Lacy Yager

I have really enjoyed these books! They are vampire books with the most important of vampire tropes included, but with a fresh new premise. There is a lot of depth in these books through some interesting subplots that add a lot to the story.

This installment focuses on Rachel, a Chaser from the first book, and Alex, Maggie's vampire cousin. In Unholy Aliiance, Rachel was my least favorite character, even over the "bad guys." So I went into this book with a bit of trepidation... which I totally didn't need! We got to learn so much more about her, things that completely explain why she has been the way she has. We also learn a lot about Alex and discover that there is a lot more to him than what we saw in the last. I love seeing the "bad boys" fall for the girl!

One of the things I like most about this series is that the love and romance, while a part of the story, isn't the sole focus. There is so much more to this book. There are a lot of other themes going on that make the book relatable, despite the supernatural aspects.

Things to love...

--Rachel. Even more than Rachel herself, I loved what she stood for. She was a strong and independent girl who was more than capable.
--The focus. Love and romance is great, but I was glad that the focus was not on that alone.

Things I wanted more/less of...

--More Maggie. She was in this book, but her character was really not used very much.

Some Quotastic Goodness

--I hate what I've become. I hate myself. But that's nothing new (Loc. 3521).
--But she fought like a lunatic, as though she had nothing to lose, as though she didn't care if she lived or died. Like me (Loc. 3554).
--It's not a promise that he still loves me, even though I've made this awful mistake (Loc. 3675).

My Recommendation: I love these books! There is enough of traditional vampire lore to satisfy lovers of vamp fiction, but their are some new twists that make it so interesting. If you love good YA vamp fiction with some bite to it (LOL!), this is a good series to read!

This review originally appeared on my blog, http://thecaffeinateddivareads.multifacetedmama.com/?p=9283.… (más)

Rival is the second book in the Unholy Alliance series, a quick novella-length read.

We meet some new characters this time... Emily, Brett, and Erick. I love Emily as a YA character. She is a tough girl and not afraid to get in the middle of the fray to do what is right. She is determined to prove herself and follow in her father's footsteps, even though it is a constant struggle with her mother.
Brett and Emily are really the focus of the book, and not just because of their romance. The romance was great, however! I love the fact that it was the guy that had the unrequited feelings, instead of the usual girl. There are some interesting dynamics between them, secrets that make a difference. But there is more than the romance between them. Their characters are equals, fully supportive of one another. Brett accepts Emily for who and what she is without trying to change her. She learns his secret and doesn't judge for him, but admires him. I love the message that sends.

Things to love...

--Brett and Emily. Their friendship, their romance, their acceptance of one another.

Things I wanted more/less of...

--More Erick. His story line had the potential to be big and it was essentially left completely unresolved. I want to know what happened to him!

Some Quotastic Goodness

--I'm too flat up top, too tall, and too skinny to pull off any of these formal gowns. On the other hand, the gowns with strapless or spaghetti straps show off my biceps nicely. Too bad I can't have a kama—a traditional Filipino weapon, looks like a scythe— as an accessory (Loc. 2529).
--We aren't friends now and never will be, if I have anything to say about it. I don't hang with quitters (Loc. 2573).
--But I’m the one who’s instantly caught up in the heat of his mouth against mine. He takes advantage, angling his head and using one thumb to guide my chin down just so— and the sensation intensifies (Loc. 2786).

My Recommendation: This novella sets the stage for more in the series and I am looking forward to it all!

This review originally appeared on my blog, http://thecaffeinateddivareads.multifacetedmama.com/?p=8795.… (más)

I recently got the upcoming third book in the series, Beloved Enemy, from NetGalley, not realizing that it was a part of a series. So I picked up the beginning books and I am glad I did! The story is engaging and the characters are varied and interesting.

Maggie is our main character, the vampire with a soul and a desire to resist being the monster that most vampires are. She is honest and kind and she has chosen to live differently and separately from others of her kind. Instead, she spends her life doing good for others. Shane, our romantic hero, is mature beyond his years. His complete lack of understanding about women and crying girls was rather endearing. Hannah is Maggie's BFF and a witch and the person who has always been there for Maggie, no matter what. I am hoping she gets her own story in a future installment. Rachel is Shan's sister and she is the character that we love to hate. She's bratty, she's prickly, and she is a fabulous addition to the cast. Chloe is Shane's little sister and, at times, the most level-headed of all of them. She is adorable and sweet and I can't wait to meet more of her.

There are some twists and turns that I found to be completely unexpected! There are things in Maggie's past that are game changers and that added a whole new level to the series. It's going to be interesting to see these things pay out over the other books.

The romance between Shane and Maggie was great. It was unexpected, to be sure, but it was one of those book romances that you just have to have happen. It wasn't "instalove" and I appreciated that very much. There are some pretty great conflicts between them. Things like the fact that are times when they want to literally kill each other. It will be fun to see what happens with them, seeing as he is mortal and she is immortal.

Things to love...

--Vampire lore. I just took a vampire literature class as a part of my degree and it has caused me to really look for vampire tropes and archetypes. I loved that the authors kept true to much of the traditional lore, adding to it but not taking away so much that it became almost a new creature altogether.
--Alternating POVs. The chapters switched between the POVs of Shane and Maggie, letting us get to know both of them.

Things I wanted more/less of...

--More mature Maggie. Despite the fact that Maggie was almost 200 years old, much of the time she acted like the 17yo she was when she was turned.

Some Quotastic Goodness

--More than one hundred and fifty years on this planet and this is the strangest night I’ve spent yet (Loc. 59).
--My eyes track to the guy-who’s-not-my-date-but-I-really-wish-he-was, and I glimpse his stylishly-mussed chestnut hair across the dance floor. Our eyes connect, his sparkling blue to my green (Loc. 78).
--At first it’s obvious that he didn’t mean to kiss me— it was just a matter of momentum— but then he rests his hand against my face, stroking my cheek with his fingers. I don’t know how to react. People don’t kiss vampires, and I haven’t had this kind of contact in over a century. I have no idea what to do (Loc. 1059).

My Recommendation: I really enjoyed this story. I didn't expect to be as surprised as I was by some of the twists and turns and I loved that I was!

This review originally appeared on my blog, http://thecaffeinateddivareads.multifacetedmama.com/?p=8791.… (más)

Shadow allegiance, a good book to read; to be able to see the events throw the eyes of the majors characters and share their feelings is a new thing for me to discover.
And it’s a good thing, being able to feel what they feel to do what they do, soo good.
Now the book is a little bit short I found and there are a lot of things that are going on, like Shane and Maggie so many things to see through them, they are not mention a lot in the book then they should be because they are main characters after all but the author kept superficial, when she needed to mention them she just mention them like a necessity, in the course of action.
I know that the book is the story of Rachel and Alex which is a good love story by the way even if its short but still the interaction between both is fascinating, captivating and still a lot of ground to cover for them.
For the other characters like Lilly, Caleb, Hannah… at first we can read a lot about Lilly and then she just disappear which doesn’t make any sense, same thing to the others.
Like I said the book is good but a lot of things misses in it and I hope that the author will take time to cover a lot of grounds and be more deep in the characters and events in the next book.… (más)