Review: Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Pure (Covenant #2)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Pages: 329 pages, Paperback
Pub. Date: April 3, 2012

Favorite Quote:
“Do you know why a heart lays claim? Survival. That heart lays its claim to ensure survival of its kind.” 
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, Pure

Summary:
There is need. And then there is Fate...

Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her.

When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her.

When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

SO HIT OR MISS

If you loved Half-blood like I loved it then your in for a treat! Pure has everything that was great in Half-bloods plus awesome action and intense drama. The romance aspect did a leap! And the mystery! It's just too much to not love. I can definitely say this is one of my favorite series.

Alex is back as sarcastic as ever. You watch as her relationships evolve and develop. One of my favorite relationships is the one between Alex and Seth. I was such an Aiden fan but with Pure comes a new appreciation for Seth. And the more you read about him, the more you question who you route for. 

Alex also grows so much in this novel. With everything that happens between the pages of Pure, you see Alex become more. More intense, and more involved, and more confused, and just more! The things she has to deal with, you really become more emotionally involved in her. I mean during a tragic event halfway through the book I cried for hours!!!!

My favorite character had to be Caleb. You really see him and he plays a big part in grounding Alex.

I also like the continued into the world of the Covenant. We get to hear more and see more of what it is actually like. We see interaction with the Ministers and we see so much more in many characters. I really like the changes I saw in Lucian even though those changes made me so much more confused.

The topping on this awesome novel is the extra goodie found in the back of the book! Chapter 1 of  Deity!

I can't wait for that book to come out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Top TUESDAY #4

Welcome to my meme! Every Tuesday I will show you my top picks in various categories!


THIS WEEK:

COVERS

TRAILERS

Splintered

by A.G. Howard 

The Last Echo (The Body Finder, #3)

by Kimberly Derting 

WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE??? 

Cover Reveal: Greta and the Goblin King

Title: Greta and the Goblin King (Mylena Chronicles #1)

Author: Chloe Jacobs

Expected Pub Date: November 13, 2012


Book Blurb:

While trying to save her brother four years ago, Greta was thrown into the witch’s fire herself, falling through a portal to a dangerous world where humans are the enemy, and every ogre, goblin, and ghoul has a dark side that comes out with the full moon.

To survive, seventeen-year-old Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young Goblin King, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her determination to escape.

But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. The full moon is mere days away, and an ancient evil knows she’s the key to opening the portal. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back…

SO HIT OR MISS

There is a lot of depth to this cover. The back drop is very understated and draws your eye to the models. You get a sense of adventure and mystery from the cover. It's all done in an understated and sophisticated way which I appreciate a lot. Greta looks very refined in comparison to the Goblin King who looks very dark and foreboding. You get a sense of danger lurking in the background. The script chosen for this cover is very fetching. The golden yellow color choice was very appropriate, the words end up being noticeable without being overwhelming. 


The way the Goblin King stares at Greta is also intriguing. He seems solely focused on her.


All in all very beautiful!

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About the AUTHOR:

Chloe Jacobs is a native of nowhere and everywhere, having jumped around to practically every Province of Canada before finally settling in Ontario where she has now been living for a respectable number of years. Her husband and son are the two best people in the entire world, but they also make her wish she'd at least gotten a female cat. No such luck. And although the day job keeps her busy, she carves out as much time as possible to write. Bringing new characters to life and finding out what makes them tick and how badly she can make them suffer is one of her greatest pleasures, almost better than chocolate and fuzzy pink bunny slippers.

Barnes and Noble pre-order: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/greta-and-the-goblin-king-chloe-james/1040613977

Twitter: www.twitter.com/Jacobs_Chloe

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChloeJacobsAuthor

Website: http://www.chloejacobs.com

Cover Reveal: Blue Moon by J.A. Belfield

Title: Blue Moon

Author: J.A. Belfield

Expected Pub Date: December 1st, 2012

Book Blurb:


Someone is watching the Holloway pack, and this time, the female isn’t the target.

Life with a group of seven male werewolves worries Jem Stonehouse not one bit. She is engaged to the Alpha’s son Sean Holloway after all. So what has Jem’s territorial instincts on high alert?
 
The pack’s latest addition. Both of them.
 
None of the men think there’s a problem with the new girlfriends. Jem's intuition tells her otherwise—that and a nagging suspicion the new females aren't there to partake.
 
Jem believes they’ve joined in to take.

The question is ... What?
 
As the eve of the blue moon draws ever closer, Jem’s running out of time to find the answer and outwit a thief of the worst possible kind.

A woman who believes she can’t lose.

SO HIT OR MISS

  

This is my FAVORITE cover in the Holloway Pack Series! I absolutely love the silhouette of the model on the cover. 

The blue tones cast from the moon and the enriching shadows make you think of intimacy and the feeling of being wild. All things I feel should always be associated with werewolves. 

The cover artist did a marvelous job! This is the type of Urban Fantasy that I would IMMEDIATELY pick up just because of the cover. 

The previous covers in this series have all been unique But this cover is the first in the series that I am going to make a...

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URL: http://www.jtaylorpublishing.com/books/18

Previous Books in this series include:
Darkness & Light (#1)
Instinct (#0)
Eternal (#0.5)

IN MY MAILBOX #2

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren to spotlight what books we've received for the week.

This is a few weeks in one, which means a really big haul for me! 

I got a ton of wonderful books!

FOR REVIEW

Description

An unmarried woman living in a house of men breeds heresay and lore. If only the villagers knew the truth.

It’s not Jem Stonehouse’s marital status that brings unwanted strangers to town. Rather, it’s that she is the only female werewolf in existence — a prize to any pack.

Sean Holloway, the love of Jem’s life, has gone to great lengths to protect her. As a new attack becomes imminent, Sean realizes he must take greater measures with Jem’s safety or risk losing her forever.

His first task must be to marry her, but a force greater than the largest werewolf stands in his way.

Her mother. 

I am so excited to receive this as my second review book. It is the prequel to the HOLLOWAY Pack Series published by J. Taylor Publishing. I absolutely love reading about werewolves so I can't wait to start reading this!

BOUGHT

 


I've already finished Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout and The Assassin and the Pirate Lord by Sarah J. Maas! I'm currently reading Incarnate by Jodi Meadows! 


WHAT DO YOU THINK I SHOULD READ NEXT!!!

Top TUESDAY #3

Welcome to my meme! Every Tuesday I will show you my top picks in various categories!


THIS WEEK:


                               INSURGENT

Insurgent (Divergent #2)

by Veronica Roth

SUMMARY:

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

 

Review: Tidal Whispers

Title: Tidal Whispers
Authors: Jocelyn Adams, Claire Gillian, Julie Reece, and  
              Kelly Said.
Ebook
Expected Pub Date: June 3, 2012

Favorite Quote:

"My problems would be nothing compared to yours, your family's. I can't risk your life in the few days I have remaining...." 
    Tidal Whisper (the sweetest song by Claire Gillian)

Summary:
Heart’s Desire by Julie Reece
After a terrible accident, Tessa returns to her family beach house to heal. She doesn’t expect to see her first summer crush from seven years before. Cameron, though, reappears and ignites a relationship that’s far more intense than ever before. The only problem? Summer is once again coming to an end, and this time, Tessa will have to decide whether to choose life with Cameron or to never see him again.

The Sweetest Song by Claire Gillian
Under Poseidon’s rule, Circe is the most destructive siren in the Pacific ocean, her songs luring ships and their crew to their watery graves. Not Otis, the best halibut fisherman in the Alaskan waters. His ship, the Calypso, has avoided disaster each time Circe set her sights on him.

Given one last chance to deliver Otis to Davy Jones’ locker, Circe takes to land to waylay the handsome captain. Instead, it may be Otis himself who hooks the Siren.

Pearl of Pau’maa by Kelly Said
Should Miki choose to wed the local wealthy boy she doesn't love, her stomach will stop grumbling. Her soul, however, will suffocate. With one last opportunity before she must concede, she sneaks off for a final dive to her hidden crate at the bottom of the seabed. What waits for her is more than a captured lobster. It's a treasure she cannot claim without great sacrifice or true love.

The Undergarden by Jocelyn Adams
Nixie, a water sprite, lives a solitary existence as she struggles to understand the strange world beyond her waters. When she meets one of the pink ones, a curious boy named Wyatt, their friendship blooms into a love that can exist only upon the sands that divide his solid ground from her underwater paradise. Some love, though, once born, cannot be undone, even in the face of death.

                       SO HIT OR MISS

I was very excited when I received Tidal Whispers for review. Not only was this my first ARC review, Tidal Whispers is my first anthropology! I must admit that I did a happy dance for a good five minutes when I woke up to an email from J. Taylor Publishing requesting this review. I was intrigued by the cover at first. The model (and cover) is very thought provoking. I immediately had to read this novel and I immediately loved it! I'm going to review each short story separately because that's how I read them.

HEART'S DESIRE

This story was an excellent choice, being first in the line up. Though short and sweet, This story is very beautifully written. You are immediately engrossed in her tragedy. For her, the summer is going to focus on healing. Then she meets Cam her first summer love. He comes back into her life and makes her happy again, (big awe here).  I love the development between Tessa and Cam. It was a perfect fit for this short story and left me wanting more in a full novel. Tessa was an enjoyable character to read and experience. In the end she has a choice to make and I love reading to the end and finding out if she would go after what she wanted. I was very content after finishing this story.

THE SWEETEST SONG

I picked my favorite quote from this story. It had to be my favorite of the four. I just loved Circe and Otis, the two main characters. Although this story was a little too, "jump right in to chaos." In the end I came to appreciate it because it brought me that much closer to the heart of the story. I have to say that it was a smart move, this being a short story and all. It gave the author more time to develop the key elements instead of spending a whole lot of time spreading out details. Circe is this siren who is not doing a good job sinking ships. Her boss, Poseidon, is not happy about that at all. Circe's only way to redeem herself from a horrible end is to sink Captain Otis's ship. Once Otis is introduce I was in love. He is such a lovable character that you just want to route for. He is my absolute favorite character out of the whole novel! This story was funny and romantic and the ending with Aphrodite and Poseidon is hilarious. 

PEARL OF PAU'MAA

I like this story because of it's point of views. Both Miki and Harmon's share there perspective through great writing. I really was taken into this story. I can't emphasize enough how great this writing was. I mean really really great. I personally liked reading Harmon's point of view, even though Miki's is just as enjoyable. I love the building in this story as compared to the others. This relationship isn't so instant, it has a natural progression! Two people trying to get over trials to be together. 

THE UNDERGARDEN

I cried a lot reading this story. I really am a big cry baby with emotional stories and I more often than not will become emotional involved in the stories I read, thus the non stop crying while reading really great writing. Nixie's and Wyatt's story just induced tears in me. They are separated and may only meet in the middle on the sand between there worlds of land and water. It really was a touching story. The ending is so good! You just have to read it to understand.

OVERALL

These four stories where exemplary pieces of work. The line up for this anthropology was excellent. Each short story I could imagine reading full novels. Each story complimented the others.

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