Smash Attack Reads...Where Smash Attacks Books!

Smart Bitches, Trashy Books posted this Romance Novel Reader workout. It pretty much rules.

 

 

I seriously want this.

 

99 Problems 1.5 inch Button on Etsy

 

For those who are new to BookLikes, Laura Ashlee has a great tutorial!

― Jeaniene Frost, Twice Tempted

 

Wow. Lots to say about this one!Review coming

Geez, that was so excellent!!!!!

I have busted my John Green...I have broken John Green ground, finally! Thank you to everyone who voted for this book during my April book poll. As difficult as this book was, I thank you all for giving me the push to finally dive in. I am happy to have finally experienced John Green's brilliance. He certainly knows how to tell a story, and more importantly, how to write characters.Hazel and Augustus. I am not even sure what to say about these two characters that would prove the magnitude of their presence and spirit in this book. Both are afflicted with different types of cancers, in different stages and with different outcomes. Both have been through utter hell and continue to experience the physical and emotional pain and suffering of terminal illness. However, there are times where I would not have even remembered they were sick, had it not been for Hazel's need for oxygen and Augustus' limp. When they found one another, they both started to truly live again. And live they did. They had big moments and small moments and glorious moments and devastating moments. But they experienced them all together, basking in the glow of their new found love and respect. That "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health" marriage vow was never more apparent in any story than it was with Hazel and Augustus. And they were teenagers who were not married, nor thinking about it. There was just so much truth and honesty inside them both that it burst out to envelop the other. Not to mention, they were like two peas in a pod. It's definitely hard to put into words the perfect imperfection these two characters were together.And I just have to talk about Augustus all by his onesies. This young man was AH-mazing. He was full of lust for life, and despite his illness, lived life to the absolute fullest. Never once did I see negativity or pessimism cross this young man's thoughts. He was romantic and nerdy and fun. He was also very compassionate and humble. This guy had it all, and I will never forget what a beautiful character he is, and how much he made my heart smile in this book.This book was much more than a book about kids with cancer. It was about living life and taking risks and being in love and exploring the world and enjoying beauty and the inner strength people can muster when life hands them a basket full of lemons.  Believe it or not, I did not ugly cry. My eyes teared up, and I put the book down numerous times to gather myself, but I did not sob myself to sleep. I held on tightly to the beauty of the character's life-altering experiences, and it got me through the book. I am really happy that I've been digging my heels into YA contemporary books more than I ever have. There are some incredible gems out there and I look forward to reading all of John Green's work.Favorite Scene“May I see you again?" he asked. There was an endearing nervousness in his voice.I smiled. "Sure.""Tomorrow?" he asked."Patience, grasshopper," I counseled. "You don't want to seem overeager."Right, that's why I said tomorrow," he said. "I want to see you again tonight. But I'm willing to wait all night and much of tomorrow." I rolled my eyes. "I'm serious," he said."You don't even know me," I said. I grabbed the book from the center console. "How about I call you when I finish this?""But you don't even have my phone number," he said."I strongly suspect you wrote it in this book."He broke out into that goofy smile. "And you say we don't know each other."

“Let me tell you something 'bout these rich Uptown folk," said Cokie. "They got everything that money can buy, their bank accounts are fat, but they ain't happy. They ain't ever gone be happy. You know why? They soul broke. And money can't fix that, no sir."It's not every day you come across a story about a young lady whose mother works in a brothel. And certainly not a brothel set in 1950's New Orleans. Though I have to say, 1950's in the French Quarter is very enticing. The setting was a highlight going in, but it fell on the back burner to the characters, who were larger than life and so very easy to like, or loathe, in some cases. I think something that stuck out for me about this book, was how attached and involved I became with these characters. I wasn't fully aware of how much I cared until certain events take place. I was shocked at the emotion I felt, and it really elevated the story for me.The main character, Josie, is a clever, determined, gutsy yet cautious young lady with a heart of gold and an intelligent, curious nature. It was easy to like her and feel hope towards her future. Her character development over the course of the novel is very noticeable and well-written. She does her best to not follow the footsteps of her gold-digging, conniving, whore of a mother, even though she is so closely wrapped up in her world.“What do you do with all this bank, Josie? Be a lot easier if you just lifted your skirt.”“The only reason I’d lift my skirt is to pull out my pistol and plug you in the head.”I loved the two guys in this story so very much. Patrick owns the bookstore that Jo works in. It was his father Charlie's originally, but Charlie is unable to run the store at this point in his life. You learn a lot about Patrick's father, and get some face time with him. His story line is very emotional, and while you don't really know Charlie through his own eyes, you learn to love him through the eyes of Patrick and Jo. Patrick and Jo are like brother and sister, but there are some confusing moments that come between them, and it felt awkward and confusing, as it was meant to be. And then there was Jesse. Oh my. I was so enamored with this sweet, positive, dependable, hard-working young man. He called Jo "Motor City" because she was from Detroit, and it is one of the cutest nicknames I've ever come across. The moments spent between Jo and Jesse were so natural, believable, touching. Plus, he was so bluntly charming. :)“You like me, Josie Moraine. You just don't know it yet.”The madame, Willy, and the cast of prostitutes were all so very colorful. I enjoyed their page time greatly. Willy was a very interesting person. It appears she stepped into the mother role for Jo, though I would call Willy anything but a mother. But in my eyes, she was looking out for Jo on the sly, making sure she had a job to support herself, and rescued her from trouble when it came lookin'. At the end of the story, I liked Willy a lot. She was one of those characters that surprises you. And then there was Jo's biological mother and the creep she was infatuated with. Both shady ass bitches, if you ask me. I loathe them both, as they cause uber amounts of trouble and heartache for Jo.This book was more than I expected. There is a lot of heartache and turmoil in this book, coupled with violence and scandal. But as you turn the  last page, you smile wide because of a very simple yet powerful emotion, one that overcomes fear and leaves you with a sense of peace: hope.It's a story about finding yourself, believing in yourself, and fighting for yourself. 

Oh. Em. Squee! This book could not have been any more cute. And adorable. And delightful. It was just...FUN! Did I mention adorable? I'm not a huge reader of the genre so I was hoping and praying that I loved the story. It was all I was hoping for, and more than I expected. Maybe this is proof that I need to read more contemporaries, and thanks to Lauren, I now have a LIST to get through.Every once in a while though, I enjoy a fun romantic romp through London. I LOVE LONDON. Love. It. Hard. Core. I was really excited for the setting, and Lauren whisked me away to some of my favorite parts of this European mecca. I love when I know a setting by firsthand experience because it doesn't happen often. It was a GREAT setting for a group of students to visit on a study abroad trip. Hey, that's what I did! It was for social work though, but learning the history of our social welfare system (we adopted the laws from there, ya know) was awesome. These kids, however, learned about ART and CULTURE and SHAKESPEARE! Yahoo!Speaking of the characters, they were so full of awkward awesome! Julia is a quirky book nerd who wants to visit Shakespeare's home in London because it is of personal significance to her family. She was a total Type A personality who had all her maps and city guides with page tags throughout and notations in the margin. I loved being in her head and immediately adored her because of her OCD organization. Did I mention she was a book nerd? :)I have my own e-reader, but I hardly ever use it. I need to fold down pages and flag passages with sticky notes. I need to experience books, not just read them. I never go anywhere without a book in my bag, and to travel across the ocean, I'd packed more than my fair share.Her arch nemesis, Jason, was also on this study abroad trip, much to Julia's displeasure and loathing. Jason was a loud mouth, popular, spontaneous classmate who teased Julia until she was blue in the face with anger and annoyance. However, it was never malicious teasing. There is another guy back home that Julia is pining away for. She has random texts with her best friend back home on the "emergency only" phone provided by her teacher. She also has a text convo with a hot guy she meets her first night in London when Jason drags Miss Play-By-The-Rules out past curfew to a party with people they don't even know.  The most likable quality of Jason, for me, was that he got Julia to open up and try new things. He got her out of her comfort zone and urged her to open her eyes to other beauties of the world beside literature and post-it notes.I loved the authentic feel of these high school characters! Their antics, angst and silly decisions felt real and not contrived. I loved that Julia had this interesting concept of Meant To Be because of how perfect her parents were in her eyes. She thought the guy back home was her MTB, who makes an unforgettable appearance in London. But I think a week in London with a carefree, spontaneous boy who is full of life can really muck up your self-defined destiny.Favorite QuoteI don't use airplane bathrooms. As a rule. And I really don't like breaking rules. (It's kind of one of my rules.) I mean, if I'm going to plummet to my death, it's not going to be with my pants around my ankles.

 "You bitch!" he screamed. "I'll kill you for this!""Sure you will," I said in an easy voice. "Take a number and get in line."Gin is always pissing someone off, even when she's out shopping for a nice dress with her awesome faux-brother, Finn. I mean, her breathing alone pisses you off, but then she goes and kicks your ass when you mess up her shopping date. And well, that pisses you off. Right? Well, that guy was sure pissed, and Gin told him to get in line. This is pretty much what her life now entails.  A long line of people who are dying, literally, to get Gin dead. She's like a bad penny though and keeps coming back, shinier than ever.  Her magic continues to grow, and in Deadly Sting, we experience one of the coolest tricks that Gin has ever done with her magic. It. Kicked. Ass. My jaw made nice with the floor during that scene and I have to admit I was impressed. Not that it was Gin's first time impressing me, but damn sure the most impressive trick to date. Chic's got mad skillz, yo.Where was I. Oh, right. Gin's out shopping for a nice dress and stilettos (even though she'd rather stab Finn with them than wear them) because Finn wants her to accompany him to the opening of a fancy, schmancy art exhibit that is way too ironic to explain and spoil you with here. Unfortunately for Gin, Finn, and the hundreds of other folk attending the gala, including Owen, Eva, Philip and Roslyn, a certain giant by the name of Clementine has way more planned than you will find in the gala program. Clementine's master plan was pretty impressive and she livens up the party quite significantly. She thought through all of the details and things that could go wrong, but she didn't expect Gin Blanco. And Gin shows us all how to kick  ass and take names in heels.Gin reminded me of John McClaine, aka Die Hard, throughout this book. She was sneaking around, undetected, sniping and shivving people left and right. She loves the shiv. heh. I was pretty entertained by this thought and it really elevated the story for me. I pretended it was a movie and Gin was John's deadly, adopted sister. *snicker* Owen and Gin unexpectedly team up to bring down Clementine's giant horde, and working together forces them to talk things out a bit during their down time sitting in the prickly patch. Don't ask. Their emotions are raw and visible, but they remain level-headed and get the job done. Their last scene together had me clutching my heart and holding my breath. It was kinda beautiful.Finn is gold in this book, but isn't he always?“You do realize that the cost of that bracelet is within spitting distance of my going rate as an assassin, right?”“You mean your going rate back when you were actually killing people for money,” Finn said. “Or as I like to call them— the good ole days.”Oh. And the ending will please all of the Gin fans. It was a long time coming.

So...wow. This installment was no joke! Salina Dubois strolls into Ashland like a hurricane straight out of your worst nightmare. She is all southern belle sweet on the outside, but chic packs a serious mental health cray-zay punch. Not only is she mentally unstable, but she's a powerful water elemental and she has an intimate past with Owen that she is bound and determined to rekindle. Though, I am unsure if she ever thought it ended. I mean, chic is out there. The sad thing is, Owen fell under her manipulative spell many years ago and still harbors a soft spot for her, despite her dangerous ways. This puts Gin in quite a predicament, given that Salina needs to be dealt with, if you know what I mean.Salina was an insanely awesome villain. The kind that you simultaneously feel empathy for and want to strangle. She was definitely molded by her environment and experiences, which were traumatic and tragic. She was in a dark place for a very long time, and the grief and anger turned her into a monster.  It was hard for me to dislike Saline 100%. I saw so much of Gin in Salina, and it made my heart hurt. I know very well how much your experiences shape who you are, and I felt Salina got the shaft. Even Gin felt fer Salina in some moments...For a moment, I almost felt sorry for her. Then the bitch blasted me with her water magic, and I got over it.Ha. Nothing like a good dose of water magic to wake you up! Half the time I was really sad for Salina's situation, but the other half I was all...KAPOOYA! KAPOOYA! She was indeed a monster with little to nope of rehabilitation.Salina was a master manipulator, and she had Owen twisted around her dainty little fingers. Gin steps back and gives Owen space to come to his own conclusions about Salina. Gin was quite sensitive to his history with the water elemental, but she may have needed to get out the trout for a few good #troutslaps. The #troutslap can be more effective at times, depending on how far gone a person is. #justsayin. Salina makes her quest a wee bit personal for Gin's liking, and when Gin realizes that a major line has been crossed, the elemental shit hits the fan.This book has all kinds of sads, for a variety of characters. Gin has to make a seriously tough decision in this book, despite the painful consequences. She takes on a lot of heartache to keep the people she loves safe and protected. I think that regardless of the situation and the people involved, Gin is going to remain loyal to her code and do what needs to be done to keep herself and her people safe. The end of the book was sorrowful and somber, and I really hope that our beloved characters have some relief and resolution in Deadly Sting.P.S. I REALLY want one of those shirts regarding Gin and the Pork Pit that people wore in this book!!Favorite QuotesI eat haughty, arrogant, manipulative, self-important bitches like you for breakfast, sugar. And then I go back for seconds.

Ok, so I'll get to Roar in a moment, but just know he was the highlight of this book. Hell, of this series! Now, on to the meat and potatoes of the plot. This installment was a serious emotional ride, on all levels, with all characters. Aria and Perry are reunited after months apart. She is anything but welcome into the Tides, and it proves difficult for her and Perry's relationship. Perry does his best to see she is treated fairly, but only he can do so much, and he is not in all places at all times. An ugly event occurs that sends Aria and Roar off into the wilderness. Of course, their journey is not aimless. They are headed toward the Rim to seek out the Blood Lord, Sable, and find Liv! If you haven't been paying attention, Liv is Roar's past and he wants her to be his future, too. Unlucky for him, Liv was promised to Sable by her older brother, Vale, in exchange for food and supplies for the Tides, who struggle to survive through the seasons. Quite the predicament, you see? Also, Aria is on a mission to find the location of the Still Blue, the mysterious promised land, free of Aether storms and full of life and prosperity. Ahhh...one can dream....PERRY! I cannot express the emotions I felt when he was struggling with his new-found responsibilities. He is confident one minute, and then his confidence is torn to shreds the next.  He constantly struggles with being the leader his people expect and protecting them at all costs. He makes quick decisions based on emotion, throwing rationality out the window. But...that's Perry! It's ingrained in his nature to protect first and deal with the consequences later. His people want him to be rational and realize he is more important alive, but Perry is all about jumping in head first without thinking the risks through. There is a scene in the book where Perry is brought to his knees by overwhelming emotion, and I was brought to mine, too. Well, I was laying in my bed, but I was on my knees in spirit. (Get your minds out of the gutter!)Moving on. ARIA! And PERRY! Squee! Sob! Smile! Cry! And many more !!! These two are so off-the-charts special. Fate brought them together, they struggled to understand and even like the other, and their destinies are enmeshed to hell. Throughout their struggles, an intense romance has bloomed and they are now fighting to save the lives of their people and each other. I mean, they have not had a chance to breath since their first meeting, let alone find the time to fall in love. Yet they still manage to FEEL and SHOW their love and affection, even in the smallest of ways. It's like... all beautiful and shit.“Do you ever miss anything?'Perry smiled. 'You, all the time.”Now, collectively..."awwwwwwwwwww!" You know you said it, or thought it. Don't try to lie about it. You feel the same sappy, cheesy feels I do. ;) Now I get to talk about THE MAN OF THE HOUR. Or Book. Or Series, really. Roar, aka Made of Awesome. Aka, My Favorite Secondary Character in YA. As swoon-worthy as this guy is, I don't even have romantic feelings towards him. Yes, we readers have romantic feelings towards our swoony characters. Don't judge. Or else.Back to THE MAN. Roar. Dear Heavens, this poor guy was put through the ringer in this book, and thus, so was I! Lots of SADS. Lots of cries and whimpers and HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO US, ROSSI! *first of dooms* Roar...it's hard to put into words my thoughts about this character. The ease at which Aria connected with him in book one because of his simple, carefree, love life attitude, the passion and compassion that he possesses that allows him to throw himself into situations, safe or otherwise, with such abandon...the overwhelming feelings I FEEL when I think about what he experienced in this book, and how I would MOVE MOUNTAINS to see this guy happy. He is just one of those people, those rare, rare people, that are almost perfect. Yet, he isn't, and his vulnerability and blind passion are what make him worth loving and fighting for. SO MUCH LOVE.The world-building expanded, especially near the end, when Cinder become a serious piece of the story! Holy firecracker, Batman! This kid surprised me, not only with his actions, but with his purpose in the overall plot. Into the Still Blue is bound to be a traumatic and treacherous journey for the Tides, and this kid is at the center of it all. Freaking out!Favorite QuoteLove was like the waves in the sea, gentle and good sometimes, rough and terrible at others, but that it was endless and stronger than the sky and earth and everything in between.

Oh my. I cannot state the love I feel for Roar in words. It just ain't possible, peeps. I loved him something fierce in Under the Never Sky, but he became something so much more in this novella. Larger than life, he leaped into my sappy heart and nestled in for the long haul. He is full of life and love and vulnerable at all the right times. He's a great friend, a dedicated partner and an incredible man. I honestly don't think I've swooned so hard over a secondary character in well, ever. I pretty much want an entire series from Roar's POV. Make it happen, Rossi! :ÞI was so very interested in his personal story with Liv. This snippet into their relationship MOVED me. It was thoughtful and emotional and made me FEEL lots of emotions. Seeing life through Roar's eyes was like being home. It felt right, it felt warm and safe, and most of all, it felt full of love. That Liv, she's a lucky soul and I pray that they have a happy ending!

I was excited when Rhiannon released this short story in the Pretty When She... universe. Aimee and Cass are introduced near the end of the second book, but they made a serious impact. I immediately felt their connection and dedication to one another. I'm so happy that Rhiannon decided to write the story of how these two characters met. It was action-packed, heart-warming and cray-zay! We meet some serious villainous bastards, as is always the case in Rhiannon's books. I was sickened by these horrible creatures and their warped ideas of fun and pleasure. We get glimpses of the unique aspects of Aimee and Cass, the things they are capable of, the hardships they have endured, and their fragile yet strong personas. Their hearts collide and while they don't understand the connection, at first, they use that bond to save each other, in very different yet similar ways. They are a duo that packs a supernatural punch! And I adore the love and passion for their mate that seeps from their pores!Favorite Quote"Be careful, Cassandra. Be very, very careful. Sometimes, the knight in shinning armor gets eaten by the dragon.""Oh, I'm not a knight in shinning armor," Cassandra corrected him. "I'm the ninja sneaking up the back stairs."

Courtesy of Smash Attack ReadsI have to brace myself for the crazy that is about to spout from these fingers. I guess you should brace yourself too...I need to first mention the narrator, Khristine Hvam, and her frakin phenomenal talent. I don't know why you people have been holding out on me about this shining star, but the cat is out of the bag now. Bazinga! I'm tempted to listen to any audio book she has ever narrated, even if it's about fossilized dinosaur poop. Her inflections, incredible accents and all-around tone and speech were sooooooooooooo fantastic. Damn, now I want to make a fan page... :PThe world-building makes me FLAILY. *flails* Jelly arms all over the place. I flailed while I was driving, which I don't suggest or condone, but I couldn't help it, yo. I was so super impressed by the imagination behind this book, and it reinforced that there is still original and unique storytelling to be had. Well, I hadz it, and I wantz more. I do not want to give away any of the incredible creativity that went into the creation of this world, so just hear me out: This world is FULL OF WIN.[Original Image from Flickr: billfromesm]Our leading lady, Karou, sports blue hair, has a serious knack for drawing, and has a fab personality, full of spunk, loyalty and bravery. She leads a double life. Her seemingly normal life is in Prague where she attends art school with her best friend, Zuzana. Zuzana! Best. Secondary. Character. EVAR. Well, close to the best. I still hold Jenks in first place, but Zuzana was such a freakin highlight in this book. I smiled every single time she got page time,and the narrator's depiction of her was so damn perfect. Experiencing her in audio made her personality jump out of the speakers. In fact, I really wish she would materialize. I want her for a friend. I demand her spunk and dedication and snark and loyalty. Gimme gimme.“So violent. You want to mug and tase enerybody these days.""I do," Zuzana agreed. "I swear I hate more poeple every day. Everyone annoys me. If I'm like this now, what am I going to be like when I'm old?""You'll be the mean old biddy who fires a BB gun at kids from her balcony.""Nah. BBs just rile 'em up. More like a crossbow. Or a bazooka.”Karou's other life is one that is full of mystery, magic and mayhem. Karou is pretty uninformed about her own personal history...until she meets Akiva. Akiva captivated me from the minute he entered the story, and with his character's introduction comes some serious information. All is revealed, and just when you think you know where the story is headed, the world unfolds and becomes much, much more. How the story is presented to us is captivating, horrendous, and above all, heartbreaking. I think a piece of me died on that bridge.This is, NO DOUBT, one of the best YA fantasy books I've ever come across. The story that takes place unfolds at a great pace, and I never felt lost or confused. It was an incredible journey, the writing was rich and vivid, the characters jumped off the pages, the world was unique with beautiful detail and imagination, and the romance was one that my heart will not soon forget. I am so nervous to see where the story takes us in Days of Blood and Starlight!Favorite Quote“I don't know many rules to live by,' he'd said. 'But here's one. It's simple. Don't put anything unnecessary into yourself. No poisons or chemicals, no fumes or smoke or alcohol, no sharp objects, no inessential needles--drug or tattoo--and...no inessential penises either.''Inessential penises?' Karou had repeated, delighted with the phrase in spite of her grief. 'Is there any such thing as an essential one?''When an essential one comes along, you'll know,' he'd replied.”

Courtesy of Smash Attack ReadsI've been wanting to read this series since I met Veronica Rossi last year in Miami. Seeing her again just recently, I was reminded that this book is soooo up my alley, in terms of genre and world- building. And then Amanda and Cassie decided to do a read-along, and well, it was destiny. I went into it expecting fantastic characters, intense world-building and a simmering, intense romance. I got that and so much more!The world-building in this book was so great! The world has been burned and mutilated by Aether storms. Aether is some sort of fire/lightning combo that is wild in the sky, uncontrollable and lethal. Humanity built pods to house the populations in, and with that came some interesting and creative uses of technology to keep humans from going stir crazy. SmartEyes whisk people away to virtual reality Realms, and since they are connected to your brain via your...wait for it....eye, they are able to take over your senses and trick your mind into believing that you are truly experiencing whatever you are currently doing. Everything, apparently...Roar leaned across the table and smiled at her seductively, his dark hair falling into his eyes. "When you say everything happens in the Realms, do you mean everything?'Aria laughed nervously."Yes. Especially that.There are no risks in the Realms."Roar's smile widened. "You simply think it and it happens? And it actually feels real?""Why are we talking about this?""I need a Smarteye," he said.I think the SmartEyes are hella cool, but as with any crazy futuristic setting where technology is overused, I strongly feel like we can easily lose ourselves to it and eventually, lose our personal connections. Nobody really knows anyone, nobody touches or feels or smells anything real because it does not exist in the pods. So, when Aria finds herself on the outside for the first time ever,  her senses are overwhelmed. It makes for an intense and horrifying experience as she  struggles to survive in harsh terrain. As with many heroines in these stories, however, Aria gets her shit together eventually and surprises the characters and reader alike. I ended up loving the hell out of this girl by the end of the book.Peregrine (because I do not like the name Perry) is a beautiful specimen, both inside and out. He encompasses many of the qualities that I look for in a male lead. He has to overcome great odds, he loves with all of his heart and he is a fierce opponent. Growing up on the outside in harsh conditions, Peregrine's life has been anything but easy. He has constantly struggled to feed himself, has an intense connection to his nephew and challenge's his brother's authority at every turn. His honest, protective, vulnerable soul set my heart ablaze. I love this guy! I also absolutely adored his friend, Roar. There I go loving the secondary characters to pieces again! He brightened the pages with his presence. ♥I loved the world-building, but I think the best part about this book is the connection between Aria and Peregrine. They are enemies, at first, hostile, prejudiced and unwelcoming towards one another. I think most of it stemmed from fear of the unknown, and plain ole ignorance. Aria has been in the dark about reality her entire life, and Peregrine has intense feelings about Dwellers and how they view and treat Outsiders. As with any biases and stereotypes, they can be broken down if the people are open to the idea. I don't think either character was consciously open to it, but curiosity got the best of them, not to mention all the incredible things they learned from one another. The attraction, respect and dignity that grew out of their time together was a beautiful thing to watch unfold, and I am rooting for these two 110%.Favorite Quote"Perry. I want to see your back."Another surprise, but he nodded and turned away. Dropped his head forward and took the moment to try and calm his breath. He jerked when she traced the shape of the wings on his skin, a groan sliding out of him. Perry silently cursed himself. He couldn't have sounded more savage if he'd tried."Sorry," she whispered..."He's magnificent. Like you," she added softly.That was what did it.