Tag Archives: E.L. Todd

Review: Fate on Fire (Stars #3) by E.L. Todd

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Title: Fate on Fire
Author:  E.L. Todd
Publisher/Year:  E.L. Todd 7/17/20
Length:  200 Pages
Series: Stars #3

Overview

I’m alone on Earth and Neil is gone.

He may never come back.

I know I have to move on, to be strong, to carry on…especially since I’m not the only person I have to take care of.

Kyle gives me an option I can’t refuse.

So I take it.

My Thoughts

The unthinkable happens at the end of book two and we’re left picking up the pieces. We know that Neil’s #1 priority is space and working for NASA. This mission that he has been working towards for his whole career- going to Mars has finally happened and we watch him leave Earth, likely for 3 years if he ever comes back. We watch him fall in love with Charlotte before he leaves but never share that information since he knows that it’ll hurt her, but in return, he misses out on something amazing.

Charlotte on the other hand was damaged before this relationship and likely will be forever hurt. She’s fallen in love with Neil and makes her feelings known, knowing that he’s not able to give her what she wants in life – marriage and a family. Her first marriage ended because she was told she couldn’t have kids, so that wasn’t an issue with her future with Neil, until she learns the day before he leaves that she’s pregnant.

So we pick up book 3 watching Charlotte come to terms with being a single mom, living her life without Neil, and watching Kyle make his move. We know that all he’s ever wanted was to be with her, and it’s no surprise that he takes this opportunity to be the father that her child needs and to swoop in. It’s painful as a reader to watch this all happen because we know that Char is still very much in love with Neil, even though she knows that he won’t be back or back any time soon. So she chooses to settle. She goes for the man that she knows she loves, because he gives her the safety and support that she needs, but he’s not able to fulfill everything for her.

The story jumps bits into the future so we see Char give birth to Kingston, and then we see him grow into a 1 year old. We watch how she convinces everyone that the baby isn’t Neil’s but Kyles, and that makes our hearts hurt even more. It’s sad to think that while she feels like this is the right thing to do, it’s wrong on so many levels.

She feels vindicated though when there’s an explosion on Neil’s shuttle and comms are lost. NASA declares them dead since there haven’t been any communications in weeks, and that is what Charlotte needs to be able to move on fully with her life. She knows that Neil isn’t coming back and from there we watch this story become one of rebirth. Charlotte finds her new happiness in a life that works – it;s stable and secure and she gets the friendship and loyalty that she needs.

Until…..of course – you knew it, some how Neil manages to get the crew back to Earth and her world is in a tail spin AGAIN. She’s engaged to Kyle and yet Neil is back in the picture. She doesn’t want to break her word to Kyle, yet there’s a pull that she’s trying to fight from Neil. He doesn’t even know that he has a kid and all that adds to the complication.

You can only imagine the roller coaster of this story. How there are happy moments and heartbreak, there are lies and truths revealed left and right and there’s really no clear vision on how this will end. Will Kingston know his true father and will Neil want to be in the picture for that. What will Charlotte allow now that her live has moved into something new and different.

This is the closure that we needed but perhaps didn’t want when we saw the trajectory that they were on in the first two books. It makes you wonder if love is enough and if there’s something bigger out there that trumps love. On that note, now I have to find something else to read so…..Enjoy!

Review: The Fighter (Doctor #4) by E.L. Todd

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Title: The Fighter
Author:  E.L. Todd
Publisher/Year:  Independent 5/14/19
Length:  199 Pages
Series: Doctor #4

Overview

Finn did the unthinkable.

He left.

Just as my parents abandoned me, he left to live a better life.

It took so long to pick up the pieces, but I’ve sworn to never fall in love again.

And to never take Finn back…no matter how much he begs.

My Thoughts

This fourth installment breaks my heart. We knew that the love story of Finn and Pepper wasn’t meant to be, and that’s what we see as a culmination in this series. Finn, the nomad, was offered the job of a lifetime, going to run the Doctors without Borders program in Africa, meaning that he’d be away for a year, and then when that time was up, he’d get a job at the Mayo Clinic, the opportunity that would give him the career gig that he’s always wanted. He thought that Pepper would follow him anywhere – she proved the she supported his profession when he went to Florida to help the red cross for a month and was surprised when she wouldn’t bend here.

A month is one thing

A year is another

Uganda and Minnesota are not Seattle, and that means that Pepper will never be happy.

So they go their separate ways. The engagement is off. The relationship is off, and now they have to figure out what life looks like separately.

Pepper has decided that romance and love are not her future. She’s been in love and abandoned by everyone, Colton, Finn and even her birth mother so now she’s a player. All she wants to do is have meaningless relationships that never go longer than one night. Her friend are worried about her but they know that they can’t reason with her right now. Things change slightly one night when it’s really late and she’s alone in a bar, and a handsome, powerful, strong sexy man approaches her. The description that we get of him reminds us of Finn, but we know that this guy is the opposite of Finn. What starts as a one night stand turns into something else. She doesn’t realize who this guy is – Brutus…until her friends identify him based on his description. He’s a Billionaire and a man who can give Pepper what she needs. Mind you, she’s damaged and doesn’t want a relationship and she learns that he is as well, so they are in a good casual relationship together.

Brutus shows Pepper the world, takes her to Fiji, and makes her happier than she’s been in a while. There’s no talk of the future, but they know that the ‘now’ is what is in important.

Across the world, we watch how Finn is doing the job that he signed up for, but he’s miserable. He knows that he’s helping people that would never have the care he provides, but he’s empty. he knows that he made the wrong choice and he’s even attempted to talk to Colton about it, but no one in the states wants anything to do with him. He has a meaningless relationship with one of the doctors there because he doesn’t want to be alone, but he’s definitely not enjoying anything that the program should give him. Colton tells him that Pepper’s moved on, yet that’s not enough to get him to give up, and that’s where we know this story will go downhill.

Finn comes back to the states and wants to get Pepper back. Pepper is happy in her new situation with Brutus. He’s transformed her business so that she’s now making 3x as much money – and she’s got employees working for her so that she’s able to take time for herself. She’s working out with Stella now and she’s in the best shape of her life. Finn coming back will ruin all that.

The story from here is a roller coaster. Finn won’t give up his quest to win her back, but Brutus is a formidable opponent. A stupid one as well when he makes decisions that could push Pepper back to Finn if only she knew. That’s now how Finn is going to play things, so we watch Pepper and Brutus evolve their casual relationship into something deeper.

There’s a payout, a beating and a lot of lies and deception that bring this story to a close for those three and I think that the ending justifies the process.

The other story line that I really enjoyed here is the evolution of Colton and Tom. Colton deserves his own happiness too and now that he’s really comfortable with who he is and the relationship that he’s in now, it’s nice to see that there’s really something tangible there. It’s been over a year and they are still happy together and that means that their future is open to so many opportunities. We want to see him in his forever relationship, so it’s nice that this story shows us that side of things along with the complex and difficult story of Pepper.

I’m sad to see how this fourth installment ends, but it was even more traumatic to see how it began. The closure that we get warranted the journey that we went on and now it’s time to move on to something else. Great thing about the eBooks that i’ve been getting – the first book of this series was in the last book of the prior series that i read – and the same goes here. I’ve already got my next series to jump into – so off I go. Enjoy!

Review: The Doctor (Doctor #1) by E.L. Todd

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Title: The Doctor
Author:  E.L. Todd
Publisher/Year:  Independent 4/16/19
Length:  198 Pages
Series: Doctor #1

Overview

My husband left me.

After five years together, he realized he was gay.

Once the anger had faded away, there was nothing but love left behind. This man is still my best friend and I want him in my life. So I move across the hall so we can be as close as we always have.

Then his brother moves in for a couple of weeks, a man I’ve never met. He relocates to Seattle to work as an ER doctor at the local hospital.

And he’s NOTHING like his brother.

The strong and silent type, he looks at me with a gaze so fierce it’s like he hates me. Every time we’re alone in a room together, the chemistry is so suffocating I can barely breathe. The guy never wears a shirt around the apartment so that makes it a million times worse…or better depending on how you look at it.

But this man is off-limits. He’s the only man in the world I can’t have. And he can’t have me either.

So we’ll just have to keep pretending there’s nothing here….even though there is.

My Thoughts

The summary doesn’t quite do this intro the a new series justice. Yes, we meet our leading lady Pepper on the day that she’s signing her divorce papers from her true love match – Colton. The guy that she’s been married happily to for five years. It makes it complicated too when he texts her ‘baby are you coming’ which makes us wonder the circumstances of their divorce.

We learn them quickly – while they were happy together, there was something that Colton couldn’t deny anymore – that he was gay. So they part ways as husband and wife, and we see what their new relationship develops into over time. They still have so much love for one another, but not the in-love type. and it’s really amazing to see how they’re always there for each other throughout everything.

The beginning of story takes the readers on the journey of rediscovery and understanding who you are now that your life circumstances are different. Pepper had swagger and confidence before she married Colton and now she questioned it. People who knew the couple in the past and knew that Colton was now gay, well they questioned what it was that Pepper did to turn him off women and that isn’t something that’s justified. Even though Pepper is gorgeous, and owns a luxury lingerie store, she’s having trouble getting her stride back, and it’s only when a man comes into her store repeatedly to pick up lingerie for a variety of different women that she decides to get back in the saddle and use him as her entry back into the world.

Enter Jax – a man who’s so attractive that he’s got the nickname Mr Gorgeous. He’s everything that Pepper wanted, with no expectations. She uses him for a night and walks away. It’s only when their paths cross that he realizes that she’s worth more than just one night, and pushes her for more. We know that’s going to be complicated and this is how we see their story continue for the balance of the book.

There are a few other plot lines to note. Colton is trying to get his footing in the world now that he’s come out and has the opportunity to explore what feels natural to him. He’s nervous and doesn’t really know how to put himself out in the dating world, but he’s got friends around him like pepper that are beyond supportive. On top of that, we see Colton struggle at work as well – because his law firm apparently isn’t inclusive, and they don’t like the fact that he’s come out as gay and his opportunities on cases there dwindle. We watch how that makes things stressful for him, and makes him question everything in life yet again, until he’s forced to make a decision.

Then there’s Finn. Colton’s older brother who’s back from the military and setting down roots as an ER doc in Seattle. He’s cold, focused, but at the same time masculine, powerful and has this magnetism that draws every women to him (which he enjoys), and then creates some type of interesting bond and friction with Pepper.

This is the good bit of the story – we watch them dance around each other – knowing that there’s something there but also knowing that they can’t act on it given that Colton is their common denominator. It’s a shame since as a reader we get the sense that there could be something amazing, however….sadly there’s no other option.

Where we are left at the end of this first installment is a place of great sadness. Colton has admitted to his family who he is and what that means for Pepper. And his parents are not accepting of this. We also see that any happiness that Pepper was developing in her own personal life crumbles when she’s forced to make a choice that she’s not willing to make. The only bright star here is that the brooding nature of Finn ramps up more and more and that means we HAVE to dive into book two to see what that means for everyone. I’m excited for the passion that can come up and the intensity that his story line will bring. So on that note – Enjoy!

Review: Saturday (Timeless #6) by E.L. Todd

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Title: Saturday
Author:  E.L. Todd
Publisher/Year:  CreateSpace Publishing 8/27/16
Length:  184 Pages
Series:  Timeless #6

Overview

When Francesca left me I didn’t think I could ever recover.

But with every passing month it got easier. And when six months had come and gone, I was finally over it. And when a year had passed, I didn’t think about her at all anymore.

But I was still missing something.

I want what she has with Hawke, that kind of love that still burns even when the novelty wears off. I want a woman who loves me with everything she has. And I want to love her in the same way.

When I get set up on a blind date I expect to have a mediocre evening. Blind dates were all the same. We’d have some wine and dinner, and maybe some good sex afterward.

But when she walks in I know this one will be different.

My Thoughts

I think that Kyle was one of our favorites from the bigger series (i.e. the first few books) and the fact that he still remained a nice guy even through all that Frankie put him through – well that makes him amazing in my books. He’s sexy, successful and sweet – the Three ‘S’s’ that any girl would want. So when he’s set up on a blind date and sets his eyes on the most beautiful woman in the world, he knows that maybe it was all for the right reasons. Until he learns that she’s not his date.

Rose – she’s been through a lot and it takes us a bit of the story to get to the crux of what she’s gone through. We know that she doesn’t date, is really against being around guys that she doesn’t know and that makes her perfect for Kyle. We know his back story a bit and what he went through with the murder of his sister, so hes’ really the perfect guy to respect a woman and take things slowly.

The story that unfolds here is one of that’s slow to build but one that we also know is going to fail, it’s destined to fail since there are so many secrets between them. Kyle realizes that Rose needs to take things slow so he pursues her with patience, trying to be gentle and keep his distance since she’s giving off that vibe, but making sure she knows that he’s really interested. At the same time, Rose is confused about how he makes her feel and we get to see her come alive again.

Where things get dicey are that Kyle takes on a case that one of his lawyers couldn’t win the first time around where a woman was raped (gang raped apparently) and the guy got off on circumstantial evidence. When Kyle hears that the guy has struck again, he offers to help and when he learns that the original victim was Rose, he takes it personally. The issue here though is that he can’t let Rose know that he understands her past, and at the same time, Rose thinks that maybe she can open up and share what she went through to make him feel closer.

Emotions are tied up together and they are intense. These two are perfectly matched for each other and it’s a huge question if they will ever get to where they need to be in order to be together and happy.

It’s the final scene that really seals their fate – knowing that secrets can’t be kept and when they come out they will combust. That’s what happens and now we have to wait until the next book to see exactly what that means for everyone. I can’t wait to dive in and see what it’s all about. Enjoy!

Review: Friday (Timeless #5) by E.L. Todd

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Title: Friday
Author:  E.L. Todd
Publisher/Year:  CreateSpace Publishing 5/3/16
Length:  204 Pages
Series:  Timeless #5

Overview

She loves me.

That’s what she told me.

I’ve already lost enough people in my life and I can’t bare the idea of losing her too. I couldn’t handle it.

So I have to break it off.

I have to walk away before it’s too late.

I have to keep telling myself I don’t love her.

And maybe one day I’ll actually believe it.

My Thoughts

Who knew that the story of Axel and Marie would be so complicated however that’s what we get here moving into the second installment of their story. We left off with Marie telling Axel how she felt since she was sure that he reciprocated yet it’s too afraid to either acknowledge it or act on it, so he runs. That destroys her and destroys chance for happiness. and for him as well.

We watch the girls finish college and graduate, and we see Hawke continue to pop into the picture both to keep tabs on Frankie and her well being but to also try to help get Axel and Marie back together. His intentions are in the right place but it’s rarely helpful or successful since no one knows truly why he and Frankie broke up and no one wants to listen to advice when they’re miserable either. It’s sweet and makes you really want to root for him, but so sad because you know that there’s only more pain and sadness for everyone involved.

This story takes us to New York – after Axel managed to help Marie get a job at Prada. I’m a bit confused frankly as i’m a new yorker and i’ve spent years of my life working in fashion to really understand 1) what her job is there at prada (they don’t have a magazine and never did) and 2) get how it was that she was able to get such a high paying job out of college as entry level jobs (which is what she should have with no high end fashion experience). she could never afford an apartment on her own, never afford designer clothes, especially since rent it high and entry level pays like nothing. but that’s just one of many inconsistencies i’ve found in this NY element.

Regardless, she’s got a job that she likes, Frankie seems to be on the right path to find a location for her bakery and open that up (inconsistency #2 as her location is on Lexington and fifth, and um…..those street run parallel to one another, they don’t intercept)/ Axel some how manages to find a job in NYC so they’re all there living their dreams.

The challenge now of course is that the girls want to move on with their lives and the boys are harping on their ladies. We know that this is going to end in heartbreak if things aren’t done in the right way, and with these guys, the right way is going to be the long game.

What’s nice about this story is that we get an element of Frankie’s bakery inception that we didn’t see in any of the previous books. We know that there were people helping her to get it set up etc, but we didn’t know what Hawke did for her that she still doesn’t know about from the beginning. We also get to see what prompted the engagement that led off one of the prior installments of Hawke and Frankies stories and that’s a really sweet bit to this.

I enjoyed this series for a few different reasons but what i love most is that there’s a way to contnue it through the eyes of Kyle – the guy that had Frankie’s attention for a while, and yet Hawke got in the way of that. So….i’m off to read Saturday, (on a sunday – whoops) and i’ll be back to tell you how that one goes. Enjoy!

Review: Thursday (Timeless #4) by E.L. Todd

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Title: Thursday
Author:  E.L. Todd
Publisher/Year:  CreateSpace Publishing 8/27/16
Length:  252 Pages
Series:  Timeless #4

Overview

I’ve known Marie my whole life. She’s been my sister’s geeky friend since I could remember.

But now she’s a woman-a fine one.

Every time she walks by, my eyes soak her in. My hands want to grab her by the hips and never let go. Those gorgeous legs put dirty thoughts into my mind.

Now I want her.

After the greatest one-night stand of my life, she’s all I can think about. I’ve hooked up with a ton of women but the sex was never like that. Whatever Marie and I have together is something worth keeping.

Now I need her.

I don’t do relationships or commitments. After everything I’ve been through I can’t handle them.

But I find myself wanting to make an exception-for her.

My Thoughts

We saw how this couple ends up in the first bit of the series – their story was the precipice for bringing Hawke and Frankie back together at one point in the first three books – so it’s nice to see them get their own air time.

Just like the summary says, Axel has known Marie his whole life, but not this current present day version. She’s grown up, grown into her own body, gotten a ton of confidence and has become the kind of woman that any man would want to be with. The challenge of course is that there’s the family code and best friend code and things can get dicey.

It’s sweet to watch how this relationship really starts….how it’s born from the misery that Frankie goes through after her first breakup with Hawke. We learned all about what those months and years were like, but we get to see it first hand through someone else’s eyes- through the eyes of a brother and a best friend who want her to just get better and who find comfort and chemistry with each other.

The journey that this book goes on is one that’s expected since we’ve seen the ending of this movie, but it’s also nice to get the real story – to see that it wasn’t an easy venture for either and that it’s still not smooth sailing even after this first installment since we see they get more than one.

Marie is more than any man should ever want and Axel worships the ground that she walks on. Of course, he doesn’t see it for what their relationship truly is until words are spoken that can’t be taken back and he runs. On the other hand, we know that Marie has this interest in him that spans all the way back to high school so she’s a bit wary at the onset anyway since it seems like he’s a bit shallow for noticing her only now that she’s grown up.

They’re entertaining for sure, but the bulk of this is sad and emotional. They’re better friends to Frnakie than she perhaps deserves, and as a result, they don’t get to really enjoy the beginning of what could be the best thing ever for themselves, and when they do, it’s almost too short lived. Expectations are placed on each other, words are spoken that maybe weren’t right for the time and Axel is gone.

Their ending of this story still precedes the move to NYC although we know that it’s just over the horizon – school is almost over, the internship that Axel has is almost complete and they are just about to make the hours long drive to New York to see what the big apple has for them. I think they want their dreams to come true, and being a New Yorker, i can only wish them the best! Can’t wait to dive into ‘Friday’ – the next book in this series. Enjoy!

Review: Combust (Electric #4) by E.L. Todd

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Title: Combust
Author:  E.L. Todd
Publisher/Year:  CreateSpace Publishing 10/11/16
Length:  280 Pages
Series:  Electric #4

Overview

Now that Volt and I are together, my life is complete. When I first met him, he wasn’t what I was looking for.

Harsh. Argumentative. And unavailable.

But now, he’s everything I ever could have dreamed of. 

My parents have met him, and of course they love him. But now my best friend since childhood needs to meet the man I’m going to marry.

I just hope she loves him as much as I do.

My Thoughts

This has been an interesting ride watching everyone self destruct but i’m glad that we’ve finally made it to the end of the journey. There are so many ways that this story could have gone, and every day we saw another angle of each and while i enjoyed it, i still have whiplash.

We are still trying to sort out how Volt and Taylor can make things work. They clearly have so much against them, allowing themselves to be their worst enemies, letting other things come in the way of what they want, but they some how manage to make it work, until they don’t. We’re spending a lot of time in this story watching them finally find their happy place. They have a routine and a rhythm that works and a path that looks at the future in a way that they could only hope. Work is better for Taylor and Volt is content in what he’s chosen as his path.

We see Taylor get closer with Volt’s parents, we see Volt really grow this impressive strong relationship with Clay – the teen that he’s tutoring, but we know that the other shoe is going to drop and when it does, it’ll be bad.

Right around Christmas, Clay comes to stay at Volt’s house since his place isn’t safe and that triggers so many things. it shows us that Clay isn’t. safe where he is and that we know that while a promise was made to keep Clay out of the orphanage, it’s likely not going to happen now. The bond that was developed throughout the last 2 books will be lost since we know that Clay will never forgive Volt.

While that’s happening, Taylor finally manages to arrange for Volt and Sara to meet and when they realize who the other is, well, that sends us into the most dramatic tailspin yet. Volt had just bought a ring for. Taylor and then gets the shock of his life when Sara tells Taylor that she has to choose between love and friendship and makes it impossible to choose Volt. She lies to Taylor to make sure she gets her way and that destroys everything good between Volt and Taylor.

Every time i think that there’s going to be a happy ending, i quickly realize that maybe not all stories are supposed to end up like that. Clay is miserable in an orphanage, with no hope of freedom or college. Volt and Taylor are torn apart again with Sara getting her way and lies are all that seem to matter now. The only good thing that’s happening these days is the relationship between Natalie and Jared. They seem pretty content with no drama (at least for now). So, that leave Derek, the friend who wants a girl but can’t seem to find the right one. I hope he gets his own spin off since he’s such a great guy. On that note – off to the next book to read. Enjoy!

Review: Charge (Electric #1) by E. L. Todd

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Title: Charge
Author:  E.L. Todd
Publisher/Year:  CreateSpace Publishing 10/11/16
Length:  150 Pages
Series:  Electric #1

Overview

White-hot, blinding, and dangerous. That’s exactly what Volt is. He’s electric. The first time I met him, my body reacted. It coiled, sizzled, and sparked. I knew I wanted him because he was the first man to make me feel dead and alive at the exact same time. But within a short conversation, I knew he was unattainable. Unavailable. Now we’re just friends. But will we stay friends?

My Thoughts

The summary here doesn’t do the story justice but that’s ok. I got this first installment as an aedd on to the last EL Todd that i read so that was a nice treat. I think that’s how i got into the last series as well? Anyway, we have an ‘electric’ story here about another group of friends that has a semblance of romance mixed into their crew.

We start this story in the past – with Volt our leading guy who’s on the verge of proposing to the love of his life only to walk into a bar to meet his buddies to find her kissing her ex boyfriend. that changes his entire trajectory, and instead of being an open and friendly guy, he’s turned into a manwhore who wants nothing to do with love and romance at all.

We then meet Taylor – new to NYC as she’s taken a teaching job in a new city – we know that she’s from Washington and at times makes it sound like she wants to go back but can’t for some reason (i’d love to find out why to be honest) and the only person she knows is Sara – her best friend from growing up, who’s nursing a broken heart because she’s the girl that Volt was going to propose to and things got messed up. Clearly there’s more to that story since she doesn’t know why he broke up with her which means that whatever it was that Volt saw, wasn’t the truth. The interesting thing here is that we know that Volt is his middle name, and that Sara’s boyfriend was Muriel, but clearly they are one and the same. I can’t wait to see what happens when these girls realize that this guy is the same.

Anyway – throughout this introduction to the series, we watch Taylor try to get her footing in the NYC dating landscape only to get her heartbroken quickly by one guy, slip into another relationship with another guy who seems to be great, and have this amazing best friend friendship with Volt – after meeting him, being attracted buy realizing that they are not right for each other in theory.

Volt on the other hand, we watch him evolve a bit in this story. He’s still closed off to love and romance, but we also get to see how he opens to Taylor until she pushes too hard and the walls go up again. He realizes too late that he’s got feelings for her and that’s where the rollercoaster really resides.

On top of these two, we have Natalie, a girl who’s also a teacher with Taylor who introduces her to a gang of friends. Natalie has this crush on Jared, a boy in their circle and he doesn’t see her like that so we get to watch her pine for him for the bulk of this story. It’s only after Taylor gets her to go out and she meets a guy that she’s into that we see Jared start to feel different about things.

Then there’s Derek, Volts best friend and while he seems like he’s just coasting along but i’m sure that we’ll get to see his story deepen soon.

We are left in this story with Taylor on the verge of losing her job because she’s not finding her footing as a new teacher, Volt has encountered a troubled child that makes him worry and the chemistry between Taylor and Volt changes their dynamic on every page. Add to that the insanity of Natalie and Jared and Derek and well, it all makes for a great story. I’m getting ready to dive into the next book now and can’t wait to see what’s next. Enjoy!

Review: 218 First Hugs (First #3) by E. L. Todd

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Title: 218 First Hugs
Author:  E.L. Todd
Publisher/Year:  CreateSpace Publishing 10/10/17
Length:  292 Pages
Series:  First #3

Overview

He won’t let me date anyone because he’s the biggest cockblock in the world.

He still calls me his wife even though I don’t remember our wedding day.

He said he’ll never give up on me. Not now. Not ever.

Somehow, I forgave him for what he did in the past. But I’m not sure if I can do it again.

But he’s not giving me much choice.

My Thoughts

This summary makes you think that we’re still fairly focused on Bree and Cypress, but this time around we actually get to see a lot more about from Amelia/Ace and even Blade. Their stories really propel this third installment forward, giving us a glimpse into what’s going on in everyone else’s lives.

Bree and Cypress of course continue to be a focus, watching what happened at the end of the last book cause struggles in this book. I have to give Cypress a lot of credit for how much he still stays with Bree even with how she plays with his heart and emotions. Every time he starts to make progress she goes back into her head and messes with him some more. He makes progress, gets Bree into the sense of dating and being a married couple and all of a sudden, her insecurities come up when he sees Vanessa, the woman that Cypress cheated on her with all those years ago and that makes her run. Add to that she learns that Cypress kissed someone (or someone kissed him) after her accident and that causes her to run again, making it impossible for them to be together.

If that roller coaster wasn’t enough, we get to watch Amelia play games. (frankly i like her but not so much here). Evan, her ex-husband finds a way to eke back into her life and into her family, and in a moment of weakness when Amy feels bad for herself because Ace walked away from her, she sleeps with Evan and that muddies the water. Evan thinks that he’s going to have a chance to get back with Amelia, and she even believes that it could be possible. Ace being the amazing guy that he is, he walks away – he doesn’t want to get his heart broken and he doesn’t want to force a family to split so he’s miserable but he also knows that it could be worse.

What happens here is that Amelia is forced to make a decision that will leave someone destroyed, and they go bachelorette style where she has to date both Evan and Ace to help make her choice. I don’t care for this frankly – i think that she’s not being fair to either but who am i to say anything right?

Then there’s Blade. The guy that we don’t know much about since we don’t even really get to see too much of his personality in other books, but at least this is his chance. We finally watch him get smitten with someone, a girl name Celeste who owns a bakery in Carmel, who’s French, sexy, independent and yet only spends some of the year in the US because she’s got family friends and a business in Paris as well. Oh yea and a boyfriend. So you an imagine the mess that this creates when Blade falls for her, realizes that she’s likely going to go back to Paris and then learns that she’s with someone else. He walks away after putting an ultimatum out there and what results is a very sad. Blade.

Where we end this trilogy is a place where we have hope and want to have hope for these friend and we want to see love and romance win out. I don’t know if that’s possible but i think that we can all hope for the silver lining. It seems like it could happen until an accident happens AGAIN and causes another head injury and puts us potentially back to where we started.

You need to read this one to see where this roller coaster lets us off because it’s a wild ride and there isn’t a moment to breathe before another loop comes along. Enjoy!

Review: 400 First Kisses (First #1) by E. L. Todd

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Title: 400 First Kisses
Author:  E.L. Todd
Publisher/Year:  CreateSpace Publishing 9/13/17
Length:  270 Pages
Series:  First #1

Overview

The man I hate lives next door.

He must have just moved in, even though I never saw the moving truck.

He’s just as arrogant as I remember, mowing the lawn without a shirt and grinning like an idiot. When he catches me staring at him through the window, he winks.

So cocky.

He flirts with me like he never broke my heart.

And then he tells me something I just can’t believe.

We’re married.

My Thoughts

The title should have given the impression that this was going to be like 50 First Dates, but i sadly didn’t pick up on that at first. It took me about 2 chapters to get into realizing this and then it all made sense. What we have here is a story that actually breaks my heart. We have Bree – our main character who we come to learn was hit by a car about 18 months prior and every day resets for her. She’s not able to remember anything that happens from the day prior and iit’s the same thing everyday, although some days are good and some are not.

She has the love and support of her sister Amelia, her friends Blade and Ace (great names huh?) and her sexy neighbor Cypress – who we quickly learn is her ex-boyfriend who cheated on her and…..her husband. It’s a dynamic that’s more painful than you can imagine for sooo many different reasons.

Every day, when Bree sees him, all she remembers is the day that she walked in on him cheating on her. What she doesn’t remember is how he fought to win her back and how he succeeded and they had the kind of love you only read about or see in movies. They were happy and then the accident happened and they weren’t. Cypress on the other hand is SO devoted to her that he moved next store, suffers through the replay of every day because he’s beyond in love with her. he needs her in order to survive and it makes you really want to love him.

When Bree falls and hits her head, things change in an instant. She’s able to remember past one day – she’s able to reengage with the world and she’s able to get her life back. the problem though is that even with her friends and family telling her how happy she was in her marriage, she can’t get past her last memory. She doesn’t remember at all that he won her back and that he’s a changed man, and it seems like it’s a losing battle. We spend the entirety of this book watching him do his best work to get another shot with her.

There’s also as secondary story in here – with Amelia at the center. She’s Bree’s sister, she’s divorced and she has two young girls. She’s also got a crush on Ace that’s making their friendship complicated. We watch these two dance around each other, we watch Ace truly be the amazing guy that we want for her, and for her girls, but we also watch him tell her that he’s not ready to settle down. So it’s really a roller coaster of small wins and big losses with them.

Where we net out in the end of this fist book is a place where we have no answers. We don’t know which couples will be together and we don’t know the factors that will get them to a better place all around. It’s so sad to watch since there’s more struggle than moments of happiness in this one. I can’t wait to see what the next installment brings for us. On that note – ENJOY!