I'm Back In School...Yay?

So little ol' lucky me started school again on August 26th. And just like I thought, it's a lot to take in. My senior year. The brink of freedom. I've only been back for a week, but I can tell it's going to be crappy crazy otherbadwordsthatstartwitha'c' tough. Anyway, I planned for this post to be a short apology for my abrupt hiatus from this blog as I adjusted to going back. And I didn't want to complain at all. But now I just want to type everything I'm feeling right now, everything that's going on in my head.

To start, I want to say that the first day of school was a wake up call of the ice-water-to-the-face, slap-my-cheek-and-call-me-a-pancake variety. And I found myself wishing I'd made some different decisions last school year.

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, so I'll try to back-track. Last year, I met with my counselor and we picked my senior year classes together. I was confident I'd be able to handle three AP (advanced placement, if anyone needs a reminder) courses. AP Psychology. AP Human Geography. AP English Literature & Composition. (I've always been an English junkee.) I knew my work was cut out for me, since I'd had a bit of trouble just juggling my one AP English Language & Composition course during my junior year. But I'd heard great things about Psych and Human Geo, so I thought I'd be fine. Well, mostly fine.

And then the first day comes, and right around the time where this is happening...

 

...I remember something very important.

Well, I remember something other than:

 

Not only had I signed on for three AP courses, I'd also agreed to two IB (International Baccalaureate, which is similar to AP in that it's pretty intense) courses. So, my schedule consists of 5 out of 7 classes that will be extremely challenging. The thing is, it's senior year. As much as I'm all for learning at a higher level, I don't foresee much sleep in my future. But I do foresee a lot of stress.

That's where the problem lies. I love sleep and I hate stress. So what's a book-loving, music-addicted, not-so-social-but-not-a-hermit seventeen-year-old to do? Why, blog about it, of course!

If you're wondering why I even bothered to mention the difficulties of my classes this year here's why: I won't have too much time for blogging. Or reading. Everything will be slowed down, but not stopped altogether. The 'Waiting on Wednesdays' and 'Teaser Tuesdays' will still be around, but only sparingly. My 'Stacking the Shelves' posts will also be less frequent. At this point, the only things I can see myself doing consistently are reading the most-anticipated books on my TBR list and reviewing those.

This isn't set in stone, of course. Don't expect to not hear from me for a month with no notice or something. Maybe I'll have free time and blog for a week straight, everyday. I don't know. Anything can happen at this point. Just stick with me, guys.

Stacking the Shelves #4

Stacking the Shelves is a  weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we share books we're adding to our shelves, be they physical or e-copies.

BOUGHT/BORROWED

Lash - L.G. Castillo

The Truth About You & Me - Amanda Grace

The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey

Obsession - Jennifer L. Armentrout

VIA RAZORBILL (Thank you!)

Earthbound - Aprilynne Pike

Right now, I'm a strange mix of happy and sad because I know that with school starting in two days for me (on a Monday, no less), I'm not going to have as much time as I want to read these pretties. My three AP classes this year (that my over-achieving self thought would be SUCH a great idea to choose) just won't allow for it. So thumbs down to the guy who decided to make school start at least two weeks earlier than usual!

Mini-rant aside, I'm SOOOOOOO excited! I've been trying to get a copy of Obsession for WEEKS now, and I finally have it!!! Let the Jennifer L. Armentrout fest begin! If you've been following me for a while, you'd already know that I LOVE me some JLA. And then there was Earthbound, which came in the mail in at the most perfect time ever! Another thanks to Razorbill for that!

The 5th Wave has been getting some fantastic reviews from some people whose opinions I trust, so I can't wait to start in on that one. Lash and The Truth About You & Me have some pretty frickin' swoony covers, which is like eyecandy (or crack) to a romance addict like me! Plus, it's been a while since I've read an angel story, so I'm super eager to dive into Lash as well.

Anywho, enough about me. Did you do a Stacking the Shelves post? Leave me a link in the comments, and I'll stop on by!

Review - Real - Katy Evans

Title: Real
Author: Katy Evans
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release Date: May 28th, 2013
Series: Real, Raw & Ripped #1
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Synopsis

Remington Tate has a bad-boy rep in and out of the ring, a granite-hard body, and a raw, animal power that sends his female fans into a frenzy. But from the moment their eyes lock, the only woman he wants is Brooke Dumas. His desire is pure, all-consuming, and REAL.

Hired to keep his perfect body working like a machine, Brooke finally has the lucrative sports therapy job she’s been dreaming of. But as she tours the dangerous underground fighting circuit with Remy and his team, Brooke’s own body becomes alive with the most primal of hungers. If what happens between Brooke and Remy is ever as light as a flirtation, it quickly becomes an erotic obsession for them both, and promises so much more.

But their white-hot lust has a dark side—and when Remy’s deepest secret comes to light and Brooke’s familial duties demand action, will the pair be able to hang on, or will everything that once seemed so real suddenly fade away like an illusion?

My rating:

This book was a train wreck. One giant, full-blown, explosive catastrophe filled with twisted piles of sexual tension, fragments of intense lust, and the shattered remains of angsty, heated arguments. A train wreck, indeed. So now, if you’re wondering why I gave it four stars it’s because…I enjoyed the vast majority of it.

Not once was I ever bored with this book. Its fast pace and the electric way Katy Evans wrote it kept me with my Nook practically glued to my fingers. I stayed up the entire night reading it, the glow maybe hurting my eyes a little, but I’d be lying if I said I wished I could have those hours back. And, yeah, electric is probably a weird word to describe K.E.’s writing, but it’s the only thing that fits. I could try to explain it, but I feel like direct quotes would be the only thing to do it any significant amount of justice:

“He looks into my face again, his eyes seething with desire. I think I just nodded in agreement, but I’m too shaky to know for sure. A sweltering fever runs unleashed through me. My legs won’t stop trembling as every one of my cells screams in lust because I want him now. I want him now.”

And then there’s…

“Holding me protectively in his strong arms, he brushes my hair back as his lips buzz along the bare curve between my neck and collar, his fingers sliding up my neck as he once again, like a chant, nuzzles my ear and tells me, ‘Mine. Tonight.’”

So, yeah, sexual tension galore. I’d say about 95% of the entire book was sexual tension. And that’s great if you’re into that sort of thing, but at times it read like pure smut. I’m no prude, and I’m not going to lie and say I’ve never read an erotica book before, but at times I found myself cringing at some of the word choice.

“Even though he’s wearing sweatpants and an easy T-shirt, there’s no way you can miss the clench of the muscles of his upper body through the damp cotton fabric, and the way his sweatpants hang low on his narrow hips make my breasts feel so heavy and painful I swear to god I can’t imagine how it will feel when I’m lactating one day.”

Now, outside of the context of the novel, nothing's wrong with lactating boobs. It's natural. But in direct contrast with Remy's hotness, it's just so out of place.

Those quotes are just few of many of the lusty thoughts our narrator, Brooke Dumas, has for Remington “Remy” Tate, the hero. There’s about a billon more where they came from, too. While I did like the intensity, I wished it had been toned down a bit to allow more room for the romance. Halfway through the book, I was already aware of how much Brooke and Remy wanted to bang. I got it. Cool. But where was the swoony romance? The meaningful conversation, expressed outside of song lyrics? (Though I will admit that the lyric communication was my favorite part.) A connection that didn’t involve sex, for once? The love between them, I feel, wasn’t as clear as it could’ve been. (Until the end, at least.) I didn’t experience them falling in love like I would’ve wanted to. Mostly, I just felt Brooke’s sex muscles clenching every time she even thought of Remy.

Another thing that kind of got squashed in Brooke’s sex-starved narrative was the characterization. I got no sense of character until I was almost done with the book. Remy was supposed to be this super hot, cocky, amazing, powerful, troubled guy. And I wanted to see those things more than I wanted to hear about how much Brooke wanted to jump his bones. The same with Brooke. I actually liked her, once I got past her smutty inner thoughts. She was cool and sensible. It wasn’t until the issue with her sister that I began to see some depth.

Despite the things I said above, I fell for Brooke and Remy’s relationship. It may have taken some time, but it got there, so I’m glad I read until the end. I really liked that things weren’t so happy-happy-joy-joy between them all the time. The way that they Remy fought to keep Brooke at a distance first, and then fought to keep her close. The way that Brooke’s emotions teetered a few times because of how much she wanted him.

“He must have wanted a different reaction to his gesture. He must have wanted me to be all gushy and tell him, ‘Oh my stars, you’re so amazing!’ But I won’t. Because I hate what he does to me. I hate that I want him like this, hate that I feel so volatile I want to tear his eyes out and then go cry about it.”

I’m such a sucker for angsty love affairs, I couldn’t help but give this surprisingly thrilling train wreck of a romance four stars.

 ***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Waiting on Wednesday #6

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

MY PICK FOR THIS WEEK:

Title: Breaking Nova
Author: Jessica Sorensen
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: September 3rd, 2013
Series: Nova #1

Synopsis via Goodreads

Nova Reed used to have dreams-of becoming a famous drummer, of marrying her true love. But all of that was taken away in an instant. Now she's getting by as best she can, though sometimes that means doing things the old Nova would never do. Things that are slowly eating away at her spirit. Every day blends into the next . . . until she meets Quinton Carter. His intense, honey brown eyes instantly draw her in, and he looks just about as broken as she feels inside.

Quinton once got a second chance at life-but he doesn't want it. The tattoos on his chest are a constant reminder of what he's done, what he's lost. He's sworn to never allow happiness into his life . . . but then beautiful, sweet Nova makes him smile. He knows he's too damaged to get close to her, yet she's the only one who can make him feel alive again. Quinton will have to decide: does he deserve to start over? Or should he pay for his past forever?

WHY I'M WAITING: 

I just started The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden yesterday, which is also by Jessica Sorensen. Her style is so...captivating. And any author whose writing can keep me interested despite a mediocre plotline (not that I'm saying The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden has a mediocre plotline) usually stays on my to-read list. Plus, like I've said a million times before, I'm a sucker for swoony romance, and this book seems like it'll have loads of it.

(P.S. Forbidden romances are my not-so-guilty pleasure.)

Review - The Darkest Craving - By: Gena Showalter

Title: The Darkest Craving
Author: Gena Showalter
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Release Date:July 30th, 2013
Series: Lords of the Underworld #10
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Synopsis via Goodreads

Having endured weeks of torture in the bowels of hell, Kane wants nothing to do with his beautiful rescuer, Josephina Aisling. The half-Fae female threatens to awaken the demon of Disaster inside him—a beast he’s determined to kill, no matter the price.

Josephina is hunted by a brutal enemy—her royal family—and Kane is her only source of protection. He’s also the only male to ever set her aflame, and even he succumbs to the heat. But as they navigate the treacherous world of the Fae, they are forced to make a choice: live apart…or die together.

My rating:

I never thought I’d see the day where I rated any Lords of the Underworld book less than five stars. Gena Showalter’s consistency up until The Darkest Craving has been nothing less than admirable. I kept expecting for one warrior’s story to slip up, or for her style to change so much that I couldn’t tolerate it anymore.

Unfortunately, that day has come. Let's have a moment of tear-stained silence for Kane's mediocre unfufilling ohnowhathashappened story, please.

You guys should’ve seen me on the release day. I let everybody know: the next LOTU book is out ohmyGAWD I have to have it NOWWWWWW. I’d been pimping those books out to anyone who would listen, whether they enjoyed paranormal romance or not.

So color me surprised when—and I really, really hate to say it—I was halfway through the book, and I realized…something was off. It was like watered down LOTU. Not as much action. Not as much passion between Kane or Josephina (aka Tink). Not as much humor. Not as much effortless style Showalter usually displayed that kept me coming back installment after installment.

In comparison to the other books, this was probably the most disappointing. And damn if I don’t feel like a traitor for just thinking that, let alone telling the world. But if I’m honest with myself, I have to admit: I just wasn’t feeling this one.

I’m not quite sure what it was. Or where, exactly, I begun to realize something was different. The beginning was nice. I liked Josephina immediately. She was a little quirky, but I enjoyed her interactions with Kane and Strider and Sabin. I thought she’d be a perfect match for a fresh-out-of-literal-hell Kane.

But then when she went back to her Fae family, she changed a little. She was still quirky, but there was helplessness to her, like she’d given up fighting and was just going to accept her lot in life. Which was a pretty shitty lot. She was like a half-Fae, half-human witty Cinderella. Her evil step-mother and Irresponsible (hehe, inside joke if you’ve read it) half-sister, lustful half-brother, and shockingly abusive father all commanded her life. Her initial acceptance of it all was unacceptable to me, the reader, so she lost a few cool points, but nothing I couldn’t get over. I still liked her by the end, so everything was fine.

And then there was Kane.

I didn’t know what to do with him, really. I wanted to like him, to get to know him and empathize with him like I’d done with every other character. But for some reason, he seemed to lack substance. As a Lord of the Underworld, you’d expect him to be beyond life. Strong. Ruthless. Dominant. Sexy. And then he’d have this softness inside him for his woman. Kane did possess those things, except…like I said, it lacked substance. I wasn’t able to totally feel what I should’ve for him. All I felt was this indifference towards him. Like, if he’d died I would’ve been like “Huh, well, that’s going to be an inconvenience in the future” instead of wanting to bawl because he didn’t get his HEA. And I was so shocked with my indifference, and I thought maybe it was me. Maybe I was reading it wrong somehow. Except, now I don’t think so. Kane just left much to be desired.

The main storyline was static to me. I’m sorry, but after a while, the washed out romance between the two combined with nothing much going on became a bore. Seriously, most of the conflict wasn’t even conflict at all. Easily solved. I can’t quite say what the conflict was, but just take my word for it. There was no urgency, nothing pressing that needed to be taken care of ASAP.

The ONLY saving grace was the subplots, which kept me more interested than the main plot. There’s some trouble for Cameo and Viola, and a character from the past (HINT: It’s someone they thought was dead) as well. And then there’s some trouble for Torin. Both subplots set into motion their HEAs so I’m glad that picked up, at least.

One thing that I must say, though: William had more presence than all of the Lords combined in this one. He was like Kane’s handy dandy frickin’ sidekick. So WHY OH WHY didn’t we get any of William the Ever Randy and Gilly? At this point, they’re who I want to know the most about in the series. (Second only to Legion and Galen, who didn’t have a single scene together. In fact, Legion was only mentioned, like, once.) William and Gilly had ONE SCENE together, and in that ONE SCENE they argued for like, a minute.

What. The. Hell.

They need more air time, damn it! I NEED to see them happen. I NEED to see Willy quit being such a hobag and admit that he wants her. And only her. It not only hurts Gilly’s feelings that he sleeps around, but mine too, because I KNOW that it’s only going to make things more difficult for them in the future. And I just want their HEA to happen.

Please. That’s all I want.

Review - The Immortal Rules - Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: April 24th, 2012
Series: Blood of Eden #1
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Synopsis via Goodreads

To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness….

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for… again.

My rating:

If someone asked me what I thought of this book, this would probably be my reaction:

Typically, when I see a book that I might want to read, I head straight over to Goodreads. I size up the synopsis and then read a few reviews from the people with similar tastes to mine. And maybe a few who don't have the same tastes, because it's always good to get multiple perspectives.

Anyway, that's what I did with The Immortal Rules. And everyone swore up and down that it was the best dystopian/vampire novel out there. (Or maybe the only dystopian/vampire novel out there, therefore making it the best. I don't know. I've yet to come across any others.) So, I gave it a chance and went in with high expectations.

That was my first mistake.

I expected way too much. I thought it'd have all of the aspects I generally love in a book--an intricate plot, relatable characters, a healthy dose of romance. But that wasn't what this book was about. In my haste to dive into it and make it a new favorite, I compared it to my other favorites.

That was my second mistake.

I enjoyed The Immortal Rules. I didn't love it. Maybe it just wasn't for me. After all, I tend to crave more wit and romance as opposed to the adventure and coming-into-oneself stuff. Still, I liked it enough.

The main character, Allison Sekemoto, was interesting to read about. I found myself wanting to know more about her life and why she lived the way she did and where she came from. She was tough and jaded. While the jaded part did get annoying a few times, her other characteristics made up for her flaws. I liked that she was strong-minded & opinionated & had her own morals, but still possessed that rebellious-with-a-cause flair. Except, something was missing. I could never pinpoint it, but something kept me from relating to her fully. I understood her motivations, but that was about as deep as it went.

I felt the same about the secondary characters, which consisted of a small group of wanderers. Well, I don't think they counted as wanderers since they had a destination in mind. That aside, I don't know if it was the sheer size of the group (11 people, not including Allison) that kept me from caring or what, but I found myself only giving a crap about whether they reached their destination out of curiosity. Zeke, the love interest and member of the group stood out a little bit more. He was heroic and determined and loyal and handsome--but boring. The same thing that happened with Allison happened with him. Something was missing. I didn't care enough about him.

The plot itself was basic. Easy to follow & predict. It balanced between Allison surviving and wandering around, and that was it. Nothing quite new, but the writing was decent enough to keep me reading. The beginning intrigued me but it got old quickly, so I was glad when things picked up during the later half. A few times, the setting was obscure, so I couldn't grasp what the characters were doing as the story progressed, especially when they went to the city that was partly underwater.

Despite being both paranormal and dystopian, the realism was astounding. Once I overlooked the lack of incessant humor or heart-wrenching drama and recognized the story for what it was (the struggle of a new vampire's acclimation to an unfamiliar lifestyle), I realized that I liked the jadedness. I liked that people died and it sucked. I liked that Allison struggled with both being a human and then a vampire. I liked that everything wasn't easy and required sacrifices.

The Immortal Rules is a book that I'm glad I read, but it will probably be a while before I read the next one--even with that slightly cliffhanger-y ending.

Waiting on Wednesday #5

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

MY PICK FOR THIS WEEK:

Title: Unchained
Author: J. Lynn
Publisher: Entangled : Edge
Release Date: September 17th, 2013
Series: Nephilim Rising #1

Synopsis via Goodreads

Between the pissed off creatures that want demon-hunter Lily Marks dead and the fallen angel who just...wants her, Lily is about ready to trade in forever for a comfy job in a cubicle farm.

The fact that she and Julian are civil to one another is enough to have her thrown out of the Sanctuary, but she can't shake her not-so-angelic stalker or how he brings her dangerously close to ecstasy.

Her forbidden relationship with Julian provides the perfect fuel for suspicion when a traitor is discovered to be working within the Sanctuary. Lily quickly finds herself hunted by well, everyone.

Her only hope is to discover the real traitor before she loses everything--and she'll need Julian's help. That is, if Julian is really there to help her...and not destroy her.

Yeah, being a Nephilim isn't everything it's cracked up to be.

WHY I'M WAITING: 

New series by J. Lynn? SQUEEEEEEEEEE!

 

I solemnly swore that I'd read every single book by this woman. Okay, I actually didn't swear it, but I do right now! She's been my favorite author ever since I read her Covenant series...and then proceeded to read everything she'd ever dared to type including her books, her deleted scenes, her entire blog, etc. I'm not a stalker, I swear. *eye twitch*

Whether it's as Jennifer L. Armentrout or as J. Lynn, I'll read it. I'll devour it. And I'll love it. Plus, this book just sounds really cool. So there.

Stacking the Shelves #3

Stacking the Shelves is a  weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we share books we're adding to our shelves, be they physical or e-copies.

BOUGHT/BORROWED

Ashes on the Waves - Mary Lindsey

The Beautiful and the Cursed - Page Morgan

Masque of the Red Death - Bethany Griffin

The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden - Jessica Sorensen

VIA NETGALLEY

The Dream Thieves - Maggie Stiefvater

Ten Tiny Breaths - K.A. Tucker

Oh, the pretties! You know, I told myself I was going to stay away from New Adult for a while and focus more on YA, but I just couldn't resist Ten Tiny Breaths or The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden. Especially with the latter, as I've heard people madly raving about it.

Also, I applaud the people that did the covers for Ashes on the Waves, The Beautiful and the Cursed, and Masque of the Red Death. Seriously. Wow. That intricate typography is just majestic and so are the photos. I couldn't pull that off if I tried--and trust me, I have.

Enough about me. Did you do a Stacking the Shelves post? Leave me a link in the comments and I'll stop on by!

Waiting on Wednesday #4

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

MY PICK FOR THIS WEEK:

Title: Deception
Author: C.J. Redwine
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: August 27th, 2013
Series: Defiance #2

Synopsis via Goodreads

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.



But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.

WHY I'M WAITING: 

Ooh look at that foggy, mysterious background on the cover! I like how Rachel's hair stands out amongst all that darkness--kind of symbolic, no? Anyway, if this book turns out to be half as good as the previous one, I will be happy. Rachel was such a strong, defiant (if you will) character and that's usually what makes or breaks a series for me. Also, this series is great because I'm not typically one for dystopian novels, but Defiance pushed past my prejudice and forced me to love it.

Stacking the Shelves #2

Stacking the Shelves is a  weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we share books we're adding to our shelves, be they physical or e-copies.

BOUGHT/BORROWED

The Immortal Rules - Julie Kagawa

Unteachable - Leah Raeder

VIA NETGALLEY

Bound By Night - Larissa Ione

The Bane - Keary Taylor

Ahhh I'm so excited about this batch! I freaked out when I spotted Bound By Night on NetGalley. Like, I stood up and jumped around and squealed. It's been soooooo long since I've read her Demonica series that you'd think I'd forgotten how addictive her writing is. Nope! Nopenopenope! Plus that swoon-worthy cover. With that leather jacket and those black jeans and that V-neck and those hypnotic eyes...reminds me of that one picture of Ian Somerhalder (whom I continue to unabashedly rave over).

Check it out:

The hand. The space between shirt and jeans. The entire pose, actually. It looks like they modeled the entire thing after this picture. Can't blame 'em, though. *fans self*

Anyway, I've read mostly complimentary things about each book so if you guys don't hear from me in a while it's because I've turned my bedroom into a cave and don't plan on coming out until I've devoured each book. 

Now that that's settled, feel free to tell me what's new on your shelf! Happy reading!

Review - MacRieve - By: Kresley Cole

Title: Macrieve
Author: Kresley Cole
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release Date: July 2nd, 2013
Series: Immortals After Dark #13
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Synopsis via Goodreads

In this pulse-pounding Immortals After Dark tale, #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole delves into the darkest mysteries and deepest passions of Clan MacRieve. . .

A Beast In Torment

Uilleam MacRieve believed he’d laid to rest the ghosts of his boyhood. But when a brutal torture revives those ancient agonies and destroys his Lykae instinct, the proud Scot craves the oblivion of death. Until he finds her—a young human so full of spirit and courage that she pulls him back from the brink.

A Beauty In Chains

Seized for the auction block, Chloe Todd is forced to enter a terrifying new world of monsters and lore as a bound slave. When offered up to creatures of the dark, she fears she won’t last the night. Until she’s claimed by him—a tormented immortal with heartbreaking eyes, whose touch sets her blood on fire.

A Full Moon On The Rise

With enemies circling, MacRieve spirits Chloe away to the isolated Highland keep of his youth. But once he takes her to his bed, his sensual mate becomes something more than human, evoking his savage past and testing his sanity. On the cusp of the full moon, can he conquer his worst nightmare to save Chloe . . . from himself?

My rating:

After sorting through a bunch of "meh" YA and New Adult, the release of Kresley Cole's MacRieve was just the non-narcotic boost I needed. I feel like a random, crazy song & dance is in order. Or maybe just a spontaneous combustion or something.

Yes! I give it 5 freaking stars and this book earned every single one of them.

I don't even know where to begin with Will and his mate, Chloe, so let me just start off by mentioning: yes, Chloe definitely is a species that hadn't really been delved into yet, as per Kresley Cole's tweeting about the novel prior to its release. And yes, within 10 or so pages of reading I'd correctly guessed what she'd be.

And now that that's out of the way, onto the best part: Chloe's personality. Chloe was amazing! She's my favorite heroine in the series, I think. From her first appearance to her last, her character was consistent and entertaining. Initially, she was human, but when she got tossed into the Lore she took it all head-on with her stay-positive attitude. She was badass without being too flashy about it. She was tough and hilarious and NEVER backed down without all of the obnoxiousness that comes from being all of those things. From the start, she never took any of Will's shit (and there was A LOT of it), and when things got rough between them--and not in the good, naughty way--she'd fire right back at him. She had a game plan of what she was going to do even as more problems were flying at her that she never strayed from. Everything about her was real, even as the world she'd known wasn't, and I really enjoyed reading about her.

And then we have Will aka Uilleam aka Ooh-lay-umm as Nix called him. He was a mess. A big, dark mess and he knew it. I mean, it was somewhat understandable considering what happened to him in the past and then what happened during his capture & torture. He was this big, broody, broken Lykae who suddenly found his mate, and just when things were looking up...in true KC fashion, everything came crashing down in a big pile of lust, anger, bitterness, past trauma, and prejudice. The romance between him and Chloe happened so quickly (I think he fell for her in all of 24 hours, but it's okay 'cause Chloe's just that awesome) and so when it went awry, it nearly self-destructed. Will had a lot of things he needed to work on before he could be with Chloe (namely his disgust for her species) but when he finally got over it, it was glorious.

The later half or so took an interesting turn. It kind of reminded me of a fairy tale, something like Sleeping Beauty or Snow White. Chloe got sick, and [*this might be a little spoilery, so keep reading at your own risk*] only Will's literal "true love" could save her. If there was no love, then she would have died. Except, this is a KC novel, so instead of true love's kiss saving her, it's true love's third time doing the horizontal tango. After that, it stopped focusing on Will & Chloe's relationship, as they got their HEA a little early.

We get a couple surprises, and if I'm not wrong, I think Munro might be next in line with his HEA looking at how badly things ended for him. Or maybe not, since he'd need a bit of time to wait and see how things go. I know I'm being vague, but I'm trying not to give any spoilers away.

As for cameos from other characters in past books, there weren't many in person. Nix, of course, was there, as was Malkom Slaine. Some were merely mentioned. Others like Regin and Mariketa were only there through overheard cell phone conversations, which was kind of a bummer and a good thing. It left room for Chloe & Will to develop their feelings for one another, but I kinda wanted to know what was going on with everyone else.

As always, KC delivers with this book. Her prose was gripping as she delved deeper with the worldbuilding and introduced new characters and new species of the Lore. It took me about two days to finish this book, since the only time I put it down was when I all but passed out from exhaustion. Chloe & Will fit so well together while still being strong individuals. And while there was more focus on building up the romance and not as much action as we'd usually see in an IAD novel, it's okay because the romance is what I'm here for anyways :)