Reviews: Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese & Until the Last Breath by Shanora Williams

ONLY WHEN IT'S US

Chloe Liese

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Released: April 1, 2020

Source: Hoopla Audiobook

Rating: 3.5 stars

Ryder

Ever since she sat next to me in class and gave me death eyes, Willa Sutter’s been on my shit list. Why she hates me, I don't know. What I do know is that Willa is the kind of chaos I don’t need in my tidy life. She’s the next generation of women’s soccer. Wild hair, wilder eyes. Bee-stung lips that should be illegal. And a temper that makes the devil seem friendly.

She’s a thorn in my side, a menacing, cantankerous, pain-in-the-ass who’s turned our Business Mathematics course into a goddamn gladiator arena. I'll leave this war zone unscathed, coming out on top…And if I have my way with that crazy-haired, ball-busting hellion, that will be in more than one sense of the word.

Willa

Rather than give me the lecture notes I missed like every other instructor I’ve had, my asshole professor tells me to get them from the silent, surly flannel-wearing mountain man sitting next to me in class. Well, I tried. And what did I get from Ryder Bergman? Ignored. What a complete lumbersexual neanderthal. Mangy beard and mangier hair. Frayed ball cap that hides his eyes. And a stubborn refusal to acknowledge my existence.

I’ve battled men before, but with Ryder, it's war. I’ll get those notes and crack that Sasquatch nut if it’s the last thing I do, then I’ll have him at my mercy. Victory will have never tasted so sweet.

Sooo, Only When It’s Us was something of a mixed bag for me. Some things I liked, others not so much.

What I Liked:

Ryder – Was the term cinnamon roll invented for this guy, or what? What a sweetheart. I’m a sucker for a gentleman and Ryder had that going on. He’d been dealt a rotten hand in some regards, but he wasn’t bitter and angry. Sure, he had his moments, but for the most part he had acceptance and he still had a good heart and a kind nature.

The Bergman clan – I loved this family! What an amazing group of spirited people. Not to sound all saccharine, but it was obvious that the parents had raised good people and instilled good values in their brood. I loved the interactions between Ryder and his mom, Ryder and his dad, and all the siblings.

Not So Much:

Willa – Unfortunately Willa embodied several of my character pet peeves all rolled into one and it was almost impossible to get past that. She was a hothead who had no issue letting her temper fly on whomever she felt wronged her. Her attitude: I need something, so how dare you not give it to me immediately. While that did lessen over time, she was still testy and easily irritated and I wasn’t a fan. I lost track of how many times she called Ryder an a**hole, a guy that did nothing to her. I get that she was dealing with something extremely difficult, but it wasn’t a free pass to treat people so shabbily.

The ”Did I Say That Out Loud” Moments – Ugh. I’m sorry, but I have never “accidentally” given voice to my thoughts. But apparently Willa does this All. The. Time. And never realizes she’s done it until someone comments on what she said. And then there’s the inevitable “oh, did I say that out loud?” response. Maybe it was supposed to be quirky, but it was just unbelievable and repetitive.

Overall:

Despite my issues with Willa, I did warm to the overall story. It took a *long* time for her to actually trust Ryder but once she did I was all-in with their relationship. I enjoyed the secondary characters and Ryder’s family was a real highlight.

UNTIL THE LAST BREATH

Shanora Williams

Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Released: April 1, 2020

Source: Hoopla Audiobook

Rating: 1 Star

Years ago, I fell in love with a man named Maximilian Grant - tall, smooth talking, handsome as hell Maximilian Grant.

He was my everything -- a man who could do no wrong -- but then he did the one thing he promised he'd never do: he broke my heart.

Now, nearly four years later, I'm happily married to a man who has completely changed my life...but with my health hanging in the balance, I often wonder what his future entails because I know there is a possibility he'll have to live on without me. John, my husband, is the love of my life, and I have never questioned our love...that is until my past comes knocking at the door.

Every girl has that one guy--the one whom she can't seem to forget or completely let go of, no matter how toxic the relationship was, or how badly it ended. Well, this story is a little different.

This is the story of how Maximilian Grant went from being my toxic first love, to the man who ultimately saves my life.

And, trust me, this will not play out the way you think it will.

When I read the synopsis for this one I was intrigued, and I did something I rarely do – I purchased a physical copy of a book by an unknown-to-me author. Yeah, bad move on my part.

I’m all for a good tearjerker now and then but in order to make your readers cry, you have to make them care. You have to give them characters worth crying over. And these were not those characters. Main character Shannon was, well… awful. I suppose having a terminal illness was supposed to automatically make her sympathetic but being ill does not make you a decent person. Shitty people get sick, too, and Shannon was a shitty person. She was married to a man who loved and adored her, who she called her soulmate, and yet she still pined for her equally shitty ex-boyfriend, Max. She thought about him all the time and kept in touch with him. She lied by omission to her husband about who the guy was and then took off with him, only telling her husband once she was on the plane and about to leave the country. Who does that? Shannon was selfish, a liar, and an emotional cheater. She spent a lot of time reminiscing about the past when she and Max had a craptastic relationship, which is apparently what she got off on. Max seemed to think he was some irresistible player and Shannon obviously agreed. So they both adored him. I couldn’t figure that out, either, since he acted like an ass, but again, this seemed to be the kind of relationship she preferred.

So Max showed up now that Shannon was hella sick, becomes the good time guy, wanting to give her what she wants, unlike her poor husband who works like crazy to be able to pay for the hospital, doctors, home care, treatments, etc. Max is the good guy swooping in to give poor Shannon what she wants, while John is just the poor sap that loves her and is there day in and day out caring for her.

The ending was schmaltzy and unrealistic and, frankly, undeserved. This was my first read of 2021 so at least it can only go up from here.

HAVE YOU READ EITHER OF THESE BOOKS?