Review: Exiled by Jasinda Wilder

Exiled by Jasinda Wilder

Book Three of the Madame X series

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date: August 2, 2016

Rating: 1 star

Source: eARC from NetGalley

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary (from Goodreads):

My name is Madame X.

My heart is torn in two.

And now I have to choose...

Caleb is everything to her: lover, caretaker, the man who gave her life meaning when she had none. But as she seeks the truth about herself and her past, she discovers that unravelling Caleb’s web of lies might very well be impossible.

Logan is everything she never knew she wanted: freedom, joy, and a passion she couldn’t anticipate. But is Logan’s love enough to save her from herself, from Caleb, and from the tumultuous truth of her past?

Caught between two equally compelling and seductive men, X must make the ultimate choice. But there’s more at stake than just her heart...

What I Liked:

Nothing. Moving on. 

What I Did Not Like:

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SO MANY SPOILERS.

Seriously, I held nothing back.

Honestly I never should have read this series. I knew there was a love triangle before reading Madame X (book one), but I never would have read the series if I had known how bad it was. I have really enjoyed Wilder's books in the past, and I love Berkley's romance novels, so that I thought this series wouldn't be too bad.

Books one and two were fine, and I liked them... but I really disliked this book, and I'm half-tempted to change my ratings of books one and two. I liked those two on the foundation of certain expectations for the conclusion novel. The conclusion novel (this book) was terrible for me, so those books don't seem as good anymore.

If that makes sense. 

Spoilers ahead, just so you're aware. Throughout this whole series, X (or Isabel, her real name), has been having sex with both Caleb (the man who rescued her years ago when she was in an accident that left her physically harmed and with no memory) and Logan (the man she meets in Madame X and falls in love with). This bothered me but not too much, because her and Caleb having sex seemed mechanical, detached, like a chore. It didn't seem real for either of them... until this book.

Several things here that I'm mad about: 1) that Isabel had sex with Caleb at all IN THIS BOOK. She made a choice, in book two! She chose Logan! But in this book, in the first chapter, she "falls back under Caleb's spell", and they have sex. Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. Even she knows it's wrong, after the fact. During, she's loving it.

What's worse is that that time is different - Caleb just opened up to her about his past... and then they have sex. Uuuuuuugggghhhhh. Seriously, Isabel?

What's even MORE worse is how understanding Logan is, when Isabel tells him. He makes excuses for her, and tells her that it's okay and it doesn't matter and it's not her fault. Um, what? She wasn't raped. She didn't say no. She didn't push Caleb away. HOW are you making excuses for her?

That leads me to my next problem -- Logan seems way too perfect and understanding. He seems one-dimensional and so, so fake. How are you okay with the woman you love having sex with another man WHILE you're in a relationship with her? Making excuses for her too? He seemed way too okay with all of that.

Which leads me to my NEXT problem -- I don't really understand how Logan loves Isabel that much. I don't understand the basis of this powerful love. It didn't really matter to me in books one and two, because it seemed like their relationship was slowly growing, and Logan wasn't really moving heaven and earth for Isabel (not really). But he almost dies FOR HER, and he's totally okay with her having had sex with another man and then returning to him... 

Look I'm a fan of monogamy, so I'm sorry if my tastes are getting in the way of my judgment of the book itself. If none of these things bother you, then you'll love the book.

Another thing, the big thing, that made me hate this book is that Isabel finds out that she's pregnant in this book. And of course, there is no way to know whose baby it is - it could be either man's. And guess freaking what -- Logan doesn't care if it's Caleb's or Logan's. I... I do not understand adults. If I knew that the baby my girlfriend is having (or had) is another man's, especially a man who took advantage of her, seduced her, practically raped her, I would not be able to look at the kid. No child asks to come in this world, but at the same time, Logan seems way too selfless in being totally okay with taking care of a child that could be that monster's.

Here's the icing on the cake -- Isabel finds out that she is having twins. And yup, you probably can guess what happens next: one of the babies is Logan's (with pale blond hair), and one is Caleb's (with dark hair and brown eyes). SERIOUSLY?! Jasinda Wilder, really?? Do you all know the statistical probability of that happening? It's almost zero. I wanted to burn the book when I read that. I get it, babies are human beings and deserve to be loved, blah blah blah. If I were Logan, I wouldn't be that understanding, and I wouldn't be able to look at the kid with love in my eyes. Maybe I'm selfish? But I wouldn't want to see the kid of that rapist/monster. 

In a way, I understand why Wilder wrote that into the story. She wants Isabel to have something to remember Caleb by, to show how far Isabel has come from meeting Caleb, or something. But statistically speaking, you really can't just drop heteropaternal superfecundation into a book. Especially after magically dropping in twins. That's so similar to deus ex machina and that phenomena is a poorly literary tool.

Caleb turns into a crazy person in this book too - he kidnaps Isabel, almost shoots Logan again, fakes a car bomb. I don't know how Isabel still harbors some kind of positive feeling toward Caleb. Stockholm Syndrome or whatever. HOW was Caleb a love interest? Was anyone ACTUALLY #TeamCaleb? He is abusive, manipulative, disgusting, not to mention a pimp and a whore who sleeps with hundreds of women within a month. *vomits* Why did I read this series. Why.

I hate love triangles, but against my better judgment, I read Madame X. And I thought I liked it. I thought I liked Exposed, it seemed like love-triangle-y things were disappearing (plus the Caleb-Isabel sex decreased significantly and seemed more rape-y. NOT that rape is good, but it showed that Isabel started to see Caleb for who he was and what a monster he was). This book? This book showed that Isabel loved a rapist, a john, a pimp, a monster, for some dumba** reason. And Logan loved her for it. Someone explain to me how his fake a** was okay with everything, like it took him ZERO time to get used to Isabel going back to Caleb and having sex with him (again... and again...), and Isabel giving birth to a Caleb baby and a Logan baby. Yikes.

Finally, this book could have been condensed into, like, 50 pages. Not much happens. The author should have skipped all the fluff and the panic attacks and the coddling and just jumped to the "choose me or me!" scene. She should have skipped the babies, too. Or made them both Logan's. Or made both Caleb's (somehow, I might have preferred that to one and one. Actually, I would have preferred no babies at all). 

In hindsight, I was a dumba** for ever thinking I would like this series. Book one hooked me, book two was good because Isabel seemed to finally hate Caleb, but book three ruined everything (including books one and two). 

Would I Recommend It:

Nope. I recommend absolutely none of these books in this series. I didn't even want to write this review because I was so irritated with this book. If you have no issues with polygamy and heteropaternal superfecundation, go for it. No judgment from me.

Rating:

1 star. This is the third book in a row that has received two stars or less from me... someone please point me in the direction of something good. This book was sickening and just awful. I have a paperback copy of each of the books in this series, so if anyone is interested, please let me know. I want them out of my house!

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Review: Exposed by Jasinda Wilder

Exposed by Jasinda Wilder

Book Two of the Madame X series

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date: March 1, 2016

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary (from Goodreads):

New York Times bestselling author Jasinda Wilder presents the second darkly seductive novel starring the mysterious Madame X.

Everything Madame X has ever known is contained within the four walls of the penthouse owned by her lover, her keeper, the man who controls her every move and dominates her desires. While Caleb owns her body, someone else has touched her soul. X’s awakening at the hands of Logan’s raw, honest masculinity has led her down a new path, one that is as exciting as it is terrifying.

But Caleb’s need to own her completely knows no bounds, and he isn’t about to let her go. Not without a fight that could destroy them all…

What I Liked:

This series is SO not what I expected. When I picked up Madame X, it was mostly because the publisher sent a copy, and I've enjoyed Jasinda Wilder's books before. This series is heartbreaking to read, and very difficult to read. Your average romance reader (like myself) may not necessarily enjoy the books. But the story is so heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time, and I love following X's story, no matter how shocking and terrible it can be.

X is still in Caleb's clutches, though she no longer wants to be owned and controlled by him. She can tell that he doesn't care about her, and that he keeps her around because she's beautiful and he wants sex from her whenever he wants. But she hates it. She has nowhere to go, so she stays. He has all the answers about her past (which she can't remember, due to amnesia), so she stays. But she can't forget Logan, from whom she walked away. But as X continues to question her life at Caleb's building, she'll become less and less convinced that she is where she needs - and wants - to be.

This series is so emotionally charged, and in so many ways. It's heartbreaking to follow X's thoughts, her feelings and doubts and insecurities. I wanted to scream at her and shake her so many times - especially when she kept going back to Caleb. She kept letting him use her (you know what I mean), but she was starting to see how wrong it was. Here's the thing - while this was difficult to read, it was SO well-written by the author. X's conflicting thoughts, her indecision, her struggle against Caleb... all of these internal and external issues are really explored. X is weak, but she is becoming stronger. Caleb is a drug she doesn't want to depend on, and she is now seeing how much she wants to be free of him, and find her own way.

Like I said, I wanted to shake X at times. There were times in this book when I thought she was pathetic. But what stops me from hating this book is that she knows it too. She feels just as pathetic and weak and disgusting. Every time he touches her, she can't stand it. And at the very end of this book, I wanted to give her a hug and a fist-bump. While I don't agree with X's lifestyle and choices she made earlier in this book and the series, I LOVE how far she's come.

We learn a great deal about X and her past, including her name, her family story, and what really happened that brought her to Caleb (or vice versa). Everything is unraveling, bit by bit, and while secrets unravel, X begins to want more. 

Logan is a huge player in the plot of this book. He shows up quicker than I thought he would, and I love his interactions with X. I'm a little surprised by how much he cares about X, but perhaps I'd forgotten the depth of his feelings from Madame X. Logan is a sweetheart and totally understand and caring. I like that he puts his foot down in one aspect with X, and tells her that she needs to choose and be 100% sure of her decision, and never turn back. He knows that she can't choose him yet, that she's not ready, but he hates it. And it bothers him just as much (and more) as it bothers us readers, that X is not his and won't stay with him. BUT you just can't seem to hate X (believe me).

Caleb, on the other hand, can be freely hated. He is an awful person, and I commend the author for making him such an interesting villain (NOT a good villain). He seems human like the rest of us, but he isn't. He's a sick monster and I hope he gets what's coming for him, in book three. But like I said, I think it's interesting how the author creates his character arc.

There are some really steamy scenes in this book. X and Logan get really heated, and I love the progression. This book is much steamier than Madame X, and for several good reasons that I won't mention. Just know that X is no longer blind to a certain someone.

Overall I'm pleased with this book. For the most part, anyway. There were some scenes that both broke my heart and disgusted me, but I told myself, X hates it too. So I focus all my rage on Caleb, because he is to blame for EVERYTHING. The ending of this book is actually is meanest ending ever, and I'm totally docking a star for that. I need book three!

What I Did Not Like:

Like I said above, there were some scenes that disgusted me (and I'm not talking about the fact that the scenes were super rated r - I didn't find any of the scenes crazily erotic). I hate Caleb, and I wanted to hate X for going back to him, but then I remember that he is all she knows. He made her who she is, after rescuing her and taking care of her through her amnesia (there was no one else to take care of her, so I guess it's nice?). He's not nice though. He's disgusting and everything about him is cool calm collected precise orderly and totally disgusting. Think: pimp. 

That being sad, I felt so bad for X. So, so bad.

Lastly, the ending. It was so cruel! I'm sure it won't stick but if it does... well, book three is already starting with four stars (versus the full five-star rating) and I'll dock as I go.

Would I Recommend It:

I cannot recommend this book to your average romance reader. You won't like it if you're looking for a fun romance novel, or a clean linear relationship. While the emotional side of things is VERY linear, the physical side is not. And it's heartbreaking, because X is all but forced. Still, I'm highly enjoying watching X grow, and Logan and X's relationship grow (under all the circumstances), and I totally need answers to all the questions left open! 

Rating:

3.5 stars -> rounded up to 4 stars. Don't start this series expecting steamy romance with angst. No, this is a heartbreaking and emotional series, and while it's definitely not something I'd enjoy on a normal basis, I'm glad I'm giving the story a chance.

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Read an excerpt!

I wake sobbing. 

Nightmares of sirens and flashing lights and a pair of cold cruel dark eyes staring haughty and inscrutable down at me as I am used like a receptacle. Nightmares of a perfect body pinning me to an elevator door. Sorcery, stealing my will, manipulating my desires, cool silk of a tie wiping my face. Rain cold and wet and windblown, shifting shadows and blood and pain.

My dream is pervaded by a voice: “Isabel, you’re okay. It was just a dream.”

Who is Isabel?

The voice is in my ear, soft and tender and warm. 

“I’m here, Isabel.”

Oh, it’s me. I’m Isabel.

I am Isabel; I have to remind myself that it is true.

I am lifted, cradled. I hear a heartbeat under my ear, feel soft cotton under my cheek. I am lying ontop of him, as if he is my bed. His hands smooth in caressing circles on my back.

I cannot stop sobbing.My eyes burn with hot tears, and I try to stop them, but I can’t. “L-Logan—”“Ssshhh. It’s okay. I’m here.”“I’m sorry, I’m sorry—I can’t—can’t stop—

“Don’t apologize, sweetheart. Cry if you need to. I’ve got you. I won’t let go.”

I can only cling to him and cry. My whole body shakes with shuddering, wracking sobs, as if a lifetime of pent-up tears are being ripped out of me wholesale.

I don’t know how long it lasts. Minutes? Hours? A measureless time of weeping. I think I have cried more in the last twelve hours than in all my life.

Eventually, I am able to breathe normally and the sobs and shudders fade.

I remain still, barely breathing now.

On top of Logan.

Aware of him, suddenly.

Completely attuned to every inch of him, stretched out beneath me. His arms around me, his chin tucked against the top of my head. His denim-sheathed thighs beneath mine, thick and hard. His breath on my hair. His hips nudging mine. My hands on his pectoral muscles, my breasts crushed against his sternum.

There is a shift then. A charge to the air. Electricity crackling.

And now, between one breath and the next, it is sexual, the way I’m lying on him.

I can’t breathe again, but for a different reason.

I can’t breathe for wanting him.

Needing him.

“Isabel . . .” he breathes.

“Logan—”

“I need you to get up,” he says, and it isn’t what I expected. “There are still some people working out there, and in a few more seconds I’m going to forget that.”

“What would happen if you did, Logan?” I ask. I don’t recognize the daring, the boldness, the raw hunger in my voice.

His fingers twine gently into my hair and pulls, tipping my face up to his.

It’s me, this time,

kissing him,

and kissing him,

and kissing him.

My fingers wrap around the back of his head, clinging to the nape of his neck, pulling him closer, pulling myself higher on his body, needing needing needing to be closer to him, to press my lips more completely against his, to taste him, to feel him. I breathe him. His hand, resting on my back, slides lower. I arch against him, press my body against his. There is no part of me that isn’t touching him. I pause to breathe, gasping against his lips. I want more of me to touch more of him. I want all of him, all of me, all of us.

I crave completion, of a kind only Logan can provide.

He feathers his mouth against mine, a teasing brush of lips against lips, heat of breath on tasting tongue.

“That will happen,” he whispers.

“Oh,” I murmur.

“Yeah, oh.” His fingers are tangled in my hair, applying gentle delicious pressure to my scalp, keeping my face tilted to his. “And now I can’t stop.”

“I don’t want you to.”

“I have to,” he says. “Or there won’t be any stopping at all.”

“Logan . . .”

“I want you. I need you. But Isabel, you deserve better—we deserve better—than on a couch in my conference room, with a dozen people on the other side of the wall.”

Blog Tour Excerpt and Giveaway: Madame X by Jasinda Wilder

Welcome to the blog tour for Madame X by Jasinda Wilder! I'm so excited to be helping promote this book, and to support Jasinda and Berkley. I posted my review in a separate post below this one, so check that out for my thoughts on this new book. Enjoy!

About the Book:

Madame X by Jasinda Wilder

Book One of the Madame X series

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date: October 6, 2015

Official Summary:

My name is Madame X.

I’m the best at what I do.

And you’d do well to follow my rules...

Hired to transform the uncultured, inept sons of the wealthy and powerful into decisive, confident men, Madame X is a master of the art of control. With a single glance she can cut you down to nothing, or make you feel like a king.

But there is only one man who can claim her body—and her soul.

Undone time and again by his exquisite dominance, X craves and fears his desire in equal measure. And while she longs for a different path, X has never known anything or anyone else—until now...

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About the Author:

Jasinda Wilder is a New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and international bestselling author. She is a Michigan native and currently lives there with her family. Visit her official website at jasindawilder.com.

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The Excerpt:

A knock on the door, the silent swing of hinges, and then heat and hardness behind me, a faint but intoxicating hint of cologne, the creak of leather. Hands on my waist, lips at my neck. Breath on my skin.

I don’t dare tense, don’t dare suck in a sharp breath of fear. I don’t dare pull away.

Strong, hard, powerful hands twist me in place, and an index finger touches my chin, lifts my face, tilts my gaze. I cannot breathe, don’t dare, haven’t been given permission.

“You are lovelier than ever, X.” A deep, smooth, cultured voice, like the purr of a finely tuned engine.

“Thank you, Caleb.” My own voice is quiet, careful, my words chosen and precise.

“Scotch.” The command is a murmur, barely audible.

I know how to prepare it: a cut-crystal tumbler, a single ice cube, thick amber liquid an inch from the top. I offer the tumbler and wait, keep my eyes downcast, hands behind my back.

“You were too harsh on Jonathan.”

“I must respectfully disagree.”

“His father expects results.”

I bristle, and it does not go unnoticed. “Have I ever failed to produce results?”

“You sent him away after less than an hour.”

“He wasn’t ready. He needed to be shown his faults. He needs to understand how much he has to learn.”

“Perhaps you’re right.” Ice clinks, and I take the empty tumbler, set it aside, and force myself to remain in place, force myself to keep breathing and remind myself that I must obey. “I didn’t come here to discuss Jonathan Cartwright, however.”

“I suppose not.” I shouldn’t have said that. I regret it as soon as the words tumble free.

My wrist bones scrape together under a crushing grip. Hard dark eyes find mine, piercing and frightening. “You suppose not?”

I should beg forgiveness, but I know better. I lift my chin and meet those cold, cruel, intelligent dark eyes. “You know I will fulfill the contract. That’s all I meant.”

“No, that isn’t all you meant.” A hand passes through artfully messy black hair. “Tell me what you really meant, X.”

I swallow hard. “You’re here for what you always want when you visit me.”

“Which is?” A warm finger touches my breastbone, slides into the valley of my cleavage. “Tell me what I want.”

“Me.” I whisper it, so not even the walls can hear.

“All too true.” My skin burns where that strong finger with its manicured nail traces a cutting line up to my shoulder. “You test my patience, at times.”

I stand stock-still, not even breathing. Breath whispers across my neck, huffs hot on my nape, and fingers toy with the zipper of my dress.

“I know,” I say.

And then, just when I expect to feel the zipper slide down my spine, body heat recedes and that hot breath now laced with hints of scotch is gone, and a single word sears my soul:

“Strip.”

My tongue scrapes over dry lips, and my lungs constrict, protesting my inability to breathe. My hands tremble. I know this is expected of me, and I cannot, dare not resist, or protest. And . . . part of me doesn’t want to. But I wish . . . I wish for the freedom to choose what I want.

I have hesitated too long.

“X. I said . . . strip.” The zipper slides down to between my shoulder blades. “Show me your skin.”

Reaching behind my back, I lower the zipper to its nesting place at the base of my spine. Hard, insistent hands assist me in brushing the sleeves from my shoulders, down my arms, and then the dress is floating to the floor at my feet. That’s all the help I’ll get. I know from long experience that I must make a show of what comes next.

I turn my head, and see tanned skin and the perpetual two-day stubble on a refined, powerful jawline, sharp cheekbones, firm, thin lips, black eyes like voids, eyes that drip desire. My hair drapes over one shoulder. I lift one knee so my now-bare toes touch the gleaming teak, curl my shoulders in, let my gaze show my vulnerability. With a deep breath, I unhook my bra, let the garment fall away.

I reach for my underwear.

“No,” comes the purr, “leave them. Let me.”

I let my fingers graze my thighs, wait. My underwear slides down slowly, and where fingers touch, so too do lips, hot and damp, touching my skin, and I cannot flinch, cannot pull away or express how badly I want only to be alone, to even once have the right to want something else.

But I do not have that right.

The Giveaway:

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Review: Madame X by Jasinda Wilder

Madame X by Jasinda Wilder

Book One of the Madame X series

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date: October 6, 2015

Rating: 3 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Official Summary:

My name is Madame X.

I’m the best at what I do.

And you’d do well to follow my rules...

Hired to transform the uncultured, inept sons of the wealthy and powerful into decisive, confident men, Madame X is a master of the art of control. With a single glance she can cut you down to nothing, or make you feel like a king.

But there is only one man who can claim her body—and her soul.

Undone time and again by his exquisite dominance, X craves and fears his desire in equal measure. And while she longs for a different path, X has never known anything or anyone else—until now...

What I Liked:

I liked this book! Just not as much as I'd expected. There were several big things that I didn't like, but for the most part, I enjoyed the story. I will DEFINITELY be reading the sequel, and the book after that. I like Jasinda Wilder and I am trusting her!

Madame X has no recollection of who she used to be, six years ago. She has amnesia, and Caleb Indigo took her in six years ago after she was badly and nearly mortally hurt. Now, she works for him as a mentor of a sort, teaching millionaire heirs to act powerful and confident. But she is a glorified prize - never allowed to leave her apartment, a plaything of Caleb's. She isn't an escort, and Caleb is the only one that ever touches her, but she has no choice whether or not she wants to have sex with him, whether or not she wants to teach her clients how to be proper businessmen, and so on. Caleb owns her, and she is his. Until she wants more.

I feel so, so bad for Madame X. She has no memory of anything. She's about twenty-five years old, and she's a gorgeous Spanish beauty. But she doesn't know anything about herself, or the outside world. She's a prisoner in her condo, with expensive dresses and lingerie. Caleb visits her and gets one thing from her every time he comes - sex. It's infuriating because she doesn't want to want him, but physically, her body wants him. Mentally and emotionally, she feels trapped and used, and hates how he comes to her.

So X is powerless, yet so powerful. Her job is to turn men into confident businessmen, instead of the immature, snobby people that they are when they are brought to her. There is a strict no-sex or touching clause in the contract - Caleb doesn't want anyone touching X except himself. X has no concept of the outside world, and she only knows obedience to Caleb. She is completely brainwashed, naive. 

So I felt bad for her. It's hard not to, given how brainwashed she is. She can't escape Caleb, but it's almost like she doesn't want to, because he is all she has ever known (that she remembers). It's when she is taken outside to a party that she begins to question her life, as well as Caleb.

And we learn some things about Caleb, and what he is doing. Caleb is an awful human being and I cannot feel a shred of like or respect towards him. I'm not sure if the author wants to humanize him? But I think he is a monster.We don't learn anything about X's past, but I'm sure that will be to come in the following books.

So this book is all about X starting to questions things. It's kind of a short book, and not a lot happens, really. X meets a guy when she is taken outside for the first time in forever (to a charity function/party). This guy, Logan, changes a lot of things for X. We'll be seeing more of him in the series.

There is hot, hot scenes in this book, but I hate Caleb, so I wasn't feeling it. In terms of romance, I'm sure we'll see more of the romance in the next books, but this book didn't really feature romance. Hot, steamy scenes, but not really romance. How does X REALLY feel about Caleb? He has sex with her at will, like she's an object, but that isn't romance, obviously.

Overall, I liked the book, and I definitely need to read the next book. I'm kind of mad that it's a trilogy because I want to see certain people suffer like, RIGHT NOW.

What I Did Not Like:

I hate Caleb. I hate everything about him. I hate everything he does. I hate how he uses X, how he uses her body, how he treats her. I hate his business. I hate his lies, how he tells X that she is special. I hate how X falls under his spell time after time. I hate that she can't help but be physically turned on by him, because he is a monster (she hates it too, to be fair). Caleb is a turn-off and how X is treated is the reason why this book is receiving three stars. Yes, I think the author wanted it to be this way, and put X through all of that for a reason. But. That doesn't mean that I have to like it.

So, this book is NOT for every romance reader. It's not a romance novel (yet?). Yes, there are hot sex scenes. But Caleb hurts X and commands her like a puppeteer, he uses her like she's a prostitute (but exclusive to him), and I hate it. I half-wish I hadn't read this book because I really, really hate how X is treated. But I like Jasinda Wilder, so I decided to give this book a shot. I still trust Jasinda but... the fact that this is part of a series really isn't help. All that waiting?!

I want Caleb to burn somewhere tortuously scalding hot. I want to erase X's hurt and pain, and I kind of want to punch her because she could have made better decisions at the end of the book?! Ugh! I hate series sometimes, where is book two!

Also - this book is written in second person. It's weird! I'm not sure I like it. I don't think it worked for me.

Would I Recommend It:

I'm going with "no" for now, simply because this novel isn't a romance novel, and it isn't a standalone. I'd recommend possibly waiting to see how the series turns out, because things could go south really quickly. This book isn't for everyone; it isn't a light romance read. It's hot, but it's the wrong guy that having sex, so it feels wrong to think that this book is hot. So... for now, no, I can't recommend this novel.

Rating:

2.5 stars -> rounded up to 3 stars. Like I said, I trust Jasinda, and I'll be looking out for book two in the coming months. BUT. I think this book isn't necessarily for me. I'm too hooked not to read the second book, and I think I liked this one, but it wasn't what I expected.

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Swoon Thursday (#140): Madame X by Jasinda Wilder

Swoon Thursday is a hot meme hosted by the fabulous ladies at YA Bound!

- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting

This week, my swoon is from Madame X by Jasinda Wilder!

I feel his heart beating a doublehammer rhythm in his chest, as furious as my own. My arms... slipping serpentine around his neck, hands cupping the back of his head and his nape beneath his hair, soft, firm, warm, strong.

I kiss him. 

Push up with my mouth and engage his kiss.

All the world ceases to exist. Fades. Flickers and gutters, a candle flame extinguished. 

Oh, that kiss.

It is all.

The whole of history and the entire potentiality of the future.

- eARC, 60%

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I love the cadence of the writing in this book! So lyrical, especially for a romance novel. This book is heartbreaking and yet so good!

Blog Tour: Interview with Jasinda Wilder, author of Wounded (and Giveaway)

 

Hello everyone, and welcome to my stop of the Wounded blog tour! Today, I have two posts: my review for Wounded (HERE), and this interview. Stick around for the giveaway at the bottom of the interview! Thank you for stopping by!

 

 

 

The Interview:

 

Alyssa: Hi Jasinda! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog!

Jasinda: The pleasure is mine, believe me! Thanks so much for having me.

Alyssa: Okay, first question. What was your inspiration for writing Wounded?

Jasinda: Wounded started as a short story, which eventually became the prologue. The rest of the novel fell into place after that short story. I heard someone on TV recite the Hail Mary and it sparked something in me, so I started writing. “The Prayer” was the result. A few months later I reread the short story and realized I just had to tell the girl’s story.

Alyssa: Do you know anyone who has braved the wars overseas to fight for the United States?

Jasinda: My brother is in the Marine Corps, and my grandfather was a WW2 veteran, and I’ve had a few friends who have served overseas in one capacity or another. I have a tremendous amount of respect for everyone in the armed forces, and especially those who have braved combat.

Alyssa: What kind of research did you have to do for this novel? For example, to come up with names, the settings, etc.

Jasinda: Research for this was actually fairly minimal. There are websites that I use to help me come up with names, especially for characters like Rania and the other Iraqis in the novel. The setting flowed naturally out of the original short story, that of a journalist in Iraq during Desert Storm. I examined pictures and old news stories for images to draw the physical descriptions of the city where Rania lived. I chose a couple beta readers who had served in Iraq to make sure my descriptions hit the mark in terms of accuracy.

Alyssa: From an innocent girl, Rania becomes a prostitute. What was it like to write about such a heartbreaking and controversial issue?

Jasinda: Well, you used the word I would have chosen: heartbreaking. It’s a sad reality of life, and Rania’s awful choice is one that no person should ever have to make. I can only hope I did justice to those who have suffered as she did.

Alyssa: What do you think should be done about the prostitution issue today?

Jasinda: I’m not sure I can do justice to that question in the space available here. It’s a topic that can—and has—taken up entire books, doctoral and graduate theses. Prostitution is humanity’s oldest profession. There are records of prostitution in ancient Sumerian texts. As I said in the previous question, prostitution is a sad fact of life. My goal in Wounded was to try illuminate the fact that not every woman who participates in that profession wants to be there. That is the case here in America as well. Sometimes, life leads us to places where we are faced with desperate measures simply to survive. You—we as people, as a society—need to be able to see past profession, mistakes, appearance, economic status, and race; we need to the person behind those things into the soul of the individual.

Alyssa: It is hard for most of us to think about, but Rania did what she had to do. Do you think, under those circumstances, that you could or would have done what Rania did?

Jasinda: We all have made choices we may not have wanted to make. I’d like to think I would do what I had to in order to survive. I’ve been through some pretty trying times in my own life, some of which have found a place in my stories. Life is meant to be lived, to be enjoyed; sometimes, however, we have to struggle through hell to get to a place where life is more than mere survival.

Alyssa: I loved the ending to Wounded. Do you think everyone – no matter how society looks at them – should get their own happy ending?

Jasinda: Absolutely! I thoroughly believe in Happily Ever After. Everyone should find their own version of happiness, contentment, and peace. My stories are my way of giving HEA to people. I hope people read my stories and find escape from their struggles, and more than that, find inspiration to reach for their dreams, to chase after their own HEA.

Alyssa: Do you think you’d ever want to visit Iraq?

Jasinda: Iraq is the cradle of civilization, so in one sense, yes, I do. I would love to see cities that have stood since before mankind was recording history.

Alyssa: Will this story stand alone, or will we see more from these or other characters?

Jasinda: I have plans for Derek to get his own story. I’m not quite ready to unveil much more than that at this point, so you’ll just have to stay tuned to my website for announcements—or better yet, sign up for my newsletter!

Alyssa: Well, that’s it! Thank you so much again, Jasinda! I hope this interview has been informative to all of your readers.

Jasinda: Thank you so much for having me, and I hope as well that my readers enjoyed getting to know me a bit more. Happy reading!

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The Giveaway (tour-wide)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Review: Wounded by Jasinda Wilder (and Giveaway)

Wounded by Jasinda Wilder

Publication Date: December 16, 2012

Rating: 4 stars

Source: Ecopy provided by the author

Summary (from Goodreads):

War has taken everything from me. My family. My home. My innocence. In a country blasted by war and wracked by economic hardship, a young orphan girl like me has very few options when it comes to survival. Thus, I do what I must to live, to eat, and I try very hard to not consider the cost to my soul. My heart is empty, and my existence brutal.

The one impossibility in my life is love.

And then I meet HIM.

War is hell. It takes a chunk out of a man's very soul to do the kinds of things war demands of you. You live with fear, you live with guilt, and you live with nightmares. If you haven't been through it, there's no understanding it. War leaves no room for love, no room for tenderness or softness. You gotta be hard, closed off, and ready to fight every moment of every day. Lose focus for a split second, and you're dead.
Now the only thing that can save me is HER.

What I Liked:

This book... this book was so powerful and emotional. You might see me use two words in particular throughout this book: bittersweet and heartbreaking. I almost cried so many times throughout this book, because of the story and its content.

This book deals with prostitution. Rania is forced to become a prostitute in order to survive. She was abandoned by her brother, when their parents died, at a very young age. I cannot imagine what I would have done in her situation, and I really cannot imagine having the strength to do what she did. I know in society, we tend to look down on prostitutes. I am in no way condoning prostitution, but this book really brought out the other side of prostitution: the side of the prostitute. My heart really went out to Rania, because everything that she felt, all the disgust, self-loathing, and anger, it was so real. We all cannot imagine being in her place, but what she did took courage.

The romance in this book is simple, but complex. It seems straightforward: soldier is taken in by prostitute, and they fall in love. But it is so much more than that. It goes deeper than that, on a level that goes past lust and love. I really liked Rania and Hunter's relationship. They really did have a love relationship, and more.

I really cannot say more about this book - it is so intense and powerful. I do not know if I have the heart to read it again, but I enjoyed it when I did.

What I Did Not Like:

There is not anything in particular that I did not like. But when I finished the book, I felt sad and morose, yet happy for the couple. This book did a number on my emotions. This book felt like a 4-star book for some reason, but it is really, really well done.

Would I Recommend It:

I am going to say yes, but not if you do not like books that go deep. This book, while very steamy and filled with adult-approved romance, contained some heavy themes, such as prostitution. That being said, this book is not for everyone. But, give it a try!

Rating:

4 stars. This book is  so heartbreaking, and bittersweet, but at the same time, it is touching and memorable. The truth of this book is stunning and amazing.

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Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!

The Giveaway (tour-wide):



a Rafflecopter giveaway