Unfiltered & Unlawful

<b>DNF 35%</b><br /><br />This book looked unique and I was hoping it might be what I needed to get me out of my book funk. It so was not! <br /><br />So far all I've gotten is the heroine lusting after the hero (who hasn't really played a huge role in the story so far), witnessing a drug dealer's murder, taking off with $100,000 and bags of cocaine, snorting the cocaine with her druggie ex-boyfriend, then having rough sex with him, which I so did not want to read. By this point I was done. This book may work for others but it did not work for me.

I liked the story so much, I blurbed it, saying it's "A full-throttle read that's dangerously sexy and exciting. I can't wait to see what happens next!" Excerpt available here: <br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com" rel="nofollow noopener">http://nebula.wsimg.com/5910fc08c6526859a6e7be598b65ede3?AccessKeyId=3AAEBA708D3B68A19E56&amp;disposition=0&amp;alloworigin=1</a><br /><br />For a limited time, the ebook is on sale for only $.99.

<i>2.5 stars</i><br><blockquote> <b> <i>In the beginning was death and drugs, but in the end was love and adventure.</i> </b> </blockquote><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1392234593i/8523248._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>It all started with one horrible night, a night that would change the fate of twelve people, who made a pact never to meet or speak to each other again. Their one chance at a new beginning a new life, no one will ever know, no one will ever find out, right?!?<br><blockquote> <b> <i>The body, the blood, the car, the drugs, and the money were all gone. And we were all a part of it.</i> </b> </blockquote><br>Sugar knew better than to run back to her ex, but he has the connections to get what she needed and maybe just maybe she has a chance to not only save herself but him as well. If only she loved him as much as he loved her, she doesn’t like the person she is when she is with him, but what choice does she have, the one man she wants is the one man she can’t have, Adam, her ex’s cousin. Adam is the Harley-riding tattoo artist, who is also her best friend, always there when she needed him and helped her get her life back on track. <br><blockquote> <b> <i>Adam was a fantasy, the man I pictured when I allowed myself to dream of the happily ever after I’d never get. I settled for calling him my friend, and being the eager recipient of his smiles and confidences. </i> </b> </blockquote><br>When her plans turn to shit, she has no choice but to run and as much as she wants to be alone, Adam isn’t willing to let her slip away especially when he has the skills to help her disappear. Unwilling to see the man who wants her for more than a friend, she fights the attraction to him, but on the run and alone with him in a cabin, a girl only has so much will-power. <br><br><b>Unfiltered &amp; Unlawful</b> was an okay thrill ride for me, the plot sounded interesting and is what initially drew me in, but I personally couldn’t get into it as much as I wanted to, no matter how many times I reminded myself it was fiction. Adam was a walking fantasy, but I felt like there was so much more to him then we got to see and judging from the book I don’t think we ever will. Sugar was a mess, trying to make the best of it, she was broken and alone and kept on going back and doing things she knows isn’t good for her. The next book in the series follows another one of the twelve in the story, so for the most part Sugar’s story is done for now. Maybe we will get more later on, or at least I hope we will, I had a lot of questions left unanswered. <br><br><i>ARC kindly provided by Payge Galvin and Ronnie Douglas, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.</i><br><br>**Quotes were taken from the ARC version of the book and may change upon publication**

<i> <b>*Arc provided via Netgalley in exchange for honest review*</b> </i><br /><br /><i>This review is posted on <a href="http://waytoohotbooks.blogspot.com/2014/07/arc-review-unfiltered-unlawful.html" rel="nofollow noopener">Way Too Hot Books.</a></i><br /><br />It seems that lately I have no luck with Arcs. This is another one whose blurb suggested that it could be my potential favorite read, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Just like with the arc before- The Darkest Joy by Marata Eros, I think that the authors have potential, the writing style was good, but I just couldn't connect to the story or its characters.<br /><br /><b>~ The biggest reasons behind my low rating:<br /><br /><u>1. The Plot</u></b><br /><br />There were just too many <b>loopholes</b> that made me eye-roll. The biggest of them is definitely revolving around that night of murder and the way things developed after that. Seven strangers to react *that way* after everything what happened, especially after we read their backgrounds seemed <b>highly unrealistic, immature and above all profoundly stupid.</b> <br /><br /><u> <b>2. The main female character</b> </u><br /><br /><b>Stupidity, naivety, weak &amp; shallow personality</b>...The girl has them all and it was just impossible for me to like her. She is a on-and-off drug addict with shady past and turbulent on-and-off relationship also with a drug-dealer/addict who is trying to get better at the beginning of the book, but keeps on failing. Sorry, but the author didn't give me good enough reason to feel any sympathy towards her.<br /><br /><u> <b>3. The main male character</b> </u><br /><br /><i>"Adam Bradbery was six feet of taut muscle and gorgeous ink.<br />With his smoothly-shaved head and five o'clock shadow, he was the kind of guy who looked like he'd have nothing but bad habits, but he was actually a bit of a food purist and health fiend."</i><br /><br />But what they forgot to mention is that he is <b>a big wuss!</b> I will never understand what could possibly a guy like him see in a girl like her. The girl does everything in her power to make him not like her at least in a romantic way, but no, he keeps on pinning after her no matter what. <b>He seemed more of a girl in their relationship with his behavior than the girl herself</b>. Not to mention that that drug dealer with whom she is having on &amp; off relationship is his very own cousin whom he is supposedly following around and taking care of, because he promised it to his mother. Oh, phlease...Enough with the soap opera already! <br /><br /><u>In my opinion, the authors took a big risk by writing about this type of shady MCs and while that wasn't a problem to me in lot of other books, some of which are on my favorite list, it just didn't work for me in this book.</u>

I’m so torn on this review... so I will try and give it to you straight. <br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1391477427i/8395616._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>At first I wasn’t so sure about the premise of this book but I figured what the hell and dove in. The subject of this book in the beginning is dark: drugs, murder and addiction. As the story progresses it becomes less heavy and more romantic- it transforms into a story about love, trust and survival. <br><br><br>This book is hot. It’s fast paced and an easy read. I enjoyed the characters (Sexy Bad-Boy Tattoo Artist) and wanted to know more about their history. It's an interesting story and allows for multiple novellas for each party involved. I am curious about how it will all end…<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1391477427ra/8395617.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>I didn’t want to put the book down and was licking up the scenes with sexy Adam… (as you can see from my status updates below). Then by 72% I knew something was going to happen... I assumed it was going to be a cliff hanger. I was wrong. The story was quickly wrapped up. Wait, what!? To make matters worse, it looks as though the next book deals with other characters. Double, WHAT? I felt like the last few pages of the book were rushed and tied up too quickly. <br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1391477017ra/8395544.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>I’m going to hold on to hope that Sasha and Adam’s story is simply put on hold and we’ll get back to them in another book. Or that we get to hear about them in the next book, maybe? Alas, the ending... totally rattled me. I feel a bit letdown and cheated. <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="47b0a2d8-6dc0-4856-a26d-c1a3c8df5f1a" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="47b0a2d8-6dc0-4856-a26d-c1a3c8df5f1a"> Will we ever learn about Adam’s past? Will there be an HEA? Will they always be on the run? Where did they end up? What happens to them? These questions make me believe that their story isn’t over- which is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 3. Aside from the ending, this was a great novel. I want more of Sasha and Adam.<input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="b16bb426-3a1e-4b8c-aee2-889751f500c9" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="b16bb426-3a1e-4b8c-aee2-889751f500c9"><br><br><br><br></label></label></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]>

In the beginning it was death and drugs, but in the end it was love and adventure.<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1389864076ra/8070279.gif" width="400" height="250" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br> .... eagerly awaiting book #2 ;)<br> <br><br>

Not a bad book but I didn't like the h at all.

***3.5 stars***<br /><br /><br />This is not a light-hearted romance story by any means, so be warned that you need to go into this one prepared for the gritty, dark side of things. Drugs, murder, violence, and less-than respectable characters run amok, and it leaves a heavy cloak over the potential romance that is trying to bloom. Sasha and Adam are a couple who you truly hope can save each other and break the pattern of crap that they’ve been living through, but it’s an uphill battle and then some.<br /> <br />It all begins with being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sasha and eleven other unlucky participants/witnesses (or lucky, depending on how you look at it) live through a drug dealer shooting at her work, each deciding it’s best to split the “victim’s” money and pretend like nothing ever happened. The body’s dealt with, they each get 6 figures, and Sasha has the contacts to get rid of the considerable amount of drugs that were left behind. Only problem is, her contact happens to be her ex Tommy, a selfish user who is deep into the drug world but doesn’t know when enough is enough. He causes more problems than he solves for Sasha, putting her life in grave danger and her way in over her head. Enter James, the deliciously sexy best friend who’s loved her from afar but couldn’t go there since Tommy was his cousin. You know, bro code and all that. <br /> <br />As for Sasha, I find it hard to connect with characters who are addicts or drug users, and I tried to keep an open mind seeing as how her situation was pretty messed up. But honestly, it pissed me off that she was weak when it came to her smarmy on-and-off-again enabling addict of an ex boyfriend. I’ll admit, the sex between them was pretty damned hot, but I felt dirty for thinking so afterwards. He was just icky, and I imagine he was supposed to be so that we see Adam in a much better light, but it tarnished Sasha a lot for me, too. When push came to shove and James was there for her every step of the way, I wanted more and more to like her and I think maybe I forced myself to forgive her for her shitty behavior. They were hot together, and their past made the sweet factor go up a bit. By the time the story was wrapping up, I was looking forward to them somehow working their way out of the crazy mess they were in. We don’t get your typical happy ever after here, not surprisingly, so it remains to be seen if we’ll see more of Sasha and Adam or if we’re just supposed to use our own imaginations on that one. I liked that it wasn’t all tied up with pretty strings, but ugh after what they’d been through it’s hard to not have clear closure on this one. Readers be ready to stick with this one for the long haul, because with each of the witnesses getting their own book, there’s sure to be more of Adam and Sasha…you just need to be patient.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Quotes:<br /> <br />I didn’t mind his speeches even a little. I didn’t mind anything about Adam. He was my ideal for what I wanted if I ever had a normal relationship: strong, smart, healthy, and sexy. ~Loc 43<br /> <br />He still had my hair in his hand. An amazing high and on the precipice of amazing sex—I had everything I could ever want in that moment. Not everything, a guilty voice reminded me. I didn’t have Adam. I didn’t have the fantasy that I had started to dream of more and more. I don’t deserve that though. ~Loc 426<br /> <br />The sheet slid down my back, and he stared up at me with that same look of intense desire I’d already started to recognize. “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to hear that.” ~Loc 1701<br /><br /><br />Find this and more of my reviews at:<br /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://www.autumnreview.com/search/label/Erin%27s%20Reviews">http://www.autumnreview.com/search/la...</a><br />

4 Stars<br />I enjoyed this story, but I fell it had a drop off ending, not a cliffhanger but an are you kidding me, what the hell happens next, that can't be it ending. (Geez that was a rambling sentence). I like the feel and flow of the story and it was different, I haven't read this 10 times already. I just didn't like how it ended and book 2 is Dillion's story so we aren't going to see what's next.

Gritty yet underscored with a sweet friends-to-lovers romance, I really enjoyed this story.