{November 17, 2013} {ARC Review} Soar by Alyssa Rose Ivy (The Empire Chronicles #1)

From Goodreads: In the city that never sleeps the Chronicles continue…

Serving coffee is temporary, just like Casey’s year off from school. She’s going to come up with a plan to stay in New York City and go back to college, and that plan does not involve dating a paranormal creature—let alone two.

Running the supernatural society of New York is not as fun as it sounds, especially when you still have to answer to your ex-girlfriend’s fiancé. Toby doesn’t mean to bring Casey into the chaos of his life, but he can’t resist the girl who makes him smile when he thought no one else ever could.

Jared’s in New York checking out a security risk for his best friend, the king. He plans to return to New Orleans quickly, but not if it means losing his chance with the brunette who pretends she wants nothing to do with him.

In over her head with a bunch of winged creatures who most definitely are not angels, Casey has to figure out who to trust with her life and maybe her heart.

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Readers are happily thrust back into the world of the Pterons in this spin off series to the Crescent Chronicles, meshing together new and old characters alike. Casey, the new heroine of his novel, is in much the same boat as Allie was when she first learned of the Pterons, yet she’s vastly different. I like Casey, but I also found her wishy-washy attitude between Toby and Jared a bit jarring. She had a hard time making up her mind about who she liked more, and it made me mad. I have a tendency to want my heroines to go with the first good guy that captures their heart, so when it’s a battle between two lovers, it takes me time to change allegiances, and I don’t always do so, even though the characters do. I am kind of miffed about Casey’s final choice, truth be told. However, I have a feeling that it’s all going to change for both Jared and Toby based on the final few pages and their twist of events, one I never saw coming!

I feel kind of bad for Toby in this novel, which I wasn’t expecting going in. He is stuck missing Allie–and while I admit he didn’t handle things too well in the first series and I kind of hated him, I do feel sorry for him just the same, which is why I was hoping he’d catch a break in this novel, especially because he seems so much nicer. And while the break does seem to come, the appearance of Jared muddies the waters and it seems that Toby may never meet his other half.

I enjoyed that our main characters from series one are also side characters in this novel, so even though it’s a new heroine, my faves are still there in the background, helping to make sense of it all for Casey. And, again, based on the twist here at the end, it looks like we’re going to be seeing a lot more of Levi and Allie in the next installments in this lovely spinoff series, too, which is a huge plus because I really enjoy them.

One aspect that really intrigued me in this novel is the appearance of the shapeshifters; I really want to know what they’re doing, and why they’re doing it, but Ivy doesn’t give too much away, leaving me yearning for the next installment already… especially based on the twist at the end. Four stars.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publicist in exchange for an honest review.

{July 16, 2013} {Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway} Found by Alyssa Rose Ivy (The Crescent Chronicles #3)

From Goodreads: Levi might be hot, strong, and have a cool set of wings, but it’s not enough to make up for keeping Allie in the dark.

Allie’s tired of being left with more questions than answers. She’s tired of loving a guy who refuses to level with her. Most of all, she’s tired of her life spinning out of control.

Desperate to save Jess no matter the personal cost, Allie has to face the possibility that the only one she can trust is herself.

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This final installment in the Crescent Chronicles finally finds Allie and Levi at peace, in love, and on the same wave length, well, most of the time. The fighting is virtually over, and now that all the angst and trickery is out of the way, Allie and Levi are free to live their lives in bliss, except that Allie just learned something that has her questioning Levi’s love for her and her role in the Pteron world.

I enjoyed this novel just as much as the first two, but reader beware, Ivy is no long “fading to black” in her sex scenes, giving the full play by play, and it happens a lot as Allie’s and Levi’s newly reciprocated love has them whisking off for alone time much more often than not. If you’ve been waiting for our beloved characters to finally make amends and truly be together, then this final novel will give you everything you want. If you’re like me, then you’ll just gloss over those scenes and continue on with the meat of the story: how Allie is going to save Jess.

I have to say that I missed the constant bickering and banter between Allie and Levi in this novel, but Ivy makes up for it by finally putting the two lovers at ease with one another. Although Allie learns something about herself that has her questioning Levi’s love, and the admiration of all the Pteron heirs in the country, she remains strong and endeavors to save her best friend and solidify the Pteron.

I enjoyed that this novel is much more laid back than the others, starting off almost floating along as Allie and Levi are finally able to just enjoy themselves and their relationship. Interspersed here and there with the appearance of Allie’s deranged ex, Toby, and Levi’s callous grandmother, the novel gives readers jolts of anticipation, heeding the warnings as they come. Thus, readers are given a sense of calm and joy and then are overtaken by a sense of foreboding as the novel unfolds, and I really liked this combination. I was surprised by Allie’s decisions in the later half of the novel as everything began to heat up—her decisions to make a move for Jess on her own didn’t floor me, per say, because of her strong nature, but her bargaining and interactions with others made me tense. It’s a beautiful ending, though. Perfect in every way, but it’s not over. Not really. Ivy just announced that she’s not ready to give up the Pteron’s, and a spinoff series will be releasing late this year. Oh thank heaven. If you haven’t read the Crescent Chronicles yet, I highly suggest you do in time for the next installment. Four stars.

I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Check out the rest of The Crescent Chronicles:

Flight #1

Focus #2

Found #3

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About Alyssa Rose Ivy:

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college.

After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Website | Facebook | FOUND Goodreads

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And now for the giveaway!

Alyssa Rose Ivy is giving away TWO signed paperbacks of FOUND!

Click this Rafflecopter link to go to the entry form!

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{July 15, 2013} {Review} Focus by Alyssa Rose Ivy (The Crescent Chronicles #2)

From Goodreads: Freshman year of college is hard even when you’re not tied to the future king of a supernatural society.

Allie dives into college head first with Hailey as her roommate and the city of New Orleans as her backyard. As things within The Society heat up, Allie realizes that whether she’s with Levi or not, she’s in far too deep to turn back.

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This second novel picks up virtually where the first one, Flight, ended, making it a sequential novel that will leave readers clueless if they don’t read in order. I personally really like series novels, and as I picked up Focus just a few minutes after finishing Flight, which was perfect. While there is a little bit of what’s known as “info dumping” in the beginning chapters of book two, it’s not overbearing and Ivy seamlessly weaves it into the story, allowing those who have had down time between the novels time enough to remember the main plotline before whisking the reader away on a new and awesome adventure.

Allie, a strong-willed female, asserts herself even more in this novel, and though she struggles with her attraction and feelings for Levi, I love that she doesn’t just give in to his constant “charm,” especially after what he did to her in the previous novel (no spoilers, sorry, but if you read Flight, I’m sure you’ll be just as livid as Allie AND I were). I was exceptionally happy to note that Allie doesn’t let Levi off the hook, even though everyone around her tells her to get over it, and I really enjoyed her strong sense of self of worth. While she constantly questions her heart, she doesn’t immediately give in to her sexual desires, and she doesn’t let Levi’s treachery slide, either. Way to go, Allie!

I also loved the strong female bond between Hailey and Allie, which began to develop in the first novel and really solidifies in this second. There is no rolling-over to the men in their lives, and while there is definitely much sexual tension and relationship woes, Ivy keeps this novel clean as well, just like she did in the first, “fading to black” for all sexual encounters and focusing more on fleshing out the relationships and working through the characters’ issues. I absolutely adore Ivy’s adherence to leaving it to the imagination, and her writing style makes me comfortable as I read, which is a major plus. This novel has real relationship depth and I just loved how everything ended up in the end, especially with the twist. I’d like to say that I saw it coming, and a part of me did, but even so, I was still shocked and nearly died when I realized it was a cliffhanger, but lucky for us all, Ivy’s final installment in the Crescent Series has just released. Excited? You should be. Four stars.

I purchased this novel from Amazon.

Check out the rest of The Crescent Chronicles:

Flight #1

Focus #2

Found #3

{July 15, 2013} {Review} Flight by Alyssa Rose Ivy (The Crescent Chronicles #1)

From Goodreads: Sometimes you just have to take flight.

A summer in New Orleans is exactly what Allie needs before starting college. Accepting her dad’s invitation to work at his hotel offers an escape from her ex-boyfriend and the chance to spend the summer with her best friend. Meeting a guy is the last thing on her mind—until she sees Levi.

Unable to resist the infuriating yet alluring Levi, Allie finds herself at the center of a supernatural society and forced to decide between following the path she has always trusted or saving a city that might just save her.

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Alyssa Rose Ivy has done a phenomenal job creating a paranormal world that really draws the reader in. Set in New Orleans, Ivy places her fictional characters in a place that exudes otherworldly power, and I loved that Ivy really gave readers a taste of the area and culture, weaving it into the story alongside her interesting plotline. The paranormal aspect of this novel was extremely unique, and Ivy does a great job whetting readers’ appetites; I can’t wait for more because she’s only just begun to scratch the surface in terms of who the Pteron really are and what power they hold over the entire paranormal world.

Initially, however, I didn’t like Levi. He is the representation of the cocky male who knows he looks good and won’t take no for an answer, and this persona has never impressed me in real life or fiction. Levi is arrogant, and he’s always turning the conversation into something sexual, so I was worried that I actually wasn’t going to like the novel since Allie seemed to be giving in to him too easily, which is a big no-no for me as I’m a supporter of the strong female lead. Yet, as the book progressed, Levi grew on me a little, and I began to enjoy his and Allie’s whirlwind summer romance, especially once I knew more about Levi’s background and noted that Allie was strong in her own right. My love for Levi was once again suspended, though, when he went ahead and did something that angered me to no end, something I’m not okay with by any means, and neither is Allie, as is evidenced from the last 30% of the novel. But truth be told, I’m very proud of Allie’s reaction. I feel exactly the same way Allie does when everything comes to light, but I am also a little worried that her defenses will fall away too easily as Levi attempts to smooth talk his way out of this situation. Only time will tell.

I really do like Allie, but many times throughout the novel I found her making rash and ill-advised decisions, which turned me off a bit. However, she has just graduated from high school, she’s 18, has no supervision, and has just ended a long relationship. I know how it feels to be let loose and trying to turn over a new leaf, so I can’t hold it against her.

I also was very thankful that Ivy keeps her novel clean. With Levi as the main character and his obsession, it seems, with getting Allie into bed, it was nice that Allie held out and that any and all sexual encounters between the characters were all “fade to black.” This is turn makes it more YA friendly in that it’s not explicit or overbearing for younger readers whom I think will really enjoy the story and Allie’s strong sense of self-worth. She doesn’t need a man to make her strong, and I loved that she was so assertive and a good role model in that respect. Four stars.

I purchased this novel from Amazon.

Check out the rest of The Crescent Chronicles:

Flight #1

Focus #2

Found #3