Leo by Mia Sheridan

ISBN: 9781490339979
Format: Kindle eBook
Source: Purchased
Series: No, Stand Alone
Released: November, 2013
Length: 191 pp
Goodreads  |  Amazon

     SUMMARY

Evie and Leo met in foster care as children and formed a bond of friendship. As they grew, their bond turned to love, and they vowed to make a life together when they turned 18 and were no longer a part of the system.
When Leo unexpectedly gets adopted as a teen and he moves to another city, he promises Evie that he will contact her as soon as he gets there and come back for her in a few short years. She never hears from him again.
Now eight years later, in spite of the odds, Evie has made a life for herself. She has a job. She has friends. She's content. Then a man shows up out of the blue, claiming that her long lost love, Leo, sent him to check up on her. The attraction between them is undeniable. But, should she trust this sexy stranger? Or is he keeping a secret about what his connection to Leo is really all about and why Leo disappeared all those years ago?

     REVIEW

Coming off the high of Sheridan's Archer's Voice, I convinced myself I would read anything and everything ever written by Mia Sheridan. I freaking loved Archer's Voice and I was convinced I'd love Leo, too. The premise was so intriguing (just like AV), so unlike anything I'd come across in the NA genre so I was expecting big things.

I noticed right away that Leo felt pretty rushed in the beginning (just like in AV), but I kind of forgave that because I'd loved the last one and hadn't minded the rushed beginning by the time I'd gotten to the end. Unfortunately, things didn't really get too much better as I'd hoped.

The story surrounds itself around about a guy, Jake, who shows up claiming to know Evie's childhood friend/love Leo (whom she met in foster care and lost touch with years and years ago) and that Jake tracked Evie down because he was doing Leo a solid (plus a whole lot of other things that I won't spoil that do make the premise more interesting). Getting into the story, I had a hard time believing some of the things that were happening and though it was easy for me to figure out what was going on, I didn't necessarily like how it got to that point.

My main issue other than a rushed story and some awkward dialogue was that Jake, the male lead, is basically Christian Grey without the contract thing. This wasn't a BDSM story but Jake was the embodiment of over-aggressiveness, possessiveness and controlling edging on the point of unhealthy. I hate those relationships. I'm all for reading about real (yet healthy) relationships with a bit of jealousy or fighting or a tad bit of possessiveness (because we can all admit that being possessed by a sexy man can be hot), but not this. It was like Christian forcing Anastasia to eat and work out and accept expensive gifts all over again. It was just a huge turn off.

Overall I just couldn't get into it because this was supposed to be a romance and the romance completely turned me off, which sucked because the back story, while somewhat unbelievable, was cute and sad and melted my heart.

     THE BREAKDOWN

RATING: ★★★ - It was OK

Leo wasn't a bad read, but it surely was no Archer's Voice. The romance was overdone and the controlling over-possessive male lead totally turned me off. The subplot regarding Evie's past life was cute and sad and really touching when it was all said and done but I just couldn't enjoy this one as much as I really, really wanted to. Luckily Archer's Voice came after Leo so Sheridan's writing obviously improved somewhat. Anything she comes out with next I might give a try but I definitely won't be reading the Leo companion novel, Leo's Chance.

Have you read Leo? What did you think? And have you read anything else by Mia Sheridan? I've loved one of her books and felt kind of meh about another so I'd love to hear what you guys think of this author before I try something else. Can't wait to hear what you have to say!


A.

Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan: Feeding my strange fascination with characters that can't speak

ISBN: 9781495390906
Source: Purchased
Format: Kindle eBook
Series: No, Stand Alone
Released: January, 2014
Length: 354 pp
Goodreads  |  B&N

     SUMMARY

When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first day there, her life collides with Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds a secret agony of his own. A man no one else sees.
Archer's Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice. It is the story of suffering, fate, and the transformative power of love.

     REVIEW

I have a fascination with stories about people who can't (or wish not to) speak. I don't know why, but it all started with this book (and was followed up by Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay and Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover). I think I just love seeing the amazing ways people find to communicate and I realize how much we take our ability to communicate for granted. (Let me also point out that most of those who can speak spend half of our time on social media anyway [me included] so these stories have really impacted my thoughts on that).

Archer's Voice is a love story at its core, but it's also a story about sorrow and grief and how love can heal. I read Archer's Voice a few months ago, and then when I sat down to finally write my review, I was getting all teary eyed and worked up just thinking about it so I had to read it again. It was just as amazing the second time around (except I knew what was coming so I didn't have as many panic attacks).

The romance was...amazing. I was grinning and crying and laughing and screaming and everything all at once, or at least it felt that way, and it was literally perfect. It was so sweet and innocent, but hot and sexy and it was perfect. Have I mentioned that it was perfect? My favorite thing about it was that Archer, the main male character, had been through so much, such horrible tragedy, and maybe he was a little rough around the edges from being shy and afraid, but he was always sweet and perfect and I didn't have to read about a man playing hard to get or being broody for no reason and treating the female lead like crap. No, Archer was perfect and all of the issues that came up in this book had more to do with outside forces than with Archer being an asshole. It was nice to finally read about someone who wasn't an asshole!

The back stories, each character's need to heal, forgive, etc., were so powerful and so beautiful to watch happen over the course of the book. Add in the fact that it was the first book I've ever read that included a character who couldn't communicate in the traditional ways - I was hooked. Freaking hooked from the very first page.

If I had to list any gripes, I'd say that the first few chapters seemed a little rushed. Around the 20% mark of the eBook is when things sort of evened out of perfection took over the rest of the way. That's basically it. Because otherwise, Archer's Voice made me sob like a baby and grin like a fool and it was unique and refreshing and beautiful to see everything unfold.

RATING: ★★★★★ - Absolutely Loved it!

The strange fascination with communicating in nontraditional ways such as speaking out loud aside, Archer's Voice was so unique and fresh, but beautiful and perfect in its own right. I'd definitely never read anything like it so I of course had to read it twice! And it was just as amazing the second time around.

If you're looking for something that will take your breath away, break your heart and put you back together again, you've found the book you've been looking for! Have any of you read Archer's Voice? What did you think? Did you love Archer and Bree as much as I did? I'd love to hear what you thought about it!

A.