REVIEW: Lover Undercover by Samanthe Beck

Lover Undercover by Samanthe Beck (Lover Undercover #1)
Publisher: Entangled Brazen
Publication Date: April 22, 2013
Source: Netgalley* 293 pages
Rating: 5/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

He’s undercover. She’s in over her head.

Yoga instructor Kylie Roberts is the good twin. At least she was—until an accident forces Kylie to step into her twin’s sexy stilettos at a posh Hollywood “men’s club.” But nothing could’ve prepared Kylie for the dead body in the club’s parking lot or the ridiculously hot detective who insists the killer is targeting her regulars.

Detective Trevor McCade needs Kylie’s help to draw out the killer. It means long nights undercover and long dances where Kylie’s body tempts him with sensual promises. Dances that leave them both wanting more. But despite Kylie’s hidden identity and the danger lurking in the shadows, it’s only a matter of time before Kylie and Trevor take this undercover operation under the covers…

My Review

Damn, can Samanthe Beck write! In her second Brazen book, Lover Undercover, I am yet again impressed beyond unreasonable doubt at her ability to tell a well thought out, sensuous, and emotional story. 

Who would have thought a virgin yoga instructor could be so good as a stripper at first try?! A hot, sexy one at that! Kylie was just unbelievable, I may have developed a slight girl crush on her! She was a fast learner when it came to filling in for her sister’s job and she delivered. I loved the way Kylie was passionate about her job, loyal and caring to her sister, and the amount of her understanding was never ending. I thought her stepping in for her sister was admirable. The experience allowed Kylie to grow as a person because it made her open up more, awoken her sexually and also mentally and emotionally. She was scared of giving everything over to a man, but she found balance in the love she felt for Trevor and it was amazing. 



I don’t what it is about men and law enforcement that makes me drool, but ohmysweetheaven, Detective Trevor was just, *licks his shoulder* deeelicious! He was all about getting the bad guy, bringing in justice, and protecting Kylie, all the while being the charming, smooth talking, make me so damn weak in the knees man, in and out of the bedroom. It was criminal how hot he was, seriously. What I loved most about him, besides his sexiness of course, was his compassion and understanding. He never jumped to conclusions about Kylie and gave her the chance to explain herself. 

It’s one thing for sex scenes to be hot, but for make out scenes to be just as scorching is just straight up enlivening! And like I said, Beck can write them! I swear I was fanning myself and needing to cool down from the heat this book brought! It was more than well written. Love Undercover wasn’t just about the sex though, it was also about the mysterious murders, the line between love and loyalty, right and wrong, and lies versus the truth. All of this is in there and it adds so much more to the story, making it unique and a thrilling read. I absolutely loved trying to figure out who the killer was. I had a good hunch and was certain it was him, but Beck was dropping hints to make me doubt myself. Even though I predicted right, I had the best time along the way, especially learning everything when it all played out. 


I wasn’t just pleased by Lover Undercover, I was satiated! Samanthe Beck, please give me more! 

*Thanks to Entangled for sending a copy for review

REVIEW: The Ward by Jordana Frankel

Title: The Ward
Author: Jordana Frankel
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: April 30, 2013
Source: Edelweiss* 480 pages
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Sixteen-year-old Ren is a daredevil mobile racer who will risk everything to survive in the Ward, what remains of a water-logged Manhattan. To save her sister, who is suffering from a deadly illness thought to be caused by years of pollution, Ren accepts a secret mission from the government: to search for a freshwater source in the Ward, with the hope of it leading to a cure.

However, she never expects that her search will lead to dangerous encounters with a passionate young scientist; a web of deceit and lies; and an earth-shattering mystery that’s lurking deep beneath the water’s rippling surface.

My thoughts, feelings, and reactions

The cover to this book is what originally drew me in and had me begging to read it. Sadly, the contents of the this is not as striking as its cover. The Ward by Jordana Frankel was a book I wanted to love so bad, but it failed to meet any of my expectations. 

What I did like:



Main character and heroine: Ren


It took me awhile to warm up to Ren, but I think in the end I could say that I liked her. She wasn’t the best of heroines or even that great, but Ren was interesting. Her reckless adventurous side intrigued me, but her love and devotion for her sister Axen impressed me. I liked that Ren wanted to be a racer even when she knew it was dangerous and mostly filled with boys. She was bold, daring, and never backed down from a challenge and I found these traits set her a part from the rest. At times, Ren was able to make me laugh with her snarky comments and with her amusing inner dialogue. 



The passionate doctor


He was gangly, awkward, and a little weird but I adored him. He wasn’t physically strong, nor could he swim or even be a match for the other guy in this book, but he was smarter than everyone else. He was the only one who wanted to make a difference and actually do something in The Ward. He was sweet and I hope that Ren could see what I saw in him too. 



Ren and Axen


Ren didn’t want to love or care for anyone for fear of being alone. She has always looked out for herself, but allowed this younger girl to worm her way in. Ren becomes BFFs with Axen, basically considering her a sister with no blood relation and risks everything to save her from her sickness. It was inspiring. 


What I didn’t like:



Ren’s issues with breathing and not breathing. It’s ridiculous. It's just too much of this..

"Then I can breathe, and I realize that I hadn't been."

"I have to force myself to breathe."

"I can't breathe, there's nothing for me to breathe."

"I exhale, realizing that I too wasn't breathing." 

And my personal favorite..

"I hold my breath... but I already am."

*rolls eyes* And that's just some. It goes on and on nearly every chapter.



Descriptions, you are too much. 

I like great descriptions that easily allow me to build the world in my mind. Yes, I was able to see some parts (especially with the helpful cover) but most of the descriptions in this book were too much and over the top. I felt that the more it was described, the more jumbled it seemed. The descriptions for bubbles, the buildings, the beginning race, the underwater crash and some more were so freaking long and drawn out I thought it was never going to end.



You can never have too much plot.

Wrong. You can and this book was all over the place that I could barely follow. There was the racing, the DI government, the sickness called Blight, the freshwater, the science, the history of the spring, the Tetai, the people of the Isle vs. the Ward, the Upstate, and the cure. Every single thing in this book was interesting on its own, but it’s one after the other and it got so overwhelming. I found myself going back and rereading more than I could ever want. All of these things I mentioned were touched upon maybe some more than others, but nothing gets developed fully because too much was going on. Even now, I’m not even sure what the heck I read. 



Overall, The Ward wasn’t everything it was cracked up to be. While I enjoyed some parts of this book, it just didn’t deliver the amazing I expected. It lacked in something I can’t pinpoint and most of the book just annoyed me. It was too long, too hard to understand, and didn’t give me any gut wrenching emotions it should have.

*Thanks to HarperCollins for sending a copy for review

Blog Tour REVIEW: REAL by Katy Evans

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REAL by Katy Evans (Real, Raw & Ripped #1)

Publication Date: April 8th 2013 

Format: Kindle ebook, 266 pages

Rating: 5/5 stars

Get it: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

A fallen boxer.

A woman with a broken dream.

A competition…

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

My thoughts, feelings, and reactions

REAL by Katy Evans definitely packs the punch and sends it straight to your gut! Wow, I’m still grasping for words, still a little speechless, completely dazed, amazed and reeling. I think the best way to describe this book is a lyric from a Paramore song, “You got it you got it, some kind of magic. Hypnotic hypnotic, you're leaving me breathless.” That’s exactly what this book is and one million times more.

Damn Katy Evans, where have you been all my life?! REAL was nothing, everything, and anything I expected. The writing was dripping with emotion and passion, I could feel it all and I’m so damn impressed by Evans, I kind of want to kidnap her, keep her to myself and tell her to write some more. I loved the exciting thrill of Remy’s fights, how I’d get just as pumped up as Brooke. Evans wrote those scenes just as if I watching them live. And oh god, the way I was feeling while I reading this book! It was like I was on a high, my emotions were all jacked up and it felt like I was being pushed over the edge only to be yanked back at the last minute to start all over again. Don’t even get me started on the make out sessions and sex scenes! I thought I was going to spontaneously combust from sexual frustration. I have never been so turned on in my life! No book has done that and the fact that Evans made me feel this way is half embarrassing and half exhilarating. 


I don‘t know whether to love Brooke because of her big heart, her determination to start over and how she accepted Remington wholeheartedly or hate her because she gets to be with him, kiss him, love him etc, you get the point. One thing is for sure and that’s how I adore her way of being there for Remy, soothing him, but also standing up to him. She’s got the snark that I like and the the attitude to match it. I love the way she doesn’t fall all over his feet in his presence, but it’s funny because she completely was in her head. I loved how she was very forward with what she wanted and though she knew and was afraid to get hurt, she still went after it, went after him. 


Holy sweet Remington Riptide Tate. This man pulled the rug from under my feet, secretly stole my heart without me knowing and had me swooning nearly every page he showed up on. This sexy bad boy fighter was bold and full of strength, but gentle and quiet. This dark side of his scared him and I was so broken up about this and everything he has gone through. I seriously loved the way he wanted to prove to Brooke he could be hers and I loved the drive he had inside and his willingness to never give in to his demons. I loved the way he showed how he was feeling through his actions and the songs on his iPod and his overprotectiveness towards Brooke that even the independent not a damsel in distress side of me drove me crazy with love and lust for him. Gods, the chemistry he had with Brooke was sizzling, blazing, borderline red hot fire! I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to scream at two characters to just get it on already! It was the best feeling ever. 

"I want you in my bed again. I want to kiss you. Hold you."

Overall, REAL was dark, deep, and addictive. Remy is my drug of choice and I’m perfectly fine relapsing on him any day, everyday. Using Brooke's word.. REAL is freakingfuckingtastic.

___________________________________________

About the Author

fabulous creator of Remington

Katy Evans grew up with book-boyfriends until she found a real sexy boyfriend to love, married him, and now they are hard at work on their own happily ever after. Katy loves her family and friends, and she also loves reading, walking, baking, and being consumed by her characters until she reaches "The End." Which, is hopefully, only the beginning...

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REVIEW: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

Title: Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2)
Author: Robin LaFevers
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Source: Netgalley* 385 pages
Rating: 5/5
Get it: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. The convent views Sybella, naturally skilled in the arts of both death and seduction, as one of their most dangerous weapons. But those assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

My Review

First introduced to this world in Grave Mercy, we’re back with vengeance in Dark Triumph and it’s even fiercer than before. 


Oh, Robin LaFevers! She is the epitome of everything amazing when it comes to writing brilliant high fantasy, historical fiction because I am once again tripping with love over another book from her. She just brings everything to life from the politics, to the weapons, to the language, and to the emotions all swirled into this lengthy but can never really get enough novel. Everything I could want in a book, is in this book. It’s got action, romance, adventure, friendship, love, and loss; so much variation plot wise. It doesn’t overwhelm, but it enhances everything ten fold.

Let’s take Sybella for instance. We only get her on the surface in Grave Mercy and we don’t feel the depth of her fragile mentality and her compassionate nature until Dark Triumph. This young assassin had so much love to give, but Sweet Jesu was she broken in more ways than one. The fact that she felt death was the answer for her tore me up inside. Her unwavering loyalty, nobility and care she had for the duchess, Ismae, and her younger sisters clawed at my heart and made me ache and look up to Sybella. The girl I thought she was in Grave Mercy was not that girl at all, but someone with so much heart and life and strength. I absolutely loved her snark, her attitude and her cunning attitude. The girl knew how to play the game and she played it well; deceiving and manipulating with ease, nearly leaving me breathless with amazement. Her way of killing was calculated and her rebellious defiant nature gave her more personality. The accurate way she wielded a knife was simply impressive. Sybella was wild, clever, and the definition of beautiful but deadly.

And the romance. Oh, what sweet and lovely romance it was! It was developed nicely and had me sighing with contentment. Beast and Sybella were just what the other needed, completing each other like no one else could. Ferocious as Beast was during his battle lust, it is parried by his honor, his gentleness, and his kind heart. He saw the good in Sybella despite all the wrong doings she may have done and he managed to break down the walls she had built and slayed her damaged heart when not even she thought she could not be tamed.



Dark Triumph was not heavily driven by the court politics or the impending the war. It was there, prominent within the novel, but never the forefront. For me, it was all about Sybella’s story, her life, and her desperate need for vengeance and justice. LaFevers balances this all out perfectly because there was an immense amount of action. The fight or killing scenes were to die for and completely written with great care, vividness and imagery there was no way I wasn't able to visualize everything. Even better was the  insurmountable anticipation I felt all because of the imminent danger throughout the novel. My heart was racing and my fear for Sybella was always present and it left me emotionally drained in the best possible way. LaFevers brought out the very best in this book and I swear, I love it more than I already do.

*Thanks to Houghton Mifflin for sending a copy for review