Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

4/5 Stars

B&N:

Luis Fuentes is a good boy who doesn't live with the angst that his big brothers, Alex and Carlos, have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when he falls for the wrong girl, Luis enters a dark world he's never known, and just when he thinks he's got life all figured out, learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life. Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father?

Continuing all the steamy romance of the first two books, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Simone Elkeles gives fans one more satisfying taste of the irresistible Fuentes boys.

My Review:

I really liked this book. I liked this entire series. With the ending that the author wrote, I can definitely see another book based on characters within this book.

Yea, I know. Quick review. But, it's a great series and I'll definitely read more of it if the author writes more.

Shadowfever (Fever Series #5) by Karen Marie Moning

4/5 Stars...I guess. The ending is what brought it up from a 3 1/2 Star rating.

B&N:

Evil is a completely different creature, Mac. Evil is bad that believes it’s good.” MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina, were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever. Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister’s murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals who have lived concealed among us for thousands of years. What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh—a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King, containing the power to create and destroy worlds. In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves. Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman haunting her dreams? More important, who is Mac herself and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card? From the luxury of the Lord Master’s penthouse to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her...

My Review:

There were definitely parts that I skimmed over. This is almost a 600 page book. In my mind, it could have been a 300-350 page book.

But there were a lot of parts that I really liked. And I was very happy with the ending. I would have believed this author would have messed that up, but she did a good job.


Spoiler alert!!!!







I was really happy how Mac and Jericho ended up together. The entire time I was pushing for them. And the way it happened was great. My heart was really with these two characters. When the author led us to believe he was dead (even though I kept thinking to myself- no way would she kills him off!), my heart hurt. I wanted more of him though. He's a great character.

Dreamfever (Fever Series #4) by Karen Marie Moning

3 1/2 Stars

B&N:

They may have stolen my past, but I’ll never let them take my future.

When the walls between Man and Fae come crashing down, freeing the insatiable, immortal Unseelie from their icy prison, MacKayla Lane is caught in a deadly trap. Captured by the Fae Lord Master, she is left with no memory of who or what she is: the only sidhe-seer alive who can track the Sinsar Dubh, a book of arcane black magic that holds the key to controlling both worlds.

Clawing her way back from oblivion is only the first step Mac must take down a perilous path, from the battle-filled streets of Dublin to the treacherous politics of an ancient, secret sect, through the tangled lies of men who claim to be her allies into the illusory world of the Fae themselves, where nothing is as it seems—and Mac is forced to face a soul-shattering truth.

Who do you trust when you can’t even trust yourself?


My Review:

Finally! Finally this series is getting good...to bad it's the second to last book. I called it (I think on the 2nd book review). This series really only needed to be 3 books long (if that.)

Yes, the author still retold a good amount, but it wasn't as bad as the 3rd book. Towards the end of the book, I did start skimming just to find out what happened, but over all I did enjoy reading the book.

It ended at a "wtf" moment. Most did, but this was was really like- I need the next book. I can only imagine the frustration of the people who actually read this when the books were coming out. Luckily I had all of the books on my Nook when I first started the series.

One more book to go!

Faefever (Fever Series #3) by Karen Marie Moning

3/5 Stars

B&N:

He calls me his Queen of the Night. I’d die for him. I’d kill for him, too.

When MacKayla Lane receives a page torn from her dead sister’s journal, she is stunned by Alina’s desperate words. And now MacKayla knows that her sister’s killer is close. But evil is closer. And suddenly the sidhe-seer is on the hunt: For answers. For revenge. And for an ancient book of dark magic so evil that it corrupts anyone who touches it.

Mac’s quest for the Sinsar Dubh takes her into the mean, shapeshifting streets of Dublin, with a suspicious cop on her tail. Forced into a dangerous triangle of alliance with V’lane, a lethal Fae prince, and Jericho Barrons, a man of deadly secrets, Mac is soon locked in a battle for her body, mind, and soul.

My Review:

Quick review- I liked this one better than the first two. Yes, the author still went back and explained the basic terms used in this "world" which did not need to be done seeing as this is the THIRD book in the series. Note to authors- stop doing this! It's wicked annoying!!!!

I liked this one a little better (note it only made 3 stars- and makes me want to go back and up all the stars from my chick-lit/romance ones I read recently because those, yes even though predictable, were much better than these books!)

Anyways, I think I liked this better because it is finally moving along with the plot. Not as fast as I'd like it to, but a decent amount.

Bloodfever (Fever Series #2) by Karen Marie Moning

2/5 Stars

B&N:

I used to think my sister and I were just two nice southern girls who'd get married in a few years and settle down to a quiet life. Then I discovered that Alina and I descend, not from good wholesome southern stock, but from an ancient Celtic bloodline of powerful sidhe-seers, people who can see the Fae. Not only can I see the terrifying otherworldly race, but I can sense the sacred Fae relics that hold the deadliest of their magic.

When my sister was found dead in a trash-filled alley in Dublin, I came over to get answers. Now all I want is revenge. And after everything I've learned about myself, I know I have the power to get it....

MacKayla Lane's ordinary life underwent a complete makeover when she landed on Ireland's shores and was plunged into a world of deadly sorcery and ancient secrets.

In her fight to stay alive, Mac must find the Sinsar Dubh-a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over both the worlds of the Fae and of Man. Pursued by Fae assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she cannot trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and irresistible men: V'lane, the insatiable Fae who can turn sensual arousal into an obsession for any woman, and the ever-inscrutable Jericho Barrons, a man as alluring as he is mysterious.

For centuries the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them....

My Review:

Ok. So, this is the 2nd book in the series. Again, not extremely happy with it. Yes, it's good. Yes, it kept me reading because I wanted to know what was going to happen....but that's the thing. These books seem like teeny installments on what's happening. Like they're almost 300 pages but with the overall plot...not much happens. I think that's what annoys me.

I do really like the characters. I think they're very well developed, but it just seems like it's taking way too long for the plot to move on.

It seems like the author just wanted to make a series, so she extended little things to get more books out. It looks like there are 5 books, when I think the entire story could have been told in probably 3ish.

Another thing that really really annoyed me was how much the author back tracks during the book (especially at the beginning). Like she gives you all the information about what happened in book 1 all over again. I know authors do this sometimes to get people caught up, especially if the books came out far apart, but really... you don't need to tell us everything again! It put me in a bad mood reading the book and not liking it which may have caused me to just be thoroughly annoyed for the rest of the book.

Does the author do a good job of making you want to read the next book? Of course because she just ends the book. It seems like it's more so an end of a chapter instead of the end of the book.

I will read the rest of the series because I do want to know what's happening and have answers answered.

Again- this is probably just my opinion. I'm seeing it's being rated 4 stars everywhere else.

A good book, just one that annoyed me.

Darkfever (Fever Series #1) by Karen Marie Moning

2/5 Stars possible 3/5 Stars....I keep going back and forth!

B&N:
MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman.

Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death - a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone - Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed - a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae…

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane - an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women - closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book - because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands…

My SHORT review:

So, first I thought this book was wicked good. The characters drew me in as well as the story line. Then it slowed down a bit. When I finished it, I was like, "Hmmm not so great." I was going to give it a 3/5 Stars, but because it was really good then just became "eh" I brought it down to a 2 star.

I heard the rest of the series is really good. Started the 2nd one tonight. We shall see.

Simply Irresistible & The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis

3/5 Stars

B&N:

Maddie Moore's whole life needs a makeover.

In one fell swoop, Maddie loses her boyfriend (her decision) and her job (so not her decision). But rather than drowning her sorrows in bags of potato chips, Maddie leaves L.A. to claim the inheritance left by her free-spirited mother-a ramshackle inn nestled in the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington.

Starting over won't be easy. Yet Maddie sees the potential for a new home and a new career-if only she can convince her two half-sisters to join her in the adventure. But convincing Tara and Chloe will be difficult because the inn needs a big makeover too.

The contractor Maddie hires is a tall, dark-haired hottie whose eyes-and mouth-are making it hard for her to remember that she's sworn off men. Even harder will be Maddie's struggles to overcome the past, though she's about to discover that there's no better place to call home than Lucky Harbor.




3/5 Stars

B&N:

Two Men Are One Too Many . . .

Tara has a thousand good reasons not to return to the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington. Yet with her life doing a major crash-and-burn, anywhere away from her unfulfilled dreams and sexy ex-husband will do. As Tara helps her two sisters get their newly renovated inn up and running, she finally has a chance to get things under control and come up with a new plan for her life.

But a certain tanned, green-eyed sailor has his own ideas, such as keeping Tara hot, bothered . . . and in his bed. And when her ex wants Tara back, three is a crowd she can't control-especially when her deepest secret reappears out of the blue. Now Tara must confront her past and discover what she really wants. If she's lucky, she might just find that everything her heart desires is right here in Lucky Harbor.



My Reviews:

I enjoyed reading both books. I love books like this. Easy, quick reads. Yes, they are predictable. But, I can't help it. I love my "love stories."

I really love books that make a series out of different people's stories. I know there will be a 3rd book about the last sister and am looking forward to it coming out.

Trash by Andy Mulligan

1/5 Stars

B&N:

In an unnamed Third World country, in the not-so-distant future, three “dumpsite boys” make a living picking through the mountains of garbage on the outskirts of a large city.

One unlucky-lucky day, Raphael finds something very special and very mysterious. So mysterious that he decides to keep it, even when the city police offer a handsome reward for its return. That decision brings with it terrifying consequences, and soon the dumpsite boys must use all of their cunning and courage to stay ahead of their pursuers. It’s up to Raphael, Gardo, and Rat—boys who have no education, no parents, no homes, and no money—to solve the mystery and right a terrible wrong.

Andy Mulligan has written a powerful story about unthinkable poverty—and the kind of hope and determination that can transcend it. With twists and turns, unrelenting action, and deep, raw emotion, Trash is a heart-pounding, breath-holding novel.

My Review:

Well, I heard about this book and it seemed like an interesting concept. Then my friend read it and he told me that I had to read it because he read a book I picked out last time. I must say: reading this book was torture for me. I finished it over 2 days and that was w/ me skimming over the 2nd 1/2.

The characters weren't really developed enough for me. And the book is told through the different characters POV which I usually like. But the writing wasn't that great therefore it didn't draw me in.

The concept was neat. It was a mystery which I don't usually enjoy, but I did want to find out what happened at the end.

The B&N thing says that it is a "breath-holding, heart-pounding novel." I don't agree at all. It could have been, but the author really didn't get it up to that level.

I can see where this could have been a great book, but the author really fell short of making it one.

For me, it was a waste of time reading it. Would I put it in my class library? Maybe (if I didn't have to pay for the actual book). I say maybe because I could see low level boys enjoying it.

Now my friend, he said he really liked it and his wife enjoyed it, too.

So, if the book sounds interesting based on the B&N blurb, check it out. Go to a store and start reading it. You'll know right away if you'll want to continue.

I personally just didn't enjoy it. It was a task to finish it.