Friday Finds #5

FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased). This is hosted by ShouldBeReading!

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Hey ya'll!! So I haven't done a Friday Finds in a very long time. While I have still been add books to my TBR list, I haven't really had the time to sit down and do a post like this one. Showcasing the books I have added a look forward to reading!!

So let's get to the good part! The books I have recently added to my TBR!! :)

Click on the cover to be redirected to the books Goodreads page!

All of these books sound absolutely amazing!! I can't wait to get my hands on them! :)

What books have you added to your TBR list? Share below in the comments, I would love to check them out. One can never have too many books! :)

Review: The Struggle by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Struggle 

By: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Titans Series

Genre: New Adult Fantasy

Length: 400 pages

Synopsis From Goodreads:

A bloody path has been chosen… 

The war against the Titans continues, and they remain determined to wreak havoc on the world, but Seth has become something all gods fear. Now the most dangerous, most absolute power no longer resides in those who have been freed from their tombs. 

The Great War fought by the few is coming… 

All may doubt and fear what Seth has become. All except the one woman who might be his final chance at redemption. Josie will do anything to prove that Seth is on their side, but fate has a nasty way of changing lives, of changing people. 

In the end, the sun will fall… 

The only way they can save the future and save themselves is by facing the unknown together. It will take more than trust and faith. It will take love and the kind of strength not easily broken. No matter what, their lives will never be the same. 

For what the gods have feared has come to pass. The end of the old is here and the beginning of the new has been ushered in…

My Review:

Rating:

***Caution Contains Spoilers***

FAVORITE SERIES EVER!!

Jennifer L. Armentrout has done it again!! She is a spectacular author and really knows how to bring these characters to life. I was hooked from the very first page. 

Seth is gone and the hunt for the remaining demigods is not over. However, at the moment Josie's main focus is finding Seth and it looks like Hyperion has other plans. 

The Struggle picks up right where The Power left off, Seth on the run and Josie cleaning up the mess left behind from Atlas's demise. That is one thing I love about JLA's writing, she doesn't do huge time jumps between books. Thank goodness! Sometimes I find it hard to get back into a series when there is a time gap between two books in a series. 

Seth makes it to his childhood home, only to find out it is not as empty has he had thought. Servants follow him everywhere refusing to leave and a great power is consuming Seth. And when we discover what this new power is, I was shocked!!

SETH IS A GOD!!! Did not see that one coming at all. The Appointed God! I was not prepared for a supped-up and god charged Seth. Thankfully, he did not lose any of that snarky personality that we have all come to love about him. 

While Seth is discovering who he is, with the help of some of his new "friends," Josie has been kidnapped by Hyperion. She finds out what happen to the other demigods and worries her fate may be the same. And as many of you can expect, Seth did not take kindly to the news of Josie's kidnapping. What futures does Hyperion have, now that Seth is a Titan killing God?

I love the characters that JLA develops, they all have such a sarcastic, witty personality. Seth and Josie are the cutest!! Even though, I was not happy with Seth leaving at the end of The Power, I found that I enjoyed reading their separate stories for the first several chapters. At the end of The Power I couldn't help thinking that The Struggle would start out slow since Josie and Seth were separated, but I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. I felt like their separation made their story as a couple even better. I love the dual points of view throughout this series! 

“Loving him meant that I knew from the first moment that I fell for Seth that he was complicated – that loving him wouldn’t be easy. Loving him…Well, it meant that I was willing to fight for him.” 

I love that Aiden and Alex are part of this story as well. They really help tie together the Covenant world and the Titan world together. Plus their interactions with Seth and Josie are priceless!! 

I wish we had seen more of Deacon and Luke because I love their characters. They are some of the best secondary characters and I can't get enough of them. :) Now that the Army of Awesome is back together I hope to see more of them in the next book.

“I’m not leaving you We’re in this together, Josie … If there is anything in this world, there is us.” 

This book had everything you could ask for, action, romance and even an unexpected pregnancy. Again this was a shock! I had my suspicions at first but I talked myself out of it thinking "No she did the pregnancy storyline with Alex, she wouldn't do it again." Boy was I wrong! I am so excited to see where this story takes Seth and Josie, because the Titans are gunning for them. Can Seth protect both Josie and his unborn child? And what about Josie's prophecies? Could her days really be limited?

While I can't wait to get my hands on The Prophecy, I am not prepared for the series to be over. I absolutely love this series, and always find myself going back to skim through my favorite parts. This is definitely a series I could read over and over again. I do not want it to end, but I know JLA will make it the best ending ever!! :)

If you haven't read this series yet you must! If you have read this series please feel free to share your thoughts. I would love to know what y'all thought of this series! 

Published by: K

Review: Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Sentinel

By: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: The Covenant Series

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Length: 297 pages

Synopsis From Goodreads:

It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.

My Review:

Rating:

LOVE THIS SERIES!!

Jennifer L. Armentrout never disappoints! I could read her books all day, everyday. She truly knows how to develop strong characters and a story that sinks it's teeth in and never lets go. Her books stay with you even when the story is over and the book has been placed on the shelf. I find myself every now and then going back to her books, skimming through my favorite scenes. I can never get enough of JLA's books!!

While I was sad to see this series end, I didn't take it too hard, being has I have The Struggle sitting on my bookshelf dying to be read!! If you follow my blog you know that I started reading The Return way before The Covenant series. Which I would try to avoid if you are new to Jennifer L. Armentrout and just starting the series, because The Return does spoil some of Alex and Aiden's story.

Alex and Aiden are truly adorable!! I love their relationship and that through it all they fight for one another. I am so happy that they got their Happily Ever After ending!! I would have been heart-broken if they were separated in the end. 

“He was my strength when I needed him to be, my friend when I needed someone to talk me down, my equal in a world where by law I would always be less than him, and honest to gods, he was the love of my life.” 

The main aspect of this story that I love and many of JLA's books is that her female characters are always strong and independent, never really needing a man to save them. Alex is such a strong character, always willing to sacrifice herself to save her friends and family. It is too often I pick up a book with a female protagonist with no real strengths of her own, only finding strength in her soulmate. 

Alex does have her moments where her strength and courage doesn't always shine through, like for instance the beginning of this book I found her to be mopey and lacking so much emotion. However, while I struggled with the new Alex, it was a character arc that she had to experience in order to return to the snarky, determined Alex we all now and love.

I loved that this book picked right up where Apollyon left off. It helped me connect the two books to one another and stay focused on the story without having to wonder, "did I miss something." Especially since this was the final book and Alex had her epic battle against Ares, I did not want to feel as though I missed something crucial. And like always Jennifer L. Armentrout did an amazing job connecting the books to one another.

Again many of the surprise deaths and actions taking among the characters had been spoiled for me and I may have enjoyed it a ten times more if I didn't know what was coming around the corner. Even so, this series is one of my favorite series and I still loved it from the very first book.

If you haven't read this series, I highly recommend that you do! You do not want to miss out on this amazing series. It has everything from action to romance to smart-ass characters. What more could one asked for?

If you have read this series please feel free to share your thoughts and comments, I would love to know what others have thought of this series!! 

Published by: K

Review: Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Apollyon

By: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: The Covenant Series

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Length: 343 pages

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.

My Review:

Rating:

My love for Jennifer L. Armentrout's books is never-ending!! I have yet to find a book of hers that I do not like. She melds the perfect amount of suspenseful stories and sarcastic characters. Her female characters are always so inspiring, never really needing a man to define them. I always find myself wanting to be more like those characters, more outspoken. 

Alex has to be one of my favorite female characters from her books. Even with all the terrible things she has had to endure, Alex is still strong and willing to sacrifice her life for what is right. She is a great role model for young girls!

“He was there. Like always, holding me up when I couldn’t’ stand and letting me go when he knew I needed him to. He was more than just a shelter. Aiden was my other half, my equal.”

Alex and Aiden have the best relationship! I loved how their relationship developed throughout the series. They had struggles just like normal people and it wasn't an insta-love kind of romance. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for these two. 

“Whatever you do, don't break my brother's heart. You are his world. And if you leave it, it will destroy him.” 

Oh and Apollo, we can't forget the Sun God!! He is the best, I absolutely love his character and his witty personality. I was first introduced to Apollo in The Return (The Titan spin-off series). Yes, I read that first, probably not the best decision, being as it does give away some spoilers from The Covenant series!! But it was one of my first Jennifer L. Armentrout books and it is what got me so interested in reading this series. Anyways, I did not like Apollo much in The Return, but he is definitely growing on me in this series. I hope to see more of him in future books, both Titan and Covenant series. 

So since I read The Return first, I was not surprised when they discovered Ares was the god responsible for all this turmoil. The God of War is determined to bring down the gods and rule over the mortal world. I would have liked to be a bit more shocked by that outcome but truly that was my own fault for not reading books in order. I definitely got distracted my the sexy model on the cover of The Return...lol!! :D

Like all Jennifer L. Armentrout books I would definitely recommend this series!! It has amazing characters, a well developed world of gods, and snarky, sarcastic characters. I love the dialogue in her books!! I can't wait to start reading Sentinel, this final book in The Covenant series!! 

“Eat it," I ordered, holding it with two hands now, making it dance in the air. "It's begging you. 'Eat me'."
He arched a brow.
"Perv," I muttered.
Aiden pressed his lips together, but when he glanced at me and my dancing bun, he burst into laughter. "All right, give me the bun.” 

Published by: K

Review: United by Melissa Landers

United

By: Melissa Landers

Series: Alienated Trilogy

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Length: 317 pages

Synopsis From Goodreads:

After thwarting a deadly coup and saving the alliance between their worlds, Cara and Aelyx have finally earned a break. Their tiny island colony is everything they dreamed it would be―days spent gathering shells on the beach and nights in each other’s arms.

But the vacation is short-lived.

The treaty between Earth and L’eihr has awakened an ancient force that threatens to destroy them all. The Aribol, mysterious guardians charged with maintaining interstellar peace, deem the alliance a threat to the galaxy. They order a separation of the races, decreeing humans and L’eihrs must return to their own planets within the month or face extinction. In fact, they already have agents in place on Earth, ready to begin.

With the clock ticking, Aelyx and Cara assemble a team of colonists and race back to Earth, where they unite with old friends to solve the mystery of who the Aribol are, what they want, and the real reason the alliance has provoked them. As tensions build to a full-scale war, Aelyx and Cara must fight harder than ever―not just for their future, but for the survival of both their worlds.

My Review:

Rating:

This books was a great conclusion to Cara and Aelyx's story, however at times I found it a bit fast-paced and anti-climatic. I was hoping for a more epic ending for this phenomenal trilogy. Melissa Landers is an amazing author and I absolutely fell in love with her story and the characters in the first two books. However, with this final installment I feel as connected to the characters as I was previously.

Invaded got you prepared for a final showdown, an epic battle between the Aribol and the two colonies only to come up short in United. I was prepared for a lot more than a two chapter take over of the Aribol. I felt the story was rushed and we missed some of the details, that really would have brought this ending together.

I missed the interaction between Aelyx and Cara as well. I didn't feel the love they had from the first two books. The characters almost seemed like such small roles in United, compared to Alienated and Invaded.

With the first books I devoured them in a matter of days, this book took me nearly two weeks to finish only because I had a hard time staying connected to the story. I had hoped for a lot more with this conclusion.

Even though, it was a good conclusion to this trilogy, I can't say it was horrible. Everyone got their happy ending!

And I would still recommend this trilogy, it is definitely worth reading at least once!! :)



Published by: K

Review: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Alice in Zombieland

By: Gena Showalter

Series: White Rabbit Chronicles

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy, Horror

Length: 404 pages

Synopsis From Goodreads:

She won't rest until she's sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

If anyone had told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that's all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real.

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn't careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies.

My Review:

Rating:

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS BOOK!!!

Alice in Wonderland meets The Walking Dead!! Two of my favorite things combined to make one spectacular story!

This book had me hooked from the very beginning! I found myself devouring chapter after chapter, not wanting to put it down for anything. This is my first Gena Showalter book and I found myself pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Even with it's high ratings on Goodreads I found myself a bit skeptical on reading this book. However, now that I have read it, I am glad that I did. 

“Never forget that evil is evil. You cannot change it. You cannot lead it to the light. But, if you let it, evil can lead you to the darkness.” 

I loved the Zombie slayer twist! It definitely took my back to my days of watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer!! Special individuals selected to fight evil and protect humanity.  What more could one ask for? 

I don't think I can express just how much I loved this book!! 

Also, while I am not one for time jumps, this one worked for me. I liked that at the start of the book we jump back 6 months to the day Alice's family died. We got to experience the family dynamic and know the family better. If the story had started 6 months after her families death, I feel I wouldn't have been as effected by their deaths. This way we felt for Alice when she lost her parents and her baby sister. And it made it easier to connect with Emma when she makes her appearances in Alice's new life.

Gena Showalter is a magnificent author! Developing captivating characters and a zombie world you could almost believe was real!! I even found myself enjoying and becoming attached to the secondary characters. Frosty and Kat were the absolutely best!! Kat is definitely the epitome of best friends out there everywhere. I sure know she reminds me of one of my best friends! :) Loved her character, and how she stuck by Alice's side no matter what. I look forward to seeing more of her in the future books.

“The moment our gazes met, the rest of the world washed away—” 

Now onto Cole and Alice. While I am not always a fan of insta-love, this is one I can get behind. The love wasn't all that instant, at least not for Alice, but it kind of felt like Cole fell hard from the moment he met her. I can't wait to see what the future books have in store for them. I have a feeling its going to be a tough road, because their relationship seemed to meld together seamlessly in this book. And that can only mean trouble ahead.

This definitely a book I would recommend, it drags you in from the very first sentence. I have to thank my sister for getting me to read this book. I was in a bit of a reading slump and she recommended I read this book, even though she hasn't read it and I am glad she did. Or I might still find myself in that slump.

Published by: K

Review: Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Stone Cold Touch 

By: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: The Dark Elements Series

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Length: 464 pages

Synopsis From Goodreads:

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…

My Review:

Rating:

If you follow our blog, you'll know that I am a huge fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout's books and her writing style. Her books never cease to capture my attention from page one. She develops characters that you can't help but become attached to and worlds that begin to feel real the further you venture into the story. However, this series has always been a bit of a struggle for me to instantly get hooked into. But once I do I find it difficult to put the book down!

This book picks up shortly after the showdown with Paimon and the loss of Roth. Which was a big hit for Layla and obviously Roth fans, like myself. :) But no worries we didn't have to struggle along without him for too long. Like true Roth fashion he shows up with a bang and reeks a whole new level of havoc. 

This book really focuses on Layla's struggle to find her place in the world of Demons and Wardens. While finding time to juggle her romantic feelings for both Zayne and Roth. And on top of all that crazy, a Lilin has undoubtedly been released. Or has it? Could Layla really be behind all the chaos descending upon her school?

I enjoyed getting to experience Layla and Zayne together. While book one center more on Roth and Layla, Stone Cold Touch centered more on a budding relationship between Zayne and Layla. A relationship you can't help but find yourself rooting for. Even if you fell for Roth in White Hot Kiss!

This was one love triangle that I could get behind! Both boys are sexy and absolutely amazing!! 

I can't wait to see how this story ends! Who does she choose? And what is to become of Layla now that the Lilin has been revealed? Another shocking revelation I was not fully prepared for. I had my suspicions as the story developed but I never wanted to believe it could be a secondary character many come to love.

Like all Jennifer L. Armentrout books, I highly recommend this series. I don't think I have read a book of hers that I have yet to dislike. And I truly hope it stays that way!! 

Published by: K