Series: Origin

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

Synopsis:

#1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns to the world of the Lux with The Burning Shadow, the steamy, shocking second installment of the Origin series that will leave readers reeling.

When Evelyn Dasher crossed paths with Luc, she was thrown headfirst into the world of the Lux―only to discover that she was already far more involved in their world than she ever suspected.

Because the Luxen aren’t the only ones with a hidden past. There’s a gap in Evie’s memory, lost months of her life and a lingering sense that something happened, something she can’t remember and nobody is willing to tell her. She needs to find out the truth about who she is―and who she was. But every answer she finds only brings up more questions.

Her search for the truth brings her ever closer to Luc, the Origin at the center of it all. He’s powerful, arrogant, inhumanly beautiful, extremely dangerous…and possibly in love with her. But even as Evie falls for him, she can’t help but wonder if his attraction is to her, or to the memory of a girl who no longer exists.

And all the while, a new threat looms: reports of a flu-like, fatal virus that the government insists is being spread by Luxen. A horrifying illness that changes whoever it touches, spreading panic across a country already at its breaking point.

Review:

The Burning Shadow was absolutely brilliant.  It started out slow and steady and grew into an intricate story that was deep and emotional.  I loved the ties into the Lux Series and that we got to see all of our old friends.  It felt like coming home.  But this book toyed with my emotions in the best way ever!  Lies, love, betrayal, friendship and secrets splashed across the pages and it was beyond impossible to put this book down.

“Evie.” Luc said my name as if it were a prayer and a curse.
I took a breath, but it went nowhere. His forehead touched mine, and I swore my heart stopped right then and there.

Within those first few pages, I was already laughing so hard.  That’s because the story started right where The Darkest Star ended.  With Evie’s mom, Sylvia, making lunch for Evie and Luc.  Sylvia and Luc butted heads in the most horrific ways.  They were a disaster in the making and I couldn’t look away from that train wreck or stop the laughs that were bubbling out of me.

I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted to lose myself in him. I wanted to forget, and I wanted to remember.

From there, we were taken on the most epic adventure.  So I was beyond grateful that Evie and Luc got moments where they could sit back for a few minutes and enjoy each other.  Their banter was smile inducing, but they also had these deep, emotional conversations that gutted and elated me.  Especially when Luc gave Evie little pieces of her past.  It felt like we truly got to know everything there was about them and they brought so many emotions out of me.  It wasn’t a surprise that I kept finding myself with tears falling down my face.

“Tell me what you want.” His lips brushed mine in the darkness. “You need to say the words, Evie.”
“You,” I whispered into the space between our mouths, while my heart beat so fast I didn’t understand how it could keep going. “I want you.”

But there was also heart pounding action that made it feel like I was standing on the edge of the cliff.  I was so scared I was going to fall with them down into the abyss, so I was that glued to the pages.  And as the story unfolded, we were given little clues.  When those clues started to come together I literally had chills.  And while some of the twists I figured out, a few of them knocked me on my butt.  My mind was blown.  So hold on because this book turned into a wild and twisted ride.

“You,” he spoke. “It’s only ever been you. Before. Now. Later. There’s been no one else. There . . . just can’t be.”

Luc is still holding onto my number one spot for favorite book boyfriend ever (sorry Daemon!).  The lengths he would go to protect the ones he loved was astronomical.  He did everything to keep them safe, and while sometimes it was selfish, I loved him more for it.  I also loved that he had no idea how to be modest lol.  With hysterical t-shirts, cheesy pickup lines, and being naughty and listening into Evie’s thoughts I seriously loved everything about him.  Even when he was a little too matter of fact or being violent.  His actions shouldn’t have made me laugh, broken hand scene cough cough, but it’s Luc.  I couldn’t help smiling and laughing every time he was around.

“Because I’ve already waited forever for this— for you. I’ve done nothing but watch and wait, and I am not walking away again. If I kiss you, if I touch you again, I will not be able to go back to the way things are now.” The next breath he took trembled as much as I was. “I won’t be able to pretend that you aren’t my everything.”
I couldn’t breathe.

Evie was on a huge emotional journey and grew so much!  She definitely struggled trying to figure out who she truly was.  She had her past and Evelyn Dashed mixed into who she was and my heart hurt for her.  But Evie was strong, resilient and she grew in leaps and bounds.  I was rooting for her every step of the way!  And I loved that she never once lost her confidence, snark or sassiness!

Daemon was quiet for a long moment. “Luc and I would do anything to protect the people we love.”
I stilled, unable to take more than a shallow breath as I stared at the male Luxen. I didn’t know how to respond to that.
“I would beg, plead, barter, and kill to protect Kat,” he continued, voice low, but every word struck me like thunder. “Nothing in this world would stop me, and there’s nothing that I wouldn’t do— and it’s the same for Luc when it comes to you.”

The side characters rounded out this story perfectly.  Zoe was the ultimate bff, I loved Heidi too and everyone from The Lux Series.  You guys.  My heart was elated with how many we got to see, I was screaming.  Ohhhh and be prepared because when Luc and Daemon go head to head, I didn’t know whether to laugh or hold my breath because of what would happen next.  So yes, I loved this book!  It definitely didn’t suffer from second book syndrome.  I loved every twist and turn and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next, The Burning Shadow will definitely keep readers hooked and become an instant favorite!

“Evie.” Luc’s voice was quiet but strong.
Drawing in a deep breath, I nodded. “I’m okay. I’m ready.”
And then I stepped forward, hand in hand with Luc, into the unknown.

PS Diesel gets a part in this book and it was so perfect!

PPS I love their Halloween costumes!

*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

The Darkest Star (Origin #1)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

In the world of the Lux, secrets thrive, lies shatter, and love is undeniable.

#1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout brings her trademark drama and intrigue to a new romantic YA science fiction series with The Darkest Star. A girl pulled into in a world she doesn't understand finds herself confronted by long buried secrets, a betrayal that could tear her life apart...and Armentrout's most swoonworthy book boyfriend yet.

Seventeen-year-old Evie Dasher knows firsthand the devastating consequences of humanity's war with the aliens. When she's caught up in a raid at a notorious club known as one of the few places where humans and the surviving Luxen can mingle freely, she meets Luc, an unnaturally beautiful guy she initially assumes is a Luxen...but he is in fact something much more powerful. Her growing attraction for Luc will lead her deeper and deeper into a world she'd only heard about, a world where everything she thought she knew will be turned on its head...

Review:

The Darkest Star was breathtakingly emotional!  It was swoon worthy and filled with action, banter, love, friendships, lies and deceit.  This book pulled me right in from the start and held me in its clutches till that last page.  I was beyond lost to the world around me and I couldn’t be happier because this was my most anticipated book of the year.  It more than lived up to my expectations.  Seriously. My mind was blown and I loved every single tiny detail.  I’m happy to say that The Darkest Star is my favorite book of the year!

How in the world did I end up here? What series of really bad life choices had I made that led me to this very moment?

While you don’t have to read The Lux Series first, because Jennifer does an amazing job of catching you up, I highly recommend you do.  This book took place a few years after The Lux Series ended and I have to confess that I literally screamed out loud every single time we saw or heard about a character from the past.  I loved the familiarity of it all, but at the same time, so many things were different. It was now known that aliens lived among humans, a percentage of the population was lost in the war and there were new laws and regulations put in place for the aliens that lived among us.  I was fascinated seeing what the world now looked like.

“You’re still so incredibly stubborn.”
“You . . . don’t know me,” I gritted out.

I had no clue how I would feel towards Evie, aka Evelyn Dasher.  Her father played a horrific role in The Lux Series and I hated him with a passion.  But right from that first page, I loved Evie.  She was just so relatable, logical, sweet, kind and had the hugest heart ever.  I was so happy that I also liked her friends and her mom. And just a few pages into the story, Evie found herself going with a friend to a club.  Yet it turned into so much more than she could have imagined. Not only did she meet Luc, but he claimed to know her. Even though she had no clue who he was.  And so began the journey of unraveling the truths and the lies and I loved every minute of it!

“You tried to kidnap me, Luc.”
“Hmm,” he murmured. “That means I like you.”
I arched a brow. “Okay. That’s messed up on about a thousand different levels.”
“Probably. I don’t people well.”
“Gee, really,” I replied dryly.

Luc was EVERYTHING!  I can’t wait for you to meet him all grown up.  Yes his people skills could still be super awkward, but he was hilarious, sigh worthy and charming without even trying.  My heart was already broken for him, because of his past and the way he was raised.  But he had so much light in him. He made me laugh, sigh and when I started to see how much he protected those he cared for, it was astounding.  You guys, Luc was the ultimate book boyfriend.  While I never ever thought I would say this, because Daemon has been my #1 bbf for the last four years, Luc not only challenged him but he has grabbed first place.  I feel so disloyal saying that, but Luc was beyond amazing. And I can see countless others falling for his charm too.

Our stares connected , and the effect was instantaneous. Everything around us faded, and there was just us, and this . . . this sensation of falling. I couldn’t look away as this feeling surfaced, rushing to the top.
I’ve been here before.
My breath caught as a wave of tight shivers rippled over my skin. That thought didn’t make sense. I hadn’t been here with him before.

When Evie and Luc were together, they were completely entertaining.  I loved that Evie didn’t just fall for Luc. The boy definitely drove her crazy at times lol.  But there was this amazing chemistry and pull between them.  Between that and their banter, I always felt like Evie and Luc’s interactions were smile inducing.  And I was left wanting to know what was going to happen between them next.

Every part of my body was aware of his. The strength in his hand, the hardness of his thigh, and the steady dancing of his breath, and we were lying together like we’d done this a thousand times.

There is so much I’m not even touching on, like the side characters I adored and the mysteries that were fun to figure out.  But I don’t want to give anything away. Just know that The Darkest Star was action packed while also having so many heart-felt moments, it was such an easy book to love.  And rest assured, the book stopped at the perfect spot. While we learned some answers, there was still so much of the story we need to hear. And I for one can’t wait to read the next book!  Especially since I spent those last few pages with tears in my eyes and with the hugest smile ever. So yes, I definitely recommend The Darkest Star and if you’re a fan of The Lux Series, this is a must read!

I wanted more than kissing. I wanted—
“What do you want?” he asked, his gaze holding mine.
“You,” I whispered, cheeks burning.
“You have me.” His thumb dragged along my lower lip. “You’ve always had me. Always.”

PS I would LOVE to read Luc’s POV of this book!  If that was ever an option I’d pre-order that book faster than I could blink!

His shirt read NO DRAMA LLAMA. That shirt was a lie. This boy was all about the drama llama.

PPS Luc’s shirts were all kinds of awesome!  I looked forward to seeing what he was going to wear next!

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

Other favorite quotes I had to include……..

That was what I wanted at some point in my life, for someone to look at me like I looked at tacos.

 ✮✩✮

“Sit,” Luc said, and that one word was spoken in the kind of voice that probably left a trail of really bad decisions in its wake.
I sat.

 ✮✩✮

Groaning, I jabbed my fist into his lower back and was rewarded with another grunt. “I’m going to hurt you!”
Luc chuckled.
He actually chuckled as he walked into a room. I swore to God and the Holy Ghost, I was going to ninja kick him in the face.

 ✮✩✮

“Then why didn’t you give it to me afterward?” I demanded.
A smirk formed. “Well, I was just messing with you then.”
“Oh my God.” I shook my head, glancing over at Daemon. “Are you hearing this?”
He held up his hand. “I’m just an innocent, enraptured viewer of this.”
A lot of help he was.

 ✮✩✮

“I kinda like the arm-grabbing thing,” he replied, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Very dominant of you. Maybe I’m the submissive type in, you know, the—”
“Shut up,” I hissed. “Why are you here?”
“How can I shut up and answer your question at the same time?”
I shot him a death glare. “Luc.”

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