Rating: ★★★★★ starsDate published: September 23rd, 2014
Publisher: Self Published
Synopsis: You’re not supposed to want the one who torments you.
When my stepbrother, Elec, came to live with us my senior year, I wasn’t prepared for how much of a jerk he’d be.
I hated that he took it out on me because he didn’t want to be here.
I hated that he brought girls from our high school back to his room.
But what I hated the most was the unwanted way my body reacted to him.
At first, I thought all he had going for him were his rock-hard tattooed abs and chiseled face. Then, things started changing between us, and it all came to a head one night.
Just as quickly as he’d come into my life, he was gone back to California.
It had been years since I’d seen Elec.
When tragedy struck our family, I’d have to face him again.
And holy hell, the teenager who made me crazy was now a man that drove me insane.
I had a feeling my heart was about to get broken again.
Stepbrother Dearest is a standalone novel.
**Contains graphic sexual content and harsh language. It is only appropriate for adult readers age 18+**
What I Thought:
I own all of Penelope Ward's books that have been published so far, but I've only read one of them yet;this one. I was very eager to read this book from the first moment Penelope announced it and my hopes were very high that it'd live up to the expectations that had been created by the various teasers and high starred reviews I'd seen. And it did.
Like Greta, I was fascinated with Elec. He was like she said, "The Devil," but so hot! I really wanted to know why he had such a chip on his shoulder for his father Randy and why he was so cruel to Greta who only wanted to get to know him/jump his bones. I also liked Greta a lot too. She was kind, compassionate, and honorable. She really wanted the best for Elec, regardless of whether or not she was in the picture. That's really hard to do when you're emotions are caught up in someone else. Elec was moody and broody, but the way he felt about Greta was not very clear at first. At one point I just wanted him to stop being so mean to Greta and just see she was trying to help. I love the tension and chemistry between them. It was super hot!
I started reading this book right before midnight. My initial thought was I'd read a chapter before falling asleep, so in the morning I'd be super excited to read the rest. I finished reading it at 1:45 AM and it took me a while to fall asleep. My body took time to come down from the adrenaline due to the emotional state I'd gotten in while reading. Did I cry, no, but I wanted to. I was just so emotionally connected to Elec and Greta that reading about what they were going through and been through hurt. Oh and when the reason behind Elec's behavior was revealed, I was devastated.
Knowing now what Penelope's writing is like, I won't wait months or years to read another book by her. I'm really excited to see what she writes in the future. Whatever it is, I expect it to be riveting, with great emotional depth, rife with sexual tension, and full of angst you won't be able to put down.
Purchase Links:
About the Author
Penelope Ward is a USA Today Bestselling author.
She grew up in Boston with five older brothers. She spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career.
Penelope lives for reading books in the new adult genre, coffee and hanging out with her friends and family on weekends.
She is the proud mother of a beautiful 10-year-old girl with autism (the inspiration for the character Callie in Gemini) and a 8-year-old boy, both of whom are the lights of her life.
Penelope, her husband and kids reside in Rhode Island.
She is currently working on her fifth novel, Jake Understood. She is the author of Gemini, Jake Undone, My Skylar and Stepbrother Dearest.
No comments:
Post a Comment