Enjoy a little music with your reading! Dashboard Confessionals!!! Rock on!
Review:
I have followed this whole series and I have to say that my perceptions about the characters has slightly changed each time I read one of them. Mainly because just when you think you like one of them, bam! Something happens that makes you go "Really??" Same with this book too. The series is kind of like a soap opera geared towards the 18-25 year old category. It's not the typical Days of Our Lives either. We are talking posh and spoiled rich kids trying to find their way in life. But I have to admit, I am hooked on this series. You can't help but wonder what is going to happen next in this drama-laden series.
In the last book I felt a little sorry for Kristin because her dad was really pushing her in her tennis career and she doesn't seem to want to go that way and then things were just weird between her and Frankie even though she was with Zax Banovic. In this book, she made some bad choices though that are going to eventually bite her in the butt I hope. Throughout the whole series I have felt like Adriana Banovic was a spoiled girl who got her way no matter what she had to do, but since Haze came into her life she has been doing whatever necessary to keep him. And now it seems that she has found just a few friends, no matter how bad of an influence one seems to be. They are all just searching for love and acceptance in their own way I suppose.
I still think that my favorite character is Kevin Banovic. He is obviously such a bad guy in some ways. He does some very bad things and he has yet to tell his girlfriend, L'Wren anything about what he does. There are some serious under-the-table stuff going on with him. At the same time, he doesn't like the life he's living and wants a normal life. Too bad he's probably not going to get one.
And to the last little juicy tidbit about the book, it's namesake of course. Why Bad Uncle? Because the worst of the bunch shows up and only one person in the entire family knows anything about what this uncle does for a living. And he probably won't be explaining that to anyone because his need to protect everyone else. The ending was a real surprise!
Blurb:
Who
needs enemies when you’ve got family
The stars are aligned in Adriana’s
favor, but secrets have a way of exposing themselves just when everything is
perfect. As Adriana and Haze’s relationship heads south, Carys is ready to
pounce. Will Adriana’s lies drive the man she loves into the arms of another?
Meanwhile Zax is finally with his
dream girl, but why can’t he get his best friend’s
girl out of his mind? When she
turns to him for advice on how to be a better girlfriend,
can he put his selfish desires
aside, or will he follow his siblings and take what he
wants despite the consequences?
When Kevin’s lifestyle puts
innocent L’Wren in danger, his retaliation brings his
ruthless uncle back to Los Angeles
and into the lives of his family. In Bad Uncle you’ll
get to know the man who has the
power to change the legacy of the Banovic family forever.
Get introduced to the characters in Changes Book 1 FREE on Amazon and everywhere digital books are sold in the
US http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EADYMCA. If you are located
internationally and would like to review email me for a digital copy at
gillianfelix23 AT Gmail.com. Books 3 to 5 can be read as standalones.
Author Bio:
Gillian Felix was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad. She grew
up watching prime-time soap
operas by Aaron Spelling with her mother. That’s where her
obsession with rich, powerful and devious characters were born. After repeatedly
seeing Mr. Spelling’s name on the screen night after night, Gillian knew she
wanted to be an Aaron Spelling, before she knew that Aaron Spelling was
actually a person.
Gillian have been involved in the entertainment industry for
over ten years. She is an entrepreneur and advocate for women and children’s
rights. She enjoys hiking and volunteering.
Good Charlotte's Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
Changes (Book 1)
Ready, Set, Drama
Adriana Banovic’s 15th birthday sucked! She got fired
after eight years of playing Shayanne Montgomery on the #1 soap in the country,
found out that her family was on the verge of bankruptcy and worst of all,
forced to return to Westwood Academy. Her only saving grace was a chance glance
at dreamy mystery boy Haze Lyndon. Armed with only his picture and a
determination to find him—even if it means turning Los Angeles over on its ass.
In this new adult novel you'll meet Robin Banovic, Adriana's
father; financially challenged, dealing with the death of a family member and
his brother's disappearance. You'll meet Savannah DaCosta aka Savi,
mother/manager; Savi enjoys the life her rock star daughter Leighann has
provided. When Leighann makes a choice to end her career, Savi sees it as a
personal attack.
You'll meet college boy Haze Lyndon; New to Los Angeles,
Haze soon realizes how quickly money changes hands in the City of Angels. Will
he return to questionable ways to survive or go back to the safety of his
family in Wisconsin?
College boy Kevin Banovic’s casual affair with Savi DaCosta
suited him perfectly. Things change when he finds out that Savi is his mom’s
high school bestie. When Kevin tries to end their affair, Savi blackmails him.
After Kevin rescues Savi’s stepdaughter, L’Wren, from her abusive boyfriend, he
can’t stop thinking about her. He must find a way to handle Savi, protect
L’Wren, and keep his sanity.
Bad girl Adriana Banovic is pleased with herself for getting
her nemesis expelled from Westwood Academy. As feelings between her and her
latest victim Haze Lyndon escalate, an unexpected rival discovers her secret
and threatens to expose her. With emotions on the line, will her new rival beat
her at her own game or end up another casualty of Adriana’s wrath?
Zax Banovic has
it all. Tall and handsome,
he’s an academic genius, with a killer smile and a heart of gold. When his best
friend gets into trouble, he feels responsible and covers for him. But his best
friend is not as honorable and has other plans for Zax. My Review: http://claricesbooknook.blogspot.com/2013/11/family-portrait-vol-2-banovic-siblings.html
Bastard’s Brew (Book 3)
Everything we touch we destroy
When L'Wren's ex-boyfriend Jeff suddenly disappears, she
turns to Kevin to help her find him. With one phone call, Kevin makes sure that
Jeff stays hidden and that L'Wren's heart is broken, leaving the door open for
Kevin to pursue her. But Kevin is not as free as L'Wren thinks; she is in the
dark about his affair with her stepmother, Savi. Savi constantly reminds Kevin
of his devious ways and uses their secret to keep him as her toyfriend.
“You don’t deserve to
be loved, and you don’t deserve to be happy. You and I are the same … we’re
broken inside. Everything we touch, we destroy. We don’t get happily ever after
… we don’t get to ride off into the sunset. You know who gets that? L’Wren …
she gets it, she gets the guy, and she deserves a decent guy.”- Savi
Kevin desires to be the man that L'Wren deserves, but before
he can assume the role of white knight, he brews one last plan to get rid of
Savi for good. Will L'Wren, the innocent victim in their twisted game, become a
casualty?
Kevin may have sold his body to the devil in stilettos, but
he'd be damned if he let her have his heart.
One person’s perfect escape is another’s
perfect hell.
In this
coming-of-age story, teen singing sensation Leighann DaCosta tries to find out who
she is without her music career. A career that has been part of her life since
before the age of ten. When Leighann’s estranged father enters her life, she is
caught up in a tug-of-war between both parents. Does she trust the man who
abandoned her as a baby, or a mother who is losing her mind?
When heartthrob
Zax Banovic is assigned to tutor Leighann, he provides her with the perfect
escape from the madness in her life. Enter Kristin Newman, Zax’s super-hot,
sickeningly perfect, tennis-pro girlfriend, who dampens any chance Leighann has
with him.
After the
unthinkable happens, Leighann’s world is shattered, causing her to shut
everyone out. Unable to cope, Leighann accepts help from her frenemy, but will
the help she accept come with a hefty price?
My Review:
In the fourth installment of the The Family Portrait Series, Zax and Kristin are THE item at school now days while Leighann looks on with jealousy and Zax's best friend Joel is looking at her. It is a vicious ring of love, hate, jealousy, and deceit in this one. Just the norm for a high school full of rich, spoiled kids. Some of them, however, have some real problems in their home life right now. Leighann is one of them. Her dad has suddenly come back into her life and her mother is swinging back and forth on the mood swing pendulum. Savi makes no attempt to cover up her contempt for her own daughter and it is worrying L'Wren, Leighann's half sister. Leighann starts hanging out with Joel some and he is hoping she will give him a chance. They are more alike than Leighann realizes. Things come to the boiling point when Savi threatens to take Leighann away from her father forever, sending a chain of events into effect that cause Leighann so much pain she withdraws away from everyone but Adriana, Zax's sister.
I do like in this book that we finally see Adriana try to do something for someone else without it directly benefiting her in some way. It's about time. It's also about time that we see Savi get a little taste of her own medicine. Kevin Banovic, Zax and Adriana's brother, is behind a lot of the things happening with Savi. He is so wrapped up in illegal activity that he can't get out of it and if someone hurts a person he cares for, he hurts them back. And he has his ways, and resources. He is a bad boy on the outside filled with good intentions and a heart of gold at times. He is no doubt the most complicated character right now, at least to me he is anyway. It was a great, and very entertaining, read!
Excerpt:
Seventeen-year-old Zax Banovic was
tall, gorgeous and smelled like citrus with a hint of musk. His sandy blond
hair, mesmerizing blue eyes, and kissable lips complemented his athletic body
perfectly. Leighann DaCosta, like many other girls at Westwood Academy, got an
eyeful when he ran out of the boys’ locker room in his underwear chasing some
girl down the halls of Westwood Academy. Leighann blushed when she saw his
ripped abs, tight ass and generous package filling out his heather gray CK
briefs. Since then, he frequented her dreams a million times, but instead of
chasing after another girl, he ran to her,
pinned her up against the lockers and
ravaged her.
In reality, Zax represented the
other half of Westwood Academy's super couple…
Kristin (The Bod) Newman was the
lust object of every boy at Westwood Academy. She was the school's tennis champ
and well on her way to going pro. Girls hated her, not because of her killer
legs or the way she rocked her tennis outfits, but because she was dating Zax
Banovic. They were the Brad Pit and Jennifer Aniston (pre-Angelina) of Westwood
Academy. Together they were known as ZaxTin. Together, Zax and Kristin were
sickeningly perfect. They walked the halls of Westwood Academy cooing at each
other, totally wrapped up in their own universe.
Zax was the first boy who had taken
Leighann out on a date. She was so giddy with excitement that she didn't
realize that he'd only ask her out to make Kristin jealous. Their second date
(pre-Kristin) was cleverly orchestrated by Zax's bratty sister, Adriana, who
used Leighann's crush on him as a bargaining chip.
Leighann opened her locker and
glanced at the locker next to hers. The locker, which now stood vacant, once
belonged to Adriana Banovic. Despite her prickly personality, Leighann missed
her, and the school wasn't the same since she'd gotten expelled, or
‘transferred’ as they were calling it. Adriana was interesting to watch, she
had a way of twisting things to make it work in her favor no matter how wrong it
was. Leighann admired her confidence and fearlessness as much as she admired
her style risks. Adriana wore what she wanted, when she wanted, and however she
wanted. Her style was copied by several imitators that had popped up since her
expulsion ‘transfer’. The students of Westwood Academy seemed to have a weird
love-hate obsession with her. Even though they missed her, no one ever dared
come out and admit it.
When the bell to Math class rang,
Leighann's stomach churned. She hated math and failed every test that she’d
been given. She desperately needed help, but was too ashamed to ask. When Mr.
Wells, the Math teacher, returned her test results, once again he asked to see
her after class. Leighann was used to their talks, and while Mr. Wells did his
best to help her with extra lessons, it took too much of his time. This time he
presented her with a possible solution; the Give Back Program. He explained
that the graduating seniors of Westwood Academy who excelled in a particular
subject would volunteer to tutor juniors who were struggling in their area of
expertise. The program had a 100 percent success rate, and he believed that the
success was because students learned better from their peers.
"The list of juniors waiting
to get in the program is very long, and we have more juniors waiting to get in
than seniors willing to tutor."
"What are my chances of
getting in?" Leighann asked hopefully.
"You're in," Mr. Wells
replied happily. He had already enrolled her, knowing that she wouldn’t object.
He suspected that she wanted to do well.
Leighann was thrilled. She thanked
him profusely and received instructions to meet her tutor at the east campus
library after school.
Leighann waited outside of the
library, where the other juniors were gathered. One by one they paired off with
their respective tutors and disappeared. She prayed that her tutor would be
patient and wouldn't make fun of her because she was a slow learner. Leighann
often wondered if she had a learning disability. All her life she’d had to fit
her academic schedule around her music career, and this was her first foray
into institutionalized education.
At the age of ten, Leighann won her
first Grammy, and since then, she’d had a career that most fifteen-year-old
girls would kill for. But she wasn’t happy and longed for a life outside of
stardom. With the support of her sister/confidante, she resigned from the music
business at the height of her career and faced scathing backlash from the
press, the record label, disappointed fans and especially her mother/manager.
Leighann’s quest for a normal life
began when she moved to California to live with her sister, L’Wren. She
enrolled in Westwood Academy of Higher Learning, the Rolls Royce of high
schools in California and possibly the country. Her father was an alumni, and
recently she’d found out that her mother was as well—even though her mother
never graduated. Leighann was determined to graduate and possibly go on to
college like L’Wren. The thought of that excited her, but she doubted herself.
What if she couldn’t cut it? What if all she could do was sing and play
instruments? Could she go back to the industry that she’d shut the door on? The
thought of that sent shivers down her spine.
Almost twenty minutes had passed,
and all the tutors and tutees were paired up. Leighann began to wonder if she
had been stood up by her tutor. What if her tutor had found out that they were
assigned to her and opted for someone else? Leighann's heart sank. She wanted
to prove to her mother that she was good at something other than singing and
performing. Her mother had beaten it into her brain that she would never amount
to anything other than a singer, and Leighann began to wonder if she was right.
Maybe she should drop out of school and beg the record label for another chance.
Her songs were still on the charts, and maybe it wasn't too late. Leighann left
the library disappointed.
"LD!" she heard a
familiar voice call out, and footsteps running behind her. She froze; only one
person on the planet called her LD.
Oh
God, please don't let it be … she prayed, then turned around.
"Sorry I'm late. Basketball
practice went a little long," Zax apologized.
His eyes … those eyes …
mesmerizing, seducing, enticing … pulled her in.
The next book in line of the Family Portrait Series by Gillian Felix has Adriana Banovic in as much trouble as ever. She is secretly dating Haze, a guy who works for their family and is in college. He is quite a bit older than her. He has no idea she is still a minor. She told him that she is going to college too. Well her family still doesn't know about their relationship or just how far it has gone. Kevin Banovic is having feelings for L'Wren, who happens to be Savi's step-daughter. Savi is the woman black-mailing him into having relations with her. Kevin is very ready to get rid of Savi so he may pursue L'Wren further. Savi gets an idea that he might be trying to get with her and puts her foot down on the issue. She always gets what she wants, one way or another. Her daughter, Leighann DaCosta goes to school with Adriana and the girl knows about her secret relationship with Haze. What Adriana doesn't understand is why Leighann would keep such a secret. Oh well. It benefits her so she doesn't protest. But Adriana cannot keep herself out of trouble, and there is plenty of drama in the latest Family Portrait book!
You ever read a book where you just kept wishing that one or two people would get in trouble because they were such a pain? This has been how I felt the entire time reading this book. Adriana is more than a pill. She is absolutely spoiled and needs a little bit of a reality check. Some events that happen do give her a little bit of a check, but she is still as spoiled as ever. Kudos to Kevin for handling her well though. His dose of reality was the best out of everything. Savi is still being herself, but Kevin has plans for her. All in all, it's another day in the life of the DaCostas and the Banovics!
Interested in this series? Here are links to my reviews on Book 1 and Book 2:
The Banovic Siblings (Friends & Liars) by Gillian Felix
Publication date: December 03, 2013
Genres: New Adult, Contemporary
Synopsis:
College boy Kevin Banovic’s casual affair with Savi DaCosta suited him perfectly. Things change when he finds out that Savi is his mom’s high school bestie. When Kevin tries to end their affair, Savi blackmails him. After Kevin rescues Savi’s stepdaughter, L’Wren, from her abusive boyfriend, he can’t stop thinking about her. He must find a way to handle Savi, protect L’Wren, and keep his sanity.
Bad girl Adriana Banovic is pleased with herself for getting her nemesis expelled from Westwood Academy. As feelings between her and her latest victim Haze Lyndon escalate, an unexpected rival discovers her secret and threatens to expose her. With emotions on the line, will her new rival beat her at her own game or end up another casualty of Adriana’s wrath?
Zax Banovic has it all. Tall and handsome, he’s an academic genius, with a killer smile and a heart of gold. When his best friend gets into trouble, he feels responsible and covers for him. But his best friend is not as honorable and has other plans for Zax.
The Banovic Siblings learn that blackmail is a gift that keeps on giving.
This is the second book in the Family Portrait novel series.
If you like shows like the original Melrose Place, Beverly Hills 90210 and Nashville, where the guys and girls are hot and the schemes are hotter, you will like The Banovic Siblings.
Adriana Banovic is back and she is ruling the school now! The troublesome teen has now managed to take over Astrid's gang of girls that she was leader of before being expelled from school (because Adriana planted drugs in her locker). And she has gotten under the handsome Haze's skin. The only thing about that? He has no idea she is a young teenager, several years younger than he is. Leighann DaCosta is having her share of troubles. Her mother abruptly turns up and moves in with she and her sister, L'Wren. At school, she is mooning over Zax Banovic, Adriana's brother, who happens to be head-over-heels for someone else. No matter. She is still trying to get with him. He is fun to be around and Leighann just really likes the guy. Unfortunately, no one is really sure that he knows how Leighann feels. Kevin Banovic is just about in over his head in this book. Not only does he deal drugs, but he is enjoying the company of Savi DaCosta on a regular basis. What he doesn't know? Savi was his mom's best friend back in the day. And to make things even more complicated, he meets L'Wren, Savi's stepdaughter, and they have started hanging out a little.
And then there is poor Zax Banovic. The middle sibling in the family has a crush on a girl named Kristin. But his notoriously womanizing friend, Frankie, asked her out, knowing that Zax really likes her. Kristin says yes too. Just another wild day in the world of The Banovic Siblings!!
Ahh more and more webs and lies. It seem that the innocent Leighann has learned a few things since starting school with Adriana. She has already started using blackmail on her to get close to Zax, who only thinks of her as a friend. Even though she goes out on a date with Zax, she quickly sees who his real feelings are for and it is quite painful for Leighann's young heart. Zax, is not only crazy about a girl who is dating one of his good friends, but is dealing with Frankie's messes as usual. The guy has been totally messed up since his mom left. And Zax is left cleaning things up. In a rare moment, we actually see Savi do something good for once, but it's only once. The rest of the book she is her normal self, using who and what she may to get what she wants. And right now she has her hooks in Kevin. I would say poor Kevin, but he seems to be able to take care of himself in most ways. In fact, he sees what L'Wren is going through with her boyfriend and takes things into his own hands. Although you see a good side to Kevin, you also see a very dangerous side to him, and what he is capable of. As for Adriana, well she is her normal self! Still content on not making friends while making more enemies left and right. I expect that she will be seeing some trouble ahead whenever the next book comes out!
If you haven't checked out the first book, do so now!
I don't mean to be cliche' by quoting something like this, but the song about the lifestyle of the rich and the famous comes to mind whenever I read this book. It somewhat adequately sums it up as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-jC3H_8Dk4 Get the feel of it here with a little Good Charlotte...
In some cosmic way, these families collide with each other, whether it's in small ways or not. It is still strange how their lives start to interweave. The Banovics....struggling financially these days. Robin, the dad, had cut off ties with his father, Viktor long ago. Kevin, the oldest son, is the obedient child and also on the other side of the law at times. Everyone at school either adores or fears him. Zax, the quieter one, studious, and has the hots for a girl who he's never had the nerve to ask out. Adriana, drama queen, literally. She was on the number one soap opera for eight years and then was fired and booted back to school. No one seems to like her at school and she could care less. She will do anything to get what she wants. And she is all about the limelight. Then there is Jayne, the good wife to Robin. She's his support. Roxanne is Robin's Olympic medalist sister. And then there's Adrian, the missing brilliant neurosurgeon brother who doesn't want to be found.
The DaCostas....Stefan, widowed when his wife died in childbirth with his first child. Owns a chain of hotels. Savi, the other wife of Stefan, that is now estranged from him. She manages the career of their youngest child and likes to be in control. She will also go out of her way to get what she wants. L'Wren is the child of Stefan and his first wife. When Stefan and Savi split, L'Wren chose to go with her father to stay. She is protective of her younger sister, Leighann, who is Stefan and Savi's child. Leighann is the star of the family, whether she likes it or not.
The Banovics and DaCostas are both families that came from money. Viktor Banovic created a small empire out of the winery he built himself over the years of his life. The DaCostas wealth comes out of Stefan's hotels and especially Leighann's fame. Her mother likes riding along on her fame, but Leighann is exhausted and ready to quit. When she does she walks away with nothing, including her own mother. She goes to live with L'Wren and go to school like a normal girl. All she wants is a normal life. She encounters Adriana Banovic when she starst school at Westwood Academy. Adriana is not well liked since she is no longer a star and she is rather confrontational. However, with her history of fame and family connections there is no way she would ever get in much trouble for anything. After the death of his father, Robin returns home to find that the winery and manor has been given to him. The thing he never wanted. He never wanted involved in it and walked away as soon as he could when he was younger. Now, after all this time, he begins to wonder if he was wrong. So many drugs, schemes, and much more. One girl just wants to be normal. One girl just wants the limelight. Selfish motives abound and changes are coming for everyone. It's Hollywood....
