Review: Opal by Jennifer Armentrout

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

This series has completely put me under a spell ~ I just freakin' love it. Book three ~ you would think the story would get old by now or begin to drag just a bit, but no... Armentrout weaves her magic and we all eventually find ourselves in thankful stupor and mild book coma... Either it's her mad writing skills or our continuous swooning over Daemon Black... mm MM MM....

Let's start with the focus of this one ~ Dawson's back in town, Beth is imprisoned by the DOD, Blake's the worlds #1 asshole, and Katy's relationship with Daemon continues to grow ;). Everyone is enduring their senior year unlike normal teenagers (as much as they try otherwise), as there's the whole issue of Will still being MIA, the DOD constantly monitoring their every move, and Dawson going all spaztic trying to save the love of his life (not that I blame him). 

Daemon and Dee finally have their brother back, but he's not the same... He's half of a person without Beth, and they come face to face with the fact that they have to help Dawson get her back. The group's only option seems to be to do the unbearable ~ trust Blake... He knows the ins and outs of the compound where Beth is being kept, not to mention he's a blackmailing, backstabbing little twerp that leaves them without much of a choice. 

All that jazziness aside, Katy and Daemon's relationship simply melts your heart. They argue and get on each other's last nerve (of course) which is all a part of their charm, but their love for each other outweighs everything. If the sparks were flying before, there are practically explosions in this one ~ something that could be unbelievable frustrating at times... especially because everyone keeps interrupting them... 

They grow together and learn to trust in each other's abilities ~ something Daemon especially needs to work on with his almost smothering overprotectiveness... But it's impossible to stay frustrated with him for long, ego and all. C'mon ~ it's Daemon Black ;). 

Katy has a heavy burden of guilt to carry on her shoulders in this novel. The weight of it all almost seems like too much ~ she has a best friend who refuses to talk to her and she feels responsible for the death and pain that came to a head in the last novel. She's not a fragile little human anymore, though, and she does everything she can, despite her fears, to set things as right as they can be. She's still a bookworm at heart (*love*), but she's grown to move beyond the pages of her beloved stories. Her new, crazy world shouldn't be real, after all, and I admire her courage and strength as she stands up for herself and those she loves.

Everyone goes through changes and evolves in this novel, and it's totally refreshing ~ the author isn't afraid to take chances by flipping the switch on characters or even killing them off... It's not all unicorns and rainbows, and it's a relief to feel the reality, even in a work of fiction.

I've fallen in love with this series, and to be honest, I didn't think the idea of "aliens" would really do it for me. I was so wrong and I'm glad I gave it a shot ~ because now I'm obsessed :). I'm ecstatic to find out that the story doesn't end with the third book ~ YAY! You'd think it would drag on and on and on like some of those series that really should have ended and continue past their prime, but I really don't believe that will be the case with the Lux Series. Look forward to more :).

Five out of five stars from this reader...

Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

Gratitude Giveaway

It's that time of year, guys :). Everything is orange, brown, and red. Pumpkins and cornstalks decorate porches. People are buying turkeys and cranberries. We all get to stuff our faces and, most importantly, give thanks for all that we have. 

In celebration, I Am a Reader, Not a Writer is hosting a Gratitude Giveaway Hop ~ there's a ton of things to be thankful for here. There's a whole slew of giveaways to enter and fabulous book blogs to discover, so take a gander and get clickin'. :)

This blogger put it up to a vote to see what book it was that you wanted to see on your shelf. Didn't really surprise me which one the winner was (honestly, I would have voted for it too).

Black City by Elizabeth Richards

A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

Enter via the Rafflecopter form below, and keep scrolling for a list of links leading you to other great giveaways!!!  

Thank you for being a follower and a fellow book lover. My day would be pretty boring without this wonderful community!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(P.S. this giveaway is international. Double yay!)

Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Double Review: Obsidian and Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout

o.m.g. I finally get what all the hype is about... after visiting blog after blog containing image after image of Daemon's piercing green eyes, I finally had to give in... and I ended up devouring both of these books in the short timespan of a week.. 
After moving to West Virginia, Katy Swartz's life changes in ways she couldn't possibly imagine. Who knew life could be so exciting ~ and dangerous ~ in such a small town that barely forms a speck on the map? It's all her neighbors' doing, and she suspects and soon confirms that something isn't .... "normal"... about them..
I'll start with the storyline itself (relationships and characters aside). Aliens, secrets of their race, fear of government action, betrayal, lies, newfound trusts, and ultimately fear of the unknown ~ all elements integrated into the pages of this series. The mystery keeps you on your toes and the action thrills you to the point of gasping in disbelief. Armentrout gets every detail right, creating an easily imaginable world where anything is possible. 
And the relationships... "Oh, holy alien babies everywhere..." The tension and undeniable chemistry between Daemon and Katy is almost unbearable. It's practically ridiculous. I found my heart pounding in anticipation combined with my utter disappointment in their stubborn will to have nothing to do with each other... It's so frustrating!!! 
First up: Daemon Black.... "Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys." He's the type of guy you find yourself fantasizing about...that is, until he opens his mouth. He pulls off this persona of being completely full of himself, knowing full and well the affect he has on Katy. Self-confidence is definitely not something left to be desired with this guy... "Modesty is for saints and losers. I'm neither." But even his "horrible attitude" finds a way to be attractive. It's unreal... Because you know that underneath it all, as with most incredibly sexy and mysterious guys, he's got this huge heart he's trying to hide. "Deadly and sweet - that was what Daemon was; two very different kinds of souls rested in him, fused together." 
He meets his match when Katy moves next door, a book worm with an aptitude to put Daemon in his place. She cracks me right up with her wit and silly denial that she's attracted to her hot alien neighbor. ("hot alien neighbor"... sound so weird..) "I hated Daemon Black - if that was even his real name - with a vengeance that equaled the solar power of a thousand suns." Strong words... totally justified, but even with her said hatred, she still finds herself with wobbly knees around him. I love that even though she finds Daemon attractive (understatement of the year), she holds her ground. Katy keeps him on his toes, taking none of his shit and surprising him every chance she gets. I think it's because he has this way of getting her completely riled up, irking the hell out of her, and taking pleasure from seeing her annoyance. "My palms itched to have a close encounter of the bitch-slap kind with his face. "I dislike you so very much." LOL ~ one of my favorite quotes from the book... 
Now although I really enjoyed the antics between them, after a while I got really tired of Katy's denial. Daemon finally comes to terms with his feelings for Katy, showing her his softer side, but she still holds onto a grudge for the way he treated her before ~ like a plague to be avoided at all costs. (Although she's dealt her share of pain...) Get over it Katy! He told you why he did what he did, and he's more than made up for it... She makes some utterly stupid decisions, causing preventable chaos, and I really just kinda wanted to slap her throughout almost the entire second book, Onyx. She's redeeming herself, slowly but surely (especially with her love of books and blogging), and I can't wait to see how she grows {especially in her relationship with Daemon (; } in the third book...
Wow, now that I've gone on entirely too much about the two main characters and their dynamic... I want to say that the problems and worries that Daemon and his family have to go through are... jeez, barely survivable?... I don't know how else to put it... They are put through the ringer with the DOD and their sick surveillance. The government watches their every move and the Blacks' own people...species...whatever.. expect them to fulfill some kind of archaic responsibility (make babies) by the age of eighteen, despite what they might want for themselves. It really just... sucks, for lack of a more appropriate word. And what Daemon faces because of his feelings for Katy? They've got a lot of obstacles to look forward to... not to mention the secrets uncovered about the DOD's true goal when it comes to the Luxen... 
AHH, I ramble... I just loved these books so much that I have a lot going on in my mind about them... The characters are completely relatable, the dynamics between them hilarious, heartbreaking, and grasping. You connect to them in such a way that makes them feel real... And the writing was incredible ~ witty, fluid, and lovely to follow. I can't get enough!
Thank goodness for the novella, Shadows, and the fact that Opal, the third book in the series, releases December 11th... whew.. :)

Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

Swoon #YABound

Ahhhhh, nothing like a steamy, hot cup of meme first thing in the morning ;). The fabulous women over at YABound created this weekly tradition of swooning, and boy does it waken the senses quicker than my companionable cup of Folgers.

Who's more swoon-worthy than Daemon Black? I finally gave in to the hype and started reading the Lux novels everyone was going crazy over, and man-o-man, am I ever so stoked that I did.

My Swoon this week is plucked from Onyx by Jennifer Armenstrout...

"I don't hate you now, Kat." He stared intently into my eyes. "I'm mad at you - at myself. I'm so angry, I can taste it. I want to find Blake and rearrange parts of his body. But do you know what I thought about all day yesterday? All night? The one single thought I couldn't escape, no matter how pissed off I am at you?"

"No," I whispered.

"That I'm lucky, because the person I can't get out of my head, the person who means more to me than I can stand, is still alive. She's still there. And that's you."

mm mm mm... Daemon is hot-headed, stubborn, and completely not above kicking someone's ass ~ I wouldn't have him any other way. Because not only is he all those things, he's also a protector, the responsible one (even if his plans aren't so well thought out), and he cares more deeply than most.


What are you swooning over today?


Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine in which we book addicts talk about the books we just can't wait to get our hands on...

Here's mine this week:

Black and White by Tiffani Madison
Release Date: December 2012

Despite being jaded and disillusioned by the horrors of war, Jason Keller is profoundly grateful to be alive. After being gravely injured in the city of Ramadi, Iraq under circumstances he cannot fully remember, he is discharged from the United States Marine Corps with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Upon leaving the military hospital, Jason isolates himself in his ancestral home in Pandora, Tennessee. Far from family and friends, he undertakes recovery on his own, wanting nothing more than to be worthy of the life he has retained, working to “get right” by living a regimented routine. But his methods aren’t working, and the best he can seem to achieve is a state of numbness.

Enter Ava Taylor, a Vanderbilt college student on summer break. Born the oldest daughter to a Southern Baptist minister, she was raised in a strict religious household. Away from the academic life and close family she loves, Ava is humbly enjoying her independence. In her own way, Ava is as isolated as Jason, living as she does through her studies, with few real-life friends around.

But Pandora is a small town, and it isn’t long before Ava and Jason meet. Despite his initial attraction to her, he is determined to remain alone, and forces himself to stay away from her. She cannot stop thinking about him, but her shyness and inexperience keep her from doing anything more than that. Thrown together once more under dangerous circumstances, Jason helps Ava, to the detriment of his own resolve. She is different from anyone he has ever known and he can no longer resist or avoid her. The tentative friendship they form eases their mutual loneliness, and soon they are spending most of their free time together.

Wanting to protect Ava from the darker aspects of his past and his PTSD, Jason still keeps her at a distance; especially once he knows that what he feels for her surpasses mere friendship. Their relationship begins a path that both must equally decide to follow.

You know when you read about a book and you just get this ball of emotion in your center, and you know you have to have it? The synopsis alone gave me chills... It hits a little close to home for me as my wonderful husband served overseas in the Marine Corps.. can't wait to read it :)


AND since I can never pick just one...

Black City by Elizabeth Richards
Release Date: November 13, 2012

A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

Post-apocalyptic paranormalness? Yes, please :)


What are you waiting for?


Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~