Bad Uncle

Family Portrait #5

by Gillian Felix

Who needs enemies when you’ve got family.

The stars are aligned in Adriana’s favor, but secrets have a way of exposing themselves just when everything is perfect. As Adriana and Haze’s relationship heads south, Carys is ready to pounce. Will Adriana’s lies drive the man she loves into the arms of another?

Meanwhile Zax is finally with his dream girl, but why can’t he get his best friend’s girl out of his mind? When she turns to him for advice on how to be a better girlfriend, can he put his selfish desires aside, or will he follow his siblings and take what he wants despite the consequences?

When Kevin’s lifestyle puts innocent L’Wren in danger, his retaliation brings his ruthless uncle back to Los Angeles and into the lives of his family.

In Bad Uncle you’ll get to know the man who has the power to change the legacy of the Banovic family forever.

Genres: Young Adult

180 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 2015

About the author

Gillian Felix has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil. She enjoys creating characters that could be your next-door neighbor, but would you want them as your neighbor is another story.

Originally from the island republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Miss Felix moved to the United States in 1998. Since then she has been involved in the entertainment industry for over ten years. Her experience ranges from script supervisor to production manager on many independent features. She is trained in the Meisner and Stanislavski technique of acting, which she credits as an asset to her character development and writing.

Miss Felix is also an entrepreneur and advocate for children's and women's rights.

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even the rich and famous have a dark sheep in the family and the Banovics are no different. Hard to imagine someone more devious or hiding more skeletons in their closet than the younger generation of this family. In Gillian Felix’s latest, Bad Uncle lies are about to be revealed, secrets exposed and hearts broken, not to mention the return of the bad uncle, a skilled doctor by training, a deadly monster by design, but will his heart be softened to the family he has stayed away from or will his re-appearance bring more hellfire raining down on the Banovics?

Adriana is in love, but Haze has been lied to and this could be their relationship’s doom. Will someone be waiting in the wings to snatch Haze up? Kevin has put L’Wren in danger, who will exact the punishment for his rebellion? Zax is confused, he has the girl of his dreams, but someone else has caught his eye, what to do? Should he be a friend or follow the family trait of taking what he wants, self-gratification for the moment, regardless of who gets hurt?

Too much drama, too few reality checks and a ton of angst fills the pages of Gillian Felix’s latest addition to her continuing soap opera focused around the family we love to hate, love and try to understand, all while wondering what it would be like to walk a mile in their glass slippers! Some characters are growing up, some are back sliding and some just don’t seem to get that phrase about honesty, all in the name of living life in the fast lane with few consequences, until now.

Gillian Felix writes with a determination to keep us riveted, repelled, drawn in and gasping with anticipation for the next book! Better than the television soaps, WE are the director, what we read is our vision of how it all plays out because the mind is a beautiful thing, able to make each of us see the story differently. Thanks to Gillian Felix’s gift for writing, the pages disappear and our mental cameras roll on as we once again follow the Banovics into their twisted world.

I received an ARC edition from Gillian Felix in exchange for my honest review.

Series: Family Portrait - Book 5
Publication Date: July 27, 2015
Publisher: Plain Talk Book Marketing LLC
ISBN-13: 9781515153092
Genre: NA | YA Drama
Print Length: 141 pages
Available from: Amazon |  Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Janette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome back to the Sassygirlbooksmz, last we saw the Banovic's kids life was starting to take slightly different turns, Zax's eyes have started to see a little clearer when it came to Leighann, Adriana was and still is madly head over heels in love with Haze and Kevin bulldozed the ever selfish Savi out of his path and managed to find love with L'wren. But who said it was time for rainbows and roses this is LA and the Banovic's we are talking about.

In this edition of our favorite family the lid has been removed and booms and revelations have been unleashed. Kevin has it all a growing business and the love of a great woman but fear that his truth will be exposed is pushing his inner-self to leave behind his doubled life.

Zax can't help but start realizing that his chance with LD has slipped or is slipping away from him, and being around her is getting harder and harder to handle.

Wholly Brenda (90210moment), the truth that Adriana was so desperately holding on too struck her hard as hell the moment Haze found out BOOMWTF MOMENT (so thankful no commercial interruption when this happened). But damn you can feel the pain, betrayal, love being pulled from the revelation but I gotta say I'm hoping and still rooting for #Hazriana..

On the key players sweetie Kristin isn't so sweet after all she is being naughty and when the sheets cool down what will happen when golden boy Zax finds out, and what would happen to Joel if Zax finds comfort in LD (time is ticking before Zax embraces his Banovic tendency to take what he wants no matter what).

Savi is out of it still but time is only a matter of time since a ghost from the ashes has risen.... I'm guessing this is his wild card to control Kevin....it's only a matter of time..

And finally the moment we all been waiting for the voice taunting Kevin has been revealed and it's a whopper but the bigger questions are why? How? What does he really want? And the fact that I (I mean we have to wait for the next book is like waiting for the next DAMN season premiere) this is why I'm anti summer all shows go into hiatus and apparently so do the Banovic's.

I gotta say Gillian Felix is killing me very softly here because books 1-4 were like this great setup for the book boom that is Bad Uncle and no teaser on book 6 is urgh.. Well played Gillian.

****best line thus far Zax telling Adriana that her life is like a soap opera loved it****.

Now back to you at Sassygirlbooksmz headquarters. ..

My rating is 4.5.

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing continuation of the Family Portrait Series. Lots of drama going on and which is quite a page turner. The book was longer than the previous ones which I loved but I'm saddened by how I quickly devoured this book in one sitting.

Of course, we all know that the story revolves around the Banovic Family particularly the Banovic Siblings. They all have their own issues in this book and although I'm intrigued with how their story unfolds I'm saddened by the trials that they are all going through right now. Some more than others but basically they have to suffer a bit more.

I felt for Adriana and Haze relationship especially when Haze did the unthinkable and mostly for them being idiots. You could tell that they are perfect for each other except for that one tiny detail which eventually, well, you'll know once you've read it.

Then there's Leighann and Zax. I wished they would become a couple sooner than later but a little birdie told me something (because I asked her) that their journey would take a while and currently, I don't see how they would end up together. Plus, I want Zax b*tch of girlfriend be caught by her not so fidelity moments. I'm just waiting for that to blowout.

Most of all, the biggest one is Kevin. I'm feeling and praying for him because of what he's going to experience and judging with how some of the events are going, it's not going to be all rainbows and unicorns. Please don't let his relationship with L'Wren be ruined.

Obviously, there's the twists in this story that I'm so shocked that I felt so stupid on why I never connected the dots, that foreshadowing moment. And it fits perfectly.

Anyway, trouble is brewing and obviously another cliffhanger.

I received an arc from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Teresa Kander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this entire series of books and have constantly been surprised by the changes/growth in the characters. This time is no different.

In the last book, I was feeling sorry for Kristin, who was being pressured by her father to continue her tennis career, and who seemed to have unresolved feelings for Frankie even though she was dating Zax. What happens between her and Frankie in this book made me look at her in a very different way, however. Will be interesting to see what happens in the future.

Adriana is still keeping Haze in the dark about her real age. She's afraid of losing him if he finds out the truth, and she loves him so much she can't bear the thought of life without him. Unfortunately for both of them, there is someone who wants Haze for herself, and knows Adriana's secret. Will the truth come out--and if it does, what will be the consequences?

And the reason for the book title? We finally get to meet Uncle Adrian, who "disappeared" years ago...but not all of the family has been in the dark regarding his location and his activities.

The writing in this series continues to be amazing, as are the characters and their continued development.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! Book 5 was hair raising for sure. The last few chapters had me hanging on to the edge of my seat. Love is love whether its a mature love or a teenage love. To the person experiencing it the emotion is raw and real. I feel like the Banovic family has been a part of me for quite a while now as I've experienced their ups and downs from Book 1. Gillian Felix has such creativity that you're drawn in and it felt like I was a fly on the wall going through their lives, their trials and tribulations just as they were. The pain, the angst and the danger that surrounds the family as secret alliances with a missing uncle and a brother's illegal activities threaten the entire clan and friends of the Banovics. Hopefully Book 6 is in the works or on its way. :D

[Clarice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have followed this whole series and I have to say that my perceptions about the characters has slightly changed each time I read one of them. Mainly because just when you think you like one of them, bam! Something happens that makes you go "Really??" Same with this book too. The series is kind of like a soap opera geared towards the 16-25 year old category. It's not the typical Days of Our Lives either. We are talking posh and spoiled rich kids trying to find their way in life. But I have to admit, I am hooked on this series. You can't help but wonder what is going to happen next in this drama-laden series.
In the last book I felt a little sorry for Kristin because her dad was really pushing her in her tennis career and she doesn't seem to want to go that way and then things were just weird between her and Frankie even though she was with Zax Banovic. In this book, she made some bad choices though that are going to eventually bite her in the butt I hope. Throughout the whole series I have felt like Adriana Banovic was a spoiled girl who got her way no matter what she had to do, but since Haze came into her life she has been doing whatever necessary to keep him. And now it seems that she has found just a few friends, no matter how bad of an influence one seems to be. They are all just searching for love and acceptance in their own way I suppose.
I still think that my favorite character is Kevin Banovic. He is obviously such a bad guy in some ways. He does some very bad things and he has yet to tell his girlfriend, L'Wren anything about what he does. There are some serious under-the-table stuff going on with him. At the same time, he doesn't like the life he's living and wants a normal life. Too bad he's probably not going to get one.
And to the last little juicy tidbit about the book, it's namesake of course. Why Bad Uncle? Because the worst of the bunch shows up and only one person in the entire family knows anything about what this uncle does for a living. And he probably won't be explaining that to anyone because his need to protect everyone else. The ending was a real surprise!

[Shaz X · Rating 4 out of 5]

We catch up with the Banovic family in book 5 of the Family Portrait Series.

If you like a soap opera then I think you’d enjoy this series. I’ve so far only read the first book but, there is enough information provided, small recaps, from the first book to the fourth that I dont’ feel like I’ve missed out on anything vital to confuse me with where the story is now at.

There certainly has been some major dramatic developments in this one with a car crash, a mystery person from the past reappearing, disturbing criminal activity and heartbreak.

I’m not usually a fan of soapies per say, but this one is keeping me very interested in what will happen next. It’s certainly keeping me guessing and I didn’t expect some of these events to unfold.

It’s only a short read, but it’s certainly a fast pace, but if like a storyline that keeps you guessing and a diverse group of characters then this is a great choice for you.

4 stars!

Thank you to Gillian Felix for providing me with a copy of this book.