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The Last Strand #1
The Last Strand
REVISED AND UPDATED EDITION
She has a decision to make...
Charming, annoying and ruggedly gorgeous, Nick Jones was full of surprises and falling for him was not part of Liz's plan, if she ever had one. After all, Liz was still holding on to the last strand of life and taking a leap of faith at that point was a bit like sky diving without a parachute. But she couldn't resist Nick. She couldn't seem to help herself. Brave, no. Foolish, maybe. Because a man who says he is an FBI agent just dropped the biggest bombshell about her new, mysterious boyfriend and his whereabouts on the day of her parent's death.
...he's already made it for her
Flying was his passion and the only thing stopping Nick from being a fighter pilot was a college degree. Should be a piece of cake compared to his last surveillance mission in Afghanistan or his last rescue mission in Brazil. Or so he thought, until he discovered his girlfriend Liz's knack of stumbling into trouble. The girl's got a bounty on her head, literally.
Told in dual POV, The Last Strand is the first of a fast paced New-Adult series with gripping action, witty banter, teasing friendships, intense sexuality and an unpredictable story line.
She has a decision to make...
Charming, annoying and ruggedly gorgeous, Nick Jones was full of surprises and falling for him was not part of Liz's plan, if she ever had one. After all, Liz was still holding on to the last strand of life and taking a leap of faith at that point was a bit like sky diving without a parachute. But she couldn't resist Nick. She couldn't seem to help herself. Brave, no. Foolish, maybe. Because a man who says he is an FBI agent just dropped the biggest bombshell about her new, mysterious boyfriend and his whereabouts on the day of her parent's death.
...he's already made it for her
Flying was his passion and the only thing stopping Nick from being a fighter pilot was a college degree. Should be a piece of cake compared to his last surveillance mission in Afghanistan or his last rescue mission in Brazil. Or so he thought, until he discovered his girlfriend Liz's knack of stumbling into trouble. The girl's got a bounty on her head, literally.
Told in dual POV, The Last Strand is the first of a fast paced New-Adult series with gripping action, witty banter, teasing friendships, intense sexuality and an unpredictable story line.
212 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 21, 2013
54 people are currently reading
513 people want to read
About the author
Van Krishna
2 books31 followersBy day, I am nobody. But when the sun goes down and the city turns dark, and evil lurks on every corner... when the world needs a hero who will fight for truth, justice and freedom... that's when I become...
...tired. And go to bed.
...tired. And go to bed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
June 25, 2013
After reading Beautiful Disaster for the second time, I finally gave up on my bewildered quest to find out why I liked it in the first place 
and picked up "The Last Strand"
I had no idea what to expect from this book but boy-oh-boy... it was exactly what I needed.
Like BD, "The Last Strand" is different from most other contemporary-romance novels I've read in the recent times and I mean that in a good way.
It's definitely a love-it or hate-it kinda book (a very brave attempt for a debut novel). The story was gripping and unpredictable. The Romance was angsty and intense but that's where the similarities end.
Like BD, it has a macho-alpha-male character who is dangerous and passionate but he is not damaged goods. He does not possess the self-sabotaging impulse to fuck everything up.
Seems to be the trend with most novels these days.
If you are like me and your only complaint with BD is the negativity then you'll find this novel refreshing. The best way to describe Nick Jones would be to think of Jack Pallas from Something About You but when he is like 21, and he just got out of the army or the air force or whatever.
There is humor in this novel. Loads of snarky, witty, humor and it came as a big surprise to me because of the cover. I know they say that you should never judge a book by its cover but I think that a cheerful cover might be better suited for this book.
Initially, I was inclined to give this book a 4 or 4.5 because it was short (less than 200 pages) but that turned out to be a good thing. I couldn't put it down. On a work-night.
In short, The Last Strand is
Gripping. Angsty. Unpredictable.
and picked up "The Last Strand"
I had no idea what to expect from this book but boy-oh-boy... it was exactly what I needed.
Like BD, "The Last Strand" is different from most other contemporary-romance novels I've read in the recent times and I mean that in a good way.
It's definitely a love-it or hate-it kinda book (a very brave attempt for a debut novel). The story was gripping and unpredictable. The Romance was angsty and intense but that's where the similarities end.
Like BD, it has a macho-alpha-male character who is dangerous and passionate but he is not damaged goods. He does not possess the self-sabotaging impulse to fuck everything up.
Seems to be the trend with most novels these days.
If you are like me and your only complaint with BD is the negativity then you'll find this novel refreshing. The best way to describe Nick Jones would be to think of Jack Pallas from Something About You but when he is like 21, and he just got out of the army or the air force or whatever.
There is humor in this novel. Loads of snarky, witty, humor and it came as a big surprise to me because of the cover. I know they say that you should never judge a book by its cover but I think that a cheerful cover might be better suited for this book.
Initially, I was inclined to give this book a 4 or 4.5 because it was short (less than 200 pages) but that turned out to be a good thing. I couldn't put it down. On a work-night.
In short, The Last Strand is
Gripping. Angsty. Unpredictable.
October 13, 2013
◊•◊ARR courtesy of the Author◊•◊
Hm... well that was fun. The book is interesting and sucks you in right away and next thing you know you are finished.
However, there were some minor editing issues but with a great story I didn't mind it too much.
Definitely recommend the author and looking forward to his future publications.
PS... after Sylvain Reynard's writing I have no reservations about men writing great romance novel with a credible danger factor.
PSS... Nick Jones is yummy lol
Hm... well that was fun. The book is interesting and sucks you in right away and next thing you know you are finished.
However, there were some minor editing issues but with a great story I didn't mind it too much.
Definitely recommend the author and looking forward to his future publications.
PS... after Sylvain Reynard's writing I have no reservations about men writing great romance novel with a credible danger factor.
PSS... Nick Jones is yummy lol
October 12, 2013
Free copy courtesy of author
I'm so upset. I read the blurb of this book and there was so much promise.
I almost marked it DNF but I so wanted to like the book, I decided to finish.
I didn't even want to review it because I don't want to be harsh.
I was confused throughout the book and I didn't understand what was happening for most of the book.
I was lie this
The Characters
Nick and Liz are the main characters. There's also Liz's best friends Stacy(Stacie?) & Siri and a whole lot of unnecessary other characters.
Nick has an overinflated ego and Liz was seriously irritating with her moods towards Nick.
All the characters, except Nick, were one-dimensional, underdeveloped and had no depth.
The relationship between Liz, and Nick's was annoying. Excessive (and cheesy) sex scenes, confusing dialogue and unnecessary arguments was all I could make of them
I don't understand Siri's importance in the book and all the other characters that were introduced in the book weren't properly integrated.
The only character I liked was Stacie because she was a good friend to Liz.
The Story
The book was all over the place. There was no clear direction or plot and was very hard to follow.
I didn't know what was going on, and who knew what.
It wasn't really bad until around page 30 and then my facial expression for the rest of the book was
A lot of words were missing, misused, or misspelled and there were a lot of typos. Alsso, there were tense mistakes & punctuation mark errors.
In General
This book had a lot of potential but it was badly executed and not properly edited.
Recommendation
If you want a shallow and confusing read with a lot of overdone scenes then this is for you.
Read reviews & more at We Blog About Books
I'm so upset. I read the blurb of this book and there was so much promise.
I almost marked it DNF but I so wanted to like the book, I decided to finish.
I didn't even want to review it because I don't want to be harsh.
I was confused throughout the book and I didn't understand what was happening for most of the book.
I was lie this
The Characters
Nick and Liz are the main characters. There's also Liz's best friends Stacy(Stacie?) & Siri and a whole lot of unnecessary other characters.
Nick has an overinflated ego and Liz was seriously irritating with her moods towards Nick.
All the characters, except Nick, were one-dimensional, underdeveloped and had no depth.
The relationship between Liz, and Nick's was annoying. Excessive (and cheesy) sex scenes, confusing dialogue and unnecessary arguments was all I could make of them
I don't understand Siri's importance in the book and all the other characters that were introduced in the book weren't properly integrated.
The only character I liked was Stacie because she was a good friend to Liz.
The Story
The book was all over the place. There was no clear direction or plot and was very hard to follow.
I didn't know what was going on, and who knew what.
It wasn't really bad until around page 30 and then my facial expression for the rest of the book was
A lot of words were missing, misused, or misspelled and there were a lot of typos. Alsso, there were tense mistakes & punctuation mark errors.
In General
This book had a lot of potential but it was badly executed and not properly edited.
Recommendation
If you want a shallow and confusing read with a lot of overdone scenes then this is for you.
Read reviews & more at We Blog About Books
August 16, 2013
Liz is actually from my hometown Seward and I was really impressed with the author's depiction of the town. I'm not sure if the description was from the author's personal experience or not but most of it is true. Seward is one of the most beautiful places in AK.
I loved the banter and the chemistry Nick and Liz. The action sequences were pretty good. I do a bit of kick boxing myself and I loved that first fight where Nick saves Stacy. All in all, good, fun read. I just wish it could have been longer.
I loved the banter and the chemistry Nick and Liz. The action sequences were pretty good. I do a bit of kick boxing myself and I loved that first fight where Nick saves Stacy. All in all, good, fun read. I just wish it could have been longer.
September 22, 2013
This was a really good story. The plot was different and fully of mystery and suspense, and I think it definitely has the potential to be great.
Overall, the characters were good. Nick was well developed and overall a likeable guy, not to mention downright sexy. We were able to get to know him well throughout the story, and I enjoyed the chapters told from his point of view the most. Liz's character was good, and I mostly liked what we saw of her. The one thing that I really did not like about her was her indecisiveness. She would tell Nick one thing, but then do another. Bipolar much? Though, there was some definite chemistry between Liz and Nick, and we love chemistry. Additionally their banter was quite fun. The only character I really did not like was Stacy. She was a horrible friend to Liz, though Liz just laughed it off like it was funny.
While I enjoyed the story, there were a couple of things that I have to mention that brought the rating down from a 4 to a 3 for me. First of all, there were too many grammatical errors not to mention them. One or two errors throughout the book I could overlook, but there were many consistently throughout. They were little things, 'I'm' instead of 'I am' (those two words cannot exclusively be used in place of one another), comma misuse or lack of commas, and semicolon misuse, but as I said it was enough to be noticeable, and that distracted my reading and ultimately detracted from the story. Additionally, the thought processes seemed very disjointed to me, especially in the beginning, to the point where I stopped at one point to check and see if the author was a native English speaker. It wasn't necessarily bad, per se, just…flighty, and I had the constant feeling that I was missing parts of the story. Plus, I kept wondering why everything was in italics? That was a bit distracting. Every page had some random thoughts thrown into italics without any rhyme or reason to it that I could discern.
The second thing that brought the rating down I had mentioned above – Liz's indecisiveness. This inconsistency in her personality was a major character flaw for her. For example, one second she was ignoring Nick and telling him she was 'not that kind of girl,' and the next second (literally) she was half naked with him in the front seat of his car. There was no in-between and no transition from one Liz to the next. In another scene she had not been speaking to him for a few days and the next thing you knew they were having sex like nothing had been wrong. Again like mentioned above, I just felt like something was missing from those scenes, possibly some inner dialogue that explained why she went from one extreme to the next.
Overall, the story was entertaining and could be really great with an editor with an eye for detail.
Overall, the characters were good. Nick was well developed and overall a likeable guy, not to mention downright sexy. We were able to get to know him well throughout the story, and I enjoyed the chapters told from his point of view the most. Liz's character was good, and I mostly liked what we saw of her. The one thing that I really did not like about her was her indecisiveness. She would tell Nick one thing, but then do another. Bipolar much? Though, there was some definite chemistry between Liz and Nick, and we love chemistry. Additionally their banter was quite fun. The only character I really did not like was Stacy. She was a horrible friend to Liz, though Liz just laughed it off like it was funny.
While I enjoyed the story, there were a couple of things that I have to mention that brought the rating down from a 4 to a 3 for me. First of all, there were too many grammatical errors not to mention them. One or two errors throughout the book I could overlook, but there were many consistently throughout. They were little things, 'I'm' instead of 'I am' (those two words cannot exclusively be used in place of one another), comma misuse or lack of commas, and semicolon misuse, but as I said it was enough to be noticeable, and that distracted my reading and ultimately detracted from the story. Additionally, the thought processes seemed very disjointed to me, especially in the beginning, to the point where I stopped at one point to check and see if the author was a native English speaker. It wasn't necessarily bad, per se, just…flighty, and I had the constant feeling that I was missing parts of the story. Plus, I kept wondering why everything was in italics? That was a bit distracting. Every page had some random thoughts thrown into italics without any rhyme or reason to it that I could discern.
The second thing that brought the rating down I had mentioned above – Liz's indecisiveness. This inconsistency in her personality was a major character flaw for her. For example, one second she was ignoring Nick and telling him she was 'not that kind of girl,' and the next second (literally) she was half naked with him in the front seat of his car. There was no in-between and no transition from one Liz to the next. In another scene she had not been speaking to him for a few days and the next thing you knew they were having sex like nothing had been wrong. Again like mentioned above, I just felt like something was missing from those scenes, possibly some inner dialogue that explained why she went from one extreme to the next.
Overall, the story was entertaining and could be really great with an editor with an eye for detail.
August 7, 2013
First off, I have to give Krishna huge props. Not many men could pull off writing a good chick-lit novel. I cracked up when reading his bio about being straight even though he has a love for chick-lit.
So, the book was really good. True to chick-lit form, there was a lot of romance, but Krishna threw in some hot love scenes and a good bit of action. Some of the action was a little over the top, but I didn't care. Reading this book was like watching a movie (that's a compliment).
I hope Krishna is successful. I would definitely read more of his work.
So, the book was really good. True to chick-lit form, there was a lot of romance, but Krishna threw in some hot love scenes and a good bit of action. Some of the action was a little over the top, but I didn't care. Reading this book was like watching a movie (that's a compliment).
I hope Krishna is successful. I would definitely read more of his work.
July 18, 2013
*This book was provided to me in exchange for an honest and unbiased review*
I feel so mixed about this book. There were bits I thought were great and bits that made me cringe. Ultimately, I did enjoy it more and more as I read, but I do think it could be improved in places. I'd probably go for 2.5 stars if I could.
Firstly, the two main characters Liz and Nick. Well Nick was definitely a more developed character than Liz. He was funny, and tough, and caring, and sometimes annoying but just enough to make him seem like a real person, which is the best compliment you can make of a character in a book in my opinion. He did have an overinflated ego, but he was self deprecating and funny with it, rather than obnoxious. Liz was less developed. Despite having much of the book told from her perspective (the book was 1st person with altering pov's indicated at the start of each chapter) it still felt like I was seeing her through another persons eyes. I didn't get much feeling from her. Oh and she was seriously irritating with her moods towards Nick. I don't know what it was but I just couldn't find her believable, it was like she was a parody of an annoying, whiny but cute girlfriend. Kind of like she was what a young man thinks women are like rather than what they are actually like. Just like the countless books written by women that have failed to realistically capture a males pov, I think this is a case of a man failing to capture a womans pov.
The relationship between them was mixed too. I did have to stop reading during my lunch break at work as it was really erotica at points. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it was bad, I was seriously blushing, which is better than the giggling that badly described passion can enduce. There were a good few crude and/or cheesy words and descriptions used at times though that did have me cringing; "my pride" being a particularly cringeworthy example of a term used to describe a males (in the words of Jeremy Clarkson) 'gentleman sausage'. The tension and passion between Liz and Nick was mostly well done though and I can forgive the bits that were a little over the top. The relationship though was a different story. It was quite frustrating actually, the back and forth between being together and arguing. I liked it when they were together and smiled at the banter and teasing between them, but got seriuosly annoyed at the petty arguing and ignoring. I think it happened a little too much and undermined my feelings as to whether I found the 'love' believable. It was cute though and got better as it went, and less all about sex.
The plot was unexpected. I liked it, a bit of danger and suspense is always a page turner. This was rather confusing at times though. I didn't always know what was going on, and who knew what, and the prologue and later jump back to that time was a little hard to follow. Perhaps the prologue just needed a more obvious label and maybe the plot could have been more clearly spelled out. I was also a little disappointed with the ending, my reaction was just 'oh, ok', no shock or drama or satisfactory explanation for the frankly ridiculous behaviour. I guessed the who but was hoping for a more indepth why and a more dramatic resolution.
To wrap up, some potential and a male character who I really did like but the book needs work. The plot lines need to be sharper and a little bit more sophisticated relationship building too. The book felt like a confused interpretation of the blurb. I didn't recognise in the writing much of the feelings in Liz that the blurb purported she had and the action had my brow furrowing to get straight in my head. Great ideas, needs work in the execution.
I feel so mixed about this book. There were bits I thought were great and bits that made me cringe. Ultimately, I did enjoy it more and more as I read, but I do think it could be improved in places. I'd probably go for 2.5 stars if I could.
Firstly, the two main characters Liz and Nick. Well Nick was definitely a more developed character than Liz. He was funny, and tough, and caring, and sometimes annoying but just enough to make him seem like a real person, which is the best compliment you can make of a character in a book in my opinion. He did have an overinflated ego, but he was self deprecating and funny with it, rather than obnoxious. Liz was less developed. Despite having much of the book told from her perspective (the book was 1st person with altering pov's indicated at the start of each chapter) it still felt like I was seeing her through another persons eyes. I didn't get much feeling from her. Oh and she was seriously irritating with her moods towards Nick. I don't know what it was but I just couldn't find her believable, it was like she was a parody of an annoying, whiny but cute girlfriend. Kind of like she was what a young man thinks women are like rather than what they are actually like. Just like the countless books written by women that have failed to realistically capture a males pov, I think this is a case of a man failing to capture a womans pov.
The relationship between them was mixed too. I did have to stop reading during my lunch break at work as it was really erotica at points. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it was bad, I was seriously blushing, which is better than the giggling that badly described passion can enduce. There were a good few crude and/or cheesy words and descriptions used at times though that did have me cringing; "my pride" being a particularly cringeworthy example of a term used to describe a males (in the words of Jeremy Clarkson) 'gentleman sausage'. The tension and passion between Liz and Nick was mostly well done though and I can forgive the bits that were a little over the top. The relationship though was a different story. It was quite frustrating actually, the back and forth between being together and arguing. I liked it when they were together and smiled at the banter and teasing between them, but got seriuosly annoyed at the petty arguing and ignoring. I think it happened a little too much and undermined my feelings as to whether I found the 'love' believable. It was cute though and got better as it went, and less all about sex.
The plot was unexpected. I liked it, a bit of danger and suspense is always a page turner. This was rather confusing at times though. I didn't always know what was going on, and who knew what, and the prologue and later jump back to that time was a little hard to follow. Perhaps the prologue just needed a more obvious label and maybe the plot could have been more clearly spelled out. I was also a little disappointed with the ending, my reaction was just 'oh, ok', no shock or drama or satisfactory explanation for the frankly ridiculous behaviour. I guessed the who but was hoping for a more indepth why and a more dramatic resolution.
To wrap up, some potential and a male character who I really did like but the book needs work. The plot lines need to be sharper and a little bit more sophisticated relationship building too. The book felt like a confused interpretation of the blurb. I didn't recognise in the writing much of the feelings in Liz that the blurb purported she had and the action had my brow furrowing to get straight in my head. Great ideas, needs work in the execution.
January 28, 2014
WARNING! If you don't want any spoilers you should not read this review. I was given this book by the author for an honest review. I was very disappointed with this book:( I found the beginning interesting, but started disliking it as I continued reading. It was intriguing how the book was written in two different POVs and how the book did not progress in chronological order. This created more suspense for the reader but later started getting confusing. The story began with a sad Liz Collins who had just lost her parents about 2 months ago and was considering getting therapy... this is all the reader knows about her. Then she thinks back to the night she lost her parents and the reader starts to feel some sympathy for her! The author also does a good job at making her likeable by throwing in Eric who wants to date her again... blah, blah, blah. So the beginning is interesting and suspenseful as the author does not give a lot of information and throws in some mysterious comments about Nick. Later this really, really unexpected thing happens that leaves you a bit... shocked! After that, the book flashes back to two months before, when she was at her parent's funeral and fainted. The reason I am writing all this, is because at this point the reader feels a lot of sympathy for this girl, and it gives the idea it will take her a long time to adjust to the life that awaits her (college). What irritated me the most was that the moment she went to college, her parents death was practically some scary dream and did not really occur! The only proof that she was ever in pain; she finds it hard to sleep. The rest of the book is basically about her really, really steamy (and a little rushed) relationship with Nick. Nick is a likeable character, but I didn't feel any deep connection between them. They didn't go on a proper date until the end, they didn't know much about each other at all, and it was all physical and not very emotional! Not to mention a ridiculous short lived argument, and a very weird chapter where he wakes up in her room with all her friends staring and giggling at him half naked and bleeding... I half expected this to be a dream:p After chapters and chapters of their growing relationship, Liz receives a call from an FBI agent that had information about her parents. She decides to go back to her hometown as if all of a sudden remembering her parents died... and this brings the reader back to the 'unexpected thing' that happened two months after her parents died. The rest of the book is a rushed and easy investigation done by Liz and Nick which gives them the answers to a mystery that had nothing to do with her parents... The book ends with Nick asking Liz out on their first real date. By the end of the book, I knew little about Nick and barely anything about Liz. I would have liked it more if throughout the course of the book Liz would have had more memories on her life before her parents died, or at least some more dialogue between her and Nick so the reader can learn more about her. In conclusion, the plot had great potential and I liked the use of Imagery but there was a lack of characterization and I would have enjoyed it more if it focused more on the mystery and if it was somehow linked in with her parents. xD
September 12, 2014
This is a must read
There are a couple of covers for this book and they are all fantastic. So the author needed a Beta Reader so I volunteered and I really loved There are a couple of covers for this book and they are all fantastic. So the author needed a Beta Reader so I volunteered and I really loved the book.
It's the debut novel of the author and the plot of the story us good, solid with a lot of attention to detail.
Liz lives in Alaska and lost her Parents in an accident. For a fresh start they decide to leave earlier for College and head to Chicago.
Liz meets Nick and well if Liz doesn't want him then fine I'll have him ;-)
There is an instant attraction and things get good real fast until... (you have to read the book)
I love that Nick calls Liz "Snow"
All I can say is that there is a fast pace to this book, it is different and interesting with great primary and secondary characters which live me wanting more and thankfully the author will be writing more.
A couple of things caught my attention:
Stace, Siri and Marc need books.
The badie in the end needs more than just a slap on the wrist and a HFN just doesn't do it for me. I would like a NEA!!! That is what Nick and Liz deserve.
There are a couple of covers for this book and they are all fantastic. So the author needed a Beta Reader so I volunteered and I really loved There are a couple of covers for this book and they are all fantastic. So the author needed a Beta Reader so I volunteered and I really loved the book.
It's the debut novel of the author and the plot of the story us good, solid with a lot of attention to detail.
Liz lives in Alaska and lost her Parents in an accident. For a fresh start they decide to leave earlier for College and head to Chicago.
Liz meets Nick and well if Liz doesn't want him then fine I'll have him ;-)
There is an instant attraction and things get good real fast until... (you have to read the book)
I love that Nick calls Liz "Snow"
All I can say is that there is a fast pace to this book, it is different and interesting with great primary and secondary characters which live me wanting more and thankfully the author will be writing more.
A couple of things caught my attention:
Stace, Siri and Marc need books.
The badie in the end needs more than just a slap on the wrist and a HFN just doesn't do it for me. I would like a NEA!!! That is what Nick and Liz deserve.
July 8, 2013
I received this arc in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 Stars
I'm still angry with the ending!! NO cliffhangers but no epilogue either. I REALLY need a second book. I wonder if that is going to happen?!?! I LOVE books with epilogues and typically read books with them so I think I am just spoiled :)
This book started off interesting and held my attention the entire time. Nick and Liz were SOOOO funny! Some of their dialogue was a bit immature, but Liz was just out of high school so I tried to look past it. I'm really glad I got the chance to read this book. I do wish the build up of emotions between both of them was discussed more in the book. You could tell by the things they said and did, that it was there. I just wish it was talked about more instead of just wam bam, its there kind of situation. I did feel the ending was kind of rushed but it was a short book after all.
I really enjoyed reading The Last Strand and I plan to promote the book to fellow book lovers!
3.5 Stars
I'm still angry with the ending!! NO cliffhangers but no epilogue either. I REALLY need a second book. I wonder if that is going to happen?!?! I LOVE books with epilogues and typically read books with them so I think I am just spoiled :)
This book started off interesting and held my attention the entire time. Nick and Liz were SOOOO funny! Some of their dialogue was a bit immature, but Liz was just out of high school so I tried to look past it. I'm really glad I got the chance to read this book. I do wish the build up of emotions between both of them was discussed more in the book. You could tell by the things they said and did, that it was there. I just wish it was talked about more instead of just wam bam, its there kind of situation. I did feel the ending was kind of rushed but it was a short book after all.
I really enjoyed reading The Last Strand and I plan to promote the book to fellow book lovers!
September 2, 2013
Whew! What can I say? This book was hot! Turn on the AC hot! I usually don't read NA/Romance, written by male authors. I find that some male authors don't quite get the female POV. Van Krishna got it. Liz, the lead female character, is like most strong women... sometimes feisty, sometimes insecure, and sometimes emotional, but when push comes to shove she is in your face with a gun ready to pull the trigger. Then there is Nick. Nick is just plain and simple, yummy hot! Put Liz and Nick together and you have fireworks!
I love authors who let dialogue move the story. The dialogue in this book is great. I am inclined to believe that this author has a great sense of humor. The dialogue between Liz and Nick was very enjoyable and sometimes very funny.
My favorite quote "Not a bloody thing. Yea, I'm afraid it's too late now. This truck is going to burn, burn like the Fourth of July."
I will definitely be reading more of Van Krishna's work. This was a very enjoyable Read!
I recommend this book to whoever loves NA/Romance with lots of humor
I love authors who let dialogue move the story. The dialogue in this book is great. I am inclined to believe that this author has a great sense of humor. The dialogue between Liz and Nick was very enjoyable and sometimes very funny.
My favorite quote "Not a bloody thing. Yea, I'm afraid it's too late now. This truck is going to burn, burn like the Fourth of July."
I will definitely be reading more of Van Krishna's work. This was a very enjoyable Read!
I recommend this book to whoever loves NA/Romance with lots of humor
July 11, 2013
First: I devoured this book in one night ~ so right there you know I liked it! Second: This book left me smiling all goofy until I went to bed, so again, this means I liked it! Third: If an editor gets their hands on this book and revises it I will definitely be upgrading my stars to 4!
If you are like me and love romantic comedies, Chic Lit, and steamy hot love scenes you will enjoy The Last Strand. Van Krishna knows how to build solid characters, and I liked the comedic feel to the dialog ~ maybe I just really liked the characters personalities... not sure, but there were moments I literally laughed out load. The back and forth pov was good for me, and did I mention that there are some sizzling love scenes? Ooh ya baby!
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of his work in exchange for my honest review :)
If you are like me and love romantic comedies, Chic Lit, and steamy hot love scenes you will enjoy The Last Strand. Van Krishna knows how to build solid characters, and I liked the comedic feel to the dialog ~ maybe I just really liked the characters personalities... not sure, but there were moments I literally laughed out load. The back and forth pov was good for me, and did I mention that there are some sizzling love scenes? Ooh ya baby!
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of his work in exchange for my honest review :)
July 7, 2013
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!
I was given a copy by the author for my honest review. I don't often read short stories but I began this book last night and got hooked in right away. Aside from a few grammatical errors here and there the story is beautifully written. The romance that develops between Nick and Liz is amazing. It also added a hint of mystery through out the book. I only stopped reading last night because I needed sleep, however I woke up this morning and jump right back into read. I highly recommend reading The Last Strand because it is an amazing story.
I was given a copy by the author for my honest review. I don't often read short stories but I began this book last night and got hooked in right away. Aside from a few grammatical errors here and there the story is beautifully written. The romance that develops between Nick and Liz is amazing. It also added a hint of mystery through out the book. I only stopped reading last night because I needed sleep, however I woke up this morning and jump right back into read. I highly recommend reading The Last Strand because it is an amazing story.
August 23, 2013
I really enjoyed this book! It hada few twists and turns that were unecpected. The main characters,Liz and Nick were very likable! Both characters are strong willed, and sassy. After loosing her parents in an auto accident, Liz and her friend head off to college where she meets Nick.He is an Air Force Pilot trying to get his degree to become commisioned. There he finds a little bit of heaven and hell wrapped in a bundle nsmed Liz.The Last Strand
August 18, 2013
I love this book. But I feel like not every thing was told about Nick when he was in air force. I have feeling that he didn't tell her every thing. In the end mark asked nick what he was and nick said just a pilot and mark says just a pilot yah right. Also i woold like to find out what happens after he finishes college is he going to work for mark or is he going to be a fighter pilot, and will she go with him?I hope you plan on writing more about these two.
August 14, 2013
wow, this definitely was a surprise.
Didn't know what I was getting myself into but I absolutely loved it.
A debut chick-lit from a male author? kudos!
Didn't know what I was getting myself into but I absolutely loved it.
A debut chick-lit from a male author? kudos!
August 21, 2013
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest review. I would have given it a 3.5 if goodreads allowed it.
While reading the first part of the book, it appeared that I was reading a romantic action/suspense/thriller. However, the author suddenly stopped in the midst of the action to flashback to two months prior. When reading about the two months prior, it was like reading an entirely different book. The portions of the book that describe these two months comprise the majority of the book and are not action packed, suspenseful or thriller-esque at all. In fact, I would describe the majority of the book as an erotic romance (and a very good one too).
During the middle/main part of the book we get to read about a two month period of time during which a beautiful relationship develops. I loved reading this part of the book and had a hard time putting it down. However, about 75% into the book, the two months ends and the author wraps the story back around to the very beginning of the book, resuming the action. Picking up right where the story abruptly cut off at the start of the book was very creative yet I could not remember exactly what I had read at the very beginning. I had already read so much since then that I literally had to go back and reread those beginning pages again to recall what had happened.
Although this book contains just one lead male character and one leading female character, during the different, "portions" of the book, they seem like completely different characters. Even the way the characters talked and what they said was completely different from how they were at other periods of time. For example, the couple I read about in the middle of the book were passionate college students, crazy about each other and falling in love. At the end of the book however, the characters are still in love yet the girl who sat in class having a crush on the guy during the majority of the book all of a sudden becomes quick witted and good with a gun, acting like Angelina Jolie in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The characteristics and actions of the characters between the two month periods of time were occasionally incongruent. I did like the author's idea of flashing back and forth between the months yet the amount of content in between was so vast that it became confusing. I would hope that the author would not cut out the middle portion of the story though as this was my favorite part; The love story was romantic, endearing and passionate. I also liked the way the author would fluctuate between whose point of view we heard from one chapter to the next. That was something I have not seen often and it was fun.
This book is fabulous for a first-time author who had not yet had an editor even look at it when I received my copy. Yes, there are some missing words and words in places that they do not belong but the overall story is creative, entertaining and fun to read.
July 20, 2014
ARR courtesy of the Author in exchange for an honest review.
The Last Strand fell around a 2.5 star read for me. There were a few things that I really enjoyed about the story, but there were too many things that just kept me from getting involved into what was happening in the story.
Liz has left Alaska to attend college in Chicago and is dealing (or not) with the death of her parents. Her and her best friend Stacy and newly acquired friend all seem to be drawn to a certain hot guy on campus. Nick Jones is home from his service in the Air Force, wanting nothing more than to return to become a fighter pilot; he has to first get his college degree. As Nick and Liz begin a very confusing 'relationship' things get more complicated. It seems that someone wants Liz out of the picture.
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I felt at times like I was reading two different stories that were somehow combined. Things jumped around a bit and I felt like I accidentally skipped a page or two. There were particular parts that had a little bit of humor that made it a little entertaining but there was far too much going on in all directions that kept me unfocused. The overall story line had potential to result in a bigger story, but it never hit a climatic point where it reached beyond where it was.
I did like Nick's character though. I could have done without Liz and her whiny mouth though. She was the combination of every stereotypical female trait and I wanted to smother her and her thoughts with a pillow (slowly - so that she suffered). Now if this had been aimed towards more of a comical light read, I think I could have bumped it up a star or so - but the theme was not a light theme so the parts that felt too whimsical caused me to not take any of it serious.
^ ^ ^ This has nothing to do with the book, but I found it - and it made me laugh. So I am going to use it for no particular reason at all.
The Last Strand fell around a 2.5 star read for me. There were a few things that I really enjoyed about the story, but there were too many things that just kept me from getting involved into what was happening in the story.
Liz has left Alaska to attend college in Chicago and is dealing (or not) with the death of her parents. Her and her best friend Stacy and newly acquired friend all seem to be drawn to a certain hot guy on campus. Nick Jones is home from his service in the Air Force, wanting nothing more than to return to become a fighter pilot; he has to first get his college degree. As Nick and Liz begin a very confusing 'relationship' things get more complicated. It seems that someone wants Liz out of the picture.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
I felt at times like I was reading two different stories that were somehow combined. Things jumped around a bit and I felt like I accidentally skipped a page or two. There were particular parts that had a little bit of humor that made it a little entertaining but there was far too much going on in all directions that kept me unfocused. The overall story line had potential to result in a bigger story, but it never hit a climatic point where it reached beyond where it was.
I did like Nick's character though. I could have done without Liz and her whiny mouth though. She was the combination of every stereotypical female trait and I wanted to smother her and her thoughts with a pillow (slowly - so that she suffered). Now if this had been aimed towards more of a comical light read, I think I could have bumped it up a star or so - but the theme was not a light theme so the parts that felt too whimsical caused me to not take any of it serious.
^ ^ ^ This has nothing to do with the book, but I found it - and it made me laugh. So I am going to use it for no particular reason at all.
August 10, 2013
I received this from Library Thing to read and review. I have very mixed feelings about this book. I think the plot/storyline is good, but the execution could use some work. The story revolves around Liz, whose parents have died in a bad accident, who meets and falls for Nick, an Air Force vet whose goal is to be a fighter pilot, when they meet in college. A lot of the story covers their on and off again romance and dragged for about three quarters of the book. After about 70% of the book, the author suddenly plunged into a mystery about Liz’s parents’ death, how or if Nick was involved and someone looking for Liz to kill her. The book did become interesting then, but, by that time, I was so bored with reading about the daily routine and life of a rather immature college girl, that I had practically given up on the book. I felt the author suddenly realized there was a real need to somehow make the book something other than a bring story about a college relationship and life of college students and thus began the great mystery plot. The character of Nick was pretty well developed, but the character of Liz was not. In addition, there were others in their families who kept coming in and out of the story making it difficult to follow. There just were not good transitions or explanations about what was going on and how it all was connected. Added to this are several wording and structure errors/disconnects. This book could have used a good editor, who would hopefully have tightened all this up and made the book more interesting to read. As I said, the storyline is good. The execution just needs work.
September 15, 2013
This is another book that has been hanging out on my Kindle for a bit, but I finally read it! Liz goes off to college shortly after the untimely death of her parents. When she gets there, she meets Nick and both realize immediately that there is some serious spark between them. Both are strong-willed and they seem to fight almost as much as they get along. Luckily neither of them really holds grudges so they are able to move on from their arguments pretty quickly. I liked how stubborn and headstrong they were because even though they were similar in this way it actually made it that much better when they were getting along...maybe because they were sort of overcoming their own stubbornness to be happy with the other. Anyways, overall I enjoyed the book a lot. The first half of it is mostly about the development of their relationship. Then the second half sort of becomes a little more action-packed as they try to get to the bottom of who might be out to get Liz. They work together relying on Nick's ex-military connections to figure out what is going on. I was somewhat disappointed with the end of the book because it felt like the resolution of the whole story happened in about 2 pages. All of a sudden, the person behind the plans to take out Liz is identified, is told to back off and they do, and the end. It just felt a little anti-climactic for me. But I still enjoyed the story. I really like a book that manages to balance a bit of romance, mystery, and action. Why pick one genre when you can enjoy several wrapped into one, am I right?! :)
September 18, 2013
Filled with great characters, THE LAST STRAND is an exciting novel from beginning to end. While Nick is the apple of his mother's eye, his relationship with his father is quite the opposite. From Nick's childhood, the two have played a game of tug-of-war over control of Nick's life. When Nick's father felt that Nick needed discipline, he sent Nick to a military school. Nick rebelled by excelling at school and joining the Army. After his four years, Nick's father welcomed him into the family's multi-million dollar business, but Nick rebuffed him with his plans to re-enlist. Only at his mother's pleadings did Nick realize that he was hurting more than his father and changes his plans at his mother's request to begin life as a civilian.
After losing her parents at a young age, Liz sets out to rebuild her life. At a college hundreds of miles away from home, Liz discover new friends and a new love.
When Liz and Nick discover that their lives intertwine in more than just a casual romance, they need to take a good look at each other and decide if they are really lovers and who their enemy really is.
The action in the novel was non-stop, and I found it hard to put the novel down. I loved the way the author switched points of view to give the reader a story from all aspects. I found the story easy to follow as the author jumped from past to present to explain the different scenarios.
This was a really enjoyable novel. I recommend it anybody who enjoys an exciting, romantic novel!
Why no voting buttons? We don't le
After losing her parents at a young age, Liz sets out to rebuild her life. At a college hundreds of miles away from home, Liz discover new friends and a new love.
When Liz and Nick discover that their lives intertwine in more than just a casual romance, they need to take a good look at each other and decide if they are really lovers and who their enemy really is.
The action in the novel was non-stop, and I found it hard to put the novel down. I loved the way the author switched points of view to give the reader a story from all aspects. I found the story easy to follow as the author jumped from past to present to explain the different scenarios.
This was a really enjoyable novel. I recommend it anybody who enjoys an exciting, romantic novel!
Why no voting buttons? We don't le
August 1, 2013
I sort of had a love/hate relationship going on with this book at times. Nick was an excellent character with real development. However, I felt like Liz was less developed and more could have been done with her character. I did love Liz's friends and family for the most part though and thought they were a good addition to the story. I loved the story line, but I do think that it was rushed in parts. For example, I think more could have been done with the last half of the book to make it even better. The humor dropped throughout the book was a perfect addition for me because it made the story feel a little lighter and fun in places. Overall it was great, but I do think it had the potential for being one of my all time favorites with just a bit more development of Liz and the the second half of the story. I will say that for a first book, I was incredibly impressed because you can tell that a lot of heart went into creating the story and the characters. I will be on the lookout for future work by this author for sure. The last thing I will add is that it should probably have a bit more editing done as I noticed quite a few errors throughout. I didn't find it to be a terrible amount, but it was noticeable.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 29, 2014
Raiting: Low three stars for me.
So this book...Hmm where do I begin. I found the editing to be a bit off putting. I mean whole words were missing so I was like uh sure I think what I just came up with in my mind fits and I like it! Then goes the factor of I a bit sick of all romances being love at first sight.
No...I need more depth then that. I loved the nice make out scene on the car don't get me wrong that was HOT!HOT! But it just felt like any other NA or Romance etc. I was hoping this was gonna be a big break for me. I'm over due for that good romance between two people where it isn't rushed and gushed in a one night meeting right?!
but after awhile the characters seemed ok together it felt right? Eh who knows maybe it was just the nice smexy things going on at times. And the action unfolding hot damn a air force flying man shooting a gun. mmmmm Yea I sat and envisioned him for awhile. It was a quick read for me and the pace dulled at times but would pick up just as good. Maybe I'll re-read this at a later day and see if I was just missing something.
So this book...Hmm where do I begin. I found the editing to be a bit off putting. I mean whole words were missing so I was like uh sure I think what I just came up with in my mind fits and I like it! Then goes the factor of I a bit sick of all romances being love at first sight.
No...I need more depth then that. I loved the nice make out scene on the car don't get me wrong that was HOT!HOT! But it just felt like any other NA or Romance etc. I was hoping this was gonna be a big break for me. I'm over due for that good romance between two people where it isn't rushed and gushed in a one night meeting right?!
but after awhile the characters seemed ok together it felt right? Eh who knows maybe it was just the nice smexy things going on at times. And the action unfolding hot damn a air force flying man shooting a gun. mmmmm Yea I sat and envisioned him for awhile. It was a quick read for me and the pace dulled at times but would pick up just as good. Maybe I'll re-read this at a later day and see if I was just missing something.
July 6, 2013
I was given a copy for an honest view.
The first two chapters had me completely confused. I didn't really know what was going on. I almost gave up on the book but I am glad I didn't. The first two chapters jump right into the present day in the story. Then in Chapter three, it goes to two months earlier. This is when I started to understand the book.
After my initial confusion was over I enjoyed the book. In this book Liz has lost her parents and moved miles away to attend college with her friend Stacy. Liz ends up meeting and falling in love with Nick. Along the way Liz manages to have a bounty on her head. The story line between Liz and Nick is great. The story about Liz having a bounty on her head, takes up a great deal in the book but is wrapped up very quickly. After they find out who put a bounty on Liz's head, there is only a paragraph about how Nick handles it. I wish there was a little more to the story.
Overall the book was good.
The first two chapters had me completely confused. I didn't really know what was going on. I almost gave up on the book but I am glad I didn't. The first two chapters jump right into the present day in the story. Then in Chapter three, it goes to two months earlier. This is when I started to understand the book.
After my initial confusion was over I enjoyed the book. In this book Liz has lost her parents and moved miles away to attend college with her friend Stacy. Liz ends up meeting and falling in love with Nick. Along the way Liz manages to have a bounty on her head. The story line between Liz and Nick is great. The story about Liz having a bounty on her head, takes up a great deal in the book but is wrapped up very quickly. After they find out who put a bounty on Liz's head, there is only a paragraph about how Nick handles it. I wish there was a little more to the story.
Overall the book was good.
September 11, 2013
Alright... at first I was pretty confused by how the story started out. I had to go back and read the description to try to understand what was taking place. Once I got about 23% into the book I couldn't put it down. I found myself yelling at the characters one minute and laughing my butt off the next.
In the middle of Liz and Nick's story I would bite anyones head off who dared to interrupt me. I was so mad at Nick I kept myself glued to the book to see if he could redeem himself in my eyes. That is the angst I love!!
There were a few parts that I did find rather odd that Nick could get over things Liz did so easily but it's a book so anything could happen. I am really looking forward to Armed and Stunning. I also hope we get more stories out of this fun group of friends.
I must admit I was shocked to learn that The Last Strand was written by a man. I didn't realize it until I was 35% into the book and had saw a comment that made me do a double take.
In the middle of Liz and Nick's story I would bite anyones head off who dared to interrupt me. I was so mad at Nick I kept myself glued to the book to see if he could redeem himself in my eyes. That is the angst I love!!
There were a few parts that I did find rather odd that Nick could get over things Liz did so easily but it's a book so anything could happen. I am really looking forward to Armed and Stunning. I also hope we get more stories out of this fun group of friends.
I must admit I was shocked to learn that The Last Strand was written by a man. I didn't realize it until I was 35% into the book and had saw a comment that made me do a double take.
July 23, 2013
I want to start off by saying I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this book... there were some grammar and spelling issues, but it didn't take away from the story. The sex scenes got a little too graphic for me, but again it didn't really take away from the story at all. The story itself was different and I liked it, but it was a little too predictable in regards to who the perpetrator ended up being. As for the characters, I liked them but thought that Liz was a little all over the place, for me. One second she was throwing herself at Nick and the next she was very angry, for no real reason... also the whole part with her taking apart a gun and then later shooting someone... what? I was just confused by those two scenes. Overall, though it was an entertaining read and I would recommend it to those who like action romance novels.
I liked this book... there were some grammar and spelling issues, but it didn't take away from the story. The sex scenes got a little too graphic for me, but again it didn't really take away from the story at all. The story itself was different and I liked it, but it was a little too predictable in regards to who the perpetrator ended up being. As for the characters, I liked them but thought that Liz was a little all over the place, for me. One second she was throwing herself at Nick and the next she was very angry, for no real reason... also the whole part with her taking apart a gun and then later shooting someone... what? I was just confused by those two scenes. Overall, though it was an entertaining read and I would recommend it to those who like action romance novels.
June 11, 2015
I received and ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
I LOVED this book! I really liked all the humor between the characters as well, I think that was my favorite part.
Nick and Liz meet in college and have an instant connection. Liz goes back home after she finds out some distressing news. Back in her hometown, she starts being followed and shot at. Then there is Nick who is like her knight in shinning armor coming to her rescue. Will they be able to find out what's going on and keep Liz safe, or will the person after Liz finally accomplish their goal?
I really hope there is another book to this! I would love to see what happens next in the lives of these crazy people :)
I LOVED this book! I really liked all the humor between the characters as well, I think that was my favorite part.
Nick and Liz meet in college and have an instant connection. Liz goes back home after she finds out some distressing news. Back in her hometown, she starts being followed and shot at. Then there is Nick who is like her knight in shinning armor coming to her rescue. Will they be able to find out what's going on and keep Liz safe, or will the person after Liz finally accomplish their goal?
I really hope there is another book to this! I would love to see what happens next in the lives of these crazy people :)
September 2, 2013
I really enjoyed this book! Needs editing but I was able to get over the errors because it was a great book and it kept me turning pages. I truly hope there will be a book 2 because there is so much potential for another book! I'm glad I had an opportunity to review, and will be on the look out for more from Van.
August 16, 2013
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I agree with one of the other reviewers as to how some of the aspects of this novel reminded me of Beautiful Disaster. Maybe because of the angstiness and action sequences? Idk. But the romance here is not YA. It is definitely 17+ and I loved it.
I agree with one of the other reviewers as to how some of the aspects of this novel reminded me of Beautiful Disaster. Maybe because of the angstiness and action sequences? Idk. But the romance here is not YA. It is definitely 17+ and I loved it.
July 9, 2013
I was given this book for an honest review. I liked this book! It caught my attention from the very beginning and kept it through the end! Good read!
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