Thursday, June 18, 2015

Release Week Blitz: Scorched (Frigid #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout + Giveaway

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I am absolutely thrilled to bring you the Release Week Blitz for Jennifer L. Armentrout's SCORCHED! SCORCHED is a standalone New Adult Contemporary Romance and is a part of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Frigid Series. And be sure to grab FRIGID, the first standalone in this amazing series!


Scorched - Cover
    


SCORCHED Synopsis: Sometimes life leaves a mark… 

Most days, Andrea doesn’t know whether she wants to kiss Tanner or punch him in the gut. He is seriously hot, with legit bedroom eyes and that firefighter body of his, but he’s a major player, and they can’t get along for more than a handful of minutes. Until now. 

Tanner knows he and Andrea have had an epic love/hate relationship for as long as he can remember, but he wants more love than hate from her. He wants her. Now. Tomorrow. But the more he gets to know her, the more it becomes obvious that Andrea has a problem. She’s teetering on the edge and every time he tries to catch her, she slips through his fingers. 

Andrea’s life is spiraling out of control, and it doesn’t matter that Tanner wants to save her, because when everything falls apart and she’s speeding toward rock bottom, only she can save herself. 

Sometimes life makes you work for that happily ever after…   




Praise for SCORCHED:  

“Armentrout’s latest new adult offering tackles substance abuse and mental illness — and, thankfully, the love of a good man is not going to be what heals this heroine.” – RT Book Reviews



Side view of Caucasian young woman flipping hair into air.
    

Portrait of a pretty teenage girl with redhaircovering her face with her hands



An Exclusive Excerpt From SCORCHED


Andrea
              “You’ve been avoiding me all day.”
              “Have not.”
              He cocked his head to the side and raised both brows. “You practically hid in your room or attached yourself to Syd all day.”
              “I was…I was spending girl-time with her,” I said. “And napping.”
              “Andrea…”
              He’d been right. I had avoided him. Apparently, I wasn’t doing that great of a job of it.
              “The same with last night. You barely talked to me.”
              “What?” Dumbfounded, I felt like screaming that word. “I barely talked to youYou ignored me.”
              He stared at me. “Andy, I—“
              “This is stupid. This whole thing is stupid.” I lifted the bottle.
              A moment passed and he asked, “Do you really think you need another beer?”
              Annoyed, I slowly brought the bottle to my mouth and took a long drink. “Does that answer your question?”
              The hue of his blue eyes deepened. “Look, I’m not trying to be a dick—“
              “You might want to try harder. Just sayin’ Might just be my opinion, but thought I’d share.”
              He opened his mouth and then snapped it shut. Several seconds passed. “You know, I didn’t’ say that shit to you to piss you off.”
              I wanted to point out everything he’d done to piss me off, but…but shit on a brick. Anything that I told him would betray how I felt about him, and well, I was already embarrassing myself enough without going there. “You breathed,” I decided, nodding, and totally proud of myself. “How about that?”
              Shaking his head, he rested his elbows on the island. “You can usually do better than that.”
              “It’s not worth my time to do better.” I flounced past him. Well, I might have staggered past him, but in my head, I flounced like a Grade A Uppity Chick, and it was awesome.
              “I wish you wouldn’t drink so much.”
              My feet stopped. Dammit. My feet had a mind of their own, and they had stopped because he’d said that so quietly, not with an ounce of derision or scorn. Actually, it sounded like a plea. The alcohol churned in my stomach. All I could see was his look of pity.
              “Why do you drink like this?” he asked.
              To relax. To not act like a freak. To forget. To remember. To be funny. To have people like me. To not care if they do or don’t. To have fun. To just not care. A burning sensation rolled down my back as my head continued to shout out the answers. I just didn’t want tocare.
              I didn’t say any of that. “You drink.”
              “I do. And sometimes I drink and I get drunk, but not every time.”
              Slowly, I faced him. He wasn’t looking at me. His eyes were on the island. “I don’t get drunk every time.”
              He shook his head again. “Andrea, you either get plastered or damn near close. Every time.”
              “That’s not…” I trailed off, and yeah, even I could see where he was right. I could probably count on one hand how many times I’d only had two beers or two shots and then stopped. Come to think of it, I wasn’t sure if I ever had.
              “My dad got shitfaced all the time,” he continued. “Never thought that I’d be interested in a girl who was the same way.”
              My brain registered two things at once. He was interested in me, which wasn’t a big duh. I mean, he’d had his hands in my pants more than once, so yeah, I should’ve known that. But he compared me to his dad, a man I’d recently discovered he pretty much loathed, which pretty much canceled out the first part. Hurt invaded every cell and festered under the skin. The back of my throat burned and I wanted to rush away.
              But I didn’t. “That kind of makes you twisted.”
              Another weak laugh came out of him. “I guess it kind of does.”

*****

And don’t miss the first standalone book in the series…


Frigid

FRIGID

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Scorched RDL Teaser 2





Author PhotoJennifer L. Armentrout: # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY 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.  

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(Me, Jennifer L. Armentrout)
Photo taken at BookCon 2015

Monday, June 15, 2015

ARC Review: Soundless by Richelle Mead

SummaryFrom Richelle Mead, the #1 internationally bestselling author of Vampire Academy and Bloodlines, comes a breathtaking new fantasy steeped in Chinese folklore. 

For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom. 

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.

Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever... (Via Goodreads.com)

Pages: 266

Expected Release Date: November 10th, 2015

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Review:

When it was announced that Richelle Mead would be signing advanced copies of Soundless at BookCon this year, I told my parents I would wait six hours in line if I had to in order to get a copy of Soundless. Instead of waiting six hours, I only had to wait three hours, but Soundless was totally worth the three hour wait. After the signing, I was slightly let down because Richelle Mead would only sign the copies of The Ruby Circle we had to pay for in order to even meet her, she would not sign Soundless *cough* or even pose for pictures *cough*. If you want to hear more about that experience or my overall experience at BookCon 2015, click here to read my thoughts. 

Soundless is a beautiful book, inside and out. As usual, Richelle Mead's writing was phenomenal. Soundless' plot was extremely addictive and the Chinese culture/folktale was beautifully intricate. In many of my book reviews, I mentioned how unique the book is, but Soundless is on a another level. I really have not read anything remotely close to Soundless. I have never read anything with Chinese culture or folktales or deaf characters. Since I was unable to compare Soundless to any other books, it made the experience even better because my mind was only focused on Soundless. Having finishing Soundless, I am really interested to pick up some other books based on Chinese folktales/culture. 

Even though I had nothing to compare Soundless to, in theory, my mind kept imagining Rapunzel from Tangled in place of the main character, Fei. Since Fei lived at least 18 years without her hearing, suddenly getting it back was a magical experience. Also, Fei and Li Wei's journey to the ground was also magical since they have never stepped foot outside of their village. Since both of them were so sheltered, they are faced with a whole lot of new experiences when they reach the ground, just like Rapunzel.

          


I was screaming with joy when Soundless was first announced, the idea of the story was extremely intriguing and I was interested to see how Richelle Mead would approach her first standalone. I did not doubt that I would love Soundless, but I kept wondering if I would like the characters or not. The one great thing about Richelle Mead is that she wrote twelve books in the Vampire Academy world, allowing the readers to spend six books with each set of characters. After spending at least six books and a couple of years with each character, I grew really close to them and I wondered if I would have the same feelings with the characters of Soundless since I was only going to spend 266 pages with them. I should not have even asked myself that question, I really loved the characters of Soundless and I am so happy I got to join them on their crazy adventure, even if it only lasted 266 pages. 

Since Richelle Mead created her first standalone and appears to have no interest returning to the Vampire Academy world in the near future, I am interested to see where her next book goes. The only bad thing about getting an advanced copy of Soundless means I have to wait longer than most to get my hands on the next Richelle Mead book, that problem is relative though, because you guys definitely want to get your hands on Soundless as soon as you can. It is phenomenal. Although I have no idea what direction Richelle will take with her writing, all I know is that there can never be too many Richelle Mead books...












(Me, Richelle Mead)
Photo taken at BookCon 2015

Frigid (Frigid #1) by J. Lynn

SummaryFor twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love. 

Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have. 

But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one. (Via Goodreads.com)

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Pages: 260

Release Date: July 15th, 2013

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Review

Surprisingly, I do not have much to say in regards to Frigid. Frigid did include Jennifer L. Armentrout's typical mix of humor, hot guys and romance, but the novel added a little teeth. If I had to give a comparison to Frigid, I would classify it as an extremely lower-stake version of Becca Fitzpatrick's, Black Ice, but with a lot more romance. 

Like always, Jennifer's writing has me enticed throughout Frigid; she had me laughing-out-loud, yelling to the Book Gods and swooning for Kyler the entire time. Jennifer has such a talent for writing, especially when it comes to humor. Jennifer is one of those authors that can create such a dramatic scene that will change not only the course of the book, but the remainder of the series and still have you laughing. I can't tell you how many times I do not have a straight face when Jen's characters face danger because they always think something or someone says something that has you busting out with laughter. That being said, Jennifer does have a talent with humor, but Jen does realize when to be serious in the face of danger. 

Kyler and Sydney's romance was really cute and a long time in the making, allowing the end to feel even more rewarding. Although I really did enjoy Frigid and I am really excited to read Andrea and Tanner's story in Scorched, Frigid was not one of my absolute favorite Jennifer L. Armentrout books. It seems as though I dislike her contemporary/standalone
novels the least out of all the genres she has written; dislike is a really loose term since I adore Jen and her books have never be rated below a 4/5 stars by me.  

Frigid can easily be devoured in one sitting and is the perfect book to snuggle up with during a cold winter's night. 
  













(Me, Jennifer L. Armentrout)
Photo taken at BookCon 2015

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas

Summary"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."


From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.
 (Via Goodreads.com)

Pages: 418

Release Date: August 27th, 2013

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Review:

My brain is still trying to compute what exactly happened throughout the course of Crown of Midnight. Typically, I am really good at figuring out plot twists, but Crown of Midnight took me for a loop. Looking back, I should have been able to somewhat grasp the plot twist, but I only figured it out immediately before the reveal.

Crown of Midnight picks up a few weeks after the ending of Throne of Glass and features a lot more gore than readers encountered in Throne of Glass. I really enjoyed reading Throne of Glass in January, but Crown of Midnight was even better; I was more familiar with the world and was able to drive straight into the story, unlike Throne of Glass where I had to take my time digesting the world. Although I loved Crown of Midnight, I rated it a 4.5/5 stars verses a 5/5 stars because, like my experience reading Throne of Glass, I felt as though there was something separating me from being fully immersed into the story.








Instead of the title, Crown of Midnight, the book should have been titled, Let's Exclude Dorian From Everything We Do. I absolutely adore Dorian and his character is much stronger than Chaol or Celaena let on. I understand he is the crowned prince and one of their duties is to protect him, but he should not be treated like a delicate flower and be ignored by his closest friends. Dorian has magic and his assistance would be useful from time to time, especially with the knowledge his father could possibly hold not one Wyrdkey, but two. I do not understand why Celaena did not tell Dorian she is part Fae, it might have helped him feel less like a freak-of-nature.    

Obviously from my declaration of love for Dorian above, I am on Team Dorian. Dorian and Celaena have a undeniable spark and connection that runs deeper than she is willing to admit. I am extremely surprised Celaena never though to get closer to Dorian since she is the lost Queen of Terrasen. It appears Celaena does not want to embrace her heritage but strategically she should; if they ever want to reclaim Erilea and return the power back to each individual country, the ruler must change. I am assuming the king must be immortal from the Wyrdkey or will eventually assassinate Dorian because once Dorian reaches power, he will return Erilea to the way it originally was. Dorian's younger brother, Hollin, takes after his father and is slowly being turned into a ruthless leader just like their father; while Dorian is nothing of the sort. It would only make sense for Celaena to get closer and at least pretend to be in love with Dorian if she ever wants to reach the throne and the change that will follow; however, she wants nothing of the sort. 

While Celaena is a strong female character that I much admire for her take-no-crap attitude, I must agree with Nehemia when she called Celaena a coward. Celaena is the only hope Erilea has in order to resist Adarlan's power. I am curious to find out what exactly happened that made Celaena's candle burn out on helping the rest of the country. Celaena has such a fire when it comes to seeking revenge, what traumatic event happened that prevented her from avenging her parent's death? It seems very unlike Celaena. 

Speaking of the name Celaena, it makes sense why Celaena always chants, "My name is Celaena Sardothien and I will not be afraid." I always assumed that was a phrase she used to remind herself who is was and what she was fighting for; however, I now realize, she was trying to remember who she is supposed to be no matter what happens.

Coming back to the love triangle, I have no idea how it will end. Crown of Midnight made Chaol and Celaena fans want to cheer with joy, but they were eventually lead to cry in confusion. Fans of Dorian and Celaena were given nothing; I sometimes wonder if he is even a contender anymore. Although I want to see Dorian and Celaena make it out on top, I just want Dorian to be happy. It seems as though Celaena and Chaol are content at excluding Dorian and I would prefer Celaena and Chaol together verses Celaena and Dorian if that is the way Dorian will continue to be treated by them. All I want is for Dorian to find someone who returns his feelings in the same intensity as he dishes them out. I am curious to read about the mysterious Rowan character in Heir of Fire that seems to have everyone talking.  

Crown of Midnight left me with so many more questions than answers. I am extremely excited to start Heir of Fire after I finish my advanced copy of Richelle Mead's, Soundless. I hope at least a few of my questions will be answered in Heir of Fire and I am fascinated to see where the story leads. Crown of Midnight left me feeling a thousand different emotions in the same sitting, I am nervous to see how many emotions Heir of Fire will stir up.     










(Me, Sarah J. Maas)
Photo taken at ApollyCon 2015

Saturday, June 13, 2015

ARC Review: Asa (Marked Men #6) by Jay Crownover

SummaryJay Crownover’s New York Times and USA Today bestsellingMarked Men series continues with the much anticipated story of southern charmer and certified criminal Asa Cross.

Starting over in Denver with a whole new circle of friends and family, Asa Cross struggles with being the man he knows everyone wants him to be and the man he knows he really is. A leopard doesn’t it change its spots and Asa has always been a predator. He doesn’t want to hurt those who love and rely on him, especially one luscious arresting cop who suddenly seems to be interested in him for far more than his penchant for breaking the law. But letting go of old habits is hard, and it’s easy to hit bottom when it’s the place you know best.

Royal Hastings is quickly learning what the bottom looks like after a tragic situation at work threatens not only her career but her partner’s life. As a woman who has only ever had a few real friends she’s trying to muddle through her confusion and devastation all alone. Except she can’t stop thinking about the sexy southern bartender she locked up. Crushing on Asa is the last thing she needs but his allure is too strong to resist. His long criminal record can only hurt her already shaky career and chasing after a guy who has no respect for the law or himself can only end in heartbreak.

A longtime criminal and a cop together just seems so wrong . . . but for Asa and Royal, being wrong together is the only right choice to make. (Via Goodreads.com)

Genre: New Adult

Pages: 342

Release Date: April 21st, 2015

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Review:

It takes major resistance and willpower to put Asa down for longer than five minutes. The same could be said for the rest of the Marked Men series. Each book in the Marked Men series might be about finding love, but they all contain different twists and turns along the way; each story is heart-wrenchingly beautiful in their own way. 

It is hard to believe that I have already finished the Marked Men series; when I originally started the series earlier this year I was content knowing it featured six books since that seemed to be enough time spent with the gang. But trust me, six books is not enough time. I wish each guy and gal had six books dedicated to them because I became so close to each and every one of them and it is hard to let them go. The other day I was thinking back to when I read Rule and it is crazy how much our band of misfits has tragically changed since book one. I feel like a parent when their child goes to college because all I can think to say is, "My babies have grown up so fast."


Jay Crownover has a gift for transitioning the book's endings. Although any of the books could be read individually, you really get a grasp at the whole group if you have read all six books in the correct order. I would not specify any of the books in the series with a "cliff-hanging" ending, but many of the endings in the series make you crave the next book. It is really amazing how much thought Jay must put into the books in order to have such smooth transitions between one book to the next. The ending of one book really sets you up for the beginning of the following book.  

One of my favorite parts of the Marked Men series was waiting to meet the next couple. I absolutely loved Royal and Asa's first impression of each other when they finally meet in the fifth book, Rowdy. I also love that Jay includes a playlist for each couple. My only complaint regarding the playlists are that they come immediately after the books ends. I wish the playlist was included in the beginning so the reader can listen to the playlist as they read along. I understand that I could flip to the back and check the playlist out before starting the book, but I do not want to risk reading a spoiler. 

Jay Crownover is one of the few authors in which I will read their acknowledgments. I am not trying to pick at other authors, but Jay's acknowledgements are so sweet and seem to come from her heart; while other authors typically list names and seem to be writing with monotone. Jay also seems really appreciative of her readers, she thanks us countless times while most authors have one sentence thanking the readers in point five font. 

Without reading Jennifer L. Armentrout's Wicked earlier this year, I more than likely would not have started the Marked Men series so soon or even at all. Jen raves about the Marked Men series in Wicked and now I understand what all the rave is all about. I got to meet Jay at ApollyCon this past February, where I won a signed ARC of Asa, and I am excited to see her again in Vegas next month at Love N. Vegas. When I originally met Jay, I was only five pages into Rule so I did not really have much to say to her, but now is a totally different story.


No matter how many New Adult books or series I read, the Marked Men series will always have a special place in my heart. All of Jay's characters have so many layers to them and, as they are stripped away, they become so much deeper and more relatable. It is hard to choose favorites when it comes to this series, but my favorite Marked Man would have to be Asa, my favorite Marked Woman would have to be Ayden and my favorite couple is Nash and Saint. I am super excited to read Sayer and Zeb's story in the Built, the first book in the Marked Men spin-off series, Saints of Denver

















(Me, Jay Crownover)
Photo taken at ApollyCon 2015

Inspire (The Muse #1) by Cora Carmack

SummaryKalliope lives with one purpose.

To inspire.

As an immortal muse, she doesn’t have any other choice. It’s part of how she was made. Musicians, artists, actors—they use her to advance their art, and she uses them to survive. She moves from one artist to the next, never staying long enough to get attached. But all she wants is a different life— a normal one. She’s spent thousands of years living lie after lie, and now she’s ready for something real.

Sweet, sexy, and steady, Wilder Bell feels more real than anything else in her long existence. And most importantly… he’s not an artist. He doesn’t want her for her ability. But she can’t turn off the way she influences people, not even to save a man she might love. Because in small doses, she can help make something beautiful, but her ability has just as much capacity to destroy as it does to create. The longer she stays, the more obsessed Wilder will become. It’s happened before, and it never turns out well for the mortal.

Her presence may inspire genius.

But it breeds madness, too. (Via Goodreads.com)

Genre: New Adult Greek Mythology

Pages: 318

Release Date: December 15th, 2015

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Review:

When the author list for ApollyCon 2015 had been released last year, I went through all the authors to see what they had written and if I had an interest in getting their books. Cora Carmack's Inspire instantly caught my eye; the cover was stunning, the plot seemed so unique and the teasers I read were to die for. However, I did not end up purchasing Inspire until a few months after ApollyCon. Last month, when I read Inspire I was on a New Adult Contemporary kick and I had just finished Cora Carmack's latest book, All Played Out, which is total perfection. I was so addicted to All Played Out that I was instantly in a reading slump after I finished it. Hoping another Cora Carmack book could get me out of my reading slump, I started Inspire and I think the slump somewhat ruined Inspire for me.

Going from Cora Carmack's contemporary Rusk University series to Cora's Greek mythology based Inspire was quite a stretch. I know the reading slump caused some of my detachment from Inspire, but it seemed like Cora was a completely different writer in Inspire. Trust me, Inspire still contained a sizzling romance and a swoon worthy guy, which I will talk more in depth about later, but it did not seem like Cora. Inspire was really good, but it held no match to Cora's phenomenal Rusk University series. 

Although Inspire was not as good as Rusk University, I love that Cora is adding more variety into the New Adult genre. Like any other genre, New Adult is not simply light and fluffy romance, it should have a variety of options for readers. The plot for Inspire was so unique. I am a huge Greek Mythology dork and it was fascinating to learn about Kalliope, a Greek figure I had never heard of before. Not only did Cora add variety to the New Adult genre, she also added variety to the Greek Mythology genre. This is probably a long shot, but it would be interesting if Jennifer L. Armentrout and Cora Carmack could do a cross-over between their Greek Mythology series. I think Wilder and Seth could have an interesting bromance...

Speaking of Wilder, the Rusk University guys definitely have some competition when it comes to him. Picking ONE Cora Carmack guy is so hard, they all come from different backgrounds and are all looking toward a different future. Wilder and I instantly connected when he admitted he hates chocolate. I hate chocolate and I always get picked on when I admit it, but I highly doubt anyone would mess with him. 

Inspire left me in a whirl-wind of emotions and a need for the next book in the series, Inflict. I am really interested to see where Inflict will take the series and what is ahead for the characters.














(Me, Cora Carmack)
Photo taken at ApollyCon2015

The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines #6) by Richelle Mead

Summary: THEY WILL BE TESTED

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives.

Their forbidden romance exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead’s bestselling Bloodlines series.

When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, she and Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world and alter their lives forever.

Don't miss their unforgettable final chapter...



LOVE WILL CONQUER ALL   (Via Goodreads.com)

Pages: 348

Release Date: February 10th, 2015

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Review:

The hardest part about being a reader is letting go of your favorite series. I starting reading the Bloodlines series two years ago this summer. I have been with the characters through their toughest times and their easiest. I have been along with them on their crazy adventures and it saddens me to know that they no longer need me on their journey. I thought I would take The Ruby Circle much harder than I did; I expected to be emotionally wiped since this is my all-time favorite series. However, I did pretty well. I sometimes wonder if I have really accepted that the series is over.

I finished The Ruby Circle over two months ago and I still have no idea where to start this review. I planned on doing a full-length spoiler review like I did with the The Fiery Heart and Silver Shadows, but I guess if I learned anything from Bloodlines, it is to embrace the unexpected.  

Although I mentioned above that the Bloodlines series is my all-time favorite series, I do not expect it to keep it's title much longer. I dearly love the series and I typically flew through each of the six books, but Silver Shadows and parts of The Ruby Circle were extremely heavy. If you have yet to read the series I do not want to spoil anything, but the last two books feature severe depression and horrible pain. I am the type of person that gets really sucked up into each of the character's emotions and I was having difficulty keeping my head above water. Although the ability Richelle Mead possesses to capture her characters' emotions and transfer them to her reader's is a good gauge at how well she writes, but it also made me stop reading, at times, because the story was getting so heavy. I do applaud Richelle Mead by adding variety to the YA genre for featuring depression, but it was a little too much for me and took away from the series as a whole.

Remember when everyone was picking on Sydney because all she did in Silver Shadows was the opposite of what we told her to? Well, The Ruby Circle was Adrian's opportunity to do so. I love that both Sydney and Adrian have big hearts and want to save everyone, but they both need to learn that they have to save themselves first. Most of the mess they landed into was caused by their need to help others. 

Even though The Ruby Circle still had it's flaws, it was the perfect ending to the Bloodlines series. The Ruby Circle tied all of the Bloodlines series into a nice little bow and that bow even included sparkles because we also got more closure on the Vampire Academy series. I am satisfied where we leave the world, but I am hoping Richelle Mead will create more books in the Vampire Academy world because she has created such an intricate world that has so many more stories to explore. 

The Bloodlines series has made me laugh, cry and wait in the fetal position for the next book. I am so thankful that I was able to join Sydney, Adrian and the rest of the gang for their dangerous and magical adventures. The circle did manage to hold after all. I am so excited to start my advanced copy of Richelle Mead's Soundless, which I got after waiting for three hours in Richelle Mead's signing line at BookCon two weekends ago. I highly recommend starting the Bloodlines series if you have already completed the Vampire Academy series and highly recommend the Vampire Academy series if you have yet to start it.  














(Me, Richelle Mead)
Photo taken at BookCon 2015

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

SummaryWhen Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly. (Via Goodreads.com)

Genre: New Adult Romance

Pages: 322

Release Date: August 5th, 2014

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Review:
    
I can't tell you how many times I have attempted to write this review. I read Ugly Love in late March of this year and, at the beginning of June, I am still struggling to put Ugly Love into words. My difficultly writing this review has nothing to do with the actual book, Ugly Love is easily the best book I have read so far this year. The problem stems from the fact that I have no words for how much I loved Ugly Love. It is kind of ironic that I fell in love with a book that is titled Ugly Love, but I guess that is an accurate relationship since I am unable to form coherent sentences to describe my love for this book.  

I had been dying to get my hands on Ugly Love since it's release last summer, but I never ended up purchasing the book until late January. Ugly Love has been surrounded in so much hype lately, especially with the announcement of a movie. My current addiction is New Adult and after reading Ugly Love, I understand why Colleen Hoover has been unofficially crowned the Queen of New Adult. 

When most people hear the word New Adult, they automatically think of light, fluffy romances that have their ups and downs, but will eventually work out. However, Colleen Hoover created such a raw form of New Adult in Ugly Love that creates heartbreaking emotions. Although Ugly Love appears to have a common story line with various other books, it is so much different. 

Colleen Hoover's writing is so poetic and I am utterly thankful that when I read Ugly Love, we were learning about poetry in my English class. Without that knowledge of poetry, I do not believe I would have had such a deep understanding of Ugly Love as I do now.

The thought of two different story lines unfolding at the same time might sound confusing, but it is breathtakingly beautiful. It was amazing yet heartbreaking to watch both stories unfold and know that at least one of them crashes and burns. I wanted both sets of individuals to be happy and love each other through the rough and smooth patches, but fate had other plans.     

Before starting Ugly Love, I had heard way more than a hand full of reviewers rave about the book. Although, nothing quite prepared me to be blown away like I was. I loved Ugly Love to the very last word and I am ecstatic to read what Colleen Hoover writes next. I highly recommend Ugly Love, especially if you want to explore the darker side of New Adult. I also recommend fans of On Dublin Street by Samantha Young to check Ugly Love out as well. 











(Me, Colleen Hoover)
Photo taken at BookCon 2015