Review Of: A Court Of Thorns and Roses

When nineteen-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 grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

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

Magnificent. That word sums up my feelings about Sarah J.Maas' latest series.  I tried to get into Throne of Glass but failed, I'm now reconsidering my rash decision on it, in fact I may go out tomorrow and buy the whole damn series.

I'm not the best at reading books about faeries but goodness there are some yummy fae in this book, which btw I'm totally team Tamlin.  I have a feeling that ship will be put to the test in the next book.  I found Feyra to be a solid character who shows growth and potential. Although, I believe I may have reasons to want to throttle her in the next book but she could surprise me.  Also, talk about steamy scenes! There are a few moments between Tamlin and Feyra that are cause for a cold shower, I loved it!  Along with a mysterious anti hero who left me thinking of switching to the dark side. (Sorry Tam! I still love you!)

A Court Of Thorns and Roses starts off slow.  I'm not going to lie, I put it down several times in the first few chapters but once we had a firm grasp on how things work in this magical world the pace starts to pick up.  Towards the end of the book I started to grow concerned that certain events would be stretched out causing the timing to slow way down but turns out I had no reason to worry. Also, there was no pesky cliff hanger.  Readers are left knowing that there is more to come but without the feeling of holding your breath until the next book appears.

I'm pretty excited about this new series. It's an excellent example of how amazing the New Adult genre can be.  It still contains the feel of a YA fantasy but mixes it with some steamy writing targeted for the older audience.  As long as it doesn't turn into a horrible love triangle mess, I see it being amazing.

Review Of: Salt and Blood

“When you fall in love, you will carve out your heart and throw it into the deepest ocean. You will be all in—blood and salt.”

These are the last words Ash Larkin hears before her mother returns to the spiritual commune she escaped long ago. But when Ash follows her to Quivira, Kansas, something sinister and ancient waits among the rustling cornstalks of this village lost to time.

Ash is plagued by memories of her ancestor, Katia, which harken back to the town’s history of unrequited love and murder, alchemy and immortality. Charming traditions soon give way to a string of gruesome deaths, and Ash feels drawn to Dane, a forbidden boy with secrets of his own.

As the community prepares for a ceremony five hundred years in the making, Ash must fight not only to save her mother, but herself—and discover the truth about Quivira before it’s too late. Before she’s all in—blood and salt.

I was really, really looking forward to Salt and Blood.  Horror plus romance = my favorite thing. 

The first few chapters seemed to be heading in the right direction, but, then the rest of the book happened. Sadly, Salt and Blood left me feeling bored in both the romance and horror departments.  I didn't really feel anything between Dane and Ash, I didn't get goosebumps from the corn, and the ending left me feeling like I had completely wasted my time.  It did pick up towards the last few chapters and I started to feel excited but how things are wrapped up throws all the good parts out the window.  

I obviously liked it enough to finish it, which is saying something, but I figure in a few days most of the details will fade away.  As much as I would like to know how things finally end up, I seriously doubt that I pick up the second book.

Sexy Saturday Spotlight: Where I Belong

Sexy Saturday Spotlight is a new feature I'm going to test out. It's going to be where I put a spotlight on some of the sexier books I read, usually ones that come with a warning for 18+ due to sexual situations.

This week the spotlight is shining on Where I Belong by J. Daniels.

When Mia Corelli returns to Alabama for a summer of fun with her childhood best friend, Tessa, there's only one thing keeping her on edge. One person that she’d do anything to avoid.

Benjamin Kelly. World’s biggest dickhead.

Mia hates him with a fury and has no desire to ever see him again. When she decides to start her summer off with a bang and finally give away her v-card, she unknowingly hands it over to the one guy that excelled at making her life miserable, learning a valuable lesson in the process.

Always get the name of the guy you’re going home with.

Ben can’t get the girl he spent one night with out of his head. When she leaves him the next morning, he thinks he’ll never see her again. Until he sees her lounging by the pool with his sister.

Mia is determined to hate Ben, even though she can’t forget him.

Ben is determined to prove he’s not the same guy he used to be.

What happens when the one person you wish never existed becomes the one person you can’t imagine being without?

Where I Belong is told from the POVs of Mia and Ben, the transition from one to the other is smooth and easy to follow.  The relationship between Mia and Ben is strained due to their history but full of chemistry and delicious tension...which makes it that much more satisfying when they give in to each other.  While there are plenty of steamy scenes there is enough story line to keep the book feeling like a romance novel rather than a book full of just sex.

I did fully enjoy Where I Belong, but there were actions and scenarios that irritated me.  Like how easily Mia forgives Ben.  The dude tormented her as a child, causing her to feel insecure in her skin because she was overweight and had braces.  But as soon as she returns to her hometown, having lost the weight and the braces, Ben has a miraculous turn around and is full of lust for her.  I kind of would like to see how he would have felt about Mia if she had returned without braces but still heavy...would he have felt the same? Granted he has gone through a lot of change himself so it's possible he would have still given her a chance but I kind of doubt it, especially since he's dreading her arrival prior to seeing her.

Where I Belong is the first book of a series of companion books.  I'm hoping to be able to get into the next books but sometimes I have trouble with companion books since I'm stuck on the original couple's story.  Either way I'm sure it will amount to some heated stories.

Review Of: What I Thought Was True

Gwen Castle has never so badly wanted to say good-bye to her island home till now: the summer her Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, takes a job there as the local yard boy. He's a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and housecleaners who keep the island's summer people happy. Gwen worries a life of cleaning houses will be her fate too, but just when it looks like she'll never escape her past—or the island—Gwen's dad gives her some shocking advice. Sparks fly and secret histories unspool as Gwen spends a gorgeous, restless summer struggling to resolve what she thought was true—about the place she lives, the people she loves, and even herself—with what really is.

I absolutely adored Huntley Fitzpatrick's My Life Next Door so I was super excited to get my hands on her next book What I Thought Was True.  I had to stop and start the book twice, a year apart, before I could finally force myself to finish it.  I don't know if it was that I didn't like the characters or the story itself but something kept me from falling in love with the book.

Gwen is trying to find herself, she's struggling with the fact that she doesn't have a set plan for the future whereas it seems like her best friend and cousin both have their future's mapped out.  All Gwen knows is that she desperately wants to leave town rather than find herself stuck like her parents and grandparents. At the end of the book, while a lot of things have changed, everyone still seems to know what they're going to do except Gwen.  In fact, Gwen doesn't really make a whole bunch of decisions aside from whether or not she is going to give Cassidy (love interest) a second chance, or really, a first chance.  The entire time she seems hell bent on thinking of Cass as an ass but at the same time pines after him like a love sick puppy.  When we have enough of a flash back memory to piece the whole story together (because to be truthful we as the reader have no idea what is going on for most of the book) it turns out that  Cass really didn't do a whole lot to deserve Gwen's wrath. And the advice from Gwen's dad? Not that fantastic....not even that much of a lead up to it other than the mention in the summary.

Whatever the reason, What I Thought Was True and I just didn't see eye to eye.  Even so I'm not giving up on Fitzpatrick, she has proven that she can write a book that I love, this just wasn't it.

Review Of: Roomies

Graham Malone is my roommate, my personal eye candy, the reason I get up in the morning smiling (that could be from the illicit dreams I have about him too, I suppose. Let's move on.). He's also beautiful to look at, but his heart is where his true beauty lies. Take away the exterior and the interior still shines. 

I love him. I mean, I'm pretty sure I do, having never been in love before. Anyway, it seems legit. 

And now his brother Blake is here, and, well, he's the complete opposite of Graham. Sarcastic, brooding, and totally available. But he's leaving soon, and Graham's the one I want. I shouldn't have to remind myself of this, right? I wouldn't have to if Blake would quit looking at me like I'm something yummy and he's starving.

Here's a toast to roomies; the ones you should never fall in love with. Or something.

Yes, Roomies could be classified as your generic, over done, love triangle contemporary but I can't hold that against it because it was so adorkable (yeah, I just made that up). 

Yes, it drove me insane that Kennedy and Graham could not see what was in front of them but they were so fun to watch/read that I can forgive them their shortcomings.  

Yes, Kennedy"s inner monologue took a couple of chapters for me to wrap my brain around it, in fact it borders on annoying, but she is so full of sass and attitude and sarcasm... I loved it and her.  

So while I don't have a lot to say about Roomies I do believe it's worth a read, especially if you're in the mood for a short and easy to get through story about two people who were made for each other.

Review Of: Something Real

There’s nothing real about reality TV.

Seventeen-year-old Bonnie™ Baker has grown up on TV—she and her twelve siblings are the stars of one-time hit reality show Baker’s Dozen. Since the show’s cancellation and the scandal surrounding it, Bonnie™ has tried to live a normal life, under the radar and out of the spotlight. But it’s about to fall apart…because Baker’s Dozen is going back on the air. Bonnie™’s mom and the show’s producers won’t let her quit and soon the life she has so carefully built for herself, with real friends (and maybe even a real boyfriend), is in danger of being destroyed by the show. Bonnie™ needs to do something drastic if her life is ever going to be her own—even if it means being more exposed than ever before.

This book.  This booook.  Seriously, you all NEED this book.

I started Something Real in the afternoon, I didn't put Something Real down until I finished it at 12am that night...  a work night... That's kinda a big deal, considering now that I have kids and never get decent sleep, I don't allow myself to stay up late.

Chloe aka Bonnie, I frigging loved her. She was so real, she was so brave, she deserves a better mother. Which brings me to Beth. I flipping hate Beth.  Repulsive human being.

Luckily, Chloe has carved out a small place for herself in her new town so she has this amazing support system. Not to mention her amazing brother Benny and her hunk of a boy crush Patrick. What I'm trying to say is that the character relationships rocked and filled me with the warm fuzzies and helped combat the stabby feeling I was having towards Beth.

The whole premise of this book is that Chloe's family is the center of this "reality" tv show, Baker's Dozen. People everywhere spend their time watching, reading, and tweeting anything and everything that has to do with the Baker's Dozen. Chloe and her siblings have all grown up in the camera eye, as in from birth.  Much like our very own Jon and Kate Plus 8 phenomenon.  Chloe has grown to hate it and blames it for breaking up her family, rightfully so I believe.  Chloe brings to light a whole lot of reality about how warped our societies obsession with all things reality has become. I feel this quote in particular sums up everything in life right now. Seriously.

Granted, I'm agreeing with this quote as I sit here typing a review that I will eventually make public, after having just shot off an instagram picture about writing said post. Irony.

Something Real is full of witty and sarcastic conversations while touching on some serious issues.  It ends in a way that keeps it grounded and feeling relatable; things don't always wrap up nicely in life. I completely recommend this book to everyone and highly suggest you get to it sooner rather than later.

Review Of: Shadow and Bone

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Recommended For:
People who enjoy fantasy aspects and who are ok with romance being involved.  Shadow and Bone has the same feel as Throne of Glass it just isn't as long.

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I seriously loved this book....I seem to be saying that a lot but what can I say? Shadow and Bone was truly a remarkable story start to finish. 

Leigh Bardugo does an excellent job of painting the scene and immersing her readers into this world of fantasy.  From the characters to the rich Grisha aspect everything seemed completely fleshed out and well composed.

One thing I really kind of enjoyed is the fact that I never knew who to trust or what certain characters intentions were.  It actually left me feeling betrayed at times.. Weird thing to enjoy, I know, but what I'm saying is that I truly ended  up feeling like a part of the story.  Alina's suspicions were my suspicions, her betrayal my betrayal, her loneliness my loneliness.  I love books that can make me feel all the feels with the characters.

Shadow and Bone is just the beginning of Alina and Mal's journey and I can't wait to continue it with Siege and Storm.

Review Of: A Thousand Pieces Of You

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

Recommended For:

People who like their romance with a side of sci-fi and adventure.

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I must admit I didn't start out liking A Thousand Pieces Of You.   In fact, I started it several months ago only to put it back on the shelf.  I'm so glad I gave it another chance, it was well worth it.  

I feel like I should point out the fact that I don't like sci-fi....I mean cut and dry sci-fi.  It bores me. So what bothered others about this book didn't bother me.  Some readers were expecting more sci-fi and scientific explanations.  Whereas I was looking for a romance with a sci-fi feel.  I don't need explanations on how things work, if the author tells me the characters can fly then I believe them and I don't ask why or how.

The whole idea of dimensional travel is unique to me, so much so that I had to remind myself that they weren't just traveling back in forth in time but different realities.  At the same time it was relatively easy to follow along with so I didn't have to spend a whole lot of time thinking about it. 

It is my duty to warn you that there is a love triangle...of sorts...you'll see what I mean. However none of the love is instant, the characters have grown up, in a way, with each other so they have plenty of background to fall on.

While there were plenty of twists and turns that I had no idea were coming there was one fact that I guessed from the beginning and I'm so glad I was right!  Nonetheless it was a nerve wracking journey to the end, and the end was just the beginning!

Review Of: Ember X

**Mature Content Advisory** 

Recommended for readers 17+ due to sexual situations and language.

For nineteen-year-old Ember, life has always been about death. With a simple touch, she can see when someone will die. It’s her curse and the reason she secludes herself from the world. The only person that knows her secret is her best friend Raven. 

But that changes when she meets Asher Morgan. He’s gorgeous and mysterious and is the only person Ember can't sense death from. The silence he instills in her mind and body allows her to feel things she’s never been able to before, so despite her initial reservations, Ember lets Asher into her life and lets herself to get close to him. But the closer they get, the more Ember realizes that Asher is keeping secrets from her.

When unexplained deaths begin to surface in her town, Ember questions why she can’t see Asher's death and what it is he’s hiding from her...

Recommended For:

People who can overlook immaturity and grammatical errors and are much more forgiving than I am.

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So apparently there is a YA version of this book,  as in it's the exact same story and POV but this version has a lot more steam.  Leave it to me to choose the steamy version... 

Well, steamy version or not, I just couldn't get into it.  I've read two other books by Jessica Sorenson and maybe it was my age and reading experience at the time but I thought they were world's better than Ember X.  To me the writing and characters in Ember came across extremely juvenile and petty.  

I had no choice but to chalk this one up as a fail. It had great potential, the idea behind the book really interested me, but it just didn't make it there.

Review Of: Vendetta

When it comes to revenge, love is a dangerous complication.With a fierce rivalry raging between two warring families, falling in love is the deadliest thing Sophie could do. An epic debut set outside modern-day Chicago.

When five brothers move into the abandoned mansion in her neighbourhood, Sophie Gracewell's life changes forever. Irresistibly drawn to bad boy Nicoli, Sophie finds herself falling into a criminal underworld governed by powerful families. As the boys' dark secrets begin to come to light, Sophie is confronted with stinging truths about her own family, too. She must choose between two warring dynasties - the one she was born into, and the one she is falling in love with. When she does, blood will spill and hearts will break.

Recommended For:

People interested in things that are mafia related and suspenseful, not to mention impossible romance.

I simply DEVOURED this book.  The whole premise was new to me, I've never even watched the Sopranos, so going into this crime family drama I had no idea what to expect.  Luckily it was broken to me gently which actually caused me to feel as shocked as Sophie did when certain facts came to light.

The Romeo and Juliet aspect didn't make sense to me till about half way through the book but by that point I was already smitten with Nic.  I felt Sophie's heartbreak right along with her.  I'm hoping for a happily ever after for them but I'm not sure it will happen.  I'm also kind of hoping Sophie gets accepted into the life of the mafia and becomes bad ass....does that make me bad??

I know there are still twists to come and facts that have yet to be revealed but that just adds to the anticipation for the next book.  I'm really hoping it keeps me guessing like Vendetta did, it makes reading it so much more fun when I can't guess what is going to happen.

Review Of: Red Queen

This is a world divided by blood - red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance - Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart...

Recommended For: 

Anyone who enjoys dystopian societies with fantasy aspects and a touch of romance.

Oh my blazes! Red Queen is one wild ride, from the beginning all the way to the dramatic ending.  I must admit that I didn't see any of the twists coming, which of course, made it that much more enjoyable. I certainly enjoyed the dystopian setup mixed with magic powers and silver blood backstory.  We don't learn much about how the world got to be this way, we're not even certain that it is based off our world, though there are hints towards that being the case.  Nevertheless it was still easy to get sucked up into the story and lose myself in the fight against a tyrant society.

I seriously love Mare and appreciate her backbone.  She never loses sight of her goal and although she has the opportunity to question herself she fights back at every turn.  While I would love to discuss the males in the story I won't, because...well, reasons...So I'm going to end by just saying that you should definitely check out Red Queen but be prepared to be left dying for the next book!

Review Of: Every Last Breath

Some loves will last ’til your dying breath

Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.

Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction.

Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…

Holy wrap up!  The last book of the Dark Elements series did everything I wanted it to do;  Layla ended up with the man of her (and my) dreams, all the loose ends were tied up in a nice bow, and there were plenty of steamy moments between Layla and a certain someone.  While there were some things that left me feeling heartbroken I was able to close the book feeling like the story was completed.

JLA did something that I have never heard of, she allowed her reader's to have a say in where Layla's story would go.  Essentially the readers decided who Layla would end up with!  Talk about exciting but at the same time nerve wracking,  I was prepared to hate a ton of people if they ended up swaying the vote in the wrong direction.  There's not much more I can say about JLA that I haven't already said so I will just end by saying she definitely doesn't disappoint with Every Last Breath and I am going to continue fan girling over alllllll her books!!