GREED: Series Standalone 2 (The Seven Deadly Series)

“I sort of felt myself spiraling, retreating into myself, but I had no idea how to crawl out of the hole.”Greed is the second book of the Seven Deadly series by Fisher Amelie. I believe this book can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend to read Vain first (read my review here).What took me so long to finally read any of Fisher Amelie’s books? Seriously, what was I thinking? I have to admit, before I ever read any of her books, I had this thought they weren’t my kind of books. For starters, when I first read the blurb of Vain, I thought it would be something completely different than what it actually was, so I guess I was a little skeptical. But after I read that first book, I couldn’t stop, hence why I read Greed in just a few days, same with Harper and Callum. Fisher Amelie has a way to create such characters, and stories so beautiful, it’s impossible not to fall in love.“We’re all so afraid of what everyone around us thinks that we risk ourselves to desperation. It’s utterly stupid. It’s utterly frightening. But it’s utterly human.”We all have problems in life, there’s not a person in the world who’s not worried about something, or struggling to move on, get something, to just… breathe. It’s not possible, at least I don’t believe it is. From the richest, to the poorest person… there will always be something troubling their minds. Some have bigger problems than others, but the importance of each problem will be given to the owner of said problem. What’s important to you, may not be important to me… but it doesn’t mean it matters less. It’s a common belief that just because someone has money, they don’t have to worry about a thing. Sometimes, that’s the case, but sometimes it isn’t. I guess, we never truly know the depth of someone’s troubles, not unless we ask, and more often than not, we don’t ask. Everyone is fighting their own demons, they’ll get stronger or weaker, depending on how much you want to overpower them. You’re own strength will be the death of those demons.I don’t know how Fisher came to write these stories, but either way, it has given us the opportunity to see how much everyone can suffer and how much someone can fight to survive, no matter how much money or how many cars, dresses you own. At first, you get these characters you may or may not find likable, but they all have this beautiful characteristic in them… they all want some change. They’re all looking for something more, they want their life to mean something more than what they have. I don’t know about you, but that’s something to admire. Even more so, when they actually decide to do something to make that change in their lives possible.So, Greed. First we had Sophie Price, a girl so vain, she couldn’t care less about anything else other than being queen bee. She had no real friends, she used the ones she needed at the moment, and then forgot all about them the second she didn’t need them anymore. She only had one constant and real friend, Spencer Blackwell. That’s where we meet him first, that’s where we get a small glimpse of who he is, but you never would’ve guessed how he really was and what happened behind his home’s doors. Life at the Blackwell house wasn’t easy, having a manipulating scumbag as a father, who didn’t care anything other than his money and having power. A pushover of a mother, who couldn’t step forward and defend her own kids agains their father, her husband. And a sweet little sister, who wasn’t so little anymore. Yeah, life at the Blackwell house was not easy. Spencer’s been one of his father’s lapdogs for a while now, taking care of his dirty businesses, all because he didn’t know how else he could keep the only life he knew of. That’s it until he can’t take it anymore. Everything his dad asks him to do eats him up inside. So, when the opportunity presents itself with Bridget’s face (his sister), he has to take it, and do it quickly. And so he does. From that moment on, their lives will change drastically, no family, no friends, no money… just Spencer and his little sister. But at the end of the day, he wouldn’t change a thing of it.When I first met Spencer, I thought he was sweet and a really good friend to Sophie. I believe he truly cared (and still does) for her. It’s not easy to be friends with the girl you think you love, but even still, he managed to do it. I liked that about him. So, when I started reading Greed, I realized that, it’s not that the sweet and good guy didn’t exist anymore, it’s just that he went into hiding after losing Sophie. He guarded his heart, and just let everything go. He truly believed there was no way he could change his life, so why do something about it? It’s a lost cause. That made me sad, because, we all should try to change the stuff we don’t like, at least try to do it, so we can all be the best person we can. He seemed to be in too deep in his life to get out, or at least that what he thought, that he was not capable of redeeming himself, not in his eyes, or God’s eyes. But that’s the amazing thing about life, when you least expect it, it will give you just the chance you were looking for, and the push you needed, to accomplish whatever you’re trying to do, to be a better person, to have a better life. It won’t be on a silver platter but it will be there, for you to take.Spencer Blackwell is still the sweet and good guy I met on that first book. He’s there, and you will see it the moment he makes up his mind to do what’s right. He knows the difference of right from wrong, it’s just that he needed a little push to start doing the right thing, for himself and those around him. When someone is truly good, he’ll always find a way to come back. I loved everything about him. His made up mind, his teasing, his heart. He truly is one hell of a good guy.“You’re a good boy, Spencer Blackwell. You’re still a little confuse about life, but you’ll figure it out.”There’s a whole new family in this book, one that you will love from day one. They’re all part of each other, and they’re the very definition of good neighbors. I loved every single one of them. And one of those wonderful people is Cricket. Cricket Hunt. She’s one amazing young woman, full of life and determination and love. She’s admirable from head to toe. She’s the kind of girl that gives life to those you believe everything is lost. She has dreams, she has love, and she has a need to help others, and be there for them. She knows about sacrifices, I think more than others, and that makes her even more special, because even though she has a lot on her plate, she manages to live her life with a smile on her face.I loved absolutely everything about this book.Wanna know something well beyond AWESOME? While I was reading, I came across the name of a place, which was described as something magnificent. Imagine my surprise that said place is no other than my beautiful country, more specifically, Lake Maracaibo and the Catatumbo Lightning. Go ahead, Google it. I’ll admit proudly, I did a happy dancing right then. Thank you, Fisher.There’s another thing I realized while reading this book. I have to say, her way of keeping God close, but not in an obvious way, is truly beautiful. There are talks about Him, but beyond that, there’s a subtlety about how much the characters trust Him and believe in Him, that’s just heart-warming. I loved that, I truly did.“Life on Earth is fleeting. It’s a gift, but when God wants you, He will take you. It’s not meant to be a punishment to you or to your loved ones. In fact, it’s truly an extra incentive for you to do His will, for you to serve Him so you can strive to be with Him as well as the ones you lose. There’s a peace in that, Spencer.”This and the other two books I’ve read by Fisher are just amazing, and they will leave you with a huge whole in your heart, but at the same time, they will fill it up completely, if that makes sense. They have a way to get inside your heart, break it, and mend it. I highly recommend her books.Can I get Fury now?

5+++++ `Click.' KissesOMG...O.M.G.... OOOOMG ...really? Did I really just read that book? Because I'm pretty sure that book just destroyed me. Sucked me in, took me for the freakin joy ride of my life, spun me around and then spat me out leaving me as I am now...dazed and confused and so freaking happy I can't even handle myself. Which is saying a lot considering I cried about 42 times, had my heart practically ripped out of my body and physically screamed out of angst and frustration multiple times...but I liked it. :-) Scratch that. Loved it. Enjoyed it. Need more of it. Yes...please...and thank you. It has to be said, you must read Vain before you can even look at Greed...while you could read Greed as a stand-alone, the characters build off of each other...you meet Spencer in Vain and it just makes more sense and to me, it means more. And for the record, The Seven Deadly Series...one of my favorite series of all time.Spencer Blackwell...I was scared he was going to do something to make me not like him. It didn't happen, that made me happy. Was he perfect in the beginning? Far from it...but neither was Sophie and honestly, I didn't even really like her in the beginning. Even though I knew Spencer had his flaws I always had love for him, ever since Vain, there was just something very endearing about him...and now I have this deep seated need to love him, hug him, snuggle him and never let him go. Ever. Spencer's flaws are the direct result of being his father's son...which for me, is not exactly something I can hold against him. Is the stuff he has done wrong? Yes...morally, he's not got the straightest compass, but I can see where he is coming from. This is not me trying to excuse or justify his behavior, but...I get it. I dunno...maybe I'm too forgiving...or I just see the best in people. He's got so much to offer though and seeing that potential just flourish and grow is...amazing. He has such a good, honest, loving heart...and you see it in so many ways throughout this book.`I was deathly afraid to admit it out loud but I was exactly like my father. And it felt like I could do nothing about it.The greed was more powerful than the will to do right.'Caroline `Cricket' Hunt...wow. Not going to lie...my feelings about Cricket were a little conflicted at times. Don't get me wrong, I loved her...I loved her spark and personality... she's smart...she's brave...she's feisty...she's kind...she's loyal...she's sweet...and I was completely into the way she connected with Spencer and almost everything about their relationship, but she did frustrate me. I know she had her reasons for holding back, and once you get to the point of learning everything and understanding her...it all Clicks (ha ha...oh those darn clicks ). But her holding back and those secrets are a good portion of the angst in this book. It ripped me in two...killed me, because not only was Spencer in pain but so was Cricket. We are never in her POV, but I didn't have to be in that girls head to know what she was thinking. Her actions spoke volumes and everything screamed how much she loved Spencer. I loved how unique Cricket was...she's artistic and funky and completely polar opposite of Spencer's type and yet he falls, hook line and sinker, never to be heard from again - knocks that boy on his BUTT! It's awesome. And yet another thing I loved about their connection...they're the relationship that should never have been...and yet, it did!`I looked over at Cricket. I studied the girl before me. She was beautiful beyond belief, but she wasn't some object to conquer, she was someone to be cherished, someone to be loved, someone to be revered.'Oh...my...goodness gracious - so what set Greed apart from Vain for me was the angst level. Fisher decided to bump that up about a million percent. Don't get me wrong...Vain had its fair share, but good Lord...there is this level of constant angst through the entire book. It never let me go...I could barely catch my breath, which was the best thing ever because that meant I never wanted to put it down. It was painful to put down. I was so tied up in what Spencer was feeling, I felt it all...every emotion, every facet of his thoughts...I experienced it to my core. You couldn't pack any more angst and sexual tension into this book if you tried. Well...I guess you could try, but I don't think I would have survived it. I cannot put into words the inner turmoil that raged thru my body as I was reading Spence and Cricket...I ached for them, literally. Tears in my eyes, my heart squeezing, inside I was screaming...and like I said, I did actually scream at some points (is that the point when you realize you may be too emotionally involved in a book? Hmm... :-\ ) The feels OH the feels...I had so many! Obviously...they were attracted to each other...but that is so not what their relationship is based on. They have this deep seated friendship...this connection that they build over weeks and weeks of working together, they truly know each other and that's what made them more special to me. I loved their communication...the fact that they barely even need to say a word and they know what the other wants...the fact that Spencer loves and encourages Cricket and her art/sculptures...the way Cricket gives Spencer a hard time...and he lets her....I loved all of it and so much more.`I reached over her and our bodies grazed from the proximity, sending shivers up my spine. I had never felt shivers before, not before Cricket. Not like that. Never like that.'There were so many little things that I loved about this book...besides the emotion. The writing...off the charts. The detail and description blew me away. I had a clear picture of every single one of the characters in my head and all of them played a valuable part in the story. I loved Spencer's relationship with his sister, Bridget. He is an AH-MAZING big brother! They may be 4 years apart, but they could not be any closer...and he doesn't think twice about making any sacrifices for her...which makes him even more loveable. I loved Eugie...Cricket's dog. And let's not forget the description and the detail of Montana, the ranch and the work and what goes on...I felt like I was there, experiencing it...and I have this strange desire to become a ranch hand, even though I know I would completely suck at it. I also really liked the references made about religion and God in the book...not many stories really bring religion into it and it wasn't for the purpose of `soap boxing', it wasn't a specific religion it was just...a belief, a higher power, something to put their faith in. The context was appropriate and fitting, it wasn't overdone and I personally enjoyed what it brought to the characters and the story."I'm going to tell you something, but this can only be said once," she began, and took another shaky breath, "I suffer for you," she barely got out. "I want to be near you always. I'm falling in love with you and it's-it's a sweet agony, however, it's still an agony."Fisher Amelie is the official queen of writing these angsty, emotion packed romance's that fill you with all these feelings that you have to process as well as making you feel like a better person for reading them. I think Greed had a lot more love story than Vain did, but the morals and crux of the point of the story was still there. I honestly take away so much from her books, I feel enriched, like...I should do something with myself, because of her characters, her words - they inspire me that much! I want to be best friends with her Sophie and Spencer because they might have started off as @#% holes...or not so great people...but they learned and grew and developed into these amazing creatures that just make you want to reach out and touch some of that greatness. And going on that journey with them, that process of them seeing how their life was versus what it is and eventually could be, seeing that growth and change in their personality, their entire being basically...how is that not amazing??? I also love how unpredictable these stories are. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but a lot of romances get a little formulaic and I can definitely count on Ms. Amelie to shake me up and keep me guessing.

Greed by Amelie Fisher3 stars!!"We're all so afraid of what everyone around us thinks that we risk ourselves to desperation. It's utterly stupid. It's utterly frightening. But it's utterly human."It pains me to say this as I totally loved Vain, but Greed just did not do it for me. I liked it, but I didn't love it. The book was like a 3 course meal, the starter was good, the main course was a bit bland and the pudding was the best bit.Greed is the second book in the Seven Deadly Sins series, each book having a story relating to that particular sin. This is Spencer Blackwell's book. Spencer is dictated to by his father, what he says goes. Spencer has to do some very under hand and awful things to keep on his father's good side. Whilst I can see he was somewhat motivated by "Greed" I just felt that there could have been a better way of expressing this particular deadly sin. Spencer wasn't happy with what he was doing, in fact he hated it, but he was doing it to get enough money so that he could set up on his own and escape the wrath and domination of his father. His actions made him physically sick, but to him it was a means to an end. His hand is forced sooner than he planned when something goes down between his family and his sister. In order to protect her, they both have to run.They end up on a cattle ranch in Montana, taken in by a truly amazing family. I loved all of them! This is where the "Greed" point is also totally deserted. Spencer totally transforms into a different person, everything he does is to keep his sister safe, totally sacrificing everything he has been building for his own escape. Whilst in Montana he meets a girl called Cricket except she is already taken, she has a long term boyfriend called Ethan, but no matter, Spencer is total enthralled and captivated by her. Something however is keeping her tied to Ethan and this does not get revealed until near the end."I'm saying that I don't just want to be friendly with you, Cricket. I want all of you. I want to be able to taste your lips whenever I feel like it, feel your skin, wrap my arms around your waist. I want to be with you utterly, and I won't take anything else but your entirety."I found the time that they spent on the ranch a bit bland, as I said in my introduction it fell a bit flat here. Love triangles are always marmite, you either love them or hate them. I do enjoy a good love triangle but I felt nothing really during this one. Ethan was hardly mentioned and Spencer was just under some magic spell as far as Cricket was concerned. I didn't really connect with them as a couple and I felt that the chemistry was not really there.Spencer did learn some invaluable life lessons whilst on the ranch and these were incorporated really well into the story. He actually learned about hard work, helping others, being part of a real family, sacrifice and love."He taught me that your world shouldn't be any bigger than the people around you, that you should serve those around you with fierceness, but we still had an obligation to care for those who needed our caring, even if they were half a world away."However, Crickets split from Ethan was literally just skated over, Ethan put up no fight at all, one minute his was there, the next he was gone. It just didn't make sense, they were childhood sweethearts, surely he would have put up a bit of a battle. I believe that Ethan's story is up next in Fury, so I can guess who this Fury will be aimed at! Perhaps he will put up a fight after all?I loved Spencer's sister Bridget and then fell totally in love with Jonah, I adored this couple. I also loved the family. They were an honest to goodness hard working loving family that all chipped in to help. It was like The Waltons but on a cattle ranch. It was hard work and no-one was afraid of it as long as the work got done, you certainly couldn't fault their work ethic.In summary, I liked it, but didn't love it, after reading Vain my expectations were so high that I think that perhaps I just wanted too much. I have taken my time in formulating this review so that I could reflect on what I was writing. I have thought long and hard. There is a great twist in this book and I could have throttled Amelie at the time, but to me that was the one highlight of the book and was not enough for a higher rating so I stand by my initial 3 star rating.I know that Amelie can write amazing stories and I am hoping that this comes back in Fury. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but in honesty if you have not read Vain, you must, as that is a truly amazing book and should not be missed.

This is a really captivating read and I love how incredibly the author writes her lead characters and the changes (or personality overhauls) they go through.Why four stars? I really enjoyed this, but, it just wasn't quite as incredible as vain (though I feel mean for comparing something to one of my top books of last year, even if they do share author). I think for me the dreams just kind of detracted a bit.That said, this is a fantastic continuation of the world the author has created. I loved Spencer in Vain and he didn't disappoint in his own book. I loved his attitude for his sister - I wish I'd had a brother like him. Jonah is just a sweetheart, and Cricket was a really cool character too, I enjoyed the mystery around her and found myself incorrectly guessing a few times. Admittedly, I wasn't keen on Ethan so I'm curious as to the next book.If you've read Vain, you'll love this. If you haven't, then why not?! Go and be blown away by it, then come back and read this one!!

I loved Vain and was excited to read this but this was such a disappointment in comparison.It started off ok until Spencer + Bridge left their home and went to stay on the farm. Nothing happened until 79% of the book except labour on the farm. I got a bit bored to be honest. The story took a slight turn at that point and started to get a bit better but nothing exciting. The epilogue was just ok. I felt that when the story started to get going there was no depth, everything was skimmed over. I wish Spencer + Cricket had got together earlier instead of all the gumpf in between. So much of the story was wasted. I can't say that I'll be eager to read envy when it's out if this is anything to go by. 3 stars was for the last 20%, lower for the rest.

Greed. One if the seven deadly sins. I always had a fascination with the portrayal of the sins that govern us. None of us are free of their influences.I really liked how Fisher Amelie depicted greed in this book. I enjoyed Spencer's motivations and the way he still retained his humanity enough to feel guilt over his actions in the beginning of the book. I was a little thrown by Cricket at first but I grew to love her and the relationship they shared. I thought it was a good follow up novel Vain.However, I was a little disappointed that Sofie and Ian weren't an active part of this novel. Moreover, I thought that because of the fact that the books revolve around the sins and redemption, they could have been a bit hotter like some of the other New Adult novels out there at the moment and may have made it a bit more relatable.But I loved it and can't wait for Fury which is going to be about Ethan!! Yay!! I'd recommend this book and author to anyone looking for so thing different but moving

I loved this book and the message it delivers, having been known to use 1 or more of the deadly sins myself I get the message life is too short and far to precious to spend being mean and greedy money isn't everything and in life riches can come in very different ways... looking forward to FURY I reckon it's gonna be brilliant, well done Fisher Amelie