Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

The Blurb:
The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend America, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand. 
Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the charming college co-ed. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’ apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

The Review:


Oh Gawd. This book is soooooooo amazing! I heard it was good, but the truth is, it's beyond that! The story is so freaking addicting! I couldn't stop reading it that stayed up all night. I'd give it a 6-star rating if I could, seriously, I think 5-stars isn't enough. I completely fell head over heels with Travis! I want him so much it hurts! LOL. This is the kind of book that you'll devour every single page. The main character was never annoying, at least for me. She's the kind of protagonist that you'll never find yourself loathing because of some stupid mistake she did. In other words, she's not TSTL. She's made lots of decisions herself, but I found myself understanding her, thinking I'd make the same decisions if I were in her shoes. Annnnd, Travis is just so utterly sexy, cocky, and is sooo persistent. God, it wouldn't suprise me if I found myself reading this over and over and over again!! Looking forward to reading other novels from this author. I hope they're just as addictive! :)


Er, sorry for a fan-girly review. Will write a more coherent one soon. xD

Lover Eternal (The Black Dagger Brotherhood #2) by J.R. Ward

THE BLURB:
In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Possessed by a deadly beast, Rhage is the most dangerous of the Black Dagger Brotherhood... 
Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetite. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. 
Possessed by this dark side, Rhage fears the times when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him. When Mary Luce is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world, she must rely on Rhage's protection. Knowing that Mary feels the same intense animal attraction, Rhage must make her his alone... 



The Review:

Lover Eternal is the second book from The Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and it is the story of Rhage and Mary.

Compared to Dark Lover, Lover Eternal has a more delicate story. In this book, we meet Rhage, the brotherhood's most fearsome warrior. He is often called "Hollywood" by his brothers for a reason, and that reason would be because he possesses the most handsome face among them. Thus, giving Rhage the advantage of getting more women than necessary. That is, until he met Mary. She doesn't trust him at first, of course, what with his looks and standard of living. But when Rhage proved that he truly likes her, loves her even, she believed him and trusted him of her own secret. And because he loves her, the brotherhood was astonished as how Mary had somewhat "tamed" Rhage's beast.

Rhage's story is, without a doubt, much more tender and stroking than Wrath's. Not only because of Mary's condition, but also because of the lengths he would be willing to do for her; just to have her. I'm very much content of the ending, of course. The Scribe Virgin is very kind, indeed.

Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1) by Josephine Angelini

THE BLURB:

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

The Review:

I just want to start this review off by saying that this book has a really good and original concept. Some review says it is too similar with The Twilight Saga, but I can say that it is, most certainly, not. I really don't get why they keep comparing books with the said series, when there aren't much of a likeness at all.

Starcrossed, in my opinion, is one exciting and interesting book. Albeit the ending left me quite hanging in a cliff, the whole plot was bracing, most especially the climax. I liked the idea of The Furies in the story, as well as the story's connection with The Fall of Troy.

All in all, Starcrossed is definitely worth reading. Looking forward to read the next sequel. :)

Winter's Passage (The Iron Fey #1.5)

THE BLURB:

Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck--Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon--who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.
Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter--a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat....





The Review:

 Unlike The Iron King, Winter Passage is a prequel to the second book, which is The Iron Daughter, with only ?? pages long.

After the conquest of saving her brother from the iron king Machina with the help of Prince Ash, Meghan found herself on a journey to Tir Na Nog in honor to her and Ash's  contract: Ash will help her save her brother if she go with him willingly to Tir Na Nog. His Queen (and mother) wants Meghan---whether as a guest or as a prisoner, Meghan did not know. Since it is not a surprise that they have developed feelings toward each other during their journey in the Iron Realm, Ash started regretting the bargain he made with her for he doesn't want Meghan to fall under the hands of the Unseelie Court. But, to honor her end of bargain, Meghan insisted that they go nonetheless. In the course of their travel, however, they have encountered an unexpected danger as they were being hunted by an ancient and powerful creature.

It was a good prequel novella for The Iron Daughter for it narrates to the reader what had happened to them before they reach Tir Na Nog; and as to what had been the Seelie King's (her father) reaction when he was informed of his daughter's destination. The chase was thrilling because the reader doesn't know, entirely,  what creature the characters were dealing with and what will happen next. AND, the twist was good, I really had no idea.

BUT, the only thing that has bothered me a bit is the ending, when they finally faced the aforementioned creature. I was a little disappointed, to put it mildly, that the fearsome creature they've been running from is.....wait for it....The Big Bad Wolf. As in, Red Riding Hood's big bad wolf. I find it a tad, er, ridiculous. Because I was expecting more of an ancient and evil creature that guards the woods they're passing through....something like that. But then, there you have it; they're running from The Big Bad Wolf. XD

The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa

THE BLURB:
Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.
When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.
But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

The Review:

This book was soooo good that it overrides my uncertainty about fae books in general. I read a fae book once and most people thought the story was oh so good while methinks it was all meh. I know that, occasionally, those books that most YA readers go crazy for just does not appeal to me as much. I'm such a weirdo like that. But anyway, The Iron King has proved to me that there are always these kind of books who could thoroughly please me as greatly as it does most readers. The world that Ms. Kagawa have created was very fascinating and compelling in a way that it was almost vivid. Yes, lots---or should I say, all of them?---of fae books have their own version of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts including this book. But what makes it unique is that the author has combined A Midsummer Night's Dream with it---the characters, the plot, the world, etc---creating a magical and mythical yet very entertaining book.

I have to say that I immensely enjoyed reading it; there was never a dull moment for the story was fast-paced. I've never felt annoyed or even frustrated with the main character, Meghan Chase. Although she's had a crush on her school's most popular jock, and was always tormented by the school's pompom leaders, her character doesn't show any helplessness at all---which is typically the most exasperating characteristic of a main character sometimes. For me, Meghan Chase is a kick-ass heroine for she have this strong determination to do what is right even if it costs her own life.

And Ash....Oh, Ash! He's by far the most swoon-worthy literary crush I have. I LOVE everything about him! His arrogance, his indiferrent-yet-protective quality, his being an actual Ice Prince, his face...RAWR! Er, I just needed to breathe that one out, sorry. What was I saying? Oh, yeah, the book. Right. Uhm, and then there's also Puck, yes, the A Midsummer Night's Dream's Puck, whose always been a good friend of Meghan since childhood. I'm not very fond of him though, but he's not one of those characters that you'll find annoying. In fact, he's always in every amusing part in the book. Of course, there's a love triangle. And while I was never a fan of one, I still appreciate the tension between the three of them.

The plot was very creative and the ending was intense. It was so exciting and was well-thought-of. I loved the idea about the Technology giving birth to the Iron Feys---which made them almost invincible from the Seelie and Unseelie Court's faeries. That it was the human's growing curiosity and advance knowledge about computers and machines are where these Iron Faeries procure their power from. It was a good concept, really.

So, if you haven't gave this series a chance yet, then what on earth are you waiting for? Give it a try! I guarantee that you won't be disappointed. *two thumbs up*

Oh, and did I mention I love everything about Ash? :P