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.

 

Blog Tour: Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally (Review & Giveaway)

 

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Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally 

Release Date: July 15th, 2014

Pages: 306

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Series: Hundred Oaks #5

Review Copy: e-ARC copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes

Description from Goodreads: 

Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.

"Breathe, Annie, Breathe is an emotional, heartfelt, and beautiful story about finding yourself after loss and learning to love. It gave me so many feels. Her best book yet." — Jennifer Armentrout, New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You 

I love Miranda Kenneally's books. Catching Jordan is a book that I look back on whenever I need a laugh and Stealing Parker is another book that gives me happy feelings. I've always loved the characters Miranda Kenneally depicts and creates in her stories, and then their situations in the books. Going into Breathe, Annie, Breathe, I expected a book that made me think a bit, touched my heart a bit, and made me laugh a bit. What I got was so much more than that.

Annie is probably my favorite Kenneally MC yet. I loved her strength and determination to fun that race no matter what. Reading this book, I thought a lot about when I used to run for school or cheerleading or whatever. I was never a fan. Annie wasn't either until her boyfriend dies and she makes the decision to run the marathon he'd been training for. And that is such a beautiful thing to do. Starting out with only knowing that about Annie set her off to a great start in my mind and she only rose up in the awesome scale as the book progressed. She wasn't perfect. She had issues to deal with, of course. But she did it. She worked on it, and I admire her so, so much.

Then there's Jere, who--dear goodness--I totally fell for. Head over heels, baby. He was such a unique character with his adrenaline junky ways. And I literally mean it when I say "adrenaline junky." It's his thing. He does dangerous stuff for the thrill, and he gets injured. He has bunches of scars and is always looking for something new to try. I loved how he was dangerous in a way that I've never seen in a book boy before. He's not what I'd call a bad boy. He's a sweet boy. He treats blisters and says encouraging things and is the most wonderful of friends when you need one. The dangerous part comes in with the risk involved with the stuff he chooses to do and I found that so interesting. 

Since I was such a huge fan of Annie from the beginning, I started out sort of hesitant toward Jere. I didn't want him to pop in and mess with Annie or anything. I didn't want to throw the book at a wall. (Especially since I was reading it on my Kindle.) But I warmed up to Jere in no time. That boy is so kind and funny and if he needs a new best friend, I totally volunteer as tribute. So once I realized that Jere was awesome sauce, I started rooting for the couple. And goodness gracious, those two were so great for each other. I could not think of a better match for either of these fabulous people if I tried. 

The writing and storyline of the novel mixed together so well to leave a lasting effect on me. The biggest thing of this story is Annie's internal struggle--both race-involved and life involved and love involved. She's figuring her shiz out. And I FELT this, FELT her story so much. I was right there with Annie throughout this whole story, and I flew through this thing. A day. It took me a day to read this book. It would have been one sitting, but I had to eat dinner. Everything just flowed and the writing was wonderful, and I flat out LOVED this book.

I also enjoyed seeing characters from the previous Hundred Oaks books. It's so fun watching how the stories all tie together. And the title of Breathe, Annie, Breathe? Seriously a favorite of mine. It fits the story so well, and I heart it almost as much as I heart Jere. 

Overall, I am in love with Breathe, Annie, Breathe. This is definitely my favorite Miranda Kenneally novel so far, and Annie's story has a special place in my heart. I adored her and Jere, and it was such a great experience watching their progress throughout the story. I feel so much love right now. 

 

Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

Author Links: 

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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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!)

Blog Tour: Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine (Review, Excerpt & Giveaway)

Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine 
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Format: eARC, 336 pages
Publisher: Forever
Series: Finding Fate #1
Source: NetGalley
Buy It: Amazon | B&N
Add it on Goodreads

Synopsis:
SOMETIMES MOVING ON MEANS MOVING IN

Pixie Marshall wishes every day she could turn back time and fix the past. But she can't. And the damage is done. She's hoping that a summer of free room and board working with her aunt at the Willow Inn will help her forget. Except there's a problem: the resident handyman is none other than Levi Andrews. The handsome quarterback was once her friend-and maybe more--until everything changed in a life-shattering instant. She was hoping to avoid him, possibly forever. Now he's right down the hall and stirring up feelings Pixie thought she'd long buried . . .

Levi can't believe he's living with the one person who holds all his painful memories. More than anything he wants to make things right, but a simple "sorry" won't suffice--not when the tragedy that scarred them was his fault. Levi knows Pixie's better off without him, but every part of him screams to touch her, protect her, wrap her in his arms, and kiss away the pain. Yet even though she's so close, Pixie's heart seems more unreachable than ever. Seeing those stunning green eyes again has made one thing perfectly clear--he can't live without her.

Reading this book was an experience for me. A total, legit experience. I went through all of the feels for this novel. I was interested, then I was annoyed, then I hated it, then I was bored, then I realized at about 35% in that I absolutely freaking loved it. Every single second of it. Every word, every line, I couldn't help but love.

I realize how odd that sounds considering I wen through those less than positive stages while reading--like hate and boredom. But it took me going through those to realize just what was happening in this story. I went in expecting a NA contemporary romance. And, I mean, that's what this is. But the romance doesn't drive the story here, and it took me until I was a little bit into the book to realize that and begin to enjoy the beauty of it. So yeah, I loved this book.

Pixie was a protagonist it took me a while to warm up to. I found her amusing from the very beginning, but it took me time to actually like her. But I do now. She's funny, and she's realistic. She also wasn't a doormat, which is always a nice quality to have.

And then there is Levi. Levi, who is the first male MC in a while that I adore for reasons beyond being nice, sweet, and attractive. I mean, he was certainly all of those things. But I think my biggest reason for adding him to my ever-growing list of book boyfriends is because watching him work through his issues...it was so real. He was a very REAL character. I felt so strongly for this poor guy, and I was so glad when he made it through his stuff to a good place again. He also didn't do a crap ton of stuff that made me angry at him while working through his issues. He isn't the usual good guy who turns into a manwhore so he can forget everything. I mean, he's not a saint, either, but he was just a plain ole good guy working through stuff, and I freaking LOVE HIM. 

God, I love him.

Plus, his name is Levi. Which put the odds in his favor, yeah, but he had all those good qualities backing him up, and I am so flipping happy that he was a good person, and that he didn't make me mad all the time, and HAVE I MENTIONED THAT I LOVE HIM?

This is one of the most needed dual POV books I've read in a while. There weren't two POVs just because. Both of the characters are trying to learn how to move on after facing something terrible, and that is what the two POVs are for--so we can see them both make it through. Especially since a lot of the struggle is internal. And this is some of the least annoying internal struggle ever. I was so interested, and hoping so hard for these characters to let go of all their bad feelings. They both feel guilty for their own reasons, and both of their reasons make complete and total sense. I absolutely understand why they both were having such trouble--but I also see how they both needed to stop holding on to their guilt. They needed each other, and they needed to move on.

I felt like I was going through this whole emotional journey with Levi and Pixie, and I enjoyed it so much. Even though the romance wasn't as in your face as I tend to prefer, and as most NA books are, I wouldn't want this book any other way. The romance is certainly THERE, of course. Levi and Pixie are so obviously caught up in each other, and they need each other. I rooted so hard for this couple, at the same time rooting for both of them individually to be okay.

Also, I'm pretty sure I've found my favorite quote for 2014 in this book:

My stomach fills with longing, but not the sad kind. The meaningful kind. The kind of longing you feel when you think about your first roller coaster or your first perfect game. The longing that makes you wish you could experience it again, but so grateful that you had it in the first place. 

Overall, Best Kind of Broken is beautiful. I loved the experience of reading this book, and definitely teared up at some parts. I adored Levi and Pixie, and their relationship was the absolute best. This book is perfection. Utter perfection. I'm fairly certain that I've found my new favorite New Adult novel in Best Kind of Broken. And now I'm waiting impatiently to get my hands on the next book in the Finding Fate series--which I will read the day I get it, no doubt.  

“So,” Jenna says casually as she goes back to lining her eyes. “How’s the sex thing going with Matt?”

Oh jeez.

“It’s not,” I say.

She scrunches her nose. “Was your first time really so bad?”

My sexual experience is limited to a one-time disaster with a guy named Benji Barker—that was his name, I kid you not—and it was drunk and sloppy and just…bleh.

I always thought losing my virginity would be a memorable event with fireworks and theme music and maybe a parade afterward. But no. It was more like, hey, so thanks for the horribly awkward sex. Let’s never speak again.

“No,” I say, searching the depths of the black hole that is my makeup bag for my mascara. “I mean, it was uncomfortable as hell, but it wasn’t bad. I just haven’t been able to get into it with Matt yet. Or the guy before him. Or the guy before that guy.” I tried dating a few guys this past school year, before I met Matt, but none of them really did it for me. I shrug again. “Maybe I’m a lesbian.”

My fingers finally wrap around a tube of mascara and I pull it out in triumph.

Jenna rolls her eyes. “You’re not a lesbian—”

“Pixie!” calls someone from the hallway.

Levi.

I haven’t heard his voice for three days and all my senses immediately go on alert. My eyes snap to the mirror just as his reflection enters in the bathroom doorway and my heart stammers at the sight.

He’s wearing dark jeans and an untucked shirt that fits his frame perfectly. The top two buttons of his shirt are undone, showing off the tan skin of his thick throat, and I suddenly sympathize with vampires everywhere. Who wouldn’t want to take a bite out of that?

WHAT?

Where did that thought come from?

“Hey, Pixie. Ellen wanted me too…” Levi’s words trail off as his gaze runs down my body and lingers on my butt. Desire flashes in his eyes and my insides start to heat and tighten in response.

Our eyes lock in the mirror.

Am I blushing? Crap, I’m blushing.

He clears his throat and starts again. “Ellen wanted me to give these to you. She says you lost your own set? These are her backups.” He lays a set of inn keys on the counter by my hip, his hand so close to my belly I can feel his body heat seeping in through my leather skirt.

I nod. I swallow. I try not to pass out.

Or you know, bite him.

“Oh, right. Thanks,” I say, my voice all ragged like I just finished running a marathon or something. I’m so cool.

“I’m Jenna,” Jenna says loudly, holding out her hand.

Levi and I blink away from each other and he raises his eyebrows like he hadn’t noticed Jenna until right that second.

“Oh, hey,” he says in his smooth-operator voice. He has many voices. “I’m Levi.”

“Levi,” she repeats with a Cheshire grin as they shake hands. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

I glare at her but she refuses to acknowledge me.

“Right.” He glances at me. “Good to meet you, too.” He pauses. “So yeah. Later.” Then he rigidly moves from the bathroom mirror.

            I stare at the empty hallway that replaces him, suddenly feeling empty myself.

Chelsea lives in Phoenix, Arizona where she spends most of her time writing stories, painting murals, and avoiding housework at all costs. She’s ridiculously bad at doing dishes and claims to be allergic to laundry. Her obsessions include: superheroes, coffee, sleeping-in, and crazy socks. She lives with her husband and two children, who graciously tolerate her inability to resist teenage drama on TV and her complete lack of skill in the kitchen.

Author Links: 

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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 ;)**

Review: King Cave by Scarlett Dawn

King Cave by Scarlett Dawn 
Release Date: January 1, 2014
Format: eARC, 432 pages 
Publisher: Escape Publishing
Series: Forever Evermore #2
Source: NetGalley

Description from Goodreads:
The long-awaited sequel to the bestselling, award-winning King Hall: the revolution is here, but the most dangerous attack may come from within...

The safe, comfortable world of Lily Ruckler and her fellow Mystical Kings and Queens is rocked to the core by the attacks at King Hall. Not only does Lily have to kill the Commoners attacking her people, she also has to assume the mantle of leadership, and bring the surviving Mysticals to King Cave.

It should have been too much, but she is not alone. Ezra becomes her rock, her best friend, the one person who understands. As Pearl and Jack struggle with inconsolable loss, Ezra and Lily work to keep the Mys community safe in their new home, and plan a deadly retaliation.

Their friendship saves them both...but it also draws attention. Whispers. Judgment. It's not normal for Shifters and Vampires to be friends, and when a horrifying truth is revealed, their relationship morphs from unusual to unspeakable. Lily is good at keeping secrets that could get her killed. Is she willing to risk Ezra's life as well?

King Hall was one of my favorite books of 2013. The moment I read the last word, I was clamoring for King Cave. But then I had to, you know, wait until the book was ready and available for me to read the crap out of, and it ended up being my first read of 2014. I cannot think of a better way I could have kicked off my year in reading than with this book. It was a fan-freaking-tastic sequel!

I'm not even sure what I was expecting to happen in this book. I don't know what I expected the plot to be like, or how far the story of these characters would go. But SO MUCH happened in this book. The book picks up right where the first one left off and keeps rolling on until we reach the end. Reading this book was so seamless that by the end of the book, it was hard to believe so much had gone on. That all of that stuff had just freaking happened, and now I had to wait for GOODNESS KNOWS HOW LONG to find out what happens next.

But now I'm waiting. I finished the awesome that is King Cave and I WAIT.

These characters are some of my favorite ever. There IS a plot to this book, but I think I'd probably be cool with there being no plot and the book was just us watching Lily, Ezra, Jack, and Pearl in their every day life. Especially Ezra. ;) But before we get to him--LILY. She has some really defining moments in this book. She has grown and continues to grow so much as a character, it's kind of surreal to look back and see how she was at the beginning of King Hall. As her character changes and goes through things, I like her more and more.

All right, all right. My absolute favorite part of all these books now--EZRA. He's done quite a bit of growing and changing himself. All of it just makes me love the flying flip out of him even more. My crush remains strong, my friends. You don't even want to know how many letters I've written to him in my mind. Because I heart him and he's wonderful and ahhhhhhhhh. He was attractive as all get out in the last book, but trust me. He gets even BETTER in this one. For real. Just you wait ;)

The friendship between the four main lovely characters is still strong, but it's also more divided and takes something of a back seat as a couple of pairs forms and they all work through all the crap they're being dealt. And then romance...I am going to say ONE thing. Just one. I will not expand on it or anything. Okay? I was VEEEERRRRRYYYY happy with the romance in this book. VERY. *flails*

Also, random little fact: there is a character named Jessica in this one. I just found that kind of amusing. And freaking awesome. Even though she's not particularly...loved. Heh.

Overall, Scarlett Dawn wrote a sequel that exceeded my already high expectations. King Cave is definitely a sequel worth your time, my friends. Sweet, smexy, and outright fantastic, this book made me more happy than I could ever put into words. I am seriously left at this point wondering what to do with my life until I can be reunited with Ezra again. And, you know...and all the other characters too.

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(: