Saturday, November 15, 2014

Review of Wild by Sophie Jordan


Title/Author: Wild (The Ivy Chronicles #3) by Sophie Jordan
Publisher/Date published: Avon, November 18th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Months after her boyfriend dumped her, Georgia can still hear the insults he hurled at her. Boring. Predictable. Tame. Tired of feeling bad, she’s ready to change her image, and go a little wild. What better way to prove her ex wrong than a hot night of sexual adventure at the secret campus kink club?

In the shadowy den of the kink club, she unexpectedly runs into Logan Mulvaney, her friend’s little brother. A player extraordinaire too hot for his own good, he may be younger, but the guy is light years ahead when it comes to sexual experience. Now he’s telling her to go home — “good girls” don’t belong here!

Georgia is tired of having others define her. She’s going to teach Logan a lesson he won’t forget — one white hot, mind-wrecking kiss... that leads to another... and another... and... Realizing she’s way in over her head, Georgia runs.

Only Logan won’t let her go. Everywhere she goes he’s there, making her want every inch of him. Making her forget who she is. Who he is. And just how wrong they are for each other.

You guys, I rely on Sophie Jordan to bring me the swoons. And she did it again!

I absolutely loved the chemistry between Georgia and Logan and how the fact that he's a little younger and younger brother to one of her friends added a very believable embarassment and drama-inducing factor. I mean, it's not like it's wrong if the girl is older, but you don't see it often, but hey, you fall in love with a person, not their age, right? And also, Logan sounds totally hot and very mature (unlike most 18-year-old boys I know). I was definitely shippping it. Georgia becomes a more daring version of herself when she's around him and I think she turns his world upside down, so I felt like they were affecting each other equally. And I liked it.

Georgia is smart, careful, a little too oppressed by her mother and also a caring person who is afraid to give her heart away, but does it anyway. At one point I was so rooting for her to have it out with her mother and just find out WHY she was so hell bent on getting Georgia and Harris back together, because OMG, that guy is a douche and why would a mother want her daughter to be with a guy who CHEATED on her?? I don't get it. My mom would definitely NOT be encouraging it, especially not if I'd made it clear that I wasn't interested in him anymore. So what gives?

Logan is a beautiful boy. He sounds beyond delicious and just made me swoon with all his maleness and putting it all out there and then getting his heart stomped on and OMG how COULD SHE? I mean, I GET it, sort of, but UGH, poor Logan. I loved that even after all that's been going on in his life since he was a kid, he's still this warm, loving guy who's protective of his friends.

So like I said, the age difference and the fact that he's her friend's brother makes for some stomach-clenchingly good drama and I stayed up till 2 AM to finish it even though I had to get up at 6.30 the following morning. I could literally not sleep before I knew they'd be having a happily ever after and I was swooning all through the end and it was just awesome.
I'd definitely recommend trying Wild for yourself and finding out just why I love Sophie Jordan's writing so much!

My rating: 5 stars

Zoë stamp of approval:

Cuddling the bear like I'd cuddle Logan ;)

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Review of Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes


Title/Author: Killer Instinct (The Naturals #2) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher/Date published: Disney-Hyperion, November 4th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother’s murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance.

But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean’s incarcerated father — a man he’d do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer’s psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer’s brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER FOR FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES***

Guys, I absolutely loved The Naturals, the first book in this series and obviously I was excited to read Killer instinct. And I was right to expect awesomeness again!

I cannot help but love Cassie, she's smart, she's loyal to her friends and she just wants to help people. The crazy stuff that went down in The Naturals definitely has its effect on her, but she's not letting it get her down and I respect that. Though I couldn't help but feel there should have maybe been a little bit more about the effects of it and I felt like it wasn't really being handled by adults. They didn't really seem to be all that worried about it. But other than that I was so with her in her insecurities about the boys and her initial dislike of the newest adult addition to the team and basically I just love her for her mind. It's SO creepy what she can do, yet so incredibly awesome. I really don't wish that I could do that, but following her thought process is very cool.

And the plot Jennifer Lynn Barnes crafts is just genius! I mean, I saw one tiny detail of it coming, but mostly mind = blown. There's so much more to all of it than you think at first sight and I loved being thrown for a loop a couple of times. It kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what the heck was going on! I read this book while we were on holiday in Rome and I even found myself thinking about it while we were visiting all these beautiful sights in the city, so that's definitely saying something!

One thing I'm going to address as well: the love triangle. There is one. And I really didn't mind it. It's very well done and let's just say that I'm happy with Cassie's choice.
I loved reconnecting with the whole set of characters, minus one for obvious reasons, and learning more about them, I love the whole group, faults and all.

Don't let Jennifer Lynn Barnes' innocent looks fool you, she has a devious mind! I totally loved all the twists and turns and just how real it felt and how I believed in what was happening and was sucked into the story and FEELS and just a whole lot of yes! You should definitely read this series, it's smart and has some amazing well-rounded characters. And just do it, ok?

My rating: 5 stars

Zoë stamp of approval:

(Just look at that smile :) tiny cat is tiny)

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Review of An Heiress For All Seasons by Sophie Jordan


Title/Author: An Heiress For All Seasons (The Debutante Files #1.5) by Sophie Jordan
Publisher/Date published: Avon Impulse, November 4th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: When a holiday blizzard brings together a pair of reluctant lovers, the result threatens their reputations... and may cost them their hearts.

Feisty and independent American heiress Violet Howard swears she'll never wed a crusty British aristocrat. Will, the Earl of Moreton, is determined to salvage his family's fortune without succumbing to a marriage of convenience.

But when a snowstorm leaves Violet and Will stranded and alone, their sudden chemistry will challenge good intentions. Seized by a desire that burns through the night, they'll toss reservations aside in favor of the heat found in each other's arms.

Will their passion survive the storm? Will they realize they've found a love to last them through all seasons?

You guys, Sophie Jordan is brilliant. She just knows how to bring the feelings and the chemistry and the awesome and just all I want from a historical romance novel! I always know I'll love it whenever I open up one of her books and An Heiress for All Seasons was no exception.

It's a novella, and while those are not my favourite as a concept, I did really love this one. It's short and sweet, yet a believable lovestory and these two just felt right together. I loved how there was real conflict and TENSION and OMG, that scene at the end! My heart!
I really liked both Violet and Will and how they're both working under misconceptions and just ALL OF IT.

You should really just pick up this novella and find out for yourself. Or basically any of Sophie Jordan's other historical romances, they're all amazing. Promise.

My rating: 5 stars