Category: Review (Page 192 of 297)

BOOK REVIEW: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

August 17, 2016 / Chelsea / 12 Comments

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

I. Am. DONE.

I do NOT like books that manipulate me. I do NOT like authors who think it teaches life lessons by making everything literally the WORST scenario possible. I do NOT like books that I endorse, tell 100 people to read (when I’m at 47%) because it was so amazing-wonderful-addicting-beautiful, and then have to eat crow because a million dreadful things have to happen to get to the fucking point.

And for those who ADORED this book, do NOT come at me and tell me I am wrong, didn’t understand the message, whatever. I do NOT like being manipulated (SEE ABOVE) when I was already okay with how things would eventually turn out. I didn’t need five more fucking stabs in the stomach to get the fucking message.

For those who keep talking about all their feelings and how they are having trouble writing a review because of all their feeeeeelings…that’s manipulation you’re feeling, people. And I am so mad I don’t care who I’m offending. I loved the idea behind this book. I did. And even though I felt so much love in one way, I was okay with the devastation everyone spoke of. But then-All. That.

SHIT.

I will never forgive Hoover for this. Ever. I think I am FINALLY done this time. I am ALWAYS the black sheep on her books…and I have no fucking clue why I keep coming back for more. Probably because I loved Miles (THE ONLY BOOK I’VE EVER LOVED BY HER, making me the opposite of everyone, yet again) so much and want another win…but there’s only so much bullshit I can ingest per author and she might have just met her quota.

And it’s this author’s twisted sense of life lessons we need to learn. Oh, and PS, I LOVED BOTH GUYS SO MUCH IT HURTS-so don’t even try that one on me.

Sorry, guys. I slept on it, and I was even madder today. And I assume my attitude concerning this novel will only get worse, so it’s best I post today and let it be.

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BOOK REVIEW: A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) by Sabaa Tahir

August 9, 2016 / Chelsea / 6 Comments

A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2)
by Sabaa Tahir
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
A Torch Against the Night takes readers into the heart of the Empire as Laia and Elias fight their way north to liberate Laia’s brother from the horrors of Kauf Prison. Hunted by Empire soldiers, manipulated by the Commandant, and haunted by their pasts, Laia and Elias must outfox their enemies and confront the treacherousness of their own hearts.

In the city of Serra, Helene Aquilla finds herself bound to the will of the Empire’s twisted new leader, Marcus. When her loyalty is questioned, Helene finds herself taking on a mission to prove herself—a mission that might destroy her, instead.

…“We should talk about it.”

Oh skies. “Talk about what?”
“Whatever it is that’s bothering you. I can take a guess, but it might be better if you tell me.”
“You want to talk now? After weeks of not even looking at me?”
“I look at you.” His response is swift, his voice low. “Even when I shouldn’t.”

So…this might be the hardest review I’ll ever have to write. It’s never easy when something lets you down so harshly that you actually want to throw the book across the room. Even harder is when, surrounding those two or three moments that wreck your whole reading experience, everything you could ever ask for is happening. So why the low rating on a series that I never thought I’d ever be able to rate below a 5? Honestly, it’s simple: A couple of my biggest pet peeves happened…and even though I told myself it didn’t bother me afterwards when things were ‘rectified’, days after I find these events still haunt me and were so out of character that I can’t be bothered to give back that fourth star.

“She told me I hurt people,” I blurt out as we huddle together. “I let them get hurt.”
“Who told you that?”
“I’m going to hurt you,” I say. “I hurt everyone.”

I feel it necessary to say up front that, for those of you who worship-adore-admire-obsess-LOVE Elias, he never ONCE breaks character. He is still the most self-sacrificing, amazing, beautiful, tortured guy that we met in book one, and I truly thought this book was off to an epic start. There wasn’t a moment I didn’t clutch my heart and sigh when he was on the page. Not one single event did I feel disappointed by the boy who wanted more for himself than to be a slave of an empire forged by blood, violence, and brutality. He is still that man, and he honors every vow from book one…and he only has eyes for Laia (SERIOUSLY-I wouldn’t have thought this was huge, but boy was I wrong) even as he longs for the lost friendship of his dear life-long friend, Helene.

Right now, all I want is for that loneliness to fade-even if it’s for a moment. So I do what Darin used to when he wanted to cheer me up, and I make an absurd face.
Elias stares at me in surprise before cracking a grin that lights him up-and then he makes a ridiculous face of his own.

I LOATHE being misled. I do NOT like being led to believe that things are one way and then, in the next instant, we are thrown a totally opposite direction ‘just because’. I don’t buy that. I don’t accept that. I. Don’t. Like. BULLSHIT. So when I am fed complete and utter bullshit that shatters every wonderful thing the story has built up, you might say I get a little angry. In fact, you could say I was fucking furious. My number one pet peeve people…oh boy did it happen. And oh boy did it happen nonchalantly and out of left field.

“What about Elias? You’re always staring at him.”
“I am not-“
“Not that I blame you,” Afya continues as if I haven’t spoken, casting an appraising eye back at Elias. “Those cheekbones-skies.” My skin prickles, and I cross my arms, frowning.
“Ah.” Afya flashes her wolfish smile. “Possessive, are we?”

If any of you wanted to avoid a love triangle-whether this is legitimate in the end is beside the point-then perhaps you should pretend book one was a standalone as it was intended to be and give your heart a break. Not once did I lose faith in my dear Elias or Laia. I mean, for fuck’s sake they were traveling together 24/7 and making damn moony eyes at one another every fucking night. So when my least favorite bastard from book one showed up and ‘swept’ our Laia away with his beautiful mane of red hair *gag-seriously* and dark eyes, I was pretty confident his ass had no chance. *snorts* Yeah. Right.

I’m not going to give anything away. I feel like that’s wrong and everyone needs to make their own decision. Because, frankly, if Penguin messaged right now and offered me a copy of book three (As they did for two (though this review is ruining any chance for that)) to read immediately, I wouldn’t hesitate. In fact, if I had to BUY book three, I’d do it. I adore Elias and these stories, despite the crow I ate, the bull shit I ingested-They are extremely well written, vivid, imaginative, and without a doubt some of the best story-telling I’ve ever had the opportunity to read. So no, I would NEVER stop reading about my Elias nor would I give up on his journey or his quest to make Laia happy. But it also doesn’t change the fact that I have a right to be upset, hurt, and disappointed by about 5% of this story. It broke my heart and I doubt I’ll ever get past it.

“Your emotions make you human,” Elias says. “Even the unpleasant ones have a purpose. Don’t lock them away. If you ignore them, they just get louder and angrier.”

Oh fuck it, here is PART of why I’m upset-perhaps THE WHOLE REASON I’m upset….who knows- (view spoiler) And that’s maybe 1/8 of the part and 1/8 of WHY the thing I mentioned is happening and I refuse to tell you the catalyst of my ire. Maybe when the book is released I will, but for now, I am staying mum.

Let him think he’s cowed me. Let him think he’s won. Soon, he’ll realize his mistake: He vowed to play fair.
But I didn’t.

-Helene

So. Yeah. I’m fiercely protective of my BBFs, especially Elias. He holds a special place in my heart that hasn’t ceased since I met him last year. He is just everything I could ever ask for in a book guy. As for the rest of the characters, I really did still like them. I feel as though the lines are blurred at this point, though, because my heart is just still in shreds. I love the violence of Marcus, the cunning (and mercy) of Helene, the heart of Elias, the loyalty of Izzi and Cook, the poisonous personality of the Commandment, the determination of Laia (even though I’ve got my eye on her, now), and the passion of Dex and Farrus (notice I did NOT say Keenan-he was ALWAYS someone I was disinterested in). Nothing changed there. Nothing at all. I still love the beauty behind each character’s struggle and what they go through every day to become who they are. Add the story and you really did have a 4-5 star book.

Laia is curled in a ball on the other, one hand on her armlet, fast asleep.
“You are my temple,” I murmur as I kneel beside her. “You are my priest. You are my prayer. You are my release.” Grandfather would scowl at me for sullying his beloved mantra so. But I think I prefer it this way.

But add in my personal issues (DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT-right or wrong I give no fucks) and a new, hmm, otherworldly….umm…thing….and it isn’t without its flaws. I never cared about that until paired with those things that bothered me. And Laia’s new ‘ability’. It’s cool, but I don’t know how I feel about it. So, the otherworldly vibe on top of the new ability….it definitely made me a tad incredulous, despite how cool it might have been had I not been a pissy pink elephant.

I think if I had loved this and my heart hadn’t been broken I’d still keep going. But, as it is, I think I’ll stop. I both loved and hated this book, so I refuse to continue the negativity. See, look:

The first half- 5 stars
The event– 1 star
The last 20% (maybe more, I forget when anger happened)-5 stars
Battles-5 stars
Brutality- 5 stars
Violence- 5 stars
ELIAS-1 BILLION STARS

See? SO much love…all tainted with that horrid taste in my mouth. I love desperation. I love torture and brutality and pushing away the person you might love to keep their heart safe, I love dystopian through and through, and this series is all of those things for me. So I am going to suck it up, love the fact that I was chosen to get this book before anyone else, cherish it and squeeze it and snuggle it and remember every amazing moment (with or without Elias (but mostly with)). I may have been disappointed at one point, but it doesn’t take away from all the love and enjoyment and giddiness I experienced throughout. I literally gasped out loud at some plot twists, laughed, cried, and got so angry I wanted to rip the book in half. In the end, I consider that a win…..even with the debacle. And yes, I mentioned that about a million times-that’s how mad I am that it tainted my enjoyment.

“Laia. The Scholar girl. Another ember waiting to burn the world down,” she says. “Will you hurt her, too?”
“Never.”

***********************************

Alright so, I don’t know what to say. I am SO conflicted about this story. It didn’t even get close to holding a candle to book one, in my opinion, and while the first 50% was a 5 star, things happened that I find wholly unforgivable. So unforgivable, in fact, that I almost rated this a three. But, as it is-and always will be-I am so in love with Elias I can’t bear to give this a three because of some dumb bitch of an MC (okay I tried to sleep on it but clearly I’m not cooled off). I will always love Laia…but she hit my protective bitch BBF switch in the matter of an instant…and I can’t see past it.

As for the rest of the story-Very dark and without remorse (which I love). And it even was mostly a five. But sometimes things just don’t go as they should and have an adverse effect that isn’t what the author intended. In my particular case, it was revulsion. I don’t like eating crow…and I feel like I had to. So. There’s that.

Not a favorite, but I didn’t hate it either. I loved so many parts of this story, and I will always love Elias..but there are so many things I can’t overlook to make this a 5. Plus-So much traveling. Sigh.

RTC.

************

So…yeah. This just happened.

My life=Complete.

#DYING.

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BOOK REVIEW – Xenophobia by S.B. Roozenboom

August 8, 2016 / Jen / 4 Comments

Xenophobia by S.B. Roozenboom
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
It's been two centuries since the Telumiras arrived and settled on Earth, changing everything including the genetic makeup of humans.

Living in the section of land occupied by her own kind, Ness Kimler tries to be a normal teenager, worrying about her career and finding a mate, questions to be answered at her upcoming graduation.

But before that happens, Ness accidentally crosses the Great Fence separating humans and Telumiras. For 200 years, the barrier has been in place, preserving the peace on a planet divided between two species.

What she finds is that the Fence isn't just about keeping the aliens in; it's about keeping the humans out.

And Ness Kimler just broke the rules.

Review:

Xenophobia quickly pulled me in and before I knew it, l was completely addicted to this story. In that first chapter alone, I already felt connected to our heroine, Ness. Her voice was honest, captivating and watching her struggle had me curious where this book was headed. You see, Ness was a little bit different then her peers. Ever since the aliens came, humans changed. They have cryptosyms on their skin, which are markings that are meant to help you find the best possible path in your life. They tell you what career, mate, number of children etc, would be the best fit for you. Yet Ness’ markings aren’t easily deciphered like her classmates, and I was more than intrigued to find out why.

Enormous, twisting trees towered behind the Fence, evidence of ***them*. Evidence that humans were no longer the only dominant species. Earth was no longer our world.
The aliens now called it home, too.**

The world that was described, and the lifestyle that Ness lived, was fascinating and so unique to me. I loved being in this world! We slowly got immersed while following Ness throughout the day. Which sounds simple enough, until she arrives at home. She lives with her Aunt, and because of what they can afford, they live closest to the border of where the humans and aliens are separated from one another. Personally, I’d be terrified to live so close to the border because of the descriptions of the some of the creatures that sneak into the human side *shudders*. But living in that close proximity is about to completely flip Ness’ life upside down.

***Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God*. I lowered myself closer to the dirt, but even the surrounding foliage couldn’t hide all of me.
It eyes stopped on my silver boots sticking out, tracing them up to my dress, my arms.
We locked eyes.**

Everything that happens, leads Ness to meeting Tevire. And let me hang my head in shame because I didn’t know if I could fall for him in the first few seconds we met him. Yes he’s an alien, and although he looks awfully human, he has many characteristics that make him different. His speech, hair, eyes, nose and the shocker for me was that he even had a tail. But you know what? Tevire slowly seeped into my heart and I found myself completely falling for him. Watching him interact with Ness showed who he truly was. He was selfless. He was protective. He had a sense of humor. He was so many amazing things wrapped up into one beautiful being. But my favorite aspect about him? The things Tevire did to protect Ness was gut wrenching, sweaty palm inducing and entirely swoon worthy.

No one has ever had this kind of chance.

Although Ness and Tevire had a rocky start, I loved how they slowly but steadily morphed into a true friendship. It was such a natural progression. But the more they spent around one another, the chemistry between them seemed to grow hotter and hotter. It got to the point where I wanted to beg them to act on it. I guess you’ll just have to see what happens, since I don’t want to say anything other than they were so much fun to watch.

Xenophobia is truly a hidden gem! There is so much more that I want to talk about, especially with how the story progresses. But this is one of those books where you’re going to want to discover this world by yourself. Xenophobia was such a fun, unique read and I can’t wait to see where this series goes. I will definitely be picking up this authors other books!

*ARC kindly provided by S.B. Roozenboom in exchange for an honest review*

BOOK REVIEW: To Have and to Hold (The Wedding Belles #1) by Lauren Layne

July 28, 2016 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

To Have and to Hold (The Wedding Belles #1)
by Lauren Layne
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
USA TODAY bestselling author Lauren Layne is the “queen of witty dialogue and sexy scenes” (Rachel Van Dyken)! Now, Sex and the City meets The Wedding Planner in The Wedding Belles, her sizzling brand new contemporary romance series about three ambitious wedding planners who can make any bride’s dream come true... but their own.

Discovering her fiance is an international con man just moments before they exchange vows devastates celebrity wedding planner Brooke Baldwin's business—and breaks her heart. Now a pariah in Los Angeles, she seeks a fresh start in New York City and thinks she’s found it with her first bridal client, a sweet—if slightly spoiled—hotel heiress. Then she meets the uptight businessman who’s holding the purse strings.

Seth Tyler wishes he could write a blank check and be done with his sister Maya's fancy-pants wedding. Unfortunately, micromanaging the event is his only chance at proving Maya’s fiance is a liar. Standing directly in his way is the stunning blonde wedding planner whose practiced smiles and sassy comebacks both irritate and arouse him. He needs Brooke’s help. But can he persuade a wedding planner on a comeback mission to unplan a wedding? And more importantly, how will he convince her that the wedding she should be planning... is theirs?

Seth linked his fingers in hers. “Take me home, Baldwin.”
She laughed. “You know, for such a rich, savvy guy, you can be a total dork.”
“I like to think it reveals my vulnerable side.”
She glanced up at him suspiciously. “Do you have a vulnerable side?”
“I do. Her name is Brooke.”

Alright. So. I don’t think this will be very long because, as everyone around me knows, I hate bashing my favorite authors, especially one where this is the only book in existence I really don’t like by them. Unless something big happens that really sets me off or the book is just offensive on too many fronts, I don’t relish writing negative or down-trodden reviews. They’re depressing, they’re bleak, and they aren’t actually all that constructive.

But I’m sure all my friends who know I adore LL are wondering why this one didn’t work for me. And the answer is really simple: I did love the male lead, but everyone else was like a paper character in a paper play in a city made of, you guessed it, paper. Had this been….more…I doubt I would have felt disinterest for it. But, as it is, all I could think about was getting on to my next book, and, frankly, that’s a re-read….which doesn’t bode well for my attachment to this story.

“Brooke.”
She paused and looked at him, exasperated. “What?”
“Stay out of my way,” he repeated.
“Under one condition,” she said with a wide, fake smile.
He narrowed his eyes and waited.
“I’ll stay out of your way, big brother”—Brooke reached a hand up to his cheek, patted it with a condescending familiarity—“if you stay out of mine.”

Seth was, and always will be, the star of this story. He was the reason I didn’t DNF, he is the reason I still smiled and sighed and, in the end, was a gooey mess of ‘please love me, not her.’ I am extremely loyal to the men I fall in love with, even more so when they steal my heart completely. I can’t say Seth was my favorite LL character (I think that prize belongs to my baby Mitchell), but he was damn vulnerable, sweet, sexy, and powerful….He was a win in all the ways that mattered and I felt so bad this was his story-He deserved so much more, in my opinion.

Objectively, he was aware that he’d known this woman for a little over a month. It was far too soon to start thinking of them as a unit—to start thinking of her as his. And yet, he also knew down to the quietest, most secret part of his soul that she was his. And he was hers.
And that they would fix whatever had broken inside her.

And when his morals started coming into question, it really fucking pissed me off. I get it-we have to have the inevitable falling apart near the end so it can be swept up and made adorable-I get it. I even love this in LL’s, I really do. But what I can’t get over is how he was looked at, portrayed, and betrayed by those he loves most (aside from his sister, who, I thought would be the biggest issue but was, in fact, the least annoying side character) when he was just trying to help in the only way he knows how. SO, yeah, he wasn’t perfect and he makes mistakes-But the way he was treated….my BBF claws came out and I was ready to tear some people a new A-hole.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her slide her phone into her bag, and was surprised when she shifted her body around to face him. She didn’t even try to hide the fact that she was studying him. He half expected her to start jotting notes about him in her little book.
Uptight.
Control freak.
Unlikable.

And then I guess to wrap this up I need to address the heroine and her new cronies (aka, the wannabe Stiletto squad). I liked Brooke-a lot. But I feel like she was very…me me me. And while with most lead MCs this doesn’t bother me when they are like this, she did. For whatever reason, when she would flub up, I didn’t find it endearing-like I usually do-so much as obnoxious or eye-roll worthy. She was the sweetest chick and I was rooting for her, but when she causes problem after problem for literally no other reason than she’s scared, I can’t help but to get annoyed.

And as for her friends….I might have dozed off a bit as my mind began to wonder into la-la land when they were present. Never have I cared less about LL side characters…and GOD does that fucking suck. I don’t know what to say about them other than they are the first side kicks that I didn’t connect with. Maya, Seth’s sister, yes-I loved. Grant, Seth’s best friend-yes, he was okay, until the end in which I might have ripped his balls off with said BBF claws. But the Wedding Belle’s I was just talking about?? *Snooooooooooreeeeeee*

“There is no after dinner. It’s a business meeting.”
“Poor Brooke,” Maya said, patting Brooke’s hand. “I don’t think you realize just how much trouble you’re in.”
“How so?”
“Let’s just say when my brother wants something, he gets it. Always.”

So, ouch, that hurt. It did. But I think I’m at the point where if no one reads this other than myself (over and over and over again to edit and re edit), that’s okay with me. But, if by some small chance a new friend or someone who believes what I say on a regular basis looks to this review for candid advice, I can’t lie and pretend like it was okay-Because it wasn’t. If I can steer someone to literally any other LL book or series for their first endeavor, I will do everything in my power to do so. This author rocks and I adore her, so I’m extremely disappointed that I’m not liking where this series is going. I have 5 starred almost every single book she’s written, aside from a couple 4/4.5 stars, and that’s astronomical. This is my first full-length novel by her I’ve rated below a four…and it’s not a feeling I’m familiar with. I hope that you’ll see past my distance towards this book and look to what I’ve really been trying to say here: This may have been a miss, but there literally isn’t another one of her books I think negatively of. Go find them-and enjoy.

******************

Well…definitely not what I had hoped for. It was up and down, repetitive, and, most importantly, I was bored (a lot). As usual, the male lead was the star of the show and he had me smiling so big more often than not. In the end, I was a gooey emotional mess, choking on butterflies, and utterly won over….but, at that point, it was too little too late.

Some of the characters felt underdeveloped and it felt like a sad imitation of the Stiletto girls. I think I was most disappointed because this had so many perfect, wonderful developments that could have made this a five star, easily. I just hate in books when something happens and everyone reacts and blames [and gangs up on] the male lead and UGH I just HATE it. This put the final nail in the three star coffin for me. I don’t know.

Anyway, I’ll write a review, but it might be a couple days because I have so little time these days…and this just kills me to rate this so low.

RTC

BOOK REVIEW: Ninth Key (The Mediator #2) by Meg Cabot

July 27, 2016 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Ninth Key (The Mediator #2)
by Meg Cabot
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Ghosts ruin everything. Especially your love life.

Everything is going great for Suze. Her new life in California is a whirlwind of parties and excellent hair days. Tad Beaumont, the hottest boy in town, has even asked Suze out on her very first date. Suze is so excited that she's willing to ignore her misgivings about Tad... particularly the fact that he's not Jesse, whose ghostly status - not to mention apparent disinterest in her - make him unattainable.

What Suze can't ignore, however, is the ghost of a murdered woman whose death seems directly connected to dark secrets hidden in none other than Tad Beaumont's past.

“You can’t tell me you’ve liked being trapped in this room for a hundred and fifty years.”
“It hasn’t been all bad,” he said, with a smile. “Things have picked up recently.”

Okayyyy sooooo I wasn’t gong to write a review today, but it’s going to be a long weekend (WOOT! Bring it on 4th of July!) and I know I will finish at LEAST one book and will need to post about it Tuesday-So I’d rather not get backlogged. Plus-Any chance I get to boast about my Jesse and Suze addiction to get people aware of it again, I’m going to do it.

This is a series, I’m finding, that not only I liked, but many many of my friends did, too. Turns out? I wasn’t the only pre-teen laying in my bedroom binge-reading this series and pining about Jesse like I thought I was….no wonder she is so popular. Go figure. It’s so fun to talk to all you guys about how much we loved this and why it’s still great, so that’s why I feel the need to talk about each and every installment, no matter which are my favorite and which are just plain awesome (Pfft. They all are-even my least fav).

Jesse has those kind of eyes some guys have, the kind of sad eyes that make you think you might want to try and make them not so sad.

I must say that I enjoyed the first installment more than this one, but I remember that being the case years and years ago when I first picked these up. I loved Suze’s voice, again, and loved Jesse even more. But, as it is, I really wanted more Jesse. lol-I couldn’t quite pinpoint why this one wasn’t my favorite years ago, but now the BBF whore in me knows exactly why. There was plenty of Jesse, really, but OMG is it too much to ask for him to be on every page? Yes? Hmm. *pouts*

“Now that,” he said, putting his hands down, “was your finest performance yet. You seemed caring, yet disgusted.”
I glared at him. “Don’t you,” I asked, grumpily, “have some chains you’re supposed to be rattling somewhere?”

I actually found this one comical in the most subtle ways-the vampire aspect, the dumb jock Suze attempts to tolerate, the references to her monster-like poison ivy hands, the step-brother dynamic, and, frankly, Jesse’s humor. I loved this book just like I knew I would, but I love that I get the depth in which all the jokes are meant to be taken. Before, yeah I laughed as a kid, but I certainly didn’t realize just how wry the humor was-I mean, so refreshing. I even had forgotten about dear old Father Dominic-he and Suze’s banter and relationship is something I had long since forgotten and I am so happy it’s all coming back to me now-even stronger than before.

“A mediator is someone who helps others resolve conflicts. Not someone, who, er, kicks them in the face.”
I smiled at him. “I’ll keep that in mind,” I said.
And I would, too. Right after I kicked Red’s butt.
Whoever he was.

So, yeah. I could go on and on about how happy these books make me, but I know for a fact they get better and better and Jesse’s jealousy gets stronger and stronger….What’s not to fall for?? So, with that being said, I think I’m going to leave the review here and wish everyone a happy holiday weekend. I wanted to pick the third up over the weekend after my fantasy, but I got granted an AMAZING ARC I did not expect to get, so I will probably pick it up first. But if I’m being honest? I already miss these guys. I have NO clue what the hell I’m going to do when I am done with these all over again. Probably cry. Yeah. Sounds about right.

***********

Ahhh this series will NEVER get old. Never. What a refreshing reassurance. Jesse will literally never bore me….I guess that means I can re-read these yet again when I’m older. 😛