Craving Steel Brothers Saga #1

Oof... this one... no words. I wanted to like this book so bad. I'd seen the reviews praising it and saying it was the perfect combination of steaminess and angst, it was just what I had been looking for. That being said, this is probably my least favorite book I ever read. And I read some questionable titles in the past. Here's a list of things that turned me completely off from Craving by Helen Hardt: - Narration. With Jade it was fine, I guess. She was a bit annoying but nothing I haven't read before. With Talon, well... although Talon was supposed to be quiet and mysterious/broken and brooding or something, he just ended up sounding extremely whiny. From his POV, I would have guessed he was in his twenties but the man was thirty-five years old. No words. - I got tired of how many times Talon repeated that women usually threw themselves at him, and he simply accepted it. It was immature and annoying. We get it, you're an asshole. - How many times can this man call Jade "blue eyes" in the span of a page? God. - What... What on earth was the deal with the grilled cheese and tomato sandwich? Why did he act like that was the most perfect creation in the whole fucking world? Why did we, as readers, have to spend so much time on that?... - Dialogue. So freaking awkward! Don't even get me started on dirty talk. So, sooooo cringy. - The whole book was in need of an editor. Ideas, sentences, and words were constantly repeated. - There's a paragraph where Talon is talking about how if he finishes at that moment, then he'll probably be ready for a second round. The paragraph finishes with "In my soul, I knew this." Huh?!!?!? I wish I had been able to finish this book so I can properly say I read it whole and it was a disaster, but sadly I could only get to 70% until I had to close the Kindle app and reevaluate my choices.

Just here for the smut if you are reading this one. Lots of action…. Not a lot of build up/tension (not always a bad thing - depends what you’re looking for). I wanted to read the next by the time I got to the end…. But quickly forgot about it a week later and not super inclined to pay for the rest. Spice level 🌶🌶🌶

After being left at the altar, Jade Roberts seeks solace at her best friend's ranch on the Colorado western slope. Her humiliation still ripe, she doesn't expect to be attracted to her friend's reticent brother, but when the gorgeous cowboy kisses her, all bets are off. Talon Steel is broken. Having never fully healed from a horrific childhood trauma, he simply exists, taking from women what is offered and giving nothing in return...until Jade Roberts catapults into his life. She is beautiful, sweet, and giving, and his desire for her becomes a craving he fears he'll never be able to satisfy. Passion sizzles between the two lovers...but long-buried secrets haunt them both and may eventually tear them apart. *I got this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review* I was pretty excited to read this one. It seemed like something I would read when browsing through Amazon and didn't hesitate to get. Jade is left at the alter of her wedding and unable to stay in the same place, heads to her best friend's ranch to heal and get away from the whispers. She certainly wasn't expecting to fall for her best friends brother, but life is made to throw wrenches in your life! Talon had a horrific childhood and hasn't healed from it it. He takes what's offered and gives nothing in return, but soon he's craving more than just a few nights, and hes unsure what to do with that. The Good: I loved the family mystery, it kept my attention. I wanted to know more about it all and was craving the moment I would be able to understand it all. And the descriptions of the ranch and the small town (which I live for!) are beautiful! I felt like I was right there and it made me so happy to imagine it. Also, the steamy scenes between Jade and Talon were veeeery nice ;) The Bad: Unfortunately, the bad definitely outweighs the good with... To finish this review, check it out here: https://emma-elliott-cs84.squarespace...