I vow. I crave. I give in.
I used to be a nice, normal girl. I had dreams. Good, happy dreams of a white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and a fairytale love that lasts forever. Nobody ever warned me that sometimes, the prince dies three weeks before the wedding.
Like any addict, I swear this time is the last….
Now, I go through my days, a shadow of my former self. I pretend I’m okay, and the people in my life pretend to believe me. But, sometimes, when I can no longer stand the craving, I roam an underground sex club looking for my next hit. It’s dirty and wrong, but I can’t stop, and my only line of defense between them and me, is the rules I’ve designed to keep me safe. The men always abide by my rules. Until I meet him.
And, like any addict, I’m wrong.
I don’t question the instincts that tell me to run. One look at him, standing there, power radiating off him in waves, tells me all I need to know. He will make me crave those happy dreams I’ve left behind. And that is not an option. Crave (Undone, #1)
Jennifer Dawson ↠ 0 read & download
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review: Thank you.
4,5 I want Michael stars
WOW!! I was super excited to read this and I was right: It was sooo good!!!
The cover and the synopsis kinda mislead the reader, made us think is a book just about sex and crave. But is so much more than that. CRAVE is also about finding a way to live again after a tragedy, to regain strength and also to not forget but to learn how to live with the hole in the heart.
Layla had a perfect life and a perfect fiancé; John. But when it was close to the wedding day John dies. After almost a year and a half she still hasn't moved on, still thinking she is curse and she does not deserve to be happy again. To fulfill her desires she kept going to the sex club she used to go with John. And then she meets Michael. The attraction is so strong even though she try to resist, she can't. Even I couldn't lol. I LOVED Michael. And I want him. :p
I love books with drama like these. The ones that make you think if you are really living your life, if you are appreciating it. I was hooked since chapter one. It was so good. I loved the way Michael was with Layla. I confess I'm not that girl, I'm just way too stubborn to be like her. But I loved Michael. He's an alfa, in and out of bedroom. The author described him not being the usual handsome guy we normally read about, but the way he was... in my head he was the hottest guy in the world.
I actually don't have anything bad to say about any of them. I loved them all. Oh! I really want to read a book about Layla's best friend!! Speaking of it....
SINFUL is the next book in this series and will be about Jillian, Michael's sister. I was kinda expecting that. I loved Leo. This book will go back to the beginning of Leo e Jillian's relationship and show us how they got together. Can't wait!
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ARC fornecido pela Netgalley em troca de uma resenha honesta: Obrigada!
4,5 estrelas
UAU !! Eu estava super animada para ler esse livro e, no final, estava certa: Tão bom!!!
A capa e a sinopse meio enganam o leitor, nos faz pensar que é um livro apenas sobre sexo e desejo. Mas é muito mais do que isso. CRAVE também é sobre encontrar uma forma de viver de novo depois de uma tragédia, recuperar a força e também para não esquecer, mas para aprender a conviver com o aquele buraco no coração.
Layla tinha uma vida perfeita e um noivo perfeito; John. Mas quando estava perto do dia do casamento John morre. Depois de quase um ano e meio, ela ainda não seguiu em frente, ainda pensando que ela era maldiçoada que não merecia ser feliz novamente. Para preencher seus desejos ela continuou indo ao clube de sexo que ela costumava ir com John. E então lá conhece Michael. A atração é tão forte, embora ela tente resistir, ela não pode. Até eu não podia rs. Eu AMEI o Michael. E eu quero que ele pra mim. :p
Amo livros com drama como este. Aqueles que fazem você pensar se você está realmente vivendo a sua vida, se está apreciando. Eu estava grudada desde o capítulo um. Tão bom. Adorei a forma como Michael era com Layla. Confesso que não sou aquela garota, sou muito teimosa para ser como ela. Mas eu amei Michael. Ele é um alfa, dentro e fora do quarto. A autora o descreveu como não sendo o cara bonito de costume que a gente normalmente lê, mas a maneira como ele era ... em minha imaginação ele era o cara mais gostoso do mundo.
Na verdade, eu não tenho nada de ruim a dizer sobre qualquer um deles. Eu amei todos.Oh! Eu realmente queria ler um livro sobre a melhor amiga da Layla!! Falando nisso ....
SINFUL é o próximo livro desta série e será sobre Jillian, a irmã de Michael. Eu estava meio que esperando isso já. Amei o Leo. Este livro vai voltar para o início do relacionamento de Leo e Jillian e nos mostrar como eles ficaram juntos. Mal posso esperar! English Title: Crave
Series: Undone, #1
Author: Jennifer Dawson
Release Date: 1 June, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Cliffhanger: No
HEA:
You know that saying It's not the destination, it's the journey that matters? Well, it's the first time in my entire life that i felt that this saying is total crap! I was craving (no pun intended) for the MC to be done with their journey already, reach their destination and finally get some peace! Wow, what a ride...
I'm going to be honest here, when i first started reading the book i wasn't really into it. It felt like i had to deal once again with another frustrating, broken heroine and i have to admit I'm sick and tired of these fragile characters. But as i was getting further into my read i soon realized that I was reading a book written by a genius! The character development - or better yet metamorphosis - was outstanding. It was beautiful to witness Layla's growth and strenght throughout the whole book and how sometimes a painful path can lead to a beautiful destination. It was a slow process but very well written.
The story is about Layla Hunter and the emptiness and sorrow she feels after the brutal death of her fiance, John, a death that she was there to witness and was accompanied with a brutal attack on her as well. So, we are dealing with a heroine who has suffered through two traumatic events on the same night. She's lost, lonely and miserable until she meets Michael...
I won't say anything else because i'd like to leave this review as spoiler-free as i can. I've rated this book 4 stars and not 5 because i wasn't really feeling it in the beginning, but if you start reading it and find yourself feeling the same way as i did i urge you to keep reading because it gets so much better.
*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review* English Let my start by saying that this is not a BDSM book and thank God for that. I am so sick and tired of all the “Masters”, “Lords” and “Sirs”. This is a book about overcoming grief, fighting to live and laying your life to another person who will gratefully take responsibilities from your back.
“All you need to worry about right now is dinner. That’s it. Nothing else. We’re going to eat and talk. I’m going to touch you. I’m going to kiss those lips that drive me crazy whenever I want. I’m going to play with you and make you wet. And I’m going to learn you. That’s all. It’s that simple. You can do that.”.
Layla has lost her fiancé (John) three weeks before they get married. She is in pain not only because her life changed but because she feels responsible for his death. She spends some nights in a club where she meets random men and have night stands but they have to play by her own rules.
She meets there Michael and they feel an instant connection, a chemistry that is off the charts and he takes her out from her comfort zone.
“Because there’s something between us I can’t ignore and neither can you. And I’m not talking about lust, which is like a kick in the fucking gut every time I even think of you, I’m talking about something more. You sense it too and you’re terrified.”.
We see their journey in finding love, Michael helping Layla overcoming her daemons as she fights to survive a love that she can’t explain.
“I want you, Layla.” His voice is a husky whisper in my ear. “More than I have ever wanted anyone.” His tongue flicks across my pounding pulse and I bite back a moan as his teeth scrape over my skin. “Now is not the time to kiss you the way that I want, because I swear to god, if I do, you’ll end up fucked in whatever position is most convenient.”.
What I most enjoyed in this book was the writing which kept me at my feet from the beginning through the end.
English Okay wow... I feel like I've just gone through a complete mind f***. I was so into that book that when I swiped my e-reader screen and it took me to my homepage declaring this book was over I was torn between sobbing and throwing it across the room.
Anyway the book.... This book was AMAZING. I'm not gonna lie - at first I was like...
So yeah ... Bored and confused to start with really which is to be expected. This book starts and finishes with a BANG that just leaves you aching to read more - literally. I couldn't put it down as soon as I started really getting into things.
Michael was so HOT and Layla was so deserving and together they were just beautiful! Layla is a mess for most of the book and I just loved seeing her get herself together. I feel like if I was in her position there probably wouldn't be a thing I would've done differently.
Throughout the whole book I was just like...
It's sad and sweet and real and beautiful and sexy...
...and just everything that I love in a book!
It was written so well and vividly and structured perfectly to the point that I felt like I was actually there watching the characters and in the scenes with them, watching them grow. That's probably why I was so shocked when there journey came to an end and I was snapped back to reality. This is my first Jennifer Dawson book but based on how amazing it was I can honestly say I will definitely be back for more :) I cannot wait for Jillian and Leo's book - That teaser at the end! <3
If you're a romance fan or erotica fan or dark reads fan then please do yourself a favour and read this book! :D
Please note that this isn't a dark read but does cover some sensitive and serious issues/feelings. I wouldn't say it's BDSM because there's none actually in the book but it is mentioned briefly.
Enjoy! :)
*ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
English FREE on Amazon today (10/26/2017)! I read this book two years ago and I thoroughly enjoyed it as well as the rest of the series. :) English
**4 Properly Marked stars**
Layla Hunter is a lonely woman, hiding from every person in her life, isolating herself for the past 18 months, drowning in grief, since she lost her fiance two weeks before their wedding. Knowing that she won't be able to sleep because of her nightmares, she's visiting an underground club, suitable for her cravings.
One night she meets him. The man who could give to her what she really needs. But she has rules and Michael is not the type to follow them. He's danger and she needs to stay away from him.
Layla is also visiting a therapist, trying to overcome her situation and her depression. Her therapist is the only one who knows completely what happened that fatal night , her fears and the only one who knows Layla's secret sexual side.
I need dominance. Need to be controlled and forced. But sitting at some guy's feet, serenely staring into space as I wait for my next order is never going to be my thing.
Crave was a book that surprised me quite pleasantly. I was intrigued by the sexy cover and the blurb, but I wasn't prepared for the story within. I expected that it would be just a hot read, but it was so much more than that. I loved the characters, even though there were moments that I would roll my eyes or disagree with their actions, but bottom line, I really enjoyed it.
Even though at first, I was bummed, thinking that it would be another insta-love story that would get on my nerves, I have to admit that the writing helped a lot and I loved how funny, sexy, deep and emotional this book was. I liked the character development our heroine went through, the slow, but steady steps towards healing her trauma. It wasn't easy and it was a rocky road for sure, but there was progress and I enjoyed the ride. Plus the ending was so beautiful.
Arc kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. English
Jennifer Dawson was a first time read. I can't help but wonder, where the hell have I been for her to go unnoticed? I think what draws me in is this author spins a story so real you can feel. I mean actually feel, each and every descriptive scene of the leading character. So picture this, the sound of high heels grating along the paved asphalt.
Bumping bass crackling over loud speakers in a pulsing rhythm. Nervous energy of lingering club goers loitering along the entrance, waiting their turn to go inside.
You know something big is about to happen but you can't finger what, so you keep turning the pages going down the rabbit hole. And I swear I couldn't stop.
One minute I'm craving what the heroine does, the next, bursting into big ugly snotty tears. Then the ending crescendos to a climatic finish. I can't say for a single minute I regretted reading because I didn't. If anything I wanted the story to continue, but that's the talents of a superb writer, leaving us readers craving more! Thank you Jennifer Dawson for a beautifully written story! English (Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Jennifer Dawson and NetGalley.)
“I don’t want to obey. I want to fight.”
This was a sexy erotic romance, and I really liked Michael!
I felt quite sorry for Layla in this story, to lose her fiancée the way she did must have been awful, and I understood the way she didn’t want to reconnect with the world after all she had been through.
“I am a total, fucked-up mess. Sometimes I barely make it through the day.”
Michael was a great character! Strong, alpha-male, pulling Layla back from the brink and forcing her to feel again. I totally loved him!
“The chemistry between us is so strong it crackles like electricity.”
The storyline in this was pretty good, and I liked that we were keep on hold wondering what had really happened the night of Layla’s fiancée’s death, and why she felt so guilty about it.
“This isn’t about sex. This is about surrender. To him. To myself. To the possibility of what we may become.”
There was obviously a lot of romance in this book, and Michael and Layla made such a hot couple! The sex scenes were seriously steamy, and I liked that they weren’t normal vanilla sex, and were a little bit different.
“I want him. More than I’ve wanted anyone in a long time.”
The ending to this was pretty good, and we got a good twists thrown in towards the end as well. I was really glad we got a happy ending though.
7 out of 10 English
THIS ONE SOUND PURRRFECT!
Stand-alone book 1
Purchase: | AMZ US | AMZ UK |
Blurb:
I vow. I crave. I give in.
I used to be a nice, normal girl. I had dreams. Good, happy dreams of a white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and a fairytale love that lasts forever. Nobody ever warned me that sometimes, the prince dies three weeks before the wedding.
Like any addict, I swear this time is the last….
Now, I go through my days, a shadow of my former self. I pretend I’m okay, and the people in my life pretend to believe me. But, sometimes, when I can no longer stand the craving, I roam an underground sex club looking for my next hit. It’s dirty and wrong, but I can’t stop, and my only line of defense between them and me, is the rules I’ve designed to keep me safe. The men always abide by my rules. Until I meet him.
And, like any addict, I’m wrong.
I don’t question the instincts that tell me to run. One look at him, standing there, power radiating off him in waves, tells me all I need to know. He will make me crave those happy dreams I’ve left behind. And that is not an option. English ***4,5 Craving stars from me***
I was thinking to read this book for a long time, but something was holding me back...
I don't know, in a way i was afraid that i won't like it!!!
The blurb intrigued me and scared me at the same time...
I'm liking romance novels, but i don't like to push my boundaries and i thought that this book would shock me!!!!
But damn me!!! I was sooooo wrong!!!!
I loved every single moment in it!!!!
And i'm craving for more... and more... and more...
Mrs Dawson, you are an amazing writer!!!
The story crept upon my heart from the first moment and i don't think that it will ever get out of there!!!
In a time that erotica genre is on the top, this book oozed sexuality and tension without being full with lots and lots of sex scenes and i loved it!!!
This was a sexy and intriguing book without so many sex details and i think that was the secret for being such a great story!!!
I also liked that we were having a story... A beautiful, intriguing, caprtivating and well written story...
This was a story about salvation and second chances in life...
It was a story about grief and loss and pain...
It was a story about craving...
Crave of pain... of love... of life... of death... of everything!!!
It was a story about how love can pull you out of the torture of your own soul and to give you back pieces of yourself who were long last gone!!!!
It was a story which always i will hold close to my heart!!!
Layla had witnessed loss and pain and her life was seems far and distant...
The only thing that could keep her sane was a trip to the club...
There she would feel that her cravings could be fullfilled....
She was seeking pain and punishment for bearing the empty life that she was living for the last eighteen months...
But she had some rules about those nights....
And when she saw him, she knew that he was different and that he would not follow her rules... So, she decided that he was dangerous and she just runs away from him...
But she was craving him, she was craving what he only could give her...
So she couldn't stay away from him!!!
I want him. Want what I know he can give me. No man, in the year I’ve been coming here, has ever come close, but somehow I know the man across the room is the one. The one I’ve been both desperately searching for, and terrified I’d find.
Michael wanted all or nothing with Layla.
He knew that he was the one that could give her what she was craving for and even more than that!!!
So, he insisted... He was determined to have her and he never stop chasing her...
Until to bring her when he wanted her to be and Layla submits to her cravings and admits her feelings...
I need to stay safe and he’s not safe.
He’s dangerous.
He’s already making me forget.
The pull between them was strong and powerfull from the very first moment...
They had so many things that they were standing between them and all of them were because of Layla... Because of what she lost and went through eighteen months before...
They have a long road to cross by, so will they stick together until the end???
Will Layla manage to overcome all the things that are keeping her behind???
Will she open her heart for once again???
And Michael will have the strength and patience to stay beside her until the very end????
I felt safe. Safe in a way I hadn’t for such a long time I’d forgotten it even existed. That he gave me even an hour of reprieve from the desperate, worried fear that plagued every moment of my life, let alone a day, made me so grateful I wanted to weep with it.
I really can't tell you more because i don't want to ruin the story for you!!!
But they were much more in this book that what i just told you!!!
There were too many struggles with themselves, with each other, with the memories...
I liked the dynamic between the couple...
I liked this pull between them and i loved the way Michael was handling the things!!!
He hasn’t pushed. But I want him too...
I want it. Crave it. And I’m scared.
I suspect my fear, and the trauma I suffered, is what stops him from unleashing on me what I so desperately need...
With Michael I want the cathartic release of it. Believe it will somehow cleanse me. But as much as he teased me, he’d yet to deliver.
I know why. I’ve learned how he operates. He wants me to need it. Wants me to break free from the box I’ve created, to take back another piece of myself.
He’s waiting for me to ask. But I don’t know how to say the words.
I liked Layla, even though sometimes i couldn't understand her...
She got through lots of ugly things and she was clinging so hard to them, that she didn't want her life... She didn't live anymore, she was just existing!!!
She was trying so hard to ignore her feelings for Michael... Yep, i understand that she was feeling guilts about the past... but sometimes she was trying so hard to stay away from Michael without reason!!!
It makes me nervous. Wary. If I let him, Michael would slip effortlessly into my life. Staying with him again only makes it that much easier.
I’m at a crossroads. Or, at least, that’s the way it feels.
Even without looking at him I can feel his heat. His power. And I want it so damn bad I can taste it.
And i adored Michael... If you haven't noticed it until now, i'm almost obsessed with him...
He was from that kind of men that even though he wasn't in front of you in flesh and bones, his present was magnetic and made your knees go week....
I think i fell in love with him!!! *Sigh*
His character was so unconventional...
He was a man with domestic needs and attitude and at the same time was so sweet and caring...
A man that could bring you on the edge with just a look in his eyes!!!
I liked his insistence and i liked the way he was handling Layla and her fears...
He was bound to be her salvation from the first moment and that was what scared Layla!!!
His kiss. It’s like nothing I can even describe. Hot. Consuming. It obliterates all my worries and fears. It makes me forget everything and anyone but him.
It’s all I want. He’s all I want. His control. Possession.
Well, i don't know what else to say about them...
My thoughts are a mess... I already told you the main facts, so if you're interested the rest is up to you to find them out!!!
And now, i have to live without Michael...
Okay, i will get over it!!!
Thank God, that i still have Leo and Jillian's story and even though i already know where they are now, i'm dying to find out how they reached this point!!!!
That's all from me, but i would like to finish this review with one of Dr. Sorenson's phrases to Layla:
Life is full of peril and risk. Safety is an illusion. English