Currently Reading│Teaser Tuesday : The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost

Currently Reading #28

Name: The Beautiful Ashes (Broken Destiny #1)
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Number of Pages: 384 pages in eBook
Published: August 26th, 2014 by Harlequin
Genre: Fantasy, New Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

In a world of shadows, anything is possible. Except escaping your fate.
Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been gripped by visions of strange realms just beyond her own. But when her sister goes missing, Ivy discovers the truth is far worse—her hallucinations are real, and her sister is trapped in a parallel realm. And the one person who believes her is the dangerously attractive guy who’s bound by an ancient legacy to betray her.
Adrian might have turned his back on those who raised him, but that doesn’t mean he can change his fate…no matter how strong a pull he feels toward Ivy. Together they search for the powerful relic that can save her sister, but Adrian knows what Ivy doesn’t: that every step brings Ivy closer to the truth about her own destiny, and a war that could doom the world. Sooner or later, it will be Ivy on one side and Adrian on the other. And nothing but ashes in between…

Here’s another edition of Currently Reading and got some pretty torn reviews about the book. I’ve looked for a five star, three star and a one star review so we would know what readers have to say.

GAH! I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book this was soooooo good! Ms Frost’s pacing was great even though I guessed a couple of things before they happened it didn’t affect my love for this book. What a tragically great beginning to what I hope turns out to be an amazing new series. This one is definitely making my favorites list. I’d say it qualifies as a New Adult Paranormal. There wasn’t anything too steamy but there was a moment that I had to fan myself so I’d say 17+ but nothing too shocking. The chemistry between Adrian and Ivy is off the charts good! They are constantly fighting what they feel(for different reasons) but its an incredible rush anytime one of them breaks the others walls. *sigh the side characters were wonderful compliments to the storyline and fit marvelously. Get ready to devour this in one sitting, its that good!
— Ria of A Bookish Escape

Book Review: Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements #2)

Name: Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements #2)
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Number of Pages: 464 in Kindle
Published: October 21st, 2014
by Harlequin Teen
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance

“Every touch has its price
Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.
But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay… .”

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you would have known by now that I’m torn about this series from the very start. I have issues and whatnot, but still I’ve eagerly waited for Stone Cold Touch to come out. I’m excited to know if I would finally love the series (Not that I hate it in general).

Since White Hot Kiss ended on a depressing note, I started reading this in a hopeful mood. The writing is still in a semi-fast pace. There are parts that have slow down a bit, but I can’t say it’s dull. If you’ve noticed, the book is 400+ pages and I’m surprised that I was actually wanting more after staying up until one in the morning last night to finish it. Stone Cold Touch is more action-packed and oozing with sexiness compared with White Hot Kiss. More thrilling and amazing if I may say. So much FEELS.

Currently Reading│Teaser Tuesday : Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer Armentrout

Currently Reading #27

Name: Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements #2)
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Number of Pages: 464 in Kindle
Published: October 21st, 2014
by Harlequin Teen
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance

“Every touch has its price
Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.
But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay… .”

Out of habit before reading a book, I’ve checked reviews and picked out one who loves it and the other who didn’t like it at least.

JLA did a great job keeping the reader in suspense throughout the whole book, and her writing style was superb as always. Her balance of humor and sadness, love and hate, fear and happiness… all great! A nice mix of both.
And I honestly love what she does with Zayne in this book. We see a lot more of Roth in the other book, so I was already in love with him. Now I’m in love with Zayne, too!
Book three is going to be interesting… I can already feel the tension about to arise. A lot of bad stuff is gonna go down! And hopefully nothing too heartbreaking happens. I have a bad feeling about that one though…
— J of The Romance Review

This next review is somehow torn..

Last Hour for the SCT Journal Giveaway: Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer Armentrout

Here’s your last chance to win this:

Contest Rules:
International
Author is not responsible for lost or damaged prize package
Prizes cannot be swapped for any other prize

Click here for the Rafflecopter

You could also vote on which guy you want to see Layla end up with!

Update + Giveaway: Ensnared by A.G. Howard

I must admit I have a love and hate relationship with this series, but I can’t help waiting for it too. Weird eh? January is still a long way from now. I dig up updates so I can share it with you guys since like most of you, I can’t wait to get my hands on this book as well.

Name: Ensnared (Splintered #3)
Author: A. G. Howard
Number of Pages: 384 in Kindle Edition
Published: January 6th 2015 by Amulet Books
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings, Romance, Paranormal

After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She’s determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves. Even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles . . . and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world–a parallel dimension filled with mutated and violent netherling outcasts. In the final installment of the wildly popular Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that’s gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensnared it. But if they succeed and come out alive, can everyone truly have their happily ever after?

I found a giveaway by Ms. Howard herself and I got so excited there’s no way I’m not sharing this with my friends. The ARCs for this book has finally come out and she’s sharing it with us. The book cover is amazing, I can’t wait to have mine. Please click the link below to enter the giveaway.

Giveaway: Ensnared by A.G. Howard

This is an international giveaway and here’s what’s up for grabs:

Update: Penryn & the End of Days, Book 3

Susan Ee

– USA Today bestselling author
– Author of ANGELFALL and WORLD AFTER (Penryn & the End of Days 1 & 2)

“I’m super excited! The third book is END OF DAYS. It will be the finale of Penryn’s story! The US/Canada/Philippine version will be published on May 12, 2015. UK/AUS/NZ/Scotland version should come out right around that time as well. For all other countries, please ask your local publisher or bookstore. It’s finally happening! I can’t wait to share END OF DAYS with you.”

This is basically from Susan’s blog. Apparently, the third book for the series Penryn & the End of Days will be entitled End of Days and it will be published 12th of May next year. The thing is, Susan confirmed that this will be the finale of the series, which is in fact surprising because this was initially introduced as a five book series. I didn’t see that coming. That is just so heart breaking. 💔

You see? FIVE BOOK SERIES. What’s happened? I’m really torn about this update. Excited yet disappointed. I’ve been looking for interviews as why this was cut short to three books, but found nothing. I remember, I had a hard time liking the first, but eventually like the second book and really thrilled about the third one. It’s still a long wait until May. Perhaps Susan can still change her mind and go back to its original plan. LOL! Anyway, I’ll watch out for the date when the cover will be revealed.

Here’s my reviews 😀

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1)

World After (Penryn & the End of Days #2)

Excerpt: Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements #2)

I remember having issues on the first book of this series, but still I’m eagerly waiting for the second book to come out. I even included this on a Waiting on Wednesday post back in July because I still have faith on the book. I’m looking for recent updates, since the released date is fast approaching, when I’ve stumbled upon this excerpt. Yipeeeee! 😀

Name: Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements #2)
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Number of Pages: 446 in Kindle Edition
Published: October 21st 2014 by Harlequin Teen
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Supernatural

He traced the delicate scales around Bambi’s nostrils, and when I shivered, his gaze lifted, snaring mine. There was so much heat and intensity in those cobald eyes that there was no mistaking how he was looking at me.
Like he had the night he’d seen me in my bra.
One side of his lips tipped up, and my heart jumped in my chest. His gaze returned to where Bambi rested, to where his finger was idly tracing her scales in smooth strokes. “It doesn’t feel like I thought it would. The skin is just slightly raised, but it’s really like a tattoo.”
Mouth dry, I closed my eyes as his finger moved over her head, nearing the tiny lace that decorated the hem of my tank top. I wasn’t wearing anything under the tank and he was so, so close.
“Does she like it?” he asked, breath warm in the space between our lips.
I nodded, assuming she did, because she wasn’t trying to kill him.
“Do you?”
The question whipped through me with the force of a destructive hurricane. My eyes snapped open and my breath came in short little pants. He was still so close, his hair tickling my cheeks and his finger trailing farther south, following the curve of Bambi, under the lace of my tank top.
His lashes swept up again and his gaze collided with mine. I had no idea how we’d ended up here. His hand stilled and he waited, and there was no denying the driving force behind the question. If I said no, he would move away. And if I said yes, then… I couldn’t even wrap my head around those possibilities.
If I said yes, everything would change—change in ways I couldn’t even fathom, ways I never truly believed could happen between us. My heart was beating too fast, and a strange kind of heat pooled deep in my body.

Book Cover Reveal: The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die #2)

This is perhaps a little late, but for the benefit of all readers who have not had a glimpse of the book cover of Dorothy Must Die’s second book. Here it is. I believe this was revealed the 21st of August 2014 by USA Today. The article also has an interview with the author, Danielle Page.

In this dark, high-octane sequel to the New York Times bestselling Dorothy Must Die, Amy Gumm must do everything in her power to kill Dorothy and free Oz.

To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman’s heart, steal the Scarecrow’s brain, take the Lion’s courage, and then Dorothy must die…

But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy’s only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she’s only just scratched the surface of Oz’s past—and that Kansas, the home she couldn’t wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust—and who is really Wicked?

The cover is so perfect for the book’s summary. That’s one intriguing sequel, I may say. Dark and mystifying and the title? Thrilling! I’m so excited about this! Here’s what Danielle Page has to say about the book cover. This is from the interview:

“I’m totally in love with this cover. It’s so creepy and mysterious, but a little bit funny, too, which is just the way I see these books.”

    —Danielle Page, author of Dorothy Must Die series

Book Review: Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3)

Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

+++

I love the first two books, but I’m not so sure about its final installment. Hex Hall and Demon Glass are those books that I can’t afford to put down. There are a lot of things to be excited about, but this one, I’m torn. It lacks the action I’m expecting. Yeah. The writing is still awesome, but I find the plot slowing down at some pages. Like dull moments. I know there were a lot of things to conclude, but for me everything is just easily laid out. There are moments when I thought like “This should be where Sophie would be doing some cool stuff defending her friends or whatever.” It didn’t happen apparently. I’m a little disappointed, I must admit.

Book Review: Demon Glass (Hex Hall #2)

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch. That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (a.k.a. witches, shape-shifters, and faeries). But then she discovered the family secret, and the fact that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world-the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will either destroy her powers for good-or kill her.

But once Sophie arrives, she makes a shocking discovery. Her new housemates? They’re demons too. Meaning, someone is raising demons in secret, with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

+++

I still can’t believe I’ve finished this in two days. Two freaking days. Considering all the stuff I need to do at work, housewife duties and extra curricular activities in between? That was unbelievably fast. I must admit, I’m not a pretty fast reader since I have a whole lot going on, but this book is that wonderful I can’t put it down. I stayed practically awake late at night though I still need to be at work at eight in the morning. I thought the first book was awesome, but this one is amazing.