kandisteiner's reviews
609 reviews

Yes yes yaaaassss (praise hands emoji). I absolutely love a book with some drama and angst and this one has it! Sam is feisty as all get out. Put her in the mix with two hot bad boys and toss in some family drama, a love-sick QB, and a dash of backstabbing friends and you've got all the ingredients for a perfect YA/NA recipe masterpiece. Bravo, Tijan!

I never wanted to stop reading this book. I found myself thinking about the characters throughout my day and I couldn't wait to get a spare moment to pull out my phone and read. Tijan crafts the story so well, taking you on a journey with so many twists and turns you might get whiplash. Her characters are anything but boring - they're all fresh, unique, and dynamic. Samantha is a spit fire. Just when you think she's unbreakable, you get to see inside her head and feel the hurt with her. She runs to numb herself, but who's there for her when that numbness goes away?

Enter Adam. And Logan. And Mason. And heck even Jeff a little bit. This girl has her hands full with all the gorgeous men in her life. But who has her attention? Well, I'm not giving that one away. Read to find out and TRUST ME when I say there are some steamy moments in here that will have you fanning yourself. Shower scene. YES.

In true angsty fashion, it's the little moments that had me the most caught up - the small glances, the light touches, the heart-fluttering, panty-melting moments in time. Tijan knows how to rev up the engine, folks.

Awesome 5-star read. I'm anxious to dive into the rest of the series!

So sweet and beautiful!

I was one of those people FREAKING OUT to finally get America and Shepley's story. Though it was short, this was still a sweet little peek inside their relationship. Jamie really knows how to write the loving Maddox lines that make us all swoon, and I feel like we got a lot of that with Shep. I wish I could have seen even more of their relationship, but for a novella, what was selected for us to see makes sense. It was nice to somewhat get away from the fire timeline, too, and focus more on the after. The last chapter was my favorite!

Now anxiously awaiting the final Maddox brother book. Squee!

So, I'm rushing to write this review while this book is still fresh in my head because I feel like all the words I have to describe it may fly away at any moment. But, honestly, there really ARE no words to truly express how much I loved this book. The Air He Breathes is the most raw, emotional, and true-to-life book I have ever read. Ever.

When I was reading this book, an outsider may have judged me. They may have said, "Wow, that woman is absolutely nuts." Because I was sobbing one minute, laughing out loud the next, cursing shortly after, screaming after that, laughing again, sobbing, laugh, sob, etc. If I could describe it best, I'd say reading this book is like living an entire life within five hours. It's like taking every emotion the human body, mind, and soul can take and digesting them in one giant gulp.

But here's the thing.

You can still breathe at the end. You will break as you read this book, I won't lie and say you won't. But you'll heal, too. If you've ever experienced loss, in any capacity, and followed your heart, even when society frowned upon you for it, then this book is one you absolutely CANNOT miss.

Cherry's words will strip your soul, right down to the very thing that souls are made of. She will drive you mad, she will make you think, and she will breathe air into your desperate lungs.

Five incredible, too-many-feels, thank-you-Jesus-for-Tristan stars. Don't just add this to your TBR, move it up to the very top, add it to your bookshelf, inhale it quickly yet as slowly as you can. The Air He Breathes should be read by everyone. Ever.

My first CoHo book - and it did not disappoint!

Okay. I get it now. I have always found Colleen to be an amazing person from her social media persona, the bookworm box, and the one time that I have met her. But now that I've FINALLY read one of her books, I understand what an incredible author she is. I've never read a story with this kind of plot and it kept me interested from the first page to the last. Although I guessed the twist pretty early on, I was still so invested in the characters and anxious to see how they would work through it. I love Colleen's witty writing style, especially the banter between Fallon and Ben. I also highlighted all the opening chapters with Ben's poetry. Is it weird for your favorite poet to be a fictional one?

OH. MY. GOSH. Let me just say this before anything else...

I HAVE THE BIGGEST GIRL CRUSH ON ELLIE.

Holy smokes, man. She is, by far, my favorite female character ever written by Jamie - and that's saying something. It's so rare that authors choose to write about real, flawed women, but that's exactly the category Ellie fell into. She was far from perfect, and in fact, I was super angry at her for at least half of the book. I wanted to help her more than she wanted to help herself. But, in the end, that's what made me love her so much because when she had her breaking moment, I broke with her. And when she felt redemption, so did I. <3

Okay, now that I've gotten that off my chest, let's just talk about the fact that Jamie McGuire knows how to write one hell of a book. I don't think any other author is as talented at getting me just as equally invested in the supporting characters as I am in the main ones. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all the guys at the firehouse as well as JoJo and Wick. It's a rare and beautiful writing talent that I truly appreciate.

Tyler Maddox... SIGH. I don't even know where to begin with him. I have loved every single Maddox brother for different reasons. Travis is still my favorite, but I just love how all the brothers have their own unique stories to tell. Tyler was very Travis-esque - quick to act with his fists, ill-tempered, and crazy in love. He made me swoon more than a few times and I really enjoyed watching their relationship. ANGST FOR THE WIN!

This story is far from an easy one to read. There is a lot of growing on Ellie's part, and Tyler has his own fair share of sh!t to deal with. What happens when you take two souls hell bent on surviving alone and throw them together to survive together? Let's just say... there will be fire.

Beautiful Burn is an emotional romance laced with true, ugly scars. I loved watching these characters heal together and find their way into a better life together. Five stars!

If you know me, then you know I'm a SUCKER for books that torture me. So, of course the headline on this one got me. Her husband doesn't want her anymore, and the guy next door would do anything to have her? SIGN ME UP! I was prepared and ready for all the angst, the bad decisions, the forbidden touches and looks. And let me just say, Jessica Hawkins did not disappoint.

In fact, she surprised me.

Because here's the thing. I've read plenty of angsty books, plenty of triangles, enough to the point where I feel like I know what's going to go down. But Hawkins did something I'd never seen done before - she gave me an unreliable narrator. I'm talking like Gone Girl/Girl on the Train unreliable. She basically had me hating Nate one second and then wondering if maybe there was more to the story that I didn't know the next. I would start to really get into Finn, but then like an expert, Hawkins would hold me at arm's length, making me question whether I should or not. Around halfway through the book, I sat back and actually worried that maybe I wasn't going to love either of the men. I was INTRIGUED by them, but I didn't trust myself to love them. Was it because of the narrator? Was it on purpose?

When the end came around, I knew it was on purpose. No spoilers, but just know that every emotion you feel is for a reason. This book was so brilliantly crafted, I am still floored 4 days after finishing. Bra-freaking-vo, Hawkins.

What I loved most about this book was that Hawkins wrote a broken marriage like she's lived one. It was so heartbreakingly honest. It's never one or the other, we all have to take blame in our relationships. And, like a pro, Hawkins took us on a roller coaster of emotions that come with that - fear, denial, depression, rejection, anger, and even the need to get even. At what point does the person "trying" give up and fall in line with the example set by the other person? We all have our limits.

I highlighted so many parts of this book, but here are a few of my notable favorites:

It may be the wrong man. It may be the wrong apartment. But I got my wish. There is someone waiting for me after all.

The last light disappears fast, as if turning a blind eye - let the dusk deal with the cheaters and liars.

This is what happens to a man consumed by a woman he can't have.

"He can't have you." My heart stops, and I stare into the dark as Nathan's words sink in.
"What?"
He pauses. "He... can't... have you."


I mean !!!!!!! right?! RIGHT?! Ugh I'm still reeling guys. Slip of the Tongue is a brutally honest account of love's limits and our need to break them. 5 thanks-for-making-me-sweat stars! <3

!!!!!!!!!!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Are you KIDDING me right now?!

Okay so, obviously, I knew going into this that I was in for a treat, because after reading The Air He Breathes last summer, I fully understood that Brittainy C. Cherry doesn't hold back when it comes to her writing. If ever there were a person to shed their soul and leave a piece of it within every sentence of prose, it would be this wonderful author. Still, even knowing that, I never could have fully prepared myself for what she delivered with this book. The Fire Between High & Lo is a breathtaking and beautifully honest depiction of the greatest loss and the greatest love, and the combination will leave you emotionally spent and yet thirsty for more.

First let me say that it's very rare for me to find a highlight-worthy moment in every chapter of a book, but with this one, it happened almost every page. With such brutal yet real issues brought to life in these characters, it was hard not to identify with the intense emotions. I felt their pain, cried their tears, remembered their scars and found strength in their triumphs. Words have the power to make us feel this way, but it's so rare to find a human being who is able to expel them in the right manner in order to do so. Cherry did it - and the result is absolutely outstanding.

Logan and Alyssa are no strangers to heartache. They each battle with their own demons, whether from family, friends, past, present, or future - and Cherry isn't afraid to take you along for the bumpy, sometimes life-threatening ride. Just when you think you're above water and you can take a breath, another wave crashes in, sometimes more brutal than the last one. But that's life, isn't it? Which is why I adored this book so much - it's real, it's honest, and it's unapologetic.

My favorite thing about this book is how different the love story was from everything else out there. Logan and Alyssa are unique, they're fresh, and their "romance" may not fall in line with everything you've read before, but it's worthy of a category all its own because THEY are characters all their own. A story like theirs only comes around once in a lifetime, and I feel so gifted that I was able to live with them for a few days in their world. What's more, Cherry paid special attention to detail (band snapping, shirt chewing, hiccuping, raspberry oreos), which brought these larger-than-life characters into even clearer view for me as a reader. It was amazing.

Cherry, once again, left everything she had on the table with this book. I imagine her typing "the end" before crawling through shards of glass and a wildfire of her own back to reality. When you write with everything you have in your heart, the result is both tragic and incredible, raw and beautiful, intense and therapeutic. It's official - my girl crush has strengthened to a full on obsession. Brittainy C. Cherry is on fire!

Well, needless to say I read this in less than 12 hours. I would have finished it in one if that stupid thing called work didn't get in the way LOL. "Hi, my name is Kandi Steiner, and I'm a KC Addict."

Hiiiiii Kandiiiii

Okay seriously now. This novella just fed my addiction. Jillian told us that this book was going to be romantic and fun, and it was, but it was also gut wrenching. I found myself tearing up during several parts, especially toward the end.

I never write reviews with spoilers, but here are 5 reasons you need to read this book:

1) Keatyn grows significantly in this book and it's beautiful.
2) The answers to SO many questions get answered.
3) Even MORE questions will go racing through your mind, and if you thought you had your MB theories figured out, think again.
4) There is love. And hotness. And just so much Kindle melting that it's ridiculous.
5) It's a book by Jillian Dodd, so I mean really.

Okay, stop reading my stupid review and just go get this. NOW. <3

Okay, so if you followed my reading progress on this one, then you already have a little glimpse into my feels. But for those of you who are still wondering...



Me^^^

This was my first Alessandra Torre book, and I'm happy to report her writing game is just as strong as her shoe game, folks. I knew I would be walking into a sports romance, I had heard she could write the schmexiness, but what I DIDN'T know was that Moonshot would be so un-put-downable that I would be a worthless human being until I devoured every last page - and devour I did.

"I didn't know whether his promises were gold or tinfoil."

I've never read anything with this style of writing. Ever. It was refreshing and poignant while also having the ability to sucker-punch me right in the chest with angsty goodness. I highlighted a lot in this book, but for me, it wasn't the separate pieces that made it so amazing - it was what it all was wrapped up together. The suspense, the angst, the feeling of a baseball field, the loss of innocence, the strength of a first love... just... GENIUS, y'all.

"There was right, there was wrong, and there was love. And love trumped all."

I loved Ty. I just ADORED her. She was the sporty side of myself combined with the curiousness that exists in all young girls. I loved getting the inner workings of her life as a ball girl, and reading the note from the author at the end made it feel even more real than it already did. I'm not ashamed to say I binge watched MBL after finishing Moonshot (Which, btw, the title meaning? YES, HONEY.).

And then there's Chase Stern. GOOD LORD. I've been on a streak of amazing book boyfriends lately and I never want it to end. I swooned after our first encounter with this hero, but I slowly fell in love with him the more I turned the pages. And can I just say, the bathroom scene in the 2015 season? YES. JUST. YES. SIGN. ME. UP.

"I sank in his grip, clutching at his shirt, kissing him back, the bathroom quiet as we dove into hell."

I really can't flail enough about this book. It was just... INCREDIBLE. Great summer read. Great ANYTIME read. 5 Spikes-First Stars. Give me more Alessandra Torre! <3

Well, y'all know how excited I've been for this one. Slip of the Tongue rocked my WORLD earlier this year and I was beyond stoked to get more Jessica Hawkins. Let me tell you - this book was WELL worth the wait!

The First Taste had Hawkins flexing her sexy muscles, delivering some of the most powerful and dynamic sex scenes I have ever read. Ever. They were executed so perfectly, and I especially appreciate the realness of them. Why am I talking about sex first? Well, because honestly, I'm RARELY impressed by sex scenes - and this book just really tickled my pickle in that regard. As an author, I know how difficult it is to nail those, so hats off to you, Hawkins!

I'm totally digging the new trend of hot dads and ain't nobody got a damn thing on Andrew Beckwith. He was exactly what I pictured him to be as a man and as a dad. It was hilarious getting inside his head when he thought about his 6 year old princess, even more hilarious to see him interact with her, and gut wrenching at times when we watched his struggle as a single parent. I really appreciated his character as a whole. He just shined for me!

Amelia was my kind of gal. She's smart, witty, independent and takes shit from absolutely no one. This is my favorite kind of heroine, and I love their struggle with letting men in because I identify with it. When you're raised as an independent woman or just become one after being burned one too many times, it changes everything about love and trust. It was so nice to see her grow in this book, especially in evaluating what matters most to her in life.

I LOVED these two together. Andrew brought out the best in Amelia, making her dig inside and look around at the rubble her ex left behind. As for the other way around, Amelia brought Andrew out of his single dad shell. They just balanced each other so well - and they SIZZLE between the sheets. Good Lord, give these two a bottle of whiskey and just watch the magic happen, y'all! ;)

The First Taste just illustrated to me yet again that Jessica Hawkins is going to be one of those authors that I will read anything they write. I love her prose, her careful consideration of characters, her humor and most of all - her unapologetically flawed characters.

Five angsty stars! <3