Lirium. *sigh* What can I say about the dude expect that he never disappoints. In fact, I think the entire series should have been called: Lirium. May...moreLirium. *sigh* What can I say about the dude expect that he never disappoints. In fact, I think the entire series should have been called: Lirium. Maybe every title in the series, too. In case you hadn’t realised it, Lirium is the driving force of this series, for me. I adore his character. Adore his tortured soul. Adore his idealistic way of thinking despite everything going on around him (and sometimes inside his head, too) demanding he stand up and take notice that his world just ain’t built like that. Most of all, I adore the emotional connection Ms Quinn’s awesome writing ensures I constantly maintain with the dude. Because, one instalment after another, she torments this guy, taking him on a journey to the pits of despair with nary a light at the end of any of those tunnels. And this time, just when we’re thinking something might actually come good for him, she goes and does it in the biggest and worst style she’s done to date. I’m truly not sure how much more this more pudding can take before he cracks and collapses from emotional expenditure. This instalment was pretty awesome from start to finish. From the new developments, to the tightly woven elements of the plot necessary for the lead-up to that ending (sorry, no spoilers)—and boy, what an ending. Like I said: I think Ms Quinn may just have done him in this time. I only hope that tiny glimmer of hope one of the characters fed him turns out to shine one of those tunnel-end lights that he needs.
I loved Touch and Untouched and Toxic, because I love Kale and Dez, and the entire premise and execution ... but did I love Tremble just as much? Well,...moreI loved Touch and Untouched and Toxic, because I love Kale and Dez, and the entire premise and execution ... but did I love Tremble just as much? Well, throughout Tremble I pretty much went through varying degrees of emotions. Because the first 10% kinda made me feel like this: AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! That was mostly aimed at Kale. And then by around the 30% mark, I’d started to feel a bit like this: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! I think Kale might have held the blame for that, too. Then we got to the 50% mark, and I began to feel a little: WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Yeah, I think Kale might have had something to do with that one, too. And then a little while later, something happened, and I thought: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! But it turned out okay, so then I was kinda like: PHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW! Oh, not to mention the bit at the 80-ish% mark, where I kind went: DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!! I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING! And then in that final 20%, I went through varying phases of: OH NOOOO! & NOOOOOOOOOOO! & YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! & EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! & OMG! And finally, a YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Finishing with a: YEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! WAIT, WHAT!?!?!?! NOOOOOOOOOOOO! :( :( :( :( :( :( See? My thought on Tremble are as clear as ... um ... mud? Okay, okay, I’ll quit fooling around and try and make more sense (though my thoughts preceding these STILL stand—just so we’re clear). Tremble is a GREAT addition to this awesome series. I LOVE every single one of the characters Ms Accardo intends for me to love, and I hate all of those at the other end of the spectrum. Everything in this book was handled with pizzazz. From the issues Kale showed up with, and the regaining of ‘himself’, to the character development and continuity, and the plot, and the twists and turns, and the totally kick-a$$ scenes, to the romance that has been every present and steadily grown throughout. If you haven’t given this series a go yet, you should. Especially if you like a strong leading female, a mysterious & dangerous yet vulnerable male, and a whole host of epicness and awesomeness to carry you along for the ride. Seriously. Check the Denazen books out. (less)
Geekalicious in every way, The Summer I Became a Nerd is a wholesome serving of cute, with a dash of dorkberry sauce and sprinkles, and topped with a...moreGeekalicious in every way, The Summer I Became a Nerd is a wholesome serving of cute, with a dash of dorkberry sauce and sprinkles, and topped with a nerdishly-ripe cherry. In case you didn’t quite get the hint, I kinda loved this one. ;) It’s fresh, it’s young-hearted, it’s full of underlying life-lessons and messages but in a way that doesn’t ram it down the readers throat, and the whole geekdom of references and nerd talk just add a wholesome flavour that make this one awesome. From the off, Maddie is seriously cute as narrator. And then she becomes cutely annoying. And cutely angers the reader with her behaviour. In most books, when I dislike the person a character is becoming, it turns me off wanting to keep going. The fact I still found Maddie cute even when she was behaving like a jerk, and still wanted everything to be okay for her, should tell you just how much her cuteness suckered me in and how strong the connection was that I had with this great character. Though I think a lot of her cuteness was thanks to Logan, who she owes BIG TIME for managing to draw it out of her. Logan has all the cuteness that Maddie does and THEN SOME! He is (in Maddie’s words) ADORKABLE! I LOVED this guy. From the first moment the reader lays eyes on him, I just wanted her to run off and dump Eric and be with the one she obviously was more suited for. Darn you, Maddie, for being so damn stubborn and needy. Logan has a whole lot of patience and a whole lot of comfort in who he is. It’s so refreshing to meet a male character who knows how to be himself and wins everybody over—the reader included—without even really having to try. Logan just ... was—is. That’s all that really needs to be said. I challenge anyone with a young heart (whatever their age) not to find this dude adorable. Loved him. Did I mention that I loved him? And then we have the plot—which was great (sorry, no spoilers for you); and the side characters—Yes! Brilliant! Both Maddie’s friends AND Logan’s—even Eric and rotten-ex-girlfriend-who-doesn’t-deserve-being-named-on-my-review; their families—loved how we slowly learned more about who Maddie was as we got to know her family better and LOVED Martha, she’s the bees-knees, and Vera; and most of all, what pulled this entire story together to give it its awesome credibility, the geekiness I’ve now mentioned more than once. True, not being a geek beyond my book fetish, I didn’t really understand the whole RPG part of it. But guess what? I didn’t care. Because no matter that I couldn’t follow all the rules and how it works, I still LOVED those scenes and read them with a big stupid grin on my face. All the comic book references, too, and how all that tied in. I just loved them. Loved them all. Okay, I’ll stop now. I think it’s clear enough that I loved this one. For Maddie, it might have been the summer she became a nerd. For me, it’s the summer I became a The Sumer I Became a Nerd fan. That is all. :D (less)
At 88% and realised I'm forcing myself to read on. I'm not sure I like the characters very much. The storyline is pretty absurd. And I'm not convinced...moreAt 88% and realised I'm forcing myself to read on. I'm not sure I like the characters very much. The storyline is pretty absurd. And I'm not convinced of the romance aspect of it. Maybe I'll head back in and check out the ending at a later date, but right now, I'm not feeling inclined to finish. :o((less)
I actually love how every one of the Debt Collector instalments have all so far been 4/5* reads for me. And this latest one—Driven—was just as satisfy...moreI actually love how every one of the Debt Collector instalments have all so far been 4/5* reads for me. And this latest one—Driven—was just as satisfying. Again, I find myself totally loving Lirium. It’s kinda starting to feel like we have our own fictional romance going on, and each time a new episode is released, it’s date time again—and whilst I’m waiting for that date, I have the anticipation to work with, where I get to try and predict where he’s going to take me next. Well, guess what? So far, I’ve predicted nothing. Because this series is one surprise after and another, which constantly keeps the reader guessing and, thus, on the edge of their seats. In Driven, Lirium is forced to participate in acts he finds distasteful—I agree with him—but he has little choice as the price of not obeying is his life. He’s still in deep. He’s still in a whole pile of shizzazz, which, quite frankly, stinks. And he’s still tugging on my heartstrings and whispering his tales so clearly in my ears that I found myself at the end of this episode feeling somewhat tainted on his behalf. He’s still redeemable, though. He’s still good at his core. And I still want to cuddle him up and save him from exposure to the evils he’s being forced to experience. In short, Driven is another great instalment to a series that has fast become one of my favourites. p.s. what the fudge is Ophelia playing at? I don’t trust that chick one bit (grrrrrrrr). (less)
4.5 stars Werewolves Be Damned took me by surprise a little bit. Sure, I liked the sound of the blurb, and yup, the cover is pleasing to the eye—but I...more4.5 stars Werewolves Be Damned took me by surprise a little bit. Sure, I liked the sound of the blurb, and yup, the cover is pleasing to the eye—but I didn’t expect to enjoy it quite as much as I did. Because, whilst the beginning was a little rocky for the first couple of percent, it didn’t take long for me to connect with the characters, and to have a handle on the world Ms Kennedy had begun to build, and I very soon found myself rolling happily along for the ride. Before I explain what I liked about it so much, let’s quickly get the yukkies out of the way. The biggest issue I had with the book had absolutely nothing to do with the story but with the writing. It’s not bad. I’m just a finicky blighter, and there were quite a few parts I felt were overwritten. And there were quite a few details that were repeated more than once, as though the author felt the need to drum it into our skulls. The bits that were overwritten? They were mostly in what I like to call the pondering paragraphs, where the MC is figuring stuff out, or trying to explain stuff to drip-feed the reader. These sections could’ve been tighter and the pace would’ve been faster—which would have made the writing more consistent throughout. Because, in other sections, there were moments of pure brilliance in this writing. Like the fight scenes, for instance. All too often, I spend fight scenes frowning, trying to figure it out and follow, and I reach certain spots and realise I actually had NO handle on where all the involved characters were. SO not the case with Werewolves Be Damned. Every single fight scene was nothing short of awesome. On top of those, we have the intimate—the ‘heated’—scenes. Again, far too often in adult PNR, these end up being contrite and cheesy and my eyes start rolling around like they’re lost, at all the ridiculous dialogue asking if the other person ‘likes that?’ like the groans and writhing isn’t indication enough ... wow, steering off track here. Anyway, again, SO not a concern in Werewolves Be Damned. These scenes were placed in exactly the right spots. None of them seemed ‘convenient’ or unnatural, and those combined with the fight scenes, combined with the character development and the world building, make this into one rocking read. And those characters I mentioned? Yeah, we get to see both Nexi’s and Kyden’s (ROAWRRR!!!!) POV, and I enjoyed that a lot. Both of them have credibility. Both of them are likeable and bondable from a reader perspective. Kyden is HOT AS HECK! It was a pleasure spending time with this duo, and I’m really looking forward to meeting with them again (because Kyden is HOT AS HECK!). I’m also looking forward to seeing more of all the side characters. Do you think Ms Kennedy will consider giving me some airtime with a couple of those wolves if I bat my lashes enough? Worth a try, right? :P On top of those, we also have the plot, which was great from the off. Everything was so smoothly looped together and so clearly expressed that I had no trouble following along and chasing the ‘mystery’ with them. Not even the world building was an issue for me—and absorbing created worlds are the biggest hurdles for me in books. Rather, the world this author has given us felt fresh (to me) and solid and displayed with a clarity that tells me the author not only understands her world but knows what she’s doing when it comes to delivering it to the reader. This, aside from the kick-a$$ fight scenes, is the strongest attribute of the book, imo. So, have I convinced you to give it a try yet? Well, if you’re a fan of PNR with butt-booting heroines, hotness, and testosterone, you certainly should. Because Werewolves Be Damned promises to be the start of a great series, which I believe will become a great addition to the genre. (less)
Icons is a fresh take on dystopia, enhanced by the well-woven sci-fi angle of the plot. And I well and truly enjoyed the read. Now, let me just preface...moreIcons is a fresh take on dystopia, enhanced by the well-woven sci-fi angle of the plot. And I well and truly enjoyed the read. Now, let me just preface this by saying that Icons was one of those ‘slower’ reads for me, though that’s mostly due to absorbing the sci-fi elements mentioned above, as well as the world building, and the simple fact that I realised pretty early on that I just did not want to miss a single detail. For that reason, I don’t really care that this one took me quite a few days to get through, because I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every moment in this book. I’d imagine a fair bit of that has to do with Ms Stohl’s awesome ability to world build. Everything was just so well explained and described that there was simply no room for confusions—making the journey just ... smooth as honey. But, more than that, I believe it was the amazing four characters that fast became the driving force of this well-woven tale. And although a certain two of them took me longer to ‘like’, within time, I grew to love each and every one of them—I suspect at exactly the time the author intended me to. So, let’s take a quick look at each of those characters. First up, Lucas. There was just something about this dude that made me trust him from the off. And then I didn’t trust him. And then I did. I have a feeling this was done on purpose to keep the reader guessing. But it took me a long time to get a handle on this guy, and even then, I had him all wrong. But in a good way. Because I was very glad he turned out better than I’d expected him to. Then we have Tima. She’s an oddity. And that just makes her all the more intriguing. And what comes across as one thing when looking at the shell is something totally other when we get a glimpse at the inside. I loved the complicated-ness of her character. Loved how she turned out to be one of the strongest in the end. Furo. *sigh* Furo is one awesome character. He’s is so expertly portrayed that the reader has a complete reading on him from start to finish. He’ll make you fall in love. With his faults. With his strengths. With his weaknesses. He’ll make you fall in love with him. But he’s another complicated soul, and I ‘feel’ for him. Because not everything in life can turn out as you yearn for it to, and your heart will break alongside his, for sure. And last, but by no means least, we have Doloria. She was a fabulous narrator to travel this read with. I loved her drive. Loved her passion. Her character. Her personality. Her connection with Ro (Furo). Her prominent goodness. Her ‘place’ in the tale. Just everything about this MC suckered me right in and made me want to learn more. And not just about her, but about everyone and everything she came into contact with. Aside from those four, we also have a couple of great side characters. Fortis was brilliant. Just brilliant. Full of mystery. Full of excitement. Sure, I kinda had my suspicions about his true ‘identity’ before the reveal came, but that did little to diminish how much I enjoyed having it confirmed. And alongside Fortis, we have ‘Doc’. For something that isn’t supposed to have a personality, he had a GREAT one. I loved his relationship with Lucas. And loved ‘watching’ the unfolding of his part played and how he related to the bigger picture. There were other characters with smaller parts, who were just as vibrant and colourful, but too many to list. And each and every one of them added layers and depth to this story, as well as credibility where credibility should be lacking. Okay then, onto the plot. I hate spoilers, so I’m not going to detail anything that happens in the book. If you want to know that, you’ll have to read it for yourself. But I will say, in an intricately-woven plot such as this, there is so much leeway for threads to be left dangling, but there weren’t any. As I already said, there was no room for confusions. Everything was so beautifully wrapped up and presented that I completed the book feeling wholly content, and with a warmth in my heart as though Doloria’s character had somehow touched me, just as she ‘touches’ so many within her world. And, whilst I won’t mention spoilers, I feel the communication snippets that are included in the book between each of the chapters, where information is slowly leaked to the reader, but with no time stamps so the reader is left trying to piece it all together and how it ties in exactly to what’s happening now, turn this novel into one big mystery waiting to be unravelled. I’d never read anything by Margaret Stohl before Icons. I will definitely be picking up more of her books now, that’s for sure. (less)
With each episode I read of this amazing (mini) series, I find myself falling in love with Lirium (and the series itself) a little more. Lirium is suc...moreWith each episode I read of this amazing (mini) series, I find myself falling in love with Lirium (and the series itself) a little more. Lirium is such a troubled, misunderstood, and rash character, who starts the series appearing to be worldly wise and street smart, yet the more time we spend with him, the more we realise how much of the opening is an act—an act he doesn’t even realise he’s playing in, because he has no idea how clueless he truly is, until he’s faced with situations he probably never imagined to find himself in. In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m slightly in (fictional) love with Lirium. The last episode, Ecstasy, was the best episode so far, and a tough one to top. To be honest, Broken was maybe a star rating behind Ecstasy, until I headed through the action at the end, see the betrayal, witness his downfall on a scale nobody would truly want to ever experience, and the dude just tugged on my heartstrings hard enough to earn his top marks. So, to wrap up: great addition to the series, great character development, enlightenment, discoveries, and a fresh in depth glimpse at a new level of this awesome world building. Now, hurry up and give me the next one. Because I need to make sure Lirium’s okay (my poor pet). (less)
Weeks ago, I saw the cover reveal for Selling Scarlett and being somewhat enamored by it. So, when I spotted Ella James offering up review copies last...moreWeeks ago, I saw the cover reveal for Selling Scarlett and being somewhat enamored by it. So, when I spotted Ella James offering up review copies last week, I jumped on board with a need to know if what’s on the inside is just as yummy. Now, in classic ‘me’ style, I hadn’t read the blurb, and so headed into this as blind as I often do, and had no idea what to expect—and found myself somewhat taken by surprise. Obviously, I wasn’t surprised when I came across a saucy scene fairly early on—because I’d discussed it with the author enough to know they’d be in there—but I was surprised by how well written it was. And how heated it was. And how sexy and sassy it was—despite the fact we’re dealing with a virgin here. But the fact she’s a virgin doesn’t make the reader roll their eyes and think yeah, right. Because, let’s face it: just because a character still has her hymen intact, that doesn’t mean she hasn’t experimented in other ways, right? And that wasn’t the only sexy, saucy, sassy scene. Nope, they pretty much continued on right throughout the book. Admittedly, during probably the last scene between the two MC’s before they did ‘it’, I was starting to think: can they do something else now please. But considering I’d gone fairly fair through the book by this point, and through quite a lot of heat, and so I consider that fairly good going. Because often I find it’s the repetitiveness of these kinds of scenes that turn me away from ‘saucy’ books because I start rolling my eyes and skimming. Well … I didn’t skim once in Selling Scarlett. So that should tell you something. Though, maybe the reason I didn’t get bored with this one also has something to do with the plot. I went against my morals and read a couple of the reviews for this one prior to reading. I spotted a few that thought it moved too slow. I’m wondering if they refer to the plot, or to the nitty-gritty, because I didn’t find that at all. I really enjoyed the plot, really enjoyed the slowly unfolding mystery, and how intrigued I became by (not the who dunnit, because that was obvious early on) but the why and the how and the ‘how the flip will poor Hunter get out of this mess?’—so I had absolutely no problems with the plot, the pace, at all. So, let’s move back to the characters again—because I feel the main duo were the driving force of this book for me. Whilst worrying like crap that Hunter was so freakishly wrong for Libby, I still yearningly wanted them to get together. I wanted him to see her as something other than sex. I wanted Libby to see past his demons and crappy attitude and be the one to help heal his broken soul. Whether or not I got what I wanted, I won’t say. You’ll have to find that out for yourself. On top of Libby and Hunter, though, was a full-bodied, well-rounded cast of side-characters. Admittedly, I couldn’t make my mind up about Hunter’s best friend for a while, and worried he might have been in on the whole unfolding shitfest, but I had those fears assuaged. The ‘baddies’ the reader is meant to hate made me hate them for sure—with a freakin’ vengeance. Not to mention Libby’s best friends … loved these two. Which leads me to that little line right after I’d finished reading: Chasing Cross coming soon. << :D :D :D :D :D Dunno about you, but I’m looking forward to it. Side note: due to receiving one of the first copies of this to hit the world, there were editing errors, as well as a believability issue that I thought may have been due to a simple error. Both of these have been pointed out to the author, and I imagine they will be fixed, and so I didn’t consider them worth mentioning them in my review for that reason. (less)
When I received Mila 2.0 for review, I immediately went and grabbed this short intro from Amazon. And short it is. However, I’m very glad I read it, be...moreWhen I received Mila 2.0 for review, I immediately went and grabbed this short intro from Amazon. And short it is. However, I’m very glad I read it, because I’ve now headed into Mila 2.0 knowing exactly what happened to her dad—for which I’m grateful—and understanding the situation a lot better. I’m not sure it would have been received with such clarity otherwise. Aside from that purpose, this little insight gives a good indication of the character the reader will be spending time with in Mila 2.0, as well as the style of writing/story. For me, it encouraged me to want to read Mila 2.0 sooner—in fact, I made it my next read—because when I reached the end, I wasn’t ready to reach the end, and I was more than eager to find out what happens for her next. So, if you’ve seen Mila 2.0 about and you’re not sure if it might be your cup of tea, I highly recommend picking this little short up first (I nabbed it for free from Amazon), because it might just help you make up your mind. (less)
Ecstasy is, by far, the best installment of the Debt Collector series so far. Once again, I LOVED spending time with Lirium. Loved that the plot has ta...moreEcstasy is, by far, the best installment of the Debt Collector series so far. Once again, I LOVED spending time with Lirium. Loved that the plot has taken a twist I never would have seen coming even if I was an expert code cracker. Loved how we see more cracks in Lirium’s facade. Loved all the side characters. Loved how he went off all cocked and ready but landed himself in a whole heap of trouble at the worst possible kind. Sure, I think Lirium’s a total knobhead for his decisions—especially over some bird he scarcely even knows—but it fits with his character as I’m coming to know it. I just know that with every instalment I read, the book’s darkness and sexiness (and not in a lurid or erotic sense of the term) becomes more intense and apparent. Because I love how, the more I read of this series, the smoother and easier it is to read and for me to absorb all the world building going on—because Susan’s abilities in that department are simply that good. And love that this author has gotten me to fall in love with something containing more than just elements of sci-fi. Yeah, in case you didn’t pick up on it, I kind of loved this one. (less)
Loading...
