Ruled (Outlaws #3) by Elle Kennedy [Review]

The latest novel in the series with the “sexiest, baddest, hottest”* outlaws around, from the New York Times bestselling author of Claimed.

In the latest novel in the series with the “sexiest, baddest, hottest”* outlaws around, one woman must choose between the two men who want to claim her...

...Or does she?
 
 Despite his magnetic personality, Rylan can’t seem to seduce Reese, the deadly leader of their town of outlaws. Winning her over is a welcome challenge, but her indifference isn’t the only thing standing in his way. If he wants Reese, Rylan must also win over Sloan, her stoic protector...
 

Beneath Blood and Bone (Thicker Than Blood #2) by Madeline Sheehan, Claire C. Riley

It is the end of the world…

They call him Eagle. Like the grand and beautiful animal that symbolizes freedom. And during these dark times, when humanity is full of nothing but suffering, a man with such a powerful name should be a beacon of hope.

He is anything but.

Her name is Autumn. Though she hasn’t said this name, or much of anything else, in the four years since the fall of civilization. A shell of her former self, and living wild in a cave at the bottom of a ravine, Autumn is accustomed to being alone. She prefers it actually, especially when her only other options for company are either trying to kill her, or worse, lock her up inside their walls. 

Claimed (Outlaws, #1) by Elle Kennedy [Review]

After a devastating war decimated most of the world, Hudson Lane has only known the oppressive life under her own father’s tyranny. She finally escapes, branding herself an outlaw and hunted by the Enforcers. Her best chance at survival is Connor Mackenzie, an aggressively sensual fugitive who opens her eyes to the wicked possibilities of a world without rules.

As the leader of a band of outlaw fighters, Connor can’t resist the beautiful stranger who asks for his protection. Despite his reservations, he agrees to introduce her to a whole new way of life. But when Connor discovers Hudson’s connection to the enemies of liberty, he wonders how far he can trust the woman who has abandoned all inhibitions to challenge every forbidden desire.

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan EE

 

It's been six weeks since the angels of the apocalypse destroyed the world as we know it. Only pockets of humanity remain.

Savage street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night.

When angels fly away with a helpless girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back...

 

 

4.5 Stars

WOW

YUP… that pretty sums up what I just read… just WOW.

Okay, so I’ve been in a young adult paranormal mood or something with a lot of fantasy. I read the reviews and thought, what the heck, let’s give Angelfall a try. Let me just say this, the cover does not do justice. Angelfall is filled with crazy, drama, action, emotions and lots of EYE POPPING SCENES.

Oh my goodness. I love it!

The setting is a dystopian society and its humans verse Angels. Different right? Usually in the books I read, it’s the angels that are good, but here it’s a nice little twist. Penryn, her sister and mom are out one night and witness Raffe, an Angel, getting attacked. He gets his wings hacked off. Gross, but very dramatic. Penryn tries to save Raffe but in the process Penryn’s sister gets kidnapped. So Penryn strikes a deal with Raffe, Raffe will lead Penryn back to his Angel people and Penryn will get a chance to save her sister.

First off, love the summary. It’s enduring having Penryn try to save her sister and I simply LOVE the tension between Penryn and Raffe.

They do not like each other, but have a common goal.

I don’t know why, but I didn’t want touchy feeling romance, I just wanted raw, gritty and dark. Penryn is hands down hardcore. All Heroines in paranormal books should strive to be her character. Oh, this girl is no damsel in distress (and everyone knows how much I love those kinds of girls), it just works, her kick-butt, attitude. Then there’s Raffe, you can’t but feel bad for the guy, he had his wings hacked off! He does everything he can to just try to get back to his people so he can get his wings sewn back on.

On their journey, there’s plenty of stuff that happens. It’s not a long drawn out book, there’s so much that goes on, your heart BEATS A MILLION MILES! You feel for the two, you are always on guard and you never know who is friend or foe. The thing I love so much about dystopian books is the whole survival tendencies.

What are you willing to do in order to survive?

Then you get to the climatic ending, oh my god. You thought the whole book was intense, oh no, the last few chapters, you are just gripping the pages and wondering how it’s going to end!

Is there a cliffy? Well with any YA book in a series, you have to have close cliffy to keep it going right? I can’t wait for the next book and I’m so bum and so happy the series isn’t done. GAH, what will I do once I have to wait for the next one!

READ IT … it’s worth it!

 

An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

 

Susan Ee is the author of the bestselling books in the Penryn and End of Days trilogy, Angelfall and World After. Her books have been translated into over 20 languages and her short films have played at major festivals. She used to be a lawyer but loves being a writer because it allows her imagination to bust out and go feral.

 

http://www.susanee.com 

 

 

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Thicker Than Blood by Madeline Sheehan

Thicker Than Blood by Madeline Sheehan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 (OH-MY-GOD! WHAT-DID-I-READ?! I-LOVE-THIS-BOOK) Stars

I love zombie books, I love zombie books with romance and I love the Walking Dead.

If you are like me and love anything zombie related, then Thicker Than Blood is PERFECT for you

I picked up Thicker Than Blood blindly because it had two things I love, Madeline Sheehan and zombies. I will be honest, I was very nervous reading this because I just KNEW I had to have someone hold my hand.

If you want a book club book or need a book to read with a girlfriend, then get this one.

Thicker Than Blood is not for the faint of heart. Yes, there is killings and death, but there’s also romance and friendships. There are also a lot of crazy people.

The only thing you need to know is that there are two main girls in this book. Leisel and Evelyn. They are best friends and are just trying to survive. Both lost their husbands and they only have each other. I have a sister and she’s also my best friend, so I took this one to heart. This book will melt your insides in so many ways.

You will love your sister, best-friend, best gal- pal even more after reading this!

Thicker Than Blood is a romance book and there is plenty of that, but I wouldn’t say it’s the focus of the read. Correction it’s a HUGE part of the book, but to me, that’s not the main plot.

The only focus in this book is survival

I wouldn’t say Thicker Than Blood was scary, but it was very suspenseful. I devoured this like mad and I couldn’t get enough.

My feelings throughout the book

1% Holy Moly, ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

10% Oh GOD, WHY!!!!???!!!

56% oh yes!!!!

80% Oh GOD, WHY!!!???!!!

90% Oh GOD, WHY???!!!!!!

95% Oh GOD, WHY???!!!!!

I seriously think I used the lord’s name in vain throughout the whole book. The thing that I love so much about Thicker Than Blood is that even though there’s zombies, it’s still an apocalyptic society and you have to watch out for the normal people.

It makes you question how people will act when there’s no humanity.

I was on my toes throughout the book. I NEVER KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN At some point I just almost wanted to give up because I was so spent, but I had to continue.

If you are a Walking Dead fan, this one is for you. It doesn’t mirror the TV show, but it has some elements that I appreciate.

AMAZON$3.99

Finding Eden (A Sign of Love) by Mia Sheridan

Finding Eden by Mia Sheridan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 OH MY GOSH, IT’S OVER Stars

This series… it will keep you on your toes. It will make you grip your seat and shake your tablet.

There’s a lot that goes in in this series and it’s really dramatic. Some of my feelings from Finding Eden is mixed with my feelings from Becoming Calder. Since I read the books back to back, it’s just hard not to mix them together.

I liked Finding Eden better because it was fast pace and it gave me the conclusion I yearned for (since page one from Becoming Calder), but I did enjoy reading Eden’s and Calder’s young romance.

Finding Eden starts out where Becoming Calder left off. Eden and Calder are obviously separated. Do not fret, they aren’t separated long. It’s always a pet peeve of mine when the main characters are separated, but this one isn’t bad and I enjoyed it.

So, I’m longing for the sweet read, I read the intensity of what happened in Becoming Calder and I’m ready for some “good times” if you know what I mean.

AND I GOT IT.

My reading thoughts…

1% … MUST FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS!!!!

20% … build up…

30% … YES YES YES…. YES!!!!

50% … smiling

60-100% closure and questions answered… satisfied.

My favorite parts were the beginning. I liked reading the struggle and I liked reading Eden’s and Calder’s POV’s. I love their love story. It’s borderline cheesy, but I crave that stuff.

The second half shifts and it’s about drawing conclusions and getting your questions answered. Like where does Eden and Calder come from? Why is Hector the way he was? What happens to Xander? All of that fun stuff is answered and when you are finished you are left feeling really satisfied.

The last bit was a little drawn out and it was a little slow, but other than that, I’m happy with the ending and glad I can put this crazy story to rest.

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Becoming Calder (A Sign of Love) by Mia Sheridan

Becoming Calder by Mia Sheridan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 Tie me in Knots Stars

Let me just get this out there. A LOT of people loved this book. I love dystopian and dark reads. I also love Mia Sheridan and as much as I wanted to give Becoming Calder five stars, I had issues with the layout of the book. Other than that, it was an enjoyable read written in a completely new direction.

My thoughts

1% Oh, interesting beginning

3% WTF, FLASHBACK…..

30% build up… still waiting for the present

40% still waiting

70% oh my god

80% NO!!!!!!!

90% still waiting for the present

99.9% back to the present

Here’s the thing. I didn’t know Finding was the next book. I thought Finding Eden was just a companion novel, like an little extra novella. So when I started Becoming Calder I was in the mood thinking the series was going to start and end.

I HAD NO IDEA I would be reading the beginning of Finding Eden in the beginning of Becoming Calder. If you can get past that, then you are golden.

Review

You will need little introduction for this one. Calder and Eden are part of a cult, but it’s not called that. If you ever read those Mormon biographies, you know where the sister wives escape, well it’s kind of like that. The cult is ruled by a religious leader, Hector who adopted Eden when she was ten and decided when Eden turns 18, Hector will marry her. Gross I know.

Calder is just a plain worker. He’s not good enough for Eden, but somehow Eden and Calder forge a friendship.

I really loved the idea of Becoming Calder. It’s so different, so fresh and new, I was on the edge of my seat THE ENTIRE BOOK. There were so many things that went against Eden and Calder’s relationship. Eden was watched constantly, Calder couldn’t offer anything to Eden and the society in general was crazy.

The whole book is about Eden and Calder forming this great connection, despite the crazy lifestyle they were living. Many times you will be happy, elated, crushed and sad. It starts off very slow at first (something Mia is known for), but oh when it picks up, you will be gasping for breath. It’s just that intense.

When I did finished, I had to take a few days before I started Finding Eden. There are a lot of emotions you will feel in Becoming Calder. It’s not for everyone, cult books are very different, but if you haven’t read one yet, I recommend this one.


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Sever by Lauren DeStefano

2 Stars

It seems you either loved or hated Sever and I will be in the latter category. I can list a lot of reasons why I disliked this book, so where do I even begin?

Let me first say this, I do not like to give negative reviews and I usually try to write something positive, but I just can’t and I apologize a head of time..

Sever is just ridiculously terrible.

There is a reason why it took me a MONTH to finish it.

The plot didn’t make sense and I felt like I was reading in circles that involved a bunch of overly emotional irrational characters that acted like chickens with their heads cut off.

Somewhat spoilerish review..

First off, where the F was Gabriel? I thought Sever would be about Rhine finding Gabriel but she just ends up “relaxing” at Vaughn’s brother's house because Cecily complains? I didn’t understand that.

I’ve always liked Linden, but I soon see Linden is a just big girl. He believes and does what his father wants with no regard towards Rhine and Cecily’s feelings. That sh!t was okay for book 1 and 2, but we are in book 3 now and I’m just so over it! Oh and Cecily is so annoying and I really just wanted DeStefano to kill her off!

The summary clearly tells you that Rowan is working with the resistance… first off, where the F was Rowan in book 1 and 2? Okay, I get he wasn’t in book 1 and I’ll let it go that he wasn’t in book 2 BUT to show up in the latter half of book 3 is just…. STUPID?! Just write that crap off, I felt like Rhine’s brother was a loose story line that needed to be wrapped up.

A lot of people died for no reason, but what for dramatic effect? Oh and you find out the twist for the climatic ending and you are like, WTF that is the twist? Are you serious? REALLY?! Ug okay.

Overall I should have stopped with book 1, but I had to freaking finish and this series was a complete waste of time. It’s just so sad b/c I really liked the whole concept and the cover is very pretty.


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Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth

4 Stars

I’ve had DIVERGENT on my TBR list for over a year. I think I put off reading because I didn’t want to read another hyped book to only be disappointed or expect to be reading a The Hunger Games knock off.

I have mixed feelings, but more positive than anything. No, DIVERGENT isn’t The Hunger Games knock off and even though Divergent is another YA dystopian novel, there were still many unique qualities that kept me interested.

[Summary]

You have this dystopian society and apparently it’s broken up by what Roth calls “Faction”, which are Candor (being honest), Abnegation (to be selfless), Dauntless (to be brave/warrior/protector), Amity (to be peaceful) and Erudite (to have smarts). If you don’t fall into one of those categories, you are considered factionless, (kind of like being a hobo) or you get killed.

Tris currently lives as an Abenegation (like her parents), when the kids reach adulthood, they take an exam to figure where they should go. Tris has unique test scores, but ultimately decides to bec0me Dauntless. Before she can truly become Dauntless, she must train and of course one of the trainers is handsome Four (Yes that is his name).

[Review]

To be honest it was a struggle for me to write the summary. For one, the whole faction thing was way confusing to me. I felt like I was drop into this society and I was kind of just flying by the seat of my pants. As contradicting as it sounds, Divergent was equally fast-pace and slow. At some parts I felt like everything was moving too fast and it was hard for me to keep and other times I was wondering if movement was ever going to happen.

Even though there is a mild love story, this is no romance book. I would say we see hints of stolen glances and easy banter, but mostly Divergent is about a 16 year old girl struggling to accept her choices and kind of open her eyes to something other than what she knows (okay, so something like The Hunger Games, but really it isn’t).

Beatrice and Four have awesome chemistry. At times I wanted to slap Four in the face, but in all fairness no one likes to read an easy relationship. I love the innocence of YA reads and how character development is so key. I felt Beatrice’s struggles and pain, while Four remained a mystery I wanted to uncover (if you are wondering, yes, his name is explained).

The beginning was great, the beginning-middle a bit slow, the middle picked up and the end was knock your socks off jam pack action fun. My rating went from 3.5 to 4 based on the last 20% of the book.

At 20% I was kind of confused

At 60% I was shocked on some of the graphic scenes

At 85% I was on edge and just racing to get to the climatic-conclusion

At 95% I was screaming and pulling my hair out

I didn’t read the reviews, I just knew there was a lot of hype, so when I saw the non-flattering ratings, I get it. Divergent isn’t for everyone, it’s not a cookie-cutter book wrapped in at tiny bow, but it will leave you satisfied and wanting more.

I recommend.

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Reached (Matched, #3) by Ally Condie

Reached by Ally Condie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Firm 3 Stars

I have mixed feelings about the Matched series. I really liked book 1, Matched. The three characters Ally Condie created each have their own characteristic, interesting traits and flaws, making them human and believable. I am also a fan of Dystopian books so that helps too. Cassia is a regular girl living in Society a place where the government rules what you eat, what you do and who you marry. Cassia is about to be matched and everyone knows it’s going to be with her long best friend and perfect Xander, and she is. When she goes home to view the microcard that has information on Xander, she actually gets a microcard on someone else, Ky. Ky isn’t part of Society, he’s an “outcast”.

Matched is interesting, it’s a big love triangle and throughout the whole book, you try to figure out Society’s secrets. Moving on to book 2, Crossed, it was what I like to call a “filler” book. There were still interesting facts to be learn and Cassia’s relationship with both Ky and Xander grow.

Book 3 Reached was still an interesting read, but a little disappointing. I am not sure if Ally Condie is contracted to write another book, so as I read Reached, I assumed it's the conclusion. You learn more about the characters, Society and Rising, however there really isn’t the love story I was looking for. Cassia, Xander and Ky each have their own story, and never really intermingling until the middle-end of the book. I love tension in the book, but to have tension from book 2 almost to the end of book 3, I was irritated. The ending was sort of concluded, but left with enough opening to make me think there’s a book 4, however Ally Condie didn’t leave off with a cliff hanger ending she is known for.

I wouldn’t recommend this series, unless the love story doesn’t really interest you and you really like dystopian books.


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