Review: The Ascended by Tiffany King

The Ascended by Tiffany King
Release Date: December 15, 2011
Format: ebook
Series: The Saving Angels #3
Source: Author in exchange for an honest review

Description from Goodreads:
The Ascended is the final installment of The Saving Angels Trilogy. With Krista's life in turmoil, she is now struggling with the responsibilities that have been passed down to her. With the help of Haniel and her friends, Krista risks everything, including her soul, to march into the den of the Dark Angel. Their only chance for survival is for Krista to find the courage to accept the new role that fate has bestowed upon her, even if it means losing her loved ones forever.

After how much I loved the ending to Forgotten Souls, I jumped right into The Ascended. I really wanted to see Krista standing on her own without Mark--getting stronger, finally. At first, she didn't really do that and I was disappointed. But then the story went on and she DID. Krista turned into a character that I like! I can't even explain how happy that makes me.

I still want to be bestest friend with Shawn and the couples are still adorable. I didn't get as confused with who was coupled with whom this time. And I was right, there ARE two Pauls! And I even felt some of Krista's jealousy when being around the couples. And--goodness gracious--I missed Mark. I was happy to see Krista not depending on him anymore, but I still wished he could have been around for this to happen. But that kind of defeats the purpose, so... *sigh*

HANIEL. That guy still continued to grow on me and I like him so much now. I wasn't too impressed with his love story, though. Haniel is one of those characters that was great the way he was, and though it was nice to see him soften a bit throughout the books, there was a limit to that for me. But then again, I like Haniel and want him happy. I guess we can say that I feel conflicted over this.

When I started reading this one, I had a set idea for what I thought would happen this time. For the most part, what I thought would happen DID. But then there were a couple of BIG things that actually surprised me. Those things made me feel "WHOA" enough that they made up for what I had easily predicted. And the ending...the end of this one was okay. I didn't feel overly fond of it or anything. It did make sense and it was cool, I was just hoping for something more BOOM. To me, it felt anticlimactic.

Overall, I was happy with this third book and enjoyed reading it just as much as the two before. Also, I'm definitely wanting to pick up another Tiffany King book. Soon.

Oh, and I still heart Mark ;)

♥Jessica(:

Inked by an Angel Blog Tour: Character Bio!

Welcome to my stop on the Inked by an Angel blog tour! To see a full tour schedule, click HERE!

Today, I have character bios! Tattoos, piercings, dream cars, it's alllll here. Eeep! EVEN JED'S. Becaus, ahem, is it just me, or was Jed kind of...EXTRA amazing? Yeah. You know it. ;)

Tattoos…

Jed Gentry is doing just fine, thank you very much, running his tattoo studio in Austin, Texas.  So what if people think he’s a bit on the surly side?  He’s been burned by his ex who sticks around to torture him and he lives with a family heartache that he’d rather not talk about.  But he’s got a thriving business, his dream car, and good friends.  Not much to complicate things.  At least, not until she walked in…

Full name: Jedediah David Gentry
Number of tattoos: 3 plus a few surprises…(you'll have to read the book to find out what and where!)
Number of piercings: 5
Dream car: Already owns it. A '67 Shelby Mustang. Sweet ride.
Factoid: He traveled to Japan several years ago to study the ancient form of tattooing known as “Irezumi” and he has a great respect and love for the entire Japanese culture.
Jed's playlist:
Switchfoot – Dark Horses
Black Sabbath – Paranoid
Foo Fighters – Monkey Wrench
Led Zeppelin – Rock and Roll
Rolling Stones – You Can't Always Get What You Want
Deftones – Digital Bath

 

Accountants…

Kyle O’Neill has had it with being the sheltered daddy’s girl at the family accounting firm and is ready to spread her wings and fly on her own for the first time.  Unfortunately, it seems she’s about to fall flat on her face when her first and only client is – gulp — a tattoo artist!  Her country club upbringing certainly hasn’t prepared her for this place or the sizzling attraction her traitorous body feels for the grumpy owner…

Full name: Kyle Elizabeth O'Neill
Dream car: Toyota Prius. No, really. She really cares about the environment.
Skill set includes: She can perfectly set a formal dinner place setting, fold a fitted sheet like nobody's business, froth a meringue spiky enough to give Martha Stewart a run for her money, and though she doesn't currently have one – she knows the exact temperature a wine cellar should be maintained at all times dependent upon humidity and other factors.
Secret crush: She's seen all of Jason Statham's movies at least twice. The Transporter movies three times.
Kyle's iPod playlist: It is ever-changing. (And Jed absolutely hates it, BTW.) But, if you want to know what she's probably listening to today, just check out the current Billboard Pop top forty, and you'll have a pretty good idea!

And…Cupid?

But there is a Divine conspiracy at work here pushing these two together.  And they are hell bent on bucking the Heavenly plan all the way.  Luckily, their angel is a true believer and pulls every trick he knows from under his halo to make this a match made in Heaven.

Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?

"Tattoos, cupids, and bad boys: Shauna Allen delivers one heck of a read.  Fresh, sassy, and witty - she brings a new voice to romance that readers are gonna love!"

~New York Times Bestselling Author, Christie Craig

Inked by an Angel : Book I of the Cupid Chronicles is available now from Soul Mate Publishing, Amazon and Barnes and Noble!

http://tinyurl.com/afpfrd2

http://tinyurl.com/bzccth8

http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/inked-by-an-angel/

 

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shauna grew up an only child with two open and loving parents in Central Texas.  She’s married to her high school sweetheart and is the mother to three fantastic (no, that’s not a typo!) teenagers. 

When she’s not writing, editing, or acting as a personal assistant to a NYT Bestselling author, Shauna enjoys reading, movies with Gerard Butler, vacays to the beach, and hangin’ with the kiddos–even if they don’t like hangin’ with her!

Shauna would love for you to visit her at her website and blog at: www.shaunaallen.com

Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/shauna.allen.12

Twitter : http://tiny.cc/s0dlmw

Pinterest : http://pinterest.com/shaunaallen7/

 

 

 ♥Jessica(:

Review: Shadows in the Silence by Courtney Allison Moulton

Shadows in the Silence by Courtney Allison Moulton
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Format: ARC, 469
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Series: Angelfire #3
Source: ARC tour!

Description from Goodreads:
Your strength in heart and hand will fall. . . .
Ellie knows that the darkest moments are still to come, and she has everything to fight for:

She must fight for Will.
The demonic have resorted to their cruelest weapons to put Will in mortal danger, and Ellie makes an unlikely alliance to save him and to stop Lilith and Sammael, who seek to drown the world in blood and tear a hole into Heaven.

She must fight for humanity.
As the armies of Hell rise and gather for the looming End of Days, Ellie and her band of allies travel to the world’s darkest and most ancient regions in her quest to come into her full glory as the archangel Gabriel.

And Ellie must save herself.
Her humanity withers beneath the weight of her cold archangel power, but Ellie must hold tight to who she is and who she loves as she prepares for the ultimate battle for Heaven and Earth.

In this final installment in the Angelfire trilogy, Courtney Allison Moulton brings her dark world of epic battles and blistering romance to a blazing bright conclusion.

The Angelfire trilogy. It is so weird to see this one come to an end. I remember when the first book came out! Goodness. It was before I became a blogger, but after I decided I'd let books rule my life. Either way, I'd never given much though to this trilogy ending. No more Will, no more Ellie, no more...no more...no more CADAN. (I'm going to cry for days for that one, guys.)

Anyways, back to the point. This book. The ending of a very kickass trilogy. Well, if you MUST know...this was such an amazing way to end the trilogy!!!!!!!

Goodness gracious, this book was badass. I laughed (a lot), cried (why must people DIE?!?!), slapped things (I'd rather not specify WHAT, because then y'all may not like me anymore...hehehe--I'm totally kidding. Kind of.), punched things, threw things, yelled things (TEAM WAFFLES!), and so on. I think you get my point. This book was a bunch of feels. Because, you know, I may not have said this, but this was the ending to a trilogy. And it was badass. So yeah.

Courtney's writing makes me smile, just like always. I don't even know WHAT it is about her writing, but it just feels different to me, and I like it. A lot. Like, a lot a lot. Pulls me in and keeps me reading. Even if I don't want to. Yeah. THAT great. ;)

Character Rundown:
Ellie: Ellie's been through a lot in this trilogy, and I must say: I liked her more and more with each book and she grew into a character I could actually stand. Um, yeah, I wasn't her biggest fan in the beginning. But now, she's all right. Completely fierce. I suggest you watch yourself when in her presence.

Will: Awww, Will!!!! He is so incredinly sweet, I just want to hug the snap out of him. I love how stable and just plain supportive he was. If he were real, I'd totally be first in line to be his BFF. He's just so cute! Love this boy.

Cadan: While I love Will, Cadan is the boy that has me in this trilogy. Gosh, I ADORE this boy. He makes me laugh and he cares. He cares so much, I can't even. He is sooooo mine. I love how we've grown to trust him more and more throughout these books. We can depend on him now! Did you hear me? DEPEND on him. TRUST him. We can, we can! Ahhh, this boy <3

Plot. We were focused on what was going to happen, which I seriously liked because I actually KNEW what was going on! A lot of the time, I'm slow with figuring out just what the heck the characters are doing or trying to accomplish, but in this book? Not a problem. I get it, guys! WOOT! Another thing. This is a WAR. We all know what happens when at war, yes? The D word? Because it does happen, no matter how much we wish it wouldn't. In this very book. It happens. *sad face*

Sweets. Well, first and foremost (for me, anyway), we have Cadan. Who, as I said, CARES. And we see him caring and cooperating and I am so happy our relationship with him has grown to this point. And then there is Will. Oh, Will. I've already told y'all that will is so sweet. This guy is such a sweetheart. Him and Ellie together...it just works. So well. I can't imagine these two actually being with someone else. Just doesn't blend in my brain.

The ending. Ohhhh, guys, the feels. The feels the feels the feels. It's over! But I think Courtney gave us a darn good ending. I closed the book feeling all satisfied and a little teary-eyed. SO MUCH happened--in this book, in this TRILOGY--but Courtney wrapped it all up in such a wonderful way.

Overall, Courtney Allison Moulton did a supremely GREAT job on this book and therefore, she rocks. Seriously. She rocks my socks off. BARE FEET RIGHT NOW, Y'ALL. If you've read the first two books in this trilogy and are feeling kind of meh about the whole thing, I suggest you most definitely read the last installment. It's an ending worth reading. And if you read the first two books and think they're the best thing ever? I say the same thing. Most definitely a trilogy worth reading, right here.

GAH! I just can't believe it's over. AHHHHH!

But seriously. Read it.

♥Jessica(:

Author Interview ♥ Piper Shelly

Today, I have an interview with the author of Her Game, His Rules to share with you guys!

 

Don't know what that is? Here's a summary:

 

Her Game, His Rules by Piper Shelly

 

Description from Goodreads:

She’s seventeen. She’s snarky. She’s trouble…

It wasn’t nicking an expressive watch or diamond bracelet that landed Jona Montiniere in the clutches of the police. It was just a darn sweater. After a spectacular, failed escapade, she is forced to return to a mother who spurned her. Jona is furious about the judge’s decision—until she meets her mother’s companion. Gorgeous, provocative, and mysterious, Julian is everything her lonely heart desires. But then he awakens her mother from the dead with a simple touch.

Hunting for the truth in a strange new home, Jona unearths broken promises and bitter secrets. Soon she realizes she’ll once again lose someone she loves…unless she gives him a reason to stay. But how the hell do you keep an angel earthbound?

 

 

Now for the interview!

 

1. Her Game, His Rules. Briefly describe it, please?
It’s the story of young Jona Montiniere, who’s been dumped in an orphanage by her mother
when she was only 5 years old. At 17, and shortly before her release, she gets caught stealing
a sweater and is sentenced to six weeks of living in France with her mother and a family she’s
never known of. The only plus side of this horror? Julian, the most gorgeous, most stubborn
and most mysterious guy she’s ever met.

 

2. Where did you get the idea for Her Game, His Rules?I have a soft spot for angels, even made some very nice, very strange experiences with one
in the past. I’m about to write a blog post about him for my website. If you come there in
December, you can read more about the true inspiration for Julian. ;-)

 

3. What was the writing process like for this book? Anything fun to tell us about it?
Well, the process seemed endless, as I wrote the entire book twice. The first draft was too
lame, boring…way too British. LOL. One day I decided to just trash it. The second go was a
lot more fun…and successful. So many people love it from the first page. I knew then it was
the best decision I could have made.

 

4. Was it harder for you to create the characters or work out the plot? Which did you have
more fun with?
The characters’ personalities have changed a little from the first to the second draft. But it was
the plot that troubled me more. I needed to work in details which I wanted to come back to
later in the book. Then with all the fast writing, I sometimes forgot about those details, then
had to go back and rewrite. But all in all, it was pretty easy to write the book. It only took me
ten months…which IS fast for me.

 

5. Characters are always super important when I'm reading a book, and for good reasons. Can
you tell us about the characters in this book?Well, I don’t want to tell too much, because I think everyone should get their own picture of
them while reading. But I think it’s cool to say that Jona, a feisty teenager who speaks fluent
sarcasm, meets a stubborn angel whose greatest come backs are those where he doesn’t have
to say anything at all. ;-)

 

6. How did you come up with the names for the characters in this book?
I don’t know really. Most of the time, it’s very hard for me to find the perfect names. In this
book, the names were the first things that came to me. I only had to craft a story around them
afterwards.

 

7. I must say, that cover...heh. LOVE. What's your opinion on it?I was the one who designed it, and yes, I DO LOVE IT. I searched for hours on end for
the perfect pictures to piece together. Then I had help from a graphic artist, who shaped
everything right after my imagination. The result is perfect. I wouldn’t do it any different.

 

8. What has your experience with bloggers been like?I’ve been invited to many interviews and guest blog posts recently. I’m really enjoying all this
and I find it great how many people run a reading-site, really. I always thought it’s only the
authors who have a blog to be present in the net. But it seems there are actually more book-
lovers than writers out there. They do a great job for us authors to promote our books. Huge
thank you to everyone!

 

9. Reading! We all love it, obviously. What are some books you've read recently/are looking
forward to reading ASAP?With all the writing and editing for author friends, I don’t get as much reading done as I’d
like. But I absolutely enjoyed the HUSH HUSH saga from Becca Fitzpatrick. And I love
everything vampire. Kerrelyn Sparks will release her newest book soon. Must have it!

 

10. Okay, last question. Because I'm dying to know: can you give us a little swoon-ish fact
about Her Game, His Rules?
A swoon-ish fact? Oh my God! There are quite a few. But I don’t want to tell them all.
Instead I’d like to present you with an exclusive little excerpt, just for you.

 

Sunlight reflected off the wings, tinting his shape in a mist of halo that made it hard to look away. But at the same time the light blinded me. I swallowed hard against my bafflement. “Can I touch them?”

For the first time since we came out here, Julian seemed the tiniest bit uncertain. “No one has ever
touched them before.”

“I promise to be extra gentle,” I teased, already crawling toward him. Kneeling, I reached out. Julian’s sudden tension didn’t escape me, but it also couldn’t make me stop. As soon as I traced the curve of his left wing, the limb twitched away. A visible shiver raked over his naked torso.

“Sensitive, are we?”

“You have no idea,” he drawled on a deep rumble.

I gasped when he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me into his lap. Dipping his head, he
purred into my ear. “But I can show you a spot or two on your body which are just as sensitive.” He took my earlobe into his mouth, nibbling gently.

The whisk of his tongue coaxed a surprisingly loud moan from me. He continued to nibble a path
along my jaw, and I surrendered to his embrace.

His wings flapped to the front. They closed around me, enveloping me in total protection. His
tongue trailed down my chin and neck in the most enticing way, aiming at the hollow in the base of my throat. I angled my head to give him access to that sensitive part of my skin. Above, a swarm of swallows hovered motionless in the sky.

“You froze time again?” I breathed, running my fingers through his silky golden hair.

Julian skimmed my cheek with the tip of his nose. When his eyes were level with mine, he gave me a
determined stare. “I told you, I like to savor.”

 

Um, whoa. Not what I expected. Hehe. Thank you to Piper Shelly for answering my questions and giving us the excerpt!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Two things I have on me at any time: A pen and a notepad.

The written word is my greatest joy. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t boot up my laptop, open my latest project, and get drawn into the deep dungeons of my mind to bring all the mischievous and enticing characters flittering around there to life. Or rather, onto the page.

From my early childhood on, I scribbled down everything and anything I found useful. Tons of diaries and rough drafts of short stories are piling on my shelves. Besides writing, I enjoy to travel around the world where I find inspiration during a romantic dinner in Paris, a walk on the beach with my dear husband, or a breakneck rollercoaster ride in Disneyland with our son. Whatever the adventure, it finds its way into my books.

I started writing paranormal romance in my late teens and will probably still be sitting at my desk writing fiction when I’m well over ninety. At least that’s how I imagine my life going on from here.

 

♥Jessica(:

 

Review: A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young

A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 288 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Series: A Need So Beautiful #2
Source: Library

Description from Goodreads:
Elise is a normal seventeen-year-old girl until the day she wakes up in a desert park, with no idea who she is.

After that episode, her life takes a bizarre turn. She’s experiencing unexpected flashes of insight into people’s lives—people she’s never met before. Strangers frighten her with warnings about the approaching Shadows. And although Elise has never had a boyfriend, she suddenly finds herself torn between two handsome but very different young men: Abe, the charming bad boy whose effect on her both seduces and frightens her, and the mysterious Harlin, who’s new to town but with whom Elise feels an urgent, elemental connection—almost as if they are soul mates.

Now Elise begins to question everything about her life. Why do these guys both want her so desperately? What are the Shadows? Why does the name Charlotte inspire a terrifying familiarity? And who is Elise, really?

So, this is the sequel to A Need So Beautiful, which I read and reviewed...you know...recently. The ending to THAT book was somewhat cliff-hanger-y, so I picked up this book as soon as I could after that. And, um. THIS BOOK WAS SO GREAT.

This time, instead of Charlotte, we have Elise. This can throw you off, but this IS a sequel to A Need So Beautiful, not a companion. I've had people ask me this. Trust me, this one definitely comes second. So, we have Elise. Who, as the description says, wakes up with no clue who she is. Normally, this kind of thing at the beginning of the book just means it's all going downhill from there (sad, but true--check out my reviews of Glimmer and As I Wake if you are skeptical). That is certainly not the case here! This book was just as beautiful as the last, and even more enjoyable, in my opinion.

Character Rundown:
Elise: So it's pretty obvious who Elise actually is. And I like her just as much as I did in the last book, if not more, because this time she's still the wonderful, caring person she was, but she also has more personality. It was nice to see both the Charlotte in Elise and the...Elise. It was cool to see those two characters rolled into one so effectively, to create one character that I loved reading about.

Harlin: OH, HARLIN. I love him a million times more in this book. It was great to get to start all over with him, more or less, and he was much more defined this time. He was very solidly HIM. He not only had a personality, but one that I completely adored.

Abe: Abe is a guy who was full of AMAZING lines from the very moment we meet him. In the very beginning of this book, he was seriously awesome. But then...he wasn't. I like Abe, though. Still, Harlin's my boy this time around. And in the end, Abe...well, let's just leave it at I end with liking Abe a lot.

Other characters: We saw Dr. Swift again, and that was cool. He's a sweet guy. And then we have Onika again. I feel for her, but I don't like her at all. I understand her situation, but I am completely critical of how she handled it. And then there's Lucy, who is another character who I don't like her choices in certain situations. Not cool, people.

The plot. I enjoyed every single part of this book. The plot wasn't predictable--especially if you're comparing this book to the first one. Everything is not the same, no matter what people may think. This book had me riveted and I flew through the pages. I was kind of surprised when I saw that I only had ten pages left. I was like "NOOOOOO!" I kind of didn't want it to end. Why?

Because of Harlin. AKA, the sweetness of this book. Harlin is just the sweetest thing! He cares, and I love that. Plus, in this book, Harlin isn't as oblivious, therefore his romance with Elise can not be full of tension caused by secrets, secrets, and more secrets. Well, for the most part. Either way, it went better for them this time around, and that made me deliriously happy.

The ending. I'm curious, is there going to be another book after this one? Because that ending certainly left me wanting more, but I don't know if there's going to be a third. I hope there is. This ending made me happy, but also left me wanting a little.

Overall, this book was better than the first. A Need So Beautiful was a really good read, but A Want So Wicked was an amazing read. So, pick up these books and READ.

♥Jessica(:

Review: A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
Release Date: June 1, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 267 pages
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Series: A Need So Beautiful #1
Source: Library

Description from Goodreads:
We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be Forgotten...

Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.

But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become--her mark on this earth, her very existence--is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.

Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny--no matter how dark the consequences.

A Need So Beautiful is one of those books I'd been looking at for a while, then decided to just grab it off the library shelf one day. I do this a lot, I know. Usually with these kinds of books--the ones I resist reading for a while for no real good reason--I end up kicking myself and wishing I had read the book sooner. And the same goes for A Need So Beautiful.

This book was beautiful. Just reading it broke my heart a little bit. Suzanne did a wonderful job of making the reader FEEL throughout this book. I felt Charlotte's desperation and confusion, and even a little of her love for Harlin, that sweet boy. Charlotte's thoughts and emotions were definitely portrayed in a way that the reader could comprehend them, and use them to understand the story better.

As far as the actual happenings of this book go, though, that wasn't AS great as it could have been. While the beginning of the book was mesmerizing, the middle slacked a bit in holding my attention. I got to the point that I get to in some books where I'm just waiting for a certain character to come back and amuse me again. In this case it was Alex and Harlin. The story was exremely interesting, but it didn't enthrall me as much as I'd hoped it would in the middle chunk.


Now that I've gotten all the criticism out of the way, I want to explain how much I liked this book. This was such a unique take on angels that was both precise and open to interpretation. This isn't a run-of-the-mill angel story, so I had a good time reading it, for the most part. Plus, this book did not drag. It moved right on along smoothlyin such a--as I mentioned at the beginning of this post--beautiful way.

Character Rundown:
Charlotte: Charlotte was not the most memorable female lead I've ever read about. She WAS a nice one, though. She played the nice-girl card well. She was also easy to identify with throughout the story. I completely understood her as I was reading from her eyes, which made the story that much better.
Harlin: He's sweet, so SO sweet, but he was also very boring. I love sweet boys--I mean, who DOESN'T?--but when they're so sweet, they're boring, that doesn't fly with me. He needs a personality, too. He needs to have something to live for that's NOT out MC. He can love her more than anything, but it's not fun when she's the ONLY thing. Where's the inner turmoil there?
Other Characters: I said already that Alex was a character I looked forward to. He's such a sweetie pie! And then Dr. Swift. He was boring to me, too. But with him, there wasn't any sweet words being said to make me happy. It was just information. Which is good to know, but not fun to read. It was kind of like info-dumping. Not cool.

The ending. The ending was not what I expected at all. Seriously, I did not expect this book to end the way it did. Needless to say: the sequel is most definitely needed as soon as I can manage to pay attention to it. As far as endings go, this one certainly was not too shabby.

Overall, this is certainly a book that should be given a chance. It has its faults, but it is also a stunningly unique and somewhat haunting novel.

My YA Crush Tourney Nominations♥

I had to include their banner. I mean, LOOK. Daemon's on it! Gorgeous.

Anyways. Why am I posting about this? Weeeell, this tourney is a bunch of fun. So I think y'all should head on over there and nominate your 10 favorite book crushes. I did.

I nominated (posiibly not in this order--I don't remember the EXACT order), oh, and they're color-coded by book:

Well, gee, who do we think I nominated first?

Daemon!--Obsidian

Of course. He's the first book boyfriend I've ever truly claimed.

Zachary--Shine

DUDE. He has an accent and wears kilts to proms. How can you NOT vote for that? *swoon*

Logan--Shine

Ah, Logan. He's Logan. 'Nuff said ;)

Martin--Shine

Martin was a cool guy. I'm kind of sad we only met him in Shine. WONDERFUL guy, right there.

Four--Divergent

I love his name. I really do, even though it's just a nickname. Plus, he's a cool dude.

Patch--Hush, Hush
Patch. I adore his actual name, too. I seriously love the Hush, Hush books. I still need to read Silence, but still. LOVE.

Christian--Unearthly
I'm Team Christian all the way. That is all.

Peregrine--Under the Never Sky
He's Perry! This book was positively splendiforous! I, for one, am super excited for the sequel. Honestly--more Perry!

Finnick--Hunger Games
Don't even get me started on this. The point is that I seriously love him. Despite how horrible his deal ends up being. AH.

Dimitri--Vampire Academy
He will forever hold a sift spot in my heart. I HAD to nominate him.

And those are my ten nominations. It was really hard for me to choose only ten. Goodness knows I swoon over someone in practically every book I read. So I picked the SHADEboys--of course. NOMINATE THEM. And I picked my very favorite Luxen, and a few other note-worthy guys I tend to sort of drool over. DON'T JUDGE ME. ;)

All right. So, now that you want to nominate some swoon-worthy guys for the tourney, you can click HERE to get to the nominate page! You can also click the banner at the top of this post, if ya feels like it. 

Okay, that's it for my little interlude of a post. Be sure to check out my review of Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout that I posted earlier, and enter my giveaways! You can win some cool stuff--I have two giveaways running at THIS VERY MOMENT! So DO IT.

Have a wonderful evening, Friends!
♥Jessica(:

DON'T TOUCH ME.

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford
Release Date: Already released! (February 22, 2011)
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Format: Paperback, 419 pages
Source: Won from Justin's Book Blog!
Description from Goodreads:

Eden didn't expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.

And that's only the beginning of the end.

This book drew me in for a few reasons. First, the description is AMAZING. Second, I have heard many, many, many good things about this book. (The most prominent of these good things came from Kreag at I Devour Books.) And lastly, this book was more than 400 pages. What can I say? I like it when books are long enough to not end the day I start them. When adding all of this up to create my expectations for this book, I'd say that they were pretty high. I mean, I REALLY value other people's opinions when it comes to what I should and should not read. I am super happy to say that my expectations were certainly met, if not exceeded.

I thought this book would be based heavily on the whole "love" angle. Lots of books are, so really that's a realistic assumption. And I was half right. Love was somewhat important in this book, but it was not what made this story. The love had to be there, yes, but it was not really the main focus. We paid much more attention to Eden's predicaments with the Fallen and the other Siders than we did to her feelings for Az most of the time. Still, the author swooped in at just the right times to push Az back into our minds so we don't forget him.

Oh, the issues faced in this book. They thoroughly amused me and held my attention for all 400 pages. I remember how I was nearing the end of the book and hoping for more pages to magically appear so the book would not end. If that is not a sign that a book was great, I don't know what is.

Character rundown: Eden. I liked Eden! I loved how independent she was, not really reliant on her love interest like a lot of other heroines are in YA books. She does things for herself and controls what she wants to and doesn't care about anything else, and I love that. A kick-booty girl who actually takes charge. Oh, how I have waited for a girl like her in a book. Now, Az. OH, AZ. I adore Az, as I usually do with the guys in books. I love how he puts Eden first and doesn't give up on her. I tell you, it is things like these that melt my heart and win me over EVERY TIME. And it never gets old. Last, I'll say a few things about Luke. I have to admit that I swoon for Luke. The way he is described, he is a true heartthrob. I love that he is 100% evil, though. Kind of balances out his beauty. And his love. Yes, evil people find love as well. Or at least, I assume he loved her. That's what I got from certain happenings in this book. ;)

As a whole, this story was purely gorgeous. Yes, I described a STORY as gorgeous. Because this one really was. I am immensely glad I got this book, and I encourage you all to read it, if you're into the whole fallen-angels thing. . . . On second thought, even if you're not. I say anyone should give this book a try because it is not your everyday angel story. It's different, and I enjoy that! It's always nice to mix up the angel story that is so common these days.

Okay, that's it, Friends! Before I bid you all good day, though, I want to send a thousand thanks to:

Justin from Justin's Book Blog - DUDE. I love your blog! I visit, like, every day. And I tend to comment a lot. But still, your blog is on my list of favorites. Thank you so much for this book!

and

Kreag from I Devour Books - Because you're just awesome. Seriously, your best friend badge is ULTRA shiny right now. Yeah, even shinier than mine. That is an accomplishment, my friend. Thank you for being first to steal my blog button!

All right, now that's really it, folks. Thank y'all for reading my reivew and visiting my blog!

Stay safe until next post, Friends!

♥Jessica(:

PASSION♥

 

Passion by Lauren Kate
Release Date: Already Released! (June 14, 2011)
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Format: Hardcover, 420 pages
Source: Borrowed from Monica at Cover Analysis :)

Description from Goodreads:
Luce would die for Daniel.

And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way. . .

Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime . . . going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel . . . and finally unlock the key to making their love last.

Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.

Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames . . . forever.

Sweeping across centuries, PASSION is the third novel in the unforgettably epic FALLEN series.

Passion was one of those books that I read because I had to to get to the next book in the series. I really liked the first book, despite the boring beginning, and I truly enjoyed the second book, even though there was so much petty arguing that really got too repetitive. So I decided to read this book because I seriously want to read this whole series. I was SO excited to read this book. I think I expected too much. Either way, I have to admit I was disappointed by this book.

The thing about this book was that it was so boring, in my opinion. There were some parts that caught and held my attention, yes, but those were not as often as I would have liked them to be. Another thing about this story was that a lot of it was very scattered. We just kept on getting sent to random places at random times and I couldn't understand why. I mean, yeah, Luce wanted to see "proof" of her and Daniel's love, but that doesn't seem a good enough reason to jump through time repeatedly. For most of this book, I didn't feel like there was a main plot holding everything together. My point here: we had to wait too long for explanations. Being confused or half of the book - more or less - is not the way to hold my attention.

All that said, this book was not COMPLETELY horrible. I did like seeing into some of Luce's past lives and learning about Cam's past. I liked to see Daniel's past self, too, because I DID have some serious doubt as to their "love" until I read this book. Before it seemed very much like lust misconstrued as love. I'm pretty confident in the love now, though. (I just want to point out that even though I was doubtful, I wasn't really questioning the love between Daniel and Luce becasue I thought this concept was sweet and I tend to be an optimist when it comes to these kinds of things.) Also, there were some completely heartfelt moments in here that I loved. Not as much as I'd like, but still, some were there.

Character rundown: Luce. I. Do. Not. Like. Her. At. All. I really really really do not. She just grates on my nerves. So whiny, and ignorant, and DOUBTFUL. I mean, I'm allowed to have doubts about Daniel; it's my job as a reader to do so. But Luce should have been 100% sure of him the whole way through. I don't see any reason for her to really not be. I find it almost amusing how skeptical Luce is about Daniel, and yet she trusted Bill so completely in this book. Grr. Daniel. OH DANIEL. I really like Daniel. I don't know why, but I do. It's probably because of his strong love for Luce. That kind of thing always gets me. Cam - OH CAM. I swear, this book is so incredibly hard for me to pick a team for because Cam is so amazing, yet Daniel just has the feeling that I wish Cam did. Cam never fails to make me laugh, either. Never a bad thing, that.

Lastly, Bill. The whole Bill situation really disappointed me for Luce's sake. How could she be so unintelligent? You'd think she'd have grown some common sense in her brain and not be so quick to take a random being for his word. Plus, I wonder if Luce realizes that a WINK is NOT a yes, or even an answer for that matter. And "sure" isn't exactly a yes either. I knew who Bill was from the moment he showed up, at page 82 or something. I did like Bill, though. He was a good comedic relief in all of Luce's irritating-ness. I'm glad he was in this book, because otherwise, I may have taken FOREVER to read this book.

All in all, I'm just glad I got through this book so I can read the next one when it comes out in June. I'm going to a Lauren Kate book signing, so I needed to get this out of the way. I have high hopes for the next book, though, especially now that we get to see all the characters again. I missed them in this book. Honestly, the only way I even read this book as fast as I did was the motivation to just finish it so I could move on with my life. Well, that and because I don't want to keep Monica's book for TOO long.

Okay . . . yeah, that's it, Friends. Thank you for reading my review, and thank you so much to Monica for letting me borrow Passion! I highly doubt I would have gotten to read it by the time of the signing in June if not for you. Consider your best friend badge extra shiny for today!

Be sure to come by again tomorrow for a wonderful teaser of Redheads are Soulless by heather M White. I read that whole book on Friday night, and LOVED it. I cannot wait to tease you with some sentences from there!

See y'all soon!

♥Jessica(:

Immortal City

I finished Immortal City by Scott Speer! All in all, my ideas about this book are very intermixed. I loved some things, and other things were kind of meh. All in all, I liked it. I'm so happy I got to read it. I was so excited to read this when I got the book. I really liked the idea of Angels saving for money instead of because they were divine and perfect. There's nothing WRONG with that, exactly, it's just something we see everywhere these days. It was nice to see a different variation of an angel story.

While there were different aspects in this story, there was also the big, main romance aspect that we see in every angel story - angel falls in love with human, superiors get upset, and BOOM - trouble. Despite this cliche, this book held my attention, so I don't hold much against this book. Plus, there was a nice little mystery intermixed within the normal love story that livened things up a bit. Throughout the story, we are making assumptions as to just who the killer - yep, there's a killer - could be. And I think we are all wrong in our guesses. I know I was. I love when that happens; it adds suspense.

Character rundown! We have Maddy and Jacks. Maddy is the poor (like, literally poor) human girl who is positively boring until she meets a certain angel boy whom we will all know and love very soon. I loved Maddy. As we all know, the girl leads are usually hard sells for me, because. . . well, I'm not even sure why. But I really liked Maddy. I think it's because I can identify with her. She smart, determined, and shy to certain situations, but stands her ground when she's utterly serious. She's not just some love-struck girl doing stupid things for a guy. She does what she thinks is best, and I respect that. As for Jacks. . . OH JACKS. Jacks is the Angel guy every girl wants but can't have. Strong. Gorgeous. History in the making. And then he meets our girl Maddy and just can't stop thinking about her. Of course he can't. That's the way it goes with these things. But that's a point for later. Right now the point is that I loved Jacks, too. The guy characters usually win me over twenty time faster. I can't help it. There is always at least one guy in a book that I adamantly root for. Well, this would be Jacks.

Romance. The romance in this book is oh so clearly THERE. It is a very common story of love, though. They meet. Can't stop thinking about each other after some moment of undeniable connection. See each other against the wishes of superiors. Etc, etc. We can all pretty much guess how the love story in this book goes, but it is definitely not worth NOT reading this book for. We should all still read it because there ARE the super sweet moments in here that just make you go "awwwww!" Plus, the plot is very, very good. The love story is predictable, but everything else is certainly NOT.

One aspect of this book that I especially liked was how . . . Angel-fied this book was. The world in this book was like our own, but instead of people obsessing over celebrities, they obsessed over Angels. This doesn't sound like much, but some of it was funny. For example, instead of "YouTube" there was "SaveTube." When I saw that one, I laughed for a bit. It was funny! If you don't understand why it's called "SaveTube," then I suggest you go on and read this book. Can't be wondering about this question forever, right? ;)

The ending. Okay, so when I was getting close to the ending of this book, I was getting supremely disppointed. But then my hopes lifted. And then they were crushed again, but not as much as they would have been the first time. But then I was like "YAY!" So my point here is: Do not give up on this book. Don't read ahead, either. It will ruin the sweetness of certain moments. Anyways, don't give up on this book around the end. Just keep your hopes up and finish the book in sequence. You will not regret this. The very end of the book was absolutley perfect for setting us up for a sequel. Now I just have to wait for it.      *head desk*

My note to anyone who reads this: This story is the same, but different. Which is a good thing. So read the book! I liked it. I really did. And now I get to keep it! *happiness*

Thank y'all for reading my review!

♥Jessica(:

Teaser Tuesday! (2)

It's Tuesday! Which means it's time for my second Teaser Tuesday!

Do you want to participate in Teaser Tuesdays? It's simple and hosted by MizB from Should Be Reading. All you have to do is:

-Grab your current read
-Open to a random page
-Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
-BE CAREFUL NOT T INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
-Share the title & author, too, so that the other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Ah, now. It's time for MY teaser! I'm telling you now -  I JUST began this book this morning. So this is as much of a teaser for me as it is for you. All right, here we go. . .

"Maddy felt the same electricity beginning to move through her, just like the energy she had sensed in the back room of the diner and when the two of them had gone flying. From Jacks's glinting eyes, which he never took away from hers, she could tell he felt it as well." ~pg. 162, Immortal City, Scott Speer

DUDE. I think I picked too much of a teaser. Now I want to go read more. . . Be sure to come back again tomorrow! I'll have a post about going to the This Is Teen Live! Book signing with some really cool authors! It was my first book siging, and SO. MUCH. FUN! 

Thanks, y'all!

♥Jessica(: 

A Temptation of Angels!

No, Friends this is not a review. This is an announcement: A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS BY MICHELLE ZINK HAS BEEN RELEASED!!!!!!!

What is this book, you ask? Well here is an overview:

Even angels make mistakes in this page-turning epic romance

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world's past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel.

Michelle Zink masterfully weaves historical fantasy with paranormal romance to create a gripping tale of love and betrayal.

(This overview is used from B&N's website. I did NOT write this myself.)

A Temptation of Angels was released only yesterday. Yeah, 24 hours ago! I have not read this book yet, but I positively AM. I am simply waiting for my copy to arrive in the mail. Then I shall read it and (I have a GREAT feeling about this) LOVE it! Thank you to Stephanie at Stephanie, A History for the giveaway that won me the book and Michelle Zink for the book in general! Generous people are the best!

So here is what this post is telling you:
1. Take a look at this book.
and
2. READ IT. Seriously, you will not regret it, Michelle Zink is a wonderful author! But those books are a topic for another time.

I WILL be reviewing A Temptation of Angels after I get it and then, you know, read it. So, keep you eyes open for that!

Quick update: I am currently reading The Lost Saint by Bree Despain. Yes, it is the sequel to The Dark Divine, which I reviewed just yesterday, so if you haven't checked it out yet, then. . .what are you waiting for? The post is titled "A Divine Book!"

Are you new to checking out my blog? Then please, follow me! Click the un little button up top that says "follow" and you get to see my regular posts! DO IT.
Do you visit my blog regularly, but don't follow me? DUDE. Follow me! It will save you some time finding my new posts!

All right, so I will bid you all good night now. Thank you so much for visiting my blog! Please, do come again!

Talk to you soon, Friends!

♥Jessica(: