Claimed by J.R. Ward

After taking a break from J.R. Ward and the BDB series since The Shadows, I was curious enough about her new series featuring shifters/wolves. However, it still takes place in the same world as the BDB. In this latest series, we're introduced to two new characters: Lydia Susi and Daniel Joseph. I found them relatable and different from Ward's past characters. Lydia was passionate but frustrated about her work as a researcher at Wolf Study Project due to various problems including an incompetent director, the building of a luxury spa resort next to the wildlife preserve, poisoned wolves, and a murder case that might lead directly to the wolves. In contrast, Daniel had his own secrets and was portrayed as someone who moved around a lot and never planned on sticking to one place for long. Lydia was attracted to him since the beginning but kept her distance because they were worked together.

At times, I felt like the romance between Lydia and Daniel took a backseat to the mystery behind what was happening to the wolves. There were intimate glances and certainly chemistry between the two but it took some time before they finally got together. It was definitely a slow burn that kept getting stronger and stronger towards the end. I did find it interesting that both characters had secrets since Daniel was keeping a major one from Lydia. As always, Ward has a tendency to focus on the world-building and this took the center stage as she provides us background and context through multiple points of view. It was also nice to see character cameos from the BDB series including Xhex and John, Qhuinn and Blaylock, as well as Rhevenge and more. It made me want to catch up to Ward's original series and see what was happening to its characters.

In the end, Claimed had plenty of twists and shocking revelations that will have you excited for more to come from this series. This book also had plenty of twists and shocking revelations that will most likely contribute to the overall world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Although the romance took awhile for me to be invested, I still appreciated that slow burn between Lydia and Daniel. They were strangers that eventually turned into friends and lovers. I did thoroughly enjoy their love story and thought their scenes together were very sexy. I'm a fan of those intimate glances and moments when characters catch each other's eyes and then look away. I look forward to seeing what J.R. Ward has in store for this series next!

*This ARC was generously provided by the author and publisher for an honest review*

Rating: ★★★★☆

Black Sunshine by Karina Halle

Black Sunshine is Karina Halle's first attempt at a vampire romance and I can honestly say that it was an enjoyable but mixed bag overall. There were parts of the book that really intrigued me but fell flat for some. Unfortunately, the story falls under the traps of the genre with a heroine who is special but makes some irrational and stupid mistakes that ends up hurting others. She also falls under love/lust with the "anti-hero" of the book who I personally did not like at first but he did grow on me.

"You're worth more to me than anything they could give me in exchange."

Lenore Warwick is the main heroine of this book and she is special because of her mixed blood. I thought the prologue was absolutely fantastic. Black Sunshine starts off with an assassination attempt that is wrapped up in revenge. This starts off a chain of events that will eventually lead to Lenore meeting Absolon Stavig. What I found interesting about this is that Lenore doesn't remember anything about her past and who her real parents are. Furthermore, Lenore is hunted because of her special blood. I thought the Black Sunshine, the mysterious dimension eerily similar to hell, was an interesting concept!

"I just wanted Solon, in every way I could get him. Even if it's not what he wanted."

Now, let's talk about the part of the book that I actually did like—the romance. Lenore and Solon's relationship was a push and pull, hot and cold. Not only is he much older than her but there is something about him you can't help hate and love. I have to forewarn that there is a scene that might be triggering to some. It happens when Lenore went through her transition and the one helping her was not Solon. In the end, Lenore and Solon had amazing chemistry and their love scenes were very sexy. There were parts of the world-building that interested me but could be more fleshed out. The romance could also have benefited from more angst and emotion. I felt like I was looking at Lenore and Solon's romance on the side instead of being there with them. Anyway, I would love to read future books featuring Wolf, Amethyst, and Ezra. If you love vampire romances with a sexy as sin hero who is both cruel and cold but can be "saved" by the heroine, then this is the book for you!

*This ARC was generously provided by the author and publisher for an honest review*

Rating: ★★★★☆

Lion by Amber R. Duell & Candace Robinson

I've been wanting to read this prequel ever since I first heard about this series. The Faeries of Oz is a twisted take on the Wizard of Oz and I cannot be more excited! This one features LION and his betrayal of Oz and in a sense, Dorothy as well. He is siding with a witch named Langwidere who collects heads to adorn. I would actually like to know more background information about Lion and Langwidere. These are the not the same characters we all know and love. What has happened since Dorothy left Oz? During this time, Lion has been wanting and waiting for something more.

"Lion didn’t want power for himself—that was too much responsibility—he simply wanted to be close to power. To be needed and important now that he had the courage to become someone of note. He only hoped it would be worth it."

With Oz losing his mind, Lion has decided to become Langwidere's executioner and lover. I am both disgusted and intrigued. She is cruel, narcissistic, and power-hungry. Lion has dedicated himself to become Langwidere's "knight" and she his queen. I was shocked by the love scenes. While not explicit, they were done very tastefully.

"She thought about her original head, the one she’d burned to ash once she’d collected her first prize to replace the old. The kill had come from a fae before the female was to be married, already dressed in a white gown."

It's incredibly interesting and I can't wait to read TIN which features Dorothy and the Tin Man as the main characters. In the end, I thought this was a great "Halloween" creepy read because Langwidere is HEADLESS. She kills female fae for their heads. The reason why I'm so incredibly excited for TIN this December is because Lion has now set his eyes on obtaining Dorothy's head for Langwidere.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews

Right off the bat, I just want to say that I never thought I would be reading a book about HUGH. I mean, he was one of the "antagonists" in the Kate Daniel's series. It's hard to not hold a grudge but I think... Ilona and Gordon have managed to make me (and I'm sure several others) a fan. I no longer "hate" or despise Hugh for what he did. He's still an asshole but he's also become more human in my eyes. Not to mention Elara is his perfect half; their chemistry is hilarious and HOT. Anyway, I'll go further in-depth on what I thought about the story, characters, and romance in this review.

Story: While the story did start off pretty slow, it eventually picks up once Hugh meets Elara, our new heroine so to speak. Unlike Kate's book, Iron and Magic is written in third person. We don't exactly know the full extent of Hugh or Elara's minds but we do know enough. Hugh has been cut off from Roland and he is not the same person who once was. Not only is he miserable but also broken as well. He has lost the will to go on until the Iron Dogs, those who are loyal to Hugh, persuade him to make a move or else they will all die by the hands of Roland's men. By moving on, he eventually meets Elara and her people.

Romance: What I loved most about Hugh and Elara's relationship is that it starts out very unconventional. They absolutely hate each other's guts but are forced to marry each other for the sake of their own people's safety. What we all don't realize until much later on is that their mutual hatred for each other has turned into a deep attraction between the two. Hugh loves taunting and fighting Elara and I'm quite certain she feels the same way. He doesn't feel broken whenever he's with her and instead feels electrified by it. It almost reminds me of Nevada and Rogan's (from the Hidden Legacy series) relationship when they were in their early stages. I never expected to root for Hugh but I'm definitely rooting for him now and his relationship with Elara!

Characters: There were a lot of new characters in this book, some old and new, and also a few unexpected cameos (Raphael, Andrea, Ascanio!!!) Kate was also mentioned a couple of times in this book and I honestly got goosebumps. Fans of the Kate Daniel's series should know that Kate's story is ending very soon so this can be counted as a prequel of sorts to the final book. Anyway, I look forward to getting books/stories for the new characters since I do see an attraction between one of the Iron Dogs and Elara's friend/close confidant, Stoyan and Johanna.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though it took me awhile to read and review it. I can't wait to see where Hugh's story will lead because Elara is a very special being. I'm not too entirely sure what she is but... she is very powerful and ancient. Even Hugh is unsure and that says a lot. However, the fact that Hugh is willing to try for their marriage is already an amazing thing, especially when they never wanted each other in the first place. I highly recommend this book for fans of Ilona Andrews and the Kate Daniel's series.

* This book was generously provided by Netgalley for an honest review. 

Rating: ★★★★☆

In the Air Tonight (Sisters of the Craft #1) by Lori Handeland

In the Air Tonight is the first installment in the Sisters of the Craft series, as well as my first read by author Lori Handeland, and it is an exceptional one. Handeland's world building, development of her characters, in addition to the mystery revolving around the cult group trying to murder female witches makes for a very interesting story. Although the romance wasn't very profound, I enjoyed Raye and Bobby's interactions. Their attraction to each other felt real and believable.

Individually, Raye and Bobby are awesome characters as they are both independent with a mysterious past. Raye was an enjoyable character with a strong personality and humor who who lives in the moment while Bobby is damaged hero because of his pastis and protective of those he cares about. I truly sympathized with him and Raye realizes what makes him who he is early on. In any case, the book revolves around a huge murder mystery of a witch hunting group who has been killing numerous females who may or may not be witches around the country. I actually enjoyed this part of the book a lot because it had action and plenty of suspense. I guess you could categorize this book as more fiction than romance, but either way, it does have romance between two interesting and realistic characters.

Initially, I thought some of the dialogue between the characters were rather stunted as a result of the constant switch between first person narrative and third person. Of course, I eventually got used to the format and didn't prevent me from enjoying the book but it was definitely weird at first. I had never read anything with format before so I was actually surprised by it. Raye is of course in first person while Bobby and everybody else were told in third person.

To sum things up, I thought In the Air Tonight was a strong debut in Lori Handeland's new series and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book about Raye's sister, Becca Carstairs in Heat of the Moment.

This arc was kindly provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ★★★★☆

The Shadows by J.R. Ward

* * * This review will contain major spoilers * * *

Many hours later, I'm still grieving over the loss and this darn book. The Shadows had me crying from start to finish and I honestly still can't wrap my mind over what just happened. The last 20% had me bawling and I was literally a mess! I've been looking forward to Trez and Selena's story ever since Lover's At Last when they first met and started to fall in love. To have everything end this way devastates me. They were the one couple who deserved the most happiness; and instead, all they got were a few days to enjoy what life had to offer. You can literally feel the love Selena and Trez had for one another while reading this book and just thinking of it now brings me to tears. So no, I am still definitely not okay. But yeah, you'll definitely be needing a box of tissues for this installment. My eyes are still sore from crying, sighs.

Besides iAm, there were a few characters who have played and who will eventually play a bigger role in future books: Layla, Xcor, Rhage, Paradise ( Blood Kiss ), and Assail. Layla and Xcor's relationship made me so mad and sad at the same time. They've been dancing around each other for awhile and in this book, things do escalate a bit. But what Xcor decided to do in the end? God, it made me want to throw a table. Rhage was actually featured a lot throughout the book and it's no surpise that Ward has decided to write the next BDB book about him. Yay! Paradise was introduced in this book and unfortunately, I didn't really care for her even though she does seem like a likeable heroine. Maybe I'll like her a lot better later on. She was just overshadowed by Trez and Selena's story. Assail.... I don't even know what he wants at this point. Just go get your girl back. You're becoming a shadow of yourself and getting into even more dangerous situations all for the sake of your business empire.

As for iAm, he does get his happy ending and it comes in the form of the s'Hibe. While looking for a cure for Selena, iAm comes across a maid named maichen and there is an instant attraction. What she reveals to both readers and iAm will change the course of the entire story forever in future books. Although I was happy for iAm (and I still am), I felt like his story was pushed to the back burner in comparison to Trez. Lots of instalust happening, which was really not fair to fans who have been eagerly waiting for his love story. Hopefully, Ward will resolve this issue because I just can't believe that Trez's beloved QUEEN is gone. I don't want this to be the end. I don't like the fact that Selena will be waiting for Trez in the Fade. Why?! Selena never wanted to die and she never wanted to leave him behind. In the end, I personally believe this book had a tragic ending instead of a happy one. iAm will always feel guilty that he got to live with his mate while his brother lost his one true love. If this is the payment Trez had to pay for everything iAm has done and suffered for him, then it's too high of a price. Even though this book broke my heart into tiny little pieces, Trez and Selena's story deserved no less than 5 stars. They will forever go down as one of my favorite and most heartbreaking couples.

Rating: ★★★★★

Raphael by D.B. Reynolds

* * * This review may contain spoilers * * *

I can't believe it took me this long to read this series and author. Although I did just find out about her last week so I guess better late than never! I'm not even sure where to begin, to be honest. I absolutely adore Cyn and Raphael! I don't believe their relationship was instalust or too fast. It was gradual and slow-paced. The action didn't slow down or overshadow the romance at all! The story was both interesting and exciting. At one point, I was scared for Cyn because she tends to end up in the most dangerous situations. Thankfully, she is no damsel in distress!

CYNTHIA LEIGHTON. Cyn had characteristics I always look for in a heroine: strong, bad ass, confident, witty, and passionate. As a powerful Vampire Lord, Raphael has never met anyone like Cyn before. She fascinates and intrigues him to the point that he decides he wants her for himself. Of course, Cyn tries her best to resist his efforts and I absolutely commend her for that. They had amazing chemistry and the sexual tension between the two was palpable. When Cyn realizes her love for Raphael, my heart broke for her because she comes to the realization that he isn't ready for that kind of commitment yet. It's obvious that Raphael has strong feelings for Cyn, but as someone who has never experienced love before, he's scared.

RAPHAEL. As the story progresses, Reynolds does give her readers a few glimpses of Raphael's past and boy, is it tragic. Not spoiling anything, but this first book is about Raphael's search for his sister, Alexandra, after she was kidnapped by someone he thought trusted. I actually didn't connect with Raphael right away, but as I continued to read more, he grew on me. Like Cyn, he is a strong, powerful, arrogant, and passionate character but also very dangerous. He can be merciful, but one of his people betrays him, he won't hesitate to kill them. Total bad ass, I tell ya!

Raphael is the first book to the Vampires in America series by D.B. Reynolds and it's a strong one. This book ends with a cliffhanger and the story continues in Jabril so I definitely recommend you read that one straight after. I personally loved Jabril more since Raphael and Cyn's relationship gets tested, becomes even more intense, and is fleshed out more. Overall, I highly recommend this series!

Rating: ★★★★★

BOOK SPOTLIGHT : Demonica / Lords of Deliverance by Larissa Ione

I don't usually write updates on this blog considering it's where I usually write reviews... but I'm trying something new and I'd like to be more active on it. So I recently finished the Demonica series by Larissa Ione and I still can't believe it's over! Well, okay, it's not really over. Larissa Ione announced on her website that she will be writing a spinoff of the series for the next generation! Meaning the children of the main characters in the Demonica series. How exciting is that?! Here's the link to 'Not the End.' Meanwhile, we still have Hades to get excited for this May. ;)

The King by J.R. Ward

** 4.5 'LONG LIVE THE KING' STARS **

I guess I'm part of the unpopular opinion when it comes to wanting to read more about Trez and Selena, Assail and Sol, and Xcor and Layla. Although I intentionally thought the book was going to be ONLY about Wrath and Beth, I'm still super satisfied with how things turned out. Personally, I thought Beth and Wrath had enough parts throughout the entire book! Besides, how can you not love the other couples?! My feelings and emotions were literally all over the place when it came to those three couples. All in all, I thought the WARDen did a wonderful job with this one. Also, I freaking loved Beth's sense of humor!

Wrath and Beth
From the very beginning I have always thought their romance went a little bit too smoothly and in The King, their relationship definitely takes a turn. It's not always easy watching a couple you love and root for fight one another but it's necessary for them in order to grow stronger. Beth has been wanting a child after spending much of her time with Layla and Nalla (Bella and Z's child). However, Wrath just does not want to lose his mate to childbirth! Furthermore, Wrath is still struggling to come to terms with his blindness as well as a whole mess of other things like his recent assassination attempt from the Band of Brothers and the Council's insistence on his throne as the King.

Assail and Marisol
God, these two broke my heart. Not sure if I'm the only one, but I'm one of the few who actually liked reading about Assail and Sol. What happened to Sol was absolutely horrible. Kidnapping and attempted rape? That can seriously devastate and haunt anyone forever. Assail pretty much went psycho crazy just trying to find her, while leaving a trail of bodies on the way of course. I don't know about you, but Assail reminds me of Rhevenge in a way. He pretty much took over Rhev's "job" as a drug dealer. Oh, and when Assail realized that he loves Sol? It just took my breath away! I'm already tearing up just thinking about it. It's so obvious that these two have FEELINGS for one another but sadly they're not acting on it. And the way the WARDen left these two? Damn it, I need to know! Will Sol and Assail ever be reunited again? I certainly hope so![Will Sol and Assail ever be reunited again? I certainly hope so! (hide spoiler)]

Trez and Selena / iAm
What a complicated situation these two have. Don't get me wrong, I still love reading about these two but damn it, I just can't help but wish the best for them. Trez has his whole issue with the s'Hibe on his back while Selena has her "problem." I can't out dish too many spoilers, but it's not good. I've been interested and probably invested in their relationship since the last book, Lover At Last. Both certainly have problems of their own in addition to their growing feelings for one another. The WARDen gives us a glance at what these two and their chemistry can possibly become but... like I've said before, Trez has a lot of problems and he doesn't feel worthy of Selena. I am so happy that the next book will be about Trez and iAm! (x) And how can I possibly forget about iAm?! He is one of the most loyal, amazing, funny, and precious character ever. As the complete opposite of Trez, he is almost always calm and rational. Plus, I find his relationship with Beth's cat to be hilarious. After everything with Trez, he definitely needs his own happy ending!

Xcor and Layla
Although Xcor has done a lot of horrible things, I can't help but like him. Especially when he's with Layla. He's in love with her. I'm not sure about Layla, but I think she has some sort of feeling towards him. These two didn't get as much attention as I had wanted but I'm positive that their relationship with will become more important in the long run. I thought Layla's deal with Xcor was rather interesting. Xcor seems to be done with the throne but I'm just not sure about Throe? I'm actually surprised Xcor agreed to it in the first place because he's so in love with Layla. But because he has such low self-esteem, he's taking whatever he can get of Layla. Throe will most likely play a key role in the future books because of his reaction towards Xcor and Layla.

Rating: ★★★★★

Immortal Rider by Larissa Ione

First book review of the new year! 

I'm not sure why, but I didn't like this one as much as I did when I read Ares' book. Limos was a great heroine- until her lies started catching up to her. The more she continued to lie, the more guilt festered and the worser she became. I initially liked her relationship with Arik and was actually interested in it... but in the end, I thought it was okay. It was nice seeing past characters again and I enjoyed reading about Shade and Runa. I would actually like to re-read their story again. Wait no, probably the entire Demonica series again because I've mostly forgotten certain details and etcetera.

I personally found Reaver and his relationship with Harvester to be quite fascinating. His dirty little secret was interesting because it further hints of his desires towards Harvester and future books of course. (Which obviously came true!) Although he'll most likely want to kill her first after what she did to him. I also liked Thanatos and Regan's burgeoning romance despite it ending in disaster. *SPOILER ALERT* I'm still pissed at you, Regan! You better redeem yourself because forcing yourself on Thanatos was just NO. That was really stupid on the Aegis' part.[You better redeem yourself because forcing yourself on Thanatos was just NO. That was really stupid on the Aegis' part. (hide spoiler)] *END SPOILER* Pestilence, aka Reseph, continues to be number one asshole material and villain who should just die in a fire or get pushed off a cliff. I'm mildly joking, of course; but seriously, he needs to be good again! I hate what he's doing to his siblings and would like to see a glimpse of the person he was before he became evil. I mean we do get a few teases and hints but I want more!

In the end, while I didn't enjoy this one as much, Larissa Ione continues to deliver! I'm really looking forward to reading Thanatos' book and then Reseph's and Reaver's. I doubt Thanatos will forgive Regan for what she did right away. It's definitely going to be interesting.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I bloody freaking loved this book!

I knew Alex was "special" for a reason and I'm glad that I was able to guess what she is. Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout is basically the love child of the Vampire Academy series and the Percy Jackson series. I'm not even joking. Alexandria Andros is the heroine of this series and let me just tell you this: She is KICK ASS, funny, witty, and is also extremely relatable. I felt so much sympathy for her throughout the entire book... but at the same time, I wanted her to grow stronger and become something amazing!

Aiden St. Delphi happens to be Alex's love interest and oh boy, was it definitely forbidden. The forbidden love stems from the fact that these characters live in a world where they are descendants of Greek Gods. Aiden is a pure-blood while Alex is a half-blood. Half-bloods are those who are born from mortal and pure-blood parents and there is a law that forbids half-bloods from romancing with pure-bloods. So yes, forbidden love factor? Check! It's very similar to Rose and Dimitri's situation from The Vampire Academy series. But even though I did love Aiden and Alex's chemistry together... the one character whom I'm actually very intrigued about is no other than SETH! Oh man. I know, I know. Not another love triangle again, right?! Well.... this is actually different and you will eventually see why. A love that is FATED or one that is FORBIDDEN. I wonder who Alex will pick in the end.

The thing I loved most about this book was the many twists and surprises throughout the book. It kept me very interested and wanting more! (view spoiler)[The fact that Alex's mom turned out to be NOT dead was a huge surprise for me. She had become a daimon instead. (hide spoiler)] Daimons are beings that had originated as pure-bloods... but because they chose to drink the Aether (I suppose it's a special elixir in the blood) from either the pure-bloods or half-bloods, they essentially become "monsters." Monsters with incredible strength and magic. I'm not going to go into much detail, but there is a school where half-bloods and pure-bloods attend so that they can fight and destroy daimons. After being attacked by a daimon, Alex decides to go back to the covenant and try to train herself to become a Sentinel.

Overall, I'm truly glad that I was able to read this book. I am definitely hooked! The Covenant series is everything that I've wanted in a YA novel and more. I am not disappointed and I highly recommend this book! Looking forward to the next book, Pure, and I can't wait for Deity in November!

Rating: ★★★★★

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor is a book about demons, angels, and magic. It's about finding out your true purpose in life (well, more like Karou’s purpose) is, reincarnation, and finding the love of your life again. This book is the true definition of star-crossed lovers. Karou was a kick-ass heroine from the very beginning, whose side is with the chimaera (demons), versus Akiva whose allegiance belongs with the angels. A war has been going on between these two races for thousands of years and now the angels are back. Karou and Akiva meet under unexpected circumstances where he attacks and injures her on one of her errands. And there, begins the raveling of Karou’s unique relationship with Akiva.

I absolutely loved this book. It was so heartbreaking and beautifully wrapped in one marvelous package. It almost reminded me of The Night Circus by Erin Morgernstern because this author's prose was that good! I honestly can't comprehend how gorgeous the writing was. The secret to Karou's past was both mind-blowing and so bittersweet. I can't condemn Akiva for doing what he did... but I also can't forgive him for doing that to Karou. I'm really interested as to where Laini Taylor will lead her story next. The ending will definitely leave you breathless and heartbreak because that's exactly how I felt. I refuse to spoil anything further because you will see the greatness of this book when you read it.

Definitely recommended to all YA readers and fans of paranormal romance. I even recommend it to those who hate reading novels about angels because this book will change your mind. I absolutely guarantee it!

Rating: ★★★★★