Review: All The Little Things

 

Title: All The Little Things

Author: Rachel Leigh

Release Date: May 12

Four years ago my life was forever changed. 

One kiss.

One moment. 

Five words. 

“Enjoy all the little things.”

That’s what Ryker said the night before he vanished from our lives. 


So that’s what I did. I lived each day like it was the last—embracing all life had to offer. 

Now he’s back in town and staying with me as a favor to my brother. 

Being alone with Ryker is dangerous. 

His eyes intoxicate me. 

His touch tempts me. 

He doesn’t look at me like I’m a little girl anymore.

And I’m ignoring the fact that he’s my brother’s best friend. 

He dared me to live. 

I dared him to love. 

The first kiss almost killed me. 

But the second one brought me back to life.

Four years ago Kit's life was changed forever. Her brother's best friend uttered five words, before fanishing from their lives. 

Enjoy all the little things. 

Two years later, Ryker is back, and staying with Kit as a favor to her brother. Being alone with him for a week is dangerous. He doesn't look at her like she is the little girl who used to follow them around anymore. 

The first kiss they shared almost killed her. But the second one brought her back to life. 

Oh my God. This story. I just... Don't even know what to say, it was my first book by Rachel Leigh, but won't be my last. I loved it! 

Ryker is the bad boy from the wrong side of town. And Carter's best friend. He's always around- and looks after Kit like she is a younger sister. 

Kit is young than Carter and Ryker by two years. But she was always mature for her age. And she developed a crush on her brother's best friend. 

They share one sweet, simple kiss, before he disappears out of her life after uttering five words that changed her life. 

Enjoy all the little things. 

She does, consequences be damned. 

So when Ryker shows back up two years later, she pushes him. Pushes him for leaving, pushes him for answers, and pushes him for more. 

Can Ryker be all that Kit needs? Or is their relationship doomed to stay in the friend zone? 

This book had it all. It was a sweet brother's best friend slow burn that tugged on the heart. Ryker was a boy who grew up on the wrong side of town, & did what he had to to survive, even if that meant leaving the town, his family and friends and Kit behind. 

Kit had to grow up way too fast- making her mature for her age. But once Ryker left, that all changed and she became reckless, not caring about the consequences. But she is also brave, and stubborn when she wants to be. 

It's unlikely that a crush she had on her brother's best friend as kids would result in anything more. Because there is more than just friendship and family ties between them. There is hurt, and anger and secrets too. Can their friendship ever be mended, and bloom into something more? Or is there too much standing in their way? Find out in this cute novel novel that will surely tug on your heart. 4⭐ out of 5⭐. 

Trigger Warning: murder/death, abuse, health condition. 

Review: Ruthless Rival

 

Title: Ruthless Rival

Series: Cruel Castaways

Author: LJ Shen

Release Date: May 3

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author L.J. Shen comes an enemies-to-lovers romance about the fine line between seeking revenge and finding love.

When she was young, Arya Roth became best friends with her housekeeper’s son. Soon, friendship turned to young love, and when Arya dared him to kiss her, a chain reaction of disastrous events led to the boy being sent away and out of Arya’s life.

Now, two decades later, Arya is an on-the-rise publicist with her beloved father as one of her biggest clients. So when her father is sued by a former employee, Arya sets out to prove that her father is not the monster he is accused of being. The only problem is the attorney who is determined to destroy her father’s good name. Christian Miller is charming, ambitious, and devilishly good looking, and Arya has no idea he is that same boy who kissed her all those years ago.

Past and present collide as Arya falls hard for Christian. But when she finds out who he really is and about his obsession with getting revenge on her father, can she choose love over family?

Arya spent the summers with her house keeper's son. Their friendship started to blossom into something more- and when Arya dared the boy to kiss her, it set off a chain reaction leading to the boy being sent away out of Arya's life. 

Now, two decades later- her father is being sued by a former employee, and Arya is trying to prove that her father isn't the monster he is accused of being. But there is just one problem and that is the attorney who is set out to destroy her father. 

What happens when past and present collide when Arya starts falling for the attorney, finding out who he really is? 

So... I really don't know what to say about this book. I loved quite a few of LJs works in the past, and always looked forward to reading them. But recently... They just don't bring me the same joy. 

It took a couple days to read Ruthless Rival with everything going on in my life currently, but... Honestly it wasn't really that remarkable. Nothing really stood out. I didn't like or care for either of the main characters, the parents were horrible and we didn't really see anything of the side characters. Their lives were pretty bland- I don't even care to know more about arsene even though he probably would have been my favorite of the three. 

 And we are made to believe that these two characters had fallen in love when they were 13 or 14 (they had their first kiss with each other at 14), and then after that one kiss and not seeing or hearing from either one for nearly twenty years that what? They still love each other? 

Neither had a successful relationship (not surprising for the male lead though he was aweful). And they clashed. The so called chemistry between them was non-existent. And the whole "we can't" but do it anyways knowing full well it would basically ruin each of their lives. He not only tears her father down, ripping everything from him- which given the circumstances was probably warranted, BUT he lies to her, and basically messes with HER life too. He comes out with one speech about being sorry and what? She forgives him just like that? 

They don't see each other for two decades and fall back in love in a matter of weeks with a "no strings attached" relationship that was always doomed to fail since he was the attorney against her father and held the secret of his real identity from her almost up to the very end, despite having MANY opportunities to come clean. 

All, in all I felt the story was bland. The characters were cookie cutouts of what they were "supposed" to be. They didn't have a spark or chemistry between them. And the romance was practically non-existent. 

Honestly, this book wasnt for me. Wasn't worth my time reading it. I loved the IDEA of it. The friends to lovers to rivals to second chance romance. I wanted to love this one.  But alas, I wanted to escape the book and return to my real life drama and dumpster fire rather then the other way around unfortunately. 

But, just because I personally didn't enjoy this book doesn't mean you won't like it. There is plenty of banter between the characters, which I enjoyed. But there are also so many of LJ's works that are better in comparison, and would recommend if you wanted to read an LJ Shen book to pick up one of her earlier works over this.  2⭐ out of 5⭐.