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Secret Lucidity
(A forbidden romance stand-alone.)
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
But it did.
This wasn’t supposed to be my life.
But it was.
I was just a typical girl, living a typical life. Nothing was out of the ordinary until tragedy threw me into a turnstile I couldn’t see my way out of. That was, until him.
I never could’ve imagined my heart falling the way it did. Hard, fast, and with unbounding beauty.
The only problem?
He was off limits.
Forbidden.
But he became my everything, and I became his, so we risked it all. It was only a matter of time until I realized that our risk came with unimaginable consequences.
My name is Camellia Hale and his is David Andrews, and this is our love story.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
But it did.
This wasn’t supposed to be my life.
But it was.
I was just a typical girl, living a typical life. Nothing was out of the ordinary until tragedy threw me into a turnstile I couldn’t see my way out of. That was, until him.
I never could’ve imagined my heart falling the way it did. Hard, fast, and with unbounding beauty.
The only problem?
He was off limits.
Forbidden.
But he became my everything, and I became his, so we risked it all. It was only a matter of time until I realized that our risk came with unimaginable consequences.
My name is Camellia Hale and his is David Andrews, and this is our love story.
342 pages
First published February 26, 2018
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February 26, 2018LIVE! | AMZ US | AMZ UK | B&N | KOBO | iBOOKS |
FORBIDDEN?! I NEED THIS!
Stand-alone.
LIVE! | AMZ US | AMZ UK | B&N | KOBO | iBOOKS |
Blurb:
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
But it did.
This wasn’t supposed to be my life.
But it was.
I was just a typical girl, living a typical life. Nothing was out of the ordinary until tragedy threw me into a turnstile I couldn’t see my way out of. That was, until him.
I never could’ve imagined my heart falling the way it did. Hard, fast, and with unbounding beauty.
The only problem?
He was off limits.
Forbidden.
But he became my everything, and I became his, so we risked it all. It was only a matter of time until I realized that our risk came with unimaginable consequences.
My name is Camellia Hale and his is David Andrews, and this is our love story.
FORBIDDEN?! I NEED THIS!
Stand-alone.
LIVE! | AMZ US | AMZ UK | B&N | KOBO | iBOOKS |
Blurb:
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
But it did.
This wasn’t supposed to be my life.
But it was.
I was just a typical girl, living a typical life. Nothing was out of the ordinary until tragedy threw me into a turnstile I couldn’t see my way out of. That was, until him.
I never could’ve imagined my heart falling the way it did. Hard, fast, and with unbounding beauty.
The only problem?
He was off limits.
Forbidden.
But he became my everything, and I became his, so we risked it all. It was only a matter of time until I realized that our risk came with unimaginable consequences.
My name is Camellia Hale and his is David Andrews, and this is our love story.
February 19, 2018
MY REVIEW can also be found on my blog:
KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS
SECRET LUCIDITY: Is a new Adult, standalone full length novel by E.K. Blair..In this we meet Camellia aka (Cam) Hale and David Andrews, and this is their love story.
Cam is your typical seventeen year old girl, a straight A student, a daddy's girl, one of the popular girls at Edmond Ridge High School, with swimming scholarships in her future and a doting boyfriend Kroy who lives next door and whom she has known since she was eight years old. The world is her oyster.
In the first chapter we get caught up in Cam’s excitement as the minutes tick down to the end of her junior year as summer approaches around the corner and anticipating the party that night and she’s looking forward to being a senior when school returns.
But in the blink of an eye on that same day a tragedy close to her heart shakes Cam down to the core. Her life has gone from the happy go lucky girl to suffering alone in a paralysing despair that has it’s clutches in her.
With the aftermath of pushing everyone away that’s close to her only one lone person is strong enough to stand by her as she slowly fights to regain her sense of self, she feels so disconnected from everyone other than her english teacher, her swim coach David, with him she can show the broken girl she is.
With the debilitating despair thats pulling her under some aspects of this story at this stage are hard to read, you have front row seats as she finds a release by taking out all the hurt and anger on her body with no adult in her corner she's left to stand on her own two feet
Slowly their teacher relationship leaps into the taboo boundaries of a sexual relationship, the trepidation of unease as you wonder when it's all going to come falling down around their feet, because you know deep down that secrets always have a way of coming out.
I've read all of this authors books and each and every single one like this one I have loved, wholeheartedly, her writing talent is exceptional, and that uncanny knack she has of flawlessly pulling us into the storyline right from the get go as she pulls us under her spell is magic, I knew going into this with the forbidden aspect that it was going to be a crazy ride, which we got in spades.
But (and this is a big but) I didn't think that in the very early stages of the book that I would like one male character over the other (no there is no cheating in this book) and it was hard for me to open my heart up to David when the other one gave me those warm fuzzy feels of butterflies loose in my stomach, but sadly this wasn't his story so I had to let him go like Cam and open myself up to David, which I did like but sadly it just wasn't enough as I knew from only a few pages in that I was #Team Kroy and I pray to the book gods that he gets his own book.
So to sum it up 'Secret Lucidity' was such a beautiful, unique, heart wrenching story that captivated me from the very first page, I was swept along on such a profound heartfelt journey that got it's clutches in me from the start and didn't let go until I'd read that very last word. I highly recommend this.
* Teasers used are off the authors facebook page *
February 27, 2018
#LIVE | AMZ US | AMZ UK | B&N | KOBO | iBOOKS |
Camellia was a good girl in fact her life was perfect. Senior year was supposed to be her best year yet. She was the top swimmer of her school's swimming team. Cam had an amazing boyfriend of many years; she was practically the envy of every high school girls; everyone wanted to be her until tragic hit and she lost herself.
David was the new English teacher and swimming coach. He came to this new town to escape his past and live it as best as he can until he meets her. David knew he had to stay away from her specially with their 14 year age difference but from the very first time he sees her they connected and now that he watches her struggling after her life shattered he wanted to be there for her.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started this book but one thing is for sure I did not excepted all the RAW EMOTIONS I developed while reading each page. With every paragraph, and with every single chapter I fell madly in love with this story. David became my hero and I freaking loved everything about him.
Cam finds cutting herself a way to release some of her pain. No one is able to get through her and help; she distanced herself from everyone around her until David. He ended up being the only person who could possibly understand Cam since he himself was damaged with a broken heart of his own.
Secret Lucidity is a story of loss, grief and pain and a forbidden tragic love story. Is not just an ordinary teacher and student forbidden story to me though, no this story is so much more. The feels are ridiculous; the writing is phenomenal. I felt every single pain that Cam felt; I cried so much for everything she lost and for everything she went thought after her loss. You'd think losing someone after a bit it gets better but for Cam it only gets worse so much worse and I found myself swimming in my own tears for her. I emphasize with her life I felt David was perfect for her and exactly what she needed when she needed it the most.
Overall; this book was amazing. The epilogue was perfect and I loved every single word. This book was a roller-coaster ride full of emotions and once I started I was not able to put down. I can honestly say that I love this story so much so that I will never forget it; it has been added to my top reads of this year. This book would be appealing to readers who are open minded and are not afraid to read hard topics involving selfharm, death and forbidden romance.
Book Info:
Expected Publication Date: February 26, 2018
Pre-order: | AMZ US | AMZ UK | B&N | KOBO | iBOOKS |
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
5★★★★★Stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Female
"When my whole world has been shaken to its core, somehow this man makes it a little bit steadier."
Camellia was a good girl in fact her life was perfect. Senior year was supposed to be her best year yet. She was the top swimmer of her school's swimming team. Cam had an amazing boyfriend of many years; she was practically the envy of every high school girls; everyone wanted to be her until tragic hit and she lost herself.
"The world has thrown me the worst curveball ever, annihilating the life I once knew and forcing me to go at it alone."
David was the new English teacher and swimming coach. He came to this new town to escape his past and live it as best as he can until he meets her. David knew he had to stay away from her specially with their 14 year age difference but from the very first time he sees her they connected and now that he watches her struggling after her life shattered he wanted to be there for her.
"You were always the one thing that felt like home to me, and even though I found a way to exist without you, a part of me has always been lost - until now."
I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started this book but one thing is for sure I did not excepted all the RAW EMOTIONS I developed while reading each page. With every paragraph, and with every single chapter I fell madly in love with this story. David became my hero and I freaking loved everything about him.
"I don't need a man who tucks my darkness into a distant corner. I need a man who will dance with it, nurture it, and tell me that in such a vigorous world, it's the most stunning thing he's ever seen."
Cam finds cutting herself a way to release some of her pain. No one is able to get through her and help; she distanced herself from everyone around her until David. He ended up being the only person who could possibly understand Cam since he himself was damaged with a broken heart of his own.
"In a world that we are both struggling to fit into, what if this is were we are supposed to be? Right here. Right in this very moment. Because this is the place where our broken pieces have settled, connecting perfectly without any gaps."
Secret Lucidity is a story of loss, grief and pain and a forbidden tragic love story. Is not just an ordinary teacher and student forbidden story to me though, no this story is so much more. The feels are ridiculous; the writing is phenomenal. I felt every single pain that Cam felt; I cried so much for everything she lost and for everything she went thought after her loss. You'd think losing someone after a bit it gets better but for Cam it only gets worse so much worse and I found myself swimming in my own tears for her. I emphasize with her life I felt David was perfect for her and exactly what she needed when she needed it the most.
Overall; this book was amazing. The epilogue was perfect and I loved every single word. This book was a roller-coaster ride full of emotions and once I started I was not able to put down. I can honestly say that I love this story so much so that I will never forget it; it has been added to my top reads of this year. This book would be appealing to readers who are open minded and are not afraid to read hard topics involving selfharm, death and forbidden romance.
Book Info:
Expected Publication Date: February 26, 2018
Pre-order: | AMZ US | AMZ UK | B&N | KOBO | iBOOKS |
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
September 5, 2018
Secret Lucidity
was an angsty, emotional, heart-wrenching, coming-of-age journey and a taboo read to boot! Camellia Hale had everything going for her - loving parents, a relatively normal high school life, friends, a sweet boyfriend, and a promising future as a swimmer. Until tragedy struck and life as she knew it disappeared. Floundering and drowning, one person becomes a beacon of hope in the darkness - David Andrews. But he was her swimming coach. Her teacher. It was wrong. But how could something wrong feel so freaking right?
This was a first-time read for me of this author and while this story was written beautifully and filled with so much passion, I suffered a disconnect to its truth. I blame Camellia. Because I didn’t like her. There, I said it. I know I was supposed to sympathize with her pain. I didn’t. And the whole time she was sneaking around with David, I wanted to shake her for being so damn obvious and pathetic. But alas, she’s fictional and my frustrations were left to simmer. However, I adored David. I really really liked his character. The author found many unique and intricate ways to let his personality and goodness shine through Camellia’s perspective and turned me into a fan.
While this book wasn’t the huge win I expected, it did give me the chance to sample some of this author’s writing, which is still a win in my opinion. I’ll definitely be checking her other work out!
Release: Feb. 26, 2018 | Genre: Contemporary Romance - Student/Teacher | POV: Heroine - 1st person | Heat: 2.5 out of 5 | Standalone
This was a first-time read for me of this author and while this story was written beautifully and filled with so much passion, I suffered a disconnect to its truth. I blame Camellia. Because I didn’t like her. There, I said it. I know I was supposed to sympathize with her pain. I didn’t. And the whole time she was sneaking around with David, I wanted to shake her for being so damn obvious and pathetic. But alas, she’s fictional and my frustrations were left to simmer. However, I adored David. I really really liked his character. The author found many unique and intricate ways to let his personality and goodness shine through Camellia’s perspective and turned me into a fan.
While this book wasn’t the huge win I expected, it did give me the chance to sample some of this author’s writing, which is still a win in my opinion. I’ll definitely be checking her other work out!
Release: Feb. 26, 2018 | Genre: Contemporary Romance - Student/Teacher | POV: Heroine - 1st person | Heat: 2.5 out of 5 | Standalone
dnf
February 28, 2018
I am throwing in the towel on this one. I just could not get into this story AT ALL. Plus I couldn't stand the heroine. Nor did I believe for one SECOND that a thirty-something former marine(?) that has lived through two (or maybe it was three) tours would have been REMOTELY interested in this whiney self-centered, immature high school brat. Oh well...
March 2, 2018
Solid student/teacher romance
February 26, 2018
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review
Trigger warning: Self-harm ; Suicide
Everything was perfect for 17 year old Camellia Hale. She's a high school student with a supportive family, lovable boyfriend and a promising future as a student athlete. Her love for swimming was because of her dad / coach. She's inspired and holds a record in her state. However, when tragedy hits on the last day of her junior year, Cam's life changed. Such loss affected Cam tremendously as she succumbs with grief and pain. It also affected her future plans and relationships.
No one understands her pain but Coach David Andrews. He was the new head coach and a part of him feels responsible about Cam's loss. He's helping her in the best way he can. Just like her, he experienced pain and loss in different situations. I cannot tell you much about his story because it's a spoiler. It's best to read the book if you want to find out.
Having mutual feelings connected them which leads to something forbidden. A controversial romance that was wrong in the eyes of others but for Cam and David, they're meant for each other. Despite of the 14 years age gap, No one can tear them apart and if so, they'll find a way back in each other's arms.
Secret Lucidity was a deeply emotional forbidden romance. The student-teacher romance between Cam Hale and David Andrews got me invested. The angst the chemistry and the romance oozed with sizzling passion. Their relationship was complicated and thought provoking. Their relationship was genuine and there was no manipulation between both parties. I really like it also deals with other themes such as grief, depression and self-harm. The pacing was quite slow but what really won my heart was the epilogue. E.K. Blair did something in the story that was very realistic and necessary. I applaud her for that.
Trigger warning: Self-harm ; Suicide
"Life doesn't give warnings; it does what it pleases, forcing us to accept whatever it decides to hand out."
Everything was perfect for 17 year old Camellia Hale. She's a high school student with a supportive family, lovable boyfriend and a promising future as a student athlete. Her love for swimming was because of her dad / coach. She's inspired and holds a record in her state. However, when tragedy hits on the last day of her junior year, Cam's life changed. Such loss affected Cam tremendously as she succumbs with grief and pain. It also affected her future plans and relationships.
No one understands her pain but Coach David Andrews. He was the new head coach and a part of him feels responsible about Cam's loss. He's helping her in the best way he can. Just like her, he experienced pain and loss in different situations. I cannot tell you much about his story because it's a spoiler. It's best to read the book if you want to find out.
Having mutual feelings connected them which leads to something forbidden. A controversial romance that was wrong in the eyes of others but for Cam and David, they're meant for each other. Despite of the 14 years age gap, No one can tear them apart and if so, they'll find a way back in each other's arms.
Secret Lucidity was a deeply emotional forbidden romance. The student-teacher romance between Cam Hale and David Andrews got me invested. The angst the chemistry and the romance oozed with sizzling passion. Their relationship was complicated and thought provoking. Their relationship was genuine and there was no manipulation between both parties. I really like it also deals with other themes such as grief, depression and self-harm. The pacing was quite slow but what really won my heart was the epilogue. E.K. Blair did something in the story that was very realistic and necessary. I applaud her for that.
February 25, 2018
If it’s one thing that I’ve learned from reading anything by e.k.blair, is that this woman is not afraid to go there. Her stories are always somewhat controversial in a sense, but it’s thought provoking, sexy, mysterious, and there has never been a moment when you’ve finished reading that you didn’t wish for more. When I saw that this was going to be a forbidden romance, I literally had to brace myself because if I’m being honest, this author scares the shit out of me!! Her words will lead you on the edge of a cliff and without ever meaning to, you freefall into the unknown.
Very Vague Review ahead
Being the only child to two loving parents and the star swimmer of her school, life couldn’t be any more better than it is right now for Cam. Closing out her Junior year on a high note with her loving boyfriend and best friend, Cam knows that her final year in high school is going to change her life. But what she didn’t expect, was to have it change so devastatingly drastic and life altering. They say how you deal with grief, will determine your life’s course in the blink of an eye and for Cam, this was just the very beginning.
“The world has thrown me the worst curveball ever. Annihilating the life I once knew and forcing me to go at it alone".
I really have to applaud this author in going in depth when it came to the grieving process. There were certainly A LOT of things that I didn’t agree with when it came to the coping mechanism, but I felt the pain and sadness and I truly wished that I could’ve taken some of it away for Cam. Her entire world was turned upside down in the blink of an eye and the only thing that she was left with was pain and dirty looks.
“In a world where we’re both struggling, what if this is where we're supposed to be? Right here. Right in this very moment. Because this is the place where our broken pieces have settled, connecting perfectly without any gaps".
I loved how David became someone who looked out for her but took care of her when she needed it the most. Their relationship was forbidden and scandalous in it’s own right, but their connection and understanding of each other was simple and pure. They loved in the dark and were outcast in the light but through it all, they LOVED.
I know that this story will not be everyone and that’s ok. If you’re like me and you crave forbidden, then this one will be for you
February 25, 2018
“I swear to you, no matter how much pain you’re in, I won’t let you drown in it.”
My VERY FIRST E.K. Blair read and I was BLOWN AWAY by the intense and deep emotion that seeped out of every single page! This was painfully beautiful, majestic, and poetic to the core. If you’re in the mood for one helluva ugly cry, SECRET LUCIDITY absolutely NEEDS to be on your radar!
There are many forbidden romances out there, some good, some great, some fucking AWESOME! Secret Lucidity definitely falls under the AWESOME category! With its intense and emotional prose and an unforgettable and deep storyline, there is no way you could read this book and not feel like your heart is bursting from your chest by the end. My heart and soul were busted, bruised, and broken. My chest ached, my face, red and swollen from crying so hard. I laugh and shake my head, wondering why I put myself through this myriad of emotions. The answer is always the same…it’s because it’s worth it. If it makes you feel so damn hard and so damn deep, then of course it’s worth it. This emotional rollercoaster drags you through the ringer, but the author gives us an ending worth all of the pain and suffering and angst we’ve been put through in order to get to the happy place we all crave.
Cam and David are two characters like no other. Their love story is far from easy. It’s forbidden. It’s intense. It’s passionate. It’s painful. I hurt right alongside these two. I also thrived right along with them. Their love might have been forbidden to the world, but in each other’s hearts, it was anything but. Do yourself a favor and READ this book! It will push your boundaries and tear at your soul, but it WILL be well worth it in the end, I promise you.
My VERY FIRST E.K. Blair read and I was BLOWN AWAY by the intense and deep emotion that seeped out of every single page! This was painfully beautiful, majestic, and poetic to the core. If you’re in the mood for one helluva ugly cry, SECRET LUCIDITY absolutely NEEDS to be on your radar!
There are many forbidden romances out there, some good, some great, some fucking AWESOME! Secret Lucidity definitely falls under the AWESOME category! With its intense and emotional prose and an unforgettable and deep storyline, there is no way you could read this book and not feel like your heart is bursting from your chest by the end. My heart and soul were busted, bruised, and broken. My chest ached, my face, red and swollen from crying so hard. I laugh and shake my head, wondering why I put myself through this myriad of emotions. The answer is always the same…it’s because it’s worth it. If it makes you feel so damn hard and so damn deep, then of course it’s worth it. This emotional rollercoaster drags you through the ringer, but the author gives us an ending worth all of the pain and suffering and angst we’ve been put through in order to get to the happy place we all crave.
Cam and David are two characters like no other. Their love story is far from easy. It’s forbidden. It’s intense. It’s passionate. It’s painful. I hurt right alongside these two. I also thrived right along with them. Their love might have been forbidden to the world, but in each other’s hearts, it was anything but. Do yourself a favor and READ this book! It will push your boundaries and tear at your soul, but it WILL be well worth it in the end, I promise you.
February 1, 2018
This is wrong. But when the whole world is spitting its wrongs at me, what the hell is just one more?
Secret Lucidity by E.K Blair rocked me to the core. It's depth and briliiance was gripping, I was mesmerized throughout my extraordinary journey with Cam and David. It was a ride I will surely never forget forget because the intensity of the FEELS I experienced with them was one that left me wanting and needing for more.
...Because that's what love it; it's the same as death - it's a separation from reality. It's a moment suspended in time, and when it's over, that's it - your moment is gone. All you're left with is this - this righ here - the mourning of what will never be again.
Gahhhhhh!!! One book. One sitting. Rivers of tears. Angsty rollercoaster ride. Intense Love. That's what it takes to ruin me. Yes! I am ruined by Secret Lucidity. It took me 4 hours to finish the book, but the feels it left will linger for long, of that I'm sure. It was beautiful and painful at the same time yet I can't help but basked all of it because I can't help not to. I really did not intend to finish it that fast. I couldn't even say it was fast paced, all I know was, I was reading and basking all the feels with my heart in knots, my anticipation so high and the level of angst felt like it's killing me. Tears were just flowing and I was sobbing like a baby and my fingers just kept on turning the pages anxious to what may happen next, curious as to how the story will end. Teacher-studen romance? Gahd! It was just tip of the iceberg, this story defines what love is made of. The beautiful, the ugly and all the in betweens. If I'm not married right now, I would definitely say, "This is how I want my love to be!"
"How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Make me love you like it's a necessity?"
Cam and David's story wasn't your ordinary teacher-student relationship. Sure, the forbidden vibe was there but more than that, it was the depth of the story that made Secret Lucidity addictive. I did not expect the flow of events. I was reading something I did not have an inkling where the author wants to take me. I was just reading and feeling it. I am just devouring it and boy this journey was edgier and touching and taboo all the same. The character's development was exceptional. Their pain was my pain too. Their happiness was my happiness too. And the love they felt for each other, was mine all the same. I felt it. I connected with them. And it was the best feeling. It was poignant, it was raw and it was REAL.
I don't want to go into details about the book in fears of spoiling you. I just want you to read it but read it with your heart and mind's open. Feel each words and lines, savor each moment you have with them. Honestly, I can't think of Cam and David and not cry. Their love story is just something you don't want to forget. It's something you want to hold on to despite the overwhelming feels of pain and sadness. Because in the end, it's what makes their journey beautifully satisfying. It was EUPHORIC.
To EK Blair, thank you for this journey! very well written and perfectly delivered. Secret Lucidity is one of a kind and so are you.
Secret Lucidity by E.K Blair rocked me to the core. It's depth and briliiance was gripping, I was mesmerized throughout my extraordinary journey with Cam and David. It was a ride I will surely never forget forget because the intensity of the FEELS I experienced with them was one that left me wanting and needing for more.
...Because that's what love it; it's the same as death - it's a separation from reality. It's a moment suspended in time, and when it's over, that's it - your moment is gone. All you're left with is this - this righ here - the mourning of what will never be again.
Gahhhhhh!!! One book. One sitting. Rivers of tears. Angsty rollercoaster ride. Intense Love. That's what it takes to ruin me. Yes! I am ruined by Secret Lucidity. It took me 4 hours to finish the book, but the feels it left will linger for long, of that I'm sure. It was beautiful and painful at the same time yet I can't help but basked all of it because I can't help not to. I really did not intend to finish it that fast. I couldn't even say it was fast paced, all I know was, I was reading and basking all the feels with my heart in knots, my anticipation so high and the level of angst felt like it's killing me. Tears were just flowing and I was sobbing like a baby and my fingers just kept on turning the pages anxious to what may happen next, curious as to how the story will end. Teacher-studen romance? Gahd! It was just tip of the iceberg, this story defines what love is made of. The beautiful, the ugly and all the in betweens. If I'm not married right now, I would definitely say, "This is how I want my love to be!"
"How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Make me love you like it's a necessity?"
Cam and David's story wasn't your ordinary teacher-student relationship. Sure, the forbidden vibe was there but more than that, it was the depth of the story that made Secret Lucidity addictive. I did not expect the flow of events. I was reading something I did not have an inkling where the author wants to take me. I was just reading and feeling it. I am just devouring it and boy this journey was edgier and touching and taboo all the same. The character's development was exceptional. Their pain was my pain too. Their happiness was my happiness too. And the love they felt for each other, was mine all the same. I felt it. I connected with them. And it was the best feeling. It was poignant, it was raw and it was REAL.
I don't want to go into details about the book in fears of spoiling you. I just want you to read it but read it with your heart and mind's open. Feel each words and lines, savor each moment you have with them. Honestly, I can't think of Cam and David and not cry. Their love story is just something you don't want to forget. It's something you want to hold on to despite the overwhelming feels of pain and sadness. Because in the end, it's what makes their journey beautifully satisfying. It was EUPHORIC.
To EK Blair, thank you for this journey! very well written and perfectly delivered. Secret Lucidity is one of a kind and so are you.
August 15, 2018
5 stars
E.k. Blair did it again.
This book is really phenomenal, heart wrenching, emotional and one of a kind of love.
This book deals with so many serious issues, and I just fell in love with her writing. She did
justice with all the characters and their issues as well as the consequences of all the stuff and emotions.
I know i am being very vague but this is kind of book you should just dive in and experience for yourself.
P. S. I am in love with David.
Highly recommended..!!
E.k. Blair did it again.
This book is really phenomenal, heart wrenching, emotional and one of a kind of love.
This book deals with so many serious issues, and I just fell in love with her writing. She did
justice with all the characters and their issues as well as the consequences of all the stuff and emotions.
I know i am being very vague but this is kind of book you should just dive in and experience for yourself.
P. S. I am in love with David.
Highly recommended..!!
February 20, 2018
***** 4.5 Stars *****
I used everything around me to wipe up my tears and snot. My eyes were leaking while reading the first chapters of the book.
Secret Lucidity is the perfect forbidden romance between a teacher and a high school senior, and I instantly fell in love with the characters.
Camellia is mature and intelligent. After a tragic event, she's forced to grow up and make adult decisions. David Andrews is her swim coach and English teacher. He is also Cam's shoulder to cry on.
The two can't fight the attraction, and their chemistry is explosive.
The ending was a bit predictable but it completed the story perfectly. I loved this book, and I highly recommend this to all romance lovers!
I used everything around me to wipe up my tears and snot. My eyes were leaking while reading the first chapters of the book.
Secret Lucidity is the perfect forbidden romance between a teacher and a high school senior, and I instantly fell in love with the characters.
Camellia is mature and intelligent. After a tragic event, she's forced to grow up and make adult decisions. David Andrews is her swim coach and English teacher. He is also Cam's shoulder to cry on.
The two can't fight the attraction, and their chemistry is explosive.
The ending was a bit predictable but it completed the story perfectly. I loved this book, and I highly recommend this to all romance lovers!
May 30, 2018
I immediately noticed this book because of taboo forbidden student-teacher romance.
Without reading blurb and after noticing some reviews, I dived in with full breath. It was such emotional ride on E.K. Blair's words, created by amazing writing style. She knows how to evoke right feelings to become hooked to the story from the beginning. Just when I thought there will be too much teenage drama, she turned direction and new angst started building.
Without reading blurb and after noticing some reviews, I dived in with full breath. It was such emotional ride on E.K. Blair's words, created by amazing writing style. She knows how to evoke right feelings to become hooked to the story from the beginning. Just when I thought there will be too much teenage drama, she turned direction and new angst started building.
March 1, 2018
DNF at 44%.
I so wanted to love this book. Student/teacher romances are so my thing, but I just felt zero chemistry between these characters. I really didn't understand where David's attraction to Cam came from because she just appeared so very young. Also the relationship between Cam and her mum was something I just couldn't relate to. They were horrible to each other. Yes, they were dealing with a deeply heartbreaking situation, but the way they handled it was just so far outside my realm of understanding and it just didn't come across as realistic.
Oh well. I hope you guys enjoy this one more than what I did.
I so wanted to love this book. Student/teacher romances are so my thing, but I just felt zero chemistry between these characters. I really didn't understand where David's attraction to Cam came from because she just appeared so very young. Also the relationship between Cam and her mum was something I just couldn't relate to. They were horrible to each other. Yes, they were dealing with a deeply heartbreaking situation, but the way they handled it was just so far outside my realm of understanding and it just didn't come across as realistic.
Oh well. I hope you guys enjoy this one more than what I did.
February 26, 2018
Oh man, I cannot help but love forbidden romances and Secret Lucidity is no different. E.K. Blair has brought to life the struggles of being seventeen and dealing with the heavy weight of life. She tells the heart wrenching story of Cam, a girl thrust too soon into adulthood, tempted by the things that bring her relief from the pain. From depressive thoughts to self harm, Cam has so much she doesn't know how to deal with and the company of off-limits David is a welcome one. What starts as an emotional outlet grows into something more as Cam's mom gives up on her role as a mother and the people who Cam once considered friends join in on the whispering behind her back. She finds herself running to him more often and soon she's giving him everything, their time together a secret no one must know about.
"Touch.
... A hug laced in tainted innocence.
A hug I don't want to hide away from."
I will kick this off with a warning, Secret Lucidity is absolutely a forbidden romance and there is definitely an age gap between Cam and David that is worth noting for safer readers. It's also a beautifully crafted novel about coming of age, passionate love, and learning to face the bad things that happen. Cam is a hurt young woman who, after a terrible accident, finds herself scarred, heart broken, and feeling unloved. She isn't understood by her peers, by her family, by really anyone except David. He makes her want to heal, he makes her feel life again, but he also presents a lot of complications that young Cam doesn't fully grasp. Their romance is a whirlwind, at first based on desperation and a dire need for compassion and later growing into companionship and love. Cam was, in many ways, so similar to any teenager you might know. She struggles with many of the same hardships, with the same feelings, but hers seem magnified by the massive change her life has had. I hurt so much for her, knowing how it feels to be misunderstood, to want something more, and even to want a way to not feel at all. I really connected with her in those ways and, admittedly, I've definitely felt attraction for an older man, the age gap seeming silly. Though their age gap is large, David really did come across, to me, as a kind, loving, and sincere man. There is so much depth to both of them, even with the novel only being told from Cam's perspective.
"How do they not feel the tension in this room? How do they not see it? How do they not taste it?"
It's obvious they both glossed over the reality of their situation, letting their feelings guide the way. Unlike most forbidden romances though, E.K. Blair gives a lot of attention to the profundity of the sorrow and its power over Cam's life. The detail given on how Cam found herself so lost and alone, how the two found each other, and what each gave to one another outside of just touch really brings the story, the romance, into perspective. There is incredibly deep dialogue between Cam and David, very different from the conversations that Cam has with her two oldest friends. There is pain, there is happiness, and there is a lot of trust and sharing between the two, enough so that their romance stopped seeming so forbidden and their age is forgotten. It's a hard topic to write about and I think E.K. Blair tackled it very well, taking something that is usually reserved for erotica reads and giving it the innocent background that so often comes with these sort of connections.
"They're taking something so beautiful and turning it into something so vile - so repulsive."
It's an emotional story, one that got to me in a very personal way. E.K. Blair has always had a fantastic way with words, but this book is one of her most evocative, in my opinion. I could see the characters, I could feel their pain and I really found myself feeling so much compassion for their plight. It's not dark, by any means, but it is a difficult read and not the sort of light reading you forget about the next day. It's heavy, a book weighed down by life, loss, and love, but it's also truly a phenomenal, worthwhile read.
ARC provided.
"Touch.
... A hug laced in tainted innocence.
A hug I don't want to hide away from."
I will kick this off with a warning, Secret Lucidity is absolutely a forbidden romance and there is definitely an age gap between Cam and David that is worth noting for safer readers. It's also a beautifully crafted novel about coming of age, passionate love, and learning to face the bad things that happen. Cam is a hurt young woman who, after a terrible accident, finds herself scarred, heart broken, and feeling unloved. She isn't understood by her peers, by her family, by really anyone except David. He makes her want to heal, he makes her feel life again, but he also presents a lot of complications that young Cam doesn't fully grasp. Their romance is a whirlwind, at first based on desperation and a dire need for compassion and later growing into companionship and love. Cam was, in many ways, so similar to any teenager you might know. She struggles with many of the same hardships, with the same feelings, but hers seem magnified by the massive change her life has had. I hurt so much for her, knowing how it feels to be misunderstood, to want something more, and even to want a way to not feel at all. I really connected with her in those ways and, admittedly, I've definitely felt attraction for an older man, the age gap seeming silly. Though their age gap is large, David really did come across, to me, as a kind, loving, and sincere man. There is so much depth to both of them, even with the novel only being told from Cam's perspective.
"How do they not feel the tension in this room? How do they not see it? How do they not taste it?"
It's obvious they both glossed over the reality of their situation, letting their feelings guide the way. Unlike most forbidden romances though, E.K. Blair gives a lot of attention to the profundity of the sorrow and its power over Cam's life. The detail given on how Cam found herself so lost and alone, how the two found each other, and what each gave to one another outside of just touch really brings the story, the romance, into perspective. There is incredibly deep dialogue between Cam and David, very different from the conversations that Cam has with her two oldest friends. There is pain, there is happiness, and there is a lot of trust and sharing between the two, enough so that their romance stopped seeming so forbidden and their age is forgotten. It's a hard topic to write about and I think E.K. Blair tackled it very well, taking something that is usually reserved for erotica reads and giving it the innocent background that so often comes with these sort of connections.
"They're taking something so beautiful and turning it into something so vile - so repulsive."
It's an emotional story, one that got to me in a very personal way. E.K. Blair has always had a fantastic way with words, but this book is one of her most evocative, in my opinion. I could see the characters, I could feel their pain and I really found myself feeling so much compassion for their plight. It's not dark, by any means, but it is a difficult read and not the sort of light reading you forget about the next day. It's heavy, a book weighed down by life, loss, and love, but it's also truly a phenomenal, worthwhile read.
ARC provided.
February 26, 2018
Secret Lucidity by EK Blair
5 stars!!!
Two five star reads on the bounce and EK Blair is back with a bang with Secret Lucidity. This is EK Blair at her very best and this book has earned its place on my EK Blair favourites list. I have always had an incredibly soft spot for Fading, Freeing & Falling, but this one is right up there with them.
EK Blair brings to the table a forbidden love book, student and professor and while I absolutely love this trope, the best bit about this book…EMOTION!! I literally spent the first 30 odd percent of this book in floods of tears as our heroine’s life is changed forever. I felt Camellia’s pain, I lived and breathed it, I experienced it and was in total awe as EK Blair made this character bleed on every page. This was raw and emotional and what an incredible start to a book. When an author nails a character like this I always sit back in admiration, my whole body was literally wrung out and if there is ever a character you will find yourself rooting for, it is our Camellia.
This book was beautifully crafted, perfectly paced and one of the most hauntingly emotional books I have ever had the pleasure of reading, but it is not all doom and gloom. Oh no, as I said, student/teacher and this one has all the feels. I loved the slow burn, at no point did I feel that David was a predator. Although Camellia was considered underage at seventeen, here in the UK, legal age is sixteen, so for me, age wasn’t a problem. But, for me, these two were believable. I felt their connection, the chemistry was off the charts and these two fell for each other hard, when the world wanted to keep them apart.
The depth of these characters was flawless, sheer brilliance as EK Blair immerses the reader into the desperate lives of two people that are incredibly flawed and yet bring out the best in one and other. Each heals the other and while you would scream dependency, it wasn’t like that, these two just clicked, they worked, and they loved hard.
The angst level was way up there, but nothing superfluous. The twists and turns had my guts churning, my heart breaking, my eyes leaking and my emotions all over the place. Expertly crafted this book is one incredible roller coaster of emotions that will have you running the gamut of every single feeling you can muster. This is one of the most epic love stories I have ever had the pleasure of reading and is proof that age is just a number. The heart wants who the heart wants, you don’t choose who you love…love chooses you.
Seriously amazing, emotional, unputdownable and a love story I will never forget and will definitely be re-reading. My only gripe…I wanted more. Keeping my fingers for a very extended epilogue in the future.
www.theromancecover.com
5 stars!!!
“This is us – victims of love.”
Two five star reads on the bounce and EK Blair is back with a bang with Secret Lucidity. This is EK Blair at her very best and this book has earned its place on my EK Blair favourites list. I have always had an incredibly soft spot for Fading, Freeing & Falling, but this one is right up there with them.
“…if I’m going to give you the broken pieces of me, then I’m going to want yours too.”
EK Blair brings to the table a forbidden love book, student and professor and while I absolutely love this trope, the best bit about this book…EMOTION!! I literally spent the first 30 odd percent of this book in floods of tears as our heroine’s life is changed forever. I felt Camellia’s pain, I lived and breathed it, I experienced it and was in total awe as EK Blair made this character bleed on every page. This was raw and emotional and what an incredible start to a book. When an author nails a character like this I always sit back in admiration, my whole body was literally wrung out and if there is ever a character you will find yourself rooting for, it is our Camellia.
“I feel unlovable…I’m too far beyond lost, and I don’t know how to find my way back. I’m starting to wonder if there even is a way back.”
This book was beautifully crafted, perfectly paced and one of the most hauntingly emotional books I have ever had the pleasure of reading, but it is not all doom and gloom. Oh no, as I said, student/teacher and this one has all the feels. I loved the slow burn, at no point did I feel that David was a predator. Although Camellia was considered underage at seventeen, here in the UK, legal age is sixteen, so for me, age wasn’t a problem. But, for me, these two were believable. I felt their connection, the chemistry was off the charts and these two fell for each other hard, when the world wanted to keep them apart.
“…know that, no matter what they say, no matter how wrong we were for doing what we did, together all those wrongs created the most exquisite right. So, this is it. This is how our love story ends.”
The depth of these characters was flawless, sheer brilliance as EK Blair immerses the reader into the desperate lives of two people that are incredibly flawed and yet bring out the best in one and other. Each heals the other and while you would scream dependency, it wasn’t like that, these two just clicked, they worked, and they loved hard.
“This is wrong. But when the whole world is spitting its wrongs at me, what the hell is just one more?”
The angst level was way up there, but nothing superfluous. The twists and turns had my guts churning, my heart breaking, my eyes leaking and my emotions all over the place. Expertly crafted this book is one incredible roller coaster of emotions that will have you running the gamut of every single feeling you can muster. This is one of the most epic love stories I have ever had the pleasure of reading and is proof that age is just a number. The heart wants who the heart wants, you don’t choose who you love…love chooses you.
“Because that’s what love is; it’s the same as death – it’s a separation from reality. It’s a moment suspended in time, and when it’s over, that’s it – your moment is gone. All you’re left with is this – this right here – mourning memories of what will never be again.”
Seriously amazing, emotional, unputdownable and a love story I will never forget and will definitely be re-reading. My only gripe…I wanted more. Keeping my fingers for a very extended epilogue in the future.
www.theromancecover.com
February 18, 2018
Forbidden romances are so exciting to read because there is always that ‘edge of the seat feeling’, wondering if they are going to get away with their secret or if they will get caught out. This is a student / teacher story but it is so much more than that.
Cam has a wonderful life, she is an only child to her loving parents, it is the beginning of summer before her last year of high school, she has a sweet boyfriend and swimming scholarships for college are on the horizon. This will be the the best summer of her life thus far. Until her world is completely flipped upside down. Nothing will ever be the same again.
The summer to remember will be marred with grief, sorrow and sadness. Gone is the carefree happy Cam and in her place is someone else. Happiness has been stolen from her and now she has to find away to move forward in a life she no longer recognises. Isolating herself from her friends is one of her coping mechanisms but when she finally does break down and give in to the sadness, there is only one witness, her new swim coach David.
Cam is embarassed initially but David is very sympathetic to what she has been going through these past few months and it’s nice to talk to someone who doesn’t know her as well as her family and friends. She finds comfort in a friendship with David, he may be 31 years old but there is comfort and security in knowing that he is there for her if she needs him.
When things get just too hard she turns to David for support and this eventually leads to them ‘crossing the line.’ He knows it is wrong, he is on the school staff and could potentially lose his job if they were caught out but he can’t ignore the feelings he has for Cam, it’s more than physical.
"I don’t need a man who tucks my darkness into a distant corner. I need a man that will dance with it, nurture it, and tell me that in such a vigorous world, it’s the most stunning thing he’s ever seen. A man that will find the terrible traits in me and be content to love me anyway."
Yes, she is in a vulnerable place right now but finding comfort in each other just feels so right. Cam & David know the risks but because they have gotten away with keeping things hidden they make one tiny slip up that will change the course of their relationship and lives in a way that neither of them ever expected, leaving them both heart broken and destroyed.
"We held the future by the tips of our fingers, but it wasn’t enough for us to keep in our grip, and now, everything we were looking forward to is gone."
That’s all I’m going to say about the story detail. I personally didn’t have any issue about the age difference between Cam & David. I think that in the big scheme of things, she needed someone like him in her life for love & comfort, he gave her that when no one else in her life could. However, ‘what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger’ is something that Cam learns the hard way and in doing so she learns to embrace the peaceful moments of lucidity.
Another fabulous, thought provoking story from EK Blair who writes in such a captivating way.
Cam has a wonderful life, she is an only child to her loving parents, it is the beginning of summer before her last year of high school, she has a sweet boyfriend and swimming scholarships for college are on the horizon. This will be the the best summer of her life thus far. Until her world is completely flipped upside down. Nothing will ever be the same again.
The summer to remember will be marred with grief, sorrow and sadness. Gone is the carefree happy Cam and in her place is someone else. Happiness has been stolen from her and now she has to find away to move forward in a life she no longer recognises. Isolating herself from her friends is one of her coping mechanisms but when she finally does break down and give in to the sadness, there is only one witness, her new swim coach David.
Cam is embarassed initially but David is very sympathetic to what she has been going through these past few months and it’s nice to talk to someone who doesn’t know her as well as her family and friends. She finds comfort in a friendship with David, he may be 31 years old but there is comfort and security in knowing that he is there for her if she needs him.
When things get just too hard she turns to David for support and this eventually leads to them ‘crossing the line.’ He knows it is wrong, he is on the school staff and could potentially lose his job if they were caught out but he can’t ignore the feelings he has for Cam, it’s more than physical.
"I don’t need a man who tucks my darkness into a distant corner. I need a man that will dance with it, nurture it, and tell me that in such a vigorous world, it’s the most stunning thing he’s ever seen. A man that will find the terrible traits in me and be content to love me anyway."
Yes, she is in a vulnerable place right now but finding comfort in each other just feels so right. Cam & David know the risks but because they have gotten away with keeping things hidden they make one tiny slip up that will change the course of their relationship and lives in a way that neither of them ever expected, leaving them both heart broken and destroyed.
"We held the future by the tips of our fingers, but it wasn’t enough for us to keep in our grip, and now, everything we were looking forward to is gone."
That’s all I’m going to say about the story detail. I personally didn’t have any issue about the age difference between Cam & David. I think that in the big scheme of things, she needed someone like him in her life for love & comfort, he gave her that when no one else in her life could. However, ‘what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger’ is something that Cam learns the hard way and in doing so she learns to embrace the peaceful moments of lucidity.
Another fabulous, thought provoking story from EK Blair who writes in such a captivating way.
February 2, 2018
Release Date: February 26, 2018
Genre: Forbidden Romance (Student/Teacher)
OMG! This is my first E.K. Blair book and I am absolutely REELING from the effects that it left on my heart. This book is utterly emotional (like, you may have a couple of ugly cry moments), it's deliciously forbidden (TRULY forbidden as the heroine is not only underage but also the the STUDENT of the heroes), and downright BEAUTIFUL. GAH!! I LOVED this darn book. Talk about starting out a new author with a BANG. E.K. Blair has written pure beauty in this novel. I simply did not care that our heroine was underage because I FELT the connection between her and David. I also couldn't have cared less that he was her teacher and "taking advantage" of an underage girl because it just didn't feel this way. Absolute PERFECTION. This is how all forbidden romances should feel to the readers and I think the author has truly done a wonderful job at bringing a beautiful story to us readers. I HIGHLY recommend it.
ABOUT SECRET LUCIDITY
You can garner from the blurb and description of this novel that this is a forbidden, student/teacher romance- it is. However, I want to warn readers that it isn't one of those slightly forbidden romances where everyone is of age of consent and just find themselves in tricky situations. NOPE. That is not the case here. Cam is a typical high school student with a boyfriend and plans for the future. But when then the sudden death of someone very close to her tragically occurs, it takes all of her effort to overcome it. No longer being able to turn to her friends for guidance she seeks it out in an unconventional way- with her swim coach and English teacher. But she never realizes just how much this man can save her... In more ways than one.
Cam and David have a love story like any other. And while their relationship won't be easy (hiding the truth from everyone is extremely difficult) it is raw and real. And how it ends? Well, you will have to read it to find out...
OVERALL THOUGHTS OF THE BOOK
DAMN! This book hit me like a ton of bricks. I practically had anxiety and my own grief while reading it. E.K. Blaire weaves this story in a way that it makes her readers feel like they are going through the same thing the characters are and it hits deep. I was overcome with emotions in this one (it is so much more emotional than I had every anticipated when going into it) but I couldn't put it down because I was so hooked.
Do you think I would recommend it??? CLEARLY!!!! It's so damn good you kind of HAVE TO in order to understand the way I feel about it. Sigh. I'm glad I got through the novel to see how everything turned out but I am so sad to see it go.
PURCHASE A COPY OF THE NOVEL
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2E59who
Listen with Audible: http://amzn.to/2s0wiCd
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Genre: Forbidden Romance (Student/Teacher)
OMG! This is my first E.K. Blair book and I am absolutely REELING from the effects that it left on my heart. This book is utterly emotional (like, you may have a couple of ugly cry moments), it's deliciously forbidden (TRULY forbidden as the heroine is not only underage but also the the STUDENT of the heroes), and downright BEAUTIFUL. GAH!! I LOVED this darn book. Talk about starting out a new author with a BANG. E.K. Blair has written pure beauty in this novel. I simply did not care that our heroine was underage because I FELT the connection between her and David. I also couldn't have cared less that he was her teacher and "taking advantage" of an underage girl because it just didn't feel this way. Absolute PERFECTION. This is how all forbidden romances should feel to the readers and I think the author has truly done a wonderful job at bringing a beautiful story to us readers. I HIGHLY recommend it.
ABOUT SECRET LUCIDITY
You can garner from the blurb and description of this novel that this is a forbidden, student/teacher romance- it is. However, I want to warn readers that it isn't one of those slightly forbidden romances where everyone is of age of consent and just find themselves in tricky situations. NOPE. That is not the case here. Cam is a typical high school student with a boyfriend and plans for the future. But when then the sudden death of someone very close to her tragically occurs, it takes all of her effort to overcome it. No longer being able to turn to her friends for guidance she seeks it out in an unconventional way- with her swim coach and English teacher. But she never realizes just how much this man can save her... In more ways than one.
Cam and David have a love story like any other. And while their relationship won't be easy (hiding the truth from everyone is extremely difficult) it is raw and real. And how it ends? Well, you will have to read it to find out...
OVERALL THOUGHTS OF THE BOOK
DAMN! This book hit me like a ton of bricks. I practically had anxiety and my own grief while reading it. E.K. Blaire weaves this story in a way that it makes her readers feel like they are going through the same thing the characters are and it hits deep. I was overcome with emotions in this one (it is so much more emotional than I had every anticipated when going into it) but I couldn't put it down because I was so hooked.
Do you think I would recommend it??? CLEARLY!!!! It's so damn good you kind of HAVE TO in order to understand the way I feel about it. Sigh. I'm glad I got through the novel to see how everything turned out but I am so sad to see it go.
PURCHASE A COPY OF THE NOVEL
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2E59who
Listen with Audible: http://amzn.to/2s0wiCd
Want more book reviews, recommendations, sales, upcoming releases, and other bookish stuff?? You can find all of this on my blog >> http://bit.ly/2zWy7QJ
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February 21, 2018
"Why do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Make me love you like a necessity?"
And the Queen of Controversy does it again!!!! Oh yes, she did. This author is a master at getting a reaction through her written words and in "Secret Lucidity" I have a feeling she will definitely have garnered just that. I can just see those tongues wagging now because as always, this book skates around right and wrong, blurring those lines so seamlessly and with such an ease that readers will be left questioning their own moral compasses. Some will approve, some will disapprove and others (I'm sure) will sit on the fence like me but one thing is for certain, by the end of this emotionally charged story, your heart will feel like it has been rung out to dry!!!!
I don't need a man who tucks my darkness into a distant corner. I need a man who will dance with it, nurture it, and tell me that in such a vigorous world, it's the most stunning thing he's ever seen.
In "Secret Lucidity," EK Blair took the age old trope of a forbidden student/ teacher romance, put her own unique stamp on it and turned David and Cam's story into something I doubt any reader could have foreseen. This truly is a book that will stand out from the rest, the author taking a huge leap of faith, biting the bullet and going where few teacher/ student romance authors dare to go. This was a forbidden romance ... forbidden being the operative word. Coupled with some pretty intense and emotional themes, I can imagine it would have been quite easy to over romanticise this whole situation in order to sell books but that is not who this author is. She took forbidden and taboo and made it into the most beautiful, gut wrenching, painful read possible and in doing that, she made Cam and David's story real and so bloody believable, I lived and breathed this couple's journey right alongside them. My Heart ached for them and my soul cried for them. In fact I doubt that there will be many that read "Secret Lucidity" that won't be affected by the story that unfolds before them.
“Because that’s what love is; it’s the same as death – it’s a separation from reality. It’s a moment suspended in time, and when it’s over, that’s it – your moment is gone. All you’re left with is this – this right here – mourning memories of what will never be again.”
This author's writing is always full of so much emotion, her poetic prose breathing life into her words, creating these amazing and very vivid images that make her stories come to life. From the first page to the last, this was forbidden romance at its best and gets ❤️❤️❤️❤️ from me.
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February 3, 2018DNF @ 40%
Sorry, but this was a let down. I was expecting an angsty student/teacher romance. I feel like there was too much, but not enough. There was no build up to the 'romance'.... none.
Sorry, but this was a let down. I was expecting an angsty student/teacher romance. I feel like there was too much, but not enough. There was no build up to the 'romance'.... none.
February 23, 2018
I went in after reading my fave trope blurb,I was expecting forbidden/Tabboo sex and some desperate passion, but I was not prepared to get my heart clenched and emotions to flow through my eyes, but that is exactly what happened ! A poignant, sad/happy story hidden in a box labelled generalised trope. I read till late, couldn't stop reading, couldn't stop turning the pages.
; Just Kept Swimming ;
Let me start by saying I loved the story. It shoves a hand between your third and fourth rib and squeezes the organ behind and doesn't let go !
Camellia Hale is a senior today, her Dad the swim coach and overbearing, overprotective , albeit overloving, indulgent Dad to her. She's prepared to be a senior now, her whole life ahead of her and BAM !!💥 her life, as she knows it, is gone. Let me repeat -Its G.O.N.E !!!!
She's struggling to get off the floor now, scared to get off of her knees and look around her, cause the earth may have shifted from under her feat, the world hasn't stopped turning, Sun hasn't stopped shining, her friends haven't stopped smiling & laughing, her boyfriend hasn't stopped holding her hand.
I should start getting on with my life. But how can I? How do I put one foot in front of the other when I’m paralyzed? It hurts to cry, so I don’t. It hurts to smile, so I don’t. It hurts to pretend, so I hide. I’m vanishing.
She's curling into herself , folding, hiding, disappearing.
My heart broke and wept for Cam all throughout.
Let me be clear here, this book is DEFINITELY about forbidden relationship BUT IT'S SO MUCH MORE !!
Don't pick up solely for titillation and sex. If you wanna look behind depression, the causes & effects and it's impact on the circle of family & friends around the " victim" PICK.UP.THIS.BOOK!
I say victim because Cam & David are victims of Love. It breaks their lives apart, I say victim because the people struggling to get through their day, their vocation, their lives didnt want for this overwhelming, mind numbing depression. They fell victim to it's suffocating tentacles as it envelops and chokes them. #MassiveTears here !
The turn of events brings her a new compatriot. A fellow mourners and since he's older, maturer, they drift towards each other, with a whole new set of problems.
It's so wrong
It's so forbidden
It's so sacrilegious
Yet it's so natural !
This is wrong. But when the whole world is spitting its wrongs at me, what the hell is just one more? together all those wrongs created the most exquisite right.
I think the book is being touted at wrong platforms. The Forbidden/Tabboo tag has people scrambling to read it and then getting disappointed, cause it has massive triggers. And I Get It ! But it's also inviting 2 or 3 stars.
EK writes powerfully and with lots of Ethos and Pathos. She does make credible characters and they appeal to all your emotions.
Only one peeve, the story towards the end didn't have enough torturous pain....it flowed smoothly towards the end and there could've been David's POV too, it'd have made the story more relatable.
Just my opinion.
4.5 " Victims Of Love" Stars
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; Just Kept Swimming ;
Let me start by saying I loved the story. It shoves a hand between your third and fourth rib and squeezes the organ behind and doesn't let go !
Camellia Hale is a senior today, her Dad the swim coach and overbearing, overprotective , albeit overloving, indulgent Dad to her. She's prepared to be a senior now, her whole life ahead of her and BAM !!💥 her life, as she knows it, is gone. Let me repeat -Its G.O.N.E !!!!
She's struggling to get off the floor now, scared to get off of her knees and look around her, cause the earth may have shifted from under her feat, the world hasn't stopped turning, Sun hasn't stopped shining, her friends haven't stopped smiling & laughing, her boyfriend hasn't stopped holding her hand.
I should start getting on with my life. But how can I? How do I put one foot in front of the other when I’m paralyzed? It hurts to cry, so I don’t. It hurts to smile, so I don’t. It hurts to pretend, so I hide. I’m vanishing.
She's curling into herself , folding, hiding, disappearing.
My heart broke and wept for Cam all throughout.
Let me be clear here, this book is DEFINITELY about forbidden relationship BUT IT'S SO MUCH MORE !!
Don't pick up solely for titillation and sex. If you wanna look behind depression, the causes & effects and it's impact on the circle of family & friends around the " victim" PICK.UP.THIS.BOOK!
I say victim because Cam & David are victims of Love. It breaks their lives apart, I say victim because the people struggling to get through their day, their vocation, their lives didnt want for this overwhelming, mind numbing depression. They fell victim to it's suffocating tentacles as it envelops and chokes them. #MassiveTears here !
The turn of events brings her a new compatriot. A fellow mourners and since he's older, maturer, they drift towards each other, with a whole new set of problems.
It's so wrong
It's so forbidden
It's so sacrilegious
Yet it's so natural !
This is wrong. But when the whole world is spitting its wrongs at me, what the hell is just one more? together all those wrongs created the most exquisite right.
I think the book is being touted at wrong platforms. The Forbidden/Tabboo tag has people scrambling to read it and then getting disappointed, cause it has massive triggers. And I Get It ! But it's also inviting 2 or 3 stars.
EK writes powerfully and with lots of Ethos and Pathos. She does make credible characters and they appeal to all your emotions.
Only one peeve, the story towards the end didn't have enough torturous pain....it flowed smoothly towards the end and there could've been David's POV too, it'd have made the story more relatable.
Just my opinion.
4.5 " Victims Of Love" Stars
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July 1, 2021
This one's pretty heartbreaking. Anger inducing, depressing but in the end inspires hope.
Cam's family reminded me of Flowers in the attic. She was a daddy's girl and her dad died in a car accident. At the beginning i would definitely compare her mom to Corinne but I discovered she was worse if you count out Corinne killing her children.
Secret Lucidity inspired so much anger. Although it's understandable that her friends didn't get it. Not enough life experience, not enough pain but that doesn't forgive it all. I do appreciate that Troy didn't give up on her. What really got me was the bullying after the self mutilation was advertised. I just can't understand that kind of ignorance and hate.
It never felt like David was taking advantage of Cam, perhaps if I could have read from his point of view. But from where she stood, she needed him, desperately. It just felt beautiful, especially when you discovered the cause of his pain. They needed each other.
After that last 10% of the book, thank God this had a happy ending.
Cam's family reminded me of Flowers in the attic. She was a daddy's girl and her dad died in a car accident. At the beginning i would definitely compare her mom to Corinne but I discovered she was worse if you count out Corinne killing her children.
Secret Lucidity inspired so much anger. Although it's understandable that her friends didn't get it. Not enough life experience, not enough pain but that doesn't forgive it all. I do appreciate that Troy didn't give up on her. What really got me was the bullying after the self mutilation was advertised. I just can't understand that kind of ignorance and hate.
It never felt like David was taking advantage of Cam, perhaps if I could have read from his point of view. But from where she stood, she needed him, desperately. It just felt beautiful, especially when you discovered the cause of his pain. They needed each other.
After that last 10% of the book, thank God this had a happy ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2018
"The panging of wrong over right—or is it right over wrong?"
Such a lovely phrase for a title, "Secret Lucidity". As I read this roiling emotional story of devastation, emotional survival, finding something beautiful, worthwhile, lasting and tangible in the ashes of devastation in a young woman's life damaged irrevocably by loss, I ponder the meaning behind the author's chosen title.
Owing to the author's considerable skill, we begin the story knowing something is going to upset the world of Camellia (Cam) Hale but it shocks us to the core the extent of this young woman's loss. We also know that her love will be David Andrews, her swim team coach, but the reader is settled by David's decency in first resisting their forbidden mutual attraction and then his giving in to the their mutual feelings in offering Cam his physical and emotional love. It never seems wrong to the reader. It feels mutual and so very right.
I love the expressions used in the narrative giving depth to the emotions of Cam who narrates the story. Using phrases like "My blood and bone" and "Swim in his marrow of his bones." stir the heart and soul. After all it is in the marrow where each new blood cell is born. As you read, you will appreciate the genius of the metaphors and careful word choice that give this read real weight.
I especially appreciate how unpretty emotionally and realistic Cam is written to be. Anyone who has felt the grief of losing a treasured parent to whom you have bonded yourself can understand her...her unreasonableness, her sullenness, her brokenness, her neediness, her detachment and at times her disassociation.
Grieving like this takes years. You and your world are never the same. It hits you hard as an adult of 40 or 50. I can only imagine the effect of grief on a blossoming young woman. Anyone can appreciate that a man who has felt a similar darkness can find for himself some understanding and can offer understanding to this blossoming woman who has loss the innocence that everything in life is wonderfully possible that young men and women untouched by tragedy often feel. She not only lost the one parent but she lost the other to addiction. She herself fell into a shameful seldom understood addictive practice to let the pain out of her body.
Although she returns to capture some former glory in her swimming and keeps her scholastic achievements in tact, she is barely keeping it together. Her boyfriend cannot understand the changes in her. Her friends cannot understand her. She also must endure the insensitive taunts of a catty tormentor.
As much as the both try to keep their relationship appropriate, the gravitational pull of attraction and love is too overpowering. She has truly fallen in love with her coach, David, as he has with her.
Cam's first time making love with David as described in the narrative makes the reader fall senseless for the heat of their shared ardor. We are lulled as readers in the passion and the feeling of rightness in their forbidden romance and relationship until a snarky, jealous,troublemaking little girl causes the public shame and humiliation branding David a child molester and Cam a rape victim.
The whole situation seems everything but "lucid" or "clear". I think dear readers what this gifted writer is saying through her characters that no matter how dismal a situation appears or how vitriolic the public condemnations are...the "Secret Lucidity" is inside of you and this clarity is the truth. Holding on to truth will keep you strong. Truth is all about your love. Your love often requires sacrifice and this is how you see your way clear. Your love is your clarity...your "Secret Lucidity"
Such a lovely phrase for a title, "Secret Lucidity". As I read this roiling emotional story of devastation, emotional survival, finding something beautiful, worthwhile, lasting and tangible in the ashes of devastation in a young woman's life damaged irrevocably by loss, I ponder the meaning behind the author's chosen title.
Owing to the author's considerable skill, we begin the story knowing something is going to upset the world of Camellia (Cam) Hale but it shocks us to the core the extent of this young woman's loss. We also know that her love will be David Andrews, her swim team coach, but the reader is settled by David's decency in first resisting their forbidden mutual attraction and then his giving in to the their mutual feelings in offering Cam his physical and emotional love. It never seems wrong to the reader. It feels mutual and so very right.
I love the expressions used in the narrative giving depth to the emotions of Cam who narrates the story. Using phrases like "My blood and bone" and "Swim in his marrow of his bones." stir the heart and soul. After all it is in the marrow where each new blood cell is born. As you read, you will appreciate the genius of the metaphors and careful word choice that give this read real weight.
I especially appreciate how unpretty emotionally and realistic Cam is written to be. Anyone who has felt the grief of losing a treasured parent to whom you have bonded yourself can understand her...her unreasonableness, her sullenness, her brokenness, her neediness, her detachment and at times her disassociation.
Grieving like this takes years. You and your world are never the same. It hits you hard as an adult of 40 or 50. I can only imagine the effect of grief on a blossoming young woman. Anyone can appreciate that a man who has felt a similar darkness can find for himself some understanding and can offer understanding to this blossoming woman who has loss the innocence that everything in life is wonderfully possible that young men and women untouched by tragedy often feel. She not only lost the one parent but she lost the other to addiction. She herself fell into a shameful seldom understood addictive practice to let the pain out of her body.
Although she returns to capture some former glory in her swimming and keeps her scholastic achievements in tact, she is barely keeping it together. Her boyfriend cannot understand the changes in her. Her friends cannot understand her. She also must endure the insensitive taunts of a catty tormentor.
As much as the both try to keep their relationship appropriate, the gravitational pull of attraction and love is too overpowering. She has truly fallen in love with her coach, David, as he has with her.
Cam's first time making love with David as described in the narrative makes the reader fall senseless for the heat of their shared ardor. We are lulled as readers in the passion and the feeling of rightness in their forbidden romance and relationship until a snarky, jealous,troublemaking little girl causes the public shame and humiliation branding David a child molester and Cam a rape victim.
The whole situation seems everything but "lucid" or "clear". I think dear readers what this gifted writer is saying through her characters that no matter how dismal a situation appears or how vitriolic the public condemnations are...the "Secret Lucidity" is inside of you and this clarity is the truth. Holding on to truth will keep you strong. Truth is all about your love. Your love often requires sacrifice and this is how you see your way clear. Your love is your clarity...your "Secret Lucidity"
September 5, 2018
I can't.. I just can't... This is too wrong for me.
She is a student at the age of 17 and he is a teacher in his 30's.
***
Her daddy dies. Her mother starts drinking and ignores her. She closes herself to everyone - she ignores her boyfriend and pushes him away.
***
Then, there is the new Coach - the swimming coach, her teacher. He tries to help her and she lets him. She didn't let her boyfriend but she lets him. Then, they kiss and I ask myself why she pushes away her boyfriend and invites her Coach to her life. The answer is simple: She is replacing her daddy, who is now dead, with her aged teacher. She was always a daddy's girl and now she needs a father figure in her life and her boyfriend, who is at the same age as her, doesn't do the trick. But her teacher does.
***
Nope nope nope - this is "Unhealthy relationship alert" for me. She needs therapy and help to deal with the loss of her dad, not sex with his teacher. I can't even read the parts after they kiss, I cannot read their sex life, I cringed even at the first kiss.
***
The hero, being in his 30's cannot find a woman at his age? Why feel attracted to a 17-year old? That gives me the creeps. I can never see him as the hero of a romance novel.
***
And the heroine, she is really annoying, immature and irritating. She is a child, for God's sake, who has lost her daddy that she adored. She was his "Princess".
***
Why does the writer lead her to such an unhealthy relationship? Why does the writer present this as romance?
Nope, it feels wrong to me, I am sorry, I am out!
DNF'ing this book now before I get more frustrated...
I could have embraced the "forbidden" teacher-student romance if the girl were a college student at her twenties but now when she is 17, he feels more like a predator than a protector or a lover to me.
She is a student at the age of 17 and he is a teacher in his 30's.
***
Her daddy dies. Her mother starts drinking and ignores her. She closes herself to everyone - she ignores her boyfriend and pushes him away.
***
Then, there is the new Coach - the swimming coach, her teacher. He tries to help her and she lets him. She didn't let her boyfriend but she lets him. Then, they kiss and I ask myself why she pushes away her boyfriend and invites her Coach to her life. The answer is simple: She is replacing her daddy, who is now dead, with her aged teacher. She was always a daddy's girl and now she needs a father figure in her life and her boyfriend, who is at the same age as her, doesn't do the trick. But her teacher does.
***
Nope nope nope - this is "Unhealthy relationship alert" for me. She needs therapy and help to deal with the loss of her dad, not sex with his teacher. I can't even read the parts after they kiss, I cannot read their sex life, I cringed even at the first kiss.
***
The hero, being in his 30's cannot find a woman at his age? Why feel attracted to a 17-year old? That gives me the creeps. I can never see him as the hero of a romance novel.
***
And the heroine, she is really annoying, immature and irritating. She is a child, for God's sake, who has lost her daddy that she adored. She was his "Princess".
***
Why does the writer lead her to such an unhealthy relationship? Why does the writer present this as romance?
Nope, it feels wrong to me, I am sorry, I am out!
DNF'ing this book now before I get more frustrated...
I could have embraced the "forbidden" teacher-student romance if the girl were a college student at her twenties but now when she is 17, he feels more like a predator than a protector or a lover to me.
June 8, 2025
2.5 Stars
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The forbidden theme.
The Not-So-Good: The ending and lack of good closure
The Bad: The lack of connection I felt.
Overall: I'm bummed. I was expecting an angst-fest and instead I felt rather apathetic in the end. Sorry if that makes me seem cold hearted 🫣. I did sympathize with the characters, but I never really empathized I guess. I never felt any real emotional connection to the characters or understand their connection to each other. I guess I struggled with this book. It definitely has lots of good reviews, even from some of my GR friends, so it could be a me thing.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Cam and David's story. Cam is about to start her summer before her senior year when tragedy strikes and turns her world upside down. She finds an unusual source of comfort in her new swim coach and teacher. Through her grief and his support, there are lines that are crossed and they develop feelings for one another. There are some sad moments, some secrets revealed, and some sexy times...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This was told in Cam's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Alright. I did skim some around the 50% mark, but I think that was more about me not feeling connected to the characters than the pacing.
Instalove: Kind of, only because I didn't feel the connection and the stronger feelings seemed to come quickly.
H (Hero) rating: 2.5-3 stars. David. Without his POV (at least other than the epilogue), I absolutely didn't connect with him. I didn't necessarily dislike him, but I never truly understood his motives I guess.
h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Cam. I felt bad for all she was going through, but I don't think I necessarily connected with her.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed - I was expecting more tbh.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Alright. They have some chemistry and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. I struggled with their connection in general, so I feel as though that transfers to their sexual chemistry as well.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Mild
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in a good place but not with nearly enough closure as I would've liked. I would call it a HFN ending
Safety: This one should be Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The forbidden theme.
The Not-So-Good: The ending and lack of good closure
The Bad: The lack of connection I felt.
Overall: I'm bummed. I was expecting an angst-fest and instead I felt rather apathetic in the end. Sorry if that makes me seem cold hearted 🫣. I did sympathize with the characters, but I never really empathized I guess. I never felt any real emotional connection to the characters or understand their connection to each other. I guess I struggled with this book. It definitely has lots of good reviews, even from some of my GR friends, so it could be a me thing.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Cam and David's story. Cam is about to start her summer before her senior year when tragedy strikes and turns her world upside down. She finds an unusual source of comfort in her new swim coach and teacher. Through her grief and his support, there are lines that are crossed and they develop feelings for one another. There are some sad moments, some secrets revealed, and some sexy times...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This was told in Cam's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Alright. I did skim some around the 50% mark, but I think that was more about me not feeling connected to the characters than the pacing.
Instalove: Kind of, only because I didn't feel the connection and the stronger feelings seemed to come quickly.
H (Hero) rating: 2.5-3 stars. David. Without his POV (at least other than the epilogue), I absolutely didn't connect with him. I didn't necessarily dislike him, but I never truly understood his motives I guess.
h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Cam. I felt bad for all she was going through, but I don't think I necessarily connected with her.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed - I was expecting more tbh.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Alright. They have some chemistry and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. I struggled with their connection in general, so I feel as though that transfers to their sexual chemistry as well.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Mild
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in a good place but not with nearly enough closure as I would've liked. I would call it a HFN ending
Safety: This one should be Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences
January 30, 2018
Secret Lucidity
By: E.K. Blair
4 Stars
Camellia Hale is living the good life. Just finished her junior year of high school. She has the best boyfriend, killed it this season on the swim team, friends that have been with her and mean the world to her. A father that she not only looks up to but loves dearly.
Walking out of school on the last day of her junior year though, her world changes. Just that quick, her perfect life has now become a life no one wishes for.
While trying to survive and graduate from high school, Cam becomes the parent to her mother, suffers from depression, loses her friends, becomes the one that everyone talks about. Rumors fly about her, life is spinning out of control.
Two things that make her feel better are two things that should not be happening.
One that brings her closer to her loss.
One that brings her love that shouldn’t.
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By: E.K. Blair
4 Stars
Camellia Hale is living the good life. Just finished her junior year of high school. She has the best boyfriend, killed it this season on the swim team, friends that have been with her and mean the world to her. A father that she not only looks up to but loves dearly.
Walking out of school on the last day of her junior year though, her world changes. Just that quick, her perfect life has now become a life no one wishes for.
While trying to survive and graduate from high school, Cam becomes the parent to her mother, suffers from depression, loses her friends, becomes the one that everyone talks about. Rumors fly about her, life is spinning out of control.
Two things that make her feel better are two things that should not be happening.
One that brings her closer to her loss.
One that brings her love that shouldn’t.
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February 16, 2017
I have just finished Secret Lucidity and I'm almost at a loss for words. There is soooo much I want to tell you so that you are able to truly feel what I just read, but that would be rude of me to do. You need to take the journey yourself to get into the depth of their love story.
I know when I open an EK Blair book I won't ever be disappointed. She knows how to capture your attention, set you into the story so that you can feel it unfolding within your soul and hold your hand until the end. THIS book was no exception!
Cam had my heart from the very beginning! What she endures throughout this story hurt me more than once. No, it's nothing compared to her Black Lotus series, but she still takes you on a heartbreaking journey but also lifts you up by the end.
Prayers in my world are nothing more than tarnished pennies at the bottom of wishing wells.
David, her swim coach, also has had to endure a lot in his life. EK gives you little glimpses into his past with each chapter that you read. He slowly starts to open himself up as he tries to help Cam. By opening his wounds helps her to close hers.
Together, there is no greater love!
I know when I open an EK Blair book I won't ever be disappointed. She knows how to capture your attention, set you into the story so that you can feel it unfolding within your soul and hold your hand until the end. THIS book was no exception!
Cam had my heart from the very beginning! What she endures throughout this story hurt me more than once. No, it's nothing compared to her Black Lotus series, but she still takes you on a heartbreaking journey but also lifts you up by the end.
Prayers in my world are nothing more than tarnished pennies at the bottom of wishing wells.
David, her swim coach, also has had to endure a lot in his life. EK gives you little glimpses into his past with each chapter that you read. He slowly starts to open himself up as he tries to help Cam. By opening his wounds helps her to close hers.
Together, there is no greater love!
March 7, 2018
3,8. Adoro essa autora. Ela sabe como manter nossa atenção focada na leitura, e fazer com que mesmo não lendo, lembremos de seu livro.
Com esse não foi diferente. Foi uma história legal de se ler. Mas...
Minha opinião sobre esse livro: achei superficial a maneira como descreveu o personagem principal. Ele me pareceu distante e que tirou vantagem da situação. Pode ser porque também não abordou o lado dele e foi um livro relativamente rápido. Ele não me convenceu até o final.
Achei os sentimentos conturbados, muito precipitados.
Mas valeu a leitura!!!!!
Com esse não foi diferente. Foi uma história legal de se ler. Mas...
Minha opinião sobre esse livro: achei superficial a maneira como descreveu o personagem principal. Ele me pareceu distante e que tirou vantagem da situação. Pode ser porque também não abordou o lado dele e foi um livro relativamente rápido. Ele não me convenceu até o final.
Achei os sentimentos conturbados, muito precipitados.
Mas valeu a leitura!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2018
Heart-wrenching and beautiful. I love this student-teacher romance.
February 25, 2018
***ARC Provided by the Author and Give Me Books***
3.5 Stars
Forbidden romance, taboo story lines, people who should not be together because society (and sometimes the law) say they shouldn't be...are some of my favorites.
Authors handle it in different ways. Sometimes, it's the step brother who is older, so he never lived in the house, or the couple that meets when one of them is underage, but nothing happens until they are both above the age of consent.
And, then there are books like this one. About a 17 year old girl and a 31 year old man. I liked the way the author dealt with this, as the things Cam was handling, the things happening in her life, would have given her a maturity. And, we saw this as the story unfolded, as she stepped away from the things in her life that no longer worked after her accident (happens at the very beginning, not a spoiler) because she was no longer that person.
Cam and David were interesting. I liked the progression of their relationship. I liked their acknowledgement that it was legally wrong but not to them. I liked that they were both willing participants and while there were times that Cam seemed young, most of the time, I had no issues believing that she was making an honest choice to be involved with David, and that her feelings were real.
That, I think, was the toughest challenge, as Cam is 17. I needed to believe that the relationship was real and that she was mature enough to hold the interest of David, at 31. And, I did believe it. I found it authentic.
The ending, however, was not quite what I wanted. The things that happened before the last chapter (so trying not to spoil) worked for me...but there were things between the end of the last chapter and them meeting at the coffee shop, that would have interested me. And, I wish there was at least some of that in there...however, I see why the author plotted the story the way she did.
This is my first title by this author, I enjoyed it, I recommend it, and I am looking forward to the next one by E. K. Blair.
***This and other reviews featured on our blog Booked All Night http://bookedallnightblog.com/***
3.5 Stars
Forbidden romance, taboo story lines, people who should not be together because society (and sometimes the law) say they shouldn't be...are some of my favorites.
Authors handle it in different ways. Sometimes, it's the step brother who is older, so he never lived in the house, or the couple that meets when one of them is underage, but nothing happens until they are both above the age of consent.
And, then there are books like this one. About a 17 year old girl and a 31 year old man. I liked the way the author dealt with this, as the things Cam was handling, the things happening in her life, would have given her a maturity. And, we saw this as the story unfolded, as she stepped away from the things in her life that no longer worked after her accident (happens at the very beginning, not a spoiler) because she was no longer that person.
Cam and David were interesting. I liked the progression of their relationship. I liked their acknowledgement that it was legally wrong but not to them. I liked that they were both willing participants and while there were times that Cam seemed young, most of the time, I had no issues believing that she was making an honest choice to be involved with David, and that her feelings were real.
That, I think, was the toughest challenge, as Cam is 17. I needed to believe that the relationship was real and that she was mature enough to hold the interest of David, at 31. And, I did believe it. I found it authentic.
The ending, however, was not quite what I wanted. The things that happened before the last chapter (so trying not to spoil) worked for me...but there were things between the end of the last chapter and them meeting at the coffee shop, that would have interested me. And, I wish there was at least some of that in there...however, I see why the author plotted the story the way she did.
This is my first title by this author, I enjoyed it, I recommend it, and I am looking forward to the next one by E. K. Blair.
***This and other reviews featured on our blog Booked All Night http://bookedallnightblog.com/***
Displaying 1 - 30 of 388 reviews