Category: Review (Page 167 of 297)

BOOK REVIEW – The Power (Titan #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

BOOK REVIEW - The Power (Titan #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I re-read this book in anticipation for the final book releasing this month. And it was even more amazing the second time around, so I tweaked some stuff in my review. Here it is.......

BOOK REVIEW – The Power (Titan #2) by Jennifer L. ArmentroutThe Power (Titan #2)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

With any great change, there is always strife, and the Covenant University has become the frontline between pure-bloods who want the Breed Order reinstated and the half-bloods who want the right to control their own destinies.

Fate has other plans.

The violence is escalating and war between the races seems inevitable, and it couldn’t come at a worse time. Hyperion may be out of commission, but Josie and Seth know they have only earned a reprieve. Seth must get Josie fully prepared, which means controlling her newfound abilities, and they need to find the other demigods before the Titans do.

But the gods are sensing a greater threat.

Only one thing is more dangerous than a bunch of starved Titans, and that’s an out-of-control Apollyon. The aether in Josie is drawing Seth in deeper, and when lust mixes with love and gives way to power, he knows being close to her is not only dangerous to her, but to everyone around them, but letting her go requires a level of selflessness that just isn’t Seth’s style.

The paths taken in the past are becoming the roads of the future.

Just as chaos breaks out, familiar faces from the past return, complicating the already strained bond between Josie and Seth, and when the danger from the Titans erupts with devastating consequences, the dark allure of power calls to Seth again, but this time Josie might not be able to pull him back.

And when the struggle between power and love becomes the deadliest battleground, there may be no salvation.

Review:

The Power was emotionally gripping and powerful!  Even though my adrenaline was still running high after those last few scenes, I kept swiping at the tears falling from my eyes.  I couldn’t seem to shake off the heartache, fear, and nervousness that was still thrumming through my veins.  But that’s not all that I was feeling.  The Power captured my heart all over again.  It was hilarious, heartwarming, sexy and extremely addicting.  Seth and Josie’s story is a must read for all paranormal lovers out there!

I didn’t . . . I didn’t deserve this with her.
I didn’t deserve her in general. – Seth

Seth continued to pull at my heartstrings.  He tried so hard to be good,  yet he had this innate ability to tap into the darkest part of himself.  It always seemed to just be a breath away, even with Josie in the picture.  But I didn’t care how dark his demons were.  And I sure didn’t care that he was judged and looked down upon by others.  Because he had the most pure feelings when it came to Josie.  He sent my heart into a tailspin with just the way he protected, cared and touched her.

There would be no room for anything else, because after this—after having her, after knowing that she was mine—there was no way I could stay away from her.
So I would do right by her.
Even if it killed me. – Seth

After how The Return ended, Seth was even more adamant about training Josie in not just hand to hand combat, but in learning to control and use all five of her elements.  The Titans were still out there, and they would try to get their hands on Josie again.  She had to learn to protect herself and be ready to go to war with them in the future.  And just like how Alex and Aiden’s training sessions were sizzling hot, Seth and Josie’s were scorching.

“I know I have the power,” she argued. “Duh.”
I arched a brow. “Yeah, you know you do, but you don’t really believe it or trust yourself.  If you did, you wouldn’t be setting every damn thing on fire every time you get horny.”
Her cheeks flushed pink. “I do not!”
I smirked.
“That was like once or twice.” She threw up her hands. “Okay, maybe four times.  I didn’t this morning.” A light sparked in her eyes. “Then again, maybe that just means you were slacking.”

By that last page, I was so proud with how far Josie had come!  She continued to find her voice while being determined to protect herself and fight right alongside with the others.  And I loved that some of her mannerisms were so relatable.  I mean she loved french fries and saw running as a necessary evil.  Hello, welcome to my life lol.  But again, I found that my favorite thing about Josie was the way she saw Seth.  Her faith and hope in him shined brightly.  She didn’t care about his past and what others thought.  She saw the good in him and believed he deserved his happily ever after, just like every one else does.

I felt bad poaching the dagger from him, but it was heavy and warm in my hand as I forced myself forward, knowing I was making the right choice. I was not a weakness that needed to be hidden away.
I was a mother-freaking demigod. – Josie

And Josie and Seth were surrounded by characters that I loved from The Covenant Series – Luke, Deacon and Solos.  But this time we got a few more additions……  (view spoiler) I loved having them back in the mix.  And seeing them through Seth and Josie’s eyes felt so very different from how we viewed them through the Covenant Series.  Eeks, you must read this!

Pressure increased in my chest and more tears snuck free. They kept falling silently, and I squeezed my eyes shut. By the time exhaustion dragged me under, I wasn’t sure who I was crying for the most. – Josie

So I closed the book in complete awe of my feelings.  While my heart is sad over some things that happened, I can’t deny how elated I still feel!  From that first page I was utterly addicted and so happy to be in a world that feels like home!  The Return and The Power are both books that I can’t wait to pick up and read all over again!

*ARC kindly provided by Spencer Hill Pres via Inkslinger in exchange for an honest review*

 

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
the return titan jennifer armentrout
The Return #1
Reviews:

Jen
The Power Jennifer L. Armentrout Titan
The Power #2
Reviews:

Jen

The Struggle #3
Reviews:
Jen

The Prophecy #4
Reviews:
Jen
About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

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

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

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

 

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BOOK REVIEW: The Studying Hours (How to Date a Douchebag #1) by Sara Ney

BOOK REVIEW: The Studying Hours (How to Date a Douchebag #1) by Sara NeyThe Studying Hours (How to Date a Douchebag #1)
by Sara Ney
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

CRUDE. ARROGANT. A**HOLE.
No doubt about it, Sebastian ‘Oz’ Osborne is the university’s most celebrated student athlete—and possibly the biggest douchebag. A walking, talking cliché, he has a filthy mouth, a fantastic body, and doesn’t give a sh*t about what you or anyone else thinks.

SMART. CLASSY. CONSERVATIVE.
Make no mistake, Jameson Clarke may be the university’s most diligent student—but she is no prude. Spending most of her time in the hallowed halls of the library, James is wary of pervs, jocks, and douchebags—and Oz Osborne is all three.

She’s smart, sarcastic—and not what he expected.

…EVERY DOUCHBAG HAS HIS WEAKNESS.

He wants to be friends.
He wants to spend time with her.
He wants to drive her crazy.

He wants…

Her.

 

What can I say about this book? My friend compared it to #Nerd, and I just wholly have to disagree. Yes, there are similarities:

-Meet in Library due to tutor session type deal
-Guy tries to win girl most of book
-Guy is panty-dropper jock who can get any girl he wants
-Little quotes at the beginning of each chapter
-Good*ish type girl

And that’s where the similarities end for me. Yeah there are cute jealousies for both guys and yeah guy wants girl for real…but seriously-the amount of times the guy talks about sex in this book is staggering. No WONDER the girl won’t commit to you, bro-Every time you say anything it’s about trying to get in her damn pants. And, I’m sorry, Romeo was about WAY more than THAT. And I guess that’s why I’m comparing. I’m not being a bitch and dissing my great friend…I just couldn’t help but to compare after she mentioned they were similar. And, frankly, the biggest difference between the two??

This book didn’t have an ounce of all the cute heart and passion #Nerd had.

And it’s as simple as that. I’m sorry, H, this one just was extremely underwhelming…and not just because we only got a little time with the two together-it was just too much and not enough. I liked the guy’s jealousies and I liked how much he liked her…but it wasn’t enough to make up for all the sex talk and repetitiveness I had to go through for 60% of the book.

And I’ll leave it there, lest I keep bashing a very popular book. I think I made my pearl clutching point. 😉

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BOOK REVIEW – The Return (Titan #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

BOOK REVIEW – The Return (Titan #1) by Jennifer L. ArmentroutThe Return (Titan #1)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The Fates are cackling their bony asses off...

It's been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his life to them. And so far, the jobs they've given him have been violent and bloody--which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth. He's got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most challenging yet.

Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy's deal might be, but it's a good bet that his arrival means the new life she started after leaving home is about to be thrown into an Olympian-sized blender turned up to puree. Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her.

But it might be the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed, secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of all.

Because history has once again been flipped to repeat.

Review:

The Return was amazing.  Absolutely, brilliantly done amazing.  It was more than I ever could have asked or wished for.  Not only did I get to step back into a world that felt like home, but I got to be with so many characters that I loved.  But somehow, that wasn’t even the best part.  Because Seth and Josie made this book.  Their interactions of banter, animosity, anger, laughter and sexiness were perfection.  I fell hard for them and this story.  But, if you haven’t read The Covenant Series yet (Half-Blood #1), I highly recommend it before reading this series!  While Jennifer does an astounding job of pulling in previous information to keep a new reader abreast, I’d still want my friends to meet those characters and watch the events unfold firsthand.  Trust me, you’ll fall in love with that series too!

“Go away,” Seth said, his voice low.
Jesse blinked slowly, his lips forming a word that never came out, and then he pivoted around, stiffly walking off. What in the holy hell?
My mouth dropped open as my heart kicked in my chest. Jesse seriously had just turned and walked away, leaving me with Crazy Hot Guy! I spun back to Seth, and he was closer now, maybe a foot away.
He winked at me.
– Josie

I am so over the moon excited that Seth got his own story!  I loved Aiden, don’t get me wrong, but I always wanted so much more for Seth.  My heart always ached for him because even though he could be a pompous ass or a manipulative little shit at times, there was always that part of him that constantly suffered.  From not having a mother that wanted him, to then being manipulated and used by a Pure and the God Ares to help take over the world (uh yeah, huge screw up on his part), he somehow always seemed to get the raw end of a deal while trying to find acceptance, family and love.  But after all of the horrible things he did, I still could never hate him.  He was just Seth.  Sexy, cocky, beautiful, infuriating, playful Seth.  And the fact that I got to read almost half of this book in his head still has me going hamana-hamana.  Lol.  I love him completely, flaws and all.

His gaze flew back to mine and for a long moment he didn’t speak. A sense of hyperawareness rushed over my skin, forming tiny little bumps. Tension poured into the air like kegs of it had been tapped open above us. My pulse picked up as I drew in a shallow breath. A muscle spasmed along his jaw and his lips parted as he said, “What in the fuck are you?”
– Seth

We also got to hear the story from Josie’s point of view.  Josie was a girl that Seth had been ordered to protect by Apollo.  I had an easy time warming up to her.  Probably my favorite things about Josie was that she was understanding and pragmatic.  She owned up to her screw ups and realized what she did was wrong.  She didn’t make the same mistakes again and again, thank goodness!  When she was introduced to Seth’s world, she definitely fought it.  Not only because there was this whole other world that she didn’t know about but because her mindset would have to change.  Heck, I’d have a hard time coming to terms that it’s ok to kill certain people/creatures.  But she got it, understood it and dealt with it even though she doesn’t have to like it.  Wait!  Scratch what I said earlier, because my favorite thing about Joise was the way that she viewed Seth.  She saw him how I always did.  That Seth was someone with the potential and heart to be a true friend because he was a good person.  That he was someone that deserved to be trusted and cared for.  I love that she got that about him!

When I opened my eyes, she was staring at me with those big, blue ones. “When I’m with you, I don’t feel like a monster. I forget.” And that was the damn truth—a scary truth. “I forget all the things I’ve done that make me not deserve this.” – Seth

The Return was such a page turner.  It literally pained me to put this book down so I could get more than 4 hours of sleep at night.  That’s because Jennifer Armentrout has this ability to make me become completely swept away with my emotions.  I become lost in the story and the peril that she weaves throughout it.  The characters she creates become an intricate part of me while I’m reading and I truly feel as though I become invested in them and their story!  Sigh, I always find myself getting too attached to her characters, can you tell?  But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

She had no choices now. She had a destiny she’d never known about, probably didn’t want, and might end up getting her killed. I got how much that sucked. My heart pounded in my chest for no reason. “I’m sorry.” – Seth

So for anyone who loves paranormal, mythology, or is looking for a story that will make you become lost in the pages, well then this is your book!  And in case you didn’t know, Jennifer L. Armentrout is on my “I-will-buy-whatever-she-writes-list”!  I can always count on laughing, swooning, being over the moon happy, then scared shit-less, and of course the sexiness is so insanely hot!  If you can’t tell already, this is a definite must read!

PS YES, there are characters from The Covenant that are in this book.  Want to see an example?  Then read the quote below!!  EEKS!!

“This is Josie,” Seth continued. “Please don’t be weird and scare her.”
“Be weird?” Deacon rolled those gray eyes. “Ha. Whatever, dude. All you need to know about me is that I’m like a dolphin in a sea of less-smart fish,” he announced, spreading his arms with a flourish.
Luke turned to him slowly as his eyebrows inched up his forehead. “What?”
He shrugged. “Just saying I have a lot in common with dolphins. They’re smart. I’m smart.”
Seth rubbed his hand down his face.
There was a beat of silence, and then Luke sighed and shook his head, lips twitching. “It’s a good thing I think you’re fine as hell.”

PPS There were SO many quotes I wanted to use BUT I couldn’t because it would give too much away.  Quotes that made me sigh, quotes that made me cry and quotes that made me feel so much!  Not fair….I just wanted to whine about that for a minute haha.

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
the return titan jennifer armentrout
The Return #1
Reviews:

Jen
The Power Jennifer L. Armentrout Titan
The Power #2
Reviews:

Jen

The Struggle #3
Reviews:
Jen

The Prophecy #4
Reviews:
Jen

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BOOK REVIEW: Getting Lucky Number Seven (Taking Shots #1) by Cindi Madsen

BOOK REVIEW: Getting Lucky Number Seven (Taking Shots #1) by Cindi MadsenGetting Lucky Number Seven (Taking Shots #1)
by Cindi Madsen
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

What's your lucky number?

Lyla Wilder is done being the shy, chemistry nerd extraordinaire. While every other college student is out having fun, Lyla is studying. With her cat. Well, she's played it "safe" quite enough, thank you. So she creates a "College Bucket List"?with item #7 being a night of uninhibited, mind-blowing sex...

But she needs some help from her man-whore best friend.

Hockey player Beck Davenport thought Lyla's transformation would be subtle. Man, was he wrong. With every item she ticks off, Beck finds himself growing seriously hot for his sweet, brainiac best friend. And if he's not careful, he'll end up risking their friendship in order to convince Lyla that he might just be her lucky #7...

I couldn’t even talk to my best friend about the guy I was having sex with. Because, silly me, I’d gone and made them the same person.

Ya know, once again I’m plagued by the reviews stating this is the same old same old, there’s nothing new, it’s cliché, etc…and yet again I find this to be wrong. Why do I find this to be wrong? Well, there are so many reasons I can’t even begin to explain them.

“I’m sure you were a little disappointed when you found out I was your assigned chem partner.”
“Well, yeah,” I said, “but that was because with how damn cute you were, I was sure you’d be stupid, and that meant I was going to end up doing all the work.”
She rolled her eyes, and I smiled, unable to keep from adding, “Then I caught your scent, and your blood smelled so good, I was afraid I’d kill you and eat you. That’s why I was all broody and denting the table the first day.”
Lyla laughed and shoved my arm. “You’re stupid.”
“I am. I let you talk me into that Twilight marathon last Sunday. Clearly a mistake.”

MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE QUOTE lmao. Killed me when I read it.^^^ Also, I had way too much fun looking through twilight GIFs lol

I was having a bad month. I was borderline depressed. I wasn’t sleeping well and had barely any sleep. I wanted to escape reality. It. Made. Me. SMILE. And it was my rainbow on a cloudy, rainy day. I don’t care about clichés, so long as they’re done RIGHT-and these totally were. And, frankly, done better than any of the other books before it that made it ‘cliché’ to impersonate.

Beck was standing off to the side, two red plastic cups in hand. “Dead cats? You said you had a hard time talking to guys, but shit, Debbie Downer, I had no idea.”

One of my recurring thoughts throughout this book was ‘I want this relationship’. It was just too cute and there was no screwing around with other girls/guys like in other books I won’t mention *Cough* How to Date a Douchebag *Cough*. Yeah. Whoops. This was a sexy read without the smut and it never became all about sex-they were best friends first and built a solid relationship before any commitment and I really think the characters had the cutest connection because of it.

She clamped her lips as she took me in, and then she laughed. She quickly covered her mouth with her hands. “I’m sorry, now that I know you’re okay, it’s…” She laughed again, her shoulders shaking. “I’m just glad I’m not the only one to make a fool of myself when I’m drunk.”
“Fool of myself?” I pushed up to my knees and wiped gravel from my torn up palms. “What are you talking about? I’m suave as shit.”
This got another round of giggles, and she laughed so hard that she braced herself against me to keep from tipping over. That made me laugh, and then we were two idiots laughing in the middle of a parking lot, our clouded breaths filling the air around us.

Was it cheesy? Yes. But it was so cute without crossing the overly cheesy line-I hate this CHEESY line. I don’t cross it for much and this book didn’t make me. It was JUST enough-not OTT. And, more than anything, this book felt relevant unlike when a lot of authors try to recreate their youth or pretend like they know what every college student is like these days. Maybe I’m the one that’s out of touch but I felt like this book hit its mark. There were no repetitive phrases (LOATHEEEEE) like these type of stories tend to have and the dialogue melted me to my core. These two characters were beyond adorable and I couldn’t get enough of them.

I wanted to let everything spill out—how much I missed her. How I should’ve told her she was perfect and sexy and the smartest person I knew. That I was drowning without her, and for the first time in my life, I got why they called it a broken heart, because all mine did was sit in my chest and ache with each beat.

And Beck…oh man I just loved him. Yeah yeah he fell for her because of a certain something on her list (teehee) and yes they obviously had feelings for each other waaaay before they actually did anything about it, but, for whatever reason, I dug it. It just had the perfect amount of peanut butter and JELLY-ness and a touch of angst (and again, not TOO much) that really was just the cherry on top of a fun little book.

“When I look at you, you know what I see?”
I met her gaze, finding it suddenly hard to breathe.
“I see the guy who saw me when no one else did,” she said. “That’s what matters to me. That’s who you are.”

So…I’m sure many of you will dismiss this book without a second thought-but, just think, if you’re having a rough day, a dark day, a sad day…maybe a smile on your face is all you need. And if you want a smile…you want Beck. Very cute. Very sweet. Very adorable. I hope some of you will try it-I know I can’t wait to get my signed copy from Apollycon from my lovely Jen Jen!!! Eeps 😊

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REVIEW – This Heart of Mine by C.C. Hunter

REVIEW – This Heart of Mine by C.C. HunterThis Heart of Mine by C.C. Hunter
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A new heart saved her life―but will it help her find out what really happened to its donor?

C. C. Hunter's This Heart of Mine is a haunting, poignant tale about living and dying, surviving grief, guilt, and heartache, while discovering love and hope in the midst of sadness.

Seventeen-year-old Leah MacKenzie is heartless. An artificial heart in a backpack is keeping her alive. However, this route only offers her a few years. And with her rare blood type, a transplant isn’t likely. Living like you are dying isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But when a heart becomes available, she’s given a second chance at life. Except Leah discovers who the donor was ― a boy from her school ― and they’re saying he killed himself. Plagued with dreams since the transplant, she realizes she may hold the clues to what really happened.

Matt refuses to believe his twin killed himself. When Leah seeks him out, he learns they are both having similar dreams and he’s certain it means something. While unraveling the secrets of his brother’s final moments, Leah and Matt find each other, and a love they are terrified to lose. But life and even new hearts don’t come with guarantees. Who knew living, took more courage than dying?

Review:

This Heart of Mine was such a touching story.  It revolved around family, friendships, sacrifices, new beginnings, first love and so much more.  I just know that so many people are going to absolutely love this emotional story!  I wish there wasn’t a but…….but I wasn’t able to connect to any of the characters.  I tried again and again, and continually failed all the way till that very last page.  I felt so heartless, especially since I got tears in my eyes reading the author’s letter to the reader, at the end of the book.  Sigh.  So I closed the book wishing that I could have felt that same emotion towards Matt and Leah.

I grin. “If you’re Matt, I’ve wanted you to kiss me since seventh grade.”
His gaze slides lowers to my mouth and lingers. “Is your heart strong enough?”
I burst out laughing. “Are you that good of a kisser?”
“Maybe.” A smile crinkles the corners of his eyes. He leans down. His lips are against mine, soft and sweet.

Leah’s thoughts and words could be so heartbreaking.  Yes she’s pragmatic about the fact that her odds of getting a new heart are low, but it still was shocking to see how she viewed the world.  I was hoping to resonate with her realness, but hopefully others will.  And while there were some heavy moments before her heart transplant, there’s this one moment that was filled with nothing but brightness.  Leah ended up having a study session with a boy named Matt.  She’s had a crush on him forever, and after studying they shared one of the sweetest kisses.  But after that moment, they both go back to their own lives.  Leah knew she was fated to die and Matt had too many family problems at home to start a relationship with Leah.  Yet both of their lives become irrevocably changed in the near future.  

Gasping for air, the fear, the raw, ugly panic I felt in the dream, hangs on with sharp claws. My heart thuds against my rib cage. I can’t breathe. – Leah

One month later, Matt’s twin brother died and Leah, who was in desperate need of a heart transplant, received his heart.  Every one believed that Matt’s twin killed himself, but Matt believed his brother was murdered.  And after, they both started to have these dreams that ended up weaving their lives together.  So when the pieces of their dreams started to come together, they both found themselves in the middle of a huge mystery.  I’m not really a suspenseful person, but it was a fun mystery to figure out.  While I had some guesses here and there,  3/4s of the way into the story I figured out exactly what happened, and I was excited for the characters to catch up with my knowledge.

“Why would I hate you?”
She unfurls her fingers and brushes the tear away. “Because I’m alive and he’s not.”

Both Matt and Leah were definitely likeable and I enjoyed alternating between the two of them.  So I was grasping why I couldn’t connect to them.  I’m not sure if it’s because I had just finished an extremely emotional book, and I was still partially hung up on that story?  Oh, I don’t know.  But what I do know is that it made me SO sad.  This was the type of book that should have easily pulled me in and broken my heart and then mended it perfectly back together.  So while this one didn’t work for me, I’d still recommend to give it a try.  And here’s hoping you absolutely love it!

*ARC kindly provided by St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

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