Review: Perfect Kind of Trouble by Chelsea Fine

Perfect Kind of Trouble by Chelsea Fine 
Release Date: June 17th, 2014
Pages: 336
Publisher: Forever
Series: Finding Fate #2
Review Copy: e-ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Description from Goodreads:
Sometimes when perfect falls apart, a little trouble fixes everything . . . 

Twenty-one-year-old Kayla Turner has lost everything. After spending most of her life taking care of her ailing mother, she just wants to spot a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. So when her late father-a man she barely knew-leaves her an inheritance, she finally breathes a sigh of relief . . . until she learns the inheritance comes with strings. Strings in the form of handsome playboy Daren Ackwood, her father's protégé. To see any of her inheritance, she's forced to team up with him. From his expensive car to those sexy dimples, Kayla's seen his type before. But Daren isn't who he seems to be . . .

Struggling to make amends for his family's mistakes, Daren has a life more Oliver Twist than Richie Rich these days. He's beyond grateful that James Turner included him in his will, but working with Turner's princess of a daughter to fulfill his cryptic last wish is making Daren wonder if being broke is really so bad. Still, she's just as beautiful as she is stubborn, and the more time he spends with Kayla, the less it feels right being without her. Soon Daren and Kayla begin to wonder if maybe the best gift Kayla's dad could have left them . . . was each other.

I absolutely adored Chelsea Fine's first novel in the Finding Fate series, Best Kind of Broken. I felt all of the feels and reading that book was such an experience. So I was positively looking forward to reading this companion novel, especially since this premise was so fun. I mean, seriously. In handcuffs with a hot guy going on a scavenger hunt for an inheritance that could very likely be hefty? Sweet. 

Reading this was an experience, too, except this time I buddy read with Val from Stuck in Books. Fun fact: buddy reading with Val is always hilarious. We had a good time with it. Made a list of characters we hated, made guesses as to what was going on with things, and discussed other stuff we liked or wanted to slap in the novel. By the time we were finished, we both agreed that this book was super flipping good.

Kayla was a character that grew on me. When we first start the story, we don't know much of anything about her other than that she stopped visiting her dad. Which sounds like a total B thing to do, yeah? But as we learned more about her, it came to light that she was actually a pretty cool chick. All she wanted was to be SEEN. For people to pay attention to what she had to say, how she felt, what she thought--instead of focusing on her looks. I liked that Kayla was so self aware, and I also liked that she didn't depend on her looks for everything. She wanted to be around people who weren't shallow. Who listened to her. As I said, she wanted to be SEEN. 

Daren was going through his own internal struggle, as well. He didn't exactly have a great sense of self worth. But goodness gracious, I loved seeing his growth with Kayla. I love this boy. He's my knight in shining manacles. He's such a great guy, but that also got overlooked by most people because of his reputation, a lot of which not even his fault. 

Both Daren and Kayla got dealt some crappy cards in the game of life, and with that they connected. I enjoyed watching that. They both went into the cuffs arrangement with a bunch of assumptions about the other, a majority of those negative. But as they went through the scavenger hunt, they spent more time together and learned more and I loved watching them learn the truth about each other. It led to some fabulous, sweet romance, that made me feel at least twenty levels of HAPPY! 

Remember, I heart Daren. My knight in shining manacles, remember. ;)

Though I really liked this book, I still had a few little issues with it. There were some times when the positioning or just something Kayla and Daren were doing didn't fit logically with how they were wearing the cuffs. Also, I was hoping for there to be an awkward scene in which they tried to use the toilet. We didn't get to see that--though it was mentioned in passing when they got the handcuffs off. And I was hoping for Daren to interact with Pixie at least a little. He mentioned that he needed to have a chat with her, but we never got to see that.

Overall, I highly enjoyed Perfect Kind of Trouble! The premise was fun and the characters were fantastic. I especially loved Daren and his shining manacles! Chelsea Fine's written another great novel and I cannot wait for the next in this series. I'm sure it's going to be just as fabulous as the first two.

 

Review: The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen

The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen 
Release Date: September 27th, 2011
Pages: 438
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Series: The Mephisto Covenant #1
Review Copy: ARCycling in exchange for an honest review
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Description from Goodreads:
Sasha is desperate to find out who murdered her father. When getting the answer means pledging her soul to Eryx, she unlocks a secret that puts her in grave danger--she is an Anabo, a daughter of Eve, and Eryx's biggest threat.

A son of Hell, immortal, and bound to Earth forever, Jax looks for redemption in the Mephisto Covenant--God's promise he will find peace in the love of an Anabo. After a thousand years, he's finally found the girl he's been searching for: Sasha.

With the threat of Eryx always looming, Jax knows he has to keep Sasha safe and win her over. But can he? Will Sasha love him and give up her mortal life?

What drew me to this book was the fact that romance seemed to be the dominant aspect. They need to fall in love for his redemption--and it isn't just a dramatic teenage thing. It's a legit situation. I was so pumped to read that and see how things went for Jax and Sasha. All in all, I wouldn't say The Mephisto Covenant disappointed me, but I wouldn't say it was as wonderful as I was expecting it to be, either. 

First there's Sasha, who was okay. She wasn't AMAZING or anything, but I didn't completely dislike her, either. She was going through a very suckish situation and dealing the best she could. Do I like the way she dealt with every single thing? Nope. But she didn't do anything too crazy that I wanted to slap some sense into her, either. The only big thing that bothered me was how Sasha took care of the situation with Jax. I get that it was all way out of left field, but it still bothered me that she was so standoffish about everything he had to say and then BAM accepted his help the moment she needed it. She works through that problem, though, which I obviously approved of.

Jax wasn't a bad boy. For all intents and purposes he should be. He was supposed to be. But he wasn't. Pretty sure Sasha had something to do with that. Goodness knows how reckless he might have been before he found Sasha and focused on her. And you know what? I liked that he was so conscientious of Sasha. It showed that he could be a great guy, and I much preferred seeing that side of him as opposed to the brief descriptions of how he was before. And now I totally heart me some Jax.

The romance was actually really nice. Sort of insta-lovey, but I was expecting that going in. It's actually central to the story, so it didn't bother me. Plus, I loved watching their romance develop as the story progressed. At first, it was just a sweet thing that they were looking at in an Anabo/son of Hell way, but then later it turned sweeter and into something that was just them feeling their feels. And yeah, I loved that.

I'd say the biggest issue I had with this story was the world-building. I pretty much understand everything (or at least I think I do), but there was too much info-dump. Not only that, but it happens more than once. With the SAME information. I understand why it happened--Sasha gets her memory wiped at the beginning of the book after she learns a bunch of stuff. But OUR memories weren't wiped. I don't see why we had to go through so many double explanations. Sasha needed them. We didn't.

The writing was good, though I would have preferred the story in first person POV. I liked that it was dual POV, but I feel like I could have gotten more into the story if I'd ACTUALLY been in the characters' heads, you know? There's something more connected about first person, and I tend to be partial to it. Not saying I don't adore any books in third person (ALL of the L.J. Smith books, anyone?), but with some stories, I feel it'd be a better experience from first person. 

Overall, I really liked The Mephisto Covenant. I fell for Jax, ended up on good terms with Sasha by the end of the book, and adored the whole premise. Though this book wasn't all I expected it to be, I found it enjoyable regardless and totally plan to read the next book in the series. 

 

Review: Dark Paradise by Angie Sandro

Dark Paradise by Angie Sandro 
Release Date: July 1st, 2014
Pages: 400
Publisher: Forever Yours
Series: Dark Paradise #1
Source: ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Description from Goodreads:
DARK LEGACY

Mala LaCroix has spent her whole life trying to escape her destiny. As the last in a long line of "witch women," she rejects the notion of spirits and hoodoo and instead does her best to blend in. But when she finds a dead body floating in the bayou behind her house, Mala taps into powers she never knew she had. She's haunted by visions of the dead girl, demanding justice and vengeance.

DEADLY SECRETS

Landry Prince has always had a crush on Mala, but when Mala discovers his sister, murdered and marked in some sort of Satanic ritual, he wonders if all the rumors about the LaCroix family are true. Yet after Mala uses her connection to the spirit world to identify his sister's killer, he starts to form his own bond to her . . . a very physical one. As they move closer to each other and closer to the truth, Mala and Landry must risk everything—their families, their love, and even their lives.

Since I've been reading a bunch of contemporary lately, I thought it'd be a good idea to throw something into the mix to change it up. Something paranormal or fantasy or SOMETHING. And I do like magical, witchy stuff. So I decided to pick up Dark Paradise. I'm not entirely certain what I was expecting from this book, but whatever it was, I was so very wrong. It threw me for a complete loop, and I actually really enjoyed that.

The paranormal elements of the story weren't completely apparent right from the start, and they grew as the story progressed. I liked that, since it made it so we were pretty much learning about everything as Mala does. She had some prior knowledge, of course, but the major aspects addressed in this novel were foreign even to her. That fact alone helped make Mala into a protagonist I enjoyed reading. She also had a good sense of humor, and held a pretty confident air. 

The book is dual POV, so Mala only told part of the story. The other half went to Landry, a guy who's had something of a crush on Mala for a while. Not an instalove crush, more like a crush where he knew he was attracted to her and wanted to know her better. I actually really loved that. It added more of a conflict once the events of the novel started going down, but it was also just plain cute. Landry was a nice, charming guy. I liked the time spent in his mind, and found his perspective to be highly valuable as I made it farther into the book.

Plot-wise, Dark Paradise ended up more mysterious than I'd anticipated. I planned to go into this and read a fun paranormal story and instead spent loads of time pointing my finger at people who could have been the murderer. Mixed with the paranormal elements, I must admit I had some fun with that. I was suspicious of just about everyone, and then decided that I KNEW who did it...and then I was wrong. I wasn't entirely shocked, but it was nice to be wrong. 

As far as romance goes...as much as this conflicts me, there is a love triangle. I tried to deny it throughout something close to the entirety of the novel, but I can't be in denial anymore. It's a triangle. And I am FIRMLY Team Landry. I think. Because looking at that preview for book 2 made me feel like I may waver later on. But for now, I heart Landry. He's a good guy, and he and Mala made a great couple. Their romance crept up on me, and I enjoyed it. Landry's crush grew, and Mala started feeling something for someone. It was perfect. I liked Georgie well enough, but I'm not completely sold that he'd make a love interest I could swoon for like I did Landry. 

Overall, Dark Paradise was a well-written, unique story that mixed paranormal, mystery, and a bit of romance perfectly to create a story I absolutely enjoyed. I loved Landry and Mala, and I will definitely be back for the next installment to see where their story takes them next. Though I must admit, I'm nervous as to where that might be. 

Actual Rating: 3.5 hearts 

(But I'm rounding up to 4 because I'm super excited for book 2, which is always a good sign!)

Review: The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings 
Release Date: June 10, 2014
Pages: 398
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Series: The Murder Complex #1
Source: Gifted
Buy It: Amazon | B&N

Description from Goodreads:
An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.

I've been extremely excited about this book ever since I first heard about it goodness knows how long ago. Just the words on the cover make this book pique my interest, "She's trained to survive. He's programmed to kill." I mean, sounds crazy awesome, right? In theory, this book seems wonderful. The actual execution of this idea, however, turned out to be somewhat rocky for me.

I really liked the characters. It took a while for Meadow to grow on me, but she eventually did. I liked how strong and confident she was, and I loved how she was determined to protect her family--especially her little sister. I didn't like how she very often assumed she knew best, so she jumped to conclusions several times. I get why she was that way, but that doesn't mean I liked it. I totally loved Zephyr, though that guy confounded me more than once. Just when I thought I had him figured out, things changed. Still, he was so in awe of Meadow and that endeared him to me so that when he got perplexing later in the story, I was sort of...okay with that.

Along with the characters working well for me, the plot didn't do so bad either. It took a bit to really get into the book, but after that point it held my attention pretty well. I was there with Zephyr and Meadow trying to figure out what the stars was going on. I was also a fan of Lindsay Cummings' writing style. It just felt so unique to me, and somewhat simplistic. That fit well with all the bloody kickassery going on within the story (which I loved).

While I liked the characters and the plot was fine, the world and the world-building fell flat for me. I spent way too much of the novel confused as to what was going on. I mean, there's a point where that's fun. It's mysterious and riveting. This book crossed that line for me, though. The world was like Zephyr--I kept thinking I knew what it was like, but then it changed somehow and I got confused again. It was fine for Zephyr, but the WORLD should have rules. It should be set so we can understand it. I have a feeling more of my questions will be answered in the next books in the series, but I would have liked a better grasp everything NOW, in this book. 

Overall, I liked The Murder Complex. I was a huge fan of Zephyr, and Meadow grew on me. The plot was bloody and fast-paced after the initial introduction to the story. My only wish is that the world would have been better explained in this novel. All that said, I do plan on sticking around for the sequel to see where the story goes for these characters I do enjoy. 

Blog Tour: Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols (Review & Giveaway)

 

Click on the banner above to see the full tour schedule! 

Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols 

Release Date: May 20, 2014

Pagecount: 336

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Series: Superlatives #1

Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Buy It: Amazon  

Description from Goodreads:

Tia and Will’s lives get flipped upside down when they’re voted Yearbook’s Biggest Flirts in this sassy novel from the author of Endless Summer and The One That I Want.

Tia just wants to have fun. She’s worked hard to earn her reputation as the life of the party, and she’s ready for a carefree senior year of hanging out with friends and hooking up with cute boys. And her first order of business? New guy Will. She can’t get enough of his Midwestern accent and laidback swagger.

As the sparks start to fly, Will wants to get serious. Tia’s seen how caring too much has left her sisters heartbroken, and she isn’t interested in commitment. But pushing Will away drives him into the arms of another girl. Tia tells herself it’s no big deal…until the yearbook elections are announced. Getting voted Biggest Flirts with Will is, well, awkward. They may just be friends, but their chemistry is beginning to jeopardize Will’s new relationship—and causing Tia to reconsider her true feelings. What started as a lighthearted fling is about to get very complicated…

 

This book was incredibly cute and fun. Our two main characters met right at the very beginning, and then the story took off from there, not leaving any room for the story to become a bore. I honestly enjoyed this whole story, though it did frustrate me at times. When it comes down to it, Biggest Flirts was fun to read and though I haven't read much of Jennifer Echols' works, I totally want to read more.

Tia, our protagonist, was actually not too bad of an MC. I did like reading the story from her point of view, and I liked her personality. She did annoy me a time or two, mostly when she got prickly or when she pushed Will away even though everyone in the whole world could tell she didn't really want to. It took her a while to get on board with how she really felt about things, but I did enjoy watching her take that little journey. 

Will was so cute and sweet. He wasn't absolutely perfect, but he was realistic, and if he were real, I'd definitely be friends with him.He had his own issues that he was working through while Tia dealt with hers, and I liked that. He wasn't there solely to aid Tia in whatever she did--he was a real person, with real conflicts, too. I didn't very much enjoy his need to find a girlfriend (or, more specifically, anything he did that involved Angelica), but he was such a nice guy that I kind of got over that by the end of the book. He won me over by that point.

Their relationship was both frustrating and adorably sweet at the same time. I loved them together--they were funny and clearly liked each other. But their rocky road to getting to that point got on my nerves sometimes. Mostly when Angelica was thrown into the situation, and Sawyer. And I really, really liked Sawyer. However, I was glad that their love story didn't play out completely the way I imagined it, and that Angelica played a smaller role in the story that I'd anticipated. As far as romance goes, though, I was satisfied with what brewed between Will and Tia. They were the cutest "friends" and then I was glad whenever things ventured into more. They made the more adorable flirty couple, and I definitely was rooting for them the whole way through this novel.

The story as a whole surprised me with how it went. I was expecting to be jealous as eff the whole time, because Will had a girlfriend and Tia "didn't want a boyfriend" and all that jazz. Instead, Will and Tia were good friends even when they weren't together and I got my fill of cuteness through that. Plus, Will's girl (if she can even actually be considered that, which I kind of doubt) wasn't too big of a deal. I ended up loving the path this story took, and the only part I didn't really like was the end. The book just ended too abruptly for me. I'd like to have gotten more from the ending--more with Will and Tia, and more with Tia and her family. 

Overall, I highly enjoyed Biggest Flirts. It was a quick, fun read, and I loved getting sucked into Will and Tia's story. I am seriously excited for more Superlative books, and more books by Jennifer Echols in general. I'm especially excited for Sawyer's book, which is going to be third in this series. Yay!

Jennifer Echols was born in Atlanta and grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama—a setting that has inspired many of her books. She has written nine romantic novels for young adults, including the comedy MAJOR CRUSH, which won the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the drama GOING TOO FAR, which was a finalist in the RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Book Buyer’s Best, and was nominated by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults. Simon & Schuster will debut her adult romance novels in 2013, with many more teen novels scheduled for the next few years. She lives in Birmingham with her husband and her son. 

Author Links: 

Website | Twitter 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Blog Tour: The Warrior by Victoria Scott (Review & Giveaway)

 

Click the banner above to check out the full tour schedule!

The Warrior by Victoria Scott 

Release Date: May 6, 2014

Pagecount: 352

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Series: Dante Walker #3

Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Buy It: Amazon | B&N

Description from Goodreads:

War between heaven and hell is coming, but Dante Walker makes it look damn good.

Dante’s girlfriend, Charlie, is fated to save the world. And Aspen, the girl who feels like a sister, is an ordained soldier. In order to help both fulfill their destiny and win the war, Dante must complete liberator training at the Hive, rescue Aspen from hell, and uncover a message hidden on an ancient scroll.

Dante is built for battle, but even he can’t handle the nightmares where spiders crawl from Aspen’s eyes, or the look on Charlie’s face that foretells of devastation. To make matters worse, the enemy seizes every opportunity to break inside the Hive and cripple the liberators. But the day of reckoning is fast approaching, and to stand victorious, Dante will have to embrace something inside himself he never has before—faith.

It's strange to think it was only a little over a year ago when I was falling for Dante and his story. I've been so into this trilogy and this character, and now his story has come to an end. Lucky for all of us, Victoria Scott has cooked up the best ending we could have asked for to send Dante off with a BANG.

**I'm warning you now, if you haven't read the first two books, things are about to get spoilery up in here. It's kind of hard to review this book without spoiling the first two. I am NOT spoiling this one, though. So if you have yet to read The Warrior, then no worries. You're safe. EVERYONE ELSE, THOUGH. Watch out.**

The Warrior picks up where The Liberator left off. Aspen's in hell, Charlie's soul is in the enemy's hands, and Dante's got swag for days. They're preparing for war, and Dante is all over that. He pretty much wants to do anything to get Aspen back. And thus begins this installment of Dante Walker's story. The plot kicked off pretty much right away and flew straight through to the end. Seriously, this book flew by way faster than I wanted it to. Victoria Scott's writing is just as enthralling as it was in the last two books, and the story she wove was amazing. Plus, I totally cried at one point. Toward the end. Because of reasons.

Dante was still his snarky, arrogant self (like I said, he's still got all that swag), but it was nice to see how he's changed between the first book and this one. Yes, he still possesses his attitude, but he's better about it now. He's not rude with most of the thoughts that pass through his head. He's not perfect now by any means, but he's better, and I love that he's evolved to the point where he ended in the trilogy. I've always loved Dante Walker, but I'm glad to say he's improved. 

Honestly, though, he could have stayed the same and I'd still heart him. I can't help it. ;)

Charlie has turned into this strong, confident person, and I am pretty much in awe of her. She's so resolute now. Still kindhearted and great, but her tough side really pushed through in this book--sort of like the end of The Liberator but...more. Yeah. MORE. And Aspen...I'm not going to go into detail with her, but those dreams, man. Cray cray. In the awesomest way. And all the rest of the characters, I was so glad to slip back into the world they inhabit. Some of them have remained near and dear to my heart, while others I now want to slap/punch/kick because they deserve it. Kraven in particular is a character that I liked before but am legit in love with now. And there's a new character or two, and I enjoyed them. All of the characters (even though some of them make me punchy) were entertaining and awesome, in their own ways.

The romance in this book comes from a few places, the largest portion Dante and Charlie, of course. Those two...goodness, those two. They're just such a great couple. Dante's all attitude and snark and Charlie's all sweetness and caring. Together, they are seriously perfect. I would not change that pairing for the world. And then there's Annabelle and Kraven. I love Kraven, so I was totally on his side the whole time. That is all I'm going to say about that.

I've been trying so hard to pick a favorite book from the trilogy ever since I reached the end of this one. I know The Liberator is my third favorite (I enjoyed it, but definitely not my fav of the series), but I kind of feel like The Collector and The Warrior are tied. I love them both, and they're both my favorite--in different ways. The Collector introduced us to Dante and his world, while The Warrior was a breathtaking, kickass conclusion to one of my favorite trilogies.

Overall, The Warrior was a phenomenal end to the Dante Walker trilogy. There's action, there's sweetness, and there's sure of a heck lot of badassery going down within these pages. This book, and the trilogy as a whole, is definitely a must-read. Pow!

Victoria Scott is a teen fiction writer represented by Sara Crowe of the Harvey-Klinger Literary Agency. She’s the author of the FIRE & FLOOD series published by Scholastic, and the DANTE WALKER trilogy published by Entangled Teen. Her books have been bought and translated in eleven foreign markets including the UK, Turkey, China, Poland, Israel, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Taiwan, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.

Victoria lives in Dallas with her husband and hearts cotton candy something fierce.

Author Links: 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Newsletter | Tumblr

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Review: Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Pagecount: 384
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Buy It: Amazon | B&N

Description from Goodreads:
Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

We all know by now that I am a freaking HUGE fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout. The LUX series is one of my favorites, and she just writes some of the absolute best stuff to swoon over. Since I've been waiting what feels like forever and a half for this book to finally be released, I've had a lot of time to puzzle over what could be up with this book. It seems so different, but I surely expected it to hold that same JLA sparkle that is in everything she writes. 

Alas, this book told another fantastic story that I positively enjoyed the whole way through.

I liked the MC, Sam. Or, more accurately, I liked who the MC was in this book. I did not like who she used to be, but I like to think of them as two totally separate people because her change was so incredibly drastic. Sam was actually a pretty refreshing character. She was honest and open-minded. She did jump to some conclusions a time or two, but I can't really fault her for that. Not with the situation she was in, and especially not while I was doing the same exact thing. Sam handled everything very realistically and I truly liked her.

Carson was awesome. He was such a good guy, and not in an unrealistically perfect way. He was the kind of nice guy who could be anywhere. You know, if all the nice guys you knew were extraordinarily attractive. But seriously--Carson was realistic. And sweet. And so kind. He was patient and kind, and I loved how he was with Sam. He didn't pressure her into anything, and he gave her time to work through everything she needed to without being all kinds of demanding. He even offered to help. Such a sweetheart. 

The romance built up in the most perfect way. Since this is a JLA book, that's not very surprising, but I needed to say it nonetheless. Carson and Sam's relationship was a nice break from the mystery of everything, and it was always a good way to get some straight-up answers. They made a great couple, and it was sweet to see things working out for them in the midst of all the confusion.

The mystery is woven in such a way that I spent literally the whole book being suspicious of every character. Even the ones I adored, like Scott (who was a fantastic big brother) and Carson. I didn't figure it out until the person was revealed and then everything started clicking into place and I was like OHHHHH. But the suspicion this book caused...it was just the right amount. It was so close to being too much, because I had a hard time trusting people that I wanted to love--like Scott and Carson--but they ended up breaking through my barriers regardless and I was totally a fan. 

Overall, Jennifer L. Armentrout has written the most perfectly nerve-racking suspense that had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I loved the characters, I was taken away by the story, and I couldn't wait to unravel the mystery. Don't Look Back is very different from Jen's other books, but I loved it just as much as all her others. I really hope Jen writes more suspense, because I seriously enjoyed reading this one!

Review: Beyond Our Stars by Marie Langager

Beyond Our Stars by Marie Langager 
Release Date: December 19, 2013
Format: eARC, 180 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Description from Goodreads:
Fleeing a destroyed Earth, seventeen-year-old orphan Hope grew up living in the confines of a spaceship heading to CR-3, a new home planet. She's been kicking the steel walls for too long and ever since she broke her boyfriend's heart, touchdown could mean open air and a fresh start. But no one expected the Locals.

Hope’s dreams of freedom turn into nightmares when the Locals trap the humans and mark groups for observation. At any moment she can be called into a holographic observation room for testing. Some days she’s drowning in a strange dark ocean, some days she’s locked up without food, and all with the one boy she can't seem to forget.

As the Locals study Hope, she studies them. She wants to believe the tall grey creatures could be peaceful, but as the simulations become more dangerous, Hope is about to become the human race’s last chance for survival.

I've been slowly branching out into sci-fi. I'm pretty cautious about it, because it's kind of easy for me to be completely bored with some science fiction books, but I thought this one would really entertain me. The MC sounds strong and likable, the premise as a whole appears interesting, and there's romance. All of that combined should equal a book I had a good time with, yes?

Unfortunately, no. That is not how this book turned out for me. I was actually pretty disappointed, considering how much I honestly thought I'd be into this book.

Beyond Our Stars started off great. I loved how we were pretty much thrown into the situation Hope was facing and were learning things little by little as we went. It kept me engaged and interested. But then the story went back to BEFORE they got to the planet they land on and the story got kind of dull for me. I'd much have preferred to keep going ahead instead of backtracking. After we went back, the story never really gained back to the level of awesome I felt like the very beginning was. 

Hope got on my nerves. She contradicted herself all the time, and she wasn't very open to ideas that weren't hers. She pretty much decided what she wanted to do and then stopped caring what anyone else had to say. And then everyone--even the captain/chief person of their spaceship--listened to Hope and followed her without question. Well, except for the rebel people. They didn't listen to her. But still, why did ANYONE listen to her? I don't understand what was so special about her. 

And then the rest of the characters...I didn't really care much about them. At all. They all seemed to practically worship Hope, and the ones who didn't were side-eyed by everyone else. I felt like all of the characters were pretty much puppets to do as the plot required. I wasn't attached to any of them. At all. Even when a certain twist happened (though I KNEW how that would turn out, so it wasn't a big deal for me), I didn't care much.

The plot...yeah, I still don't get it. I spent a majority of this book confused as to what the point was. The beginning was so promising, and then everything went downhill. I think the book may be about trying to make this new planet their home, and getting along with the Locals. Okay. But there was other stuff going on that didn't hold up. Things with Legacy--whose mind was very easily changed--and the rest of the rebel people. It all kind of linked. Sort of. I think.

Romance is something I freaking LOVE. I hoped so hard that the romance may be the saving grace in this book. But no. The fact that I didn't feel anything for these characters carried over to the lovey dovey stuff. I didn't care if they ended up together. I have to say, however, that I am glad the guy (his name was Chance, right?) didn't try to make Hope jealous. If he did that, I very well may have had to DNF this book because one more thing on top of the annoying MC and confusing plot with characters I cared nothing about would have been TOO MUCH. 

The world building didn't work for me. Just like the plot, I'm still utterly confused about what was going on. I understand the basics. I won't deny that. But I would have preferred to gain a more thorough understanding. The world sounded so interesting, but I don't think we got the explanations necessary to make that boat float.

I have to give this book credit, though. The premise, in general, was awesome, and the writing was pretty good. And the beginning rocked my socks. I have to give credit to the boyfriend/ex-boyfriend who didn't try to make the MC jealous. That made me happy. Other than those few things, though, there wasn't much I liked about this book. I honestly wish I could have found more enjoyment in this story.