Source: Received an ARC paperback from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The Return (Titan, #1) by Jennifer L Armentrout
It’s been a year since
Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his life to them. And so
far, the jobs they’ve given him have been violent and bloody – which is
kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has something else in mind
for Seth. He’s got to play protector while keeping his hands and
fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint,
this new assignment might be the most challenging yet.
Josie
has no idea what this crazy hot guy’s deal might be, but it’s a good bet
that his arrival means the new life she started after leaving home is
about to be thrown into an Olympian-sized blender turned up to “puree”.
Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare straight out of an ancient
myth is gunning for her.
But it might be the unlikely attraction
simmering between her and the golden-eyed, secret-keeping Seth that may
prove to be the most dangerous thing of all.
Book 1 in the new adult paranormal TITAN series, spin-off to the best selling COVENANT series.
Seth's Story.
Review...
Let me start with this....
If I'm reading paperback, I use sticky notes to keep track of parts I loved or quotes I want for later. Yes, I did run out of yellow and went to pink. It's almost more sticky note than pages - it's THAT good.
It's not surprise that I love JLA books. The first book I read of her's was Half-Blood, which is the first book in the Covenant series. I loved that book and was an immediate fan of both her and that series. That series is YA and is the same world as this one. This series spins off that one but is NA. I think you could read this one without having read the Covenant series because JLA rocks at helping you understand what's up without it being boring to those of us have read the first series. BUT, you will understand Seth better and love him more if you went through that first series with him.
I continue to be blown away with how much better JLA stories get with every book. She has been my favorite author for a while now but this book just reaffirmed that.
The characters...
JLAs stories are always very character driven and this one is no exception. She creates characters that feel real. They stay in character while responding to the choices of themselves and those around them. They grow, usually a lot. That happens a lot for Seth.
Seth. From the very first time I met Seth, I didn't trust him. He had his following in the Covenant series but I wasn't one of them. I knew he wasn't the right choice for Alex though he is so hard to resist at times. As he made choices that ripped us all apart, I became angry at him. (Characteristic of JLA books - my emotions are always involved). But then he did something at the end of the series that redeemed him for me and I hurt for him. There was no doubt he was in pain. That's where we pick him up with this spin-off series. As the blurb suggests, he's spent the last year doing the dirty work for the Gods. He's not happy and he doesn't believe he deserves anything better than what he has. But then he meets Josie. He wants to be able to even consider things with her but he resists, feeling undeserving. Being around her has him making different choices though and he changes.
Josie. I love her. It's so infrequent that I love the girl as much as the guy in a story. It's usually one or the other that I love the most. Not this time. I love them both so much and I see how much they need each other. They give each other the strength to get through some pretty hard things. Seth thought he had in his sights what he wanted before and then lost it but he's just now seeing that he had no idea of what was good. Josie and Seth have some things in common that help them understand each other better than anyone else could. She's drawn to him and he to her. She sees past the jerk he can be to the man that he is. I loved her so much for that. Despite her mortal nature, she gets him and everything that he has gone through.
The world...
Greek Gods has always been a personal favorite of mine and I am so glad that this world doesn't end with the end of the Covenant series. It's wonderful to see Apollo and his popping in at the worst possible moments tendency continue (#TeamLeon and #TeamBob). Seeing Deacon and Luke together and being there for Seth and Josie was so comfortable for me. I even enjoyed seeing Marcus again.
It was also so interesting to see how the changes in the Covenant laws from the end of that series are now effecting things in this series. Change is never easy and just because the laws have changed doesn't mean that everything is unicorns and rainbows. It's just another way that JLA has of being a complete author. She covers all the details and makes it real even in a paranormal world.
The humor...
Another trademark of a JLA book is the humor. She has phrases and a style that are uniquely hers. And she brings the giggling, and bursts of laughter all the time. Even in very tense moments when I'm seriously stressing about MY characters, I find myself laughing. That's just her and her books. Love that so much. Sethie and Joe were just so fun to hang out with even when they were dealing with some series stuff.
The storyline...
JLA books are the hardest for me to predict. I read a lot! It's pretty easy for me to figure out story lines especially if they are overused. But not these books. I read this one with my co-blogger, Jess, and we tried to predict things along the way. We were blowing up text with our thoughts. We got some small things right but most of the time we were both just freaking out as things went down that we were surprised about. And this story did a great job of causing both Jessica and I to fall one hundred percent in love with Seth and Josie. We are #TeamSeth and #TeamJosie. We have a hate list that includes Hyperion and Thea. Can you see that the story evokes strong emotions from the reader? It really does.
The ending...
Um...at 30 pages to go, I was terrified. I read this book early (in July) and I'm feeling the cliffhanger coming and thinking I can't take it. I can't wait 18 months to 2 years to find out what happens. But I shouldn't doubt the mad writing skills of JLA. There is no cliffhanger. Instead there is a satisfying ending that makes me both want more and feel okay. It's perfect.
The heat...
Yeah, this one is steamy and yummy. How could it not be with Seth involved. It's very clearly a NA book and not a YA book. I don't recommend anyone under 18 read this one, it's that hot. But it's also sweet. A tender and yummy side of Seth that just had me falling harder and harder for him.
Who should read this...
If you're over 18, you should read this. If you love JLA books, you should read this. If you read the Covenant series, you should read this. If you love a great paranormal world with a steamy hot guy that can kick some serious behind, you should read this. If you love a great heroine that's both strong and mouthy, then you should read this one. Just read it.
It's five stars and if I could give it a million stars, I would. It's that good.
Review...
I heart JLA something fierce. This is no secret or surprise. The Covenant series is a favorite of mine and The Return is the first book in a New Adult spin-off. I was in love with the idea of Seth getting his own series and literally COULD NOT wait to get my hands on a copy of this book. My expectations were high, and I could not be more thrilled to say then JLA did not disappoint.
Picking up about a year after the end of the Covenant series, we fall into the story of Seth and Josie. Seth, dealing with the outcome of everything that happened before, and Josie unsuspecting of all the crazy that's about to barge into her seemingly normal life. A whole bunch of crap is about to go down for these two, both good and bad.
I've always loved Seth. Even in the Covenant series when he wasn't exactly at his best. I was so glad when he redeemed himself in Sentinel, but my heart also broke at what he had to give up. Now we watch him deal with what he did and the fallout. It's hard for him. Understandably. Being in Seth's head was an experience I am glad to have read. I know a lot of people weren't fans of Seth, but I have this heavy hunch that he's going to be winning over a whole slew of people with this book. Seth...he's a good guy. He's one of the best, honestly. And now he gets to shine.
HAVE I MENTIONED THAT I REALLY FREAKING LOVE HIM?! Because I'm sitting here saying all that and I don't feel like I'm getting that point across. Also, I feel all emotional because this is Sethie. SETHIE. He deserves so much. Seriously, if you hated him in the Covenant series, prepare yourself. He's showing his better side here, while still being SETH. I loved it and I love him and it all makes me feel happy-happy.
Then there was Josie--who, may I add, shares initials with me. For real. JB. Just like me! I'm pretty sure that wasn't a coincidence. (Even though it was.) You will never convince me that wasn't done on purpose. (Even though it wasn't.) She's this innocent college girl going about her life and them BAM. Seth comes flying in (not literally, though wouldn't that be super cool?) and flips her world upside down. I grew to really like Josie. She started out as that girl who was baffled by everything, but then just kept taking things as they came in the best way she could. I have so much respect for her, and I loved being in her head and her humor. I mean, I definitely prefer Seth's mind (because he's SETH) but the story did not drag when we were in Josie's head, which is good!
The romance was...well, it was FREAKING HOT. And it was sweet. And it made me feel warm fuzzies. We saw Seth go through such meaningless hook-ups before, and then try to bark up the Alex tree...sort of...that was complicated. But what I'm trying to say is that it was wonderful to see him finally find a girl he can be with and be happy with. Josie is literally perfect for him. Val and I buddy-read this book and MORE THAN ONCE we texted about how perfect Josie is for Seth. Not that they don't have their issues. Because they had some. I almost had to step in and replace Josie a time or two (ya know, because of the initial thing--Seth never would have noticed, right?) but they fixed it. When it came down to it? Seth & Josie were the freaking best.
Since this is a JLA book, I'm sure you can guess that the writing was amazing. And the plot was fantastic. The humor we've come to know and love from Jen is infused within the pages casually. Things got tense and things got smexy and it was all so interesting. Since it's dual POV, we got a close look at both of our protagonists, both in getting to know them and also being in their heads when STUFF was going down. It really made things even more awesome.
You do not HAVE to read the Covenant series to read The Return. But honestly, I think the enjoyment would be much higher if you do. You'll already know Seth and have a greater understanding of his situation. And you'll already be acquainted with certain characters that were fun to see again in this book. You can understand without, but you'd enter this book with a better understanding if you read the original series. Not absolutely necessary, however.
Overall, The Return was fantastic. Spinning off with one of my favorite characters from one of my favorite series, Jennifer L. Armentrout has written a marvelous beginning to Seth & Josie's story. Full of romance, humor, and heart-stopping action, The Return already has me hooked on this series! The next book cannot come soon enough. Pretty sure I'll devour that one in a day and regret nothing. Until then, I'll hold myself over with other fabulous JLA titles. But if you're uncertain about picking this one up, let me tell you right now--DO IT. :)
5 stars - Goodness, I love this book. A spin-off that is not to be missed!
The Author...
# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
With any great change, there is always strife, and the Covenant University has become the frontline between pure-bloods who want the Breed Order reinstated and the half-bloods who want the right to control their own destinies.
