Review: The List Series - Complete Set by N.K. Love

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Boxed Set
Release - October 21, 2016
Genre - Contemporary Second Chance Romance
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat - 4.5 out of 5

When Beth’s marriage ended, her ‘F**k It’ list began. With the help of her footloose and fancy free bestie, Willow, she stopped sitting on the fence and overthinking.

After crossing paths with Jaxson Carter, her life would never be the same again. He’s complicated, dark, mysterious, and the complete opposite to anything that she’s used to. But at first, her sexual inexperience tears chunks out of her self-confidence.

Beth dives into her ‘F**k It’ list with both feet. She’s learning how exhilarating it feels to let go, to take chances, and embrace her inner goddesses. Beth experiences sexual pleasure beyond measure during this rollercoaster ride.

Is he exactly what Beth’s journey needs? The kind of guy who’ll hold the door open for her, follow her through it, then slam her up against it to show her what it feels like to truly lose herself.

Or does that all sound far too sexy and simple?

Beth would rather die chasing her dreams than live running from her nightmares. But as the plot thickens, the dark clouds loom, leaving her confused about what she truly wants.

Can somebody’s past dig their heels so far into them that they can never leave it behind?

***Warning: If the first part of the synopsis tempts you enough, don’t read on, as it does reveal some information which may be considered a spoiler. So, if you want complete mystery, please don’t continue reading.***

Harbouring a fierce burden that threatens to cripple their future, Jax bares his dark soul like never before. This honesty unravels shocking deceit for them both when his beautiful Angel is lured into a dangerous world he’s fought hard to protect her from.

Dragged down a twisted path, she draws strength from her powerful love for Jax. But when her heart beats her head, she’s exposed to vulnerabilities that will change their lives forever.

When Jax’s past collides with his future, the consequences will surely be devastating.

Is true love always enough, no matter what?

Warning: 18+ This series contains multiple sexually explicit scenes. For mature audiences only. Although there are no actual scenes or graphic discussions of sexual assault, the topic is mentioned.

Find your copy of The List Series here:
Goodreads | Amazon
FREE with Kindle Unlimited

MY REVIEW

I’ve had this series sitting on my kindle for quite some time and I can’t believe I haven’t read it til now. So first off, my apologies to the author for taking so long to read this. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I realized that this was a debut piece of work, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised by what she came up with. This story had so much hidden depth that could get lost amidst the amazingly erotic scenes between the main characters, but each had their own journey to follow and played a huge role in how the other fared along the way.

Beth had recently ended her marriage to her high school sweetheart. There was no preparation and no obvious signs of a breakdown between them. Just distance, neglect, yearning, and the absence of intimacy. Beth realized that she had lost herself in her marriage and was on a journey to figure out who she was as a woman. She and her BFF Willow concocted a list that contained behavior that was outside of Beth’s norm, to test her boundaries and to open her up to new things (sexually). Jax was just the man to take her out of her rut, abolish her insecurities, and introduce her to the incredibly beautiful, sensual and provocative woman she was. Jax was a man of mystery. He didn’t allow anyone too close and lived his life by his own set of rules. Getting information or answers from him was like pulling teeth, but luckily Beth was both persistent and determined. I absolutely loved watching these two navigate the waters between friendship, flirtation, sexclusivity, and love.

If I were to pinpoint exactly why this series didn’t garner 5 stars, it would be because although I connected with the heroine for the most part, I didn’t always like her. She annoyed me with her made up inner personas and the way she actually talked and treated them like they were real. She had me questioning her sanity quite a few times. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the way she rationalized her immaturity or her judgment of other people, including Jax. I get that it was necessary sometimes to drive the plot or add drama, but in all honesty, she wouldn’t be someone I’d want to know in real life. However, I was a huge supporter with the way she came into her own. Most women suffer from self-doubt and insecurity and I liked how the author kept that part of Beth’s character honest and relatable.

What I really enjoyed about this series:
✫ the journal-type quality to the storytelling. It gave this story its own unique style and created an intimate bubble between the reader and its characters.
✫ the openness and humility the characters exhibited throughout. It made both Beth and Jax seem realistic and approachable.
✫ the humor. I liked that all of the characters were able to laugh at themselves or at the circumstances. Sometimes I even laughed when the situation didn’t really call for it, simply because I found the inner monologues to be hilarious.
✫ the fluidity of the writing. There was never a point where I felt lost. Although the author stuck to a timeline within the story (i.e. Saturday April 6, 9:16pm), it never once felt choppy or orchestrated or confusing. It flowed naturally and almost seamlessly, through chapters and the switches from one perspective to another.

I’m sure this list isn’t complete, but if I continued, we could be here for a long time. Each book from this series could hold its own weight, but I wouldn’t say it could stand alone. I was lucky enough to get this series as a complete set and I recommend that everyone enjoy it the same way. There’s no real cliffhanger from one installment to the next, however, it’s more than obvious that there’s more to the story. Once you get to the final book, Always Angel, the ups and downs, the ins and outs, the hurt and pain, the love and joy will all be worth it.