Get to know the author: Jennifer L. Armentrout/J. Lynn

Every two weeks I'll present you one of my favorite authors. There are a lot, so be prepared! ;) This week I'm going to talk about Jennifer L. Armentrout!!

Personal info from her blog:

# 1 New York Times and International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math.

Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.

Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Her books (linked to Goodreads):

 

• Lux series: Shadows, Obsidian, Onyx, Opal, Origin, Opposition
• Dark Elements series : Bitter Sweet Love, White Hott Kiss, Stone Cold Touch
•  Covenant series: Daimon, Half-Blood, Pure, Deity, Elixir, Apollyou, Sentinel
• A Wicked Trilogy: Wicked
• A Tital Novel : The Return
• Cursed
• Don’t Look Back
• Obsession (Lux spin-off)
• The Dead List

Her books writing as J. Lynn:

• Gamble Brothers: Tempting the Best Man, Tempting the Player, Tempting the Bodyguard
• With You Saga: Wait For You, Trust In Me, Be With Me, Stay With Me
• Unchained
• Frigid series: Frigid, Scorched
• Fifty First Times: A New Adult Anthology

My thoughts about her :

Jennifer is my hero. She’s my favorite author of ALL TIMES! She’s able to write my favorite kind of paranormal romances. You know, the kind with the super swoon-worthy supernatural being (I’m totally not talking about Daemon!). Everything she writes I love. I have read the Lux series, part of the With You saga and a few stand-alones of her, and I loved them all. Both of the series I read are my favorites of all time (Yes, I like them even more than Harry Potter!!). 
She creates the best characters ever. Daemon Black, Cam Hamilton... They are the reasons why my boyfriend expectations are so high. But I'm not complaining at all ;)
Gosh, my love for her books is never-ending. Her writing style is SO good. It's a roller coaster of feelings. Every time I finish a book of her I'm basically a puddle of feels. 

She’s also one of the sweetest authors I know. She is so dedicated and she interacts a lot with her readers. 
I love reading her new blog posts and following her Facebook page. AND she also loves Supernatural (the CW Show) and has a crush on Four (from Divergent). I would totally want to be besties with her! ;)

Connect with Jennifer:

Official site, Goodreads page , Facebook, Twitter, Email.

Review: The Prince and The Guard by Kiera Cass

My rating: ★★★★

Genre: young adult, dystopia, romance.
Series: The Selection #0.5 and #2.5

Blurb from Goodreads:

Two novellas set in the world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Timesbestselling Selection series are now available in print for the first time. The Prince and The Guard both offer captivating views into the hearts and minds of the two men fighting to win America Singer's love. This collection also features exclusive bonus content, including a sneak peek at The One, the eagerly anticipated third novel in the Selection series.

Before America arrived at the palace to compete in the Selection, there was another girl in Prince Maxon's life. The Prince opens the week before the Selection begins and follows Maxon through the first day of the competition.

Raised as a Six, Aspen Leger never dreamed that he would find himself living in the palace as a member of the royal guard. In The Guard, readers get an inside look at Aspen's life within the palace walls—and the truth about a guard's world that America will never know.

My review:

THE PRINCE: ★★★★★

“It was dark, so I couldn't make out much of her face, but she had brilliant red hair, like honey and roses and the sun altogether.”

I loved reading in Maxon's POV. I wished there was more! I loved everything about it. The two extra chapters were amazing!
I would love to read the whole Selection series in his POV. In a way, it made me love him even more than before ♥

THE GUARD: ★★★

"The sky is blue, the sun is bright and Aspen endlessly loves America."

I'm sorry, but oh god, this was boring! Aspen is a very nice guy and I liked some parts about The Guard. But it didn't excite me like the other books or The Prince. I still like Aspen, but I wouldn't be interested in reading more in his POV.

BONUS CONTENT: 

The bonus content in this books was also very nice ! I especially liked the interview.
And the family trees are awesome! Aspen's family started as a Three! I would have never guessed that. That was pretty awesome to find out ;)

View this on Goodreads here. 

Review: The One by Kiera Cass

My rating: ★★★★+0.5
Genre: young adult, dystopia, romance.
Series: The Selection #3

Blurb from Goodreads:

The Selection changed America Singer's life in ways she never could have imagined. Since she entered the competition to become the next princess of Illéa, America has struggled with her feelings for her first love, Aspen—and her growing attraction to Prince Maxon. Now she's made her choice . . . and she's prepared to fight for the future she wants.

My review: 

I can’t believe it’s over. Well for now at least (May 2015, please be here fast).
I loved this book a lot! I’m very happy how everything turned out.

“Break my heart. Break it a thousand times if you like. It was only ever yours to break anyway.”

America is such a strong character. She had her whiny moments, but doesn’t everyone?
She was so strong in the ending and I’m very happy for her. She deserves everything she had in the ending… (view spoiler)[ well you know, except the shooting. (hide spoiler)]. She stood up for herself and fought bravely or what she wanted. A lot of people hated her (readers I mean), but I didn’t feel that way. Sometimes she was a bit frustrating, but it didn’t make me want to pull my hair out like a lot of people. I mean, every character has a little irritating side, no? (view spoiler)[ I did think it wasn’t a very good plan to keep Aspen a secret from Maxon though. That was a huge mistake and I was so mad at her because of that and how Maxon reacted. But it turned out good in the ending, so I forgive her ;) (hide spoiler)]

“The best people all have some kind of scar.”

Maxon was the most frustrating character for me! I’ve been in Team Maxon from the very beginning, but sometimes I couldn’t stand him in this book. Don’t get me wrong, I still liked him, but geez… he was so double-sided in this book. One little mistake from America and he ran to Kriss. But – just like with America – I forgive him, because the ending was just perfect!

“Leave it to you to find beauty in something others would say ruins a day.”

Aspen is… *sighs*. I don’t even know how to describe him, but he certainly captured a part of my heart. I liked him so much. He’s funny, adorable and SO brave! Him being a guard is possibly the best thing that happened to him. I’m very happy that he found his true purpose in the country. (view spoiler)[And I’m so happy for him and Anna! (hide spoiler)]

“I want everything with you, America. I want the holidays and the birthdays, the busy season and lazy weekends. I want peanut butter fingertips on my desk. I want inside jokes and fights and everything. I want a life with you.”

One person I didn’t expect to like in this series is Celeste! (view spoiler)[ AND I’M SO NOT HAPPY WITH HER BEING DEAD!!! Once she and America had their talk, I liked her a lot. I loved how she rooted for America. Her dead was… so horrible! And the fact that she barely was mentioned in the rest of the book really annoyed me! (hide spoiler)]

“Your eyes look like chocolate,” I mumbled.
He smiled. “And yours look like the morning sky.”

By the way: My favorite scene of this book is when Celeste, Kriss and Elise go to America’s room. That was just perfect! ♥ I’m so glad they had that moment. I often wondered why they didn’t do it before. Go to each other rooms I mean. I was so glad when they finally did, because without that moment, I think the whole Selection would have ended up differently.

“And there we were, in the background of it all, holding on to one another. The Perfectionist, the Sweetheart, the Diva . . . and me.”

The writing was good, just like the previous books. The storyline was good too. Although it felt a little slow at some points and a bit too rushed in the ending. Otherwise very good.
The part about the rebels was a little confusing though. I still have a bunch of questions left. (view spoiler)[ What about Kriss being a rebel? Her dad? These things haven’t been discussed properly in the book! (hide spoiler)] This was supposed to be the ending of a trilogy. If this was the last book I wouldn’t have been happy with it. Fortunately there are two more books to come. May 2015 can’t come any faster!!

“You are not the world, but you are everything that makes the world good. Without you, my life would still exist, but that's all it would manage to do.”

I have so much else to say, but I don’t want to overwhelm everyone :D So my conclusion is: If you hesitate to read the third book of this series. Just don’t. Read it because it’s definitely worth it!!

View this on Goodreads here.

Bonus: BOOK TRAILER:

Book Of The Week #5: When We Met

Every Sunday I share a book I discovered during the week. I think it's a good idea for you guys if you're looking for random recommendations ;)

If you want to see the previous ones, just click here.

How did I find it?

I found this book on NetGalley. It’s actually written by four authors. Every author wrote a short story. I loved the concept and I’ve never read a book like this, so I was super excited when my request got accepted!

What is the book about?

When four girls decide to live off campus together as juniors at a college in Michigan, they expect it to be their best year yet. Little do they know, it’s a year that will change the rest of their lives.

BEHIND HER EYES by A.L. Jackson

Unable to live down her ex-boyfriend’s deception, Misha is determined to avoid betrayal. When, the new guy next door, Darryn starts to get under her skin, her defenses start to crumble. But trusting Darryn seems impossible, especially if he’s not sure he can trust himself.

SAVING ME by Molly McAdams

On the outside, Indy is always ready for a party—but inside she’s breaking. Kier makes a weekly routine of saving the girl next door from herself on Saturday nights… but when will she be ready to remember him on Sunday morning?

FOULING OUT by Tiffany King

Working at a sports bar, Courtney has become a pro at sidestepping propositions from arrogant jocks—which makes her a more elusive catch for campus basketball star Dalton than he expected. But when he falls for the saucy waitress, Dalton will have to rethink his game plan to prove he’s not the jerk Courtney expects.

BENEATH YOUR LAYERS by Christina Lee

In order to ace her fashion internship, Chloe must team up with local college dropout and set builder, Blake—much to her chagrin. But after some "hands-on" experience, Chloe will have to ask herself if Blake factors into her carefully laid plans…

More details about this book:

Series:                        Stand-alone
Genre:                        New adult, contemporary, romance
Length:                       400 pages
Release date:             November 4^th 2014

Publisher:                   NAL Trade

Where can I find this book?

Goodreads / Amazon 

Recent Release #3: Winterspell

Every Friday I share a recent release I’m excited to read. If you want to check out the previous ones, click here.

WINTERSPELL by Claire Legrand

Details about the book:

Release date:            September 30th, 2014

Publisher:                  Simon & Schuster Books

Length:                      464 pages

Series:                       Winterspell #1

Genre:                       YA, retelling, romance, fantasy

What is the book about?:

The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince . . . but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums.
New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor's ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother's murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.
Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.
Her home is destroyed, her father abducted--by beings distinctly nothuman. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they're to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets--and a need she can't define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won't leave Cane unscathed--if she leaves at all.
Inspired by The Nutcracker, Winterspell is a dark, timeless fairy tale about love and war, longing and loneliness, and a girl who must learn to live without fear

Sites where you can find more about this book:

Goodreads // Amazon // Bookdepository // Official Site

October/November #tbr

1. Angelfall by Suzan Ee
2. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
3. Frozen by Erin Bowman
4. PS I love You by Cecelia Ahern
5. Of Neptune by Anna Banks
6. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (reread)
7. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi (reread)
8. Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi (reread)
9. Unite Me by Tahereh Mafi (reread)
10. The Blessed by Hurley
11. The Kiss Of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
12. Be With Me by J. Lynn
13. The Jewel by Amy Ewing
14. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover
15. The One by Kiera Cass
16. Short Stories by Kiera Cass
17. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
18. Isla and The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
19. Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia
20. When It Rains by Lisa De Jong (reread)

I hope I'll be able to finish at least 15 of them! Which books are on your tbr? ;)

PS: I may expand this list to 25 or 30 books. I'm leaving these spots for new releases or ARC's ;)

Weekly Recommendations: Book boyfriends!

Admit it, you have probably at least one book boyfriend you can't forget about. You keep compare him to others and you can't seem to forget about him. Yep, it's a serious problem sometimes.... Oh well, i'm not complaining ;) I have a few book boyfriends, but these are 5 of my top favorites:

Asher Hunt in "When it Rains" by Lisa De Jong

Series: Rain (stand-alone series)

My rating: ★★★★★

Description:

One night changed my life forever.
Beau Bennett has been my best friend since I can remember. He was my first crush before everything came crashing down, and now he wants more, but it's more than I can give him. Things are different now. I wish I could tell him why, but I can't.
I haven’t told anyone.
I never knew how much I really needed him until the day he left for college, and I was completely alone.
Then one day, Asher Hunt rides into town with his dark, captivating eyes and cocky grin. He doesn't care who I used to be, he's simply breathing life into what’s left. People warn me to stay away from him, but he helps me forget the pain that has held me hostage for so long; something I thought was impossible before he walked into my life.
I’ve been hurt.
I’ve been saved.
And I’ve found hope.
I thought my story was written that night, but now I know it was only a new beginning. Until one secret turns my world upside down…
Again.

View my review here.

Add this book on Goodreads here.

A. Warner in Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi

Series: Shatter Me (trilogy)

My rating: ★★★★★

Description:

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Add this book on Goodreads here.

Cameron Hamilton in Wait For You by J. Lynn

Series: Wait For You (stand-alone series)

My rating: ★★★★★

Description:

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.
Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.
But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

View my review here.

Add this book on Goodreads here.

Daemon Black in Obsidian by J. L. Armentrout

Series: LUX series

My rating: ★★★★★

Description:

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.

View my review here.

Add this book on Goodreads here.

Day Altan Wing in Legend by Marie Lu

Series: Legend (trilogy)

My rating: ★★★★★

Description:

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Add this book on Goodreads here.