Book Review: Minutes Before Sunset - Shannon A. Thompson

Title: Minutes Before Sunset (The Timely Death Trilogy #1)

Author: Shannon A. Thompson

Release Date: April 28th 2013

Publisher: AEC Stellar Publishing

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: ecopy from author (Thanks again, Shannon!)

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She was undoubtedly a shade, but I didn’t know her.

Eric Welborn isn’t completely human, but he isn’t the only shade in the small Midwest town of Hayworth. With one year left before his eighteenth birthday, Eric is destined to win a long-raging war for his kind. But then she happens. In the middle of the night, Eric meets a nameless shade, and she’s powerful—too powerful—and his beliefs are altered. The Dark has lied to him, and he’s determined to figure out exactly what lies were told, even if the secrets protect his survival.

He had gotten so close to me—and I couldn’t move—I couldn’t get away.

Jessica Taylor moves to Hayworth, and her only goal is to find more information on her deceased biological family. Her adoptive parents agree to help on one condition: perfect grades. And Jessica is distraught when she’s assigned as Eric’s class partner. He won’t help, let alone talk to her, but she’s determined to change him—even if it means revealing everything he’s strived to hide.

Paranormal romance is something I've been reading less and less of lately, so imagine my glee when I got the chance to read Minutes Before Sunset. And although it took a while for the book to capture my interest, I can say that when it did, I couldn't stop reading.

Unbeknownst to humans, a secret war has been brewing between the Dark and Light, beings who have special powers that correspond to their namesakes. A prophecy has foretold how the war will play out, so both sides are desperate to make sure it happens - or doesn't happen. Eric is of the Dark, a Shade, and as the first descendant, he will face the second descendant, who is of the Light, in the Marking of Change. His life consists of nothing but training and school, until he meets an unknown Shade in the forest.

One of the top reasons why I enjoyed this book was all the conspiracies. Even Eric, who plays a huge role in the prophecy, apparently doesn't know a lot, and that only added to the suspense factor. Jessica, on the other hand, is clueless. She's new to town, but more than making friends, her priority is to find information on her deceased birth parents. It's not very hard to guess so I'll just say it already: Jessica is the unknown Shade, and even without the training that Eric has been receiving for years, she easily gets adept with using her powers. The paranormal aspect of the book is very unpredictable, up until the end.

I was falling in love with her, and she was falling in love with me. It was fated, decided before any of us were born, and I hated it as much as I loved it. I could barely stand it.

Now for the romance. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, but it was sweet, if nothing else. And well-developed, too; no insta-love here, in case you're worried about that. All the sneaking around that Eric and Jessica had to do - with the Dark, Light, and even each other - made for one tense read. 

Like I said earlier, this genre is an unusual read for me nowadays, but I don't think the dual POV is something I've encountered in it before; it worked really well for the story because I've gotten quite tired of the scenario where the guy is always being mysterious and all that jazz until the girl unravels him. And just when I thought I had everything figured out, another twist is shoved to my face (metaphorically speaking, of course). The sequel is definitely in my TBR list.

MY FAVE PART is Jessica's first visit to Eric's house.

RATING:

{Blog Tour} Book Review + Character Playlist + Giveaway: Wings - Elizabeth Richards

Title: Wings (Black City #3)

Author: Elizabeth Richards

Release Date: June 12th 2014

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Age Group: Young Adult
Source: ARC from author (Thanks again, Liz! <3)
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Following the cliffhanger ending of Phoenix, Natalie finds herself separated from Ash and unexpectedly reunited with her parents, including the father she thought was dead. But she can only think of Ash. She hasn't heard a word of him since she and Elijah were brought to the underground headquarters of the Sentry Rebellion. But she vows to find him.

Ash, meanwhile is back in Black City; it's the perfect place to hide from the Sentry government. But not for long. He won't give up on Natalie or bringing an end to the terrible reign of Purian Rose.

If not for this tour, I probably would have put off reading Wings for a long time - that's what I usually do with series enders. Leaving behind beloved characters is a very unpleasant experience for me, as I'm certain it is for all of us readers, and the Black City trilogy is no different.

Wings opens with Natalie in a rebel camp and Ash on the run, but even with the distance between them, they do everything that they can to aid in the efforts to bring down Purian Rose, the tyrant who insists on purging the world of Darklings and everyone else he deems unworthy of living. As the two lovers and their friends race to stop their enemy before he brings the entire world to its knees, there is a constant worrying for the lot of them that makes for one intense, unputdownable read.

I've said this before in my reviews of the previous books but I feel the need to say it again: I love how Natalie and Ash are both proactive, brave and determined to get things done whether they're together or apart - which had me pulling at my hair the entire time (no, seriously) because I was like what the fragg you can't get blown up into pieces before you two bump into each other! God. Theirs is definitely one epic romance that had me tearing up so many times because of the feels. Ash, you're the man. Err, half-man, half-Darkling.

"You were brain dead for a few minutes," Beetle says. "Of course, nobody noticed any difference at first..."

Aside from Natalie and Ash, the other characters also really shine in this book. Each of them plays a huge part in the tight plot, but I would advise against investing your feelings in any of them because the author had no problem torturing them. No one is safe, definitely not the reader's heart. I kept gasping and flailing every few pages or so; the story's that good.

Although the first two books were both truly amazing, Wings, for me, is the best in this trilogy. It further cemented Black City as one of the twistiest, most heart-pounding series I've ever read, and I cannot recommend it enough to everyone looking for the perfect balance of romance and action in their reads. The ending is more than satisfying and wraps up the series very well, but it's still an ending, and I'm still feeling bittersweet.

MY FAVORITE PART was Ash saving Natalie. *sobs*

RATING:

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

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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)

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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:

{Release Blitz} Book Review + Giveaway: Kiss the Sky - Krista & Becca Ritchie

Title: Kiss the Sky

Authors: Krista & Becca Ritchie

Release Date: January 24th 2014

Publisher: Self-published

Age Group: New Adult

Release Blitz Hosted by: Love Between the Sheets Promotions

Source: eARC from authors

Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Virgin. Sex addict. Daredevil. Alcoholic. Smartass … Jackass. Her five friends are about to be filmed. Reality TV, be prepared.

Rose Calloway thought she had everything under control. At twenty-three, she’s a Princeton graduate, an Academic Bowl champion, a fashion designer and the daughter of a Fortune 500 mogul. But with a sex addict as a sister and roommate, nothing comes easy.

After accepting help from a producer, Rose agrees to have her life filmed for a reality television show. The Hollywood exec is her last chance to revive her struggling fashion line, and boundaries begin to blur as she’s forced to make nice with a man who always has his way.

Twenty-four-year-old Connor Cobalt is a guy who bulldozes weak men. He’s confident, smart-as-hell and lives with his equally ambitious girlfriend, Rose Calloway. Connor has to find a way to protect Rose without ruining the show. Or else the producer will get what Connor has always wanted—Rose’s virginity.

I have now read four books by these twins a.k.a. geniuses and I can confidently say that all of them have been a pleasure to read. An aptly named series, I am crazily addicted and have mad love for these characters that they've created, and I'd be happy to read about them forever. But for now, there is this new addition, a spin-off standalone - but really, just take my advice and read the series - and let me tell you: it is fan-freaking-tastic.

Lily and Lo will always be fun and intriguing to read about, but because two entire books and a novella are already dedicated to them, getting out of their heads and into other characters' is just refreshing. And I've always been fascinated by Rose and Connor, these two insanely smart and gorgeous people. Oh, wait, let's not forget fierce Rose,

I roll backwards, and he only grins more. This is not a cat-and-mouse game like he believes. I am not a mouse. And he's not a cat. Or vice versa. I am the fucking shark, and he's a lame human in my ocean.

and fierce Connor,

He shakes my hand, and I grip him so tight that he struggles to hide a wince. "You're threatened by me," he states, not breaking eye contact. "I'm twenty-eight, and you're-"

I hate ages. "Twenty-four years smarter than you." I tilt my head. "And in ten years, I'll be thirty-four years smarter than you. See how this works?"

Yep, not people I want to mess with. Anyway, because not one of them was willing to back down, their mental and verbal battles just cracked me up to the point of tears. And then they'd start flirting in French and I'd just melt. Seriously, it's a freaking rollercoaster with these two, because they're as strong as they are unstable.

This book is undeniably racy - probably the raciest in the series, actually - but that's because Rose and Connor don't have a sex addiction problem between them so they can have as much fun as they want (unlike Lily who has to limit herself) - well, as much as Rose has the guts for, anyway. And that's why the sex makes sense in this book: because it's a huge milestone for Rose who's a virgin.

A majority of the events in this book happens during a reality show featuring the main characters, so I can't help but call it Big Brother: the Interesting Edition. I didn't want to stop reading, and whenever I had to because of mundane reasons, my mind would float back and imagine just what the heck was happening to the characters: that's how captivating they are. I love the dynamics between all of them and how they entertain and surprise me endlessly. Most of the conflicts with these characters are internal so I read this entire tome with bated breath because I had absolutely no idea what kind of crap would go down. Krista and Becca have once again shocked me with the ending and my hands are just itching for the craziness that will be Hothouse Flower!

MY FAVORITE PART is, well, very hard to choose. I loved how Lo kept on teasing the cameramen; the conversations that go on when Connor, Ryke, and Lo are alone; and Connor and Lo's bromance, but the mothereffing lap dance trumps all that. For me, that's the summit of Connor Cobalt's hotness. *fans self* 

RATING:

About the authors:
Krista Ritchie has a clone...or someone who looks exactly like her. If she's not writing books with her twin sister, she's pouring over entertainment news and ingesting copious amounts of pop culture. She likes tennis, that thing called the TV, and beating Becca (her clone) on Sega Genesis. She created YA Book Exchange to combat her book buying addiction and started Nawanda Files, a YA Book Blog that features books into movies news, to share her love for all things bookish. Oh, and she does something called science. Whatever that is. 

Krista & Becca Ritchie write New Adult books that make you cringe, gasp, and go ooh-la-la. (If you do that sort of thing.) They are currently working on the spin-offs and final books in the Addicted series.

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Website | Krista's Goodreads | Becca's Goodreads

Giveaway!

Book Review: Girls Are Players - Ingrid Seymour

Title: Girls Are Players (G.A.P. #2)

Author: Ingrid Seymour

Release Date: December 1st 2013

Publisher: PenDreams

Age Group: New Adult

Source: eARC from author

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Jessica Norton is a villain in the body of a gorgeous, rich, college girl. She cheats, lies, plays with people’s feelings, and purposely breaks unsuspecting hearts to avenge a personal loss. She’s the kind of girl people love to hate—even if it’s just because she has it all. Except... she doesn’t have it all. What she wants most is the love of her high school sweetheart, Taylor Drennon, the guy who got away, the one who left without telling her why and caused all her bitterness.

Not surprisingly, Jessica’s evil has made her a pariah. Alone, without friends or Taylor’s love, her college life is a nightmare. She’s haunted by her own mistakes and drowning in lack of direction. Something needs to change. So when the first opportunity to turn her life around presents itself, she takes it. Home for Christmas break, Jessica runs into Taylor. His unexpected friendliness seems like an invitation to rekindle their love. Inspired by a drastic idea that will both distance her from her heinous reputation and pull her closer to Taylor, she decides to transfer to OSU where he attends under a football scholarship.

Confident she can regain his heart, Jessica reenters Taylor’s life with a splash. Failing to naturally lure him closer, she is then forced to rely on her old games and underhanded scheming. Though Jessica’s heart is in the right place, it is hidden from Taylor by her blunders. More than once their powerful chemistry takes control, leading Jessica to believe she’s winning. But, it’s a hot and cold affair, and she’s not the only one to blame for their stormy love. If Jessica can only coax Taylor into explaining why he doesn’t want her, maybe she could finally walk away from him for good, maybe she could finally be happy.

(Slight spoilers if you haven't read the first book.)

I had no idea what to expect from Girls Are Players. I knew it's about Jessica, the scheming, manipulative frienemy of the protagonist from book one, and I could clearly remember how much I hated her. She created the Guys Are Props—G.A.P. for short—Club for brokenhearted girls who wanted to get back at mankind by breaking their hearts, because she herself had been burned before, but now we learn just how deep that wound had gone.

With the dissolution of her Club, Jessica is hated and has lost any sense of direction she thought she had. She goes home for the holidays and, dun dun dun, bumps into Taylor, her high school sweetheart who broke her heart. She's obviously not over him, so when he shows that he's still interested, the proactive—and maybe slightly obsessive—Jessica that we met in book one comes back out and transfers to the university that Taylor is attending. He freaks, they make out, and then he tells her to leave him alone. Wait, what? Right then, I knew something shady happened when they broke up.

It was plain to see that Jessica wanted to change for the better but had no idea where to start, and I wished Taylor would just give her a list of what to do so they could live happily ever after. But no, instead he kept on pushing her away and giving ridiculously vague reasons as to why they couldn't be together—which frustrated the hell out of me, by the way. But when he finally did tell her, I thought his reason was shit! It'd been one of the main reasons why I couldn't stop reading, and it ended up having me pulling at my hair. So yeah, I won't elaborate because then this would be really spoiler-y, but suffice to say that that wasn't one of Taylor's shining moments.

Sexy, entertaining, and unpredictable, Girls Are Players gave equal focus to Jessica's road from heartbroken-ness and to finding herself. It didn't go the way I wanted it to but, like I said, unpredictable. This book certainly trumps its predecessor, and my fingers are itching for the next one!

MY FAVORITE PART was strip poker! :))

RATING:

Book Review: Addicted for Now - Krista & Becca Ritchie

Title: Addicted for Now (Addicted #2)

Authors: Krista & Becca Ritchie

Release Date: November 30th 2013

Publisher: Self-published

Age Group: New Adult

Source: eARC from authors

Goodreads | Amazon

He's addicted to booze. She's addicted to sex... staying sober is only half the battle.

No. More. Sex.

Those are the three words Lily Calloway fears the most. But Loren Hale is determined to be with Lily without enabling her dangerous compulsions. With their new living situation—sleeping in the same bed, for real, together—Lily has new battles. Like not jumping Lo’s bones every night. Not being consumed by sex and his body.

Loren plans to stay sober, to right all of his wrongs. So when someone threatens to expose Lily’s secret to her family and the public, he promises that he’ll do anything to protect her. But with old enemies surfacing, Lo has more at stake than his sobriety.

They will torment Lily until Lo breaks.

And his worst fear isn’t relapsing. He hears the end. He sees it. The one thing that could change everything. Just three words.

No. More. Us.

I absolutely loved Addicted to You and Ricochet, but it's Addicted for Now that cemented this series as my most favorite NA series. This is also the steamiest NA series I've read. That's mostly due to Lily's sex addiction, and at times I had a pretty tough time figuring out how someone so shy and awkward and adorable could have such a condition. Good thing there are enough answers in this book.

After three months apart, Lo is back, and instead of hiding, Lily now has to face her living, breathing vice. Immediately, we're reminded of how intense their feelings are for each other. They're not just lovers—they're best friends, and them separating was like being torn from one-half of their own being. But now they're together again: two addicts who want to get better for each other. Can't get sweeter than that, right? One minute, they're all sweet and cuddly and hilarious, and in the next, they're tugging on my heartstrings. All the feels, dude.

In the first book, we watched Lily and Lo live with their destructive addictions, but now we get to see them struggle against their old habits. Lily's battle with her sex addiction sure wasn't pretty. The pleasure had always been her safe haven, so working to get her reliance on it out of her system was just a nightmare; I really pitied her and looked forward to the day that she would be free of it. Lo, on the other hand, was obviously one step ahead in the process of getting better, but with all the stress that he had to go through—his own and Lily's because he wanted to be her shield—reverting back to alcohol was just too tempting. I've never felt such extreme need to forget problems like they had, but I can imagine that fighting off those compulsions can be really difficult.

But aside from getting better, Halway—that's what I'll call them from now :3—had another problem: the anonymous texter who was threatening to reveal Lily's addiction to the whole world. Thank God for Halway's ridiculously rich, impossibly smart, and often-positively impatient and hotheaded support group. I sure wouldn't want to mess with any of them. But Rose, Connor, Ryke, and Daisy also had troubles of their own, and the authors did a great job of making me care about all of them, too. I know that's not an easy feat.

Addicted for Now is one monster of a book, but I never once got bored because it was so damn unpredictable. And although the plot was complicated because it wasn't focused on Halway alone, it never became confusing or gave the notion that it was going off-track. The ending was perfect and, like the authors said, wraps up the first arc of the series. Reading books 1, 1.5, and 2 was like watching two seasons of a TV show—I'm imagining that Addicted to You would span the length of the entire first season, and Ricochet and Addicted for Now would be season two—and I'm totally psyched for the start of season three, as in Kiss the Sky, on January!

MY FAVORITE PART was spring break in Cancun. So many laughs from that week =))

RATING:

Book Review + Giveaway: The Severed Tower - J. Barton Mitchell

Title: The Severed Tower (Conquered Earth #2)

Author: J. Barton Mitchell

Release Date: November 19th 2013

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: ARC from author

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Holt, Mira, and Max have fled Midnight City with Zoey after watching her repel an entire Assembly army. Zoey's powers are unlocked, but who and what she is remains a mystery. All she knows is that she must reach the Severed Tower, an infamous location in the middle of the world's most dangerous landscape: The Strange Lands, a place where the laws of physics have completely broken down. But the closer they get to the Tower, the more precarious things become. The Assembly has pursued Zoey into the Strange Lands. Among them is a new group, their walkers and machines strangely bereft of any color, stripped to bare metal, and whose agenda seems to differ from the rest. To make matters worse, the group hunting Holt are here, too, led by a dangerous and beautiful pirate named Ravan. So is Mira's first love, Benjamin Aubertine, whose singular ambition to reach the Tower threatens to get them all killed.

Then there's the Strange Lands themselves. They have inexplicably begun to grow, spreading outwards, becoming more powerful. Somehow, it all seems tied to Zoey herself, and the closer she gets to the Tower, the weaker she becomes.

Quotable: 

Compassion comes in all kinds of flavors. But they don't all taste like pumpkin pie.

Holy cheesecakes—The Severed Tower was amazing! The book picks up a few days after the events of Midnight City, and I was so easily sucked back in to the author's crazy, perilous world. A bulk of the story takes place in the Strange Lands, and I imagine navigating the deadly, constantly-changing landscape was a nightmare for the characters, but for the reader who's safely tucked in a corner, it's a whole lot of fun.

The Severed Tower doesn't waste time with history lessons of what happened in book one, instead thrusting us straight back to action. This may confuse those who read Midnight City a while back, so I suggest a re-read before diving into this one—which is exactly what I did, so it certainly feels like I've been living in this fictional world for days now. I feel sad to be leaving it until the next book is out.

Part One in the first book was quite a struggle for me to get through, but The Severed Tower's was such a breeze. New characters are introduced, people from Holt's and Mira's pasts who give us a deeper knowing of just who they had been. Yep, I'm talking about love interests. I won't discuss them in great detail to avoid tiny spoilers, but know that the distorted love square frustrated me. But then the Assembly started firing their plasma bolts and blowing things up, so what little stagnancy that brought was quickly ended.

A number of mysteries had to be solved in this book: Zoey's real purpose, why the Strange Lands was getting even more insane, and the Assembly. As if the heart-pumping action wasn't enough to keep me reading, these ticking time bombs had me at the edge of my seat. I looked at each lengthy chapter and told myself, "Just one more", but it was simply too hard to stop. And aside from the Menagerie and other Freebooters, another group of characters added color and kickass to this book: spear-wielding, post-apocalyptic ninjas who could see without their eyes. Their reckoning brought totally-unexpected tears to my eyes.

Everything about The Severed Tower is eerily close to perfection. Action-packed and unpredictable, this is one of the most fast-paced books I've read this year, maybe even ever. This sequel gave answers as much as the first book held them back, and the ending was nothing if not a shocker. Just give me the next book already!

MY FAVORITE PART was Zoey getting her answers.

RATING:

Giveaways!

Book Review: Shattered Illusions - Leigh Hershkovich

Title: Shattered Illusions

Author: Leigh Hershkovich

Release Date: April 20th 2013

Publisher: Full Court Press

Genre: Adult

Source: signed copy from author

Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

One murder. Four eyewitnesses. An unknown assailant. A victim with a mysterious secret. Bystanders beleaguered by life's losses. A killer at large...

When Sam, the proprietor of a local cafe, is shot dead on the street, four strangers become unwitting witnesses to the crime. As the investigation progresses, this quartet of onlookers find themselves not only haunted by the homicide, but pursued by their own pasts.

As they plunge deeper into the reality of his death, all are forced to realize that the loss of Sam is far from their most devastating. Inner anguish reaches a climax point for Ella, Marco, Sarah, and Danny as the answers they are hunting for continue to elude them—and the evidence they hope will vanish refuses to disappear.

I have history with Shattered Illusions. September of last year, I restarted my blog, and Leigh was the first author to contact me for a review. Back then, the book didn't even have a cover or release date yet, so I really watched this book grow. And wow, how finely it aged, indeed.

Leigh's captivating prose immediately stood out along with the obvious question of how four people, our main characters, got involved with the homicide. There were, admittedly, times when the story became too vague; one might even consider those parts unnecessary to the plot but, unclear as they were, I actually liked reading those because they tended to be the most descriptive bits and they added a lot to the overall mystery of this book.

What surprised me was how Shattered Illusions isn't a mystery novel so much as an exposition of our main characters' lives that diverged and culminated in Sam's killing. Even then you'd think the whole book is like listening to a new friend's life story, but no—I felt like I lived every moment as Ella, Danny, Sarah, and Marco. Shattered Illusions is dark, gritty, and emotional, just like how it truly is inside a human mind.

There couldn't be a group of four people with more different lives, yet at the heart of them laid one stark similarity: depression from taking the blame for another person's action. But one of this book's very few faults is the lack of distinction in the characters' voices despite their overall differences. Take out the essence of their thoughts and they might very well be the same person. Or maybe that's just a way of showing that suffering identifies with everyone.

A bleak story with lots of lessons to offer, Shattered Illusions is a very unique novel. It's not a simple thrilling mystery, and people looking for something straightforward and easy to read might find themselves easily distracted, but the right readers are surely in for a treat.

MY FAVORITE PART is the realistic ending.

RATING:

Book Review: The Human - Keary Taylor

Title: The Human (The Eden Trilogy #2)

Author: Keary Taylor

Release Date: June 5th 2013

Publisher: Self-published

Source: eARC from author

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Smashwords

The city of New Eden is cleared, but it won’t stay that way forever. The Bane continue to advance in horrific ways that will wipe humanity from the face of the Earth. A storm is coming, one none of them could have dared imagine.

When a group of outsiders come to the city, everyone is on edge. They have too many questions and not enough answers about where they are from or what they want. Just because they are human doesn’t mean they can be trusted.

Eve made a choice–one that could have deadly repercussions. Desperate hearts bring about desperate actions. Now she must make another decision as her world continues to crumble: come to terms with who she really is, or risk her sanity. She thought she had unlocked all the secrets from her past, but there are truths still buried that leave her questioning what is real and what is not.

I admit, I opened this book with caution as I didn't enjoy The Bane as much as I'd wanted to, and then there's the issue of Second Book Syndrome. Well, now I say this: I don't think a sequel has outdone its predecessor as much as The Human did. It was more action-packed and fast-paced; I just tore through this book and finished it in less than a day.

Even though I read the first book back in April, I didn't have a hard time getting swooped back into this world, which we saw more of as Eve was made an unwilling "tourist". We learn of what's happening on a grander scale, upping the stakes and the excitement.

Also, Eve improved drastically compared to how she had been in The Bane—or at least, I liked her better. She sounded less mechanical—explaining further would be spoiler-y, I think—so it wasn't anymore hard to connect with her. Don't worry, that little bump in emotions didn't compromise her kickass-ery.

This game was tiring me very quickly and I was having a very bad week. The distrust and anger inside of me quickly flooded my veins.

I crossed the room and nestled the barrel of my rifle between her ribs. "Where are you from?" I said.

The other two sides of the love triangle in this series had also changed. Avian did so for the better; like Eve, he showed more emotion, and although they were often followed by irrational actions, I think that just made him more real. West, on the other hand, totally turned me off—I rooted for him in the first book, you know. His bitterness was understandable, but that doesn't mean I appreciated it. It was also utterly selfish of him to force himself onto Eve (not in the sexual-harassment kind of way) when he knew damn well that being near him endangered her.

Aside from the adrenaline-pumping action, The Human was also full of twists that I'd never seen coming. The ending was insanely good and goosebump-inducing, and the wait for the third book will surely be torture. I'm desperate to know how the explosive revelations will reverberate!

MY FAVORITE PART was Eve waking up in a tree and discovering her new "talent".

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Book Review: Sweet Thing - Renee Carlino

Title: Sweet Thing

Author: Renee Carlino

Release Date: April 14th 2013

Publisher: Self-published

Source: ecopy from author for review

Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

Mia Kelly is a twenty-five-year-old walking Gap ad who thinks she has life figured out when her father’s sudden death uproots her from slow-paced Ann Arbor to New York City’s bustling East Village. There she discovers her father’s spirit for life and the legacy he left behind with the help of an old café, a few eccentric friends, and one charming musician.

Will Ryan is good-looking, poetic, spontaneous, and on the brink of fame when he meets Mia, his new landlord, muse, and personal heartbreaker.

A story of self-discovery and friendship, Sweet Thing shines light on the power of loving and letting go.

Mia Kelly had just lost her father, and now she was flying to New York to take over the cafe he'd left behind while mulling over what she wanted to do with her life. But she never thought that Will Ryan, the man who sat beside her in the plane, was about to be a big part of that future.

Sweet Thing was reminiscent of Jamie McGuire's Beautiful Disaster, in the sense that they both started with a bang before going down Frustrating Road—they even had the same reason for being that way! Yep, I'm talking about the MC, and in this case, it was Mia. Let me warn you: Mia angered me so much more than Abby did, so if you hated the latter enough to make you abhor Beautiful Disaster, then you probably shouldn't bother with Sweet Thing. Heck, you probably shouldn't even bother reading this review.

Now, I'll tell you why I disliked Mia:
- She'd always known that she liked Will, but she refused to give him a chance because he was a "starving musician", and she wanted a man with a future. (Totally understandable, though, because Will was so alike her deceased father, and she didn't want to end up like her mom: knocked up after a week of a whirlwind romance.)
- Despite her deepening feelings for Will, she continued dating a guy so boring, my eyes wanted to pop out every time he was on the page.
- About halfway through the book, I became confused as to why Mia was still avoiding a relationship with Will; her goals became vague.
- I especially hated how she'd get jealous when Will was with another girl, when she was the one who kept pushing him away.

The whole time I was like "Will, baby, come to me!" because he was the perfect mix of sweet and hot. He confused me at first, probably because the story was so focused on Mia that he came across simply as her roommate and love interest. Soon, though, he became his own person: a neurotic man who could play the guitar, harmonica, drums, and several other instruments, if I remember correctly; someone who valued his musical identity so much more than fame.

Aside from Will, what I liked about Sweet Thing was the music, how it overflowed with it, and I'm thinking of making a playlist with all the songs that were used/mentioned. And even though, overall, this book didn't amaze, the unhurried and sweet ending brought a smile to my face.

MY FAVORITE PART was Mia and Will's first meeting.

RATING: