REVIEW: The Weight of Words by Georgina Guthrie

The Weight of Words by Georgina Guthrie

(The Weight of Words #1)

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Purchase: Omnific Publishing

Synopsis:

Aubrey Price is in the final months of her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto. Bright, witty and fiercely independent, Aubrey works part-time for the college Dean and has her sights set on graduating with distinction. When she meets Dean Grant’s son, Daniel, the TA in her senior Shakespearean studies course, a shared love of the Bard’s works and an instant mutual attraction draw Aubrey and Daniel together. Unfortunately, a strict anti-fraternizing policy, made more perilous by a black mark on Daniel’s record, keeps them apart.

Against this academic backdrop, Aubrey and Daniel navigate their way through a steamy courtship, their forbidden romance aided, abetted and sometimes thwarted by a colorful cast of friends, family and classmates.

My Aubrey and Daniel:

  * 4 STARS * Review:

How much trouble can it be when you fall for your teaching assistent who also happens to be the son of Dean you are working for? As Aubrey will learn, it can bring a lot of problems and not just for her. Especially when man in question has his own can of worms he is not ready to open yet...

The Weight of Words is truly adorable story! Very witty and sometimes funny too. With forbidden love as a main topic, I was hooked from the very beginning. Style of writing is high-level and it was a pleasure to read this story. The Weight of Words may not be the most moving story, but it is definitely one of the most enjoyable ones I have read lately.

In The Weight of Words, Aubrey is a smart woman and a compassionate soul. The way her teaching assistant Daniel was effecting her was very cute and adorable.

Daniel was very moody in this story and I had hard time figuring him out. He could be grumpy, angry, playful or sweet. He was really trying to stay away from Aubrey, but the more time he spend with her, the closer he was to failing his determination to keep his distance. Moreover, Daniel's character had amazing way with words and he really knew how to charm a woman... Teasing between him and Aubrey was incredible in this story and author wrote it perfectly.

"As he looked at me, his face openly betrayed what his heart was feeling. The wall, the bravado, the persona — it was all gone, reduced to rubble at our feet."

To be honest I have nothing to complain about. Beautifuly written, adorable characters, thoughtful ideas, no cliffhanger. The only thing I was missing was some shocking twist, something that would keep me on my toes. Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this book and I am looking forward to next instalment.

REVIEW: Sempre by J.M. Darhower

Sempre by J.M. Darhower

(Forever Series #1)

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Purchase: Amazon / B&N

Synopsis:

Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco had vastly different childhoods. Haven, a second-generation slave, grew up isolated in the middle of the desert, her days full of hard work and terrifying abuse. Carmine, born into a wealthy Mafia family, lived a life of privilege, never having to answer for anything he did.

Both now seventeen, a twist of fate causes their worlds to collide, making them question everything they ever believed. Entangled in a web of secrets and lies, they learn that while different on the surface, they have more in common than anyone would think.

My Haven and Carmine:

* 5 STARS * Review:

Million stars! A must-read and definitely my all time favourite.

Carmine DeMarco is troubled, tempramental and problematic teenage boy who does what he wants and when he wants. He doesn't really care about anything until Haven comes along...

Haven Antonelli knows nothing else as being unequal, a slave, a servant. When she is put with DeMarco family, the life she knew so far is turned upside down. Will she be able to adapt?

Italian mafia, slavery, freedom, danger, love and sacrifice. All these are topics of this book. This story reminded me to never take anything for granted and to enjoy simple things every day.

Sempre is extremely powerful and intese story. The one that you will never forget. It was beautiful and fascinating to read about two poeple from completely different backgorunds growing close together and falling in love.

Amazingly crafted characters, excellent writing, captivating storyline. This story was flawless! The use of 3rd person narrative made it very special for me. As a reader, I was able to connect with main as well as supporting characters and all of them became very close to my heart.

I can't express how much I love this story. Mrs. Darhower put her soul into it and I savoured every single word she wrote. As soon as you can, I highly recommend you to pick this book up and read it. You won't regret it.

RECOMMENDATION: GABRIEL'S SERIES BY SYLVAIN REYNARD

Book #3 in my all time favourite contemporary romance series by Sylvain Reynard will be released soon so I decided to share with you my thoughts on first 2 books and let you know why I love them so much! In case you haven't read those books, now is the best time

Purchase: Amazon / B&N

GABRIEL'S INFERNO SYNOPSIS:

Enigmatic and sexy, Professor Gabriel Emerson is a well respected Dante specialist by day, but by night he devotes himself to an uninhibited life of pleasure. He uses his notorious good looks and sophisticated charm to gratify his every whim, but is secretly tortured by his dark past and consumed by the profound belief that he is beyond all hope of redemption. When the sweet and innocent Julia Mitchell enrolls as his graduate student, his attraction and mysterious connection to her not only jeopardizes his career, but sends him on a journey in which his past and his present collide. An intriguing and sinful exploration of seduction, forbidden love and redemption, "Gabriel's Inferno" is a captivating and wildly passionate tale of one man's escape from his own personal hell as he tries to earn the impossible...forgiveness and love.

My Julia and Gabriel:

* 5 STARS * REVIEW:

Wow! This is a phenomenal book!

Gabriel's Inferno is the best story about forbidden love I have ever read. All characters were believable and real. They have their ups and downs, fears and dreams, past issues and hopes for future. This is very compact and smart book. It has everything - romance, erotica, art, religious elements. I really enjoyed reading it, it made me cry, laugh, smile, anxious... Reading Gabriel's Inferno was really a fulfilling experience! And I absolutely love all those references to another classic literary works, especially the ones considering Lord of the Rigs.

Main female character, Julia, is kind, sweet, smart and reincarnation of pure goodness. But also, she can be very passionate and angry when needed. She has definitely become my favourite female heroine. She always did exactly the same thing I would do if I was in her shoes. And Gabriel... he went thought various changes during the book and I have no other choice than fell in love with him. He may have a dark past and intense personality, but he is a true gentleman and he knows how to spoil a woman. I felt so much compassion for all characters, not just for Julia and Gabriel. Most of the time it was a sensual and pleasant reading but sometimes it was very heart-wrenching and my heart was racing when something bad was about to happen or something tragic to be discussed (and there is not many books that would do that to me).

Sylvain Reynard earned a prominent place on my favourite bookshelf with this book!

GABRIEL'S RAPTURE SYNOPSIS:

Professor Gabriel Emerson has embarked on a passionate, yet clandestine affair with his former student, Julia Mitchell. Sequestered on a romantic holiday in Italy, he tutors her in the sensual delights of the body and the raptures of sex. But when they return, their happiness is threatened by conspiring students, academic politics, and a jealous ex-lover. When Gabriel is confronted by the university administration, will he succumb to Dante's fate? Or will he fight to keep Julia, his Beatrice, forever? In Gabriel's Rapture, the brilliant sequel to the wildly successful debut novel, Gabriel's Inferno, Sylvain Reynard weaves an exquisite love story that will touch the reader's mind, body, and soul, forever.

My Julia and Gabriel:

 

 

* 5 STARS * Review:

Wow, Sylvain Reynard did not disappoint! This sequel is at least as good as Gabriel's Inferno. The book is full of thoughtful ideas about life, sin, forgiveness and love. In Gabriel's Rapture, the author connected love and sex in most beautiful way and the way he sees marriage is absolutely wonderful. The book has a very substantial effect on me. It made me cry and it made me think a lot about the life. I don't remember feeling such a strong compassion for main characters as I had when reading this book.

I really admire Sylvain Reynard for his ability of forming such a beautiful compliments in this book. Moreover, he is a master of teasing and all of the intimate scenes were so real and so tasteful. Some of the compliments said by Professor to Julia, made even me blushed when reading it :)

The author succeeded again in creating realistic characters. Gabriel and Julia are not perfect, and they both made various mistakes in this book. But this is how life goes, how we learn. Gabriel has changed a lot comparing to Gabriel's Inferno and I was so happy to read that he was able to find his peace finally.

This book about love and forgiveness touched my heart and I am sure I will re-read it couple of times.

REVIEW: ANGELFALL BY SUSAN EE

Angelfall by Susan Ee

(Penryn & the End of Days #1)

Genre: Dystopia/Urban Fantasy

Purchase: Amazon US / Amazon UK / B&N

 

SYNOPSIS:

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

Recommended for ages 16 and up.

* 5 STARS * REVIEW:

Angelfall is without the doubt the best dystopian/urban fantasy novel I have read in very long time. It has easily became one of my all time favourite books and I recommend it to everyone!

 My Penryn and Raffe:

If you are romance junkie, you probably won't find your fix here. But trust me, this book is lacking nothing. I loved dark view on angels author decided to pursue in this book. And I loved how realistic feel this book had. The way author built this post-apocalyptic world was very believable and I cannot wait where will she take her characters in next instalments.

But most of all I loved narrator. Penryn was survival-smart, brave, determined and loyal. There was not a single annoying feature about her. No, she was not perfect, she is human after all. But her behaviour and reactions were very appealing to me as a reader. Paired with wingless angel Raffe, they made very interesting partnership.

In case you haven't read this book yet, please give it a chance. It is action-packed, exciting and emotional journey of young girl trying to get her family together in matter what cost. So do not hesitate and pick it up!

REVIEW: Bully by Penelope Douglas

Bully by Penelope Douglas

(Fall Away #1)

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

My name is Tate. He doesn't call me that, though. He would never refer to me so informally, if he referred to me at all.

We're neighbors, and once, we were best friends. But then, one summer, he turned on me and has made it his mission to screw up my life at every opportunity. I've been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got more sadistic as time wore on, and I made myself sick trying to hide from him. I worried about what was around every corner and behind every door. 

So I left.

I spent a year studying abroad and bathed in the freedom of life without Jared. Now I'm back to finish up high school and get the hell out of here forever. I'm hoping that after a year of breathing room, he's moved on and forgotten all about me. 

But even if he hasn't changed, I have. I'm not interested in avoiding him or turning the other cheek anymore. We're going to go head to head, because neither of us wants to back down.

THIS BOOK IS RECOMMENDED FOR MATURE READERS AUDIENCES ONLY. HOWEVER, THIS REVIEW ITSELF DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY INAPPROPRIATE MATERIAL.

My Tate and Jared:

  * 4 STARS * Review:

Jared who used to be Tate's best friend, is now cruel and intimidating bully who makes her life really unpleasant. Tate decides to go study abroad for a year to escape this life and comes back as different person, ready to finally stand up for herself. What it takes for victim to become bully? And what about this weird connection and attraction she still feels towards Jared?

Bully was very addictive story from the very beginning. It was clear from the very beginning that Jared was enjoying Tate's discomfort. But why?  What happened that he changed from sweet caring friend to such terrible person? Bully may not be the most emotional and thoughtful book that would make me cry, yet I still could not put it down. Sometimes I am just looking for the entertainment when reading and this book provided it perfectly.

I absolutely love "from-haters-to-lovers" kind of story. Especially when I get butterflies whenever something exciting or dramatic is happening and I cannot tear my eyes from the book. And this was exactly the case with this book. But even though Tate and Jared were both quite mean to each other, I still could not truly love Jared. I really enjoyed this book, but I did not find his reasons for his terrible behaviour justifiable and even by the end of the book he didn't win me over. I'm looking forward to reading novella Until You which will be from his point of view and I am hoping it will make me understand his behaviour better!'

REVIEW: Hushed by Kelley York

Hushed by Kelley York

Genre: Contemporary Thriller

Release date: November 11th 

Published by Entangled:Embrace

Synopsis:

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn't protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he's never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn't matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another - Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.

Then along comes Evan, the only person who's ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer's committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn't get what she wants... And what she wants is Evan's death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.

My Vivian, Archer and Evan:

  * 4.5 STARS * Review:

"To stay or let go. To keep going and see where his past decisions took him, or try grasping that second chance. Do monsters get second chances?"

Archer has always been a little bit obsessed with  his friend Vivian. He is determined to do anything for her, even kill people who hurt her in the past. Than he meets Evan, nice and shy guy. Archer quickly becomes fascinated with him, espcecially when he realizes that Evan is the only one who gives not just take from Archer. But can Archer ever overcome his obsession with Vivian and see her true colors?

"Didn't his heart have enough stitched and cracks to last a lifetime? Breaking, healing, breaking. And yet he put his trust in the few people that matterd, set himself up for being struck down again and again."

Hushed is unusual and extremely captivating book. It is harsh, dark and depressive story full of violence and conflicting feelings. But most importantly, this psychological thriller will leave you thinking about what happened for days!

It is very difficult to cathegorize this book, as it is difficult to describe Archer. A secluded kind of person, quite messed up with dark thoughts, intelligent but misunderstood by others, Archer makes very unusual but interesting narrator. He is not a hero in literal sense, nor he is villian. He was like a ticking bomb and I was waiting all the time for him to go off. He and his dark thoughts were what made this book a winner for me.

Those who are reluctant to read m/m story, I completely understand. I was avoiding this genre for a long time and decided to give this genre a chance only because it was supposed to be a "light" version. Since Hushed is intended for YA audience, nothing was too graphic and it all felt pretty natural to me as a m/m newbie.

Highly recommended if you are looking for something out of ordinary romance stories, yet still something intense and very emotional!

REVIEW: Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout

(Covenant series #5)

Genre: YA Paranormal 

Synopsis:

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.

  * 4 STARS * Review:

My Alex and Aiden:

I was sad, yet excited to start this final instalment. Once again, Jennifer L. Aremntrout managed to write exciting and thrilling story, full of Greek myths coming alive in our contemporary world. This may not be my favourite part of series, but I was still able to enjoy it a lot!

If you for whatever reason have not read this series yet, you should do so now. If not for action-packed, gut-wrenching storyline, than read it because of Aiden St. Deplhi. I am not sure if I have ever read about more devoted, loyal and loving male character before. He is just perfect!

I cannot really talk about this book without giving spoilers. So all I am going to say is that even though I enjoyed this book and was ok with ending, I did not love it. So why not 5 stars? Firstly, I felt like climax was in Apollyon and this was just aftermath. Story was a little bit repetitive, nothing completely new or shocking has happened in this book. Also, I know that this was Alex's and Aiden's story, but after so much time I had spent with this series, there was no proper goodbye with supporting characters. Everything ended so abruptly.

I highly recommend this series to all YA paranormal readers! It is definitely my favourite series when it comes to Greek mythology!!!