Forget Me Always (Lovely Vicious Book 2)

I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author.

This series has gotten so much better with this second installment. After reading the first book in 2016, it stuck with me. Which is saying a lot since contemporary books don't tend to light my fire as much as a good fantasy or science fiction read. But this one stuck around. I finally decided to delve in and finish the series after a reread of the first book. I devoured the first book in one sitting, and this book was no different in that respect.

As I said in my review of the last book, this book is all about the characters. There is not much world-building, but enough to get the gist of where the characters are and what is going on in the story.

The characters are the reason that the reader is sucked into this story. The characters have really great development and they only get stronger as the series progresses. They have so much growth and I found myself falling in love with all of them. Even some of the side characters. (Knife Guy, anyone?)

The series plot really thickens in this book. It has a much more serious tone than the first book. So many things are brought to light, and there are lots of things that are creatively kept hidden to make the reader want more. While there were some things that I saw coming, there were definitely plot twists that I didn't foresee. I couldn't place the intentions of certain characters which made the read enticing and exciting.

This series has a lot of sensitive issues buried within. Topics such as rape, abuse, underage prostitution, self-harm, mental illness, PTSD, and more are present.

Overall, I am really liking this series. The characters really stick with you after reading. I would recommend this book to those that enjoy contemporary romance with a hate to love vibe. I wouldn't only recommend this to a more mature young adult audience because of the sensitive issues that are presented. I can't wait to see what happens in the final book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a free copy of the book. Thank you Entangled Teen!

It's official. I have finally found my voice in a beautiful character with the name of Isis Blake.

Isis Blake is loud, random and love to babble incoherently -which I also consider is my best social traits - so of course I would fall in love with her from the start.

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Despite the fact that she was awfully insecure - being called ugly and fat by Nameless -, it was heartbreaking to see that after 3 years of ending the abusive relationship she still bear the scars from the past.

So before I start off with my review, let me just clarify that I did not read the first book, so I started the story feeling totally lost because there were missing plot points that was obviously a continuation from the first book. However, I never let that deter me from reading and Wolf's writing caught my attention right away, So it was relatively easy to get into the story, plus I viewed the "missing links" as a huge mystery that I can't wait to unravel, it was so much fun! I still did some research (through reading reviews on GR with spoilers) to grasp what are the events that led to the build up in the second book, so everything seemed to fall into place in the end.

Wow. Just Wow.

The first time a book kept me up until 6 am just because I couldn't bear to not know the ending, or was it because of my raging reader hormones for Jack Hunter, or because I laughed so hard at Isis Blake, I don't know for sure. All I know is that Sara Wolf has now become my favourite author and I could not move on to another book.

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Isis Blake woke up in the hospital after an attack from her mum's ex-boyfriend that left her with a cracked skull, she was saved by her ex-nemesis/the-guy-she-thinks-she-started-to-like-but-she-hasn't-fall-in-love-in-three-years-twenty-five-weeks-and-five-days Jack Hunter, only to discover that she does not remember him at all. Jack Hunter was the Ice-Prince, ever since Sophia's incident nearly 4 years ago, he frosted over and hasn't been the same. He hasn't been feeling anything, until Isis.

WARNING: DEFINITELY NOT WHAT YOU'RE EXPECTING

If for a second you think this is a book about sugary words and grand gestures, banish that thought from your mind immediately. Instead, grab a tissue box, try not to cringeswoon too much, you may experience episodes of heart-clenching moments and ultimately brace yourself for a major cliffhanger.

There were so many plots to the story that centralised into one and I loved that because it keeps the story captivating! The story addressed taboo themes including rape, murder, underground activities and violence narrated through the eyes of high school students. To be honest, what I loved most about the book was the maturity of it. Despite the high school setting, the protagonists including Isis, Jack, Wren, Avery and Kayla were such complex characters with such distinctive personality and voice, they easily became the backbone to the story in which each character complements the other!

I can't describe my exact thoughts for the book because it was damn near perfection. The pace was just right, the characters were fantastic and the story was simply mindblowing I think I'm still reeling from the cliffhanger. All I wanted to do know is lock myself in the room and scream like Sookie.

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Yeap.

Steer away if you're looking for a light read because once you're in, you'll definitely get sucked into the mystery behind Jack Hunter. #jackhunterismine

Isis suffers from memory loss. She can't remember Jack and has no idea what he means to her. They used to be enemies and then became something more, but she only remembers him vaguely. She managed to survive a brutal attack. A terrible head wound landed her in the hospital and the perpetrator will be punished for what he's done to her. Fortunately Sophia makes Isis's stay easier to endure. They both have a connection with Jack, but Isis has to remember him first before they can go back to the way they were. Is it wise to do that though as Jack might have more to hide than Isis initially thought and the same goes for Sophia. Will Isis be safe now or are more dangers waiting for her?

Forget Me Always is another brilliant story about complex emotions and relationships by Sara Wolf. Isis is amazing. She's sweet and has a kind heart. She's also bold and she says exactly what she thinks, I love the unusual way she sees the world. She keeps being involved in dangerous situations, but she's capable enough to come out stronger every time, which is something I liked a lot. Jack is protective and he keeps trying to do the right thing. He's consumed with guilt and he doesn't feel good about himself, while he's actually a great guy. He has a complicated relationship with Isis. I enjoyed reading their easy banter and liked their creative and highly intelligent ways to fight. They have fabulous chemistry and I can't wait to find out more about these intriguing main characters.

Sara Wolf's writing has a nice flow. It's a well organized chaos with many unexpected twists and turns. I love being surprised and this series is definitely unpredictable. I'm a big fan of the unusual main characters and the raw and sometimes crazily emotional things that happen in this fast-paced story. There are brutal attacks, lies, threats and mysteries as well, so there's plenty to constantly captivate the reader, which is something I certainly appreciate.

Sara Wolf has written an intricate story with many layers that haven't all been peeled off yet. Forget Me Always has a shocking ending that left me with a lot of questions. I already can't wait to read the next book in the series. Jack and Isis are interesting main characters and their gripping story keeps me on the edge of my seat.

Another superb read from the phenomenally talented Sara Wolf. This series packs plenty of punch. What I love most about it is the complex characterization, witty dialogue, and angst-filled romance that had me biting my nails to the bone!

My heart bled for Isis and Jack in this one. Just as they seemed to have come to an understanding, Isis can't remember who Jack is and he feels like it's his fault for the way he's treated her. I spent the whole book praying that her memories of him would return so that all would be right with the world.

Sophia plays more of a central part in this story, and the mystery that was introduced in the first book is revealed here. There were elements of the plot that I had already guessed, which was a bit of a bummer, but there was enough going on with other sub-plots that were left-of-field to compensate for same.

Does it make me a nasty person that I thought of making a voodoo doll of Sophia and sticking her with pins until she just evaporated? Because she was seriously getting on my wick in this book. Yes, I know I'm coming across as very insensitive but she was standing in the way of true love, and I will always champion true love.

Like the last book, I did predict the ending, but it was still a shocker. I'm known for loving my cliffhangers and my teen angst so this book was a pretty perfect read.

I hope I don't have to wait too long for the next one as I'm already on tenterhooks waiting to find out what happens next. I have a feeling Jack is going to blame himself and push Isis away and I think I might be throwing a few temper tantrums before this series concludes.

Overall, this was another fab read and I highly recommend it to fans of witty, edgy, slightly dark, YA contemporary romance.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance, free copy of this book as supplied by Entangled Teen. All opionions expressed are my own.

Savage Delight picks up right after Lovely Vicious left off. You need to read the first book or you will be confused as heck in this book. Isis is still in the hospital dealing with her memory loss after the events at the end of book 1. It instantly transported me back to how devastated I felt at the end of the first book because of everything that had happened between Isis and Jack.

All of the your favorite characters are back in this second installment, plus we get to see a lot more of Sophia. She becomes a main character with secrets of her own. Secrets are the name of the game in the Lovely Vicious series. Everyone has them, I thought we found out most of them in the first book. So not the case! There were lots more coming to the surface in Savage Delight. I didn't see some of them coming at all.

I so badly just wanted Isis and Jack to start off where they finally left off near the end of the first book, but they had a long way to go to get back to that. Plus there was the added complication of Sophia. I got the impression through the first book that she only liked Jack as a friend, but I started to see a whole new Sophia in this story. One that I wasn't sure how much I liked. I understand why she was how she was, but my perception of her changed.

The Lovely Vicious series is dark and wounded. These characters are so deeply flawed but they are able to find comfort in each other after all of these awful things happened. I loved that they each faced some of their fears in this book. And I loved how they stuck together. The ending was tragic and intense once again and it left us hanging, just like last time. I am so sad that there is only one book left in the trilogy, but I am so anxious to see how everything will wrap up. This is a really unique series. There is not anything quite like it out there that I have encountered. I love it.

*Disclaimer- I got a complimentary copy for review in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not compensated for my review.

Forget Me Always is book two in the Lovely Vicious series by Author Sara Wolf. This is a YA novel and should be read as part of the series.

"I am human and I have done bad things, but the world shakes and I am human. I am not untouchable. I can be shaken. By Isis Blake."

Forget Me Always begins from Jack's point-of-view, and I am immediately drawn to the words, wanting to delve into what makes him tick.

"I am a diamond fortress of impenetrable logic and sexiness."

There is no way we could have a book two in this series and not hear from Isis. She may have lost some things, but her quick wit, charm, and sarcasm are safely intact.
I was, once again, blown away by this story. Forget Me Always continued to be spun around our hero and heroine, and included the previously before seen characters that contributed to the weaving of a tangled web. I thought I had some things figured out, but Author Sara Wolf gave a maniacal laugh and showed me exactly how wrong I was. This was edge-of-my-seat, what-the-heck-just happened-there, and there, and there, madness. Wow! On the surface, everything seemed a bit odd. But, as words turned to paragraphs and paragraphs to chapters, what was unearthed was layer upon layer of information. Some made my hair stand on edge, others made my heart swell and deflate.

Expect the unexpected. Look out for the unseen. Hold on for the unforgettable. Forget Me Always was fast, mysterious, and made me pant for more.

*Written for Craves the Angst Book Blog*

4.5 “Forget me NOT” Stars!
The Review:
Shew... I feel like I just LIVED that experience! This book... So. Freaking. Intense! It was all consuming, and like I did with book one, I read it all in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down. It was edgy, riveting and a whole lot of fun. Oh and did I mention emotional? ‘Cuz yeah, it really was!

Story/Characters...
Forget Me Always was a little darker and a lot more serious than the first book, as Isis tries to recover her lost memories after Leo’s attack. She’s confused and remembers little of Jack, her supposed nemesis, but realizes quickly that there’s more to his story than anyone is telling her. She’s determined to figure it all out and digs into his past with Sophia, Avery and Wren. As she gets an up close and personal view of the relationship between Sophia and Jack, her own feels bloom and grow. And in witnessing Sophia's broken spirit, she also sees that her painful past doesn’t always have to be front and center if she works through things instead of running.

But the past never seems to stay silent as old and new threats arise and someone else digs into Jack’s past. An old adversary from Isis’s past resurfaces and Jack and Isis fall into an uneasy cease fire the more she remembers.

Meeting the fabled Sophia from book one and learning her traumatic story was emotional and heartbreaking. Isis has to show her vulnerability more than she wanted to. And we got to see a softer, more caring side to Jack.

The “feels” are definitely strong in this book, but so is the lighthearted laughter we loved in book one, at Isis’s antics and her ever present humor. Even in her darkest moments, her comedic one-liners and her hilarious commentary that always seems to be spoken out loud, shines like a bright light in all the despair. My heart broke, my emotions warred between laughter, sadness and anger and I fell in love with Jake and Isis all over again.

And that ending? Gutted me! Thankfully, book three is waiting for me and I need it asap!

The Wrap Up:
This book was heavier and bleaker as the layers from all these troubled characters were revealed. But the story was no less wonderful, the characters no less fantastic and the writing no less powerful. I loved this book!

I can’t wait to move on to book three ... which I’ll be doing as soon as I’m done with this review.

I seriously spent the first 150 pages clutching my chest as my heart strings were yanked and pulled and twisted! OH MY WORD THE FEELS OF THIS BOOK!

Yeah cause that’s basically it. This book had me going on a freaking roller coaster, I wasn’t even sure if my heart could take much more of it and I’m too young to have heart problems! Just thinking about it makes me ache!

This book in no way, shape, or form has middle book syndrome. This book makes the plot even MORE complex than it already was and that’s saying something! Because seriously, the characters are complex, the plot is complex it’s so complex I was overwhelmed with the brilliancy of this book! It’s just…complicated on so many levels.

SO in this book we get to meet the mysterious Sophia because book one leaves us with a cliffhanger with this girl. She’s the polar opposite to our main character Isis. This girl is fragile, gorgeous yet also broken…like all the other characters in this book. She had me guessing with her illness and background as to what was going on, why was she going to have surgery, why did she act the way she did and then who is this Tallie person that she wants so bad. I mean the mystery behind this girl and several of the other characters was crazy! I just wanted to shout, TELL ME ALREADY! GAH! There was something about this character that I saw coming and wasn’t at all surprised when it was going to happen but all the signs were so there. However Sophia completely kept me on my toes and I so appreciate that!

Isis is still pretty freaking awesome regardless of how messed up she is. Seriously this girl LOADS of therapy. However she is beyond entertaining with her sarcasm and how she deals with situations which is honestly very real so some people in real life. They run away and use sarcasm, tearing themselves and sometimes others down to make themselves feel better. But overall she’s a good person who has helped a lot of people out regardless of how damaged she, herself is. But boy is she fierce and I like that! nothing keeps this girl down!

Then there is Jack…oh Jack. I just want to fix you… When really there isn’t anything this guy did wrong! He just has a hero complex and feels the burden of things he has no control over! I LOVE HIM! Oh his character made me ache! I just felt bad for him and wanted to knock him upside the head and yell, THIS ISN’T YOUR FAULT! STOP TRYING TO FIX IT!….*sigh* men…. anyway I have a feel I know why he acted the way he did at the end of the book so I’m very interested in seeing how the author decides to play this all out.

Overall I loved this book and finished it in one sitting, it’s a quick read that I felt was super well written!

Sexual Content: heavy (talk of teen pregnancy, rape, sex, escorts)
Language: heavy
Violence: moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: moderate (underage drinking and smoking)

Yikes.

Well.

So. Much. Happened. Here.

...and yet we're kind of left where book one ( Love Me Never ) left us, in the end. Well, kind of, but not really. I mean, all kinds of craziness happened--we learned some major secrets, something huge happened with a pretty significant character (I saw it coming, but it still has me trying to decide which of the many, many emotions it's sparked in me is #1, even hours later), friendships were repaired and then torn apart again, Leo had his trial...and Jack and Isis still aren't together in the end. Again.

I need book #3 ( Remember Me Forever ), like, now . But I guess I'll wait until May. Since I have to, and all. Sigh...

Reading book #1 before this one is an absolute must--this is definitely not a standalone. Really, I recommend reading these two books fairly close together, because there was so much that I just couldn't *quite* remember from book one--I could definitely have used the crib notes version a few times, especially in the beginning. If I'd had access to Love Me Never while reading, I would have been going back and refreshing my memory on a lot of details--but I didn't, because I'd already given it to Mini Moe #2 to read, which means now it could be anywhere in her room. Or in the house, really. Or even her locker. Anywhere.

Ah, well.

It definitely helped me to connect more with Isis's character, at least, with the whole there's-holes-in-my-memory bit. I remembered most of it in the end, I think--the gist, if not the exact details.

And now I've got to wait for book 3. Sigh.

(And I really do recommend waiting, even though the entire series was previously published. Glancing over reviews of the first versions, there's been a lot added here, because these two are definitely novel length now. So sure, it's tempting to go out and find the first book three, but I'd have to read the new one when it comes out anyway, so I'm going to wait. I know Ms. Wolf will make it worth my while.)

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Book 2 picks up with Isis in the hospital, recovering from her brain injury, still no memory of who jack is, but she has a new friend in Sophia. Isis slowly starts to regain her memories of Jack and what he had the potential to mean to her. She also learns who Sophia is and wants to know her secret as well. And on top of all that, her mom’s ex-boyfriend is on trial, college is looming and other unnamed threats lurk nearby.

Oh the complicated web we weave. I picked up this book as soon as I finished book 1, and thank goodness I had it already because I just might have died if I had to wait to read on. I feel like I just had an emotional overhaul by reading this in one sitting. Disclaimer- book 3 won’t be out for forever!! (The middle of next year, but trust me that is forever). This story had more of the mystery aspect that book 1 did not have, as well as some huge secrets coming to a head due to Isis’s perseverance. But yet, still so much that I need to know about.

Regardless of herself incrimination and the accusations that Jack and Sophia throw at her, Isis is a legitimately good person. She consistently put others happiness in front of her own, much to my disapproval. I still love everything about Isis, big freaking fan girl here. Sure, she is broken, but she still has spunk and fight inside her that I hope never goes out. The out loud tangents, enough said. Hands down, she is probably one of my favorite literary characters ever. Her relationships with everyone were so complex and unique, be it Knife boy to Principal Evans, yet they all end up wanting to protect her and cherish who she is as a person. The dynamic between Isis and Sophia was awkward (for me) but at times so real and honest. Isis could be truthful to Sophia and give her what no one else could, but it came at a price.

This story only got 4 out of 5 stars from me, not because I did not like it, but because it was a lot more dark and depressing than the first, full of angst and some awful revelations, as well as the fact that there was less Isis and more Jack. And yes, I know I am a minority, but I could take or leave Jack. I think he would be a great ally (maybe friend) but I don’t like him for her romantically. He has so much baggage! And yes, I know Isis does too, but hers is more manageable and his started early and just imploded out to hurt everyone.

The author has nailed the art of the freaking cliff hanger endings and now I have to wait until the middle of next year to get some resolution for the awful messy path the story took. I would be willing to sell an organ (maybe not one of mine…) to get my hands on book 3 now. I am hooked on Isis and the author’s writing style. I guess while I wait for the conclusion, I would like to pick up something else from Ms. Wolf and see if it lives up to the high bar the author set here.

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My Thoughts:

The Lovely Vicious Series is full of angst, feels, and realistic life issues. You need to be in the mind set to read a story with such heavy and painful themes. Forget Me Always was just as thought provoking, emotional, and gritty as Love Me Never. I would recommend this series for older and mature teenagers as well as adults. These books are page-turners, but heavy on the heart, as they deal with traumatic life experiences, such as rape, prostitution, terminal illness, poor self-esteem, and survival mechanisms.

Isis Blake is in the hospital recovering from a violent attack at the hands of her mother's ex-boyfriend. While she is recovering, she makes friends with the sweet and delicate Sophia. Isis doesn't remember Jack Hunter and their mutual past. This has left Jack very distraught, and the only way he knows how to deal is to withdraw back in to himself. When Isis starts to remember him, he becomes hopeful that she will realize how deeply they began to care for one another.

Little by little, Isis will put the pieces back together of how her and Jack felt about one another. However, she knows that her good friend, Sophia, loves Jack and doesn't want to betray her friendship. Isis has a lot of questions, and is determined to get the answers she seeks about Jack, Sophia, and her small group of friends, as their dark past clouds the present. However, the more she digs, the more distraught she is to learn the truth...

Forget Me Always was a great sequel. I loved how Isis' unique, quirky, fun, and humorous personality shone brightly. She was a very dynamic and fun character to read about. I especially enjoyed reading about the friendship she shared with Sophia and the kids in the Cancer Ward of the hospital. Isis was a strong and resilient character. She had been through so much, and yet she always tried to stay positive, cheer others up, and was a free spirit.

My heart broke for Jack. I longed for Isis to remember him and reassure him. He was lost without her, and his way of coping was to not let himself feel anything. However, it was obvious that Jack was loyal, caring, compassionate, and protective of both Sophia and Isis. At the end of the story, a lot of answers came to light. However, the story ended with a traumatic event that will forever change, Isis, Jack, and their friends lives. I am holding out hope that the last part of the series will deliver a happily ever after ending. Isis and Jack deserve it.

My Rating:

I give, Forget Me Always by Sara Wolf, 4 Melancholy, Mysterious, Longing, and Resilient Stars! If you are looking for a serious and mature young adult read, this one is quite the page-turner!

As you may know, this series was first self-published. As more people read the books and the word spread, they sold like hotcakes and had thousands of ratings and hundreds of mostly 4- and 5-star reviews posted. I had purchased a copy of the first e-book, Lovely Vicious, so I could see what all the fuss was about, but never got around to reading it until it was picked up by Entangled Teen and republished. I was so excited when I saw that Chapter by Chapter was doing this tour for Entangled Teen that I jumped at the chance to participate (and my thanks to both for allowing me to take part!). I read books 1 and 2 back-to-back for this blog post and I am now convinced those rave reviews were well-earned! I absolutely love this series and I hope you’ll give it a try, too. I will try to keep this spoiler-free, so it may be a bit vague if you haven’t read either of the books. You’ll appreciate not knowing much going in, though!

I checked out book 1, Love Me Never, from the library to read first. (FYI, this series is pretty much a must-read-in-order series, not so much one of those that you can read the second book without the first.) I must admit, at first, I was not really feeling it – the writing was fantastic and the story was moving at a solid clip, but the main character, Isis…I was *not* connecting with her. She is vastly different from just about any other female character I’ve read in YA, or in much of adult literature, either. I suppose you could say she’s “unlikable,” although I hesitate to use that word because I’m not sure that would be said were she a male character. She’s pretty crude, and loud, and overbearing, and a bit violent – but part of me thinks she’d just be considered the really hot “bad boy” if she were a guy. It’s something I’ve been pondering since I started the series, and I hope if you feel put off by her at first you will ask yourself why, and if you’d feel the same were she Isaac instead of Isis. Anyway, by the end of the book, I was so engrossed in the story and loving reading it that I guess I got used to Isis and her quirks! I loved the sparring of Isis and Jack and the tension between them, and I really have a soft spot for Kayla and Wren. I’d rate the first book 4 stars – I liked it a lot, especially by the end, but it wasn’t a perfect 5-star read for me.

I immediately started book 2, Forget Me Always, as soon as I finished the first, and from the moment I started I was hooked. I liked this book even better than the first, and it seemed to go much faster for me, perhaps because I was used to Isis by that point! Isis and Jack have a different relationship for most of this book than in the first (for reasons which will become clear when you read book 1), so it was good to get more scenes from Jack’s point of view in this book. It also helped to humanize him some; he was so cold and stand-offish in the first book, and being inside his head more in this second one went a long way to helping me understand him better. Also, I want to mention that in both books Isis has a really wicked sense of humor, and I loved that so much. I laughed out loud many times, which I wasn’t really expecting!

I love the fact that the second book has more mystery and suspense to it. The little hints that were laid down in the first book all came together to become a big mystery, which of course Isis wants to solve (she is rather hard-headed, after all!). I will admit I was shocked by the secret story when the mystery was “solved,” and I think it was very well-executed by Ms. Wolf. I’m honestly not often surprised by mysteries, but this one was well-planned and the hints just kind of trickled out so that the answer wasn’t telegraphed a mile in advance. As for the ending of the book, that I was in fact anticipating, but it was still a shock when it actually happened! Before I even finished reading the book, I looked up when book 3 would be out and….nooooo, I have to wait until MAY 2017?! I’m absolutely dying to know how it’s going to all come together in the end!

I will say that there are a few “warnings” I’d give before you dive in. There are some potentially triggering events here (references to sexual assault and domestic violence), so be forewarned about that. There is only one scene that occurs on the page (in the first book), and it’s cut short before anything really bad happens. The other warning I’d give is just to parents, if you’re considering allowing your younger teens to read this. I think for more mature kids in the 13-15 or 16 range, it’d be okay, but if your child is more innocent or naive, maybe wait until they’re over 16. There is discussion of sexual acts, both forced and consensual, so keep that in mind. One of the characters has a “mature” job, as well. I have to say, though, that I really like how Ms. Wolf was just frank about everything, not tip-toeing around s-e-x as if teenagers aren’t actually having it or, for those who aren’t, as if they don’t know precisely what it is. In my opinion, it’s the more mature way to handle it, because our kids know way more than we think they know, and they’ve likely already done way more than *we* know! I mean, sex is natural, and that is how Ms. Wolf handles it, for which I have great respect.

The last “warning” I’d give is also the only negative thing I have to say about the books, which is that I really felt some fat-shaming going on. It really put me off in the first book because I wasn’t expecting it. I know that what we’re hearing from Isis is her own insecurities, having been 85 pounds heavier before moving to this new town with her mother, not to mention that being interconnected with what happened in her prior relationship. At the same time, she said negative things about her former size way too frequently for my taste. While I can understand that 99% of he shaming is things Isis is saying about herself, I worry that younger readers (ie, younger than me, since I’m 41!) will internalize the thoughts Isis has about herself, or will even possibly feel ashamed of themselves if they happen to be heavier than the typical teenager. It is honestly the only negative comment I have about both of the books, and if I could change anything, that would be it.

Well, this review ended up being way longer than I expected! However, before I finish, I wanted to make a special point about the characters in this series. Despite my initial reservations about Isis, I have to say I commend Ms. Wolf for really going “all in” with the characters and their flaws. You most definitely will not find a Mary Sue here, that’s for sure. Ms. Wolf reminds us that we are all flawed; not one of us is perfect, or likable all the time, or above keeping secrets from others. I think that becomes the real strength of these books, to be honest – that on top of a really fantastic story line, the characters are so real, so raw. I saw the word “angsty” in a review when I was glancing at the book’s page on Goodreads, and although it sounded good at first, the more I thought about it I realized that’s really not how I would put it. It’s not all drama for the sake of drama; this isn’t manufactured teen angst to avoid writing a Mary Sue.

Ultimately, these characters are dealing with such heavy issues in their lives, issues that we’d like to think our kids/teens won’t see until they’re well past college, but in reality that’s not how life works. The characters here, especially Isis and Jack, really are flawed, and sometimes they seem unlikable, or cold, or calculating, or distant, or even a little bit unstable… but that, for me, is what makes this series such a hit. Teens are given a chance to see characters their age who actually act like real people, warts and all. Life ain’t always pretty, right?! And it does things to us sometimes, even turns us into people we may not want to be. It is what we do with the ugliness that can invade our lives, how we handle it, that shows our true character. At bottom, when all is said and done, I think Jack and Isis are well on their way to turning their own harsh circumstances into positive character-building exercises, and I can’t wait to watch them get there. (So, is it May yet??)

Thank you again to Entangled Teen, Sara Wolf, and Chapter by Chapter for having me on the blog tour! I loved these first two books and absolutely cannot wait for the third.

Rating: 5 how-can-I-be-laughing-when-I-was-just-bawling stars!

4 stars -- I received a free copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

OK, normally when I finish a book, I have a pretty solid feeling of how I'm going to rate it. Just a gut rating, you know? Sometimes, with thought and analysis, that rating will change (often going down). But this book...this book I had nothing. I'm not sure if that's indicative of my life at the moment, or if it was the book, but I had nothing. I knew I really enjoyed myself, but it wasn't screaming a star rating at me. So I've settled on 4 stars. Let's figure out how.

OK, so Isis was a big crapload of awesome, just like in the first book. She's just so freaking quirky. I honestly don't know how to describe it, but she's like 7 quirkies. She's like intriguingly smart, but loves a good poop joke, and topped off with epic damage and vulnerability. And I thought she remained consistent to who I fell in love with in book 1. Strangely enough, I don't know if we saw as much growth with her specifically in this book. There was definitely some, but there was just so much else happening that I don't know how much she grew and changed as the book went on. I loved seeing a bit more into her past, meeting her Aunt (which explained a lot), and seeing her exchange with Principal Evans.

Jack was up and down for me. My heart broke for him in so many ways, he really is in a strange and tricky position with Sophia and Isis. And while you still didn't get an equal amount of story from his POV, I felt like we got just that little bit more to keep us hooked. But that ending. Damn...

Sophia is where things were odd for me. I honestly did not predict a bunch of her story. Honestly, her background was almost too tragic. I honestly thought her personality quirks were going to be related to one thing, but they ended up being something else entirely. And I'm not sure if that was all a bit much for me. I guess it kept me guessing. And it was believable. I did predict how the ending was going to play out, but then again, I think maybe I was supposed to. It felt a little anti-climatic for me then, though. I just wanted it to happen already so we could see how things would unfold, and of course now it's the long wait for book 3 and more answers.

I enjoyed getting more answers about what happened for both the group of friends in the forest, and a teensy bit more of Isis and Nameless (super teensy). And there were some secondary character developments that made me happy and will hopefully not get undone in the next book. So basically, I was super satisfied by a lot of this book, but there was something missing to get it to 5 stars. I'm not quite sure what...maybe it was just overload of angst? I mean seriously, holy crapballs. I will also note that in the ARC copy there seemed to be a lot of minor timeline/continuity issues, but I have no idea if those were resolved before publication...I had noticed them in book 1 too (those 3 years, x weeks, x days countdowns didn't always make sense) and I haven't reread my purchased copy, so I don't know if those were caught. Hopefully someone pays more attention for book 3, b/c my stupid brain snags on those things.

OMG, I've started babbling. OK, I'm really sucked into this series, it was totally worth it for me, I'm just a bit devastated wondering what's going to happen now. I'll be on pins and needles waiting to find out.

{WARNING: There will most likely be slight spoilers for the first book. I will try to keep them as minimal as possible, but you have been warned :)}

There is just something about this series that FITS me. It is just freaking special, every little bit of it. I had never heard of this author when I signed up to review the first book, and it definitely wasn't my normal type of read. But from that first page, I was crazy about this series, and now, after book 2, I am even crazier.... about the books, of course!

It has been a few weeks since Isis woke up after Leo's assault. Weeks since she forgot Jack. Weeks since she met Sophia and they became friends. Meeting Sophia changes her in ways, and it changes Sophia too. This relationship will bring to light so many things that have been hidden in darkness for too long. The chance for Jack, Sophia, Avery and Wren to finally be free of the past. But freedom doesn't come without pain. And there is a lot of pain in Forget Me Always.

Sara Wolf is not afraid to hit on some major issues, and she is not afraid to put her characters through the ringer. Each character in this story has their fair amount of pain and heartache, but the way she has written these characters makes them shine like the stars. Sophia is gentle and sweet, but there is a much darker undertone to her. One that is slowly brought to light as the story progresses. Jack is the opposite, seeming to always been callous and cruel, but there is a gentle and caring man under the icy facade. Wren is the epitome of sweetheart, but there is fierceness there. In the past, he may have turned tail and ran, but now he has learned from his mistakes and stands up when he needs to. And Isis, man the words that I could come up with for Isis. She is silly, and talks too much, and says the craziest things, and always seems to live life to the fullest and loudest as possible. She puts off her pain as being nothing compared to the pain of others, and thinks she has no right to hurt when the things she has been through are horrible. But her first thought is always of someone else. The story, the plot, of these books is fantastic in a million ways, but for me, it is ABSOLUTELY the characters that make this series a major standout for me. I will remember them all for a long time to come, and I will revisit them as much as I can because I love them. Dearly.

I won't say much, if anything about the plot of the book because I... can't. There are so many things happening in this book, and they are all important to the story that Wolf started building in Love Me Never. Everything that I want to say is one major spoiler, and I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Just know that the story that began in book one is delved into much deeper in this follow-up. It is darker and grittier than book one without a doubt. But never fear! That same lighter side that made Love Me Never so special is still abundant in this book. Isis is still very much Isis, for which I am thankful!

Sara Wolf apparently likes to leave her readers hanging in major ways, and that doesn't change with this one. But this one ends on a much different note than the last, and it was painful. Be warned. I am going to have to find some really special books to tide me over until May. But for now, I will put the word in for anyone thinking about trying this series out.... DO IT! It is strange and crazy and different and sad and painful, but it is oh so worth it! If you haven't started the series yet, you are in luck. The link to the first book is right below!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book.*

This book was surprisingly entertaining than book 1, I really liked it so much! Love Me Never ended with a sort of massive cliffhanger after "an incident" happens to Isis. She returns back to her normal life but a part of her is missing. Her new found friendship with Sophia surprises everyone and then there's Jack who she doesn't remember a thing about. When things finally begin to make sense for Isis, old threats arise. Will Isis be able to survive it once again?

This book was so fun to read about. I remember complaining about the lack of humour in book 1 but this book really made up for it. The plot was really enjoyable and I loved this book from the very beginning. Isis seemed like a whole new person and I really liked it. I loved her character development. I was so glad to see a trial for that freaking guy, I so hope he doesn't come back. But he's only the only threat in Isis's life. I can't wait to see how that is executed!

I didn't know what to think of Sophia, she attitude jumped constantly between hot and cold but I loved Isis for not giving up on her. I definitely liked Jack, he went through a freaking lot but the kind of love triangle was there. Sophia's insecurities were logical but things were already out of her hand. But I liked reading more backstory about her in this book.

I enjoyed the banter between Jack and Isis but the scenes between them were few. I hope to get mooore in the next book. Nonetheless, I liked the chemistry between them. The other minor characters also played their role, I liked reading about Wren the most.

Overall, Forget Me Always was a great read. I enjoyed the plot and the characters and they kept me hooked throughout the book. I loved the romance between Isis and Jack, even though it was little. The writing was smooth and the pace was even throughout the book. I can't wait to read the conclusion of this series!

Recommend it?

Yes.

Forget Me Always picks up where Love Me Never leaves off, which may be a relief to some readers. While I personally would recommend reading the books in order, Ms. Wolf also provides enough exposition for the uninitiated to quickly pick up the plot, though you may not enjoy the characters as much as if you had read the first.

Whereas the first book was fairly light, this book has a much darker tone. Ms. Wolf also continues to unveil the secrets each of the teens have. We finally discover just what secret envelops Avery, Jack, Sophia, and Wren – and it is not a happy one. Sophia comes into her own. As I got to know Sophia more, my respect for Jack increased. Sophia is a very tragic figure.

Isis continues to be sarcastic and fearless. Some may be disappointed that the focus of this book isn’t on the romance between she and Jack, but I thought it fit the tone of the book better to see Isis struggle to remember Jack, while also uncovering secrets and learning more about herself.

And of course, this book wouldn’t be complete without a cliff hanger ending, as it was in the first book. I found the event fairly well sign posted so it shouldn’t come to a surprise, but it is still upsetting.

This book is dark and the topics are not easy to handle. Ms. Wolf presents scenarios through the lens of teenagers fairly fearlessly, while keeping a decent pace. While I don’t love everything about this book – Isis’ observations are, at times, a little too mature even given her experiences; Jack’s job bothers me and seems slightly illegal – overall, it is an excellent read and a stunning example of the richness that is coming from young adult authors.

NB: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I voluntarily chose to review it.

Thanks to Entangled Teen and Netgalley for a copy of the eArc in exchange for a fair review.

First, if you have not read Love Me Never stop reading and start there. No, seriously start there, because you wouldn't understand what is going on in Forget Me Always if you try to read it first. Plus you would be missing all the amazing feels of the first book...

Now, Isis, Kayla, Jack, Avery, and Wren are back. This book picks up literally a copy of weeks after the cliffhanger ending of book 1. Isis is in the hospital, she has finally met Sophia and still can't remember Jack. It takes several weeks for Isis to realize that she has a form of amnesia due to the head trauma, and she literally can't remember Jack or anything that had to do with him.

While it may seem that this book is kind of about Isis remembering Jack and everything that has already happened it is not all that happens. While Isis is remembering, she begins to uncover some of the major secrets from book 1. Like what it is that Jack, Wren, Avery and Sophia have been hiding for years. If you have read Love Me Never, you might think you know that answer, but you don't.

Plus Nameless is back, and we find out more about why he traumatized Isis so badly. Trigger warning... won't give away spoiler but it is a trigger warning. He is back in a bad way too making his creepy presence felt.

I want to say so much more, but spoilers. Needless to say, this was an epic follow up. I loved every minuted of it. I devoured this book from start to finish in one reading. I still majorly love Isis, Jack, Kayla, Wren and Avery who is actually a little less evil in this book. In fact, I sincerely need the last book like stat... I mean stat, because she leaves you with a major cliffhanger in this book as well.

This picked up right where the last story left off since I did not read the first one I did find myself a little confused. Isis is suffering from a memory lost she doesn’t remember Jack and doesn’t have a clue what they mean to each other. We find her in the hospital where she has been since the attack on her. There seems to be a few hiding things leaving you wondering how that will effect Isis if at all. Isis must remember before things can go back to the way they were. This is really a very complex story with lot of emotion.

I thought Isis was very sweet and kind but tells it like it is giving her opinion and her thought. She isn’t shy but tells it like it is. She is a very strong person but seems to get herself into danger. I really liked Jack and his protective ways. He really tries to do what is right but is filled with guilt. They have great chemistry but a very complicated relationship.

The author gives you a good plot with lots of twist and turns. It is filled with lies, mystery, pain and sorrow. The ending will leave you with as many questions as you had from the start. I wish I had known I should have read book 1 first I feel I would have understood the story and the characters better. I did enjoyed the read and plan on going back to read book 1 and then rereading this to better understand all that is going on. I thought it was well written the author does give you a wonderful plot but you might want to read the first book before picking this up.
Volunteered requested a copy from NetGalley/Edelweiss /book tour/author/publisher

Sara Wolf has done it again with an another great book, that has me believing that this a real life event. Let me just say this book was AMAZING !!!!! It had me on the edge of my seat!! I literally read this book in one sitting. Sara Wolf has the worlds best humor, had me falling out of my chair.

Isis Blake is portrayed as a witty, fearless and head-strong character. She has to deal with her internal demons, and losing part of her memories. Memories she cant help but feel he was somehow important to her, involve Jack. She cant quite put a finger on why Sophia's boyfriend Jack. seems familiar. But when her memories began to flourishes she begins to realize there's definitely a connection between them.

Jack Hunter’s character is portrayed as a very arrogant , unapologetically, and super hot guy. At school they call him the “Ice Prince” because he’s colder than the Arctic. While Isis doesn't remember Jack, he remembers everything about Isis.. He remembers her snarky comments and purple streaked hair. For a little while Jack begins to feel human again and not so empty. She's melt a part of his ice heart. When him and Isis both began to realizes they want each other, there's only one thing stopping them...Sophia, Jack's girlfriend, who has cancer and also has both of their hearts.

Ah, I loved this story so much and the chemistry between Jack and Isis was undeniable.
I love Sara Wolf's writing style and would highly recommend this book and Love Me Never to all readers.

ARC provided by Entangled Teen via Netgalley

Several months ago, I first got introduced to the life of Isis Blake and Jack Hunter in the first book of the Lovely Vicious series, Love Me Never. If anyone remembers from my review of the first book, I confessed that I had a case of the giggles (and had trouble stifling said giggles) because Isis Blake is hilarious and sarcastic and just hard to hate (okay that last one applies to Jack as well).

So when I found out Forget Me Always was available to request… which means more of Isis Blake and Jack Hunter and everything that comes with those two, I confess I leapt at the chance to read the second book in the Lovely Vicious series. (I promise this is the last book I'm touching until I actually go through the ARCs from earlier this year and posting those reviews. But really, they're in drafts.)

Forget Me Always, unfortunately, did not leave me in a constant puddle of giggles like its predecessor. It is much darker than the first book - both Isis’s and Jack’s pasts come to light and sort of… mesh together. Rather, they don’t actually mesh together, but what was originally two different pasts have something in common between the two that’s bringing the pasts together.

However, despite the darker atmosphere of Forget Me Always, the second book in the Lovely Vicious series still has Isis Blake’s signature humor and sarcasm found throughout the first book, which will surely lighten up the third and final book’s darker atmosphere.

Isis Blake, haven forgotten Jack Hunter, after a traumatic accident comes face to face with

remembering him in snatches. She knows that he saved her and her mother, so she’s

grateful for that, but not much else. She still considers him her nemesis. And what’s

more, someone is determined that she continue that. She’s sent a clip of Jack at his

worst. Just when he thinks he can break through to her, both their pasts may screw things

up for them.

These two characters are unforgettable!! From the moment Isis and Jack met, they were a

special twosome and this book hasn’t diminished that one bit. If anything, they’re more

volatile. The surrounding cast, Avery, Sophia, Wren, Knife Guy, and Kayla are a fabulous

group as well. They play their roles well, going through Senior year, each with their own

cloud of grief to handle. In a town where not much is supposed to happen, plenty does and

it has major ramifications for all.

I give it: *****

The Scoop :

After the attack from her mother’s ex-boyfriend, Isis wakes up in the hospital with an unsightly bandage for an unfortunate head wound, a very special brand of amnesia focused for a very special guy, and a new hospital bestie–Sophia, the mysterious girlfriend of Jack, the same guy she can’t remember.

When Isis is finally able to leave the hospital she’ll have to find and face facts: her own and those surrounding the mystery of her friends and That Night in the Woods before she ever arrived in any of their lives. Getting to the bottom of it all will be far more dangerous than she thought, and the more the finds out about Jack as she digs, the more strongly conflicted she becomes about staying away from him. When it comes right down to it, does she really know any of them at all?

My Take :

Let’s not dance around it: well done, Sara Wolf. Another stunner. Just when I thought that the mystery we already had was enough of a set-up, I learned I was wrong. SAVAGE DELIGHT was a luscious read. You wanted more? Oh, I am happy to break it down for y’all.

Let’s Do This :

♦ Don’t worry, it’s still super addicting (in case you were worried). This is a can’t-put-it-down book. It’s a take-your-Kindle-to-the-bathroom-with-you book (and don’t give me that look, you). It’s a find-foods-you-can-make-and-eat-one-handedly-so-you-don’t-have-to-stop-reading book. Just so you know. I’m never sure what’s going to happen next or where we stand with certain characters, so I feel like I can’t look away. It’s still as scandalous and juicy as before, possibly more.

♦ Didn’t realize it could get darker-–my bad! Speaking of more, SAVAGE DELIGHT is darker than it’s prequel. It’s one thing that the deeds are dirtier. It’s another thing altogether that I started getting chills up my spine from the twists. I’m frightened for my fave characters and appalled at what happened to the others. Nameless hurt Isis in more ways than we already knew, and what we thought happened in the woods with Jack and company was just the beginning. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

♦ Jack, FTW. So, last week I mentioned that Isis was my new bestie. I’m a horrible person, I know, because this week Jack is my new book boyfriend. He’s got a bigger role in the story, including in the shared narration. He was a frosty individual last time around, and this time he’s melting a bit…and it’s a-dorable. Luckily, it’s not out of character, like some of those male romantic leads who go from jerkface to personality-transplanted male Mary Sue. Nope-–this is all him–-that’s why I know I like him.

♦ …Expanding on that, time for a group swoon together over Jack and Isis. Folks, I AM READY FOR THEIR HAPPY ENDING. Anytime now. Seriously. Ahem, back to our notes…These two aren’t adorable–they’re difficult. Nothing about their situation is easy–even the chemistry: it’s combustible all right, it just ranges from pheromones to fear-for-your-life. Okay, so I get why they can’t have possibly had a happy ending. Yet. I’m still holding out hope. Come on BRUTAL PRECIOUS! No worries, though. SAVAGE DELIGHT still sent me into spontaneous swoon attacks every couple chapters. Prepare yourself for the same.

♦ Let’s have a word on the amnesia. Fact: 95% of the time I hate this story device. It reminds me of daytime soaps. Now, I know that my CW shows are like…night-time soaps with better acting (and vampires, aliens, etc.), but still. It takes a little something extra to suspend my disbelief enough to encompass a bout of convenient uber-forgetfulness. That being said, I was skeptical for the first couple chapters. After we got a therapist involved and talking about the psychological aspects of this particular sort of amnesia, I was starting to loosen up a bit. I still didn’t love it, but it was needed to make the rest of the plot (which I totally loved) work. So, on the charge of Being a Totally Lame Story Ruined By Amnesia, I, Alice, find the book Not Guilty!

♦ And speaking of trials… I wasn’t too keen on the trial of Isis’s mom’s ex-boyfriend. Knowing what I do about the criminal justice system in real life (and from some Law & Order: SVU, yo), I just didn’t dig the unreality (that it was perp v. victim rather than the state v. perp in the trial, that Jack got to chill with Isis in the courtroom even though he had to give testimony later, etc.). It’s a nit-picky thing, but for a series that breathes the details, I’d like to have seen it done differently.

♦ Can I say cliff-hanger, or is that insensitive? Too soon? Sorry. UGHHHH. Okay, got that out. Just….read it, okay? The end is killing me (again, too soon? Eh? Eh? Sorry.). I have a love-hate relationship with cliffies. This particular one changes that relationship absolutely zero percent. I wouldn’t change what happened, just……just publish the next book now-ish, okay?

SAVAGE DELIGHT picks up right where LOVELY VICIOUS left off in plot, scandal, and juiciness, then it ups the ante when you won’t even think it’s possible.

In practically shoving both of these books down your throat, am I essentially condemning you to join me in misery as we wait for the last book to come out in July? Yes.

Sorry I’m not sorry.

Wait…

What?

That was…

I mean, I thought…

Huh?

If you’ve been waiting for SAVAGE DELIGHT to fulfill all your pent up needs, wants and questions from LOVELY VICIOUS, you’ll have to wait a little longer. There is a book #3 and SAVAGE DELIGHT, while still extremely unique in its humor, tone, and personality, is very much a bridge rather than it’s own stand-alone entity.

SAVAGE DELIGHT picks up right where LOVELY VICIOUS left off, with Isis in the hospital suffering from lacunar amnesia, which has caused her to block Jack entirely out of her memory. Jack, who’d finally started to open up to another person, is devastated by the loss, though he also blames himself for Isis’ memory loss. Isis and Sophia become friends in the hospital and I never quite knew what to think of their relationship. I don’t know what is medically wrong with Sophia, or how Jack really feels about her, or whether I can trust her. I feel bad that she only has Jack and now Isis is standing in the way of their relationship. I begrudge Jack for falling for someone else at the same time that I root for him and Isis to finally be together.

I have to admit, I’m a little frustrated that I had no idea this was a trilogy. LOVELY VICIOUS I read in one sitting and didn’t realize until I tried to hit next page on my kindle and the book was over that it was not a stand-alone. Then in SAVAGE DELIGHT, I happened to look down at 58% and instantly knew there must be a third book because there was no way I was more than halfway to figuring out all the mysteries between Jack, Sophia, Wren, Avery, and Isis. The shortness of SAVAGE DELIGHT really makes me question why it wasn’t combined with book #3 or book #1 (LOVELY VICIOUS) instead of being spread out with such devastating cliffhangers.

While SAVAGE DELIGHT is thankfully nowhere near the cliffhanger LOVELY VICIOUS was, I feel that is partly due to the fact that SAVAGE DELIGHT to me never felt like it’s own story. It is a story full of mystery and it doesn’t reveal very much in regards to what has happened or what will happen in the future. I am at a loss, but I am also still fanatically in love with Isis and Jack. Their very unique personalities were even more apparent in SAVAGE DELIGHT and continued to expand and evolve.

I gave SAVAGE DELIGHT 4.5 stars because it is immensely frustrating yet marvelously suspenseful all at once. I am still desperate to see what will become of everyone in this strange circle. I would recommend that everyone who fell in love with Isis in LOVELY VICIOUS read SAVAGE DELIGHT and anyone who hasn’t started the series definitely needs to start with the first book as soon as possible so they too can fall in love with these unique characters. (Though I say as soon as possible with a touch of trepidation because I would prefer to have read all three in one sitting so I can assuage my need for answers!!!)

<i>**Complimentary copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.</i>

It's been nineteen days since Isis Blake forgot about me. And yet he has the nerve to ask if I'm alright.
Sara Wolf has done it again!!! I was literally hooked from page 1. I really liked the first book 'Lovely Vicious' a lot. But, I definitely like this book even more!! There was a few reasons why. The first was Jack. We finally are getting is POV. I have always wondered what went on in his head. Now, we know. Then, in book where there was a whole bunch of secrets!!Like, what happened that night at Avery's cabin with Sophia. And, why does nobody talk about it. We learn a lot about that and a whole more.

We start off exactly where 'Lovely Vicious' ended. Isis is in the hospital and still doesn't know who Jack is. Other then he's the guy who saved her & her mom from her mom's crazy ex-boyfriend. Isis has become good friends with Sophia, Jack's ex. They seem to understand each other.

While the gang comes up to visit Isis & bring her schoolwork so she won't get too far behind. They start visiting Sophia too. Which is great on her mental state. The only problem is since Isis has been there, Jack has stopped visiting Sophia.

Isis has a lot of issues. She always did. Her main issue is called 'Nameless'. Now, it's trying to put the pieces of her & Jack back together. Plus, she needs to prove to her doctors that she is well enough to go home.

When Isis finally starts to bear some of her soul to the Dr. They agree to let her go home. The night before she's getting ready to leave, she hears Sophia screaming. Wanting to know why Isis is getting her life. Sophia continues to tell Isis the most horrible things. She even goes as far as to show Isis a letter Jack sent her. It was before he started caring for Isis. It was well played on Sophia's side. It's Sophia-1 Isis-0. It starts up Isis's hate for Jack all over again.

Now, Isis is back at school and is back to herself. Talking out loud while thinking. Telling Jack off. It's funny as hell. She always is for me.

Jack wants to be close to Isis. He also wants to do whats right for Sophia. He needs to get the last bit of money due for Sophia surgery. Jack is confused. He always had a heart of ice. Then, when Isis came around. The ice started to melt. Now, she wants nothing to do with him & he has to figure out what he's got to do next.

Isis gets back into a routine. Isis gets a email of a picture. It looks like it's a picture of Jack & that night that nobody wants to talk about.Isis shows it to Wren and he freaks. For the first time in 5yrs Wren goes and talks to Jack. Jack realizes he needs to save Isis the way he couldn't save Sophia.

Isis being Isis can't let it all go. She continues visiting Sophia. Isis also gets more & more information about that night 5yrs ago. Sophia asks Isis to get her something from the woods outside Avery's parents cabin. While she's in the woods she finds out she is not alone. After a run in with some really bad people,she calls the only person who can help her... Jack.

"I didn't do anything. I couldn't save Isis in time," I snap. "She got hurt because I wasn't fast enough. I failed." The last two words ring in the near-empty, dim kitchen. "I failed," I say, stronger this time. "And she forgot me because of my failure."

Jack realizes that a lot of crazy stuff is happening around him. He makes it his mission to save to 2 girls he's ever loved Sophia & Isis. But, it's never that easy. Can they be saved & do they want to be saved. The people coming after Jack & Isis will not stop until they get what they want. Will Sophia survive the life threatening surgery?

Talk about non-stop drama from beginning to end. This is definitely a Sara Wolf story. How you ask. Easy, one word... Cliffhanger.. AGAIN!!! I ended this story with a very load gasp. I'm hoping the next part of the story comes out sooner then later.

"The sadness will last forever. And I think he was right, but I also think he was very, very wrong. It doesn't last forever. Because we don't last forever."

Originally published at Rookie Romance.

***Spoilers ahead for the first book in the series, Lovely Vicious!***

Savage Delight starts immediately after the events at the end of Lovely Vicious, with Isis in the hospital and having no memories of Jack. After how close he and Isis had grown to be, this is a devastating blow for Jack. Isis is the first person in a long time who has been able to get under his defenses and thaw some of the ice around his heart.

Isis is her usual snarky, witty and dramatic self- and I wouldn't have her any other way. As Isis struggles to remember Jack and her relationship with him, we also find out more about what happened between her and Nameless.
Jack struggles a lot in this book with Isis' memory loss. He has only just found someone he truly connects with and who breathes some life back into him....and then it's all taken away. Aside from his Sophia and Isis dramas, there are more issues for him to deal with relating to his ahem, profession.

I loved that more details of the past events involving Avery, Jack and Sophia are coming to light. We finally have some of our questions answered, and Sophia's increased presence in this book was a very interesting addition. I thought that sometimes the plot never seemed to really get going, but there is another book to come. I think it was just because I was a bit disappointed in the romance aspect of the book, because Isis' amnesia basically means that her and Jack's relationship regresses to the prickly exchanges of the past. Saying that, I read this in one sitting when I really should have been sleeping and couldn't put it down!

I need to know what's going to happen with the characters after how this ended! There is a lot of intrigue in this book and whilst some of our questions are answered, many others are raised and I can't quite to find out how the story will conclude. It will definitely leave you gasping for more though!

*I received a review copy for my honest opinion. Thank you!

Starting my read of Savage Delight, I thought I would be getting another piece of the puzzle that is Isis and Jack's sordid past. Perhaps I was naive, perhaps I didn't give nearly enough credit to Wolf's writing. Either way, I was wrong. Maybe not entirely. We do get new pieces to the puzzle but the puzzle grows exponentially in size.

But, hey...I'm not complaining.

Not remotely.

Everything I loved about Lovely Vicious returned in Savage Delight. The genius snarky quips that fall from Isis' mouth every time she opens it. The mystery. The intrigue. The tender moments. The heartwrenching moments. All of it equally playing a role in making this yet another entertaining read.

I think the only thing I missed was the banter between Isis and Jack. There is less of it in SD due to the situations the characters found themselves in. While I missed it terribly, it was also nice to get more of a peak at some of the other characters. Namely, Sophia. Who, I can say with all honesty, is so NOT the girl I predicted her to be. WOW.

Isis, however, made up for a little of that with the banter she has with herself. She's a looney tune in the best sense of the word. She thinks she's crazy, she's not, she's just traumatized and her brilliant brain can't seem to process it all.

If you read Lovely Vicious, Savage Delight is a MUST. Though be warned, it will give you all the same feels that LV did, and I do mean all. If you have not read LV, get on it. Then immediately follow it up with SD. Why? Because this is what you get:

Laughs.
Tears.
Heart palpitations.
Anger.
Fear.
Giddiness.
Happiness.
Sweetness.
Manipulation at its finest.

And a whole lot of "What the heck is happening?".

*copy provided for honest review*

This book was originally published as Savage Delight. With Isis and her memory loss, it was almost like starting from scratch with Jack all over again, except she avoids him now more than verbally attacking him like she did in the first book. Isis keeps her wit, but I missed those interactions with Jack. The beginning starts off well, and the ending definitely has me pumped to start reading the final book, but I had a hard time staying interested somewhere in the middle.

Forget Me Always by Sara Wolf was kindly provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley for review. The opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars
This book picks up right where the first left off. Savage Delight is a cluster of emotions and twists and turns. Isis can't remember Jack and they are taken back almost to the very beginning. It kind of struck me as strange that she remembers most everyone else but Jack. I really wanted this book to focus more on Jack and Isis, and we don't really get that. This book focuses a lot on Sophia and Jack's past and Sophia coming between Jack and Isis, and let me tell you, I really don't like Sophia. As far as Isis, she still demonstrates all of the snarky humor that we got in the first book, but where in the first book I found it funny, this time I started to get annoyed with it. I just kind of felt that we should have seen more growth in Isis than we did. She was still very immature especially for a lot of the things she was dealing with. Tons of secrets continue to randomly come to light and keep the book going. I will be waiting for book 3, mainly because I can't stand for a story to be unfinished. Beware, this one ends in another cliffhanger!
~Lauren~

This series just keeps getting better and better.

I absolutely love Isis’s and Jacks story, all the twist and turns, secrets and lies. Just when you think you have it figured out; BAM!

What? No, no way did that just happen…

While Isis is recovering from her attack, she’s also struggling to figure out Jack and what role he played in her life. She’s still as snarky as ever mixed with a little crazy.

"Jack doesn’t give a jacksh~t about me. No, wait, I got that backwards. I don’t give a jacksh~t about Jack the Sh~t."

Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack! I feel so much for him. He’s broken, a shell of his former self. He is desperate for Isis to remember, to get back an inkling of what they had. She doesn’t have to remember everything; she just needs to remember him. He’ll take her smart mouth comments over her indifference to him any day of the week. He needs his light in the darkness that is his life.

My heart broke for him while learning about his past with Sophia and everything he did to protect her and their secrets.

"The sadness will last forever. And I think he was right, but I also think he was very, very wrong. It doesn’t last forever. Because we don’t last forever.”

When all the secrets are divulged, where does that leave Isis and Jack?

This was an unbelievable story with an ending that you will not see coming!
I can’t wait until the next book…

Holy Smokes!

Seriously this book is good.

Isis is struggling to remember her past. All she knows is it hurt her enough to stay hidden. Otherwise she is the same crazy-nonsensical Isis as usual. Digging where she doesn't belong, trying to get herself killed, and missing people off.

Jack is dead inside. He is worse than when things happened to Sophia. He hates that Isis cant remember him. He wants nothing more than for him to at least show some emotion toward him.

This story is strained. It hits hard. There is so much more than meets the eye. Happy ending just don't exist. I cannot wait for the next book! I do wish that Isis' POV and Jack's POV were separated better but that was the only issue I really had. Savage Delight is different than most books, but I absolutely love it!

XOXO Alyssa

After reading Lovely Vicious, I was excited to get my hands on this book! I was not disappointed! This is another great book by Sara Wolf! The story flows well, and the writing is outstanding!

This book focuses on Isis' recovery and her relationships with everyone except Jack. I was sad that this book did not contain more moments and conversations between Isis and Jack. However, Isis' inner monologue provides a lot of laughs throughout the book. We learn a lot more about Sophia is this book. She and Isis meet in the hospital and become friends. This is not a good thing because Sophia is not as nice as she seems. She doesn't want Isis and Jack to be together. It is sad because she doesn't love Jack like she once did, but she doesn't want anyone to have him. Because of this, she tries her best to drive a wedge between Isis and Jack.

If you read Lovely Vicious, you have to read Savage Delight. If you haven't read Lovely Vicious, what are you waiting for? You need to read both books, so you will be ready to read the third book when it comes out! I know that I can't wait to read more about Isis and Jack!!

*I was given this book as a gift in exchange for an honest review.

Savage Delight picks up where Lovely Vicious left off (you must read Lovely Vicious first... stop reading this review if you haven't yet).

Isis has amnesia from her traumatic experience at the end of Lovely Vicious. She still does not remember anything about Jack, except that he saved her. We go through the book as Isis pieces together the mystery in her head and reveals new truths along the way. We also see a softer side of Jack and his feelings. Isis is rooming with Sophia while she heals and they become friends......so we learn more about Sophia as well. What I love is that the trademark wit is still there. Isis makes me laugh at every turn. Her banter with Jack is full force again and completely hilarious. The words are so carefully crafted. Each sentence is bursting with flavor. Like a decadent dessert... I just can't get enough. Overall this was a great bridge between the first and third books. Sara Wolf leaves me begging for more! 4.5 stars for Savage Delight!

this is a beautiful hart wrenching book
i loved it and i am sooo glad i read it, it was money well spent.
i love how strong and independent isis and jack are despite how much they've been through.
the whole story is shrouded in mystery and suspense.
the twist at the end couldent have made for a better clif-hanger but i rilly hope that jack wont somehow find a way to blame isis for this or push her away after they just decided to follow their harts and start dating.
Sophia is a very complex character first she's sweet and then she's cold, caculating, and manipulative…she kind of scares me but i can see why she's like that.
i want to know about isis's past danm it! im talking details was her innocence stolen by her ex? or was it just the mentle abuse and cigarette burns?
jack is an interesting character as well he seemes to like hitting people with baceball bats, is he a danger to isis?
but he also is very protective of isis and likes that she is different and is intelligent enought to challange him
i hope the next book comes out soon cause ive been dying to read it!

“The sadness will last forever. And I think he was right, but I also think he was very, very wrong. It doesn’t last forever. Because we don’t last forever.”

I have so many mixed emotions, like I love the characters but at the same time I dislike them. Their story is so heavy and so deep with so many secrets but at the same time - it's all out there.
While reading this book I had this feeling that I should be reading it carefuly and in between the lines. And that's what makes it so special. I am very excited to read the last part.

I finished this book and the first thing I thought was, “more, I need more, and I need it now.” This series is so interesting and imaginative. I need to be in rehab because I am a Lovely Vicious series addict. This is a shorter read but that does not detract from the story at all. I felt like the the story started out BAM! and ended with a BAM! There is so much going on in this book. Isis has amnesia. She is in love/like with Jack. Jack has Sarah as his girlfriend. Sarah has a dark side. Jack is in love/like with Isis. Isis is threatened. Jack may not be who we think he is. OMG! It is enough to leave you breathless. This book is filled with plot twists and turns that you never know where it will lead to next. Sara Wolf does an absolutely amazing job at keeping this story fast paced, interesting and dare I say fun? I adored Isis and her sarcastic sense of humor. She has the best one liners ever. I need book three badly. If this book is anything to go by, then book three will blow my mind.
4.5 out of 5 stars.

The first book nearly killed me. This second one was no different.

I’ve never laughed so hard reading a book or felt so much for the main characters. It’s raw, entertaining, and sarcastic as all hell. I loved every word of it.

For a YA title this story touches on a lot of predicaments, both realist and Lifetime-like.

Through sarcasm, wit, and subpar storytelling, this series touches upon strength and facing up to your biggest fears, past or present.

** I received this complimentary book by the author for an honest review**
Well this has me wanting more. The second book of the Lovely Vicious series picks up where Isis is in the hospital after being thrown around like a rag doll by her mom's ex-boyfriend. There is a problem. Isis has amnesia and the only person she doesn't remember is Jack. Isis meets Sophia in the hospital and things starts to change. Isis starts to get these emails saying Jack is a bad guy. This book gave me some of the answers that I was looking for. I loved Isis in the first book and I loved her in this book. She's quirky and a smart-butt.. kinda reminds of me when I was her age, I can't wait for the third book to come out! I liked the book; great plot, just the right amount everything needed for a young adult book. I give it 4.5 stars! ~Chris

Apart for the cliffhanger, this book does not get any better. I don't read about any romance, hook ups, or relationships in this book. All I read about was improper and childish conversations, confusing POVs, and some convoluted mystery about Jack, Sophia and a child they may have had together. Jack is also still a male prostitute even though he is supposed to be from a rich family.

Isis has become annoying like a bad mannered child. She talks and behave to her principal as if he is an underling. This is bad beyond words for me. The cliffhanger makes it even worse. Three books for this plot??? Ughh. Meh.

WOW and WOW words cannot explain how good this was and I loved it and could not put down. So love hear Jacks POV and what a cliffhanger of an ending and started book three straight away as could not wait. Also love Wren he is so cool. love it when the characters affect me and want to be part f the story. awesome Sara just awesome.

What a great follow up to Lovely Vicious!! Once again Sara Wolf brings such whit to this dark book. With comedic excellence Isis Blake jumps off the pages with laughter! I love how the characters are maturing and the story is unfolding. Holy CLIFF HANGER!! I can not wait until Book 3.

I really have enjoyed this series there isn't anything really bad in this book but there are some inappropriate language,but overall it's a great series that should be read.It would be awsome if Sara would do another book to the series