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Karina

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Karina is Currently Reading

Karina is currently reading

The Other Side of Wild

by Lindsey Saenz (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: requested-arc-copies, currently-reading

read in January 2025

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Karina said: " Oh man...this was a hard book to rate because, emotionally, I was all over the place.

Let me start by congratulating Lindsey Saenz because, from what I gather on Goodreads, this is her first full-length book, while her other work seems to be more in l Oh man...this was a hard book to rate because, emotionally, I was all over the place.

Let me start by congratulating Lindsey Saenz because, from what I gather on Goodreads, this is her first full-length book, while her other work seems to be more in line with a novella or help books. It is a well-written story with a good plot, especially for being the first "mainstream" book that she is putting out (again, from what I can gather). From Lindsey's website, I don't have too much to base on other bodies of work or personal life, but she does mention that she draws inspiration from personal experience to integrate into the personalities of her characters or the plots.

With this said, this book is heavy. It follows the story of Hannah and Greyson. Let me describe these characters briefly to explain what I liked and didn't like about the book.

Hannah is a sports journalist but her boss thinks she will excel in the recently opened marketing lead head within the sports magazine where she works. Hannah, specifically, covers sports articles related to hockey, so she shadows the Tampa Bay Hawks Hockey team. She had a horrible relationship with her father before he passed away. He mentally abused her and was constantly putting her down, leaving her with feelings of being inferior and not good enough. She has a loving mother and younger brother who support her but understands the trauma she has because of her father's criticism. Hannah throws herself into her work, constantly trying to prove to her father's memory that she is good at this "male-dominated" profession and that she is worthy.

Greyson is a hockey player for the Tampa Bay Hawks Hockey team. He is the eldest son of an NHL player and his younger brother, Tatum, plays professional soccer. He had a horrible girlfriend when he played for a team in Colorado, who used him for his fame and money but was emotionally and mentally abusive. Greyson has fought depression almost his whole life and struggles with the comparisons with his father's career as well as the perception that people think his hockey career was handed to him because of his last name.

Through work, Hannah and Greyson meet, and, for Greyson, the attraction is almost instant. He is drawn to Hannah and pursues her. What I like about their story is that it doesn't feel like an Instalove story...where Cupid shoots Greyson with an arrow and follows Hannah around like a love-sick caveman. There is always a fine line to toe when writing an instalove story, and I think Lindsey did a very good job building a foundation between the characters before they took it a step further.

However, as I mentioned, both Hannah and Greyson have mental health issues. While I have gone through moments of depression and anxiety, like I think everyone does, I don't suffer from depression or recurring anxiety. Therefore, I can't describe the debilitating feeling that these mental health challenges include. However, Lindsey did a very good job describing the feelings, what the characters go through, and the dark thoughts that run through their head. I'm torn on the story though. While I did appreciate how the different stages of depression, anxiety, and self-doubt were portrayed, I also have to say that I sometimes got whiplash with the 180º changes in mood changes. Or I was confused when certain interactions were happening in a scene and, the rational reaction was not what ended up happening. I kept questioning why some feedback or emotions were going on when my personal reaction would have been different. It made me feel disconnected from the storyline at times or even frustrated because I felt that I would have to reread a scene to see if I had missed something or read it wrong.

Also, while the depression was well described, it also brought me down. There came a point where I felt that I was drowning with the characters. Normally, when one MC suffers from mental health issues, the other is there to counteract and create a balance. In this case. both characters had their own demons, and it was sometimes hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when going from one POV to the other, and both were dark. I know the book has trigger warnings, something I don't usually need, but I encourage you to read them if you are prone to these things.

I'm glad I read this book, but the logical part of my brain is scared for these fictitious characters as I keep imagining how this whole relationship would be one giant red flag if it was real. I don't think this is a book I personally would revisit, although I did enjoy the overall plot.

Also, dang it, Lindsey gave us enough of Abby and Tatum, Hannah's best friend and Greyson's brother, to make me want to read the next book in the series. Also, we got some really good introductions into some of Greyson's teammates and, while I think more of an effort could have been made into introducing them properly, instead of just dropping them into the story and then building the found family vibe, I am excited to get to see them and their story more in the future. So, all in all, while this isn't a series I think I will be jumping to read on their release dates, I am invested and intrigued enough to follow-up on their stories. ...more "

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— Jan 03, 2025 02:06PM

Jul 28, 2025 04:59AM · see review

Karina is currently reading

A Promised Land

by Barack Obama (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading, owned-pending-download

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— Nov 02, 2023 09:48AM

Jun 17, 2024 02:28PM

Karina’s Notes & Highlights

Book cover for The Graham Effect (Campus Diaries, #1)

The Graham Effect (Campus Diaries, #1) by Elle Kennedy

1 highlight

I croak out a laugh. “Fine. What’s your favorite position?” “Anything that lets me be inside you is going to be my favorite position.” Yeah, I’m in trouble.

See Karina’s 14 books with notes and highlights…

Karina’s Quotes

“You know, I don’t think we’re dealing with a Bella’s-magical-blood situation here.”
“No?”
“No. I think you’ve imprinted on this girl’s pussy.”
… “What do you mean?”
“I mean you’re facing a Jacob quandary. You imprinted on her pussy, and now it’s the only pussy you can think about. You exist solely for this pussy. Like Jacob and that weird mutant baby.”
― Elle Kennedy, The Score

155 likes

“I’m adorable, first off. My sense of humor is stellar—obvs.”
“Obvs,” she echoes dryly.
“I’m extraordinarily skilled in the art of conversation.”
She nods. “When it’s about yourself, of course.”
“Of course.” I pretend to think it over some more. “Oh, and I’m a mind reader. No lie. I always know what the other person is thinking.”
“Yeah? What am I thinking right now?” Allie challenges.
“That you want me to shut up and fuck you again.”
She shakes her head in dismay. “Goddamn it. That’s actually what I was thinking.”
I smirk at her and tap my forehead. “Told ya. Mind reader.”
― Elle Kennedy, The Score

tags: allie, dean

112 likes

“You're lucky I love you, babe.
If any other girl had done this to me --"
"You love me? You just said it."
"I ... Well, damn. I guess I did."
"Did you mean it? I want to hear it again."
"Aw shit, babe. Don't make me say it again.
It's bad enough I said it first.”
― Elle Kennedy, The Score

123 likes

“I do what I want, when I want. And I don’t give a shit what people think about me.”
― Elle Kennedy, The Score

152 likes

“Wait—do angels even get laid? And if so, are heaven orgasms a million times better than earth orgasms? I bet yes.”
“Uh-doy. Where do you think rainbows come from? Whenever you see a rainbow, that means an angel just came.”
― Elle Kennedy, The Score

102 likes

More of Karina’s quotes…