Thoughtless and Effortless by S.C. Stephens

Thoughtless and Effortless (and from what I hear, a third book) by SC Stephens comes up on so many “What to read after Fifty Shades of Grey” lists (see mine here), that I thought I would throw in my reviews from last September, when I read them. I remember they consumed me, I loved Kellan, but was angry a lot in the first book especially. I couldn’t read these books again, it was just too emotionally taxing.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, perhaps you have noticed a trend. I hate cheaters and liars, and it is very rare I like a book with them. This first book is about both, so I had a hard time with it, yet it was an all-consuming, emotional read.

Thoughtless (book 1): Goodreads description: For almost two years now, Kiera’s boyfriend, Denny, has been everything she’s ever wanted: loving, tender and endlessly devoted to her. When they head off to a new city to start their lives together, Denny at his dream job and Kiera at a top-notch university, everything seems perfect. Then an unforeseen obligation forces the happy couple apart.

Feeling lonely, confused, and in need of comfort, Kiera turns to an unexpected source – a local rock star named Kellan Kyle. At first, he’s purely a friend that she can lean on, but as her loneliness grows, so does their relationship. And then one night everything changes…and none of them will ever be the same.

I had a hard time with this book. While on one hand I couldn’t put it down, on the other hand, I hated Kiera, and started hating Kellan.

All Kiera ever talked about were Kellan’s looks and how perfect he is. I would have liked her to fall in love with what is inside, or at least describe it more. Denny was such a great guy….but the affair of the heart happened right from the beginning and I thought it was disgusting that they carried on that way under his nose.

One thing that REALLY drove me crazy though was the word “blush” or some form of it! How many times can one person blush in a book? Try 152!!! Her blushing is out of control. I think this is something that can be fixed by a good editor.

Thoughtless???? They thought about it plenty. But did it anyway. But the character is very young, and perhaps that is a bit of an excuse. I’ll still read the next book because the writer does know how to tell a story and keep you reading all night. I gave it a 3 stars.

Purchase Thoughtless by SC Stephens at Amazon || BN.com || iBooks

Effortless: Goodreads description: A continuation of the novel, Thoughtless…

A lot can happen in a year. You grow, you change, you learn from your mistakes. And Kiera had made a lot of mistakes to learn from. But she had learned, and she was determined to never cause a man pain again, especially the amazing man who currently held her heart. But life offers new challenges for every relationship, and when Kiera’s love is put to the ultimate test, will it come out the other side unscathed?

Love is easy…trust is hard.

I am giving this book 4 stars, only because I was so involved with the characters from the first book. I was glad to see that Kiera has matured a lot since the first story, (and so did the writing!) but not much happened in this one. It was a bit draggy at the beginning then tied up in a bow at the end. Kiera is trying to become a better person, and I am glad to see that. And Kellan…..he is totally swoony…..

The overuse of words and expressions were in this book as well, but not as prevalent as the first, but “blushing”, “chuckling” and “flushing” were there a lot. A good editor can clean up a lot of the problems with these books. But SC Stephens is a good storyteller, so those problems can be overlooked.

The books have a feeling of a young girl writing in her diary….but at the end of Effortless, we see that may be intentional?

Overall, I liked watching how this relationship matures……I will read the next.

Purchase Effortless by SC Stephens at Amazon || BN.com || iBooks

So, the Thoughtless books average a 3.5 stars for me, mostly because I hate liars and cheaters, but also because of word choice. I will tell you this: I know many of my friends loved Kellan so much in this (I did, but not like other “book boyfriends“), so be ready to fall in love.

*NOTE: I read these in September, 2011, they may have been edited since then. I added these books to my blog because they were suggested by many readers as good to read after Fifty Shades of Grey, and they were (I did) but they weren’t in the 4-5 star ratings that those on the list are.

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