Friday, November 28, 2014

Review: Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements, #2)Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Steph's Rating: 4 stars
Overall: 4 stars

Format: Paperback
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: October 21st 2014
Pages: 446

Goodreads Synopsis:

Every touch has its price...

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…

Review: 

Looking through my blog, you would realize that I am a die-hard fan and addict of Jennifer L. Armentrout. I think I've given pretty much every single book she's written a happy five out of five stars and then go on to make run-on sentences about why you must read her books. I was actually tempted to give this book a 3-3.5 stars, but my more-than-slight bias to JLA might have effected that rating...Okay, so I didn't give her a perfect score this time, but Stone Cold Touch is still undoubtedly an excellent time-passer that might keep you up a little while to finish. 

The biggest reason why I felt like this wasn't a round 5 was because this book seemed like an intermission. It's a perfectly lengthy book (longer than book one, I believe), but I felt like there was lots of fluff for the purpose of pure fanservice rather than content that tied to the plot more. I'm not complaining about fanservice necessarily, since it was interesting to read *wink*, but we don't really learn anything more about Lilith, the Lilin, and how Layla's heritage affects her abilities. There were only a small number of major points I think JLA really wanted to hit with this book, and while achieved, overall I thought Stone Cold Touch was stalling for time and trying to draw out the suspense. 

Some of said "fluff" is devoted towards gearing up the love triangle subplot between Layla, Zayne, and Roth. I thought it was relatively well written out, but it did feel like a ping-pong match at times between Zayne and Roth since the scenes with Layla just kept on jumping back and forth between the two guys. I've been reading around, and I do see that lots of people have been jumping ship to Team Zayne. For what reason? I myself, do not know. To me, Zayne seemed like an entirely different character from the one we got to know in the first book. Yes, he's known Layla for a lot longer than Roth has, but I don't think that is enough of a reason for him to be her significant other. I saw him mostly as an annoying fly buzzing in a growing relationship between Layla and Roth, and while he was sweet throughout the book, I just don't get as good as a vibe from him. (P.S. Roth is just a darling.)

The big build-up point of this book, of course, was the end. As in the last chapter. Or how about the Very. Last. Page. I actually saw the ending coming a few chapters before, but it's still a killer even when you expect it. The series is only going to be a trilogy, but I think it's safe to say that the end of STC is where the turning point of the story is, and I'm very excited to where Jenn is going to lead this to. Right now though, I see too many unanswered questions and I'm a little worried that the last book is going to end up a bit rushed to fit in all the last minute content. Despite this, I still think this ending is going to be explosive. JLA has once again proven herself to be the queen of throwing wrenches into her stories at the most inopportune times for her readers. The wait for Every Last Breath is going to be excruciatingly difficult, but I cannot wait to see how Layla's story will end!


Steph

Saturday, October 25, 2014

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Cover!

I never found out if there was an actual "cover reveal" for A Court of Thorns and Roses for blogs, but nonetheless, I ended up finding an interview with SJ Maas and the cover for this book on USA Today! I am a super-fan of her books, so I am eagerly awaiting her next fantasy series! She says it incorporates a mash-up of lots of fairy tails, including Beauty and the Beast. Here is the cover and synopsis, the link to her interview/the original post is below:


Synopsis:

When 19-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. 

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it ... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever. 

Perfect for fans of Kristen Cashore and George R.R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Um. Kristen Cashore? Geroge R.R. Martin? Yes, please, and thank you! It seems she's carrying on her Fae theme that is present in the Throne of Glass series, but is making it a more central part of the story. Personally, I like how the cover is eerie and wicked looking, but I wish the girl on the cover wasn't so cartooned-looking. It's pretty much the same sentiment as her first series: I think her books can be geared towards older teens and adults too and the covers downplay the seriousness that is actually present in the books.

Can't wait for this next year--hopefully it'll help pass the time for the next ToG book as well :)

Original Post with Interview:


Steph

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Release Day: Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Happy Release Day to Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout! It's no secret Dani and I are extremo fans of her--and this book is definitely one of the books we have been looking forward to the most this year. I can't wait to get some more......Bambi....! I'm ecstatic to get started on this book (AHEM Amazon--whenever your delivery package decides to turn around, preferably in the next ten minutes...), yet at the same time, it's sad to know that after STC, the only book left in this trilogy is Every Last Kiss.

Regardless, can't wait to get started!

Here's some Stone Cold Touch quick info:

Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements, #2)Synopsis:

Every touch has its price

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted,
but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…




About Jennifer L. Armentrout:  
 
# 1 New York Times and International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
 

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Review: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

The Glass CastleThe Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Steph's Rating: 5 stars
Overall Rating: 5 stars

Format: Paperback
Publisher: Scribner 
Publication Date: January 17th, 2006
Pages: 288

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette's brilliant and charismatic father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn't want the responsibility of raising a family.

The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.

The Glass Castle is truly astonishing--a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family.

Steph's Review: 

I believe this is the first time I've ever reviewed a nonfiction book on this blog. We don't even accept review requests that are nonfiction book, but after reading The Glass Castle, I'm debating changing that to not accepting nonfiction except memoirs. 

If this book were fiction, I don't think it would've been as big of a hit as it was. The writing is phenomenal, but if this were only crafted out of sheer imagination, I don't think I would be able to say it was a particularly notable work.

But that's the problem. This book is real--a memoir that recounts events in Jeannette Walls's tumultuous childhood and includes both the bad and the good. I read this and I could not believe that anyone could have such an eventful life in so little time, how children so young in numbers were mature beyond even those who had lived a lifetime. The nomadic lifestyle, the questionable schooling, the financial state--or rather, lack of thereof, the safety issues, the bullying, the hunger, the simple joys, the successes the children have even though they faced this in their entire childhood. It definitely fits the, "Perspective, get some", quote.  Every single chapter of her life--and there are many, many short and powerful chapters--is a completely different adventure to tell. It seems that the Walls's family has suffered every kind of hardship, but have also found happiness in ways the average person would never experience.

No matter how well she writes this book, I don't think anyone will truly understand Walls's life except her own family. On the surface, it seems just like a story about a highly dysfunctional family who happens to do everything opposite of what conventional mainstream society says to do. It's a feat to do such a thing, but at the same time, Wall's reveals to us that nothing was as simple as it seemed. Her two parents are both free and nomadic souls and also seem to have no idea what family is yet at the same time, understand what family is more than anyone else. I don't know if it was Walls's intention to paint an ugly picture of her parents (although I hated both her mother and father by the end), but that was what I felt was expressed through her words.

Her father, Rex, is book-smart and cheeky. He has his moments of brilliance and an undying dream of building The Glass Castle for his family to live in. Fine. Rex Walls's is also an alcoholic, has no idea what street-smarts are, and has absolutely no clue how to take care of his family. Her mother, Mary, doesn't want the responsibility to take care of a family despite having four children. She's selfish, whines, and is more childish than any of her kids. The young siblings have to learn how to fend for themselves and stand on their own two feet. They have to figure out to swim before it's too late.

Even with this not-present parenting, this family always stuck together throughout the odds. Even when the family fought. when the children were unhappy, they always ended up back together until the tipping point. This story was stupendous--a look into a life that you would not expect when looking at someone for the first time in the face. Inevitably, this memoir is a life-changer. It sends a message to readers that people might have experiences that we could never imagine: quite frankly, to never judge a book by its cover.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3)Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Steph's Rating: 5 stars
Overall Rating: 5 stars

Publication Date: September 2nd, 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury Books
Pages: 565
Format: Hardcover 

Goodreads Synopsis:

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

Steph's Review: *the review itself is for the most part non-spoiler, but the area for my predictions is packed with spoilers for Heir of Fire*

What better way to get back into blogging than with a book that also ended with a bang? I think I've read Heir of Fire three or four times over the one month period that it's been out--in other words, I've just been reading some sort of page from this pretty much every day. Still not over it either. The pretty hardcover is still sitting on my nightstand even though I've got other selections I'm reading. The books in this series release pretty far apart from each other so this obsession is really not good seeing as I've got at least another eleven months to go before book four rolls around.

Celaena has been cast away from Adarlan for her own safety by none other than Chaol Westfall. She's ignoring her duty to the King while she's slumming it in the streets of Wendlyn. She is approached by a menacing Fae warrior, who leads her on orders to the her aunt, and Fae Queen, Maeve. Celaena knows Maeve knows the information that she dearly needs to accomplish solving the mystery of Adarlan's seemingly overnight triumph, but Maeve is withholding that knowledge with a series of conditions. She is sent back to the peaceful demi-Fae town of Mystward, to master her heritage and the magic that has quietly dwelled within her for over ten years. If she proves successful and rediscovers her conscience, she may become the biggest living threat that Adarlan has ever seen. If she fails...everything is over for Terrasen.

Now, I've read tons of reviews for this one. Many people give it five start but then go onto say that it wasn't their favorite book in the series since Crown of Midnight is still their absolute fave. I too, and giving it those five big, obnoxious stars but Heir of Fire is my favorite book within this series so far. I love Crown of Midnight, I do, but I still felt like Crown of Midnight is a "thriller" book of sorts. It's a roller coaster that is exciting and something you'll always remember (at least for me), but once it's over, it's over. Heir of Fire is a much deeper book because of its fantastic character development. In fact, I think this entire book is pretty much dedicated into recreating Celaena's character that will define her for the rest of the series. Heir of Fire is an intermission of sorts, but at the same time also the bridge that is going to connect two vastly differing parts of this series--and I love the new Celaena. HoF also is just a big staging book; its triple POV/triple setting sets up lots of great subplots that will definitely become major contributions to the rest of the story.

There's a lot of mystery shrouding the whole series, but I'd like to think some of that is made known to us with this novel. Along with Celaena's character development, Maas gives us a lot of flashbacks to Celaena's childhood that tell us why Celaena is how she is. The background is a heartbreaking tale and I have to take back every bad thing I said about Celaena--her arrogance, brattiness, and selfishness--that I said about her when I wrote my first thoughts on Throne of Glass. Troubling times are ahead for her, but as long as she stays on the course that she's paved anew, she is going to reach the goal she seeks.

While there is a large focus on Celaena herself, Maas also starts brewing trouble in places Celaena is not even in. Chaol begins to question everything he's ever been trained to know about Adarlan--and also wonders if he's going to follow through with the deal he made with his father to return to his homeland and become the Lord of Anielle whilst giving up his honorable position as Captain of the Guard. Dorian is wondering how much more of his father's dictatorship and oppression he can take, especially when he has two secrets that are imperative to keep hidden from him. Either one of them could ruin him and earn him exile at the least-- and at worst, he'll be digging his own grave if either one is found out. 

I feel like with every book, Sarah J Maas improves her writing to be ever more meticulous than the preceding installment. Her craft is expanding, and I love absolutely everything about it. Can't wait for the next book and also, her new series, A Court of Thorns and Roses!


From Here on Out, There WILL be spoilers for Heir of Fire. These are my predictions for the book 4 that I wrote a while back after my first round of reading. Read at your own risk!


******************


My thoughts and predictions based on what happened in Heir of Fire: If somehow you didn't get the message earlier, there will be some spoilers from here on out for HoF!!!

1. Manon Blackbeak.

I enjoyed reading her POV. This girl is a badass, and she needs to show all the other witchies who's boss. She was such an underdog at the start of the book I feel like (because she chose the "injured" wyvern), but in the end she showed them she was better than everyone else.

So my prediction for her: I think she will clash with Celaena at first, (somehow I feel like it might actually be in book 5, I'll get to the why for that later) but begin to understand that the King is just using them, and who knows, might not actually keep his end of the bargain. If Celaena continues to represent the freedom she is so far, I think Manon and her crew will eventually side with her for the big showdown.

2. Chaol:

I'm sorry, I am no longer on board the ship Chaolaena (rd to #4 as to why :D). I think after Chaol's errr falling out with the King, he will find Celaena and reconcile what happened between them in CoM. I also think Chaol isn't going to be as supportive of the growing Terrasen uprising as we want him to be, since he is still from Adarlan, but in the very least he isn't going to be fighting for the king. As said in the book, he'll fight for Dorian (who I hope will eventually side with Celaena)

3. Dorian.

No. NO NO NO NO NO NO. I'm terrified that Dorian might end up dead, now that he's got that stinking collar around his neck. Since Celaena had to kill the Valg princes (and those collars STILL weren't broken even then)…I just have a bad feeling. But IF everything goes well and Celaena and Chaol can save Dorian from his father's clutches, I know Dorian will be on Celaena's side.

4. Rowan Whitethorn

My fave new character. I really wish he and Celaena didn't separate at the end of HoF, after all Rowan said that Mala thinks they make a good pair. I totally ship Rowan + Celaena now….but I also feel like this isn't ever going to happen. Maas made it clear several times in the book that Celaena / Rowan only felt platonic love for each other and only have the urge to protect each other because they have the carranam bond. Plus, Rowan's already lost his mate and it's also been said that mating bonds go beyond death. A girl can still hope though ;) As long as this book has MORE ROWAN, I'm satisfied. I wonder if we are still going to have a little bit of his POV, seeing as the duo is separated now.

Now for less explanation predictions:

5. I think Celaena is going to return to Rifthold to find Arobynn at the Assassin's Keep and demand for the Amulet of Orynth, which he probably refuses to give her. He probably won't be surprised that she shows up, and probably already knows her heritage at that. I doubt that he knows about the Wyrdkeys though. I hope she kills him, and doesn't fall for any of his sweet talk.

--This is the 'why' for Manon's prediction. If more of the book is going to focus on Celaena's return to Rifthold, I can't see Manon and crew attacking her yet. Maybe at the end of the book, or in book 5?

6. Maeve is going to come back to haunt Celaena. Maybe not in the next book, but when the "revolution" gets bigger, I feel like Celaena is going to be on the verge of victory to have her plans foiled by that Fae Queen.

7. Do I smell and Celaena/Ansel alliance coming?

--On that note in general, maybe the Silent Assassins from the prequels?

8. Please let them save Aedion (or have Aedion break himself out). I feel like if Aedion dies, all of the character development in HoF might crash into bits and pieces. I need to see a reunion between these two.

9. I think the King might find out about Celaena/Aelin in the next book, but as much as I want to see him dead, I don't think he will be AT LEAST until the end of book 5 at the soonest.

I'll update with more predictions as I think of them, and I also feel like these are my predictions for the overall rest of the series instead of solely book 4 :)  


**********************

Steph

Reviving this Blog…

*Scratches Head* So, we've been away for a while. June - September to be exact--four months. But we're going to fix that. I plan on reviving this blog a little bit because I do miss it. I had always originally planned to take a break over the summer because I was overseas on vacation, but I didn't see this hiatus to go all the way into my school year. Well school has been a huge bummer and the work is piling up on me leaving me almost no time for my own hobbies. I'm still busy, but I want to try seeing if I can do minimal amounts of posts--mainly reviews, over the Fri-Sun weekend days. 

First, I'll try just doing reviews of books I've read recently. The poor Goodreads Challenge hasn't been update in a while so it appears as if I'm not going to finish (but I think I will!). This does mean there aren't going to many, if any, Teaser Tuesdays or Waiting on Wednesdays. I probably won't be doing as many blog tours / requested reviews because I simply can't make any kind of time commitment right now because of my own full schedule. There aren't going to be the 15-20 posts per month that used to happen, for now, it'll be more like 5 or 6. If things seem to be working out and my schedule starts clearing out a little bit (things should calm down in November and December sorta-ish-maybe), I can always throw back in some of the lovely extras. 

Can't wait to get back to blogging! I'll take it slow and steady from the start, and we'll see what happens from here!

Upcoming reviews I have on my list to-do--this probably sets me up for the rest of this month:

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The Help by Kathryn Stockett 

Steph

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Release Day: The Warrior by Victoria Scott and The One by Kiera Cass!

Two releases marks the end to two fantastic series today! The Warrior is the last installment of the Dante Walker novels, and The One is the last novel to The Selection series. These are definitely both must-reads!

The Warrior by Victoria Scott

Goodreads Synopsis:
The Warrior (Dante Walker, #3) 
War between heaven and hell is coming, but Dante Walker makes it look damn good.

Dante’s girlfriend, Charlie, is fated to save the world. And Aspen, the girl who feels like a sister, is an ordained soldier. In order to help both fulfill their destiny and win the war, Dante must complete liberator training at the Hive, rescue Aspen from hell, and uncover a message hidden on an ancient scroll.

Dante is built for battle, but even he can’t handle the nightmares where spiders crawl from Aspen’s eyes, or the look on Charlie’s face that foretells of devastation. To make matters worse, the enemy seizes every opportunity to break inside the Hive and cripple the liberators. But the day of reckoning is fast approaching, and to stand victorious, Dante will have to embrace something inside himself he never has before—faith.


The One (The Selection, #3)The One by Kiera Cass

Goodreads Synopsis: 

The Selection changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. And now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen.

America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.

From the very first page of The Selection, this #1 New York Times bestselling series has captured readers' hearts and swept them away on a captivating journey... Now, in The One, Kiera Cass delivers a satisfying and unforgettable conclusion that will keep readers sighing over this electrifying fairy-tale long after the final page is turned.


For those waiting on The One, the first 10 chapters have been unlocked by your fellow readers! If you're waiting around for The One to arrive on your doorstep, you can preview the book with the 10-chapter teaser. You can find the links to these on Kiera Cass's Facebook page!

Steph

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Waiting On Wednesday (24): Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly bookish event hosted by Breaking the SpineThis is a meme that many book blogs participate in to goggle over highly anticipated upcoming releases and fabulous covers and authors!  

Heir of Fire isn't even going to be out for a while, but I was recently on Goodreads and found the cover AND synopsis to it. Like, excuse myself for living under a rock regarding this series, but I was surprised. That little tidbit brought back all those lovely Crown of Midnight feels...and I can already feel the onset of re-obsession.


Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3)Goodreads Synopsis:
 
Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?


I honestly don't know what to think of the series covers. They look pretty awesome, but I just feel they seem too comic-like for the series. I feel like Celaena on the cover looks like a computer-game character or something of the sort. But don't judge a book by its cover, right? 'Cause this is an awesome read.

One word, (or rather, name). CHAOL. Thanks to this separation between Chaol and Celaena, where is the romantic story going to go? There better NOT be ANOTHER guy in the mix. Crown of Midnight's ending was just pure evil, and I thought I just got myself to get my mind off of this series for a while. After this lovely synopsis, nope. I'm probably going to be dreaming about the series for all I know. 

Another area of concern: this series is going to be 6 books long. I have nothing against 6 books, cause that means more years to enjoy the story, but how much plot is there left? If this series was a trilogy, I think it'd still end fine. I'm seriously wondering what on earth Sarah J. Maas still has left. 

Can't wait for this WOW!

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Release Day: Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

And it is time to see the Sweet Series go! Sweet Reckoning, the final book of the Sweet Trilogy is out today. I'm having a debate with myself as to whether I should give a reread to Sweet Evil and Sweet Peril, since I've still got a few more days to go until Amazon shipping gets to my house. Unfortunately for us, it also happens to be exams week(s) (hence the lack of posts lately--we're trying!) and neither of us have quite a lot of time to spare :/

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sweet Reckoning (The Sweet Trilogy, #3)It’s time.

Evil is running rampant and sweet Anna Whitt is its target. Nobody knows when or how the Dukes will strike, but Anna and her Nephilim allies will do anything necessary to rid the earth of the demons and their oppressive ways.

The stakes are higher than ever, and Anna is determined that the love she feels will be her strength, not a liability. But trying to protect the ones she loves while running for her life and battling demonic forces proves to be perilous—especially as faces are changing and trust is fleeting. When the Duke of Lust sends Anna’s great love, Kaidan Rowe, to work against her, Anna must decide how much she’s prepared to risk.

In the most sensual and fast-paced installment yet, Sweet Reckoning brings all the beloved Neph together one last time to fight for their freedom.

I can almost 100% predict a good happy ending for this series. Can't wait to find out what happens in the series finale (hurry up Amazon!!!). 

Steph

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Review: Foreplay by Sophie Jordan

Foreplay (The Ivy Chronicles, #1)Foreplay by Sophie Jordan
Steph's Rating: 4 stars
Overall Rating: 4 stars

Format: Paperback
Publisher: William Morrow 
Publication Date: November 5th, 2013
Pages: 320

Goodreads Synopsis:

Pepper has been hopelessly in love with her best friend’s brother, Hunter, for like ever. He’s the key to everything she’s always craved: security, stability, family. But she needs Hunter to notice her as more than just a friend. Even though she’s kissed exactly one guy, she has just the plan to go from novice to rock star in the bedroom—take a few pointers from someone who knows what he’s doing.

Her college roommates have the perfect teacher in mind. But bartender Reece is nothing like the player Pepper expects. Yes, he’s beyond gorgeous, but he’s also dangerous, deep—with a troubled past. Soon what started as lessons in attraction are turning both their worlds around, and showing just what can happen when you go past foreplay and get to what’s real…

Steph's Review: *small spoilers*

This will be a short and sweet review, just like this book. Foreplay is my first novel from Sophie Jordan, and I really enjoyed it! It is a contemporary romance. Not exactly my most favorite of genre's. While this book was full of cheesiness and cliche from the start, it still does have some really smoldering content here that exemplifies NA contemporary romance. I can tell from this that Sophie Jordan isn't some newbie with these hot stories :).

Pepper grew up with...family problems. Her only escape from them were at her best friends house, where she fell hopelessly in love with her friend's older brother: Hunter. Hunter screams stability and security. Toss in a good face? He's perfect for her. Problem is, Hunter hasn't ever really looked at her, no thanks to Peppers wonderful social skills. Everything that comes out of her mouth sounds like awkward chatter whenever she attempts to "flirt". As a last resort, Pepper's roommates think it's time for a Pepper-makeover. Her makeup artist target is Reece: a quite and stoic bartender who her roommates think can teach Pepper a thing or two about foreplay.

I guess I liked this book mostly because Pepper isn't a total loony idiot. Sure she's awkward, but that makes the book funny and cute to read first of all. The approach to the romance, while completely unrealistic and staged, was at least written well considering the circumstances. She doesn't just automatically fall in love with Reece even with uhh, their "relationship". It takes a little time to realize that her using Reece to become some seductive harlot to Hunter isn't really the reason she keeps going back.

I praise the lords that there are no utter douches in this book either; I would just like to toss that out. It is BEYOND hackneyed when the plot twist is when our heroine realizes what a douche Prince Charming always was, and thankfully that is not here. 

So yes, Foreplay is full of cheesy lines and scenes, but even cheesy can be endearing sometimes. I mean, there's a reason they get overused so much in the first place right? Foreplay is one of those novels in that book comfort zone--quick, easy, and sure to please! I recently found out to my delight that Tease, book 2 of The Ivy Chronicles, is going to be out at the end of May and follow the story of one of Pepper's besties, Shaw. I definitely will be reading that one, and I hope it lives up to Foreplay!

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Cover Reveal: Tempting the Bodyguard by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Amentrout)

Yet another JLA title coming soon--Tempting the Bodyguard with Jen writing as J. Lynn. This is a NA novel and the third installment of the Gamble Brother's Series that will be releasing on May 12th, 2014 through Entangled Brazen imprint! 

And the cover is what you're here for, of course :)


Tempting the Bodyguard (Gamble Brothers, #3)

The Gamble Brothers series was never a favorite of mine from Jen's, but Tempting the Bodyguard is racking up some really good ratings and reviews so far. I might come back to this one if it keeps the hype!

Synopsis:

A sexy category romance from Entangled’s Brazen imprint...
He can protect her from everyone except himself.

Alana Gore is in danger. A take-no-prisoners publicist, her way with people has made her more than a few enemies over the years, but a creepy stalker is an entirely different matter. She needs a bodyguard, and the only man she can ask is not only ridiculously hot, but reputed to have taste for women that goes beyond adventurous.

Chandler Gamble has one rule: don't protect anyone you want to screw. But with Alana, he's caught between his job and his increasingly hard libido. On one hand, Alana needs his help. On the other, Chandler wants nothing more than to take the hot volcano of a woman in hand. To make her writhe in pleasure, until she's at his complete mercy.

She needs protection. He needs satisfaction. And the moment the line is crossed, all hell will break loose...

About Jen 

# 1 New York Times and International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
 
Where You Can Find Jennifer:

 

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Release Day: The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa and Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout + Cover Reveal of Talon by JK!

So we have another double release day here, for The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa and Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I ADORE both of these authors and these are definitely on the April to-read list. In fact, I'm currently rereading the Blood of Eden Series (still on The Immortal Rules right now) in prep for when my Forever Song copy decides to come in from Amazon. I haven't been following Don't Look Back by JLA as much recently, but from what I know about it, it seems to be a lot like Sia by Josh Grayson (click for our review of that). Without further adieu, the release day showcase:  


The Forever Song (Blood of Eden, #3)The Forever Song by Julia Kagawa

Goodreads Synopsis:

VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster?

With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.

MONSTER

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie.

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.


Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Don't Look Back
Goodreads Synopsis:

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Squeee I can't wait for either of these!!! 

Besides the releases, the cover reveal for Talon, the first book in Julie Kagawa's next series featuring errr dragons...(awesome!), was exclusively revealed on the MTV website. Here's the cover and link to the original article below!



I think this cover is simple yet classy and has a mysterious edge to it. The gold on red makes it look so regal! Definitely would make me want to pick up the book and see what's going on! This is also the book that Julie has said was her little "secret", because movie rights have already been purchased for it despite it not even being released yet. Again, see the link for the full info. I cannot wait to see this hit shelves in November!

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Waiting On Wednesday (23): Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly bookish event hosted by Breaking the SpineThis is a meme that many book blogs participate in to goggle over highly anticipated upcoming releases and fabulous covers and authors!
 
 It feels like it hasn't been too long since The Fiery Heart, but hey! Silver Shadows is out in just three and a half months, which isn't half bad in my opinion! Silver Shadows is going to be the series turnaround point, and I can't wait to see the continuation of Adrian and Sydney's story!

Goodreads Synopsis:
 
Silver Shadows (Bloodlines, #5)
In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.
 
I still feel like the cover is a photoshoppe-mess-galore, but I doubt Razorbill is going to make any changes at this point. I think Silver Shadows is going to be action packed to the core, after the calm-before-the-storm The Fiery Heart. It is the 5th book of the Bloodlines Series, and I hate knowing that after this installment there is only one more book left. Richelle Mead did say that she was thinking about writing another VA World series though, and well, I certainly hope she does.
 
Silver Shadows is out on July 29th! Can't wait!

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Review: Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg
Dani's rating: 4 stars

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 279
Publication Date: February 25, 2014
Publisher: Point

Goodreads Synopsis:
For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can't be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are usper close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan's friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize that they're best friends--which wouldn't be so bad if they didn't keep getting in each other's way. Guys won't ask Macallan out because they think she's  with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can't help but wonder...are they more than friends or are htey better off without making it even more complicated?

From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are htey always one fight away from not speaking again--and one kiss away from true love?

Dani's Review:
After reading a plethora of insta-love novels, this novel was surprisingly refreshing with its new take on the eternal "Can guys and girls be friends without dating?" question. Better Off Friends is an adorable, heartwarming, and FUN book. It explores the relationship between a boy and a girl who are best friends, but have to overcome some ups and downs because of their gender diffference. When Macallan and Levi first met in 7th grade and bonded through their shared love of the made-up BBC television show "Buggy and Floyd", their friendship seems to be unbreakable. As they move into high school, they face some unexpected problems: What happens when Levi is desperate for some "bro time" and Macallan dates a guy Levi dislikes? Uh oh...Is someone jealous? ;)

I loved the alternating POVs between Macallan and Levi because I could really understand what each character was going through, especially when Macallan ran away to spend the summer in Ireland with her grandparents after feeling abandoned by Levi, who was getting closer to his jock friends. Ladies, please do not run away to a far-off country if you feel like you're losing your best friend. There's this thing called talking where you move your mouth to create sound, please try it!

I love this quote:
"Just so we are remembering this correctly: When you kissed me I went home and splashed cold water on my face. When I tried to kiss you, you ran away to Ireland for the summer. "

Since this novel is a romantic comedy, it was also filled with tons of HUMOR! Elizabeth Eulberg's fantasy BBC show "Buggy and Floyd" apparently uses the punchline "Blimey if I...." as the punchline to every joke in each episode. So, Macallan and Levi constantly stick inside jokes about the show in their conversations that no one else, including their respective boyfriends and girlfriends, understands. Also, at the end of each chapter, there is a commentary from an older Macallan and Levi looking back at their younger selves and laughing at each other! It added a whole new level to the cuteness of this novel.

I really enjoyed Elizabeth Eulberg's writing style, not because it was especially unique or great, but because it made even the smallest events like going out to eat ice cream FUN. It's like her words have magic fairy dust that make everything hilarious! Oh wait, maybe it's just her awesome dialogue...

"Why do people always say L-O-L--aren't they supposed to be laughing? have we become that lazy a society?"

I'm not going to answer the "Do they end up dating?" question because duh that would be a spoiler! If you're looking for a light, sugary sweet, and happy pappy read, Better Off Friends is for you! It's not horribly cheesy because of the great writing and humor, but beware, it mirrors typical romantic comedies like When Harry Met Sally. Overall, an adorable book for both teenagers and adults!

Monday, March 31, 2014

Cover Reveal: Lux: Consequences by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Yes! Today we have part 2 of the new Lux Series Cover Reveal, featuring Lux: Consequences. This special edition volume contains Books 3 and 4, Opal and Origin respectively. I believe Lux Book 5, Opposition, will only be released as a single book volume (since after all, it is an odd number)

Without further adieu, here is the lovely cover to Consequences! 

Consequences: Opal & Origin (Lux, #3-4)

Actually, the covers to Lux Consequences and Beginnings have been designed to fit into either other. There have been slight modifications to Lux Beginnings, so below is the connected covers. The changes to Beginnings make sense so that there are uniformity between the covers.


I think it actually looks pretty nice like this!


Lux: Beginnings (Obsidian & Onyx) Official Blurb:
Obsidian
There's an alien next door. And with his looming height and eerie green eyes, he's hot...until he opens his mouth. He's infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, he lights me up with a big fat bulls-eye. Turns out he has a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal his abilities and the only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to him until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is.

Onyx

Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro alien connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems. I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?



Lux: Consequences (Opal & Origin) official blurb:


Opal

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing alien hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.
Origin
Daemon will do anything to get Katy back. After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? And will they even be together?  
 

About the Author
# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Links to Jennifer’s pages:

Giveaway Time! 

We are also raffling off two fan inspired artwork from fans of the Lux series sent from the author, Jennifer L. Armentrout, herself. Enter through the Rafflecopter below! Winner will be chosen randomly and notified by the publisher.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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