Review: highly emotional read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 25, 2014
Review for Used by Lynetta HalatI put off reading Used for several months because I had heard it was a deeply emotional read. I have to say that I am quite happy with my choice as I spent much of my day bawling my eyes out as I read chapter after chapter of Denver’s story. I don’t regret reading this book, it’s an incredibly well written story with seriously well developed characters. Some of the reviews I had read declared the book was HOT or SEXY and various other descriptives that led me to believe there would be some decent smut action in this one. I, for one, have to completely disagree with the “hot and sexy” reviewers.There is sex in the book, and yeah, it can be hot at times, but it’s not something that would even rate on Mommy’s a Book Whore’s smut level scale. I think that the characters themselves have sexy moments, Ransom for one, is a bull rider at the top of his game, he is an alpha male with some serious bossy tendencies. There are things he does that lead me to believe that he has great potential to be a stallion in the sack, but no follow through on showing it (I’m certain that will happen in book two) There is a ton of sexual tension between Denver and Ransom, also Denver and Greer, but with Denver’s self-loathing I really found it hard to find even the hottest sex scene in the book “sexy”.Denver has a crappy mother, an absentee dad, and a whole string of step-fathers some of which were skeezy. There are some seriously heartbreaking moments that will tear you to pieces and have you wishing the author would have had mercy on poor Denver. One thing that I didn’t like about the storyline was how Denver constantly put herself down. I know that it played a huge part in they whys and hows of what happens, but after the tenth time I was like “okay I get it, she hates herself” I  think the author could have gotten the same impact on the reader with a little less self-loathing… or at least a little less unrealistic “slut” slinging.Greer. Oh, Greer, Greer, Greer. What can I say about him? He is Denver’s best friend, first boyfriend, and the main player in all of her most memorable experiences. I really loved him. Spent the entire book rooting for him and hoping that Denver could get OVER her issues and make that boy happy. Several choice words were thrown at my Kindle over the course of this book, most of those were due to the relationship between Denver and Greer,Ransom… well he is sexy on a stick. I have a serious weakness for rodeo cowboys and he is everything I would want in a book boyfriend. He has an undeniable attraction to Denver and she returns it, but is so consumed with the relationship she has with Greer and wanting to make her best friend happy she denies her budding feelings. I can’t get more in depth here without getting into the spoil-zone so you’ll just have to read the book to get to know him better.All and all I enjoyed the book I started this review unsure of how to rate it, since it is so different than what I’ve recently read. It did make me ugly cry, which is normally an instant five star, but this one gets a FOUR STAR for storyline, there are just too many ugh, moments to go with a five, but it’s close…. as for smut factor…. I’m going with 1 damp panties, because there is a bunch of hot, randy cowboy types… but the smut was just not the kind of smutty that will leave you panting. I’m thinking book two will be different, so it’s on my short list of books to be read.Review by the Head Whore at Mommy’s a Book Whore.