Book Review: Die For Me by Amy Plum

Published May 5th, 2011
HarperTeen
341 pages (Hardcover)

In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again. (From Goodreads)

As I'm reading this book, I was writing my "Love List" post.  Things kept popping up in this book from my list, and I had a moment where I was really impressed.

Then the characters put on leather pants.  Well done, Amy Plum.

I really enjoyed Die For Me.  With a strong pace and beautiful setting, it's hard not to fall for Amy and Vincent's story.

I loved the Parisian setting.  Paris itself is just such a magical place, it becomes easy to believe in the revenants.  The whole idea of the revenants is interesting, albeit a tiny bit sadistic.  A compulsion to die over and over again?  Interesting, but kind of grim.

I was a little concerned for the characters.  Did Kate go to any therapy sessions after her parents death?  I think she could benefit from them.  Why is everything so black and white for her?  And Vincent, you are a stalker.  You may not be Edward-level creepy, but you do need to calm down a bit.  You aren't fooling me with your gorgeous French-ness.

Die For Me didn't have an overly suspenseful ending, but rather left you in a comfortable place of craving more.  I will definitely be reading Until I Die very soon!

Much love, Samantha

Road Trip Wednesday: September Favourite

It's Road Trip Wednesday, a "Blog Carnival" hosted by the lovely ladies over at YA Highway.  They pose a weekly reading/writing question, and through the comments, you can explore and find out everyone's take on the topic.

What was your favouite book you read in September?

Guys, I have a confession.  I only managed to finish two books this month.  Thank you, post-secondary education...

It's sad because I think I have about FIVE books on the go right now.  I never do that.  I'm pretty good at waiting until I'm done one to start the next.  You could say I'm in a rut...

Since I feel as if I have to choose, I'm picking Entwined by Elisabeth Naughton.  This is an adult paranormal romance with some Greek mythology incorporated.  While I wouldn't call it a favourite, I did enjoy the book, and look forward to continuing the series.   I do have a review of this book coming up soon, but you can check out my review of book one of the series, Marked.

So, I need some help guys.  What was your September favourite?  Any recommendations to help me out of this rut?

Much love, Samantha

Top Ten Tuesday: Series I Haven't Finished

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful ladies over at

The Broke And The Bookish!

This week, the topic is...
Top Ten Series That I Haven't Finished

When I read, I tend to become attached to the characters.  Loving the characters is HUGE to me.  This is why I love a good series.  Sadly, some just don't work.  Others are good, and I just haven't made it back to them yet.

1. Matched by Ally Condie: I really didn't enjoy book one, and have heard some not-so-fabulous things about book two, so don't expect me to finish this series anytime soon.
2. Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl: Book one struggled to hold my attention for it's 600 pages.  I'm going to have to be in a particular mood to attack book two.
3. The Fallen by Lauren Kate: Never again.  Sorry, but no.
4. Dark-Hunter by Sherrilyn Kenyon: Anyone know how many books are in this series?  Yeah, that's why I'm not finished it.  (FYI: there are almost 30, I think?)
5. The Fallen Angels by J.R. Ward: I love the Black Dagger Brotherhood, but this series doesn't quite reach the same caliber.
6. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz: This series got old by book two.
7. Unbound by Rachel Vincent: This is another series I am working on.  I'll get there.
8. Warriors of Posidon by Alyssa Day: Again, I will finish this.
9. Eternal Gaurdians by Elisabeth Naughton: I'm working on it...
10. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White: Okay, I just need to read Endlessly, and I will soon.  Wait, did I say that already?

Much love, Samantha

Book Review: Seduced by Blood by Laurie London

Published July 24th, 2012
Harlequin HQN
379 pages (Mass Market Paperback)

Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the battle for supremacy rages on between two vampire coalitions:Guardian enforcers sworn to protect humanity, and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors…

Hot-blooded and hard-edged, Tristan Santiago has an uncanny ability to see beneath the surface—a skill that serves him well as the Guardians' region commander. But when a deadly plot against his fellow vampires is uncovered, he must turn to the one woman he can't read: the beautiful yet mysterious Roxanne Reynolds, whose sensual presence soothes his tormented memories.

Roxy had put love before duty once before, with devastating results. But to root out a dangerous traitor in their midst, she must put her faith in Santiago, the one man skilled enough to break through her defenses. Posing as lovers, Santiago and Roxy work side by side—and discover a powerful craving that threatens to consume them both…. (From Goodreads)

First off, hot cover alert!!!

I'm a huge fan of this series, but will admit that I wasn't excited for Santiago's story.  I must not have been thinking straight.  The impression we get of him, throughout the first three books, didn't exactly leave me craving his story.

I found myself relating to Santiago more than I'd like to admit.  His ability to torture himself over things that are not his fault sounds oddly familiar.  Even if this weren't the case, Laurie London writes awesome characters that suck you into the story.

The plot of this almost felt a little like a cliche romance novel.  Roxy and Santiago are forced to work together, refuse to admit they're in love because they've both been hurt, but eventually succumb to their feelings.  Frankly, I don't care.  It's my opinion that Laurie London writes a strong enough character to make a cliche plot work well.

The setting helps too.  Some people like the beach, I like tranquil forests.  The series is set along the pacific coast, through Washington state and British Columbia.  The mystery and tranquility of this setting suits these vampires well.  Laurie London also did something unique with this series, and worked this setting, and the lack of UV rays that reach us, here in the Great White North, into how these vampires function and survive.  I just thought that was a great touch.

If you're new to the world of adult paranormal romance, I completely recommend the Sweetblood series.  Her take on vampires isn't overly complex, her characters are hot, and her books are awesome.

Much love, Samantha

Feature & Follow (3)

Feature & Follow is a weekly blog hop hosted by Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read.  Jump between blogs, gain followers, and make some new friends!

This week's featured question is...
What hyped up book was worth the fuss?

I'm going to choose Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  Click here to jump to my review.  Yeah, I know I hype her up a lot, but she deserves it.  Her books are great, and it makes me sad how difficult it is to track down any of her books in Canada.  When I tried to order Cursed the other day, I couldn't even find it on the Chapters website!

Anyway, Obsidian is definitely worth the read.  The characters are hot.  The plot is great.  It makes aliens cool again.  I'm completely serious when I say that these aliens are awesomesauce.  Possibly with extra sauce.

Have you read Obsidian?  What did you think?  Leave me a response so I can check out your responses this week!

Much love, Samantha

PS.  Also, today is the cover reveal of Opal!  It's gorgeous!

Coffee Talk: School Life and Learning Balance

I've mentioned it a few times, but I am a nursing student.  I'm in my third year and begin my latest hospital placement today.  I'm actually petrified, and it's only orientation...

Blogging was something I took up over the summer.  This was the first time in about 5 years that I was employed and/or attending University.  The amount of time I had was a complete shock.

I've grown to love blogging, and being part of this community of readers and writers.  However, I'm trying to learn the art of balancing blogging with the rest of my life.

This is an actual photo of one of the piles beside my desk.

I'm going to break down my life a little bit here.  I spend around 13 hours per week in class, plus however much time it takes me to do my readings, lab prep, seminar prep, assignments, and study.  Add another 12 hours a week in placement.  That's a lot of time spent on just school.  I'm the type of person who is useless without sleep, so add that.  What about social time with friends and roommates?  Driving home to visit my family?

Up until this past spring, reading (for pleasure) was pretty much cut from my life.  Frankly, I lack the time.  Up until that same time, I was miserable.  Reading was one of my ways of escaping, and I had abandoned it.

Okay, my point is that I am not abandoning reading, or this blog, but that I am still trying to learn some balance.  Posts may become somewhat less frequent, and I'm trying to come up with some other cool stuff to do.

So, thanks to all of YOU!  You guys are amazing, and I'm glad to be part of this community! *Cue virtual group hug*

Much love, Samantha

"Waiting On" Wednesday: The Lost Prince

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating!


This week I'm excited for...

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.  That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten. (From Goodreads)

It seems like everyone and their mom has already gotten to read this one.  Alas, I have not, but I am freakin' excited to!  Way back in March, I was procrastinating from studying for midterms.  I happened to start reading The Iron King.  Little studying was done from that point on, and I have been hooked on Julie Kagawa's writing since!

At first I was unsure how I felt about a series based around Ethan.  He's the baby brother, after all.  The idea has grown on me, though.  I like that he has grown up knowing about the Fae, unlike Meghan, who had the world suddenly dropped on her.  It will be nice to see things from Ethan's perspective.

And who could resist the possibility of more Ash and Puck?

The Lost Prince is officially released October 23rd, 2012.  You know where I'll be.

Much love, Samantha

DOUBLE Book Review: Immortal Beloved and Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan

Immortal Beloved
Published September 7th, 2010
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
407 pages (Hardcover)

Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something's got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.

Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe--until the night she learns that someone wants her dead. (From Goodreads)

Darkness Falls
Published January 2nd, 2012
Little Brown and Company
400 pages (Hardcover)

Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason, life never seems to get any better. She left her spoiled, rich girl life to find peace at River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There, she learned to embrace River's Edge, despite som drama involving the sexy Reyn, who she wants but won't allow herself to have. But just as she's getting comfortable, her family's ties to dark magick force her to leave.

She falls back into her old, hard partying ways, but will her decision lead her into the hands of a dark immortal? Or will it be her first step to embracing the darkness within her? (From Goodreads)

 First off, the new covers are SO much better.

Overall, these books left me with mixed feelings.  Immortal Beloved was a great start to the series.  Once you begin to figure out all of the characters (be prepared for A LOT of names), the story gets interesting.  Nastasya is snarky, which I always like.

My problem in Immortal Beloved was the flashbacks.  I've never been a fan of flashbacks, and likely never will be.  In my mind, they take away from the flow of the novel.  All of the flashbacks serve a purpose in understanding the events occuring, so this is more a personal preference of mine.

I was less impressed with Darkness Falls.  I found it predictable and boring through much of the novel.  Nastasya falls back into her old ways, and the book just seems to go nowhere fast.  To boot, it's never enjoyable when your favourite character (in this case, Reyn) disappears for much of the storyline.

I will say that Darkness Falls had a good ending, and was a quick read., even if I just wanted to leave it.

Book 3 of the trilogy, Eternally Yours, is set to be released November 6th, 2012.  While I may not drop everything to read it, I am definitely interested in the conclusion to this series.

Much love, Samantha

Feature & Follow (2)

Feature & Follow is a weekly blog hop hosted by Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read.  Jump between blogs, gain followers, and make some new friends!

This week's featured question is...

What hyped up book do you think was not worth all the talk?

Okay, some people are going to hate me for this answer, but Anna Dressed In Blood.  You can read my review here, but it was a huge letdown for me.  This book had so much potential and did not meet my expectations at all.  I know everyone else loved it, and I really wanted to, but no.

Another one is any of the Fallen series by Lauren Kate.  Again, to each their own, but this is the series to which I compare bad books.  I can't get into the story.  The characters are nothing but annoying.  The protagonist is a brat.  I kept pushing through the series because of the hype, hoping they would get better.  Sadly, they did not, and I have absolutely no interest in spending my time being annoyed with Rapture.  I will leave it for anyone who enjoys the series.

Book hype can be such a fickle mistress.  What book(s) let you down?  How did you feel about Anna Dressed in Blood or The Fallen series?

Much love, Samantha

Book Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Published November 1st, 2010
Dutton Juvenile
366 pages (Hardcover)

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow. (From Goodreads)

 I'll start with about the only positive thing I have to say here... I really like the cover.

I didn't hate this book, but I did not enjoy it.  I forced myself to finish Matched, despite having no interest whatsoever.

For a dystopian novel, it really wasn't exciting.  In my eye, action is a requirement for good dystopian.  The whole point is the battle against oppression, and I wasn't feeling it.  At all.

The setting and story line felt like a rehash of every dystopian ever.  The characters weren't dynamic.  The "love triangle" held no drama.  It's been a while since I have had to struggle so much to get through a book.

To be fair, this was written before many of the dystopian-style novels that I love, so my vision may be a bit jaded.  However, my point stands.  Good dystopian should be able to stand the test of time (think 1984).  Matched will likely end up as a series I will never finish, and I am okay with not knowing what happens to Cassia, Ky and Xander.

Much love, Samantha

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Rebel Heart

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating!

It seemed so simple: Defeat the Tonton, rescue her kidnapped brother, Lugh, and then order would be restored to Saba’s world. Simplicity, however, has proved to be elusive. Now, Saba and her family travel west, headed for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But the fight for Lugh’s freedom has unleashed a new power in the dust lands, and a formidable new enemy is on the rise. 

What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants? In this much-anticipated follow-up to the riveting Blood Red Road, a fierce heroine finds herself at the crossroads of danger and destiny, betrayal and passion. (From Goodreads)

There are not enough really's in the world to describe how badly I want this book.  Blood Red Road was a book that I thought I would hate, but actually adored.  I know Rebel Heart has already been released in the U.K., but I am patiently awaiting the North American release.  Seriously, the waiting is hard.  What will happen to Jack and Saba?!?!  I will drop everything I am doing on October 20th, 2012 to devour this book.

And as a bonus, it has an awesome cover!

So, what are YOU waiting for?

Much love, Samantha

Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Make You Think

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful ladies over at

The Broke And The Bookish!

This week, the topic is...
Top Ten Books That Make You Think

I tend to avoid books that make me think too much.  Maybe that's a bad mentality to have, but I truly read to escape.  This is the reason that I have yet to read The Fault In Our Stars.  

Because of this, I'm keeping the definition of "think" quite broad.  All these books made me think about something.  The something ranges from the state of our world to my lack of travel experience.

1. Anything by Ellen Hopkins (Note: happy release day to Tilt!  I'm really excited to pick this one up!)
2. The List by Siobhan Vivian
3. Memoirs of a Monster Hunter by Josh Gates
4. 1984 by George Orwell
5. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
6. Stuff White People Like by Christian Lander (Seriously guys, white people are ridiculous...)
7. Looking for Alaska by John Green
8. Outliers by Malcom Gladwell
9. Drop Dead Healthy by A.J. Jacobs
10. The McDonaldization of Society by George Ritzer

Much love, Samantha

PS. I'm finally starting classes today.  Everyone else started almost a week ago at my school.  Got to love weird Nursing schedules.

Book Review: Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill

Published August 24th, 2010
Greenwillow Books
368 pages (Paperback)

Durango's only 17, but he's fearless. He will take on any mission--as long as it is dangerous, impossible, and hopeless. Fortunately for Durango, he's also got Mimi, a symbiotic nano-implant, to keep him on the straight and narrow, and a crew of loyal buddies--male, female, and other.  (From Goodreads)

I stepped out of my comfort zone with this one.  Science Fiction usually isn't my thing, but the cover instantly caught my interest (that boy is HOT!).  Add in the fact that the front had an endorsement from Suzanne Collins, plus one on the back from Louise Halse Anderson, and I was sold.

Black Hole Sun was slow getting going, but I find that typical of most Sci-Fi I've read.  It takes a long time to get the setting and story established.  Once it got going though, it was impossible to put down!

The was so much action crammed into this book that I was completely engrossed.  Even when the characters weren't in battle, a gun always seem to be pointed at someone.  It made for a thrilling adventure, adding to the suspense of the whole story.

It took me a while to get used to Mimi, a type of AI implanted in Durango's head.  They converse throughout the book, but not vocally.  I kept wondering why the other characters weren't reacting to their conversation, having to remind myself that it's all in his head.

We even have some romance worked into the story.  The scenes between Durango and Aine left me laughing, and I kept wanting Durango and Vienne to acknowledge there feelings.  I actually liked how the romance wasn't front and center through the whole book.

Overall, I loved Black Hole Sun.  The non-stop action and futuristic, not-so-great world left me feeling like I had just watched an awesome action movie.  Warning though, if you're not into violence, this book may not be up your alley.  If you don't mind it, I suggest checking it out!

Much love, Samantha

Coffee Talk #7: Nutella Cookies on a Friday Night

What do a pair of 20 year old University students do on a Friday night?  Apparently we bake cookies.

My roommate and I were sitting in our rooms, complaining about how bored we were.  I've recently rediscovered my love for Pinterest, and found a simple recipe for Nutella cookies.  Obviously I repinned that.  I didn't realize my roommate was also on Pinterest until I get a Facebook notification.

A few minutes later, the oven was preheating and I was digging out the Nutella.  A far as cookie batters go, this one ended up looking pretty darn disgusting.  We also found that we needed an extra egg in order to get everything to combine.

The batter is a lil' sticky

Being the pretty awesome person she is, my roommate put the dough on the cookie sheets in a manner that made them look like little piles of animal crap.

They turned out to be pretty delicious piles of animal crap!  Seriously guys, these are incredibly simple and taste like brownies.  They're also not as crazy sweet as Nutella can be.

Not pretty, but delicious!

Next Friday, Nutella cake?  Possibly.

Much love, Samantha

Feature & Follow Friday (1)

Feature & Follow is a weekly blog hop hosted by Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read.  Jump between blogs, gain followers, and make some new friends!

So this would be my first time trying Feature & Follow out.  It seems like everyone loves it, so why not?

This week's question is...

What book(s) are you reading right now?  What do you think of it?

There are two ways to look at this question: what should I be reading and what I'm actually reading...

Forgive the hair, I'm off to the gym next.

Yeah, I should be getting some school reading done.  Considering I'm excited for my Health Psychology class, doing the readings should be easier than it's turning out to be.

I have two books on the go right now.  I'm reading Betrayals by Lili St. Crow and Entwined by Elizabeth Naughton.  I'm only about a chapter into Betrayals, but Entwined is starting to get really interesting!

And now the fun part!  Leave me a comment below if you've read either of these books, and I'll come check out what you're reading!

But first, gym time.  See you all soon!

Much love, Samantha

P.S. I may have overused the exclamation mark in this post...

Book Review: The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

Published October 27th, 2009
Farrar Straus Giroux
184 pages (Hardcover)

What’s your drink of choice? 

Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. 

Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right? 

With overtones of Jane Austen’s Emma and brimming with humor and heart, this sweet, frothy debut will be savored by readers. (From Goodreads)

I found this book for $4.99 (Canadian, regular price was $16.99) at Chapters.  I am glad I picked up this fun and quirky read that left me questioning what my Iced Nonfat Caramel Macchiato says about me.

Our protagonist Jane may be crazy judgmental about people, but it made for a good read.  Essentially, she takes their coffee shop favourites, and plays matchmaker based on what that drink says about you.  Her success rate was pretty damn good.  Personally, I didn't like Jane.  Like I said, she's insanely judgmental, a little shallow, and blind to the world around her.  She was fun to read about, though.

I love that Kristina Springer wrote this in a coffee shop, according to her bio.  I get the feeling that she knows her coffee-based drinks, although I do question some of her descriptions of people based on what they drink.  I thought the whole idea was ridiculous, then fascinating, then just a giant "what the heck?".  I want to believe that this is all possible and realistic, but I seriously doubt it.  Still, it was kind of funny.

If you're looking for a light read, or are just a hopeless romantic like me, I recommend checking out The Espressologist!  I also recommend doing so in a coffee shop!  I feel like the caffeine fumes will add to the experience.

Much love, Samantha

Road Trip Wednesday: School Reading

It's Road Trip Wednesday, a "Blog Carnival" hosted by the lovely ladies over at YA Highway.  They pose a weekly reading/writing question, and through the comments, you can explore and find out everyone's take on the topic.

What's your favourite book you had to read for class?

I've told this story a couple times, but I managed to get through high school only reading four of the books they wanted me to.  In my defense, I read bits and pieces of everything.  I love reading, but hate being forced to read something.

I consider it a good sign that I really did love those four books I read, making this a hard choice between Romeo and Juliet, Lord of the Flies, 1984, or Anna Karenina.  I also read all of Hamlet, but I don't count it, seeing as I thought Rosencrantz survived the whole ordeal until about 3 minutes before my exam.  Apparently I didn't understand what I read.  Anyway, the winner is...

As much as I love a good tale of star crossed lovers, 1984 really inspired my love for dystopian novels.  Not only did Orwell inspire my imagination as to what the world could be, I feel that may also be the case for many authors today.  Themes from Orwell's novel can be seen in our everyday lives, creating a strong connection between book and reader.  Not only did I enjoy it when I read it in Grade 10, but I would gladly read 1984 again.

What was your favourite book you read in school?  Can anyone beat my record for slacking off in English class?

Much love, Samantha

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful ladies over at

The Broke And The Bookish!

This week, the topic is...
Top Ten Books on Your Fall TBR List

Is anyone else in denial that it is actually September?  August didn't go overly fast for me, but I still can't believe it is September.  While I'm at it, did anyone else blank on the fact that today is Tuesday?

I still have a week to go before I actually start classes, so my goal is to get through a huge chunk of my TBR pile.  That being said, there are a lot of books that are coming out soon/came out recently that I cannot wait to get my hands on.  I also have a great habit of ignoring school work when a good book comes along.  So, without further ado...

1. Rebel Heart by Moira Young
2. The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa
3. Diety by Jennifer L. Armentrout
4. Black City by Elizabeth Richards
5. Tilt by Ellen Hopkins
6. Origin by Jessica Khoury
7. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
8. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
9. Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry
10. Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols

What's on your fall TBR list?

Much love, Samantha

Book Review: Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Published August 14th, 2012
Entangled Teen
366 pages (Paperback)

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies… (From Goodreads)

Sweet alien babies!  This book was a rip-your-heart-out, smash-into-tiny-pieces, feed-to-a-wolverine painful, and I loved every minute of it!  Ms. Armentrout, you have done it again.

The character development was fantastic!  Katy is such a strong protagonist.  Not only is she taking the events of Obsidian better than anyone ever should, she takes her new powers and tries to protect Daemon.  She's gone from simple book review blogger to a blogger with crazy super alien powers that could end up being the death of her!  We saw a bit of her selfless heroine side at the end of Obsidian, and this only continued to grow in Onyx.  I'm going to predict it now, and say that she's going to really cross the selfless-to-the-point-of-stupid line in Opal.

Then there is Daemon.  Not gonna lie, I had an intense love for smartass, dickhead Daemon.  I knew Onyx would reveal a different, sweeter side of him.  I didn't expect just how much more I would love him.  Holy hot alien, Daemon is again ruining guys for me.  Like I hinted at in my Obsidian review, all he needs is leather pants and I'm done for.  Again, crazy good character development.  The depth of Daemon is growing, and I can't wait to see what happens to him and Katy in the next book.

The ending was EPIC, in the most torturous and painful way.  Although I pretty much had the ending figured out about one-fourth of the way through the book, all of the events that led up to it had me surprised and thrilled.  I think have just read Shadows gave me a lot of clues as to where this book was headed.  However, even though I guessed the ending, it still left me in shock.

Onyx was brilliant, heart-stopping writing that will go down as an all-time favourite of mine.  In two books and a novella, Jennifer L. Armentrout has created such a complex and realistic feeling world.  Her characters have captured my heart, and let that wolverine I mentioned before play with it a bit before he ripped it apart. And I loved every second of it.

Much love, Samantha
P.S. Shoutout to my roommate (Hi Phee!) who has devoured Obsidian and is now working on Onyx!