Slammed (Slammed #1) by Colleen Hoover.

Point of Retreat (Slammed #2) by Colleen Hoover.

WOW I don’t know where to begin with this one. I loved hearing book in Will’s POV that made it a little better to me. The characters grew up and matured and yet still stayed the same. We got to know a lot more about Julia and things she did to prepare both Lake and will for the rough road ahead of them. I think Kel and Caulder could not have been more loved by their siblings. The bonds they form with each other, with Lake and Will won’t be broken. When the last part of Julia’s writings are revealed it shows the character of Will as a man and as a brother. Will loved Julia and mourned her like Lake did and ultimately the respect he showed her was beyond that of someone his age. I cant give away anymore on that.

My fave is Eddie still. Her truth and her reveal were awesome.When I just adore her and her boldness. I think her type of honesty is refreshing and called for most of the time. A lot of the table scenes in the book involving their “family” time with what sucks and what is sweet were written so darn good. 

As for Gavin, I think that Gavin becoming more adult and closer to Will was great. He went to high school with Gavin and when Will started teaching he had to take a back seat as a friend and move on to the role of the teacher. They get back to friends and grow closer because of Eddie and Lake. The past shows up to haunt Will when others arrive to throw a bit of big time drama into his life. He is taken by his feelings for Lake. Reese was Will’s bff and now we find out what he is doing home and what he is up to. The culmination of that chapter was heartbreaking! 

Sometimes time heals and sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes living through a loss can change your point of view and outlook on what you once believed would be your future. What Will and Lake go through on this part of the journey is butterflying awesome! So much has happened with Kierstin and her Mom Sandy that makes the story take an adult turn. She is bold too and gets to Will in a way that nobody could before, That chapter was among the best in the book.

The slams in the book are definitely better than before and even involve Kierstin, Calder and Kel. So much drama with them all leads Will to act like a brother for a few minutes to get a point across, that too was awesome. 

Sometimes you need to be told and not asked. That is the moat precious lesson I learned from the book. Push your boundary and learn from the limits you set for yourself. I really want another book or three in the series. I think Will and Lake along with Eddie and Gavin need the closure. That should be the next book. I would like Kel and Caulder to get their own book too. Maybe Kierstin can be a solo book too. Just thinking. 
Anything else Colleen Hoover writes should be on the “tbr” shelf. I expect so much more from her, I hope she knows that

Took me less than a day to read!

I can’t say enough about this makes me think too much about my Aunt, my cousin Kathy Alegre who was diagnosed with lung cancer 8 months ago. I feel too sad to write a review, but I will.

About the writing and style, well no comparisons there this book makes up for at least a dozen of so-so books I have read. The sadness that was Will and Lake is just too real. Makes you think a lot and pay attention. Testing your boundaries because that is what they are there for. WOW so true.

As for the first reveal I was, like I am sure many were totally shocked. I was pissed off with that and I think back to Will’s first conversation and Lake’s first SLAM. He told her lets not go there when she asked about family and things, instead that did “would you rather” Had he told her that night it would have save a very broken girl a lot of shock and heart ache.

Overall I LOVE Eddie and makes me think of my forever bestie and how Eddie was Eddie and Andi is and will always be my Eddie. OK so I am on a weekend get away and I am crying. Not good but just because I love Andi so much and I guess I just thought of her and when her Dad passed and how I did a lot but maybe I needed to do more. Nothing can make up for that. Mine is here and called me today, like he does every Sunday. My bestie Kelly lost hers and it has been a year. Not too many days go by that I dont imagine Pop Pop or think about dumb things we did and feeling like we were his only girls and who always felt so special! I think Walter Senior is up in heaven smiling at me knowing he did adopt me too. Gosh I am a babbling fool.

The ending I guess sadness was there but how can it be? Didnt we all know what would happen? expect it? yes but the reality is when it happens we all grieve the same 5 stages.

Such a “go out and read it today” read!

Book Review: Reason to Breathe By Rebecca Donovan.

I was not as thrilled with this as a lot of people were. I thought it was good but…Olivia started out with the stalking thing because she couldn’t admit that she was into Caleb, that was not bad. I mean who at that age didnt ever stalk someone? I did so I think if we take a poll of college aged stalkers we would find that 60% or more stalked. I think I need a poll.

Anyways I liked Olivia and I dont really think what she did with Little Miss Las Vegas was so bad either. There is a difference to lending help in a bad way and forcing someone. I dont think she forced her at all I think the girl messed up and given the choice she took her own choice, not what Olivia would have wanted. That is not the kid of thing you can make just an acquaintance do. For Caleb and Olivia they both returned lies and drama to each other like a tennis match.

What I didn’t like was the past/present chapters. I also didn’t like that Olivia was beating herself up and calling herself a bad person and a habitual liar all the time. Her bff Cammie was the one I loved. I thought she showed loyalty and friendship. If Olivia was so evil would she even be deserving of her? no. So I thought it was good but nothing more. It is my opinion. I also saw a couple of things in Caleb’s amnesia behavior that were clues to me too.I thought the ending was unresolved. It showed a few similarities to “Gone Girl” for me and I wasn’t a fan of that one either.

Sad to be a downer but 3/5 for this review

Starting this one today

Book Review: If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones.

Must start this asap on pre-order for Sept 4th gggrrr