Mean Streak by Sandra Brown is one of the first adult fiction novels I've read and I loved it. Not gonna lie, I mainly bought this book because it was only $3 in the bargain section at Barnes and Noble, but girrl let me tell you - this is such an exciting, action-packed read. There were so many plot twists and secrets that you can't help but keep turning the page. Since the book is definitely geared towards mature readers, I would definitely say that the romance is a lot more...intense (sex is not censored lol) so proceed with caution if you're not used to that stuff. On a more serious note, the problems that these characters have to deal with (marriage, affairs, death, rape, etc.) can be an eye-opener because no matter how far-fetched and ridiculous it may play out in a fictional story, these horrible things happen in real life to real people. Brown does a good job of manipulating the readers' feelings to suit the plot, and this played a big factor in leading us to certain conclusions while she's setting up something completely different without us knowing. You won't get bored with this book and I highly, highly recommend!!Goodreads Summary: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20454672-mean-streak?from_search=true
Rating: 5/5
*Recommended for mature audiences (18+)
As someone who isn't a huge fanatic about fantasy novels, The Wrath and the Dawn (#1) and The Rose and the Dagger (#2) by Renee Ahdieh were surprisingly addicting. First of all, I didn't know that this duo-logy was supposed to be a retelling of Arabian Nights, until Alyssa told me. Second of all, I don't even know the premise of Arabian Nights, so it wouldn't have made a difference in my opinion of the novels anyway. The world is beautifully described; the middle-eastern culture is so richly & consistently portrayed in everything: language, wardrobe, names, etc. One of the things I couldn't get enough of was the relationship between the two main characters: Sharzhad and Khalid. Renee Ahdieh did a good job of showing that relationships are much more than possession, which is a very crucial message to send out to younger teens. “It was because they were two parts of a whole. He did not belong to her. And she did not belong to him. It was never about belonging to someone. It was about belonging together.” -The Rose and the Dagger One of the notable themes that the author made sure to incorporate was feminism - and just how important it is in any culture. Sharzhad is an extremely strong character yet she's rational and doesn't lose her wits when she doesn't get what she wants. She can handle her own and doesn't need anyone to save her from anything. It contains a bit of mystery and magic as well, so if you're into that, check it out. (If you're not into that, check it out anyway. It's good.)Goodreads Summary: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18798983-the-wrath-the-dawn?ac=1&from_search=true
Rating for both books: 4.5/5
Colleen Hoover! Such a well-known author in the contemporary genre. I don't know why I didn't pick up her books sooner. I read Slammed (#1) and Point of Retreat (#2) and they're the type of books that pull you out of an extremely long reading slump. At least, that's what happened in my case. I believe this is also categorized in adult fiction, but it's not as graphic as Sandra Brown's novels. This is mostly a romance/contemporary novel, unlike the books above which dabble in varying genres. Although that might sound appalling and boring to some people, trust me, it's not. Unless you don't like romance at all...then in that case, I wouldn't recommend this to you. The chemistry between the characters are so fun to read that it becomes normal to read one of these Hoover novels in a day. I'm a huge sucker for romance, but a lot of the times, I end up not finishing contemporary novels because it's too boring to go through. I was worried that this was how this book was going to turn out in the beginning because there's that instant, love-at-first-sight sort of passage within the first couple pages. However, the one thing that's different with this is that there are many plot twists and that factor is good enough to make you keep going. The characters have to deal with some heavy stuff like death, grief, and illness, which makes them very relatable and all the more better. One last thing I loved was the incorporation of spoken word poetry. In order to achieve the feeling of this, Hoover emphasizes different words by italicizing them or breaking them down - all so that you can try to hear it being performed as you're reading, which is very cool.
Goodreads Summary: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13372690-slammed?from_search=true
Rating for both books: 4/5
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