Book Review: A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Author: Sarah J Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
Audience: New Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release Date: May 5th 2015
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: Personal Copy
Blurb (from Goodreads):

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

I've had my eye on this series for a while now, ever since my Twitter feed basically exploded with talks about Rhysand and Feyre and Tamlin, and since the gorgeous covers flooded the world of bookstagram. I am glad I decided to read this book, I do however regret not having A Court Of Mist and Fury to pick up immediately after finishing this one.

I'll be completely honest and say that I didn't know what to expect. Aside from the aforementioned Twitter convos I've seen, I've managed to stay away from any and all spoilers, so aside from the fact that this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling, I knew nothing about this book.

Feyre is such a great heroine. I like that she's a strong, independent, "I-can-take-care-of-myself-and-my-family" young woman. I hated her family and how they treated her, but I loved her. She was stronger than anyone else would have been, and in those first pages of the book, when she's with her family and she describes how they treated her and how basically she was the only one keeping her sisters and her dad alive, I would not have blamed her for giving up, for saying "I'm done". Mad respect for her for not doing just that.

Given how Feyre was raised, to hate and fear all faeries, I feel like this book was a mirroring of the old fairytale, with "Beast" taming the Beauty. I liked that aspect, I like reading about people learning the truth about something or someone, despite the fear and hate they've been taught to feel from when they were infants.

Tamlin....My dear Tamlin. See, there were moments where I didn't like the guy as much as I should have, because he was always quiet and not talking about stuff, and then the ending happened and I understood it all, his silence, the half-answers, everything made sense.

My favorite character, though, was Lucien. I kept wishing he'd get more page-time. I keep hoping that the future books will focus on him more, because I need more Lucien! He was funny, he was awesome. Although he wasn't as kind with Feyre as I wanted at first, the ending, like with Tamlin, made it all make so much more sense.

Mad props for Maas for making Amarantha a true villain. That woman scared the crap outta me. She was just as evil as a villain should be, and just as deranged. I wonder if the next books will have a villain each.

Another reason for me to like this book is that, despite my misgivings with certain characters, like Nesta and Rhysand (I know, I know!), I got to understand the reasons of each character for behaving a certain way. It makes complete sense, now that I've finished the book, for Rhysand to act like he did, just like I completely understand Nesta for hating their dad. And I know I said on Twitter that I hope I never get to read about her again, I wonder if Nesta managed to escape and live a better life. I want to learn about her and how she's going to deal with.... something that happened at the end of the book.

If there's one thing I'd love to see, and if you guys know any fan art with this, let me know, is the Prythian map, as described by Feyre. There's this scene where she's describing a mural with the map, and the imagery is so gorgeous, that I'd love to see that in real life, with how the various Courts are painted and how the map is colored. Also, the cover makes complete sense now!

All in all, I'm super happy I read this book and I cannot wait to get my hands on ACOMAF and then the long wait for the next book starts. Also, I cannot wait for the coloring book!

Book Review: 1001 Dark Nights Bundle Five by Julie Kenner, Lexi Blake, Larissa Ione, Elisabeth Naughton, Angel Payne, Michelle St. James

Author: Julie Kenner, Lexi Blake, Larissa Ione, Elisabeth Naughton, Angel Payne, Michelle St. James
Series: 1001 Dark Nights
Audience: + 18
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
Release Date: July 12th 2016
My Rating: 4.5 cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling authors Julie Kenner, Lexi Blake, Larissa Ione, Elisabeth Naughton, and introducing Angel Payne and Michelle St. James.

Six Dark Tales. Six Sensual Stories. Six Page Turners.

CARESS OF PLEASURE: I'd thought that he was mine, the dark, arresting man who commanded not only my body but my heart. Dante had swept into my life, and I'd succumbed to the burn of passion in his arms. I'd believed we had a love that would last forever, but he'd shattered my dreams and broken me into pieces when he'd walked away.

ADORED: Mitch Bradford knows he’s not good for any woman—especially not his best friend’s sister. Laurel Daley knows what she wants, and her sights are set on Mitch. She knows he just needs a little polish to make some woman the perfect lover. She intends to be that woman, but first she has to show him how good it could be.

HADES: Cataclysm was kicked out of Heaven and is now a fallen angel. All she wants is to redeem herself and get back where she belongs. When she gets trapped in Hades’s Underworld prison domain with only Hades to help her, Cat finds that where she belongs might be in the place she least expected…

RAVAGED: Ari has one singular focus: revenge. His guardian brothers all think he’s dead, but he is alive and chipping away at Zeus’s Sirens every chance he can. When he abducts the wrong female and his identity is finally exposed, it will take the courage of one woman willing to stand up to a warrior who’s become a savage to rein Ari in.

NAUGHTY LITTLE GIFT: From the moment Mishella Santelle locks eyes with Cassian Court, she can see the man beneath the power…the bruised soul for whom hers has been destined. When six months of her life are bargained to Cassian in a multimillion dollar contract, Mishella is helpless against the reaction of her body and soul to this man.

THE SENTINEL: Determined to maintain the friendship that has been her rock since childhood, Diana Barrett resigns herself to keeping her distance from Leo Gage. Leo has worshipped Diana Barrett since they were kids, but she can never know that. When Diana witnesses a murder, she goes to the only person who has ever made her feel safe. Now Leo and Diana are on the run.

Every Dark Nights tale is breathtakingly sexy and magically romantic.

*Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book from InkSlinger PR and Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or my opinion of this book.

Unless you're really not into adult romance books, you've probably already heard of the 1001 Dark Nights series. I adore the series and the idea of putting all of these authors together in what seems like a never-ending series. Another good thing is that, in some cases (I'm looking at you, Larissa Ione!), the stories continue some of my favorite series. Awesome, right?

Caress Of Pleasure by Julie Kenner

Second chance stories are nice to read about. I'm a sucker for redemption stories, mostly because everyone needs a second chance.

Dante was awesome! I really liked him. His sense of right and wrong was infuriating at times, but I understand what he tried to do all those years before, with Brenna. I would love to read how his relationship with Brenna started, to see how they evolved or how their relationship grew from what it was initially.

I also liked that both of them were exposed to the other's version of the story. There's this cool scene where Brenna learns how her actions hurt Dante too, so it was really interesting to read that.

This story also made me curious to see if it was part of a series (YES IT IS!), because I need to read more about these men and women that are basically phoenixes. The series is called Dark Pleasures and I cannot wait to read it.

Rating: 4 cups

Adored by Lexi Blake

I've had Lexi Blake's Masters and Mercenaries series on my TBR for a very long time now, but I never got around to start reading it. I was super happy when I realized that Adored was part of that world. 

Mitch is a very reluctant hero, and it is a miracle Laurel put up with him. I had a moment when I actually contemplated screeching, he was so infuriating. I understood him in a way, but that didn't make it easy for me to accept his behavior. 

I liked Laurel. She was funny and basically a smart-ass. What I loved most about her was her ability to have an answer for anything, a retort of some sort always ready. There were times when I didn't understand her willingness to stand by Mitch's side, though. 

I did consider Mitch to be a bit cold at times, which isn't something I liked all that much. I felt like he let his past influence his decisions too much, but in the end it all worked out.

Can I just say, HOLY MOTHER OF CLIFFHANGERS? Now I just have to read the series because of a certain something that happened at the end of this story. Anyway, it was a good novella and I really enjoyed my introduction to Lexi Blake's M&M series

Rating: 3.5 cups

Hades by Larissa Ione

How do I even start? Any story within the Demonica world is going to get glowing reviews from me, because Larissa Ione is still my queen. It's just a fact.

Hades, the guy who pissed off Azagoth, the guy who basically pisses off everyone just because he can, finally gets his own story and his own HEA. I like that he found his match, because he needed that, but also because he needed to find something worth losing. I feel like Cat is that something, and she helped him do one of the things that I think scared him the most. I'm not going to say what it is, because of spoilers, but let's just say she helped him grow up a bit.

Cat... It's been a while since I read Reaver, and so my memory might play tricks on me, but I like that she got redeemed in this novella. Maybe redeemed is not the right word, maybe she got a second chance is better. She is a funny Unfallen, I'll give you that. I liked her inner monologue, and how she seemed to panic and babble, even to herself. I found that amusing. 

I think that, in the end, Cat and Hades are two peas in a pod and I'm so, so happy they found each other.

Rating: 5 cups

Ravaged by Elizabeth Naughton

I was hooked on this story at the mention of Zeus. The fact that this novella tells the story of so many awesome, mythological creatures had me insanely happy. 

Ari was a great hero to read about. I always love to read about the outcasts, the people who are reluctant heroes, the ones who get a chance, despite what people think about them. His story broke my heart, but in the end I loved seeing that he got answers for what happened to him. I love that he got a HEA. 

Daphne was a great heroine. I liked how she eventually didn't let Zeus's evilness corrupt her, how she saw Ari for what he really was, and for basically giving the guy a chance. Her childhood was harsh and I'd love to go back in the series and see if there's any mention of a certain event from her life in the earlier books.

Speaking of earlier books, this is another series to add to your TBRs if you're a fan or paranormal. The series is called Eternal Guardians and I am definitely planning on reading it. 

Rating: 5 cups

Naughty Little Gift by Angel Payne

Another new-to-me author that I got to find out about with this bundle was Angel Payne. 

This novella tells the story of a young woman born and raised in a very oppressive, closed off environment, that was basically stuck somewhere in the late eighteenth century, with age-old customs that defy the passing of time. I really liked seeing the modern world through Mishella's eyes. It was an interesting experience, and I feel like the author did a good job writing that confusion of Mishella, without making her seem stupid.

Cassian was a confusing hero. I got the impression he hid a lot of things, and I didn't feel that by the end of the story he got to reveal all of his secrets. I think he still has some dark secrets that he's hold on to. Even though his way of helping Mishella out of her family's clutches wasn't as... let's say conventional, I do like that he got her out of that situation. I hated Mishella's parents, and I wanted to punch them a few times.

I did however have a slightly harder time reading this novella, because at times I got frustrated with Mishella. This was a me thing, but I would have wanted her to be harder on Cassian, and not as forgiving.

From what I understand, this book is set in the same world as The Cimarron series, and there's going to be two more installments about Cass and Mishella in the future. I am curious to see if Cassian ends up revealing all of his secrets, and if Mishella will ever go back home.

Rating: 3.5 cups

The Sentinel by Michelle St. James

I like reading about antiheroes. That's what Leo Gage is. He's not a good guy, he's actually a very scary dude. I liked reading about him, just as much as I liked reading about his story with Diana. I also felt bad for Leo, because he had some really dark moments of self-doubt and I just wanted to hug him until it passed. 

Diana gets a glimpse at the life of criminals, and I can't blame her for not freaking out more, considering that she was being hunted by really bad people. I'm curious to see if Leo's actions has consequences later in the series. 

When it comes to childhood-best-friends-turned-lovers, it's kind of hard to get it right, in my opinion. I'm happy that the relationship between them didn't feel forced, nor did it feel like they didn't make sense together, because they did. I also loved the differences between them. It's easy to spot those differences, but I think that's what made their relationship make sense. 

Speaking of series, I saw that this novella is set in the same world as the London Mob series. I'm actually curious to read it, to see if some of the events mentioned in this novella are shown in the series, as well as if the next books will be affected by the events in this story.

Rating: 4 cups

OVERALL RATING

What can I say, I thoroughly enjoyed reading these stories, and I love that I got introduced to new series, new authors, as well as revisit an old favorite series of mine.

Release Day Launch : 1001 Dark Nights - Bundle Five

 

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Release Day Launch for 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Five! 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Five is brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights. The Bundle contains 6 novellas, including 2 novellas from 1001 Dark Nights Discovery Authors, Angel Payne and Michelle St. James! This is one hot bundle. Grab your copy today!

 

 

From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling authors Julie Kenner, Lexi Blake, Larissa Ione, and Elisabeth Naughton, and introducing Angel Payne and Michelle St. James…

 
Six Dark Tales. Six Sensual Stories. Six Page Turners.

Every Dark Nights tale is breathtakingly sexy and magically romantic.
CARESS OF PLEASURE: I'd thought that he was mine, the dark, arresting man who commanded not only my body but my heart. Dante had swept into my life, and I'd succumbed to the burn of passion in his arms. I'd believed we had a love that would last forever, but he'd shattered my dreams and broken me into pieces when he'd walked away.

ADORED: Mitch Bradford knows he’s not good for any woman—especially not his best friend’s sister. Laurel Daley knows what she wants, and her sights are set on Mitch. She knows he just needs a little polish to make some woman the perfect lover. She intends to be that woman, but first she has to show him how good it could be.

HADES: Cataclysm was kicked out of Heaven and is now a fallen angel. All she wants is to redeem herself and get back where she belongs. When she gets trapped in Hades’s Underworld prison domain with only Hades to help her, Cat finds that where she belongs might be in the place she least expected…

RAVAGED: Ari has one singular focus: revenge. His guardian brothers all think he’s dead, but he is alive and chipping away at Zeus’s Sirens every chance he can. When he abducts the wrong female and his identity is finally exposed, it will take the courage of one woman willing to stand up to a warrior who’s become a savage to rein Ari in.

NAUGHTY LITTLE GIFT: From the moment MishellaSantelle locks eyes with Cassian Court, she can see the man beneath the power…the bruised soul for whom hers has been destined. When six months of her life are bargained to Cassian in a multimillion dollar contract, Mishella is helpless against the reaction of her body and soul to this man.

THE SENTINEL: Determined to maintain the friendship that has been her rock since childhood, Diana Barrett resigns herself to keeping her distance from Leo Gage. Leo has worshipped Diana Barrett since they were kids, but she can never know that. When Diana witnesses a murder, she goes to the only person who has ever made her feel safe. Now Leo and Diana are on the run.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

 

 

Experience the 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Five Here…

       

About the 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Five Authors

  About Julie Kenner: Julie Kenner (aka J. Kenner and J.K. Beck) is the New York Times, USA Today,Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journalbestselling author of over forty novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres. Praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations,” J.K. writes a range of stories including super sexy romances, paranormal romance, chick lit suspense and paranormal mommy lit. Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner, is in development as a feature film with 1492 Pictures. Her most recent trilogy of erotic romances, The Stark Trilogy (as J. Kenner), reached as high as #2 on the New York Times list and is published in over twenty countries. J.K. lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and several cats.

About Lexi Blake: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. She began writing at a young age concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. Lexi believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome or foursome may seem.  






About Larissa Ione: Larissa Ione is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. An Air Force veteran, she traded in a career as a meteorologist to pursue her passion of writing. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.    






About Elisabath Naughton: Elisabeth Naughton is a New York Timesand USA Today bestselling author. From Elisabeth: “I was never one of those people who knew they wanted to be an author at the age of six. I didn’t have imaginary friends. I didn’t write stories in my journal or entertain my relatives by firelight after Thanksgiving dinner. For the most part, I was just a normal, everyday kid. I liked to read, but I wasn’t exceptional at it. And when my teachers complimented me on my writing abilities, I brushed them off. I did, however, always have a penchant for the unique and absurd. And as my mother told me all throughout my childhood, I should have been an actress—I was a drama queen before my time. “Years ago, my husband bought me Scarlett: The Sequel to Gone With The Wind. If you ever saw the book, you know it’s a long one. I sat and read that thing from cover to cover, and dreamed of one day being a writer. But I didn’t actually try my hand at writing until years later when I quit my teaching job to stay home with my kids. And my husband? After that week of reading where I neglected him and everything else until I finished Scarlett, he vowed never to buy me another book again. Little did he know I’d one day end up sitting at a keyboard all day drafting my own stories. “My writing journey has not been easy. I didn’t just sit down one day, decide I was going to write a book and voila! sell my very first attempt. As most authors will probably agree, the path to publication is filled with hours of work, pulling all-nighters I thought I’d given up in college, sacrifices, rejections, but a love I discovered along the way I just can’t live without. Instead of a big, thick book to read by lamplight (I do read much smaller ones when I get the chance), I’ve traded in my reading obsession for a laptop. And I’ve never been happier. “I’m one of the lucky ones. I have a wonderful family and fabulous husband who put up with my writing—and obsessive personality—even when life is chaotic. More than once my kids have been late to swimming or baseball because I needed just five more minutes to finish a scene. Their support and encouragement mean the world to me. I also have amazing friends and a support network I couldn’t survive without. So to all of you out there who have encouraged me along the way, sent me emails and fan letters, phone calls and congratulations, I just want to say, thank you. You make this whole writing gig that much more enjoyable. I truly wouldn’t be here without you.”


About Angel Payne: USA Today bestselling romance author Angel Payne has been reading and writing her entire life, though her love for romances began in junior high, when writing with friends on “swap stories” they’d trade between classes. Needless to say, those stories involved lots of angst, groping, drama, and French kissing. She began getting a paycheck for her writing in her twenties, writing record reviews for a Beverly Hills-based dance music magazine. Some years, various entertainment industry gigs, and a number of years in the hospitality industry later, Angel returned to the thing she loves the most: creating character-based romantic fiction. Along the way, she also graduated with two degrees from Chapman University in Southern California, taking departmental honors for English, before writing five historical romances for Kensington and Bantam/Doubleday/Dell. Angel found a true home in writing contemporary-based romances featuring high heat, memorable alpha men, and the women who tame them. She has numerous book series to her credit, including the Kinky Truth series, the Cimarron saga, the Secrets of Stone series (with Victoria Blue), and the popular W.I.L.D. Boys of Special Forces series, as well as several stand-alone titles. The C Suite series launches in 2016. Angel still lives in Southern California, where she is married to her soul mate and lives on a street that looks like Brigadoon, with their awesome daughter and Lady Claire, the dog with impeccable manners. When not writing, she enjoys reading, pop culture, alt rock, cute shoes, enjoying the outdoors, and being a gym rat. Find Angel on her website and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.  

About Michelle St. James: Michelle St. James is a pen name for critically acclaimed YA author Michelle Zink. Her first series, Prophecy of the Sisters (YA), was one of Booklist’s Top Ten Debut novels. Her work has also been an Indie Next selection and has appeared on prestigious lists such as the Lonestar List, New York Public Library’s Stuff for the Teen Age, and Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best. Her books have been published in over thirty countries and translated into over twenty languages. She lives in New York with too many teenagers and too many cats. Find Michelle on her website and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.  

 

Cover Reveal: Haunted by the King of Death by Felicity Heaton

It’s time for the cover reveal of the next Eternal Mates series book, Haunted by the King of Death. I’m sure everyone has been curious about the savage, merciless vampire Lord Van der Garde since he prowled onto the scene in the second book in the series, Claimed by a Demon King, and now it’s time to find out why this dangerous and deadly alpha male is just so damned distant and untrusting of females.

If you haven’t had a chance to step into this passionate and action-packed world of dark elves, fae, demons, vampires, shifters and hunters, then you can take the leap with the first book in the series, Kissed by a Dark Prince, which is only 99c / 99p right now. Find the links to your favourite retailers at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/kissed-by-a-dark-prince-paranormal-romance-novel.php

Here’s more about the next book in the series, due for release on July 30th!

Haunted by the King of Death (Eternal Mates Romance Series Book 11)

Felicity Heaton

A ruthless vampire warrior, Grave Van der Garde rules the mercenary Preux Chevaliers with an iron fist, determined to retain his hard-won position as one of the most powerful men in Hell and his reputation as the heartless King of Death. But beneath the cold façade beats the heart of a vampire torn between love and hate, ripped in two directions by a single ethereally beautiful female—his fated phantom mate.

Driven by her phantom instincts, Isla used a spell to make her solid in order to deceive the vampire who killed her sister’s demon mate and have revenge on him, condemning him with a single kiss to become a phantom too. But her plan took an unexpected turn when she fell in love with him, and with her new life, and the night she betrayed him shattered both of their hearts. Now, he lives to make her suffer through their connection, one that is fading with them as they begin to slip into the phantom world, and she must face the monster she created if she is to save herself and the vampire she still loves.

With a demon from Grave’s past determined to destroy him and everything he holds dear, and the clock ticking down to their inevitable doom, can he and Isla overcome their past and their pride to work together to claim the future they both desire deep in their hearts? Or will death finally catch up with the vampire king and his phantom mate?

Pre-order your copy of Haunted by the King of Death today at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/haunted-by-the-king-of-death-paranormal-romance-novel.php

Haunted by the King of Death is due for release in ebook and paperback on July 30th 2016 and will be available from all major online book retailers on that day, including Barnes and Noble Nook.

Join Felicity’s mailing list to receive a notification when Haunted by the King of Death is released, PLUS a sneak preview of the first 5 chapters of the book and chances to win a signed paperback copy: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/newsletter.php

Add the book to your Goodreads shelf at: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28524677-haunted-by-the-king-of-death

Books in the Eternal Mates paranormal romance series:

• Book 1: Kissed by a Dark Prince
• Book 2: Claimed by a Demon King
• Book 3: Tempted by a Rogue Prince
• Book 4: Hunted by a Jaguar
• Book 5: Craved by an Alpha
• Book 6: Bitten by a Hellcat
• Book 7: Taken by a Dragon
• Book 8: Marked by an Assassin
• Book 9: Possessed by a Dark Warrior
• Book 10: Awakened by a Demoness
• Book 11: Haunted by the King of Death

About Felicity Heaton: Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too. If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series. If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Instagram

Excerpt Reveal: Torn by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

The highly anticipated second book in #1 New York Times Bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout's Wicked Trilogy is releasing July 19, 2016, and we have an excerpt for you! Check it out below, and be sure to grab the first book in the series, WICKED, which is on sale for $.99 for a limited time!

 

EXCERPT

  My fingers tightened around the slender remote. “I was thinking that if the prince can sense me, why hasn’t he showed up here?”
 “I don’t know.” Tink came down to the coffee table and started marching across it. I’m not the prince, but if I was the prince, I’d be buying time.”
 “Buying time?” I scooted to the edge of the couch.
 “Yeah, because he’s got to win you over.” Tink swiped up the straw he’d had in his Coke. It was nearly the size of him. “That’s basically what he has to do if he wants to impregnate you.” 
I cringed, like a full body cringe. “Please do not use the word impregnate ever again.”
 “Why? That’s what he wants to do.” He started dancing with the straw, the kind of dancing you see in the clubs. Hips gyrating all over the place. “He knows coercing or tricking you isn’t going to get the deed done, so he’s probably trying to learn how not to be a sexed up dickhead.”
 “Sexed up dickhead?” I repeated.
 “Uh-huh.” Tink dipped the straw as one would a dancer. “Remember when I was telling you how I saw the prince getting it on with three females once? He’s totes sexed up. And he’s a dickhead. In other words, he has no empathy or compassion. No humanity.”
 “Most fae don’t.”
 Tink twirled the straw. “Yeah, but the ancients are worse. They’re as far away from human as you can get. He’s going to have to work on wooing you.”
 I slowly shook my head. “That’s…” There were no words.
 “That’s what I’d do.” Tink dropped the straw and whipped around toward me. “Or he’s plotting something major and any moment he’s going to knock down the front door and storm the place.”
 “Wow.” A fine shiver curled down my spine. “That’s really a relaxing thought.”
 He zipped over to the couch and sat on the arm. He tipped his head back and stared up at me. “Don’t worry. I’m here to protect you.”
 I just looked at him, because other than ordering shit off of Amazon, the only strength he had was the unique ability to annoy the crap out of me while somehow still managing to be endearing.

 Tink grinned. “Trust me, Ivy. The Prince is not going to want to mess with me.”

 

Torn between duty and survival, nothing can be the same.

Everything Ivy Morgan thought she knew has been turned on its head. After being betrayed and then nearly killed by the Prince of the Fae, she’s left bruised and devastated—and with an earth-shattering secret that she must keep at all costs. And if the Order finds out her secret, they’ll kill her.

Then there’s Ren Owens, the sexy, tattooed Elite member of the Order who has been sharing Ivy’s bed and claiming her heart. Their chemistry is smoking hot, but Ivy knows that Ren has always valued his duty to the Order above all else—he could never touch her if he knew the truth. That is, if he let her live at all. Yet how can she live with herself if she lies to him?

But as the Fae Prince begins to close in on Ivy, intent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld, Ivy is running out of options. If she doesn’t figure out who she can trust—and fast—it’s not only her heart that will be torn apart, but civilization itself.

TORN iBooks Exclusive Preorder

 

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans…

Don’t miss the first title in the series, WICKED, now just $.99 for a limited time only!

 

 

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 About Jennifer L. Armentrout:
 #1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.  

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Obsessed With Covers #37: Starfall, Spindle Fire

Y'all know how much I love a pretty cover. I think about...40% of the books that end up on my shelves (be they physical or digital) do so because of the covers. Call me shallow but you have to admit that a pretty, shiny cover will catch your eye faster than a dull, boring one. Two, simple rules that I'll follow:

• 1, 2 or 3 (no more than 3, though) covers per week;
• books should be new-ish; no more than 2 years old.

Oh, before I share the covers that made me drool or want to stare at them for hours and hours, I have to say something. This is a semi-original idea. Why semi? Because almost every book blogger has something similar. The only thing I came up with was the title. If by any chance there's another blogger with a similar feature with the same title, I assure you I'm not stealing your idea. I'm just THAT bad with titles. Believe me, I'd love to be smarter and have a witty name for this feature, but I don't. So, no copyright infringement/theft/steal or anything of the sort was desired. All I can say is sorry :P

So, here are the prettiest covers I've seen this week.

This cover reminds me of the very, very old Windows 98-ish screensaver, with the stars that kept moving, making it seem you were travelling through space (yeah, I'm THAT old, that I remember using that Windows!). But I love that. It makes the "falling" that the title speaks of seem more imminent, more real. I love the glow of the planet. The entire cover seems to actually concentrate around the planet. It makes me wonder if the planet somehow makes everything close to it crash on its surface. Even the title seems to resemble one of Saturn's rings. If the cover for the first book in the series is pretty, this one is gorgeous and I definitely want to get my hands on both of them soon.




Starfall - Melissa Landers

I already admitted to this in a previous post, but I have a soft spot for Maleficent's raven. So that was the first thing I noticed. And then I noticed some other details as well, that made me very curious. The cover makes me believe there are two equally important stories that the reader should focus on. It also makes me think that if one story ends in tragedy, the other one will as well. I read the blurb and I'm curious about the idea of two princesses. I am so curious to see how their story ends, but I do believe there's a lot of heartbreak along the way. I also love the tagline. It's brilliant and I can't wait to get my hands on this book.

Spindle Fire - Lexa Hillyer