Review: Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
Series: Wicked Lovely, book #2
Released: May 1st, 2008
Details: 352 pages, paperback
Disclosure: Bought on Amazon.com
Summary (goodreads):

Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.

Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.

The tattoo does bring changes—not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils. . . .

I wasn't too excited to read this since I knew it had nothing to do with Ash or Seth... but I ended up really liking it. 

Ink Exchange brings us back to the faerie world but through the eyes of Irial and Naill. It focused more on the Dark Court and the hounds, as well as Ash's friend Leslie. I think this was suppose to be more about Irial, Leslie and the Dark Court, but I found that the voice of Naill was much stronger than Irial's.

I liked that we were introduced into the Dark Court (though they scared me, to be honest)! How they work, what they're after and how they go about things. It's always interesting to see the differences between all these Court's. I liked how we finally got to know what goes on in Naill's head and man is it some interesting stuff! You find out why he left the Dark Court to join the Summer Court and a lot of things about Naill are answered in this book. There are a few parts where Ash and Seth make an appearance, and it was strange seeing Seth not really be Seth. I liked knowing more about Leslie and her life. I don't really know how I feel about Irial, he made a great King, though his intentions were... well... dark, you clearly understood them and why he was making these decisions. 

It was a great addition to the series, but other than knowing Naill's side of the story, nothing else really stood out for me.

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Review: Bound to Please by Lilli Feisty

Bound to Please by Lilli Feisty
Published: May 1st, 2009
Details: Paperback, 352 pages
Disclosure: Bought on Amazon.com
Summery (goodreads):
Ruby Scott is a beautiful, quiet event planner who leads an oh-so-respectable life. Yet the things that go on in her secret fantasies are anything but. She has every intention of keeping her hidden desires under wraps-until she meets a gorgeous, hard-muscled man ten years her junior. Mark St. Crow is a gifted, up-and-coming musician who collects erotic art and loves to "play" women as much as his piano. After one night of uninhibited passion, Ruby realizes there's no turning back. But as she surrenders to her deepest needs and lets Mark control every forbidden thrill, her passion for him builds. Can the wild, intoxicating nights they share lead to a love that will last forever? 

Ruby Scott is an event planner who has a thing for being organized. She's sworn off dating artists and musicians and has had previous family experience with and witnessed what it's like to be with someone like a musician who's music always comes first. That and the insane amounts of travel. Mark St. Crow is the lead in one of the hottest bands and for lack of better words, is a complete slut!  When Ruby's best friend's husband decides to work with Mark St. Crow's band, it means they'll be working in the same building together and getting close (or in too far) with Mark isn't something that Ruby want's any part of.

I did like the story between Mark and Ruby, I liked how she was attempting to resist him all the time, attempting to always end it after every encounter and I loved his persistence for her. It was a little hard to relate to the character since there wasn't as much of a back story to Ruby and Mark like there was with Joy and Ash in Dare to Surrender. Also the small scenes with Ruby helping her best friend with her marriage was great. I love how in Lilli's books there's always the best friend dilemma too, makes the main characters feel more real.

My favorite part of the entire book though had to be the brief one page scene where Joy bangs the door into Ash and they meet for the first time. I think I actually screamed "AHH! JOY AND ASH!"

I liked this book but I didn't like it half as much as I liked Dare to Surrender. Mark and Ruby didn't have that deep connection. 

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Review: Bloom by Elizabeth Scott

Bloom by Elizabeth Scott
Published: April 24, 2007
Details: Paperback, 231 pages
Disclosure: Bought on Amazon.com
Summery (Goodreads):
There's a difference between falling and letting go.

Lauren has a good life: decent grades, great friends, and a boyfriend every girl lusts after. So why is she so unhappy?

It takes the arrival of Evan Kirkland for Lauren to figure out the answer: She's been holding back. She's been denying herself a bunch of things (like sex) because staying with her loyal and gorgeous boyfriend, Dave, is the "right" thing to do. After all, who would give up the perfect boyfriend?

But as Dave starts talking more and more about their life together, planning a future Lauren simply can't see herself in -- and as Lauren's craving for Evan, and moreover, who she is with Evan becomes all the more fierce -- Lauren realizes she needs to make a choice...before one is made for her.

I had a hard time relating to any of the characters in this book. Which I find strange considering the thing I love most about Elizabeth Scott's books is how easy it is to relate to her characters.

Lauren has the cutest guy in school as her boyfriend (I mean, people go Edward Cullen when he passes by), she's semi popular because of her boyfriend, she gets decent grades... her mother walked out on her and her father when she was a child leaving her with just her father who works too much and is obsessed with "starting a new family" with other women. Lauren's boyfriend Dave is cookie cutter perfect. Perfect family, perfect grades, popular and in my opinion had no personality. He was just so... good. It really actually annoyed the hell out of me!

Then there's Evan, a friend from her childhood who comes back into her life. He's got that badass look going on and he doesn't talk. She's attracted to him but it doesn't really say why. It's like one day he comes back into her life and *poof* attraction. No reason to how or why or anything it just is. A reason would had been nice. Then things get complicated between her and Evan and her and Dave. And it just... it was awkward.

It was a cute read and there were a few scenes that really grabbed me but for the majority of the book, it wasn't really like that. 

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