The Truest of Words review

Finally, after a long wait, The Truest of Words is released on Amazon!! A huge congratulation to Georgina Guthrie! Click here for purchase link. This book provides an absolutely beautiful end to Sailor and Poppet’s journey.

Synopsis:

With the end of term finally behind them, Aubrey and Daniel look forward to building a life together. A painful realization that they can’t truly embrace the future until they’ve come to terms with the past leads them to discover the healing potential of forgiveness and the power of unconditional love.

Like the first two books in the series, The Truest of Words is a romantic tale that blends witty banter with passion and drama.

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One of my favorite quotes from TToW

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!! READERS BE ADVISED, PROCEED WITH CAUTION!

My review:

This book has been sitting on my TBR-shortlist folder since April 2014. Today(Nov. 18), the book finally came out. Yes, I am writing my review of this book on the day of the release because I just FINISHED reading The Truest of Words. I devoured and savored the entire book on its release day! I am NOT ashamed to say I didn’t do much but read this book (I had a pretty free day) the entire day.

The Truest of Words is the final book of the Words Series. It picked up right where we left off in Better Deeds than Words. Daniel and Aubrey continue to countdown to Aubrey’s graduation, so they could go public with their relationship and move forward. For those of you that are wondering, there is a HEA!

How I felt about this book…
Once again, I was blown away by the precision, eloquence, beauty, and sincerity of Georgina Guthrie’s words. With a series that’s about words, GG did a fantastic job giving us books that lived up to its name! I am in awe of her ability to convey Daniel & Aubrey’s story. You experience their ups and downs, trials and tribulations, joy and sorrows. I felt them! And for someone who’s mostly level-headed, this was a huge accomplishment! It goes to show how powerful GG’s writing is.

TToW covers it all. There were funny, nervous, witty, heartwarming, sad, joyous, and countless romantic moments. Aubrey& Daniel continue their witty banters, Patty makes multiple appearances, the whole Grant family as well as Julie & Matt all have great scenes in the book. Family and friendship place a huge part in TToW, as with the previous two books.

Daniel and Aubrey is one of the most memorable couples I have ever read. They have a very special place in my heart. They won me over (and over) with their intelligence, romantics, flaws, strengths, and most definitely their love for each other. Daniel& Aubrey’s love for each other is one that I want! I guess, it’s why this story and its people are so REAL to me. Our hero and heroine don’t have a “dark” past (per se, I’m getting tired of dark pasts, it’s seriously overused!). They have real issues that stem of real life problems that we can relate to, as well as problems appropriate to its context (namely Daniel’s reputation). GG writes in a way that convey that realism so precisely. It speaks directly to my heart. Their love for each other really leaps out of the page without being in your face. GG’s writing is perfectly balanced, so that all the emotions the characters felt were not cheesy (NEVER!) or exaggerated!

Love & relationship is a journey and a process. They have ups and downs. And you can see/read Daniel and Aubrey work through all that have happened to them. They complement each others in times of weakness/flaws, and they shine synergistically when they are together in fun and stressful times. When I was reading TToW, watching Aubrey and Daniel work through their problems and finding epiphanies, I felt like I was learning from them. Learning what it is to have a successful relationship. It was amazing to witness/read. You could tell that the messages were rooted in GG’s experience and she believed in them. I am not saying the books are relationship handbooks, but the series presents you with realistic approaches, expectations, conflicts, and resolutions in romance that makes the story less fiction-like.

The realness is what makes Daniel and Aubrey special. It’s what makes GG’s writing unique and brilliant. By the time I reached the ending, I experienced this satisfaction I have not experienced about a series in a long time. It was this satisfaction that let me know Aubrey and Daniel will be ok, will be happy, will be arguing but also finding solutions, will be successful. This satisfaction comes from how full-circle the story concludes. It’s a satisfaction that left me content and at peace that this story has ended. I would be lying if I say I didn’t want more D&A. I will always want more, but I am happy with it. And I haven’t felt like this about a book or a series in a long time. And this speaks a lot to GG’s ability to bring this emotion out of me. Bravo!

Overall, it has been incredible to read Sailor & Poppet’s story. I am crying as I am writing this review. I am sad that this is over but I am happy to have “known” them. So thank you, GG for writing this magnificent, inspirational, enlightening, and luminous story.

❤

Steph

Review: TouchStone for play

TouchStone for play by Sydney Jamesson was the first book I ever reviewed. I read this in Jan. 2014. I was introduced to this author and her books through a fellow fan of Deborah Harkness (yup, Deb keeps popping up!). My friend had high praises for this brilliantly & intelligently written romance trilogy, so I decided to give it a try. This book sort of reignited my romance novel obsession after a very long hiatus. So, here it is:

Goodreads Synopsis:

Twenty seven year old English teacher Elizabeth Parker is waiting to be found. Like the secrets of her past, her beauty is hidden, concealed behind modest clothes and a gentle nature. Into her secluded world enter two powerful men.

Handsome playboy, Ayden Stone is flawless and as skilled in the bedroom as he is in the boardroom. He has a taste for rare and beautiful things and he wants to taste her. He’ll do anything to make it happen. Uninitiated in the art of seduction, Beth embarks upon a voyage of sexual awakening, allowing Ayden to steer her towards deep and dangerous waters, unaware of their fateful connection.

From a distance, former boxer Dan Rizler bides his time but never loses sight of the object of his desire: precious Miss Parker. His tormented soul reaches out to her with merciless hands. He must have her.

This is a modern fairy tale full of romantic moments, music and monstrous encounters. Elizabeth Parker is about to be found but will she be bound by her destiny or by her demon …

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TouchStone for play is the first book in the Story of Us Trilogy by Sydney Jamesson. It is a masterfully crafted story that expertly balances love, lust, romance, and suspense. The novel tells the story of an English grammar school teacher Beth Parker and a powerful CEO Ayden Stone. The intense attraction between the two characters is evident right away in the book and carries throughout the story.

Beth is an intelligent, educated, and beautiful woman with a mind of her own. She articulates and communicates through words and through her eclectic collection of music. She is level-headed and mature, which makes her very real and relatable to me. Ayden is a successful CEO of an international media corporation who is self-assured, assertive, and sexy. What I enjoy most about Ayden is how multi-dimensional he is. Throughout the story, we witness both his powerful CEO self as well as a vulnerable man lost and confused at how to approach his relationship with Beth. Ayden Stone expresses his point of view throughout the story and slowly reveals his character. Ayden is not afraid to show his vulnerability when it comes to Beth and his love for her.

Beth and Ayden each has their own past that complicates the development of their relationship. But what’s amazing about the story is watching them help each other resolve and move past their pasts, which often precede or follow hot and steamy sex. The mild BDSM only intensifies the very hot and sexy scenes. But the passion and love they have for each other will melt your heart!

TouchStone for Play also has a villain that always lurks in the dark with a very sinister motive. What special about the novel is how Ms. Jamesson includes this shadowy figure by writing in his POV. She skillfully brings him to life with her descriptive writings and it really chilled my bones when I was reading Dan’s thoughts, which really shows how dangerous and crazy Dan Rizler is.

TouchStone for play is such a compelling and successful story thanks to Ms. Jamesson’s lyrical and articulate writing. The story is beautifully written, [sex] scenes are descriptively and beautifully crafted, and the plot is intricately laid. I just really enjoy how the story flows and speaks to me. I can SEE the story play out in front of me, which doesn’t happen very often for me. I was swooned by Ayden’s charm right away and Sydney has said Henry Cavill was her inspiration for Ayden Stone, so how can you NOT be?! After reading this book, Ayden Stone will be one of your favorite Book Boyfriends! I promise!

Beth & Ayden with TSFP cover

This romance/erotica novel captures my attention right from the start, engages me throughout, and leaves me wanting/needing TouchStone for giving. I highly recommend this book to everyone! And I definitely suggest listening to Beth and Ayden’s music along while reading. It will make your reading experience all the more enjoyable! It did for me!

5/5 stars

Spotify Soundtrack for TouchStone for play

Find Sydney Jamesson on her website or her Facebook page

You can purchase TouchStone for play at Amazon US & read what others have to say.

 

Review: Making Faces

Making Faces by Amy Harmon (published in Oct. 2013)

Amazon US purchase link

5/5 stars

Synopsis: Ambrose Young was beautiful. He was tall and muscular, with hair that touched his shoulders and eyes that burned right through you. The kind of beautiful that graced the covers of romance novels, and Fern Taylor would know. She’d been reading them since she was thirteen. But maybe because he was so beautiful he was never someone Fern thought she could have…until he wasn’t beautiful anymore.
Making Faces is the story of a small town where five young men go off to war, and only one comes back. It is the story of loss. Collective loss, individual loss, loss of beauty, loss of life, loss of identity. It is the tale of one girl’s love for a broken boy, and a wounded warrior’s love for an unremarkable girl. This is a story of friendship that overcomes heartache, heroism that defies the common definitions, and a modern tale of Beauty and the Beast, where we discover that there is a little beauty and a little beast in all of us.

Review:

I’m late in the game in terms of reading this book. Looking at the high ratings I thought I would give it a try. And there is a reason why this book has such a high rating!

First let me say (or warn you) that this is probably the saddest book I have ever read AND it’s also one of the most beautiful & tender books I have ever read. I have never ugly-cried so badly while reading. (Yes, I had the occasional trickles of tears while reading, but never this!) Even though it made me cry, it didn’t dampen my mood but it helped me connected with it more! Does that make sense? But this story has a HEA (happily ever after), I promise!

Making Faces is a book about love, loss, family, friends, identity, courage, tragedy, hope, and faith. In essence, this is a book about life and I mean that in the most respectful and sincere way. It’s about the good & the bad. Amy Harmon has an incredible skill in describing these universal feelings in the most straightforward and easy-to-understand ways. Her writings are mellow but not slow, simple but not boring, truthful but not hurtful. Every sentence is a beautiful stroke that makes up this elegant painting that is Making Faces. I was drawn by the writings, I couldn’t put it down and before I knew it I finished the book in one sitting (less than a day)!

Even though the synopsis describes this book as a romance story between Ambrose and Fern, this book is so much more than that. It’s a collective story with universal sentiments shared and felt by so many. There are so many emotions running through the entire book, it made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me smile, and it made me mad.

Ambrose Young is a star wrestler in his final year of high school. An excellent athlete with a gorgeous face, a great leader and a loyal friend to his teammates/friends, Ambrose has it all. But, he is lost and needing an escape. Ambrose is tall, strong, reliable, and protective yet he is also powerful. His lost of identity led him to a decision that ultimately destroyed him figuratively and emotionally. His road to recovery is what moved me. He gained strength through recovery. And that is more powerful than being strong.

Fern Taylor is a wall flower. A wall flower waiting for her full bloom. She is best friend to Rita, angel to her cousin Bailey, a devourer of romance novels, an aspiring romance author, and she is in love with Ambrose. She is smart, funny, and loyal. But she is also a girl with Ugly Girl Syndrome. Fern does not think she is pretty. But what makes Fern special is her inner beauty. She is one of the most selfless person I have ever read (and I wish I could meet her in real life). Her insecurity is universal, but how she lives her life with that insecurity is not and that’s what makes her unique.

I mentioned this is a story about life. But more importantly, this is a story about the transformative power of life. We all change. Our experiences, friends, family, etc. change us. How we recognize, acknowledge, accept, adapt, and finally become is what makes us different. This is a story about how Fern and Ambrose go through those steps to get their HEA. What makes Making Faces so powerful is this journey that Fern and Ambrose took us on. We all hear people talk about “it’s not about the end but about the experience/journey/process” (or some other versions of it), this book is about just that! It’s told in such a beautiful, melancholy, but real way that it really hits you with all sorts of emotion.

Amy Harmon took me on a journey that I didn’t expect to have when I started reading. In the end, I am happy that I did. This story is relevant, is real, is tender, and is powerful!

I hope you would all give the book a try! But get your tissues ready!

ps. The only thing I didn’t like might be the flashbacks, it was needed but I also felt that it somewhat disrupted the flow but I also don’t see another way of putting the book together.