Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Celaena Sardothien is coming for everything they said she couldn't have. Everything she loves and has was taken from her. But she's has returned to the empire for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront her past

"Do you think monsters are born or made?"

I just... I just... I can't... I just don't know what to say. Game of Thrones meets Batman. That's what the Throne of Glass series is... and yes it's as epic as that sounds. Sarah J. does it again. Another stunning, jaw dropping book. This review is going to be so hard to write. I want to gush. I want to scream. I want to rage about this book, but can't because *sigh* spoilers. As much as I want to spoil this for you I just can't be that kind of monster. I will still write my feelings about it and highlight a few moments I loved, but I just wanted to give warning this review WONT have spoilers in it... I will say that if you haven't taken the time to read this series you're a fool and I have no idea what you're doing with your life, besides living it wrong! Go pick it up the first three books then come back and read this review.

Queen of Shadows picks up right where Heir of Fire left off; pulling us behind a car by our heartstrings. There are a lot of characters introduced and finally produced in this book that I unfortunately wont be able to touch base on in this review. Just understand that the smallest player can end up playing the biggest part. Anyways, I'll just jump right into our main players. First off lets talk about Dorian. God, I love him in this book (If you've read QOS you probably read that sentence and thought I was insane but I don't care). I absolutely loved reading from his point of view. The complete change from light to dark had me drawn in. He became such a stellar character in this novel. He is a true wild card at this point in time. Then there's Choal. I know people love Choal. That in the previous books everyone has been "team Choal this" "team Choal that", however if you know or have read any of my review for this series then you know I have not been team Choal---or even team Dorian. Choal does give us a ton of character development and growth in this book, and I love his character but he's still not my man. Then we have a "newer" player, Aedion... Love him. His sass, his loyalty, his personality shine so bright in this book. I just couldn't get enough of him. And the growing bromance between him and Rowan had me dying. This leads me too the two people I've been dying ta get ta....

Yes, Rowan and Celaena. I know that Celaena officially goes by Aelin in this book, but I'm going to warn you now that I will probably always call her Celaena or "C". These two... THESE TWO KILL ME!!!!!! I haven't shipped a ship this hard in the longest and it has me all sorts of giddy. Again if you've read my review in the past then you know whose team I've always been on... Team Rowan. From the moment this man was introduced it was signed, sealed, delivered. I LOVE HIM!!!! Good gods I love him. Though we got a good deal of him in HOF it isn't even half of what we get out of him in this book. We get to see into his brain. We get to see how he is feeling, he's stages of thinking, and his feeling towards Celaena in a way we haven't been able to in the past. It has be swooning all over the place. Everything he does and says will win you over. He was already on my favorite fictional guys list but lets just say after reading this he has defeintely moved up on the list. I can't wait to see where their bond takes them. It's refreshing to have a character in this series that generally understands her struggles and the weight that has been put on her shoulders. Lastly we have Celaena. I have said it on many many occasions that Celaena is my all time favorite female character. Queen of Shadows just further justified this for me. She is one cunning, whip smart, silver tongued, bad-ass bitch. QOS by far gives the best description I've ever heard of her...

"A storm given flesh." 

That sentence is so spot on it isn't even real. In QOS ya girl is taking no prisoners. No seriously, If  Celaena was in a GOT house she would be a freaking Lannister... and yall know why... Because a Sardothien always pays her debts.

I can't even count how many times I screamed "OH MY GOD" over something she did. At one point in time this was my goodreads status update... "Seriously????!!? Did C just drop the mic??? UH YEAH SHE DID!! Seriously just screamed "oooooooooooh damn" and scared the crap out of my dog. She just such a badass"... Everything she does is so calculated that when you finally see all the pieces come together you'll be exploding. Your brain will have to take several cold showers to get over the mind rape she will do to you. If there was something you wanted from C that you didn't get in the past you'll get it in this one. She gives you a side of her we haven't seen. This raw real emotion that takes her character to a whole new level. Celaena's character in this novel had me bowing down to the real Queen that is Sarah J Maas. *Insert slow clap*. Bravo! Thank you for making a character that is the epitome of strong leading female. Yes Celanea might go a little stray cray here and there, but God... She might want a man but she doesn't need one. She can do bad all by herself. Sarah continued to show that you can be tough but still love the things you want. You can wield a sword but still love dresses. That you can be all these strong willed tough as nails things, but still love deep. There's no other word to describe Celanea's character besides amazing. As for the characters I couldn't mention, they truly hold their own in this book. One surprise after another. There is one certain witch in particular that I can't wait to see in the next book.

I know I talked a lot about the characters and not so much about the plot. Again that is only because we are now four books deep people. QOS is the perfect balance of action packed scenes, romance, fighting, plotting, and build up. This is basically me the whole time... Page 1-170 I thank Maas for giving me everything back. Page 181 I die. Page 295 I freak the f out! Page 319 I cry my eyes out. Paged 320 I curl up in a ball and die again. 370 I realize that if my heart wasn't stolen by C before it's was officially taken. Page 400-656 I don't breathe and can't feel my body. I cry. I swoon. I die again and didn't even know that was physically possible. Swoon some more. Then do my final freak out. This is all without even mentioning the crazy plot twists that happen. They sneak up on you and tear your heart and eyes both out. Sometimes at the same time. And that ending, though a lot of lose ends are taken care of it still has me so conflicted. I just don't know where this story is headed. My heart is telling me it going to go one place while my head tells me to expect another. 

The whole ending plays out just like a movie. So vivid you can see and feel the whole thing. Just phenomenal. Queen of Shadows was well worth the wait and hanging around till the next book comes out might just do me in. Don't even get me start on how we still get at least two more books! Sarah J. Maas continues to surprise me with a series I never even thought I would like, but has turned out to be one of my favorites. 

All in all Queen of Shadows is about finding your place in the world. Consuming what you must and then fighting for what you love. That you yourself can be your best friend or your worst enemy. That it isn't about how heavy the weight is but about how long you hold it. That you get to choose your future. That your past might have built you but that it doesn't have to define you. That one person can truly rattle the stars.

10/10 Stars
-Angela 

Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Layla has a big problem. A Lilin is running around topside wreaking havoc all around her. That's only one of her problems. Being torn between two worlds and two boys causes some issues as well. 

It's been a long time since I've gotten behind the wheel of a Jla book, and it's been a long time since I devoured a book this fast. Started it at 3 finished it at five. Every Last Breath is the third and final book in the Dark Elements Trilogy, if you haven't read the first two please do not pass go and do not pick up two-hundred dollars. GO BACK NOW AND READ THE FIRST TWO!!!! Every Last Breath does not let down.

As much as I want to load this review with spoils that would turn you rotten I wont.
ELB picks up right where Stone Cold Touch left off. The Lilin is still out and causing chaos. Layla is still confused about what she is. And of course we are still waiting on the answer of who the hell does Layla pick. Gargoyle Zayne or Crown Prince of the Under World Roth... I like everyone else mainly was waiting to find out which dude she be choosin. Clearly being team Roth I was on the edge of my seating waiting for the moment when the big question was answered... And boy do we get an answer. No I wont tell you what happens... I will give you (of course) a run-down of what I thought.

Layla is still one of my favorite Fems and brings the thunder in this book. Finally putting on her big girl panties I was so happy with her character development. She goes from a strong physical character, to a strong emotional character. She starts making decisions and realizes becoming an adult means having to make tough choices, but you have to make them. Good or bad outcome it must be done. Then we have sweet sweet Zayne. Who again continues to be a strong male presence and someone you want to cheer for... Even if deep down inside, in this case, you'll want the nice guy to finish last... sorry. I overall liked his character in this book, even though at one point I did think the direction something was taken was a little cheese. On to Roth... HOLY HOT DEMON BABIES EVERYWHERE ROTH... WHOOSH... SWOON! I'd walk through hell for his hottie! He blew my mind in this book. Didn't think it was possible for him to get any better, but yup WRONG. Every time he was present I had to make sure I was sitting down; just got so weak in the knees. If getting pregnant by reading was possible... Well I wouldn't need Maury to tell me that Roth IS the father.

"And my desire for you increases every waking second in a way that should frighten me, but really just excites me. But most of all, I love you... Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow, a hundred decades from now, I will still be in love with you..."

I thought Layla had a lot of growth, but she has nothing on Roth. I will give this tiny bit of information... There is a drunk Roth scene and oh Lord did I love it!!! He was on my list of favorite fictional guys but has definitely moved up. On too my favorite topic when it comes to Jla books.
Yes, her side characters! Jla write some of my favorite side characters. Doesn't matter how big or small their rolls are I always love them. My two favorites hands down were Tony the seer who happens to require you to bring him dinner when you visit and Cayman, Roth's right hand man. Both had my sides splitting! Especially Cayman. I didn't remember loving him so much Stone Cold Touch, but he loved him so much in Every Last Breath. Every sarcastic sentence that oozed from his mouth was perfection. Every character in this book is so easily liked.

The plot of this book went very different than I thought. It was a lot heavier on the smushy romance (no this isn't a complaint) and saved a lot of the action for the last half of this book. Knowing this was surrounding a love triangle I knew there was going to be a lot of smutty goodness but had no idea what I was in for!  I was actually happy with how this played out, because I wont lie I was worried. I think if anyone else besides Jla would have attempted to do such heavy romance and hold off on the action till the end it might not have played out as well. When the action does come, though a tiny bit predictable, still hit home and cuts deep. I again wont lie, though I wanted action, that wasn't why I choose this book. I choose it because I knew it was going to be a fun, hilarious, romantic read, with a well written triangle. Going into it wanting that and then getting it has me left completely stratified with the ending to this wondering and different paranormal trilogy. I highly recommend this series. Was getting in a bit of a slump and as usual Jennifer pulled me right back out. This was the perfect summer romance read.

10/10 Stars 
-Angela 

if you see thie and think... Ew this is cheese... stop right there. Jla might be the Queen of bad covers, but she has all right too be when she constantly crushes books.

After Ever Happy by Anna Todd

As ya'll know I've been marathoning The After Series. Well today I finished.
First off, you might be wondering why I posted a review for book one: After and book two: After We Collided but didn't post a review for book three: After We Fell; well that because I still don't know how I fell about book three. So instead of just trying to throw something together that will surely sound much like my first two reviews I just decided to let Todd's words do my work for me.

"You're always fucking sorry! It's always the same shit: you do something, hide something, say something, I cry, you say you're sorry, and bam! All is forgiven."-Tessa

"I stomp down the stairs and throw myself on the couch like a temperamental child. That's what I am really, a fucking child. She knows it, I know it- hell everyone fucking knows it. I should just print that shit on a goddamn tshirt."-Hardin

That's book three in a nutshell... So, now that that's out of the way I can turn my full attention back too After Ever Happy. I never in a million years thought I would be saying this... I actually really enjoyed this book. I know I know, after how much crap I gave the first three how could this happen. I can't even full comprehend it myself. As much as I hated this series, this last book won me over. At first I thought that this series was ridiculous but after powering through it I actually completely understand it's madness. For example: I didn't understand why each book need to be 600+ pages, but now I do. This series is only written to be over a span of months, but instead of trying to cram all this into 200 pages she decided to just go balls to the wall and make the books as long as they needed to be. You (at least I ended up) feeling like I was going through everything with these characters. Characters that, and I quote, "I would never end up rooting for". Well guess what, I ended up doing just that. I was praying that Tessa and Hardin would end up together. I was hoping that even though everything they went through was so exaggerated, so overdone, far fetched, so pointless that it wouldn't end up being pointless. 


Hardin and Tessa both turned out to be characters I ended up liking. I have NO CLUE when my opinion of Tessa changed, but I know that  it was the middle of the third when Hardin finally made sense. It came out of nowhere too. I was just reading along minding my own business and WHAM, all of a sudden I found myself thinking "Huh, wow I finally get Hardin... I get all his rash decisions, his outburst, and how is attitude zero dark crazy." Then I found myself saying "What the HELL did I just say?!?"

Both the writing style and character development in this final book is both leaps and bounds above the other three. Both Hardin and Tessa reached me on a level they never had in the previous books. After Ever Happy, like the others in this series, still had a crazy cluster of a storyline, was still covered in flaws, and still had no real structure to it. I can without a doubt say that the After Series is one of the most pointless things I've ever read, yet I have no regrets about how addicted I was too it. AEH had me laughing, had me on the edge of my seat, and even had me shedding a few tears... Yeah I might have cringed a little too hearing myself saying that, but hell I just read close to 3000 pages of one direction based fanfiction, what do I really have left to be embarrassed about... So I'll say it again; a few tears were shed while reading this! Get off my case! Jeez. 

I think the thing that AEH had going for it was that of all four it was the "most realistic". With more touching and real topics happening through out, and more human reactions were given in response to each issue. The After Series turned out to be one of the biggest surprised I've had in my reading history. I completely agree with both negative and positive comment, statement, and review ever written about it, because it is everything everyone has ever said about it. It's annoying, unhealthy, romantic, comical, addictive, and so much more... But damn it if I didn't fall for it even though for some reason I still can't stand it. I still can't manage to figure out what happened to me or when my opinion changed... But Anna Todd I'm pretty sure you've won me over... Maybe, I truly don't full know.

If it wasn't for the last half of the epilogue I might have given this book a higher rating, but sadly something about the last few pages rubbed me the wrong way. But, I guess all terribly good guilty pleasure reads must come to some kind of end, and I was overall happy with this one. 

Turn on the TV for background noise, grab a jar of peanut butter, and make yourself comfortable, because once you grab a hold of this series you'll be in for the long haul.  

8/10 Stars 
-Angela  

Velvet by Temple West

After losing both her parents before the age seventeen, aspiring Caitlin Holte feels like her whole world has been turned upside down. Things only get weirder when she is saved from a storm from her hot supernatural neighbor.

I will start right away by saying two things: one I didn’t read anything about this book before purchasing it, just simply cover lusted and bought it and two: you should know from the get go that this is Twilight meets The Lux Series with a touch of White Hot Kiss. I’m not a hater of Twilight but neither am I a fan, but I am a lover of Lux…. This put me in a weird predicament when it came to Velvet. For all the reasons I loved Lux were the reasons I loved this book. It was a sweet romance, with great banter between our leads, and a story line I found additively well written.  For all the reason I hated Twilight were the same reasons I disliked parts of Velvet. Until the twist happened towards the middle I was almost positive was re-reading Twilight. Once that twist happened, one I didn’t see coming, I changed my mind. The first half of this book just had some many similarities between those two books that I was thankful the last half mixed it up for us.

I really enjoyed the two leads in this book. Caitlin at first wasn’t my favorite; but by the end grew on me. I really loved her personality and how she’s kind of “whatever” about everything. The big thing that kept me from liking her at first was that she was so ungrateful for so long. I get the whole angry at the world thing, because I’ve been in her shoes before, but I still couldn’t connect to how hateful she was being.  I was beyond ecstatic when she stopped being such a brat.  As far as Adrian went, I have absolutely zero complaints about him. I loved everything about his character. Everything from his looks to personality worked for me. He was what set this book apart from the others. I like my mystery men sweet, sarcastic, and caring; trust me when I say he hits all those nails right on the head. At one point I had a hard time reading because my eyes had literally turned into hearts. Hands-down one of the best fictional guys I've read in awhile.

The scenes that he weren’t in had me praying there would be some kind of excuse for him to come into the picture. The relationship between these two was also grand. Seriously so freaking sweet!!!! Definitely swoon-worthy. However I did hear that this book was supposed to be super steamy, and I will say I was a tiny bit let down when it wasn’t. I wanted more hot and heavy moments. The sweet moments we got however were great.

The best part about Velvet was that it was a light read with great writing. The writing never seems forced or too youthful. The storyline though a little predictable, was still fast and fun. I also really enjoyed the new spin on Vampires. The best part about this book was that it had more of a contemporary feel to it than it did super-natural. I’m not a big contemporary reads person, but I really enjoyed that that’s what it felt like.It made me feel like I was getting something I usually miss from contemporary reads.

Overall I was really happy about this read. It's some good time chick-lit with a light heartedness that I think most will enjoy.  It may look like a winter read but I think it fit perfectly into my summer.It's hard to believe that this is Temple's debut novel. I look forward to book two and reading whatever she puts out in the future.

8/10 Stars
-Angela 

The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon

Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news. Moses is strange, exotic, beautiful, and broken.

I'm gonna start off this review by saying straight up this will be one of the hardest reviews I've ever had to write before. The Law of Moses left me feeling every emotion humanly possible. I guess I'll just start at the beginning...

First off the prologue is probably one of the best ones I've ever read. It's only a couple of pages long, but after reading it I already had to set the book down because I knew it would be an emotional read. Even with the warning crystal clear at the start I wasn't prepared for how deep this book would hit. I didn't stay away long before crashing right back into it. Amy's writing is the thing that kept drawing me back. Her writing is like no others. She writes so that the reader isn't just reading they are actually able to see everything. It makes you have to stop and close your eyes just to take it all in before you can move on to the next page. It's remarkable. Her words had me drowning and I was in no rush to get air.

"If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear. You will know it's coming, and it will hurt. It will still make your chest ache and you stomach flip with dread. But you'll know and you´ll be able to prepare . And that's my gift to you . I wasn't given that same courtesy. I wasn't prepared."

If that doesn't both pull you in and give you goosebumps I don't know what will.

As far as the characters went, they were just as stunning. Georgia is a strong willed and strong written character. I loved her love for live. I loved that she was 100%  Moses' opposite. She's the soft to his rough. I loved her boldness and the way she always kept pushing forward. Moses was my favorite character. He might actually be one of my favorite written males. Why is that? Because he is what made me so emotional. One moment I loved him, the next I wanted to punch him, and then the next he would have me in tears. This book had me crying and sometimes there was no reason other than the writing style. Moses is the definition of character development. I loved that Georgia is just a small town girl and that Moses is a mess with so much artistic talent is unreal. Georgia comes from a loving family with so much heart, and Moses was the crack baby left in a basket at a local laundry mat. Everything about how the characters clashed was flawlessly written.

The other highlight of this book was the love story. It wasn't the typical tale, and it wasn't the untypical, it was something all its own. I loved watching it grow. I loved it's highs and it's low. My favorite part of not just the story but the romance was the way Moses' art came into play. I love how it was the pretty little bow that tied everything together.

“My mom always said negative attention is better than no attention at all. She was usually talking about foster kids who acted out. But apparently it also applied to seventeen-year-old girls who were in love with boys who didn’t love them back.”

As far as the plot goes I sadly can't go too deep into it. I will say that the book is split into two halves. The first half is a lot of background and build, while the second is all the heart hitting emotional reveals. I preferred the second half to the first but with saying that I loved the first so much. The plot line surrounds the fact that Moses is able to see the dead and then paint their messages. I thought this would come off as cheesy, but it never once felt that way. Something that really brought this story to such a high level was the switch of Povs and how it was never constant. It didn't alternate between Georgia and Moses every other chapter, it only changed when needed. This might make it sound like a cluster but it was so important to how the story played out. 

That's all I can say about this book. I can't go into an events or even sub-characters. This is a book you need to go into blind. The Law of Moses wasn't at all what I thought it would be. I agree with most when they say they don't know what genre this book would fall into. Paranormal? Contemporary? Romance? I don't know and I don't really care. It's unique theme and it's thought provoking writing won me over. The writing is captivating, the story is heart breaking, and has a love story of all its own. This was the first Amy Harmon book I've ever read, but it wont be the last. This book struck a emotional cord that I can't even explain.

10/10 Stars 
-Angela 

(The Law of Moses BookDepo) 

My Life with the Walter Boys by Ali Novak

Jackie lost her whole family in a car accident and now must move from New York to Colorado and live with the Walter family. She's going from living in the big city to a small town, from private school to public, and from having one sibling to twelve. She thought she was going to be the one who hated being there but it seems that the 12 other children hate it even more.

I picked up My life with the Walter Boys so I could have a sweet light December read. I got exactly that.

As Jackie tries to adjust to her new life, school, and friends it seems like two of the Walter boys have taken an interest in her. Cole the swoon worthy-ex jock-womanizer. Alex mister geek-charming with a super sweet side. Coming between two brothers was the last thing she thought she would get herself into when she was transplanted into her new life, but now she will have to figure out who and what she wants to do.

Jackie was a character that I had to grow into. I really didn't like her "no risk" attitude at first but by the end the way I felt towards her had completely changed. Cole was for the most part what you thought he would be. Boob jerk turns sweet guy. Alex was the one that surprised me. Wont say why but he was a lot different than I first figured. This book is heavy on the love triangle aspect, but it is well written so it was enjoyable to read. It wasn't my favorite one but it was still really fun to read. I didn't like how Alex was so one sided and didn't want to listen and I didn't like that Cole always seemed to be leading Jackie on. At some points Jackie made me want to pull my hair. and punch her in the face. Like stop acting so stupid!!!

What I did really like was even though it was heavy on the love tri (I do love them but I still want more) is that she still had it so that Jackie did things and built relationships with all the boys. The way she has that set up was really cute and unique too. I think if there was a love triangle involving two brothers that this is what it would be like.Overall awkward....

 The setting of this story though common was still nice. I like the struggles laid out in front of everyone and for the most part how they played out. There were so many great moments in this books. I think the pranks pulled were the major highlights to this story. The part where they steal her clothes while she's in the shower had me rollin. Even with the minor complaints I threw into this review I really did enjoy reading this. The only thing that really bothered me was the ending. I wanted so much more. No, it wasn't a bad ending, but it was just an ending. There was just something missing about it and I can't quite place my finger on it. I heard a rumor from a GR friend that there will be a sequel and I was so happy to hear about that, because I need more!!!

This wasn't the best book I've read in 2014 but it was far from the worst. It would fall in the middle with a lot of other mid stars. Excited to continue this series if she does do a follow up.

6.5/10 Stars 
-Angela 

(My Life BookDepo)

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Seventeen-year-old Sky realizes life might not be exactly what she thought it was after she meets Dean Holder. A guy whose reputation rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. Sky struggles to keep Dean at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on invading every part of her life. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

It is a wide known fact that Colleen Hoover is my favorite author, and has never let me down. With Hopeless she continued to keep me happy. I feel like I say this every time I write a review for one of Hoover's books but the only way you should really go into one is by knowing the bare minimum. The people who have reviewed her books have constantly done one thing that still amazes me... The have continued to keep her plot twist a secret. You know good and well that if you have a goodreads account that you have gone to read a review (and it wasn't hidden due to spoilers), have read something on it you didn't want to know, then gotten so mad that you saw it that in the long run it ruined the book for you... I have NEVER had this problem with her books. SO AGAIN THANK YOU for keeping up the mystery!!! Just like with other Hoover reads I started Hopeless thinking it was one thing and then it turned out to be another. 

We start the story with our leading lady Sky, who I just loved. She is a home schooled jungle freak who is starting out her first year in public school. Her adoptive mother has kept her pretty sheltered from the outside world. She has no phone, internet, and they don't even have a TV. This leaves her pretty cut off from the outside world. Her main friend and connection to the real world (up until school) is her best friend Six. Sadly once Sky enrolls into school they find out Six study abroad was approved and that she will be missing most of the year. But never fear Dean Holder comes into the picture and helps ease the terribleness that is high school. Since he also has quite the reputation following him, the two hit it off. She also becomes friends with the moron homosexual that is the amazing Breckin. Both Sky and Dean's characters are amazing! Sky is just as strong and stubborn as Dean. Dean is charming and is more than swoon worthy. And as I was saying, Breckin OMG, what an amazing sub character!!!! Every character in this book is spot on. Her mom, her friends, her new man, all perfect.

As far as the plot goes...It's just WOW. The first half of this book is a little more steady, but definitely not boring. The first half is all about the building of Sky's world and her new relationship with Dean and how her life has been living with Karen, the women who adopted her after her mother passed and her father has given up on her. This is all leading up to the "big reveal(s)". Yes, because there are a few. First is the way (don't worry I'm not about to spoil you) the title comes into play. The title of Colleen's books are always so on point, but I think as of right now Hopeless is my favorite title of hers. When it is revealed why it has that name my mind was BLOWN... TWICE! But she doesn't stop there, she has a bunch of tiny (though a little predictable) twist near the end as well... BUT the big reveal that happens between those two... JUST OMG!!! It comes out of nowhere! And when it happens you'll probably have to re-read it, because I know I was like "wait a second did that just happen... no really did they just say what I think they said... no way... omg yes" 

Because Y'all I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!!!!!! SAYING MY MIND WAS BLOWN WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT! Like where on earth did this come from! And just like that everything in the story clicks and your world is crushed! Colleen seriously knocked my socks off! Just crazy... 

So you're probably wondering why I didn't give this a perfect rating... For two simple reasons. Dean does become a "convenient" character. And you will see what his purpose is pretty early on. The second reason is that after that HUGE EARTH SHATTERING reveal happens you will have everything for the most part figured out. All that being said, Hopeless still is a must read! The relationship is so sweet, the plot is just as strong, and that one big twist makes up for any of the tiny other ones that you see coming. I don't think Colleen Hoover can write a bad book. 

9.5/10 Stars 
-Angela 

(Hopeless BookDepo)

Command Me by Geneva Lee

He was a stranger and still so familiar. It wasn't until I woke up to my picture splashed on the cover of tabloids that I realized I knew who he was. And he's no prince charming. 

Okay, so I wasn't going to write a review on this book, but then I thought "how can I not". It was that bad good.  So here comes another ranting review. 

Command Me follows two leading characters. Clara and Alexander.... And I'm just gonna jump Right in on them. Clara is a way stronger written character than Alex (after reading this full review I don't know really how much that's going to say about her character). She's sassy and kind of funny, but honestly that's about it. She has a job doing..? Well I couldn't tell you! Something with social media I think?!. She seriously attends her job like once. I know she comes from money and all but she's constantly trying to assert herself as this strong independent lady, but really I have no clue how she's paying for crap. Also were never really told what she looks like. Lee kind of makes it out to be that she's curvy, but then again I'm not sure. Oh, I do know she has auburn hair, so there's at. On to Alexander though. The dashing, mysterious prince... Just wait a second, I know what you're thinking "did she just say prince?"... You bet your sweet buns I did. Yeah Alex aka X is THE prince.  Okay, yeah maybe I wouldn't consider him THE prince because it never seems like he's ever really working either. He never seems to be doing any princely things. We do however get a great description of him. He's tall, pale, jet black bed head, with a chiseled jawline... (Wait, what was that noise??! Uh yeah the sound of a thousand panties dropping) Maybe it's just me but I love any man with jet black tousled hair and a jawline for days. Swoon. But what he has in the looks department he is lacking in personality. Besides that sexy description I couldn't tell you anything about him. He brought nothing character wise to the table. Sigh. All looks and no brain, what's a girl to do.  He does share the cutest little fox hunting story so that did give him some  extra points. 

As far as the story line went it was all over the place. It literally took place all over the place. I felt like the story started off plot wise stronger at the start than it did towards the middle and end. At the start we have this super lusty kind of forbidden romance that's hitting all the news stands, then in the middle we get this wtf am I reading romance, and then at the end you feel like you got what you paid for romance. (Just to let Yall know I didn't pay for this it was a free kindle read... So yeah). 

When the romance started it was like.... 

Then when they get to the estate and they get all "steamy" there things get a little odd and is more like.... 

Seriously it gets weird.  

The plot somehow manages to both flow and anti flow at the same time... Anti flow mmmm I don't think that's a thing but whatever.... 

Then we have your thrown in there back characters like her sister whose name I can't remember but I know it was dumb. Who I also couldn't stand. Then there's Edward who was to die for. I want to eat soup, go shopping, and watch trashy Telly with him all day. Then there's this other girl who also had a dumb forgettable name, something like Pippa or papa, or salsa, idk either way she was soooo terrible. Her character made me want to eat my own vomit. Just to let yall know why that is it's because Ya girl Clara had like this back story about having a eating disorder that somehow leaked to the press and now salsa keeps bringing it up every two pages. And I get Alex's fams all like "blah you can't date her she's not British blah" and salsa tries to use that too her advantage, but having this girl bring up Clara's "eating problem" over and over again was just annoying!!!! Over all for the most part the plot is solid---ish. 

All that being said you're probably thinking I hated this book.  YOU'RE WRONG! I actually really liked it. No clue why! Stayed up late reading it and loved the way it ended! At one point towards the end I even found myself saying "oh no you didn't" like people use to in like 2005 when it still wasn't cool. You're not going to be surprised by the ending or anything. It's kind of given that since it's book one that it'll end on some kind of cliffhanger. It's does get real intense towards the end though.

Really have no clue why I liked it so much, just found it rather entertaining, and isn't that what it's really all about?! Ha, who knows. 

8.5/10 Stars 
-Angela 

Slammed by Colleen Hoover

After the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Will Cooper is the attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction they go on a heart-stopping first date, only to be slammed  with a shocking revelation that puts their new relationship to a sudden halt.
 

“Push your boundaries, that's what they're there for.” 

It's currently 2:10 in the morning... I finished Slammed over 30 minutes ago... And I just stopped crying. I went into Slammed ONLY knowing that this book involved slam poetry. I've never even read the synopsis too this story (after reading Ugly Love I knew that when it comes to Hoover books you have to go into it blind). The odd thing is of all of Colleen's books, I own this one I've had the longest and I'm just now reading it. I HATE MYSELF FOR THAT!!!!

I would never believe that this was Hoover's debut novel. It's so strong that I assumed it was a 4th or 5th book. Nope. She never fails too incorporate something new and unique into her writing, if it's paintings, music, or even poetry she really has a style all her own. There are only three writers I will drop everything I'm  reading to pick up their work... That's John Green, Jennifer Armentrout, and Colleen Hoover.

Slammed follows the story of new Michigan transplant, Lake, as she is forced to start a new life her senior year of high school. After her fathers untimely death her mother can't afford to keep them living in Texas. First day in the new place Lake's brother befriends the boy next door... Introducing Lake to Will. The charming, handsome, and sweet poet.

The characters in this book feel so real! Lake and Will are written too perfection. Lake, though mature for her age has the same immature moments as the rest of us. Will is just so sweet, speaking in a way that will have you swooning all over the place. Both their love towards there family captured my heart 200%. Both characters physical appearance is described just enough to give you and idea then left you to make your own decision. As the characters develop in the story the story itself grows into something so hard to capture in words. I thought that the insta-lust that happen right away was going to ruin this book for me. But at the end I realized that this story might have involved love but it's not the love you except. I wish I could explain that more but it's the only way I can say it. It about a deeper kind of love than just being with someone. The sub characters like Eddie and the baby brothers are PHENOMENAL. Colleen has it so they are sub characters that manage to shine so much light without ever over powering.

The plot has this pace between fast and medium, and it was at a rate I'd never experienced before. Then of course there's the whole poetry and music aspect that was put into this story. It's what takes Slammed to the next level. The poetry is introduced in the first handful of pages. I didn't know how I was going to feel about it... BUT WOW. Seriously the first poem had me in tears and they only got better from there. The quotes from The Avett Brothers are perfect placed and were just a nice little treat at the start of every chapter. Like I said, this is a story you need to go into blind, therefore I can't, even though I want to, go into more detail. This book started strong and then had me a blubbering mess by the end. I don't know if I should be mad or thankful that Colleen is constantly finding new ways to tear my heart out of my chest. I don't think I've ever not been a mess at the end of one of her books.

This story made me laugh a hundred times, and cry at least five. Slammed is one beautiful, quotable, and poetic line one after another. Slammed touched me on such a personal level and I probably cried harder than most. This book is a must read, and definitely made it's way into my all time favorites.

10/10 Stars 
-Angela 

(Slammed Book Depository)

Broken Skies by Theresa Kay

"Thirty years ago, civilization collapsed. Few survived.
Ten years ago, the aliens arrived…and stayed.
One year ago, I killed two men and went a little crazy.
Today, the aliens took my brother and I will do anything to get him back." 

Until recently, the E’rikon have remained segregated in their city and ignored the few humans who have tried to engage them, that was until now... They have taken Jax’s brother. After the aliens have taken him she finds that she wasn't the only one left behind. One of the aliens was also left.  Coming to some sort of an agreement, they decide to work together to get her into the alien's city. That seems like it would be the hardest part of their journey... it's not. In this world where alien and human are at odds, the connection forming between the two could have major consequences. What started off as a rescue mission sets a chain of events in motion which threatens everyone one earth. 

We were fortunate to be asked by Theresa Kay to give this book a try in exchange for an honest review. Below we are going to post both of our views on Broken Skies. 

Angela's Review

All I knew about Broken Skies was that it was being compared to The Lux Series a lot... If you know anything at all about me you know that The Lux Series is my favorite series. And yeah it is very comparable, but too me it was more like The Lux Series, The Dustlands Trilogy, Taken, Alienated, and The 5th Wave had some kind of crazy sex party and during which a baby was formed and that baby turned out to be Broken Skies. Yeah it's that insane. On top of all of that I am a known Alien obsessed freak so I have very high standards when it comes to alien books... All that being said... I LOVED THIS BOOK! I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.

Starting off with the characters. Jax is this fiery strong willed sassy redhead that you will love. Her loyalty and determination are absolutely amazing. Her character growth is off the charts! She is strong; yet weak at the beginning, but by the ends transforms into the leading lady that you wanted and you'll be standing behind. Her attitude is much like mine aka very sarcastic, and made it very easy for me to connect with her. Lir... OH LIR... I loved him. The second he appeared and was described I knew I was in love. Normally it's the characters I have to worry about falling in insta-love, nope this time it was me. whoosh, SWOON. Even when I hated  him I loved him. The relationship between the two is what really makes this story, and I have no complaints about that. Their relationship is an emotional roller-coaster that I want to ride on another 50 times. They don't have insta-love just insta-like and it was to cute for words. I like how their relationship builds, what it becomes, and how it is left at the end. At one point when they are in the Alien city and things happen with Lir (can't say what because spoils) that I seriously screamed....

It's just so good. The sub characters like her twin brother Jace, her family friend Flint, and Lir's cousin Rym were all strong and well rounded. I especially liked Rym. Pretty sure if some kind of side story or novella was written from his point of view I would eat that junk right up. The next thing I loved about Broken Skies was the world building. It wasn't anything over the top. It was just enough to get it's point across and then left it so you could fill in the rest yourself, and I loved that. Their journey never feels forced or rushed, another plus side too this story. With strong characters, and a strong story you think that is all I would really have to say about this book but its not... My favorite thing about Broken Skies is that Theresa has given us something new to the alien genre!!! AND THANK YOU!!! She gave us a new spin on what aliens look like. Their hair color was brillz, their eyes amaze, but the fact that they have these scales on their backs leading into their hair line was something that I thought at first hear was going to be odd... NO LOVED IT!!!!! Never thought a man with scales could sound sexy, but I loved being wrong about that.... And I know I've said this before as well but I don't care Imma say it again... I DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE IF ALIENS DO COME HUMANS AND ALIENS COULDN'T BE TOGETHER!!!!! I seriously love them that much. And who are we kidding I know we all hope aliens come and that they look like Lir, Daemon Black, and Evan Walker. BEAM ME UP HOTTIES!!!! AM I RIGHT?!?!

The plot is fast paced and constant, leaving you with a "never a dull moment" feeling. The story starts small and just keeps building up and up until the ending leaves you breathless. No it didn't per say leave on a cliffhanger but just about as close as you can get too one. Action packed, no emotion left un-felt, and super suspenseful... Too me the ending was left at the perfect moment.

 I can not wait to read book two in this series, and hope that Theresa will bless us with more chances to read her work... Theresa Kay was born to write. She might be an "under known" author right now, but I have no doubt that that will end soon. 

10/10 Stars 
-Angela

Leah's Review

I'm not as big of an alien fanatic as Angela, but I do love some romantic action packed alien stories. When Theresa contacted us and described this as a post-apocalyptic scifi novel that is like Lux.... Well, SOLD.

I was sucked into the book as soon as I started reading. You find out early on that Jax is pretty damaged as far as emotions and people skills go. Something really awful happened to her which pretty much changed her life and now she relies on her brother to keep her together. Once her bro is taken away by some aliens, she kicks it into high gear and sets out to find him. Problem is that one of the aliens got left behind and is now with her. He also just happens to be a super handsome, sarcastic, and charming alien named Lir (seriously, who knew a dude with a line of scales on his back could be hot... don't knock it until you read it!!).  The thing that I love about Jax is that she knows she is broken. She knows that what happened to her really screwed her up, but it doesn't stop her at any point in the book from being a complete BA. She reminds me of Katniss from The Hunger Games where she channels her hurt and pain into doing what she has to do for her loved ones. I think she is a killer leading lady.

The majority of the book follows Lir and Jax on their misadventures through the woods trying to make it back to the alien city where Jax's brother is supposedly being kept. A lot of stuff happens along the way that brings them together... then apart... then together... You get the picture. Basically they spend two weeks together hiking through the woods and almost dying several times and accidentally fall in love with each other. They have to learn to depend on each other and trust each other, but EVERY TIME things seem to be going good for them, something else happens. It was so frustrating!! It was also sort of awesome at the same time because there isn't a whole lot of insta-love going on and you have to stay on your toes to keep up with all the action. But when it happens, BAM YOU LOVE IT. Oh, and I just love Lir. I love how he could be Daemon Black's handsome witty cousin. They could get together and be sarcastic and makes girls drop their underwear all over Earth.

There are some pretty major plot twists that happen. Like, I had NO idea and was completely thrown off my game because I had no idea where the book was going to go. In short, this book was amaze-balls. I was on the edge of my seat pretty much the whole time because I had no clue where Theresa was going to take the ending. My favorite part of the book is when Lir and Jax actually get to the alien city and the time they spend inside of it. My only complaint with the book is that I wish that there would have been a little less time in their woodsy adventure and more time focused on them once they got in the city. THAT ENDING THO. Holy bananas. Talk about a cliffhanger. I seriously need book two NOW because everything ended right when you are on the edge of your seat and have NO idea where your allegiances lie.

If you are an alien lover or just a fan of scifi in general, this is definitely a book you want to pick up. It reminded me a lot of Lux, The 5th Wave, and Alienated, which btw all happen to be my favorite alien books.

5/5 stars
-Leah

Unbroken Movie Review

As y'all might know, occasionally Leah and I will go outside the Ya/Na world and read a fiction. memoir, poetry, contemporary, and so on. I recently read  Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. When I decided to read it it was because I saw it was becoming a movie. I had no idea how moving this story was going to be.


I did a short review on the book after finishing it, which I'm posting below.

    "I managed to squeeze this book in between several others I'm reading and I wont lie I saw the movie trailer and knew that I had to read it. This book is BEAUTIFUL, sad, and made me cry. It's a heart breaking and moving story that everyone should pick up. How one man could go through so much and not be broken by it is what will bring you to tears.

I hope too one day find the same courage and strength that Louis Zamperini had. And that when the catalyst of my life happens that I will come out stronger and wiser because of it. This book will give you hope. I absolutely can't wait to see this play out on the big screen. I'll be there Christmas Day tissues in hand."

I unfortunately didn't get to go on Christmas day because of family scheduling BUT I just left the theater about a hour ago from seeing it and figured I'd do a review while it was still fresh.

I have never before left a theater after seeing a page to film and had nothing at all the say negative about it. You know how it is... You leave and right away you and your friend start listing off and comparing between the two. I have no negative feedback to give. This movie was breathtaking and left me speechless.  

Everything from the scene set up to casting in my opinion were flawless. Seeing such well known authors in a new setting was amazing. You might not even have known there were such big names in this movie (that is unless you're like me and love books to film). Jolie cast Domhnall Gleeson who you would know as Bill Weasley from Harry Potter Series, About Time, and the upcoming Star Wars film. Another actor you might have heard of was Jai Courtney. He is mostly known for playing Eric in The Divergent movies, but is also set to be in the the new Terminator film coming out next year. Even with those names present there is no doubt who stole the show... Jack O'Connell. He is who plays Louis Zamperini in this film. I have only ever seen him in one other film and that was 300. With that being said he will be an actor I will keep an eye on in the future.

Unbroken shows the life of Louis Zamperini, who was a an Olympic athlete who joined the armed forces
during the second world war. Only to be captured by the Japanese navy after a plane crash in the Pacific. After surviving at sea for over a month in a raft he was then captured by the Japanese only to be thrown into several POW camps. The flow from one scene to the next, the depiction of how a person can be so torn apart, to the dramatic conclusion has me struggling to even write a review for this movie. It was just simple a film that I feel everyone needs to go see.

How someone can go through what he went through and come out of it as well as he did is something in itself. There is no way I could have gone through or done the thing he did to survive. This was a film I was so glad I got to see before the year ended. I know people keep saying that Angelina Jolie is still such a mystery when it comes to directing but if this is what we have to look forward too in the future from her, then I am on pins and needles until the next film she releases. A strong book and an equally strong movie.

“A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain. Louie thought: Let go.”

 10/10 Stars
-Angela

Rush by Maya Banks

Rush by Maya Banks 
When Gabe Hamilton saw Mia Crestwell walk into the ballroom for his hotel’s grand opening, he knew he was in for trouble... After all, Mia is his best friend’s little sister. Except she’s not so little anymore. Gabe has starred in Mia’s fantasies more than once, ever since she was a teenager with a huge crush on her brother’s best friend. So what if Gabe’s fourteen years older? She’s an adult now, and there’s no reason not to act on her most secret desires. 

When I first picked up Rush all I knew was that it was going to be supa hot and hot it was. When I read the first few chapters all I could think of was that it was so much like Beautiful Bastard and 50 Shades (it could be their lovechild), but the further I read the less it was like 50 Shades. Rush is a story about Gabe Hamilton and Mia Crestwell. Jace's little sister, Mia, has had a crush on Gabe ever since she was a little girl. I mean who wouldn't crush over their brother's hot best friend! If I had a brother and he had friends like Ash and Gabe I probably would have too. Mia is currently working in a coffee shop while she tries to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Little does she know that when she goes to visit her brother at their hotel grand opening she would get the job offer of all job offers. Gabe has always been apart of Mia's life, but always slightly in the distance. After a very public and brutal divorce he has been set on not finding love again.

Even with Gabe's age being a little higher than I would normally like I don't really have to many complaints with him. The main thing was sometimes the things he said were a little..... interesting?! Sometimes he would speak and it would make my ears blush and others times I was super weirded out. It's mainly hot though. Mia was a character I really enjoyed.  Her only downside was sometimes her actions in my opinion were spot on then sometimes they were so far off from what I think a real women her age would have done. Overall I really liked their characters and how their relationship was built. I like that this trilogy follows a different guy in each book, because I really want to know more about Ash and Jace's "situation". They were both people I wish we would have gotten more of in this story.

It did take me a little longer than usual to connect with the characters, but it was worth it for the ending, which I was more than pleased with. I loved the way Gabe and Mia describe each other and it had me very giddy. I loved almost everything about this book... EXCEPT one thing. When they go to Paris. If I could go and edit this book that would be the only thing I would take out of it. You could replace that whole area with something, anything else... They could watch paint dry I don't care. I just hated everything about that little section. I think It brought the books rating and flow, way down. It was just too much. I'm pretty sure at one point I said:

 It was just that Weird! This books steamy scenes were written to a point where it wasn't too much (Paris aside) and did bring everything back together, even after that whole awkward area. I would love to hear how this audio-book is; as weird as that might sound. I got everything I didn't get  from 50 shades of lame out of Rush. Which made me a happy camper.  I was drawn in by the cover and then by it's pages. I think if you're a fan of books like Wallbangers and Beautiful Bastards then you will more than likely like this one as well. I will be continuing the series and will be looking to get more of Maya Bank's books in the future. 

7.5/10 Stars 
-Angela
 

Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren

Beautiful Bastard by: Christina Lauren

Hardworking, smart, sassy, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He's exacting, rude, blunt, inconsiderate, and completely irresistible. Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family's massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who'd been helping him from abroad and has worked for his family for awhile now to be gorgeous and completely infuriating. Despite what people say around the water cooler, he's never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe's so tempting he might be willing to smash all the rules if it means he can smash her all over the office. As their appetites for one another increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they're willing to lose in order to win each other.

If you read or follow our blog at all then you know that once or twice a month I like to break out my norm and read something a little more.... more... I'm sure you get what I mean. Well this month I read Beautiful Bastard. It was mmmm interesting. This probably wont be the longest review ever but I will give you some kind of sum up of everything.  

Chloe is a witty, silver tongued leading lady who can dish it out as well as take it in. As far as character development goes she doesn't really have any. She was funny but as the story went along I liked her less. At the start of the novel I really liked her bluntness and how up front she was about everything. As it went on though I started to care less and less for her. Everyone keeps saying how smart she is but yet she never really gets to display her intelligence. As for Mr. Bennett he was the complete opposite. As the story went on I liked him more and more. He went from this un-realistic to good to be true man to an actual person. He made the book interesting, and had the character development that we didn't get from Chloe.... Plus he sounds Smokin' Hawt!

As far as the plot goes, well, there really isn't to much of one. This story is based almost 100% on steamy scenes, and sometimes I was like:

 










Goodness gracious this is hot....

and sometimes I was like:

This is just a little too much, and not in a good way.  

Overall though this book is a quick, fun, and hot read with a few moments of ehh mixed in. I really liked how the story played out and the ending was actually pretty cute.

It was a really good book to read in between series, but I don't think I'll be reading book two. I just don't think there's really anywhere for it to go. 

7.5/10 Stars 

-Angela