Early Review: Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins
Series: The Sweet Trilogy #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 29th 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (HarperTeen) in exchange for an honest review

It’s time.

Evil is running rampant and sweet Anna Whitt is its target. Nobody knows when or how the Dukes will strike, but Anna and her Nephilim allies will do anything necessary to rid the earth of the demons and their oppressive ways.

The stakes are higher than ever, and Anna is determined that the love she feels will be her strength, not a liability. But trying to protect the ones she loves while running for her life and battling demonic forces proves to be perilous—especially as faces are changing and trust is fleeting. When the Duke of Lust sends Anna’s great love, Kaidan Rowe, to work against her, Anna must decide how much she’s prepared to risk.

In the most sensual and fast-paced installment yet, Sweet Reckoning brings all the beloved Neph together one last time to fight for their freedom.

I have to admit, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this series at the beginning, but now… I’m so in love. Each book in the trilogy got progressively better and better, and I grew to care for these characters so much that I’m sad that it’s all over. I had high expectations for Sweet Reckoning, since it’s the last book of the series, and Wendy Higgins absolutely delivers. Sweet Reckoning is a heart-pounding, fast-paced, and fabulous conclusion to this trilogy.

Anna and the gang have one last final chance to rid the world of demons, and the action doesn’t disappoint. There’s never a dull moment in this book, though there are many instances of sweetness between Anna and Kaidan, which I adored. Sweet Reckoning is thrilling, romantic, and fast-paced, and I was able to read it in one sitting. Wendy Higgins’s writing is easy to follow and I was riveted from beginning to end. I loved the subtle humor that appeared every now and then in the book (Kaidan, in particular, is hilarious!). And I was so impressed with all the characters–with their growth development and their relationships.

Anna is an impressive heroine–she truly becomes someone stronger, more confident, and more at ease with her destiny. It did become a bit too preachy for my taste at times, but I was glad that Anna had so much faith–faith in herself, in God, and in her friends. She already lost one of her Nephilim friends, and she’s definitely not ready to lose another one, so she does everything in her power to do what it takes to save all the Neph.

Kaidan is so, so sweet! I truly loved him best in Sweet Reckoning. He and Anna have to protect their relationship from the Dukes, but when it’s safe to be alone, the two of them are so adorable. Kai is so protective and willing to show how much he loves Anna (swoon!). They make such a great couple–their romance is sweet yet very, very sexy–and I loved the direction Wendy Higgins chose for them. It was something I never would have thought of, but for Kaidan and Anna, it was perfect.

All of their friends have a strong role in the book as well, and it was so great to see how much everyone has changed throughout the series. New relationships arise, some become more steady, but overall, it was the perfect ending for them.

Sweet Reckoning was so much fun to read, but I have to admit that I’m sad the series is over. Still, it’s a brilliant conclusion to this series I’ve come to love, and it’s got an even better epilogue! The epilogue was so beautiful and heartwarming that I fell in love with Kai and Anna all over again. It was such a perfect way to end the series.

Reading Order: The Sweet Trilogy

#1 ~ Sweet Evil: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Sweet Peril: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Sweet Reckoning: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Sweet Temptaiton: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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28Apr2014

Release Day Review: Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower
Series: Monster in His Eyes #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 28th 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Ignazio Vitale is not a good man.

I suspect it, the first time I see him, sense the air of danger that surrounds the man. He has a way of commanding attention, of taking control, of knowing what I’m thinking before I even do.

It’s alarming and alluring. It’s dark and deadly. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted but the last thing I truly need. Obsession.

It doesn’t take him long to draw me into his web, charming me into his bed and trapping me in his life, a life I know nothing about until it’s too late. He has secrets, secrets I can’t fathom, secrets that make it so I can’t walk away, no matter how much I beg him to let me go. I see it sometimes in his eyes, a darkness that’s both terrifying and thrilling. He’s a monster, wrapped up in a pretty package, and what I find when I unmask him changes everything.

I want to hate him.

Sometimes, I do.

But it doesn’t stop me from loving him, too.

This book blew. MY. MIND!!!!! I still can’t wrap my head around Monster in His Eyes–it was nothing like I ever expected, and I LOVED it! It’s intense, raw, suspenseful, gorgeously written, and so freaking goooood!!!

We have our heroine, Karissa, an 18-year-old freshman at NYU who’s just a normal girl trying to distance herself from her overbearing mom. She’s getting through her first year of college–she’s normal, relatable, and I easily connected with her as the heroine. J.M. Darhower portrays her perfectly as a college girl, but the story really only picks up when Karissa meets Ignazio “Naz” Vitale. Ignazio Vitale, who is 36, intense, and holds so much raw confidence and power in himself that Karissa never stood a chance against him.

Karissa is wary of Naz, and rightly so. Here’s a guy who’s gorgeous, rich, and twice her age, and he’s pursuing her? But there’s something so tempting, so invigorating, so thrilling about Naz that Karissa can’t stay away. Naz even warns Karissa to stay away from him but…

“I thought I could play with you a bit, and let you go, but once I had you, Karissa, I had to keep you. I couldn’t walk away.”

As Karissa starts falling for this man, a man she really knows nothing about, it’s all very romantic, but I could never get that feeling–the chills-up-your-spine kind of feeling–out of my mind. There was always something more to Naz, something dark and dangerous, and I never forgot it, and neither does Karissa. I honestly didn’t know what to think about Naz. Did I think he was too old for Karissa? Yes, but I could deal with that. Did I fall for him? Maybe a liiitle bit–he’s insanely sensual and passionate, but I just couldn’t ignore the warning bells ringing in my head. Because there’s no doubt that Naz is very dark and very, very dangerous.

And when his eyes cut my way, and I see the darkness on the surface, I’m reminded that this man hangs out with monsters.
And one might even exist inside of him.

Ignazio Vitale is one very intriguing man, and J.M. Darhower has written him so very, very perfectly. I swooned and I gasped, and I felt an incredibly wide range of emotions because of him. He’s such a thrilling character to read about, especially from Karissa’s POV. The author’s writing is brilliant, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more fascinated in and intrigued with a character than I am about Naz.

He lives in his own little world, where he’s the king, and I’m more than happy to be his minion… although, when he looks at me, flashing that dimple, I feel like nothing less than his queen.

Naz is addictive and powerful, sweeping Karissa off her feet and carrying her into his world, but it’s not exactly a HEA for them. There are dark twists and turns in this book, things that were jaw-dropping and had me reeling. Fans of suspense will not be disappointed.

I honestly couldn’t get enough of Karissa and Naz’s story. I never wanted it to end, and now I’m pretty much dying for book 2, Torture in Her Soul!! Monster in His Eyes is a fascinating, fantastic book that had me hooked from the start. So go READ IT!!

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Monster in His Eyes series

#1 ~ Monster in His Eyes: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Torture to Her Soul: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Target on Our Backs: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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22Apr2014

Release Day Review: Phenomenal X by Michelle A. Valentine

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Phenomenal X is LIVE!! I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this book, and I had a fabulous time reading it!

Phenomenal X by Michelle A. Valentine
Release Date: April 22, 2014
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Book #1 in the Hard Knocks Series

Good Girl. Notorious Bad-Boy. One Phenomenal Love.

From the mean streets of Detroit rises the newest superstar of professional wrestling, Xavier Cold, better known as Phenomenal X. His muscular physique makes men cower before him and woman lose their minds with desire.

Anna Cortez is fresh out of college and naive to the harsh realities of the real world. Tired of living under the thumb of her conservative family, she defies them when she accepts a job as the assistant to wrestling’s most notorious bad-boy. Phenomenal X has an animalistic nature that even good girl Anna finds hard to resist. One night forced to share a bed in a sold-out hotel, lines blur between them and they quickly learn that one lustful night changes everything and neither one of them will ever be the same.

Buy Links:
Amazon US • Amazon UK • Kobo

This is my first time reading a book by Michelle A. Valentine, and I have to say, I enjoyed Phenomenal X immensely! It had the perfect amount of intrigue, angst, sexiness, and intensity to make for a fast, fun read.

Anna is a girl who only wants to be free. She wants to be free from her oppressive family, and free to be whoever she wants to be. She is very much the good girl, and while she wants to break out from shell, it’s hard. She’s innocent, but not naive. It’s not until she meets Xavier Cold, otherwise known as Phenomenal X, that she starts to discover exactly who she’s meant to be.

We’re playing with fire, and one of us is bound to get burned.

Anna and Xavier have a very intense connection right from the very start. The bad boy and the good girl definitely have some fantastic chemistry together, but Anna refuses to be another conquest of Xavier’s. And so they settle for becoming friends, even though it’s hard to ignore the spark between them.

Xavier is so, so sweet to Anna. He may be known as a bad boy, because of the wresting and his mysterious past, but I felt he was just a man with a good heart but harsh exterior. Because of his past, Xavier believes he doesn’t deserve anything good in life, least of all Anna, but he does whatever he can to keep her in his life. It’s so sweet to see this bad boy falling in love, to see him be protective and possessive of Anna. And we can’t forget how sexy this man can be too! Even as Anna and Xavier are friends, Xavier can’t hold back his sensual self.

But eventually, they can’t remain friends. Xavier slowly breaks down those walls around Anna’s heart, and the two are explosive together.

“If we smash these fucking friendship rules there’s no going back. Once I have you–that’s it, you’re mine. I won’t allow another man to take what’s mine. Do you understand?”

Of course, Anna and Xavier don’t have an easy road ahead of them. Xavier must reconcile with his painful past, and Anna needs to be there for him as the deal with his past and his present–which involves trouble with his wrestling. Xavier is alpha-male all the way, and yet I found the story to be refreshing–the main characters don’t instantly fall into bed with each other and instead, they grow to learn about each other. The wrestling aspect is one I’ve never read before, so it was new and intriguing. Overall, Phenomenal X had me hooked and Michelle A. Valentine did a wonderful job bringing to life this story and these characters. Now I’m soooo excited for the sequel!

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Michelle A. Valentine is a Central Ohio nurse turned New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of erotic and New Adult romance. Her love of hard-rock music, tattoos, and sexy musicians inspired her erotic BLACK FALCON series.

Blog • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

20Apr2014

Review: Love, in English by Karina Halle

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Love, in English by Karina Halle
Series: LIE #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 20th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three.

He speaks Spanish. I speak English.

He lives in Spain. I live in Canada.

He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos.

He’s married and has a five-year old daughter. I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything.

Until now. Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the f*#king truth.

***

To a restless dreamer like Vera Miles, it sounded like the experience of a lifetime. Instead of spending her summer interning for her astronomy major, she would fly to Spain where she’d spend a few weeks teaching conversational English to businessmen and women, all while enjoying free room and board at an isolated resort. But while Vera expected to get a tan, meet new people and stuff herself with wine and paella, she never expected to fall in love.

Mateo Casalles is unlike anyone Vera has ever known, let alone anyone she’s usually attracted to. While Vera is a pierced and tatted free spirit with a love for music and freedom, Mateo is a successful businessman from Madrid, all sharp suits and cocky Latino charm. Yet, as the weeks go on, the two grow increasingly close and their relationship changes from purely platonic to something…more.

Something that makes Vera feel alive for the first time.

Something that can never, ever be.

Or so she thinks.

“Love is like a thief, it robs you of all thought and logic, and all you have left is a heart that you can only pray is strong enough to survive the rest.”

I read Love, in English the moment it appeared on my kindle and I couldn’t. stop. reading. I literally had to force myself to stop when it was 2 AM and by then I was around halfway done. God, this book did a number on me. I can’t stop thinking about it–my mind and heart are still in a jumble of a mess right now. All I really want to say is the I love this book so freaking hard. Love, in English has become one of the best books, the best romances, I have read this year yet, and it’ll most likely stay that way because, simply put, this book is phenomenal.

“You can fall in love in a second,” she said with a snap of her fingers. “The heart has no regard for time.”

First, let’s talk a little bit about forbidden love! Yes, as you can see from the blurb, our heroine, Vera Miles, falls in love with a married man. A married man, you say??? Yes, yes, a married man. This is a touchy subject, but it’s one I felt Karina Halle handled flawlessly. I normally stay far, far away from books that involve cheating, and only very, very few books have made me fall in love with the story and characters. Love, in English is one of them. So if you’re wary of the cheating aspect of the book, I would say to not turn your back on it just yet.

The thing about Love, in English is that it is so much more than just a forbidden romance. The very essence of this book is not the forbidden part, but the love part. Vera goes to Spain to teach English to a group of Spanish native speakers, and there she discovers more about herself and about love than she could ever have dreamed of. She thought she was fairly okay with her life up until her trip to Spain, where she meets new people who “get” her. She doesn’t have to pretend with these group of Spaniards and Anglos, who welcome her with open arms, something she never had at home.

“You are lonely, but you say you like to be alone.”
I nodded. “I do. I prefer it. But… it doesn’t mean I don’t want someone to love me.” My eyes stung, as if tears were on their way. I bit my lip, debating if I should say more. “It doesn’t mean that I don’t have a lot of love in me to give someone.”

And along the way of this self-discovery, Vera actually falls in love… but it just so happens that he’s married. And what I love most about Vera, besides her kickass attitude and her awesome tattoos, is that she knows what she feels for Mateo is wrong. She knows there would be consequences and was very adamantly against having any feelings for him. And it certainly is wrong to act on those feelings, but what she feels for Mateo is something completely different. As she spends more time with Mateo, talking with him, getting to know him, her feelings blossom into something… beautiful. And it is very obviously reciprocated by Mateo.

“What is love? In English.”
I raised my brows. “Love, in English, is love?”
“What is it in Spanish?”
I was so enthralled by his hypnotic eyes, I could barely remember. “Amore?”
He shook his head ever so slightly. “No. Love in Spanish is you.”

Cue the blubbers!!! My heart was seriously bursting here. *sigh*

But but but… heartbreak is like a dark cloud hanging over Vera and Mateo. If they had only met under different circumstances, then a love this theirs would have been the most wondrous, glorious thing. But they didn’t, so what can actually come out of a love between the two of them?

“You and I, we were always a memory in the making.”

Cue the goddamn tears!! Karina Halle is so powerful with her words. I could feel the heartbreak, the anguish, but most of all, the love between Vera and Mateo. And another thing Karina Halle so eloquently expresses in this book? Spain. It was like I was taken into another world, a special place designated to Mateo and Vera for falling in love. And I was rooting for them every single second. They were two people falling in love at the wrong time, but there was no doubt that the two of them were meant for each other, meant to be with each other. I had no idea what direction Karina Halle would have the two of them take, but everything was honest, heartbreaking, breathtaking, and real.

“But love makes you an optimist,” she said. “That is what love is. It is hope for the future. Love doesn’t want you to lose faith, to view the world darkly, to have no hope. Love makes you believe in the impossible. That is the meaning of the word.”

All in all, Love, in English was one beautiful book. It made me laugh, made me cry, made me hurt, and made me feel nearly every emotion out there known to man. I was gasping one moment, and tearing up in the next, but every single second I was falling more and more in love with the book. This is without a doubt one of the best romances I have ever read, and I wish every single person out there gave Love, in English a chance.

Reading Order: LIE series

#1 ~ Love, in English: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Love, in Spanish: Ebook • Goodreads (Nov. 11, 2014)
Spinoff ~ Where Sea Meets Sky: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (March 1, 2015)

15Apr2014

Release Day Review: The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa
Series: Blood of Eden #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 15th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Hardcover
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Harlequin Teen) in exchange for an honest review

VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster?

With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.

MONSTER

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie.

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.

I had no doubts that Julie Kagawa would give me an unforgettable last book of this trilogy–and what a fantastic ending it was. Everything in this book is touched upon, leaving nothing open. It was an altogether incredibly satisfying end to this series and these characters that I’ve grown so fond of.

Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a rocky start at the beginning. Allie is mourning Zeke’s death and is spiraling downward into madness. She is pitiful and very nearly loses herself to the darkness of her vampire, and has to internally battle her way back to humanity. Thankfully, she’s not alone in her battle–she has her sire Kanin and her vampire brother Jackal alongside her. I have to admit, I liked this part the least in The Forever Song, but I trusted Julie Kagawa to take me in a direction I wouldn’t be disappointed with.

Note to self: Never doubt the amazing Julie Kagawa!

The three of them are on the search for Sarren, and there’s no shortage of blood and guts and gore. The action is riveting–I’m always in awe of how detailed and gripping Julie Kagawa writes these action scenes. I love them! They’re never just the same fight, kill, die thing over and over. Julie Kagawa manages to keep you on your toes, and nothing is ever expected.

The best part of this book is the amount of depth Kanin and Jackal have. These two have been on the journey with Allie for a long time, and their relationships only manage to get stronger. Kanin is my absolute favorite character of this series–he is the father figure to Allie, providing her with his own wisdom and advice, but as the series progresses, they become near equals. Kanin is such a fascinating character. Despite how long he’s been a vampire, he manages to retain his humanity, and he teaches and guides Allie to do the same.

Jackal, on the other hand, is as self-centered and rude as usual, but there’s no doubt that there’s a fondness between him and Allie. These two have been through tons together, so it’s only a matter of time before they truly become like brother and sister. And every word out of this vampire’s mouth is freaking hilarious! He lightens up so many tense scenes, but there’s also a seriousness to him that we never truly see until now.

The Forever Song is everything I expected from Julie Kagawa. It had a strong, satisfying conclusion, and yet I knew I’d miss all the characters when it was over. This series is seriously one of the best vampire books, one of the best post-apocalyptic books, I’ve ever read. It’s well written, well developed, and you come to care for the characters more and more as the series progresses. I’m sad this series is over, but I have to admit that it concluded perfectly!

Series Order: Blood of Eden series

#1 ~ The Immortal Rules: Ebook • Paperback • Hardcover • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Eternity Cure: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Hardcover • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Forever Song: Ebook • Hardcover • Goodreads

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