Books for Jo

*******SPOILERS*******

Beginning I would like to say how much I like how the charachters' develop in the two books of the series I've read. You can literally see Mac growing up, setting her childhood fantasies and dreams aside, getting over her "glam girl" persona, becoming more suspicious and aware of the world but not losing hope that one day she'll have them back. We see her former self trying for domination but the new Mac has other ideas.



About Barrons, the author gives us just enough to keep us on our toes, hungring for more. I really like him because although he still has Mac believing she's just a weapon to him he doesn't act like it. He is constantly getting her out of trouble and every time she is in a bad situation(like life and death bad) is about the only time we've seen him distressed in the books. I have to admit that I am sooo curius to find out exactly what he is, especially since the bad guys seem to see him as such a big threat. Strong, rich(and yes, I'm shallow enough to thing it a major pro), mysterious and probably very powerfull(not to mention HOT) he's going to quickly take a place to my "Fav Book Hotties" collection.

Aww, and when he calls her Mac, banters with her and shows jealousy, I swoon in my chair, bed, etc..



And another one because one is not enough when it comes to him...



V'lane, Christian, Ryodan. I can't wait to learn more. V'lane's presence is usually overwhelming in the book, when Mac talks about him I can't focuse in anything else. He is an arrogant SOB but he doesn't understand the human rules so I'm willing to forgive him. I don't know exactly who or what Christian and Ryodan are but I'm willing to bet we haven't seen the last of them and that they are both hot.



Btw I think Mac shouldn't want to use the OOPs for her gain, especially the dark ones. It's not random that they have a long list of corrupted owners.

As for that BITCH Rowena, she can go to her corner and DIE! I don't like her, at all. I kind of like Dani, I'm curius to see what happens when Mac decides to spend time with them.

We also have a new bad guy in the game, don't like him much(understandable).

The end was again a cliffhanger and I was a little sad with Mac's realization but I think it's for the best. Innocent doesn't survive long. Good doesn't survive long if it can't bend and if it survives it's usually twisted, like Rowena's mind is. If you allow or commit crimes in the name of good then you don't know what the word means IMO. The ends don't justify the means, the greater good doesn't justify bad actions.



And now we come to the part where I'm about to rant...

What was this shit with the fae eating? I mean seriously? I can totally see the bad guy doing it but I think KMM should have let Mac die before adding this scene. I get that it shows Mac's will to survive and the fact that she isn't a screaming little girl anymore but COME ON. It was disgusting and it totally ruined the steamy scene that followed for me. All I could think was "he's kissing the mouth that was chewing on living flesh not an hour earlier", not to mention it happened next to a decaying body. I couldn't get over it and celebrate the fact that they kissed. I get that UF isn't always full of rainbows(hehe) but I wanted their first kiss to be a little more...Clean. She was in a cave more than 24 hours, without shower, toothbrush, clean clothes, they had just fought and beheaded a decomposing guy and SHE HAD BEEN EATING LIVING FAE FLESH AND HADN'T EVEN BRUSHED HER TEETH YET.



I thought about giving 4 stars but I really enjoyed it so I will pretend that the above didn't happen and give it a 5.

This book was awesome, I mean AWESOME. I have to admit that I'm not as much in love with it as most people but I think that, if the series goes on like this, it will quickly take a place in my "fav" category.

I won't try to describe the story of this book because honestly everything that needs to be said has already been so I'll just tell you my opinion of it and the review is going to be full of SPOILERS (you stand warned).

My Mac...



This is the first image I got from Mac. Blond, beautiful and kind of a bimbo. She loves pink, spents hours in hair, make up, nails, clothes, etc. And then her sister dies and this girl is out for blood.

I LOVED Mac, not because I enjoy this type of girl all that much but because she was fresh and original. She is a little selfish and shallow and that's ok because most girls at this age are. There are very few people out to save the world, most want to only save themselves and maybe the people they love. I liked and hated the fact that she didn't get out of her way to help other people, loved it because it just might be a first for a heroine and hated it because let's face it nobody likes selfish.

Don't get me wrong, the girl wasn't a bitch, she was polite, funny, smart, kind and loved her family with her whole heart. When she found herself in need she got over her "beautiful self image" but she was a human and like most people she wanted the world saved as long as someone else did the saving.

I also liked the fact that she didn't go from barbie to badass in ten seconds but this was a little ruined in the last chapters. Here I have to make a complaint, why dear author did you have to make her an "instictively good fighter"? I liked my girl as she was, a 21st century-barely out of her teens-southern belle.

My Barrons...



Scott Elrod is probably the closest to how I imagine Barrons. Barrons is sexy and mysterious and all things dark. He is also a major jerk. He uses Mac, takes advantage of her talents and threatens her on top, and I loved him most of the time. The guy isn't a dormat, he doesn't fall under Mac's spell and become her puppy. He is strong, handsome, dangerous and always gets what he wants. Enough said.

What I liked in this book beside the main heroes:

a) NO insta-love. There were things cluing us that there is some attraction between the heroes but thankfully the heroine didn't get all warn and fussy every time he looked at her and they didn't get down and dirty in the middle of their adventures with half the city chasing them.
b) Fae is a bit of an original story for me, I have only read one other series based on Fae and it wasn't nearly as good.
c) The scenes with V'lane. I think it was hilariously disturbing!^.^
d) The story though nothing very original as a whole was interesting and with enough original parts to keep you glued.
e) The nails scene, I tried to picture it in my mind and kept laughing my head off.

Neither hot nor cold:

a) The book was supposed to be written by the heroine about a year after the events, so far so good. What irritated me at times was the fact that she would describe sth and then say sth between the lines "I would later find out, I would later understand, I would later...", I would have prefered it if this didn't happen so often, but it's nothing I couldn't get over.
b) Barrons Ms. Lanes. It was so irritating that he never called her by her name BUT the moment he said her name I was like...





About the bad stuff, I can't remember anything annoying me much but I would like to know more about Barrons and what's up in his head, luckily there are more books coming up!!!

This review is already huge so I won't say anything else, just read the book!

This book isn't that bad but it isn't great either and I'm not in the mood to struggle through it.

I'll probably pick it back up at some point!:)

***SPOILERS WILL DIFINITELY BE PART OF THIS REVIEW***

When I picked up this book today I was about halfway through. I thought I'd read 2 or 3 chapters and then go on about my day...Yeap, that didn't happen! This story sucked you in and didn't leave you out of it's grasp until the very end! The pages kept turning and turning and suddenly I was done. I didn't notice the time passing or remember my very important obligations *cough*, I just kept reading!



What made this story great? One word: IAN!

For visual aid I turned to one of my fav movies although Raoul isn't exactly how I imagined Ian...



Ian was such a special character. When I read the title I have to admit that I didn't think it was literal, meaning the hero was actually crazy! Now, throughout the book it never becomes totally clear exactly what is Ian's problem (because he did have one) but I LOVED the guy.

At times you wanted to hug him like a little child and then he made you wanna take his clothes off and do very adult things to him. He was a genius in several aspects but slow at others(mostly human interractions and feelings), and I don't mean he didn't want to be bothered by them, I mean he literally couldn't understand them, he didn't know what love is and he believed himself incapable of it.

I can't fully explain it...You have to read the book to get it!

Beth...



Christine will do nicely as Beth. I actually liked Beth. This surprises me because I usually don't enjoy the heroines in historical romances, but Beth was a strong female. She was stubborn, loyal, loving and apart from the first 10% of the book during which I thought her slightly naive, she was quite mature and free spirited. Even though she had money she wasn't spoiled because she wasn't borned into it and she didn't take everything she had for granted but she managed to find humor in life. She was in general a decent heroine, someone I could enjoy reading more about.



They never actually danced in the book but the picture is beautiful.

Ian's life as well as Beth's have been hard but Beth was able to leave the past behind her whereas Ian is still haunted by his. Betrayed by his father but very loved by his brothers, Ian cannot get over what has been done to him since childhood but with Beth he is able to think through the pain that the new stirring of an old crime and his past bring. It was so touching at some points I wanted to cry!

“We don't fit in, you and me," he said. "We're both oddities no one knows what to do with. But we fit together." He took her hand, pressed her palm to his, then laced their fingers through each other's. "We fit.”

“My Beth,” he whispered, his breath hot on her swollen lips. “Thank you.”
“For what?” Beth couldn’t stop crying, but she smiled, her face aching with it.
“Setting me free.”

And my personal favorite(I believe it shows much about Ian)...

“Is this what love feels like?" he whispered to her. "I don't like it, my Beth. It hurts too much.”



I can't sum up my feelings for this book and this review is already too long(and probably chaotic) so I'll just say that if you like hirstoricals this is a definite must-read, or at leat a definite must-try.

PS. I don't really like Mac so far but I'll definitely give his book a go.

I think IA is gradually becoming my favorite author!! Once again I loved her book. William was... Well Meg Ryan can show you!



Cerise...



Cerise was a very likable heroine. She is smart, responsible, loyal and pretty. I like the fact that although IA gives her heroines sth to make them stand out she never makes them "IT", sth that is so unique that you have to take notice so it is natural for the hero to fall for them(don't know if that makes any sense).

William...



I loved William since I first read about him in the first book and kept on loving him throughout this one. William is a combination of confidence and insecurities. He is smart but doesn't think exactly like a human, sometimes he was like a little boy and you wanted to cuddle him and then he would be all hot and sexy. I loved Declan in the first book too but for completely different reasons...

The story was good although it dragged out a bit in places but not enough to take anything out of Andrews' awesomeness. It was well-written and full of action and luckily once again although it was a big part of the story, the romance came second. I didn't want it to end.



Now I could start raving about all the things I loved in this book but I would need hours and I'm too bored. So I'll just suggest you read it and find out what a great book it is for yourselves.

PS. I LOVE Kaldar already. He is such a wickedly hot guy that will either captivate me or completely dissapoint me as a hero!

Oh my god! I have to say a huge THANK YOU I.A.

This book was awesome. I wanted more of it. Usually I'm anxious to see how a story ends but this time I just wanted it to keep going. I actually had happy tears in the end!!!



Where should I begin? This book pushed all my buttons. The story, the characters, the world-building, everything was spectacular!

Let's start by the heroes.

Rose...



Rose is such a relatable heroine. She is easy to like and gives the "girl-next-door" vibe. Does she have remarkable characteristics? Well yes, but she isn't one of a kind. She has a strong flash(the strongest in the Edge) but this doesn't help when she needs to put food to the table for herself and for her two young brothers. She is a strong heroine but unlike most of UF and PNR heroines she is responsible because she has more than herself to think about. I liked her from prologue to epilogue.

Declan...



Declan is mysterious, sexy, full of surprises. Until the last page he keeps Rose on her toes. I really would have loved to have his POV but sadly it wasn't there, although the book was written from multiple POVs. I liked the fact that he wasn't spoiled rotten despite his family's status and his positiion. He was loyal and fierce and HOT.

The whole deal between them was kind of fairytalish. He was the noble knight, she was the Cinderella(though she was no damsel-in-distress by any account), there were challenges to prove his determination to have her and... *sigh*. Words abandon me. The romance side of this book was well-written and fullfilling.



The side characters...

Well, I loved them ALL. The boys, Jack and George, were so cute and lovable, the Grandmother was exactly how she should be(protective and loving), William...-*sigh again*- I loved William, I can't wait for his book. Even the "bad" people were well-written. Seriously there wasn't anyone that I thought shouldn't be there.



The story and world building...

The story was well-written, fast, full of action. What I love about I.A. books is that the romance is actually the side story and everything doesn't evolve around whether the heroes are going at it like bunnies or not.

The world I.A. has built is actually quite fresh. Was it the first time we have seen a world built in different dimensions? Nope, but Andrews has added her magic and the world is original enough that you just want to know more. Also thankfully the "rules" of how it works were actually more easily understood than it was in Kate Daniels.

So all in all if the book had any faults I just can't remember them and this is enough for me so I'm giving it a 5 wholeheartedly and already moving it to my favs self. *happy dance*

Oh well...I think 3 is quite generous here. The book wasn't exactly trash but it also wasn't sth I would recommend or re-read for any reason. If I didn't think of two as my "shouldn't even try" rating it would probably get 2.

The main problem of this book was the first 40%. We are introduced to a new world and given so much info that there's a feeling of suffocating, drowning, getting lost in all the random actions and unknown terms. You pretty much wanna set the book on fire and dance on its grave. It isn't pretty.



If you manage to get over the first 35% of the book(and it needs much patience to do it) it gets better. The info flow slows down and things are slowly explained. The terms and the characters finally make sense.



After that we have the usual, the characters are kind of likable but not original, the story is interesting enough that after a point I went through it easily, we have the insta-love that is kind of expected since we have the "true mate" thing. The book doesn't lack in the action department and it has some quite interesting side characters so I will probably try the rest books(I'd really like to read more about Lucian -I blame the name, it always sucks me in-). The sex scenes were hot enough and thankfully took over less than 20% of the book.



So...3 stars and I won't be whining to Aly for getting me to read this one since it was much more torturous for her!:P

This was a 3 if I felt generous. I don't know why exactly I couldn't get into this one, I just couldn't!



My Dante...



My Jaime...



I tried really hard but I couldn't see what they found into each other... The only thing I got on Dante was that he was a slightly OCDed workaholic who was insensitive at many points and a plain jerk in others. Honestly the only good thing I saw during the book was that he was loyal and determined(and of course HOT).

Then we have Jaime. She was kind of interesting, at least we could understand why Dante would want her. She is fun to be around(sth that Dante needed in his life), she is a survivor, she is fierce when she has to and determined always. Generally she was a good heroine but nothing original.



And then we come to the main problem of the book... The story dragged out at some points so much that I was tempted to skip pages and some points were a total bore. Especially her "training" times were too detailed and not interesting at all IMO.



Now I believe that most of the book wasn't bad but I probably wasn't in the right mood for it. I think that if I try re-reading it with a better timing I will enjoy it much better!:)

BTW it had some HOT sex scenes and none of the orgy non-sense of the first one so a point goes there!xD



PS. I LOVE Greta and the other guys and I really can't wait to read more of Nick and Shaya's romance!*sigh*

Well that was...



Yeap. This good!xD

*****SPOILERS*****

Meet Taryn...



“Just give me a second. Attempting to give a fuck...Attempting harder to give a fuck...Sorry, there was an error; fuck not given.”

Taryn is a wolf shifter without the ability to shift. Since it became apparent that she wouldn't be able to change everyone's been regarding her as weak even though she is a powerful alpha female. But boy are they wrong. Taryn is smart, strong, mouthy and generally kicking ass. I absolutely loved her. In order to get away from the male her father intends her to marry she makes a deal with the devil...

Meet Trey...



Oops. More like this...



“She’s my mate. She’s mine. No one keeps her from me. No one insults her. And no one – and I mean no one – talks to her the way you just did, understand me?”

Trey is about to come to blows with his uncle and has suddenly decided that in order for his pack to survive this he needs Taryn's father's help so he makes her a deal, he takes her out of her hard place, she takes him out of his. He is stubborn, aggressive, possessive to a fault and very protective of everything he considers his.

If you think they hit it off from the beginning and everyone's happy well, think again. Yes they are attrackted to each other but they fight it and they deny their connection and generally try to play the aloof ones.



Needless to say, this doesn't quite work out for them. So we have a decent story, a hot couple, a pack full of hot male shifters and very few females, a great heroine, an awesome hero(even if he wasn't exactly sth original).

What I didn't like so much in this book was Trey's birthday "orgy". Not that I have anything with orgies, it's just that the book would be much better without it IMO. I really think that the whole scene didn't agree with what we had come to know of Trey's and Taryn's characters.

The relationship between the couple was interesting and developed over time instead of the "love at first sight" thing that I've come to dislike so very much. Trey was most of the book kind of like this...



In the end I was soooo happy that everything worked out! Totally ready for the next book!:)

Trey and Taryn...

Beginning I would like to make clear the fact that I liked this book and I want to make it clear because my thoughts may point to the opposite!:P



My main problem with the book? I couldn't find the romance. I looked hard, tried every corner but it just wasn't there... I didn't see any great feelings developing, I didn't see how they went from friends to f*ck buddies to mates. I just couldn't see it!



My second problem was the epilogue. I was reading and then suddenly it was over. No easing into it, no closure, nothing. It was too abrupt and addressed almost none of the issues raised during the book in my opinion. It was like walking down a street and suddenly falling down the cliff you didn't even know was there.



What I liked about this book was the characters, the fast paced story, the humor and Irene's and Bo's appearances. Generally considering the characters in this book it pussed every button I have. Jenious people, psychotic people, laid back people, motherly, arrogant, in their own world, scared, brave, funny, boring. Everything you could think of that you like in a book character the author provided it for you.



Summing up...The book was great but it failed miserably in the romance department. I was thinking of giving it a 3 but I seriously enjoyed it so 4 it is!

PS. I want a romance between Livy and Reece next but I have a feeling that Vic will get the girl!:(

When I decided to read this book I thought I was in for something at least interesting. What I got was a messed up relationship, a shallow(and idiotic) heroine and a hero who...um, I really don't know what to say about the hero.



Why the heroine was an idiot:

1) She was having sex with a guy she didn't even know the name of. Not once or twice, but every week for 1,5 year!

2) Said sex was unprotected even though she suspected the guy had a parade of other lovers.

3) Her sister is in a ton of troubles which will lead at best in jail, at worst in death. Someone broke into her house. Someone set her father's house on fire but all she thinks about is dresses, shoes, boys.

4) The guy above knew everything about her even though she knew nothing. He had installed cameras at her house(without asking or informing her), he had her followed and he is determined she belongs to him, despite her protests. All that even though he thought of her as a slut who all but dropped her panties to get his attention the first night and then had sex with him without knowing who he was for 1.5 YEAR! And she is seriously considering a relationship with him despite all the above because he installed her a security system, got her a pair of shoes and carried her out of a fire(and I know it sounds all heroic and shit but she could have easily walked out on her own). So suure let's forget that the guy is domineering and creepy.

This guy said it perfectly...



About the hero...I seriously can't tell you anything about him because the heroine doesn't know anything except that he is hot, he has 3 brothers and he used to be in the army(all of which she learned in the last two days not the 1.5 year they'd been lovers).



Btw did I mention that this TSTL girl with the fish IQ has 4 hot guys pining for her? And she also pants after them like some desperate 40 year old virgin. Seriously...

After I read about 40% of the book I got a little afraid that idiocy is contagious and I don't wanna catch it so I dnfed this sucker.

PS. Did I mention that this guy had been breaking into her house all this time? She hadn't given him keys or anything like that.

Well...I really enjoyed the book. It won't be going on my favs self but I loved the ride all the same.

I want to say one thing about historicals and why I most of the times don't exactly like the heroines. I usually love the "badass" heroines and this sadly is rare in historical romances if they aim at feeling "truthful"(at least as much as a fiction novel can be). It's really sad because I can't think of anything better than a girl with a sword!:P

As for this particular book...

My castle


(I couldn't resist...These places just look so perfect.)

I liked the story. The whole "elite guard" thing is exactly sth I'd love to read because hey, highlanders, warriors, different couple every book. What's not to love?

I loved Tor. I didn't find his behavior towards Christina cruel or anything like that because I'm more than certain that you didn't get to lead a clan with your bleeding heart at the time of the story.

I didn't particularly like Christina. She wasn't bad I suppose but not anything special either. Typical "historical- damsel in distress" kind of girl. She made one mistake after the other in her attempts to make Tor like her. Don't know...Maybe I'm a little prejudiced.

Well that's about it...If my review doesn't make much sense I'll fix it some time in the future if I'm more in the mood!:P

*snif*

Done with this one as well. The other one isn't out until July. I want it NOW!:(



After the events of the previous book our fearless heroine has gone from being afraid of nothing to being afraid of her own shadow. She can't sleep at nights, can't get out of the apartment, can't trust anyone. It was interesting to see what happens to someone who thought herself invinsible when she comes face to face with death!



But our little Grim Reaper isn't about to let her fears run her life(well not completely), so when a case brings herself at her door she decides to grow her balls again and go out in the world after two months of couch therapy! Of course things go downhill from there... Demons, possesed people, old ladies, bank robbers, take your pick. All of them are out to get her and she doesn't yet know how to fight them!



And then we have Reyes. Their relationship is full of ups and downs. One minute they have the perfect understanding the next one, one or both of them are angry. It's getting a little tiring to watch them trying and not succeeding! Also I think we still have a long way to go before we learn everything about Reyes! The guy has more layers than onions. At least they have hot sex! ^.^



PS. Still love Cookie and Garret, still hate her dad's guts!

Once again I'm really awed with the authors ability to take a dramatic, heart-breaking situation and shower it with so much humor and sarcasm that you think you're reading comedy!

I have to admit that you can't help liking this series. Charley's humor, Reyes' mystery, Cookie's love, Bob's humiliation by Charley, the dead people's stories. Everything is well written and so entertaining that you can't let the book down until it's done!

Btw let me just say I LOVE Donovan. The males in this book are to-die-for! First Reyes, then Garret, now biker Dude!*drooling*

In the end of the book I wanted to kill both Reyes and Charley's dad! They were so pig headed and unfair to our lovely Reaper!

Off to the next one...

PS. I wanted Cookie with Garret but I guess Bob will have to do!:P

This book was awesome! Did I like it as much as the first? Well no, not really but that doesn't mean it wasn't fabulous!

Charley as always gets in trouble every ten minutes, Reyes as always is there to save the day half the times. I have to admit that I like the bad Reyes more than the good one (always had a thing for bad boys).

I won't say much, mostly because I have two more to read and this one was cliffhanger-ish so I have to move to the next, so I'll just say that Charley is definitely in my fav heroines and Reyes is definitely in my fav heroes but I would prefer it if the drama went down a level (like the first book).

Btw I absolutely LOVE Cookie! I hope she gets her dream-guy!xD

Travis...



Abby...



In [b:Beautiful Disaster|11505797|Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful, #1)|Jamie McGuire|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358259032s/11505797.jpg|16441531] we got to see the story from Abby's POV but now we get to read Travis'. We finally get to see into the mind of the hero we both loved and hated at the same moment!



I have to admit that I was a little reluctant to read the same story even if it was from another POV but I was actually pleasantly surprised when I realised that I liked this one better than the first!

Travis is a very complicated character, the way he clings to Abby borders to psychotic but you can't help but love him, especially when his insecurities come out to play!



Travis thinks that Abby deserves better than him(and ok, tbh at some points I thought so too) but there is sth captivating about this crazy guy! It is heart-warming to see the way he loves Abby and is completely capable of overlooking her faults and how he wants to be better around her!



From his POV we get to see some parts of the story that we didn't see from Abby's and to finally find out exactly what's going on in Travis' head(and what an interesting head it is), we get to see why he does certain stuff that from Abby's POV seemed a little extreme.



Also we get to see how their lives are after the closing of the first book! So my friends don't hesitate to read this one just because you already know the story, it is well worth reading it again!