Cruel And Beautiful
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Authors: A.M. Hargrove,Terri E. Laine
Release Date: November 12, 2015
Cate Forbes, a dedicated college student with a carefully plotted future, doesn’t know the first thing about love. When she accepts a blind date with a rumored tasty piece of eye candy, she thinks she can get by with a night of fun. Cate’s plans quickly unravel when she gets one look at the sexy…
Drew McKnight.
The relentless hockey-playing medical resident knows what he wants—a career in Oncology and Cate. Although he’s heard the gorgeous brunette is a little relationship skittish, a single night out isn’t what he has in mind. Determined to have her—in every way possible—he shows her just what a future with him would hold.
Only life has other plans. The unthinkable happens and everything begins to shatter. Both in too deep, they will have to fight the cruel and hang onto the beautiful.
Cruel and Beautiful is a New Adult Contemporary Romance standalone, full-length novel based on true events, and includes mature content, not suitable for younger readers.
…promise me you’ll live. Just live, Cate. Do it for me.
I have no idea how to even begin reviewing this book. After reading the prologue, I knew I was in for a tear jerker, and yet nothing could have prepared me for the full effect. Nothing. Cruel and Beautiful was unlike any book I’ve ever read before. Beautifully tragic and emotionally charged, it’s one of those books that will stay with me for a long while. I finished it last night and still find myself thinking about it. It’s just one of those stories that will touch you on a visceral level. It’s impossible not to have it effect you, it’s just that moving.
When Drew McKnight first laid his eyes on Cate Forbes, he knew he wanted her. Drew is older with his sights set on a career in Oncology, while Cate is still a college student with no plans on relationships or falling in love. But this isn’t an angsty college romance of boy meets girl. It’s a touching love story of two soul mates. It’s captivating, endearing, emotional, and interspersed with just the right amount of humor. You get to watch these two fall in love slowly. You get to experience all their first smiles, emotions, feelings, everything, right alongside with them.
Cate was probably one of the most adorably quirky heroines I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I don’t think any other author could have pulled off a heroine that refers to her vagina as muffin or names it Louise, and actually have it be endearing instead of cheesy. But somehow these two authors did just that. Her lack of filter between her thoughts and what she says, her quirky Cate-ism, everything just worked for me. I fell for it, hook, line and sinker.
“Who the fuck is Louise?”
I hold up my index finger and jab it toward Louise.
“Jesus C. You named it Louise? How did I not ever know that?”
“It’s a private thing.”
Her random thoughts and banter with her best friend and Drew never failed to bring a smile to face. I’m not sure what it was that kept it from crossing over that line to annoying or cheesy, but it was utter perfection. I was laughing my fool ass off at everything.
“Louise loves my snake, Cate.”
“That’s not fair. This is real. I have to pee and I’m afraid.”
I love that the authors added that bit of humor to this emotional story. There was no unnecessary angst or drama. The book flowed flawlessly without any of it. It was a touching love story but it was also so much more. At 436 pages, it was definitely on the lengthy end, and I felt like it could have been cut down in certain parts. But the story never dragged for me either, so I can’t complain too much about it.
As for Drew? What can I tell you about Drew? He was perfection. Sweet yet with an incredibly sexy edge. He stole my heart and kept it, never to be the same again. This man was everything.
It’s told in alternating parts of Past and Present. Throughout the entire time the reader only begins to develop more and more questions. The connection behind everything kept me riveted to the pages from start to finish. I needed answers.
This is one of those stories where the less you know going in, the better. Even the tiniest detail can be a spoiler. So I recommend going in absolutely blind.
What I can tell you, is this is a book unlike any you’ve read before. If you want a romance that will break your heart and melt it at the same time, this is simply a must read. It’s heart-breakingly good. One of the most unique books I’ve read all year. This was my first book by these authors, and I can say with utmost certainty that it will not be my last. I’m a huge fan after this and look forward to whatever they have next.
If you’re looking for an emotional read that’s guaranteed to make even the strongest hearts cry, this is that book. Once you meet Cate and Drew you’ll know exactly what I mean.
ABOUT A. M. Hargrove
One day, on her way home from work as a sales manager A. M. Hargrove realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn’t do something soon, it would be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life. So she rolled down the passenger window of her fabulous (not) company car and tossed out her leather briefcase. Luckily, the pedestrian in the direct line of fire was a dodge ball pro and had über quick reflexes enabling him to avoid getting bashed in the head. Feeling a tad guilty about the near miss, A. M. made a speedy turn down a deserted side street before tossing her crummy, outdated piece-of-you-know-what laptop out the window. She breathed a liberating sigh of relief, picked up her cell phone, called her boss, and quit her job. Grinning, she made another call to her hubs and told him of her new adventure (after making sure his heart was beating properly again).
So began A. M. Hargrove’s career as a Naughty and Nice Romance Author.
Her books include Adult, New Adult and Young Adult Romances, including, The Guardians of Vesturon Series (Survival, Resurrection, Determinant, reEmergent, and the novella Beginnings); Dark Waltz and Death Waltz (The Praestani Novels); The Edge Series (Edge of Disaster, Shattered Edge, and Kissing Fire); The Tragic Series (Tragically Flawed and Tragic Desires); Exquisite Betrayal; Dirty Nights: The Novel; and The Hart Brothers Novels (Freeing Her, Freeing Him, and Kestrel).
Please find her at www.amhargrove.com.
ABOUT Terri E. Laine
Wife and mother of three, I’ve always been an avid reader. In my early years, my best friend and I would tell each other stories over the phone when we were bored. We called them our “soap operas” and generally revolved around whatever boy we liked at the time.
Over five years ago, I got this crazy idea to write a novel and try to publish it. And the rest is history. This journey has been a blessing, and a dream realized. I look forward to many more memories to come.
God. That one line. Who would have thought that my heart could melt and break at the same time from just 4 little words? But when 221; killing machine, savage with no memories of his previous life and raised to be a cold blooded killer, utters those four words to Talia….I was absolutely done for.
When Talia discovers 221’s true identity, she knows that he’s not only forbidden. He’s something else entirely. There’s a history there that he’s not aware of and she knows all too well. But that doesn’t stop her from being intrigued by the savage. During his recovery from the drug that stole his thoughts and memories, she cares for him….but something else begins to develop between them.
Reap is not quite as dark as it’s predecessor was. While still leaning on the side of gritty, it wasn’t as brutal. It was definitely a whole lot more emotional, however. I think this is in part due to the fact that I had a true connection to Talia and Zaal together. Talia isn’t exactly my favorite heroine, but she was much more memorable than Kisa. I loved how she cared for Zaal and the way she fought for him.
Ladies and ovaries, allow me to introduce you to your next must read. If you’re looking for some smutty goodness wrapped up in a fantastic story, it simply doesn’t get better than this. Did I mention that it has one of the hottest MMF threesomes I’ve read in a while? Because….damn.
The beauty of this dirty little beauty, however, is you don’t have to have read the previous books in the series to enjoy it. While Carly and Geo from 
It’s been quite a while since I read an all male POV that was this engrossing. Hard Beat was simply unputdownable from beginning to end. It was everything I love, and I really do mean everything. It managed to tick all my boxes.
After so many friends raved to me about how amazing this book was, I was beyond excited to be finally reading it. Given that I’ve also spent quite a few months avoiding it. Why? Because my picky Russian ass has yet to read a book with the MCs being Russian and not having it be butchered to hell and back. So I get a little touchy.
Be warned….nitpicking galore to follow…
Taking into consideration her borderline abusive psycho of a fiancé and their relationship, I’m shocked she had no emotional or mental scars. This is especially true towards the end. She moves on from all of it without so much as a bat of a eye lash. No lingering emotional trauma…just is what it is.
It could have easily been fade to black or just loosely mentioned. It simply didn’t need to be as graphic as it was past the first 2 times.
Well, this was certainly…different. If you’re expecting Tough Enough to be on the same intensity level as 
See that utterly pathetic pile of melted, swooning goo on the floor right now? Yep. That’s me. Who would have thought I’d meet my end at the hands of a bearded, pierced, and man-bun wearing virgin?
Because if anyone was going to make my manwhore and asshole loving self fall completely head over heals for a virgin, it had to be Kristen Callihan. Having read 2 other male virgin books before this and being mostly underwhelmed, third time was most certainly the charm for me. Because this book? I loved it. I beyond loved it. I want to marry it and have it’s babies. I want to rub myself in it and roll around basking in it’s pure awesome all day. I want to lick it. Alright, you get the point here I think.
What I love particularly about this series, aside from the swoony heroes that somehow get better with each new book, is that the timeline progresses. What I mean is, with 
The sexual tension between these two is instant and so deliciously thick you can almost taste it. There’s nothing I love more than a good buildup and this book serves that up perfectly. Cari and Taryn know exactly what they’re doing and these two sure know how to tease and entice.
After that ending, I’m not sure whether to rock myself in a corner somewhere in my wait for the next installment or to hunt down Cari and Taryn and beat them until they give it to me. All I know, is I’m hooked and I want it. I need it. I have to have it.
I have a little secret…*whispers* I have an unhealthy addiction to legal dramas…comedies….romances…whatever. You name it, if legal procedures and trials are involved, odds are I’ve watched it or read it. So when I saw a new Legal Affairs book from Sawyer Bennett, it was a no brainer to read. This is only my third book by this author, and admittedly the other two I’ve read by her left me a bit underwhelmed. But having heard so many amazing things about her Legal Affairs series, I decided to bite the bullet and give it a go. And boy am I glad that I did, because Friction was absolutely fantastic!.
And so awkward, shy trailer trash Leary becomes sexy powerhouse Leary; using all her feminine wiles to win her cases. But she’s not just sexy and sassy, there’s a brain on her and that just made her that much more fun to read about. Now she’s handling the biggest case of her life; not so much in the form of money, but meaning. It means everything to her to win, and she needs to crush her opponent. Too bad her opponent is the sexy Reeve Holloway, a defense attorney working for the client that hers is suing…and determined to give as good as he gets.
