Blog Tour - Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout - Character Interview & Giveaway

Today I have the pleasure of being part of the blog tour for Jennifer L. Armentrout's latest book, Stone Cold Touch. I am so happy to be taking part because I absolutely LOVED this book. And now I get to have Layla, Zayne and Roth answering a few questions. Be sure to keep reading to the end for your chance to win a signed copy of the book!

Emilie: Roth and Zayne, you’ve recently had to work together a little. How has it been doings something you never thought you would do?

Zayne: I hate working with a demon, but I’d do anything for Layla.

Roth: I’m more open-minded than Stony. He’s obviously a little judgy.

Emilie: Layla, what’s it like having to almost play referee between Roth and Zayne?

Layla: I hate that Roth and Zayne don’t get along because they’re both important to me. I understand why it’s hard for them to like each other, but it’s a constant back and forth between them. It drives me crazy.

Emilie: What’s one thing each of you admires about the others?

Roth: Zayne takes care of Layla. So he can’t be all bad. Mostly, but not all.

Zayne: Roth made a sacrifice for Layla that I wasn’t expecting. I have to admire that about him.

Layla: I admire both guys for different reasons. Roth surprised me because he’s completely different than I expected from a demon and Zayne has always been there for me from the first time that I met him.

Emilie: From what I know, you didn’t really see what happened with the Lilin coming. What do you think is going to happen next?

Roth: Not sure, but even Hell is worried.

Zayne: It can’t be good.

Emilie: To finish off, what would each of you say or do to convince people who haven’t read your story to do so?

Roth: I don’t think I need to convince anyone once they’ve met me.

Zayne: That’s your answer? How do you even stand being around him, Layla?

Layla: *Sigh*

Thank you to Layla, Zayne and Roth for answering these questions and even keeping things civil. Well, for the most part. If you want to get your hands on a signed copy of Stone Cold Touch, just leave a comment below and I will pick a winner from all the comments. US/Canada only. Ends November 11.

About the Book:

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 proctedted 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 being 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 changer her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but will hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…

About the Author:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories…which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published by Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant series has been optioned for TV.

She also write adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Stone Cold Touch (Dark Elements #2)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: HarlequinTEEN

Release Date: October 21, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

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…

I don't really know that there's anything new about Jennifer L. Armentrout that I can say. With every book of her's that I read, it just confirms that she's one of my favourite authors. I was really excited about reading Stone Cold Touch when I got a copy at BEA and I'm surprised that I waited this long to finally read it. But I'm SO HAPPY to have finally read it. 

For the last few weeks, Layla has been trying to pick up the pieces of her heart. After everything that happened in the school's old gym, she isn't sure how to go on anymore. Roth was the only person Layla could truly be herself around. With him she could embrace her demon side without feeling ashamed. But now Roth is gone, burning in the fiery pits of Hell. The only person left on Layla's side is Zayne. Her completely off-limits best friend. The person who's always been there for her. But things seem to be changing with Zayne. All of a sudden, he seems to be seeing Layla as more than just a little sister. But that's not the only thing changing around Layla. Her powers are changing, the Wardens are convinced she might be becoming a threat. And when she least expects it, Roth returns.

So. Stone Cold Touch. What can I say, other than I loved it? I'll do my best to say a little more than that, because it's not entirely helpful. Here's the thing about me and series, I have trouble keeping up with them. No matter how much I love them, I can't bring myself to keep up with them. And then when it's the second book in a trilogy, I'm always afraid it's just going to act as filler to tide me over until the last book. But that was far from a problem with Stone Cold Touch. The story picks up shortly after the event of the first book, and as a reader, you're thrown right back into the middle of it. Much like in the first book, the nature of many of the characters made it difficult to know who I could trust, and who was actually telling the truth. Every so often I would think I had caught one of them in a lie, but then something new would be brought to light and I was back to being confused. But confused in a good way. And once again, the ending took me completely by surprise. I kinda figured something big was going to happen. Jennifer L. Armentrout had actually told me as much when I met her at BEA, but I didn't think that was going to be it. Needless to say, I'm excited to see where things are going to go in the final book.

After having read Stone Cold Touch, I still love Layla just as much, if not more, than I did after I finished reading White Hot Kiss. The world just seems to be against her no matter what she does, and I can't help but want better for her. I felt her pain at losing Roth. Hell, I was not a happy person when Roth ended up in the fiery pits in the first book. And I felt her struggle with her feelings for Zayne, wanting more, but always being afraid that it would result in her getting hurt. I just want GOOD stuff to happen to Layla, but at the rate things are going that might not happen for a while. And now here's the thing about Zayne and Roth. Once, again I kept going back and forth between the two. This time around, I definitely got to see a whole lot more of Zayne. Basically, I got to see a whole other side of him and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED it. Meanwhile, Roth was being kind of annoying but kept on doing these little things that made me love him. It's just hard to choose between the two. Which leads me to say that as much as I was doubtful of having readers pick who Layla ends up with in the final book (more info on that here), I can see how it might work because I honestly can't decide on who I want her with. Both boys have their flaws and their merits and I love them both for completely different reasons. And maybe we can just clone Layla so she can be with both boys and no one gets their heart broken. How does that sound?

So yeah, I loved Jennifer L. Armentrout's Stone Cold Touch. Is anyone who knows me actually surprised by that fact? I didn't think so. I was definitely not disappointed by this second installment of the Dark Elements trilogy, and I can't wait to see how it will all end in Every Last Breath.

Blog Tour - Stay With Me by J. Lynn

Title: Stay With Me (Wait for You #3)

Author: J. Lynn

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Release Date: September 23, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo / B&N

At 21, Calla hasn’t done a lot of things. She’s never been kissed, never seen the ocean, never gone to an amusement part. But growing up, she witnessed some things no child ever should. She still carried the physical and emotional scars of living with a strung-out mother, Mona—secrets she keeps from everyone, including her close circle of college friends.

But the safe cocoon Calla has carefully built is shattered when she discovers her mom has stolen her college money and run up a huge credit card debt in her name. Now, Calla has to go back to the small town she thought she’d left behind and clean up her mom’s mess again. Of course, when she arrives at her mother’s bar, Mona is nowhere to be found. Instead, six feet of hotness named Jackson James is pouring drinks and keeping the place humming.

Sexy and intense, Jax is in Calla’s business from the moment they meet, giving her a job and helping her search for Mona. And the way he looks at her makes it clear he wants to get horizontal…and maybe something more. Before Calla can let him get close, though, she’s got to deal with the pain of the past—and some very bad guys out to mess her up if she doesn’t give them her mom.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that I absolutely love everything that Jennifer L. Armentrout/J. Lynn writes. And In the past year, I've been loving her New Adult contemporary romances. Unsurprisingly, the latest one, Stay With Me, did not disappoint me.

Since leaving home at 18, Calla hasn't looked back. She wanted nothing to do with her hometown and all the bad memories it brought up. In the years since leaving, Calla has made a new home for herself in college, with friends and a future. But that all threatens to fall apart when Calla discovers that her mother has stolen all the money she planned to use for college and accumulated a large amount of debt in her name. Now, Calla has to go back home, to the place she thought she would never return. But when she walks in to her mother's bar, it's not her mom she finds but Jax. Jax immediately gets in Calla's business, whether she wants him to or not. But the most time she spends with Jax, the more Calla realizes that she's got to deal with everything that's happened in the past, it's the only way she'll ever be able to move forward.

Stay With Me is one of those books that kept me up until the early hours of morning because I just couldn't bear to put it down. No matter how late (or early) it got and even if I knew that I had to be at work the next day, I just kept reading. It's no secret that I love J. Lynn's books, I've devoured every one of her NA contemporary romances. But every time I know there's a new one coming out and I pick it up to read, there's always this concern in the back of my mind that I won't enjoy it, or that it won't be as good as the other ones were. This was definitely true with Stay With Me. But, as per usual where J. Lynn is concerned, I really shouldn't have worried. I got sucked in to Stay With Me just like I did with the previous two books in this series. Like I mentioned in my review of Be With Me, it helped that I already knew some of the characters in this story. I had seen Calla in the background of Be With Me and I really enjoyed getting to read her story and find out more about her. And I'm not going to lie, I really enjoyed seeing how her story fit in with Jax because he was completely new to me. And the romance between these two was just what I've come to expect from J. Lynn and her books. It was just the right mix of sweet, hot, intense and complicated. If I'm being honest, those are kind of my favourite kind.

I had previously gotten a glimpse of Calla in Be With Me, and all I really knew about her was that she was friends with Teresa and she had a pretty obvious scar on her face, which isn't all that much. But once I started reading and she began describing Cam, Jase and Ollie as the Hot Guy Brigade, I knew I would like her. And the more I read about Calla and her story, the more I liked her. She had a difficult past that led to her understandably having some trust issues. And no one brought on the trust issues more than Jax did. I'll admit that I wasn't sure how to feel about Jax at first. He just seemed so pushy and intent on getting involved in Calla's business without her inviting him to do so. He just kinda rubbed me the wrong way. But the more I learned about him, the more grew to like him. I don't really want to say that he took me by surprise, but he was worth sticking around for. And of course, I loved getting a glimpse of the couples from the other books (including a surprise appearance!)...though I'm still waiting for Ollie and Brittany to get their own.

As you might have guessed by now, I loved J. Lynn's Stay With Me. It was another great NA contemporary romance that sucked me in and made me fall for some new characters. I already can't wait until the next book in this series.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books People Have Told Me I MUST Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish in which bloggers post their "Top Ten" list of books based on that week's theme. This week's theme:

TOP TEN BOOKS PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME I MUST READ
(or, Here are all the books I own that I haven't read yet because I fail at reading books that I know/people tell me I will really like)

I don't normally participate in Top Ten Tuesday but this week's topic came right at the same time as I had Ciara and Jess, two of my awesome blogger friends, over at my house this past weekend. While looking at my bookshelves, because that's what book friends do, they started telling me which books I owned that I had to read. So here are 10 of the books they pointed out.

1 & 2 - Jellicoe Road and Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta - This is the part where I tell the world that I haven't read a single Melina Marchetta book. Ever. *Goes to hide in a corner* Now that that's out of the way, I have been yelled at plenty by Ciara for not having read either of these books despite owning them (this will be a recurring theme for this list).

3 - We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han - I fail at finishing series. Like, this is a MAJOR problem for me. I can't even begin to count how many series I've started but haven't finished. In this case, I loved the first two books in Jenny Han's Summer trilogy I just can't bring myself to read the last one. Maybe it's because I was quite happy with the ending of the second book love triangle-wise so I'm afraid of what might happen.

4 - Where She Went by Gayle Forman - Yeah, so I haven't read Where She Went yet. I've read If I Stay and I loved it. I've been told by so many people that Where She Went is even better and even more emotional. Seeing the If I Stay movie this week may just be the motivation I need to finally read Where She Went.

5 - Looking for Alaska by John Green - I've only read two John Green books: Paper Towns and The Fault in Our Stars. But Looking for Alaska is the one that everyone (aka Ciara) has been telling me that I need to read. But I'm afraid of all the feelings that could possibly come from reading this book. 

6 - The rest of the Soul Screamers series (Specifically books 4, 5, 6 and 7) by Rachel Vincent - A year or two ago I started reading the Soul Screamers series, but I only got as far as book 3. According to some people, I need to remedy that fact. 

7 - Starling by Fiona Paul - This is another case of my inability to finish series in a timely manner. Though admittedly, Starling came out this year, so this isn't too outstanding. But I loved the first two books. And Jess has been telling me that I will love the conclusion. So I really need to get on that.

8 - Midnight Frost (and by extension, Killer Frost) by Jennifer Estep - In my opinion, the Mythos Academy series is one of the most underrated YA series out there. I've loved every book I've read in this series but I can't bring myself to read the last two books in the series. That and, as I've already established, I suck at finishing series.

9 - The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater - It took me a while to get around to reading The Raven Boys so I'm not entirely surprised that I haven't read The Dream Thieves yet. And Ciara (anyone seeing a trend yet?) has borderline yelled at me for not having read it yet. 

10 - Origin (and by extension, Opposition) by Jennifer L. Armentrout - You would think that after the end of Opal I would have been dying to read Origin. And I was. But then life got in the way. And so for the past year Ciara and Katie have been asking me if I've read it yet. And now that Opposition is out, they're nagging me even more. But in a good way.

So these are ten of the books people have been telling me I need to read. Believe me when I say that there are A LOT more sitting on my bookshelves. For now, let me know in the comments which one form this list you think I should read first!

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Don't Look Back

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all—popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it’s one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took “mean girl” to a whole new level, and it’s clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She’s getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she’s falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her—even it the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn’t just buried deep inside of Sam’s memory—someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what is not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Even though I might sound like a broken record by this point, I will say this again: I will read anything Jennifer L. Armentrout writes. To this day I have yet to be disappointed and anytime I hear about a new book from her, I get all excited. And I am happy to report that Don’t Look Back has kept the streak going. This was a page-turner that kept me guessing the whole way through. And I loved it.

Samantha Franco doesn’t remember who she is, what happened or where she has been for the last four days. But from everyone has told her, she wasn’t a good person. She and Cassie, the best friend she went missing with, took mean girl to a whole new level. Now though, Sam is getting a second chance. A second chance to be a better person and maybe try to fix some of the the wrongs she did before she went missing. But know one seems to be telling the truth about what happened the night she disappeared. Hoping to help find Cassie, Sam does everything she can to try to remember what happened that night. The only person who seems to be willing to be the truth is Carson, the boy she spent her childhood with, but who she has treated like trash all through high school. Sam is trying to do better, trying to remember, but could her forgotten memories be the reason she’s still alive?

Until now, I knew Jennifer L. Armentrout could do paranormal and contemporary romance like no other. Now I can also add thriller to the list. I loved Don’t Look Back. Like, dropped-everything-when-I-walked-in-the-house-after-work-and-kept-reading-all-night loved this book. This story was engrossing. I kept telling myself I would stop after reading just one more chapter, but I was just humouring myself by that point, there was no way I was putting the book down. Being the curious person that I am, I just had to find out what was going on, what had happened the night that Sam and Cassie disappeared. And because the story is told from Sam’s point of view, I was finding things out as the same rate she did. And if I’m being honest, that could be a little frustrating at times, but at the same time it just made it so I couldn’t stop reading. And as with any Jennifer L. Armentrout book out there, it didn’t hurt that there was also a good does of romance in the story. But the mystery is what truly did it for me. I just wanted to know everything. Until it was close to 2 AM and I finally did (though I may have regretted that decision when my alarm went off the next morning). But Sam and Carson made it totally worth it.

I loved that this story was told from Sam’s perspective. It made everything feel that much more intense and there was almost this sense of urgency to the way she told her story at times. And if I’m not lying, that’s probably what kept me on the edge of my seat so much. But beyond that, Sam was just an interesting character to read about and get to know. Seeing how she would react to what people told her she used to be like just made me love her that much more. She was able to see that she had been a pretty horrible person but at least she was trying to do better now that she had a second chance at it all. But as much as I loved Sam, Carson is the one who completely stole my heart. Because Carson was truly a good guy. Sure he didn’t seem that way at first, but it didn’t take long for me to change my mind where he was concerned. For me, Carson just leapt off the page and straight into my heart. There was very little about him I didn’t love. And he was exactly who and what Sam needed. I also have to mention Scott, Sam’s twin brother. I loved the relationship this two had when Sam came back not knowing who she was. They might not have gotten along before her disappearance, but I loved the sibling bond, and how protective Scott became where Sam was concerned.

In case the gushing didn’t make it obvious enough, I loved Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Don’t Look Back. It was an engrossing page-turner that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. With this book, Jennifer L. Armentrout has just reinforced the fact that she will forever be on my auto-read list.

Cover Reveal - Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

It's Time!! The STONE COLD TOUCH cover is here!

We cannot wait to share the cover for Jennifer L. Armentrout's STONE COLD TOUCH with you all! STONE COLD TOUCH is a young adult paranormal romance by Jennifer L. Armentrout and is the second full-length novel in The Dark Elements Series being published by Harlequin Teen. You'll want to add this to your TBR pile ASAP. Check out this amazing cover!    

Isn't it awesome?! You can Pre-order it right now!

**Amazon** **Barnes & Noble** **iTunes** **Kobo**

STONE COLD TOUCH 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… 

"Constantly entertaining...the narrative sizzles with as much tension as romance." —Kirkus Reviews on White Hot Kiss

And...Don't forget to check out the first book in The Dark Elements Series,

WHITE HOT KISS!

ABOUT WHITE HOT KISS:

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.

**Amazon** **Barnes and Noble** **BAM** **iBooks** **IndieBound** **Kobo** **Walmart**

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

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White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: HarlquinTEEN

Release Date: February 25, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

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 it, 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.

Once again, Jennifer L. Armentrout has made me fall in love with a story she wrote and characters she brought to life. I loved every moment of White Hot Kiss and I honestly can't wait to find out more about this world.

Despite having grown up among the Wardens, Layla has never really felt like she fit in. Sure, she's half-Warden, but Layla's other half is demon, the very thing Wardens were created to destroy. And that xeon half is what's preventing Layla from ever being able to kiss a boy, because to do so would result in said boy losing his soul. At least Zayne has always treated Layla like a Warden, making Layla crush on him even harder. Too bad Zayne only sees Layla as a sister. When Roth, a gorgeous demon, shows up in Layla's school, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to him. Roth claims he knows the secrets of Layla's demon half, drawing her in even further. Layla knows she should stay away and tell the Wardens about Roth, but the attraction is undeniable. Trusting Roth could mean losing everything, but with Roth, Layla feels stronger than she's ever felt.

There's not much left that I haven't said in praise of Jennifer L. Armentrout. I have yet to read anything she has written that I haven't loved. And that streak continues with White Hot Kiss. What was there not to love? For starters, it was different from other paranormal YAs out there. Unless I'm mistaken, gargoyles haven't been done before in YA. The mythology and the world of Wardens was interesting to read about and made for a compelling story. I got sucked into the story and the world right from the start. It helped that there was a lot going on in the story and it kept me guessing. The nature of some of the characters made it so it was difficult to trust them. But at the same time, my need to know the truth made it so I would just keep reading. And the ending pretty much guaranteed that I would be begging for the sequel. Oh, and of course there was plenty of the romance Jennifer L. Armentrout has come to be known for.

I loved Layla. It was really fun to read her story and find out everything at the same time as she did. But I also really felt for her because it seemed like people were always holding something back from her because of what she was. And it must have been quite the challenge, balancing Zayne and Roth. Usually, I can say that I like one boy better than the other, but don't ask me to choose between Zayne and Roth because I really can't. The whole time I was reading White Hot Kiss I kept going back and forth between the two. Zayne had always been there for Layla and treated her like a Warden. Around Roth, Layla was able to be who she really was and not worry about her demon half. But both also did things that made me question their motives. And then I got to the end of the story and both Roth and Zayne were causing me to yell at the book because STUFF was going down. And made me love BOTH boys very much.

Once again, Jennifer L. Armentrout did not disappoint. White Hot Kiss is an engrossing story filled with swoon-worthy guys, romance, twists, and did I mention swoon-worthy guys? Needless to say, I am now desperate to read the sequel, Stone Cold Touch. 

Be With Me by J. Lynn

Title: Be With Me (Wait For You #2)

Author: J. Lynn

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Release Date: February 4, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Teresa Hamilton is having a rough year--she's in love with her big brother's best friend, but he hasn't spoken to her since they shared a truly amazing, mind-blowing, change-your-life kiss. She got out of a terrible relationship. And now an injury is threatening to end her dance career for good. It's time for Plan B--college. And maybe a chance to convince Jase that what they have together is real.

Jase Winstead has a huge secret that he's not telling anyone. Especially not his best friend's incredibly beautiful sister. Even though he and Teresa shared the hottest kiss of his life, he knows that his responsibilities must take priority. He certainly doesn't have time for relationship. But it doesn't help that all he can think about kissing the one girl who could ruin everything for him.

As they're thrown together more and more, Jase and Tess can't keep denying their feelings for each other. But a familiar danger looms and tragedy strikes. As the campus recovers, the star-crossed couple must decide what they're willing to risk to be together, and what they're willing to lose if they're not...

I'm probably starting to sound like a broken record at this point but, J. Lynn/Jennifer L. Armentrout can do absolutely no wrong, no matter what she writes. So of course, I absolutely LOVED Be With Me and I just couldn't seem to turn the pages fast enough.

Teresa always thought she would be going to the Joffrey Ballet School once she graduated from high school. But when a fall on stage results in a torn ACL, Teresa finds herself registering for classes at the same university as her brother, Cam. Which would be fine, if Teresa wasn't completely in love with Jase, her overprotective brother's best friend. It wouldn't be so bad if she knew Jase felt nothing for her, but a year ago they shared an epic kiss…and she hasn't heard from Jase since. Now, everywhere she goes on campus, Teresa seems to run into Jase. She knows she should stay away and not get involved with him. But unless Teresa's mind is playing tricks on her, Jase seems to also be attracted to her. Except Jase has secrets of his own he's not sure he's ready to share just yet.

To say I devoured Be With Me would be somewhat of an understatement. Once I started reading, there's very little that could have gotten me to put the book down. That might have had to do with the fact that I was dying to read the book when I got a copy of it. So it really shouldn't come as a surprise when I say that I ABSOLUTELY LOVED Be With Me. I loved getting lost in this story. It helped that I already knew the world and the characters, and I loved that all the characters I got to know in Wait for You were still around. It made me enjoy the story that much more. One thing I was concerned about with Be With Me was how it could possibly live up to what I had built it up to in my head. And I was afraid it wouldn't be as good as Wait for You was. But really, I had nothing to worry about. Once again Jennifer L. Armentrout didn't disappoint. I couldn't have asked for a better story for Teresa and Jase. And as you may have suspected, the romance was there and there was plenty of it. And I LOVED it. Because I ADORED Jase and Teresa.

When I read Wait for You last summer, I had gotten glimpses of both Jase and Teresa, but I didn't know much about them beyond the basics. And I'm glad I really got to know them in Be With Me, because I fell in love with both of them. Teresa was different than I thought she was going to be. At first I couldn't help but think of her as Cam's little sister, but I quickly stopped thinking of her that way. Teresa was her own person, and she deserved to find someone who really cared about her after everything she had been through. And though he didn't seem like it at first, Jase was absolutely that person for Teresa. Jase was no Cam, but he was something special. For most of the book, Jase was this code I was trying to crack. But once I did, I just wanted to hold him. Without revealing too much, just know there's a lot more to Jase than what you might think for the better part of the book. But know that it's worth it to take the time to peel back Jase's layers. 

If it wasn't clear, I LOVED Be With Me. It more than lived up to what I had hoped it would be. If you haven't already give J. Lynn's New Adult a try, you really should because you won't be disappointed.

Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Bitter Sweet Love (Dark Elements #0.5)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: HarlequinTEEN

Release Date: December 1, 2013

Source: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon / Indigo

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…

By this point, I will read anything that Jennifer L. Armentrout writes. In my personal opinion, she can do no wrong, and unless she somehow starts doing wrong, I will keep reading her books. As predicted, Bitter Sweet Love was a great introduction to her new Dark Elements series, and I loved reading it.

Jasmine has spent the last three years trying to move on from her best friend, Dez. Right when she things she might finally be over him abandoning her with no explanation, Dez walks right back into her life. And on top of it all, he wants Jasmine to be his mate. All the feelings Jas thought had disappeared come rushing back. But this time around, she's not taking any risks: Jas is giving Dez seven days to meet all of her conditions. At the end of those seven days, maybe Jas will be ready to risk it all and say yes to Dez.

I'm not usually one for novellas, but every so often I decide to give one a shot. Add to that the fact that this particular novella was written by Jennifer L. Armentrout, and that's all the push I needed. Bitter Sweet Love was a great introduction to Armentrout's new series, The Dark Elements. As I could have predicted before I even started reading, I knew that this particular story would get me hooked on this new world. Gargoyles is definitely something that hasn't been done before in YA, and it has me completely intrigued. This novella helped set the stage. It introduced us to the world of Wardens, giving readers a small glimpse of what's to come in this new series. 

Some of the characters were also intro ducted. Granted Bitter Sweet Love focused on Jasmine and Dez, but we did get to see Layla and Zayne, the two main characters of the upcoming White Hot Kiss. Ann though the rest of the story won't be focused on them, I hope we'll still be able to catch glimpses of Jasmine and Dez. Despite how brief it was, I loved getting to know them and I got a little attached. But judging from what I saw in Bitter Sweet Love, I should still be able to see them in future books.

Jennifer L. Armentrout's Bitter Sweet Love did what it was supposed to do: it set the stage for the rest of the sees and got me excited about the future Dark Elements books. If you are eagerly awaiting the release of White Hot Kiss, I recommend you read Bitter Sweet Love to get a taste of what's to come.

Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Sentinel (Covenant #5)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Release Date: November 2, 2013

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear…or the end of herself.

As much as I hate it when series get drawn out, I hate it when my favourite series come to an end. I'm always worried that I'm going to be disappointed by how everything turns out. So I was scared of Sentinel. But I shouldn't have worried, because Jennifer L. Armentrout couldn't have disappointed me even if she tried.

Ares is threatening everything and everyone Alex cares about and there's only one thing she can do to stop it all: kill the god of war. Piece of cake, right? But to do that, Alex needs to become the God Killer by feeding off of Seth's powers, though he might not let her do that. All Alex ever wanted was to protect Aiden and her friends, and she'll do anything to keep them safe. Even if that means having to beat the god of war at his own game.

I am always terrified of the last books in series and that terror was amplified with Sentinel because the Covenant series has become one of my favourites. And I knew what had to happen in this book and that only scared me that much more. But I really didn't have to worry because Jennifer L. Armentrout had it all under control. As I was reading, things that I had previously questioned started falling into place. And all of a sudden, I wasn't so worried anymore. Sure, I knew that there would be moments that would be painful (and there were!), but I had hope that things would work out for the best. And as a result, Sentinel took me on a bit of an emotional roller-coaster. I would go from laughing one minute to tearing up the next. I've become so attached to the people in this story, and I just didn't want anything to happen to them. But in the end, things worked out for the best. It might not have been how I would have wanted things to go, but I can say that I'm happy with how it all worked out.

Oh Alex. I'm really going to miss her. Over the course of the five Covenant novels I've come to really love and care about Alex. In Sentinel, I was so worried something bad would happen to Alex. And I had PLENTY of reasons to be worried. But in the end, Alex was Alex and did what she had to do (even if that terrified me at times). Though the person I was really terrified something would happen to was Aiden. If anything happened to him, my book would have been thrown out the window. Because Aiden is the fiercest, most caring and sweetest person ever, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a little bit in love with him. The person that surprised me, though, was Seth. As much as I had once liked Seth, I had kind of lost all hope for him at this point. But he really came around in Sentinel and redeemed himself, even if he's still not perfect.

I couldn't have asked for a better conclusion to the Covenant series than the one I got in Sentinel. But even though I'm happen with the ending, I'm still going to really miss the story and the characters. Don't let the hype around everything Jennifer L. Armentrout scare you--if you haven't already given the Covenant series a try, you really should. 

Cover Reveal: Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Today I have the pleasure of being able to share with you the cover for Jennifer L. Armentrout's upcoming Don't Look Back. You all know by now how much I love Jennifer and her books and I couldn't be more excited about this one. So just keep scrolling to see the amazing animated cover, find out more about the book and find out more about the author.

About the book:

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection o who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has alway spooked out for her--even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happen to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory--someone else knows, someone wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Sounds like something you'd be interested in reading? The bad news is you have to wait until April 15. But the good news is you can already pre-order your copy from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  

About the author:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you've heard about her state aren't true. When she's not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories…which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Connect with Jennifer on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

  

Wait for You by J. Lynn

Title: Wait for You (Wait for You #1)

Author: J. Lynn

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Release Date: September 3, 2013

Source: ARC from BEA

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago--an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on there left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe--please God--make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn't need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she's building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that's just so…lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she has no there choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her. 

And some things are worth fighting for...

Over the past year and a half, I've become quite the Jennifer L. Armentrout/J. Lynn fan. And after having now read Wait for You, I can say that she does New Adult contemporary just as well as she does Young Adult paranormal. In case that wasn't clear, I LOVED Wait for You. So much so I read it all in one sitting.

All Avery wanted out of college was a fresh start far away from home and all the tormenting of her past. But after literally waking into Cam Hamilton, things take an unexpected turn, especially once she finds out Cam lives across the hall from her. Before long, Cam has wormed his way into Avery's life and Avery isn't so sure she wants him to go away anymore. But the closer Avery gets to Cam, the more afraid she is that night five years ago is going to come back and haunt her. But what if Cam is exactly what Avery needs to finally move on with her life?

I love Jennifer L. Armentrout's paranormal stories and as excited as I was about Wait for You, I was a little afraid that it wouldn't quite live up to my expectations. In the end, I got sucked in right from the start. I had told myself I would only read a few pages to see what it was all about and before I knew it, it was a couple hours later and I was a couple hundred pages into the book. And I wasn't about to stop reading any time soon. Wait for You completely captivated me. There was just so much more to the story than I thought there would be. The story made me laugh, but it also brought tears to my eyes and broke my heart at times. And even though I could guess what had happened to Avery right from the start, I just kept reading, waiting to see if I was right. But I also just wanted to keep reading, if only just to see Cam and Avery's relationship develop. Because it was't perfect and that's what I loved about it.

Even though I hadn't gone through what she had, I could relate to many aspects of Avery's personality and that's what made me like her so much. That and she was a lot stronger than she gave herself credit for. Now if only she had trusted the people who really cared about her a little more, things could have gone a little smoother. But then I wouldn't have been able to see all the great sides of Cam's personality. Because Cam might just be my new book boyfriend. Cam was everything I hoped he would be. He was the whole package: good looks, smart, loyal and one of the sweetest and most caring guys. And he bakes cookies and cooks breakfast. So yeah, I might be a little in love with Cam. But can you really blame me?

Wait for You was so much more than I hoped it would be. It might even be one of my favorite books this year. And in my books, Jennifer L. Armentrout can do no wrong, no matter what she writes.

Summer Reading - 2013 Edition (2)

Among my friends, I'm known as the book person. As a result, whenever someone is looking for a book recommendation they come to me. This time of the year, this happens a lot since summer is fast approaching and a lot of my friends are typically seasonal readers--as in they read when they have time to do so and that time is often summer. Like I did last year, I thought I would post these recommendations--by genre--here on the blog as well. Up this week, some paranormal recommendations.

- Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout - If you're plugged in to the blog world at all, you will have heard of this series at some point in the last year. So here's the deal, the Lux series is about aliens. Yes, you read that right, aliens. And not only that, but they are absolutely addicting. Once you start reading these books, you will just fly through them and keep wanting more. Though you'll probably question your addiction to these books at time, they are the perfect read when you are looking for romance and action.

- Embrace series by Jessica Shirvington - This series deals with angels--fallen angels and half-angels. But here's the thing, the first book might not have you hooked, but keep reading. If you do, you'll find that the story just keeps getting better and more complex. But beyond that, the Embrace series is different from other angel books out there. And like any good paranormal these, days the Embrace series comes with a good dose of romance. And swoon-worthy boys.

- Elemental series by Brigid Kemmerer - The Elemental series is very much unlike anything else that's out there in paranormal YA. This story deals with four brothers who can each control different elements. And the thing about those brothers is that they're quite the dreamy bunch. But of course there's also a lot more going on. So far there are two books out, with the third one coming out at the end of the month, so it's the perfect time to pick up this series.

- Personal Demons trilogy by Lisa Desrochers - This is one of those really underrated series. I have absolutely loved this series and every time there was a new book I just devoured it. As the name suggests, this is a story about demons and angels--some pretty swoon-worthy ones at that. But in all seriousness, you should really read this trilogy if you are looking for a story with not only two hot boys and one kick-ass heroine, then pick up Personal Demons. Bonus: all three books are already out so none of that annoying waiting between books.

- Starcrossed trilogy Josephine Angelini - You will be hearing me talk about this series a lot in the next few weeks because I absolutely adore this trilogy. This is a story about love, and demigods and you might see a few parallels with the Trojan War. And it's just a fantastic story that is so complex and layered, something I realized while reading the final book. But seriously, if you haven't already, you need to read this series. Plus the last book comes out at the end of the month so you won't have too long to wait if you decide to read these.

This is not an extensive list. If I wanted to, I could probably keep going on for days with paranormal recommendations. These are just a few of my favorites from the last year that I strongly recommend. If you are looking for paranormal recommendations, you can check out last year's post. And if paranormal is not your cup of tea, you can come back next week for some sci-fi and fantasy recommendations.

Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Apollyon (Covenant #4)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Release Date: April 9, 2013

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Fate isn't something to mess with…an now, neither is Alex.

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being places on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is wiling to make war on the gods--and Alex herself--to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex's power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex's connection to Seth isn't the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole "an Apollyon can't be killed" theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries. 

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to stop Seth from becoming the God Killer…or she might become the God Killer herself. 

If you've been following this blog for any period of time, you will probably know by now that I am a huge Jennifer L. Armentrout fan and that I absolutely adore the Covenant series, no matter how many times it's managed to break my heart. After everything that happened in Deity, I was quite apprehensive when I picked up Apollyon but I should have known it wouldn't disappoint me.

Now that she has Awakened, Alex Andros is connected to Seth, the Apollyon who now has the potential to become the God Killer. Alex's friends have to find a way to sever the bond between Alex and Seth, and keep her far enough way that he won't be able to drain her of all her powers. But the newly Awakened Alex isn't as cooperative as could be. And that won't stop Aiden St. Delphi. He's determined to stop Seth and get Alex back, even if that means going against the gods. But at this time, that's the least of their concerns.

After reading Deity, I was majorly terrified of reading Apollyon. I was terrified of what it would do to my poor heart. And then I started reading, and what I was reading seemed to be pointing in that direction. But I shouldn't have worried too much. While it did take me on a crazy emotional ride, it didn't rip my heart to shreds the way I thought it would. The story itself was a little crazy. As if often the case with Jennifer L. Armentrout's books, there was never a dull moment. The story picks up immediately after Deity and from there the action never stopped. And as I've come to expect with any book by Jennifer L. Armentrout, the romance was just how I liked it in Apollyon. But it wasn't just the romance this time around that got to me, it was all the other relationships between the characters. At times it was the incredible friendships, old and new, and even the different relationships between those who were family. There was never a moment when those relationships didn't feel real. And that was true all the way to the end. And the ending, though it wasn't quite as heartbreaking as the ones in the past, it still left me with a lot of questions about what's going to come next.

Oh Alex. How I have come to love you over the course of these four books. Though I have to admit I was kind of worried that Alex would be her ever wonderful Awakened self throughout the whole book. And I mean as delightful (and by delightful I mean an incredible pain) as she was now that was linked to Seth, it would have gotten old fast. But I should have known better, Alex was soon back to being the Alex I love, with her different actions pulling at my heartstrings. And Aiden was better than ever. He was absolutely determined to get Alex back, and I loved seeing that fiercely determined side of him. If I wasn't already in love with him, this would have done it. Seth on the other had, has his scary moments if only because he thought what he was doing was for the greater good. But then he had these moments where he started doubting everything, and in those moments, I saw flashes of that old Seth that I liked once upon a time. And there are some other characters that make appearances that caused me to start tearing up but I will leave it at that.

Jennifer L. Armentrout's Apollyon did not disappoint. Despite how terrified I was when I first started reading, it didn't take long for me to once again become completely hooked to this story. If you haven't already given Armentrout's Covenant series, you really should. Odds are it won't be long before you become just as hooked as I am.