★BOOK REVIEW + EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY★ Thick Love by Eden Butler

MY RATING

I loved it!

I’ve been waiting forever to get my hands on Ransom (literally) and I’m not disappointed in the least! Angst-ville, we are back!

Book infos & Purchase Links

51kGalu0oZL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_He doesn’t ask their names.


He doesn’t
 deserve to know them.

Ransom Riley Hale’s friends think his life is charmed: first string as a freshman on a championship-winning college football team. A father with two Super Bowl rings. A mother with platinum albums and multiple Grammies under her belt. But that brilliant shine on the surface hides the darkness beneath; it’s all Ransom has ever known.

Despite the shadows he walked in, once there was a blinding light fracturing the darkness. It brought the promise of hope and happiness. He’d been careless, filled with pride and stupidity and lost that light. Ripped it from the world. 

Now, the shadows are dimming again. Aly King surges into his life threatening to pull him from the darkness. She is everything Ransom can never be again. Her light feels too warm, promises him that there is more waiting for him beyond the shadows. 

But the shadows are relentless, resurfacing when he thinks he is safe, and Ransom knows he must keep Aly from them too before he pulls her down into the darkness with him.

Author : Eden Butler
Title : Thick Love
Series : 
Thin Love #2
Publisher : –
Pages : 343
Release date : August 31, 2015
Genre : Contemporary, NA.

 

Excerpt

TL Teaser #4

In my head I counted…one, two and three, two, two and three and let that be all that my mind could hold. 

“And the saida, Aly, show him.”

And she did, a full five step movement, me walking back, her following again, all the while her hips moved like an invitation, a sweet call that my body heard. But I couldn’t be into this, not this woman, she wasn’t my type. She was defensive, cold. She never, ever smiled, not at me, I hadn’t seen that once. She had always been so rigid— from the way she walked and the distant attitude to the severe bun at the back of her head. 

But this Aly moved against me like a wave on the sand, bending into my hips, a brush of our bodies touching, working together like they were made to be and I couldn’t help but give in to the sensations that surrounded me. The music beating heavy, lulling like a drug, the tight press of her sinuous body, how easily she followed my movements, the smell of her hair, the warm moisture of her breath moving my collar. It was too much—so sudden, so unexpected and I blinked, realizing that the dancer from Summerland’s wasn’t the only who could get my body to pay attention. How was this happening…again? Grunting, I moved my hips away, then jerked my gaze to Aly’s face when her soft gasp registered that she, too, had noticed my body’s reaction.

Unbelievable, I thought. Nothing for over a year and inside of a week and a half my dick started misbehaving. 

Closing my eyes, I exhaled, bent closer so only she could hear me when I spoke. “It’s not on purpose, but please don’t tell Leann. I’d never hear the end of it.”

I felt her nod, that small gesture against my chest and then Aly looked up, only her eyes moving. They were hazel with the smallest hint of green around the edges.

  “Apologize,” she said, voice quiet but determined. My only response came from the lift of my eyebrows. “What?” she said, mouth still held in a line. “You were grosoulye…um, rude.”

“And you are a liar.”

 When she slowed her movements, I pulled her in even closer. “If you stop, she’ll make us start all over again. I know you don’t want that and I sure as hell don’t want my cousin to know this dance gets me hard.” 

Curiosity must have edged her because Aly tilted her head, eyes sharp as she watched me and then pressed in with another hip roll that would have been a too damn familiar if we’d been naked.  She didn’t smile, but I caught the small hint of a dimple on her left cheek when I kept pace with her. 

“Fine. But remember your form and remember, you have to feel it.” When I laughed, glanced down at my lap, Aly sighed like I was an idiot. “This dance is push and pull, Ransom. It’s a joining.” She slid her fingers over my heart, right across Emily’s face, and I shuddered when her fingernails grazed my nipple. 

I had limited interaction with Aly, but noticed that in the studio, in her element, there was no place for shyness or awkwardness. She instructed me, just as she did her students. I was supposed to listen, to learn and as Aly exhaled, as her voice came out demanding and sharp, I realized the woman was another person—fiercer, professional—when it came to dancing. “You have feel it here,” she said before she moved her hand to my hip, pulling me into a thrust I didn’t control, “and here. Like…like really good…”

“Sex?” I asked, grinning when Aly looked away from me.

Modi,” she cursed. “Well, I suppose it is.” When she looked back up at me I swore I saw her light eyes deepen to a color that reminded me of whiskey. It was the first time I’d gotten close enough to really look in her eyes and see all the soft features her attitude and distance obscured. 

“Sex that is wet and warm,” she continued. I turned her, into another saida and we moved further away from Leann as we danced; thank God my cousin was concentrating on something on her phone and wasn’t watching us all that closely.  Aly’s words pulled me back. “Sex that slips into her skin.”
Aly closed her eyes, moved her fingers to my neck like she was remembering something too personal, too damn erotic to share with a stranger. For some reason, I didn’t pull away from her, too caught by the vivid image she was describing. “It gets so deep, feels so tight, that it hurts, just a little and you crave that pain.” She blinked and slowed her movements, pushing back as she arched into me. “That’s the best kind of sex, isn’t it? The kind that you can’t stop thinking about, you can’t stop feeling for days afterward.”

My Review

Thick_Love_Alleskelle_cast_3
I discovered Eden Butler last year with Thin Love and got myself revealed as an angst junkie.

She did this. She made me enjoy the suffering of her characters, and there’s something disturbingly sadistic at enjoying great and lovable characters to hurt.

The shame and guilt replaced that rage and I took it down within myself, feeling every prickle, every inch of hurt I deserved.

With this little statement I want to warn potential readers. You will see your opinion on angst change. You’ll revise what you find acceptable in term of torment. Prepare yourself!

Note : Thin Love—book 1— focuses on Ransom’s parents, Kiera and Kona. While it’s not necessary to read book 1 to presently enjoy Thick Love, I highly recommend reading it.

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Ransom’ story was one I highly anticipated after reading a teaser about his upcoming story in Thin Love last year. If Ransom had even the slightest chance to be a tiny bit like his father, then I knew I’d be in for a treat.

I can already tell you how much this book surprised me. I did not expect any less from Eden Butler.

Thick Love tells the story of Ransom and Aly. Both young troubled characters, both carrying an excessive amount of baggage. Both fierce and strong willed.

Thick_Love_Alleskelle_cast_5

Ransom, 18 years old defensive college football player carries the burden and guilt of his first love’s death. He holds himself responsible for the accident that caused Emily to die a couple years ago and can’t seem to fully live his young man’s life since then.

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His self inflicted punishment for taking something that wasn’t his to take. He forbids himself any pleasure or personal enjoyment, servicing women on campus, playing his part on the field, he’s all but dead inside.

I had to squeeze my eyes tight, force out that first time, all the times after that one. And then the same shame came back, the guilt and the odd voice in my head, the one that sounded so familiar, so bitter, haunting me like it always did.

Miss Butler truly made me felt Ransom’s internal agony with his POV. Full of self hatred and flagellation. She definitely has a knack for what I can only call “Angst-So-Good” delivered in a enticing and lovely writing. 

It was frustrating as hell, reading his tortured thoughts, witnessing his hurt, distress and torment.

More than once I wished I could shake him good and shout at him to get over it all! It was maddening, to feel so invested with his character. And it’s not like Eden Butler gives you the choice not to. 

As relentless and obstinate he was to punish himself for a young past mistake, Ransom still is the lovable young man we met in Thin Love. Invested in his family, honest, steady character. 

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Aly King’s character was equally complex as Ransom’s. In a lot of little different ways, but as interesting and fascinating all the same.

Aly comes from a difficult background, she’s on her own and have been for pretty much all her life. Her biggest force and quality being her stubbornness and self control. She’s a passionate young woman, driven by her love for dance, seeking on her own term the thrills of life and she’s determined to prove herself an independent and successful woman.

The rhythm of that melody ripped away my reason. It was an echo of who I was, one that I’d never let anyone see but who nevertheless lurked below my carefully controlled exterior.

Aly lives upstairs the dance studio she works to, her boss being Ransom’s mother cousin, Leann.

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She had occasions to meet Ransom in the past, although briefly and never significantly, it did not prevent her from developing a crush on Ransom. She always admired him from afar, witnessing his torment of late. Seeing past his thick layer of heartache, Aly wants to see him heal. 

From the moment I had met him that morning, I hadn’t been able to stop marveling at beautiful massive Ransom. No, he wasn’t mine, but I kind of wished he was.

A good part of the book focuses on a beautifully crafted push and pull dance between Aly and Ransom. A slow burn of awakenings, a passionate and vibrating power play between both characters baggage and their will to make it through.

The pain in his eyes drew me in. There was nothing I could say that would make his hurt lessen. There was nothing that would take him from the lingering sorrow he’d created for himself.

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The author, using dance as a tool to unite and reunite the characters, make them feel, hate, love, created a perfected build up and chemistry for them. Both revealing themselves to the music. I almost want to tell you : sit back, watch and enjoy. 

The phantom voice was finally silent, quieted by the image of this beautiful woman gyrating on me, and my body stopped listening to the protests of that scared, lost kid I’d once been. The one I’d let control me for too damn long.

I most certainly enjoyed the dynamic of Thick Love, never faltering in her writing, Miss Butler created a worthy sequel to Thin Love.

Gifting us some endearing and hilarious moments with Keira, Kona and children, she reminded me why I fell so hard for this couple. Their chemistry between them and their strong charisma remains, and I was so glad to read more about them.

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The dialogues and silent communication between Ransom and his little brother were precious and hilarious, Kona caveman antics, Kiera’s attitude… Sigh. I loved, loooved THAT! A pure delight!

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What I loved in Thick Love, other than the angst-so-good part, was definitely the sexy as hell scenes. Very erotic, enticing, passionate sex scenes. Through the pages I could almost feel the electricity between Aly and Ransom, their fiery temperaments playing a huge part in these scenes’ quality.

He made music with his body, demanding that I surrender. He kissed me like someone who always reached for something to hold onto and only got something that made him spin further out of control.

Thick_Love_Alleskelle_cast_9

Seeing them fiercely bickering, arguing and transforming all this energy into something… real, vibrating, pulsing, hot!

Miss Butler gave a new definition to the word sexual tension. The build up was incredible, and boy did she deliver! 

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If I had to vote between Thin Love and Thick Love, My vote as of now, would stay for Thin Love. I loved Ransom and Aly but not quite as much as I loved Kona and Kiera. I think part of my decision is due to the fact that I’m wondering what Aly and Ransom as adults are going to be, as Thick Love focuses on their issues as young adults only.

What lived in my heart for Aly was a hurricane that tore away everything in its path.

In Thin Love we had both, their young story, full of mistakes, and the adult part, where they finally get to make it right.

But I’m expecting the next book to make me change my mind and see what Eden Butler is hiding up her sleeves.

Yes their story is not quite finished yet, I don’t mind an Happy for Now ending at all, most of my favorite books ends that way. Sure I love a good HEA and a sweet epilogue, but will I say no to more goodness from Eden Butler? Hell no! Give me more Ransom soon! Please?

Thick Love is… it’s when you know.

Author Bio

Eden ButlerEden Butler is an editor and writer of New Adult Romance and SciFi and Fantasy novels and the nine-times great-granddaughter of an honest-to-God English pirate. This could explain her affinity for rule breaking and rum. Her debut novel, a New Adult, Contemporary (no cliffie) Romance, “Chasing Serenity” launched in October 2013 and quickly became an Amazon bestseller. 

When she’s not writing or wondering about her possibly Jack Sparrowesque ancestor, Eden edits, reads and spends way too much time watching rugby, Doctor Who and New Orleans Saints football. 

She is currently living under teenage rule alongside her husband in southeast Louisiana. 

Please send help. 

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