Dark Lover (The Black Dagger Brotherhood #1) by J.R. Ward

The Blurb:
In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood. 
The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.





The Review:

Dark Lover. I had first seen this on my trusted friend's shelf, but I just ignored it no matter how much she gushed about the book primarily because the cover doesn't appeal to me. But after a couple of times I've seen it on other people's favorites shelf, I got curious and went to give it a try, though I'm not getting my hopes up.


But now that I've finished reading it, all I can say is....


Why the hell was I judging a book by its cover!? Literally!


I am soooo glad I gave The Black Dagger Brotherhood series a chance. Dark Lover is just.....addicting! Like, once I finished reading the first chapter, I just. can't. stop! I lost track of time so I was a bit surprised when I turned the page and the next thing I'm reading was Acknowledgement.


Apart from the yummy brotherhood, er I mean, Black Dagger Brotherhood, the story itself is very interesting. It has a different take on vampires, which is a plus because I'm getting tired of the old feed-on-human-blood vampires. Here, vampires do not feed on human blood. They feed on their own kind, though not so much as to drain them. AND, they do not kill each other, for it's against their rules since the vampire race is dwindling because of the Lessening Society.  So, they have the BDB as their race's warriors: Wrath (the MC), Rhage, Zsadist, Darius, Vishous, and Phury. The lessers are created by the Omega, the leader of the evil side. The brotherhood is guided by the Scribe Virgin, as opposed to the Omega.


Albeit the story is mainly about two characters---Wrath and Beth, the half-breed and reporter---there's still balance between passionate romance, fierce action, and dedicated brotherhood. So I could not ask for more! ...Well, okay, maybe I want more of Wrath. But still, if you're into paranormal romance, then you have. to. read. this! Trust me, it will be such a shame if you don't. ;)

Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry #1) by Simon Elkeles

The Blurb:
When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more.
In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.



The Review:
Perfect Chemistry. From the title itself, the story is about a perfect chemistry or a perfect combination of two people falling in love. In this book, Brittany Ellis is the typical Ms. Popular in school, while Alejandro "Alex" Fuentes is the school's most troublesome gangster. Both despised and gets into each other's nerves, until they were paired to be lab partners and were forced to set aside their brawl in order to pass the subject. Soon, they began to know each other more, and found out that they are similar in a way. Both of them were putting up a facade, Brittany being the perfect girl and Alex being the mean gangster, that hide their personal afflictions at home. They got to see deep within each other and soon fell in love against all odds.

Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush #1) by Becca Fitzpatrick

The Blurb:
For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her...until Patch comes along. 
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment, but after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. 
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.



The Review:
I've read a lot of reviews about this book. And among those reviews, only one caught my attention: "Hush, Hush is the next Twilight". At first, of course being an avid fan of Twilight, I thought it's completely ridiculous for someone to say that there is actually a book as enthralling as Twilight. So I went to read the book and see all the hype myself. During the first and second chapters, I was totally bemused because this book has a lot of similarities to Twilight. I even highlighted and bookmarked some of its likeness:


"The bell rang and Patch was on his feet, making his way toward the door."
Okay, I'm pretty sure I've read that from Twilight. When Edward was on his way toward the door just as the bell rang. Agreed?


"I have a new biology partner."
And Edward is Bella's Biology Partner. Pretty much the same huh?


"I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something about Patch wasn’t right. Something about him wasn’t normal. Something wasn’t … safe."
And Bella thought Edward's dangerous as well but she doesn't know how or why he's dangerous in the beginning, right?


My pulse edged up a degree. “I’m not scared of you.”
Oh come on! Who wouldn't remember that line from Twilight?


Ten minutes later the computer secured a dial­up connection to the Internet, and I typed “angel wing scars” into the Google search bar.
I know Bella didn't actually used Google Search, but the internet as a reference? That is so Bella.


Okay, enough of the quotations, you get the point, right? But really, don't get me wrong. I can finally breathe by the time I finished chapter 3 cause Hush, Hush has finally gave out the innuendo of a whole different story to redeem itself. There are some similarities to Twilight, but both books are actually different pertaining to its plot. I found myself craving for more as I read from page after page of this book. Patch is a fallen angel (in case you haven't noticed from the cover yet). He's totally the kind of guy I've always drooled for. The sexy, cocky, bad-boy-type fallen angel who constantly teased Nora. And unlike Bella, Nora is not an introvert. She has a happy-go-lucky best friend named Vee. And she hated Patch at first because of his arrogance. But she find herself drawn to him and she doesn't know why. There are lots of twist and turns in this story, which is totally unpredictable, at least for me.


Hush, Hush is the type of book that a YA reader will definitely devour, most especially Twilight fans. I'm not ashamed to say that I am completely captivated by this book. Hush, Hush has been included on my all-time-favorites shelf.

Everlasting (The Immortal #6) by Alyson Noel

The Blurb:
Everlasting is the sixth and final installment of the epic love story that has enchanted readers across the world. Ever and Damen have spent centuries facing down bitter rivals, jealous friends and their own worst fears-all in the hope of being together forever. Now in Everlasting, their destiny is finally within reach. 


Will they be united-or torn apart forever? Readers will finally discover the truth in this anxiously awaited conclusion! 







The Review:
Everlasting is the sixth and final book of The Immortals series. I'm not sure what to feel about it, I mean, am I happy that the drag of the story has finally ended? Or am I devastated that the series is over? Maybe I'm in the middle. In Evermore, I have actually become an avid fan of the series. And then there went Blue Moon, which I think, is also an exceptionally written book next to Evermore. I've lost the craze for this series after reading Shadowland, though I think it is not nearly as bad as Dark Flame. After reading Dark Flame though, I've completely lost it. I was totally annoyed on how the story went out of the main plot. I'm fretting about the drag of the story which made me skip the following book, Night Star. In Everlasting though, I can say that I'm very pleased on how the story progressed and ended. I admired how Ever had transformed from this shallow and annoying person (from the previous books), into a strong, independent, and determined girl. I like her persistence all through out the book, which has become fruitful (fruitful--ironic, i know!) in the end. Damen didn't had as much appearance in this book compared to the previous ones, because it's story is more on Ever's journey and her struggle to find the truth. I was fully satisfied with the ending, although it's a bit predictable. 

Fallen by Lauren Kate

The Blurb:

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.
Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.
Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce—and goes out of his way to make that very clear—she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

The Review:

 This book is ridiculously popular next to Hush, Hush, and I simply don't understand why. Some people even say that this is much better, but for me, it was just....meh. It was all too predictable. I mean, yeah, there's this one iota of a twist that I didn't saw coming, but that was it. I think that maybe it would be better if there's no Prologue at all; it gave the reader an inkling of what the whole plot is all about, so the end doesn't surprise the reader anymore. 

 And, another thing, I just don't get the shadows thingy. Maybe It's just me, I don't know. So, yeah, I'm not really sure if I'll continue onto the next book. :/

Dark Flame (The Immortals #4) by Alyson Noel

The Blurb:
Ever is trying to help Haven transition into life as an immortal.  But with Haven drunk on her new powers and acting recklessly, she poses the ultimate threat—exposing their secret world to the outside.  As Ever struggles to keep the Immortals hidden, it only propels Haven closer to the enemy—Roman and his evil companions. At the same time, Ever delves deeper into dark magic to free Damen from Roman’s power. But when her spell backfires, it binds her to the one guy who’s hell-bent on her destruction. Now there’s a strange, foreign pulse coursing through her, and no matter what she does, she can’t stop thinking about Roman—and longing for his touch.  As she struggles to resist the fiery attraction threatening to consume her, Roman is more than willing to take advantage of her weakened state…and Ever edges closer and closer to surrender.
Frantic to break the spell before its too late, Ever turns to Jude for help, risking everything she knows and loves to save herself—and her future with Damen …

The Review:


Okay, this book completely annoyed the hell out of me. I used to like this series but after reading this, I'm starting to regret it. I mean, helloooo? how much longer are we gonna wait for that to happen? I mean, to create sequels only to delay that? Really, is that the best thing that could happen between Damen and Ever? Isn't there anything more to anticipate rather than just that? Honestly, I didn't like Shadowland because it's boring and disappointing. So there I was, hoping that this will be a lot better. But no, it is anything but. I don't usually skim paragraphs or pages, but I just did it with Dark Flame. I'm getting tired of the delay! The story went uninteresting, really. It's like it went out of hand, out of the main plot. And most of all, Dark Flame made me not to bother reading the book after this. It made me skip Night Star, knowing that it's only going to be just as boring as Shadowland, or worse, just as annoying as this one. So yeah, I'm off to Everlasting, the last book from this series (thank gawd!).


oh, and sorry for the rant. i just can't help it. *shrugs*

Immortal Beloved (Immortal Beloved #2) by Cate Tiernan

The Blurb:

New name, new town, new life. Nastasya has done it too often to count. And there's no end in sight. Nothing ever really ends ...when you're immortal. But now, after centuries of feeding from the lives of the innocents around her, of living with little care for others, Nastasya is ready to turn towards the light. 'After some of the events I've witnessed I felt like I was a shell with nothing alive left in me. I hadn't been going around killing people, but people were hurt -- the memories just kept trickling in like rivulets of fresh acid dripping into my brain until I wanted to scream. It was in my blood, I knew. A darkness. The darkness. I had inherited it, along with my immortality and my black eyes.' Captivating, intense and with an incredible and original voice, EVERLASTING LIFE is a haunting story of friendship, love and secrets, tragedy and loss. Sometimes life is eternal...

The Review:
Immortal Beloved is one of the rare YA fantasy romance novels that can easily satisfy me as a reader who loves funny, paranormal romance, without the old and boring cliches. I mean, I have read a couple of books about immortals but none like this. 


Usually, the reason why I read books until the very end is because I am hooked on how the love story between the protagonist and his/her love interest works out. But with Immortal Beloved, I'm surprised that I am hooked not only because of their love story, but mostly because of how Nastasya (or Nasty) struggles and copes with all the fear she has from her past. I liked Reyn so much (yeah, I know, the Viking God) because I love it when the guys in the story are always defiant of how they feel and are always hating the protagonist, but deep inside they want them too much. The story focuses more on how Nastasya, a teenage immortal (teenage? right.) dealt over the horror of her old life, and how she managed to apprehend the difference of it with the new life she now has on River's Edge. 


I stayed up during the night reading this book because I couldn't put it down, and finished it within two nights. That one day I went to school, I had to put the book down, and all the while I am enthralled to continue reading the book the moment I got home. 


Cate Tiernan did very well in writing this book that I've never felt bored reading it. She's done a perfect mix of romance, comedy, and mystery with Immortal Beloved. I found myself cracking up whenever Nasty did a hilarious internal monologue, as well as the heavy sarcasms she always give out. I laughed out loud when I read, "Here stoney stoney stoney...come to mama!" LOL. And the other one with the evil chicken, they were hilarious. 


I'm thinking of what I didn't like in this book, but could only think of none. Maybe the only thing I didn't like is that I still have to wait for September to read the second installment in this trilogy, which is Darkness Falls. I am sooo going to wait for that one. There's one part of the book which had a loose end, but then, this is the first book and there's still two other books coming out so it's not much of a big deal. 

I am really, really, really looking forward on how will Cate Tiernan tie up the loose end in this book in Darkness Falls. I wanted to know what Incy would do when he finds out where Nasty is and how he's going to react when he finds out that Reyn & Nasty are together. That will be sooooo freaking good. I am officially excited! 

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

The Blurb:
Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything"—at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store.This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help,maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.

The Review:


I FELL COMPLETELY IN LOVE WITH OWEN THIS BOOK!!!


Annabel Greene, the protagonist, is your typical blonde girl-next-door type who seemed to have everything and live the perfect life --- until something happened during the summer which turned everything to be the complete opposite of what was. She lost her bestfriend, and every person she knows in school ignored and avoided her. Her family, which was once perfectly happy, is now cold and seemingly shattered. Just when Annabel thought everything is torn into pieces, and she doesn't have anyone to talk and lean on to, she met Owen Armstrong. The ever-so-honest Owen. He's a student from her school, apparently, he's not in-crowd and he doesn't give a dime on any rumor that spread all over the school. Owen has his own problems as well, but the difference between him and Annabel is that he knows how to handle it, most of the time. He taught her about his aversion to lying and his principle of always telling the truth, which was the key to solving her problems all along. With Owen's help, Annabel managed to face all her problems, even her fear of that dreadful summer.


Again, Sarah Dessen has never failed to move me with this piece and inspire me in so many ways about facing life challenges. I must say that Just listen, like the rest of her novel, is one helluva touching, tear-jerking story of family and friendship, perfectly mixed with an amazing love story, and a dash of music.

Die For Me (The Revenants #1) by Amy Plum

The Blurb:
My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.
Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.
Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.
Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.
While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart—as well as my life and my family's—in jeopardy for a chance at love?


The Review:


Well, for me, Die For Me is definitely a very romantic story about a depressed girl named Kate, whose parents died from a car accident, and Vincent, a Revenant whose mission in life is to save humans from death by risking theirs. I liked the uniqueness of this story as well as the originality of the characters in it. A couple of times I've heard and read novels about vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, witches, and the like, but never have I stumbled upon hearing or even reading about Revenants. I loved how Amy Plum created an original plot rather than stick with the old and boring cliches. The setting is very romantic along with the most romantic guy (I mean revenant) that is Vincent. I noticed that the narration as well as both Kate & Vincent's words are a bit formal when it is supposedly be cute and sweet. I really liked it, but not enough for me to love it or adore it. So I give it a 4 out of 5 stars. 



This is how I pictured Kate and Vincent: 

Angel With Attitude by Michelle Rowen

The Blurb:
Valerie Grace isn't quite sure how she went from heavenly angel to plunging into the killer whale tank at Niagara Falls' MarineLand, but that's what's happened. All she knows is that earth can be a tough place for a fallen angel, what with all the demon Tempters lurking around every corner, anxious to recruit her to the "other team" - the evil team. All she can do is keep an eye out for the elusive Key to Heaven, try to help people, and hope that somebody up there notices what an angel she is, even if she's not literally one anymore. And try to avoid that really cute tempter, the one with the pale gray eyes and hypnotic smile, the one that makes her forget her own name and the fact that she's supposed to be a good girl.





The Review:
Just finished reading the book, and I must say that the story is unique (imo). It was my first read of a fantasy romance novel which has angels and demons for characters. The plot is not as predictable as I have thought before reading it. There were hilarious comebacks, sexual yet romantic tension between the characters, and of course, several twists that you would never (well, I've never) predict nor expect in the end. I found myself giggling like a teenage girl while reading parts of this book, I find their chemistry to be undeniably amazing as both characters are defiant of what they feel towards each other. What I love more in this book is that it has all the excitement and the hype that I'm looking for in a story making it more worth-reading, and that the romantic parts are not too heavy, instead it was funny and cute and sweet at the same time. I know that I like the story when I read every single line of every paragraph there is in a novel without skimming through any of it, and with this book, I haven't. I was never bored reading this book. You'll love Reggie, I'm telling you, he's hilarious. :) Anyway, what I did not like here is the way it ended. I mean, after all the hype in the climax, the ending just does not suffice. Don't get me wrong, I do love happy endings, but this one's not as creative as I thought it will be. It seems like it was all quickly sewn up. I just wished Ms. Rowen did better with the way the story ended. All in all, Angel With Attitude is a light, very entertaining read and is easy to put down without wanting another sequel. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.