Stacking the Shelves #5

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that allows us to showcase our recently received books.  Let the 'To Be Read' lists pile!

Hey, guys!
Oh my gosh, you all have no idea how excited and ecstatic I am that it's almost Thanksgiving!  The one day a year I can stuff my belly to my heart's delight and not give a damn what anyone thinks!  Such.  Freedom.
Haha, anyway, I just went to B&N and picked up some long-awaited titles that I can't wait to dig into, and when I say "long-awaited," I mean, like, many difficult months.  Months of obsessively checking certain authors' blogs in the hope of getting juicy information on said "long-awaited" books.  I'm just a liiiittle obsessed.....

~ Pawn 

~ Crash Into You 

~ Very Bad Things (Kindle format)

Submerged Book Blitz!

After a mysterious virus makes its way into the United States, the government demands that states seal themselves off from one another and do their best to protect their surviving residents. When the state of Florida is bordered off from the surrounding states, Taylen Fincher, a seventeen-year-old girl with a yearning for her former life finds herself wondering how much of what they’ve been told is true.

When Troum took control of the state, he told the residents that the other states had fallen to the virus and that he wouldn’t allow the same thing to happen to them. But Taylen doesn’t believe it. She insists that there is still life outside of the state, and she is going to do whatever it takes to prove it… but her actions will cost her more than she ever expected.

Troum kidnaps Taylen’s sister, Penelope, in hopes of coaxing her into behaving – into being a submissive resident, much like the others. But Taylen isn’t one to give in that easily.

Eager to rescue her sister, Taylen will set out on an adventure that’ll force her to open her heart to the unexpected and to uncover secrets that will change everything.

SUBMERGED is the first book in a YA dystopian duology.

~ Goodreads

  

About the Author

Nicole Sobon is the author of the Emile Reed Chronicles, Capture, No Place Like Home, and various short stories.

   

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Better

Title: Better (Too Good #2)

Author: S. Walden

Genre: NA/Romance

Release Date: November 19, 2013

My Rating:
♥♥♥♥♡

Their relationship has been exposed, and now their lives are changed forever. 

 For Cadence Miller, the fast track to adulthood proves intimidating and frustrating.  She’s a little girl lost—abandoned by her family and uncertain of her future.  She doesn’t think she “fits” anywhere. She’s eighteen.  She wants to be older.  And the result is both comical and heartbreaking. 

 Mark Connelly will do anything to provide Cadence a stable, loving home—to be her protector.  But he’s just as broken and lost, and his heart won’t let go of his past so easily. He knows he should share his secret with Cadence.  He should trust that she’ll understand. But what if she doesn’t?  What if their love doesn’t grow stronger?   What if it doesn’t get better?

~ Goodreads

Noooo!  Now that I've finished Better, I've finished the series *sniff sniff*  I was hoping for at least one more book in the Too Good series, but I'm just glad that Better ended on a wonderful note.

Cadence Miller and Mark Connelly are forbidden lovers.  The world wanted to separate them, but they overcame the odds and pushed through only to end up in a personal struggle.  Mark's been keeping major secrets about his past from Cadence, and she doesn't take it well.  Cadence completely spirals out of control, and it's up to Mark to put the fragmented pieces of their relationship back together.  Will he be able to do it before Cadence loses all of her faith in their relationship?

So, I love, love, love Good passionately.  It's one of those books that ends with you tucked in a ball and bawling your eyes out (or at least I was...).  But Better didn't do that to me.  I mean, sure there were a lot of sweet and monumentally swoonful scenes, but Cadence was just..... ugh.... truthfully, she acted like a little bitch.  You'd think that since she's totally and completely in love with Mark that she'd forgive him for not being ready to tell her an enormous revelation about his past, but no.  The exact opposite.  Cadence goes berserk, and that's where my problem comes in.  Mark cannot undo his past, and besides, she wasn't even a part of his life at that point, but she gets pissed off anyway!  Cadence was the one acting like a child and being completely immature.  Those scenes drove me insane because I just wanted to reach through the screen of my Kindle and shake some sense into her.  Conclusively, the only problem I had with Better was Cadence's selfish behavior in the middle of the book.

I seriously want my own Mark after reading the epilogue.  Oh my gosh, the flawless epilogue completely unwound my emotions, and I was crying tears of joy and happiness and sadness because Better is the last book in the series.  But, anyways, Walden must have put a lot of heart into that scene because it was so perfect and lovely.

The romance was as sweet as ever, showing just how much Mark and Cadence love each other through their many tender moments.  Better is explicit, so I would only recommend it to anyone 16+!  But other than that, it was wonderfully romantic and Mark had me swooning in my shoes.  Gosh, why can't I have my own Mark?!  Because I would really like one....

The dialogue did drive me crazy, what with its incessant usage of "wanna" and "gotta."  Okay, one, that's not proper grammar (correct grammar, please!), and two, those words made the characters sound younger than they actually were.  I mean, Mark's an English major, right?  He should know better!  "Wanna" coming out of his mouth sounds just plain wrong.

Overall, I'm giving Better a 4.5/5 because it's a sweet and pleasant ending to the series, but Cadence drove me a little crazy.

The Coldest Girl In Coldtown Mini-Review

Title: The Coldest Girl In Coldtown

Author: Holly Black

Genre: YA/Paranormal

Release Date: September 3, 2013

My Rating: 
♥♥♥♥♡

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist.  In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey.  The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave. 

 One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses.  The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret.  Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself. 

 The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

~ Goodreads

Oh goodness... I though Better by S. Walden was going to be released on Tuesday (19th), but apparently it's been out since Sunday (17th), so I'm going to make this a quickie so that I can start Better!

The Coldest Girl In Coldtown is just.... wow.  I definitely was not expecting such a punch from a book about vampires!  Although, the vampires in TCGIT are much edgier and fiercer than the vampires in Twilight.  Oh, and more blood-thirsty.

Tana lives in a world where becoming a vampire is the norm.  A horrible and painful norm, but a norm nonetheless.  Enormous towns are dedicated to vampires and are sealed off, keeping the vampires from spreading the infection any further.  But some vampires have escaped the Coldtowns and are prowling the streets when they come across a high school party, putting Tana and her friends in the vicious vamps' line if sight.  It's a mix for catastrophe, love, and lots of bloodshed.

Edgy, dark, and carnivorous.
Tana, the main character, is so fierce and bad-ass that you immediately love her.  Her adventure in Coldtown in definitely a unique one!  There was so much action that it became a bit difficult to keep up, what with all of the gore and knives and daggers.  There was also a little bit of a romance thrown into the mix, which made me very happy.  I was practically drooling when it came to Gavriel and all of his hotness.  I mean, really, who wouldn't?  Tana and Gavriel are a match made in Cold (if you haven't read the book, you're probably what the hell I'm blabbering about).

TCGIC is beautifully lyrical, enchanting readers with more than just mesmerizingly gorgeous vampires.  I was sucked in from the beginning!  Tana's narration is hypnotic with just a hint of a gothic tone.  In other words, flawlessly perfect.

Overall, I'm giving TCGIC a 4.5/5 because I loved this refreshing take on vixen vampires!

Reap Book Blitz!

Foreign, or rather unfamiliar, would be the word I would use to describe how I felt.

Faintly, I could hear the glimmer of voices surrounding me in this dark haze, caressing my ears like skin against silk. I felt like I was in a cocoon of sorts, protectively enveloped, quietly drifting in some far-off place. I wanted to stay that way forever.

But we all know that what you want never really seems to happen in the real world.

Something’s not right in Mia’s head.

The first thing is that her name isn’t Mia. In fact, she has no clue what her name is—who she is. All that she knows is that she’s not like the ones who found her: Dante with his kind blue eyes, Amy with her child-like demeanor, James with his questioning gaze.

And Briggs.

The one she cannot decipher no matter how hard she tries.

As Mia tries to fit in with these people, a strange occurrence is amidst outside. And as she finally remembers who she is …

Well, let’s just say that things get a little more complicated.

~ Goodreads

    

About the Author

A dreamer, Christina Channelle holds two degrees in health sciences but has always had a passion for writing. You will find her reading other young adult novels, or typing up a new story on her computer. When not writing, Christina spends her free time at the movies, listening to music, or eating sushi. She's a reality TV junkie and has a close relationship with many characters on TV that have been a topic of many heated discussions among friends. She resides in Ontario, Canada.

Her next project is the YA Paranormal Romance, Reap, to be released October 11, 2013.

Author Links:

   

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Tattoo Thief

Title: Tattoo Thief (Tattoo Thief #1)

Author: Heidi Joy Tretheway

Genre: NA/Romance

Release Date: October 8, 2013

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:
♥♥♥♡

22-year-old Beryl doesn't know why Gavin Slater trashed his penthouse, abandoned his dog and fled the country.  But as his house sitter, she must pick up the pieces for the front man of the white-hot rock band Tattoo Thief. 

 When ultra-responsible Beryl confronts the reckless rock star, she wants to know more than just what to do with his mess.  Why is he running?  What’s he searching for?  And is he responsible for the death of his muse? 

 New York newbie Beryl must find her footing in Gavin’s crazy world of the ultra-wealthy to discover her own direction and what can bring him back. 

Steamy, sassy and tender, Tattoo Thief is a story of breaking from a comfort zone to find a second chance.

~ Goodreads

♥A special thank you to Heidi for allowing me to read and review Tattoo Thief!

I was torn between 3.5 and 4 stars, so I settled at 3.75 stars.  
Tattoo Thief is gritty and refreshing, but slightly redundant.

Beryl has been living in Eugene, Oregon for most of her life.  Simple, routine, and mundane.  Inside, she's craving for an adventure, anything to urge her onto the road of Wonderful Careers and Fast-Paced Wonders.  That opportunity arises when a family friend offers Beryl a job she can't say no to.  But there's a catch - she has to leave Eugene and move to large and bustling New York.  Frantic and amazed, Beryl is just at the beginning of her story of mending broken hearts, seeing past false exteriors, and finding a love that was made for her.

Tattoo Thief is a sweet love story with a twist!  I loved the way Beryl and Gavin's relationship unfurled through texts and online chatting.  That's definitely a first for me in the NA world!  Most of the NA books I've read had the bad boy personally introduced into the story through some sort of physical interaction, so I loved that Tattoo Thief had sort of a pen-pal thing going on.  Although, I didn't really feel their chemistry through the online chatting, which would have added so much more to the story.  It just felt like Beryl was flirting with Gavin - sweet and innocent flirting.  Not falling head over heels in love with him.  That part came as a surprise because I thought there would be more development in their relationship.  I wish there had been more palpable chemistry between Beryl and Gavin.

Beryl setting out in a new city was refreshing and enjoyable, but I wanted more.  Her job as a house-sitter and all of the adventures that came along with it was fun to read about, but I wanted more.... more action, maybe?  Okay, not necessarily action, but something along the lines of it.  Like adventures?  I mean, Beryl had some adventures that involved partying and walking dogs and some unsettling men, but I felt like there was something lacking in the story.  There also could have been more of an oomph when it came to Gavin.  He actually wasn't that much of a bad boy, but I wouldn't go so far as to say he was a sweetie pie.  I thought he would be edgy and bad-ass, but he wasn't, unfortunately.  Although, he was lovable!

Tattoo Thief definitely started out slower than I would have liked, but once I got past the first 40%, I was cruising through.  I just wish that Gavin had come into the story earlier because to only have him in the last couple of chapters is plain torture!  In the beginning of Tattoo Thief, I kept asking myself "WHEN IS GAVIN COMING BACK?"  Seriously, I asked that over and over again, and when did I get him?  In the last 20%.  Such a downer.

Overall, I'm giving Tattoo Thief a 3.75/5 because it has great potential, but fell short in some areas.

To Read Or Not To Read...

Hello, wonderful people!

I need help.

Every reader has those books that have been patiently waiting in their TBR lists for a couple of months, or in my case, around a year.  My problem is that I get so conflicted over the differing comments and reviews and I can't decide whether or not to read the book because I obviously don't want to waste money on a book I think I'll end up hating.
So, this is where I need help!
I'm going to list the books I'm not sure are worth reading below, and if you all can comment and tell me whether they're a go or a no-go, I would really, really appreciate it!!

~ Thanks, everyone!

Should Teens Be Forced To Read "Classics" In School?

♥ I know this is a very controversial topic, so just know that these are my opinions!

As a senior in high school, I've read Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Crime and Punishment, and many more classics.  I've listened to my classmates go on so many tangents whenever we're to read these old books for a paper or a project.  I know that classics have set the base for so many of the modern stories we love today (YA!), but I feel like they're not relevant to modern society.  I'm a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice and I adore the movie, but do most teenagers enjoy reading it?  Truthfully, not many do.  And while I think that's a crying shame, there's nothing we can do about it because most teenagers are so used to reading books with Twilight or Hunger Games-esque dialogue and narration.  Many classics are told with narration that sometimes puts even me to sleep.

I know that teachers love to make their students read classics because it helps them to gain insight on all of the different writing styles throughout history.  But is it really beneficial to the students if they don't give a crap about what they're reading?  And what if they don't understand the contextual meanings, the symbolic meanings?  Those are both integral parts of classics, and if they don't understand it, well, here comes a bad test grade.

I - as you all probably know - love, love, love modern YA, so much that I've sworn to always read the genre no matter how old I get.  Dedication, right?  I asked my friends if given the choice between a classic and a modern YA book, which they would pick.
More than 75% picked modern YA.
Now, what does that tell you?  Students should be allowed to read books that have all of the literary double-meanings that classics have.  I don't think classics should be completely taken off the grid, just the ones that are too complex and whose context include nothing more than incessant stream-of-consciousness (I'm talking to you, As The Sun Also Rises!) because, frankly, those types of books put me to sleep faster than a Pre-Cal lecture.

~ What is your opinion on the topic?

Save the Enemy ARC

Title: Save the Enemy

Author: Arin Greenwood

Genre: YA/Mystery

Release Date: November 12, 2013

Source: I won Save the Enemy in a Goodreads First Reads contest

My Rating:
♥♥♥

Everything has been downhill since Zoey Trask’s mother was murdered in a random mugging.  Her younger brother, Ben, is on the autistic spectrum and needs constant supervision. I t’s senior year, and she’s the new girl at a weird private school in Old Town Alexandria, VA, full of kids who seem too nice to be true—including a very cute boy named Pete.  Aside from half-forgotten martial arts and survivalist skills that her widowed father insisted on teaching her (because that is excellent for her social life), Zoey has nothing to offer Pete or anyone else. 

 Then Dad is kidnapped.  Zoey suddenly finds herself sole caretaker of a younger brother she barely understands.  Worse, Ben seems to hold the key to their father’s disappearance in his Dream Diary, a bizarre journal of names and places Ben claims that their mother shares from beyond the grave.  And as if Zoey doesn’t have enough on her plate, there’s Pete, who stubbornly refuses to leave her side. 

 Relying on the skills she never wanted to learn—Dad might have had his reasons after all—Zoey is plunged into a lethal battle to rescue her father, protect her brother, and determine the identity of her family’s true enemy.

~ Goodreads

Oh goodness.... I have such mixed emotions towards this book.

Zoey Trask lived a seemingly unconventional life up until her mother was murdered in a random mugging in Washington.  Since that night, her father has been pulling farther and farther away from Zoey and her autistic brother Ben.  When her father is kidnapped without a warning, Zoey's life is turned upside down.  Her family is not who she thought they were.  She's no longer living a normal life as she attempts to hunt down her father's kidnapper and discovers her family's secrets, coloring them in a different and strange light.

What I Liked:
Save the Enemy had some very humorous parts!  It's more like the 'weirdo humor' than actual joke humor.  But, nonetheless, I was laughing pretty hard when it came to Zoey's witty and awkward narration.
The narration was actually - despite its flaws - entertaining.  I feel like Zoey was a good protagonist who held her ground throughout the story.

What I Didn't Like:
When you read a YA book, you expect to not have any overtly political and/or religious themes running through it, right?  Wrong.  Totally wrong.  Zoey went on a couple political tirades, making it crystal clear which political party the author belongs to.  It made me very uncomfortable because, frankly, I don't care what political party you belong to because it's none of my business!  I just want to read!  Oh, and don't even get me started on the religious bashing!  Really, I don't care if you believe in God or not, and I don't want to hear your completely secular rant on why there is no God.  Just...ugh.
The plot had a lot of potential, but the story didn't live up to it.  I felt like Save the Enemy lacked in some crucial points, like explaining what the hell was going on.  Seriously, when I finished the book I was still so confused because there were so many holes that were not patched up throughout the story, like why Zoey's mother had the secret occupation that she had had, and what exactly Pete was doing for his mother.  If the author had just explained these points, I would have enjoyed Save the Enemy much, much more.
There was absolutely no chemistry between Zoey and Pete.  It was just "I want to have babies with him."  Ummm, sweetie, you just met him.  Yeah, awkward is an understatement.  There was hand holding and hand rubbing, but sparks were essentially nonexistant.
Zoey was a bit of an idiot in some parts of the book.  If your dad was kidnapped, would you go to a party because it's your senior year and you want to potentially get wasted?  I'd hope the answer is no, but in Zoey's super special case, the answer is "Sure!  Why not?"  What the hell....

Overall, I'm giving Save the Enemy a 3/5 because the plot was interesting, but the story did not cut it, and the author left some integral parts of the story unexplained.

Fave Covers of November!

Hey, guys!

There are so many wonderful books coming out in November with equally gorgeous covers, so I thought "Why not do a blog post on my fave covers?"  And here I am.  Blogging and gushing about covers I wish I could design.  Wouldn't it be so much fun to design book covers for a living?  Oh my gosh, that would be such an amazing job.

Got to love JLA.

Love the merging of colors!

Another Michelle Zink book?  Yes, please!  It's been way too long!

The car background is definitely fitting!

So dramatic!  Not to mention fabulous!

~ What November books are you all eagerly awaiting?

The Darkest Minds

Title: The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1)

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Genre: YA/Dystopia

Release Date: December 18, 2012

My Rating: 
♥♥♥♥♥

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed.  Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police.  Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.”  She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control. 

 Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.  

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life.  Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River.  She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp.  Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby.  But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close.  Not after what happened to her parents. 

 When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader.  But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government.  Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

~ Goodreads

If you plan on reading The Darkest Minds, it'd be a good idea to read it during the weekend because you'll most likely be so glued to the romance, action, and pure awesomeness that you'll completely forget about getting your healthy 8 hours.  Of course, getting an adequate amount of sleep always seems to be a reoccurring problem with bookworms.

Ruby is trapped in a world filled with monsters.  Monsters that can manipulate with a brush of their hand, move entire cars with the sweep of a fingertip, and wash a person's mind completely blank with a sharp glance.  Ruby is one of these monsters.
The "Psi" - dangerous kids - are kept in facilities run by the government, used to contain them for fear of their powers.  But when Ruby escapes one of these camps and meets up with three runaways, her luck changes.  She's thrust into a world filled with adrenaline and fear - fear of being captured and thrown to the wolves.  Ruby discovers a love she never thought she could have for someone else.  Will she be captured along with her friends, or will they escape the grip of "the darkest mind?"

I really, really enjoyed this book!  I had uber high expectations for The Darkest Minds because of all the praise it's received from other bloggers, and I am now proud to say I'm an official Darkest Minds fan!

I'm a huge fans of dystopia novels, like Shatter Me and Through the Ever Night, which TDM felt like a combination of the two.  This is a dark dsytopia; there's a lot, lot, lot of violence and smashing bones and pouring blood, and....well, you get my drift.  Remember, violence.  Although, the violence was a major factor in keeping the book interesting, what with the Ruby and the gang getting ambushed around 3 or 4 times.

I am Team Liam!  Oh my gosh, I loved Liam and all of his sweet Southern glory.  In my mind, his character actually had Liam Hemsworth's face.  I mean, their descriptions matched up; light blue eyes and blond hair.  It's a perfect match!  Now, I had the exact opposite feelings when it came to Clancy, and I don't want to be all spoilery, so I'll just leave it at this: DOUCHE.

The ending.  *Sniff sniff*  The ending made me bawl like a two-year old toddler having an explosive tantrum.  Just, why?  It's pretty darn heart breaking, if you ask me.  It's also sort of a cliff hanger... I mean, it's a perfect ending to pick back up on in the sequel, but it was too sad and complicated and ugh.

The second book in the trilogy, Never Fade, is out now, so I'm jumping in my seat and very eager to get my hands on it as soon as possible!

Overall, I'm giving The Darkest Minds a 5/5 because it's served with a plate of happiness and a side of wow.

October DNF

Hi, guys!

So, I know that it's now wonderful November, but I thought I'd do a list of my October did-not-finish books.  There aren't very many on the list, so this should be a quickie!

Wicked Fate was intriguing and addictive.... in the beginning.  I just slowly started to lose interest the farther I got into it.  Mage was an odd - but sweet - girl, and I genuinely liked her!  But when she gained a friend (I seriously forgot the girl's name already....) and a boyfriend, it just became way too cheesy and unoriginal for me to handle.  I also have this weird pet peeve where I won't read a book unless the main character is 16 years of age or older, and Mage is 15, so I didn't really like that aspect of it.  I'm not sure what it is, maybe it's just the fact that most YA novels have a main character that's at least 16, and I've just gotten used to it.

What the hell is it with everyone loving A Different Blue on Goodreads?  Really, the only reason I got this book was because it was praised by so many people on Goodreads, and I figured that I would love it as much - if not more - than them.  Goodness, I was so wrong.  It's awesome how Blue is Native American and strongly connected to her roots, but the flashbacks were too much.  I mean, really, one in between every chapter?  I think that's overkill.  Harmon just had to give Blue the most boring hobby (in my opinion) - carving.  Seriously, you couldn't have made her a photographer or a painter?  You had to go with carver?  Ugh...

~ Has anyone else read these books?

Goddess

Title: Goddess (Starcrossed #3)

Author: Josephine Angelini

Genre: YA/Fantasy

Release Date: May 28, 2013

My Rating:
♥♥♥♡

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war.  But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.  To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends.  

As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance.  Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores. 

 In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars.  With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

~ Goodreads

I'm so disappointed in Goddess!  I was expecting a humongous blast of awesomeness, and what did I get?  Just a wimpy splash.  This is definitely one of those books that you might want to freshen up on the characters before taking a stab at.  Oh my gosh, I had completely forgotten who was who, so I had to make a list of all the characters so that I could keep up and not be completely lost (I was pretty darn lost).  Leaving a series on your book shelf for more than a year will do that to you.

Super short summary of Goddess because I've completely forgotten what happened in the two preceding books: War is approaching.  Helen's powers are gaining in strength every day and are planting doubt in the hearts of those closest to her.  The gods are outnumbered by the scions, but not by their intelligence.  The sneaky, dopple-ganger gods are planning to take Helen's new world from her, no mater what the cost.  With Lucas and Helen's family by her side, she will take on the very beings that created her.

Three Reasons Why I Was Disappointed In Goddess

1. I hate love triangles.  I hate them with a fiery ball of burning passion, and do you know what's in Goddess?  A love triangle.  Lucky me.  Personally, I'm on team Lucas, mostly because Helen was with him first, and also because I imagine him being eons more attractive than Orion.  Helen's wavering attraction between the two drove me crazy.  Completely ballistic, actually.  I get how Helen would be freaked out by Lucas because they're supposedly cousins, but to try to have sex with Orion to get Lucas out of your mind?  Nuh-uh, honey.  You know it's not going to work because sex only lasts for a little bit and when it's over you'll just start bawling because you'll feel like you betrayed Lucas.  Common sense, right?
I'm definitely a hater of love triangles....

2. The beginning of Goddess was so slow!  The one thing I don't like about books is when it starts out weak; books should start off strong and then gradually become weaker so that you don't notice it as much.  But when it's right off the bat, you - unfortunately -  notice it.  I felt like I was just drifting through the first couple of chapters, aimlessly drifting in and out while nothing significant happens.

3. Goddess was dramatically weaker than Starcrossed and Dreamless.  I loved, loved, loved the first two books in the series, but I didn't even come close to loving Goddess, although I do love the cover.... The preceding books in the trilogy were memorable and quote-worthy, while Goddess is just like "Yeah, it was okay.  I'll probably forget about it in a week."  Or at least that's what I would say.  I think Goddess was weaker partially because it lacked romance.  There was barely any romance, and when there was, it was very sparingly described.  I love Helen and Lucas together and would've liked more romance scenes between the two, mostly because I didn't sense their connection.

Overall, I'm giving Goddess a 3.5/5 because I was expecting so much more.