Review: Sweet Blood of Mine

GENRE: Paranormal Romance

Published:  April 1st 2012

Rating:   3.5 stars


SYNOPSIS:

From Mega Nerd to Super Stud.

Justin Case and women do not mix. Man boobs, a love of Kings and Castles, and being tight with the "nerd" crowd certainly don't win him any points either. After rescuing Katie, his crush, it turns out she might not be the girl he thought she was, while Elyssa, the school's Goth Girl, turns out to be more. Can high school get any more confusing? 

Determined to improve himself, he joins a gym and meets a sexy girl that just oozes a "come hither, Justin" vibe. Until she attacks him in the parking lot, and Justin realizes she's no ordinary girl but a being with supernatural speed and strength. After a narrow escape and an excruciating migraine headache, he wakes up with supernatural abilities all his own: speed, strength, and the ability to seduce every woman he sees. 

While that might sound like the perfect combo for any hormonal teen, Justin is a hopeless romantic who wants his first time to be special. Is that too much to ask for? But he doesn't know what he is or how to stop his carnal urges. One thing is clear: If he doesn't find answers there are other more sinister supernaturals who would like nothing better than to make him their eternal plaything and do far worse than kill him.


MY REVIEW:

3.5 stars for John Corwin :)

I got this book as part of  Goodreads group We ♥ YA Books! r2r program. I've already had it in my tbr list because I so love the cover.

I have to say it is a really good book. I was struggling between 3 or 4 stars because I believe it was kind of slow paced for my taste. 
The real action begins at approximately 60%. The beginning is nice though, it provides a great background to get to know the characters but then again... somehow it was too much for me.

On the other hand, the book is full of great characters and the author manage to create an original world where several types of creatures collide in one entertaining story. Vampires, dhampirs, demons, sorcerers, shapeshifters, you ask for it and you find it in this book!

Personally I found Elysa to be so strong and has an amazing personality. Justin is great, but his name is weird, I mean the guy's name is Justin Case. I found myself spliting it in my mind everytime I read it: Just-in-case. -.- 

 In his defense I have to say he is so funny! I could totally picture him with his "Lord of the rings" backpack and being all so nerdy lol. And then suddenlyhe starts transforming into a stud and as the story progresses, he changes so much and becomes the knight in a shining armor he was destined to be (but way sexier than what he was at the beginning lol)

The felican was a very interesting character itself. Justin's dad on the contrary, wasn't developed enough. I believe he should have had more attention since he has a very important role in the story.

Let's see what happens in the next book of the series. This was a promising start :)


PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO CHECK MY FIRST GIVEAWAY  HERE

**Awesome Giveaway!!**

Hi! I'm so happy to host my very first giveaway!

I'm so excited! Especially because I'm giving away copies of one of my favorite books!

The Noah sisters rule Titan High with their beauty, brains, and magical powers. Each year they play a secret game: Crushed. The girls pick their targets carefully and blow enchanted dust into the boy’s faces, charming them, but this year Kristen makes a grave mistake. She chooses the wrong boy and almost dies that same day. Coincidence? Maybe. But something isn’t quite right about Zach Bevian. He doesn’t behave like a boy who’s been Crushed. He goes from hot to cold, from looking at her with contempt to asking her out on a date. She doesn’t know what to think. Does he hate her or is he truly falling for her? Is he trying to kill her, or is he trying to save her?

Remember my review? About extremely sexy Zack and super awesome and strong heroine Kristen? 

If you don't, go check it here ----> "CRUSHED"




2 Lucky winners are going to get an E-copy of this amazing book (.epub or .mobi)
All you have to do is fill the Rafflecopter thingy below!

The Giveaway is open internationally!


Don't forget to check "Witch Hunt" (The Witch Game #2) People say it's even better than the first one! And I loved the first one! 

A magical game of hide n seek begins.

Find the missing player and win.

The game resets.

Everyone forgets and starts to play it again.

Teen reporter Starr Hughes hasn't believed in magic since her mom died. She just wants facts. So when she hears the popular kids are about to play a secret game she wants to know more. Especially since the boy she loves is involved.

Starr is about to find out that not only do witches exist, but they need her help. Someone is using the game to steal their powers, their memories, and perhaps even their lives.        

And here it is!

                                                        a Rafflecopter giveaway

2x1 :) I love Prequels!

Today I'm reviewing 2 amazing prequels! I couldn't help myself! I hope you keep an eye on these series because they are really worth the time! 



DAIMON (The Prequel to Half-Blood) by Jennifer L. Armentrout


Genre: Paranormal Romance with a twist of Mythology ;)

Published: April 19th 2011 by Spencer Hill Press

Rating: 4.5 stars

"Love in my world usually ended up with someone hearing 'I smite thee ' as she was cursed to be some lame flower for the rest of her life."

For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals--pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she'd been trained to fulfill as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she's pretty much accepted that she's a freak by mortal standards... and that she'll never be prepared for that duty. According to her mother, that's a good thing.But as every descendant of the gods knows, Fate has a way of rearing her ugly head.

A horrifying attack forces Alex to flee Miami and try to find her way back to the very place her mother had warned her she should never return-the Covenant. 
Every step that brings her closer to safety is one more step toward death... because she's being hunted by the very creatures she'd once trained to kill. The daimons have found her. 

 MY REVIEW:

 This time I started reading the prequel before reading the first book. Which is the opposite of what I always do. 

But I'm a huge fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout since I read the "Lux Series" and wanted to see what this one was about. 

As the "Lux Series" set the bar so high I wasn't expecting much of this one. I mean, I though it couldn't be better. 

But all I can say is that this prequel is incredible, it kept my attention the whole time. 

The writing is flawless and it flows smoothly. No dull moments, so intriguing and AWESOME! (for lack of another word lol) 

Amazing start for a series that everyone should read! 

What to say about Alex? BAD ASS HEROINE! That sums it up!

 “Was your mom a gardener?” I asked innocently. 

 “What?” Ren’s mouth hung open slightly. 

“Because a face like yours belongs planted on the ground.”

Nothing else needed to show her personality!

Can't wait to read Half Blood!

BEFORE (The Prequel to Masquerade) by Cambria Hebert.

Genre: Paranormal Romance.

Published: Published November 18th 2011 by Otherworld Publications 

Rating:  5 stars

What if your life was charmed and everything in it was perfect…

Before.

This is the story of my past. Of what things were like for me when everything was normal. Of what every teenager’s life is like. Clothes. Parties. Boys and summer vacation. What’s so wrong with that? I liked it. I was happy. 

Until things changed. I changed.

I didn’t know that lies and secrets were about to take over my existence. I didn’t know there was someone out there, someone meant just for me. I didn’t know that I was about to go on a journey, a journey that would lead me to the girl I am today.

This is the beginning of the worst year of my life. Would I go back and change things? Erase everything that has happened to go back into these moments?

Not a chance.

This is a story of before.

MY REVIEW: 

Yup! Totally caught in this story. Lol. It's just a taste of what is coming. It has the perfect amount of mystery and tension. 

And guess what? It ends spectacularly! 

I think the way Sam follows her is kinda creepy, pretty much a stalker kind of thing but that also makes it interesting! 

I wanna know what he is and what happened after that last phrase! 

Purchasing "Masquerade" (Heven and Hell #1) NOW!

Great! As I didn't have any interesting series to read, I'm completely drawn by this one too!

My only critic: It was too short! XD , but that's the point of a prequel isn't it? Leaving you wanting MORE!  Mission accomplished by Cambria Hebert!

Character Quest: Day 7. The end :(

We have come to our 7th and final day of the Resistance Character Quest. For our final day, we are welcoming Gabe to the blog!

Gabe's Bio: Vanquisher in Homer’s clan, Gabe is a compassionate, giving leader, but sometimes brooding and introspective. While leadership is a natural role for him, he sometimes longs to be the one who is taken care of.

Welcome, Gabe. Glad to have you here to SUBDUE our snooping minds! Let's get down to the nitty gritty of it all...

What’s your favorite book?

1984 by George Orwell. My favorite short story is “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. Funny, I was always drawn to dystopian stories in high school, and now look where I’m at.

What worries you most these days?

Never getting rid of the reapers, never getting back to normal, never getting back home. But mostly, losing those I care about.

What do you like most about Clara? Least?

What I like most? Her smile, her honesty, her eyes. The way she bites her lip when she’s thinking about something.

Least? When she closes herself off to me. I can’t help her when she pushes me away. Sometimes, I wish I was a Tracer like Homer so I could just talk to her directly mind-to-mind. I wonder if she could block me out then. Hmmm…that’s something I’ll have to ask Homer.

In your Setti clan, who is the most difficult to live with and why?

Well, no one is really difficult, but Ben snores really loud sometimes. Honestly, I’m probably the most difficult because I tend to always think I’m right about things. (Of course, that’s because I usually am.)

What’s a quote that would represent your life right now?

“Faithless is he who says farewell when the road darkens.” J.R.R. Tolkien

Thanks so much for stopping by and chatting with us today, Gabe. It's been great having you here!

If you would like to purchase a copy of Resistance, click on one of the following links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble


We would like to take this opportunity to thank the author, Stephanie Judice, for allowing us to delve deeper into the minds of her characters. It has been a wonderful experience getting to know them. We cannot wait to learn more and more about them throughout this series!

If you'd like to add Stephanie's Books to your Goodreads list, click on the links below:
Rising
Resistance
If you'd like to stalk Stephanie, click on the links below:
Stephanie on Goodreads
Stephanie Judice's Fan Site on Goodreads
Stephanie on Twitter
Saga of the Setti on Facebook
Stephanie's Blog

I'd also like to take the opportunity to thanks all the blogs that participated in this great event, as well as all the Facebookers and Tweeters! It's been a great experience working with you all! Please visit thes other blogs to show your support:

1.      Brooke DelVecchio The Cover Contessa: http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com/

2.      Rebekah Campbell Reflections of a Bookworm: http://reflectivebookworm.blogspot.com/

3.      Amanda Cowley Blog: http://amandaleighcowley.blogspot.com/

4.      Christina M Condy  Blog: http://www.recentread.com/

5.      Bethany/YA Vixens: http://yavixens.blogspot.com

6.      Rhomy Blog: http://iknowthatbook.wordpress.com/

7.      Soma/ Insomnia of Books  Blog: http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

8.      Marni Jarman/Word to Dreams: http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html

9.      Helena Ison/Accepted Wisdom: http://icanonlybehele3.blogspot.com

10.   Stephanie Judice/ A Writer’s Rest Stop: http://stephaniejudice.blogspot.com/ 

Character Quest: Day 6!

Welcome to day #6 of the Resistance Character Quest. We hope you are all finding our bios and questions interesting and enlightening. Today we are privileged to welcome Sonya to the blog.

Sonya's Bio: Vanquisher for Herrald’s clan. There is no one who will tell you like it is the way Sonya will—whether you like it or not. She’s strong-willed almost to a fault. Jeremy’s nickname for her is “she-cat.” And she totally deserves it.

It's so great to have you with us here today, Sonya! We're glad you stopped by to QUELL our inquisitive minds! On with our interview...

 What is your favorite movie?

Kill Bill by Quentin Tarantino. Uma Thurman kicks ass in that movie. So cool.

What is a special childhood memory?

Well, I certainly don’t divulge this kind of information often, but I’ll be honest with you. My favorite childhood memory was Christmas when I was 9 years old. My dad was on tour in Afghanistan, and I knew he wouldn’t be home in time. Still, I also knew that he would send me something special. That morning, it was just Mom, Grandpaw and me. I kept opening presents, every time hoping it was the special one from Dad. After opening everything under the tree, Mom finally gave me a small, red-wrapped package the size of a jewelry box.

The way my mom smiled with tears in her eyes, I knew this was the one. But what could it be? The box was so light. My dad knew I didn’t care for jewelry, not really. I’ve always been a bit of a tomboy. Very excited, I unwrapped it and opened the box gently. Inside, there was a small, square sheet of paper. In my dad’s handwriting, it said, “I love you, Buttercup.  Look outside.”

I ran to the window and pushed opened the curtains. There in the middle of the front yard was my dad, beaming from ear to ear with a giant red ribbon wrapped around him. Needless to say, it was a happy reunion—the best Christmas ever.

(If you tell any of the others my nickname was ‘Buttercup,’ I might have to kill you.)

 In your clan, who is the easiest to get along with?

That’s easy. Hannah. Sometimes I think she should’ve been a Healer. She’s got that serene, giving spirit, like an angel or something. Sooooooo not like me. Nice to have her around though.

Do you like to sing and dance?

Sing? Uh, no. Never. But I like to dance, or at least I used to. My best friend Jenny and I used to hang out at the top of the bleachers with the band during football games and dance right alongside them. That was so much fun. Wow. I haven’t thought about that in a long time. Feels like years ago, not months.

 What’s a quote that would represent your philosophy on life?

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” By Dr. Seuss. I’ve always been one to do and say what I mean and what I feel. Sometimes, I piss people off, but whatever. Like the quote says, those people don’t matter. I am who I am. No apologies.

Thanks so much for stopping by and letting us into your world a bit, Sonya, it was great having you here!

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Resistance, click on one of the following links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Tomorrow we are excited to welcome Gabe to the blog. So come back and join us for our final day of Character Quest with these wonderful characters from Resistance.
Please visit these other blogs to show your support:

1.      Brooke DelVecchio The Cover Contessa: http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com/

2.      Rebekah Campbell Reflections of a Bookworm: http://reflectivebookworm.blogspot.com/

3.      Amanda Cowley Blog: http://amandaleighcowley.blogspot.com/

4.      Christina M Condy  Blog: http://www.recentread.com/

5.      Bethany/YA Vixens: http://yavixens.blogspot.com

6. Rhomy Blog: http://iknowthatbook.wordpress.com/

7.      Soma/ Insomnia of Books  Blog: http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

8.      Marni Jarman/Word to Dreams: http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html

9.      Helena Ison/Accepted Wisdom: http://icanonlybehele3.blogspot.com

10.   Stephanie Judice/ A Writer’s Rest Stop: http://stephaniejudice.blogspot.com/ 

Character Quest: Day 5

Today we're moving on the day #5 of the Resistance Character Quest. We're gonna be having a little chat with Michael today!

Michael's Bio:  Guardian for Herrald’s clan, there is one word that describes Michael—confident. Some might say he’s cocky, but he doesn’t think so. A motto he lives by? “Know what you want in life then go for it.”

It's so great to have you stop by here today, Michael. We want to welcome you and hope you can break the BUBBLE of curiosity we hold about you! On with our questions!

What’s your favorite book?

Well, I’m not a big reader, but our English teacher once made us read Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. That story has always stuck with me. Jean Valjean was a good guy, but was corrupted by a cruel world, becoming sort of heartless after a 19-year stint in prison for stealing a loaf of bread. When he finally leaves prison, one man teaches him that anyone can change from bad to good, from darkness to light. Valjean ends up doing just that. I love this kind of story. I have to believe that there is redemption for anyone, no matter what dark path they are on.


What do you miss most about high school?

I miss football the most—the guys, my coaches, my best friend, Daniel. There was something about being on that field with my offensive line, calling out plays in the huddle, hearing the crowds in the stands and the coaches calling from the sidelines that made sense to me. Everything was simpler, easier to figure out. Now, the world’s upside-down and we don’t know what’ll happen from one day to the next.


What’s a quote that would represent your life right now?

I remember this guy reciting a monologue from Henry V on Speech Night the very week before the Reapers came. His words are constantly in my head. Well, I guess they’re actually Shakespeare’s words. He said, “From this day to the ending of the world, we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.”

Yeah, that’s how I feel these days, but it goes for the girls, too. I feel tied to the Setti. We’re in this together till the end.

What is a special childhood memory?

Daniel has been my best friend since 1st grade. Even then he was a big kid. He’s always been the big kid. He’s also always been the nice guy. Well, Daniel and I lived about a block apart. When we were in 5th grade, I remember there was this middle-school bully that lived in a house between ours. What was his name, Gary or Jerry, something like that.

One day, I was waiting for Daniel to meet me at my house, and he was taking forever. So I got on my bike and rode after him. Halfway there, I see Gary what’s-his-face with two other scrawny kids surrounding Daniel, throwing globs of dirt at him. Daniel’s just standing there, taking it, even though he was bigger than all of them.

So I rush into the circle, pushing one of the kids to the ground and asked Daniel what was going on. He sort of whispered that his mom told him it was bad to fight. I told him there was always a time to fight and this was that time. It was like a light went off. Daniel pushed skinny kid #2 to the ground then punched Gary right in the nose. Gary squealed like a girl and ran off.

That might seem odd to define a “special childhood memory,” but I’m fond of it, because it was the day Daniel stood up for himself and never looked back. Yes, he was still the nice guy, but no one tried to pick on the “big guy” after that.


What draws you to Clara? Do you think she feels the same?

What’s not to draw me? Number one, there’s undeniable chemistry between us. She’s hot, and well, she seems to like what she sees in me. It’s kind of obvious the way she looks at me all the time. Number two, we’re both Guardians. We just fit in every way.

And yes, she definitely feels the same way. No doubt.

Michael your answers to these questions were certainly enlightening! Thanks so much for stopping by and spending time with us!

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Resistance, click on one of the following links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Stop by tomorrow to meet and hear all about Sonya!
Please visit these other blogs to show your support:

1.      Brooke DelVecchio The Cover Contessa: http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com/

2.      Rebekah Campbell Reflections of a Bookworm: http://reflectivebookworm.blogspot.com/

3.      Amanda Cowley Blog: http://amandaleighcowley.blogspot.com/

4.      Christina M Condy  Blog: http://www.recentread.com/

5.      Bethany/YA Vixens: http://yavixens.blogspot.com

6.      Rhomy Blog: http://iknowthatbook.wordpress.com/

7.      Soma/ Insomnia of Books  Blog: http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

8.      Marni Jarman/Word to Dreams: http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html

9.      Helena Ison/Accepted Wisdom: http://icanonlybehele3.blogspot.com

10.   Stephanie Judice/ A Writer’s Rest Stop: http://stephaniejudice.blogspot.com/ 

Character Quest: Day 4: Jeremy!

It's day #4 of the Resistance Character Quest. We hope you're enjoying getting to know these characters! Today we're gonna hear a bit about Jeremey!

Jeremy's Bio: Sounder for Homer’s clan. Jeremy is calm, cool, and confident.  And, yes, he knows it. His favorite hobbies besides listening to his iPod? Annoying Ben and teasing Clara. Something no one really knows about him? He loves playing the piano.

So excited to have you with us today, Jeremy! Welcome! I hope you have a BLAST answering our questions! Let's get down to them....

What do you miss most about life before the Reapers came?

Let’s see, I hated school, so I didn’t miss much there. Except maybe art class. That was cool. I hated my home-life, so not much to miss there. I know my parents weren’t much of parents, but I do hope they made it out okay. (I doubt it though, so I don’t like to think about that.)

I’d say the only thing I really miss is downloading new songs to iTunes and listening to my favorite bands’ new music. I mean, the idea of no new music being created is driving me crazy! Is this it? Will there be nothing else? That’s insane to think about. We’ve gotta do something about that.

If you could have any three people from history over to dinner, who would it be?

Beethoven, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Amy Lee. Dude, that would be so awesome! Napoleon could tell us stories about fighting in battles and all that, Beethoven could compose music for it, and Amy could sing while I play the piano. Cool, right? I mean, I’ve always wanted to know if Napoleon really was as short as they say he was. I think history experts just make up a lot of stuff. History books are probably full of just made-up opinions by some stuck-up professor somewhere along the line.

I’d bet my iPod that Beethoven was probably a Sounder, too. I just really wanna know. And, why Amy Lee? Have you seen the woman? Have you listened to her? She’s got a set of pipes that light me on fire. If Beethoven and Napoleon stand me up, that’s fine by me. Amy and I will just have a candlelight dinner for two.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Don’t have one. I don’t get embarrassed.

In your Setti clan, who is the most difficult to live with and why?

Melanie is by far the most difficult. She’s gotta have everything in order and in its place. It’s like living with Mary Poppins or something. I mean, who really cares if there are socks on the floor or Ding-Dong wrappers in the car?

What’s a quote that would represent your philosophy on life?

“Now remember, things look bad and it looks like you’re not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. ‘Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That’s just the way it is.” That’s Clint Eastwood in Outlaw Josie Wales, one of the greatest movies ever made. Next to the Star Wars movies, of course

And you can’t forget Obi-Wan Kenobi’s advice: “May the force be with you.” Don’t ever lose the force, dude.

Thanks so much for coming by and chatting with us today, Jeremy. It's been really great learning a bit more about you!

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Resistance, click on these links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

We're excited to welcome Michael here tomorrow to answer some of our questions! Stop by to see what he has to say!

Please visit these other blogs to show your support:

1.      Brooke DelVecchio The Cover Contessa: http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com/

2.      Rebekah Campbell Reflections of a Bookworm: http://reflectivebookworm.blogspot.com/

3.      Amanda Cowley Blog: http://amandaleighcowley.blogspot.com/

4.      Christina M Condy  Blog: http://www.recentread.com/

5.      Bethany/YA Vixens: http://yavixens.blogspot.com

6.      Rhomy Blog: http://iknowthatbook.wordpress.com/

7.      Soma/ Insomnia of Books  Blog: http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

8.      Marni Jarman/Word to Dreams: http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html

9.      Helena Ison/Accepted Wisdom: http://icanonlybehele3.blogspot.com

10.   Stephanie Judice/ A Writer’s Rest Stop: http://stephaniejudice.blogspot.com/