Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James

Fifty Shades Darker
Fifty Shades #2
Author: E.L. James
Genre: Adult Erotic Romance
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 1775 KB
Publisher: The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing House
    (September 13, 2011)
ASIN: B005N0PJJO

SUMMARY:

Daunted by the singular sexual tastes and dark secrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a Seattle publishing house. 


But desire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought, and when he proposes a new arrangement, Anastasia cannot resist. They rekindle their searing sensual affair, and Anastasia learns more about the harrowing past of her damaged, driven and demanding Fifty Shades. 


While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her, and make the most important decision of her life.

MY THOUGHTS:

**Possible Spoilers if you haven't read the first book in the series**

After being sucked into the dark world of Christian Grey in the first book, I wasn't sure if my emotions and heart could survive another part of his story.  Seriously, after the first book I was just drained of emotion and my head was spinning from the enigma of Christian Grey.  Sexual power, control, and wealth is the bubble of Christian.  He knows what satisfies him and he doesn't like the word no being in the script. Or does he?

This part of the story picks up a few days after Ana has left him.  She is falling apart and going through some deep emotions after losing what she thought was love. Christian is also going through hell without his shining light in his dark world.  I personally felt crushed for Christian because he is struggling with so much and change is not an easy thing for him.  He loves his control and now that Ana has left, he feels all his control slipping away.

We also get to see a more playful and romantic side of Christian than what was presented in the first part of this series.  I agree with Ana and enjoy this side of Fifty so much more.  He has so much love to give, but he is not sure how to do it.  When they finally reunite, we get to see them both struggle with trying to make their relationship work without all of the kinky involved.  Christian starts to realize that real love doesn't have to involve all of his previous quirks, but he does realize that he will always have it in the back of his mind scratching at the surface.  Ana wants to show him what love can be without the darkness and show him love with touch and support.

I must say that  the tamed down kinky in this book is just as hot as the previous book.  I will never look at an elevator, piano, pool table, wall or boathouse the same way again!  Oh and the things he could do with that pinkie finger of his was just moan worthy.  Although I must say, I am curious to know more about what he can do with a cat like he hinted at. *hmmm* Then my heart bled for Christian in the scene where he thinks Ana is going to leave him again due to his dark past.  Christian on his knees in that state of distress will haunt my dreams from now on.  I cried at the breakdown of his personality and felt all the control that is so him slip away.

Then when Elena -- the woman who is a sore spot for Ana -- gets her just desserts from not only Ana and Christian, but also gets an ear full from Christian's Mother, I was secretly cheering "Go Grace!"  I was waiting for Grace to turn her over her knee and give her a true spanking that she deserved.

While the ending will be one readers will enjoy and swoon with, it does have a small section to reveal what is to come.  We still need to see the aftermath from Christian's change of course in life and who is planning the destruction of his world.  I think I know who it is and I just know that the next and final book is going to put me over the edge! Dark, sensual, and oh so Fifty Shades of fucked up!

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Let me ask you something first. Do you want a regular vanilla relationship with no kinky fuckery at all?"
My mouth drops open. "Kinky fuckery?" I squeak.
"Kinky fuckery."
"I can't believe you said that."
"Well, I did. Answer me," he says calmly.
I flush. My inner goddess is down on bended knee with her hands clasped in supplication begging me.
"I like your kinky fuckery," I whisper.”
--Ana and Christian

“I don't know whether to worship at your feet or spank the living shit out of you.”
--Christian to Ana

MY PERSONAL ODE TO CHRISTIAN:

Ode to Fifty
Darkened soul
That needs to take flight
Ana Steele enters
And now there is light
I introduced you
to my pain
in the red room
insight you will gain
Spank you and bind you
this I enjoy
red bottom from rulers
you are now my toy
On a pool table or a car
on a boat under the stars
In an elevator or shower
or bench with ropes and bars

the piano as well
wherever I choose
our control will slip
our sanity we will lose
Fifty shades of fucked up
this you will learn
a smack to the bottom
so sweet and so firm
so step into my world
what do you say
My name is Christian
Fifty Shades of Grey

MY RATING:

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

COVER DISCOVERY!

Oh my pretties!  Look what I just found! Some of you have already seen this I am sure, but this was a surprise for me when looking through the authors list on GoodReads.  *sigh* VLAD!!!! Finally the author is giving us Vlad in all of his glory!  I am drooling just looking at this cover and seriously thinking about ordering several of them so I can look at Vlad in any room.

Once Burned (Night Prince #1)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Expected publication: June 26th 2012 by HarperCollins Publishers

SUMMARY:

She’s a mortal with dark powers... 

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person’s darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude... until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world’s most infamous vampire... 

He’s the Prince of Night... 

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all — but whatever you do, don’t call him Dracula. Vlad’s ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him – a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Fifty Shades of Grey
Author: E.L. James
Source: Personal Purchase
Genre: Adult Erotic Romance
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 1290 KB
Print Length: 372 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1612130283
Publisher: The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing House
    (May 25, 2011)

SUMMARY:

When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time. 


The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms. 


Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny. 


Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds? 

MY THOUGHTS:

If you have been around the blogs lately, then you know about Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James.  What you don't know is how correct everyone is when they say you will be addicted to the story.  I desperately wanted to read this series after reading so many reviews on it but I never thought I would find the time to read it.  So this weekend I decided to dive into the world of Christian Grey and enjoy the ride.  Talk about an addictive book!  I was hooked after the first few chapters and could not put it down!  I had to keep reading and it became my new form of book crack in the form of Christian.  He will pull you in and keep you there with no safety net for when you fall over from the shock of his life style.

Now, first off everyone should realize that this story came about in a weird way.  It is based on fanfiction from the Twilight series.  That being said, you understand the addiction to the book if you were addicted to the Twilight books.  I will also tell you that this series is not at all tame like the Twilight books.  This is for the adult readers and should not be read by anyone under eighteen.  While there were a few things that reminded me of the Twilight series, I personally didn't try to compare it to them and in fact found myself not even realizing this until after I read the story.  In Christians world, you will find darkness, BDSM, controlling behavior, wealth, and sexiness.  This is a man who will blow any other man you have read about out of the water.  Christian is an enigma that appears on the pages and you can't help but want to dive into his life style and read about his fifty shades of 'messed' up.

Anastasia on the other hand, was not a character I really enjoyed.  While she did balance out with Christian considering she is the complete opposite of him, she was weak and at times whiny.  She needed to learn how to sit back for a bit and just let Christian be who he is and build up to peeling the layers back.  Ana liked to hurry things along, and in turn she came across as pushy sometimes towards Christian.  Personally this could just be because I found myself protective of Christian as I was reading the story.

Be prepared to read about the BDSM life style as well in this book.  If you are not a fan of that, then tread carefully into reading this book.  This is a huge plot point in the story and a dark layer of Christian that needs to be remembered.  If you are willing to dive into his world though and read the story, you will be entranced by him just like Ana was.

The ending just about did me in as well.  I cried and instantly had to buy the next book in the series.  I couldn't believe it would end like that and made me want to scream in frustration and pain.  I just can't believe Ana did what she did at the end and wanted her inner goddess to come through and slap the crap out of her! I also wish that the author would have taken the time to edit and fix the many typos that were throughout the book.  I don't usually mention this flaw in a review, but it was a pretty big flaw in the book because it happened so much. That is the main reason this book didn't get the full five star rating from me.

Be prepared for sexual tension and satisfaction, dark secrets and personalities, and emotionally draining to the reader when reading this book.  It is one ride that will keep shocking you and keeping you up late at night to finish it.

MY FAVORITE QUOTE:

"Why don't you like to be touched?"
"Because I'm fifty shades of fucked-up, Anastasia.”
--Christian and Anastasia

MY RATING:

Very Good! I would recommend this book!

(ARC Review) Dead To You by Lisa McMann

Dead To You
Author: Lisa McMann
Source: Amazon Vine
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon Pulse
 (February 7, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-1442403888

SUMMARY:

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle... at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...

MY THOUGHTS:

I am a huge fan of author Lisa McMann after reading her Wake trilogy last year.  So when I heard about this book through other readers and noticed it was available through the Amazon Vine program, I jumped on the chance to read and review it early.  I did the fan girl squee and clicked accept on my Amazon page.  When it arrived, I dropped everything to read this book and even stayed up late just to finish it.

When we start with the first chapter, we are reading about Ethan being reunited with his family after being abducted nine years ago.  To say that it is an emotional reunion is an understatement.  You can feel the pain that the parents have gone through and have dealt with over the years.  They are so excited to have him home that they even accept him on looks alone without agreeing to do the DNA test that the social worker offers to them.  When you are reading the book, we are reading from Ethan's point of view and the emotions that he is struggling with.  He doesn't remember anything from his time before the abduction and he is desperate to remember anything.  He studies the family photos and tries to make something click in his brain so he has something real to remember instead of shared memories from family and friends.

When his younger brother Blake starts studying genetic traits in his science class at school, he starts to piece together some disturbing facts about Ethan.  Blake never truly believed that Ethan is the real Ethan.  Reading the story, you don't really know what to think about this.  At some points you are like Blake and questioning Ethan's true identity, but other times you are believing that it truly is Ethan. When it is revealed at the end of the book, you are shocked and frustrated with the close of the story.  It is left in a cliffhanger-like ending that makes you wish there were at least a few more chapters of closure. At this time, I do not know if the author is going to write a sequel to this book, but after the ending she has left the reader with, I hope she seriously thinks about writing it!  I would love to learn more about Ethan and his story that follows after the reveal at the  end of the book.

MY RATING:

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

* I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Sin Undone by Larissa Ione

Sin Undone
A Demonica Novel #5
Author: Larissa Ione
Source: Personal Purchase
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
 (August 24, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0446556811

SUMMARY:

HER TOUCH IS DEADLY 

As the only female Seminus demon ever born, master assassin Sinead Donnelly is used to being treated like an outcast. She spent decades enslaved, and now vows she'll die before she'll relinquish her freedom again. Then Sin's innate ability to kill her enemies goes awry: She creates a lethal new werewolf virus that sparks a firestorm of panic and violence. 

HIS HUNGER CAN'T BE DENIED 

Half-werewolf, half-vampire Conall Dearghul is charged with bringing in Sin to face punishment for the plague. And she's no stranger: He's bound to her by blood, and the one sexual encounter they shared has left him hungering for her raw sensuality. Worse, Sin is the underworld's most wanted and Con soon learns he's the only one who can help her...and that saving her life might mean sacrificing his own.

MY THOUGHTS:

Oh my goodness! This author sure knows how to keep a reader engaged in a story!  After finishing the last book in the series, I was anxious to find out how Sin was going to adjust to not only having more siblings, but she was going to have to deal with being the only girl as well.  On top of that, she is also the new leader of an assassination team.  Talk about having too many things on your plate at once.  Add in a very sexy dhampire, and a horrendous disease, stir until boiling over and you have Sin Fever that can be taken several ways!

When Sin unknowingly unleashes a disease that is threatening the werewolf community and it is wreaking havoc on the whole demon world.  Con, who is half werewolf / halfvampire, must try and figure out a way of stopping the virus while trying to keep Sin from being killed.

After Con has sex with Sin after a bet, they both try to put on the front that they despise each other.  They loathe working together but they both feel the sexual tension that is building between the two.  Con also has to fight the fact that he is getting addicted to Sin's blood which could send him over the edge as well.

I so enjoyed this book.  I might have to say that it is possibly my second favorite of the series only because Wraith's book is still my favorite.  He will always hold that number one spot I think.  This book though, I found myself  laughing, cheering, and crying right along with the characters.  There were so many emotions that I went through due to this story that just proves the wonderful skill that the author has with her writing.  This was the last book in the series, as far as I know, but I do understand that she has a spin off series that intertwines with the Demonica Series.  We are even introduced to a few characters that are going to be portrayed in the spin off in Sin Undone.  I personally can't wait to dive into those stories as well. What a ride these books have been and one I don't want to stop!

MY FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Sort of. I can feel the arrangement of the virus or bacteria or whatever. And once I learn it, I can replicate that specific disease." She shot Conall a smirk. "Khileshi cockfire is a favorite."
Wraith laughed. Conall paled. Eidolon looked at her like she was responsible for every case of the excruciating, dick-shriveling venereal disease he'd ever treated. The guy was so freaking uptight he probably starched his freaking underwear.

“Yeah, I need sex or I die. So stop with the obnoxious chaperone shit, because I really don't want you anywhere nearby while I'm doing it, and I don't think you want that either."
She gave them the sweetest smile.
"And know that the second you're gone, I'm going to ride Con until he begs for mercy."
Eidolon sighed. Shade swore. And Con muttered something that sounded strangely like "Mercy". 

“Kiss me again without my permission, " she whispered against his lips, "and I'll geld you and sell your balls to a Ruthanian specialty meats shop. Understood?"
"You won't do that," he whispered back. "You'd miss them too much."
Sin snorted and made the blade disappear into her pocket as she stepped back.
"Men are always overestimating the worth of their genitals."
~Sin to Con

MY RATING:

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

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Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione

Ecstasy Unveiled
A Demonica Novel #4
Author: Larissa Ione
Source: Personal Purchase
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Forever
 (February 1, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0446556828

SUMMARY:

A DEMON ENSLAVED


Lore is a Seminus half-breed demon who has been forced to act as his dark master's assassin. Now to earn his freedom and save his sister's life, he must complete one last kill. Powerful and ruthless, he'll stop at nothing to carry out this deadly mission.

AN ANGEL TEMPTED


Idess is an earthbound angel with a wild side, sworn to protect the human Lore is targeting. She's determined to thwart her wickedly handsome adversary by any means necessary-even if that means risking her vow of eternal chastity. But what begins as a simple seduction soon turns into a passion that leaves both angel and demon craving complete surrender.


Torn between duty and desire, Lore and Idess must join forces as they battle their attraction for each other. Because an enemy from the past is rising again-one hellbent on vengeance and unthinkable destruction.

MY THOUGHTS:

In novel number four of the Demonica series by Larissa Ione, we are introduced to the newest brother of the group.  After not knowing about Lore and vice-versa,  the brothers are still coming to terms with the new family addition.  While in the process of this, Lore is also having to deal with the fact that his new assignment is to kill their good friend Kynan.  Lore has no choice but to follow these orders since his boss that holds the contract for his life also holds the contract on his twin sisters life.

Enter an angel named Idess.  She is basically a guardian angel and has been assigned Kynan as her human to protect.  Even though Kynan is charmed and untouchable, he still is in danger and Idess needs to keep guard on him.  If she succeeds,  she earns her wings and can be with her family in the Heavens.  While protecting Kynan, she meets Lore and they both feel the attraction.  As they decide to work together in finding a loophole, Idess is shocked to discover that she now must protect Lore as well.

While I enjoyed the story of this book, I wasn't a big fan of Idess.  I just couldn't connect with her like I have with the previous females in the series.  Lore was sexy and charming, but Idess just didn't seem to be a good fit for him in my opinion.  I could see him more with a character like Gem.  He needed someone rough, tough and less angelic.

Out of all the books so far in the series, this is my least favorite.  I still enjoyed it, but it just wasvnot as wonderful as the previous books.  I am still excited though for the next book that features Sin who just happens to be a rare Seminus demon because she is female.

MY FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Tayla cursed under her breath. "I was just explaining to Eidolon that Sin is a Smurfette."
Wraith swung his big body around to study Sin with blue eyes that were very different from Shade's, E's. and Lore's. Sin's, too. "Nah. Smurfette is way hotter."
"What the fuck is a Smurfette?" Eidolon was seriously getting annoyed now.
"There's this cartoon called The Smurfs," Tayla explained, slowly, as though Eidolon were the child here.
"They're these little blue people, and they're all male. But one day a female shows up. She shouldn't exist, but she does."
Eidolon considered that for a second. "How did she get there?"
"An evil wizard named Gargamel made her," Tayla said. "In a lab or something."
"So you're suggesting that an evil wizard made Sin?"
"Of course not, silly. I'm just saying she's a Smurfette. A lone female amongst males."
Eidolon frowned. "Did the Smurfette mate with the males?"
"Dude." Wraith grimaced. "It's a cartoon.” 

MY RATING:

Very Good! I would recommend this book!

Passion Unleashed by Larissa Ione

Passion Unleashed
A Demonica Novel #3
Author: Larissa Ione
Source: Personal Purchase
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Forever
 (March 31, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-0446401050

SUMMARY:

FORBIDDEN TEMPTATIONS 


Serena Kelley is an archaeologist and treasure hunter-and a woman with a secret. Since she was seven, she's been the keeper of a powerful charm that grants her health and immortality . . . as long as she stays a virgin. But Serena isn't all that innocent. And when a dangerously handsome stranger brings her to the brink of ecstasy, she wonders if she's finally met the one man she cannot resist. 


FATAL DESIRES 


Wraith is a Seminus demon with a death wish. But when an old enemy poisons him, he must find Serena and persuade her to give him the only known antidote in the universe-her charm. Yet, as she begins to surrender to his seductions and Wraith senses the cure is within his grasp, he realizes a horrible truth: He's falling for the woman whose life he must take in order to save his own.

MY THOUGHTS:

I have been waiting for Wraith's book since the beginning and I had a hard time not skipping to his book!  When a bad boy hero can get under your skin within the first few chapters of the first book in a series,  it is hard not to want to read about his story right away.  This was definitely worth the wait!

When Wraith becomes infected with a demon virus with no cure, he doesn't have much time to seek out the only option he has left.  He must find a charm that will protect him from the disease.  One problem he doesn't expect is finding it securely around the neck of an irresistible female who happens to be human as well.  Wraith has never craved human women for sexual pleasure or food.  Now that he has met Serena, he has fallen under her charm though.  He craves her and doesn't want anyone else to come near her.  As his feelings grow for Serena, he must decide to if he really wants to take the charm -- and doom her to death -- or if he will sacrifice himself for the love of a human female.

Up until this book, Wraith has always been the bad boy vamp/demon that you grow to love.  He is irresponsible, deadly at fighting, and all around bad as they get.  He instantly captures your interest and demands your attention when he appears on the pages.  I loved Wraith in this book because not only did we get his usual personality, but we also got to see a tender and protective side of him as well.  He has to fight his natural instincts and decide who is of greater importance -- Serena or himself.  This book again takes your heart on an emotional roller coaster not knowing what exactly is going to happen.  The author likes to tug at your heart strings until the very last possible moment.  Again another great book in the Demonica Series that is quickly becoming one of my favorite series ever!

MY FAVORITE QUOTES:

“You're been out a few hours. E and I have been taking turns staying with you. Tayla's here. And Gem. Luc. Kynan. Reaver. Our other brother, but he's in chains. He's also a total dick. You'll like him."
---(Shade telling Wraith)

“No. It was because it was the first time I made love to anyone. You can call me a liar or anything else, but do not doubt me on this. And I swear to you that you were the first, and you will be the last."
---Wraith

MY RATING:

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

A Devil Named Desire by Terri Garey

A Devil Named Desire
The Devil's Bargain #2
Author: Terri Garey
Source: Publisher
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Avon
 (January 31, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-0061986406

SUMMARY:

Forbidden fruit is always the sweetest... 


...and no one knows that better than Sammy Divine, High Prince of Darkness. Once an angel, now cast down, Sammy's out to prove he's not the only angel who can be led into temptation... 


Hope Henderson's sister has disappeared without a trace, and Hope will do anything to find her--even make a deal with the Devil. An ancient text holds the key to unspeakable power, and it's the Archangel Gabriel's job to make sure it stays hidden, even if he has to become human to do it. Lives, love and the fate of the world hang in the balance, as Hope and Gabriel learn that when passion's involved, it may be impossible to withstand a devil named desire.

MY THOUGHTS:

Oh Sammy Divine, finally we meet again.  First of all can we all take a look at that fine looking man on that cover?  Okay, now that we have drooled and hoped that those pants would slip a little further down, lets get down to the details of the book.

It seems like I have waited forever to read more about Sammy Divine -- or The Devil -- and the bargains he would be making with the next unfortunate soul on Earth.  This time not only is he going to be tormenting a human soul on Earth, but he is going to throw in his 'brother' Gabriel as well. Gabriel is always trying to convince Sammy that there is hope for him at redemption.  Sammy doesn't believe it and decides to teach Gabe a lesson.  So Sammy convinces Hope to become a pawn in his game by striking a 'bargain' with her.  He blackmails her at her lowest point in life -- at the suicidal point -- and tells her he will give her what she wants in the form of her missing sister if she will translate a book of spells to open the doors to Hell on Earth.  She agrees to the bargain and Gabe is thrown into the mix when he realizes she is being followed by evil.  As an angel of the Heavens, he becomes her Guardian and swears to protect her.  Together they try to find her sister and find a way out of the deal with Sammy.

I really enjoyed this latest installment in the series.  The only problem I had with it was the fact that it was suppose to be about Gabriel and Hope but  instead it seemed that Sammy had more page time than them.  Don't get me wrong, I loved what little time we got to read about Gabe and Hope, but Sammy seemed to be the bigger focus this time around.  As you get closer to the end though, you start to realize why Sammy was such the dominant character in this book.  Instead of Sammy teaching Gabe a lesson, it seems the the Higher One is actually teaching Sammy a lesson and pointing him on the true path of redemption.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series and I hope we get to read even more of Sammy and his bargains.  I do hope that when the series continues to progress, Sammy will get his own book and hopefully love with a happily ever after.  You never know, maybe the Devil can even have the coveted true love and happy life.

MY RATING:

Very Good! I would recommend this book!

* I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams

The Alchemy of Forever
Author: Avery Williams
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books
 (January 3, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-1442443167

SUMMARY:

After spending six hundred years on Earth, Seraphina Ames has seen it all. Eternal life provides her with the world's riches but at a very high price: innocent lives. Centuries ago, her boyfriend, Cyrus, discovered a method of alchemy that allows them to take the bodies of other humans from jumping from one vessel to the next, ending the human's life in the process. No longer able to bear the guilt of what she's done, Sera escapes from Cyrus and vows to never kill again. 


Then sixteen-year old Kailey Morgan gets into a horrific car accident right in front of her, and Sera accidentally takes over her body while trying to save her. For the first time, Sera finds herself enjoying the life of the person she's inhabiting--and falling in love with the boy who lives next door. But Cyrus will stop at nothing until she's his again, and every moment she stays, she's putting herself and the people she's grown to care about in danger. Will Sera have to give up the one thing that's eluded her for centuries: true love?

MY THOUGHTS:

Whew! Talk about a book that can force you to forget about daily chores!  Seriously, when I first received this book, I just thought it was going to be another young adult paranormal to add to my list of reads without any more thought.  However, once you start reading about Sera and Cyrus you forget everything else just to find out what is going to happen.

The first part of the book features Sera and Cyrus.  It goes into detail on how the two met and how they have come to be immortal.  Cyrus learned of a way to become Incarnate through the study of Alchemy.  Science is his passion and belief with no interest in anything spiritual.  What started out as love between the two, has now evolved into ownership and control.  Sera is desperate to escape the clutches of Cyrus and their fellow Incarnates and has even been hoping for a chance to come along.  When the body starts to die out after 10 years or so, they are forced to find another lonely soul to claim.  They take a life to save their own and Sera has grown tired of it.  She is feeling remorse and just wants to finally move on to the next step of Heaven or Hell.  When she gets her chance to escape she takes it.  While on the run from Cyrus and the group, she decides she is going to do one last redeeming thing in the hopes to at least show how sorry she has been for taking souls.  She tries to save a girl who is near death, but ends up taking her body and soul in mistake.  Now she is forced to live as Kailey and pray that Cyrus cannot find her.

I really enjoyed this story of Immortality.  It is based on something scientific but it also has some paranormal touches to it as well.  I did feel sorry for Sera in this book as she comes to terms of what she has done.  She is also trying to figure out how Kailey lived as well.  She finds herself enjoying the life Kailey had at home and finds out that she wasn't always the best person to some people.  She tries to change Kailey into a person that everyone could like and in turn falls for her childhood friend.

If you are looking for a new read in this genre and topic, then this is a fresh new read that will keep you in suspense.  Be prepared for an ending that will frustrate you, but also leave you anxious for more.  I personally can't wait for the next book in the Incarnation series by this author.  I still can't believe the ending was left the way it is, but it definitely leaves you craving more!

MY RATING:

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

* I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*