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BOOK REVIEW: The Brightest Night (Origin #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

BOOK REVIEW: The Brightest Night (Origin #3) by Jennifer L. ArmentroutThe Brightest Night (Origin #3)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

He is the darkest star.
She is the burning shadow.
And together, they will bring about the brightest night.

Less than a year ago, Evelyn Dasher was a normal girl, living a safe, rather unremarkable life―a life that was a total lie. Now she’s learned the truth about who she was and what she is.

Hidden within Zone 3, she knows that if she loses control of her dangerous abilities again, she not only puts everyone in the secret community at risk, but also the beautiful, deadly inhuman Luc. He will do anything to keep her safe. Lie. Barter. Beg. Kill.

But there are truths that not even Luc can prepare for, and as Evie’s abilities evolve, the consequences of everything he’s done turn devastating.

Luc is stepping into the darkness. But Evie might already be lost to the shadows.

Review:

We just all have a little bit of a monster inside of us. How could we not when we love someone like we do?

The Brightest Night was breathtakingly emotional and beautifully captivating.  From that very first page, I was pulled right into their world and couldn’t put this book down.  Love, friendships, action, ghosts from the past, and scenes so emotional that tears poured down my face splashed across the pages.  If you’re a fan of Jennifer L Armentrout, the Lux Series or Paranormal/Sci-Fi stories then definitely add this one to your tbr!  I can’t recommend this book and series enough!

We had no idea what was going to happen from hour to hour, and I just wanted the beauty of this, of him, of us together, and there wasn’t a single thing wrong with that.

The Brightest Night started exactly where The Burning Shadow ended.  Evie and Luc were in Zone 3 with all of our favorites.  I was shocked learning the scope of what Evie was and what the Daedalas planned to do.  But I wish someone would have said, just hold on because that’s nothing.  What’s to come in this book will blow your mind!  I gasped multiple times, screamed NO so loud I woke up my husband and even stared at a wall because I couldn’t believe something happened.  Many truths come to pass, and each one rocked me more than the previous one.  The way this book unfolded was absolutely brilliant!

“Well, that’s kind of offensive. I’m totally trustworthy,” Luc argued. “And I give great gifts.”
Daemon crossed his arms. “You once tried to gift Kat and me a llama because, according to you and literally no one else, they’d make a great family pet for a baby.”
What?
Luc’s smile turned thoughtful. “They will protect a herd—”
“A lone child is not a herd, Luc,” Daemon sighed.

At the core of this story is Luc, Evie and so many people errr Aliens, Hybrids and Origins whom we love from not only this series, but The Lux Series too.  The happy moments had me flying so high.  I loved watching their lives unfold, catching up with everyone and I laughed more times than I can count.  I even had happy tears over some of their moments together.  They felt like a big family that would pull together at times for one another.  It all warmed my heart.  And yes we even got to hear more of Luc’s fabulous cheesy pick-up lines ha!  But I’m thankful for all of these happy moments, because there were also ones that shattered my heart.

I was something they thought they could use to take over the world, then why couldn’t I be used to fight back?

I couldn’t shake this feeling that I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.  So I was extremely nervous for Evie at times.  I was terrified how her power would affect her, but I loved watching her grow in leaps and bounds.  I was so proud of Evie for learning more about herself, her abilities and even how she interacted with Luc.  She was someone I respected and could look up to.  It became even more obvious how she had captured Luc’s heart so easily.

“I loved you before I even knew what that meant, and I loved you even when you were gone, and I loved you when you became someone else,” he said— pleaded, really. “And I fell even more in love with you when you walked through the doors of Foretoken. I’ve never stopped loving you. I never will.”

Luc was the ultimate book boyfriend!  He was fierce, deadly, and would do whatever it took to protect those he loves.  There’s literally nothing he won’t do to protect Evie.  But on the other side, he could be so calm and collected with her.  His patience, gentleness, and the amount of affection and love he showed her melted my heart.  Luc was sexy, intense, passionate and most definitely sigh worthy.  And when he was with Evie, they felt like the ultimate power couple.  I loved how they talked and confided with each other.  It felt like even if the world was falling apart around them, they would still be standing by each other’s side.

His forehead pressed to mine. “I need to forget that we’re both stained with your blood.”
Closing my eyes on a shuddering breath, I cupped his cheeks. “You have me.”
Luc kissed me, and there was nothing slow or tentative about the way his mouth moved or how his lips parted mine. The kiss deepened, and there was an edge of desperation to it, a hint of lingering fear.

I can’t say more than what I have, but just know that The Brightest Night will keep readers hooked and has a heart stopping ending!  That ending was powerful and shook me to my core!  So if you love fierce and loyal characters, a story line that has tons of heart, and moments that will make you laugh, smile and cry, then you definitely need to pick up this series.  Now I’m patiently waiting until we can see how the series ends with the next book!  I can’t wait!

He pulled out a sour apple Blow Pop. “The Daedalus have more like her, and when they decide to break up this little militia you have going on here, even someone who isn’t particularly intelligent would know what a good idea it would be to have her on their side.”
The world just stopped spinning on its axis. Pigs were flying. Santa was real. Hell had even frozen over.

PS I love Grayson’s love of blow pops!

Love was the thunder in our hearts, the lightning in our veins, and it was what kept us together where we landed, even after our skin had begun to cool and our breaths had slowed.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)


The Darkest Star #1
Reviews:

Jen
 
The Burning Shadow   #2
Reviews:

Jen

The Brightest Night
   #3
Reviews:

Jen

BOOK REVIEW: Not My Romeo (The Game Changers #1) by Ilsa Madden-Mills

BOOK REVIEW: Not My Romeo (The Game Changers #1) by Ilsa Madden-MillsNot My Romeo (The Game Changers #1)
by Ilsa Madden-Mills
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills delivers a smart and sexy contemporary romance about a smoking-hot professional football player and the small-town girl he can’t resist.

We start off with a lie on Valentine’s Day.

My blind date isn’t the studious guy I expected: he’s a drop-dead gorgeous player with sinful amber eyes. Somehow we end up at his penthouse. I blame the gin and tonic.

The next day I learn he’s Jack Hawke—bad-boy professional quarterback with a murky past. The NDA he has me sign should be a warning that he isn’t a regular person. Please. I sign it Juliet Capulet, so goodbye, famous football player with abs of steel, and good luck tracking down this small-town librarian.

But Jack keeps showing up in places I least expect him. Just when I’m sure he’s gone, he waltzes into my community theater and wins the part of Romeo to my Juliet. How’s a plain, mostly innocent girl like me supposed to resist a man like him?

Is Jack my real Romeo…or will this gorgeous football player only break my heart?

Review:

Not My Romeo was fun, flirty and smile inducing.  I was absolutely giddy with how this story played out, I fell hard for the characters, and I devoured this book way too fast.  If you’re looking for a romance story that has a lot of heart and steam, then definitely check this one out!  I can’t recommend it enough!

What kind of person pretends to be someone else’s date?
Who exactly did I have sex with?

It was a case of mistaken identity, that turned hilarious, and I was pulled right into the story.  Elena was at a restaurant, looking for her weatherman blind date.  Jack thought she was the blogger his PR guy had mentioned.  One thing led to another and after a wild and sexy night together, the truth came out.  Neither of them expected to run into the other so quickly afterwards, but fate had other plans.  Again and again.   This story brought me so much joy and I found myself hanging onto every single word, waiting to see what happened next.

I want him to lose control with me, to think back on this and wish he had me forever.

Elena was someone I adored and she was so easy to relate to…..I mention the quarter inch in my height and randomly use the phrase throat punch too lol.  I loved her voice, her take charge quirky attitude, and she felt like someone I’d known for years.  Elena was a librarian in a small town, and her pet pig, family and friends meant everything to her.  But she had this other side to her, which not everyone knew about.  Elena designed beautiful, one of a kind lingerie.  And she had no problem throwing a remark out there about her vibrator lol.  But from the first day Elena met Jack, it set her on a different path and completely shook up her quiet, small town life.

I gaze down at her, laughing more, then sobering as emotion claws at me, soft yet somehow terrifying as it tiptoes its way inside my chest. A knot forms in my stomach, and I can’t seem to take a breath, and it has nothing to do with running.
It’s the girl in my arms who’s got me freaked out.

Jack Hawke was a famous football player who had a bad rap.  But tortured didn’t even begin to describe Jack.  People used him, few could be trusted and his past and childhood made my heart hurt.  So I was rooting for him every step of the way.  I was hoping he would be brave when it came to trusting others.  But even though Jack was jaded, he was so thoughtful.  Not only for everyday things, but in the bedroom too, sigh.  Jack reeled me right in and was the ultimate book boyfriend!

I close my eyes, holding him. Does he feel this too? How good we are?
You’re mine, he said.
But . . .
For how long?

When Jack and Elena were near each other, I loved how easily they connected and talked.  But I also loved that their chemistry was instantaneous.  It was scorching hot.  The details when they were together made my heart race faster.  But underneath that heat was an emotional story, one that made me have tears in my eyes. This book had the best of both worlds and it included a cast of characters that warmed their way into my heart.  From Topher, to her little pig Romeo, to Devon, Aunt Clara and even Giselle, there was so much heart in these pages!

I walked out.
And he didn’t follow.
Right.

Not My Romeo was a sexy, feel good story that I absolutely loved.  There were so many laugh out loud moments, and I loved how there was also a deeper emotional side too.  If you love epilogues and HEA, this book will make your heart soar.  So if you’re looking for a romance book to pick up, definitely check this one out!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: The Other Side of the Sky (The Other Side of the Sky #1) by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner

BOOK REVIEW: The Other Side of the Sky (The Other Side of the Sky #1) by Amie Kaufman, Meagan SpoonerThe Other Side of the Sky (The Other Side of the Sky #1)
by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author duo Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner have crafted a gripping tale of magic and logic, fate and choice, and a deadly love. Perfect for fans of Laini Taylor and Brandon Sanderson.

Prince North’s home is in the sky, in a gleaming city held aloft by intricate engines, powered by technology. Nimh is the living goddess of her people on the Surface, responsible for providing answers, direction—hope.

North’s and Nimh’s lives are entwined—though their hearts can never be. Linked by a terrifying prophecy and caught between duty and fate, they must choose between saving their people or succumbing to the bond that is forbidden between them.

Review

As soon as I saw that Kaufman and Spooner were coming out with another book/series together, you better believe I marked it as to-read/I NEED immediately and requested it as soon as I saw it pop up on Edelweiss. At this point, I’ve read just about everything by the both of them together and with other people as well. There’s something about the way they balance both memorable, heart-pounding romance AND death and destruction that really just ~gets~ me.

This one, though, was definitely one of the most unique…As the title suggests, our two main characters, North and Nihm, come from literally the opposite ends of the sky from one another. Nihm is a living goddess on earth and North is a prince in a floating land in the sky. Both as equally as important to their own people as they are to hopefully saving the entire human race.

What really got me here was the mix of fantasy and science fiction. You see, while Nihm’s people have gods and goddesses and practice magic, up above in North’s land it’s all about science. When he falls to the Surface and meets Nihm, he is skeptical for any kind of magic she uses and is constantly trying to reconcile it for some kind of advanced chemical reaction. In most books of this nature, it’s either one or the other. The people either have magic or do not or they either live in some kind of advanced futuristic setting and have this crazy gear that we could only hope to see here on earth some day. The mix of the two was so intriguing and it made for some really good points of conflict between the two.

Other than that though, I found the characters (as always with these two writers) to be extremely likable and memorable. I think I liked Nihm more just because she was so BA and cared for her people so much. That’s not to say North didn’t, I just felt like there was *more* to Nihm in this book. I really liked the romance between them too–the connection they felt. Sometimes something like that can feel too rushed or too cheesy but I thought it felt extremely real in this one. ANDDD can we just talk about the deliciousness of them not being able to touch?! I mean I did want them to be able to and for us to get a good kiss scene in this one but I think it’s almost better that they didn’t to draw it out even further?!?!?!

Finally, I am so intrigued by the prophecy and who it was really referring to and who the other cloudlander is….I of course do have a theory. 🙂 Very ready for book 2!

Huge thanks to Edelweiss and HarperTeen for allowing me to have an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest reivew!

BOOK TOUR: Playing With Fire by L.J. Shen

BOOK TOUR: Playing With Fire by L.J. ShenPlaying With Fire by L.J. Shen
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads
Synopsis:

A broken boy on the path to destruction.
A scarred girl without direction.
A love story carved in secrets, inked with pain and sealed with a lie.

Grace Shaw and West St. Claire are arctic opposites.
She is the strange girl from the food truck.
He is the mysterious underground fighter who stormed into her sleepy Texan college town on his motorcycle one day, and has been wreaking havoc since.
She is invisible to the world.
He is the town’s beloved bad boy.
She is a reject.
He is trouble.
When West thrusts himself into Grace’s quiet life, she scrambles to figure out if he is her happily-ever-after or tragic ending.
But the harder she pushes him away, the more he pulls her out of her shell.
Grace doesn’t know much about anything beyond her town’s limits, but she does know this:
She is falling in love with the hottest guy in Sheridan U.
And when you play with fire—you ought to get burned.

“A flawless story of redemption and salvation, Playing With Fire will consume you entirely.” – Amali Rose, USA Today Bestselling Author

Playing With Fire, an all-new heartbreaking and intensely beautiful small town standalone romance from USA Today bestselling author L.J. Shen is available now!

A broken boy on the path to destruction.

A scarred girl without direction.

A love story carved in secrets, inked with pain and sealed with a lie.

Grace Shaw and West St. Claire are arctic opposites.

She is the strange girl from the food truck.

He is the mysterious underground fighter who stormed into her sleepy Texan college town on his motorcycle one day, and has been wreaking havoc since.

She is invisible to the world.

He is the town’s beloved bad boy.

She is a reject.

He is trouble.

When West thrusts himself into Grace’s quiet life, she scrambles to figure out if he is her happily-ever-after or tragic ending.

But the harder she pushes him away, the more he pulls her out of her shell.

Grace doesn’t know much about anything beyond her town’s limits, but she does know this:

She is falling in love with the hottest guy in Sheridan U.

And when you play with fire—you ought to get burned.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/35scdah

Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/PWFLJShen

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3bDlzRh

Add to PLAYING WITH FIRE to Goodreads – https://bit.ly/MDVljgr

About L.J. Shen

L.J. Shen is a USA Today, Washington Post and Amazon #1 best-selling author of contemporary, New Adult and YA romance. Her books have been sold to twenty different countries. 

She lives in California with her husband, son, cat and eccentric fashion choices, and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows and catching sun rays with her lazy cat.

Connect with L.J. Shen

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2OhSvp1

Twitter: http://bit.ly/36ELHZc

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Website: http://www.authorljshen.com/

BOOK REVIEW: Lies & Lullabies (Hush Note #1) by Sarina Bowen

BOOK REVIEW: Lies & Lullabies (Hush Note #1) by Sarina BowenLies & Lullabies (Hush Note #1)
by Sarina Bowen
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Summer nights and star-crossed lovers! From USA Today bestselling author Sarina Bowen.

Once upon a time, he gave me a summer of friendship, followed by one perfect night. We shared a lot during our short time together. But he skipped a few crucial details.

I didn’t know he was a rock star.

I didn’t know his real name.

Neither of us knew I’d get pregnant.

And I sure never expected to see him again.

Five years later, his tour bus pulls up in Nest Lake, Maine. My little world is about to be shattered by loud music and the pounding of my own foolish heart.

Review

I’m not gonna lie, I tend to avoid the rock star trope because that scene really isn’t my type of thing. I do however, love anything and everything that Bowen writes so I figured why not give this a chance. Just like with all of her other books, the characters are what truly draw you in. Jonas and Kira are no different. Jonas meets Kira when he decides to take a summer away from it all in quiet Nest Lake, Maine. He gives her a different name, John, to keep some anonymity and they bond over her cooking. While the two try their best to keep it to a friendship (he having just gotten out of a toxic relationship and she having gone through a rape) we all know how the story goes….

Five years later he’s back, not even expecting to see Kira again and gets the surprise of a lifetime.
Let me tell you, it is so funny to me the kinds of stories you grow to like and dislike based on what season of life you are in. I used to never like any romances that had an unexpected pregnancy or child involved but here we are now, with two kids of my own, totally being fine with both of those things. This hasn’t been the first book I’ve read where the Hero leaves and comes back years later only to find out they’ve left behind not only their Heroine, but a baby besides. Sometimes it’s a pretty unbelievable situation that pisses me off but honestly that wasn’t really the case with this one. With Jonas being a rock star and with the things Kira had gone through in her past (and him not returning her letter) I don’t find it hard to believe that she had kept things quiet about Vivi. Is it incredibly sad that Jonas missed out on FIVE years of her life? Extremely. But that’s how things went and as we all know, we can’t turn back time.

I liked the flashbacks of Jonas and Kira meeting, getting to know each other, and the making of Vivi (lolllllll). I liked how simply they knit themselves back together and how quickly Jonas took to having a daughter even though he initially was thinking he was not father material. While this isn’t a TOP favorite of Bowen’s, I did thoroughly enjoy and sped through it in a few days. Her writing is just one of those comfortable things at this point that makes me happy and it was exactly what I needed!

P.S….I NEED to know more about Nixon…..
Huge thanks to Tuxbury Publishing LLC for the chance to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion! ♥

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