Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review from 8/30/2019:
Okay... It's been 7 years since I've read this great book, so I was excited to dive back into Travis and Abby's story. The thing is, though, it wasn't as good for me... I started to see the problems that other readers saw years ago. Maybe it's because I was in my low 20's during the first read and now I'm in my 30's? Anyway, I still adored it, I still agree with my review down below, but I'm a little letdown that I don't love-it-so-much-it-hurts anymore... Getting older sucks, sometimes!

This is my review from 2012:
If I could rate this book higher than a 5, I would do it in a heartbeat!! Loved it so much and have re-read multiple times :) Here is my review of "Beautiful Disaster": http://jeracalea.blogspot.com/2012/03...

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Review: The Burning Shadow by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Burning Shadow by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author and Edelweiss. This is my honest review.

This book literally starts with the exact scene that book #1 ended, and since I re-read the first book, it felt like it was all one massive novel! I loved every second of this book and was very disappointed when it ended.

Evie goes through a lot of stuff throughout this book. Seriously, no one should have to deal with the amount of stress and life-threatening situations that this poor girl is going through. And the emotions she roller coaster through - it's a miracle she is still normal ... well, as normal as she can be I suppose.

I loved the scene with the car chase and Kent and the "Ballroom Blitz" and - gah, it was just hysterical and serious all at once. I was legit laughing out loud - it was like watching a movie, that's how great JLA wrote that scene!

Evie and Luc's relationship and attraction toward one another is seriously intense in this book. Like, I thought it was smoldering in Book #1, but I was wrong. This book tops that - it ALMOST tops Daemon and Katy's attraction (I'm kinda partial to those two, though, so my opinion maaay be biased). Luc is blunt and truthful and knows what he wants, but he's sure to tell Evie all of it upfront. Guys, it's seriously so intense you'll be pining over Luc and being so extremely jealous/mad at Evie because she has Luc for herself.

The secrets and revealed mysteries will keep you on the edge of your seat. Just when you think you have everything figured out, BAM!, JLA strikes again with her awesome writing skills and throws you another curve-ball that you never saw coming.

There is a slight cliff-hanger, but nothing like Opal's ending. If I ever have to go through that kind of cliff-hanger, I would scream. I'm actually not surprised by the big reveal - which is literally the last words of the book - but I am very intrigued to see how everything pans out in the next novel.

I'm so glad I got a chance to read this awesome book by this awesome author, and, as always, I CANNOT WAIT for more books to be released by JLA!!

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Review: The Package by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Package by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finally got around to reading this! And it was so worth the anticipation because I love Kat and Daemon so much! Gah, it makes me want to re-read the Lux series all over again, haha.

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Review: The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Re-read this August 2019 and the below review still stands a year later! Can't get enough of JLA's amazing creations! :)

I loved this so much! Review below from June29, 2018:

I received an eARC novel from the author and Edelweiss. This is my honest review.
Release Date: October 30, 2018

Evie has a normal life with normal expectations. She is the buffer between her friends at times, and she loves to take photos in her spare time - especially with her new camera that she just got.

So when she goes with her friend, Heidi, to the nightclub that has humans and Luxen - well more Luxen than humans - she's a bit intimidated and freaked out. She's never done anything that wild, and Evie is completely out of her element at Foretoken club.

After Heidi left her, Evie found herself being escourted by the bouncer, she's freaking out. And when she's sitting down next to THE gorgeous guy who stole her breath from her the second she met his eyes. But once Luc opened his mouth, Evie knew she was going to have problems with his cocky attitude.

From the moment Evie talked to Luc, her entire life changed. And pretty much not for the better, since her life was falling around her every day.

But now that Evie has been thrust in a world she had no clue about, she needs to find a way to survive this chaotic mess. And she needs to figure out what she is feeling when it comes to Luc and his arrogant/presumptuous demeanor.

O. M. G.!!!!!! I AM SO GLAD THAT WE 1. GOT LUC'S STORY AND 2. GET TO REVISIT THE LUX UNIVERSE!!!! Seriously, I loved this so much! Luc is an eerily similar version of Daemon, and reading his interactions with Evie made me blush just as much as the other series!!! And Luc has no qualms keeping away from Evie, unlike how Daemon was with Katy at the beginning, so we got all of the great stuff thrown at us at once and it was just AMAZING!!!

Evie is a tough bird, She's also stubborn and a bit naive at times, but for a girl who hasn't engrossed herself with the knowledge of the Luxen, I'm not too surprised. Though I have to say, if I was in this world and aliens came to my home, I would so be doing as much research as I could to know about these foreign people who are here to stay. Plus it doesn't hurt that they are so dang attractive!! :D

The big secret that was revealed I called a mile away, but that's okay because it was amazing to see how all of the characters responded to the news. And Evie's reaction was so real and something that any normal person would have done, and I loved that. It may have been a bit much, but it was real and emotional and raw. And I loved it.

I am so, so, so glad I got an early copy of this book, and I am already antsy to get my hands on the next book because I can only imagine what is going to happen drama wise and attraction wise between Luc and Evie!

Fans are going to LOVE this book and will be sitting on the edge of their seat the whole novel!

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Review: Did I Mention it's 10 Years Later?: Anniversary Bonus Chapter by Estelle Maskame

Did I Mention it's 10 Years Later?: Anniversary Bonus Chapter by Estelle Maskame
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was so excited that I found this online and read it quickly. It made me very happy to see such a great ending for these characters. After all of the issues and struggles they all went through, they have finally found their way past all of that and are enjoying life to the fullest. I'm glad I got a chance to read this series in it's entirety, and it will be a story I won't forget any time soon :)

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Review: Just Don't Mention It by Estelle Maskame

Just Don't Mention It by Estelle Maskame
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from Edelweiss. This is my honest review.

This book broke my heart. Because I read the previous books in the series, I sort of skimmed the present day sections since it was basically a repeat of book #1, but the 5 years ago sections? Oh man, I was almost in tears to be honest. Poor Tyler and what he had to go through. I can't even imagine a parent doing that to their child, but I do know it happens in real life. And to see and read about Tyler's feelings toward his dad, and how he almost gave up toward the end? It was heart wrenching. It definitely gives a new perspective to why Tyler was the way he was when Eden met him 5 years later.

I'm so glad I got a chance to read this book, and this series, and it will definitely be a subject matter that I won't forget any time soon.

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Review: Did I Mention I Miss You? by Estelle Maskame

Did I Mention I Miss You? by Estelle Maskame
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from Edelweiss. This is my honest review.

The amount of character development in this book is astounding! Tyler and Eden, but also all of the other side characters. Everyone has grown so much since book 1 and I'm just amazed at how they have matured and understand life now.

I'm glad that Eden made Tyler work a little bit to get back into her good graces. What he did at the end of book 2 was just a terrible thing, so I'm glad he had to suffer just a little bit. Especially given the fact that he wasn't expecting the intensity when he came back - from everyone! I just wanted to strangle him, but I guess I'm over that.

Tyler has grown the most out of all of the characters. He found his purpose, his passion, and his control. All things that he needed when this series began. But he also found his life and he helped Eden discover her own purpose.

The ending? With Eden's dad? Just inspiring and heartbreaking and a great rebirth of their relationship.

I'm glad that I got a chance to read this series, even though there were a lot of rough patches for me. I think it definitely shows how terrible life can be, but how it can be good when you push through the troublesome parts and finally get to where you want to be. Not everyone in life is going to agree, but as long as YOU are happy, that is really all that matters when it comes down to it.

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Review: Did I Mention I Need You? by Estelle Maskame

Did I Mention I Need You? by Estelle Maskame
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Okay. Oh wow. Seriously, that ending was just... I mean, I was wondering how they were going to have another novel because things were going too well for Eden and Tyler, but THAT?!?!?! Oh, I'm so mad and stunned and upset... I just can't believe that Tyler did that!!!!

If I were Eden, in book 3, I wouldn't forgive him. Make him feel just a FRACTION of what Eden is feeling at the end of this book. I just... poor Eden. After everything they both went through, he's just going to do THAT?!?!

So yes, this review is venting and ranting. And I'm not telling you what happened because I just don't know how I can talk about that. It was so wrong and mean and devastating for poor Eden.

Now I gotta read the next one to see how soon Eden can forgive Tyler. If she forgives him too soon, I'm not going to forgive her because he needs to suffer. Severely.

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Review: Did I Mention I Love You? by Estelle Maskame

Did I Mention I Love You? by Estelle Maskame
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley and Edelweiss. This is my honest review.

This book had a lot of heavy topics in it. And so much happens! Tyler is a troubled boy who can't seem to find his way back to a normal life. Eden sends to be the only light to bring him back, but she's his stepsiste. The attraction they feel for each other is wrong, yet why does it feel so right?

The parting and drinking in this book was to much in my opinion. I think it would have been a great book if it had a fraction of those scenes. The situation between Eden and Tyler was torture and unfair, yet I think they both need time to figure out what they really want. I mean, they are 16 and 17 years old!

Overall I enjoyed this book and I'm very curious to see how things continue in the next books.

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Review: All I Know by Tamara Lush

All I Know by Tamara Lush
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

I was really hoping I would fall in love with this book, but sadly it was a miss for me. The cover is GORGEOUS and that is what hooked me from the start, but I wasn't able to really connect with the characters. The conversations were stilted for me, and I didn't get warm butterflies when the characters were talking about each other. I was just missing the connection that I usually feel and was left wanting more by the end of the book.

I'm sure, though, that many readers will not find the same issues I had, and will love this book! I'm glad I got a chance to read this eARC novel.

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Review: Don't Doubt by Tammy Falkner

Don't Doubt by Tammy Falkner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Reed Brothers series is by far one of my favorite series. I have loved all of the books and all of the characters that are now entwined into each others lives. Falkner has created a family, a world, where doing good deeds for others is not a forced act, but something that comes naturally. It is something I wish was done more in our world for it would make a stronger community.

Edward is by far the most selfless character I've seen. I'm not sure how he affords everything, but money is not something that he stresses about. He takes his own money, his own time, his own abilities, to do something so amazing for people who need a little help in life. I seriously teared up so many times when more of Edward's good deeds get revealed, and he honestly doesn't want any thanks or praise for his actions. He does it to make life better for other people, and that is so touching and awe-inspiring.

Avery has sacrificed many things to make sure she can keep her younger sister, Penny, safe and to keep them together. For her to have the happy ending that she got is just amazing and well deserving.

I can't express how much I love these characters that Falkner created. They are REAL. Real life people, living life one day at a time, and they make the best decisions to make the world a better place. Whenever I'm disgusted by human beings, I always come back to this series, because there may be obstacles that everyone has to deal with, but they do it in a way that wants me to be a better person.

This is definitely a series that I buy the next book automatically even if there were no synopsis, because I know by the end of the book I'm going to have so many feelings and be left wanting to make a difference in the world.

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Review: The Charm of You by Jennifer Probst

The Charm of You by Jennifer Probst
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eBook from the Romance Read of the Month Book Club.

This was a good novel. I loved how empowered Presley became after college and how she took her dream and made it come true. Stories like this can really inspire people to go after what they want and can achieve their dreams.

The tension between the two characters was intense and I'm surprised they didn't give into temptation sooner to be honest. It did start to get old when Presley was using every excuse in the book, but thankfully Nolan was very persistent and went after what he wanted, no matter the obstacles in his way.

Glad I got to read this book!

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Review: War of Hearts by S. Young (Samantha Young)

War of Hearts by S. Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author. This is my honest review.

Thea is an unknown supernatural. She can't figure out what she is, but she knows she's damn strong and fast. Living her life on the run is not ideal, but she's making it work. However, when an Alpha werewolf is sent to hunt her down and return her to a horrible man, Thea realizes she can't run from him. Not when Conall has the ability to track anyone once he gets their scent. And Thea definitely tried, only to be thwarted by Conall's ability.

Now Thea is being forced to go to a terrible man who's only mission is to get more power, while trying to figure out a way to get out of this mess. Plus her attraction to Conall isn't helping the slightest, especially when he thinks such terrible thoughts about Thea.

The more Thea and Conall are together, though, the more they realize that they are just on the brink to finding out Thea's heritage, and opening up a whole new can of worms they will have to deal with.

I love Samantha Young. I have read all (or close to all?) of her books and I have enjoyed every single one of them. So when I got a chance to read this new genre of hers, I was extremely excited! I loved the mystery, the adventure, the suspense. This book has everything you could ever ask for.

I do have to admit, once Thea's abilities were revealed to the reader, I automatically guessed what she was. This storyline follows closely to a popular TV show (I'm not telling you what it is because that will give away Thea's species), and I was right when her species was revealed. That didn't deter me from liking the book, though!

Thea is an amazing character. She's been through so much in such a short amount of time in her life and she's still a person who cares about others in need of help. She is super powerful, but she doesn't let that change her personality or abuse her powers to benefit herself.

And I loved the interactions between her and Conall. She sure tested him quite a bit throughout their travels and it aggravated him to no end, causing me much amusement!

Also, while the author says this is a standalone novel, I wouldn't be surprised if this world gets revisited again in her future novels to expand on another aspect of this storyline. There is definitely an ending that could be open for more books, and I would not be upset if I got to see Thea and Conall as side characters in another storyline for new adventures! :)

I'm so glad I got a chance to read this eARC and I'm looking forward to more by Samantha Young in the future!

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Review: The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from Edelweiss. This is my honest review.

Alessandra is a woman on a mission: She wants to be Queen. She wants to rule the people better than what everyone is forced to do. She is going to change things - for the better - and she will do it herself. Once she kills the Shadow King. And she has the perfect plan to do it. She will get what she wants, no matter the cost...

I seriously, seriously loved this book!! I think I love it even more than the Daughter series (and I really liked those)! Alessandra is bad ass - and I love that Tricia Levenseller always creates amazing heroines who can take care of themselves and save the men in their lives, rather than being the damsels in distress. The amount of times that she put down people, where she laughed in their faces because they thought she couldn't do something because she was a girl, was amazing and made me proud to be a woman. I want to be more like Alessandra and every other Levenseller female characters, because they know who they are and they strive to be better. They don't let anyone tell them they are lower or dumber or weaker because of their sex.

And I loved how this was set in the past, but Alessandra had the mentality of a woman in the 21st century when it comes to sexuality, knowledge, and fashion. The mixture between the two made this book even better!!

Alessandra also spread her thoughts and beliefs to other women in her life - telling them they can be strong and determined and to go after what they want instead of waiting for the guy to do the initiating. She told them to be their own selves, dress in their own fashion and comfort, and not to fear denial in life.

There were so many great messages in this novel, and I wish I could quote some passages from the book (I'll have to wait until it's published) that were really inspiring and relevant.

And that was just my amazement with Alessandra. The interactions between her and the Shadow King?? Oh, my... I was pining and hoping and praying and fearful that everything was going to go wrong. The anticipation was excruciating painful for me waiting for SOMETHING to happen. Don't worry, the time will come, but you must be patient.

I seriously cannot express how much I loved this book. I am going to fight the temptation to re-read it right now, because I have so many books to read, but I WILL be buying a hard copy of this book to add to my collection because it was just that great. I'm so glad I got a chance to read this free e-ARC!

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Review: Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller

Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from Edelweiss. This is my honest review.

Rasmira is one tough chick. She is being groomed to be the next leader of her village, so she's had a harsher life than any other female in her town. Plus she's not respected by her peers. The boys her age are mad that she's good at being a warrior and beating them, when she should be doing more feminine things.

When she is betrayed terribly at her trial to become a woman and a warrior, she has to re-establish her place in the world. She promised her sister that she would make it out of the wild alive and to defeat her mission that was given, impossible as it may seem, or die trying. What she doesn't expect is two guys also in the wild, who failed their warrior trial, and have made a life for themselves in the land where nothing is expected.

The longer Rasmira is with Soren and Iric, the more she starts to BECOME a leader, rather than just be inducted as a leader. But she still has to complete her mission before she can go home. The mysteries slowly become unraveled and Rasmira may just be able to pull it off - but only with the help of her new friends.

Okay, this book was so great! I loved Rasmira. She is a fighter through and through. She never gave up, she was always assisting Soren and Iric, and she was also fighting against the absolute betrayal she left in her village. And let's just mention - that betrayal was god awful! I had to re-read the page over and over again to really comprehend what had happened. That was so messed up and I don't blame Rasmira for being mentally scarred from that experience.

Rasmira is by far a strong willed woman who is on a mission to complete her goal. I have never seen/read about a character that was so determined to prove everyone she can achieve their impossible mission.

The romance between Rasmira and Soren was cute, but I would have been okay without it being in the book, honestly. This was Rasmira's story and she killed it to the very end of the book with her awesomeness!

I'm glad I finally got a chance to read this and Tricia Levenseller is quickly becoming a must have author in my personal library! So I'm going to snatch up as many books as I can from her and enjoy the show!

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Review: Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller

Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I can't believe it's taken me this long to read this amazing book. I think it's because I didn't want the story to end for these amazing characters because now that it's done? I'm very sad.

I love Alosa and her crew. This is the first novel I've read about that had a female dominant crew and I loved it so much. They have such a great relationship with everyone on the ship and it's a family. It's not about who can fight the best or who had the most gold. Alosa saved all of these women and gave them a purpose.

Seeing the sirens in their environment was great. We got to see the other part of Alosa's heritage and it definitely explained so much of Alosa's character.

And Riden? Gah, he's one of my favorite book boyfriends. I wish we could have gotten more of his viewpoint than just book one chapter one, but I'll have to be satisfied with that. His vulnerability is something women desire men to have because it makes it easier to understand what they are thinking.

This is definitely a series I will revisit over and over again. I love everything about it and am still amazed it's this author's debut series. I definitely recommend it to everyone :)

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Review: Riden's Chapter by Tricia Levenseller

Riden's Chapter by Tricia Levenseller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't know how I didn't know about this chapter!! But I have remedied this and have now read it :) I seriously love Riden, so being able to get a glimpse into his head was great! I loved reading his initial reaction to seeing Alosa for the first time, and then the last statement? Yeah, he's a goner!

I'm excited to dive into the 2nd and last book to see what is in store for Riden and Alosa. These characters are awesome :)

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Review: Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC from Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

Alosa is being kidnapped by a rivaling pirate of her fathers. But really, every pirate is an enemy of her father's since he is the pirate king and rules everyone on the water. And now she is getting on a different pirate ship than her own as a prisoner because of her fathers status.

Or that is what she wants the pirate crew to think. Captain Draxen is going to use Alosa leverage against her father to get what he wants, but Alosa intended to get captured by this specific pirate crew. Draxen's father, before he died, had a secret map that was 1 missing piece out of 3 that her father needed to get the whole map back in one piece. Alosa's mission is to find that missing map and hand it to her father.

As much as Alosa, who is a captain of her own ship, hes to be a feeble prisoner, she struggles to keep her emotions in check when the first mate, and brother to the captain, Riden, looks over her and "interrogates" her.

Every night, Alosa breaks free of her cage in the briggs and searches the entire ship. But the longer she is on the ship and the more places she looks, the more she realizes that the map may not be where she thought it was. However, her father will be very angry if she fails in this mission, so it is Alosa's determination that she has to find the map that makes her a bit reckless. Makes her start to use her...abilities...that she shouldn't use. And she starts to use them in front of people who notice little changes about her - especially Riden.

Alosa's time is running out, and she still needs to find the map. But will she find it in time before her father shows up?

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! Love, love, love. I'm a sucker for pirates, but usually it is the smutty adult romance novels where the pirates are the guys and they are swoon worthy. Granted, Riden is very swoon worthy, so I got my typical pirate novel I guess.

But seriously? I loved Alosa even more! Every review I read says she is the female version of Jack Sparrow and honestly, she really is! Her fiery red hair definitely explains her personality and her knowledge of so much stuff stuns me. I want to be Alosa!!

She is smart and fit and determined and naive in some ways. Her reaction toward the unruly men on the ship who treated her badly was amazing because she wanted to kill them. And we got a very clear indication at the beginning of the book that Alosa is not afraid to kill anyone who gets in her way.

Well, except Riden. She's not sure why she is against hurting him, but she doesn't want to if she can help it. (This is where the naive part comes in....)

I am so, so, so glad that I was able to get this as a free eARC and I'm so mad that I'm just getting around to read this now. I'm even more mad that I have to wait for the second and final book in this series for 9 months!! I want to know what happens!! I can only see good things!!

I seriously suggest everyone to read this book because I loved it so much. Yeah, that's a good recommendation...not...but it is a great book and I cannot wait to continue Alosa and Riden's story!

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Review: Arrogant Boss by Olivia Hayle

Arrogant Boss by Olivia Hayle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from Book Sirens and the author. This is my honest review.

This was a cute novel. I thought that Julian was going to be more...arrogant than he was, but he was pretty mild and thoughtful when it came to Emily. He didn't pursue Emily as hard as he could have, and he wasn't that smug for being a millionaire. He was just a down to earth kind of guy who made a lot of money and was a bit nerdy, but a hot nerd.

Emily's concerns were warranted, but I think she stretched it out a bit too far. Everyone is a grown adult, but she wanted them to act like teenagers at first, which is a bit silly if you think about it. I do appreciate how she took care of her younger brother though. The amount of stress and responsibility she had I can't even imagine, but she did it and was still her bubbly self, which I really respected.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I'm glad I got a chance to read it and I'll be on the lookout for more books by this author!

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