Stone: Her Ruthless Enforcer: 50 Loving States, North Carolina

I am 53% completed with this book and will be dropping it now. I knew there was a reason why I kept pushing off this book. I've read multiple other novels in the time since the preorder came out and I shouldn't have pre-ordered it (even though I told myself I wouldn't after this disasters that were Amber, Luca, Zahir, Holt and Keane). I'm just gonna try to sum up my disdain for this book, quickly and efficiently.1. I don't appreciate the LGBTQ themes in this book. If you want to write an LGBTQ story change your genre to LGBTQ romance. Or give your readers a warning that the heroine is, whatever it is you were insinuating. I don't want to read about a lesbian/bi/pan whatever heroine. Or about the lesbian marriage between two characters moms. At least have the decency to mark it like other authors, so that people have an option in choosing to read books with those themes.2. Naima is a doormat. It's disgusting. Everyone walks over her. Her family. Stone. Friends. Parents. Co workers. Dead ex boyfriends. It's pitiful. She can't make up her mind about herself, what she wants or how she is going to let others treat her.3. It's disturbing that you wrote about her having such an issue with being kidnapped at gun point, and her having nightmares over it for a year plus but you want me to get over that because she is falling in love? Ew. She is clearly disturbed by something very traumatic that he did to her, so why should I just gloss over that as the story progresses? I have a degree in psychology, I work in healthcare, I've worked with victims/survivors. I would tell any girl to run away from someone like that.4. You should have given a trigger warning for themes of child abuse, molestation, suggested child pornography, racism, prejudice, depression, mental illness, drug abuse and murder. Those are heavy themes that not everyone wants to read about in a romance novel.5. Stone and Naima's "romance" or whatever it is that going on it's not believable between all of those themes and his general disdain for her, drug-induced or not it's just not believable.6. Naima just screams victim to me (no not survivor, victim). There is no way I can want her to wind up with a strung out, emotionally distant, mean, arrogant, jerk, who not too long ago threatened her with a gun, so badly mind you, that she had nightmares over it.7. Don't address drug abuse if you aren't going to properly convey the fall out. He would have been out of his mind with withdrawal if he'd been taking/abusing those pills for 20+ years (he started when 12, Naima is mid 30's, that puts him at mid 30's, early 40's). No one detoxes by tossing their bag of 8+ bottles of pills down the drain and saying oh well, I'm cured all's well with will power. Nor will he go back to any "normal" he abused drugs before his brain and body had even fully developed. He probably has lasting damage and if anything stopping pills suddenly could cause aggression, anxiety, depression, withdrawal or death.This whole story is a HARD NO. I wish the 1 and 2 star reviews were out, so I could have bypassed it like I did Keane. This was a waste of a few hours that I could have spent reading something better in a genre/subgenre that I love. It's time for me to let this author go. And I really am loathe to do so or I wouldn't have bought this book. I'm going to go cancel my ill-thought out preorder of the next 50 states Hawaii book.

Couldn't finish it. The female lead is an utter door mat who for some reason thinks that is what being nice is about. And the make lead is an abusive a hole. It is sad that people think being an alpha males equates to being abusive and being nice means that you are a push over sucker. Hopefully out young impressionable females don't think this way if they read this book and others like it. Is it really so hard for female writers to depict women, black women with any kinda back bone and self respect?

I read the book twice because I wanted to see why this book was a best seller. There was no character development. The character was flat and didn't grow. The tension was there but it was cut short. A hero who doesn't verbally communicate well can communicate with a look, facial expressions, short curt words that say a lot. Strength, courage and commitment that oozes through the pages. This wasn't found. Usually a person has taken drugs for many years can't stop all of sudden and move as if it never happened. Abusive drug use affects the mind and the body. Very disappointed.

Stone was so good! I'm not really sure where to begin, outside of this is why Theodora Taylor is my favorite author. The subject was on point, the character was excellent and the chemistry. I loved Stone. He was hard, but damn, he was good. All I can say is buy it and try it for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

Thank you, for Stone. I bought this book pre-release, and I am so glad that I did. I didn't know how you were going to make me fall in love with Stone but you did. Every woman knows you can't change a man but a man in love will change for the woman he loves and this was the perfect illustration! Now, I have to settle down and re-read this book to soak in all the nooks and crannies. I got off work this a.m. and had to do a speed read before returning to the hospital, today to work a 16 hour shift. My favorite phrase of course is, "You need wifeing!" #Thatswhatsup #Wifeing #Nastylick #LoveTheodoraForever -- Alberta

Stone was a total surprise, I didn’t think I would be able to connect to his character, especially since I was such a Rock fan. The way he unfolded in the book you can’t help but adore him. I loved Naima and so glad she was able to find herself. I loved seeing them both thaw out in order to connect to each other. This book was an absolute must read.

Let's be clear, I am still fuming over the cliffhanger from Luca and Amber...then the wait for Stone. However, now that the wait is over...my goodness...Stone and Naima...wow. Naima got on my nerves a few times, but I understood where she was coming from. Stone.. it was hard to buy the change in him fully, but the way the story was written made it believable. Some funny scenes...Naima's parents and then wife'in. Lol. Love the complexities. Overall good good read.

I have been waiting for this book! I really wanted Stone and Naima’s story. Okay Stone is now one of my favorite book boyfriends. He was so beautifully flawed OMG. Just to know and see this love story unfold is just wow! Naima used to get on my nerves but after reading her story I get her now. Ya’ll get this book and read it TT did it again. Seriously!!

I loved Stone who clearly was broken at a young age and was struggling to deal with life without medication. Once again I’m disappointed that authors, although they are touching on difficult topics like child abuse, cannot seem to be able to accept that you can love 2 people, just differently. I don’t understand why, Rock had to be imperfect (breaking up with her) to justify her falling in love with Stone.I also think and I know my opinion might be controversial, that Naïma is such a good person. Actually I found her manipulative. Yes she did a great deed with Cami and Talia but she asked Stone to basically lie to his best friend and cousin Luca and abandon his family. Her not wanting to tell Luca had nothing to do with the fact that Stone is part of the mob (she married him, under supposed duress but nobody forced her to start sleeping with him etc.) but everything to do with her unresolved issues with Amber. She’s complaining that Amber let her down by going back to Luca but she ignored her for 2 years instead of having it out with her. She run away to North Carolina instead of doing what she preaches, deal with her issues and see someone. Now Stone has left his family behind to be part of hers while as he pointed out she didn’t have a relationship with them before she left New York. I guess not having Stone’s point of view made it difficult to see the whole situation but I felt she was pushing her ideals instead of meeting him halfway. Stone got the kind of family life he never had before but to me he came across as lonely without his « support system «. For instance she never suggested to him that they could go back to living in New York or split their time or anything. The last scene in the kitchen when she asked for a divorce was the epitome of her manipulative ways. Yes he hurt her but she was on her way out to find out what the issue was but she retaliated by talking divorce. He told her at the Dr office before he didn’t want one. Did this conversation also had to happen in front of Cami and her aunt?

I love this author. Her characters Stone and Naima, have so much depth, and the story line was great. l learned a new word and Stone’s definition: “ you need wifeing?” Spoken like a true mobster husband... I’ve never laughed so hard in my life!