Stepbrother Dearest MP3 CD – Unabridged, April 19, 2016

4 "scramble the letters" "Look at me." KissesI could not put this one down. And I didn't. Seriously...I read this book, cover to cover, non-stop, in one sitting - I can't even tell you the last time that happened...it has been a while but OMG I effin loved it! Everything about it completely had me...I was just compelled to keep reading, I couldn't even fathom not finishing it because every time I said I was going to stop...something else happened and I was like...well, I can't stop now!!! And so...I sit here writing my review on barely four hours of sleep and I seriously cannot stop thinking about Greta and her @#$hole step brother and the rollercoaster ride they just took me on. *sigh* #BookwormProblemsGreta Hansen...is a sweetheart. A little on the innocent side...friendly...kind...but to her very core a sweet girl. I mean only a sweet person would be nice to someone who is as much of an @#$ as Elec is to her. But don't let any of that fool you, Greta is not a doormat by any stretch of the imagination...she just picks her battles wisely and stands up for what she believes in. I bonded with Greta in ways I wasn't expecting...she's an only child, and so am I...she lost her father very quickly to cancer and so did I. I think that's why I really fell into the story, I may not have connected 100% to Greta, but I got her and I liked her a lot. I think anyone who has the balls to stand up to a guy like Elec deserves a gold medal, honestly...`I left the room and went back downstairs. Seeing him looking so down when he didn't know I was watching him made me more determined than ever to break through to him somehow. I needed to know if this was just a façade or if he were truly a genuine @#$hole. The meaner he was to me, the more I wanted to make him like me. It was a challenge.'Elec O'Rourke...yeah...even his name is hot...but trust me...he only gets hotter...tall, lean muscles, tattoo's everywhere (and the fact that they actually meant something! Don't even get me started...), dark hair, grey eyes...but it was his attitude that really sucked me in. He's an @#$...cocky...arrogant...but not in a douchey way...he toed that line very nicely. While he may have said and done things to Greta to get a reaction from her, I honestly didn't think any of his actions were truly mean or mean-spirited. There is so much more to Elec than meets the eye...I mean, I get people who have it rough growing up...rough would have been a cake walk compared to what Elec went through and just thinking about his childhood makes me tear up Needless to say, he is a momma's boy, through and through, but I don't think she could have dreamed up a better son than Elec. I loved that beneath the tough, tatt'd guy was a sweet, gentle heart...I loved that he was a writer...and I loved that he really only opened up to one person...the one girl he wasn't supposed to love."Don't do that.""What?""You turned away from me. That's my fault. I made you feel like I didn't want you looking at me - that self-respect bulls#!% I fed you. Out of everything I ever said to you, that was the biggest lie, and I regret it the most. I'd started to let my guard down, and it freaked me out. I never had a problem with the way you look at me. My issue is the way it makes me feel when you look at me; things I'm not supposed to feel, things I can't let myself feel for you. At the same time...nothing felt worse than when you stopped looking at me Greta."Oye...where do I start with these two. Why is that I enjoy it to no end when a couple is at odds with one another? I love it when they fight...maybe it's because it's a passionate emotion of some kind and I know buried behind that anger or frustration or whatever...is the truth. Elec is an @#$ to Greta from the start...he barely even looks at her and he's giving her an attitude so I knew it had very little to do with Greta and a whole lot to do with something or someone else. I loved Greta's faith and devotion to Elec...he gives her every reason to hate him...give up on him...and she doesn't. The way they form their bond...over ice cream and video games...protecting one another from the things they can...it was like I didn't even have to try to fall in love with them...it just happened...but man did they make it a rough ride. And I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it."You make me feel things, Greta. You always have. When I'm around you, whether it's good or bad...I feel everything. Sometimes, I don't handle it too well, and I fight it by acting like an @#$hole. I don't know what it is about you, but I feel like you see the real me. The second I saw you again for the first time at Greg's when you were standing in that garden...it was like I couldn't hide behind myself anymore."I'm an angst whore and Stepbrother Dearest fed my angsty soul! So the book is separated into two parts. Part 1...OMG...the sexual tension was palpable and delicious and I was tortured...and then, things got...hotter than hell. Good gravy...Elec is a sexual force of nature and he may or may not have made me drool (he totally made me drool). Clearly...I'm in my happy little bookworm place with Part 1 and I knew it was about to get angsty again but...I was not prepared for the angst that came next. If I was tortured in Part 1...Part 2 nearly ripped my heart out. Because...it's still the same angsty goodness with these characters...just more history, with a side of pent up emotions and a dollop of I-still-wanna-f^@%-your-brains-out...sounds like a tasty recipe, right? Oh...it totally was. Obviously, the writing was what brought this all together for me and made it that much better. It was fantastic...clearly...I mean, for me it was un-put-downable (yes...it's a word!)...I mean the story just demanded to be read. It was angsty, hot-n-steamy, funny, emotional and it flowed perfectly. I'll be honest...this was my first Penelope Ward, but if this is what I can expect from her...count me in cause I'm in love."I guess it doesn't matter anymore," I said under my breath so low that I didn't think he heard me.Elec scowled as he took the empty bowl to the sink, washed it and put it in the strainer.He looked back at me. "You'll always matter to me, Greta. Always."So clearly...I enjoyed the story, loved the characters, everything was great...but there was part towards the end of the book that I got a little frustrated with. The entire book is from Greta's POV...but there is a point where we get to see things from Elec's POV...and I don't want to say why or how because I feel that would spoil it...but trust me, I was so excited when it happened because the entire book all I wanted to do was climb into that boy's head! So I'm loving every minute of it until...it got repetitive. I am a lover of dual POV's, so do not get me wrong on this but I like it up until the point where I stop getting new information. There were certain pieces that I felt did not need to be rehashed word for word...I wasn't reading anything I hadn't already read before, and that's where my frustration came into play. Plus...with what was happening, I almost wanted more from Greta...of her thoughts and emotions from what she is learning. Then towards the end, it all wrapped up so quickly...I felt like I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I would have liked. Don't get me wrong, the ending is fabulous...I guess maybe a little more conversation and it would have made me feel better about everything."Now, I understand," Sully said."Understand what?""Why you're here with me every Friday night and not on a date with some man, why you've been unable to open your heart to anyone. It belongs to someone else.""It used to. Now, it's just broken. How do I fix it?""Sometimes, we can't."I was not expecting the ending to be as...thorough as it was. Of course I was hopeful for my big red bow that I love to get...but this was more than I could have ever imagined and the epilogue just thrilled me to bits and pieces. And the fact that it was from Elec's POV was pretty spectacular. I'm always the girl who wants more, but this is an absolutely fantastic standalone. Stepbrother Dearest is packed full of so much amazingness...an amazing story of two people, the choices they made and the unending love they had for each other.

Stepbrother Dearest is captivating, courageous, crushing, and convincing---so not your typical stepbrother romance---as this tender and touching tale is so much more. My heart, mind, and soul were pulled---more like dragged---into this beautifully written second-chance love story that rendered me undone. I was happy, horny, heavy-hearted, and a hot mess from being dragged through a raw rollercoaster of a romance. I felt jitters like a teenage girl on a first date, excitement like when my favorite team won a football game, laughter like watching The Hangover movies, anger like someone lied to me or broke my trust, sadness like a family member died, and happiness like being at my favorite beach spot.It's more heavy and heart-tugging than other similar books, but much more satisfying where your emotions are constantly exercised and given a full work-out from this wonderful writing. Stepbrother Dearest is a poignant and powerful love story where fate keeps showing up like an unwanted guest and wrecking the relationship before it has a chance to blossom and timing never seems to click.Tattooed, hot, muscular, dark-haired, and grey-eyed Elec is sent to live with his cold and uncaring father, stepmother, and stepsister at age 17. At first, Elec appears cocky, crass, and cool---a total a**hole. Greta, also 17, is his pretty, petite, blonde-haired and hazel-eyed, stepsister that is sweet and innocent, but definitely likes what she sees when she lays eyes on the panty-melting hot package named Elec."There was no way I wanted to be his sister. For one, when he turned to me, he looked like he wanted to kill me. And two, once I got my first look at his chiseled face, it became abundantly clear that while my mind was wary of him, my body had been instantly put under a spell, one I would have given anything to come out from under."Elec gets under Greta's skin, yet she would do anything to be under him with his hot body, intense looks of longing, conceited but slightly caring demeanor, and deliciously dirty mouth. He fights with her like an annoying brother, but looks at Greta like he wants to have her for dinner. Their chemistry is off-the-charts hot, intense, and incredible; their first kiss was electric, so much so that you could nearly feel the energy burning off the pages."...Elec grabbed my face with both hands and smashed his lips into mine. The metal from his lip ring scraped my mouth as he nudged it open with his tongue hungrily and started kissing me deep. I moaned into his mouth, both shocked and excited by the ambush of his hot tongue assaulting me. My body was shaking. He smelled amazing. I felt like I was going to collapse from the sensory overload...I've never been kissed like this...He walked away, and I stayed panting in the corridor with my hand over my chest. Holy s*it."Drawn to Elec like a magnet, Greta will do anything to make him hers, and give herself completely to him as her first.What begins as a game of annoying his stepfamily to Elec, ends up a bit more when he can't deny the chemistry building with his stepsister, Greta, and his growing feelings toward her that are not sisterly at all. Elec gets under Greta's skin and fires her up, scorching her insides like no other man and despite acting rude and crude to her, Greta can't stay away from this man of many sides."You turned away from me. That's my fault. I made you feel I didn't want you looking at me---that self-respect bulls*it I fed you...I never had a problem with the way you look at me. My issue is the way it makes me feel when you look at me: things I'm not supposed to feel, things I can't let myself feel for you. At the same time...nothing felt worse than when you stopped looking at me, Greta."Greta, like no one else, sees the real Elec underneath the mask of crass and conceit, and is captivated by him. First depicted as a beautiful bast*rd, as the story progresses, Elec morphs into a beautiful but broken man where you want to hug him, shield him from the darkness, and protect him from pain.Going after the forbidden fruit may have a price, and the cost could be everything."You're the only girl in the entire world that's forbidden, and f**k me if that doesn't make me want you more than everything."The obstacles and experiences they face--mostly Elec--will make you both smile and bawl like a baby. You will fall in love with Elec and cry for this sweet, sexy, and shattered man, and your heart will break for him as he is at a crossroads: Admit his love to the girl who stole his heart when they were just seventeen or keep his distance from Greta because she is his stepsister and is off-limits. A lethal dose of a series of events, fate, and time will make or break their destiny. Their story. Their happily ever after.Stepbrother Dearest is brilliant---one of the best if not the best books of its sort that you'll devour. Not quite as hot or humorous as other stepbrother books I have read, Stepbrother Dearest provides enough lightness and lust-worthy bits with its interwoven innuendos and a few sizzling scenes where you're thoroughly addicted and oh-so-hungry for more. Get your tissues ready, because you will bawl like a baby. Your heart will shatter into a million pieces, and slowly be pieced back together again...maybe a few times. Even after the Stepbrother Dearest experience, you'll still be left gasping for more.5 tender and terrific stars

Greta and Elec are something else. I couldn't put this book down and was worth every penny. Even though wasn't expensive lol. Anyway Elec is this dark moody teenager with secrets and a complicated relationship with his father who happens to be Greta's Stepfather. Greta is this sweet young loveable character and I just loved her. She sees good in everybody and Elec needed that. She sees all the good that Elec is trying to hide. They become really close till suddenly Elec has to go back home to his mum and I was nearly in tears. 7 years on and they are back in the same room as one another and all their feelings are back. Without giving the story away it's a roller-coaster and I loved their little adventure to the casino. Never really found out what Greta's mum did with her winnings hehe. Anyway I just wanna say it's an amazing Book. One you won't wanna put down. I wish there was more and it didn't end where it did but I know these stories can't drag on. Worth a read. You won't be disappointed.

I dont think its as good as her other books but it was an ok read.The last bit to do was annoying though and kinda sad i think.For Elec not to be there for such an important moment and after all he put her through .. kinda spoiled the ending for me. Being their first baby you woulda thought he would stay close by.. and her having to go through it..scary as it is without him to hold her hand and be her strength and reassurance..That was something he and they shouldve experienced together. So the ending sucked for me ..which is usually my fav part of a book

Going by the title of this book I didn’t think it was going to be all that and thought it was going to be a typically smutty read but it was surprisingly very good. It’s a second chance romance with plenty of love, angst & romance with a very happily ever after & absolutely no cheating. I do like reading a story with a dual point of view because it just adds that extra layer of depth to the characters and I didn’t think I was going to get it with this book because for the most part the story is told from Greta’s point of view. So just when you get so immersed in Greta’s emotions and love for Elec and see what a complete jerk he is to her the author throws in a twist and gives you Elec’s point of view but in the form of a book because of course in the storyline Elec is aspiring to be a writer. I thought this was well placed and very cleverly done making it a much more enjoyable read and Elec does in fact redeem himself. I enjoyed reading this so much that I immediately downloaded the sequel Neighbor Dearest to get Chelsea’s (Elec’s ex) story next. I’ll review that too when I’ve read it and hoping it’ll be as good as this one.

I'm in love with this book, it's characters, it's journey & the overwhelming happiness of love winning against all of the odds.From the first page I just fell so in love with Elec & Greta & the emotional journey they found themselves on. Penelope packed so much heartfelt emotion into their story, it bled straight from the pages & into my soul, connecting me them on a crazy level. It was like i could touch their hurt & taste their anger all while soaking in their love & passion. Their was so much regret it made my heart ache, especially not knowing how or if their love would prevail.From beginning to end I laughed, cried & loved right along with them. There truly wasn't a single moment I didn't love in this entire book, even when the angst was almost to much to bare. I know without doubt this will be a favourite re read. Hell I've already read some of my favorite bits several times over. I don't think I'll ever be ready to let them go.6 Second Chance Stunning Stars

“A compelling and emotionally charged unconventional love story delivered with honesty and heart. Absolutely loved it!’I fell completely in love with this story right from the offset. Greta and Elec’s circumstance drew me in so deeply that I couldn't get enough of the unconventional dynamics of the overall plot.It isn’t unheard of for step siblings to share a mutual attraction, infact, my Great Grandmother married her Stepbrother in the 1920’s and it made me wonder how it all came about. Did they have the same concerns? Were they worried what people would say, would think? It was a different time back then, and it made me appreciate how strong they both must have been to move forward and embrace the love they shared. I wish I could go back in time and ask them because without their love, I wouldn’t be here today, so I guess you could say this story holds a special place in my heart.In this instance, Penelope Ward incorporated many obstacles that felt believable for this situation, and you just routed for Greta and Elec from the start, to find a way, to make it work. It certainly has a guilty-pleasure feel to it, but at the same time it was nurtured and formulated beautifully into a love story with depth and substance. It had everything, including step family drama; or rather a son and his estranged father under the same roof, the good girl, the bad boy and the sexual tension that fused it all together in a wickedly tempting and compelling package. To say I loved Stepbrother Dearest would be an understatement. It consumed me, and I read it in an evening and early morning sitting.I’m not going to go into a full plot overview because I don’t think it actually needs it. This isn’t a slow build story either, right from the start we really get to see the two combine together like oil and water, only then to start working together in unison and it was such a pleasurable experience.The flow, the dialogue, the prose - everything was so well thought out without too much fluff or filler. Even the time-lapse was approached well, and the re-introduction of each character years later was palpable and heartwarming, even though it produced a few bumpy roads along the way.A brilliant story of life, love, loss, and second chances. I absolutely loved it!