Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L Armentrout

Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L Armentrout
Release Date – December 1, 2013
Publisher Website –  Harlequin Teen
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages - 105 pages
My Rating- 4/5
**received from publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Dez wasn't just Jasmine's crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining balance between good and evil. He was her everything...right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn't help that Jas's father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally.

And now he's back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn't taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again...

Bitter Sweet Love does exactly what it promises. It teases. It offers up action, romance, and a brief glimpse at the world of the Warden. It's the perfect start to Jennifer Armentrout's sizzling new series that focuses on forgiveness, duty, and following your heart.

Dez and Jas' story is sweet, and angst filled. It's also a forgone conclusion. Very little stakes as the end is crystal clear (even if it isn't for our characters). It made the novella enjoyable, but predictable. The payoff comes at the end where the set up for White Hot Kiss left me dying to continue the story.

The introduction of Layla, Zayne and Roth is where this novella gets interesting. I am already intrigued by all of them. Layla is going to garner sympathy for the way she's shunned and merely 'tolerated'. Her isolation from the rest of the Wardens immediately invokes sympathy. Roth's presence and what his agenda is already has me dying to read more. Zayne seems like a sweet, supportive guy who is incredibly kind to Layla. In this short novella, that doesn't even focus on them, Jennifer managed to make me care enough that White Hot Kiss is a MUST read for me.

The Wardens and their mythology is captivating. Jennifer Armentrout has managed to make gargoyles fascinating, and sexy. This novella gives the reader a crash coarse into their purpose, and how they work. I was unsure that I would be able to fall completely into the story, but it's set up more than accomplishes pulling the reader in. The threat of demons, the sense of duty, and the 'pack' mentality are all going to have ramifications for the characters that will present some delicious storylines.

Bitter Sweet Love offers an intriguing concept, a delicious tease, and fantastic set up. It does exactly what the author, publisher, and ultimately reader, want it to. It makes not picking up White Hot Kiss impossible. I can't wait to delve deeper into the mysteries of the Wardens, and the fall out from the events in this scorchingly hot novella.

Bitter Sweet Love Release Day!

Jennifer L. Armentrout's amazing novella in her new The Dark Elements Series, BITTER SWEET LOVE, is out and we are excited to join in the release day launch for it. BITTER SWEET LOVE is the Prequel Novella for The Dark Elements Series and is full of Wardens, fantasy, and romance. The first novel in the series, WHITE HOT KISS, will be released February 25, 2014. Check out what we have for you today! There's also a fantastic excerpt for you to check out below!

EXCERPT:

Moving lightning fast, Dez shifted and I was suddenly underneath him. His arms were on either side of my head, caging me in. Our bodies didn’t touch, but I felt him to the tips of my toes anyway.

             The teasing grin disappeared when I dragged in a deep breath and my chest brushed his. Everything changed in an instant. The playful mood faded, replaced by primal heaviness. Our gazes collided and locked. Neither of us moved. His closeness sent a series of shivers skittering across my skin and made it hard to take slow, even breaths. My body tensed when his gaze dropped to my mouth.

             He tilted his head to the side. “I… I honestly have no idea what we were talking about.”

              “Good. Neither do I.”

             He shifted his weight onto one arm, bring him closer. “Have you enjoyed your trip so far?”

             “Yes.” I felt as if I couldn’t get enough air into my lungs.

             “Good.” He lowered his head. His breath was minty as it moved across my cheek and then my lips. “I’m glad.”

             I wasn’t really following the conversation and I wasn’t sure that he was fully aware of what was coming out of his mouth. I searched my hazy brain for something to say and wet my lips.

             The sound that came out of Dez’s chest rumbled through me. A stuttered heartbeat passed and then his lips were on mine. There was nothing slow about this kiss. It scorched my skin and caused my body to stretch tight like a bowstring. The kiss deepened, spinning my senses. I shuddered when his hand curved over my shoulder and drifted down to my waist, his long fingers spreading out under the hem of my shirt, grazing the bare skin of my stomach.

             I gasped, floored by the raw sensations pounding through my blood. My skin felt as if I was about to phase. Maybe I was.

                “Jasmine,” he whispered, the word falling against my lips, and then his body was pressing mine into the mattress, heavy, sweet and hard.

*Amazon*     *Barnes and Noble*     *iTunes*

ABOUT BITTER SWEET LOVE (The Dark Elements #.5):

In a sizzling prequel novella to her new series The Dark Elements, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout draws readers into the extraordinary, irresistible world of Wardens and demons.

Dez wasn't just Jasmine's crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining the balance between good and evil. He was her everything…right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn't help that Jas's father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally.

And now he's back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn't taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again…

Don't miss White Hot Kiss, book one in Jennifer L. Armentrout's The Dark Elements series from Harlequin TEEN!

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Links:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

BITTER SWEET LOVE Goodreads

WHITE HOT KISS Goodreads

Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads

Jennifer L. Armentrout Amazon

WHITE HOT KISS Buy Links:

AMAZON

BARNES AND NOBLE

iTUNES

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

A smaller week than usual, but totally needed with how packed the last 2 weeks have been.

Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L Armentrout (goodreads)

A huge thank you to Harlequin Teen for the chance to read and review this e-novella prequel to White Hot Kiss. The big release date is TODAY so be sure to order your copy! Also stop by on December 2nd when I will have my review, and other release celebration goodies!

Hope you had a fantastic book haul this week too!

Happy Reading, and Happy Weekend!

Bitter Sweet Love Sneak Peek!

Are you eagerly anticipating the release of Jennifer L Armentrout's White Hot Kiss? If so, you'll want to check out the e-novella prequel Bitter Sweet Love when it releases on December 1!

There is a sneak peek available for those of you who just can't wait (and is that not ALL of us?!). Click on the sneak peek image below to be taken to the teaser sampler of Bitter Sweet Love!

After you've devoured that you can pre-order Bitter Sweet Love from Kobo, or Amazon.

There is also a Goodreads contest to win an advance reader copy of White Hot Kiss, so be sure to enter.

Are you dying to get your hands on Jennifer's new series? What did you think of the sneak peek? Let me know in the comments!

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

Mailbox of awesome this week! It was a packed on filled with awesome books!

The Rule of Three by Eric Walters (goodreads)

The Secret Diamond Sisters by Michelle Madow (goodreads)

Half Bad by Sally Green (goodreads)

Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L Armentrout (sampler) (goodreads)

I was thrilled to get Half Bad and Rule of Three from Penguin Canada. Huge thank you to them. I've been hearing insane buzz about Half Bad and can not wait to devour this one.

Harlequin Teen sent me my first package as part of the promotion of White Hot Kiss. First up is a teaser sampler of the e-novella Bitter Sweet Love. Trust me, I want to read the rest and immediately start on White Hot Kiss!  They also sent me a book I've been excited about The Secret Diamond Sisters. It's set in Las Vegas. I read that and was immediately sold. Huge thank you to Harlequin Teen.

Killer Instinct by S.E. Green (goodreads)
Afterparty by Ann Redisch Stampler (goodreads)

Simon and Schuster (and Edelweiss) approve me for two titles. Killer Instinct which has been compared to Dexter (HECK YES!) and Afterparty which sounds awesome and has an amazing cover. Huge thank you to Simon and Schuster

No Place Like Oz by Danielle Paige (goodreads)

Lastly I purchased the e-novella that is kicking of the hugely buzzed Wizard of Oz re-imaging by Danielle Paige. After devouring this, I am DYING to get my hands on Dorothy Must Die. Expect my review of this as part of my 2014 Most Anticipated Event. 

Hope you had a fantastic book haul this week too!

Happy Reading, and Happy Weekend!