3.75 Stars

This was a lot different than I thought it was going to be. It was darker than I anticipated...and I kind of liked it. I mean you could kind of tell right from the beginning that Olivia was a slightly off kilter, but I was surprised about just how much she was, and the other characters took me by surprise as well. Caleb was definitely glamorized a lot throughout this book, understandably since this was told from Olivia's perspective and in her mind Caleb was the one that got away, but there was some pretty shady stuff that he did as well in this story. And I have a feeling that there is even more going on there that we have are yet to see. Basically my outlook on EVERYONE in this book was they were all at least a little crazy and I trust NO ONE!

I have to admit the dark and crazy vibe I was getting from Olivia was intriguing. I had to keep reading to learn more and more. I like the way this author writes her characters, they are if nothing else, all very unique. I like how she writes these flawed characters, and while she gives you some insight as to some of the reasons they are the way they are, she never really excuses their harsher actions and attributes. They just simply are the way they are. I think that's bold and I really respect it. You don't see a lot of that in real life or fiction. I actually liked Olivia more because of her flaws....
"I knew what I was going to do, something that would hurt him more than he hurt me. That's the way I fought, dirty. An eye for an eye..."

She was more than flaws though, and all though she didn't verbalize her kinder or remorseful thoughts as often as the grittier ones, she still had them...
"I had hurt the person I loved the most, the only person I had- all to avenge myself. And in the end, I had destroyed myself."

I find it ironic that the series name is, Love Me With Lies, when what I think I appreciated most in this book was the viciousness of the truths. I get that so much of every characters lives seemed to revolve around them all lying to each other, but the truths within them were what spoke the loudest to me.

Leah was the perfect villain. She honestly scares the crap out of me!! After getting to know Olivia like I have and getting a peek at the cold fury under Leah's pretty exterior, it really makes me wonder what in the world Caleb is thinking, and what is really wrong with him that he chooses to be with there kind of women?! I'm not really sure who I was supposed to root for here! I did ultimately want to see Caleb and Olivia fall back into each others arms and get their happy ending, but honestly I struggle with seeing that happen for them. I can hardly imagine what true happiness looks like for them individually let alone together. I found myself honestly questioning whether they are truly even good for each other. But in the end, I'm still leaning towards that being the rightest ending....I think lol.

I will definitely be checking out the next book in this series, which just so happens to be Leah's book. I am equal parts excited and terrified to start that book. I can't imagine feeling anything other than disdain for Leah, but somehow I picture Tarryn Fisher not trying to make you. Hence the excitement. I haven't really read many books where you are in the villain's head, and I think this is a good author to pull that off in a very unique way. I look forward to seeing what comes next.

Tarryn Fisher is an evil genius. I was equal parts nervous and excited to start Dirty Red. After meeting Leah in the first book how could you not have some reservations about being caged inside of her head for an entire length of a book? She was portrayed as a callous and jealousy ridden person in The Opportunist, and in Dirty Red she only took that to all new loathsome levels. Levels so depraved that I doubt anyone could have seen them coming. After being subjected to such atrocities I'm sure you are wondering how I could have possibly rated this book the highest of ratings....there was no other option. Anyone that can stick you in the mind of such a disgusting creature, someone you can't stand to even look at, but don't dare to look away from, is well deserving of your awe. I've scarcely ever read a book where I was in the mind of the villain of the story, and can't imagine what a feat it must be to have your audience hanging off every last word, in spite of the fact that the voice luring them in is the same one that makes them cringe away in horror. Tarryn Fisher did this, and she did it well.

I would say that I felt at times something akin to pity for Leah....maybe. But the way she thought and acted....there was never going to be any atrocity done to her large enough to fill that hole of hate that I felt towards her. And my friends, Fisher said it all for me...

"Hate is such a prodigious feeling. It's hot and oppressive like fire. It starts burning through your God-given reason until there is nothing left of it but a mound of ash. It moves on to your humanity next, hot tongues flicking across the few remaining threads of innocence until they melt into each other and morph into something ugly. Then, in the rubble of what you were, hate plants a seed of bitterness. The seed grows to a vine and the vine chokes what it touches."

I don't know that I have ever used the highlighting function on my kindle as much as I did throughout this book. As you read through the seemingly endless lies and gut wrenching manipulations, you find that your precious characters are not the only ones being manipulated here. You are stuck in the web of deceit that this author has weaved, and you are unable to do anything other than frantically watch it all play out for you. You are left dangling, clinging to any truth that comes to light, just waiting to catch another one before your inevitable fall.

There were so many revelations in this book. Each one jarred me, took me completely by surprise. The hits just kept coming! Right up until one of the very last lines. That one most especially. I don't even know what to think about that, or by god what it means for the next book. I can't get to that next book quick enough. I need to see where this game finally ends.

"I'm being half loved. I stuff a few handfuls of clothes into a bag and then collapse on the floor. Who am I kidding? I'll never leave him. If I leave him, she wins."

Leah isn't the only one playing in this game though. We've seen Olivia's side, and now Leah's, all that's left is Caleb's. As shocking and horrifying as Leah's book was, I am thinking Caleb's might be worse! If that's even possible. I don't know how Fisher can top this, but I think if anyone can surprise me and do it, it's her. I can't wait to see all Caleb's dirty little secrets. He's held them closer to his chest than maybe any other person in this series. Which only makes me think that maybe that's because they are the worst! These women have been so blinded by their dirty, obsessive love of him, that they can almost have you believing that he's as charming and good as they think he is. I have no doubts that underneath that charming smile of his awaits some of the biggest lies yet.

I think I have whiplash! I was jerked in so many directions in Thief that I'm not even sure what way is up anymore. The will they or won't they was absolute torture right up until the very end. It was rather sad to watch Caleb deal with all the repercussions of his poor decisions. This book wasn't quite what I was expecting. I was thinking that all Caleb's dirty secrets were finally going to be put on display here, but instead it was just sad to see how much he was trying to fill the void that not having Olivia had left in his life for so many years. I really thought that he might have been more sinister than we were lead to believe at the beginning, but it seems that he was just more damaged than anything.

"Maybe our souls touched underneath that tree. Maybe I decided to love her. Maybe love wasn't a choice. But when I looked at that women, I saw myself differently. And it wasn't in a good light. Not a thing would keep me from her. And that could make a person do things they never thought themselves capable of. What I felt for her scared the hell out of me. It was a consuming obsession."


It was nice to finally get the remaining pieces to the puzzle, even if they weren't always what I was expecting. Leah and Olivia's interactions as always were pretty entertaining. I like the claws that Olivia has finally let out with her in the past two books. She used truth as a weapon against Leah, and it was a sharp one. This series was a rollercoaster ride for your emotions, and while it's exciting and there is a part of you that desperately doesn't want to stop riding the high, I am also content with the ending and the fact that the story is over. It ended quite perfectly for this bunch of characters. Nothing seemed out of place or unrealistic.

Well this was my first Cormac McCarthy book....now I kind of wish I would have tried another one first. I was super excited to start this because I had a friend recommend it to me, and sing it's praises relentlessly. Unfortunately I did not have the same feelings.


I will say that McCarthy is a talented writer, he has a real knack for using words well, the way he describes things is impressive, whether it be a tree or isolation. Which I applaud him for, but at the same time for me, it made it that much more frustrating that other things fell flat. I'm not sure how I felt about the writing style, it was different. It took a little getting used to, distinguishing when someone was talking or when it was just narration. I think that it would have been a little easier to do so if any of the characters, sans Ballard, would have been fleshed out, but alas they were not. It's hard to get to know someone's voice if they rarely even have one. Ballard was the main character, I mean in all honesty he was mostly the only character. A few other people made appearances but they may as well have just been background noise. No one made much of an impression, or was around enough to really do so.

I think my biggest problem with this story though is that I had a hard time bridging the gap between Lester just being a loner weirdo to basically stumbling upon becoming a murdering, necrophiliac animal. I mean he seemed definitely seemed off at the beginning of the story, but I wouldn't have pictured him capable of the atrocities that came to be. It seemed as if Ballard had never come upon that scene on the side of the road that none of the following horrors would have came to be. I wish there would have been more ground work laid in there. Maybe if I had known more about Ballard or his desires I would have been able to understand how he came to be what he ended up being. I'll give it to McCarthy that it is truly unnerving to think that one coincidence could dramatically alter so much so quickly. I unfortunately just found that a little too much to swallow.

I don't think this will be the last book I read by this author, I would like to see more of his work. I'm thinking maybe this particular one was not for me. I enjoy the books where I walk away feeling something after having read a story, even if it's anger or fear. I've read stories where you are surrounded by villains, or terrible circumstances, and I still enjoyed reading them. The only difference I can really think of between those books and this one is that I was invested in the story and/or the characters. I cared about something, whether it was the outcome, an answer to a question, or whatever. But I just couldn't bring myself to care about much of anything here. Not saying that's a problem with the book, but it was my personal problem with the book.

3.5 stars

I liked the idea of Panic, a game played throughout the summer by the graduated seniors of that year. I thought it was an interesting idea, how the kids that joined did so mostly it seemed out of desperation, seen as how there was quite a hefty reward for the winner at the end. This book did a great job of portraying the lengths people will go to for the things they really want. I think the age group of the kids playing was key to this as well, they were young enough to still feel relatively invincible, but also old enough to have a little dose of healthy fear of the repercussions of what they were doing.

I wouldn't say that this was necessarily the most exciting of books, contrary to what the blurb and the game of panic in general leads you to believe. This was a lot more characters driven and psychological.

"Dodge had a sudden flash of clarity: this is what the game was really about. This was what true fear was-that you could never know other people, not completely."

I enjoyed getting to know each of the main characters, and their individual reasoning behind being involved with the game. It was hard not to feel for each one of them. I also liked how the smallness of the town really came into play in so many different areas. As the book progressed you really got to see that some people were playing for more than merely money Each person seemed to be playing for hopes that the money at the end would help them escape their current reality. Some thought their dreams of a bright future could come true, or their need for retribution could be sated, and some just wanted to save themselves or loved ones from difficult situations.

My only real reservation about this book was the ending. While I did enjoy it, I do think that it might have gone more with the general feel of the book if it would have ended a little less pretty. I liked the bleakness that seemed like the theme throughout 99% of the this book, the end I thought just did not fit with that. I think it would have left a way bigger impact if things would have ended a with more of a bang rather than a sigh.

2.5 Stars

I really liked the idea of this book, but somewhere along the way some things went wrong...very wrong. These types of books can be so frustrating. There were things that I really liked and then there were things that I just couldn't get down with, not a lot of neutral ground.

I thought the whole idea of everyone having a guardian angel and devil that were essentially competing for your eternal soul was a really cool idea. And I kind of loved Kendra's guardian angel, Ryhan. I even kind of liked Adam's devil, Murry. It was pretty cool that they could take on a human form when they wanted to, and the whole having conversations in your head and dream sequences were neat too. I also loved the whole soul mate aspect of this book. It's beautiful idea that there is just one person out there for everyone.

I really didn't like Kendra. Ughhh. I hate that every single guy she came in contact with was so in love with her. Honestly I just didn't get it most of the time. What the hell were these guys seeing that was so special? It just wasn't there for me. The only thing I thought was semi cool was that she gave a few kids makeovers that she was photographing so they would look nicer in their pictures. But even that she ruined a little by almost begrudgingly doing one of them, like how dare this kid look so unimpressive and take up her time. She should have stopped with the first one when I actually thought that was sweet of her to help the girl out. While I loved the idea of soul mates, I didn't like the insta love thing. I mean marriage talk in less than a week would send me running, even if the dude was Prince Charming. Not cool bro, not cool. There were also a few things I found to be a little over the top, like the fact that it was said at some point that "It's impossible to truly love someone without believing that there is a God who made that person just for you." That's a nice thing if that's what you believe, but man is it insulting to those who might not. I think that even people who don't believe in some higher power are still fully capable of loving other people fully. That quote just really rubbed me the wrong way.

I would entertain reading the second book in this series since it seems that the main focus of that one would be Ryhan....YAY! I hope that one will be a little better than this one, if not then I'm afraid I'll give up on the whole thing.

I loved this addition to the Psy-Changling series! It seems as if each book keeps getting better than the one before it. I keep getting these from the long wait list at my local library, and sometimes so much time passes in between me reading them that it takes me a few chapters to fully catch back up to what is going on. That was definitely the case with Caressed By Ice. This world that Nalini Singh had created is just so vast and in depth that there is so much going on there at once. It's a fantastic thing, and completely holds you in it's thrall, I only wish I got the books a little closer together so it wouldn't take my lackadaisical brain so long to recall what the heck is going on. After a few chapters though I was good to go, and go I did. From that point on I was hooked, and hanging on every word.

I really enjoyed this book for so many reasons. I loved Brenna and Judd. Brenna had such an amazing will. She was proud, stubborn, strong and yet still compassionate and kind. After all that she had been through it was amazing to see how strong she was and how determined she was to heal herself. And Judd was fascinating to me. He had the Psy coldness to him, but also even more than that because of what kind of powers he had. He was special in a very dangerous way. I loved watching the ice he surrounded himself in slowly thaw for Brenna.

I especially like that each new addition to this series, thus far is just expanding the world that already seems so intricate. If you've made it this far with the series it's obvious that there is always the romance factor going on in each book. But even though they have always been the Psys and the Changlings, the characters are each so unique that you never feel as if you are reading the same thing over and over. And honestly I feel like the paranormal aspect at the very least is equivalent to the romance in this series. Each new addition add another layer to this already incredible world. I also like seeing the characters from the previous books still around, even if they are secondary rather than primary characters. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, I only hope this 9 people before me hurry the hell up so I can get my hands on it sooner rather than later!

FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! This was Young Adult done right. Angelbound is mature enough to capture an audience of any age, yet still emotionally believable enough to be categorized as Young Adult. Christina Bauer did what I personally like to see in YA, she didn't dumb it down, or pretend that sex and swearing are things that older teenagers think about or do. People that's why its called Young ADULT, not middle school age. I like to see authors who aren't afraid to add that realistic element to the story. I will admit in the very first few chapters I thought that this might have been another one of those YA books where all the girls are dense, boy crazed, angst-riddled messes....but I can't tell you how glad I was to be proven so very wrong. It didn't take long at all before it was apparent that was not the case, and these characters had more depth than that, well most of them anyway ;) There were a few that were pretty vapid, but ya know, such is life! I can deal with that. In moderation.

Myla was a great leading lady. Fierce, snarky, honorable, brave, curious, mischievous, and loyal to the people she cares for. This Quasi was on a mission to kick ass and find some answers to the burning questions of her past. Ultimately, unearthing so much more than she bargained for. The secrets of her past are going to collide with everyone's future, in ways she never could have imagined. But don't despair, she'll also find some pretty amazing people along the way, even some she couldn't quite see that were right under her nose all along.

Lincoln *sigh*, the HIgh Prince of Thrax, and warrior badass, was one of the aforementioned people. He was admittedly kind of a jackass at the beginning, but it did fit with the story and the prejudice the Thrax had against any demons in general. In my eyes he certainly redeemed himself and proved to be an honorable dude. The more I found out about Lincoln, the more I liked him. I loved the romance factor here, it was slow building and felt genuine. Both Myla and Lincoln were warriors that understood and challenged each other in ways that neither of them were used to encountering in other people.

Any fan of paranormal books has probably encountered an angel or demon book or two along the way, I sure have. I've read some great ones, and some not so great too. The paranormal element in Angelbound knocked my freaking socks off! It was a fresh and unique take on the lot, and I was happy for it. Each chapter drew me in more and more. It also added layer after layer to what became an amazingly large world, that I'm pretty sure we've only just glimpsed the surface of. At least I hope so anyway.

It started out as, what I thought was, a pretty cool idea. The Quasi(the demon/human hybrids) a race of people basically imprisoned in Purgatory and indentured servants to the ghouls, but all under the control of their lord, the King of Demons, Armageddon. Which btw, is a major badass. The Quasi's whole lives are basically preparing them to, once they graduate school, serve the ghouls, in every imaginable way....*gags* and some of those ways were definitely disgusting. So if you're like me, you're all like "ok this sounds neat" and then BAM! You get more awesomeness! Suddenly we're introduced to a much broader world than you originally thought. A world in layers, with not just Purgatory, but multiple dimensions and all their many inhabitants. There are full demons, in all their grand despicableness, full angels, in all their glory and some trickery, Thrax(the angel/human hybrids, and demon hunter extraordinaire)and of course the intriguing Ghouls, who run Purgatory under the thumb of the evil dictator, Armageddon. As the story progresses you get a more in depth look at each individual race, and let me tell you, it's riveting stuff. It was very interesting learning the hierarchy in each group and the way they all work. The world building here was absolutely breathtaking.

There is just so much more to rave about with Angelbound. This was a fantastic first book in a series, there is no limit to where the author could go from here. There are so many faucets to this world that Christina Bauer has created that if she wanted to she could keep me enthralled for many books to come. I know that there are at least two more books in this series, the 3rd not being released until October. I'm not sure if this is only meant to be a Trilogy or if that's just all we know about so far. Either way, I'm totally in. Like I'm going to download the second book immediately. I have some pretty high expectations at this point.

Beyond the paranormal there was a lot of mystery going on too. Myla was determined to find out answers about where she came from and her mother's hidden past. And quote Myla, UNHOLY HELL, you're in for some crazy stuff. I love the way it all came to light little by little too. The more you found out, the more questions you had. Hence the more you sat on the edge of your seat waiting for the next revelation. Also all the races were acting increasingly suspicious and out of sorts, so that added a whole new mystery too. There weren't really any dull moments in Angelbound. It seemed to have a little something for everyone to enjoy. I could really go on and on singing it's praises, but I'll try to wrap this up now for you. If you're still wondering whether this book is for you, ask yourself these questions...

Do you enjoy exciting stories with strong world building and unique paranormal aspects?

Do you like a strong female lead that demands respect and find/causes some trouble wherever she seems to go?

Not sold yet? Did I mention the Arena, where souls have the option of choosing a fight to the death to gain access to Heaven? Oh yeah, some pretty epic battles go down in there, and out of there too.

Like magic? Yep, it's got some of that too. Hello enchanted horses!

How about some slow building romance? Yep. It's got that too, in spades! Expect to swoon, multiple times.

If the answer to any one of these is yes, I say give this book a try! I am honestly shocked that virtually none of my friends have read this yet! I, obviously, highly recommend it. Lastly, as if you need further enticement, it is currently only $1.99 as a Kindle E-book. Just sayin'.

3.75 stars

I really liked Scala. I loved getting to see a little beyond Purgatory, it was nice to get a peek at one of the other realms. I also liked the character progression. While I will say that I missed the spitfire, punch now ask questions later Myla, I could appreciate that with great power comes great responsibility. Now that she was The Great Scala she had a lot of responsibility and that can make a person want to make some more thought out decisions. I thought that was realistic, and I liked to see that Myla was just as capable with her forethought as she was with asskicking. I liked the more mature, chess like political/royal court games that were at play here, and seeing Myla excel at them after time. But not so much that she wasn't true to herself. I might have gave a congratulatory fist pump in the air when she gave the King a good tongue lashing.

I wish that this book was a little longer than it was. I was really hoping to see more of this fantastic world. I will say that I was slightly disappointed with the romance factor here. Bauer was so bold in Angelbound, for YA anyways, and I felt like she played it safe in Scala. I wanted a little of that passion that was so dominant in the first book. And where she pulled back in that aspect she jumped way ahead in the whole marriage talk. At least that's how I felt anyway.

This was still a great addition in the Angelbound series and I am really anxious and excited to see where it goes from here. I really do hope that the next book is a little longer than this one, and I would absolutely love seeing even more realms come into play.

Great short story. Fans of Flat-out Love will most likely really enjoy Flat-out Matt, I know I did. I was super glad that it wasn't all just a repeat of everything we've already seen in the first book, but told in Matt's POV. It was nice to see some new, never before seen material from Matt's life before Julie and after too. I thought it was a brilliant idea to only do a few scenes from Flat-out Love from Matt's perspective, it was the perfect amount in my mind. It was just enough to remind me why I loved Matt so damn much, and not too much where it just felt to repetitive. Best way to sum it all up for me would be, short and sweet.