Review: Conviction (The Consolation Duet #2) by Corinne Michaels

Conviction (The Consolation Duet #2) by Corinne Michaels

Published May 27th 2015 by BAAE Publishing

I fell in love with Liam only to be left shattered into a million pieces. Again. The idea of being without him cripples me but the reality is, he’s gone.

He doesn’t understand and I can’t make him.


If only he’d see the conviction behind my words—then Liam would still be here.

My Thoughts

I enjoyed this second installment just as much as the first. The Consolation was perfect as a duet. The story didn't drag out, but at the same time, we really got to know Natalie and Liam as they worked toward their happy ending.

If you haven't read the first book, this second installment will be a bit of a spoiler so proceed with caution. Conviction picks up right where the last book left off where Natalie must face yet another blow to her life. Just when she and Liam caught their stride and were finally building a life together, Natalie finds that what she thought was a closed chapter from her previous life has only blown up to cause a complete twist of fate for her and Liam.

What I really enjoyed about this novel is the fact that Natalie never led anyone on with her true feelings. She was honest and stayed true to how she felt and what she wanted. At times where it could almost feel selfish of her to fight for her own happy ending, I had to keep reminding myself what she went through in the previous novel, and she never wavered on her feelings.

The drama in Conviction was continuous but never over the top. Liam and Natalie sure went through a lot, and I feel they earned their ending. It was clear from beginning to end how much these two characters cared for each other. The story had an ample amount of sweet moments to balance out the heavy events.

Overall, Conviction definitely rounded out Liam and Natalie's story quite nicely. Well done!

4 Suns

Review: Consolation (The Consolation Duet #1) by Corinne Michaels

Consolation (The Consolation Duet #1) by Corinne Michaels 

Published March 18th 2015

Book One in the Consolation Duet

Liam wasn’t supposed to be my happily ever after.
He wasn’t even on my radar.
He was my husband’s best friend—forbidden.

But my husband is dead and I’m alone. I ache for him and I reach for Liam.

One night with Liam changed everything. Now I have to decide if I truly love him or if he’s just the consolation prize.

My Thoughts

After seeing so many great reviews and ratings for this novel, I just had to pick it up to experience firsthand what all of the fuss was about. I definitely enjoyed Consolation despite the fact that I predicted some major twists pretty early on in the story. However, that didn’t stop me from devouring this story and immediately jumping into the second installment of this duet.

Consolation starts off with a pretty dramatic opening scene. Natalie and Aaron are expecting their first child, and with Aaron away on a Navy Seal assignment, she eagerly prepares for the birth of their daughter. However, Lee’s life falls apart when she gets that dreaded knock on the door to let her know that her husband won’t be returning home. For months, Lee struggles with the death of her husband. However, she has a small child to care for on her own, so giving up is not an option. When Aaron’s best friend Liam shows up at her door to help her tie up some loose ends, they begin to find a balance between each other, which eventually turns into love.

Well, good love stories never come wrapped with neat little bows and perfectly crafted moments. Lee and Liam work hard at coming to terms with their feelings for one another, but they can’t deny the chemistry that exists. However, just when they hit their stride, another blow knocks Lee down and from then, the hits just keep on coming.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. As I mentioned before, there were a few moments of predictability, but they were still played out very well. The cliff hanger at the end of the first novel had me immediately jumping into the next book. So far so good. Corinne Michaels is definitely an author whose stories I can enjoy, so I have no hesitation diving into her other books. I actually already have them at the ready. :)

4 Suns

Waves of Sunday #62

Welcome to our weekly edition of Waves of Sunday where each Sunday we spotlight a book that has been making waves in the book scene or has simply caught our attention causing a riptide on our TBR. 

Today we are spotlighting:

Consolation (The Consolation Duet #1) by Corinne Michaels (Goodreads Author)
Published March 18th 2015 (first published February 26th 2015)

Book One in the Consolation Duet

Liam wasn’t supposed to be my happily ever after.
He wasn’t even on my radar.
He was my husband’s best friend—forbidden.

But my husband is dead and I’m alone. I ache for him and I reach for Liam.

One night with Liam changed everything. Now I have to decide if I truly love him or if he’s just the consolation prize.

Arlene's Thoughts

What caught my eye about Consolation by Corinne Michaels were the ratings and passionate reactions I've seen on Goodreads. The storyline sounds like it has a fair share of angst and a touch of forbidden to it. Two elements that always seem to satisfy my reading cravings when it comes to adult fiction.  I've added this book to my TBR and I'm queuing it up soon!