Another "I'm still alive" post. Sigh.

I've been chillin' the past few weeks - or as much as I can, anyway, because man, you haven't experienced summer if you've never felt the Philippine summer heat.

Let's start this catch-up post with cover reveals! I signed up for two in particular but I wasn't able to post on the assigned days because I was too lazy to fire up my laptop. I seriously need to replace this piece of crap.

Bounce is the third book in the Boomerang series by Noelle August. I've only read the first book, Boomerang, but I certainly plan on reading the rest.

 

Imagine my surprise when I got the email packet for the Every Last Breath cover reveal. Not only did it have the cover for said book, but new covers for the first three books in the series as well! I admit I'm not a huge fan of the original covers, but I sure prefer those over these new ones. Ugh.

Aside from work being stressful as always and trying to read as much as I can, I've also begun writing again. I do it on my phone with the ever-handy Inkpad Notepad app to save time and also so I can write whenever and wherever I want to. And this time I'm working on a YA contemporary that's been floating on my mind for ages. Let's just say it's every bookworm's dream on Valentine's Day ;)

Lastly, I am ending this post with an announcement. I have finally picked the winner for my giveaway! Check the rafflecopter widget to see who the lucky duck is. She's already replied to my email, so no chance of the prize going to another person, heh.

Novella Mini-Reviews: Bitter Sweet Love; Evil Red

Title: Bitter Sweet Love (The Dark Elements #0.5)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: December 1st 2013

Publisher: HarlequinTEEN

Age Group: Young Adult
Source: NetGalley

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

In a sizzling prequel novella to her new series THE DARK ELEMENTS, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout draws readers into the extraordinary, irresistible world of Wardens and demons.

Dez wasn't just Jasmine's crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining balance between good and evil. He was her everything...right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn't help that Jas's father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally.

And now he's back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn't taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again...

For two days a book I've been reading put me in a reading slump - it's that boring but I refuse to give up and DNF it - so I decided to read something short but undoubtedly good; imagine my glee when I found this sweet little baby in my Kindle app. It's no secret that I loved White Hot Kiss, but I certainly didn't expect to love this prequel novella just as much.

Dez and Jasmine were not hard to love, both as individuals and as a couple. From best friends to almost-lovers to we-had-zero-contact-for-three-years, they obviously had a ton of history. I understood Jasmine's anger at him because of the way he left without saying a word, especially given the announcement her father had just made. I was wary of Dez at first but when his reason for leaving was revealed... my heart. What he did suddenly became reasonable and nothing but sweet because all that hatred inside him really would have gotten between them. Also, watching Dez trying to win back Jas' heart was just so adorable and entertaining. These two = shipped.

But aside from their heartwarming romance, it was also nice to get an insight into the world of Wardens through the eyes of someone who was, well, a full-blooded Warden. And you have no idea how much I squealed when pre-WHK Layla, Zayne, and Roth - oh, Roth - made an appearance. Can Stone Cold Touch just come out already?

MY FAVORITE PART was Dez and Jas meeting Roth. My bias is showing. Sigh.

RATING:

Title: Evil Red (Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter #2.6)

Author: Nikki Jefford

Release Date: March 2nd 2014

Publisher: Self-published

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: ecopy from the author (Thanks, Nikki! <3)

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

L.A. is one tough city, especially while sharing a trailer with four thieving sisters.

Valerie’s plans for a better life and Hollywood grandeur are interrupted after a fateful stabbing lands her in Anchorage, Alaska where government agents expect her to play the role of a vampire hunting La Femme Nikita.

The redheaded vixen is back in her own novelette.

If I hadn't grown to like Valerie in Northern Bites, I seriously wouldn't have even bothered to read this, but I did, and now, I think I may even love her? Me, loving the bitchy type? Wow.

Aside from my newfound love for this redhead, Evil Red confirmed another thing for me: that I no longer have an inkling of like for Fane. I can't believe I once found him appealing in Transfusion. Sure, he's the perfect balance of naughty and nice, but something about him turns me off. Pretty sure it's the way he pushes away and then, all of a sudden, pulls in people, particularly girls. I thought it was just Aurora he did that to, but turns out even Valerie received the same treatment from him.

But back to Valerie. Because I have now gotten a glimpse of her history with Fane, her rudeness to Aurora when she first entered the picture has made sense. I really thought Valerie saw Fane as nothing but property, but turns out she actually liked him for real. Not sure how much, but the way he made her feel special, unlike the guys she'd dated before, got to her, and that's removed her from my mental hit list. I really hope to see her again in Bad Blood.

MY FAVORITE PART was Valerie and Fane's date. Is it wrong to be shipping them now? I want Aurora with Dante anyway :3

RATING:

Book Review + Giveaway: White Hot Kiss - Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: February 25th 2014

Publisher: HarlequinTEEN

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: ARC borrowed from Louisse of The Soul Sisters

Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

One kiss could be the last.

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever.

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul.

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

I have a lot of things to say about this book, but if you're in a hurry and don't have time for my rambles, then this is all you need to know: I freaking loved White Hot Kiss. It's my most favorite JLA book right now - and that says a lot considering I loved every book of hers that I've read. It was so fun and easy to read because it had JLA's practically-signature wit and hilarity, but more, somehow.

From the first time I heard about this book, I was already curious about this fictional world. Gargoyles versus demons? Um, yes, please. I also wanted to know more about Layla, the protagonist. Just how had a demon and Warden gotten over their differences and come together to create her? The mix of the two races in her created a struggle between which side she would act on, and that was really interesting to watch. Raised among the Wardens - the good guys - she was taught to hate demons, but that also meant loathing a part of her that always threatened to go out of control.

Now I'll talk about the two boys who confused Layla more than the two bloodlines running inside her veins. There's Zayne, the Warden whom Layla was raised with and may as well be her brother, and Roth, the demon with the anaconda tattoo and whose intentions were questionable at first. Zayne was swoony enough, but there's just no trumping Roth with his pets and respect for Layla's decisions. Also, out of all the bad boys I've read about before, he's the one who had me snorting with laughter the most.

Roth snatched the arm out of the air, face incredulous. "Did you just throw this at my head? My head? Are you insane?

But it's truly not Zayne's fault that he lost this fight, because he just wasn't in the spotlight as much as Roth was, and watching Layla fawn over Zayne wasn't nearly as much fun as watching her bickering while slowly liking Roth. Also, I enjoyed seeing them being more like siblings than lovers, though I hated how she'd get angry at him and then, moments later, give him a free pass and blame herself instead, and I hated it even more because Zayne would be like, "Hmm yeah, it is your fault, Layla." Ugh.

Addictive and unpredictable, White Hot Kiss will find at least one reason for it to stay in your hands until you've finished reading it, whether it's the entertaining characters or the action-packed plot. This book ripped my heart to shreds and had me despising free will, but most of all that its sequel is ten months away! :c

MY FAVORITE PART was the zombie in the school's basement =))

RATING:

Giveaway!