Review: The Closer You Come by Gena Showalter

Title: The Closer You Come ( The Original Heartbreakers #1)
Author: Gena Showalter
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: March 31st 2015
Page Number: 434
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Just released from prison, Jase Hollister has a dark and twisted past. And now, he has only one goal: stay out of trouble. Strawberry Valley, Oklahoma, sounds like the perfect place for him and his two brothers-by-circumstance to settle down and live a nice, simple life. But model citizen isn’t exactly this rugged bachelor’s default setting—especially when it comes to a certain hot-blooded Southern beauty…

Brook Lynn Dillon has always been responsible. Not that it’s done her much good. The down-on-her-luck waitress is broke, single and fun-deprived. Until Jase comes along. He is dangerous, stunningly protective, breathtakingly sexy and as tempting as sin, and the passion sizzling between them is undeniable. But can it melt her resistance? After all, the right kind of trouble might be just what they both need.  

REVIEW

 

The Original Heartbreakers series was one of those series that I had my eye on for a while. Because they're all adult contemporary romance they were all published within a short time span of each other. So being able to marathon the series was one of the things that attracted me to it. And major factor that made me want to read this series is that Gena Showalter is one of my favourite authors. Her White Rabbit Chronicles series is an all time favourite.

 

The story follows our Heroine, Brook Lynn Dillon and our Hero, Jase Hollister who try the path of love while overcoming all their difficult obstacles. Brook Lynn has been fired from her job, she's basically babysitting her older sister and she's fighting her feelings for Jase and all the while Jase is just trying to overcome his past by hoping Strawberry Valley will give not only him, but his foster brothers a fresh chance at life.

 

Brook Lynn was definitely a fun, fresh and fierce character. She had an obsession with Zombies and believed a Zombie apocalypse was definitely going to happen. She also had a hearing impairment, which meant that she sometimes had to read lips. Jase has a bad past with prison but really he's judge a big lovable guy under all his hard exterior. And one of the things he does best is love fiercely. I loved him and Brook Lynn together. They had the banter that bounced off each other and that made me fall so much more in love with them.

 

There were a few things I didn't appreciate but the one thing that stood out for me against the rest was the use of the word Whoremones. Like being sexually attracted to a guy made Brook Lynn a slut. We can't help who we fall for and who we have chemistry with. Sexual attraction happens and it's just a part of our human mechanisms. It's not something that needed to be a guilty thing.

 

Overall, I enjoyed this one immensely. It was super cute and gave me the butterflies.

 

 

 

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Review: The Enemy by Charlie Higson

Title: The Enemy (The Enemy #1)
Author: Charlie Higson
Genre: YA Horror
Publisher: Puffin
Published: September 3rd 2009
Page Number: 407
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Everyone over the age of fourteen has succumbed to a deadly zombie virus and now the kids must keep themselves alive. When the sickness came, every parent, police officer, politician - every adult fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry. Only children under fourteen remain, and they're fighting to survive. Now there are rumours of a safe place to hide. And so a gang of children begin their quest across London, where all through the city - down alleyways, in deserted houses, underground - the grown-ups lie in wait. But can they make it there - alive?

REVIEW

I've never read a book by Charlie Higson before but I definitely know that I want to continue on with this series. It's intense and so much fun.

After recently watching The Walking Dead I was needing something a little different to read. I remember a friend of mine saying that she loved this series, so I picked it up and was immediately sucked into the life of a different, more dangerous London.

We follow a bunch of different character, who all live in Waitrose trying to survive the Zombie Apocalypse. Unlike most books, The Enemy starts off with instant action of one of the kids is taken by The Enemy. The group are trying to figure out what to do and you're met with instant panic. Your heart rate picks up, you turn the pages quicker than ever because you're dying to find out what happens. Anything could happen, anyone could die. You have no idea what's coming next and that's what Charlie Higson does so well. He writes the series with intensity and a lot of action. Surprise action. There were so many scenes that caught me off guard.

What I loved in the story is the loyalty within the gangs. Waitrose and Morrison's join together and seeing them all get to know each other was so nice. Initially they are all out for themselves, but together they are a family. A dysfunctional family but a family who will do whatever to protect each other. And that is something that really connects to you to characters.

However, I will be honest and say that it did get a little confusing. We followed so many characters that I connected too and then they were.....well, dead. And while I understand that it needs to happen, I just didn't understand why we had to connect with all of the characters before they were topped off. It's meant to be a horror book, not meant to make me cry.

But it was a very engaging story. It was filled with action and I was so happy that we explored more of London. Plus Sam really stole my heart. I feel like I'm his older brother and need to protect him and that's really warming. What I want right now though is the sequel because I need to know what happens next.

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