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A review by bookishblasian
Hold You Close by Corinne Michaels, Melanie Harlow
3.0
Great story line, but I'm kind of disappointed? Maybe my standards have increased because I haven't read an OMG THIS IS SO GOOD book in a while. I was super excited to see something from Corinne Michaels because We Own Tonight and One Last Time are probably two of my favorite books of this year. This one just didn't do it for me.
If I'm being completely honest, I almost didn't make it past the first chapter. I HATE not finishing books so I pressed on, thinking that it would get better. When he said that he loved her too and she offered to give up Northwestern for him I seriously thought WOW. This is going to be one of those books. I felt slightly better when he showed up with that other girl because it meant that the story wouldn't play out exactly like I had imagined. This was strike 1.
Also, can I just say how pissed I am that they buried empty caskets and then never once in the story thought to find the bodies or mention the accident ever again? I would've even gotten closure if they saw on the news that the authorities were going to stop searching. ANYTHING but leaving it at empty caskets.
Does anyone feel like they didn't see a relationship develop at all with Ian and London? If that first chapter was supposed to convince me of their love, it didn't. Not at all. It would've been more believable if they kept doing flashbacks. Say, London has a crush on her bff's brother. Then, he comes back from college and takes her to prom. Then her and Sabrina go to visit him in college and they share a secret kiss. Then they spend the next few years texting and talking. Then they have sex and it's magical. THEN maybe at his grad party London sees him with another girl. I feel like their relationship never developed to the point where he would have feelings for her. Wanting to kiss her at some parties not enough to convince me that he loved her. Nope. Not good enough. The whole story bothered me because I never believed their relationship. I didn't feel it. As adults, London kept saying how bad they were together (mind you they were never actually together except for the one night that we know of). Yet, she continues to give in time and time again. While we are on the subject, their sex was really subpar. I love a good sex scene, but I kept skipping through theirs. "You're so hard." "You make me so hard." "My cock is rock hard." Also, can we retire THANK FUCK? I'm tired of seeing it and it was honestly not even cool in Fifty Shades. No one says this. NO ONE. Yet all these new adult authors use it. Ugh.
Can we also talk about how he treated London? I would've written him off the moment the said "Nothing, just that I thought I already had that. But seems the women I fuck aren't able to hold up their end of the bargain. Or maybe it's just the one I fucked last night." I would've been done after that honestly. He kept hurting her feelings over and over and then just solved things by having sex. How does that make sense? This bugs me in books so much.
Speaking of what bugs me, I love that London told him to stop mansplaining to her. He did it back then and then tried to do it again. I don't even see how he was so in love that he had to break her heart to take the scholarship. I don't see how this broke his heart too because I never felt their relationship. I also don't see how young Morgan could say "Why should you get to make it for her?" talking about London's choice to take the job or not. How is this kid smarter than he is?
Despite how much I hated their entire relationship, I loved the story line of this book. I think it would make a great Hallmark movie. It could've been executed much better, but it wasn't half bad. I'll have to say that naming their baby Sabrina was one of the best parts (although that's what made me wonder if they ever found survivors/bodies).
If I'm being completely honest, I almost didn't make it past the first chapter. I HATE not finishing books so I pressed on, thinking that it would get better. When he said that he loved her too and she offered to give up Northwestern for him I seriously thought WOW. This is going to be one of those books. I felt slightly better when he showed up with that other girl because it meant that the story wouldn't play out exactly like I had imagined. This was strike 1.
Also, can I just say how pissed I am that they buried empty caskets and then never once in the story thought to find the bodies or mention the accident ever again? I would've even gotten closure if they saw on the news that the authorities were going to stop searching. ANYTHING but leaving it at empty caskets.
Does anyone feel like they didn't see a relationship develop at all with Ian and London? If that first chapter was supposed to convince me of their love, it didn't. Not at all. It would've been more believable if they kept doing flashbacks. Say, London has a crush on her bff's brother. Then, he comes back from college and takes her to prom. Then her and Sabrina go to visit him in college and they share a secret kiss. Then they spend the next few years texting and talking. Then they have sex and it's magical. THEN maybe at his grad party London sees him with another girl. I feel like their relationship never developed to the point where he would have feelings for her. Wanting to kiss her at some parties not enough to convince me that he loved her. Nope. Not good enough. The whole story bothered me because I never believed their relationship. I didn't feel it. As adults, London kept saying how bad they were together (mind you they were never actually together except for the one night that we know of). Yet, she continues to give in time and time again. While we are on the subject, their sex was really subpar. I love a good sex scene, but I kept skipping through theirs. "You're so hard." "You make me so hard." "My cock is rock hard." Also, can we retire THANK FUCK? I'm tired of seeing it and it was honestly not even cool in Fifty Shades. No one says this. NO ONE. Yet all these new adult authors use it. Ugh.
Can we also talk about how he treated London? I would've written him off the moment the said "Nothing, just that I thought I already had that. But seems the women I fuck aren't able to hold up their end of the bargain. Or maybe it's just the one I fucked last night." I would've been done after that honestly. He kept hurting her feelings over and over and then just solved things by having sex. How does that make sense? This bugs me in books so much.
Speaking of what bugs me, I love that London told him to stop mansplaining to her. He did it back then and then tried to do it again. I don't even see how he was so in love that he had to break her heart to take the scholarship. I don't see how this broke his heart too because I never felt their relationship. I also don't see how young Morgan could say "Why should you get to make it for her?" talking about London's choice to take the job or not. How is this kid smarter than he is?
Despite how much I hated their entire relationship, I loved the story line of this book. I think it would make a great Hallmark movie. It could've been executed much better, but it wasn't half bad. I'll have to say that naming their baby Sabrina was one of the best parts (although that's what made me wonder if they ever found survivors/bodies).