Book Review: Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.
But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…
Why, Jen, why?! Why did you make me fall for both guys?!
That was definitely my initial reaction after finishing Stone Cold Touch. Jen basically took my heart and split it in two. As much as I love Roth and can see how perfect he is for Layla, I can’t help but love and root for Zayne, sexy and brooding gargoyle that he is. As per her usual, Jen works her wizard writing skills and has created a fantastic series with the Dark Elements. Stone Cold Touch was just as engaging and action-packed as White Hot Kiss, not to mention full of romance and angst. Jen has pretty much perfected the art of writing romance so I’m never disappointed when it comes to that aspect of her books. But she’s also working on perfecting her art of story-telling and this book is a prime example of just that. Fans of this series will devour this sequel without a doubt, whether they’re Roth lovers or Zayne supporters.
Layla is such a great protagonist and continues grow as the series progresses. Her powers start to grow and change and she learns new things about herself and her fate. Oh, so much drama and tension, I love it! I especially loved her interactions with Bambi, such an interesting and fun character. Anyways, Layla definitely faces a lot of adversity because of what she is and with everyone against her, I genuinely enjoyed watching her handle it all. In the end, I think I’ll just say I’m Team Layla! She rocks!
As for the boys, what can I say?! Zayne brings his A game to the table in this book and I seriously fell for him. He finally realizes that he can’t hide his feelings for Layla anymore and Layla finally gets what she’s always wanted, or so she thinks. Tensions rise and emotions flail all over place wince Roth does what he does best and shakes things up. Sure Roth has the charm and sex appeal, and yes, they can get their groove on without any problems, but Zayne has the history and the way he cares for Layla is so apparent and touching. Honestly, it’s a tough decision for me. It’s not often I can’t decide between the two guys in a love triangle, but this is one of those times.
I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how Jen finishes this series in Every Last Breath. I’m sure she has a clear vision of each choice in her head and it’s just a matter of writing it out. Either way, no matter who Layla (or the readers, rather) chooses, this series is bound to have one heck of a climactic ending filled with swoonworthy romance, heart-stopping action, and gutting-wrenching drama that Jen is known for. I can’t wait!
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