Lee Piper's Blog - Posts Tagged "lucia-franco"
BOOM. I Said It.
Balance by Lucia FrancoMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Every so often, a book comes along which knocks the ever loving shit out of you. It's the kind which replays scenes in your head over and over again, the kind which forces you to walk around like a damn extra from The Walking Dead because you got next to no sleep the night before, the kind which just. Doesn't. Let. You. Go.
For me, it was Balance (Off Balance, #1) by Lucia Franco.
To be honest, I'm still reeling. And how can I not? I mean, it's about a sixteen year old gymnast who hooks up with her thirty-two year old coach. Pfft. If you're gonna be offended by this trope then quit reading now—go on, I'll wait—because that's not what's got me in a choke hold here. Hell no. Remove the age difference, remove the social constructs, remove the taboo entirely and it's what remains which... *exhales*
No words.
Okay, I'll give you three: Kova and Ria.
So simple, so complex, so unbelievably addictive.
You see, their relationship had me devouring the pages. It had me reading until the battery on my Kindle literally ran out sometime after three in the morning. And do you wanna know why? Me too. I mean, if you look at each character objectively there are some major personality flaws. Kova is domineering, jealous, unfaithful and selfish; while Ria is driven, dishonest, fickle and naive. I know, right? Yet, there is something so freakin' strong between the two. It's beyond attraction, beyond chemistry, it's an animalistic compulsion which these glaringly imperfect characters succumb to despite the potential ramifications. And boy are there many. Even stranger, is it's the very possibility of utter ruin which drives some of the most epic sex scenes I have ever read. Boom. I said it.
Brutal. Honest. Twisted.
I flipping LOVED this book.
Lee Piper is an Evernight Publishing bestselling author. Rock My World, Book #1 in the Mondez series and Rock My Body, Book #2 are available now. You can find all of this information and more on her website: www.leepiperauthor.com
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Look Closer.
Execution by Lucia FrancoMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
To be honest, I don’t know how to start this review. And it’s strange because I’ve never had a problem writing them before. You either like the book or you don’t, or you like parts and don’t like other parts. Heck, you might hate the entire thing and go on a thesis length rant about the ineptitude of the author. Writing a review isn’t rocket science, I know this, and yet…
*sighs*
What if you love a novel so much you’re worried your review won’t encapsulate how freaking good it is? What if your words take away, rather than add to its appeal? My writing style isn’t everyone’s cup of Dilmah, and I’m okay with this, but I’d hate if it turned off potential readers. Off Balance is a must read series, I can’t stuff this up.
So, I guess I could throw in some well-placed shouty caps about how hot the sex scenes are. I could fangirl something fierce over the physical perfection of the hero and secondary character. I could touch on the forbidden aspects and put in my two cents about whether it’s really taboo or not. Man, I could even start a support group to help deal with parts of the storyline.
But I won’t.
Lucia Franco’s, Execution (Off Balance Book 2) deserves more than that. No, it is more than that. It’s brilliant. Plainly put, this book is one of the best contemporary romances I’ve ever read. Period. The. Flipping. End.
"What about the book makes it so amazing?" you ask. A fair question, and one this review can’t answer because I’d need several thousand words to do it. However, what I can say is the hero and heroine are perfect. Perfect. As protagonists, they’re absolutely faultless because of one simple truth: they’re flawed. Yep, Kova and Adrianna are so inherently flawed it’s difficult to even like them sometimes. I mean, they lie, mask hidden agendas, and hurt one another more often than not. This couple could be considered toxic if you didn’t look close enough.
Look closer.
In lies, there is beauty. In hidden agendas, there is purpose. In distrust, there is faith. And beneath it all, beneath society’s expectations, social customs, and norms is one of the most mesmerising love stories you will ever read.
I can’t make it more obvious. From the opening line to the final punctuation mark, I loved Execution.
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