Book Review and Giveaway for Secret Lucidity by EK BLair

SECRET LUCIDITY

by EK BLAIR

This wasn’t supposed to happen.
But it did.
This wasn’t supposed to be my life.
But it was.

I was just a typical girl, living a typical life. Nothing was out of the ordinary until tragedy threw me into a turnstile I couldn’t see my way out of. That was, until him.

I never could’ve imagined my heart falling the way it did. Hard, fast, and with unbounding beauty.

The only problem?
He was off limits.
Forbidden.

But he became my everything, and I became his, so we risked it all. It was only a matter of time until I realized that our risk came with unimaginable consequences.

My name is Camellia Hale and his is David Andrews, and this is our love story.

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REVIEW: 2 STARS

Well, darnit. This book was just ok for me. Not great. Not good. Just ok. The fact that yes, this is a taboo read, that was what drew me in originally. I knew I loved the idea of a forbidden love from EK Blair, because I knew she could jack me up and make me fall in love with the 'wrongness' of the story. I knew I wanted it, but it just didn't play out that way. I think my discontent mostly comes from the fact that I didn't connect at all with the heroine. The reality of the situation? The truth? There are REAL feelings. REAL ramifications for actions. REAL problems with what is going on. I definitely liked that about this one, for sure. However, I didn't feel this one like I normally do.

First and foremost, EK Blair has this maturity in her words that is unsurpassed. I like her stories because not only do they make me think and look at the reality of situations, she still makes me fall in love with the underlying storyline. She truly has such an ability to write an amazing story, but sometimes her stories lose their way and I feel like that happened with this one.

This book has a little bit of a bipolar side when it comes to the contents, the cover, the teasers, and the general storyline. It looks like a fantasy book based on the cover, the teasers lead you to believe it's sexy and hot and forbidden, but the content fell short for me and was very basic in terms of a Student/Teacher book. I felt a little lost at some things that were said, and worst of all, I absolutely hated the heroine. I felt like some of the what she said was attention seeking verbal vomit. She was obnoxious and I honestly couldn't stand her. She was a teenager, yes, but she was still annoying and that made it really hard for me to accept how she was handling things, and most definitely affected my ability to connect with this story.

I feel like Ek Blair is a lost soul trying to find her way when it comes to writing her stories. She is such a prolific writer and she has a very poetic cadence to her words. She has the ability to twist us up and pull us in, no matter how touchy the subject is. I have read her books, so I know what she is capable of doing. Her writing is always a 5 star for me. It just so happens that the actual plot on this one wasn't delivered well for me. Maybe some of my distaste comes from the fact that this is marketed/written as a YA book and those are not my favorite. I read select authors for that genre because I know they can deliver, sooooo.....this one just didn't work for me. I know I went into it thinking I was going to get the EK angst and sexiness, but that most definitely did NOT happen this time around. Again, with the sexiness in all the promotional posts, I was expecting one thing and got another. I know this sounds like an overly critical review, but it was still a decent read. I just felt it was blah for me compared to her back catalog.

Having said all that, the opening scene in this book was a punch to the gut and nothing like I expected it to be. While it was the catalyst for the relationship, I didn't much care for the way she acted and how she handled anything. But that's not fair and I'm aware of that, because she was a young student in high school that got her world rearranged by circumstance and that sucks for anyone, let alone a child. I felt like she dragged out some things, and did others for attention. I couldn't reconcile that with my own mentality and personality, so I honestly know that's not fair - but it also relegates her to the 'not relatable' character set. But, you know, *shrug*.... HEA.

Edited since being written: I always write my reviews after I read the book. I try to give an honest account of my emotions after reading the book because I think those are the most honest ones. This one was a roller coaster, but most definitely NOT my favorite of hers. And, to be honest, I have forgotten most of this book. Weird? Yes. Awkward? Most definitely. I also read this before there was a cover and everything surrounding it was sexier and more pronounced. This cover, for the record, is my least favorite cover of any one of Ek's and had I seen this before I read it, I never would have given it a look. I know that is an awful thing to say, but I do not like this cover at all.

~BEE

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON - Kindle Unlimited

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~MEET EK BLAIR~

New York Times, USA Today, and International bestselling author, E.K. Blair, takes her readers on an emotional roller coaster with her books. A former first grade teacher with an imagination that runs wild. Daydreaming and zoning out is how she was often found in high school. Blair tends to drift towards everything dark and moody and has been noted as 'The Queen of Dark and Twisted'. Give her a character and she will take pleasure in breaking them down, digging into their core to find what lies underneath.

Aside from writing, E.K. Blair finds pleasure in music, drinking her Starbucks in peace, and spending time with her friends. She's a thinker, an artist, a wife, a mom, and everything in between.

~CONNECT WITH EK~

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