Review – Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Onyx

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Lux # 2

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Published: August 14^th 2012

The Blurb

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

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

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

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

But then everything changes…

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

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

My Review

Onyx basically continues where Obsidian finished, with Katy still unsure of Daemons feelings for her. She believes that Daemon only likes her because of the connection they now have. She keeps second guessing him and tries to keep the distance between them. But no matter how hard she tries he wiggles his way in!

A new boy, Blake, comes to town and Katy forms a bond with him early, and soon she is going on a normal date with what appears to be a normal person. It really makes Daemon jealous and it was fun to see him squirm a little! When Katy finds out that she has more in common with Blake than she realised, her perception of him changes. She no longer really sees him as dateable and he becomes her trainer. Daemon asks Katy not to trust Blake, but she wants to be independent and not have to rely on Daemon to keep her safe, so she pushes Daemon away to learn more about herself.

I thought that Onyx was a bit more of a story of self discovery as Katy has to learn new things about herself since the changes in Obsidian. She is trying to learn how to stand on her own feet, but to also remain the person she was before, still going to school and blogging when she can. She puts space between herself and Dee, which I didn't like, because things may have turned out differently if she hadn't. I hoped that she could trust Daemon a bit more, but she didn’t and I really hope she can in the future...However, she still is a witty girl and I love the way she thinks! The love, hate relationship continues in Onyx, which is still entertaining to watch, but we get to see the sweeter side of Daemon as he tries to win Katy's heart. He is unbelievably gentle when he needs to be and he made my heart melt. Bad boys have nice sides too!

Lifting my hand, I brushed my fingers over his lips. They were pillowy soft yet firm. Intoxicating. Daemon’s eyes flared, and my stomach hollowed. He shifted his head closer and his lips brushed the corner of mine. His hands slid from my face and down my neck, and when he dipped his head again, his lips brushed over the tip of my nose. And then he kissed me. A slow-burning, toe-curling kiss that left me aching for so, so much more. I felt like I was spinning into that kiss, falling into him.

Blake started off as an ok character, but I never truly liked him. He was a bit off and was able to let things slide when normal people would ask questions. During the date that Katy had with him I thought it was sweet and I was glad she was able to do something ‘normal’ for a change. But as always, appearances can be deceiving.

I enjoyed how the story went and had my suspicions early on with not only new characters, but with the reintroduction of some old ones too. The bigger story is really starting to develop and I am really excited to find out what happens now.... Jennifer L. Armentrout definitely knows how to hold the attention of the reader and this was another great example!! I certainly am addicted now!! I must start Opal immediately!!

Find my review of Shadows – Lux #0.5 here.
Find my review of Obsidian – Lux # 1 here.

And I forgot to mention last week, but I won both Obsidian and Onyx from Wickedly Delicious (Fallen Angels YA Book Blog). Thank you so much for introducing me to the world of Daemon!!

Swoon Thursday #27 – Angelfire by Hanna Peach

The fabulous girls over at YA Bound created this super HOT meme. Here's how it works.

From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog! I want to know & so do the chicks at YABound!

I am currently reading The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead, but I am not allowed to share any lines yet.... so I grabbed the next book from my pile and found this... the book sounds great!!

Angelfire

Hanna Peach

Dark Angel #1

Alyx traces her fingers across his top lip and presses her mouth to it, soft like the first drops of spring rain, her thumb trapped between the corners of their mouths. A rush fills her head. He gasps. Or does she? She isn’t sure.

She pulls back to look at him. The way he is looking at her is... like he is seeing the stars for the first time.

“Alyx...”

She kisses him again, cutting him off. The world around them dissolves like sandcastles until there are just his lips and his hands.

Kindle Loc 3161

Did you get swooned this week?

What did you think of mine?

Leave me a comment!

Excerpt/Spotlight – Seal of Destiny by Traci Douglass

Welcome to my stop of the Seal of Destiny book tour which has been brought to you by Bewitching Book Tours. Today I have an excerpt for you as well as a summary of the book and you can learn a little more about the author Traci Douglass. Don't forget to visit the other blogs on this tour for more information about this book and the author.

Title: Seal of Destiny

Author: Traci Douglass

Series: Seven Seals #1

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

Published: January 21^st 2013

Book Description

Love conquers all… but can it stop the Apocalypse?

Mira Herald is having the worst life ever. Not only is she plagued by horrific nightmares starring the Devil himself, she’s now the target of a power-hungry, rogue minion, freshly sprung from Hell and bent on her destruction. To complicate matters further, she’s acquired a stalker. One who insists he’s a divine warrior sent for her protection because she houses an ancient relic with the power to unleash Armageddon. Last time Mira checked, she wasn’t insane. Still, all this celestial mayhem is enough to drive a girl crazy.

Kagan is a member of the Scion, an elite team of immortal warriors selected by Divinity to aid mankind and save the world. After a century alone, Kagan is summoned for a new mission. He’s eager to begin. Eager until he’s informed his mission consists of protecting a woman with no clue to the power she wields. Plus, his briefing fails to prepare him for his new target’s cosmic-sized attitude problem. As Divinity’s sworn servant, he’s required to fulfill his duty. His oath, however, does not require him to be enthusiastic about his new assignment or warm-and-fuzzy toward his new compatriot. He plans a wham-bam rescue and a quick return to solitude.

The rogue minion attacks—with the backing of a mysterious organization—and all Hades erupts, putting a fast end to any whirlwind escapes. Accustomed to staunch independence, Mira’s survival now requires full cooperation and an unwavering belief in Kagan. The battle-hardened warrior is also forced to chose: between duty and desire. Amidst the turmoil, Kagan and Mira’s undeniable passion draws them closer to each other and down a path neither expected but both yearn for, more than they ever knew.

Will love save the day? The world’s fate depends on the answer.

Excerpt

“Basta!” Kagan grabbed her by the arm and twisted slightly, not enough to hurt, but enough to let her know he meant business as he directed her to a corner booth. He ignored the half-full beverages and coats scattered on the seats and shoved Mira into the confined space. When the booth’s original owners took issue with his hostile takeover, Kagan dispatched them with a lethal glare. He wasn’t sure where the girl had gotten the idea his mind was damaged, but he was damn sure he didn’t like it. He moved in behind her to block her escape.

“Oh, hell, no!” After several unsuccessful strikes to his muscled physique, Mira tried to slide out beneath the table. The angle proved too awkward. Defeated, she shoved as far away as she could into the corner and propped those killer boots on the seat in front of her in warning. “You better let me out of here, asshole, before I call the cops! I caught you stalking me, pervert!”

Kagan took a deep breath. He never lost his cool in battle, and he wasn’t about to start now. “Pervert? You’re of age, si?”

Mira glared. Kagan ticked through their earlier interactions, searching for a reason behind her intense hostility. His preternatural instincts sensed her intention before her hand reached his carotid. He blocked her quickly, locking her small hand within his and forcing it to the table beneath his own. Her pulse raced against his palm. He took another swig of beer then flashed his most endearing grin. “Let’s start over.” He released his bottle and extended his hand. “I’m Kagan.”

She refused to acquiesce. Kagan spoke in quiet tones meant to calm, to reassure. “I know I’m a stranger, but we have things to discuss.” He glanced around the crowded club, at the bodies packed tight. “We can’t do it here, though—no privacy. My apartment is close. Why don’t we go there and talk?”

Mira kicked him hard in the thigh.

“Merda!” Kagan grabbed his throbbing leg. “What’s in those damn boots? Marble?”

“Let me out of here, jackass, before I sideline your baby-maker!” Mira struggled within the tight confines of the booth. As she squirmed, the spicy scent of her shampoo wafted, and he was overcome with the strangest urge to plunge his hands into the riotous mass of her hair, to feel it curl around his fingers. She tugged on the hand pinned beneath his, and his thumb traced over her thudding veins. His heart pounding along with hers. The odd tingle sped through his torso, and his mouth turned to cotton. Her gaze blazed up at him, a swirling mix of green and golden brown. He noted the dark smudges below and wondered what kept her from slumber.

Dolce Cristo! Kagan looked away, fought for control. This was getting way out of hand. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d bedded a woman, but apparently it had been far too long.

About the Author

Traci is the author of paranormal/urban fantasy and contemporary romances featuring a sly, urban edge, including her current Seven Seals series. Her stories feature sizzling alpha-male heroes full of dark humor, quick wits and major attitudes; smart, independent heroines who always give as good as they get; and scrumptiously evil villains who are—more often than not—bent on world destruction. She enjoys weaving ancient curses and mythology, modern science and old religion, and great dialogue together to build red-hot, sizzling chemistry between her main characters.

A storyteller since childhood, she began putting her tales down on paper in November 2011 after the idea for the Seven Seals Series occurred to her in a dream. She finished the first draft of what was to become Seal of Destiny in one month and decided to pursue a full-time writing career in January of 2012. Life has now been a rollercoaster, crash course in pursuing your dreams.

Traci is an active member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Indiana Romance Writers of America (IRWA) and Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Writers (FF&P) and is pursing a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Writing Popular Fiction through Seton Hill University. Her stories have made the final rounds in several RWA chapter contests, including the 2012 Duel on the Delta, the 2012 Molly Awards, and the 2012 Catherine Awards. An earlier draft of Seal of Destiny won the paranormal category of the 2012 Marlene Awards sponsored by the Washington Romance Writers.

Other current projects include upcoming books in the Seven Seals series and a new futuristic detective series with hints of the paranormal and plenty of romance.

Find Traci online at:

Website: http://www.tracidouglass.net

FB Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/TraciDouglassAuthor

Twitter: @Traci_Douglass

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8112113-traci-douglass

Publisher: www.crimsonromance.com

Click on the banner to view the rest of the Tour Schedule

Waiting On Wednesday # 25 - Spellcaster By Claudia Gray

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where I have the chance to spotlight an upcoming release that I’m eagerly anticipating.

I couldn't find a WoW to begin with, but after some searching around I came across this new series by Claudia Gray. I really liked Claudia's Evernight Academy series, so I am looking forward to this new series!!

Spellcaster

By Claudia Gray

Spellcaster #1
Expected Publication – March 5th 2013

When Nadia’s family moves to Captive’s Sound, she instantly realizes there’s more to it than meets the eye. Descended from witches, Nadia senses a dark and powerful magic at work in her new town. Mateo has lived in Captive’s Sound his entire life, trying to dodge the local legend that his family is cursed - and that curse will cause him to believe he’s seeing the future … until it drives him mad. When the strange dreams Mateo has been having of rescuing a beautiful girl—Nadia—from a car accident come true, he knows he’s doomed.

Despite the forces pulling them apart, Nadia and Mateo must work together to break the chains of his family’s terrible curse, and to prevent a disaster that threatens the lives of everyone around them. Shimmering with magic and mystery, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray’s new novel is sure to draw fans of the Hex Hall and Caster Chronicles series, and fans of the hit CW TV show The Secret Circle...

What are you waiting for? Please leave it in a comment below or leave me your WoW link so I can check out yours too!!

Have a great Wednesday!!

Review - The Prince by Tiffany Reisz

Title: The Prince

Author: Tiffany Reisz

Series: The Original Sinners #3

Genre: Erotic Romance

Published: September 25^th 2012

Paperback provided by Harlequin Australia for an honest review

For readers 18+. Includes BDSM and Erotic scenes.

Book Description

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer...preferably in bed. That's always been Kingsley Edge's strategy with his associate, the notorious New York dominatrix Nora Sutherlin. But with Nora away in Kentucky, now it's Kingsley's chance to take her place at the feet of the only man he's ever wanted -- Søren, Nora's on-again, off-again lover -- until a new threat from an old enemy forces him to confront his past.

Wes Railey is still the object of Nora's tamest yet most maddening fantasies, and the one man she can't forget. He's young. He's wonderful. He's also thoroughbred royalty and she's in "his" world now. But Nora is no simpering Southern belle, and her dream of fitting into Wesley's world is perpetually at odds with her dear Søren's relentlessly seductive pull.

Two worlds of wealth and passion call to her and whichever one Nora chooses, it will be the hardest decision she will ever have to make... unless someone makes it for her....

My Review

The Prince is a completely different book to the first two books in the series. It doesn’t have numbered chapters, instead it alternates between North – The Past, North – The Present (both of which are about Kingsley) and the South (which is Nora). Kingsley is the main character in this book and about 2/3^rd’s of the book is about him, and Nora has the rest. I enjoyed this new writing style, as I was able to read the background of Kingsley, and keep up with what happened in the current day.

North – The Past, focuses on how Kinsley and Soren met at the all-boys Jesuit boarding school. Kingsley was a ladies’ man even back then and was able to get the girls do anything he wanted. You can see that Kingsley is attracted to Soren immediately and wants to do anything to pursue him. Even at this school the other students were afraid of Soren, but Kingsley was more curious and wanted to know more about him. Life as he knew it was about to change forever.

I loved getting to know what Soren and Kinsley were like when they were teenagers. I was able to see their bond develop and grow and eventually I think it is love. I am usually not one for reading M/M scenes, but as I know these characters so well from the other books, I found it easy to read so that I could understand the characters better and to see the depth of their bond. The more I read about Soren, the more I realise that he is a good person. After The Siren I didn’t like him but my opinion changed after The Angel and now I like him even more.

North – The Present, Kingsley and Soren are dealing with a serious threat. In The Angel, someone broke into Kinsley’s home and stole Nora’s file from him. The file is heavily encrypted but the fact that someone was able to drug his dogs and get into his home, has kept Kingsley on edge since. In The Prince there are more threats; someone from their past, who knows their secrets, is trying to destroy them. Kingsley was sent a photo from the boarding school and there are more break-ins; Soren’s childhood home, Nora’s home and Kingsley’s place again.

It was interesting to see Kingsley and Soren work together to try and find out who the culprit is. They travel back to Soren’s home town and to the boarding school and revisit the ghosts of their pasts. Although it has been 30 years since they were at school together, their bond is still there and Kingsley’s love for Soren has not faded.

South, is about Nora and Wes. At the conclusion of the last book, Nora was back in Wes’s arms and now they have gone south to his parents’ home in Kentucky. Wes wants to show her what his life is like and in the process, try to win Nora’s heart completely. Nora meets the parents, goes to the horse races and spends all of her time with Wes. She is battling between the life she had with Soren and the life she wants with Wes.

Nora is a hard person to read at times and I think she tries to talk herself out of things before it even happens, even with her relationship with Wes. She doesn’t think that she is good enough for him, but they love each other anyway. She is not sure how to have a normal life but is doing her best to figure it out.

There aren’t many dark erotica scenes in this book as there have been in the other books. The ones that I did read about were between Soren and Kingsley and even they were from the Past. Nora has some sexual scenes, but they are very tame considering who and what she is. There were no visits to the 8^th Circle, but Nora was able to use a whip eventually.

I still enjoyed this book because of the amount of depth we were able to get about the characters. The story is building in The Prince and even though I was given some answers by the end, the cliffhanger had me frustrated!! Just when I thought everything was falling into place, END OF BOOK!! OMG!! How can this happen…… Anyway, it was a very intense read all the way through and more often than not I was on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what would happen next.

See my review for The Siren (book 1) here.

See my review for The Angel (book 2) here.

Once I again need to thank Harlequin Australia for sending me a paperback copy of The Siren to review!!

About the Author

Tiffany Reisz lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her boyfriend (a reformed book reviewer) and two cats (one good, one evil). She graduated with a B.A. in English from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky and is making both her parents and her professors proud by writing BDSM erotica under her real name. She has five piercings, one tattoo, and has been arrested twice.

When not under arrest, Tiffany enjoys Latin Dance, Latin Men, and Latin Verbs. She dropped out of a conservative southern seminary in order to pursue her dream of becoming a smut peddler. Johnny Depp’s aunt was her fourth grade teacher. Her first full-length novel THE SIREN was inspired by a desire to tie up actor Jason Isaacs (on paper). She hopes someday life will imitate art (in bed).

If she couldn’t write, she would die…

Find Tiffany online at:

Website - http://www.tiffanyreisz.com/index.html

Blog - http://tiffanyreisz.com/storytime/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/tiffanyreisz

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4480131.Tiffany_Reisz

Teaser Tuesdays # 26 - Bloodlines and The Golden Lily

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!

I decided to post two teasers today, from the first two books in the Bloodlines series, as next week I will be able to share from The Indigo Spell.....

Bloodlines

By Richelle Mead
Bloodlines #1

“This is just a regular dream,” I countered.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “Look around. Concentrate. Doesn’t it feel different? Like a dream . . . but not like a dream. Not quite like real life either. Call it what you want, but the next time we see each other in the waking world, I’ll be able to tell you exactly what happened here.”

Paperback Page 278

The Golden Lily

By Richelle Mead
Bloodlines #2

Adrian did a double take. “That’s it, isn’t it?” He leaned toward me, and I nearly moved back … but something held me where I was, something about the intensity in his eyes.
“What?” I asked.
He pointed at me. “You stopped yourself just now. You just dumbed it down for me.”
I hesitated only a moment. “Yeah, I kind of did.”

Paperback Page 140-141

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 for stopping by!!

Review – Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

To celebrate the release of The Indigo Spell, the third book in the Bloodlines series, on the 12^th February, I decided to post my reviews for the first two books in the series. This week’s review is for Bloodlines, the first book in the series. Next week will be my Golden Lily Review and on the 11^th February I will post the Indigo Spell review, as I was lucky enough to get it early!! Enjoy……

Title: Bloodlines

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Bloodlines #1

Genre: YA Paranormal

Published: August 23^rd 2011

Book Description

Sydney is an alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of human and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the last place anyone would think to look for vampire royalty - a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. But instead of finding safety at Amberwood Prep, Sydney discovers the drama is only just beginning...

My Review

I have read Bloodlines twice now and I loved it both times! The Vampire Academy series is one of my favourite series of all time, so it comes as no surprise that this rates up there as well. I've always enjoyed Richelle Mead’s books; they seem to always have me drawn in from the start. This was another of those books with a great storyline, fascinating characters and plenty of things happening to keep me guessing.

In this series, Sydney is one of the main characters and the book is told from her point of view. She was one of my favourite characters in The Vampire Academy books and I was happy to see her in her own spin off series. For someone so well educated through home schooling, and having travelled the world in her job role as an alchemist, she is still so naive! She has no idea about the normal day to day living that normal teenagers have. Everything is so black and white to her and she usually says the first thing that springs to mind.

The three other main characters in the book are Jill, Eddie and Adrian, all of which were in the VA series. It is good to see them in this new series and to see their characters develop further. I really love Adrian, so much so that if he were real, I would hunt him down and have his babies!! I was so excited that I got to see more of him and that his story didn't finish in the original series, he is such a great character who always has me smiling with his witty remarks and being so self absorbed!

In Bloodlines, most of the characters head back to high school, as Jill needs to go undercover. There are many twists in the plot of this story and even while reading the book the second time round, it still amazed me. There are also minor cameo roles from some of my favourite characters of the first series and I met some new ones too. It is a definite read for the Die Hard VA fans!!

Stacking the Shelves/Sunday Post #21

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. It is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Just a small haul this week… and something that I won turned up in the mail!!

For Review

Born in Flames

(Born in Flames Trilogy #1)

by Candace Knoebel

Won

I won a signed copy of The Dark Lord from a giveaway from Confessions from Romaholics

The Dark Lord

(The Titans #1)

by Kathryn Le Veque

That’s it for Stacking the Shelves this week, what did you get?

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news and to post a recap of the past week on your blog,showcase some books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up in your blog for the week ahead.

This past week on the blog I shared:

Monday- Character Bio/Spotlight - Incendiary by Amy A. Bartol

Tuesday- TV Interview/Giveaway - Enchantment by Charlotte Abel

Wednesday- Character Bio/Spotlight - Hunter Moon by Jeanette Battista

Thursday- Review – Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Friday- Guest Post/Review – A Matter of Fate by Heather Lyons

Saturday- Review – Under the Desert Moon by Emma Meade

I also did my usual Meme’s that I participate in Teaser Tuesdays,

Waiting On Wednesday, Swoon Thursday and Feature & Follow Friday

This week there will be:

Monday- Review – Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Tuesday- Review - The Prince by Tiffany Reisz