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Hell Without You
Time changes everything, except what’s meant to be.
Seven years is a long time – long enough to transform Clementine from a small-town teenager with a broken heart into a woman ready to take on the world, but not long enough to make her forget about the man she was never supposed to see again. A temporary return to tiny Willow Heights thrusts her back into Donovan’s life and home, unearthing heartbreak and obsession that have stood the test of time.
He left seven years ago too, for war and other things Clementine can only imagine. Coming back to the town where he grew up in the shadow of poverty and drug addiction makes no sense, and neither do Clementine’s feelings for him. He could never forgive her for leaving, could he? Even if she had no choice.
Now, she has the freedom to choose … and so does he. Every day in Willow Heights makes it clearer: all he ever really wanted was her, and nothing will change that. Not even a taste of the hell that drove them apart in the first place.
Seven years is a long time – long enough to transform Clementine from a small-town teenager with a broken heart into a woman ready to take on the world, but not long enough to make her forget about the man she was never supposed to see again. A temporary return to tiny Willow Heights thrusts her back into Donovan’s life and home, unearthing heartbreak and obsession that have stood the test of time.
He left seven years ago too, for war and other things Clementine can only imagine. Coming back to the town where he grew up in the shadow of poverty and drug addiction makes no sense, and neither do Clementine’s feelings for him. He could never forgive her for leaving, could he? Even if she had no choice.
Now, she has the freedom to choose … and so does he. Every day in Willow Heights makes it clearer: all he ever really wanted was her, and nothing will change that. Not even a taste of the hell that drove them apart in the first place.
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2013
10 people are currently reading
1101 people want to read
About the author
Ranae Rose
46 books718 followersI write what I know and love: adult romance with blue-collar heroes and real-life flavor. Tattoos, handcuffs and men in uniform are a few of my favorite things, and it shows in my thirty+ published books.
I live in the South with my man in uniform, who I married for the entertainment value. Just kidding - it was the handcuffs, err, true love. ;)
So far, our happily ever after includes a couple kids, German Shepherd dogs and a mutual appreciation of timely 'that's what she said' jokes.
When I'm not writing, I love reading, good coffee, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and whatever outdoor adventures I can find.
I also love hearing from readers, so don't be shy! If you've enjoyed something I've written, hearing from you would make my day.
I live in the South with my man in uniform, who I married for the entertainment value. Just kidding - it was the handcuffs, err, true love. ;)
So far, our happily ever after includes a couple kids, German Shepherd dogs and a mutual appreciation of timely 'that's what she said' jokes.
When I'm not writing, I love reading, good coffee, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and whatever outdoor adventures I can find.
I also love hearing from readers, so don't be shy! If you've enjoyed something I've written, hearing from you would make my day.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
November 3, 2013
This book was sweet, simple and satisfying.
Donovan and Clementine were high school sweethearts. They loved each other completely and didn't think anything could tear them apart. Unfortunately, this wasn't true. Clementine had to make a tough decision and she ended up going away to college and Donovan having no reason for him to stay around, joined the military.
Life has brought Clementine back to town. She wants to see who has bought her grandmother's old house, a place where she had many happy memories, only to discover that Donovan is the new owner. They were both surprised to see each other. But now that Donovan has seen her again, he won't make the same mistake twice in letting her go.
"You lied to yourself, then. I could just as soon forget how to breathe as forget about you. You know that." ~Donovan
"The kind of love that waits for seven years without changing is the kind of love that makes you stupid, sometimes." ~Donovan
This was a sweet, simple read that I very much enjoyed. There was some mystery but no angst.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Donovan and Clementine were high school sweethearts. They loved each other completely and didn't think anything could tear them apart. Unfortunately, this wasn't true. Clementine had to make a tough decision and she ended up going away to college and Donovan having no reason for him to stay around, joined the military.
Life has brought Clementine back to town. She wants to see who has bought her grandmother's old house, a place where she had many happy memories, only to discover that Donovan is the new owner. They were both surprised to see each other. But now that Donovan has seen her again, he won't make the same mistake twice in letting her go.
"You lied to yourself, then. I could just as soon forget how to breathe as forget about you. You know that." ~Donovan
"The kind of love that waits for seven years without changing is the kind of love that makes you stupid, sometimes." ~Donovan
This was a sweet, simple read that I very much enjoyed. There was some mystery but no angst.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 2, 2016
“My soul has been trapped outside of my body for the past ten years.”
- Donovan
“I want it to be for good. Forever. I can’t stand the thought of it being anything but. I’ve got you back, and I want to keep you. Will you marry me?”
- Donovan
- Donovan
“I want it to be for good. Forever. I can’t stand the thought of it being anything but. I’ve got you back, and I want to keep you. Will you marry me?”
- Donovan
December 31, 2013
The one thing I always know for certain, without a doubt, 100% when I start a book by Ranae Rose, is that I won't be disappointed. Another thing I have also learnt as I have read more of Ranae's work is that she makes sure she has fully researched the subject she is dealing with. Whether it be the intricacies of being a tattoo artist, or the down-right desperation and uncertainty of PTSD. This book is no exception, for all of the above reasons and then some.
Hell Without You is a classic tale in the sense that it follows well known and established patterns with regards to a suspenseful romantic storyline. However, Ranae has put her unique spin on it and given us something new and fresh to enjoy.
Clementine and Donovan have been in love since they were teenagers. Clementine lives in comfort with her mother, step-father and step-brother, while Donovan lives in a rundown pink trailer with his siblings and drug addicted mother. Despite or maybe in-spite of their differences they form a strong bond as teenagers that develops into love. This love is shattered by one unthinkable event, that leaves Clementine studying at college, alone in a strange city, and Donovan enlisting in the Marines, which ultimately leads him into a tour of Afghanistan.
7 years later and they are both different, yet the same people. A chance meeting and it becomes quickly apparent that the connection they shared although lain dormant, hasn't diminished. Donovan is haunted by his experiences in Afghanistan, and Clementine is still fearful of reprecussions of events from her past.
Donovan - "My soul has been trapped outside my body for the past ten years."
Clementine - "Really."....."Where is it?"
Donovan - "Sitting right across from me."....."Don't pretend you didnt know that."
It is difficult to put into words how much I loved Donovan..(tbh pretty much every one of Ranae's lead men are in my top ten BBF's). He doesn't usurp Ryan Moore, but he is a very close second. This is a man who has suffered, at the hands of people who should have been looking out for him. He struggles with anxiety as a result of PTSD, and the vulnerability he displays in the extremes he is prepared to go to to ensure Clementine doesn't leave him again bought tears to my eyes.
Donovan - "The only thing I am afraid of is a life without you."........"There's nothing you can say to scare me off. Nothing I wouldn't want, as long as it was with you."
Another positive point for Ranae is she writes books about run of the mill men and women, and the challenges they face. By that I do not mean they are boring, but you won't find a billionaire businessman with emotional issues within her pages, her characters have believable issues and relatable conditions that are within the realms of possibility, and because of that it is so much easier to fall in love with them through a level of association. The dips back to their teenage years in Hell Without You added to the flow of the story at points where it was of benefit, and added an extra insight and depth to their story.
Being a lover of Chopin, Ranae's reference to Raindrop in the book was particularly poignant as it really pulled me into the emotion of what she is trying to express (I recommend you listen to this piece at the point it is mentioned, as it gives the following paragraphs so much more feeling).
I always seem to end my reviews for Ranae's books in the same vein, by encouraging you to read her work. If this review even inspires one person to one-click Hell Without You I will be happy. If you want to start with something a little shorter I urge you to have a look at the Inked In The Steel City Series, or even better take the time to acquaint yourself with the unforgettable Ryan Moore -
Battered Not Broken -
UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Battered-Not-...
US - http://www.amazon.com/Battered-Not-Br...
Rough Around The Edges -
UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rough-Around-...
US - http://www.amazon.com/Rough-Around-Ed...
My thanks as always go to Ranae, for giving me the opportuntiy to read an ARC of Hell Without You.
Hell Without You is a classic tale in the sense that it follows well known and established patterns with regards to a suspenseful romantic storyline. However, Ranae has put her unique spin on it and given us something new and fresh to enjoy.
Clementine and Donovan have been in love since they were teenagers. Clementine lives in comfort with her mother, step-father and step-brother, while Donovan lives in a rundown pink trailer with his siblings and drug addicted mother. Despite or maybe in-spite of their differences they form a strong bond as teenagers that develops into love. This love is shattered by one unthinkable event, that leaves Clementine studying at college, alone in a strange city, and Donovan enlisting in the Marines, which ultimately leads him into a tour of Afghanistan.
7 years later and they are both different, yet the same people. A chance meeting and it becomes quickly apparent that the connection they shared although lain dormant, hasn't diminished. Donovan is haunted by his experiences in Afghanistan, and Clementine is still fearful of reprecussions of events from her past.
Donovan - "My soul has been trapped outside my body for the past ten years."
Clementine - "Really."....."Where is it?"
Donovan - "Sitting right across from me."....."Don't pretend you didnt know that."
It is difficult to put into words how much I loved Donovan..(tbh pretty much every one of Ranae's lead men are in my top ten BBF's). He doesn't usurp Ryan Moore, but he is a very close second. This is a man who has suffered, at the hands of people who should have been looking out for him. He struggles with anxiety as a result of PTSD, and the vulnerability he displays in the extremes he is prepared to go to to ensure Clementine doesn't leave him again bought tears to my eyes.
Donovan - "The only thing I am afraid of is a life without you."........"There's nothing you can say to scare me off. Nothing I wouldn't want, as long as it was with you."
Another positive point for Ranae is she writes books about run of the mill men and women, and the challenges they face. By that I do not mean they are boring, but you won't find a billionaire businessman with emotional issues within her pages, her characters have believable issues and relatable conditions that are within the realms of possibility, and because of that it is so much easier to fall in love with them through a level of association. The dips back to their teenage years in Hell Without You added to the flow of the story at points where it was of benefit, and added an extra insight and depth to their story.
Being a lover of Chopin, Ranae's reference to Raindrop in the book was particularly poignant as it really pulled me into the emotion of what she is trying to express (I recommend you listen to this piece at the point it is mentioned, as it gives the following paragraphs so much more feeling).
I always seem to end my reviews for Ranae's books in the same vein, by encouraging you to read her work. If this review even inspires one person to one-click Hell Without You I will be happy. If you want to start with something a little shorter I urge you to have a look at the Inked In The Steel City Series, or even better take the time to acquaint yourself with the unforgettable Ryan Moore -
Battered Not Broken -
UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Battered-Not-...
US - http://www.amazon.com/Battered-Not-Br...
Rough Around The Edges -
UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rough-Around-...
US - http://www.amazon.com/Rough-Around-Ed...
My thanks as always go to Ranae, for giving me the opportuntiy to read an ARC of Hell Without You.
October 2, 2014
~Arc Provided Via Netgalley In Exchange For Honest Review~
I always had a weak spot for emotional romance books with the theme of first love and that's why this one sounded very promising, but unfortunately, in the end, it failed to deliver. When the story doesn't grip you from the start it's very unlikely that it will later on and this was one of those stories. It wasn't awful. I didn't hate it. I was just bored out of my mind and couldn't get into it no matter how hard I tried.
The MCs of this story are Clementine, a rich girl and step-daughter from a well-known politician & Donovan, the poor mechanic living in a trailer, who were each other's first love and both first big heartbreak in the high school. At the beginning of the story we meet them as grown-ups in their late twenties. Their life roads cross again after almost 7 years of having no contact at all and with every next page the present and past events get mixed and we're given clues about which terrible events led to their separation and break-up.
Things have changed since the last time they saw each other. They have changed- Clementine graduated on collage and came back to look for a job, while Donovan left military and came back to their hometown in hope to start a new, better life, but the one thing that remained the same are their feelings for each other in spite of huge trust issues from both sides.
Both Donovan's and Clementine's characters felt not developed and interesting enough in my opinion for me to actually to connect with them or their story. The issues they had solved in the most convenient and quickest way which made the story quite monotonous, predictable and uneventful. I was expecting some kind of bigger twist or something like that, but in the end the story felt flat. My Goodreads profile counts over 500 read books and that's probably one of the biggest reasons for this rating. The story needs to be really interesting and unique to hold my interest and that wasn't the case with this one. It was just too much of a light read for my reading preferences.
I believe there will be a lot of romance fans who will find this story endearing and not share my opinion, especially those who don't read as much as I do, but considering the books I've read and rated so far, sorry, but I don't feel this deserves more than 2 stars. Read it and decide for yourself.
This review is posted on Way Too Hot Books.
I always had a weak spot for emotional romance books with the theme of first love and that's why this one sounded very promising, but unfortunately, in the end, it failed to deliver. When the story doesn't grip you from the start it's very unlikely that it will later on and this was one of those stories. It wasn't awful. I didn't hate it. I was just bored out of my mind and couldn't get into it no matter how hard I tried.
The MCs of this story are Clementine, a rich girl and step-daughter from a well-known politician & Donovan, the poor mechanic living in a trailer, who were each other's first love and both first big heartbreak in the high school. At the beginning of the story we meet them as grown-ups in their late twenties. Their life roads cross again after almost 7 years of having no contact at all and with every next page the present and past events get mixed and we're given clues about which terrible events led to their separation and break-up.
Things have changed since the last time they saw each other. They have changed- Clementine graduated on collage and came back to look for a job, while Donovan left military and came back to their hometown in hope to start a new, better life, but the one thing that remained the same are their feelings for each other in spite of huge trust issues from both sides.
Both Donovan's and Clementine's characters felt not developed and interesting enough in my opinion for me to actually to connect with them or their story. The issues they had solved in the most convenient and quickest way which made the story quite monotonous, predictable and uneventful. I was expecting some kind of bigger twist or something like that, but in the end the story felt flat. My Goodreads profile counts over 500 read books and that's probably one of the biggest reasons for this rating. The story needs to be really interesting and unique to hold my interest and that wasn't the case with this one. It was just too much of a light read for my reading preferences.
I believe there will be a lot of romance fans who will find this story endearing and not share my opinion, especially those who don't read as much as I do, but considering the books I've read and rated so far, sorry, but I don't feel this deserves more than 2 stars. Read it and decide for yourself.
This review is posted on Way Too Hot Books.
September 24, 2013
All the pieces to Hell Without You were in the story to make it a good read. However, their combination still fell flat for me. I didn’t buy the reason that Clementine and Donovan were apart for so long. Once they were away from the town, they should have been able to get back together or just get in touch without any threat hanging over their head. With that said, if I suspend my rational mind and go with the premise, I can buy that they get back together when she comes back to her hometown and runs into him at her grandmother’s old house. A house that was sold off after her grandmother dies. To… you guessed it, Donovan.
The sale of grandma’s house to Donovan was the part I was able to believe the most about the story. Except… her parents hate him and would never sell to him. Ever. Okay. So I suspend belief for that and the rest falls pretty much in line from there. It seems like the plot turns are all plausible… on the surface, but once you really think about it in the context of the story, then not so much.
I get that fiction is about suspending belief, but it should at least fit with the characters as they are portrayed. And that was the problem in this story, at least for me. No amount of suspending reality was going to make the characters’ action believable. Not given the back story for each character. And the slight suspense at the end? Trite. I didn’t believe the initial reason for the suspense and I DEFINITELY didn’t believe the resolution.
This book wasn’t terrible. The editing was good. The timeline was spot on. But it was the characters’ action in the context of the situations in which they were placed that made this book a so-so read for me.
The sale of grandma’s house to Donovan was the part I was able to believe the most about the story. Except… her parents hate him and would never sell to him. Ever. Okay. So I suspend belief for that and the rest falls pretty much in line from there. It seems like the plot turns are all plausible… on the surface, but once you really think about it in the context of the story, then not so much.
I get that fiction is about suspending belief, but it should at least fit with the characters as they are portrayed. And that was the problem in this story, at least for me. No amount of suspending reality was going to make the characters’ action believable. Not given the back story for each character. And the slight suspense at the end? Trite. I didn’t believe the initial reason for the suspense and I DEFINITELY didn’t believe the resolution.
This book wasn’t terrible. The editing was good. The timeline was spot on. But it was the characters’ action in the context of the situations in which they were placed that made this book a so-so read for me.
September 7, 2013
Ranae Rose fans will not be disappointed.
Clementine left town 7 years ago, went to NYC and attended Columbia. Now one internship and MBA later she has decided to come home and look for a job. She can not resist driving by her grandmother’s house. She knows her mother sold it after her grandmother’s death, but just driving by will make her grandmother feel close. That is what Clementine needs now, she feels so alone in her hometown. She is in the driveway wanting a closer look when she hears the gravel crunch beneath a car’s wheels. Out steps the reason she left seven years ago Donovan Kemp.
I started this book blind, I am not sure I even read the blurb. But within pages I was drawn into the story. Clementine and Donovan have a deep love for each other even seven years later. It is quite evident early on that Clementine and Donovan have a past, but this past is slowly revealed to the readers. At first you as the reader have no idea why they went their separate ways, but the characters understood perfectly; so it was sort of like coming in on a conversation half way through. As their renewed relationship progressed and sparks flew you started to learn what caused them to part. Clementine was a determined hard working woman, and fiercely loyal. There were many times during the book I was cheering for her; one such time was when her mother came to Donovan’s house (no spoiler but I did give her a mental high five for how she handled the situation!) You don’t realize the depth of Donovan’s dedication to Clementine right away. Donovan’s character was a man of few words, but when he did talk his dialog had high impact.
“The kind of love that waits for seven years without changing is the kind of love that makes you stupid, sometimes.”
The plot had a nice arc, but I craved detailed. The title of the book is Hell Without You and I wish more of the hell was described; I do understand that for seven years Donovan longed to see Clementine, however I wonder if that was the only source of his anguish. We got to see just the tip of Donovan’s character; I wish we knew more of his thoughts and how he lived his life in the seven years he was apart from Clementine. We know he went into the military and then lived in Florida. Did he have other relationships, how would his military service be characterized are all questions I have about Donovan.
As I have come to enjoy in Ranae Rose books, this is not straight forward, been told a thousand times plot. There are nuances and twists that make this a fresh read. I did enjoy every page and must confess I am still unclear if this is a start of a new series – I hope so - I think Donovan’s best friend needs a HEA!
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Clementine left town 7 years ago, went to NYC and attended Columbia. Now one internship and MBA later she has decided to come home and look for a job. She can not resist driving by her grandmother’s house. She knows her mother sold it after her grandmother’s death, but just driving by will make her grandmother feel close. That is what Clementine needs now, she feels so alone in her hometown. She is in the driveway wanting a closer look when she hears the gravel crunch beneath a car’s wheels. Out steps the reason she left seven years ago Donovan Kemp.
I started this book blind, I am not sure I even read the blurb. But within pages I was drawn into the story. Clementine and Donovan have a deep love for each other even seven years later. It is quite evident early on that Clementine and Donovan have a past, but this past is slowly revealed to the readers. At first you as the reader have no idea why they went their separate ways, but the characters understood perfectly; so it was sort of like coming in on a conversation half way through. As their renewed relationship progressed and sparks flew you started to learn what caused them to part. Clementine was a determined hard working woman, and fiercely loyal. There were many times during the book I was cheering for her; one such time was when her mother came to Donovan’s house (no spoiler but I did give her a mental high five for how she handled the situation!) You don’t realize the depth of Donovan’s dedication to Clementine right away. Donovan’s character was a man of few words, but when he did talk his dialog had high impact.
“The kind of love that waits for seven years without changing is the kind of love that makes you stupid, sometimes.”
The plot had a nice arc, but I craved detailed. The title of the book is Hell Without You and I wish more of the hell was described; I do understand that for seven years Donovan longed to see Clementine, however I wonder if that was the only source of his anguish. We got to see just the tip of Donovan’s character; I wish we knew more of his thoughts and how he lived his life in the seven years he was apart from Clementine. We know he went into the military and then lived in Florida. Did he have other relationships, how would his military service be characterized are all questions I have about Donovan.
As I have come to enjoy in Ranae Rose books, this is not straight forward, been told a thousand times plot. There are nuances and twists that make this a fresh read. I did enjoy every page and must confess I am still unclear if this is a start of a new series – I hope so - I think Donovan’s best friend needs a HEA!
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
September 14, 2013
This is my second "meh" book in a row. I just didn't ever really connect with the characters or the story in a meaningful way.
I liked Clementine. She had made some decisions guided by her youthful inexperience when she was younger, but was willing to grow from them. I was will willing to like Donovan, but then he pulled that classic makes-me-eye-squint-with-irritation move. You know, the one where the guy wants to forgo the condom and when the girl protests, he makes it out like she should just trust him more and everything will be fine? Yeah. That move. Luckily our heroine doesn't fall for his nonsense, but from that point on, I just flat out didn't like him.
Their story never had enough tension in it to keep me interested in the outcome. The sudden inclusion of rom-suspense elements near the end (which had the most anti-climactic resolution I have ever read, though not necessarily in a bad way since it kind of broke the mold in not involving the heroine being kidnapped, etc.) made me feel like maybe this was something the author had picked up on to, so she had added that side story to create some tension. Unfortunately, I just never felt it.
Copy courtesy of Ranae Rose, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I liked Clementine. She had made some decisions guided by her youthful inexperience when she was younger, but was willing to grow from them. I was will willing to like Donovan, but then he pulled that classic makes-me-eye-squint-with-irritation move. You know, the one where the guy wants to forgo the condom and when the girl protests, he makes it out like she should just trust him more and everything will be fine? Yeah. That move. Luckily our heroine doesn't fall for his nonsense, but from that point on, I just flat out didn't like him.
Their story never had enough tension in it to keep me interested in the outcome. The sudden inclusion of rom-suspense elements near the end (which had the most anti-climactic resolution I have ever read, though not necessarily in a bad way since it kind of broke the mold in not involving the heroine being kidnapped, etc.) made me feel like maybe this was something the author had picked up on to, so she had added that side story to create some tension. Unfortunately, I just never felt it.
Copy courtesy of Ranae Rose, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 9, 2013
Most people who know me know that I am a sucker for second chance romance.
To me the emotions are raw, unresolved issues resurface and everything just seems so passionate ....sigh.
Hell Without You was all of those things.
"My Soul has been trapped outside of my body for the past ten years."
"Really?" she gripped her coffee mug, letting the ceramic warm her fingers. "Where is it?"
"Sitting right across from me." His voice went a little deeper, got a little rougher." Don't pretend you didn't know that."
Donavan was a mixture of deep hurt, possessiveness and I wanted to soothe this poor mans nerves. Also and ex marine, his time away from Clementime had not been easy. However as the book goes on you realise the distance put between these two sweethearts was not of there own choice and outside factors played a big roll. I was dying for there reconnection!
This was a shorter story, but it was full of detail and I have to say I was very impressed. I will be looking out for more from this author. This book was a pleasure to read.
To me the emotions are raw, unresolved issues resurface and everything just seems so passionate ....sigh.
Hell Without You was all of those things.
"My Soul has been trapped outside of my body for the past ten years."
"Really?" she gripped her coffee mug, letting the ceramic warm her fingers. "Where is it?"
"Sitting right across from me." His voice went a little deeper, got a little rougher." Don't pretend you didn't know that."
Donavan was a mixture of deep hurt, possessiveness and I wanted to soothe this poor mans nerves. Also and ex marine, his time away from Clementime had not been easy. However as the book goes on you realise the distance put between these two sweethearts was not of there own choice and outside factors played a big roll. I was dying for there reconnection!
This was a shorter story, but it was full of detail and I have to say I was very impressed. I will be looking out for more from this author. This book was a pleasure to read.
February 11, 2015
I received an e-copy of this book from the publishers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Out of all the review books I have, why did I choose this one? Uh, have you seen the cover? I mean, hot as hell is a more appropriate definition of it. Yes, I know... as a reviewer I have learned you should never judge a book by it's cover but what can I say? Cover appeal does tend to play a role periodically in my next book selection. I was in the mood for something titillating and exciting, so I chose this one to see if the story was as good as the cover art.
Clementine had never actually intended to come back to Willow Heights. She left it seven years ago to go to college and had planned to never look back. She had put her past behind her, or so she thought. When circumstances drive her to venture back to her hometown for a spell while looking for her dream job, she had forgotten how much of her life was centered around the town and it's inhabitants. One inhabitant in particular was her ex-boyfriend, Donovan. She left him behind and knew that he probably harbored ill feelings for her after her abandonment. When she lays eyes on the man she used to love, her heart starts to race just like it did when they were young and in love. She knows she has to stay away from Donovan or risk trouble with her family as well as risk her heart shattering all over again, but for some reason the fates have intervened and she is forced to share a house and even a bed with the only man she has ever loved.
As if Clementine's turmoil over Donovan isn't enough it seems there is a murderer on the loose and he has his eye set on Clementine and her family. When Donovan gets accused of the crime it is up to Detective Clementine to solve the case and put the true guilty party behind bars.
This book was actually physically painful to read. The back and forth between the protagonists seemed unrealistic. Some of Donovan's mental issues were referenced but never really described in detail. I would see rising action to a big scene to describe what went on in Clementine and Donovan's lives while they were apart and then it would never happen. Their past together is all well and good but can't a bit of their lives apart be also explained?
The relationship between the two seemed forced and all too easily resolved. Then instead of simply keeping the book firmly rooted in the contemporary romance category a murder mystery gets thrown in all willy-nilly. A murder mystery that was solved way too easily by the party confessing so all of Clementine's detective work was simply page filler that had no rhyme or reason.
I tried to find a redeeming quality in this book, but I just couldn't. I couldn't find anything in it that spoke to me or kept me reading. The only thing that made me finish the book was it's short length and my determination to give it a fair shake all the way to the end.
All I can say about Hell Without You is that it was kind of hell with this cast of characters. Unfortunate but... true.
Review Posted by: http://www.ladybugliterature.blogspot...
June 18, 2017
With or Without You
I thought HELL WITHOUT YOU started out really strongly. I was extremely receptive to the premise and the first meet scene - or re-acquaintance scene? - was really good! Lots of tension right off the bat, which is impressive for two characters I don't really know yet. The one that got away is a trope always fraught with high tension and emotions just waiting to boil over, and Ranae captured them really well.
I also thought the issues Donovan was dealing with after his time in the military were compelling.
And while we're at it, the sex scenes were bang tidy, and the flashback scenes were really cute.
Now that's about it for what I liked, and, sadly, I do have a rather large list of things I didn't like which only really came into play in the second half, where I found the book really seemed to lose its way. And that's why it's only a 3-star rating.
First of all, there was a murder mystery that was handled in such a bizarre and ineffectual way. It could have been something interesting, but it had its legs cut out from under it prematurely and then just fizzled into nothingness.
Then there was Clementine, who began as quite a feisty character, but seemed to morph into a bit of a lovelorn drip in the second half. It wasn't a good look for her.
And lastly Donovan. Let's be frank, he sounds totally lickable, and started off rather sweet too. But then he had to go and spoil things by doing all those butthurt moves like deliberately burning himself to "get his anger out". Let's call it the Travis Maddox method of anger management - and I happened to like that book so that's not a criticism in itself - but if you're going to write a character with cray cray tendencies like that, you need to at least commit and write it convincingly, instead of just peppering the book with random odd behaviour in an attempt to make your hero seem tormented. I'd already accepted he was legitimately tormented about the things he'd seen in service, but that was undermined by him doing these other things just because he was having a difficult conversation with his woman. It didn't work for me.
So, a bit of a mixed bag as you can see, but not a totally lost cause. I really did like the first half, so if you don't think the other things will bother you as much as they did me, give it a try!
3 Stars ★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I thought HELL WITHOUT YOU started out really strongly. I was extremely receptive to the premise and the first meet scene - or re-acquaintance scene? - was really good! Lots of tension right off the bat, which is impressive for two characters I don't really know yet. The one that got away is a trope always fraught with high tension and emotions just waiting to boil over, and Ranae captured them really well.
I also thought the issues Donovan was dealing with after his time in the military were compelling.
And while we're at it, the sex scenes were bang tidy, and the flashback scenes were really cute.
Now that's about it for what I liked, and, sadly, I do have a rather large list of things I didn't like which only really came into play in the second half, where I found the book really seemed to lose its way. And that's why it's only a 3-star rating.
First of all, there was a murder mystery that was handled in such a bizarre and ineffectual way. It could have been something interesting, but it had its legs cut out from under it prematurely and then just fizzled into nothingness.
Then there was Clementine, who began as quite a feisty character, but seemed to morph into a bit of a lovelorn drip in the second half. It wasn't a good look for her.
And lastly Donovan. Let's be frank, he sounds totally lickable, and started off rather sweet too. But then he had to go and spoil things by doing all those butthurt moves like deliberately burning himself to "get his anger out". Let's call it the Travis Maddox method of anger management - and I happened to like that book so that's not a criticism in itself - but if you're going to write a character with cray cray tendencies like that, you need to at least commit and write it convincingly, instead of just peppering the book with random odd behaviour in an attempt to make your hero seem tormented. I'd already accepted he was legitimately tormented about the things he'd seen in service, but that was undermined by him doing these other things just because he was having a difficult conversation with his woman. It didn't work for me.
So, a bit of a mixed bag as you can see, but not a totally lost cause. I really did like the first half, so if you don't think the other things will bother you as much as they did me, give it a try!
3 Stars ★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 12, 2013
Hell without You is a perfect title for this book. This is the story of love, loss, and finding your way back again. The story of Donovan and Clementine's love and then separation at times was gut wrenching.
Donovan seemed like he has suffered so much and I found myself wanting to heal him- he has never stopped loving Clementine, she is his anchor and his center. I think he has literally walked through hell to get back to where his story started.
Clementine, in the beginning came off a little distant and I found myself curious as to why she couldn't see how much Donovan wanted her but then we get to the root of their 7 year separation. Alot of the first half of the book is really just Donovan and Clementine. It is really their time together piecing their lives together again.
The second half of the book we have additional characters come into play and then the bottom drops out. I Do not want to give much away, but I saw something coming, their progression together was starting to show promise but I could feel a turning point coming.
Now- here is where I get a little disappointed. I was disappointed at how rushed the whole mystery around a death was. I was also disappointed to learn of the killer, I think the story could have taken a serious wicked twist by adding another element or suspect to the mix and then maybe it wouldn't have felt rushed or too "neat". I wanted something even more tragic or twisted. But, that being said- I think Donovan and Clementine did alot of suffering throughout their lives so I can see why the author chose the path she did.
*This honest review was done in exchange for an ARC via NetGalley*
Donovan seemed like he has suffered so much and I found myself wanting to heal him- he has never stopped loving Clementine, she is his anchor and his center. I think he has literally walked through hell to get back to where his story started.
Clementine, in the beginning came off a little distant and I found myself curious as to why she couldn't see how much Donovan wanted her but then we get to the root of their 7 year separation. Alot of the first half of the book is really just Donovan and Clementine. It is really their time together piecing their lives together again.
The second half of the book we have additional characters come into play and then the bottom drops out. I Do not want to give much away, but I saw something coming, their progression together was starting to show promise but I could feel a turning point coming.
Now- here is where I get a little disappointed. I was disappointed at how rushed the whole mystery around a death was. I was also disappointed to learn of the killer, I think the story could have taken a serious wicked twist by adding another element or suspect to the mix and then maybe it wouldn't have felt rushed or too "neat". I wanted something even more tragic or twisted. But, that being said- I think Donovan and Clementine did alot of suffering throughout their lives so I can see why the author chose the path she did.
*This honest review was done in exchange for an ARC via NetGalley*
September 12, 2013
Loved this story about two former sweethearts who are reunited after 7 years of being apart. I am not a big fan of 'reuniting love' books, I find the loss of time is heart-breaking and usually it is for ridiculous reasons however this one felt completely genuine and the chemistry between the pair was believable. Donovan was my favourite character, messed up from being in war but his devotion to Clementine was so sweet. Clementine was a good feisty heroine who stood by her man and helped him through so much.
This is a great romance with a satisfying HEA between two perfect for each other characters.
This is a great romance with a satisfying HEA between two perfect for each other characters.
September 18, 2013
I'm still a bit speechless really. I admit that I was obviously drawn to the cover...HOT!!! But it was more than that...the small blurb that was available was just too irresistible. I was gifted a copy of this book by NetGalley in return for a fair review. So I'm going to be fair...more than fair and perfectly honest.
I LOVED THIS STORY!! I was completely engrossed and was pulled in almost immediately. By page 20 my heart was thumping and the nervous butterflies that Clementine had were shared by me. It turned out to be a one sitting read-thru, I just couldn't put it down. A perfect combination of hot, sexy love and lust. In HELL WITHOUT YOU we meet Clementine and Donovan, two people who found each other when their lives were out of control in their teens. In finding each other they found their missing halves and love. A whirlwind romance full od teen lust and dreams that comes crashing down with the events of one hideous night.
"My soul has been trapped outside of my body for the past ten years...Sitting across from me. Don't pretend you didn't know that."
It's now 7 years later and fate has brought them back together. A chance encounter and mother nature help to form the confrontation. After all that time the spark is still there...the heat between these two sizzles off the page. It's a tangible thing, as a reader you can taste it...feel it. My body was exhausted by the last page from the range of emotions I had run through.
"She could practically smell the testosterone it had to take to maintain a body like that."
It's not all sunshine and rainbows when they meet again. Both are hurt, scared and carry what feels like a lifetime of guilt and loneliness. Each has done what they felt necessary to hide from the deep longing that would not...could not go away. Clementine has run from herself, trying to reinvent herself. While Donovan had tried everything possible to disappear physically...mentally. But that's the beauty of the story...Life, Love and your Soul don't let you un from the truth. It's one of the most beautifully written stories I've read in some time.
I'm a book addict and have my fair share of book boyfriends, but Donovan is something different. He has worked his way somewhere deep down inside me. His complete and honest love for Clementine, the lengths he goes to just shredded me. I was sobbing...in hysterics by page 75, just wanting to hold him...love him. His loyalty is so deeply imbedded in his every action, but so is his pride. These two had me screaming at them to stop, to listen, to see the damn love that still was there.
"The kind of love that waits for seven years without changing is the kind of love that makes you stupid, sometimes."
Beautiful, that's the only way that I can describe this story. It was beautifully heartbreaking, beautifully empowering and beautifully hope-filled. Thank you Ranae Rose, thank you for a wonderful story that completely swept me away. I can't wait for more and hope that it won't be too long before I get another fix.
I LOVED THIS STORY!! I was completely engrossed and was pulled in almost immediately. By page 20 my heart was thumping and the nervous butterflies that Clementine had were shared by me. It turned out to be a one sitting read-thru, I just couldn't put it down. A perfect combination of hot, sexy love and lust. In HELL WITHOUT YOU we meet Clementine and Donovan, two people who found each other when their lives were out of control in their teens. In finding each other they found their missing halves and love. A whirlwind romance full od teen lust and dreams that comes crashing down with the events of one hideous night.
"My soul has been trapped outside of my body for the past ten years...Sitting across from me. Don't pretend you didn't know that."
It's now 7 years later and fate has brought them back together. A chance encounter and mother nature help to form the confrontation. After all that time the spark is still there...the heat between these two sizzles off the page. It's a tangible thing, as a reader you can taste it...feel it. My body was exhausted by the last page from the range of emotions I had run through.
"She could practically smell the testosterone it had to take to maintain a body like that."
It's not all sunshine and rainbows when they meet again. Both are hurt, scared and carry what feels like a lifetime of guilt and loneliness. Each has done what they felt necessary to hide from the deep longing that would not...could not go away. Clementine has run from herself, trying to reinvent herself. While Donovan had tried everything possible to disappear physically...mentally. But that's the beauty of the story...Life, Love and your Soul don't let you un from the truth. It's one of the most beautifully written stories I've read in some time.
I'm a book addict and have my fair share of book boyfriends, but Donovan is something different. He has worked his way somewhere deep down inside me. His complete and honest love for Clementine, the lengths he goes to just shredded me. I was sobbing...in hysterics by page 75, just wanting to hold him...love him. His loyalty is so deeply imbedded in his every action, but so is his pride. These two had me screaming at them to stop, to listen, to see the damn love that still was there.
"The kind of love that waits for seven years without changing is the kind of love that makes you stupid, sometimes."
Beautiful, that's the only way that I can describe this story. It was beautifully heartbreaking, beautifully empowering and beautifully hope-filled. Thank you Ranae Rose, thank you for a wonderful story that completely swept me away. I can't wait for more and hope that it won't be too long before I get another fix.
September 8, 2016
I have no idea whether this should be two stars or three stars. But since my day started so crappy and ended pretty well, I'll just go ahead and pay it forward!
As a book in the grand scheme of literature, this was a 1.5-2 star book. But as compared to other formula romance, it was a solid 3.5.
I've been reading some pretty heavy stuff, so I figured I'd give myself a break and clear off my netgalley shelf at the same time. And this book served its role perfectly as a palate cleanser. I didn't fall in love with the characters or their story, but I definitely liked them and was engaged throughout the story.
Personally, I'm not a fan of formula books. And I take the formula as a strike against the book, as though the author didn't try. But being on goodreads and seeing a number of reviews over the years, I've come to learn that some people really enjoy the formula - and are often disappointed when authors deviate from the formula. It might not be my jam, but it works for a lot of readers. So going forward I'm going to try not to knock romance authors just for the use of the formula itself. After all, there's a reason there's a market for it.
That said, this book handled the formula very well. Throughout the book, the characters behaved consistently and plausibly, and really that's all I ask. Was their forced living situation contrived? Of course. But was it believable? Absolutely! I kept waiting for the shoe to drop - for Donovan to go beating up everybody that looked at Clementine, or for him to trick her into staying with him longer than was necessary. But he never did. And that alone makes this a standout book. Nor does she doesn't disappear in the middle of the night because she loves him too much to hurt him or whatever the hell... Neither has gotten over the other, both of them are scared, but their interactions are extremely realistic. Even though all that time had passed and it was uber awkward, in some ways nothing had changed between them.
The second half is kind of random and disjointed, but I was still interested enough to see what happened and why. And all in all, while it wasn't the most poignant story I've ever read, the writing was decent and the editing was pretty good. I could quibble here and there with a few things - but none of them were major enough to impact the story or the characters in anyway. Most of all, and I cannot say this enough, in a day and age where billionaires roam the street looking for women too stupid to set up their own email accounts, I just read a story where the characters acted realistically from beginning to end. And that might not sound like the greatest compliment, but these days it is.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review .
As a book in the grand scheme of literature, this was a 1.5-2 star book. But as compared to other formula romance, it was a solid 3.5.
I've been reading some pretty heavy stuff, so I figured I'd give myself a break and clear off my netgalley shelf at the same time. And this book served its role perfectly as a palate cleanser. I didn't fall in love with the characters or their story, but I definitely liked them and was engaged throughout the story.
Personally, I'm not a fan of formula books. And I take the formula as a strike against the book, as though the author didn't try. But being on goodreads and seeing a number of reviews over the years, I've come to learn that some people really enjoy the formula - and are often disappointed when authors deviate from the formula. It might not be my jam, but it works for a lot of readers. So going forward I'm going to try not to knock romance authors just for the use of the formula itself. After all, there's a reason there's a market for it.
That said, this book handled the formula very well. Throughout the book, the characters behaved consistently and plausibly, and really that's all I ask. Was their forced living situation contrived? Of course. But was it believable? Absolutely! I kept waiting for the shoe to drop - for Donovan to go beating up everybody that looked at Clementine, or for him to trick her into staying with him longer than was necessary. But he never did. And that alone makes this a standout book. Nor does she doesn't disappear in the middle of the night because she loves him too much to hurt him or whatever the hell... Neither has gotten over the other, both of them are scared, but their interactions are extremely realistic. Even though all that time had passed and it was uber awkward, in some ways nothing had changed between them.
The second half is kind of random and disjointed, but I was still interested enough to see what happened and why. And all in all, while it wasn't the most poignant story I've ever read, the writing was decent and the editing was pretty good. I could quibble here and there with a few things - but none of them were major enough to impact the story or the characters in anyway. Most of all, and I cannot say this enough, in a day and age where billionaires roam the street looking for women too stupid to set up their own email accounts, I just read a story where the characters acted realistically from beginning to end. And that might not sound like the greatest compliment, but these days it is.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review .
October 1, 2013
WHAT A MESS….
What could’ve been a great story turned out to be a huge disappointment.
Clementine and Donovan are young and happily in love – until the day Clementine’s step-brother molests her and Donovan beats him up badly for it. Her parents don’t believe her and threaten to send Donovan, who comes from the wrong side of tracks and lives in a trailer with his heroin addicted mother, to jail if she doesn’t cut him loose. For fear of losing him to the system and destroying his life, Clementine leaves him behind and starts a new life in New York.
Seven years and a MA in Business Administration later, Clementine returns to her hometown to look for a job. The day she arrives in town the streets are flooded and her apartment has some serious water damage but – I kid you not- Donovan suddenly appears to her rescue. Turns out he returned to their hometown as well, bought her grandma’s house and waited for Clementine to return, because he just couldn’t forget about her all these years… Awwww
It doesn’t get any worse than that, you think? Hah, unfortunately it does.
To be completely fair – it wasn’t all bad. I actually liked both Clementine and Donovan and their love story was cute. I would’ve just preferred a less clichéd version of the story without all the drama But it was a nice enough quick read and a great way to pass a few hours!
What could’ve been a great story turned out to be a huge disappointment.
Clementine and Donovan are young and happily in love – until the day Clementine’s step-brother molests her and Donovan beats him up badly for it. Her parents don’t believe her and threaten to send Donovan, who comes from the wrong side of tracks and lives in a trailer with his heroin addicted mother, to jail if she doesn’t cut him loose. For fear of losing him to the system and destroying his life, Clementine leaves him behind and starts a new life in New York.
Seven years and a MA in Business Administration later, Clementine returns to her hometown to look for a job. The day she arrives in town the streets are flooded and her apartment has some serious water damage but – I kid you not- Donovan suddenly appears to her rescue. Turns out he returned to their hometown as well, bought her grandma’s house and waited for Clementine to return, because he just couldn’t forget about her all these years… Awwww
It doesn’t get any worse than that, you think? Hah, unfortunately it does.
To be completely fair – it wasn’t all bad. I actually liked both Clementine and Donovan and their love story was cute. I would’ve just preferred a less clichéd version of the story without all the drama But it was a nice enough quick read and a great way to pass a few hours!
September 10, 2013
“I should have realized…I’d always be one half of a whole. Living without you was like living with a missing limb. Sure, I learned to function pretty quick, but I always remembered what it’d been like before-always missed what I’d had.”
If you like sweet second chance love stories with a nice steam factor, you should enjoy Hell Without You. Clementine returns to her small town of Willow Heights after being gone for several years only to end up running into Donovan, her old boyfriend as soon as she returns. Years before, Clementine was forced to make the difficult decision to leave Donovan and Willow Heights or Donovan could have ended up in jail.
Clementine is a great character but I loved Donovan. What a romantic! From almost the beginning you can just see the pain he went through in losing the girl he loved. I see some definite alpha qualities in Donovan and although toned down, I loved them all. He’s sweet without being too sweet.
“I want you. I’ve always wanted you. Do you have any idea what it’s like to want somebody so bad for so long?”
I wasn’t sure what to expect on the steam side but the author didn’t disappoint. The romance factor was appropriate for the story and actually a bit hotter than I was expecting which I, of course, appreciated. I was glad there wasn’t a lot of game playing between Clementine and Donovan and their story was able to unfold without a lot of misunderstandings or contrived problems. I wasn’t familiar with Ranae Rose before reading this book but I really enjoyed her straightforward style of writing. This was a 3.5+ book for me but Donovan nudged this up to a solid four =) I definitely plan to read Ranae Rose again and am excited to see she has several books released I can check out.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 21, 2014
Complimentary copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Clementine has been away for seven years from the small, rural Pennsylvania hometown she grew up in. She left right after graduating from college, heading to the city to eventually get her masters degree in business from Columbia. Upon graduation, she returns to the small town, having been presented with the opportunity to live rent-free at the townhouse her cousin is renting. She’s looking for work and the free rent for three months will help her while she looks for positions in DC, considering she has no plans to stay in the small town of Willow Heights. Her first day back though she is rescued from a rising flood waters from her former best friend and boyfriend, Donovan.
Donovan brings Clementine back to his home, the home that used to belong to her grandmother. The home that he purchased after her grandmother passed away. Soon they begin a reunion that is complicated by the past, while dealing with their visions of the future. Donovan is the reason Clementine left seven years ago, however can those reasons come back to haunt them both? Can both Donovan and Clementine survive if the other was to walk away again?
Hell Without You was a quick, easy read of second chance love with some intrigue thrown in for good measure. I really did like the characters, as broken as they may have been. The storyline was well written, right up to about the 75% mark. It did feel like the ending was a little rushed and things were quickly swept under the rug when there could have been a little more of the story told. Altogether though, I did enjoy the story and will definitely check out more titles by this author.
Clementine has been away for seven years from the small, rural Pennsylvania hometown she grew up in. She left right after graduating from college, heading to the city to eventually get her masters degree in business from Columbia. Upon graduation, she returns to the small town, having been presented with the opportunity to live rent-free at the townhouse her cousin is renting. She’s looking for work and the free rent for three months will help her while she looks for positions in DC, considering she has no plans to stay in the small town of Willow Heights. Her first day back though she is rescued from a rising flood waters from her former best friend and boyfriend, Donovan.
Donovan brings Clementine back to his home, the home that used to belong to her grandmother. The home that he purchased after her grandmother passed away. Soon they begin a reunion that is complicated by the past, while dealing with their visions of the future. Donovan is the reason Clementine left seven years ago, however can those reasons come back to haunt them both? Can both Donovan and Clementine survive if the other was to walk away again?
Hell Without You was a quick, easy read of second chance love with some intrigue thrown in for good measure. I really did like the characters, as broken as they may have been. The storyline was well written, right up to about the 75% mark. It did feel like the ending was a little rushed and things were quickly swept under the rug when there could have been a little more of the story told. Altogether though, I did enjoy the story and will definitely check out more titles by this author.
September 25, 2013
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley
I really enjoyed this book. This is the story of two young lovers who were torn apart by some very unfortunate circumstances. Now 7 years later they have another chance at happiness, but it doesn't come easy! Clementine has been out of town for 7 years and returns home to start her search for a new job
Never in a million years did she expect to see Donovan, the boy she left behind living in her deceased Grandmothers home
But Donovan has some major demons and has never stopped loving Clementine, always hoping she would come back to him. Clementine soon realizes that the love for Donovan that she has forced to ignore all these years hasn't gone away either. This was a very touching story and sometimes even disturbing. Donovan suffers from PTSD from serving in the military and is still experiencing the effects of that in his day to day life. Great HEA and overall good read :)
I really enjoyed this book. This is the story of two young lovers who were torn apart by some very unfortunate circumstances. Now 7 years later they have another chance at happiness, but it doesn't come easy! Clementine has been out of town for 7 years and returns home to start her search for a new job
Never in a million years did she expect to see Donovan, the boy she left behind living in her deceased Grandmothers home
But Donovan has some major demons and has never stopped loving Clementine, always hoping she would come back to him. Clementine soon realizes that the love for Donovan that she has forced to ignore all these years hasn't gone away either. This was a very touching story and sometimes even disturbing. Donovan suffers from PTSD from serving in the military and is still experiencing the effects of that in his day to day life. Great HEA and overall good read :)
September 9, 2013
When Clementine and Donovan were young they were in love with each other. When an unspeakable event happens to Clementine, Donovan takes action and in order for Donovan to stay out of trouble Clementine leaves Willow Heights and Donovan behind. She goes to college and he joins the Marines and goes to Afghanistan. Seven years later Clementine ends up back in her hometown and reconnects with Donovan. Even after seven years he is still in love with her and never forgot their love for one another.As they start getting to know each other in the present the past is catching up with them.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought that the characters were very well developed and believable. Ranae really goes into detail with her characters and the situations they find themselves in. Must say she really knows how to write an excellent "love" scene. "Hell Without You" is a stand alone contemporary romance. I hope you enjoy the story and characters as much as I did.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought that the characters were very well developed and believable. Ranae really goes into detail with her characters and the situations they find themselves in. Must say she really knows how to write an excellent "love" scene. "Hell Without You" is a stand alone contemporary romance. I hope you enjoy the story and characters as much as I did.
September 10, 2013
As anyone who reads my blog knows I am a huge fan of Ranae Rose. I think she has out done herself with this book. Hell Without You is a second chance love story that will pull every string you have.
Donovan was the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Clementine was the girl with the crappy home life who shouldn't be with him but their hearts know better. To protect him Clementine goes away and cuts off all contact. Now seven years later Donovan is back in their hometown struggling with PTSD from his stint in Afghanistan and trying to make a new start with his auto repair shop. Clementine never planned on coming back to town or seeing Donovan but fate had different plans. Can they make it work this time or will the past repeat itself?
I've read and re-read this book and probably will reread it again. I can’t get enough of these two. Thanks so much Ms. Rose for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Donovan was the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Clementine was the girl with the crappy home life who shouldn't be with him but their hearts know better. To protect him Clementine goes away and cuts off all contact. Now seven years later Donovan is back in their hometown struggling with PTSD from his stint in Afghanistan and trying to make a new start with his auto repair shop. Clementine never planned on coming back to town or seeing Donovan but fate had different plans. Can they make it work this time or will the past repeat itself?
I've read and re-read this book and probably will reread it again. I can’t get enough of these two. Thanks so much Ms. Rose for the opportunity to read and review this book.
October 30, 2013
2.5 stars
This wasn't the best thing I've ever read, but it wasn't the worst either. The main characters got on my nerves a bit. They dated for several years seven years before the book started and were forced apart by extenuating circumstances. They run into each other in the small hometown they both fled and fall back in with each other almost immediately. They came across clingy and it was not to my liking. I mean, they've been apart for seven years, not making any attempt to find each other and now they can't stand to be away from each other for a whole work day?
The drama towards the end and it's resolution was very unbelievable. And I'll just leave it at that ;)
ARC provided from the publisher via Netgalley
This wasn't the best thing I've ever read, but it wasn't the worst either. The main characters got on my nerves a bit. They dated for several years seven years before the book started and were forced apart by extenuating circumstances. They run into each other in the small hometown they both fled and fall back in with each other almost immediately. They came across clingy and it was not to my liking. I mean, they've been apart for seven years, not making any attempt to find each other and now they can't stand to be away from each other for a whole work day?
The drama towards the end and it's resolution was very unbelievable. And I'll just leave it at that ;)
ARC provided from the publisher via Netgalley
February 25, 2017
This was an alright book... Some parts were better, but for the most part I skimmed through a lot of this novel and didn't really connect with the characters.
I figured out why Clementine left Donovan before it was revealed, so I don't think the author was really subtle. And it felt like the murder was forced into the story line... I don't know if it was needed in this book because it was sudden when it came up and it was sudden when the reader found out who the murderer was.
Now, just because I didn't enjoy it doesn't mean that other readers will, and I've seen a lot of reviewers who really did enjoy this story. It just wasn't for me, but I'm glad I got to read it for free off of NetGalley.
I figured out why Clementine left Donovan before it was revealed, so I don't think the author was really subtle. And it felt like the murder was forced into the story line... I don't know if it was needed in this book because it was sudden when it came up and it was sudden when the reader found out who the murderer was.
Now, just because I didn't enjoy it doesn't mean that other readers will, and I've seen a lot of reviewers who really did enjoy this story. It just wasn't for me, but I'm glad I got to read it for free off of NetGalley.
March 9, 2014
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.
I wanted to like this. I loved the idea of love lasting a 7 year break up...the PTSD storyline ruined it. I am a military spouse and see this first hand. This author had the opportunity to spread awareness. Instead wrote blurbs about it being the cause.of nightmares.
I couldn't get into the sex parts, I felt it rushed lacking
I wanted to like this. I loved the idea of love lasting a 7 year break up...the PTSD storyline ruined it. I am a military spouse and see this first hand. This author had the opportunity to spread awareness. Instead wrote blurbs about it being the cause.of nightmares.
I couldn't get into the sex parts, I felt it rushed lacking
July 31, 2016
Nice romance, but i got tired half way through. started to skim, and still was able to keep up with the story.
Soooo read it only if there is nothing else available.
Soooo read it only if there is nothing else available.
January 14, 2014
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My attention most days is like… squirrel. I’m infamous for skimming emails and missing important details so it should come as no surprise that trolling NetGalley one day I came across this book with a hot cover and a plot summary that peaked my interest only to realize that Nikki had sent the Herd an email three days prior with a ‘Looky here what I found’ of this exact same book. Some days I think we are sisters from a different mister. I had not heard of this book or author previously but I thought, what the hell, I’m always on the lookout for an unknown to me author that could be my next best find. Suffice to say that I was impressed with Ranae Rose’s writing skills from the get go. She is descript without boring the hell out of the reader with too much detail… y’all know what I’m talking about… I don’t need six pages of verbal diarrhea to set the scene, please note my ADD to such things. I find it very hard to stay in a story if a character delivers a line which is then followed by two or three paragraphs of descript thoughts before another character answers. I can’t even remember what the first character said to warrant the answer. Maybe it’s me (who am I kidding? It’s totally you!) but I find it very distracting. I think Ranae Rose does such an excellent job with imagery that I can picture in my head exactly what she is describing without weighing down the story and that is what grabbed my attention from the first chapter.
Hell Without You is a second chance at love type of story. What you will come to learn is that their separation is really at no fault of their own. Neither Clementine or Donovan is to blame, no one needs to redeem themselves, they are just victims of their unfortunate circumstances. Donovan’s upbringing was in the run down trailer park on the wrong side of town with a drug addict for a mother while Clementine’s own mother is fortunate enough to land herself a sugar daddy that improves their way of life, step-daddy dearest is no saviour. There are flashbacks throughout the story of their relationship as teenagers and the events that led up to their forced separation seven years prior.
Clementine, a recent Columbia grad, has returned to her hometown of Willow Heights, Pennsylvania, a quick pit stop to financially regroup while she sets her sights on pursuing a career in Washington, D.C. What she isn’t expecting is to run smack dab into Donovan Kemp, the boy she has loved since she was fifteen. Donovan has also recently returned to Willow Heights after his departure seven years ago when he left to join the Marines. Donovan lays down roots with a home and business and prepares to wait in hopes that the girl he has loved since he was sixteen will eventually return.
“You said you were done with New York. I’m done with the Marine Corps, done with Afghanistan. We’ll never be where we can’t reach each other again. And if I can reach you, I have to have you.”
Their unexpected reunion is awkward and emotionally charged not to mention distracting when the skies open up and Donovan is left standing in soaked semi-transparent clothes that cling to his beautifully sculpted Marine built body. Did I mention Ranae Rose’s gift of imagery? Donovan goes into protective mode almost immediately but Clementine is wary and on edge, keeping Donovan at arms-length. Even though Clementine had little choice, she still carries the guilt for leaving Donovan, even if she did it to save him from the wrath of her family. Mother Nature’s wrath has them unexpectedly co-habiting in her grandmother’s old house and while Clementine’s head might tell her to tread carefully, her body didn’t get that memo, especially when Donovan frequently wonders the house in all his naked glory. Donovan’s darlin’ Clementine has returned and he has no intentions of letting her go a second time but they have more to overcome this time than just her family’s distaste. Donovan suffers from some dangerous side effects to his PTSD, he is intense and he has some anger management issues that are a little troubling especially when it comes to events from their past and Clementine is hell bent on continuing her job search in Washington, a commute that is too far from Willow Heights and Donovan. Emotions run high, Donovan still carries a lot of hurt and exists in a distressed state where he fears Clementine will up and leave him again making it clear that time and distance have not healed old wounds. Don’t let Clementine’s indecision fool you, she is a strong woman and very protective of Donovan’s well-being. Never fear, these two eventually get their shit sorted and indulge in plenty of scandaliciously good times but the shit storm that seems to always surround them is relentless.
“The kind of love that waits for seven years without changing is the kind of love that makes you stupid, sometimes.”
Fate may have given them a second chance but everyone knows, Fate’s a bitch.
It appears that Ranae Rose has indeed made her way onto my radar. She has a Battered Not Broken story that looks good (MMA, ex-Marine, need I say more?) and her Inked in the Steel City Series might interest those that like them hot, hard and tattooed. Not that I know anyone like that around here…
http://www.scandaliciousbookreviews.c...
My attention most days is like… squirrel. I’m infamous for skimming emails and missing important details so it should come as no surprise that trolling NetGalley one day I came across this book with a hot cover and a plot summary that peaked my interest only to realize that Nikki had sent the Herd an email three days prior with a ‘Looky here what I found’ of this exact same book. Some days I think we are sisters from a different mister. I had not heard of this book or author previously but I thought, what the hell, I’m always on the lookout for an unknown to me author that could be my next best find. Suffice to say that I was impressed with Ranae Rose’s writing skills from the get go. She is descript without boring the hell out of the reader with too much detail… y’all know what I’m talking about… I don’t need six pages of verbal diarrhea to set the scene, please note my ADD to such things. I find it very hard to stay in a story if a character delivers a line which is then followed by two or three paragraphs of descript thoughts before another character answers. I can’t even remember what the first character said to warrant the answer. Maybe it’s me (who am I kidding? It’s totally you!) but I find it very distracting. I think Ranae Rose does such an excellent job with imagery that I can picture in my head exactly what she is describing without weighing down the story and that is what grabbed my attention from the first chapter.
Hell Without You is a second chance at love type of story. What you will come to learn is that their separation is really at no fault of their own. Neither Clementine or Donovan is to blame, no one needs to redeem themselves, they are just victims of their unfortunate circumstances. Donovan’s upbringing was in the run down trailer park on the wrong side of town with a drug addict for a mother while Clementine’s own mother is fortunate enough to land herself a sugar daddy that improves their way of life, step-daddy dearest is no saviour. There are flashbacks throughout the story of their relationship as teenagers and the events that led up to their forced separation seven years prior.
Clementine, a recent Columbia grad, has returned to her hometown of Willow Heights, Pennsylvania, a quick pit stop to financially regroup while she sets her sights on pursuing a career in Washington, D.C. What she isn’t expecting is to run smack dab into Donovan Kemp, the boy she has loved since she was fifteen. Donovan has also recently returned to Willow Heights after his departure seven years ago when he left to join the Marines. Donovan lays down roots with a home and business and prepares to wait in hopes that the girl he has loved since he was sixteen will eventually return.
“You said you were done with New York. I’m done with the Marine Corps, done with Afghanistan. We’ll never be where we can’t reach each other again. And if I can reach you, I have to have you.”
Their unexpected reunion is awkward and emotionally charged not to mention distracting when the skies open up and Donovan is left standing in soaked semi-transparent clothes that cling to his beautifully sculpted Marine built body. Did I mention Ranae Rose’s gift of imagery? Donovan goes into protective mode almost immediately but Clementine is wary and on edge, keeping Donovan at arms-length. Even though Clementine had little choice, she still carries the guilt for leaving Donovan, even if she did it to save him from the wrath of her family. Mother Nature’s wrath has them unexpectedly co-habiting in her grandmother’s old house and while Clementine’s head might tell her to tread carefully, her body didn’t get that memo, especially when Donovan frequently wonders the house in all his naked glory. Donovan’s darlin’ Clementine has returned and he has no intentions of letting her go a second time but they have more to overcome this time than just her family’s distaste. Donovan suffers from some dangerous side effects to his PTSD, he is intense and he has some anger management issues that are a little troubling especially when it comes to events from their past and Clementine is hell bent on continuing her job search in Washington, a commute that is too far from Willow Heights and Donovan. Emotions run high, Donovan still carries a lot of hurt and exists in a distressed state where he fears Clementine will up and leave him again making it clear that time and distance have not healed old wounds. Don’t let Clementine’s indecision fool you, she is a strong woman and very protective of Donovan’s well-being. Never fear, these two eventually get their shit sorted and indulge in plenty of scandaliciously good times but the shit storm that seems to always surround them is relentless.
“The kind of love that waits for seven years without changing is the kind of love that makes you stupid, sometimes.”
Fate may have given them a second chance but everyone knows, Fate’s a bitch.
It appears that Ranae Rose has indeed made her way onto my radar. She has a Battered Not Broken story that looks good (MMA, ex-Marine, need I say more?) and her Inked in the Steel City Series might interest those that like them hot, hard and tattooed. Not that I know anyone like that around here…
September 14, 2023
This was a great steamy romance that had me turning page after page so quickly! I really enjoyed the characters.
Their lives were fully researched, it felt realistic, and Donovan was an excellent depiction of a veteran, with all the issues someone would have. I was sucked into his story, and I feel like rooting for him and Clementine the entire time.
I loved this book, I just didn't have a chance to review it when I got it due to medical issues.
Their lives were fully researched, it felt realistic, and Donovan was an excellent depiction of a veteran, with all the issues someone would have. I was sucked into his story, and I feel like rooting for him and Clementine the entire time.
I loved this book, I just didn't have a chance to review it when I got it due to medical issues.
February 4, 2014
An ARC was provided from NetGalley for an honest review.
4 Heartwarming Stars!
“I should’ve realized I’d always be one half of a whole. Living without you was like living with a missing limb. Sure, I learned to function pretty quick, but I always remembered what it’d been like before – always missed what I’d had.” ~Donovan
When I first saw the summary for Hell Without You, not to mention the cover, I was instantly intrigued. I'm a sucker for second-chance love stories or love gone wrong, and let’s face it, who isn't? So when I got my hands on a copy, I was very excited.
Unfortunately, school and life got in the way so it took me longer to get started on it than I'd planned. Once I had some fee time though, I finished it in two days. A sweet, simple, quick read that would have been great for the beach. Or a weekend spent in bed as the snow fell outside.
Forced to part to save Donovan from a terrible fate, Clementine makes the tough decision to move away from Willow Heights and start her ivy-league education as per her mother and step-father's wishes. Donovan, with no family left and the love of his life gone, packs up and joins the military.
Seven years later, fate brings them back together. Both are changed in many ways, but one thing remains: They love each other fiercely still.
“My soul has been trapped outside of my body for the past ten years.”
“Really?” She gripped her coffee mug, letting the ceramic warm her fingers.
“Where is it?”
“Sitting right across from me.” His voice went a little deeper, got a little rougher. “Don’t pretend you didn’t know that.”
Donovan has recently purchased Clementine's grandmother's old Victorian house with the intention of fixing it up room by room. He doesn't admit it outright, but his intentions go far beyond just fixing it up. He hopes that one day, Clementine will return to Willow Heights and to her grandmother's house, thus returning to him in the process. In the meantime, he’s opened his own body shop and works as a mechanic alongside Mike, the guy who does body work and paint jobs.
“I want you. I've always wanted you. Do you have any idea what it’s like to want somebody so bad for so long? You do stupid shit like try to sleep outside their door and let them play doctor with your foot just because you want to feel their touch.” ~Donovan
Clementine's return to Willow Heights is anything but joyful. Fresh out of college and searching for a job in the real world, she's forced to move back home and into her aunt's condo while she searches for a job in nearby Washington, D.C. Deciding to visit her grandmother's place before making it to the condo, she is shocked when she sees the man who still holds her heart pull into the driveway.
From there, the tension is flying all over the place, so thick with hurt, anger, and sexual tension just under the surface you could poke it with a pin and it would pop like a balloon.
"Donovan was like a planet of his own, a heavenly body in every sense of the word, complete with his own gravitational pull, which she'd never been able to resist-another thing that hadn't changed."
Thrown together by a freak flash flood, Clementine is forced to stay with Donovan as they wait out the storm and then while repairs are being done to the condo. Tension rises and truths are revealed, along with the fact that they still love each other. Passion insures and they have a steamy night together.
The story quickly progresses from there and has a twist in the middle that I definitely wasn't expecting. It was resolved in a believable and timely manner, so it wasn't too distracting.
The story ends on a happy note, although I would've liked to see a little more from it.
Overall, I would recommend this story to friends and other readers and will be checking out more from this author!
“To hell with trying to be what we’re not.” His breath rushed against her face, heating her lips and making them tingle. “What hasn't changed in seven years isn't ever going to change. You’re here, I’m here…The way I see it, the only question is whether we’re going to fuck everything up again, now that we have the chance. There’s no one – nothing – keeping us apart.” ~Donovan
4 Heartwarming Stars!
“I should’ve realized I’d always be one half of a whole. Living without you was like living with a missing limb. Sure, I learned to function pretty quick, but I always remembered what it’d been like before – always missed what I’d had.” ~Donovan
When I first saw the summary for Hell Without You, not to mention the cover, I was instantly intrigued. I'm a sucker for second-chance love stories or love gone wrong, and let’s face it, who isn't? So when I got my hands on a copy, I was very excited.
Unfortunately, school and life got in the way so it took me longer to get started on it than I'd planned. Once I had some fee time though, I finished it in two days. A sweet, simple, quick read that would have been great for the beach. Or a weekend spent in bed as the snow fell outside.
Forced to part to save Donovan from a terrible fate, Clementine makes the tough decision to move away from Willow Heights and start her ivy-league education as per her mother and step-father's wishes. Donovan, with no family left and the love of his life gone, packs up and joins the military.
Seven years later, fate brings them back together. Both are changed in many ways, but one thing remains: They love each other fiercely still.
“My soul has been trapped outside of my body for the past ten years.”
“Really?” She gripped her coffee mug, letting the ceramic warm her fingers.
“Where is it?”
“Sitting right across from me.” His voice went a little deeper, got a little rougher. “Don’t pretend you didn’t know that.”
Donovan has recently purchased Clementine's grandmother's old Victorian house with the intention of fixing it up room by room. He doesn't admit it outright, but his intentions go far beyond just fixing it up. He hopes that one day, Clementine will return to Willow Heights and to her grandmother's house, thus returning to him in the process. In the meantime, he’s opened his own body shop and works as a mechanic alongside Mike, the guy who does body work and paint jobs.
“I want you. I've always wanted you. Do you have any idea what it’s like to want somebody so bad for so long? You do stupid shit like try to sleep outside their door and let them play doctor with your foot just because you want to feel their touch.” ~Donovan
Clementine's return to Willow Heights is anything but joyful. Fresh out of college and searching for a job in the real world, she's forced to move back home and into her aunt's condo while she searches for a job in nearby Washington, D.C. Deciding to visit her grandmother's place before making it to the condo, she is shocked when she sees the man who still holds her heart pull into the driveway.
From there, the tension is flying all over the place, so thick with hurt, anger, and sexual tension just under the surface you could poke it with a pin and it would pop like a balloon.
"Donovan was like a planet of his own, a heavenly body in every sense of the word, complete with his own gravitational pull, which she'd never been able to resist-another thing that hadn't changed."
Thrown together by a freak flash flood, Clementine is forced to stay with Donovan as they wait out the storm and then while repairs are being done to the condo. Tension rises and truths are revealed, along with the fact that they still love each other. Passion insures and they have a steamy night together.
The story quickly progresses from there and has a twist in the middle that I definitely wasn't expecting. It was resolved in a believable and timely manner, so it wasn't too distracting.
The story ends on a happy note, although I would've liked to see a little more from it.
Overall, I would recommend this story to friends and other readers and will be checking out more from this author!
“To hell with trying to be what we’re not.” His breath rushed against her face, heating her lips and making them tingle. “What hasn't changed in seven years isn't ever going to change. You’re here, I’m here…The way I see it, the only question is whether we’re going to fuck everything up again, now that we have the chance. There’s no one – nothing – keeping us apart.” ~Donovan
September 15, 2013
http://ripeforreader.blogspot.ca/2013...
My rating: 3.5 of 5 ⭐
She was step-daughter to one of the most important men in town, he was a poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Their love was young, but deep, complete and unbreakable. Or so they thought.
The only time in the past seven years Clementine had been back to small town Willow Heights, was for her grandmother's funeral, and she was in and out of town so fast, she barely saw anything or anyone. Back now with a degree in her pocket, a place to stay, and the hope of a good job in her future, Willow Heights is only supposed to be a temporary stop. And the last person she expects to see when she pulls into her grandmother's old driveway just to have a peek at the house, is the man she left behind seven years ago.
Back after a stint in the Marines and three years in Florida, Donovan now runs the local auto shop and has recently bought the house that used to belong to Clementine's grandmother. When he sees Clementine standing in the driveway, his first emotions are shock and anger. She obviously is as surprised to see him here as he is to see her. He left Willow Heights a few months after she did, wanting to pull himself out of the drug-infested hell hole he grew up in. And he did, although he never got over Clementine.
Due to storm damage, Clementine is forced to stay with Donovan in her grandmother's old house until her planned accommodations are brought back in order. Their proximity is cause for a lot of old hurt and unresolved emotions to surface. Leaving had not been Clementines choice, she was forced to and never had an opportunity to speak to Donovan or contact him. This is the first chance they have.
It becomes clear that although certain things remain unresolved, their feelings for each other have remained unchanged during all this time, and now they try to see a way to build a future. But when a disturbing presence from their past is found dead in Willow Heights, and the police is looking at Clementine and Donovan closely, their hopeful future may be over, before it has even started.
******
A not unfamiliar trope of love revisited, but with some interesting twists and turns, adding PTSD and a familial suspense factor as additional points of depth and interest.
I enjoyed the book, was a little taken aback with the fairly quick turn of events once both Clementine and Donovan had expressed their still existing feelings. I think I actually enjoyed the story better before that happened, the tension build up was very good, you could feel there was more than was being expressed. But once the words were out, the story flattened out a little. Until we came to the 'twist' in the story, the old nemesis who returns and starts building up tension again.
The suspense, the false accusations in the final portion of the book, was promising some fireworks, but ended up a bit anti-climactic. A bit more might have been done with the ending.
The situation with the parents, where we have no contact for seven years and then suddenly a weak apology from Mom, which in my opinion was 'too little, too late', and suddenly we are talking again? I'm not a vindictive person at all, but it would take a little more than that to get the bitter rock out of my esophagus, if I were in Clementine's shoes.
Initially the chemistry and passion between the main characters was hot, but at some point it became a tad repetitive and almost unnecessary. And I love a good sex scene...... the more, the better.....but only if they make some sense and have some variety and descriptive value.
All in all, this was a good read, a worthwhile read, and I would definitely read one of Ms. Rose's books again.
***ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the author in return for an honest review.***
My rating: 3.5 of 5 ⭐
She was step-daughter to one of the most important men in town, he was a poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Their love was young, but deep, complete and unbreakable. Or so they thought.
The only time in the past seven years Clementine had been back to small town Willow Heights, was for her grandmother's funeral, and she was in and out of town so fast, she barely saw anything or anyone. Back now with a degree in her pocket, a place to stay, and the hope of a good job in her future, Willow Heights is only supposed to be a temporary stop. And the last person she expects to see when she pulls into her grandmother's old driveway just to have a peek at the house, is the man she left behind seven years ago.
Back after a stint in the Marines and three years in Florida, Donovan now runs the local auto shop and has recently bought the house that used to belong to Clementine's grandmother. When he sees Clementine standing in the driveway, his first emotions are shock and anger. She obviously is as surprised to see him here as he is to see her. He left Willow Heights a few months after she did, wanting to pull himself out of the drug-infested hell hole he grew up in. And he did, although he never got over Clementine.
Due to storm damage, Clementine is forced to stay with Donovan in her grandmother's old house until her planned accommodations are brought back in order. Their proximity is cause for a lot of old hurt and unresolved emotions to surface. Leaving had not been Clementines choice, she was forced to and never had an opportunity to speak to Donovan or contact him. This is the first chance they have.
It becomes clear that although certain things remain unresolved, their feelings for each other have remained unchanged during all this time, and now they try to see a way to build a future. But when a disturbing presence from their past is found dead in Willow Heights, and the police is looking at Clementine and Donovan closely, their hopeful future may be over, before it has even started.
******
A not unfamiliar trope of love revisited, but with some interesting twists and turns, adding PTSD and a familial suspense factor as additional points of depth and interest.
I enjoyed the book, was a little taken aback with the fairly quick turn of events once both Clementine and Donovan had expressed their still existing feelings. I think I actually enjoyed the story better before that happened, the tension build up was very good, you could feel there was more than was being expressed. But once the words were out, the story flattened out a little. Until we came to the 'twist' in the story, the old nemesis who returns and starts building up tension again.
The suspense, the false accusations in the final portion of the book, was promising some fireworks, but ended up a bit anti-climactic. A bit more might have been done with the ending.
The situation with the parents, where we have no contact for seven years and then suddenly a weak apology from Mom, which in my opinion was 'too little, too late', and suddenly we are talking again? I'm not a vindictive person at all, but it would take a little more than that to get the bitter rock out of my esophagus, if I were in Clementine's shoes.
Initially the chemistry and passion between the main characters was hot, but at some point it became a tad repetitive and almost unnecessary. And I love a good sex scene...... the more, the better.....but only if they make some sense and have some variety and descriptive value.
All in all, this was a good read, a worthwhile read, and I would definitely read one of Ms. Rose's books again.
***ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the author in return for an honest review.***
October 23, 2013
So far I am loving this new range of romances that seem to be on the market now.
So when I started this I was looking forward to getting into it.
However I haven’t been completely enthralled with this story.
It started off quite quickly with Clementine (sorry didn’t like the character’s name) and Donovan meeting again within the first couple of pages. However as the story progressed I didn’t really understand how these characters were together. I didn’t really feel the chemistry that was supposedly between the two of them. And honestly I didn’t particularly think that throwing water over someone who was sleepwalking was a brilliant idea, I actually thought that waking up someone who was sleep walking could be dangerous. I’m not an expert though so maybe I am wrong?
Donovan I found was a little more interesting but again in the end even he fell a little short for me, it seemed like he had control issues and sorry but sticking your hand onto a boiling saucepan to get your temper under control seems extremely OTT.
I had guessed what Clementine’s step brother had done to her before it was explained and it was also obvious that Donovan has beaten him up and rightly so. What I don’t understand is why someone would let their parent/step-parent dictate to them the way Clementine did, if they had done what they had threatened to do to Donovan she could have reported her step-brother.
I think that is why in the end I found the characters to just be a little annoying, I didn’t dislike them but I didn’t particularly like them either. In truth I didn’t care for either of them.
There were parts of the story that felt rushed, I felt like the author was trying to rush the reunion between the characters which in turn made the rest of the story feel rushed. I think the author could have padded the story out a bit more, could have padded out the chemistry side of things to make it seem more real. Not rushed them into getting back together and back in the sack together. The love scenes were about the only time I felt the chemistry between the 2 characters and seemed like the only place for me where the author’s writing wasn’t lacking. But as a lot of people who know my reviews know, I need more from a book than just sex, I need a good story too.
Overall I am not sure I would read anymore from this author. I wouldn’t rule her out completely but I won’t be rushing out to get it.
Read and reviewed courtesy of Netgalley
All reviews for Netgalley are posted on Goodreads.com (to follow my reviews click on https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3...) as well as Amazon.co.uk (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/pdp/profi... )
So when I started this I was looking forward to getting into it.
However I haven’t been completely enthralled with this story.
It started off quite quickly with Clementine (sorry didn’t like the character’s name) and Donovan meeting again within the first couple of pages. However as the story progressed I didn’t really understand how these characters were together. I didn’t really feel the chemistry that was supposedly between the two of them. And honestly I didn’t particularly think that throwing water over someone who was sleepwalking was a brilliant idea, I actually thought that waking up someone who was sleep walking could be dangerous. I’m not an expert though so maybe I am wrong?
Donovan I found was a little more interesting but again in the end even he fell a little short for me, it seemed like he had control issues and sorry but sticking your hand onto a boiling saucepan to get your temper under control seems extremely OTT.
I had guessed what Clementine’s step brother had done to her before it was explained and it was also obvious that Donovan has beaten him up and rightly so. What I don’t understand is why someone would let their parent/step-parent dictate to them the way Clementine did, if they had done what they had threatened to do to Donovan she could have reported her step-brother.
I think that is why in the end I found the characters to just be a little annoying, I didn’t dislike them but I didn’t particularly like them either. In truth I didn’t care for either of them.
There were parts of the story that felt rushed, I felt like the author was trying to rush the reunion between the characters which in turn made the rest of the story feel rushed. I think the author could have padded the story out a bit more, could have padded out the chemistry side of things to make it seem more real. Not rushed them into getting back together and back in the sack together. The love scenes were about the only time I felt the chemistry between the 2 characters and seemed like the only place for me where the author’s writing wasn’t lacking. But as a lot of people who know my reviews know, I need more from a book than just sex, I need a good story too.
Overall I am not sure I would read anymore from this author. I wouldn’t rule her out completely but I won’t be rushing out to get it.
Read and reviewed courtesy of Netgalley
All reviews for Netgalley are posted on Goodreads.com (to follow my reviews click on https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3...) as well as Amazon.co.uk (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/pdp/profi... )
January 4, 2015
What if we could fix one bad mistake we made when we were too young to know any better? Would you be too afraid to take a leap of faith and try? Or would you dive in head first? HELL WITHOUT YOU shows that sometimes, even when years have passed, feelings are still alive just buried deep.
Clementine has returned home after seven years away at college and graduate school. Nostalgia has her driving past places she has tried to forget but can’t seem to let go of, including her grandmother’s house. She knows someone new owns her grandmother’s house but hopes they won’t mind if she just takes a walk around. As she’s about to get into her car and leave, a truck pulls in and blocks her way. Out steps the last person she expected to see, Donovan, her ex-boyfriend. He reveals that he owns the house. She manages to escape, but rain and flash flooding land her right in a ditch. Donovan knew the weather was awful and left shortly thereafter to make sure she reached her destination safely. When he finds her walking down the road, he convinces her to come stay with him, insisting she can’t reach her destination due to the flooding.
From there starts the memories of the past and finding out what they both missed in each other’s lives. Slowly they open up and Donovan discovers why she ran away without a word and why he was never able to reach her. They both begin to realize they still have feelings for each other, but they both know that the past could come back to haunt them. Her parents hate him. She’s looking for a job three hours away. He owns a shop in town as well as her grandmother’s old house. Will they be able to overcome what life tosses at them? They’ve already learned they can’t live without each other.
I really enjoyed this book. It was nice to see characters face real situations and not circumstances that just seem too good to be true. HELL WITHOUT YOU reminds you that there are many young men in our society that enlist young and come home with problems due to being sent off to war. While HELL WITHOUT YOU only briefly touched on the subject, I feel Ranae Rose did a good job of incorporating it into the story. I wanted a little bit more in the way of details and there were a few places where the timeline jumped that seemed kind of random. Otherwise it was a great read.
✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews
Clementine has returned home after seven years away at college and graduate school. Nostalgia has her driving past places she has tried to forget but can’t seem to let go of, including her grandmother’s house. She knows someone new owns her grandmother’s house but hopes they won’t mind if she just takes a walk around. As she’s about to get into her car and leave, a truck pulls in and blocks her way. Out steps the last person she expected to see, Donovan, her ex-boyfriend. He reveals that he owns the house. She manages to escape, but rain and flash flooding land her right in a ditch. Donovan knew the weather was awful and left shortly thereafter to make sure she reached her destination safely. When he finds her walking down the road, he convinces her to come stay with him, insisting she can’t reach her destination due to the flooding.
From there starts the memories of the past and finding out what they both missed in each other’s lives. Slowly they open up and Donovan discovers why she ran away without a word and why he was never able to reach her. They both begin to realize they still have feelings for each other, but they both know that the past could come back to haunt them. Her parents hate him. She’s looking for a job three hours away. He owns a shop in town as well as her grandmother’s old house. Will they be able to overcome what life tosses at them? They’ve already learned they can’t live without each other.
I really enjoyed this book. It was nice to see characters face real situations and not circumstances that just seem too good to be true. HELL WITHOUT YOU reminds you that there are many young men in our society that enlist young and come home with problems due to being sent off to war. While HELL WITHOUT YOU only briefly touched on the subject, I feel Ranae Rose did a good job of incorporating it into the story. I wanted a little bit more in the way of details and there were a few places where the timeline jumped that seemed kind of random. Otherwise it was a great read.
✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews
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