annica_reads_books's reviews
380 reviews

The second installment of the Jewelry Box series is here, and just as I predicted, the level of darkness escalates and goes deeper in Emerald Bruises than we saw in Ruby Tears.

Ruby Tears ended on a cliffhanger, and readers can rest assured that the cliffhanger is immediately addressed as Emerald Tears commences. I was very pleased at the level of detail described in that scene - an attribute I’ve come to expect in any work written by Pepper Winters.

Emerald Bruises went places that I was expecting and also places that I was not expecting. Henri is embracing his inner darkness, but still frequently feels turmoil and anguish over it in certain situations and hasn’t fully committed to the level of depravity that I expect him to eventually get to. His morals, while occasionally buried or pushed to the side, do resurface several times through the story, and this has left me feeling that I still don’t understand his character (he’s a mystery that I need to read more about to unlock). Truthfully, I think Henri is a mystery to himself - he’s not sure what he really wants because the war within him continues to rage on.

Ily’s reaction and adaptation to Henri’s darkness took a refreshing turn - one that I haven’t seen in a Pepper Winters book. I always admire the fact that while Pepper Winters has written many books and series that revolve around the theme of human trafficking, her characters and their stories remain unique and able to stand on their own, and Emerald Bruises is no exception to that. Ily can still be quite naïve on occasion, but she’s adapting and learning as she remains a captive in Joyero.

There are many side characters that added a lot of depth to the story - Peter, in particular, is someone I’m anxious to read more about because I feel like he adds so much value to Ily’s survival and journey under the Master Jeweler’s watchful eyes. 👁️👁️

I had a few ideas on what Emerald Bruises could mean, but when it came time to announce what it was, I wouldn’t have guessed THAT!

I need the next installment, Sapphire Scars, as soon as possible! I knew that Emerald Bruises would end on a cliffhanger going into it, and wasn’t surprised when it did. 

 Wow, what a book! This review will be relatively short and written in general terms because I feel like it’s best to go in blind to this one.

I’ll start off with my few minor gripes with the story. The plot had a few holes in it that I felt could have been executed differently. A few things were predictable to me and certain things could have been avoided if the characters were just a tad bit smarter. In addition, the pacing of this book occasionally felt “off.” Sometimes the story felt rushed, and sometimes it felt too slow. I continue to debate back and forth between whether the book should have been shorter or longer and I’m still not sure.

That said, I can’t deny that this is a love story that I’ll not be forgetting anytime soon. The angst in this story is felt on almost every page, and I occasionally wanted to throw my Kindle across the room 😂. I was fully invested in the book and even read it while making dinner! I loved the characters even though they made frustrating mistakes multiple times. As a reader, I could understand it. I also loved how when things were down for the characters, they maintained a good friendship and respect for each other. It was a love that spanned years and years. I felt like a lot of messages also resonated with me - the love that can be found in forgiveness being one of ones that hit home (even when I thought certain characters were TOO forgiving with certain people 👀).

I’ve also added a new character to my list of most-hated characters of all time. IYKYK! 🤬

I definitely recommend this story to patient readers that love long, angsty reads! But be sure to wear a neck brace because you’ll be experiencing whiplash and a lot of back and forth through the majority of the book! 

 I'm not kidding when I say that most of my friends probably will not like this series. The Undeniable series probably the most realistic MC series I have ever read, and with that comes with all the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of what I imagine an MC club hidden in the hills of small-town Montana to be like. Believe me - just like you can't stand people in real life, you're not going to be able to stand some of these characters. The characters in this series are unapologetic about their lifestyle, and it's going to offend most. I have to commend Sheehan's realism in this series because it's a hard pill to swallow for many readers who look to reading as a method of euphoric escapism. Be warned, you're not going to find that here.

This story follows Danny, the daughter of Deuce (the anti-hero in Undeniable), and her relationship with Ripper. Ripper is one of Deuce's right hand men, and his self-esteem took a nose dive in Undeniable when he was brutally tortured by the hands of psychotic Frankie. With scars riddling his body and a newly missing eye, Ripper feels anything but beautiful. He's angry at the world, and rightfully so. He's in a bad place mentally and feels very alone.

"Why couldn't you have just let me die?" he whispered to a god that obviously didn't give two fucks about him. He'd been ready to die. But God hadn't granted him peace; the fucker had given him hell on earth instead. And the face of a demon to match.

Danny has watched her father make many bad choices, and has been neglected by him for many years. She's young, but she's had to grow up quickly because she's been forced to. Life hasn't been kind or beautiful to her, so when Danny sees something worth holding onto, she clings to it like it's her life force. When her life collides with Rippers, their romance takes off like a whirlwind. Of course, it's not without its share of drama and heartache, like any good romance story worth reading will have.

And I thought . . . that's what love is. To some, the idea of violence being interpreted as love is ludicrous, but to me, it was my reality. It is my reality.

I won't spoil the story, but if you can get past the grittiness of this series, Danny and Ripper's story is one that I found a lot of meaning and beauty in. And I'll be honest - I loved their characters much more than the main characters in Undeniable.

Everything has beauty. Even the ugly. Especially the ugly. Because without ugly, there would be no beauty. Because without beauty, we would not survive our pain, our sorrow, and our suffering. 

 I’ve read most of Jennifer Hartmann’s backlist, and her books never fail to deliver for me. She’s one that can really pull me into a story and make me feel for the characters. Her romances are well known for being hard-won, and for me, they always seem to carry a deeper message about self-discovery and personal growth.

Older does exactly this - it’s a romance rooted between two characters on a journey of self-discovery, growth and forgiveness. It felt like Halley and Reed were real people, and I was hoping for them to succeed every step of the way. I loved this book from start to finish. This is what I want to see in a slow burn, age gap romance! Halley and Reed’s story is one that I will recommend to my friends and other readers looking for a feel-good story for a long time.

I was good at doing hard things.
And the hardest things in life gave way to the greatest rewards. 

 This book was so perfect, and the plot was very unexpected based on the prologue. A few tears were shed. The story and the characters are going to stay with me for a long time. I will definitely be reading more of Amy Harmon’s work. 

 I'm going to keep this review brief - I loved Shade and Runa's story! This series is my definition of a fun time. The plot is so fast-paced with a full cast of characters who occasionally get their own POV's in the story, and it feels like one big found family unit. Shade and Runa's dynamic was fresh and different from Eidolon and Tayla's romance in Pleasure Unbound, and I had a great time reading it. This series gives me major Buffy vibes with a fresh twist, and I can't wait for book 3 (Wraith's!)! 

This was a cute read. The plot was unexpected and I generally liked the characters. Keagan could be a little much for me at times, but overall, I liked this book. 

 This review absolutely breaks my heart, but I’ve been dragging this book out since the middle of September. I really wish that I cared more about this story and these characters but every time I pick this book up, it feels like a chore. So I’m calling it. DNFing at 73%. The Manson/Jessica storyline is the only part that I care about, but I can’t seem to force myself to feel invested in the other two guys, and it feels like there still isn’t a plot in this book yet.

Ugh. I’m so sad! The spice was spicin’ though 😮‍💨🌶️. I’ll give it that. Sorry, Losers fam! I wanted to like this one so badly and gush over the characters with the rest of you. 😭 

 Haley and Liam’s story just isn’t hitting the spot for me. I might come back and finish this later, but I’m parking this one for now. Soft DNF at 61%