Wicked – Jennifer L. Armentrout

Rating: 3 Stars
Type: NA
Steamy: J. Lynn style

Okay here is the thing: Ms Armentrout (JLA) writes YA that are just fantastic. Sometimes she uses her alter ego J. Lynn and writes NA that are … well … not my cup of tea. It never seized to amaze me how someone could write such great YAs and such awful not so great NAs. Now she wrote a NA as JLA. Sounds confusing? Colour me confused when I read the book. It was like watching the good and the evil twin fighting each other (unfortunately the evil twin had the upper hand most of the time). Here comes the review that contains no spoilers (well the book is predictable enough anyway):

Best Kind of Broken – Chelsea Fine

Rating: 4 Stars
Type: NA
Steamy: A decent bit

Have you experienced that when reading NA at some point it feels like you have all read it before? It took me 12 years to get bored with historical fiction novels and merely 12 months to get bored with NA. I was just about close down this blog. The other option would have been to blog about my daily breakfast which would have been a tad boring as I usually skip breakfast. Anyway, this was the last book I decided to read. Thank god I read other book blogs and listen to their reviews! Here comes the review that contains minor spoilers (because you should read the book!):

I am back

After a very recreational holiday (without any internet) I am finally back to the book blogging world. A book review will follow soon – but first I will spend most probably days working through your blogs and checking out what I missed :). So happy to be back!

There won’t be any sleep

This moment when you realise after a tedious day at the office, the day after the X-mas party with a massive sleep deprivation that the new Armentrout novel (Wicked) is already out and that you’ll spend another night with little sleep…

To Tame a Highland Earl – Tarah Scott

Rating: 3 Stars
Type: Historical Romance
Steamy: Too much

I hardly read historical romance novels nowadays. Somehow I have the feeling that I “outgrew” them. Then this book came along and up until about half of the book I was back on the historical romance track. Sadly, after that it just got too much. Too boring, too ridiculous, too many love scenes, too many cliches. This review contains no spoilers:

This Sky – Autumn Doughton

Rating: 5 Stars
Type: NA
Steamy: Yep

This book took me by surprise. It has a rather hideous cover but the most beautiful writing. I have never read anything by Autumn Doughton (if this is not a pen name, high-five to her parents because the name rhymes) before – Geez, I missed out! This author has such a wonderful way of expressing herself. Reading this book is like having a full course dinner after being on a diet for a month. Therefore I will in the following review even quote this amazing author – which I rarely do. This review contains minor spoilers:

A walk down memory lane – Lions and Lace

Walking with: Meagan McKinney – Lions and Lace
Type: Historical Romance
Rating: 5 Stars
Set in: late 19th century New York
Reread: so often that I know it by heart
Publishing date: 1992

I was so anxious when I reread this book. This was one of my all time favourites. I even had a “I want to mary an Irish” phase for a long time after I have read this book for the first time.

Anyways,  it is always difficulties when “meeting” with old book or film flames. What if they had changed? What if I had changed? Fortunately, this book was as good as ever:

Rule’s Property – Lynda Chance

Rating: 3 stars
Type: NA
Steamy: Sizzling hot

This book reading experience was so depressing. I was so happy in the beginning, just to have my hopes shattered. I have tried Lynda Chance before and was not too happy with her idea of an alpha male (see here). Therefore imagine my surprise when I found out that I actually liked this book. It was rrrreeeaaallly good and I would have given the book solid 5 stars if there hadn’t been the “slap-incident” that ruined everything. This review contains minor spoilers:

Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements #2) – Jennifer L. Armentrout

Rating: 4 stars
Type: YA
Steamy: For a YA pretty steamy

When Jennifer L. Armentrout announced that readers will be able to choose how the Dark Elements series should end (read here), it was pretty clear that the second instalment of this series would focus on Zayne and consequently on a potential love triangle. Well … it did. And, sadly, it felt terribly forced. Here is as to why (contains some minor spoilers):

Love triangles here, there, everywhere

This week scientists revealed that Homo sapiens first bred with Neanderthals 50,000-60,000 years ago. I think shortly after that the concept of the love triangle was invented. A couple of ten thousand years later love triangle found their way into literature. Some of the greatest works of literature feature love triangles, sadly, also some of the worst.

There are so many variations of love triangle constellations. A good story involving a love triangle is when the different shades of feelings are depicted and the inner conflicts are portrayed believable. A bad story involving such a triangle is when it feels forced. Unfortunately ever since Ms Meyer put the Emo-girl in a love triangle with a vampire and a werewolf (from an objective standpoint the recap of Twilight sounds a bit weird, doesn’t it?) in literally every second book there is a love triangle.

I am personally not a huge fan of love triangles but I don’t mind them, if they are executed well. Sadly most of these love triangles nowadays are just so badly done that I beg you my dear authors: Stop! Just because it worked well with Twilight does not automatically mean it will work with your book. Please stop creating love triangles when they are not necessary or do not make sense. Yes, love triangles are en vogue at the moment but eventually they will become out-of-date. Like Neanderthals.