"Die For Her" by Amy Plum

Series: Die For Me #2.5
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance/ Novella
Format: Kindle
Publication: Harper Teen on April 2, 2013
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

*WARNING: Spoilers lay ahead for past books in the series!*

From Goodreads: Set in the romantic and death-defying world of the international bestselling Die for Me trilogy, this digital original novella follows Jules, a brooding, immortal French artist who has fallen in love with his best friend’s girlfriend.

Jules Marchenoir is a revenant-an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save human lives. He’s spent the better part of the last century flirting his way through Paris, but when he met Kate Mercier, the heroine from Amy Plum’s Die for Me trilogy, he knew his afterlife had changed forever and he had found the love of his life. Until Kate fell for his best friend, Vincent. Now Jules is faced with an impossible decision: choosing between his loyal friend and a love truly worth dying for.

My Thoughts: First Reaction: I knew it! Okay, so maybe I'm a little slow on the uptake, but I wasn't 100% sure of Jules' feelings for Kate. I knew there was something, but I wasn't sure just how far it went. He had us all fooled. The playful flirt. We should all have known better- he is an artist for crying out loud! My heart melts for you Jules, it really does. I'll admit it, I'm a sap for the love triangles. I know, I know. Everyone else hates them. Well, I don't care. I eat them up like their sugar coated strawberries double dipped in chocolate!  But honestly, I'm not sure that we can call this a love triangle...yet. Because Kate is doing a damn good job of being oblivious to Jules' feelings. However, we all seen that facade cracking in book two, so there's still that potential.

I haven't actually talked about the novella though yet, have I? My bad. Would I recommend you read this? Probably. If you didn't it's probably not going to slay you come time to read book three. But I loved it. I loved getting inside Jules' head and finding out all these secrets that he's been harboring and just who he really is. It definitely quenched all my suspicions. Amy also does a good job of not dragging us through the past two books all over again. She just does this magnificent thing we're she highlights the important bits, but from Jules perspective. So while we're not actually getting a new story, we are getting a new view point of it. I thought it was definitely worth the time and money to read this, and I suggest you do the same.

My Rating:

"Until I Die" by Amy Plum

Series: Die For Me #2
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Format: Hardback; 353 pages
Publication: Harper Collins May 8th, 2012
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.

My Thoughts: WHY did I wait so long to read this?! I love this Revenant world that Amy Plum has created! It's so original for the YA PNR world; because while yes, this book is about a superhero guy who falls in love with a human girl, Kate is much more then our normal sits in a corner and screams heroine! She's a complete badass! She doesn't take crap from Vincent when he tries to protect her (which is uber sweet of him, but Kates can handle her own) and she takes everything in stride. She's epic. I love her as the MC. Not to mention the other characters! We definitely get a closer look at some of the other Revenants which I absolutely love. We see relationships forming and breaking away and we even get an awesome Kurt Cobain lookalike (p.s. Amy Plum if you're reading this, just know you're my hero for that one).

Overall, I just loved this book. I really enjoyed the first one as well, but I feel like this second installment just really stepped things up to a whole other level that blew me away. It had everything: betrayal, romance, violence, and mystery, all in abundance. Trust me when I tell you this is one trilogy that you don't want to miss.

My Rating:

"All the Truth That's In Me" by Julie Berry

Genre: YA Historical Fiction/ Mystery/ Thriller
Format: Paperback, 288 pages
Publication: Viking September 26, 2013
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

My Goodreads: Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years ago, only Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by those who were once her friends and family. Unable to speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to the boy who’s owned her heart as long as she can remember—even if he doesn’t know it—her childhood friend, Lucas. But when Roswell Station is attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever. This startlingly original novel will shock and disturb you; it will fill you with Judith’s passion and longing; and its mysteries will keep you feverishly turning the pages until the very last.

My Thoughts: First of all a HUGE thank you to my friend, Jen, over at At Random for letting my borrow and read this!

This book was just... AMAZING. I stayed up all night reading it and before I knew it I was turning the last page at 3:00 am this morning. It was intense. Seriously. There are some books that when I start reading them I get this tingling sensation in my fingers because I get so excited over the words, and that's when I know that it's going to be a five star read for me. This was one of those books. Everything about it was perfect- from the plot to character development to the fantastic ending. I loved it!

But let's face some of the issues that people seem to be having with it:

• THIS IS NOT DYSTOPIA KIDS! This is Historical Fiction. So yes, the world is completely different. Think Puritans. However, Berry does  fantastic job of keeping the reader from falling asleep during this time period. Like I said before, this is one intense story; and although our heroine is from this strict time, she also could very well fit into the modern world too. Judith is a wonderfully interesting character who I've come to love and respect.
  
• The "mini-chapters". I'll admit, I was a little thrown off my game from this too. But the more I read, the less it bothered me. In fact, it fit in well with the book as a whole. As the publisher said, it's like a pinhole effect. We only see very little in the beginning, but as we read more the hole gets wider creating the bigger picture.

Honestly, I believe this is going to be one of those books that you either love it or hate it. And I LOVED it. I believe it had everything I could want in a book: mystery, romance, heroism, twists and turns across every page. It was just brilliant and so different from what's circulating the reading world right now. If you're looking for something truly original and magnificent then I suggest you read this book!

Avaliable September 26, 2013! PRE-ORDER NOW!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

The Book Depository

My Rating:

Teaser Tuesday #1

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

"Vincent kissed me like it was his very last chance to touch me. And, feeling feverish and wild, I returned his kiss unreservedly." -- from pg. 71 of  Until I Die by Amy Plum

Please leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog)! Thanks!

The Sunday Post #5

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!

I've had a fairly busy time with the blog this week! As you may have noticed, "ParaDays" has been redesigned and given a new name- "Enchanted Pages"! I'm still working out some of the kinks, so be patient with me! However you should definitely check out the new FB & Twitter pages. They're super cute and colorful. I changed the name of the blog simply because I just don't strictly read Paranormal Romance and have decided to start reviewing all of the books I read. So I hope you enjoy the new design!

GIVEAWAY: Enter Here!

This Weeks Reviews:

"Obsession" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Promo Reveal:

"Frigid" by J. Lynn

Read This Week:

*"Thirteen Reasons Why" review will be up soon. This was such an emotional read for me that I'm having some issues reviewing it properly.*

Currently Reading:

Books I Bought:

Kindle Books Purchased:

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to leave me a link to your own Sunday Post!

Follow Friday!

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee.

Q: What's Your Favorite Literary Quote?

Ohhh there are so many! Here's just a few of my top favs though:

"But whatever came, she had resolved never to belong to another than herself."- Kate Chopin; The Awakening

"Sometimes I wondered if I was seeing the same thing through my eyes that the rest of the world was seeing through theirs. Maybe their was a glitch in my brain."- Bella; Twilight

"Love, it never dies. It never goes away, it never fades, so long as you hang on to it. Love can make you immortal."- Gayle Forman, If I Stay.

"The prince is never going to come. Everyone knows that; and maybe Sleeping Beauty's dead." - Anne Rice, The Vampire Lestat

What are some of your favorites?!

*Don't forget to leave a comment telling me how you follow with a link to your blog so I can follow back in the same way(s) My FB page definitely needs some love!*

DON'T MISS OUT ON THE GIVEAWAY! 

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

FRIGID Pre-Order Promo & Chapter Reveal!!!

Today is an exciting day - we have FOUR HUGE SURPRISES for you! Jennifer L. Armentrout's (writing as J. Lynn) FRIGID is set to release on e-book at the end of July. If you're anything like us, you're probably on pins and needles and just cannot wait to get your hands on a copy of this book.

FRIGID has already been given the honor of being named a Romantic Times Top Pick and we're super excited for you to be able to read it as well! Well, there's good news! Are you ready for those four awesome surprises? Here we go!

1. Due to all the excitement surrounding FRIGID, we have decided to run a special e-book pre-order promotion. We have worked out a deal with the distributor to release FRIGID a full two weeks early -- on JULY 15th!!! -- if we meet our e-book pre-order goal. EEEEP! That's right, if you are like the rest of us and want to be able to read FRIGID in its entirety before its original release date, all you have to do is PRE-ORDER THE E-BOOK NOW! What are you waiting for? GO! Pre-order it!

 Pre-Order Links: Barnes & Noble / Amazon

2. Need something to hold you over until FRIGID releases? Well, starting right now, you can read the first three chapters of FRIGID for free! Just read below!

Frigid Sneak Peek

LINK 3. Can’t get enough of the hot FRIGID cover? Want to see some behind the scenes photos that are sure to make you swoon? You’re in luck! Below you can watch a slideshow of all the behind the scenes photos from the photo shoot! Go on and watch it. We’ll wait, because there is still one more great surprise!

 

 LINK 4. And last but not least, if you live near Philadelphia, PA, you're in for a very special treat -- Jennifer will be in Philly in November signing not only FRIGID but also the last book in her immensely popular COVENANT series, SENTINEL! But that's not all, Adam, the super hot cover model from FRIGID will be there as well! So, yes, you'll get to meet Jennifer and Adam! Plus, there will be other great prizes that you seriously won't want to miss out on (dinner with the author and model, perhaps?)! Stay tuned for more details to come! We hope you're as excited as we are! So now....Go pre-order FRIGID! Go read those chapters! Go watch that slideshow! And Enjoy!

"Obsession" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Series: Spin-off to Lux Series
Format: Kindle
Publication: May 31, 2013 by Entangled Publishing
Cover Rating: 4/5 Stars

From Goodreads: He’s arrogant, domineering, and... To. Die. For.

Hunter is a ruthless killer. And the Department of Defense has him firmly in their grasp, which usually doesn’t chafe too badly because he gets to kill bad guys. Most of the time he enjoys his job. That is, until he’s saddled with something he’s never had to do before: protect a human from his mortal enemy.

Serena Cross didn’t believe her best friend when she claimed to have seen the son of a powerful senator turn into something... unnatural. Who would? But then she witnesses her friend’s murder at the hands of what can only be an alien, thrusting her into a world that will kill to protect their secret.

Hunter stirs Serena’s temper and her lust despite their differences. Soon he’s doing the unthinkable—breaking the rules he’s lived by, going against the government to keep Serena safe. But are the aliens and the government the biggest threats to Serena’s life… or is it Hunter?

My Thoughts: There's really not too much I can say on Obsession. If you liked the Lux series but want a more adult feel to it, then read this novel. Because basically, what we get here is a grownup version of Daemon as an Arum and Katie (still human).

Here's the thing: I love JLA. Seriously. I think she's an amazing writer and freaking fantastic to her fans. I also knew going into this book that I wasn't going to be floored by it or think it was amazing. JLA told all of us what to expect: An adult version of the Lux series. And that is exactly what we get. I'm not going to lie, I had some issues with it. Like how it's told in alternating POV's and you have to guess who it is because for some reason we don't have their names at the beginning of the chapters (seriously JLA, what where you thinking? lol You know better than that!) However the writing is awesome and we do get some seriously sexy scenes with the oh so hot Hunter. So if you're looking for a quick, steamy summer read this is definitely your book!

My Rating:

The Sunday Post #4

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!

GIVEAWAY: Facebook Giveaway!

This Weeks Reviews:

"Dark Lover" by J.R. Ward

"Under the Never Sky" & "Through the Ever Night" by Veronica Rossi

Kindle Books I Bought:

I'm pretty excited about this weeks Kindle purchases! Amazon had a HUGE sale on a lot of great YA novels (found here), which lead me to buy Dying to Forget & Mila 2.0. JLA also has her new novel, Obsession, on sale for .99 cents for a limited time only (found here)! Trust me, if you're a Lux fan you don't want to miss out on this one!

GIVEAWAY!!!!

Alright guys, it's that time again!

I like to call these Mini-Giveaways!

What's up for Grabs:

Your choice of any $10 or under book from The Book Depository or Amazon E-BOOK!

*Open Internationally as long TBD ships to your country!*

How to Enter:

It's easy! All you have to do is go like the ParaDays FB page (where there will be Flash Giveaways and Deals announced)! After that Rafflecopter will allow you to gain more entries for following ParaDays in other ways :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Under the Never Sky" & "Through the Ever Night" by Veronica Rossi

Genre: YA Dystopia
Series: Under the Never Sky #1
Format: Kindle
Publication: January 3, 2012 by Harper Collins
Cover Ratings: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

 From Goodreads: It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both. Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder,Can their love survive through the ever night? In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.





My Thoughts: Oh. My. Goodness! These books are AMAZING!!! Seriously, don't miss out on them! If you enjoy awesome dystopia novels, then you will fall in love with Perry this series!

Under the Never Sky is told in alternating POV's from Aria (a dweller) and Perry (a savage). Between the two of them we learn that the world as we know it is gone. Aether (a lightning like substances that produces lethal  tornadic-isk storms)  has caused thousands (possible millions) of people to go into the safety of Pods around the world. Their only source of entertainment is the Realms. Better than Real the virtual world is connected through the dwellers smart eyes. They can "go" anywhere and "do" anything. But not everyone has chosen the path of the Dwellers, some, like Perry, have chosen to risk the world outside and brave the aether on their own- forming clans and tribes as they go. Under the Never Sky tells the story of what happens when these two worlds collide.

This story just sucks you in completely, and leaves you turning the last page at 3:00 AM screaming that you need the next book NOW! The plot is just so incredibly original and thick with anticipation. Perry, Aria, and Roar are simply fantastic, deep characters who you will miss terribly once you finish these two novels.

I highly recommend this series to everyone! Seriously, go out and buy it right now!

My Rating:

"Dark Lover" by J.R. Ward

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #1
Publication: September 6, 2005 by Signet Eclipse
Format: Paperback 393 Pages
Cover Rating: 2/5 Stars

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

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

My Thoughts: Sadly, I have found that I am not going to be joining The Black Dagger Brotherhood fandom. But before I delve into what I didn't like about this book, let's focus on what I DID enjoy about it first:

Dark Lover quickly sucked me into the story of Wrath and Beth. The plot was pretty original for a vampire novel. I liked the idea of this whole underground Vampire society that didn't even feed off of humans or in general have anything to do with them. I also enjoyed the Lessers (once humans, turned soulless) and their role. And the novel itself was fast paced, and had a lot of good action- of both kinds ;)

Here was my major issue, though: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! I had a seriously hard time beveling that bad ass warrior vampires would use the same vocabulary as Alicia Silverstone in Clueless (Ex: "I'm outtie!") Did I just hear the 90's calling? They want they're lingo back. Sadly, I wish I was joking- I'm not- and this was just one example of many. Overall, they just felt... cheesy. I found myself saying "Really? You're really going write them that way?" Honestly, it just ruined the whole thing for me. Maybe it's just my personal  pet peeve, but the whole thing just threw me out of the story instantly.

Would I recommend this book to someone else? Only if they asked for a vampire romance specifically... and that would be after listing a whole slew of others before it. Then again, I hear if you can push through the first couple of novels, the story really picks up, but I won't be wasting my time because it just wasn't for me.

My Rating: 

Follow Friday

Q: Have you broken up with a series? If so, which one and why?

This is a tough issue for me, because I'm a "completion-ist". I dragged myself through all 13 of the Sookie Stackhouse books even though I loathed the last 5 or 6. However I did just recently start the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and I will tell you right now I have no intention of picking up book two! I loved the story/ plot and Beth, but I HATED the how cliche and cheesy the Vamp Warriors were portrayed. Just not my thing.

*Remember: Leave a comment telling me in which way(s) you follow (via GFC, Facebook, or Twitter) with a link back to your own post so I can follow in the same ways!*

"Dead Ever After" by Charlaine Harris

Genre: Paranormal Romance (Adult)
Series: Sookie Stackhouse #13
Format: Hardback, 338 pages
Publication: May 7, 2013 by Ace
Cover Rating: 4/5 Stars

From Goodreads: Sookie Stackhouse finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back at Merlotte’s. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut. He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.

Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.

But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating the killing, she’ll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough...

My Thoughts: Meh. The Sookie Stackhouse world should have ended long ago, but Charlaine Harris rode this piggy bank until her fans started demanding she stop. There's really not a lot to say. If you've read this far into the TrueBlood verse then you probably did it for the same reasons I did- because we've just come too damn far to not know what happens to Sookie- and you probably had low expectations of it. The plot was predictable, rushed, and the characters were just ridiculous. It's like Mrs. Harris just said "Oh, screw it. I'm not even going to stick to their fundamental personality traits in this one!" But if I started listing all of the things wrong with this book, we'd be here all day. Instead, why I don't just tell you what I LIKED about it:

• Closure. We get it (thank goodness, because then I'd really just be pissed). We found out who Sookie finally ends up with.
• Who Sookie FINALLY ends up with. While I absolutely LOATHE the way this relationship was played out, I 100% agree with who Mrs. Harris picked for Sookie. I knew from book one who she should end up with, even if I wasn't his biggest fan.

Overall would I still recommend the series? Eh. Doubtful. I'd probably just tell them to watch the show on HBO. It's ten times better and you don't have to deal with Charlaine Harris dragging (and whoring)  Sookie through 13 books. 

My Rating:

Flash Review: "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury

Genre: Sci-Fi (Classics)
Series: Stand Alone
Format: Paperback, 182 pages
Publication: June 1, 1984
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: Leaving behind a world on the brink of destruction, man came to the Red planet and found the Martians waiting, dreamlike. Seeking the promise of a new beginning, man brought with him his oldest fears and his deepest desires. Man conquered Mars—and in that instant, Mars conquered him. The strange new world with its ancient, dying race and vast, red-gold deserts cast a spell on him, settled into his dreams, and changed him forever. Here are the captivating chronicles of man and Mars—the modern classic by the peerless Ray Bradbury.

My Thoughts: I loved it. I don't know why it took me so long to finally pluck this off my classics shelf and read it, but I'm glad I finally did. The Martian Chronicles is a collection of short stories that, well, chronicles the expeditions of humans on Mars. It's a dark tale of sorrow, ruin, and selfishness that strips humanity of it's flesh leaving nothing but the bare bones with little pieces of skin hanging off. In true Bradbury fashion the entire time I was reading this I kept getting that spooky dream like quality. Simply amazing, a definite recommend!

My Rating: