My Week in a Wrapped #7

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

I still can’t get over the fact that one of my closest friend at work will no longer be working with me. Her contract ended last week. Sigh. Though we promised to still get in touch through text or Facebook, hang-out sometimes and did that pinky swear thing, I know it will never be the same again. I know it’s not “Goodbye”, but more of  “See you around”. Still. I feel so different without her. This week felt weird. Awkward really. It’s like I’m in this bubble alone. Sorry. I tend to be sentimental and possessive in a good way when it comes to friends or generally people I love. Sigh.

On a lighter note, I’ve met a new friend. An FBF. Fellow Bookworm Friend. I made that up and I know it sucks. LOL. Most of you knew her, I think. She’s Claudia of This is My Soul Called Life. We’ve exchanged a couple of (long) emails and I must admit that I’m loving her. She’s up to friends and not just followers. I’m surprised that she asked for us to talk outside the blogsphere since some bloggers don’t tend to be “real” friends with their followers and likers right? Don’t me give me that face. I said some, not all. 😀 I think a lot would agree with this. So there goes my week. Someone left. Someone turned up. See how life works? How’s your week? 😀

Last Week On The Blog

• My Week in a Wrapped #6
• Book Review: Crown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil
• November Random Reads
• Fusion: Currently Reading│Teaser Tuesday: Stone Cold Touch
• Waiting on Wednesday #23: Suspicion by Alexandra Monir
• The Return (Titan #1) by Jennifer Armentrout: Interview with Seth + Giveaway
• Book Beginning #5: The Beautiful Ashes
• Book Blogger Hop: November 7th-13th
• Book Review: Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements #2)

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..

My Week in a Wrapped #6

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

Nothing share worthy this past week. It has been dull. I have been on a routine (my daily routine really) like wake up, eat breakfast, go to work, come home from work, read a couple of chapters (current read), check notifications on my blog (and/or social networking accounts), do little house chores/mommy duties, try to read again and then finally go to sleep. Geez. That sucks right? LOL. No Halloween parties for me since I (still) need to work during the holidays. I only wish that I could have Christmas and New Year off from work (fingers crossed). How have you been this past week? 😀

Last Week On The Blog

• My Week in a Wrapped #5
• Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!
• The Beauty of Books Tag!
• Last Hour for the SCT Journal Giveaway: Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer Armentrout
• Teaser Tuesday #16: The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1)
• Waiting on Wednesday #22: Anomaly (Schrodinger’s Consortium #1)
• Book Review: The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1)
• Book Beginning #4: Crown of Ice
• Book Blogger Hop: Halloween Edition

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!

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.

Waiting on Wednesday #6

This week’s WOW features one of Jennifer Armentrout‘s masterpiece. I’ve already read the prequel (Bitter Sweet Love: The Dark Elements Prequel) and book one (White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1)) of this series and as I’ve wrapped up my review for the first book; The series has a lot of potential to be exceptional. Oooh. That rhymes.

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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…

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+++

I recall having issues with the first book though I like it so I truly want to read this for the redemption of my faith for Jennifer’s books. Don’t get me wrong. I love her. We have this complicated love and hate relationship really. You might want to check my reviews for the prequel and the first book so you could have an idea why.

Book Review: White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1)

Name: Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements #2)
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Number of Pages: 400 in Kindle Edition
Published: February 25th 2014 by Harlequin Teen
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Supernatural

One kiss could be the last.
Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she’s anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.
Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she’s crushed on since forever.
Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she’s not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn’t an issue, considering Roth has no soul.
But when Layla discovers she’s the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

I’ve read a lot of negative reviews about this book, before reading it, being Jennifer Armentrout’s signature concept that’s so her you know what to envisage. Doing a book review doesn’t always need to be about how good the book is. It is how you totally experienced it. I just wanted to share a specific review from Khanh, I’ve read her review through Goodreads and I quote..

Book Review: Bitter Sweet Love (The Dark Elements #0.5)

Since most of the books I’m reading were series, I’ve developed a habit of reading two to three books at a time. Not advisable, I know. Others might find it confusing, but it’s a different situation for me. I’m not really certain, but if it’s an exciting series, I won’t last long not getting and reading it though I have a current read. When I was waiting for Cress by Marissa Meyer, I’ve stumbled upon a new series by Jennifer Armentrout: The Dark Elements.

Name: Bittersweet Love (The Dark Elements #0.5)
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Number of Pages: 446 in Kindle Edition
Published: December 1st 2013 by Harlequin Teen
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Supernatural

Dez wasn’t just Jasmine’s crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny–fending off demons and maintaining the balance between good and evil. He was her everything…right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn’t help that Jas’s father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally.
And now he’s back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn’t taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart–or shatter it all over again…

Bitter Sweet Love is apparently the prequel of this series. Yeah. Crazy. It’s like an overview of the series or not the series at all but how a certain situation will turn up eventually. I hate when authors do this. Why create a prequel book if you can already start with book one? God! It’s only 105 pages. You see? Silly.