If There's No Tomorrow by Jennifer L. Armentrout Excerpt

Publisher: Harlequin Teen (September 5, 2017)

Lena Wise is always looking forward to tomorrow, especially at the start of her senior year. She’s ready to pack in as much friend time as possible, to finish college applications, and to maybe let her childhood best friend Sebastian know how she really feels about him. For Lena, the upcoming year is going to be epic—one of opportunities and chances.

Until one choice, one moment, destroys everything.

Now Lena isn’t looking forward to tomorrow. Not when friend time may never be the same. Not when college applications feel all but impossible. Not when Sebastian might never forgive her for what happened.

For what she let happen.

With the guilt growing each day, Lena knows that her only hope is to move on. But how can she move on when she and her friends’ entire existences have been redefined? How can she move on when tomorrow isn’t even guaranteed?

Hello fellow readers!  As you know, I'm a big JLA fan, so I'm so very excited about If There's No Tormorrow, so when this was delivered a couple of days ago...

I was all like...

And I know what I will be reading on my vacation next week!  I can't share my book with all of you, but I can share this excerpt.  I hope you enjoy!  

Sebastian had texted a few times since Wednesday, but I hadn’t seen him since the kiss. There was no fooling myself. Things had changed. When Sebastian was home, even when he was dating Skylar, I saw him nearly every other day if not every day. The only time I didn’t was when he wasn’t home.

So he was avoiding me.

I cursed under my breath, tapped out of the app and dropped my phone on top of the book on the floor. Edgy anxiety churned my stomach, and I shook my head as I stared at the large maple in the backyard. Was he back with Skylar, a handful of days after I kissed him? Did it even matter?

It shouldn’t, but it did.

Disgusted with myself, I opened up the paperback, needing to lose myself in something unrelated to me.

 I’d made it a couple of pages before I heard footsteps on the stairs leading up to the balcony. I lifted my chin and I froze when I saw the top of Sebastian’s head, torn between wanting to dive back into my bedroom and rush him with my arms spread wide.

I did neither of those things.

Heart thumping heavily in my chest, I slowly closed the book as he crested the last step. All the air leaked out of my lungs.

Oh come on.

Sebastian was shirtless. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen him half clothed, but each time was like the first time.

Chest defined, stomach chiseled like he was cut off marble and hips lean. He wasn’t overly muscled. Oh no, he was just a prime example of how football could do a body good. And he was wearing a baseball cap. Backwards.

I just imploded into mush and goo.

I hated him.

One side of his lips quirked up as he swaggered across the small balcony.

“Hey, nerd.”

For a moment, I couldn’t respond. I was thrust back to the lake, me in his lap and his mouth oh-so briefly on mine. Heat flushed my cheeks and spread lower, much lower.

Oh my God.

I needed to get control of myself and go about things as if nothing had happened. That was what he was doing. I could do it, too. I had to, because if I couldn’t, how could we be friends?

He looked up and his gaze briefly met mine before flickering away. I thought I saw a faint pink infuse his cheeks. Was he blushing? Maybe he wasn’t as good at pretending as I thought he was.

Clearing my throat, I cradled the book to my chest. “Hey dumbass, did you forget to get dressed before you walked out of the house?”

His eyes glimmered as they moved back to me. His shoulders loosened. “I was just so excited to come visit you that I didn’t want to waste time finding a clean shirt.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I thought about texting you.” He leaned against the railing, next to my feet. “But figured you were out here.”

“Am I that predictable?”

“Yes.”

“Well then,” I muttered, searching for something to say. “Did… did you have practice this morning?”

Sebastian nodded. “Yeah. Till twelve. Than I took a nap when I got back.”

“Late night?” I asked innocently enough, but my pulse was spiking.

He shrugged one broad shoulder. “Not really,” he answered, and I tried to determine if that was code word for getting back with Skylar or hooking up with someone else.

But really they were just two words that didn’t mean anything.

“Keith ended up getting plastered and setting off a stash of fireworks.” He folded his arms, drawing unneeded attention to his chest. “I’m still surprised he didn’t blow off a couple of fingers. Or a hand.”

“Me too, actually.”

“Anyway, I’m over here for a reason. He’s having a barbecue today. Actually, his older brother is. Only a few people are going to be over there,” he said. “You should come with me.”

My heart started dancing all over the place, screaming yes, yes, yes! My brain recoiled and immediately told my heart to shut the hell up, because my heart was stupid and it made me do stupid things. “I don’t know….”

“Come on.” He grabbed my foot. I tried to pull it away, but he held on, wrapping his fingers around my ankle. I refused to read anything into that. “We haven’t had the chance to see each other the last couple of days and I just got back last weekend.”

Yeah, and I kissed you and obviously you weren’t into it. He was acting normal, totally normal, though. So much so I almost wondered if I hallucinated the lake.

“Spend time with me. Quality charbroiled cheeseburgers time.”

I dropped my book in my lap and grasped the arms of my chair. “I’m not hungry.”

“Turning down grilled cheeseburgers? Now, I know you’re just being difficult.”

My eyes narrowed as I tried to pull my leg free again.

Sebastian dipped his chin. “I’ll drive and you’ll have fun. All you have to do is get your pretty butt out of that chair and I’ll handle the rest.”

I froze, eyes wide.

He thought I had a pretty butt?

The grin on his face spread, and a second later his fingers danced over the bottom of my foot. I immediately shrieked. “Stop! Stop it!”

His fingers hovered over my foot as he raised his brows. “Are you going to come out with me?”

I was breathing heavy, paranoid that he was going to start tickling my feet again. “You’re not playing fair here.”

“Why play fair when I can just tickle you into doing what I want?” he replied, placing one finger on the center of my foot. My whole leg jerked. “So, what’s it going to be, Lena-bean?”

“Lena-bean?” I shouted, fingers digging into the arms of the chair. When was the last time he called me that? Before I needed to wear a bra? “I’m not ten years old, Sebastian.”

His lashes flicked down, shielding his eyes. “I know you’re not ten anymore.” His voice deepened. “Trust me.”

My lips parted as his words cycled over and over in my head. His gaze flickered up and met mine. There was no dancing in my heart, only a wild beating I felt in every single part of my body.

Why didn’t you kiss me back?

Purchase Links:

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in West Virginia.

When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time, reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write. She shares her home with her husband, his K-9 partner named Diesel and her hyper Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent her time writing short stories, therefore explaining her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes Young Adult Contemporary, Urban Fantasy/Paranormal and Romance. She writes New Adult and Adult romance under the pen name J.Lynn.

She is the author of the Covenant Series (Spencer Hill Press) the Lux Series (Entangled Teen) and the upcoming YA Don’t Look Back (2014) and untitled YA (Fall 2014) from Disney/Hyperion. She is also published with Harlequin Teen and HarperCollins.

Connect with Jennifer

Website | Facebook | Twitter

The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro

****1/2

From the Publisher:

In the second brilliant, action-packed book in the Charlotte Holmes trilogy, Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are in a chase across Europe to untangle a web of shocking truths about the Holmes and Moriarty families.

Jamie and Charlotte are looking for a winter break reprieve in Sussex after a fall semester that almost got them killed. But nothing about their time off is proving simple, including Holmes and Watson’s growing feelings for each other. When Charlotte’s beloved Uncle Leander goes missing from the Holmes estate—after being oddly private about his latest assignment in a German art forgery ring—the game is afoot once again, and Charlotte throws herself into a search for answers.

So begins a dangerous race through the gritty underground scene in Berlin and glittering art houses in Prague, where Holmes and Watson discover that this complicated case might change everything they know about their families, themselves, and each other.

Source:  Electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson are the ancestors of the Sherlock Holmes and James Watson.  Holmes and Watson were thrown together in A Study in Charlotte when they were suspects in a fellow student's murder.  The story continues in The Last of August.  I'd love to tell you that this is a standalone, but the truth is, if you haven't read A Study in Charlotte you are going to miss a lot in August.  

When Holmes' Uncle Leander goes missing, she insists he's become the latest casualty in the family's war with the Moriarty family.   When Mrs. Holmes is poisoned, Holmes and Watson are sent to Holmes' brother Milo.  They decide to use Milo's resources to find Leander, including Holmes' first love, August Moriarty.  

There is a lot going on in The Last of August and I've struggled with this review because I want to convey how gloriously awesome this book is without giving away a single thing, because you really need to enjoy each twist as it happens in the book.  I've read a lot of mysteries and this ranks as one of the best.  Cavallaro experts weaves the threads of this complex mystery together to a stunning conclusion.  I guess the only thing I can say is go read this series now.  Right now!  

~ Shel

The Trouble with Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis

I couldn't resist the promo ad with the hot guy on it!  

If she has her way . . .

Willa Davis is wrangling puppies when Keane Winters stalks into her pet shop with frustration in his chocolate-brown eyes and a pink bedazzled cat carrier in his hand. He needs a kitty sitter, stat. But the last thing Willa needs is to rescue a guy who doesn’t even remember her . . .

He’ll get nothing but coal in his stocking.

Saddled with his great-aunt’s Feline from Hell, Keane is desperate to leave her in someone else’s capable hands. But in spite of the fact that he’s sure he’s never seen the drop-dead-gorgeous pet shop owner before, she seems to be mad at him . . .

Unless he tempers “naughty” with a special kind of nice . . .

Willa can’t deny that Keane’s changed since high school: he’s less arrogant, for one thing—but can she trust him not to break her heart again? It’s time to throw a coin in the fountain, make a Christmas wish—and let themistletoe do its work . . .

Source:  Advance copy in exchange for honest review.

The Trouble with Mistletoe has all the hallmarks of a Jill Shavlis book - heart, heat, and hilarity!  I love a good holiday story and when you throw one of my favorite authors into the mix, I'm a happy girl!  

Keane is hilarious with the devil cat.  Willa is crazy and full of heart.  I could totally identify with her trust issues.  It's been a while since we've had a Shalvis heroine that owned her own crazy when it causes problems in the burgeoning relationship, so I loved that.  And with that crazy Keane and Willa together are a steamy mess!

As always, I love the supporting cast of a Shalvis book.  The "gang" reminds me of the best of friends - they love you, always have your back, and call you on your shit.  Willa's gang is great.  Elle and Archer's book, Accidentally on Purpose, hits the shelves in February and promises to be all full of stubborn people refusing to admit they are falling in love.    

Grab your copy here:

The Trouble with Mistletoe Buy Links:

Kindle: bit.ly/MistletoeAmazon
iBooks: bit.ly/MistletoeiBooks
Nook: bit.ly/MistletoeNook
Paperback: bit.ly/MistletoePaperback
GooglePlay: bit.ly/MistletoeGooglePlay
Kobo: bit.ly/MistletoeKobo
BAM: bit.ly/MistletoeBAM

~ Shel

Bedmates by Nichole Chase Blog Tour - Review & Excerpt

 

We are thrilled to get to bring to you the Review & Excerpt Tour for New York Times Bestselling Author Nichole Chase’s BEDMATES, the first standalone novel in her new American Royalty Series! Be sure to check out all of the stops in this amazing tour and grab your copy of BEDMATES today!  

   

From the New York Times bestselling author of Suddenly Royal comes the first in a sparkling new series about America’s favorite royal—the First Daughter.

Everyone makes mistakes, especially in college. But when you’re the daughter of the President of the United States, any little slip up is a huge embarrassment. Maddie McGuire’s latest error in judgment lands her in police custody, giving the press a field day. Agreeing to do community service as penance and to restore her tattered reputation, Maddie never dreams incredibly good looking but extremely annoying vice president’s son, Jake Simmon, will be along for the ride.

Recently returning from Afghanistan with a life-altering injury, Jake is wrestling with his own demons. He doesn’t have the time or patience to deal with the likes of Maddie. They’re like oil and water and every time they’re together, it’s combustible. But there’s a thin line between love and hate, and it’s not long before their fiery arguments give way to infinitely sexier encounters.

When Jake receives devastating news about the last remaining member of his unit, the darkness he’s resisted for so long begins to overwhelm him. Scared to let anyone close, he pushes Maddie away. But she isn’t about to give up on Jake that easily. Maddie’s fallen for him, and she’ll do anything to keep him from the edge as they both discover that love is a battlefield and there are some fights you just can’t lose.

   

Order BEDMATES in ebook or paperback, releasing 10/4/16

Amazon | iBooks | BAM| Barnes & Noble

Add to your Goodreads

   

Excerpt:

“I asked if there was any sex.” His shoes came into view and I looked up slowly.

“Oh, there will be.” I met his eyes. “But not yet.”

His eyes widened just a smidge, his nostrils flared ever so slightly, and I realized how what I’d said sounded.

“I mean, um, that I wouldn’t mind—” Shit, that was worse. “I promise to cover her eyes.”

“What wouldn’t you mind, Madeline?” His voice dropped an octave, making my heart speed up. Madeline, not Maddie or MadLlibs.

“I, um—what?” My voice was breathy as he took a step even closer to me.

“You mentioned something about sex, I believe.” He reached out, using his fingers to brush some of the hair out of my eyes.

“I did? I mean, yes, I did. On the show.” I fumbled over the words. “Buffy! That’s what I was talking about. I wouldn’t mind having sex with—damn it—I mean I wouldn’t mind seeing—shit. No matter what I say this sounds wrong.”

“Nothing wrong with sex.” His eyes twinkled and I realized his hand was still on my face when he lifted my chin up.

“I—I—know that.”

His thumb ran over my bottom lip. “Then why do you have such a hard time talking about it?”

“I don’t!” My spine stiffened. “Sex doesn’t scare me.”

“Then it’s me.” He lowered his head close to mine and I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I make you nervous.”

I swallowed again, my throat scratchy like sandpaper. “No you don’t.”

“Yes, I do.” His hand swept around to the back of my neck. “I always have.”

“I was, what, seventeen when you left for officer training?” I tried to calm my racing heart. “So what if I was a little nervous around you?”

“So you admit it?” His eyes twinkled and his mouth moved a little closer to mine.

“I admit nothing.” I jerked my chin up.

“Are you nervous now?” His body pressed closer to mine and I licked my lips. “Am I making you nervous?”

“Yes.” I whispered the word, not taking my eyes from his.

“Is it a good nervous?” His eyes grew serious. “Or are you scared of me?”

“I’m not scared of you, Jake.” I touched his chest and noticed that my hand was steady despite how fast my heart was beating. “You never scared me.”

Review

I love the premise of Bedmates - the President's daughter and the VP's son.  As someone with a degree in Political Science, I'm sure you understand how I would geek-out over this idea.  But Bedmates is so much more than an interesting premise; it has heart, tragedy, selflessness; selfishness; political gaming; social consciousness, without being preachy; love; and an adorable dog.  Also, references to Buffy - who doesn't love a book that references Buffy?!  And it's so much better when it's discussing watching Buffy in the White House!  

Maddie and Jake are, for the most part, hilarious together and a seemingly ideal couple.  Jake's harbouring some secrets about his time as a soldier and the aftermath, but otherwise, they are funny and sweet together.  Jake's Mom is a bitch and a thorn in their sides and Jake's little sister has some abandonment/jealousy issues about Maddie and Jake together, but otherwise, the families are supportive (I LOVE the President's conversations with Maddie about the two of them).  

But the course of true love never did run smooth and obstacles abound for our young couple.  I will admit to shedding a few tears reading Bedmates.  Bedmates is a fast-paced, fun read that will hit you right *there*.  Bravo Nichole Chase!  I cannot wait to see what's in store for the First and Second families next!  

Nichole Chase’s BEDMATES Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:

September 26^th

AC BOOK BLOG – Review

The Bookworm Lodge – Excerpt

2 Girls & Their Kindles – Review

Books,Dreams,Life – Excerpt

BookWorm221 – Review

Deluged with Books Cafe – Review & Excerpt

Friends Till The End Book Blog – Excerpt

The Silver Dagger Scriptorium – Excerpt

September 27^th

BiblioJunkies – Review & Excerpt

Captain Reads A Lot – Excerpt

Julalicious Book Paradise – Review & Excerpt

Sammi's Bookish Reality – Review

SBB Reviews – Review & Excerpt

Short and Sassy Book Blurbs – Review & Excerpt

Theory of A Dreamer – Review & Excerpt

September 28^th

Barbara's Book Reviews – Excerpt

Blog of Books – Review

Books and Things Blog – Review & Excerpt

For The Love of Fictional Worlds – Review & Excerpt

Jen's Reading Obsession – Excerpt

Krista's Dust Jacket – Review & Excerpt

Vagabonda Reads – Review & Excerpt

September 29^th

BFF Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

EskieMama Reads – Excerpt

Fiction Fare – Review

Lea's Book Blog – Review

Melena's Reviews – Review & Excerpt

My Book Filled Life – Review & Excerpt

TAKE ME AWAY TO A GREAT READ – Review & Excerpt

September 30^th

Delish, Devine and All Mine – Review & Excerpt

Jack of All Trades, Master of None – Review & Excerpt

Nice Ladies, Naughty Books – Excerpt

PopCrunchBoom Books – Review

Readers Retreats – Review & Excerpt

The Accidental Reader – Review & Excerpt

Typical Distractions – Review & Excerpt

October 1^st

Read Love Blog – Review & Excerpt

Bad boys and Bedtime stories book previews – Review

Book Bitches Blog – Review & Excerpt

Fangirls Ahead! – Review

Oh My Growing TBR – Review & Excerpt

Reads and Thoughts – Review & Excerpt

Smokin Hot Reads Book Blog – Review

October 2^nd

Addicted to Happily Ever After – Review & Excerpt

I'm Lost in Books – Review & Excerpt

Love Affair With Fiction – Review & Excerpt

The Butterfly Reads – Review

The Pervy Ladies Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

underneath the covers – Excerpt

PBC – Review & Excerpt

The Phantom Paragrapher – Review

October 3^rd

Collector of book boyfriends – Excerpt

Book Angel Booktopia – Review

Book Starlets – Review & Excerpt

Ceres Books World – Review

The Heathers' Blog – Review & Excerpt

I'm A Book Shark – Excerpt

Lustful LIterature – Review

October 4^th

Naomi’s Reading Palace – Review

FMR Book Grind – Review

My Favorite Things – Review

OMGReads – Review

The Lovely Books – Review

V's Reads – Review

Southern Vixens Book Obsessions – Excerpt

October 5^th

Books, Coffee & Passion – Excerpt

Book Binge – Review & Excerpt

A Fortress of Books – Review & Excerpt

Bound by books book review – Review

Dog-Eared Daydreams – Review

JOJO THE BOOKAHOLIC – Review & Excerpt

Reading Tigress – Review & Excerpt

October 6^th

Pretty Sassy Cool – Review & Excerpt

Book Lover in Florida – Excerpt

Book Boyfriend Reviews – Review

Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt

Smut Book Junkie Reviews – Review & Excerpt

The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club – Excerpt

Toot's Book Reviews – Excerpt

October 7^th

The Book Avenue – Review

Beneath The Covers Blog – Review

Bookaholics Reading Haven – Review

Cocktails and Books – Excerpt

Girls with Books – Review & Excerpt

I'm A Sweet And Sassy Book Whore – Review & Excerpt

Kate's Book Life – Review & Excerpt

October 8^th

G & T's Indie Café – Excerpt

Amo& Sarah Book Corner – Review & Excerpt

Books 2 Blog – Review & Excerpt

Fictional Rendezvous Book Blog – Excerpt

In Between The Pages – Review & Excerpt

My Girlfriends Couch – Review & Excerpt

Reese's Reviews – Excerpt

 

 

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About Nichole Chase: Nichole Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Suddenly Royal, The Accidental Assassin, Flukes, The Dark Betrayal Trilogy, The American Royalty Series and several short stories. Nichole lives in Georgia with her husband, energetic daughter, two rescue dogs, Sulcata tortoise, and two cats. When not writing, you may find her reading, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises.    

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

   

Dance Of The Red Death (Masque Of The Red Death #2) by Bethany Griffin

* * * *

EVERYTHING IS ON FIRE

Araby worth’s city is being torn apart by death, disease, and corrupt forces wanting to claim it for their own. She has lost her home. Her best friend is dying. Her mother has been kidnapped. The boy who made her feel something again has betrayed her.  And her father may be a murderer.

But Araby has found herself.

Despite the death and destruction all around her, she will fight for herself, for her friends, for her city. Her rebellion will take her, finally, to the mad prince’s palace, for the decadent – and sinister – masked ball. It could be a trap. It could be the end of them all. Or it could be the moment that Araby becomes  the kind of hero she never dreamed she could be.

The tragic, dark, and steamy conclusion to Bethany Griffin’s Masque of the Red Death saga.

Masque of the Red Death had such a nail-biting ending that had me on the edge of my couch and left hanging and desperate. Seriously, did Griffin have to leave it that way? At least she made up for it with Dance of the Red Death by immediately picking up from where she left off. There’s no slowing down the action after Araby and company immediately make their escape from the city and head to the outskirts for safety. They’re forced to land in the swamp and reconfigure their plans from there.

Of course Araby is still stinging from Will’s betrayal when he turned her into Malcontent. She knows on the one hand that he had no choice because he did it to save his younger brother and sister. On the other hand, she was hoping that their feelings for each other would have guaranteed her some loyalty. Aside from that, she’s worried sick about her scientist father and his involvement in the outbreak of the red death.  Elliott, the other arrogant, confounding guy in her life and one-time fiancé who still carries a torch for her, promises that they’ll go searching for him as soon as they return to the city. First and foremost Elliott needs to regroup with his army to continue the work that was begun with his failed coup.

Most of the time Araby is grasping at straws trying to understand her father’s motives as she reflects upon the nature of their relationship. Then there’s also her conflicted feelings about Elliott and Will who are trying to win her affection. I have to say I was very taken by the scenes between Elliott and Araby. I had forgotten how he had previously deemed himself untrustworthy yet the two of them together are something. And while she may be in Elliott’s arms, she’s also thinking of Will who seems to have taken a backseat in this one. It gets tedious at times her flipping back and forth between the two.  Make up your mind already because there are bigger things to be concerned with!

My favorite albeit creepy moments occur when the Prince and Malcontent make appearances. Those two are erratic and sinister on their best days and there’s no telling which way they’ll go.  Araby lands in a precarious predicament when she realizes that either the Prince or Malcontent could be the answer to saving her best friend, April from the virus. At this point Araby gets points for remembering what’s at stake. Engaging in dangerous mind games with them raises the suspense several notches.

With all that being said, I have mixed feelings about the ending. I’m not exactly thrilled with one aspect of how she ends it but my reasoning for that is purely subjective and to avoid any spoilers I won’t elaborate. However, my disappointment with that is tempered by the fact that Griffin throws in a few astounding twists that made me raise my eyebrows.  All the tension builds up to a spectacular showdown that’s alarming and mind-bending all at once. And as the dust settles, Griffin offers up another twist that makes a nice finishing touch.

~ Bel

Everbound (Everneath #2) by Brodi Ashton

* * * 3/4

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.

Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.

Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.

Brodi Ashton certainly outdid herself in this heart-pounding follow-up to Everneath. This was such a page turner for me from start to finish.

Nikki is left in the lonely aftermath of Jack’s disappearance. It’s been months and there’s no word. Cole has disappeared too. She is determined to find him and get answers.  She is also dealing with her own welcome back party of sorts. Her father insists she go to counseling, Jack’s mother believes she’s somehow responsible for his disappearance and there are plenty of rumors going around about her involvement.  But the key is Cole. When he finally resurfaces, (groaner foul for that obvious pun!), Nikki seizes the opportunity to convince the unwilling immortal to take her through the Everneath so that she can rescue Jack. She realizes that through her dreams where Jack appears to her, she is somehow anchoring him to the physical world. This sliver of hope is all she needs. It takes some convincing to get Cole to agree. Strangely, I did feel bad for him. I mean seriously! In his mind Nikki is his soul mate, his destined Queen and she wants him to help rescue her mere mortal of a boyfriend. Awkward! And for good measure he makes his bandmate Max travel with them because as Cole admits, he tends to make stupid decisions where Nikki is concerned.

In my previous review of Everneath, I admitted that as much as I can’t resist those bad boys I just didn’t care for Cole. He started to win me over in Everbound. He shows a lighter side and his few vulnerable moments had me thinking there is may be some hope for him yet. And as single-minded as Nikki is in her quest to save Jack, she does develop feelings for Cole. As they travel through the Everneath she learns more about him, his origins and the world he longs for her to inhabit with him.

The Everneath itself is an incredibly confounding and treacherous world to travel through. It preys on your worst nightmares and fears. It truly is the survival of the fittest which makes this world so spectacularly dangerous. Nikki does her best to hold it together and many times Cole has to rescue her from making careless choices. It’s impressive that Nikki acknowledges some of Cole’s good qualities and the pain she’s putting him through. She’s under no illusion why he’s there in the Everneath with her. Still none of that dissuades her from her true mission.  

But the best part of Everbound is that nothing and no one can be taken at face value. Everyone has questionable motives and everyone’s fate is uncertain. Various encounters lead to more than a few mishaps and close calls and the making of new enemies here and there. Everbound ends with a spine-tingling thriller of a twist that suggests that the real fun has yet to begin!

~ Bel

Shadows in the Silence by Courtney Allison Moulton

*****

From HarperCollins:

Your strength in heart and hand will fall. . . .

Ellie knows that the darkest moments are still to come, and she has everything to fight for:

She must fight for Will.

The demonic have resorted to their cruelest weapons to put Will in mortal danger, and Ellie makes an unlikely alliance to save him and to stop Lilith and Sammael, who seek to drown the world in blood and tear a hole into Heaven.

She must fight for humanity.

As the armies of Hell rise and gather for the looming End of Days, Ellie and her band of allies travel to the world's darkest and most ancient regions in her quest to come into her full glory as the archangel Gabriel.

And Ellie must save herself.

Her humanity withers beneath the weight of her cold archangel power, but Ellie must hold tight to who she is and who she loves as she prepares for the ultimate battle for Heaven and Earth.

In this final installment in the Angelfire trilogy, Courtney Allison Moulton brings her dark world of epic battles and blistering romance to a blazing bright conclusion.

Look at those eyes!  Is it any wonder Ellie fell for Will?!  He's totally my book boyfriend!

You know when you love a series and the last book comes out and you are terrified, excited and devastated all at the same time?  Yeah, that's how I felt when we received the ARC of Shadows of the Silence from PageTurner's Blog.  I LOVE the Angelfire series.  There are endless ways a series can end and so many of those ways can be disappointing.  Will your favorite characters die?  Will the ending leave you cold?  Disappointing?  Heartbreaking?  

I despise spoilers, so all I will say about Shadows is that is was perfect.  Courtney Allison Moulton wrote an absolutely beautiful, touching and devastating conclusion to the Angelfire series.  As I tweeted to her after I finished the book, I love her so much for Shadows that I even forgive her for making me cry.  If you have yet to start the Angelfire series, do it now.  If you read Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked, run out now and get Shadows.  I only hope you love it as much as I did.  

Thank you Courtney Allison Moulton, HarperCollins and PageTurners Blog for choosing us to participate in the ARC tour.  Thank you Courtney Allison Moulton for writing a series that I have loved so much and characters to whom I want to give big hugs and root beer floats!  

~Shel

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

**** 1/2

From HarperCollins:

First there are nightmares.

Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.

Then come the memories.

When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.

Now she must hunt.

Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.

I know I previously mentioned that Angelfire is one of my surprise favorites of 2011; however, I recently re-read Angelfire when we received the Wings of the Wicked ARC for the ARC Tour hosted by The PageTurners Blog.  I was a little nervous that Angelfire may not live up to the hype in my head on a second read, but that was just silly.  Angelfire is the first in the trilogy telling the story of Ellie, the Preliator.  An ancient warrior who is reborn over and over to fight the demonic reapers and prevent the Apocalypse, ie the Second War between Heaven and Hell.

The Bad:

Keeping the different types of reapers separate and organized in my head was a little troublesome on my first read, but I definitely have them down now.  That was the only issue I had with Angelfire. 

The Good:

I love the characters that Courtney has created in this series, even the demonic reapers.  Plus, Will is my literary crush for 2011.  Angelfire is a riveting, compelling story with touching romance and mysteries that will keep you hanging on.  And seriously, Will.  Love. Him.  Check out Courtney's website for her graphic art of the characters, phenomenal - I seriously want some of the bookmarks she has created! http://www.courtneyallisonmoulton.com/

I could not put Angelifre down (really, ask my family, they were annoyed that I would not put the book down to spend time with them).  I had the pleasure to read an ARC of Wings of the Wicked and I have to tell you, I was not disappointed, not in the least.  Bel got to read it first and the moment I was done my phone rang for the post-game wrap up!  We will have a full review in the next few days.  Check out this beautiful cover:

~Shel