Toxic
    by: Kim Karr

Publication Date: July 7, 2015
Publisher: NAL Trade
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult
Source: Physical copy received via the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 368 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4/5 stars

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not...

New York Times bestselling author Kim Karr turns up the heat in a smoking hot, emotionally compelling new novel that takes you into the world of Manhattan’s elite.

In Toxic, Jeremy McQueen, a sexy, intense, sometimes brooding entrepreneur goes after what he wants—the woman he left behind years ago. Phoebe St. Claire, a put together, in control socialite-turned-CEO has been drifting through life searching for something she thought she'd never find again—the right man to share her future.

Our passion was boundless. Our lust untamed. And our desire endless. He was the only man who ever made me feel alive. Then, I betrayed him.

When he reappeared, I didn’t question it. Trust rarely survives the wrecking ball, so when he let me in back in—I didn’t hesitate.

Maybe I should have.

What began as a bid to save my family business, turned into a second chance at love. It felt so romantic. Working together, side by side, with the man I loved. My dream come true.

Nothing is as good as it seems.

We had our issues, but then again, every couple does. It wasn’t jealousy, or our too-hot sex life that I should have been worried about.

It was his darkside.

I never saw the end coming, until it slammed me in the face. The question is—did he?

Was revenge his plan all along?

****

Sometimes you have to wonder if your life is too good to be true.
Is it real or just an illusion?
Does the man lying beside you really love you like he says he does?
If the answer is yes, you’re meant to live happily ever after.
If the answer is no, you’re living my life, and nothing will ever be the same.

What you do about it—that’s up to you.

Me, I’m in too deep and there’s no getting out.

I’ll take whatever I can get for as long as I can because I know when it’s over…

I’ll never find another man like him.

Ever!

 

 

Ooh boy. This book. It's so raw and messy and yet.... I couldn't get enough of Phoebe and Jeremy. The book is so aptly named because they really do have a toxic relationship. But as unhealthy and toxic as it could be, there is a lot of passion and love between these two as well. It's pretty explosive to be honest and I loved seeing them at their most vulnerable where it's as simple as wanting the other.

 

Phoebe and Jeremy have a history together and I liked that Karr showed us a bit of that. I liked that we got a few chapters in the past, but the book was mostly focused on the present. We got just enough of an idea to glimpse their 21-year-old personalities in the past to show us how far they've come now in the present. You just know that things are doomed from the start because they start an affair based on lies. Add in the jealousy factor and it's game over.

 

Lack of communication and jealousy were the two things that drove me a little crazy about this one. I get the jealousy, I do. I am a very jealous person by nature (and I hate that), so I can understand both Phoebe and Jeremy's reactions, especially since some of their situations don't exactly look good. However, they are both so stubborn. Instead of talking things out, they assume the worst and run away from the issue at hand. That is one of the things we do see them trying to work through and is a part of their growth so I did like seeing that transition.

 

I liked the overall feel of this one a lot. I was interested in Phoebe, her friends, and her different relationships. Her friendships with both Lily and Jamie were great and I adored something that happened to Jamie in this book. It was a completely surprising situation and it ended up working so well. I did NOT care for Phoebe's ex, Dawson, though. She should have been more assertive towards him from the beginning. I don't know if that would have changed some of the issues that arose later though, as Dawson just can't seem to get it through his head that they are done and can only be friends.

 

My favorite part was seeing the evolution of Phoebe and Jeremy's relationship. They both make a lot of mistakes and assumptions with the other, but the one constant was how they felt for one another. Even when Jeremy would act a bit harsh and cold, you could still tell how he felt about her and his shutting down was to protect himself. I loved the tension between them and how desperate they could be for one another. That volatility really worked here for them. It's a very thin line they walk, which is why when they hurt one another, it was hard to read because of how much it destroyed them. Karr writes some very sexy scenes and they do sometimes use sex as a means of avoiding a conversation which, (while hot) could be a bit irritating.

 

Toxic is a steamy, sexy read and even though it could be frustrating at times, I still really liked it. I did feel there were some parts that read a bit slower than others, but otherwise I was pretty engaged and caught up in the chaos and passion of their relationship.

 

 

 

I live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I've always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I currently work part-time with my husband and full-time embracing one of my biggest passions—writing.

I wear a lot of hats! Writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all around go-to person of the family. However, I always find time to read. One of my favorite family outings use to be taking my kids to the bookstore or the library. Today, my oldest child is in college and my twins are juniors so they no longer go with me on these outings. And although I don't need to go to the actual store anymore because I have the greatest device ever invented—a Kindle, I still do. There's nothing like a paperback. So now my four year old and I make dates out of going to the bookstore--it's time I love and cherish.

I like to believe in soulmates, kindred spirits, true friends, and Happily-Ever-Afters. I love to drink champagne, listen to music, and hopes to always stay young at heart. <3

 

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Frayed (Connections #4)
   by: Kim Karr

Publication Date: Sept. 2, 2014
Publisher: NAL Trade
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: physical copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 304 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Connections series continues with this spin-off novel.

He didn’t think, he didn’t question—he just acted.
What she wanted, she took—without regard.
It was only one night, but it changed everything.

After losing his fiancée, Ben Covington is unsure he’ll ever love again. But when he sees Bell Wilde, he’s so deeply drawn to her, that he’s thrown for a loop. Maybe it’s purely sexual chemistry that’s igniting this spark between them...or maybe it’s his second chance at love.

Bell has just gotten her life back on track and may not be up for the challenge of Ben Covington. But once they’re reunited, there’s no holding back—even if a secret from Bell’s past just might shatter them both.

 

 

Frayed is my first venture into Kim Karr's Connections series and I can definitely say.... I MUST find the time sooner rather than later to go back and read how it all began! I had a pretty vague idea of what was going on just from reading the previous books' blurbs, so that helped clear up a lot of confusion right there. Because the characters are all so closely linked (holy crap Batman are they are linked!), it was easy to get a read on their situations and just what had happened previously. I do not know, however, how Ben acted in the previous books. I'm not going to worry about that though, because he explains he was in a really crappy place in his life and is now trying to pick up the pieces and begin looking to his future.

 

Bell Wilde is trying to get her own life together. She works for a catering business with a boss who demands entirely too much of her time. There is history there between them, but I didn't like how possessive and jealous he would act over her. Speaking of history, Ben and Bell have some of their own. And it's not a history that either of them can stop thinking of. I really like that Karr provided us with flashbacks of how they came about, even though I don't condone the act itself, as Ben was not unattached at the time.

 

I actually liked Ben. He really cares for Bell and it goes beyond sexual attraction. He likes her wit, her spunk, and he is determined to make her see that they can be good together. Bell, however, has her reservations. She is afraid of her family's reaction to him, as there is not the best of blood between them. She also carries the weight of a past secret that potentially could alter everything. She tells him they can be friends, but that's all. Ben agrees to the arrangement, but plans to wear her down and make her see that they are better as more. Ben was patient with her and even though she frustrated him, he still made her see that he was a trustworthy guy, who would be there for her whenever she needed him.

 

Karr writes some incredibly hot scenes between these two. They definitely have chemistry and the feelings they both have pushed down reemerge with a vengeance. Ben knows winning Bell's trust won't be easy, but he doesn't give up. Even when he is faced with her family, he stands tall and proves himself to be the man Bell needs in her life.

 

I really enjoyed Karr's writing style. There were a few points where I felt the plot lulled a bit, but I was still interested enough in these characters to push forward. I really enjoyed reading about the other characters from the previous novels, so I'm glad we got to see how they played a role in Bell and Ben's lives.

 

Overall, I liked Frayed. I loved the ending and felt it was perfect for Ben and Bell. These two have been through a lot of pain and heartbreak, so watching them fall for one another and take that leap really made my heart happy.