Monday, April 7, 2014

Review: Hate Me, by Jillian Dodd


Synopsis
I was told if I went away, he'd forget about me, lose interest, and move on.
But he hasn't.
In fact, my being gone has only made things worse.
So it's time for me to take matters into my own hands. 
It's time for me to fight back.
Hey, Vincent. You ready for a little chaos?


Review
5 out of 5 stars

Every single time I read one of Jillian's books I'm simply blown away by her ability to suck me in with her storytelling.  So much so that when I'm knee deep in one of her stories I honestly have no idea what's going on around me or how long I've even been reading!  I stumbled across the first book of the Keatyn Chronicle's, Stalk Me, simply because it was a FREE download.  But without even realizing what was happening, I found myself addicted to her completely outrageous, fun, exciting, dangerous, full of hot guys life, and I have no problem admitting that I love every single minute I get to spend reading about that crazy insane life.

I love Keatyn and I am so proud of how much she has grown since Stalk Me.  Her growth as a character has never been more evident than in Hate Me.  She is tired of hiding, frustrated Vincent hasn't backed down but instead continues to threaten the ones she loves most and she's fed up.  Keatyn wants control of her life and she will stop at nothing to get exactly what she wants, so is no longer taking orders but giving them and I LOVE her strength and fierceness.  In the past books, she's struggled with trying to figure out who she really is, what she really wants out of life and even what love really feels like.  Now she is embracing life, making the most of the time she has with Aiden and all her other friends at Eastbrooke, yet she stays honest with herself and never forgets it's entirely possible the cost of getting her life back may in fact be her life.  She is also beginning to realize there are different types of love and slowly figuring out what type of love it is she has for the 2 boys in her life, Brooklyn and Aiden.  Keatyn Douglas and Keatyn Monroe are starting to become one person and I'm so excited to get to the conclusion in Get Me and find out if she succeeds in taking down Vincent and who Moon Boy ends up being that I have no idea how I'm going to make it until August!

Ultimately I am team Keatyn, but if I had to choose between Brooklyn and Aiden then it's always going to be Aiden.  These two haven't had an easy start, there have been misunderstandings, frustrations and overwhelming amounts of chemistry from day one.  But the one constant in my mind seems to be they both want each other and they each feel things for one another they've never felt in past relationships.  In Hate Me, Aiden fans finally get the chance to see how these two work as a couple, and for me it was complete perfection.  Every moment and interaction between the two makes it seem as though they truly are the perfect match, of course Aiden still doesn't know Keatyn's big secret and we have no idea of his reaction when a version of the truth is revealed.  But, Keatyn finally accepts she has no control over Aiden's reaction and she accepts if he really is her Moon Boy then he will eventually understand her motives for lying.  

As usual when it comes to all things regarding Brooklyn I found myself frustrated.  Frustrated with him for being so wishy washy, frustrated with Keatyn for always forgiving him so easily and frustrated she still holds on to the promise of giving herself one more chance of happiness with him.  I don't always believes he comes across as worthy of a second chance, his actions and reactions always come across to me as self-centered.  I haven't really seen him put Keatyn first.  Yes, he does have good ideas, and yes he does push Keatyn to get her life back and even offers help, but when it comes down to it, I have never seen him follow through with actions.  Yet, Aiden is willing to give up his entire life just to be with Keatyn because she makes him happy, because he believes what he feels for Keatyn will last forever, he wants forever with her.  I haven't seen Brooklyn make this kind of grand gesture and I think if he does I'm going to worry and wonder if he will actually follow through.  Of course I know first loves are a hard thing to get over, and I know Keatyn holds tights to her memories of life before Vincent and Eastbrooke, and I understand why she feels like she owes it to Brooklyn to hold onto the promise of one more chance at perfection, but that doesn't mean I want those things for her or that I think Brooklyn is her Moon Boy.  Of course Jillian leaves us with an ending where we wonder what will happen if Keatyn succeeds, if Aiden forgives her lies, if Brooklyn wants to actually give the relationship another chance?  What will Keatyn want once Vincent is out of the picture, when she can choose who she wants in her life without the stress of lies and the unknown.

Hate Me in my opinion is the best book of the series thus far!  It's fun, romantic, at times shocking and full of crazy Keatyn stunts.  You will love every minute of this book.  Jillian Dodd is a mastermind and even though through hints she has told us where and when Eastbrooke will find out her true identity I was still completely surprised how things went down!  Thank you Jillian Dodd for another fantastic escape into the life of one of my favorite characters.  

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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