Forgotten Fridays (78)

I invite and welcome anyone interested to post their own Forgotten Friday and join in the fun! I feature a book that I have read and have forgotten how much I enjoyed it. Some books might recent reads and some might be older reads, but I hope this helps these (sometimes forgotten) books earn a spot on your own TBR pile!

Forget You by Jennifer Echols
First Published: June 2010
Goodreads

WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . . AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER?

There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four-year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon. But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all--the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug--of all people-- suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life--a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

Soul Resurrected by Keri Lake

Soul Resurrected:
As Wrath’s fiercest son, Logan carries the scars of fifty years spent in the most dreaded prison of the underworld, for a sin he’d kill to keep secret. Enduring decades of gruesome torture has left Logan feared by and detached from others, until a female Alexi’s blood resurrects his soul from death and, with it, the pleasures he’s been denied for so long.

Plagued by shame of her own, Calla is drawn to the ruthless demon, Logan, whose insatiable craving for her touch rouses buried passions and, for once, leaves her feeling desired.

A dark and dangerous evil has been reawakened, however, and when Calla is drawn too close to its breeding grounds, Logan vows to summon the violence of Wrath in order to keep her safe. First, though, Calla must save him from a past riddled with deceit and corruption … but only if she can accept the chilling consequences of unearthing his vilest skeleton.

Soul Resurrected is the second book in the Sons of Wrath series by Keri Lake, and what a strong second it was. I have to say that I’m pretty sure that I enjoyed this one even more than the first: Soul Avenged. I was honestly more interested in the Brothers while reading Soul Avenged, and I was not disappointed with their first book. The Brothers are sons of Wrath, demons with an unshakeable bond they will literally go to hell for each other and never complain. This book was filled with action, danger and romantic tension with hot and steamy sex scenes keeping me invested until the very last page. Logan had a terrible childhood and that makes him seem numb and uncaring, but underneath that hardened exterior is a passionate and protective lover. Keri created a diverse paranormal world that hides within the normalcy of everyday life. Her characters came right off the pages for me and my heart broke every time a part of Logan’s past was revealed. Demons, fallen angels and nephilim are the key ingredients to this incredible tale and Keri also constructed a vivid story arc that will definitely have me coming back for more.

Logan is a hardened warrior with a dark past. Against his better judgment he saved Calla from an attack from someone she once trusted. Wounded and nearly dying from a poison meant to kill demons, it’s Calla’s blood that brings him back, and he resents her for it. But he finds himself unable to resist her, especially once he discovers he can feel her touch (a spell took away his ability to feel long ago). Not only does he lust after Calla with his body, but he also finds himself respecting her strength and warrior mindset. Calla only has thoughts of vengeance after the death of her brother, but Logan’s stoic attitude only makes her crave him more, wanting to break through his barriers to the emotions beneath. When they finally give in to their hunger, Logan and Calla discover that there is more between them than just base desires. Soon they find themselves at the center of an evil plot, one that could lead to the destruction of their world. Just when they think they are safe, the demon council calls for compensation when it is discovered that demon laws were broken by the creation of an everlasting bond between Logan and Calla, and neither is willing to surrender.

Thursday Thirteen (24)

Thursday Thirteen is a weekly meme with a simple theme: each Thursday you blog a list of 13 things. What kind of things? Any kind! Just come up with a list theme and run with it.
*All of my lists are in no particular order.*

Boys that Cause Schoolgirl Crushes

1. Daniel Bianchi – Darkness Rising trilogy by Kelley Armstrong

2. Sonny Flannery – Wondrous Strange trilogy by Lesley Livingston

3. Tobias Eaton – Divergent series by Veronica Roth

4. Seth Morgan – Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr

5. Peeta Mellark – The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

6. Jay Heaton – The Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting

7. Zachary Moore – Shade trilogy by Jeri Smith-Ready

8. Tod Hudson – Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent

9. Lochan Whitely – Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

10. Kieren Morales – Tantalize series by Cynthia Leitich Smith

11. Owen Armstrong – Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

12. Sam Roth – The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater

13. Chase Worthington – Raised by Wolves trilogy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Why Haven't I Read You? (35)

Every Wednesday I’ll choose a book off one of my (many, many) shelves that I haven’t read for some reason or another, and include the first few lines from the first page.

Feel free to join in, and comment about the books I feature if you have read them!

I can fly. Katelyn Claire McBride was the girl on the flying trapeze. Her sun-streaked blond hair streamed behind her as she soared above the crowd on the Mexican cloud swing. Thick stage makeup concealed her freckles, scarlet smudging her mouth, which she always thought was too cupid-cutesy. Smoky ash-gray kohl ringed her light blue eyes. The soaring melody of “Algeria” moved through her like blood. Music gave her life. Movement gave her a soul.

Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié

Goodreads

Future Favorites (148)

Future Favorites is an awesome blog feature created by Alex over at Electrifying Reviews. I post about a book that is yet-to-be-released that I can't wait to read!

Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong

Release Date: April 8, 2014 by HarperCollins

In the Forest of the Dead, where the empire’s worst criminals are exiled, twin sisters Moria and Ashyn are charged with a dangerous task. For they are the Keeper and the Seeker, and each year they must quiet the enraged souls of the damned.

Only this year, the souls will not be quieted.

Ambushed and separated by an ancient evil, the sisters’ journey to find each other sends them far from the only home they’ve ever known. Accompanied by a stubborn imperial guard and a dashing condemned thief, the girls cross a once-empty wasteland, now filled with reawakened monsters of legend, as they travel to warn the emperor. But a terrible secret awaits them at court—one that will alter the balance of their world forever.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (166)

Books I read last week:
The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
The Rising by Kelley Armstrong

The book I’m reading now:
Soul Resurrected:
As Wrath’s fiercest son, Logan carries the scars of fifty years spent in the most dreaded prison of the underworld, for a sin he’d kill to keep secret. Enduring decades of gruesome torture has left Logan feared by and detached from others, until a female Alexi’s blood resurrects his soul from death and, with it, the pleasures he’s been denied for so long.

Plagued by shame of her own, Calla is drawn to the ruthless demon, Logan, whose insatiable craving for her touch rouses buried passions and, for once, leaves her feeling desired.

A dark and dangerous evil has been reawakened, however, and when Calla is drawn too close to its breeding grounds, Logan vows to summon the violence of Wrath in order to keep her safe. First, though, Calla must save him from a past riddled with deceit and corruption … but only if she can accept the chilling consequences of unearthing his vilest skeleton.


Books that spark my interest this week:
A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr
A Highlander for Christmas by Janet Chapman

The Rising by Kelley Armstrong

The Rising:
Things are getting desperate for Maya and her friends. Hunted by the powerful St. Clouds and now a rival Cabal as well, they're quickly running out of places to hide. And with the whole world thinking they died in a helicopter crash, it's not like they can just go to the authorities for help.

All they have is the name and number of someone who might be able to give them a few answers. Answers to why they're so valuable, and why their supernatural powers are getting more and more out of control.

But Maya is unprepared for the truths that await her. And now, like it or not, she'll have to face down some demons from her past if she ever hopes to move on with her life. Because Maya can't keep running forever.

The Darkness Rising trilogy by Kelley Armstrong was an action packed, thrill ride and filled with emotional torment. I pushed off reading these books because I knew I was going to love them and that it would be over all too soon. Based in the same world as Kelley’s Women of the Otherworld series, this is an intricate environment filled with every supernatural being imaginative, and Kelley drew me into this universe with ease. While there was the obligatory love triangle that is usually seen in most young adult novels, the angst and romance were more subtle and not so much the in-your-face-distracts-from-the-story kind. And I have to say, I was over the moon with Maya’s final decision because the sweet and tender relationship there was built on strong bonds. Throughout the trilogy Maya was such a capable, independent character that it hardly seemed like she needed anyone at all, but she was strong enough to realize when she needed help. Daniel was a true hero’s hero, he always stood up for what is right and never tried to stand in front of Maya because he knew she was able to take care of herself, but he always stood beside her. Kelley creates such incredibly detailed characters and I loved them all, I especially liked seeing returning characters like Derek and Chloe and the others from the Darkest Powers trilogy.  

From the day of the forest fire Maya and her friends have been through so much, torn from the only home they knew only to become hunted by two different powerful groups. Over the course of their escape they were captured and managed to break out, more than once. They have lost people along the way, but their small group had also gained a new ally: Maya’s twin brother whom she has been separated from since birth. The people pursuing them were nothing short of relentless and in the end, Maya’s only option is to trust one of the people she was once running from: her father. Following his instructions Maya and a few of her friends join forces with the escapees from Project Genesis, and together they negotiate with the Nast Cabal for their freedom, even if that freedom is farther in the future then they hoped.

The Rising is more than just an ending for Maya and her friends, it also brings a close to Derek and Chloe’s journey. While the resolution is not perfect, it is the best solution for all involved. Both the Genesis and Phoenix “subjects” gain a meager sense of freedom and the hope that in the future, once they have gained control over their powers, they will truly be free of the Cabals. 

My Bookish Wants & Gots (70)

My Bookish Wants & Gots is a feature over at The Book Vixen. I list the books I want - which can be old, new, or upcoming releases - and the books I recently got.

Bared To You by Sylvia Day

Goodreads

Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness…

He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I’d never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily…

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other’s most private wounds…and desires. The bonds of his love transformed me, even as i prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart...

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

Goodreads

After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Deveaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance to get back to her friends. But Rory's brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: she's become a human terminus, with the power to eliminate ghosts on contact. She soon finds out that the Shades--the city's secret ghost-fighting police--are responsible for her return. The Ripper may be gone, but now there is a string of new inexplicable deaths threatening London. Rory has evidence that the deaths are no coincidence. Something much more sinister is going on, and now she must convince the squad to listen to her before it's too late.

Soul Resurrected by Keri Lake
Goodreads
As Wrath’s fiercest son, Logan carries the scars of fifty years spent in the most dreaded prison of the underworld, for a sin he’d kill to keep secret. Enduring decades of gruesome torture has left Logan feared by and detached from others, until a female Alexi’s blood resurrects his soul from death and, with it, the pleasures he’s been denied for so long.

Plagued by shame of her own, Calla is drawn to the ruthless demon, Logan, whose insatiable craving for her touch rouses buried passions and, for once, leaves her feeling desired.

A dark and dangerous evil has been reawakened, however, and when Calla is drawn too close to its breeding grounds, Logan vows to summon the violence of Wrath in order to keep her safe. First, though, Calla must save him from a past riddled with deceit and corruption … but only if she can accept the chilling consequences of unearthing his vilest skeleton.

Ten by Gretchen McNeil
Goodreads
SHHHH!
Don't spread the word!
Three-day weekend. Party at White Rock House on Henry Island.
You do NOT want to miss it.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

Forgotten Fridays (77)

I invite and welcome anyone interested to post their own Forgotten Friday and join in the fun! I feature a book that I have read and have forgotten how much I enjoyed it. Some books might recent reads and some might be older reads, but I hope this helps these (sometimes forgotten) books earn a spot on your own TBR pile!

Three Fates by Nora Roberts
First Published: 2002
Goodreads

When the Lusitania sank, more than one thousand people died. One passenger, however, survived to become a changed man, giving up his life as a petty thief but keeping a small silver statue that would become a family heirloom to future generations.

Now, nearly a century later, that heirloom, one of a priceless, long-separated set of three, has been snatched away from the Sullivans. And Malachi, Gideon, and Rebecca Sullivan are determined to recover their great-great-grandfather's treasure, reunite the Three Fates, and make their fortune.

The quest will take them from their home in Ireland to Helsinki, Prague, and New York and introduce them to a formidable female professor whose knowledge of Greek mythology will aid them in their quest; to a daring exotic dancer who sees the Fates as her chance at a new life; and to a seductive security expert who knows how to play high-tech cat-and-mouse. And it will pit them in a suspenseful fight against an ambitious woman who will stop at nothing to acquire the Fates.

Thursday Thirteen (23)

Thursday Thirteen is a weekly meme with a simple theme: each Thursday you blog a list of 13 things. What kind of things? Any kind! Just come up with a list theme and run with it.
*All of my lists are in no particular order.*

T.V. Shows That Have Me Hooked

1. Supernatural

2. Sleepy Hollow

3. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

4. Haven

5. Once Upon A Time

6. Defiance

7. Continuum

8. Elementary

9. Orphan Black

10. Game of Thrones

11. The Walking Dead

12. Criminal Minds

13. Revolution

Why Haven't I Read You? (34)

Every Wednesday I’ll choose a book off one of my (many, many) shelves that I haven’t read for some reason or another, and include the first few lines from the first page.

Feel free to join in, and comment about the books I feature if you have read them!

The first time I had seen the statue in the fountain, I had no idea what Vincent was. Now when I looked at the ethereal beauty of the two connected figures—the handsome angel, with his hard, darkened features focused on the woman cradled in his outstretched arms, who was all softness and light—I couldn’t miss the symbolism. The angel’s expression seemed desperate. Obsessed, even. But also tender. As if he was looking to her to save him, and not vice versa. And all of a sudden, Vincent’s name for me popped into my mind: mon ange. My angel. I shivered, but not from the cold.

Die For Me by Amy Plum

Goodreads

Future Favorites (147)

Future Favorites is an awesome blog feature created by Alex over at Electrifying Reviews. I post about a book that is yet-to-be-released that I can't wait to read!

The Taking by Kimberly Derting

Release Date: April 29, 2014 by Harper Teen

A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?