Lessons Learned

The Gifted Realm #2

by Jillian Neal

One breathtakingly hot, passion-filled, night ignites a fire in his soul. Everything in his world should be nothing short of perfection…but he is Rainer Lawson.

His wild evening with Emily is the Realm’s front-page story. Could he have lost the respect of the man that has been like a father to him? Could his family’s hard-earned fortune really dissolve before his very eyes?

Evil rapidly cinches its chokehold, and everything his father fought and died for threatens to implode. Rainer attempts to protect those that he loves and satisfy the fiery passions between he and Emily, but everything in his world is spinning wildly out of control. His desire to prove himself could very well be his undoing.

Sometimes the best of intentions are not enough, but perhaps it is the trials by fire that make the man. Steel sharpens steel, and passion burns white hot in “Lessons Learned.”

Genres: New Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy

460 pages, Hardcover

First published October 28, 2013

About the author

Bestselling author, Jillian Neal, was not only born 30 but also came accessorized with loads of books and adorable handbags in which to carry them, at least that’s what she tells people. After earning a degree in education, she discovered that her passion could never be housed inside a classroom. A vehement lover of love and having maintained a lifelong affair with the awe-inspiring power of words, she set to turn the romance industry on its head. Her overly-caffeinated, troupe-spinning muse is never happy with the standard formula story. She believes every book should be brimming with passion, loaded with hot sexy scenes, packed with a gut-punch of emotion, and have characters that leap off the page and right into your heart.

Her first series, The Gifted Realm, defines contemporary romance with a fantasy twist. Her Gypsy Beach series will leave you longing to visit the sultry shores of the tiny bohemian beach town, and her erotic romance series, Camden Ranch, will make you certain there is nothing better than a cowboy with some chaps and a plan. The sheer amount of coffee required to keep all of those characters dancing in her head would border on lethal, so she unleashes their engaging stories on page after page of spellbinding reads.

Jillian lives outside of Atlanta with her own sexy sweetheart, their teenage sons, and enough stiletto heels, cowgirl boots, and flip-flops to exist in any of the fictional worlds she brings to life.

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lessons Learned is book two in The Gifted Realm series by Jillian Neal. I think in the first book I was getting to know this family but now, by the end of this second book, I have become invested, attached, and grown to love them. I feel their pain, frustrations, fear, anger and love. The title is so perfect as there are many lessons learned in this book as Rainer and Emily are transitioning from childhood to adulthood.



Rainer and Emily along with Logan and Adeline are living in their own home but they are still adjusting to being adults. It has only really been a few weeks since they started their jobs. Rainer and Emily are targets wherever they go of the paparazzi due to the fact that Rainer’s deceased father was a Crown Governor before he was assassinated and that Rainer was raised by Emily’s family, The Haydenshires. Mr. Haydenshire is a Governor and as a result, his family is also high profile.

There isn’t a place Rainer and Emily can go where they are not chased, photographed or yelled at with questions. During a couple of different times in public places, Rainer and Emily let their passion get the best of them and made some poor decisions which put her family in a bad light and her father in a rage.



At the same time, Mr. Haydenshire is making some very important decisions that will not only impact his life but that of his entire family. Mrs. Haydenshire has some life changing news as well.

At the same time as all of this, the evils that plague their world are hard at work. Rainer’s good for nothing uncle is taking Rainer to court and trying to get half of his inheritance that he came in to when he turned 21. His uncle’s lawyer will stop at nothing to paint Rainer and Emily in a bad way to prove that he can’t handle such a sizeable sum of money.

The Interfeci which is the organized crime syndicate of The Gifted Realm also wants to hurt the Haydenshires. They want power and will kill whoever is in their way.



As I said before, I have become invested in this family. There are so many story lines going on. With Rainer and Emily, Logan and Adeline, many of Emily’s other brothers, and Rainer and Logan’s boss, Dan Vindico. Jillian Neal certainly can write the steamy scenes perfectly and I love that. But there are also some intense scenes as well that had me gripping my e-reader.



During the course of this book, I think we see Emily and Rainer fully take the final step from childhood to adulthood and they make that step with plenty riding on their shoulders. But one thing that is a constant and has been since they were eight years old when Emily first asked Rainer to give her her first kiss is that their love is strong and Rainer’s devotion to Emily is iron clad.

“I just want to stay with you.” She clung to him.
“With you, is my favorite place to be, Em.”

I can’t wait to start book three, Every Action, to see what is in store next for the Haydenshires as the Interfeci increase their efforts to take out the family standing in their way of gaining power over The Gifted Realm.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as Rainer and Emily give in fully to their shared passions, one night of youthful fun and over-the-top craziness comes back to haunt them both. What is a normal stupid act for most people becomes a political nightmare for the couple as the vultures of news media begin to dive bomb Rainer right before he faces a courtroom battle for his rightful inheritance. As if that wasn’t enough, Emily’s father is now running for the highest office in the gifted realm, making every breath the family takes a reason for scrutiny. When family members’ lives are threatened, the family circles the wagons to keep everyone safe and of the public radar. But will all of the family watch their step or will the Haydenshires face the gauntlet of public scrutiny once again.

Lessons Learned by Jillian Neal mixes a twenty-first century Ozzie and Harriet set of parents with a huge family of sexually over-active adult children who love deep and often in book two of her Gifted Realm series. When sinister forces threaten to unravel their unity, the strength of family and love will need to hold strong.
Jillian Neal can create tension in every scene, from the humorous to the spicy hot without missing a beat! Just when the evil tension rises, and the intrigue deepens, you can count on at least a “hint” of sexual tension to re-focus your attention, even if just briefly! Each character is well-developed, if not always likable, but I love the family, and was completely amused that these “kids” filled with their over-active sexual appetites still got all squeamish when their parents got amorous and with everything else going on, a tattoo could cause a typical fatherly meltdown! Family love with all of its warts, political battles with all of their dirt, sensual tension with all of its heat, moments of light fun and humor! It’s all here!

I need to thank Jillian Neal for providing me an ARC edition in exchange for my honest review.

Series: The Gifted Realm, Book 2
Expected publication: October 30th 2013
Publisher: Realm Press
ISBN13: 9781940174037
Genre: NA Paranormal Romance/Slightly Erotic
Page Count: 460

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[↜ƈɦǟռ☂ɛℓℓɛ↝ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5★★★★★Lessons Learned by Jillian Neal (The Gifted Realm Series book 2)

I was given this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This picks up right where Within the Realm left off.



The Haydenshire's are the perfect balance of crazy. I love them. There is never a dull moment with them, but with around 20 people, how can there be? Again this is told mainly through Rainer and Logan. I think living through the eyes of two twenty-one year old guys enhances the reading experience. All their emotions, the good, bad, and ugly, shine through. I found myself, laughing, crying, happy, scared, content, angry, relieved and disgusted through out the book.

My only complaint is the sheer number of characters. Don't get me wrong I love almost all of them, but this series needs to come with a reference guide or glossary at the beginning of each book, to keep characters and positions straight. Here's some, but by no means all.

The Haydenshire's
*Stephan and Lillian(parents)
*Cal(deceased)
*Will-Brooke-expecting
*Levi-Sarah
*Garrett-Chloe(on and off)
*Patrick-Lucy
*Connor-Katie(hoping)
*Logan-Adeline(taken in)
*Emily-Rainer(adopted in)
*Keaton & Henry (unexpected toddler twins)
*The Anderson's(Lillian's parents)
*Grandpa Haydenshire(Stephan's dad)
This is just your average dinner.

Then mix in everyone's Predilects or Double Predilects(special gifts).
*Adminis Order-to govern
*Auxillary Order- to serve(receivers)
*Duco Order- to plan and calculate
*Ioses Order- to protect (shields, harness energy)
*Occamy Order- to create and provide
*Scholera Order- to teach
*Valeduto Order- to heal
*Visium- to observe, analyze, and understand
*Visvirres Order- to will(influence others)

American Governors- (leaders of the gifted)
*Crown Governor Regis Carrington- Serena
*Governor Haydenshire- Lillian
*Governor Peterson
*Governor Sapman
*Governor ArthurVindico
*Governor Willow
*Crown Governor Joseph Lawson(deceased)

Summation Teams(challenge teams)
*Arlington Angels
-Chloe Sawyer(Captain)
-Sonia Cohen(Sr. Shield)
-Katie Bellows(Jr. Shield)
-Fionna Styler(Sr. Receiver)
-Emily Haydenshire(Jr. Receiver)

*Springfield Sirens
-Marlisa Wretchkinside(Captain)

Elite Iodex Officers- good guys
*Daniel Vindico(Chief Officer)
*Rainer Lawson
*Logan Haydenshire
*John Ramier
*Garrett Haydenshire
*Portwood
*Ericcson
*Ryan Tuttle

Interfeci Criminal Organization- bad guys
*Dominic Wretchkinside(Leader)

Thanks to the author for leaving me hanging again, lol. I'm very excited to see what Every Action will bring.


Reading Order
Within The Realm(The Gifted Realm book 1)
Lesson Learned (The Gifted Realm book 2)
Every Action (The Gifted Realm book 3)
Rock Bottom(The Gifted Realm book 4)
An Angel All His Own (The Gifted Realm book 5)
All But Lost(The Gifted Realm book 6)
The Quelling Tide (The Gifted Realm book 7)

[Elaine White · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK, BY THE AUTHOR, IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW**

Book – Lesson Learned (The Gifted Realm Book 2)
Author – Jillian Neal
Star rating – ★★★★☆
Plot – better than book 1, but still thin
Characters – even more slutty and brutish than book 1
Movie Potential – ★★★★☆
Ease of reading – easy to read, if you can get past the word usage
Cover – X doesn’t adequately represent the story
Suitable Title – ✔
Would I read it again – No.

~

Book Analysis:

This book frustrated me even more than the first. It has even more potential, but it is sadly ruined with the same mistakes, plot issues and misunderstandings.

~

Pros:

I like the Cascavel and Vindico storyline advancement. It’s the most interesting thing I’ve read in this series so far. Unfortunately, there’s not enough of it for me.

Logan and Adeline’s relationship is what saves this book. It’s what ups my 3 stars to 4 and what convinces me to keep reading. They are the only real thing in this story and it’s sad that there are only a few chapters where they get to shine.

I’ll admit that I am actually enjoying this series. There are A LOT of things that let it down, but the more I read the more I try to see beyond the terrible sex scenes, the selfish and single-minded behaviour of the characters and look for the real plot. When those moments crop up I’m like a giddy fangirl, giggling and gasping in surprise at what unfolds. But the bad parts do mar my enjoyment quite a bit and I just want to scalp the whole lot of it until it’s the well arranged YA novel I see beneath the surface.

~

Cons:

I think it’s really cheesy for an adult novel, which this is supposed to be, for the MC to be ‘Lawson’ and the bad guy to be called ‘Wretchkinsides’. I mean, could you make it any more clearer who the good and bad guys are? Fine for a YA novel, but cheesy and lazy for an adult.

I have no idea what ‘sausage biscuits’ are, but I’m guessing they’re American. They don’t sound appetizing at all. Did I mention before that I hate accents? There are also issues in this book, where quotation marks are missing. There’s the same mistake when ‘up’ and ‘down’ are used incorrectly, when ‘on’ and ‘in’ are in the wrong places. E.g. “down his chest and traced her fingers over his nipples.” Eh, I’m sorry, but you can’t do down a chest to reach nipples, you go up. And “hands move up her inner thighs until he caught her left ankle”: No matter how you spin it you can’t go up a thigh to reach an ankle. It’s physically impossible.

I also don’t understand why the whole Regis and his wife chapter is needed. It doesn’t tell us anything that we haven’t already been told; it’s just an excuse to get some ‘sexy’ moments in. The problem is that it’s not sexy at all.

The sex is still total overkill; there’s no need for even half of it. And this : “They’d hoped that moving into their own place would allow them to engage in the physical side of their relationship a little more often.” Really? They were at it like rabbits in Book 1. I don’t think they could do it any more often if they tried. Book 2 is still full of gross out, unwanted, unnecessary and irrelevant sex scenes that make me gag and roll my eyes.

Emily is still super slutty; in fact, she’s worse than before. She’s also weepy, irritating and frustrating. I don’t like her at all, just like I always knew I wouldn’t. Now, before you say anything; no, I didn’t decide to dislike her for any reason and then keep to that. No, I just saw things in her really early on that I detest in a female MC. She’s weak, hormonal ALL the time and she’s unlikeable, to me.

There’s also not enough of Logan and Adeline in the first half of the book. It’s like they’ve been forgotten entirely, except for Logan to offer that ‘light relief’ whenever things get too ‘heavy’.

I don’t understand how someone in the limelight for the last however many years can’t approach the press and choose to do an exclusive interview with them. If they gave them a no-holds-barred truthful interview then they would be less interested in them. All this sneaking around, never answering questions and always acting suspiciously is what keeps the media interested.

Rainer is supposed to be this big bad guy whose only interest is keeping Em safe, but all he does is get caught up in her slutty ways and forget how to function like a human being. And redeeming qualities he has as a character disappear whenever he thinks/talks or is around Emily. Suddenly he turns into this raging sex machine, and his only thought is to screw Emily until he can’t breathe anymore and grant her every wish. It’s sickening. Then she goes all Bridezilla on him.

I really don’t understand this book at all. These guys are twenty now and they’re breaking out in a cold sweat about going to a strip club FOR WORK!!! They need to grow a pair and Em needs to grow the F up about it all. They’re supposed to be adults, so they need to grow up and start acting like it. It’s a job; he saved a young girl and all they keep going on about is how much Em is going to freak out. They’re getting married!!!! What possible reason does she have to think that some stripper is going to catch his attention?

“and when it came right down to it he’d taken her for granted” Ah, no! No he hasn’t. He’s been the exact opposite; always putting her first, even when it was illogical or stupid to do it. He’s always done what SHE wanted and what made HER happy. I don’t give a flying F that he kept secrets; every couple keeps secrets from each other at one point and let’s face it…if it’s that much of a problem then TALK about it.
Em can’t go on saying that she doesn’t want or care about his money, then turn round and be furious that he didn’t tell her about a lawsuit. It’s not of her frickin’ business if she doesn’t want anything to do with his money. Em needs to get some self-esteem. If any pretty girl that walks past Rainer is going to get her knickers in a twist then she needs to wake up and smell the coffee. The poor guy has done everything for her, for the last twenty years. He’s disobeyed her father, he’s obeyed every order and risked his friendship with his best friend for her.

They’ve been together forever and Rainer has never looked or strayed; why get uptight about a WORK JOB that he had no choice in? Doesn’t 20 years of loyalty and fidelity mean anything to Em? It seems like she cares more about the money going to someone else than him being at a strip club.

“I am so sorry for how awful this must have been for you” Really? How was this awful for Emily? She’s the one making Rainer’s life a misery and acting unprofessionally in front of Fiona, who is her boss. She’s making Rainer’s work life a misery and putting her own life in danger. How stupid can you be?

“I don’t care how young she is; she’s being a bitch.” Logan spat.” Well, I don’t agree with ‘spat’ as a descriptive speech term, but YES! He’s the only one who agrees with me. The whole time I read Emily I just think ‘this girl is either straitjacket crazy or pregnant’.

Rainer spends a heck of a lot of time going on about how sex isn’t the only thing he wants from Emily; how it’s love and a home and a future. He loves her so much that he would do anything for her, but he can’t look at her in the bath, without controlling his sexed-up hormones for five minutes? Their argument lasted one day before he was groping her up and they were rutting like animals. And why, oh why, does Rainer need to take his shirt off to talk to Emily while she’s in the bath?
Really, the amount of sex they have is unbelievable and ridiculous. It’s also really pathetic that it’s their solution for everything.

And how ignorant and selfish do these kids have to be to not notice that Mrs Haydenshire is either pregnant or seriously sick? If I can see it then they should too.

Why use ‘lamasted’ when chastised would do better? And how would you know this: “He blinked and tried to determine why he’d awoken two hours before he had to get up.” How did he know it’s two hours early? Oh, and let me just show you this: “I don’t guess I realized I was so awful to live with.” Does this make sense to anyone else? It’s very difficult to read. And so was this: “I’d walk away and let you have that because all in the world that I want is for you to be happy.” It almost reads, in places, that English isn’t the author’s first language. In which case, this would explain a heck of a lot.

Garrett is a total man-whore and all the girls are even sluttier in this book than book 1. The whole ‘guzzler’ thing at the bar just proves this. I also don’t understand why Rainer feels so responsible for all the bad crap that’s happened – the bar, the restaurant etc. It wasn’t his fault; Em goaded him every time and all he did was act like a brainless, horny teenager and give in.

I also don’t think saying that he wants to be a more ‘consummate lover’ is what the author meant. I’m thinking it should have been ‘considerate’. That happens a lot in this series; the wrong words are used. Not just words that unnecessarily long/complicated, but words that mean entirely different things to what the author thinks they mean. There’s also a real issue with quotation marks being missing or in the wrong places, so that you don’t know what’s speech and what’s observation/description half the time. There are also incomplete sentences where a full stop is used instead of a comma. A lot of the time it feels like a sentence has been cut in half and now makes very little sense until you’ve read on.

I also find it very hard to believe that Emily’s tattoo would all fit into the one tattoo, small enough to be discrete and yet large enough to have all of that detail, while only taking up her hip bone. It seems unbelievable to me that each detail is legible.

There are also lots of places where there is no definition between one scene and the next, one location and the next and memories of the past and actions of the present. There’s still no obvious, clear shift from past to present when someone drift off into memories. There are moments when the lack of speech marks makes it so hard to find out what people are saying and what people are thinking. There’s also a scene where they’re in the car, driving one minute and the next they’re on the sofa, with no explanation or indication of their having moved at all.

Rainer and Emily are so childish and focused on sex that they can’t see straight. It’s grossly disgusting and lowers the intelligence of the characters. What little redeeming qualities they have as characters are completely ruined by their single-minded obsession with sex. It feels like 90% of this book is Rainer shoving his fingers up Em and that’s not a book to me. That’s porn; not a story with plot.

I find the ‘magical’ aspect of this story to be a really lazy way for the author to have the characters connect and know each others thoughts. It’s used as a lazy way for the author to ensure against pregnancy and make keys, locks, and security systems obsolete. I don’t see any other reason for it. The magic and the society doesn’t seem to have a real focus in this story.

The main ‘plot’ of Cascaval and the Vindico is a much more intriguing story than the roundabout of when Rainer and Em are or are not having sex with each other. But it’s given a complete back seat to their sexual antics. It lowers this story from what could be an awesome 4-5 stars to a bare 3. That’s for potential. If I was to rate this book on what was actually in it, not what it could be, it would be a 2 star at most.

~

Overall:

This book made me even angrier than book 1. There are more pages dedicated to sex in this series than action or plot and it drives me up the wall. The overall story is excellent and I ‘nearly’ cried and laughed a lot while reading, but the incessant and unnecessary sex, whining and tantrums.

It takes half of the book, again, to get away from the sex and into the plot. Again, the first half is full of horny, desperate kids pretending to be adults. Then the real story begins about 45% – 50% of the way into the book.

Ultimately this book needs the stuffing edited out of it. It needs spelling/grammar checks and a major plot overhaul to remove the sex and turn this into a kick-ass YA series that would sell like hot cakes.

[Becky Edison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guess I probably should if stated this in my other review for the 1st book but I’ll say it now! Be prepared to buy all the books in the series because you’ll want to know what happens next! This book picks from the 1st book and it just gets better. I love reading a good book with good characters, drama and passion. I recommend this book and series to everyone!

[Momma · Rating 5 out of 5]

As you know, I fell in love completely with all the characters, the interactions, the chemistry in book 1. Book 2 was no disappointment! We picked up right where we left off and Jillian has added even more steam (if that's even possible)! Rainer & Emily finally have their night of passion, but they are young and stupid in the way the young and passionate are. The press captures a moment and it's splashed all over the realm. Not really what you want to have happen when you have to go back home and just happen to live with her parents.. oops! Rainer juggles his new job and trying to keep Emily safe as tension closes in around them.



The characters- I'm still in love with the same ones as before. I absolutely loved watching Rainer and Emily grow as a couple and as young adults. They overcome odds that would tear some couples apart and are stronger for it! The entire Haydenshire clan is one that is so crazy and chaotic that you can't help but love them for it !



I am once again impressed with Jillian's ability to tell the story from the male point of view and make it so entertaining. It's a rare thing to hear a love story from the male perspective but this is once again told mainly from Rainer and Logan's POV. Unlike Book 1, there is no need for the backstory and you are dropped right in where we left off. This means you are pretty much on the edge of your seat from the very beginning ! So many things happening make you not want to put this down.. If you're looking for mystery, suspense, passion, fights and lots of action - you've come to the right place!!

*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review. *

[Philippa Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jillian Neal does it again!!! This is another "Best Seller". Very well written, captivating, sensual, and keeps you on the edge of your seat at each page. I couldn't put it down. I needed to know what was going to happen to these beloved characters! There is a lot going on in this book with more action, mystery, suspense, insecurities, fights, and of course passion in and out of the bedroom. I love this amazing new and different world Jillian has created and transports you to, where some people have the ability to manipulate the Earth's energies from around them. It is fascinating!
This is a definite must read, and can I say "Hello, New York!!" As always Jillian's intimate scenes leave you breathless and wanting more. But they are written with so much love and passion that you aren't left feeling dirty about what you've just read. Great job, I look forward to Book 3 and finding out more about these characters.

[Mikka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am absolutely in love with these people, the characters are so real. You feel the emotions in every moment. You want to get in there and protect the kids when they are in danger. This book is excellent and will keep you on the edge of your seat wanting to know what comes next. This book also has some very tender and tear jerking moments. You won't want to put it down. I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I did!

[A. McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imaginative Dreams Review:

I don't know what to say. This book picked up right where book the first left off and it was once again another amazing read from Jillian Neal. A wonderful action packed romance well worth the read. Can't say more than that.

[Jasmyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Far too lengthy and drawn out for my taste. I stopped about 25% of the way through.