Dark Veil by S.L. Naeole

Synopsis:

Fallon Timmons didn't know what to expect from the small island her adopted parents grew up on, but whatever it was, she thought she was prepared for it. Then Liam appeared, all teeth and venom, with a warning to stay away from his sister Audrey and from him. It was a warning that she was not going to heed, no matter what the strangely attractive boy said.

Liam Mace was used to seeing the tourists on the Rock, and looked especially forward to them leaving. But Fallon wasn't leaving. In fact, she was staying. Worse, his sister was growing attached to her, and that was never a good thing...

You never become attached to your food.

Black Cat Rock, or the Rock as it is called, is the home of the Panthus, shape-shifting cats of magnificent size and strength who live in their human skins only to protect their secret. During the day they catch fish to sell, or wait on and serve the tourists who come to visit their island, but at night, the fangs come out and the hunt begins as tourist becomes prey.


****************

The synopsis is longer than this book! Ha. Any way, this was a pretty short read for being a S.L. Naeole book. She is a sucker for amazing detail and imagery, and this was no different. I really, really, REALLY wanted to like this book, and the characters, but I just couldn't. The story is amazing and original like always, but the ending was adrupt, with no real resolution. The two main characters; Fallon and Liam spent the whole book hating and fighting chemistry between each other and all of a sudden then they decide to be together? Then the end is snippets of them coming out to the whole town that they are together? It just left me with more questions than answers. I really don't like Liam. He was a dirty dog (HAHAHAHA!) and he kept playing both girls until the end. We'll see what happens and if he can restore some dignity in the next book.
I do recommend, Naeole is my all time favorite author, and I will be reading the next book and hopefully it will be a hell of lot better like her other books!

Forever... by Judy Blume

Synopsis:

Katherine and Michael meet at a New Year's Eve party. They're attracted to each other, they grow to love each other. And once they've decided their love is forever, they make love.

It's the beginning of an intense and exclusive relationship, with a future all planned. Until Katherine's parents insist that she and Michael put their love to the test with a summer apart...


******************

Uhm, okay... I didn't know what to expect going into this, and just from the synopsis, I guess I expected a lot of raw teenage emotion and angst. All I actually got was a robot having sex with some horndog teenage boy, who clearly didn't know a thing about romance. Not my cup of tea, Judy. But thanks for trying. Wouldn't recommend this one at all.

The Fifty Shades Series by E. L. James

Synopsis:

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY: When college student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating.  The unworldly Ana realizes she wants this man, and Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian’s secrets and explores her own desires.

FIFTY SHADES DARKER: Daunted by Christian’s dark secrets and singular tastes, Ana has broken off their relationship to start a new career. But desire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought. They rekindle their searing sensual affair, and while Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Ana is forced to make the most important decision of her life.

FIFTY SHADES FREED: Now, Ana and Christian have it all—love, passion, intimacy, wealth, and a world of possibilities for their future. But Ana knows that loving her Fifty Shades will not be easy, and that being together will pose challenges that neither of them would anticipate. Just when it seems that their strength together will eclipse any obstacle, misfortune, malice, and fate conspire to turn Ana’s deepest fears into reality.

This book is intended for mature audiences.

****************************************

I was very skeptical when I first heard of the Fifty Shades of Grey. I thought to myself, hmm. YA erotica. How? WHY WASN'T THIS AROUND WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL! Haha. I would have ate this shit up! I am by no means a prude, or a whore. I like to think of myself as the exception. I like to read about fairytales and love stories, but I also like the rawness of such stories. I truly believe The Fifty Shades series succesfully achieved what I am looking for in books. The sex could have a bit much, I mean, let a girl catch her barrings! I had to put it down and find my boyfriend a few times to cool off! Not that he was complaining much!

"Fuck the paperwork"

I had a few problems with Christian's attitude and a few of his actions. At one point in the second book I had to throw the book across the room and throw stuff to show just how upset I was with him and his actions. That, for me, would have the "make it0or break it" clause. I would have thrown in the towel and told him to go screw himself. If you read Fifty Shades Darker, you will understand why I am so upset. Of coarse, you cannot stay mad at Christain for too long, that's impossible! After a few heated words at the book, I picked it back up, apologized and continued reading. I blew through the first two like it was nothing and my boyfriend, Jay was surprised I could go through books like I did! I astounded him! These books are very raw and they show reality along with fantasy. Mostly fantasy because there is no way in a hell a man can produce that much, if you know what I mean!

I was surprised that I enjoyed these books, and I don't even give a shit that it was fan fic. If I wouldn't have been told this, I would have had no idea. These characters worked together and tested each other through out all three books. It is worth the sex and the drama, because the end is truly happy. The happiest I ever felt towards characters.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Synopsis:

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

*****************

When I first read the synopsis for Anna Dressed in Blood, I about died from so much swooning over the cover and how it just caught my attention. Left me partially dizzy and a high I never wanted to come down from. I begged and pleaded with my work for overtime just so I could buy this book and devour it! (I recently just bought a brand new 2011 Toyato Corolla, dubbed Cora. We are in love.) I recently just moved in with my boyfriend and on one of our many amazing motorcycle rides I noticed we lived right down the street from a library! I NEVER LIVED SO CLOSE A LIBRARY BEFORE! I was in panic to hurry and check out their book selections! Man! Did they have a lot of amazing books! They also had Anna Dressed in Blood. I checked it out and got to reading! Man, I couldn't put it down!

At first it irrated me that his name is Cas. My name is Cassandra and a lot of people call me Cass. I don't really mind it, but reading about a guy named Cas really bugged me. Then, I realized how sexist that was and decided not to give a flying hoot. Right from the beginning Cas' charm, and wit won me over and I realized why Anna fell so hard! Though, there isn't a lot of LOVE as in swooning, kissing, and carressing like in so many YA's these days so it was a breath of fresh air. The originallity of this story was what did me in along with how funny the characters were! Even Anna, who died a horrible, tragic death. Poor thing. The only parts that bugged me is how there isn't a lot of information given to you. Why didn't Anna kill Cas, why was he the chosen one, what is with that british guy, and what in the world does some stupid cross make everyone all of a sudden really mean towards Cas. Hopefully these questions get answered in the next book, Girl of Nightmartes.

I sugguest you read this, it was original and funny. Kept me interested long enough to make me feel bad about neglecting my dogs!

Intagible by J. Meyers

Synopsis:

Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift.

Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it.

*****************************

Luke and Sera are twins and have a very deep connection. No, not only because they are twins, but because they share and keep each other's secrets and the one thing that could make or break any "normal" relationship they have in their lives. Luke can see the future, and Sera can heal. It is a very big secret they both harbor for each other. When Luke has a vision of his beloved sister dying, his world is turned upside down and race against the clock to find a way to save her.

Intangible was an enjoyable read. I couldn't put it down and if I was forced to (believe me, I was) I couldn't stop thinking about it. J. Meyers creates a dark and fascinating world where you don’t know who to trust, and a beautiful realm of the unbelievable. Meyers writing style was easy to follow with amazing imagery and wittiness. There is no doubt in my mind that Meyers is going to be a big self-published author.

Most of the characters were easy to like, and some I just wanted to hurt. Each had their own voice in the book, which as a writer I understand how difficult that can be. Kudos to Meyers for making each character individualized. Sera and Luke together were great and funny, even during serious times, which told me they use humor to cope with stress. I can easily relate with that. Jonas was alright. I didn’t really buy into the hardness of the character. He seemed forced and silly to me. “Hi, I am a vampire. I hate the human race and I am bad ass and the cherished of all vampires. Fear me, puny human.” Then towards the middle you realize why the way he is and you feel slightly bad for him. I say slightly in my own opinion because he still seemed forced to me and I did not admire him for that. Marc. Don’t even get me started on this worthless POS. I could not stand him. In the beginning I absolutely adored him even though he seemed to be against the twins at first. I felt bad for him, he had lost a lot “friends and family” because of his secret, but that gave him no right to act the way he did. He was just an ass, and then I started thinking what his character actually meant to the story, but I couldn’t think of anything of how he was important at all, maybe to foreshadow that there are other “kids” with amazing abilities like Luke and Sera? I have no idea. We’ll just see in the next book, which I hope comes soon because I am just dying to get my hand on it.

The plot was good, and easy to follow, but some parts seemed slow to me while other parts felt like there was going to a big climax and then nothing. I don’t know if it was because the author intentionally did this or if the story just played out that way. Some characters towards the end didn't seem like maybe they were added on in an attempt to have a cliff hanger or if to show that they are indeed not the only people with such abilities. It didn't add up to me. The realm was very original and amazing to read about. I hope we read more about it in the next book.

Over all, Intangible was a great read, and the writing fantastic. I would recommend this to anyone who likes an original story, face paced action and some bad ass characters!

Disclaimer: I recieved this book from the author in exchange for a honest review.

Falling From Grace by S. L. Naeole

Synopsis:

When you wake up in the morning and your eyes take in the first hints of light that shine through your window, the dust motes catching and reflecting the sun’s rays like little diamonds, the shimmering hues of yellow and orangey gold breaking through into your room, the first thing you think about usually isn’t how you’re going to make it through the worst day of your life.

Unfortunately for Grace Shelley, that’s exactly what she’s facing as she ponders what to do now that she’s going to be starting out her last year in high school without her best friend. She’s not exactly the most popular girl in school - well, not the most popular girl in school to like, anyway - and everything seems to be hinting at another status quo year for her until she bumps into a stranger who leaves her stumbling for words and chasing after her heart.

The new guy in school is different. Robert doesn’t care about the rumors he’s heard about her or that no one else seems to see her the same way that he does; he only wants to be her friend. That’s when things get complicated. When Grace learns that he’s not your typical high school boy and that he’s actually a wingless angel who’s looking for someone to trust, she’s thrust into his world where not all angels are meant to protect human beings, and where the changes she brings into his life changes everything in hers.


**************************

“Before I succumbed to the sweet lull of his voice, I made one last request. "Stay". I was asleep before he could answer, but in my dreams I heard him reply "Forever."”

Falling from Grace was the first book I read written by S. L. Naeole. Man oh man! She is a fantastic writer! Grace Shelley is the school reject. She is described, by herself, as ugly. (I've read a few reviews where they are all "its unrealstic to have someone gorgeous ugly fall in love with someone ugly. Wrong. How shallow can you people be? Seriously. I consider myself ugly, but my gorgeous boyfriend says I am beautiful.) Grace is probably not ugly as she thinks she is, but kids at school ridicule her for being different. (I can relate. Big time.)  She is different and she never seems to fit in any where except with her best friend, Graham. Then she confesses her love for him, and he ends the friendship for some sleeze. Typical. After weeks of being depressed and no one to turn to the first day of school has arrived. To Grace, this is the worst day to be alive. She has face Graham, his sleeze and her friends and the rest of the school. How will she stay out of the depressed mood, and survive without so much as a tear. It seems hopeless. Until she meets the hunky new guy, Robert. That when her world is turn upside down, or right side up. (Tomatoe, tomotoe; half full, half empty.)

This book was a handful in the good and bad way. I'm not bashing the author or the book, it was just a lot of emotions that would consume you. I loved how Naeole's writing could do that, but along with Grace, it was tough to live with such strong emotions, and mix in a gorgeous, deadly, angel and you have yourself a pickle. The characters were amazing. The only character I could have done without was Graham. I hated him since he hurt Grace, and thought I wouldn't have forgave him so easily and would have beaten up his sleezy girlfriend for being such a bitch! Grace is an emotional girl with a lot of issues, Robert seems to come in and helps her with these emotions and then all of a sudden he is the cause of these emotions. The way she handled the news he was an angel was unrealistic. I would have freaked, but to Grace it seemed odd, but she took it as normal as possible. Too normal if you ask me. Some of the situations in the book seemed unrealistic at times, but over all the story was fantastic.

My favorite scene in the novel is a cliff hanger, so I can't really say much about it, but man was it a tear jerker. Poor Grace, and poor Robert. I just couldn't understand at first why all that was being said but then it all made sense once they explained it. I know, I know, you have no idea what the hell I am talking about. Read the book and you'll find out, (HINT: Its after the holloween festival :))

Overall, it was amazing and I would highly recommend this to anyone. You need to read this!

Cover Reveal! Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis:

In Clockwork Princess, Tessa and her companions travel all over the world as they race to stop the clockwork army before it’s too late. As Jem’s health worsens alarmingly and his friends search desperately for a cure, can Tessa choose between the two boys she loves—even if it means never seeing the other one again?

Relase Date:

March 19, 2013
*****

So, I absolutely adore this cover. A LOT! I want to be honest for a moment, because I did not really like The Infernal Devices series as much as I like The Mortal Instruments. I mean, I did like it, but just not as much. Also, it hints that both the boys are gone by the time The Mortal Instruments events take place which saddens me, because I just love William to death. Since I adore this cover so much I decided that I will continue to read this series even though I know ultimately in the end she ends alone without either boy. God, that just breaks my heart.

What do you think of this gorgeous cover???