"Onyx" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Onyx
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Lux #2
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Format: Kindle
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars (HELLO, look at Pepe Toth!)

From Goodreads: Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

My Thoughts: Seriously, can JLA not write something awesome and amazing? Of course not. Onyx is no different from the rest of the works Armentrout spins out in that the quality is just as fantastic as her other novels.

I'm not gonna lie, I thought I was literally going to die waiting for this book to come out once I read Obsidian (Lux #1). And then Armentrout threw her fans a bone and gave us the novella Shadows (Lux #0.5). And I thought, "Well, maybe I can hold out for just a little longer." It was hard, near impossible, but I made it. And it was well worth the wait!

Armentrout steps up her game in Onyx and we get more in depth in the Lux universe. We learn more about the DOD and what their games are, and we also see Katy with some... shall we say, awesome kick-ass heroine-ness.

Oh, and what about Daemon you ask? Well... he's just as yummy as ever... except times ten! Seriously, JLA, did you have to write such a hot dude? I mean, my expectations are just out of this world now. My poor boyfriend can't keep up with Daemon AND Tod (see Rachel Vincents Soul Screamer series for this sexy reaper).

And speaking of Tod... one of the things I loved most about this book is how relate-able Katy is. I felt like she could have been me or one of my best friends (yeah, if we ever got lucky enough to score hot alien Daemon, that is). She's a book-blogger. Which is awesome, because we see a lot more of that in Onyx. It's strangely awesome to read about a geeky, book-blogger heroine. It felt like JLA was giving us the nod of "Hey, I'm an author and I know you guys are out there." And she was also giving props to Rachel Vincent's reaper guy Tod. It just made the whole book feel more real and sucked me into the Lux world.

Anyway, this is one series you do NOT want to miss out on! Trust me! And right now this book is on sale on Kindle for $4.79.

My Rating:  

ARC Review: "Girl of Nightmares" by Kendare Blake (Anna Dressed in Blood #2)

Title: "Girl of Nightmares"
By: Kendare Blake
Publication: August 7, 2012 by Tor Teen
Genre: YA Paranormal
Format: Hardback
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on. 

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.

Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

My Thoughts: First, I would like to say a GIGANTIC thank you to Tor Teen for sending me this early ARC copy! You guys are AWESOME!

Now, on to Girl of Nightmares... it was EPIC. Seriously, I loved it. It completely shocked me and spun my  world around. Blake writes characters that are so real, it's insane. I've become way too attached to Cas, Thomas, and Carmel. I just want to call one of them up to hang-out and go ghost hunting with. And the action! Holy crap! THE ACTION! Jam packed, never ending. I was constantly kept on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. Of course, none of that compares to Blake's mad skills of horror. At one point, I actually slammed the book shut and said "No, no I can't read it. I can't." And scrambled up on to the couch with my boyfriend, feet firmly tucked behind me off the floor because I was so terrified. I've read Stephen King, and not once have I ever felt the chills from his books like I do with Blake's.

What I really loved about it, besides all of the above, was that it was a great follow-up to a first novel. Usually, we see some major slack in the world building when it comes to second books. But this is definitely not the case with Girl of Nightmares. If possible, there's even more world build up. The mythology behind Cas' heritage comes to light and it's definitely something I wouldn't mind learning more about. Not only that, but the characters are where they should be emotionally. They're not just magically over the fact that they sent a major badass ghost to hell and Anna with him. They're dealing with it throughout the entire novel, and it's wonderful because it shows how fantastic a writer Blake really is.

In the end, it wasn't what I expected, it took turns that were risky and I loved it all the more for it. This is definitely worth your time and money!

My Rating:

The Sunday Post #3

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and to re-cap the past week, showcase books, and talk about what is coming up in the week on our blogs!

This Weeks Reviews:

This week I had two really great 5 Star Reads:

"Pushing the Limits" by Katie McGarry

"My Soul to Keep" by Rachel Vincent

NetGalley Books:

Kindle Books I bought:

After the End was written by Bonnie Dee, who also co-authored one of my fav 5 star books that I just recently reviewed: Finding Home

ARC Hard/Paperback sent from Publisher:

Thanks so much to Tor Teen for being so awesome and sending me this! If you haven't read the first one then you are missing out big time!

Purchased:

I can't wait to start both of these, but especially My Soul to Steal! After the huge cliff-hanger that My Soul to Keep left off with, I don't know how I'm going to wait for it to come in!

"My Soul to Keep" by Rachel Vincent (Soul Screamers #3)

Title: "My Soul to Keep"
By: Rachel Vincent
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Series: Soul Screamers #3
Format: Paperback
Cover Rating: 3/5 Stars

From Goodreads: Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them.Until something does.Demon breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked.And so is someone else...


My Thoughts: Well, Rachel Vincent has done it again! This is the third book in the Soul Screamers series and it is just as amazing as the first two! Kaylee continues to grow as a character, establishing herself as a bean sidhe and growing more of a backbone as she fights off the evil of the Netherworld. And her relationship with Nash is getting into new territory, as well- making the story completely irresistible. Of course we see all of the old characters as well as some new ones. Tod, Nash's reaper brother, becomes more lovable the second, while Sophie gets more and more detestable.

If possible, I loved this one more then the first two. What I really liked about this book though, is that just when you think you have it all figured out, Vincent throws you for a loop and leaves you going "WHAT?!" This is a fantastic and original series that you do not want to miss out on!

My Rating:

Follow Friday #8

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. They ask a question, in which you answer on your own blog, and then you link back up with them. After you post, you can go back to the other links to discover new blogs and friends!

*Feel free to follow me in one or any of the available networks on the right of my sidebar. Let me know in a comment how you are following me and put in your own blog link so I can follow you back in the same way(s)!*

Q: Do your reading habits change based on your mood? Do you read a certain genre if you are feeling depressed or happy?

Absolutely! My reading habits are like a mirror to how I'm feeling. If I'm feeling sad or uber depressed, I'll usually go back to one of my favorite reads, probably a V.C. Andrews book- because hey, they're always depressing. If I'm happy, or feeling light hearted, I'll grab a chick lit novel. And on those rare days I'm feeling intellectual, I'll get a classic :)

What about you??

ARC Review: "Pushing the Limits" by Katie McGarry

Title: Pushing the Limits

By: Katie McGarry
Genre: YA Romance
Format: Kindle
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreviews: "I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

My Thoughts: First, I would like to say a huge thank you to Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for giving me this ARC! You guys rock.

I absolutely LOVED this book! And I'm not the only one! This title has been on fire around the blogging world and Goodreads, and with good reason. Emotional and real, Pushing the Limits is simply amazing. It's very rare to find a story that has such realistic characters. Especially if it's a woman writing from a guys POV. We all know it's true. Most "guys" usually end up being on the verge of a girl, but end up just stopping shy of the line of "extremely sensitive". However, McGarry writes in alternating pov's and Noah Hutchins is nothing less than pure guy. Which is actually pretty refreshing for the YA book world. I mean, sure I like sensitive guys, and Noah does have that side, but like most guys in the real world, he's more manlier then anything.

And can we just talk chemistry for a moment? Because WOW do Echo and Noah have it! While they seem completely different, tragedy (or LIFE) has given them something in common. And like every other teenager in the world, they both crave normal in their life. Their relationship is sweet and steamy with trouble just around the bend. 

Not only did this novel have well developed characters and relationships, but the problems these characters faced were so emotional and well written, I found myself crying in the middle of the night over them like they were my own! I definitely think this novel is something everyone can relate to in some way- if not to the extremes that Noah and Echo have. It is amazingly well written and I will absolutely be keeping up with Katie McGarry's work!

My Rating: