Coming soon....Released from the Darkness

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of Released from the Darkness, the sequel to Concealed in the Shadows.  If you have read my earlier blog posts, you will know that I was absolutely enthralled with CITS.  Gabrielle Arrowsmith is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Released from the Darkness picks up where CITS left off, after Sydney decided to take her sister's place with the powers that be in Miles.  She assumes that she is so valuable that nobody inside of Miles will harm her.  When she wakes up inside of Miles, nothing is as she thought it would be.  There are plot twists and turns that Sydney could not even begin to anticipate.  She has to make new friends and figure out how to best survive in this new environment that she has been placed in.  When she uncovers the plan of the officials in Miles, she has to be brave and come up with a plan, not knowing if she will see her sister or her father ever again.

I'm not going to go into the whole plot because I do not want to write spoilers.  Obviously since this book does not come out until at least later next month, it is likely that nobody reading this blog will have read it, so I don't want to give anything away.  There are some pretty good plot twists in this story and there is so much excitement and action packed in to these pages.  I literally got anxious with anticipation as I flipped each page.

I cannot wait until this book is released.  I am excited to read the finalized, edited version.  I'm obsessed with Sydney's courage and the dramatic world of Miles and Sheridan.  My current genre-infatuation is dystopian fiction, and this series is one of my favorites.

Double Star - Cindy Saunders

I will admit, I almost gave up on this one in the beginning because I couldn't get into it.  I read the reviews for it on Amazon and Goodreads and so many people liked it that I gave it another shot.  The first few chapters were slow and I didn't fully understand the story and where it was going, but once I got through the first three chapters, things picked up and I couldn't put the book down!

Allie is on her way to an interview for music school when her GPS goes haywire and takes her to an overlook.  For whatever reason, she gets out of the car and is shoved off the overlook by Cepheus, a lunatic dark god.  To Allie's surprise, she doesn't die, but rather ends up in an alternate dimension in the forest of Gilgamesh.

She is discovered by some forest frequenters and then her life gets really weird.  She meets some shapeshifting teenage boys and learns all about the legends of the stars and gods.  She can't grasp the concept that these people in this weird place have never heard of a phone or the internet or a car.  They travel on horseback or by foot.  There is no plumbing, no electricity, no iPods, nothing that Allie is used to in her modern life.

Allie and the guys eventually embark on a journey to help Allie find her way home.  On the way they meet some strange and fascinating people.  They have no idea they are being followed by someone who can shift into a spider.  Being a spider is pretty convenient when you need to spy on a group.  All you have to do is hope nobody steps on you.

As bad as Allie wants to get home to her mother, she is also beginning to have feelings for one of the guys and so her internal struggle begins.  With as much magic that is present in this alternate dimension, I have no worries that Allie and her beau will never see each other again.

Once I got into this story, I liked it.  I liked how descriptive the author is of the alternate dimension.  Gilgamesh sounds like a pretty neat forest, though everyone seems to be living like the Amish.  I would probably miss my modern gadgets and amenities too much to move there, but I'll admit, the magic seems pretty cool.  I'm glad I stuck it out and made it past the beginning of the story.  Now I'm sucked in to this new world and I cannot wait for the next book to come out.

Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

I'm starting off discussing my weekly reads with Fangirl because I love Love LOVED it.  I had heard great things about it but was still a little skeptical because I've never even read fanfiction and do not intend to start.  However, this book was not just about fanfiction.  As the inside jacket cover says, it is "a coming-of-age take of fanfiction, family, and first love."

Cath and her twin sister Wren are used to doing everything together.  They've had the same friends, same classes, same interests (though Wren is a little more boy-crazy), etc.  They dealt with their mother's abandonment together.  Their mother left them when they were young because she did not want to be a wife and mother.  Obviously, since she named the twins Cather and Wren.  Cather-Wren...Catherine....get it?  Being too lazy to come up with an extra name does not a good mother make.

Anyway, when the girls are off to college, Wren decides she doesn't want to live with Cath, so Cath has to deal with her new roommate and new life.  She doesn't deal with change well and tries to hide herself in the Simon Snow fanfiction that she loves to write.  Judging from her tens of thousands of followers, she's pretty good at the fanfiction, too.  She pretty much is a hermit other than going to class.

Her new roommate tries to break her out of her shell and make her at least go somewhere for dinner each night.  She finds a study buddy for her fiction-writing class, which she loved until her professor decided to stab her through the heart by stating she hates fanfiction.  Cath is trying to figure out who she is and what she wants out of life while balancing the never-ending drama of her family and the scariness of first love.

She learns a lot about herself and about college life.  At first she hates college, but then she discovers that doing more than just going to class really isn't that bad.

I liked this story and read it in two sittings (pesky job got in the way again).  I was constantly intrigued and curious about what would happen and how Cath would make it through her freshman year.  In between the chapters, the author inserted various excerpts from Simon Snow and from Cath's fanfiction.  Her fanfiction name is Magicath, which is very clever since Simon Snow is about magic.  The situations were all pretty realistic, which is a huge change from my normal supernatural/paranormal or dystopian reads.  It's obvious that Cath and her family probably need some intensive therapy, but it was fun to see how they dealt with their issues (sorta) on their own.

I'm very curious to read more from Rainbow Rowell.  I like the tone and the language that she uses.  I hope her other books are just as good as this one.

The Death Cure - James Dashner

I finally finished the Maze Runner trilogy, and I was not disappointed!  I really hope that the movie coming out later this year does the first book justice and the other two movies will follow.  There are some moments in the books that I would really like to see depicted on film.  I am really interested to see what the Grievers look like and whether or not the Cranks look like crazy zombies or just humans with crazy eyes.  There are a lot of action scenes that will be good to see played out as well.

The Death Cure picks up right where The Scorch Trials left off.  Thomas and his friends have to try and figure out how to fight against WICKED, while staying alive in the mess that the world has become.  WICKED wants to keep them for more testing, but somehow the gang manages to escape, though they do get separated.  The book mostly depicts Thomas's adventure with Brenda, Minho, Newt, and Jorge.

The escape the WICKED headquarters and travel to Denver, an area that is supposed to be safe.  However, more and more people have contracted the Flare and Denver turns out to not be the city they originally thought it would be.  The gang meets up with an anti-WICKED group and together, they think they just might be able to stop WICKED once and for all.

There are more fights in this book than in the previous two.  More weapons, more blood.  Thomas grows as a character and tries to decide between right and wrong.  Not everybody makes it out of the story alive.  It was a pretty good read, though I wish there had been a little more excitement.  Not necessarily more violence and fights, but more "a-ha!" moments.  I felt the end battle was a little rushed.  It did have a good ending, though.  I would like to know what happened next.  I mean, it is easy to assume what is supposed to happen after the book ends, but it would be nice to read a little more about that in the future.

Project ELE - Rebecca Gober & Courtney Nuckels

It's snowing and treacherous outside....again.  So what better to do this weekend than finish some of the books I started reading earlier in the week?  Well that and watch the Harry Potter movie marathon on tv.  Anyway, I started reading Project ELE earlier this week and was happy to finish it this morning.

This is yet another apocalyptic type book, but the difference between it and all of the others is that the setting is believable.  A deadly disease takes over the world and so the government has set up a shelter for those who do not have the disease yet.  The shelter is necessary because in order to try and wipe out the virus, the United Nations must take down patches that are covering up the holes in the ozone layer.  Yep...global warming exists in this series.  I like the believable setting and governmental actions.

Fifteen year old Willow wants to go to the shelter with her family, but unfortunately, not all of them make it in with her. Once inside, Willow has to adjust to the new lifestyle.  Her life is dictated by a tablet containing GPS capabilities.  She has to wear drab scrubs instead of anything fashionable.  And the food leaves a lot to be desired.  As nervous as Willow is, her life gets a little better when she meets some new friends...and lands herself a boyfriend!

As Willow and her friends try to survive life inside the shelter (which is in a mountain, by the way, so no windows or nice scenery), they discover an interesting secret.  At first, having the secret seems great to Willow and her friends, but then their knowledge becomes dangerous.  Willow has to find a way to survive, knowing that nothing will ever be the same again.

My thoughts?   I loved it.  Like I said before, the setting was believable.  Now, the secret and the abilities that Willow and her friends develop...not so believable, but it gave some much-needed action in the storyline.  I will definitely be reading the other books in this series.

The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden - Jessica Sorensen

I've never really been a huge fan of romance or the "new adult" genre that is becoming increasingly popular.  It's not my cup of tea, but I saw this book at the library while I was waiting on book club to start.  I like Jessica Sorensen's Fallen Star series, so I decided to give it a try.

It really was not as bad as I thought for this genre.  There was an actual plot and interesting storyline that did not revolve around sexual relations.  Callie started college early (in the summer for a summer program as opposed to in the fall like everyone else) and actually made a friend.  In high school, she was sort of an outcast that people made fun of or ignored.  Throughout Callie's story, we learn that she has a terrible secret from her past that she has tried to deal with, but it is destroying her inside.  It's why she acts so "weird" and is an outcast.  She and her new friend make a list of new things they are going to do in their lives to try and bring them out of their shells and to forget the damage from their pasts.

Kayden went to high school with Callie, but he doesn't remember her.  He is the football star and he just so happens to be going to the same college as Callie.  Unfortunately for Kayden, his life is far from perfect.  He has had to deal with abuse his entire life and it makes him unable to get close to people.

Callie and Kayden find each other and it seems like a good thing, but they are both so damaged from their secrets that it makes it difficult for them to get close to each other.  Fortunately, they both try to work through their issues and grow close as friends and maybe more. Sadly, one of them has another secret that threatens their relationship and their sanity.

I was surprised that I found myself enjoying this book.  I read it in one sitting.  It is likely that I will try to read the sequel sometime in the future.  It's out on e-book but not in paperback yet, I don't think.

The Scorch Trials - James Dashner

This is the sequel to The Maze Runner.  I seriously cannot believe that it took me this long to pick it up.  I really enjoyed The Maze Runner, but for some reason, I kept getting distracted and it took awhile before I read the second one.

I absolutely loved The Scorch Trials.  It was full of excitement, action, allies, and betrayals.  I was very interested to see the return of some of Thomas's memories from before the Glade.  It was interesting also to see what was going to happen after the Gladers made it out of the maze.

They are sent on a mission out into a seeming wasteland, destroyed by sun flares and scorched to a crisp.  Without shelter, anyone would likely die from sunburn.  It was almost as if they were sent to the surface of the sun itself, as one of the characters mentions.  New obstacles are thrown in their path that makes the maze seem like a vacation.

While being faced with this new terrain to cross, they also find out that there is another team of "Gladers" made up of all girls that they must either join forces with or compete against to reach the destination and find their safe haven.

We learn a little more about Thomas and Teresa's relationship.  Dashner developed his characters in such a way that I often questioned whether or not I liked a character any longer.  I definitely had changed opinions on the characters and on WICKED.  Teresa always said that WICKED is good, but I definitely wondered.

Wake - Amanda Hocking

I must admit, I put off reading this series for awhile because I have never been big on the whole "mermaid" thing.  I know the girls in the book aren't actually mermaids, but close enough.  So I kept passing it over.  Finally, when I was at the library over the weekend, I decided to give it a try.  After all, I like some of Amanda Hocking's other books.  It definitely exceeded my expectation.  

Wake follows Gemma, a teenager who's life basically revolves around swimming.  When she isn't at swim practice, she's swimming in the sea.  Right around some sharp rocks.  At night.  Gemma's a whole lot braver than I am.  Gemma's family, especially her overprotective sister, does not approve of her night swims, but she does it anyway.  When she's not swimming, she's crushing on her cute neighbor, Alex, who is her sister's best friend.  It sounds like a nice beginning to a story.

But enter three creepy, yet totally beautiful girls who seem to take a liking to Gemma.  They invite her to join their small group and suddenly, her life changes.  She gets faster, stronger, and even more beautiful that she already was.  Unfortunately, these special new abilities are not a good thing.  She ends up trapped in a curse that will tear her from her family forever.  

At first, I thought, "hey, why shouldn't Gemma join this group?"  But then I learned that they drink blood (not like a vampire) and they kinda, sorta kill people.  So.....she probably shouldn't join them.  

At certain points, some of the characters got on my nerves.  Gemma's sister was a little too overbearing and uptight for my taste, but I foresee that in future books, she will lighten up a bit.  It may or may not have something to do with the hottie that lives at the dock in his boat.  Needless to say, I will probably add the next book to my long queue of books to read this year, even if it is just to see if Gemma's sister chills out.

Concealed in the Shadows - Gabrielle Arrowsmith

It's been a pretty cold and miserable day out today, so I decided to stay in all day to read and drink lots of yummy warm beverages.  One of the books I finished today was Concealed in the Shadows by Gabrielle Arrowsmith.

This is one of the better written dystopian stories out there, in my opinion.  It had sort of a Legend feel with some other things mixed in.  The main character, Sydney, is sometimes too smart for her own good and she tends to act before thinking, but she's an eighteen year old girl.  We've all been there.

The storyline is set in 2033 when the United States has been replaced by an unpleasant government that seeks to control human population and has different sections caged in so that outsiders cannot come in and insiders cannot leave.  Fortunately for Sydney, she has found a way out, but she doesn't want to leave until she has guardianship over her little sister, Evvie.  Unfortunately, she does not think much about her microchip's GPS capabilities and ends up with the black-ops on her tail.

Once outside, Sydney discovers a pleasant atmosphere.  It isn't technologically advanced like the county she escaped from, but people actually have humanity left in them and treat each other with kindness.  Her happiness is short lived when the black-ops figure out where she and her sister are hiding.  Sydney must work together with her new found friends to try and find a way to stay safe from the county government.

Along the way, there are some surprises and mysteries that develop that keep the book entertaining and action-packed throughout every page.  I did not want to stop reading once I had started this.  I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series because this one ended in a cliffhanger that kept me wanting more.

Survived My First Book Club Meeting!

Yes, as the title suggests, I attended my very first book club meeting tonight and I survived!  I was nervous to attend because I am new to the area and I do not know anyone, but once I got there, I had a blast.  The ladies that attended tonight were funny and awesome.  I loved it!

Unfortunately, I did not love the book for this month.  It took me awhile to actually get through Eragon.  I didn't enjoy it.  I thought it was good to the extent that the author was fifteen when he wrote it, but I just could not get interested in it.  I did not like all the description.  Don't get me wrong, I like being able to picture what the scenes look like in my mind, but I felt it was overkill in this book.  I was too distracted trying to wade through the nonsense that it was difficult to focus on the action.

That being said, I did like the actual action in the book.  It was a nice story about a boy and a dragon trying to defeat the bad guys who stood in their way on the path to their destination.  Along the way, they met some pretty cool allies.  If it had been more of the action and the voyage and less of the pointless fluff, I think I would have liked the story.  I may pick it up on audiobook sometime and see if it is easier to follow by listening rather than trying to read.  After all, dragons are pretty awesome.

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In other news, the library had two new Jessica Sorensen books in stock, so that made me quite happy.  Of course I checked one out.  You know, because I don't have enough to read right now....(insert sarcasm font).

River of Bones - Angela J. Townsend

It's hard to believe that another week has gone by.  I haven't read as much as I wanted to originally because I've been very busy with work and stuff, but I did manage to read this wonderful gem:

Typically, books do not scare me.  This storyline actually did.  I'm embarrassed to admit that I was a little nervous to read this one at night.  River of Bones follows Dharma who moves around A LOT with her fraudulent paranormal investigator mother and adorable baby brother.  Dharma's mother moved them to the swamps of Louisiana to "investigate" paranormal activity occurring in an abandoned plantation home.

As soon as they arrive in town, Dharma's mom takes off in search of some man (as she frequently does), leaving Dharma to care for her brother alone.  In the span of mere pages, Dharma's brother seemingly falls into the swamp, Dharma witnesses a strange creature chasing her, and Dharma meets Wolf, the handsome and fearless guy who is supposed to help out around the plantation.  What Dharma doesn't know is that when she chases into the swamp after her brother, it was a lure by an evil voodoo spirit to curse Dharma.

Once Dharma is cursed, all sorts of weird and scary things begin happening to her.  I would have been on the first bus out of there if it had been me.  Dharma and Wolf band together with some locals to break the curse before Dharma dies. This means they must battle the evil voodoo spirit.  Scary!

I really enjoyed this story and all the twists and turns it took.  I found myself being jumpy at every little noise at night after reading it.  It was well written and the storyline kept me engaged throughout the entire book.  I can't wait to read about what happens next in Dharma's life.  There is more evil to battle in her future.

Lingering Echoes

Okay, so I know I said I was going to talk about books on Wednesdays, but the weather has been terrible and I really couldn't wait to talk about this one.  In Wednesday's post, I talked a bit about Rumors by Erica Kiefer.  I was really intrigued by the novella, so I decided to read Lingering Echoes, the next installment.  Oh. Em. Gee.  It was not at all what I expected.

Lingering Echoes picks up just shortly after where Rumors left off.  Allie was forced to go vacation with her father and his new family right where Allie's tragedy had happened.  I legitimately felt bad for this character because if I experienced a trauma like she had, the very last place I would want to go is back to the scene of the incident.  Especially so soon after it had happened.  Props to Allie for not totally dying inside.  I'm not sure I could have been so strong.

Like every enjoyable young adult/new adult story, this one is complete with a hottie or two.  One of them even has a dark and mysterious past.  He tries to hide it from Allie and tries to push away how he feels about her, but in the end, the girl always finds out the truth.  When the truth of his past comes out, it really was not what I had expected.  Enter some shady bad guys to throw the storyline all apart.  These guys are seriously awful and both Allie and her two hotties almost die because of them.

I was seriously nervous that something terrible had happened to one of the characters I have grown to love.  Again, as my blog title suggests....I want a guy like these two to sweep me off my feet.  In my imagination, my boyfriend really is a fictional character.  *sigh*

Go pick up Lingering Echoes here

New Installment of "What did Heather read this week?".

This week has felt like a million years.  I had to look at the calendar to make sure I didn't miss a week or two in between postings.  Nevertheless, I did manage to read quite a bit over the week (mostly the weekend because I needed a couple of lazy days).

Rather than separate these first four books into different sections, I am just going to talk about them all at once.  Through looking at other people's Twitter followers, I discovered author Quinn Loftis.  Ms. Loftis has a wonderful series called The Grey Wolves series.  I indeed read the first four books in the series this week.  I'm waiting on payday to purchase the other books ( I think she is up to 7).

The first book, Prince of Wolves, is currently free on Amazon for the Kindle edition.  Click here to get it.  Prince of Wolves starts out with hottie Fane, a foreign exchange student, coming to the United States to stay with the family who lives across the street from Jacque, a red-haired spitfire.  Fane is, of course, the prince in a Romanian wolf pack.  Little does Jacque know when she meets Fane that he is her soulmate.  Of course, one should probably keep the wolf thing a secret, but Jacque's mom and her two best friends are in on the whole thing once Jacque finds out.  Their fun personalities make the book humorous, even when it is supposed to be dramatic.  There is a good deal of fun witty banter thrown in the mix.  

Unfortunately, another wolf wants Jacque for her own and thus a bloody battle ensues.  Oh, as a side note, Jacque's dad that she's never met?  Yeah, he's a wolf too.

The next book, Blood Rights, follows what is supposed to be Jacque and Fane's bonding ceremony, but tragedy strikes and Jacque and her friend Jen are left in the hospital.  Her dad gets all upset and wants Jacque to come and live with him until she turns eighteen.  Also, being such a good father, he doesn't agree that Jacque and Fane should have their bonding ceremony because they are too young.  Well, yes.  She's only seventeen.  Unfortunately, before he can force his decision, Jacque is kidnapped by a crazy wolf-gone-rogue.  Fortunately, Prince Wolf-charming shows up with his posse and yet another bloody fight ensues.  I love shifter fights.

The third book, Just One Drop, is less Jacque and Fane and much, much more Jen and her wolf-crush Decebel, who happens to be Beta in the Romanian pack.  Jen, it turns out, has a little drop of wolf blood in her.  Yay for her, because now maybe she can become Decebel's mate.  Unlucky for her, because there are no bonding signs, she and the other unmated females must go to the wolf version of The Bachelor/Bachelorette to basically speed-date a bunch of single wolf guys and hope to find a mate.  The Gathering, as it's called, takes place with some other packs around the world.  It comes complete with a crazy Alpha from another pack who wants to take down the Romanian pack because they are so powerful and awesome.  There's even some evil witchcraft involved.

The fourth book, Out of the Dark, is full of adventure and drama.  After Evil Alpha tries to kill our beloved Romanian Alpha, his evil plans comes out in the open.  Unfortunately, Jen is nearly dead, her bond with Decebel gets broken, and the good wolf packs along with our three favorite females, must battle Evil Alpha and his wicked witch.  Unfortunately, the wicked witch has her own evil agenda which makes the battle even more intense.  Also, our beloved Sally is actually a gypsy healer.  Which means she might be able to bond with her handsome bartender/wolfman crush.

There was never a dull moment in any of those four books and I seriously cannot wait to read more in the saga of the Romanian pack (and of course their friend-packs).

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In other news, I joined a couple of book clubs at our local library - a regular book club and a young adult (for adults) book club.  I've never been a part of a book club before, so I am pretty excited to see what it's all about.  This month, the books are Room by Emma Donaghue and Eragon by Christopher Paolini.  As much as I love to read, I can't believe I had not previously read either of these books.  I have just started Eragon.  I finished Room last night.

Room is a heartbreaking novel about abuse and captivity.  The story explains the life of Jack, a five-year-old child who is trapped in a "Room" with his mother.  His mother was abducted when she was nineteen.  She was beaten and raped by her abductor, which resulted in Jack's appearance into the world.  Jack seemingly doesn't mind his life in Room because he has known no different.  When Jack's mother wants to devise a plan to escape, Jack hesitates and does not want to go along with the plan.  He can't understand why his mother wants to leave the safety of Room.  He has never been around other people.  He really hasn't even met their captor because his mother makes him sleep in the wardrobe so that "Old Nick" as Jack calls him, will not see him.  She thinks she is protecting Jack from him.

When they finally do escape, both Jack and his mother have difficulty coping in the real world.  Up until that point, Jack thought that everything outside of Room was on television or in outer space.  He could not believe that the world had actual people and things just like he saw on television.

Room is a definite tear-jerker.  It is heartbreaking to read a first person recount of what life as a captive is like for a five-year-old.  The book is told in present tense narrative from Jack's perspective.  It also made me take time to think about my surroundings and to imagine what things would seem like as a child or as someone who had never encountered anything before.  It's a heartbreaking take that anyone interested in child welfare or crimes against women and youth should read.

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Finally, I read the novella, Rumors by Erica Kiefer.  This story is free on Amazon right now AND the publisher, Clean Teen Publishing, is offering a free e-book to the first fifteen people who read Rumors and post an honest review on Amazon.  You can find Rumors here.  A link to the Publisher's page is here and a link to the review/free e-book promotion is on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cleanteenpublishing.  The last time I looked, there were only four reviews, so there's plenty of time to read a good story and then get another book to read for free.

Rumors is the novella prequel to Lingering Echoes.  I haven't read Lingering Echoes yet, but the prequel set the atmosphere.  Rumors is about teenager Allie Collins who used to have the seemingly perfect life with her basketball stardom, popularity, and happy family (even though her parents are divorced).  Everything came crashing down when Allie's young cousin died while under Allie's care and Allie almost drowned trying to save her.  Fast forward to the start of the school year and Allie is plagued by Rumors all over school as well as guilt over her cousin's death.  

Allie thinks she has finally found someone to talk to about her pent up emotions when tragedy strikes her life again.  Allie doesn't know what to do, but she knows that things need to change.  

Rumors is an emotional, yet honest, portrayal of how a young girl has to deal with life after a tragedy.  I could empathize with Allie and felt sad and frustrated for her.  I love when a character makes me feel something as I read their story.  All in all, it was a good story even if not in my typical subject-matter of books.

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Last but not least, one of the most awesome book bloggers out there, Delphina of Delphina Reads Too Much is having a super awesome giveaway on her blog for her "blogaversary."  You can check out Delphina's blog and her butt-kicking giveaway here:  http://delphinareadstoomuch.com/

Wednesday Review!

Today is the first day of Wednesday book reviews!  I have enjoyed what I have read in the past week.  I thought I would only get to finish one book, but I actually managed to read three!  (I did not finish Game of Thrones yet)

As expected, the first book I read was Entropy by Addison Moore.  I know this is the third time I have mentioned this book in a week.  I'm a bit obsessed with the trilogy.  There are some spoilers if you haven't read Ephemeral and Evanescent.

In Entropy, the story picks up where Evanescent left off.  Laken and Coop go to Paragon, Wesley ends up in Cider Plains.  Wesley finally figures out that Laken has been telling the truth the whole time -- she and Wesley have been placed at Ephemeral by the Counts.  Entropy follows Laken as she struggles with the feelings she has for both Cooper and Wesley.  She can't let either of them go because she needs them both to help free her family and Coop's mom from the Celestra tunnels.  There is plenty of conflict and at times, it is difficult for Laken to decide who to trust.

The book is packed with action.  Zombie-Spectators attack, people time travel, boys fight.  It's the perfect finale to the trilogy.  I thought the story flowed very well, it tied up all the ends from the previous two books.  I loved that Laken made a decision about what she wanted from her life.  It was wonderful!  I can't wait until the next installment in Laken's (and Skyla's from the Celestra series) story comes out.  While it is not in The Countenance series, it's called Celestra Forever After and I am SO EXCITED to read it this year!

Addison Moore really outdid herself with this series and I know she will keep it up in the future.

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The next book I read was Meant to Be by Tiffany King.  It is the first book in The Saving Angels series.

This series follows Krista Miller, a seemingly over-emotional and sensitive teenager.  She dreams of a mystery guy every night.  One day she meets Mark, her mystery dream guy.  She learns that things are not as she thought they were.  Krista experience a strange connection with Mark and with her new friend she meets at her new school.  Together they try to figure out all of the secrets and mysteries that surround their lives and battle the one responsible for most of it.

I thought this series was interesting.  It was about angels and protectors.  I liked the writing style and the mystery of the lives of the characters.  When the main characters met the "villian" in the story, I was honestly surprised.  Usually I find the "revelations" part of stories to be predictable, but this one had some nice surprises.

The story flowed very well.  I read the whole thing in one sitting because I couldn't stand to put it down.  I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Forgotten Souls.
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The final book I read over the week was The White Aura by Felicia Tatum.  This is the first book in The White Aura series.

This story follows Olivia who is meant to be the true love of Scott.  When Scott first notices Olivia, he fell in love instantly, even though they hadn't met.  Scott has to keep it that way because his family has a curse in which if they meet their true love before the true love is seventeen and half years old, the true love will die on his or her eighteenth birthday.  Scott doesn't want that to happen, obviously, so he visits Olivia in her dreams.  

The problem comes about when an evil sorcerer plans to use Olivia for his own purpose, which might end up killing her anyway.  Scott is determined to protect Olivia no matter what.  While that conflict is going on, Olivia is going through something herself as she notices that she is changing and developing abilities she never knew she had.  

Because it was impossible for Scott to protect Olivia without meeting her in the end, I am interested to see where this series leads and if Scott will find a way to break the curse of his family so that Olivia can live.  I am also looking forward to figuring out what Olivia is changing into and what other powers she may have.  

This is a nice love story with a little butt-kicking action thrown into the mix.  I really enjoyed reading it.