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Slip of the Tongue #3
Yours to Bare
"The most provocative romance of the year" and a Top 10 Amazon bestseller."Sensual, evocative, and spellbinding.”—K.L. Kreig, USA Today Bestselling AuthorFINN I've never been able to give up on fate, no matter how cruel it's been in the past. So when it drops a stranger’s leather-bound journal at my feet, I know I should walk away...but I don’t.I pick her up, bend her spine, spread her pages. From the first word, I'm a goner. The owner didn't give me access to her most intimate desires, her private darkness, or her candid, sensual poetry—but it all goes down like warm milk. From that point forward, I’m the one consumed.
HALSTON I went to his apartment and let him take my picture. Just once, to see how it would feel. I'm not his to look at, to inspire, to touch, but when he watches me through his lens, it’s a high I don't want to come down from...My journal is the one place I can be myself—as long as I can tie it up and put it away when I'm finished. But when Finn undoes the bow, he pulls strings that could unravel each of us.
HALSTON I went to his apartment and let him take my picture. Just once, to see how it would feel. I'm not his to look at, to inspire, to touch, but when he watches me through his lens, it’s a high I don't want to come down from...My journal is the one place I can be myself—as long as I can tie it up and put it away when I'm finished. But when Finn undoes the bow, he pulls strings that could unravel each of us.
470 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 8, 2016
1368 people are currently reading
3343 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 487 reviews
August 28, 2017
***ARC Provided by the Author and SFab PR***
I have wanted more Finn from the second I met him in Slip of the Tongue.
Oh, my... I got my wish. I got to know Finn; how he thinks, what he likes, what he needs to be happy, what makes him... him. And he's amazing. He's complex. He's nuanced. He's intense. And he's a little difficult and demanding as well.
I loved getting to know Finn after the events of Slip. You can't go through something like that and not have it change you. I thought I knew him at the end of that book... but I was wrong. And getting to know this Finn was amazing and compelling. Finn is fascinating and the things that he believes, who he has become, make him one of the most interesting characters I've read about in a long time. I'm probably not doing him justice, but that's OK because Jessica Hawkins did, and you can read about him for yourself.
Halston is so wonderfully lost when we first meet her. In a way, she finds herself in get relationship with Finn. Not in a clichéd "woman needs man to be complete" way but in that, through Finn, she finds the courage to be herself. It's not a spoiler to say he didn't end up with the girl in Slip of the Tongue, as if he had, we wouldn't be reading this book. But having an affair, getting his heart broken and getting divorced taints his perfection just a little. And that appeals to Halston, as she needs to believe if she's not perfect that she's still going to be OK. She learns from him, from his mistakes, and ends up in a better place.
This is a standalone. You don't need to have read Slip of the Tongue or The First Taste to fully understand this story and who the characters are... but I recommend it. There's a depth to Finn's story in this because you were with him for the low points a year ago. Maybe not as intimately as in this book, but you were there. I think that makes it even better to be there for his high points.
The encounter with the person from his past was heartbreaking and so amazing at the same time. And it let him have such great closure...to be able to talk to the person, to see where they were, and more importantly to know that the right decision was made, even thought it was painful at the time, was so important for Finn's story to be complete.
Knowing Finn from before, going through the heartbreak with him in Slip and then getting to see him on the other side of it was so emotional for me. And, there was just something about him that drew me in. He was so complex, and, yes, he had an affair...and there are a lot of people, and readers, who are not going to be able to get past that...and I think that is a shame. People make mistakes...in fact, good people make mistakes. The great people learn from them and it changes who they are, how they interact, and the things they are willing to be a part of. Finn learned, grew and changed...but also stayed who he was at the core of who he is and who he was in the first book.
I know for a while, Jessica Hawkins said she wasn't going to write his story. I'm so incredibly glad she did. Spending more time with Finn was a great ride, emotional and fulfilling. It was exactly the kind of book you want with characters who draw you in, a story that is interesting, incredibly hot sex, and emotional investment with where the story is heading.
I recommend this book.
I have wanted more Finn from the second I met him in Slip of the Tongue.
Oh, my... I got my wish. I got to know Finn; how he thinks, what he likes, what he needs to be happy, what makes him... him. And he's amazing. He's complex. He's nuanced. He's intense. And he's a little difficult and demanding as well.
I loved getting to know Finn after the events of Slip. You can't go through something like that and not have it change you. I thought I knew him at the end of that book... but I was wrong. And getting to know this Finn was amazing and compelling. Finn is fascinating and the things that he believes, who he has become, make him one of the most interesting characters I've read about in a long time. I'm probably not doing him justice, but that's OK because Jessica Hawkins did, and you can read about him for yourself.
Halston is so wonderfully lost when we first meet her. In a way, she finds herself in get relationship with Finn. Not in a clichéd "woman needs man to be complete" way but in that, through Finn, she finds the courage to be herself. It's not a spoiler to say he didn't end up with the girl in Slip of the Tongue, as if he had, we wouldn't be reading this book. But having an affair, getting his heart broken and getting divorced taints his perfection just a little. And that appeals to Halston, as she needs to believe if she's not perfect that she's still going to be OK. She learns from him, from his mistakes, and ends up in a better place.
This is a standalone. You don't need to have read Slip of the Tongue or The First Taste to fully understand this story and who the characters are... but I recommend it. There's a depth to Finn's story in this because you were with him for the low points a year ago. Maybe not as intimately as in this book, but you were there. I think that makes it even better to be there for his high points.
The encounter with the person from his past was heartbreaking and so amazing at the same time. And it let him have such great closure...to be able to talk to the person, to see where they were, and more importantly to know that the right decision was made, even thought it was painful at the time, was so important for Finn's story to be complete.
Knowing Finn from before, going through the heartbreak with him in Slip and then getting to see him on the other side of it was so emotional for me. And, there was just something about him that drew me in. He was so complex, and, yes, he had an affair...and there are a lot of people, and readers, who are not going to be able to get past that...and I think that is a shame. People make mistakes...in fact, good people make mistakes. The great people learn from them and it changes who they are, how they interact, and the things they are willing to be a part of. Finn learned, grew and changed...but also stayed who he was at the core of who he is and who he was in the first book.
I know for a while, Jessica Hawkins said she wasn't going to write his story. I'm so incredibly glad she did. Spending more time with Finn was a great ride, emotional and fulfilling. It was exactly the kind of book you want with characters who draw you in, a story that is interesting, incredibly hot sex, and emotional investment with where the story is heading.
I recommend this book.
December 8, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Dual
Rating:
It had been a year since Finn Cohen had his heart broken. He tried to move on though some days ghosts of his past still haunted him. Until one day he found a provocative journal that lured him to seek the owner who penned those words that helped blurred the past.
For years Halston Fox was content with how she lived her life, until she felt it's no longer enough. Meeting Finn helped her pushed herself getting out if her safe cocoon. But there's no guarantee where they'll end up when the layers of scars were raw and exposed.
When I love a character, I'm always worried about a changed of heart when they ended up getting their own book. I'm glad I still love Finn the way I remembered him.
Finn was the calm, voice if reason in the relationship. From his past experience, he was understandably wary about putting his heart on the line. But that didn't prevent him from claiming what he wanted.
I was with Halston when she decided to take her life into her own hand. I admired her determination, but as the story progressed, her fragility quickly seeped out to smear the facade she worked hard to maintain.
I like the storyline with how the social media element played a role in the progression of their relationship. It exposed them individually to each other without it being public knowledge.
I do wish there were more angst though. I like having my heart put through the wringer. This book is a little bit mellow than I expected. I'm happy with the level of sexiness, but then again I've always thought Finn is sexy haha!
Yours To Bare is a story of couple daring to bare their soul and choosing the direction that suit their needs. It would appeal to readers looking for a non cookie cutter sexy romance.
Note 1:
This book is a standalone but Finn is a character first appeared in Slip of the Tongue
Note 2:
I appreciate that the people from his past didn’t have active role in this book. I would hate for his baggage to be dragged into the storyline.
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Dual
Rating:
It had been a year since Finn Cohen had his heart broken. He tried to move on though some days ghosts of his past still haunted him. Until one day he found a provocative journal that lured him to seek the owner who penned those words that helped blurred the past.
For years Halston Fox was content with how she lived her life, until she felt it's no longer enough. Meeting Finn helped her pushed herself getting out if her safe cocoon. But there's no guarantee where they'll end up when the layers of scars were raw and exposed.
When I love a character, I'm always worried about a changed of heart when they ended up getting their own book. I'm glad I still love Finn the way I remembered him.
If my instinct is right this time, if she’s the one I’ve been looking for, then the heartbreak, the struggle, the loss— it would be worth it.
Finn was the calm, voice if reason in the relationship. From his past experience, he was understandably wary about putting his heart on the line. But that didn't prevent him from claiming what he wanted.
She’s not the girl I thought I’d find, but she wrote those words, I feel it in my gut. She’s hurting somewhere, somehow, damaged.
I was with Halston when she decided to take her life into her own hand. I admired her determination, but as the story progressed, her fragility quickly seeped out to smear the facade she worked hard to maintain.
I like the storyline with how the social media element played a role in the progression of their relationship. It exposed them individually to each other without it being public knowledge.
I mold one hand to the curve of her ass, spreading my fingers over her lower back, and give it to her harder than I ever have.
I do wish there were more angst though. I like having my heart put through the wringer. This book is a little bit mellow than I expected. I'm happy with the level of sexiness, but then again I've always thought Finn is sexy haha!
"Take chances and risks. Make mistakes. Especially now.”
“Why would anyone want to make mistakes?” she asks tightly.
“They’re necessary. It’s how we grow.”
Yours To Bare is a story of couple daring to bare their soul and choosing the direction that suit their needs. It would appeal to readers looking for a non cookie cutter sexy romance.
Note 1:
This book is a standalone but Finn is a character first appeared in Slip of the Tongue
Note 2:
I appreciate that the people from his past didn’t have active role in this book. I would hate for his baggage to be dragged into the storyline.
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
December 14, 2016
3.75~4 stars
Halston Fox, an art analyst, has been secretly keeping a journal. That journal has been giving her a place free from prying eyes to explore her innermost thoughts and sexual desires. She has never shared her written erotic fantasies with anybody. She’s been using it as a means to better understand her sexuality, to clear her mind and serve as a canvas to which she can pour her sensual thoughts into.
Finn Cohen is a hopeless romantic at heart. He is divorced and he’s had his heart ripped out in the past, but he wants to find meaningful love, and to be known so deeply. When he accidentally finds Halston’s ‘pillow book’ and reads it, he can’t stay away. He is absolutely blown away by her beautiful writing as well as the erotica in her. The story takes us through their lives and their interactions when they meet. They are so perfect for each other, I just loved them.
This is an insatiable, provocative and explicit tale that satisfies you from beginning to end. The author’s writing is titillating, imaginative and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The ups and downs of Halston and Finn’s journey will keep you breathless and wanting more. What a ride. If the author’s intention was to make me crave for more of the fiercely sexually charged dynamic between these two characters, then she achieved her goal!
In short:
Hero 4/5 | Heroine 4/5 | Plot (Point, Originality) 4/5 | Writing Style 4/5 | Steam 4/5 | Romance 4/5 | Angst-Suspense 3/5 | Darkness 1/5 | Humor 0/5 | Secondary Characters 3/5 | Drama-Conflict 3/5 | Mystery 2/5 | Twists 3/5 | Pacing Steady | Action 3/5
Halston Fox, an art analyst, has been secretly keeping a journal. That journal has been giving her a place free from prying eyes to explore her innermost thoughts and sexual desires. She has never shared her written erotic fantasies with anybody. She’s been using it as a means to better understand her sexuality, to clear her mind and serve as a canvas to which she can pour her sensual thoughts into.
Finn Cohen is a hopeless romantic at heart. He is divorced and he’s had his heart ripped out in the past, but he wants to find meaningful love, and to be known so deeply. When he accidentally finds Halston’s ‘pillow book’ and reads it, he can’t stay away. He is absolutely blown away by her beautiful writing as well as the erotica in her. The story takes us through their lives and their interactions when they meet. They are so perfect for each other, I just loved them.
This is an insatiable, provocative and explicit tale that satisfies you from beginning to end. The author’s writing is titillating, imaginative and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The ups and downs of Halston and Finn’s journey will keep you breathless and wanting more. What a ride. If the author’s intention was to make me crave for more of the fiercely sexually charged dynamic between these two characters, then she achieved her goal!
In short:
Hero 4/5 | Heroine 4/5 | Plot (Point, Originality) 4/5 | Writing Style 4/5 | Steam 4/5 | Romance 4/5 | Angst-Suspense 3/5 | Darkness 1/5 | Humor 0/5 | Secondary Characters 3/5 | Drama-Conflict 3/5 | Mystery 2/5 | Twists 3/5 | Pacing Steady | Action 3/5
December 13, 2016
5+++++ STUNNING Stars
Ohhh myyy what a beautiful beautiful read!! You know I really didn't know what to think when going into this because of Nathan and Slip of the tongue and I'll be honest I didn't think I'd like it, but that was a FOOOL thought because damn this is Jessica's #addictive writing we're talking about here and once I started I was pulled into every page that was Finn and Halston's story..
What's it about?
How do I review this? This is one of those books that pulls you in and where you delve into the characters, see where they are, FEEL what they're feeling, and fall in LOVE alongside them. Well that's EXACTLY what I did. Halston has had a lot of heartache in her life and needed someone to not really believe in her but help her through her life and Finn is the guy that loves to love and #Fall...
Finn is a photographer it's who he is, he's also sexy, protective, LOVING and dominating in alll the best ways. I 100% loved reading and watching the pages pan out from his eyes and his lens.
This read is SENSUAL to the core. Jessica knows how to write SEX! Omg sorry but I'm just sitting here fanning myself for for a second. Their moments, their love, their time together was truly beautiful.
I don't know what else to say other than this book is EVERYTHING and if you want a book that is built on character and healing and LOVE as the core of the book, then this is definitely your next read.
This can be read as a standalone which you can definitely read now but I would highly recommend Slip of the Tongue to understand the full depth of Finn. But that's just my recommendation to you.
Enjoy and kisses Xoxo
ARC generously gifted in exchange for an honest review
For more reviews and blog posts
Ohhh myyy what a beautiful beautiful read!! You know I really didn't know what to think when going into this because of Nathan and Slip of the tongue and I'll be honest I didn't think I'd like it, but that was a FOOOL thought because damn this is Jessica's #addictive writing we're talking about here and once I started I was pulled into every page that was Finn and Halston's story..
What's it about?
How do I review this? This is one of those books that pulls you in and where you delve into the characters, see where they are, FEEL what they're feeling, and fall in LOVE alongside them. Well that's EXACTLY what I did. Halston has had a lot of heartache in her life and needed someone to not really believe in her but help her through her life and Finn is the guy that loves to love and #Fall...
Finn is a photographer it's who he is, he's also sexy, protective, LOVING and dominating in alll the best ways. I 100% loved reading and watching the pages pan out from his eyes and his lens.
This read is SENSUAL to the core. Jessica knows how to write SEX! Omg sorry but I'm just sitting here fanning myself for for a second. Their moments, their love, their time together was truly beautiful.
I don't know what else to say other than this book is EVERYTHING and if you want a book that is built on character and healing and LOVE as the core of the book, then this is definitely your next read.
This can be read as a standalone which you can definitely read now but I would highly recommend Slip of the Tongue to understand the full depth of Finn. But that's just my recommendation to you.
Enjoy and kisses Xoxo
ARC generously gifted in exchange for an honest review
For more reviews and blog posts
December 14, 2016
If you have read Slip of the Tongue then you will know just how seductive Finn Cohen can be. However, his powers of seduction and sexual prowess had me constantly aroused reading this book. It got so intense that I wanted to have sex with Finn Cohen too.
So let me talk a bit about him. He is sexy and gorgeous, I think I’ve already clarified that point, but he is also a very talented photographer. He has made a few bad relationship decisions / choices in the past few years and these have left him reluctant to put himself out there into a relationship again. He has become a bit mistrustful of women and carefully guards his heart. He is not a one night stand type of guy so when he really wants to be with someone he is all in. This has also been his weakness too.
When Finn finds a well worn, well used journal in a coffee shop he is intrigued about the owner. He initially tries to find them but soon realises that doing so will be quite hard to do. He eventually finds a clue about who it belongs to and sets out to find them. However, in the meantime, he reads the words. It is obviously a woman’s journal and her words are like a beacon to him. They are poetic but extremely raw and erotic. The writer has laid herself bare to his eyes. He needs to meet her because her writing alone has him completely captivated.
Halston is the author of the journal. She is lives the life of a caged bird. Her over protective father, boyfriend and ten years of being on anti depressants have ensured she has remained there, with unruffled feathers. She has a suppressed personality. The only way she can express herself is through writing in her journal. She is devastated to have lost it. When a handsome man shows up at an art showing and gives her his business card, she is intrigiued. When she comes across him again in her local coffee shop it begins to look even less like a coincidence.
'Finn was meant to find that journal. To find me. To be a salve for, and perhaps even heal, a heart I'd worried was destined to ache forever.'
When Halston asks Finn to photograph her he is conflicted. He is already attracted to her mind and she is physically gorgeous. She is not single though and as tempted as he is to touch her, he is not prepared to put his heart and head on the line over a woman ever again. Nothing is worth going through that level of pain again.
'I can't let myself believe you're mine if you're not. I'm the one who'll get hurt.'
She soon realises that it is she who holds the key to her cage and Finn can help set her free but when she does finally takes flight there are new issues she needs to deal with. Her obsessive personality brings out strange behaviour patterns. Is what she feels for Finn just an addiction to him or is it really love? She is done with men interferring in her life and trying to control her every decision. When Finn’s seems to be exhibiting the same traits she has doubts about a future with him.
'She's always done what I asked. Made herself vulnerable to me. Allowed me to be a voyeur to her deepest desires. Trusted me.'
Finn needs to be with a woman who unabashedly loves and adores him. He needs loyalty and trust. Halston needs to feel free to make her own decisions but also wants a man that believes in her dreams and will support her.
This was a very erotic and freaking hot story. It was a sexual awakening in many ways and also a heart awakening too. This was such an addictive read and I just could not get enough of Finn Cohen. If I had to rate him on the level of hotness scale he wasn’t just hot or sexy hot, he was fuck hot!
'I've eaten her dirty secrets like candy, and now she's the hungry one.'
So let me talk a bit about him. He is sexy and gorgeous, I think I’ve already clarified that point, but he is also a very talented photographer. He has made a few bad relationship decisions / choices in the past few years and these have left him reluctant to put himself out there into a relationship again. He has become a bit mistrustful of women and carefully guards his heart. He is not a one night stand type of guy so when he really wants to be with someone he is all in. This has also been his weakness too.
When Finn finds a well worn, well used journal in a coffee shop he is intrigued about the owner. He initially tries to find them but soon realises that doing so will be quite hard to do. He eventually finds a clue about who it belongs to and sets out to find them. However, in the meantime, he reads the words. It is obviously a woman’s journal and her words are like a beacon to him. They are poetic but extremely raw and erotic. The writer has laid herself bare to his eyes. He needs to meet her because her writing alone has him completely captivated.
Halston is the author of the journal. She is lives the life of a caged bird. Her over protective father, boyfriend and ten years of being on anti depressants have ensured she has remained there, with unruffled feathers. She has a suppressed personality. The only way she can express herself is through writing in her journal. She is devastated to have lost it. When a handsome man shows up at an art showing and gives her his business card, she is intrigiued. When she comes across him again in her local coffee shop it begins to look even less like a coincidence.
'Finn was meant to find that journal. To find me. To be a salve for, and perhaps even heal, a heart I'd worried was destined to ache forever.'
When Halston asks Finn to photograph her he is conflicted. He is already attracted to her mind and she is physically gorgeous. She is not single though and as tempted as he is to touch her, he is not prepared to put his heart and head on the line over a woman ever again. Nothing is worth going through that level of pain again.
'I can't let myself believe you're mine if you're not. I'm the one who'll get hurt.'
She soon realises that it is she who holds the key to her cage and Finn can help set her free but when she does finally takes flight there are new issues she needs to deal with. Her obsessive personality brings out strange behaviour patterns. Is what she feels for Finn just an addiction to him or is it really love? She is done with men interferring in her life and trying to control her every decision. When Finn’s seems to be exhibiting the same traits she has doubts about a future with him.
'She's always done what I asked. Made herself vulnerable to me. Allowed me to be a voyeur to her deepest desires. Trusted me.'
Finn needs to be with a woman who unabashedly loves and adores him. He needs loyalty and trust. Halston needs to feel free to make her own decisions but also wants a man that believes in her dreams and will support her.
This was a very erotic and freaking hot story. It was a sexual awakening in many ways and also a heart awakening too. This was such an addictive read and I just could not get enough of Finn Cohen. If I had to rate him on the level of hotness scale he wasn’t just hot or sexy hot, he was fuck hot!
'I've eaten her dirty secrets like candy, and now she's the hungry one.'
December 21, 2016
After reading Slip of the Tongue I was excited to learn that Finn was getting his own book and hopefully his chance at true love this time. I loved getting more on his background, learning who he is and hearing his side of the story. But he had a lot of baggage. Finding the right woman could take some effort.
Finn is recently divorced, a father to eight year old Marissa and a photographer living in New York City. When he finds a journal at the local coffee shop he can't help but to pick it up. He knows he should turn it in to the lost and found, but something about the journal calls to him. Giving in, he takes the journal home with him and begins reading it. The words are so sexy and captivating to Finn, he knows he must find the owner.
"Finn was meant to find that journal. To find me. To be a salve for, and perhaps even heal, a heart I’d worried was destined to ache forever."
Halston Fox is a troubled soul who has some baggage of her own. She's a marketing specialist for her Dad's company, a position he created especially for her. She's been in a relationship with a guy her dad picked out for her. She's been medicated for ten years because that's the only way her dad knew how to deal with her. But she wants to take her life back into her own hands. She writes in a journal any and everything that she thinks of. Sometimes those things are sexy, erotic and passionate, but sometimes they are dark.
"I’m a better man when I’m not trying to be someone other than myself."
When Halston and Finn meet there's a pull between them, but Finn is very cautious. He's already been in a relationship where he didn't get chosen and he wants that. He wants to be someone's everything and know that they are his, otherwise what's the point.
"I can’t let myself believe you’re mine if you’re not. I’m the one who’ll get hurt."
As a relationship begins between these two, the chemistry pours off the pages. But there are some bumps along the way as they both figure out who they are individually and together. I loved their photo sessions together. Jessica Hawkins knows how to write romance that are captivating and leave you wanting more. If you haven't read Slip of the Tongue yet I'd recommend reading it first simply for getting all of Finn's story. That being said, this book can totally be read as a standalone.
Finn is recently divorced, a father to eight year old Marissa and a photographer living in New York City. When he finds a journal at the local coffee shop he can't help but to pick it up. He knows he should turn it in to the lost and found, but something about the journal calls to him. Giving in, he takes the journal home with him and begins reading it. The words are so sexy and captivating to Finn, he knows he must find the owner.
"Finn was meant to find that journal. To find me. To be a salve for, and perhaps even heal, a heart I’d worried was destined to ache forever."
Halston Fox is a troubled soul who has some baggage of her own. She's a marketing specialist for her Dad's company, a position he created especially for her. She's been in a relationship with a guy her dad picked out for her. She's been medicated for ten years because that's the only way her dad knew how to deal with her. But she wants to take her life back into her own hands. She writes in a journal any and everything that she thinks of. Sometimes those things are sexy, erotic and passionate, but sometimes they are dark.
"I’m a better man when I’m not trying to be someone other than myself."
When Halston and Finn meet there's a pull between them, but Finn is very cautious. He's already been in a relationship where he didn't get chosen and he wants that. He wants to be someone's everything and know that they are his, otherwise what's the point.
"I can’t let myself believe you’re mine if you’re not. I’m the one who’ll get hurt."
As a relationship begins between these two, the chemistry pours off the pages. But there are some bumps along the way as they both figure out who they are individually and together. I loved their photo sessions together. Jessica Hawkins knows how to write romance that are captivating and leave you wanting more. If you haven't read Slip of the Tongue yet I'd recommend reading it first simply for getting all of Finn's story. That being said, this book can totally be read as a standalone.
December 19, 2016
"Fate doesn't stick around for happy endings -- it only gives you the opportunity to work for one."
FATE - That word meant a lot to Finn. He is a true believer, as am I...which is why I think I could easily fall into this story and did. Finn is an artist, as well as Halston, so they already had that certain depth to them. So for these two people to be connected on such an intimate level, so quickly and almost so effortlessly, that was amazing to see blossom. They lived and breathed raw lust, and the fact that it started with her words that inspired him are what made my head spin as their relationship went as intense as it had so quickly. He found such a truth behind her words. It was liberating and sexy, all in one. It's intimate the way he viewed her and that showed through his work. It was SO sexy. I got caught up in them. It set the tone for the book, for me.
But as I was reading this story, trying to understand where it was going to go, I had to stop and realize ONE thing: this wasn't my story to expect anything. This wasn't my love life on the pages. It wasn't up to me to decide for it to go a certain way, even though this was my Finny Finn Finn. It was exhilarating. It was happy. It was messy. It was sad. It was hot. But most of all, it was real. Putting it into that perspective allowed me to follow along, a willing slave to Jessica's words. She's telling me this story of an emotionally stunted, but very capable woman that needs love and guidance. I had to accept that side of Halston, because that is the side that Finn fell in love with and I was at the mercy of his heart.
I was waiting for this big explosive ending, but I didn't get that. Nope. Not at all. Instead, I got this well manicured, perfect and very fitting ending for Halston and Finn. Because, in true Jessica fashion, she brought the characters to life and we lived their story. Lived their pain. Lived their love. It would have been a lot easier to hate Halston with her issues, the whole outlook she had, but then I had to stop and really look deep into both characters. In hindsight, everything led up to them meeting....they just ultimately had a hand in the way fate played out for them in the end.
As usual, Jessica forced me to face the tumultuous world of yet another character, flaws and all....with a stark realization that even though this is a book, it still brought out my own personal opinions, but then forced me to realize that life isn't always roses and it doesn't button up easily. I loved how this book showed the need they each had for each other and allowed them both to grow from it.
My Finny Finn Finn. Let me just get that out there....no matter what, I am and always will be irrevocably in love with him. After having met him in Slip of the Tongue, I knew how much he wore his heart on his sleeve and this book solidified my love for him. The ugly side of falling in love, and the emotional turmoil you put yourself through as you learn what real love is like was definitely a learning curve for these two. Finn knew what it meant to take care of someone and make sure they were not hurt, but he needed to learn that not always does his 'ways' work for Halston. The entire theme of this book, hands down, was the unconditional love Finn has for Halston. This was an emotional book in all aspects, but I loved their story. The ugly and the beautiful.
"I've been sleeping for the last year, and she's the only thing that's made me feel awake."
FATE - That word meant a lot to Finn. He is a true believer, as am I...which is why I think I could easily fall into this story and did. Finn is an artist, as well as Halston, so they already had that certain depth to them. So for these two people to be connected on such an intimate level, so quickly and almost so effortlessly, that was amazing to see blossom. They lived and breathed raw lust, and the fact that it started with her words that inspired him are what made my head spin as their relationship went as intense as it had so quickly. He found such a truth behind her words. It was liberating and sexy, all in one. It's intimate the way he viewed her and that showed through his work. It was SO sexy. I got caught up in them. It set the tone for the book, for me.
But as I was reading this story, trying to understand where it was going to go, I had to stop and realize ONE thing: this wasn't my story to expect anything. This wasn't my love life on the pages. It wasn't up to me to decide for it to go a certain way, even though this was my Finny Finn Finn. It was exhilarating. It was happy. It was messy. It was sad. It was hot. But most of all, it was real. Putting it into that perspective allowed me to follow along, a willing slave to Jessica's words. She's telling me this story of an emotionally stunted, but very capable woman that needs love and guidance. I had to accept that side of Halston, because that is the side that Finn fell in love with and I was at the mercy of his heart.
I was waiting for this big explosive ending, but I didn't get that. Nope. Not at all. Instead, I got this well manicured, perfect and very fitting ending for Halston and Finn. Because, in true Jessica fashion, she brought the characters to life and we lived their story. Lived their pain. Lived their love. It would have been a lot easier to hate Halston with her issues, the whole outlook she had, but then I had to stop and really look deep into both characters. In hindsight, everything led up to them meeting....they just ultimately had a hand in the way fate played out for them in the end.
As usual, Jessica forced me to face the tumultuous world of yet another character, flaws and all....with a stark realization that even though this is a book, it still brought out my own personal opinions, but then forced me to realize that life isn't always roses and it doesn't button up easily. I loved how this book showed the need they each had for each other and allowed them both to grow from it.
My Finny Finn Finn. Let me just get that out there....no matter what, I am and always will be irrevocably in love with him. After having met him in Slip of the Tongue, I knew how much he wore his heart on his sleeve and this book solidified my love for him. The ugly side of falling in love, and the emotional turmoil you put yourself through as you learn what real love is like was definitely a learning curve for these two. Finn knew what it meant to take care of someone and make sure they were not hurt, but he needed to learn that not always does his 'ways' work for Halston. The entire theme of this book, hands down, was the unconditional love Finn has for Halston. This was an emotional book in all aspects, but I loved their story. The ugly and the beautiful.
"I've been sleeping for the last year, and she's the only thing that's made me feel awake."
January 28, 2025
4.5 Stars (Third Read 1/28/2025)
4.5 Stars (Second Read 8/1/2018)
4.75 Stars (First Read 1/14/2018)
4.5 Stars (Second Read 8/1/2018)
4.75 Stars (First Read 1/14/2018)
December 14, 2016
First 45 pages came like a bang.
I figured out three things that happened — all of which I didn't like.
•Finn was married to Kendra
•He had affair with a married woman named Sadie, in the course of his marriage. A woman he supposedly thought of as his "soul mate" who dumped his ass and went back to her hubby after the infidelity comes out.
•Finn has an 8 year old daughter alongside his now dissolved, bitter divorce.
Initial thoughts: cheap, characterless weasel.
Final thoughts: cheap, characterless weasel. Add to that a hypocrite really. He said things to the h about problems in their relationship but did exactly the same. He didn't even introduce her to his daughter. Talk about coward.
We have a cheater, a husband and a father rolled into one, and emotionally I detached from there on our but continued nonetheless.
Why?
“Not much sends my heart racing like a knock at my door. It’s a conditioned response to last November, when the person at the door could’ve been my mistress, her husband, or my wife.”
Because that sounded kind of cool. Interesting. Sometimes you feel like your going to get an explosive sex fest of a story. And because I was intrigued by the premise. Because I wanted mysterious, gritty and raw and physical.
Finn discovers a journal in his local coffee house. The journal includes detailed descriptions of poetic sexual musings and realities of Halston's. He's finds himself compelled, and fantasises about the writer of the journal. He physically seeks her out - almost crazy with his desire in pursuit of her.
There is definitely an insta-connection on his part, and attraction on hers which grows very fast. *rolls eyes*
Halston is somewhat of a paradox. She has a boyfriend, and a controlling father. She's on anti-depressants. She's trapped into being someone she doesn't want to be, and her journals are her sources of passion.
I hoped she would be cold and cutting and mysterious, a manipulative b*tch of sorts but warm at heart in a way. I wanted her to have the control in the relationship but relinquish it at the same time. She does notice Finn.
“My nipples are swollen, as pink as my lips, but Rich and I haven’t had sex in weeks. I hadn’t noticed until last night. Until golden-haired, tall, muscular, attentive Finn leaned in. Until the way his one hand engulfed my coffee cup when he passed it to me, or until his magnificently green eyes lit up when he asked me to read to him. And his lips—God, his lips. They’re unreal, so pouty they’re almost feminine, except that the rest of his facial features are strong, his jawline sharp. It’s the most inviting mouth I’ve ever had the pleasure of almost kissing.”
I feel like I built it up too much. It felt flat. There was such a momentous allure in Halston as if she was going to be this mysterious woman. Instead she was: insecure, clingy, had daddy and mommy issues, a 15 year old teenage girl at heart, emotionally exhausting and sensitive.
I understand that she's lost her mother but perhaps I'm not that compassionate. You can't drown in ten years of grief. I wanted someone independent and strong. I got a whiny, weak, insecure and I mean insecure... seriously one bad comment on social media and she blows up crying.
I figured out three things that happened — all of which I didn't like.
•Finn was married to Kendra
•He had affair with a married woman named Sadie, in the course of his marriage. A woman he supposedly thought of as his "soul mate" who dumped his ass and went back to her hubby after the infidelity comes out.
•Finn has an 8 year old daughter alongside his now dissolved, bitter divorce.
Initial thoughts: cheap, characterless weasel.
Final thoughts: cheap, characterless weasel. Add to that a hypocrite really. He said things to the h about problems in their relationship but did exactly the same. He didn't even introduce her to his daughter. Talk about coward.
We have a cheater, a husband and a father rolled into one, and emotionally I detached from there on our but continued nonetheless.
Why?
“Not much sends my heart racing like a knock at my door. It’s a conditioned response to last November, when the person at the door could’ve been my mistress, her husband, or my wife.”
Because that sounded kind of cool. Interesting. Sometimes you feel like your going to get an explosive sex fest of a story. And because I was intrigued by the premise. Because I wanted mysterious, gritty and raw and physical.
Finn discovers a journal in his local coffee house. The journal includes detailed descriptions of poetic sexual musings and realities of Halston's. He's finds himself compelled, and fantasises about the writer of the journal. He physically seeks her out - almost crazy with his desire in pursuit of her.
There is definitely an insta-connection on his part, and attraction on hers which grows very fast. *rolls eyes*
Halston is somewhat of a paradox. She has a boyfriend, and a controlling father. She's on anti-depressants. She's trapped into being someone she doesn't want to be, and her journals are her sources of passion.
I hoped she would be cold and cutting and mysterious, a manipulative b*tch of sorts but warm at heart in a way. I wanted her to have the control in the relationship but relinquish it at the same time. She does notice Finn.
“My nipples are swollen, as pink as my lips, but Rich and I haven’t had sex in weeks. I hadn’t noticed until last night. Until golden-haired, tall, muscular, attentive Finn leaned in. Until the way his one hand engulfed my coffee cup when he passed it to me, or until his magnificently green eyes lit up when he asked me to read to him. And his lips—God, his lips. They’re unreal, so pouty they’re almost feminine, except that the rest of his facial features are strong, his jawline sharp. It’s the most inviting mouth I’ve ever had the pleasure of almost kissing.”
I feel like I built it up too much. It felt flat. There was such a momentous allure in Halston as if she was going to be this mysterious woman. Instead she was: insecure, clingy, had daddy and mommy issues, a 15 year old teenage girl at heart, emotionally exhausting and sensitive.
I understand that she's lost her mother but perhaps I'm not that compassionate. You can't drown in ten years of grief. I wanted someone independent and strong. I got a whiny, weak, insecure and I mean insecure... seriously one bad comment on social media and she blows up crying.
February 8, 2017
Addicting! Powerful! Beautifully sexual! I was absolutely SEDUCED from the very beginning! Jessica Hawkins delivers in the BEST POSSIBLE WAY!
With impeccable writing, amazing depth, and intense passion, YOURS TO BARE is NOT to be missed. Ms. Hawkins DEMANDS to be noticed in this industry, and with red-hot emotional releases like this one, she deserves to be ON TOP! This author held me captive emotionally, physically, and mentally. Once I started, there was absolutely NO going back. I was transported to a world of seduction, romance, and heat, and I never wanted to leave.
Finn's story was more than I ever thought it could be. For those of you who remember Finn going into his story, I can't tell you how much you will be proud of this character. And Halston? His object of affection and obsession? Well, let's just say...PERFECT MATCH! Together, the chemistry is absolutely combustible and holds so much intensity, you can't help but to try not to blink.
A personal journal, filled with a woman's deepest and darkest desires, ends up in the hands of a man who can bring her words to life. A man takes a picture of a woman and brings her back to life and makes her feel like the most beautiful, most wanted woman in the world. It's forbidden temptation. It's the ultimate desire. It's and epic seduction on every single level. Together these two will fall deep, cross lines, and break rules.
Hawkins delivers the most provocative romance of the year with YOURS TO BARE. If you think that you've seen her best, you have another thing coming with this release. It's PHENOMENAL. It's RAW. It's REAL. It's an EXPERIENCE.
With impeccable writing, amazing depth, and intense passion, YOURS TO BARE is NOT to be missed. Ms. Hawkins DEMANDS to be noticed in this industry, and with red-hot emotional releases like this one, she deserves to be ON TOP! This author held me captive emotionally, physically, and mentally. Once I started, there was absolutely NO going back. I was transported to a world of seduction, romance, and heat, and I never wanted to leave.
Finn's story was more than I ever thought it could be. For those of you who remember Finn going into his story, I can't tell you how much you will be proud of this character. And Halston? His object of affection and obsession? Well, let's just say...PERFECT MATCH! Together, the chemistry is absolutely combustible and holds so much intensity, you can't help but to try not to blink.
A personal journal, filled with a woman's deepest and darkest desires, ends up in the hands of a man who can bring her words to life. A man takes a picture of a woman and brings her back to life and makes her feel like the most beautiful, most wanted woman in the world. It's forbidden temptation. It's the ultimate desire. It's and epic seduction on every single level. Together these two will fall deep, cross lines, and break rules.
Hawkins delivers the most provocative romance of the year with YOURS TO BARE. If you think that you've seen her best, you have another thing coming with this release. It's PHENOMENAL. It's RAW. It's REAL. It's an EXPERIENCE.
September 10, 2017
Predivna knjiga ❤️
Ovaj put ću da zakeram, kao po običaju, i ovaj put zamerka ide izdavaču 🙄 Pre par godina sam pročitala njenu trilogiju The Cityscape, i više ništa njeno nisam čitala, ali sam redovno pratila o čemu piše. Kad sam počela da čitam "Gola duša", već na prvim stranicama mi je ime Fin Koen bilo poznato, al sam batalila, misleći da mi se pomešalo sa nekom drugom knjigom. Međutim kad je počeo da spominje svoju bivšu ljubavnicu Sejdi, nešto mi je tu počelo nedostajati... I naravno da sam ušla na Goodreads i počela da kopam po svim njenim knjigama, i naravno da sam iskopala da je Fin bio jedan od bitnih likova u njenoj knjizi "Slip of the Tongue".
Da, njene knjige se mogu čitati kao standalone, međutim nije mi jasno zašto Laguna prvo nije prevela "Slip of the Tongue", pa tek onda ovu "Yours to Bare" iliti "Gola duša"?!
"Gola duša" se dešava godinu dana posle događaja iz "Slip of the Tongue". Finovu priču čak nije ni planirala, al ju je napisala zbog navaljivanja čitatelja. Jeste da kroz knjigu "Gola duša" u kratkim crtama saznajemo šta mu se dešavalo dok je bio u vezi sa Sejdi... i verujem da većini neće smetati redosled prevođenja. Ako ikad išta dalje prevedu... znajući Lagunu, nikad ništa ne nastavljaju :džangrizavismajli: 🙄
Al eto, meni je to zasmetalo, mnogo. Možda jer je Fin divan, pa hoću sve da znam o njemu, iako je uradio ono što najviše prezirem. Al bože moj, i najbolji greše. 🙈
Oni koji su u mogućnosti, i koji žele još malo Fina, i njegovih grešaka koje su ga na kraju dovele do njegovog happily ever after sa Halston, nek čitaju redom:
Slip of the Tongue - Sejdi, njen muž Nejtan & Fin
Yours to Bare iliti "Gola duša" - Fin & Halston
I čak ima i knjiga "The First Taste", gde su glavni likovi Sejdin brat i njena šefica(valjda, ako sam pogrešila nek me neko ispravi ko je čitao ove knjige, ove informacije sam sve pokupila iz recenzija sa Goodreadsa, i samo se iznervirala)
Opet ponavljam da se knjige mogu čitati samostalno, al bi bilo bolje da je Laguna počela redom.
A Suzana je napisala predivan osvrt za knjigu koji možete pročitati na blogu http://crnibiser87.blogspot.rs/2017/0...
Ovaj put ću da zakeram, kao po običaju, i ovaj put zamerka ide izdavaču 🙄 Pre par godina sam pročitala njenu trilogiju The Cityscape, i više ništa njeno nisam čitala, ali sam redovno pratila o čemu piše. Kad sam počela da čitam "Gola duša", već na prvim stranicama mi je ime Fin Koen bilo poznato, al sam batalila, misleći da mi se pomešalo sa nekom drugom knjigom. Međutim kad je počeo da spominje svoju bivšu ljubavnicu Sejdi, nešto mi je tu počelo nedostajati... I naravno da sam ušla na Goodreads i počela da kopam po svim njenim knjigama, i naravno da sam iskopala da je Fin bio jedan od bitnih likova u njenoj knjizi "Slip of the Tongue".
Da, njene knjige se mogu čitati kao standalone, međutim nije mi jasno zašto Laguna prvo nije prevela "Slip of the Tongue", pa tek onda ovu "Yours to Bare" iliti "Gola duša"?!
"Gola duša" se dešava godinu dana posle događaja iz "Slip of the Tongue". Finovu priču čak nije ni planirala, al ju je napisala zbog navaljivanja čitatelja. Jeste da kroz knjigu "Gola duša" u kratkim crtama saznajemo šta mu se dešavalo dok je bio u vezi sa Sejdi... i verujem da većini neće smetati redosled prevođenja. Ako ikad išta dalje prevedu... znajući Lagunu, nikad ništa ne nastavljaju :džangrizavismajli: 🙄
Al eto, meni je to zasmetalo, mnogo. Možda jer je Fin divan, pa hoću sve da znam o njemu, iako je uradio ono što najviše prezirem. Al bože moj, i najbolji greše. 🙈
Oni koji su u mogućnosti, i koji žele još malo Fina, i njegovih grešaka koje su ga na kraju dovele do njegovog happily ever after sa Halston, nek čitaju redom:
Slip of the Tongue - Sejdi, njen muž Nejtan & Fin
Yours to Bare iliti "Gola duša" - Fin & Halston
I čak ima i knjiga "The First Taste", gde su glavni likovi Sejdin brat i njena šefica(valjda, ako sam pogrešila nek me neko ispravi ko je čitao ove knjige, ove informacije sam sve pokupila iz recenzija sa Goodreadsa, i samo se iznervirala)
Opet ponavljam da se knjige mogu čitati samostalno, al bi bilo bolje da je Laguna počela redom.
A Suzana je napisala predivan osvrt za knjigu koji možete pročitati na blogu http://crnibiser87.blogspot.rs/2017/0...
November 29, 2017
All right, Finn's story..... my feelings are all over the place.
As we know, if you haven't read Slip of the tongue yet, was the sexy neighbor whom Sadie had an affair with. Since his story didn't have any closure whatsoever, i felt extremely bad for him.
He was such a hopeless romantic and he really deserves his happy ending and that's why i wanted to read this.
It was weird in the beginning reading how he fell in love again with another girl when i was used to seeing him with Sadie. but Halston was perfect for him. They were both broken when they met and they are perfect for each other.
I was so scared for Finn the entire time, because whenever i turn the page, I'm thinking (OMG, they're all happy now, but i know something's going to happen. Please don't make Halston leave him! Please!!!!) Finn has gone through enough people leaving him and I'm just so sad for him.
He was such a dreamer and a hopeless romantic and he really deserves it so I was really hoping that no bad thing will happen to him anymore....T^T
This story was so interesting, how it connected Finn's photographs with Halston's writing. It was brilliant and they work well together both professionally and as a couple.
I love that Sadie and Finn somehow got their closure as well. I was really hoping for that because they did went through things as well that needed a good closure.
In the end, I'm so glad. I'm so happy for Finn and that he's finally happy. he really deserves it. As for Finn and Halston...they're going to be just fine :)
As we know, if you haven't read Slip of the tongue yet, was the sexy neighbor whom Sadie had an affair with. Since his story didn't have any closure whatsoever, i felt extremely bad for him.
He was such a hopeless romantic and he really deserves his happy ending and that's why i wanted to read this.
It was weird in the beginning reading how he fell in love again with another girl when i was used to seeing him with Sadie. but Halston was perfect for him. They were both broken when they met and they are perfect for each other.
I was so scared for Finn the entire time, because whenever i turn the page, I'm thinking (OMG, they're all happy now, but i know something's going to happen. Please don't make Halston leave him! Please!!!!) Finn has gone through enough people leaving him and I'm just so sad for him.
He was such a dreamer and a hopeless romantic and he really deserves it so I was really hoping that no bad thing will happen to him anymore....T^T
This story was so interesting, how it connected Finn's photographs with Halston's writing. It was brilliant and they work well together both professionally and as a couple.
I love that Sadie and Finn somehow got their closure as well. I was really hoping for that because they did went through things as well that needed a good closure.
In the end, I'm so glad. I'm so happy for Finn and that he's finally happy. he really deserves it. As for Finn and Halston...they're going to be just fine :)
June 28, 2017
4.5 Stars
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Yours to Bare is a standalone novel that follows Finn and Halston as they begin a love affair that quickly grows from lust to much more. I loved Finn in Slip of the Tongue, so I knew I had to read Yours to Bare. As a standalone it comes with all of the backstory, it truly isn't necessary to read Slip of the Tongue and I actually really liked that about Yours to Bare. Finn is different after having his heart broken, it's apparent that he is jaded after losing the woman he loved when she returned to her husband. He is still a romantic at heart though and the journal he picked up, though more explicit, speaks to him. I too was beyond intrigued by the journal, guessing who wrote it, who they would be, and how they'd respond to Finn. His obsession is immediate, his desperate want for a companion drawing him to seek out the women behind the words, Halston. Halston is a young woman, her individuality is something she never considered important until she separates herself from the mundane life she'd been previously satisfied with. Her poetry was a private escape for her, but meeting someone who accepts that secret part of her is a rush she never expected she'd find. Sharing their relationship, Finn's photos, and her words though draw out a new obsession, one Halston can't quit.
It isn't just physical. It's the way she's let me in so deep, so fast. I've submerged myself in her, or she's done it for me.
I was overwhelmed by how quickly I related to both characters, the jaded lover Finn who believes in fate and the desperate for acceptance Halston who finds love, but also loss in her newfound self. My previous crush on Finn had nothing on this new Finn, I ached for him as he struggled with this new life of his that didn't pan out how he had hoped. Halston, on the other hand, spoke to me because her life felt like mine. The involvement of her father and partner, evaluating her every move, weighed her down as a character. Watching her come out of the fog was difficult, because at times I knew her choices wouldn't work how she had hoped, but it was also rewarding to see her mature and come into her own. Their chemistry together is off the charts, they are explosive and both feed off one another's emotions and off others as their relationship takes off in the social media world. They're sexy too, the scenes between these two light up the pages, but as a reader it is easy to see how some of their sexuality covered up the red flags they needed to discuss.
In my sheets
In my head.
The social media aspect of the story was so interesting for me, especially when combined with two characters who suffer from different insecurities from different age groups. Being in Halston's head, especially as she was driven to be liked by everyone, was much like how people today are so attached to the likes and comments they receive on Instagram. Incorporating the @yourstobare instagram account into the marketing of Yours to Bare also connected the story that much more to reality.
I've been sleeping for the last year, and she's the only thing that's made me feel awake.
The tone of Yours to Bare is different and, while it's a subtle difference, I think readers will note the change. The angst, though there, is not as consuming as the original novel where we met Finn. He's more reserved and Halston brings back that all consuming feeling he had lost, for me it felt like a cycle and I worried I'd see his heart break again. I found myself frustrated with Finn at times, he's blinded by love to the point of ignoring how Halston is. Her addictive tendencies, at times out of control, were perfectly portrayed in this novel and came across very clearly. I just couldn't see how easily Finn let some of the warning signs slip by. However, I wanted to see them succeed and I think the trials they went through to get there were realistic. The ending, though it completes the story, just wasn't enough. I wanted more, I wanted their story to continue. Then again, I am sort of in love with Finn and I don't think I'll ever have enough.
"I want to be myself with you, Finn. I want to be allowed to want you this way."
Yours to Bare was an addictive read from Jessica Hawkins and I'll be recommending it to everyone for quite a while. I love a good romance, especially one with brilliant prose and a catching story line. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I want more, more Finn in particular.
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Yours to Bare is a standalone novel that follows Finn and Halston as they begin a love affair that quickly grows from lust to much more. I loved Finn in Slip of the Tongue, so I knew I had to read Yours to Bare. As a standalone it comes with all of the backstory, it truly isn't necessary to read Slip of the Tongue and I actually really liked that about Yours to Bare. Finn is different after having his heart broken, it's apparent that he is jaded after losing the woman he loved when she returned to her husband. He is still a romantic at heart though and the journal he picked up, though more explicit, speaks to him. I too was beyond intrigued by the journal, guessing who wrote it, who they would be, and how they'd respond to Finn. His obsession is immediate, his desperate want for a companion drawing him to seek out the women behind the words, Halston. Halston is a young woman, her individuality is something she never considered important until she separates herself from the mundane life she'd been previously satisfied with. Her poetry was a private escape for her, but meeting someone who accepts that secret part of her is a rush she never expected she'd find. Sharing their relationship, Finn's photos, and her words though draw out a new obsession, one Halston can't quit.
It isn't just physical. It's the way she's let me in so deep, so fast. I've submerged myself in her, or she's done it for me.
I was overwhelmed by how quickly I related to both characters, the jaded lover Finn who believes in fate and the desperate for acceptance Halston who finds love, but also loss in her newfound self. My previous crush on Finn had nothing on this new Finn, I ached for him as he struggled with this new life of his that didn't pan out how he had hoped. Halston, on the other hand, spoke to me because her life felt like mine. The involvement of her father and partner, evaluating her every move, weighed her down as a character. Watching her come out of the fog was difficult, because at times I knew her choices wouldn't work how she had hoped, but it was also rewarding to see her mature and come into her own. Their chemistry together is off the charts, they are explosive and both feed off one another's emotions and off others as their relationship takes off in the social media world. They're sexy too, the scenes between these two light up the pages, but as a reader it is easy to see how some of their sexuality covered up the red flags they needed to discuss.
In my sheets
In my head.
The social media aspect of the story was so interesting for me, especially when combined with two characters who suffer from different insecurities from different age groups. Being in Halston's head, especially as she was driven to be liked by everyone, was much like how people today are so attached to the likes and comments they receive on Instagram. Incorporating the @yourstobare instagram account into the marketing of Yours to Bare also connected the story that much more to reality.
I've been sleeping for the last year, and she's the only thing that's made me feel awake.
The tone of Yours to Bare is different and, while it's a subtle difference, I think readers will note the change. The angst, though there, is not as consuming as the original novel where we met Finn. He's more reserved and Halston brings back that all consuming feeling he had lost, for me it felt like a cycle and I worried I'd see his heart break again. I found myself frustrated with Finn at times, he's blinded by love to the point of ignoring how Halston is. Her addictive tendencies, at times out of control, were perfectly portrayed in this novel and came across very clearly. I just couldn't see how easily Finn let some of the warning signs slip by. However, I wanted to see them succeed and I think the trials they went through to get there were realistic. The ending, though it completes the story, just wasn't enough. I wanted more, I wanted their story to continue. Then again, I am sort of in love with Finn and I don't think I'll ever have enough.
"I want to be myself with you, Finn. I want to be allowed to want you this way."
Yours to Bare was an addictive read from Jessica Hawkins and I'll be recommending it to everyone for quite a while. I love a good romance, especially one with brilliant prose and a catching story line. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I want more, more Finn in particular.
December 31, 2016
What a PHENOMENAL book!!!
Yours to Bare is one of those rare books that makes us think that if we had to choose only one more book to read it would have to be it!
It has the right amount of angst and the story flows so perfectly! The only flaw in this book is that it had to end!I believe it's Jessica Hawkins best work so far and I'm so happy I got to read it!!
Yours to Bare is provocative, romantic, tantalizing, angsty and so much more, you simply won't be able to forget about it after you read it!!
Yours to Bare is one of those rare books that makes us think that if we had to choose only one more book to read it would have to be it!
It has the right amount of angst and the story flows so perfectly! The only flaw in this book is that it had to end!I believe it's Jessica Hawkins best work so far and I'm so happy I got to read it!!
Yours to Bare is provocative, romantic, tantalizing, angsty and so much more, you simply won't be able to forget about it after you read it!!
July 22, 2017
Amazing ❤ it was sensual,erotic,intense,passionate and hot! Review to come!
December 11, 2016
Yours to Bare by Jessica Hawkins
4 stars!!!
Finn stole my heart in Slip of the Tongue, while he didn’t win that time I always knew that his time would come and he would get the girl who truly deserved him. Finn had a heart the size of Texas and it would take some woman to be deserving of it…was Halston that woman?
Halston was a troubled woman, she had her issues and though her fathers and her boyfriend’s methods were medicating, Halston knew that the only way to get herself back was to wean off the meds and take the bull by the horns. Halston really grew as a woman throughout this book and it is this that really cements her as a “normal” person and made her that much more relatable. Halston grows throughout this book and has to take steps back before she can move forward, but it is her drive and determination to be a better person that made me take her into my heart. I was willing her along, yes, she makes mistakes, as does anyone, but they were mistakes that needed to be made. Halston’s emotional outlet was her journal, where every dark and sexual thought went in the form of poetry, it was her means of venting and it worked, until one day she left her journal in a coffee shop.
Finn was a photographer, a hopeless romantic, a divorcee and had a darling daughter. He dreams of being happy, doing a job he loves and with a woman he loves more. He has never been into casual dalliances, he needs an emotional connection, he needs to feel the woman he is with. When Finn finds a journal, at first, he wants to find its owner, until he opens it for clues and finds himself totally captivated and mesmerised by the words that he is reading.
Finn wants to meet this woman, he knows her innermost thoughts and feelings and he hasn’t gone running, entranced by the poetry on the page will the woman behind them be just as alluring? Finn feels a connection to this woman, through words alone, she sings to him, they are similarly broken, the both want what they feel they can’t have, can these two be the ones that finally complete one and other?
Jessica Hawkins delivers one smoking hot book in the form of Finn and Halston’s story. Erotic, provocative and wanton are the words that liberally glue this love story together. Passionate, arousing, salacious, this book will leave you gasping as well as hopelessly invested as these two discover their normal together. The chemistry was electric, the passion palpable as these two go on a voyage of discovering not only themselves but each other. I was totally captivated from first to last page and didn’t want their story to end. Jessica Hawkins certainly knows how to deliver her erotica with passion and an emotional punch, totally loved it.
www.theromancecover.com
4 stars!!!
“I’ve eaten her dirty secrets like candy, and now she’s the hungry one.”
Finn stole my heart in Slip of the Tongue, while he didn’t win that time I always knew that his time would come and he would get the girl who truly deserved him. Finn had a heart the size of Texas and it would take some woman to be deserving of it…was Halston that woman?
“Finn was meant to find that journal. To find me. To be a salve for, and perhaps even heal, a heart I’d worried was destined to ache forever.”
Halston was a troubled woman, she had her issues and though her fathers and her boyfriend’s methods were medicating, Halston knew that the only way to get herself back was to wean off the meds and take the bull by the horns. Halston really grew as a woman throughout this book and it is this that really cements her as a “normal” person and made her that much more relatable. Halston grows throughout this book and has to take steps back before she can move forward, but it is her drive and determination to be a better person that made me take her into my heart. I was willing her along, yes, she makes mistakes, as does anyone, but they were mistakes that needed to be made. Halston’s emotional outlet was her journal, where every dark and sexual thought went in the form of poetry, it was her means of venting and it worked, until one day she left her journal in a coffee shop.
“I love you, Finn. I love you enough to clean up my own mess.”
Finn was a photographer, a hopeless romantic, a divorcee and had a darling daughter. He dreams of being happy, doing a job he loves and with a woman he loves more. He has never been into casual dalliances, he needs an emotional connection, he needs to feel the woman he is with. When Finn finds a journal, at first, he wants to find its owner, until he opens it for clues and finds himself totally captivated and mesmerised by the words that he is reading.
“I’m a better man when I’m not trying to be someone other than myself.”
Finn wants to meet this woman, he knows her innermost thoughts and feelings and he hasn’t gone running, entranced by the poetry on the page will the woman behind them be just as alluring? Finn feels a connection to this woman, through words alone, she sings to him, they are similarly broken, the both want what they feel they can’t have, can these two be the ones that finally complete one and other?
“I can’t let myself believe you’re mine if you’re not. I’m the one who’ll get hurt.”
Jessica Hawkins delivers one smoking hot book in the form of Finn and Halston’s story. Erotic, provocative and wanton are the words that liberally glue this love story together. Passionate, arousing, salacious, this book will leave you gasping as well as hopelessly invested as these two discover their normal together. The chemistry was electric, the passion palpable as these two go on a voyage of discovering not only themselves but each other. I was totally captivated from first to last page and didn’t want their story to end. Jessica Hawkins certainly knows how to deliver her erotica with passion and an emotional punch, totally loved it.
www.theromancecover.com
December 11, 2016
Holy flutters in my tummy, Jessica Hawkins just gave me my most sensual and erotic read of 2016. Hands down. YOURS TO BARE is a book packed with emotion, angst and bone jarring passion that will have you clinging onto every word you read and every single thing the characters portray. It's real, it's sexy, it's utterly alluring. Right off the bat, Hawkins will have your palms sweating, heart racing, stomach clenching, and you'll just keep begging for more.
Finn Cohen left me salivating and brought me to my knees. His filthy mouth, crude thoughts and naughty actions will have your blood shooting all over the place in no time. Although his sweet, protective and possessive side will have you swooning to the ends of the earth. I absolutely adored how this man believed in fate no matter how much he already got burned and screwed over by it. He believed that there is still someone out there for him and that he'd meet her when the time was right. That the pain he had to experience from his past were only roadblocks to get him ready for what's to come. Finn is one of those characters who'll speak directly to your heart, brimming with so much passion. You won't be able to help but want him to find true happiness and his forever love once and for all.
Halston Fox is probably one of the rawest, most fascinating characters I've ever read about. She's so troubled and insecure, yet so bold and brave. The deepest, darkest recesses of her mind intrigued me more than I could admit. The poetry entries in her journal will just pierce through your heart. Her words are so dark, yet so addicting. You feel those passages deep in your bones that you get goosebumps all over. She was, in a way, a bit differently wired than most of us, but her persona will get to you. You'll feel all her desires like they were your own.
It all started with Finn finding a well-loved journal, like it was left for him to pick up, at the café he frequents. He opens it, trying to find information about the owner so he could return it, but what he reads gets him sucked in. How can a man connect so intensely, so deeply, in just reading fragments of one's most intimate thoughts without even meeting them? This time, he's even more determined to find the owner of these thoughts that has him amped up and reeling. Is this finally fate's nudge to him in finding the one? Will he be the one to tame and take care of Halston and her unsettled, yet captivating mind?
A match made in heaven, these two and their obsessions will, without a doubt, capture all your emotions and attention. It'll make you want to savor every moment and then bottle it up, it's so good. Provocative and downright sultry, YOURS TO BARE ultimately is a must read before the year ends. Finn Cohen's story will captivate you like no other.
Finn Cohen left me salivating and brought me to my knees. His filthy mouth, crude thoughts and naughty actions will have your blood shooting all over the place in no time. Although his sweet, protective and possessive side will have you swooning to the ends of the earth. I absolutely adored how this man believed in fate no matter how much he already got burned and screwed over by it. He believed that there is still someone out there for him and that he'd meet her when the time was right. That the pain he had to experience from his past were only roadblocks to get him ready for what's to come. Finn is one of those characters who'll speak directly to your heart, brimming with so much passion. You won't be able to help but want him to find true happiness and his forever love once and for all.
Halston Fox is probably one of the rawest, most fascinating characters I've ever read about. She's so troubled and insecure, yet so bold and brave. The deepest, darkest recesses of her mind intrigued me more than I could admit. The poetry entries in her journal will just pierce through your heart. Her words are so dark, yet so addicting. You feel those passages deep in your bones that you get goosebumps all over. She was, in a way, a bit differently wired than most of us, but her persona will get to you. You'll feel all her desires like they were your own.
It all started with Finn finding a well-loved journal, like it was left for him to pick up, at the café he frequents. He opens it, trying to find information about the owner so he could return it, but what he reads gets him sucked in. How can a man connect so intensely, so deeply, in just reading fragments of one's most intimate thoughts without even meeting them? This time, he's even more determined to find the owner of these thoughts that has him amped up and reeling. Is this finally fate's nudge to him in finding the one? Will he be the one to tame and take care of Halston and her unsettled, yet captivating mind?
A match made in heaven, these two and their obsessions will, without a doubt, capture all your emotions and attention. It'll make you want to savor every moment and then bottle it up, it's so good. Provocative and downright sultry, YOURS TO BARE ultimately is a must read before the year ends. Finn Cohen's story will captivate you like no other.
December 9, 2016
Yours to Bare is the steamy spin-off book from Slip of the Tongue featuring our holy hotness photographer Finn Cohen. First off, this can be read as a complete standalone, however I think knowing his backstory a bit was helpful to understanding the man he was going into this book.
Single dad, struggling photographer, Finn finds a large leather journal in a coffee shop. His curiosity getting the best of him, Finn cracks it open and is astounded by the captions he reads. Raw, sexy, profound. He must find its owner because, seriously, this is what fantasies are made of.
Own me with your fingers. Trace the aches on my chest, touch the words it hurts me to say, press the exposed nerves around my heart until you hear my begging in your dreams.
Halston Fox, an art marketing specialist, cannot believe she lost her journal. Her deepest, darkest thoughts. Fear and shame prevent her from outwardly asking the barista if it was turned in but it feels a part of her is lost. Until one post, one date written in the planner finds her face to face with him...the man who found her journal and knows her deepest thoughts.
Finn, although just meeting Halston, feels as if he already knows her after reading Jeremy private journal. But the woman on the outside, the woman who has a totally different "face" for the world, is completely different. Beautiful yet so insecure, her confidence gone...
Yours to Bare is one of those books about destiny. Finding that one person under the strangest of circumstances that truly is exactly what you need...who understands you like no other. Both Finn and Halston have walls built from their past yet their connection and mutual love of art combine to make a heady, sultry romance. It's erotic, her use of steamy words combined with his skill with the camera. They're truly an art form when they come together both professionally and physically. So if you're looking for sexy, artistic, slightly angsty romance, this book hits the spot.
Advanced copy received by author in exchange for my honest review.
December 9, 2016
Jessica Hawkins is such an amazing author, she has the power to completely consume me and pull me into her stories. I had this total internal battle going on through the entire book of SLIP OF THE TONGUE. Ugh, it made me SO MAD! I fell so hard and it was so funny because I had just completely figured out in my head how the entire story was supposed to play out, scene for scene, I had made all of Sadie's choices for her and was like OK, now I'll just sit back and watch this play out and you know what she did... Sadie totally DID NOT take my advice, she just went and made her own decisions! The nerve! ;) haha! But what was so amazing about that, was that I realized even thought I was mad, and I was SO mad. I was FEELING! Jessica Hawkins makes me FEEL so many emotions right from page one. Her characters are so raw and have so much depth to them. Its a beautiful thing. And Slip of the tongue was an absolutely beautiful book.
Yours to Bare was no different, it pulled me in from the VERY. FIRST. PAGE. The characters were so totally real and honest and raw. They put their hearts on the line for one another, but for us the reader as well.
I mean this is why we read right? To FEEL IT ALL, to be in the moment in the story in all the gut wrenching shit that goes along with falling in love. FINN & HALSTON didn't fall they LEAPT and they just prayed like hell that the other would be there to catch them.
The amount of faith these two characters, both left bleeding by their pasts, put into one another it melted my heart. And then I started thinking... about 74% into the book, about how we as readers put that same faith into the author. We hand them our hearts and pray that they take care of them, and return them back not only whole, but filled. FINN filled me up and Jessica Hawkins kept on pouring. The two of them left my heart overflowing with love and lust and UGH, it was just perfection!
December 11, 2016
4-4.5 stars. Oh Finn Cohen, how I had always hoped that he would find love, or "the one" someday. While I wasn't rooting for him in Slip of the Tongue, I still couldn't help but love the guy. Finn is living in the aftermath of his mistakes and it's a cruel reality trying to get a leg up in his current life. He still longs for intimacy and not just in a casual way, but to really know someone and to be their whole world and vice versa. For all that he's endured, I'm impressed that he's not more bitter or resentful. Finn is a bit of a dreamer and romantic at heart, so when he picks up Halston's journal with her poetry and raw feelings, he's beyond intrigued. Who is this girl who captivates him with her words, to the point where he's falling for the writer?
Even for all of Finn's flaws, I adored him. He knows where he messed up and he resolves not to go down that path again and I have to admire him for pursuing his art to make it a reality. All of these do-overs are hard to do at once and throw in the mystery of Halston, who seems like an awakening soul yearning to break free on paper, and Finn is in overdrive. As for Halston, while she was relatable on so many levels, she was a bit of a hard sell to me. I understood her lack of control in her life and simply wanting to be her real self, as well as maintaining anonymity while receiving recognition. So watching her take charge of her own life decisions and handle big responsibilities was liberating for her and I applauded her. But then she would fall flat on her face in an irresponsible way and Finn would have to circle around her to avoid pushing the wrong buttons, while empowering her. I don't know how Finn didn't have a massive headache at times. Yet that's the thing about Finn, he doesn't give up even if the odds aren't stack in his favor, he simply believes in the best and preserves that.
I love Jessica Hawkins' writing, she can spin sexy like no one else and this one is another one to add to the list. I didn't think I would like the details of recapping Finn's previous relationships because this is a new book and a new relationship, but found that the way it was included really added to his character and in getting to know him in a respectful way. As for Halston, while I may not have been on board entirely with her, I could appreciate the maturation in her and how she fought her way towards independence and to be the best version of herself. But really, Finn steals the show, as he should, even if he'd rather be the guy behind the camera lens.
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Even for all of Finn's flaws, I adored him. He knows where he messed up and he resolves not to go down that path again and I have to admire him for pursuing his art to make it a reality. All of these do-overs are hard to do at once and throw in the mystery of Halston, who seems like an awakening soul yearning to break free on paper, and Finn is in overdrive. As for Halston, while she was relatable on so many levels, she was a bit of a hard sell to me. I understood her lack of control in her life and simply wanting to be her real self, as well as maintaining anonymity while receiving recognition. So watching her take charge of her own life decisions and handle big responsibilities was liberating for her and I applauded her. But then she would fall flat on her face in an irresponsible way and Finn would have to circle around her to avoid pushing the wrong buttons, while empowering her. I don't know how Finn didn't have a massive headache at times. Yet that's the thing about Finn, he doesn't give up even if the odds aren't stack in his favor, he simply believes in the best and preserves that.
I love Jessica Hawkins' writing, she can spin sexy like no one else and this one is another one to add to the list. I didn't think I would like the details of recapping Finn's previous relationships because this is a new book and a new relationship, but found that the way it was included really added to his character and in getting to know him in a respectful way. As for Halston, while I may not have been on board entirely with her, I could appreciate the maturation in her and how she fought her way towards independence and to be the best version of herself. But really, Finn steals the show, as he should, even if he'd rather be the guy behind the camera lens.
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
February 17, 2020
4 stars! i like it a lot, honestly. its so sensual and passionate, because of Finn's past, he's afraid of betrayal. He needed Hals to be his woman fully before committing and well i love the scenes of photography incorporated into those intimate moments.
December 15, 2016
Intoxicating, raw, vulnerable and powerful. I love the non traditional aspect of this book and the way it presents real flaws in a different manner. This was my first book by Jessica Hawkins and I look forward to reading more.
March 28, 2017
5 WHEN YOU'RE GONE, THERE IS NO LIGHT STARS!!!
Fuuuuuck.
I just finished this book. And, I cannot even right now. I'm consumed. Ruined. Turned on. My heart is full. I'm happy. I'm sad. Sad it's over.
It's one of THOSE BOOKS. Come on, you know what I'm talking about. You find yourself thinking about it while you're doing day to day things. When you're supposed to be working or socializing or paying attention to your husband or kids whatever. And you're LOST to this story. That's going to be me for awhile. This love journey left it's mark on me. I just - I don't even know what to do with myself. When I saw those two DREADFUL words on my kindle....
THE END.
I cried. Not gonna lie. It's not just a sexy read, it's so deep and raw and real and eloquent. I'm in LOVE. Jessica Hawkins, you fucking NAILED it. I am so happy that you decided to tell this beautiful man's story. He's stolen my heart and soul. Finn is everyfuckingthing. You did him justice and then some.
Yours To Bare is like sex and black coffee. It's hot, wet and mind blowingly satisfying.
#YoursToBare #MustRead #TopRead #SexyIntenseBeautifulConsumingRawRealPassionate #TooMuchNotEnough #AllTheFeels
Fuuuuuck.
I just finished this book. And, I cannot even right now. I'm consumed. Ruined. Turned on. My heart is full. I'm happy. I'm sad. Sad it's over.
It's one of THOSE BOOKS. Come on, you know what I'm talking about. You find yourself thinking about it while you're doing day to day things. When you're supposed to be working or socializing or paying attention to your husband or kids whatever. And you're LOST to this story. That's going to be me for awhile. This love journey left it's mark on me. I just - I don't even know what to do with myself. When I saw those two DREADFUL words on my kindle....
THE END.
I cried. Not gonna lie. It's not just a sexy read, it's so deep and raw and real and eloquent. I'm in LOVE. Jessica Hawkins, you fucking NAILED it. I am so happy that you decided to tell this beautiful man's story. He's stolen my heart and soul. Finn is everyfuckingthing. You did him justice and then some.
Yours To Bare is like sex and black coffee. It's hot, wet and mind blowingly satisfying.
#YoursToBare #MustRead #TopRead #SexyIntenseBeautifulConsumingRawRealPassionate #TooMuchNotEnough #AllTheFeels
December 7, 2016
Ever since I got The First Taste of Jessica's writing (pun intended) hehe I was hooked on every word, but Slip of The Tongue was my first book by her and where my love of Finn evolved. God, I loved him and ached for him to get his happy, and I am so glad Jessica made me wait. The writing is so sensual and beautiful. Her words dribble like honey onto your tongue as you read and become enamored and entrapped in her world. And what a sexy world you'll find yourself in. I don't want to spoil anything for readers, but dang man what a story that makes you yearn for a man like Finn. He isn't perfect, and I think that's one of the things I love about these books, they are raw, unfiltered, real feelings. Halston is a complex character, at times I just couldn't figure this chick out and wanted to thump her, but the more I grew to know her, I began to understand her and feel for her. I desperately wanted her to find her way. Her and Finn connected on a level that all romantics dream of, it's why we love romance books, serendipity - fate- destiny, whichever, I think a part of us all believes there is another force at work and that everything does happen for a reason. And just so ya know this book was hot and it will leave ya squirming and your kindle smoking from the heat level.
PS Finn is my book husband- hands off. My #1 read of 2016
PS Finn is my book husband- hands off. My #1 read of 2016
February 5, 2017
This story is provocatively alluring, Lustful, and out of this world passionate. I can't think of a better way to showcase Finns story.
“Show me everything and nothing”
Out of this world stunning from start to finish. I can't even form the words right now. If you've followed this series you should definitely read this story, my favorite of the series.
Jessica knocked it out of the park with her writing, absolutely beautiful. Her words, you feel them through every single chapter.
“In my sheets.
In my head”
“Show me everything and nothing”
Out of this world stunning from start to finish. I can't even form the words right now. If you've followed this series you should definitely read this story, my favorite of the series.
Jessica knocked it out of the park with her writing, absolutely beautiful. Her words, you feel them through every single chapter.
“In my sheets.
In my head”
November 17, 2017
Adorei!
Bom exemplo de como um argumento comum pode ser bem desenvolvido e se transformar em uma história gostosa de ler.
essa autora é muito boa. <3
Bom exemplo de como um argumento comum pode ser bem desenvolvido e se transformar em uma história gostosa de ler.
essa autora é muito boa. <3
December 8, 2016
So newly divorced Finn just had got out of a tumultuous affair, and with a married woman no less. He's usually a firm believer in fate and all that jazz, but at the moment he's a little traumatized from his last disaster of a relationship. He's not exactly looking for love, just avoiding the hurt of his past, when he finds it. Wrapped in leather and full of passion, a journal of the girl he knows he's meant to love. It's fate.
Halston Fox is going through the motions. Safe job, safe boyfriend, safe clothes, safe choices, safe everything. Well except one thing she keeps just for herself. Yet Finn finds that one thing and there starts her journey down the rabbit hole of not so safe.
Their relationship is raw, non-conventional, emotional, and very very sexual. I honestly liked the feelings they had for each other and how quickly they develop. It felt very passionate. Unfortunately everything can't always be perfect, it's Jessica Hawkins for goodness sake... things get a bit crazy, for their relationship and Halston in general.
I don't want to spoil anything so I won't go into Halston's struggles, but I will say they are VERY relatable to just about everyone in some way or another. Especially with the times and our dependency and infatuation with social media. I love how Jessica can take a love story and actually make the angst apply to what's going on in our real lives. Maybe not EVERYONE'S, but something that is a very big thing right now. Haha. She makes angst hip? Is that unhip to say? Hmmm.
I would totally give this 5 stars, but I'm going to settle with 4 because at some points in this book the co-dependency of the relationship got a little irritating instead of passionate. It's clearly intentional, and it fits with the story, it was just annoying. I wanted to pinch them both.
Anywho, this read was hot, passionate, and relevant. I love Jessica Hawkins and even though her stories make me feel like smoking a pack of cigarettes, they also make me smile. Great writing as always.
ARC won from @book_lovers_have_more_fun on Instagram :)
December 8, 2016
Jessica Hawkins has a talent and that talent is putting her heart and soul into making a reader feel everything that's happening in her books. I'm not just talking about that knack of writing that you get with all good authors, but the knack to make the pages of a book come to life where you feel and breath along with the characters as well as turning the words on the page into that magical place where you lose yourself in the story.
We first met Finn in Slip of the Tongue where his heart was broken and he also broke hearts too. I admit I was one of those who was screaming abuse at all the characters in that book for their lack of understanding and compassion, however it still remains my favourite book in the series so far. Now back to Finn and Halston's story. Finn and Halston I believe were brought together by Fate. Halston has problems and Finn doesn't realise how far those problems go as in she has some sort of mental illness within herself but has also been led to believe things because she wasn't told or guided otherwise since her mother dies 10 yrs previously. Finn has his own issue's after everything involving his ex wife, Sadie and of course his daughter. The question is though is he ready to fall in love and start taking chances again and is Halston going to be able to make herself right in the world in order to make it work?
I really loved this book enough to give it 5 stars, but (yes there's a but coming) - But something is niggling at me enough to say it's missing that little something and I am still trying to figure out what that is. I was hoping Finn would get his own story after Slip Of The Tongue and Jessica has delivered which I will be eternally grateful for as I felt he was the outcast back then. Finn is complicated though and maybe that's whats niggling as I needed to know more on his inner self and who he was even back when he was married. On another note the sex was off the charts hot between Finn and Halston and some of the scenes would leave you fanning yourself. Halston is a bit of a broken character but you see development throughout the book that makes her journey more appeasing. I sincerely can't wait to see what Ms Hawkins has next for us as I just can't get enough.
This is a standalone, however I would suggest reading the first book to know who Finn is and why he is the way he is in this book.
We first met Finn in Slip of the Tongue where his heart was broken and he also broke hearts too. I admit I was one of those who was screaming abuse at all the characters in that book for their lack of understanding and compassion, however it still remains my favourite book in the series so far. Now back to Finn and Halston's story. Finn and Halston I believe were brought together by Fate. Halston has problems and Finn doesn't realise how far those problems go as in she has some sort of mental illness within herself but has also been led to believe things because she wasn't told or guided otherwise since her mother dies 10 yrs previously. Finn has his own issue's after everything involving his ex wife, Sadie and of course his daughter. The question is though is he ready to fall in love and start taking chances again and is Halston going to be able to make herself right in the world in order to make it work?
I really loved this book enough to give it 5 stars, but (yes there's a but coming) - But something is niggling at me enough to say it's missing that little something and I am still trying to figure out what that is. I was hoping Finn would get his own story after Slip Of The Tongue and Jessica has delivered which I will be eternally grateful for as I felt he was the outcast back then. Finn is complicated though and maybe that's whats niggling as I needed to know more on his inner self and who he was even back when he was married. On another note the sex was off the charts hot between Finn and Halston and some of the scenes would leave you fanning yourself. Halston is a bit of a broken character but you see development throughout the book that makes her journey more appeasing. I sincerely can't wait to see what Ms Hawkins has next for us as I just can't get enough.
This is a standalone, however I would suggest reading the first book to know who Finn is and why he is the way he is in this book.
December 7, 2016
I am so in love with Finn and Halston.
Oh Finn! Our romantic dreamer who believes so strongly in the powers of fate.
"Fate doesn’t stick around for happy endings—it only gives you the opportunity to work for one.”
While I was very excited to see Finn get a book, it was Halston who stole my heart. She was like a baby foal getting her feet under her and learning to walk. Oh, does she teeter on those new legs! She is learning to be herself and let her true self shine.
"He knew me before I even met him. My desires, my insecurities, my aches. I don’t think I could stop him now if I wanted to."
Finn and Halston have some smoking chemistry that will burn your kindle to the ground! This might be Hawkins hottest book. There is even a scene I haven't read before, and I read a lot! It was new and refreshing and hot AF.
For those who have been waiting for Finn's story, you won't be disappointed. It's magnificent! Even if you haven't read Slip of the Tongue, that's ok! This can be read as a standalone. I only recommend that if you ever planned on reading Slip of the Tongue, you do it before reading Yours to Bare if you don't like spoilers.
Oh Finn! Our romantic dreamer who believes so strongly in the powers of fate.
"Fate doesn’t stick around for happy endings—it only gives you the opportunity to work for one.”
While I was very excited to see Finn get a book, it was Halston who stole my heart. She was like a baby foal getting her feet under her and learning to walk. Oh, does she teeter on those new legs! She is learning to be herself and let her true self shine.
"He knew me before I even met him. My desires, my insecurities, my aches. I don’t think I could stop him now if I wanted to."
Finn and Halston have some smoking chemistry that will burn your kindle to the ground! This might be Hawkins hottest book. There is even a scene I haven't read before, and I read a lot! It was new and refreshing and hot AF.
For those who have been waiting for Finn's story, you won't be disappointed. It's magnificent! Even if you haven't read Slip of the Tongue, that's ok! This can be read as a standalone. I only recommend that if you ever planned on reading Slip of the Tongue, you do it before reading Yours to Bare if you don't like spoilers.
December 11, 2016
Fate always plays a funny hand in life. The things that we do on impulse always seem to come back around during pivotal points in your life. For Finn - everything that transpired between he and Sadie caused a ripple effect that he is still feeling the effects of. Avoiding certain places that hold memories of their time together led Finn to this moment. A discovery of a journal that contains writing that beckons to Finn. The words speak like woven silk upon the pages. A look into one woman’s darkest thoughts and feelings. After a few pages, Finn is hooked and knows he must discover the individual behind this beauty.
By all outward appearances, Halston has the perfect life. A boyfriend that anticipates her every need, a job with her father’s company, the ability to work when she pleases…..but none of it was the way it appeared. Halston felt trapped in her own skin. Destined to be what others expected, and never live her life on her own terms. Writing in that journal was a way to let her desires come to the surface. An escape that Halston needed from the chains of a life that really wasn’t ‘hers’.
Meeting Finn was one of the most unexpected events that Halston ever experienced. It was an instant attraction. One that left Halston feeling beautiful in Finn’s eyes. A chance to escape the boundaries that formed her life. Someone that would let her be the woman in those journals. For Finn - his attraction to Halston was a pull he hasn’t felt since the day he became involved with Sadie. Hesitant at first, Finn was determined not to make the same mistakes he made in his previous relationships. Forcing both to reevaluate what taking the next step would mean in their lives.
Yours To Bare is a unique romance that is anything but ordinary. Fans of the author will recognize Finn from Hawkins’ previous novel - Slip of the Tongue. In this book - Finn takes on a completely different persona. One that was a bit more demanding and erotic. Halston faces a deep longing to become the woman she desires, and to not let others dictate who she should be. It’s a struggle that will cast a shadow on this couple and how they move through their relationship.
I really struggled with my rating on this story. The novel started off strong. Pulling me into the journal. Anticipating how Finn and Halston would fight their attraction. Then there was the erotic elements sprinkled throughout the story. I soaked up every single word! Then when the really detailed parts of the plot kick in….well, things begin to just fall flat. The ending just doesn’t match the anticipation level. The last page had me saying ‘that’s it?’.
Then there was the fact that Finn had been introduced in another book. Well - the Finn we met in Slip of the Tongue is NOTHING like the Finn of Yours to Bare. This was great and not so great for me as a reader. Let me explain….Finn is a total dominate in Yours to Bare. Don’t get me wrong, I totally loved that about him. However - his mannerisms and everything seem ‘off’ when you compare that it’s the same character. Then we get a ‘glimpse’ of Finn and Sadie from this story (can’t say what so it doesn’t spoil things) that just makes things so incomplete. If you have reoccurring characters, they need to be a little like their old selves. It just didn’t jive for me in the last quarter of the book. So - it really affected how I rated this novel. Reading Slip of the Tongue isn’t necessary to understand the ‘history’ with Finn.
By all outward appearances, Halston has the perfect life. A boyfriend that anticipates her every need, a job with her father’s company, the ability to work when she pleases…..but none of it was the way it appeared. Halston felt trapped in her own skin. Destined to be what others expected, and never live her life on her own terms. Writing in that journal was a way to let her desires come to the surface. An escape that Halston needed from the chains of a life that really wasn’t ‘hers’.
Meeting Finn was one of the most unexpected events that Halston ever experienced. It was an instant attraction. One that left Halston feeling beautiful in Finn’s eyes. A chance to escape the boundaries that formed her life. Someone that would let her be the woman in those journals. For Finn - his attraction to Halston was a pull he hasn’t felt since the day he became involved with Sadie. Hesitant at first, Finn was determined not to make the same mistakes he made in his previous relationships. Forcing both to reevaluate what taking the next step would mean in their lives.
Yours To Bare is a unique romance that is anything but ordinary. Fans of the author will recognize Finn from Hawkins’ previous novel - Slip of the Tongue. In this book - Finn takes on a completely different persona. One that was a bit more demanding and erotic. Halston faces a deep longing to become the woman she desires, and to not let others dictate who she should be. It’s a struggle that will cast a shadow on this couple and how they move through their relationship.
I really struggled with my rating on this story. The novel started off strong. Pulling me into the journal. Anticipating how Finn and Halston would fight their attraction. Then there was the erotic elements sprinkled throughout the story. I soaked up every single word! Then when the really detailed parts of the plot kick in….well, things begin to just fall flat. The ending just doesn’t match the anticipation level. The last page had me saying ‘that’s it?’.
Then there was the fact that Finn had been introduced in another book. Well - the Finn we met in Slip of the Tongue is NOTHING like the Finn of Yours to Bare. This was great and not so great for me as a reader. Let me explain….Finn is a total dominate in Yours to Bare. Don’t get me wrong, I totally loved that about him. However - his mannerisms and everything seem ‘off’ when you compare that it’s the same character. Then we get a ‘glimpse’ of Finn and Sadie from this story (can’t say what so it doesn’t spoil things) that just makes things so incomplete. If you have reoccurring characters, they need to be a little like their old selves. It just didn’t jive for me in the last quarter of the book. So - it really affected how I rated this novel. Reading Slip of the Tongue isn’t necessary to understand the ‘history’ with Finn.
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