REVIEW: The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4)

The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4), by Richelle Mead 
Published November 19, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill
Format: e-book, purchased
Genre:  young adult paranormal romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  5 STARS

(From Goodreads) In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

It's been a week since I finished The Fiery Heart, and I'm still nursing the remnants of a massive book hangover. I loved it so. much. Each new Bloodlines book is better than the one before it, and I think I love that fact the most of all. 

Sydney and Adrian are finally together, but hanging out has been made infinitely more difficult since Sydney's little sister Zoe joined up with the Scoobies in Palm Springs. Every move Sydney makes is scrutinized, and if it got back to their dad or the other alchemists that not only was Sydney an honest-to-goodness witch now, but one that's in love with a vampire, Sydney would be sent to reeducation. 

Once again, there's more than one main story happening in The Fiery Heart. First on my list was the romance between Syd and Adrian. At the end of The Indigo Spell, she finally gave in to her feelings for Adrian and I can't even tell you what a relief that was. Syd is so strict and uptight and stuck on the rules she was brought up to believe blindly that it was a hard fought win. And now that she has her prize in Adrian, finding time to spend with him is nearly impossible thanks to her sister. Yet Adrian and Sydney are determined to make it work - to "hold the center." 

The second main story is the one centering around Sydney trying to find the right recipe to replicate Marcus' anti-alchemist tattoo in quantity so that he can help more alchemists escape from their oppression. This process was awesome to read about as Sydney uses her smarts to figure out all the missing pieces to find the right mixture for the ink. I loved that part and the possibilities it creates. 

The third main story was about Adrian's battle with spirit. It's starting to bring the crazy on, and his mood swings have reached epic levels. He could take drugs to lessen the effects, but then what if someone he cares about needs his help? 

One of the best parts of this book is the dual POV. For the first time ever, we get to see inside the wonderfully complicated mess that is Adrian's head. Sometimes his mind is a little batty. But, when he thinks about Sydney, he is unbelievably sweet. 

The way that Richelle Mead has developed Sydney's character over not only the four Bloodlines books, but really a total of seven books now, if you look back to when she was first introduced in the fourth Vampire Academy book, it's so remarkable. Over the course of those seven books, Syd has gone from a completely close-minded, obnoxious character that I honestly hated, to a brave fighter that I love so much. It's been such a gradual process, which is so much more believable than if she were to change on a dime. 

The magic, the action, the politics - it's all so, so well done. Yes, there is a cliffhanger. But it's been done well. The loose ends, except for one big one, are starting to tie up, and the ending is done in such a way that Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) is one of the most anticipated books of 2014 for me.  

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This is one meme I can get on board with - I LOVE lists! I'll show you mine if you show me yours!

Top Ten Books On My Winter TBR

I define "Winter TBR" as the books I plan to read before the end of winter the end of March 2014.

1. Up From The Grave (Night Huntress #7), by Jeaniene Frost - This is the final word from Cat and Bones. It will be an incredibly bittersweet read, but one I'm so looking forward to.

2. Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3), by Veronica Rossi - I just realized I'm putting a lot of series enders on this list. Into the Still Blue is sure to be an epic end to Perry's and Aria's story. And, hopefully Roar too. Am I the only one convinced that he and Liv will have their HEA too?

3. White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1), by Jennifer L. Armentrout - I've read Bitter Sweet Love, and the novella has given me enough insight into Jennifer Armentrout's new world of gargoyles to know that that one novella was not nearly enough.

4. Secret (Elemental #4), by Brigid Kemmerer - I love those Merrick brothers like I love doughnuts. And, I am so looking forward to sweet Nick's story.

5. Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3), by Tahereh Mafi - I will be reading Ignite Me with great trepidation in February. Anything less than Juliette's HEA happening with Adam will leave me disappointed.

6. Be With Me (Wait For You #2), by Jennifer L. Armentrout - I was the idiot who received the first six chapters of Be With Me for pre-ordering Trust In Me. AND I READ THEM. I need to finish reading this book so badly.

7. Killer Frost (Mythos Academy #6), by Jennifer Estep - Poor Gwen has had such a rough go of it. I'm really looking forward to her finally kicking some reaper ass and finding some downtime with Logan.

8. Avalon (Avalon #1), by Mindee Arnett - I've heard so many good things about this book, and I've been really jonesing for a good sci-fi book lately. And that cover - goodness, it's gorgeous. Bonus points for that.

9. Take a Chance, by Abbi Glines - I've been intrigued by Grants since the moment Blaire pointed a gun at him. He now gets his own book. February can't come soon enough.

10. After the End (After the End #1), by Amy Plum - I was a huge fan of Amy Plum's Revenants series. This looks like something completely different, and I'm so excited to read it. 

NEW ADULT MONDAYS: Collide (Collide #1)

The New Adult genre - their bad boys and big problems and epic loves make them engrossing tales that are so easy to lose yourself in. What's not to love about that? And, now, thanks to the cool chicks at Bewitched Bookworms, we can show these books the love they deserve in a weekly feature - New Adult Mondays.

Collide (Collide #1), by Gail McHugh

Published September 17, 2013
Publisher: Atria Publishing
Format: audiobook, purchased
Genre:  new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Attracting, compelling, colliding, their chemistry—to say the least—was explosive. He felt it the first time he laid eyes on her. . .

On the heels of college graduation and the unexpected death of her mother, Emily Cooper moves to New York City to join her boyfriend for a fresh start. Dillon Parker has been sweet, thoughtful, and generous through Emily’s loss, and she can’t imagine her life without him—even as her inner voice tells her to go slow.

Then she meets Gavin Blake. A rich and notorious playboy, Gavin is dangerously sexy and charming as hell. Their first encounter is brief, but it’s enough to inflame Emily’s senses. When their paths cross again through an unexpected mutual acquaintance, she tries to deny the connection she feels, but Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome won’t let go so easily.

As she discovers Gavin’s pain-filled past and Dillon’s true nature begins to surface, Emily knows she must take action or risk destroying everyone—including herself. But how can she choose when she can’t trust her own heart?

Never have I ever read a book with more emotional angsty goodness than Collide. From the very beginning, I bought every single word Gail McHugh was selling and then some. And, you know what's weird? I'm usually not a fan of love triangles. Or cheating. Collide has the love triangle to beat all love triangles, as well as some cheating. And, I just could not get enough. So, bravo to Ms. McHugh for doing what few authors have been able to do. 

Emily moves to New York to be near her boyfriend Dillon and her BFF Olivia after her mother passes away in her home state of Colorado. After only a few days in the city, Emily meets Gavin completely by chance. And, it's sorta love at first sight. Except Emily's already in love with someone else. As time moves on and Dillon and Gavin both show their true colors, Emily has to decide what is more important - the past or the future. 

I'd heard nothing but amazing things about Collide from many other new adult fans. I bought it for my Kindle over the summer. And it sat there. For months. I'm not sure why. I just didn't get to it. Then, I bought the audio version from Audible. And, I was like, WHOA. I am such an idiot for not reading this sooner!

Initially, I wasn't a big fan of Emily's. It was glaringly obvious who the right guy was, and yet she spent the entire span of the book denying it, even in the face of some pretty convincing evidence. This was one of those books for which a padded Kindle cover is a good thing - you know - for the times you want to throw it across the room because you're so damn frustrated. On one hand I wanted Emily to realize what was doing from the beginning. On the other hand, her self-denial made for some pretty amazing sexual tension between she and Gavin. 

OMG - it was beyond delicious. Gail McHugh knows how to write the heat. I'd classify Collide as a mature NA book. And the heated tension between Emily and Gavin is the best part of the book. It was palpable on every single page. It doesn't hurt that McHugh made Gavin this amazingly perfect specimen of a man. I think any encounter between him and a woman would overheat my senses. But with Emily - the woman he loves more than his next breath - swoon city, baby. 

Dillon is the biggest asshat - I kept waiting for the moment when Emily realized what the reader had known for awhile. It was a very long wait. Gail McHugh was able to weave a powerful message into her epic love story - a message about finding your inner strength and beauty when someone all but rips it away from you. By the end of Collide, Emily has finally started reclaiming her voice and her life, and although you don't get to see Dillon's comeuppance, you know it's coming. 

Collide ends on one of those good kinds of cliffhangers. Most of the loose ends are tied up and the story comes to a close, but there's one big thing left undone that absolutely compels you to read the next book in the series. By the time the end rolled around, I was very glad that I had had the foresight to purchase the audio version of Pulse (Collide #2) and had it waiting for me. Because, although the ending was good, I was left wanting to know what came next. 

The banter between Emily and Gavin is many times lighthearted and sweet. Olivia's and Emily's restaurant is funny and real and amazing. Those moments were the lightest of the book. For the most part, Collide is angsty with a capital A. It's perfect for when you want one of those super emo romantic books. Just, trust me when I say, have Pulse ready to go before you finish. You'll thank me for that bit of advice.