Review: Point of No Return by Olivia Luck

Point of No Return by Olivia Luck
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Favorite quote from this book:
"That's what falling in love is, I guess. Hurling yourself at the unknown, unsure if a safety net will catch your fall. The thing is, if you don't fall, you're souring. The chance to soar with Violet is way worth the risk of the unknown."

Let me start this review by saying that this is my first book that I have read set in the hockey world and I was not disappointed. On the surface, this book looks like the classic, player type of guy who finds a really sweet girl to finally make him a 'one woman' type of man. And it is that in a sense, but it also is so much more. This book is about finding your voice in the world, finding meaning and overcoming grief.


The character development in this book is amazing. The two main characters, Violet and Cam, go through SO much growth. Violet has the challenge of overcoming the death of her husband and her strict religious upbringing. Cam, the male lead, has the challenge of learning to overcome his 'love and leave them' type of attitude with women to become the type of man who is devoted to one type of woman, in this case, Violet. The fact that Cameron is a famous hockey player who looks like a male model, doesn't help him in his quest so much because women are always flocking to him because of his fame and athletic status.


My favorite aspect of this book is that there is no insta love here. Cam does spot out Violet early on but at the time she is with someone else and goes through this whole ordeal with her husband who passes away. Because of that Violet has, like, a wall up, it takes her a long time to open herself up to the thought of love. Widow's guilt is what she suffers through and I have never read a book about a young woman becoming a widow and the grieving process and this book did it well. I could feel Violet's trepidation to say yes to Cameron. And though Cameron is an alpha male, he becomes the most patient, caring and sweetest guy with Violet. He respects her SO much and that was great to read about. A man that has pure admiration for a woman who is trying her best to survive the tragedies of life.


I loved that this book had great secondary characters. From Violet's straightforward gay best friend, Felix, to her other bestie, Stella, they were all such well developed characters in their own right. I loved Ben, who was the cousin of Violet's deceased husband, who had down syndrome but was such a fully fleshed out character rather than a caricature of someone with disability. Even down to the characters who were not the greatest of people, this book had great characterization.


My favorite character in this book was Cameron. Totally new book boyfriend material. So protective, so sexy, so everything. Seeing his process of growth was awesome. He really learned with Violet that he could find Miss Right. I also thought it was so funny how he had to fight his sexual thoughts with Violet. This poor man, suffered. He was SO into her in always, but because she was a widow, trying to find her own place in the world, he had to be patient. But when they finally do hook up, HELLO. Cam drops the sweet side and becomes the purest of Alpha males and let's his inner desires flow to the surface. He definitely became the type of man who take the wheel.

Lastly, a really great aspect of this book is that it shows the reader that they must have patience in life and that even when they do fall in love, they can't forget to pursue their dreams and goals. Because YES Violet and Cameron develop feelings for one another and had a rocky journey to find their way back to eachother, but they don't get lost in that. Violet pursues her goals as an event planner, while Cameron stays focused on his career as a goalie on a hockey team.


Overall, this was a really great read. I think there will be a book about Violet's sister, who also has the challenge of overcoming her strict upbringing and facing love, sexuality and life in the big city of Chicago.


My rating: 4.5/5

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Review: Beautiful Entourage by E.L. Todd (Beautiful Entourage #1)

Beautiful Entourage by E.L. Todd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book I have ever read about an escort service and it was nothing like I expected. In a good way, of course. This book is about misconceptions and two damaged souls coming together to become each others support system.


The main characters, Aspen and Rhett, don't have the best of lives, though on the surface it may be appear to be so. Though Aspen is a successful business woman, she works under her father, who is a complete disaster of a human being and undermines everything she does. Rhett on the other hand is an escort in a escort company he built with friends. He is a handsome and smart guy but because of his profession people tend to misjudge him and think that he is a sort of prostitute which is not the case.


Rhett's escort service has very strict rules to keep the people who hire them from doing anything romantic or sexual with them. All they do is accompany people to events who need them either because they are lonely and need someone to talk to or need a handsome man to keep appearances with friends, family, or work people and not look like they are alone. So the escorts are kinda like boyfriends or friends for hire. And the escorts do make good money. Sadly though, their personal lives do suffer because of the misconceptions that people have with a person being an escort.


My favorite aspect of this book is the characterization. Rhett and Aspen are an amazing leading couple. Aspen does suffer a lot because of her father and goes through a betrayal with her boyfriend and cousin. In comes Rhett who she hires and the rest is history. A beautiful relationship blossoms between the two that starts as a friendship and grows into something more with time. Part in due to the rules of the escort service, these two have to struggle to get together. Rhett helps Aspen learn that not all men are bad and that she's not alone in the world. While Rhett learns that not all women will objectify him and misjudge him and that he doesnt have to suffer with his family problems alone (he has a brother with a strange phobia who requires a lot of his help).


The romance in this book is so sweet which you wouldn't expect with an escort and his client, since that is how Aspen meets Rhett. They also get really hot and heavy. Rhett is such a swoon worthy guy. He is sexy, smart, caring. Aspen is a bit skeptical about herself because of her past relationship but Rhett lets her overcome that by just letting her be herself and loving her for who she is. Their relationship is so healthy and comes so natural.


There are also some tough villains in this book. Aspen's father and cousin are the worst people but I liked how Aspen always stayed strong and overcame that.


I love the best friends in this book. Harper is so fun and loyal and straightforward. She is a huge support system for Aspen. While Troy is a bit foul mouthed and might come off as a meat-head but is actually quite a good and supportive friend for Rhett. I think he and Harper might be the subject of one of the following books in this series. Both character seem confident but I think that below the surface, their is a bit of loneliness with them and phobia of relationships.


This is a great start to this series. I can bet each book in this series is about each of the five escorts in the Beautiful Entourage company and I think they will all be awesome guys, like Rhett in book 1 has been.


My Rating: 4/5

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