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Thoughtless #4
Thoughtful
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Romance (2015)Every story has two sides, and in this new book, the epic love story between Kiera and Kellan is shown through his eyes.
All Kellan Kyle needs is his guitar, and some clean sheets of paper. Growing up in a house that was far from a home, he learned a hard lesson: You're worthless. Now his life is comfortably filled with passionate music, loyal band mates, and fast women... until he meets her.
Kiera makes him ache for more. Makes him feel for the first time that he's worth more. But there's one problem— she's his best friend's girl.
Just when Kellan thought his emotional defenses were rock solid, Kiera's indecisive heart wreaks havoc on his soul, changing him forever. Losing Kiera is not an option.
All Kellan Kyle needs is his guitar, and some clean sheets of paper. Growing up in a house that was far from a home, he learned a hard lesson: You're worthless. Now his life is comfortably filled with passionate music, loyal band mates, and fast women... until he meets her.
Kiera makes him ache for more. Makes him feel for the first time that he's worth more. But there's one problem— she's his best friend's girl.
Just when Kellan thought his emotional defenses were rock solid, Kiera's indecisive heart wreaks havoc on his soul, changing him forever. Losing Kiera is not an option.
560 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 24, 2015
About the author
S.C. Stephens
35 books17.1k followersS.C. Stephens is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who enjoys spending every free moment she has creating stories that are packed with emotion and heavy on romance.
Her debut novel, Thoughtless, an angst-filled love triangle charged with insurmountable passion and the unforgettable Kellan Kyle, took the literary world by storm. Amazed and surprised by the response to the release of Thoughtless in 2009, more stories were quick to follow. Stephens has been writing nonstop ever since.
In addition to writing, Stephens enjoys spending lazy afternoons in the sun reading fabulous novels, loading up her iPod with writer's block reducing music, heading out to the movies, and spending quality time with her friends and family. She currently resides in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her two equally beautiful children.
Her debut novel, Thoughtless, an angst-filled love triangle charged with insurmountable passion and the unforgettable Kellan Kyle, took the literary world by storm. Amazed and surprised by the response to the release of Thoughtless in 2009, more stories were quick to follow. Stephens has been writing nonstop ever since.
In addition to writing, Stephens enjoys spending lazy afternoons in the sun reading fabulous novels, loading up her iPod with writer's block reducing music, heading out to the movies, and spending quality time with her friends and family. She currently resides in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her two equally beautiful children.
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October 16, 2014 OHHHHH..... MY.... GOD !!!!!!
This is Kellan's POV of Thoughtless!!!!
BLURB: The only place Kellan Kyle has ever felt at home is onstage. Gripping his guitar in a darkened bar, he can forget his painful past. These days his life revolves around three things: music, his bandmates, and hot hookups. Until one woman changes everything…
Kiera is the kind of girl Kellan has no business wanting-smart, sweet, and dating his best friend. Certain he could never be worthy of her love, he hides his growing attraction…until Kiera's own tormented heart hints that his feelings might not be one-sided. Now, no matter the consequences, Kellan is sure of one thing-he won't let Kiera go without a fight.
******* TEASER ********
This is Kellan's POV of Thoughtless!!!!
BLURB: The only place Kellan Kyle has ever felt at home is onstage. Gripping his guitar in a darkened bar, he can forget his painful past. These days his life revolves around three things: music, his bandmates, and hot hookups. Until one woman changes everything…
Kiera is the kind of girl Kellan has no business wanting-smart, sweet, and dating his best friend. Certain he could never be worthy of her love, he hides his growing attraction…until Kiera's own tormented heart hints that his feelings might not be one-sided. Now, no matter the consequences, Kellan is sure of one thing-he won't let Kiera go without a fight.
******* TEASER ********
She handed me the necklace, and my fingers were shaking as I took it. The guitar was perfectly crafted, delicate, but sturdy, and there was a large circle diamond in the center that sparkled in the lights. It was me, and it was Kiera…the perfect embodiment of what we were, or rather, what we’d never be. I couldn’t think of anything better to give her, to help her remember me, and what we’d gone through. “I’ll take it,” I whispered, not even looking at the price tag.
“Excellent,” the woman beamed. “I’ll go ring you up.”
While she walked away, Evan stepped up to me. “Kellan…you can’t expect her to wear that. It’s too obvious.”
I shook my head as I stared at the glow emanating from the diamond. “I don’t expect her to. I don’t expect anything. But this is what I want to give her.” My eyes were watering when I looked over at him. “This is how I want to say goodbye.”
October 18, 2018
S C Stephens hit the jackpot with this one! Thoughtful is the best book from a male POV I've read. It was even better then Thoughtless! Unbelievable!
One day later, and I'm still recovering from the total mindfuck that Thoughtful was. I had forgotten just how frustrating the Kellan-Kiera-Denny love triangle actually was, and it left me completely drained. But I loved every second of it! Kellan Kyle is worth everything! This is S C Stephens at her best. Thoughtful was everything I ever could have hoped for. Ever since I read Thoughtless years ago, and fell in love with the sexy rock star Kellan Kyle, I've hoping/dreamt that author S C Stephens would write it from his POV. I practically stalked her Facebook page for news daily. But it seemed to good to be true that she actually would.But as it turned out, dreams sometimes comes true. My favourite book (one of,) from my favourite author, from my favorite character' POV, it seemed (again) too good to be true. So when I found out she actually was doing it, my happiness knew no bounds. I've never been this excited for a book realease. Ever! Not in my whole life!
Can Thoughtful be read as a standalone? Yes. You won't be confused at all. I felt though, that I could enjoy this roller coaster-ride better because I had read Thoughtless first, but it's not a must. If I hadn't, it's fully possible I might have combusted with frustration over Kiera and my heart would have ached so much more for Kellan. S C Stephens really nailed Kellan's POV. She did an amazing job with Thoughtful, Everything we first feel for in Kellan is here, every side of him. And I have never loved him more.I've been waiting years and years to give a book from a male POV 5+ stars, and with Thoughtful I finally can. While I often love the original book, the alternate POV always has been a disappointment. While obviously Thoughtful is a retelling of Thoughtless, it's also so much more. So much that would have stayed a secret is revealed. Conversations aren't simply retold, just the important ones, and many are added. I think than was a brilliant move by the author.
Thoughtful really did a number on my heart. It was a difficult read. My heart ached so much for Kellan.He actually believed that he was useless, worthless and that no one could ever love him.His dreams about his childhood was so hard to read, and the memories haunted him daily. I never hated his parents more. His biggest fear was being alone and yet he was convinced it was his fate.
Reading Kellan's thoughts were painful but Thoughtful was still a perfect book in its own way. I don't think This instalment was unnecessary at all. It added to the story and especially ones understanding of Kellan.
I've never felt more connected to Kellan. His thoughts about himself hit me hart, right to the core. They felt so real, and I could actually feel them. Now, more than ever, he has the #1 spot in my heart, forever. I thought I loved him after the three previous books, but my understanding and love for him has grown so much with this book. I really want, no need to read more through his eyes. I need to see him happy, in his thoughts. Thoughtful was so much heartbreak it could last a lifetime. I'm already itching to reread Effortless and Reckless. It's impossible to get too much Kellan!
Thoughtful gave Kellan a whole new, deeper level. If you fell in love with him in Thoughtless, you will love him even more here. Major mindfuck or not-this book made me love Kellan more than ever I love every part of him. Even the parts that hurts to read. Even though it hurts you're my favorite pain.
What maybe hit me the hardest was the reasons for his many hook ups during the book, his need for meaningless sex. It wasn't the sex itself he craved. It was the connection after. All he ever wanted was for someone to care about him. Not the rock star, just him.
Thoughtful was hot. I might even go so far and say some of the most steamiest scenes was the best ones I ever read. If you have a problem with the hero being with other women, here's a fair warning. I personally had no problem with it what so ever. Why shouldn't Kellan have sex with others? Kiera was the one in a relationship, and she ripped his heart out so many times, Kellan could do whatever he wanted to ease the pain.
Kiera. If you hated her in Thoughtless, you will dislike he even more in Thoughtful. In Thoughtless at least we knew her motives to her every action, but from Kellan's side, she really did seem like a cold bitch and a fucking whore, jumping from bed to bed. I never did hate her in Thoughtless but in this...she really pushed my buttons. She ripped out Kellan's heart more times than I could count and didn't really seem to feel too bad about it. Kellan is a bloody saint for even talking to her.
D-Bags. I can't tell you how good it felt to meet the guys in Kellan's band again. Matt, Evan and Griffin. It was like coming home. Griffin made me laugh out loud every time he was in the book. He is such a funny idiot! It's gonna be so much fun to read Untamed!
I got a newfound love for Evan. He really was there for Kellan throughout this book. He loved him as a brother and really showed it. I adored the talk between him and Kellan at the hospital. He was one one of my favorite parts of Thoughtful. Griffin too, but that goes without saying.
Denny. I didn't like him him here as much as I did in Thoughtless. don't know why, I still felt a good vibe about him though. It would really be interesting to read his story someday. Here I actually felt like it was Kellan who was the better friend. Strange maybe, considering, but I did.
The sexual tension between Kellan and Kiera was tangible. S C Stephens is the queen when it comes to that. I'm serious when I say I've never read anything like that before. Kellan loved Kiera so much. Maybe to the point to a little too much. I often felt she was unworthy of his adoration. Kellan was prepared to take every little crumb of love she could give him, he was willing to share her, he just wanted a small part of what she and Denny had. it broke my heart. I feel that Kiera didn't deserve his love. That's one of the reasons I want the rest of this series from his POV so bad. So she can start to make amends to
| Hero | 5 | | Angst | High focus |
| Heroine | 5 | | Romance | | High focus |
| Sexual tension |5 | | Suspense | Low focus |
| Storytelling | 5 | | Humour | Medium focus |
| Plot | 5 | | Darkness | Medium focus |
| Story ending | 5 |
**
Acknowledgements
And lastly, I need to thank Kellan Kyle. You may be fictional, but you completely changed my life, and for that, I owe you everything.
#LoveOfMyLife #CanWeGetMarriedPlease #IWantToHaveUrBabies
March 17, 2015
5 Stars for Kellan & Kiera.
★★★★★
My Casting:
Kellan
Kiera
I don't even know how to review this book. Kellen Kyle will always be my number one and that's pretty much the beginning and the end!!
“I have a life without you. You’re not my entire world. You’re just the part I loved the most…”
Usually, I just do not have the patience for these alternate POV books. I can't do re-reads and I feel like authors just copy and paste these books, change some of the inner monologues and whack it on Amazon to get us to part with our money a second time around. And ordinarily, that winds me up. I mean, even with Beautiful Disaster and Hopeless, when I adored the originals, I just felt like I was being conned...
And to be honest, the same can probably be said for this book.
BUT...
I will never, ever get enough of Kellan. Plus, I think the fact that I read Thoughtless so long ago now, helped so much. I think S.C. Stephens was super smart leaving it so long between books, because there was so much about Kellan and Kiera's story that I'd forgotten and it was like I was reading it for the first time, again.
“I’m in love with you. You gave yourself to me, then ran right back to him. You. Killed. Me.”
Whereas, with BD and Hopeless, I felt like their alternate POV books came out pretty quickly, and the story was still fresh in my mind, so I was just going over what I already knew. I don't know if that's the difference, or whether it is simply that S.C. Stephens and Kellan can do no wrong in my eyes. Yes, I know, I totally have double standards.
But whatever the reason, I fell in love with this story all over again. OMG, the feels!!! Honestly, nothing makes me feel like when I'm reading this series. I love all of the characters so much. These books are so deeply ingratiated into my heart and soul and I really don't think my loyalty to them will ever allow me to love any characters more than them.
“Because I was head-over-heels, ends-of-the-earth, till-death-do-us-part in love with her.”
But, if you've read Thoughtless then you know what I'm talking about anyway, so I don't need to harp on. And yes, this review may be a little biased and unfair, but if you love Kellan Kyle as much as I do, and I know many of you do, then hopefully you will feel exactly the same.
If you haven't read any of this series yet, then I can not tell you how much you need Kellan in your life. You have to read Thoughtless #1 asap!!!!! However, in which case, I don't think this book would work so well if you read this too soon after. And equally, if you've only recently discovered this series, this addition might not be for you. However, if you read Thoughtless some time ago and can't remember it word for word, then I think you'll enjoy revisiting with these characters!
My blog: http://smittensbookblog.wordpress.com/
October 31, 2014
Just when you thought you couldn't love him more, S.C. Stephens makes you fall in love with Kellan Kyle all over again. In typical fashion, S.C. draws you in, makes you feel like you are part of the story, and then doesn't let you go until the very last page. Emotional, addictive, and a story you'll come back to time and again. Superb!
February 11, 2015
3.5 stars!
I can’t remember the last time I read something that was purely the alternate POV of the same book…maybe it was Walking Disaster? Hmm I don’t remember, but the point is I don’t read those much because I don’t want there to be a risk of ruining the original version of the story. I took a leap of faith this time because of the hero Kellan Kyle. He’s one of my all-time favorite book boyfriends and there isn’t much I’m not willing to endure while reading if it means he’ll end up in a better and happy place. Because honestly? This book had many, many things that would normally drive me up a wall had I read it in another book.
I also want to say that if you’re reading this book expecting there to be ‘new stuff’ to be added to the original storyline of the Thoughtless trilogy, wrong mentality. When the author said Kellan’s POV of Thoughtless, she really meant that…you’re getting a rehash of book 1 in his view. At this point I would only recommend this book if it doesn’t matter to you that the plot is the same – you just want more Kellan, any way you can get it. I went into this book with that in mind, so my review won’t touch on the plot redundancies, because really, that’s not even supposed to be an issue.
Now about this book. It was a slow burn, a snooze fest, and an angsty rollercoaster ride all in one. Different sections of the book made me feel different things and by the end, I was just tired and exhausted from it all. First and foremost, reading about Kellan’s heartbreaking upbringing in his own voice downright hurt. The emotional scars his parents left on him were deep, leading him to feel this perpetual loneliness inside of him while on the outside he looked like a perfect golden angel. And yet for all his looks and charisma, he’s insecure about feeling, about emotion, and about love.
When Denny and Kiera enter the scene, the snooze fest sort of began. In Thoughtless, part of Kellan’s allure was the fact that I didn’t fully know his thoughts when Kiera did this or that and while it was pretty adorable and heartwarming to see the depth of his love and longing for her, I feel like the author exposed too much if that makes any sense. There are some things best left unsaid, and be open to the reader’s imagination instead, so I was a little discouraged to have to read EVERY single one of Kellan’s thoughts about Kiera this and Kiera that for half of the book. Honestly, these were the parts that drained the life out of me because Kellan’s world IS Kiera. His love for her blinded him to the rest of the world and in everything he does and sees, it’s all her, even when she’s not really his and to have to read about that kind of torment killed me.
There was one thing that really bothered me though, and it was a technical issue so nothing to do with the characters themselves. In my opinion, I think the author is weak with the male POV, and it’s the reason why I can’t bring myself to give this book at least 4 stars. I don’t say this to hurt her; it’s just an observation. Because when I read this book, there really was no difference in writing style or tone between this book and Thoughtless. Kellan must’ve hid his sensitivity very well because in here, he noticed the tiniest things like how eyes have different shades, he used flowery words like ‘blossomed,’ (do dudes really talk like that?), described looks and clothing to the finest detail, etc…all things that I’d normally read from the girl’s POV.
But in the end, I am glad and immensely thankful that I got to hear his side of the story. Most importantly, it made me understand him better as a person, and though I will always believe Kiera doesn’t deserve him, I now understand why he believes she is the one for him, something I could never accept even though I loved Thoughtless.
Because the plot itself is the same as before, I didn’t feel the same kind of intensity like I did when I read Thoughtless. However, Kellan Kyle himself will stir up enough emotions for you, and if you’re determined to read more about him rather than about the story as a whole, this book will probably be a winner for you.
Thoughtful is Kellan’s POV of Thoughtless. book 1 in the original trilogy. Even though it’s technically a standalone, I would not recommend reading this on its own. At the very least read Thoughtless.
ARC provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I can’t remember the last time I read something that was purely the alternate POV of the same book…maybe it was Walking Disaster? Hmm I don’t remember, but the point is I don’t read those much because I don’t want there to be a risk of ruining the original version of the story. I took a leap of faith this time because of the hero Kellan Kyle. He’s one of my all-time favorite book boyfriends and there isn’t much I’m not willing to endure while reading if it means he’ll end up in a better and happy place. Because honestly? This book had many, many things that would normally drive me up a wall had I read it in another book.
I also want to say that if you’re reading this book expecting there to be ‘new stuff’ to be added to the original storyline of the Thoughtless trilogy, wrong mentality. When the author said Kellan’s POV of Thoughtless, she really meant that…you’re getting a rehash of book 1 in his view. At this point I would only recommend this book if it doesn’t matter to you that the plot is the same – you just want more Kellan, any way you can get it. I went into this book with that in mind, so my review won’t touch on the plot redundancies, because really, that’s not even supposed to be an issue.
Now about this book. It was a slow burn, a snooze fest, and an angsty rollercoaster ride all in one. Different sections of the book made me feel different things and by the end, I was just tired and exhausted from it all. First and foremost, reading about Kellan’s heartbreaking upbringing in his own voice downright hurt. The emotional scars his parents left on him were deep, leading him to feel this perpetual loneliness inside of him while on the outside he looked like a perfect golden angel. And yet for all his looks and charisma, he’s insecure about feeling, about emotion, and about love.
When Denny and Kiera enter the scene, the snooze fest sort of began. In Thoughtless, part of Kellan’s allure was the fact that I didn’t fully know his thoughts when Kiera did this or that and while it was pretty adorable and heartwarming to see the depth of his love and longing for her, I feel like the author exposed too much if that makes any sense. There are some things best left unsaid, and be open to the reader’s imagination instead, so I was a little discouraged to have to read EVERY single one of Kellan’s thoughts about Kiera this and Kiera that for half of the book. Honestly, these were the parts that drained the life out of me because Kellan’s world IS Kiera. His love for her blinded him to the rest of the world and in everything he does and sees, it’s all her, even when she’s not really his and to have to read about that kind of torment killed me.
There was one thing that really bothered me though, and it was a technical issue so nothing to do with the characters themselves. In my opinion, I think the author is weak with the male POV, and it’s the reason why I can’t bring myself to give this book at least 4 stars. I don’t say this to hurt her; it’s just an observation. Because when I read this book, there really was no difference in writing style or tone between this book and Thoughtless. Kellan must’ve hid his sensitivity very well because in here, he noticed the tiniest things like how eyes have different shades, he used flowery words like ‘blossomed,’ (do dudes really talk like that?), described looks and clothing to the finest detail, etc…all things that I’d normally read from the girl’s POV.
But in the end, I am glad and immensely thankful that I got to hear his side of the story. Most importantly, it made me understand him better as a person, and though I will always believe Kiera doesn’t deserve him, I now understand why he believes she is the one for him, something I could never accept even though I loved Thoughtless.
Because the plot itself is the same as before, I didn’t feel the same kind of intensity like I did when I read Thoughtless. However, Kellan Kyle himself will stir up enough emotions for you, and if you’re determined to read more about him rather than about the story as a whole, this book will probably be a winner for you.
Thoughtful is Kellan’s POV of Thoughtless. book 1 in the original trilogy. Even though it’s technically a standalone, I would not recommend reading this on its own. At the very least read Thoughtless.
ARC provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 14, 2015
*****FOUR STARS*****
{BR with Mel and Sharon}
She was my greatest pain, and my only salvation. She was the only one who could heal this hole in my heart, a hole she'd torn open.
This was a really hard read for me. I know that I must be just a touch sadistic to have read the series FOUR times, but Kellan truly is my #1 and he's worth the torture. When I finished reading "Reckless" two years ago, I sent an email to S.C. Stephens, just gushing over the book and BEGGING her to write "Thoughtless" over in Kellan's POV. I was not ready to let him go. I really wanted to know what was going on in his head during all the turmoil, and where did he go all those times he disappeared for days. Well I definitely got what I wished for. I just am a little sad that the Kellan we get in this one, thinks so little of himself and is filled with so much self loathing. I struggled at times with his inner monologues.
Why can't you love me like I love you? Why can't anyone? How awful am I?
These self deprecating inner monologues seem to go on for a very long time during the first half of the book. My heart was breaking so much for Kellan. Honestly, I understand why he thought so little of himself. He went his entire life without ever having been loved. I guess that's one of the many reasons I love Kellan so much. He could have turned into a real asshole because of the abuse he endured as a child, but no, he became this incredible guy that gave up his heart and soul for the one woman he truly loved. I just had a hard time with Kellan's self loathing thoughts. I didn't ever remember Kellan being that desperate in the previous books, and I mean, I just reread them this past week.
I did end up hating Kiera even more in this one. I'm sure there will be plenty of people who will have an even more intense hatred for her. Now that I know how badly she hurt him repeatedly, I am definitely not feeling any sort of sympathy for her.
The first half of the book, I was feeling so depressed. I was so certain this was going to be a five star read for me, but Kellan being so desperate to take any scraps of attention Kiera would throw his way, really just bugged the ever loving crap out of me. THANK GOD the second half of the book was much better and turned things around for me. Once Kellan stopped being such a door mat, I could breathe a sigh of relief.
There were some scenes that had me crying like a baby. The "goodbye" song he wrote for Kiera. The talk between Evan and Kellan at the hospital!!! Kellan had a family all along. His band mates loved him like a brother. They were there for him during some of his dark days.
I know sometimes when a book is retold in the other main character's POV, it almost seems like we're just getting the story regurgitated, but I didn't get that feeling at all. I loved experiencing the story through Kellan's perspective and there were plenty of scenes we never got in "Thoughtless", and man were some scenes very painful to relive in Kellan's POV, like the fight in the rain.
I'm so happy that S.C. Stephens gave us readers this opportunity to reunite with Kellan and no matter what he will always be my #1.
{BR with Mel and Sharon}
She was my greatest pain, and my only salvation. She was the only one who could heal this hole in my heart, a hole she'd torn open.
This was a really hard read for me. I know that I must be just a touch sadistic to have read the series FOUR times, but Kellan truly is my #1 and he's worth the torture. When I finished reading "Reckless" two years ago, I sent an email to S.C. Stephens, just gushing over the book and BEGGING her to write "Thoughtless" over in Kellan's POV. I was not ready to let him go. I really wanted to know what was going on in his head during all the turmoil, and where did he go all those times he disappeared for days. Well I definitely got what I wished for. I just am a little sad that the Kellan we get in this one, thinks so little of himself and is filled with so much self loathing. I struggled at times with his inner monologues.
Why can't you love me like I love you? Why can't anyone? How awful am I?
These self deprecating inner monologues seem to go on for a very long time during the first half of the book. My heart was breaking so much for Kellan. Honestly, I understand why he thought so little of himself. He went his entire life without ever having been loved. I guess that's one of the many reasons I love Kellan so much. He could have turned into a real asshole because of the abuse he endured as a child, but no, he became this incredible guy that gave up his heart and soul for the one woman he truly loved. I just had a hard time with Kellan's self loathing thoughts. I didn't ever remember Kellan being that desperate in the previous books, and I mean, I just reread them this past week.
I did end up hating Kiera even more in this one. I'm sure there will be plenty of people who will have an even more intense hatred for her. Now that I know how badly she hurt him repeatedly, I am definitely not feeling any sort of sympathy for her.
The first half of the book, I was feeling so depressed. I was so certain this was going to be a five star read for me, but Kellan being so desperate to take any scraps of attention Kiera would throw his way, really just bugged the ever loving crap out of me. THANK GOD the second half of the book was much better and turned things around for me. Once Kellan stopped being such a door mat, I could breathe a sigh of relief.
There were some scenes that had me crying like a baby. The "goodbye" song he wrote for Kiera. The talk between Evan and Kellan at the hospital!!! Kellan had a family all along. His band mates loved him like a brother. They were there for him during some of his dark days.
I know sometimes when a book is retold in the other main character's POV, it almost seems like we're just getting the story regurgitated, but I didn't get that feeling at all. I loved experiencing the story through Kellan's perspective and there were plenty of scenes we never got in "Thoughtless", and man were some scenes very painful to relive in Kellan's POV, like the fight in the rain.
I'm so happy that S.C. Stephens gave us readers this opportunity to reunite with Kellan and no matter what he will always be my #1.
May 23, 2015
LIVE on AMAZON
I don’t think there has been or ever will be another rocker that owns my heart like Kellan Kyle. I still remember all the things I felt while reading Thoughtless. Whether you love or hate it, you have to give credit when I book completely owns you. Thoughtless completely owned me, so while I was terrified to start this one knowing what was going to happen I am glad I did! As I tell my friends, how can you pass up the chance to be in Kellan’s head!
This review will be a little different since I am assuming if you are reading it you have read Thoughtless, if not please stop since there will be spoilers for the Thoughtless Series. Thoughtful is Kellan’s side of the story and honestly it was so much harder to read. Where Kiera was indecisive and sometimes insensitive, Kellan was heartbreaking.
My favorite thing about the male POV is seeing how they felt in situations. I love getting into a guys head, I when I read how Kellan reacted to Kiera I was in love. After reading the trilogy, living through the angst, heartache, and tears it is nice to know that there was always something embedded in these two where they were destined to be together regardless.
I know that Kellan was open with Kiera, but reading how he felt when she first walked in. Knowing that his reaction was so much more than a physical reaction means something to me. I know a lot people don’t believe in things like this, but I do. I believe in having a feeling without even knowing why. While I really enjoyed knowing and seeing Kellan’s feelings up front it made for a difficult read, here’s why.
Throughout the story we are privy to parts of Kellan’s childhood. As you know, his childhood was difficult and ugly, but actually reading some of these scenes just messed me up. Mainly because you see that he carried that stuff into his adult life, his feelings of self worth and self doubt are devastatingly sad.
"For the first time in a long time, I was looking at someone who saw me. Not the rock star, not the playboy, but me. The real me."
That brings me to why this book was so hard to read. First, I love Kellan and while in real life I don’t condone cheating, nor am I an advocate of it, when I read Thoughtless I was screaming “just do it already” - yes I was immediately Team Kyle. So to read Thoughtful and see that her refusal hurt more than his ego and pride, killed me. To see that Kellan was mistreated his whole life, never shown love or affection. Then to know his desire for something real..ugh…bring on the tears.
I also thoroughly enjoyed getting to see the sexy sneaking around moments from Kellan’s POV, because let’s be honest Kellan Kyle is a ROCK STAR in and out of the bedroom. I love sneaking around, forbidden love, in books and I enjoyed seeing how Kellan planned moments and how they effected him.
Above everything else I loved their love for each other. What can I say, I am sucker for an happy ever after. In the end, things felt complete for me. Seeing both sides, understanding where both people are coming from,it was a full circle moment.
So my final rating is 4 - 4.5 because there are moments of love, moments of extreme heartache, and moments of rage in this story. Regardless of all that any book that can make me feel so many things is a good book in my opinion. The only reason I can’t give this book a full 5 stars is because there were moments when the story felt long and redundant. However, I do recommend this book, for sure, for readers who loved the trilogy - you really cant pass this one up!
You’ll be in my mind every second of every day. I can promise you that.
ARC kindly provided by Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t think there has been or ever will be another rocker that owns my heart like Kellan Kyle. I still remember all the things I felt while reading Thoughtless. Whether you love or hate it, you have to give credit when I book completely owns you. Thoughtless completely owned me, so while I was terrified to start this one knowing what was going to happen I am glad I did! As I tell my friends, how can you pass up the chance to be in Kellan’s head!
This review will be a little different since I am assuming if you are reading it you have read Thoughtless, if not please stop since there will be spoilers for the Thoughtless Series. Thoughtful is Kellan’s side of the story and honestly it was so much harder to read. Where Kiera was indecisive and sometimes insensitive, Kellan was heartbreaking.
My favorite thing about the male POV is seeing how they felt in situations. I love getting into a guys head, I when I read how Kellan reacted to Kiera I was in love. After reading the trilogy, living through the angst, heartache, and tears it is nice to know that there was always something embedded in these two where they were destined to be together regardless.
I know that Kellan was open with Kiera, but reading how he felt when she first walked in. Knowing that his reaction was so much more than a physical reaction means something to me. I know a lot people don’t believe in things like this, but I do. I believe in having a feeling without even knowing why. While I really enjoyed knowing and seeing Kellan’s feelings up front it made for a difficult read, here’s why.
Throughout the story we are privy to parts of Kellan’s childhood. As you know, his childhood was difficult and ugly, but actually reading some of these scenes just messed me up. Mainly because you see that he carried that stuff into his adult life, his feelings of self worth and self doubt are devastatingly sad.
"For the first time in a long time, I was looking at someone who saw me. Not the rock star, not the playboy, but me. The real me."
That brings me to why this book was so hard to read. First, I love Kellan and while in real life I don’t condone cheating, nor am I an advocate of it, when I read Thoughtless I was screaming “just do it already” - yes I was immediately Team Kyle. So to read Thoughtful and see that her refusal hurt more than his ego and pride, killed me. To see that Kellan was mistreated his whole life, never shown love or affection. Then to know his desire for something real..ugh…bring on the tears.
I also thoroughly enjoyed getting to see the sexy sneaking around moments from Kellan’s POV, because let’s be honest Kellan Kyle is a ROCK STAR in and out of the bedroom. I love sneaking around, forbidden love, in books and I enjoyed seeing how Kellan planned moments and how they effected him.
Above everything else I loved their love for each other. What can I say, I am sucker for an happy ever after. In the end, things felt complete for me. Seeing both sides, understanding where both people are coming from,it was a full circle moment.
So my final rating is 4 - 4.5 because there are moments of love, moments of extreme heartache, and moments of rage in this story. Regardless of all that any book that can make me feel so many things is a good book in my opinion. The only reason I can’t give this book a full 5 stars is because there were moments when the story felt long and redundant. However, I do recommend this book, for sure, for readers who loved the trilogy - you really cant pass this one up!
You’ll be in my mind every second of every day. I can promise you that.
ARC kindly provided by Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
March 1, 2015
4 “I love you Kellan Kyle, even when you look like an obsessed psychopath” Stars.
I will not dwell on explaining this book's story, because I don’t believe there’s many readers who don’t know Kellan’s and Kiera story. Even the people who didn’t read the books.
Basically, girl moves to another city with boyfriend, they going to live with boyfriend’s friend, boyfriend finds a job in another city, girl and friend fall in love, huge mess happens. (In a very short way, it’s basically it).
We’ve read this story trough Kiera’s eyes, but in this book it was Kellan’s time to tell the story.
Despite not being necessary, I advise you to read this book only if you have read the “Thoughtless” series before. And if you haven’t, get on it, like… yesterday.
If for some reason you want to break something after reading the first book, don’t give up… the two others after that are perfection.
Maybe it’s because I already know how this ends, but reading this wasn’t as hard as it was “Thoughtless”. Still, it was angsty, emotional and when it ended I had go read “Reckless” epilogue just to remember exactly how this whole mess ended.
This series was one of my favorites ever and it was great to be inside Kellan’s mind, even when he looked a little nuts. If you’re a fan of the series you can’t miss this book.
(On another note… I know that Reckless already has one, but it would kill give us another epilogue? Maybe one further in time?)
Rating: 4 Stars.
Characters Development: If I haven’t read the whole trilogy before, I would have loathed Kiera. And in some moments, I did. Luckily I know she gets better and ends up redeeming from all of this mess, so I got over it. Kellan is a different story, he’s a book-boyfriend I’ll always love, but seeing this story trough this eyes, not only was hard, as in some moments he was so obsessed over Kiera that he looked borderline psychopath. Being inside his mind was painful at several moments, but I loved this opportunity for being there. I loved seeing the D-Bags trough his eyes and the friendship between them and I had almost forgotten how I loved Anna! It was nice to see more of her, either.
Steam: Some hot scenes.
Sensible Subjects:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
I will not dwell on explaining this book's story, because I don’t believe there’s many readers who don’t know Kellan’s and Kiera story. Even the people who didn’t read the books.
Basically, girl moves to another city with boyfriend, they going to live with boyfriend’s friend, boyfriend finds a job in another city, girl and friend fall in love, huge mess happens. (In a very short way, it’s basically it).
We’ve read this story trough Kiera’s eyes, but in this book it was Kellan’s time to tell the story.
Despite not being necessary, I advise you to read this book only if you have read the “Thoughtless” series before. And if you haven’t, get on it, like… yesterday.
If for some reason you want to break something after reading the first book, don’t give up… the two others after that are perfection.
Maybe it’s because I already know how this ends, but reading this wasn’t as hard as it was “Thoughtless”. Still, it was angsty, emotional and when it ended I had go read “Reckless” epilogue just to remember exactly how this whole mess ended.
This series was one of my favorites ever and it was great to be inside Kellan’s mind, even when he looked a little nuts. If you’re a fan of the series you can’t miss this book.
(On another note… I know that Reckless already has one, but it would kill give us another epilogue? Maybe one further in time?)
Rating: 4 Stars.
Characters Development: If I haven’t read the whole trilogy before, I would have loathed Kiera. And in some moments, I did. Luckily I know she gets better and ends up redeeming from all of this mess, so I got over it. Kellan is a different story, he’s a book-boyfriend I’ll always love, but seeing this story trough this eyes, not only was hard, as in some moments he was so obsessed over Kiera that he looked borderline psychopath. Being inside his mind was painful at several moments, but I loved this opportunity for being there. I loved seeing the D-Bags trough his eyes and the friendship between them and I had almost forgotten how I loved Anna! It was nice to see more of her, either.
Steam: Some hot scenes.
Sensible Subjects:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
March 3, 2015
3.75 I'm so very sorry and I feel very guilty about this stars***
Three years ago I had a baby.
Three years ago I had a baby that fed continuously through the night.
Three years ago I started to read again.
Three years ago I fell for Kellan Kyle.
Three years ago I stayed up till 4am reading thoughtless then 5am with Effortless.
And Three years later I read Thoughtful in TWO LONG WEEKS even after staying up late reading!!
So to say this is a much different reading experience than the first three is an understatement, that maybe because I truly feel like I'm doing a re-read rather than reading new material or just because Kellan's thoughts were hard for me to pick up sometimes so I did put it down and breathe again before I delved back in. You all know the story so I'm not going to go over the plot but I will talk about/explain some of my thoughts.
First of all this is a very lonnnnnnnggggg read and I'm not a fast reader so it took me much lonngerr time to get through it, yet when reading thoughtless I Did Not Feel like I was reading a big book like this, it was a rollarcoaster of a ride and I was hooked line and sinker into it, what I'm trying to put across is that I already knew what the story was about so reading a POV where there was not much change in whether it was Kellan or Kiera it dragged slightly I'm not usually one for reading the opposite pov in books but Kellan Kyle is one of My Top favourite BBF so I took a chance and I suppose S.C. Stephens voice in the male POV was weaker here.
First of all Keira did not come off well in Kellans head AT ALL I will go back to thoughtless and say that I was NOT a hater of Keira in there because I suppose I just knew who Keira was meant to be with, I just saw what happened as circumstances and because Denny was her first love I saw Keira as confused and not seeing love until it happened when Kellan entered her life so in thoughtless I did not Hate her I dealt with the emotions as they came, what I found difficult while reading Thoughtul was Kellans thought's in his head and his history how he was unable to feel love for himself how I felt like he had no self worth, he put himself last on everything and in that Keira came off as worse, she came off as not thinking about Kellen AT ALL(for me).
Saying all that lets look at the positives,
I have a better understanding of Kellan with the tidbits of his past and his background being in his head meant you go through that journey right alongside him and I'm glad I learn't that bit of him yet because of that I don't think Denny should have done what he did because he knew what he went though I didn't get the thought for that, am I wrong in thinking that?? I get Denny had his heart ripped out too but I just didn't get Denny from Kellans POV what he did when reading those particular scenes I felt myself not liking Denny either.
Although I did enjoy the kissing and sensual moments in Thoughful Kellan melted my heart, his feelings shining through and his Intense passion and undivided attention he gave Keira when it was just them. I loved seeing why he got angry and upset and seeing a man truly deserve happiness and love it was definitely him. BUT I honestly don't think that a full length 600 page book was needed for this I really do think if it was cut in half or even a novella of particular story lines such as the rain scenes and how I finally got what was going through his head then that would of been perfect in my opinion.
It is still 3.75 stars so it me I liked it I just didn't love it I'm so sorry, but I will say that Kellan Kyle will forever be the one Rock Star that deserves to be loved and cherished, he's the one man that I will always always love and have a special place just like Christian Grey, Kellan Kyle is exactly the same for different reasons. I'm not sure if I would recommend this but I will recommend this series its a Top Favourite of mine that I will never tire of I just didn't love his POV cause I didn't feel like I'm reading anything new and because Keira became a HATE character where I DID NOT feel like that in the rest of the series.
~ 5 Stars
~ 5+++ Stars
~ 6 PHENOMENAL Stars******
THAT IS ALL
Three years ago I had a baby.
Three years ago I had a baby that fed continuously through the night.
Three years ago I started to read again.
Three years ago I fell for Kellan Kyle.
Three years ago I stayed up till 4am reading thoughtless then 5am with Effortless.
And Three years later I read Thoughtful in TWO LONG WEEKS even after staying up late reading!!
" I dream about you sometimes... about what it would have been like if Denny hadn't come back, if you were mine. Holding your hand, walking into the bar with you on my arm.... not having to hide anything anymore. Telling the world that I love you."
So to say this is a much different reading experience than the first three is an understatement, that maybe because I truly feel like I'm doing a re-read rather than reading new material or just because Kellan's thoughts were hard for me to pick up sometimes so I did put it down and breathe again before I delved back in. You all know the story so I'm not going to go over the plot but I will talk about/explain some of my thoughts.
First of all this is a very lonnnnnnnggggg read and I'm not a fast reader so it took me much lonngerr time to get through it, yet when reading thoughtless I Did Not Feel like I was reading a big book like this, it was a rollarcoaster of a ride and I was hooked line and sinker into it, what I'm trying to put across is that I already knew what the story was about so reading a POV where there was not much change in whether it was Kellan or Kiera it dragged slightly I'm not usually one for reading the opposite pov in books but Kellan Kyle is one of My Top favourite BBF so I took a chance and I suppose S.C. Stephens voice in the male POV was weaker here.
First of all Keira did not come off well in Kellans head AT ALL I will go back to thoughtless and say that I was NOT a hater of Keira in there because I suppose I just knew who Keira was meant to be with, I just saw what happened as circumstances and because Denny was her first love I saw Keira as confused and not seeing love until it happened when Kellan entered her life so in thoughtless I did not Hate her I dealt with the emotions as they came, what I found difficult while reading Thoughtul was Kellans thought's in his head and his history how he was unable to feel love for himself how I felt like he had no self worth, he put himself last on everything and in that Keira came off as worse, she came off as not thinking about Kellen AT ALL(for me).
Saying all that lets look at the positives,
I have a better understanding of Kellan with the tidbits of his past and his background being in his head meant you go through that journey right alongside him and I'm glad I learn't that bit of him yet because of that I don't think Denny should have done what he did because he knew what he went though I didn't get the thought for that, am I wrong in thinking that?? I get Denny had his heart ripped out too but I just didn't get Denny from Kellans POV what he did when reading those particular scenes I felt myself not liking Denny either.
Although I did enjoy the kissing and sensual moments in Thoughful Kellan melted my heart, his feelings shining through and his Intense passion and undivided attention he gave Keira when it was just them. I loved seeing why he got angry and upset and seeing a man truly deserve happiness and love it was definitely him. BUT I honestly don't think that a full length 600 page book was needed for this I really do think if it was cut in half or even a novella of particular story lines such as the rain scenes and how I finally got what was going through his head then that would of been perfect in my opinion.
It is still 3.75 stars so it me I liked it I just didn't love it I'm so sorry, but I will say that Kellan Kyle will forever be the one Rock Star that deserves to be loved and cherished, he's the one man that I will always always love and have a special place just like Christian Grey, Kellan Kyle is exactly the same for different reasons. I'm not sure if I would recommend this but I will recommend this series its a Top Favourite of mine that I will never tire of I just didn't love his POV cause I didn't feel like I'm reading anything new and because Keira became a HATE character where I DID NOT feel like that in the rest of the series.
~ 5 Stars ~ 5+++ Stars ~ 6 PHENOMENAL Stars******THAT IS ALL
August 4, 2020
3.5 Stars
This was my very first audiobook and let me tell you, it’s not as easy as it sounds and the experience is certainly different. Sure, listening to an audiobook is very practical, but if you’re more visually oriented person like me, it takes some time to adjust. I didn’t know what to do with my hands and my eyes at first, however stupid that sounds. Another problem was that sometimes I couldn’t focus, my thoughts often wandered off somewhere or the narrator’s voice lulled to sleep. But once I got used to it, I was one hundred percent invested in the story.
As for the story, I loved the first three books and it was really nice to relive all the events through Kellan’s eyes. However, I already knew pretty much everything that would happen so this book wasn’t angsty enough for my liking nor did it keep me on the edge of my seat like the first three books did.
I also struggled with the inner monologue at times, I felt like there was too much telling and not enough showing. Thankfully, the male narrator was very good otherwise I would have been bored as hell.
A lot of readers complained that Kellan’s point of view was too “feminine” but I don’t agree. Kellan is not an über alpha, he’s a more laid-back kind of guy. He's a very sexual and sensual person so I think his voice in this book was just fine.
Despite some minor issues, I still enjoyed this book. And Kellan consolidated his place as one of the sexiest and hottest book boyfriends in the romance genre.
QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment:: 3.5/5
Writing style: 4/5
Storyline: 3/5
Hero: 5/5
Heroine: 3/5
Secondary characters: 4/5
Hotness/chemistry: 5/5
Romance: 4/5
Angst: 3/5
Darkness level: 2/5
Humor: 3/5
Depth of the book: 4/5
POV: hero, 1st person
Triggers:
This was my very first audiobook and let me tell you, it’s not as easy as it sounds and the experience is certainly different. Sure, listening to an audiobook is very practical, but if you’re more visually oriented person like me, it takes some time to adjust. I didn’t know what to do with my hands and my eyes at first, however stupid that sounds. Another problem was that sometimes I couldn’t focus, my thoughts often wandered off somewhere or the narrator’s voice lulled to sleep. But once I got used to it, I was one hundred percent invested in the story.
As for the story, I loved the first three books and it was really nice to relive all the events through Kellan’s eyes. However, I already knew pretty much everything that would happen so this book wasn’t angsty enough for my liking nor did it keep me on the edge of my seat like the first three books did.
I also struggled with the inner monologue at times, I felt like there was too much telling and not enough showing. Thankfully, the male narrator was very good otherwise I would have been bored as hell.
A lot of readers complained that Kellan’s point of view was too “feminine” but I don’t agree. Kellan is not an über alpha, he’s a more laid-back kind of guy. He's a very sexual and sensual person so I think his voice in this book was just fine.
Despite some minor issues, I still enjoyed this book. And Kellan consolidated his place as one of the sexiest and hottest book boyfriends in the romance genre.
QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment:: 3.5/5
Writing style: 4/5
Storyline: 3/5
Hero: 5/5
Heroine: 3/5
Secondary characters: 4/5
Hotness/chemistry: 5/5
Romance: 4/5
Angst: 3/5
Darkness level: 2/5
Humor: 3/5
Depth of the book: 4/5
POV: hero, 1st person
Triggers:
February 17, 2015
3 "I'm Sorry" Stars
I can't tell you how happy I was when I heard that this book was going to be written. I Loved The Thoughtless Series and I loved Kellan and Kiera. Thoughtless was a tough book because of the cheating content but the growth of the characters through the entire series was spectacular. While there are many Kiera haters, I was not one of them, she was young and in a situation that was hard to navigate but in the end, all was wonderful.
So back to Thoughtful......this is Kellan Kyle's thoughts in Thoughtless. As Thoughtless was written from Kiera's POV, we never got see what Kellan was thinking. So I go super lucky and got an ARC from NG and I was over the moon. So I jumped in all excited......
This book was not easy. It was sad, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, depressing, angsty, and it was just hard to read. As I knew the ending, that was the only thing that kept me going. I loved Kellan before, and while reading, my heart expanded for him, it ached for him and if I could, I would have jumped into the story to hug him and let him know that he was not alone. Kellan's childhood was not rosy and happy, it was unloving and painful. It hurt me to read and see how he Thought of himself. He never knew love so how would anyone really ever love him, choose him?
What I truly loved was at 6%..... Kellan's reaction to Kiera. I am one of those people who believe that people can know when they meet that one person that completes them. Does it always work, no, but I do believe that it exists and I believe that Kellan was 100% convinced that his life would be forever changed by the girl that walked in the door at Pete's that one faithful night. I absolutely loved reading that he knew.
So as you know, the rest of the story is one of struggle. Kiera was in the middle of 2 men that love her and that she loved back. This book follows Thoughtless exactly. I will be very honest....I think that this book should have been a novella. I would have loved reading just the pivotal scenes in his thoughts. I found this book to be too long and too heartbreaking. I knew the ending and it should have sustained me but reading and feeling sad for most of the book was overwhelming. Hearing his past, hearing his wants, needs and desires for Kiera just got too much in my opinion. Kiera got blamed for a lot in her book, but Kellan was just as responsible. Their communication was always sweet and suggestive, they never really expressed their true feelings, they assumed things, they were mean and vindictive to one another, and they were young, inexperienced and made mistakes. Their trials and tribulations were heightened because this was a triangle, feelings had to be hurt and someone would lose in the end.
I'm very mixed in recommending this book. I really loved parts of it but I struggled with a lot of it. I pushed myself to finish and that isn't a feeling that I wanted. I am sure I am in the minority but I do want you to know that I Adore Kellan and Kiera and The Entire Thoughtless Series. This book just did me in and I would have liked less.
ARC kindly provided by Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
I can't tell you how happy I was when I heard that this book was going to be written. I Loved The Thoughtless Series and I loved Kellan and Kiera. Thoughtless was a tough book because of the cheating content but the growth of the characters through the entire series was spectacular. While there are many Kiera haters, I was not one of them, she was young and in a situation that was hard to navigate but in the end, all was wonderful.
So back to Thoughtful......this is Kellan Kyle's thoughts in Thoughtless. As Thoughtless was written from Kiera's POV, we never got see what Kellan was thinking. So I go super lucky and got an ARC from NG and I was over the moon. So I jumped in all excited......
This book was not easy. It was sad, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, depressing, angsty, and it was just hard to read. As I knew the ending, that was the only thing that kept me going. I loved Kellan before, and while reading, my heart expanded for him, it ached for him and if I could, I would have jumped into the story to hug him and let him know that he was not alone. Kellan's childhood was not rosy and happy, it was unloving and painful. It hurt me to read and see how he Thought of himself. He never knew love so how would anyone really ever love him, choose him?
What I truly loved was at 6%..... Kellan's reaction to Kiera. I am one of those people who believe that people can know when they meet that one person that completes them. Does it always work, no, but I do believe that it exists and I believe that Kellan was 100% convinced that his life would be forever changed by the girl that walked in the door at Pete's that one faithful night. I absolutely loved reading that he knew.
So as you know, the rest of the story is one of struggle. Kiera was in the middle of 2 men that love her and that she loved back. This book follows Thoughtless exactly. I will be very honest....I think that this book should have been a novella. I would have loved reading just the pivotal scenes in his thoughts. I found this book to be too long and too heartbreaking. I knew the ending and it should have sustained me but reading and feeling sad for most of the book was overwhelming. Hearing his past, hearing his wants, needs and desires for Kiera just got too much in my opinion. Kiera got blamed for a lot in her book, but Kellan was just as responsible. Their communication was always sweet and suggestive, they never really expressed their true feelings, they assumed things, they were mean and vindictive to one another, and they were young, inexperienced and made mistakes. Their trials and tribulations were heightened because this was a triangle, feelings had to be hurt and someone would lose in the end.
I'm very mixed in recommending this book. I really loved parts of it but I struggled with a lot of it. I pushed myself to finish and that isn't a feeling that I wanted. I am sure I am in the minority but I do want you to know that I Adore Kellan and Kiera and The Entire Thoughtless Series. This book just did me in and I would have liked less.
ARC kindly provided by Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
March 6, 2015
Since this is essentially the same story as Thoughtless but from Kellan's POV, I won't be doing a regular review on the story. I'll just be posting my views on our all time favorite rocker!
(Love that little smirk!)
I knew this book would be difficult but I really had no idea how bad it would be! At moments I wanted to hug Kellan and at the same time be the fourth person to smack his face!
Kellan just feels so deeply and I think it's because he's shut down his feelings for so long. When he starts connecting with Kiera, he can hardly believe it and he opens himself up. The range of his emotions in this book was exhausting but...he was able to get a handle on things.
*Warning* if you weren't a big fan of Kiera's in Thoughtless, you will probably be even less of a fan in this one. I didn't have a problem with her in Thoughtless especially since we had her POV and we knew what she was going through. Not getting her POV and hearing the things she says to Kellan was rough. The saving grace was knowing the outcome.
And the intensity is certainly present in the steamy scenes! Just getting to read those from Kellan's POV made everything worth it! ;)
Because this book is l-o-n-g...just like all the others but tough + long + exhausting is a little hard to put up with. It really picked up after the fifty percent mark...thank goodness because I almost "pinched my nose" to stop from getting a headache!
One of my favorite things was getting more story on Kellan's relationships with the other band members especially Evan. I loved how they played off each other and how they worked together on their music.
Of course, everything works out in the end. My favorite book is Effortless and I would love to read it from his POV but I doubt that will happen.
Griffin's book, Untamed, is next...coming out November 5, 2015. Naturally, it looks like Griffin's gonna cause all kinds of drama!
Favorite quotes:
♥ "Girlfriend. I'd never had one before."
♥ “Well…you’re just more talented with your fingers,” she replied.
♥ “Jesus. Think we ought to get him an ice pack?”
♥ "Because you're mine!"
♥ “You do realize that if you keep doing this to my body, I will never be able to have children?”
♥ "Your real parents may have been shit, but the three of us, we’re your family now. Get that through your damn skull!”
♥ “You’re…the only woman I’ve ever loved…ever."
♥ “I’m with you…I’m right here.”
♦ BR w/Melissa & Patty!
(Prior to Review)
If these deleted scenes are any indication, this is gonna be a hard book to read!! Poor Kellan! :(
♦ Deleted scene 1: http://authorscstephens.com/thoughtfu...
♦ Deleted scene 2: http://authorscstephens.com/thoughtfu...
*update 7/22/14 - She signed w/Forever books so Kellan's book will be released February 2015, Griffin's book Fall 2015 and a new book - Spring 2016!!
3/11 Teaser:
She handed me the necklace, and my fingers were shaking as I took it. The guitar was perfectly crafted, delicate, but sturdy, and there was a large circle diamond in the center that sparkled in the lights. It was me, and it was Kiera…the perfect embodiment of what we were, or rather, what we’d never be. I couldn’t think of anything better to give her, to help her remember me, and what we’d gone through. “I’ll take it,” I whispered, not even looking at the price tag.
“Excellent,” the woman beamed. “I’ll go ring you up.”
While she walked away, Evan stepped up to me. “Kellan…you can’t expect her to wear that. It’s too obvious.”
I shook my head as I stared at the glow emanating from the diamond. “I don’t expect her to. I don’t expect anything. But this is what I want to give her.” My eyes were watering when I looked over at him. “This is how I want to say goodbye.”
1/14 Teaser:
"When the coffee was done, I prepared our cups, and set Kiera's down in front of her. I leaned back in my chair, perfectly content as I drank mine. Kiera hunched over her mug like she was freezing and it was the only source of warmth in the room. I knew her reaction wasn’t from the cold though, and knowing that made my smile even wider. Jealousy is a bitch, isn’t it, Kiera?"
Cannot Wait!!
February 19, 2015
3 STARS! ★★★
"For a minute, I could pretend that I meant everything to her, because she was certainly starting to mean everything to me."
Y'all know I'm a self-proclaimed angst-whore but if there's any book I've read that managed to cause a massive explosion of blood vessels and induce Kindle-throwing outburst, Thoughtless is THE ONE. Everytime I think about that book and the most indecisive heroine that is Keira, the amount of RAGE I feel is enough to cause me stomach ulcers. But alas there's Kellan Kyle that completely redeemed the initial read for me and being one of my all-time favorite book boyfriends, I couldn't pass on the chance to be inside his head this time around.
Let me first reiterate the obvious: This is purely a retelling of Thoughtless. It's literally Thoughtless: Kellan's POV, so if you're going in hoping for fresh material, you might be disappointed. Being in Kellan's head brings you on an emotional journey as you get to live through the angst and heartbreak again and most importantly, the extra bit that wasn't present in the first one which lets us delve into his childhood past that left him those emotional scars.
I really appreciated those parts the most as it gave me the closure I needed to understand what made him so broken on the inside, being drowned in that sea of loneliness and how he came to found solace in Keira. My heart really hurt for him with those scenes and once again brought up those ragey feels in me that had me yelling that Keira didn't deserve him.
However I found it off-putting that Kellan's POV wasn't what I expected at all. For a good portion of the read, his inner monologue came off as clingy & borderline obsessive for Keira, it was like a truckload of repetitiveness of how much he loved her and couldn't let her go. I could feel myself cringing at his choice of words and his train of thoughts that could have easily passed off as a girl's POV. Also, a lot of scenes dragged on more than I like which nearly sent me into a snoozefest and I couldn't find it in myself to be fully immersed in this lengthy read. Perhaps I would have preferred it better if it leaned towards a novella read instead of a full-length novel. But that's just my opinion :)
Overall, Thoughtful wasn't as angsty as I hoped to be especially since I'm already well aware to anticipate the trainwreck that awaited me. Although with the minor issues in this read, I'm still glad that we finally got to read Kellan's side of the story and appreciate getting to understand what shaped him to be that rockstar we all came to love. Honestly had this been any other read, I'd rate it less but Kellan Kyle holds such a dear place in my heart since the very beginning and reading this surely stirred back up those strong emotions in me ♥
I think it's safe to say that fans of Kellan Kyle who have been dying to get any bits of him since the end of the trilogy will rejoice in getting their Kellan fix. But be prepared to have your heart break all over again for him just like in Thoughtless.
ARC kindly provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
"For a minute, I could pretend that I meant everything to her, because she was certainly starting to mean everything to me."
Y'all know I'm a self-proclaimed angst-whore but if there's any book I've read that managed to cause a massive explosion of blood vessels and induce Kindle-throwing outburst, Thoughtless is THE ONE. Everytime I think about that book and the most indecisive heroine that is Keira, the amount of RAGE I feel is enough to cause me stomach ulcers. But alas there's Kellan Kyle that completely redeemed the initial read for me and being one of my all-time favorite book boyfriends, I couldn't pass on the chance to be inside his head this time around.
Let me first reiterate the obvious: This is purely a retelling of Thoughtless. It's literally Thoughtless: Kellan's POV, so if you're going in hoping for fresh material, you might be disappointed. Being in Kellan's head brings you on an emotional journey as you get to live through the angst and heartbreak again and most importantly, the extra bit that wasn't present in the first one which lets us delve into his childhood past that left him those emotional scars.
I really appreciated those parts the most as it gave me the closure I needed to understand what made him so broken on the inside, being drowned in that sea of loneliness and how he came to found solace in Keira. My heart really hurt for him with those scenes and once again brought up those ragey feels in me that had me yelling that Keira didn't deserve him.
However I found it off-putting that Kellan's POV wasn't what I expected at all. For a good portion of the read, his inner monologue came off as clingy & borderline obsessive for Keira, it was like a truckload of repetitiveness of how much he loved her and couldn't let her go. I could feel myself cringing at his choice of words and his train of thoughts that could have easily passed off as a girl's POV. Also, a lot of scenes dragged on more than I like which nearly sent me into a snoozefest and I couldn't find it in myself to be fully immersed in this lengthy read. Perhaps I would have preferred it better if it leaned towards a novella read instead of a full-length novel. But that's just my opinion :)
Overall, Thoughtful wasn't as angsty as I hoped to be especially since I'm already well aware to anticipate the trainwreck that awaited me. Although with the minor issues in this read, I'm still glad that we finally got to read Kellan's side of the story and appreciate getting to understand what shaped him to be that rockstar we all came to love. Honestly had this been any other read, I'd rate it less but Kellan Kyle holds such a dear place in my heart since the very beginning and reading this surely stirred back up those strong emotions in me ♥
I think it's safe to say that fans of Kellan Kyle who have been dying to get any bits of him since the end of the trilogy will rejoice in getting their Kellan fix. But be prepared to have your heart break all over again for him just like in Thoughtless.
ARC kindly provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 28, 2016
Seen this on Goodreads and was like
MORE KELLAN FUCKING KYLE???
I am so fucking happy right now. I want my Kellan NOW!!!
I need this now!!!
MORE KELLAN FUCKING KYLE???
I am so fucking happy right now. I want my Kellan NOW!!!
I need this now!!!
February 27, 2015
Anyone who knows me or actually should I say anyone who LOVES this series has been waiting for this book for what seems like Forever...
And boy... It was worth the wait and SOO SOOO much more.
Words cannot begin to describe how much I loved this book. Besides the fact that S.C Stephens is an amazingly talented author I think I already knew I was going to love it before I even turned the first page.
Yes.... I am a Kellan Kyle fan. And I never really hated Keira.
Kellan is so deep In this book that it honestly brings tears to my eyes and my heart was so sore for him.
I read this book in 1 sitting. From 10pm- 4am
Waited till everyone was asleep and started.
I don't regret the lack of sleep and I'd do it again for anything more of Kellan and Keira.
As guilty as Keira was, and I know all us females like to blame her only for being a skank at the time, Kellan was as much as fault as Keira for what happened.
Their connection was too strong despite everything and no matter what people say about love triangles, some of the most beautiful love stories happen that way...
I actually feel like crying that this is over....
What do I have to look forward to now ???
My feelings now for Kellan Kyle....
March 23, 2017
*** 3,5 stars ***
I'm glad I had this book on audio because if I were to read it, I would have probably DNFed. I am so mad I gave this one a go, I wish I hadn't and could still remember the story the way it was when reading Thoughtless.
It wasn't bad but I somehow didn't enjoy it. Kellan turned out to be too whiny, Kiera was her indecisive mean-self (hurting one and stringing the other along) and I only felt sorry for Danny. One particular thing at the end bothered me too much this time.
Anyway, I loved their story reading it for the first time, this time...not so much. Sorry.
Well, I will just keep picturing Kellan in my head looking like this and hopefully I will forget about his inner emotional turmoil, which was a bit too overdone for me.
I'm glad I had this book on audio because if I were to read it, I would have probably DNFed. I am so mad I gave this one a go, I wish I hadn't and could still remember the story the way it was when reading Thoughtless.
It wasn't bad but I somehow didn't enjoy it. Kellan turned out to be too whiny, Kiera was her indecisive mean-self (hurting one and stringing the other along) and I only felt sorry for Danny. One particular thing at the end bothered me too much this time.
Anyway, I loved their story reading it for the first time, this time...not so much. Sorry.
Well, I will just keep picturing Kellan in my head looking like this and hopefully I will forget about his inner emotional turmoil, which was a bit too overdone for me.
January 16, 2015
5++ EMOTIONAL STARS!!!
‘I would never be the same after this. We would never be the same after this.’
We’ll start by saying if you haven’t already done so; we strongly suggest reading Thoughtless before reading this book. Although set in the same timeframe, reading Thoughtful will allow you to experience the shift in this story told from Kellan’s perspective. And secondly……Arrrrggghhh this book! Our hearts! We are exhausted! Emotionally wrung out!
‘I wrapped my fury around me like armor. Let her try to find a crack. I dared her.’
We’ll be honest. We were a bit nervous when we heard Thoughtful was in the works. Kellan was, and still is, one of our favourite book boyfriends with the Thoughtless series being forever embedded in our hearts. It goes without saying too much of Kellan is never enough, but still, we had concerns.
Firstly, we knew Kellan’s story would be painful. We felt his pain, loneliness and confusion enough in Thoughtless, hearing it from Kellan first hand was definitely going to be difficult and would add a new dimension to Thoughtless that we weren’t sure we were prepared for.
‘Being in love was so hard. But not being in love was even worse.’
Another concern was this being the same book from a different perspective. It’s been done before and in some cases it’s worked brilliantly by enhancing the original story, yet in others it’s damaged the original story beyond repair. We know SC Stephens is a brilliant storyteller who evokes strong emotions in her words and that she fervently loves her characters, but nonetheless there was a part of us that worried this book could fall in the latter and that would have broken our hearts.
‘It was so hard to see her in pain. It was even harder to know I was the source of it. I was tormenting her, she said so herself.’
But we HAD to delve in and we’re thrilled to say Thoughtful definitely fell into the former, as Kellan’s POV positively enhanced what was already one of our all-time favourite books. It felt fresh, new and gave us insights that had us aching, smiling and falling love with Kellan and this book all over again!
‘I was not about to give her the satisfaction of seeing my pain. My emotional pain anyway. That was mine, she didn’t have a right to it.’
Told from Kellan’s perspective his words were heartbreaking, passionate and highly emotional. Kellan wears his heart on his sleeve and we felt, lived and breathed everything Kellan went through. The depth of his anger, frustration, confusion and love, his unexpected feelings for Kiera, WE! FELT! EVERYTHING! Deep in our hearts.
‘I knew, without a doubt in my head, that I could fall asleep with her in my arms every night and be completely happy. And that thought, scared the crap out of me, because on the flip side, I knew I would be completely miserable without her.’
There’s no doubting this relationship was toxic not only to themselves but those around them and through Kellan’s eyes we really experienced that aspect of the story.
‘The three of us all living together could be an incredible, eye-opening experience. Or it could be a living nightmare. Either way, it was definitely going to be interesting.’
We’ve been asked by readers if this book is merely a rehash?” Our answer is NO, it most certainly didn’t feel that way to us at all. Sure, parts of dialogue are carried through from Thoughtless but they are brought about in a new light making them feel very new and different in Thoughtful. SC Stephens has also explored and expanded scenes and delved into the dynamics of Kellan’s other relationships besides his and Kiera’s making Thoughtful such an enlightening experience.
The relationships with Kellan and Denny, and Kellan and the band were fleshed out in Thoughtful, and in particular Kellan’s relationship with Evan was something we really enjoyed. We knew these two had a bond, but the depth of that bond was so heart-warming.
“I can’t let her go, Evan. I tried. I tried to stay away, I tried to forget her.”
The relationship between Denny and Kellan is also one which SC Stephens took to another level in Thoughtful. This time around we really felt the brotherhood between these two men, making the utter betrayal and hurt Kiera and Kellan caused Denny all the more painful to experience.
‘I’d wanted her, so I’d taken her. I was no friend to him, to anyone. ‘
Although we all knew the outcome, the journey to the final destination in Thoughtful felt new and different allowing us to really feel what was going through Kellan’s head throughout this tumultuous and passionate relationship.
‘If she was going to be a bitch, then I would be her bastard.’
We’ve no doubt fans of this series are going to love this book. It really does offer up a new level to the original story and through it all we felt the gut wrenching agony, the anger, the hurt, the joy, the loss, the passion and the absolute love experienced by this man upon finding his soulmate. **WARNING: Have tissues at the ready!! You’ll need them…we did!!! Prepare to let Kellan Kyle steal your heart all over again. Oh Kellan….sigh….you have our hearts buddy!
**Reviewed from an ARC copy provided by Grand Central Publishing, with thanks.’
***Please note: Quotes may/may not be included in final release***
Our Review of Thoughtless - Book One
Our Review of Effortless- Book Two
Our Review of Reckless Book Three
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November 16, 2015
Do we all remember what happened in #Thoughtless? When Kiera told us her story??
Now it's Kellan's turn. And I just know that it's going to be sooo amazing. And so sad and moving and frustrating and just beautiful.
To prepare for #Thoughtful, I re-read the whole series. I just couldn't help myself. Kellan is my all-time-favorite Book Boyfriend!! ♥ But now I'm not so sure if the re-reading was wrong - it might've been better to go at THOUGHTFUL with a bit distance to the whole story - it's not like I ever forgot anything that happened anyway ☺
If you haven't read the Thoughtless series yet...
PLEASE STOP READING THE REVIEW NOW!!!!
THOUGHTFUL starts a few weeks before Kiera & Denny arrive in Seattle.
We see a bit about how Kellan goes about his 'rockstar' life. All his random hook-ups. He loves sex, sure, but it's so much more than that. He just wants to be close to someone. Even if it's just for a few minutes or hours. He loves being touched, because he never had any of that growing up. He desperately wants to connect to someone. He's not yet really sure what exactly it is that he wants (like a real loving relationship for example) - he just knows that it feels amazing to chase away the lonliness for a short while.
He's sooo excited once he knows Denny will move in with him. That's so adorable to read.
Denny is the only person - other than his band-members - that he ever loved.
He sees Denny as his only real family.
He can't wait to re-connect with him.
But unfortunately he is immediately attracted to Kiera. Like - amazingly drawn to her.
The first second he sees her at Pete's - he's almost a changed person. And that's when he thought he might have a chance at her, because he hadn't yet seen that she came in with Denny ...
but this girl ... even seeing her through a crowd, there was something about her that sang to me. It nearly stopped me in my tracks.
As you can imagine - all through the book we suffer with Kellan. Ok, not only Kellan - we love Denny too and we know how the story ends, and Denny will not get the girl in the end.
But this is Kellan's story and he just, ugh - I could've cried all through the book. He's just so lonely, especially in the beginning. He just wants someone to love him. To have a girl look at him the way Kiera looks at Denny. He's so amazed by their relationship - he's never witnessed anything like that before.
Then of course they become closer - especially once Denny is gone for those two months.
And even though Kellan knows he has to stay away from her - to stop thinking and dreaming inappropriate things about her - he just can't.
OK - THAT'S ALL I'M TELLING YOU!!! ☺
____________________________________
One word:
A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.
I'm the first one to say that I usually don't much like it when an author writes the same story from a different POV much later. But this one was just so different.
First of all - Kellan is my all time favorite guy. Plus, we know there are soo many moments in Thoughtless where Kellan is gone and we only have Kiera's story.
We also finally want to know what Kellan thinks, how he feels, what he thinks and wishes and hopes.
All those moments we never got to hear in Kiera's version.... like the first time he saw her... what he felt and thought about falling for his 'brother's' girl.
She was awkward, shy, adorable, and beautiful.
A deadly combination.
This book was just sooooo full of emotion.
Being with her meant everything to me.
She meant everything to me.
Like I said before - Dawson and I - we had lots of tears in our eyes.
I don't want to pity this amazing rockstar (he wouldn't want that☺) - but you can't help but see this small sad boy with his guitar. How he started sleeping with women, just to feel a tiny little bit of affection in his love-less life.
Then at the end - I will not spoil it - but there's this adorable fact about Kellan's everyday coffee-meeting greeting to Kiera, that we never knew... but now he finally tells us. I loved it.
I loved every second of Kellan's story.
THOUGHTFUL was an amazingly beautiful & emotional addition to the Thoughtless series. If you loved Kellan Kyle before, you will be even more in love with him now!
FIVE BIG AND FAT STARS!!!!!
And now please Hollywood, make Kellan into a TV or Movie-star - ASAP!!!
PLEASE!!!!!
February 24, 2015
★★★★ 3.5 Stars ★★★★
Now LIVE!
Amazon - http://amzn.to/1ApIw35
Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/1ENgpuw
Thoughtful is the highly anticipated novel that gives us Thoughtless in Kellan's Point of View. Thoughtless is one of my favourite angsty books of all time so even though I normally avoid the retelling of books like the plague, I really wanted to be able to feel Kellan's pain through his own eyes.
The book starts a few weeks before he meets Keira and we are reacquainted with Pete's Bar, The D-Bags and all the people that we grew to love in the Thoughtless trilogy. This is where we begin to feel the loneliness that Kellan has been experiencing all his life, with snippets from his past with his parents and the reasons that he feels the need to bed any attractive woman that shows an interest. Kellan just want's to feel an emotional connection and be loved.
When Denny and Keira move into Kellan's house we watch him fall more and more in love with the girl that he can't have without betraying his best friend.
_ _ _ _
There were some great moments, my heart broke for Kellan all over again as Keira constantly chooses Denny over him and I really came to understand his motives for treating Keira the was he did when she hurt him and Keira made me feel just as annoyed at her as I did the first time round.
My reason for not rating this book higher was the length, I felt that it dragged in parts, probably because I have read it all before but Kellan seemed to have very detailed thoughts that really could have been condensed down a bit. I found myself skimming certain scenes in order to get to the juicy bits.
If you are a Kellan fan, it's definitely worth a read just to get inside his head and spend some more time with one of the best Rockstar book boyfriends of all time.
Whilst this can be technically read as a standalone, I would recommend reading Thoughtless first for the full angst effect.
ARC gratefully received from Little, Brown Book Group UK in exchange for an honest review
Now LIVE!
Amazon - http://amzn.to/1ApIw35
Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/1ENgpuw
Thoughtful is the highly anticipated novel that gives us Thoughtless in Kellan's Point of View. Thoughtless is one of my favourite angsty books of all time so even though I normally avoid the retelling of books like the plague, I really wanted to be able to feel Kellan's pain through his own eyes.
The book starts a few weeks before he meets Keira and we are reacquainted with Pete's Bar, The D-Bags and all the people that we grew to love in the Thoughtless trilogy. This is where we begin to feel the loneliness that Kellan has been experiencing all his life, with snippets from his past with his parents and the reasons that he feels the need to bed any attractive woman that shows an interest. Kellan just want's to feel an emotional connection and be loved.
When Denny and Keira move into Kellan's house we watch him fall more and more in love with the girl that he can't have without betraying his best friend.
_ _ _ _
There were some great moments, my heart broke for Kellan all over again as Keira constantly chooses Denny over him and I really came to understand his motives for treating Keira the was he did when she hurt him and Keira made me feel just as annoyed at her as I did the first time round.
My reason for not rating this book higher was the length, I felt that it dragged in parts, probably because I have read it all before but Kellan seemed to have very detailed thoughts that really could have been condensed down a bit. I found myself skimming certain scenes in order to get to the juicy bits.
If you are a Kellan fan, it's definitely worth a read just to get inside his head and spend some more time with one of the best Rockstar book boyfriends of all time.
Whilst this can be technically read as a standalone, I would recommend reading Thoughtless first for the full angst effect.
ARC gratefully received from Little, Brown Book Group UK in exchange for an honest review
February 21, 2015
I am not afraid to admit that the Thoughtless Series is my "go to" read when I'm in a funk! There is no better, for me, than Kellen Kyle when it comes to book BF's. He was my first literary crush and to have 300 some pages of his most inner thoughts and feelings just staggered me.
Reading Thoughtful brought back so many of my favorite scenes...coffee and stolen cuddles with a moody rock God, passion ignited in an empty expresso stand, and the love-hate combustion of emotions in the rain. I was again on edge and I was again completely affected. But with the good comes the bad, and that was the re-acquaintance of Kiera Allen. While I admit to not being a fan of hers, seeing her thru Kellen's eyes and heart was twice as devastating.
I won't rehash the whole sordid tale of Kellen and Kiera, instead I will just say that I had no idea the depth of Kellen's soul. He was truly a broken man who wanted nothing more than for someone to "stay," to let him know he was worth something. He wanted...no he NEEDED to be loved. While many can't stomach the fact that his heart wanted Kiera, you cannot read the inner workings of Kellen and completely not"get it."
"...the way she listened to my music, the way she looked at me with so much compassion. Like she understood my pain even if she didn't know what it was...Why did I have to care about her?...Why couldn't she just love me the way I loved her."
"I hated her so much. Only I didn't. I don't hate her at all, I didn't even blame her. I wouldn't want me either."
Heartbreaking. Sexy. Insightful. For those who cringe at triangles and abhor cheating, take a read into the mind of a man who fell in love so hard and struggled everyday with his worth. The highs and lows of acceptance, the passion and the pain of pleasure are palpable. Kellen's journey to Kiera was not pretty and it was quite selfish and life damming, yet it was all consuming.
In the end, I came away even more of a fan then I ever thought possible. While yes, I had to endure the insecurities and complete bullshit of Kiera, it could not ruin my high from falling in love all over again with a broken man and his epic love story. If Kiera was the balm to Kellen's pain then thank you S.C. Stephens for letting me understand why!!!
*ARC graciously provided per publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review*
Reading Thoughtful brought back so many of my favorite scenes...coffee and stolen cuddles with a moody rock God, passion ignited in an empty expresso stand, and the love-hate combustion of emotions in the rain. I was again on edge and I was again completely affected. But with the good comes the bad, and that was the re-acquaintance of Kiera Allen. While I admit to not being a fan of hers, seeing her thru Kellen's eyes and heart was twice as devastating.
I won't rehash the whole sordid tale of Kellen and Kiera, instead I will just say that I had no idea the depth of Kellen's soul. He was truly a broken man who wanted nothing more than for someone to "stay," to let him know he was worth something. He wanted...no he NEEDED to be loved. While many can't stomach the fact that his heart wanted Kiera, you cannot read the inner workings of Kellen and completely not"get it."
"...the way she listened to my music, the way she looked at me with so much compassion. Like she understood my pain even if she didn't know what it was...Why did I have to care about her?...Why couldn't she just love me the way I loved her."
"I hated her so much. Only I didn't. I don't hate her at all, I didn't even blame her. I wouldn't want me either."
Heartbreaking. Sexy. Insightful. For those who cringe at triangles and abhor cheating, take a read into the mind of a man who fell in love so hard and struggled everyday with his worth. The highs and lows of acceptance, the passion and the pain of pleasure are palpable. Kellen's journey to Kiera was not pretty and it was quite selfish and life damming, yet it was all consuming.
In the end, I came away even more of a fan then I ever thought possible. While yes, I had to endure the insecurities and complete bullshit of Kiera, it could not ruin my high from falling in love all over again with a broken man and his epic love story. If Kiera was the balm to Kellen's pain then thank you S.C. Stephens for letting me understand why!!!
*ARC graciously provided per publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review*
February 8, 2015
*2.5 stars*
**I'd like to put a disclaimer before I even start this review: S.C. Stephens is an amazing author and she is one of my favorites. Nothing I say below has changed my opinion of her as an author....I just wanted so much more because I know how awesome she can be.**
Did she realize I screamed my heart out in my lyrics? Did she understand that my life left me feeling vacant inside? That I was so fucking lonely I almost couldn't stand myself? << Love this line.
This hurts me to say, worse than any of you can imagine but....this book was so unnecessary. It's exactly what I thought. I shouldn't have read it and, in the end, it took some of the magic away from book one of the series. I can't help it, though. I needed this book. BAD. And here I am, disappointed. But what right do I have? I requested it and was just positive I would get denied. I played Russian Roulette and found myself on the receiving end of the bullet. But, even more than that-I wanted this book to be glorious. I wanted to experience all the same emotions as I did with Thoughtless, Effortless, Reckless....it's not possible. Not for me, anyway.
Kellan Kyle is one of my absolute favorite book boyfriends. It's something anyone close to me is more than aware of-I adore this guy. Thank God, though, my opinion of him hasn't changed like it did with Travis from the massacre Walking Disaster. Some things should just be left sacred. I'm sorry, but some books and series should be left the fuck alone. This is one of them.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy certain parts. I'll admit it-I'll admit that! I could NEVER HATE my favorite scenes in the history of holy hotness-The lime scene, the coffee stand scene, the dance club scene, the RAIN SCENE for fuck's sake!!! But I just...I don't get it. Why did he fall for Kiera in this book? How? And it makes no sense because we're in his head and he's sitting here telling us why he loves her, but as with ALL male POV re-dos...Kiera just wasn't Kiera. And oh, here we go, I hear all the boo-hisses from all those who loathed her, but guess what? I liked her. She fucked up-Royally. She really did. And, yes, she really annoyed me when I read Thoughtless two years ago. But, the fact remains, I still liked her. I did. She made a mistake-no, she made mistake after costly mistake. But Lord, I've said it before and I'll say it again-I can barely even choose where to eat lunch!! How in the ever loving fuck am I supposed to choose between two hot, supportive, amazing guys? That's the question, though, isn't it? You shouldn't get yourself into that position, anyway. But, would I be able to hold up under that pressure after I thought my forever-love had abandoned me for his career?? I. Don't. Know. I'd like to think so, but I've never been, or put myself, in that position. I don't condone cheating at any cost, but this is fiction, people! And I'm circling my point-I didn't feel even a fraction of the angst, emotion, or heartache that I did with it's namesake. I didn't. When authors switch sides, we lose all that depth and all that hard work that was put into the main female character. We know her now, sure, because we read that book. But guess what-This book is not the same book. I want to see it all again. I want to see him fall in love with a real person, not a stand-in or a mannequin of the girl we are supposed to know. This Kiera, she wasn't a betrayer or an adulterer or even a confused young girl anymore...she was, simply put, just another piece of paper. That girl that I was angry at and cried for was not here. I know people wanted more Kellan and that was the whole point, but....is he supposed to be the only character?
I'd seen anger, jealousy, bitterness, and resentment. Love equaled pain in my world. And I generally tried to avoid pain.
It's so hard to explain and people most likely won't get it, but I need two complex characters. Two characters that make me rip my hair out and who fight each other and who LOVE PASSIONATELY even as they live in sin. I love Kellan so much, more than anyone could know....but this story didn't do him justice. I liked a little mystery to his character. I liked his smokey looks and secret glances her way. Being told he's doing such things takes all the breathtaking imagery away and hands me a formulaic script for what I already know: Kellan loves Kiera. God, don't I know it. But I wanted to see them fall in love all over again-from his eyes. And if you take all the mystery, the angst, the 'I don't know what's going to happen', and the heated conversations, you stunt what was already an amazing (albeit controversial) book. Tell me....what do you have left?
With less inner dialogue it would have changed the story, in a good way. Hearing a play by play of every little conversation is where it all went downhill. Telling instead of showing and hearing instead of seeing really halted the flow. A lot of times we were left hanging and days would pass. That's fine, sure, but don't say 'over the last three days, Kiera started to give me evil looks-I needed to talk to her about that.' That's not an actual line, but it gives you the gist. I just didn't care for this and I never have in any story.
I'd never experienced anything like this before. It was beyond all expectation, all reason. It changed me. I would never be the same after this. We would never be the same after this.
I do have to throw in some positive, though. I never am this harsh and even with that harsh reality of how I really felt about this book, there were still moments that made me smile and reminisce. The absolute best scene(s) in this story was when the shit hit the fan. Oh yeah, you all know that part-when everything falls apart. THAT was the most emotion I felt in the whole novel. Pretty much anything that happened to do with the unraveling of it all was the best. I cried a little for the airport scene and I felt pain when Kiera realized what she'd done....to everyone. It was just...it was everything I had wanted for the whole book-too bad it was so late in the story. I loved being in his head for just for the simple fact of how and why he does what he does with other women. It was touching in a way I never imagined possible, because I felt like it would be hard to read about him having sex with other women, but it was okay, for me, because I saw what it did for him. It was about that one moment of connection and how it made him feel alive, wanted, complacent...if only until his climax when he is discarded just like he does with his condoms. It was heartbreaking. But, on that same token, if you don't want to see the illustrious Kellan Kyle have sex with someone besides Kiera-this book isn't for you.
Maybe what we'd done was wrong, but we'd loved with all our hearts, and no one could take that away from us. Not Denny, not fate, not life.
So, to all my friends who have been asking me if they should read this? No. I do NOT recommend this book if you held the Thoughtless series dear to your heart, like I did. For those who just want more Kellan? Go for it. And for those who don't mind monotonous accounts of his everyday life as he waits to see Kiera again, filler scenes that feel dull and lifeless, generally repetitive thoughts and accounts of what had already happened, and shameless obsession (we know he loved her to the point of obsession, but seeing it play out and just knowing it by our own knowledge is completely different. It ruins it when we're forced to hear it every page) that makes you feel just plain sorry for him...then this is your book.
There will always be nostalgia with this story and I will always get those little butterflies-But it wasn't what the story could be. S.C. Stephens-you sold yourself short....and I'm so damn sad.
**ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
For more of my reviews, please visit:
*******************************************************
Wellll...something amazing has happened. It seems fate has reached out and decided FOR ME whether to read this or not-while I am STILL super nervous to read this book that could potentially ruin one of my all time favorite series ever, I have been given an ARC!!!!!! So, it seems, that I am about to read a book I am very apprehensive about....but also so excited about that I might pee my pants. So, eh, I've never been that smart anyway. lol.
*****************************************
To read, or not to read??
I don't know yet. I have seen this bouncing around on GR and I don't know if I can put myself through another FAILED male POV. Do I take the chance and possibly ruin one of my all time favorite series....? Or just leave it be as is and accept that I was happy enough with the story as Stephens left it.
After the massacre also known as WALKING DISASTER (Which irrevocably changed my feelings and ruined my outlook about one of my other all time favorites Beautiful Disaster) I am skeptical as to whether I'm willing to put the Thoughtless series at risk.
But Stephens is a better author than McGuire.....so I'm still 50/50. Guess we'll see.
******OH! Another example of an epic fail in Male POV is Come Alive by Karina Halle. It ALMOST ruined my outlook on the series....but book 8 came back strong and became another favorite of mine....
**I'd like to put a disclaimer before I even start this review: S.C. Stephens is an amazing author and she is one of my favorites. Nothing I say below has changed my opinion of her as an author....I just wanted so much more because I know how awesome she can be.**
Did she realize I screamed my heart out in my lyrics? Did she understand that my life left me feeling vacant inside? That I was so fucking lonely I almost couldn't stand myself? << Love this line.
This hurts me to say, worse than any of you can imagine but....this book was so unnecessary. It's exactly what I thought. I shouldn't have read it and, in the end, it took some of the magic away from book one of the series. I can't help it, though. I needed this book. BAD. And here I am, disappointed. But what right do I have? I requested it and was just positive I would get denied. I played Russian Roulette and found myself on the receiving end of the bullet. But, even more than that-I wanted this book to be glorious. I wanted to experience all the same emotions as I did with Thoughtless, Effortless, Reckless....it's not possible. Not for me, anyway.
Kellan Kyle is one of my absolute favorite book boyfriends. It's something anyone close to me is more than aware of-I adore this guy. Thank God, though, my opinion of him hasn't changed like it did with Travis from the massacre Walking Disaster. Some things should just be left sacred. I'm sorry, but some books and series should be left the fuck alone. This is one of them.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy certain parts. I'll admit it-I'll admit that! I could NEVER HATE my favorite scenes in the history of holy hotness-The lime scene, the coffee stand scene, the dance club scene, the RAIN SCENE for fuck's sake!!! But I just...I don't get it. Why did he fall for Kiera in this book? How? And it makes no sense because we're in his head and he's sitting here telling us why he loves her, but as with ALL male POV re-dos...Kiera just wasn't Kiera. And oh, here we go, I hear all the boo-hisses from all those who loathed her, but guess what? I liked her. She fucked up-Royally. She really did. And, yes, she really annoyed me when I read Thoughtless two years ago. But, the fact remains, I still liked her. I did. She made a mistake-no, she made mistake after costly mistake. But Lord, I've said it before and I'll say it again-I can barely even choose where to eat lunch!! How in the ever loving fuck am I supposed to choose between two hot, supportive, amazing guys? That's the question, though, isn't it? You shouldn't get yourself into that position, anyway. But, would I be able to hold up under that pressure after I thought my forever-love had abandoned me for his career?? I. Don't. Know. I'd like to think so, but I've never been, or put myself, in that position. I don't condone cheating at any cost, but this is fiction, people! And I'm circling my point-I didn't feel even a fraction of the angst, emotion, or heartache that I did with it's namesake. I didn't. When authors switch sides, we lose all that depth and all that hard work that was put into the main female character. We know her now, sure, because we read that book. But guess what-This book is not the same book. I want to see it all again. I want to see him fall in love with a real person, not a stand-in or a mannequin of the girl we are supposed to know. This Kiera, she wasn't a betrayer or an adulterer or even a confused young girl anymore...she was, simply put, just another piece of paper. That girl that I was angry at and cried for was not here. I know people wanted more Kellan and that was the whole point, but....is he supposed to be the only character?
I'd seen anger, jealousy, bitterness, and resentment. Love equaled pain in my world. And I generally tried to avoid pain.
It's so hard to explain and people most likely won't get it, but I need two complex characters. Two characters that make me rip my hair out and who fight each other and who LOVE PASSIONATELY even as they live in sin. I love Kellan so much, more than anyone could know....but this story didn't do him justice. I liked a little mystery to his character. I liked his smokey looks and secret glances her way. Being told he's doing such things takes all the breathtaking imagery away and hands me a formulaic script for what I already know: Kellan loves Kiera. God, don't I know it. But I wanted to see them fall in love all over again-from his eyes. And if you take all the mystery, the angst, the 'I don't know what's going to happen', and the heated conversations, you stunt what was already an amazing (albeit controversial) book. Tell me....what do you have left?
With less inner dialogue it would have changed the story, in a good way. Hearing a play by play of every little conversation is where it all went downhill. Telling instead of showing and hearing instead of seeing really halted the flow. A lot of times we were left hanging and days would pass. That's fine, sure, but don't say 'over the last three days, Kiera started to give me evil looks-I needed to talk to her about that.' That's not an actual line, but it gives you the gist. I just didn't care for this and I never have in any story.
I'd never experienced anything like this before. It was beyond all expectation, all reason. It changed me. I would never be the same after this. We would never be the same after this.
I do have to throw in some positive, though. I never am this harsh and even with that harsh reality of how I really felt about this book, there were still moments that made me smile and reminisce. The absolute best scene(s) in this story was when the shit hit the fan. Oh yeah, you all know that part-when everything falls apart. THAT was the most emotion I felt in the whole novel. Pretty much anything that happened to do with the unraveling of it all was the best. I cried a little for the airport scene and I felt pain when Kiera realized what she'd done....to everyone. It was just...it was everything I had wanted for the whole book-too bad it was so late in the story. I loved being in his head for just for the simple fact of how and why he does what he does with other women. It was touching in a way I never imagined possible, because I felt like it would be hard to read about him having sex with other women, but it was okay, for me, because I saw what it did for him. It was about that one moment of connection and how it made him feel alive, wanted, complacent...if only until his climax when he is discarded just like he does with his condoms. It was heartbreaking. But, on that same token, if you don't want to see the illustrious Kellan Kyle have sex with someone besides Kiera-this book isn't for you.
Maybe what we'd done was wrong, but we'd loved with all our hearts, and no one could take that away from us. Not Denny, not fate, not life.
So, to all my friends who have been asking me if they should read this? No. I do NOT recommend this book if you held the Thoughtless series dear to your heart, like I did. For those who just want more Kellan? Go for it. And for those who don't mind monotonous accounts of his everyday life as he waits to see Kiera again, filler scenes that feel dull and lifeless, generally repetitive thoughts and accounts of what had already happened, and shameless obsession (we know he loved her to the point of obsession, but seeing it play out and just knowing it by our own knowledge is completely different. It ruins it when we're forced to hear it every page) that makes you feel just plain sorry for him...then this is your book.
There will always be nostalgia with this story and I will always get those little butterflies-But it wasn't what the story could be. S.C. Stephens-you sold yourself short....and I'm so damn sad.
**ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
For more of my reviews, please visit:
*******************************************************
Wellll...something amazing has happened. It seems fate has reached out and decided FOR ME whether to read this or not-while I am STILL super nervous to read this book that could potentially ruin one of my all time favorite series ever, I have been given an ARC!!!!!! So, it seems, that I am about to read a book I am very apprehensive about....but also so excited about that I might pee my pants. So, eh, I've never been that smart anyway. lol.
*****************************************
To read, or not to read??
I don't know yet. I have seen this bouncing around on GR and I don't know if I can put myself through another FAILED male POV. Do I take the chance and possibly ruin one of my all time favorite series....? Or just leave it be as is and accept that I was happy enough with the story as Stephens left it.
After the massacre also known as WALKING DISASTER (Which irrevocably changed my feelings and ruined my outlook about one of my other all time favorites Beautiful Disaster) I am skeptical as to whether I'm willing to put the Thoughtless series at risk.
But Stephens is a better author than McGuire.....so I'm still 50/50. Guess we'll see.
******OH! Another example of an epic fail in Male POV is Come Alive by Karina Halle. It ALMOST ruined my outlook on the series....but book 8 came back strong and became another favorite of mine....
February 28, 2015
♥♥♥ 4.5 "Mornin'" STARS ♥♥♥
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♫♪“He knows that I'm a friend of yours, but doesn't know I've crossed the line.
I know you've got a man in the picture, but it hasn't stopped me yet.
We've all been in one situation or another we regret.
Now I'm the other man, no one's rootin' for me.
If I'm the other man, nature will abhor me.
To be the other man, no one's sympathizes.
When you're the other man that everyone despises.
He's going to find out that the rumours are true.
The love that I've still unbeknownst to you.”♪♫
Sloan - The Other Man
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● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
“I don’t want to feel guilty about something that makes me feel so…whole.”
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Oh, how I missed Kellan dearly! And getting his POV was awesome and very emotional. I'm not going to lie, I was really worried
about reading this. I have read books before where the same story is being told in the alternate POV, and I have not enjoyed it. I love Kellan a lot, since he was one of my first book boyfriends ever, I didn't want to be disappointed by his book. I am glad to say that it did not, at all.
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“I knew I was overstepping so many boundaries right now that it was ridiculous, but I couldn't help myself. Holding her—just holding her—felt better than anything I’d felt in a while.”
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If you have read Thoughtless, then you are very aware what this book is about. Yes, we get the exact same story, but the writing was so wonderfully done that I was able to feel of the intense angst and emotion the Kellan Kyle suffered. It really was almost like a new experience and not at all like you were reading the same thing over again. I knew what would happen next, but that didn't stop me from connecting to the story. I loved knowing all of his thoughts, when he felt love, hatred, and sadness. Reading about his vulnerable moments first hand was completely heart breaking. I teared up a lot during those moments. I also felt all of that frustration from seeing the direction Kellan and Keira's relationship was headed.
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
'You begged me to stay. You cried for me. You made love to me. How can I possibly leave you alone after that? When I love you more than anything else in this world? I just want a part of you, is that too much to ask?
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Not everything that was in this book was the same as Thoughtless. Here, we get a better insight into Kellan's horrible childhood. We also get to see how Kellan and Denny's friendship began. I appreciated seeing that, I also appreciated the fact that we get a better understanding of Denny's actions, as well. I don't know how S.C. Stephens did it, but she managed to make the same story feel brand new and different. This had me bawling just like the Keira's book. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It had an overload of angst, as did the first. It made me angry and so upset, but it also made smile so big and fall in love with Kellan all over again. I loved every moment of this book. I could not put it down. I definitely recommend this one to you angst lovers and of course to those who love Kellan Kyle.
![Profile Image for [~Ami~]♥Sexy Dexy♥ .](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1388500902i/22427047._UY200_CR8,0,200,200_.jpg)
February 6, 2015
3 stars
If I thought Thoughtless was angst overload, this book was worse! My poor heart hurt for KK but I think this book didnt do him justice. He became needy/clingy/obsessed with Kiera and his thoughts got repetitive.
I was gonna give 2 stars but then I realised not many books can give me the feels, whether they made me smile/uncomfortable/throw my tablet against the wall. So even though I took countless breaks I was in the mood for a bit of torture.
I would recommend if you enjoy
Angst
Angst
Angst
Sexual tension
Heartache
ARC provided by NetGalley
If I thought Thoughtless was angst overload, this book was worse! My poor heart hurt for KK but I think this book didnt do him justice. He became needy/clingy/obsessed with Kiera and his thoughts got repetitive.
I was gonna give 2 stars but then I realised not many books can give me the feels, whether they made me smile/uncomfortable/throw my tablet against the wall. So even though I took countless breaks I was in the mood for a bit of torture.
I would recommend if you enjoy
Angst
Angst
Angst
Sexual tension
Heartache
ARC provided by NetGalley
March 10, 2015
https://www.facebook.com/SCStephensAu...
Merged review:
4 "You Mean Everything To Me" Stars!
(BR with Patty & Sharon)
I felt more comfortable in the spotlight than I felt being alone.
In Thoughtful we get Kellan's side & everything he was feeling. I liked his POV & finding out how gone he was over Kiera from the beginning. We also get more of his past with his family & how worthless and unloveable they made him feel growing up. We get more from his past with Denny too & how they bonded like brothers from the start. We see how desperate Kellan was for a connection with someone & that he just wanted to feel wanted. He didn't think love was something he could ever have until Kiera.
I simply stared at her and thanked whatever fates there were for bringing her into my life.
There was a connection between us, something beyond just physical attraction.
She was everything I wanted, everything I needed, everything I hoped for.
My heart was Kiera's alone. Fully and completely.
Merged review:
4 "You Mean Everything To Me" Stars!
(BR with Patty & Sharon)
I felt more comfortable in the spotlight than I felt being alone.
In Thoughtful we get Kellan's side & everything he was feeling. I liked his POV & finding out how gone he was over Kiera from the beginning. We also get more of his past with his family & how worthless and unloveable they made him feel growing up. We get more from his past with Denny too & how they bonded like brothers from the start. We see how desperate Kellan was for a connection with someone & that he just wanted to feel wanted. He didn't think love was something he could ever have until Kiera.
I simply stared at her and thanked whatever fates there were for bringing her into my life.
There was a connection between us, something beyond just physical attraction.
She was everything I wanted, everything I needed, everything I hoped for.
My heart was Kiera's alone. Fully and completely.
Shelved as 'not-gonna-happen-nope'
April 15, 2016
February 23, 2015
★★★ 3.5 stars ★★★
Please don't hate me before you read this review….
One thing that was evident when I started reading Thoughtful is that I don't, or I didn't, understand Kellan Kyle near as well as I thought I did. So far, we have gotten Kellan's explanation (through Kiera's POV) as to why his lifestyle was filled with meaningless sex, music, and more meaningless sex. His past dialogue has enlightened us to why he needed those women, that connection. However, it wasn't until this book that I truly understood it, and that understanding starts from the very first page. It connected me with Kellan in a way that the other books just couldn't.
So, as a long time (pink cover free version long time) fan of this series, reading Thoughtful was a true gift.
The reason I didn't rate it higher is that this book just didn't quite carry the same punch as Thoughtless. However, the impossibility of being able to do that is not the author's fault. We get to see some flashbacks from Kellan's POV and a few scenes from when Kellan wasn't with Kiera, but for the most part, this follows the same storyline and progression of events as Thoughtless. The emotions I felt when first reading this series from Kiera's POV were impossible to duplicate with the same intensity. It was also hard not to skim certain parts that seemed to move a little slower in order to get to one of those more memorable/pivotal scenes, but I'm glad she stayed on point with Thoughtless. If she hadn't, there's a possibility that one of the scenes that I had personally been dying to read might not have been included. I got what I wanted. This makes me happy.
One of my absolute favorite things about this book happens to be one of my not so favorites. What can I say, I'm controversial. In Thoughtful, we are introduced to a totally new Kellan Kyle. His love and infatuation with Kiera is palpable. His sensitivity, full of passion, but I didn't get to see much more than that. Kellan's defense mechanism is protecting his emotions with a thick layer of confidence and flirtiness, and sometimes mixed with a little asshole. I know much of this is a front, but I believe with all of my heart thatmy our Kellan Kyle shares some of the same characteristics he shows on the surface. When he's on stage, he radiates strength, sexuality, confidence and a lot of testosterone, but we don't see much of that below the surface in Thoughtful. I loved the emotional side of Kellan, but I feel this book lost the, for lack of a better word, manlier (and sometimes playful) side. I loved so much getting to discover a new Kellan, one I didn't really know before, but I missed seeing the one that I thought I already knew.
I don't want anyone to take this review as me saying I didn't enjoy the book. It is a great companion to this series, a series that is so high on my shelf of favorites that I don't even think I can reach it anymore. When you love a book and a author's work as much as I do the this series and S.C. Stephens, more is always a good thing. The scenes this book contains from Kellan's POV are invaluable and even though it may have contained some things I didn't like, imperfections are irrelevant with unconditional love and this series has definitely earned that.
READ ON!
Check out the Thoughtful book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HraQw...
Please don't hate me before you read this review….
One thing that was evident when I started reading Thoughtful is that I don't, or I didn't, understand Kellan Kyle near as well as I thought I did. So far, we have gotten Kellan's explanation (through Kiera's POV) as to why his lifestyle was filled with meaningless sex, music, and more meaningless sex. His past dialogue has enlightened us to why he needed those women, that connection. However, it wasn't until this book that I truly understood it, and that understanding starts from the very first page. It connected me with Kellan in a way that the other books just couldn't.
So, as a long time (pink cover free version long time) fan of this series, reading Thoughtful was a true gift.
The reason I didn't rate it higher is that this book just didn't quite carry the same punch as Thoughtless. However, the impossibility of being able to do that is not the author's fault. We get to see some flashbacks from Kellan's POV and a few scenes from when Kellan wasn't with Kiera, but for the most part, this follows the same storyline and progression of events as Thoughtless. The emotions I felt when first reading this series from Kiera's POV were impossible to duplicate with the same intensity. It was also hard not to skim certain parts that seemed to move a little slower in order to get to one of those more memorable/pivotal scenes, but I'm glad she stayed on point with Thoughtless. If she hadn't, there's a possibility that one of the scenes that I had personally been dying to read might not have been included. I got what I wanted. This makes me happy.
One of my absolute favorite things about this book happens to be one of my not so favorites. What can I say, I'm controversial. In Thoughtful, we are introduced to a totally new Kellan Kyle. His love and infatuation with Kiera is palpable. His sensitivity, full of passion, but I didn't get to see much more than that. Kellan's defense mechanism is protecting his emotions with a thick layer of confidence and flirtiness, and sometimes mixed with a little asshole. I know much of this is a front, but I believe with all of my heart that
I don't want anyone to take this review as me saying I didn't enjoy the book. It is a great companion to this series, a series that is so high on my shelf of favorites that I don't even think I can reach it anymore. When you love a book and a author's work as much as I do the this series and S.C. Stephens, more is always a good thing. The scenes this book contains from Kellan's POV are invaluable and even though it may have contained some things I didn't like, imperfections are irrelevant with unconditional love and this series has definitely earned that.
READ ON!
Check out the Thoughtful book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HraQw...
January 16, 2015
5++ EMOTIONAL STARS!!!
‘I would never be the same after this. We would never be the same after this.’
We’ll start by saying if you haven’t already done so; we strongly suggest reading Thoughtless before reading this book. Although set in the same timeframe, reading Thoughtful will allow you to experience the shift in this story told from Kellan’s perspective. And secondly……Arrrrggghhh this book! Our hearts! We are exhausted! Emotionally wrung out!
‘I wrapped my fury around me like armor. Let her try to find a crack. I dared her.’
We’ll be honest. We were a bit nervous when we heard Thoughtful was in the works. Kellan was, and still is, one of our favourite book boyfriends with the Thoughtless series being forever embedded in our hearts. It goes without saying too much of Kellan is never enough, but still, we had concerns.
Firstly, we knew Kellan’s story would be painful. We felt his pain, loneliness and confusion enough in Thoughtless, hearing it from Kellan first hand was definitely going to be difficult and would add a new dimension to Thoughtless that we weren’t sure we were prepared for.
‘Being in love was so hard. But not being in love was even worse.’
Another concern was this being the same book from a different perspective. It’s been done before and in some cases it’s worked brilliantly by enhancing the original story, yet in others it’s damaged the original story beyond repair. We know SC Stephens is a brilliant storyteller who evokes strong emotions in her words and that she fervently loves her characters, but nonetheless there was a part of us that worried this book could fall in the latter and that would have broken our hearts.
‘It was so hard to see her in pain. It was even harder to know I was the source of it. I was tormenting her, she said so herself.’
But we HAD to delve in and we’re thrilled to say Thoughtful definitely fell into the former, as Kellan’s POV positively enhanced what was already one of our all-time favourite books. It felt fresh, new and gave us insights that had us aching, smiling and falling love with Kellan and this book all over again!
‘I was not about to give her the satisfaction of seeing my pain. My emotional pain anyway. That was mine, she didn’t have a right to it.’
Told from Kellan’s perspective his words were heartbreaking, passionate and highly emotional. Kellan wears his heart on his sleeve and we felt, lived and breathed everything Kellan went through. The depth of his anger, frustration, confusion and love, his unexpected feelings for Kiera, WE! FELT! EVERYTHING! Deep in our hearts.
‘I knew, without a doubt in my head, that I could fall asleep with her in my arms every night and be completely happy. And that thought, scared the crap out of me, because on the flip side, I knew I would be completely miserable without her.’
There’s no doubting this relationship was toxic not only to themselves but those around them and through Kellan’s eyes we really experienced that aspect of the story.
‘The three of us all living together could be an incredible, eye-opening experience. Or it could be a living nightmare. Either way, it was definitely going to be interesting.’
We’ve been asked by readers if this book is merely a rehash?” Our answer is NO, it most certainly didn’t feel that way to us at all. Sure, parts of dialogue are carried through from Thoughtless but they are brought about in a new light making them feel very new and different in Thoughtful. SC Stephens has also explored and expanded scenes and delved into the dynamics of Kellan’s other relationships besides his and Kiera’s making Thoughtful such an enlightening experience.
The relationships with Kellan and Denny, and Kellan and the band were fleshed out in Thoughtful, and in particular Kellan’s relationship with Evan was something we really enjoyed. We knew these two had a bond, but the depth of that bond was so heart-warming.
“I can’t let her go, Evan. I tried. I tried to stay away, I tried to forget her.”
The relationship between Denny and Kellan is also one which SC Stephens took to another level in Thoughtful. This time around we really felt the brotherhood between these two men, making the utter betrayal and hurt Kiera and Kellan caused Denny all the more painful to experience.
‘I’d wanted her, so I’d taken her. I was no friend to him, to anyone. ‘
Although we all knew the outcome, the journey to the final destination in Thoughtful felt new and different allowing us to really feel what was going through Kellan’s head throughout this tumultuous and passionate relationship.
‘If she was going to be a bitch, then I would be her bastard.’
We’ve no doubt fans of this series are going to love this book. It really does offer up a new level to the original story and through it all we felt the gut wrenching agony, the anger, the hurt, the joy, the loss, the passion and the absolute love experienced by this man upon finding his soulmate. **WARNING: Have tissues at the ready!! You’ll need them…we did!!! Prepare to let Kellan Kyle steal your heart all over again. Oh Kellan….sigh….you have our hearts buddy!
**Reviewed from an ARC copy provided by Grand Central Publishing, with thanks.’
***Please note: Quotes may/may not be included in final release***
Our Review of Thoughtless - Book One
Our Review of Effortless- Book Two
Our Review of Reckless Book Three
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February 25, 2015
*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*
5+++++ “Mornin’” “It’s better to never say goodbye, to just move on, to end the lie.” “She was mine” Kisses
I don’t know how to talk about this series without putting my whole heart on paper…that’s how much I love it. The Thoughtless series is one of my favorite series of all time…one of my top three BBF’s of all time…one of my favorite couples ever…it means so much to me that even contemplating putting my feelings about it into words makes me tear up – it just has that hold over my heart. I was really nervous going into Thoughtful because I needed it to be amazing…I’ve been dying to get into Kellan Kyle’s head for almost 2 ½ years...a lot was on the line. Well my thoughts, hopes, dreams and any and all expectations were completely and totally blown out of the water. Thoughtful was everything I could have imagined and then some…love doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel about this book. In case you haven’t read the Thoughtless series or met the god that is Kellan Kyle…then please stop immediately and go read Thoughtless…like, right now. This is a series that absolutely must be read in order and while you can read Effortless and Recklessbefore Thoughtful, you have to read Thoughtless first.
Kellan Kyle…the rock star…the sex god…the man defies explanation. I knew from the very beginning there was so much untapped potential…so much promise behind those beautiful blue eyes…and actually knowing and understanding him a little better has finally given my heart peace. It’s not that Kellan never opened up in Thoughtless…he does…but hearing them tell someone their thoughts and feelings and reading everything straight from the character…it’s just two different things. There is absolutely no filter between Kellan and me and there is no way to fully express how deeply I felt everything he was saying. I knew it was going to be hard…I knew it was going to hurt but I did not come close to how incredible it actually was. It was like falling in love with him all over again. I found a new, deeper appreciation for this brilliant character that I already thought was amazing.
Kiera Allen…I have always had this love for Kiera that I cannot explain. I never hated her…I may have been frustrated with her – and seeing her actions through Kellan’s eyes didn’t change that…but on some level, I understood what she was going through. I didn’t envy her decision or her struggle…she’s faced with the impossible choice…her first love, the only man that she has ever been with and a guy that represents a huge part of her life….or this amazing man that lights her up and makes her feel things she’s never experienced before. I understood and saw her fear and reluctance for what it was. I think really knowing how Kellan felt about her and seeing her from his POV almost made everything that they went through worth it…because I have a new found appreciation for what her presence did to him and for him. It’s really hard to explain and I really feel like it’s something that needs to be experienced…in the moment…hearing it straight from Kellan…I just get it.
My love for Kellan and Kiera might be at an all time high right now…their story, their feelings for each other…from beginning to end, I can’t help but love every single ounce of these two. They’re so alike and yet so different in so many ways, but the one thing they have is this unending desire to be with each other…just being around the other makes them more complete and I love that so much. It’s always been more about their emotional connection than anything else between these two and Thoughtless really showed me that. The joy that was brought to my heart with every time they held hands or he made her laugh or blush or when she would talk to him about his music…that’s just all I need in life. I’m a stickler for one thing…repetitiveness…I hate it. I can handle it in small doses, but if it gets to be too much then I start to disconnect. This is the same story as Thoughtless…so you would think the repetitiveness of reading the same story would drive me crazy – it did not feel like the same story. Every emotion and detail I was reading was fresh and new…and even though I knew exactly what was going to happen next, I was still holding my breath with each click of my kindle.
I don’t know why hearing the same story from a different POV affected me differently…but it did. I know their story…the order of events isn’t different but the emotional impact that is had on me is 1000000000% a new experience. Understanding Kellan’s thoughts and feelings…seeing things from a new perspective…getting facts that weren’t exactly as clear the first time around…it was like reading Thoughtless for the first time. And god did that book gut me the first time around but for whatever reason I didn’t know if I was going to survive it from Kellan’s POV. The rawness of his emotions was something I don’t experience very often. Maybe it’s because he’s one of my favorites, maybe it’s because I love this story so much – I really don’t care the reason why it hit me so hard because it was the most exquisite pain and I couldn’t help but love every second of it. I feel like Thoughtful brought a new clarity to a character that is so deeply rooted in my heart, I never will forget him…and getting this insight on him was worth every second of pain…it made me appreciate him and love him more than I thought possible.
Another reason I loved it…it made me love the D-Bags even more. Of course seeing them through Kiera’s eyes it’s impossible not to fall for these guys and their little band bro-mance they have…it’s an amazing combination and brings light and humor to an angsty series…but really understanding the friendship that they have with Kellan…it’s just one more layer than I couldn’t help but adore. Especially the Kellan/Evan relationship…that was kind of an awesome surprise. I mean…I knew Evan was a great guy but it’s not like I remember any of their conversations being that impactful, but this time around, I had a new found admiration for the way Evan helped and support Kellan. Something I was excited to see and really enjoyed understanding more was the way Kellan and Denny handled everything that happened. It’s no secret how much Kellan thought of Denny and how conflicted he was over damaging that relationship…and we get the basics on how everything goes after the fight…but I did feel like I got more out of that. The whole situation is messy but they’re all trying to make the best of it…and I appreciated getting more insight into what happened between the two of them.
It’s funny because while I was reading…and loving every second…I had the same feels that I did with Thoughtless. I wanted it to be over and never end in the same breath…it’s very conflicting and confusing…but it works. Now that I have a taste of KK’s mind…I want more! This shouldn’t be a surprise…I’m a Stage 5 Clinger and if there is anyone I cling to the most, it’s Kellan Kyle…but he’s like a drug that I will never stop being addicted to. Am I content with getting Thoughtful…of course I am…but I would gladly accept Effortless and Reckless from KK’s POV. Because…more Kellan is always amazing. :-)
5+++++ “Mornin’” “It’s better to never say goodbye, to just move on, to end the lie.” “She was mine” Kisses
I don’t know how to talk about this series without putting my whole heart on paper…that’s how much I love it. The Thoughtless series is one of my favorite series of all time…one of my top three BBF’s of all time…one of my favorite couples ever…it means so much to me that even contemplating putting my feelings about it into words makes me tear up – it just has that hold over my heart. I was really nervous going into Thoughtful because I needed it to be amazing…I’ve been dying to get into Kellan Kyle’s head for almost 2 ½ years...a lot was on the line. Well my thoughts, hopes, dreams and any and all expectations were completely and totally blown out of the water. Thoughtful was everything I could have imagined and then some…love doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel about this book. In case you haven’t read the Thoughtless series or met the god that is Kellan Kyle…then please stop immediately and go read Thoughtless…like, right now. This is a series that absolutely must be read in order and while you can read Effortless and Recklessbefore Thoughtful, you have to read Thoughtless first.
Kellan Kyle…the rock star…the sex god…the man defies explanation. I knew from the very beginning there was so much untapped potential…so much promise behind those beautiful blue eyes…and actually knowing and understanding him a little better has finally given my heart peace. It’s not that Kellan never opened up in Thoughtless…he does…but hearing them tell someone their thoughts and feelings and reading everything straight from the character…it’s just two different things. There is absolutely no filter between Kellan and me and there is no way to fully express how deeply I felt everything he was saying. I knew it was going to be hard…I knew it was going to hurt but I did not come close to how incredible it actually was. It was like falling in love with him all over again. I found a new, deeper appreciation for this brilliant character that I already thought was amazing.
‘When we pulled into the driveway, I shut the car off and looked down at Kiera sleeping on me. She seemed so comfortable, so content. I wanted to stroke her hair, cup her cheek, kiss her forehead. A surging desire was building in me to put both my arms around her and hold her tight. To tell her how much she meant to me, that no one saw me the way she did, no one cared for me the way she did. To tell her I cared about her in a way that sometimes scared the crap out of me. She was comfort and pain, wrapped up in one beautiful package…that wasn’t mine.’
Kiera Allen…I have always had this love for Kiera that I cannot explain. I never hated her…I may have been frustrated with her – and seeing her actions through Kellan’s eyes didn’t change that…but on some level, I understood what she was going through. I didn’t envy her decision or her struggle…she’s faced with the impossible choice…her first love, the only man that she has ever been with and a guy that represents a huge part of her life….or this amazing man that lights her up and makes her feel things she’s never experienced before. I understood and saw her fear and reluctance for what it was. I think really knowing how Kellan felt about her and seeing her from his POV almost made everything that they went through worth it…because I have a new found appreciation for what her presence did to him and for him. It’s really hard to explain and I really feel like it’s something that needs to be experienced…in the moment…hearing it straight from Kellan…I just get it.
“Don’t do this,” I whispered to myself between our hungry lips. This will only hurt us…all three of us. Be strong enough to walk away. Stop this. Her lips pressed harder against mine. Even as pain leached out of my throat in a whimper, my willpower dissolved. “What are you doing, Kiera?” What am I doing?
She paused with her lips brushing mine. “I don’t know…just don’t leave me, please don’t leave me.” The truth and pain in her voice were undeniable – she wanted me.
Her eyes were shut, so she couldn’t see the smile on my face. I won’t. I won’t ever leave you. “Kiera…please…” I’m yours…take me. My resistance faded away with a shudder, and I sought her mouth. I needed her. I’d always needed her. And she wanted me to stay…she wanted me with her…she wanted me. And I was hers.’
My love for Kellan and Kiera might be at an all time high right now…their story, their feelings for each other…from beginning to end, I can’t help but love every single ounce of these two. They’re so alike and yet so different in so many ways, but the one thing they have is this unending desire to be with each other…just being around the other makes them more complete and I love that so much. It’s always been more about their emotional connection than anything else between these two and Thoughtless really showed me that. The joy that was brought to my heart with every time they held hands or he made her laugh or blush or when she would talk to him about his music…that’s just all I need in life. I’m a stickler for one thing…repetitiveness…I hate it. I can handle it in small doses, but if it gets to be too much then I start to disconnect. This is the same story as Thoughtless…so you would think the repetitiveness of reading the same story would drive me crazy – it did not feel like the same story. Every emotion and detail I was reading was fresh and new…and even though I knew exactly what was going to happen next, I was still holding my breath with each click of my kindle.
‘She seemed amused by that. “Eventually you’re going to start making sense, right?”
I laughed and looked out over the skyline, “Yeah…just give me a minute.” Or three, or four. I can do this…
Respecting my wishes, Kiera put her head on my shoulder and held me tight. As I held her head in place and rubbed her back, I felt my unease dissolving. This wasn’t just anyone I was opening up to. This was Kiera. She had my heart, every corner of it, so what did it matter if she knew about the darkness that surrounded me? She would love me anyway. I was sure of that. My secrets were safe with her. I was safe with her.’
I don’t know why hearing the same story from a different POV affected me differently…but it did. I know their story…the order of events isn’t different but the emotional impact that is had on me is 1000000000% a new experience. Understanding Kellan’s thoughts and feelings…seeing things from a new perspective…getting facts that weren’t exactly as clear the first time around…it was like reading Thoughtless for the first time. And god did that book gut me the first time around but for whatever reason I didn’t know if I was going to survive it from Kellan’s POV. The rawness of his emotions was something I don’t experience very often. Maybe it’s because he’s one of my favorites, maybe it’s because I love this story so much – I really don’t care the reason why it hit me so hard because it was the most exquisite pain and I couldn’t help but love every second of it. I feel like Thoughtful brought a new clarity to a character that is so deeply rooted in my heart, I never will forget him…and getting this insight on him was worth every second of pain…it made me appreciate him and love him more than I thought possible.
“I love you.”
The words were so simple, a barely speaking child could learn them, but they were so damn powerful….lives had been destroyed because of them. And their effect on me was immediate. My eyes burned as moisture worked its way to the surface. I shut them and twin tears worked their way down my cheeks. I felt like sobbing. I felt like laughing. Joy and pain spun around within me in an agonizing dance, and I had no idea which emotion was in the lead. She does love me. Someone loves me.
I felt Kiera brush my tears aside. “I love you…so much.”
Another reason I loved it…it made me love the D-Bags even more. Of course seeing them through Kiera’s eyes it’s impossible not to fall for these guys and their little band bro-mance they have…it’s an amazing combination and brings light and humor to an angsty series…but really understanding the friendship that they have with Kellan…it’s just one more layer than I couldn’t help but adore. Especially the Kellan/Evan relationship…that was kind of an awesome surprise. I mean…I knew Evan was a great guy but it’s not like I remember any of their conversations being that impactful, but this time around, I had a new found admiration for the way Evan helped and support Kellan. Something I was excited to see and really enjoyed understanding more was the way Kellan and Denny handled everything that happened. It’s no secret how much Kellan thought of Denny and how conflicted he was over damaging that relationship…and we get the basics on how everything goes after the fight…but I did feel like I got more out of that. The whole situation is messy but they’re all trying to make the best of it…and I appreciated getting more insight into what happened between the two of them.
‘The memory of who I was before she came into my life, exactly a year ago, pounded through my brain – the loneliness, the desperation to connect – I couldn’t go back to that emptiness. I wouldn’t survive it. “I don’t want to be alone anymore,” I muttered, barely conscious of saying it. I don’t want to be without you anymore. Ever. ’
It’s funny because while I was reading…and loving every second…I had the same feels that I did with Thoughtless. I wanted it to be over and never end in the same breath…it’s very conflicting and confusing…but it works. Now that I have a taste of KK’s mind…I want more! This shouldn’t be a surprise…I’m a Stage 5 Clinger and if there is anyone I cling to the most, it’s Kellan Kyle…but he’s like a drug that I will never stop being addicted to. Am I content with getting Thoughtful…of course I am…but I would gladly accept Effortless and Reckless from KK’s POV. Because…more Kellan is always amazing. :-)
March 6, 2015
4 'I Like cream in my coffee' Stars
We all know by now who Kellan Kyle is by now. If you don't...where have you been? what the hell is wrong with you? I suggest you go read it ASAP. Don't even bother reading this review, just go, leave, bye, Adios.
Spoilers ahead
*takes a deep breath*
So ladies and gentleman, please round an applause for Kellan-Fucking-Kyle
You might know him from Thoughtless and from the band the "D-bags". Yeah I know cool name. So long story short is...Kellan is friends with Danny who decided to move in and be roommates but Danny is not moving in alone he and his girlfriend Kiera are both gonna be roommates with my boogy-boo Kellan, Danny has to go on a trip for a job, shit happens which ends up bad kiera is mad so she fucks Kellan then Danny comes home and fucks her then that's when shit goes down people...brace yourself cause its gonna be a wild ride.
“Friend. Lover. Companion. Family”
This book was just like thoughtless but in Kellan's pov. And get this straight, the pain only gets worse. Now I get to know how Kellan felt and I'll tell you this, I still got mad at Keira. She would annoy me in thoughtless and she still annoys me now. I couldn't read this book straight, I had to take breaks from all the pain that Kellan and I both faced. And come on Keira "Just Friends" you know those never work.
Cause it will lead to this....
Then this...
And I still felt bad for Danny. Even after everything I still like him and the were just playing fire with fire.
Overall it was amazing to go inside Kellan's head even though it was painful.
BTW I'm I the only one who finds it funny and cute that the cover for this book is him and his "baby". I sometimes actually liked their relationship better than when he's with Kiera.
We all know by now who Kellan Kyle is by now. If you don't...where have you been? what the hell is wrong with you? I suggest you go read it ASAP. Don't even bother reading this review, just go, leave, bye, Adios.
Spoilers ahead
*takes a deep breath*
So ladies and gentleman, please round an applause for Kellan-Fucking-Kyle
You might know him from Thoughtless and from the band the "D-bags". Yeah I know cool name. So long story short is...Kellan is friends with Danny who decided to move in and be roommates but Danny is not moving in alone he and his girlfriend Kiera are both gonna be roommates with my boogy-boo Kellan, Danny has to go on a trip for a job, shit happens which ends up bad kiera is mad so she fucks Kellan then Danny comes home and fucks her then that's when shit goes down people...brace yourself cause its gonna be a wild ride.
“Friend. Lover. Companion. Family”
This book was just like thoughtless but in Kellan's pov. And get this straight, the pain only gets worse. Now I get to know how Kellan felt and I'll tell you this, I still got mad at Keira. She would annoy me in thoughtless and she still annoys me now. I couldn't read this book straight, I had to take breaks from all the pain that Kellan and I both faced. And come on Keira "Just Friends" you know those never work.
Cause it will lead to this....
Then this...
And I still felt bad for Danny. Even after everything I still like him and the were just playing fire with fire.
Overall it was amazing to go inside Kellan's head even though it was painful.
BTW I'm I the only one who finds it funny and cute that the cover for this book is him and his "baby". I sometimes actually liked their relationship better than when he's with Kiera.
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