Early Review: Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: The Dark Elements #0.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 1st 2013
Purchase: Ebook
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Harlequin Teen) in exchange for an honest review

In a sizzling prequel novella to her new series THE DARK ELEMENTS, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout draws readers into the extraordinary, irresistible world of Wardens and demons.

Dez wasn’t just Jasmine’s crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining balance between good and evil. He was her everything…right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn’t help that Jas’s father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally.

And now he’s back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn’t taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again…

Gargoyles!!! JLA’s new series is about gargoyles!

I honestly believe that JLA can write about anything and everything and still make it good. And she made gargoyles good. It’s so easy and fun to read JLA’s writing, and I had no trouble reading about gargoyles. The world of The Dark Elements series–with gargoyles and demons and god-knows-what–is fascinating and so smoothly written. And… the gargoyles are HOT!

The gargoyles are known as Wardens, and they fight against demons. The heroine, Jasmine, is a gargoyle, but since she’s a female, she doesn’t really get to fight. What she really wants, though, is to see the world. Jasmine never gets to leave home, and she’s been lonely ever since her best friend and crush, Dez, left for no reason three years ago. Plus, Dez left the day after he and Jasmine were announced to be mated. So, obviously, she is not elated with joy to see him again when he reappears out of the blue after three years. Jasmine still has feelings for Dez, of course, but she’s still pretty pissed. Especially when they’re announced to be mated again.

Jasmine has seven days to decide whether to accept the mating with Dez or not. And she has conditions. Jasmine wants to go places and see things, but even after those conditions are met, she’s still not sure if she can accept the mating. But Dez won’t give up. He know’s they’re meant to be together, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make her believe in him again.

“And I’m just saying that by the end of these seven days or maybe a week from then, or a month, you’ll say yes.” He cupped my cheek and leaned in, pressing his forehead to mine. “And I’ll be waiting. No matter how long it takes.”

Swoon.
Faint.
Thud.

This book was so. much. FUN! There’s JLA’s classic humor, a swoony book boyfriend, and lots of kissing! Be excited for this novella and new series. It’s going to be amaze-balls.

We also get introduced to the main characters from the first full novel of the series, White Hot Kiss (coming out the day after my birthday! AH!!). Jasmine meets the half demon, half gargoyle Layla, Zayne (the guy Layla’s crushing on), and the mysterious demon Roth. They don’t play a huge part in the novella, and they’re younger than they are in White Hot Kiss, but it was nice to see them for the first time before their book comes out (which I’m SO excited for!).

This was fantastic for a novella. The characters were fully fleshed out, the story kept me riveted, and the romance was so sweet (not bittersweet!). It’s only a hundred pages or so, and you can read it in one sitting, like I did. So if you’re a JLA fan, don’t miss this! It’s another brilliant addition to her YA books. And even if you’re not a JLA fan, you must give her a try, and why not with a shorter book of hers?

4 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: The Dark Elements series

Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L. Armentrout White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

#0.5 ~ Bitter Sweet Love: Ebook • Goodreads
#1 ~ White Hot Kiss: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Stone Cold Touch: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Every Last Breath: EbookPaperback • Goodreads (July 28, 2015)

Book News, Weekly Recap & Upcoming Releases! {14}

Cover Reveals!!

Here are some new covers revealed this week! Goodreads links below 🙂

Breakable by Tammara Webber Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh A Little Too Hot by Lisa Desrochers Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead Lovely Trigger by R.K. Lilley Rock My Body by Michelle A. Valentine Worn Me Down by T.E. Sivec Needing Her by Molly McAdams

Snippets!!

★ A snippet from Cassandra Clare’s tumblr for City of Heavenly Fire!

A parabatai. Like he was. And Jace knew, too, what that faded rune meant: a parabatai whose other half was dead. He felt his sympathy leap toward Brother Zachariah, as he imagined himself without Alec, with only that faded rune to remind him where once he had been bonded to someone who knew all the best and worst parts of his soul.

You can read another teaser here.

★ A teaser from Samantha Young’s blog from Castle Hill

Braden shook against me, his tone rumbling with laughter as he asked, “Am I not allowed out of bed this morning?”

“Nope,” I mumbled against his skin. “If you move, I’ll have to move. If I have to move it means facing the fact that we’re no longer in Hawaii. I don’t know if I’m ready to deal with that.”

He rolled me onto my back, laughing at the fact that I refused to open my eyes. “So is the plan to stay here forever?”

“Yes.”

“That might become a problem.”

I shook my head against the pillows. “I don’t foresee any problems. It’s a sound plan.”

“Well,” Braden sighed, “We will eventually start to smell. And needing the toilet might become a problem. And with your issues with flatulence—”

I punched him on the arm, opening my eyes so I didn’t miss. My husband fought me off, laughing as though he was the funniest man on earth.

“One year,” I growled at him, “All I’m asking for is one year without you bringing that up!”

★ J. Sterling put up on her Facebook a snippet of The Sweetest Game!

When I glanced down at the field, the sight of Jack warming up forced my heart to squeeze with pride. His gray sliding pants hugged against the muscles as he lifted his leg into the air before each pitch. The black shirt-style jersey waved in the breeze he created as his arm flew down to release the ball.

I watched as Jack grabbed his hat and tipped it twice, and I couldn’t hide my smile. That was his sign to me. He had started doing it when I couldn’t travel with him on his road trips, which had become more and more frequent with my work. Whenever he pitched, he’d tip his hat twice and his face would light up with a soft smile. He never knew if the cameras were on him or not, but he tipped his hat regardless.

Eventually it became a habit, because he started doing it at the home games as well. Sometimes his eyes would flash to the stands and meet mine. When they did, I swear my heart would stop beating, causing my breath to catch. Every. Single. Time. If anyone noticed, I would have been embarrassed, but no one ever seemed to.

I more than loved this man.
My husband.
My ball player.
My Jack Fucking Carter.

Even his name still gets me all hot and bothered.

-Cassie Carter, The Sweetest Game, Coming CHRISTMAS DAY!

★ Kristen Proby (author of the With Me in Seattle series) has an excerpt from Loving Cara! Read it here.

★ Another snippet for The Ever After of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen!

Ella and Micha teaser

Other News!!

★ Are you excited for Lucas’s POV? Read all about Breakable on Tammara Webber’s blog here!

Breakable by Tammara Webber

He was lost and alone. Then he found her.
And the future seemed more fragile than ever.

As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise — until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy…

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat.

Note: “Breakable is not a sequel. It’s a prequel story from Landon and the Easy story from Lucas. …Breakable is Lucas’s story – for those of you who wanted inside his head. It can be read as a stand-alone of its own, or as a companion to Easy.”

★ OH MY GOSH!! Seth (from the Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout) is getting not only his own book, but his own SERIES!! The Titan series begins with The Return.

The Return by Jennifer L. Arementrout
(Not the final cover)

1. The Return will be in dual POV (Seth and our main protagonist)
2. You have NOT met the female lead yet.
3. The female lead has absolutely no knowledge of gods and any of that
4. Since it’s a Titan novel, you can expect… the Titans.
5. Apollo will be all up in the book, because well, it’s Apollo and I sort of like him.
6. Deacon and Luke will make appearances, but other main characters will not be featured in this series. (Not giving details to avoid as much spoilers as possible)
7. The biggest difference is that the Titan series will be New Adult paranormal. And here’s the reason why. I never gave Seth’s birthday, but he’s always been well over the age of 18 years old, and I really have no real reason bringing him into a high school environment without making him look like a creeper. And he already has enough creeper tendencies as is, so he really is too old for YA. Does that mean the book will be inappropriate for younger readers? Absolutely not.  Will it have more adult content? Probably. I mean, Seth was always borderline inappropriate, but my YA books have that, so….
8. And it will be releasing in early 2015, tentatively February 2015 in both print and digital.

Read more about the new series on her blog here.

★ Ethan Moonsong will be the main character in Fury (The Seven Deadly #3) by Fisher Amelie!

fury coming soon

★ Cassia Leo will be writing another book in her Shattered Hearts series! It’s called Chasing Abby, and this will be book #4.

BLURB: It’s been eighteen years since Abigail Jensen was born with a gaping hole in her heart and five years since she collapsed on the soccer field and spent a harrowing three weeks in the hospital fighting for her life. Five years since she found out she was adopted by Lynette and Brian Jensen.For five years, Abby has gone to sleep wondering about the family she never knew and waiting for her eighteenth birthday. But when her birthday finally comes, she hesitates. What if her birth parents want nothing to do with her?

A month after her eighteenth birthday, Abby graduates from high school and breaks the news to her parents that she will be moving in with her boyfriend, Tate, in off-campus housing. Lynette and Brian are adamant that they will not pay her UNC tuition unless she lives with them.

When Abby and Tate show up on the doorstep of Chris and Claire Knight, they are overjoyed to see the little girl they lost almost eighteen years ago. But the news of Abby’s rebellion leaves Chris and Claire conflicted. After speaking with the Jensens, Chris and Claire agree to let Abby and Tate stay with them for a few weeks during the summer, to catch up on all the years they’ve missed. But when their visit comes to a close, and they encourage Abby to return home, Abby feels unwanted.

When tragedy finds Abby, she must decide whether she will let it ruin her life, or if she will keep fighting to fill the hole in her heart.

★ Congrats to A. Meredith Walters (author of Bad Rep and Find You in the Dark) who has signed a two book deal with Gallery Books! The first book is called Lead Me Not (releases in October 2014).

College student, Aubrey Duncan, is pulled into the dangerous underbelly of the city club scene after meeting a sexy and mysterious stranger. Lead Me Not tells the dark story of love and addiction and fighting a temptation that could lead to destruction.

Read more on her blog here.

Weekly Recap

Reviewed on the blog this week:

Check out my stop on the blog tour for For Real!

For Real Tour Banner

Don’t forget to check out the giveaways listed on the blog on the right!

Upcoming New Releases

Rock Bottom by R.K. Lilley Sempre by J.M. Darhower Asking for Trouble by Tessa Bailey Recipe for Attraction by Gina Gordon Pawn by Aimee Carter Crash Into You by Katie McGarry Brooke by Veronica Rossi Searching for Someday by Jennifer Probst Remy by Katy Evans No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye Angel Fever by L.A. Weatherly

Sneak Peek: Excerpt of Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: The Dark Elements #0.5
Release Date: December 1st 2013 (Harlequin Teen)
Add to Goodreads

In a sizzling prequel novella to her new series The Dark Elements, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout draws readers into the extraordinary, irresistible world of Wardens and demons.

Dez wasn’t just Jasmine’s crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining the balance between good and evil. He was her everything…right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn’t help that Jas’s father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally.

And now he’s back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn’t taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again…

Pre-Order:
Amazon • B&N

Click the image below to read a sneak peek of Jennifer’s upcoming book!

Bitter Sweet Love excerpt image

ARC GIVEAWAY!

Want to win a copy of book 1 of The Dark Elements series, White Hot Kiss? You can enter to win 1 of 20 ARCs on Goodreads here.

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: The Dark Elements #1
Release Date: February 25th 2014 (Harlequin Teen)
Add to Goodreads

One kiss could be the last.

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she’s anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she’s crushed on since forever.

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she’s not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn’t an issue, considering Roth has no soul.

But when Layla discovers she’s the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

Pre-Order:
Amazon • B&N

Early Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter

Pawn by Aimee Carter

Pawn by Aimee Carter
Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion #1
Publication Date: November 26th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Hardcover
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Harlequin Teen) in exchange for an honest review

YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING.

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister’s niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There’s only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that’s not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she’s only beginning to understand.

This was one of my anticipated new releases this year, because I loved Aimee Carter’s The Goddess Test series, but unfortunately, the first book in her new The Blackcoat Rebellion series fell flat for me. I’m a huge fan of dystopian books, and I had expected something unique and exciting, but while the concept was intriguing, Pawn couldn’t hold my interest, and the characters grated on my nerves more often than not.

I didn’t hate the book, but I didn’t really enjoy it either. Mostly because of Kitty, the heroine. She should have been perceived as a survivor in her new world, someone tough, determined to live, and courageous. But to me, she was weak and annoying. Every decision she made was with hesitation, and sure, maybe she needed to make rational decisions to keep herself alive, but it was tiring to see her never fighting for herself. It was always, “I have to keep myself alive” so she does nothing because she doesn’t want to jeopardize her life. She becomes a pawn, and even worse, a pushover. She was always second-guessing herself and saying how she has no choice but to do others’ bidding, except near the end, when she finally makes bigger and tougher choices.

In Kitty’s world, at seventeen, you receive a number tattooed onto yourself, and that number determines everything about you–your job, your life, your quality of living–and the higher your number is, the better off you are. The numbers range from I to VII. The Ones ending up being killed, and only the Hart family, the leaders of this new world, are Sevens. On Kitty’s seventeenth birthday, she receives a III and a job in the sewers, and is devastated. If she’d gotten a VI, she could have lived a relatively normal life, but with a III she has to leave her home and boyfriend, Benjy.

Kitty doesn’t want the life of a III, so she goes with a prostitute to be auctioned off. At this point, I wasn’t sure why Kitty wanted to join that kind of life, and I honestly had no idea what was going on. Pretty much the only thing I liked about the book were the twists and surprises Aimee Carter has up her sleeve. So instead of being auctioned off, Kitty meets with Daxton Hart, the prime minister, a man who has nearly all the control in her country. She has a choice of either death or becoming a VII, so of course she chooses to become a VII.

What Kitty unknowingly agreed to was becoming Daxton Hart’s neice, Lila, who was killed recently. Kitty is Masked and is surgically transformed into Lila, and has to learn how to be Lila if she wants to keep living. Kitty enters this world of death, corruption, murder and chaos, and has to do Daxton’s bidding to stay alive. Kitty’s new life involves speeches to give, rebellions, and family problems. And the Hart family has serious problems. They’re so manipulative, always plotting someone’s and/or each other’s murders, and while all of this should have been intriguing, I wasn’t interested at all. I didn’t like the main character, so I couldn’t connect with her, and the story was too convoluted to enjoy.

The romance was also very weak. Even though Kitty has a boyfriend, their relationship wasn’t fleshed out well enough. They loved each other, and yet didn’t seem to belong with each other. I’m not sure if Aimee Carter did this on purpose, but either way, I didn’t care for the romance. If you’re looking for a romance book, or even something like her Goddess Test series, look elsewhere. Pawn mainly focuses on the dystopian aspect of the story, and it’s mostly politics at that.

The villain was at least mildly interesting, since Kitty’s never sure who the villain actually is. There’s so much backstabbing that there’s no one she can trust. Even I couldn’t tell who was the good guy or the bad guy. If you’re more into this kind of story, with political agendas and corruption and secrets that eventually get someone killed, then Pawn might be for you. But for me, it just didn’t click.

2 hearts
lacey

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Impossibly Love by Shane Morgan

Impossibly Love banner

Impossibly Love by Shane Morgan

Impossibly Love (Impossibly #1)
by Shane Morgan
Release Date: 10/29/13

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All Moya Douglas wants to do is study hard, maintain her scholarship, and make her mother proud while attending college. She doesn’t have time for a boyfriend or going on dates arranged by her best friend. Moya doesn’t believe in love. And she has no intention of ever finding it.

Branden McCarthy is determined to change her views.
A selfless romantic who’s had his heart broken in the past, Branden is fascinated with Moya’s personality and hopes to develop something real with her—a connection so strong it’ll open her heart. But just when things start to work between the two, Branden’s secret threatens to get in the way.

Will Moya finally do the impossible and give love a chance with Branden, or will fear keep them apart?

New Adult novel about finding love and oneself.

Buy Links:
amazon button

Teaser:

Branden excerpt

Top 10 Songs that Inspired Impossibly Love

1. We All Want Love by Rihanna
2. Clarity (Acoustic) by Zedd ft. Foxes
3. Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars
4. Running by Tessanne Chin
5. Slow by Kahi
6. Restless by Within Temptation
7. Roar by Katy Perry
8. Nightingale by Demi Lovato
9. For Your Love by Erin Christine
10. Where Have You Been? by Rihanna

about the author

Shane Morgan is a lover of “interesting” books. Her imagination is always running wild so it’s best to collect and organize them into separate stories.

Shane’s love for writing started the moment she picked up a Nancy Drew book. At a young age, she began writing short stories, delving into a variety of genres: from comedy and drama, to horror and contemporary romance. Shane’s quite intrigued by the otherworldly or things otherwise deemed “impossible.” Well, in her opinion, people never really grow up, do they?

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giveaway

–$25 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz hosted by:
YA Bound Book Tours