The Countess by Lynsay Sands

The Countess by Lynsay Sands was my first book by the author and I have to say, I really enjoyed it so I'm definitely looking forward to her next books! The book itself was sexy, witty, and amusing with a very engaging plot. It's slightly part mystery and romance but it fit well together. Throughout the entire story, I was clueless as to who the main culprit was, so if you like mystery with a touch of spice in the romance department in your historical romance books, then this is the one for you! Although I do have to admit that I thought the love between Christiana and Richard was rather weak. They definitely did have plenty of sexual chemistry, ahem! So I guess I just shrugged and went with it because their sexual chemistry was oh so hot.

The story starts out with an unhappy Christiana who is married to a horrible man who she fears. Her sister ends up arriving at the doorstep one day-- which of course, angers her husband. It was rather amusing as to what happened when she finds out that her husband had apparently died... so she ends up packing him in ice to preserve the body, literally! The reason why was quite simple, since her sisters were in dire need of a husband in order to access their dowry money, Christiana and her sisters decided to hide the body in order to have a scandal-free debut! This is where the fun truly begins because at that same ball, Christiana ends up meeting her husband's twin who she thinks is her dead husband come alive. This person is of course, the real Richard Fairgrave, while the one Christiana married was the evil twin named George who tried to kill Richard and impersonated him. You'll get it once you read it. Anyway, that's basically how Christiana ends up meeting Richard and how they both start to have feelings for one another. And making hot love scenes as well. *coughs*

To sum it up, I really did like the first book to this series and I can't wait for Suzette and Daniel's book, The Heiress. You pretty much get a preview of their relationship in The Countess, and I'm guessing Lisa the romantic of the sisters will end up with Langley in the 3rd book. The love scenes were sizzling and very hot, so you definitely don't want to miss that! I'll be giving this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

Rating: ★★★★★

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins is a funny and humorous book with a sudden twist that is entirely different from the norm of YA books. The story itself is about a teenage 'witch' named, Sophie Mercer, who gets into all kinds of trouble on her first day of school at the reformation school for the unnatural beings called Hecate Hall. I absolutely love how Sophie's character is so witty, sarcastic, and she's not afraid to say what she thinks without being straightforward. One her first day, she meets her crush, form three powerful enemies in the school, and ends up with a vampire who is the outcast of the school as her best friend and roommate. It's definitely a refreshing take from the normal paranormal books that I've read and I'm really loving it! Can't wait for the second installment of this series, Demon Glass.

As I've said, this book is funny and humorous but it also comes with a huge twist! I was absolutely shocked when I finished it and I'm dying to read more of what will happen to the girl named Sophie Mercer. I thought the romance between her and Archer Cross was rather cute and sad at the same time-- due to sudden development in the end. I do truly believe that he has feelings for her so I sure hope they'll somehow end up together in the end. But ah, yes. Every teenage angst book has to have a group to tortures the main heroine right? Well, in this book, you get exactly that! Hex Hall reminds me of Harry Potter meets Mean Girls who eventually meets Sabrina the Teenage Witch at the same time; it's so hilarious. But the main, MAIN villain of the story is a organization called The Eye that specializes in hunting down and wiping out the Prodigium (who are not normal beings like demons, witches, vampires, werewolves, faeries).

With that all said, I'm truly looking forward to the next book and I'm really curious as to where Sophie's adventure will lead. As for Archer, oh god. He is such a mysterious character that you can't help but fall in love with and hope that he and Sophie end up together. A big thumbs up to Rachel Hawkins because now, I'm instantly a fan! 5 out 5 stars for this lovely book.

Rating: ★★★★★

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones is a wonderful start to The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. It is a story about love, deception, betrayal, family, and friendship. I remember the first time I tried to read it, I wasn't able to get into the story line because I didn't think the plot was interesting. But thankfully, The Clockwork Angel changed all of that for me and I guess this is where it all began. I'm truly looking forward to reading more of Cassandra Clare's books and finding out how the Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments series are connected.

The story itself, is about a teenage girl named Clary Fray who is unsure of her identity in the world ever since she discovers that she is a Shadowhunter and who her real father is. Eventually, she is thrust into a world of Nephilim-- the Shadowhunters, the Downworlders-- werewolves, vampires, faeries, and even demons. But her life soon takes a turn for the worse, when she finds out that her mother was attacked by a demon and is rescued by a Shadowhunter named, Jace Wayland. I have to admit that the beginning was slow, but the author soon picks up the pace after Clary wakes up to find herself inside of the Institute where the Shadowhunters resides and meets Isabelle, Alex, and Jace. From the very beginning, I always knew that there was something special about Jace. He oddly reminds me of Will Herondale from The Clockwork Angel... so that must be a BIG clue as to who his parents are later in the books. I'll just have to wait and find out!

Let's take a deeper look on the characters of The Mortal Instruments series, shall we? Clary Fray is not only a tough heroine but she is also full of wit and backbone. She's not afraid to talk back to Jace and I absolutely love the chemistry between the two. Jace believes that she is beautiful, even if she doesn't know it, and I think that is the reason why he is attracted to her. As for Jace Wayland himself, he is sexy, sarcastic, and I have to say, a very intriguing character. And the ending of the book, holy cow. Another big betrayal and deception coming from the one and only Valentine. I never would have guessed it but I definitely refuse to believe that is true!

To sum up this review, this series has earned a place on my pedestal of books and I'm truly looking forward to reading more of these books. I can't believe I waited this long to start this series but hey, it's better late than never!

Rating: ★★★★★

The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

My response after finishing The Clockwork Angel: "What the, nooo!" Wow, I'm not really sure I have any words to say after finishing this wonderful book. The fact that I decided to read the this before The Mortal Instruments series might have made me confused in the beginning, but after reading the book, I began to feel as if this series is truly connected to its decessor. I'm not going to be biased and say that this series is better than Cassandra Clare's first series since I haven't read it yet, meaning there is nothing for me to compare. But I think overall, this book was truly good. It was exciting, mysterious, and rather shocking when the true villain was revealed. I also sense a love triangle so I'm looking forward to that and Will's secret!

I admit that the beginning of the book was a tad bit boring and slow. But soon, the plot picks up right after Tessa gets rescued by Will from the Dark Sisters and readers get a sense of what the plot behind this book is all about. Tessa is an essential asset to something, but it has something to do with her shape-shifting powers and that the Magister wants to possess her. Throughout the entire book, Tessa begins to question her heritage and why exactly she is the way she is. There is no answer for that yet, but hopefully in the next upcoming books, there will be. As for the other characters, I did mention that I find Will Herondale to be an interesting character. I'm pretty sure that Will will become Tessa's love interest, but also Jem as well. Although something tragic must have happened to him in the past... which is why he often tries to build up a wall between himself and Tessa. Jem will also probably be an important character later on in the books because in my opinion, he is the nicer counterpart of Will. And last but not least, the villains. I never would have guessed but I always sensed that it was much more than that and I guess I was right.

Overall, this was truly a great start to The Infernal Devices series and I'm anticipating for the next book, The Clockwork Prince. The ending of the book was a cliff-hanger so I can't wait to see what will happen next!

Rating: ★★★★★

Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward

Lover Awakened was a book full of action, love, redemption, death, and even acceptance. From the very beginning of the series, we all knew there was something about Zsadist that was special... and now in this third installment of the series, readers finally get to see a part of their answer as to what truly happened to Zsadist in his past, and how one girl awakened him in the end. I absolutely adore Zsadist in this book and the quote, "I was dead until you found me, though I breathed. I was sightless, though I could see. And then you came...and I was awakened..." totally proves how much he redeemed himself through love. It was heartbreaking to read how unworthy and dirty he thought he was, compared to Bella, and how he thought that he didn't deserved her love. I thought this book was special because even though the two main characters did have some sex scenes, it wasn't as often as much as Dark Lover and Lover Eternal. There was actually a story to be read and I loved how even though Zsadist thought he was unworthy of Bella, there wasn't anything he could do to stop himself from doing so.

I remember I didn't really have a good impression of Zsadist in the beginning because he was always described as heartless, cruel, and his eyes were pit black-- meaning he had no soul. But of course, his book obviously changed my impression of him from a heartless hero into a tortured one. Throughout the entire book, Zsadist had lost everything, including his feelings, because of his past as a slave. Thankfully, his nalla will save him, and that person is Bella! She's courageous for going through what that lesser did to her and very kind when it comes to Zsadist. Though I'm still not entirely sure why she loves Zsadist, I did like her character since she's waaay better than Beth in my opinion. *coughs* But I do think the reason why she loves Zsadist, is because she sees the person inside of him instead of the person that he wants everybody else to see. All tortured heroes are like that, and that's why we love 'em! The romance between was rather heart-wrenching to read because of how Zsadist often compared himself to Phury, saying stuff like Phury is his better counterpart. I wanted to shake him and tell Zsadist that no! Bella is your fated one, your mate, and no one else can take that position.

I admit that I thought John's role to be rather... dreary and boring. Hopefully it will get better, but I did love the interactions that he had with Zsadist. It was just too cute to ignore! As for the deaths, wow. That was a real surprise to me because I never thought that Wellsie will end up dying. God, poor Tohr. Once you lose your soulmate, I truly don't know if you can find another one. That was a tragic lost that I did not expect at all. As for Phury, even though I did find him to be irritating at first because I shipped Bella and Zsadist all the way, I did understand his position. I don't think he ever truly "loved" Bella, it was more like he thought he was because he didn't want to lose his brother. His entire life, Phury has always blamed himself for what had happen to Zsadist, so Zsadist is pretty much everything to him. And without him, there really wasn't a reason to live anymore. And last but not least, O. I would have to raise my eyebrows for this guy because he is one evil and sadistic villain. Damn, there are just no words for the things that this guy has done and I am glad that he is dead.

To sum up this very long and very loveable book that I'll probably keep forever, J.R. Ward is definitely one talented writer because I had high expectations for this book and she didn't let me down. It was heartwarming to see Bella and Zsadist get their HEA, along with Nalla in the epilogue of the book. Zsadist himself, has changed so much and I truly look forward to more of the brothers' books. Butch is up next, so go get Marissa you idiot!

Rating: ★★★★★

Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward

Rhage, my man. Dude, you are amazing! This book was a HUGE improvement from the first book because I didn't want to run over both the H/hr. I loved Rhage and I really liked Mary. Their romance was just bittersweet as I thought it would be and I'm truly glad that everything worked out in the end between them. In the second installment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, we get an inside look on Rhage who is known as Hollywood because of his beautiful features. But of course, there is much more to him than meets the eye besides being beautiful, sexy, and funny. And like any brother, Rhage is also very dangerous as well.

The relationship between Mary and Rhage was actually unique to me. Part of the reason was because of a boy name John Matthew and another character was also introduced in this book, Bella. These two will be important characters later on in the series! Anyway, the reason why I thought that their meeting was unique is because Rhage was attracted to Mary because of her voice instead of her beauty. Oddly enough, Vishous has a vision that Rhage would meet his mate soon... hint hint. Mary's voice has a soothing effect on Rhage and soon after that, he tries to go after her. But of course, with any romance, there is some sort of conflict right? For Rhage, it is the beast inside of him. And as for Mary, it is her sickness and the fact that she might not be able to live long enough. In the end, there is only one question. Will Mary be able to survive and be with Rhage forever?

To sum it all up, I thought this was a great book full of vivid characters, writing, and a fascinating plot! Rhage was such a sweet guy and I absolutely adore him for that. His love for Mary was truly incredible, even if they only just met. But from the first meeting to the first touch, you could tell that they were meant for one another. In the end, this book is a must read so I'll be giving this a 5 out 5 stars.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. I loved the plot, the characters, but I'm definitely not feeling Beth and Wrath. I feel as if their romance was flawed because there wasn't any true development in it... I guess this is my morals speaking again, but hey. You don't have sex with someone you just met / stranger, who just broke into your house, even if you suddenly feel a wave of lust on you. Haha! I mean I thought she hated men dude, so you can't blame me for thinking that. It's kind of sad how I'm even more interested in the other characters, especially the relationship between Buch and Marissa, than Beth and Wrath. But either way, this was still a good foundation for the first book of the series. This book was definitely one fascinating read and a good start for the Black Dagger Brotherhood series!

I admit that the sex was hot between the two and there were some moments where things got pretty emotional, but I truly don't see the love. Something must be wrong with me! I enjoyed the comic relief between the brothers AND the beginning of a wonderful friendship between Butch, and Vishous. It was rather very funny and cute seeing them becoming friends when the other brothers wanted to kill Butch.

To sum it all up, I did find this book to be enjoyable, but it could have been better in my opinion. Soo, I shall definitely be looking forward to the rest of the book in the series! I'll be giving this one a 4 stars.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Hard and Fast by Erin McCarthy

And I thought Flat-Out Sexy was hot. This one is SMOKIN' hot, lol. I absolutely love the relationship between Ty and Imogen in this one. Yeah, I have a thing for opposite atrractions. Who would have thought that Imogen, the shy and intellect girl with glasses would be able to win the hunk, Ty McCordle. I really enjoyed this book because it was cute, funny, and very sexy. Definitely looking forward to more from this author and this series!

When we were first introduced to Ty in Flat-Out Sexy, he was characterized as a person who didn't care much about love or relationships. I mean heck, he did date Nikki afterall. But after meeting Imogen Wilson, everything pretty much changed and it all started bcause he couldn't pronounce her name right; calling her names such as Emma Jean, and even Engine. Imogen has always had a crush on Ty when she first met him and throughout the entire book, she tries to deny the fact that she might be falling in love with him because they were complete opposites. She never thought that a man like Ty, would never even notice her... until one unexpected rainy day, fate gave her a chance.

I absolutely love the romance between Imogen and Ty because I'm not really sure what their relationship first started out was! They were both extremely attracted to one another until finally, everything broke loose and they started having sex and then came the relationship. I don't exactly think that their relationship was called "friends with benefits" at first, but more like the first stages of dating. The moments that they had together was both sexy and very sweet at the same time. Not to mention their first time making love and many others to come! Whoo, was it steamy and hot. As for Ty's big secret, I don't think it was too bad. The ending had some complications between the two, but everything worked out in the end. :)

In all, I did find this book to be a very satisfying read. The heroine was smart, witty, and original in her own way. The hero was sexy, also witty in his own way because he often had many sexual innuendos, and funny. I loved this book and I'm definitely looking forward to reading Suzanne's book with Ryder! I'll be giving this one a 5 stars~

Rating: ★★★★★