Lauren Reidy

The name is Lauren, but you can call me Ren. I'm 27 years old and I live in New Jersey with my husband and wonderful 3 year old son. I am what you would consider a workaholic...since that is all I ever do :-) I am a newbie to blogging. I love to read! YA & Adult paranormal romance is my go-to genre, but I love YA and Adult contemporary romance as well. I am also a member of The Young Adult Library Services Association and the American Library Association.

Website: http://www.alittlebitofrnrreviews.com/
Twitter: @1laureezy3
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Blog: http://www.alittlebitofrnrreviews.com/

• Deadlocked on May 24, 2012
  
  Since this was a novella, I'm going to make this short and sweet! I don't want to give too much away. David is the narrator in the story. The story begins with him explaining the strange influx in Emergency Room patients. As far as the news tells them, it's the result of terrorist attacks. The news is on in David's office building, informing all that the situation is getting worse. People are dying in the ER and coming back to life. The video shows children attacking each other. The disturbing part is that they are eating people's flesh. David leaves the office to get home to his family. After leaving the office, panic ensues as zombies appear in the city. David overcomes many obstacles in order to reach his family. Will David reach his family before it's too late? I'm going to stop there so I don't give anything away. My thoughts... I've seen plenty of zombie movies, but this is my very first zombie book!! I didn't know what to expect from this novella and I was pleasantly surprised. The visualizations I had while reading this book were quite creepy. There was a bit of gore, which I'm totally cool with. The events in the book kind of reminded me of Murphy's Law, what can go wrong, will go wrong. It was one thing after another, he could not catch a break! I kept wondering why this was a novella, why the author couldn't just put all of the parts into one novel. I didn't want to read the blurbs for the other books and potentially spoil this one. Now I know why! That ending was BRILLIANT! I was not expecting it and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Does that make sense to you? cause' it makes perfect sense to me :-) Keep a look out in the future for my reviews of the next 3 novellas in the series!
  
• Reign of Blood on June 02, 2012
  
  The story starts off with the aftermath of a viral epidemic. A virus has taken hold of the population, turning them into vampires. These aren't the glamorized kind of vampires, they are mindless blood-sucking fiends. They almost remind me of zombies except they need blood to survive, and they have a kind of hypnotic trance that can trick most humans. April is somehow immune to their tricks and is trying to survive with her mother and brother. The first few chapters follow their journey. They live in a bunker in the mountains but venture towards the city for food and weapons. On one of their outings, April's family disappears with only one clue: tire treads. April searches Las Vegas for days with no trace of her family. On her journey, she attacks hives of the feral vampires in hopes of finding them. What she doesn't expect is to come across a hybrid vampire who is able to speak and walk in the sun. April is introduced to the hive of hybrid vampires. She believes that they may be able to help her find her family, but not without a cost. Then there is Rye, one of the hybrid leaders, that is fascinated with April. I won't go into details on that one :-) you have to experience that for yourself. Will April get the help she needs from the hybrids to find her family? Or will she die trying... My thoughts... This book rocked my world! I have just recently started reading post-apocalyptic novels and this one tops the cake. The imagery is excellent and it felt like I was really there. I have never been to Las Vegas, but I feel like I know the places pretty well from Alexia's description. I feel like a lot of YA books nowadays have girls that are just plain annoying or whiny. This was not the case with this book. April is such a BAD ASS and I love her! She is a kick-butt, self taught warrior and I enjoyed reading about her journey. The story has a touch of romance and it's perfect given the circumstances. April was hesitant about her feelings for Rye, rightfully so, considering he's a hybrid. I'm kind of glad that this story didn't end with a huge cliff hanger because I probably would have cussed Alexia out LOL. I cannot wait for the next book in the installment. I hope it will be just as action packed as the first. Of course, I would like to have more April and Rye time :-)
  
• Blood Thirst on Oct. 21, 2012
  
  I will try to make this a spoiler free as possible, but no promises. This story is about Angela's transition as a newborn vampire. She was attacked one evening and left for dead. A vampire named Elijah came to her to offer her eternal life. She vows to find the vampire that did this to her and make him pay. With Elijah's help, she learns the ways of her new existence. Everything she knows is about to change. Matthew, the vampire that attacked her may not be the monster she originally believed him to be. My thoughts... Take a trip into this fantastic macabre work of fiction. I absolutely loved reading about Angela's transition into a vampire. I have never read a book quite like this one. You really feel like you know what she's feeling through her change. It's definitely not for the squeamish considering some details are very vivid. I prefer the gore. My favorite character would have to be Bong, Angela's new dog. I can't tell you much about Bong without spoiling the story, but I love that damn dog! I didn't know what to expect with this book. It was going in one direction and just wen you think you get it, the story changes. The author has this great way of leaving breadcrumbs. Just enough to hold your interest and keep you yearning for more. The relationship between Angela and Matthew is fully explained in the end. I had a hard time identifying with their relationship and I hope the next book will answer some of my lingering questions. I definitely recommend this book to anyone that's looking for a darker read. I will definitely be checking out the rest of the series.
  
• Thundering Luv on May 06, 2013
  
  I'm kind of on the fence when it comes to short stories. I always wind up wanting more that what is given. This short was very satisfying. It has such raw emotion that you will definitely feel. The characters reactions were written perfectly for a teenager. Teens don't usually wait for you to explain, they just react when hurtful things happen to them. The relationship between Jewel and Colin has its ups and downs but is beautiful nonetheless. It's a nice, quick read for anyone that enjoys YA.