Breeder by Cara Bristol (Breeder #1)

Genres: Adult, Sci-fi, Romance
Publication Date: October 14th 2013
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 10 out of 10
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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To secure his legacy, Commander Dak, a ruling Alpha of planet Parseon, purchases Omra, a breeder slave. He intends to impregnate her, produce a son, and hand her off to his anointed beta partner. As Dak and Omra discover a sexual bliss banned by law, he begins to question Protocol-sanctioned male domination, causing him to jeopardize his command and endanger the life of the woman he has come to love.

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This book wasn't really what I expected, and although it took a bit of time for me to acclimate myself to its world, I really enjoyed the story.

On Parseon, males rule. But not just males, Alpha males. When a male hits puberty he takes a psychological test to discover if he is an Alpha or a Beta. The Alphas go on to get all the best jobs and ruling positions. The Betas get all the supporting and service jobs. Alphas and Betas marry, or are Anointed, but even then the Alphas rule at home and are allowed, and even expected, to beat their Betas when they disobey. Women only come into the picture once an Alpha decides he wants a son. Woman are viewed as lower than animals. They are an unfortunately necessary part of reproduction. Most men wouldn't touch a woman if they didn't have to, although once a female, or Breeder, is bought and brought into the household, both Alpha and Beta are allowed to take pleasure from her, but only the Alpha is allowed to have vaginal intercourse. Its really an awful place to live for both women and Betas and it was a lot to stomach. 

When Dak went to buy Omra, he found her at a Breeder Containment Facility, which basically seemed like a dungeon. He instantly feels pity for the women he sees there, and especially Omra. He sees an intelligent light in her eyes that he cant resist. And when he takes her home she continues to defy everything he was taught about women; their inferiority and mental deficiency. The things he learns from Omra, and the things they discover together could change all of Parseon.

I really had trouble with the language though. I think with all of Parseons stiff rules, Cara Bristol wanted to use formal language to further portray the people of Parseon. But I had a lot of trouble understanding what was said and I had to use the Define feature on my eReader multiple times. It seemed like the most archaic word was always chosen.

I really enjoyed Omra and Dak although their relationship is not perfect by 'Terran' standards, but I hope to see more of them in Terran. Although it will be about different characters, Dak is a major player, and if Marlix is going down the same path I cant imagine them not working together at some point.

"She provided the answer to the question he hadn't known until now he'd been asking."

Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Lux #4)

Genres: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Romance
Publication Date: August 27th 2013
POV: Female - First-person, Past tense
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on?

And will they even be together?

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This is definitely my favourite Lux book so far. Actually, this or Obsession, which inst really a Lux book but its the same universe. Just wow, to think of where this story has come since Obsidian. Its almost unrecognizable.

And you know what else it almost unrecognizable? Daemon. I really didn't like him to start out with. He was such an ass. And although I am still not totally in love with him, he is pretty incredible. Even knowing it was a

romance series, I never could have predicted how deep their love would grow. This is the kind of romance I search for in YA and rarely find.

"She was beautiful, and I was so, so desperately in love with her."

The only thing holding me back from really falling for Daemon and giving this book 5 stars, is that the attempts to make him witty and cocky seem to fall flat. It doesn't seem natural to me and always manages to ruin the mood and throw me out of a scene. I know that this is what most people love so much about him, but for some reason, to me it just seems contrived.

The scale this series has taken has really blown me away, and I can hardly even imagine where Opposition will take us next. I really look forward to the grand gestures of eternal love to be made, and the epic battles to be fought.

“Did you think you could stop me? I'll burn the world down to save her.”

The Rainbow Maker's Tale by Melanie Cusick-Jones (The Ambrosia Sequence #2)

Genres: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Dystopian, Romance
Publication Date: November 2nd 2013
POV: Male - First-person, Past tense
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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“I wasted no time looking around the bland plastic space I had lived in all my life. There were no real memories here for me, no cherished moments or things to reminisce over: all that had stopped when I was eight years old and learned that life on the SS Hope was built on lies.”

Outwardly, Balik is an obedient member of society on the Space Station Hope: he follows The Council's systems, excels at school and seems happy to follow in his parents footsteps...

Balik's real life is filled with secrets he can share with no one. As he follows his suspicions about the space station into ever more dangerous territory it seems like his whole world will unravel around him. But, he doesn't understand everything: things are wrong, he is sure of that, he just doesn't know why.

When Cassie unexpectedly comes into his life, Balik struggles to find his balance. For years he's investigated the oddities of the world he lives in, but Cassie makes him question things in a different way... Can he believe in this girl who seems so much a part of the system he distrusts? Would she put a stop to his plans to break out if she knew what he was really up to? Balik can't be sure of anything - except the fact that he can't leave her alone.

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I dont know if this book wasnt as good as book 1, or if I have just changed a lot since it was released. I suspect the latter. It has been 1.5 years and 245 books since I read Hope's Daughter. I have changed a lot as a reader. But regardless, I really enjoyed this book. There were just a few things that I didn't notice in book 1.

There seemed to be a lot of internal monologue. I love internal monologues, it really reveals a character's inner workings, but Balik was constantly thinking. There would be one or two lines of dialogue per page

while the rest was Balik analyzing everything Cassie said, every slight expression of her face, every shift of her eyes. It didn't necessarily bother me. I didn't even notice it by the end. But there were times that I became somewhat impatient to get on with things and find out what would happen next.

Also, this book cant really be read as the beginning of the series, even though books 1 and 2 happen simultaneously. Not that I can think of any reason why a person would want to do that, but if someone wanted to read The Rainbow Maker's Tale and then move right on to Outlanders without reading Hope's Daughter, there would be some gaps in the story that would probably cause confusion. Some of the things that Balik and Cassie discovered about her powers were referred to without being explained, assuming we already knew from book 1. Also, in the end, the reason for the red marks and why "the beings" wanted them all to fall in love was never explained. I don't know if that is because at this point Balik himself does not even know, or because it is assumed that we know from Hope's Daughter. I think it would have been better if the book could stand more independently from Hope's Daughter.

And lastly, Cassie seemed different in this book. Without insight into her mind, she seemed a bit irritable. I know from reading Hope's Daughter that she loves Balik, but it was hard to tell from her behaviour in this one. They never actually told each other that they loved each other, but I know they did because of their marks. And of course because of what they went through for each other. But the way Cassie acted around Balik most of the time seemed a bit off. She seemed shifty, I guess, without the insight into her motives.

But none of that is a problem if you read this series in order, and I still really enjoyed this book. I love all the

same things about it that I did in Hope's Daughter. I love the mystery and the danger of what Balik and Cassie were doing. And although I knew the ending this time around, I still enjoyed the tension of finding out Hope's secrets. And of course I love Balik. I love him even more this time around. He isn't as strong and sure of himself as I had thought, but he is still strong for Cassie. I love how much he needed her. I always love a hero who cannot live without his heroine, like Vincent from Die for Me, Chase from Tomorrow Land, or Sam from Masquerade. They are in awe of their woman and its just the sweetest thing ever.

I still cant wait for Outlanders. I have no idea what will happened next. I have no idea what sort of state Earth is in or where Balik and Cassie will be taken next.

"Without having to say anything more, I just knew now--maybe I always had--Cassie was the answer."

Born of Ice by Sherrilyn Kenyon (The League #3)

Genres: Adult, Sci-fi, Romance
Publication Date: December 1st 2009
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 5 out of 10
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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In the Ichidian Universe where The League is law, most live in fear. We fight back. Welcome to a world where corrupt assassination politics dominate everyone. It’s kill or be killed. Welcome back to the future…and meet hell's new breed of heroes.

Devyn Kell spent his life in service to the League until he learned of the double dealing and backstabbing that was costing innocent people their lives. Refusing to play those politics, he became a Runner—someone who makes sure planets get the weapons, medicine and supplies they need to survive. May the gods have mercy on any who get in his way, because he definitely won’t.Alix Garran is a woman on the run from a past she can’t escape. Signing on to work for Devyn as a System’s Engineer, she finds a cause she can fight for—and a man she can respect. But as Alix’s past catches up to her, and Devyn’s old enemies turn lethal, they have to fight together…or fall alone, in Born of Ice, the third bestselling League novel from Sherrilyn Kenyon.

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Another amazing addition to The League series. This one changed things up a bit, and I really enjoyed it, but book #1 and Nykyrian are still my favourite.

A long time has passed since Born of Fire, and this book features Syn and Sharaha's son, Devyn. This had just as much adventure, danger, and action as the previous two installments, but a little less personal drama, which is much appreciated. Devyn and Alix never had a big falling out. I really loved the family that Devyn had, especially Omari. And I was so happy to see Paden reconcile with Syn. That was like the best thing ever!

This was more 'feel-good' compared the the first two books. It was also different because, unlike the first two, the hero was not the one who needed to be convinced he deserved love, it was the heroine. Alix was a slave that was extremely mistreated her whole life and thought that she was trash and worthless. Devyn promptly taught her otherwise. Devyn was pretty sweet and bad-ass, but not as brooding and tortured as his father. I still prefer his father...and his son. Is that weird?

I was a bit confused at times about the timeline though. Its weird to skip so many years and meet the children of couples that we don't see get together until later in the series. It seems they are not numbered in chronological order. I suppose it may help to read this immediately after reading about Devyn's parents meeting. But then the series goes back to focusing on Nykyrian and Syn's fellow Sentella members. Not that I am complaining, because I was really looking forward to getting to know them better. But now, I really wanna see more of Omari. I will just have to continue reading and see what happens.

"I love you, Devyn Wade Kell, with everything inside me. But it’s okay if you don’t feel the same. I know I’m just a piece of trash in your world, and I don’t expect you to share my feelings." 

"Don’t you ever say that to me again. Trash is something people throw away, Alix. I intend to keep you for the rest of my life."

Born of Fire by Sherrilyn Kenyon (The League #2)

Genres: Adult, Sci-fi, Romance
Publication Date: November 3rd 2009
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 5 out of 10
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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In a universe where assassins make the law, everyone lives in fear - except for Syn. Born of an illicit scandal that once rocked a dynasty, he always knew how to survive on the bloodthirsty streets. But that was then, and the future is now...

He takes no prisoners.

Syn was raised as a tech-thief until his livelihood uncovered a truth that could end his life. He tried to destroy the evidence, and has been on the run ever since. Now trained as an assassin, he allows no one to threaten him. Ever. He is the darkness that swallows his enemies whole.

She offers no escape.

Shahara Dagan is the best bounty hunter in the universe. When Syn comes back on the radar, she’s the only one who can bring him to justice. There’s only one problem: Syn is a close family friend who’s helped out the Dagans countless times. But if she saves him, both of their lives will be on the line. Is Syn’s protection worth the risk? The only hope Shahara has is to find the evidence he buried long ago. Now it’s kill or be killed - and they, the predators, have just become the hunted...

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This was just as good as Born of Night. It had everything the first did. Not nearly as much time was spent in space or in fighters, but way more time was spent in fire-fights, so they were equally action packed. And I love Vik!

In Born of Night I remember Syn saying that he had had a horrible childhood, but that Nykyrian's had been worse. We knew that Syn was the son of a horrible criminal, and we knew that his wife had left him when she found out, but we didn't know much else. Now that I know Syn's life in greater detail, if it wasn't as bad as Nykyrian's, it was certainly close. I felt a great deal of sympathy for Syn and wanted his happiness so badly!

But I still like Nykyrian a smidgen more. I don't know if that is because Nykyrian came first and its lost its novelty, or because Syn never seemed quite as downtrodden. Nykyrian was extremely melancholy and never smiled or laughed until he met Kiara. Syn was always laughing and cracking jokes and being sarcastic. It was his way of coping, but it also made him seem like he didn't need saving as much as Nykyrian did. After being in his mind I know that's not true, but it still seemed that way sometimes.

I can't wait to read Born of Ice, which is featuring characters I don't recognize. I think it would be better if the characters were always introduced in the book before. I was hoping the next one would be about Nero. He is described as gorgeous and wounded, which is the perfect combo for a lead in this series. But Born of Ice still sounds awesome and like it will be set a lot in space. I love space.

"Thank you, Shay." 

"For what?" 

"For looking into the eyes of nothing and seeing a man you could love."

Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon (The League #1)

Genres: Adult, Sci-fi, Romance
Publication Date: September 29th 2009
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 5 out of 10
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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In the Ichidian Universe, The League and their ruthless assassins rule all. Expertly trained and highly valued, the League Assassins are the backbone of the government. But not even the League is immune to corruption . . .

Command Assassin Nykyrian Quikiades once turned his back on the League—and has been hunted by them ever since. Though many have tried, none can kill him or stop him from completing his current mission: to protect Kiara Zamir, a woman whose father’s political alliance has made her a target.

As her world becomes even deadlier, Kiara must entrust her life to the same kind of beast who once killed her mother and left her for dead. Old enemies and new threaten them both and the only way they can survive is to overcome their suspicions and learn to trust in the very ones who threaten them the most: each other.

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This book was amazing! It was the best book I have read in a long time! It was also my first Sherrilyn Kenyon book and I look forward to there being many more of them in my future.

I really enjoyed going back to my roots and reading some sci-fi, while still indulging my new obsession of romance. And it really had everything. Laser blasters, space dog fights, bars full of unidentifiable aliens. All very cool. But most of all it had romance. I could die happy. And I just might if I don't stop thinking about Nykyrian. He is going to give me a heart attack. If you are a fan of tortured heroes, like I am, this book is for you! Nykyrian is the epitome of tortured heroes. Although I hear Sherrilyn Kenyon has some great tortured heroes in her historical romances, so I will definitely be checking those out!

Nykyrian is the most tortured hero I have ever met. He was not only tortured by his past, but he was tortured in his past. He was beaten down and abused, chained and treated like an animal, mutilated and raped, told he wasn't human and that he was worthless until he believed it. Eventually nothing bothered him anymore, physically or emotionally, he was untouchable, until Kiara. She was a ballerina that he thought was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and everything that he would never deserve. But after she is thrust into his path he has no choice but to protect her, and she wants nothing more than to show him his true worth.

As they grow accustomed to each other, Kiara gets enough glimpses into his beautiful soul to know that she wants more. Kiara does most of the work in this relationship, putting up with Nykyrian's attempts to protect himself by pushing her away, trying to break through and convince him he deserves everything she wants to give him. I cant help but want to love men like Nykyrian. And when he finally does find reason to let her in, he is so passionate. He has so much feeling in him that he never had a reason to use before. Its so powerful. I just love how much they fought for each other. Through all the assassins, all the gun fights, their sights were still on each other. Always.

"I wish I could take away your pain. I wish I could go back to when you were born and take you somewhere safe. Far away from all the people who've hurt you." 

"You’re doing that now."

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Lux #2)

Genres: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Romance
Publication Date: August 14th 2012
POV: Female - First-person, Past tenseMy Rating: 4 out of 5

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Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

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I enjoyed this much more than Obsidian, but I don't know how it ended up with the same rating. Like Katy, I had trouble forgiving Daemon for the way he treated her when they first met. He had to win me over too, and he definitely did. Daemon is like a different person in this book. If you were one of the people who didn't like Daemon and thought he was a jerk, because I know I wasn't the only one, I suggest you give him another chance. His jerkiness turned into cocky and funny and 'oh so sweet'. I really like funny guys. They are not my favourite type of YA boy, but they are definitely better than the bad boys. I cant even see Daemon as a bad boy anymore. The only thing bad about him is his willingness to kill for people he loves. But that isn't because he has a bad attitude, it is because he is passionate and fierce.

I know a lot of people found Katy annoying, but mostly I liked her. There were two times I was pretty upset

at her, but that's it. I love how she is a book nerd. There is no better way to make readers love a character than to make them exactly like us. And she is super spunky. And like Daemon, she would do pretty much anything for people she loves. What really bugged me though was when Blake took her out past the rocks and made her fight an Arum, and she didn't text Daemon. It was so obvious Blake was up to something and she even considered texting Daemon, but didn't. Stupid move. And again when Blake showed up in her bedroom. He even left her alone to get dressed giving her the perfect opportunity to get Daemon over there in case Blake tried something, which might have prevented the tragedy it led to.

Oh, and for those who just loved Katy and Daemon's chemistry, this was certainly not lacking. Just those couple of scenes in Obsidian had woman all over the world fainting and swooning. But in Onyx, it was x10! Ok, maybe that much, but I can't even remember how many times they made out in this book. It was pretty awesomely hilarious.

I love how the story has expanded so much from what we thought we knew. So much is going on now and the enemy is so much more dangerous than we thought, and not even who we thought. I can only guess where things will go from here and I cannot wait for Opal. Thankfully, its not too far away.

"Oh, I still want to strangle you. But I'm insane. You're crazy. Maybe that's why. We just make crazy together.”

Hope's Daughter by Melanie Cusick-Jones (The Ambrosia Sequence #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Dystopian, Romance
Publication Date: December 8th 2011
POV: Female - First-person, Past tense
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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Life should be simple for Cassie.

For the small population of Earth survivors who live on the Space Station Hope everything they do is planned and scheduled, down to the cyclical food menus, their roles in the station, even how many children they have.

Despite rigid controls directing her life, Cassie feels more out of sync than ever and worries she won’t find a place for herself within the station community. Perhaps that’s because she’s hearing things inside her head that can’t possibly be real. Or maybe it’s the regular elopements of her peers, heading off to a romantic future in the Married Quarter of the space station, whilst she’s never even been attracted to a boy – no matter how hard her best friend Ami pushes them at her. Then there are the odd questions her work placement partner Balik keeps raising. His questions are just as troubling for her as his distracting smiles and eyes that seem to see inside her.

As Cassie draws closer to Balik she finds that everything else in her life begins to shift. He tells her things that call into question the system they live within. She can't believe he is right, but at the same time she finds it hard to deny the sincerity of his ideas. Could there be a connection between Cassie’s problems and Balik’s questions? The truth will drag them both to a terrifying and deadly conclusion beyond anything they could have imagined.

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This book was an extremely pleasant surprise. It was wonderful! It started out calm and sweet, with beautiful prose and a pleasure tone. In that respect it reminded me of Matched (which I loved, by the way). But it didn't take me long, by the time I started the second chapter, to realize that this was not Matched. This was its own unique story. I started to notice small things that didn't seem right. Like Cassie's strangely distant but extremely interested parents who questioned her every action. The tone quickly changed to something creepy and uneasy. There was something seriously wrong with Cassie's world.

Hope's Daughter is set in the distant future, after Earth was destroyed by global warming, and the few surviving humans live on a space station named Hope. The population is separated for living quarters according to family situation. Family Quarter for families with children, Married Quarter for those without children, and Retired Quarter for those whose children are married. As Cassie approaches the age where marriage is a possibility, she realizes others around her are beginning to disappear. They have "eloped" to the Married Quarter without a word or a good-bye. She knows this is the way it has always been, but now that it is happening to her friends she realizes how wrong it is. Then she meets Balik. After the barcode on her and Balik's wrists turn from black to red, they have no idea what caused it, but they know what it means. They're next.

For a good three quarters of this book my mind was racing, trying to make sense of the strange series of events. A constant mystery and sense of impending danger. I could not put it down! And Balik was great. At first I just saw that he was withdrawn and quiet, but thoughtful and sweet. A nice combo, but its been done before. But I eventually realized that I had misjudged him. I was really impressed with him as he opened up to Cassie, and I realized that the version of him I saw at first, was just the version he showed the public to hide the fact that he was dissatisfied with his world. Balik was willing to ask Cassie challenging questions, forcing her to look at the world differently. He is strong and confident, and physically capable, when no one else in their world is. These qualities are even more impressive when you consider their upbringing on the station. Balik was pretty much a godsend, just what Cassie needed to get her through the hard times ahead, to make her the person she needed to be, and just what I needed too.

And the ending did not disappoint. I knew it would be a make or break ending, after all the questions that were raised. But thankfully all was explained in an interesting, if not entirely shocking, way. The immediate threat was removed and I was pleased with the ending, but it left just enough hanging to make me want to come back for more. I am very much looking forward to The Rainbow Maker's Tale (the events of Hope's Daughter from Balik's POV) and the sequel, Outlanders.

“I will not let anything hurt you,” Balik promised. 

“I will not let anything come between us,” I replied with my own whispered oath. 

“You and me,” Balik smiled a little. 

“Always,” I agreed as I reached up to draw his face to mine and pressed my lips onto his.”

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Lux #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Romance 
Publication Date: November 23rd 2011
POV: Female - First-person, Past tense

My Rating: 4 out of 5

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Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

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This wasnt really what I expected at all. There wasnt much for sci-fi elements besides the alien characters. No alien technology, or space, or anything like that. It reads like most YA PNR, which is good, cuz thats what I love. But the story was still unique enough. I have never read a sci-fi romance before, excluding dystopians. I began reading as a sci-fi fan and over time became a fan of YA romance, so it is nice to find a combination of the two.

The characters were great in all the right ways. Katy was a great heroine. Brave when she needs to be but still feminine enough to relate to. And I love how she was a fan of books and had a blog! Haha, sooo many readers are gonna relate to that. She was really interesting and I can see why Dee and Daemon loved having her around. Dee was great too. As were Lesa and Carissa. An amusing group of friends.

I dont usually like bad boys, or guys with attitude, but Daemon made up for it. It was quite clear that there was much more to him. Daemon gave us a lot of signs of who he really was inside, and that he was only being rude to Katy to protect his family, and eventually, her as well. He had a surprising amount of moments of weakness, when he was with Kat, when he was truly sweet. Like when he told her the story of Snowbird. And after reading the two Daemon's POV segments from the end of the book, as well as the two Jennifer Armentrout posted on her blog, we can understand him even better. And of course the scene where he healed her near the end. He is truly good at heart.

But I was a little disappointed with the ending. Not because they didnt get together. If Daemon had decided to let her go for her own good, it would have been romantic and I would have accepted it. But he decided to go for it, and he did it all wrong. We know from his POVs that he does not think with all the snarky remarks he talks with. He should have been able to explain himself better, unless he did it intentionally. But it just felt like there was no culmination of their relationship, no progress. They accomplished nothing after everything they went through. They still could not come to an understanding.

So I cannot wait for the next book, to hopefully see Daemon succeed in convincing Kat that he wants to be with her.

“I've always found that the most beautiful people, truly beautiful inside and out, are the ones who are quietly unaware of their effect."

Twist by Colby Hodge

Genres: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Post-apocalyptic, Romance
Publication Date: January 29th 2008
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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Abbey Shore never intended to be the savior of the world; it was just something that happened—like her father's tragic death and the fact that she's now poor and "flipping"houses in the Chicago suburbs to finish college. And there's more: behind a crumbling wall in her current renovation, a swirling vortex hides. It's a gate, a portal—and it will not only cast her into the arms and power of the enigmatic yet doomed Dr. Shane Maddox, but also into the clutches of Lucinda, the eerie, leather -clad beauty who shadowed his every move in the Sacred Heart ER. Abbey will soon be one hundred years in the future, in a dying land filled with roving bands of humans fighting for survival, and the "ticks" against whom they fight. Oh yes, Abbey's life has had a Twist.

Time is running out to twist things back.

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The cover on this kind of turned me off at first. But one of my RL friends recommended it to me and she lent me her copy, so I really had to read it. And I am glad I did! Ignore the cover. This reads like any other YA paranormal romance.

This is one twisted book! No pun intended. Its a romance/post-apocalyptic/alien invasion/time-travel/vampire/ninja book. The story was a combination of pretty much everything you can think of, which actually made it feel incredibly original. And it had almost endless movie and TV references. The main character even named her cat Jayne, after Jayne Cobb from Firefly. A nice tense, action-packed story with great romance.

I enjoyed the fact that their relationship was slow to develop. Very fun to read. It was obvious they wanted each other from the beginning, but being a life-sucking alien-spawn puts a damper on things, and it took forever before he finally gave in. And he still couldnt do it without her persuasion, which is one of my favourite parts of the book, her pleading. You gotta love when a guy doesnt wanna hurt a girl and she doesnt care. Haha, that part maybe isnt so original, but surrounding circumstances still were. Such as, it wasnt a matter of self control, no amount of love would control him. In the end, he does hurt her and she has to leave him. Sort of. ;)

The dialogue between the two did sound a bit juvenile at times, but that is my only complaint, and it was only sometimes. Also the ending is, in a way, bittersweet.