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Bitter Candy
Hilarie Walsh fits in with her high school about as well as a Satan worshipper at a Christian book club. Not only is she the sole middle class girl in a sea of filthy rich kids, but - thanks to her ex's lies - everyone also thinks she's a slut. As a result, she's completely given up on her love life.
Enter senior year - and Eric Lawington, the arrogant but incredibly sexy son of a billionaire. At first, she wants nothing to do with him, but Eric is nothing if not persistent and evident sparks fly between them.
But jealousy and the past threaten their already tenuous relationship...
Enter senior year - and Eric Lawington, the arrogant but incredibly sexy son of a billionaire. At first, she wants nothing to do with him, but Eric is nothing if not persistent and evident sparks fly between them.
But jealousy and the past threaten their already tenuous relationship...
- GenresYoung AdultRomance
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 16, 2014
1 person is currently reading
342 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 20, 2015
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Giving my own book five stars before it's even out!
What I hope you'll think of my book:
What I expect you'll think:
What you might think:
Seriously, though, I do love this novel. So be kind. And if not, be funny.
Thank you all.
Book Teaser:
http://www.amazon.com/Bitter-Candy-Yo...
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/bitt...
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bitte...
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebo...
BITTER CANDY is also available on Scribd!
https://www.scribd.com/book/259056315...
Giving my own book five stars before it's even out!
What I hope you'll think of my book:
What I expect you'll think:
What you might think:
Seriously, though, I do love this novel. So be kind. And if not, be funny.
Thank you all.
Book Teaser:
November 12, 2014
A review said that this book was a little too out there and that the situations in it were getting ridiculous. And she wasn't wrong. What kind of teens attend parties with mud-wrestling Playboy models and can talk about snorting cocaine in the middle of a high school cafeteria? And do water-powered Audis even exist (note: I Googled this. It looks like one is in development)? Some parts of this book make even fucking Gossip Girl look realistic.
But despite the total lack of realism, I highly enjoyed this book and found it super addictive. Most of the time, the dialogue was witty and fun, and Hilarie and Eric had some very hot moments (perhaps a bit too hot for YA fiction, but obviously, I didn't mind).
Though Eric could be a major asshat, I have to say I liked him a lot. Underneath his cocky attitude and over the top alpha maleness, he clearly cared about Hilarie. And thank the Lord he wasn't one of those rich boy heroes with an excessive amount of emotional baggage, and who pushed the heroine away and claimed it was all for her own good. Yes, he had some issues but no crack addicted mother and no icky relationship with a Mrs. Robinson type woman (I'm referring to you, Christian Grey). And for once, it was the heroine who kept pushing the hero away.
Speaking of the heroine...
I read a review that said Hilarie was annoying at times. And hell yeah, she was frustrating. Sometimes, I wanted to shake her and tell her to make up her damn mind. But I still liked her and sympathized with her. Because, come on, her life did suck.
I definitely enjoyed the supporting characters. Especially Teddy, with his wonderful weirdness, and Jessica, who was - gasp - actually a good and supportive friend to Hilarie.
Other notes:
-FINALLY, NO SLUT SHAMING. Oh, scratch that. There is slut shaming in this book, but the refreshing thing is that it is portrayed as wrong, which a lot of YA and especially NA fiction fail to do.
-No cliffhanger. I got my HEA! (Although an epilogue would have been nice.)
-Well written and edited. *Maybe* caught a few typos, but overall, the grammar and spelling were on point.
5/5 stars.
But despite the total lack of realism, I highly enjoyed this book and found it super addictive. Most of the time, the dialogue was witty and fun, and Hilarie and Eric had some very hot moments (perhaps a bit too hot for YA fiction, but obviously, I didn't mind).
Though Eric could be a major asshat, I have to say I liked him a lot. Underneath his cocky attitude and over the top alpha maleness, he clearly cared about Hilarie. And thank the Lord he wasn't one of those rich boy heroes with an excessive amount of emotional baggage, and who pushed the heroine away and claimed it was all for her own good. Yes, he had some issues but no crack addicted mother and no icky relationship with a Mrs. Robinson type woman (I'm referring to you, Christian Grey). And for once, it was the heroine who kept pushing the hero away.
Speaking of the heroine...
I read a review that said Hilarie was annoying at times. And hell yeah, she was frustrating. Sometimes, I wanted to shake her and tell her to make up her damn mind. But I still liked her and sympathized with her. Because, come on, her life did suck.
I definitely enjoyed the supporting characters. Especially Teddy, with his wonderful weirdness, and Jessica, who was - gasp - actually a good and supportive friend to Hilarie.
Other notes:
-FINALLY, NO SLUT SHAMING. Oh, scratch that. There is slut shaming in this book, but the refreshing thing is that it is portrayed as wrong, which a lot of YA and especially NA fiction fail to do.
-No cliffhanger. I got my HEA! (Although an epilogue would have been nice.)
-Well written and edited. *Maybe* caught a few typos, but overall, the grammar and spelling were on point.
5/5 stars.
November 12, 2014
Random notes:
-Not sure if I liked the heroine or not. On one hand, I got frustrated with her for resisting Eric. Come on, girl, it's so obvious he cares about you! On the other hand, I got frustrated with her for giving in to Eric. Come on, girl, he's an asshole! What are you doing? And sometimes, I thought she was pretty smart. Other times, I wanted to groan at some of her stupidity. Ultimately, though, I think I liked her. She reminds me a lot of myself (for better or for worse), and I couldn't help sympathizing with her.
-The hero: I don't know, man. I kind of hated him; he was such a DICK at times. And he often came off as the cliche arrogant rich boy type. But I somehow still enjoyed reading about him. His scenes with Hilarie - which there were a lot of - were my favourite parts of the book.
-The love triangle: Yes, there is somewhat of a love triangle. But good news for people who hate love triangles - it only takes up a fraction of the book.
-Wouldn't recommend this book for diehard feminists. The relationship between Hilarie and Eric would be somewhat problematic in real life. But as it's fiction...let me fantasize.
-The sexy moments: The first sex scene was somewhat disappointing. A lot of buildup but no great climax (ha, ha). But some of the makeout sessions were kind of hot.
-The writing: Surprisingly, my grammar Nazi didn't feel a need to make an appearance as it usually does with self published books. Mostly clean of errors. And overall pretty well written, although some additional description would have been nice in some places.
Overall, I did enjoy the book, despite its flaws (hence the minus 1 star).
-Not sure if I liked the heroine or not. On one hand, I got frustrated with her for resisting Eric. Come on, girl, it's so obvious he cares about you! On the other hand, I got frustrated with her for giving in to Eric. Come on, girl, he's an asshole! What are you doing? And sometimes, I thought she was pretty smart. Other times, I wanted to groan at some of her stupidity. Ultimately, though, I think I liked her. She reminds me a lot of myself (for better or for worse), and I couldn't help sympathizing with her.
-The hero: I don't know, man. I kind of hated him; he was such a DICK at times. And he often came off as the cliche arrogant rich boy type. But I somehow still enjoyed reading about him. His scenes with Hilarie - which there were a lot of - were my favourite parts of the book.
-The love triangle: Yes, there is somewhat of a love triangle. But good news for people who hate love triangles - it only takes up a fraction of the book.
-Wouldn't recommend this book for diehard feminists. The relationship between Hilarie and Eric would be somewhat problematic in real life. But as it's fiction...let me fantasize.
-The sexy moments: The first sex scene was somewhat disappointing. A lot of buildup but no great climax (ha, ha). But some of the makeout sessions were kind of hot.
-The writing: Surprisingly, my grammar Nazi didn't feel a need to make an appearance as it usually does with self published books. Mostly clean of errors. And overall pretty well written, although some additional description would have been nice in some places.
Overall, I did enjoy the book, despite its flaws (hence the minus 1 star).
January 4, 2015
Bitter Candy was a good, happy story. I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of the book. The introduction of Eric was filled with humor, the good kind. The plot was interesting. What really got my attention was how in the beginning, Eric made all these promises to take care of Hilarie, but then he ends up hurting her in a way similar to her ex boyfriend. A point that was made here was when Hilarie forgives Eric for what he did, showing that at the end of the day, we are all human beings. We're bound to make mistakes, break our promises, hurt the ones we love... the list goes on and on.
The summary I read on goodreads was promising, and I was not disappointed. Some might argue that the story here was predictable, the characters were weak, and what not. However, this is the sort of book I would want to read at the end of a long and tiring day, when I just want to relax and forget all about the rest of the world. As far as the characters go, I appreciated the fact that they had flaws; no one is perfect nowadays anyway.
One thing I didn't like about Bitter Candy was the sex scenes. To me, sex scenes in books take away attention from the main story, and seem repetitive. In this particular case, it seemed like sex was a big part of the reason why Hilarie and Eric were together, which I think is what the writer was aiming for, but I'm not sure. I'm the sort of person who enjoys romance novels where the two characters are attracted to each other solely because of the people they are, which is why I didn't particularly like the sex scenes.
Overall, the book was thoroughly enjoyable. Whoever chooses to read it will not be disappointed!
The summary I read on goodreads was promising, and I was not disappointed. Some might argue that the story here was predictable, the characters were weak, and what not. However, this is the sort of book I would want to read at the end of a long and tiring day, when I just want to relax and forget all about the rest of the world. As far as the characters go, I appreciated the fact that they had flaws; no one is perfect nowadays anyway.
One thing I didn't like about Bitter Candy was the sex scenes. To me, sex scenes in books take away attention from the main story, and seem repetitive. In this particular case, it seemed like sex was a big part of the reason why Hilarie and Eric were together, which I think is what the writer was aiming for, but I'm not sure. I'm the sort of person who enjoys romance novels where the two characters are attracted to each other solely because of the people they are, which is why I didn't particularly like the sex scenes.
Overall, the book was thoroughly enjoyable. Whoever chooses to read it will not be disappointed!
December 3, 2014
This story requires a lot of work. The two main characters Hilarie and Eric met, had their arguments but it was still okay. I mean most love stories these days begin with the two main characters hating each other, well in this case it's only Hilarie and this is something I can deal with.
However as it progressed , the story became more about the lust between the two, rather than true love. They jumped at the chance of having sex every two to three chapters and frankly she should have gotten a restraining order against him when her forcefully kissed her in the beginning.
There was little plot development and hardly any character development . If Hilarie was so bothered about her bills, why didn't she try to get another job? And why didn't she stand up for herself and prove the other students who called her a slut wrong? And why didn't the teachers care about what happened to her?
Now onto the plot: It was mainly about them arguing, having sex, arguing and having sex again.
What I did like was Hilarie's reconciliation with her friends, but then again real friends don't ditch you just because of rumours.
The concept is good but the execution needs a lot of work. I would have liked to see Hilarie's struggles being explored in depth, their relationship having a solid foundation instead of just lust and a sane reason behind Elijah Freeman's actions.
However as it progressed , the story became more about the lust between the two, rather than true love. They jumped at the chance of having sex every two to three chapters and frankly she should have gotten a restraining order against him when her forcefully kissed her in the beginning.
There was little plot development and hardly any character development . If Hilarie was so bothered about her bills, why didn't she try to get another job? And why didn't she stand up for herself and prove the other students who called her a slut wrong? And why didn't the teachers care about what happened to her?
Now onto the plot: It was mainly about them arguing, having sex, arguing and having sex again.
What I did like was Hilarie's reconciliation with her friends, but then again real friends don't ditch you just because of rumours.
The concept is good but the execution needs a lot of work. I would have liked to see Hilarie's struggles being explored in depth, their relationship having a solid foundation instead of just lust and a sane reason behind Elijah Freeman's actions.
November 5, 2014
I always hate when an author gives me a book and then I don't like it. I feel like they wasted their time giving it to me. However, I don't like this book at all. It was a little too out there and the situations were becoming ridiculous. What teenager lives alone? And what teenagers can talk about doing drugs right out in the open in the middle of the cafeteria? And since when are there waterpowered Audis? I feel bad giving the such a low rating but I just couldn't finish it. a definite D N F for me.
*Received an ARC for honest review.*
*Received an ARC for honest review.*
November 12, 2014
*possible spoilers, maybe*
OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, I LOVE THIS BOOK! <3 <3 <3
Sure, IRL, I would not like Eric, but as a book boyfriend, I fucking love him. Cocky, hot, rich, possessive, domineering...what more could you ask for?
TEAM ERIC ALL THE WAY! Fuck Timothy! You had your chance, Buck, and you fucking blew it. Screw you. ERIC, ERIC, ERIC!!!!
Sorry, I'm fangirling way too much.
So. Many. Feels.
The ending was perfect. Sure, I would have liked a huge ass wedding, but one can't have everything.
<3 <3 <3
July 13, 2016
For a book that has been popping up in my Recommended feed A LOT, and for a while now, I've finally succumbed and purchased it. It was unrealistic. I think it would have been more plausible IF they were in college/university than in high school. And seriously, it gets to me every time "rich" people would talk about how rich they are. Im pretty sure they don't do that..
September 17, 2014
Loved this book!! I only wish it could have gone on for longer.. :)
July 9, 2015
The story started off really strong and in fact I stayed up till 2am reading it. However, a little more than halfway through I began to get disappointed. You think that Eric is going to be her knight in amour there to turn her life around. Yet, the longer the two know each other the more of a bully he is. This poor girl has lost her parents and friends after a vicious rumor is spread about her. Instead of meeting someone who will help rebuild her self esteem and life at school, which is the direction I thought the story would go, he preys on those insecurities and bullies her to get his way. Just when you think she is recognizing that she deserves better he uses his money to buy her forgiveness or the two turn to sex to fix their problems. I was less than impressed with the way the story ends and would recommend it not being labeled as a YA novel for the fact that this is not an example of a healthy relationship and young minds are very impressionable. I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review as part of DRC's Review Team.
Want to read
April 17, 2015very nice story
September 23, 2015
Way too controlling and not in a romantic way.
And how many times could she run from him in one book?
And how many times could she run from him in one book?
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews