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Thou Shalt Not
Luke Harper was finally starting to settle into his life - a life that had previously been full of more heartbreak and pain than most people ever experienced. He had a job he loved, and was blissfully content in his on-again, off-again relationship with the striking, and highly sexual, Holly. But, life throws Luke another curveball with the arrival of the alluring April, a woman stuck in a tumultuous, violent marriage to a famous athlete. Luke soon finds himself torn between what is safe, familiar, and right, and what is dangerous, unknown, and forbidden.
360 pages, ebook
First published December 9, 2013
About the author
J.J. Rossum
2 books528 followersJJ Rossum traveled the world as a child, and called many places "home". Currently, home is Portland, Oregon, where he is at work on other novels that were hatched while people watching during many airport layovers.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 279 reviews
December 10, 2013
Salty. This book is salty. There is no sweet. You'll be hard pressed to find a unicorn. It is sexy and frustrating. I grow so tired of "perfect" steamy hero's. i don't like perfect. I like my men a little nerdy and aggressive. Luke is way nerdy. We have a lot of male perspective books coming out, but most are written by women. I'm really wondering at this point if we are getting it right. As for the actual storyline...I was riveted. Hero is playing with married woman fire. He has a hot, little blonde on the back burner. I didn't know who to root for. The author's writing style is what I'll praise most. It's so different. Polished. And I love being in a man's head. They're simple, but damn are they dirty. I.LOVE.THIS.BOOK.
December 13, 2013
2.5--The Hype is a Lie--Stars!!
What was this book even about? What was the point? I think I am missing it?!?!?!
Thou Shalt Not...sleep with another man's wife? It will only come back and bite you in the ass?
Thou Shalt Not....open your eyes and see what's right in front of you?
Thou Shalt Not....IDK what???
I think I would classify this as a love triangle. And honestly I was intrigued in the beginning. All male POV, which is different. We meet Luke, the hero....he's currently involved in a friends with benefits relationship with Holly.
And that's pretty much what the author leads us to believe. There's no indication that either Luke or Holly want more.
I was fine with this aspect of the story. Holly was a likable enough character. Granted I never really connected to them as a couple really because that's not what the author wanted to happen.
Instead, Luke meets April.
April is a substitute teacher at the high school where Luke teaches. Luke sees April and he's mesmorized. He's in awe of her beauty. Blah, blah, blah....they bond over their love of literature and English.
The author makes April out to be sweet, kind, caring. April and Luke appear to connect not only physically, but emotionally as well. Things start innocently enough...there's flirting, sexting. Lines are getting blurry.
April happens to be married to Marco, a hothead baseball player with a bad attitude. So there is some elusion to that fact that he is like that home with his wife too.
Honestly the first 50% of the book was
I mean nothing was happening. Then stuff starts happening. Marco shows his true colors bringing Luke and April even closer.
And when I found out April left her kids--alone--at home--sleeping with just her drunk husband...
Somebody needs to be punched.
And that brings us to the big confrontation. The game changer if you will. Luke, April and Holly go head-to-head!
And now one character is protrayed in a way that was not indicative of her behavior up to this point and we find out a major revelation from the other character.
A line is drawn in the sand and a winner is chosen. And if you want to know who....
And I'll admit I was kind of shocked with the way that certain someone reacted. But I guess that was the point. Regardless Luke makes his choice.
The drama continues...don't want to spoil anything here.
And then we have the ending.
I really think the ending was more for shock value...a la Tarryn Fisher style. Just to create drama and questions.
I really didn't find anything salty about it, the book that is. And I never really connected with any of the characters. Luke was hot in a nerdy kind of way I suppose, but he said some cheesy stuff too. There really was only one choice for Luke IMO. I am fine with how the book ended as far as his choice went.
I choose to pretend that the last chapter wasn't there. I'm not sure I'm up for another book of possibly more love triangle drama. I have no idea where the author plans to take things...is it going to be a series? IDK. Maybe that's it...and the author wants us to sit around asking ourselves these very questions.
This is just my opinion. Take it or leave it....
What was this book even about? What was the point? I think I am missing it?!?!?!
Thou Shalt Not...sleep with another man's wife? It will only come back and bite you in the ass?
Thou Shalt Not....open your eyes and see what's right in front of you?
Thou Shalt Not....IDK what???
I think I would classify this as a love triangle. And honestly I was intrigued in the beginning. All male POV, which is different. We meet Luke, the hero....he's currently involved in a friends with benefits relationship with Holly.
And that's pretty much what the author leads us to believe. There's no indication that either Luke or Holly want more.
I was fine with this aspect of the story. Holly was a likable enough character. Granted I never really connected to them as a couple really because that's not what the author wanted to happen.
Instead, Luke meets April.
April is a substitute teacher at the high school where Luke teaches. Luke sees April and he's mesmorized. He's in awe of her beauty. Blah, blah, blah....they bond over their love of literature and English.
The author makes April out to be sweet, kind, caring. April and Luke appear to connect not only physically, but emotionally as well. Things start innocently enough...there's flirting, sexting. Lines are getting blurry.
April happens to be married to Marco, a hothead baseball player with a bad attitude. So there is some elusion to that fact that he is like that home with his wife too.
Honestly the first 50% of the book was
I mean nothing was happening. Then stuff starts happening. Marco shows his true colors bringing Luke and April even closer.
And when I found out April left her kids--alone--at home--sleeping with just her drunk husband...
Somebody needs to be punched.
And that brings us to the big confrontation. The game changer if you will. Luke, April and Holly go head-to-head!
And now one character is protrayed in a way that was not indicative of her behavior up to this point and we find out a major revelation from the other character.
A line is drawn in the sand and a winner is chosen. And if you want to know who....
And I'll admit I was kind of shocked with the way that certain someone reacted. But I guess that was the point. Regardless Luke makes his choice.
The drama continues...don't want to spoil anything here.
And then we have the ending.
I really think the ending was more for shock value...a la Tarryn Fisher style. Just to create drama and questions.
I really didn't find anything salty about it, the book that is. And I never really connected with any of the characters. Luke was hot in a nerdy kind of way I suppose, but he said some cheesy stuff too. There really was only one choice for Luke IMO. I am fine with how the book ended as far as his choice went.
I choose to pretend that the last chapter wasn't there. I'm not sure I'm up for another book of possibly more love triangle drama. I have no idea where the author plans to take things...is it going to be a series? IDK. Maybe that's it...and the author wants us to sit around asking ourselves these very questions.
This is just my opinion. Take it or leave it....
December 13, 2013
Luke: is a high school English teacher for a private Christian school. He’s a single guy.
April: is married with children. She's a substitute teacher filling in at Luke’s work.
Holly: is Luke’s FWB (friend with benefits).
Marco: is a professional baseball player and April’s husband.
For those of you who are wondering:
●Does this book have cheating? -
●Does this book have a love triangle? -
●Standalone or cliffhanger? - Here is the last line in the book
My favorite quote:
April: is married with children. She's a substitute teacher filling in at Luke’s work.
Holly: is Luke’s FWB (friend with benefits).
Marco: is a professional baseball player and April’s husband.
For those of you who are wondering:
●Does this book have cheating? -
●Does this book have a love triangle? -
●Standalone or cliffhanger? - Here is the last line in the book
My favorite quote:
”You've been the love of my life, Luke, but now that’s coming to an end. It’s time for you to find the true love of yours.”
December 18, 2013
So... I just figured out that J.J. Rossum is a guy!
A book written from a male POV, by a guy, and recommended by Tarryn Fisher? I've been waiting for this since I was an infant! I'm so buying this!!!!!!
A book written from a male POV, by a guy, and recommended by Tarryn Fisher? I've been waiting for this since I was an infant! I'm so buying this!!!!!!
December 9, 2013
Praise from Tarryn Fisher
Salty. This book is salty. There is no sweet. You'll be hard pressed to find a unicorn. It is sexy and frustrating. I grow so tired of "perfect" steamy hero's. I don't like perfect. I like my men a little nerdy and aggressive. Luke is way nerdy. We have a lot of male perspective books coming out, but most are written by women. I'm really wondering at this point if we are getting it right. As for the actual storyline...I was riveted. Hero is playing with married woman fire. He has a hot, little blonde on the back burner. I didn't know who to root for. The author's writing style is what I'll praise most. It's so different. Polished. And I love being in a man's head. They're simple, but damn are they dirty. I.LOVE.THIS.BOOK.
Well with praise like that from Tarryn Fisher, I just had to seek out this author and beg for an ARC of Thou Shalt Not. I read the blurb and knew I really wanted to read it but I didn’t read it again and, when I opened the book to begin, I had mostly forgotten the synopsis and didn’t really know what to expect.
What I got was something really quite different and I can’t wait to see what you all think of the subject matter AND the ending – I really do think this is going to cause quite a stir! I loved this! It’s always good to read books from the male POV but they are, mostly, told by female authors and, as JJ Rossum is apparently a guy (although I read on his Facebook page that someone doubted this and asked for physical evidence!) I think we pretty much get the genuine article here and being inside our hero’s mind really is a fascinating place to be!
So, meet Luke Harper – a fairly unassuming English Literature teacher who’s really just ambling through life trying to put the heartbreak of the past behind him but never truly moving on. He has a delectable, nerdy kind of geek chic thing going on that I just adored – I imagined him a little like Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones standing in front of a class of teenage girls as a nerdy professor, really quite taken aback by their adoration.
Luke has a long standing FWB – the highly sexual, Holly. They’ve been intimate for years but never very close and Luke always assumes he will move on from her, despite always reaching for her when the going gets tough. They share a mutual dependence but Luke’s not making any plans to make Holly a permanent fixture in his life. I actually really liked Holly and I was very conflicted when April walks into Luke’s life. I didn’t know who to root for.
April arrives as a substitute teacher to work in the classroom next to Luke and he is stunned when he first sees her. She is quite possibly the most beautiful woman he has ever seen and she is also very much taken. She is married to a hot-headed Cuban who is a famous pitcher for the local baseball team and they have two young children. She represents Forbidden Fruit and at this point, the title of the novel, Thou Shalt Not, really does start to make sense.
From this point onwards the romantic tension between Luke and April, which starts out subtle and understated and remains platonic for a long time despite the strong sexual undercurrents, builds with a palpable and almost inevitable intensity. Both of them cut really rather sad figures at the beginning despite the fact that they around surrounded by people that care about then and there’s a discernible loneliness that made me feel sorry for them and I found myself longing for them to reach out to each other and find comfort together, all the while knowing that it is wrong. I did mention conflicted, right?
This is a beautifully paced, really rather bittersweet story of love and loss. Despite the gentle, understated style, I found myself sobbing quietly into my Kindle several times during the first half of the story. It’s actually very emotional and the sadness crept up on me when I least expected it to and I was surprised to find my vision misting more than once. Luke’s narrative is smart, perceptive and quirky and I warmed to him instantly – there’s a lot to like as he tells a meaningful and moving romance with unhurried restraint. It lends a heart-warming tenderness and an authenticity to whole story that really worked well for me.
I honestly had no idea which way the story would ultimately head and, for the longest time, I was very confused and unsure who I wanted Luke to be with and then, one of the characters I’d really come to like, turns and shows their true colours and really hurts someone and I developed and a visceral instahate reaction to them and I knew instinctively how I wanted this to end and I mostly got my way. But what an ending!
It’s incredibly fascinating to hear the male POV, even more so to hear sex scenes told and experienced from the male perspective and JJ Rossum absolutely doesn’t disappoint in this department. They’re sinful and sexy and quite frankly a wonderful insight into the male psyche – I REALLY enjoyed these!! Tarryn Fisher states in her praise that being inside the man’s thoughts is a dirty place to be but I have to confess that my thoughts can verge on far more salacious than Luke’s and frequently do! Maybe I read too much erotica……….
So, in summary, this actually is quite different and a refreshing deviation from the norm that I really enjoyed. It deals with fairly divisive issues such as cheating and deceit that I think may well spark a few interesting reviews in the weeks to come and I can’t wait to read them. It’s handled really well and it feels very real. It’s all told with a subtle, gentle intelligence, a self-deprecating humour and a welcome depth of character that made this a sexy, riveting read and gets a solid 4.5 stars from me.
I don’t know where JJ Rossum is going next – there is scope for more from these characters but, whatever he decides to write, I’m going to be reading it.
4.5 sexy stars
For more reviews, please visit Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews or visit us on Facebook.
Salty. This book is salty. There is no sweet. You'll be hard pressed to find a unicorn. It is sexy and frustrating. I grow so tired of "perfect" steamy hero's. I don't like perfect. I like my men a little nerdy and aggressive. Luke is way nerdy. We have a lot of male perspective books coming out, but most are written by women. I'm really wondering at this point if we are getting it right. As for the actual storyline...I was riveted. Hero is playing with married woman fire. He has a hot, little blonde on the back burner. I didn't know who to root for. The author's writing style is what I'll praise most. It's so different. Polished. And I love being in a man's head. They're simple, but damn are they dirty. I.LOVE.THIS.BOOK.
Well with praise like that from Tarryn Fisher, I just had to seek out this author and beg for an ARC of Thou Shalt Not. I read the blurb and knew I really wanted to read it but I didn’t read it again and, when I opened the book to begin, I had mostly forgotten the synopsis and didn’t really know what to expect.
What I got was something really quite different and I can’t wait to see what you all think of the subject matter AND the ending – I really do think this is going to cause quite a stir! I loved this! It’s always good to read books from the male POV but they are, mostly, told by female authors and, as JJ Rossum is apparently a guy (although I read on his Facebook page that someone doubted this and asked for physical evidence!) I think we pretty much get the genuine article here and being inside our hero’s mind really is a fascinating place to be!
So, meet Luke Harper – a fairly unassuming English Literature teacher who’s really just ambling through life trying to put the heartbreak of the past behind him but never truly moving on. He has a delectable, nerdy kind of geek chic thing going on that I just adored – I imagined him a little like Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones standing in front of a class of teenage girls as a nerdy professor, really quite taken aback by their adoration.
Luke has a long standing FWB – the highly sexual, Holly. They’ve been intimate for years but never very close and Luke always assumes he will move on from her, despite always reaching for her when the going gets tough. They share a mutual dependence but Luke’s not making any plans to make Holly a permanent fixture in his life. I actually really liked Holly and I was very conflicted when April walks into Luke’s life. I didn’t know who to root for.
April arrives as a substitute teacher to work in the classroom next to Luke and he is stunned when he first sees her. She is quite possibly the most beautiful woman he has ever seen and she is also very much taken. She is married to a hot-headed Cuban who is a famous pitcher for the local baseball team and they have two young children. She represents Forbidden Fruit and at this point, the title of the novel, Thou Shalt Not, really does start to make sense.
From this point onwards the romantic tension between Luke and April, which starts out subtle and understated and remains platonic for a long time despite the strong sexual undercurrents, builds with a palpable and almost inevitable intensity. Both of them cut really rather sad figures at the beginning despite the fact that they around surrounded by people that care about then and there’s a discernible loneliness that made me feel sorry for them and I found myself longing for them to reach out to each other and find comfort together, all the while knowing that it is wrong. I did mention conflicted, right?
This is a beautifully paced, really rather bittersweet story of love and loss. Despite the gentle, understated style, I found myself sobbing quietly into my Kindle several times during the first half of the story. It’s actually very emotional and the sadness crept up on me when I least expected it to and I was surprised to find my vision misting more than once. Luke’s narrative is smart, perceptive and quirky and I warmed to him instantly – there’s a lot to like as he tells a meaningful and moving romance with unhurried restraint. It lends a heart-warming tenderness and an authenticity to whole story that really worked well for me.
I honestly had no idea which way the story would ultimately head and, for the longest time, I was very confused and unsure who I wanted Luke to be with and then, one of the characters I’d really come to like, turns and shows their true colours and really hurts someone and I developed and a visceral instahate reaction to them and I knew instinctively how I wanted this to end and I mostly got my way. But what an ending!
It’s incredibly fascinating to hear the male POV, even more so to hear sex scenes told and experienced from the male perspective and JJ Rossum absolutely doesn’t disappoint in this department. They’re sinful and sexy and quite frankly a wonderful insight into the male psyche – I REALLY enjoyed these!! Tarryn Fisher states in her praise that being inside the man’s thoughts is a dirty place to be but I have to confess that my thoughts can verge on far more salacious than Luke’s and frequently do! Maybe I read too much erotica……….
So, in summary, this actually is quite different and a refreshing deviation from the norm that I really enjoyed. It deals with fairly divisive issues such as cheating and deceit that I think may well spark a few interesting reviews in the weeks to come and I can’t wait to read them. It’s handled really well and it feels very real. It’s all told with a subtle, gentle intelligence, a self-deprecating humour and a welcome depth of character that made this a sexy, riveting read and gets a solid 4.5 stars from me.
I don’t know where JJ Rossum is going next – there is scope for more from these characters but, whatever he decides to write, I’m going to be reading it.
4.5 sexy stars
For more reviews, please visit Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews or visit us on Facebook.
January 11, 2014
Thou Shalt Not...that's pretty telling, so...will he or won't he?
Likes:
• LOVED it being from a male's perspective and written by a male!
• The story has quite the range of things from cancer to an obsession with toothpicks. I enjoyed all the elements of being a teacher and dealing with students the most.
• Luke...well, I liked him for the most part. I was hoping he would handle things different...he was sooo close!
• The twist threw me...I wasn't expecting that.
• The sex scenes - I approve. They were pretty detailed and steamy. There were a couple of things that pushed my level of comfort but overall, good job. The boob clarifications bust me up!
• The religious element wasn't too extreme and didn't make the story feel "preachy".
• Loved the humor.
Dislikes:
• Some of the topics were a tad intense...and emotional and took me by surprise. (Robin)
• April - at first, I liked her but I knew the minute she leaned over his desk that something was up!
• Holly with her "cleaning".
• Marco.
• Where was the protection? I'm not sure if I've just gotten used to the use of condoms in stories or not. Should we just assume protection is being used?
• Hate that his relationship with Carrie was diminished.
• The twist? the flip? I liked it but I'm not sure if it rang true. Seems like a lot of intense and deep feelings were abruptly turned off without a strong enough reason. I do "get" the disgust but was that enough?
• A lot of unanswered questions: Was there any reason for the plane crash scene at the bar? What was going on with Landry and the science teacher? What did the Principal want?
Overall:
I really enjoyed the story for the most part. I thought it was pretty straight forward but I wish JJR would've taken more risks and thrown us for a loop or two.
I was happy with how well he did with the romance...and the sex and will definitely be on the lookout for more male authors. And I will read more books from him!
The ending...well, part of me is wanting another book but the other part of me is happy to make up things on my own!
LOVED the Tarryn Fisher story at the end!
Favorite quotes:
♥ “My mom always warned me about men who randomly sucked on your body parts.”
“What did she say about them?” I asked.
“That they’d get you pregnant and ruin your life.”
♥ “God, you’re so dumb,” I said.
“Don’t steal my line!”
♥ “Because, this is where you broke my heart.”
♥ “I came after you,” I said out loud. “Not her.”
Likes:
• LOVED it being from a male's perspective and written by a male!
• The story has quite the range of things from cancer to an obsession with toothpicks. I enjoyed all the elements of being a teacher and dealing with students the most.
• Luke...well, I liked him for the most part. I was hoping he would handle things different...he was sooo close!
• The twist threw me...I wasn't expecting that.
• The sex scenes - I approve. They were pretty detailed and steamy. There were a couple of things that pushed my level of comfort but overall, good job. The boob clarifications bust me up!
• The religious element wasn't too extreme and didn't make the story feel "preachy".
• Loved the humor.
Dislikes:
• Some of the topics were a tad intense...and emotional and took me by surprise. (Robin)
• April - at first, I liked her but I knew the minute she leaned over his desk that something was up!
• Holly with her "cleaning".
• Marco.
• Where was the protection? I'm not sure if I've just gotten used to the use of condoms in stories or not. Should we just assume protection is being used?
• Hate that his relationship with Carrie was diminished.
• The twist? the flip? I liked it but I'm not sure if it rang true. Seems like a lot of intense and deep feelings were abruptly turned off without a strong enough reason. I do "get" the disgust but was that enough?
• A lot of unanswered questions: Was there any reason for the plane crash scene at the bar? What was going on with Landry and the science teacher? What did the Principal want?
Overall:
I really enjoyed the story for the most part. I thought it was pretty straight forward but I wish JJR would've taken more risks and thrown us for a loop or two.
I was happy with how well he did with the romance...and the sex and will definitely be on the lookout for more male authors. And I will read more books from him!
The ending...well, part of me is wanting another book but the other part of me is happy to make up things on my own!
LOVED the Tarryn Fisher story at the end!
Favorite quotes:
♥ “My mom always warned me about men who randomly sucked on your body parts.”
“What did she say about them?” I asked.
“That they’d get you pregnant and ruin your life.”
♥ “God, you’re so dumb,” I said.
“Don’t steal my line!”
♥ “Because, this is where you broke my heart.”
♥ “I came after you,” I said out loud. “Not her.”
December 11, 2013
Is it okay to just write "Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god." for my review because that is pretty much all that is coming to mind right now? Oh my god! WHY did nobody mention the fact that this had an evil cliffhanger? Well, I assume if is a cliffhanger and that we will be getting a sequel. If not I'm going to stamp my feel like a 5 year old and start demanding. I am SPEECHLESS. Both at the story and the crazy non ending.
I really don't even know how to review this book without giving away major spoilers. I went in to this book not really knowing too much, but at the same time thinking I had it all sussed and knew how it would end. Ha, jokes on me. I couldn't have been more wrong. From the blurb I should have realised that Luke had some painful secrets lurking in his past, I just didn't know what. And that's one of the things that shocked me most in this book.. learning about his past broke my heart. I honestly hadn't expected to be in tears in the beginning of the book, but by 20% there I was wiping away my tears for the third time. I already loved him, but learning of his past had me loving him even more and I was desperate for him to find happiness.
So.. when April entered the picture I was happier than ever. April was starting school as a sub teacher, in the classroom right next door to where Luke taught, and they hit it off immediately. I loved their relationship.. from their flirty texting, to their nerdy banter when it came to their love of all things literature. It was refreshing to read about a couple that didn't form of a sexy billionaire and a young, naive, beautiful goddess. They were just normal people.
I can't really say much more about the plot, or what happens because really it is so spoiler-y, but I will mention Holly. Like the blurb says.. Luke has a 'special' kind of relationship with Holly. They are strictly friends with benefits, and whilst I appreciated their relationship in the book for what it was, I certainly never thought of it is as anything series. I never expected anything to come from it.
All in all, this book was bloody brilliant. I pretty much read it in one sitting because I couldn't not read. I had to know what happened next, I had to know how the characters moved on from their struggles, and finally I wanted to know how it ended. I REGRET THAT SO MUCH. At around 85%, the book took a drastic turn. Like, I seriously never in a million years saw it coming, turn. Maybe that's just me, perhaps others had figured all that out, but I couldn't believe it. From then on, I felt like I barely knew the characters I was reading about, particularly April. I guess that is what J.J. Rossum was trying to get us to feel, so he completely did his job there, but still, I was shocked and didn't know what the hell to think. And then.. BAM! the freaking book ends! Oh my word why oh why did I not know this was going to have a cliffy of epic proportions? I was gutted when I came to the end and realised that nope, there really were no other pages to turn to. Gutted.
Please god let there be a sequel because I will be all over that.
*Reviewing for The Hopeless Romantics Book Blog as part of the 'Thou Shalt Not' blog tour.*
I really don't even know how to review this book without giving away major spoilers. I went in to this book not really knowing too much, but at the same time thinking I had it all sussed and knew how it would end. Ha, jokes on me. I couldn't have been more wrong. From the blurb I should have realised that Luke had some painful secrets lurking in his past, I just didn't know what. And that's one of the things that shocked me most in this book.. learning about his past broke my heart. I honestly hadn't expected to be in tears in the beginning of the book, but by 20% there I was wiping away my tears for the third time. I already loved him, but learning of his past had me loving him even more and I was desperate for him to find happiness.
So.. when April entered the picture I was happier than ever. April was starting school as a sub teacher, in the classroom right next door to where Luke taught, and they hit it off immediately. I loved their relationship.. from their flirty texting, to their nerdy banter when it came to their love of all things literature. It was refreshing to read about a couple that didn't form of a sexy billionaire and a young, naive, beautiful goddess. They were just normal people.
"Beauty and brains. Smart words make me hard."
I can't really say much more about the plot, or what happens because really it is so spoiler-y, but I will mention Holly. Like the blurb says.. Luke has a 'special' kind of relationship with Holly. They are strictly friends with benefits, and whilst I appreciated their relationship in the book for what it was, I certainly never thought of it is as anything series. I never expected anything to come from it.
"Occasionally I felt guilt over our situation, especially when she was seeing someone. The whole friends with benefits thing wasn't even something I would have ever seen myself doing. I grew up believing in not having sex before marriage and not straying outside of the boundaries of marriage or relationships with anyone. And so I had waited until I was married to have sex. And now look where I am eight years later. Alone, and part time fucking a girl who can't stay in a relationship for more than a few months. Oh, how the mighty have fallen."
All in all, this book was bloody brilliant. I pretty much read it in one sitting because I couldn't not read. I had to know what happened next, I had to know how the characters moved on from their struggles, and finally I wanted to know how it ended. I REGRET THAT SO MUCH. At around 85%, the book took a drastic turn. Like, I seriously never in a million years saw it coming, turn. Maybe that's just me, perhaps others had figured all that out, but I couldn't believe it. From then on, I felt like I barely knew the characters I was reading about, particularly April. I guess that is what J.J. Rossum was trying to get us to feel, so he completely did his job there, but still, I was shocked and didn't know what the hell to think. And then.. BAM! the freaking book ends! Oh my word why oh why did I not know this was going to have a cliffy of epic proportions? I was gutted when I came to the end and realised that nope, there really were no other pages to turn to. Gutted.
"Charm is deceiving, and beauty fades. And when it does, all you are left with is who that person is at their core."
Please god let there be a sequel because I will be all over that.
*Reviewing for The Hopeless Romantics Book Blog as part of the 'Thou Shalt Not' blog tour.*
December 10, 2013
5 STARS
Wow....
What was that?
A tweak at the ending is the real torture!!!
This book is off the chart good. I loved it. There're a lot of sweet books I read lately, this book is not! I read the blurb and then found that there is so much in this book than those on blurb.
The thought of male leading character being seriously infatuated with a very married woman while a sexy girl is on his background intrigues me.
Infidelity is so off limit and the fact that a real good author can change my opinion is a new thing to me.
Luke Harper is blunt and smart and good looking and deep and snarky and funny (if you like those dry humors, you would love him!).
April Batista is a very married witty beautiful smart woman who happened to be his co-worker by fate. She's not only married but she's married to a professional baseball player.
Holy is a constant woman in Luke's bed for the last couples of years.
This book is about knowing what you need instead of what you want, love at first sight or lust at first sight.
I loved loved loved this book. It is definitely a reread to me.
Here's the quote I loved from Luke;
I never understood the phrase “No shit.” Was I supposed to respond, “Yes shit!” or “Maybe shit?” Or “No, I was just saying that to be a shit...shit.”
Also, the phrase “I’m just fucking with you.” I am always tempted to reply, “I didn’t give you permission to ‘fuck with me’. So, that’s considered rape, motherfucker!”
Mind tangents.
and the banter between Luke and April;
“I’m sitting at the bar in my kitchen, listening to a silent house.”
“I guess if the house started talking, you’d have big problems on your hands.”
“God, you’re dumb, you know that?” She laughed.
“I know.” I smiled.”
(It's not even funny in the first place but it's funny just the same.)
Then, the ending... J.J Rossum does have some sense of humor.
Wow....
What was that?
A tweak at the ending is the real torture!!!
This book is off the chart good. I loved it. There're a lot of sweet books I read lately, this book is not! I read the blurb and then found that there is so much in this book than those on blurb.
The thought of male leading character being seriously infatuated with a very married woman while a sexy girl is on his background intrigues me.
Infidelity is so off limit and the fact that a real good author can change my opinion is a new thing to me.
Luke Harper is blunt and smart and good looking and deep and snarky and funny (if you like those dry humors, you would love him!).
April Batista is a very married witty beautiful smart woman who happened to be his co-worker by fate. She's not only married but she's married to a professional baseball player.
Holy is a constant woman in Luke's bed for the last couples of years.
This book is about knowing what you need instead of what you want, love at first sight or lust at first sight.
I loved loved loved this book. It is definitely a reread to me.
Here's the quote I loved from Luke;
I never understood the phrase “No shit.” Was I supposed to respond, “Yes shit!” or “Maybe shit?” Or “No, I was just saying that to be a shit...shit.”
Also, the phrase “I’m just fucking with you.” I am always tempted to reply, “I didn’t give you permission to ‘fuck with me’. So, that’s considered rape, motherfucker!”
Mind tangents.
and the banter between Luke and April;
“I’m sitting at the bar in my kitchen, listening to a silent house.”
“I guess if the house started talking, you’d have big problems on your hands.”
“God, you’re dumb, you know that?” She laughed.
“I know.” I smiled.”
(It's not even funny in the first place but it's funny just the same.)
Then, the ending... J.J Rossum does have some sense of humor.
December 13, 2013
1,5 stars.
I really respect Tarryn Fisher for her work in Love me with Lies series, that's why I took a chance with this book.
I don't know how to write this review without nasty words because my feelings about this book are bad.
It's clear the book is written from a male author and is interesting to read from theier point of view.
The first quarter of the book I felt depressive, but I can take depressive.
Then the next 2 quarters of the book flows a little better even if it is confusing, the guy is infatuated with April but he likes to fuck Holly and I got myself wondering how would it finish, ok this is not the first book I read with this kind of stuff, I enjoyed some crazy books with stories like this. But this one? Just o_O !
The last quarter is the highway to hell. I was very curious how JJ would end this story because it was all clear the train wreck was comming...Not in a million years I would never guess the way this book was ending.
My feelings from depressed turned to nauseous till the end. I was everytime saying to myself: WTF?
When we read a book we want to like a character? yes? We want to relate to them? try to comprehend, to forgive, to accept every flaw...I try to, but...
Nothing in this book is likable, not one character, not the plot, nothing.
And what's more interesting is that I felt like some things in this book really happened in real life, because was too raw too real, too natural, the issue then? I don't enjoy spending my time reading stuff like this. Sorry no no.
I still don't understand even the purpose to write a book like this.
I really respect Tarryn Fisher for her work in Love me with Lies series, that's why I took a chance with this book.
I don't know how to write this review without nasty words because my feelings about this book are bad.
It's clear the book is written from a male author and is interesting to read from theier point of view.
The first quarter of the book I felt depressive, but I can take depressive.
Then the next 2 quarters of the book flows a little better even if it is confusing, the guy is infatuated with April but he likes to fuck Holly and I got myself wondering how would it finish, ok this is not the first book I read with this kind of stuff, I enjoyed some crazy books with stories like this. But this one? Just o_O !
The last quarter is the highway to hell. I was very curious how JJ would end this story because it was all clear the train wreck was comming...Not in a million years I would never guess the way this book was ending.
My feelings from depressed turned to nauseous till the end. I was everytime saying to myself: WTF?
When we read a book we want to like a character? yes? We want to relate to them? try to comprehend, to forgive, to accept every flaw...I try to, but...
Nothing in this book is likable, not one character, not the plot, nothing.
And what's more interesting is that I felt like some things in this book really happened in real life, because was too raw too real, too natural, the issue then? I don't enjoy spending my time reading stuff like this. Sorry no no.
I still don't understand even the purpose to write a book like this.
December 9, 2013
4.5 stars!! I am always intrigued to read a novel written from a male POV. I am equally fascinated by pen names, and even when the writer professes to be one gender or the other (or leaves it open to the imagination such as BG Harlen), I still wonder at the back of my mind whether the author is a male or female. Do some female writers have a decidedly masculine POV? Yes, there are several that come to mind. Do some male writers have a feminine "flavor" to their writing? It seems so.
And so we come to the fascinating Thou Shalt Not. I loved Luke's story, as well as JJ Rossum's writing style, and don't want to be pigeon-holed into thinking that the author is male or female. That's just me. Either way, it's a very sexy and engaging book with plenty of steamy scenes to satisfy even the most jaded erotic romance reader (such as myself). The story carries some very weighty themes (domestic violence, adultery, the nature of beauty), but the book is very fast-paced and satisfying. Will Luke keep himself out of trouble with April? Will he learn to really love someone again? No spoilers here, but the author answers these questions while exploring what qualities are really important and what makes someone worthy of love.
This book has a very interesting conclusion that some readers will love, and some might find a little challenging. I loved it and can't wait to read more from this author.
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
And so we come to the fascinating Thou Shalt Not. I loved Luke's story, as well as JJ Rossum's writing style, and don't want to be pigeon-holed into thinking that the author is male or female. That's just me. Either way, it's a very sexy and engaging book with plenty of steamy scenes to satisfy even the most jaded erotic romance reader (such as myself). The story carries some very weighty themes (domestic violence, adultery, the nature of beauty), but the book is very fast-paced and satisfying. Will Luke keep himself out of trouble with April? Will he learn to really love someone again? No spoilers here, but the author answers these questions while exploring what qualities are really important and what makes someone worthy of love.
This book has a very interesting conclusion that some readers will love, and some might find a little challenging. I loved it and can't wait to read more from this author.
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
December 5, 2013TARRYN FISHER MIGHT (WILL??) INCLUDE A CHAPTER OF CALEB AND OLIVIA AT THE BACK OF THIS BOOK!!!
PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE WITH A CHERRY GARCIA ON TOP, DO THIS
PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE WITH A CHERRY GARCIA ON TOP, DO THIS
December 11, 2013
I am not sure where to begin with this review. After reading 23 chapters and feeling like nothing is happening, I skipped to the last chapter and was glad I didn't waste my time on the later middle chapters. I get that Luke is supposed to be kinda nerdy and not an alpha hero. I sympathized with the loss of his wife and friend, but I just didn't feel any sparks between Luke and Holly or Luke and April. It just read like a YA novel. The cliff hanger ending just infuriated me more. Looks like more bad news for Luke.
October 1, 2014
This review is posted on Way Too Hot Books.
7. Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery.
When one of my favorite authors like Tarryn Fisher recommends a book- I take it seriously. That's why I had to read this book as soon as possible and obviously I was intrigued by the title and the gorgeous cover. Adultery is a very sensitive and risky subject for authors to write about, because there're a lot of readers like me who aren't fans of that topic and they usually avoid it meaning the author really has to try his best to deliver an intriguing and engaging story and make us care about the characters involved and give believable and redeemable reasons for adultery, or the book will be doomed from the very beginning.
In my reading history books with this type of subject usually mean a lot of PRO & CON reviews, mostly more con, and I don't doubt that this will too. There's only one book with this subject that I can remember until now that I really enjoyed and wasn't afraid to read, because it was written by one of my favorite authors and that's Tear You Apart By Megan Hart.
”....You've been the love of my life, Luke, but now that’s coming to an end. It’s time for you to find the true love of yours. I know it won't be easy, and I know you are probably shaking your head telling yourself there's no one else you could love. You might even wish to tell me to shut up. God still has great things for you, and I know He will bring you someone who can heal your hurt and give you the love you need...
....The right one for you will probably have been in front of you the whole time. I know you won't be paying attention. But don't let her slip through the cracks....”
My feelings about this book are CONFLICTED . I liked the way the story was written so that the past and present events are mixed and we are getting some important facts and info piece by piece. The plot wasn't anything original to be truthful- there were some things that I liked, but there were also some things that made me want to rate it even lower than 3 stars from time to time. One of those things is the main protagonist- the collage professor Luke Harper. It's really hard to like a book if you don't exactly like its main character and me and Luke had a lot of those love them or hate them moments, maybe even more those later ones.
Why is that? Well, he said or did a lot of things that I didn't approve and was full of contradictions from time to time. There were a lot of moments when he said one thing and then the next minute he totally shocked me when he said or did something completely opposite, but on the other hand, there were some of those moments when he did that and I liked it, because I finally approved of his actions and the book didn't turned so predictable as it seemed it will be- as I already said: CONFLICTED.
Also, as a teacher, I didn't like how the teachers were portrayed in this book, to be exact- how Luke behaved as a teacher. I mean, is it appropriate for a collage teacher to put his legs on the table and sit with a toothpick in his mouth and text all the time while giving a lecture. I don't know any teacher who does or did that, especially those who work on the university. There were some of them who made me wonder how they got their degree in the 1st place, but they never did smth like this. I would have my ass fired right away if I ever did something like that. No need to point out that I would never do smth like that. You are a teacher for G's sake who is supposed to behave like an example to your students- have some dignity!
O.k., enough with the lecture and back to the book :). The bright spot of this book was the waitress Holly who was one of Luke's love interests. (Yes, there is also a love triangle in the story. Love triangle + Adultery= not a good formula in my book.) She was a really fun character with a strong attitude and I was cheering for her from the very beginning.
"If he does actually know," Holly said, "he might kill you tonight FYI."
"Yes, I'm well aware of that," I said. "Maybe we should have one last fuck before he does."
"No," she said. "I want you to die fuckless."
I didn't like April, the married "femme fatale" at all. I saw through her right away, especially after that "show" with the pencil (note: take a look at the cover), plus the way she was described reminded me on this girl I know and don't like, so I kept picturing her with her face- not a good thing xD.
What I really liked about this book is the emotional side of it, to be exact: the parts with Luke and his late wife Carrie and later with Holly on the bench and I loved the last 20% of the book, because I expected it to end in a totally different way, but, this time, I was so glad to be wrong. The thing that this book taught me is that there are some people who are really forgiving and that I'm not one of those. To be exact- I could forgive with time, but I could never forget. For me, there are just some things in life which you have to take seriously and with which you can't play around like love & other people's feelings. There are some rules not to be broken. Don't do to others what you wouldn't want done to yourself- that would be the bottom line.
"...When you are young, you think mostly good and happy thoughts. You don't see very much bad in the world, in anything. Or at least you refuse to see it. You think all your plans will work out and that you'll live happily ever after. Then you reach a certain point in your twenties and you see the bad that you never thought was there. You see it in the people you've loved your whole life; you see it in the world around you. And I think you start to see it in yourself. And that changes you...."
The book is also labeled as erotica on GR, but I wouldn't label it like that at all. Yes, there were some pretty steamy scenes, but not enough for me to label it as erotica. My favorite one is the one in the park featuring Holly & Luke. That's the moment when I actually started to think that there's maybe still hope for him for me to like him, LOL. I know- how shallow from me ;D, but I don't care- it was hot. But he did kind of redeem himself in the ending.
The book ended with a cliffe or did it really? Because I don't see anyone mentioning a second book. I guess we'll have to wait and see. All in all- I kind of liked and not liked the book, but I wouldn't be opposed to read a possible 2nd one. Who should read it? - People who enjoy emotional & steamy reads with a little drama.
7. Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery.
When one of my favorite authors like Tarryn Fisher recommends a book- I take it seriously. That's why I had to read this book as soon as possible and obviously I was intrigued by the title and the gorgeous cover. Adultery is a very sensitive and risky subject for authors to write about, because there're a lot of readers like me who aren't fans of that topic and they usually avoid it meaning the author really has to try his best to deliver an intriguing and engaging story and make us care about the characters involved and give believable and redeemable reasons for adultery, or the book will be doomed from the very beginning.
In my reading history books with this type of subject usually mean a lot of PRO & CON reviews, mostly more con, and I don't doubt that this will too. There's only one book with this subject that I can remember until now that I really enjoyed and wasn't afraid to read, because it was written by one of my favorite authors and that's Tear You Apart By Megan Hart.
”....You've been the love of my life, Luke, but now that’s coming to an end. It’s time for you to find the true love of yours. I know it won't be easy, and I know you are probably shaking your head telling yourself there's no one else you could love. You might even wish to tell me to shut up. God still has great things for you, and I know He will bring you someone who can heal your hurt and give you the love you need...
....The right one for you will probably have been in front of you the whole time. I know you won't be paying attention. But don't let her slip through the cracks....”
My feelings about this book are CONFLICTED . I liked the way the story was written so that the past and present events are mixed and we are getting some important facts and info piece by piece. The plot wasn't anything original to be truthful- there were some things that I liked, but there were also some things that made me want to rate it even lower than 3 stars from time to time. One of those things is the main protagonist- the collage professor Luke Harper. It's really hard to like a book if you don't exactly like its main character and me and Luke had a lot of those love them or hate them moments, maybe even more those later ones.
Why is that? Well, he said or did a lot of things that I didn't approve and was full of contradictions from time to time. There were a lot of moments when he said one thing and then the next minute he totally shocked me when he said or did something completely opposite, but on the other hand, there were some of those moments when he did that and I liked it, because I finally approved of his actions and the book didn't turned so predictable as it seemed it will be- as I already said: CONFLICTED.
Also, as a teacher, I didn't like how the teachers were portrayed in this book, to be exact- how Luke behaved as a teacher. I mean, is it appropriate for a collage teacher to put his legs on the table and sit with a toothpick in his mouth and text all the time while giving a lecture. I don't know any teacher who does or did that, especially those who work on the university. There were some of them who made me wonder how they got their degree in the 1st place, but they never did smth like this. I would have my ass fired right away if I ever did something like that. No need to point out that I would never do smth like that. You are a teacher for G's sake who is supposed to behave like an example to your students- have some dignity!
O.k., enough with the lecture and back to the book :). The bright spot of this book was the waitress Holly who was one of Luke's love interests. (Yes, there is also a love triangle in the story. Love triangle + Adultery= not a good formula in my book.) She was a really fun character with a strong attitude and I was cheering for her from the very beginning.
"If he does actually know," Holly said, "he might kill you tonight FYI."
"Yes, I'm well aware of that," I said. "Maybe we should have one last fuck before he does."
"No," she said. "I want you to die fuckless."
I didn't like April, the married "femme fatale" at all. I saw through her right away, especially after that "show" with the pencil (note: take a look at the cover), plus the way she was described reminded me on this girl I know and don't like, so I kept picturing her with her face- not a good thing xD.
What I really liked about this book is the emotional side of it, to be exact: the parts with Luke and his late wife Carrie and later with Holly on the bench and I loved the last 20% of the book, because I expected it to end in a totally different way, but, this time, I was so glad to be wrong. The thing that this book taught me is that there are some people who are really forgiving and that I'm not one of those. To be exact- I could forgive with time, but I could never forget. For me, there are just some things in life which you have to take seriously and with which you can't play around like love & other people's feelings. There are some rules not to be broken. Don't do to others what you wouldn't want done to yourself- that would be the bottom line.
"...When you are young, you think mostly good and happy thoughts. You don't see very much bad in the world, in anything. Or at least you refuse to see it. You think all your plans will work out and that you'll live happily ever after. Then you reach a certain point in your twenties and you see the bad that you never thought was there. You see it in the people you've loved your whole life; you see it in the world around you. And I think you start to see it in yourself. And that changes you...."
The book is also labeled as erotica on GR, but I wouldn't label it like that at all. Yes, there were some pretty steamy scenes, but not enough for me to label it as erotica. My favorite one is the one in the park featuring Holly & Luke. That's the moment when I actually started to think that there's maybe still hope for him for me to like him, LOL. I know- how shallow from me ;D, but I don't care- it was hot. But he did kind of redeem himself in the ending.
The book ended with a cliffe or did it really? Because I don't see anyone mentioning a second book. I guess we'll have to wait and see. All in all- I kind of liked and not liked the book, but I wouldn't be opposed to read a possible 2nd one. Who should read it? - People who enjoy emotional & steamy reads with a little drama.
Want to read
July 25, 2013Well if Tarryn Fisher thought enough of this book to not only recommend it, but to put an excerpt at the end of Thief, then it is definitely at the top of my TBR list....
December 22, 2013
Several months ago, I learned of an unnamed author who was writing an unnamed book, even had an author page on Facebook. After weeks of speculation, we finally learned JJ Rossum was the author of debut novel, Thou Shalt Not. My favorite author, Tarryn Fisher, gave his novel a glowing review which definitely caused me to be excited. After months of exercising patience, I was finally able to dig into the meat of the story and found it was worth the wait. Most novels found in the romance genre are typically written by women, but when you find one that is written by a man and is told from a man’s point of view, this is where it gets interesting! Readers get a great look into the psyche of a man, which is really hard to find in romance literature.
Meet our protagonist: Luke Harper is an unmarried 10th grade English teacher at Lakefront Christian School. Luke can be best described as nerdish or intellectual, but he is also very sensual. I found his internal dialogue to be both candid and sincere. Men typically are not very open to sharing feelings and emotions, so I found it very refreshing to experience this from a character written by a male author. Luke has been involved in an off and on friends with benefits relationship with Holly for a couple of years, not being interested in anything more serious after having been previously married and experiencing loss in his life.
Robin is the 9th grade English teacher who teaches in the classroom next door and has become a dear friend to Luke. Readers learn early in the novel that Robin is sick and will miss a few days of work. This is where we meet the substitute teacher, April Batista. April is beautiful, intelligent and quite married. Her husband is a temperamental professional baseball player named Marco Batista, and they have two children. Luke is immediately smitten. The physical chemistry between Luke and April is quite evident and jumps off of the page, but Holly should not be forgotten. Although Luke most definitely has April at the forefront of his mind, he and Holly continue to grow emotionally and physically closer as the story progresses.
Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife. Both commandments are found in Exodus 20 of the Old Testament Bible, and both are also found in a painting of Moses with his Ten Commandments on the walls of Lakefront Christian School. Luke reflects that Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery screams the loudest to him. He knows that he is playing with fire. There are so many reasons why he should run far away from the temptation.
In my opinion, Thou Shalt Not compares to a ticking time bomb. This story is a train wreck - a total disaster - just waiting to happen. I found myself absolutely seduced into the storyline by JJ Rossum! Will Luke pick the beautiful temptress or the faithful and lovely friend with benefits? If you have ever wanted to get inside the head of a man, you will not want to miss this novel! It was definitely an eye-opening experience! And yeah, I am screaming for more from JJ Rossum!
Meet our protagonist: Luke Harper is an unmarried 10th grade English teacher at Lakefront Christian School. Luke can be best described as nerdish or intellectual, but he is also very sensual. I found his internal dialogue to be both candid and sincere. Men typically are not very open to sharing feelings and emotions, so I found it very refreshing to experience this from a character written by a male author. Luke has been involved in an off and on friends with benefits relationship with Holly for a couple of years, not being interested in anything more serious after having been previously married and experiencing loss in his life.
Robin is the 9th grade English teacher who teaches in the classroom next door and has become a dear friend to Luke. Readers learn early in the novel that Robin is sick and will miss a few days of work. This is where we meet the substitute teacher, April Batista. April is beautiful, intelligent and quite married. Her husband is a temperamental professional baseball player named Marco Batista, and they have two children. Luke is immediately smitten. The physical chemistry between Luke and April is quite evident and jumps off of the page, but Holly should not be forgotten. Although Luke most definitely has April at the forefront of his mind, he and Holly continue to grow emotionally and physically closer as the story progresses.
Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife. Both commandments are found in Exodus 20 of the Old Testament Bible, and both are also found in a painting of Moses with his Ten Commandments on the walls of Lakefront Christian School. Luke reflects that Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery screams the loudest to him. He knows that he is playing with fire. There are so many reasons why he should run far away from the temptation.
In my opinion, Thou Shalt Not compares to a ticking time bomb. This story is a train wreck - a total disaster - just waiting to happen. I found myself absolutely seduced into the storyline by JJ Rossum! Will Luke pick the beautiful temptress or the faithful and lovely friend with benefits? If you have ever wanted to get inside the head of a man, you will not want to miss this novel! It was definitely an eye-opening experience! And yeah, I am screaming for more from JJ Rossum!
July 16, 2016
What the f*cks up with the ending......regardless; this? Was crap!
After a few days I've realised what I hated about this book. Plotzophrenia strikes again! Somewhere along the line the author decided he didn't know where the hell he was going with this story or changed his mind about making it a standalone or something and veered away from his original course so that a funny, relatable female heroine in a blink turned into a raging bitch. Crazy. And I get it; it takes a lot of work and unlimited talent to write a cheating story with a sympathetic cheater, especially if the cheater is a woman, for a woman to cheat the husband has to be a 'baddie' dismissive, absent, hot-headed and abusive and if that doesn't work then just make her a bored housewife who cheats and deserves to get hit. Because god forbid a woman should just make a mistake or just want to get laid, or fall in love with someone else.....just because. Not all cheating is epic, sometimes it's quiet, lonely and very sad. This story started out very well, I was looking forward to seeing where it went, but just as female writers with limited talent seem to struggle to write believable men it would seem men have the exact same problem in reverse.
After a few days I've realised what I hated about this book. Plotzophrenia strikes again! Somewhere along the line the author decided he didn't know where the hell he was going with this story or changed his mind about making it a standalone or something and veered away from his original course so that a funny, relatable female heroine in a blink turned into a raging bitch. Crazy. And I get it; it takes a lot of work and unlimited talent to write a cheating story with a sympathetic cheater, especially if the cheater is a woman, for a woman to cheat the husband has to be a 'baddie' dismissive, absent, hot-headed and abusive and if that doesn't work then just make her a bored housewife who cheats and deserves to get hit. Because god forbid a woman should just make a mistake or just want to get laid, or fall in love with someone else.....just because. Not all cheating is epic, sometimes it's quiet, lonely and very sad. This story started out very well, I was looking forward to seeing where it went, but just as female writers with limited talent seem to struggle to write believable men it would seem men have the exact same problem in reverse.
December 11, 2013
4.5 * Wow that was a bit of a mindfuck but I loved it! Is that it though? Is there more? The end was strange....
And furthermore, the Olivia and Caleb bit at the end was odd too albeit clever but that is the genius of Tarryn Fisher.
Perhaps I'll re-review this in the morning when I've processed it.
Again though - it was a great book :)....even though it messed with my head.
And furthermore, the Olivia and Caleb bit at the end was odd too albeit clever but that is the genius of Tarryn Fisher.
Perhaps I'll re-review this in the morning when I've processed it.
Again though - it was a great book :)....even though it messed with my head.
December 17, 2013
I'll just start by saying that this cover is absolutely amazing. Seriously stunning.
I did enjoy reading this book, especially the last 30%. But there were times when I considered setting it aside for a few days because I was pretty bored.
There just wasn't anything interesting happening at all. We were watching Luke and April live their lives... *yawn*
I'm not sure what I actually think of Luke. In the beginning he was so funny and smart. I liked the way he interacted with his pupils and his friendship with April was really sweet.
But then my feelings changed. I didn't like the way he decided to pursue April, even though he knew full-well she was married. Also, the way he pushed Holly (who he's been seeing on and off for a few years. She's been there for him for such a long time, and as soon as this woman comes along, all of a sudden she's old news? No thanks.) away. I think she deserved better than that; and she certainly deserved better than what she got after that too.
April is a really great, but confusing character. I grew to like her very quickly and continued to like her even when she was cheating on her husband. Which is very rare for me. But again, something just snapped... I don't know what Rossum was doing really. For the first 80% of the book April is sweet and fun and caring, then we're supposed to believe that she's this cruel bitch? I just don't know what was going on.
I guess I liked who everyone ended up with,
But the end of the book wasn't done very well either. I don't like unanswered questions, and I was left feeling a little disappointed.
Overall, this was a good book. But not enough to blow me away.
I did enjoy reading this book, especially the last 30%. But there were times when I considered setting it aside for a few days because I was pretty bored.
There just wasn't anything interesting happening at all. We were watching Luke and April live their lives... *yawn*
I'm not sure what I actually think of Luke. In the beginning he was so funny and smart. I liked the way he interacted with his pupils and his friendship with April was really sweet.
But then my feelings changed. I didn't like the way he decided to pursue April, even though he knew full-well she was married. Also, the way he pushed Holly (who he's been seeing on and off for a few years. She's been there for him for such a long time, and as soon as this woman comes along, all of a sudden she's old news? No thanks.) away. I think she deserved better than that; and she certainly deserved better than what she got after that too.
April is a really great, but confusing character. I grew to like her very quickly and continued to like her even when she was cheating on her husband. Which is very rare for me. But again, something just snapped... I don't know what Rossum was doing really. For the first 80% of the book April is sweet and fun and caring, then we're supposed to believe that she's this cruel bitch? I just don't know what was going on.
I guess I liked who everyone ended up with,
But the end of the book wasn't done very well either. I don't like unanswered questions, and I was left feeling a little disappointed.
Overall, this was a good book. But not enough to blow me away.
December 16, 2013
“Charming is deceiving and beauty fades. And when it does, all you are left with is who that person is at their core”.
Thou Shalt Not was a fast paced story written from a males POV. I think it’s risky when an author decides to write a story that contains adultery. It can make or break a story, but I believe it was executed really well in this scenario. I loved the cover and title of this book – very sexy and seductive but that’s where I felt the story fell short. The writing was exceptional - it was a solid 4 stars for me however, I didn't feel captured by the story line or intrigued by the characters. In saying that, I think JJ did a fantastic job for a first time author. He took a risk by pushing us out of our comfort zone and writing something out of the norm. I look forward to reading more of his work in future. Keep it coming :)
Dialogue: 3.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Character development: 3/5
Story Line: 2.5/5
Steam: 3.5/5
Ending: 3.5/5
Recommend? : Yes
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Book Rating: *3.5 Stars*
December 18, 2013
2.5 Just Not For Me Stars
Thou Shalt Not was a book I really was looking forward to reading. I love the book cover. It really is amazing. Oddly, I remember the scene in the book that it connects to. However, for me it just fell short on a couple of fronts. I will not go into much detail with the whole book but I will let you know what didn't work for me.
When I pick up a book I need to make some sort of connection with the main characters and in TSN I just did not. In the beginning, I found Luke to be witty, sweet and a tiny bit sexy but after the 50% mark my feelings shifted. I found him wishy-washy and somewhat assuming, which was just a turn off for me. In the beginning I found April to be kind and gracious but by the 70% mark I found her to be a bit catty and a bit nasty. This caused a disconnect for me. The only one that I continued to like through the whole story was Holly. She was honest, funny and she knew what she wanted. I do realize characters might change throughout a story but for me personally this just did not work.
I also found the progression of the story was slow and a bit repetitive. The scenes seemed so similar and I was not getting much out of it. I was hoping for a little more, that "something" to shake things up a bit.
At the about the 70% mark it got a little bit better and that is when I decided to keep on reading and finish the book. But the ending just did not leave me wanting to know more. I just did not get it.
One last thing,
Thou Shalt Not was a book I really was looking forward to reading. I love the book cover. It really is amazing. Oddly, I remember the scene in the book that it connects to. However, for me it just fell short on a couple of fronts. I will not go into much detail with the whole book but I will let you know what didn't work for me.
When I pick up a book I need to make some sort of connection with the main characters and in TSN I just did not. In the beginning, I found Luke to be witty, sweet and a tiny bit sexy but after the 50% mark my feelings shifted. I found him wishy-washy and somewhat assuming, which was just a turn off for me. In the beginning I found April to be kind and gracious but by the 70% mark I found her to be a bit catty and a bit nasty. This caused a disconnect for me. The only one that I continued to like through the whole story was Holly. She was honest, funny and she knew what she wanted. I do realize characters might change throughout a story but for me personally this just did not work.
I also found the progression of the story was slow and a bit repetitive. The scenes seemed so similar and I was not getting much out of it. I was hoping for a little more, that "something" to shake things up a bit.
At the about the 70% mark it got a little bit better and that is when I decided to keep on reading and finish the book. But the ending just did not leave me wanting to know more. I just did not get it.
One last thing,
December 17, 2013
Thou Shalt Not is a debut novel for JJ Rossum and this rookie knocked it out of the park!!!! Loved it.
This is the story of Luke. He is a quirky, yet sexy high school teacher. We get to experience the book through his point of view. He is not in a steady relationship, however he does have Holly, his friend with benefits. Holly has been in and out of his life over the past few years. She is beautiful, fun and the best part, no strings attached. Then one day, Luke meets the substitute teacher across the hall, April. Did I mention that April is married, and to a professional baseball player none the less? Throughout the book, Luke has many choices to make. Does he listen to the devil on his shoulder telling him to pursue something with April, or does he listen to the angel on the other shoulder, telling him to stay with what is safe?
JJ does an extraordinary job of telling this story. The characters are well written. The story is unique and leaves you wanting more. The sex scenes are steamy and the best part, written by a man! Just when I thought I had everything figured out, JJ threw a curve ball and left me speechless. I know this is very vague, but I do not want to give anything away. I want you, the reader, to experience this book just like I did and feel every emotion that it drags out of you. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
JJ Rossum is a name I have added to my short list of authors that I will read their grocery list if they made it available. He is one talented guy and I can't wait to see what he has in store for us next. This is a book you will not want to miss. It is a must read.
This is the story of Luke. He is a quirky, yet sexy high school teacher. We get to experience the book through his point of view. He is not in a steady relationship, however he does have Holly, his friend with benefits. Holly has been in and out of his life over the past few years. She is beautiful, fun and the best part, no strings attached. Then one day, Luke meets the substitute teacher across the hall, April. Did I mention that April is married, and to a professional baseball player none the less? Throughout the book, Luke has many choices to make. Does he listen to the devil on his shoulder telling him to pursue something with April, or does he listen to the angel on the other shoulder, telling him to stay with what is safe?
JJ does an extraordinary job of telling this story. The characters are well written. The story is unique and leaves you wanting more. The sex scenes are steamy and the best part, written by a man! Just when I thought I had everything figured out, JJ threw a curve ball and left me speechless. I know this is very vague, but I do not want to give anything away. I want you, the reader, to experience this book just like I did and feel every emotion that it drags out of you. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
JJ Rossum is a name I have added to my short list of authors that I will read their grocery list if they made it available. He is one talented guy and I can't wait to see what he has in store for us next. This is a book you will not want to miss. It is a must read.
Read
December 14, 2013love triangle, cheating, just not for me
I am Very Intrigued !!!!!
Coming Fall 2013
Luke Harper was finally starting to settle into his life - a life that had previously been full of more heartbreak and pain than most people ever experienced. He had a job he loved, and was blissfully content in his on-again, off-again relationship with the striking, and highly sexual, Holly. But, life throws Luke another curveball with the arrival of the alluring April, a woman stuck in a tumultuous, violent marriage to a famous athlete. Luke soon finds himself torn between what is safe, familiar, and right, and what is dangerous, unknown, and forbidden.
I am Very Intrigued !!!!!
Coming Fall 2013
Luke Harper was finally starting to settle into his life - a life that had previously been full of more heartbreak and pain than most people ever experienced. He had a job he loved, and was blissfully content in his on-again, off-again relationship with the striking, and highly sexual, Holly. But, life throws Luke another curveball with the arrival of the alluring April, a woman stuck in a tumultuous, violent marriage to a famous athlete. Luke soon finds himself torn between what is safe, familiar, and right, and what is dangerous, unknown, and forbidden.
December 4, 2013
Another great surprise from a debuting author. Full review to follow.
January 11, 2015
Not all that excited about this one. It's difficult when you don't like any of the characters, but then the one you kind of like isn't developed as much as you want.
December 30, 2013
Okay, well that was full of surprises!
First off, I didn’t know that the author J.J. Rossum was a GUY! See, I’m not one to eagerly pick up male authored novels for some fully flawed biased reason that I can’t seem to pinpoint. When it comes to contemporary novels, I look to women authors for my fix. With the small exception of my three tried and true, including John Green, David Levithan and the occasional Nicholas Sparks when I’m in the mood for heartbreak, male authors simply don’t catch my attention. However, by the time I figured out that J.J. Rossum was a guy, I was well into the book and there was no grounding for my biased opinion to stand on.
I’ll admit that I picked up Thou Shalt Not because one of my favorite authors Tarryn Fisher recommended the novel. So, I jumped into it and was pleased to find myself in a guy’s head (now… now.. let’s not go there) and enjoying his story. Well done Rossum… well done!
Overall, this book did NOT disappoint! It was raw and gritty in all the best ways. Luke Harper was a flawed character, by choice, and I enjoyed sifting through his thoughts and mental tangents as he started to fall for a married woman. Now, any time I pick up a book that is targeted to challenge my moral compass, I’m willing to accept their tragic choices if I can first fall head over heels for character. So by the time Luke made that ultimate decision, which under normal circumstances would have me screaming FOUL PLAY , I just couldn’t. He had my loyalty and as much as I didn’t agree with his decision, I still loved him to pieces.
Now that’s not to say I didn’t have a few hang-ups with the story. For example, I think the alternating time frames offered a right perspective to help us understand Luke’s past, but all of a sudden the shift in time frames stopped at a point when I least expected it, so that felt a bit odd. Also, I was sad to see Walt vanish from the scene after his tragic loss. I was hoping Luke would continue to be there for the old man. Maybe that’s a story tangent for another time, but I was hoping we’d get one more visit with this loveable character. Lastly, there was a very, and I mean VERY sharp personality shift from one of the characters that completely caught me off guard. I never really felt comfortable around her, but HOLY BASEBALL BAT did she ever morph into something wicked! Those few flaws gave way for some turbulence through this journey, but it was far from being a hard landing. Thou Shalt Not was DAMN good!
Edgey writing, riveting momentum, and OHHHH WAIT !! Don’t let me forget to tell you about that sharp cliff hanger of a conclusion that also caught me off guard!!! I actually thought my eReader was broken when the ePages stopped turning!! Is this a series??? If not, who ends a story like that?? Like I said… well done Rossum! You messed with my head and… well… you win… Worthy story full of not so worthy choices that was captivating from beginning to end. I’ll definitely be adding J.J. Rossum to my list of guy authors I’m willing to read. :)
First off, I didn’t know that the author J.J. Rossum was a GUY! See, I’m not one to eagerly pick up male authored novels for some fully flawed biased reason that I can’t seem to pinpoint. When it comes to contemporary novels, I look to women authors for my fix. With the small exception of my three tried and true, including John Green, David Levithan and the occasional Nicholas Sparks when I’m in the mood for heartbreak, male authors simply don’t catch my attention. However, by the time I figured out that J.J. Rossum was a guy, I was well into the book and there was no grounding for my biased opinion to stand on.
I’ll admit that I picked up Thou Shalt Not because one of my favorite authors Tarryn Fisher recommended the novel. So, I jumped into it and was pleased to find myself in a guy’s head (now… now.. let’s not go there) and enjoying his story. Well done Rossum… well done!
Overall, this book did NOT disappoint! It was raw and gritty in all the best ways. Luke Harper was a flawed character, by choice, and I enjoyed sifting through his thoughts and mental tangents as he started to fall for a married woman. Now, any time I pick up a book that is targeted to challenge my moral compass, I’m willing to accept their tragic choices if I can first fall head over heels for character. So by the time Luke made that ultimate decision, which under normal circumstances would have me screaming FOUL PLAY , I just couldn’t. He had my loyalty and as much as I didn’t agree with his decision, I still loved him to pieces.
Now that’s not to say I didn’t have a few hang-ups with the story. For example, I think the alternating time frames offered a right perspective to help us understand Luke’s past, but all of a sudden the shift in time frames stopped at a point when I least expected it, so that felt a bit odd. Also, I was sad to see Walt vanish from the scene after his tragic loss. I was hoping Luke would continue to be there for the old man. Maybe that’s a story tangent for another time, but I was hoping we’d get one more visit with this loveable character. Lastly, there was a very, and I mean VERY sharp personality shift from one of the characters that completely caught me off guard. I never really felt comfortable around her, but HOLY BASEBALL BAT did she ever morph into something wicked! Those few flaws gave way for some turbulence through this journey, but it was far from being a hard landing. Thou Shalt Not was DAMN good!
Edgey writing, riveting momentum, and OHHHH WAIT !! Don’t let me forget to tell you about that sharp cliff hanger of a conclusion that also caught me off guard!!! I actually thought my eReader was broken when the ePages stopped turning!! Is this a series??? If not, who ends a story like that?? Like I said… well done Rossum! You messed with my head and… well… you win… Worthy story full of not so worthy choices that was captivating from beginning to end. I’ll definitely be adding J.J. Rossum to my list of guy authors I’m willing to read. :)
March 10, 2014
Taboo, Thought Provoking, Unconventional, Reflectional…..the list could go on and on.
I truly think you should go into this one blind, so I'm not gonna give anything away. I think JJ did a good job with the blurb in giving you an idea of what the book's about and how much information he wanted you to have.
For those of you that have issues with cheating and/or love triangles I'll give you my quick opinion in regards to this book.
Cheating….
Love triangle…I didn't see this as a triangle because Holly/Luke are just friends with benefits and April is married so she's not "with" Luke. There's never a defined committed relationship between anyone beside April and her husband.
Some of my favorite quotes…
"Happiness is always attainable, no matter how old or young a person is. They just have to be willing to stand up and fight for it. To say, "I've put up with this shit long enough, but not anymore. Now, I am living for myself, and my own happiness."
"Charm is deceiving, and beauty fades. And when it does, all you are left with is who that person is at their core."
I truly think you should go into this one blind, so I'm not gonna give anything away. I think JJ did a good job with the blurb in giving you an idea of what the book's about and how much information he wanted you to have.
For those of you that have issues with cheating and/or love triangles I'll give you my quick opinion in regards to this book.
Cheating….
Love triangle…I didn't see this as a triangle because Holly/Luke are just friends with benefits and April is married so she's not "with" Luke. There's never a defined committed relationship between anyone beside April and her husband.
Some of my favorite quotes…
"Happiness is always attainable, no matter how old or young a person is. They just have to be willing to stand up and fight for it. To say, "I've put up with this shit long enough, but not anymore. Now, I am living for myself, and my own happiness."
"Charm is deceiving, and beauty fades. And when it does, all you are left with is who that person is at their core."
September 12, 2016
4.5 stars. I had a good feeling about this one from the excerpt at the back of Thief to the reviews I've read and following JJ Rossum on Facebook. I'm a JJ Rossum fan, and can't wait for his next book.
Since 99% of the male POVs I've read are written by women, something about knowing this was written by a guy elevated the experience for me. And not just the sex scenes; I liked being in this nerdy, quirky, flawed hero's head. Luke just seemed like a regular, lonely guy whose life had taken some unexpected (sad) turns and he's left to make sense of it. The story felt bittersweet and realistic, and it explores issues like adultery, abuse, loss and fate. I didn't connect that strongly to Holly and April (more so to Holly though) and I'm still processing parts of it, especially the end.
I credit authors who aren't afraid to write something different, with characters who aren't all that likable, and who don't wrap up a story with a bow at the end. PS - I enjoyed the Caleb and Olivia chapter (an unexpected "what if") but of course I'm always left wanting more! ;)
Since 99% of the male POVs I've read are written by women, something about knowing this was written by a guy elevated the experience for me. And not just the sex scenes; I liked being in this nerdy, quirky, flawed hero's head. Luke just seemed like a regular, lonely guy whose life had taken some unexpected (sad) turns and he's left to make sense of it. The story felt bittersweet and realistic, and it explores issues like adultery, abuse, loss and fate. I didn't connect that strongly to Holly and April (more so to Holly though) and I'm still processing parts of it, especially the end.
I credit authors who aren't afraid to write something different, with characters who aren't all that likable, and who don't wrap up a story with a bow at the end. PS - I enjoyed the Caleb and Olivia chapter (an unexpected "what if") but of course I'm always left wanting more! ;)
December 13, 2013
Male POV written by a male...sign me up! This book did not disappoint,it was full of a male's inner dialogue, sexy thoughts, and inner turmoil over the right and wrong thing to do. I found the beginning to be a tad bit slow but it did pick up once I got into the flow of Luke and the male POV. I would suggest reading this book just to read something written from a male...it was a fun perspective to read from.
P.S. Do male's really think that much? I always thought they were mindless. :)
P.S. Do male's really think that much? I always thought they were mindless. :)
December 10, 2013
This is a really really good book.
But right now I'm pissed about the ending so I have to write my review tomorrow when I'm done throwing my massive princess fit. (None of ya'll said this was a series....bitches!!!)
But seriously, great story.
But right now I'm pissed about the ending so I have to write my review tomorrow when I'm done throwing my massive princess fit. (None of ya'll said this was a series....bitches!!!)
But seriously, great story.
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