Death and the Girl He Loves by Darynda Jones

Pages: 272

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Darklight #3

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: Oct 8, 2013

The fate of the world is not something a girl wants on her shoulders, and that is especially true for Lorelei McAlister. Unfortunately for her, that is exactly where the world’s fate has decided to take up residence. Lorelei has seen firsthand the horrors that lie beneath our everyday world. And those horrors are getting her friends killed. Because of this, she agrees to leave the sanctity of her hometown and is sent to a different world entirely. A boarding school. But even here she is being watched. Someone knows what she is. What she carries inside her soul. And on top of that she’s seeing visions. This is nothing new for Lorelei. But these visions are something more: death, destruction, and the end of the world. Lorelei must face the fact that there are people who want her dead, and no matter where she goes, no matter how far she runs, the lives of her friends and family are in mortal peril. Lucky for her, her friends and family include the handsome Angel of Death, a fiercely protective half-angel, and a ragtag group of loyal supporters who aren’t afraid to get a little dirty in the name of fighting pure evil.

First of all I want to say...guess who's quoted in this book? THAT'S RIGHT. MOI. But of course that doesn't affect my opinions on this book! (But I will say that this series is definitely one to read if you're looking for a paranormal romance that's not so typical.)

The beginning is actually a bit slow, since we get a full recap of everything that happened in the last two books--which was great since I actually needed a recap! I did feel like, to anyone who remembered all the happenings in the prequels, would find it completely redundant--even I felt like it was a bit over explained. 

After our initial info-dump though, things definitely started to speed up--and rather quickly! Already there's a threat on Lorelei's life, spicing things up, but that's not even the main conflict. Soon Lorelei is back in New Mexico and ready (or not so ready). I wasn't the biggest fan of Lorelei in this book, though the other elements did make up for most of it. Lore seemed to shrink back from her fate, something that, while understandable, just doesn't work in YA books. She just kept saying she couldn't do it, she didn't believe in herself, no matter that everyone else did. 
But the other characters? Oh, it was wonderful seeing our old gang with all their gorgeous personalities. And they haven't changed a bit. It was fun seeing these characters I haven't read about in what seems like forever and I can't believe I forgot how much I loved them! They're all so quirky and you really can't help but fall in love with them again. 

The plot is rather brilliant, especially for the closing of a trilogy. Somehow, I feel like barely anything happened, when so much did--it just passed by in a blur! Darynda Jones really has a unique type of writing that just leaves you immersed in the story. While a lot of important events occur throughout the plot, Jones still manages to keep her signature snark in all her characters, making me laugh out loud (at the most inappropriate times too!)
And the ending! At first I wasn't the biggest fan of it, but as I reread it...it really is perfect for the book, and a beautiful conclusion to the story! 

I can't really say much on romance sinc ethat wasn't really the main issue this time around, either! But yes, Jared shows up. And yes, he's as adorable as ever. And yes. Their ending is just as amazing as the story's. (Also? I totally ship Cameron and Brooke)

An honest to God gorgeous conclusion to the trilogy, Death and the Girl He Loves blew me away. I definitely recommend this series to anyone who wants to take a break from all the contemporary and dystopian and read a bit of paranormal romance again! 

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Mini Freak Out: Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington

Mini Freak Out
(Non spoilery. I think)

Goodreads Blurb

 Once again Violet Eden faces an impossible choice ... and the consequences are unimaginable.
Violet has come to terms with the fact that being part angel, part human, means her life will never be as it was.
Now Violet has something Phoenix - the exiled angel who betrayed her - will do anything for, and she has no intention of letting it fall into his hands. The only problem is that he has something she needs too.
Not afraid to raise the stakes, Phoenix seemingly holds all the power, always one step ahead. And when he puts the final pieces of the prophecy together, it doesn't take him long to realise exactly who he needs in order to open the gates of Hell.
With the help of surprising new allies, ancient prophecies are deciphered, a destination set and, after a shattering confrontation with her father, Violet leaves for the islands of Greece without knowing if she will have a home to return to...

 Well well, it's been a while since one of these! WARNING: LOTSA CUSSING. I shall use ze asteriks.

Pages: Reaction

7: Ummm...I forgot everything...O_O

15: DELUDED, KID. YOU'RE DELUDED

37: The delight sounds good, but what's the horror for? *suspicion*

41: I love Phoenix. SO MUCH.

43: TAKE THAT BACK VIOLET. YOU COULD LOVE PHOENIX.

54: Ze dad iis blind.

59: GO VI.

61: Oh, bad idea random exile.

64: They have the Maddox...*thinks of Beautiful Disaster* Please, no.

66: OHOHOH

69: Come here, Violet, let me hug you and MAKE YOU REALIZE THAT PHONEIX IS SO MUCH BETTER

71:*snorts* I bet Spence's emotions are different than yours. Plus, this is PHOENIX. I'd do anything to see him lol.

76: OH SHI*

81: O_______O Oh my gosh. That's so sad D:

87: ASKDF:NWDSC

95: NUH UH. PHOENIX WOULDN'T HURT STEPH.

97: O_O VIOLET DON'T YOU DARE

113: Awkkkkwarrrddd

134: YOU SHOULD. I love Phoenix. :D In case you didn't know.

138: STOP IT LINC. THEY'RE PERFECT TOGETHER.

136: Suckerrrrrr. (I'm talking about Jase. Not the others)

155: SERIOUSLY? SERIOUSLY? SERIOUSLY?

160: Steph, you're genius

174: OUCH

179: Okay, maybe I do like Linc. *wavers* NO. TEAM PHOENIX. I think.

186: DANGER DANGER DANGER

187: Oh, poor Jase. I feel so bad for you :(

197: Shi* just got real.

200: STOP IT WITH YOUR HERO COMPLEX, VI. I LOVE YOU, BUT STILL.

204: YEAH LINC. ARE YOU DEFICIENT?

211: Oh my God. I'm starting to storngly dislike your father, Vi.

213: Oh my GOD, SPENCE. I GATHER YOU IN A HUG MENTALLY.

219: I don't think I'm going to like this chick.

222: D:

225: TELL HERRRRRRR.

229: BAHAHA I LOVE SPENCE. Also, BS with Grigori? SOUNDS FUN

235: O_O Uh oh

242: HOW DID IT THAT THERE. MANY STARES.

246: *giggles*

261: GRIM REAPERS GRIM REAPERS. RUNNNNNN.

276: O_O WOAH WOAH WOAH.

281: OMG. OMG. OMG. *SQUEALS* FINALLY. Okay, I may be a bit Team Lincoln.

283: NOOOOOOOO.

286: Are you surprise? IT'S JOSEPHINE

288: SADNESS

291: NEVER MIND TOTALLY TEAM PHOENIX *throws self into imaginary Phoenix's arms*

293: HE DOESN'T HATE YOU.

300: Gaping commence

304: YOU DIDN'T

305: LOLOL

323: TALK ABOUT SHOW OFF

347: DID YOU JUST FIGURE IT OUT

350: Oh my God. VIOLET, DON'T YOU DARE

361: Okay, so Phoenix is a bit demented, but I still love him

375: SADFLJHEWIIIIINALKHNRHI$#WURPO@QJNRE

377: NONONONONONO

379: SHI* SHI* SHI*

387: DAMN RIGHT HE DOES. DON'T HURT HIM

389: FUC*

391: Oh my God. You're kidding me. So she's winter, he's the sun, she's vanilla, he's honey. So basically e's gold and she's silver? *headdesk*

402: SEE. HE IS NOT EVIL. MUCH

408: Oh dam* O_O

410: MEEEEP

418: YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HER CONDITIONS. DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON HER

432: dude, you have no chance. Trust me.

445: OH MY GOD YOU CAN'T JUST FREAKING END IT THERE.

So that was longer than usual plus I'm too much in shock to write a review. So, yeah.

Pages: 464

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Violet Eden Chapters #3

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: March 5, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Death, Doom, and Detention by Darynda Jones

Goodreads Blurb

The normal part of Lorelei MacAlister’s life didn’t just slip away quietly the day Jared Kovach came to town. Nope. The normal part of her life shattered. It exploded. It burst into a gazillion shards of fleeting light.

It went out with a bang.

Goodbye normal.

Hello dark and eerie.

While her best friend, Brooklyn, is focusing all of her energy on helping Lorelei hone her abilities, Lorelei is dealing with the reality that Satan’s second in command has taken up residence inside her body. Oh, and the fact that she has a crush on the Angel of Death. But what a beautiful death it is. If those weren’t bad enough, something sinister has come to town and it wants nothing more than to hear Lorelei’s dying breath as it strangles it out of her. Thank goodness the gang has a supernatural champion. But what happens when the only being who can save them switches sides midstream? How can a group of misfits capture one of the most powerful beings ever created? And will they find out how to bring Jared back to them before it’s too late?

I honestly think I've fallen in love with this series. Seriously! This is one of my favorite angel/demon stories! And that's a hard list to top.

Death, Doom, and Detention was a perfect sequel for me and I loved it (almost) as much as Death and the Girl Next Door! My only complaint was that there were a few crucial things to the plot at Lorelei didn't mention until, oh my, it came back to bit her in the butt. I reall wanted to strangle Lorelei for "forgetting" a few very important details.

Now the absolute best thing was Lorelei and her snark. She made me laugh out loud so many times, I think a few of my classmates may think I'm schizophrenic. (I may be exaggerating. Maybe) She was a hilarious character that definitely didn't seem like our typical (sometimes whiny) heroines. She was a lot more reluctant and a lot more wary than what you usually seein books and I definitely appreciated that!

The relationships between the characters were definitely a thing of fascination! There was definitely a ton of tension present and the way they all reacted to each other was fun to read about. You could just feel the animosity in the book's atmosphere and I definitely had to hand it to Darynda--she managed to write unique characters who both made you sit up straighter in shock and make you laugh out loud!

The plot was predictable in some parts, but was, for the most part, completely unexpected! Jones always manages to throw something right in your face once you think everything's fine and settled--I'm still deciding if I love it or hate it! 

Taking a usually overused paranormal element, Darynda Jones manages to write a completely unique story about a girl who's lost in her own way, an angel who's darker than he seems, and a prophecy that's scaring everyone and anyone. It seems like your typical story, but it's far from it!

Pages: 320

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Darklight #2

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: March 5, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones

Goodreads Blurb

Ten years ago, Lorelei’s parents disappeared without a trace. Raised by her grandparents and leaning on the support of her best friends, Lorelei is finally beginning to accept the fact that her parents are never coming home. For Lorelei, life goes on. High school is not quite as painful as she thinks it will be, and things are as normal as they can be. Until the day the school’s designated loner, Cameron Lusk, begins to stalk her, turning up where she least expects it, standing outside her house in the dark, night after night. Things get even more complicated when a new guy—terrifying, tough, sexy Jared Kovach—comes to school. Cameron and Jared instantly despise each other and Lorelei seems to be the reason for their animosity. What does Jared know about her parents? Why does Cameron tell Jared he can’t have Lorelei? And what will any of them do when Death comes knocking for real? Thrilling, sassy, sexy, and inventive, Darynda Jones’s first foray into the world of teens will leave readers eager for the next installment.

So the first thing I thought when I read the blurb was "Oooh contemporary! Sounds cool!" and then, immediately after I read the firrst chapter "...IT'S A PARNAORMAL! THAT'S SO COOL" and it was! Because admit it, the blurb does sound contemporary, doesn't it? But trust me, this is definitely the opposite. 

Now, for some reason, I've been having issues with characters. Especially the main character. But Lorelei (first of all, very cool name no? I want that name!), but Lorelei was definitely an awesome character! She was just so snarky and quirky, and I had so much fun seeing the story through her eyes! She knew when things were serious, did her best to try and keep peace, and never let any team but hers win. She was stubborn, but didn't ignore warnings and go off on her on like those stupid heroines (there are so many of them...)

The characters all seemed a bit real. Not 100% like they-could-be-real-OMG-no-way but more of an I-would-do-that-too sort of way. Because honestly, I wouldn't kick two big angry supernaturally-strong guys in the shins when they're fighting. on the other hand, I would run out if...well, I can't spoil that, can I?

Ok, the cover and blurb are totally misleading here. While it looks like there was a love triangle between Lorelei, Jared, and Cameron, there really isn't. Cameron just hates Jared. For reasons know to me, and unkown to you. There was a love triangle and just a smidge of insta-love, but the love triangle makes the story more endearing since you see it from the POV of a person not involved. The insta-love between Jared and Lore was more...insta-lust honestly. And speaking of, the make out sessions were...well, let's jsut say they weren't exactly YA lol, but since this is an adult author turning into YA author as well, that can definitely be forgiven! 

The paranormal aspects were the best parts for sure.Like I said, at first I had thought that it was contemporary so when Lore had a vision I was just sitting there, gaping at the book. Even more surprising? Her friends knew about her skill and I loved that! Usually, the main character has to hide all these secrets from her best friends, but this is me going "If they're so your best friends..." Anyways, just to clear the air, this is an ANGEL book, ok? No werewolves, no vamps, ANGELS. And this was definitely a twist. Why? Because they also mention time traveling, or at least, something like it and that was definitely intriguing! I immediately wanted to know more! 

Randomly, I found it funny that Jared didn't want Cameron to tell Lore what he was. When it was so completely obvious.but maybe that's just for the readers!

This is definitely one you should pick up, especially if you've loved Darynda Jones' adult series, the Charley Davidson series, I think it's called. Angel fans will love this and contemporary fans will too! Death and the Girl Next Door was a laugh-out-loud YA book that was just the right amount of funny and danger. For people who love action and those plot-to-plot type of books, this is definitely one for you! But i'd recommend everyone to buy or at least pick it up. If the first 5 chapters don't suck you in, I'm not quite sure what will. 

Pages: 304

Series: Darklight #1

Genre: Paranormal/Romance

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: October 2, 2012

Rating: 4.5 ---> 5 stars