The Bookish Babe: Linda Kage

Sunday, November 10, 2013

REVIEW: FIGHTING FATE (GRANTON UNIVERSITY #1) by LINDA KAGE

Series: Granton University #1
Category/Genre: NA Contemp. Romance
Publisher: Omnific
Publication Date: 7/16/13
Format: ebook
Pages: 286
Source: Received from publisher for review
Rating: 4 stars

Forgiving your brother's murderer may be noble, but falling in love with him borders on betrayal.

When Paige Zukowski enrolls at Granton University in honor of her dead brother, she has no idea fate will land her on the same campus with the very guy who killed him. But Logan Xander isn't quite the murderer she's always believed him to be.

A day hasn't passed since the tragedy that Logan doesn't wish he could go back and undo everything. It doesn't take Paige long to realize he's suffered as much as she has. Forgiving him for ruining her life might not be so impossible after all. But when she actually starts to like him and realizes he likes her in return, their true anguish begins.

I recently read Linda Kage's novel, Price of a Kiss, and immediately decided "I need more from this author." She has a writing style that is hard for me to pin down. It's definitely charming, very clean and concise, but it also has a bit of a light-hearted feel, even when the subject is not.

Fighting Fate poses a serious premise: What if the monster you think you know is just a regular man? What if your pain is his guilt? What if the truth isn't black and white? What if you fall in love with your brother's killer?  This isn't the first story of it's kind - not by a long shot - but this is always an interesting premise. I was curious to see if Kage could give a realistic-feeling story that didn't just brush over the logistics and emotions of developing feelings for the man who ended a loved one's life, but really dug deep. I believe she did..

Fighting Fate was a sweet, sad, funny, heart-breaking, and ultimately up-lifting story. Very bittersweet. I loved that Kage took the time to let us know the characters, letting the reader settle into the story. As the story moves along, the characters experience a great deal of growth. Paige begins the story angry and broken, and as she gets to know Logan, realizing the truth of her brother's death wasn't so clean cut, she learns the power of forgiveness. Logan begins the story completely defeated. He lost everything in one moment. As he becomes to know Paige, he also learns the power of forgiveness, but also redemption.

Fighting Fate was another really good, thoughtful and charming book from Linda Kage. I look forward to reading many more of her works in the future.

Favorite Quote:

Helpless anger stole over him. She was going to ruin his life. Before he could even brace himself for the fallout, she'd crush everything he'd worked three years to build. And here she was, acting scared of him.
He wanted to grab her and shake her, make her look at the man behind the murderer, and force her to forgive him, tell him it was okay, that she knew he hadn't meant to kill her brother.    ~5%

"When I look at you, I should feel nothing but guilt and remorse. I should close down and burrow into that wretched place inside myself. But I can't. I just...I feel so alive. You've made me smile and laugh and...and want.   ~65%

Purchase Fighting Fate

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About the author:

The youngest of eight children, Linda Kage grew up on a dairy farm in the Midwest. She now lives in Kansas with her husband, daughter, and nine cuckoo clocks. Linda is a member of Romance Writers of America and its local chapter, Midwest Romance Writers.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

REVIEW: PRICE OF A KISS by LINDA KAGE

Category/Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: 8/15/13
Format: ebook
Pages: 373
Source: Received from author for review
Rating: 5 stars

I don’t care what my cousin says; I am not the queen of impossible relationships. I mean, just because my last boyfriend tried to kill me and left a bit of a scar on my neck, then forced me to move across the country and legally change my name to Reese Randall to escape him, does not mean—

Oh, who am I kidding? For a freshman in college, I have to have the worst dating track record ever.

It’s no wonder love is the last thing on my mind when Mason Lowe enters my life. But the chemistry between us is like bam! Our connection defies logic. And he’s just so freaking hot. Being around him makes me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt before. I even like bickering with him. He could be my soul mate...except for one teeny tiny glitch.

He's a gigolo.

Boy, do I know how to pick them.

Price of a Kiss was a fun, sweet, and surprising story, and I'm not even sure what I can say to do it justice. This is a book that is getting many, many rave reviews, and though I was a tiny bit skeptical, I was convinced within a few pages. Or more accurately, within the first page.

At first glance, Price of a Kiss might seem to have a bit of a morally "skeevy" feel. I mean, Mason is a gigolo. Paid for his sexual services. A man who is professionally obligated to satisfy. So yeah, I was obviously interested in Mason Lowe, but not prepared for the sweet, thoughtful, self-sacrificing and completely lovable, huggable, and endearing man he actually was. I went in thinking Mason would be the bad boy I would be convinced to love, but found the opposite. It's quite nice when I can love a questionable book guy without feeling squicky, yeah?

Reese Randall is a young woman on the run. Sort of. After a violent end to her last relationship, she is hiding in plain sight, and not at all interested in starting a new relationship. I adored Reese. She was adorably perky, quirky, and had a wicked sense of humor, which she used at almost any given opportunity. Her hilarious remarks, both internal and external, had me laughing and cheering her on. I could so totally see myself making the exact same remarks, particularly in awkward situations.

What I found so nice about Price of a Kiss was that it was a thoughtful story. You would think a book about a gigolo falling in love would be all sex, sex, sex, but that was so not the case here. Reese and Mason both take their situation seriously, don't want to lose their friendship, must make difficult and heartbreaking choices, but can't seem to fight the inevitable love that is growing between them. The relationship between Mason and Reese was angsty and a bit tormented - because of the necessary hesitations - but was never irritating or annoying. It just squeezed my heart and had me on edge, hoping the two could overcome their obstacles.

If I had to describe Price of a Kiss in one word, that word would be Anticipation. Sweet, delicious anticipation that most certainly pays off in a brilliant and satisfying way. I can't recall ever reading such a seductive book with so very little actual physicality. It's not that there isn't any physical action going on, because there most certainly is. Kage did a remarkable job of slowly building the intensity one glance, one grip of the hand, one brush of the lips at a time. Like I said, Anticipation.

Price of a Kiss was a delicious treat. I will read whatever Linda Kage writes.

Favorite Quotes:

But that's when it happened.
His face lit up and he grinned.
He grinned.
It was the first real grin I'd ever seen him give. And it was all for me. If fried a couple of my nerve endings. I definitely felt overheated. Might've even smelled smoke.    ~18%

My lips parted and my entire body throbbed. "Mason?" I said slowly, my voice timid. What're you doing?"
"Something I probably shouldn't." His voice sounded hoarse and tender as he dipped his face and pressed his forehead against mine.
I began to tremble. I don't know if it was because of anticipation, utter excitement, dread, or outright fear. "If...if you shouldn't, then...don't."
A throaty whimper like a wounded cougar tore from his voice box. "Easier said than done." With his fingers slipping through my hair, he curled his hand around to the back of my neck, urging my face up, probably to align me into position for a kiss. Then he whispered my name.
God, the achy, husky way he said it was like a silken caress to every erogenous nerve in my body.   ~36%

"All you have to do is stretch out your hand, Mason." Pressing my palm against his chest, I whispered, "I'm right here."
He shook his head. I can't. I'm tainted."
"No." To my own doom, I stepped away from the door, going to him, my arms outstretched to hold him and soothe his wounded soul.   ~73%

Purchase Price of a Kiss