Released (Agents of Evil #1) by Megan Duncan

After a demon apocalypse kills their parents and everyone they know, 17-year old Abby Phillips, her brother, Carter, and friend, Max flee their home to travel through what has become the wastelands of America. When radio transmissions of a resistance offering shelter and safety cease, Abby is tempted to give up. Struggling to overcome life-threatening obstacles in their dangerous journey, Abby and her companions quickly discover there are much worse things lurking in the dark than they could have ever imagined. 

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.

My Review ❈❈❈❈

Wow - this was pretty freaky & intense! You learn real quick that Abby, Cartar, & Max are all very strong & determined characters as they battle demons and try to get to safety. There is never a dull moment! And a little romance here and there is just what it needs in between all the fighting to give hope to them & to the reader! The other people they meet along their way are also very unique & each add their own bit of excitement to the story. I will be looking forward to reading more of their story in the future!

Descended by Blood (Vampire Born #1) by Angeline Kace

Brooke Keller is a high school junior who has never spent much time living in one place. She is finally in a town long enough to almost snag the boy of her dreams, until her life is threatened after killing a fanged man in his attempt to kidnap her. Brooke begins a dangerous journey in an effort to find out who is after her and how to stop them. In a world with powerful and prejudiced vampires, Brooke must tap into the side of her that she never knew existed at the risk of losing her life in order to save it.

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.

My Review ❈❈❈❈

This was a really great book! (And that cover is just amazing!) Just when I think I've read all the good vampire books, another comes along to surprise me! There is so much action in the book, you won't want to put it down. Brooke makes a great heroine as she changes dramatically during this book, both physically & emotionally. And I never really could decide between the 2 hotties in question, Jaren & Mirko. I am definitely looking forward to more of this story!

Madly and Wolfhardt (Books 1 and 2 of the Madly Series) by M. Leighton

Madly is your average nearly-eighteen year old girl-for a mermaid princess, that is.

Madly James is thoroughly enjoying her internship in Slumber when the unthinkable happens-there's a prison break in Atlas, Madly's home beneath the sea. A traitor has set free eight Lore, the spirits of what humans know as fairy tales, and they are making their way to Slumber to awaken their descendants.

The first spirit to arrive is that of Ulrich Wolfhardt, a man that was once obsessed with wolves and a young maiden he would follow through the woods. After a bite from a wolf, Wolfhardt's obsession with the girl became an unnatural hunger and the young maiden's grandmother cursed him with a fate worse than death. And now he's back...with a vengeance and a bite that can infect others as well.

Madly must learn the identity of Wolfhardt's descendant and stop him before he kills again and spreads his curse across the earth. But the only person strong enough to help Madly is Jackson, the Sentinel who vowed to protect her and the one person capable of breaking her heart. Can Madly resist forbidden love long enough to save the world from Wolfhardt? Or will she have to sacrifice her heart and her destiny to save the ones she loves?

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.

My Review ❈❈❈❈❈

AMAZING! Honestly, when I first saw this I wasn't too sure if mermaids sounded very exciting or not. But this is such a great author that she has had me daydreaming about a fish-man! (who thankfully doesn't keep his scales when he's on land- so it's not as weird as it sounds!) Madly is your basic teenager (besides the whole mermaid princess thing) until all hell breaks loose underwater and she is forced into an adult position immediately. She is torn between thinking with her head so she can save her people follow through with the future her parents have planned for her and thinking with her heart so she can be with her forbidden love and be happy. Madly & Jackson have to work together to find the Wolf spirit (Wolfhardt) who has escaped from his underwater prison, before he can begin his killing spree. This story is filled with action and suspense to keep you on your toes and constant frustration surrounding Jackson, the sexy sentinel that watches over Madly. This is one of those books that you won't be able to put down until you finish it! I cannot wait for more!

The Hidden (The Hollow #3) by Jessica Verday

A love that knows no bounds.

Abbey knows that Caspian is her destiny. Theirs is a bond that transcends even death. But as Abbey finally learns the full truth about the dark fate that links her to Caspian and ties them both to the town of Sleepy Hollow, she suddenly has some very hard choices to make. Caspian may be the love of her life, but is that love worth dying for?

Beautifully spun, emotionally gripping, and irresistibly romantic, The Hidden will leave you breathless.
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads. 

My Review ❈❈❈❈❈

Wow!! That was just amazing!! My heart is still racing and my eyes are still full of tears! This was just the perfect ending to this impossible love story. Abbey & Caspian go through so much more pain as they try to figure out how they can continue to be together, but they have so many achingly beautiful moments together as well. There was never a dull moment as I raced through this book and while I am deeply saddened that this is the end of Abbey & Caspian's story, I am thrilled with the way things turned out.

See my review of The Hollow (The Hollow @1) by Jessica Verday and The Haunted (The Hollow #2) by Jessica Verday. 

Ashfall (Ashfall #1) by Mike Mullin

Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don't know it's there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.

Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget.

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.

My Review ❈❈❈❈

I wasn't really sure how to categorize this book, it definitely has that depressing-yet-hopeful feel of a dystopian. But the scary part is that they are actually living through the disaster as it happens. The eruption of this supervolcano turns their world upside-down as neighbors turn against one another, food & water are destroyed, and death lurks around each corner. This book was so hard to put down because there was so much going on. Every time things would calm down a little and start to get peaceful then BAM! Another catastrophe! I really like Alex because he was quick to accept his situation and push himself hard to do what needed to be done. Darla is an extraordinarily strong & able girl who helps give Alex back his strength any time he is ready to give up. This book definitely wakes you up to the fact that horrible things can happen any day to bring the world to it's knees. The complete chaos and cruelty of a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world could be just around the corner.

To Kill An Angel (Blood Like Poison #3)

Ridley Heller thought her life would be perfect and trouble-free once she had Bo back. Unfortunately, she couldn’t have been more wrong. Learning Bo’s true identity has left them with their most difficult decision yet. They have two options. One, they can run away together and spend eternity looking over their shoulder, hiding from both God and Sebastian. Or, two, they can find a way to kill Sebastian. Ridley feels like there’s really only one choice, but killing Sebastian has a major down side for her—it will leave Bo mortal and her a vampire. She’ll be doomed to walk the earth alone for all eternity.

What will they choose? And who will have to die in order to see their goal accomplished? Find out in the exciting conclusion of the Blood Like Poison series, To Kill An Angel.
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads. 

My Review ❈❈❈❈❈

What an amazing book! And the cover is just beautiful! I'm still getting more tears in my eyes just thinking about it! This whole series was a wonderful blend of two of my favorite things - vampires & angels. The was the most amazing conclusion I could have asked for! There were many moments so frustrating that I just wanted to scream and every scene was so intense I could hardly stand it! The villains are as evil as they come but Ridley and her friends remain as loving and selfless as ever! And Bo, oh Bo.. as always he is a perfect soul whose love for Ridley is extraordinary. Some of the scenes between Ridley & Bo are so hot & steaming they will have you running for a cold shower! There is not a dull moment to the entire book & this has easily made the series one of my favorites!  

Destined for a Vampire (Blood Like Poison #2)

Ridley Heller thought that all her problems would be over if she could have Bo back-back from the dead. But what Ridley didn't know was that her wish would come at a price.

Bo survived a condition that would have killed a lesser vampire, or any vampire for that matter. The only reason he didn't die is because of who he is, someone Ridley doesn't know at all. Someone Bo himself doesn't know at all.

As Ridley gets closer to finding out Bo's true identity, she discovers that loving him could also come at a price, a price much higher than she ever could have imagined. The question is: is there any such thing as a price too high to pay for Bo? For his love, for his safety, for eternity in his arms? 

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.

My Review ☺☺☺☺☺

HO-LY CRAP!! I finished this a little while ago & my heart is still going a mile a minute!! This installment had even more intense action than the first and a lot more emotion, as well! There were parts that were so frustrating I just wanted to scream! The romance was still soft & beautiful in places, as well as building in intensity as the situation deepened. Bo continues to get more & more amazing as we go and Ridley is learning things about herself & changing in ways she never expected. It's a good thing I don't have long to wait for the next book or I would be going completely 

For the Love of a Vampire (Blood Like Poison #1) by M. Leighton

Like most seventeen year olds, Ridley Heller thought she had her future all planned out. What she wanted most in life was to get out of small town Harker. Her only goal was to keep her mouth shut and her grades high so she could win a cheerleading scholarship to Stanford. But that was before she met Bo.

In Ridley's wildest dreams, she could never have planned for someone like Bo, for a love so intense it left her breathless. No human girl could.

A haunting stranger that watched her from afar, Bo stole Ridley's heart from the moment she laid eyes on him. But he has secrets. Bo's a vampire. Both his past and his present are a danger to Ridley, but the biggest threat is not her blood; it's her heart. He's feeding a thirst for revenge that will cost him his life, and it may already be too late.

The more darkness Ridley uncovers, the more she realizes that her life will never be the same-with or without Bo. Can she sacrifice her future and her heart for someone who has a death wish? 

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.

My Review ☺☺☺☺☺

Love this story! Don't be fooled by the girl-meets-vampire description, it doesn't take long to realize that this book is not like any other vampire story! There are twists & turns you can't even imagine. I love the beautiful romance between Ridley and Bo! And there is never a dull moment, something always seems to be lurking up ahead for them. And there's just not enough I can say about Bo, he's dreamy, dangerous, & absolutely perfect. I love Ridley, too, she's confident & caring. She learns quickly how important it is to speak her mind & stand up for her friends instead of sitting by silently. I am so excited to see where their story goes from here!