REVIEW: Easy by Tammara Webber

Title/Series: Easy | Contours of the Heart #1
Author: Tammara Webber
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Published November 6th 201
Format: eBook | 230 pages
Genre: Mature YA, Romance
Source: Purchased B&N

★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Tammara Webber | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

This book deals with some pretty heavy subject manner, but it's done in a very tasteful and empowering sort of way.  With it being in the YA category, I would stick to the higher end range due to the topic it deals with. That being said I loved this book.

Jacqueline was the perfect love story type of heroine.  She starts off somewhat small and weak and going through a very traumatic situation, starts to find strength and empowers herself into not becoming a victim anymore.  You really feel for her.

Lucas is an absolute dream.  Tattooed, bad boy.  Yet charming, sweet, and funny with a little bit of mystery.  He was one of the characters that makes you wish you could pull him out of the book and make him real.  I fell in love with this guy!

I couldn't put this book down the story was very well written.  I laughed, I cried it definitely pulls you through a wide range of emotions and so worth it.

REVIEW: Onyx (Lux Series #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title/Series: Onyx | Lux #2
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Published: August 14th 2012
Format: eBook | Pages: 338 
Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased B&N (eBook + Paperback)
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!!!

Jennifer L Armentrout | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

Obsidian, as a series opener, made me fall in love with the Lux. And as A-MA-ZING as I felt that book was, it could hardly hold a candle to how Onyx made me feel.

Lies, Hope, Love, Sorrow, Loss, Jealousy, Betrayal, Despair, Pain, Rage, Passion

That's just a small preview of what you have to look forward to in this book. I was so frustrated sometimes I wanted to scream. If it wasn't someone fighting their feelings it was someone being hurtful or full of betrayal. But if things came easy, it really would be a boring read am I right?

I thought I hated Ash and Andrew in Obsidian, but let me just say, in Onyx there are a couple of new characters that blow them out of the water.

Katy has a real struggle through this book with friendships both new and old. With trust. With her feelings and her trust of the true feelings of others. You really go through a tremendous amount of emotions in this book.

And Daemon. Well he's just amazing...yeah I know I'm a little biased =l  lol

So if you liked Obsidian you seriously need to continue the series. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!!

Oh yeah and when you've made it through this book, I can't get over the cuteness of one part...3 words:

Katy. Daemon. Vlog. 

I know right? :D This book definitely had it's cute, funny, warm and fuzzy parts too. 

REVIEW: Obsidian (Lux Series #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title/Series: Obsidian | Lux #1
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Published: May 8th 2012
Format: eBook | Pages: 271 
Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased B&N (eBook + Paperback)
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!!!

Jennifer L Armentrout | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don't kill him first, that is.

I first stumbled across this book, searching for something new to read, as a suggestion due to one of my recent purchases. The cover caught my eye right off so I pulled up the page and read the description. Then I passed. Aliens? Seriously? Blah!  I mean vampires? Yes please! Werewolves? Sure I can go there. Ghosts? Yeah I could even go there. But aliens? Aliens are ET.. or Slitheens (and if you got that reference pat yourself on the back..you my friend are awesome! lol) They're supposed to be gross and slimy right?  But every time I turned around looking for a new book I kept coming across this book! Finally one day I just gave in and bought it.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!! This whole SERIES!! Seriously only 2 other books precede this series in my top 10 all time favorite reads.  I am not kidding, I am very much an alien convert. I actually slowed myself down as i read, so I could soak it all in. And then before I even finished this one, I had already ordered the other 2 Onyx and Opal. (Currently rereading them because starting to write this had me missing it ... Yeah I'm hooked lol)

Katy was so awesome. She's feisty, smart, sarcastic, just someone who I know my 17 year old self would have loved to have been friends with. Plus she is a total book nerd and even has a book blog, how awesome is Katy?! She is just a very well rounded fun character to follow.

And then there's Daemon Black...<insert love-sick girly sigh here>. He is just so... I mean there are no words. Actually no, Katy says it perfectly in the book: 

“Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys.” 

Seriously, there are times in the book where you just want to strangle his arrogant ass! But he is, in my opinion, the perfect specimen of a book boyfriend!

Daemon and Katy together...It's a formula made in book heaven. The bickering, the intensity, the banter. I prefer these kinds of books, where things don't come easy. It's a struggle and you almost start to wonder how could this possibly happen? And then they have those moments of heat and intensity and you just know. That roller coaster feeling, that's still there this second time around.  I can't say it enough.. get these books!!

REVIEW: Stained (Stained Series #1) by Ella James

Title/Series: Stained | Stained #1
Author: Ella James
Publisher: Barkley's Books
Published: September 14th 2011
Format: eBook | Pages: 157 
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Source: Purchased B&N

★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!

Ella James | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

After a fire destroys 17-year-old Julia's home and kills her foster parents, she chases the half-demon responsible across the country and back, determined to avenge her family and discover why a host of celestial baddies want her dead. With Julia is enigmatic hottie Cayne, who has his own score to settle with the half-demon, and who might be just as dangerous as the creature he and Julia hunt.

I originally downloaded this mistaking it as the start of a completely different series. So it's been sitting in my NOOK for about 3, maybe 4 months. The other day I was trying to find something to read and, the summary grabbed my attention enough that I finally pulled this up from my library and figured what the heck! I was sucked in immediately. It wasn't at all what I expected and I'm so glad I made that "mistake" so many months back.

At times Julia and Cayne were sort of cheesy and silly in how they spoke or acted towards one another, but it was in a cute way. I was a bit shocked at first by Julia's almost blind trust of Cayne so early on in the book. I mean he told her nothing, not about her, her birthmark, anything he knew...and treated her like the bait he was using her for. He was so frustrating !! But eventually as they got closer I kinda got it. Because I sort of have a little book crush on Cayne <3 And even as she found out more and more of his story and the secrets of his past she remained trusting and her feelings didn't waver. Even with him at his darkest. She almost seemed more determined. 

It's filled with lots of action, a bit of mystery and just the right splash of love. And if any of that doesn't satisfy you... it's FREE!! How can you go wrong? I just finished it and I'm already going crazy to get the other books in a couple weeks. Excellent start of a series! :)

REVIEW: Dark Seraphine (Seraphine Trilogy #1) by KaSonndra Leigh

Title/Series: Dark Seraphine | Seraphine Trilogy #1
Author: KaSonndra Leigh
Publisher: TriGate Press
Published: October 21st 2012
Format: eBook | Pages: 277
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Source: Purchased B&N
★★✩ (2.5/5) Stars!

KaSonndra Leigh | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

"Mom always says the angels walk among us. She forgot to tell me that sometimes they're not all fluffy and nice."

Seventeen-year-old Caleb Wood has seen people he calls the walkers since he was a baby. It didn't take long for him to realize something…no one can see these strangers but him. They never stuck around or tried to touch him. And they never said a word. That was until one day on the first day of class in his senior year when an incredibly gorgeous girl strolls into his life…and things are never the same again.

Soon Caleb realizes he has stepped into the middle of a growing conflict between two ancient groups. And his ability to see the invisible ones, the half-breeds that want to modify the human race, just might be the only hope both he and the mysterious, but infuriating, Gia, have of making it out alive.

I really wanted to like this book. Honestly. I mean the summary just sort of grabs you doesn't it? The plot had such potential! But sadly my disappointment and annoyance started before I even hit page 10. But still I pressed on hoping I was being too hard and maybe it would get better... 

The dialogue was awkward and in some ways it felt like she was trying too hard to sound like a "hip teenage boy".  It all felt so juvenile and wrong.  And ridiculous phrases were overused like crazy. "Oh snap!" "Whoa!", which isn't that bad but when it's over and over it's like come on already. "My man" Seriously, like as in, "What are you thinking, my man?" and Caleb the main character used it all the time.  Mostly when he was arguing with himself in his head and at one point when he said it out loud to one of his rivals the guy even said something like "My man? What are you 8?" which annoyed me even more because what 8 year old says that? More like a middle aged hippie or something.

And by like page 7, on his first day of school a clock had fallen off the wall and he was cleaning it up and when the teacher came in the room he was like "this is how I found it" or something.  And his teacher gave him detention......Seriously?

It was all so confusing too. I found myself struggling to get through to the end. And the more I followed it to the end the angrier I got. Mostly at myself for putting myself through the torture.  Sadly being book 1 of a series I'll never know what happens in the end because there's no way that I would survive the rest of the books.  The story had such promise and could have been something great.  But just wasn't executed well.  At all...

REVIEW: What I DIdn't Say by Keary Taylor

Title/Series: What I Didn't Say
Author: Keary Taylor
Publisher: Keary Taylor
Published: April 30th 2012
Format: eBook | Pages: 326 
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Purchased B&N

★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!

Keary Taylor | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Getting drunk homecoming night your senior year is never a good idea, but Jake Hayes never expected it all to end with a car crash and a t-post embedded in his throat. 

His biggest regret about it all? What he never said to Samantha Shay. He's been in love with her for years and never had the guts to tell her. Now it's too late. Because after that night, Jake will never be able to talk again.

When Jake returns to his small island home, population 5,000, he'll have to learn how to deal with being mute. He also finds that his family isn't limited to his six brothers and sisters, that sometimes an entire island is watching out for you. And when he gets the chance to spend more time with Samantha, she'll help him learn that not being able to talk isn’t the worst thing that could ever happen to you. Maybe, if she'll let him, Jake will finally tell her what he didn't say before, even if he can't actually say it.

I really loved this book. When I read this I could relate growing up in this area, I understood the teenage outlook on how it is to grow up here. There really is that small town feel of everyone knowing you and your business.  Not to mention there not being much in the way for teenagers to do with their free time and I remember the bonfires and drinking with my friends.  Not to mention other crazy stuff.  Though at least back in my day, oh man I can't believe I used that phrase..., none of my friends or I were stupid enough to have gotten behind the wheel after partying.  Though of course it happens.  

There is such a realistic aspect to this book.  Which is one of the reasons I was drawn to it, along with the fact that the overview totally sucked me in.  I've become highly addicted to these kinds of books lately. The ones that have such a realistic setting and story line.  This book does not disappoint.

Jake is such an amazing character.  Here's this guy with a pretty good life for himself. Great family, good friends, football team, graduation just around the corner, pilot license and panning a future to fly in the Air Force.  And it takes just one night and one stupid drunken decision to take each one of these things and have them crash down all around him. The struggles he goes through after the accident are all so real as are his reactions to the situation. On top of everything that Jake is struggling with, Samantha has a huge set of burdens of her own to share. Yet somehow they seem to find the strength, to make it through, within each other.

I really can't say enough about this book it's become one of my top 10 favorite reads and I look forward to reading more from this author.

REVIEW: Time's Daughter by Anya Breton

Title/Series: Times Daughter
Author: Anya Breton
Publisher: Anya Breton
Published: April 19th 2012
Format: eBook | Pages: 499 
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchase B&N
★★★★ (4/5) Stars! 

Anya Breton | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

In this sweet young adult love story, sixteen-year-old art nerd Aeon Still is the unwilling subject of a documentary about average American teenagers. She must quickly come to terms with the identity of her mystery parent, Chronos, the god of time, the realization that she wields extraordinary power, and the trials of keeping the town safe all while hiding her secret from a camera crew. Her life is further complicated by the interest of the enchanting new guy in town, Alex, who harbors a secret of his own.

This really was a very sweet story.  Though a bit different from anything I've read before, which is good!  I wanted different.  The characters of Aeon and Alex were very lovable.  Aeon was very quirky and a bit sarcastic.  Anya did a great job of making her very likable.  And Alex was great with his air of mystery in the beginning and then just enough struggle to make you question is he friend or foe?

There were a few places in the book with typos. Like at one point when Aeon is blushing, the line was something about "Her cheeks turning pink." but it said "Her cheeks turned pick"  Just to give an example.  But it was never enough to cause confusion and take away from my enjoyment of the story. 

So if you're looking for something a little different give it a try.  It was worth the read!