Book Boyfriend (19) Tyler

• Join the Book Boyfriend meme
• Pick your book boyfriend for the week
• Current read or not
• Tease us with something about your boy
• Don't spoil the book
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He is not afraid to lay it all on the table.

"See how you went and made things all awkward?" I accused, getting up from my swing and dusting off the back of my borrowed yoga pants.

Undeterred, Tyler fell into step beside me as we made our way toward the park entrance. "Awkward are not, you should know I'm glad you're back." He flashed me a shy smile as he added, "And now that I'm older, I'll try to be a little more memorable."

He's an artist.

Tyler had drawn a cobblestone pathway that stretched all the way from one side of our street to the other, bridging our two houses, practically from my front door to his. And running across the top of the pathway was a saying, written in beautiful, scrawling script. It said:

I'll remember you always.

He honestly cares about Kyra.

" So, how was it? Your first day back and all?"

The fact that he was here, standing outside my window and asking me how my day was, almost made me cry. No one else had bothered to ask how I was. He was the first person who wasn't pulling me at both ends, like I was a rope in a tug-of-war.

Kyra has been missing for five years- and a lot has changed.  Everything in fact except her- good thing that Tyler is around to keep her grounded and to remind her that she is loved.

Review: Alliance

Author Aubrie Dionne
Format eARC
Print Length 236 pages
Publisher Inkspell Publishing
Published Jan. 31, 2014

“Saving him meant saving her colony…”

Lyra Bryan has been saving people her whole life from a chick in the ventilation pipes to her mentally ill brother when his mind drifts back to Old Earth. She meets her match when she finds a gorgeous alien man aboard the arachnid ship. Captured after a failed attempt to save his people, his spirit is broken, craving only vengeance. To save her colony, Lyra must save his body and soul.

Lyra’s lifemate, Tauren, is jealous of her obsession with the alien man and will do anything in his power to break them apart. While they travel to the arachnid’s home world to defeat the mother brain once and for all, they must set aside their differences and work as a team. But, can Tauren be trusted?

My Opinion

Alliance is the third book in the Paradise Reclaimed series. Lyra has proven the previous two books that she would do anything to ensure the safety of her people. Her alliance to them has never been called into question. Her alliance to her lifemate is an entirely different story. Tauren is a horrible lifemate and how the colony does not know what a tyrant he is, is beyond me.

In the previous book Reconnaissance, Lyra and Nova battled the archnids, evil alien spiders. During the battle, they stumble upon Asteran, an individual from another planet, Priavenus, that the archnids attacked. Now her colony is keeping Asteran under lock and key as they are unsure of the danger he poses. Asteran shows Lyra what the archnids did to his planet- the same thing they are planning to do to hers. Lyra, Asteran, her brother Leo , Nova and surprisingly Tauren attempt to attack the Queen arachnid to prevent the destruction of their new home planet.

Lyra is a strong-willed young lady who wills top at nothing in order to help her people. She does at times avoid confrontation, especially with Tauren. However, with his reaction to when she does oppose him, I would probably avoid conflict with him as well. Her attraction to Asteran is instant- this is due to his alien mojo. You got to hand it to the alien man- his is HOT hot and extremely protective of Lyra. He also serves as a mentor to her brother Leo.

Alliance is an interesting book. The pacing was good, the story was entertaining. It did fail to bring the intensity of the previous two books.

My Rating 3 out of 4 stars

Favorite Quote No offense, but I don’t want a space brain for a brother-in-law.

Other People

Nova- Lyra’s friend and commanding officer
Leo- Lyra’s brother, he is advanced which makes him weird
Tauren- Lyra’s lifemate (she should break up with him)

Swoon Thursday (19) Sweet Reckoning

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 gals at YABound!

"What are you afraid of, Kia?"

"I'm only afraid of one thing." His blue eyes hit mine. "Losing you." Pained fear showed on his face, and it wrung my heart. We both knew what we were up against. "Swear you'll be careful, Anna. No unnecessary heroics."

Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgings Kindle Location 234

"I need you to know this is different for me. I've never felt like this with someone. I don't just love you, Anna. I adore you."

Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgings  Kindle Location 2217

Kaidan is seriously, seriously HOTT! I love that he is so gentle and unsure of himself when it comes to Anna. Especially since he is the son of the demon of lust.

Waiting on Wednesday (20) I Am The Mission

 

Hey y'all, thanks so much for stopping by my WoW!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

He was the perfect assassin. No name. No past. No remorse. Perfect, that is, until he began to ask questions and challenge his orders. Now The Program is worried that their valuable soldier has become a liability. 

And so Boy Nobody is given a new mission. A test of sorts. A chance to prove his loyalty.

His objective: Take out Eugene Moore, the owner of an extremist military training camp for teenagers. It sounds like a simple task, but a previous operative couldn't do it. He lost the mission and is presumed dead. Now Boy Nobody is confident he can finish the job. Quickly.

But when things go awry, Boy Nobody finds himself lost in a mission where nothing is as it seems: not The Program, his allegiances, nor the truth. 

The riveting second book in Allen Zadoff's Boy Nobody series delivers heart-pounding action and a shocking new twist that makes Boy Nobody question everything he has believed.

Why am I waiting?

Sometimes you just need to read something outside of your normal genre. Sometimes you need a change. I love paranormal with all my heart but I am looking forward to a change in my reading pattering with this one. Plus, I really want to see where Boy Nobody will go with this mission- will he complete it?

Teaser Tuesday (19) The Immortal Crown

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!

From that distinguished tier, she's gone on to join a secret government mission involving the improbably- yet alarmingly real- return of supernatural forces to the world, putting her face to face with atrocities and wonders her fellow countrymen would never believe.

The Immortal Crown by Richelle Mead Kindle Location 22

Don't be deceived by the crown. It may look fragile, but there is power in it. There is power in love and beauty and desire. There is more power in creating life than taking it.

Kindle Location 764

To her astonishment, he pulled her down in a kiss, his body covering hers as he rolled her onto her back. A surreal mix of feelings took hold of Mae as she instinctively wrapped her arms around him, her hands touching his bare flesh.

Kindle Location 2539

I know I know only two sentences. But sometimes a book is just so good that two sentences is not enough. This is one of those times. The Immortal Crown is one of those books that will stick with you. I love the both the hero and the gal are so flawed.

Review: Reborn

Author CC Hunter
Format ARC
Print Length 400 pages
Publisher St. Martin’s Griffin
Published May 20, 2014

Return to the beloved world of Shadow Falls, a camp that teaches supernatural teens to harness their powers—and where a vampire named Della will discover who she’s meant to be.

For Della Tsang, Shadow Falls isn't just a camp: it's home. As a vampire who's never fit in with her human family, it's the one place she can truly be herself. But when a mysterious new guy arrives at camp, Della’s whole world is thrown into turmoil. Chase is a vampire with secrets, who knows more than he’s telling. But the more time she spends with him, the more she begins to trust this attractive stranger—and feel drawn to him. But romance is the last thing she wants—as she keeps telling Steve, the hunky shapeshifter who won’t stop trying to win her heart. And if Della isn't careful, he just might succeed.　 When a new case puts everyone she cares about in danger, Della’s determined to do everything she can to save them . . . even if it means teaming up with Steve and Chase, who leave her more confused than ever. With their lives on the line, will Della and her friends survive—with their hearts intact?

My Opinion

When we last left Della, she was trying to get in with the FRU, the enforcers of the supernatural world. She had finished her first case with shapeshifter Steve. She got hurt so Burnett is reluctant to put her on another case.

Reborn starts off a few weeks after the original Shadow Falls series ends. While Della and Steve had gotten close in Saved at Sunrise, Della attempts to push him away in Chosen at Nightfall. On Kylie’s advice Steve decides to fight for Della. Every time she pushes, he bends. If it is space that she wants, he will give it. Just as long as he gets to spend time with her, he is happy-or is he?

Della soon gets put on a new FRU case this time with a new vamp, Chase. Chase knows that there is something going on between Della and Steve. He just doesn’t care. To round of Della’s stress, she of all people has a ghost following her around. Trying to warn her of something.

Della is kept busy- the case, the guys and the ghost all take up a lot of her time. She discovers a hidden secret in her family that she tries to investigate in her spare time. Then she gets sick- really sick, which is weird since vamps aren’t supposed to get sick.

Della regardless of the tests that are thrown her way continues to fight- it is what I admire most about her. Her parents literally suck, yet she still keeps going back to them in the hopes that they will learn to accept her. She keeps her head up, continues to do battle on all ends. Never once even entertaining the thought of quitting. Steve looks out for Della throughout the book and continues to worry over her.

Reborn has romance sprinkled on top of an action-packed adventures. Della’s faithful friends, Kylie and Miranda, are there to have her back and to call her out when needed. Reborn is a must read for all paranormal fans.

My Rating 5 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote “We could kiss and show them how it’s done,” a deep Southern voice said at her ear.

Other People

Kylie- Della’s chameleon roomie and best friend
Miranda- Della’s witch roomie and best friend
Chase- Della’s partner in her FRU case
Holiday- overseer of the camp
Burnett- vamp and FRU overseer off the camp, Della’s mentor

Spotlight: Reborn: Burnett’s thoughts on the case.

CC Hunter stops by to chat about our favorite male vampire, Burnett’s thoughts on the case.

In Reborn, Della is sort of coming into her own—finding herself and wanting to define herself as an FRU agent. There’s only one problem, a big, tall, dark and stubborn vampire named Burnett. Of course, Burnett agrees there’s a problem—a tiny dark-haired smart-mouthed vampire who happens to be half Asian. Della insists that Burnett treats her differently than he does the boys, like Lucas and Derek and Steve who occasionally works with the FRU. And she pretty darn sure it all stems from the fact that Burnett is a male chauvinist pig. He’s over protective of her just because she’s a girl. And she’s furious. How does having breasts mean she can’t do the job? Maybe even do a better job than the guys? And when Della accidentally catches the scent of a rogue vampire on a murdering spree, she makes it her mission—with or without Burnett’s permission, to catch the killer and get justice for the victims. 

Burnett gives Della and Steve their first case together in Saved at Sunrise, already released. He assigns Della and Chase to work together in Reborn, released on May 20.

Book Boyfriend (18) Kaidan

• Join the Book Boyfriend meme
• Pick your book boyfriend for the week
• Current read or not
• Tease us with something about your boy
• Don't spoil the book
• Link up with us

He is extra-T worthy!

“I noticed several things about the drummer all at once. He was focused on the task at hand, keeping perfect rhythm. Instead of a swirl of transparent colors around his torso, there was a small, concentrated starburst of bright red at his sternum. But otherwise his aura was blank. Huh. That was strange. But before I could contemplate it too much, my eyes landed on his face.

Wowza.

He was smokin' hot. As in H-O-T-T hot. I'd never understood until that moment why girls insisted on adding an extra T. This guy was extra-T worthy.

I examined the drummer, determined to find a flaw.

Brown hair. An interesting haircut: short around the sides and back, but longer on top, hanging loose and angling across his forehead. His eyes were narrow and his eyebrows were a bit thick and...Oh, who was I kidding? I could pick him apart, but even the shifty slant of his eyes made him more alluring to me.” 

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

He has bedroom eyes!

“You're so bloody cute," he whispered, his voice all low and yummy.

Blood whooshed through my body. A Kai buzz. Oh, he was totally using the bedroom eyes...all heavy lidded and seductive. I don't even think he was trying. I suddenly felt shy. Even from the other side of the country, this boy was dangerous.” 

Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

The boy sure knows what to say to get the girl, and he says it with an accent!

“I grew up back and forth between the British Isles: England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales. I spent short periods of time in France, Italy, and South Africa. This is my first time in the States. I was disappointed by Atlanta at first-I'd wanted to live in New York-but it's grown on me."

Everything about Kaidan was exciting and exotic. This was my first time traveling away from home, and he'd already seen so much. I ate my apple, glad it was crisp and not soft.

"Which was your favorite place?" I asked.

"I've never been terribly attached to any place. I guess it would have to be...here."

I stopped midchew and examined his face. He wouldn't look at me. He was clenching his jaw, tense. Was he serious or was he teasing me? I swallowed my bite.

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

There are times in this series that I felt that Kaidan was a jerk- but most of the time I felt really bad for him. Falling in love with Anna was not easy, breaking the rules for her was harder, protecting her was nearly impossible.

Swoon Thursday (18) The Taking

 

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 gals at YABound!

And like that his lips found me. They didn't find my forehead this time but captured my lips, and I couldn't breathe when they did. They were demanding and sweet all at the same time.

Fire flowed through me while rain drizzled down my face. Our tongues teased and touched and danced together, and he crushed me against him in a way that made me believe he'd never, ever let me go.

The Taking by Kimberly Derting Kindle Location 2387

I really like Tyler and hope that Kyra will see how great he is. Romantic gestures are his specialty.

Waiting on Wednesday (19) Mortal Enchantment

Hey y'all, thanks so much for stopping by my WoW!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

In Kalin Matthew's world, elementals control the forces of nature. They are divided into four courts: air, woodland, fire, and water. At sixteen she will leave the life she's built with her mortal mother. Kalin will move to Avalon to rule with her father—the elemental king of the air court. Along the way, she's attacked by a fire court assassin and saved by Rowan, a swoon-worthy elemental with a questionable past. 

Worst of all, she learns her father is missing.

To rescue him, Kalin will have to work with a judgmental council and a system of courts too busy accusing each other of deceit to actually be able to help her. But, they aren’t her biggest challenge. With the Midwinter’s Ball only five days away, Kalin must take over her father’s duties, which includes shifting control of the elements—power Kalin has yet to realize.

As Rowan attempts to train her, a war looms between the four courts. If Kalin fails, her father will die and the courts will fall, but the betrayal she’s about to uncover may cost her even more...

Why I am waiting?

Have you seen the cover?  Amazing!  I have only read two series that involve elementals. Both have been enjoyable and I am hoping that this one will be able to sweep me away like the other two did. There is a prequel The Shadow Prince for free that got great reviews- just downloaded it and will be reading it tonight.

Teaser Tuesday (18) The Beautiful and the Damned

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!

"An Echo. A conduit for souls of the dead. That's why you can't remember anything during the blackouts. There's another soul inside you that comes to the surface during that time."

The Beautiful and the Damned by Jessica Verday Kindle Location 1466

She tasted like the rain. Cold and clean and fresh. Her fists wrapped around his shirt, and she pulled him closer, making a soft sound.

The Beautiful and the Damned by Jessica Verday Kindle Location 1490

I adored the Hollow series- falling in love with Capian and Abbey. When I found out that there was going to be a spin-off I even pre-ordered it. Just hadn't gotten around to reading it until now.

Spotlight: Reborn: Miranda & Kylie Dish on Steve and the “New Guy”

CC Hunter stopped by to share with us some boy talk with Della's besties- Miranda and Kylie.

Miranda and Kylie have wanted Della to get over Lee, and the best way they could see her doing that was to find someone new. So, they both like Steve and think he’s good for Della. But  Della being Della, doesn’t see it that way. Oh yeah, maybe Steve helped her get over Lee, not to mention how he kept her from making a fool of herself in Saved at Sunrise, but that doesn’t mean she’s fallen for the shape shifter. And now there’s a new guy at Shadow Falls and he’s all over her. Miranda and Kylie are a bit concerned over the attention the new guys is giving Della. While Della says she’s not interested in him, Kylie and Miranda aren’t so sure. They’ve seen the looks Della’s given the new guy when she thinks no one is looking. So has Steve. And that’s about all I can say about it since I don’t want to give away too much from Reborn.

Della and Steve have to work together in Saved at Sunrise, already released.  Chase, the new guy, shows up in Reborn, released on May 20.