Review: Bound by Temptation by Cora Reilly

Bound by Temptation (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles #4) 

Penulis: Cora Reilly
Penerbit: Smashwords Edition
Terbit pertama kali: 26 Agustus 2015
Format: E-book
Bahasa: English  
Genre: romance-suspense, contemporary, arranged marriage, mafia 
Rating: 4,5 of 5 stars 

Sinopsis dari Goodreads

Liliana Scuderi has been in love with Romero from the moment she first saw him. After her sisters were married off for tactical reasons, she hopes she might be allowed to choose a husband for herself, but when her father promises her to a man more than twice her age that hope is crushed. No begging can make him change his mind.

Romero has always ignored Lily’s flirting. Her age and status made her off-limits but even someone as dutiful as him has only so much control. Wanting her when she’s supposed to marry another man could mean war between New York and the Chicago Outfit, and Romero has always put the Cosa Nostra first.

Lily suspects her sisters and Romero would risk everything for her, but is her happiness worth that much? Is love worth a war between the Cosa Nostra and the Outfit?

My Review

"He'd seemed safe, like there was no way he could possibly hurt me no matter the provocation." 

Siapa yang tidak menyukai kisah cinta monyet yang kemudian menjadi kenyataan? 

Lily yang naksir Romero sejak dia berusia 14 tahun, memerlukan perjuangan panjang. Romero yang merupakan soldier yang loyal, sopan, dan benar-benar profesional beberapa menolak Lily dan membuatnya patah hati. 

Sampai kemudian dua tahun yang memisahkan mereka. Lily tidak lagi diijinkan berkunjung ke New York setelah insiden pelarian Giana sampai pesta natal di usianya yang hampir 18 tahun (usia pernikahan bagi mereka). Di perta natal itu lah dia bertemu lagi dengan Romero. 

"I remember the way Romero had looked at me at our Christmas party. as if he saw me for the first time, really saw me as a woman and not just a stupid child." -Lily

"She wasn't the little girl I'd first met. She was a woman in marriageable age now.." -Romero

Tiga bulan yang merubah segalanya... 

Setelah kematian ibunya, Lily diijinkan untuk tinggal bersama saudaranya di New York. Tentu saja Lily tidak menyia-nyiakan kesempatan itu, selain dapat sering bersama Aria dan Giana dapat bonus juga dengan sering-sering bertemu Romero. Tiga bulan yang berawal dengan penolakan.. sampai kemudian Lily menyelinap ke kamar Romero dan berlanjutlah acara backstreet mereka. 

Mereka benar-benar adorable. Beberapa kali dibuat deg-degan dengan Lily yang menyelinap ke kamar Romero setiap malam. Made out session dari yang ringan sampai keputusan besar yang mereka pilih.. 

Kisah cinta mereka yang terlarang antara putri seorang Consigliere dengan seorang soldier biasa. Mereka tidak bersatu karena ayah Lily tidak merestui dan justru menjodohkan Lily dengan Kapten Benito yang lebih cocok jadi ayahnya. Sebagai ganti dari Consigliere menikah dengan Maria -putri Benito. 

You know, I really wish that her Father be the dead one. But I'll never complain who'd be dead. 

Come Back

Holla guysss!!

It's been a while since I was gone. I am missing do blogging again. Last semester in my senior year in college took most of my time to research and write a thesis.

Enough for a boring stuff. Now, I'll be back soon.

Aaaand before I forget, I want to apologize if you found an error in English. Yeah, English not my first language and I'm still learning it. I can't promise I'll write all in English because sometimes I'll write in Indonesian too. But, I'm trying. Yep, trying. That's the point, right?

See you guys soon!!

2016 my books Reading Challenge

2016 my books Reading Challenge

If you love books, you'll love reading. And vice versa. Book and reading are two things that cannot be separated. 

I have books that I owned -not really many, unfortunately- but I'd love to read this year. And I'd love if you would do it with me. You don't have to have a blog, you could update the book that you had read at instagram or twitter using #2016mybooksreadingchallenge. 

2016 my books Reading Challenge is only for the printed books that you have. E-copy or audiobook aren't counted. Any genre book doesn't matter. You may read any genre, fiction or non-fiction, manga (Japanese comic), comic, biography, and etc. The most important thing is that the book you read belongs to you. 

Duration: 1st January - 31st December 2016 

Target of Books: set your goal own goal. My goal is 30 books. 

List of Books:

1. Firelight by Sophie Jordan ( Jan 19th)
2. Wake (Terjaga) by Lisa McMann (Jan 22nd)
3. Fade (Pudar) by Lisa McMann  (Jan 23rd)
4. Gone (Tiada) by Lisa McMann  (Jan 26th)
5. Dua Cinta Negeri Sakura by Irene Dyah (Feb 23rd) 
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Let's open the box. Let's get away with books.  

Review: Bound by Hatred by Cora Reilly

Bound by Hatred (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles #3) 

Penulis: Cora Reilly 
Release: 28 April 2015
Format: E-book
Tebal: 196 halaman 
Bahasa: English  
Genre: romance-suspense, contemporary, arranged marriage, mafia 
Rating: 4 of 5 stars 

Sinopsis from Goodreads

When Gianna watched her sister Aria getting married to a man she barely knew, she promised herself she wouldn’t let the same thing happen to her. 

Matteo – The Blade – Vitiello set his eyes on Gianna the moment he saw her on his brother Luca’s wedding, and Rocco Scuderi is more than willing to give his daughter to him, but Gianna has no intention of marrying for any other reason than love. A few months before the wedding, Gianna escapes her bodyguards and runs away. She has enough money to flee to Europe and begin a new life. But staying undetected when the mob is searching for her is a challenge that takes everything, especially as one of their best hunters and assassins is after her: Matteo Vitiello. 

After six months on the run, Gianna finally settles into a tentative routine in Munich, but then Matteo and a couple of her father’s soldiers find her with another man. 

Despite her pleads they kill her boyfriend, and Gianna is forced to marry Matteo. Her emotions alternating between guilt over having dragged an innocent into her world and hatred toward Matteo, Gianna is determined to make life hell for her husband. But Matteo is a master at mind games and their struggle for power soon turns into hate-fueled nights of passion. 

My Review

"God, no wonder Father didn't want us to be around men. Now that I knew how good kissing felt, I never wanted to stop doing it."  - Gianna

Matteo and Giana's relationship is so hilarious. Dari pertama ketemu saja sudah seperti kucing dan anjing. Saling cakar dan menggoda. Matteo seperti bad-boy yang suka menggoda dan sedangkan Giana seorang tsundere (if you know what I mean :D). 

Tapi seiring berjalannya cerita Giana makin menyebalkan. Gengsinya setinggi skyscrapper. Pengen aku jitak saja rasanya saking gemesnya. Dibalik sikap menyebalkannya sebenarnya Giana itu hatinya lembut, tidak bisa melihat darah alias fobia, sayang banget sama kakak dan adik-adiknya. 

Matteo, well, I don't know but.. I like all hero in this series (Luca, Dante, and Matteo) they always protective of their women. 

Overall, cerita romance mereka kayak anak SMA yang dikemas dalam kehidupan mafia penuh darah. Tetep saja kalau bukan Matteo yang jadi hero dan Giana jadi heroinnya, ceritanya gak akan roller coster seperti ini :D 

"I want to pull him closer and push him away at the same time, wanted to hide and open up to him, wanted and not wanted." - Gianna

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Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles series: 
1. Bound by Honor (Luca dan Aria) 
2. Bound by Duty (Dante dan Valentina) 
3. Bound by Hatred (Matteo dan Gianna)
4. Bound by Temptation (Romero dan Lily) 

Review: Bound by Duty (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles #2) by Cora Reilly

Bound by Duty (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles #2) 

Penulis: Cora Reilly 
Penerbit: Smashwords Edition 
Release: 9 Februari 2015 
Format: E-book
Bahasa: English 
Genre: romance-suspense, contemporary, arranged-marriage, mafia 
Rating: 4 of 5 stars 

Sinopsis dari Goodreads

Dante – The Boss – Cavallaro’s wife died four years ago. On the verge of becoming the youngest head in the history of the Chicago mafia, Dante needs a new wife and Valentina was chosen for the role.

Valentina lost her husband, too, but her first marriage had always been for show. When she was eighteen, she agreed to marry Antonio in order to hide the truth: that he was gay and in love with an outsider. Even after his death, she kept his secret, not only to preserve the honor of a dead man, but also to protect herself. But now that she’s about to marry Dante, her castle of lies threatens to crash. Dante is only thirty-six but already feared and respected in the Familia, and he’s notorious for always getting what he wants. Valentina is terrified of the wedding night that might reveal her secret, but her worries prove unfounded when Dante shows her the cold shoulder. Soon her fear is replaced by confusion and indignation. Valentina is tired of being ignored. She’s determined to get Dante’s attention and desire, even if she can’t get his heart that still belongs to his dead wife.

My Review 

"So I'm not just going to manage a casino, I'll also be a bordello queen." 

I like Valentina, she's strong and independent. 

Sama seperti novel sebelumnya, aku suka cerita novel ini yang tidak terlalu banyak drama. Dante meskipun sering dingin dan menyebalkan ke Valentina tapi dia sangat toleran dan loyal banget ke Valentina. 

I hate their first night part. My heart breaks for Valentina. She deserves better that just cold-treatment from Dante. 

buuuut, he always protects his wife. Or maybe you could say, protective husband.

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Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles series: 
1. Bound by Honor (Luca dan Aria) 
2. Bound by Duty (Dante dan Valentina) 
3. Bound by Hatred (Matteo dan Gianna)
4. Bound by Temptation (Romero dan Lily) 

Review: Wake - Terjaga (Dream Catcher #1) by Lisa McMann

 Wake - Terjaga (Dream Catcher #1)

Penulis: Lisa McMann  
Penerbit: Gramedia Pustaka Utama 
Terbit pertama kali: 4 Maret 2008 
Format: Paperback 
Tebal: 216 halaman 
Bahasa: Indonesia (Terjemahan) 
Genre: romance-fantasy, young adult, dream catcher  
Rating: 4,5 of 5 stars

Sinopsis dari Goodreads

Janie, gadis berusia tujuh belas tahun, sudah biasa tersedot ke mimpi orang lain. Terutama mimpi tentang jatuh, telanjang, dan seks.

Ia tidak bisa memberitahu siapa-siapa tentang "kelebihannya" ini---takkan ada yang percaya. Mereka bisa-bisa malah mengira ia gila.

Lalu ia terjatuh ke dalam mimpi buruk mengerikan, mimpi yang membuatnya ketakutan sampai ke tulang sumsum. Untuk pertama kalinya, Janie bukan lagi sekadar saksi. Kali ini ia terlibat.... 

My Review

Jujur, aku tak berharap banyak pada buku ini saat mulai membaca. Tapi ketika membacanya aku benar-benar ikut hanyut dalam ceritanya. Pengalamannya.

Dan ini bukanlah cerita tentang tokoh hero/heroine yang perfect. Well, mereka dari kalangan bawah. Cabel yang diawal digambarkan sebagai seorang gelandangan. Serta tokoh utama yang terpaksa harus dewasa sebelum waktunya. Ini tuh complicated banget lah. Cerita YA fantasy dengan sedikit tema dark di dalamnya. 

Harus kuakui, aku lega banget waktu tahu tentang kebenaran dari Cabel. Dan aku langsung jatuh cinta saat itu juga. lol. 

Janie meskipun cemburuan, tapi dia bisa mengendalikan dirinya. Dan waktu dia memutuskan untuk mengetuk pintu rumah cabel -setelah berantem sebelumnya- aku memberinya dua jempol. Terlalu banyak tokoh heroine lain yang lebih memilih lari. 

4,5 stars untuk sang pengontrol mimpi. Well, aku tak mau menyebutnya penangkap mimpi karena itu punya Janie dan Martha. Tapi untuk semua tokoh disitu yang mampu mengubah mimpinya. 

“Once you read something, you can't erase it from your brain.” 

*

*

“But then you slammed a door handle into my gut. And when a girl does that to a guy; it means she likes him.”

2016 A to Z Female Character Challenge

2016 A-Z Female Character Challenge 

Duration: January 1st, 2016 - December 31, 2016

The Goal: 
✩ Read 26 books in which the female character's names (either first or last) begin with the letters of the alphabet. 

The Guidelines: 
✩ For the letter "X", any female character with the letter "X" in her name is acceptable. 
✩ Feel free to join the challenge any time during the year. As long as the books were read in 2016, you can go ahead and backdate. 
✩ Have fun! Be sure to check out the lists of other players...it's a great way to find new TBR's! 

This is one of a few reading challenge that I was joining this year. This is a reading challenge from Romance Readers Reading Challenges  group in Goodreads. And then, I decided to post it on my blog too. You can check it out in here. I was also joining in 2016 A to Z Male Character Challenge. 

Now, this is my 2016 A to Z Female Character Challenge goes so far. 

A: Andrea  (Scorched by Jennifer L. Armentrout), 5 stars, finished January 8th

B: Bronwyn Palmer (The Husband's Regret by Natasha Anders), 4 stars, finished: February 2nd

C:

D: Dani Kohen (Caught In Us by Layla Hagen), 4,5 stars, finished: February 9th

E:

F:

G:

H:

I:

J: Jacinda Jones (Firelight by Sophie Jordan), 3,5 stars, finished: January 19th

K:

L: Lila Bailey (Easy With You by Kristen Proby), 4 stars, finished: January 15th

M:

N: Nora (Voyeur Extraordinaire by Cora Reilly), 3 stars, finished: February 20th

O:

P:

Q:

R: Roxanne Ark (Fall With Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout), 4,5 stars, finished: January 21th

S: Sydney Bell (Frigid by Jennifer L. Armentrout),  5 stars, finished January 6th

T: Theresa de Lucci (The Unwanted Wife by Natasha Anders), 5 stars, finished: January 30th

U:

V:

W:

X:

Y:

Z:


Tell me what are you thinking about this 2016 A to Z Female Character Challenge or if you are interested in the comment bellow.

Feel free to ask any question!

Happy Reading, guys! :)