I’m reviewing Smoke by Eileen Hopkins at Smexybooks

Smoke (Burned #2) by Eileen Hopkins
YA Romance Contemporary
Released: September 10, 2013
Margaret K. McElderry Books

Favorite Quote: “We are nothing if we cannot tell each other our secrets.”

Pattyn Von Stratten’s father is dead, and Pattyn is on the run. After far too many years of abuse at the hands of her father, and after the tragic loss of her beloved Ethan and their unborn child, Pattyn is desperate for peace. Only her sister Jackie knows what happened that night, but she is stuck at home with their mother, who clings to normalcy by allowing the truth to be covered up by their domineering community leaders. Her father might be finally gone, but without Pattyn, Jackie is desperately isolated. Alone and in disguise, Pattyn starts a new life, but is it even possible to rebuild a life when everything you’ve known has burned to ash and lies seem far safer than the truth? (Goodreads)

Smoke is the sequel to Ellen Hopkins best selling Burned. Burned gave us the bittersweet heartbreaking story of Pattyn Von Stratten. A teenager whose seemingly perfect life was a lie. Raised in a restrictive and abusive religious family, Pattyn struggles as she begins to question the sacraments of her faith. When she crosses the line, she is sent away and while there learns what true love and freedom means. The end of Burned left us in the air as we watch all of Pattyn’s dreams go up in flames and she sacrifices everything to ensure no one else will suffer what she has.

 

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Jennifer Estep’s Spartan Frost and Midnight Frost at Smexybooks

 

Spartan Frost (Mythos Academy #4.5)
Youth Adult/Urban Fantasy
June 25, 2013
E book, 60 pages
Kensington

Favorite Quote: “Tell her I’m sorry. Again.”

Spartan Frost is a light novella that falls between Crimson Frost and Midnight Frost and addresses the events from the hero’s POV, Logan Quinn.

In Crimson Frost, Logan was possessed by Loki and tried to kill his girlfriend, Gwen Frost. Guilt over his behavior and fear that Loki may once again possess him has sent Logan running from the academy and Gwen.

 

Midnight Frost (Mythos Academy #5) by Jennifer Estep
Youth Adult/Urban Fantasy
July 30, 2013
Paperback, 400 pages
Kensington

 

Favorite Quote: “Oh, quit feeling sorry for yourself.”

Gwen Frost is back and recovering from her near fatal wound but if she thinks the Reapers are going to wait for her to be at one hundred percent…she’ll have a long wait. When her boss, Nickamedes, is poisoned by a Reaper instead of Gwen, she finds herself travelling to the great outdoors in search of an elusive antidote for the poison. She has a limited window of opportunity to succeed. If she fails, Nickamedes will die. Gwen and her friends go in search of the antidote, well aware that this could be a trap set by the Reapers and death may be all what awaits them.

 

Read both these reviews at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing books one & two in Maureen Johnson’s Shades Of London series at Smexy Books.

 

Name Of The Star and The Madness Underneath (Shades of London #1-#2) by Maureen Johnson
YA/Paranormal Thriller
Hardcover
September 29, 2012/February 26, 2012
Putnam Juvenile

Maureen Johnson’s Shades of London series follows a young southern girl’s journey to London where she has chosen to attend school for a year. The first book in the series, Name Of The Star , introduces us to Rory Devereux, a high school student from a small town in Louisiana whose parents are teaching for a year in England and she chooses to go along. As Rory attempts to find her “British feet” there is a series of murders occurring around the city that mimic the infamous crimes of Jack the Ripper. When Rory has a small mishap that suddenly gives her the power to see spirits, she is thrust into a shadowy world of secret police and the next target of the killer.

I will be reviewing both The Name of the Star and The Madness Underneath at Smexy Books.

The Shades Of London series is a lightweight supernatural YA. Though smoothly written with a steady pace, the premise promised more than what was delivered. I expected more action and suspense in regards to the mystery. While the book was entertaining to a certain extent it was a low key entertainment, not eliciting much emotion either way for me.

Read the rest of my review at SmexyBooks.

I’m reviewing Jennifer Estep’s Crimson Frost at Smexybooks

http://smexybooks.com/2012/12/review-crimson-frost-by-jennifer-estep.html

Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy #4) by Jennifer Estep
YA Urban Fantasy
December 24, 2012
Kensington

Favorite Quote: “ Let me in…let me in…LET ME IN… “

*A tiny recap from Dark Frost, so be warned, this could spoil if you have not read the series*

Once again, I have entered the hallowed halls of Jennifer Estep’s Mythos Academy in her latest release, Crimson Frost, and found myself living every single moment as though I was a part of the storyline itself. By the end of book three, Dark Frost, Gwen’s relationship with Logan had grown in leaps and bounds, she discovered a new and scary aspect of her powers, but she inadvertently aided the reapers in releasing Loki. Crimson Froststarts out with the usual BANG when Gwen is arrested by the Protectorate for her role in helping to release Loki and is accused of being a reaper. The head of the Protectorate is none other than Linus Quinn, Logan’s father, which puts Gwen and Logan in an awkward position.

 

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.com

I'm reviewing Eireann Corrigan's The Believing Game

The Believing Game by Eireann Corrigan YA Contemporary Romance
December 4, 2012
Scholastic

Favorite Quote: “I chose to serve my time with broken people.“

Greer Cannon has pushed the envelope too far when she is caught shoplifting for the upteenth time. Her parents decide to send her to McCracken Hall, a private school for troubled teens. Greer does her best to obey the strict rules and participates in the therapeutic “help” sessions in order to gain access to privileges and make her stay less prison like. When she meets the gorgeous and charismatic Addison Bradley, Greer feels like her stay at McCracken will finally become bearable.

Addison Bradley has come to McCracken Hall of his own accord for a severe drinking and drug problem. Militant in both his physical and emotional upkeep, he absorbs Greer into his life and philosophies. When he introduces Greer to his mentor, Joshua, Greer feels a kinship with the older gentleman and begins to understand the reasons behind her destructive behaviors.

As Joshua instigates himself more into Greer’s life, she begins to question his motivations. What does he want from her and what is the hold he has over Addison and the rest of their group? As she uncovers more of Joshua’s lies, Greer gives voice to her suspicions, only to be placed firmly on the outside of Joshua’s circle. Can Greer convince her friends that Joshua is dangerous, or will she learn just how far Joshua will go to keep his secrets safe?

The Believing Game is a mild psychological/coming of age thriller. Told in a straightforward style, everything is presented firmly and with little fanfare. By fanfare, I mean there was no real anticipation or build up to each stepping stone on the story. Though, this particular style and tone works in the telling of this story. It presents like an uncomfortable memory. Snarky humor and teenage musings kept the book from becoming too matter of fact.

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.com

I’m reviewing Velveteen by Daniel Marks at Smexybooks

Series: Velveteen #1
Released: October 9, 2012
YA/Paranormal
Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Velveteen (Velvet) Monroe was killed in her teenage prime by a serial killer. Trapped in Purgatory, a never ending sea of gray grimy ash, Velvet’s anger demands revenge on her killer and soon she finds a way to cross the mortal plains to haunt him. Velvet’s need for justice though is causing problems for Purgatory. Her constant crossings between the land of the living and dead is creating cracks in the foundation and jeopardizing everyone’s souls; especially her own. Velvet doesn’t care about the consequences, until a hot new resident appears on her radar and she finds herself not so eager to leave Purgatory anymore.

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Death And The Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones at Smexybooks

Death And The Girl Next Door (Darklight #1) by Darynda Jones
Paranormal Romance/YA
October 2, 2012
St. Martin’s press

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “Turtles are not the innocent, harmless creatures everyone thinks they are. Mark my words.”

Darynda Jones hooked me solid with her adult Charley Davidson series, so I jumped quickly and trampled a few friends when offered a chance to read her debut YA series-Death And The Girl Next Door. I’m not proud of my actions, but I can live with them.

Lorelei MacAlister is your average high school sophomore. She has lived with her grandparents since her parents mysteriously disappeared ten years ago. She’s always had “visions” but they make no sense until she accidentally brushes against a dark handsome young man. Things turn surreal when antisocial bad boy Cameron Lusk suddenly begins to stalk Lorelei and the dark handsome young man shows up at her school as new student-Jared Kovach. The two boys seem to know each other and the animosity rolls off them, igniting the air, with Lorelei stuck in the middle. As Lorelei learns the reason behind their hatred for one another, she finds herself connected to both of them in ways she never imagined.

Death And The Girl Next Door is a YA paranormal romance, (reminiscent of her adult series), with humor, mystery, suspense, and witty dialogue. Personable characters keeps the story running along as Jones uses a majority of the book to set up the series and build her world. Heavily character driven, the three main protagonists are strong but enhanced by equally formidable secondary characters.

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Kresley Cole’s Poison Princess at Smexybooks

Poison Princess (Arcana Chronicles #1) by Kresley Cole
YA Paranormal
Releases: October 2, 2012
Simon & Schuster

Poison Princess is Kresley Cole’s debut into Young Adult. An interesting premise of a world pushed into an apocalypse (referred to as the Flash) and a young girl’s realization that her “hallucinations” are actually visions of the future and she is part of prophecy dating back to the beginning of time. Very Hunger Games oriented, the first chapter opens to a scene playing out in the present. From there, we start at the very beginning, before the Flash, and work our way to that scene. The first 100 plus pages spend an inordinate amount of time introducing us to the characters and their roles in this story.  Martial law, press gangs, cannibals, few women, lack of basic amenities. Our hero and heroine strike out on a journey to locate the heroine’s grandmother and hopefully find out what the heroine’s role in the coming war is. The depths Ms. Cole goes to in order to form a solid base for this series is admirable but unfortunately, her characters are unappealing, and it affects the storyline.

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Hanging by a Thread by Sophie Littlefield at Smexybooks

Hanging By A Thread by Sophie Littlefield
Paranormal YA
September 11, 2012
Delacourte Books

Favorite Quote: “I wondered if I could live with the version of me that Rachel was trying to create.”

Clare, a budding fashion designer and clothing repurposer, doesn’t remember a whole lot about the sleepy seaside town of Winston, California, having moved away as a child. After her parents get divorced, she and her mother move back into the “haunted” family home and are attempting to start their lives over.

The town is getting ready to celebrate it’s annual Fourth Of July festival, but this year, a somber pall falls over the town. A suspected serial killer has struck twice and the town and it’s residents wait on pin and needles for him to strike again.
When Clare’s “gift” resurfaces with a vengeance, Clare knows that the sleepy town of Winston is holding some dark secrets, secrets that could shatter the town and her life forever.

The story begins with a look into Clare’s family history. Claire’s pregnant great grandmother was the victim of a violent crime. In the instance between her baby being born and herself dying, a gift developed. The women of her family are psychometric. They are able to see and sense emotions from clothing. Sometimes benign, sometimes violent, the gift skipped Clare’s mom and landed solely on Clare. Clare was warned as a child to ignore her gift for it will only cause her grief. Clare does her best but when she comes across an old designer jacket, one touch sends her into oblivion and her gift kicks back in with a vengeance. Clare searches for the the jacket’s owner and comes to find out it belongs to Amanda Stavros, a supposed victim of the serial killer. Further investigation leads her to the town’s #1 suspect, Jack Dimaunahan. Local bad boy and a serious crush for Clare.

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett at Smexybooks

Confessions Of An Angry Girl by (Confessions #1) by Louise Rozett
YA-Fiction
Released: August 28 2012
Harlequin

Favorite Quote: “No fear. “

Rose Zarelli is fourteen, a freshman in high school, and seems to have the weight of the world on her shoulders. She feels as though everyone she loves has left her. Her father died over the summer, her brother has left for college, and her mother seems to have left life. When Rose runs into an old friend of her brother’s, Jamie Forta, her tentative crush for him develops into something deeper. Unfortunately, he has a girlfriend whose harassment has Rose looking over her shoulder all the time. Dealing with changing friendships and divided loyalties, Rose’s navigation through the treacherous hallways of high school is leaving her feeling a little…angry.

Confessions Of An Angry Girl is an interesting view of high school and life, told through the eyes of a fourteen year old. A solid plot line and humorous dialogue hooked me immediately into the story. Ms. Rozett does a wonderful job of maintaining a realistic setting and tone throughout the story. We are treated to a trip down memory lane as Rose has to try to understand and deal with the changes that high school brings and where her place in it all is. Rose Zarelli has had a rough summer but tries to deal with it as she starts her freshman year of high school. Told in a youthful voice, our MC brings to life the raging emotions and overblown sense of life in general that is readily apparent in this age group. High school is such a traumatic, confusing time of life to begin with but Rose also has outside drama that only adds to her emotional turmoil. No topic is off limits for Rose or us. In here we deal with drinking, death, sex, romance, bullying, crappy lunches and everything else that made high school such a large part of our lives.

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Blackwood by Gwenda Bond at Smexybooks

Blackwood by Gwenda Bond
YA-Fantasy
Released? September 4, 2012
Strange Chemistry

The mystery surrounding the Roanoke Colony, also referred to as The Lost Colony, has always fascinated me. Over one hundred settlers vanished from the small settlement of Roanoke; never to be seen again. The only clue left? The word-Croatoan carved into a wooden post. Where did the settlers vanish to? Did they assimilate into surrounding tribes? Were they forced to flee to Croatoan Island, now known as Hatteras Island? Or were they killed to appease the island spirits? Gwenda Bond takes all our questions concerning Roanoke Island, adds a few twists and turns of her own, and offers us her version of what may have happened.

Blackwood begins with a modern mystery when history repeats itself and 114 people disappear off Roanoke Island without a trace. Miranda Blackwood, the town outcast, is shocked when she is dragged into investigating the disappearances along with the Chief of Police’s son, Phillips. Phillips once humiliated Miranda, but the person before her is nothing like the child he once was. Miranda and Phillips soon learn that the original disappearance of the settlers was more sinister than the historians thought and the race to save the island and themselves is on.

Read the rest of my review Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing The Burning Star By Jessie Lane at Smexybooks

The Burning Star by Jessie Lane
YA Fantasy
May 24, 2012
Pub It

Favorite Quote: “…just book me a train to crazyville, because apparently that’s where we are headed. “

Seventeen year old Kay is living under a death sentence. Diagnosed with cancer, she has been given six months to live. Her mother moves them to Asheville, NC, hoping to find a miracle. Instead Kay finds her life turned upside down when she meets the insanely gorgeous Ryan and learns she is a real life fairy princess. Kay learns her life has been a lie. Taken as a baby, Kay was raised human and had no inkling of her heritage. Ryan meets Kay and suspects she may be the missing princess. Once Ryan confirms this, he prepares to take Kay back to fairy and her parents. Kay comes with some extra baggage though. Her “mother” whose secrets may save or kill Kay and two special friends who are determined to protect Kay at all costs. Suddenly, Kay is thrust into a world she never knew existed. A world where myths and legends have come to life, showing your wings is like flashing a boy, and saying thank you can bring death. If Kay can survive the journey and her new life, she may find the cure to save her life. But someone went to great measures to get Kay out of fairy…and they won’t stop until she’s permanently gone.

Read the rest of the review at Smexybooks.com.

I’m reviewing Thorne Of Glass by Sarah J. Maas at Smexybooks

Throne Of Glass (Throne Of Glass #1) by Sarah J Maas
YA Fantasy
August 7, 2012
Bloomsbury

Favorite Quote: “- she crouched over his chest, the iron-coated tip of the staff at his throat. She brought her mouth close to his ear. “My name is Celaena Sardothien,” she whispered.’ “

18-year-old Celaena Sardothien was one of the most feared assassins in Andover until she was caught and transported to the deadly salt mines of Endovier. After a year of hard labor, she is approached by the Crown Prince of Ardalan with an offer of freedom. Act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Should she win, she only need serve the kingdom for five years. Should she lose, she’s back in the salt mines. Her competitors? Thieves and other warriors gathered from all corners of the empire. Each sponsored by a member of the royal council.

Celaena is no fool and quickly accepts his offer. Raised by the Assassin King as his personal weapon, she dreams of the day she is finally free. She quickly adapts to the training sessions with the handsome but standoffish Chaol Westfall, Captain of the Guard, but finds the intrigue of court life boring. That is until the Crown Prince starts making his interest in her known. Sparring with him provides much needed diversion until her competition start dying off one by one. Celaena uses her skills in an attempt to route out the killer before she becomes the next victim, only to find help from some unexpected allies. Allies who shine light on her past and lead her towards a destiny that will change her life forever.

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.com.

I’m reviewing Erica O’Rourke’s Bound at Smexybooks

Bound (Torn Trilogy #3) by Erica O’ Rourke
Paranormal YA
June 26, 2012
Kensington

Favorite Quote: “Not everything is fixable.”

Bound picks up about right where Tangled left off. Mo used her gifts to avenge her friend’s death and negotiate with her family for some much needed freedom. Thinking she is finally going to be free, her uncle flips the tables and pushes for more from Mo and isn’t above using her family and friends to get what he wants. Mo makes the ultimate sacrifice and gives up her dreams in order to keep everyone she loves safe. But not everyone appreciates her sacrifices. Mo’s inability to let things lay soon places her and Colin in discord. Mo soon finds herself pulled in different directions as her magic, the Arcs, and her family makes demands on her she can no longer ignore. As Mo tries to clean up her mess, she sets in motion a dangerous game that unless played just right, will destroy them all.

 

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Jennifer Estep’s Dark Frost at Smexybooks

 

Dark Frost (Mythos Academy #3) by Jennifer Estep
YA Urban Fantasy
Paperback
May 29, 2012
Kensington
Favorite Quote: “We are all just chess pieces to you, aren’t we? Little dolls you can move around and play with however you like.

I’ve seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I’m supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I’m just waiting for the next Bad, Bad Thing to happen. Like someone trying to kill me—again.
Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects—and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I’m also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the bad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me? It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Helheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can’t use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me—and I’m in for the fight of my life. (Goodreads)

Dark Frost, the third book in Jennifer Estep’s action packed Mythos Academy series, starts off with a BANG as Gwen and her fellow Mythos Academy students find themselves at the mercy of Reapers when they all meet up at a museum for a school report. With weapons flashing and blood spilling, Gwen shows off her improved swordplay while her bff Daphne finally comes into her powers. When Gwen finds a map that one of the reapers drop, she realizes that the Reapers are looking for the last artifact they need to wake Loki, and they believe it is on school grounds. Gwen knows her mother hide the artifact and died protecting that secret so she feels it’s up to her to find it before the Reapers do.

I adore this series. Ms Estep’s voice is resplendent through here as she balances the normal everyday life of teenagers with fascinating evolving mythological world building. Steady pacing firmly engages you into the storyline while witty, snarky dialogue keeps you entertained. This is a wicked fun series. We aren’t overwhelmed with intricate plots or long drawn out angst. Multiple subplots intertwine throughout but never confuse or isolate you from the main storyline. Heavily character driven, I found myself able to sink right back into Gwen’s world without a single misstep.

 

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Until I Die by Amy Plum at Smexybooks

 

 

Until I Die (Revenants #2) By Amy Plum
YA Paranormal Romance
May 8, 2012
HarperCollins Publishing

Favorite Quote: “I closed my eyes and wished nothing would ever change. That time would stop and we could stay like this forever.“

 

Until I Die is the second book in Ms. Plum’s luscious mythological world of revenants. Romantic and intriguing, this YA continues to capture the youthful voice of her characters without miring it down with over affected emo prose and the ‘woe is me’ that is sometimes present in a teen romance. Smooth writing and a steady pace made this easy to follow and relate to. I found myself at the end before I knew it. If I were to label this book, it would be a bridge between book one and book three- the final book. Arc and character development exist, but the majority of the book focuses on giving us needed information and setting up for the finale. It does make for slow passage at times.

Situated in Paris, Ms. Plum weaves her tale set among the grace and old world charm of one of the most romantic cities in the world. The strong world building in Die For Me continues, giving us more information and background into the history of the Revenants. Revenants are select individuals who are predisposed to give up their lives for others; only to be reborn again and again. We are reminded in here that they can indeed die and stay dead for eternity if the right methods are used. I enjoy the time and patience that Ms. Plum uses to produce a story all her own.

 

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Michelle Sagara’s Silence at Smexybooks

 

Silence (Queen Of The Dead #1) Michelle Sagara
Urban Fantasy YA
May 1, 2012

Favorite Quote: 
“I’m surprised she’d ever want to speak to me again. She almost died there.“

“You almost died there as well.”

“Yes, but I can’t get away from me.”

Emma is your average normal teenager who has had more than her fair share of grief. First her father passes away, then she loses her boyfriend in a fatal car accident. Emma tries to gain some sense of peace by visiting the cemetery every night with her dog Petal. One visit brings her to the attention of Eric, a new student at her school. He too is in the cemetery with a old woman. When the old woman hands Emma a glowing lantern, her world turns upside down and she awakens to find herself in her room, nursing a concussion and reassuring her mother that she is fine. From that point on, she begins to hear voices and sees the dead; including her father. In fact, she not only sees the dead, she can touch them, draw power from them, and allow others to see them. Eric tries to get her to stop. He plays an important role in awakening of powers in Emma but he tries his best to stop them. Eris is a hunter and belongs to a group that hunts and kills Necromancers. When it becomes apparent that Emma is not only a Necromancer, but a powerful one, Eric has to convince his partner and himself not to kill her. Soon Eric and his partner, along with Emma’s friends, find themselves trying to free trapped ghosts and avoid other Necromancers who want Emma’s powers for themselves.

 

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing White Witch by Trish Milburn at Smexybooks

 

White Witch by Trish Milburn
YA Paranormal
March 1, 2012
Bell Bridge Books

Jax Pherson is a sixteen year old witch. Born into a powerful dark magic coven led by her father, Jax watched her mother die when she tried to leave. From that day on, she saved and plotted until she was able to escape the coven. Now hiding in North Carolina, Jax is going to school under an assumed name and making friends. All she has to do is deny the calling of the dark power inside of her and use no magic. When she meets Keller, Jax figures her life can’t get much better. Until she finds out what Keller is. When evil threatens the town and her new friends, Jax has to find a way to convince Keller to forget everything he has been taught, and to believe in her. If she doesn’t, she’ll never live to see seventeen.

White Witch is a pragmatic YA with a first bloom romance. Ms. Milburn captures a nice tone for her teenage characters without miring it down with the oft present emo angst and ‘woe is me’ that is sometimes present in this type of storyline. Smooth writing and a steady pace made this very easy to follow. The plot is pretty straight forward. Supernatural girl in hiding meets boy of her dreams only to find out he is sworn to kill her kind. Add in snarky friends, love at first sight, a few villains, and we have our story. The characters and the sub pots that are intertwined with the main conflict. Love, loss, and growing up are a huge part of this story.

 

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Spellcaster (Spellbound #2) by Cara Lynn Schultz at Smexybooks

Spellcaster (Spellbound #2) by Cara Lynn Schultz
YA
Ebook
March 27, 2012
Harlequin Teen

Favorite Quote: “Bacon is the nectar of the Gods. It’s blasphemy what they did to it “

Finding your eternal soulmate - easy.
Stopping a true-love-hungry evil - not so much…

After breaking a centuries-old romantic curse, Emma Connor is (almost) glad to get back to normal problems. Although...it's not easy dealing with the jealous cliques and gossip that rule her exclusive Upper East Side prep, even for a sixteen-year-old newbie witch. Having the most-wanted boy in school as her eternal soul mate sure helps ease the pain-especially since wealthy, rocker-hot Brendan Salinger is very good at staying irresistibly close.... But something dark and hungry is using Emma and Brendan's deepest fears to reveal damaging secrets and destroy their trust in each other. And Emma's crash course in über-spells may not be enough to keep them safe…or to stop an inhuman force bent on making their unsuspected power its own.(Goodreads)

Reincarnation is the theme of Ms. Schultz’s modern day fairy tale series. Emma Conner and Brendan Salinger first met in Spellbound when Emma, the new girl, catches the eye of the super hot bad boy Brendan. As these two go from frenemies to soul mates, we learn that Emma and Brendan have a past together. A horrible past that will keep repeating unless they are strong enough to destroy the curse that surrounds them. Spellbound ends with Emma and Brendan defeating their enemy and learning more about the destiny that surrounds them.

 

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter at Smexybooks

Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2) by Aimee Carter
YA PNR
March 27, 2012
Harlequin Teen

Kate Winters passed the Goddess test and in now set to become the Queen of the Underworld. After being away from Henry for six months, she is more than ready claim her throne and start her new life with him. But once again secrets and deception will stand between them when an evil from the past rises and the one person who can save them all is the one person Kate fears the most.

Goddess Interrupted picks up six months after The Goddess Test ended. Kate left the underworld at Henry’s request. After what happened with his first wife, Persephone, he wants Kate to be happy and sure of exactly what she is getting into. When Kate arrives in the Underworld, she gets there just in time for Henry to disappear. Cronus, king of the Titans and father to all, is slowly escaping his prison. Cronus was defeated and imprisoned by the Pantheon decades ago for the cruelties he invoked against them and the humans. Kate soon learns that Calliope is working with Cronus to free him completely. With the rest of the Parthenon preparing for war, Kate decides it is up to her to find Henry. As he is being held in Tartarus, Kate goes to Persephone for help. Only she can navigate that world.

Kate is already feeling insecure, not having seen Henry for six months and his cold and distant attitude upon her arrival. With the added pressure of Persephone, Kate begins to think long and hard about whether she can truly be happy with Henry, knowing his love for his ex wife. As the count down begins, Kate makes a decision that could tie her to Henry forever or destroy them all.

 

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.