ARC Review Wednesday: Toward a Secret Sky by Heather Maclean

Amazon  Goodreads  Book Depository  Barnes and Noble

Standalone to date

Release Date: April 4th, 2017

Goodreads Blurb:

"Shortly after 17-year-old Maren Hamilton is orphaned and sent to live with grandparents she’s never met in Scotland, she receives an encrypted journal from her dead mother that makes her and everyone around her a target. It confirms that her parents were employed by a secret, international organization that’s now intent on recruiting her. As Maren works to unravel the clues left behind by her mother, a murderous madness sweeps through the local population, terrorizing her small town. Maren must decide if she’ll continue her parents’ fight or stay behind to save her friends.


With the help of Gavin, an otherworldly mercenary she’s not supposed to fall in love with, and Graham, a charming aristocrat who is entranced with her, Maren races against the clock and around the country from palatial estates with twisted labyrinths to famous cathedrals with booby-trapped subterranean crypts to stay ahead of the enemy and find a cure. Along the way, she discovers the great truth of love: that laying down your life for another isn’t as hard as watching them sacrifice everything for you."

ARC Review Tuesday: Soulless by Sarah J. Pepper

Amazon  Goodreads  Barnes and Noble

Once Wicked #1

Goodreads Blurb:

"Our love is imperfect in the most perfect way. It is love done our way. Raw. Unconventional. Sexy as hell. Most importantly, it is honest to the core, or so I think. One little, white lie shouldn't do so much damage. Yet, it changes me forever.

The worst part is that Declan whispered that sweet nothing out of protection. My safety is on the forefront of his mind, especially since there are others who’d hurt me simply to get at him. I never think that he would be the one to cut me so deeply. And it all starts with that first prick—the night he saved my life.

***

His perilous stare deepened as his grip fastened around my waist. The maniacal thoughts passing over his eyes confirmed that I wasn’t the only one who wanted all the space between us eliminated.

I

could hardly breathe when his gaze fell to my lips. It left me speechless. It was the very way a passing glance could leave you without words. But Declan didn’t just take a glimpse. No, he unapologetically looked me over. He

loved

me, but didn’t say them in so many words. Yet, I heard them all the same. I heard them with each moan that echoed in the air. I felt them as he held me gently in his arms. Even if I didn’t feel the desire radiating off of him in a fury of passion, he bore that intensity in his gaze. The world around us melted away until there was on me and

him."

Mini Review Sunday: Sweet Temptation by Wendy Higgins

Amazon  Goodreads  Book Depository  Barnes and Noble

The Sweet Series #4

Goodreads Blurb:

"Bad boy Kaidan Rowe has never wanted for anything—money, popularity, musical talent…hot girls—but seducing them is part of his duty as a Nephilim, slave to the demon Dukes. As the son of the Duke of Lust, Kaidan has learned his father’s ways, becoming a master of passion, a manipulator of chemistry. Disobeying his father would mean certain death. Thankfully for Kaidan, he’s good at his job. And he enjoys it. 

Until he meets Anna Whitt—sweet, smart, feisty, and inexplicably good—the one girl seemingly immune to his charms. The daughter of a guardian angel and a fallen one, she has a certain power over him, one that makes him wish for more than he could ever deserve. 

Determined to save all the Neph from their dark lives as the influencers of sin, Anna joins forces with Kaidan to overcome the demons’ oppressive ways. In the light of her affections, Kaidan must undergo his toughest test of all, a battle of the heart.

Sensual and swoon worthy, this companion volume to the acclaimed Sweet Evil series from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins, told from the perspective of the irresistibly sexy and mysterious Kaidan Rowe, gives readers revealing insights into his struggle, his intense connection to Anna, and most of all, the true emotions that drive him.


Author Note:
Sweet Temptation will encompass the entire trilogy in a condensed version, beginning with Kai's life before he met Anna, and taking readers through the epilogue of Sweet Reckoning. Sweet Temptation is a companion novel, not meant to be a stand alone story. It will definitely be a richer experience for those who have read the original trilogy."

R&R Review Monday: Our Souls To Keep by Gary Caruso

Amazon  Goodreads  Book Depository  Barnes and Noble

Our Souls to Keep #1

Goodreads Blurb:

"After seventeen-year-old Wake Reynolds agrees to trade his life to prevent the damaged soul of his suicidal mother from the fiery tortures of Hell, Satan strips him of his humanity and forces him to become a demonic collector of souls. With no memory of his human existence, Wake preys on defenseless teenagers until they willingly end their own lives.

After many years of loyal service, something inside Wake is changing. Images of a forgotten life, lost human emotions begin to emerge. As Wake struggles to keep these new sensations hidden, Satan orders him to corrupt the soul of a pregnant girl, Annemarie. Beautiful, gentle Annemarie. From the moment Wake sees her, she brings lightness to his blackened heart. If he chooses to defy Satan and spare the lives of Annemarie and her unborn child, his mother’s soul will writhe in Hell’s deepest pit for eternity. Annemarie or his mother? It’s a choice no one should have to make. "

R&R Review Friday: The Leopard Stratagem by T.A. Uner

Amazon  Goodreads  Book Depository  Barnes and Noble

Leopard King Saga #2

Goodreads Blurb:

"The Saga Continues....

Camus Scorpio, the vicious criminal overlord, who for years tormented the good merchants of Rome, is dead. His ruthless army of thugs and bloodthirsty killers wiped out by the avenging force of Tullus the Leopard King, the Leopardess Celestra, and their Troupe. 

But the victory is a costly one. Anna, Tullus’ lover, is dead, and her departure serves as an open wound to all her friends in the Troupe. Needing time to collect himself and continue developing his magical abilities, Tullus decides to seek out the wisdom of a reclusive wizard named Hradack, also known as the Leopard Master and a product of the Age of Paladins. 

In Rome Eliana becomes involved in political intrigue and finds herself caught up in a conspiracy involving a persecuted race called the Dryads. 

Decimus, now a prominent Centurion in the Praetorian Guard, is assigned to a new Roman Legion in Switzerland, where he faces the biggest challenge of his military career. 

As Tullus’ power in Elemence grows, he foresees a hideous plot by an unknown enemy called Serpentus, who has kidnapped his Troupe friends and is holding them hostage on the island of Capri. 

Unbeknownst to Tullus, Serpentus seeks revenge against the Leopard King and Celestra, and has armed himself with arcane powers. Under the tutelage of a fanatical cleric, Serpentus harbors plans of destroying the Leopard King and Celestra before embarking on a destructive path of conquest."

R&R Review Friday: Bonds of Fate by Jason Crawford

Amazon  Goodreads  Barnes and Noble

Goodreads Blurb:

"Two years after saving the Archangel Gabriel, Sam Buckland is feeling the pressure of a world plagued by evil. When the Angels Fall and Heaven is attacked by an ancient Egyptian sorcerer, however, he must put aside his weariness and muster all his powers and those of unlikely allies to turn aside this new threat."

Review Friday: Empower by Jessica Shirvington

Amazon  Goodreads  Book Depository  Barnes and Noble

Goodreads Blurb:

"It has been two years since Violet Eden walked away from the city, her friends, her future and - most importantly - her soulmate, Lincoln. Part angel, part human, Violet is determined to stand by the promises she made to save the one she loves.

Living in the perpetual coldness of a broken soul she survives day to day as a Rogue Grigori in London.

But when an unexpected visitor shows up at her door, the news he bears about someone she swore to protect leaves Violet with no choice.

Even worse, she fears that this might all lead back to the night she tries hardest to forget. And what was taken without her permission.

Violet is going back to New York ... and she knows exactly who is going to be there.

With Phoenix in her dreams and Lincoln in her heart she knows it is only a matter of time before the final choice must be made."

Book Review Sunday: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Amazon  Goodreads  Book Depository  Barnes and Noble

Goodreads Blurb:

"An angel is sent to Earth on a mission.

But falling in love is not part of the plan.

Three angels – Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human – are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments.

Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong.

The angel’s mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?"

Review:

First off.  The cover is gorgeous.  I mean really!  Beautiful.

Second.  This is like the bajillionth angel book I've read and it somehow was a bit different.  Impressive.

Third.  This is quite an impressive feat for such a young author (on the book jacket it said Miss Adornetto is 18).  She has some potential for the world of writing.

There were a couple things that irked me starting with how the plot seemed to come in little bumps.  It seemed like there could only be one problem at a time.  So first, Beth and Xavier have to confirm their love with their families.  Then, they have to conquer the demon.  It just seemed very... disconnected.  Don't get me wrong, Beth and Xavier's relationship was adorable and I loved how they didn't push the physical side of their relationship.  It seems like that's the norm now in YA and NA.  However, sometimes their relationship got a bit too adorable.  So many things in their relationship seemed fake.

All of the characters were amazing but I especially liked Gabriel and Ivy.  Their characters were pretty complex and I can't wait to see more of their identities.

I also liked how Beth was taken in by the 'popular' crowd.  It seems like in every book where the main character is in a new school, they are taken in by the wallflowers and outcasts.  It was a nice change.

The largest problem I had but just that it didn't compel me to read it.  I picked it merely because I needed to finish it before I would let myself read the next book in TMI series.

Final Verdict:

Halo wasn't a particulary compelling book for me personally but it did manage to put a different spin on the whole angel idea (connecting it more closely with Heaven and God).  The cover is gorgeous and the characters are fabulous.  The plot did seem to come in bumps instead of one continuous buildup of different problems.

3 stars

Quotes:

“A man in love can do extraordinary things, I don’t care if you’re an angel, you’re my angel, and I won’t let you go.” 

“One of the most frustrating words in the human language, as far as I could tell, was love.
So much meaning attached to this one little word. People bandied it about freely, using it to
describe their attachments to possessions, pets, vacation destinations, and favorite foods. In the
same breath they then applied this word to the person they considered most important in their
lives. Wasn’t that insulting? Shouldn’t there be some other term to describe deeper emotion?” 

“Did I mention I've finally decided on a nickname for you?"
"I didn't know you were looking."
Well, I've given the matter some serious thought."
"And what have you come up with?"
"Cookie," I anounced proudly.
Xavier scrunched up his face. "No way."
"You don't like it? What about Bumblebee?"
"Worse."
"Snookie-Wookie?"
"Do you have any cyanide?"
"Well, some of us are just a bit hard to please.” 

“She had the face of an angel
I saw mirrors in her eyes
We were the same, she and I
Both bound by potent lies.

In him I saw my future
In him I saw my friend
In him I saw my destiny
Both my beginning and my end.” 

“Without complexity, there's no intensity.” 

“That was one of the saddest things about people--their most important thoughts and feelings often went unspoken and barely understood.” 

“Sometimes it's better to stop trying to make sense of things. Life isn't clear cut, there are always gray areas.” 

Book Review Saturday: City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare and A Week In Review

Just like last week, I'm focusing on my R&R books this month so there are no new books to report.  Here's a review though and A Week In Review is at the end!

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Amazon  Goodreads  Book Depository  Barnes and Noble

Blurb:

"The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her—his mother just found out that he’s a vampire, and now he’s homeless. When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

The stakes are higher than ever in the #1 New York Times bestselling fourth installment of the Mortal Instruments series."

Review:

I'm beginning to seriously wonder what is so amazing about this series.  So far, the only book in this series that I remotely liked was City of Glass.  Honestly, if you loved this series, care to clue me in??

So the ending.  I did like how everything came together at the end and there was a consequence for Clary bringing Jace back to life.  However, I feel like the whole Lilith thing could have been better executed.

Speaking of Jace and Clary, I feel like their problems in their relationship were just created so that they'd have something to worry about.  They seemed trivial and had me raising my eyebrows more than a couple times.

I also really didn't like how there was so much going on.  It felt like I never came up for air - in a bad way.  Like I'm drowning and you just want the book to stop already but it keeps on going.  So there's that.

There were a couple things I did like.  As I already mentioned, I liked most of the ending.  I also liked Simon in this book (not the part with Isabelle and Maia but the other part).  Otherwise, most of the characters were a bust for me in this book.

I really don't have much to say... I don't want to start ranting so I'll stop it here.

Final Verdict:

There isn't much going for this book and I'm almost losing hope on this entire series.  I will keep going though  I suppose.  I liked most of the ending but the characters the I know and love from City of Glass are gone and have been replaced by evil and 2D minions.  There was also a LOT going on.

2.5 stars

Quotes:

“You're just worried they'll hire a male instructor and he'll be hotter than you." 
Jace's eyebrows went up. "Hotter than me?" 
"It could happen," Clary said, "You know, theoretically."
"Theoretically the planet could suddenly crack in half, leaving me on one side and you on the other, forever and tragically parted, but I'm not worried about that either. Some things," Jace said, with his customary crooked smile, "are just too unlikely to dwell upon.” 

“You're the first Shadowhunter I've ever met." 
“That’s too bad,” said Jace, “since all the others you meet from now on will be a terrible letdown.” 

“You know, some people think Shadowhunters are just myths. Like mummies and genies." Kyle grinned at Jace. "Can you grant wishes?"
"That depends," he said. "Do you wish to be punched in the face?”

“No. That's Clary; shes's my best friend." Simon pocketed his phone. "And she has a boyfriend. Like, really, really, really has a boyfriend. The nuclear bomb of boyfriends. Trust me on this one.” 

“I suppose you've always been amazing at this stuff."- Clary
"I was born amazing." - Jace” 

“Hearts are breakable," Isabelle said. "And I think even when you heal, you're never what you were before".”

“Or maybe it's just that beautiful things are so easily broken by the world.” 

A Week In Review

Sunday: Review of Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Monday: R&R Review of Elfineness by Tatyana K. Varenko

Tuesday: Book Gif Tag

Wednesday: WWW Wednesday (2)
BONUS Wednesday: MY BOOKS CAME!!

Thursday: R&R Review of Reconciled People by Michael La Ronn

Friday: Review of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn


I just realized that when I was writing this post a couple days ago, I didn't include how I bought The Assassin's Blade, Crown of Midnight, and Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas this week!  They just arrived on Wednesday so I'm so excited to finally get to read Heir of Fire!!

Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Amazon  Goodreads  Book Depository

Goodreads Blurb:

"Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hairactually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?"

Review:

This book is seriously addicting.  Probably because the author is very reluctant to give us any solid information which keeps everything cloaked in shadow.  We don't actually understand what Karou is exactly until the very end and we don't even know what she does until page 30 or so.  Which was a problem for me and the reason this is 4 stars instead of 5.  It was like in the beginning, the author was writing a completely different book.  Almost like she couldn't decide what Karou was doing exactly.  So the beginning threw me a little and it took me a while to settle in.  Once that road bump passed though, everything was smooth sailing.

I loved the whole thing with the teeth.  It definitely added to the bizarre nature of this book.  The first book is really just an introduction to the real story.  Also, I absolutely loved Akiva's character.  He's had a rough life and the author doesn't try to disguise that or make excuses for him.  He is what he is.

The one other thing I really didn't like was the disconnect between part 1 and part 2.  A few months have passed all of a sudden when the author made the jump and I didn't like how she just left the storyline from 'before' hanging while Karou went about finding her nonhuman friends.  So I suppose it should be a 3.5 star book but somehow, I can't bring myself to give it that rating.  I have hope for the rest of the series and this was a great introduction book once the author figured out the world she was writing in.

Quotes:

“Once upon a time, an angel lay dying in the mist.
And a devil knelt over him and smiled.” 

“Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there's no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.” 

“Have you ever asked yourself, do monsters make war, or does war make monsters?” 

“It's not like there's a law against flying."
"Yes there is. The law of gravity.” 

“It is a condition of monsters that they do not perceive themselves as such. The dragon, you know, hunkered in the village devouring maidens, heard the townsfolk cry 'Monster!' and looked behind him.” 

“Your soul sings to mine. My soul is yours, and it always will be, in any world. No matter what happens. I need you to remember that I love you.” 

“How much does your life have to suck to want the Apocalypse?” 

“Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. 
It did not end well.”