Author: Aimee Carter {site}
Genre: YA, Romance, Mythology
Format: Kindle
Published: 27 March 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Disclosure: Acquired via NetGalley
Series: Yes

{Check out my review for The Goddess Test }

Synopsis:  {via author's site}

Kate Winters has won immortality.

But if she wants a life in the Underworld with Henry, she’ll have to fight for it.

Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.

Henry’s first wife, Persephone.

Review:

I said so the first time, and I'm going to say it again, I absolutely love Greek Mythology. Even if I'd given the first book a poor review, I'd still have been terribly tempted to read this one in hopes that it redeems itself. Fortunately, I really enjoyed The Goddess Test, the first book in this series, so that wasn't an issue. When I received this book from NetGalley, I couldn't wait to get to reading it. Unfortunately, grading and thesis had to come first. Last night, I had the opportunity to sit down and start this book, which I just finished about a half an hour ago. I absolutely loved it. I simply cannot wait for book three, and I'll probably hunt down the novella, The Goddess Hunt, too.

Above all else, this book evoked a good deal of emotion in me. Maybe I'm just in a crying frame of mind today, but this book made me cry. Not a little bit, not here or there, but quite a bit. Maybe that's crazy, but I couldn't seem to help myself.

The Characters:

I really liked Kate Winters the first time around and this time was no different. I still really, really like her. As a heroine, she's strong and intelligent, which are traits I really love in a central female character. Most of all, she was incredibly sympathetic to me. Her struggles with love, with Henry, really got under my skin and reached me. Genuinely, I adore her! Henry is still Henry, still cool and aloof, but you really come to understand him better in this book. He becomes as sympathetic as he can possibly be, given his character, and that's something I really enjoyed about it. He may be the God of the Underworld, but we come to see that he does have feelings and why he feels the way he does.

The villains are pretty interesting, too, as villains go. Calliope (Hera) was down right vicious and she never strayed from her conviction. As villains go, I like her! Cronus, Calliope's "daddy" is downright bad, but what's good about him is it's easy to see his motivations. He's not complex, but he has goals and they're impossible to misunderstand.

Seeing Persephone was really interresting, overall, and understanding more about her relationships with her mother, Henry, Kate, Ava, and even Adonis play out was well done. Otherwise, there is one twist I didn't see coming, that made me shake my head in... I don't know, disappointment. I was, though, surprised and I think you will be too. One character development I absolutely couldn't have foreseen. That's all I'm saying about that!

The Plot:

Though there were moments when the plot was pretty transparent, like Kate's excitement at going home and how that whole thing pans out, the plot was pretty solid for the most part. I really liked seeing Persephone and how she played into the plot. I also really enjoyed seeing how this book will work right into the next. The cliffhanger plot was well done, as cliffhanger plots go. I think they're a little bit cruel, considering how long it takes to get a book published, but if an author's going to do them, they should do them well and this one was done well.

Like the first book, there were moments when the plot can be a little bit sad. Kate's relationship with Henry, her desire to help even though she's ultimately helpless, her relationship with her mother and Persephone, and her relationship the the villain, Calliope (Hera) are all very solid parts of this story. All of the loose ends tie up, except for the cliffhanger, of course, and the plot is nicely paced. Overall, wonderful work!

Otherwise, the only issue I have with this book (and one I had with the last, as well) is that Henry's language is so stiff--not exactly a plot problem, but it fits here okay anyhow. He speaks like he's been alive for eons, which is fine, but all of the other gods use such relaxed speech that it's awkward. If all of the gods used stiff language with absolutely no contractions, then it might be okay. As is, Henry's the only one and it's distracting. 

The Verdict:

Rating: 5/5

I loved every second of this book, even the ones that made me cry. I'd read it again and I cannot wait for the next book to arrive. The mythology was very good, though naming Hera Calliope was, to me, a little bit awkward. I don't imagine her like that, like a Calliope, and since Calliope was a real mythological figure, it's a little bit confusing at first. Above all, though, this book was fantastic!

In My Mailbox is a weekly book meme hosted by The Story Siren. It posts on Sundays, so go check out her blog and join in the fun if you're not already!

I got a ton of books this week that I can't wait to jump into, but before I get to those, I wanted to find out what y'all think about my new theme? It's my first attempt at design with scrapbook kits. I think it came out really well, I'm really happy with it. I hope you are too!  Alright, now onto the books. All of the books below come from NetGalley, my favorite site on the web. I don't know what I'd do without them!

Goddess Interrupted

I loved the first book, The Goddess Test, so when I saw this book on NetGalley I knew I had to request it. Aimee Carter hit a home run with her debut novel, and I'm sure this one will be great, too. Thanks to the lovely people at Harlequin, I was able to get it for my Kindle. I haven't started reading it yet, but I can't wait to dig in. I've been waiting what feels like an eternity!

Much Ado About Rogues

Blackthorn Brothers, *swoon,* I love them!  I read the first book and loved it, missed the second book, but just got this one this week. I can't wait to read it. If you know how it goes, don't tell me! Considering my love for regency romance, this book was a given. Kasey Michaels can write on heck of a fantastic story. Once I finish Goddess Interrupted, this book is next on my list.

The Peculiars

Isn't the cover beautiful?! I got this book this week on NetGalley, thanks to the wonderful folks at ABRAMS. I'm really looking forward to it, it's third in line on my must-read-right-now-list. I suppose I'm just a sucker for YA, which is really a really weird juxtaposition with my obsession with regency romance. Anyhow, I figure any novel with a cover this beautiful must be fantastic. Have you read it? If so, let me know what you thought.

I got three or four other books, also from NetGalley, but the ones listed above are the books I'm most excited to read. So what did you get this week?

Hi there! I just realized that I skipped right over Armchair BEA day three. No idea where the day went--it's not as though I didn't blog, I just managed to miss the Armchair BEA. But, today I'm back on track today and ready to discuss blogging relationships.

Today's Topic: Relationship you’ve formed with a particular publisher, author, blogger, or bookstore.

I've been contemplating what I'd say here, over the last hour. I'm really new to blogging (the year my blog sat dormant over on WordPress not withstanding), so I haven't formed a lot of relationships with publishers, bookstores, etc. That doesn't mean I don't have anything to say here, I'm quite talkative, you'd have to search long and hard to find a topic I didn't have something to say about!

There have been several blogs that have been quite inspirational or helpful to my starting this blog. I think this was actually part of yesterday's topic, but I managed to miss it, so I'm putting it here instead. Anyhow, I would have to say that the one blog that had the most influence over my decision to start blogging was Parajunkee's View. Her Blogging101 Series has been more helpful to me than anything I've read on blogging so far and I've been able to use many of her tips and suggestions along the way. Without them, I would have been quite lost. Also, she introduced me to NetGalley (via her Blogging101 stuff) and for that I'll be forever in her debt.

Since I started blogging, I've met a lot of amazing bloggers... too many to name here. I think the community, as a whole, is the most inclusive and helpful blogging community on the web. It helps that we all share a mutual love of books and reading, and without the book blogosphere, there's no way I would have met so many great people who share one of my greatest passions, books!

I don't think I can end this post without mentioning NetGalley. Of all of the things I love about book blogging, NetGalley is at the top of the list--Who doesn't love them?! I adore them, their service is amazing. They've shared so many amazing books with me, many of which I have yet to get around to reviewing. Harlequin, in particular, is my favorite publisher on NetGalley. I've had the opportunity to communicate with Lisa at Harlequin, through NetGalley (and I follow her on Twitter), and she's been very nice! They've been so gracious about approving me for Galley's. Thank you, NetGalley!

I hope everyone's having a nice Thursday!  If you're here from Armchair BEA, say hello, I don't bite! I enjoy meeting new people, and saying hello to those I already know.

Author: Colleen Gleason {site}
Genre: Supernatural, Dark Fantasy, Historical Romance
Format: Adobe Digital Editions
Published: 26 April 2011
Disclosure: Received for review via NetGalley

Synopsis: {via amazon}

Dimitri, also known as the Earl of Corvindale, should be delighted that the headstrong Maia Woodmore is getting married. His mortal ward and houseguest has annoyed—and bewitched—the Dracule nobleman too long, and denying his animal cravings grows more excruciating by the day.


Miss Woodmore's family has a rather…complicated history with the immortals and she herself possesses a keen sensibility far beyond mere women's intuition. Marriage will give her safety, respectability and everything else a proper young lady could wish for. Everything, that is, except passion.


In the looming battle between Dracule factions, all pretenses will shatter as Maia and Dimitri come together in an unholy union of danger, desperation and fiercest desire.

Review:

I could literally go on and on, gushing about how much I loved this book. I read The Vampire Voss in February, I even ended up enjoying it (thought I didn’t initially), but The Vampire Dimitri is so much better than it’s predecessor. Dimitri and Maia are much more likable characters than Voss and Angelica — truly it was Dimitri’s character that kept me reading Voss, I’d likely have quit at the start were it not for him. Truly, I have a thing for dark, brooding characters. Quick witted, rakish character’s are okay, but I enjoy the dark ones so much more. Dimitri is just that, he’s dark and self loathing, and one cannot help but love him for it.

I also love Maia, who unlike her sister Angelica, is not a giggling daisy of a girl. Rather, she is strong willed, opinionated, and has strength of conviction. She and Dimitri make a perfect couple. They’re both cerebral and love one another a little bit too much for their own good. I did enjoy the cameo’s by both Voss and Angelica in this novel, however.  I also enjoyed seeing Chas (the Woodmore brother) and Narcise, his vampire lover.  It made a nice set up for the final book in the trilogy, The Vampire Narcise — which I have recently gotten from NetGalley!!

This book was so good, in fact, that I read the entire thing in one night. I rarely do that, I’m entirely too busy to keep glued to a book for more than a few hours at a time, but this book swallowed me up whole and refused to let me go until it was finished, likely a reaction to my anticipation. So, if you love historical fiction, vampire stories, and romance novels, this book is an absolute must! This series is an absolute must. It’s certainly takes a new spin on an old formula.

Available for {paperback | kindle}


Rating:

While reading the fantastic Book Blogging 101 content at Parajunkee's View this weekend (she offers a good deal of truly inspired advice), I was fortunate enough to learn about NetGalley and wanted to pass the information along to anyone who, like me, was completely unaware of the fact that it existed at all. If you love to read, and are dying to get your paws on some ARC's, this is definitely the website for you!

So what is it?

NetGalley is a website dedicated to connecting publishers, and books, with readers. It's that simple. They supply electronic ARC's to readers interested in reviewing them, but reviews are not actually required. The books are all electronic, some of which are available for Kindle. There are a huge number of books obtainable, from self-help to science fiction and romance. There's certainly something there for everyone!

How does it work?

Simply go to NetGalley's website and sign up. It's completely free. Once you're all signed up, you'll want to fill out your profile information, telling publishers what your interests are. Be sure to check out their quick start guide for information about how to get going. The quick start guide also has some great information about filling out your profile, setting up your Kindle, and requesting galleys.

Free, e-ARC's... What's the catch?

You'll love this, are you ready for it... there really isn't one! Once you request a book, NetGalley sends your request to the publisher and it's either accepted or rejected. NetGalley will suggest, if your request is denied, that you update your profile (sound advice, that). However, some of the available titles are auto-accept, making them available to be read whenever you're ready.

Oh, one more thing, the books available through NetGalley are only available for a reading period of 60 days. Two months is generally more than enough time to get a book read, but should it not be, you can go back to NetGalley and re-download the book again for another 60 day reading period. The only exception to this rule is that a book becomes unavailable for download when the publisher archives the book.

What will I need?

A computer and Adobe's Digital Editions Software, which is completely free. The software is something akin to Kindle for Computer, allowing you to read books that are formated for it. If, by chance, you want to read your books on the go, many are available in Kindle format. You can also download the books to any mobile device compatible with Adobe's software, including the iPhone.

Well...

What're you waiting for?  Go check out NetGalley and enjoy their offerings. I've just started using their site, but have gotten three books so far, all of which I will be reviewing -- both here and on NetGalley-- just as soon as I get them read. Good luck and, if you're in a huge hurry, you can thank me later! ;)

Image via NetGalley