Book Review: Forged in Fire (The Vessel Trilogy Book 1) by Juliette Cross

Title: Forged in Fire
Author: Juliette Cross
Series: The Vessel Trilogy #1
Pages: 314
My Rating: ❤❤❤

Genevieve Drake has never been the helpless kind of girl, has never needed to be rescued. That is, not until her twentieth birthday when some dude nearly chokes her to death in an alley and a hot stranger splits the guy in half, rips a monster from inside, and incinerates it into ash.

The hot guy? Jude Delacroix—Dominus Daemonum, Master of Demons. Now her guardian, whether she likes it or not.

But she’s seriously beginning to like it.

The dude choking her? One of many demons from the underworld trying to abduct or kill Genevieve. As the prime target of the demon prince, Danté, she has no problem accepting Jude’s protection.

Why Genevieve? She’s a Vessel, one born to serve the Light but can be corrupted and used as a weapon for darkness. She had no idea this world even existed. Now, she just wants to survive it.

I found the world and characters created by Ms. Cross to be intriguing...so intriguing, that I wanted more. The characters created by Cross were fantastic, like Genevieve can be pretty snarky and bold and utterly fantastic, yet we as readers were privy to her vulnerabilities and insecurities. I appreciated how real of a character she was in a fantastical world. She has problems just like the rest of us...awkward dates, jerk professors, and all the expectations and ups and downs that come with living. She has experienced much in her twenty years and I know what she has been through would be extremely hard to overcome. One of my favorite parts of the book was where she talked about returning to school after her mother's death. Others at school were talking about her, saying that she would turn out crazy just like her mom did, however, she explained that she could let her words beat her down, or overcome them...and she did. She learned to be her confident snarky self and kick ass. There is so much more to her than being a girl attracted to this otherworldly guy. Seriously so much more. And thus, I'm left wanting more. I want to hear more about Genevieve's ability to overcome her obstacles and face the "monsters" that are waiting for her. I just want more!

Not only did I feel sort of let-down on seeing Genevieve's character fully develop, but I also felt a little lacking in the development of other characters as well. We all know that Jude has a long history and obviously has some dark seductive secrets, but being as I'm sure he's to remain a mystery until the appropriate time in the series, I'm not as upset about seeing more into his character. Instead, I do want to know more about Genevieve's dad and his other employee, Erik. There is a lot more to the two of them and I really feel a little left out not knowing their full stories. 

I see a lot of potential with this series, and I'm going to continue on and see if I can get everything I want in terms of character development. I just want to know so much more! The world Cross built and the story are super intriguing and I want to see how it all ultimately unfolds. I have high hopes for the rest of this series, and it's times like these I wish I had a rating scale with more options, but ultimately I'm going with a 3, in hopes that the rest of the series will blow this one out of the water!

"Steven grinned like an idiot, and I don't know why. It's not like one beer would suddenly make him attractive."

"Yeah," agreed my study partner Malcom, "just like Uncle Ben said, 'With great power comes great responsibility."

"I realized that we are the choices we make, not just what the world chooses to make us."

   

Book Review: Every Last Breath (The Dark Elements Book 3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Every Last Breath
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: The Dark Elements #3
Pages: 378
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

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…

Ms. Armentrout absolutely blew me away with the last installment of her Dark Elements series!! It was hilarious, beautiful, action-packed, and full of love!!! Seriously, I only thought the second book was my favorite...it's quickly been surpassed by Every Last Breath!

As always, I definitely do not want to give too much away. There is no way I want to ruin the magic for everyone else. I will say however, that this book has hands-down one of the most hilariously amazing scenes I have ever read...and believe me, I have read a ton! I will say that it involves someone partaking a bit too much and several empty beer cans. That's all I'm giving you in that department...you'll just have to find out the rest for yourself!

The story of Layla and crew had me sucked in from the very beginning. I laughed with them, cried with them, and threw my book down thinking "what are you doing?" Armentrout did not let me down as she wrapped up the story. I absolutely loved how everything played out. Yes, there are some things I wish would have happened differently, but if certain events did not happen, then our wonderful story would not have played out the way it did. We would not have been able to see some amazing character development happen, especially with my favorite demon! 

Every Last Breath was one crazy emotional ride and I enjoyed every minute of it! Also, I appreciated how the story delved into how sometimes the "purest" souls are capable of the most evil or that those we may deem "evil" can be capable of some really compassionate actions. Moral of the story, do not judge a book by it's cover! I cannot wait to get my hands on some more books by Ms. Armentrout! 

"You talk a lot," Roth growled, stepping forward. "And I mean a lot. Why is it that the bad guys always have to give disgustingly long and boring monologues? Let's just get to the killing part, all right?"

"When is there ever a right time to fully give your heart to another? There are always going to be obstacles. You just have to decide which ones are worth it."

"I was the corniest cornball in a cornfield of popcorn."

"There is nothing more useful than leather pants. They'll protect your ass while making it look fine."

Book Review: Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements Book 2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Stone Cold Touch
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: The Dark Elements #2
Pages: 447
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Every touch has its price

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that 

could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…

Although I really enjoyed reading White Hot Kiss, I was in no way prepared for the awesomeness that is Stone Cold Touch. I absolutely LOVED it!! Seriously, to me it was even better than the first, and how often is that actually true?! I thought the first book was good, but this one had me talking out loud, yelling at some of the characters, and giggling uncontrollably! It was fantastic and everything I didn't know I needed. At times I literally could not put the book down, and that, along with a thunderstorm, is how I found myself staying up until 4 am (yes 4am!) to finish this book!

In this installment, our characters are dealing with the same concepts that they have been, plus a few new ones; however, everything is ramped up even more! The way Armentrout had me feeling all the characters' feelings had me so emotionally invested in what was occurring. Usually, when there is a bit of a love triangle involved, I know exactly who I like best. But, with me feeling all of these feelings I found myself in the same predicament as Layla, not knowing who is the ultimate endgame. At times I'd find myself totally rooting for our resident wickedly terrific demon, while others I'd be swooning over the caring protective warden. Seriously, what's a girl to do?

Not only was I caught up in the little love triangle we had going on, but I was wrapped up in Layla's own conflict about who she is and what she is capable of. The problem is, Layla has no idea what she is capable of...no one really does. She feels so alone and like she doesn't belong anywhere, and it is truly heartbreaking. Her DNA doesn't make her evil, and I refuse to believe that she is evil. 

So, we had all this emotional conflict going on in addition to some craziness and mystery. Strange things were happening in D.C....like demonically strange. Literally, so much was happening, and I was all about it! There were twists, intrigue, and deception! I totally called one of the twists and was still shocked when it happened, it was that crazily good! Holy cow! I absolutely cannot wait to start the next one after all this amazing goodness!

"You think you're cute?" 

"Nah, I think I'm sexy." The smirk spread, but it didn't reach his cool ocher eyes. "And I also think I'm hilarious."

"I busied myself picking out a pen from my horde, settling on a purple one that looked as though it had taken a bath in glitter...or with Ke$ha."

"But how? Have you been wandering around kissing people? Because if so, I'm pretty pissed off that I wasn't included in that."

Book Review: White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements Book 1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: White Hot Kiss
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: The Dark Elements #1
Pages: 388
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Layla just wants to fit in at school and go on a date with Zayne, whom she's crushed on since forever. Trouble is, Zayne treats Layla like a sister—and Layla is a half demon, half gargoyle with abilities no one else possesses. And even though Zayne is a Warden, part of the race of gargoyles tasked with keeping humanity safe, Layla's kiss will kill anything with a soul—including him.

Then she meets Roth—a demon who claims to know her secrets. Though Layla knows she should stay away, it's tough when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue. Trusting Roth could ruin her chances with Zayne, but as Layla discovers she's the reason for a violent demon uprising, kissing the enemy suddenly pales in comparison to the looming end of the world.

Armentrout kicks off her Dark Elements series with a great start! I thoroughly enjoyed her fresh take on the demon and angel trope. She introduces us to a world where wardens, some crazy gargoyle-like creatures serve as the world's protectors, who have actually come out to the world. As with all things that are new, unknown, or different, the existence of wardens is very controversial. Some people love them, while others have banned them from their businesses. Layla, a seventeen year-old is under the guardianship of a clan of wardens. Due to her unique DNA, she doesn't feel as if she fully fits in with the people who have cared for her throughout her whole life. She's trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs. How can she protect others as a warden when part of her is the same as the very creatures wardens must protect people from? 

Now, this is where Roth comes in, the totally delectable demon. Seriously, just one look at him will have you swooning and wanting to move on over to the dark side. He is extremely arrogant and always entertaining. Once he pops up onto Layla's radar, her life will never be the same. He offers her more insight into her own demon side, the same side she's been trying to deny her entire life. One thing is for sure, he knows how to keep things interesting...

I loved seeing Layla become more relaxed when she started to grow and become just slightly more comfortable with herself. For far too long she has been trying to deny the demon side of her life and it makes her feel like she is unwanted and doesn't belong...anywhere. Seeing her being able to truly open up with someone was heartwarming. It's true Roth is totally arrogant and cocky, but he is super sweet and caring in his own way. He really means well. He's not just your average demon...

Also, I can't forget about Zayne, the one person that has always been there for her, who also happens to be a warden. The relationship between them is adorable; however, Layla might just want it to be more. But, can she truly be herself around the guy? 

Anyways, I cannot wait to dive into the second book to see what's in store next for Layla. The ending of this book kind of threw me for a loop, but I know Armentrout will come in clutch with some great twists and action in the next installment! I just really want to see Layla find where she belongs! She is a great snarky character and I can't help but want the best for her!

P.S. this book was full of amazing quotes that I couldn't help but love!!!! Also, there was a The Princess Bride shout-out, so of course I'm in love!

"I don't know what it was with demons and the Golden Arches, but man, they loved the place."

"Biting can be a lot of fun, but only when it's appropriate. And that wasn't appropriate."

"See, I was raised in Hell. You could say I'm socially awkward."

"Roth as in the retirement account?"......."Is that what you're named after?"

"People with the purest souls are capable of the greatest evils. No one is perfect, no matter what they are or what side they fight for."

Book Review: Fall From Grace (Mad World Book 1) by Christine Zolendz

Title: Fall From Grace
Author: Christine Zolendz
Series: Mad World #1
Pages: 317
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤

I'm finally home after struggling through my brother's illness and death. But, home is definitely a bit different. My best friend (the only person alive now that knows my secret) has a new boyfriend; and he has a friend. Shane Maxton: bad boy, tattooed rock god, eye candy extraordinaire. He is also New York City's most arrogant, self-serving, son of a, well, a definite one-night stand kind of a guy.

But, it doesn't matter to me because I've spent my existence looking for the love of my life, my angel. And, there is nothing that Shane Maxton can do to change that.

A paranormal romance.

Fall From Grace was a nice super fast read! Grace has spent her time looking for "the one" and so far, has been unable to find him. However, she does know that there is absolutely no way that Shane, in all his bad boy glory, could be "the one."

But, no matter how hard you try not to like him, Shane manages to get under your skin. You just cannot help but love him! Despite this, Grace goes out of her way to not like Shane or give into him. Which, is pretty entertaining and makes for some great dialogue.

The story includes some paranormal elements, and I am all for some supernatural stuff, but I think the story would have been great without this. I would have preferred the story without the Heaven and Angels plot. Take that out, and you get something similar to Jamie McGuire's Beautiful Disaster, but more mellowed out.

One thing that I really did not like was the ending. I was just in the middle of a scene, reading along, then turned to the next page only to find "the end." In the middle of a scene. What the heck? This wasn't a cliffhanger, but instead almost just like a page break. You know, but without the click here to read more link. Also, practically every guy that Grace came across threw themselves at her. I get it, she's pretty, but literally every guy did this.

Other than that, however, it was a nice read and I enjoyed the back and forth between Shane and Grace!

"Lea, you know you should never have a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent."

"You know, if you're going to be a smart ass you should start with being smart, otherwise, you're really just an ass."

"No. I want you to tell me why you have a pair of broken angel wings on your shoulder. I want you to tell me why you cut your wrists and I want to know why and how you play and sing the way you do, but most of all I want you to tell me what I need to do to be a good enough man for you."

Book Review: Hidden Wings (Hidden Wings Book 1) by Cameo Renae

Title: Hidden Wings
Author: Cameo Renae
Series: Hidden Wings #1
Pages: 204
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤

What happens when Darkness and Light collide?

Seventeen is a life changing age for Emma Wise. As her family's sole survivor in a car crash, she is left with a broken arm, and a few scrapes and bruises. But these are only outward marks; inside, her heart is broken and the pieces scattered.

Whisked away to Alaska, to an aunt she’s never met, Emma starts over. Secrets unveil themselves and now…she doesn't even know who or what she is.

A centuries old prophecy places Emma in the heart of danger. Creatures of horrifying and evil proportions are after her, and it will take Emma, her aunt, and six, gorgeously, captivating Guardians to keep her safe. But, if she can survive until her eighteenth birthday... things will change.

What would happen to you if tragedy struck? Emma miraculously survived a car accident that resulted in the death of her parents. After waking in the hospital and learning of this, she believes that she is alone. A social worker comes in and explains that she is now going to be under the care of her aunt Alaine. Emma had never heard of this mysterious aunt before. Not only is she going to live with a relative she never knew about, but she is also going from sunny California to Alaska. Does she even have the right clothes for this?

An escort arrives to take her to Alaska, and as soon as Emma sees him she feels something. When they touch, there is this surge of electricity between them. Emma does not even realize that she is about to be thrust into a world filled with angels, nephilim, and an ancient prophecy. She's not alone though, she has some attractive guardians on her side that would do anything to protect her.

Renae does a great job of creating a world filled with angels, that actually has some great story behind it. Instead of studying for my upcoming physics exam, I was reading, because I could not put the book down. Now, the edition I got my hands on was riddled with some grammatical errors, but it did not really distract me from the story. I'm sure I have a ton of errors just in this little review. I wish that the book would have been longer, because I did not want it to end.

"Selective hearing...typical male. Maybe he was human after all..."