Cover Reveal: Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

 Release Date: October 28, 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Series: The Dark Elements #2

Synopsis:

Every touch has its price

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden.  Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…

"Constantly entertaining...the narrative sizzles with as much tension as romance."

—Kirkus Reviews on White Hot Kiss 

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# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins. 

Author Links: 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

Last time we got Roth on the cover, and now we've got Zayne. Hmm. I am Team Roth through and through, but I honestly think I like this cover more than the White Hot Kiss cover. I like how their poses make sense, how she was practically kissing Roth because she COULD. You know, without taking his soul and all. And now she's turning her face away from Zayne because she CAN'T kiss him. You know, without taking his soul. And all. I was skeptical about the first cover, since it kind of felt way out of left field for a paranormal romance about gargoyles, but I like how now we're starting to see this logic behind the covers. Also, I think I prefer the blue-ish teal. 

OKAY SO NOW FOR THE FREAKING SYNOPSIS. I was in class what I read that (because I'm a rebel) and I legit gasped out loud when I got to the part about Roth. Do you know how I cried over the ending to WHK? This synopsis makes me feel better. Kind of. I'm still terrified, because there's obviously going to be more Zayne in this book (I think) and I want Rooooooth. But still. I have more hope now. Maybe I'll even be able to listen to Paradise City without wanting to cry now! 

What do you think of the cover and the synopsis and ALL OF THE THINGS?! 

Review: White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
Release Date: February 25, 2014
Format: ARC/eARC, 304 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: The Dark Elements #1
Source: Print copy won/eARC from NetGalley

Description from 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.

It is not a secret that I heart me some JLA something fierce. Her books are freaking awesome. And yes, White Hot Kiss is a book to add to all of the awesome. The premise is interesting and different, the characters are pretty darn great, and the romance made my heart happy.

The protagonist, Layla, isn't my favorite MC ever, but she's better than most. I don't love her or anything, but she could be funny and I liked the little spark of an attitude she had at times. She definitely has loads of personality, which leads me to believe I'll end up liking her more and more in the next books in the series. She'll grow on me, I'm sure. Zayne is one of the love interests and...well, I'm okay with him. He had his sweet moments. I would certainly not protest if I had a Zayne in my life. But I'm not really on his team, either. It's not really his fault, though. We don't know him very well yet, and this book had Danika around, and my jealousy affected my opinion of him. So we'll see how my feelings for him change as the series goes on. 

And then we have Roth. I AM on his team. I am WAY more than okay with him. The big thing about him is that he's the guy Daemon from the Lux series was based off of. I can totally see that, but I also saw how Roth was his own character. I am quite fond of him already, and I know I'm going to end up head over heels for this boy (I actually think I am already but I'm just in denial) by the time these books are through. In this book, he was my favorite character to be around. He was funny and I love his little comments that he makes, and I want to learn ALL OF THE THINGS about him. He may be a demon, but he's a good guy, too. He is. He is he is he is. 

Now, the actual story and writing work so well. Not very surprising, since this book is by Jennifer Freaking Armentrout. The book starts off in the way that eases us into the story and the world, and we meet the characters (that we later end up hearting very hard). This book flew by pretty quick, and I felt ALL OF THE EMOTIONS in the process. It was a very enjoyable experience. Oh, and of course Jen's writing was kind of perfect. This book HAD ME, y'all. 

As I said, the romance in White Hot Kiss made my heart happy. Very happy. Roth had some rather sweet moments. I loved how he was with Layla--he was amusing, of course, but he wasn't mean to her or rude. And Layla was so innocent...he worked well with that. He didn't act like a demon and take advantage of that and I just really, really love these two as a couple. After reading this book, I definitely like Roth & Layla better as a couple instead of Zayne & Layla. Zayne was fine and all, but...ROTH. We'll see if that changes at some point. 

Overall, White Hot Kiss is yet another fabulously compelling story by Jennifer L. Armentrout with an interesting premise, fantastic characters, and a rather heartbreaking ending that left me wishing extra hard for the next book. If you're a fan of JLA or marvelous paranormal romances, you need to get on this book and this series, ASAP. 

**The print edition of White Hot Kiss has a bonus scene from Roth's POV. It's kind of amazing. And it is ONLY in the print edition! Just thought you should know ;)**

Blog Tour: Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins (Review & Giveaway)

 

Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins 

Release Date: October 1, 2013

Format: eARC, 268 pages

Publisher: HarlequinTEEN

Source: NetGalley

Buy It: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | BAM | iTunes | Zola 

Description from Goodreads:

Cami Broussard has her future all figured out. She'll finish her senior year of high school, then go to work full-time as an apprentice chef in her father's French restaurant, alongside her boyfriend, Luke. But then twenty-year-old ex-Marine Julian Wyatt comes to live with Cami's family while recovering from serious injuries. And suddenly Cami finds herself questioning everything she thought she wanted.

Julian's all attitude, challenges and intense green-brown eyes. But beneath that abrasive exterior is a man who just might be as lost as Cami's starting to feel. And Cami can't stop thinking about him. Talking to him. Wanting to kiss him. He's got her seriously stirred up. Her senior year has just gotten a lot more complicated….

There are heaps of things I adore about this book. It's borderline New Adult, sweetly romantic, and has a fabulous story to hold its own behind and within the romance. I kid you not, I read this whole book straight through the same day I downloaded it, and I know for a fact it's something I'm going to read more than once. BECAUSE I HEART THIS BOOK. (Plus, I've already re-read it once and loved it all over again. It was beautiful.)

So the first awesome thing about this book is the characters. The story is told by Cami, who is trying to figure out what the eff she's going to do with her life after high school. I identified so much with that, and really enjoyed Cami's whole process throughout this book as she works through that. She's such a relatable character, and she has defining qualities that I really liked--like her love for cooking and food (I can't actually cook to save my life, but I understand loving something as much as she does), and her attitude, which I approve of, always. 

Julian, the wonderful love interest, makes me feel all happy inside. I loved watching his character evolve as well, starting out in such a terrible place just after returning wounded and then gradually showing how great of a person he really is. I love when the love interests are soldiers, which I KNOW is something I've said before. It's 100% true. I love bad boys and all that, but soldiers? I just LOVE reading about them, and Julian is added to my lovely list of those lovely guys. Actually, he's sitting darn well near the top. Close to Avi from Simone Elkeles How to Ruin books, which is a BIG DEAL. 

Another awesome thing about this book was the romance. I am such a fan of both of these characters, so then they finally got together and it was freaking great. Their relationship started with them not very much getting along, and then grew into something sweet and beautiful. I loved watching their romance grow as they each evolved themselves. And they just make me feel all warm and happy inside. I love their story.

What I love just as much as the romance is the actual STORY. This isn't just a romance, but it's a whole story of Cami and Julian and how they need to choose what to do next in their lives. They're both at a point where what they were doing before is over and they need to decide what to do now, and it was nice to see them go through that. The situation is something I find easy to identify with, which in turn pulled me into the story and these characters even more than I already was. And then we made it to the end and see what their plans are and I LOVE how that goes. They're their own people, but still...together. And that's all I'll say on the ending. I loved it. Just know that.

Overall, Stir Me Up is a beautiful story about love and big life decisions that felt very real and captured my attention from beginning to end. I adore these characters and their journey to choosing just what they want to do next while developing a relationship and love for each other. Sabrina Elkins has written a fabulous novel, and I am definitely looking forward to seeing what comes next from her! 

 About the Author 

 

I am a former journalist who worked for the Los Angeles Daily Newsand other newspapers in the greater Los Angeles area. Prior to this I worked in advertising, writing ad copy for corporate travel accounts and major motion pictures. My first job out of college was as an administrative assistant to an executive chef and a food & beverage director at a Four Seasons hotel. I also spent some time working as a prep cook for Spago in Beverly Hills.

I received my Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California. While in graduate school, I had the privilege of studying fiction writing under renowned author Hubert Selby, Jr., and comedy writing under famed comedian Shelley Berman. I am a past participant of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Summer Writing Workshop.

Raised in the woods of Vermont, I now live in the greater Los Angeles area with my husband and three children. STIR ME UP is my first novel.  

Author Links: 

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook 

Giveaway 

WIN 1 OF 3 STIR ME UP FUN FOODIE GIFT PACKS! COOKBOOKS-CHOCOLATES-MAGNETS

  

Cami’s Cookbook Pack 

Le Petit Paris: French Finger Food by Nathalie Benezet

500 Soups by Susannah Blake

Godiva chocolate bar

Stir Me Up magnet  

Julian’s Late-Night Pack 

George Noory’s Late-Night Snacks by George Noory

Dinner and a Movie by Katherine Bebo

Godiva chocolate bar

Stir Me Up magnet  

Sweet Desserts Pack 

Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor

Cutie Pies by Dani Cone

Godiva chocolate bar

Stir Me Up magnet

 RULES AND RESTRICTIONS: 

Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must be 18 or else have parent or guardian’s permission to enter. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner’s name will be selected. Winning entries will be verified for authenticity.  

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Hosted by:

YA Bound Book Tours

 

Review: Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
Release Date: December 1, 2013
Format: eARC, 105 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: The Dark Elements #0.5
Source: NetGalley

Description from 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 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... 

Time to say hello to another fantastic series by Jennifer L. Armentrout! Goodness, I love this. Starting a new series, especially by Jen. And especially when I absolutely adored the prequel novella, which is a good sign for where this series is headed.

In this novella, we get a taste of the world we'll learn even more about when White Hot Kiss releases. I must say, I very much enjoy JLA's take on gargoyles. I've never given much thought to them before. But now they're so...ahem, attractive and highly interesting and entertaining to read about. I liked learning a bit about the world, Wardens, and demons and now I can't wait to get more in depth with them as we move farther into the series.

The characters in this one were just as great as would be expected. Jas was nice and strong. She was somewhat bothersome in her reluctance with Dez, but then again it was understandable considering how Dez left. And Dez...oh sweet goodness, Dez. He was sweet and wonderful and I want to keep him. MINE. MINEMINEMINE.

Jas and Dez together is just perfect. Nothing else to say about it, except maybe to let you know that I want to see more of them, together. MOAR.

The plot in this one wasn't too intricate, but it is only a novella. The storyline sufficed for the novella and captivated my attention completely. The pace was good, and the sweetness sprinkled throughout was more than enough to keep me smiling.

Overall, Jennifer L. Armentrout has written a fantastic novella to start up The Dark Elements series, where we got a nice glimpse into the world and the characters we're going to be spending some time with in White Hot Kiss and the books to follow while still holding its own sweet story. Not only did I love the tease for the series, but I did highly enjoy these characters and how their story went.

SO MUCH LOVE RIGHT NOW, Y'ALL. SO MUCH.

♥Jessica(: