Showing posts with label 4 Stars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 4 Stars. Show all posts

Sunday, March 26, 2017

The Sunday Post/It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Hey all!



The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next. 

First day of semi-vacation is today! Working a bit, but not as much as usual this time of year and we're staying at a little beach house a tiny way's away from home. We're also dealing with some incoming family (yay....), but I'm really hoping they don't, ah...hang around too much. And that I'll at least get to sleep in before dealing with them. Is that bad to say?


Fitness

Steps this week:

Sunday - 13,684
Monday - 10,996
Tuesday - 11,919
Wednesday - 9,318
Thursday - 11,350
Friday - 11,261
Saturday - 8,262

Total - 76,790


This Week's Recap







Coming Up

Little Book Haul!

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I'd Like to Meet

Waiting on Wednesday

TBR Thursday

Cover Lust, No. 58


Read This Week

5 stars! This was spectacular, absolutely spectacular!

4 stars! I was really impressed with this and enjoyed it hugely!


Currently Reading

Just an audiobook reread. I want something fun and easy!


What Will I Read Next?

???


Monday, February 13, 2017

Mini Reviews Monday

A typical day in the life of Charley Davidson involves cheating husbands, missing people, errant wives, philandering business owners, and oh yeah...demons, hell hounds, evil gods, and dead people. Lots and lots of dead people. As a part time Private Investigator and full-time Grim Reaper, Charley has to balance the good, the bad, the undead, and those who want her dead. In this eleventh installment, Charley is learning to make peace with the fact that she is a goddess with all kinds of power and that her own daughter has been born to save the world from total destruction. But the forces of hell are determined to see Charley banished forever to the darkest corners of another dimension. With the son of Satan himself as her husband and world-rocking lover, maybe Charley can find a way to have her happily ever after after all. 

4.5 stars!

I just adore this series, and Lorelei King adds a whole new layer to the awesomeness with her impeccable narration. It's one of those series that's a genuine joy to read, and I'm always eager to get back to it when I'm forced to put it down.
While this book didn't add too much to the overall storyline or do much to push the points of the previous books into the spotlight, it was still incredibly enjoyable, and I flew through it. I was endlessly entertained and amused by Charley and her merry band of misfits, swooned over Reyes, and even teared up a time or two over Charley's cases. 
It leaves with a bit of a cliffhanger, though! Book 12 releases on Halloween of this year!


Vanessa Mazur knows she's doing the right thing. She shouldn't feel bad for quitting. Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans and none of them include washing extra-large underwear longer than necessary.

But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she's beyond shocked.

For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn't find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He's asking for the unthinkable.

What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?


5 stars!

This was quite possibly the slowest burn romance I've ever read. Ever. 
That said, I really loved it! The characters were well developed and quite likable, the plot had good pacing, there was a good bit of humor and steam when the heat finally hit. It was a pleasure to watch the friendship and romance between Vanessa and Aiden unfold, and once the intensity between them finally  picked up, they felt very solid and well deserved. 
It's not a short book by any means, at around 670 pages, but I was surprisingly not bothered by that. Most contemporaries just can't handle that many pages, but Mariana Zapata has quietly proved to me that she can pull these lengths off. 




She was my nightmare. Every time I closed my eyes, I watched her fall into that inferno. Over and over, I failed to save her.

I hadn’t been able to reach her, and the guilt only burned hotter over time. Four years later, I was the unreachable one.

Heroes aren’t always saints. Sometimes, we’re nothing more than jaded sinners driven by sleepless nights and hearts full of darkness.

And then I met her. She was a dreamer who managed to soothe my scars and heal my wounds.

But, as the flames closed in around us, I feared I wasn’t the right man to save her. That is until I realized she was the one woman I’d burn the world down to protect.
 

3 stars!

Aly Martinez is one of my auto-buy authors, and she's written three of my all time favorite books (Fighting Silence, The Fall Up and Retrieval). She's an insanely talented writer and her stories are riveting and intensely emotional. 

Unfortunately, this one just didn't jibe with me, and it's entirely a case of "it's not you, it's me" here. 
While the writing was great and the plot pretty solid, I just wasn't invested in either hero or heroine, and couldn't connect to either one. 
I love a good alpha, but more often than not Jude was too alpha, giving me the unfortunate feel of reading a Kristen Ashely novel...if KA's heroes could speak in complete sentences and use proper grammar. And if the books had a viable plot.... And the heroine at least had some personality.... And the side characters were enjoyable... But I digress.

That said, I couldn't put it down and finished in just over a day. I definitely wouldn't take my word on this one, since nearly everyone else is loving it!




#1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning returns with the epic conclusion to her pulse-pounding Fever series, where a world thrown into chaos grows more treacherous at every turn. As Mac, Barrons, Ryodan, and Jada struggle to restore control, enemies become allies, right and wrong cease to exist, and the lines between life and death, lust and love, disappear completely.

Black holes loom menacingly over Dublin, threatening to destroy the Earth. Yet the greatest danger is the one MacKayla Lane has unleashed from within: the Sinsar Dubh—a sentient book of unthinkable evil—has possessed her body and will stop at nothing in its insatiable quest for power.

The fate of Man and Fae rests on destroying the book and recovering the long-lost Song of Making, the sole magic that can repair the fragile fabric of the Earth. But to achieve these aims, sidhe-seers, the Nine, Seelie, and Unseelie must form unlikely alliances and make heart-wrenching choices. For Barrons and Jada, this means finding the Seelie Queen who alone can wield the mysterious song, negotiating with a lethal Unseelie prince hell-bent on ruling the Fae courts, and figuring out how to destroy the Sinsar Dubh while keeping Mac alive.

This time, there’s no gain without sacrifice, no pursuit without risk, no victory without irrevocable loss. In the battle for Mac’s soul, every decision exacts a tremendous price.


4 stars...I think?

I don't think I've ever been more conflicted on how to rate a book. Parts of Feversong were amazing, stunning, freaking spellbinding 5 stars. Annnnnd other parts were purple prose, sketchy plot issues (not sure if I can call them plot holes, per say, but it's something along those lines!),unnecessary POVs and outlandish developments 2 stars. As you can imagine, I'm quite conflicted!

Not gonna lie, I skimmed a good portion of the POVs that weren't Mac's. I've never been a Dani fan - but I will give props to Moning for taking me from despising her to finding her okay over the course of this story -, and the other view points I found a bit irrelevant, especially once I hit the end.

But back to Mac, and more importantly, Barrons! 
Ahh...Barrons. That man is fine, and will forever rein as one of the kings in my book boyfriends society. There was quite a bit of relationship development between Barrons and Mac in this story, and I freaking reveled in it. A lot of the issues I had with how they were handling themselves and each other post-Shadowfever, and I'm happy to report that they were all resolved. The development that happens in this story left me teary eyed and swooning something fierce. Seriously, I can't put into words how much I adored where they went in this book.
I do wish there were some more sex scenes, though. ;) Especially considering there were paragraphs of moderately graphic sex in the other books!


Despite the sometimes ridiculous turns this book took, I was completely addicted and wrapped up in what was happening. I barely put the book down, and finished the near-600 page novel in about 6 hours. This series is definitely one that grabs your attention and refuses to let go. 

I feel a bit sad that it's over, even though I'm happy overall with how things wrapped up. This is one of my all time favorite series, and it's a bittersweet feeling to have it finished. Huge thank you to KMM for brining this series to such vivid, glorious life! 



Well, that review definitely wasn't mini, haha. Let me know your thoughts on that one if you've read it! 









Monday, January 30, 2017

Mini Reviews Monday

I hired her to fix my company, to bring Marks Lingerie back to life. I didn’t expect her to become my friend. I didn’t expect to fall in love with her.

The first rule of business is to never touch your employees. I think there is another rule about not falling for your best friend—a rule against imagining the curves of her body, or the way her breathing would change if I pulled down her panties and unzipped my pants.

Now, I can’t wait any longer. I’m tossing out the rules.

Damn the company.
Damn our friendship.
Damn my fears.

4.5 stars!

I've had this author on my TBR for well over a year, and I finally got around to trying her out with this recent release. I was very pleasantly surprised!
It's a slow burn (emphasis on slow!) romance, and spans a good chunk of time. We get to see the characters' relationship evolve right from the start, and it gave a lovely and deep emotional connection.
I enjoyed both hero and heroine, and liked how everything was pretty much solely focused on the couple. It gave it an introspective feel and put me in the characters' shoes.



The first in the new SAINTS OF DENVER series from NYT bestselling author of the MARKED MEN series, Jay Crownover

Sometimes you have to tear everything down to build something new…

Sayer Cole is frozen inside. At least, that’s what it’s felt like for as long as she can remember. She’s yet to let anyone past her icy exterior – and the one guy she thinks might melt her heart couldn’t possibly be interested in someone so uptight.

Rough, hard and hot-as-hell, Zeb Fuller has rebuilt his life and his construction business since protecting his family sent him to jail all those years ago. His elegant client, Sayer, makes him feel like a Neanderthal in denim, but despite the many hints that he’s been dropping to get to know her better, she seems oblivious to his charms.

Just as things finally start to heat up, Zeb’s past comes back to haunt him and he needs Sayer’s professional help to right a wrong and to save more than himself. As these opposites dig in for the fight of their lives, fire and ice collide in an unstoppable explosion of steam…

4 stars!

I'm a big Crownover fan, and overall enjoyed this book. The hero was to die for, the relationship with his surprise son tugged at my heart strings, and I really enjoyed the side characters. Since this book is interconnected with with her other books, I enjoyed checking up on old characters, and was intrigued by the ones I hadn't yet read.
Two things took away from this story for me. One was that it was a little too wordy; I wanted more dialogue and interaction.
The second was the heroine. She got on my nerves and made me tired of her when she had too much page time. It wasn't because she didn't jump right into a relationship (good for her!), but she just..I dunno, didn't work for me. She had some issues, but I felt like she was too wrapped up in them and too intent on making those issues known. The other characters had issues too, especially the hero, but it didn't consume them the way they did her.


If anyone ever said being an adult was easy, they hadn't been one long enough.

Diana Casillas can admit it: she doesn't know what the hell she's doing half the time. How she's made it through the last two years of her life without killing anyone is nothing short of a miracle. Being a grown-up wasn’t supposed to be so hard.

With a new house, two little boys she inherited the most painful possible way, a giant dog, a job she usually loves, more than enough family, and friends, she has almost everything she could ever ask for.

Except for a boyfriend.

Or a husband.

But who needs either one of those?
 

5 stars!

I absolutely loved everything about this book. The heroine was spectacular, and has become one of my most favorite contemporary heroines to date. Her voice was honest, kind, genuine and really relatable.
I love romances with kids in them, and this one was so well done. Finally, a book where the kids have personalities and also act age appropriately! Both the boys in Wait For It brought so much for the story, made me laugh, and pulled at my feels.
Don't even get me started on the hero. *swoon*
It's very long, at almost 700 pages, but it really didn't feel like it. Everything flowed smoothly and easily, and it just...worked. So well. Loved it!



The new series is set in Vermont. True North is populated by the tough, outdoorsy mountain men that populate the Green Mountain State. They raise cows and they grow apples. They chop a lot of wood, especially when they need to blow off steam. (Beards are optional but encouraged.)

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the orchard.

The last person Griffin Shipley expects to find stuck in a ditch on his Vermont country road is his ex-hookup. Five years ago they’d shared a couple of steamy nights together. But that was a lifetime ago.

At twenty-seven, Griff is now the accidental patriarch of his family farm. Even his enormous shoulders feel the strain of supporting his mother, three siblings and a dotty grandfather. He doesn’t have time for the sorority girl who’s shown up expecting to buy his harvest at half price.

Vermont was never in Audrey Kidder’s travel plans. Neither was Griff Shipley. But she needs a second chance with the restaurant conglomerate employing her. Okay—a fifth chance. And no self-righteous lumbersexual farmer will stand in her way.

They’re adversaries. They want entirely different things from life. Too bad their sexual chemistry is as hot as Audrey’s top secret enchilada sauce, and then some.
 

4 stars!

This book made me hungry. And gave me a strong desire to move to Vermont and find a cider making farmer. 

Loved the family dynamic, loved the gorgeous setting, loved the farm to table ideas, adored the hero, and the heroine was okay, but not great. Overall a solid start to this series!




From USA Today Bestselling Author, Renée Carlino, comes a totally unique love story that is sure to make you question what’s out there . . . or who. 

“My guardian angel is a drunk.”

Evelyn Casey's life is at a standstill. She's in her mid-twenties, struggling with the dating scene in San Francisco. Nothing seems to be working out, and she’s starting to think that she’ll live out her days in her crummy apartment with her overbearing roommate, Brooklyn. It's absurd, but sometimes Evey longs for a guardian angel to show up and save the day.

And then he does. Seriously. His name is Lucian and he's a guardian angel, been on the job for two thousand years. His sudden presence in her life is both good—he's brilliant, witty, and warm—and bad—he's brilliant, witty, warm, and hot as ----. But as perfect as Lucian seems, he’s got problems of his own. He’s taken up drinking and he’s brazenly inserted himself into Evey’s life, going against the greatest cosmic law ever created.

For Evey, the rules are simple: You are not allowed to hook up with your guardian angel. But sometimes fulfilling your destiny requires a leap of faith, a confrontation with God. 

Yes, God as in God.

1.5 stars!

This...oy. Where do I even start here?

I'm not a big Renee Carlino fan. I've read a few of her books and didn't care for them past 3.5 stars, but I always respected her writing and found her to be a solid author, just one that wasn't for me. 
This book didn't even feel like she wrote it. It truly read like bad fan fiction; it was full of plot holes, had no character development, the pacing was so choppy, and overall it was a massive disappointment. 





Sunday, January 29, 2017

The Sunday Post/It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Hey, everyone!



The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next. 


A little work and some wet and chilly weather, but overall a pretty good week. Some exciting work and life things are starting to get hammered out, which I'll be sharing as soon as everything is ready!




Fitness/Steps

Something I've struggled with on and off since committing to a solid exercise plan is being gentle and flexible with myself, and not pushing to finish my daily goal when I don't feel well. Cramps knocked me on my ass this week, but I made myself take it easy and actually felt better because of it!


Sunday - 9,725
Monday - 12,664
Tuesday - 7,020
Wednesday - 11,234
Thursday - 6,840
Friday - 9,477
Saturday - 11,528

Total - 68,488



This Week's Recap







Coming Up

Mini Reviews Monday 

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Covers

Waiting on Wednesday

TBR Thursday

Cover Lust, No. 54


Read This Week

5 stars!
This was really long (nearly 700 pages!), but I absolutely loved it, especially the kids that actually acted like kids!
DNF
Since I was more than halfway through it,  I'm still counting it as read. I just didn't care about either protagonist. 

4 stars!
I'm really enjoying this author! Loved the hero and the farm setting, but wasn't huge on the heroine. Overall really enjoyable!


Currently Reading

I just freaking adore this series, and the narration is stellar. It's so great to read a book and get such pleasure out of it!
Almost 50% through this one, and it reads like bad fan fiction. 



What Will I Read Next?



Sunday, November 27, 2016

The Sunday Post/It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Hey, ladies!


The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next. 


I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday! Mine was surprisingly pleasant, since the usual extended family gathering was called off, and that was something to be thankful for. ;) It was just the immediate family and the dogs, and was 100 times better.



Not the best step week. I've been strangely exhausted lately, and have been falling asleep before my usual nighttime dog walk more often than not. Hoping to quit that!

Sunday - 12,100
Monday - 8,966
Tuesday - 7,444
Wednesday - 10,580
Thursday - 8,301
Friday - 12,558
Saturday - 11,658

Total - 71,607



This Week's Recap




Coming Up

Mini Reviews Monday

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books to Buy for Your Reading Slump Friend

Waiting on Wednesday

TBR Thursday

{Book Review} Rising Phoenix by Alice Floyd



Read This Week

4 stars!
I was very pleasantly surprised by this one, especially considering I didn't really care for it initially!
2 stars!
This sucked. Sucked spectrally. 
5 stars!
This book...THIS BOOK! <3
Best of 2016 shelf.


Currently Reading

Yeah, I'm rereading. I know a lot of people don't care for this one, but I just...love it so much. #cantstopwontstop
Working my way through this audio! I'm really enjoying it, and the narration is fantastic. 


What Will I Read Next?







Monday, July 4, 2016

June Wrap Up

Hey, everyone!

Happy 4th of July!

I can't believe we're in July already! It's hotter than hell, and I'm looking forward to the fall. 100-ish degrees every day isn't fun!


June was a very busy life month, and a slowish reading month. Well, it ended slow; in the beginning of the month, my reading was quite fruitful! I'm hoping July ups my reading, and there's some awesome releases I can't wait for. Let's recap June!



June Reads


Healer (The Healer Series, #1) by B.N. Toler - 1 star (book is atrocious)














Total - 13

2016 Total So Far - 82
*Including rereads

Challenge Updates


79 of 130 / 61% complete / 14 books ahead of schedule 



Grave Mercy
Listen To Me

2016 total so far: 37 - goal complete




Defenseless
Still Life With Strings
Death Wish
Healer
Tempted


Favorite
Everything about this book was enjoyable! 


Made Me Want To Stab Someone

This one made me so furious, I can't even describe it. 


Book Boyfriend of The Month

Shane!

Elijah, if only for his bedroom prowess. ;)






Monday, May 16, 2016

{Book Review} Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower

Ignazio Vitale is not a good man.

I suspect it, the first time I see him, sense the air of danger that surrounds the man. He has a way of commanding attention, of taking control, of knowing what I'm thinking before I even do.

It's alarming and alluring. It's dark and deadly. It's everything I've ever wanted but the last thing I truly need. Obsession.

It doesn't take him long to draw me into his web, charming me into his bed and trapping me in his life, a life I know nothing about until it's too late. He has secrets, secrets I can't fathom, secrets that make it so I can't walk away, no matter how much I beg him to let me go. I see it sometimes in his eyes, a darkness that's both terrifying and thrilling. He's a monster, wrapped up in a pretty package, and what I find when I unmask him changes everything.

I want to hate him.

Sometimes, I do.

But it doesn't stop me from loving him, too.



4 "What a Ride!" Stars!


This book has been on my TBR for ages, and when I found it on Audible, I knew I had to dive right in. I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this one!

The prologue gives you a snippet of about 70-80% into the story, not enough to spoil anything (at least, nothing more than the synopsis gives), but enough to pique curiosity. I'm not normally a big fan of that kind of intro, but it worked flawlessly with this story. It set me on edge and made it so I wouldn't be lulled into a false sense of security. I never once forgot that Ignazio was not a normal man, never forgot how much darkness was in him, and that added such a layer to the story.

Speaking of Ignazio, I...kinda love him. I'm always a fan of the anti-hero, and boy, was he ever something. Well crafted, dimensional, and intriguing. Smooth and cunning, ruthless when it came down to it, yet oddly tender and romantic. Needless to say, I can't wait to read the second book, which is in his POV.

The heroine, Karissa, is a young college student, a seemingly average girl, and the type of character I don't usually mesh with. I initially brushed her off as the typical naive girl, but as the story went on, I found myself liking her more and more. Is she naive, idealistic, and sheltered? Yes, quite a bit. However... that worked for her here. Despite her initial state, she was smart and enjoyable as the story went on. It was an interesting process to see her eyes open to the world around her, both the good and the bad. 
There were a few times where I found myself thinking "my god, why did you do that?!", but I was quickly reminded of just how young and inexperienced this girl was. With that in mind, my thoughts ended up being sympathetic towards her, and liking her more for making mistakes. I had to remember that Karissa didn't get the prologue I read, and she didn't have that foreshadowing influencing every interaction.

Ignazio and Karissa had fantastic chemistry, despite a big age gap. It was easy to see how their relationship became so all consuming, and that worked well for the story.

My one complaint was that the chapters often ended abruptly, creating jolts in the story and interrupting the flow.

However, the plot kept me riveted and constantly on the edge of my seat. Never a dull moment!

The narrator did a great job, too!


Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it. :)











Monday, May 9, 2016

{Book Review} Disruption by Jessica Shirvington



From Goodreads

What if a microchip could identify your perfect match?
What if it could be used against you and the ones you love?

Eight years ago, Mercer Corporation’s M-Bands became mandatory. An evolution of the smartphone, the bracelets promised an easier life. Instead, they have come to control it.

Two years ago, Maggie Stevens watched helplessly as one of the people she loves most was taken from her, shattering her world as she knew it.

Now, Maggie is ready. And Quentin Mercer – heir to the M-Corp empire – has become key to Maggie’s plan. But as the pieces of her dangerous design fall into place, could Quentin’s involvement destroy everything she’s fought for?

In a world full of broken promises, the ones Maggie must keep could be the most heartbreaking.
 


My Thoughts

4 "Freaky and Enjoyable" Stars


Jessica Shirvington is one of the only Young Adult authors I'll willingly read and will almost always enjoy. That is saying a lot coming from me, because I do not like YA at all! 

Disruption is a dystopian, one that's quite different from any I've read before (and I've read a lot of it!). I'm usually a bit removed from dystopians, not getting the full effect of "holy shit, this could actually happen", but with Disruption...well, I could actually see the events play out in the not-so-distant future. It was freaky, intriguing, and thought provoking, to say the least! I had chills on more than one occasion.

Disruption follows Maggie, a girl in her late teens with far too much on her plate. Despite all the challenges that face her, she remained steadfastly driven and ruthless in her pursuits. This lead her to make some morally questionable decisions, but that only made me like her more - it was so, so refreshing to see a protagonist that wasn't all sunshine and roses, someone that had real depth and wasn't always perfect. 

The Disruption world revolves around M-Bands, a mandatory device that tracks everything from  vital signs and medical history, to pheromone responses to every individual encountered. It uses a percentage rating system to judge the wearer's compatibility with others, and is generally taken as law. Friends, lovers, and life partners are chosen via the M-Band, and most see this as an amazing thing. Life revolves around the ratings.
However, there are some people that do not have any rating around others. These unlucky few, called Negs, are removed from society to be "rehabilitated" in high security facilities.

Eight years ago, Maggie's father registered as a Neg. He was snatched from their family, and Maggie has been searching every Neg center she can in order to try and find them. With a prickly partner in crime, a handsome boy just now opening his eyes to the horror of their world, and her father's secrets, she has a fighting chance...if only she can find him.
(Note: no love triangle!)


This story was action packed from start to finish, and twisty in parts. You're slammed right into the world, kept on the edge of your seat from the first page to the last, and there's never a dull moment. The world is richly done, and like I said, very intriguing and thought provoking. While I love the vast knowledge of science we're constantly acquiring, it's scary to think of the ways it could be applied to every day life, as it is here.

My only complaint is I wasn't really feeling the love interest here. I didn't especially care for the hero at all, actually! Nothing horribly wrong with him, he was just...flat. This was especially true when compared to the heroine, or to Jessica Shirvington's other love interests. 

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a great job. Lots of emotion expressed!

Overall, this was an incredibly enjoyable book with a wicked cliffhanger (but book two is out, so no worries), and I can't wait to start the next.







Monday, April 18, 2016

{Mini Review} A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas



A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Timesbestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

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! 




4 "I Am Very Conflicted" Stars

This will be a short review today! I had a lot of thoughts on this one, but my poor dog broke her tooth over the weekend, so we're off to the vet's today. She's not feeling too good right now. :(




A Court of Thorns and Roses was a well written and intriguing retelling of Beauty and The Beast, and is a refreshing and exciting addition to the new adult genre. It was definitely a hyped novel, and in a lot of ways I can see why. In others...well, I'll just do a pros/cons list and keep it simple. ;)


On the one hand, I love:

- Tamlin. He was an enjoyable character, if slightly one-dimensional. I enjoyed how he did not push Feyre into anything, his loyalty and protectiveness of his people, and he's admittedly pretty sexy.

- Tamlin's best friend, Lucien. That man was hilarious, and I want to see more of him! He and Feyre had some awesome banter.

- The world building is just gorgeous. Rich, vivid, and thought provoking, but thankfully didn't enter the realm of "I have no fucking clue what is going on" high fantasy.

- The Fae were interesting! I've been intrigued by fae since reading Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, and it's always interesting to see another author's perspective. This cast of characters was slightly different from anything I've read before.

- The last 10-15% blew my mind. The action was heart pounding, emotions ran high, and I felt like I was right there with them.

- After the first 70 pages or so, it was incredibly addictive and I didn't want to put it down.

- Despite having more of fade-to-black sex scenes, this was a surprisingly sensual novel!

- I feel it could be read as a standalone without problem.

- The audiobook is pretty decent!




I wasn't as big a fan of:

- Feyre. First of all, I bought the audio version just so I could figure out how the hell to pronounce her name. I was thinking something along the lines of Fay-re, Fear-re, ect, but nope. Her name is pronounced Fair-uh. Never would've gotten that.
Second, I didn't really care for her as a heroine. She's just okay; a bit bland, not too well defined. She wasn't much of anything, good or bad.

- I have a sneaking suspicion that there will be a love triangle. I really, really hope I'm wrong.

- Like I said, it took around 70 pages to get into the story.

- The pacing for the book was a little weird to me. Nothing so hugely, glaringly obvious that I can pinpoint and say "that's what's wrong with it", but more like a nagging little something that set it off as odd to me.

- The romance. This was my biggest disappointment for me, especially because it's a Beauty and The Beast retelling and that storyline needs a romance that is all consuming. This one...wasn't. It was just okay. I wanted, needed to be completely enthralled with their romance, needed to believe in it one hundred and ten percent. The entire plot is revolves around love, and I didn't fully buy Tamlin and Feyre's love.

Overall though, it was an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next!

- Amanda, aka The Bibliophile Babe





Friday, February 5, 2016

{Book Review} Lux (Nocte, #3) by Courtney Cole



From Goodreads

LET THERE BE LIGHT. 


My name is Calla Price and I’m broken. 

My pieces are all around me, floating on the wind, even as I desperately try to grasp them. 

Who is dead? Alive? Insane?

What is the truth?

I don’t know. 

I do know this: The darkness is strangling me. With every breath, I choke on another lie. 

My mind has protected me, but that shield will soon be lowered. 

All will be revealed. 
Every answer to every question. 

It’s all been leading to this. 

Don’t be afraid. 
Be terrified.


My Thoughts 

4 "Twisted, Twisted, Twisted" Stars


Reading order: 
Nocte
Verum
Initium (novella that I highly recommend reading for a better grasp on the last book) 
Lux.


**** Spoiler free! *****

We're all prisoners. Prisoners of expectations, prisoners of reality, prisoners of life.



The Nocte series has been one of the most twisted, confusing, and fascinating mindfucks I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Despite its Young Adult (toes the very early new adult line) category, it's incredibly dark, violent, and downright disturbing at times. It kept me ensnared in the story and desperate for more, even as I shuddered at some of the things that happened. With a touch of romance and strong family bonds, this series is right up my alley. 

The almost simplistic and minimal writing style of the trilogy leaves so much up to the reader, allowing them to flesh the story out as they see fit. The flow of the story does a fantastic job of showcasing the heroine's struggle and confusion, leaving you just as twisted up as she is. You really do become Calla as you read the story.


Save me, and I'll save you.


Lux, the third and final novel, was the one I'd been waiting for. The dozens of questions accumulated after reading the previous books left me salivating for answers, and on most aspects, Lux was a satisfying read. 

With a fast paced plot filled with flashbacks and all kinds of odd things, Lux was a book I devoured in less than a day. This book was definitely the most twisted one of the three, and several times I found myself muttering "that's just wrong" as I frantically read the pages. These revelations raised more questions than they answered, but that didn't bother me too terribly much, and what info we are given was satisfying and starling in equal measures.
Lux is a riotous mixture of emotions, going from desperation to anger to sadness to guilt and back again in the blink of an eye. It gave me whiplash and had me dying to see what happened next.

The big reveal of sorts was a tad anti-climatic and confusing for me. It's a bit open-ended, and leaves the reader free to decide where they think the story went. While half of me appreciates fittingness of the not-quite- perfect-ending, the other, sappier part longed for a definite happily ever after. It did work for the story, however!
(It's not a not-happy ever after, but it's definitely not tied up with a bow all nice and neat)



May you always have the courage to live free, and the strength to do what is right. 



My favorite part had to be how this story played out in my head; each scene was so vivid that I felt like I was either living it, or watching a really well done movie. It was like I could reach out and touch something as it unfolded for me.
Lux was one of those books that just begs for a soundtrack. I like to listen to music as I read, and a few songs were so perfect for the story I had them on repeat.

Lux Mini-Playlist:

Running Up That Hill - Placebo
I'll Take Everything - James Blunt
Wherever You Will Go - The Calling
Ugly Love - Griffin Peterson
Take Me to Church - Hozier
Letters From The Sky - Civil Twilight
I Know You - Skylar Grey
Angel - Massive Attack


Overall, Lux was a mostly satisfying conclusion to a fantastic series. I highly recommend checking the trilogy out!


Stats:

Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Young adult/new adult, mystery, suspense, dark, romance
Series: Nocte, #3
POV: 1st person
Warnings: Lots, but can't tell for spoilers!
Length: 274 pages
Published: October 26th, 2015
My own copy

- The Bibliophile Babe