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Kiss Me Like You Mean It
My love is poison. His kiss is mine.
“The first time he saw me I was shattered glass, and he was a shadow. If I had stayed, he would have just faded away.”
It’s strange how easy it is to tell our stories to a stranger’s eyes. The truth about Connor Stratford and I had always been a sad tale. Over ten years of chasing, tears, lies, vows, and leaving. Two people who never loved each other at the same time, but couldn’t let each other go.
Now here I was telling our story over drinks midday in an airport bar with my old diary clutched in my hand. Telling some version of our story, anyway.
I left him once with no goodbye. Now I was returning home to give him what he needed to move on.
“It’s important. It’s what you’re thinking.”
I knew what his message meant, sent in the middle of the night after I woke from a fever dream.
He was finally ready, and so was I. I just needed to finally give him the kiss he begged for.
The one that meant goodbye.
“The first time he saw me I was shattered glass, and he was a shadow. If I had stayed, he would have just faded away.”
It’s strange how easy it is to tell our stories to a stranger’s eyes. The truth about Connor Stratford and I had always been a sad tale. Over ten years of chasing, tears, lies, vows, and leaving. Two people who never loved each other at the same time, but couldn’t let each other go.
Now here I was telling our story over drinks midday in an airport bar with my old diary clutched in my hand. Telling some version of our story, anyway.
I left him once with no goodbye. Now I was returning home to give him what he needed to move on.
“It’s important. It’s what you’re thinking.”
I knew what his message meant, sent in the middle of the night after I woke from a fever dream.
He was finally ready, and so was I. I just needed to finally give him the kiss he begged for.
The one that meant goodbye.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 22, 2018
111 people are currently reading
1860 people want to read
About the author
J.R. Rogue
60 books851 followersJ.R. Rogue first put pen to paper at the age of fifteen after developing an unrequited high school crush and has never stopped writing about heartache. She has published multiple volumes of poetry and novels. Her work has been recognized with three Goodreads Choice Awards nominations, a testament to the impact of her work on readers.
In addition to her writing, J.R. Rogue is a certified yoga teacher with additional certification in Yoga Nidra and Trauma-Informed Yoga. She is passionate about mindfulness and meditation, and currently studying Foundations in Meditation. Furthermore, J.R. Rogue has been sober from alcohol since January 1st, 2020, a personal achievement that she is proud of and that has strengthened her commitment to mindfulness and wellness.
J.R. Rogue resides in a small town in the Midwest with her family, where she enjoys a peaceful life reading and telling stories
In addition to her writing, J.R. Rogue is a certified yoga teacher with additional certification in Yoga Nidra and Trauma-Informed Yoga. She is passionate about mindfulness and meditation, and currently studying Foundations in Meditation. Furthermore, J.R. Rogue has been sober from alcohol since January 1st, 2020, a personal achievement that she is proud of and that has strengthened her commitment to mindfulness and wellness.
J.R. Rogue resides in a small town in the Midwest with her family, where she enjoys a peaceful life reading and telling stories
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November 3, 2020
3.5 STARS.
This book is a combination of "Love Letter to Whiskey" by Kandi Steiner and a mix of all female heroin by Tarryn Fisher EVER!!! 💥💥💥
I'll tell you a secret… I started reading this book because of it's cover. Amazing, right?! 😍
This book will not suit everyone, because its heroin is difficult to digest. She's not the kind of characters who gets empathy from the readers. Add to that a completely crazy plot – and you get a different and original story… but also quite annoying at times. LOL 🙈
📚 “𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒐𝒌𝒂𝒚. 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍.”
“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏.” 📚
I'll admit that I HATED this book, but I also LOVED it. I got mad at the characters (especially the heroin), their behavior and actions frustrated me (again, mostly of the heroin's) – but I just had to know how it all ended. I was hooked!!! 💙💙💙
Even at moments when I wanted to throw my Kindle at the wall, I had to know how it would end – and well… I haven't seen it coming. 😱
📚 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒃𝒐𝒚𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒖𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒍𝒆, 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆, 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔. 𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. 📚
I must say that at first I enjoyed the unique writing style, but after the first half it frustrated me… I felt like I was reading a job interview – not a book. True, when I got to the end I understood why it was written that way, and I was definitely surprised by the twist, but I still struggled during the reading and in its second half I found myself skipping quite a few paragraphs… 💥
📚 "𝑯𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒓𝒖𝒏 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒕. 𝑰 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖." 📚
It was not an unforgettable story, but I did enjoy reading it because is was very different. it gave me all the feels and evoked lots of thoughts. 💥
So if you like different love stories, ones that are a whole journey – if you liked "Love Letter to Whiskey" by Kandi Steiner and Tarryn Fisher's crazy heroin's… this is THE BOOK FOR YOU. 💙💙💙
▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️
📖 ᖴOᒪᒪOᗯ ᗰE Oᑎ IᑎᔕTᗩGᖇᗩᗰ: https://www.instagram.com/the_romanti...
📖 ᐯIᔕIT ᗰY ᗷᒪOG ᖴOᖇ ᗰOᖇE ᖇEᐯIEᗯᔕ: https://books-romance.com/
📖 GOOᗪᖇEᗩᗪᔕ: https://bit.ly/3acMRMP
August 7, 2019
Read this review and many more at: Ashes Books & Bobs.
Everything about this book makes me excited. The cover, the story, the setting(s) - J.R. Rogue knocked it out of the park with her third novel. This is not your typical love story. It's raw, revealing, and you may find your heart snagging on some of the shattered dreams inside. Nevertheless, the best books are the ones that make readers feel every word, and I definitely have some inkspots splattered on my heart after finishing Kiss Me Like You Mean It.
A broad spectrum of topics are covered in this novel, from drinking, to men, to mental health, and abuse. The hardest hitting for me was the description of abuse and the after-effects of it numerous years later. I think the mind has a way of protecting itself from hardship. If we felt the full brunt of it all at once, it would be too much to bear. J.R. Rogue describes these moments of realization exactly as they happen and exactly how they feel. Abuse is never something that goes away, even if the abuser is long gone. It's something that stays with a person for their entire existence, manifesting and reshaping as the years drag on. I respect Jen using her voice to encourage women who have been through similar experiences, allowing us to find solace in her words.
"I know more women who have had no father, who have been raped, who have been beaten, than those who live happy full lives with no scars littering their past, their skin. I like likeness in women. I like our sadness, so close to a mirror."
I almost felt like I spent more time highlighting great lines than reading. The cover lured me in and the tale held me hostage. Jen's honest poetic style is infused into this novel, making the story everything it needed to be. Emotion drips from every page allowing the reader to fully connect with the characters, flaws and all. Reading about Gwen's character was like watching my own reflection in the mirror, maybe her actions didn't quite match my own, but her personality was identical. I felt as if I was being flayed open while reading.
"Traditions are hard to break away from. We are all victims of 'this is what you're supposed to do' guilt."
One of my favorite things in this novel was the narration. I loved the airport conversation, journal entries, and the alternation of Gwen and Conner's perspectives. It took me a second or two to figure it out when I started the book, but once I had it, I was hooked. I loved Conner's steadiness and unconditional love throughout. It's such a rare thing to find, but something all of us want. My only critique in regards to the writing as a whole relates to the choppy feel of the paragraphs and chapters. The storyline wasn't as cohesive as I hoped for, and felt a little jumpy and jagged at times. In some ways, the writing style of this particular book fits with well with the plot, but a bit of smoothing may have been helpful.
Rating a book based on someone's life feels like the biggest injustice. Everyone's life has value, every story is important, and rating with stars feels cheap. I loved Jen's story in a painful and reflective sort of way. Parts of the story were hard to read because I felt so deeply heartbroken for the struggles the characters (and real-life people) had to face and the self-reflection I was forced to do hurt. Life just really sucks sometimes. J.R. Rogue captures the suck and from it makes the most beautiful works of "fiction". Her writing fully immerses me in her thoughts and feelings and doesn't let me go, long after I've turned the last page. I'm a fan for life.
Everything about this book makes me excited. The cover, the story, the setting(s) - J.R. Rogue knocked it out of the park with her third novel. This is not your typical love story. It's raw, revealing, and you may find your heart snagging on some of the shattered dreams inside. Nevertheless, the best books are the ones that make readers feel every word, and I definitely have some inkspots splattered on my heart after finishing Kiss Me Like You Mean It.
A broad spectrum of topics are covered in this novel, from drinking, to men, to mental health, and abuse. The hardest hitting for me was the description of abuse and the after-effects of it numerous years later. I think the mind has a way of protecting itself from hardship. If we felt the full brunt of it all at once, it would be too much to bear. J.R. Rogue describes these moments of realization exactly as they happen and exactly how they feel. Abuse is never something that goes away, even if the abuser is long gone. It's something that stays with a person for their entire existence, manifesting and reshaping as the years drag on. I respect Jen using her voice to encourage women who have been through similar experiences, allowing us to find solace in her words.
"I know more women who have had no father, who have been raped, who have been beaten, than those who live happy full lives with no scars littering their past, their skin. I like likeness in women. I like our sadness, so close to a mirror."
I almost felt like I spent more time highlighting great lines than reading. The cover lured me in and the tale held me hostage. Jen's honest poetic style is infused into this novel, making the story everything it needed to be. Emotion drips from every page allowing the reader to fully connect with the characters, flaws and all. Reading about Gwen's character was like watching my own reflection in the mirror, maybe her actions didn't quite match my own, but her personality was identical. I felt as if I was being flayed open while reading.
"Traditions are hard to break away from. We are all victims of 'this is what you're supposed to do' guilt."
One of my favorite things in this novel was the narration. I loved the airport conversation, journal entries, and the alternation of Gwen and Conner's perspectives. It took me a second or two to figure it out when I started the book, but once I had it, I was hooked. I loved Conner's steadiness and unconditional love throughout. It's such a rare thing to find, but something all of us want. My only critique in regards to the writing as a whole relates to the choppy feel of the paragraphs and chapters. The storyline wasn't as cohesive as I hoped for, and felt a little jumpy and jagged at times. In some ways, the writing style of this particular book fits with well with the plot, but a bit of smoothing may have been helpful.
Rating a book based on someone's life feels like the biggest injustice. Everyone's life has value, every story is important, and rating with stars feels cheap. I loved Jen's story in a painful and reflective sort of way. Parts of the story were hard to read because I felt so deeply heartbroken for the struggles the characters (and real-life people) had to face and the self-reflection I was forced to do hurt. Life just really sucks sometimes. J.R. Rogue captures the suck and from it makes the most beautiful works of "fiction". Her writing fully immerses me in her thoughts and feelings and doesn't let me go, long after I've turned the last page. I'm a fan for life.
May 26, 2018
Genre: Women's Fiction/Romance
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person – Female (Partially dual)
Rating:
Gwen's life was in shambles. After the future she dreamed of was stripped from her grasp, she needed a distraction. Connor Stratford came into her life when she needed him the most. But what started as a simple friendship turned into a decade complications that would consume both of their lives.
J.R. Rouge is a new author to me. I've seen and like bits and pieces of her poetry and I was intrigued by how this novel would be. The story wasn't how I expected it to be. It was better.
I didn't deserve tender acts from tender men. I deserved the hell I had been living in.
Right from the beginning I knew Gwen wasn't going to be a likeable character. She loved too deep and obsessed too much for her own good. Her self destructive behavior dragged her down and refused to let go.
We had too many weapons behind our backs, ready to pull out.
Connor wasn't any better. If I were to sum up their relationship in two words it would be beautiful disaster. It was painful to see how their actions (and inactions) hurt each other. It was like watching a slow motion train wreck - gruesomely mesmerizing.
The writing is beautiful but it took me a bit to get in the groove with the switching narrative. But I'm the type of reader who likes books that challenged readers' attention so I like it. My reading ADD brain also appreciates the short chapters. However there were some parts that felt too slow.
It was always this thing with us before we got together. Constant chasing and other people and never being happy with the stand-ins but pushing each other away when we were free to be together.
Kiss Me Like You Mean It is a story of hard earned love. It would appeal to readers who could appreciate the allure of messed up characters.
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
March 1, 2018
If you were ever interested in what a love child between Amy Harmon and Tarryn Fisher looked like- HELLO KISS ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT.
Not only is this a novel about a woman and her struggles with loneliness, depression, and keeping certain men at arms length- it’s a poetic adventure full of delicate words and strong and jagged cuts of feelings. Feelings bleeding out and no band aid cures for these kind, sorry.
The book as a whole was FULL of great lines. The lines were so palpable, heavy. Just right there on the page for you to grasp and take how you want. I almost highlighted the entire book. The prose within these pages were just so overwhelming and full of punches it was sometimes hard for me to breathe. The truth that Jen writes is a lot, but it’s so good.
My kicker with the book, as a whole...wait, do I always have a kicker? I think I do. Anyways, I’m sorry. One word: Timelines. I needed more of a structured timeline. What year were we on? I blinked and Gwen and Conner had been together for four years? Sometimes it was hard for me to tell if we were at present time, or the airport, or past time. So, my only complaint was a more structured timeline.
”When he reaches me, he kisses me like he means it, and he always has. Even when he hated me, he kissed me with the kind of honesty I let die in my throat. He is beauty and life and I am alive because he believes in me, for some reason.
The fairytales don't compare to the work he does.
To the day in and the day out.
He endures.”
The little twist that was thrown in there caught me off guard but it was great. I seen you Jen, but I didn’t see that coming and I can appreciate how it was put into the story. How it wasn’t thrown in for shock factor. How it was thrown in for Gwen’s growth and understanding.
I would like to end this review with one VERY important piece of information:
#TEAMCONNER
Not only is this a novel about a woman and her struggles with loneliness, depression, and keeping certain men at arms length- it’s a poetic adventure full of delicate words and strong and jagged cuts of feelings. Feelings bleeding out and no band aid cures for these kind, sorry.
The book as a whole was FULL of great lines. The lines were so palpable, heavy. Just right there on the page for you to grasp and take how you want. I almost highlighted the entire book. The prose within these pages were just so overwhelming and full of punches it was sometimes hard for me to breathe. The truth that Jen writes is a lot, but it’s so good.
My kicker with the book, as a whole...wait, do I always have a kicker? I think I do. Anyways, I’m sorry. One word: Timelines. I needed more of a structured timeline. What year were we on? I blinked and Gwen and Conner had been together for four years? Sometimes it was hard for me to tell if we were at present time, or the airport, or past time. So, my only complaint was a more structured timeline.
”When he reaches me, he kisses me like he means it, and he always has. Even when he hated me, he kissed me with the kind of honesty I let die in my throat. He is beauty and life and I am alive because he believes in me, for some reason.
The fairytales don't compare to the work he does.
To the day in and the day out.
He endures.”
The little twist that was thrown in there caught me off guard but it was great. I seen you Jen, but I didn’t see that coming and I can appreciate how it was put into the story. How it wasn’t thrown in for shock factor. How it was thrown in for Gwen’s growth and understanding.
I would like to end this review with one VERY important piece of information:
#TEAMCONNER
April 3, 2018
The main character is a trainwreck, but I can relate..... 😂😂
March 17, 2018
4 stars
Such a great story!I love the writing so much it was poetic and flawless!I was hooked from the beginning!It was interesting and so different from whatever I have read so far!Kiss Me Like You Mean It was an intense and emotional story!Gwen isn't perfect she is messed up and she tries to hide her emotions.The story was original and you could easily feel like you are a part of it!This isn't your typical romance.I would love to see more books like this from this author!!
Such a great story!I love the writing so much it was poetic and flawless!I was hooked from the beginning!It was interesting and so different from whatever I have read so far!Kiss Me Like You Mean It was an intense and emotional story!Gwen isn't perfect she is messed up and she tries to hide her emotions.The story was original and you could easily feel like you are a part of it!This isn't your typical romance.I would love to see more books like this from this author!!
November 1, 2019
I may have to remove my rating at some point. This is a placeholder until I further review my feelings on this one.
I love me some angst. That’s no secret. And that’s what I was expecting here. Honestly, though, I didn’t feel any. I mostly felt confused and angry.
I’m sort of shocked that this is someone’s true life story, because man. It’s shocking. I really don’t know how else to describe it. Or how I felt reading it.
In so many ways, it’s sad. The way she sees herself and the way she thinks others feel about her. The insecurity runs deep. The hurt, pain, everything is hard to read. And it manifests in the worst ways. Self-loathing and sabotage are the tips of the iceberg.
Maybe because I’ve never dealt with these issues is the reason I feel so disturbed by Gwen’s actions, feelings, thoughts. I couldn’t relate. So when she’d do something I deemed ridiculous or over the top, it made me angry. Like, why are you hurting yourself??? Not to mention a guy she loved so much. It’s hard not to feel sorry for Connor at first. Yet, as he continued to go back, I lost that feeling too. I get that he loves her, but man. It was almost literally killing them to be together. I can’t imagine living that way.
This entire tale until the last page is jarring. A trip. Loads of brutal honesty. Rogue has balls of steel putting this out there for the world to judge her. And I was enthralled. But is this something I’d want to read over and over? Absolutely not. The writing is superb. But that story is far too intense. The fact that it’s real is also part of that shying away. I have partial intimate knowledge of someone’s life now. Sure, some may be fiction, but it’s rooted somewhere in truth. As much as I appreciated this opening up, I also need to remain a step back. So while this is something I enjoyed to some extent, I don’t know that I’d recommend it for every reader.
Yeah, I’m torn. I liked it okay. I didn’t love it. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to? I’m rambling and not making sense. But at the end of this story, I think my jaw was dropped and I asked myself “wtf did I just read?” Lol
I love me some angst. That’s no secret. And that’s what I was expecting here. Honestly, though, I didn’t feel any. I mostly felt confused and angry.
I’m sort of shocked that this is someone’s true life story, because man. It’s shocking. I really don’t know how else to describe it. Or how I felt reading it.
In so many ways, it’s sad. The way she sees herself and the way she thinks others feel about her. The insecurity runs deep. The hurt, pain, everything is hard to read. And it manifests in the worst ways. Self-loathing and sabotage are the tips of the iceberg.
Maybe because I’ve never dealt with these issues is the reason I feel so disturbed by Gwen’s actions, feelings, thoughts. I couldn’t relate. So when she’d do something I deemed ridiculous or over the top, it made me angry. Like, why are you hurting yourself??? Not to mention a guy she loved so much. It’s hard not to feel sorry for Connor at first. Yet, as he continued to go back, I lost that feeling too. I get that he loves her, but man. It was almost literally killing them to be together. I can’t imagine living that way.
This entire tale until the last page is jarring. A trip. Loads of brutal honesty. Rogue has balls of steel putting this out there for the world to judge her. And I was enthralled. But is this something I’d want to read over and over? Absolutely not. The writing is superb. But that story is far too intense. The fact that it’s real is also part of that shying away. I have partial intimate knowledge of someone’s life now. Sure, some may be fiction, but it’s rooted somewhere in truth. As much as I appreciated this opening up, I also need to remain a step back. So while this is something I enjoyed to some extent, I don’t know that I’d recommend it for every reader.
Yeah, I’m torn. I liked it okay. I didn’t love it. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to? I’m rambling and not making sense. But at the end of this story, I think my jaw was dropped and I asked myself “wtf did I just read?” Lol
April 2, 2018
The rawness. I love her writing. Holy mother.
This is between a 4 & 5* for me, but when someone writes about their brutal truth for all the world to see, you applaud
the beautiful bravery they’ve shown and you give them all the stars.
This was unputdownable for me. Loved.
This is between a 4 & 5* for me, but when someone writes about their brutal truth for all the world to see, you applaud
the beautiful bravery they’ve shown and you give them all the stars.
This was unputdownable for me. Loved.
October 17, 2021
"“How many men have I loved? Some briefly, some all-consuming. Some for a night, some for a second on a busy street
Just another fucked up shit, barbed with wires and roses, I came to fell in love with.
May 23, 2018
Kiss Me Like You Mean It by JR Rogue
4 stars!!!
JR Rogue is a new to me author and it was the synopsis that really captured my attention and made me want to read it. I have to say that this author is insanely talented, the way she strings her words together, sentences, paragraphs and pages is exquisite. Lyrical prose that reads like poetry, effortless, emotional and bewitching. This was a book that I couldn’t put down, another night with hardly any sleep as I devoured the pages effortlessly.
This book is hard hitting and covers a range of subjects that are times are uncomfortable and yet I couldn’t put it down. A book with characters so messed up that it was hard to understand at times and yet the author then throws a glimpse to the past that makes everything crystal clear. I thought this was a work of pure fiction, but knowing it was based on the authors own experiences made this harder to read and I felt a bit sick that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. I felt empathy and sympathy for our heroine, but her actions made her hard to love at times, but none the less, once the I’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed the author went some way to justifying her actions.
I highlighted so much of this book, I mean, I highlight a lot, but the sentences and paragraphs in this book are unparalleled such was my attachment to this authors words. So why not 5 stars? The timeline is extremely jumpy, which I do not mind if it is clearly defined. However, in this book it just shifts with no heads up and at times I found myself going back and re-reading to make sure I understood whereabouts I was in their story. This detracted from my enjoyment as it kept me outside of the story when all I wanted to do was just sit down and devour it.
The authors words are effortless and emotional and my connection to these characters was all in. I felt everything, I had tears, I felt the regret, I felt the uncertainty, I felt our heroines pain. Gwen’s life was a car crash of epic proportions and I felt like a voyeur looking in and yet…I couldn’t look away. Emotion oozes from every page, you could tell that this was personal, you could tell that this came from experience, the rawness, the brutal honesty was tragic, so damn tragic and yet you couldn’t help but champion Gwen to find some stability, accept that she could be loved, no matter how unconventional.
The way this book was narrated was like nothing I have ever read and it was the constant jumps of medium that really made this book. Yes, it was unconventional, but this author told the story the only way it could have been and it only affirmed her voice. This book encompasses child cruelty and the long-lasting effects it has going well into adulthood. How our early experiences morph our character, our insecurities and our outlook on life in general. How it manifests in our characteristics without us even realising and how hard it is to shift that nagging voice that digs deep into our psyche. No matter the experiences, they all matter, they all leave their mark, they imprint on your soul and more often than not, the damage is irreparable. Faceless men, alcohol, depression and mental illness are all explored with frank honesty, afraid of commitment, afraid to love. This was a unique read and one that I can highly recommend.
www.theromancecover.com
4 stars!!!
“You can only go to sleep with tear-stained pillows for so long.”
JR Rogue is a new to me author and it was the synopsis that really captured my attention and made me want to read it. I have to say that this author is insanely talented, the way she strings her words together, sentences, paragraphs and pages is exquisite. Lyrical prose that reads like poetry, effortless, emotional and bewitching. This was a book that I couldn’t put down, another night with hardly any sleep as I devoured the pages effortlessly.
“But the problem with broken people pouring broken love into humans molded from their own flesh was you could see all of your lacking in their eyes.”
This book is hard hitting and covers a range of subjects that are times are uncomfortable and yet I couldn’t put it down. A book with characters so messed up that it was hard to understand at times and yet the author then throws a glimpse to the past that makes everything crystal clear. I thought this was a work of pure fiction, but knowing it was based on the authors own experiences made this harder to read and I felt a bit sick that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. I felt empathy and sympathy for our heroine, but her actions made her hard to love at times, but none the less, once the I’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed the author went some way to justifying her actions.
“And what were you used to?”
“Being used for nothing more than my skin.”
I highlighted so much of this book, I mean, I highlight a lot, but the sentences and paragraphs in this book are unparalleled such was my attachment to this authors words. So why not 5 stars? The timeline is extremely jumpy, which I do not mind if it is clearly defined. However, in this book it just shifts with no heads up and at times I found myself going back and re-reading to make sure I understood whereabouts I was in their story. This detracted from my enjoyment as it kept me outside of the story when all I wanted to do was just sit down and devour it.
“Grief can alter your body rapidly. Grief had been altering her heart for years and I ignored it.”
The authors words are effortless and emotional and my connection to these characters was all in. I felt everything, I had tears, I felt the regret, I felt the uncertainty, I felt our heroines pain. Gwen’s life was a car crash of epic proportions and I felt like a voyeur looking in and yet…I couldn’t look away. Emotion oozes from every page, you could tell that this was personal, you could tell that this came from experience, the rawness, the brutal honesty was tragic, so damn tragic and yet you couldn’t help but champion Gwen to find some stability, accept that she could be loved, no matter how unconventional.
“That's why you were so sad all the time. You weren't just sad about the things that happened to you. You absorbed all the hurt that the world had.”
The way this book was narrated was like nothing I have ever read and it was the constant jumps of medium that really made this book. Yes, it was unconventional, but this author told the story the only way it could have been and it only affirmed her voice. This book encompasses child cruelty and the long-lasting effects it has going well into adulthood. How our early experiences morph our character, our insecurities and our outlook on life in general. How it manifests in our characteristics without us even realising and how hard it is to shift that nagging voice that digs deep into our psyche. No matter the experiences, they all matter, they all leave their mark, they imprint on your soul and more often than not, the damage is irreparable. Faceless men, alcohol, depression and mental illness are all explored with frank honesty, afraid of commitment, afraid to love. This was a unique read and one that I can highly recommend.
“I want to know something beautiful can grow from this. That opening up doesn't have to be the end of everything. That someone will see all of this ugly in me, and tell me where the beauty is.”
www.theromancecover.com
February 28, 2018
Tragic, hopeful, honest. I believe this is Rogue's best novel to date.
At once arresting, haunting, and harrowing, Rogue's latest novel will send you down a rabbit hole of adultery, faithfulness, hardships, and ultimately, the path to healing.
I wasn't more than five pages in when I realized this book was going to hurt all my feelings and then some. It was captivating, poetic, and brutally honest in its prose. Rogue has a way of weaving words together that will leave you speechless, make you pause and put the book down, so you can take in her words and really feel them, then possibly want to just snuggle up with the closest animal and eat as much chocolate as you can. But the sick part is, you'll LIKE it.
Her words will hurt. She will twist the knife but then she will stitch you back up.
This book was so many things at once. It was too much, yet it was everything in your life that wasn't quite enough. It was unforgettable. It will creep into your bones and make a home there. It will render you speechless and vulnerable and it will make you question the world, even yourself.
I can't go in to too much detail without spoiling anything, but I will say this: for anyone who has loved, for anyone who has hurt, for anyone who has suffered through traumatic experiences, for anyone who has felt ashamed and alone, for anyone who feels human or anyone who wishes they were anything but, read this book.
Five stars because I can't give ten.
READ THIS BOOK.
At once arresting, haunting, and harrowing, Rogue's latest novel will send you down a rabbit hole of adultery, faithfulness, hardships, and ultimately, the path to healing.
I wasn't more than five pages in when I realized this book was going to hurt all my feelings and then some. It was captivating, poetic, and brutally honest in its prose. Rogue has a way of weaving words together that will leave you speechless, make you pause and put the book down, so you can take in her words and really feel them, then possibly want to just snuggle up with the closest animal and eat as much chocolate as you can. But the sick part is, you'll LIKE it.
Her words will hurt. She will twist the knife but then she will stitch you back up.
This book was so many things at once. It was too much, yet it was everything in your life that wasn't quite enough. It was unforgettable. It will creep into your bones and make a home there. It will render you speechless and vulnerable and it will make you question the world, even yourself.
I can't go in to too much detail without spoiling anything, but I will say this: for anyone who has loved, for anyone who has hurt, for anyone who has suffered through traumatic experiences, for anyone who has felt ashamed and alone, for anyone who feels human or anyone who wishes they were anything but, read this book.
Five stars because I can't give ten.
READ THIS BOOK.
May 4, 2020
Kiss Me Like You Mean It is a tough one to rate. On one hand, it’s beautifully (almost poetically) written; on the other hand, it’s depressing, and the MC’s are tough to root for. It doesn't really fit into a category. It's not a romance; it reads like a memoir, following the struggles of the h, Gwen. (which makes sense because I believe it's based on the author's life)
“Nothing lingers. I am yours. I can never be anything but yours.” I like to say these things. It feels good to appear open.
Right from the beginning I knew Gwen wasn't going to be a likeable character. She has not had the easiest life, and is the poster girl for not filling your own cup up. She uses her struggles as justification to be selfish, cruel, and SUPER self-destructive. She's an emotional mess, and needed therapy badly, but makes no steps to improve herself, so we are just left watching these unhealthy choices/relationships circling around for much of the book. That being said, dealing with mental shit is just like grief; there isn’t a right or wrong way to get through it, so I’m not here to judge. My point is, it was hard to sympathize with Gwen, so I didn’t have the emotional connection with her struggles.
The book follows Gwen and Connor’s relationship over a ten-year period. It’s an ugly love story, but not all love is pretty. It isn’t healthy, and it’s painful to watch, but is portrayed honestly warts and all. They are both flawed, and avoid their issues rather than communicating.
It was always this thing with us before we got together. Constant chasing and other people and never being happy with the stand-ins but pushing each other away when we were free to be together.
After Connor and I ended our brief romance, I found many replacements. It would be a messy two years. And Connor and I would see each other again. So many times. I would learn over and over again, that he was exactly the kind of man I craved.
I thought if I told her how much I loved her, how sorry I was, she would come back. Getting through to her with honest words and confessions was useless. She only wanted what she couldn’t have.
The writing style takes a bit to get used to, it's a bit choppy. Also, it shifts from past and present throughout, and within that there are journal entries, Gwen having a conversation with someone, and snippets of Connor's POV... so it was confusing at first, and took a few chapters to get the style down.
Bottom line- This isn't a pretty love story; there's cheating, an OM, lots of destructive behaviors, and it isn't sugar coated. The main focus is Gwen's journey from being a train-wreck to finding peace. I think it was really brave for the author to put it all out there; I may have struggled relating to her, but give her props for owning it. I wish we could have spent more time at the end after the resolution; it ends pretty abruptly after, so much of the 282 pages is spent with the toxic stuff. I felt drained when I finished, so do not go into it depressed:)
“Nothing lingers. I am yours. I can never be anything but yours.” I like to say these things. It feels good to appear open.
Right from the beginning I knew Gwen wasn't going to be a likeable character. She has not had the easiest life, and is the poster girl for not filling your own cup up. She uses her struggles as justification to be selfish, cruel, and SUPER self-destructive. She's an emotional mess, and needed therapy badly, but makes no steps to improve herself, so we are just left watching these unhealthy choices/relationships circling around for much of the book. That being said, dealing with mental shit is just like grief; there isn’t a right or wrong way to get through it, so I’m not here to judge. My point is, it was hard to sympathize with Gwen, so I didn’t have the emotional connection with her struggles.
The book follows Gwen and Connor’s relationship over a ten-year period. It’s an ugly love story, but not all love is pretty. It isn’t healthy, and it’s painful to watch, but is portrayed honestly warts and all. They are both flawed, and avoid their issues rather than communicating.
It was always this thing with us before we got together. Constant chasing and other people and never being happy with the stand-ins but pushing each other away when we were free to be together.
After Connor and I ended our brief romance, I found many replacements. It would be a messy two years. And Connor and I would see each other again. So many times. I would learn over and over again, that he was exactly the kind of man I craved.
I thought if I told her how much I loved her, how sorry I was, she would come back. Getting through to her with honest words and confessions was useless. She only wanted what she couldn’t have.
The writing style takes a bit to get used to, it's a bit choppy. Also, it shifts from past and present throughout, and within that there are journal entries, Gwen having a conversation with someone, and snippets of Connor's POV... so it was confusing at first, and took a few chapters to get the style down.
Bottom line- This isn't a pretty love story; there's cheating, an OM, lots of destructive behaviors, and it isn't sugar coated. The main focus is Gwen's journey from being a train-wreck to finding peace. I think it was really brave for the author to put it all out there; I may have struggled relating to her, but give her props for owning it. I wish we could have spent more time at the end after the resolution; it ends pretty abruptly after, so much of the 282 pages is spent with the toxic stuff. I felt drained when I finished, so do not go into it depressed:)
December 26, 2019
Wow...just wow.
This book is alive. It does what many try to do and fail miserably - it captures a piece of the author's soul and bares it for all to see. It's the kind of book that makes you feel less like a reader, more like a helpless bystander. It keeps you up at night, makes you hold your breath. Gwen's misery is visceral, it feels rooted in something real, something that has been experienced and infects you vicariously. It leaves a phantom pain, the kind that makes you have to remind yourself that you are not this person, her reality is distinct from yours. I loved the writing style - it felt like a long disjointed poem - staccato rhythm for bite sized paragraphs and then one long full page stream of consciousness. I connected to a lot of Gwen's problems and observations of the world. Perhaps that made it easy for me to help myself to a share of her suffering. This is not a fairy-tale romance story - it's marred by the imperfections of the human experience. But it's the kind of story that you can glean wisdom from and apply to yourself - like pieces of a mirror put together page by page.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book is alive. It does what many try to do and fail miserably - it captures a piece of the author's soul and bares it for all to see. It's the kind of book that makes you feel less like a reader, more like a helpless bystander. It keeps you up at night, makes you hold your breath. Gwen's misery is visceral, it feels rooted in something real, something that has been experienced and infects you vicariously. It leaves a phantom pain, the kind that makes you have to remind yourself that you are not this person, her reality is distinct from yours. I loved the writing style - it felt like a long disjointed poem - staccato rhythm for bite sized paragraphs and then one long full page stream of consciousness. I connected to a lot of Gwen's problems and observations of the world. Perhaps that made it easy for me to help myself to a share of her suffering. This is not a fairy-tale romance story - it's marred by the imperfections of the human experience. But it's the kind of story that you can glean wisdom from and apply to yourself - like pieces of a mirror put together page by page.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 26, 2018
Yesterday with my dear friend's recommendation (Actually she had some doubts about this book and wanted us give it a try because of possibility to hate book:D) I voluntered to read this book. Moreover I was curious because of title of book.
Book is narrated by main female character now and from past at the some time in someparts there was Connor who narrated story in his point of view .At beginning this was a little bit confusing for me but after half of story I adjuted it myself actually my brain.
I dont know How Can I explain my feelings and thougts about this book without giving any spoiler... It is really impossible if you want to read this book and dont like to read spoiler before book. Just drop to reading my review.. I will try my best but Im not sure how it will possible.
There was a girl who suffered from lack of love and felt deep down loneliness and want to hugged loved ones. But life real life was co cruel or so real to be fairy tale. She fall in love , just wanted to be loved but men who involved with her didnt give her this and made her life more difficult than before.... The Conner come and life changed, she was depressed, helpless need care, affection and love. Could Conner make her happy?
she learned she lived and suffered. Then Conner was her HUSBAND. Was she happy? Was her fear not cared or loved disapper?
in the end you will undersdant that neither life nor people you meet arent perfect. And
you will give LOVE THEME different perspective...
At the END will you LOVE this book or HATE?
that is million dollar question and answer is that you need to read to know that?
Sorry
BUT THIS BOOK ISNT NORMAL LOVE STORY OR SECOND CHANCE BOOK YOU NEED TO READ.
IT WILL MAKE YOU CRY, DEPRESSED OR PAINED BUT YOU WILL CHOISE TO LOVE OR HATE IT FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW
IF YOU ARE A LITTLE BIT LUCKY LIKE ME YOU NEED TO CLEAR YOUR MIND TO GIVE THIS BOOK STARS!!!!!!
Book is narrated by main female character now and from past at the some time in someparts there was Connor who narrated story in his point of view .At beginning this was a little bit confusing for me but after half of story I adjuted it myself actually my brain.
I dont know How Can I explain my feelings and thougts about this book without giving any spoiler... It is really impossible if you want to read this book and dont like to read spoiler before book. Just drop to reading my review.. I will try my best but Im not sure how it will possible.
There was a girl who suffered from lack of love and felt deep down loneliness and want to hugged loved ones. But life real life was co cruel or so real to be fairy tale. She fall in love , just wanted to be loved but men who involved with her didnt give her this and made her life more difficult than before.... The Conner come and life changed, she was depressed, helpless need care, affection and love. Could Conner make her happy?
she learned she lived and suffered. Then Conner was her HUSBAND. Was she happy? Was her fear not cared or loved disapper?
in the end you will undersdant that neither life nor people you meet arent perfect. And
you will give LOVE THEME different perspective...
At the END will you LOVE this book or HATE?
that is million dollar question and answer is that you need to read to know that?
Sorry
BUT THIS BOOK ISNT NORMAL LOVE STORY OR SECOND CHANCE BOOK YOU NEED TO READ.
IT WILL MAKE YOU CRY, DEPRESSED OR PAINED BUT YOU WILL CHOISE TO LOVE OR HATE IT FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW
IF YOU ARE A LITTLE BIT LUCKY LIKE ME YOU NEED TO CLEAR YOUR MIND TO GIVE THIS BOOK STARS!!!!!!
March 13, 2018
“I wondered why humans applied poison straight to their wounds, without batting an eye. I couldn't stomach healing. I rejected the sun, warmth, comfort. I wanted nothing to do with that foreign magic. It couldn't be trusted. Hurt could be trusted.”
There isn’t anything I didn’t love about this novel. I loved the way Jen set up and told the story, the raw truth and emotion of it, and the way she ended it.
“I can’t let good in all the way, not yet. I will rebel against it until I die. I will rebel and I will be me, ugly and torn. I can’t be less.”
It’s not often that a novel causes me to shed tears, but I connected with Gwen- related to her story in a way I hadn’t been expecting.
“I feel like I’m running in a vat of glue. I am stuck and still. I can’t move. Confessions are supposed to set you free, right? Especially when you haven’t done something wrong?”
This beautiful story was written so poetically. It’s one that will stick with me, and I will be recommending it to everyone I know.
There isn’t anything I didn’t love about this novel. I loved the way Jen set up and told the story, the raw truth and emotion of it, and the way she ended it.
“I can’t let good in all the way, not yet. I will rebel against it until I die. I will rebel and I will be me, ugly and torn. I can’t be less.”
It’s not often that a novel causes me to shed tears, but I connected with Gwen- related to her story in a way I hadn’t been expecting.
“I feel like I’m running in a vat of glue. I am stuck and still. I can’t move. Confessions are supposed to set you free, right? Especially when you haven’t done something wrong?”
This beautiful story was written so poetically. It’s one that will stick with me, and I will be recommending it to everyone I know.
April 2, 2018
This book is so hard to read yet so true. It is a sad but great story about what is true and real in life. I went through so many different emotions while I was reading this book. But so few books to that for me anymore. This was an eye opening book for me but I enjoyed it very much. Great book! I would recommend you giving this book a try and seeing what you think and feel when you finish it. *This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.*
March 22, 2018
"When I think of his eyes and the way they looked at me I can convince myself that my heart isn't still mangled. I can convince myself I am a little bit whole."
There are certain novels that carve a mark through my heart and demand too much; too much of my heart, too many of my emotions. They make me revisit a darkness from my past; a part that I'm not sure will ever heal. I both love and hate these novels. I love them because I relate so deeply, and I hate them for the very same reason. Kiss Me Like You Mean It left me feeling a little bit hollow and a lot hopeful. It's a vulnerable piece of prose that reads like lyrical poetry as the author exposes her soul to her readers.
Kiss Me Like You Mean It isn't just a romance novel about two people that wanted to be together, but didn't know how to love the other's faults, it's a novel about one woman's battle with depression, loneliness, and how she survives in the aftermath of abuse to find healing. The jagged writing and jumpy timeline mirrors the plot and style of this novel perfectly. It's gritty, raw, brutality honest, and hits below the belt. Gwen strips herself emotionally naked as she confesses her past to a stranger. The story is choppy and wild, but when does a retelling of the past ever flow smoothly?
The way abuse morphs and shapes its survivors will stick with them the rest of their lives. It grows and changes with each stage alongside the individual; never quite showing them the way out. Gwen and Conner's journey reflects this. Gwen views herself as the villain; however, as the reader, I don't see her like this at all, and I don't think Conner did either. She kept men at an arm's length, closed herself off, and buried her feelings. Conner struggled to navigate how to love Gwen after learning the truth, but you could still feel his steady, unconditional love even through his struggles. Both clung desperately to the idea of the other, to the idea of perfection, and to the idea that one-day things would change. They loved each other, but the never at the same time. They wanted to let go because they were slowly killing the other's heart; however, neither knew how to let go even after it seemed the other had. Their love was, is, complicated and delicate, and can only be understood if you read the book.
Even though this novel drained me, I loved every word. Every sentence, paragraph, and chapter spoke to my soul and buried its way into my scarred heart. I have so much respect for J.R. Rogue. The strength she holds as she opens her heart and recounts her past is something to be admired. It's a novel that will forever stick with me and is one that is now a favorite of mine.
XX,
Jennifer
There are certain novels that carve a mark through my heart and demand too much; too much of my heart, too many of my emotions. They make me revisit a darkness from my past; a part that I'm not sure will ever heal. I both love and hate these novels. I love them because I relate so deeply, and I hate them for the very same reason. Kiss Me Like You Mean It left me feeling a little bit hollow and a lot hopeful. It's a vulnerable piece of prose that reads like lyrical poetry as the author exposes her soul to her readers.
Kiss Me Like You Mean It isn't just a romance novel about two people that wanted to be together, but didn't know how to love the other's faults, it's a novel about one woman's battle with depression, loneliness, and how she survives in the aftermath of abuse to find healing. The jagged writing and jumpy timeline mirrors the plot and style of this novel perfectly. It's gritty, raw, brutality honest, and hits below the belt. Gwen strips herself emotionally naked as she confesses her past to a stranger. The story is choppy and wild, but when does a retelling of the past ever flow smoothly?
The way abuse morphs and shapes its survivors will stick with them the rest of their lives. It grows and changes with each stage alongside the individual; never quite showing them the way out. Gwen and Conner's journey reflects this. Gwen views herself as the villain; however, as the reader, I don't see her like this at all, and I don't think Conner did either. She kept men at an arm's length, closed herself off, and buried her feelings. Conner struggled to navigate how to love Gwen after learning the truth, but you could still feel his steady, unconditional love even through his struggles. Both clung desperately to the idea of the other, to the idea of perfection, and to the idea that one-day things would change. They loved each other, but the never at the same time. They wanted to let go because they were slowly killing the other's heart; however, neither knew how to let go even after it seemed the other had. Their love was, is, complicated and delicate, and can only be understood if you read the book.
Even though this novel drained me, I loved every word. Every sentence, paragraph, and chapter spoke to my soul and buried its way into my scarred heart. I have so much respect for J.R. Rogue. The strength she holds as she opens her heart and recounts her past is something to be admired. It's a novel that will forever stick with me and is one that is now a favorite of mine.
XX,
Jennifer
April 17, 2018
I'm ashamed to admit that I've had this book for weeks and am just now reviewing it. Honestly, I needed to think about it. I needed time to process. Gwen was not an easy person to like and yet I liked her. Why? I just got her. She had been abused. She was depressed. She hated herself. She was ugly, sloppy, and weak (her words, not mine). She sought distance in relationships. She self-sabotaged. She was flawed. And I could relate to her completely. In getting to know Gwen, I felt like I got to know a part of myself too.
Being an editor, I tend to read books differently than most. Sure, I spot grammatical errors, but I also evaluate the story from the standpoint of an author. Why would the author write this scene this way? Why use these words? Why organize the events in this order? I can tell that every decision Jen made was a deliberate choice. I can also tell she struggled writing this. She's opened herself up with this book, has shown her vulnerability for all to see. That takes guts. She lived her story. She wrote her story. She shared her story. Courage, Jen. You have a wealth of it.
Jen stayed true to herself in her story and, just as importantly, with her voice. You can tell that Jen is a poet. Her writing is very lyrical. She was careful with her wording, describing just enough without giving everything away. She used words like "stain" and "weapon" and "darkness" knowing her readers would get the meaning and understand Gwen's pain.
This book was work. It was not an easy read. But that's one of the reasons why I like it. This book addresses things that I wish more authors would shine a light on. Mental health being number one. "My life was sepia and my tongue was that of a serpent." Because when you're hurting, sometimes all you can do is hurt others, because hurt is all you know. Such is the case with depression. Thank you, Jen, for making it more than just "sadness."
Being an editor, I tend to read books differently than most. Sure, I spot grammatical errors, but I also evaluate the story from the standpoint of an author. Why would the author write this scene this way? Why use these words? Why organize the events in this order? I can tell that every decision Jen made was a deliberate choice. I can also tell she struggled writing this. She's opened herself up with this book, has shown her vulnerability for all to see. That takes guts. She lived her story. She wrote her story. She shared her story. Courage, Jen. You have a wealth of it.
Jen stayed true to herself in her story and, just as importantly, with her voice. You can tell that Jen is a poet. Her writing is very lyrical. She was careful with her wording, describing just enough without giving everything away. She used words like "stain" and "weapon" and "darkness" knowing her readers would get the meaning and understand Gwen's pain.
This book was work. It was not an easy read. But that's one of the reasons why I like it. This book addresses things that I wish more authors would shine a light on. Mental health being number one. "My life was sepia and my tongue was that of a serpent." Because when you're hurting, sometimes all you can do is hurt others, because hurt is all you know. Such is the case with depression. Thank you, Jen, for making it more than just "sadness."
March 13, 2018
5 Cranky Stars
This book is messy and it’s not happy and it will pull your soul apart and then stitch it back. Maybe not in the pieces it was before but it will give you some vague sense of hope. I saw my young self in Gwen. Messy when it came to love and terrible when it came to seeing myself as a decent person. A person who deserved all the mess I got and all the heartache I had coming to me. I hope J.R. Rouge knows that this book was like therapy for me yet this isn’t my story to tell it’s Gwens.
Gwen is a mess. Her heads a mess, her heart is a mess and her life is a mess. She seeks love in the wrong ones some repeatedly some for a night. She suffered a tragic betrayal and horrible abuse that is now reflected in her adult life. This is her story her recounting of her life from Avery to Connor to Logan and back again. You see her and Connor come to terms with who they truly are. She will always be a rebel who wants to be free but deep down she needs to feel wanted. We even get snippets of Connor and his spiral down and why he will always love Gwen no matter how much she tries to hurt him and push him away.
I don’t think my words can do this book justice it is something you must experience firsthand. J.R. Rouge bled her soul onto these pages of that I’m almost certain. Its real life peppered in with some fiction. I at times had to step back from the book because it was hitting too close to home. While no I was never abused I am the daughter of an addict so I guess in a way that is abuse.
I just want people to go into this book with an open mind embrace this story and if you see even a small part of yourself reflected in this story please keep hope alive. Embrace this book everyone you will hopefully thank me.
This book is messy and it’s not happy and it will pull your soul apart and then stitch it back. Maybe not in the pieces it was before but it will give you some vague sense of hope. I saw my young self in Gwen. Messy when it came to love and terrible when it came to seeing myself as a decent person. A person who deserved all the mess I got and all the heartache I had coming to me. I hope J.R. Rouge knows that this book was like therapy for me yet this isn’t my story to tell it’s Gwens.
Gwen is a mess. Her heads a mess, her heart is a mess and her life is a mess. She seeks love in the wrong ones some repeatedly some for a night. She suffered a tragic betrayal and horrible abuse that is now reflected in her adult life. This is her story her recounting of her life from Avery to Connor to Logan and back again. You see her and Connor come to terms with who they truly are. She will always be a rebel who wants to be free but deep down she needs to feel wanted. We even get snippets of Connor and his spiral down and why he will always love Gwen no matter how much she tries to hurt him and push him away.
I don’t think my words can do this book justice it is something you must experience firsthand. J.R. Rouge bled her soul onto these pages of that I’m almost certain. Its real life peppered in with some fiction. I at times had to step back from the book because it was hitting too close to home. While no I was never abused I am the daughter of an addict so I guess in a way that is abuse.
I just want people to go into this book with an open mind embrace this story and if you see even a small part of yourself reflected in this story please keep hope alive. Embrace this book everyone you will hopefully thank me.
April 3, 2018
This bitch right here has left me speechless. Excuse me while I go cry uncontrollably in the shower for the next few days.
March 24, 2018
♠♠ 4.5 Stars ♠♠
-
( Goodbyes are bitter when you have no clue what your next meeting will bring. )
-
This story was as real as you could get. Gwen and Connor's journey & how they ended up saying goodbye to only thing that was always meant to be forever is seen in KMLYMI.
-
( I felt like a broken car on the side of the road. He was the freeway, stretching out into oblivion.)
-
As you know that bad and evil things does happen in real world,
Every person goes through things you can't even imagine but still they chose to live & love freely. Their heart might tell them to leave the fuck out of the situation but still they stand.
Gwen lived like that.. she didn't had her shit together but she lived it, owned it & that- That whole persona was imperfectly perfect.
-
( Iwanted to hurt myself, to get in a bind so bad that someone would force me to face these demons.)
-
J R Rouge's words gave it so much power that I felt Gwen's every single emotion. The way every fleeting thought going in her mind, that turned into a nightmare I felt it.
-
( What's it like to love a man and feel no love in return from him, only to leave him, and feel it all rush back? Was it too late? )
-
When Gwen was drowning in her own world I was drowning in the words that she poured but It wasn't dark everytime, sometimes it was pretty.
-
( Sometimes our intentions are pure, but there is a little animal inside of us who won't let hurts lie and die. )
-
Gwen's story was unique & it gave me a new sense of seeing everytingn a different but more of a realistic way.
-
( When you're living your life aimlessly you avoid it, the truth of it all.)
-
Life is not always peachy but you try to make something out of it.
Not everyone knows what to do.. think about your own life for a second and you'll see that nothing's going in the way we expected.
Because even you don't know what you want.
Gwen had the same problem, her downfall was harsh and raw it instilled a fear that made her reckless.
-
( Turning simple wants into star-crossed despair. This felt different, though. In the end, I saw some light, it shined on a simple future)
-
You need to read this story, it will remind you some of your own moments and you'll relate to it.
J R Rouge's writing was so damn poetic and beautiful I was soaking up every single word. Her words would leave a mark on me.. those words will hit you hard in your face & you'll desire nothing but more.
-
{ "I’ve been waiting for you to kiss me that way.”
“What way?”
“Like you mean it,” he said }
---
-
( Goodbyes are bitter when you have no clue what your next meeting will bring. )
-
This story was as real as you could get. Gwen and Connor's journey & how they ended up saying goodbye to only thing that was always meant to be forever is seen in KMLYMI.
-
( I felt like a broken car on the side of the road. He was the freeway, stretching out into oblivion.)
-
As you know that bad and evil things does happen in real world,
Every person goes through things you can't even imagine but still they chose to live & love freely. Their heart might tell them to leave the fuck out of the situation but still they stand.
Gwen lived like that.. she didn't had her shit together but she lived it, owned it & that- That whole persona was imperfectly perfect.
-
( Iwanted to hurt myself, to get in a bind so bad that someone would force me to face these demons.)
-
J R Rouge's words gave it so much power that I felt Gwen's every single emotion. The way every fleeting thought going in her mind, that turned into a nightmare I felt it.
-
( What's it like to love a man and feel no love in return from him, only to leave him, and feel it all rush back? Was it too late? )
-
When Gwen was drowning in her own world I was drowning in the words that she poured but It wasn't dark everytime, sometimes it was pretty.
-
( Sometimes our intentions are pure, but there is a little animal inside of us who won't let hurts lie and die. )
-
Gwen's story was unique & it gave me a new sense of seeing everytingn a different but more of a realistic way.
-
( When you're living your life aimlessly you avoid it, the truth of it all.)
-
Life is not always peachy but you try to make something out of it.
Not everyone knows what to do.. think about your own life for a second and you'll see that nothing's going in the way we expected.
Because even you don't know what you want.
Gwen had the same problem, her downfall was harsh and raw it instilled a fear that made her reckless.
-
( Turning simple wants into star-crossed despair. This felt different, though. In the end, I saw some light, it shined on a simple future)
-
You need to read this story, it will remind you some of your own moments and you'll relate to it.
J R Rouge's writing was so damn poetic and beautiful I was soaking up every single word. Her words would leave a mark on me.. those words will hit you hard in your face & you'll desire nothing but more.
-
{ "I’ve been waiting for you to kiss me that way.”
“What way?”
“Like you mean it,” he said }
---
April 8, 2018
2 ⭐️⭐️ Stars! What a depressing book. The heroine was not likable, the hero deserved better. Was almost a DNF. Nothing felt genuine. The writing style was stilted and choppy. I didn’t like it.
August 13, 2019
This is the third book I’m reading from this author and I see a pattern. Gut wrenching, heart aching, thought provoking journeys with hard choices and decisions that set the MCs destructive path in life. This was an unexpected story the way it played out. This was a difficult read as it took me a while to weed through all the chaos going on. I was like whaaaat? The ending was like huh?!??
I don’t know how to describe the depth of this story other than as really thick, heavy, tumultuous. It took time to absorb and digest. Heavy topics, emotionally charged, just heartbreaking for all. The story was deep. I’m speechless. I’m numb thinking about this the way they left it.
This story is retold in flashbacks of Connor and Gwen’s 10 year relationship and how we arrived at the present that had my stomach churning with anxiety and anguish. She’s just a girl who just wanted to be loved, to be happy, to rid her dark soul. He’s a guy who wanted everything in life - marriage, home, kids, and love. Relationships are hard. Honesty is hard. This was difficult to walk through their life. Total opposites, never on the same page. Doing everything to sabotage their relationship and stagnate their ability to move on. But it was finally time.
Gwen was a mess, train wreck and a bad, bad girl because she was so broken. Past trauma has put her in a constant state of turmoil and she wore her pain, misery and torment on her sleeves. You want to help her some how, some way find a light and follow its brightness. But honestly, I felt so sad for Gwen in how she thought of herself and her life. She needed intervention and help. Connor was evasive and absent and selfish, but also showed a steady love and hate for her and I’m not certain he wasn’t a fake good guy. He didn’t know how to relate to her. The author was pushing me to accept his good intentions as the hero but in fact, he was the heavy too, and equally contributed to the demise of their relationship. Is that a good guy? They were conflicted by everything. So many signs. So many lies. So much sadness. So many cracks. Constant triangle with between them and their partners.
“But what do you do when someone is your soulmate, and you aren’t theirs?”
The writing has ups and down but mostly it’s fantastic. There are times when it’s a bit choppy and you have to work real hard to figure out what the underlying message was. The feeling and depth of characters are developed and so real and raw. But beyond the issue with the writing, the ending is disconnected and confusing at times and comes quickly without much time to feel like you completely ended the story...I don’t know what to make of the ending, I didn’t love it. I needed to know more about what’s left, what’s next to fill in the large gaps. But I was so drawn in and couldn’t put it down except for the time I had to stop and reflect. I still enjoyed this and I’m now a big fan of this author! 3.5 stars.
I don’t know how to describe the depth of this story other than as really thick, heavy, tumultuous. It took time to absorb and digest. Heavy topics, emotionally charged, just heartbreaking for all. The story was deep. I’m speechless. I’m numb thinking about this the way they left it.
This story is retold in flashbacks of Connor and Gwen’s 10 year relationship and how we arrived at the present that had my stomach churning with anxiety and anguish. She’s just a girl who just wanted to be loved, to be happy, to rid her dark soul. He’s a guy who wanted everything in life - marriage, home, kids, and love. Relationships are hard. Honesty is hard. This was difficult to walk through their life. Total opposites, never on the same page. Doing everything to sabotage their relationship and stagnate their ability to move on. But it was finally time.
Gwen was a mess, train wreck and a bad, bad girl because she was so broken. Past trauma has put her in a constant state of turmoil and she wore her pain, misery and torment on her sleeves. You want to help her some how, some way find a light and follow its brightness. But honestly, I felt so sad for Gwen in how she thought of herself and her life. She needed intervention and help. Connor was evasive and absent and selfish, but also showed a steady love and hate for her and I’m not certain he wasn’t a fake good guy. He didn’t know how to relate to her. The author was pushing me to accept his good intentions as the hero but in fact, he was the heavy too, and equally contributed to the demise of their relationship. Is that a good guy? They were conflicted by everything. So many signs. So many lies. So much sadness. So many cracks. Constant triangle with between them and their partners.
“But what do you do when someone is your soulmate, and you aren’t theirs?”
The writing has ups and down but mostly it’s fantastic. There are times when it’s a bit choppy and you have to work real hard to figure out what the underlying message was. The feeling and depth of characters are developed and so real and raw. But beyond the issue with the writing, the ending is disconnected and confusing at times and comes quickly without much time to feel like you completely ended the story...I don’t know what to make of the ending, I didn’t love it. I needed to know more about what’s left, what’s next to fill in the large gaps. But I was so drawn in and couldn’t put it down except for the time I had to stop and reflect. I still enjoyed this and I’m now a big fan of this author! 3.5 stars.
March 4, 2018
Rating a book hardly seems appropriate when you know it's based on the author's real life. Not once while I was reading did I forget that. Such honesty poured into page after page. Of course, the writing was great as I expected it to be. I base a book on how it makes me feel, the way the story and characters infiltrate my mind when I'm forced to set it aside when life calls. I was pretty much raised the same as Connor so I found myself mirroring him. I can't identify with one thing Gwen went through but my heart ached for her tragedies, her dark heart, and all the grief she went through to get where she is today. I have nothing but praise for all the Connors out there who don't run from flaws. I know he wasn't perfect but at least he had the gumption to stick around and try like hell to get it right. Jen, you are brave beyond brave to put your story out there. The best kind of stories are flawed, tattered, unsheathed. I loved it. It will linger in my mind for days, if not longer.
March 13, 2018
How do rate a book based on someone’s life? How do you write a review and judge that person’s soul? Their story?
I really don’t know how to do that. What I do know is the raw emotions that this book put me through. At times it was hard to read. Too hard. It took me almost a week to read it. Not because the writing was bad but because the emotions were too real and too much at one time. For me at least.
Jen takes on some very heavy topics. Depression. Abuse. Cheating. She does so with no apologies and the way she describes these makes your heart bleed for her and for yourself.
I was scared of this book when I first started reading it. I bucked against it. Looking for reasons not to like it. I seen so much of me in Gwen that it scared me to read it. I made it to 36% and told my best friend that I couldn’t go on. I told her the cheating was too much but thinking back it wasn’t really that. It was the similarities I was running from.
If there is one book you read this year then please read Kiss Me Like You Mean It. It’s beautiful and it’s ugly. It’ll bring forth emotions that you wished you didn’t have or have kept hidden for so long. It’s a poignant piece of art waiting to be discovered by someone who understands it.
I really don’t know how to do that. What I do know is the raw emotions that this book put me through. At times it was hard to read. Too hard. It took me almost a week to read it. Not because the writing was bad but because the emotions were too real and too much at one time. For me at least.
Jen takes on some very heavy topics. Depression. Abuse. Cheating. She does so with no apologies and the way she describes these makes your heart bleed for her and for yourself.
I was scared of this book when I first started reading it. I bucked against it. Looking for reasons not to like it. I seen so much of me in Gwen that it scared me to read it. I made it to 36% and told my best friend that I couldn’t go on. I told her the cheating was too much but thinking back it wasn’t really that. It was the similarities I was running from.
If there is one book you read this year then please read Kiss Me Like You Mean It. It’s beautiful and it’s ugly. It’ll bring forth emotions that you wished you didn’t have or have kept hidden for so long. It’s a poignant piece of art waiting to be discovered by someone who understands it.
March 31, 2018
I walk into this blind. As I result, I got knocked over by the deeply moving and poetic telling of the story of Gwen and Connor by J.R. Rogue. An author that am now eager to explore.
Gwen is on her way to see Connor. At the airport she meets a colleague. And there, she tells her story. And you know, little by little as you go deeper into the book, Gwen will tear you up with the telling of her past.
the gist is...
Self-sabotaging Gwen met Connor after her very ugly and humiliating break up with her long term boyfriend Aidan. All her friends afterwards are from his crew of rich and privileged high school friends. Gwen comes from a trailer park (Something she reminds herself of throughout the story).
In the wake of finding out Aidan is engaged and about to have a first child with another woman, Gwen meets the handsome and wholesome Connor. But Gwen sees herself as the dirt that will taint his light and she has become so set in her dysfunctional behaviour that she underestimated how Connor would affect her. Gwen messes up big time with Connor and he dumps her. But then the sweet Connor gives Gwen a second chance. A second chance where his heart is guarded. And his once AWE of her is tainted. Gwen feels and sees all of this and feels powerless to fix it. She watches the boy she won back's love for her, wan and die. The hurt from this will change her and set her life on the course of discovering why she does the things she does.
So it's not just Gwen and Connor. But Gwen and Aidan, Gwen and Joe... Gwen and...etc
But the story becomes NOT about how Gwen and Connor win their HEA, it becomes about the core reason for Gwen's dysfunction. And how Gwen and Connor try to cope and live with horrible abuse she suffered and how that abuse effects her behavior towards herself and her relationships. This is not a quick fix book girls. It's a long haul or hurt and loneliness and failures and betrayals for BOTH characters.
This is not what you think it will be. It's a trip through the romantic history of deeply flawed heroine who's journey to find love will NOT become about winning the boy. It will be about her learning to love herself after years of empty encounters and self loathing.
Told mostly from Gwen POV with some beautiful and powerful poetic prose throughout; this is not a book for the faint at heart. This is real and it feels real to life. It hurts to read
I read this over a week ago and I'm only now writing a review because it was like nothing I have read out there. And I don't think my review does it justice.
My only real issue is with the final pages. I didn't understand why the author did what she did there with the therapist. However the book wrung me out so thoroughly that I didn't bother to go back and analyse it.
Please read it.
Gwen is on her way to see Connor. At the airport she meets a colleague. And there, she tells her story. And you know, little by little as you go deeper into the book, Gwen will tear you up with the telling of her past.
the gist is...
Self-sabotaging Gwen met Connor after her very ugly and humiliating break up with her long term boyfriend Aidan. All her friends afterwards are from his crew of rich and privileged high school friends. Gwen comes from a trailer park (Something she reminds herself of throughout the story).
In the wake of finding out Aidan is engaged and about to have a first child with another woman, Gwen meets the handsome and wholesome Connor. But Gwen sees herself as the dirt that will taint his light and she has become so set in her dysfunctional behaviour that she underestimated how Connor would affect her. Gwen messes up big time with Connor and he dumps her. But then the sweet Connor gives Gwen a second chance. A second chance where his heart is guarded. And his once AWE of her is tainted. Gwen feels and sees all of this and feels powerless to fix it. She watches the boy she won back's love for her, wan and die. The hurt from this will change her and set her life on the course of discovering why she does the things she does.
So it's not just Gwen and Connor. But Gwen and Aidan, Gwen and Joe... Gwen and...etc
But the story becomes NOT about how Gwen and Connor win their HEA, it becomes about the core reason for Gwen's dysfunction. And how Gwen and Connor try to cope and live with horrible abuse she suffered and how that abuse effects her behavior towards herself and her relationships. This is not a quick fix book girls. It's a long haul or hurt and loneliness and failures and betrayals for BOTH characters.
This is not what you think it will be. It's a trip through the romantic history of deeply flawed heroine who's journey to find love will NOT become about winning the boy. It will be about her learning to love herself after years of empty encounters and self loathing.
Told mostly from Gwen POV with some beautiful and powerful poetic prose throughout; this is not a book for the faint at heart. This is real and it feels real to life. It hurts to read
I read this over a week ago and I'm only now writing a review because it was like nothing I have read out there. And I don't think my review does it justice.
My only real issue is with the final pages. I didn't understand why the author did what she did there with the therapist. However the book wrung me out so thoroughly that I didn't bother to go back and analyse it.
Please read it.
March 21, 2018
Kiss Me Like You Mean It was my first book by J.R. Rogue and her writing is completely unique. Rogue’s writing is unlike anything I have ever read. Her writing nearly reads like poetry. I’ve seriously never seen anything like this… even when what she’s writing is painful and makes my heart ache… it sounds beautiful. It sounds like my heart breaking. How is that possible? I’m not a book reader that highlights in her kindle but this entire book reads like a teaser. It’s all quote worthy. Every word spoke to me. Every word was thick with emotion and heart… it was weighted.
I’ve said this before but I mean this like 200%, I can’t tell you anything about this storyline… you deserve to fall apart completely on your own. I do want you to know that you are going to read a story so intense, so emotional that it’s going to stick with you for weeks. Kiss Me Like You Mean It left me with the biggest book hangover that I’ve had in months. Such an original work of art, that is truly what Kiss Me Like You Mean It is... a work of art. Rogue makes you feel her words and not all of these words are happy.
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.
Check out my Blog: Next Book Review
Check out my Facebook Page: Next Book Review Facebook
I’ve said this before but I mean this like 200%, I can’t tell you anything about this storyline… you deserve to fall apart completely on your own. I do want you to know that you are going to read a story so intense, so emotional that it’s going to stick with you for weeks. Kiss Me Like You Mean It left me with the biggest book hangover that I’ve had in months. Such an original work of art, that is truly what Kiss Me Like You Mean It is... a work of art. Rogue makes you feel her words and not all of these words are happy.
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.
Check out my Blog: Next Book Review
Check out my Facebook Page: Next Book Review Facebook
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March 13, 2018I'm going to write my first ever review for a book that I did not finish ... YET! Why you ask? Because when this book was recommended to me I knew I had to read it. I also knew that it was going to be one that tugged at my heartstrings, broke me down and put me back together in a way that was different.
I was so right about all of these things. However, I'm at a place personally where I won't have this book completed by release day but that doesn't mean that it's not exceptional. The writing is unique. The story (that I've read so far) is clear and concise. And the characters are relateable. I didn't find them to be anything that I've read so far and I think it's because the author is speaking first hand about the topics in this book that I the realness jumps off the pages.
For me, that's what makes a book memorable and amazing. Though, the topic hit me in the dark places inside of me and I am taking this one very slow, so I can savor it all, but not get lost in their world.
Thank you JR Rogue for sharing your truths with us - with me, your readers and the world. I have no doubt you're going to change lives with this book!
I was so right about all of these things. However, I'm at a place personally where I won't have this book completed by release day but that doesn't mean that it's not exceptional. The writing is unique. The story (that I've read so far) is clear and concise. And the characters are relateable. I didn't find them to be anything that I've read so far and I think it's because the author is speaking first hand about the topics in this book that I the realness jumps off the pages.
For me, that's what makes a book memorable and amazing. Though, the topic hit me in the dark places inside of me and I am taking this one very slow, so I can savor it all, but not get lost in their world.
Thank you JR Rogue for sharing your truths with us - with me, your readers and the world. I have no doubt you're going to change lives with this book!
March 3, 2018
After finishing this book I just felt like crying and smiling I will miss these characters.
I was hooked right from the beginning. The authors words flowed so beautifully off the pages...I read each and every one. I've never highlighted soo much throughout a book!
The story told is not an easy one, it's heartbreaking and tragic, yet there is hope and love and strength. I loved reading about Gwen,her relationships, her inner war, her worries, her love and ultimately her personal growth. Her story is beautifully written and comes to life, J.R. Rogue you are one talented lady!!
I think anyone can find a facet of them self in some part of this story. I know I popped up on more than one page.
This will definitely be one of my top reads of 2018. Experience KISS ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT and I guarantee you will love it.
#TeamGwen
I was hooked right from the beginning. The authors words flowed so beautifully off the pages...I read each and every one. I've never highlighted soo much throughout a book!
The story told is not an easy one, it's heartbreaking and tragic, yet there is hope and love and strength. I loved reading about Gwen,her relationships, her inner war, her worries, her love and ultimately her personal growth. Her story is beautifully written and comes to life, J.R. Rogue you are one talented lady!!
I think anyone can find a facet of them self in some part of this story. I know I popped up on more than one page.
This will definitely be one of my top reads of 2018. Experience KISS ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT and I guarantee you will love it.
#TeamGwen
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