Rule - The Marked Men Series By Jay Crownover

Do you love a story with a ‘Happily Ever After’? Well, the Marked Men series is for you! Although the prince may be a little bit unconventional and the princess is definitely not a damsel in distress.

These stories are gripping, filled with drama, romance and a family made up of a bunch of outsiders.

The marked men series revolves around the men who work in the tattoo parlour ‘Marked’ and their closes friends.

There are 4 books so far; Rule, Jet, Rome and Nash. With two more lined up; Rowdy (Out October) and Asa. I honestly cannot wait for the next two installments as I enjoy Jay Crownover’s writing a lot and I enjoy her drama filled story lines!

Now, let’s start with Rule. The first installment of the Marked Men.

Rule has been on my book shelf for maybe a year. It always seemed like a book I would enjoy, but for some unknown reason never got around to reading. But I was in a reading slump and decided I needed something that would grip me, have me smiling, fangirling and just make me fall back in love with story-telling. So I chose Rule.

Rule turned out to be my favourite book of the series, but don't worry the rest of them are pretty good too! 

Rule has always been the outsider in his family, he likes dramatic hair, piercings, tattoos and having lots of sex with anyone and everyone. His twin brother Remy died years previous to where this story picks up, which puts a lot more pressure to be the ‘perfect son’ as Remy had always fit into that box for his family.

Shaw was Remy’s best friend, from the moment he met Shaw he had always tried to save her, from her parents, from school, from everything. While Remy and Shaw were best friends his family always thought it was something much more than that. But, Shaw has always been in love with Remy’s not so average brother, Rule. But, Rule see’s Shaw as a preppy girl with really high expectations, who was always his dead brother’s girl. No way was he going there.

But, one drunken night leads to a whole load of feelings neither of them know what to do with. Though they know that it can’t ever be the same between them again. Shaw always wanted Rule but just when she’s on the verge of having him she clams up, gets scared, feels too much too quick. Which is pretty understandable, Rule is a very passionate person, about tattoos about his lifestyle.

But they do however, have these life altering feelings for one another.

AHHHHHHH! FANGIRLING SO HARD!

Shaw has a boyfriend previous to her and Rule’s drunken antics, he is handpicked by her parents to be her, for lack of a better word ‘suitor’ because I don’t think there’s another word for him. He isn’t a particularly interesting character, but he is obsessive about Shaw she’s his. Rule is just a bump in the road, a means to an end. The end being the extreme power couple their parents want them to be.

Shaw while in college to become a Doctor. Rule has his career as a tattoo artist. Shaw was always this unattainable person to Rule, someone that she could look down on. Rule’s own insecurities are seen a lot in this book as he is always the ‘imperfect’ son. His older brother Rome is in the army, risking his life daily. Remy was the good son, never did anything wrong or defied his parents in anyway. Rule just doesn't know how to act around his parents, with looks of shame and disgust from his mother and his father never giving an opinion. Rule’s mother does turn vicious and tell Rule it was his fault Remy died, as he was killed in a car accident that never would have occurred if Rule hadn't asked for a ride home that day.

Rule loses it, he has always thought it was his fault but hearing his own mother say it to him makes him snap. Rule leaves, vowing to never come back unless something happens about the way his parents look at him. Shaw follows right after him, telling her only parental figures that unless they can be more accepting of Rule, she will not come to the weekly Sunday dinners.

These Sunday dinners involve Shaw coming to Rule’s house to pick him up, because that’s the only way she knows that he will be there. If she pushes him into it. Which means after a Saturday night Rule has a stranger in his bed, and Shaw while having feelings for Rule has to see his one night stands every week. I don’t know how she did it time and time again.

Rule and Shaw are polar opposites. People who shouldn’t be attracted to each other. Rule the hot-tempered, tatted up, rebellious man and Shaw the well-mannered, rich, socialite everyone knows her to be. There’s not much that Rule and Shaw agree on, other than the fact that they care about one another.  

I know that there were a lot of ill communication. They really needed to get their act together in some parts, but watching them struggle through all of the emotions really made these characters real for me. Rule always wanted someone to accept him just as he was, and Shaw wanted someone to love her unconditionally, which she found in the Archer family. Rule found his comfort in Shaw.

 

If you’re looking for a book that’s not too heavy, has some bad-boy flare and has a love story that is sweet, cruel and sometimes challenging? Then this book is for you.

Stars? 4.5… Rule and Shaw needed to sort through their crap sometimes and stop blaming each other on different circumstances.

Favourite Character? Shaw. Her loyalty to Rule throughout the family drama really stands to her character.

Least Favourite Character? Gabe, Shaw's ex-boyfriend the psycho!

Favourite Quote? “We have to fix this.”

   “We have to learn to not break it in the first place.”

Anything else to say? Rule Archer is definitely on my Book Boyfriends list! :D

I'm going to do a continuous review of the Marked Men Series, so next week there'll be a blog post on Jet, the second installment and so on... :D Hope you enjoyed it! 

 Want to read these books? Pick them up on the book depository :D http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=Micaela

The Social Media Book Tag.

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► Your favourite short book (under 200 pages)

 The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman 

 This book is full of surprises, it is short and sweet but it is full of magic and wonder. I loved this fantasy novel, but what got me hooked was Gaiman's writing. It's beautiful, unique and strange. Neil Gaiman's version of magic is completely different to anything I've ever read before and I absolutely loved it. 181 pages of utter perfection.  

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► A book that everyone pressured you to read.

Twilight. 

I'll set the scene, you're fourteen, you're highly influenced, you succumb to peer pressure fairly easily because you really don't know any better. Now, your best friends are all reading this book, with two hands on the cover, holding an apple. You think 'it looks boring' your friend replies, 'no, it's really good!'. So you agree to read it. You re-read it so much that there are multiple bends in the spine (May I add this is the only book I own with bends in the spine). I was always Team Edward. 

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► A book you read before it was cool.

  The Fault in Our Stars - John Green 

I read TFIOS at the end of 2012, about October/November, so a few months after it came out in Ireland. I realise that it was popular at that point because of the vlogbrothers and the success of John's previous books but it wasn't really until this year that TFIOS became such a sensation. I'm just happy to say I have been a Nerdfighter since 2012 and that I have been bawling my eyes out and waiting patiently (OK so maybe not too patiently) since 2012. 

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► A book that you liked when you were younger, but you probably would not like now.

   My Sister Jodie by Jacqueline Wilson

It's not that I think I would absolutely loathe this book if I read it today, I think that reading Jacqueline Wilson when I was young really set me up for my life as a reader. I cared about her characters, laughed with them and sometimes even got sad for them. But, I think if I read them now they wouldn't have this affect on me, maybe I'm just too old for them or maybe I've just more of a steel heart then I think I do. 

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► A book that has the most beautiful cover in existence.

     Teardrop - Lauren Kate 

There's nothing to say about this other than, I read Lauren Kate's Fallen series and I wasn't 100% in love with them and I wasn't too keen on reading anything else of hers, but then I seen this cover. I was sold, hook line and sinker. I needed it on my shelf. It's been there since it was released on October 22nd 2013, and I still have yet to read it.. Oops. 

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► A book that you wish was made into a movie. 

   Maybe Someday - Colleen Hoover 

This books is absolutely beautiful, all of the music and all of the hear-ache made this book breath-taking. If a movie were to be made I think I would go see it in the cinema every single day. Because WOW! I just can't even comprehend it......... 

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► A book that you would recommend to anyone and everyone.

      Perks of Being a Wallflower.  

Now, I know this book came out in 1999 and almost everyone has heard of it. But, this book is filled with tension, love, loss, heart-ache. It's a beautifully written coming-of-age novel about a young teen who has demons, demons he tries to suppress. I loved Charlie so much. I have made my friends read this and not one of them has been disappointed. I love this novel, if you haven't read, do! Right now. Stop what you're doing and go pick up this book! Then watch the movie. Read first. Movie Later. 

That's all from me, sorry for the blog silence lately but, with a new job finishing off my first year of college and just needing some personal, away from laptop time... I hope you enjoyed this tag! 

 There will be a review up on Sunday of 2 books, so stay tuned! :D 

Want to read these books? Pick them up on the book depository :D http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=Micaela

Living Again by L.L Collins Book Review

This book was breathtakingly beautiful...

 This book begins after the death of our main character, Kayley's husband, Alex. Alex dies in a car accident on his way home. What makes this story even more heart shattering is that she is also pregnant with their first child, a little girl who soon gets the name Alexis after her father. This story picks up after she has to go to the hospital as Alexis has a fall where she meets 'Dr. Yummy' otherwise known as Ben. But, Ben also has had a rough past and these events make both characters flawed, paranoid but most of all cautious. They are not doing anything lightly in their lives as they've both been hurt tremendously by former relationships in different ways. But, the events do not always equal less hurt for the characters. These events almost destroy them. 

 There connection is remarkable, they are attracted to each other of course but that part comes later in the book.The way they feel for one another emotionally is the core of this novel. Ben falls for Kayley hook-line-and-sinker but Kayley isn't all that happy that she feels this way towards a stranger, almost like she's cheating on Ben and that thought haunts her heart. She cannot give him her heart, not without a fight. Which he does. Ben found out his fiance was cheating on him, his fiance was a woman he loved with all of his heart, but upon meeting Kayley he's thinking maybe he didn't know what true love was.  

I loved the relationship between Ben and Lexi, as she was just the cutest child in the fiction world and I was very impressed with the writing style in which it showed her progression from baby to toddler. Ben adores Lexi as soon once he meets her, and Lexi is infatuated with him instantly. Ben loves both Kayley and Lexi and I think that's what makes Kayley love him, because he accepts her and her daughter. Mostly, he accepts and respects every memory of Ben. 

Bens past comes to bite them both on the butt in many ways but I liked that it wasn't dealt with irrationally like many other female leads in romance novels. She has felt real loss and although she feels as though she has lost him she doesn't throw caution to the wind and not carry on with her life. Sure she escapes for a little while but she hasn't lost herself, she allows herself to be swept away without resolving the issue thoroughly, but she carries on her normal life, with a heavy heart. This aspect reminded me of Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover she allows herself to recover from the pain for both her sake and her daughters.

 

This novel is well rounded which I really appreciate as I enjoyed reading about their lives after they fall in love. After they resolve an issue I want to see them continue being happy, or if they completely fall apart. Lily Collins does a brilliant job in giving these characters thoroughly thought out lives together, their continuous happiness and there growing family was a treat to have at the end of the book as I did not want to be kept hanging.

 Ben is now one one of my book boyfriends! But Ms. Collins herself has told me that Devin in 'Reaching Rachel' may just beat Ben! That is one incredibly high standard and with the bar so high after Ben I cannot wait to read about Devin and Rachel!! I have already downloaded the kindle version of her second book and I really hope there is some mentions of my bbf (book boyfriend) as I think I'm having withdrawals :'D 

This book left me with a huge book hangover so I hope her next one does not do the same... or I do, it's a feeling of euphoria really you're ecstatic you read the book, but sad it had to finish and now you're afraid nothing will live up to it. The struggle is real ;) 




Want to read this book? Purchase it on BookDepository today and I'll get a commission! http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=Micaela

 Stars? 5/5
Favourite Character? Ben, hands down. He treats both Lexi and Kayley greatly and with great care. 
Least Favourite Character? Is it bad that I really don't have one?
Favourite Quote? 'I understand you're scared. You lost a lot. You thought you were with the man you were going to stay with forever and he's gone. I get that. But please, baby. Please. Give me a chance to show you he wasn't the only one that can love you.'

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart Book Review

A beautiful and distinguished family.

A private island.

A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy

.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns 

destructive.

A revolution. An accident. A secret.

Lies upon lies.

True love.

The truth.
If John Green says 'Thrilling, Beautiful and blisteringly smart. We Were Liars is utterly unforgettable.' about any novel I will read it. 

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is a novel that is utterly heartbreaking, in both the worst and the best sort of ways. Our main character Cadence (Cady) is going through her parents divorce, but her breaks away to her Grandparents home seeing her relatives and friends she escapes this drama, or so she thinks. 


The Summer while she was the age of fifteen did not go as all of the ones previous. That year her Grandmother had passed away, leaving behind land, homes, and family objects. She arrives at her Grandpa's land to find the house of her childhood had been torn down and rebuilt. Being away with her father for the Summer when she was sixteen she can not remember much of her fifteenth summer, and no one will tell her why. 
With her parents divorce and the mystery that surrounds her loss of memory especially around her fifteenth summer at the beach house but there are somethings that keep her together. 
Mirren, Johnny and the boy she loves, Gat. All these characters have a vital role in Cadys life. 

After the summer which Cady cannot remember, she suffers heavily from migraines and a lot of pain. Almost like PTSD, she knows something has to have happened but she cannot remember and no one will tell her what it is, other than she hit her head.

 But she doesn't believe it.

This book is written beautifully. Some parts in story form others in almost stanza form, like poetry the way it is laid out. E. Lockhart does a very good job of making this story unexpected and heart wrenching. 

The ending of this book is something that I did not expect in any form. But it wasn't as if the twist wasn't believable when it happened, because it was. But it made me incredibly sad for Cady, for the families and especially for those who were involved. 

SPOILERS.


Cady believes she had been swimming late one night and she hit her head on a rock, she endures headaches and mass pain which she accepts for the most part. That is until she goes back to her Grandfathers house when she is seventeen and nothing is the same, nothing feels right. 

Her mother protects her, coddles her almost and is going to 
extremities to make sure that she remembers nothing, only when she is ready and remembers by herself. 


Cady returns when she is seventeen after the house has been reconstructed, everyone and everything is different once she arrives including her friends the Liars. But the reason behind it is still unclear to Cady. 

Cady and Gat's relationship is something that I find rather strange. They love each other, but they only know the person they are when they are on their summer break. They have no idea about one another apart from those three months of the year, sometimes even less. But it is clear that they care for one another. I love the simplicity of their relationship though, although their situations are not always simple, but rather how easy it is for them to get lost in themselves, forget everything around them. 



I really admire the relationship between the Liars, they are always on one anothers side and although their relationship outside of summer is strained and not always constant, they are the best of friends, and most of all Cady knows they are the only true friends she has. 



Now for the heart shattering, twist of the novel. 

MAJOR SPOILER STOP, REALLY STOP IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THIS BOOK! 

The house as burned down by a fire. 

The house that still had the dogs in it. 

A fire that the liars set. 

A fire that not all members of the liars escaped from. 

Mirren is sick.

Johnny is tired.

Gat feels hated. 

Cady has been separated from her family and friends for nearly two years, from the summer of 15 to the 17th summer. She has little contact with her friends and she is very much excited to go back to her Grandfathers in order to get the full story of what had happened in that summer that she has lost from her memory. 

She starts connecting dots, keeping a map and journals in order to remember everything that comes back to her while she stays there. Then when all the dots are connected for her by the Liars one day. 
She accepts the news of the fire and she knows why it had to happen. 
Too much arguing between the aunties and grandfather all over possessions and money.
The Liars are sick of this upheaval within their family home. 
The Liars decide to put an end to it, lighting a fire in the home that causes all of the hassle. That causes all of the hurt, all of the arguments and all of the dispute. 

Cady lights fire to the study, pouring gasoline on the books and wood furniture, then lights the match. 

Cady escapes. 

The rest of the liars do not. 

This twist hit me like a ton of bricks, not the outcome I expected from this novel. The characters always seemed so vibrant, so colourful, so alive. 



But then as it is revealed it all makes sense to me, they never answer her emails, they do not interact with the adults or the littles, everything around Cady seems a little disorientated. She has blocked out the worst experience of her life, and for good reason. Her three best friends perished in a fire that she believes she caused. Her three best friends, her two family pets, her families home, memories of the summers she spent with the Liars. 


I would give this book a 4.5 stars out of 5, mainly because at some points I did find Cady a little flaky at times. But other than that this book was flawless. 

This book gave the afterlife a new voice, her friends stay to help her, to comfort her, to remind her who she is and to just be her friend. They want her to understand it wasn't her fault, they weren't meant long for our world, they don't mind leaving. They stay only long enough to help her see the truth, this to me is the best part of this book. Her friends even though they are no longer with her, spent one last summer with her while she couldn't remember the awful parts, they gave her more good memories. 


While they all jumped off the cliff into the rocky water below they did not want her to jump at all, because well they had already met their demise and didn't want to see her join them. They didn't want her to endure their faith. 
Their friendship is truly beautiful.


Me.



Stars? 4.5

Fave character? The Liars. 

Least favourite character? Maybe their Grandfather... 

Fave quote? 'Someone once wrote that a novel should deliver a series of small astonishment's. I get the same thing spending an hour with you.'“

Fave moment? I liked the writing when the liars were 'passing over'. I really liked all of this book.

Want to buy this book? Go to http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=Micaela
and I'll get a commission! :D 


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