Month: August 2014 (Page 37 of 43)

BOOK REVIEW – Rebel Belle (Rebel Belle #1) by Rachel Hawkins

BOOK REVIEW – Rebel Belle (Rebel Belle #1) by Rachel HawkinsRebel Belle (Rebel Belle #1)
by Rachel Hawkins
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts. Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him--and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

Review:

This book was just what I needed! It seems like the last few books I’ve read are overly emotional or had me holding my breath because I was scared for what was going to come next. I was in need of an easy read that was going to make me giggle and smile and that’s exactly what Rebel Belle gave me! While I definitely didn’t feel everything the main character felt – such as being nervous during times of danger – it didn’t bother me. Usually that is a huge sign implying I’m not a fan of the book because I’m not connecting with the main character but that was not the case in this book. Rebel Belle was so entertaining, constantly had me smirking, Harper and David were great characters and I liked how the story progressed, so the fact that I didn’t connect with Harper didn’t bother me in the least!

All superheroes have origin stories, like how Bruce Wayne’s parents get killed and he goes to Tibet or whatever, and Superman is an alien, and Spider-Man had that radioactive spider. Me? I kissed a janitor in the school bathroom.

I adored Harper Jane Prince. Watching the events unfold through Harper’s eyes is a blast and amusing. She reminded me so much of Cher from Clueless and that made me like her that much more. Harper is a little obsessed with her image – making sure she looks super cute each day, getting great grades, dating the hottest guy in school and being the head of almost every organization known to man. Then when the bathroom scene from the above quote happens all of her plans for her life get thrown up in the air and she is left struggling with how to proceed from there. She gets stuck spending more and more time with David Stark and that in and of itself is hilarious!

David scowled at me over the rims of his ridiculous hipster glasses – the kind with the thick black rims. I hate those. I mean, it’s the twenty-first century. There are fashionable options for eyewear.

David Stark is the nerdy but kinda hot guy. His attire was entertaining to visualize and he is so sweet, innocent and a tad bit bratty that you don’t know if you want to pinch his cheeks or kick him upside the head. He is insanely smart and he’s constantly giving Harper a run for her money to become Valedictorian. Those aren’t the only strikes he has against him. He seems to know how to get under Harper’s skin and it doesn’t help that the two of them have been bickering since Kindergarten. They had this innate way to make me feel like a High Schooler all over again and that I was knee-deep in the middle of their drama.

I didn’t knee him in the groin, although I didn’t rule that move out. Instead I…ugh, this is so embarrassing. I head-butted him. I know, like a soccer hooligan or something.

The other characters in the book either created a meh, like or hate emotion from me. MB was one of those girls that you just love to hate. That girl drove me crazy and unfortunately we’ll probably be seeing more of her in the future books. Overall, I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. It was such a cute, sweet, easy read and I enjoyed being in Harper’s life.  While I originally thought I’d continue the series, not connecting with Harper has made me second guess that decision.  I think I’ll pass on finishing the remaining books on Rebel Belle but I hope you enjoy them if you continue on!

BOOK REVIEW – Jet (Marked Men #2) by Jay Crownover

BOOK REVIEW – Jet (Marked Men #2) by Jay CrownoverJet (Marked Men #2)
by Jay Crownover
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

With his tight leather pants and a sharp edge that makes him dangerous, Jet Keller is every girl’s rock and roll fantasy. But Ayden Cross is done walking on the wild side with bad boys. She doesn’t want to give in to the heat she sees in Jet’s dark, haunted eyes. She’s afraid of getting burned from the sparks of their spontaneous combustion, even as his touch sets her on fire.

Jet can’t resist the Southern Belle with mile-long legs in cowboy boots who defies his every expectation. Yet the closer he feels to Ayden, the less he seems to know her. While he’s tempted to get under her skin and undo her in every way, he knows firsthand what happens to two people with very different ideas about relationships.

Will the blaze burn into an enduring love. . . or will it consume their dreams and turn them to ashes?

Review:
Ayden – We were two people forever marked by those around us, and it hurt to know it was enough to keep us apart.

Jet was a sweet love story that made me smile as I closed the book.  The slow build of their relationship, their banter that had me laughing out loud, and the drama that came crashing down on them made me care for both of them.  Shockingly, I had to wipe the tears from my eyes from time to time and that just made me fall for Ayden and Jet’s story that much more.  I am so glad that I continued on with this series!

Ayden – When I looked at him I had a hard time remembering the rejection and what I should be doing and instead let his wicked grin ruin all of my self-control.

Thankfully we get to start back at THAT night. The night where Ayden throws herself at Jet and Jet of course turns her down. Finally we get to understand what was going on in Ayden’s head. We get to see why she became so withdrawn and why the whole experience shook her to her core. And of course it gave us insight into her infatuation with the hard-core rocker. I loved that the book started at that scene! Then we fast-forward one year later where Jet is now living with Ayden and Cora.  We get to feel the sexual tension and watch what makes them tick, explode and run.

Ayden – Jet was going to undo me in every way he could, and I just didn’t know if I was going to be able to stop him.
Jet – I thought she was going to look remorseful or ashamed; I wasn’t prepared for her to be mad. Those whiskey eyes lit with a fire I had never seen in her and before I could react, she slapped me across the face hard enough to make my back teeth rattle and my face flame.

Jet has so much more going on than one would ever think. The outside that he shows the world doesn’t even hint on how potent and intense he is on the inside. When he starts pulling back the layers and allowing you into the core of himself, wow, you almost need to step back by the intensity of it all. He is filled with so much rage, so much talent and so much passion that it’s a lot to take in. His accumulation into this person is partly because because an aspect of his life is so depressing, so unfair and the weight of it is crushing him into the ground. Jet is one very conflicted, complicated person and for me I never really knew what he was going to do next.

Ayden – Who I was and who I wanted to be were being torn into separate parts, and the me that was left was vulnerable and raw, I had no idea how to stitch it all back together again, or even if I wanted to.
Jet – None of us is shooting sunshine out of our asses, girl, so I don’t know why you think you should suffer alone.

Oh Ayden, I just loved that girl, huge mess and all! She made me smile, laugh and her “I’m not going to be some defenseless little girl” attitude made me love her even more. Ironically, Ayden reminded me of the opposite of what Shaw was trying to mold herself into in Rule. Where Shaw was portraying to the world what she thought others wanted her to be, Ayden was portraying to the world the exact opposite of what others wanted and expected her to be.  Coming from a shady past that constantly haunted her and in her desperate need to have that past fade away forever, she created the current Ayden.  But they say you can’t always outrun your past, and unfortunately Ayden is no exception to that rule.

Ayden – It would take torture to get me to admit it, but my main goal in life was to see how far down that damn angel tattoo went, and to trace the entire thing with my tongue.

Together they are nothing short of endearing and I liked watching Jet and Ayden interact. They are both two broken souls that are just trying to figure out how to put all of their pieces back together.  It was funny, sad and frustrating but I thoroughly enjoyed their story and I will definitely be continuing on with the series.

P.S. The song used on Page 93 was so WRONG and HYSTERICAL. I couldn’t stop laughing, shaking my head and shouting no, no, no!

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
***Each book can be read as a standalone, but best enjoyed in order.***
Rule by Jay Crownover
Rule #1
Reviews:
Jen
jet jay crownover
Jet #2
Reviews:
Jen
rome jay crownover
Rome #3
Reviews:

Jen
nash jay crownover
Nash #4
Reviews:
Jen
Rowdy by Jay Crownover
Rowdy #5
Reviews:
Jen
asa jay crownover
Asa #6
Reviews:
Jen

BOOK REVIEW – Rule (Marked Men #1) by Jay Crownover

BOOK REVIEW – Rule (Marked Men #1) by Jay CrownoverRule (Marked Men #1)
by Jay Crownover
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Sometimes opposites don’t just attract – they catch fire and burn the city down

Shaw Landon loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule is everything a straight-A pre-med student like Shaw shouldn’t want – and the only person she’s never tried to please. She isn’t afraid of his scary piercings and tattoos or his wild attitude. Though she knows that Rule is wrong for her, her heart just won’t listen.

To a rebel like Rule Archer, Shaw Landon is a stuck-up, perfect princess – and his dead twin brother’s girl. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. He doesn’t have time for a good girl like Shaw – even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is.

But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails and spilled secrets lead to a night neither can forget. Now, Shaw and Rule have to figure out how a girl like her and a guy like him are supposed to be together without destroying their love…or each other.

Review:

What a sexy, amazing, touching book. I loved everything about it and I was so sad when it ended because I just couldn’t get enough of Rule and Shaw! Rule Archer and Shaw Landon have been friends, errr more like acquaintances, since middle school. She was his twin’s best friend and his family fell head over heels for her. They all loved her as one of their own, well everyone except for Rule. Over the years he more or less ignored or tolerated her. Then one drunken night Rule and Shaw went past the bounds of their ‘friendship’ and are now left struggling where to go from here.

Shaw – You have always been determined to make everyone who cares about you prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt. You’ve never wanted to be easy to love, Rule, and you make damn sure that nobody can ever forget it.
Rule – My mother looked at me with tears in her eyes and stated point-blank, “It should have been you” as they lowered Remy into the ground.

Rule is the epitome of a douche bag, man whore and a charming, sexy bad boy all rolled into one. With his countless hairstyles (gah he makes mohawks so sexy!), body piercings and tatted up body, he is one of those people that oozes sex appeal. He is THAT type of man that everyone shamelessly stares at when he walks into a room. He is THAT type of man that you can’t help but feel magnetically pulled to. But his problem? Oh man, he has baggage. Two enormous issues to be specific. And living this type of douche baggery, man whoring lifestyle helps him cope with those demons. They help to diminish the mind numbing pain of missing his twin and being a constant failure in his parent’s eyes. Rule struggles on a daily basis knowing that not only is his twin dead but that his parent’s constantly throw in his face that he is NOT his twin. Every time they look at him they see everything they lost and everything that he is not. Drowning himself in woman and alcohol helps him feel better, if even for a moment.

Rule – It made me a little nervous that when she didn’t have all of her guards up and all her haughty defense mechanisms in place, she seemed so fallible, so undeniably human, so approachable, and so…attainable.
Shaw – I loved Rule like it was my mission in life. I loved him like it was inevitable, like no matter how many times I was shown what an awful idea it was, what a bad match we were, what a callous asshole he could be, I couldn’t shake it.

Shaw is classy, rich, gorgeous and loyal. She is on her way to becoming a doctor, and has the world at her fingertips. On the outside, Shaw’s life looks absolutely perfect. On the inside she is a mess, a huge mess. She is constantly struggling to live up to everyone else’s expectations. Her actions and choices are not what she wants but what others would expect of her. Unfortunately she shoves her needs and wants under the rug. And what does she want more than anything – Rule. She has been in love with Rule since the moment she first saw him. But loving Rule Archer would never be allowed in her parent’s world. Her parents are cold, calculating and love is irrelevant in their book. Heck, Shaw was solely conceived because she would be a tax deduction. That’s why she feels so eternally grateful to the Archer family. When she became immersed with the Archer’s, she finally understood what a family should be. And because of this, she will do anything to make them happy.

Shaw – All I had ever wanted in life was to affect him, to get him to feel something, anything, other than simple tolerance for me.

Every Sunday Shaw endures the sight of seeing Rule hangover, naked, and with some girl(s) in his bed. She feels as though it is her obligation to gather his discombobulated crazy self and take him to his parent’s house for their weekly dinner while her heart breaks a little more. This is how the book starts and I loved every minute of this twisted, steamy read! Rule and Shaw’s interaction were electrifying and I loved that every other chapter we got to be in either Rule or Shaw’s head. It made me that more attached to the two of them. The other characters in the book were amazing also.  Now I’m off to read Jet’s story, yay!

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
***Each book can be read as a standalone, but best enjoyed in order.***
Rule by Jay Crownover
Rule #1
Reviews:
Jen
jet jay crownover
Jet #2
Reviews:
Jen
rome jay crownover
Rome #3
Reviews:

Jen
nash jay crownover
Nash #4
Reviews:
Jen
Rowdy by Jay Crownover
Rowdy #5
Reviews:
Jen
asa jay crownover
Asa #6
Reviews:
Jen

BOOK REVIEW – The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa

BOOK REVIEW – The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie KagawaThe Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1)
by Julie Kagawa
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

Review:

***Spoilers if you haven’t read The Iron Fey Series***

I’m not going to lie, one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book was so I could catch glimpses of Ash. Pathetic? Umm yes! Unfortunately, I didn’t get my fill of Ash because he is only in a snippet here and a snippet there BUT I did enjoy Ethan and his journey. I enjoyed being in Ethan’s head, watching Kenzie try to wiggle her way into Ethan’s life, meeting Keirran who is Meghan and Ash’s son and seeing what our old favorite characters are up to. It was thoroughly entertaining, made me smile and laugh and I’m interested to see where this series goes.

“And…you blame them for taking her away. That’s why you hate them.” My throat felt suspiciously tight. I swallowed hard to open it. “No,” I growled, clenching my fist against the windowsill. “I blame her.”

Ethan is definitely not the sweet little boy we all adored and remembered from The Iron King. He has morphed into a bad boy who is VERY angry and bitter at the world. He is angry at the fey for making his life a living hell, angry at Meghan for abandoning them and angry at Ash for being the one to take his sister away. He loathes the fey and while he tries everything in his power to keep them at bay, fate unfortunately has other plans for him and he slowly becomes inundated in their world. He’s definitely not Ash but I adore Ethan and who knew that knife wielding skills could be so unbelievably sexy?!

I’d never met someone who could he so relentlessly cheerful in the face of such blatant jack-assery.

And then we have Kenzie, ohhh Kenzie. Girls that are overly cheerful usually drive me crazy but shockingly Kenzie didn’t make me want to strangle her. She is happy go lucky, doesn’t back down, is utterly relentless and sometimes says and acts in strange ways but she is so endearing. She is the breath of fresh air that Ethan desperately needs and as I became attached to her I was rooting for Ethan to fall for her also. Kenzie and Ethan’s interactions didn’t make me all giggly or fall all over myself like Meghan and Ash did but again it was still entertaining and I enjoyed it. My only qualm about their interactions is the nickname Kenzie uses for Ethan. ‘Touch Guy’ just sounds so ummm lame lol. It annoyed me every time Kenzie used it and it reminded me of being annoyed every time Puck would call Meghan “Princess’. Ugh.

For a second, I couldn’t look away. My heartbeat picked up, and my mouth was suddenly dry, watching the girl in the center of the winking cloud, smiling as the tiny lights landed in her hair or perched on her arm. She was beautiful.

We also get to meet Keirran who is the son of Meghan and Ash. Strangely, I’m left with an unknown feeling when it comes to him. He made me smile, he is just as loyal as his dad but at the end of the day I feel as though my knowledge of the supposed future tainted my view of him. The last interaction with him was off somehow and although I have some speculations I still don’t know what to think of him. Only time will tell.

I knew that if I remembered anything about this night, it would be this moment, right now. With Kenzie less than a breath away, the moonlight spilling down on her as she danced, graceful as any faery.

Overall, this book has great characters, lots of action, and conversation and situations that will make you smile and laugh. I loved getting to see so many of the old characters we cherished in The Iron Fey. I wanted to see MORE of them but I understand this is Ethan’s journey, not theirs. While I didn’t love this book, like I did The Iron Fey, I still enjoyed it and can’t wait to see where Ethan and his friends go.

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
the iron king julie kagawa
The Iron King #1
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea
Anna
winter's passage julie kagawa
Winter's Passage #1.5
Reviews:
Jen

Chelsea
the iron daughter julie kagawa
The Iron Daughter #2
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
Anna
the iron queen julie kagawa
The Iron Queen
#3

Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
summer's crossing iron fey novella julie kagawa
Summer's Crossing #3.5
the iron knight julie kagawa
The Iron Knight #4
Reviews:

Chelsea
iron's prophecy julie kagawa
Iron's Prophecy #4.5
Reviews:

Chelsea
the lost prince julie kagawa
The Lost Prince: Call of the Forgotten #1
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
the iron traitor julie kagawa the iron fey
The Iron Traitor:Call of the Forgotten #2
the iron warrior julie kagawa the iron fey
The Iron Warrior:Call of the Forgotten #3

BOOK REVIEW – The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey #3) by Julie Kagawa

BOOK REVIEW – The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey #3) by Julie KagawaThe Iron Queen (The Iron Fey #3)
by Julie Kagawa
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

Review:

I laughed, I cried and I even clapped out loud and I’m not a clapper while reading, or so I thought. I loved this book! I can’t believe how much this series just keeps getting better and better. The love and history between the characters, the action that makes you read faster and faster, the new characters we are introduced to that integrate seamlessly into the story-line, and the development of the story all make for a magical book.

Summer and Winter were supposed to be enemies. We were not supposed to cooperate, we were not supposed to go on quests together and, most important, we were not supposed to fall in love.

Meghan and Ash have been exiled from the Nevernever. They chose love over their loyalty to their courts and because of this they have been banished to the mortal realm. While they are returning to Meghan’s home, to see her family, the Iron fae intervene. They try to capture Meghan to bring her back to the false king of the Iron Kingdom. Meghan realizes she can’t sacrifice her family’s safety and that she will never truly be free until she faces the false Iron king. She becomes resonate that she needs to destroy the false king so she can finally start to live her life. The journey they embark on is even more eventful then their other journeys in the past. The faery fates lay in Meghan’s hands and regardless of what happens nothing will ever be the same again.

He sighed, framing my face with his hands. “My life…everything I am…belongs to you.”

It’s hard to imagine I know BUT Ash is even more magnificent in this book. Meghan has fully melted his ice facade and we get to see ALL of him. He’s sarcastic, heartfelt, protective, loyal, trust worthy and he knows in his heart that his world and future are Meghan. Ash’s heart still bleeds from past events but with the help of Meghan’s love he is trying to overcome it.

Despite everything I felt and the crazy emotions churning inside me, it all came back to him.

Meghan grows up so much in this book. She realizes what her duties are and she gives her all and then some. She speaks her mind and doesn’t allow anyone, no matter their rank, to walk over herself or the ones she loves. She is strong, determined, and a force to be reckoned with. She is the epitome of who you want to read about if you love a take charge, kick-butt female lead!

Gods forgive me if I was being selfish, but I wanted nothing more than to stay with him forever.

One of things that I love about this series is that each character we know and are introduced to is so unique. Their personalities, their words and their actions are SO each their own. Each one stands out by themselves and each one ads so much to the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the constant reappearance of Grim and I enjoyed two newcomers that really stood out, Razor and Glitch.

I understood. This was my fate, my destiny. I knew what had to be done.

I always know that I’ve fallen for a book when I think about the characters long after the book is over. I’m shocked that this series will now be lumped in with my favorite books especially since the first book was so mundane. Now on to finding out what happens next!

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
the iron king julie kagawa
The Iron King #1
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea
Anna
winter's passage julie kagawa
Winter's Passage #1.5
Reviews:
Jen

Chelsea
the iron daughter julie kagawa
The Iron Daughter #2
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
Anna
the iron queen julie kagawa
The Iron Queen
#3

Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
summer's crossing iron fey novella julie kagawa
Summer's Crossing #3.5
the iron knight julie kagawa
The Iron Knight #4
Reviews:

Chelsea
iron's prophecy julie kagawa
Iron's Prophecy #4.5
Reviews:

Chelsea
the lost prince julie kagawa
The Lost Prince: Call of the Forgotten #1
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
the iron traitor julie kagawa the iron fey
The Iron Traitor:Call of the Forgotten #2
the iron warrior julie kagawa the iron fey
The Iron Warrior:Call of the Forgotten #3
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