Alice's Review: Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole

Released: 16th February 2010
Paperback: 431 pages
Price: $12.99
Publisher: Simon&Schuster
Source: Bought
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Immortals After Dark
Series Order:
Far too many to list - this is book 9.
Summary: 

Lucia the Huntress: as mysterious as she is exquisite, she harbours secrets that threaten to destroy her—and those she loves.
Garreth MacRieve, Prince of the Lykae: the brutal Highland warrior who burns to finally claim this maddeningly sensual creature as his own.
From the shadows, Garreth has long watched over Lucia. Now, the only way to keep the proud huntress safe from harm is to convince her to accept him as her guardian. To do this, Garreth will ruthlessly exploit Lucia's greatest weakness—her wanton desire for him.

My Rating:

My Opinion: This is my favourite book out of the entire IAD series so I thought I'd review it for you guys! This starts off with Lucia when she's sixteen and has made a very crap decision. Marrying some death god really isn't that great for anyone's health - but Regin rescues her and takes her to the goddess Scathi, who saves Lucia and gifts her her archery powers. 

Fast forward to the present when Garreth is playing rugby with a few of his fellow Lykae and Lucia comes by to shoot a kobold. Garreth can instantly tell that she's his mate but Lucia has to keep a lock on those panties due to the fact that Scathi's gifted powers rely on Lucia being celibate.

I loved this book because I feel like it's very relaxed compared to most other IAD books which always have the heroes save the world or involved in some long and winding plot. Lucia and Garreth basically took a vacation for a third of the book and got to know each other and had heaps of sexy times. They do save the world but it's only towards the end that things start heating up. I loved being able to enjoy the chill atmosphere and really get into the romance instead of worrying about the fate of the world every other minute.

Garreth and Lucia have excellent chemistry and whilst it's awesome to read about them and their adventures, we also get to know a few other people who are on board the same ship as it heads into the Amazon. Did I forget to mention that Lucia and Garreth practically take a cruise through the Amazon to hunt for a golden arrow to kill Lucia's hubbie? Whoops. Either way, there are a lot of interesting characters on board this ship and they livened up the already crazy time L & G are having on the boat.

Another reason this book is just chock full of greatness is that fact that it's about a Lykae. Lykae are my favourite species in the Lore (another Lykae book is coming out in July, woot woot!) because they're so perfect. Hot, ripped Scotsmen who would go to the ends of the earth to please their women? Umm yes please! Garreth is also my favourite hero out of the series because he's funny and light-hearted but is also serious when it's needed. He's also devious and that makes him ten times hotter.

My verdict: I could re-read this book a hundred times and it wouldn't get old. I enjoy Lucia and Garreth's relationship and the pace at which the book is set. A perfect read in my opinion as it has enough action, comedy and romance to keep me entertained.

Alice's Review: Boundless by Cynthia Hand

Released: 1st February 2013
Paperback: 448 pages
Price: $7.99
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
Source: Bought
Genre: Young adult, romance, paranormal
Series: Unearthly
Series Order:
1. Unearthly (my review)
2. Hallowed (my review)
3. Boundless
Summary:

The past few years held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner ever could have anticipated. Yet through the dizzying high of first love to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she could no longer deny was that she was never meant to have a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seemed like the best option, so she’s headed back to California—and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfil her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must choose her fate once and for all.

My Rating:

My Opinion: I really liked the first two books in the series and I couldn't wait to read the last book in this trilogy. I was let down though and whilst I liked the book it wasn't as amazing as the previous two were. I didn't find myself as invested in it or its characters overly much.

I was disappointed with Boundless because there were so many elements that I disliked. First of all, there was that weird love triangle between Clara, Christian and Tucker which made very little sense. To me it felt like it was put in just to give extra drama but it contributed absolutely nothing to further the plot.

Another element is the fact that the first half of the book was just about Clara going to college and learning angel stuff with her dad and trying to get over Tucker. Nothing really happened and it was only during the middle that I really got into the book because that was when heaps of things started happening. Of course, I really did love reading about Clara's college experience because I'm starting uni next week and am obsessed with books set in universities.

Because pretty much nothing happened in the first half, the second half (especially the last third) was so chock full of big events that I almost got whiplash. This and that happened, Clara and Christian have to get here and do that, where's Jeffrey, Angela being in major trouble, oh whoops, look at Tucker all helpless and human caught up in angel business. I just really don't like big events happening one after the other in books when they could be more evenly spread out so the readers have time for their racing hearts to slow down.

Now onto something I loved: Clara's dad, Michael. As in the big archangel with the flaming sword. In this entire trilogy, he has to be my favourite character. I mean, him turning up at Clara's door in the 2nd book was just surprising and awesome and seeing more of him and seeing him and Clara bond was an absolutely joy to read about. I just can't get enough of him! I want MORE. I'm also glad that he can be together with Clara's mum now, though it's really sad that Clara lost her.

My verdict: Whilst I was a bit disappointed in it, Boundless does a good job of tying up all the loose ends and giving Clara a happy ending.

Alice's Review: Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines

Released: 14th December 2012
Paperback: 207 pages
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Self-published
Source: iTunes
Genre: Romance
Series: Fallen Too Far
Series Order:
1. Fallen Too Far
2. Never Too Far (26/2/2013)
Summary:

To want what you’re not supposed to have…

She is only nineteen.

She is his new stepfather’s daughter.

She is still naïve and innocent due to spending the last three years taking care of her sick mother.

But for twenty-four year old Rush Finlay, she is the only thing that has ever been off limits. His famous father’s guilt money, his mother’s desperation to win his love, and his charm are the three reasons he has never been told no.

Blaire Wynn left her small farmhouse in Alabama, after her mother passed away, to move in with her father and his new wife in their sprawling beach house along the Florida gulf coast. She isn’t prepared for the lifestyle change and she knows she’ll never fit into this world. Then there is her sexy stepbrother who her father leaves her with for the summer while he runs off to Paris with his wife. Rush is as spoiled as he is gorgeous. He is also getting under her skin. She knows he is anything but good for her and that he’ll never be faithful to anyone. He is jaded and has secrets Blaire knows she may never uncover but even knowing all of that…

Blaire just may have fallen too far. 

My Rating:

My Opinion: I've reviewed an Abbi Glines book before. I didn't like it but decided since this wasn't the same series and sounded pretty good, I'd read it. What a big mistake that was. Something that really bugged me was the amount of editing mistakes in this. Missing and misplaced punctuation marks, spelling errors and sentences that make no sens. This book needs a better editor!

This book starts off with Blaire getting to her dad's house and finding out that she has a stepbrother and this stepbrother doesn't know that her dad let her move in for a while. Her new stepbrother promptly kicks her out (what a jerk) and then changes his mind and has her sleeping under the stairs like she's the new Harry Potter. He tells her she has one month to get enough money to move out and Blaire - she acts so grateful! She should've gone to Rush's friend/brother Grant, who'd offered her a room at his place. Rush is a massive asshole and he always talks to Blaire in this smug, condescending way until he suddenly decides that he's really into her.

This romance thing between Rush and Blaire also confused the hell out of me. Rush didn't show any attraction to her whatsoever and he tells she has to stay away from him and that she doesn't want to know him and then suddenly he's so into her and he's jealous that she gets flirted with at her job. This guy. This fucking guy. He tells her that he wants her but can't have her because he doesn't want to mess her up. Girls, if a guy says this to you, then it's a good idea to stay the hell away from him! What. The. Hell. I can't believe this hot mess of a book has an almost 4.5 star rating on GoodReads.

There's also a secret that Rush and everyone in town is harbouring and it greatly concerns Blaire and Rush's bitch of a sister, Nanette. But does anyone tell her? Nope. "It's Nan's story to tell" she's told. Because Nan likes Blaire enough to tell her. Not. And Rush, knowing how huge this is, doesn't bother telling Blaire. Selfish little prick.

My verdict: Not worth the $4 I paid for this book. The romance was shaky at best, Blaire was a complete doormat who was clueless and the lead male was a dickbag who I can't believe readers think is so amazeballs. YES, he's hot (as Blaire points out every time she sees him) but a guy who is that much of a douchebag isn't worth falling for.