Mini Review: Twisted by Laura Griffin

Twisted (Tracers #5)
Author: Laura Griffin
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Publisher: Pocket Star Books
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Personal Copy
Review by: Jenn

New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin chills with her newest novel of suspense and romance in the award-winning Tracers series, when a woman police detective in a small Texas town discovers that the only thing more terrifying than a killer you don’t know . . . is the one you do.

Motive, opportunity, and no alibi—it seems close to a slam-dunk. But while rookie detective Allison Doyle’s department has ID’d a suspect in a young woman’s vicious murder, she is uneasy. Then legendary FBI profiler Mark Wolfe shows up with a startling theory: if he’s right, the real murderer is an elusive psychopath just days away from another kill.

Using Allison’s contacts at the Delphi Center crime lab, Wolfe is finally in striking distance of the monster he’s pursued for ten years. Except that as they work together, Wolfe finds the ambitious, stubborn woman a tempting distraction. And with this brutal predator, every thread of evidence can make the difference between being the hunter . . . and the prey.

3.5 stars out of 5 stars

Laura Griffin has me hooked on her books. Every time I pick up one of her stories, I can and have to sit down for a few hours and finish it in one sitting. She hooks me with her story telling and her characters and I am unable to let go of the story until I'm done with it. The same thing happened with Twisted and it's characters.

Twisted follows rookie detective Allison Doyle and FBI veteran Mark Wolfe. Their differences are striking so sometimes they would both stubborn and it was interesting in reading then trying to find common ground. Like all the previous books in the Tracers series, Twisted's serial killer is horrific and scary and the case scares me to the bone. Also, the romance is slow burn just like the rest in the series.

Laura Griffin has a set formula that I love so I just gobbled up Twisted. Can't wait to read the next book.

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Mini Review: Unstoppable by Laura Griffin

Unstoppable (Tracers #2.5)
Author: Laura Griffin
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Publisher: Pocket Books
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Personal Copy
Review by: Jenn

Forensic anthropologist Kelsey Quinn goes to a remote Texas border region to dig up ancient bones, but ends up unearthing a deadly secret. When Kelsey’s discovery jeopardizes not just her dig, but her life, she turns to US Navy SEAL Gage Brewer, who may be the only person brave enough—and lethal enough—to help.

3 stars out of 5 stars

Unstoppable was a quick novella where I met forensic anthropologist Kelsey Quinn. We’ve heard of her in the previous Tracers series book and so it was nice getting to know her in her own book. Unstoppable is a short novella, only 80 pages, but it filled with suspense, danger, and a hot Navy Seal. We meet Navy Seal Gage Brewer and boy oh boy is he an interesting one.

Gage and Kelsey are thrown together in a situation that puts them both in danger and it was so interesting seeing how they both leaned on each other. I'm curious to see if they continue the story line that was started in this book and if Laura Griffin will bring it into the Tracers' plot. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing these two again and really get to know them. A good and quick novella!

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Review: Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow & Bone (The Grisha #1)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Format: Hardcover
Source: Personal Signed Copy
Review by: Jenn

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

4 stars out of 5 stars

How can I have waited so long to start the Grishas Trilogy?! I have no one to blame but myself but still! I picked up Shadow and Bone because one of my reading goals this year was to read some of my “old” books from my shelves. And boy, am I excited I FINALLY picked it.

Leigh Bardugo created a world that reads so real and scary. The characters, complexed and three-dimensional. The villain! It been a while, since Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series to be exact, that I found myself wanting to know and being intrigued by the villain, The Darkling. I liked Alina, our heroine, and I’m looking forward to seeing her embrace her powers and learn her own strength. I’m not sure how I feel about Mal, to be honest. I liked how he came through for her but I don’t feel like he’s the one for Alina.

I can’t wait to see what Alina will do next and what will be The Darkling’s next move. This series is shaping up to completely suck me in and at least the one good thing about waiting to read this series, is that all the books are out so no wait in between them.

Have you read this series? What do you think about The Darkling? Tell me down below!

Mini Review: Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier

Sapphire Blue (The Ruby Red #2)
Author: Kerstin Gier
Release Date: October 30, 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co
Source: Library
Review by: Nahomi

Gwen’s life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she’s been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean.

At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he’s very warm indeed; the next he’s freezing cold. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty much destined to find out.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

It was great getting back into this world again! Sapphire Blue picks up right where Ruby Red leaves off. Sapphire Blue is literally the middle section of the trilogy there isn’t a solid beginning, middle or ending. Gwynn learns a lot of information about what is going on but there are still a lot of unanswered questions.

There are a lot of wonderful character additions this time around. Xemurius is hilarious, his comment are sarcastic and made me laugh. I also felt like someone was actually on Gwynn’s side; although it still not clear who she can trust. Gideon’s brother is also an interesting addition to the story.

Gwynn’s relationship with Gideon is hot for a millisecond then cold like a blizzard for the rest of the time. Her relationships with the other characters are all suspect. I still don’t like Charlotte any better. The mysteries continue and keeping track of the different meetings in the past certainly kept me entertained. I’m dying to get my hands on Emerald Green to see how this story ends!

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder 
(The Lunar Chronicles, #1)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: Library
Review by: Nahomi

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless Lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg.

She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

Leydy from Once Upon a Twilight recommended the Cinder audio book to me and I am so glad she did! I'm obsessed with the story! Rebecca Soler did a fantastic job with the narration. In the beginning I was a little skeptical because I am not a fond of retellings. I've had some bad experiences in the past, but this was definitely not the case with Cinder.

There are parallels throughout the book that are reminiscent of Cinderella but the story really takes a life of its own. I love this book from beginning to end but there are some elements in particular that I would like to single out. The book is separated in sections and in the beginning of each section is a quote from the original story, I absolutely love that! It sets the tone for the next sections of the story. The pacing and the plot twists really set the story a part from the original story and that is partially why I love the story so much.

The characters… I adore that Cinder is a damn good mechanic and that she is beautiful but not perfect. She is a cyborg which means parts of her are metal and that she has a computer in her head, which I find, would be useful all the time. Her friendship with Iko a droid is heart warming and strange at the same time. I love Iko’s quirkiness; she is such a funny character. Prince Kaito I am on the fence about him after finishing the story. I love all of his and Cinder’s interactions together, and I get where he is coming from there at the end but I still wanted him to act differently.

Cinder is emotional at the end and man I definitely can’t wait to get my hands on Scarlet which is the next book in The Lunar Chronicles.

Mini Review: The Golden Lily By Richelle Mead

The Golden Lily 
(Bloodlines #2) 
Author: Richelle Mead
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Publisher: Penguin Group
Source: Personal Copy
Review by: Nahomi

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. Alchemists protect vampire secrets - and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she's been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California - tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formorly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age-old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and her sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi - the fiercest vampires, the ones who don't die. But it's her fear of being just that - special, magical, powerful - that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Braydon, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else - someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney's loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists - or her heart?

5 stars out of 5 stars 

I was aching to start The Golden Lily after I finished Bloodlines. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next! The pacing is faster than in Bloodlines which really made the difference for me. I really like the elements of intrigue that the story has, which definitely kept me turning pages.

Sydney is so smart and resourceful, but man can she be socially awkward. At times she is so oblivious to certain situations that it’s endearing. I love to see how her character evolves throughout the novel. There is a noticeable difference from the Sydney we meet in Bloodlines to the Sydney in The Golden Lily.

I love the relationship between Adrian and Sydney! There is so much sexual tension between these two that you can cut it with a knife. Adrian definitely adds comedy to the story. I love to see Adrian interacting with all of the other characters. I was so excited about the old characters that are brought back in this book!!! I really enjoyed reading this story and I can’t wait to get my hands on The Indigo Spell!

Mini Review: Until I Die by Amy Plum

Until I Die (Revenants #2)
By Amy Plum
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Friend's Copy
Review by: Jenn & Nahomi
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

Jenn's rating: 3 stars out of 5 stars
Nahomi's rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars
Our overall rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Kate has chosen to leave the comfort and safety of her human world in order to join Vincent in the dangerous supernatural universe he inhabits. For his part, he has sworn to go against his very nature and resist the repeated deaths that are his fate as a revenant—even though it will bring him immeasurable suffering.
Heady with romance and rife with danger, the second book of the DIE FOR ME trilogy follows Vincent and Kate as they search—separately—for a solution to their plight, pursuing their quest from the glamorous streets of Paris to the city’s squalid underbelly. Although the experiment that Vincent attempts is progressively destroying him, he insists on seeing it through to the end. This prompts Kate to strike out on her own into the dangerous world of the revenants to find another way. But she unwittingly puts everyone she loves at risk when she discovers a family of ancient healers who hold the key to a secret that could help the bardia—the good revenants—overthrow their murderous enemies, the numa, forever.
And while the lovers search for something they have little chance of finding, a new threat arises among the numa. Kate finds herself in the midst of an ancient and deadly war, not as a bystander…but as a target.

Jenn:

Until I Die is my favorite of the Revenants series. I enjoyed getting to know the characters in depth and seeing them interact with each other. It was also interesting to see Kate and Vincent’s relationship grow and how they learned to deal with Vincent being a revenant. My only problem with this series is how much it reminds me of Twilight. Some of the characters just straight up reminds me of Bella and Edward and the Cullens.

I do have to admit that the end killed me. I was so surprised and I just had to know what happens next. Until I Die was a great follow up and it was so much better than Die For Me. It got me super excited about the last book, If I Should Die.

Nahomi:

I have to agree with Jenn Until I Die was my favorite book of the series. I love the scenes where Kate was training to learn how to defend herself. After having read the first book I didn’t know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. I was on an emotional rollercoaster I didn’t know what was happening and I needed to get to the end.

Throughout the book I had this feeling of impending doom, like something really bad was going to happen.(I wasn’t going to like). I couldn’t put the book down and when I reached the end I couldn’t believe what happened. I was devastated, and desperately needed the third book like yesterday. I feel that Amy Plum did a great job with making the characters relatable and keeping me guessing as to what would happen next. I really enjoyed reading Until I Die.

Mini Review: Tempting the Best Man by J. Lynn

Tempting the Best Man (Gamble Brothers #1)
By J. Lynn
Release Date: April 23, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Brazen
Source: Personal e-copy
Reviewed by: Jenn
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads / iTunes

My rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Synopsis:
Madison Daniel has worshiped her brother's best friend since they were kids. Everyone thinks she and Chase Gamble would make the perfect couple, but there are two major flaws in their logic. 1) Chase has sworn off relationships of any kind, and 2) after blurring the lines between friends and lovers for one night four years ago, they can't stop bickering.

Forced together for her brother's wedding getaway, Chase and Madison decide to call a truce for the happy couple. Excepts all bets are off when they're forced to shack up in a tacky 70's honeymoon suite and survive a multitude of "accidents" as the family tries to prove their "spark" can be used than for more fighting. That is, if they don't strangle each other first...

       Hot, unfy, sexy and oh so good! Those would be the words I would use to describe and recommend this story to someone. From the minute I started reading, I was hooked. I would put the book down but it would just call to me and I had to know what happened next. And what's even better, it was my first foray into J.Lynn's work so I'm super excited to have read and loved something from her after hearing nothing but good things about her books.

I'm not sure if it was the Young Adult burnt out or if what fate, but this book just put me in the right mood. Sure, there were some predictable plot devices but I loved Maddie and Chase so much and they were so good together, that I overlooked that fact. The sexy times were HOT and definitely left me fanning myself. I can't wait to read the next book in the series and get more of these very attractive Gamble brothers.

Review: Losing It by Cora Carmack

Losing It (Losing It #1) by Cora Carmack
Release Date: October 15, 2012
Publisher: William Morrow
Source: Personal Copy
Reviewed by: Nahomi
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Indiebound /

My Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

Synopsis:
Virginity. Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible-a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half a brain would ever believe.

And as if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theater professor.

She'd left him naked in her bed about eight hours earlier....

        I love this book!! It's funny, and sexy with a dash of awkward, no wait make that a big helping of awkward. Cora Carmack does an excellent job at engaging her readers. I found the pacing to be steady, perfect for the story. The dialogue was really engaging which I love. Not only were the main characters great, so were the supporting characters. I found myself wanting to hang out with Bliss's friends, too.

 I really love the main character's name, Bliss. It's cute yet a little ironic at the same time because her life is anything but blissful. Bliss is awkward and funny but has this inner strength that really pulls her through some tough situations. The love interest Garrick, is soo freaking HOTT. He might just deserve an extra T just because he's awesome, has a British accent, and wait for it... he reads! Of course he is physically attractive as well but who am I kidding I am a sucker for British accents. Oh and did I mention that Garrick is extremely sweet and thoughtful. Hmm.. I could go on about Garrick forever. *sighs* 

I enjoyed how Bliss and Garricks' relationship progressed, and the hint of forbidden added because of their situation makes the story that much sexier. This book has a great balance between the regular story and the sexy scenes. The intimate scenes flowed organically from the characters, it didn't feel forced or out of place. I will say this about the sexy scenes they are really steamy. Lets just say I was in need of several cold showers after reading them. 

This novel had me up to the wee hours of the morning so that I could finish it. Even after I finished I ended up purchasing the novella  Keeping Her so that I could continue to get my Bliss and Garrick fix. Losing It was exactly the book I needed to get out of the reading slump I was in. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the Losing It series.

Review: Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Opal (Lux #3)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release date: December 1, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Source: Personal Copy
Reviewed by: Nahomi
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / AudioBooks

My rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 stars

Synopsis:
No one is like Daemon Black

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn't fooling around. Doubting him isn't something I'll do again, and now that we've made it through the rough patches, well... There's a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can't protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I'm no longer the same Katy. I'm different... And I'm not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I'm capable. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won't turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we are stronger...and they know it.

      It's no secret that I'm a fan of the Lux series, but I was trying to wait to read Opal because I was warned that it had a big cliffhanger at the end and Origin wasn't out yet. That worked out for all of two days before I gave in and read it. During the entire novel I was a big ball of nerves. I didn't know what to expect which made me even more nervous to begin with. There's a lot of new information to deal with in Opal and Katy and Daemon seem to be in a no win situation. It's harder to differentiate the truth from the lies and who are allies or enemies.

I feel that Opal has a slower pace than Obsidian and Onyx. There is a lot of information thrown at the reader and most of the book is preparing for this big event, so the real action doesn't really start until the latter part of the book. But once the action starts it feels like it's a sprint until the end which leaves you heartbroken and in shock.

Daemon and Katy still have this funny sarcastic dialogue that kept me laughing throughout the book, and Daemon keeps on melting my heart. *sighs* Again, Jennifer L. Armentrout does a wonderful job of pulling me into the story and giving me all of the feels. Although Opal isn't my favorite book of the series, I really enjoyed reading it. Let me just say that the end left me hyperventilating and needing Origin stat. 

Review: No Safety in Numbers by Dayna Lorentz

No Safety in Numbers (No Safety in Numbers #1) 
By: Dayna Lorentz
Release Date: May 29, 2012
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Source: Library
Reviewed by: Jenn
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads / IndieBound

My Rating: 1.5 stars out of 5 stars

Synopsis:
Life As We Knew It meets Lord of the Flies in a mall that looks just like yours.
A biological bomb has just been discovered in the air ducts of a busy surbanban mall. At first nobody knows if it's even life threatening, but then the entire complex is quarantined, people start getting sick, supplies start running low, and there's no way out. Among the hundreds of trapped shoppers are four teens.
These four different narrators, each with their own stories, must cope in unique, surprising styles, changing in ways they wouldn't have predicted, trying to find solace, safety, and escape at a time when the adults are behaving badly.
This is a gripping look at people and how they can - and must - change under the most dire of circumstances.
And not always for the better.

I had really high expectations for this book. The whole premise of a bomb in a mall with unsuspecting people, it just something that could happen in real life and I love to read these kinds of books. The mixture of the fictional with reality that freaks me out and it cause me to get sucked into the story line. However, this was not the case with No Safety in Numbers.

My first complaint was the multiple POVs. I understand that the author was trying to portray different views and show how they all tied together. However, I feel like I had to play the guessing game at the beginning of each chapter to remember which character was which and what was their story.

The next issue is the characters themselves. Maybe it because I'm in my mid-twenties  and the characters are all teenagers and teenagers are typically self-absorbed but I found them all to being really selfish and didn't want to pay attention to authority. Unlike what the synopsis said, the adults weren't behaving badly. They just didn't know what exactly happened and how to deal with the consequences as well they didn't want pandemonium on their hands if they blurt out everything that was happening without no answers. Which is exactly what happened whenever a teen somehow told a secret they overheard or were entrusted with. Each character had their own hidden agenda and weren't looking out for what was best as a whole.

Overall, the book had potential but it just wasn't executed well enough. I am curious to see what happens next but I may just go online and search for spoilers than waste any more time on these teens.