REVIEW: Every Last Breath (The Dark Elements #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Every Last Breath
Series: The Dark Elements #3
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Published: July 28th 2015
Format: Paperback | Pages: 378
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romance
Source: Amazon

Jennifer L. Armentrout | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Some loves will last ’til your dying breath

Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.

Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction.

Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…

I have to make a confession. I feel like I have committed a huge, bookish cardinal sin. Maybe I should explain the reason before I just blurt it out. See this book has been weighing on me. The whole Roth versus Zayne thing has had me more freaked out than normal to finish a series. I love a good love triangle but this one is so different because I was not putting my trust in the author to make a decision on how this would turn out, I was putting it in my peers. That's a tough pill to swallow! And if I'm being honest...had I known that before I ever read the first book...I might have never started this series in the first place which sucks to even think about. This whole thing is the reason that, even though I pre-ordered Every Last Breath and received it on release day, I waited until now to finally stop procrastinating and just finish the series.

I was only about 15-20 pages in but I just couldn't put my heart into it. It wasn't holding my attention. My brain just kept going Zayne? Roth? Zayne? Roth? Zayne? Roth? It just wouldn't stop! I needed to know so I could quiet my head and embrace this book fully. I knew deep down that either way it went, no matter what would happen with my ship I would be able to finish the book in peace if only I knew.

Sigh.

I stopped where I was...and read the last page before I went on.

I know! I feel so wrong saying it! Unclean. But you know what? It worked.

Okay. Enough of being silly. I really won't be able to say a whole lot about this book since it's the final book in a series so it's hard to come up with a lot to say that wouldn't be spoiler-ish in any way. Even though on the inside my heart is screaming all of the things that it wants me to talk about.

Once I finally got into it this book was really hard to put down. It's been a while since I finished the previous books so I was worried going in that I'd feel a bit lost without going back and rereading. But it didn't take long before I fell back into this world easily and everything came rushing back.

What I love about JLA's books is that she knows how to write a really strong and ass kicking heroine. Layla is no exception. I feel like this final book is where I loved her character the most. She had so much weighing on her throughout the entire book and I loved how even though she was scared on the inside, outwardly she rarely let that show and she had her head on straight when I feel like the average person would crack under everything that was on her shoulders and in her mind.

The other thing I love about her books is her boys. She writes the boys that you instantly fall for, the ones who even when they're being cocky as all hell make you want to smile and sigh and make you fall even harder. Roth and Zayne are both perfect examples. They both have such good qualities to them that deep down I knew that however it went I could've been happy. Though I did have my hopes set a wee bit higher on one side before going in. But that's all I'm going to say about that.

It's difficult to really try to think of anything else to say. I mean there's a million things I'd love to go on and on and on about but this review would end up way too long and...you people who haven't read this one yet would end up hating me for saying to much. So I'll just leave it at this.

This book, heck this whole series, had everything I've come to expect from Jennifer L. Armentrout. An ass kicking, badass heroine. Swoon worthy guys you'll lose your heart over. Hilarious banter and laugh out loud moments. It filled me up with so many different emotions. One minute I'd be laughing so hard and the next my heart's being ripped out of my chest. You really feel everything when you step into one of her worlds and I couldn't have asked for a better conclusion.

SERIES REVIEW: The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

Series: The Mortal Instruments
Books in Series: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, City of Heavenly Fire
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Source: Amazon & BookOutlet

★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Cassandra Clare | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

City of Bones Summary:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know... 

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

I'm not even sure where to begin with reviewing this series. The Mortal Instruments quickly became my all time favorite series this January when I finally sat down and binged the entire thing. The world building, the characters (both those loved and hated), the storyline, the danger, the intensity, the keep you on the edge of your seat situations, just everything. It was all just so perfect. I feel like this is definitely one of those series where people are generally very firmly in one camp or the other. They're either completely in love with it, or can't stand it. As you can tell, I'm obviously in the former. I've given each book a 5 star rating and I can guarantee that it'll be a series I reread hopefully often.

I am usually, more so than the world or storyline, hugely drawn in by characters. Characters can really make or break a book for me. You can write the most beautiful story, the story to beat all other stories, but if I don't like your characters, there are no words in the world that will make up that difference or make me like your book. This series has that perfect blend of characters that I loved or that I loved how much Cassandra Clare made me hate them. Hating a character isn't always a negative thing. Especially in this case.

Does that mean I liked every single character from the very beginning? No. In fact the first time I read City of Bones way back in 2012 and once again this past month I found Simon, Isabelle and Alec all to be absolutely annoying. I know! I'm sorry! Don't hate on me! But I did and now I look at my past self and wonder what on earth I was thinking. That's the thing though, it just goes to show the incredible growth and changes, the evolution of all of these characters from the series start to the series end.

(If I had to pick a favorite character from the series? Easy. Magnus Bane. With Jace and Alec nipping closely at his heels.)

What I really loved was how on edge this series kept me. Every time I would stop and think that things couldn't possibly get any worse Cassandra Clare would show me just exactly how wrong I was. These books constantly kept me guessing or second guessing the story. Any time a new character would make an appearance I was filled with dread because sometimes the evilest of intentions would hide behind a charming smile. But I loved that. I loved that my feelings were in a constant state of chaos that had me doubting my first, second and even third impressions of people.

I loved how even though the romances, yes that is plural, were huge parts of the story they were done so that it didn't overshadow everything else that was going on. On that same note what I also loved was how there was this incredibly intensity to the way all these characters felt towards one another and how so often love was used as a weapon against them, whether it was a romantic love of more of a familial love. It made for some very messed up situations and times when I had to wonder how on earth can everything turn out okay in the end and still allow me to have everyone I love still alive. How is that even going to be possible?

I really feel like I should probably stop here and just leave this review as is. I mean there are like a bunch of little things that I'd love to gush and talk about but sometimes even the smallest of things would or could spoil something for someone so I'm not exactly sure where to go from here. I'm obsessed with the Shadowhunter world and I'm ready to read every spin-off/prequel/what have you both that's already out there in the world now or to come in the future.

Yep. I'm a total fangirl and I'm not ashamed to admit it. And now I'm off to keep myself immersed in Shadowhunter land and start on The Infernal Devices! Eeep!

REVIEW: End of Days (Penryn & the End of Days #3) by Susan Ee

Title: End of Days
Series: Penryn & the End of Days #3
Author: Susan Ee
Publisher: Skyscape
Published: May 12th 2015
Format: Paperback | Pages: 331
Genres: YA, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Source: Amazon
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Susan Ee | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

I have no idea how I am going to write this review. It's so hard to find the words to say for a book at the end of a series, especially one that has just recently been released. There are so many things that I want to say but can't because I won't be that person. Now that I am finished, all I can think is that I feel like maybe I read them too fast. I should have slowed down and savored them. But that feeling, that drive to get to the end and see how everything would turn out wouldn't allow me to do it. Sigh. And now the only thing that's coming to my mind at the moment is...holy crap...that was amazing. I can be quite eloquent when I want to be no?

But the glorious elation ends too soon.

Through this entire series the one constant thing I could count on was the fact that for every minor good thing that happened, the terrible, heartbreaking and sometimes outright scary would always come back moments later in double doses. I'd feel brief moments of hope and joy only to be struck down with grief and despair in the blink of an eye. It kept me on the edge, never quite relaxing. Kept my mind spinning and captivated. Pushed me with the need to read faster, if only to see if there could be a way out of all the destruction and devastation and hopefully find a happily ever after.

"You won't always be fighting, Penryn. There will come a time when you'll be so bored that you'll wish you were fighting."

I'm really going to miss Penryn. I have no doubt that she is going to be one of those very memorable, ass kicking characters that I won't ever forget about. Her name will be one of the first ones I think of when talking about favorite characters. I mean, even when things were incredibly bleak and she would be thinking things like this is the moment I'm going to die, she didn't just roll over and let it happen. She fought and she fought hard. She is made of nothing but awesome!

Without his feathered wings, the angels won't accept him. And regardless of what kind of wings he has, humans won't accept him either.

Raffe's character was so bittersweet for me. I couldn't get enough of him but it was also heartbreaking the more I got to know him. He spends so much of this series outside of everything. Not fitting anywhere, well, except for maybe with Penryn but even that was a struggle more often than not. He was adrift and struggling with his sense of self and fighting his own battles to get all of that back. Raffe is fierce with a strong sense of loyalty, he's funny and sarcastic as hell. He was very complex in this very frustrating but good way that made it hard not to fall in love with him.

"A chick's a chick, man, regardless of her age. And an offer is an offer." Dum nods.

There is such a huge cast of characters that makes up this series, and you get to meet a whole bunch of new ones in End of Days on top of that. But it's such a vast variety as well. There are those that had me laughing more often than not like the twins, Dee and Dum. Yeah, you read that right. Think Fred and George Weasley in an apocalypse. They were favorites. Then there were the ones that were heart wrenching like Paige, who the thought of, days after finishing, still brings tears to my eyes. That girl is just as scrappy and tough as her sister. And a whole slew of the ones that had you feeling that burning hatred deep to your core. More of those than I want to try to count. It's quite a mix bag of love and hate.

"His brothers will keep him from falling."

What surprised me most as I made my way to the end of this series was the one death that I mourned and the one that I didn't. It was easy to think that by the time I made it to the third and final book that I would have a good grasp on each one of these characters and see how they tick. Feel secure in feeling one way or another about them. But then I sat here with tears streaming down my face over the death of someone I hated from the beginning, and it made me understand just how complex each one of these characters are. He was horrible and did terrible things and I guess I really wasn't necessarily mourning the loss of him as he was at the time of his death but who he could have been but wasn't able to become because of one tragedy after another. The other character I just felt indifferent to their death, equally surprising. It was just kind of an oh-that-sucks moment without even a twinge of feeling. A lot of unexpected in this series!

It's hard to believe that we used to live in a world where complete strangers would have given him medicine and hooked him up to machines to monitor his condition. They would have looked after him around the clock. Absolute strangers who knew nothing about him.

I should probably go ahead and wrap this up because this review is already way longer than I imagined I'd be able to get it. I guess I had more non-spoilery types of things to say than I first thought. I won't get into the did they or didn't they find a way to make things work on the relationship between Penryn and Raffe. That's something you're going to have to read about yourselves. Regardless of all of that I loved this series so much. It truly sucks that it's actually over. It makes it feel like something is missing from my life. Sigh. Susan Ee's writing has been beautiful and brilliant from beginning to end. I loved everywhere she took this series. All those incredible highs and dark and gut wrenching lows. This is a series not to miss and I cannot recommend it enough!

ARC REVIEW: World After (Penryn & the End of Days #2) by Susan Ee

Title: World After
Series: Penryn & the End of Days #2
Author: Susan Ee
Publisher: Skyscape
Published: November 19th 2013
Format: eARC | Pages: 320
Genres: YA, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Source: NetGalley
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Susan Ee | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

I received a copy of this book, from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

If I thought that Angelfall was dark and disturbing, it really has nothing on World After. I'm now torn between allowing my heart and my mind time to recover before picking up End of Days and desperately needing to just jump right in and see how this all comes to an end. It's almost a given that the latter will win out in the end.

It was such a roller coaster reading this book. Things would be absolutely grim one moment and all of a sudden something good would happen. I'd have moments of joy and allow a smile to break out on my face, and I do mean moments, only to have something else come crashing down, sometimes literally, and knock that happy moment into the dirt. Worry and dread slowly ate away at me and I was almost permanently perched on the edge of my seat through the entire book. But I loved it. I loved feeling all of those things.

I've talked before about how much I sometimes love reading all things cute and fluffy. But there's that other side of me that enjoys the darkness and being shocked nearly to my core. And that's exactly what I've been getting with this seres. I mean, the angels do some horrible, horrific things to the humans. There's torture and a lot of bloodshed. A lot. It's graphic and so brilliantly written. I fully admit to having some pretty freaky angel dreams after these first two books. The kind that make you sit up, heart pounding and praying it was all just a dream.

Besides being scary and intense, it has also ripped my heart out on more than one occasion. For instance, Penryn's sister Paige's story is absolutely heartbreaking. Just about every moment she was in a scene she ended up bringing me to tears. Just thinking about Paige right now makes my eyes well up with tears. And then there's Raffe and all the things he's going through with his wings and his loss of self. Even though Raffe is part of team angel I have grown very attached to him. Oh who am I kidding? I love the guy. Err, angel.

It isn't all doom and gloom though I should probably point out since that's all I've gone on and on with to this point. Penryn is still a kickass heroine and I freaking adore her. She's actually more like the reluctant heroine. All she really wants is to get her family together and keep them safe and yet, even though she hesitates and argues with herself and says she won't do anything, she can't seem to not help others she stumbles upon that are in trouble. Even if it puts herself in the path of danger and risks that end goal she has for herself and her family in doing so. I love that about her. She tries so hard to be selfish and to her very core she ends up being selfless. Plus she's sarcastic and funny and tough as nails. Just very well rounded.

I must say some of my favorite scenes happen between Penryn and Raffe though. I feel like I need something to happen between these two like I need air to breathe. The possibilities of what could be are what keeps my heart beating. The problem is I'm not sure how in the heck that is even going to be possible. It's like the ultimate forbidden romance and Raffe is the ultimate rule follower. My heart can't help but want it wants though. But it isn't just the feels or possibility of romance because even if it doesn't happen I will live. It's their connection and understanding, the sense of teamwork and the way they push each other's buttons that make me crave their scenes together.

I feel like I've probably droned on enough and I'm itching to start End of Days! So, in a nutshell, I loved this book. It was intense, heart pounding, horrific, heartbreaking, funny...just so many different things. The writing and the characters are brilliant. And I can't wait to see how this series comes to an end. I'm sure things will get much worse before they get better and I'll be just as much on the edge of my seat as I've been up to this point and I can't wait!

ARC REVIEW: Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee

Title: Angelfall
Series: Penryn & the End of Days #1
Author: Susan Ee
Publisher: Skyscape
Published: August 28th 2012
Format: eARC | Pages: 288
Genres: YA, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Source: NetGalley
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Susan Ee | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

It's been six weeks since the angels of the apocalypse destroyed the world as we know it. Only pockets of humanity remain. 

Savage street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. 

When angels fly away with a helpless girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back...

I received a copy of this book, from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

Brilliant. Gripping. Intense. Dark, Amazing. Heart pounding. Twisted. Heartbreaking. You want words to describe how I feel about this book? I have them all right here, tons of them. Now, stringing those words and phrases together to form coherent sentences to describe all the feelings inside me right now...that's the real problem. You guys I have read some truly awesome books this year so far. But none of them have come quite close to what I just went through with Angelfall over the last 12 hours. Consider me fully and and deeply enchanted with this story.

I made the rookiest of mistakes when I picked this book up and started reading it. I decided it would be a great idea to start it when I really should have been in bed at 11pm. Even under normal circumstances, if I just plain like a book, I have difficulty putting it down and going to sleep if I'm really into it. The thing about Angelfall is that it's not just your normal circumstances type of book. There is no slow world/character building and introduction. None of the slow and burning build of intensity that suddenly bursts out with an explosion of adrenaline and chaos. No. With Angelfall you start smack dab in the middle of intensity. You're immediately sucked into something so intense and dark and it was absolutely brilliant. Once that intensity grabs hold of you though there is no way it will let you go. So, sleep be damned, I could not put it down. No regrets.

I love, love, love angel books/series. But...I am extremely picky and particular about the ones I will even attempt to read. Angelfall is not your normal paranormal angel book. The angels aren't fluffy or cuddly. They aren't here on some vital mission for the greater good of mankind. They aren't fallen celestial beings to be romanticized or swooned over (well not all of them at least.) They are darkness, destruction and devastation. This is truly a dark and twisted book and I think that's what really drew me to it. I love a book that will make me sit here as I read it and think to myself, "What in the actual eff?..." This one did that plenty and surprised me in good, frightening and heartbreaking ways.

Penryn is seriously my hero. That girl is a freaking rock star. Even when on the inside she was truly scared to death that girl had enough backbone and determination for ten men twice her size. Even when she was scared she was amazingly strong and tough. I have no trouble saying that Penryn has got to be one of my favorite heroines of all time.

I don't even know what else to say except how much I loved it. I mean, if you like angel paranormals and you also like the darker more twisted side of things I highly, highly recommend starting this series. Seriously, like I said I started reading it at 11pm and I quite literally did not sleep until I was done. Yes, you heard that right! Did. Not. Sleep. I made an attempt around 3am and put the book down for about 30min but the story just kept tumbling around inside my brain and wouldn't allow me to sleep, plus it zapped all the sleep right out of me. Next thing I knew it was just turning to 11am and I was done sitting here wondering how on earth that happened. I am hooked. Thankfully I had the foresight to request World After as well because just sitting here attempting to write this review is complete torture. I must go now. I need to find out what happens next!! Go get this book! Now!! 

BLOG TOUR: Loving Your Lies by Piper Shelly ARC REVIEW + GIVEAWAY

Title/Series: Loving Your Lies
Author: Piper Shelly
Publisher: Piper Shelly
Published: January 2013
Format: eBook | Pages: 300 (pdf)
Genre: NA, Paranormal, Romance
Source: ARC provided for blog tour
★★★★✩ (4.5/5) Stars!

Julian is drop-dead gorgeous, annoyingly provocative, and he’s fast becoming her best friend. But he also has a secret that makes the little hairs on her arms stand on end…

My name is Jona Montiniere, and that’s pretty much the only good thing to say about me.

I’m seventeen, I’m snarky, and I’m a crap-load of trouble. Or so they say. But what did they expect from me really, when they dumped me in an orphanage at age five? That I’d grow up to become the new first lady? Nah, I think it’s much more fun to raid Camden Market in London with my friend, Debby. She’s cool. She lives on the street. I learned so much from her.

The only thing she missed to teach me was how to tend to a vineyard. And yeah, that’s what I’m going to do for the next 6 weeks, courtesy to this darn judge, who sent me off to France after I was caught stealing again. Fair enough, the vineyards are okay, and so are my aunt and uncle, who I haven’t met up ‘til now. What isn’t okay, and I mean it, is that I have to live in the same house with my mother, that god-awful dragon, who spurned when I was only a child. And now she wants me back? Demands my forgiveness? Why, because she’s about to die of cancer? Uh-uh. Sorry, but that’s not gonna happen. I want no contact with that woman, thanks.

But what’s Julian got to do with all of this? About my age, he’s too young to be my mother’s lover. So why doesn’t he leave her side? Ever. He’s different, as in the paranormal kind of different, but he’s sa-woon-worthy gorgeous. He obviously has secrets, but he’s also get-under-my-skin charming. In short, he’s a riddle to me. But he likes me, and that’s scaring the shit out of me. I sure won’t let anyone come too close.

So now I’m wondering only two things: How did he manage to hold me in his arms after only three days? And how the hell do you keep an angel earth bound?

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am such a sucker for a good book/series with angels in them. This one was perfect in the fact that if you take the angel out of the equation there was still this amazingly bittersweet story at the core. Just that part of the story line alone, made it worth reading, the angel part was just a nice bonus. The relationship between Jona and her mother had my heart in a vice grip and I was literally aching for the two of them. Jona had been so wronged by her mother and had such a terrible childhood that you almost had to wonder if it was ever going to be possible to come back from that, even with her mother on her death bed. I was torn between wanting her to attempt to mend things before it was too late and feeling she was totally justified in her anger and resentment. I teared up on more than one occasion.

Jona was spunky and lost and a bit jaded by life. There was a lot of anger inside her which, for the most part, was very understandable once you got into her background. She was frustrating at times because she was so hard headed but all in all she was fun to read and I laughed and I cried watching her go from a snarky, angry, closed off girl in the beginning, to a girl who learned how to open herself up to life's possibilities and to love and letting people in and taking risks.

And then there was Julian. Ohhh Julian. I was swooning over this guy through the whole thing! I think even if I hadn't read the summary above before starting this book I still would have easily figured out his big secret, what he was, but there was still plenty of mystery left about him, like his purpose and such. I felt like he struggled quite a bit through this book, between his duties and his growing feelings for Jona.

There was also a really good group of supporting characters that each added their own little bit to the book. My favorite of which was Quinn. Quinn was basically a cop who was behind numerous of Jona's arrests over the past year. He saw past the 17 year old delinquent in her and knew there was something more to her. He became sort of a big brother/best friend sort of figure in her life. The interactions between the two of them were some of my favorite moments and I loved that he never gave up hope or wanting to help her.

The best thing about this book was the fact that you have this beautiful love story that wasn't lust fueled. There was no jumping into bed, sure there were some great kissing scenes but that was it. The focus remained on the characters and the story and I didn't want it to end.

About the author: 

The quick-and-dirty:
I’m a cool girl with a passion for writing.
The genres you’ll find me hanging out at are contemporary and paranormal YA, but I’m also snooping into some adult paranormal right now. All of them romances…of course.
The nitty-gritty:
I’m an Austrian lass—totally uncomplicated and up to anything fun.
I grew up in Vienna, not by free will but because my parents decided to move there when I was only 4 years old. I. Hated. The. City. Everything about it. So right after graduation I moved back to Upper Austria, where I settled down with a nice husband and an awesome laptop.
I’ve been a storyteller all my life. Already in kindergarten, I came up with the most exotic fantasies and tales. My teacher would call me a liar. I call it the cornerstone of my writing career.
People always told me you can’t make a living with being an author. So when my first novella PLAY WITH ME came out and shot straight to the stars within the first week, I was totally dumbstruck. Took me a while to realize what was happening, LOL.
And the personal stuff:
At the (awesome) age of seventeen, I met the love of my life. But he was a playboy, and I was so not going to be his next trophy. It took him another four years of fighting for me until I finally decided to give that “couple-thing” with him a shot. I’m now married to this man. ;-)

We have an eleven-year-old son, and together we travel a lot…although I sometimes wish the trips were shorter because I can’t wait to get back to my laptop and my many stories. Unless we’re in Disneyland. No stress to go home then…

If you still want to know more about me, my FAQ page is the right address for you. ;-)

http://pipershelly.com/faq/

Piper Shelly | Facebook | Goodreads

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BLOG TOUR: Jordyn and the Caverns of Gloom by Tiffany King ARC REVIEW + GIVEAWAY

Title/Series: Jordyn and the Caverns of Gloom | A Daemon Hunter #2
Author: Tiffany King
Publisher: A.T. Publishing LLC
Published: August 15th 2013
Format: eBook | Pages: 223
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Source: ARC provided for blog tour

★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Lies.

My so-called family lied.
My friends lied.
The only guy I ever liked lied.
My mentor, the one I was supposed to trust lied.

My entire existence is built on lies and yet now they want my help. Scratch that, now
they need my help. I'll play the good soldier, but I am no longer the person I was before. This time it will be on my terms. I will trust no one.

I am a weapon. I am Jordyn.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jordyn and the Caverns of Gloom was everything the previous book was, and more. More action, more frustration, more danger, more love, more snark and more awesome!

This one picks up about a month after where book 1 left off. It's told for the majority of it in Jordyn's POV but we do get a few brief passages of Emrys's POV. It was just enough to throw me off and keep me questioning and guessing as to where his loyalties lie. It was so hard because I got really attached to Emrys in the first book and Tiffany King did an amazing job at having you second guess putting trust and faith in him once again.

Jordyn is still in hiding, so to speak, in the beginning. She's starting to feel a bit lonely and missing her family and friends, but she's still so angry and feeling betrayed by...well, everyone. I really don't blame her with all the secrets about her origins coming to light I would probably have been pretty ticked off as well. When she's finally discovered though she finds that two of her friends have been taken. Putting her hurt aside, she comes home to rescue them, with the help of Emrys, since they're the only ones who can enter the Caverns of Gloom where her friends are being held.

Jordyn and Emrys's journey to the Caverns of Gloom was so exciting to read. Filled with action and danger around every corner and Daemons aren't the only things to be afraid of. We get introduced to a few new creatures as well, the goat men being my favorite. On top of the dangerous creatures Jordyn's heart is in danger as well. She has to literally put her life and those of her kidnapped friends in Emrys's hands as he guides her through the COG and with every step forward she has to wonder is he really helping? Does he really love her? Or is he just walking her straight into a trap?

I think my favorite part of this book, well besides all the daemon ass being kicked of course, was the newest character brought into the mix. Sam and Shawn have adopted a young boy named Boon. I adored this funny and smart and curious kid. I especially loved the bond that Boon and Jordyn form. It was so sweet to see the interactions between those two and I feel liked being around him helped her to grow and embrace and forgive her family and friends.

Much like the first book, I got to the last paragraph and wanted to scream! I'm so freaking excited for the next book to come out. Things were set up perfectly, with a nice little cliffhanger I might add, for another thrilling, action filled Daemon Hunter novel and I just can't wait!!

About the author:

Tiffany King is the author of The Saving Angels Series, Wishing for Someday Soon, Forever Changed, Unlikely Allies, Miss Me Not and Jordyn: A Daemon Hunter Novel book one. Writer by day and book fanatic the rest of the time, she is now pursuing her life-long dream of weaving tales for others to enjoy.

She has a loving husband and two wonderful kids. (Five, if you count her three spoiled cats). Her addictions include: Her iphone and ipad, chocolate, Diet Coke, chocolate, Harry Potter, chocolate, and her favorite TV shows. Want to know what they are? Just ask.

Tiffany King | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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ARC REVIEW: Outcast by Adrienne Kress

Title/Series: Outcast
Author: Adrienne Kress
Publisher: Diversion Books
Expected publication: June 4th 2013
Format: eBook | Pages: 283
Genre: Ya, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Source: NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
★★★ (3/5) Stars!

Adrienne Kress | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

"With a crisp, engaging voice and sharp wit, Adrienne Kress is always a treat to read." - Kelley Armstrong, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

After six years of “angels” coming out of the sky and taking people from her town, 16-year-old Riley Carver has just about had it living with the constant fear. When one decides to terrorize her in her own backyard, it’s the final straw. She takes her mother’s shotgun and shoots the thing. So it’s dead. Or … not? In place of the creature she shot, is a guy. A really hot guy. A really hot alive and breathing guy. Oh, and he’s totally naked.

Not sure what to do, she drags his unconscious body to the tool shed and ties him up. After all, he’s an angel and they have tricks. When he regains consciousness she’s all set to interrogate him about why the angels come to her town, and how to get back her best friend (and almost boyfriend) Chris, who was taken the year before. But it turns out the naked guy in her shed is just as confused about everything as she is. 

He thinks it’s 1956.

Set in the deep south, OUTCAST is a story of love, trust, and coming of age. It’s also a story about the supernatural, a girl with a strange sense of humor who’s got wicked aim, a greaser from the 50’s, and an army of misfits coming together for one purpose: To kick some serious angel ass.

“A refreshingly different take on angel mythology with a funny, gutsy, shotgun-toting heroine and a rivetingly sexy hero, set in an eerie deep south town, OUTCAST is a spooky, spirited, compulsively readable story—charged with wit, wisdom, and bittersweet romance.”

- Lesley Livingston, author of the internationally bestselling Wondrous Strange series

It's difficult to come up with something to say here. While overall I enjoyed the story. Enough. It was insanely confusing at times. Parts of it I still don't think I got. So this will probably be shorter than normal.

Character was a big issue with me I think. I did enjoy Gabe quite a lot. He was unique and funny, little bit cocky but not over the top and had that vintage feel. Obviously, He's from the 50s. But he was very fun to read. Sadly I couldn't say the same about Riley. And she's supposed to be our main character. But I found it hard to understand where she was coming from most times. She was too much in her own head and the narration became rambling at times. And she whined. A lot. She had no backbone until the end. It got tiring.

Because of all of that the story felt very slow to me. I was just interested enough that I wanted to know how it ended (don't even get me started on that!) but the way it drug on with Riley and her constant "I can't do this. I'm not that kind of person. Blah, blah, blah" just became a major frustration and it took me longer to get through this book than normal. Plus it took away a bit of the enjoyment factor.

There were so many great opportunities for this book. I mean hello, tying up a naked guy in your shed and holding him hostage. It's funny! It's intriguing! There was a crazy-ish Pastor who was more of a cult leader. I was just waiting for them all to kick back and shave their heads and drink the Kool Aid. And the whole concept behind the angles was different from the kinds of angel stories I've read before. It was all good in theory. It's just that some of the characters got in the way of the story. For me that is. It was an interesting enough read which is why I put it at a 3 instead of say 2.5 or lower. It just could have gone a whole lot better.

Thanks to Diversion Books and NetGalley for to opportunity to read this book! :)