Thursday, July 7, 2016

The Friday 56: #2

*****On Fridays, Freda's Voice hosts a weekly meme. You grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56%, find a sentence/sentences, post it, and link up!*****

Today's Friday 56 comes from The Crown by Kiera Cass, the last book in the Selection series. Enjoy and Happy Friday!!!!



"Kile?"
"Yeah."
"Do you remember out first kiss?"
"How could I forget? It was printed on the front of every newspaper."
"No, not that one. Our first first kiss."
After a beat of confusion, he sucked in a huge breath. "Oh. My. Gosh."
I just lay there laughing.
When I was four and Kile was six, he and I played together a lot. I still didn't remember what made him start hating palace life or when our mutual dislike for each other kicked in, but back then Kile was like another Ahren. One day the three of us were playing hide-and-seek, and Kile found me. Instead of tagging me out, though, he bent down and kissed me full on the mouth. I stood up and pushed him to the ground and swore to him that if he ever tried it again, I'd have him hanged.
"What four-year-old knows how to threaten someone's life?' he teased.

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Lover Eternal by J.R.Ward Review


In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war raging between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Possessed by a deadly beast, Rhage is the most dangerous of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Owned by this dark side, Rhage fears the time when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.

Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant on Rhage's protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. She lost her faith in miracles years ago. But when Rhage's intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves.

Lover Eternal, the second book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood, was absolutely wonderful. I honestly loved this one more than the first one and that says a lot because the first book was amazing. Once again I have to say that I enjoy J.R.Ward's writing style. She tells the story through multiple point-of-views. The story flows extremely smooth,  allowing the reader to understand exactly what is going on. I also appreciate the fact that the story continues to move on with each new perspective, and she isn't just retelling the same thing through different eyes. That is one of my major pet peeves in books. 


In book one we learned that Rhage is cursed with a beast by the Scribe Virgin and that she granted Darius reincarnation at the end. In the beginning of  book two we meet Mary, who is a cancer survivor and volunteer at a suicide hotline. She is followed home one night by John Mathew, who her neighbor Bella recognizes as a vampire who will be transitioning soon. Bella contacts the Brotherhood and the story unfolds from there. 


Our main characters meet when Mary, Bella, and John are taken to the Brotherhood's headquarters. There is chemistry right away between Rhage and Mary. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship unfold. It was heart-breakingly beautiful. Here we have Rhage, this warrior who believes he is unworthy to receive anyones love, yet yearns for something more than a physical connection with someone. His curse causes him to be very emotionally unattached and careful when he is around others. Especially when he has a lot of pent up energy. You can imagine his surprise then when he meets Mary, the first person to make him feel more and instinctively protective over. He wants to know her, but he also yearns for her to know him. Mary is a survivor. She sees herself as an ordinary person whom no one is attracted to. Imagine her surprise when this huge warrior hunk is attracted to her and wants to get to know her. Yeah, she thinks he's playing her. Plus, she is probably dying from cancer again and doesn't want any unnecessary attachments. 


Another relationship that I loved to see the start of was Zsadist and Bella! I mean come on, I did not see that coming. Zsadist is one of the most interesting brothers to me, because he is mentally and physically scarred by his past. EVERYONE and I do mean everyone thinks he is a heartless loose-cannon waiting to explode. Everyone except Bella that is, who sees him as more than what he wants himself to be seen as. All I can say is I can't wait to start book 3 to read the rest of their story. 


Overall this book was amazing and I would definitely recommend this series! You wont be disappointed. 



MY RATING: 5 out of 5 stars

WWW Wednesday

*****WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words. You post what you are currently reading, what you just finished reading, and what you plan on reading next. Afterwards, you link up and check out other WWW's*****

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING: 



In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war raging between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Possessed by a deadly beast, Rhage is the most dangerous of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.
Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Owned by this dark side, Rhage fears the time when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.
Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant on Rhage's protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. She lost her faith in miracles years ago. But when Rhage's intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves

  • I am almost done reading this one, which is the second book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. It's sooooo good! If you haven't read this series yet then you should definitely consider reading it.


WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING:




From strip clubs and truck stops to southern coast mansions and prep schools, one girl tries to stay true to herself.
Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her.

These Royals will ruin you…

Ella Harper is a survivor—a pragmatic optimist. She’s spent her whole life moving from town to town with her flighty mother, struggling to make ends meet and believing that someday she’ll climb out of the gutter. After her mother’s death, Ella is truly alone.


Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from.

Reed doesn’t want her. He says she doesn’t belong with the Royals.

He might be right.

Wealth. Excess. Deception. It’s like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she’s going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she’ll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees.




I
n the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams
.
  • Paper Princess was absolutely amazing! It is definitely a must-read and I couldn't put it down. It's sequel Broken Prince comes out July 25 and I am impatiently waiting!!!! 
  • Dark Lover is the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R.Ward and it did not disappoint. It was definitely a wonderful start to what I can already tell will be a great series. 

Friday, July 1, 2016

The Friday 56: #1

*****On Fridays, Freda's Voice hosts a weekly meme. You grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56%, find a sentence/sentences, post it, and link up!*****


The book that I chose for today's Friday 56 is Rule by Jay Crownover, the first book in the Marked Men's series and one of my favorite books. 



"No." I didn't say anything else, just "no," because I didn't need to explain myself or my feelings or the fact that I knew most of what he said about Rule was true. I wasn't too good for him; I was just too ME for him to see me as anything other than he always had, and I made peace with that years ago. I took a few more stumbling steps backward and then turned on my heel and broke into a full-on jog to get away from him. I think he called my name, but I didn't care

The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead Review



Big and sweeping, spanning from the refined palaces of Osfrid to the gold dust and untamed forests of Adoria, The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, an Osfridian countess who poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. But to do that, she must join the Glittering Court.

Both a school and a business venture, the Glittering Court is designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies who appear destined for powerful and wealthy marriages in the New World. Adelaide naturally excels in her training, and even makes a few friends: the fiery former laundress Tamsin and the beautiful Sirminican refugee Mira. She manages to keep her true identity hidden from all but one: the intriguing Cedric Thorn, son of the wealthy proprietor of the Glittering Court.

When Adelaide discovers that Cedric is hiding a dangerous secret of his own, together they hatch a scheme to make the best of Adelaide’s deception. Complications soon arise—first as they cross the treacherous seas from Osfrid to Adoria, and then when Adelaide catches the attention of a powerful governor.

But no complication will prove quite as daunting as the potent attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. An attraction that, if acted on, would scandalize the Glittering Court and make them both outcasts in wild, vastly uncharted lands

I've always been a fan of Richelle Mead, so when I found out she had a new book coming out I had to get it. The book is very different from her other series. It has an Elizabethan era/Frontier/ New World feel about it. In this book we meet Elizabeth, an Osfridian countess, who poses as her maid Aidelaide to escape an unwanted marriage. Aidelaide has been given the opportunity by Cedric to travel to Adoria to be trained as an upper-class lady at The Glittering Court. These girls are trained to better themselves in order to gain a well-established husband. 


To be honest the book started out a little slow for me, but definitely got better as the book went on. I thoroughly enjoyed Adelaide and Cedric's journey. Adelaide is very head-strong and definetly fights for what she belives in. She doesn't mind speaking her mind and is pretty quick on her feet. Cedric is very smart and goes above and beyond to do whats right. He definitely doesn't have a problem going against the norm, which is one of the qualities that I really liked about him. The book was definitely comical in some areas and serious in others. It was set at a pretty fast pace. I would say it is more of a historical romance than fantasy, so for readers who don't like those type of books, this may not be the book for you. Overall, I think that Mead did a good job.


MY RATING: 4 out of 5 stars 

Dark Lover by J.R.Ward


In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.

The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a series that I have been wanting to read for years. I have to say that Dark Lover doesn't disappoint and was a wonderful start to what I can already tell is going to be an amazing series. J.R.Ward does a great job creating a thrilling new paranormal world. She is very thorough with her explanations and I really liked that she included a dictionary of words for the unique world she created. I like that the story is told from many points of views because it allows the readers to follow the story from all sides. It adds a lot to the story without taking away from the connection with the main characters.


Wrath is the only one left of his kind. A king that doesn't want to be king.  He is a myth to some, respected by many, and feared by all. A person that people automatically shut up and listen to when he starts speaking. He is one that people underestimate because they don't believe he has a heart. Beth is fierce but has a gentle soul. She has never known what its like to have a real family because she was in the foster care system. Wrath and Beth's story begins with Darius. He asks Wrath for a favor, which Wrath decides to honor after unforseen circumstances arise. I enjoyed Wrath and Beth's chemistry. From the beginning you could tell that they had a mutual attraction. Along the way they kept surprising each other and slowly letting down their walls. Beth worms her way into all of the men's heart and they would protect her with their lives. The brothers...............lets just say I can't to read all of their stories. Butch was also a great addition to the story and I'm looking forward to reading more about him as well. 


MY RATING: 5 out of 5 stars

Paper Princess by Erin Watt Review



From strip clubs and truck stops to southern coast mansions and prep schools, one girl tries to stay true to herself.These Royals will ruin you…

Ella Harper is a survivor—a pragmatic optimist. She’s spent her whole life moving from town to town with her flighty mother, struggling to make ends meet and believing that someday she’ll climb out of the gutter. After her mother’s death, Ella is truly alone.

Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from.

Reed doesn’t want her. He says she doesn’t belong with the Royals.He might be right.

Wealth. Excess. Deception. It’s like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she’s going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she’ll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees.

First let me start by saying that this book was AMAZING! It takes you on a wild ride that you just don't want to get off of. The book draws you in from the beginning, when Ella is summoned to the principals office. The readers are able to fully grasp just how self reliant Ella really is from the first few scenes of the book. Ella is this tough girl who has a a million obstacles thrown her way, but she takes it all in stride because she has no other choice. So when Callum Royal comes out of nowhere, offering her the chance of a lifetime Ella has her doubts about his motives.


I have to say that I like Callum. He genuinely wants whats best for Ella. He wants her to finish high school and then go to college and earn a degree. He even tells her that she is family, a Royal. What could be so hard about that? Oh, that's right. The problem would be the Royal brothers. Not only is Ella thrust in a new world she knows nothing about, she also has to deal with insults and cold shoulders from the Royal brothers. Picture this: You are in your home relaxing and happy, then all of the sudden this fly won't stop buzzing by your ear. This causes your sense of peace to be destroyed because all you can think about is killing the fly. Ella is the fly that the Royal brothers want squashed. Why you ask? Well, you will just have to read and see. They give her hell, but little do they know Ella doesn't let anyone intimidate her.


I have to say that overall I think that the authors did a great job with developing the characters. Ella is fierce from the start. She knows exactly who she is and doesn't change based off of anyone else's opinion of her. The authors also make the characters redeemable. Let's take Reed and Easton for instance, these are two characters that you know are trouble from the start and are complete jerks to Ella at first. However, over the course of the story you understand why they did some of the things they did and you start to love them. They are two of my favorite characters. I also enjoyed the relationships that evolved over the course of the story and the show of just how important family really is.


With that being said, the only thing that I really didn't like was not having book two yet because the ending of book one about killed me. I mean HOW COULD THE AUTHORS DO THAT TO ME!!!!! I'm seriously ready for Broken Prince and thankfully it won't be too long before it comes out. Would I recommend this book? Heck yea! Should you read it? Definitely.


My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars!!!!!!