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beckyrendon's review against another edition
4.0
Emily is getting by in life. She has no drive, no ambition, and clearly needs to straighten out her priorities. She is spending more of her life satisfying the negative thoughts of other than finding a way to be happy.
Reece is guilt riddled. He hangs onto his grief and guilt like a life preserver. What he can't seem to realize is his guilt is drowning him, not keeping him afloat.
In a twist of fate, Reece and Emily are brought together. A most unlikely pairing leads to an unusual situation for both. Still fighting themselves, bad decisions prevail.
Will they ever stop fighting themselves? Will it be enough?
Searing My Soul is a sweet story about the "bad girl" and a "good guy". It's got some intense feels when self discovery hits the characters but for the most part it's easy sailing emotionally.
reviewed for Reviews from the Heart
Reece is guilt riddled. He hangs onto his grief and guilt like a life preserver. What he can't seem to realize is his guilt is drowning him, not keeping him afloat.
In a twist of fate, Reece and Emily are brought together. A most unlikely pairing leads to an unusual situation for both. Still fighting themselves, bad decisions prevail.
Will they ever stop fighting themselves? Will it be enough?
Searing My Soul is a sweet story about the "bad girl" and a "good guy". It's got some intense feels when self discovery hits the characters but for the most part it's easy sailing emotionally.
reviewed for Reviews from the Heart
caseroo7's review against another edition
2.0
Find this review and more at Ramblings From This Chick
I couldn't wait to read more from Cole Gibsen after reading and loving Written on My Heart. I think my expectations might have been a bit too high here with Seared on My Soul, but I was disappointed with this one and it didn't live up to what I was hoping for. While there were some things I liked, ultimately this one was hard to get through and I found myself skimming more than I should have.
Emily Garret doesn't want or think that she needs to be rescued, and she definitely don't want it to be by a guy that looks like Reece Montgomery does. While Emily has tattoos and piercings, Reece is clean cut. But after Emily finds herself in a situation where she needs help, Reece is determined to get beneath her surface. He never planned on becoming anyone's hero, but he is convinced there is more to her than meets the eye. Can Reece let Emily in and see where things go, or will there be too much in his past for them to have a future?
I will admit that I really struggled with Emily's character. I didn't really like her, and that didn't change much until the very end of the story. At that point it was a bit too little too late for me and I didn't much care at that point. She was immature and irritating, and I hated the pity party she was constantly participating in. She used it as an excuse to drink excessively and there was really nothing for me to like with her. I felt like we never really saw much progress with her, and I think that was a big part of my problem here. I did like Reece more and I felt more sympathetic towards him because of all that he had been through. While I didn't agree with everything he did, his PTSD and being a disable war vet had a lot to do with the person he was. While I did like him more, I still felt like couldn't quite connect with him either. Both of these characters seemed to lack much depth, and I wanted to dig deeper with them than surface deep. I thought that they had chemistry, but I was just wanting more and felt like there was something missing.
Beyond just the character issues though, I just never felt like their relationship was entirely believable considering how they were the whole way through. Both of them were messed up, so their coming together felt a bit unrealistic in the way it happened here. It came off as rushed and I just couldn't buy into it fully. Sadly, this wasn't what I had been hoping for or expecting after WOMH, and this isn't one that I would recommend. I do plan on reading more from Cole Gibsen in the future since I loved WOMH so much, but this one just didn't work for me.
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
I couldn't wait to read more from Cole Gibsen after reading and loving Written on My Heart. I think my expectations might have been a bit too high here with Seared on My Soul, but I was disappointed with this one and it didn't live up to what I was hoping for. While there were some things I liked, ultimately this one was hard to get through and I found myself skimming more than I should have.
Emily Garret doesn't want or think that she needs to be rescued, and she definitely don't want it to be by a guy that looks like Reece Montgomery does. While Emily has tattoos and piercings, Reece is clean cut. But after Emily finds herself in a situation where she needs help, Reece is determined to get beneath her surface. He never planned on becoming anyone's hero, but he is convinced there is more to her than meets the eye. Can Reece let Emily in and see where things go, or will there be too much in his past for them to have a future?
I will admit that I really struggled with Emily's character. I didn't really like her, and that didn't change much until the very end of the story. At that point it was a bit too little too late for me and I didn't much care at that point. She was immature and irritating, and I hated the pity party she was constantly participating in. She used it as an excuse to drink excessively and there was really nothing for me to like with her. I felt like we never really saw much progress with her, and I think that was a big part of my problem here. I did like Reece more and I felt more sympathetic towards him because of all that he had been through. While I didn't agree with everything he did, his PTSD and being a disable war vet had a lot to do with the person he was. While I did like him more, I still felt like couldn't quite connect with him either. Both of these characters seemed to lack much depth, and I wanted to dig deeper with them than surface deep. I thought that they had chemistry, but I was just wanting more and felt like there was something missing.
Beyond just the character issues though, I just never felt like their relationship was entirely believable considering how they were the whole way through. Both of them were messed up, so their coming together felt a bit unrealistic in the way it happened here. It came off as rushed and I just couldn't buy into it fully. Sadly, this wasn't what I had been hoping for or expecting after WOMH, and this isn't one that I would recommend. I do plan on reading more from Cole Gibsen in the future since I loved WOMH so much, but this one just didn't work for me.
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
kate_and_books's review against another edition
3.0
3/4 stars.
I loved the premise of this book and for me in a way the author delivered but also didn’t but I’ll get to that later.
Emily Garrett is the life of the party and I can only recommend that you push past the first chapter because I despised her. She is judgemental, always out for a good time. Most would consider her to be a slut as she likes sex and I like that the author made us aware of the double standards that are still around today. That aspect of her life didn’t bother me at all. She has her positive characteristics and well you just have to find them.
One fateful night she really screws up. But she doesn’t seem to have learnt her lesson in that respect or maybe not at the beginning. Looks can be deceiving and that is exactly what she does with the Hero of the book she judges him. She is abrasive and brutally honest. And about to self-destruct.
Reece Montgomery is lost and he has this whole tortured soul going on. I loved him. He knows what he wants from life but has survivor’s guilt. He wants to live a life but can’t quite get there.
Reece has demons that he fights every day since he has been back. He has no contact with his parents. I understood Reece’s demons. Emily also has her own demons. She loathes herself and considers herself to be a loser. I felt that we only scratched the surface with Emily and her demons and would have liked to have seen more.
Reece & Emily are an unlikely couple look wise. We have the Jcrew and we have the 60s pinup, rockabilly lady. But they also have a lot in common. I loved them together.
They have chemistry and they complete one another. Good combination Ms. Gibsen. Bravo.
So obviously they push each other away but the get there and there is a happy ending. I will want to read the book about Emily’s brother Lane & Ash. This is also a quick and easy read as soon as I started it I had finished it.
Book received by Entangled Publishing, LLC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the premise of this book and for me in a way the author delivered but also didn’t but I’ll get to that later.
Emily Garrett is the life of the party and I can only recommend that you push past the first chapter because I despised her. She is judgemental, always out for a good time. Most would consider her to be a slut as she likes sex and I like that the author made us aware of the double standards that are still around today. That aspect of her life didn’t bother me at all. She has her positive characteristics and well you just have to find them.
One fateful night she really screws up. But she doesn’t seem to have learnt her lesson in that respect or maybe not at the beginning. Looks can be deceiving and that is exactly what she does with the Hero of the book she judges him. She is abrasive and brutally honest. And about to self-destruct.
Reece Montgomery is lost and he has this whole tortured soul going on. I loved him. He knows what he wants from life but has survivor’s guilt. He wants to live a life but can’t quite get there.
Reece has demons that he fights every day since he has been back. He has no contact with his parents. I understood Reece’s demons. Emily also has her own demons. She loathes herself and considers herself to be a loser. I felt that we only scratched the surface with Emily and her demons and would have liked to have seen more.
Reece & Emily are an unlikely couple look wise. We have the Jcrew and we have the 60s pinup, rockabilly lady. But they also have a lot in common. I loved them together.
They have chemistry and they complete one another. Good combination Ms. Gibsen. Bravo.
So obviously they push each other away but the get there and there is a happy ending. I will want to read the book about Emily’s brother Lane & Ash. This is also a quick and easy read as soon as I started it I had finished it.
Book received by Entangled Publishing, LLC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
__livesbtweenpgs__'s review against another edition
4.0
Review to also be posted on Book Loving Fairy Blog
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Star Rating: 4 Stars
Yes! Just yes! That is how it is done.
Reece Montgomery is a disable vet home from war. After seeing horrible things while on tour he has to cope with a darkness that swallows him whole and leaves no space for the light to shine through for him. Never thinking anything or anyone is good enough for him and his life, he considers himself a loser and clings to that notion until one night when it all changes then he feels a different emotion that he hasn’t felt in a very long time.
Emily Garret is the party girl, the one who won’t put down roots because she is simply scared and no one expects her to either they just see and irresponsible girl who wont ever grow up. After constant let downs and obstacles in her way she finally thinks that nothing will change in her life until it is almost taken away from her. Someone saves her and as it turns out it might be in all the areas that she needs the most.
I loved this one to be honest. The true reality of what Reece and Emily go through is what most go through on a daily basis and as sad as it is it never changes because most just accept what is and it is left like that.
I hope whoever reads this gets a glimpse into what those feelings are like because they don’t just go away they will always be there just waiting for you to become weak so it can overpower and win.
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Star Rating: 4 Stars
Yes! Just yes! That is how it is done.
Reece Montgomery is a disable vet home from war. After seeing horrible things while on tour he has to cope with a darkness that swallows him whole and leaves no space for the light to shine through for him. Never thinking anything or anyone is good enough for him and his life, he considers himself a loser and clings to that notion until one night when it all changes then he feels a different emotion that he hasn’t felt in a very long time.
Emily Garret is the party girl, the one who won’t put down roots because she is simply scared and no one expects her to either they just see and irresponsible girl who wont ever grow up. After constant let downs and obstacles in her way she finally thinks that nothing will change in her life until it is almost taken away from her. Someone saves her and as it turns out it might be in all the areas that she needs the most.
I loved this one to be honest. The true reality of what Reece and Emily go through is what most go through on a daily basis and as sad as it is it never changes because most just accept what is and it is left like that.
I hope whoever reads this gets a glimpse into what those feelings are like because they don’t just go away they will always be there just waiting for you to become weak so it can overpower and win.
emilyhei's review against another edition
4.0
Living life at a fast pace, Emily Garret never expected to end up being rescued by Reece Montgomery. Reece is the complete opposite of Emily, neither want to like one another but they can't seem to stay away from one another. Both have issues from their past that they are struggling to overcome that can hurt any future they may have with one another.
Seared on My Soul had some deep issues that both Reece and Emily are dealing with. I wasn't sure about Emily in the beginning of the story because she is a wild child but she grows on you and you get where she is coming from. Reece is more reserved, I thought he was a fascinating character. Great read, very different from what I have been reading lately.
Seared on My Soul had some deep issues that both Reece and Emily are dealing with. I wasn't sure about Emily in the beginning of the story because she is a wild child but she grows on you and you get where she is coming from. Reece is more reserved, I thought he was a fascinating character. Great read, very different from what I have been reading lately.
keyapaha16's review
5.0
** I received this Ebook for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence my review in anyway. **
Reece and Emily's relationship starts off with a bang and doesn't slow down one iota throughout the entire story. From the beginning, I felt like Emily was someone who flew through life by the seat of her pants but was still unsure about the bigger things in life, only wanting to drink and chase away her sorrows sleeping with questionable men. Reece is one of those ex-military being chased by his war demons and PTSD and doesn't know how to fix it.
Thanks to a bad decision and a fiery car crash, Reece and Emily's lives are forever changed when Reece steps in to save Emily's life. They never thought it would be the start of their relationship. I loved every minute of their rocky and hot relationship. Reece needed someone who could help him through his flashbacks and Emily needed someone who would be able to show her that she had the ability to be more than a simple barista. Reece was troubled, but he genuinely cared for Emily and was always looking out for her.
Reece was a great character and I enjoyed that he was a teacher. I also enjoyed reading about his times in the military and about Chad. Military PTSD isn't something to be taken lightly and I feel that it was well represented in this book. As was Emily's need for alcohol and it's ability to numb the senses. This book was great!
I gave this book 5 stars!
Reece and Emily's relationship starts off with a bang and doesn't slow down one iota throughout the entire story. From the beginning, I felt like Emily was someone who flew through life by the seat of her pants but was still unsure about the bigger things in life, only wanting to drink and chase away her sorrows sleeping with questionable men. Reece is one of those ex-military being chased by his war demons and PTSD and doesn't know how to fix it.
Thanks to a bad decision and a fiery car crash, Reece and Emily's lives are forever changed when Reece steps in to save Emily's life. They never thought it would be the start of their relationship. I loved every minute of their rocky and hot relationship. Reece needed someone who could help him through his flashbacks and Emily needed someone who would be able to show her that she had the ability to be more than a simple barista. Reece was troubled, but he genuinely cared for Emily and was always looking out for her.
Reece was a great character and I enjoyed that he was a teacher. I also enjoyed reading about his times in the military and about Chad. Military PTSD isn't something to be taken lightly and I feel that it was well represented in this book. As was Emily's need for alcohol and it's ability to numb the senses. This book was great!
I gave this book 5 stars!
lauraanne9's review against another edition
2.0
***ARC Provided by the Publisher and NetGalley***
Full Review to Follow
Full Review to Follow
kimmylovestoread's review
4.0
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Emily Garret is a 20 something who isn't really sure what she wants to do with her life. She spends her days serving coffee and her nights having one night stands. Reece Montgomery is a war veteran who spends his days teaching high school and his nights battling his demons. Their lives intersect after Emily has a terrible lapse in judgement, but this one may be her worst yet. She wakes up battered and bruised, having no idea that that the man she serves coffee to every day is the reason she is alive.
In a twist of fate, the two of them end up going on a fake date, which turns into a real date, which then turns into a one night stand. And they both realize that they have met their match.
Both of them have issues that are holding them back in both their professional and personal lives. Emily sees herself as a drunk and a screw up who is destined to serve coffee her whole life and Reece can't get past what happened when he was over in Afghanistan. They are both in denial and little by little their relationship starts to suffer because of it. When things eventually do blow up in their faces, they have to face the truth about what they really want. It's not pretty, but it is a necessary evil.
This was my first book by Cole and I really enjoyed it. The story is sweet, sexy and at times downright heartbreaking. Emily and Reece go through a lot, but the payoff is amazing and you will not be disappointed.
Emily Garret is a 20 something who isn't really sure what she wants to do with her life. She spends her days serving coffee and her nights having one night stands. Reece Montgomery is a war veteran who spends his days teaching high school and his nights battling his demons. Their lives intersect after Emily has a terrible lapse in judgement, but this one may be her worst yet. She wakes up battered and bruised, having no idea that that the man she serves coffee to every day is the reason she is alive.
In a twist of fate, the two of them end up going on a fake date, which turns into a real date, which then turns into a one night stand. And they both realize that they have met their match.
I run my hands over his chest. I don’t need alcohol to make Reece look good. The muscles of his chest are hard under my fingers, his shoulders taught, his jaw strained. I have the sudden urge to scratch my nails down his back to find out how deep I have to go to get to something soft.Whew. Hot doesn't even begin to describe these two. On the surface the phrase "opposites attract" totally applies to them, but once they get to know each other, they realize they have more in common than they originally thought. Emily is able to calm Reece when things get too much and he provides her with the inspiration she needs to help realize what she really wants to do with her life.
He grabs my waist tightly and tugs me against him so sharply, I gasp.
“I’m sorry.” He immediately lets go and tries to gently push me off of him. “This was a mistake.”
“I’m not sorry.” I weave my fingers behind his neck and look at him. His lake blue eyes are wide with fear. He thinks he hurt me, I realize. “Ohhhh. I get it now.”
He frowns, obviously not the reaction he expected.
“That’s what’s got you so messed up.”
“What?”
“The shit that happened to you in the desert—you forgot how to be gentle, and you’re scared you’re going to hurt me.”
He jerks back, as if considering this for the first time. “Maybe…”
“You won’t,” I cut him off.
He doesn’t look convinced.
“I might not be a badass soldier like you, Reece, but I think you’ll find I’m not easily broken.” This time I don’t fight my urges and dig my nails into his back.
A rumbling growl emits from deep inside his chest. He grasps my hips and leans forward, trailing his lips up my collar bone, to the dip in my shoulder and then up my neck. When he gets to the tender skin beneath my jaw, the warm velvet of his lips is replaced by the sharp heat of teeth.
I gasp as the flash of pain quickly turns to waves of desire.
He leans back, worry evident on his face. “Did I hurt you?”
I smile. “Oh, honey, you’re going to have to try harder than that.”
He groans, a primal sound that tightens things low inside me. He slides a finger into my hair and curls his fingers into a fist before tilting my head back sharply, inclining my neck. “Don’t tempt me.”
Every nerve in my body sizzles with need. I whimper, which, in turn, makes him smile. Holy hell, I think I finally found a guy who can keep up with me.
Both of them have issues that are holding them back in both their professional and personal lives. Emily sees herself as a drunk and a screw up who is destined to serve coffee her whole life and Reece can't get past what happened when he was over in Afghanistan. They are both in denial and little by little their relationship starts to suffer because of it. When things eventually do blow up in their faces, they have to face the truth about what they really want. It's not pretty, but it is a necessary evil.
This was my first book by Cole and I really enjoyed it. The story is sweet, sexy and at times downright heartbreaking. Emily and Reece go through a lot, but the payoff is amazing and you will not be disappointed.
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