Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout (Page 8 of 13)

BOOK REVIEW + INTERVIEW + GIVEAWAY – Fire in You (Wait for You #6) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (J. Lynn )

November 24, 2016 / Jen / 8 Comments

I am so ecstatic to be on this tour, because I fell deeply in love with Fire In You! It was the perfect conclusion to the Wait For You Series! My 5 Star Review is below along with an interview I got to do with Jennifer Armentrout, there’s a beautiful trailer to watch for the book and you will definitely want to enter the amazing giveaway! Enjoy!

BOOK REVIEW + INTERVIEW + GIVEAWAY – Fire in You (Wait for You #6) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (J. Lynn )

Fire in You (Wait for You #6)
by J. Lynn, Jennifer L. Armentrout
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
From the # 1 New York Times and International bestselling author, Jennifer L. Armentrout writing as J. Lynn, comes a richly moving story about heartbreak and guilt, second chances and hope. Full of familiar, fan-favorite characters and no two people more deserving of a happy ending, Fire In You will burn bright beyond the last page…

Jillian Lima’s whole world was destroyed in a span of a few hours. The same night her childhood love, Brock ‘the Beast’ Mitchell, broke her heart, her life was irrevocably altered by the hand of a stranger with a gun. It takes six years to slowly glue together the shattered pieces of her life, but Jillian is finally ready to stop existing in a past full of pain and regret. She takes a job at her father’s martial arts Academy and she’s going out on her first date since a failed relationship that was more yuck than yum. Jillian is determined to start living.

She just never expected Brock to be a part of her life again. But he’s firmly back in her life before she knows it, and not only is he older, he’s impossibly more handsome, more teasing and more everything. And when he sees Jillian, he’s no longer capable of thinking of her as the little girl who was his shadow growing up or the daughter of the man who gave him a second chance at life. He sees the woman who’d always been there for him, the one person who believed in him no matter what.

Brock knows she’s the one he should’ve made his, and what begins as a tentative friendship quickly turns to red-hot chemistry that sparks a flame that burns brighter than lust. Falling for Brock again risks more than her heart, because when the past sorrow-filled and guilt-ridden past resurfaces, and a web of lies threatens to rip them apart, the fallout could lay waste to everything they’ve fought to build together, and destroy the dreams of those they care most about.

Review:

Fire In You was the perfect conclusion to the Wait For You Series! Watching Jillian and Brock’s story unfold reminded me yet again why Jennifer Armentrout is my favorite author. You see she writes these characters that embed themselves deeply into my heart. I feel every single emotion they take on, and I become completely invested into their lives. And Brock and Jillian did just that. The chemistry between them was insanely seductive and their story continually pulled at my heartstrings. You must meet them!

I gave my heart so completely, so fully to someone else, that when my heart was broken, those pieces I’d freely given away weren’t mine any longer.
My heart wasn’t complete.

Jillian Lima has known Brock ‘the Beast’ Mitchell since she was eight years old. Her father took in a fourteen year old Brock and helped him straighten out his life. They became the best of friends, and Jillian was always Brock’s little shadow. She adored and loved him with her whole heart, until the night he shattered it and then her life was ripped apart by a gunman. We start the story six years after that horrific night, and Jillian is finally ready to start living her life again. She accepts a job at her father’s company, and even agrees to go out on a double date with Cam and Avery. BTW you get to see ALL of the people from the previous books, and yes it was beyond amazing seeing where they all were in their lives! But Jillian isn’t prepared for Brock to come back into her life. He isn’t part of her plan for living again, and she truly isn’t ready to face him or her past.

He pushed off the wall, wrapping a large hand around my arm, stopping me. “We haven’t seen each other in years and you’re just going to walk away? No hug? No ‘how have you been?’ Nothing?”
“Sounds about right.” I pulled on my arm, and after a few seconds he let go.

From the moment Brock walked back into Jillian’s life and crowded her in that hall, I was a goner. Brock makes you want to fan your face, laugh and melt into a puddle while you have a goofy grin on your face. Okay maybe that’s just me, but he’s seductive, charming and I desperately wanted him on every single page of this book. With his take charge attitude and an alpha personality he knows exactly how to push Jillian outside of her comfort zone. Especially when he would say the right things, or touch her oh so perfectly. Her traitorous body loved it, while her mind fought it. Yet Jillian isn’t the quiet little girl he once knew . She stands up for herself at times, and it impressed not only me but Brock too.

“I don’t know you anymore,” he said quietly, and when I didn’t respond— couldn’t because the statement caught me off-guard, he tipped his head back. “I know the old Jillian. Could sit here all day and tell you about her, but this Jillian? I don’t know her.” A wry grin appeared. “But I want to.”

Yet Jillian still feels hindered. She has nightmares and she’s self-conscious about the way surgery changed her features because of that night six years ago. I felt not only her frustration but her nervousness and at times her fear. I just wanted to give her a huge hug and make her understand that she was enough. To tell her to have faith in herself and see how wonderful she was. But as the story progressed, I became so proud of how much she grew. And for how much strength she found in herself.

“Please tell me I’m dreaming right now.”
“If you were dreaming , I’d hope we’d both have less clothes on.”
“What?” My jaw hit the top of the table. Was he flirting with me?

While I loved watching Jillian and Brock in the present….you have to read the restaurant scenes because I can’t stop laughing every time I think about those times…, we also got to peak into moments from their past. Whether it was a flashback to the night where everything went horrifically wrong or to a story from when they were much younger, we got to see their whole relationship. We fully understood what they meant to each other. It made perfect sense why the story proceeded in the way that it did. Oh my gosh, I could go on and on because I loved every part of this story but I’ll let you discover the rest for yourself! Just know that I laughed, I cried and I fell madly in love with Fire In You! Jillian and Brock completely captured my heart and I promise you’ll fall hard for their story too.

*ARC kindly provided by Inkslinger in exchange for an honest review*

Interview:

✮What is something that we might not know about Jillian and Brock?
Jillian has never seen Star Wars and Brock is afraid of snakes.

✮What type of scenes are your favorite to write and will we find one of those moments in the pages of Fire in You?
I love to write first kiss scenes and there is definitely a first kiss scene in Fire in You.

✮What’s your favorite quality in either Jillian or Brock?
My favorite quality in Jillian is her ability to forgive.

✮While I’m not ready to say goodbye to this series, I must know, who was the hardest character to write in the Wait for You Series?
Calla was the hardest character for me to write because she was dealing with both physical and emotional scars. It was difficult to find the perfect balance for her character in Stay With Me.

✮I always love how the characters from the previous books appear in the current book. Who will you miss writing about the most?
I’ll really miss writing all of the characters because they’re all different. I had a good time writing their characters and their stories.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

Pre-Order a digital or paperback copy of FIRE IN YOU by Jennifer L. Armentrout, writing as J.Lynn, AND fill out THIS FORM by December 3rd, and get an exclusive bonus scene-an Epilogue featuring POVs from all the major couples throughout the Wait For You World on December 5th!

FIRE IN YOU will be available in paperback and eBook November 28th, 2016!

Trailer:

Each book can be read as a standalone, but you can catch up on the rest of the series here –

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.*
Wait for You #1 Reviews: Chelsea	Trust in Me #1.5 Cam's POV-Wait for You Reviews: Jen	Be with Me #2 Reviews: Jen
Stay with Me #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Fall with Me #4 Reviews: Jen	Dream of You #4.5 Reviews: Jen
Forever with You #5 Reviews: Jen	Fire in You #6 Reviews: Jen

Follow the Tour:

November 21
The Book Bratz-Review
This Wacky Mama Reads!-Review & Excerpt
Booklovers For Life-Character Q & A-Jillian

November 22
The Reading Geek-Review
Words With Sarah-Review & Author Interview

November 23
Grown Up Book Reviews (MundieMoms)-Review
Krista’s Dust Jacket-Review & Excerpt
Oh My Growing TBR-Review & Excerpt

November 24
A Bookish Escape-Review
Star-Crossed Book Blog-Review & Author Interview

November 25
Book Bitches Blog-Review & Excerpt
The Irish Banana Reviews-Review & Author Interview

November 26
Stuck In YA Books-Review & Top 5 List
Step Into Fiction-Review & Excerpt

November 27
Less Reality, More Books-Review & Character Q & A-Kristen
My YA NA Book Obsession-Review & Author Interview

November 28
RentasticReads-Review
Stuck in Books-Dual Reviews
Mrs. Leif’s Two Fangs About It-Review
MEReadAlot-Review

November 29
Milky Way of Books-Review
Love Between the Sheets-Review & Character Q & A-Brock
Book Boyfriend Reviews-Review

November 30
The Cover Contessa-Review & Top 5 List
Deity Island-Review & Excerpt
All Romance Reviews-Review & Excerpt

December 1
Cocktails and Books-Review
Readers Live 1000 Lives-Review & Character Q & A-Avery & Cam
K-Books-Review

December 2
Tome Tender-Review & Excerpt
The Book Hookup-Review & Excerpt

December 3
Nose Stuck in a Book-Review & Excerpt
Kimberlyfaye Reads-Review & Top 5 List

Giveaway:

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About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 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. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. 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 + EXCERPT – Torn (A Wicked Trilogy #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

July 19, 2016 / Jen / 0 Comments

I loved this book! I loved these characters! Oh my gosh, I am so excited to see where this series is going to go! And in case you didn’t know, Torn is out today woohoo! I’m so grateful to have read an early copy because Torn was a solid 5 Stars! So check out my 5 Star Review below, read an excerpt that’s a scene between Ivy and someone I loathe (well for 95% of the time because clearly I have issues). I’d love to hear if you have already read the first book or are planning to read this series because I am in desperate need to talk about what happened! WOW, this book was soooo much fun!

BOOK REVIEW + EXCERPT – Torn (A Wicked Trilogy #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

BOOK REVIEW + EXCERPT – Torn (A Wicked Trilogy #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Torn (A Wicked Trilogy #2)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Torn between duty and survival, nothing can be the same.

Everything Ivy Morgan thought she knew has been turned on its head. After being betrayed and then nearly killed by the Prince of the Fae, she’s left bruised and devastated—and with an earth-shattering secret that she must keep at all costs. And if the Order finds out her secret, they’ll kill her.

Then there’s Ren Owens, the sexy, tattooed Elite member of the Order who has been sharing Ivy’s bed and claiming her heart. Their chemistry is smoking hot, but Ivy knows that Ren has always valued his duty to the Order above all else—he could never touch her if he knew the truth. That is, if he let her live at all. Yet how can she live with herself if she lies to him?

But as the Fae Prince begins to close in, intent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld, Ivy is running out of options. If she doesn’t figure out who she can trust—and fast—it’s not only her heart that will be torn apart, but civilization itself.

Review:

***Spoilers for Wicked. If you haven’t read Wicked yet, you can read my review here***

“I don’t want to die.”

Torn was an emotional ride that was filled with uncertainty and characters I absolutely loved! It was everything I was hoping the second book would be and much, much more! I was left on such a high and I truly can’t wait for the release of the next book to see what happens with characters who have easily become favorites for me. Each and every one of them has embedded themselves in my heart. Ivy is someone who makes me want to be her best friend, Ren makes me want to steal him so he could do wicked things to me and I’d love to carry Tink around in my purse all day so I could hear all of his crazy antics. And I can’t wait to see where their journey is going to go from here!

The hate building inside me burned brighter than a thousand suns, but even with that rage, I always, always felt cold. With each passing day, it was like I was filling up on the inside with ice and shadows. The only time I didn’t feel this way was when I slept.
I felt nothing then.

The horror, uncertainty and utter shock that Ivy felt upon learning that she was the halfling crippled me. I knew that she made the most sense in the back of my mind, but I was truly hoping that Val would be the halfling. Even if that wasn’t very logical. I just couldn’t believe that after she finally opened herself up to friendship and possibly love with Ren, that she was slapped right in the face. Because the man she had fallen for had been sent there to kill her.

I should’ve never gotten close to him.

While Ivy vacillated in telling Ren the truth about what she was, I completely understood her internal struggle. If she told him the truth, what would he do? Turn her in, be the one to kill her or would he just leave since history was repeating itself? It was such a hard decision, and while I started to struggle with her keeping secrets and the truth from Ren, that issue quickly disappeared in my eyes. Why? Because Torn took a dive into a dangerous, twisted area that quickly had me rooting for Ivy and being her biggest fan.

“You can fight this all you want, but I know the game and the rules,” he said , and my stomach roiled as his icy breath coasted over my cheek. “I know how this ends, little bird. And trust me, you will be consenting sooner than you realize.” – The Prince

Speaking of twisted, can I say how much I hate the Prince? Well, hmm, actually that’s not entirely true. *hides face while I make this confession* Yes he’s creepy and wants to impregnate Ivy so the gates from the Otherworld remain open so he can take over the mortal world. But at times I found him amusing. And I truly don’t know what that says about me at all because the prince was sick and twisted. You see, he had this weird sense of humor and would say and do things that made him appear in a different light. I know that it’s probably because he’s a psychopath and I know without a shadow of doubt not to trust him but his personality had these blue moon moments. In those moments he was entertaining. But then he would do stuff that quickly had him nose diving into the oh-I-hope-you-die category. I loved that the Prince was a complex character that made me second guess my hatred for him but then had me spiraling back into the rallying behind his death. On a side note, I hope Breena dies too!!! I know you’ll agree with me!

As I exited the bedroom, I hit the switch and turned on the fan, grinning when he shrieked.
“That was screwed up!” he shouted as he was flung across the room. (Tink & Ivy)

Thank goodness Ivy had Tink in her life though, because he was a constant. No matter how ridiculous he could be. And trust me, he definitely strays from the bounds of being normal lol. But I loved that Ivy had a male best friend who was from the Otherworld. There’s so, so, so much I want to say about Tink. But I can’t because of huge spoilers. But just know that while I guessed for one thing to be true, the other one I wasn’t even close. At all. Let’s just say that I stared at the page open-mouthed while trying not to gasp. Or maybe laugh. I can’t tell you which. Yeah. I desperately need someone to talk to about that!! But besides loving Tink interacting with Ivy, I freaking adored Tink and Ren’s interactions because those moments were always explosive, hilarious and over the top.

My fingers curled around the top of my dress as I stared blankly at the tile floor. I didn’t know who I was anymore. My breath caught in my chest.

How did I not talk about Ren yet?! After reading Wicked and now Torn, I truly believe that wicked is the perfect word for describing Ren. He is constantly exploding sexuality and I just wanted to crawl into the book and steal him for myself. His looks, his touches, his words everything he does seduces me, um I mean Ivy. And while my heart did break for him as the story unfolded, he proved himself to be the badass sexy fighter that I have easily come to love.

I’m gonna kill her. My hands trembled as I let the bra slip to the floor. I’m gonna kill her. I kept repeating those words as I slipped off my undies.

So now I patiently wait for the next book. The ending of Torn is much, much easier to handle then Wicked, who’s ending left me feeling like my heart had been ripped out of my chest. Although I do love that feeling, since I’m glutton for feeling deep emotions in a book. But I can’t wait to read more about my favorite characters! Come on 2017!!

*Quotes were taken from ARC*

*ARC kindly provided by Jennifer L. Armentrout via Inkslinger PR in exchange for an honest review*

Amazon Barnes and Noble iBooks Kobo **

Excerpt:

[scroll-box]I lifted my right hand, reaching for my iron stake out of instinct, even though I knew it would do no good against the prince.

“You shouldn’t do that.” His voice was deep with what reminded me of an English accent. “I know you want to, but it would be very, very unwise of you, Ivy.”

My hand twitched.

Creepy Prince smiled slightly. “Your friend has been very helpful.”

That got my hackles up. I slid my sunglasses onto my forehead and forced my tone to stay calm and level. “I’m sure she has. Speaking of Val, happen to know where I can find her?”

His lips curled in a semblance of a smile as he stepped closer. The prince was tall, taller than Ren, who was pushing six foot two. My entire back stiffened as I forced myself to hold my ground, even though every instinct demanded that I run and run super fast, because he had almost killed me once before. Correction. He would have definitely killed me if he hadn’t realized what I was and had, I guessed, healed me.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said, instead of answering my question, his pale blue eyes fixed on mine.

My hand curled into a useless fist. “That is extremely creepy to hear.”

That cold smile returned. “Why don’t we talk? There are seats across the way.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

The slow smile increased but never reached his eyes. “Oh, I know it is.”

Fine hairs rose on my arms.

“What exactly can you do right now?” he said in the same coldly polite voice. “Refuse me?” Creepy Prince laughed, and it wasn’t a bad sound. Again, it was something that was just cold, as if he were mimicking what a human would do. “You can’t.”

“I can.” My palm itched to grab the thorn stake secured under my pant leg, but I held still. I might be reckless, but I wasn’t stupid.

“Really? I will have to beg to differ on that. You see, humans surround us. So many of them, and I have an extraordinary appetite.” His eyes appeared to glimmer as his gaze slithered from the top of my curly head down to my toes. “A rather impressive appetite for many, many things.”

“Okay. First off, ew.” My lip curled. “Secondly, I don’t want to hear about any of your appetites.”

One dark eyebrow rose. “Oh, but you should know that I could kill twenty of these humans in less than five seconds and feed on the rest, leaving them to believe that it was this little red-headed girl who murdered these innocent people.” His voice dropped even lower as he leaned in and icy air brushed my cheek. “You deny me this, those lives will be on your hands, little bird.”

Anger flushed hotly as my eyes met his. There wasn’t a single part of me that doubted anything he said. He had me. God, I hated to admit it, but he had me.[/scroll-box]

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans…

Don’t miss the first title in the series, WICKED!

Amazon Barnes and Noble iBooks Kobo
My 5 Star Review **

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

#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.

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Torn on Goodreads ** Author Goodreads

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
Wicked #1 Reviews: Jen	Torn #2 Reviews: Jen	Brave #3 Reviews:

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BOOK REVIEW: The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

May 23, 2016 / Chelsea / 6 Comments

The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with the lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory faces a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.

I don’t know what to say. I really really don’t. JLA was my absolute favorite author for two years….two years…and now I feel like she’s an acquaintance that used to be a best friend from High School-We pass each other in a store and do that awkward hi/hello/ass-out-hug that plagues us when we realize we no longer have anything in common with our dear old friend. I mean, I knew JLA wasn’t for me anymore, I knew that. But I had thought I remembered her writing being more…fluid?? I don’t know. Perhaps it’s the fact that I read wonderfully long, fleshed out, beautifully written fantasies now, maybe it’s because I’m SO DAMN PICKY with my contemporaries, or perhaps it’s just a case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me.’

For those of you who adore JLA, I’m sure this will be a home run for you. I found that JLA and I stopped seeing eye to eye at the end of the Lux series-her last two books left so much to be desired, in my opinion, because I just had so much love for the first three stories. Hell, her Lux and Covenant series have a bunch of space taken up on my bookshelf because I love them so damn much. I still held out hope for her writing, though, as she began to switch into the contemporary field. Turns out? Her attempt at contemporary stories was the final nail in the coffin for our relationship as I began to see how boring her stories were without the threat of death, mayhem, evil aliens, and crazy deities. If you look back on my older reviews (wait for me, last two lux) you’ll see I did rate them highly-this goes back to my ‘I don’t want to be the only weirdo who is turning on this popular author’ days where I didn’t have a voice and, frankly, wanted to stay loyal and hold onto the last thread of hope that my favorite author could still do it for me and not turn into someone who failed to make my heart beat faster (aside from my love for the Covenant series and the first three Lux).

So why in the hell did I read this if I don’t like her anymore, you ask? Well…there are a multitude of reasons. I may not think she is as amazing as she used to be after being let down so many times, but I always found her writing addicting as fuck. I ALWAYS loved her story-telling abilities. But here, I found there was a lack of fluidity in the writing (FOR ME, I just didn’t connect with her flow) and I had to keep going back to re-read paragraphs just to get the feel of the sentences right. Secondly, this story line seemed epic and unlike anything she has ever done before. But, as it turns out, I was bored from the beginning until about 80% when things finally started to come together and I got to see the deepest parts of our two main characters emerge. I loved seeing Rider’s vulnerability and Mallory’s voice..it just took forever to get there. Third, she always creates my dream BBFs. *shrugs* I mean, I am who I am lol. And on this front? She delivered. Wonderfully. Lastly? I wanted to love another JLA book…in the deepest part of my heart, I wanted to go back to when JLA was my whole world, I wanted to be proven wrong and find out that I had just become a snooty, pretentious bitch who snubbed her old favorite author. Alas, this didn’t happen…in fact, it went the exact opposite way, and that makes me want to cry.

I know one of my best friends will always love JLA-always. And I sincerely wanted to be that person, again, who fell hard for the author who made me realize I am a peril whore who thrives on that dreadful, heart-shattering cliffhanger (Cough Opal Cough). I mean, guys, she is the author who made me the crazy with want after a crying desperate plea of love perilista I am today-I didn’t even know I had this type of masochistic bone in my body (I had read these types of books my whole life but had never realized it was an addiction until JLA) before her, and she shaped my GR name, my reading style, and my whole world. So, yes, I read a book I knew I might not like….but my hope was so much stronger than my common sense and doubt.

The writing may have not worked for me, but I imagine many of you will find no stilt, no disconnected feeling like I did-it’s a personal preference, really. And, as for the main characters, Rider and Mallory, I think that’s a personal preference, too. Rider was perfection, no doubt about that, and I felt like skimming all the time until I could get back to him (again, all about the boy, not a good sign). He was sweet, loyal, flawed, and absolutely adorable. When he blushed my heart soared and I became all giddy. When he got all protective of Mallory I fell harder in love. And OMG, the book, guys, that book….*sigh*.

But, and this is a small but, I didn’t get to bbf status with him….so close, but just, I didn’t get enough of him, I guess. He made my heart and stomach do crazy flips, but maybe I was just so bored with the story I didn’t give my full attention…and that really sucks.

As for Mallory….*crickets*. She was fine but….she was the main reason I was bored and her stuttering, while fine when she talked, made her inner monologues grating and hard to read. I might be a bitch, but it’s how I felt. And I feel bad because I know that’s just how she talks, but I just didn’t fall for her as a character.

So, yeah. I feel bad because there wasn’t anything wrong with this story, per se, but I just didn’t ever feel 100% immersed. I felt detached and indifferent, most of the time, and only really started loving parts when Rider was in them. Seriously-he was all I looked forward to (I guess I loved him way more than I let on, whoops lol) and was ecstatic when his name or dialogue popped on the page. And, hey, maybe it was the relationship he was involved in that bothered me? Not heavily, but maybe it just bored me that we had to go through that drama, as well. Fuck, guys, I don’t know-Here I am, again, saying this horrible phrase: I hated this book….but I loved it, too. Whatever. I don’t know.

*********

I’m side eyeing you, JLA

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

I know *monkey covering eyes emoji* I added it, anyway, Jen 😛

View all my reviews

REVIEW + GIVEAWAY – The Problem With Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

May 16, 2016 / Jen / 20 Comments

The Problem With Forever was an emotionally haunting and beautiful story. Mallory and Rider found a special place in my heart and I’m ecstatic to say that Rider shot to the top of my romance book boyfriend lists. Oh yes, you want to meet him! So please check out my 5 Star Review below and enter a fabulous giveaway! Enjoy, and I hope you’ll love this story just as much as I did!

REVIEW + GIVEAWAY – The Problem With Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Problem With Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory "Mouse" Dodge, it's a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it's been four years since her nightmare ended, she's beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone--spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she's imagined, there's one she never dreamed of--that she'd run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn't seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn't take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she's not the only one grappling with lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider's life spiral out of control, Mallory must make a choice between staying silent and speaking out--for the people she loves, the life she wants and the truths that need to be heard.

Review:

The Problem With Forever was an emotionally haunting and beautiful story. Reading the prologue alone, I knew that I was stepping into a book that would forever be ingrained in my heart. Not only because this was a first for me, since I cried from the prologue. To think about children suffering through that type of physical and emotional abuse hurts me to the core. But that wasn’t the only reason why this story will stay with me forever. Mallory and Rider enraptured me with their feelings. I became obsessed with The Problem With Forever as we transitioned to High School in the first chapter, and that obsession never once wavered.

Words were not the enemy or the monster under my bed, but they held such power over me. They were like the ghost of a loved one, forever haunting me.

Mallory Dodge was unlike any other character I have met. She was timid, she was overwhelmed by noise, and she had been trained not to make a sound. While she was a foster child, she spent her youth learning that sounds and noises brought attention to herself. And with attention came physical and emotional abuse. And while I have never once felt nervous, overwhelmed or panicky about the thought of speaking to others, Mallory made me feel terrified right along with her. My palms were sweaty and my stomach was tossing and turning with nervousness. Mallory made me feel every single thing she did! Yet as the story unfolded, we got to see Mallory push herself out of her comfort zone again and again. I loved how we got to watch Mallory grow and find strength within herself. She was an amazing woman!

“Do you recognize me?” His voice was still barely above a whisper.
His eyes continued to hold mine, and I spoke what turned out to be the easiest word I’d ever said in my life.
“Yes.”

But what Mallory could never had predicted was running into Rider Stark on her first day going back to public school. Rider was a foster child who had grown up in the same house as Mallory. They had been together from the age of 3, until they were separated at 13. Although four years had passed since they last saw each other, it’s hard to forget that they were each others world. Especially for Mallory. Not only was Rider her best friend, but he was her protector too. He took beatings that she was meant to take. He sacrificed himself to protect Mallory and keep her safe at all costs. Until they were ripped apart.

My heart exploded as those strong arms pulled me against his chest. There was a moment where I froze, and then my arms swept around his neck. I held on, squeezing my eyes shut as I inhaled the clean scent and the lingering trace of aftershave. This was him. His hugs were different now, stronger and tighter. He lifted me clear off my feet, one arm around my waist, the other hand buried deep in my hair, and my breasts were mushed against his surprisingly hard chest.
Whoa.

Rider was breathtaking. Not only because of what he did in the past for Mallory, but those actions continued through to present day. Rider stepped back into Mallory’s life and became her protector all over again. He would do the sweetest things like ditch a class so that way Mallory would have someone to sit and eat lunch with. Just wait till you see everything he did for Mallory, he was such a good guy! But some aspects of their relationship did change over time. Sexual tension was strumming between them and it was sigh and toe curling worthy. Rider literally gave me chills with his words and mannerisms towards Mallory. So yeah, I became a little obsessed with him lol. Rider was charming, sexy, sweet, loyal, dedicated and the intensity of how much he still cared for Mallory lifted off of the pages. It was impossible not to fall for him.

I pulled myself out of the memory, but there were so many of him coming to my rescue for some reason or another until he couldn’t, until the promise of forever had been shattered, and everything… everything had fallen apart.

I loved how it felt like I knew Mallory and Rider inside out, especially with the flashbacks to their younger years. Whether it was just a short moment or a longer memory, we got to watch their friendship unfold. And we also got to truly understand all of the horrors that they lived with. It was easy to grasp that they only had each other to rely on. And how their past helped form them into the person that they would become.

His lashes lowered and the lopsided grin appeared. “I always knew you’d be beautiful one day.”
My breath hitched as I sat straighter. What was left of the pizza , just the crust, was totally forgotten . My ears had to be smoking crack or something.
A flush swept across his cheeks as one side of his lips kicked up. “I just never thought I’d get to see how beautiful you’d become.”

The Problem With Forever also contained moments with Mallory’s best friend who I absolutely adored! It was refreshing to see a strong female friendship, and I can’t wait for Ainsley’s book! And I was happy to see that Mallory’s adoptive parents played an active role in some very important moments in Mallory’s life. But when I closed that last page, I was struck by how extremely grateful I am for my life. I was reminded of all of the positives that constantly surround me, no matter how little or big they are. And I’m so glad that message, whether intentional or not, sunk it’s claws into me. So of course I loved every single moment in The Problem With Forever, and I hope you will too.

*ARC kindly provided by Harlequin TEEN via Inkslinger PR in exchange for an honest review*

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About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

About Jennifer L. Armentrout: # 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.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads | THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER Goodreads

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BOOK REVIEW – Forever with You (Wait for You #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

September 28, 2015 / Jen / 0 Comments

Forever with You (Wait for You #5)
by J. Lynn, Jennifer L. Armentrout
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Some things you just believe in, even if you've never experienced them. For Stephanie, that list includes love. It's out there. Somewhere. Eventually. Meanwhile she's got her job at the mixed martial arts training center and hot flings with gorgeous, temporary guys like Nick. Then a secret brings them closer, opening Steph's eyes to a future she never knew she wanted—until tragedy rips it away.

Nick's self-assured surface shields a past no one needs to know about. His mind-blowing connection with Steph changes all that. As fast as he's knocking down the walls that have kept him commitment-free, she's building them up again, determined to keep the hurt—and Nick—out. But he can't walk away. Not when she's the only one who's ever made him wish for forever . . .

Review:

Forever With You was a story that was passionate, sultry, captivating and insanely seductive. It was perfection in my eyes. The charm and banter that filled the pages pushed this story to a new level of sexy that I desperately search for each time I open a book. But you want to know the best part? When I reached that final page, I was left feeling giddy and smiley despite the fact that I cried, a lot. I’m still on a book high and Forever With You has officially become my favorite book in the Wait For You series!

Stephanie is the girl who had a physical relationship with the male characters from the first two books, Cam in Wait for You and Jase in Be with Me. She had attended college with that group of friends, but she wasn’t close to any of them. Since graduating from college, she got a new job and an apartment on all on her own. From the first moment that Stephanie met Nick, sparks fly. Their chemistry was raw, sexual and insanely hot! It had me anticipating when they were going to hook up and the emotional roller coaster ride that was ensured afterwards!

More than once I’d been accused of being standoffish and bitchy.
The truth was, it wasn’t that I was mean or unfriendly. I just generally sucked at small talk with people I didn’t know, and most important, I had a severe case of resting bitch face.

I. Loved. Stephanie! She was confident (at times), wasn’t afraid to defend herself, and underneath it all she was genuine and sweet. But in all honesty, I didn’t know what to think of her going into this book. She seemed nice enough, but I kept picturing that scene where poor Teresa walks into Jase’s room and Stephanie is standing there without her shirt on. Teresa and Jase weren’t together and Stephanie didn’t do anything wrong, but I felt horrible for Teresa. So starting this book, Stephanie was truly an unknown since I never once had a good grasp on her. But by page 2, I knew that she was astounding! Her swearing skills were impressive and I loved the way she interacted with Nick! Smiles were ensured and I found myself easily feeling every single emotion that she felt. And that made for an amazing experience!

“…..the fact that you think I came here looking for just you insinuates that I’m desperate. The fact that you think you can get with me after speaking to me the way you did tells me you don’t think very highly of me. And after one night with me you think you can dictate to me where I can go and what I cannot do? You must think I’m stupid.”
His brows flew up. “Steph-”
“Don’t.” I lifted a hand, stopping him. My middle finger might have been extended as I stepped around him and snatched my purse. “This conversation ends with a – how about you go fuck yourself.”

Nick was charismatic, charming, dark, sultry, sexy, and had a tortured past. Sigh. He could also go from being thoughtful and caring to the biggest ass on the face of the planet. Nick was everything that I always want to lust after in a book boyfriend. He was the type of man whose actions and words could be the polar opposite. One moment he was doing something that made you want to sigh out loud and grab him by the shirt and kiss him and then in the next moment his words could be like a slap across the face. He was a fun puzzle to figure out and I enjoyed every single moment trying to learn who Nick was. And I know that Nick is a character that is going to stick with me for a very long time because he had that profound of an impact on me. There was so much depth to him. And when we got to see every single part of him, the good and the bad, it was impossible not to love the whole package. He truly was a beautiful person, jackass and all!

His hand lingered in the space between us and then he cupped my cheek. The move startled me as he dragged his thumb under my lip. “It’s really a shame.”
I frowned. “What is?”
“Us,” he said, his voice low as his thumb made another sweep, and my breath caught. “That you and I are the way we are. It’s a damn shame.”

So YES I loved this book! It was truly stunning! I just wanted to run around my house jumping and laughing because this book was so much of everything I always want. Give me a heroine who I will love, give me a tortured man who will steal my breath away, give me fiery chemistry, give me a story that is all-consuming and I will fall in love with every single page. And that I did!

***ARC was kindly provided by the author, at the San Fran Golden Gate Event, in exchange for an honest review***

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.*
Wait for You #1 Reviews: Chelsea	Trust in Me #1.5 Cam's POV-Wait for You Reviews: Jen	Be with Me #2 Reviews: Jen
Stay with Me #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Fall with Me #4 Reviews: Jen	Dream of You #4.5 Reviews: Jen
Forever with You #5 Reviews: Jen	Fire in You #6 Reviews: Jen

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BOOK REVIEW + INTERVIEW + GIVEAWAY – Fire in You (Wait for You #6) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (J. Lynn )

Synopsis:

Review:

I gave my heart so completely, so fully to someone else, that when my heart was broken, those pieces I’d freely given away weren’t mine any longer. My heart wasn’t complete.

He pushed off the wall, wrapping a large hand around my arm, stopping me. “We haven’t seen each other in years and you’re just going to walk away? No hug? No ‘how have you been?’ Nothing?” “Sounds about right.” I pulled on my arm, and after a few seconds he let go.

“Please tell me I’m dreaming right now.” “If you were dreaming , I’d hope we’d both have less clothes on.” “What?” My jaw hit the top of the table. Was he flirting with me?

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BOOK REVIEW + EXCERPT – Torn (A Wicked Trilogy #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis:

Review:

“I don’t want to die.”

The hate building inside me burned brighter than a thousand suns, but even with that rage, I always, always felt cold. With each passing day, it was like I was filling up on the inside with ice and shadows. The only time I didn’t feel this way was when I slept. I felt nothing then.

I should’ve never gotten close to him.

“You can fight this all you want, but I know the game and the rules,” he said , and my stomach roiled as his icy breath coasted over my cheek. “I know how this ends, little bird. And trust me, you will be consenting sooner than you realize.” – The Prince

As I exited the bedroom, I hit the switch and turned on the fan, grinning when he shrieked. “That was screwed up!” he shouted as he was flung across the room. (Tink & Ivy)

My fingers curled around the top of my dress as I stared blankly at the tile floor. I didn’t know who I was anymore. My breath caught in my chest.

I’m gonna kill her. My hands trembled as I let the bra slip to the floor. I’m gonna kill her. I kept repeating those words as I slipped off my undies.

** Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo **

Excerpt:

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans…

Don’t miss the first title in the series, WICKED!

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BOOK REVIEW: The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis:

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REVIEW + GIVEAWAY – The Problem With Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis:

Review:

Words were not the enemy or the monster under my bed, but they held such power over me. They were like the ghost of a loved one, forever haunting me.

“Do you recognize me?” His voice was still barely above a whisper. His eyes continued to hold mine, and I spoke what turned out to be the easiest word I’d ever said in my life. “Yes.”

I pulled myself out of the memory, but there were so many of him coming to my rescue for some reason or another until he couldn’t, until the promise of forever had been shattered, and everything… everything had fallen apart.

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BOOK REVIEW – Forever with You (Wait for You #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis:

Review:

More than once I’d been accused of being standoffish and bitchy. The truth was, it wasn’t that I was mean or unfriendly. I just generally sucked at small talk with people I didn’t know, and most important, I had a severe case of resting bitch face.

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I gave my heart so completely, so fully to someone else, that when my heart was broken, those pieces I’d freely given away weren’t mine any longer.
My heart wasn’t complete.

He pushed off the wall, wrapping a large hand around my arm, stopping me. “We haven’t seen each other in years and you’re just going to walk away? No hug? No ‘how have you been?’ Nothing?”
“Sounds about right.” I pulled on my arm, and after a few seconds he let go.

“Please tell me I’m dreaming right now.”
“If you were dreaming , I’d hope we’d both have less clothes on.”
“What?” My jaw hit the top of the table. Was he flirting with me?

The hate building inside me burned brighter than a thousand suns, but even with that rage, I always, always felt cold. With each passing day, it was like I was filling up on the inside with ice and shadows. The only time I didn’t feel this way was when I slept.
I felt nothing then.

As I exited the bedroom, I hit the switch and turned on the fan, grinning when he shrieked.
“That was screwed up!” he shouted as he was flung across the room. (Tink & Ivy)

Amazon Barnes and Noble iBooks Kobo **

Amazon Barnes and Noble iBooks Kobo
My 5 Star Review **

Website Facebook Twitter Torn on Goodreads Author Goodreads

“Do you recognize me?” His voice was still barely above a whisper.
His eyes continued to hold mine, and I spoke what turned out to be the easiest word I’d ever said in my life.
“Yes.”

More than once I’d been accused of being standoffish and bitchy.
The truth was, it wasn’t that I was mean or unfriendly. I just generally sucked at small talk with people I didn’t know, and most important, I had a severe case of resting bitch face.