No words. None.

If you read but one book this year - make it this one.

All the stars! Utterly breathtaking. 

"One morning I woke, but the two halves of my heart did not."

I don't have adequate words to review this book, or tell you how it slayed me, or how hard I cried and grieved and wailed for Archer and for Mallory, or how impressed I am with this author's writing skills.

I'm sorry, Nash Summers. I'll buy a copy when it comes out because I just cannot write you a review - I don't have the words.

"Leaving me there in a million broken pieces, Archer walked out the door."

If you're reading this review, dear people of Booklikes, just do yourself a favor and buy a copy of this book on June 14, when it comes out, hide yourself away in a comfortable corner and read it. Have tissues, wine and chocolate ready. Yes, there is a HEA, if that's something that worries you, but their journey there is what makes this book so outstanding, so raw, and so real.

That is all.


** I received a free copy of this book from its author. A review was not promised in return. Good thing too, seeing how I can't adequately review this brilliant book. **

Sorry, Tj. I love you, I do, but you should already know why I'm struggling with the words while writing this review. I'm not even sure you should expect anyone to review this book coherently. You know this, don't you? Don't you? I'm almost certain you're reading this review and others like mine, maniacally laughing at us. You are, aren't you?

For all you folks out there, thinking about possibly buying this book - yeah... you want to. You do. Because you need to read this.

Please don't read any spoilerish reviews before reading this book. It's best to go in fully blind, just like I did, with only the blurb as a hint, for maximum impact.

Read this, I BEG YOU!

This is Tj Klune's best work yet. The emotional depth, the realism of it all - I haven't got words to describe it.

Read this. Don't even hesitate.


** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher. A positive review was not promised in return. **

So, I went into this book thinking this was going to be what the blurb indicated - a fluffy, feel-good story of two strangers in a snowstorm, one rescuing the other from freezing to death in the Alaskan wilderness, and they live happily ever after.

Right?

WRONG!!!

Well, this story had those elements, and with this being a book in the Dreamspun Desires series, they do live happily ever after in the end, but holy moly, there was a whole lot more to this book than just that.

Intrigue, deception, undercover stuff, espionage, threats, blackmail, mindfucks, danger, terrorists - you name, it's got it. Also mindfucks. Did I mention the mindfucks?

Hutch is an ex-soldier whose previous work in covert ops and experiences have him sleeping on an arsenal of weaponry. When he sleeps. Which isn't much. He lives in a secluded cabin away from the more civilized world, and he likes it that way. He also helps with rescuing stupid tourists from getting snowed-in and getting lost in the wilderness, but he keeps to himself. For reasons.

During a snowstorm, a sexy stranger shows up on his doorstep, imitating an icicle, and Hutch, not being an asshole, brings him in to warm up.

And warm up, if you know what I mean, they do. There's kissing and UST and more kissing and sexy times, and then you get to 60% and you're like WTF just happened?

That's all I'll tell you, because you should read this book for yourself. There's darkness and light, and there's love and sex and fear and danger, and I really don't want to spoil the experience for you.

Eli Easton has written a masterful novel that kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved every minute I spend reading it.

** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher. A positive review was not promised in return. **

My first book by this author (and her debut novel, to boot) was a complete success. ICYMI, when I finished the book and posted my final update, these were my words:

Wow. Also, WOW. I absolutely loved this. Complex characters, complex relationship, a FUBAR, and then... WOW. Y'all, get this as soon as you can.

Noah wakes up in a remote cabin in Colorado during a blizzard right around Christmas time, with no recollection of who he is or what he's doing there, and furthermore, no idea who the gentle, handsome man taking care of him is. The handsome man introduces himself as Jason and makes Noah feel safe. He only tells Noah that he slipped in the snow and hit his head, which explains the headache and bumps on his head as well as the amnesia.

Jason dotes on Noah during his recovery, but refuses to tell him much more than his name, claiming that he's been in touch with an ER doctor, who advised him not to plant any ideas in Noah's mind, and to let Noah remember on his own. Which should perhaps take a few days.

At first Noah seems okay with this, but then doubts set in, primarily after observing Jason hide what's being discussed during the phone calls with the doctor, and also because Noah catches Jason on more than one occasion looking super guilty.

As the memories come back slowly, Noah remembers Jason being loving and kind toward him, but also gets snippets of Jason acting in anger. And snippets of his mother and father, a tragic death, manic research in a library, and a best friend who doesn't call him Noah.

Eventually, it all comes flooding back, and I had one of the most massive surprises in my book-reading career. I seriously sat there with my mouth wide open, in complete shock as to what had just happened on page. Note the FUBAR comment above.

At this point, the book's 2nd part begins, and we find ourselves in NYC. I won't tell you much more than this because I don't want to spoil the experience, and I won't tell you how it ends either. Just remember, this is a romance.

Told entirely from Noah's POV, we don't get but glimpses of what makes Jason tick through Noah's eyes, but the author included enough of Jason on page to make me care about him just the same. I did have one small niggle, which I can't explain here, because it would be a spoiler, just suffice it to say that there has been some major loss in Jason's life, and how it was handled here was a bit too unrealistic for my taste. I suppose grief can manifest itself in a variety of forms, and everyone deals with grief differently, but Jason's characterization didn't quite gel with how his grief was handled here.

And yet, I absolutely loved this book. It has complex characters, a complex plotline, superb character growth, and the author made the characters work for what they ultimately achieve. Noah looks deeply inside himself and realizes what he's done, what he's lost, and what he wants - and then goes after what he wants as best as he knows how. He has help along the way, but the humility he displays, not only at his guilt and failures, but also his triumphs was extraordinary.

This is the first book in a 4-part series, with each book covering a season. I'm not yet sure how connected these books will be, but I will tell you that this book can be read as a standalone.

Definitely recommended!!

** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher via Netgalley. A positive review was not promised in return. **