Unbeautifully
Series: Undeniable #2
Author: Madeline Sheehan

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Warning: This is not a story about fate or destiny. This is a story about pain, sorrow, and suffering. This is an impulsive whirlwind romance between two lovers that are not meant to be together. Theirs is not a world with sunshine and roses. Instead, their love blossoms in a secret world full of crime, violence, and death. Their story is about what can be born from nightmares.

Danielle “Danny” West is the daughter of Deuce West, President of the Hell’s Horsemen Motorcycle Club. A sweet and beautiful girl, she loses her way, searching for things that are always out of her reach. Erik “Ripper” Jacobs is the Sergeant of Arms in the Hell’s Horsemen. Once a man who always had a smile on his face, his life takes a turn for the worst when a tragedy befalls him, leaving him scarred and broken. During a midsummer night, Danny and Ripper’s paths cross, forever changing their lives. Hastily, their lust turns to love until another tragedy forces them apart. On a journey that is marred with ugliness and chaos, Danny and Ripper must discover if their unforeseen connection can find the beauty in their world.

This is Danny and Ripper’s story.

Everything has beauty. Even the ugly. Especially the ugly.
Because without ugly, there would be no beauty.

MY THOUGHTS

Unbeautifully is the second book in the Undeniable series by author Madeline Sheehan.  The main characters involved are Danielle “Danny” West and Erik “Ripper” Jacobs.  Characters from the previous book also have their POV told in separate chapters as well.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series.  I understand that many people had a hard time with the first book, but I went with the flow and was thrilled to read Undbeautifully.  The first book did have its problems, but overall I was on the side of the fence that was desperate for more.

In Undbeautifully, we get to read about Ripper.  *sigh* Our disfigured — yet still sexy! —  hero that has tons of dark emotions to go with it.  What Ripper went through in the previous book is definitely a key point in this installment.  He has been placing blame on several people for that one action even though he has tried to keep it to himself.

Danny is what you would find in a typical new adult.  She is an adult, but in ways you can still see the teenager in her actions and appearance.  She still wears the pink, hangs with her friends, and even has the attitude of a teenager.  Even though she is now of age, you can tell she has had to grow up fast.  When prom arrives, she doesn’t feel like staying.  Ripper shows up to take her home but instead they go for a bike ride out to a lake.  She ends up getting drunk and seducing Ripper.  That one act turns both of their lives upside down.  It spirals into lust, love, drama and a hard road for both of them.

Like it is mentioned above, this is a story about pain, sorrow, and suffering.  It is gritty, has touchy subjects, but there is light inside the dark.  I fell in love with Ripper with this story.  I ached for him. I wanted him to have a happy ending, but they both needed to have forks in the road of life.  Author Madeline Sheehan gives us those forks in the road and I can honestly say it was worth it.  It made the ending so much better.  There is a bit of a time jump and the author explains why and how at the beginning if the book.

Again, this book will be either a love it or hate it for most readers.  It is going to be one where it is hard to fall in between those two fences.  I also definitely recommend reading the first book in the series to get the full effect of the characters.  Personally, I can’t wait for book three!

MY RATING

[sc:rate5 ]

AUTHOR WEBSITE / GOODREADS / AMAZON

 

Beauty Awakened
Series: Angels of the Dark #2
Author: Gena Showalter

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

His name is Koldo. He is scarred, powerful, his control legendary-and he lives only for vengeance, determined to punish the angel who viciously removed his wings. But if he yields to the forces of hatred, he will be kicked from the heavens, eternally damned.

She is his last hope. Nicola Lane was born with a defective heart, yet this fragile human shows surprising strength as demons stalk her every move, determined to end her. She is the key to Koldo’s deliverance…and his downfall. Though he fights duty, destiny and his first addictive taste of desire, his toughest battle will be the one for Nicola’s life-even if he has to sacrifice his own….

MY THOUGHTS

I am a huge fan of Gena Showalter.  I admit that I am not caught up on all her current releases, but what I have read in the past has been awesome.  I love her writing and the worlds that she creates within the pages of a book.   As you can see from the description I posted above, this is the second book in the Angels of the Dark series.  I haven’t read the first book yet, but I didn’t have much of a problem following along with the story.  While I am sure I probably missed out on recognizing certain details — such as this author appearing in the previous book — I didn’t feel cheated by jumping in feet first with book two.

The characters were written beautifully.  Koldo was heartbreakingly wonderful.  While he is hard to enjoy at times, other times he makes you want to weep at his feet.  While Showalter usually writes kick butt heroines, we get to see a vulnerability with Nicola that is a bit softer than the norm.  Also, while the sexual tension and chemistry is definitely in this book, it isn’t as high on the sexual scenes that Showlater usually includes. It is still steamy and hot, but not as fluent as in her other works.

While I am a fan of this new series, I still feel the need to revisit her previous works to get my fix of what I have become accustomed to.  Definitely a series I will keep reading though because I can’t stop reading what this author writes.

MY RATING

[sc:rate4 ]

AUTHOR WEBSITE / GOODREADS / AMAZON

 

With All My Soul
Series: Soul Screamers #7
Author: Rachel Vincent

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

What does it mean when your school is voted the most dangerous in America? It’s time to kick some hellion butt…

After not really surviving her junior year (does “undead” count as survival?), Kaylee Cavanaugh has vowed to take back her school from the hellions causing all the trouble. She’s going to find a way to turn the incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity against one another in order to protect her friends and finish this war, once and forever.

But then she meets Wrath and understands that she’s closer to the edge than she’s ever been. And when one more person close to her is taken, Kaylee realizes she can’t save everyone she loves without risking everything she has….

MY THOUGHTS

It is safe to say that if there is a new book in this series, then I will be reading it.  I am a HUGE Tod fan and I can’t get enough of him. Sure this series is suppose to have Kaylee as the main character, but for me, Tod is the one I zero in on.  This author could write about Tod just sleeping and I would read it several times. I am also in a slight depression upon reading the last page because it is suppose to be the last book in the series.  I hate it when a series I love comes to an end.

Moving on….

Kaylee has grown so much from where she was in the first book.  Even with everything she has been through, I feel that the author made her grow but not waiver from her true self.  Nash use to be my favorite — until Tod really came into focus– and while I don’t agree with some of what he has done in this series, he is still Nash through and through. Sabine is still a girl I want to shoot daggers at with my eyeballs.  She has never ranked high in my opinion but when a plot calls for “her type” we roll with it.  I won’t even start in on how much I loved Tod in this one because there just isn’t enough words to describe it.  I will say that the ending will definitely leave you in tears.

While I can see the same pattern of Kaylee making decisions that wanted me slapping her, we do know by book seven that she does them for the right reason — at least what SHE thinks is the right reasons.  Again, just go with the flow because it works.

I am sad to see this series come to an end. I want more, but every good thing has an ending somewhere.  Where this author left the ending was perfect.  Touching and fitting are just two words that sum it up at the end.  While it was a wild ride full of humor, wit, suspense, romance and drama, I can honestly say it was a ride I am glad I jumped on.

MY RATING

[sc:rate5 ]

AUTHOR WEBSITE / GOODREADS / AMAZON

The 5th Wave
Series: The Fifth Wave #1
Author: Rick Yancey

SUMMARY

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

MY THOUGHTS

Have you ever read a book that completely threw you a curve ball?  I am talking about one that you weren’t too sure about, but in the end you fell in love with?  The 5th Wave ended up being one of those books for me.  It came out of left field starting with low expectations.  I figured that it was just going to be another dystopian read that is trying too hard.  What I received in the end was a home run of a book that left my heart sliding back into place after the excitement finally wore off.

The first half of this book was a little slow for me with a few hiccups.  It would start to take off, then it would be bogged down with wording and world building.  If you find yourself reading this book and not pushing past this first half, then you will miss an amazing last half of the book.  Once I got over that long wave of slow, it took off and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen.

This is part of series, so be prepared to have some questions unanswered and with a bit of an ending that will leave you craving the second book.  While I have never read anything by author Rick Yancey before, I will definitely be clicking on the pre-order link for book two!

MY RATING

[sc:rate4]

AUTHOR WEBSITE / GOODREADS / AMAZON