Tempting the Best Man (Gamble Brothers) by J. Lynn

3.5 Stars

I have read many of Jennifer Armentrout’s YA books and really enjoyed them so when I saw that she was making a foray into adult romances I thought I would like them just as much…this did not happen.  I am not ready to say that I wouldn’t like any of her adult books, but this one didn’t come close the Lux novels.  I’m willing to try again though.

Summary:

Madison is heading to her brother’s wedding.  She is happy for him, but not looking forward to seeing her brother’s best friend.  She has been in love with him forever.  They live in the same building and she sees him with his never ending stream of hussies all the time.  On top of this, they have a rather awkward past sexual encounter that ended badly.  On top of this, he is the best man and she is the maid of honor so they are walking down the aisle together.  On top of this (again!) there is a problem with the reservations and Madison ends up having to stay in the same room with Chase.  You know what happens next! 

My problem with this is that after the big climax, all the problems arise from a misunderstanding.  You may or may not know this yet…but I hate when all the angst comes from a stupid misunderstanding.  Even at the end, Madison doesn’t know how stupid she is because they never addressed the misunderstanding. I stopped reading it at 81% because I got so annoyed, then when I picked it back up I realized the book ended at 86% so I felt silly! 

Anyway, I when I went to Amazon to look for this title to add my review, I saw another book by J. Lynn and bought that right away.  I can’t remember what it is called but it looks interesting.  It is an adult installment in the Lux novels, but it is about an Arum as the hero!  Hmmm…

Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer Armentrout

4 Stars

I would have given this book 5 stars except that the book felt like it could have been shaved from its 452 pages to 250 pages.  I loved the scenes where Daeman and Katy were together, but it felt like the author put too much effort into drawing out the times between attempts on Daedalus. 

So this book takes off right where #2 left off.  Blake comes back and wants Katy, Daeman and Dawson’s help to get his friend, Chris (think Daeman and Katy’s connection) out of the DOD’s holding cell.  They enlist help and train, they go to prom and a club.  Daeman and Katy get closer, but Daeman still hasn’t told her he loves her. 

The end of the book was a major cliff hanger.  I can’t remember if the others ended this way, but I feel like there was some measure of resolution.  We are just left wondering what just happened and what does it mean?  Clearly this isn’t a trilogy.  I just hope that the next book isn’t a bunch of filler like this one felt like.  It still gets 4 stars because it is an awesome story line.  It feels authentic and I love the characters.  The summary of the book basically has you wondering who is on Katy and Daeman’s side and who is not.  I never quite figured it out and I will admit that I had it all wrong.  I liked that Daeman and Katy got closer but I still don’t feel like I know Daeman very well. 

Katy drove me nuts sometimes.  She was always making her own decisions about what to do in situations instead of asking Daeman when this is his world and she is very new to it.  She insisted on going to Daedalus and that is just asking for trouble.    

Favorite Quote:
“Simmer down, Kitten, before I have to get you a ball of yarn to play with.”  -Daemon to Katy

Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout (A Lux Novel)

I have had this book for a while before I decided to read it.  I am not sure what triggered me to pick it out of the 13 pages of books I have waiting for me on my kindle, but something did and I devoured it in two days and before finishing I bought Opal which just came out this week.

Onyx takes up right where Obsidian left off.  Just a few days after the Arum attack.  Daemon is attempting to win Katy over, and Katy is attempting to ward off Daemon’s advances.  Katy is convinced that his attraction is from the healing connection and not her. 

Katy meets Blake in biology class and ends up going with him to a party that Dee and Daemon through and going out to eat with him.  This part was a little frustrating for me because Katy was clearly using Blake to make Daemon jealous and the vicious Ash attempts to make Katy jealous.  Katy finds Daemon’s interactions with Ash unacceptable, but she is carrying on with Blake!  It was like a love quadrangle! 

Daemon is convinced that there is something off about Blake, but Katy just thinks Daemon is jealous.  Who do you think is right?  Of course we all know that Daemon is right waaaaay before Katy does, but I didn’t have it all figured out.  I couldn’t decide whether Blake was good or bad, or if he was bad, how bad was he? 

Katy starts to train with her powers and does a good job with trying to get them under control.  She ends up finding people who were thought to be lost, and losing people that were initially found.  She loses a friend.  She also tries to unravel the whole mystery by herself.  I wanted to punch her sometimes because when she should have been telling Daemon everything she would keep it to herself to either protect Daemon or Blake or to prove a point that she can take care of herself.  A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G!  Spill the beans already Katy.  It is like watching a horror movie where the girl goes into a dark house without electricity and you know it won’t end well!  Of course, me, as a reader, can determine the future of Katy’s life safely from the confines of my couch and see all the flaws in her ways. :)

That is me, while I read this book.

When I thought the end was near, that I could take no more tense waiting and anticipation, it just kept going and will I knew certain people were bad, I didn’t foresee what their game plan was.  Well done, Armentrout.  Well done.   

Favorite Quote:

“He kissed me again, soft and deep, and he took away most of the hours spent there, even though I was sure they’d linger for some time, creeping up like most dark things do.”