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The Unrequited
Layla Robinson is not crazy. She is suffering from unrequited love. But it’s time to move on. No more stalking, no more obsessive calling.
What she needs is a distraction. The blue-eyed guy she keeps seeing around campus could be a great one—only he is the new poetry professor—the married poetry professor.
Thomas Abrams is a stereotypical artist—rude, arrogant, and broody—but his glares and taunts don’t scare Layla. She might be bad at poetry, but she is good at reading between the lines. Beneath his prickly façade, Thomas is lonely, and Layla wants to know why. Obsessively.
Sometimes you do get what you want. Sometimes you end up in the storage room of a bar with your professor and you kiss him. Sometimes he kisses you back like the world is ending and he will never get to kiss you again. He kisses you until you forget the years of unrequited love; you forget all the rules, and you dare to reach for something that is not yours.
NOTE: Please be aware that this book deals with sensitive topics like cheating. 18+ Only.
What she needs is a distraction. The blue-eyed guy she keeps seeing around campus could be a great one—only he is the new poetry professor—the married poetry professor.
Thomas Abrams is a stereotypical artist—rude, arrogant, and broody—but his glares and taunts don’t scare Layla. She might be bad at poetry, but she is good at reading between the lines. Beneath his prickly façade, Thomas is lonely, and Layla wants to know why. Obsessively.
Sometimes you do get what you want. Sometimes you end up in the storage room of a bar with your professor and you kiss him. Sometimes he kisses you back like the world is ending and he will never get to kiss you again. He kisses you until you forget the years of unrequited love; you forget all the rules, and you dare to reach for something that is not yours.
NOTE: Please be aware that this book deals with sensitive topics like cheating. 18+ Only.
340 pages, Paperback
First published July 13, 2017
About the author
Saffron A. Kent
35 books5,650 followersSaffron A. Kent is a USA Today Bestselling Author of Contemporary and New Adult romance.
She has an MFA in Creative Writing and she lives in New York City with her nerdy and supportive husband, along with a million and one books.
She has an MFA in Creative Writing and she lives in New York City with her nerdy and supportive husband, along with a million and one books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,418 reviews
February 10, 2018
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! Unrequited Love (stand-alone). A double forbidden romance between two lost souls; A professor & his student; A stalker & her victim; A seducer & his prey!
“Because unrequited love is like a dead, useless organ. It’s functionless. It’s sicker than a disease. You can cure a disease, but you can’t fix a defective soul.”
The Unrequited (stand-alone) opens up to heiress and college freshman Layla Robinson, Lay starting fresh after an crush gone bad. Poet and newly appointed Poetry Professor Thomas Abrams has moved to a new city to save a relationship.
Both are suffering from unrequited love.
A self-proclaimed self-saboteur with signs of an obsessive-compulsive disorder meets a brooding, aloof and off-limits professor and sparks fly. Two lost souls wreaking havoc on each other and their surroundings.
A secret flirtation doomed before it begins.
Layla intrigues Thomas yet he plays her like a violin. But soon the seducer becomes the seduced as lines are blurred and crossed, until you cannot tell right from wrong; truth from insanity, lust from confusion; love from... obsession.
“He doesn’t even look like he belongs to this world. He is too beautiful, too haunted to be human.”
Ten words to describe Professor Thomas Abrams: Mercurial, aloof, moody, volatile, non-committal, selfish, deceptive, conflicted, blunt and possessive.
“Because I’m selfish, Layla. I’ll ruin you, set you on fire, and won’t even look back. I’ll take and take until you’re empty and hollow.”
Ten words to describe Layla Robinson, Lay: Intense, reflective, self-saboteur, charismatic, observant, naïve, misguided, lonely, obsessive, and larger-than-life.
“I was meant to live in the shadows and secrets. I can be Thomas’ secret, for a little while, at least—until I absorb all of his pain and set him free.”
The Unrequited, told from Layla’s POV, sprinkled with Thomas' POV is a slow brewing intense double forbidden erotic romance centered around the theme of unrequited love. A butterflies-in-your belly secret affair you know will end in a train-wreck yet you can't walk away. The story takes us a year plus into the future with self-reflection, growth, forgiveness and healing.
Spellbinding story-telling! Larger-than life-hero and heroine! Un-put-downable! One of my favorite reads this year, one of my favorite forbidden romances of all times!
“You’re in my fucking blood, and I’ll tear apart anyone who dares to fucking touch you.”
***
Hero: ★★★★★
Heroine: ★★★★★
Plot: ★★★★★
Storytelling: ★★★★★
Sexual tension: ★★★★★
Sex scenes: ★★★★★
Story ending: ★★★★★
******************************************
OVERALL RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Angst: | HIGH FOCUS |
Darkness: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Humor: | LOW FOCUS |
Kink: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Romance: | HIGH FOCUS |
Sex frequency: | HIGH FOCUS |
Suspense: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
UPDATE! Extended epilogue: After “The End”
ARC provided to me by author Saffron Kent in exchange for an honest review.
June 24, 2018
**2 STARS**
Find this review and more here... https://prettymessreading.com/posts/
I should have known better.
I only have myself to blame.
This one is on me.
I listened to the hype and found myself very disappointed.
I heard so many good things about this book. Everywhere I looked, there was a 5 STARS rating here and a 4.5 STARS rating there. I just knew that this book was going to be a great read for me.
Well. . .Shit. . .Fuck. . .Goddamn was I wrong. I didn’t like this book at all.
The leading female character, Layla, is crazy as fuck. Not in that sexy kind of way where women can be just a little bit crazy. I mean, lock her up, put her on some meds, and help this child figure out life kind of crazy. I’m a firm believer and advocate for the mentally ill. I think we as a society don’t take care of our mentally ill as well as we should, but thats a whole other topic. We’re just going to note Layla’s crazy in relation to this book for now.
Her crazy is not as noticeable at first, it takes one or chapters first. At first you feel sorry for her, you know, because we read in the synopsis that she fell in love with a man who didn’t/couldn’t/wouldn’t love her back.
Thomas, he was difficult to figure out and I was hoping to have some fun with his character. Even though I knew going into the book knowing he cheats on his wife, I was looking forward to understanding the why behind it. And we do find out the why, it’s just…how can I put this without coming across as a bitch…unrelatable, selfish, and odd – like, quite odd. For me, at least.
As you read the book, Thomas states that he is using Layla because and wants to control her. He wants to sexually abuse her (not the abuse of like child abuse or anything), he wants to keep her at his mercy. He basically wants to tell her to, “jump high” and her to ask him, “how high?” But, no worries, the crazy girl is okay with that.
It was like a bad version of 50 Shades of Grey because there was no love behind it or fucked up childhood that kind of makes the reader understand. The crazy thing is, 50 Shades of Grey was not a well written book, it was a really good book. I liked it a lot. But we all know the writing was kind of shit. Again, that’s beside the point – I do this a lot. Too much, really. I need to learn to stay on topic. If we were judging on writing style alone, this book would win hands down. But judging by the story itself has to go to FSOG.
Here’s another point – I don’t know where they teach Stalking 101, but let’s just say Layla took the class and passed with flying colors. Then she went above and beyond and took Stalking 102 and 103, because her stalking was extreme. There was not one thing cute or alluring about her obsession with Thomas and the lengths she went to, to get his attention. This bish was insane. She needed professional help. I was seriously disturbed and I’m not kidding. Sometimes stalking can be cute in a book but there was not one single thing cute in the way she went about it.
Here’s the thing that got me, not only was she a creepy stalker but she would stare at the man in the freezing cold, outside of house from the window while he was having conversations with his wife.
Now hold on, wait a goddamn minute. While the bish was fluent in stalking, she forgot to take Cheating 101 because everyone knows you don’t go near the house or the wife. Come the fuck on now.
I’m not trying to be mean. I’m not trying to help people learn how to cheat. But I am dead ass serious. Do. Not. Go. Near. The. Wife.
Here’s the thing, I tried really hard to like the little girl. I was like, “Ok, she’s 19 and still has a lot to learn in life so I’m going to give her a break.” That thought process could only work for so long before I wanted to call her mama and beg her to take her to see a professional doctor. The chick was fucking certifiable.
Thomas’s ass wasn’t any goddamn better because he was turned on by her insane tactics.
Are you seeing why I wasn’t feeling this book yet? You need one or two more reasons? that’s okay because I’m about to give them to you.
The sex – it was humiliating. Every now and then the sex scenes were kind of sexy and hot but for the most part, it made me want to throw up and swear off sex for the rest of my life. Okay, that was a wee bit dramatic because short of my vagina being stitched together, there is not anything that would make me swear off sex. 🙂
No matter my feelings on the matter, it was Thomas and Layla that were fucking each other and it worked for them so I’m not judging. I don’t believe I have a right to. If this was real life, I would not have given their sex life more than 3 seconds of my time. But since this was a book, I’m just adding my two cents and saying the shit was odd from time to time.
In all fairness to the author, she does do a good job in describing and justifying both of their actions and feelings behind their bizarre behavior. Like I said before, the writing was on point. It was tremendous actually. It was the story that was absurd to me. I think the storyline had the ability to be fantastic if presented in a different way.
What why? I don’t know? Just, better? I feel 55% guilty for saying that without having some sort of constructive criticism or advice on how to fix it but I don’t.
The book has a happy ending but the way it gets there was. . .startling. But I still have faith in this author in her future books. This was her first book and she is freaking talented. If I was ever to write a book – which won’t happen – but if I did, I would want her as my editor.
Find this review and more here... https://prettymessreading.com/posts/
I should have known better.
I only have myself to blame.
This one is on me.
I listened to the hype and found myself very disappointed.
I heard so many good things about this book. Everywhere I looked, there was a 5 STARS rating here and a 4.5 STARS rating there. I just knew that this book was going to be a great read for me.
Well. . .Shit. . .Fuck. . .Goddamn was I wrong. I didn’t like this book at all.
The leading female character, Layla, is crazy as fuck. Not in that sexy kind of way where women can be just a little bit crazy. I mean, lock her up, put her on some meds, and help this child figure out life kind of crazy. I’m a firm believer and advocate for the mentally ill. I think we as a society don’t take care of our mentally ill as well as we should, but thats a whole other topic. We’re just going to note Layla’s crazy in relation to this book for now.
Her crazy is not as noticeable at first, it takes one or chapters first. At first you feel sorry for her, you know, because we read in the synopsis that she fell in love with a man who didn’t/couldn’t/wouldn’t love her back.
“You know, Layla, falling in love isn’t bad or wrong or even hard. It’s actually really simple, even if there’s no reciprocation. It’s the falling out that’s hard, but no matter how much you convince yourself otherwise , reciprocation is important.” – Kara
Thomas, he was difficult to figure out and I was hoping to have some fun with his character. Even though I knew going into the book knowing he cheats on his wife, I was looking forward to understanding the why behind it. And we do find out the why, it’s just…how can I put this without coming across as a bitch…unrelatable, selfish, and odd – like, quite odd. For me, at least.
As you read the book, Thomas states that he is using Layla because and wants to control her. He wants to sexually abuse her (not the abuse of like child abuse or anything), he wants to keep her at his mercy. He basically wants to tell her to, “jump high” and her to ask him, “how high?” But, no worries, the crazy girl is okay with that.
It was like a bad version of 50 Shades of Grey because there was no love behind it or fucked up childhood that kind of makes the reader understand. The crazy thing is, 50 Shades of Grey was not a well written book, it was a really good book. I liked it a lot. But we all know the writing was kind of shit. Again, that’s beside the point – I do this a lot. Too much, really. I need to learn to stay on topic. If we were judging on writing style alone, this book would win hands down. But judging by the story itself has to go to FSOG.
Here’s another point – I don’t know where they teach Stalking 101, but let’s just say Layla took the class and passed with flying colors. Then she went above and beyond and took Stalking 102 and 103, because her stalking was extreme. There was not one thing cute or alluring about her obsession with Thomas and the lengths she went to, to get his attention. This bish was insane. She needed professional help. I was seriously disturbed and I’m not kidding. Sometimes stalking can be cute in a book but there was not one single thing cute in the way she went about it.
Here’s the thing that got me, not only was she a creepy stalker but she would stare at the man in the freezing cold, outside of house from the window while he was having conversations with his wife.
Now hold on, wait a goddamn minute. While the bish was fluent in stalking, she forgot to take Cheating 101 because everyone knows you don’t go near the house or the wife. Come the fuck on now.
I’m not trying to be mean. I’m not trying to help people learn how to cheat. But I am dead ass serious. Do. Not. Go. Near. The. Wife.
Here’s the thing, I tried really hard to like the little girl. I was like, “Ok, she’s 19 and still has a lot to learn in life so I’m going to give her a break.” That thought process could only work for so long before I wanted to call her mama and beg her to take her to see a professional doctor. The chick was fucking certifiable.
Thomas’s ass wasn’t any goddamn better because he was turned on by her insane tactics.
Are you seeing why I wasn’t feeling this book yet? You need one or two more reasons? that’s okay because I’m about to give them to you.
The sex – it was humiliating. Every now and then the sex scenes were kind of sexy and hot but for the most part, it made me want to throw up and swear off sex for the rest of my life. Okay, that was a wee bit dramatic because short of my vagina being stitched together, there is not anything that would make me swear off sex. 🙂
No matter my feelings on the matter, it was Thomas and Layla that were fucking each other and it worked for them so I’m not judging. I don’t believe I have a right to. If this was real life, I would not have given their sex life more than 3 seconds of my time. But since this was a book, I’m just adding my two cents and saying the shit was odd from time to time.
In all fairness to the author, she does do a good job in describing and justifying both of their actions and feelings behind their bizarre behavior. Like I said before, the writing was on point. It was tremendous actually. It was the story that was absurd to me. I think the storyline had the ability to be fantastic if presented in a different way.
What why? I don’t know? Just, better? I feel 55% guilty for saying that without having some sort of constructive criticism or advice on how to fix it but I don’t.
The book has a happy ending but the way it gets there was. . .startling. But I still have faith in this author in her future books. This was her first book and she is freaking talented. If I was ever to write a book – which won’t happen – but if I did, I would want her as my editor.
April 25, 2018
** Spoiler**
There's a line from Ed Sheeran's Shape of You- we push and pull like a magnet do- that encapsulates the love affair between Layla and Thomas.
Layla, the 20-yr old student and Thomas, 29-yr old published author and professor who also happens to be married and to a woman who simply wants out of the marriage. So, yes, the story has a double forbidden aspect that held my breath captive from start to finish.
There's a distinct empathetic feel to Layla, one that drags you into her vortex of self loathing and self-blame. It's remarkable how Kent makes you become Layla, her character a reflection of every woman who has ever been infatuated with/by an idea of the what if. Weirdly, I saw myself in her.
It helped that the writing was sublime, evocative, and just so darn addictive. Perhaps it was the absence of purple prose or the honesty of having Thomas be the antithesis of the usual male lead, whichever it is, it worked. I both felt angry at and saddened by his situation. And you know, men hurt too. They love and are not always loved back. Life, you know.
And Although I'm a staunch advocate for marital fidelity, the prose was compelling enough that I could view their affair objectively, I never felt misled or coerced into accepting it (unlike J. Ann's When Life Happened). Instead, I was sympathetic toward the characters- especially Thomas.
Overall, a moving story that truly reflects "when life happens".
December 22, 2017
Hot professor alert... :D You must meet with Thomas Abrams. ;)
“You’re in my fucking blood, and I’ll tear apart anyone who dares to fucking touch you.”
WOW!!! Okay, this book totally rocked my world. I LOVED IT SOOOO MUCH! This was my 1st book of this author and her writing style is literally magic because I seriously couldn't put down this book... 👏👏👏 I highly recommend it. <3
Ps. I know this book is not for everyone but I hope you'd get out of your comfort zone and give a chance this amazing story. :)
Important Note: You have to listen Lana Del Rey's Blue Jeans song while you're reading this book. 🔥🔥🔥
https://youtu.be/JRWox-i6aAk
----------------------------------
After you read this book, don't forget to read extended epilogue. ;)
http://www.saffronkent.com/theunrequi...
“You’re in my fucking blood, and I’ll tear apart anyone who dares to fucking touch you.”
WOW!!! Okay, this book totally rocked my world. I LOVED IT SOOOO MUCH! This was my 1st book of this author and her writing style is literally magic because I seriously couldn't put down this book... 👏👏👏 I highly recommend it. <3
Ps. I know this book is not for everyone but I hope you'd get out of your comfort zone and give a chance this amazing story. :)
Important Note: You have to listen Lana Del Rey's Blue Jeans song while you're reading this book. 🔥🔥🔥
https://youtu.be/JRWox-i6aAk
----------------------------------
After you read this book, don't forget to read extended epilogue. ;)
http://www.saffronkent.com/theunrequi...
October 25, 2017
5 Shameless Heart Stars
I'm totally stuck on what to say about this book, I haven't read anything quite like it before. It made me question my morals, self beliefs and it tugged at my heartstrings with all its feels.
I found myself loving and hating both main characters throughout the book but I'm thinking the intense play on emotions is what the author was going for and if so bravo, job well done. This is by no means a regular romance, if you like your reads a little taboo and wild you'll love this.
This is a story of two very lost souls who are both suffering from unrequited love. They have a soul pulling connection and when they do come together it is so insanely intense and super hot!!
I am not going to lie, I struggled with this story in the beginning trying to understand Layla's breed of crazy. As the book progressed weather I wanted to or not I fell in love with this story. I hate the whole push and pull thing (usually) I have to admit though I had no problem with it in this as I feel the characters were so perfectly twisted and tortured it didn't bother me. The writing was perfectly done with the author taking me on a ridiculous ride I will not be forgetting it anytime soon.
My heart is not an organ.
It's more than that. My heart is an animal-a chameleon, to be specific. It changes skin and colour, not to blend in, but to be difficult, unreasonable.
I'm totally stuck on what to say about this book, I haven't read anything quite like it before. It made me question my morals, self beliefs and it tugged at my heartstrings with all its feels.
I found myself loving and hating both main characters throughout the book but I'm thinking the intense play on emotions is what the author was going for and if so bravo, job well done. This is by no means a regular romance, if you like your reads a little taboo and wild you'll love this.
A small smile blooms on my lips. I love that he hates me. See, hopeless. I've never loved hopelessness so much before.
This is a story of two very lost souls who are both suffering from unrequited love. They have a soul pulling connection and when they do come together it is so insanely intense and super hot!!
I am not going to lie, I struggled with this story in the beginning trying to understand Layla's breed of crazy. As the book progressed weather I wanted to or not I fell in love with this story. I hate the whole push and pull thing (usually) I have to admit though I had no problem with it in this as I feel the characters were so perfectly twisted and tortured it didn't bother me. The writing was perfectly done with the author taking me on a ridiculous ride I will not be forgetting it anytime soon.
July 1, 2017
This is a pretty cover. Good representation of the heroine. Great composition. Nice title work.
So I am going to try and put into words how very much I LOVED this book. I am sure that whatever I say here will not even come close to expressing my feelings. I think it is safe to say that this is my favorite read of the year so far. And it has cheating...go figure!
It was fantastically well written and paced. The plot was multilayered and complex. It was harsh. It was dirty. It was ugly. It was about the forbidden. It was heartbreaking. It was about love lost and found again. It had smokin' hot sex scenes. It was beautiful. It was hopeful. It was about forgiveness of both yourself and others. It was about acceptance. It was about bravery and fearlessness. Lastly, it was filled with complicated and well-developed characters that will pull just about every different emotion from you.
Honestly what more can I say other than READ IT. Two HUGE thumbs up from yours truly.
July 10, 2017
4 STARS
"He is my professor, an asshole, and he is married. This crush is triple doomed.”
This is such an unexplored subject that Saffron A. Kent tackles in this novel. The author truly wrote and described the feelings that I would think most of us have felt at some point in our lives. It’s the feeling of loving someone so much and those feelings are simply…Unrequited.
"I want to see reciprocation. What does requited love look like? I want to see it.”
Layla Robinson has been sent away from her well to do family in New York to a small town college for the last few years. She had revealed to her long time crush and step brother her feelings and sadly the whole thing blew up in her face. Seeing a therapist, going through the motions at school, and never really connecting to anyone or anything till the day she sees someone in as much pain as she has seen in herself. She makes her move on a professor at the school, Thomas Abrams.
"I wonder what it takes to be lovable. Maybe you have to be less crazy or less selfish or less…ruining.”
Layla develops a crush on Thomas and to her it maybe even healthy as he seems to be a safe person to obsess over. However, Thomas is extremely attracted to Layla and his home life is in shambles and he does push her away a few billion times yet the force of their attraction is enormous.
"When you regret this- and I know you will- just remember that you asked for it.”
The push and pull was absolute torture and yes Thomas drove me nuts. He was truly cruel to Layla and to the extent that this reader wanted/needed another male to enter the story for something dare I say healthy? Dear sexy, broody poet Thomas…
"I love you. That’s all I ever wanted to hear. How can I let go of that?”
However, that is not what this story is about. Thomas’s treatment of Layla the majority of the book simply hurt as I do read stories as if I’m the heroine and by the time things got really bad, I personally would have let him go for good.
"We shouldn’t look for love stories where there are none to be found.”
Still, fans of romance have no fear that’s not the direction the author brings this story. Even though Thomas’s ability to put his wife first every single time is commendable, I simply viewed it as a slap in the face to both Layla and Hadley.
"If I focus really hard, I can pretend we’re two people in love. This is what happens when your love is requited. You control each other; you live for each other.”
Days later and I’m still trying to sort my feelings for this story and characters. I’m left with questions like if Hadley had gotten help for her condition would she be what Thomas wanted? I mean this guy talked a good game in his own head yet he strayed a bit further each moment. I think what cemented my feelings that the heroine should have ended with someone not written is a gut wrenching scene wherein I personally would have been completely done with him. However, I’m still mulling over this story and I see that many friends loved Thomas and connected to his actions and heart.
You wake up the words in me.”
Overall, I truly did love the writing, the subject manner, and the delivery. I am still deciding whether I actually liked the characters and their actions even with the ending.
So that’s what it feels like.”“What?” “When someone says those three little words back to you. I’ve always wondered.”
**ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**
"He is my professor, an asshole, and he is married. This crush is triple doomed.”
This is such an unexplored subject that Saffron A. Kent tackles in this novel. The author truly wrote and described the feelings that I would think most of us have felt at some point in our lives. It’s the feeling of loving someone so much and those feelings are simply…Unrequited.
"I want to see reciprocation. What does requited love look like? I want to see it.”
Layla Robinson has been sent away from her well to do family in New York to a small town college for the last few years. She had revealed to her long time crush and step brother her feelings and sadly the whole thing blew up in her face. Seeing a therapist, going through the motions at school, and never really connecting to anyone or anything till the day she sees someone in as much pain as she has seen in herself. She makes her move on a professor at the school, Thomas Abrams.
"I wonder what it takes to be lovable. Maybe you have to be less crazy or less selfish or less…ruining.”
Layla develops a crush on Thomas and to her it maybe even healthy as he seems to be a safe person to obsess over. However, Thomas is extremely attracted to Layla and his home life is in shambles and he does push her away a few billion times yet the force of their attraction is enormous.
"When you regret this- and I know you will- just remember that you asked for it.”
The push and pull was absolute torture and yes Thomas drove me nuts. He was truly cruel to Layla and to the extent that this reader wanted/needed another male to enter the story for something dare I say healthy? Dear sexy, broody poet Thomas…
"I love you. That’s all I ever wanted to hear. How can I let go of that?”
However, that is not what this story is about. Thomas’s treatment of Layla the majority of the book simply hurt as I do read stories as if I’m the heroine and by the time things got really bad, I personally would have let him go for good.
"We shouldn’t look for love stories where there are none to be found.”
Still, fans of romance have no fear that’s not the direction the author brings this story. Even though Thomas’s ability to put his wife first every single time is commendable, I simply viewed it as a slap in the face to both Layla and Hadley.
"If I focus really hard, I can pretend we’re two people in love. This is what happens when your love is requited. You control each other; you live for each other.”
Days later and I’m still trying to sort my feelings for this story and characters. I’m left with questions like if Hadley had gotten help for her condition would she be what Thomas wanted? I mean this guy talked a good game in his own head yet he strayed a bit further each moment. I think what cemented my feelings that the heroine should have ended with someone not written is a gut wrenching scene wherein I personally would have been completely done with him. However, I’m still mulling over this story and I see that many friends loved Thomas and connected to his actions and heart.
You wake up the words in me.”
Overall, I truly did love the writing, the subject manner, and the delivery. I am still deciding whether I actually liked the characters and their actions even with the ending.
So that’s what it feels like.”“What?” “When someone says those three little words back to you. I’ve always wondered.”
**ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**
December 6, 2018
“It was beautiful and right. It was wrong and ugly, just like the earth beneath my feet. It was tragic and ecstatic. It was everything I’d hoped love could be.”
Okay, this book isn’t going to be for everyone and I completely get that. I will go into details below, but this book has grey area cheating and it is a student and teacher (college) relationship, but, good dear Lord, the sex in this was so fucking good. Like, maybe the best I’ve read all year. So, if you’re looking for something really naughty and really graphic, then look no further than The Unrequited.
Layla Robinson is all alone at college, living by herself in a dorm on campus that has construction going on below her top tower level. But Layla also feels alone and abandoned by her family, because she fell in love with her stepbrother, and only friend, and it really tore apart the family. Yet, Layla is still obsessed with him. But soon she will have a new obsession, and that is her poetry teacher that she keeps running into without him knowing. (Seriously, if you love the character Joe from You by Caroline Kepnes, then you are going to love Layla!) Also, Layla brings up pretty much every fucking Lana Del Rey song, but I’ll be honest, that’s what this book even reads like. She compares her professor to “Blue Jeans” and I swear to God, I feel like I could hear that song in the background while reading this entire story. Another thing is that the atmosphere of this book is perfect. Like, the snowy and winter setting was expertly done, and I really wasn’t expecting that going in. And it even enhances the Lana Del Rey vibes even more.
“Before this, I was Layla Robinson, crazy in love with her stepbrother. Now, I’m Layla Robinson, crushing on her poetry professor.”
But, okay, on to the poetry professor. Thomas Abrams is a new dad, but he and his wife are having a lot of problems. Thomas thinks it is because he was ignoring her, to work on his poetry, but he is now willing to do anything to make his marriage work… I mean, besides not having sex with a student. But he has moved back to the college town they met in and has taken up a job at the college where he meets Layla, and he claims that he is doing everything to try to make his wife fall in love with him again. You know, again, besides putting his dick in other women.
But Thomas and Layla bond over their mutual knowledge about their unrequited love, and their unforgettable loneliness. Yet, they recognize their chemistry together also, and after teasing each other nonstop, they eventually start having explosive sex. And like I said above, the sex is honestly 11/10, some of the best I’ve ever read, but a lot of sus things are going on.
Layla has a lot of mental health issues, and is completely and utterly unstable, but her character was one that I really loved. Again, she and her actions are totally unpredictable, but I felt like her character was just really realistically done (besides the tattoo, what the fuck even was that?). I’m not justifying her actions, and totally understand that most of them weren’t even close to being “morally good” or whatever, but they were hella believable and made for such an enthralling tale. From her stalking, to her obsessing, to her even just liking the way Thomas says her name, I loved it all.
“Firecrackers burst over my skin at the way he said my name. As far as I’m concerned, my name is average, but his voice, the movements of his tongue against his lips, make it special.”
And even though all this wild stuff is going on in the background, the real reason I’m giving this three stars is because I didn’t really like the ending. I just feel like both Layla and Thomas completely changed who they were as characters. I almost feel like the author didn’t really know how to end this really taboo and naughty story she created, so she tried to give it a fluffy romance ending and it just didn’t work for me, because it was so different than the entire rest of the vibe of this book. Plus, let’s be real, the character of Hadley was handled really not great, especially with Thomas “forcing” her to be a mother. Not every woman is put on this planet to be a mom, and that’s okay, but I feel like Hadley (for the most part) was really shown in a negative light because of her mental illness and her wants for her own life, and I really disliked it.
“We shouldn’t look for love stories where there are none to be found.”
Overall, I wanted a really sexy book and The Unrequited delivered that and more. Also, for the record, I don’t think the sex in this book is going to be for everyone, but it was very much for me. But if you’re on the kinky side, and like dominant partners, you should totally give this a try. Seriously, this is one of my new favorite forbidden romances of all time. I never wanted to put this story down, and I’m totally going to check out more by Saffron A. Kent.
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Content and trigger warnings for a BIG power imbalance because of a student and teacher relationship, cheating, depression, suicide attempt, talk of drinking and driving, talk of grey area consent in the past, stalking, peeping toms, underage drinking, and a lot of questionable mental health representation and discussion.
July 11, 2017
REVIEW ALSO POSTED ON MY BLOG
♕ KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS ♕
THE UNREQUITED: Is a standalone romance novel by Saffron A. Kent, and is my first time read by this author. Spoken in 'Dual Perspectives'
It all started with one glimpse of a man solitarily sitting on a park bench in the cold, smoking a cigarette deep in thought that spoke to Layla's inner loneliness. To the next day seeing him at the college library, to seeing him again and following him to a classroom and being gobsmacked that he wasn't a like minded student but a Poetry Professor.
My heart is not an organ
It’s more than that
My heart is an animal - a chameleon
A class she's not even enrolled in but nothing is going to keep her away, she's relentless in her pursuit of him.
➼ Somehow, someway, I have developed a crush on him. I know he's married. I know he's an asshole, rude and mean and some kind of a genius poet-but maybe that's the appeal.
As you progress further into this book you can feel that underlying taboo energy oozing off the pages transpiring between the student trespasser and the Poetry Professor, tingles down the spine with each stolen glance, touch, spoken words only they hear, sneaky nights stalking hidden behind the veil of darkness. He's married, they have a child together, but no matter what grounds him at home when it comes to Layla everything is profoundly forbidden.
➼ Thomas Abrams is a firebreather. He breathes flames and lust, makes me forget everything and say yes. Yes to obsession. Yes to stalking. Yes to insanity. Yes to licking.
✽ MY THOUGHTS: ✽ This has been one of the hardest reviews I've had to sit down and write, this author takes you on such a profound exhausting journey, leave your inhibitions at the door because there are no boundaries in this book, every boundary line you won't step over is left at the curb.
God where to start and not come off sounding like a woman on crack, the first half of the book I struggled with the writing style, trying to connect with the story, a slow set pace that was ever so slowly creeping towards the uncharted forbidden territory of teacher and student entangling themselves into a frenzy of lust, passion, a waking up of souls, as soon as I reached that half way mark I was hooked, it flowed better, the words just flew off the pages and left their stamp on my soul..
BEST BOOK OF JULY!!
This author opened up my heart and caused all my emotions to bleed out, The Unrequited was so emotionally raw, it gripped me by the throat, the heart and didn't let go. It's complex, it's gripping, it's unique, definitely highly recommended. Just go in with an open mind and heart, feel everything the author has put on paper believe me it is a journey you will want to take.
April 5, 2018
4.5 stars!!!
The Unrequited is a book that’s been on my TBR since it was released last year. I’m so happy it came to audio and I found the time to read it! Once I read Gods & Monsters by Saffron, I knew her writing was amazing. This book was something else! Beautifully written, forbidden, sexy, and stunning.
Layla Robinson is suffering from unrequited love. And when she meets her poetry professor, Thomas Abrams, she sees a kindred spirit in him. She can just tell from that first instinct that he feels the same as her. Thomas and Layla have a lot of push and pull going on through the book. It’s wrong for them to be together, to find comfort in each other, right? It’s a hard question to answer. Their relationship is controversial and toes the line of what’s right and whats wrong for sure.
Layla is a self-sabatoging, lonely, and misguided person. Her judgment isn’t always the best, but I do think she has a good heart where it matters. I liked her complex character. Thomas on the other hand, I had a love hate relationship with him. Thomas Abrams is broody, moody, and temperamental. I never knew which side of him I was going to get, and neither did Layla. I understood his side of things but I felt like he was never ‘fair’ to Layla. He was a captivating son of a bitch, though. It was hard to stay mad at him.
I had some mixed feelings about different aspects of this story and some of the characters choices, but one thing is for certain. Saffron Kent is one heck of a story-teller. I think she knocked it out of the park with this book. The writing is fantastic, and it’s not the normal spin of a student/teacher forbidden romance. I loved the originality of it. The narration of the audio book was great as well, Anna Riordan and Joe Arden did a wonderful job voicing Thomas and Layla. If you like books that are out of the ordinary, have subject matter that isn’t always easy to read, and that are hella steamy, pick up The Unrequited.
He is my professor, an asshole, and he is married. This crush is triple doomed.
The Unrequited is a book that’s been on my TBR since it was released last year. I’m so happy it came to audio and I found the time to read it! Once I read Gods & Monsters by Saffron, I knew her writing was amazing. This book was something else! Beautifully written, forbidden, sexy, and stunning.
Layla Robinson is suffering from unrequited love. And when she meets her poetry professor, Thomas Abrams, she sees a kindred spirit in him. She can just tell from that first instinct that he feels the same as her. Thomas and Layla have a lot of push and pull going on through the book. It’s wrong for them to be together, to find comfort in each other, right? It’s a hard question to answer. Their relationship is controversial and toes the line of what’s right and whats wrong for sure.
"We shouldn’t look for love stories where there are none to be found.”
Layla is a self-sabatoging, lonely, and misguided person. Her judgment isn’t always the best, but I do think she has a good heart where it matters. I liked her complex character. Thomas on the other hand, I had a love hate relationship with him. Thomas Abrams is broody, moody, and temperamental. I never knew which side of him I was going to get, and neither did Layla. I understood his side of things but I felt like he was never ‘fair’ to Layla. He was a captivating son of a bitch, though. It was hard to stay mad at him.
Thomas Abrams is magic. He’s a wordsmith, a baby whisperer, a blue-eyed asshole, but most of all, he’s like me: brokenhearted.
I had some mixed feelings about different aspects of this story and some of the characters choices, but one thing is for certain. Saffron Kent is one heck of a story-teller. I think she knocked it out of the park with this book. The writing is fantastic, and it’s not the normal spin of a student/teacher forbidden romance. I loved the originality of it. The narration of the audio book was great as well, Anna Riordan and Joe Arden did a wonderful job voicing Thomas and Layla. If you like books that are out of the ordinary, have subject matter that isn’t always easy to read, and that are hella steamy, pick up The Unrequited.
June 28, 2020
“The unrequited lover is the one who waits.”
This is the story of a crazy/stalker college girl with her married professor although neither the forbidden aspect of teacher/student affair nor the 10 year-age difference between them is focused on in it.
This is really a difficult book for me to review because I have millions of contradicting feelings about it. If I need to summarize, I can say the following:
I APPRECIATED THE WONDERFUL WRITING OF IT
I WAS IMPRESSED BY THE AMAZING STORY TELLING OF THE WRITER
BUT I DEFINITELY DISLIKED THE STORY
AND I HATED THE HERO!
See how confused I am about how to rate it?
Every now and then, there were parts that made me feel too much and parts that sometimes hit too close to home and I cried bitterly. So, it is safe to say the book makes you feel and it is successfully written. I just didn’t like the story and the characters. Ergo, my low rating because content matters more for me.
*********************************************
Warning 1: Cheating
Firstly, let me warn the readers who are sensitive about the topic of cheating because there is solid cheating in it.
Actually, I am not one of those readers. I can read about cheating and sometimes I understand the rationale & reasons behind it, but here it didn’t feel like that at all! Here, it was awful and disgusting!
*********************************************
Warning 2: A weak heroine who is obsessed abut the hero
There is an obsessive/stalking character here: the heroine, Layla. She is a very beautiful girl with violet eyes.
Layla has zero impulse control. She is weak but she is not the kind of weak because she sees a panty-melting hottie but she is weak because she craves love and attention like crazy due to her neglectful family.
It’s freeing.
A cleansing ritual.
I’m shedding my old obsession.
I’m moving on.
Being normal.
Before this, I was Layla Robinson, crazy in love with her stepbrother.
Now, I’m Layla Robinson, crushing on her poetry professor.
Normally, I have a soft spot for obsessive characters, but she was an infuriating one, too soft and weak for her own good.
And Thomas, her second obsession in life after her step-brother Caleb, didn’t deserve her either.
She let Thomas use her in a humiliating way at times just because she thought she was unworthy of anything better. She let him weaken her even more.
When looked at carefully, she was just a neglected child of divorced parents who was desperate for love and she wanted it not only for herself but for the others too. She even went too far to wish Thomas’s wife to come back to him so that he becomes happy.
He needs me. He needs to exert his power over me because his love has made him powerless. He needs me begging because his love has made him a beggar himself. The lust he feels for me comes from the love he feels for her.
***
I’m a girl who’s not supposed to be the love of someone’s life, not with my selfishness. I was meant to live in the shadows and secrets. I can be Thomas’ secret, for a little while, at least—until I absorb all of his pain and set him free.
***
I’m terrified, panicked, a statue of shame and guilt. I went and offered myself up to our married professor because I thought he was lonely like me and I thought extramarital sex would be just the thing to cheer him up. Oh God, I can’t even say it in my head without wanting to kick myself.
***
I still think of myself as a Cinderella and him as my tarnished, broken, kinky Prince Charming.
I just wonder what’s going to happen when the real Cinderella comes back and makes him all shiny and whole. He won’t need me then. He won’t need his slutty fake princess.
However much angry I was with her actions and the way she let herself being humiliated by the hero, Thomas, I could empathize with her and understood her reasons for being the way she was but this doesn't mean I liked her.
In the end, she had to have therapy to get rid of this self-deprecating tendency of hers.
Dr. Apostolos says we have all the answers, always. We just need to look for them, and in order to do that, we need to love ourselves. Love yourself and the rest will follow.
*********************************************
Warning 3: As*hole hero alert!
Well, I was able to like the heroine to a certain degree but I hated the hero all the time, period! I never understood and forgave how he acted all along the book. He is irredeemable in my eyes. My anger and dislike for him still stays as strong, now even at the end of the book!
Thomas is a walking contradiction, to say the least!
How can a man who is so much in awe and love with his wife neglect her for so long that she finds herself wanting to divorce?
How can he say he loves his wife even if it is unrequited love now but at the same time feel such strong lust for another girl?
I cannot understand how a man who is devastated by his wife’s demand for divorce, (claiming that he can’t let her go because he loves him too much) go f*ck another girl with so much passion?
How can he hope for being a family with his wife and child again some time soon after having lustful sex with another girl so many times? What is his rationale?
How can he be so cruel to a girl who has obviously psychological problems? How can he take advantage of her and then ruin her?
Because he is angry at the situation he is in, Thomas takes all his anger from the poor girl who is obsessively trying to make him happy. He is supposed to be the mature one, for God's sake!!! I so much hated him!
He whines and whines that his love for his wife is unrequited but he still loves her so much and then, he goes and whines about how he cannot "not dream" about the violet-eyed beauty, Layla.
WTF?
I wanted to see him alive and in person and beat the hell out of him although I am very much against violence, in principle. So, I did my virtual beating out of him!
I have read many books in which there are asshole heroes but in one way or other they redeem themselves in the end and I happened to love some of them for that reason. (E.g. Vicious).
But Thomas never redeemed himself in my eyes, he was never likable in my opinion and he is in my list of “The worst heroes ever!”
How can I forgive him, for God’s sake? He is such a pathetic excuse of a human being!
*********************************************
Warning 4: Disgusting intimate scenes
The book had sexual tension in it but not the kind of emotions I normally need in a love relationship, obsessive or not!
Some readers may find the intimate scenes of Thomas and Layla hot, but unfortunately for me, they were the kind I hate most.
I will do my warning with quotations for you to see if you may like it or not.
Here's some "Dirty Poetry"
“You can’t stay still, can you? You can’t stop tempting me for one fucking second.”
“No, I can’t,” I admit. “I don’t know how.”
“You’re always hungry, Layla. Always starving… Why’s that? Huh? Why are you such a c*ck-hungry girl?”
I moan at his dirty words. God, he’s such a poet, speaking filthy poetry to me.
“I want it so much. I want your c*ck… Put it in me, please. My p*ssy is so hungry for it.”
"Dirty Poetry"!!!???? I am sorry but dirty poetry my as*!
OK, this is so not my kind of hot, I am on the verge of hating poetry now.
And what is this obsession of writers about making women "beg for it"?? Oh, whatever, I will never understand…
“I can do whatever I want with you and you’ll let me. Isn’t that right, Layla?” He licks his lips as if savoring his own words. “I can tell you to jump and you’ll ask how high. I can tell you to strip and you’ll strip as if your clothes are on fire.”
“Yes,” I moan.
***
“Ask to suck my c*ck. Come on, Layla. Beg me.”
The need in his voice supersedes the need in me, and I’ll do anything for him. I’ll forget about my own pleasure and suck his c*ck, just so I can feel him pulsing on my tongue. “Please, Thomas, can I suck your c*ck?”
I know he wants me to beg more, and I do. “Please, I want it so bad. Please. Won’t you…Won’t you put it in my mouth?”
Well, yikes - no, not my type of hot!
And the emphasis on "pain being so good" every time they have sex? Why every time??? It doesn't sit well with me, either.
With that, he shoves his c*ck in me and I bite my lip to keep from screaming. He isn’t gentle. He doesn’t give me time to adjust to his size. He is hurting me—my p*ssy is going to be sore for a long time—but nothing matters when his hips are slapping my ass with every stab of his c*ck, when he is grunting over me, probably sweating and panting. I wish I could open my eyes and look at him, but the hurt is so good.
Nope, definitely not good, nor hot IMO!
*********************************************
WARNINGS OVER!!! CRITICISM NOT OVER YET...
Not a big deal but the story has a few "lacking parts" in my opinion:
There are some characters in the story I needed more depth about, which I didn’t get. Hadley, Susan, Caleb and Layla's mother.
I may have forgiven Caleb, (Layla’s step brother that she was once obsessively in love with,) for what he did to Layla, but I still cannot accept how Layla’s mother never got what she deserved. I needed more explanation about her neglect and dislike of her daughter as well as some kind of forgiveness or punishment.
*********************************************
FINAL WORDS ON IT:
The book is told by dual point of view.
It has a HFN ending.
*********************************************
Here are some more QUOTES from it:
“You know, Layla, falling in love isn’t bad or wrong or even hard. It’s actually really simple, even if there’s no reciprocation. It’s the falling out that’s hard, but no matter how much you convince yourself otherwise, reciprocation is important. It’s what keeps the love going. Without it, love just dies out, and then it’s up to you. Do you bury it, or do you carry the dead body around? It’s a hard decision to make, but you have to do it.”
***
We stare at each other. I don’t know what he sees when he looks at me. When I look at him, though, all I see is someone brokenhearted. I see him trying to catch his wife as she slips. I see him following her, like I did with Caleb.
* **
I climb him like an ivy, toxic and poisonous and shameless. I press my body to his and kiss him back with everything I am. I pour my soul into it. For these few moments, I become a balm to his pain.
“I’m selfish, Layla. I’ll ruin you, set you on fire, and won’t even look back. I’ll take and take until you’re empty and hollow.”
***
He needs me. And that makes me need him more.
***
I’ve heard this countless times, have probably said it to people myself. Somehow, it never registered in my psyche. Somehow, until now, I hadn’t really listened to it. They say sometimes you need to hear something at the right time for it to make an impact, like a book you read at a certain age in order to really appreciate it. Maybe this is that moment.
This is the story of a crazy/stalker college girl with her married professor although neither the forbidden aspect of teacher/student affair nor the 10 year-age difference between them is focused on in it.
This is really a difficult book for me to review because I have millions of contradicting feelings about it. If I need to summarize, I can say the following:
I APPRECIATED THE WONDERFUL WRITING OF IT
I WAS IMPRESSED BY THE AMAZING STORY TELLING OF THE WRITER
BUT I DEFINITELY DISLIKED THE STORY
AND I HATED THE HERO!
See how confused I am about how to rate it?
Every now and then, there were parts that made me feel too much and parts that sometimes hit too close to home and I cried bitterly. So, it is safe to say the book makes you feel and it is successfully written. I just didn’t like the story and the characters. Ergo, my low rating because content matters more for me.
*********************************************
Warning 1: Cheating
Firstly, let me warn the readers who are sensitive about the topic of cheating because there is solid cheating in it.
Actually, I am not one of those readers. I can read about cheating and sometimes I understand the rationale & reasons behind it, but here it didn’t feel like that at all! Here, it was awful and disgusting!
*********************************************
Warning 2: A weak heroine who is obsessed abut the hero
There is an obsessive/stalking character here: the heroine, Layla. She is a very beautiful girl with violet eyes.
Layla has zero impulse control. She is weak but she is not the kind of weak because she sees a panty-melting hottie but she is weak because she craves love and attention like crazy due to her neglectful family.
It’s freeing.
A cleansing ritual.
I’m shedding my old obsession.
I’m moving on.
Being normal.
Before this, I was Layla Robinson, crazy in love with her stepbrother.
Now, I’m Layla Robinson, crushing on her poetry professor.
Normally, I have a soft spot for obsessive characters, but she was an infuriating one, too soft and weak for her own good.
And Thomas, her second obsession in life after her step-brother Caleb, didn’t deserve her either.
She let Thomas use her in a humiliating way at times just because she thought she was unworthy of anything better. She let him weaken her even more.
When looked at carefully, she was just a neglected child of divorced parents who was desperate for love and she wanted it not only for herself but for the others too. She even went too far to wish Thomas’s wife to come back to him so that he becomes happy.
He needs me. He needs to exert his power over me because his love has made him powerless. He needs me begging because his love has made him a beggar himself. The lust he feels for me comes from the love he feels for her.
***
I’m a girl who’s not supposed to be the love of someone’s life, not with my selfishness. I was meant to live in the shadows and secrets. I can be Thomas’ secret, for a little while, at least—until I absorb all of his pain and set him free.
***
I’m terrified, panicked, a statue of shame and guilt. I went and offered myself up to our married professor because I thought he was lonely like me and I thought extramarital sex would be just the thing to cheer him up. Oh God, I can’t even say it in my head without wanting to kick myself.
***
I still think of myself as a Cinderella and him as my tarnished, broken, kinky Prince Charming.
I just wonder what’s going to happen when the real Cinderella comes back and makes him all shiny and whole. He won’t need me then. He won’t need his slutty fake princess.
However much angry I was with her actions and the way she let herself being humiliated by the hero, Thomas, I could empathize with her and understood her reasons for being the way she was but this doesn't mean I liked her.
In the end, she had to have therapy to get rid of this self-deprecating tendency of hers.
Dr. Apostolos says we have all the answers, always. We just need to look for them, and in order to do that, we need to love ourselves. Love yourself and the rest will follow.
*********************************************
Warning 3: As*hole hero alert!
Well, I was able to like the heroine to a certain degree but I hated the hero all the time, period! I never understood and forgave how he acted all along the book. He is irredeemable in my eyes. My anger and dislike for him still stays as strong, now even at the end of the book!
Thomas is a walking contradiction, to say the least!
How can a man who is so much in awe and love with his wife neglect her for so long that she finds herself wanting to divorce?
How can he say he loves his wife even if it is unrequited love now but at the same time feel such strong lust for another girl?
I cannot understand how a man who is devastated by his wife’s demand for divorce, (claiming that he can’t let her go because he loves him too much) go f*ck another girl with so much passion?
How can he hope for being a family with his wife and child again some time soon after having lustful sex with another girl so many times? What is his rationale?
How can he be so cruel to a girl who has obviously psychological problems? How can he take advantage of her and then ruin her?
Because he is angry at the situation he is in, Thomas takes all his anger from the poor girl who is obsessively trying to make him happy. He is supposed to be the mature one, for God's sake!!! I so much hated him!
He whines and whines that his love for his wife is unrequited but he still loves her so much and then, he goes and whines about how he cannot "not dream" about the violet-eyed beauty, Layla.
WTF?
I wanted to see him alive and in person and beat the hell out of him although I am very much against violence, in principle. So, I did my virtual beating out of him!
I have read many books in which there are asshole heroes but in one way or other they redeem themselves in the end and I happened to love some of them for that reason. (E.g. Vicious).
But Thomas never redeemed himself in my eyes, he was never likable in my opinion and he is in my list of “The worst heroes ever!”
How can I forgive him, for God’s sake? He is such a pathetic excuse of a human being!
*********************************************
Warning 4: Disgusting intimate scenes
The book had sexual tension in it but not the kind of emotions I normally need in a love relationship, obsessive or not!
Some readers may find the intimate scenes of Thomas and Layla hot, but unfortunately for me, they were the kind I hate most.
I will do my warning with quotations for you to see if you may like it or not.
Here's some "Dirty Poetry"
“You can’t stay still, can you? You can’t stop tempting me for one fucking second.”
“No, I can’t,” I admit. “I don’t know how.”
“You’re always hungry, Layla. Always starving… Why’s that? Huh? Why are you such a c*ck-hungry girl?”
I moan at his dirty words. God, he’s such a poet, speaking filthy poetry to me.
“I want it so much. I want your c*ck… Put it in me, please. My p*ssy is so hungry for it.”
"Dirty Poetry"!!!???? I am sorry but dirty poetry my as*!
OK, this is so not my kind of hot, I am on the verge of hating poetry now.
And what is this obsession of writers about making women "beg for it"?? Oh, whatever, I will never understand…
“I can do whatever I want with you and you’ll let me. Isn’t that right, Layla?” He licks his lips as if savoring his own words. “I can tell you to jump and you’ll ask how high. I can tell you to strip and you’ll strip as if your clothes are on fire.”
“Yes,” I moan.
***
“Ask to suck my c*ck. Come on, Layla. Beg me.”
The need in his voice supersedes the need in me, and I’ll do anything for him. I’ll forget about my own pleasure and suck his c*ck, just so I can feel him pulsing on my tongue. “Please, Thomas, can I suck your c*ck?”
I know he wants me to beg more, and I do. “Please, I want it so bad. Please. Won’t you…Won’t you put it in my mouth?”
Well, yikes - no, not my type of hot!
And the emphasis on "pain being so good" every time they have sex? Why every time??? It doesn't sit well with me, either.
With that, he shoves his c*ck in me and I bite my lip to keep from screaming. He isn’t gentle. He doesn’t give me time to adjust to his size. He is hurting me—my p*ssy is going to be sore for a long time—but nothing matters when his hips are slapping my ass with every stab of his c*ck, when he is grunting over me, probably sweating and panting. I wish I could open my eyes and look at him, but the hurt is so good.
Nope, definitely not good, nor hot IMO!
*********************************************
WARNINGS OVER!!! CRITICISM NOT OVER YET...
Not a big deal but the story has a few "lacking parts" in my opinion:
There are some characters in the story I needed more depth about, which I didn’t get. Hadley, Susan, Caleb and Layla's mother.
I may have forgiven Caleb, (Layla’s step brother that she was once obsessively in love with,) for what he did to Layla, but I still cannot accept how Layla’s mother never got what she deserved. I needed more explanation about her neglect and dislike of her daughter as well as some kind of forgiveness or punishment.
*********************************************
FINAL WORDS ON IT:
The book is told by dual point of view.
It has a HFN ending.
*********************************************
Here are some more QUOTES from it:
“You know, Layla, falling in love isn’t bad or wrong or even hard. It’s actually really simple, even if there’s no reciprocation. It’s the falling out that’s hard, but no matter how much you convince yourself otherwise, reciprocation is important. It’s what keeps the love going. Without it, love just dies out, and then it’s up to you. Do you bury it, or do you carry the dead body around? It’s a hard decision to make, but you have to do it.”
***
We stare at each other. I don’t know what he sees when he looks at me. When I look at him, though, all I see is someone brokenhearted. I see him trying to catch his wife as she slips. I see him following her, like I did with Caleb.
* **
I climb him like an ivy, toxic and poisonous and shameless. I press my body to his and kiss him back with everything I am. I pour my soul into it. For these few moments, I become a balm to his pain.
“I’m selfish, Layla. I’ll ruin you, set you on fire, and won’t even look back. I’ll take and take until you’re empty and hollow.”
***
He needs me. And that makes me need him more.
***
I’ve heard this countless times, have probably said it to people myself. Somehow, it never registered in my psyche. Somehow, until now, I hadn’t really listened to it. They say sometimes you need to hear something at the right time for it to make an impact, like a book you read at a certain age in order to really appreciate it. Maybe this is that moment.
July 8, 2017
***10 purple stars***
I don't know how to write this review. I've tried to sketch out a few outlines but it's not helping, so I'm just going to talk. I don't do plot-recap reviews anyway--I prefer to talk about feelings and craft and words n' shizz, so I'm going to do that and try not to get too rambly.
So this is a taboo, student-teacher, forbidden love read, but those are tag words only. It's so much more than the sum of its parts, and that's because THE WRITING. This book is alive.. It's electric. The words jump off the page and sink claws into your skin. The author, at the end, laments that she's not poet enough to write the poems of her hero, Thomas.
I beg to differ.
This entire book is a poem if you go by my preferred definition, which is a string of words meant to evoke. That's all this book does. The fucking prose...Good lord, it's like a delicate spider web strung between the plot points, lacing them together so that even while Thomas is dirty-talking his way into Layla, you still feel it. The turns of phrase are BRILLIANT in their subtlety. Not show-offy. They don't call attention to themselves; they just are. And the web they weave is a master class in show-don't-tell. But the time you hit chapter four you realize you know everything you need to know about Layla's backstory and her twisted psyche without having read paragraph after paragraph of inner-monologues or exposition. You're drawn in, wrapped up in the prose, and watching the plot unfold.
And the plot...It's like the world's most sexy, enchanting, fucked-up train wreck you can't tear your eyes from. I started it a few nights ago, and then did almost nothing else for the rest of the next day. (I fed the kids=win). The blurb says this is a taboo/student-teacher romance, and that's true but I'd also say it's a coming-of-age story. The character growth, even for the older Thomas, is slow, authentic, and progresses organically, so that by the time you reach the end, you're left belly-full and satisfied. And while both characters undertake the growth, it is Layla who is the star of this show.
Layla, Layla, Layla...How do I love thee? Yes, she's fucked up, but somehow her brand of crazy--despite some truly despicable backstory behavior--is completely endearing. I LOVED how impulsive she was. Yes, she was immature but she's late teens/early 20's? The author let her be young. She was not a paragon of maturity but that didn't mean she couldn't also be full of very adult needs, sexual and otherwise. That felt authentic to me. She was unabashed, unflinching in her desire for Thomas and even that was an organic progression. Layla, for all her crazy, still felt real. She made friends, she invited people into her life; she even played matchmaker. She wasn't closed off or reclusive. She lived out in the world and lived with her crazy inside and it was genius.
But even her adoration with Thomas didn't start out as insta-love or even insta-lust. It was insta-curiosity and it progressed along with self-awareness of her situation and her neediness. And she was unapologetic. I literally struggle with how to express the depth of this character and can only default to READ THIS so that you can understand the glory that is this Twizzler-eating, porn-watching, Lana del Rey-lover of purple. Thomas was compelling and the author navigated his own progression expertly, but Layla just stole the damn show.
And the sexy times????
In this moment, my hands mold him. I'm the sculptor who creates him.
Holy god. You see and feel and hear everything. I've never read anything so visceral and yet so unburdened with extra words. Each sex scene is bursting at the seams with sensation and description while being completely graphic and HOT at the same time. It's like watching porn as if directed by Ang Lee.
My heart is lonely today...
Layla's heart is a third character in this book. Not an organ, as she says in the beginning, introducing it first, but an animal. It sometimes "talks" to her. "We want to follow him, my heart whines..." and I imagine her heart as a Gollum heart, desperate in its neediness and want. "We wants him, precious..." I loved it. Not too much to be overdone, but just right. Another layer to draw you deeper into this character who is aware, on some level, that her unrequited need for love is so strong, it's almost a separate entity.
This might seem like a lot of talk about smaller details in this book but it's the small details that add up to make the whole. I cannot stress enough that the writing in this book is exceptional and I could probably spend another 1000 words on it. My bottom line is that this is something special--this author is something special.
The Unrequited is not a book to be missed.
I don't know how to write this review. I've tried to sketch out a few outlines but it's not helping, so I'm just going to talk. I don't do plot-recap reviews anyway--I prefer to talk about feelings and craft and words n' shizz, so I'm going to do that and try not to get too rambly.
So this is a taboo, student-teacher, forbidden love read, but those are tag words only. It's so much more than the sum of its parts, and that's because THE WRITING. This book is alive.. It's electric. The words jump off the page and sink claws into your skin. The author, at the end, laments that she's not poet enough to write the poems of her hero, Thomas.
I beg to differ.
This entire book is a poem if you go by my preferred definition, which is a string of words meant to evoke. That's all this book does. The fucking prose...Good lord, it's like a delicate spider web strung between the plot points, lacing them together so that even while Thomas is dirty-talking his way into Layla, you still feel it. The turns of phrase are BRILLIANT in their subtlety. Not show-offy. They don't call attention to themselves; they just are. And the web they weave is a master class in show-don't-tell. But the time you hit chapter four you realize you know everything you need to know about Layla's backstory and her twisted psyche without having read paragraph after paragraph of inner-monologues or exposition. You're drawn in, wrapped up in the prose, and watching the plot unfold.
And the plot...It's like the world's most sexy, enchanting, fucked-up train wreck you can't tear your eyes from. I started it a few nights ago, and then did almost nothing else for the rest of the next day. (I fed the kids=win). The blurb says this is a taboo/student-teacher romance, and that's true but I'd also say it's a coming-of-age story. The character growth, even for the older Thomas, is slow, authentic, and progresses organically, so that by the time you reach the end, you're left belly-full and satisfied. And while both characters undertake the growth, it is Layla who is the star of this show.
Layla, Layla, Layla...How do I love thee? Yes, she's fucked up, but somehow her brand of crazy--despite some truly despicable backstory behavior--is completely endearing. I LOVED how impulsive she was. Yes, she was immature but she's late teens/early 20's? The author let her be young. She was not a paragon of maturity but that didn't mean she couldn't also be full of very adult needs, sexual and otherwise. That felt authentic to me. She was unabashed, unflinching in her desire for Thomas and even that was an organic progression. Layla, for all her crazy, still felt real. She made friends, she invited people into her life; she even played matchmaker. She wasn't closed off or reclusive. She lived out in the world and lived with her crazy inside and it was genius.
But even her adoration with Thomas didn't start out as insta-love or even insta-lust. It was insta-curiosity and it progressed along with self-awareness of her situation and her neediness. And she was unapologetic. I literally struggle with how to express the depth of this character and can only default to READ THIS so that you can understand the glory that is this Twizzler-eating, porn-watching, Lana del Rey-lover of purple. Thomas was compelling and the author navigated his own progression expertly, but Layla just stole the damn show.
And the sexy times????
In this moment, my hands mold him. I'm the sculptor who creates him.
Holy god. You see and feel and hear everything. I've never read anything so visceral and yet so unburdened with extra words. Each sex scene is bursting at the seams with sensation and description while being completely graphic and HOT at the same time. It's like watching porn as if directed by Ang Lee.
My heart is lonely today...
Layla's heart is a third character in this book. Not an organ, as she says in the beginning, introducing it first, but an animal. It sometimes "talks" to her. "We want to follow him, my heart whines..." and I imagine her heart as a Gollum heart, desperate in its neediness and want. "We wants him, precious..." I loved it. Not too much to be overdone, but just right. Another layer to draw you deeper into this character who is aware, on some level, that her unrequited need for love is so strong, it's almost a separate entity.
This might seem like a lot of talk about smaller details in this book but it's the small details that add up to make the whole. I cannot stress enough that the writing in this book is exceptional and I could probably spend another 1000 words on it. My bottom line is that this is something special--this author is something special.
The Unrequited is not a book to be missed.
July 7, 2018
for sad white girls who love lana del rey
this was problematic, dark, and i fucking loved it. because it wasn't apologetic in the slightest. this was peddled as a teacher/student romance with some elements of cheating in there. color little ole me intrigued. but it was a lot more than that.
our leading lady, layla is kind of a nut job. if joe from caroline kepnes' you had a little sister, her name would be layla. layla has been obsessed with the same boy her whole life and stalked him until he was forced to leave town. layla goes to college and finds someone new to fall for: her married college professor who of course has marital issues.
this book was darkly atmospheric. we're in cold ass connecticut as we watch the stalking, the fucking, everything really, happen. i must insist that your listen to 'born to die' while you read. i mean, even layla suggests it. this book is the ultimate anthem for sad twisted girls. at the end you're not sure if you hate the couple of love them.
i would not read this if you're looking for a romance, but if you want a thriller that kinda makes you think i'd give it a go.
this was problematic, dark, and i fucking loved it. because it wasn't apologetic in the slightest. this was peddled as a teacher/student romance with some elements of cheating in there. color little ole me intrigued. but it was a lot more than that.
our leading lady, layla is kind of a nut job. if joe from caroline kepnes' you had a little sister, her name would be layla. layla has been obsessed with the same boy her whole life and stalked him until he was forced to leave town. layla goes to college and finds someone new to fall for: her married college professor who of course has marital issues.
this book was darkly atmospheric. we're in cold ass connecticut as we watch the stalking, the fucking, everything really, happen. i must insist that your listen to 'born to die' while you read. i mean, even layla suggests it. this book is the ultimate anthem for sad twisted girls. at the end you're not sure if you hate the couple of love them.
i would not read this if you're looking for a romance, but if you want a thriller that kinda makes you think i'd give it a go.
July 2, 2017
The Harlot fell in love with the Fire-breather.
Saffron makes me want to be A Harlot , if only I can find a Fire breather with piercing blue eyes that stare right into my soul. This just about sums up the story of Doomed , Unrequited love . It will definitely seep into your soul and devour you.
It's not just a book, it's a peek into mangled hearts that saffron creates and then destroys with her skillful observation of Love and all its trimmings , sweet and sour !!!
Depth is misleading from the surface. Sometimes taking a plunge is the only way to find out if the water is too deep or just deep enough.
And JUST for that line , this book deserves an extra sixth star. !!
All new words, all new lines, all new vantage to look and feel the obsessive love. It's like saffron takes 26 alphabets and knits a new language that hasn't been written before. Her writing depth is unfathomable. You feel a pressure in your heart that threatens to explode as you dive deeper and deeper in this story. She hides the beauty in tragedy , covering them with layers of beautiful words
Creates such Magical characters like Thomas Abrams , a Professor of Poetry .
Thomas Abrams is magic. He’s a wordsmith, a baby whisperer, a blue-eyed asshole, but most of all, he’s like me: brokenhearted.
But he's lost his words . Or rather disavowed and buried them
And this " Me " is Layla Robinson. She is a recovering Obsessive & spurned Lover. She's trying to move on from her broken Unrequited love and when she spots Thomas one night , sitting alone on a bench in the park, she feels her heart tug . Her "Mud Vein" pulls her to him . You see they're soulmates. Not neccessarily going to end up together like Loves of their Lives, but that invisible thread that connects them is unmistakable. They share the same Sickness of Unrequited Love
“Because unrequited love is like a dead, useless Vestigial organ. It’s functionless. It’s sicker than a disease. You can cure a disease, but you can’t fix a defective soul. That’s the most frustrating thing in the world, to be that powerless.”
I need to mention something here. Saffron writes very much like two of my fave Queens Of Pain - Sarah Ann Walker and Tarryn Fisher . This book smelled and tasted like the flavour of "Mud Vein" . Not in content , but in treatment and visualisation. The profound impact the writing has equals only to Tarryn's. With so many taboo forbidden stories floating around, here comes a genius who shakes you by the shoulders to sit up and read . Read what its really like to feel the forbidden so hurtful that it seeps into your marrow and eats you like a cannibal . Saffron pulls off the rose tinted glasses off love and shows us the ugly, hurtful, painful, self-harming , suffocating side of UNREQUITED. I don't know whether to applaud her or curse her !!
Oh my god, the words are still rattling inside me , even after I finished reading last night . And couldn't sleep . I cried so hard, with a painful lump in my throat and I'm crying now because the words jumped out of the story and stuck to my hearts . Piercing and sticky.
“It’s like lyrics without music. It���s so easy to lose yourself in the beat of music, but lyrics keep you grounded. It keeps your mind active, you know. You have to pay attention, listen to it over and over to get its meaning, to read between the lines.Yeah. That’s why I like poetry. Because of the words. They ground me.”
And this is EXACTLY what her words are !. They will ground and float you.
I could quote the gazillion highlights from the book, I could write a lengthy review but I just wanna say
GO READ THIS BOOK . !!!!!!
It'll Change your life & it'll change your vision . You'll look at love and life in a new crystal clear way, you've never looked before. Saffron is truely a brave writer , how she managed to write this story without going insane is commendable
bravery is not the absence of fear, but the courage to do something despite it
6 "Fire-Breather" stars. I could give 10 seriously !
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Saffron makes me want to be A Harlot , if only I can find a Fire breather with piercing blue eyes that stare right into my soul. This just about sums up the story of Doomed , Unrequited love . It will definitely seep into your soul and devour you.
It's not just a book, it's a peek into mangled hearts that saffron creates and then destroys with her skillful observation of Love and all its trimmings , sweet and sour !!!
Depth is misleading from the surface. Sometimes taking a plunge is the only way to find out if the water is too deep or just deep enough.
And JUST for that line , this book deserves an extra sixth star. !!
All new words, all new lines, all new vantage to look and feel the obsessive love. It's like saffron takes 26 alphabets and knits a new language that hasn't been written before. Her writing depth is unfathomable. You feel a pressure in your heart that threatens to explode as you dive deeper and deeper in this story. She hides the beauty in tragedy , covering them with layers of beautiful words
Creates such Magical characters like Thomas Abrams , a Professor of Poetry .
Thomas Abrams is magic. He’s a wordsmith, a baby whisperer, a blue-eyed asshole, but most of all, he’s like me: brokenhearted.
But he's lost his words . Or rather disavowed and buried them
And this " Me " is Layla Robinson. She is a recovering Obsessive & spurned Lover. She's trying to move on from her broken Unrequited love and when she spots Thomas one night , sitting alone on a bench in the park, she feels her heart tug . Her "Mud Vein" pulls her to him . You see they're soulmates. Not neccessarily going to end up together like Loves of their Lives, but that invisible thread that connects them is unmistakable. They share the same Sickness of Unrequited Love
“Because unrequited love is like a dead, useless Vestigial organ. It’s functionless. It’s sicker than a disease. You can cure a disease, but you can’t fix a defective soul. That’s the most frustrating thing in the world, to be that powerless.”
I need to mention something here. Saffron writes very much like two of my fave Queens Of Pain - Sarah Ann Walker and Tarryn Fisher . This book smelled and tasted like the flavour of "Mud Vein" . Not in content , but in treatment and visualisation. The profound impact the writing has equals only to Tarryn's. With so many taboo forbidden stories floating around, here comes a genius who shakes you by the shoulders to sit up and read . Read what its really like to feel the forbidden so hurtful that it seeps into your marrow and eats you like a cannibal . Saffron pulls off the rose tinted glasses off love and shows us the ugly, hurtful, painful, self-harming , suffocating side of UNREQUITED. I don't know whether to applaud her or curse her !!
Oh my god, the words are still rattling inside me , even after I finished reading last night . And couldn't sleep . I cried so hard, with a painful lump in my throat and I'm crying now because the words jumped out of the story and stuck to my hearts . Piercing and sticky.
“It’s like lyrics without music. It���s so easy to lose yourself in the beat of music, but lyrics keep you grounded. It keeps your mind active, you know. You have to pay attention, listen to it over and over to get its meaning, to read between the lines.Yeah. That’s why I like poetry. Because of the words. They ground me.”
And this is EXACTLY what her words are !. They will ground and float you.
I could quote the gazillion highlights from the book, I could write a lengthy review but I just wanna say
GO READ THIS BOOK . !!!!!!
It'll Change your life & it'll change your vision . You'll look at love and life in a new crystal clear way, you've never looked before. Saffron is truely a brave writer , how she managed to write this story without going insane is commendable
bravery is not the absence of fear, but the courage to do something despite it
6 "Fire-Breather" stars. I could give 10 seriously !
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July 14, 2017
4 Stars
Overall Opinion: This was so much hotter than I thought it'd be! I thought the characters were so interesting. The h was kinda cray cray, but I was totally routing for her to get a HEA (I'm a poet now too 😂)! The H a was mysterious jerk that was just hurt by his situation and needed love. They both were so incredibly hard on themselves for things that weren't completely their fault. I liked the idea the h put forth that that they were soul mates even if they didn't end up with a HEA together, but that they shared similar experiences with love that connected them. My biggest complaint is that we don't get much bonding between them other than the hot sex. It is told to have happened, but it is through memories after time jumps or just off page. I think it would've contributed so much to their connection if we get those other sweet moments between them (like with Nikki, laughing, etc.). I did, however, feel their connection though! Which to me says a lot, because a lot of the time when we don't get a lot of those developing feelings scenes I don't feel it, but I still did here -- so there's that at least. I'm also disappointed in the ending. I wanted more closure with a glimpse into their future and for them to get a darn HEA!! I felt like they (and I) needed it after all they had been through individually and together.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Layla and Thomas's story. Layla is getting a new start after a disastrous fall-out with a boy she was in love with by starting school at a college where Thomas works. Thomas is getting a new start with teaching poetry instead of writing it, so he can focus on repairing his flailing marriage. Layla ends up in his class, and she becomes obsessed with the mysterious poet. They dance around their attraction to each other, but eventually they can no longer deny the strong pull they feel. There are some hot sexy times, some family and friend drama, and some sad moments...and they get a HFN ending.
POV: This alternated between mostly Layla's POV with a few chapters in Thomas's.
Overall Pace of Story: Good until the last 15ish%. It felt rushed after the major conflict for the couple happened. There were also time jumps (which I do find understandable), but I would've liked to know more about what went on during those times. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well otherwise.
Instalove: No. Instalust? Yes.
H rating: 4 stars. Thomas. He was definitely mysterious and moody, but I liked him.
h rating: 4 stars. Layla. I liked her. She was pretty crazy, but I really enjoyed how she craved love and not only for herself but for others too.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I cried, but no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: Yes
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Yes
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had ok closure, but I wanted more! I would call it a HFN ending
How I got it: It was part of my kindle unlimited subscription.
Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers
Overall Opinion: This was so much hotter than I thought it'd be! I thought the characters were so interesting. The h was kinda cray cray, but I was totally routing for her to get a HEA (I'm a poet now too 😂)! The H a was mysterious jerk that was just hurt by his situation and needed love. They both were so incredibly hard on themselves for things that weren't completely their fault. I liked the idea the h put forth that that they were soul mates even if they didn't end up with a HEA together, but that they shared similar experiences with love that connected them. My biggest complaint is that we don't get much bonding between them other than the hot sex. It is told to have happened, but it is through memories after time jumps or just off page. I think it would've contributed so much to their connection if we get those other sweet moments between them (like with Nikki, laughing, etc.). I did, however, feel their connection though! Which to me says a lot, because a lot of the time when we don't get a lot of those developing feelings scenes I don't feel it, but I still did here -- so there's that at least. I'm also disappointed in the ending. I wanted more closure with a glimpse into their future and for them to get a darn HEA!! I felt like they (and I) needed it after all they had been through individually and together.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Layla and Thomas's story. Layla is getting a new start after a disastrous fall-out with a boy she was in love with by starting school at a college where Thomas works. Thomas is getting a new start with teaching poetry instead of writing it, so he can focus on repairing his flailing marriage. Layla ends up in his class, and she becomes obsessed with the mysterious poet. They dance around their attraction to each other, but eventually they can no longer deny the strong pull they feel. There are some hot sexy times, some family and friend drama, and some sad moments...and they get a HFN ending.
POV: This alternated between mostly Layla's POV with a few chapters in Thomas's.
Overall Pace of Story: Good until the last 15ish%. It felt rushed after the major conflict for the couple happened. There were also time jumps (which I do find understandable), but I would've liked to know more about what went on during those times. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well otherwise.
Instalove: No. Instalust? Yes.
H rating: 4 stars. Thomas. He was definitely mysterious and moody, but I liked him.
h rating: 4 stars. Layla. I liked her. She was pretty crazy, but I really enjoyed how she craved love and not only for herself but for others too.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I cried, but no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: Yes
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Yes
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had ok closure, but I wanted more! I would call it a HFN ending
How I got it: It was part of my kindle unlimited subscription.
Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers
July 9, 2017
“I wonder what it takes to be lovable. Maybe You Have to be less Crazy or less selfish or less…ruining.
There’s something to be said about forbidden romance. I don’t know what it is but there’s this feeling you get whenever you read it. It’s an all consuming rush that flows through your veins like you’ve been hit with the best high and you want nothing more than to just stay in that element. There’s this alluring danger of stepping into uncharted waters because deep down, you KNOW it’s wrong but you do it anyways. Then there’s the seduction. You start off strong with trying to fight it and you might even think that you’re going to win, but that seductiveness takes a hold of you and you’re doing things that you never thought you’d do. So do you see it now? Can you feel it now? There’s something to be said about forbidden romance and this story did a lot of talking.
Layla Robinson doesn’t have the best impulse control. Being sent away to start over in a new town, is the reason why her past actions has her seeing a counselor and trying to form some sort of normalcy. But she’s just going through the motions right now and being happy, is a foreign feeling that she’s sure isn’t going to grace her with it’s presence anytime soon. So Layla goes about her day and prepares for her upcoming classes, only she decides to take on another course. Poetry to be exact. Who knew that walking into Professor Abrams class would forever alter her life?
Thomas Abrams is a world class jerk. Sure he’s a world renowned poet and he’s quite frankly one of the best of his generation, but when it comes to being nice to other people he’s not your guy. Watching the violet eyed woman who came into his class like a tornado is bringing unnatural feelings in him. There’s a fire that wasn’t there before, a yearning that he just can’t rid of, but the most dangerous thing of all is that secretly, he doesn’t want them to go away. What starts off as a need to be pushed away, quickly turns into a lust filled, agonizing beautiful love story about two people who were meant for each other before they even knew it.
“The day we met you watched the moon while I watched you. You looked liked my mirror cracked and empty. I could’ve been yours if only you had looked at me”.
I will admit that I had a tough time with this one in the beginning and I wasn’t sure how the story was going to go but somewhere between that moment, something happened and I became hooked on every word! I remember the exact moment I sighed with relief and basked into the certainty of this love story. Every emotion between Thomas and Layla was like a live wire and you couldn’t help but want to be shocked with their passion, their hurt, and their requited love.
This was one of those stories where you knew there was going to be heartache but you didn’t care because you wanted to be selfish just for a moment. The sexual tension is what kept you reading at warped speed because you KNOW sooner or later, it was going to erupt. But the best thing, the most absolute self gratifying thing about this, was seeing two broken characters who tried so hard to not need each other, later became each other’s everything.
This author made me FEEL,
She made me THINK,
This author took my emotions and wrung them dry with her words. I’ve been looking for something different in my reads and I certainly got it with this book. I’m not going to tell you to read about this story. You shouldn’t want to do it. YOU NEED TO READ IT!! NO EXCUSES.
July 16, 2017
“…bravery is not the absence of fear, but the courage to do something despite it-taking that first step despite the danger of falling, creating a piece of art knowing that people might not appreciate it. Bravery is like falling in love. You don’t know if the person will reciprocate, but still you fall”.
~ Thomas
Wow! This book was unlike any forbidden romance book I’ve ever read!
The story follows Layla who has not been lucky in love. Her story is a tale of guilt and desire as shocking as it is compelling. Her life changes in a whirlwind of chaos, warmth and truths after meeting Thomas, her new, arrogant and alluring poetry professor. Layla’s life soon becomes divided into two different worlds. One filled with safe discussions and uneventful college life and one where she has a wild, passionate secret affair with Thomas who is married but whose marriage is breaking down. Their affair soon goes from passionate, healing and liberating to remorseful, devastating and destructive.
“He needs me. He needs to exert his power over me because his love has made him powerless. He needs me because his love has made him a beggar himself. The lust he feels for me comes from the love he feels for her”. ~ Layla
“I’m ravenous for Layla. I’m ravenous for the power she gives me. I want to abuse that power, unleash it, use it against her. I want to destroy her like I’m destroyed in this moment. She is too brave for her own good. I want to destroy that bravery, that pure courage”. ~ Thomas
This is a gritty, intense love story that will leave you swooning the entire time you read it. I found myself unable to resist turning the pages. I was mesmerized from the beginning. This book tugged at my heart and left me breathless!!
The characters are so believable, honest, real, it's hard not to fall a little bit into their quiet little world. There is heartbreak, and resolutions that feel genuine and true to life. If you enjoy forbidden type love stories then check out this wonderful novel.
In short:
Hero 5/5 | Heroine 5/5 | Plot (Point, Originality) 5/5 | Writing Style 5/5 | Steam 5/5 | Romance 5/5 | Angst-Suspense 4/5 | Darkness 3/5 | Humor 1/5 | Secondary Characters 4/5 | Drama-Conflict 5/5 | Mystery 2/5 | Twists 5/5 | Pacing Steady | Action 4/5
Wow! This book was unlike any forbidden romance book I’ve ever read!
The story follows Layla who has not been lucky in love. Her story is a tale of guilt and desire as shocking as it is compelling. Her life changes in a whirlwind of chaos, warmth and truths after meeting Thomas, her new, arrogant and alluring poetry professor. Layla’s life soon becomes divided into two different worlds. One filled with safe discussions and uneventful college life and one where she has a wild, passionate secret affair with Thomas who is married but whose marriage is breaking down. Their affair soon goes from passionate, healing and liberating to remorseful, devastating and destructive.
“He needs me. He needs to exert his power over me because his love has made him powerless. He needs me because his love has made him a beggar himself. The lust he feels for me comes from the love he feels for her”. ~ Layla
“I’m ravenous for Layla. I’m ravenous for the power she gives me. I want to abuse that power, unleash it, use it against her. I want to destroy her like I’m destroyed in this moment. She is too brave for her own good. I want to destroy that bravery, that pure courage”. ~ Thomas
This is a gritty, intense love story that will leave you swooning the entire time you read it. I found myself unable to resist turning the pages. I was mesmerized from the beginning. This book tugged at my heart and left me breathless!!
The characters are so believable, honest, real, it's hard not to fall a little bit into their quiet little world. There is heartbreak, and resolutions that feel genuine and true to life. If you enjoy forbidden type love stories then check out this wonderful novel.
In short:
Hero 5/5 | Heroine 5/5 | Plot (Point, Originality) 5/5 | Writing Style 5/5 | Steam 5/5 | Romance 5/5 | Angst-Suspense 4/5 | Darkness 3/5 | Humor 1/5 | Secondary Characters 4/5 | Drama-Conflict 5/5 | Mystery 2/5 | Twists 5/5 | Pacing Steady | Action 4/5
October 12, 2020
"Damaged people recognize other damaged people. It’s like a club you don’t want a membership to"
-Colleen Hoover
This book really played with my norms,
made me think from different aspects and angles.
It really gave me a 360 degree view of relationship statistics .
It is extremely taboo
Taboo mixed with Dark
But I will call it more of a Taboo read than a Dark read
yeah booo we will get to that part wait!
Let's start with the book's title:
Unrequited
(of a feeling, especially love) not returned.
There are times when we have strong romantic feelings toward someone, only to find out that they do not feel the same way about us. That is called unrequited love—love that is not returned or rewarded. It is a one-sided experience that can leave us feeling pain, grief, and shame
We always hear this phrase
"There are two sides of a story"
I Have learnt through this book how painfully true this phrase is.
Saffron A. Kent
(My first book I read of hers)
I think few books have this effect on me.
I didn't feel like myself while reading this book.
I was looking closely into Layla's live.
It was a total escape from reality for sometime.
This girl is total opposite from me but somehow I felt this unfathomable connection with her .
I was understanding her perspective her crazy move why she was doing all those things .
I can justify her each move each actions.
And that is definitely implying something .
I think that was all Saffron 's writing
She wrapped me up tightly with her writing and I didn't even realise it .
Her writing :
Her writing is Lyrical
Full of rhythm
She can play with words more than story .
It is fascinating to read.
Her writing feels like it flows with grace and without any effort . It is simple to read but yet the feels she brought in this book is complex . You need close attention. Her writing totally consumed me .
It is soothing and artistic
and it is intimate without even being intimate.
Her way of describing things :
She has a magical way of seeing and presenting things around her. How she described things in this book was just pure beauty . In author's note she stated she doesn't know how to write poetry . But I beg to differ her writing is unapologetically poetic .
Author's perception of POETRY:
"It’s like lyrics without music.” I forge on. “It’s so easy to lose yourself in the beat of music, but lyrics keep you grounded. It keeps your mind active, you know. You have to pay attention, listen to it over and over to get its meaning, to read between the lines.” I nod, agreeing with my own analysis. “Yeah. That’s why I like poetry. Because of the words. They ground me.”
Story line:
Forbidden Romance
Yes it is "Forbidden"
but is it truly forbidden tho ?
When both the adults are consensual
and is it cheating when the wife already asked to give her divorce ?
I will say No
But was it fair when you are in marriage but you won't give your wife divorce and let her suffer and sleep behind her back ?
Is it okay ?
I would also say absouletly No !
I don't know if you guys have realised it or not but Layla (h) also have some issues mental health wise .
I will come to that part later . It will be on the spoiler section .
Dynamics of Main character's relationship:
We know sugar is bad for our health
We all know it is white poison
but why do we still have it ? why do we crave sugar ?
All I felt for Thomas was empathy
He is struggling but not making enough effort towards her wife .
What Layla did I can't blame her . I can definitely see from where she was coming from .
So I can not blame her but also I can not support her either. Because knowing Thomas already has a child , dealing with her wife's problem she just beacome a body who will be available .
Yes That's what she is by the very end she became "a female body"
that Thomas can use to get rid of frustration . Nothing more nothing less . I can't agree with that .
Also when Thomas could take care of his child guess what he was doing ?
He was sleeping with his student
He left his son with Nanny
Also he claims he loves his son I mean how ?
How is he a better parent to Nicky than his wife ?
Last but not the least : Hadley (Thomas(H)’s wife)
Layla will become Hadley 2.0 just mark my word .
Good thing author didn't come up with a proper epilogue . I don't honestly think they will have happy ending after all
like marriage more kids and all.
Let me put my thoughts into words why is that -
Women fall out of love , why it happened?
What occurred it ?
Hadley , She married the love of her life .
She was ignored to a level that she felt unwanted and it was soo bad that she went into depression . She was feeling so suffocated that she wanted divorce !
and she didn't even flinch when she got to know her husband was sleeping behind her back . On the contray she felt relieved because now the "husband " will let her go finally .
Can you imagine what kind of mental pain she was into ?
WHO TF IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS ? WHY NO ONE IS POINTING THIS OUT ?
Hadley was sane if she feels this way imagine Layla
All of her actions were to seek attention.
I am pretty sure in 10 years or less than that she will feel like Hadley or even worse than Hadley . It’s a red flag right here .
Debate between my Heart and My Brain
My Heart :
Yes Thomas is having really bad cricis in his life . I feel so sorry for him . What Layla doing is right . There are no strings attached , both of them are clear about it and his wife doesn't even want him .
They are technically not husband wife . He stopped writing poetry because of her . He is vulnerable Layla is vulnerable .
This is their coping mechanism .
They are doing it to survive I don't see any problem .
They fit they understand each other .
I don't see anything wrong there.
My Brain:
Why aren't you seeking some medical care for your wilfe Thomas ?
Postpartum depression is not something you cure by taking her out or buying expensive stuffs
I can see you love your wife so much .
Why don't you show her you love her ?
Actions speak louder than words after all .
Layla sweetheart you need treatment too.
You have officially become the “second woman “. Thomas will leave you in a heartbeat if His wife decides to take him back do you understand that ? YES YOU DO!!
It is not a normal girl's behaviour to solve a problem every time by forcing someone to sleep with you , you know ?
You tried to seduce your best friend and now your professor.......
So the question is I have mixed feelings about this book But am I going to try this author's other books??
I think she is a fabulous author.
I liked her her writing style
I liked the idea of her plot .
But I didn't like book's transition
and how she ended things .
It lacked in some ways otherwise it is a good book .
So yes I will definitely try out other books of hers too.
Happy Reading xoxo 🌼🌼🌼
July 18, 2017
➦There has been a lot of hype surrounding this book and naturally I had to get my paws on it asap. This was my first read by this author and I enjoyed the writing just fine, however, while I did like it, I certainly didn't love it.
➦This was like... like... "Slammed" on steroids. lol A student/teacher romance with some poetry mixed in. Unfortunately, I thought that the beauty of poetry was lost somewhere in the midst of all the explicit sex. In fact, I think I have to file this under erotica because of the abundance of graphic sexual content.
➦There was insta-lust and a whole lot of naughty. I found it really hard to like this hero and he hasn't really redeemed himself in my eyes by the end of the book. It would have really helped his character if he was a better father. Because, god damn, nobody wanted that poor baby.
➦Sadly there wasn't any gradual development of the relationship for me to get the feels. Each character was well developed INDIVIDUALLY but as far as their deep connection goes - I didn't buy it. There was whole lot of physical but not enough "getting to know each other."
➦To sum it up: I definitely liked this book and it was a pretty solid one time read for me, you just won't find me gushing like so many others. If you are looking for a naughty teacher/student book then this would be it. Just keep in mind that this is not a safe read and has cheating and whole lot of sexy times!
July 13, 2017
RATING: 5 Fire-breather & Violet-eyed girl Hearts!! <3
The Unrequited is an utterly enigmatic story, one that encapsulates in vivid detail the raw pain of unrequited love, the heady eroticism of forbidden romance and the heart-wrenching beauty of what it means to find the other half of your soul.
Layla is a beautiful blend of characteristics, someone who has constructed a seemingly unpierceable armour to deflect all emotional bonds, but who possesses an innate vulnerability, instantaneously winning us over. Our emotional connection to Layla only deepens as her story unfolds, the guilt, self-loathing, shame and disdainful thoughts she immerses herself in as her penance to pay for past deeds something that leaves indelible marks on our hearts as easily as it has on hers. What makes this trait heartbreaking rather than frustrating is seeing Layla fight a mental and emotional battle over and over again with herself and that forged as a result of her relationship with her married professor.
Thomas is as fascinating a character as Layla, the intricacy of his personality an amalgamation of the struggle between his desire to make his wife reciprocate his love and his steadily growing feelings for Layla. While he’s determined to keep things physical between him and Layla—setting the boundaries of their affair from the beginning—we are also granted quiet moments with him where the tender emotions he has for her supersede the stationary feelings towards his wife. When things refuse to progress with his wife however, he takes his anger and torment out on Layla, brandishing cruel words that cut to the bone, but yet we find ourselves repeatedly rationalizing his actions, latching on to his rare moments of vulnerability and using them to further tint our rose coloured glasses. It helps that Layla always has her head held high despite the hurt that mars her resolve as Thomas’ words hit their mark, and it’s in these extraordinarily painful moments that we hope for a rainbows-and-unicorns type of ending for our tortured hero and heroine.
While the idea of cheating is a tough sell in the world of romance and happily-ever-afters, Ms. Kent pulls it off beautifully though, forcing us in the most exquisitely sensual way to try and see things through the eyes of Thomas and Layla in turn, and it’s nearly impossible not to get swept away in their interludes. The love the two of them share poignant and enviable, a beacon of light in an expansive sea of darkness.
Overall, The Unrequited is stunning from beginning to end, a read that unapologetically plays with our emotions and despite its tricky subject matter has us steadfastly falling in love with a beautifully flawed couple, easily earning a place on our shelf of favourites.
Other Fave Quotes:
Because the way we came together was magical. It made me fall in love again.
It could almost be a story I’ll tell myself when I’m dying. The Harlot fell in love with the Fire-breather. It was beautiful and right. It was wrong and ugly, just like the earth beneath my feet. It was tragic and ecstatic. It was everything I’d hoped love could be.
“...you make me feel like...I’ve never taken a breath before, like I’ve never lived before.”
“You wake up the words in me.”
Bravery is not the absence of fear, but the courage to do something despite it---taking that first step despite the danger of falling, creating a piece of art knowing people might not appreciate it. Bravery is like falling in love. You don’t know if the person will reciprocate, but still you fall.
“It’s not pretty, our love story.”
“It’s not.”
“We break all the rules, and sometimes I hate that.”
“Me too.”
“But it’s ours.”
“It is.”
~Arc generously provided by author in exchange for an honest review~
Posted: July 10, 2017
The Unrequited is an utterly enigmatic story, one that encapsulates in vivid detail the raw pain of unrequited love, the heady eroticism of forbidden romance and the heart-wrenching beauty of what it means to find the other half of your soul.
“God...what are we doing?” I pant into his shirt.
“The wrongest thing we’ve ever done,” he says, repeating my words.
Layla is a beautiful blend of characteristics, someone who has constructed a seemingly unpierceable armour to deflect all emotional bonds, but who possesses an innate vulnerability, instantaneously winning us over. Our emotional connection to Layla only deepens as her story unfolds, the guilt, self-loathing, shame and disdainful thoughts she immerses herself in as her penance to pay for past deeds something that leaves indelible marks on our hearts as easily as it has on hers. What makes this trait heartbreaking rather than frustrating is seeing Layla fight a mental and emotional battle over and over again with herself and that forged as a result of her relationship with her married professor.
“Because unrequited love is like a dead, useless organ. It’s functionless. It’s sicker than a disease. You can cure a disease, but you can’t fix a defective soul.”
Thomas is as fascinating a character as Layla, the intricacy of his personality an amalgamation of the struggle between his desire to make his wife reciprocate his love and his steadily growing feelings for Layla. While he’s determined to keep things physical between him and Layla—setting the boundaries of their affair from the beginning—we are also granted quiet moments with him where the tender emotions he has for her supersede the stationary feelings towards his wife. When things refuse to progress with his wife however, he takes his anger and torment out on Layla, brandishing cruel words that cut to the bone, but yet we find ourselves repeatedly rationalizing his actions, latching on to his rare moments of vulnerability and using them to further tint our rose coloured glasses. It helps that Layla always has her head held high despite the hurt that mars her resolve as Thomas’ words hit their mark, and it’s in these extraordinarily painful moments that we hope for a rainbows-and-unicorns type of ending for our tortured hero and heroine.
“I’ll pour the gasoline, light the match, and watch you burn, Layla—and trust me, you’re going to love it. I’m going to ruin you for every other man out there and you’re going to love every second of it.”
While the idea of cheating is a tough sell in the world of romance and happily-ever-afters, Ms. Kent pulls it off beautifully though, forcing us in the most exquisitely sensual way to try and see things through the eyes of Thomas and Layla in turn, and it’s nearly impossible not to get swept away in their interludes. The love the two of them share poignant and enviable, a beacon of light in an expansive sea of darkness.
So maybe all of this is a good thing—all the sneaking around, breaking rules, fucking with the universe. Everything is worth it. For Thomas. Even though it’s inadvisable, I still build castles in the air. I still think of myself as a Cinderella and him as my tarnished, broken, kinky Prince Charming.
Overall, The Unrequited is stunning from beginning to end, a read that unapologetically plays with our emotions and despite its tricky subject matter has us steadfastly falling in love with a beautifully flawed couple, easily earning a place on our shelf of favourites.
Other Fave Quotes:
Because the way we came together was magical. It made me fall in love again.
It could almost be a story I’ll tell myself when I’m dying. The Harlot fell in love with the Fire-breather. It was beautiful and right. It was wrong and ugly, just like the earth beneath my feet. It was tragic and ecstatic. It was everything I’d hoped love could be.
“...you make me feel like...I’ve never taken a breath before, like I’ve never lived before.”
“You wake up the words in me.”
Bravery is not the absence of fear, but the courage to do something despite it---taking that first step despite the danger of falling, creating a piece of art knowing people might not appreciate it. Bravery is like falling in love. You don’t know if the person will reciprocate, but still you fall.
“It’s not pretty, our love story.”
“It’s not.”
“We break all the rules, and sometimes I hate that.”
“Me too.”
“But it’s ours.”
“It is.”
~Arc generously provided by author in exchange for an honest review~
Posted: July 10, 2017
June 30, 2020
Notes
Thank you, Melanie, for this BR!
Rating
4.5 ‘fire-breathing’ 🌟
Song Recommendation
Silsila Title Track
Review
You don’t have to agree with me, but I wholeheartedly think that there was two types of books out there. Some books that entertain you with artistic plots and you describe them as a ‘fun’ journey and others – others that grab onto your heart and twist it every which way until you are left as a raw puddle of emotions gasping for air. The Unrequited was the latter kind of the book for me particularly because of the last few chapters.
On the surface, this book was about a forbidden affair between a student and her poetry professor – a professor who is married and is a father – that leads to the professor committing adultery. But this book is so much more than that.
On a succinct note, this book is about guilt-ridden, brave, kind, and expressive Layla who connects with a broken stranger because of his emotional turmoil; the connection she is not able to stop from expanding when the stranger becomes her poetry professor, Thomas. Thomas bleeds anguish, frustration, and anger from his eyes and mouth to cover up his wounded heart – heart that is holding on too tight onto his troubling marriage.
What attracts Layla to Thomas is the reflection of her pain – pain caused by unrequited love – in him. This book is the journey of Layla’s determination to be the ground beneath his crumbling heart, a ground that she didn’t have when she shattered due to her unrequited love. It is about Thomas’s selfishness in grasping at the offered ground all the while warning Layla to stay away from himself and not to get attached. It was a toxic, vicious cycle that left with me heartburn and tears in my eyes.
Undoubtedly, Layla was the rockstar in this book. Her presence, determination, and the way she bottled up all of her emotions inside her left me reeling and in pain for her. While I somewhat liked Thomas, Layla deserved better. This book could’ve easily been longer because I needed more groveling from Thomas for all the emotional suffering Layla went through because of him. Because of the lack of groveling and atonement from Thomas, the endling felt rushed and lacking.
Yes, the characters were flawed. I welcomed their flaws with open arms because the way the author conveyed those flaws made them realistic for me. The writing in this book was riveting, emotional, and lyrical. Saffron A. Kent knows just how to reach inside your chest and tug at your beating heart. Furiously.
Overall, I loved this book and if Thomas’s character development was a little fleshed out, this would’ve been a more than perfect read for me. If cheating is not a trigger warning for you, then I would highly recommend jumping into this book and let SAK take your heart out on an angsty ride.
Thank you, Melanie, for this BR!
Rating
4.5 ‘fire-breathing’ 🌟
Song Recommendation
Silsila Title Track
Review
You don’t have to agree with me, but I wholeheartedly think that there was two types of books out there. Some books that entertain you with artistic plots and you describe them as a ‘fun’ journey and others – others that grab onto your heart and twist it every which way until you are left as a raw puddle of emotions gasping for air. The Unrequited was the latter kind of the book for me particularly because of the last few chapters.
Somehow, someway, I have developed this crush on him. I know he’s married. I know he’s an asshole, rude and mean and some kind of a genius poet—but maybe that’s the appeal.
On the surface, this book was about a forbidden affair between a student and her poetry professor – a professor who is married and is a father – that leads to the professor committing adultery. But this book is so much more than that.
Thomas Abrams is magic. He’s a wordsmith, a baby whisperer, a blue-eyed asshole, but most of all, he’s like me: brokenhearted.
On a succinct note, this book is about guilt-ridden, brave, kind, and expressive Layla who connects with a broken stranger because of his emotional turmoil; the connection she is not able to stop from expanding when the stranger becomes her poetry professor, Thomas. Thomas bleeds anguish, frustration, and anger from his eyes and mouth to cover up his wounded heart – heart that is holding on too tight onto his troubling marriage.
What attracts Layla to Thomas is the reflection of her pain – pain caused by unrequited love – in him. This book is the journey of Layla’s determination to be the ground beneath his crumbling heart, a ground that she didn’t have when she shattered due to her unrequited love. It is about Thomas’s selfishness in grasping at the offered ground all the while warning Layla to stay away from himself and not to get attached. It was a toxic, vicious cycle that left with me heartburn and tears in my eyes.
This is need. This . The flush of his cheeks. The clench of his jaw. The flare of his nostrils dragging in a bucketful of air as though his lungs are starved. He is starved for me.
Undoubtedly, Layla was the rockstar in this book. Her presence, determination, and the way she bottled up all of her emotions inside her left me reeling and in pain for her. While I somewhat liked Thomas, Layla deserved better. This book could’ve easily been longer because I needed more groveling from Thomas for all the emotional suffering Layla went through because of him. Because of the lack of groveling and atonement from Thomas, the endling felt rushed and lacking.
He needs me. He needs to exert his power over me because his love has made him powerless. He needs me begging because his love has made him a beggar himself. The lust he feels for me comes from the love he feels for her.
Yes, the characters were flawed. I welcomed their flaws with open arms because the way the author conveyed those flaws made them realistic for me. The writing in this book was riveting, emotional, and lyrical. Saffron A. Kent knows just how to reach inside your chest and tug at your beating heart. Furiously.
I’ve thought about her heart a lot too. It’s big and fierce and soft and bright. It’s like a star or the moon or the entire fucking sky, and she’s giving it to me. She’s giving me the sky.
Overall, I loved this book and if Thomas’s character development was a little fleshed out, this would’ve been a more than perfect read for me. If cheating is not a trigger warning for you, then I would highly recommend jumping into this book and let SAK take your heart out on an angsty ride.
December 30, 2017
Home run! That's one way to put it. Saffron A. Kent has created a book that was unputdownable! That's right. The Unrequited was spectacular. Completely mesmerizing. First and foremost I'm head over heels in love with Kent's prose and storytelling. It's raw, honest and seductive. I felt like I was in a trance. Hypnotized by her intoxicating prose that instantly connected me with Layla and Thomas.
Layla and Thomas were two phenomenal characters. Equally flawed and battling with the same issue. Their love was unrequited and how they found solace and comfort in one another was truly an epic ride of proportions.
Layla is a beautiful girl who'd made a mistake once and was now paying for it by being alone without friends and family. I loved how she tried to help whenever she saw a chance to make a difference. In this case her new friend Emma and most importantly Thomas.
Thomas!! What to say about this incredible man. He has so many different sides to his personality. I loved his sarcasm, his arrogance, his filthy mouth but most of all his kind heart and his need to do the right thing.
When Layla and Thomas crashed together I felt like I combusted. Their chemistry was insane. So sensual and erotic. They definitely used each other to feel better and to forget the pain of their unrequited love. At times it wasn't pretty and it wasn't supposed to be. I loved the urgency of their need and lust for one another. It was delicious, hot and dirty.
Their relationship had consequences and I had no idea which direction the story went and that gave it that awesome angsty feeling that I love in a story. How Kent tied it all together in the end was effortlessly done.
All I can say to conclude this review is that Saffron A. Kent blew me away with this captivating story. Everything clicked and worked perfectly and flawlessly. Especially Layla and Thomas who are two characters I won't forget soon. Thank you for one hell of a ride.
5 BadAssDirtyFireBreatherStars
ARC generously provided for an honest review
Layla and Thomas were two phenomenal characters. Equally flawed and battling with the same issue. Their love was unrequited and how they found solace and comfort in one another was truly an epic ride of proportions.
Layla is a beautiful girl who'd made a mistake once and was now paying for it by being alone without friends and family. I loved how she tried to help whenever she saw a chance to make a difference. In this case her new friend Emma and most importantly Thomas.
Thomas!! What to say about this incredible man. He has so many different sides to his personality. I loved his sarcasm, his arrogance, his filthy mouth but most of all his kind heart and his need to do the right thing.
When Layla and Thomas crashed together I felt like I combusted. Their chemistry was insane. So sensual and erotic. They definitely used each other to feel better and to forget the pain of their unrequited love. At times it wasn't pretty and it wasn't supposed to be. I loved the urgency of their need and lust for one another. It was delicious, hot and dirty.
Their relationship had consequences and I had no idea which direction the story went and that gave it that awesome angsty feeling that I love in a story. How Kent tied it all together in the end was effortlessly done.
All I can say to conclude this review is that Saffron A. Kent blew me away with this captivating story. Everything clicked and worked perfectly and flawlessly. Especially Layla and Thomas who are two characters I won't forget soon. Thank you for one hell of a ride.
5 BadAssDirtyFireBreatherStars
ARC generously provided for an honest review
July 10, 2017
****4.5 Messy Stars****
What does requited love look like? I want to see it.
I’m not sure how to even go about writing this review. There’s lots I want to say, and yet I don’t want to say anything cause I don’t want to spoil anything. Saffron Kent is a new to me author. If you keep up with my reviews you've might noticed that I haven't been taking chances with new to me authors lately. I've been super busy at work all year and don't have as much time to review and blog as before :( But this book kept popping up everywhere and I was so intrigued! You know I love a little taboo from time to time and I just couldn't resist. And let me tell you, this one did not disappoint at all. This was crazy, messy, ugly, raw and beautiful all at the same time. It's one of those books that you read with a tight chest and experience all sorts of emotions while doing it. Pure angst. Holy hell, this is one book I won't forget easily.
“Why are we talking about useless organs?” “Because unrequited love is like a dead, useless organ. It’s functionless. It’s sicker than a disease. You can cure a disease, but you can’t fix a defective soul. That’s the most frustrating thing in the world, to be that powerless.”
I read a book a few years ago that I just adored. It had a few taboo themes, including cheating. It had the craziest heroine I’ve ever read, yet she was so charming and I couldn’t help but to fall in love with her. Not surprisingly, it was somewhat of a polarizing book, a lot of people didn’t like the book. You either love it or hate it. They didn’t like her, or the fact that there was cheating. Anyway, I have a feeling that this one will be one of those. For me, it’s all about the characters. If you have an open mind and care about the characters first, then this one will blow you away.
The Harlot fell in love with the Fire-breather. It was beautiful and right. It was wrong and ugly, just like the earth beneath my feet. It was tragic and ecstatic. It was everything I’d hoped love could be.
I won’t recap the blurb. The blurb is pretty self-explanatory and gives you all the warnings. But man this book is so much more. It explores unrequited love in different ways. It also explores the concept of soulmates. It questions what you know about love.
“You know, Layla, falling in love isn’t bad or wrong or even hard. It’s actually really simple, even if there’s no reciprocation. It’s the falling out that’s hard, but no matter how much you convince yourself otherwise, reciprocation is important. It’s what keeps the love going. Without it, love just dies out, and then it’s up to you. Do you bury it, or do you carry the dead body around? It’s a hard decision to make, but you have to do it.”
Is one person’s love strong enough to hold a relationship together? A marriage? A friendship? A family? When is it better to let go? These two main characters are so lost, and so broken. One suffering from rejection and one-sided love, pure heartbreak. And the other trying to hold on to a loveless marriage and a relationship that just wasn’t there anymore, or never was, full of regrets. While reading, I kept thinking of one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite books:
"Broken souls are mended every day by mended souls that were once broken" ~Krista & Becca Ritchie
I couldn’t stop thinking about how this just relates perfectly to this book. These two souls were so broken, so trapped in guilt and regret, so hopeless. And when they found each other, they were just meant for each other, you can totally feel it the entire times. It's all about the details and the little things that were happening to them while they were not paying attention. Granted this was messy, and pretty messed up at times. Like really, really messed up, lol. They definitely go about it the wrong way, it’s ugly and raw. You want to scream at both at some point or another. They will both make you mad. It’s so sad at times, but it’s so beautiful too. It takes time, they learn, they forgive, they forget and love truly wins.
Thomas and I, we share the same story. We might have gotten there differently, but now we share the same fate.
Yes, I want him. I’ve wanted him since the first time I saw him. I want him more and more with each passing day. I want him because he’s like me. He’s in unrequited love and I want to save him, somehow.
Let’s talk Layla. She’s all sorts of awesome. I know, she’s crazy. So what? She’s young and confused and has been through a lot. I felt so much for her, so bad. She’s so unloved, like a puppy that everyone kicks. I also wanted to smack her a few times and wanted her to stand her ground. But she had such a great heart. I absolutely loved her, she was the heart of the book and totally stole my heart. Thomas wasn’t my favorite, there I said it. I totally understood the way he felt. How his life was upside down and how helpless he was. But yet, I had a harder time connecting with him and how much of a jerk he sometimes was. But I still loved him though. His epiphany was one of the best parts of the book. I wish it would’ve been longer though.
Thomas Abrams is magic. He’s a wordsmith, a baby whisperer, a blue-eyed asshole, but most of all, he’s like me: brokenhearted.
This book was also super hot! Really, really, hot. Naughty, dirty. Panties poof hot. I thoroughly enjoyed that as well, of course. I also loved the writing, this was beautifully written. And the pacing, I thought everything developed at the right time, although selfishly I would’ve loved for the last 5-10% to be longer, definitely more. Similarly, the lack of an epilogue is the reason why I didn’t give 5 stars to this one. Not only am I a huge fan of epilogues, but I also feel like this is the type of books where you are dying to know how these characters are doing in the future. Saffron, I need more please!!!!
“It’s not pretty, our love story.”
“It’s not.”
“We break all the rules, and sometimes I hate that.”
“Me too.”
“But it’s ours.”
“It is.”
So, needless to say, I absolutely loved this one. I know some people immediately shy away from cheating books without a second thought, but you should give this one a chance, this might be your exception. If you have an open mind, this one will blow you away. Saffron Kent is now in my list of authors to watch and I can’t wait to see what she brings in next. Absolutely recommend!
Bravery is like falling in love. You don’t know if the person will reciprocate, but still you fall.
**An ARC was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**
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What does requited love look like? I want to see it.
I’m not sure how to even go about writing this review. There’s lots I want to say, and yet I don’t want to say anything cause I don’t want to spoil anything. Saffron Kent is a new to me author. If you keep up with my reviews you've might noticed that I haven't been taking chances with new to me authors lately. I've been super busy at work all year and don't have as much time to review and blog as before :( But this book kept popping up everywhere and I was so intrigued! You know I love a little taboo from time to time and I just couldn't resist. And let me tell you, this one did not disappoint at all. This was crazy, messy, ugly, raw and beautiful all at the same time. It's one of those books that you read with a tight chest and experience all sorts of emotions while doing it. Pure angst. Holy hell, this is one book I won't forget easily.
“Why are we talking about useless organs?” “Because unrequited love is like a dead, useless organ. It’s functionless. It’s sicker than a disease. You can cure a disease, but you can’t fix a defective soul. That’s the most frustrating thing in the world, to be that powerless.”
I read a book a few years ago that I just adored. It had a few taboo themes, including cheating. It had the craziest heroine I’ve ever read, yet she was so charming and I couldn’t help but to fall in love with her. Not surprisingly, it was somewhat of a polarizing book, a lot of people didn’t like the book. You either love it or hate it. They didn’t like her, or the fact that there was cheating. Anyway, I have a feeling that this one will be one of those. For me, it’s all about the characters. If you have an open mind and care about the characters first, then this one will blow you away.
The Harlot fell in love with the Fire-breather. It was beautiful and right. It was wrong and ugly, just like the earth beneath my feet. It was tragic and ecstatic. It was everything I’d hoped love could be.
I won’t recap the blurb. The blurb is pretty self-explanatory and gives you all the warnings. But man this book is so much more. It explores unrequited love in different ways. It also explores the concept of soulmates. It questions what you know about love.
“You know, Layla, falling in love isn’t bad or wrong or even hard. It’s actually really simple, even if there’s no reciprocation. It’s the falling out that’s hard, but no matter how much you convince yourself otherwise, reciprocation is important. It’s what keeps the love going. Without it, love just dies out, and then it’s up to you. Do you bury it, or do you carry the dead body around? It’s a hard decision to make, but you have to do it.”
Is one person’s love strong enough to hold a relationship together? A marriage? A friendship? A family? When is it better to let go? These two main characters are so lost, and so broken. One suffering from rejection and one-sided love, pure heartbreak. And the other trying to hold on to a loveless marriage and a relationship that just wasn’t there anymore, or never was, full of regrets. While reading, I kept thinking of one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite books:
"Broken souls are mended every day by mended souls that were once broken" ~Krista & Becca Ritchie
I couldn’t stop thinking about how this just relates perfectly to this book. These two souls were so broken, so trapped in guilt and regret, so hopeless. And when they found each other, they were just meant for each other, you can totally feel it the entire times. It's all about the details and the little things that were happening to them while they were not paying attention. Granted this was messy, and pretty messed up at times. Like really, really messed up, lol. They definitely go about it the wrong way, it’s ugly and raw. You want to scream at both at some point or another. They will both make you mad. It’s so sad at times, but it’s so beautiful too. It takes time, they learn, they forgive, they forget and love truly wins.
Thomas and I, we share the same story. We might have gotten there differently, but now we share the same fate.
Yes, I want him. I’ve wanted him since the first time I saw him. I want him more and more with each passing day. I want him because he’s like me. He’s in unrequited love and I want to save him, somehow.
Let’s talk Layla. She’s all sorts of awesome. I know, she’s crazy. So what? She’s young and confused and has been through a lot. I felt so much for her, so bad. She’s so unloved, like a puppy that everyone kicks. I also wanted to smack her a few times and wanted her to stand her ground. But she had such a great heart. I absolutely loved her, she was the heart of the book and totally stole my heart. Thomas wasn’t my favorite, there I said it. I totally understood the way he felt. How his life was upside down and how helpless he was. But yet, I had a harder time connecting with him and how much of a jerk he sometimes was. But I still loved him though. His epiphany was one of the best parts of the book. I wish it would’ve been longer though.
Thomas Abrams is magic. He’s a wordsmith, a baby whisperer, a blue-eyed asshole, but most of all, he’s like me: brokenhearted.
This book was also super hot! Really, really, hot. Naughty, dirty. Panties poof hot. I thoroughly enjoyed that as well, of course. I also loved the writing, this was beautifully written. And the pacing, I thought everything developed at the right time, although selfishly I would’ve loved for the last 5-10% to be longer, definitely more. Similarly, the lack of an epilogue is the reason why I didn’t give 5 stars to this one. Not only am I a huge fan of epilogues, but I also feel like this is the type of books where you are dying to know how these characters are doing in the future. Saffron, I need more please!!!!
“It’s not pretty, our love story.”
“It’s not.”
“We break all the rules, and sometimes I hate that.”
“Me too.”
“But it’s ours.”
“It is.”
So, needless to say, I absolutely loved this one. I know some people immediately shy away from cheating books without a second thought, but you should give this one a chance, this might be your exception. If you have an open mind, this one will blow you away. Saffron Kent is now in my list of authors to watch and I can’t wait to see what she brings in next. Absolutely recommend!
Bravery is like falling in love. You don’t know if the person will reciprocate, but still you fall.
**An ARC was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**
JOIN THE SISTERHOOD! FIND US ON: FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / TWITTER / BLOG
November 23, 2017
4.25 stars...
This is the face you will make when you're reading this, realizing this is only Saffron's SECOND published book...
Her writing is phenomenal. Honestly I still have trouble believing that she isn't a veteran author. I'm one of those people who LOVES analogies, especially clever ones that are so subtle you almost miss them. And Saffron was a pro with these. One of my favorites...
You don't even understand how much it killed me to cut out some quotes, but honestly this review would be as long as the book if I listed all of them and explained why I love them. But here are a couple that really resonated with me...
- Layla -
- Thomas -
Oh boy. To say Thomas was an ass would be an understatement. There were moments when he was downright cruel.
Now if I was rating this for the writing alone it'd be an easy 5 stars... hell, it'd be 10 stars. But because I'm me, and a pain in the ass, there were a few things I wished were different...
(This will definitely be spoilery, so don't click on the spoiler sections unless you REALLY want to know.)
1. Both MCs suffer from unrequited love, a topic that I don't think I've ever read about, and I really liked that about this book. In the romance world it kind of feels like there isn't a lot left unexplored, so it was awesome to read something different, it was refreshing.
2. Thomas's relationship with his wife.
3.
4. The student-teacher, forbidden aspect... it didn't seem that prominent to me. I kind of forget that it was a "problem" at times. It didn't seem like a huge risk for them to be together.
5. One last thing... the sex...
I'd never considered myself a prude, but since I haven't really seen any other reviews comment on this, it's possible that maybe I am lol 🙈 But the sex really didn't work for me...
Now, you may look at these five "problems" and be thinking, wow, did she really enjoy it?! I DID!! I really, really did, and I would absolutely recommend it. These five things were all little, but together they were enough to drop my rating. But there was never a chance this was getting less than 4. I'm not trying to convince anyone not to read it, but I like to justify why I didn't give 5 stars. And I can't stress this enough, all these "problems" are ME issues. They are one hundred percent about personal preferences. The writing was truly stunning and if you are even a little bit interested, you should PICK THIS UP!! I can definitely see this author doing big things in the indie community! 💜
Safety:
Closure:
This is the face you will make when you're reading this, realizing this is only Saffron's SECOND published book...
Her writing is phenomenal. Honestly I still have trouble believing that she isn't a veteran author. I'm one of those people who LOVES analogies, especially clever ones that are so subtle you almost miss them. And Saffron was a pro with these. One of my favorites...
His blue and my violet. The colors with just a pinch of a difference, belonging to the same part of the spectrum of a rainbow.She's talking about eye color, but it could also be applied to how Thomas and Layla handle unrequited love.
You don't even understand how much it killed me to cut out some quotes, but honestly this review would be as long as the book if I listed all of them and explained why I love them. But here are a couple that really resonated with me...
The tiny words on the paper seem to have risen and attached themselves to my skin. I feel them everywhere, all the time, as if I know them.
"Art is painful, Layla. It's potentially dangerous. Explosive. It takes everything from you, sometimes more than you can afford. It's a beast, and it’s always starving. You feed it and feed it…until you have nothing left." He sucks in a breath. "But you don't mind because you'd rather chase the high of creating something than live in darkness. It's insanity."GAHHH... the writing is too good to explain, you just have to experience it. I have her first book on my Kindle and I'm really hoping I can pull on my big girl panties soon and read it, because I can't imagine her writing is less than stellar in that one as well. I'm also SUPER excited to see what comes next from her.
- Layla -
My heart is not an organ. It's more than that. My heart is an animal—a chameleon, to be specific. It changes skin and color, not to blend in, but to be difficult, unreasonable.BOOM! This is how the book starts. These are the first words we get from Layla. And I knew right then that a) I would love Layla and b) I would be obsessed with the writing, both ended up being true. I love heroines who feel left behind, who feel unloved and unwanted. Their pain just resonates with me, and Layla definitely fit the bill!
I like to sit up on my balcony and throw water balloons at people down on the street. When they look up, outraged, I duck behind the stone railing, but in those five seconds, I feel acknowledged. They knew someone was up there, throwing things at them. I like that.
Because I'm a girl who's not supposed to be the love of someone's life, not with my selfishness. I was meant to live in the shadows and secrets.I know everyone is swooning over Thomas, but I LOVED Layla... I really appreciated how self aware she was and how much she wanted to change, she just didn't know how.
There's a clench in my chest, as if my heart is shrinking. I wonder what it takes to be loveable. Maybe you have to be less crazy or less selfish or less…ruining.
I don't have to wonder what I’ll find when I look inside me—a selfish, crazy girl who fell in the wrong kind of love—so I'd rather not look.There were times when others might consider her "weak" for how she let Thomas treat her, but I never felt that way. She let him use her because she felt unworthy of anything more, and later on when she grew more confidence, she didn't let Thomas walk all over her. We really got to watch Layla grow, and I loved it!
- Thomas -
Oh boy. To say Thomas was an ass would be an understatement. There were moments when he was downright cruel.
I’m ravenous for the power she gives me. I want to abuse that power, unleash it, use it against her. I want to destroy her like I’m destroyed in this moment. She is too brave for her own good. I want to destroy that bravery, that pure courage.I did like him though. I enjoyed his dry sense of humor...
"It's not just students. I hate all humans, in general."
“So did you always want to be a stalker?”And when he wasn't being an ass, he was actually pretty sweet...
I don’t want to go back, because where I came from, there is no Layla.
“You bring them back…my words.”
She's here. In the city. Somewhere among the millions of people who live here is the violet-eyed girl I'm scared to dream about.
"[If] a lover is the one who waits, then, I'll wait. Forever."Honestly I don't have much to say about him. I liked him and Layla together. I would have preferred to see more of his sweet side, because I FLOVED him at the end. But I know that wasn't what this book was about, his asshole tendencies are a big draw, so I can't find much fault with that. I just like sweet heroes 😉
Now if I was rating this for the writing alone it'd be an easy 5 stars... hell, it'd be 10 stars. But because I'm me, and a pain in the ass, there were a few things I wished were different...
(This will definitely be spoilery, so don't click on the spoiler sections unless you REALLY want to know.)
1. Both MCs suffer from unrequited love, a topic that I don't think I've ever read about, and I really liked that about this book. In the romance world it kind of feels like there isn't a lot left unexplored, so it was awesome to read something different, it was refreshing.
"Falling in love isn't bad or wrong or even hard. It's actually really simple, even if there's no reciprocation. It's the falling out that's hard, but no matter how much you convince yourself otherwise, reciprocation is important. It's what keeps the love going. Without it, love just dies out, and then it's up to you. Do you bury it, or do you carry the dead body around? It's a hard decision to make, but you have to do it."Saffron did a fantastic job of describing the pain and confusion that comes with unrequited love. That being said, I had some qualms about the unrequited relationships...
2. Thomas's relationship with his wife.
3.
4. The student-teacher, forbidden aspect... it didn't seem that prominent to me. I kind of forget that it was a "problem" at times. It didn't seem like a huge risk for them to be together.
5. One last thing... the sex...
I'd never considered myself a prude, but since I haven't really seen any other reviews comment on this, it's possible that maybe I am lol 🙈 But the sex really didn't work for me...
Now, you may look at these five "problems" and be thinking, wow, did she really enjoy it?! I DID!! I really, really did, and I would absolutely recommend it. These five things were all little, but together they were enough to drop my rating. But there was never a chance this was getting less than 4. I'm not trying to convince anyone not to read it, but I like to justify why I didn't give 5 stars. And I can't stress this enough, all these "problems" are ME issues. They are one hundred percent about personal preferences. The writing was truly stunning and if you are even a little bit interested, you should PICK THIS UP!! I can definitely see this author doing big things in the indie community! 💜
Safety:
Closure:
March 3, 2024
3/5⭐️ This book had been on my tbr for a few years and I’ve always avoided it because of the content warnings but I finally read it and I’m glad that I did.
My favorite thing about this book was the heroine, Layla. I loved her character so much and I just wanted her to be happy. But the Hero, Thomas? Not so much. I didn’t like how he so called loved his wife so much but then would be intimate with Layla like it was nothing. I feel like he just used Layla and I didn’t feel like he really loved her. And it was pretty clear to me that his wife was dealing with depression and instead of trying to do whatever it took to help her, he just ignores it. I didn’t like that at all.
Overall, this was still a pretty okay read for me and it was entertaining at times but the Hero wasn’t my favorite.
💜Student/Professor
💜Age gap
💜She’s the stalker 🤭
💜Unrequited love
💜Forbidden
My favorite thing about this book was the heroine, Layla. I loved her character so much and I just wanted her to be happy. But the Hero, Thomas? Not so much. I didn’t like how he so called loved his wife so much but then would be intimate with Layla like it was nothing. I feel like he just used Layla and I didn’t feel like he really loved her. And it was pretty clear to me that his wife was dealing with depression and instead of trying to do whatever it took to help her, he just ignores it. I didn’t like that at all.
Overall, this was still a pretty okay read for me and it was entertaining at times but the Hero wasn’t my favorite.
💜Student/Professor
💜Age gap
💜She’s the stalker 🤭
💜Unrequited love
💜Forbidden
July 3, 2017
The Unrequited
By: Saffron A. Kent
5 Stars
Do you know how long it’s been since I picked up a book and did ABSOLUTELY Nothing all day because I was so engrossed in the book my life suffered? It’s been a while!
Going into my first Saffron A. Kent book, I would have never imagined a story written so well, flowed perfectly and cracked open every emotion known to mankind would be my first book by this author! Where have I been hiding to not have read anything of this talented authors work?
Layla Robinson has always loved the wrong people. Making her feel like love was unimaginable for someone who deserved to be loved as much as her. When her mother sends her away to college far away after her last failed love attempt, Layla sets her target on a new distraction. The married professor.
Thomas Abrams is in his first year of being the new professor. Having given up his true love to safe his suffering marriage, he has taken the job to save his family. But when he first sees this purple clad person in the bookstore, he knows things will change.
When you regret this---and I know you will---just remember that you asked for it.
When Layla and Thomas are together its Hot, its Steamy and its very wrong… But together they make beautiful words. Words that are meant to flow….
Their love story isn’t a pretty one, in fact it’s a Rule-Breaker One that I totally enjoyed reading!!! Great Job Saffron A. Kent, You Knocked it Out OF THE BALLPARK with this one!!!
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By: Saffron A. Kent
5 Stars
Do you know how long it’s been since I picked up a book and did ABSOLUTELY Nothing all day because I was so engrossed in the book my life suffered? It’s been a while!
Going into my first Saffron A. Kent book, I would have never imagined a story written so well, flowed perfectly and cracked open every emotion known to mankind would be my first book by this author! Where have I been hiding to not have read anything of this talented authors work?
Layla Robinson has always loved the wrong people. Making her feel like love was unimaginable for someone who deserved to be loved as much as her. When her mother sends her away to college far away after her last failed love attempt, Layla sets her target on a new distraction. The married professor.
Thomas Abrams is in his first year of being the new professor. Having given up his true love to safe his suffering marriage, he has taken the job to save his family. But when he first sees this purple clad person in the bookstore, he knows things will change.
When you regret this---and I know you will---just remember that you asked for it.
When Layla and Thomas are together its Hot, its Steamy and its very wrong… But together they make beautiful words. Words that are meant to flow….
Their love story isn’t a pretty one, in fact it’s a Rule-Breaker One that I totally enjoyed reading!!! Great Job Saffron A. Kent, You Knocked it Out OF THE BALLPARK with this one!!!
Follow us on---
FB – https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookB...
Blog -https://bookbistroblogcom.wordpress.com
Blog -https://bookbistroblogger.blogspot.com
Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/BookBistro
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/BookBistroBlog
July 2, 2017
Incredible. Absolutely INCREDIBLE. I'm speechless.
That was the first line I wrote for this review and then sat for 2 hours thinking about what I could actually say. I'm still a little all over the place and lost for words. This book is ANGSTY PERFECTION. For me that was an absolute winner. But, that's not all. This is a student/teacher romance *fist bump*. It's taboo and raw and gritty. It's uncomfortable in places then it's simple and easy in other places. The flow and masterful mixing of all the subject matter is done with delicate precision. It's so obvious to see that these characters meant so much to the author and she took her time making their story as true as it was. As brutal as it was. As breathtaking as it was.
“I’ll pour the gasoline, light the match, and watch you burn, Layla—and trust me, you’re going to love it. I’m going to ruin you for every other man out there and you’re going to love every second of it.”
I want to say that I shouldn't have loved Thomas as much as I did. I shouldn't have liked him at all. I won't say why because I'll give too much away but trust me I just shouldn't have liked him. But, and here is where Saffron blew me away.. I slowly fell in love with a broken, beast of a man who shut himself off and pushed everyone away. I fell in love with his undying devotion to EVERY character in this book. It's a contradiction I know, but, that push and pull from him alone was done so well, it's where a lot of the angst came in and I loved it. I fell in love with HIM. And Saffron made that possible.
“Because I’m a girl who’s not supposed to be the love of someone’s life, not with my selfishness. I was meant to live in the shadows and secrets. I can be Thomas’ secret, for a little while, at least— until I absorb all of his pain and set him free.”
Saffron also made it possible for me to adore Layla. The crazy, messed up, beautifully broken Layla. This woman may not click with everyone, some may find her way too crazy. But the beauty of all this was in the way Saffron wrote Layla making her beliefs honest, so gut wrenchingly honest.
Anyone who has been in love knows that love can make you crazy. Anyone who's been in love and not had it returned can make you crazy. It's a fact that love does make us crazy and while The Unrequited focuses on that crazy side of love and the raw, brutal journey it can take you on, it also focuses on the beauty, the hope and the strength that can develop from love.
“The tiny words on the paper seem to have risen and attached themselves to my skin. I feel them everywhere, all the time, as if I know them.”
This quote contains SO MUCH TRUTH. This book is under my skin, coursing through my veins. The Unrequited is not your sweet and flowery romance. It's not boy meets girl, fall in love all sweet and swoony. No, this book is raw, it's brutal, it's gritty and uncomfortable it's dangerous but it's filled with intensity, explosive passion, heat, honesty and all consuming love. And it will stay with me for a long time and quite easily become one of my TOP reads of 2017.
That was the first line I wrote for this review and then sat for 2 hours thinking about what I could actually say. I'm still a little all over the place and lost for words. This book is ANGSTY PERFECTION. For me that was an absolute winner. But, that's not all. This is a student/teacher romance *fist bump*. It's taboo and raw and gritty. It's uncomfortable in places then it's simple and easy in other places. The flow and masterful mixing of all the subject matter is done with delicate precision. It's so obvious to see that these characters meant so much to the author and she took her time making their story as true as it was. As brutal as it was. As breathtaking as it was.
“I’ll pour the gasoline, light the match, and watch you burn, Layla—and trust me, you’re going to love it. I’m going to ruin you for every other man out there and you’re going to love every second of it.”
I want to say that I shouldn't have loved Thomas as much as I did. I shouldn't have liked him at all. I won't say why because I'll give too much away but trust me I just shouldn't have liked him. But, and here is where Saffron blew me away.. I slowly fell in love with a broken, beast of a man who shut himself off and pushed everyone away. I fell in love with his undying devotion to EVERY character in this book. It's a contradiction I know, but, that push and pull from him alone was done so well, it's where a lot of the angst came in and I loved it. I fell in love with HIM. And Saffron made that possible.
“Because I’m a girl who’s not supposed to be the love of someone’s life, not with my selfishness. I was meant to live in the shadows and secrets. I can be Thomas’ secret, for a little while, at least— until I absorb all of his pain and set him free.”
Saffron also made it possible for me to adore Layla. The crazy, messed up, beautifully broken Layla. This woman may not click with everyone, some may find her way too crazy. But the beauty of all this was in the way Saffron wrote Layla making her beliefs honest, so gut wrenchingly honest.
Anyone who has been in love knows that love can make you crazy. Anyone who's been in love and not had it returned can make you crazy. It's a fact that love does make us crazy and while The Unrequited focuses on that crazy side of love and the raw, brutal journey it can take you on, it also focuses on the beauty, the hope and the strength that can develop from love.
“The tiny words on the paper seem to have risen and attached themselves to my skin. I feel them everywhere, all the time, as if I know them.”
This quote contains SO MUCH TRUTH. This book is under my skin, coursing through my veins. The Unrequited is not your sweet and flowery romance. It's not boy meets girl, fall in love all sweet and swoony. No, this book is raw, it's brutal, it's gritty and uncomfortable it's dangerous but it's filled with intensity, explosive passion, heat, honesty and all consuming love. And it will stay with me for a long time and quite easily become one of my TOP reads of 2017.
April 19, 2020
Re read April 2020
4 stars!
"Train wreck" that's what comes to mind with this book, such a crazy crazy love. This was my first book by this author. I can totally appreciate the ride she took with this story and her all over the place emotionally unstable characters that were driven by:
"Unrequited love or one-sided love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such by the beloved. The beloved may not be aware of the admirer's deep and strong romantic affection, or may consciously reject it.
Right off the bat we know the MC are carrying a lot of baggage when they meet. Their relationship is volatile, so wrong but so good! But the fact that they were both going through the same unrequited love made their attraction more intense. I think it made them understand each other but at the same time it was a reminder of the love they couldn't have.
I don't know but I really liked the h Layla. I mean I know this girl was messed up, but the author took the time to explain why she acted the way she did. She was just a lonely girl looking for someone to love, to truly love her unconditionally. She went about it the wrong way but at last she found it. Thomas was frustrating, and mean especially to Layla, but I felt bad for him ok, sometimes. But he too learned along the way.
The reason why I didn't give a five star was because even though the sex between the characters was hot I just wasn't feeling the sexy talk. I would of also loved an epilogue maybe a few years after or even a few months.
I really enjoyed this book, it wasn't a heart and flowers kinda story with perfect characters but that's why I loved it. A love that started out constricting and hurtful but ended up being freeing and forgiving. ❤️
4 stars!
"Train wreck" that's what comes to mind with this book, such a crazy crazy love. This was my first book by this author. I can totally appreciate the ride she took with this story and her all over the place emotionally unstable characters that were driven by:
"Unrequited love or one-sided love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such by the beloved. The beloved may not be aware of the admirer's deep and strong romantic affection, or may consciously reject it.
Right off the bat we know the MC are carrying a lot of baggage when they meet. Their relationship is volatile, so wrong but so good! But the fact that they were both going through the same unrequited love made their attraction more intense. I think it made them understand each other but at the same time it was a reminder of the love they couldn't have.
I don't know but I really liked the h Layla. I mean I know this girl was messed up, but the author took the time to explain why she acted the way she did. She was just a lonely girl looking for someone to love, to truly love her unconditionally. She went about it the wrong way but at last she found it. Thomas was frustrating, and mean especially to Layla, but I felt bad for him ok, sometimes. But he too learned along the way.
The reason why I didn't give a five star was because even though the sex between the characters was hot I just wasn't feeling the sexy talk. I would of also loved an epilogue maybe a few years after or even a few months.
I really enjoyed this book, it wasn't a heart and flowers kinda story with perfect characters but that's why I loved it. A love that started out constricting and hurtful but ended up being freeing and forgiving. ❤️
March 21, 2020
Title: The Unrequited
Author: Saffron A. Kent
Category: Forbidden Romance, Taboo
Series or Standalone: Standalone
POV: First Person, Dual PoV
Plot: 5+++
Characters: 5+++
Scorching Level: 5+++
HEA: Um...hello. Not telling.
OMG. I am in love with this book!! There are not enough words to describe my feelings after reading this. These flawed, incredibly human characters crawled under my skin and into my heart.
I fell in love with Layla. Beautiful, damaged, kind Layla. I cannot believe the depth of her personality. The author managed to create a fantastic forbidden romance that broke my heart.
Layla is suffering from unrequited love. In love with her stepbrother, she went too far. Her mother resents her.
Her obsession has led her down a dark path and she is trying to be good. She wants to be better, she wants to forget and she wants to move forward.
She is sent off to college but she is lost...
Until she meets Thomas Abrams. He is a famous poet and a teacher. She joins his class. A new unrequited love begins. Thomas is unavailable. He has a family; a wife and a baby.
Layla's feelings overflow for the broody professor. They have something in common. She can see his pain in his eyes. She knows that he too is suffering from unrequited love.
And so, their descent into a toxic relationship begins.
Layla wants to be used to save him.
Thomas wants to use her and destroy her to dull his own pain.
The author had me hooked from the first chapter. Her characters spoke to me, I connected with them and her storyline was refreshing and unique.
Excellent storytelling. The book filled me with emotions and no matter how flawed our characters were I fell in love with them.
This is a book that I will re-read.
Raw emotion, sizzling chemistry and fantastic writing make this book my top read of the year!
DO NOT MISS IT.
Author: Saffron A. Kent
Category: Forbidden Romance, Taboo
Series or Standalone: Standalone
POV: First Person, Dual PoV
Plot: 5+++
Characters: 5+++
Scorching Level: 5+++
HEA: Um...hello. Not telling.
OMG. I am in love with this book!! There are not enough words to describe my feelings after reading this. These flawed, incredibly human characters crawled under my skin and into my heart.
I fell in love with Layla. Beautiful, damaged, kind Layla. I cannot believe the depth of her personality. The author managed to create a fantastic forbidden romance that broke my heart.
Layla is suffering from unrequited love. In love with her stepbrother, she went too far. Her mother resents her.
Her obsession has led her down a dark path and she is trying to be good. She wants to be better, she wants to forget and she wants to move forward.
She is sent off to college but she is lost...
Until she meets Thomas Abrams. He is a famous poet and a teacher. She joins his class. A new unrequited love begins. Thomas is unavailable. He has a family; a wife and a baby.
Layla's feelings overflow for the broody professor. They have something in common. She can see his pain in his eyes. She knows that he too is suffering from unrequited love.
And so, their descent into a toxic relationship begins.
Layla wants to be used to save him.
Thomas wants to use her and destroy her to dull his own pain.
The author had me hooked from the first chapter. Her characters spoke to me, I connected with them and her storyline was refreshing and unique.
Excellent storytelling. The book filled me with emotions and no matter how flawed our characters were I fell in love with them.
This is a book that I will re-read.
Raw emotion, sizzling chemistry and fantastic writing make this book my top read of the year!
DO NOT MISS IT.
May 18, 2017
What's better than a book that makes you think, challenges your boundaries, makes you cry, makes you sigh, makes you want to find a partner and F*@k like animals ... all while making you want--no, NEED--to flip to the next page with reckless abandon?
Nothing. There is nothing better.
This book is on my short-list for best of the year. All other books have their work cut out for them.
*I was honored to beta read - in no way did that honor influence my rating/review of this book.
Nothing. There is nothing better.
This book is on my short-list for best of the year. All other books have their work cut out for them.
*I was honored to beta read - in no way did that honor influence my rating/review of this book.
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