got you back for good yesterday. Don’t wanna do that shit again. You get up, you wake me. Even if it’s just to kiss me and tell me you’re leavin’ our bed. You with me?”
This one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. On one hand, the structure of this book is just one big mess. There is no overarching conflict holding the whole thing together. All of the minor conflicts either resolve themselves quickly, fizzle out, or hit a complete dead end and are never resolved. After about the 30% mark, it just felt like I was reading a series of vignettes and not a cohesive novel. Also the story is very flashback heavy and, unfortunately, I thought the flashbacks were done with a really heavy hand and found most of them to be really extraneous and distracting.
On the other hand, Sylvie and Creed, were awesome. Like, all capital letters AWESOME. Sylvie comes waltzing in on page one with her badass PI/hired gun swagger and I was hooked. Ten Creed shows up with his own badass swagger tightly reined in but ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice and I was hooked even deeper. Both were were fascinating, complex, and deeply sympathetic characters. There's a seriously strong romance here buried under a big ole mess.
Here's a sexy Creed quote, for your reading pleasure:
“Baby, get this, woke up without you for sixteen years. Got you back for good yesterday. Don’t wanna do that shit again. You get up, you wake me. Even if it’s just to kiss me and tell me you’re leavin’ our bed. You with me?”
Actual Rating: 4.5 "Rip Your Heart Out & Piece It Back Together" Stars
Quickie Review ~ Gah!! First off, there are so many triggers in this book that you kind of need to have a tough skin to get through it all--especially the flashback scenes. Second of all, KA never lets me down with her tangled up, super emotional plots and the awesome characters she creates. Creed & Sylvie were both certifiable badasses on their own. But together? Unstoppable badasses. (lol) I absolutely hated watching what they went through but I have to admit that it not only turned Sylvie and Creed into strong, wonderful people, but it took their reunion from bittersweet to absolute perfection. So kudos to KA for once again bringing me to tears (I'm talking ugly crying, folks!), making me full-on laugh out loud, and making me sigh so happily that I thought my heart would burst.
Quickie Review ~ Gah!! First off, there are so many triggers in this book that you kind of need to have a tough skin to get through it all--especially the flashback scenes. Second of all, KA never lets me down with her tangled up, super emotional plots and the awesome characters she creates. Creed & Sylvie were both certifiable badasses on their own. But together? Unstoppable badasses. (lol) I absolutely hated watching what they went through but I have to admit that it not only turned Sylvie and Creed into strong, wonderful people, but it took their reunion from bittersweet to absolute perfection. So kudos to KA for once again bringing me to tears (I'm talking ugly crying, folks!), making me full-on laugh out loud, and making me sigh so happily that I thought my heart would burst.
4.5 by the lake stars
Fantastic. Heart-wrenching. Beautiful. I love separation stories and this one was hashed out splendidly.
Not a full 5 stars because some things were left unresolved. I also loved that it was unlike Knight, and no one used the pet name "daddy".
Fantastic. Heart-wrenching. Beautiful. I love separation stories and this one was hashed out splendidly.
Not a full 5 stars because some things were left unresolved. I also loved that it was unlike Knight, and no one used the pet name "daddy".
Kristen Ashley is my crack and I love her alpha men and how they don't take shit and go for what they want. The words they say to their women kill me with the emotion (not sure all men are like this but damn you are good at this Kristen Ashley).
Loved Sylvie and Creed's story, as with any Kristen Ashley book I was completely sucked in, just gutted I've finished and now have to wait for the next KA book...
Still love this one!
Sylvie is amazing and actually may be one of my all time favourite KA females. She is a badass with a heart of pure gold. Creed is also kind of amazing.
I am an absolute sucker for the second chance trope. It's my all time favourite to be honest and KA does a lot of them. I wonder if that's why I love her so much?
You know what I don't get now and didn't get back when I first read it? Why was Sylvie never mentioned in Knight? I wonder did she only think of Sylvie after she wrote and published Knight? If she'd been in that I may have liked the book more. She is seriously so badass she could have saved tame 'Daddy Kink' for me. :D
Also, I originally read this through iBooks and just bought it on Kindle for this reread. There were certain sections where the formatting and spelling and grammar were cray, cray. Anyone else have this problem? I don't remember it happening with the iBook. I must investigate further!
Anyways, I love this one and most of that love is Sylvie! <3
Sylvie is amazing and actually may be one of my all time favourite KA females. She is a badass with a heart of pure gold. Creed is also kind of amazing.
I am an absolute sucker for the second chance trope. It's my all time favourite to be honest and KA does a lot of them. I wonder if that's why I love her so much?
You know what I don't get now and didn't get back when I first read it? Why was Sylvie never mentioned in Knight? I wonder did she only think of Sylvie after she wrote and published Knight? If she'd been in that I may have liked the book more. She is seriously so badass she could have saved tame 'Daddy Kink' for me. :D
Also, I originally read this through iBooks and just bought it on Kindle for this reread. There were certain sections where the formatting and spelling and grammar were cray, cray. Anyone else have this problem? I don't remember it happening with the iBook. I must investigate further!
Anyways, I love this one and most of that love is Sylvie! <3
Never thought I'd cry reading this. But crud, the tears kept sneaking up on me. Sad history here. Even with a reread my emotions got the better of me.
My least favorite to date in the Unfinished Heroes series. The things that happened to Creed/Sylvie was just to over the top ridiculous to be believable, plus Creed didn't come across as the brightest bulb...
This Kristen Ashley book was unique in that it paired two people (hero and heroine) who were equally alpha. It was an interesting concept that worked surprisingly well. On finishing, I'm of the opinion that there are none quite like Sylvie Bissenette. She is a petite, gun-totting, vigilante-earning, protector of woman. I admired Sylvie's stubbornness but self-awareness of when the battle was over and she needed to relent. She was full of integrity, fierce loyalty and spunk.She works in the employ of Knight, which I wasn't sure about as that is the only KA book I haven't enjoyed. Knight was a side character in the book and I warmed a little more to him. He had some excellent lines, short, staccato but poignant.
This was a book of fantastic second chances if only Sylvie would let herself. Creed was a scarred, gun-totting, vigilante/PI-earning alpha. They were one another's first love. Seeing these two fight and bicker for power and one-upmanship was highly amusing. Behind all this is a solid, engaging tale of longing and unfulfilled dreams. As with others in this Unfinished Hero series, there's a upgrade on the twisty heat that was fun to read. I've read this series out of order but it doesn't matter, they stand alone well.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.
This was a book of fantastic second chances if only Sylvie would let herself. Creed was a scarred, gun-totting, vigilante/PI-earning alpha. They were one another's first love. Seeing these two fight and bicker for power and one-upmanship was highly amusing. Behind all this is a solid, engaging tale of longing and unfulfilled dreams. As with others in this Unfinished Hero series, there's a upgrade on the twisty heat that was fun to read. I've read this series out of order but it doesn't matter, they stand alone well.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.