Hey ya'll, I'm sure all of my non stop posting about this book hasn't let any of you know how much I loved this book right? hehe
But just encase you didn't know, I did in fact LOVE this book.
It was by far my favorite Kim Karr has written so far, and I really hope ya'll enjoy my review and all the fun teasers.
And be sure to grab a copy of Blow today :D
Blow: Book #1 in the Tainted Love Duet
She’s anything but a damsel in distress…
He knows better than to be anyone’s white knight.
2 fatal sides.
1 epic love.
7 days to survive.
They met in the face of danger. They weren’t looking for love. They both knew better. But they couldn’t stay away, and they fell hard.
He is heart-stopping handsome, fearless—and haunted by deadly ties.
She is breathtakingly beautiful, determined—and in harm’s way.
They should have parted. They didn't. They never should have fucked. They did. And now time is running out. One hundred sixty eight hours. That’s all that remains. While Logan McPherson fights to save them, Elle Sterling is forced to make a choice that could change everything.
When torn between right and wrong, tainted love doesn’t have a chance...or does it?
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Ok, I want to start this review out by saying thank you so much to Kim Karr for sending me an ARC of this book to review. I have loved all of the books she's written so far and could not wait to dig in to this baby.
So... Just to be clear I loved it. Although I will tell you, I have yet to read a Kim Karr book I didn't like and this one may be close to my favorite, although I really did like Toxic too.
Lately I have seemed to be all over the place with what books I've read. I went on a sports romance kick for a while back between March and May sometime, and then pretty much crashed from it for several months. I had a really hard time picking up another book until July after close to a 2 month hiatus and when I did it just happen to be when Toxic ARC's were being read. So really that should tell you something that her books can pull me out of my slump lol. Anyways, after I finished Toxic I fell into a pretty big romance stint and have been going non stop. So after some pretty incredible books by Emma Chase, Christina Lauren, etc... Finding out this book was next on my list had me doing a happy dance and some major fan girl squeeing. I love Kim's books, but this cover just drew me in on this one. I mean the cover model is gorgeous, but I think it was actually the bright green text mixed with that that pulled me to it. I mean literally I saw the cover to this one and just felt this possessive need to read this one. Which truth be told is usually my downfall. I am a sucker for a pretty cover, but usually get the book for this reason having no idea what it's about and never being able to finish it. This book was exactly the opposite though. I loved the cover, knew what the book was about, and loved the book as much as its wonderful cover.
***Ok so I kinda just had a moment here where I realized that this book actually has a character from Toxic and I kinda feel a little duh for not realizing that. I mean I just got done talking about how I liked that book and couldn't put it together until I read a post on Kim's FB group. Some reader I am lol***
So like I mentioned before, I found myself unable to put the book down. AM zombie reader right here *points to self.
It wasn't just because of the suspenseful nature of this book either.
I really enjoyed Elle and Logan's POV's. Both characters were so complicated and I really liked seeing how their pasts unfolded as they began to feel more emotions towards the other. Both of them were so closed off at fist, and as they grew closer their stories just kinda fell out. Both went through so much when they were younger and my heart did kinda break for them. But watching what kind of adults it made them made things better. The fact that two people that were by all intents and purposes were broken were able to start working to being whole through each other really made me happy when reading. I don't want to give anything away, and believe me this book wasn't an easy romance by any stretch. The characters had to work for it, and the delay made it that much better when things finally started to happen.
So lets break things down a little.
I want to talk about both Elle and Logan.
I'll start with Elle.
I wasn't really sure what I thought of her at first to be truthful. She was such a mystery. She had people around her and as I read I tried to figure out all the dynamics. Once the book got going everything came out and it all started making sense. Once I knew everyone's rolls in her life I could better understand her.
She was a complex character with a bit of a shady? (not sure that quite the word I want) past. You could tell she had a lot of demons she was dealing with, and all the present drama with her sister wasn't helping.
But as the book progressed we get so see more of her strength, and more of how she came into that strength.
But I also liked how Elle wasn't afraid to lean on Logan when she needed him. After so long of dealing with things on her own, I think it was good she finally had someone to share all that with. I also love her connection to Clementine. The addition of the little girl in her life really showed Elle's character. She adores the little girl to the point she is willing to risk her own life for her. I liked that she had someone there to protect, that she needed to do that after the childhood she had and feeling like she couldn't do that for her mother. Clementine gave her purpose and a reason to keep pushing forward.
To be honest I'm having a hard time articulating things about Elle. I know I really liked her, and I was extremely intrigued in her back story no matter how sad and terrible it was. But I just can't seem to find the words to keep going on about her. I think ya'll will like her though, and will be able to see what I see. That she is a strong caring woman, and is not afraid to kick some butt if need be. But that she also just needs someone to love her and care about her and only her in every way possible.
I'm going to go ahead and jump into Logan for now, and if I think of anything more about Elle I'll be sure to share it with you later in this review.
So Logan...
I really like this guy. We meet him on sort of sketchy terms at first, but the more we know about him the more his true character shows. In an early Goodreads update while I was reading this one, I made the comment that I wasn't really sure if he was a bad boy with a good streak in him or a good guy with a little bad going on. And now that I've read the whole book and the little snip it we get of book #2 Crush I'm still not for sure. I feel like I had been leaning towards good guy with the bad streak, but as the ending unfurled I was starting to change my mind. He is so complex, and as more of his past unfolds the more I feel like I don't have him pegged down. He is obviously a sweet guy, caring, kind, not afraid to go after what he wants. He doesn't let much get in his way. But he is also tails to this coins heads. He can throw down with the best and is a little broken in ways when it comes to his ability to care and have relationships. Right from the start we can tell he cares deeply for his family. He tries to right the failures of his past, and works hard to protect Elle and Clementine even though he knows so little about them, but there is a thread of wanting revenge on the one person that made is past so bad, and for what they are now threatening in his present. And while it isn't technically a part of this book but the small preview for Crush, we see that Logan just may be willing to do literally whatever it takes to get rid of the threat to him and Elle.
But his bad boy good guy thing isn't the only thing I liked about him, or how determined he is. This guy is sexy as sin. Like whoa there buddy put those abs away before you hurt someone with their abyness. But it isn't just the looks that are so attractive. He is really the whole package. Hes sweet when he wants to be slow and caring even, but man he takes what he wants. I like how concerned he is with Elle though. He always thinks about her first in most of the situations and worries how she will react. I like that he can separate himself enough from his emotions, and carnal lust to be able to do that.
This whole book in general was really good though. Suspenseful as heck, and even nerve racking at times when I just had to know what was going to happen. But so so good.
I cannot wait for book #2 to be here, and hope that ya'll go get a copy of this book as soon as possible. IT IS THAT GOOD!
I give Blow: *****5 Stars*****
BLOW TRAILER from kim karr on Vimeo
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She grew up in Rochester, NY and now lives in Florida with her husband and four kids. She's always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, she wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. She went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise her family. Kim currently works part-time with her husband and recently decided to embrace one of her biggest passions--writing.
Kim wears a lot of hats! Writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all around go-to person of her family. However, she always finds time to read. One of her favorite family outings was taking her kids when they were little to the bookstore or the library. Today, Kim's oldest child is seventeen and no longer goes with her on these, now rare and infrequent, outings. She finds that she doesn't need to go on them anymore because she has the greatest device ever invented--a Kindle.
Kim likes to believe in soul mates, kindred spirits, true friends, and Happily-Ever-Afters. She loves to drink champagne, listen to music, and hopes to always stay young at heart.
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