Book Boyfriend (31) Four

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He is protective.

And now she hates me and I can’t even leave Dauntless to join the factionless, like I was going to, because Eric’s eye is on her like it was on Amar last year, right before he turned up dead on the pavement near the railroad tracks.

All the Divergent end up dead except me, because of my fluke aptitude test result, and if Eric is watching her, she’s probably one, too.

My thoughts skip back to the night before, how touching her sent warmth into my hand and through the rest of me, though I was frozen with fear. I press my hands to my head, press the memory away.

I can’t leave now. I like her too much. There, I said it. But I won’t say it again.”

~Four

He has his priorities straight.

“One thing I know: For helping me forget how awful the world is, I prefer her to alcohol.”

~Four

“Just as I have insisted on his worth, he has always insisted on my strength, insisted that my capacity is greater than I believe. And I know, without being told, that's what love does, when it's right-it makes you more than you were, more than you thought you could be.

This is right.”

~Allegiant

He notices the special things in life.

“When her body first hit the net, all I registered was a gray blur. I pulled her across it and her hand was small, but warm, and then she stood before me, short and thin and plain and in all ways unremarkable- except that she had jumped first. The stiff had jumped first.

Even I didn't jump first.

Her eyes were so stern, so insistent.

Beautiful.”

~Four

“But that wasn´t the first time I ever saw her. I saw her in the hallways at school, and at my mother’s false funeral, and walking the sidewalks in the Abnegation sector. I saw her, but I didn’t see her; no one saw her the way she truly was until she jumped. 

I suppose a fire that burns that bright is not meant to last.”

~Four

He is concerned for his gal.

“You okay?" he says, touching my cheek. His hand cradles the side of my head, his long fingers slipping through my hair. He smiles and holds my head in place as he kisses me. Heat spreads through me slowly. And fear, buzzing like an alarm in my chest.

His lips still on mine, he pushes the jacket from my shoulders. I flinch when I hear it drop, and push him back, my eyes burning. I don't know why I feel this way. I didn't feel like this when he kissed me on the train. I press my palms to my face, covering my eyes.

"What? What's wrong?"

I shake my head.

"Don't tell me it's nothing." His voice is cold. He grabs my arm. "Hey. Look at me."

I take my hands from my face and lift my eyes to his. The hurt in his eyes and the anger in his clenched jaw surprise me.

~Divergent

Oh the release of Four's short stories had all the feels.  His love and admiration of Tris is evident in all that he does.

Review: Queen of Hearts: Sin City Collectors Novella

Author Kristen Painter
Format e-Book
Print Length ?
Publisher self-published
Published July 1, 2014

Welcome to Las Vegas, home of the Sin City Collectors. The job description is easy: Bring the offending supernatural in to the Boss and don’t ask any questions.

Feline shifter Claudette Marchon traded life as a showgirl to become a Sin City Collector, giving up the glamour to earn some serious cash in order to buy her own business. Mission accomplished, she now runs a pawn shop specializing in gems and jewelry.

Life is good until a Collection job requiring her specific skill set lures her back in. The Queen of Hearts, a museum-worthy ruby and diamond necklace has been stolen from the Boss’s private collection and she’s his last hope to do what two other Collectors have already failed to do. Bring in the necklace. And the thief.

But gargoyle Jason Tennant isn’t quite the dangerous criminal Claudette expects. In fact, he’s not a thief at all. He’s former Special Ops and being set up by the real mastermind, forcing her to decide between the man she’s falling for and the man she works for. Proving Jason innocent may risk the Boss’s wrath, but Claudette’s heart says it’s a gamble worth taking.

My Opinion

Retired collector Claudette Marchon is being pulled from retirement. Her boss has a case that only she can solve. She must go undercover as a showgirl for Cristos the Incredible an illusionist to retrieve a rare necklace- The Queen of Hearts ruby. It was stolen by Cristos’ (Robert Sloan’s) own body guard a gargoyle named Jason Tennant. Upon meeting Jason Claudette knows something is up.

Jason is being blackmailed by Sloan, into doing horrible things because Sloan has his keystone. The one thing that makes gargoyles vulnerable. Once Claudette knows the truth she promises to help Jason. This ticks off her real boss though and there is a lot of tension. If she cannot prove that Jason is innocent both of them will die.

Claudette is a strong gal, who has a heart. She is likeable although the instant trust in Jason was a bit much considering paranormals are supposed to be weary by nature. Jason is a nice guy and it sucks to see him in the positions that Sloan puts him in. He has no choice but to do Sloan’s bidding.

I adored the first in the series, Aces Wild. This novella was written by a different author than the first. I loved how she stays within the world that Amanda Carson created for us in the first book. Although, I do wish there was a bit more action and a little more romance in this release. Hopefully, Ante Up which releases soon will literally ante up in those departments.

My Rating 3 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote “You try to steal either of our souls and I will shred you like junk mail.”

Other People

Sloan- the evil mastermind
Romero- Claudette’s point of contact
Ares- Wraith sent to bring both Claudette and Jason in

Swoon Thursday (32) Seven Years

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 present?" I stopped drumming my fingers and cleared my throat. Austin bought me a gift?

After a few seconds of clenching his jaw, he finally swung his left arm around from behind his back.

I sucked in a sharp breath. "Oh. My. God."

Lollipops. My absolute all-time favorite candy and he'd made them into a bouquet.  When my face began to hurt, I realized it was because I was smiling so hard the corners of my mouth were getting introduced to my ears.  Austin didn't lift his eyes but had a defeated look on his face as he turned the candy in his hand and stared at it.

"I wanted to surprise you and... it was obviously a dumb idea.  You're not twelve anymore and I should have gotten you something better.  Perfume, or real flowers."

Seven Years Kindle Location 4533

There is something to be said about a man who absolutely knows his gal. Sure, flowers are nice- so is perfume. But a candy bouquet means he pays attention.

Waiting on Wednesday (32) The Resolution of Callie & Kayden

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.

Things are going good for Callie and Kayden. They’re still dealing with their past and the pain connected to it, but for the most part they’ve moved on. The biggest decision they have at the moment is what they want to do with their lives in the future. 

Eventually, though, the past catches up with them and it leaves them with a choice no one wants to make. But Callie and Kayden learn that as long as they have each other, they can make it through just about anything. And in the end, they discover what they really want out of life.

Why I am waiting?

Callie and Kayden are an interesting couple to read about- they are not perfect. Both make mistakes, but their love for each other makes it worth it. How will this story end? Will they get their happily ever after? Or does one of them leave? Can we really blame them if one of them bails?

Teaser Tuesday (32) So I Married a Werewolf

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!

“Do you remember anything about last night?" he asked.
Her stomach churned as memories of the night before swam into mental view. Oh, she recalled a few things. How could she forget? She took a solid gulp of her coffee. "I remember vodka, an ax murderer, and a marriage proposal."
"Good. The important things." He nodded.”

Kindle Location 445

Snaking an arm around her waist, Carter slowly dew her against him. He caught her gaze and held it as he lowered his mouth over hers. She sucked in a sharp breath of air. He caught her mouth as her lips parted.

Fireworks.

Kindle Location 1258


Carter and Faith are a cute couple, even when they don't realize that they are a couple. Throughout that story there are fireworks.

Review: Silver Shadows

Author Richelle Mead
Format e-book
Print Length 380 pages
Publisher Razorbill
Published July 29, 2014

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

My Opinion

Months have passed since the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers. At the end of Fiery Heart, Sydney was taken to a re-education center and Adrian was left to wallow in his own self-pity. Adrian has spent those months searching frantically for Sydney, to no avail. He is about to give up and get drunk again. There hasn’t been a clue of her whereabouts in a long time. He has lost track of her evil father and wicked little sister Zoey- they may know the where she is. As he lifts the bottle to his mouth one more time, he mother wakes in and whisks him away back to the Moroi royal court. This may not be the best place for him although it does get him closer to Lissa and Rose. Valissa wants to help but can’t as Sydney is not a Moroi or a guardian. This leaves Adrian frustrated and fed-up. Adrian’s reaction left me frustrated and fed-up as well. His behavior was not what I was expecting from someone so madly in love with Sydney. There were moments when I literally thought the center was folding. Pretty much any scene with Nina in it. Thankfully Sonja told him he was being stupid when it came to Nina.

Sydney on the other hand is inside the rehabilitation center. Here she is being tortured, embarrassed and starved to death. She finally gives in and admits her wrongdoing. From there she is moved to the general population. This is where things get mess and interesting. Before being released into the general population they announce Sydeny’s crime. This automatically makes her an outcast- but have no fear Sydney Sage is here. She soon amasses allies and is able to figure out where the drug is coming from the drug to keep them docile and meek. Something Sydney will never being again. This is the thing that is preventing Adrian from saving her. She risks isolationism by blocking it. One thing I did learn from this book- those Alchemist don’t play. Man, do they not play.

Wowziers! When Sydney and Adrian finally dreamwalk the sparks light the pages on fire. The way he puts everything into action to get her out of the rehab center is pretty hardcore. He waste no time and no expense. He knows that he must do something drastic to save Sydney. But will it be enough.

Silver Shadow was very much a book that pushes the story forward. Others call it a filler book but honestly, had Sydney and Adrian not gone through what they went through the end result would not have been the same. They needed the time away from each other- they even needed to torture that both endures- Sydney physically and Adrian mentally. This makes Adrian’s solution to saving Sydney that much better.

February and the release of The Ruby Circle is way too far away. There are too many questions rolling around in this reader’s head. What are the ramifications of their actions? Will they be able to find Jill? Will she be safe? Who has her, the Alchemist or Moroi? Once again Richelle Mead has proven that she is a master story-teller.

My Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote “It's a fact that people are afraid of what they don't understand. And most are too lazy or ignorant to find out more.”

Other People

Nina- Moroi who has a slight crush on Adrian
Duncan- Alchemist who is in rehab with Sydney
Mom- Adrian’s mom, and man does she have a lot to learn
The rest of the gang- with a few cameos from the Vampire Academy days

Book Boyfriend (30) Daemon Black

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He is loyal.

“Kat.” He uttered my name like it was some kind of prayer, and then he pressed a kiss against the skin behind my ear. “I broke every rule of my kind to heal you and keep you with me. I … burned down an entire city to keep you safe. I’ve killed for you. Did you think I’d forget what you mean to me? That anything in this world— in any world— would be stronger than my love for you?”

He admits that he needs her.

It’s not like I’m going to run up and hug him.”
His expression turned bland. “I’d sure hope not. I might get jealous.”
“You’d get jealous if she hugged a tree,” Archer tossed out.
“Maybe.” Daemon coasted to a stop in a parking space behind the car. “I’m needy like that.”

He is the jealous type.

“I stood where I was, telling myself that the ugly heat invading my veins was indigestion and not jealousy. Totally not that, because Archer had nothing on me.
But did he need to hug her that long? And that hard? Come the hell on."

He is protective.

“I wanted Kat out. Every cell of my being demanded that I protect her, even though I knew she was hella capable of doing so herself, but I wanted her far away from here. Hell, I'd keep her in Bubble Wrap if it weren't so damn creepy and also inconvenient, considering I had a terrible habit of obsessively popping the damn things until not a single bubble was left.”

Daemon has a lot of good qualities. He is not just protective of Katy but also of his entire family. He can be a bit of a douche but he does it out of love.

Swoon Thursday (31) Opposition

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!

"You haven't lost me, Kitten. You could never lose me." He folded me in against him, and when he spoke in a low voice, his lips brushed my cheek. "But I didn't want you here, anywhere hear here. It's not safe for you."

Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout Book Location 77

Daemon has got to be the best book boyfriend around. So sweet and protective of Katy. Plus he calls her Kitten.

Waiting on Wednesday (31) Stone Cold Touch

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.

Every touch has its price

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…

Why I am waiting?

Layla has had it rough, and the ending of White Hot Kiss almost guarantees the reader that her life is about to get tougher. Can she survive it? How will her ques-Family react the events at the end of White Hot Kiss?

Teaser Tuesday (31) Everafter

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!

"And for that I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...." And then she kissed me, an all too brief brush of her lips against mine. And I no longer gave a damn if she was real or imagined.

Everafter by Kate SeRine Kindle Location 528

"So, I have two dead Tales, another on life support, and a wounded and bloody fairy bodyguard who thinks he can feed me a line of bullshit and that I'll be too stupid to notice he's lying out of his ass."

Everafter by Kate SeRine Kindle Location 1362

The first teaser is for Gideon- all about Gideon. Gideon who has been loyal and true to the same lass for over five hundred years. The second teaser is my way of honoring one of my all time favorite characters- Tess Little.

Cover Reveal: Lost to Me

Lost To Me

by Jamie Blair

Release Date: 08/19/14

Summary from Goodreads:

Lauren Kelling’s prom night is a memory she’ll never forget—in her nightmares. She had the dress, the hair, and romantic first time plans with her boyfriend, Kolton Seidel. But what should have been the best night of her life bleeds into terror when she’s brutally attacked.

Now, Lauren relives the events leading up to prom, unraveling the clues that should have warned her of the trauma to come. Like Kolton ’s malicious ex-girlfriend, who’ll do anything to rip them apart. Or Kolton’s mentally unstable brother.

After the tragedy, Lauren wants to hide, disfigured inside and out, while Kolton drowns in a sea of guilt. Only together can the two of them lay rest to the past and heal each other, through a love too strong to break.

About the Author

Jamie Blair lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband, their two kids and a cat that broke into their house and refused to leave. She won a young author's contest in third grade, but it probably shouldn't count since her mom wrote most of her entry. LEAP OF FAITH is her first novel. She promises her mom didn't write one word of it. 

Author Links:

   

Cover Reveal Organized by:

Book Boyfriend (29) Adrian Ivashkov

• 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 has total swag!

“My God, Sage. Your eyes. How have I never noticed them?"

That uncomfortable feeling was spreading over me again. "What about them?"

"The color," he breathed. "When you stand in the light. They're amazing... like molten gold. I could paint those..." He reached toward me but then pulled back. "They're beautiful. You're beautiful.”

~Bloodlines

He has a sense of humor!

“Day 24. Situation is growing worse. My captors continue to find new and horrific ways to torture me. When not working, Agent Scarlet spends her days examining fabric swatches for bridesmaid dresses and going on about how in love she is. This usually causes Agent Boring Borscht to regale us with stories of Russian weddings that are even more boring than his usual ones. My attempts at escape have been thwarted thus far. Also, I am out of cigarettes. Any assistance or tobacco products you can send will be greatly appreciated."

~The Golden Lily

He is patient!

Because I can't help doing it," he said with a shrug. "And hey, if I keep loving you, maybe you'll eventually crack and love me too. Hell, I'm pretty sure you're already half in love with me."

"I am not! And everything you just said is ridiculous. That's terrible logic."

Adrian returned to his crossword puzzle. "Well, you can think what you want, so long as you remember-no matter how ordinary things seem between us-I'm still here, still in love with you, and care about you more than any other guy, evil or otherwise, ever will."

"I don't think you're evil." 

~The Indigo Spell

He looks towards the future!

“Relax, having kids is years away. But can you imagine? Your brains, my charm, our collective good looks... then add in the usual physical abilities dhampirs get.

It's really not even fair to everyone else.”
~The Fiery Heart

He knows just what to say!

“Not what you expected, huh?” she asked in a sad voice.

I wrapped a towel around her and drew her close to me. “I expected to see the most beautiful woman in the world, to feel my heart skip a beat in her presence, and to want to carry her off to bed for a night neither of us will forget. So to answer your question, I got exactly what I expected.” 

A smile split her face, and she leaned into me. “Oh, Adrian.”

~Silver Shadows

Oh Adrian how do I love you! He is the ultimate book boyfriend. There are times you want to shake him, times you want to hit him but always you will want to kiss him.