Sleepless by Cyn Balog

"Eron DeMarchelle isn't supposed to feel this connection. He is a Sandman, a supernatural being whose purpose is to seduce his human charges to sleep. Though he can communicate with his charges in their dreams, he isn't encouraged to do so. After all, becoming too involved in one human's life could prevent him from helping others get their needed rest."-goodread synopsis 

This wont be a long review because Sleepless isn't a long book. I believed it was rocking somewhere around the 150-200 pages mark. Sleepless had one of the best concepts I've heard of/read in a long time, but the concept wasn't enough to make up for the few issues I had with it.

The two main characters, through likable, both are lacking in subsistence. Neither ever feel fully fleshed out. Julia is a nice character, but that's it. She just nice. Her thoughts are realistic and funny but there's not really much else going for her. Also though it is possible I didn't fully believe that 3, yes 3, guys could be head over heels freakishly in love with her. That leads me to Eron, our other POV and main character. Eron is a sandman. He sounded super sweet, but again, that's it. He too was highly lacking in depth. Both characters appearance wise sounded nice, but we also only got a tiny description of the two. When it comes to the side characters Julia's boyfriend and best friend, I had no real feeling towards them what so ever.  Neither were anything to write home about.

The plot of Sleepless could have really been something. The start of the book has this nice steady pace that matches most other books in it's genre. The middle of this book is 100% the strongest part. When things actually start happening, and it gets a little more spooky I was hooked. I was really excited to see how things were going to play out and what direction the author would take it. I was starting to get into the characters and started too feel like I was getting to relate to them. Sadly, this was short lived. The ending was a little anti-climatic. We had all this build up, things were setting up, characters were developing, relationships were forming, events were really coming together... then nothing. The ending is all shoved into a handful of papers and ended up being mundane and predictable.

Overall Sleepless is a nice light read it just had all this wasted potential. I wish the concept behind this book would have plated out better than it did. Sleepless wasn't the worst read ever, but wasn't the best. If this book had maybe had 100-200 pages more it could of used the extra space to fill it with more action and really highlighted more.

2/10 Stars 
-Angela 

White Bird in a Blizzard by Laura Kasischke

When Katrina Connors' mother walks out without a trace, Kat feels nothing towards it. Why would she? Her mother is a lot to handle. Plus she's falling in love, losing the baby weight, and discovering sex. This is all fine until she starts having dreams that become to real to ignore.

This book was so much more than I thought it was going to be. I wasn’t fully prepared for how suspenseful or how beautifully written this novel would be.

Katrina Connors is sixteen when her mother walks out on the family. Leaving no trace to where she went. Oddly Katrina isn’t at all shocked. Her family has always been a little different. Her mother has always wanted more and her father is what most people would consider a push over. As time passes Kat and her father start putting back the pieces of their lives and moving on, while this occurs Kat starts having vivid dreams which start to make her question what exactly happened to her mother. Katrina is such a interesting character with amazing and poetic depth. She makes for a character worth reading. Her interactions with the side characters make for such an interesting dynamic for this book, and sets it aside from a lot of other books in it's genre. I loved that every character is built up so slowly and steadily so that by the time you get to the end of the book the characters you thought you knew so well turn out to be nothing like what your mind created. White Bird will have you questioning everyone and everything.

White Bird in a Blizzard best asset is that it starts off as a coming of age story and then eventually transitions into a mystery thriller. It has a read out and feel so much like Gone Girl that it made getting wrapped up in the plot just as easy as it did for the characters.  I would usually comment on the fact that Laura’s writing does get very detailed on every aspect, and usually I would think this is too much but with this novel it just works. The metaphors and turn of phrases she uses fit perfect into every situation, helping paint the most vivid pictures. Laura has it so that she is dropping hints left and right about what is actually going on, but still leaves you questioning every detail. Though it does take about 70% of the book to really pick up it is more than worth it for the ending you just won’t see coming. This book leaves you hanging until the very last moment with an ending that will forever have me wanting more.

9/10 Stars 
-Angela 

Shortly after reading this I was able to watch the movie, and it was absolutely amazing! So beautifully filmed and the acting is stunning. 100% a must see. 10/10 rating.

Angela's October Wrap-Up

Clockwork Prince- Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Princess- Cassandra Clare
The Vincent Boys- Abbi Glines
Lev- Belle Aurora
Y the Last Man book 2- Brian K Vaughn
Steelheart- Brandon Sanderson
Room- Emma Donoghue
Romeo and Juliet- William Shakespeare
The Girl of Fire and Thorns- Rae Carson
Six of Crows- Leigh Bardugo
Addicted to You- Kristia Ritchie
Everything Leads to You- Nina LaCour
This Girl- Colleen Hoover


October is super special because I reached my Goodreads reading goal... Yes, I reached book 185! I can't believe it either! So freaking pumped about it. Don't know how I'll be able to top that in 2016... Might have to sell my soul or something. With reaching my goal I kind of took it easy this month. Honestly I'll probably be a little more sluggish about reading till the end of the year. I have a lot of events and movies coming up so those will probably eat away at a good bit of my free time. That's actually a reason this is being posted early. Leah and I are headed to Atlanta for WalkerStalker Con. This is the first time we've ever been and were both excited and a bit nervous since we don't really now what to expect. Of course well be posting about it once we get home so keep an eye out for that post. Enough of that though, lets get on to my tops and flops.

My top picks for October are: Clockwork Princess, This Girl, Lev, and Six of Crows. First Clockwork Princess was just as amazing as the hyped lead it to be. I'm so glad that I waited until this series was completely finished and for some of the buzz to die down before I got into it. Cassandra Clare nails love triangles. This book had me a mess. I did however still preferred The Mortal Instruments series to this one, but to each their own. On to This Girl, the third and final book in the Slammed series. It was so nice to get back into this story and hear everything from Will's point of view. I fell in love all over again. This was another book I was glad I waited on reading. Next is Lev. Thanked my luck stars when Belle sent me an ARC of the first book in her new series. She gives us a leading male like none I've ever read before. Such a good time read and I can't wait to get my hands on a finished copy. Lastly, Six of Crows. This would hands-down be my number one pick for the whole month. I liked her Shadow and Bone trilogy (emphasis on like) but this book... What a way to start a series. It blew my freaking mind!!!! I feared with so much hype and with so many main characters things wouldn't live up. It does. It has some of the best characters and world building I've read in the longest time.

As for my flops for October we have: Girl of Fire and Thorns, Addicted to You, and Everything Leads to You. I feel very mislead when it came to Girl of Fire and Thorns. I heard all this buzz about how great and action packed it was, but 150 pages in I had to DNF it. Our leading lady spent most of the book bashing her physical appearance. It got old fast! I tried so hard to push through it, but just couldn't. After DNFing it I so many people comment on my status/review saying that the end of the second book is where it picks up, and then right after someone would say that I was right to put it down. So I have no idea when Ill get back to this one. Might not revisit it until next year. Addicted to You  had the same problem. It was so hyped up in the world of romance reviews. People saying that this is their favorite NA/romance series, and I just could not get into it. I got 75% into the book before putting it down... That really says a lot because if I reached that point in most books I would just keep going. I will say this is a book I will for sure be revisiting in the near future because a part of me fears it might have just been "wrong time" read. Lastly, Everything Leads to You. This was a cover buy for me. I don't usually do contemporary but this book looked and sounded so sweet that I just had to give it ago. Also wanted to try it out because the lead girl in it is gay. This book was so boring! Nothing happens. There's no dramatic events, no plot twist, just one sluggish thing after another. I don't think I've ever DNFd so many books before. Sigh.

Till next month.
Angela

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

Madeline is suffer from a rare disease. Forced to stay indoors everyday she has come to terms with how her life will be. Until one day she hears a moving truck next door and see a boy and his family moving in. 

"Maybe we can't predict everything, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly... It's almost certainly going to be a disaster."

Can we first just talk about this cover??? Amazing right?! Stunning. It fits the story so well.

Everything Everything is a novel about a girl named Madeline who is suffering from SCID... or as I knew it "bubble boy syndrome". Madeline has spent the last 18 years trapped inside her house. The only people she comes in contact with are her nurse Carla and her mother. That is until Olly moves in next door. Madeline is a very sweet lead. Also loved how diverse she is. She is a combination of Asian and African American, this set her apart from other YA characters right off the bat and was a huge plus for me. The other thing is her kind heart. I've read characters before who are caring, kind, and sweet but something about how Yoon presents Maddy's traits made it something special. She is a lead that you will easily be able to fall for. She was a lead that I thought I would mainly just sympathy for, but Yoon has this way of just making you more hopefully for her than anything else.

Then we have Olly the adorable boy next door. He is another character that you will have no trouble liking. I did want a little more out of him, but overall happy with what he gives us. My favorite part of the whole book is with him and his mother bundt cake... So cute I found myself blushing the whole scene. Olly is charming, funny, and I think he seems his age. You might be a little confused about what I just said so I'll sum it up real quick... You know how in other "sick lit" such a TFIOS a lot of people's issues with Hazel and Gus is that they speak so mature for their age and it's off putting for a few. Some get that it's because they are dealing with a more adult issue of realizing that they are going to die way before their time but some still think they seem a little too mature... So if you didn't like TFIOS for that reason Everything Everything might be more up your alley. Both Olly and Maddy feel, talk, and act more their age. Their relationship can be summed up in one word: Sweet. It's so so sweet. The fact that neither of them is put of by the others life situations is so endearing. You will be cheering for these two and without a doubt you'll want to see them end up together with a happy ever after.

Everything Everything's plot is pretty steady through out. But not gonna lie, the plot was actually my "biggest" issue with this novel. The story is predictable. There was never a time when I didn't know what was going to happen next. As soon as Olly is introduced I was like "well... I know exactly where this story is headed". Sure enough I was waiting around for some kind of big surprise twist that I never ended up getting. So why the higher rating? Well because all of the adorable and perfectly placed extras. Yoon gives of these cute little sidenotes, little letters, poems and more. They're just wonderful and wiped away any "errors" I might have felt the plot had. And even with me saying that the book was predictable I really did enough the story.

"Spoiler alert: Love is worth everything. Everything."

I am not a contemporary fan... in fact it is my least favorite genre so liking this book was kind of a big deal for me. Everything Everything is the prefect quick sweet summer read. Very happy to see this become a movie.

7.5/10 Stars 
-Angela 

Darken the Stars by Amy A. Bartol

As the war for Ethar continues, everyone see Kricket as a pawn. She isn't as weak as her enemies might think. Seeing into the future might benefit her, but it might also make it harder for her to make the choices necessary. Darken the Stars is the third book in the Kricket Series.

"Deep down, however, I fear that I've come to love a lie." 

Thanks Amy, for confusing the crap out of me... my heart doesn't know what direction it wants to go in. This book messed with my head for multiple different reasons.

When I finished Sea of Stars I was 100% team Trey. Now that I have finished Darken the Stars I'm so torn between Trey and Kyon... Actually I might not be?!? Ugh I truly don't know where to start! Trey, Kyon, Kricket... I'm a glass case of emotions! Much like I did with my Queen of Shadows review I'm going to do a lot more talking about characters than I am about plot.

I'm not going to lie to you or beat around the bush with this.... We get a lot less Trey in this book than I was ever expecting... and at first this had me super peeved. I was mad that all our free time wasn't again filled with stolen moments and forbidden romance. Needless to say I was a little bit huffy the first few chapters in.  That was until it dawned on me that if Amy gave me all the things I "wanted" then it was would be book two repeated and that what I really wanted was something different and new for this series. I got it too.

Trey was just Trey in this book. As much as I still wanted more of him I was again still thankful for what we got instead. He's still seems just as sexy and strong as ever... but he is still the same Trey. The man that thinks he has to stand in front of Kricket instead of besides her as equals. Darken the Stars is more about Kyon and Kricket's story. Yes, you heard right; WE GET A LOT OF KYON!!! Never thought I'd be excited to say that. I'll get to that in a minute though... Kricket is still the whip smart fire cracker that we got in the first two books, but in this one shes a little more vulnerable and dare I say more like-able. Don't get me wrong, I liked her in the previous books, but I liked getting so see the raw more emotional side of her. We get to see more into her thought process and how seeing into the future really effects her. I like her wits over fist persona and her strong will to fight for what she wants. Not what the world needs but for what she needs. Some might think that comment sounds rather selfish for a leading lady, but in my eyes it's refreshing. Then there's Kyon. Everyone from here to Mars knows I love the villains. I always swoon over the bad boy... and what's better than your average bad boy? The bad boy who knows he's bad and doesn't care to be anything else! He owns it. Kyon has the same thing going for him that Warner from The Shatter Me Trilogy has. At first ya boy is beyond creepy and clingy and you're biggest worry is when and where he is going to make a skin suit out of Kricket. As time goes on though you start to see why he is the way he is. That he might be the "villain" but that he gives something to Kricket that no one else has. I also want to mention how I loved how he wants to teach Kricket things. He want to confide in her, and also sees her as an equal. He was the biggest surprise in this book for me. He becomes charming, jokey, romantic, fierce, he's always man-handling someone, he doesn't wear a shirt often.... and holy hot half-breed I just want to lick his face... and that seafood dinner scene... Whoosh, sorry. Excuse me. Got caught I up in the moment.

"Courage is a value that you hold dear. You live for danger... I can't avoid danger. There's a difference... No. You slap danger in the face and wait for it to react."

Darken the Stars plot does take a slower pace than the two previous. The first two are all about action packed Wtf moments and chase scenes while this one is more about answering the unanswered questions we had from the others. It's about giving us more of a world history and character development. Also I don't know if I'm the only one whose going to think this, but whatever, I think the plot for DTS is a lot darker as well which I found to be a plus... I don't even want to get into how my number one biggest fears is present in this book. When that bomb gets dropped I almost threw up from being terrified. I'm not even going to mention what it is because I do feel like it's a little bit of a spoiler, but if you know me at all, then you'll already know what it is... because again it's number one on my list of biggest fears. Just shuttering thinking about it again. DTS is more a book that is set into place to set things up for the further installments in the series. The pace really doesn't pick up till closer to the end and takes several turns that I didn't except... And that ending! I just have no idea where this book is headed, what will come in the future, and this has me both stressed and very excited.

 Sigh. There's going to be no other way for me to get over this book hangover that Darken the Stars has given me than watch really low rated movies on Netflix and binge on Ben and Jerry's. Goodbye cruel world.

10/10 Stars
-Angela 

Angela's August Wrap-Up

Warm Bodies- Isaac Marion

No Country for Old Men- Cormac McCarthy
Every Last Breath- Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Heart of Betrayal- Mary E. Pearson
Saga Volume 1- Brain K. Vaughan
Saga Volume 2- Brain K. Vaughan
Saga Volume 3- Brain K. Vaughan
Saga Volume 4- Brian Vaughan 
Y: The Last Man Volume 1- Brain K. Vaughan
Torn Hearts- Claire Contreras
Black Out- Robinson Wells
You- Caroline Kepnes
Diamonds- K.A. Linde
Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone- J K Rowling (re-read)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- J K Rowling (re-read)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- Jk Rowling  (re-read)
Stolen- Lucy Christopher
The Statistically Probability of Love at First Sight- Jennifer E. Smith
Twilight- Stephanie Meyer (re-read)
New Moon- Stephanie Meyer (re-read)
Heir of Fire- Sarah J. Maas (re-read)

Though I might have hit double digits for reading in August if you can't tell there seems too be a small reoccurring theme... A lot of the books I read this month were re-reads, books to film, and/or graphic novels. Basically August was a struggle reading wise. I couldn't seem to focus or get into anything really deep. Honestly, I did fall really deep into watching Pretty Little Liars on NetFlix... However, this doesn't mean the things I read were as weak as I was.

Of course my favorites this month clearly include any book I re-read. How could I read the Harry Potter Series and Heir of Fire and not love them??? Yeah, it would be impossible. I figured I knock of Heir of Fire with Queen of Shadows coming out today, and of course I still loved it, still cried, and still fell apart reliving it. My pre-order can't come in soon enough. But enough talk of re-reads. My favorites this month that I haven't read previously are: Every Last Breath, Saga 1-4, Y: The Last Man, and Torn Hearts. ELB is the third and final book in The Dark Elements trilogy by Jennifer Armentrout and it was my favorite of all three books. Such a great conclusion to a wonderful, fun, and sexy series. Jlaw gives us a gripping story with a love triangle done right. Torn Hearts the novella by Claire Contreras was a big surprise. I believe they are calling this a "first read" because it will slowly be released over a period of time then become a full novel. I flipping loved this. The characters were fun and it was a book that I didn't think I was going to enjoy... but whoosh I am so excited to get my hands on the full length novel. Next are the two graphic novels I read. Saga was a complete mind blowing experience, and if you're looking for something different look no further. Y took the "plague" idea and gave it a new refreshing spin. I would recommend either series to comic lovers who haven't yet snagged these up.

You, Stolen, and Diamonds might not be my favorites this month but all three were so unique, different, thrilling, and creepy. I can't not mention them. You by Caroline Kepnes is an adult fiction novel where a man starts stalking a women after she comes into the book store he works for. Stolen by Lucy Christopher is about a young female who is kidnapped while at an airport and forced to live with a stranger in the desert. She slow develops what would appear to be Stockholm syndrome. And Diamonds by K.A Linde is the sexy NA book that I both loved and hated, didn't want to continue, but yet couldn't put down. A 17 year old girl starts a relationship with a wealthy strange and shiz hits the fan.

For the books that I didn't fancy this month I have only one. Black Out by Robinson Wells. 
I tried so hard to get into this book but just couldn't. It had so much potential but it never sank it's teeth into me... Therefore I ended up DNFing it a little over half way through with much disappointment. Nothing is better than when you buy a book for it's cover then it knocks it out of the park... Sadly Black Out struck out.

Previous Months

Dirty Rowdy Thing by Christina Lauren

Harlow and Finn's marriage might have only lasted 12 hours after a wild weekend in Vegas, and they might be total opposites and despise each other, but there's no denying their chemistry when these two get together.

IVE SAID THIS EXACT SENTENCE A MILLION TIMES. I LOVE CHRISTINA LAUREN! They continue to climb up my list of favorite NA authors. After reading the first book Sweet Filthy Boy I knew I had to continue this series. Dirty Rowdy Thing didn’t disappoint!

In DRT we are following Harlow and Finn. Harlow comes from a pretty impressive background with both her parents being in the film industry, while Finn is the complete opposite working/running a fishing company. If you’ve read the first one you remember the trip to Vegas and that these two remained married for all of 12 hours before coming to their senses. Harlow is a firecracker, with so much sass and brass. Finn however is the complete opposite. He is the laid back quite hard working mans man. The only things these two have in common is their both dripping with sarcasm and can't seem to stay away from one another.

When Finn and Harlow finally see each other again they are right back to where they started… Throwing insults at each other while not being able to keep their hands off one another. But these two together OMG I just loved it so much!!!!! I love their banter, how they pretend not to care when it’s so clear they do, and I love how their relationship builds. I love that they are actual friends among other things.  Harlow is a leading lady I really enjoyed hearing and her carefree ways are just to die for. I feel like a lot of times the ladies in NA books can be bit annoying, but this was never an issue with her… But Finn, he takes the cake! AMAZING!!!! I love that at first he is so guarded then when he let them walls down, I was COMPLETELY SOLD!!!! SIGNED SEALED DELIVERED I'M YOURS!!!! HE WAS SO FREAKING SWEET!!!! And he managed to do this one thing I really loved… He was speaking and talking about how beautiful she is when she first wakes and I just turned to mush! 90% of what he said had me a puddle on the floor! Plus he's Canadian... Which is my male kryptonite. 

Though SWT has been my favorite so far in this series DRT definitely stepped it up when it came to steam. Way hotter than the first. And oh boy did I enjoy the new level they took it. I also really enjoyed the way they continue to add a unique elements into their writing that gives their books a little something more. There’s always something they add that just makes for the perfect twist, and again it’s nothing you'll see coming. The plot is never dull, the smut is so smutty and good, and the ending had me so giddy. Their writing style was changed up a bit in this book as well, and it was 100% a plus. A lot more depth and poetic than the previous novels I've read of theirs. Each scene perfectly expressed in a way I haven't seen them do before. My only complaint is one I can’t full share because of spoils. However something happens and it kind of got under my skin but was soon righted (so perfectly righted) and I returned too the island of loving any and everything these two ladies write.

So happy that what happened in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas. 

9.5/10 Stars 
-Angela 

Fractured Suns by Theresa Kay

While Jax and Lir fight separate battles, their missions have more in common than they realize. It’s a race against time to stop men driven only by greed and power. But the people they trust the most might be the very people working against them—and "family" doesn't mean what it used to. Will they recognize their friends from their enemies in time to save the people they love or will they lose each other in the process? 

Just gonna go ahead and get this out of the way... Fractured Suns does not suffer from second book syndrome... it was AMAZING!!!!  

The Broken Skies Series is a true hidden gem! This is a series that is WAY under-hyped! Theresa Kay makes writing look easy. Fractured Suns is the second book in the Broken Skies Series and again doesn't disappoint. When Theresa contacted us again to review her second novel I have "give me hands" flying all over the place! I knew I needed it but had no clue how much I was going too get out of it. Fractured Suns picks right up where Broken Skies ended. I'm going too keep this review 100% spoiler free because if you cant tell by now I'm very pro team-read this series.

We have Jax our leading lady. She continues to be a strong willed, stubborn, powerhouse of a heroine. She is such a strongly written female character and in this book we continued to get so much out of her. With her new found strength and power she really becomes a force to be reckoned with. Then we have Lir, who really steps up his game in this book. He is strong, supportive, swoon worthy, amazing male character. Since this book is written in dual POV (100% A POSITIVE THING FOR THIS NOVEL) we get so much more out of both these characters and it made their stories intertwine so seamlessly and it really pulls this novel together. Their relationship is just such a joy to read and get to experience. Though their relationship, of course, is a fictional one it feels so real. They are still new to it and are learning that trust and communication is the key to getting past anything. These two together have me head over heels with being head over heels in love. They have sky rocketed and easily have become one of my favorite book couples. I can't wait to see where they're relationship heads in book three. Especially with how the story is left off.

We also have a lot more secondary characters in this book. Sadly, I wont get to mention all because some are new players. We do however get a lot more Rym time! Which made this girl a happy camper. LOVE HIM!!! and his horrible comic timing. We also get a lot more Jace and Flint. These two characters were ones I knew would be important, but going into this book had no true sense on how much we were going to get out of them. Their characters took this book to a whole new level! (I wish yall could see my face right now.... It's.... Ugh... My mouths open my hands are fan-girl flapping around... I'm struggling to form actual words!) These two... Just wow. These characters are what would have made this novel a "make-or-break" for me. They made this novel.

The best part of Fractured Suns in my opinion is it's pace. You're never overwhelmed by one certain aspect. It has the perfect mixture of action packed scenes, romance, character development, and set this series. Even the scenes that are not fast paced action moments are still filled with amazing Easter eggs and little hidden treasures. Wait, did I say the pace was my favorite part?... I might have lied, the plot twist was my favorite part. Trust me when I say you think you'll have the "big reveal" figured out.... BUT YOU ARE WRONG!!!!!!!! You might be right about a few things that will happen, but you still wont be ready for what happens. I thought I knew exactly where this book was headed... but when the actual twist happens... I seriously jumped off the sofa, started throwing pillows around, pulling my hair, and then balled my eyes out. I'll never again make the mistake of turning my back to you Theresa, because it's clear you're not above shoving a knife into it and then twisting!
 

What an amazingly perfect, gripping, and heart breaking twist... No, not just twist, but story. This series needs to be on shelves everywhere and moved to the top of your TBR list. Theresa was clearly born to write. She is a writer I could easily see slip into other genres like New Adult and Contemporary and again make it look like she has been doing it forever  

This is a knock out novel and series that continues too surprise me. Fractured Suns will have you paying for the whole seat... but you're only going to use the edge of it.

10/10 Stars 
-Angela 

Angela's Out of Control TBR Pile

If you couldn't tell from the title my TBR pile has gotten out of control! Between the sales on bookoutlet, publisher sent, and the book events we've gone to recently I've acquired an insane amount of books! Right now I'm sitting on 26 books to be read. This isn't including the E-books I've been sent for review as well. Seriously yall this is getting out of hand. Didn't help that last month I got real ill and fell incredibly behind in my reading. -While I typed that I said all of it in my head with a British accent, no clue why... Probably has to do with the amount of British TV shows I've been watching on Netflix... Anyways, these are the current books on my shelf. 

Mila 2.0- Debra Driza

Sea of Shadows- Kelley Armstrong

This is Not a Test- Courtney Summers

The Fury- Alexander G. Smith

Broken Hearts, Fences and Other Things to Mend- Katie Finn

A Little Something Different- Sandy Hall 

Stone Rider- David Hofmeyr

When the Sea is Rising Red- Cat Hellisen

Of Triton- Anna Banks

Of Neptune- Anna Banks 

The Trylle Series- Amanda Hocking 

Switched 

Torn 

Ascend  

Whispers of the Fallen- J.D Netto

Rebellion  

Thrones & Bones- Lou Anders 

Frostborn 

Nightborn 

Reckoning- Kerry Wilkinson 

Eleanor and Park- Rainbow Rowell 

Blackout- Robison Wells 

Undertow- Micheal Buckley 

No Place to Fall- Jaye Brown 

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown- Holly Black 

Illuminae- Amie kaufman 

The Memory Painter- Gwendolyn Womack  
Thicker than Blood- Claire Riley 

Yeah. Kind of out of control. Hoping by the end of December I can have 5 or less on my shelf. Highly doubt this will happen but we shall see... Biggest issue is what should I read next??!!  

Clipped Wings by Helena Hunting

Tenley and Hardin are complete opposites when it comes to life. Yet they boy share one thing in common... They both have past they wish to keep secret.

This is a case of the right book at the right time. I felt myself slipping into a slump with the other book I was reading so I set it down and picked up Clipped Wings. I think my favorite thing about new adult books is that they are some of the best to pick up when you need to get out of a reading slump. Though Clipped Wings is overall your basic NA novel, I did enjoy that there was a little something different about it, and something that surprising related rather close to me.

Clipped Wings is about a rocky secret keeping relationship between Tenley and Hayden. Tenley is a college student working on her thesis while working at the book store she lives above. Hayden is the bad boy with the dark past who has now straightened out his life and is working/owning a tattoo parlor across the street from his aunts bookstore... So you see where this is going. After several visits to the store Hayden takes a liking to Tenley and after a series of events talks her into coming in for a tattoo session. Tenley though shy and guarded at times still managed to be both funny and charming. As far as leading ladies went I was really pleased with her, and how she is written. Hayden however was the character I oddly ended up relating to the most. Not only is he a total babe, but also a total sweet heart. The reason however I contacted with him was because much like him I am often discriminated against because of the amount of tattoos I have. People see them and then automatically assume you're up to no good. So naturally I felt a connection to him and how he sees the world seeing him. I also can't mention Hayden without mentioning his love of cupcakes and how much it made me love him. But, too be completely honest I really enjoyed everything about his character. He turned out to be a lot more swoon worthy than I originally thought he would be. At first I thought I knew how his character would be, but once he started to actually to reveal himself and start to win over Tenley I was completely sold. That sweet tattooed dreamboat stole my heart.


The story line is told in dual POV which I digged. I enjoyed getting to see both of their struggles along with hearing both of their thoughts on one another. I also liked how the book, though it's deeper message was about working through struggles and learning that its okay to lean on people, still found a unique way of bringing tattooing into the picture. Hot guys, talks about tattoos, and a story line that wasn't choppy had me sold. Though the plot is rather predictable it was still written so well that I was able to set that aside. The plot keeps a steady pace through-out the novel and the romance is always on point. I will say I thought this was a stand-alone but it turns out there is a sequel. With an ending I did see coming, I still wasn't disappointed because it does leave it off so the next book is actually a mystery. Really looking forward to seeing how this series ends because right now I'm so clueless and curious about how everything will wrap up.

 

8.5/10 Stars 

-Angela  

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each day only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when Shahrzad volunteers to marry the Caliph.

The Wrath and the Dawn is every recently amazing YA book thrown into one read. Red Queen meets An Ember in the Ashes meets A Court of Thorns and Roses. The main difference it has between those books is the amount of action. The Wrath definitely set aside action packed scenes for a slower more lyrical literature depth.

Sharhrzad (Shazi) is out to seek revenge for the murder of her best friend and decides too volunteer to be the next wife of the Caliph of Khorasan. The Caliph is known for being ruthless, heartless, and cruel. But the thing he is most known for is the fact that every day he takes a different wife and every following dawn he kills her. Shazi doesn’t care why the king does this she only cares about righting what has been wrong and insuring that this fate doesn’t come to another girl.  Since this is told from a 3rd person point of view us as reading know that there is clearly more to the story than meets the eye. As Shazi gets to know Khalid (The Caliph) she learns he is not what she thought he was. She beings to become conflicted between doing what she set out to do and listening to her heart. Things only get more complicated when Shazi pre suicide mission boyfriend, Tariq, sets out to get her back.


I'm usually am not the biggest fan of the 3rd person pov but in this case I found myself falling in love with it. That was not the only thing I fell for, the characters won me over. Shazi is our leading lady and the character I connected most with. Having to see her go back and forth on what she should do had me struggling along with her. She is a fierce lead and her silver tongued attitude is a forced to be reckoned with. Her take no crap ways and honesty will win you over. Khalid is our leading male and I can’t express enough how much I loved his character. He isn’t a man of many words, and the ones he uses he chooses wisely, time and time again had me swooning. Though I connected more with Shazi without a doubt Khalid was my favorite character. He has definitely made his way onto my list of fictional book boyfriends. I loved the mystery surrounding him, his intelligence, and his ability to read people. This is also the only negative feedback I have on the book. The romance, though amazing, I wanted more of it. I wanted more “screen time” with Shazi and Khalid. The moments we get with them are so perfect that it made me want this book to be longer. I think it says a lot if your only real complaint is that something was so good you wanted more of it. This is a very very minor issue in the grand scheme of things.  Both Shazi and Khalid are complex and well built characters. The fact that we are given so much back story and tells from their childhoods also gave these characters something that a lot of other books miss. Tariq is the only character I felt I didn’t really connect with or understand in this book. though I see his value and what he brings to the table I just think Khalid won me over and had it so I wasn't even glancing Tariq way.

“Love is a force unto itself, sayyidi. For love, people consider the unthinkable...and often achieve the impossible. I would not sneer at its power.”  

As I stated above The Wrath is a book that can be compare to others that have been released lately but it has something so different to it. Though most of it's action packed scenes are left towards till the end of the story, Renee's writing had it so I was still on the edge of my seat either way. She manages keeps a steady pace throughout the whole novel. Renee's writing is so beautiful and gripping. The brilliance behind how she survives through the night is what got me so hooked right away and every wonderful sentence after kept me there. This novel brought a whole new meaning to stories having power. Waiting so long to give us the true answer to the riddle yet giving us little bits and pieces really worked so well for this book. The action scenes in this book are perfectly placed along with their delivery.

The Wrath and the Dawn surpassed any expectation I had for this book. It brings something so new and diverse to this genre. The perfect start to a series. It’s a fresh retelling with and amazing band of characters, perfect amount of romance, and the perfect mystery surrounding it. Finding out this is the first book and that there will be a sequel has me beyond giddy! 

10/10 Stars
-Angela

3:AM Kisses by Addison Moore

Baya Brighton is looking forward to her first year at Whitney Briggs University. New start, new friends, new adventures. The last thing Baya was looking for was a love interest. That is until she meets her brother’s roommate, Bryson Edwards.

3:AM Kisses was dumb… There’s no other word I can use to describe how I felt about it. I seriously rather be audio water boarded by Pink’s get this party started than ever have to experience this again. I really hate hating books because I know how much hard work goes into them and how much effort goes into getting them published… but I still stand behind my statement. This book was just not for me. The fact that it is one of the most cliche things ever written really isn’t helping it's case either. I should have known right away this book wasn’t for when I was first introduced to Baya and her wardrobe malfunction… That happens on page like I don’t know two and that’s really when my rage began.

Baya is just lame. She’s one of those characters that wants to be strong and independent but yet can’t handle anything alone. Example: she has an issue with her roommate and instead of being an adult and talking to the girl she storms out to find big brother then avoids the girl. That is just 1 of the 100 examples of the childish decisions she makes. Baya is nineteen but if she didn't tell me, I'd have thought her brothers assessment of 13 was closer to the mark. Then there’s Bryson, who yes I called Dyson the whole time, is a real piece of work. First off if you know me then you know I love a good slutty guy in a book…. But even I have a line drawn where it goes from promiscuous to downright disgusting… And our boy Dyson is way beyond the point of no return. The thing he and he’s frat brothers do that really set me off was that they keep a wall of tally marks (they each have their own section to keep score) of how many hook ups they have. Baya even states that Dyson is hitting triple digits… TRIPLE DIGITS!!! So that statement already had me wanting to peel my skin off. But, to make matters worse with them, the way Baya explains situations she’s in are written very poorly. I don’t think you should use food to describe someone body parts (if you pick up what I’m putting down). The thing that really had me choking on my own vom was when she said she thought it was going to impale her and come shooting out of her mouth… YES THIS IS ACTUALLY SAID.

I have no clue besides looks wise why these two are even attracted to each other. He’s a stage five clinger and she has the street smarts and intelligent of a 5 year old toddler. Ha I failed to even mention that they have this “double dog dare you” thing as an “inside joke” but by then end of the book I had heard that sentence so many times I would rather listen to nails on a chalk board… Kid you not when I got to the end of the book and the last sentence in it was “I double dog dare you” I almost ran out into traffic! There’s only one real sub character to cover and that’s he brother Cole. Who I bet you can already guess, I also hated. He was also a man troll and lord help this poor boy because he couldn't seem to keep his “gift” in his pants for two seconds!!! PLEASE PUT IT AWAY FOR THE FIVE MINUTES YOUR SISTER IS PRESENT!

As far as the story line goes just take every cliche thing from every other YA/NA book you’ve read in the last five years and throw them all together and you will get 3:AM Kisses. I predicted what this book was going to be 25 pages in… “I’m guessing our leading lady is the shy sheltered good girl who will turn from a lady on the streets to a freak in the sheets… And he is the slutty rich boy from the wrong side of the tracks with a dark past who will be swept off his feet by this special snowflake of a lady”… That’s a direct quote from my goodreads progress page, and let’s just say I nailed it. Even the dark twisted past is exactly what you think it is. There is no wham bam thank you mam surprising moments. The forbidden love is so not that juicy, the big surprises are things you will seem coming, events you are hoping will be awesome have little sizzle to them, and the same goes for the smutty sections. This book was just much ridiculous thrown into one book. My biggest question however was WHEN THE HELL DO THESE KIDS GO TO CLASS???

This book gave me heartburn and a headache from rolling my eyes.

1/10 Double dog don't you dare say that sentence Stars 
-Angela  

Making Faces by Amy Harmon

In a small town five young men go off to war, and only one comes back. The boy who returns is broken. But one girl remembers what he was like before, and still loves him despite what meets the eye. 

I'm gonna start this review off with an embarrassing confession... I read the first 10% of this book at home, then the next 89% of it at work, and then the last 1% of it in the car on the way home from work... I had like three pages left and I just had to know what happened so as soon at I hit the red light near the EarthFare I knew it was my chance to read the last three pages... Bad move on my part. As I read the last few sentences I started balling my eyes out and completely forgetting I was at a stop, until the guy behind me honked his horn at me bringing me back to life.

Making Faces was just that amazing. It makes you want to read between red lights and at any chance you can get. Making Faces surrounds three main characters. Fern is the girl who is forever overlooked. She's the bookwork, small, sweet, with red hair. Bailey, Ferns cousin and best friend, is the sweet caring boy who is suffering from muscle dystrophy. And Ambrose Young, school's star athlete and overall talented guy. Fern has admired Ambrose from afar for as long as she can remember, and he only notices her after an odd event plays out. But even after that things seem to go back to the way they were. That is until 9/11 happens and it hit Ambrose in a way he didn't see coming. Even though he is so gifted he still feels like he needs to do more. He decides to sign up for the military and to serve in Iraq and talks his four friends into coming with him.

That's where the story will takes off, because Ambrose is the only one who returns, but even he doesn't come back in one piece. Ambrose and Fern's relationship is the definition of hope. Their relationship is sweet, playful, and deep. Harmon again writes such strong leading characters and gives them so much depth. Fern, though shy is far from weak. Ambrose who to the eye is strong is so weak. Them being opposites gave this book such balance. I liked that Fern shows him that there is more to life and a person than what meets the eye. That you can either run and hide or face things head on. That it's okay to let people in. That looks might be the thing that originally draws you to a person, but it's not the thing that keeps you there. Their relationship shows you that being together is a give and take situation but you both have to be willing to do both. You have to know when to push and when to ease up. Their relationship is such gold.

 "You are still beautiful," Fern says softly "I think that statement is more a reflection of your beauty than mine."

Even with these two character being as amazing as they are there is no doubt who stole the show... Bailey. His and Fern's friendship is probably, if not, my favorite friendship I've ever read. There aren't even words to describe how amazing it is. Everything that comes out of his mouth is written with such a force. He is unlike any character I've ever had the pleasure of reading. He alone would be a reason I would recommend this book. The characters in Making Faces are flawless.

The plot of this book is so different. At first with how everything was laid out I didn't think I would like it. The timeline bounces around from the past the the present, and I didn't think thing would come together... But when they do, and everything is reveal, it is mind blowing. Everything from the flashbacks, the old stories, the current events, the the title of the chapters are so well thought out. When I started too figure everything out I was taken back by how incredible this truly was. Even when there were a few moments towards the end when I knew what was going to happen next, and things were playing of cliche, the ending itself made up for anything that could have happened. The last few paragraphs made up for anything that would ever be lacking.

I think writing reviews on books you love is so much hard than doing to for ones you hate. You can never seem to perfectly put into words how it made you feel. Making Faces is heartbreaking and heartwarming. Making Faces will probably be one of my top reads this year. This book broke my heart in the best way possible.
It's a book with so many layers, and so many lovely messages. This is a book that is tattooed on me and will forever leave a lasting impression.

"True beauty, the kind that doesn't fade or wash off, takes time. It takes incredible endurance. It is the slow drip that creates the stalactite, the shaking of the Earth that creates mountains, the constant pounding of the waves that breaks up the rocks and smooths the rough edges. And from the violence, the furor, the raging of the winds, the roaring of the waters, something better emerges, something that would have otherwise never existed. And so we endure. We have faith that there is purpose. We hope for things we can't see. We believe there are lessons in loss, power in love, and that we have within us the potential for a beauty so magnificent, our bodies can't contain it."

10/10 Stars
-Angela 

Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren

When Hanna Bergstrom receives a lecture from her overprotective brother about neglecting her social life and burying herself in grad school she decides he's right and needs to start doing more for herself. Only downside is she doesn't really know anyone around her. When her brother mentions she should meet up with their childhood friend (his best friend), Will Sumner, Hanna is thrown back into remembering her giddy school girl crush.... But then again she can't help remember how much of a player he was, and apparently still is.

I really have fallen in love with Christina and Lauren. They always find new ways to bring new spins on old favorites. Their books are ones you go into knowing what you're gonna get, but never seem to care. I always know this is how things are going too play out: 

• Mans been man-whoring around town going through the his routine. Shower. Work. Bang chicks. Sleep. Shower rinse repeat. 
• Man meets girl who he thinks is gonna be ordinary. Girl turns out to be special snowflake that changes the way he sees the world. 
• They deny their feelings for one another. Yet continue to lust hard.
• Guy screws up. Gets depressed. Doesn't shower for several days. Friends convince guy he is an idiot for screwing up on said awesome girl.
• Guy sets out too win girl back. Girl might fight feelings for a few pages but eventually caves because hey let's be real ;hes a super successful, deep down sweet guy, who just so happens to look like he has been torn off the pages of GQ who wouldn't say yes. 
• A crazy event happens that makes them both see they need one another.
• Couple finally confess feelings for one another and have mind blowing whoppie. 
• Couple then (or usually) then takes an awesome trip somewhere. 
• Couple lives happily ever after.

Like I said I know this is how it's all gonna go down AND I DON'T CARE. BECAUSE I TRULY LOVE BOOKS LIKE THAT. Sue me! Seriously, I don't care and I don't think most care. These are still amazing well written and fun reads. Each one I read I love more than the previous. That's how I felt about Beautiful Player. I loved the plot and how they continue to bring pervious books into the new one. I liked they way things played out. The timeline was a little shorter than I liked, but that is a VERY, very minor negative. I like how their relationship played out, and how it both falls apart and then comes together. Too be honest I really enjoyed Hanna but, she's still not my favorite girl from this series (Ruby still is). I do however think that Will might be in a tie for first with Mr. Max Stella. I love the sub characters, especially George who I think should be featured more in every book. Just head over heels for this series, and how easy going it is. Christina Lauren continue to give us sassy plots, loveable characters, amazing steamy scenes, and lovely swoon worthy men. This was a book I found myself staying up really late to read, and bringing around with me through out my day just to sneak in a few pages when I can. And I have felt that way about each one of their books.

I leave you with these two statements... First if you're looking for an easy, fun, girly book this along with their others are for you. Two if you haven't had a chance to read one of their books I feel sorry for you because you're clearly not doing life right.

10/10 Stars
-Angela  

Sisters of Shiloh by Kathy Hepinstall, Becky Hepinstall Hilliker

"Joseph and Thomas are fresh recruits for the Confederate Army, daring to join the wild fray that has become the seemingly endless Civil War, sharing everything with their fellow soldiers—except the secret that would mean their undoing: they are sisters." -Goodread Synopsis 
 
Libby is a young wife who constantly worries about the fate of her husband, Arden, while he is at war. She moves back home with her parents and siblings while Arden is away to keep her mind from wandering. Even though Libby's love for Arden is strong her sister doesn't feel the same way. She seems to see him as a distraction. When Libby's worst fears happen she has to leave to pick herself up and find strength in her lose. She thinks she can find peace in killing a one Yankee a year for every year he was alive.

Once Josephine figures out about her sisters crazy plan she fears she will never see Libby again if she doesn't go along to keep a watchful eye on her The two devise a plan and decide to dress as men, and soon find themselves in the army. The majority of the novel takes place with the two hiding out in a camp. Libby and Josephine have very different struggles while being there. One doesn't want to take someones life while the other seems to be thriving off of the idea.   

If that isn't complicated enough Josephine starts falling in love with a fellow soldier. While Josephine struggles with wither to stay loyal to her sister or to reveal her true gender Libby is battle her own ghost... Literately; she keeps seeing vision of her dead husband. The two sisters are night and day from each other which was a big positive to this story. I will say I did prefer Josephine to Libby. This being said I felt neither character had a ton of development going on. The ending of this book did surprise me as it went in a different direction than I thought. 

It was nice having this book to break up my reading between Ya books... Since I do mainly (almost only) read YA/NA books I did find this one a littler harder for me to get into. If you're into war books and want something that has a deeper meaning this book would be a good pick for you.

7/10 Stars 
-Angela 

Angela's March Reads

Ahhhh March, you came and went so fast. March was.... well it was a climb reading wise for me. Saying I was in a slump would be an understatement. I couldn't seem too truly get into anything. As usual I had some high highs and low lows. This month I read a total of 20 books. Not my best numbers, but still ahead in my reading. I wasn't as active as I usually am on here or any bookmedia. I had some vacation time this month and just caught up with friends, family, and my home life. It was also my birthday this month so I was rather busy. (Planning on posting my birthday book-haul soon.) Leah and I have been planning some up-coming events so that ate up a lot of time as well. Hopefully I can catch up on some reviews in April. As far as my March reads go, here you have them:

Transparent- Natalie Whipple
Conviction- Kelly Lou Gilbert
My Heart and Other Black Holes- Jasmine Warga
Confess- Colleen Hoover
Hopeless- Colleen Hoover
Maybe Not- Colleen Hoover (Re-Read/Audio Book)
Obsidian- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-Read)
Onyx- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-Read)
Opal- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-Read)
Origin- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-Read)
Opposition- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-Read)
Beautiful Disaster- Jamie McGuire
To All the Boys I Loved Before- Jenny Han
The Last Time We Say Goodbye- Cynthia Hand
Keep Me Safe- Maya Banks (DNF)
Lovely Vicious- Sara Wolf
Savage Delight- Sara Wolf
Brutal Precious- Sara Wolf   
Sisters of Shiloh-Kathy Hepinstall, Becky Hepinstall Hilliker
We All Looked Up- Tommy Wallach 

My top picks this month are: Confess, Lovely Vicious, and my two re-reads, The Lux Series and Maybe Not. I usually wouldn't pick re-reads in my top picks for wrap-ups but since I was so sluggish with my reading and nothing else really stuck I'm going to go ahead and toss them in. Lovely Vicious was the book to break my reading slump, and I'm sad I read it so late in the month. This book had me laughing hard with it's strong leading lady and catchy one liners. Maybe Not is a book you've recently heard me talking about... I saw recent because I read it last month, and yes again this month. Well listened to it this month. The audio book for Maybe Not is amazing, even the second time around it still had my sides splitting. One of my all time favorites. The Lux Series, yes all five, are making in my top picks because even as a re-read I still loved everything about it. Daemon Black. That's all I need to say. My very top spot goes to Confess. Confess easily made it's way to number one this month, and on to my list of all time favorites. A new March release from Colleen Hoover had me balling in the first ten pages, with an unforgettable ending. Colleen Hoover write life altering books and a favorites list wouldn't be complete without on of her books on it.


My book fails were easy to pick as well. The biggest letdowns were: Transparent, To All the Boys I Loved Before, and Beautiful Disaster. Transparent was a book I was really looking forward to. With it's pitch comparing it to X-men I found myself letdown with its lackluster story and predictability. To
All the Boys I Loved Before was a contemporary read that has a lot of hype following it... I however found the story boring. When I heard a girl writes love letters to her ex loves and then the letters get out I figured the story would be filed with a lot of poetic thoughts and drama. Sadly there was nothing specials about it. And for my biggest disappointment, well I know you all saw this one coming, Beautiful Disaster. Saying it sucked would be going easy on this gross little number. It's not only one of the worst things I've read all month, it's one of the worst things I've read all year. Ugh thinking about it again puts me in a rage.

I'll just stop right there... See y'all in April.

-Angela

Lovely Vicious Series by Sara Wolf

Seventeen-year-old Isis Blake hasn’t fallen in love in three years, nine weeks, and five days, and after what happened last time, she intends to keep it that way. Since then she’s lost eighty-five pounds,changed her wardrobe/hair, and moved to the nowhere Ohio to help her mom escape a bad relationship. All the girls in her new school want one thing and that's Jack Hunter. The only thing Isis fells for him is her fist against his face... and now it's game on.

I fell upon this book after seeing the reviews and I knew it would be a book I'd read in the near future... Seeing the cover had me move it too the top of my list... I Cover Lusted hard for books one and two. Oddly, even though this isn't a perfect book series, I'm pretty sure it's the one that just got me out of my reading slump.

The Lovely Vicious Series was surprisingly good! The lack of polish is actually what won me over with this read. The story follows two main characters. Isis and Jack. When I first started this series I thought, "Jack is a great character and all... Like Jack you're cool, BUT DAMN! Isis stole the show!", She is amazing! I haven't laughed that loud while reading in so long. Isis is the "ex-fat girl" who has recently moved to a new town. She winds up at one of the parties the popular girl from school throws. While at this party she ends up sticking up for a girl that our leading male, Jack, is making fun of. By sticking up for I mean she punches him in the face. AND IT IS AMAZING! From then on out Isis and Jack are in a prank war. Isis though a little insecure, due to being burned in the past, is still a strong leading protagonist. Doesn't hurt that everything she says is hilarious!

“Did you have fun? How many boys did you make out with?” She asks. “Seventy. At least.” “How many shots did you take?” “Fourteen. I let go of the wheel halfway home and Jesus drove me the rest of the way.” 

For the most part she oozes confidence. I absolutely love that she doesn't take bullying laying down. She stands up for herself and doesn't let the haters get her down. I love that she says everything she's thinking, and every time she thinks out loud I died... Just so funny. I liked that even through all that witty banter she finds ways to slip really quotable beautiful lines in. Jack is your typical Ya hottie. He is the Ice Prince that leaves a trail of broken hearts all while looking like an Abercrombie model. Their relationship was something I would usually complain about because there is a lot of build too it, but I really enjoyed their banter and overall loath for one another. The sub characters like Wren, Kayla, Sophia, and Avery I personally didn't care for. Kayla is Isis' only friend, Avery is her enemy, Sophia is Jacks kind of gf, and Wren is the nerd. That's all you really need to know about them. Sophia does become a little more important in book two but I still stand behind not caring about any of them. I will admit that as the series went on my point of view on the leading characters changed. Books one and two I was in love with Isis, but by book three I was over her. Jack however I loved by the end. Book three really made him stand out. I didn't think he was swoon worthy till the second half of Brutal Precious (book 3). He stole my heart in that last novel.

“Living is really weird. You never get used to it. But it happens anyway. And sometimes you find things that make it a little more comfortable, and you try to hold on to those things, and the tighter you hold, the faster they slip away.”

As far as the plot went I thought it was enjoyable. It stayed constant. I will say that if it wasn't for Isis in Lovely Vicious and in Savage Delight and Jack's development in Brutal Precious I would have had a laundry list of complaints about it. The bullying aspect was a little much. Some parts of the story

become a little too convenient. Any and everything involving the principal got on my nerves. Along with any part about Isis' ex, Will... And the story for the most part is rather predictable. Even with all that I still enjoyed reading it. For the most part I knew what the big secrets were, and I saw most of the endings events coming... I did not see that last few sentences in book one or two occurring however.

I mean seriously when everything starts happening at the end of Savage Delight I was like "WTF?! NO SARA NO! YOU CAN'T DO WHAT I THINK YOU'RE ABOUT TO DO! NO! WAIT NO!!!!!!" The ending of book two, of all three, was my favorite. It got really deep and ended wonderfully. I do think that book one and two were way stronger than book three, and I wanted more out of the last book. With how the first two ended I was hoping to be wowed by the finale. Sadly, I got an ending I saw coming and was a little underwhelmed. I do think the great thing about this series was it left me wanting more and had me wanting to finish the series. Again I wish they would have gotten stronger as it continued, there were a lot of predictable moments, but the way Sara Wolf writes will have me reading her writing in the future. Overall I was pleased with this book and it gave me the push I need to rock out April.

8/10 Stars 
-Angela