ARC Review: Full Measures by Rebecca Yarros

Full Measures

Three knocks can change everything…

"She knew. That’s why Mom hadn’t opened the door. She knew he was dead."

Twenty years as an army brat and Ember Howard knew, too. The soldiers at the door meant her dad was never coming home. What she didn’t know was how she would find the strength to singlehandedly care for her crumbling family when her mom falls apart.

Then Josh Walker enters her life. Hockey star, her new next-door neighbor, and not to mention the most delicious hands that insist on saving her over and over again. He has a way of erasing the pain with a single look, a single touch. As much as she wants to turn off her feelings and endure the heartache on her own, she can’t deny their intense attraction.

Until Josh’s secret shatters their world. And Ember must decide if he’s worth the risk that comes with loving a man who could strip her bare.

I received this book for free from the publisher or author in exchange for an honest review.
This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review

Although this book started strong and had an emotional moment towards to end, most of the time I was just bored. Most books in this genre are basically the same, but it’s the way it’s executed that matters. And I’m really sorry that I have to say this, but this one was just not that good for me personally.

Ember’s world comes crashing down on her when she learns her father has died in Afghanistan. Her mother becomes a zombie and she’s the one that has to keep everything together. And than her jerk of a boyfriend, Riley becomes the most hated person for me in this book and the only one Ember can find comfort in is Josh. It’s a pretty standard story, but it felt so long and I was so bored through most of it. The beginning was so good. The first few chapters had me in tears, but when Josh came along, I lost that connection. In the end is a moment that was very emotional and I had tears in my eyes from it, but for the rest I just didn’t care. And I think the problem for me is with the characters.

Ember is not a great character, but she’s okay. She has to take care of her brother and sister and mom after her father’s dead. And she’s okay. But her mom. In the first half of the book she’s practically a zombie. She does nothing but sleep and she doesn’t care anymore. I get it, she’s sad and I’ve been there, but she has responsibilities! She has kids to take care of! Ember shouldn’t have to change her whole life just because her mom doesn’t want to do anything anymore! And Ember’s grandmother comes to help, but she doesn’t do much either. April is… I don’t know. Just okay I guess. She goes off the rails for a bit but that’s it. Her little brother Gus is the one I cared about the most. In the beginning of the book, the first chapter, Ember has to tell him their father died. This is a bit from that moment.

“Daddy isn’t coming home, Gus.”
Little blue eyes filled with tears, and his lower lip began to quiver. “Did the bad guys get him?”

It broke my heart! I felt so sad for that little guy! But he was the only one I really felt something for. Josh was also okay. He’s exactly what I expected him to be. He’s Gus’ hockey coach and he and Ember went to the same school for a while years ago. The romance between him and Ember is just… weird. It started weird and I didn’t feel a connection to them so I think that’s why the book was so boring to me. And then you have Riley and Kayla. Ember’s boyfriend and best friend. They’re stupid. He’s an ass and a dick. And he’s pathetic. And Kayla’s a bitch. Why? Well, it’s not really a spoiler because it happens in the beginning, but I’ll hide it anyway. View Spoiler »Riley doesn’t show up at the funeral and a weeks after it he has a party and Ember goes to surprise him, (Josh was so kind to give her a ride) and there she finds him sleeping with Kayla. Like actual sex. And she finds out they’ve been doing it for a year. The worst thing about it, is that Ember and Riley had been together for three years and they had their whole life planned out. And Riley wanted to wait until they were married before they had sex. She didn’t want to, he did. And he has the words excuses for it. And he comes begging for her forgiveness throughout most of the book and I just wanted to hit him so hard. And the night she finds all that out, is also the night she just starts everything with Josh. Which is why it’s weird. Her dad just died, she just broke up with her cheating boyfriend after three years and then she immediately wants to have sex with him. That’s just weird. « Hide Spoiler

In the end it just didn’t do it for me. I was bored most of the time and except for a few emotional moments involving Ember’s dad, I didn’t really feel anything. I would recommend it to fans of the genre. Maybe you’ll love it! I hope you do! So give it a shot!

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Bee

Bee (born as Bieke) is 27 years old and from Belgium. (No she won't send waffles.) She's a strange, nerdy and anxious creature floating around somewhere on the ace spectrum. Oh, and she also writes books as Nelly B. Jones. Or tries to anyway. You can also find her on Novel Ink.

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