Stepbrother Dearest

by Penelope Ward

You’re not supposed to want the one who torments you.

When my stepbrother, Elec, came to live with us my senior year, I wasn’t prepared for how much of a jerk he’d be.

I hated that he took it out on me because he didn’t want to be here.
I hated that he brought girls from our high school back to his room.
But what I hated the most was the unwanted way my body reacted to him.

At first, I thought all he had going for him were his rock-hard tattooed abs and chiseled face. Then, things started changing between us, and it all came to a head one night.

Just as quickly as he’d come into my life, he was gone back to California.

It had been years since I’d seen Elec.

When tragedy struck our family, I’d have to face him again.

And holy hell, the teenager who made me crazy was now a man that drove me insane.

I had a feeling my heart was about to get broken again.

Stepbrother Dearest is a standalone novel.

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Second Chance, Erotica

230 pages, Paperback

First published September 23, 2014

About the author

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty novels.

In 2014, Penelope’s fourth book, Stepbrother Dearest, became the #1 bestselling independently published Kindle ebook of the year on Amazon.com and was credited with igniting an entirely new subgenre of romance. Her 2016 smash hit RoomHate debuted at #2 on The New York Times Bestseller list. Penelope is an Audie Award Winner and three-time Goodreads Choice Romance of the Year Nominee. Her books have been featured in Entertainment Weekly and Publisher’s Weekly (Starred Review).

Penelope’s novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

She can often be found chatting live with her readers in her private Facebook group, Penelope’s Peeps.

Reviews

[Glass · Rating 1 out of 5]

So...
Where to start?

I am always intrigued with books dealing with taboo topics (or in this case pseudo-taboo), especially incestuous relationships. At first I crossed this book from my TBR shelf because it seemed like a trashy romance. But then all this five stars reviews started popping out all over the Goodreads. So, I gave in to the temptation. And once again, I should have stick to the original plan.

The story.



The horror! My eyes!!! What is this shit???

But seriously, if you are getting off on forbidden sexual relationships, read Selena Kitt. At least you know what you are about to get when you pick up her novels - Naughty Bits is a hard core brother/sister erotica. For those who are a bit squeamish, there is even a bit tamer version of the same story - Yank.

Back to Stepbrother Dearest. The only selling point of this book is forbidden romance. I believe that it was what appealed to the most of the girls who were all moon eyed after finishing this book.
Story is divided in two parts - first is about how they met when they were 17 and second is taking place seven years later.

What happens? They meet, they lust, they fight, they hang out, they fight, play video games, go out on double date, fight, lust,kiss, he treats like she is worthless, she cries, they lust again, fight again, and - epic finale, they fuck. He is whore, she is virgin. She is "clean" like flower in pretty meadow, and all other girls are worthless sluts.

She is idiot who lets him treat her like a trash.
He is a jerk/bad boy/lost soul/little boy in hot, pierced, tattooed body.

Whole book is series of their "forbidden encounters" and fighting against what they feel. No character development. No. Plot. Development.
How was this written? Oh look, girls like to read about bad boys, let's put that in. What does it mean to be a bad boy? A lot of tattoos, pierced lip, pierced dick, he should be moody and grunt a lot. He is so hot that all girls throw themselves at him - so he fucks a lot. But, he needs to have some signature move - he can't fuck like a regular person. He has to be a bit rough and crude. Oh, I know - let him have fixation with necks. Like, biting them. Or maybe even strangling them lightly. Yeah, that would work. But he is not actually bad. He has daddy issues. Mommy is crazy like a bat. He is really a little boy who wants to be loved.But that is not enough. We need more drama. Because girls love drama! Oh, I know! Spanish soap operas, thank you for this brilliant idea.
"I am my brother's bastard son."
Yes, that would be so awesome. His parents were in forbidden relationship. Just like he wants to be with his stepsister. Ugh, wait... No just like that. His brother is not his father. Their father is their father. His brother is his stepfather. But his mommy never loved his father. He was... But his brother hates him. He verbally abuses him. His mother is depressed. She is artist. He is wannabe writer. He is not a bad boy. He just looks like one. Because he has daddy/brother/mommy issues.

Now what about girl? Of course she has to virgin, because she is a good girl. But she is not naive - she has vibrator. She is super polite and good. And she constantly repeats how her stepbrother is hot and imagines hundred dirty things she would like to do to him. He treats her like she's worthless, but that won't make her give up on him because she sees how vulnerable and good underneath he is. How? Meh.. that doesn't matter - only important thing are her nipples. Yes, she should have sensitive nipples.

The most important thing - a lot of make out and almost make out scenes.

Oh, and in the part 2 there will me everything from the part 1 told from his point of view. Word for word, in case people missed anything. So they can read it. All over again.




I will repeat - if you are getting off on this kind of thing - read Selena Kitt.

I'm out!

[SueBee★bring me an alpha!★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★ ½! Stepbrother Dearest (stand-alone). Tragedy re-connects girl with the step-brother she still loves, but can’t have! Stepbrother Dearest = Heart Be Desert Ports!

“I want to be the first one to show you everything and to be the one you’ll always remember for the rest of your life.”

Stepbrother Dearest (stand-alone) opens up to high school senior Greta Hansen waiting for her stepbrother to arrive for a year-long stay. Nothing could have prepared her for Elec O’Rourke. He is eerily handsome borderline beautiful, but he is also angry, broken, cocky and oh so determined not to like her. Greta is smitten, but in all her innocence doesn’t quite know how to deal with him.

The sexual tension is off-the-charts…

Soon Greta starts getting mixed signals from Elec. He taunts her with his sexuality and his many girlfriends only to do or say something kind and then back to being hostile. In weak moments there are stolen kisses and sexually charged conversations with Greta hoping for more…

Then Elec has to leave abruptly…

But not before stealing Greta’s heart and accepting her innocence. Some truths are revealed but for most parts Elec remains an enigma.

Fast forward seven long years…

In many ways Greta’s life stopped that fateful day. Sure she went onto College, graduated, moved to New York and got a clerical job. She even had a brief engagement. But her heart never got over Elec. She has cocooned herself in a mundane existence.

When tragedy brings them together it’s a shock for both. Everything has changed yet somehow it's just the way they left off. They still have this intense, undeniable pull towards each other with too much standing in their way. Elec remains elusive sending Greta mixed signals.

Much of story is them navigating after tragedy, spending time catching up and slowly opening up about their current and past situations. It’s a slow, painful process of uncovering heartaches; unimaginable secrets and pains. It’s also about could-have-beens, regrets and hopelessness. Ultimately it’s their story of an soul searching passion and unending love and how in life sometimes everything still isn’t enough….

“You were the best thing that ever happened to me. I hope someday I can say you were one of the best, but for now, it’s only you.”

Eight words to describe Elec O’Rourke: Captivating, broken, cocky, vulnerable, torn, observant, complex and secretive.

“Holy hell… his tip was pierced. What a way to be introduced to my first live one.”

Seven words to describe Greta Hansen: Sweet, timid, unassuming, loyal, innocent, endearing and naive.

“Physically, he was my dream and in every other way, my nightmare.”

Stepbrother Dearest is a beautifully told tale, a roller-coaster of events and emotions. At times painful to read. There are a couple of reason for book title with which will be revealed by the ending! My favorite was the first part and the young Elec. Overall I enjoyed their journey, but most I loved where it left them!

The perfect ending = Rec Penned Gift!

Excellent story-telling! Angsty and engaging plot! Swoon-worthy hero! Just like Elec kept a piece of Greta’s heart, he kept part of mine.

“He kept his hand on my throat and lightly squeezed it. It was innocent, but there was a fine line being drawn with every second that passed.”

***
Hero rating: 5 stars then 4 stars
Heroine rating: 4.5 stars
Sexual tension rating: 5 stars
Sex scenes rating: 4.5 stars
Sex scenes frequency: 4 stars
Plot rating: 4 stars
Dialogue rating: 4.5 stars
Storytelling rating: 4.5 stars
Story ending rating: 5 stars
Book editing rating (5 = no edits spotted): 4.5 stars
*********************************************
Overall rating: 4.5 stars

Would I recommend this book: Yes.
Would I re-read this book: Maybe later.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.

[Aestas Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED ::: 4.5 stars!! :::


WOW!! I was hooked on this book from the moment I started it and I could not put it down until the end!! An angsty, unconventional love story and such a roller coaster! It was absolutely unputdownable.

When Greta's stepbrother came to live with them during her senior year, she never expected him to be such a jerk, and she certainly never expected to feel so drawn to him. He was stunning. Gorgeous. Hot. Tattooed and pierced (yes, there!!) with bad habits and a bad attitude to match. And yet she sensed something behind his abrasive behaviour... something that showed her a vulnerability and hurt that she could see was eating away at him, and she was determined to get through to him one way or another.

He was rude, he lashed out with his words, paraded girls in front of her, and toyed with her emotions... and yet the next moment he was putting himself in harms way to protect her. One thing was certain: there was more to Elec than met the eye.

Once they got past their initial differences, he made it still clear that there were some lines he would not cross. And once she got to know him it became clear that underneath all the anger that he showed the world was a guy with a very good heart who wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

"You're the only girl in the entire world that's forbidden, and fuck me if that doesn't make me want you more than anything."

But just when things were looking up, one night and one phone call changed everything. Forever. And just as quickly as he entered her life, he was gone again. And she didn't see him again for seven years.

When a family tragedy brought them both back home, they were both shocked to see how some things (heartbreaking things) had changed so much and others hadn't changed even one bit.

This is a sexy, angst-filled story of first love and forbidden desires. It's a story with imperfect people who sometimes choose wrong. It's a story with heart break and angst, but also with healing and growth. And most of all it's a story of learning to follow your heart. Sometimes, you just have to listen to your heart.

"I want to be the only one to show you everything and to be the one you'll always remember for the rest of your life."

Oh my gosh, their reunion just punched me in the gut. Again. And again. And again. That little twist. My poor heart was just shredded. But at the same time, I understood what had happened. It made sense given the timeline... but it didn't make it one but easier to read.

"I know I'm not supposed to care. But when it comes to you, what I'm supposed to be feeling has never seemed to matter."

There are no good stopping points in this book and it keeps you desperate to find out what happens next. But especially from about 54% on til the end, I'm pretty sure I didn't move once from my spot on the couch and just sat there madly flipping pages and devouring the story.

"I'm... fighting the urge to back you up against this wall and fuck you so hard that I'll have to carry you back to your room."

This is the kind of book where, once you start reading, you'll want to cancel all your plans for the rest of the day so that you can just keep reading it. I loved the way the author incorporated both sides of the story. It was a very unique way to show the dual POV and I thought it really worked well for this. There was so much that I loved about the story but it also wasn't perfect for me. There were some things (in the second half) that I might have wanted a little differently but they didn't stop me from loving the story and there's really no doubt that this book was completely unputdownable!!

If you want a sexy, unique, unconventional romance to fall in love with, try this one!!

Rating: 4.5 stars. Standalone New Adult Romance.
_______________________________________

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[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars



I’m not going to lie… the title and the cover of this book drew me right in and made me one click the minute it went live. I’ve never read this author and I wasn’t sure what the book was about (besides a stepbrother/stepsister) but I knew I had to read it. I LOVE forbidden love stories so the title alone drew me in. Stepbrother Dearest was different that I expected. It was a little ‘young’ for a lack of a better word, at the beginning. Then it got a little sweet and sexy. The last half was much more angsty. It was one of those books that wasn’t perfect for me, but it was also one that I read in one sitting so you know I was hooked from the start.

Greta’s stepbrother Elec is 17, just like her. She’s never met him, but he’s coming to stay with her family for a year while his mom travels from work. Greta wants to get to know Elec, to make him feel comfortable. Once she sees him, she is floored. He might be the most attractive guy she's met… but he’s also a jerk to her.



Elec has a bad relationship with his father. He does not want to be living in that house, but doesn’t have much of a choice. Elec makes it his mission to give Greta a hard time. The harder he pushes, the more she tries to befriend him and get to know him. Slowly, she works her way in.

Elec and Greta have a unique relationship when they are teenagers. They’re only together a short time, but they start to become friends. As their friendship progresses, they find it hard to deny their obvious attraction to one another. Though they are together months, one night is all they really get together. One night of memories.

“I’d rather have one night with you than nothing at all.”

“Just know that I would stay with you if I could.”

Elec can’t stay. He has other family issues that keep him away. And he stays away. For seven years. Seven years later, Greta is living in NYC. After a failed engagement, she is single and working. She’s content with her life. Then she gets a call from her mother that will change everything. It’s the call that brings Elec back into her life.

The ‘one that got away’ was supposed to stay away, not come back and leave you all over again.


Oh the emotions when Elec was back. I didn’t know what to feel. I know as I read and the more I learned of their situation, I bit my nails right to the quick. My heart was slowly breaking. The angst about killed me. No matter whats going on in their lives, Elec and Greta can’t deny the feelings they still have for one another.

“I know I’m not supposed to care. But when it comes to you, what I’m supposed to be feeling has never seemed to matter.”

When reading a book, there are certain lines that just pop out at you. When I read this one, it brought me to tears.



There was a lot that I liked about this book. I liked both Elec and Greta. Both had moments where I wanted to shake them, but by the end of the book, I loved them both. I loved how the book ended. The beginning banter between Elec and Greta was great. There was a lot in the middle that stressed me out, but when I’m reading, I love when I get invested and feel like that, so it worked for me.

The main thing I can think of that would have made this book so much better for me is the last 30% or so from Elec’s perspective. Don’t get me wrong- I loved being in his head and I think it was really important to get his side of the story, but to basically re-tell from his perspective that late in the book was a miss for me. I wish that it would have been in dual pov and woven in that way. I understand why the author did it this way I’m sure it was because it he was following his dream as a writer and it was a big gesture to let her read his work and show his past and feelings that way, it just didn’t quite work for me.

Overall, I did enjoy this one a lot. It was a forbidden love story, but not in the way you would think. The fact that the two were step siblings wasn’t a huge forbidden issue, it was something else. If you’re looking for an angst-filled read with a decent amount of steam, some romance and a jerky and damaged book boyfriend who has a good heart, pick this one up!

[Beatrix · Rating 1 out of 5]

To tell you the truth, I was not going to write a review for this book, because I really don’t have anything positive to say about it. There are many things that are wrong with this book, but I’ll just address two.

First would be the writing. It was juvenile! Especially in the first part. The plot was repetitive: they flirt, they fight, he insults her, she runs to him like a love-struck puppy. This book was trite, cliché and juvenile. Did I already say that? Ah, I don’t care, because this book obviously doesn’t have a problem with repeating itself. What was that with Elec’s book? Repeating exactly the same events from his POV is so not cool. Dear author, that’s just plain cheating.
Overall, Stepbrother Dearest is a poorly written novel, IMO.

Second issue would be the main female protagonist – Greta.



The best thing Elec said to Greta in this entire novel is: Have some self-respect! AMEN. Why didn’t you take that advice, told him to go screw himself and grow some big girl pants?

It really made me sad, the way she let him continually disrespect her. And I’m not even talking about the first part when they were teenagers. That was child’s play. I know how when you’re in love, you’re willing to forgive almost anything, but this. Here. Is. Not. Okay. This novel is not a true, healthy representative of what a normal relationship should be like. I mean, in the first part I was willing to forgive her, she’s young and in love. But then came that part 7 years after and I was waiting to see the strong, independent woman she’s become. But, apparently she doesn’t exist. She’s still pinning after that jerk and lets him walk all over her.

Also, all these five-star reviews are pissing me off. I’ve scrolled though some of them and people who disliked the book gave it 3 stars. Wut? Folks, it’s okay to give 1 or 2 star ratings from time to time. It’s making me sad that some really amazing books are not getting enough attention while crap like this gets a lot of undeserved hype.

So, to conclude, I didn’t like it and don’t recommend it to anyone.

Over and out.

[Penelope Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

New York Times Bestseller for four consecutive weeks. The book that started a phenomenon.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2d4i5HO
Barnes: http://bit.ly/1taMFjG

[Christine Wallflower & Dark Romance Junkie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

"You make me feel things, Greta. You always have. When I'm around you, whether it's good or bad...I feel everything.

Stepbrother Dearest, is written in two parts. In the first part the character are 17/18 years old and in highschool. In the second part the book fast forwards seven years. The characters are reunited, and so the story continues.

So first of all let me just say that, Stepbrother Dearest was a really great book. The writing was engaging, the characters multifaceted and the pacing was pretty good too.

Secondly, 3.5 Stars is not a bad rating. It means as per Goodreads rating system that I liked the book bordering on really liked it.

Here's a quick summary of my feelings towards Stepbrother Dearest:
Yes, the story follows the relationship of Greta and Elec who are step-siblings. Elec's father married Greta's mother, and when Elec's mother gets a job opportunity overseas, she sends him to go live with his father and new wife and step daughter.

Here's where the story fell a bit flat for me. That first meeting between Elec and Greta was awesome, the sexual tension was palpable and the forbidden factor was pretty obvious and made the scene very enjoyable but unfortunately we had one POV and it was Greta's. So I was constantly reading about her lust and growing love for Elec, while I could pick up on Elec's growing attraction to Greta, it lacked intensity. Which is why I need his POV. I love a cocky alpha male, and I love it when he's so into the heroine his knee jerk reaction is to be mean. But I need his POV to counteract the meaness, otherwise I just think he's being a dick.

That was the problem. I'd grown to love a little mean mixed in with my nice.

Seven years
The characters are estranged for seven years, and when tragedy befalls the family, they're are reunited. The tension and angst was so obvious, and with both characters having moved on, mainly Elec who now had a girlfriend, it was pretty painful.

Here's where I get a bit ranty. Rants are not done because we want to slam the book, I just rant because I have all these emotions inside me that need to be let out.

Greta, was obviously still in love with Elec and I'm not sure but I think he was too, or maybe it was just lust. I don't know. I needed his POV, because quite honestly I started hating the guy. He had another girlfriend who he vocalised his love for at any given moment in front of Greta.

I'm sorry, Elec but don't I remember you saying you would never hurt her? And don't act dumb, you know she still has feelings for you!

So I regret to say the story became some sort of love triangle and you know what that's okay. But at least have the third party play an active role in the book, Chelsea was like a shield for Elec, he mentioned her when things got intense. Which was like a bucket of ice cold water to Greta.

And then lastly "the book", so I'm just going to spoiler tag this one.
Elec wrote a book. The book was Elec's POV, it was like a repeat of the entire book but from his perspective. Which quite honestly felt like a waste of time. His POV should have been interwoven into the book, it would have given me the reader the opportunity to empathise with Elec and not feel like he didn't want Greta as much as she wanted him. What annoyed me even more was the fact that he loved Chelsea, I mean he loved her a lot! But he loved Greta more.

And when the characters resolved their issues, Elec immediately wants to have kinky sex with Greta. And like the lovesick puppy she was she agreed. No, no and no. Firstly, Elec needed to do a lot more groveling. Elec ended up seeming like a spoiled brat who got everything he wanted and Greta ended up looking like a doormat. You have to make him work for it, girl!

"Nothing says I'm sorry like a dick and a smile."

So by the end of the book I surmised that, Elec loved Greta first, but he also loved Chelsea. So unfortunately the book missed that 5 star mark for me.

P.S. It didn't really feel forbidden to me.

"I've never got over hurting you the first time, but hurting you twice...believe me when I say this was the last thing I ever wanted to see happen in my life time.

ARC kindly provided by author in return for an honest review

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I had expected the story to be kind of hard to get into after reading many reviews that said it got off to a slow start. That was not my experience at all. The story of Elec and Greta captivated me from page one. I devoured this book!

Elec and Greta's story was full of passion, forbidden desire and angst. Reading their story took me on an emotional roller coaster ride. I laughed, cried and smiled.

After a brief, but intense, fling, Elec disappears from Greta's life for years. When they finally cross paths again, life seems to be playing a cruel joke on them. Despite their mutual longing and intense attraction, these two just can't seem to catch a break.

This was one of those books that kept me up late into the night. I kept telling myself I'd go to sleep when I finished the chapter, but couldn't. I had to know what was going to happen. I'm pretty sure I'll be dragging at work today but it was sooo worth it.

I loved this story! 5 stars!

Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com

[Mysza · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I know I'm not supposed to care. But when it comes to you, what I'm supposed to be feeling has never seemed to matter."

This was one angsty ride! The book was very intense and emotional. I couldn't stay away from it and kept flipping pages like crazy. I was enamoured with the story from the beginning till the end. It is divided into two parts.

The first one tells us how Greta and Elec met. They were step siblings, Elec came to live with Greta, her mom and his dad for a year. She wanted to be friends and all he did was acting like a giant dick and an asshole. But he was my kind of asshole, who in the end....wasn't really that asshole, you know. They didn't spend much time together because Elec had to go back to take care of his mother. Before he left, they somehow became friends or even more and spent one hot and sexy night together, which left their hearts broken.

"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 asshole. I don't know what it is about you, but I feel like you see the real me."

After seven years, due to the family tragedy, they meet again. While Elec clearly moved on, Greta wasn't that lucky and still has feelings for him.

"You were the best thing that happened to me. I hope someday I can say you were one of the best, but for now, it's only you."

Once they see each other again, heart wants what it wants and makes Elec one very confused hero.

"I never wanted to see you again, Greta.
It's so fucking good to see you again, Greta."

While the story progresses, more facts are revealed and as Elec and Greta spend more time together, it is painfully obvious that those two are destined to be together, though nothing can be done because Elec has a new girlfriend. I know it was an issue for some of my friends, but I wasn't really put off by it, cause these things can happen in life and everything was resolved very well in the end.

I know, the fact that he loved them both was not cool, but it's not like he didn't try. He came back for Greta later some time, found out that she was engaged and saw her happy with someone else. Since he felt not worthy of her and thought she was happy he finally let her go. He couldn't have Greta and it took him three years to eventually settle down, he met Chelsea and he fell in love again. But appearances can be deceptive, and the fact that Greta was not that happy at all and never mended her broken heart is another story.

"I was eventually able to let Greta go only because I thought she was happy and that she was with someone who loved her. Everything I believed to get me over her was a lie. Realizing that now put my feelings back at square one even though I wouldn't be able to act on them."

But he couldn't fully love Chelsea IMO, because his heart was always with Greta, he just wasn't aware of that while they were apart. I think this issue was well developed in the book.

"I couldn't possibly fully love her if my heart beat faster for someone else. My heart hasn't shut up since it spotted you standing in that garden. I finally listened. It just took some time to clear my head enough to really understand what it wanted."
"There was never any contest. I loved Chelsea, but it was by default. I love you so much more. Every second I was with you again, I had to constantly reassure myself that I loved Chelsea, which is not something that you should have to do."

As I said, the story is intense and emotional roller coaster, it had my heart pounding all the time. You could feel the connection between those two. It was funny, sweet and sexy in the first part. And heartbreaking and sometimes painful in the second. I was really glad for Elec's POV in the form of his book, which made some things clear. I mean, I already loved him after the first part, but his POV made me see some things different and explained everything what happened well.

I loved Elec, he is perfect material for top book boyfriend. Both the moody, hot mess teenager and all grown up Elec in glasses made my heart flutter. Greta was a good girl with an open heart and a very likeable character.

There was this one character (Greta's friend from New York) Sully, that didn't play the biggest part in the whole story, but I adored her/him, she/he had Greta's back and it was funny seeing them together.

"I knew you'd be back for her, you dumb fuck."

The ending and the epilogue was really sweet and perfect, overall the book was truly great reading, my kind of story!, and I would recommend it for all angst junkies.

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

”“I know I’m not supposed to care. But when it comes to you, what I’m supposed to be feeling has never seemed to matter.”



This is definitely a hit or miss type story. I totally get friend’s issues like Elec’s pov later on or that he’s kind of young to be that skilled in the bedroom and so on and so forth. For me, it was perfectly angsty and Elec was panty dropping hot and I truly fell for him while Greta was really likable and for me that’s a total win win.

Greta’s stepfather’s son, Elec comes to live with her during their senior year of high school. From the moment he walks in the doorway it was game on! Greta wanted him while Elec wanted to push her buttons.

"He was breathtaking…for a bastard."



This story is hot and highly entertaining and I just loved Elec. Too bad Elec’s mother needs him and he has to go back to California and so these two have one crazy hot night.



”I know that despite my warning, you gave me a piece of your heart anyway last night. And even though I tried to stop it, I gave you a piece of mine.”

They say their goodbyes until seven years later a death has them reuniting. Why didn’t Elec try to pursue a relationship with Greta after he left? Well, Elec felt like it would be disloyal to his mother and his mother is completely unstable as is her feelings for Greta and her mother. Do I buy it? Yes, Elec’s pov through his written story that he sends Greta was very helpful.

Elec arrives at the funeral with his live in girlfriend, Chelsea but all the old feelings are still there for Greta. This is where things get really interesting!



”I was so confused. I never wanted to see you again, Greta. It’s so fucking good to see you again, Greta.”

I have to give a shout out to Sully. What a fabulous character he/she was. As for the ending, it was simply perfect.



” In life, he led me to my one true love. In death, he made it possible to find her again.”

[Patrycja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Stepbrother Dearest
Series: Standalone
Author: Penelope Ward
Release Date: September 29, 2014
Rating: 4 stars
Cliffhanger:. No
HEA: Yes



"I know I'm not supposed to care. But when it comes to you, what I'm supposed to be feeling has never seemed to matter."



This story follows Greta. She’s sweet, innocent good girl. When the book begins she’s only seventeen year old living with her mother and stepfather. And then one day, she gets to meet her stepbrother, Elec, who will be living in her home for their senior year.

Sweet Greta didn’t anticipate, Elec to be so…

Fuckin’ hot

Intense

Rough

Bad boy

And everything her wet dreams are made of.

But Elec is also so much more… He’s troubled, yes, but his also fragile and deep. Loveable. Amazing.

The two of them didn’t expect that their teasing and banter can lead to one amazing night and two broken hearts.

When they see each other seven years after it, it’s not in the best circumstances. Especially because of Elec’s amazing girlfriend.

Sexy, angsty and forbidden? Check, check and check!

Stepbrother Dearest is a rollercoaster ride full of filthy talk, laugh out loud moments and sizzling sexual tension. It’s everything a fan of sexy can hope for. So, yes I really did enjoyed it! It was quick, easy read that captivated me easily. I loved the tension, the angst and Elec – the main hero, who although could be a big ass, was in reality adorable and swoon worthy.



Greta and Elec were absolutely cute together; I just loved them. When they were teenagers as well as adults, the chemistry between them was off the charts, and although there were some things that irked me, I didn’t let it to ruin the story for me. Even the light love triangle was bearable.

The beauty of the two of them discovering first love… Amazing. I think I swooned when the ‘rough bad boy Elec’ was showing his true self.


“I know that despite my warning, you gave me a piece of your heart anyway last night. And even though I tried to stop it, I gave you a piece of mine."



From the explosive start to the sweet finish, Stepbrother Dearest was engaging read. Penelope Ward created clever, sexy little story that got my mind off problems and let me daydream for a little bit. I was turned on, I was pissed off quite few times, I also laughed so hard I probably looked like a psychiatric ward patient, because of the amazing banter between our main characters, so yes I can honestly recommend this book.


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[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

4 “scramble the letters” “Look at me.” Kisses

I 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 ass hole step brother and the rollercoaster ride they just took me on. *sigh* #BookwormProblems

Greta 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 ass 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 asshole. 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 ass…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 bullshit 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 ass 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 asshole. 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-fuck-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.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was it the title, the hype, or me?

This one was just okay to me. I went into thinking I would love this one. I mean I love forbidden love, sneaking around, hot taboo sex, but that isn't what we get here.


The story starts with Elec coming to live with his father and his new family. Greta is excited to meet Elec, and Elec is a complete dick to her. He is miserable in Boston, hates his father and decides being an ass to Greta will make things better for him.

So here we are at the beginning, we have the asshole stepbrother and the sweet and innocent stepsister, this was my least favorite part of the book. All of their interactions were very juvenile and really wore on me.


We have a lot of back and forth: Elec is an ass, Greta makes excuses for him and decides to kill him with kindness, Elec feels bad and is nice to Greta for a little while - rinse and repeat.


After one epic night together Elec leaves. They never plan to see each other again, but after seven years they are brought back together.

I won't go any further as I don't want to spoil the plot of anyone.

My thoughts

Cocky assholes are usually my thing and I did enjoy Elec, but throw in the immaturity it was just too much. We do end up getting both POV's in the story. I liked knowing Elec's POV, but the way this one is done it was basically retelling the same story I had just read.


I wish I could say I loved this one, I went into it thinking I would. I actually couldn't wait to start it today, but in the end it was just okay.


Lastly, I can't end this review without saying - If I never see another anagram it will be too soon.

[Mariℓina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 Stars, I loved it!
Although Stepbrother Dearest had a sad vibe I couldn't explain in the beginning, now that I've read the whole story I can say with all of my heart, that it is amazing. Filled with many funny moments, interesting characters and a much deeper "meaning" than I thought it would have.


Get Cereal = Elec and Greta.
Elec was a compelling character. For a bad-boy he was quite responsible and wholesome and also after all his secrets are finally out, his actions are much more understandable and even reasonable. He was a little tormentor, with a funny side but I appreciate the fact that he was always very protective of Greta.


Greta was an all-around sweet girl, she gave her heart once and that was it for her. For seven years she tries her best to achieve in living a life without Elec, without much success that's for sure. So the very moment he is back, she can't help it. She can't forget. She won't stop. They were meant for each other and the chemistry is still very much alive.


The book is divided into two parts. The first takes place in their teenage years and the second after 7 years when they finally meet again. The first part ends with a heartbreaking goodbye and the second part is dominated by their strong feelings and Elec's side of events told in a refreshing way.


I liked the writing style a lot, and I found Elec's way of telling his story genius, although a little bit repetitive in the dialogue it was very entertaining and so revealing. His story of how he went to New York in order to find her had me in tears.


All in all, there is a hot, tattooed and pierced *wink, wink* bad boy who knows how to play with words and hearts. He transforms himself and becomes a helper, a role-model even, for those in need. And an incredible heroine, fueled by determination, with a kind open heart -she could have been a bitch to Chelsea, but she wasn't- and so much love to give. But of course let's not forget the brilliant, heartwarming storyline which was excellent. Yes, this is one of the best step-brother romances you can find.




THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

- Their first time was very intimate and life altering for both of them.
- The anagrams were an interesting touch.
- I didn't like Victoria.
- His life was weird and crazy from the beginning.
- Sally was awesome.
- Chelsea was a good girl, I mostly hate the "other" woman in books, but she was lovable.
- The ending was beautiful.

[Angie - Angie's Dreamy Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK!
This book is one of my most favorite books this year!
I ABSOLUTELY, COMPLETELY, WHOLEHEARTEDLY LOVED it.
I had a book buzz. *tingles, tummy dips, moments of skipping through my house, hugging my kindle, singing "this is the best book ever"... etc.*
It's been FOREVER since I've had an actual freaking book buzz!!!!!
F.O.R.E.V.E.R!
Gosh, I was worried that I was never going to get that buzzing feeling back when reading! Wooo!
But this.. This was angsty. It was sexy. It was just flipping awesome!
If you buy one book... let it be this! ➔➔ http://amzn.to/1pBLSGu

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stepbrother Dearest was a fast-paced, angsty ride. When Greata's new stepbrother moves in, he is not want she expected. Elec and his father have a difficult relationship. The last thing he wants to do is move in with him and his new family, but with his mother going out to the country for a year and he is out of options. Elec is rude, confrontational, and Greta is extremely attracted to him.

"Physically, he was my dream and in every other way, my nightmare."

These two get off to a rough start, but as time passes, Greta discovers there is more to Elec than meets the eye. They grow closer and try desperately to fight their attraction to on another.

"You're the only girl in the entire world that's forbidden, and fuck me if that doesn't make me want you more than anything."

Just as things are starting to progress, Elec gets a phone call that changes everything. With goodbye fast approaching, these two share one special night.

"I want to be the only one to show you everything and to be the one you'll always remember for the rest of your life."



Years pass, now, 7 years later, a family tragedy brings Elec back into Greta's life. A lot has changed, or has it?

"You were the best thing that ever happen to me. I hope that someday I can say you were one of the best, but for now, it's only you."

I enjoyed this one, it was full of angst and sexual tension. Greta and Elec were likeable, and I was pulling for them throughout this story. I do feel like some of the Elec's POV during the second half could have been condensed, but overall it was an enjoyable read for me. I love my jerky guys ;)

[Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greta ist 17 Jahre alt, als sie ihren ebenfalls 17-jährigen Stiefbruder Elec kennenlernt. Er soll das letzte Highschool-Jahr an ihrer Schule verbringen, da seine Mutter einen einjährigen Job im Ausland angenommen hat. Elec stellt sich schnell als sehr rebellisch heraus. Er ist tätowiert, raucht Nelkenzigaretten und provoziert Greta, wo er nur kann. Dennoch fühlt sie sich von ihm seltsam angezogen. Ganz langsam kommen sich die beiden tatsächlich näher, doch dann passiert etwas, was ihre Beziehung für immer verändern wird...
**
Mein Leseeindruck:
Nachdem Young-Adult- und New-Adult-Romane auch in meiner Buchwelt einen immer größeren Platz einnehmen, war ich nun auch einfach mal neugierig und wollte einen entsprechenden Roman lesen. Und ich muss ganz ehrlich sagen, dass mir "Stepbrother dearest" tatsächlich sehr gut gefallen hat.
Die Geschichte ist vielleicht nicht außergewöhnlich, aber sie hat mich gut unterhalten können. Von Anfang bis Ende war ich gefesselt und habe mich auf keiner Seite gelangweilt. Die Gefühle, die dem Leser vermittelt werden sollen, kamen gut bei mir an. Einzig die Sprache ist mir persönlich manchmal etwas zu ordinär gewesen, aber das ist sicherlich Geschmackssache.
Ich hatte mit dem Buch einige unterhaltsame Lesestunden und werde bestimmt noch weitere Romane aus diesem Genre lesen.

[Youssra (back to work-semi ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

edit: feeling VERY SALTY because P Ward just released the audio again with duet narration and I had to endure the ABOMINATION of the original audio🤬

audio: -10000000000 stars. This was actually the worst audiobook I have ever listened to. If I weren't invested in the story, I would have dnfed this from the very first chapter. My toddler could have given a more energetic performance than this. Imagine how a blank word document would sound like.. she was worse🤡 I have so much more to say about this, but the more I think about it, the angrier I get. I just really wish I had read this with my eyeballs 😤

plot: 3.75 stars rounded up

Listen, I was depressed after my last read, and we all know the best cure for depression is therapy smut! The filthier, the better😇 So, I stumble across this book with THIS COVER and THIS TITLE, and I was like: Yes, this looks taboo and dirty and I would probably need a shower after to wash away the sins. 😈🚿

Tell me why, this was actually so emotional? Why did this have characters with traumatic pasts?? Why did it make me go all gooey inside?? Why was the plot actually not half bad and romantic?
This is a book where you definitely should NOT judge a book by its cover. 🙄

This is my third ever step-sibling romance. It's not a sub-genre I prefer actually and the previous two were duds, but this one though.. I liked it and maybe this is a me issue, but it's because they didn't grow up together, they were step-siblings for a few months when they were both 18 years old. So, it wasn't creepy and I could believe the romance and attraction. (fair warning, this is insta-lusty and kinda insta-lovey but they were teens so kind of understandable?😅)

I liked both MCs, but especially Elec🤧 He was hot but also so sweet and thoughtful and kind🤧 His past was so sad, I did not expect it 😭

To be totally fair and honest, I think I liked this book because it was unexpected and it surprised me; I thought I was just getting some taboo smut😅 The plot isn't this revolutionary romantic story; I'm sure there are many similar stories out there, but these characters.. I don't know why I got so attached and invested🤧

However, imo it should have been longer. I wanted more of their moments earlier on in the book before the "incident" and the ending, though cute, was a bit rushed to me. I wanted more angst, more yearning...basically more pain🤣 (which is the exact opposite of what I wanted when I started this book)

I sooo wish I would have read this physically. I know I would have enjoyed it more.. especially the smut because listening to the smut in this book was horrendous you have no idea 💩 Overall, I still really enjoyed this book and can see why so many people love it!

-------------------------
pre-read:
Don't judge me🤚😞

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 STARS

"I've been ready since the day I walked in the door,took one look at you and realized I was fucked."

This was an absolutely fantastic read. I loved the way this story developed, progressing the characters love story from teenagers and then seven years later as adults. I fell more and more in love with this couple with each and every page. Their story is sweet, funny, hot and very intense.





When we first meet Greta and Elec, they are 17 years old and are forced to live together because Elec's father married Greta's mother. Elec comes to live with them for a period of time. He wasn't very lovable in the beginning, he was rude, cocky and mean to Greta. Elec tries to resist his feelings for Greta, but as they begin to spend more time together, he finds himself unable to deny their attraction. Just as Elec finally makes his move, something happens that forces Elec to leave sooner than planned, and they both say goodbye forever. Seven years later, tragedy strikes and these two meet again. Are their feelings for one another still strong? How will things end for these two?




I absolutely loved these two characters. They felt so real to me and Greta just so loveable! She has strong feelings for Elec and she knew that underneath his cockiness there was a sweet guy. Elec intrigued me from the first moment I meet him and I just knew that there was more in him. He is smart, hot, funny and so protective over Greta. He made a great book boyfriend! Ms. Ward definitely knows how to write hot sex scenes! They was hot, passionate and intense!!




This book is written in two parts. The first part was good as they are teens but the second was even better as adults. I experienced so many feelings while I was reading it. The story was told from Greta's POV but we get a glimpse into Elec's head and his POV. The epilogue was one of the best parts of the book and it made me love Elec even more!! I haven't read a taboo book before so I was worried that these two coming together would make me feel uncomfortable but the fact is I loved the story and all their hurdles and wasn’t uncomfortable at all.

"I fucking love you too.I don't think I realized how much until I saw you again."

This story had everything I would want in a book and much more. I highly recommend friends meeting Elec and Greta!

[Patty ~ Wrapped Up In Reading Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

*****FIVE STARS*****
{BR with Mel, Dee, and Sharon}





This is the first Penelope Ward book I've read and I wasn't sure what to expect from all of the conflicting reviews on GR. I went in completely blind. I looked at reviews but skimmed only for fear of coming across any spoilers.
I was sucked into the story from the very beginning!!! I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. It was funny, heart breaking, angsty, and had some pretty amazing sexy times as well!! PLUS a HOT new book boyfriend with a pierced penis!! HOLY HELL!!!



Greta Hansen is a HS senior who is your typical good girl. She doesn't ever get into trouble and loves to read. She lives with her mother and step father in Boston. Her life is about to be turned upside down, when she meets her step brother, Elec, for the first time. He's coming to live with them for a year while his mother works in London on a teaching assignment. These two get off on the wrong foot almost immediately due to Elec's rude and antagonistic behavior. He's got a chip on his shoulder and obviously there is a huge amount of tension between him and his Dad.



I will say at the 2% mark, my jaw hit the floor, and I was wishing I was Greta when she walked in on Elec getting out of the shower. I think I'd have stood there ogling him in all his glory as well. As soon as she's describing his huge pierced penis, I was drooling and started to fall a little in love with him.






Greta tries hard to get through Elec's impenetrable wall, and as time passes the two can't help but start to fall for each other. I loved that Elec was a writer and that he opened up to Greta by letting her read one of his stories.
Their feelings are starting to grow much deeper for each other and then they're suddenly torn apart when Elec's mom ends up coming home early and so he must return back to California.


That last night they shared was pretty damn HOT. I did keep asking myself.."how are these two going at it when their parents are in the room down the hall????" Oh well, it worked for me anyway, so I wasn't going to harp on that too much.


Elec leaves the next day, and it will be SEVEN YEARS before they see each other again!!! He did text her once, a year after he had left.


I still dream about your neck. I still think about you every day. For some reason, I just needed you to know that tonight. Please don't write back.


Seven years later, tragedy strikes which causes the two to reunite, but it was so heartbreaking because Elec shows up with a girlfriend. Greta had been engaged a while back but had broken things off. She never got over Elec and every man she ever had been with just didn't measure up to him. It was clear that when they were in the same room, the feelings between them were just as strong as they were all those years ago.


"You make me feel things, Greta. You always have. When I'm around you, whether it's good or bad...I feel everything .



They end up spending some time alone together and each struggle with how they are feeling and Elec is battling with his sense of loyalty to his girlfriend. Again there's a moment where I started to get a little teary eyed. Angst ensues here and I didn't know how much more I could take. I desperately wanted an HEA for these two.



I really fell in love with these two and their story. I could go on and on, but who wants to read a long review anyway?? I am glad that I went in blind and am definitely planning on reading other books by this author. Sometimes there are books that the majority seems to hate but you love, and vice versa. We all have our own opinions and tastes, and I love chatting with people who had a different experience with a book than I did. This one just grabbed me on all levels and my buddy reading partners all agreed. :)

[Sophie's Reading Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

**5 I-finally-know-what-the-fuss-was-about-these-anagrams stars**



Greta lives with her mother and stepfather. One day her stepbrother moves in temporarily with them and although she had been excited to meet him, he turns out to be an ass. The worst is that she's attracted to him. Even worse, the moment they will get close to each other, his time will be up and he will have to leave. Since he doesn't seem to have the best relationship with his father, the odds are against them.

“You’re the only girl in the entire world that’s forbidden, and fuck me if that doesn’t make me want you more than anything.”

Let's start with the fact that I truly enjoyed this book and I believe it's probably the best Stepbrother romance I have read so far! I was dreading this one, thinking that there was so much fuss around this one, I couldn't help but start thinking that maybe it wasn't a HEA. Therefore, I delayed reading this, even though I had grabbed it right away.



I was debating myself with rating this one. I was between 4 or 5 stars. I truly enjoyed reading this and even though there were a few points where I thought that some kind of bullshit was about to happen, I couldn't express how pleased I was in the end by the outcome. So, I don't feel disappointed, my questions on certain aspects on the book were answered and I was cool with them.

“You were the best thing that ever happen to me. I hope that someday I can say you were one of the best, but for now, it's only you.”

So, like I said I loved it, it was one of the best taboo romances I've read, loved the relationship between them, the banter and the built up and the hero was swoon worthy, the bad boy I had missed reading about (and let's not forget about him being pierced in all the right places ;D)

[XxTainaxX Curvy and Nerdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elec and Greta take us on an emotional roller coaster that begins when they meet as teens and share a reluctant but very present connection. A connection that is technically forbidden as they are step siblings. The tension between them is palatable, mounting, and full of sensual moments. One night, it comes to a head and the next day, Elec has to leave to take care of something important. Time passes and Elec is brought back into her life at an emotional moment. Where there once was fire, there are sparks but Elec didn't come back alone. He brought someone. It's interesting to read our H and h navigate through a very intense emotional minefield. He doesn't physically cheat. There's no doubt of that, but there's an emotional component that can put people on edge. He goes back to figure things out all the while the word love gets thrown out in a way that made me cringe a bit. One of the biggest areas of opportunity for me in this book was in not revealing what happened when he went back. I felt like there was a hole there. Then there was Elec's mother. That situation was sort of glossed over as well. In the end I had quite a few questions so it didn't wrap up as well as I would've liked but all in all, it was a good read and quite hottt. ( Ahem ) I especially like the piercing **cough**sexyashell**cough**.

[Natasha is a Book Junkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You were the best thing that ever happened to me. I hope someday I can say you were one of the best, but for now, it’s only you.”

You know those books that pull you in like a riptide, taking over all your senses and making you completely oblivious to the fact that there is a real life outside those pages waiting for you to live it? Well, this is one of those books. From the moment I read the title, something inside me started screaming, I want, the mere idea of a forbidden romance of this type making my skin tingle. However, nothing about this story is what I expected to find, and everything about it has been a wonderful surprise—from the confident prose, to the dynamic characters, this is a love story that I immersed myself into fully and wholeheartedly, and loved every single minute of it.

“Physically, he was my dream and in every other way, my nightmare.”

We meet Greta and Elec as teenagers on the very day they first meet, when Elec comes to live temporarily with his estranged dad and his new family. Even though they have technically been stepsiblings for a few years at that stage, they are complete strangers to one another, and while we see Greta looking forward to getting to know her new stepbrother, from the first moment Elec enters his new home, he does so with an air of disapproval and rebellion. And his main target seems to be the very person who is most enthusiastic about his arrival—Greta. The more young Greta tries to make him feel welcome in his new home, the more scorn and rejection she suffers at the hands of her new stepbrother. And yet, she never gives up, her innate kind-heartedness successfully bringing down Elec’s defensive walls, one brick at a time.

“The meaner he was to me, the more I wanted to make him like me.”

Elec is a contradiction at first. Smug, defiant, even apathetic at times, he is the kind of teenager you want to dislike. And yet his every cantankerous and hurtful action indicates a deeper, more serious cause at the root of it all. We see snippets of his problematic relationship with his father, leaving us suspecting that everything about Elec’s negative attitude is a protective shield, and nothing about him is as he wishes the world around him to think. He is complicated, difficult to warm up to, but his faults make him a truly three-dimensional character in our eyes.

“… nothing felt worse than when you stopped looking at me, Greta.”

Greta is his antithesis—innocent and somewhat naïve, she is the kind of girl who feels freely, openly, unreservedly because that is the way she has been loved all her life, and she is also the kind of heroine we cannot help but love from the start. As much as she fights it, her body’s reaction to Elec and his bad-boy appearance is something she is unable to hide, leaving her open to his mockery and fickle behaviour. He irks her, winds her up, embarrasses her, but she remains incapable of controlling his effect on her.

“Holy hell… his tip was pierced. What a way to be introduced to my first live one.”

As Greta’s quiet persistence eventually pays off and they start building a shaky friendship, her growing protectiveness and unwavering kindness towards him become the foundations of his first true human connection. But the closer they get, the harder it becomes to fight their mutual attraction, and they keep slipping, failing at every turn, their bodies desperately craving one another, while their hearts ache to connect on a deeper level. One night in each other’s arms, however, is all they get, one night of uninhibited passion, indulging their every secret fantasy and heart’s desire, and then it all suddenly ends. They part ways. And they don’t see each other again for seven long years during which Greta’s heartbreak never subsides.

“I’d rather have one night with you than nothing at all.”

When life finally forces their paths to cross again, they are no longer the same people they once were. Greta has grown into a confident, strong young woman whose heart might have never recovered from losing the only man she has ever truly loved, but she has moved on from her heartbreak, adjusted, learned to live with it. Seeing Elec after all those years, and given the tragic circumstances of their unexpected meeting, brings a lot of her childhood insecurities to the surface, one look at him alone reminding her of what they once shared and everything she has desperately tried to forget over the years. But she remains strong, bottling up her feelings the best she can.

“He was hers. I was his. It. Was. F*cked. Up.”

And this is where this story turns from heartbreakingly angsty to outright agonising. Greta’s silent pain from seeing that Elec has moved on with his life and perhaps never shared the same feelings as hers is as acute as it is compelling. Hearing her every thought, seeing her every vulnerability being tested, watching her heart break before our eyes all over again is something that made every protective bone in my body come to life. I was enraged, inconsolable, almost hysterical in my reactions to Greta’s inner turmoil, her every emotion becoming my own.

“The “one that got away” was supposed to stay away, not come back and leave you all over again.”

But, as it happens so often in life, there is another side to every story. And this story is no exception. Ms Ward stuns us into silence with a unique twist, a rare chance to hear what we were only left speculating about, and what we get to discover went beyond my wildest dreams. I adored that aspect of the story, even when I felt it was given in too much detail and could have been offered to the reader in broader strokes with fewer repetitions. It added so much colour to the story, so many extra layers for us to ponder upon, making Greta and Elec two well-rounded, almost real characters popping out from these pages. This is a story that made me feel beginning to end—from heartbroken to hot and bothered, from angry to utterly elated—and it was one of those reading experiences that only got better the more time I spent analysing the characters. I most certainly did not expect to find this many layers in a story of this type, but every last one of them has left me gobsmacked. This was an addictive ‘angst-fest’ cover to cover, sexy and emotional all at the same time, and one I highly recommend.

“We just have tonight. Please…don’t hold back.”

[4.5 STARS]



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[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Keep the change, or rather, change into these. I'm guessing your current ones are a little wet."

I have to be honest, I didn't really enjoy the first half of this book at first. I was not a fan of Elec. I thought he was an cocky ass (and not the good kind) and didn't really see what Greta saw in him, other than a hot body. I just couldn't connect with him at all. I hated the way he treated Greta, it just didn't seem like he had a purpose to be so mean to her.



Then about halfway he started to be nice and admit his feelings - it seemed kind of forced and their wasn't much chemistry between them. His reasons for not being able to be with her seemed bogus and like an accuse to love and leave.

Then we come towards the end of the book....

"When I'm around you, whether it's good or bad...I feel everything."

"I don't know what is it about you, but I feel like you see the real me."

This part in the book Greta reads Elec's bio and we see the story line in his point of view. I finally connected with him and realized why he seemed so cut off and guarded. Everything feel into place and made perfect since!! The life he had so far- with Randy being an ass and his mother....being guarded makes perfect since. His feelings for Greta seemed really and the chemistry finally fell into place.

At this point I feel in love with the book!! I adored the ending. Sorry if this seemed like a bad review - it really isn't!! I loved the book and everyone should read it!!

Get Cereal = ElecGreta

[Bibi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Seeing I’ve had this book on my TBR list going on a year or so, I honestly can't tell you why it sat there unread.

Indeed the gazillion 5-star reviews were compelling enough to waive my resolve and at my weakest they seemed to mock
as well as attempt the much-needed kick to my derriere.


Except, previous encounters with P. Ward’s work, and the desire for my sanity, left me little choice but to continue my unintentional boycott.

The arrival of Neighbor Dearest upended the standoff. I needed to know who was this Elec and why had he such residual power over the female MC from ND (I don't even remember her name...that's how disinterested I am in this entire series). A wise man once said: to go forward one must first go backward (was that Confucius or the Sensei from The Karate Kid?) What?!!!!! Sheesh, no need to shout. I will give you the review in a minute. Sheesh......

So, yeah. I had to first read Stepbrother Dearest before attempting ND. After reading both, I came to the realization of two things:

1. Thank fuck Ward's writing and grammar skills improved since writing SD, and
2. My unintentional boycott indeed was warranted

ON to the story. SD, premised on a forbidden love/taboo plot, is a story where two teenagers become pseudo-related simply as a consequence of their parents marrying each other. Let's be clear, Elec and Greta having a sexual relationship would have only made for awkward family dinners and no more. Therefore, the unnecessary angst of their love-hate relationship was a reflection, both on Elec, the dim-witted-douche-bag and Greta, the collector-of-shoe-debris.

There is no story here and yet, unluckily for us, this author told the exact story twice within this book. First, from Greta's POV; then as a novel written for Greta's eyes only but narrated in Elec's words and from his POV. Confused yet? Yes. Word by word. The same story told twice (with one part written entirely in italics). In the same book. AM I YELLING?!!! Yes.

And that's because SD IMO is insanely juvenile while being utterly predictable and as it being the final straw, Ward, therefore, has earned a prime spot on my authors-to-not-read-again list.

Should this review somehow find itself lost in the sea of the many, to reach one person only, I'll consider my duty as done and will expect my wings and halo without delay!

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

Save your judgment because . . . .



I had a pretty specific M.O. when I started this . . . .



Followed with . . . .



For some reason I thought I had read Penelope Ward before. Apparently I haven’t, but I have read Vi Keeland and they appear to collaborate on stuff every now and again so maybe my old lady brain only kinda failed me instead of completely failed me. #shrug

So back to the book. Normally I try to live my life via the sage advice of the Steel Magnolias . . . .



This time I’m going to go with the age-old if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. I picked this up for only one reason – filthy sex. I didn’t expect it to attempt to have a story. What I got instead was like zero smut and a terrible first half that had my eyes rolling so far back in my head I thought I’d never get them straightened out. But the second half was actually fairly decent . . . . minus the still no dirty sexuals for me to perv out on. Apparently I read it wrong because I took a gander at other reviews and it seems everyone hated the second half but liked the first. It’s okay, I’m used to wrongreading at this point. At least I can say I have read a "taboo" romance and I will definitely check out more stuff by this author in the future. The next time a stepbrother story gets waved in front of my face, though?????



Thanks to my pervy book fairy for this hook up. Since I have zero shame I totally asked the porny librarian to buy this about 27 times, but that ho ignored me.

[Yeasmin Alo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Don't know what to feel about this one

Of course, It's Taboo (see the book title DUH 😆)

But what I didn’t know was -
It is a second chance romance
To some extent, we can call it Dark Romance too cz it did make me question my way of judging and perceiving things

Honestly speaking I Don't have much experience with this type of trope

I can say It was bizarre and confusing but the Second part was really realistic

The struggles main leads had to go through it felt like something from real-life experience not anything fictional
MCs were irrational but somehow I could understand why they were being irrational
Of course I Don't agree with how the male protagonist handled everything but by the end, I think he made everything right

This book was so addictive I couldn’t put it down for one minute

And what they say?
🎇all's well that ends well 🎇

[❃**✿【Yasmine】✿**❃ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 STARS



Genre: NA romance
Cover: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
Heroine: 4/10
Hero: 7/10
Humour: 2/10
Hotness: 7/10
Romance: 6/10
Extra book Details: Heroine POV; 1st person. Stand-alone. Approx 290 kindle pages.

When Greta sees her new Stepbrother for the first time, she can't help but be overwhelmed with lust.... That is, until he opens his mouth.

Living with him in such close quarters proves quite the challenge, Elec is a man-whoring, smoking (in more ways that one), tatted asshole that just loves to get under her skin. But she still wishes he'd get in her pants.

Unfortunately Elec is definitely more than what's on the surface, and soon Greta starts to fall for her broken, talented, foul-mouthed Stepbrother.

He was my dream and in every other way, my nightmare.

'Stepbrother Dearest' is a really hard book for me to rate. I'm so conflicted (much like Elec was towards Greta)...

It was one of those books where I wished I could have changed it around and made it a better read for me.
I really loved the beginning. I loved the push and pull, the banter, the insults, the innuendoes... Elec's filthy and insulting mouth.

Most of the time Elec was one of those asshole heroes that says and does something awesome, or shows you the most vulnerable part of him. Making you fall for him harder.

But it didn't last long. I found myself peeved at the jealousy overload, which increased in volume throughout the book and found myself in the middle of a FMF love-triangle. There was one part that really pushed my hard-limits; the part where after lusting over Greta, Elec pounces on his girlfriend and thinks of Greta, thought not descriptive, I had to hear that he did this - four times.

The fact that Elec likes her because she's 'pretty/hot' and 'understands the real him' wasn't enough for me.

I wished he'd fallen for her as a person... There were also times when I felt that Greta needed some self-respect.

At 66% there was a whole 20% of the book dedicated to Elec's POV. It was a repetition of all the major scenes in the book. It was very much unneeded, you only had to read between the lines to know what was going on in Elec's head.

I started liking again towards the last 20%. The sex was hot... Elec could say the most wonderful things and I really liked the conclusion.

My 3 stars this time isn't for 'an average read', it's for a read that was equal parts - really good and turn-offable.

[Beeg Panda · Rating 1 out of 5]

SPOILERS

The title suggests a taboo scenario:
Pseudo incest (and the usual drama and titillation that comes with it) isn't a plot device as there's not much emphasis placed on the "forbidden" aspect of their relationship.


SOME (only some) of the plot devices / sources of angst:

- The Cheating Hero:
He cheats on his live-in gf with the heroine.


- The Love Triangle:
He loves them both, he says.
Just before the end of their story he finally decides to leave the OW and for the first time chooses the heroine over someone else. He admits he loves the h but (same breath) he reminds her how much he loves the OW and will always love the OW.


- The anti hero:
I love a douchey hero.
If his attitude hides a certain vulnerability, he's my boy.
If I can see through his destructive behavior and hurtful words, I know he'll be redeeming himself.
In this case, by the time I'd heard this hero's side of the story, it was too late for redemption. The damage was done 7 years ago and he continues to damage now. 7 years older and his behavior has just taken on a heavier tone of cruelty. Even if his reasons were justified as a teenager, its not justified as an adult.
He's not vulnerable, he's weak.
He's not cocky but mean spirited.
His jealousy and possessiveness stems from a dog-in-the-manger mindset, not love.
His love is merely obsession and UST.


- The Other Woman and his love for her is a main focus:
He spends the better part of the book kissing, touching, holding ow, having sex with the ow.
His attraction to her and his caring for her is a very REAL thing.
He lives with her.
He loves her (he's VERY vocal and clear about this, on more than one occasion).
He's about to ask her to marry him.
He betrays her.
Uses her.
Cheats on her.


- The milquetoast-ish, TSTL heroine:
Self confessed stupid heroine (minimum 6 times she refers to herself as such) where he is concerned.
(He actually asks her once why she's so lame. Sigh.)
She takes his verbal abuse and the humiliation - least he's talking to her, I suppose.
He's full of slimy comments and she's either speechless or responds with weak comebacks.
She's rather bland....she's just....there....has no real sense of presence.
I don't feel any deep emotion for her, not anger or irritation at her acceptance of his treatment of her. Her pain is of no consequence to me. Oh, I feel embarrassed on her behalf, yes. That's about it.


- The Apologetic Hero:
He's constantly saying how sorry he is.
Then he messes up again
Aaaand he's sorry again.
I started counting and then just gave up after the 50th time the word "sorry" pops up. Lotsa of sorrying all around.


- Her overwhelming attraction to him:
Poor girl. This rules her world.


- His constant rejection of her:
And his two-mindedness.
7 years ago.
Now.
She's just never good enough.


- His mood swings:
Among others, veering from teasing/taunting to downright neediness within a space of mere hours. Query Borderline Personality Disorder / Bipolar


- He holds all the cards:
Its ONLY his decisions and actions that keep them apart and bring them together.
The whole book revolves around this phenomenon.
She waits patiently while he decides he wants her, doesn't want her, wants her, doesn't want her. She simply does as she is told.


- The Hxh's non-connection:
They meet up after 7 years and therefore they don't know each other now, so their insta-bond isn't believable. Up until the very last, he doesn't even know what her job entails. They haven't grown into each other. Their voices / internalizing are immature and don't differ much from when they were teenagers.
All the other incidents like his jealousy and possessiveness, his inability to "finish" during sex with the ow cos he's thinking of h, would usually, in my world of Romancelandia, anyway, redeem the bad boy hero in my eyes. Unfortunately, its all superfluous in this case. Means less than nothing, doesn't atone for the hurt he's still causing and it doesn't ring true.


- Epilogue in his POV:
Finally, no mention of ow. That's a plus.
Again, too little, too late and there's not much of a solid soulmate kind of HEA.
He chooses to leave the pregnant heroine just weeks before she's to give birth, and goes to visit his mom. He misses the birth. Then, his reaction to seeing her when he DOES arrive, is lukewarm. Neither here nor there. His baby is more important now.

That's okay for this couple, I suppose: she's used to being second best and he's used to choosing others over her.




Genre:
Not sure what I'd categorize this as.
"Romance" is out, cos there's none of that here.
Perhaps "Contemporary Women's Fiction."
Even "Realistic Fiction", because we definitely find many of these offensive men and their banal women around in real life.

[⊱ Poppy ⊰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You were the best thing that ever happen to me. I hope that someday I can say you were one of the best, but for now, it's only you.”

Well, I'll be honest if it wouldn't have been for my friends here, i wouldn't even have picked this book. Although the Title really attract me, but after so many fail reads of stepbrother & sister love, i was really wary to pick this one out. But after reading so many 5star reviews, i just decided to pick this out. And i am glad i picked it out. This was some fresh read for me and i loved it.

Stepbrother Dearest was not our usual stepbrother and sister forbidden love. It was quite a unique read for me. At many turn i found myself gaping at how the plot changed in front of me. The usual drama/taboo that consist forbidden love was not there. and i am glad it wasn't. It really bug me out. The Drama is one of my pet peeve. Though this book really lack any kind of drama. And because of that i am really thankful of Penelope Ward.

“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.”

Elec has become of of my bookish boyfriend. He has everything that i want in a book-boyfriend. His cockiness, his attitude, his tattoo's, his inner writer, & blah blah blah. Elec really was an exception of the forbidden love between a stepbrother and sister. At starring we got to know the asshole and dick Elec, but as story take place we got know the Elec who was truly a loving person, and the one who was getting mentally abused by his own father. A Elec who dearly loved his mom with his every being. And a Elec who was so protective and possessive if it came to Greta, not in a brotherly love but as an attraction and Possibly love!!

“I want to be the only one to show you everything and to be the one you'll always remember for the rest of your life.”

Greta & Elec, they together just blown my mind away. I loved how they both were trying so hard to stay away. The chemistry was so intense and ohhh myy hot, sooo hot. But things can't go the way you wanted to and it happened with Elec & Greta too. As soon as they were together, there time chase to over as soon as it started.

Elec had to go back to his mother and there was so going back. they had to fall apart. But tragedy happens and his father Randy had a heart-attack and died and that led Elec and Greta back to the square one from where they started. But nothing were same, Elec had an girlfriend whom he supposed he love. But the feeling he had for Greta came back crashing him to oblivion with the loss of his father, he didn't take things well.

“He was hers.
I was his.
It. Was. Fucked. Up.”

To avoid getting in funeral and from a panic attack; Greta made Elec ignore the funeral and got to drive him for one last night, before he have to go back to Chelsea and they again have to say goodbye. But can they ignore the feelings they had for each other for so many years, with Greta having no one at her side. With Chelsea on picture would Elec acknowledged his feelings that had never died for Greta or again faith will take them apart.??

“The "one that got away" was supposed to stay away, not come back and leave you all over again.”

I loved every single thing of this book with the fucking amazing plot twist and a story to break and cheer up your heart. Give it a go!!
Totally Recommended!!