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I Need You #2
I Need You To Love Me
Together they are nothing more than madness,
but they say there’s always some madness in love
Six years elapsed since he shattered her life. Four years since she’s brought him to his knees.
Now, Ace is the youngest boxing champion in the world – a force to be reckoned with. He’s dangerous, heartless, and always gets his way.
Calla moved to New York to chase her career. She’s driven, determined, and willing to do whatever it takes to rise to her potential. But does that include swallowing her past and interviewing the man she has avoided for almost half a decade?
History repeats itself – secrets arise, deceptions consume, and a menacing enigma lingers. This time…the passion is steamier, the emotions intensify, and everything is at risk.
Will the stars align, or is this the final push toward the closure they both sought?
but they say there’s always some madness in love
Six years elapsed since he shattered her life. Four years since she’s brought him to his knees.
Now, Ace is the youngest boxing champion in the world – a force to be reckoned with. He’s dangerous, heartless, and always gets his way.
Calla moved to New York to chase her career. She’s driven, determined, and willing to do whatever it takes to rise to her potential. But does that include swallowing her past and interviewing the man she has avoided for almost half a decade?
History repeats itself – secrets arise, deceptions consume, and a menacing enigma lingers. This time…the passion is steamier, the emotions intensify, and everything is at risk.
Will the stars align, or is this the final push toward the closure they both sought?
519 pages, Paperback
First published July 18, 2021
383 people are currently reading
4958 people want to read
About the author
Genicious
4 books805 followersGenicious is a #1 Amazon bestselling romance author, anonymously writing the stories she's always wanted to read.
She spends all her free time with a laptop and a coffee in hand creating the next plot twist.
Connect with Genicious on Instagram @geniciousfox
CONNECT WITH GENICIOUS
➳ Website
➳ Amazon Author Profile
➳ Instagram
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She spends all her free time with a laptop and a coffee in hand creating the next plot twist.
Connect with Genicious on Instagram @geniciousfox
CONNECT WITH GENICIOUS
➳ Website
➳ Amazon Author Profile
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 348 reviews
July 31, 2021
I thought the author put a lot of things mixed in the book and become a little confused. Somethings I didn’t understand, really.
The male character was so great, the female character was so boring and meh… her behavior was the worst in this story.
This series didn’t finish…
I will be waiting… yeah 🤷🏻♀️
The male character was so great, the female character was so boring and meh… her behavior was the worst in this story.
This series didn’t finish…
I will be waiting… yeah 🤷🏻♀️
June 22, 2021
“I made the stars align for us, love.”
I literally have no words to describe my feelings for this book. My heart feels so full and empty at the same time.
Seeing Ace and Calla meet again made my heart soar. Their depiction of their relationship is such a powerful one and even though there’s always secrets that prevent Ace and Calla from getting their happily ever after, you are always rooting for them.
Genicious expanded a lot more on their sexual relationship which I absolutely loved! As always her writing was basically perfection. I loved this book just as much as I need you to hate me, if not a little more because of the added spicy scenes. I also devoured this book and felt utterly complete with all the feels.
I’m so hopelessly in love with Ace and he is one of my favourite heroes ever as the way he cares for Calla is so beautiful.
This story is a phenomenal and heartfelt romance that ignites a feeling of so much passion. You cry, laugh and feel happiness as the characters do because the story is so captivating.
I will say, I was definitely not expecting that ending and now I have to patiently wait for book 3.
[ARC provided in exchange for an honest review]
I literally have no words to describe my feelings for this book. My heart feels so full and empty at the same time.
Seeing Ace and Calla meet again made my heart soar. Their depiction of their relationship is such a powerful one and even though there’s always secrets that prevent Ace and Calla from getting their happily ever after, you are always rooting for them.
Genicious expanded a lot more on their sexual relationship which I absolutely loved! As always her writing was basically perfection. I loved this book just as much as I need you to hate me, if not a little more because of the added spicy scenes. I also devoured this book and felt utterly complete with all the feels.
I’m so hopelessly in love with Ace and he is one of my favourite heroes ever as the way he cares for Calla is so beautiful.
This story is a phenomenal and heartfelt romance that ignites a feeling of so much passion. You cry, laugh and feel happiness as the characters do because the story is so captivating.
I will say, I was definitely not expecting that ending and now I have to patiently wait for book 3.
[ARC provided in exchange for an honest review]
July 3, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don’t even know how to start this. I finished the book thirty minutes ago, and I’m actually speechless. I have no words. I’ve just been staring at the wall or re reading the last chapter over and over again trying to grasp anything I missed.
I Need You To Love Me will send you on a journey where every turn, every twist will be completely unexpected. You’re sitting there like: “How did I not see this coming?” It’ll leave you in tears. It will give you hope. And then it might just shatter you again.
There are no words to describe how wonderful and deep genicious writing really is. I wonder how anything she describes leaves me in complete awe. She has this way of writing that will make you understand both sides of the situation.
Ace and Calla are one of a kind. Their relationship is one you can’t forget about.
I don’t even know how to start this. I finished the book thirty minutes ago, and I’m actually speechless. I have no words. I’ve just been staring at the wall or re reading the last chapter over and over again trying to grasp anything I missed.
I Need You To Love Me will send you on a journey where every turn, every twist will be completely unexpected. You’re sitting there like: “How did I not see this coming?” It’ll leave you in tears. It will give you hope. And then it might just shatter you again.
There are no words to describe how wonderful and deep genicious writing really is. I wonder how anything she describes leaves me in complete awe. She has this way of writing that will make you understand both sides of the situation.
Ace and Calla are one of a kind. Their relationship is one you can’t forget about.
July 26, 2021
Just barely managed to finish this. And it was thanks to my self-discipline, not the author's writing, that's for sure.
1,4 stars, rounded down to a 1.
Okay, I'm back. I'd like to apologize to myself for that. I guess I wanted to give the author the benefit of the doubt and see whether things would improve in the sequel. Spoiler: they didn't. At all.
What I can say is that her writing has improved by a very slim margin, hence the 0.4 upgrade in the rating since the first book. It also looks like she's taken some of the feedback on the first installment into consideration, though not without including a very hostile, defensive author's note at the very beginning of the second book. That was so off-putting and, to me, extremely unprofessional. It would suffice to say she doesn't condone her characters' actions within this series. Happy reading!
Instead, she attacked just about every person who has questioned her plot and characters, and they have done so with very valid reasons considering so many teenagers are reading this book. But...doesn't seem like the author gets that. She also says she isn't romanticizing drunk driving. That actually made me laugh. I just couldn't believe it, because it was so comical. She clearly missed the whole point. I went and checked the critical reviews on her first book, and as far as I can see, no one accused her of romanticizing drunk driving? She was accused of romanticizing reckless driving, which she absolutely did. In the years after that, he drives recklessly on a bike, and this is portrayed in a way that is supposed to make Ace hot. So...it was just really funny to me to see that the author didn't even grasp what was problematic. That speaks volumes, I guess.
Anyway, back to the author's note: she compares love to a mental illness. Eh...what? Hahaha, I'm sorry, but I was actually offended reading that. Like is she trying to say that people aren't capable of rational thought? That love reduces us to nothing but instincts, like we'll forgive and stay no matter how abusive that love might be? Eh, no. I would bail that relationship fast as lightning if it wasn't doing me any good, even if it would hurt. People are capable of thinking long term. Honestly, I will not be lectured about what love is by an author who thrives on writing about dysfunctional couples....
Bleh, that author's note left a really bad taste in my mouth. She should have kept it short instead of getting so personal—it struck me as very unprofessional.
Okay, onto the sequel. There’s so much to say, but I'll try to keep it relatively structured.
The writing
The writing is really bad. Again, the author is clutching the thesaurus too tightly. She really ought to leave that thing alone. Maybe it's my English that sucks, but I did second-guess myself most of the time and went in to check, and indeed, her word choices are really jarring. I'm really sitting here with the impression that she's using a lot of words she doesn't actually understand, just to spice up her prose. And…14-year-old readers, and perhaps some people with English as their second language, probably won't notice that. But I'm American, so it really bothers me, because it sounds very pseudo-intelligent. It just insults my intelligence as a reader.
A few examples include (chapter 20): "I turn, not bothering to listen to what manifests out of her mouth." Manifests? Um, what? I'm really not sure if this is proper English. Like, if I'm wrong, I'm sorry, but this slapped me out of the book for quite a while. It was really hard to fall back into the story. Super jarring. What's wrong with using "comes"? E.g.: "I turn, not bothering to listen to what comes out of her mouth." Ah, that read so much better to me. So fluent. 😂
Another: "a moan eludes her lips". Eludes? I could understand "escape", but "elude" reads so jarring here. I'm not sure it means what the author thinks it means...
There are also several other things, like Ace having iridescent eyes. . . Aren't his eyes brown? How does that work? I have brown eyes, so I'd love to know. Give me that beauty-hack, Ace.
There's another place where she writes "seize" when she clearly means to write "cease". So it's just a whole mess. I've got a long list of misused words, spelling errors and grammar errors etc., but I'm not gonna include them all here, because that would make this review way too long. So, just keep this in mind: Genicious' writing sounds fancy, but it's actually (and I'm sorry to use this word) really dumb when you actually look into it, lol. It just strikes me as incredibly pseudo-intelligent, like the author wants to sound smarter than she maybe is?
I can forgive the occasional typo though, such as Calla seemingly having several chestS (lol).
Anyway, onto...
The characters
First off, I just want to bring this to everyone's attention, because it is completely un-believable:
We have a 23-year-old journalist just out of college who LOL. Yeah, right! Does she even speak freaking German? Hahaha. Like they would ever relocate such a young journalist who hasn't even worked for them before that, and who can't even speak the national language in the country she's headed to, for hotshot jobs. Omg, if I were The New York Times, I'd sue for defamation LMFAO. The author really portrayed their journalism as the most amateurish crap ever, hahaha. Sorry, I'm still laughing at the preposterousness of this. Another thing that bothers me is that Calla doesn't display her gifts for journalism at all. We're told she's talented and smart, but we're never shown it. Calla isn't even dedicated enough to read through the questions she has to ask Ace before her interview with him. There's a half-as*ed explanation in the book of that, being that Calla has wanted to put Ace out of her mind, but seriously, if she's so driven as the author insists, and she's about to interview the only man she's ever been in love with, I'm pretty sure EVERY PERSON ALIVE would have read through the questions first with meticulous attention. Instead, Genicious stole that scene right out of Fifty Shades of Grey. It's a bit concerning how many traces of plagiarism I tend to notice in her works... The first one was After by Anna Todd, and now it's FSoG by EL James.
Next, we have a 23-year-old SELF-MADE billionaire who is also an undefeated boxing champion. Omg, I'm rolling!!! I can't stop laughing. I'm actually so fascinated that some of the readers are able to push this preposterous idea aside and enjoy the story. I really couldn't get past that because it is IMPOSSIBLE in this world to manage that at the age of 23, HAHA. Like the ACTUAL world's best boxing champion is still not sure whether he's a billionaire! Sh*t, I can't stop laughing. This is so far-fetched it ruins SO much for me. I'm sorry.
We also have a lawyer who is 28, Nik, who is a PARTNER in Manhattan's MOST PRESTIGIOUS law firm. That cracked me tf up! Especially since the author is apparently a law student. Does she know that in the U.S., it takes around 7 years for a person to graduate from law school? If Nik started studying right after High School, that would make him around 25 when he graduated. So, how he's managed to become A PARTNER in MANHATTAN'S most prestigious law firm in 3 years I'm dying to know. What made this even better is that, apparently, Nik doesn't see the point of the concept of marriage. (God, this book is honestly comedy gold, albeit unintentionally) I can tell you this: any lawyer who has any idea of family law (which he should have, if he's been to law school) can DEFINITELY see the point of marriage 🤣
Okay, so let's try to ignore these ridiculously unbelievable sides to the characters, which just doesn't have any root in reality at all, and move on to discuss the characters' personalities more closely.
Calla is the most unlikeable character I've read about in a long time. She's got more backbone now, which I liked, but she's also so, so toxic, oh my God. There are so many scenes where she intentionally tries to make Ace jealous. When he comes over (to mark his territory in the most unattractive way), the men Calla have been flirting with try to defend her. But guess what? She reacts by treating them like they're burdens—like they're...peasants, even though she was the one who hit on them first. What a total bi***. She's actually using people so much in this book, just to hurt Ace, and it's really off-putting. Doesn't she have any empathy? Like wtf. What makes her think it's okay to treat other human beings that way? And I'm not talking about how she intentionally tries to hurt/trigger Ace. I'm talking about the people she uses to hurt him. She's treating them like they're tissues—objects made for her convenience—and not individuals with feelings and personalities of their own.
She's also got that whole "special snowflake" vibe written all over her, when in truth, she's the blandest character ever. A typical...basic bi***, lol. She also acts like she's 15, (so a year older than in the first installment), which made me read the book with a constant grimace on my face.
Calla remains a big EW for me. She's unbearably self-centered and I hate how the author writes about her like she's the center of the world, since every character becomes inexplicably obsessed with her and her life, as if they don't have their own...
Speaking of, it's also really annoying how the author keeps depicting every character as incurably obsessed with either Calla or Ace, and none of the men or women who aren't within their social circle is ever portrayed as kind? They're either full of jealousy, hate, resentment, or envy. What they have in common is their uncritical desire after either Calla or Ace. It's all so un-believable. Like wtf. Not everyone wants to bang you, Calla. You're not all that, trust me. Same goes for you, Ace. If it were just you and I left on the planet, humanity would go extinct, because there's no way I'd ever want to reproduce your caveman genes, ugh.
I guess a certain part of Genicious' author's note does ring true: this is definitely fiction, because reality is NOTHING like this book. And that's one of the things which irritates me about this book. Like, when you pick up a Fantasy, you're expecting to be taken away into a different world etc. But when you pick up New Adult fiction, you expect the author to write within the confinements of what is at least feasible or realistic. None of this is realistic. To be honest, it's all so far-fetched that if Calla suddenly started pooping stars, I wouldn't be surprised. This story definitely can't occur on this earth. When I dive into a book, I want to escape reality for a bit, but not like this. It needs to be believable, because if it isn't, it slaps me right out of the book and I don't manage to escape (or as Genicious would put it, “elude”) into it at all. Instead, all I'm thinking is: "yeah, this could never happen. Not that either. Definitely not that. Eh, what is he doing? Oh god, I'm cringing. Oh no, this is worse than a soap. Oh dear, it doesn't stop."
Okay, onto Ace. Actually, you know what? I can't even be bothered. He's the least attractive man, possibly ever. It really annoys me that he wants to punch just about every man who talks to Calla, and fists his hands like a five-year-old every time. Even when men are just looking out for her, he wants to punch them. W.T.F.? If my boyfriend ever did that, I'd... Well, he wouldn't be my boyfriend, because I'd never fall for such an idiot. And it's also funny that Ace is supposed to be all smart when he behaves like he's got 2 brain cells, and one is on vacation most of the time.
I guess I...liked Nik. He was definitely the most sensible character out of them all. Mia was okay too. A bit stereotypical in that she has no filter and doesn't fit into a box when it comes to her sexuality. I guess the author wanted to include some diversity. While she could have done a better job, I did appreciate that.
My favorite character was probably Oreo, Calla's cat.
One thing that really bothered me as well is how Calla starts to put the blame for her mother's death on Logan, like it was never Ace's whole fault to begin with because Logan was the one to put the keys in Ace's hand. Eh...no. That is actually just really offensive. Ace drove that car. Ace killed Calla's mom. Logan had no way of knowing that Ace would end up actually killing someone, but it was conveyed like he meant for Ace to do that and get into trouble. I dunno, it just didn't sit right with me at all.
The author really was trying super hard to make excuses for Ace in this book, but they were all very bad.
And I also found the ending very, very bad. I'm so confused. It made no sense. It really seemed like the author was just making some poor attempt at putting the whole "I killed your mom"-thing to rest, but it doesn't add up.
It's obvious that she just went back on her original ending to silence her critics...
Okay, I could go on, but I'd rather just abandon this series altogether (watch me read the third installment too, lmao). I just find the amount of narcissism condensed into this book extremely hilarious—I can't help myself.
1,4 stars, rounded down to a 1.
Okay, I'm back. I'd like to apologize to myself for that. I guess I wanted to give the author the benefit of the doubt and see whether things would improve in the sequel. Spoiler: they didn't. At all.
What I can say is that her writing has improved by a very slim margin, hence the 0.4 upgrade in the rating since the first book. It also looks like she's taken some of the feedback on the first installment into consideration, though not without including a very hostile, defensive author's note at the very beginning of the second book. That was so off-putting and, to me, extremely unprofessional. It would suffice to say she doesn't condone her characters' actions within this series. Happy reading!
Instead, she attacked just about every person who has questioned her plot and characters, and they have done so with very valid reasons considering so many teenagers are reading this book. But...doesn't seem like the author gets that. She also says she isn't romanticizing drunk driving. That actually made me laugh. I just couldn't believe it, because it was so comical. She clearly missed the whole point. I went and checked the critical reviews on her first book, and as far as I can see, no one accused her of romanticizing drunk driving? She was accused of romanticizing reckless driving, which she absolutely did. In the years after that, he drives recklessly on a bike, and this is portrayed in a way that is supposed to make Ace hot. So...it was just really funny to me to see that the author didn't even grasp what was problematic. That speaks volumes, I guess.
Anyway, back to the author's note: she compares love to a mental illness. Eh...what? Hahaha, I'm sorry, but I was actually offended reading that. Like is she trying to say that people aren't capable of rational thought? That love reduces us to nothing but instincts, like we'll forgive and stay no matter how abusive that love might be? Eh, no. I would bail that relationship fast as lightning if it wasn't doing me any good, even if it would hurt. People are capable of thinking long term. Honestly, I will not be lectured about what love is by an author who thrives on writing about dysfunctional couples....
Bleh, that author's note left a really bad taste in my mouth. She should have kept it short instead of getting so personal—it struck me as very unprofessional.
Okay, onto the sequel. There’s so much to say, but I'll try to keep it relatively structured.
The writing
The writing is really bad. Again, the author is clutching the thesaurus too tightly. She really ought to leave that thing alone. Maybe it's my English that sucks, but I did second-guess myself most of the time and went in to check, and indeed, her word choices are really jarring. I'm really sitting here with the impression that she's using a lot of words she doesn't actually understand, just to spice up her prose. And…14-year-old readers, and perhaps some people with English as their second language, probably won't notice that. But I'm American, so it really bothers me, because it sounds very pseudo-intelligent. It just insults my intelligence as a reader.
A few examples include (chapter 20): "I turn, not bothering to listen to what manifests out of her mouth." Manifests? Um, what? I'm really not sure if this is proper English. Like, if I'm wrong, I'm sorry, but this slapped me out of the book for quite a while. It was really hard to fall back into the story. Super jarring. What's wrong with using "comes"? E.g.: "I turn, not bothering to listen to what comes out of her mouth." Ah, that read so much better to me. So fluent. 😂
Another: "a moan eludes her lips". Eludes? I could understand "escape", but "elude" reads so jarring here. I'm not sure it means what the author thinks it means...
There are also several other things, like Ace having iridescent eyes. . . Aren't his eyes brown? How does that work? I have brown eyes, so I'd love to know. Give me that beauty-hack, Ace.
There's another place where she writes "seize" when she clearly means to write "cease". So it's just a whole mess. I've got a long list of misused words, spelling errors and grammar errors etc., but I'm not gonna include them all here, because that would make this review way too long. So, just keep this in mind: Genicious' writing sounds fancy, but it's actually (and I'm sorry to use this word) really dumb when you actually look into it, lol. It just strikes me as incredibly pseudo-intelligent, like the author wants to sound smarter than she maybe is?
I can forgive the occasional typo though, such as Calla seemingly having several chestS (lol).
Anyway, onto...
The characters
First off, I just want to bring this to everyone's attention, because it is completely un-believable:
We have a 23-year-old journalist just out of college who LOL. Yeah, right! Does she even speak freaking German? Hahaha. Like they would ever relocate such a young journalist who hasn't even worked for them before that, and who can't even speak the national language in the country she's headed to, for hotshot jobs. Omg, if I were The New York Times, I'd sue for defamation LMFAO. The author really portrayed their journalism as the most amateurish crap ever, hahaha. Sorry, I'm still laughing at the preposterousness of this. Another thing that bothers me is that Calla doesn't display her gifts for journalism at all. We're told she's talented and smart, but we're never shown it. Calla isn't even dedicated enough to read through the questions she has to ask Ace before her interview with him. There's a half-as*ed explanation in the book of that, being that Calla has wanted to put Ace out of her mind, but seriously, if she's so driven as the author insists, and she's about to interview the only man she's ever been in love with, I'm pretty sure EVERY PERSON ALIVE would have read through the questions first with meticulous attention. Instead, Genicious stole that scene right out of Fifty Shades of Grey. It's a bit concerning how many traces of plagiarism I tend to notice in her works... The first one was After by Anna Todd, and now it's FSoG by EL James.
Next, we have a 23-year-old SELF-MADE billionaire who is also an undefeated boxing champion. Omg, I'm rolling!!! I can't stop laughing. I'm actually so fascinated that some of the readers are able to push this preposterous idea aside and enjoy the story. I really couldn't get past that because it is IMPOSSIBLE in this world to manage that at the age of 23, HAHA. Like the ACTUAL world's best boxing champion is still not sure whether he's a billionaire! Sh*t, I can't stop laughing. This is so far-fetched it ruins SO much for me. I'm sorry.
We also have a lawyer who is 28, Nik, who is a PARTNER in Manhattan's MOST PRESTIGIOUS law firm. That cracked me tf up! Especially since the author is apparently a law student. Does she know that in the U.S., it takes around 7 years for a person to graduate from law school? If Nik started studying right after High School, that would make him around 25 when he graduated. So, how he's managed to become A PARTNER in MANHATTAN'S most prestigious law firm in 3 years I'm dying to know. What made this even better is that, apparently, Nik doesn't see the point of the concept of marriage. (God, this book is honestly comedy gold, albeit unintentionally) I can tell you this: any lawyer who has any idea of family law (which he should have, if he's been to law school) can DEFINITELY see the point of marriage 🤣
Okay, so let's try to ignore these ridiculously unbelievable sides to the characters, which just doesn't have any root in reality at all, and move on to discuss the characters' personalities more closely.
Calla is the most unlikeable character I've read about in a long time. She's got more backbone now, which I liked, but she's also so, so toxic, oh my God. There are so many scenes where she intentionally tries to make Ace jealous. When he comes over (to mark his territory in the most unattractive way), the men Calla have been flirting with try to defend her. But guess what? She reacts by treating them like they're burdens—like they're...peasants, even though she was the one who hit on them first. What a total bi***. She's actually using people so much in this book, just to hurt Ace, and it's really off-putting. Doesn't she have any empathy? Like wtf. What makes her think it's okay to treat other human beings that way? And I'm not talking about how she intentionally tries to hurt/trigger Ace. I'm talking about the people she uses to hurt him. She's treating them like they're tissues—objects made for her convenience—and not individuals with feelings and personalities of their own.
She's also got that whole "special snowflake" vibe written all over her, when in truth, she's the blandest character ever. A typical...basic bi***, lol. She also acts like she's 15, (so a year older than in the first installment), which made me read the book with a constant grimace on my face.
Calla remains a big EW for me. She's unbearably self-centered and I hate how the author writes about her like she's the center of the world, since every character becomes inexplicably obsessed with her and her life, as if they don't have their own...
Speaking of, it's also really annoying how the author keeps depicting every character as incurably obsessed with either Calla or Ace, and none of the men or women who aren't within their social circle is ever portrayed as kind? They're either full of jealousy, hate, resentment, or envy. What they have in common is their uncritical desire after either Calla or Ace. It's all so un-believable. Like wtf. Not everyone wants to bang you, Calla. You're not all that, trust me. Same goes for you, Ace. If it were just you and I left on the planet, humanity would go extinct, because there's no way I'd ever want to reproduce your caveman genes, ugh.
I guess a certain part of Genicious' author's note does ring true: this is definitely fiction, because reality is NOTHING like this book. And that's one of the things which irritates me about this book. Like, when you pick up a Fantasy, you're expecting to be taken away into a different world etc. But when you pick up New Adult fiction, you expect the author to write within the confinements of what is at least feasible or realistic. None of this is realistic. To be honest, it's all so far-fetched that if Calla suddenly started pooping stars, I wouldn't be surprised. This story definitely can't occur on this earth. When I dive into a book, I want to escape reality for a bit, but not like this. It needs to be believable, because if it isn't, it slaps me right out of the book and I don't manage to escape (or as Genicious would put it, “elude”) into it at all. Instead, all I'm thinking is: "yeah, this could never happen. Not that either. Definitely not that. Eh, what is he doing? Oh god, I'm cringing. Oh no, this is worse than a soap. Oh dear, it doesn't stop."
Okay, onto Ace. Actually, you know what? I can't even be bothered. He's the least attractive man, possibly ever. It really annoys me that he wants to punch just about every man who talks to Calla, and fists his hands like a five-year-old every time. Even when men are just looking out for her, he wants to punch them. W.T.F.? If my boyfriend ever did that, I'd... Well, he wouldn't be my boyfriend, because I'd never fall for such an idiot. And it's also funny that Ace is supposed to be all smart when he behaves like he's got 2 brain cells, and one is on vacation most of the time.
I guess I...liked Nik. He was definitely the most sensible character out of them all. Mia was okay too. A bit stereotypical in that she has no filter and doesn't fit into a box when it comes to her sexuality. I guess the author wanted to include some diversity. While she could have done a better job, I did appreciate that.
My favorite character was probably Oreo, Calla's cat.
One thing that really bothered me as well is how Calla starts to put the blame for her mother's death on Logan, like it was never Ace's whole fault to begin with because Logan was the one to put the keys in Ace's hand. Eh...no. That is actually just really offensive. Ace drove that car. Ace killed Calla's mom. Logan had no way of knowing that Ace would end up actually killing someone, but it was conveyed like he meant for Ace to do that and get into trouble. I dunno, it just didn't sit right with me at all.
The author really was trying super hard to make excuses for Ace in this book, but they were all very bad.
And I also found the ending very, very bad. I'm so confused. It made no sense. It really seemed like the author was just making some poor attempt at putting the whole "I killed your mom"-thing to rest, but it doesn't add up.
It's obvious that she just went back on her original ending to silence her critics...
Okay, I could go on, but I'd rather just abandon this series altogether (watch me read the third installment too, lmao). I just find the amount of narcissism condensed into this book extremely hilarious—I can't help myself.
June 20, 2021
Okay first of all. Woah. This book went above and beyond what I had expected. If you enjoyed I Need You To Hate Me, you will fall in love with this one. This second instalment is better than ever, Ace and Calla’s story is back, filled with pure intensity and emotion.
I’m still wondering how to write this review without spoiling it, the detail, the way it’s written it’s power. Woah. The way it’s written is so beautiful in itself, it truly makes you want to ready more of their story. It’s pain, anger, love, tension, humour and so much more.
I found myself crying in some scenes and laughing in others, words cannot describe how much I love this book.
Not only did I love the relationship between Ace and Calla, but also between Calla and Mia and how their friendship has grown so much over the long period of time.
I need this story to be released ASAP so I can go buy a paperback, I need this book in my room, not only to read but to just stare at the cover and it’s beauty.
The author really outdid herself with this book, the cliffhanger at the end….. WHY. I need the third book immediately, I cannot wait.
I am so grateful that I got chosen as an ARC reader, it was an incredible journey to read Ace and Calla’s story. They were back as if they never left.
Maybe the stars will align for them once again in the third book.🖤
I’m still wondering how to write this review without spoiling it, the detail, the way it’s written it’s power. Woah. The way it’s written is so beautiful in itself, it truly makes you want to ready more of their story. It’s pain, anger, love, tension, humour and so much more.
I found myself crying in some scenes and laughing in others, words cannot describe how much I love this book.
Not only did I love the relationship between Ace and Calla, but also between Calla and Mia and how their friendship has grown so much over the long period of time.
I need this story to be released ASAP so I can go buy a paperback, I need this book in my room, not only to read but to just stare at the cover and it’s beauty.
The author really outdid herself with this book, the cliffhanger at the end….. WHY. I need the third book immediately, I cannot wait.
I am so grateful that I got chosen as an ARC reader, it was an incredible journey to read Ace and Calla’s story. They were back as if they never left.
Maybe the stars will align for them once again in the third book.🖤
April 5, 2024
ETA: Not for me. See updated review for the first book😐
Oh.My.God.
I literally just finished reading INYTLM and it's safe to say that I'm utterly gobsmacked.The second installment of Ace and Calla's story had me feeling a whirlwind of emotions that I never actually fathomed I could even feel.
I don't know how genicious does it but she has a way of taking you so high through her words,only for everything to come crashing down within the blink of an eye.
I am honestly shook right now y'all and my mind is still processing and reeling from the way the book ended.I just hope that Ace and Calla both find peace and redemption and have a chance at a much deserved HEA in the third book.
P.S. The smut in this one is absolute perfection *chef's kiss* <3
Can't wait for the third and final book to drop and see what genicious has in store for us!❤
Oh.My.God.
I literally just finished reading INYTLM and it's safe to say that I'm utterly gobsmacked.The second installment of Ace and Calla's story had me feeling a whirlwind of emotions that I never actually fathomed I could even feel.
I don't know how genicious does it but she has a way of taking you so high through her words,only for everything to come crashing down within the blink of an eye.
I am honestly shook right now y'all and my mind is still processing and reeling from the way the book ended.I just hope that Ace and Calla both find peace and redemption and have a chance at a much deserved HEA in the third book.
P.S. The smut in this one is absolute perfection *chef's kiss* <3
Can't wait for the third and final book to drop and see what genicious has in store for us!❤
August 9, 2021
man i was so disappointed. i really wanted to like this book but what was this?? what did i just read???
i thought id like this book more since the first book was pretty decent and it set up this book to just seem like it would be good?? but fuck was i wrong
this book went around in circles where calla and ace would like each other then hate each other then love each other then hate each other like bro. make up your fucking mind
i was so detached to this book that i just gave up even thinking that this book would get any better. keep your hopes low cause this book never got better for me 😃👍
the smut?? well the smut was ok ig there was some smut and yeah it was hot but that was about it lmao it wasnt even amazing sex imo 💀💀
lets just have a brief view in the characters:
calla : she tried really hard to let ace open up and i admire her persistence but she shouldve just let him go cause she could do so much better without him. he’s basically dead weight at this point like cmon dude let the woman live her life without you tying her down?? calla is just too forgiving and too nice which isnt a bad thing BUT SHE’S TOO NICE SPECIFICALLY TO ACE. i love the relationship she has with ace’s mum and sister tho. its very cute and wholesome fjskfkg
like you can really see she just wants him to be better for him but this dumbass bitch doesnt wanna help himself so 🤷♀️🤷♀️
ace : major red flags of manipulation with the bullshit “do you trust me” like sir kindly back the fuck off thanks. he annoyed me a lot in the book and i just gave up lol he was just such a hypocrite?? he would tell calla to tell him everything and to trust him with whatever she wanted TO BE A FUCKING HYPOCRITE AND NOT TELL HER ANYTHING?? like stfu sir i hate you
he did have his moments where i was like… “maybe i like you”
like yes i like this. this is nice. keep it going.
like yes yes absolute death fjskkf i approve of this
bonus : he is rich asf and can buy a shit ton of stuff even bought calla a cartier bracelet?? sign me up
but this?? fuck off. shut the fuck up and just stop breathing for a bit <3
nik : my favourite character. THIS MAN DESERVED BETTER like bro the way he treated calla?? like yes. he was such a gentleman and she chose ace. WHY IN THE FUCK WOULD SHE DO THAT?? ive lost hope in humanity 🥲🥲 but he was so sweet and he loves her fnskfkfk nik honestly deserved better like that man did not get treated right
this book was just… not it lmaooo like i was so conflicted with so many things.
i hated the cliche “my brother and i love the same girl” between nik and ace like… cmon can we get something new??? i just want her to pick nik 🤩🤩
something else that annoys the fucking shit out of me is the fact that THEY NEVER STAY TOGETHER FOR LONGER THAN LIKE A WEEK
like bro… the fucking on and off in this book and me ripping my hair out cause it was so fucking frustrating.
they would hate then love then hate then love and have a shit ton of business and legal shit on the side
pick a fucking struggle bitches cause its so fucking annoying fucking hell.
excuse my language i am very angry rn smekfkfle
n e ways the first book is ok but the second book should be flushed down the toilet. im sorry but i just dont know wtf i just read 😃😃
i thought id like this book more since the first book was pretty decent and it set up this book to just seem like it would be good?? but fuck was i wrong
this book went around in circles where calla and ace would like each other then hate each other then love each other then hate each other like bro. make up your fucking mind
i was so detached to this book that i just gave up even thinking that this book would get any better. keep your hopes low cause this book never got better for me 😃👍
the smut?? well the smut was ok ig there was some smut and yeah it was hot but that was about it lmao it wasnt even amazing sex imo 💀💀
lets just have a brief view in the characters:
calla : she tried really hard to let ace open up and i admire her persistence but she shouldve just let him go cause she could do so much better without him. he’s basically dead weight at this point like cmon dude let the woman live her life without you tying her down?? calla is just too forgiving and too nice which isnt a bad thing BUT SHE’S TOO NICE SPECIFICALLY TO ACE. i love the relationship she has with ace’s mum and sister tho. its very cute and wholesome fjskfkg
“I’ll go see a therapist if you want me to. I want to try and be better for you.”
“You don’t understand. That’s the problem! I don’t want you to be better for me. I want you to be better for you.” My vision blurs, and I blink, forcing more tears to spill down my cheeks.”
like you can really see she just wants him to be better for him but this dumbass bitch doesnt wanna help himself so 🤷♀️🤷♀️
ace : major red flags of manipulation with the bullshit “do you trust me” like sir kindly back the fuck off thanks. he annoyed me a lot in the book and i just gave up lol he was just such a hypocrite?? he would tell calla to tell him everything and to trust him with whatever she wanted TO BE A FUCKING HYPOCRITE AND NOT TELL HER ANYTHING?? like stfu sir i hate you
he did have his moments where i was like… “maybe i like you”
“I’ve never loved myself. Never. Especially not after that night. But you… Fuck, Calla. I’ve loved you so much that I forgot what it was like to hate.”
like yes i like this. this is nice. keep it going.
“I spent the last four years waiting for you when I should have been fighting for you instead. That’s why now.”
like yes yes absolute death fjskkf i approve of this
“A rose-gold bracelet hangs from my wrist. My heart soars out of my chest. It’s a Cartier love bracelet covered in diamonds, one of the ones you need a screwdriver to unlock.”
bonus : he is rich asf and can buy a shit ton of stuff even bought calla a cartier bracelet?? sign me up
“You can’t tell me anything, and you expect me to trust you. When has that ever worked for me?”
The last time I trusted him, everything blew up in flames. Quite literally. The whole sky burned amber the night I discovered his secret—our secret, in a way.
Ace pushes himself off the bed and stands. He towers over me. I barely reach his shoulders.
“I’ll give you as much time as you need. But will you ever trust me?”
but this?? fuck off. shut the fuck up and just stop breathing for a bit <3
nik : my favourite character. THIS MAN DESERVED BETTER like bro the way he treated calla?? like yes. he was such a gentleman and she chose ace. WHY IN THE FUCK WOULD SHE DO THAT?? ive lost hope in humanity 🥲🥲 but he was so sweet and he loves her fnskfkfk nik honestly deserved better like that man did not get treated right
this book was just… not it lmaooo like i was so conflicted with so many things.
i hated the cliche “my brother and i love the same girl” between nik and ace like… cmon can we get something new??? i just want her to pick nik 🤩🤩
something else that annoys the fucking shit out of me is the fact that THEY NEVER STAY TOGETHER FOR LONGER THAN LIKE A WEEK
like bro… the fucking on and off in this book and me ripping my hair out cause it was so fucking frustrating.
they would hate then love then hate then love and have a shit ton of business and legal shit on the side
pick a fucking struggle bitches cause its so fucking annoying fucking hell.
excuse my language i am very angry rn smekfkfle
n e ways the first book is ok but the second book should be flushed down the toilet. im sorry but i just dont know wtf i just read 😃😃
June 29, 2021
"An infinite cosmos bursting with mesmerizing darkness. He stares back at me, but only for a second. For that second, the whole world stops, ceasing to exist..."
Since receiving the ARC of this book for review, I binged the entire book in one night, then proceeded to read it twice more, just to capture every moment, every detail, and every little thing in between. It took me a long time to decide my favorite quotes from this book - there are many (please note that this author is one of the only author's for whom I will ever highlight a quote on my kindle for. the quotes are THAT good). Finally, I read other books, and came back to read this once more before writing my review.
I first read the original version of this story on wattpad while it was still being written (I believe I read INYTHM first when it was almost finished on wattpad, so I've been following Ace and Calla for some time now). The published version? WOW. I was kind of nervous because I absolutely loved the Wattpad version, but the author did not disappoint with the published version. In fact, it is much better and much more well written than what I recall the Wattpad version to be. There are some changes, but all of them were great! It's WAAAAAY steamier (it's so hot that my A/C HAD to be on while I was reading this book!). Some of those steamy scenes are in Ace's POV, which makes it even more HOT. And in general, there are major changes to this plot that require this book to be read over the wattpad version (especially if you are going to read the upcoming 3rd book, which you will read...because it's going to be SOOO good).
I feel emotionally attached to Calla and Ace. I am sure many others are as well, but Genicious did a great job at showing their emotions and really making the reader feel those emotions as well. Calla and Ace both have changed a lot in the five years between INYTHM/INYTLM, and it's very evident why once you read the book. That being said, I felt like Calla was TOO understanding at times, and Ace was TOO demanding of her. BUT, this is a romance (somewhat dark but not really, and very adult), and that is expected in romance novels - especially when being published as things move fast). PLUS, they do have a huge chunk of history, much of which makes a ton of more sense once you read this book in its entirety.
As previously mentioned, there is a HUGE part of this book that will leave you wanting more. I simply cannot wait for book 3 and reading more of Ace and Calla's journey. It was totally not what I expected (at all, and trust me when I say that I had LITERALLY written down a list of possibilities as soon as the author announced that the ending of the book was going to change months ago!) and WHEWWW, I'm still on edge about it.
Overall, this is one of the best books I have read this year. I was looking forward to it for so long and I am so glad that the author chose me to receive an ARC copy of it. Ace and Calla will forever hold a special place in my heart, and I'm glad that I get one more book to enjoy them in the future.
Genicious - thanks for sharing their story with us. You've officially become the queen of cliffhangers, and as much as I want to scream at you for it, I can't! I typically HATE it when books end on cliffhangers, but you've blessed my life with Ace and Calla, and I guess that's more than enough for me to continue to read your work. I'm looking forward to whatever you have in store for us next (both on Wattpad/published work!).
Since receiving the ARC of this book for review, I binged the entire book in one night, then proceeded to read it twice more, just to capture every moment, every detail, and every little thing in between. It took me a long time to decide my favorite quotes from this book - there are many (please note that this author is one of the only author's for whom I will ever highlight a quote on my kindle for. the quotes are THAT good). Finally, I read other books, and came back to read this once more before writing my review.
I first read the original version of this story on wattpad while it was still being written (I believe I read INYTHM first when it was almost finished on wattpad, so I've been following Ace and Calla for some time now). The published version? WOW. I was kind of nervous because I absolutely loved the Wattpad version, but the author did not disappoint with the published version. In fact, it is much better and much more well written than what I recall the Wattpad version to be. There are some changes, but all of them were great! It's WAAAAAY steamier (it's so hot that my A/C HAD to be on while I was reading this book!). Some of those steamy scenes are in Ace's POV, which makes it even more HOT. And in general, there are major changes to this plot that require this book to be read over the wattpad version (especially if you are going to read the upcoming 3rd book, which you will read...because it's going to be SOOO good).
I feel emotionally attached to Calla and Ace. I am sure many others are as well, but Genicious did a great job at showing their emotions and really making the reader feel those emotions as well. Calla and Ace both have changed a lot in the five years between INYTHM/INYTLM, and it's very evident why once you read the book. That being said, I felt like Calla was TOO understanding at times, and Ace was TOO demanding of her. BUT, this is a romance (somewhat dark but not really, and very adult), and that is expected in romance novels - especially when being published as things move fast). PLUS, they do have a huge chunk of history, much of which makes a ton of more sense once you read this book in its entirety.
As previously mentioned, there is a HUGE part of this book that will leave you wanting more. I simply cannot wait for book 3 and reading more of Ace and Calla's journey. It was totally not what I expected (at all, and trust me when I say that I had LITERALLY written down a list of possibilities as soon as the author announced that the ending of the book was going to change months ago!) and WHEWWW, I'm still on edge about it.
Overall, this is one of the best books I have read this year. I was looking forward to it for so long and I am so glad that the author chose me to receive an ARC copy of it. Ace and Calla will forever hold a special place in my heart, and I'm glad that I get one more book to enjoy them in the future.
Genicious - thanks for sharing their story with us. You've officially become the queen of cliffhangers, and as much as I want to scream at you for it, I can't! I typically HATE it when books end on cliffhangers, but you've blessed my life with Ace and Calla, and I guess that's more than enough for me to continue to read your work. I'm looking forward to whatever you have in store for us next (both on Wattpad/published work!).
June 20, 2021
i’m honestly at a loss of words of how good this book was. also the ENDING. OMG. there was so many plot twists throughout it i just didn’t see it coming. i wasn’t sure about genicious topping the first book but she did without a doubt.
i cant wait for this to officially come out so i can get a physical copy and annotate it
i cant wait for this to officially come out so i can get a physical copy and annotate it
June 20, 2021
This books got me hooked on fast just like the first one. I ended up reading it in one sitting and was surprised with all the different plots that were happening. I really thought that Calla would be pregnant especially after the scene of her feeling uneasy with the smell of champagne. But I was interesting to see both the characters develop and we were really able to see what they both went through in a way over the years they were apart. Having both perspectives by including both Ace’s and Calla’s point of view was interesting to have. The cliffhanger was unexpected I was like of blindsided by it-I knew something was coming but I didn’t think her father would be the one to cause it this time. The story kind of went fast towards the end and her time in Switzerland but it left with lots to wonder. This is one of the best books I’ve read and I can’t wait for the next one of come out!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2021
There are a few books that stick with me after reading. INYTHM was one, INYTLM is now another. I loved reading the ARC of this book. The way Calla and Ace’s relationship is written and has evolved has been a treasure to read. The way the author articulates their feelings, desires and implosions hits my soul. I’m only upset that I have to wait now for the 3rd book for the conclusion!
June 29, 2021
After 4 years of not seeing each other, Calla and Ace paths cross again. Calla now a journalist and Ace a famous boxer and businessman. A lot has changed between them, Calla moves to New York and has a career that she loves. Although her job isn't the best there is but works to get what she wants.
Ever since Calla meets Ace again in an event, her job just became much more challenging as she has to shadow him for an article for 2 weeks. After meeting her again he is determined not to let her go again.
After the first book, it was pretty hard not to wonder how they will meet again. The wait was worth it. Genicious most definitely explore and developed as well. After breaking up in the first book, I Need You to Love Me bring us in a process of how to fix a relationship that's meant to be.
The characters both from the first book and the new are well written. The main characters are much braver, especially in their sexuality. I can't tell you how many time I was fanning myself with the spice I read in here. Genicious was not kidding when she warned us about the sexual content going to be much more intense. I believe it's fitting as both have mature more and has explored more.
There are also a few things that are unexpected from Ace. I feel that this time this book focuses more on Ace. I was kind of expecting that he might be into something but never thought it would be what it is. Calla this time is much more understanding which I wish she would be a little bit reserved after what happened to her mother. it could be part of her moving on from the past.
The book ends with another shocking cliffhanger which I can't wait for.
On another note, thank you so much Genicious for allowing me to be a part of ARC. It means the world to me.
If it wasn't for work reasons, I would have finished the book even faster.
Ever since Calla meets Ace again in an event, her job just became much more challenging as she has to shadow him for an article for 2 weeks. After meeting her again he is determined not to let her go again.
After the first book, it was pretty hard not to wonder how they will meet again. The wait was worth it. Genicious most definitely explore and developed as well. After breaking up in the first book, I Need You to Love Me bring us in a process of how to fix a relationship that's meant to be.
The characters both from the first book and the new are well written. The main characters are much braver, especially in their sexuality. I can't tell you how many time I was fanning myself with the spice I read in here. Genicious was not kidding when she warned us about the sexual content going to be much more intense. I believe it's fitting as both have mature more and has explored more.
There are also a few things that are unexpected from Ace. I feel that this time this book focuses more on Ace. I was kind of expecting that he might be into something but never thought it would be what it is. Calla this time is much more understanding which I wish she would be a little bit reserved after what happened to her mother. it could be part of her moving on from the past.
The book ends with another shocking cliffhanger which I can't wait for.
On another note, thank you so much Genicious for allowing me to be a part of ARC. It means the world to me.
If it wasn't for work reasons, I would have finished the book even faster.
January 23, 2022
i want to say a big big thank you to Genicious for the ARC
Fate. I've heard it's cruel and unfair.
I Need You To Love Me takes place four years after the ending of the previous novel. Both main characters are now living their own separate lives, and they have not interacted with each other in those four years apart. That is, until now. And fate starts to play with them, leading their paths to meet again and again, and they begin to reconnect after all those years and memories.
Main Characters:
✧ Calla is now a journalist at Satire Times. She lives in an apartment in New York City with her cat, Oreo. When she meets Ace again, she tries to stay away and keep a distance between them, not fate has other plans for them.
"You don't understand. That's the problem! I don't want you to be better for me. I want you to be better for you."
✧ Ace is now the CEO of Blackwell Enterprises. He is also now known as the dangerous, undefeated boxing champion and notorious bachelor who has women falling at his feet. But once he sees Calla again, he sets his eyes to her, and only her.
"No matter what happens, remember that for me, it's always been you."
✧ Nik is a new character that is brought into I Need You To Love Me, we are first introduced to him at the beginning of the novel as Calla's friend. Nik is a partner in New York's most prestigious firm—Stryker & Portman. We learn over the course of the novel that he might be more connected to the main characters than once thought.
What skeletons is he hiding in his closet?
Calla & Ace's beautifully tragic love
"There is no us, Ace. There was never an us. There's you, and there's me. You always said that. Why can't you ever tell me the truth? In college, I opened up to you about everything. How could you keep such a secret from me when you knew how much I needed closure."
There is no doubt that Calla & Ace's relationship has been rocky, but they hold something that others wouldn't understand, something so powerful, so beautiful, so captivating. They are connected in such a delicate way.
"Can't you see, Ace? Maybe we were always meant to say goodbye. We just keep on prolonging the inevitable. I'm exhausted from fighting against it."
I am interested to see what is going to come in the next installment.
"I made the stars align for us, love." :)
Fate. I've heard it's cruel and unfair.
I Need You To Love Me takes place four years after the ending of the previous novel. Both main characters are now living their own separate lives, and they have not interacted with each other in those four years apart. That is, until now. And fate starts to play with them, leading their paths to meet again and again, and they begin to reconnect after all those years and memories.
Main Characters:
✧ Calla is now a journalist at Satire Times. She lives in an apartment in New York City with her cat, Oreo. When she meets Ace again, she tries to stay away and keep a distance between them, not fate has other plans for them.
"You don't understand. That's the problem! I don't want you to be better for me. I want you to be better for you."
✧ Ace is now the CEO of Blackwell Enterprises. He is also now known as the dangerous, undefeated boxing champion and notorious bachelor who has women falling at his feet. But once he sees Calla again, he sets his eyes to her, and only her.
"No matter what happens, remember that for me, it's always been you."
✧ Nik is a new character that is brought into I Need You To Love Me, we are first introduced to him at the beginning of the novel as Calla's friend. Nik is a partner in New York's most prestigious firm—Stryker & Portman. We learn over the course of the novel that he might be more connected to the main characters than once thought.
What skeletons is he hiding in his closet?
Calla & Ace's beautifully tragic love
"There is no us, Ace. There was never an us. There's you, and there's me. You always said that. Why can't you ever tell me the truth? In college, I opened up to you about everything. How could you keep such a secret from me when you knew how much I needed closure."
There is no doubt that Calla & Ace's relationship has been rocky, but they hold something that others wouldn't understand, something so powerful, so beautiful, so captivating. They are connected in such a delicate way.
"Can't you see, Ace? Maybe we were always meant to say goodbye. We just keep on prolonging the inevitable. I'm exhausted from fighting against it."
I am interested to see what is going to come in the next installment.
"I made the stars align for us, love." :)
June 22, 2021
The very first thing that I'd like to mention about this book is its brilliant plot. Unlike most other 18+ fiction, the characters develop tremendously along with the original plotline. What I like the best about I Need You To Love Me is how realistically it is drawn. You don't see miracles, you don't see the "we-make-it-through-whatever-happens" trope, which only adds to its beauty. Its very much possible to imagine Ace and Calla as a real-life couple and forget that they're actually fictional, because that is what the author, Genicious, wonderfully portraits- the actual struggles, the dark side, the i-love-you-but-i-won't-sacrifice-my-dreams-to-save-you trope which exists in this reality.
INYTLM truly makes me believe in the existence of romantic soulmates and destiny. It beautifully highlights how if and when the time is right, two people eventually find their way back to each other. If it's meant to be, it will be.
The plot twists are the cherries on top, which brings me to my second point, the plot's unpredictability, similar to that of real life. You cannot guess what is going to happen next and it might be for the better, it might be for the worse, but whatever it is, it is shaping you for your future.
The character of Calla strikes me as someone who would go out of her way for you if she cares but she won't put in efforts if she doesn't see you trying too. This character is build keeping in mind how an actual human mind works which is very much appreciable.
As of Ace, he undergoes a brilliant character development and becomes someone who everyone aspires to be at some point of their life. Through Ace, the author has mindfully shown how it is possible to fight and defeat one's inner demons and come out of the other end even stronger than before. But at the same time, she has maintained the essence of reality by portraying that one cannot escape the consequences of their actions without facing them headstrong.
Both the main characters are carefully created and served.
I love how Genicious evolves this sequel from the basic plot of its prequel, I Need You To Hate Me, and turns it into something everyone can relate to.
In my personal opinion, INYTLM is even more enthralling than INYTHM and INYTHM was a gem in itself.
INYTLM truly makes me believe in the existence of romantic soulmates and destiny. It beautifully highlights how if and when the time is right, two people eventually find their way back to each other. If it's meant to be, it will be.
The plot twists are the cherries on top, which brings me to my second point, the plot's unpredictability, similar to that of real life. You cannot guess what is going to happen next and it might be for the better, it might be for the worse, but whatever it is, it is shaping you for your future.
The character of Calla strikes me as someone who would go out of her way for you if she cares but she won't put in efforts if she doesn't see you trying too. This character is build keeping in mind how an actual human mind works which is very much appreciable.
As of Ace, he undergoes a brilliant character development and becomes someone who everyone aspires to be at some point of their life. Through Ace, the author has mindfully shown how it is possible to fight and defeat one's inner demons and come out of the other end even stronger than before. But at the same time, she has maintained the essence of reality by portraying that one cannot escape the consequences of their actions without facing them headstrong.
Both the main characters are carefully created and served.
I love how Genicious evolves this sequel from the basic plot of its prequel, I Need You To Hate Me, and turns it into something everyone can relate to.
In my personal opinion, INYTLM is even more enthralling than INYTHM and INYTHM was a gem in itself.
October 7, 2022
I love ace and calla so fcking much I could CRY 😭😭😭 I NEED THE THIRD BOOK ASAPP😭😭😭
June 21, 2021
I was lucky enough to be chosen to get an ARC of this book, so thank you Genicious. I want to first say that I love the writing and how Genicious portrays Ace and Calla. In this review, I am going to try not to spoil things and not put a disclaimer of spoilers ahead.
Plot:
We follow Ace and Calla when they are around 22-23 years old and they are navigating the world without each other and trying to move on. Emphasis on trying. Of course, they thought about each other and of course they eventually come face to face with each other after 4 years of not seeing each other. I think the storyline was absolutely amazing. Genicious did a really good job at making the plot flow without any missing plot points.
I love the way that Ace and Calla meet for the first time after a long time, and then how the two different power complexes work. Calla really did step up into herself and be more confident in who she is and holds a power over Ace that Ace isn't ready for.
The dynamic between the two in this book is amazing (also the smut... oof)
Characters:
Calla: I love that she got stronger and more confident but she still holds herself back. She's realistic, everyone has their demons, you can grow and get stronger and be more yourself but those demons are always going to be there, pushing you down and making you second guess yourself. I think Genicious really did make this character into a character that is realistic to the power of the past. I can't wait to see how her character grows in the third book.
Ace: Like Calla, he has demons in his past, but unlike Calla instead of holding herself back, he chooses to fight it. His demons are demons that you fight and are at war with. Ace's character really did grow just like Calla, but he grew in a completely different way, instead of trying to heal and trying to fix himself. He built an empire to hide his wounds and leave them open. I can tell that Ace will continue to grow and once again I can't wait to see what happens to him in the next book.
A short and sweet review, I will post a longer one on my site (there will be spoilers... so take that as you will). I can't wait for the third book to release, I want to see them grow, I want to see what happens. We got left on a cliffhanger, and it makes me want more.
Thank you again to Gencious for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC). I can't wait to purchase this book for real, and the many more you may come out with :)
<3 Bea
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Plot:
We follow Ace and Calla when they are around 22-23 years old and they are navigating the world without each other and trying to move on. Emphasis on trying. Of course, they thought about each other and of course they eventually come face to face with each other after 4 years of not seeing each other. I think the storyline was absolutely amazing. Genicious did a really good job at making the plot flow without any missing plot points.
I love the way that Ace and Calla meet for the first time after a long time, and then how the two different power complexes work. Calla really did step up into herself and be more confident in who she is and holds a power over Ace that Ace isn't ready for.
The dynamic between the two in this book is amazing (also the smut... oof)
Characters:
Calla: I love that she got stronger and more confident but she still holds herself back. She's realistic, everyone has their demons, you can grow and get stronger and be more yourself but those demons are always going to be there, pushing you down and making you second guess yourself. I think Genicious really did make this character into a character that is realistic to the power of the past. I can't wait to see how her character grows in the third book.
Ace: Like Calla, he has demons in his past, but unlike Calla instead of holding herself back, he chooses to fight it. His demons are demons that you fight and are at war with. Ace's character really did grow just like Calla, but he grew in a completely different way, instead of trying to heal and trying to fix himself. He built an empire to hide his wounds and leave them open. I can tell that Ace will continue to grow and once again I can't wait to see what happens to him in the next book.
A short and sweet review, I will post a longer one on my site (there will be spoilers... so take that as you will). I can't wait for the third book to release, I want to see them grow, I want to see what happens. We got left on a cliffhanger, and it makes me want more.
Thank you again to Gencious for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC). I can't wait to purchase this book for real, and the many more you may come out with :)
<3 Bea
Instagram I Goodreads I Blog
July 21, 2021
i’m already in love with this authors work so i’m not surprised how i loved this book as well. this book shows ace and calls after 4 years and you can tell there’s still feelings towards them but they both grow as people together. i’m so incredibly in love with their love with each other it’s so passionate. definitely recommend if you liked the first book.
book provided by arc through genicious. thanks for allowing me to be your arc reader i love it!
book provided by arc through genicious. thanks for allowing me to be your arc reader i love it!
June 30, 2021
How can a book be this good!?like come on! Every chapter leaves you speechless! Every single detail of it is wonderful! Calla and Ace had grown so much but at the same time are the same people in college.
Agh, I'm so in love with this book series it's just I can't get enough! I'm gonna go for round three! You should read the I need you series too! Cause there's a lot to miss if you don't!
God, I can't wait for the last book which would be crazy!!
Love you Genicious,
thanks for these epic series♡
Agh, I'm so in love with this book series it's just I can't get enough! I'm gonna go for round three! You should read the I need you series too! Cause there's a lot to miss if you don't!
God, I can't wait for the last book which would be crazy!!
Love you Genicious,
thanks for these epic series♡
July 20, 2021
Wow just wow. I've been in the I Need You To Hate Me journey ever since Genicious started on Wattpad, and the way Genicious has grown as an author makes me so happy. This book has surpassed my expectations and has made me fall in love with this Ace even more. This book got me hooked from the first line and I couldn't put it down, which says a lot considering I'm a very picky reader. The love and growth of both characters were sky high and the steam and spice made everything ten times better. Calla has grown so much from when she was in college and I love the way Genicious portrayed her character because she truly is a queen that deserves the world. As for Ace, I am just speechless. I loved college Ace in I Need You To Hate Me but adult Ace has officially stolen my heart. Believe me when I tell you, you will not be disappointed. I am so excited for the third book and I will be thinking about this story until I'm satisfied with a complete trilogy because Miss Genicious has left us on another cliffhanger that everyone will enjoy very much. I am so happy to be able to follow Ace and Calla's story and be one of many Ace Blackwell fangirls.
May 25, 2022
Thank you Genicious for this ARC
Woowow it isn’t surprising that I Need You To Love Me was as good, if not better than the first one. What is surprising is that I actually liked Niklaus, because I usually don’t like the “male character that’s usually just a fill-in for the main love interest” archetype.
It PAINS me to say this, but I was not the biggest fan of Ace in this book, at least during the first half.
I did love Calla even more in this book though. She’s ambitious, kind, strong and you can tell she’s been working on herself during those four years. Also, she puts up with Ace’s bs in a better way than most people would. What a bad bitch.
I wish the buildup was a bit slower though. I felt like Calla and Ace got back together really fast, it was a bit rushed. I get that they used to date but nevertheless it has been four years, and they did leave off on a bad note. I loved the writing style though, the writing in this book was so lyrical and poetic, Gen really outdid herself with this one. Was not expecting that ending, but it leads into the next book nicely. I can’t wait to read more of Genicious’s works.
“I’ll never forget my first love. It was innocent but powerful as it swept me off my feet. It came unexpectedly, and I was entranced by how earth-shattering it was. I became intoxicated—drugged—unable to imagine a life without him. I questioned how I ever existed without him, without his voice, his touch, without…him. It was a fervent addiction.”
Woowow it isn’t surprising that I Need You To Love Me was as good, if not better than the first one. What is surprising is that I actually liked Niklaus, because I usually don’t like the “male character that’s usually just a fill-in for the main love interest” archetype.
It PAINS me to say this, but I was not the biggest fan of Ace in this book, at least during the first half.
I did love Calla even more in this book though. She’s ambitious, kind, strong and you can tell she’s been working on herself during those four years. Also, she puts up with Ace’s bs in a better way than most people would. What a bad bitch.
I wish the buildup was a bit slower though. I felt like Calla and Ace got back together really fast, it was a bit rushed. I get that they used to date but nevertheless it has been four years, and they did leave off on a bad note. I loved the writing style though, the writing in this book was so lyrical and poetic, Gen really outdid herself with this one. Was not expecting that ending, but it leads into the next book nicely. I can’t wait to read more of Genicious’s works.
“I’ll never forget my first love. It was innocent but powerful as it swept me off my feet. It came unexpectedly, and I was entranced by how earth-shattering it was. I became intoxicated—drugged—unable to imagine a life without him. I questioned how I ever existed without him, without his voice, his touch, without…him. It was a fervent addiction.”
July 18, 2021
How do I start this without being dramatic? Let’s see, I would LITERALLY die for this book, and in all honesty, I’d die to read the whole series for the first time again. Genicious is one of my favourite authors, the way she brings her characters to life and how her writing makes you feel things you didn’t even know you could feel. It’s amazing!
Ace and Calla are such complex and compelling people, you find yourself always wanting to know and read more about them. Their love story is one-of-a-kind and their story kept me on edge the entire time. After finishing the book I was speechless, like I didn’t even talk to my family (and I’m the talkative one). I didn’t know how to act or what to do.
I am so extremely ready and excited for Ace and Calla’s third book! I know that it will be just as amazing and engrossing as it’s predecessors :). Lastly, I would like to mention that I am extremely honoured to have been selected as an ARC reader for INYTLM :)))
11/10 Recommend!
Ace and Calla are such complex and compelling people, you find yourself always wanting to know and read more about them. Their love story is one-of-a-kind and their story kept me on edge the entire time. After finishing the book I was speechless, like I didn’t even talk to my family (and I’m the talkative one). I didn’t know how to act or what to do.
I am so extremely ready and excited for Ace and Calla’s third book! I know that it will be just as amazing and engrossing as it’s predecessors :). Lastly, I would like to mention that I am extremely honoured to have been selected as an ARC reader for INYTLM :)))
11/10 Recommend!
July 21, 2021
Absolutely no words for how incredible this book was 😭😭 Ace and Calla are definitely one of my comfort couples😫😫 SO BEAUTIFUL GO READ IT NOW ❤️❤️
November 24, 2021
3.5⭐️. i’m extremely pissed off with this book. there are some parts of this book that i did like. i liked the smut. there were MANY parts in this book that felt unnecessary and stretched out. once i got to the middle, i was hoping the book would take off but no, it pissed me off the ENTIRE time. the ending of this book wasn’t worth reading the whole book for. extremely disappointed and thinking of not reading the third book when it’s released.
July 20, 2021
I stayed up too wait for this book although it didn’t disappoint all I was doing the last few chapters was saying FUCKING ACE……….he angered me so much more then the first book.
But we Stan our queen calla I can’t wait for the third book all I’m saying is that ace better be getting on his knees and beg for our QUEENS forgiveness because I’m pretty sure we all knew that he knew that he would be getting arrested
5/5 stars I enjoyed it cause it was spoicy
But we Stan our queen calla I can’t wait for the third book all I’m saying is that ace better be getting on his knees and beg for our QUEENS forgiveness because I’m pretty sure we all knew that he knew that he would be getting arrested
5/5 stars I enjoyed it cause it was spoicy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2021
I am so disappointed that this book was just not as good as book 1 in the series. The flow of the series definitely just felt off...
July 21, 2021
So, so, so, good.
Calla and Ace are one of my favorite book couples! Even after 4 years they are still drawn to each other. Their love is real, raw, and magnetic. Their chemistry is off the charts.
Ace is still trying to slay his demons while Calla tries to discover who she is and wants to be. Their relationship goes through true emotional rifts dealing with honesty, lies, trust, and secrets.
We meet new and old characters including Calla’s bestie who is still a “says it as she sees it, no filters” kind of girl and Nik who adds an interesting twist to the story.
There were moments that brought me near the brinks of tears, moments that made you smile, and moments that made you laugh.
Of course you can’t forget about the ending which will leave you reeling for more!
Thank you Genicious for the opportunity to beanARC reader and I look forward to to book 3 and the conclusion to Calla and Ace’s epic love story. “May the stars align”
Calla and Ace are one of my favorite book couples! Even after 4 years they are still drawn to each other. Their love is real, raw, and magnetic. Their chemistry is off the charts.
Ace is still trying to slay his demons while Calla tries to discover who she is and wants to be. Their relationship goes through true emotional rifts dealing with honesty, lies, trust, and secrets.
We meet new and old characters including Calla’s bestie who is still a “says it as she sees it, no filters” kind of girl and Nik who adds an interesting twist to the story.
There were moments that brought me near the brinks of tears, moments that made you smile, and moments that made you laugh.
Of course you can’t forget about the ending which will leave you reeling for more!
Thank you Genicious for the opportunity to beanARC reader and I look forward to to book 3 and the conclusion to Calla and Ace’s epic love story. “May the stars align”
July 1, 2021
I read this book when it wasn't published yet and i fell in love with it. Reading the published rewritten version, i didnt think i could love it more. I love how Genicious' words pull you in and make you feel every single emotion the characters are feeling, she sure has a way with words. I read the book in one sitting- it just sucked me in and i couldnt get enough. I love a strong female protagonist and Calla was exactly that. Absolutely cannot wait for the third book! The cliffhanger sure caught me off guard, never would i have expected that to happen.
March 14, 2022
I cant wait to have it in my hands!! I loved reading it!! It was so good and so spicy!! I’m so excited for the third book😍
January 30, 2022
➳ Rate: 4,5/ 5 stars
This book starts a few years after where the last book ended. And the characters meet again for the first time at a charity event and realize they are both living in the same city. Once Ace realizes this, he tries to catch up with Calla, and get her back any way he can.
But there's a lot they both need to work on. Some things they need to solve before they really give their relationship a second chance. Some things to figure out if they are possible to move on from. And also some other curveballs are thrown their way. Once again, nothing about these two's journey is easy, but somehow, by the grace of God, they get their lives on track and do everything to make it work.
And then, then their lives are thrown upside down again. Jesus, this one did end on a cliffhanger, and what a cliffhanger it was. I'm hanging on by a thread. And cursing myself for starting this book (not knowing it was a trilogy) because now I'm suffering and waiting for book 3's release. It's gonna be a painful wait.
➳ Order at: Amazon US
➳ Follow me on: Instagram ⁕ Facebook ⁕ Tiktok
This book starts a few years after where the last book ended. And the characters meet again for the first time at a charity event and realize they are both living in the same city. Once Ace realizes this, he tries to catch up with Calla, and get her back any way he can.
But there's a lot they both need to work on. Some things they need to solve before they really give their relationship a second chance. Some things to figure out if they are possible to move on from. And also some other curveballs are thrown their way. Once again, nothing about these two's journey is easy, but somehow, by the grace of God, they get their lives on track and do everything to make it work.
And then, then their lives are thrown upside down again. Jesus, this one did end on a cliffhanger, and what a cliffhanger it was. I'm hanging on by a thread. And cursing myself for starting this book (not knowing it was a trilogy) because now I'm suffering and waiting for book 3's release. It's gonna be a painful wait.
➳ Order at: Amazon US
➳ Follow me on: Instagram ⁕ Facebook ⁕ Tiktok
June 20, 2021
wow so this book was an absolute rollercoaster. it was beyond words. i cant describe how good it was. how much better it was from the first book. the writing, the characters and plot every single thing about this book was so perfect. This book is definitely sexier than the second so definitely not for young audience but those were such amazing parts in the book. the ending killed me and i definitely didn’t expect it to happen and it leaves us with such a big plot twist and cliff hanger i want the 3rd book NOWWW. go read this book. u started it yesterday night and finished it in less than a day. GO READ THIS.
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