Book Shelf: Obsession by Jennifer L. Armentrout

He’s arrogant, domineering, and... To. Die. For.

Hunter is a ruthless killer. And the Department of Defense has him firmly in their grasp, which usually doesn’t chafe too badly because he gets to kill bad guys. Most of the time he enjoys his job. That is, until he’s saddled with something he’s never had to do before: protect a human from his mortal enemy.

Serena Cross didn’t believe her best friend when she claimed to have seen the son of a powerful senator turn into something... unnatural. Who would? But then she witnesses her friend’s murder at the hands of what can only be an alien, thrusting her into a world that will kill to protect their secret.

Hunter stirs Serena’s temper and her lust despite their differences. Soon he’s doing the unthinkable—breaking the rules he’s lived by, going against the government to keep Serena safe. But are the aliens and the government the biggest threats to Serena’s life… or is it Hunter?

More info on Goodreads....


Review:

Hot on the heels of her undeniably successful Lux series, author Jennifer L. Armentrout gives readers an explosive glimpse into the "other side" of her world as she explores the Arum in a never before seen or expected way with her stand alone novel Obsession!

Okay, first off, I'm a massive Lux fan. Adore it, I really do. So in saying that, I've had certain set beliefs about the two sides that are at war with each other within the Lux series; the Luxen and the Arum. Featuring Luxen characters, the Lux books have detailed the Aurm as the evil ones of the two. Obsession explores this the other way round, and boy....did it open my eyes!

I think it was very clever of Armentrout to write this book. Seeing as the characters I love are Luxen, I've never stopped to think of the possibility of an even remotely good Arum. For me the Luxen were good, the Arum bad. In Obsession our male lead is actually an Arum and because of this we're allowed a never before seen view of this race of aliens.

Hunter is an Arum. Simple as that. He features true characteristics you'd expect of an Arum. He's dark and fierce and feeds on Luxen. He fights and he kills and makes no excuses for what he is and what he does. Hunter is a bad boy and while he's far from "good" he's in no way a bad person. At least not as far I'm concerned.

Jennifer L. Armentrout blurs the lines between her two alien races in Obsession and shows that individuals can be more than their natures dictate. Written in dual POV, Obsession follows Serena Cross, a human woman who witnesses her best friend's death at the hands of a Luxen and then her decent into the Arum world with Hunter. I really liked Serena. She was a normal woman and someone easy to read about.

Both her and Hunter had a great chemistry from the very beginning and with this book more Adult than any of the Lux books, Armentrout writes the relationship between them strong and fierce with the chemistry hot and the sex scenes hotter.

Action and romance run rampant in this book and with the banter that trades back and forth between Serena and Hunter pitch perfect, Obsession proves to be a great addition to the Lux world!

Rating:
Source: I bought.
Format: Kindle ecopy.
Buy it:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble
My Recommendation: Fans of the Lux series don't want to miss that!
Cover: Pretty smoking!
Will I read sequel/continue with series: This is a stand alone, but I'm a fan of the Lux series, so I'll read more of that for sure!

Owl Post #16

Inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox, Owl Post allows us bloggers to showcase the books we've bought, won or received throughout the week and is hosted by Brodie over at Eleusinian Mysteries. We all know that the Owl Post is the fastest way to send and receive mail and they certainly make me happy every time they drop a book off.   It's Owl Post time! Hope you all had a great week/couple of weeks in books! Let's look at what I got :)

For Review:

From Bloomsbury Australia.....   - All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill This one sounds pretty good--looking forward to reading it   - Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas Eeee! I loved the first book in this series. Can't wait to read book two!    - The Fall by Claire Merle I haven't read the first book in this series, nor do I have a copy, so I don't know when I'll get around to reading this. Anyone read the first book, The Glimpse?    ......Thank you Sonia!     From Hot Key Books.....   - The Elites by Natasha Ngan This book sounds fantastic and I've heard great things about it. Excited.   - The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo This book sounds so very different. The concept is something that intrigues me to no end--hope it's as good as it looks!   - The Rig by Joe Ducie I have high hopes for this book. It makes me think of The Hunt by Andrew Fuduka with a mix of Prison Break!   ....Thank you Sandra, you're a goddess!     From Allen & Unwin.....   - Every Breath by Ellie Marney I'll be participating in the Aussie Blog Tour for this so I'm hoping to dive into it soon. Awesome heroine name aside, this sounds alright. We need more books set in Oz.   .....Thank you so much Lara!!!     From Pan Macmillian...... - The Vale Girl by Nelika McDonald This book sounds incredibly deep and heart breaking. The kind of book that would really make you sit and think. Honestly, it's not my normal kind of read, but maybe one day.....   .....Thank you guys!       I Bought:  

  - Lover At Last by J.R. Ward Finally. Just.....finally. That's all I have to say   - The Darkest Craving by Gena Showalter I LOOOOOVE this series. One of the best PNR series out there. Already read this and while it wasn't as good as some of the previous books, Showalter can do no real wrong for me! - A Touch of Midnight by Lara Adrian  Another PNR series I love, this is a prequel to the series. I just had to have it.   - Replica by Jenna Black  This book sounds so fantastic! I've only read one book by Jenna Black, but this book looked right up my alley so I wanted to get a copy of this!     So. That's me. What did the Owls drop off for you this week? I'd love to hear!  

   

Ignited by Desni Datone-Excerpt & GIVEAWAY! *CLOSED*

I'm sooooo excited to feature Ignited by Desni Datone on the blog today! I recently had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Ignited and have to say.....I LOVED it! One of the best self-published books I've ever read!

Today I have an excerpt between main characters Kris and Nathan (these two rock!), as well as a paperback copy of Ignited to give away to one lucky follower thanks to Desni herself! I'm seriously jealous--whoever wins is in for a great read, I promise you.
__________________________________________  

Seventeen year old Kris Young is on the run from a throng of superhuman golden-eyed freaks hell-bent on seeing her dead, and she doesn't know why. Good thing she has her guardian angel to protect her...sort of.

Kris is aided by Nathan, the mysterious man that ends up being anything but angelic when he rescues her for the fourth time in fourteen years. Even if the handsome hero illusion is shattered by his harsh treatment of her, he knows how to fight this strange enemy and is determined to keep her safe at all costs.

As the body count rises in their wake, Nathan introduces Kris to a world in which not everyone is human and the battle lines between good and evil are clearly drawn. Kris's piece in the puzzle is something neither is aware of and, as they uncover the truth, neither is prepared for what they find. Overcoming twists and revelations that shatter both of their lives, they discover that nothing is as it seems and nothing, least of all their hearts, are safe.

From debut author, Desni Dantone, Ignited is the first novel in a tale of first love, mystery and adventure that will introduce you to an exciting new world as Kris discovers how she fits in it.

Make sure you check out my review of Ignited as well as it's Goodreads page!

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**What Desni Datone says...... This is one of my favorite light-hearted scenes that takes place in between all the action, when we get a glimpse into the often funny musings of the main character, Kris. This takes place shortly after our resident hero, Nathan, insists on preparing her to defend herself, seeing as how there are bad guys trying to kill them. Kris wasn't exactly happy about it, until...well, see for yourself! **


After lunch, he suggested a lesson in hand-to-hand combat and that was when things got interesting.

I shouldn’t have been excited about it, considering he was about to hand my ass to me without breaking a sweat. I had a moment of trepidation when we reached a flat area in the field Nathan declared a suitable location. That anxiety vanished when he removed his sweatshirt and tossed it to the ground. Luckily, his back was to me, and he didn’t catch my eyes bugging out of my head.

The black torn sleeveless t-shirt he had on underneath revealed the sculpted biceps he’d been hiding all along, and the sides of the shirt scooped low enough that I glimpsed a smooth ripped chest when he turned. I was acutely aware that this was the first time I was seeing so much of him. It was nice, really nice.

His upper left arm was marked with a tattoo I couldn’t make out from the distance. Other than that, his skin was unmarked and flawless. Lean and smooth muscles blended and moved together like a marvelous piece of well-oiled machinery.

I’d bet he had one hell of a six pack.

“You change your mind?”

“Huh?” It took me a moment to realize he had been talking to me as I was ogling him. That was what, the third time he’s busted me now?

“I asked if you were ready,” he said slowly, like I was an idiot, which he probably thought I was by now.

“Yeah,” I said quickly. “Let’s go.” I swung my arms and clasped them in front of me with a sharp nod of my head.

“Alright, then.” He took a wide stance, crossing his arms in front of him and, God help me, all I could think about was how sexy he looked. “What do you do if someone attacks you?”

It didn’t help my case that I hadn’t been prepared for a quiz first, and stared at him dumbly.

He tilted is head. “Take your time, Kris.”

“Shut up.” I could do this. I jutted my chin out at him. “Man or woman?”

He hesitated, clearly wondering where I was going with this. “Man.”

That was easy. “Kick him in his happy place.”

His lips twitched and I caught a brief twinkle in his eyes. It took visible effort, but he managed to keep a straight face—something he seemed to have a hard time doing around me lately. He considered my answer and nodded objectively. “Good tactic, and probably effective, but I think we’ll skip over practicing that one, if it’s okay with you.”

“Sure thing, coach,” I snickered.

“Plan B?” I shrugged. “Run?”

He made a face. “How far do you think you would get before I caught you?”

From him? Not far. He knew that. He knew that I knew that. But honestly, what were my alternatives? He towered over me by nearly a foot and had eighty pounds on me. He was bigger, faster, and stronger. He was a trained [spoiler]. I couldn't possibly compete with him.

I huffed. “You can’t expect me to stay and fight you. I’ve seen what you’re capable of. No thanks,” I said defensively. “Plus, look at you, look at me. It’s hardly a fair fight.”

“Exactly,” he exclaimed like I’d said something brilliant. “There are ways to use your opponent’s size and strength against them, so that when you do run, you get away, and maybe they think twice about following.”

If it worked, he would be in serious trouble. “Okay, Sensei, and how do I do that?”

He spent the next half hour going over technique and demonstrating a few maneuvers to incapacitate an opponent of any size. By the time he offered for me to try a few moves on him, I was giddy with excitement.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll hurt you?” I teased.

He didn’t even hesitate. “No.”

I scoffed. “You just taught me how to hurt you. Isn’t that an insult to your teaching skills?”

“It’s an insult to your ability to use what you’ve learned,” he returned quickly, and then relented some with an easy shrug. “It is your first time trying.”

I would have been infuriated if it had come from anyone else. Coming from him, it sounded…right. Plus, from the smirk on his face, I knew he was teasing me. So Nathan wants to play? Game on. For dramatic effect, I stretched my arms behind me and tilted my head from side to side.

Nathan watched me, and waited. “Let me know when you’re ready,” he said casually.

I put my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes at him. “Ready.”

I really was not ready when he lunged at me, and that was my excuse when I failed miserably and ended up restrained in his arms. And that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

He let me try over and over, and I failed each time. Finally, out of breath after five minutes, I stopped him. “What am I doing wrong?”

“Nothing. You just need more practice. You can’t expect to be good at it the first time you try.”

“You’re really fast,” I panted, clutching my side.

“You’ll get faster too.”

“You have an advantage right now,” I reminded him. “Just wait. I’m going to surprise you one of these days.”

He didn’t look convinced. That only made me more determined. Somewhere along the way, I had come to seek his approval, and dammit, I was going to get it.

Want more of Ignited? Purchase it on Amazon!

After growing up in the backwoods of rural western Pennsylvania, I now live in the loud and busy Pittsburgh area, with my husband, son, and our many pets. I've been writing since I was eleven, after I swiped one of my mom's Dean Koontz books. I still remember the first one I read; it was called Darkfall, and kept me awake most of the night. Anyway, I was totally inspired when I learned that he came from the small rural town I called home (true story, I swear!), and started writing freaky little horror stories because I wanted to be just like him. I gave the stories to my mom to read. I don't think she was as impressed as I was, but she put on an encouraging face...and that was how my writing obsession started. After years of writing for a hobby, I decided to pursue an actual career...so here I am! My dream is for Dean Koontz to no longer be the only bestselling author from my little middle-of-nowhere hometown.

You can check out more about me, Ignited, and my upcoming books as they become available at:
http://www.desnidantone.com/
http://www.facebook.com/ignitedbooks

Visit Desni:
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

  

• One (1) winner will receive a paperback copy of Ignited
• To enter, simply comment with a way to contact you.
• Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY!
• Giveaway will run from today (August 10th) until August 24th (two weeks time!)
• You MUST be a follower to enter.
• Extra entries are available as follows:
+1 Following Desni Datone on Facebook
+1 Tweeting, Facebooking or sharing

***Ignited had me on the edge of my seat, practically squealing like a schoolgirl--a self published must read!***

Book Shelf: Ignited (Ignited Series #1) by Desni Dantone

Seventeen year old Kris Young is on the run from a throng of superhuman golden-eyed freaks hell-bent on seeing her dead, and she doesn't know why. Good thing she has her guardian angel to protect her...sort of.

Kris is aided by Nathan, the mysterious man that ends up being anything but angelic when he rescues her for the fourth time in fourteen years. Even if the handsome hero illusion is shattered by his harsh treatment of her, he knows how to fight this strange enemy and is determined to keep her safe at all costs.

As the body count rises in their wake, Nathan introduces Kris to a world in which not everyone is human and the battle lines between good and evil are clearly drawn. Kris's piece in the puzzle is something neither is aware of and, as they uncover the truth, neither is prepared for what they find. Overcoming twists and revelations that shatter both of their lives, they discover that nothing is as it seems and nothing, least of all their hearts, are safe.

From debut author, Desni Dantone, Ignited is the first novel in a tale of first love, mystery and adventure that will introduce you to an exciting new world as Kris discovers how she fits in it.

More info on Goodreads....


Review:

Ignited, Desni Dantone's debut novel is a fierce, heart pounding, heart racing read full of action, danger and just the perfect hint of romance woven together with all the mystery, tension and excitement a girl could want!

Ignited was an unexpected delight! Initially I only began reading this book because I was caught out and about without my normal read. So….I decided to read a few pages of this on my phone to pass the time. Flash forward sixteen chapters later and I didn’t want to put this book down. Next day I was finished and absolutely in love.

My goodness did I love this book! I don’t mean to sound so surprised but Ignited in no way reads like a lot of self published novels. Perfectly told and paced, this book is catching from the very beginning and tells a really exciting story. I really liked the story author Desni Dantone has woven together. There’s a mysterious element that surrounds just what is going on it the story; what the characters are and what their history is and this remains unknown for a fair part of the novel.

Focusing on Kris Young, a seventeen year old girl who recently went through a tragedy and Nathan the dark and mysterious man who has been protecting and saving her since she was a child, and yet who hasn't aged a day, Ignited is filled with fantastic characters, especially in the form of Kris and Nathan and picks up quickly, taking you straight into a story that’s easily addictive.

Admittedly, I did see some similarities between Ignited and other novels I’d previously read, most notably Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead where certain situations were concerned and relationships between some of the characters, but I don’t feel like this overly detracted from the story. The mythology within Ignited also proves to be fairly unique--I'm very interested in seeing it explored more in future books.

I don't want to give away any spoilers but when Nathan and Kris are thrown together and forced to run, they're bombarded with one issue after another, rising the stakes and the tension and soon even the smallest, simple, mundane moments shared between them prove to be brilliantly addictive.

I seriously loved Kris. In the beginning of Ignited she starts out slightly fragile and vulnerable, but as the book progresses she manages to find her feet and takes everything in stride. She's extremely likable and I like the sass Nathan manages to bring out in her. Oddly enough, Nathan's attitude manages to spur Kris on and her desire to prove herself to him manages to make her all that much stronger.

One of the highlights of the book for me was the chemistry that sizzles between Kris and Nathan from the beginning. The sexual tension that radiates between these two as they fight and bicker and banter back and forth is electric. The thing I liked about them was that their relationship was in the form of a slow gradual build that went from them being strangers to in a reluctant mentor/ trainee relationship to friends.

Nathan is so sexy--my favorite kind of male; strong, fierce, determined and protective. He and Kris slowly come to care about each other, though Nathan is reluctant to admit it. These two are awesome to read about. I love that their relationship wasn't instant and yet you knew something was going to develop. It's obviously they have their fair share of hurdles to face, especially in the form of Alec, but I'm definitely vying for them!

There are quite a few story developments towards the end of Ignited that left me hanging out for the next book. After reading Desni Dantone's debut novel, I'm excited where she'll take Kris and the gang next and highly recommend you adding Ignited to your TBR list!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by author (Thank you Desni!)
Format: Kindle Ebook
Buy it: Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Paperback) | Smashwords
My Recommendation: Read it! This book will appeal to everyone with it's action, romance and high stakes!
Cover: Hmmmm. I like it....but I don't love it. It doesn't really do the book justice
Will I read sequel/continue with series: YES!

 

Like the sound of Ignited? Stop back on Saturday.....a little birdy told me I may be sharing an except and have a copy of the book to give away :D

Cover Reveal: The Faerie War by Rachel Morgan

I'm thrilled to be taking part in the Cover Reveal for The Faerie War by Rachel Morgan! This is one of my favourite self-published series and I adore Rachel. Such a fantastic person. I'm soooooo looking forward to book three in the Creepy Hollow series!

I give you......


The Faerie War

The fate of the faerie world is in her hands...

Title: The Faerie War

Series: Creepy Hollow, Book Three

Author: Rachel Morgan

Cover Designer: Morgan Media

Publication Date: Oct 2013

Add on Goodreads

Find the Creepy Hollow series on Amazon

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Cannot wait for this book. A must read series!

Teaser Tuesday #1: Stung by Bethany Wiggins

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!
________________________________________
He turns his head and looks at me with danger-filled eyes. In three steps he's in front of me, his hands on my bare shoulders, fingers digging into my skin. "Fo, I'm a man, and you're a beautiful woman. But you're also a Level Ten, and when I look at you, especially when you're dressed like this, I can't think straight, because even though my brain tells me you're the most dangerous thing I've ever encountered, my heart.....my body--" His mouth snaps shut and he stares deep into my eyes.

I get it, what his heart and his body are doing, because mine are doing it too. I ache for [name removed due to spoilers], for everything about him. His smell, his touch, the sound of his voice, his presence. I tilt my head to the side and trail my fingers over his freshly shaved jaw line. He shuts his eyes and leans into my touch.....

Want more? Check out Stung by Bethany Wiggins:

In a world in crisis, children are the future. Part of the cure. Not now. Children are deadly. Marked one to ten. Fiona is a TEN. She just doesn't know it yet . . . She doesn't know her true strength.

Fiona doesn't remember going to sleep. But she has woken to find her entire world has changed - her house is abandoned and broken, and her neighbourhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right wrist that she doesn't remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. And she's right. When the honeybee population collapsed, a worldwide pandemic occurred and the government tried to bio-engineer a cure. But instead the vaccination turned people into ferocious, deadly beasts. They have been branded as a warning to unvaccinated survivors. Key people needed to rebuild society are protected inside a fortress-like wall. Fiona has awakened branded, alone and on the wrong side of the wall....

Add on Goodreads!

**I'm currently reading Stung and I'm really enjoying it! Seriously addictive!**

Book Shelf: Struck (Struck #1) by Jennifer Bosworth

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything,

More info on Goodreads.....


Review:

I had such high hopes for Struck by Jennifer Bosworth. The premise looked promising and everything hinted at a fantastic read. That being said, while Struck wasn't necessarily a bad book there was just nothing about it that really struck me.

Jennifer Bosworth does a good job creating her dystopian-like world in Struck. Her writing is solid and easy to follow. Set in post quake Los Angeles, Struck follows lightning addict Mia Price, a teenager living in the aftermath of city that was torn apart by a devastating earthquake that toppled buildings, destroyed lives and altered this society.

I have to admit I appreciated what Jennifer Bosworth did with this book. Our heroine is struggling to maintain some sort of normality in a world where food is scarce, medicine is almost impossible to come by and life is hard. It was odd seeing the contradiction between teens attending school as though everything was normal and yet at the same time homelessness and doomsday-esqe cults run rampant.

As I mentioned, Struck had all the potential to be a really great read, but to me ultimately fell short of being something really good. Starting out quite slow, it got a bit better but I kept reading this book, waiting for something. Something that would really pull me in. Something that would make me think "Wow!"

I remained adamant that I wanted to finish this book and I did, but for her easy to follow voice, I felt disconnected from main character Mia and I wasn't really that interested in her plight. I wanted to be, but I just wasn't. I felt like I was going through the motions, waiting for Mia or one of the other characters to do something or say something that would make the book that more enjoyable. That moment never came.

Perhaps I'm being too hard on Struck, but the storyline was a bit too much and farfetched at times and the characters bland. It definitely wasn't for me, but you never know, if may be for you.....

Rating:
Source: I bought
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Bookworld | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Recommendation: If you're looking for something end-of-the-world reminiscent, Struck may be for you....
Cover: The cover I do like--it's incredible! Love the lightning and the figure [Mia] standing in it
Will I read sequel/continue with series: No.