Bookfever

Oh, man... Quintessentially Q was one hell of a tough book to read. I thought I knew what to expect after reading Tears of Tess. I heard that this one was darker though but I was like, 'bring it on, dude!'. Turns out people were right when it was darker but that's what I loved about it. Pepper Winters doesn't skim over the bad things even though a lot of people would shy away from it. She's an amazing writer.

In this book we see a whole lot of different sides to both Tess and Q. We even get to be inside Q's head because every other chapter is told in his point of view. I loved reading his chapters and to get to know his torture soul more. Another thing I liked in this book was to get to know Q's friend Frederick more. I love him! He was so interesting to read more about and to see him interacting with Q aside from that time we saw him in Tears of Tess.

I do have to say that I didn't love Quintessentially Q as much as I loved Tears of Tess. I had kind of a hard time getting into it in the beginning. It was a little slow for me and I couldn't agree with some of the things both Tess and Q did. For instance, how could Tess forget about the tracker in her neck? It seems so careless. And also I can't believe Q left her alone, even if it was in his office. And I'm also not sure I liked the ending all that much. It seemed so typical for a book like this. Those are my only minor points though, aside from those things, I really did like the book and after the first 45% I couldn't tear myself away from my Kindle.

Like I said before, this book is so much darker than the previous one. It really teared my heart apart, everything that was happening. To Tess because she was in such agony and to Q because he felt so hopeless. At some point I really didn't think everything would work out alright. So I just kept reading and reading. I won't say too much to spoil the book to others with saying if it worked out okay or not but I'm glad we saw a side of Q that can actually love. It was amazing to read about.

Also, this author? Her writing was remarkable. I already noticed in Tears of Tess but in this book she really wrote some truly beautiful things. I can't wait to read other work by her. She's going places!

Twisted, dark and beautiful, Quintessentially Q was an incredible read. Though I had some minor issues with it, I loved it so much. I am once again awed by Pepper Winters' way with words. I'm both excited and terrified what the next book will bring.

When I saw this was out, I bought it from Amazon right away because I can't resist books by this author or this series. Love it so much!

I never did like Nancy in this series but my main reason for reading this short F.R.E.A.K.S. book was hoping Oliver would appear in it. I know. I'm so bad. He did appear in it though. But I ended up liking the story too and not only the Oliver part. Yes, Nancy was like kind of annoying with like the way she like talks like this but it's Nancy we're talking about and that's just who she is I guess so after a while it didn't bother me so much even though I feel the need to like talk like it too.
Anyway, I really liked this short story. It was soooo funny as I'm used to from a Harlow book. I laughed my ass off a lot. Even now I keep re-reading some of the funny quotes. So, yeah, such a great book. I enjoyed it a lot and it was a really quick read. + it had some Oliver. I just love him so much. Can't wait to read more in this series! Woop!

I feel kind of bad giving Secret only three stars. Though it's still a good rating. But I had a hard time deciding whether it would be three or four and settled on three eventually. Looking at the whole story and comparing to how totally amazing the previous book "Spirit" was, I was kind of disappointed. And also seeing some kind of theme here with this series. I went from loving book one, Storm, to be disappointed in book two, Spark, to be awed by book three, Spirit, to once again being disappointed with this one. It sucks but I love this series nevertheless!

So for the first 50% in this book I was just bored to death. Seriously, this book wasn't on the same level as Spirit by far. I think it mostly featured on Nick and Adam and their romantic relationship that began growing. Don't get me wrong, I loved them so much. They were adorable together and these two were the only thing I was looking forward to. There really should be more gay couples in young adult books. I actually think it was really smart of Brigid Kemmerer to make Nick gay because I'm sure we all were expecting for Nick to get a real relationship with Quinn or maybe meet a new girl like his brothers did. I hadn't seen the gay thing coming at all but I really loved that twist and I loved Nick's short story in Breathless too! So as far as his new relationship went, perfect, nothing to say about that but that was the only good thing. I also couldn't help but feel that Nick should get over himself and just be with Adam. I get that this wouldn't be easy but he was whining a little too much for my taste sometimes. Still love him though.

Quinn on the other hand... I hated her. I'm sorry, but I really did. I never liked the girl. Yes, she goes through a lot with her family but I don't know, she's just not likable to me as a character. I didn't want to read about Quinn, her chapters were boring, which is probably why I disliked the first half of this book so much. But I gotta say the twist with her and Tyler was pretty great. I love Tyler! I can't believe I'm saying this because we've seen such a bad side of him in the previous books but he's really not so bad. Well, maybe a little. Boy, he was hot! As much as I dislike Quinn, she's right there.

If I haven't said it before, I'm saying it now: I love the Merrick brothers (and Hunter) so so much. They're all super great guys but shit keeps happening to them. Will they ever get some peace? Anyway... I loved them all in this book. Chris is such a great little brother to the others and I miss him. He was awesome in Storm. Gabriel might've reacted a little wrong to Nick and Adam but I'm glad it's all worked out now. And Michael? *dreamy sigh* He's the best. I loved how he reacted when Nick told him his secret. He's the best and I can't wait for his story (finally! finally!) next!

The overall story was pretty much only about Nick and Adam's relationship and Quinn going through shit with her family and getting to know Tyler and oh yeah her whining. The real action didn't occur until the end which left me the most disappointed because Spirit was FULL of it. But I do have to admit that the end was also a big twist. Can't wait to see where THAT is going. I only wished there would've been more Hunter. I missed him. Althoug he had a pretty great scene with Nick.

All in all Secret by Brigid Kemmerer was a good book, not the best in the series and also definitely not the worse. I wish there'd be more elemental action in it and less main character whining. But overall not a bad read and it did leave me at the edge of my seat and wanting to keep on reading.

Thanks to the awesome people at Smith Publicity for sending me review copies, I had to chance to review this book (together with The Protestant Reformation, which I have read and reviewed already.)

The Scientific Revolution: The Best One-Hour History by Robert Freeman was another brilliant, interesting and informative book that the history nerd inside of me devoured quickly.

I've already read three of The Best One-Hour History books now but I am so happy to say that I still think they're amazing. The Scientific Revolution would be my second favorite (the first one being The Renaissance). It was full of very informative material and I've come across some very compelling quotes to which I will feature below.
But I must admit that for reviewing these books I've reached the point of 'what else can I say about these books?' because they've been all positive for me so far. I don't like repeating myself but still I want to keep reading these, or at least the ones that are about the era's in history that I'm interested in.

I've always been interested in this subject, the Scientific Revolution. Without all these events happening we would clearly not be living as we do today, that's for sure. I loved learning more about how it slowly came to be, not because of one person, but several. It also shows how people can change and not let one institute be in control.

Oh, and I also like the appendix at the end and the timeline too!

I really liked this short story. It was very interesting to find out what Joanna was thinking when she went to that bridge with the thought to kill herself. It was also really nice to see what was said between her and Justin when they first met and how they became best friends. Even at such a young age, Joanna was a firecracker!

The Injustice of Superpowers was also pretty good to read. I love how it's written as an article and it shows Joanna's reluctance toward Superheroes.

But my favorite thing in this book was The Trial of Author Jennifer Harlow. It was so funny. I really laughed my ass off.

Overall such a good short story with three different things + a sneak peek of Galilee Rising, which I am so so excited for!

Being a huge fan of Lauren DeStefano and her Chemical Garden trilogy, I didn't know quite what to expect of Perfect Ruin. It could be either just as amazing or a huge disappointment. But, really... can Lauren write bad books? I think not. She's a brilliant writer. I absolutely loved Perfect Ruin. I loved every single beautifully written word of it.

Perfect Ruin introduces a whole new world to us. Internment, a floating city in the clouds, where people are betrothed before they are born, worship a sky god and sometimes get lured by the edge and jump from it. This world? It was nothing like I've ever seen before and I read my fair share of dystopian books.
We also get introduced to Morgan Stockhour who lives there. Her older brother, Lex, was a Jumper but even so she's always been fascinated with the edge of Interntment. Life seems to go on as always until the unthinkable happens. The first murder in a generation of a girl from her academy. This one event makes the city go into chaos. Fires happen, more deaths occur and before Morgan knows it she's in the middle of it all.

I really liked the main character, Morgan, though it took me a couple of chapter to really get a grasp on her. I found her a bit too naive in the beginning but as everything she knows started crumbling around her, the real her was starting to show. I loved it.
I also love her relationship with her betrothed, Basil. I liked how they were already together and even though their betrothal was set up for a long time, they do have great feelings for one another. Basil, as a character I also liked. I was very much impressed when he chose Morgan and left everything behind for her.

There were a lot of other very interesting characters. My favorite has to be Morgan's brother, Lex. I don't know if it's just me feeling this way but I felt very fascinated with him. I wanted to know more about his experience when he jumped off the edge. I also loved his wife, Alice. She was so sweet and caring for both him and Morgan. I felt absolutely awful when I read about what they made her do when she got pregnant. That was so sad to read.
Aside from Lex and Alice there was also Morgan's best friend Pen and her betrothed Thomas. I'm not so sure I like Pen. I mean, sometimes I liked her spirit, other times she kinda freaked me out. So, eh, I don't know. Thomas was a total different story. I really liked that guy. You can clearly see he adores Pen. I wish she'd treat him better though.
And less but not least there's Judas and Amy making an appearance. Both of them are intriguing in their own way. I won't say too much as to not spoiler the story but they were pretty awesome.

I didn't expect at all where this story was going. There were also some serious shocking twists. Where I was throwing my book away and trying to put distance between it and me. Seriously, I did this. But, oh, I love unexpectedness like this. It only makes me want to read faster.
As for world building and character building, it was perfect. Not that I would expect any less. I absolutely loved the scenes where Pen or Morgan would recall a story from the history book which had some remnants of stories even we know. Lauren DeStefano is a genius, people, and oh she can write such awfully gorgeous things!
The ending was pretty unexpected, too. I was so nervous for it and what was going to happen and I didn't see what did happen coming at all. And now I'm wondering how the story will continue. What will happen to them all? It just drives me nut!

Overall, Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano was a stunning and exquisite book. It's definitely a worthy successor to The Chemical Garden trilogy. Gorgeous writing, a brilliant story that's just screaming originality and astonishing twists that rocked this book. Just... wow!

Wow! Terra was such an awesome read! I was completely hooked by the story. It honestly took me by surprise how much I enjoyed this book. The reason for that mostly was that I've become a little bored and frustrated with the dystopian genre. Pretty much all books in this genre were starting to blend together for me. Same type of world, same type of herone, same type of controlling goverment. Blah, blah, blah. But thankfully Terra wasn't such a book. Yes, the same type of things that in a lot of dystopian novels feature also feature in Terra but unlike some other books, it was all wrapped up in a much better packing. A huge positive part for me was the writing. I love Gretchen Powell's style. Fast-paced, not lingering on unnecessary details and told in the point of view of such an interesting main character. Oh and the chapters weren't too long. That's always a plus for me. Really, what more could I want?

I liked the building of the world as well as Terra's character building. There weren't many overly details like you sometimes get with these type of books, like when the authors try to fit every single details and the past of said world in the first few chapters. Hallelujah! As for Terra, she was very easy to like. I loved the way she cared for her 13 y/o brother, Mica, even though she might not always have been there for him in the past. She has many flaws and knows it, but she tries to do her best. She has also a sense of humor that I appreciate and is strong. Terra's definitely one of the most intriguing new characters that I've read about lately. Mica is totally different from his sister, but it doesn't make me like him even less. He's pretty damn great actually and you can really see him grown through this book, you can especially tell in the end.

There were many other characters in this book. From Terra's fellow scavs to folks she talks to in daily life like Copp to evil goverment people. But I suppose the most important one aside from Terra herself and her brother is one that doesn't fit in her daily life and that was Adam. He comes from somewhere entirely else. As the love interest in this book he did pretty good. I wasn't totally swooning over him but I liked him. He had this whole mysterious vibe about him where you just know he's hiding something and not telling the whole truth. Though there was romance in the book, it didn't overshadow the story at all, which I think in this genre is a must. Go, Gretchen!

Like any great book it had its share of shocking events happening. I do love these twists that you don't see coming as long as they aren't too overly dramatic. And let me tell you that I totally hadn't seen this one thing coming that made this book not only a dystopian read but also kinda scifi. Score! It was all just super awesome, really. And also refreshing reading a book like this because it wasn't all too intense like I know other books in this genre can be. I really liked that.

All in all, Terra by Gretchen Powell turned out really great and unexpected. Definitely one of my favorite books of the year. I'm so glad I had a chance to read and review it.
Great characters? Check.
Well-written and intriguing? Check.
Just the right amount of romance? Check.
And an awesome plot with some unexpected twists? Check!

A deserved five stars for a fantastic book. I can't wait to read the sequel!

First of all, this may be a little off-topic and have nothing to do with the actual story in this book, but I do not like this cover. Is it just me or does it seem very cheap compared to the others. The same goes for the 5th book, Silver Shadows. What happened here, guys?
And second, I have no idea where I'm taking this review for The Fiery Heart. I mean it was amazing, mind-blowing even and yes, simple perfection, which isn't a surprise when it's about a book that has Adrian Ivashkov in it, but oh... the ending killed me. It really did. And the thing is, I had a feeling this would happen but still, I wasn't prepared for it to shock me like it did. It's just the most awful ending I have read about in so long. I really hate cliffhangers.

So... Sydney and Adrian? Ah, they're perfect together. Simply perfect. I was a little wary at first when I started this book because I had no idea where Richelle Mead would take their relationship to. So I'm really glad and relieved about the way she did it. Really, nothing has changed, except for the hot make-out sessions they have to do in secret, but let's face it, that makes it just the more sexy. But it's not just about sex, it's more. They love each other so much, you see it in the way both Sydney and Adrian talk to and about each other. It just makes the ending all the more terrible.
Aside from their relationship, we can totally see how both Sydney and Adrian have grown. I mean, seriously, you wouldn't recognize them if you'd go back to reading the Vampire Academy books. And that's just one thing I love about both these characters. But of course they haven't changed too much. Sydney is still the same brainy girl who plans ahead and Adrian is still the witty, charming guy who makes every girl drop their panties. And we love him for it. Seriously, I can't press enough how much I love Adrian. If it wasn't obvious before, I came to love him even more because of this book. He was simply put awesome in it. Still my #1 book boyfriend!

But anyway... I feel like I'm straying from the review here. So, the overall story? Loved it. And not just all because of Adrian, though of course he plays a big factor in me loving this book and series. No, the story was pretty great too. Especially with Adrian's point of view. Oh yes baby! Being inside his mind was thrilling and exciting and just totally amazing. His chapters show his highs and his lows but I still love him anyway. I also felt like it isn't just Sydney's story anymore. Adrian did pretty impressive things. Again, he's grown so, so much. Damn, I love him.
I also love all the other characters. And I mean it when I say this series has a lot of great ones. Of course there's the usual ones like Jill, Eddie, Trey, Angeline. And I must say I'm really liking Jill now. I used to be not a big fan of her but also she has grown up a lot. Pretty impressive. I just want her and Eddie to be together already. Come on! Trey as usually was his awesome self and I'm glad he was in the book quite a lot actually. And Angeline? She's just a riot, isn't she. Then there were the newer characters like Neil, the new British guy. I wasn't too sure about him in the beginning but after what he did for "the greater good" I think he's pretty great. Oh and Sydney's sister, Zoe joined them. I wanted to pretty much choke her all the time because she was so annoying and kept making it harder for Sydney and Adrian to be together. And of course she played a role in that awful ending. Boo! She's definitely on my kill list now, together with her and Sydney's father. I should also mention this book was like a Vampire Academt reunion. Pretty much all the major characters appeared in this book not once but several times. And when I say major characters I mean, Rose, Dimitri, Lissa, Christian, Sonya, Abe. So yep, pretty much the whole gang. It made me smile. I miss them all so much.

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead definitely is one of my favorite Bloodlines books. It had everything I crave in a good book. Kick-ass action, passion and romance, drama and one hell of an ending with a cliffhanger (although I could've lived without that last one). But even with how totally shocked and sad it made me, it's a pretty good ending if you want to give your readers a heart attack and make them crave the next book like they're hooked on drugs. Also this book has been one of my most anticipated books of the year and I read it like two days. Yep, that's what this series does to me. Turn me into a reading zombie. But it was one amazing ride that I wouldn't want to forget even though I'm in need for some hugs to help me get over this book. And now the only think I can do is wait for the next book, Silver Shadows. Can't it be July 2014 already?

The Protestant Reformation is the second one in this nonfction One-Hour History books that I've read. I first read and reviewed The Renaissance and simply loved it. So when they asked me if I wanted to review more I said yes, of course and asked for this one and The Scientific Revolution, which I should be reading soon.

Now I might not know a lot about this topic, though things like this have always intrigued me, I did like knowing and learning more. I especially liked the bit towards the end about Holland and Belgium, since duh, I live in Belgium. I didn't know these things so once again I have learned some new interesting things. And I agree that without Luther we probably wouldn't have our modern world like it is now.

The things I like about these One-Hour History books is how much information Robert Freeman gives us, yet it can be read in less than an hour. It amazes me. And the author is obviously very skilled at these kind of things. I love it. And though there's a lot of information, it's not like it gets boring. Not for me anyway, I love nonfictions like this.

All in all, The Protestant Reformation is very intriguing One-Hour History written and told in a interesting, quick and informative way. I would recommend this to anyone interesting in this topic or just anyone who loves learning more about history. Another five stars absolutely earned!

Also I must say that I'm very excited for the upcoming titles: Ancient Greece, Rome and The Middle Ages. Those three are in my top ten of favorite historical eras!

Review copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book, I really did... And though I love reading about werewolves (they're my favorite paranormal creatures together with vampires), it turned out to be a disappointment.
There were quite a few things that went wrong in this novel for me. I do hope I don't scare too many people off because you never know, it might be a good fit for someone else. But for me it wasn't a good fit at all.

Hope(less) started out with a 16 y/o Gabby meeting werewolf Sam, who eventuelly takes her in. I already had issues with this. Gabby, as a main character wasn't too bad to read about in general, though she seriously annoyed me at times. But I had a huge problem with Sam and his mottives. Even two years later, he kept on lying to her and about the "Introductions". I just... yeah, I didn't like it. Also I didn't get Gabby's powers at all and the fact that men go cray-cray around her. It felt like a totally different story.

And then we have Clay, which is supposed to be Gabby's mate. I don't have a problem with werewolves meeting the one, who's their mate. I read stories where this happened before where I didn't have a problem with but it was Clay himself who I couldn't like. If I have to describe him in word one, it would be: stalker. Seriously, people think Edward Cullen is a stalker but this guy wins the award of it. I'm not going to elaborate too much on this. You'll just have to read about it yourself to get it.

In short, this was not the right book for me. It happens. And I hate giving bad reviews but I want to be honest and say I didn't like it at all. Also the typos were kind of annoying me. That's a big deal for me. But one positive thing I want to say is that because the book is below 300 pages I think, it's a pretty quick read and reading is goes pretty fast. Other than that, I can't find any positive things to say sadly enough. But again, other people might like this book but for me it was definitely a thumbs down.

Okay... Wants of an Incubus is by far the freakiest book I have ever read. And when I say freaky I mean from things crawling over walls, witches and talking cats. And personally the talking cat was in my opinion the freakiest and most unexpected thing in this book. But I liked it. Actually this book could be a pretty good scary movie. I can see it now in my head. But anyway... this book may not be the best short story I have ever read, I did like it. It was hot but it was also creepy. Ashley Hill is really good at writing creepy story and giving me the chills. I swear I'm going to have bad dreams about it. But she's also good with the sexual scenes. And that cliffhanger was also pretty unexpected so I know that I will definitely read the second book when it comes out.
As far as characters go, I really liked Annabelle (I love her name!). She's a nice character and I can totally see how much she cares for her boyfriend Henry (another name I love!). Annabelle's mother on the other hand I disliked greatly, that doens't mean I wanted her gone from the story or anything but, man, is she a... witch. If I'd have a daughter I would never be able to do what she did to her or if my mother would do something like that to me I would never forgive her. I do hope there's more to the story there, but I don't know... The only negative things I have to say about this short story (aside from the mother) is that at times I was kind of confused about it all. Like... bam! Talking cat suddenly. Yes, I can't get over that. lol.
Overall, though, I did really like the story. It was very creepy as was expected from Ashley Hill but also had some hot scenes. I would love to find out more about Annabelle because through the book there are hints that other stuff is going on. So, naturally, I need to know! Can't wait for the second part!

The ending of a series is not an easy thing for me, hell, I tend to avoid last books in a series as long as I can sometimes. However, I could not do this with Sentinel. Though I've only been reading this series since January 2013, I've come to love it so so much. I love the Greek mythology, the characters, the story and of course Jennifer L. Armentrout's writing makes it all super awesome. I will definitely miss this series. It was one hell of a ride!

“Some people say when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. But when life gives you one seriously ticked off god gunning for your ass, you prepare for war and you hope for paradise.”

First of all, I have to admit that I had a hard time liking the beginning of this book. It wasn't until after the first 70 pages that I actually started liking it. And yes I know why, that was when Seth finally came back into the book. I was so freaking happy to see him and where JLA decided to take his character. (and he gets his own series! *fangirling*) But before that? It was really going negative for me. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Alex? She was annoying the hell out of me. I'm not sure where this is coming from because I didn't feel this week in the other books. You can say it could have something to do with those two gods she had in her body and sorry for the tiny spoiler but what the heck... but even so with the two gods inside her which caused her to be a total negative Nancy, even after that she was a little annoying to me. And don't get me wrong, I still really like her. She's awesome and kickass and everything, I still felt like that. And as for Aiden? I never did really like him. I think he and Alex are pretty good together, but that's it. And I also didn't really care for all the make out scenes between them in this book. I was more fixated on all the action and the yummy gods (yes, Apollo, I'm talking about you!).

As for the story... it went in a total different direction that I thought it would. There were a few surprises that shocked me. But that's a good thing. I love the unexpected. Also, I read Origin right before reading this book and, well, JLA killed off a lot of characters there so of course I thought a bunch would die also in Sentinel but not many actually died. So I'm not sure to be happy about that or disappointed. Probably happy but still... kind of anticlimactic for me. Oh and there was also a cool new character, a titan no less! Perses. He was something. He was brutal and lusting after blood but also pretty freaking hilarious to read about. And of course Seth kind of liked him. It was all really funny to read about. As for the other characters like Deacon, Luke, Marcus, Apollo. They were all pretty awesome. Especially Apollo. I kind of have a thing for this character no matter what book it is. lol. Also a lot of other gods appeared in it, making me really happy to see them, like Athena, Artemis, Hades. Hades is something...
Anyway... yes, I kind of disliked Alex and Aiden but it didn't make the story any less good. It was still kickass awesome, hilarious and entertaining to read and I'm glad to have read it.
And the ending? I'm still not sure how I feel about it but I tend to lean more towards disappointed. It wasn't what I expected and kind of weird. I had liked to see things work out differently for Alex, though what Seth did for her was amazing. Can you tell that Seth is my favorite character? Seriously, he was the best thing in this book. Him and Apollo both.
Also I wished the ending had also involved the other characters like Deacon, Luke, even Alex's dad. I wanted to know what they would say to Alex. But alas, it wasn't meant to be this way. And honestly? I still have too many questions to really like this ending.

I'm slightly disappointed with the ending but in general, Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout was pretty good. Not the best book or series ever by her but also not the worst. I definitely enjoyed this book more than the previous one and all in all it did work out good for almost everyone. And I'm so very excited to see Seth having his own series starting in 2015! Go Seth!

Holy... shit... I finally did it. I read Origin! It took me a while because first it had to arrive and that takes a while and then I got scared with thinking about what would be happening in it and then I just got distracted by other books. Bad Stephanie. Very bad Stephanie, I know. Daemon, you should spank me. ;)
Anyway... reading this book took me almost a week, which is pretty long for my standards. I'm sure if it were any other book I would have finished it in 3 or 4 days but this is Origin and Jennifer L. Armentrout we are talking about here so I didn't want to rush it too much. I'm glad I did that, although the last two hours of reading Origin were kind of filled with WTFs and heart attack moments. If you haven't read this book yet... be prepared with paper bags for breathing, drinks and snacks because you're not gonna want to get up and make sure you're alone because, trust me, you're going to want to scream out loud at this book and curse JLA for doing this to us (still love her though).
Also I will try not to give any spoilers but bear with me because it is so damn hard.

'She pulled back, her eyes searching mine, and then she reclaimed the distance, and, damn, the kiss was half innocent, half desperate, and wholly perfect.'

Starting Origin, I really didn't know what to expect because I didn't love the previous book, Opal, as much as I did the other books in the series. And before you all start growling and snarling at me, I did give it four stars since I really liked it but it wasn't the most awesome book I ever read by JLA, so shush! Luckily for me, I did love Origin. This fourth book in the Lux series was so badass with a lot of cute, sweet, witty and steamy moments. It was also a whole lot darker than the other books in the series but that was part why I loved it so much. That and Daemon's point of view. God, I really loved his POV. I was so glad to being able to know what's inside that sexy head of his and how he would literally do ANYTHING to get to Katy and keep her safe. As usual Daemon was his cocky, kickassing and awesome self. Gotta love him for it. Him and Katy were perfection together. I love them as a couple so much, even more after reading Origin and you can really feel the love in the book. And they definitely confirm the love that is between them. Katy's chapters were slightly darker with everything she had to witness and go through in the compound. It really messed with her head, I think. I felt like the first part when Katy was with Daedalus in the compound (at Area 51 no less, holy shit!) was definitely the darkest. It was tense, and I could really feel the anger, pain and fear. Also when Daemon finally got to her, it was still dark although they were finally together but the people behind Daedalus? Sick fucks! I mean, seriously, the things happening there were so messed up, I got literally sick to my stomach at one point. But nevertheless I loved reading those parts though it definitely changed Daemon and Katy to their core. You can obsolutely see them both change and grow, which I felt like was good for their characters eventually.
But it was not all dark and gloomy in the compound. A lot of the times I was laughing out loud at some of the snarky, witty or outright hilarious moments.

'He stepped aside, allowing me back into the hallway. As we headed to another elevator, he was glued to my hip. "As close as you're riding me, man, I feel like I need to take you out to dinner or something. At least I should get your name.'

One of my favorite things in the book was how we saw more of some characters like Luc. I loved that. He's one of my favorites in this series to read about and I'm so glad we finally know what's really up with him. It will blow your mind, I tell ya! And of course we also saw Hunter which made me all happy inside. Him and Daemon should totally try to hang out sometime. That would be interesting.
The other usual characters like Dee, Dawson, Ash, Blake and everyone else were not as much in the book, which I'm sure we all knew was the case, but JLA did make up for it at the end of Origin, so don't fret. And we did get to see some super cute moments between Dawson and Beth. Just... awwww! And of course the not so suprising surprise there. ;)
Aside from the good old characters we all know and love (or hate?) we met quite a few new ones. My favorite new character definitely was Archer. Right from the moment you met him, you know something is different about him. I almost had a heart attack when I found out what exactly. But, boy, do I love him!

“Well, aren't you just a special snowflake," Daemon murmured.
"That I am." Archer's lips quirked into a half grin.”

Be warned when you read Origin, this is not a happy book. It's the most heartbreaking book in the series that made me feel so much. It really was a rollercoaster of emotions. One moment everything seems okay, well as okay as they can be with everything happening there and the next moment drama is happening and really, really shit does hit the fan all the time practically. This might be a spoiler, kind of, but... characters are dropping dead like flies. One moment they're alive and talking or fighting and what not and the next? Dead. Dead. Dead. I was shocked by how many died. Am I freaking you out yet? Yeah, you should be afraid! And yet, this did nothing to make this book suck or anything. No. Though very painful at times and the betrayals made me want to pull my hair out, this book was an amazing read. Not my favorite of the series, that would go to the first book but it stood out in a different kind of way. I loved it. And trust me when I say that the ending will freak you out so much. It freaked even me out and I'm used to a lot of crazy cliffhangers but this one tops it all off. Like Daemon would say, Jesus H. Mary mother of Christ in crutches!

'Luc cast both of us dark looks. "I get that you two have problems—big problems—but guess what? You're not the only aliens out there who are butt sore. There are bigger problems than what you guys have. Yeah, I know, hard to believe."
I glanced over at Hunter, who shrugged again and said, "someone didn't get his warm milk this morning."
I snickered.'

Heartbreaking but totally awesome, Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of the best books I've read by this author so far. I loved the darkness, the tense, action filled and scary moments. The shocking revelations made me practically scream and shout but then the sweet and tender moments would make me sigh happily. An emotional rollercoaster for sure but such a fantastic book in an equally fantastic series. I'm both scared and excited for the final part coming next summer. Bring on the invasion, baby!

The author, Devon Ashley, gave me this book for review month ago. Due to life getting in the way I didn't get to read this until now but I'm glad I finally did read it. Even though most people think three star ratings aren't so great, it doesn't mean this book was bad or anything. Let's just get that clear. It was a great book but not four or five star material. Now that we've got that out of the way...

I definitely liked where the story was going when it started. I really liked Megan and the mystery that surrounded her. It wasn't clear right away what really happened to her. The only thing we know was that according to her she did something awful and was on the run from someone. And then Nick came into the picture. I liked him too. Very much, actually. But what I didn't like when everything got revealed, I can't tell what exactly of course if I don't want to spoil things but I didn't like when all these things got revealed about Megan and who she really is and who Nick is all alone and how he handled it. That just put me off a little bit but other than that he was pretty great and sweet and so understanding.

I couldn't help compare this to another book that also involves human trafficking, although that book was even darker but I didn't like Nearly Broken as much for some reason. Anyway, I think some parts of the storyline just didn't feel right to me. It felt like the story was devided into these parts. The first part where Megan meets Nick, works with him and start their relationship, then the part starts where Megan finds out things and then the part where shit is hitting the fan. And I must admit I lost a little bit of my interest during the part where Megan found out who her family is. Just was a tad boring. But I liked the story overall well enough. I liked most of the characters and not only Megan and Nick, although Megan was definitely my favorite because she was so strong and sometimes snarky and she went through a lot. I really wanted her to be happy. And Nick too.

Overall not my favorite new adult book ever but Nearly Broken by Devon Ashley was a likably read with a bit of darkness that I love in some books. The characters were all great as was most of the story. I also had nothing to bad to say about the writing. I really liked it and Megan's voice. I only wish some things were handled a little different but aside from that I do want to read the next book and see what's going to happen next because the ending was really interesting. I'm sure it's going to have a twist in Nearly Mended.

Oh my gosh! This was the cutest and heartwarming story ever and so christmassy! I'm really glad I got a chance to read it. Again a huge thank you to Christine S. Feldman, the author of this lovely short story.

When Trish Ackerly crosses paths with Ian Rafferty, who used to be her childhood bully she decides to tell him exactly what she always had wanted to and finally get her revenge. But things don't plan out as Trish wants when she learns Ian isn't the same guy he used to be.

There aren't many novellas like this that are as great because usually they're not decently written or edited in a good way. Pastels and Jingle Bells wasn't like that at all. It was actually really well done. Though this genre isn't my favorite ever, every now and then I like reading stories like this, especially one that was so sweet and funny.

I loved the main character, Trish. The things she did were so funny at times, like hiding from Ian when he walks into the bakery she works in or trying to make Ian "eat his heart out" over her. I also like the way she was with Ian's daughter, Kelsey, the way she pretty much dropped anything to make her happy and paint her windows.
Ian was also really, really great. I like the name Ian for male characters but this Ian was epsecially amazing. The way he takes care of his little girl, was so sweet. I awww'ed a lot over him. I also loved Trish's friend and co-working, Nadia. I'm so glad the next story will be about her. I can't wait to read it!

Overall, this book was all possitive for me. A cute and at times really funny story, characters that I loved reading about, great writing that never got boring and sweet romance. What else can you want for Christmas?

At first starting vol. 2 of Begin With Goodbye I wasn't too sure I was going to like it. It didn't feel as good in the beginning as part one but it quickly changed and I found myself intrigued once again. The story brings even more questions and that cliffhanger. What is going on! I need part 3 like now!