Review - The King - J.R. Ward

Title: The King
Author: J.R. Ward
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Release Date: April 1st, 2014
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #12
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Synopsis via Goodreads

Long live the King…

After turning his back on the throne for centuries, Wrath, son of Wrath, finally assumed his father’s mantle--with the help of his beloved mate. But the crown sets heavily on his head. As the war with the Lessening Society rages on, and the threat from the Band of Bastards truly hits home, he is forced to make choices that put everything--and everyone--at risk.

Beth Randall thought she knew what she was getting into when she mated the last pure blooded vampire on the planet: An easy ride was not it. But when she decides she wants a child, she’s unprepared for Wrath’s response--or the distance it creates between them.

The question is, will true love win out... or tortured legacy take over?

My rating:

So this was me when The King finally came out:

Guys. This was intense. I cried four times. Four. I almost never cry while reading anything, but for some reason the feels were just exploding out of me.

Hey, J.R.?

Jeez. Okay. Time to get my shit together and write something resembling a review. *clears throat*

Beth & Wrath
Aka Queen B and Khal Drogo (Ah, come on. Don't tell me when you picture Wrath you don't imagine him looking a little like Jason Momoa). Anyway, honestly, I'd forgotten how much I loved these two. I'm glad I'd just done a re-read of the entire series because there were a few references to Dark Lover that would've baffled the hell out of me. Case in point, a lovely conversation between Beth and Tohr.

[Beth] "'Do you still root for the monster?'

There was a pause. And then the Brother laughed in his trademark baritone. 'Are you telling me there's another Godzilla marathon on?'"

Beth and Wrath go through some serious issues throughout the entire book. At first, most of it just felt like arguing and I was starting to get tired every time I saw a shift to one of their POV's because I didn't want another argument or lengthy reflection on how the current argument was ruining their relationship. But then the love and general concern and all around stress of their situation kept shining through their rants, and it was all good. J.R. did an excellent job titling this book. Each problem Beth & Wrath had, each decision they made influenced the throne somehow and it was interesting to how they'd work through the problems. Which, of course they did. They were the reason for my continuous flow of tears, mostly towards the end when it got really sappy. (But in a good way.)

Assail/Sola

Like, you don't even understand. They are the main reason I was anticipating this book. I FELL FOR THEM SO HARD in Lover At Last. Each time either one of their POVs showed up, I did a little happy dance even though they were in the shittiest circumstances. If you read LAL, you know Sola's been kidnapped. Assail turns into a raging psychopath (which, you know, is just a euphemism for badass bonded male) to get her back. Is it bad that I enjoyed all the murder he executed on Sola's behalf? Yes? Well WHO GIVES A FUCK. They were awesome. All of their moments post-kidnapping were so heartbreaking and intense. Assail was gentle and kind to both Sola and her grandmother (who was HILARIOUS, btw). Watching the way he loved her with this quiet, brooding intensity made me swoon many, many times. Observe:

"Through the windows of the kitchen, he saw her [Sola] standing by the table, rifling through a suitcase as if searching for something she was leaving behind.

Out here, my love, he thought. What you have lost is out here.

And then her grandmother made an appearance with the cousins, and it was clear that the female did not approve of the leaving.

Just one more thing to adore about her."

I wanted them to stay together and live out their HEA, but sadly that just wasn't the case. I won't say more, but DAMN. Oh, and P.S. when is J.R. going to give them more air time? They deserve it!

Trez/iAm/Selena
Trez gets a lot of air time in this one. iAm gets just about as much, too, I guess. In LAL I was really curious to see where Trez and Selena's relationship would go, but by the time I was well into The King...meh. I stopped caring at some point, and found myself wanting to skip ahead to the parts about Assail/Sola and Beth/Wrath. There wasn't anything wrong with Trez's POV or storyline, though, I just tired of it fast. Like, I get it. He sleeps with everyone, he's wanted back in the Territory to be a sex slave, etc etc. Each time his POV arrived, that's all he went on about. It got too monotonous and I got bored. Even his thing with Selena was shadowed (no pun intended) by all of his misgivings. He wasn't good enough for her, he was dirty, but he wanted her so bad. He was a walking contradiction, nearly having sex with the woman at one point and then trying to get away from her the very next.

Xcor/BoB/Layla
Another subplot that kinda faded for me. Maybe it's because none of these players have much air time, too. I don't quite know what to say about any of them. Xcor was...different. Not as hard, not as badass. Like a washed out version of himself, and not in a tortured hero kind of way. More like a "who the hell are you and what have you done with Xcor" kind of way. Layla definitely didn't have enough air time to make an impact, either. I mean, she made some big decisions regarding Xcor that are definitely going to be game changers, but I couldn't bring myself to care. And the decision that Xcor made towards the end (not gonna spoil it, but damn) just made me lose all respect for him as an antagonist (or at least an anti-hero).

The Brothers/Lassiter/John Matthew
In my opinion, the Brothers needed to be in the spotlight a bit more. They were just...there. A few would pipe in with a burst of individuality with a witty quip, but most of the time the Brotherhood functioned as a group. i.e. "The Brotherhood did this.." Or at least that's what it felt like. Lassiter, being the fabulous angel he is, commanded that spotlight a few times. His scenes were hilarious. John Matthew was pretty involved throughout the whole thing, especially in Beth's POV and more than a few times in Wrath's.

I know it sounds like I'm kind of going in on the subplots, so a couple people are wondering why I gave it 5 stars. Mostly for the effortless and engaging writing style that J.R. has. Even if I didn't care about Trez or Layla or Xcor, I still read it and loved it because there was no way I was missing out on anything J.R. wrote. Plus, the feels. The feels definitely make the 5 star rating, on both Beth/Wrath's end as well as Assail/Sola's end. The angst, the crying, the anger, the romance, the sappiness, the humor, even the arguing. All of that and just the fact that I enjoyed this book immensely. Couldn't put it down actually, and the thing's long as hell.

Now that The King's done. Who's up next? Trez? (Please, no.) Xcor? (Meh.) Assail? (HELL. FUCKING. YES!)

Waiting on Wednesday #7

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: Sentinel
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Release Date: November 2nd, 2013
Series: Covenant #5

Synopsis via Goodreads

It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.

WHY I'M WAITING: 

I feel like I should re-dedicate my blog to pimping out JLA's books. Really. I swear she's a lean-mean-writing-machine. She writes more books in a year than I could even think up a concept for one. The best part? THEY'RE ALL AWESOME BOOKS. I'm certain she has magical powers. There's just no other option.

Anywho, back on topic. I'm waiting on Sentinel.

Okay, not really. I'm more sobbing myself to sleep every night & trying to fill the void with other books. There's not much actual waiting involved. (I'm melodramatic. Sue me.)

Review - Ten Tiny Breaths - K.A. Tucker

Title: Ten Tiny Breaths
Author: K.A. Tucker
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: December 9th, 2012
Series: Ten Tiny Breaths #1
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Synopsis via Goodreads

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

My rating:

4.5 Stars

Someone please slap me silly for putting this book on the backburner for so long. For real. How did I manage to skip over this book in favor of all the lesser ones that made me want to cry murderous tears? (You ever get that feeling? Where you hate a character so much—who isn’t the villain—that you wish you could just strangle them?)

Ten Tiny Breaths gives the phrase “beautifully broken” a whole new meaning for me. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a good tortured heroine book in a long time. But that’s exactly what this was, and it was all so perfectly executed. Not once did I wish for the protagonist, Kacey, to get hit by a car and have the story *cough*mercifully*cough* end. And man am I making myself sound like a crazy for willing sudden death upon fictional characters, but it’s been a bad week in terms of finding half-decent books for me, all right?

I think it’s been a year since I’ve found a character that I love this much. Kacey Cleary is one sarcastic, hilarious, all around badass chick. The catch, then? She's got some issues. Some emotionally repressive issiues. When she was 16, she was involved in a car accident. An accident that killed her parents, her best friend, and her boyfriend. Not to mention two of the three drunken guys that caused the accident. Her sister, Livie, is all that she has left. And that accident caused more devastation than anyone thought. It left her numb.

Broke and in a new city, Kacey and Livie find a home in this dingy apartment complex and simply try to survive. There they meet their neighbors. A single mom and her daughter. And a super hot guy who goes by the name of Trent.

Trent and Kacey’s attraction happens fast. Like, really fast. By their second time meeting, before I even really get a sense of who Trent was beyond the fact that he was sexy, had dimples, and blue eyes, he was already up close and personal with Kacey. Despite that, though, it was easy to like him. He played the savior role flawlessly, even though Kacey didn’t really need it. Have I mentioned that she's badass?

One of the best parts about Kacey was how she carried herself. Confident, even though a lot of it was bravado. On the inside, she’d be anxious, and you’d never know it by the strange and amusing things that came out of her mouth. You could tell that she had issues, but the way she dealt with them was all apart of her charm. (Not that I’m saying it was particularly healthy.) She effortlessly pulled off the snarky, tough-chick vibe without being annoying at all.

I came to love the rest of the side characters as much as I did the main ones. There’s little more than half a dozen. Livie. Storm. Mia. Dan. Ben. Tanner. Cain. Nate. If you haven’t read the book, then they’re just names. But if you have, then you know that each character has their own voice and serve as more than plot devices. And damn if I didn’t enjoy the fact that none of them seemed to embrace the stereotypes surrounding them. Storm was smarter and more talented than anyone gave her credit for. Cain wasn’t as sleazy as I—and Kacey—thought he’d be with the type of business he was in. Each of them was unique and interesting, and they all became vital parts of Kacey’s life as she learned to heal from her past.

Another vital part of Kacey’s healing process was her actual romantic relationship with Trent. Or, well, it was more like the catalyst. She fought tooth and nail to not fall for him. Which, I guess, it was pretty hard to do since that man made it his life’s mission to make her happy. To make her laugh and smile. Sounds pretty sappy, but when you learn the real reason behind why…wow. I literally put my Nook down and said into the empty air: “I cannot believe this shit!” Shout out to K.A. Tucker for delivering the best spinning-kick-plot-twist I’ve read in a while.

Their HEA happened so close to the end, I never thought it’d happen. But when it did, there were tears in my eyes. And I learned a very, very valuable lesson: For the love of chocolate sauce and steaming hot coffee, the next time I put a book this good off for more than a week, someone reach through their computer screen and give me a good shaking!

Or just send me an email recommending it. That works, too. ;)

**ARC received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

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 :)

Waiting On Wednesday #2

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: Origin
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Release Date: August 27th, 2013
Series: Lux #4

Synopsis via Goodreads

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on?

And will they even be together?

WHY I'M WAITING: 

With that cliffhanger ending JLA left us with in Opal, there's no way I'd miss this. Plus, since this is one of my favorite series' of all time, to be doing anything less than vibrating in my seat with excitement is unnaceptable. August 27th cannot come fast enough!

Review - Elite - Rachel van Dyken

Title: Elite
Author: Rachel van Dyken
Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Release Date: July 9th, 2013
Series: Eagle Elite #1
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Synopsis via Goodreads

For Tracey Rooks, life with her grandparents on a Wyoming farm has always been simple. But after her grandmother's death, Tracey is all her grandfather has. So when Eagle Elite University announces its annual scholarship lottery, Tracey jumps at the opportunity to secure their future and enters. She isn't expecting much-but then she wins. And life as she knows it will never be same . . .

The students at Eagle Elite are unlike any she's ever met . . . and they refuse to make things easy for her. There's Nixon, gorgeous, irresistible, and leader of a group that everyone fears: The Elect. Their rules are simple.

1. Do not touch The Elect.

2. Do not look at The Elect.

3. Do not speak to The Elect.

No matter how hard she tries to stay away, The Elect are always around her and it isn't long until she finds out the reason why they keep their friends close and their enemies even closer. She just didn't realize she was the enemy -- until it was too late.

My rating:

So I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that I hated this book at chapter one. I hated it so much it almost ended up in my don't-ever-read pile. The protagonist, Trace, seemed spineless and naive--characteristics that are annoying in their own right but unbearable paired together. By the tenth time I'd rolled my eyes I thought I'd save myself the pain of reading it and move on.

And I am SO GLAD I convinced myself not to.

Seriously. 4.5 fantastic freaking stars to the fresh, original and dangerously intriguing first installment of Rachel van Dyken's (whom I now tip my invisible but stylishly feathered hat to) Elect Series.

So now that I got the bad news out of the way, the good news is that I loved this book. It may've had its faults and I'll get to those later, but I loved it.

It starts out with Tracey "Trace" Rooks coming to her new school and immediately being introduced to the rules by a very rude and astoundingly attractive group of boys. Now, initially I thought I was in for something paranormal. Mysterious school. Mysterious guys. Mysterious rules. Eventually, I learned that paranormalcy wasn't the case. Nope. It was just a small group of people called the "Elect" (which seemed to be synonymous with "pretentious, self-entitled, self-centered dickheads") that ruled the school. Or, to be specific, it was Nixon, their leader and Trace's love interest that ruled the school. And when I say "ruled the school", I mean it. He, an alleged student, got to control when and what people got to eat for crying out loud.

Remember how I called Trace spineless and naive? Yeah, not so much. She didn't take kindly to their rules and she suffered the consequences. This book took "hazing" to the next level. Aside from that, though, I really liked Trace. Well, after I got over my initial hatred. When she wasn't a crying mess from all the crap she took from the other students, she was intelligent and witty. I admired her for sticking through the hazing and for her determination to create a better life for herself and her grandfather.

And then we have Nixon, with whom I had mixed feelings about. I hated him in the beginning, too. Calling him an asshole would've been much, much too mild. He humiliated Trace constantly, and then claimed it was to protect her. (Which turned out to be true in the end, but when I didn't know that, I despised him.) He had this air of infallible arrogance about him. Maybe the arrogance was justified by his unquantifiable amount of wealth and power over EVERYTHING EVER but it was still aggravating. By the time he and Trace began their Romeo & Juliet-esque love affair, he'd redeemed himself a bit, but he was still a jerk.

Imagine my surprise when their romance ended up being my favorite part. Once Nixon stopped being a douche and we learn the real reason he was being a douche, it was easy to accept. With the end's "big reveal" also came the big reveal for Trace and Nixon. Their relationship was all kinds of endearing.

His breathing turned shallow. He closed his eyes and mumbled, "It was always supposed to be like this. Always."

They had swoon-worthy moments as well as steamy moments, and I soon found myself rooting for them. I'm a sucker for old, forbidden love, what can I say?

The thing is: I spent the majority of this book confused. If you don't like being confused, I don't recommend this book. Actually, I take that back because the big reveal is well worth it. Trace's world becomes utter chaos, and I loved the unraveling of her past and how Nixon and the Elect and her family tied into it.

The only problems I had with this book were the following:

1) They were supposed to be in college, but the atmosphere and the dynamic screamed high school. I had a hard time swallowing it.

2) The pacing was too fast. Things happened back to back to back and there wasn't a period where I could rest and think about all the things that were happening to Trace. I just wished R.v.D. had just slowed it down a bit.

3) The potential for a love triangle in the next book. I'm all for Team Nixon at this point, but I don't want there to be a love triangle at all. The sad part is, I'm 100% there will be one with the feelings (rapid feelings, at that) Trace developed for...someone who isn't Nixon.

Other than that, Elite provided just enough originality and arresting drama to keep me hastily turning the pages (or pressing the screen, since I read this on my Nook.) Bravo R.v.D. for turning this heavily sarcastic skeptic (that's me) into a fully-fledged fan and keeping me entertained when I was trying to escape from the heavy boredom of summer homework assignments.

 **ARC courtesy of Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Waiting on Wednesday #1

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

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.

WHY I'M WAITING: 

I've been a loyal fan of Gena Showalter's "Lords of the Underworld" series since the beginning. These books are the main reason why paranormal romance became my first favorite genre ever. ("First" because I'm beginning to lean towards NA, but that's a story for another time).

In a world of alpha male vampires and werewolves, GS switched things up with the incorporation of Greek mythology. And these alpha males are something else entirely. They're each demon-possessed warriors, and are on a quest to find Pandora's box at all costs. Except, things don't exactly go as planned (And do they ever, really?) when each warrior finds their mate, and their number one focus shifts to something like : 

To Do List

1) Protect mate at all costs.

2) Find Pandora's box. 

Being a part of a series filled with laughs, amazing characters, and tons of nonstop action, GS's next installation of her Lords of the Underworld's The Darkest Craving is a book I will be anxiously awaiting for the next....*glances at calendar longingly, hoping that the days fly by* thirteen days. 

Review - Fifth Grave Past the Light - By: Darynda Jones

Title: Fifth Grave Past the Light
Author: Darynda Jones
Publisher: Piatkus
Release Date: July 9th, 2013
Series: Charley Davidson #5
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Synopsis via Goodreads

Charley Davidson may not look like your everyday, run-of-the-mill grim reaper, but she has vowed to reap grimness wherever she goes despite this unfortunate fact. Sadly, she gets sidetracked when the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, moves in next door. As he is the main suspect in her arson case, she has vowed to stay away from him until she can find out the truth.

However, when dead women start appearing in her apartment—lost, confused and terrified beyond reason—Charley has no choice but to ask for Reyes' help, especially when it becomes apparent that her own sister, Gemma, is the serial killer's next target. With his ability to observe incorporeally, surely he can find out who's responsible. And even if he can't, he is the one man alive who could protect Gemma no matter who or what came at her. But he wants something in return: Charley. All of her—body and soul. And to keep her sister safe, it is a price she might be willing to pay...

My rating:

Excuse me while I make myself whole again after that ending turned me into a swooning, fangirling mess. Reyes. Why aren't you real? Why aren't you mine? Oh, the injustice of it all...

Now that I got my required dose of melodrama out of the way, can I just begin by saying that Darynda Jones is a genius. The perfect writer. The woman responsible for my insomnia, since sleep became a foreign concept as soon as I got a copy of this wonderful masterpiece of a sequel. NO ONE does sequels like D.J. NO ONE.

I dived into the story like there'd never been a long, excruciating period of time between this book and the last. Coming back to Charley's never-ending wit was refreshing. Her eccentric personality shined through like it always does, no matter how dire the situation is. And in the true Charley Davidson fashion, there were tons of dire situations.

Like usual, D.J. keeps the action nonstop with just enough subplots to make Charley's life crazy. So much was going on, and I loved it. It kept the pacing tight, never allowing a dull moment to creep through. We had Reyes as Charley's neighbor, where naughty times ensued. We had a psycho serial killer, and a twist at the end with the killer that I did NOT see coming. We had random dead blond women appearing in Charley's home and crawling on ceilings. We had the mysterious arsonist (who wasn't so mysterious as I read on). And I'm probably missing more, but after reading that ending, my head is more than a little scrambled.

That ending, though. Abrupt. Mind-blowing. Heart-swelling. Freaking spectacular. I actually did a mental happy dance, with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. I can't say what happens, of course, but just know that unless you have something against Reyes and Charley's relationship, you will NOT be dissapointed. And since I was a fan of them deepening their romance from the beginning, I was near euphoric at the end.

If you're like me, you'd want to know about any advancements with Charley's mysterious powers. Aside from the usual seeing ghosts & having them pass through her, there's quite a bit of new stuff. She slows time occasionally when she's aware of imminent danger. She gets to see things from a different plane, finally getting a glimpse of Reyes's surrounding shadow everyone seems to be going on about. During one scene, she causes a mini-earthquake. There's more and I don't want to give it all away, but her powers really do seem as endless as Reyes said they would be.

Supporting characters are a vital part of enjoying a novel for me. And D.J. has every single one of them down pat. Uncle Bob. Cookie. Officer Taft. Kim Millar. Rocket & Blue Bell. Strawberry Shortcake. Quentin. Amber. Gemma. All the characters we know and love are at the forefront once more in this edgy yet hilarious installment.

But I'm biased, so all of my attention was on the enigma that is Reyes Farrow. He was charming and wicked and sexy and amusing. And since he stayed corporeal the whole time, his moments with Charley got steamy very quickly. Observe:

A huge smile spread across his face. "True enough, so what's eating you? Because, sadly, it's not me."

Way to almost give a girl a stroke over here, Reyes. There's also stuff like this:

"Hey, wait," I said, pulling back, "you are the son of Satan. Maybe we need a safe word."
His grin morphed into something wickedly charming. "Okay, how about, 'Oh my god, it's so big.'"

Oh, Reyes, you dirty man. If that didn't keep me awake more than anything, I don't know what did.

Review - Lover At Last - By: J.R. Ward (Black Dagger Brotherhood Series #11)

Title: Lover At Last
Author: J. R. Ward
Publisher: NAL Hardcover
Release Date: March 26th, 2013
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #11
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Synopsis via Goodreads

Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his bloodline, shunned by the aristocracy, he has finally found an identity as one of the most brutal fighters in the war against the Lessening Society. But his life is not complete. Even as the prospect of having a family of his own seems to be within reach, he is empty on the inside, his heart given to another....

Blay, after years of unrequited love, has moved on from his feelings for Qhuinn. And it’s about time: The male has found his perfect match in a Chosen female, and they are going to have a young—just as Qhuinn has always wanted for himself. It’s hard to see the new couple together, but building your life around a pipe dream is just a heartbreak waiting to happen. As he’s learned firsthand.

Fate seems to have taken these vampire soldiers in different directions... but as the battle over the race’s throne intensifies, and new players on the scene in Caldwell create mortal danger for the Brotherhood, Qhuinn finally learns the true definition of courage, and two hearts who are meant to be together... finally become one.

My rating:

Words cannot even begin to explain what I went through reading this fantastic book. But, well, since this is a book review, I guess I'll have to try.

After being strung along book after book, dying to know what was going to become of Qhuinn and Blay, they finally got their HEA. And all I could think at the end of the book was: FINALLY! But the process of reading definitely was not an easy one. I can't really count how many times I mentally ranted in anger, or literally had to sit up and re-read something, or was going out of my mind with excitement, or was trying to keep my tears from falling because I was reading in public and that would make me look like a total weirdo crying over my nook. And yes, I own a nook, not a kindle. Take that, Amazon!

The main point is, I couldn't control myself while I read the whole thing. This book had pretty much everything. The good (Quay, the Brotherhood, new and recurring characters), the bad (not really much of it) and the downright ugly (mostly me and my trying-to-hold-in-tears-face).

The Good

1. Getting Reacquainted with the Brotherhood

I can't even explain how completely awesome it was to be back in J.R. Ward's world, back with the Brotherhood. The book didn't quite get to them first--it actually began with two humans stealing Qhuinn's car--but when it did...it was like freaking homecoming. I couldn't wait to get updates on my favorite couples. I couldn't wait to hear about them kicking lesser ass. I just couldn't wait. Each Brother was true to character (like J.R. Ward and her unbelievable writing style would allow for anything else). They were still the smoking-like-crazy, curse-word-throwing, witty, alcoholic hardasses I remembered from the last book.

"A deep breath was taken and let out, as if the civilian was staring at that exit and wondering if V's pissed-off departure might just cause him to wake up dead later on in the day."

2. Band of Bastards
All right, I'll admit it if no one else will. I freaking love the Band of Bastards. They are the most formidable, relatable foes I've read in a while. I like how they don't just want to mindlessly take down Wrath (much as I love the Blind Kind) and have no plan after that. I like how they're smart and cunning and actually pose a threat. However, I like how they're--Xcor in particular--has insecurities. He's not so arrogant that he thinks taking the throne from Wrath will be easy. And, of course, there's Layla. I don't want to veer too far off topic, but there was one quote about her internal struggle with her growing affection for Xcor that eased my dislike for her. It happened after she saw Xcor again and they agreed that they could never work out.

"Caught in the middle, between her mind and her soul, she was torn asunder even as she remained whole."

Xcor thinks he's not even worthy of being in her presence. Clearly, that's not how she feels, but that's not the point. The point is: he was weaknesses. And that's what makes him great.

3. FREAKING ASSAIL AND SOLA!!!
In my opinion, they made the whole book. Sorry, Quay. But I just couldn't help myself. I started focusing less and less on Quay and the BoB and the others and started focusing more on the hottest new couple in Caldwell. Sola's a new character, and I already love her. She's street-smart as hell, which is difficult to find nowadays. She's capable, despite what happened at the end of the book. And she keeps Assail on his toes when nobody else can. She's tough as rocks, but she's also vulnerable. Plus, her grandmother was adorable. I loved the mystery of her relationship with Assail. I loved the cat and mouse game they played with each other, though it was borderline stalkerish. I loved that they didn't seem to be able to control themselves around one another, but never lost who they were. Sola was level-headed and determined. Assail was an all around underground businessman with a no-nonsense attitude. And he was funny as hell.

"Assail did not condone swearing. In his mind, it was common and unnecessary. That being said, he'd had a shitty fucking week."

"As Assail drove through the grand gates of an estate in the wealthy part of Caldwell, he was annoyed. Exhausted. On edge. And not just because he'd been doing cocaine regularly and not eating."


4. Trez and iAm

I was glad to see the Shadows had a more important role in this book. Mostly because Trez is really, really funny. Also, we get to see more of why they're in the novels and how they came to be. Of course, that's not all. Trez is running from his old society, apparently, and iAm is his accomplice. I like how Trez is a complete and total manwhore in the beginning, but as soon as he gets to the Adirondack cabins where the Chosen are staying, he turns into a complete and total babbling fool for the Chosen Selena. It kind of reminds me of Butch when he met Marissa. A hardass wrapped around a woman's little finger, and she doesn't even know it.

The Bad

Like I said, there wasn't really much that was bad. The only thing I think got on my nerves a little was the constant name dropping. I couldn't read a single chapter without hearing about what brand someone was wearing, or how fancy this person's watch was. Or how expensive that person's shoes were or how well their tailored clothes fit.

The Ugly

I'm not entirely sure Qhuinn and Blay's relationship counts as "ugly". I mean, usually the word connotes something bad, and that was the section above. And their relationship wasn't technically bad.However, at some points, their relationship was...a mess, to say the least. It was rocky for the majority of the book, only getting resolved near the very end. There were a lot of misunderstandings and miscommunications that I felt could've been resolved easily if Qhuinn and Blay weren't such hard heads. But I guess they wouldn't be who they were if they weren't stubborn, so I can't really say anything. Still, it was hard to read. One moment they were strangers, the next they were in each other's beds, and then they hated each other, and then they were strangers again...it sucked. And I think that was the point. Qhuinn and Blay--but mostly Qhuinn--had to grow up some before they could have any sort of relationship. He needed to accept who he was and get rid of his past. The journey took up the length of the entire novel, and that wasn't preferable, but it was necessary. I like how they were in love the whole time, and came close to telling one another, but it never seemed to happen. It build up tension, made me wish they'd just tell each other even more. I like how the barriers that were Layla and Saxton weren't completely ignored, and they rode off into the sunset together just forgetting about everything and everyone else. It was realistic and believable. I like how they both seemed lost without one another. It made the inevitable reunion at the end. And when that reunion happened...I was sobbing like a freaking baby.

"Forcing his lids down, he brought Blay's knuckles to his mouth, brushing a kiss against them. Then he gave himself up to sleep, letting himself fall into unconsciousness, knowing that, at least for the next few hours, he was safe in the arms of his one and only."

"Qhuinn's head cranked around, leaving its cage of the hand that had remained, his blue and green eyes red rimmed and watery. 'I have loved you for years. I have been in love with you for years and years and years...throughout school and training...before transitions and afterward...when you approached me and yes, even now that you're with Saxton and you hate me. And that...shit...in my fucking head locked me down, locked everything down...and it cost me you'."

Blay to Qhuinn: "Because I was, and I remain, utterly and completely and totally...in love with you."

I'm glad that Quay finally got their HEA after so long. But, even now, I'm dying to get my hands on the next book just so that I can find out what happens with Sola and Assail. I expected Quay to dominate the entire story, but they ended up sharing the spotlight. And now, I'll just have to fill the void with other novels until I can return to the extraordinary world that is the Black Dagger Brotherhood.