Review: Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Once again, I'm so sold on Armentrout's books.  I am now on a mission to read and own all of her books!  I'm still in love with Daemon.  And the way that Armentrout really knows the life of a book blogger, it is just so much fun to read!  Of course this is the 3rd book in the series, so my review will have to have some spoilers for the first two, I can't help that.  So read no further if you haven't read the first and second books.  You can read my reviews of those here:  Obsidian and Onyx.  So on with my review of Opal.

After the deaths in the last book, Katy's friendship with Dee is almost nonexistent.  Dee does kind of blame Katy for what happened, not directly, but because Katy hadn't kept her in the loop about what was going on with Blake, the human who had been healed like Katy, and now had the connection to his own alien.  But at the end of the last book, they told Blake to never come back.  Only, he shows up again.  And they're on the lookout for the guy who made Daemon heal him last time, Katy's mom's boyfriend. 

There is a little good  news, Daemon and Dee's brother Dawson is home again.  But all he can think of is rescuing his human girlfriend.  And so when Blake comes back saying that he knows where they are and has a friend who can help them get in to save them, Daemon and Katy realize they have to try to work with him.  We meet some new characters, other humans who have been through what Katy and Blake have been through.  We also learn of another stone, opals, that have an affect on them.  Opals are helpful though. (Yay!  My birthstone!)  They will have to go through a lot to get into this place and save Dawson's girlfriend and Blake's friend.  Daemon and Katy's relationship will just get stronger though, even through all the tough times.  There will be another loss of a friend, and once again there will be betrayal.  They will take care of one threat, while adding another.

And the ending, that ending!  I'm so glad I have the next book on my shelf already.  I just need to fit it into my reading schedule soon!  Again.  If you haven't read this series, you need to.  Let me share with you my reactions as I read through this book with my Goodreads status updates.

Review: Onyx (Lux Series #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

So this book has only solidified my need to read anything and everything that JLA writes.  In fact I'm pretty much ordering each one every couple weeks from the bookstore where I work.  I am going to need to own all her books.  If I ever have time to re-read, I'm pretty sure these will be the books I want.  First I have to share each of my Goodreads updates as I read.

The main character is just so true to being a blogger, as you can see from my 2nd update. And then there is so much about her that is like me.  Like the coat quote above!  If you haven't read the first book, Obsidian, you probably should stop reading here, as there will be some spoilers for the first book in my review probably.

In book 2 Daemon and Katy still have their connection from when he had to heal her.  And it is a kind of glow that his kind and the enemy, the Arum, can see.  But soon it's clear that Katy has some residual powers from the big battle at the end of the first book.  And she can't seem to control them.  That's when she finds out from the new boy in town, Blake, that she isn't the only human to have developed powers after being healed by the aliens like Daemon.  And so Blake says he will help her to get control and learn to use these powers.  But his training seems dangerous, and Daemon at first refuses to leave her alone with Blake.  And when it gets really dangerous, Daemon tells Katy she needs to stop, but she refuses.  Soon they find out it isn't just the Arum that are after them, the government is also after humans like Katy.  Turns out that what happened to Daemon's brother and human girlfriend may not be exactly as they thought.  Things get even more dangerous, and we learn that there is another type of stone, onyx as the title suggests, that has power over the aliens. 

Daemon and Katy must continue to work on their feelings.  Katy is sure that the only reason Daemon seems so interested in her now is because of the connection from the healing.  No matter how much Daemon tries to tell her it isn't.  It will be this connection, and these feelings, real as they may or may not be, will lead to someone close to the family dying, and Katy risking her life to try to keep Daemon safe in the only way she knows how.  There will be betrayal by people that you don't expect, and betrayal by some that you do.  There will be someone who was kind of an enemy, or at least didn't like Katy in the first book who now may be more of a friend.

The ending will leave you so ready for the next book.  Thank goodness I've already bought it!  Now to figure out when I can fit it into my reading!  Another great story by Jennifer L. Armentrout, with sexy guys, Daemon, and such knowledge of the life of a blogger. 

Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I was lucky and got this book through a Books for Trade deal on Twitter.  It came autographed even!  And, of course, as always seems to happen with every other JLA book I've picked up, I was immediately sucked in and hooked!  I took this book on my trip to New Orleans this past weekend as my book to read in the airport.  However, it was so good that there were times I wanted to sit in the room and read instead of going out to hang out and see things in New Orleans.  Enough about how much I loved it, here's a quick description of it.

The main character is Katy.  She and her mother have just moved away from their home, partly because of the death of Katy's father.  They're ready to start over.  Her mother notices two teens living right next door, so Katy goes to meet them. Right away she is struck by the extreme hotness of the guy her age who opens the door, Daemon.  But Daemon is more than just normal "hot" guy stuck up.  He is downright rude.  To the point he almost makes Katy want to cry. But as she is in town buying groceries later, she runs into his sister Dee, and she is a whole different person.  While she is just as beautiful as Daemon was handsome, she is very friendly and so excited to make a new friend.  Daemon seems intent on keeping them apart, by being as rude as he can possibly be. 

Now Katy is a book blogger.  And it was so much fun reading all the detail Armentrout used in this.  Having her do Waiting on Wednesday and In My Mailbox posts, as well as getting excited about media mail!!  I probably was such a total dork when I read these things, smiling and laughing out loud, even in public! 

Now soon it seems as if there is something else going on around Daemon and Dee.  The town members don't seem to like them very much.  And Katy notices other weird things.  Like Daemon staying under water much longer than what should be possible.  He is also very quiet and moves really quickly.  There are times when her friendship with Dee gets in danger, due to both Daemon, as well as Dee's other friends' interference and rudeness.  But the sexual tension between Katy and Daemon is just so obvious. Everyone in the school sees it.  Even Daemon's ex.  At one point Daemon humiliates Katy in the school cafeteria.  But she doesn't just let it go, she gets him back. And really, it's a way that only intrigues him even more. 

Katy will learn the secret, Daemon and Dee are aliens, and there are other aliens that want to hurt them.  Eventually those bad aliens will be able to trace the brother and sister through Katy, putting her life in danger as well.   Daemon and Katy will have to come to terms with the tension between them, Katy not knowing exactly where Daemon is coming from, and if any of the attraction he shows is real.

The characters are once again just perfect.  Exactly like all the characters I've read so far in Armentrout's stories.  I could barely put this book down to do anything.  And the first thing I did when I got back in town from vacation was order the 2nd book in the series.  I can't wait to read on and see what will happen next between these two, as well as with these aliens and their enemies.