Hello again to all you lovely fellow bookworms in the world! Welcome to my very first official book review! Woohoo!! :D
Title: Stone Cold Touch
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: October 21 2014
Rating: 10/10
WARNING: This review WILL contain spoilers for White Hot Kiss! You have been warned.
Every touch has its price
Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the
pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who's
pretty sure things can't get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best
friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of
her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is
suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about
Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one
else could.
But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning.
Because suddenly Layla's powers begin to evolve, and she's offered a
tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she
least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her
world forever. She's finally getting what she always wanted, but with
hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price
may be higher than Layla is willing to pay….
THIS BOOK FREAKING ROCKS MY SOCKS!! Like seriously. ROCKS MY SOCKS. *CUE HAPPY DANCE*
So, Stone Cold Touch picks up two weeks after White Hot Kiss ended. Roth is gone, supposedly dead, Zayne is beginning to reveal his feelings for Layla, and Layla is mourning Roth, AND finding herself falling harder for Zayne. And then, of course, because things couldn't get any more tense, Roth returns.
I won't give anything away, because I personally hate spoilers, and I don't want to inflict the utter horror and frustration that spoilers entail. Below is the fate of the evil and cruel people who spoil things:
I have never read a Jennifer L. Armentrout book that I didn't like, and I especially loved Stone Cold Touch. I originally preordered it on paperback from Amazon, but then they told me that it wouldn't ship for a very long time because they were sold out. Major props to JLA for being so awesome! So, I bought it on Kindle earlier today, because I absolutely COULD NOT WAIT to read it. But I digress.
The plot's pacing is fantastic, as per usual for a JLA book, and I was sitting at the edge of my chair in lecture, because new JLA books are a priority, you know. There was never a dull moment, and my curiosity was constantly being aroused as to what on earth was going to happen next. It just kept getting better and better as I frantically flicked the screen on my phone like a madwoman. The suspense just kept building and building, and then MAJOR REVEAL AND HUGE CLIFFHANGER at the very end.
Characters:
Layla: I basically felt all of her pain, angst, and anguish. In Stone Cold Touch, her naivete takes a plunge; she goes through something that disillusions her (#nospoilers) and she is more understanding and exposed to the 'real world'. Her relationship with Zayne is major amazingness as it shifts from mostly frienship into romance.
Zayne: I didn't really like Zayne so much in WHK. Then I read BSL and I liked him a bit more. Now, I've read SCT, and I REALLY like him. Here we see the sexier, more playful side of Zayne, as he becomes more confident, and casually teases and flirts with Layla. He still has his protective side, but he is much more open with the idea of her helping fight evil demons and stuff. Their training together continues, but gets much much hotter ;D. I felt like Zayne really grew up and became more mature than the way he was in WHK. He also learns that it might not be such a good idea to blindly trust everything his father says and does. He also really does try to put aside his immense dislike of Roth, mostly for Layla's sake, although he and Roth do get into some hilarious testosterone-fueled arguments.
Roth: In Stone Cold Touch, we see the colder, crueler version of Roth - basically the a-hole version. I don't like this side of him very much. He genuinely wants to help though, and may or may not still have feeling for Layla. He also tries (kind of) to work with Zayne for Layla's sake, and he constantly spouts hilarious one-liners that had me cracking up in the middle of lecture, with 'you heavenly reject!' probably being my favourite. This book was more focused on Layla's relationship with Zayne, so there definitely wasn't as much Roth to go around as there was in WHK.
Danika: There is way more Danika in SCT, compared to WHK. I didn't like her in WHK, then I read BSL and I liked her a lot more, and now, in SCT, I REALLY like her. I feel bad for her, honestly, because Zayne and Layla are so much more openly affectionate now, and Danika is also in love with Zayne, not to mention the fact that she grew up believing she would be his mate. It's clear how sad and upset she is that Zayne is with Layla. She surprisingly admits her jealousy to Layla, and the two then have a heart to heart convo, and become friends, which I was insanely happy about.
Abbot: I want him to die a horrible, gruesome death. 'Nuff said.
Overall, SCT is an absolutely fantastic book, which I love, as per usual with JLA books. The character development was excellent and perfectly paced, the plot was fantastic and heart-pounding, and evoked both laughter and sympathy/sadness.
When JLA announced the vote for either #Zayla or #Rayla, I was 100% sure I would vote for Roth based on WHK. NOW I CANNOT DECIDE!! Well done, JLA!! A book perfectly written, and a love traignle perfectly balanced!! Now, GIVE ME EVERY LAST BREATH!! NEED IT THIS VERY INSTANT!!
Have a fantastic day, you wonderful people!
Bayli
