The Comeback Kid

Expected Publication:  February 17th, 2015

The Return (Titan #1)

By: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Spencer Hill Press

ISBN-13:  9781939392626

The Fates are cackling their bony asses off...

It's been a year since Seth made a deal with the gods that pledged his life to them.  And so far, the jobs they've given him have been violent and bloody - which is kind of all right with him.  But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth.  He's got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most challenging yet.

Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy's deal might be, but it's a good bet that his arrival means the new life she started after leaving home about to be thrown in an Olympian-sized blender turned up to puree.  Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her.

But it might be the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed, secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of all.

Because history has once again been flipped to repeat.

Review

       I was really kind of disappointed by how much I didn't love this one.  Not to say that I love EVERY book that JLA writes, but the good majority of hers that I've read have been four or five stars for me - pure enjoyment.  I kind of feel really bad about even reading it, cause once I realized it was a sister series to her Covenant books (which I have no interest in reading), I knew I wasn't going to be gushing about it's wonderfulness.  The funny part is, I liked Seth well enough.  I think that surprised me, but Jennifer definitely knows how to write a misunderstood, bad-boy hero sympathetically.  It's kind of a trademark of hers at this point (in a good way).  I even liked the way the story was going, with his mystery mission from Apollo and the whole "Titans on the loose" thing.  It was shaping up to be a great read, especially as I'm a mythology nut.  Then some things started to fizzle for me, until this turned into a mediocre experience.

       The first thing I didn't love was Josie, the heroine of the story, who is "special" and must be protected at all costs - the world depends on it!  Yup, felt really "speshul snowflake" to me and unfortunately for her, she reminded me of a slightly more competent Bella Swan.  Especially considering the fact of the insta-attraction/bordering-on-love that her and Seth share for each other.  Yes Seth, I get it.  You think she's hot, innocent and so much better than you.  Guess what: you've known her like two days.  Josie got on my nerves with how easily she accepted everything that was happening to her (I won't say exactly what her circumstances are so as not to spoil anything); girl, kick and scream!  Question "authority," even if that so-called authority (that you just met, btdubs) is a VERY hot guy that you want to get it on with!  Don't take everything at face value!  Even when some big, very grief-inducing and life-changing stuff happens later in the book, she STILL acts like its all okay.  There's autopilot and denial modes, but this came off to me as robotic and over it way too soon.  Didn't make me like her any better.  

       The double point of view didn't help either.  The plot was very slow moving, and the two of them spent most of them time trying NOT to jump each other's bones,while thinking about it 24/7.  Josie's thoughts were really shallow and I kept wishing JLA would pick a POV and stick with it (just Seth would have made more sense, because he IS the established character from the last series).  Also, the comparisons everyone makes between Josie and the girl from the Covenant series (Seth's unrequited love, Alexandra) got annoying.  Supposedly this can be read as a stand-alone, but I wouldn't attempt it.  Yes, you'll be able to understand the plot (what little there seems to be) but the allusions to past events might frustrate the un-indoctrinated reader.  Overall, not fun for me personally.  I think fans of the first series will enjoy it though, as it seems to be mostly written for them.  To me it was poorly written, with an annoying heroine and the plot moved glacially until almost the end of the book when it was setting up for the next one.  Honestly, it reminded me of a New Adult version of Twilight, mixed with Vampire Academy.  

VERDICT:  2.5/5  Stars (Most of this is for easy readability and Seth, who I really liked)

**I reviewed this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication date is February 17th, 2015.**

Willing to Sacrifice Our Love

Expected Publication:  October 21st, 2014

Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements #2)

By: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Harlequin Teen

ISBN-13:  9780373211340

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.....

Review

       When we left her at the end of the first book, Layla's relations with her Warden guardian and his brethren were, at best, strained - at worst, glacial.  Not to mention her devastation at the loss of her boyfriend to banishment (and probably torture) back to his old home - Hell!  Now all Layla has is a snake familiar named Bambi, her best friends Stacey and Sam, and the one Warden who still believes in her, Zayne, her once-upon-a-time crush and fantasy.  When Layla's powers begin to malfunction she has no idea what could be wrong.  No longer able to see auras, she starts freaking out.  Especially when they find out a Lilin (or Lilim, can't remember the exact term/spelling) is in the area infecting people and killing them.  Layla begins opening up to Zayne, but is left reeling when Roth returns, seemingly indifferent to their past relationship.  Can Layla, Roth and Zayne work together to stop the Lilin and will she be able to stop her dark heritage from destroying them all?

       So, what can I actually say without giving so many spoilers you all will hate my guts???!!!  Layla, as in the first book, is still very relatable, strong, kick-ass and yet with a vulnerability that makes it impossible to dislike her.  The whole Layla/Roth/Zayne love triangle still managed to rise above the cliches and anger-inducing triteness.  At the beginning of the book, Layla is grieving for Roth still and she's kind of a mess.  Then Zayne starts to make a move on her, which she wasn't expecting at all.  Not to mention, the whole "powers go wonky" thing gives them the opportunity to actually test the waters.  She can kiss Zayne for the first time ever without stealing his soul!  It definitely changes the rules of the game, and confuses poor Layla even more by making the impossible actually possible.  The chemistry between the two of them is RED HOT.  Then when Roth comes back to help find the Lilin, poor Layla becomes even more of a mess.  There are some kick-ass actions scenes, some great one-liners and overall dialogue.  

        Also, we get to see Layla bonding with her former "nemesis," Danica (who actually turns out to be a truly sweet girl who has the short end of the situation).  The witches were an interesting touch, and I feel like it added another dimension to the paranormal mythology of the overall story.  I really enjoyed witches, for the first time in quite awhile.  That ending though!  I kind of saw it coming, but I really didn't think JLA would go there.  Rest assured, she did!  Overall, I highly recommend this to fans of the first book and as usual, Jennifer manages to avoid the dreaded sophmore syndrome that destroys so many sequels.  Solid writing, enjoyable plot, great action, and truly awesome character development.  I think fans of Team Roth OR Team Zayne need to be prepared to ship both though.  I have no clear favorite at this point!

VERDICT:  4.5/5  Stars

*I reviewed this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication date is October 21st, 2014.*

Creeping Up Behind You

Published:  April 15th, 2014
Don't Look Back
By: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Disney Hyperion
ISBN-13:  9781423187738

Samantha is a stranger in her own life.  Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all - popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her before that night.  As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of.  The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies.  Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery.  She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her - even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts of what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory - someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet.  All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on.  But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Review

     Sam is found wandering barefoot and bruised, far from home and with no memory of anything in her life before that moment.  She's been missing for days, and while everyone is relieved to see her, there is just one important question left: where is Cassie?  Sam's best friend disappeared at the same time as she did and hasn't returned, or been heard from since.  With the help of her parents and her twin brother Scott, as strange to her as they may be, Sam feels like she might be able to get a handle on herself soon.  But then she goes back to school and finds out that she is basically head bitch, and her boyfriend Del is far from the perfect guy everyone thinks.  The only one she seems to be able to trust is Carson Ortiz, the son of her family's groundskeeper.  They used to be friends, and he looked out for her even after Sam started treating him like a dirtbag.  Mysterious notes begin showing up in impossible places and the hidden secrets and lies of everyone in Sam's life make everyone a suspect.  Where is Cassie and what really happened to her?  Most frightening of all, is Sam going to be next?
     I have been a fan of Jennifer Armentrout's since I first read Obsidian, the first book in her Lux series (one of my first review books, actually).  So now, more than a few books later, I was intrigued to see her take a hand at mysteries in a style that reminded me a bit of the Lois Duncan books I was obsessed with in the late 90s to early 2000s.  The writing itself is extremely solid and gives just enough description to draw you in, just like with all her other books.  I kept reading, because I desperately wanted to know what happened next!  I quite liked Sam, though she did seem to take the amnesia thing rather too well.  And the attitude of acceptance towards the possessive and borderline brutish behavior of her so-called boyfriend Del, was a little bit off-putting.  It's mostly a matter of how you would react in a situation where you have no memories of anything or anyone, to tell you who to trust or how to act/react to things that are happening.  Especially when you're in a situation where someone potentially murdered your best friend/frenemie and could murder you if you recover from your amnesia.
     The build-up and resolution the the mystery of Cassie's disappearance/death was not all that surprising.  I was pretty sure by the time I was about halfway through who had done it.  Jennifer managed to drop a couple really emphasized remarks that served as some big, honkin' clues to who the murderer was and what exact motive they might have had.  It was very neatly tied up and I enjoyed the character transformation that Sam undergoes throughout the book and I liked that by the time the end came, she did get her memory back.  Change isn't true change until you can make a choice based on all the facts and experiences involved.  The brother/sister relationship rebuild between Sam and Scott was wonderful and yes, they didn't get along all the time.  But that's what made it that much more realistic.  And he stood by her, even when they had previously been enemies and he could've been an asshole instead.  True family bonds, people, are a thing of beauty.  The romance between Carson and Sam was pretty swoony and I enjoyed it, but I was also glad it wasn't the focus of the entire book.  All in all, I enjoyed this one but it was a little more two-dimensional than Armentrout's normal work and the mystery could've used something extra.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Your Kiss Might Kill Me

Expected Publication:  February 25th, 2014

White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1)

By: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Harlequin Teen

ISBN-13:  9780373211104

One kiss could be the last.

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

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

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

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

Review

     This just might be my favorite book by JLA now, even more so than Obsidian.  I think Roth has replaced Daemon in my affections!  That said, I know a lot of people awaiting this book are worried that it's going to devolve into juvenile, annoying love triangle territory.  It definitely does NOT go down that road.  It reminded me a lot of her almost-semi-quasi love triangle in her Lux series.  There are a few moments where you think the heroine might really have to make a decision between the two guys.  But then you realize that she is not confused, and knows what she wants.  Layla knows what and who she wants by the time White Hot Kiss ends.  Even if it might be beyond her reach at that point...

     Layla spends a lot of the book at war with herself, and her craving for the souls of others.  Being half gargoyle she doesn't really fit in with the Wardens of Heaven that raised her, due to her demon half which Layla tries to forget exists.  But she knows that she can never be with Zayne, the guy she likes, because of the need to propagate the race of Wardens by breeding full-bloods together.  And she can't even shift like a real gargoyle.  Not to mention, most of the Wardens wish Layla was dead.  Enter in Roth, an Upper Level demon who is all of the sudden one of Layla's classmates at school.  Turns out that someone in Hell is gunning for Layla due to a yen to start the apocalypse.  Her blood opens the door so to speak, and now that she's seventeen it's game on.  Can she trust Roth, who claims to want to prevent the apocalypse?  Or should she confess everything to the Wardens before it's too late?

     The mythology of this book was really well built, and while I myself didn't know it, a friend told me that originally gargoyles were thought to be Wardens of Heaven and protectors of the people.  So there is some basis in history to that particular nugget!  Also, this book had a great secondary cast of characters including Layla's sex-obsessed and boy crazy BFF Stacey.  She absolutely cracked me up!  Sam, another friend, was a font of random knowledge and always said the weirdest stuff, completely out of the blue (which actually works to Layla's advantage later in the book).  Oh and Roth!  Oh my goodness, what a guy!  I loved the fact that his familiars were tattooed on his body (that could come to life).  A killer snake named Bambi, some vicious kittens, and a dragon named THUMPER.  Also, Roth reminded me a lot of supposed "bad-boy" Daemon Black from the Lux series, but he definitely had more of an edge that Daemon did.  Because Roth is a demon from Hell - so he technically is the bad guy!  

     Layla herself was smart, loyal and could kick-ass, even without the ability to access her Warden abilities.  I loved that she refused to let Roth or Zayne (who was seriously overprotective and yo - mixed signals to the max) boss her around.  The revelation of her Mother and Fathers' identities were pretty twisted, especially that of her father.  That one kind of broke me as a reader!  Poor Layla, to have any hope of being wanted shattered was pretty devastating.  The first sixty percent or so of this book though, is more world-building than anything else and moved kind of slow.  But the shit definitely hits the fan at the end!  Overall, I loved it and am super excited to read the next book in the series and maybe get to know Zayne a little bit better.  I highly recommend it if you're looking for something different or are already a fan of JLA.  You won't be disappointed!

VERDICT:  4.5/5 Stars

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie & also from Harlequin Teen on NetGalley.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication date is February 25th, 2014.*

Still Kind of Cold

 

Published:  July 15th, 2013



Frigid (Frigid #1)
By: Jennifer L. Armentrout (writing as J. Lynn)
Spencer Hill Contemporary
ISBN-13:  9781939392749


For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love.

Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have.

But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.

Review

 

     Sydney and Kyler have been best friends since their playground days and that relationship is still going strong.  Now they're both in their last year of college, and both of them are secretly in love with each other.  Sydney is too scared of rejection to admit her feelings and Kyler thinks she deserves better so he's sleeping with a ton of different girls, trying to bury his feelings.  Going away for the weekend at a ski resort where Kyler's parents have a house, he and Sydney get stranded when a blizzard strikes.  The rest of their friends are unable to make it and with nothing else to distract them from the growing tension and the feelings they can no longer hide, things finally explode.  Just when it looks like Sydney and Kyler might actually be able to start a real relationship, a violent stalker appears on the scene putting their lives in danger.  Will they both get out of the resort alive and if they do, can they manage to make things work romantically or will they lose their friendship for good?

     I am kind of tired of the good girl/virgin/naïve heroine trope in New Adult books.  And the guys she falls for is always some tatted up, womanizing bad boy.  Been there, done that and so sick a tired of it that I'm almost completely out the door with the entire genre as it currently stands.  That said, this book did kind of take a fresh turn by making the two leads childhood best friends, who both want something more with each other.  It was extremely nice to have a romance between two people who have seen each other at their best and worst, know almost everything about each other and they still are attracted to each other after that.  Usually it's a couple people who've known each other for a month, f***** like rabbits, and now "love" each other.  Yeah, sure you do kids.

     Unfortunately, refreshing best friend aspect aside, this book was an extremely mediocre read for me.  Insecure girl, man-whore guy and some really contrived suspense to add an element of danger and make the reader "fear" for the characters' lives.  Sydney and Kyler were both somewhat two-dimensional and I think the thing that bothered me the most was Sydney's supposed naivety and inexperience when it came to sex.  She worries a lot about being frigid, which is what her ex-boyfriend called her when breaking up with her.  They only did it ONE TIME and she's basing her entire sexual self around that experience!  It got on my nerves, because yeah the first time is usually uncomfortable and a little painful.  And unless the guy is some sort of sex god, you're probably not going to get off.  That's kind of common sense, but Sydney's self-confidence issues get in the way of her realizing this and she takes it on as her fault.  This makes her even more reluctant to admit her feelings to Kyler, because of how much of a sexual person he is.  Then when they get together, Kyler is questioning her at every turn, whether or not she actually wants to be with him (which I get, cause she basically propositions him like a male hooker).  They both treat each other stupidly, even after sleeping together.  And the suspense plot is very easily figured out, with really no purpose other to lend some action to a pretty sparse plot. 

     My favorite part was the end, when Kyler and Sydney spend Christmas together and resolve their feelings, finally getting together.  Overall, I really liked the "best friends in love" aspect, but it wasn't enough to really sustain this one for me.  The characters are likeable enough, but really flat and kind of annoyingly dumb when it comes to their own and each others' feelings.  I only recommend this if you really are in the mood for some brainless fluff, with a little but better writing than average.  Cute romance, but no spine or real substance.

 

VERDICT:  2.5/5  Stars

 

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book was published July 15th, 2013.*