Snake in the Grass by Staci Hart

Publisher: Promise Socks Publishing

Date Published: June 8th 2013

Genre: New Adult Fantasy Romance

Series: Good Gods #2
Source: Author

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

 

The truth changes everything.

It’s round two of high stakes Love Connection on Olympus, and this time, everything has changed. 

Ares is on deck, and Aphrodite is nervous, because as much as she loves to hook up with him, she doesn’t trust him as far as she could throw him, which isn’t very far. She never could resist him, not even when every part of her screamed that he was a liar, but after the last game, she’s seeing things in a new light, light that has cast shadows across her entire life.

Ares has a plan to keep Aphrodite, for good this time. He wants to win the game, but he’ll hold back, if that’s what it takes. He’s sitting on a chance that was thousands of years in the making, and he’ll do what he has to do to convince her to stay forever. The only thing that could stop him is the secret that he’s been keeping for eons. If she finds out, it will destroy everything.

Aphrodite picks Kat, a gun toting drag racer, and Ares decides on Dillon, a badass boxer who never loses. Both of their lives revolve around keeping their siblings safe, and they’ve sacrificed everything to make sure things stay that way. They are tough and loyal, fierce and determined, but they become each other’s weakness, even though they fight it, and even though it means danger for Kat and her sister.

What an amazing sequel!

This round of the game Aphrodite is up against Ares, after defeating Apollo in the first game. Dita is struggling to keep Ares at arms length though, no longer having Adonis as a buffer. Since Adonis decided to throw a tantrum Dita gives up to her attraction to Ares. Meanwhile, Ares is being sneaky, trying to keep Dita forever now that Adonis is gone. His chance to have Dita after losing her so long ago makes him giddy with how close he is to getting what he wants. But if Dita finds out the secret he hid and lied about for thousands of years... he could lose more than the game. He could lose Aphrodite indefinitely.

Dita's player in this round is Kat, a kick-ass drag racing daughter of the leader of the Japanese mafia. She has a fiery attitude and doesn't take crap from anyone. But Kat will always protect her sister. And even though Kiki doesn't think her abusing ex will come after them, Kat isn't so sure, so the last thing she wants is to let someone in and keep her distracted. Ares chooses Dillion, a cage fighter with a dark childhood. Dillion is broken inside, having to protect his younger brother Owen from their father and his powerful fists. With meddling siblings trying to play matchmaker and the similarities between the two, Kat and Dillion are obviously made for each other. But will they look past their issues and see each other?

LOVED this book. The players were so different in this one. I think I liked the first one better, but that's probably because I can relate more to the characters in that one. I still think that the characters in this one are super cool, of course.

Kat's fiery attitude is awesome. I love how she can point a gun at someone and stand up for herself. Her 'I don't give a shit' attitude is great. She isn't a doormat and she stands her ground. It's a wonderful example that I think some girls should definitely take to heart. She has such a strong personality.

Kiki, Kat's little sister, is the sweet one. She doesn't worry enough, whereas Kat worries too much. They're almost like light and day in their personalities, but they balance each other out.

Dillon is a bit of a tricky character. I mean, he's a cage fighter, and his dad beat him as a child. So from the outside you may just want to say hell to the no for him, because there's no way you'd want to put yourself at risk. But the more we learn about Dillion in the story, the more we see he does care and is trying to control his anger so he doesn't turn out like his dad.

Owen is soft. There's no better way to put it. He's not soft like a wimp, I wouldn't say that, but I think from what he's dealt with and what he's seen he is gentle with the world. The opposite reaction from Dillion

And that's something I really loved. How each set of siblings was just perfect for each other. They fit so well. It was like in the last book, where you got the feels real bad at the end. Yeah, well, you'll get them when encountering these two couples in the book.

And the Olympus side of things. I still think that Adonis is a spoiled child. He throws a tantrum because he disagrees with Dita. It's just so... infantile. Highly dislike him. And Ares. I can't believe him. You would think he'd know that karma would come back to bite him in the butt. He deserves what he gets.

Dita, gosh, it's a sad day when the goddess of love is struggling with her own love life. I am hoping, crossing my finger as tight as they will go, that Heff ends up with Dita. I know she said she would never be with him because she was forced into marriage with Heff, but from what we've seen in the books so far he seems kind and gentle, like he'd treat Dita the way she deserves. It seems like there is a slim to no chance of that happening, but a girl can hope.

Overall, another spectacular read by Staci Hart. I really cannot wait for Doe Eyes to come out! This was a must-read for me, just like the first. I imagine the next one will be even better :)

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What are you reading? Sick of mythology yet? I thought I was. But so far I have LOVED this series.

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Date Published: February 25th 2014
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Supernatural Romance
Series: The Dark Elements #1
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

One kiss could be the last.

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever.

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul.

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

Does JLA ever write anything less than extraordinary?

I fell in love with the Lux series. I became an addict over the Covenant series. And now I am falling, spiraling into crazy book-addiction over JLA's Dark Elements Series.

Layla wants to be a normal, regular teenage girl. But she half gargoyle, or Warden as their called. And that's not the weirdest bit. She's also half demon. Oh, and she can suck out your soul by kissing you.

Then there's Roth. He's sin personified, with tattoos that jump off his skin, literally, and an attitude to boot.

The best thing about Roth? He has no soul, so Layla can kiss away.

Loved this book. I have always loved gargoyles, especially the ones in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the real ones on the cathedral in Paris. I also have a toy one that I've had since before I was born. So yeah, gargoyles rock!

I loved Roth. Of course, who didn't? He was dreamy in the total bad-boy way. And Layla. Her, shall we say, 'powers', were kind of freaky, but in a way that entices you. Though the character herself was sweet. I liked her.

Favorite thing? Besides Roth, I mean. Bambi. Who knew such an innocent name could work for something so deadly it eats other demons? Then again, I think I've heard it's a popular stripper’s name.

Another hit by JLA. She can never do wrong in her writing. Unless she kills an awesome character. Then of course all of us readers will be upset. I can think of several writers that killed off the main characters and were bombarded by messed up readers. Don't torture us, JLA, please. I'd like to come out with my heart intact.

 

   

This book is a new favorite of mine, as all of JLA's are. It's mature young adult, so it can be read by pretty much anyone. Of course, it's a romance. And it's a fantasy/supernatural story too. I think of gargoyles as fantasy and demons as supernatural, but a lot of people just count it as paranormal. It all depends on your own views, really. There's no concrete description for those.

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Deer in Headlights by Staci Hart

Deer in Headlights by Staci Hart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher: Promise Socks Publishing
Date Published: February 14th 2013
Genre: New Adult Fantasy Romance
Source: Author

In this book their are two worlds that live side-by-side; Olympus and the mortal realm. The story starts in Olympus, where Aphrodite is up to bat for the games the Olympians play. The games, where the god for that turn has to go up against all of the other gods in the selected gods' craft. This time it's Dita's turn, and of course her specialty is love. Her first opponent? Apollo, who has a long-standing rivalry with Dita for killing Adonis and Dita turning Daphne into a tree.

Dita chose Lex, an artist and poet with abandonment issues as her player in the love game, and Apollo chose Dean, a screwed up guitarist and singer/songwriter. Dean sleeps with everything that moves, not knowing how to say no, and Lex already has a boyfriend. An impossible match, right?

Each god has a month to make or break the mortal couple. And the winner gets a favor from the other. Apollo is desperate to get a favor from Dita so he can get Daphne back, but Aphrodite never loses. Will Lex and Dean beat the odds and make it? Or will Apollo do the impossible and get his love back?
This book was not what I was expecting.

Just wanted that out there. When I first heard about it, I was like eh, another Greek God book? I have read a lot of them, and I did believe I had seen it all.

I was so wrong.

This book is so many things. Light, fun, fluffy, and at times, heart wrenching. Yes, it is another Greek God/mythology book, but it's different than any others I have read. It was the best kind of surprise.

During a good portion of the book I was torn between rooting for Lex and Dean and between rooting for Apollo. It's a hard choice, and I kept crossing my fingers that Aphrodite would be kind and lose on purpose so Apollo could get Daphne back and hoping that Lex and Dean made it. It was such a struggle.

Despite making me chose sides and bite my nails in uncertainty, it was still a fun, light read. Yes, you got attached to the characters, but you weren't about to tear around the room wrecking things because one of your favorite characters died (I hate that about Mockingjay. That book did a number on me, seriously). It's the perfect book for summer.

Things I loved:
1) The gods - they were fun and silly and serious all at the same time
2) Lex and Dean - they were perfect for each other
3) Aphrodite's forgiveness - in a lot of Greek myths the gods don't forgive easily, so it was nice knowing she had a heart
4) Perry - she is like THE best friend. I'll never look at her the same in mythology. And I love ice cream too ;)
5) The feels - oh my goddess, the feels. Whoa, just wow
6) The cover - it screams Dita to me
7) Heff - he wasn't in the big picture of the book, but I liked what little of him I did see and I hope he becomes a bigger character in books to come

Characters I didn't like:
1) Adonis - he reminds me of those guys who think of their girlfriends as accessories rather than living beings
2) Ares - I guess what he did is expected from him, but still

I honestly can't think of anything I didn't like about this book. It was great. I'm going to have to get started on the next one real soon :)

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Synopsis:

Aphrodite never loses, not when it comes to love.

Immortality has its perks and its downsides. Boredom, for one, is unavoidable, but instead of playing Backgammon, the Greek gods devised a game using humans as pawns. Remember Shakespeare? That was Apollo. Bonnie and Clyde? Aphrodite versus Ares.

Aphrodite is on deck, and she’ll defend her domain of love by using her magic to get the two human players together. Time is not on her side, and she’ll have her work cut out for her as her opponent does everything in his power to keep the players apart.

Game one is against Apollo, who chooses the loner Dean, a rock star who takes dark and brooding to the next level. His band has finally gotten a break, and he can’t screw it up, not for another one night stand, and especially not with his new drummer’s girlfriend. He swore to the band that he’d keep it together, but from the minute he first sees Lex, it takes every bit of willpower he has to stay away. But Dean’s will is nothing for the Goddess of Love, who’s certain she has a fighting chance to win with Lex as her player. The artist and poet is perfect for Dean, if only she can open her heart and find a way to love for the first time.

There’s always more at stake than winning the game when you’ve lived for thousands of years. The Olympians are the original dysfunctional family, surviving eons of love and lust, betrayal and lies, as friends and enemies, through feuds and wars. From the douchebag Ares, who’s forever trying get Aphrodite into bed, to her best friend Persephone, who she can always count on for a hearty helping of bacon on a bad day, the gods will take you on a lighthearted trip as they toy with humans, laugh and fight, lose love and gain power.

More Than Music by Elizabeth Briggs

More Than Music by Elizabeth Briggs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Publisher: Elizabeth Briggs
Date Published: June 17 2014
Genre: New Adult Rocker Romance
Source: Author

This has got to be the best rocker romance I have read this year, maybe ever.

More Than Music is told about a geeky, secretly guitar loving girl, and her journey entering the music world as the newbie in a band. Villain Complex, the band, is made up of Maddie's friend Kyle, Hector, and Kyle's older brother Jared. Jared has a tendency of sleeping around, and once he hooked up with the bassist of the band had things went downhill. Now, two days before Villain Complex is to audition on the reality TV show The Sound to compete for a record deal and a chance to go on tour, the bassist up and leaves.

Jared happens to find Maddie playing his guitar in the band's studio. And even better, she's playing his songs. Maddie is offered a chance of a lifetime, if only she'll take the leap of faith and leave her perfectly safe world behind. The one condition to joining the band? Maddie can't hook up with Jared. Sparks have been flying between the two since they met, but when they finally burn, will they bring everything down with them?

I have to say, I was entranced by this book. Maybe because it was so relatable. The geekiness to Maddie was adorable. And the songs were from a variety genre's and ages, you couldn't not know them. It blended so well together, the author really knew what she was doing when she wrote this book. I mean really, geeky rock stars? Genius! But to actually pull it off? It was awesome.

Maddie was a great character, and I could definitely put myself in her shoes. Jared wasn't as relatable, but he made up for it in other area, like being driven, and having reason for wanting to succeed. I loved Kyle and Hector, they fit so well, and Dan was great too. Angel was... well, a bit of a diva, a real prim donna. Overall the characters were fabulous.

I think it was the mix of music that I know and love, and the geeky rock stars that really made this book. The author's writing was fantastic, the story flowed and it was an overall great book. Even Playing Games by Jessica Clare couldn't match just how perfect this book was, and that was a pretty freaking good book. It was probably the closest book to this one.

I can't wait to see what happens next. It'll be a torturous wait for me, but it'll be worth it.

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Synopsis:

Music major Maddie Taylor seems to have her life all figured out. She’s just finished her junior year of college, has a summer internship lined up with the LA Philharmonic, and plans to go to grad school to write movie scores. Only her roommates know she practices guitar every night and secretly dreams of a louder life. But geeky girls like her don't get to be rock stars.

Tattooed singer Jared Cross has a new girl every week, but when he catches Maddie playing one of his songs, she attracts his attention in an unexpected way. His band needs a fourth member for The Sound, a reality TV show competition—and he wants her. Though Maddie refuses to be another notch on Jared’s bedpost, she agrees to risk everything for the chance to be a rock star.

Once on the show, Maddie discovers there’s more to Jared behind his flirty smile, and with each performance their attraction becomes impossible to ignore. When the show pressures Jared to flaunt his player image, they’re forced to keep their relationship secret, but Maddie can’t help but want something real.

As the competition heats up, Jared will do whatever it takes for his band to win, and Maddie must decide if following her dream is worth losing her heart.

Kacii

Wicked Cravings by Suzanne Wright

Wicked Cravings by Suzanne Wright
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher: Montlake Romance
Date Published: April 16th 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance

I was scared to read this book after how amazing the last one was. But it turned out alright. I didn't hate the author and I loved this book, obvious by the five star rating.

Jaime is damaged goods. Her wolf is straddling the line between turning rogue and barely holding onto her sanity. She works at an animal sanctuary for dogs because she knows how it feels to be beyond traumatized. Between keeping her hold on her wolf and just trying to get by, she shouldn't have time for a crush, but she hasn't let it go since she was a little kid. Tired by Dante's continued act of disinterest she looks other ways.

Dante is a workaholic. Being Beta means that he doesn't have time for fun... until Jaime. He's so scared of finding his mate and expecting her to give the ultimatum; her or his job, that he doesn't realize what he has until its almost too late.

This book was great. I think I liked the first one better, but that's because of Taryn. She is the best character I've read about in a long time. Jaime is a close second, I'll give her that. And Dante is just as cool as Trey. So there was no need for me to worry. I loved this book.

Cannot wait to read the next one!

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Synopsis:

Despite having been besotted with Dante Garcea since she was a child, wolf shifter Jaime Farrow figures that it’s time to move past the crush. If he wanted her, he wouldn’t have ignored her flirtatious behavior, right? Hiding her intense attraction to him isn’t easy – especially now that they're part of the same pack again – but with bigger issues to worry about and with the submissive wolf act to maintain, Jaime is resolute on moving forward. Now if only the workaholic control-freak would let her…

As the pack Beta, Dante doesn't have the space or time in his life for a relationship. As such, he ignores his intense hunger for the willful – and sometimes crazy – Jaime. Yet when her flirtations abruptly end, Dante finds that he doesn’t like losing her attention. He finds something else too – Jaime's hiding something. Determined to uncover her secret, he sets out to break through her defenses, even though being around her intensifies his cravings for her. What he finds is a problem that Jaime is convinced not even a powerful Beta can solve.

Kacii

Feral Sins by Suzanne Wright

Feral Sins by Suzanne Wright
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Publisher: Suzanne Wright
Date Published: March 4th 2012
Genre: Paranormal Romance

This has to be the best effing book I've read in for-freaking-ever.

Taryn is awesome. It's a fact. You've got no choice but to except it. She is brash and free and has that whole dominant female thing going for her. She has a quick mouth and it's hilarious. Her life is kind of screwish at the beginning because her dad's an asshole who's trying to get her to mate an even bigger asshole. She has a ton of issues. She's also latent, meaning she can't shift into wolf form. If I was into chicks I'd so go for her. Shame she'd be taken and is fictional. But she is wicked cool.

Trey has issues of his own. Like the fact his father banished him for winning a challenge against him. He had to go with half of the pack (the ones who were on his side of the debate) at the age of fourteen and start his own pack as alpha. Talk about a hard childhood. And now his fathers dead his uncle is alpha and wants to merge the packs back together. With him as alpha of course.

Together they help each other out. Taryn get's a temporary mate away from the asshole her father wanted her to mate and Trey gets an alliance with her father with plenty of wolves against Trey's uncle. A great deal. But maybe not so temporary. Once the sparks have flown Taryn and Trey may just realise there's more than sexual attraction between each other.

What did I think of the book? It was awesome! By far one of the best books I've read in ages. It had just the right level of spunk. Taryn was by far my favourite character. Man, I envy her. And just how silly is that? Envying a fictional character? Just shows how cool she is. She has her quirks but she doesn't care what people say or do; she's her own person, so free and full of a humorous light that radiates from the pages of the book (er, the screen of my Kindle).

And Trey. Super hot. Crazy sexy. I absolutely loved him. Sex between Trey and Taryn was so hot! The crazy shit they did together was so sexy and awesome. And I really liked that Taryn gave in some but not always. It made it interesting.

Oh and here are some of my favourite quotes from Taryn:

"I'd rather lie under an elephant suffering from diarrhea with my mouth open wide."
"Love is giving someone the power to completely destroy you, and hoping that they won't."
"Crazy bitch? Oh no, honey I'm an angel, I swear. The horns are only there to hold up the halo."
"I'm not tire. I'm just checking my eyelids for holes. It could take awhile."

So yes, this was an awesome book (I need a new word. I'm using awesome too much. Blah). And I definitely recommend reading it.

I'm not sure if I want to read the next book though. I'm a little afraid I won't like it, y'know? This book was just so great I don't think any of the others could compare. And the others are different characters. So I may not like them at all. Trey and Taryn have a super cool relationship and are great to read about. I don't want to be disappointed with other characters. And at the same time, I don't want them to be exactly the same. I hate it when authors make all of their characters exactly the same. So I'm a little nervous about continuing the series, but I may just go on because of my curiosity. I think Dante is next. I guess the only way to find out whether or not I'll like the others is if I read them.

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Synopsis:

If your inner wolf and your body react rather enthusiastically to a psychotic Alpha male who’s own wolf has a tendency to turn feral, it can’t be a good thing, can it? Entering into a bargain with him wouldn’t be good either. Unfortunately, Taryn Warner, a latent wolf shifter, doesn’t have many options open to her right now. Okay, she has no options. Basically it comes down to whether she’ll do what it takes to escape the arranged mating with the sick SOB that her father set up. As the answer in this case is yes, it looks as though she’ll have to agree to Trey Coleman’s deal…she’ll have to mate with him instead. 

Having always disliked shifter politics, Trey Coleman hadn’t bothered trying to form alliances with other packs. Now that his uncle – a wolf with many alliances – means to take Trey’s territory and his pack, he has no option but to form some alliances of his own very quickly or he’ll be easily outnumbered in the upcoming battle. He figures that the easiest way to do that would be to mate with a female who’s Alpha is powerful and influential. There’s only one problem with that – he would then be stuck with her, and the last thing Trey wants is a mate. When he hears of Taryn’s situation, he offers her a deal – if she falsely claims he’s her true mate and allows him to claim her, he’ll save her from her arranged mating and then let her leave after the battle with his uncle is over. 

Sounds like a pretty straightforward deal...but soon Taryn and Trey realize they got more than they bargained for. Their mating instincts to protect and possess are weighing on them, they crave each other’s touch and company, and their inner wolves don’t like it whenever they’re apart. Add in that they’ll have to deal with this for an entire three months until the day of the battle finally arrives, and they’ve got themselves a recipe for disaster – or maybe for something quite the opposite. 

Warning: This novel contains an extremely sarcastic Alpha female, a broody possessive Alpha male, bitter in-laws, voyeuristic enforcers, a whole lot of dirty talk, and steamy bedroom battles for dominance. 


Kacii

Beat of the Heart by Katie Ashley

Beat of the Heart by Katie Ashley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Publisher: Katie Ashley
Date Published: October 16th 2013
Genre: New Adult Romance

AWESOOOOOMMMEEE!!!!

AJ is the crazy Hispanic sex-god of the band. He is soooo much awesomer in bed than I would've expected. Master hottie and super cool dude. Mia has a hell of a past. And not the good kind. But she's feisty and part of a huge kick-ass Italian family. They work so well together.

Okay. I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEE AJ. And Mia. She's kick-ass. I think I said that already. I always knew AJ would be a fun character, but day-um he totally blew me away. I kind honestly say I like him more than Jake, and I liked Jake a ton. But AJ--he's something else.

And Mia! God, she was awesome. Abby was feisty, but in a cute kitten-who-thinks-their-a-tiger way. Mia is the effing tiger. She was awesome. And yeah, she had insecurities and stuff, but she dealt with it.

I loved AJ and Mia They were the perfect couple. This is definitely my favorite book so far.

Would I recommend it?

You bet your baby's Kindle I do. (Okay, that was kind of lame, but whatever.)

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Synopsis:

After years of bad relationships and a cheating ex-fiancé, twenty-eight-year-old Mia Martinelli prefers healing her patients’ hearts on the Cardiac Care floor rather than risking having her heart broken again. But that all comes to a screeching halt when caring for the head roadie for Runaway Train puts her into the orbit of drummer and Latin Lover, AJ Resendiz. After a scorching weekend of steamy passion, Mia’s intention of getting out with her heart unscathed is challenged by the stud with the wicked sense of humor, especially when he wants to continue seeing her. But when the harsh reality of AJ’s hoard of female admirers sends her insecurities into overdrive, Mia bails, leaving him handcuffed to his bathroom shower. 

AJ never imagined that after two weeks of the best sex and female companionship he’d ever experienced, he would need rescued by his band mates from his shower prison. Although he tries to forget the sensual brunette whose curves made his mouth water, AJ can’t get her out of his mind…or his heart. Months later when he finally seeks Mia for answers as to why she left, nothing could prepare him for their life-altering reunion. 

Can AJ prove to Mia that regardless of the women after his body, his heart belongs only to her?


Kacii