Author: Kim Karr
Series: Connections #1
Release Date: Paperback (2/4/14) eBook (Out Now!)
My Rating: 5 Stars
In Dahlia London’s world, happily ever after is a far cry from reality. Her soul has been left completely shattered by tragedy. But a surprising reunion with someone from her past is about to give her a reason to love again…
When rock star River Wilde comes back into Dahlia’s life, their super-charged connection runs deeper than either of them ever expected. The more time they spend together, the more intense their relationship becomes, and Dahlia believes at last she has found her soul mate.
But as old bonds fade and Dahlia’s grief begins to lift, her guilt and confusion remain. River desperately wants to be the one who mends what’s been broken—but with a past that refuses to stay buried, is it possible for their future to begin?
Connected is one of those books that had me smacking myself upside the head for not reading it sooner. This book dumps you into the deep end within the first couple of chapters. First chapter: oh yeah, I could see this is going to be a problem... Subsequent chapters: WTF?! Did that really just happen? I mean, I was completely blindsided, and truthfully I was a little distraught. So suffice it to say, our heroine, Dahlia, is put through the ringer at the beginning of the book. But soon enough, she is back on her feet and mending her broken heart. No sooner has she begun to feel human again, than her insta-lust connection that she walked away from 5 years ago shows up in her life again. River Wilde is the epitome of a perfect book boyfriend. Hot, lead singer in a band, and so thoroughly in love with this girl that he met 5 long years ago.
After re-connecting, Dahlia and River can't get enough of each other. But it isn't just lust. These two have emotions and chemistry in spades. It warmed my heart to see Dahlia's reaction to River. He brings her back to life, and I think in a way she does the same for him. The glory of being financially endowed, like these two are, is that they had time to figure out their relationship. I LOVE Kim Karr's time lapses in her books. It helped captivate me and hold my attention, because I knew wherever in the future or past she was taking me something important was about to happen. As we follow River and Dahlia making a life together we also get glimpses of a "tip of the iceberg" plot. There are some secrets that are unearthed that will follow through this series that will blow your mind. And of course those secrets create major obstacles for Dahlia and River.
This book, is just.. sublime. It's the only word that encompasses all of my feelings. I loved it, it was able to leave me completely and utterly dumbfounded (which not many books can), it was just the whole enchilada. I loved that there wasn't just one main focus of the book. River and Dahlia are constantly fighting their past and their present. And if anyone ever deserved a HEA it was these two. So, imagine my surprise when Kim Karr decided to rip out my heart in the final pages of the book and just leave me hanging. Yes, it's a cliffhanger (kind of, depends on your version of a cliffhanger). Basically, if I hadn't had the second book ready to move onto immediately, I would've been good and pissed at Ms. Karr. But, thankfully I did. Ending aside, this book is a must-read. It is one of those books that has you thinking about it even weeks after you've finished it!
Happy Reading!
(Make sure to scroll down for my review of Torn!)
*Review copy provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Links to Buy:
Author: Kim Karr
Series: Connections #2
Release Date: Paperback (4/1/14) eBook (Out Now!)
My Rating: 5 Stars
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?
Oh, Torn... You and I have a love-hate relationship. This book had me cheering on characters I disliked in Connected and screaming at my beloved River and Dahlia. I have mixed emotions with this book. All good. But confused nonetheless. First off, coming from the ending of Connected I wanted to just cry in a corner for awhile. Torn started with the same lack of warm and fuzzy feelings. I remember thinking: *in a sob voice* "I just want everyone to be HAPPY!" Yeah, I was a little emotional, to say the least.
At first, I wanted to say this book was a long journey of ups and downs. And then I thought about it.. It was really just a straight shot down with a few little blips. Said little blips were when Dahlia and River chose mattress aerobics over actually communicating. It lured me, and obviously the characters too, into a false reality where everything was hunky-dory. Until the post-coital bliss lifted and there was still a shit storm outside. But, I do have one thing to be thankful for. Kim Karr didn't take this story the easy route. She didn't make it about Dahlia being indecisive. I think that would have killed me (or rather my feelings). This was about trust. Plain and simple. From Dahlia's side and River's. They built their relationship on emotions and fate. They just hadn't had time to build up that trust pyramid yet. This book, and its events, gives them no other option. Either find that trust, or forfeit their relationship.
While everything is going to hell in a hand basket, yet more secrets arise that threaten not only River and Dahlia's relationship but, their relationships with their friends and family. This tight-knit group is so inter-connected, that none of them realize how deep it goes. It was one shock after another. And the emotions meter is off the charts. But as tough as it was to hit rock bottom, Dahlia and River had to fight even harder to get back what they had. It was never one of those books with so many conflicts and then just magically a happy ending. No, there's hurt, loss, betrayal and struggle. And then an uphill battle back to happiness.
Kim Karr makes me believe that everything happens for a reason. She has a reason for every word she types out. She's not an author that will make you cry for no reason. Every character has their purpose and every conflict has a conclusion... eventually. In short, this series just shot up to one of my favorites. You can bet that I will be grappling to get my hands on Dazed and Mended. Hell, I already pre-ordered my paperbacks so I can have them sitting prettily on my book shelf (you know Connected comes out in paperback tomorrow, right?!). This series is just one that stuck with me. I loved the characters, the chemistry and the story. If I were to rate those sections independently, they'd all get 5 stars. Torn was just as fantastic, if not more so, than Connected. So go forth and order those paperbacks! And you may want to check out Kim's website for something really cool that she's doing with those paperbacks in the month of February... :)
Happy Reading!
*Review copy provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Links to Buy:
Thank you for the wonderful reviews! ~Kim xoxo
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