Blog Tour Review: Day After by Emi Gayle

Today I am excited to bring you a review of the second book in the 19th Year series by Emi Gayle thanks to J.Taylor publishing and their blog tour:

Day After
by Emi Gayle
Series: 19th Year #2
Publisher: J. Taylor 
Publication date: May 6, 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository
Source: ARC provided in exchange for unbiased review
*purchases through buy links support this blog
My review of book one: After Dark

Demon crypts. Vampire lairs. Glowing angels. Sexy sirens. The stuff of fiction.  Or so Winn Thomas always thought.  Since being accepted into the fold of the supernatural, he knows better. None of what he imagined is true, but everything he feared is, and binding himself to his Changeling girlfriend until her nineteenth birthday will give him an education far beyond what he’d get at his human high school.  Luckily, Winn’s not giving up, he won’t back down, and he definitely isn’t going to run away with his tail between his legs. After all, only werewolves have tails. Right?  In this, the second of the 19th Year trilogy, Winn’s facing the challenge of one lifetime. If he doesn’t learn the truth about mythological creatures, his girlfriend Mac Thorne won’t either. That means, in six months, when she chooses her final form, she won’t know what to pick.  Winn, though, has his own ideas about Mac’s final selection—plans she knows nothing of.  He intends to have her pick human. Whether she can or not.

I was blown away by After Dark and was excited to jump back into the fascinating world Emi Gayle has created. In Day After we see more action, and learn more about the world and the creatures who reside there. I quickly consumed this and look forward to the final book. The tale is fast paced, filled with mind blowing revelations and characters you cannot help but love. 

Winn agrees to be Mac's teacher and to meet with the council for lessons. As he learns he cannot reveal information to Mac unless she asks. With only six months left, Winn takes his job as teacher seriously even if it means losing the love of his life forever. The tale that unfolds has suspense, danger, impossible decisions and an impossible romance. The tale is delivered from Winn's perspective and I enjoyed getting inside his head.

While the last book focused on Mac Thorne’s perspective and personality this time we really get inside Winn’s head. Tasked with an impossible responsibility he readily accepts. He must help Mac ask the right questions and guide her; which will ultimately separate them.  As he interviews those on the council he begins to discover everything isn’t black and white. I really like Winn, although he is only seventeen, he takes his responsibilities seriously and his love for Mac is unselfish. The relationship struggles as Mac pushes Winn away and even when he wants to throw in the towel, he cannot stop helping her. I loved how he gives this confident outward appearance and then we glimpse his inner fears and thoughts. One of things I like about him is that he totally gets Mac; from her snarky attitude to her refusal to ask the right questions. He is a loyal nerd whom you cannot help but adore. We learn more about the council as well as Winn’s Dad and sister. Suze is back and I gotta tell you I love this crazy demon protector.

Gayle weaves a tale that keeps you guessing. There is an air of suspense and mystery throughout both books that kept me turning the pages. She drops subtle clues and adds foreshadowing that make me believe in possibilities and question everything! The council and their “ask the right questions" was clever as it slowly reveals information that will aid both Mac and Winn. There are some intense scenes and unknown forces at work that kept me on edge. The last few chapters and the ending had my emotions all over and some of the things we learn had me gasping aloud. Winn and Mac really work as a couple, he is the yin to her yang and they bring out the best in each other. The book really worked from Winn’s perspective. I was excited to learn Gayle will do a dual POV in the next book. *happy dance*

If you are searching for an escape, and want a book with awesome world-building and characters to root for than the Day After and the 19th Year series is something you will enjoy. Darkest Day the final book will release in October 2013.

Four and half cups of demon coffee out of five

Waiting on Wednesday # 44

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme

 hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine

Blackout 

by Robison Wells

Series: Blackout #1

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication date: October 1, 2013

Genre: YA Science fiction/thriller

Pre-order*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository

*purchases through buy links help support this blog

Laura and Alec are trained terrorists.

Jack and Aubrey are high school students.

There was no reason for them to ever meet.

But now, a mysterious virus is spreading throughout America, infecting teenagers with impossible powers. And these four are about to find their lives intertwined in a complex web of deception, loyalty, and catastrophic danger—where one wrong choice could trigger an explosion that ends it all. In Blackout, Wells delivers a lightning-fast, nail-bitingly intense thriller that's perfect for fans of The Maze Runner and I Am Number Four-set in a complex and unpredictable world, where the greatest threat comes from a weapon that no one knows how to control...and the most chilling questions have yet to be answered.

A virus is spreading! (we've heard that before) The twist is it giving teens super POWERS! Add in trained terrorists and I am in! This promises to be a thriller and perfect for fans of I Am Four..which is me!! 

A Clockwork Heart 
by Liesel Schwarz
Series: Chronicles of Light and Shadow #2
Publisher: Random House
Publication date: August 13, 2013
Genre: Adult Steampunk
Pre-order*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository

FOR BETTER OR CURSE. That might as well have been the wedding vow of Elle Chance and her new husband, the ex-Warlock Hugh Marsh in the second book of this edgy new series that transforms elements of urban fantasy, historical adventure, and paranormal romance into storytelling magic. As Elle devotes herself to her duties as the Oracle—who alone has the power to keep the dark designs of Shadow at bay—Marsh finds himself missing the excitement of his former life as a Warlock. So when Commissioner Willoughby of the London Metropolitan police seeks his help in solving a magical mystery, Marsh is only too happy to oblige. But in doing so, Marsh loses his heart . . . literally. In place of the flesh-and-blood organ is a clockwork device—a device that makes Marsh a kind of zombie. Nor is he the only one. A plague of clockwork zombies is afflicting London, sowing panic and whispers of revolution. Now Elle must join forces with her husband’s old friend, the Nightwalker Loisa Beladodia, to track down Marsh’s heart and restore it to his chest before time runs out.

I enjoyed  A Conspiracy of Alchemists the first book and I am anxious to dive back into the world Schwarz has created! Is this series new to you? Read my review of book one: HERE

What Book(s) are you Waiting On? 

Guest Post: Diana Quincy author of Seducing Charlotte

Today I have a guest post from author Diana Quincy and will introduce you to her debut novel Seducing Charlotte the first in a new adult historical romance series. Grab a cup of joe and enjoy! 

Guest Post 

 Why the Most Interesting Characters Aren’t Perfect

My debut novel, Seducing Charlotte, begins with the hero receiving a sex act from a woman he barely knows.

While the reader might automatically assume the Marquess of Camryn is a rake, he isn’t. But you don’t know that right off. Exploring Cam’s character as the story unfolds is—I hope—one of the book’s pleasures.   

In real life, the fact that people aren’t all good or all bad is what makes them uniquely interesting. My favorite novels slowly reveal different facets of a character’s personality and I tried to bring a little of that complexity to Seducing Charlotte.

The story takes place at the dawning of the Industrial Revolution. Charlotte, an advocate of workers’ rights, automatically assumes the worst when she learns Cam is a factory owner who uses the new steam-powered looms that deprive weavers of their livelihood.

On the surface, the character of Charlotte fits the spinster stereotype; she’s a plain bluestocking who pays little attention to her appearance. You might expect her to be shrewish and uptight, but she’s nothing of the sort.

Instead, Charlotte is smart, sensual and tends to say things that get her into trouble. In fact, when she catches Cam in a compromising position, her reaction is the opposite of what you might expect.

Neither character fits a precise archetype. She’s not the frigid old maid waiting for a hero to unlock her true passion, and he’s not the perfect but misunderstood man who needs the love of a good woman to reform him

As the story unfolds, their true characters are unveiled.

Charlotte is outspoken, forward thinking and honest to a fault.

Cam’s a passionate man with a temper—maybe even a bit of a dark side—that causes him to say or do things he often regrets later. While the beginning of the book might lead readers to believe otherwise,  by the end of the story, we’ve no doubt he has a strong sense of right and wrong. 

Perhaps this Goodreads reviewer put it best:

“Despite some evidence to the contrary, he was a true gentleman. He was definitely an easy hero to adore.” 

And that’s exactly what I was going for. ~Diana

Seducing Charlotte
by Diana Quincy
Series: The Accidental Peers #1
Publisher: Entangled: Scandalous 
Publication date: April 15, 2013
Genre: Adult Historical Romance
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon

 Even if he is the catch of the season, Charlotte Livingston has a low opinion of the wildly handsome Marquess of Camryn. He’s an industrialist who thinks nothing of replacing workers with machines, depriving them of an honest living. Camryn is everything a social reformer like Charlotte detests. Besides, her loyalty belongs to another man. Yet, as a violent machine-breakers rebellion rages across England, an undeniable attraction flares between the passionate adversaries. Camryn vows to destroy the rebel movement, unaware that the spinster who has captured his heart, harbors a secret - a shocking connection to one of its leaders that could shatter them both.

Sounds interesting right? How about a little teaser?  

Excerpt 

He marveled at the way the sun illuminated the clear blue in her eyes. “I won’t bother to dissemble, Miss Livingston.” Taking hold of her hand, he pulled Charlotte around the massive tree trunk, out of the sight of the rest of the guests. “I hope to steal another kiss. Actually, I have thought of little else since our last one. Will you allow it?”

She flushed, her gaze floating beyond him. “Really, Camryn, if you ask for permission, it hardly qualifies as stealing a kiss.”

Blood raced to his vitals when it registered she’d just told him to take what he wanted. Shaking his head, he wondered what is was about this woman that made him desperate to touch her again. It had been an agonizing week since he'd last felt her lips beneath his. Now, finally offered the opportunity, he greedily grasped it.

Cupping Charlotte’s cheeks, he marveled at their satiny softness before lowering his face to hers, kissing one side of her succulent mouth and then the other. Then he intensified his actions, pressing down on her lips, bidding her to open them to him as she had once before. When she did, he kissed her as deeply as he had ever kissed a woman.

He licked and plunged his tongue deeper, greedy to taste more, losing himself in her subtle floral scent. She tasted of lemonade, a woman’s softness, and unlimited possibility. Her untutored tongue ventured to taste him as well, provoking a delighted sound of surprise from him. The wondering hum that sounded from the back of her throat made his body quicken in a rush of heat.

Awareness gradually filtered back to him, reminding Cam of their surroundings. He pulled away with great reluctance, his blood at a boil, and forced himself to take a step back lest he pull Charlotte to the grass and make love to her right there with other guests nearby.

She stood frozen in place with her eyes still closed, red circles burned into the high arches of her cheeks. After a moment, as if in a daze, her lids fluttered open. He easily recognized the hazy arousal in those unfocused blue depths for they mirrored his own.

They stood facing one another for a moment, bodies apart, but gazes interlocked. She blinked. “When I said you had a clever tongue, I really had no idea.” 

About the Author 

Diana Quincy is an award-winning former television journalist who decided she’d rather make up stories where a happy ending is always guaranteed. Growing up as a foreign service brat, Diana lived in many countries and is now settled in Virginia with her husband and two sons. When not bent over her laptop or trying to keep up with  laundry, she enjoys reading, spending time with her family and dreams of traveling much more than her current schedule (and budget) allows. Diana loves to hear from readers. 

You can keep up with her online at the following links:

Website/Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

I agree that the most interesting men aren't perfect.

What do you think?