Review: Plus One by Elizabeth Fama

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama

• Pub. Date: April 8, 2014
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
• Pages:373
• Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository

Divided by day and night and on the run from authorities, star-crossed young lovers unearth a sinister conspiracy in this compelling romantic thriller.

Seventeen-year-old Soleil Le Coeur is a Smudge—a night dweller prohibited by law from going out during the day. When she fakes an injury in order to get access to and kidnap her newborn niece—a day dweller, or Ray—she sets in motion a fast-paced adventure that will bring her into conflict with the powerful lawmakers who order her world, and draw her together with the boy she was destined to fall in love with, but who is also a Ray.

Set in a vivid alternate reality and peopled with complex, deeply human characters on both sides of the day-night divide, Plus One is a brilliantly imagined drama of individual liberty and civil rights, and a fast-paced romantic adventure story.

First Line: " It takes guts to deliberately mutilate your hand while operating a blister pack sealing machine, but all I had going for me was guts."

Review: I love the cover to Plus One I think it represents the world which was created perfectly. I just had really high expectations and felt when it came to the world building it should have been detailed out a little bit more to where I could have believed that something like that could really happen.

As far as the main characters go I liked Sol and D'Arcy. I loved Sol's loyalty and love for her grandfather. She was a very impulsive person but when it came to her grandfather she didn't care what risks she had to take to bring him happiness and I really admired that about her. As far as D'Arcy, i'm not going to lie I did not like him in the beginning mainly because of his actions but as we got to know him better I liked him more and more and then when the romance happened and we find out who he really is I adored him that much more. Speaking of romance lets just say the two hated each other from the beginning but in the book there are flashbacks to Sol's past and the two have a past together they just don't know it till later.


As far as the plot goes it starts off with Sol trying to go steal her brother's baby and yes she has plans to put the baby back once her dying grandfather holds it, anyways things don't go as planned and it gets pretty crazy after that. There are quite a few conspiracies that transpire and obviously kidnappings but eventually it felt like a big circus like there was way too much going on and at times not believable at all. Then there was the ending, I believe this is a stand alone so thumbs up for that but it was a very open-ended conclusion and I kind of wished for more.

Overall even though it seems like I had more negative then positive things to say about Plus One I still enjoyed it and I think mainly it was because of Sol and D'Arcy and Fama's writing was actually very beautiful.

Memorable Quotes: ~ " You don't need to "matter" in the world, because you already matter to the only person who counts."

Review: Bloodspell by Amalie Howard

Bloodspell by Amalie Howard

• Pub. Date: June 1, 2011
• Publisher:Langdon Street Press
• Pages:394
• Series: Bloodspell #1
• Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository

The spell was simple...

Cruentus Protectum (Defend the Blood)

But what do you do if your blood is your enemy?

Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark secrets it holds -- much less one that reveals she's a witch with unimaginable power.

What's more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own...

Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood's deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself?

First Line: Never shall a Vampyre consort, befriend, or choose for a mate any Witch, Wizard, Warlock, or any creature harboring sorcerous abilities or knowledge of magicks, save if such relations have been warranted and sanctioned as crucial by the Vampyre Council, and only in the combined and unanimous interest of the Seven Vampyre Houses.

Review: I had so many mixed feelings while reading Bloodspell. I loved some parts of it ...okay well mostly the entire vampire vs witches part with the blood curse that seemed pretty demonic in nature but every time the relationship aspect was brought with the indecisiveness of the characters and if they want to be together or not was just so annoying. The first half of the book I would probably give it 2 stars but the last half wow it was awesome and that half I would rate it 4.5 stars.

Minus Victoria's I want to be with you but we can't be together thing that she was doing with Christian and vice versa she was frighteningly powerful. The blood that flows in her seems to have a will of it's own that she has to learn to control otherwise all the blood wants is death and destruction. I'm not going to lie I loved it when she let the blood take over in times of danger because she became so bad-ass and a thrill to read about. 

As far as Christian is concerned he didn't wow me at all, especially since he too was guilty of the back and forth of lets be together ... lets not be together game. I was actually more interested in the relationship between him and his twin brother Lucian they have a complicated history that is filled with brotherly love, pain, hurt, vengeance and so much more which I wish the author would have delved a little deeper in. 

Overall I'm glad I stuck with the book and didn't write it off as a dnf which I was a little tempted to do in the beginning because it picks up and before I knew it I was done and checking to see if there was a second book to the series. I would recommend this book to anyone who thinks they can stick through a book that has the Twilight syndrome of I love you but we can't be together etc etc...if you can get past that you will discover a wonderful read.

Memorable Quote: ~ "Some demons were human."

Mini Review: Scorched Skies by Samantha Young

Scorched Skies by Samantha Young

• Pub. Date: March 11, 2012
• Publisher: Self Published
• Pages:350
• Series:Fire Spirits #2
• Goodreads/Amazon

FEAR THE HEAT...

The White King has crossed the line, sounded the horn, sent out the wolves.

When blood is shed and life is lost the reality of Ari’s position as both hunter and prey finally sets in. It seems her father will stop at nothing to force her will to his own and distracted by Charlie’s latest mistake and her seemingly misguided attraction to Jai, Ari never thought to fear anyone else but the Jinn King.

Blindsided and attacked, Ari learns a new wolf has joined the hunt. A dark sorcerer believes he knows a way to bleed the power of the Seal and wield it as his own, and he is even less patient than The White King.

The War for the Seal has only just begun… and it’s time for Ari to turn it on its head.
It’s time for Ari to stop acting like the hunted.

It’s time for Ari to become the hunter

First Sentence: Rusted earth trembled beneath Ari's feet, cracks in the thirsty ground glowing ember in the prevading darkness.


Review: Okay so I read this one back in December and realized I hadn't done a review for it, so here is a quick review of a few things I liked and disliked in the second book.

I didn't like this one as much as the first one but I did love all the action and getting to know some of the characters on a more deeper level along with learning more about the world in which the Jinn lived in. My favorite character is still Jai we learn so much more about this swoon worthy guy and why he struggles with his feeling for Ari. Also we get to meet his friend Trey who so far is an all around good guy and pushes Jai to see how good Ari is for him.

What I didn't care for in this book much was Ari, well okay I liked her as far as getting what needs to be done when it came to the action/adventure part of the book but she got on my nerves in the romance department her character still has a lot of developing to do that's all I have to say about that.

Overall still found this to be a quick read and will soon be picking up the third book once I put a little more dent in my tbr pile.

Review: Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Hysteria by Megan Miranda

• Pub. Date: February 5, 2013
• Publisher: Walker & Company
• Pages:336
• Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository

Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian. She can't remember the details of that night but everyone knows it was self-defense, so she isn't charged. But Mallory still feels Brian's presence in her life. Is it all in her head? Or is it something more? In desperate need of a fresh start, Mallory is sent to Monroe, a fancy prep school where no one knows her . . . or anything about her past.But the feeling follows her, as do her secrets. Then, one of her new classmates turns up dead. As suspicion falls on Mallory, she must find a way to remember the details of both deadly nights so she can prove her innocence-to herself and others. 

In another riveting tale of life and death, Megan Miranda's masterful storytelling brings readers along for a ride to the edge of sanity and back again.

Review: We learn right from the beginning that Mallory killed her boyfriend Brian. What we don't know is the details on what happened that night just like Mallory who can't remember much of anything but her parents got her a really good lawyer and they marked it off as self defense. Her parents also decide it's a good idea to send her off to boarding school to get her away from everything including Brian's mom who is turning a little crazy with the grief of losing her son. So off to boarding school Mallory goes for a fresh start except it's not really that fresh of a start when rumor spills out about her and she is pretty much alienated by everyone there also.

Hysteria was a really fast read for me. I liked how the author didn't waste any time in letting us know what happened between Mallory and Brian and pretty much kept us in the dark on what happened that night for majority of the book only revealing events from that night in bits and pieces.

For majority of Hysteria I really thought there was something paranormal going on. Mallory thought the ghost of Brian was haunting her every night by whispering in her ear Wait and grabbing her shoulder which was leaving a very visible bruised hand print on her. Lets just say this part of the book made me really curious because I'm sitting here wondering why is he keep saying wait...wait for what? Needless to say I kept turning the pages faster and faster. Anyways it turns out there was nothing paranormal going on it was all psychological, which actually made me wonder how she really got those bruises on her back since that part was never fully explained.

As far as the characters go Mallory was a broken girl who was scarred emotionally and psychologically...obviously. But I really did feel really bad for her since she was a good person who just happened to get thrown into some really bad situations. We also have Reid who was the love interest, I don't have much to say about him, he was sweet but things just seemed to happen a little to fast between the two. Then there were the kids at the prep school, lets just say they were really cruel and well the one who ended up dead I really don't feel sorry for him.

Also I did have a little issue with the ending, for some reason it just fell a little flat I guess I was expecting more. Anyways overall I would recommend this book to fans who enjoy reading mysteries and thrillers.

Tour Review: The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle

The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle

• Pub. Date: September 25, 2012
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin court
• Pages:311
• Series: The Hallowed Ones #1
• Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning.

First Line: After the end of the outside world, the Plain folk survived.

Review: I don't do too many tours where I actually review the book ( since I have way too many books to review as it is ) but I had to sign up for this one because of my curiosity about the Amish community and then to see that the author added Vampires to the mix...oh yea I signed up without even thinking twice about it.

Katie is anxiously awaiting for Rumspringa, but before she even has the chance to experience the modern world an epidemic occurs which pretty much wipes out a lot of the worlds population. The only places that are safe are churches and other holy grounds which include the Amish land. Of course the people in the Amish community are ignorant to the fact of what is going on in the outside world since they have no form of technology to find out, they just know there is a crisis and have made a rule that no one is allowed to leave or come inside their gates. 

Katie was a surprise for some reason going in I thought she would be submissive and just a goody two shoes but she was far from that. She was rebellious, independent and strong which really made me admire her character. I really grew a liking for her when she rescued Alex from outside the gates even though the Elders of her community had left him out to die. As far as the Elders, they pissed me off I'm not sure if that was what Bickle was going for but if so then she nailed it, because the Elders were so set in their ways not listening to Katie about what was out there and putting their own people in harms way.

I read this book late at night so plain and simple there were parts of this book that really had me freaked out. Bickle does not hesitate to give us detailed descriptions of all the gore and not to mention the vampires were truly terrifying these were like the old school vampires not the ones we swoon over in most books nowadays.

As wonderful of a read this was I did have a couple of issues with the book such as it did take me a while to really get invested into the novel since the pacing in the beginning was pretty slow. Also the characters besides Katie could have been more fleshed out, there were a lot of interesting characters surrounding her but I didn't get to know them as well as I would have liked to. 

Anyways even with the few issues I had I enjoyed reading The Hallowed Ones and I am so glad to see that there is a sequel because the way it ended has just upped my curiosity about a few things that will hopefully be revealed in the next book.

Review: Broken by A.E. Rought

Broken by A.E. Rought

• Pub. Date: January 08, 2013
• Publisher: Angry Robot-Strange Chemistry
• Pages:384
• Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository

SPOILERY  BLURB : Would not recommend reading.
Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.

A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry's boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.

When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she's intrigued despite herself. He's an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely... familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel's.

The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there's something very wrong with Alex Franks. And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks' estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows.

First Line: Cold seeps through my jacket while I lean on the wrought iron fence, staring at the rows of headstones parading across the lawn of Memorial Gardens cemetery.


Review: I haven't read a retelling of Frankenstein until now and Broken did a good job with bringing the creepiness factor in the second half of the book. I will tell you right now there was no real element of surprise, if you read the blurb ( which gives away to much information ) you already know whats going on and can easily put everything together before it happens. 

Emma who is a very depressed teenager is mourning the death of Daniel her once boyfriend who died tragically right in front of her. She hangs out at the cemetery even though there is no grave for Daniel, but she feels closer to him there since it was their spot. In comes Alex Franks the new guy at school which every girl crushes on but he has eyes only for Emma. Strangely he reminds Emma a lot of Daniel.

The romance and attraction happened a little faster then I like but I'm letting it slide in this one since obviously the reasoning behind it made sense due to the circumstances. As for the characters Emma was sad and miserable for the most part and people calling her horrible names when she actually was starting to move on from her past didn't help. As for Alex he was likeable and was just as damaged as Emma but had good character development throughout the book.

My only real issue was not much happened in the first half or so of the book, well nothing that screamed Frankenstein, it was just Alex and Emma and cliched high school drama. But around the second half of the book things picked up and even though predicable became interesting and creepy, just too bad the focus on the actual Frankenstein bit of the book didn't happen sooner.

As for the writing it had a Gothic style that worked, and Rought is actually very talented at writing certain scenes that will really just get under your skin. Also Rought did do a wonderful job in writing about Emma's grief otherwise I'm pretty sure a depressing character like her would have made me put aside this book midway but the writing was done well and kept me reading and connected to the characters.

Overall I expected a whole lot more from this book but Broken is one of those books even with all the issues I had with it I still enjoyed it.

Review: Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

• Pub. Date: July 1, 2008
• Publisher:Grand Central Publishing
• Pages:416
• Series:Demonica #1
• Amazon/Goodreads

In a place where ecstasy can cost you your life . . . 

She's a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure-but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life. 

Two lovers will dare to risk all.

Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his quest to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable-and let Tayla possess him, body and soul . . .

First Line: "Had Eidolon been anywhere but the hospital, he would have killed the guy pleading for his life before him."


Review: I finally decided to start this series and wow did this book have a lot of sex or what, and then there was the insta-sex which surprised me because I haven't seen too many of that but even with all the constant sex the plot held up and I still enjoyed the book.

This is one of those rare books where I really loved all the side characters especially Wraith, Shade and Gem and felt that they were just as developed if not more then the main characters. As for the main characters I liked Eidolon but Tayla just never grew on me at all, I didn't care for how set in her ways she was, everything was black and white there was no inbetween for her. She did have a messed up past so a lot of her personality did make sense which is why I did let a lot of things she did slide but her stubbornness in some situations just really annoyed me.  

As for the relationship between Tayla and Eidolon I thought it was interesting they had this love/hate thing going on which I expected going in thanks to the blurb. They have so many differences and a ton of obstacles to work through, obviously. And with all this said I still didn't really feel the connection between the two, it was like something was missing and I still can't put my finger on what it was.

What kept me reading was obviously not Tayla or her relationship with Eidolon but it was the action filled plot, the awesome world building which was so rich with detail, and the secondary characters. I really liked the thin line between good and evil the author created, not all the demons were evil but not all were good either and the same went for the humans. Overall I still enjoyed this book and already have the second one sitting on my shelf.

Review: Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

• Pub. Date:October 9, 2012
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
• Pages: 416
• Series: Mystic City#1
• Amazon/Goodreads

Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself. 

First Line: "So little time is left."


Review: Before I start my review I have to say I love the cover and I loved the fact that it went so well with the actual book. I was a little torn between if I wanted to give the book 4 stars or not and in the end I couldn't do it because of a couple of things but nonetheless this is a really great read.

Aria  wakes up with a huge memory gap. She doesn't remember how or when she supposedly fell in love with Thomas Foster who is the son of her families number one enemy, and she doesn't remember overdosing on a mind altering drug called Stic which according to her very wealthy and influential family is the cause of her memory loss. It becomes to the point where she starts to question if all they are saying really happened and then she meets Hunter a mystic rebel that lives in the Depth and that is when things get really interesting.

This in a way reminded me of Romeo and Juliet. There is forbidden love, the family will kill to keep her from him, and lots of politics at play. I really liked Hunter he was strong, brave, and was more then just the love interest he had a real purpose in the book. Aria was someone that had to grow on me only because I was a little frustrated at how she couldn't see what was in front of her eyes about all the lies that were being told to her, there were so many clues. As a reader you already know who Hunter is within the first few chapters but it takes Aria a really long time to figure it all out.

I also found it pretty cool how the Mystics had these powers kind of like the x-men in a way. They supposedly have always been around and they helped use their powers to develop the Aeries which is where the prominent families live. But then they were accused of some terrorist acts and they were looked at as dangerous and were required to have their powers drained and the ones that didn't were considered rebels. Overall the Mystics were very intriguing beings and I actually hope the author dives even more into their world in the next book.

Besides the few little issues I had with the book I am looking forward to the next book in the series.


Memorable quotes 

I betrayed my family, and I betrayed Thomas, and worst of all...it felt amazing.

Review: Grasping At Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper

Grasping At Eternity

• Pub. Date: May 25, 2012
• Publisher: Starry Sky Publishing
• Pages: 368
• Series: The Kindrily Series

Leave it to Maryah Woodsen to break the one rule that will screw up eternity: Never erase your memories. 

Before entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have supernatural abilities. Oh, and she's supposed to love (not despise) Nathan, the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life.

Nathan is convinced his family’s plan to spark Maryah's memory is hopeless, but his love for her is undying. After spending (and remembering) so many lifetimes together, being around an empty version of his soulmate is heart shattering. He hates acting like a stalker, but has no choice because the evil outcast who murdered Maryah in their last lifetime is still after her. 

While Maryah’s hunter inches closer, she and Nathan make assumptions and hide secrets that rip them further apart. Maryah has to believe in the magic within her, Nathan must have faith in the power of their love, and both need to grasp onto the truth before they lose each other forever—and discover just how lonely eternity can be. 

X-MEN meets MY NAME IS MEMORY in Karen Amanda Hooper’s latest young adult release.

First Line:  I wanted to punch a hole in the sky, rip it open, and fly out of this world and into a magical one. 


Review: Ever since I heard about Grasping At Eternity I knew I had to read it, and I really enjoyed it. I actually wanted to give it 4 stars but had to drop it down half a star due to one major thing which I'll get to later on in the review. Anyways if you love reading about books that involve reincarnation and soul mates you will probably enjoy this one. 

Nathan and Maryah along with the rest of their "family" are elements, they have special powers and choose to remember all their past lives. Only thing is this lifetime Maryah erased she doesn't remember any of them and has a new family who are within the first few pages  brutally killed, leaving her the only sole survivor. 

The book is in two point of views and it worked. We get to see Nathan's point of view as well as Maryah's and you could really see the pain and heartbreak Nathan was going through. He remembers all their past lives and doesn't understand why she chose to erase. I liked Nathan there is nothing bad to say about the guy, especially since even though he is enduring all this heartbreak he is still protecting Maryah from someone who is after her, the same person who  killed her in her last lifetime.

I'm not going to lie it took a minute for my mind to wrap around the reincarnation concept that was going on in this book but once I understood it fully I loved it, it was unique and the fact that it wasn't all romance thanks to these evil beings trying to kill the "family" it made things more interesting. There is also a ton of characters the "family" is pretty huge and it was a little hard to keep up with who is who. My only real beef with this book and what frustrated me to where I knocked it down half a star is throughout the whole book everyone is wondering why Maryah chose to erase and you would think that we would learn why at the end of the book since it was such a big deal but nope... nothing we obviously have to wait for the next book to find out. 

Overall Hooper created a very enjoyable read, I literally read the book in a matter of hours and can't wait to check out some other titles by the author.