Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout: Review

Synopsis:

Some loves will last ’til your dying breath

Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.

Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction.

Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…

***

The big bad is revealed in Every Last Breath. To be honest, I can't really believe I have already read the last book of the trilogy. It seems like yesterday when I read the very first one. It has been a fast-paced ride full of fun and hotness and danger. I enjoy the series very much and I think Jennifer is talented with gargoyles. But despite my fondness towards the series (and this book in particular), I'm still not completely satisfied with the last installment.

It is filled with good and sweet things though, and we definitely should talk about it first. After the earth-shattering reveal in Stone Cold Touch, you'd think that was it and we should tackle the Lilin right away. But nope, not even close. Jennifer had a whole bunch of surprise waiting to be launched. Layla's true heritage and unexpected journeys are just some of those things. The book doesn't have a downtime. Non-stop action and excitement filled the 400-paged book, and I devoured it in less than a day. It feels so good to thoroughly read through a book like this. The thrill, and the fact that it reminds me of the good ol' times of actually having moments to read books. 

Jennifer has given a fair chance for both Roth and Zayne. Decision is made in the final book of the trilogy. There's no doubt who Layla ends up with, but let's keep his anonymity just for the record. But oh man, aren't their intimate moments burning bright. Seriously, they are perfect for each other. I can't even begin to describe the awesomeness of this. Let's just say the level of their moments together doing... something (wink) is off the charts, almost treading away from YA territory. I love every single thing about them and I'm so glad they finally get together.

The best thing about this series is that it is a revolution in terms of our view towards evil or goodness. Sometimes people does the worst things for the noblest (twisted) reasons. And the guys that are doing "evil" deeds might not be all bad. Compassion is a tricky thing. And people's intentions are never truly known. I guess the lesson is that you should never have prejudices for people. Strip away the shell of goodness/badness and you might just get to know the core of their being.

Despite being entirely in love with this book - and gaining some sort of knowledge from it, there are actually holes in the story. Flaws that just nags at me. 

(The following paragraph may involve spoilers. If you haven't read the book, please Please PLEASE do not read that part)

It is the last book. While I get that she might be trying to leave some open area for imagination (*cough Morris cough*), I'm dying to know what Layla truly is. But she's something that cannot be defined by human words. That's not a very satisfactory answer. What the hell is Lilith anyway? The ending is also a little bit too rushed, even though it's still fantastic in its own way. There are just too many questions left unanswered, which makes the world-building part unstable. At least, nowhere as strong and vivid as the other books written by her (namely, both the Covenant and Lux series).

It is a nice ending after all, and I'm excited about her future projects.

Rating: 8.5/10

Top Ten YA Novels 2014 #6: Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Another swoon-worthy novel on my list? You betcha!

The sixth place belongs to:

Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis:

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…

***

Date Read: November 5, 2014

My Review:

http://smoking-hot-books.blogspot.com/2014/11/stone-cold-touch-review.html

My rating: 8.5/10

***

Top 3 reasons why I love it:

1. Zayne

Okay, let's be clear about one thing. I'm actually rooting for Roth. I like Roth more and I hope Layla will be with him in the end. But Zayne... gah, I'm so torn! Stone Cold Touch is definitely Zayne's book. He reminds me SO much of Aiden. Like the fact that he still supports Layla even though she does something that most consider as, um, demonic. Or the fact that he will protect her at all costs (which is also the case with Roth... and Aiden). Or the fact that... well, he doesn't reveal his true feelings until it's almost too late (which, unfortunately, is also the case with Aiden). But Aiden is one of my favorite male characters of all time, and I can find a lot of similarities between Zayne and him. That just reminds me of good times when I read Covenant series.

2. Cliffhanger ending

Okay, I probably have mentioned before how I "hate" cliffhanger endings. I might have to clarify that. I "hate" it because I need to wait (typically) one more year for the next book, and that is totally killing me. But a cliffhanger ending is actually pretty awesome and sick as it sounds, I kinda love the feeling of waiting and let my imaginations run wild. This is the case with Stone Cold Touch. And it takes cliffhanger to a whole new level, in which pretty much anything can happen next. Everything is at stake at the end of the book. Ugh, I can't wait for Every Last Breath! 

3. My admiration for Layla

I don't deal well with people who misunderstand me for their own flaming prejudices. I usually flip out and fling them the truth before storming out. Layla's control is pretty admirable because she can hold it together when people are judging her for reasons that can kill (literally). How she manages that is beyond me. She's incredibly strong yet still manages to keep her girlish side. Come on, wouldn't you call her fantasies with Roth or Zayne girlish? Layla is the true definition of girl power, guys. I love her.

***

Why I recommend this book or series:

Some might say this is just another love triangle. First off, this is NOT a love triangle. If it was, Roth and Zayne would also be in love (or at least just love) each other, which is all kinds of awkward. The only real love triangle exists in The Infernal Devices because Will and Jem cares deeply for each other. Okay, so it might be a love "angle" (this should be a trend, by the way). And it might be your typical love "angle". But it's not making me want to crawl into the bed and pull my hair out. I know this is subjective, but it's not an annoying love "angle". That counts for something, right? I don't have a lot of experience with gargoyles, and the few moments that I have aren't exceptionally enjoyable (I'm not a die-hard The Beautiful and The Cursed fan, even though it's an interesting book). This is probably the first time I enjoy a book with gargoyles in it. 

***

Do I like the cover?

It's okay. I like the cover of White Hot Kiss more. I'm actually more curious about Layla's expression in this cover. Why does she look like she's not enjoying Zayne's gaze/touch/whatever?

***

Top 3 favorite scenes: (Spoiler Alert!)

1. Layla fighting the Nightcrawler

That scene is messed-up but really funny. Especially what happens before and afterwards.

2. Zayne's confession

It's sweet. I'd give him that.

3. When Bambi ate the Warden

Seriously, Bambi is awesome. I guess having a pet snake has its perks, huh? This is just... wow.

***

OTP: Layla/Roth. But I'm super torn now that Zayne is truly in the picture, reminding me so much of Aiden.

Stone Cold Touch: Review

Synopsis:

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…

***

Stone Cold Touch reminds me of why I love Jennifer's books in the first place. Because oh, it's so good! It's a perfect mixture of humor and suspense (and a lot of heart-wrench, depending on your mental health). It seriously puts "impossible" into "impossible to guess", because a lot of things are really morbid but in a good way.

Layla is facing her biggest challenge yet: desire and rejection and mortal danger all blended into one. She has every reason to have low self-esteem. And for a little while she does. But she quickly stacks all the rage and devastation into a corner for her own good. This is actually pretty admirable, considering a lot of bad things happened to her in the previous book.

It's impossible to write this review without talking about Roth and Zayne. In White Hot Kiss I'm all about Roth, because he was, well, he was Roth. Sexy, hot, humorous, and most importantly, forthcoming. Whereas Zayne stayed in the background most of the time, even when Layla was pretty transparent with her feelings. It's hard not to root for Roth in the first book. However, Jennifer takes it further. She doesn't leave Zayne behind in this book. Of course she doesn't. She gives him a chance in Stone Cold Touch and for us to truly understand Zayne's feelings for Layla. And now I'm super torn. They are both good for Layla in their own ways (and of course, gorgeous). But I still think Roth is better for her. Roth accepts both her Warden side and demon side while Zayne struggles with her darker half. In some ways Zayne and Layla are better off as best friends because their relationship is... pretty complicated in their own way. 

NOT TO MENTION THAT IT'S HARD TO GIVE ALL THE CHARACTERS CLOSURE WHEN LAYLA CARES FOR BOTH OF THEM. SERIOUSLY ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US?

The best part of this book is the fact that there's seriously no way to guess the outcome of the book. Like, when everything points to a direction that everyone believes so adamantly, the real evil lurks behind everyone's back. Okay, that's an understatement. The evil lurks in front of their/our eyes and still they/we can't see it. How do you even do that? That's... just unbelievable. And now everything is thrown off balance again. I can't wait to read the final book, which I know it's going to be tense and awesome.

Rating: 8.5/10

White Hot Kiss: Review

Synopsis:

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.

***

White Hot Kiss is a pretty awesome book with mythological creatures like the gargoyles and demons. And with a girl in between. Literally. I like this book generally. You know, with the quick wits and the dark underlying plots, this book can be classified as a grade-A book. But to me it lacks the chemistry that actually captivates me. Yes, this book is action-packed. Yes, this book is pretty fast-paced. Yes, this book is hilarious AND steamy at the same time, which is my favorite combination. It just doesn't have that sizzle that I want, and that's why I can't give it a full 5 out of 5 for White Hot Kiss.

Layla is a little different from Katy or Alex. She doesn't have the same confidence as the two of them. While she can certainly kick butt, in some ways she's not as badass as the two of them. She's also more naive than the two of them. But that's okay, because she has the quick-wit and the smart mouth which I really love. The fact that she's forgiving is very admirable. She can still reason with them with reason and reason ALONE when others are misunderstanding her. I, myself, could do no such thing in her position. Sure, I'm a good debater, but I will totally throw out reasons soaked in venom and smart-assery. So yeah, it's hard not to respect that girl.

I was pretty excited to meet Zayne, because he seems like those guys that I can relate to and will totally like. But I find myself not really caring about him. Okay, I still like that guy, because he's nice and he obviously care about Layla (maybe more than he should, which is something I don't know how to process, for the very first time). But 1) he's pretty annoying sometimes because he thinks he has Layla's best interest in his mind and blah blah blah and 2) he just doesn't have the same edge as Roth (which I will talk about later) and 3) he just doesn't make enough appearances to make a good enough impression on his own. I'm actually a little disappointed about that because I had high hopes on his character. Maybe he'll get better in Stone Cold Touch. 

Roth... I love that guy! He's so much better than I would ever imagine! At first I didn't know what to think of him because demons are supposed to be the bad guys. But he's just so different. He has that kind of intensity that is completely swoon-worthy. Not to mention he's hilarious. He always gets the point and be witty about it. Oh, and the fact that he doesn't expect anything from Layla but be completely (well, not completely, but enough) supportive just makes him ten times hotter. I want more of him in the next book please!

Generally this is quite a nice start of a new trilogy. I'm totally waiting for the next book.

Rating: 8/10

Bitter Sweet Love: Review

Synopsis:

In a sizzling prequel novella to her new series THE DARK ELEMENTS, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout draws readers into the extraordinary, irresistible world of Wardens and demons.

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 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...

***

Gargoyle Wardens and demons? At first I'm not so sure because this is so new and I don't know how to process that. But damn, sign me up for more gargoyles hotness! It's impossible not to like this new world because it's so unique and irresistible and beautiful at the same time (I'm sure it can also be terrifying in some ways, but I guess we'll see more with Layla and Zayne). Bitter Sweet Love is a pre-novella destined to bring girls down because it's sizzling hot. 

It's pretty hilarious to see Jas nearly tripping on the floor when she sees Dez's return. Dez has seven days to win her heart back all over again and mate with her or leave her broken again. The seven days... well I'm not going to spoil you too much. Let's just say you will find yourself laugh out loud in places where you don't normally, well, laugh.

We also see Layla and Zayne in Bitter Sweet Love. I guarantee--- I mean guarantee --- that you will like Layla. Despite being a half demon and half gargoyle and has a dark side (this is not spoiler, by the way. Check it out on the synopsis of White Hot Kiss on Goodreads), she's a complete sweetheart in the novella. And innocent. And she goes to public school (Finally a not-so-antisocial-gargoyle! XD). I have a feeling I'm already liking where White Hot Kiss is heading. 

If you are still not sure about whether gargoyles can make a great story or not, read this novella. I'm pretty sure you will dive right into the world.

Rating: 8.5/10