Reviews Archive - Night Owl Reads

Lightning Kissed (Lucent #1) by Lila Felix

I’m glad I signed up for this tour because I loved the story of Colby and Theo and the idea of traveling in a blink of an eye. It’s a lovely story. I’ve included information about the book after the jump. There’s also a giveaway at the end of this post. I have not read a paranormal book in a long time and it’s refreshing to be sucked into a fictional world like this one, ESPECIALLY since it’s a clean book. It doesn’t have sex in the story. Lightning Kissed has a “Jumper” feel to it. Lucents can travel to any place as long as they have an exact idea where to go. Like in the movie, pictures help visualize where they will end up. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a power like that? You can go anywhere you want without having to take a plane or wait hours to get there. I for one would enjoy seeing and spending time in a different place every day. It’s like the ultimate backpacker/traveler’s dream! The Lucent gene is passed on to the female offspring only. In very rare occasions, a male offspring will inherit the gene. Theo did. I guess this is where things get complicated? There are all these rules, as always, but our heroine does not respond well to authority. I bet you already have an idea where this is going. In a way, Colby does not exactly know what to do with Theo and his new found gifts. The story was written well. It’s written in alternating views of Colby and Theo. It is imaginative and entertaining. Even though it ended the way it did, it gives my imagination more room for speculations about what’s going to happen next. I would recommend this because it’s an enjoyable read with lovable characters. About the Author Lila Felix is full of antics and stories. She refused to go to Kindergarten after the teacher made her take a nap on the first day of school. She staged her first protest in middle school. She almost flunked out of her first semester at Pepperdine University because she was enthralled with their library and frequently was locked in. Now her husband and three children have to put up with her rebel nature in Louisiana where her days are filled with cypress trees, crawfish, and of course her books and writing. She writes about the ordinary people who fall extraordinarily in wild, true love. Author links:http://www.lilafelix.com/https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLilaFelix/https://twitter.com/AuthorLilaFelixhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6519682.Lila_Felix

The V Girl by Mya Robarts

My first review for 2016 is the last book I finished the previous year. The V Girl is an interesting story written by Mya Robarts. It’s a debut novel if I’m not mistaken, and it’s my pleasure to read and review this book. The V Girl has an uncomfortable topic, but it was an interesting concept. What if rape was made legal in our world? It’s just wrong in so many levels. Could it somehow be possible in the future? That’s why I signed up to review this book, I wanted to know how the author imagined such a world. Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours and Mya Robarts for providing a copy. Honestly, I didn’t really care about the world building because it confused me for a while. From what I understood, the country is divided into two opposing sides, the Patriots and the Nationalists. There’s a rebel group which our protagonist is a part of. Lila plans to lose her virginity to her best friend before the recruitment event. I wanted to have sex for the first time with someone I’d consider worthy enough to spend the rest of my life with. If only I had more time. Eighteen is too young in my book to have met the person to whom I’d want to commit my life. If only everyone had that line of thought. Oh well. Again, at some point, while reading I felt like I misunderstood something. Not the book’s fault; I get distracted easily. People who get recruited are raped and abused in front of the whole town. Even if they don’t get recruited, they can still get raped in the streets anyway. See what I mean with “uncomfortable topic” Apart from the disturbing parts, which aren’t a lot, I enjoyed reading this book. It took me a few days to finish reading. It was easy to read and I got hooked to the romance right away. Like Lila, I had conflicted feelings about Aleksey, but somehow I knew he was a good guy. Their first meeting was funny. I was giggling when I reached that part. He’s sweet and broody, goes out of his way to help Lila. If he were a real person, I would be crushing on him. I was intrigued when Aleksey offered to help Lila in exchange for something. You’d initially think it was sex, but it’s not. It’s more than that. It was dragged out for a while and I couldn’t figure it out. But after it was revealed, it made me love him even more. D’aaaw.. My other favorite character is Lila’s younger sister, Azalea. She’s a smart mouth for an eleven-year-old. I was slightly fazed by the way she talks but I guess considering the society they grew up in, anyone would be the same way. She’s mature for her age and it helps that Lila has someone like her to talk to.I thought there was going to be a cliffhanger because I was reaching the end of the book and I felt like things weren’t getting resolved. But it did. It ended Read more

The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright

I found this book at Powerbooks in one of the warehouse sales. It “called out” to me. I normally do not buy books I am not familiar with, but this was different. First of all, I am attracted to the color red. I am also interested about the letters mentioned in the blurb. After a few months, I found out that there’s a letter attached at the back of the book marked “epilogue”. I did not read it. I almost did, but I didn’t. It took me a while to finish reading because I was on a slump. I didn’t feel like reading anything, really, but I still tried. I started reading this last June, and I even took it to the beach with me but I didn’t get to read while I was there. LOL I finally finished this earlier this month, and it’s an inspiring story about family and forgiveness. The entire story is mysterious, revealing a secret or the past one after the other, although there was a point where I was able to predict what the secret was. Malcolm is a hot head, especially where Rain is concerned. That’s what got him into trouble in the first place, why he had to run and stay away. Although there’s a past between the two of them, it wasn’t the main focus of the romance in the story. It was still all about Jack and Laurel, their life, their love, their family. I loved reading the letters. It’s such a sweet gesture which made me want that same sweet gesture from my own partner (if I had one). Even when they were fighting or are both in the same room, he would still write a letter in what ever paper he has; a stationery, notepad, tissue, etc. That dedication is really sweet. Can I say it some more? It’s sweet. Jack Cooper is a sweet man who loved his wife very much. A secret was revealed in one of Jack’s letters, it was vague, but reading through the letters was enough for the Cooper children to put together what happened in their parents’ past. They also got their aunt, Laurel’s sister, to talk about it and help them see what a good man Jack really was. He forgave Laurel for keeping it a secret. The whole experience taught the Cooper siblings about forgiveness and letting go and embracing the present. This book made me cry. But not the kind that feels like your heart was pulled from your body and stomped on. It was a touching story. Forgive me for rambling, my thoughts are all over the place.

Whipped (Hitched #2) by Alex Lux

I received a Kindle copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive monetary compensation for reading and writing about it. While this is a series, the books can be read as stand alone. There’s no cliffhanger, just sex. And lots of it. That said, this is for mature audiences only. If you’re below 18, please know better and stay away from this book. 😀 Vi was a dominatrix who now owns a sex toy shop in Vegas. She also happens to be looking for a new roommate. I bet you can imagine where this is going. Like Hitched, I enjoyed reading this one too. It’s light, sexy, and very hot! As previously mentioned, Vi was a dominatrix but she left that kind of job to start her own business with her good friend Zoe. They put up a sex toy shop in Vegas. Sex sells, so why not sell sex toys? She also just broke up with her submissive boyfriend and have sworn off dating for a while. Since she can’t afford to pay for rent on her own, she started looking for a new roommate. Lachlan is a male stripper who plans to leave the business to establish an after-school center for teens. He has such a big heart which would make you fall head over heels. He’s thoughtful, hot, sexy, passionate, and a total sweetie. His story reminds me of Magic Mike a lot. There’s more to the stripper than just offering his body for pleasure, you know. He signed up to be Vi’s roommate because he figured he could save a lot and finally start his dream of opening a center for teens. While the story was good, I thought it was idiotic for a former dominatrix who loves sex to take in a male stripper as a roommate if she’s steering clear off of men. It’s like she expected (maybe subconsciously) to have sex with the good-looking, very hot sex god every single day. SHE HAD IT COMING. And yes she came, multiply times. Hahahahaha ;P The story is written in alternating 3rd person POVs. Although sometimes there are parts that felt like the protagonist is speaking to you. Like the first book, this one was easy to grasp and can be consumed in one sitting. I like that it can be hot and sexy without having to go into details of how they had sex. It’s pretty straightforward.

Hitched (Hitched #1) by Alex Lux

I received a Kindle copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive monetary compensation for reading and writing a review. WARNING: This book is for mature audiences only. It contains a lot of sex and swearing not suitable for people under 18. I normally don’t review erotica-ish books on my blog but I thought I might as well do since I’ve started reading the genre anyway. The first full-length book with a similar theme that I read is Fifty Shades of Grey, and I didn’t even read that, I listened to the audiobook because I couldn’t stand the writing style. Plus, it’s porn. So I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this, but I have read previous works of Alex Lux so I know that this would be better written than FSOG. The cover, in my opinion, is simple but eye catching. The sultry red lips drew me in, that’s one of the reasons I read this book. Because yes, I judge a book by its cover. Kacie has a strong personality and is a woman who knows what she wants. She runs a small business with her twin brother, Tate, which is doing really well. They organize bachelor/bachelorette parties in Las Vegas. One night at a party, Kacie got drunk and wasted, and woke up with a stranger in her bed. She later realized that she got married the night before to a VERY HOT DOCTOR. Sebastian Donovan is Dr. Sexy. He’s the perfect ideal guy. A pediatric heart surgeon who happens to have all the time in the world for Kacie. He’s sweet, sexy, and super hot. While Kacie insisted that they get an annulment as soon as possible, Dr Sexy propositioned that they give their marriage a “test run” for the whole summer before making hasty decisions like the one they just did. LOL. Can you see where this is going? Sebastian was into Kacie, that one is certain. I really don’t understand why she’s rejecting him. It’s not like he’s an unemployed loser wannabe, he’s a hot single doctor who’s doing everything he can to have Kacie. Okay, it seems creepy on some level but still, in this fictional world we’re working with, this is like the perfect deal! What more could a girl ask for? I would probably pretend to not like the idea, but will definitely stay with the hot doctor who wants no one else but me, right? Right? Other characters are Tate, Kacie’s handsome, sexy, womanizing twin brother. Despite all the womanizing, he’s still a sweet brother and good friend. And Vi, Kacie and Tate’s BFF who happens to be a dominatrix by profession and pleasure, and a very reliable friend. The story is told in Kacie’s POV, but written in the 3rd person. It is easy to read and can be finished in one sitting. The sex scenes are straightforward and doesn’t go much into details, but still left me hot and bothered. It’s an enjoyable read that will surely send tingles Read more

Only A Kiss by Ines Bautista-Yao

Only A Kiss is written by Ines Bautista-Yao, a Filipina, and I am so happy to be part of this book tour.I featured this the other day and posted an excerpt which you can find by clicking here.Aside from my review, there is also a giveaway at the end of this post. Initial ThoughtsI have always wanted to find and promote quality YA themed books by Filipino authors, I know there a lot now and the industry is booming with success. I signed up for this not only to promote Filipino authors but because I think this is something right up my preferred reading material. The CoverLook at how pretty that cover is. I love it! The colors blend well and the artwork is beautiful. I was told it was designed by Ebony Paguia, @handslovepapers at Instagram. The PlotIf I described the plot, I would end up spoiling the story. The CharactersKatie is bossy, but she loves her best friend Chris to bits. She had plans for her future with Chris’ older brother since they were 9. It was cute. Chris is a nice guy turned heartbreaking hottie. He’s sweet and always has Katie’s back.

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2) by Michelle Hodkin

In continuation of my reading + reviewing spree, I will now talk about The Evolution of Mara Dyer, book 2 in the Mara Dyer series by the lovely Michelle Hodkin. Disclaimer: Using links from this post to buy a copy of the book will earn me a small commission that will help with maintaining this blog. Well, the first book had a cliffhanger that left me confused. There were a lot of unresolved issues. Is Jude alive or is it all in her head? Did she really cause the collapse of the asylum? How did she get powers? Why is Noah Shaw so annoyingly lovable? Hehehe. Normally, I drop books that I don’t enjoy reading but I could not just let this one slide. The first book was so and so, and I was so curious as to what the hell is really going on. Plus, I wanted to read more about Noah, the perfect boyfriend. In the end, curiosity, the need to finish a series, and Noah Shaw’s hawtness trump my somewhat disappointment of this story. See, I have no idea what makes this cover attractive. It just is. There’s something poetic in the way the couple is reaching for each other like that. I’m not exactly good with words but I hope you get what I mean. I may get this book for vanity. Maybe someday I would feel differently about it when if I re-read it. Mara Dyer is selfish. But I guess we all are when we’re in love. The more she tries to be normal, the crazier she seems to be. With all the things that happened to her, everything she’s seen and heard, the more she got paranoid. She has also become very clingy, clingy as a cling wrap. Overprotective boyfriend Noah Shaw stays by her side most of the time and even spends a lot of time with her family and has sleepovers and such. He’s still perfect, and still too much everything. With all his family’s riches, he can do whatever he wants, and what he does is do everything for Mara. For her sanity. Lots of lovey dovey, cheesy lines, and conspiracy ensue as they try to figure out the truth. After confirming her suspicions, Mara does something crazy (to keep her family out of harm’s way) that sends her to a mental facility. Noah does something crazy to get sent there as well. They investigate, find out some things, gets into trouble, and things go downhill from there. Like really bad. Other characters worth noting, Daniel Dyer is still the sweetest brother ever. ’nuff said. “I wish she knew that I think she’s the most hilarious person on Earth. And that whenever she’s not home, I feel like I’m missing my partner in crime.” Jamie Roth is the comic relief. Just when things are too serious, he’s there to make a funny/sarcastic remark. I’d like to think he keeps mara sane inside the mental institution. There are other unimportant characters I’d rather not talk about. Read more

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1) by Michelle Hodkin

Based on the description, what caught my interest is the mystery behind the death of Mara’s friends and how she is involved in it. I had the feeling that she was responsible and I was dying to find out if she did kill them and how. My name is not Mara Dyer. But my lawyer told me to choose something. I wanted a copy of this book for vanity purposes. It looked like a great addition to my ever growing book collection. There is something beautiful in the way the couple in the cover are holding each other underwater. Though it doesn’t portray anything that has to do with the story. Mara seems like a regular teenage girl, but after surviving the accident that killed her friends, she started to lose it. She was seeing ghosts and hallucinating things, which wasn’t healthy or normal. She knew how to handle herself and put up a front of normalcy to avoid being sent to a mental institution. I’m not sure how I feel about her though. I can’t connect with her but as she grew paranoid, the more I wanted to find out what happened to her and her friends that fateful night. Noah Shaw was described in a way where you’re supposed to hate him but you’ll end up loving him anyway. I guess we all love bad boys, right? He has a reputation of being a womanizer, somewhat a jerk, but how he interacted with Mara made me think it was all a front. He had a reputation to uphold after all. After a while, he did things that were too sweet and swoon-worthy. I guess the bad things about him were there to balance out how perfect he really is. Noah Shaw is probably the kind of book boyfriend we all want to have.Daniel Dyer. The older brother who I can’t help but love as well. He’s smart, caring, and always has Mara’s back. He’s literally too good to be true. Then again, this is fiction. Jamie Roth is the kind of guy best friend I want. At first I thought he was a legit guy, evetually he seemed gay, but it was mentioned (might be in the second book) that he is in fact, bi-sexual. He seems too gay to be bi. He’s the funny person in the story. His banter with Mara is just perf. I’m not elaborating on the other characters since I don’t want to spoil it for anybody who hasn’t read the book yet. Michelle writes beautifully. I was not bored, my eyes did not skip the words, and I could picture the story in my mind. I could have finished the book in one sitting. That’s how good it was to read her words. UPDATE: I kind of regret not going to the book signing because I saw the pictures and heard the stories and Michelle Hodkins is a beautiful person inside and out. I guess it wasn’t meant to be because I was broke Read more

Yes Man by Danny Wallace

Yes Man is a humorous autobiography by Danny Wallace. It is more popularly known, I think, as a movie starring Jim Carey. I read this from May 06 to 29, 2014, during my commute to and from work. After writing my review below, I also included a little something about the author. I grabbed my copy of Yes Man from the warehouse sale last March, mostly because I remember the movie, which it was based on, was hilarious, and after reading The Fault In Our Stars, I wanted to read something light and funny that will take my mind off Augustus and Hazel Grace. I was not disappointed. Each chapter had me smiling to myself or laughing my ass off, and mind you, the uncontrollable laughing usually happens when I’m in a bus full of people. A guy blindly saying “YES” to everything, what could go wrong? I enjoyed reading about Danny’s journey to a more positive outlook on life. Although it did him some harm, the good things that happened to him outweighed the bad ones. He went to places he normally wouldn’t have gone to in the first place, he met strange people and people who inspired him more. It was an enlightening journey, and Danny realized a lot of things in life that wouldn’t normally cross your mind if all you do in life is go to work and go home afterward. Before a life of “YES”, Danny said “NO” to everything. He would always find excuses, make up important seeming plans, just so he wouldn’t get out of the house. After an encounter with a man on the bus who told him to “say yes more”, he had an epiphany and tried saying yes more for one whole day. After a successful day, he decided to continue it for the rest of the week. When he almost won in the lottery, he made a pact to do it for one whole year. In that year, he won some, he lost some, he got arrested, got drugged, got lost, his career took off, and eventually he realized that though saying yes all the time wasn’t all good, it wasn’t bad to be more positive either. Anything that would turn out beneficial are worth your yeses. My mom would always say that I am a pessimist, but I believe I am more like the Paramore song title “For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic”. I’m pretty optimistic about most things, it’s just that I’m skeptic too, which makes me look pessimist. Reading this book has opened my mind to possibilities if I make it a habit to say yes to things that would be of benefit to my well being.I recommend this book to everyone because it is a hilarious read and it would definitely change your outlook in mind. Please, if you decide to skip the reading and watch the movie instead, don’t. The book is worth giving attention. I definitely would read another Danny Wallace book. 😀 “Probably some of Read more

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault In Our Stars was something I didn’t really want to read. It seemed like a very sad book, felt like it was heavy and would bring out all the #feels. What made me read it was its popularity and finding out that the movie was coming out soon. Also, it seemed like everybody has already read it and are raving about how good it is. So I got myself an ebook copy. I liked the cover because it’s blue. And simple. And it actually called out to me when I first saw it at the book store. After reading the blurb, I wasn’t really interested because I knew how it was going to end. Hazel Grace is dying. It’s a miracle that she’s alive. She goes to support group and where she meets Augustus, who was there for his friend. There was an attraction and sweet moments and romance and you’ll feel sad because you know there’s really no happy ending here, but you keep reading. There’s a grand gesture where, as a reader, makes you fall in love with Augustus, like Hazel Grace. They’re perfect for each other, they have to be because one or both of them would die in the end. Their conversations are too perfect, too deep, a lot of big words are thrown out there that I had to use the built-in dictionary to find out its meaning. Not that I recall what they are and like I’d ever use them in my conversations. There’s now a thing when I read books where the main character puts a cigarette in his mouth but doesn’t light it, and in my head, I would go, “it’s a metaphor.” Spoilers ahead if you haven’t read or seen the movie yet. I knew Augustus would die. Hazel Grace can’t just drop dead and then who would tell the story? It would be like her favorite book, Imperial Afflictions. But even after knowing he would die, it didn’t stop the tears. I was not able to pace myself for the end and I cried like I was Hazel Grace and lost the love of my life. I guess one of the things that bothered me a bit was the time they had sex. Hazel Grace already has a hard time breathing on her own right? Even with the oxygen tank, it’s not easy. And then they go and have sex. Wouldn’t that have made it harder for her? IDK. I guess it just proves that if there’s a will, there’s a way. Lol

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