Review: Maneater by Cambria Hebert

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

Title: Maneater

Author: Cambria Hebert

Series: Love In The 80s #3

Version Reviewed: Finished, eBook

Website: www.cambriahebert.com

I purchased this book myself.

GoodReads Synopsis:

Watch out, girls. Here she comes.

There’s always that girl. She’s popular, beautiful, and has everything together. The one with the perfectly teased hair, arms full of colorful (but coordinated) bangles, and expertly painted bright-pink lips.

A teacher’s pet. Daddy’s girl.

Everyone loves her.

Because everyone is afraid to challenge her.

Kelly Ross is that girl. She uses her powers of popularity for good… her own good. She doesn’t care who she hurts.

She always gets what she wants.

Including your man.

When she walks down the hallway in her hot-pink heels and ruffled denim miniskirt, all the boys’ heads turn. And all the girls start whispering.

Man-eater.

There hasn’t been a single guy Kelly hasn’t been able to chew up and spit out.

Until now.
Kelly has finally met her match. He’s been there all along, and he’s the exact opposite of everything you’d expect.

Review:
Let me start off by saying I freaking love the cover of this book and I love the premise for the entire series.  I've always been oddly fascinated by the 80's and soak up movies and books set in that time period. Cambria is pretty much my favorite author (aside from R.L. Stine, of course) so I was super excited when I learned she would be writing a story set in 1982.

The book starts off pretty well and I was immediately sucked into the story.  I admit that there seemed to be an overuse of slang in the beginning and I did notice some typos, but, at least for me, they were easily ignored.  Once the story got started it was smooth sailing and I found myself falling for Eric.  He was a very likeable character and I wanted to know more about him and his history with Kelly. 

Kelly was one of those characters that I couldn't find myself liking at first.  She was pretty despicable and I couldn't get passed the way she treated her friends and the people around her.  She was everything that the synopsis for the book promised.  The further the story went on, however, and the more she began interacting with Eric, we started to see a different side to this 'man-eater'. She was softer than she led people to believe and she didn't always like the things she did.

Maneater was decently reminiscent of the 80' and reminded me of something right along side of a John Hughes film.

Rating: 4 Stars.

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Blitz & Giveaway: Maneater by Cambria Hebert

Maneater
Cambria Hebert
(A Love in the ‘80s Novella)
Publication date: March 25th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Watch out, girls. Here she comes.
There’s always that girl. She’s popular, beautiful, and has everything together. The one with the perfectly teased hair, arms full of colorful (but coordinated) bangles, and expertly painted bright-pink lips.
A teacher’s pet. Daddy’s girl.
Everyone loves her.
Because everyone is afraid to challenge her.
Kelly Ross is that girl. She uses her powers of popularity for good… her own good. She doesn’t care who she hurts.
She always gets what she wants.
Including your man.
When she walks down the hallway in her hot-pink heels and ruffled denim miniskirt, all the boys’ heads turn. And all the girls start whispering.
Man-eater.
There hasn’t been a single guy Kelly hasn’t been able to chew up and spit out.
Until now.
Kelly has finally met her match. He’s been there all along, and he’s the exact opposite of everything you’d expect.

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EXCERPT:

Eric
Do people change?
Or do they always stay the same?
That’s more of a philosophy question. I’m more of a science guy.
I like tangible theories that can be measured, questions with answers that have irrefutable proof. I’m not much for matters of the mind with no exact equation, therefore without exact answer.
I’ve heard it said that the more people change, the more they stay the same.
That statement is confusing. Whatever “great” mind came up with the saying probably was a philosophy major and had no knowledge of scientific reasoning.
It’s a false notion.
A mathematical and scientific fact. In an equation, a + b = c. If even just one variable is changed, the entire equation changes, the answer does not remain the same.
If math and science don’t give enough irrefutable proof, the world I live in does. In the universe of high school and growing older, everyone changes. It’s a natural evolution of life.
I see her every day. Even without my glasses, my eyes would still make out her shape.
She’s one of those girls the eyes must look at, just like the lungs must breathe oxygen. Her presence is loud in the hallways of Edward Little High.
Yet her reputation is quiet… at least the real one anyway.
Whispers. I hear them. When you are invisible, or thought to only think about equations and charts, people think you don’t listen. But I hear.
I listen.
It’s how one learns.
The Choice thinks they know everything, but the people who know the most in this school are the ones who are known the least.
I’m practically a shadow, practically a ghost.
“Beat it, losers!” Tad yells from across the hall. My friends and I look up, surprised he’s talking to us.
Okay, maybe I’m not as invisible as I thought.
I glance at Kelly as we scurry off.
Or maybe, I’m only visible when my presence is useful.
I knew Kelly once, a long time ago. Practically in another life. We aren’t friends. She probably doesn’t even remember my name. I remember hers.
I remember the way she used to twist her Oreos in two and hand me the side with the most cream. The way she would grab my hand and pull me off to play before who we were got in the way.
I remember when she was nice.
As I walk to class, my two friends by my sides, I tune out their conversation and wonder. I saw the way Kelly was looking at Tad, her best friend’s boyfriend. It was a sign. Kelly was gearing up to take down another one. It was a pattern. Patterns always repeat themselves.
This time, I wondered if she would go too far.
Kelly was the reason I was spending my time on an internal philosophical debate. Do people change? The theory was no.
I was seeing evidence to the contrary.
The girl I knew all those years ago would never act the way she does now.
But she does.
The whispers follow her around the hall.
People do change.

Author Bio:
Cambria Hebert is an award winning, bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair.
Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house).
Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo.
Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.
You can find out more about Cambria and her titles by visiting her website: http://www.cambriahebert.com.

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Review: Slip of the Tongue by Jessica Hawkins

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

Title: Slip of the Tongue
Author: Jessica Hawkins
Version Reviewed: Finished, eBook
Website: www.jessicahawkins.net

I purchased this book myself.

GoodReads Synopsis:

Sadie Hunt isn’t perfect—but her husband is. Nathan Hunt has her coffee waiting every morning. He holds her hand until the last second. He worships the Manhattan sidewalk she walks on. Until one day, he just…stops. And Sadie finds herself in the last place she ever expected to be. Lonely in her marriage.
When rugged and sexy Finn Cohen moves into the apartment across the hall, he and Sadie share an immediate spark. Finn reveals dreams for a different life. Sadie wants to save her marriage. Their secrets should keep them apart, not ignite a blistering affair. But while Sadie’s marriage runs colder by the day, she and Finn burn hotter.
Her husband doesn’t want her anymore.
The man next door would give up everything to have her.

Review:
I ran across the cover reveal for this book on Facebook and I couldn't help but find the cover insanely beautiful. I had never heard of the author or any of her books before so I decided to read a little bit more about Slip of the Tongue.  I was hooked as soon as I read the tagline. I knew that I had to read it and I knew that this book was going to be full of steamy stolen moments and equally as heartbreaking and terrifying. And it was all of those things.

This is the first book in a while that has hit me this hard.  The story had me feeling so many different emotions all at once and I wasn't sure how to deal with that. When we're first introduced to Sadie, we find ourselves inside the mind of a young, attractive woman that is completely lost. Her husband doesn't seem like her husband anymore and her marriage is in the process of falling apart. She continuously tries to convince herself and those around her that everything is fine, that they're just going through a bit of a rough patch but they're still the perfect fairy tale couple that they have always been. But that isn't the case. Her husband Nathan is rarely home and when he is, she doesn't really seem to exist to him anymore. The few fleeting moments that she can get him to acknowledge her, it's like he's a completely different person. He hardly speaks to her and touches her even less often.

And then, not far into the story, we meet Finn. Oh, my sweet Finn. Starting out with Sadie the way she is, I immediately began reading with a bias towards Nathan.  I didn't care for him much, so when this sexy, sweet, rugged man moves in across the hall, I found myself completely swept off my feet, possibly even sooner than Sadie was. He was endearing and understanding and just delicious in every possible way. He was perfect, for Sadie and just in general. I couldn't get enough of Finn and I honestly wanted him to convince Sadie to leave Nathan.

But as the story continued, I suddenly found myself confused. The deeper I read into their marriage, the more broken I began to feel. Sadie was a woman so hurt and so desperate for her husband to touch her, to love her the way that he used to, that it honestly broke my heart into a million pieces. My husband and I share the same type of marriage that Sadie always bragged about. My husband and I can't keep our hands off of each other. He works away a lot but when he is home, we're pretty much inseparable. He is sweet and kind and will do anything to make me happy. We also had issues getting pregnant, just like Sadie and Nathan. So, in a way, I could relate to their marriage and to her mind set. The very thought of my husband going from how he is now to a cold, silent man that doesn't want to touch, speak, or even look at me shatters my soul to pieces. And that is exactly what Sadie is dealing with. But the more the story continues, we quickly learn that Nathan isn't the root of every issue their marriage is facing.

Sadie is an extremely flawed character and I love that so much about her. It was refreshing to find a character that was so unaware of how she affected those around her and how she played a role in the decline of her marriage. She was a very human character, one that I feel like some of us can relate to on certain levels. Quite often we find ourselves blaming others for issues that we're dealing with and, until it's laid out right in front of our faces, we don't realize that we are a part of the problem, not just a victim.

Slip of the Tongue was a very beautiful story. It made me feel guilty for something I wasn't doing, broken for a marriage that wasn't mine, and afraid to continue reading because I was unsure of how the story would end. I couldn't get enough and I know that this one is going to stay with me for quite some time.

Also, this is my sexy, sweet, photographer Finn:

Source: Franggy Yanez Instagram @Fracrox

Favorite Character: Finn.

Rating: 5 Stars.

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Review: Katie's Hellion by Lizzy Ford

Cover Source: GoodReads.com

Title: Katie's Hellion

Author: Lizzy Ford

Series: Rhyn Trilogy #1

Version Reviewed: Finished, eBook

Website: www.lizzyford.com

I purchased this book myself.

GoodReads Synopsis:

Katie didn't send her boyfriend to Hell, but she's going there to bust him out!

Katie thinks she’s going crazy when a baby angel and death’s personal assistant appear on her doorstep. Both claim she’s destined for something great. If she can survive, that is. She’s drawn into a world filled with immortals like Rhyn, an outcast who claims her as his mate in a show of defiance to his brothers. Katie rescues Rhyn from Hell, and he discovers fast just how special his little human is. With Death counting his days on one hand, Rhyn must learn to love, before his own time is up and Katie becomes the first human casualty in the brewing war between immortals.

Will the love between a gifted young woman and an immortal outcast save the world-- or destroy it?

Review:
 Starting out, I'll be completely honest. Nothing about this book was holding my attention. I didn't find it interesting, the characters weren't relate-able, there was a ton of information being thrown at me and I was getting confused easily. It seemed like there were five million different characters introduced in the very beginning and I just couldn't keep up. I won't lie, I did not want to continue reading this book. On more than one occasion, I seriously thought about putting this book down (and not finishing a book is not something I do lightly). In an attempt to give it a chance, I decided to do something else I rarely do: peruse the reviews. So I read through them and many of them started out the same way this one is. A very, very slow beginning.  But many of them claimed that it was worth sticking with, that if you could get past the first half of the book, the rest was worth it. And it was.

As the book progressed, the story slowed down a little and was easier to follow along. Although characters were still being introduced, they were being thrown at you at lightening speed. As some characters were mentioned, I did, occasionally,  have to take a second to think back and try to remember who the character was and how they fit into the story. There were a lot of secondary characters in Katie's Hellion.

About the only character that I really enjoyed was Rhyn. I know some people didn't care for his beastliness when he first came into contact with Katie but I actually liked it. It showed a depth to his character and that he wasn't just a hunky immortal. He was truly dangerous and not someone that trust should be given to lightly.  He had a decent amount of character development though he didn't insanely improve.

Katie, on the other hand, I really don't think her character developed at all. Other than not being completely mental by the end of the book, she was really the exact same character she started out to be. I admire the fact that she kicked ass and didn't take shit from anyone, but at the same time, I found her to be slightly annoying and a borderline alcoholic. I agree that the stuff that happened to her was freakin' insane but I just couldn't come to care about her character.

There was a lot of action and a lot of bloodshed in Katie's Hellion and that part was fine. Given the image on the cover and the synopsis, it's kind of inferred that this is a steamy book or that there's some aspect of love in it. That's true, but at the same time, Katie and Rhyn don't even meet until half way through the book. I think the beginning was too long and drawn out. I think their love story could have been developed a little more. I understand that there are two more books in the trilogy so there's still time for the characters and the story to develop.

This book wasn't terrible but I wasn't crazy about it either. I don't regret reading it but I was a little disappointed in the story. I do, however, intend to continue with the series to see where the story goes.

Rating: 2.5 Stars.

Cover Reveal: Maneater by Cambria Hebert

Maneater (A Love in the 80s: A New Adult Mix)
Cambria Hebert
Published by: WaWa Productions
Publication date: March 25th 2016
Genres: New Adult Throw Back

Watch out, girls. Here she comes.
There’s always that girl. She’s popular, beautiful, and has everything together. The one with the perfectly teased hair, arms full of colorful (but coordinated) bangles, and expertly painted bright-pink lips.
A teacher’s pet. Daddy’s girl.
Everyone loves her.
Because everyone is afraid to challenge her.
Kelly Ross is that girl. She uses her powers of popularity for good… her own good. She doesn’t care who she hurts.
She always gets what she wants.
Including your man.
When she walks down the hallway in her hot-pink heels and ruffled denim miniskirt, all the boys’ heads turn. And all the girls start whispering.
Man-eater.
There hasn’t been a single guy Kelly hasn’t been able to chew up and spit out.
Until now.
Kelly has finally met her match. He’s been there all along, and he’s the exact opposite of everything you’d expect.

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ABOUT LOVE IN THE 80s: A NEW ADULT MIX
Q: Should these novellas be read in order?
A: No! They are all standalones, written by different authors. What makes them a series is the 80’s romance theme!
Q: Are these in Ebook format only?
A: Yes, these are short novellas that are in Ebook only.

Author Bio:
Cambria Hebert is an award winning, bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair.
Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house).
Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo.
Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.

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