Review: Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios

Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Publication Date: June 13, 2017

Rating: 4 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Grace wants out. Out of her house, where her stepfather wields fear like a weapon and her mother makes her scrub imaginary dirt off the floors. Out of her California town, too small to contain her big city dreams. Out of her life, and into the role of Parisian artist, New York director—anything but scared and alone.

Enter Gavin: charming, talented, adored. Controlling. Dangerous. When Grace and Gavin fall in love, Grace is sure it's too good to be true. She has no idea their relationship will become a prison she's unable to escape. 

Deeply affecting and unflinchingly honest, this is a story about spiraling into darkness—and emerging into the light again.

What I Liked:

Ignore my rating a little - it's so difficult to rate books like these, because they are so powerful and intense and meaningful. Tough-issue contemporary novels are difficult books to write, difficult books to read, difficult books to rate. That doesn't mean they can't be "bad" and you can't dislike them. In this book's case, it was wonderfully written and so, so heartbreaking, and I can't help but be in awe of the author for writing such a tragic, intense, and hopeful story. This is an excellent contemporary story dealing with an abusive relationship and negligence and cruelty of parents. I usually avoid tough-issue contemporary novels, but I loved this book and I'm so glad I told myself to try it.

The story starts with Grace telling the story from the beginning. She has a horrible home life - her mother and stepfather treat her like a slave, and she constantly has to give up social plans and homework time to do excessive chores and babysit her half-brother. She loves being in school, especially drama/theater class. especially since Gavin Davis is in the class. Gavin's girlfriend breaks up with him, and soon after, he and Grace start to hang out more. Grace has had a crush on him for forever, and she is thrilled with his attention. They fall in love hard and fast, and become inseparable. Even after he graduates from high school (he was a senior and she was a junior), they remain committed, as he goes to a state school nearby. But even from the start, little things start to happen that alarm Grace a little more each time. It takes Grace a year to realize that the relationship is a prison, and she'll need to escape before she, or someone else, gets hurt.

There are two big "issues" in this book - the abusive relationship, of course, and parents' treatment of Grace. I'll comment on the latter. Grace's mother is awful - she has OCD, and she makes Grace clean the house over and over. Grace is late to work, to school, to the SATs, but it doesn't matter to her mother, because all her mother seems to focus on is a tiny smudge, or whether the doors are locked, or if the curling iron was unplugged. Grace's mother is a terrible person, even without the OCD that constantly ruins Grace's life. Grace's stepfather (nicknamed the Giant, by Grace) is even worse. He is verbally abusive to Grace's mother. He starts making Grace pay weekly rent. He threatens to kick her out, and yells when she doesn't do her slave work. 

Honestly, reading about this type of home life really makes me appreciate how good my home life was when I was seventeen years old (five years ago! Wow!). Even now, too. I don't have a stepparent (thank goodness. I know many stepparents are wonderful people, and many biological parents are awful, but I'm so grateful for MY parents, for the type of people they are), and I have no idea what I would do if either of my parents got remarried (if they were divorced). It's a situation that a child can't control - and this is so evident, in Grace's case. The Giant is a disgustingly cruel human being. He is verbally abusive (not sexually or physically abusive, thank goodness for that), and he is the type of person that deserves a very bad and lonely life in prison. 

Same goes for Grace's mother. And Gavin.

Don't get me wrong, as much as I hated Grace's mother and stepfather, I loved how well Demetrios wrote their characters. My heart broke for Grace every time she interacted with either of them. Demetrious did such a good job of breaking down Grace's home life. It's awful and no child or adult should ever have to live like that. 

And then there is the other side of the "tough issues" of this book - the relationship between Gavin and Grace. Gavin isn't an obvious psychotic person - he seems like a hot, charming rocker type who is in a band and also in theater. He's a smooth talker and knows how to manipulate just about anyone - Grace included. You wouldn't know that Gavin is a verbally abusive and manipulative boyfriend, if you weren't his girlfriend. 

The jealousy, the possessiveness, the cutting remarks and occasional name-calling, the emotional manipulation - it was heartbreaking and so saddening to read. None of these things were obvious to Grace for much of the book. And even when she started to realize that there was something not right about their relationship, she kept forgiving him, or getting manipulated by him and getting sucked back in. This was so well-written by Demetrios. I wanted to scream at Grace every time she went back to Gavin - but at the same time, I totally understood. You know what I mean?

Demetrios nailed the progression of the bad romance, Gavin's instability, Grace's indecision. This story was so well-paced and well-written, as heartbreaking and intense as it was. I couldn't stop reading even as I wanted to break down and cry for Grace. Grace is so many girls and women in the world today, you know? 

The romance is "bad" (obviously) - a harmful type of romance. But Demetrios builds it in such a way that at first, you'll swoon and fall in love too. If there is one that Demetrios always does well, in all of her books, it is a swoony romance. In this case, it's a swoony romance gone wrong. You're probably thinking, "ew Alyssa, why would you say that the romance is swoony?" But that's just it - just like Grace, you'd never know that Gavin is abusive. You'd think that these two are the cutest couple. 

I have to say, I a d o r e d the friendship between Grace and her best friends Natalie and Alyssa (yay, fellow Alyssa!). Natalie and Alyssa are so solid, supportive, kickbutt, and awesome. There is no girl drama or catfighting in this book, as many YA books often feature (pitting friends against each other in some way). The girls support Grace even as they warn her away from Gavin and tell her how they feel about him and how he treats Grace. The powerful female friendship in this book makes this book even stronger. I loved seeing this healthy relationship between the three girls, especially given how broken Grace's relationships with so many others were.

You may be wondering, is there another romance in this book? A healthier one? Does Grace find true love with someone else? I'll let you find out when you read the book. This book focuses on Grace and Gavin's romance, and I'll leave it at that. 

The ending is very, very uplifting. I was so glad to see Grace stand up with two feet on the ground, and move forward, and never look back. There is a HEA in this book, though the story doesn't lend itself to one. I was a huge fan of the ending. 

On a bit of a side note, I'm just going to say it - I loved that religion was a somewhat large part of this story. Natalie is Christian and devotedly so - honestly I feel like she is a carbon copy of me (dresses conservatively, doesn't curse, etc.). YA books tend to not include any mention of religion, which doesn't really bother me, but I liked seeing religion portrayed as a very positive aspect of Natalie's life. And I loved how respectful Grace was, and Alyssa too. 

Bad Romance is an intense and heartbreaking story, one that I wouldn't read under usual circumstances. I'm a huge fan of Heather Demetrios's books, so I knew I was going to try this one, even if it was out of my comfort zone. This book is one that makes you think, one that makes you appreciate what you have, one that makes you angry for the women who go through these situations.

What I Did Not Like:

I have no dislikes to state, but for anyone looking for trigger warnings: note that this book has verbal abuse, some physical abuse (by Grace's mom), a very manipulative relationship (Grace and Gavin), and a scene of non-consent between Grace and Gavin. 

Would I Recommend It:

I highly recommend this book to any girl, any woman, any reader, really. But especially to all the young women out there. Sometimes it's hard to get up and say no, and walk away. I'm sure many of us know a woman who struggled and maybe is still struggling in an abusive and manipulative relationship of some sort. This isn't my usual type of read as I tend to avoid YA contemporary, but I'm glad I read it. There are so many lessons to be learned from the book. The most important, to me, is to love yourself and stand up for yourself. 

Rating:

4.5 stars. This book was an excellent read. I don't know if I have the heart to reread it (hence the 4-star rating - 5 stars, to me, are reserved for new favorites that I want to reread over and over). But this book will have a place in my heart. I loved Demetrios's Dark Caravan Cycle series (Exquisite Captive, Blood Passage, Freedom's Slave), and I'm happy to say that I loved this book too.

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Blog Tour: Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios

Hi friends! Welcome to the Bad Romance blog tour, in celebration of the publication of Heather Demetrios's latest novel. This book was 20 years in the making, and it tells a powerful story. Today, I'm going to tell you my own "bad romance" story.

Alyssa's Bad Romance

I want to preface my story by saying that this happened in college, my freshman year, which was only  less than four years ago. This "bad romance" may not be nearly as physically damaging as other bad romance stories, but it is emotionally and mentally "bad", and I think any girl in college (or even high school) could understand or learn from my experience.

I'd just moved into the dorms, and orientation had begun. The people living on my floor were so different and cool! I lived in the "athletes building" (despite not being a university athlete), so most of my floor-mates were swimmers, baseball players, basketball players, rugby players... and soccer players. Four soccer players lived on my floor - two in a dorm next to mine, and two across the hall. One soccer player living across the hall (let's call him M) would become a close friend whom I'm still friends with. Another soccer player living next door (let's call him V) would become the subject of this bad romance story.

We met when I was chatting with a non-athlete friend who lived in the same dorm as M (let's call him B), outside of B and M's dorm. I introduced myself to V and he said his name was "Pablo" and he is from Australia - lies, because he is such a goof. Later, I found out that his name is ___ and he lives in the dorm next to mine. I wouldn't say I developed an instant crush on V, but I liked his sense of humor and his easy smile. He was funny, charming, and very, very cute. And he knew it. Athletes - especially soccer players - usually have these egos, y'all.

Classes started a few days later and surprise! V, M, and a few other people on this floor have a few mutual general science classes. Our first assignment for the General Chemistry class rolled around, and I finished it early (like the nerd that I am). I helped my roommates with the assignment and word got around that "Alyssa is really good at Chem! Go ask her for help!". 

Most of the other people in Chem on the floor worked with each other, but V asked for my help. I was tickled pink - a cute, popular, charming guy wanting to spend time with me? It didn't matter that he was asking for help and it was a study thing only - I was flattered and starstruck. Of course I said yes. Of course I helped him on the assignment (and he got an amazing grade). Of course he asked for help on the next assignment. And the next. And the next. And help studying for the midterm. And then the next assignment. And the labs. And...

You get the point. We became really close, because inevitably we didn't just talk about atomic bonds and p orbitals. We talked a lot, and I got to know him really well. In hindsight, I got to know him really well, but how well did he get to know me?

I started to really realize that he only talked to me when there was an assignment due, a lab to be done, or an exam to study for. We hung out a lot, after studying, but he didn't really interact with much outside of our study sessions. Which eventually started to bother me (though not at first). 

It turned into a cycle, a cycle that he picked up on: an assignment would be due, he would text me, I secretly get excited and then agree to meet up, we would have a productive study session and hang out afterwards, and then we would part ways. I would feel dissatisfied and annoyed after the session, and in the days following, I would text him and try to chat about Other Things. He would text back once a day at like 3:00 AM and it would be a one-word answer. I would be annoyed and stop trying to communicate. An assignment would be due, and he would play nice and text me something like "hey how are you", and then follow up with "do you wanna do chem together?". And the cycle continues. 

By the end of Fall semester of freshman year, I was pretty much entirely in love with him, and I still had stars in my eyes. By the end of the Spring semester (in which we still had mutual classes), I was irritated and still lovestruck and also despondent, because of the upcoming summer - and the fact that we wouldn't be living in the same dorm building during sophomore year, let alone the same floor. 

AND YET. The cycle started up again... because we were in a class together. I knew better, and yet I let him waltz right back into my life. I wasn't ready to let go. I knew how toxic and harmful and hurtful the relationship was (whatever you want to call it), but I didn't pull away.

I metaphorically kicked V out of my life on New Year's Day in the middle of my sophomore year - January 1, 2015. I remember making a conscious decision not to seek him out. Not to text him. Not to call him. Even if we shared classes together, I was going to ignore him.

I will tell you right now - that was so difficult, and it took me nearly a year to feel like myself again. I didn't realize how much I relied on his unspoken approval and how much my self-confidence depended on him. My self-confidence took a huge hit over the next year. I didn't put myself out there, I didn't try to meet anyone new, I didn't even go out with my friends to have fun. I was emotionally and mentally wrecked by the absence of this boy, whom I can't even call a ex-boyfriend. He's some sort of "ex" that I can't classify.

I'd always been fairly self-confident, before V. About a year after slicing him out of my life, I started to gain confidence. I started to do more social things with my friends - and make new friends. My love life was (and still is) pretty dead, but this was what I wanted - I wanted to love and appreciate myself before entering any type of emotionally invested relationship again.

I didn't realize how damaging my relationship with V was, even if it wasn't a physically abuse relationship. Maybe it wasn't quite emotionally abusive either - though he used me and he knew what he was doing. Do I miss him as a friend, someone who was easy for me to talk to and hang out with?Yes, absolutely. Do I miss him in general? Meh. I don't think so. And to be able to say that shows that I've come a long way.

Moral of the story (there are two): (1) when you know you're being used, especially emotionally, especially by a loved one or a friend or boyfriend or girlfriend or whatever, get yourself out. And (2), love yourself first, girl. 

About the Book:

Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Publication Date: June 13, 2017

Summary (from Goodreads):

Grace wants out. Out of her house, where her stepfather wields fear like a weapon and her mother makes her scrub imaginary dirt off the floors. Out of her California town, too small to contain her big city dreams. Out of her life, and into the role of Parisian artist, New York director—anything but scared and alone.

Enter Gavin: charming, talented, adored. Controlling. Dangerous. When Grace and Gavin fall in love, Grace is sure it's too good to be true. She has no idea their relationship will become a prison she's unable to escape. 

Deeply affecting and unflinchingly honest, this is a story about spiraling into darkness—and emerging into the light again.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N  | The Book Depository | The Ivy Bookshop

About the Author:

When she’s not traipsing around the world or spending time in imaginary places, Heather Demetrios lives with her husband in New York City. Originally from Los Angeles, she now calls the East Coast home. Heather has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is a recipient of the PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award for her debut novel, Something Real. Her other novels include Exquisite Captive, the first in the Dark Caravan Cycle fantasy series, I’ll Meet You There and the multiplatform serial novel, The Lexie Project. She is the founder of Live Your What, a project dedicated to creating writing opportunities for underserved youth. Find out more about Heather and her books at www.heatherdemetrios.com, or come hang out with her on Twitter (@HDemetrios) and any number of social media sites.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Follow the tour:

Week One:

May 30th – Dark Faerie Tales – Blogger: 5 advice tips to give my younger self

May 31st – Swoony Boys Podcast – Author Interview

June 1st – Tales of the Ravenous Reader – Blogger: Tips for encouraging self worth

June 2nd – Pink Polks Dot Books – Blogger: Red Flags to Look Out For

June 3rd – It Starts at Midnight – Blogger: Some signs that I wish I had seen

Week Two:

June 4th – Paper Trail YA – Blogger: What things I wish I'd had during my Bad Romance

June 6th – Alexa Loves Books – Blogger: Relationship advice

June 7th – The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club – Blogger: Bad Romance story along with some tips

June 8th – A Perfection Called Books – Blogger: Tips for Self Worth

June 10th – Forever Young Adult – Blogger: List of Bad Romances in Pop Culture

Week Three:

June 11th – The Book Nut – Blogger: Bad Romance Story

June 12th – The Eater of Books! – Blogger: Bad Romance Story

June 13th – Here's to the Happy Endings – Guest Post: How to make sure that your relationship is a healthy one

Swoon Thursday (#212): Freedom's Slave by Heather Demetrios

- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting

This week, my swoon is from Freedom's Slave by Heather Demetrios!

She stopped him with a hard kiss, one that obliterated all though and turned them into a tangle of limbs, their clothes thrown in every direction. The sheets turned gray from the Eye's dust and the ash of the burnings. The grit on their skin had trails running through it of sweat, kisses, tongues, teeth. Nalia held on to him and didn't let go, didn't look away. I am yours yours yours. Raif pulled her close, gentle, then fierce, and nothing, nothing would ever separate them again.

- eARC, 70%

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Exquisite Captive | Blood Passage | Freedom's Slave

All the love for this book! There were plenty of swoony moments between Raif and Nalia in this book, but this one is one of my favorites. It's not the reunion scene, but one just as intense and sweet. =)

Review: Freedom's Slave by Heather Demetrios

Freedom's Slave by Heather Demetrios

Book Three of the Dark Caravan Cycle series

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: February 28, 2017

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

An Empress Fighting for Her Crown

After three long years in exile, Nalia is ready to return to her homeland and sit on the throne that is rightfully hers. But the gods might have other plans. Forced to endure untold horrors on the journey to Arjinna, Nalia learns that it will take more than cutting down the tyrant Calar to get her crown.

An Army Fighting to Survive

Raif’s return to Arjinna as the commander of the revolution against Calar and her army isn’t as smooth as he’d hoped. Though he has more soldiers than ever before, his love for Nalia is losing him the trust of his comrades...and the war. But little does the resistance know that insurrection is brewing among Calar’s own ranks—and from the one person she trusts the most.

A Land Worth Fighting for

Arjinna is dying—Calar’s evil experiments with dark magic and the strength of her own psychic powers threaten to destroy the land of the jinn. Is Nalia and Raif’s enduring love enough to transform and rescue their homeland? Will they be willing to save the realm, no matter the cost? 

What I Liked:

***SPOILER-FREE REVIEW***

This book... this book. I just finished it a few minutes ago and I'm pretty speechless. I liked Exquisite Captive and Blood Passage, but I think this book is Demetrios's best work. I loved this book, and I hated it a little too (you'll understand why, and it'll make you love/hate the book too), in the best of ways. The author took me on quite the emotional roller coaster, but the book was brilliant and stunning because of that roller coaster.

In this final novel of the Dark Caravan Cycle series, Nalia and Raif return to Arjinna. Raif must lead the dissenting tavrai, who begin to distrust him because of his faith in Nalia. He and the army of jinn find allies in unexpected places, as all of Arjinna looks to the fall of Calar. Meanwhile, Nalia must learn ways from the old empresses - on her own. She'll need to find her way back to the battle - to Raif - in order to claim her throne and bring peace to Arjinna. No one will be spared, from Calar, or from the gods.

I will do my very best to keep things as vague as possible! But bottom line - I really recommend this conclusion novel, especially if you've read Exquisite Captive and Blood Passage (or even just Exquisite Captive). This conclusion is nothing short of intriguing, mind-blowing, heartbreaking, terrifying, sexy, and satisfying. 

This book had a bigger focus on Raif than it did on Nalia. In fact, I'll go as far as to say that Nalia is not physically present in the first half of the book. It was strange, her not being anywhere significant (in relation to Arjinna, Raif, and the others). BUT, she was somewhere she needed to be. And the story would not have been as complete with her glued to Raif's side (and the others). With Nalia's absence, there are a lot of chapters in the perspectives of other jinn - jinn are somewhat newly introduced in this book but play a very significant role in the story. 

While Nalia isn't really in the first half of the story at all, she is extremely present in the second half of the story (like, reunited with Raif, etc.). She is every inch the warrior and survivor that we have known her to be - and then some. I love the completeness of her transformation into empress. In this book, she is confident and yet unsure of herself, protective and merciful, compassionate and yet merciless when it comes to the safety of those she loves. While I stand by my original statement (that this book focuses more on Raif than Nalia), Nalia is always the center of the trilogy's story. I loved seeing her reach her full potential and make her claim for the throne.

Raif... oh Raif. Raif, to me, is the most important character in this book. With Nalia not being by his side in the first 50% of the book (or thereabout), it's hard on him. He's lost at first, and it's so heartbreaking to see him try to fight a war and be separated from his rohifsa at the same time. I can't say too much about things, but I really, really felt for him. But Raif is the strongest character of this book, and series. He endures so much, and fights through so much pain (not the physical kind), and he is so strong and selfless and every bit the leader he has proven himself to be. 

Two characters change the course of this story - Taz, the commander of the jinn army, and Kes, Calar's lover. When we're introduced to Kes, it's strange - why is the perspective of the lover of Calar (the story's villain) being presented? But Kes no longer stands with Calar, and wants her deposed. He secretly starts to support and meet with the resistance, and eventually, Raif and the tavrai. Kes's story is so heartbreaking and almost hopeless, and yet he finds his own hope and light. I didn't like him at first (for obvious reasons) but it wasn't before long that I absolutely loved him. 

I love how Demetrios does that. She takes characters that you think you'll absolutely hate - Kes, Shirin, to an extent, Malek, and makes you feel for them. Well, Malek, no. I didn't like him at all, and never would have. We all read Blood Passage, right? Good riddance. He's not in this book.

Taz is the other really important secondary character that gets chapters from his perspective. He is several thousand years old and the commander of the jinn army that came through the Eye with Raif. He becomes a good friend to Raif, and a huge support for Raif when Raif was stuck (I'll leave it at that). Taz is a good man, and it's hard not to love him. My heart broke for him like my heart broke for Kes. But, like Kes, I loved how Taz found his hope and light.

As with the other books, I love the world-building of this book and series. The Middle Eastern touch, all of the jinn lore and myths and magic, and the Arjinnan setting of this book - Demetrios did an amazing job in crafting this world. Clearly she did her research, with all of the italicized words, the settings, the tales and lore. This is easily the best written and most researched jinn story/series in YA literature that I've ever read!

Okay fine, I'll talk about the romance. I mentioned that Raif and Nalia are separated for about 50% of the book. Let me (sort of) discuss that first. This separation - it's necessary on several levels, but it's something that you don't really realize is necessary until the story starts to move. Like at first you're like WHAT? Because the separation happens immediately as the story begins. But you will see how necessary it is (in my opinion). I hate separations like that (what is worse is the separations in which they don't know the state of the other). But I get why the author did it, AND in some ways it was good, because it opened the story to focus more on Raif, and give way to chapters from Taz's and Kes's perspectives.

But the romance is so strong, in this book. Even in the first half of the book, with them being separated, you can practically feel the strength of Raif and Nalia's love. Their bond is so strong and unshakable, and the distance doesn't hurt them at all. Their reunion, around the 50% mark, was so beautiful. And from that point on, the romance is sweet, sexy, and so heartwarming. I loved seeing Raif and Nalia back together! Like any couple, they have their arguments, their moments of doubt, and their slip-ups. Raif was definitely dealt the harsher end of the stick, in terms of, well, everything. But I love how powerful and unshakable the romance was. They endured quite a bit and yet they never stopped loving each other.

Yes, there are plenty of sexy times in this book. Demetrios does some fade-to-black but she also doesn't leave everything up to the imagination. Which I applaud!

One thing that I was a huge fan of - so I mentioned that Raif is more of the focus, in this book. And yet, it's really all about the empress (Nalia). I LOVE how Raif is so willing to cede everything to Nalia (all of his power and influence over the tavrai, for example). But what I love even more? Nalia does the same; she brings Raif to be her equal, at her side, and not behind her. If she is empress, she is emperor - that kind of thing. I love this. 

I don't want to say anything about the battles and Calar and the ending, but I will say - this book is a whirlwind of action and death and scheming. There was never a dull moment in the book. I should also follow up on my comment about this book taking me on an emotional roller coaster. Um, yes, Demetrios really takes readers through every single emotion possible, in this book. And she does it so well. For example, Raif's defeat and anguish was so palpable, or Shirin's frustration, or Nalia's desperation, or Kes's disgust, or Taz's pain. Everything was so amplified, and I truly felt the characters' pain and joy and hope like it was my own. 

In the end, this book was incredibly satisfying. It's full of nonstop action, life-or-death craziness, plagues, magic, heartbreak, hope, sexy romance, and love. Not every character gets a HEA (which is so sad!), but Raif and Nalia get a nice ending (yes, I will say that much, spoiler or not). After everything that Raif (Raif and Nalia, but Raif more so) was put through, he'd better get a nice ending with her! I think Demetrios wrapped up the series perfectly, and ended the story in a way that really fit and made things work. I loved this book, with all of its heartbreak and despair, its hopefulness and passion and love.

What I Did Not Like:

I already talked this to death, but my sole complaint would be something that is and isn't a complaint. I always hate long separations between the main couple, and the separation between Raif and Nalia was brutal. It was tough more so because it was so long (the duration of time, I won't say specifically), and they don't know how the other is doing, during this separation.

BUT AGAIN. I think the separation was necessary, in the end. When it first, errr, happened, it definitely didn't feel that way. But the story couldn't have gone in the direction that it did, without the separation. Still, I hate separations!

Would I Recommend It:

I highly recommend this book, if you're already somewhere in the series! This is an excellent and highly engrossing conclusion novel that will take you for a ride, make you feel every emotion possible, and keep you on your toes until the epilogue. In general, I recommend the series. It started off looking like there would be a crappy love triangle, but that wasn't the case. I love the culture and magic and lore behind this series, and the sweet and sexy romance between Raif and Nalia, and the gritty, bloody battle to reclaim Arjinna. Demetrios has masterfully written a powerful, epic fantasy series here! 

Rating:

4.5 stars -> rounded down to 4 stars. I'm rounded down but I really enjoyed this book. Demetrios makes up for all of the separation and heartbreak in the second half of the book, I promise. This is such a great conclusion novel! I wish more YA trilogies ended as well as this book - with a HEA, but also a realistic ending that doesn't have all of the problems magically fixed or gone. I'm excited to read more by this author, whether series or standalone! Bad Romance is next for me.

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Waiting on Wednesday (#190): Freedom's Slave by Heather Demetrios

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm featuring:

Freedom's Slave by Heather Demetrios

Book Three of the Dark Caravan Cycle series

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: February 28, 2017

Summary (from Goodreads):

An Empress Fighting for Her Crown

After three long years in exile, Nalia is ready to return to her homeland and sit on the throne that is rightfully hers. But the gods might have other plans. Forced to endure untold horrors on the journey to Arjinna, Nalia learns that it will take more than cutting down the tyrant Calar to get her crown.

An Army Fighting to Survive

Raif’s return to Arjinna as the commander of the revolution against Calar and her army isn’t as smooth as he’d hoped. Though he has more soldiers than ever before, his love for Nalia is losing him the trust of his comrades...and the war. But little does the resistance know that insurrection is brewing among Calar’s own ranks—and from the one person she trusts the most.

A Land Worth Fighting for

Arjinna is dying—Calar’s evil experiments with dark magic and the strength of her own psychic powers threaten to destroy the land of the jinn. Is Nalia and Raif’s enduring love enough to transform and rescue their homeland? Will they be willing to save the realm, no matter the cost?

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Exquisite Captive review | Blood Passage review

I've been enjoying this series, and I can't wait to see how it all ends!

Promo and Giveaway: Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios

Hey bibliovores! Today, I'm helping Heather Demetrios celebrate the upcoming paperback publication of Exquisite Captive, book one of the Dark Caravan Cycle series. I adored this book, and the sequel, Blood Passage! Be sure to check out both books, and enter the giveaway below!

Exquisite Captive review | Blood Passage review

Exquisite Captive swoon | Blood Passage swoon

About the Book:

Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios

Book One of the Dark Caravan Cycle series

Publication Date: October 7, 2014 

Paperback Publication Date: February 2, 2016

Official Summary:

Forced to obey her master.

Compelled to help her enemy.

Determined to free herself. 

Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.

Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it?

Inspired by Arabian Nights, EXQUISITE CAPTIVE brings to life a deliciously seductive world where a wish can be a curse and shadows are sometimes safer than the light.

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Don't Miss Blood Passage (03/01/2016)!

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About the Author:

When she’s not traipsing around the world or spending time in imaginary places, Heather Demetrios lives with her husband in New York City. Originally from Los Angeles, she now calls the East Coast home. Heather has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is a recipient of the PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award for her debut novel, Something Real. Her other novels include Exquisite Captive, the first in the Dark Caravan Cycle fantasy series, I’ll Meet You There and the multiplatform serial novel, The Lexie Project. She is the founder of Live Your What, a project dedicated to creating writing opportunities for underserved youth. Find out more about Heather and her books at www.heatherdemetrios.com, or come hang out with her on Twitter (@HDemetrios) and any number of social media sites.

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The Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Swoon Thursday (#156): Blood Passage by Heather Demetrios

Swoon Thursday is a hot meme hosted by the fabulous ladies at YA Bound!

- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting

This week, my swoon is from Blood Passage by Heather Demetrios!

He pulled her into a nearby alcove and, rather than let go of her hand, as she was trying to make him do, he held her palm against his lips. He gasped as her chiaan [energy] surged into his skin. He could feel her, finally, he could feel Nalia's chiaan flowing ino him, rich and spicy, achingly familiar yet more searing than before, infused with lightning. It latched onto him like a drug, intoxicating.

Raif pressed his fingers against her lips and her eyes fluttered as his chiaan seeped into her skin. He smiled as he took her face in his hands and gave her the kiss he'd been dreaming about since before she woke up, since the moment he'd left the riad in Marrakech, Nalia melted against him, her lips matching the urgency of his own.

She tasted like a heady wine, and he wanted more more more. Her arms wrapped around him and pulled him against her and he didn't care who heard them, didn't care who saw, he needed to be as close as possible to her.

- ARC, pages 285-286

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Exquisite Captive review | Blood Passage review

Read a swoon from Exquisite Captive!

Guys! There were SO many swoons Raif + Nalia scenes in this book! I picked the least spoilery one. This series is a favorite so far!

Review: Blood Passage by Heather Demetrios

Blood Passage by Heather Demetrios

Book Two of the Dark Caravan Cycle series

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: March 1, 2016

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

A jinni who's lost everything.

A master with nothing to lose.

A revolutionary with everything to gain.

When Nalia arrives in Morocco to fulfil Malek's third and final wish she's not expecting it to be easy. Though Nalia is free from the shackles that once bound her to Malek as his slave, she's in more danger than ever before.

Meanwhile, Malek's past returns with a vengeance as he confronts the darkness within himself, and Raif must decide what's more important: his love for Nalia, or his devotion to the cause of Arjinnan freedom.

Set upon by powerful forces that threaten to break her, Nalia encounters unexpected allies and discovers that her survival depends on the very things she thought made her weak. From the souks of Marrakech to the dunes of the Sahara, The Arabian Nights come to life in this dazzling second installment of the Dark Caravan Cycle.

What I Liked:

First, let us take a moment to mourn the fallen soldier that was Blood Passage's original cover (which you can see HERE), as well as Exquisite Captive's original cover (HERE). I don't dislike these new covers, but unfortunately, I much prefer the original ones. Bad publisher!

Anyway, moving on. I so loved this book! WOW I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. Keep it up and this series will be an all-time favorite. I adored Exquisite Captive (I was one of the few that didn't really see a love triangle, so the romance didn't mar anything for me), and I think I'm even more in love with Blood Passage. Huge bonus - the ending of this one isn't some terrible cliffhanger that makes me want to throw something! YAY!

Nalia, Raif, Zanari, and Malek arrive in Morocco in search of Solomon's sigil. Malek used his third wish from Nalia for her to find the ring, but Raif and Zanari are determined to obtain the ring as soon as Nalia takes them to the location. But they have no idea what they're up against, and they'll meet both friend and foe in the desert. Finding the ring is a matter of life or death - for everyone.

This book was an emotional rollercoaster! I don't even know where to begin. I have to start by saying that I simply could not put this book down. Once I opened it, I didn't stop reading until I finished it, several hours later. It was that engrossing and exciting! Nonstop action and threats and new twists.

When I say "emotional rollercoaster", I mean it. I don't want to say anything too specific, but several key events in this book rips Nalia apart. Nalia lashes out, pushes Raif away, pulls him close, pushes Zanari away... there is a lot going on. I wouldn't call it "drama" because it's some serious consequences that everyone has to deal with. But I love how the author makes Nalia suffer a little - it does so much for her character. Nalia is infinitely stronger, by the end of this book, and in many different ways.

This book is written in third person, but we get to see the perspectives of all four lead characters - Nalia, Raif, Zanari, and Malek. While Raif and Nalia's perspectives were my favorites, I really enjoyed Zanari's as well. She is so tough and kickbutt, unafraid and sometimes harsh. She is also capable of great love and forgiveness, and I really liked seeing a softer side to her appear, with a new character. So cute!

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I am glad that the author included Malek's perspective, and made it about as important as the other three lead characters' perspectives. I do not like Malek at all, as a person OR as a love interest, but I understand him better. We get to see different sides of him; his history is very important in shaping the (terrible) person that he is today. While I still hate him as much as I did in Exquisite Captive, I like that Demetrios added such depth to his character. A redeemable villain, kind of.

So I liked Zanari's softer side, and Nalia's growing strength, and Malek's revealed past (still hate him) - and then there's Raif! I've always liked Raif the most, because of his fearless leadership and his determination, his focus. He is fire and steel and power, and a thousand times the man Malek is. I love how Raif never gave up in this book, even after a ton of certain things (that have nothing to do with Malek) makes Nalia push Raif away.

Okay fine, I'll get to the romance. I love the romance. There are at least three scenes that I can think of off the top of my head that are INCREDIBLY steamy, blush-worthy scenes between Raif and Nalia. I mean, I thought they were a fiery couple in Exquisite Captive? (Proof: Swoon Thursday #83.) Okay, sure. Times fifty suns. If you're lucky, I might share one of those scenes for my Swoon Thursday post this week!

But I also love how their relationship becomes so much deeper and more. I mentioned above that circumstances (that have nothing to do with Malek) makes Nalia push Raif (and everyone) away. But all of the obstacles make Nalia a stronger person, a stronger jinn, and it strengthens the love and bond between Raif and Nalia. I love what this sequel novel does to our lead couple; draws them apart and puts them back together, in a more solid, unshakable hold.

The love triangle is gone. That's all I'll say about Malek.

This book was thrilling, a bit terrifying at times (like, the nail-biting type), romantic, and vivid. Have I mentioned anything about the incredible imagery? The scenery seems lifelike, almost as if it were in front of me. Demetrios really paints the scene well, in Morocco, the desert, in the cave. And the jinn lore is so well-written - Demetrios has clearly done her research and knows her stuff. 

The last thing I will gush about - NO PAINFUL CLIFFHANGER! While this book didn't end in a completely resolved way (there is one more novel, Freedom's Slave), the ending is in no way painful or unsatisfying. I can name SO MANY sequel novels of trilogies that ended so bitterly, and the wait for the final book was painful, and sometimes, I never ended up reading the final book (because I'd lost interest, thanks to the horrible ending). Thank goodness that isn't the case, with this book (and series). Okay I'll stop gushing now!

What I Did Not Like:

I actually can't quite think of anything I didn't like. There is one small something I want to mention but I wouldn't dare, because it's spoilery. But it was nothing that bothers me too much. And it resolves itself by the end of the book.

Would I Recommend It:

I so recommend this book! I can't recommend this series enough! Disregard anything you've heard about a love triangle - Malek's presence never really felt threatening to me, not in Exquisite Captive or Blood Passage, though it's obvious he's an attractive pardjinn. I am so pleased with this sequel, especially with the amount of Raif/Nalia we get, and how immense the greater conflict (defeating Calar and taking back Arjinna) has become. Bring on the showdown!

Rating:

4.5 stars -> rounded down to 4 stars (I have my reasons, but really, this is a 4.5-star novel). If Freedom's Slave goes well, then this series will definitely be an all-time favorite (which is surprising for me, given that the romance isn't my usual exactly linear preference). I'm not totally upset about the cover change because this series is more than its covers - an amazing story that hopefully does really well.

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