ARC Review: Mended: Kim Karr
Mended (Connections #3)
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MUSIC HAS THE POWER TO HEAL ALL…BUT NOT ALL BROKEN HEARTS CAN BE MENDED.
Always in control, Xander Wilde considered life on the road to be a perfect fit for him. But when disaster strikes on the Wilde Ones’ latest tour, fate intervenes…and a newly single Ivy Taylor, the only girl he has ever loved, steps back into his life.
After moving past her painful breakup with Xander years ago, Ivy was poised to become the next big name in pop music…when suddenly she withdrew from the limelight—the same day she announced her engagement to her controlling agent, Damon Wolf.
Xander knows he should keep his distance. But once they’re on the road, he can’t resist pursuing her for a second chance. Yet a jealous Damon can’t let her go—and he’s keeping dangerous secrets that could destroy them all.
When the three of them come together, everything falls apart. But if Xander and Ivy can hold tight to the bond that connects them, they just might have a chance at reclaiming the powerful love they thought they had lost forever....
Excerpt from Mended
Connections #3 by Kim Karr
© 2013 by Kim Karr
Published by the Penguin Group
*Sniff, sniff*
I am obviously in the minority here, so do not throw stones at me, pretty please...
If you have read my previous reviews in this series then you will know that I absolutely adore Kim Karr. It is with great pain and sadness that I have to give Mended a 3.5 star rating. I wish with everything in me that I could give this 5 stars, but I simply can't. Mended was one of those books that I started and stopped, looked at other reviews (I wondered what in the world was wrong with me and what was it I missing), walked away from the book, and then repeated the process again. A process that brought me to the 50% mark and had me finally stepping away, calling it a DNF. However, my DNF did not last too long, I mean this is Kim Karr and I could not bring myself to walk away from her or a Wilde brother.
The main obstacle I experienced with Mended was that the first half of the book, Xander and Ivy’s characters felt very overwhelming with their severe lack of communication, not to mention their frustrating inner monologues. The fight and flight between these two as well as their inner clashes went on for close to half of the book and just kept flashing in what felt like repeat scenes. These things made it hard for me to connect with our hero and heroine as a couple.
Once these two moved passed the past and started to live in the future, their story picked up, finally engaging me enough to want to move forward. Outside of his beginning relationship with Ivy, I loved Xander and found his character to be charming, if not a bit broody. And Ivy, well, I thought she was pretty kickin,' once she stopped avoiding said past. In the end, I decided on a rating of 3.5 stars since Xander and Ivy had a sweet, not overly angsty feel to their story. Plus, my rating is also based off my love for Kim and the fact that the second half of the book was hands down more enjoyable than the first.
Oh, before I forget...
We get some River!!! Even if it is just bits that will make you seriously ache for him.
Would I recommend Xander and Ivy? Yeah, I would! Kim Karr is one of my favorite writers; I have had a huge girl crush on her since the minute I laid eyes on one of my favorite rockers. I think everyone should experience the Wilde family! And what doesn't work for me, may very well work for you. Its obvious that tons of readers thought this book rocked their socks.
And now, I sit back and anxiously await Ben's story! He has not always been my favorite, but that is because I wanted our girl with River. Ben's ship sailed, and he needed to move on and let Dahlia and River just be. I really look forward to seeing if Kim can redeem this anti-hero and make me fall for him.
Thank you, Kim Karr and Penguin Berkley/NAL, for the opportunity to read and review a complimentary copy of Mended in exchange for an honest review.
Connected (Connections #1)
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Our 5 star reviews
What if a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ could happen twice?
Suffering from a past full of tragedy, Dahlia London's soul has been left completely shattered. Happily ever after is a far cry from reality in her world. But, when she is reconnected with her past, the bonds that form are irrefutable.
When River Wilde, lead singer of The Wilde Ones, comes back into Dahlia’s life, the intensity that fires their relationship combined with underlying feelings that have never died lead her to believe she has met her soulmate.
Struggling with confusion as old connections fade and new ones begin, Dahlia's grief begins to lift--but guilt remains. River wants to be the one to mend all that is torn within her.
But with a past that is never really gone, can their future survive?
Torn (Connections # 2):
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Our 5 star reviews
Rock star River Wilde brought Dahlia London back from the brink of hopelessness with his unwavering love and devotion. But their entangled history is about to test the strength of their relationship…
Dahlia was certain she had found true love and met her "Once in a Lifetime’ when she reconnected with River. But Dahlia’s world comes crashing down when someone from her past resurfaces, and all of River’s carefully hidden secrets are exposed.
River wants to show Dahlia that life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass—it’s about dancing in the rain. But how many times can one broken heart be mended? Will River and Dahlia be able to stay together or will they be torn apart?
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Dazed (Connections #2.5)Add to Goodreads
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Kim's 4.5 star review
Dream Cast | Trailer
Jagger Kennedy never went looking for fame, he just fell into it. After scoring a major modeling contract, his clean-cut good looks and charm catapulted his career. But when his actress girlfriend breaks his heart, he moves to L.A. to try his hand at acting. He’s not looking for love—he just needs to make a change.
Aerie Daniels is a woman in control … until she meets Jagger. Her surprising connection with him leaves her dazed and it’s unlike anything she’s ever felt. But just when she lets her walls fall, she makes a startling discovery about Jagger that breaks her fragile heart into a million pieces.
To keep from losing the woman who’s changing his world, Jagger is willing to give up anything—including his career. But even that might not be enough to regain Aerie’s shattered trust…
Blurred (Connections #3.5)
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Read an excerpt from Blurred
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Expected August 5, 2014
A Connection Series Novella featuring Ben Covington
The story before the love story….
When he lost the only woman he’d ever loved, it seemed there was nothing left to live for.
Even as a boy, all Ben Covington ever wanted was to spend forever with Dahlia London, the beautiful girl next door...then one life-altering decision tore them apart and he was forced to leave her.
Now, despite having returned to win her back, he’s still alone. She’s with someone else—someone she’s never going to leave.
Resigned to a future without his former girlfriend, Ben numbs his broken heart in a haze of liquor and women. But then the only woman who ever even turned his head while he was with his girl reappears unexpectedly. And he’s never forgotten their one incredible night together. But will Ben’s destructive behavior destroy his future with her before it even begins?
Frayed (Connections # 4)
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He didn’t think, he didn’t question—he just acted.
What she wanted, she took—without regard.
It was only one night, but it changed everything.
After losing his fiancée, Ben Covington is unsure he’ll ever love again. But he’s so deeply drawn to Bell Wilde that he’s thrown for a loop. Maybe it’s purely sexual chemistry that’s igniting their spark… or maybe it’s his second chance at love.
Bell has just gotten her life back on track and may not be up for the challenge of Ben Covington. But once they’re reunited, there’s no holding back—even if a secret from Bell’s past just might shatter them both.
Other upcoming books in this series on Goodreads
I wear a lot of hats! Writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all around go-to person of the family. However, I always find time to read. One of my favorite family outings use to be taking my kids to the bookstore or the library. Today, my oldest child is in college and my twins are juniors so they no longer go with me on these outings. And although I don't need to go to the actual store anymore because I have the greatest device ever invented—a Kindle, I still do. There's nothing like a paperback. So now my four year old and I make dates out of going to the bookstore--it's time I love and cherish.
I like to believe in soulmates, kindred spirits, true friends, and Happily-Ever-Afters. I love to drink champagne, listen to music, and hopes to always stay young at heart.
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