Darkness by Joann I. Martin Sowles

Not long ago, Laney Alexander was living a carefree life, that is, until she was thrown into a world full of creatures only the imagination thought possible. Now, after surviving a terrifying night, Laney and Oliver are lying low at Julz's place, relieved to be in each other's arms once again. But fate seems to have other plans...

Julz is not happy to have visitors in her home and emotions run high. Laney is pushed to her limits as she watches Carter fight for his life and her relationship with Oliver becomes strained as she discovers secrets about Julz that could tear them apart.

As she reaches her boiling point, disaster strikes and her life is shattered. Laney must come to terms with what has unfolded. Will she lose her way and let the darkness consume her or will she find her light in Oliver?

Secrets will be revealed. Hearts will be broken. Lives will be lost. Darkness will fall.

I am going to start this blog off by saying what a TERRIBLE blogger I have been lately! I read this book months ago, but due to some chaotic bumps in the road that is my life, I am just now finding the time to get this review posted.  I'M SORRY!!!!  Ok, now on with the show.

Many of you may remember when I reviewed the first book in this series, LANEY, I started off a bit worried that I was getting another version of TWILIGHT.  Thankfully (and happily) I was quite surprised by Joann's twists and turns that took LANEY down it's own path.  I was left feeling like there was quite a few mysteries left at the end of the book, subtle hints that I thought she had given on where this series was going. So when Joann sent me DARKNESS, I tore into it, eager to find out if all the crazy assumptions and guesses I had made were correct……. 

But once again, she only gave me breadcrumbs of information, not really saying that there is a hidden plot, but very carefully eluding that there is something even more important going on that we don't know about yet. 

With that said, I must proclaim loudly that I HATED Oliver through this one (I wanted to smack him for all the possessive and domineering crap he was pulling on Laney AND everyone else).  But it was Carter, Kiera, and Felix that really stole the show in this book.  Each of them really got to tell more of their own story this time instead of being Laney's supporting cast.  I really enjoyed getting to know the other characters, seeing into some of their past, getting tiny glimpses of their (possible) futures, but more than anything I loved that it wasn't just the Laney and Oliver show.  

So, I leave you with this, if you liked LANEY, you are going to be thrilled with DARKNESS.  And if you're anything like me, you're going to notice all the tiny hints that Joann is weaving in.  I know she has something BIG she is working up to and if I'm right about any of my hunches, this is winding up to have one heck of a finale. So stay tuned and keep reading, it's going to get interesting.

Laney by Joann I. Martin Sowles

In a small college town in Northern California, Laney Alexander leads a regular, uneventful life–that is, until the charming and alluring Oliver Knight enters her world. Who is this gorgeous and mysterious stranger? Or, rather, what is he?

As Laney’s sophomore year of college begins, so does an unbelievable adventure–including a love she didn’t know she longed for. She soon learns that Oliver is not ordinary, nor is the rest of his family, including a sister who openly hates her and a brother who will stop at nothing for revenge. As she fights for her life, and Oliver’s love, Laney discovers that the fictional world of vampires isn’t so fictional after all. Nobody is safe, especially Laney, Oliver’s most important priority, and he will stop at nothing to protect her. With her mortality at risk, and a commitment revealed that she, without a doubt, knows she wants, Laney’s life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn…

So I started this book and was instantly worried I wasn't going to like it.  The first half was almost too much like Twilight for me.  (And those of you who know me know that I am not a fan of Twilight) However, by the last half of the book I was hooked.  The adventure and mayhem really started to get going and it was more like the Morganville Vampires than Twilight.  The ending left off in such a way that I wanted to scream "NOOOOO!!!!"  And I am now (impatiently) waiting for the next book.  I think Laney was a good build up for this series and I am fully intending to read the rest of the Brookehaven Vampires series!  But I have to say my favorite part of this book is the diversity.  Not only is there vampires and werewolves, she also states that unicorns, leprechauns, and DRAGONS are real! Whoo-hoo!!! I love me some dragons! lol Joann I. Martin Sowles really started this series off with a bang! Laney, the first in the Brookehaven Vampires series comes out in October and I recommend you give it a read!  (Also, I'm calling it now, I think the mysterious coven leader, D, is Laney's dad.  Let me know if you think so too!)

In My Mailbox

So In My Mailbox is normally done on Sundays, but as I will gone camping with my family this weekend, I am posting it early. I ran out of books on Tuesday, so thank goodness the book I requested came yesterday and I actually managed to find a book at the library that I haven't read! Now at least I have something to read while fishing this weekend!

Here are the books I am reading!

This is Laney by Joann I. Martin Sowles.  It is the first in the Brookehaven Vampires series and comes out in October. 

From the Brookehaven Vampires Website:

In a small college town in Northern California, Laney Alexander leads a regular, uneventful life–that is, until the charming and alluring Oliver Knight enters her world. Who is this gorgeous and mysterious stranger? Or, rather, what is he?

As Laney’s sophomore year of college begins, so does an unbelievable adventure–including a love she didn’t know she longed for. She soon learns that Oliver is not ordinary, nor is the rest of his family, including a sister who openly hates her and a brother who will stop at nothing for revenge. As she fights for her life, and Oliver’s love, Laney discovers that the fictional world of vampires isn’t so fictional after all. Nobody is safe, especially Laney, Oliver’s most important priority, and he will stop at nothing to protect her. With her mortality at risk, and a commitment revealed that she, without a doubt, knows she wants, Laney’s life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn…

Just One Wish by Janette Rallison is not a new release, in fact it's almost a year old, yet somehow it slipped by me!  So I'm making up for it now!

From GoodReads:

Seventeen-year-old Annika Truman knows about the power of positive thinking. With a little brother who has cancer, it’s all she ever hears about. And in order to help Jeremy, she will go to the ends of the earth (or at least as far as Hollywood) to help him believe he can survive his upcoming surgery.

But Annika’s plan to convince Jeremy that a magic genie will grant him any wish throws her a curveball when he unexpectedly wishes that his television idol would visit him. Annika suddenly fi nds herself in the desperate predicament of getting access to a hunky star actor and convincing him to come home with her. Piece of cake, right?