When you start a book and then decide to set it aside for the meantime.
Not because you did not like the book, but because as you go deeper into it, you know that you HAVE to devote a whole afternoon to a story lovingly written by an author you admire. A story where, from the dedication written at the start, you know will be an emotional one.
That is when you know the book is the best she has written so far.
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I have been looking forward to reading Beckett and Royal’s story ever since K.L. Donn gave her readers a head’s up. The title itself, “Loving the Girl in the Tutu,” was in itself a hint that this book will be a doozy, and it was.
Loving the Girl in the Tutu is the story of a girl who was conceived to become her sick sister’s leash on life. It is the story of a boy who saw a girl dressed in a tutu dancing heart out on the beach.
It is the story of a boy who saw his future with a girl whose eyes reflected only despair.
Loving the Girl in the Tutu may have been the last book in K.L. Donn’s Uncontrolled Heroes series, but to me, it was the one that packed the most punch with all the feels.
Loving the Girl in the Tutu is not a simple story. The ending itself, even with the happily-ever-after, is poignant and heartbreaking at the same time.
K.L. Donn crafted a story of love and loss. We are witness to difficult choices, between siblings and parents, freedom, and suffering.
We witnessed a family torn apart by parents faced with the specter of losing a child, and their desperate attempts to fight the inevitable. We witnessed a love so pure between siblings willing to sacrifice their own happiness, so that the other may see a future filled with dreams.
Most of all, we witnessed never-ending courage and determination to stand and fight for a future filled with happiness.
Royal and Beckett, and yes, Leia, will tug your heartstrings, but in the end, their story is proof that love does conquer all.
If you, dear reader, have not picked up a K.L. Donn creation before, this is your chance to do so.
K.L. Donn gives us another five-star read with Cowboy Bodyguard, her contribution to the Brotherhood Protectors World of Elle James.
We are introduced to Marilyn Monroe Kingsley, who grew up being groomed by her mom to be a beauty queen, winning pageant after pageant. Controlled by her mom, Monroe longed for a life she could only see on television and the books she loved to read.
Monroe meets Shaw when she is sent to Montana to hide from a stalker, and there, with the help of the former Delta Force soldier, Monroe learns what it means to live a normal life.
All of us want to if not excel, be better in life. All of us want the same for our children, but what lengths should we take to be able to achieve our dreams for ourselves, our children?
Though I do not have a child to call my own, I am a doting aunt to a highly intelligent, sweet, and sometimes headstrong teen, the only child of my brother. While I believe that my niece is on the right path to becoming a woman who can stand on her own merits and become a positive influence on others, I have come across kids who struggle. Instead of enjoying their childhood, I see them strive to “become” their parents.
We see kids who take up medicine because their parents wanted them to do so. We see kids who become actors and actresses, beauty contestants, singers, with their parents, mostly their moms, who become what society calls “stage mothers” controlling their children’s lives. These kids can’t play—they might mar their skins; they might damage their vocal cords. For the kids whose parents once dreamed of becoming highly paid surgeons, lawyers, or engineers, turning in a grade less than an A+ means being grounded, their “privileges” revoked.
What’s worse is, most of the time, these kids hear that they are, or will never be, good enough.
“I have to win. I want to quit.”
~ K.L. Donn, Cowboy Bodyguard
Monroe was broken. Her self-esteem, her self-worth, and yes, her identity, obliterated by a mom who only saw her as a means to an end.
Monroe’s reaction of attempting to harm herself, a direct result of years of parental abuse, is just one of the consequences of her mom’s selfish needs. Other kids would become bullies—lashing out at others, punishing others for becoming, what they could not, which is to lead their own lives.
“And what is your story, Monroe?” My eyes lift rapidly to meet his imploring stare. “I have no idea.”
~ K.L. Donn, Cowboy Bodyguard
As parents, or in my case, as an aunt, I say yes, it is up to us to mold our children into the best that they can be when they reach adulthood, but our jobs as role models to our children should not go beyond dictating how they should live and breathe their very lives.
Our stories may be reaching the end, but we must let our children, our future, tell their own, for humanity to survive.
Sitting down to finally read Imprisoned: A Dark Retelling by K.L. Donn, I thought I was just going to enjoy a good book as I waited for my Mom to go back from the hospital.
I was prepared, knowing that this was the author’s take on Sleeping Beauty. I was prepared when she warned us, her readers, that this was no fairy tale.
I was not prepared to see two of the characters whose stories I was looking forward to reading, being the main characters. Then again, why not?
Apollo, the god of truth, paired with Ares, the god of war, and Arianna, the princess they swore to protect, turned out to be a perfect match. The fact that it was KL Donn who penned their story? This, to me, was everything I wanted in the retelling of Sleeping Beauty!
What I was not prepared for, however, was how the story touched on some issues very much affecting our society–our world–today.
Life at the time of a pandemic. KL Donn mentioned the plague that ravaged the kingdom of Graeline, and, here we are right in the midst of one.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), increasing evidence demonstrates the link between the 2019-nCoV and other similar known coronaviruses (CoV) circulating in bats, and more specifically those of the Rhinolophus bat sub-species. These sub-species are abundant and widely present in Southern China, and across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
However, the route of transmission to humans at the start of this event remains unclear. The current most likely hypothesis is that an intermediary host animal has played a role in the transmission.
The Coronavirus has affected the whole world. It has brought out both good and bad in people, in all walks of life.
Racism, discrimination, greed, a sense of entitlement and privilege — have all reared their ugly heads at a time when the whole world needs healing. Bureaucracy and red tape have never seemed so thick.
And yet, amid this global scourge, we bicker. We point fingers. We become suspicious of every little move someone else makes. From first-world to third-world countries, we lash out, helpless in the face of this pandemic.
“I may be labeled as the darkness, evil incarnate, even, but once, I was the premier mage bound to the inaugural royals of this land. I was the one they came to for guidance, for light. Until a plague unlike we’d ever seen tore through the lands.”
~Imprisoned, K.L. Donn
And in this helplessness, thousands are dying. Thousands. Are. Dying.
Yes, scientists all over the world are scrambling to find a cure. Yes, governments and businesses are doing their very best to, as they say, flatten the curve, at the expense of global recession. And yes, our doctors, nurses, first-responders, etc.–all now more popularly known as front-liners–are sacrificing not just their time and knowledge, but their safety and their very lives–to save the rest of humankind.
“I couldn’t prevent the deaths, the sickness, so I killed all those who were infected and buried them in the Catalina Valley…”
~Imprisoned, K.L. Donn
As the Coronavirus sweeps earth much like the Passover of biblical times, let us not succumb to fear. Let us all do our part in eradicating this blight that has come upon us all, in however way we know.
Let us follow the calls to self-quarantine. If we can’t self-quarantine, let us be mindful of others, especially those in the front line. They need us, as much as we need them now. Above all, let us have faith–in others, in ourselves, that we will all surpass this.
“Whether you believe or not, Asher McCall, there is another life waiting for us, and they were welcomed into their new existence to spare them the pain of their first.” “Because of the mage?” She shakes her head. “Because of unwavering faith. There is so much in this world to feel hatred towards that people often forget what to be grateful for. What to believe in. So, we simply embrace what’s in front of us. What we see, touch, feel. It’s far easier than to believe there is life beyond death.”
~ Imprisoned, K.L. Donn
With hope in our hearts, faith as our weapon, and love as our guide–regardless of our beliefs and affiliations, let us all shine a light in the darkness.
“One day, Callista, I’ll have a daughter, and she’ll bear your name. I’ll make sure Graeline never forgets the great sacrifice you made so they could prosper.”
I have been following your stories for over a year now, starting with Keeley’s Fight. Since then I found myself unwilling to get out of the rabbit hole you have placed me into, as you are now one of only six authors I would actively hoard books of—e-book, audio, and hopefully, one day soon, paperbacks.
The past two days I have been reading your Love Letters series. I must confess that I had them on my Kindle but well, life happened. It was only when Bookbub told me that I did not have Dear Gage did I get the chance to finally sit down and read.
Well.
Gage and Paisley’s story was by far my favorite, although Killian, Maverick, Desmond, and Lena all gave mind a much- needed respite from the doldrums.
Gage and Paisley, and of course, Tommy, though… If I had a fairy godmother, and IF they are real, my wish would be that I can crawl into your book and assume Paisley’s role.
It’s funny, but can someone be envious of a fictional character? ‘Coz I am.
You see, I have always been the giver—to my family, my friends, my colleges, they all know that they can run to me any time they need me for anything.
I don’t mind, for the most part. Lately, and especially the past few weeks, I find myself finally realizing that I keep getting the short end of the stick, so to speak.
Why? Because now that I am the one needing to reach out everyone I know seems to have turned deaf.
We haven’t met, hell, we haven’t spoken, but I know you, Paisley. Your words speak of everything you want but won’t ask for. Everything I suddenly want to give you. When I come home, I’m coming for you. Both of you.
Love, Gage
Everyone thinks it is too preposterous for me to feel down that they can’t accept the fact that I am asking for solutions to situations not of my making, that they themselves created.
Now that I want out, now that I am refusing to be the one to take the heat for them, I have become the villain.
Paisley and Tommy, both at the end of their ropes, had Gage. North had Desmond. Maybe I’ll just go crawl into bed and spend the rest of the weekend reconnecting with your books.
And of course, get acquainted with Viktor and the rest of the Vashchenko family.
After Cade Larrabee’s ex walks out on him and their two children, Cade decides to focus on two things: his kids, and his bike shop.
Realizing that he needed help, he goes in search of a nanny.
Petal Davies was abandoned by her Mom when she was just twelve years old, and although she never lacked the love of her Dad, she carried the pain of her mother’s abandonment to her adulthood.
Cade meets Petal, who proves to be not just the perfect nanny to his kids, she also becomes the perfect friend. Not only does she put up with his cranky attitude, but she gives it right back to him.
This is the story of two souls brought together by fate, and their love for children.
This story is poignant, for whoever would want to be abandoned by one of the very people who brought them to life? I can understand losing a parent through illness–after a time we learn to accept that our parents are not immortal and that they are only here to guide us through life up to a point. To be abandoned and not knowing why is different. It can play havoc on a child’s confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth. That is why children, especially those born in this age of social media, should always have a strong support system that can teach them to become positive members of society.
I love the fact that A Girl Worth Fighting For is surprisingly light compared to other books penned by KL Donn. It shows to me that she is one I can come back to time and again and not be disappointed or bored every time.
I fell in love with Cade and Petal, and I hope that you fall in love with them too. And yes, I am looking forward to falling in love with Calla and Jace’s story!
Trust KL Donn to come up with another story that will surely keep you turning the pages in one sitting, not because it’s a short story, but because you will be hard-pressed to put down such a compelling plot!
Foster Halsey, Task Force 779’s bomb expert, and Everett Gaines, the estranged daughter of a CIA official who was kidnapped while on vacation in Mexico, are the central characters in this story. We also see Foster’s other Task Force 779 teammates plus two more that, hopefully, we will get to meet soon, because, take it from me, once you take a bite of a KL Donn story, you won’t let go!
Why? This author, like a few that I have fallen in love with, takes on real-world situations that most often are shunned by society. Yes, some of you might say that her stories are a bit over-the-top, but that is an author’s prerogative, right? For me, for as long as an author I follow can lead me to the meaning behind his or her stories, then I don’t mind if a little bit of liberty is taken in certain situations.
Take Everett’s case. Who is to say the situation she found herself in, is not real? The trauma, how she responded? The way that KL Donn treated her heroine, to me, felt like she was being careful this time, compared to Ryder and Codie’s story in Missing in Action (Task Force 779, Book 1). Nonetheless, Everett’s story is no less compelling.
Now let’s talk about Foster. Burned by a cheating ex—ahem, I love KL’s word for her, Cheatasaurus Rex—Foster is focused only on his teammates and saving lives. Until, of course, he meets Everett. I am glad that KL Donn gave this alpha hero a more human character, one who can make mistakes and own up to them.
And yes, if I can hogtie Foster to the bed and claim him as mine, I would!
Seldom do I come across a book that grips me from the very first page.
This one was highly anticipated because I met Ryder Morrison in One Choice, the story of Levi and Hayes, Ryder’s sister. Getting to know KL Donn through her words, I knew, without a doubt, that this one would be epic, but, my gosh… wow.
Dear readers, let me tell you, I made a mistake starting MIA at work. The first few pages, KL Donn’s introduction, and then the prologue… I had to put the book down because I realized that I would be doing a disservice to an author whose writing has come to mean so much to me.
I. AM. AWED.
To summarize, MIA is the story of Ryder, an elite soldier left for dead when he was captured and tortured in enemy territory. Rescued by his team after a year in captivity, he settles in Charleston where he spent several more years getting back on his feet. There, he meets Codie Ray.
Codie is battling demons brought on by the death of her son and the rejection of everyone around her. Blaming herself for her son’s death and believing herself unworthy of forgiveness, she has retreated from the outside world.
Ryder found in Codie his reason for surviving the atrocities he suffered in captivity. Codie found in Ryder her reason to live, to overcome her demons, and to forgive herself.
And I, who love everything this author writes, finally find myself smiling, for she is right—trauma, no matter the cause, may take a long time to heal, but it will.
We only have to dig deep within ourselves to find the courage to reach out and admit, in our hearts, that we need help. And if in reaching out, we are greeted with silence…it does not mean that we are alone in our struggle. It only means that we must listen hard for that tiny voice inside that is shouting “it’s okay to be alive, to go on, to live.
— Boom. Crash. Bang. When will this nightmare end?
— One, two, three seconds was all it took for my world to end.
I was lucky enough to have learned about KL Donn through another author, and have been pre-ordering and one-clicking her books since then.
James and Gigi’s story – James, who Gigi felt was like the Grinch for always showing her his bad side, was hiding the fact that he had feelings for his partner’s sister. Gigi, who always felt unwanted because of ADHD. It took a snowstorm for them to learn that not all was as it seemed and that they had a chance at happiness.
Lucky Christmas was a sweet, short amusing read for me, and I will be looking forward to the rest of KL Donn’s work.
I have always loved a good ménage and Lost & Found did not disappoint. Nick and Ace’s need for Pepper was sweet, and the way they protected her, perfect. Introducing James was like the icing to the cake too.
KL Donn, thank you for introducing me to a genre I could binge on!
I am amazed at this author’s way of tackling issues, how she tells her readers that everything and anything can be overcome, just like her heroines do.
Yes, we know it’s fiction, and her men—Case here, are too good to be true, but us women can dream, right?
One thing that stands out, is the fact that through Evie, she KL Donn tells us that although real-life adversities give different reactions, we women can rise above it all as long as we believe we can.
Bitch N Books 