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Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: Until the End (Sea Breeze #9) by Abbi Glines




The backstory that fans have been clamoring for—how Rock and Trisha fell in love—is the final installment in the Sea Breeze series from New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines. And don’t miss the sizzling Epilogue, where Abbi wraps up all the Sea Breeze couples’ stories!

Trisha Corbin always knew how to hide a bruise. With her momma’s boyfriends unable to keep their hands off of her, she had no choice. And as long as it meant the guys wouldn’t go near her little brother, Krit, it was worth it. But her days of dreaming that Prince Charming would ever come rescue her are far, far in the past.

Rock Taylor always had a plan. Through football, he would rise above the life he was born into. A full ride to play for a major college team was within his reach—assuming he didn’t let anything get in his way. But scoring a date with the hottest girl in Sea Breeze was proving harder than expected. Trisha Corbin was every man’s walking fantasy, and she wouldn’t even glance his way.

When Rock finally does get Trisha in his truck, it isn’t for a date. It’s because he picks her up on the side of the road, beaten and bruised and walking to the local hospital. Before Rock knows it, football is no longer his life. Trisha Corbin is. And he’ll do anything to save her. And keep her.

In addition to Rock and Trisha’s love story, this special novel contains the wrap-up stories of all your favorite Sea Breeze couples: Sadie and Jax, Marcus and Low, Cage and Eva, Preston and Amanda, Jess and Jason, Krit and Blythe, and Dewayne and Sienna.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22606008-until-the-end?ac=1




Trisha, The Past

Krit walked back into the room a few minutes later with a pillow, his comforter, and blanket. “He said he didn’t need anything. He was just going to sleep on his beach towel but I ignored him. He’s getting changed in the bathroom.”

He was trying to make it easy on Rock so he would stay. But Rock couldn’t stay. He was a kid too, with a football career in his future. He didn’t have time to save us. “He can’t stay forever, you know. He has a life and a future. We will be okay when he walks away. We have each other,” I reminded him.

Krit didn’t respond. He kept making Rock a bed on the floor beside my bed.

“You know that, right?” I asked again needing Krit to acknowledge that this wasn’t something he should get used to.

When Krit dropped his pillow on the makeshift bed he turned his gaze to me. “No, Trisha I don’t know that. I think… I think you may be more important to him than football.” Then he walked out over and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You’re special. The kind of girl a guy does crazy shit for.”

I started to say something but Krit left my room before I could think of what to say.

Moments later Rock walked back in wearing a pair of what looked like board shorts and a Sea Breeze Football tee shirt. His gaze landed on the spot Krit had made for him on the floor and a small grin tugged on his lips. Then he turned his attention to me. “I think he likes me,” he quipped.

I didn’t smile. Not because my lip was hurt but because Rock didn’t understand the truth to his comment. I had to protect Krit. Letting him trust in Rock was a bad idea.

“He thinks you’re going to save us. I don’t need you to encourage that in him. He’s been let down too many times. I won’t let you do that to him too.”

Rock stared at me a moment then he walked over to the side of the bed. His finger traced the side of my head gently. “You’re worried about me letting him down. What about you?”

What about me? I was sure it would break my heart when Rock walked away from this. But I was tough. I could deal with it. My brother had emotional issues that I didn’t have. He lost it and went crazy when things were too much for him.

“I know you’ll leave. I don’t have any grand illusions. In real life there are no heroes.”

Rock didn’t reply for a moment. He continued to trace the side of my head and rub his thumb and forefinger over my ear in a caress that felt soothing. “One day, Trisha Corbin, you will call me your hero. And that day will be the most important moment in my life.”




The end of the Sea Breeze series is bitter sweet. I mean, Abbi Glines could have kept writing stories about this bunch, giving every minor character their own story, but she knows that's not the way to go. So instead we get one last story, which is actually the first one. Trish and Rock were already in a relationship when this series started and fans always wondered how they had ended up together. From Krit we know that his and Trish's upbringing was bad, though seeing it now, it's even worse than I'd imagined.

While Trish's past isn't a happy one, when Rock entered her life that changed. At first she wanted nothing to do with him.She had bigger problems on her mind than boys and jealous girls. Rock doesn't know what to do with that fact. Girls always love and want him and Trish's rejection has him stunned. Though he can not get her out of his head. When he finds out why she tries to keep her distance, he becomes even more determined.

So Rock in the end might have been Trish's hero, you have to remember that it wasn't all about saving her. Trish has always been able to take care of herself and protect her little brother. She's scared that any outside interference would only hurt her and Krit even more. Rock really hasn't had an easy time convincing her of his feelings and well since he's an amazing guy of course he would want to help the love of his life. I was surprised how much Rock gave up in the end for a future with Trish, but I believe his dreams simply changed over time and his priorities shifted.

It does feel like the fans asked for this book and Abbi Glines delivered, and then some. Reading Trish and Rock's story was nice, though it didn't have my heart beating in overdrive. Still because it's the ending and I love the characters so much, it's all so bittersweet.

Every couple from the past eight books got their own very short story. I loved seeing everyone again, though I wasn't expecting some of the heavy drama Abbi Glines can put a couple through in a few chapters. Still everything wrapped up very nicely. Even things were looking very positive for Green, which I know is something fans have been asking for. It's mostly that last chapter and more specifically those last two words, that has the internet and fans going crazy. Honestly, you can not blame them and I was also left stunned and giddy. Without spoilers, it's also something the fans have been asking, praying and wishing for. I believe miss Abbi Glines has even more up her sleeve.

Sea Breeze - Reading order and purchase links
All Sea Breeze books except While It Lasts and Sometimes It Lasts can be read as standalone novels

      



        



The Author

Since publishing her first novel Breathe in May of 2011, Abbi has also released The New York Times bestselling Seabreeze Series which includes Breathe, Because of Low, While It Lasts, Just For Now and Sometimes It Last, The Existence Trilogy that includes the USA Today Bestseller Ceaseless. New York Times and USA TODAY bestsellers The Vincent Boys and The Vincent Brothers. Last but not least her most popular series to date, Rosemary Beach which includes The New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers Fallen Too Far, Never Too Far, Forever Too Far, Twisted Perfection and Simple Perfection.

When Abbi isn’t locked away in her office typing away she is hauling her kids to and from their many social activities. You could say her second job is the Glines Kids personal chauffeur. It’s a rather illustrious job.




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Review & Giveaway: The Spirit Heir (A Dance of Dragons #2) by Kaitlyn Davis


Drenched in darkness and surrounded by the echo of screams, Jinji waits deep in the dungeons of Rayfort, haunted by the memory of the knife stabbing Rhen, plagued by a foreign voice whispering through her mind. A few floors above, Rhen rests trapped in a coma, about to wake to a changed world—a world where his best friend is a woman, his nephew is the king, and an enemy army surrounds him on all sides.

But human wars are insignificant compared to the darkness gathering unseen. Memories of lives she never lived flash through Jinji's thoughts, hinting at a past that cannot be repeated. A mysterious phantom visits Rhen, carrying cryptic messages of the future. And somewhere out there, the shadow continues to lurk in silence.

Startled by their altered relationship and tempted by new feelings, Rhen and Jinji must find a way to work together. The fate of humanity rests on their shoulders and the real battle has only just begun…

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22842939-the-spirit-heir?ac=1

*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review and do not read this review if you haven't read the previous book*

So last time we saw Rhen and Jinji one of them was dying and the other one thrown in jail. Now luckily Rhen is still alive, but has been out of commission for a while and therefor Jinji has been in jail all that time. By the way, her secret is also out and that makes things awkward for a while between her and Rhen. Things get worked out, though the dark shadow is still out there and war is knocking on the front door.

At times things were pretty chaotic to follow, because there were a lot of different things happening, jumping from one twist to the next. While Rhen wants to fight and help his people, he realizes the bigger evil is the dark shadow. Leaving everything behind again eats away at him, but he can not let Jinji fight alone. He cares about her, a lot, as in he can no longer live without her. 

Meanwhile Jinji is still very much focused on finding the dark shadow. Though at times she does get distracted by Rhen, in a good way. So a little bit of blooming romance between all the drama keeps it flowing nicely. The search for evil goes somewhat smoother, as Jinji is getting help from a voice inside her head. No, she's not crazy, things are way more complicated than that.

I still find Rhen very much focused on his own people, instead of the bigger picture, though I have the feeling this is about to chance. The romance between them was expected, still no less sweet. Another interesting adventure for these two rascals. Their journey is in no way near done, but they have made some great progress. That last big revelation definitely took me by surprise and it will have a big influence on what is to come next, making me curious. 


A Dance Of Dragons - Reading order and purchase links

   


The Author
Kaitlyn Davis is the bestselling author of the Midnight Fire series, a young adult paranormal romance, and the A Dance of Dragons series, a young adult epic fantasy.

She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Writing Seminars. She's been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to finally share her work with the world. She currently lives in New York City and dreams of having a cockapoo puppy of her own.

Connect with Kaitlyn Davis:



http://www.kaitlyndavisbooks.com/2014/10/the-spirit-heir-review-tour-announcement.html
 

Review: The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus #5) by Rick Riordan


Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen—all of them—and they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood—the blood of Olympus—in order to wake.

The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it "might" be able to stop a war between the two camps.

The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea's army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18705209-the-blood-of-olympus


On the one hand I'm happy to see this series ending, because it means the main characters can finally have some peace. On the other hand I am of course sad to see this ending, as I've come to love these characters and it isn't easy saying goodbye to them. We will still see a bit from Percy in his retelling of some ancient stories, but it just isn't the same.

The group has split up again. While Nico, Reyna and Coach are bringing the Athena Parthenos back to Camp Half Blood, the rest is still on their way to Athens trying to stop Gaea from rising. It wouldn't be called a quest if there wasn't a lot of hardship and fights along the way. Though I have to say I had less of the feeling that all might die than in the previous books. Now there were two moments where I had my doubts, but in the end I'm very glad the way it was handled.

Once again the demigods can only rely on themselves, now even more than before, since the gods are all still having problems with their split personalities and therefor are mostly fighting themselves. It's become clear that demigods have become stronger and mostly more confident in their ability. While in the past at times it seemed they were wary of throwing themselves into danger, that moment has passed and now they just go for it.

As always you get completely sucked into the story. I really love all the different point of views we often get and all the hurdles they have to pass.While being very original, it also holds true to known mythology and that isn't always an easy balance. Now I personally beyond love mythology from every culture and the way Rick Riordan can turn those into these epic quests with all these amazing characters is spectacular. This was a great ending of the series and I've enjoyed every second of it.

So while the story of Percy Jackson and the other demigods might be done, Rick Riordan isn't. Little teaser, though not really as it was announced on his book tour, but we're getting more demigods and this time we're talking Norse gods. I already know I'm going to love it!



Heroes Of Olympus - Reading order and purchase links
*I do recommend your read Percy Jackson and the Olympians before you start this series*

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7736182-the-lost-hero  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9520360-the-son-of-neptune


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12127750-the-mark-of-athena  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12127810-the-house-of-hades  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18705209-the-blood-of-olympus


The Author
Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many books, including the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series.

Connect with Rick Riordan:

Review: Rowdy (Marked Men #5) by Jay Crownover


After the only girl he ever loved told him that he would never be enough, Rowdy St. James knocked the Texas dust off his boots and set out to live up to his nickname. A good ol’ boy looking for good times and good friends, Rowdy refuses to take anything too seriously, especially when it comes to the opposite sex. Burned by love once, he isn’t going to let himself trust a woman again. But that’s before his new co-worker arrives, a ghost from the past who’s suddenly making him question every lesson he ever learned.

Salem Cruz grew up in house with too many rules and too little fun—a world of unhappiness she couldn’t wait to forget. But one nice thing from childhood has stayed with her; the memory of the sweet, blue-eyed boy next door who’d been head over heels in love with her little sister.

Now, fate and an old friend have brought her and Rowdy together, and Salem is determined to show him that once upon a time he picked the wrong sister. A mission that is working perfectly—until the one person that ties them together appears, threatening to tear them apart for good.


I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from this one. The way Nash ended I was definitely intruiged about Salem and what that connection was between her and Rowdy. From all the guys, he seemed to be the one with the least issues, except unable to commit to one woman. He's technically a nice guy and a great friend, so I wasn't expecting too much drama. All in all it really wasn't that much now, but his or their past gave us some serious tension.

One of the more interesting parts was, to me, the fact that Salem was older than Rowdy. At their current age, this isn't an issue, but it did have effect on how everything developed in the past. When Salem turned eighteen, she hightailed out of town the next day never looking back and leaving behind one lost boy who saw the people in his life always going. When they were young Salem and Rowdy had this connection. She was his biggest supporter, so when she left Rowdy started holding on to the one secure thing, her sister Poppy.

I don't want to get into too much detail, because that would spoil everything, but while indeed the sister is the biggest issue for Salem I completely misjudged the situation. I was surprised how less serious this was. Salem misunderstood the entire situation and that causes some serious friction between her and Rowdy. Meanwhile he's afraid now that Salem is back, that she might leave him again. So we have these two main characters rekindling that past connection while discovering this also more carnal attraction. Things go relatively smoothly once they stop being stubborn, though when Poppy shows up, so does the insecurities and doubt.

While I abslutely loved Rowdy and Salem, this isn't my favourite book in the series. Mostly the blown out of proportion situation with Poppy and Rowdy, was what held me back from saying this was a fantastic read. The whole twist at the ending though, definitely added some extra action I could enjoy. I still love the whole dynamic in this group of friends and will continue reading the next books. So this was a fun and sexy book, with some minimal heavy drama. Fans of the series will enjoy it, but if this is the first book you want to read by Jay Crownover, I recommend you start with Rule though.

3.5

Marked Men - Reading order and purchase links

    


  



The Author
Being native Coloradan is a source of pride if you ask Jay. She loves all the things her home has to offer, and that is why she set her books in this familiar place. Writing about what she knows is why her stories feature plenty of rock and roll and body modification.

Jay has been a bartender since she was in college, spending over forty hours a week watching interactions between men and women. This 9 to 5 job offered great insights into relationships - how they start and how they evolve in a social setting.

This cutting-edge author likes to write New Adult novels because she remembers being in her early twenties and thinking she had it all figured out, only to be proven wrong time and time again. When she looks back, she see's that those years defined who she is today, and, good or bad, those decisions ultimately set her current path.

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Review: Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout


Every touch has its price

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…

*Do not read this review if you haven't read the previous book.*

The last thing we read was Roth going down to hell, literally. They managed to stop Lilith from rising, but in exchange they lost Roth. Layla was of course heart broken, though she tries not to give in to those sad feelings too much. When weird things start happening at school her attention gets directed and when Roth suddenly reappears, you know things are bad.

Roth is still hot and bad ass, but something has changed between him and Layla while he was gone. When Zayne starts stepping up more, Layla is torn between the two boys. I believe she belongs with Roth. While Zayne might be a good guy, I feel it's a bit too little too late. Though for Layla it isn't that easy. Zayne has always been there for her, her only friend in the house and she's had a crush on him for so long that it makes things more difficult. Roth is behaving weirdly and thus the distance between him and Layla grows bigger, giving Zayne a chance to sweep in. Very high school drama honestly this part and Layla was often very naive when it came to these two boys. It was so clear for everyone around her how these boys feel about her, and she herself was constantly torn, though honestly her thoughts mostly drifted towards Roth. At least that is how I see it.

So besides all the love drama, there is still that other tiny problem of people dying and turning into wraiths. While the Lilith is still captive, it seems a little part of her did escape and is now causing havoc. With Layla's powers changing, it makes things even more difficult to find out who did it. She even starts doubting herself, and slowly the people around her start to. I was also led astray by this and honestly did not see it coming who was causing all of this. 

Then that last quarter of the book really turns things upside down. I knew Layla never really felt at home with the Wardens, but what happens here just takes the cake. Pissed does begin to describe how mad I was, though it definitely was an epic Roth scene. In the end though we are left with another cliff hanger. I admit this one sucked, because it didn't really feel like some kind of end, rather than "let's cut this chapter in half".

I am curious of course how everything will play out in the end and who Layla will choose to have her happy ending with. This was another fun installment and there are a lot of new creatures introduced, which is always interesting. I do feel like I'm a bit over the whole love triangle thing and all the drama and insecurities that it creates. Still plenty of action, romance and humor to make this an entertaining series.

3.5

The Dark Elements - Reading order and purchase links

    



The Author
# 1 New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer L. Armentrout Lives in West Virginia.

All the rumors you heard about her state aren’t true.

Well, mostly. When she's not hard at work writing, she spends her time, reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write.

She is the author of the Covenant Series (Spencer Hill Press), the Lux Series (Entangled Teen), Don't Look Back (Disney/Hyperion) and a yet untitled novel (Disney/Hyperion), and new YA paranormal series with Harlequin Teen.

Jennifer also writes New Adult and Adult romance under the pen name J. Lynn. The Gamble Brothers Series (Tempting the Best Man/Tempting the Player) and Wait for You. Under her pen name, she is published with Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Connect with Jennifer L. Armentrout: