Perfect Couple (2014) 金玉良缘

Yuenbao had been brought up in the Jin family as their only heir. one day, he was assigned a bride by the Empress. as reluctant as he was with the marriage, he wasn't able to risk the lives of his family to rebel against the marriage. Qilin was brought up in the village by her adoptive mother. grateful towards her love, Qilin was determined to find her mother's son, who was taken by the Jin family. she took the place of the escaping bride and wed into the Jin family under the name of the bride, all in search of the missing son of her adoptive mother.

the series started out slightly exaggerated especially action wise, fortunately with the interesting storyline and captivating characters, i found myself enjoying it in no time. Qilin who started out being a rather annoying character, turned out to be so lovable when her true intention was revealed. the comedic effect that involved her seemed to come naturally as well. Yuenbao on the other hand, was a serious character that got caught up in Qilin's plot. when they started to fall for each other, the series became even more engaging that i was sad when everything came to an end.

Dead Beautiful #3: Love Reborn (2014)

the soul that Renee shared with Dante weren't enough to sustain the both of them. they were running out of time before they were dead. Renee had a legendary chest, a chest that contain the secret to eternal life. however, they had to solve the riddle, getting to the location in sequence and in time to obtain it. a team of Monitors led by Renee's granfather was pursuing them, as well as the Liberum and the Undead. Renee and Dante had to keep the chest safe at all cost. with the help of a mysterious man who left them letters and clues along the way, they found themselves traveling far distance for the precious secret.

having waited so long for the last book, i had a very difficult time getting back into the story. i remembered loving the previous two books, which very much had me disappointed with the third. it was perhaps caused by the difficulties that i had, failing for not being able to relive and enjoy it like i did the previous two. half way through the book, the chase across the wilderness suddenly seemed too painfully long to endure. i was pleased however, to have held on until the very end. the reward was satisfying enough to overrule the drag.

The Secret of the Halflings #1: Blood Oath (2014)

Raya had been living with her mother ever since her father left them years ago. she had grew to hate her father, whom she assumed abandoned them because he no longer loved them. on the morning of her seventeenth birthday, her mother surprised her when she announced that Raya will be living for a year with her father, in the Siren world. it explained her love for the water since childhood, and her mother also revealed the reason her father had left in the first place was to protect his little girl. but being half siren was the most disturbing part for Raya, because that made her a monster, a blood drinker.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. the book was an easy read with a full of potential plot. i was captivated by the flow of the story, which was the exact attraction that got me through the book so fast. however, by the end of the book, i found it slightly disappointed that i wasn't able to love the characters more. with the political conflict involved, sidetracking Raya's self-discoveries, i found myself understanding more about Elizabeth and Eden than Raya and Drew, especially since the book focused more about the thoughts for these supporting characters/villains, but mostly actions for the main characters. if not for the oath Drew made in front of the council, i would still be doubting his true feelings towards Raya.

Royal Reaper #1: Dead Girl Walking (2014)

Princess Ophelia was to wed Prince Astin when the time comes, but she was in love with Larkin, a commoner. she often sneaked out of the castle to meet him secretly after everyone in the castle went to sleep. one day meeting with Larkin, she was murdered. however, instead of falling dead, she found herself staring at her body with no one being able to see her. she later found out that she was a newly recruited Grim Reaper, joining the team by the name Leila. she had to cut all ties with her old life but found it every bit difficult when Larkin was the next to die.

the book was absolutely easy read. Leila was a character so believable that it was easy to fit in her shoes, experiencing what she was experiencing, especially the struggles against death, making her highly relatable. i was relieved to find their group consisted of only a few members, just so not being overwhelmed by supporting characters, but it was also slightly disappointing to know so little about them before they were removed from the scene completely. the uniqueness of the plot was the main attraction that kept me flying through the pages in no time. i had fun exploring their lives as much as the adventure Leila was forced to go through. with the cliffhanger that i was left with by the end of the book, i can't wait to lay my hands on the coming installment.