Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Stiefvater *Spoilers*

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*Spoilers*

Review

This was by far my favorite book of the series. I know it ends without resolving the wolf/human problem…but still, it seemed strangely finished to me. Having that last image of a fall leaf as a wedding band around Grace’s finger is a beautiful one. Leaving the couple on the verge of transformation and future. Whether that future be a traditional marriage and family, or a life in the wild as wolves remains to be seen. But I guess ultimately the reader feels as though whatever the choice, the love between Grace and Sam will have its forever together.

I think Isabel and Cole will also have a future. Maybe if Cole is ever cured he’ll join Isabel in California. Their relationship was always far more realistic than Sam and Graces…never an instant forever attraction…instead it seems like one that will grow over time. Not everyone needs to find marriage at 17.

Now for just a few things I loved about Cole and Isabel’s relationship this book:

• The little black mustang Isabel gave Cole, and that scene where Cole drives the car around Isabel’s body. Seeing Cole play with it at inopportune moments. Very endearing.
• The scene where Cole and Isabel are hiding underneath the lab table – making out!? – and getting caught by Isabel’s mom…who (luckily, lol) just kind of rolls her eyes and lets the two of them off the hook.
• Isabel watching Cole give his life for Sam and Grace and then rolling that SUV off the road to save the pack. She, more than anyone, has given to a cause that has done nothing but hurt her throughout this series. For that I will always love Isabel as my favorite character from Mercy Falls. That girl has heart and guts and deserves the kisses and affection of that hot St. Claire boy.

*sigh*

Now more random notes about Forever…

I also loved the scene in the beginning of the book where Isabel loses it at the Italian restaurant and her mother again saves the day with understanding rarely seen in parents in this series. The way her mother instantly understands the situation and helps her daughter was unique and heartwarming. It was just perfect to see Isabel finally show some emotion over all that she’s been dealing with and then getting the support of her mother. That scene made me very happy.

Another happy moment was when Sam and Grace drive off to see the northern lights. Throughout these novels Grace and Sam get one good scene per book. One happy, uncomplicated, field trip where they just get to be two crazy kids in love. The whole thing reminded me of getting lost in the country with my hubby when we were teens. Granted he was never lost because he has a good sense of direction…where as I couldn’t find my way out of a paper bag with a map. Still it’s the thought that counts, and it’s always kind of romantic to be alone in a car watching the stars with the man you love.

I guess I’m a little sad to be leaving Mercy Falls. Part of me wishes I knew what really happened to all the characters in the future. But I think that the strength in the ending is really that Stiefvater picked her battle. She chose to focus on the struggle to find a new leader of the pack and the escape from the shotgun of Tom Culpepper. Her characters matured and are now ready to face their lives as adults. At the age of 18 there’s no way to ensure a happily ever after anyway…Because fans of Mercy Falls are all hoping for a long life and relationship between Grace and Sam and to have a full life is to have one full of both joy and sorrow. The ending of this series is really the beginning of life for its characters.

Who else is hoping for a 10 year update? lol. Maybe Stiefvater will return to the falls someday…

Rating: 9/10

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Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls #2) by Maggie Stiefvater *Spoilers*

*Spoilers*

Review

One of my favorite parts of this book was when Grace told off her parents. I normally don’t support this type of outburst from teen characters. I often find that either the adult they are ranting at was such a caricature of a person that it seems unfair…or that they aren’t seeing a valid adult point of view. Not so in Mercy Falls. Grace’s parents aren’t super strict or super unfair, they just kind of ignore the fact that they have a child. And they have a good child. A cooking, homework completing, friend-having child. And that they finally care after all these years…after Grace has finally assembled her own support system is both realistic and the epitome of the word injustice. I read the section where she tells them off twice! And my only critique was that if I was Grace…I would have run away that night!

And Sam had his own bit of empowerment. In this book Sam really begins to come into his humanness. It’s like watching the thaw from winter to spring. Even when Grace is dying/changing into a wolf, Sam is still secure in his choice to stay human. It’s what makes their love so heart-wrenching…They’re obviously meant to be together but both are driven by what’s inside them to desire wolf or human. Neither feels the need to force the other to stay one way or another. You can’t help but fall for the connection these two have. Everyone who sees them feels it.

Now to the eye candy of the novel…I’ll say this first, Cole is hot! But he’s so self-centered. I just don’t think that his issues stand up to his attitude. I mean, I get that stuff went wrong in his life – jaded rock star and all. But others in these books have more valid issues and less trouble interacting with others…Sam’s parents tried to kill him, Isabelle’s parents are on the verge of divorce and she’s lost a brother, and Grace could be dying. What’s so wrong with being Cole St. Claire anyway? He’s a rock star genius whose parents believed in him. Wow, bad luck with that one. When he throws Sam into the bathroom with the tub, or is unable to help Victor…to watch Victor die because of Cole’s decision. I was really seeing no redeeming qualities in Cole. Until he saves the day at the end of the story by finally getting with the program and helping, I was ready to kick Cole out of the pack…call up Tom Culpepper!

But wait…if we got rid of Cole we wouldn’t have the relationship between Cole and Isabelle. There were those scenes where they began to break down each other’s walls. So amazing. Probably my favorite part of the book. Watching them begin to save each other – to see the life and the fight come back to each of them was invigorating. Between the kissing, muscles, and opening up I was hooked. They keep dropping lines claiming that their love is nothing like Grace and Sam’s but I think they aren’t seeing how special it is that they are able to open up to one another.

In the end I admit, sometimes in these novels I get a little lost. There’s so much seriousness…the looks, longing, moments to read into. I can get a little bogged down. But then Stiefvater writes those endings. Victor’s burial where Cole cracks, Grace’s hospital bed yearning for Sam, Cole stepping in at the 11th hour to save the day. Seeing it all come together is worth all the heavy setup. It makes me even more excited to finish the series. For an author who is so amazing at endings the finish of a series should be the ultimate read. Excited to see what she does with it.

Rating: 8/10

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Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

BookTalk

“I remember this: his yellow eyes.

I thought I’d never see them again.” (2, epub)

Grace was attacked by wolves as a child. They took her from her tire swing for a tasty mid-winter snack. But Grace survived. The wolf with the yellow eyes held her to her human world.

Sam is a summer boy. The warmth of Mercy Falls’ Minnesota sunny days brings him back to his human form. Bitten by a wolf as a child, Sam changed. Spending his winters as a part of a pack of others like him. His whole world changed the day he rescued Grace. And for years the two have had an unspoken connection over uncharted territory between the species.

But then it finally happened. In a moment of trauma Sam is no longer the wolf he is supposed to be. Instead he becomes the man Grace has been longing for, for far too long. Their romance is one hanging by the tenuous thread that is the weather. Because, you see, this is Sam’s last transition…his last time to change to his human form. A gust of air too cold to handle will separate Sam and Grace placing them firmly into two very different species. And banishing a love that should last forever…

Review

This book has been sitting in my library for years. Years! And yet I never read it. I think I added it to the collection around the time that Twilight was huge. I was looking for some read-a-likes for my paranormal hungry teens. I think the fact that this was about werewolves put me off. I’ve always been more of a vampire fan…Totally Team Edward, I’m a purest you know. But let me tell you, after finally finding Sam and Grace I’m wondering why it took me so long to pick this up!

*Sigh* Sam…You have to love a man who loves a girl soo much he manages to go against all animal instinct and not only save her from being eaten alive, he silently watches over her for years…just pining away. The connection Grace and Sam have is one that the reader is able to feel. All of the locking of the eyes, instinctivly knowing when the other is near, heck, even the super sensory ability to smell each other heightens the tension between these two characters. What makes this tension so wonderful is that like Twilight, the tension can be sexual, but unlike Twilight, the tension can also be full of love.

One of my favorite scenes is when Grace and Sam are in the candy store. The girl behind the register is practically getting a contact high from being close to their love. I think I like the scene so much because for most of the book Sam and Grace’s relationship happens in private. This isolation does allow for a lot of intimacy, both physical and mental, but it also gives a serious tone to a love that has the potential to be very giddy and fresh. Thus, the scene at the candy store was a breath of fresh air to me.

Obviously, I’m behind the times. I didn’t read this book when it first came out so I knew the ending before I even began (it is a trilogy people, obviously something has to go right for these two to merit other titles). What surprised me was the depth of the love developed. And how very un-paranormal this werewolf book seemed. But that’s it’s strength. The fact that the book is an honest to goodness love story, rather than a fight for good or evil, or a tale of magic. The humanity of the love is only reinforced by it’s animal counterpoint.

Pick this one up if you haven’t yet. The third book (Forever) comes out today btw. For all those still thrown by the idea of another paranormal book…or a general uninterest in the werewolf trope (holla)…Know that this book is more than it’s summary. Inside you’ll find a love story involving characters you’ll feel for, supported by lots of poetry and song lyrics to warm/break your heart. You’ll quickly find that this is the most un-paranormal book about a paranormal creature.

Rating: 8/10

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Mondays Bite (2)…Twilight Discussion Questions: Ch. 6-10

Chapters 6-10 Questions Provided by: Lisa The Reading Nerd

Monday’s Bite is a weekly meme hosted by GReads, Lisa the Nerd, Secret Life of an Avid Reader, and The Reading Housewives. It’s a reread of Twilight. Taking us all back to the time where we fell in love with the story…And definitely clearing up a few misconceptions I had about the fact of the book and the fiction the movie has clouded my mind with!

This week we read chapters 6-10.  The Reading Housewives of Indiana will be answering Lisa’s discussion questions from chapters 6-10, as well as proposing new questions for chapters 11-20.  Be sure to check out her blog for all that fun stuff!

Without further ado…The Questions:

1. because we have to talk about it sometime – are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?  does that impact how you re-read the book?

I’ve ALWAYS been Team Edward. I’m a purist, lol. So I don’t know that it impacts the way I’m rereading. What did throw me is the movie’s entrance of Jacob vs. the book’s. I forgot that we didn’t actually meet Jacob till the day on the beach. And he’s described as being very young. Coming back to the beginning I don’t know that I would ever have pegged him for a future love triangle. But maybe that’s why he has such impact in New Moon. Not just going from kid to hottie, but a hottie who sweeps in and saves the day. So while now I can see the future reasons for the obsession…I’ve just never been a member of Team Jacob.

2. Bella spends a lot of her time by herself in her room when she’s not at school. what do you think this says about her as a character? can you relate to her introverted nature?

I’m a person who is very ok with being alone. I have no problem spending a day by myself…just thinking and reading. In the reread I get the feeling that Bella would actually be ok with being more social than she is. She regrets having so much time for homework and does really interact with her friends on the shopping trip. The movie clouds this participation by having Bella never pay attention to her friends. But she really does interact quite normally. I think she’s just ok being by herself, and isn’t a girly girl.

3. probably my favorite chapter of the entire book, chapter eight brings us dress shopping, nearly getting assaulted, and then wraps up nicely with a quaint dinner and confession time. in this we see the blend of typical teenage existence starting to get tainted by the paranormal world. if given the choice right then, would you push to know more about the paranormal, or bury your head in the sand and live the teenage dream?

I’d straddle the line like Bella…Remember, it’s one of the reasons why Edward is so attracted to her. Bella’s ability to be ok with the paranormal while not push either of them too far, too fast. Plus, I think it would be a lot to take in the entire realm of paranormal the Cullens have going on in one very short dinner.

4. already, it’s pretty clear that Bella is falling for Edward. is this happening too quickly to be plausible, or is it totally reasonable to you? what about Edward do you find to be swoonworthy at this point?

Well, I always like to leave “plausible” at the door with my paranormal reading. I think that for this book what makes Edward so attractive is that it’s obvious he’s falling for Bella as quickly as Bella is falling for him. Watching him try to distance himself while at the same time be sooo concerned with her is very sexy. What woman doesn’t want a man who is that interested or aware of her. I’ll admit, I swoon a bit 😉

5. Jessica has to forcibly remove all of the details on what’s going on from Bella, but through that we learn more about how she’s feeling and how she’s falling for Edward already. if you were in Jessica’s shoes, what would you say to Bella?

I’d ask for a double date 😉 So I’d get to see it all in action. Plus, I definitely would have texted Bella the night of the dinner. I totally would not have taken “Dad is listening to the phone call” as an excuse. I’m far noisier than Jessica…Though I may have phrased my questions a little better…and show a little more depth, Jessica can be a little air-headed for me. However, I was surprised to find how much the conversation with Jessica helped Bella sort through her thoughts about Edward. Jessica is def. a better friend than I remember her being.

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Trashy Romance…Lover Avenged, Lover Mine, and Lover Unleashed by J. R. Ward

Done.

I’m finally done.

I have officially read the entire set of published books in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. And I must say that the final two offerings (Lover Mine and Lover Unleashed) were two of my favorites. If you’re in the midst of this series and wondering if you should see the journey through…stick with it my friend. Ward ends on a high note of insta-love at it’s finest. Also, the series is obviously not done. Those of you wondering what happens now that everyone in the Brotherhood is all paired up…worry not…Ward has added an additional pack of hunky vampires and left her usual, massive number of cliff-hangers in the wake of the book’s ending. I’m only sad that I have to finally wait for her next book. It’s always so lovely to have an entire series of books at my disposal…so I can binge on them all at once.

Lover Avenged

Rehvenge is a man alone. He has separated himself from society not only through his illegal choices of employment but also with the obsessive drug use that numbs his Sympath nature. Literally walking around the world numb to all feeling Rehv is about to meet the one person who can bring warmth to his soul.

Ehlena has fallen from the good graces of the Glymera society. Not only has her family lost their fortune, her father suffers from schizophrenia, needing almost constant care. Ehlena goes through the motions of life, working as a nurse to support herself and her father, but can’t allow herself to connect to anyone. Ehlena is about to meet the one man she should run from. And instead of turning him away as she has everyone else, she’s about to run into the most dire of situations to save his life.

A love like this doesn’t come around often and this pair will have to melt the defenses around their hearts to accept each other.

Review

I liked the character of Ehlena in this book. She had a lot going on in her own life with the care for her father and the fall from grace the family endured. It was obvious that she was doing the best she could and succeeding…until she met Rehv. Of course it was the tough times Ehlena goes through in this novel that pull her and Rehv together, but it’s nice to see that by the end of the plot Ehlena could have stood her ground without the help of Rehv. Rarely do we get to see a woman capable of that at the end of Ward’s books and it was cool to see. This seems to be a couple who is working with partnership rather than giving everything up for each other. It’s a twist I’d like to see continue in the newer books in the series.

Rating: 7/10

Lover Mine

Xhex and John Matthew have been circling each other since John was a pre-trans. Even before all of his muscles John and Xhex have had a connection. Since coming into his own John has desired no other woman, and nothing will stop John from bonding with Xhex…

Except that Xhex is missing. Kidnapped by the son of the Omega, Xhex is being held hostage under the sexual torture of Lash. A situation that would break some women only further’s Xhex’s connection with John. Each of these souls has spent most of their lives on the outside of society, never finding the connection to others most people are blessed to be born with. Now that Xhex and John have lived through their tragedies, do they have the vision to see that all they’ve been searching for can be found in each other?

Review

Oh, the book that saved the series. It really is that good. Readers have been watching this couple over the span of 8 books…8 books! Finally, all of that emotion and sexual tension is broken. We’ve watched these characters suffer separately for so long that seeing them find love together is a true joy. What’s so cool about it is watching them find their inner softness and being ok with it. Most of the time the woman in Ward’s couples needs to ‘toughen up’ or at least show that they are capable of fighting for their man or their love. As rewarding as that is it’s also expected. Instead we have the manliest woman I’ve ever seen in a romance novel finding her inner softness to prove her love. This story is endearing to read and also ties up many a plot point Ward has left hanging for far too long.

Rating: 9/10

Lover Unleashed

This book opens with the fallout of the final sparring scene from Lover Mine wherein Payne had found herself paralyzed from a spinal cord injury. Unwilling to have her mother, the Scribe Virgin, magically heal her, Payne returns to Caldwell with the rest of the brotherhood to seek medical attention.

In comes Dr. Manuel Manello a former colleague of V’s shellan Jane. As a trusted surgeon and former friend he’s called in to fix what no one else can. Payne’s injuries go far beyond the physical and Manuel is the only man who can heal her broken body, and her broken soul. Brought together by an instant and intense attraction Manuel may find that Payne has the power to heal him as well.

Review

Oh, Insta-love, how I love thee. I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker and Ward is the queen of instant love connections. In fact they’re the premise of her whole mating/marriage dynamic. If you don’t feel that instant rush of lust and protective instincts it’s not going to work out. This book is a quick one. Love happens within 12 hours. But it’s oh, so worth it. Payne has a naivety to her that allows Manuel to see through all of the potential problems in the relationship and find joy instead.

Also, Ward is writing her multiple plot threads with a vengeance. Expertly weaving side stories involving V and Jane as well as furthering the Layla, Quinn, Blay, Saxton love square? cube? interwoven love triangles? However you say it, V and Jane’s story sets to rest some loose strings in their love story and the latter plot thread sets the reader up for further books with one heck of a cliff-hanger. I’m just hoping it comes to its conclusion in the next book…Hint: those needings always make for some good scenes!

Impatiently waiting till the next book is announced…

Rating: 9/10

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Passion (Fallen #3) by Lauren Kate *Spoilers*

*Spoiler Alert*

Review

This book was so much better than the second. With Torment I was a ball of frustration. FRUSTRATION. In Passion I finally felt like we were going somewhere. And Kate did that by literally taking the reader (and Luce) through a smorgasbord of Luce’s past lives. While the trip began to answer my main question (what’s the point of this whole romance/kiss/death cycle they’re cursed into) it brought up a whole slue of others…Feel free to comment with your thoughts…

Questions:

1. Does Daniel die each life and become reborn as a new person who is situated to “run into” Luce? or Does he magically change his appearance to match her life each time she is reborn?

Kate had me scratching my head with this one. In the more modern past lives Daniel still seems to be himself, like he’s been alive for all the intervening years straight; without dying. I mean he’s speaking another language and living in another country…but still the guy looks like Daniel, Luce is easily able to recognize him during a bombing in World War 2 and while he’s wounded in an Italian hospital in World War 1. I’m not sure when Daniel stopped looking like Daniel…I think it happened as Kate traced history farther back to the Mayan civilization, China Dynasties, and Egypt thousands of years before Christ. It wouldn’t have been possible to have a blond-haired, violet eyed, Caucasian kid running around thus Daniel had to stop looking like modern Daniel to fit in with the time period. I get why Kate had to do it but it still bugged me and forces me to ask the question above.

2. Anyone else’s head hurt with the physics of it all?

So about halfway through their time travel, both Luce and Daniel begin to slow down and accept the journey. They start to pay attention and learn things from their past to help them with their future. But do they do this by watching what goes down?…Noooo…Luce has to “3-d” with every former Luce she meets. But wait, didn’t she see the movie Butterfly Effect? Hello?! If a butterfly wing can cause a tsunami or some such disaster what about Luce charging into battle as a Chinese King? I suppose the only attempt to condone the travel/changes comes from Roland (in 17th century England) where he explains to Luce that while she’ll never know when she makes the change that changes her curse…she’s already technically run through time and done it already. I suppose this seems plausible to me, though lets remember that my only experience with chaos theory is the Ashton Kutcher film. Educational, I’m sure.

3. Is it really all about the Love? Daniel’s choice? and is there a way out?

I’m gonna side with Satan for a minute here. There were times in this installment where I was beginning to think that ‘Bill’ a.k.a. Satan, was the reader’s voice in the story. Luce, give it up girl…this thing obviously extends far beyond your relationship with Daniel. The question answered for me in this book was that this whole curse thing is holding a lot of people I mean angels in the balance. Daniel choosing a side starts a whole lot of End-of-Times-war-stuff and he’s friends with both sides. My gut is telling me Satan’s Hail Mary play of erasing time may end up bringing everyone together again…Cue the Cam hug at the end…Anyone else surprised by that show of affection? Anyone?

All of my picky questions aside, I really did enjoy this book. I loved learning about their past lives, and their love over the ages. The best thing to come out of all that time travel was Luce’s utter faith in her love for Daniel. Kate already had a decent explanation for their insta-love (soul-mates reborn for each other) but I was so happy to see her back it all up with Luce getting to see the love in action and getting to feel it in her past live’s skin. I feel like Luce is finally equal to Daniel in the love element. Luce has their history in her consciousness as well.

After doing books 2 and 3 back to back I’m super sad to have to wait until Spring 2012 for the final book…Ugh! I want Rapture now!! Cue tantrum, lol.

Rating: 8/10

P.S.

If you can’t get enough of the Fallen Series…Check out Lauren Kate’s blog for her Passion Playlist.

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Torment (Fallen #2) by Lauren Kate

Review

I love this series. The first book, Fallen, was so delicious. This series is just yummy. That being said…I have to admit…I hate the second in a series of four. I would bet, even if I’d never read a book in the series, that the main character is going to be frustrated and confused. Thus, as a reader, you’re going to be frustrated and confused.

Torment does not disappoint in this aspect. This book begins as Luce finds herself shipped off to a boarding school in California called Shoreline. Daniel (Luce’s insta-lover-angel-hottie-boyfriend) brings Luce into this new school blind. He flies her into Shoreline and drops her off with very little prep time, while also refusing to answer any of her questions…I was as annoyed as Luce.

I was really hoping that in this second installment I would learn more about the Angel/Demon community and Luce’s role in it. I mean, Luce has been brought to Shoreline because it’s an exceptional school for developing Angel/Demons called Nephilim. The Nephilim are a talent group of students descended from celestial blood. They attend a special program within Shoreline that teaches them how to hone their special powers as well as give them the knowledge with which to pick a side…good or bad…angel or demon. So there should be lots of info available about Luce’s past lives. Students mention quite frequently in the beginning of the novel that they learned of her forever love affair in textbooks. Why Luce couldn’t just pick one of these up is beyond me…I would have been on that faster than crispy bacon. She apparently has more willpower than myself, or she’s too blind to see the easy route.

Also, throughout this novel the reader is poked, prodded, and inundated with the idea that good and bad isn’t a clear-cut idea; remember, as Cam says: “The victors rewrite history” (pg 332). But it never goes further than that statement. Never as a reader do I see a reason why going bad may be a good idea. Never does Luce hear a reason as to why picking Satan is a good call. Can we say FRUSTRATED…

Now, I will give the Shoreline teachers a break here. Luce spends less than 3 weeks at the school and she spends most of her time illegally searching out and viewing what the shadowy Announcers have to say. While it’s a super cool talent, Luce is warned away from it so many times it makes me wonder if she’s got some type of learning disability…’cause she keeps doing it. This novel is basically about everyone and their brother protecting Luce, killing things for Luce, and reprimanding Luce for her poor choices. I mean really, all Luce has to do is stay on Shoreline’s campus. Not the hardest thing to do given she’s only there for 3 weeks. But nope, this girl is running away like it’s her job…

But wait…I can’t fully blame Luce either. Through all that protecting and reprimanding no one, and I mean NO ONE, gives her a viable piece of information with which to make an informed decision. She has no idea that she’s being hunted. She doesn’t know what her role in this story is. And Daniel is a bit of a jerk, treating her more like a spoiled child than the lover and partner she is. If someone would just give us a little intel I’m sure Luce would make better decisions. And as a reader I’d feel a little more satisfied by this title.

But even after all that frustration…I’m still hooked.

Even the text is reminding me to forge ahead: “Sometimes beautiful things come into our lives out of nowhere. We can’t always understand them, but we have to trust in them. I know you want to question everything, but sometimes it pays to just have a little faith.” (pg. 358)

I’m dying to find out if my theories are right. I won’t go into them because they’re spoilers. I’ll just say that the whole thing ends in another very climactic battle scene that brings back some familiar faces…and causes some major separations. So as annoyingly un-educational as this novel was I have faith that it’s just setting me up for an awesome third book…That I’m starting right now…

Rating: 7/10

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Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Booktalk

“You have to understand. I am no one special. I am just a single girl. I am five feet two inches tall and I am in-between in every way.

But I have a secret. You can build walls all the way to the sky and I will find a way to fly above them. You can try to pin me down with a hundred arms, but I will find a way to resist…I love you. Remember. They cannot take it.”

(Pause)

Proverb 42 of “The Book of Shh” claims that “the most dangerous sicknesses are those that make us believe we are well.“

(Pause)

In a future post-dystopian America the disease Amor Deliria Nervosa has almost been eradicated. At the age of 18 every citizen is given a procedure to prevent the illness. Sure, some people succumb to the disease before their 18th birthday but after going through the procedure their time with the disease will be relegated to a hazy memory. Amor Deliria Nervosa i.e. Love, was the cause of all trouble in the world before they began to rid the population of the disease. Now there is little war, stress, mental illness, etc. all because no one loves anymore. Lena is counting the days till her procedure. She’s spent her life waiting to be rid of feelings, of the pain that led her mother to suicide. But life can’t be that simple…with only days to go Lena has been infected…and Alex is worth all the pain.

Review

It’s shocking to see how logical this seems. On the surface it would appear as if love causes just as much trouble as it does joy. How many violent acts are committed, both big and small, in the name of love? Would we be a more peaceful society without our stronger emotions? Remember without love, there is no hate. I guess the theory is that we’d end up living in some type of utopia…we’d also all walk around like we’d been lobotomized, or were psychopaths.

That ends up being the result of the operation. Either you walk around in a haze of neglect. Visiting family and friends only when you remember it’s appropriate. Feeling a connection to no one. Or you end up somewhat psycopathic…manipulating people with ease due to your lack of emotion. A lack of connection to anyone or anything. People in this society are able to hear a child cry and do nothing about it. A mother rocking her child receives dirty looks. It’s no way anyone would want to live if they knew the alternative…but I suppose without those emotions you wouldn’t know what you were missing.

Lena wishes for the cure because she’s spent her whole life under the memory of her mother committing suicide in the name of love. Lena doesn’t want emotions that could drive her to do something like that. In the beginning it’s her beautiful best friend Hana who toes the line, listening to forbidden music, sneaking out after curfew. But then Lena meets Alex, a member of the resistance. A man who is blending in with the monotony of society while working for the resistance. It takes Lena quite a bit of time before she gives into her feelings for Alex, though there is a definite spark from the beginning.

Her cousin Gracie ends up being one of Lena’s strongest supporters. Gracie is troubled by her own history, mute after the death of her mother, she and Lena share a bond that is only deepened as the novel goes on. I’m hoping that Gracie remains a part of the series, fleshing out her own story.

At times I found the plot of this story to move a little slow. Lena takes quite a while to build up enough guts (or emotion) to take the plunge. Granted, it’s a huge risk in this society to love someone. Punishments include an early cure operation, life in prison, or death. Up until this point Lena has been a perfect citizen so while I know logically it would take her time to risk love, I wished she would have moved a little quicker.

I liked Oliver’s society. YA does a ton of futuristic societies and it was kinda cool to see one limited by lack of emotions, most specifically love, rather than war or violence. It’s amazing to see how controlled the society was. There was a bit of “Big Brother is Watching” happening, but it seemed as if most people were simply content to live these very narrow lives. I will admit that the slowness of the plot did allow the evil or violent aspects of this society to appear slowly for the reader as well…A dog beaten during a raid, a child crying in the street, the utter abandonment of humanity. It was terrifying to see how tightly boxed in the members of this society were. Between all the rules that pop up (from the book of “shhh: the Safety Health and Happiness Handbook) within the text and at the start of every chapter, as well as the heat of summer that pervades the bulk of the novel. The reader soon feels like they’ll never have relief from the strain.

I’m not sure where Oliver is headed with the series. Because the control is based on an operation on your brain…literally removing the brain matter connected to these emotions…so it’s not the same format as other YA novels where the fight is against a corrupt society, or a war-like state. The members of this society have been changed, and I don’t know that they can be changed back. I’ll be disappointed if Oliver creates a way to give these people back their emotions. I think it would weaken the realism she has created within her novel.

In the end I liked this book. I didn’t love it…I think I was expecting more from it. I thought it was slow to start, but the characters ended up being very valiant, and the premise is extremely original. I’ll definitely be sticking around for book number 2. Since the plot finally has momentum, I hope Oliver continues the speed in the next book of the series.  

Rating: 6/10

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More Trashy Romance…The Black Dagger Brotherhood part 2

So these 3 were the tough reads. Without fail Lover Revealed, Lover Unbound, and Lover Enshrined were readers least favorite books of the series. After falling madly in love with the first 3 books I’ll admit I was almost scared to tackle them. But the rave reviews of Ward’s latest titles kept me going. Even if a reader didn’t like the romances in the middle 3 books, all ultimately admitted it was worth it to keep up with the series other plot lines.

I will agree with the other readers. These books were nowhere near as good as the first 3 of the series. But, my interest in the other plot threads drove me through the titles. All I can say now is that I’m hoping for the big pay off of the final few books in the series.

Lover Revealed:

Butch and Marissa have circled each other for 3 books now. Butch, the human cop who has ties with the brotherhood and Marissa, the aristocrat who was tossed aside as mate by the Vampire King. Neither feels worthy of the other. Soon Butch will find that his shallow concerns have a corporeal form making romance with Marissa dangerous. Both are obviously in love with one another but, they’ll have to rid themselves of their own preconceived notions to find love.

Review

You knew this book was bound to happen. they’ve been chasing each other since book 1. I was a little bored with it. I love that in this series the characters who fall in love have a back-story but this was a little too much. The plot twist keeping them apart didn’t hold up for me as it seemed solved almost as quickly as it occurred. Why then does it take Marissa and Butch so long to figure it out?

Rating 6/10

Lover Unbound:

Vishous is one of the most complicated characters in Ward’s paranormal world. He is a sexual deviant favoring S&M and his mated roommate Butch. During a Lesser fight V is wounded and wakes up to find himself in a human hospital under the care of Dr. Jane Whitcombe. At first scent V senses that Jane is his female and proceeds to kidnap her during his hospital escape.

Jane’s history includes a lack of parental love and the early death of her sister. A driven but emotionally lonely woman, Jane will find that to give both Vishous and herself the gift of love she’ll have to give up the life she’s built.

Review

This is the rough one…the hated book. The book people quit the series for. Vishous and Jane. There were complaints of unbelievably quick romance, the change in sexual preference, the lack of Lessers, and the now limited powers of the Scribe Virgin.

Let me start with the quick romance. I’ll remind readers that in book 1 of the series Wrath and Beth were in bed the first night they met. He was all bonded by the second time they had sex. I’d call that a quickie.

Now let me tackle the unbelievable aspect…No one is reading about 7 foot, leather-covered, Vampire Warriors and the woman they love for the realism. Enough Said.

The change in sexual preference is a little rough. Ward may have taken the relationship between Butch and Vishous a little too far. It’s definitely not a friendship, and the Bi-Sexual label even seems a little thin for what they have. Even with the various rationalizations (Butch was just the first person Vishous cared for, or that Vishous’s S&M fetish means he was depraved and/or into all sex) Ward couldn’t reason the readers away from the strong ties the boys have. Vishous’s quick switch to bonding with Jane after so many books of pining for Butch does ring a little untrue even for a paranormal series. I think it’s because the love Vishous feels for Butch had developed over the course of 6 books. Where as the bonding with Jane (while technically as quick as others) happens instantly, the entire romance from kidnapping to marriage proposal happens in a 3 day span. There’s just not enough room in Ward’s already busy novel to emotionally attach to the couple.

As for the lack of Lessers, it didn’t bother me in this book. Again the entire book happened over 4 days. Not nearly enough time for another major Lesser plan to go down. Also, Ward hints at lesser interaction which kept them in the forefront of my mind so I didn’t really miss them.

Finally the limited powers of the almighty Scribe Virgin. She pulls out an acceptable ending. I think had she been able to magically fix everything perfectly it wouldn’t have matched Vishous’s trajectory. In the end she does pull out some pretty heavy magic it’s just not the classic save the reader was expecting. Which, in my eyes proves that Ward is a great series writer, constantly giving the reader a new plot rather than publishing the same story with different character names.

This was still not my favorite of the series, but much better than anticipated.

Rating: 7/10

Lover Enshrined

Phury is the celibate twin of Z. He’s spent his whole life with a hero complex, beginning with the search and saving of Z and continuing to this day. Phury loves nothing more than humbly saving people. The problem is he’s a hero with no self-confidence. He has a voice in his head driving him with negativity…the idea that he will never be good enough. While this voice drives him to help others, it also drives him into drug addiction.

Cormia has been raised a Chosen and she’s about to become head Chosen. The first wife of the Primale, the man to have sex with all 40 Chosen to further the Brotherhood race. Quite the honor if Cormia wasn’t so against it. Cormia wishes to live a unique life, one where she is not part of an identity of 40.

Between Phury the Primale’s self doubt & drug use, and Cormia’s resistance, the reader will wonder if they’ll ever get over themselves and embrace the chance at life both have been given.

Review

I didn’t love this one. Don’t hold your breath waiting for Phury and Cormia to get it on…or even have a touching connection. John Mathew and his friends become the stars of this novel. Cormia and John Mathew have a lovely relationship and I often found myself wondering why Phury wasn’t the lead man instead of John Mathew in these scenes. John Mathew had all the tender connections and Phury just stayed in his room stoned.

As a side plot, Ward again proved her sexual openness by making Quinn and Blay gay. She tempers their romance with Quinn stating that he “feels like he’ll end up with a shellan” or female, as a mate. I wish at this point in the series Ward would just go with it. She’s done S&M and that weird love/brother/homoerotic thing with V and Butch…I think it’s time for a healthy gay relationship. It seems as though she’s always stepping into the territory of gay relationships and never fully committing.

Rating: 6/10

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Oh Trashy Romance…The Black Dagger Brotherhood

I have fallen and I can’t get up. Because of my recent desire for non-YA books and my refusal to pay for new titles I resorted to the wait-list on my nook. I found Dark Lover by J. R. Ward. Then I fell…hard…like, I’m-on-the-bathroom-floor-need-a-button hard. Seriously, 3 books in 3 days hard. I love my trashy romances. They are my candy. Give me a tortured bad boy just waiting to be saved by a good woman and you may not see me for days. I’m too busy reading.

Eventually I’ll come up for air. The predictable plots will finally seem predictable to me. I’ll find myself rushing from plot point to plot point, not savoring the journey, and I’ll move on. But until then you can find me ravenously reading The Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

This is by no means a new series…though, its latest title Lover Unleashed (#9) was published in March. The series is a paranormal romance about a group of vampire warriors who are all wondrously wounded by their years of battle and pre-vampire lives. Each are just waiting to be saved by a woman. Other than the emotion-tugging ‘saving’ that happens to each bad boy, what makes this series great is that they find and “bond” to a woman almost instantly in each book. No beating around the bush or wondering who’s going to pair up…it’s love at first sight for these characters. Which means lots of early love scenes…no waiting till page 200 for some action.

But it’s not just the relationships that have me addicted. The author juggles multiple plots within each book. This is one series you have to read in order as story lines for characters develop over the course of multiple books. For example the main characters of book 4 (Lover Revealed) start their connection all the way back in book one. This gives the reader a deeper connection to all the characters involved in the brotherhood…not just the main relationship of each book. Plus, the jumping between story lines always happens at cliff hangers; often smack-dab in the middle of a scene. You’re constantly tearing through pages to see outcomes.

Of the three I’ve read I liked book 3, Lover Awakened, the best. It could be because the particulars of the characters hit me hardest emotionally, but I really think it’s because I knew the characters well from the first two books. I’d suggest this series to any romance addict, or those who enjoy paranormal. It’s refreshing to read a series where I don’t feel as though I’m giving up characters after their book is over. Also, the way Ward continues her plots over multiple books shows a capacity for working with a complex larger picture. It adds a richness that is often lost in large series romances.

Reviews

Book 1: Dark Lover

The Blind King, King of the vampire race, Wrath makes a promise to his brother in arms Darius to help his daughter Beth through her transition to vampire. The problem is, Beth has no idea she’s a vampire. Raised by foster parents as a human she is unaware of her father’s lineage. But Beth is fast approaching her change and Wrath is the only man for the job. When the two meet sparks fly. Beth is entering a world where the vampire race is slowly fading and also fighting a war with the deadly Lessers who are out to kill vampires. The question is, will Wrath and Beth have the strength to lead the waning race and fight for a love that will fulfill them both?

This story picks up quick. Wrath and Beth are instantly attracted and rarely emotionally part from each other. The drama in the relationship is mostly from the outside forces of the Brotherhood and the war with the Lessers. It’s a warm romance that is strong and fun to watch grow.

Rating: 9/10

Book 2: Lover Eternal

Rhage is a beast…literally, cursed by the Scribe Virgin as a youth he carries within him a dragon-like beast that comes out during strong urges…like pain…and passion. Mary Luce is a lonely woman. She works by day, mans a suicide hotline by night and life is about to get a whole lot more depressing…her leukemia is back. But a chance encounter between Rhage and Mary sets off a love that could give them the miracles both have long ago stopped hoping for.

I didn’t love the character of Mary in this book. She was very emotionally withheld and Rhage was so emotionally giving. It was difficult to watch her reject such an attractive and loving man so many times. I was ready to slap some sense into the girl myself long before Rhage shocks her into action. It’s a decent story and one you should read if continuing on with the series…But it was a bit halting at parts because of Mary’s inability to deal with her issues.

Rating: 7/10

Book 3: Lover Awakened

Zsadist is one scary guy. Even the other members of the Brotherhood fear what he is capable of doing. In the words of his twin, Phury, Zsadist is “not just broken, he’s ruined”. After being stolen away as a child to become the abused blood slave of an aristocratic vampire, Zsadist is hardened almost beyond his humanity. Bella is a sheltered vampire who has a taste for the bad boy in Zsadist. But after enduring her own trial of being held hostage she finds that Zsadist is the only soul who can help her through her tragedy. Together they’ll heal and find a passion few are lucky enough to experience.

Loved it…Loved it soooo much. Perfect bad boy. Lots of gruffness on the outside, big wounded man on the inside. And the addition of Bella’s fresh experience with capture helps the two connect on a deeper level. They are saving each other. Neither one is without their ghosts and together they overcome it all. A must-read romance.

Rating: 10/10

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