Unbroken

I loved the character development and I loved !his author's voice. Clever pov with a cat who seems like a roommate to his human.

This is a 5 story box set (in essence) with books that are all linked to each other in some way. Molly's (Come As You Are) roommate Lola's book is Geek with the Cat Tattoo. Lola's sister is Melody from Girl with the Cat Tattoo. Lola and Molly both worked at Mean Waitress, where Ellie ends up working.

Come As You Are The first is an NA novella, Come As You Are and yes, the title is for the song by Nirvana. Molly (I think this is one of the author's favorite names) Young is in college, the daughter of a well-respected professor. When he unexpectedly dies of a heart attack, Molly isn't grieving. It is quite obvious early on why since a good portion of the book is spent in Molly's head. Quite bluntly, Molly is so caught up in protecting her secret, she pays no attention to the hurt and damage she causes others, specifically Ian.

Molly meets Ian on the day of her father's funeral. Unbeknownst to both of them there is a tie that binds them. As a result, Molly's and Ian's lives become inextricably tied together. Ian is gentle, understanding, a safe haven for Molly when she needs it most and when she pushes it away the most. Eventually they fall into a routine, but Molly, still fearful of her secrets continues to push him away. Later, Ian unearths an even larger secret that sends Molly into a complete tailspin and then, slowly, she begins to heal.

About the title: Come As You Are is a powerful song, made more powerful for Molly by the fact that she and Cobain share a milestone date. She is taking a college course on Kurt Cobain and Nirvana which plays a large role in her development. It is also something said in the book (I won't spoil who and where and when). The title is also the message of the story, if the story chooses to have a message.

This is a New Adult book with an HFN ending. Molly still has a lot of work to do to get to a good place but it is also clear that Ian can be patient.

This is a very sensitive look at some difficult issues and Weir, as usual, pulls it off with aplomb.

This novella gets 4 stars.

He's Come Undone This is a stunningly emotional story that tore my heart out, put it back together, and then tore it apart all over again. This is Weir at her best, taking you on a deeply emotional and difficult journey that isn't tied up in a neat little bow at the end but is still so wonderful and satisfying and leaves you wishing you could check in with the characters every now and again to see how they are doing.

First, this is an NA novella and an HFN. Let's be honest, things are going well at the end, but, there's this sense of a Sword of Damocles hanging over them.

Ellie is a broke former child star, desperately needing money just to pay the rent, never mind pay for college. She posts an ad for her acting services on Craigslist. Imagine what shows up, all the pervs. And then there is the other response, the ones from girls, girls who have all been "used" by the same guy who want to pay him back for their hurt egos. They hire Ellie to be his next victim.

And Ellie agrees.

But Ellie is only half the equation. Julian, her mark, is the other half. And Julian falls head over heels in love with Ellie. He needs her like he needs his running, his medication, the air he breathes. The connect like 2 halves making a whole and he hasn't felt that in, well, ever. And then it all comes crashing down.

Ellie is young but despite what she has endured already, she is incredibly sheltered. She has been thrust into real life and is utterly unprepared for it and unprepared for the people who inhabit it. It's easy to see what her motivations are, less easy to agree with her path.

Julian is portrayed one way in the book blurb and by the girls who want to get him back, but you quickly come to understand that he isn't who people think he is. His journey and Ellie's awakening are momentous, difficult, and ultimately heartbreaking.

So why is this book so good? The emotion of it. Julian grabbed me from the get-go and wouldn't let go. Poor, broken Julian. He was judged and punished by people who had no clue and it made me think of why revenge just isn't the way to go. Weir is a master at the deeply emotional read, the realistic portrayal of conflicting and brutal emotions. This book leaves a lot of questions, not just for what happens next in the story, but making you ask those questions about the relationships in your own life.

This novella gets 5 stars.

Girl with the Cat Tattoo This was a sweet and quirky story, quite unlike most of what I have read by this author. While it's quirkiness was cute, there were issues that kept me from enjoying it.

The majority of the story is told from Max the cat's point of view. The problem is that Max, well, he doesn't really know a whole lot. He knows he loves Melody and wants her to be happy; he knows he has a brother and a sister, both "long-lost"; he knows the world out there is scary; he knows he wants to find a new mate for Melody.

The problem is he doesn't know Melody's father or her sister, though they are both in the story. He doesn't know much about Joe. And he really doesn't know much about Melody. And this leads to some pretty cardboard cutout characters. I never felt I knew Melody or Joe or anyone else, for that matter. They were just vague, random humans who inhabited Max's world.

Because I could never emotionally connect with Melody or Joe, I just couldn't enjoy this story. Cute plot and good idea, need more characterization please.

I give this book 2 stars.

Geek with the Cat Tattoo Emerson is amazing; he is currently apprenticed to a master instrument maker and works at a music store. His problem: his crush has him all tongue-tied and stupid. When he scoops up Sam (the cat, and Max's brother) all that changes. Sam gives him confidence, and a few mental nudges, to help him get over his stupid and actually go after Lola, his crush.

Lola thinks Emerson's an ass. He's short, curt, and surly when he interacts with her and she'd rather he left her alone. But with Sam around, she sees a new side of him. Emerson woos her with his words, slowly but surely. But the loss of Sam sends him right back to hell when he once again gets all stupid around Lola.

Torn between loving the sweet Emerson and hating the jerk Emerson, Lola doesn't know what to do. But with a little help from a returned Sam and one of the most awesome gifts, Emerson and Lola might be able to turn things around.

Told mostly from Emerson's point of view, with a good helping of Sam's point of view, this book blows the first of it's series away. Characterization is great. Emerson and Lola feel real and their emotional issues are front and center. Weir is back to what she does best, deal with complex and difficult emotional issues with incredible sensitivity and aplomb.

I give this book 4 stars.

Made of Stars Poignant to the point of tears! Made of Stars is the story of Lila and Gabriel. Gabriel is a vampire who is beta testing a program where vampires can live as humans - fall in love, have children, have a life. In the program he meets and falls in love with Lila, a coffee shop girl.

The story isn't linear, but it uses a plot device that allows them to experience an entire lifetime in seconds. This device helps to keep the story short but it ups the emotional factor. Lila is privy both times to the full lives they live but she goes on to marry and have children and all the while, Gabriel comes to see her at each major event.

Who is real in this story and who is not? It's hard to tell. But if the ending doesn't have you wanting to cry... well, I'd be shocked.

I give this short 4 stars.

Great collection with quirky, compelling characters and interesting plotting. I've read books by Weir before and loved them, so I'm not surprised that I fell into a book coma by the time I finished reading the entire set in one rainy day. Read!

This 5 story boxed set by Theresa Weir showcases her wonderful talent with excellent broken and flawed characters, simple but gritty almost dark plot lines along with some quirky ones as well. All five stories introduces the reader to characters that are all times to real with situations that is definitely everyday life. An excellent introduction to the phenomenon that is Theresa Weir.

This is a review for 3 of the stories in this box set.

Girl with the Cat Tattoo What a delightfully quirky sweet romance! This is the story of Melody and Joe as told for the most part by Max, Melody's cat. If that in itself doesn't draw you in, then you'll have missed out on a truly whimsical story. Melody is widowed, her husband David having died on the job as a police officer. Vowing to never date a cop again, she meets Joe through the machinations of her cat Max who is looking for a partner for her. Joe works at a homeless shelter and as he and Melody grow closer it becomes obvious that he is keeping secrets. Can Max help them find true love?

This is a combination of whimsy, romance, some mild suspense and an overall entertaining way to spend an hour or two. Telling the story from the viewpoint of the cat Max is a unique and stellar piece of writing. It must have been quite enjoyable for the author to imagine scenes from the cat's point of view, and they were delightfully written, with moments to make you smile. Melody and Joe's characters came across clearly - Melody is a friendly, quiet children's librarian still to some extent getting over the death of her husband. She has a tendency to drink too much and bring men home from the bar, hoping to find an emotional connection with someone. When Max is fed up with this approach and brings her Joe (in a roundabout way) they click. Joe is nice guy, working at a homeless shelter and he likes Melody just the way she is. And importantly for Melody, he likes Max too. As their relationship heats up, so does the suspense surrounding them and the author did a good job of creating enough action to enhance the plot without overpowering the general sweetness of the story. Max really steals the show in this book and it made a for a delightful humorous tale. 5 stars!

goodreads review link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/889036803

Geek With the Cat Tattoo What an interesting novella! Told from 3 points of view which is definitely unique (!) this lovely piece of romantic fiction draws the reader in from the beginning and unfolds delightfully to the finish! This is the story of Lola, Emerson and Sam the cat. Sam finds a new owner in Emerson and is determined to help him when he meets the girl of his dreams, Lola. Sam has the ability to plant thoughts in others minds and his initial work helps Lola and Emerson come together. But when Sam isn't there, can Lola and Emerson find their own way?

There was so much to enjoy about this story. Obviously creating part of the story from the cat's point of view is bound to be entertaining and this is indeed the case. Lola is a feisty, and fun girl and attracted to Emerson despite his apparent somewhat schizophrenic behavior (on account of Sam's ability to help Emerson out in his painful shyness). Emerson is a nice guy, shy, but with Sam's help starts to develop self confidence and believe that he could really be the one for Lola. There are some scenes in the book that were truly delightful (no spoilers) and at the end of the day, the story was a quick read, entertaining, quirky, funny and just plain unique. 4 stars!

Goodreads review link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/889037090

He's Come Undone

This is the story of Ellie, a former child actress desperate to make some money, and Julian, her 'target'. Ellie has been hired by Julian's ex-one night stands to be his perfect girl by transforming herself into someone with whom he could fall in love and then breaking his heart. But when Ellie gets to know the real man, she realizes that the mistake she's made may cost her a chance at having a real relationship with him.

I found that once I started reading this story I could not put it down! I was completely invested in its outcome. I really liked Julian's character and it was obvious from the beginning that the author's intent was to make him sympathetic to the reader. His PTSD from earlier life changing events directed his non emotional relationships with women and as Ellie becomes important to him, it was like waiting for the other shoe to drop, knowing how much her betrayal would hurt him when he found out, and wondering how it could all turn out right in the end. Ellie's role was also an interesting one, as the reader felt her internal turmoil of the desperation for money by taking this job counteracting her real feelings for Julian as she gets to know him. Her struggles to act as Julian's perfect woman and yet show him real sides of her own personality made for a likeable character despite her deception. The story moved along at a fast pace as events unfolded. I found the eventual fallout and resolution to be a bit bizarre (no spoilers!) but I was pleased with the happy ending that eventually ensued. The sexual attraction between Julian and Ellie was evident from their first meeting, and the love scenes were steamy and well written, adding depth and emotion to the story. Both characters had a mixture of flaws and good points, making them seem very real to the reader.

This is not a typical contemporary romance - the characters and plot devices were unique compared to others I've read and that is what made for an enjoyable read. 4 stars!

Note: All 3 of these story reviews have also been posted on amazon.com