Pretty Masks by C.A.Bell

Pretty Masks was a delightful, dark and well written short from C.A.Bell.  Again, I didn’t read the blurb so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started it but it was so good! I read it in one sitting as it isn’t that long, but also the story hooked me in.

I love how Bell doesn’t shy away from showing a side to people that other authors tend to avoid. For example I wanted to shake Lois’ mother, she was so frustrating as a character and don’t get me started on the husband! I love how broken Lois was, barely holding it together in some parts and then so deviously brilliant in others.

This little taboo read takes a look at what’s behind the mask that we wear in society. It looks at what lurks beneath the pretty, perfect face that hides dark, murderous secrets and the twists and turns will keep you from looking away. This is admittedly my first book by C.A.Bell (although I do have her poetry book in my tbr pile) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This review is only short because I don’t give away too much; my only gripe is that I wanted more! I would’ve loved for it to be longer.

Break My Fall by Jessica Scott

Break My Fall is a military romance about Abby, a hardworking student who struggles to pay her bills and fit in because of her skin colour and Josh, a man who only feels alive through violence. Abby sees Josh as a dangerous puzzle to be solved, but he pulls away from her because he’s not quite the man he was before the war. The novel follows them as they negotiate college, bust ups and each other in an attempt to fit in and be happy.

I really enjoyed reading Break My Fall for a variety of reasons. Jessica’s Scott’s female leads (of the ones I’ve read so far) are sassy and tough, they rank high on my to-read-pile for that reason alone. Abby is beautiful and smart, she works every shift she can to pay for college and her flat. She’s been hurt in the past and because of this, tries to resist Josh’s dark allure but can’t resist trying to figure him out.

We can’t talk about the women without mentioning the sexy, strong male military counterparts and Josh has to be one of my favourites. He’s honest with his issues, passionate about his opinions and amazingly sarcastic.  He’s exactly my tall, hot cup of tea.  The fact that he’s a little broken doesn’t bother me either. I think it works very well in this context because both Josh and Abby have their own issues and problems, but together they are stronger.  They’re able to support each other and I think that it adds an extra dimension to their relationship. Jessica Scott also includes a darker aspect in this novel with Josh’s penchant for violence and it’s interesting because it allows an exploration into the complex issues that ex-military men face, like PTSD, erectile dysfunction and a dislocation from the society they live in. The college setting also helps with this because it places Josh in the centre of a normal care-free environment surrounded by people who have a very different experience to him.

Now, that said, at times the huge focus on being broken and ‘fucked up’ can be a bit monotonous. It feels a little like Josh has a one track mind. It does however effectively demonstrate his addiction to violence. Also, one of my favourite quotes in the book about not being able to have sex and offering a drawing of kitten/puppy instead was a little repetitive as it was used twice.

Overall I think that this is a brilliant military romance and it’s well written. I’ve given Break My Fall four stars because it’s steamy, deals with complex issues and I love the characters. It’s not quite a five because of the some of the repetition however that said, I enjoyed this novel more than Before I Fall and I can only hope I’ll love the next one even more. I have big expectations from Jessica Scott and am eagerly awaiting the next book.

*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*