Justified - Jay Crownover

Case Lawton comes from a family of criminals. So as the sheriff of Loveless, Texas, he's determined to do everything by the book--until he's called to Aspen Barlow's office after a so-called break-in. The last thing he wants to do is help the woman who cost him custody of his son. But Aspen isn't the heartless lawyer Case remembers, and he starts to question his long-held grudge...

Aspen is scared for her life, and Case is her last hope for protection. But to get him on her side, she'll have to reveal the painful truth from all those years ago. Now, as they work together to track down a dangerous criminal, Case and Aspen learn to trust each other. And as the threats escalate, it becomes clear there's a thin line between love and hate... because there's nothing Case wouldn't do to keep her safe.

Justified is the first installment in the Loveless, Texas series, written by author Jay Crownover and published in 2019. It definitely can be read as a standalone, and is written in alternating POVs. It is set in the small town of Loveless, Texas, and features an enemies to lovers trope that I usually love. This book recounts the story of Case and Aspen. They knew each other in high school but their lives were never intertwined back then. Fast forward to Aspen's return to town after having left, Case is going through a rough patch, takes it out on her, and they become enemies. 

Fast forward some more and Aspen's going through a rough patch, Case is bound by duty to help her, yada, yada, yada... To be honest, this book was crappy af. I was definitely expecting so much more from Crownover. The pacing wasn't right, I felt like the back story was lacking, the relationships there had so much potential, there was a lot of filling and a lack of depth between the main characters' relationship. It didn't even make me want to read the next books in this series, I mean... nothing. I give it three inconspicuous stars.   

Kill Switch - Penelope Douglas

WINTER

Sending him to prison was the worst thing I could've done. It didn't matter that he did the crime or that I wished he was dead. Perhaps I thought I'd have time to disappear before he got out or he'd cool off in jail and be anything but the horror he was.

But I was wrong. Three years came and went too fast, and now he's anything but calm. Prison only gave him time to plan.

And while I anticipated his vengeance, I didn't expect this.

He doesn't want to make me hurt. He wants to make everything hurt.

DAMON

First thing's first. Get rid of her daddy. He told them I forced her. He told them his little girl was a victim, but I was a kid, too, and she wanted it just as much as I did.

Step two... Give her, her sister, and her mother nowhere to run and no fuel to escape. The Ashby women are alone now and desperate for a knight in shining armor.

But that's not what's coming.

No, it's time I listened to my father and took control of my future. It's time I showed them all--my family, her family, my friends--that I will never change and that I have no other ambition than to be the nightmare of their lives.

Starting with her.

She'll be so scared, she won't even be safe in her own head by the time I'm done with her. And the best part is I won't have to break into her home to do it.

As the new man of the house I have all the keys.

Kill Switch is the third book in the Devil's Night series written by author Penelope Douglas. It's a romantic suspense published in 2019, and a continuation of the story from the previous books, alas, with different main characters: Willow and Damon. This book, as the other two can be read as standalones, though it is adviced to read it following the order of the series. Kill Switch is told in alternating POVs; Willow and Damon knew each other before the fatal night, and as in Corrupt, the male main character is seeking revenge after been wronged by Willow. The story is told through flashbacks and current events, and the plot is a bit more complex than the other two, giving us insight for the reason behind Damon's hateful character.

Willow has always had a difficult relationship with Damon. He is her nemesis, and also her closest friend, unbeknowst to her. Damon had a rough life. Very rough. So obviously, he's a dick. Events are set in motion that are not either of them's fault and when she purposefully sits in court and let's him go to jail for a crime he did not commit, the game is on. He is cruel, he is taunting, he is broken. He is also, very much desperate for her. Willow, on the other hand is badass, not in the same way as Banks, she wasn't a fighter in the strict sense of the word, but oh she was fierce. She was rebelious. And she stood her ground. She fought with all she had: a whole lot of heart.

There is no justification possible for everything Damon did. There is a strong reason behind it, though. Our childhood molds us, it gives us the tools we need to deal with the ugly, and Damon did not have a childhood. I feel like in certain ways he remained the child that was suppressed before it had the chance to bloom, only not the good parts of him. The tantrums, the envy, his black and white view of things... made him a monster. This has been by far, my favorite book of the series. I give it four point six inconspicuous stars.  

Hideway - Penelope Douglas

BANKS

Buried in the shadows of the city, there’s a hotel called The Pope. Ailing, empty, and dark—it sits abandoned and surrounded by a forgotten mystery.

But you think it’s true, don’t you, Kai Mori? The story about the hidden twelfth floor. The mystery of the dark guest who never checked in and never checks out. You think I can help you find that secret hideaway and get to him, don’t you?

You and your friends can try to scare me. You can try to push me. Because even though I struggle to hide everything I feel when you look at me—and have ever since I was a girl—I think maybe what you seek is so much closer than you’ll ever realize.

I will never betray him.

So sit tight.

On Devil’s Night, the hunt will be coming to you.

KAI

You have no idea what I seek, Little One. You don’t know what I had to become to survive three years in prison for a crime I would gladly commit again.

No one can know what I’ve turned into.

I want that hotel, I want to find him, and I want this over.

I want my life back.

But the more I’m around you, the more I realize this new me is exactly who I was meant to be.

So come on, kid. Don’t chicken out. My house is on the hill. So many ways in, and good luck finding your way out.

I’ve seen your hideaway. Time to see mine.

 Hideaway is book #2 in the Devil's Night series by author Penelope Douglas. It is a romantic suspense published in 2017, and a continuation of the events that began with Corrupt. It can also be read as a standalone but is much richer when read in order and with its fellow pre and sequels. Hideaway is also told in alternating POVs and recounts the story of Banks and Kai. As in the first installment, Hideaway's main characters have known each other since before jailtime happened. The story interweaves future and past events, through a series of flashbacks. Banks is a tomboy. Emotionally abused, with a need to prove herself and a grudge to hold. Kai is a fallen hero of japanese origins who holds honor and family above all and is struggling to regain one and keep the other safe.

She has feelings for Kai but her love for the other guy is binding. Kai is oblivious to why and jealous af. I feel like in some parts of the story the pacing is a little slow, but I like the depth of both characters. Banks has not had it easy and it's interesting to be inside her mind and see how she thinks everything through. I also liked the decisiveness of Kai. He knew what he wanted and he reached a point where he took no prisoners. Additionally, I liked that he cared about his parents and he struggled to reach their expectations, I feel like it's easy to relate to that. I think that, of all the Horsemen, he was the more mellow. He took things serious even when he needed that escape during Devil's Night. It was an impossible predicament they both found themselves in and I liked that it wasn't easy.

All in all, this kept building the playground for Damon's story. The energy, the chemistry, that uncomfortable pea beneath my bed when I read this... it was all there. As with the previous book, I also liked the relationships between all the characters and how Douglas managed to make them rough to start but built to endure. The story is full of suspense and thrill and loyalty issues. You know what I loved most, though? Those scenes in the confessional... talk about vulnerability and raw honesty. *swoon* The story keeps getting better with this Devil's Night series. I give this particular installment four inconspicuous stars.

Corrupt - Penelope Douglas

Erika

I was told that dreams were our heart’s desires. My nightmares, however, became my obsession.

His name is Michael Crist.

My boyfriend’s older brother is like that scary movie that you peek through your hand to watch. He is handsome, strong, and completely terrifying. The star of his college’s basketball team and now gone pro, he’s more concerned with the dirt on his shoe than me.

But I noticed him.

I saw him. I heard him. The things that he did, and the deeds that he hid…For years, I bit my nails, unable to look away.

Now, I’ve graduated high school and moved on to college, but I haven’t stopped watching Michael. He’s bad, and the dirt I’ve seen isn’t content to stay in my head anymore.

Because he’s finally noticed me.

Michael

Her name is Erika Fane, but everyone calls her Rika.

My brother’s girlfriend grew up hanging around my house and is always at our dinner table. She looks down when I enter a room and stills when I am close. I can always feel the fear rolling off of her, and while I haven’t had her body, I know that I have her mind. That’s all I really want anyway.

Until my brother leaves for the military, and I find Rika alone at college.

In my city.

Unprotected.

The opportunity is too good to be true as well as the timing. Because you see, three years ago she put a few of my high school friends in prison, and now they’re out.

We’ve waited. We’ve been patient. And now every last one of her nightmares will come true.

Corrupt is the first installment on the Devil's Night Series by author Penelope Douglas. It is a dark, new adult romance published in 2015. It is told in alternating POVs and can be read as a standalone, with no cliffhanger. Basically, this is the beginning of the story for a group of miscreants. It follows the story of Michael and Rika. She was intended for his brother. He was an asshole. There was a misunderstanding. Revenge. And so on...

Now... regarding the plot, overall it was a little unrealistic that a misunderstanding could go so far. I mean, communication zero. Supposedly, Michael's three best friends go to jail because of something Erika did on Devil's Night. What is Devil's Night? you might ask. Well, it's a tradition that takes place a couple of nights before Halloween, established by these four, hot, entitled, rich boys, during which they have all sorts of dark fun, not always legal and yet not always wrong? They sort of like taking justice in their own hands. Anyways, Michael leaves town and the whole time his friends are in jail, the Four Horsemen (yes, that's the name they were called in school), plot their revenge against Erika. All the while, she's completely oblivious as to why they hate her that much. 

There's also the fact that she can no longer stand Michael's overbearing and controlling brother: she wants to break free of all influence. Cue her departure to the same city Michael is currently inhabiting. A whole lot of interaction later, Michael can't figure out if he hates her as much as he wants her, and his friends start getting impatient with him. There's a thing with a friend and a crime with a bro. Plot twist and heartbreak later, the happy ending of this part of the story.

Here's the thing, the story was crazy engaging, the sex was crazy hot, and there were a bunch of scenes that had me uncomfortable. See the thing about uncomfortable books is... they make you feel too much, and think too much. The what-ifs are a mindfuck. This book had all that, so why did I give it three point eight inconspicuous stars? I didn't much like the main characters. Neither Rika nor Michael really changed from the course of events: he seamed immature and she seemed... unfeeling, too forgiving? I don't know. This book kept me all night, though. It set the pace for a grander story and the relationships among all characters had a spark to them that I utterly enjoyed. 

Punk 57 - Penelope Douglas

"We were perfect together. Until we met."

Misha

I can’t help but smile at the words in her letter. She misses me. In fifth grade, my teacher set us up with pen pals from a different school. Thinking I was a girl, with a name like Misha, the other teacher paired me up with her student, Ryen. My teacher, believing Ryen was a boy like me, agreed.

It didn’t take long for us to figure out the mistake. And in no time at all, we were arguing about everything. The best take-out pizza. Android vs. iPhone. Whether or not Eminem is the greatest rapper ever...

And that was the start. For the next seven years, it was us.

Her letters are always on black paper with silver writing. Sometimes there’s one a week or three in a day, but I need them. She’s the only one who keeps me on track, talks me down, and accepts everything I am. We only had three rules. No social media, no phone numbers, no pictures. We had a good thing going. Why ruin it?

Until I run across a photo of a girl online. Name’s Ryen, loves Gallo’s pizza, and worships her iPhone. What are the chances?

F*ck it. I need to meet her.

I just don’t expect to hate what I find.

Ryen

He hasn’t written in three months. Something’s wrong. Did he die? Get arrested? Knowing Misha, neither would be a stretch. Without him around, I’m going crazy. I need to know someone is listening. It’s my own fault. I should've gotten his number or picture or something.

He could be gone forever. Or right under my nose, and I wouldn’t even know it.

Punk 57 is, as per author Penelope Douglas, a new adult romance novel published in 2016. It recounts the story of Ryen and Misha, who've been penpals for years but have never met. That did not prevent them from becoming best friends, though. The story is told in both of the main character's POV, so the reader is given quite an insight on how their minds work.

The truth is it had been a long while since I picked up a book that I could honestly not put down. I started it at about 4pm and ended up going to bed when I finished it at 5am. It's intense, it grips your insides so fucking tight and doesn't let up. Usually, when I've read books that contain bullying and assholery, it's the male character that does all the fun shenanigans; one of my favorite things about this particular book is that she is the villain, and oh how utterly hate-able she was! Loved that. Because honestly, we rarely get told a story in which that cheerleading bitch is the main character, we rarely know their minds.

Misha is the most awesome, badass character, and I loved that he put her in her place. I loved the way he pushed back and demanded more from her. More depth, more courage, more fight. He was perfect. Their interactions were full of feelings, it's like I could feel their energy dripping from the pages of that book. If you're too sensitive, though, I should warn you against the slight tint of erotica portrayed in the sex scenes. Regarding Ryen, I liked the vulnerability of her but... I'm not sure I liked the fact that she needed him in order to change. I guess we're not always able to grow on our own, but I like that trait in a female character and I didn't see it here. She grew, but I'm not sure she would've without him. This is a very real issue, though.

The author took some very real situations teenagers face and stamped them all over the story. Thinking back to my high school years, it was difficult standing on your own, figuring out who you wanted to be, and how to get there, at the same time trying to keep your friends and family in a balance. You do make bad choices, you do have regrets. And eventually, you need to figure out a way to grow the fuck up, without screwing up the rest of your life. Mrs. Douglas did that. With this story she showed us the good, the bad, and the ugly. And I lived for it!

All in all, Punk 57 has 4.8 inconspicuous stars.

Legendary - Stephanie Garber

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister, Scarlett, from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice, but now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever...

Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . the games have only just begun.

Legendary is a fantasy, fiction, young adult novel published in 2018, and written by author Stephanie Garber. It is the second installment of the Caraval Trilogy, and is set in a world full of magic and adventures. Caraval recounted Scarlett's journey into a game full of mystery. Legendary on the other hand, recounts her sister Tella's plunge into a very real but very magical race against time... and other myths. It's written almost entirely in the heroine's POV and has some romance woven into it. 

Where to start, though, with this review? I had a love-hate relationship with the heroine from the start of the book. She was brave but sometimes stupid, in the sense that, well... horror movie heroine decides to wander alone in lonely places. What good ever comes from that? She was passionate, she was stubborn, she cared. The way she tries to protect herself from love is definitely something relatable, I mean you know yourself but who knows the other person entirely? Most of the book was predictable except, for the one thing I'm still dying to know: Legend or the Prince of Hearts? Goddamn but I want that prince! So yeah, there's a huge cliffhanger, and although I usually do not like those, I'm living for this one. 

There's an ocean of information from the first book to this one, on the characters. You learn a lot from them. A character that still has me curious is Tella and Scarlett's mom; I cannot wait to read her full story. In this book, the reader can sort of understand the why of Tella's and Scarlett's different personality traits. A different side of Scarlett is also revealed in this book; she's way more secretive and seems more fragile than before, in a sense. With Legend, I feel like that character could have been developed... more. I don't know, I'm also sort of a sucker for the villains so that might be why I didn't find him as intriguing. He was predictable. The Prince of Hearts, though: perfection. So little is actually revealed about him, and yet one definitely feels a strong pull to discover more about him. 

To be honest, when I first went in with this Trilogy, I did so with no expectations. I was excited because I love a pretty cover and it was recommended by a friend of my sister's that still has not disappointed me with her suggestions. (Thanks Lala!) But my usual reads are a bit more adult. These two, were totally worth it getting out of my comfort zone. And I will definitely be picking up Finale. This is the kind of fantasy/fiction book that makes you want to keep reading and submerge yourself in a particular author's world. I give it 4.4 inconspicuous stars! 

Wicked Nights - Gena Showalter

Leader of the most powerful army in the heavens, Zacharel has been deemed nearly too dangerous, too ruthless-and if he isn't careful, he'll lose his wings. But this warrior with a heart of ice will not be deterred from his missions, at any cost...until a vulnerable human tempts him with a carnal pleasure he's never known before.

Accused of a crime she did not commit, Annabelle Miller has spent four years in an institution for the criminally insane. Demons track her every move, and their king will stop at nothing to have her. Zacharel is her only hope for survival, but is the brutal angel with a touch as hot as hell her salvation-or her ultimate damnation?

Wicked Nights is a paranormal romance released in 2012, and written by author Gena Showalter. It is the first book in Gena Showalter's new Angels of the Dark series. This series is a spin-off of the Lords of the Underworld series and follows a group of warrior angels who are about to be kicked out of the heavens. It recounts the story of warrior angel Zacharel, and Annabelle, who has been accused of bloodily murdering her parents and insanity, and thus, is confined in an institution for the criminally insane.

The truth is, this is a good story, not excellent, not even close to Ward's or Ione's paranormal, but it's good. Anabelle is an ok heroine, even though I feel like she should have evolved a little more as a character. It's not that she's underdeveloped, it's more like because of the fast pace of the novel and the need to cram it up with details that are not necessary (again, not bad details just... not really necessary), she fell shorter in terms of growth than I expected her to be. Zacharel on the other side, I do wish I could've know better. I feel like his character was merely brushed upon, and we were only given glimpses of what he was like because of his fondness for his brother and his relationships with his soldiers. Their sexy scenes were... more sweet than sexy, actually. No steam there, and I didn't really see the build up of trust you would expect from significant others. I don't know, I guess it was a strange read, even if I partially enjoyed it.

As for the plot twist and the antagonist, as soon as the antagonist was presented I knew what the plot twist was going to be, so it was sort of predictable. I don't even remember were I was browsing books when I stumbled upon this one, so I can't say I had many expectations about it. The blurb sort of reeled me in, and it turned out to be entertaining, if not overly exciting. I was also introduced to some characters from the Lords of the Underworld series, which were very intriguing. Even if I decide not continue with this spin-off, they had me curious enough to try one of her other series. Overall, I give it 3.0 inconspicuous stars.