Eternal Eden

The first time that I read this book was in July of 2011. I had just learned of what an Indy Author was a few months before and completely fell in love with what they did. 

I first came across Eternal Eden by chance. I didn't know of Nicole Wiliams or her work. So when I bought the book, I thought "Oh what the hell, why not give her a try if she's brave and willing to put her work out there." 

Since then, she has become one of my most favorite authors. 

I enjoyed Bryn's character, but not as much as William Hayward. She's had a pretty rough life as of recent, what with loosing her parents the same night that she had been shot. So she decides to move from Stanford University to a no name college in Oregon. There she tries to live a pretty low-level life where she can just blend in and hide and go through with the motions. 

She happens to meet William, and she KNOWS that there is more to him. From their very first encounter, she tries to run the opposite way because she's not sure of anything in her life. But William being who or more of what he is, he doesn't know how to give up.

"His eyes found me without searching the room, as if he knew exactly who I was and where I'd be." 

"I shivered - no doubt because I was still chilled - and tried to turn my eyes away. They wouldn't be deterred, something was overriding my system and keeping them grounded on him."

I absolutely loved how their relationship developed. They grew a friendship before they could move forward. It was rather sweet. 

"I promised I'd tell you when I found something big enough for me to make another change in my life... I've found it."

"As have I."

I loved their love story. It's one of my most favorite ones. It's one that has stuck with me through time. I've gone back and re-read it several times since the first time. But what is great, is that every time that I read it, I fall in love even more with the characters. 

Gates of Thread and Stone

I was completely enthralled when I started reading this book. So much so that I couldn't put it down. I finished it in one day. 

Lori M. Lee does a great job in creating and describing this magical world. I was actually able to picture and imagine where the characters were and what they were doing. 

We start off by meeting Kai who seems to be a pretty girl, but is different. She relies on her brother Reev, and the way that she describes it is that she can't seem to be alone. She depends on him. There's a reason for that though. He found her on the side of a river when she was 8 years old. She has no memories, and doesn't know where she comes from, or who she is. All she knows is that this 16 year old boy basically adopted her and took care of her. 

I absolutely admire her. The love and loyalty that she showed for her brother was amazing. She was brave enough to wander out into the Void looking for her brother, without knowing what to expect. I love how her character grew in this book. There were some times when I wanted to smack some sense into her. 

Then we meet Avan. He's maybe a year older than her and absolutely beautiful. He and Kai seem to form some kind of friendship. He's nice enough to her. And aside from Reev, he's the only other friend that she has. He decides to join her in her travels. At first I was confused as to why he would do such a thing. But go over it rather quickly. I did want something to happen between those two. There were so many missed opportunities, that I couldn't handle it. 

I do have to say that he does a great job in being there for Kai, no matter what. He protects her and has her back through out all of their trials. I think I wanted to smack him more than Kai though. In her defense, she's naive when it comes to the whole relationship thing. I mean, she's never even been kissed. But Avan, I mean, he's as experienced as anyone his age can be, and some. 

That twist in the ending is what I'm having issues with. I can assume that anyone else that may have read this book will be siding with me on this. I mean, come on. 

The problem that I have is that I have to wait until March of 2015 to read the next book. I'm anxious to see where Lori takes us with this book. The decisions that will have to be made, most importantly by Kai will be interesting. 

In case you didn't know, the next book will be titled The Infinite. 

The Law of Moses

Amy Harmon has done it again! Do I really need to say anymore? If you've read any of her other work, then you know that she's an amazing writer. 

If you know me, then you know that I have professed my love for her work. She's one of my go-to authors. She's also one that I have learned to One-Click and Pre-Order because I know that she will not disappoint me. 

I actually waited a couple of days to sit down and write my review for this book. I wanted to make sure that my feelings and emotions had settled. 

"This is the story of love with no end... though it took me a while to get there. 

If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear." 

That's what she gives us in the Prologue. I took tentative steps after I read this. I knew that whatever she gave us would be good, I just didn't know what the journey would be to get the great. 

The book is separated into two parts. And it alternates between Georgia and Moses' characters. Which I thought was great!

We start off with Georgia telling us about Moses' story. He was a "crack baby", and if that doesn't tug at your heart, then I don't know what will.  

"People love babies, even sick babies. Even crack babies. But babies grow up to be kids. Nobody really wants messed up kids."

We get his back story, which totally breaks my heart. I wanted to crawl into the book and just hold that little boy and tell him that someone cared for him.

We also get to know Georgia a little bit. She's a strong and beautiful smart girl. She knows what she wants in life and is willing to do whatever it takes to get there.

"Whatever it was, when Moses came to Levan, he was like water- cold, deep, unpredictable, and, like the pond up the canyon, dangerous, because you could never see what was beneath the surface. And just like I'd done all my life, I jumped in head first, even though I'd been forbidden. But this time, I drowned."

I knew that whatever happened between those two, would be good. 

"She was a small town girl with a simple way of speaking and thinking, a frank way of being that turned me on and turned me off at the same time. I wanted to run from her. But at the same time, I spent all my time thinking about her."

I really really liked Moses. Yes he was different. But remember, different is good every now and then! He was an extremely talented artist. Unfortunately, not everyone appreciated his art. 

"I think your work is strange and beautiful, Moses. Like a discordant melody that resolves itself as you listen..."

The trials that both went through separately and together were gut wrenching. I hated the suffering that happened because everyone else was ignorant and stupid towards Moses. 

"We can't escape ourselves, Tag. Here, there, half-way across the world, or in a psych ward in Salt Lake City. I'm Moses and you're Tag. And that part never changes. So either we figure it out here or we figure it out there. But we still gotta deal. And death won't change that". 

I absolutely love the friendship that he found in Tag. He was an anchor and understanding that he needed. It worked both ways for them both. 

"We'll just keep running, Moses. How did you say it? Here, there, on the other side of the world? We can't escape ourselves. So we stick together until we find ourselves, all right? Until we figure out how to deal."

That's the kind of friendship that everyone always wishes for. To have someone that is willing to go anywhere and everywhere to help you with your problems, and is willing to admit that they need help as well. 

I liked Tag a lot. I hate how they met and the circumstances that brought them together, but I understand it.

I don't like how Moses was brought back into Levan, but I do. If you've read the book, then you'll understand what I mean by this. My heart broke all over again once I figured out the situation. My heart hurt, for Georgia, Moses and everyone else. 

Eli. Such a beautiful description of who he was and what he accomplished. 

"I knew, and yet it still hurt. So much. I didn't lose him the way Georgia did. But I still lost him. I lost him before I knew him. And I wasn't prepared."

"I can't tell you how it felt to say goodbye. How it felt to choose. But in the end, mercifully, the choice was made for me, and I didn't have to do either."

There are some definite twists in this book that I totally did not see coming. I was blindsided by them. But then the light switch turned on and I was pissed. Because of the suffering that happened. So many lives were affected. 

On a side note, I TOTALLY LOVED that she mentions Josie Jensen, and that she and Sam make a couple of appearances in this book. Love them!!! 

I don't think that I can fully express my feelings for this book. It was beautiful and amazing. She did such a great job. She managed to allow me to loose myself in her writing. 

Moses stuck with me even after I finished reading this book. But it was more than just him, or his description. It was his life and the experiences that he went through. It was the fact that he was able to take something bad and cruel (because that's what everyone else saw) and turn it into something beautiful. 

I love it and I don't think that I can get enough of it. I'll definitely be re-reading this book. 

I cried and was so emotional. And I think that's the beauty that I want to find when I loose my self in a book. To be able to feel so much for those characters. To be able to travel on those journeys with them, and to rejoice when they find and discover what their greats are. 

Thank you Amy Harmon; for creating something beautiful and gifting us, your readers with it. You amaze me with what you create. I have yet to have been disappointed by anything that you have done (Not that I'm looking to be).

Lull

Just noticed that it's been a month since the last time that I published a book review. It's not that I haven't read anything between now and then. But I don't think it's been that Great!

I'm of the belief that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it anything at all. 

I don't mean anything bad by that. I just mean that what I have been reading hasn't wow'd me. Or amazed me. It's been enough to keep me busy and my reading addiction appeased. 

I just went through my reading queue in my Kindle and I see that I have read quite a few. I might write a review for one or two of those reads. One of them is Nine Minutes. I won't get so into it right now, but I just want to scream at Beth Flynn for what she did to me with that book. 

Ohhh.. I have also been reading the Rose Gardner Series by Denise Grover Swank. They are pretty funny. I got hooked with the first book since it was free. I'm just kind of hesitant to continue with the 4th book because of what happened in the last one I read. 

But before I get into those reviews, I might start reading Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee. And let's not forget that I have The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan and Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare sitting at home. I also have Dreams of God's and Monsters by Laini Taylor, which I just can't finish. Not because it's bad, but because I don't want to say good bye to Karou and Akiva. 

Anyways. Hopefully I can find the time and energy to finish reading and to write an actual review for those books.  

Storm Siren

I was definitely sucked into this Fantasy YA book from the very beginning. And even after I finished it, I couldn't stop thinking about it or the characters. I went to bed mad and sad, and I woke up thinking "nope, I couldn't have read what I just did". But, I did. 

I think that's the beauty in loosing yourself in a book. When it sticks to you no matter what. It's the fact that you can't stop thinking about it or what happened. 

I have to say that this is the first time that I've read any of her work. I was impressed with her writing style. She did a great job in creating this magical world where I could loose myself. 

I loved her characters. 

Nym was definitely a winner in my book. She's an Elemental, and she truly believes that she is cursed. She's also a slave who has been sold and bought fifteen times. She's also pretty smart and witty. She has sass and attitude. Her downfall is that she doesn't know how to control her powers, so she basically ends up killing anyone that's around her when she's pissed or looses control. 

Eogan. The mysterious and beautiful trainer. The only one who has been able to calm Nym when she is having one of her "tantrums". I loved his personality. The fact that he cared for her. We learn a lot about him in this book. 

There was definitely an attraction between Eogan and Nym that I absolutely craved. It's the reason why I couldn't put my book down. I kept hoping and wishing that I would get "just one more kissing scene" or "just the right physical contact" between those two. They were good for each other. 

The accompanying characters are great as well. Colin is awesome with his abilities. His twin sister Breck is interesting in her own way. 

I hated Adora with a livid passion. I detested her. With her odd and peculiar outfits and her threats. She drove me nuts. 

Eogan's secrets killed me. Destroyed me. I couldn't believe it. And that ending. I kept thinking after I finished reading the last words, "How could she do this to me?" "How am I going to recover from this?" "How can I move on knowing what I know?"

Yes. I was devastated. I still am. I can't wait for the second book to know what happens next. I don't know if I will be able to read it though. I'm hoping for some kind of miracle. Which lets not kid ourselves, this is a Fantasy book. Anything can happen!!!

Will I read this again? Maybe!
Will I be purchasing the Hard book? Absolutely!!! I need to add this to my collection!!!

I am definitely glad that I decided to read this and give the author an opportunity. 

Locke

I KNEW from the very first moment that I came across Locke's' character in Axel that he was something else. Something different. 

"I'm looking right at you motherfucker. It shouldn't take a big leap of 'clue the fuck in' for you to realize I'm looking right at your dumb fucking ass" he snarls at me with such ferocity that I'm momentarily rendered speechless."

And I was rendered speechless. Here was this big beautiful man with black eyes. One who kept to himself and looked out for his family and loved ones. He was in so much pain. But what was worse is that we didn't know why.

We do get to experience the intense friction between Locke and Emmy through out the other books. And while I thoroughly enjoyed the others, I kept rushing through them hoping and praying that I would get my temporary short fix of Locke. 

My heart broke when Coop was killed and Emmy suffered because he literally gave his life for her. But it shattered when she ran away and Locke couldn't do anything to help her.. Like I mentioned before, I've kept reading because I wanted/needed to know where their story was going. So needless to say that I preordered this book. Started reading it the minute that I had the opportunity to do so. 

Oh my goodness! There are no words to describe what I felt while I read this. I know that I always say this. But seriously. This was freaking awesome. 

"I'll taint her. I'll ruin her. And in the end, it will destroy her. One smile from her made me fall. So I pushed her away..."

We finally get to learn about Emmy's past. And what a fucked up past it is. She had it bad. From a sick and twisted father and mother to a bastard ruthless abuser. What's worse is that her parents let it happen because of their lifestyle. Until her savior shows up.  

"I'm seconds from passing out when I feel his body disappearing. I sit up, struggling to let the air in, and meet the crystal-blue eyes of my savior. 'You okay?' He asks. I nod mutely. A million questions rush through my head, but not a single word escapes before he nods and slams his fist into Shawn's face. I want to weep when I watch him crumple to the floor, passed out cold. 'I'm Zeke, but my friends call me Coop."

Gah. To know that it was Coop that saved and rescued her from that life. It finally made sense as to why it hurt her so much to loose Coop. Not that they had any kind of romantic involvement. But that he became more of a brother figure to her. 

Locke. His name alone. I waited FOREVER to know more about him. I knew that he was intimidating and scary. But he was also such a loveable man. He cared for those that were a part of their family unit. He protected them fiercely. But he wouldn't allow himself to love or feel anything especially for Emmy. 

The things that he went through. From having such a miserable young life, because of the way that his mother treated him. To being deceived by the one person that he had decided to give his heart to at such a young age. 

There was so much that he suffered through. 

I have to say that I absolutely LOVE Harper Sloan. I love what she does and what she gives us. To me, it's such a precious gift. To be able to loose myself in a book. To feel so much while I read a book. To be able to laugh while I do so is amazing. I loved meeting the other Alpha characters. But to be able to experience Locke was something else. 

Reading Funk

I am in a total reading funk right now. I've got about 20+ books sitting in my TBR pile (patiently waiting in my Kindle).
I made the mistake of reading all of Amy Harmon's books in a matter of days... I was so greedy that I couldn't get enough of her writing style. I really do believe that she's turned into one of my Author crushes, kind of like Kristen Ashley. The beauty of her books though is that they have all been clean writes. They have stayed with me. Every single one of her characters. Especially Johnny Kinross.
Anyways, I can't seem to find anything that will grab my attention... I'm searching and searching. Hopefully I'll come across something soon.