Spoiler Alert!
Spoiler Alert!
Well, I guess I’m in the minority here as I was quite disappointed with
Ready or Not
, book 4 in the
Ready
series especially since I really loved books 1 and 2.
At the beginning I really liked both Liv and Jackson, the way they both tried to one-up each other; how Jackson was struggling to be a good and loving dad to his 11-year-old son and Liv telling him that everything would fall into place as far as his kid was concerned. I do think that Liv and Jackson got together very quickly especially since Liv thought Jackson was such an annoying jerk; sexy but still a jerk. Then there’s the whole thing about Jackson telling Liv that if they’re going to start a relationship that he’s in it for the long haul, that she’s it for him and that she couldn’t date anyone else. I have to say there were moments when I thought they were both idiots. Before they got together, Jackson takes his secretary, who’s been eyeing him like candy, out a couple of times to see if he can stop thinking about Liv. Not only does he find his secretary boring, he can’t stop thinking of Liv. Seriously, you take your secretary out knowing how she feels about you and then you leave her hanging with no explanation? To me, that’s just playing with fire especially since you just joined the firm and she’s your secretary. While taking Jackson and his son to see the Chiefs practice football, one of the players asks Liz for her number and she gives it to him knowing full well she has no plans on dating him. Unfortunately, he keeps calling and leaving messages which she ignores. Then there’s Victor, the one man Liv’s been seeing for a while but is now calling it quits so she can be with Jackson.
Throughout the whole book Liv always lets it be known how strong and independent she is, that she doesn’t need anyone, that she lives her life the way she sees fit. That’s great. However, one evening Victor comes over scaring Liv as he forces her into a corner yelling how it’s not over between them. Jackson comes to the rescue, throws him down and has the police take him away. Victor never hits Liv or does any physical harm but he did scare her. However, that one incident turns her into a blubbering mess, basically a damsel in distress needing to be saved by her man. I have to agree with another reviewer that this was so over the top and just ridiculous. I get she got scared but, come on….
Liv - “My knees gave way, and my body hit the floor, trembling everywhere.”
Jackson - “Laying her down on the soft mattress, I pulled the covers over around her and bent down to kiss her cheek.”
Liv - “Jackson, don’t leave me” she murmured. “Please, just hold me”.
“I should have been braver.”
Give me a break!
When all Liv’s friends, including their husbands, all get together for dinner one night, Liv gets upset because Jackson and her friend (Declan) had been talking about her, trying to keep her safe from her father. Liv, of course, becomes very angry, basically overly dramatic in my opinion (and they had all just sat down to dinner).
“You and Declan - what’s going on?”
“It’s not important right now.”
“I want to know.” My tone was clipped and to the point. My temper began to rise, and my heart rate accelerated. “You were talking about me?”
“I don’t feel well all of a sudden. Clare, do you mind if I leave early?” I tried to plaster a smile on my best smile.
She gave me a weak smile as she began to rise out of the chair.
“Don’t bother honey, I can show myself out.”
Talk about being overly dramatic. Way to ruin someone’s dinner party. She gets so upset because Jackson just wants to keep her safe. It’s from this that she begins to think that she can’t be in this relationship with him. Again, give me a bloody break! Make up your mind. Hold me or fuck off and leave?? But just as quickly as this happens, she falls right back into his arms. By this point I’ve become tired of Liv and hope that Jackson just dumps her. This type of “angst” is common and totally stupid and unnecessary.
The whole thing with her father was ridiculous too probably because that part of the story not really delved into much. It was a blip on the screen because hell, the mother didn’t even have a role here as Liv had not seen her in years as well. It’s as though the author wanted to throw in some dramatic events to make the whole book feel so romantic and suspenseful. Did neither for me. As if the ex-boyfriend so-called “attack”, her father issues, her anger issues with Jackson wanting to take care of her wasn’t enough, the author throws in another wrench which is the appearance of Noah’s mother who left him right after giving birth to him. She kidnaps Noah and will only return him if she gets lots of money. Just as quickly as this started, it wrapped up neat and tidy within a few pages.
Seriously, this was a roller coaster of a ride which I really wish I had not taken. I’m not going to tell you to read it or skip it because again, I’m in the minority here. You may end up loving it. For me it was a total disappointment.
By the way, I’m really getting tired of books where authors peg every couple in each book in the series being so good looking, attractive and so hot. I mean, does anyone have any flaws? Does anyone not have money troubles because these people don’t. It becomes not only tiring but so unrealistic. The word “gorgeous” was scattered throughout. Everybody was “gorgeous”, “good-looking”, “beautiful”, “attractive”, etc. Heaven forbid one of them gets a zit.
“I looked around the room and watched as everyone mingled and greeted Jackson. Damn, I had good-looking friends.”
Seriously? Who the hell says that? Enough! I’m done.