#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout draws readers into the extraordinary, irresistible world of Wardens and demons in the second book of The Dark Elements series.Every touch has its price 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, … 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….
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After reading White Hot Kiss, I needed to read this book immediately! I was not disappointed! This book is just as fantastic as the first!!
Layla is trying to recover from the crazy events from the last book, but, of course, things aren’t over. Layla’s powers have been changing and she can’t even see souls anymore. Add in the fact that mysterious things kept happening when she’s around and her classmates are acting crazier than usual, and something is happening. Along with this, Layla and Zayne’s relationship seems to be turning beyond friendship, despite how forbidden it is. Then, the return of Roth adds more questions, but he also carries answers to an evil that has been unleashed from hell. Now, they have to find out who is causing all of this to happen, but they may be closer to the truth than they think…
One of the ‘issues’ that I had with this book was that I absolutely couldn’t put it down. I would think “I really need to start my homework after this chapter”, then I finish the chapter and it ends in a way that I can’t possibly stop!! I MUST KNOW MORE!! Friends, that is a mark of an amazing book. So much happens, the characters are so frexing amazing, and the entire book is edge-of-your-seat. Don’t even get me started on the last hundred so pages. Boy, do things get nuts.
Now, the romance gets more pointy in this book. Last book had a more Roth focus, this one starts to have a focus on Zayne. Let me say that I have absolutely no problem with the love triangle. It’s done well and let’s face it, both guys are hot and swoon-worthy. I honestly can’t pick a side!
Lastly, the ending? I mentioned how fantastic the plot is and how the ending really takes thing up a notch, which brings me to the end…
Yep, there’s a cliffhanger. You’ve been warned.
I know this review is all over the place, but my excuses are that this book was so mind-numbingly amazing, that I don’t know how to use words and I want you guys to be as surprised in this book as I was. Overall, this was a fantastic sequel and I’m impatiently waiting for the next book!
Layla is stupid ! There I put it out in the universe, it’s now a known fact. She is just so immature and idiotic some times. ARGUH ! Layla who has two super powered hotties loving her, two ! Maybe I’m a bit jealous. Moving on..
So I binge listened to this, ignoring my family and friends for a couple days. They’ll get over it, I hope. Layla has found trouble at school, trouble at home, trouble in her heart and trouble in her mind. Layla is coming into her own, our little brat is growing up. Well sort of, she still dips her toes into TSTL moments. Her, Zhane’s and Roth’s lives are going to change majorly. Everything builds to this horrendous mountain of OH Shiitake What Will They DO, then the book ends ARGUH !! Thanks the gods for Amazon, click I have book 3. 😀 See yah
3.5 Stars on this one. Let me just say, I am still not a fan of Zayne. I wish I was and some of the things he did for Layla in this book were very sweet. I am just lacking the feeling of sincere love there. Honestly, the whole book had me on pins and needles waiting around for Roth. All I was craving were interactions with him. The end of this book was great, because of Roth. I’m hoping the next/last book will give me the closure on this situation that I need
I fell in love with the two same guys that Layla has…hmm, must be in the water. I lean more towards one team, but I won’t force you to listen to me chant his name.
Just know that both “men” represent something different to her and her life. Layla is trying to reconcile her heart and mind after a painful break.
But things are only getting worse both in life and love…or are they?
Whether you’re Team Roth or Team Zayne, both break your heart at some point in the series. You just have to decide like Layla, who…
I really enjoyed Stone Cold Touch. All the characters seem to have a surprise up their sleeve and this story line is amazing. I couldn’t put it down!
I know that this book sounds really cheesy but I promise it is worth it! Roth is incredible and Armentrout always wows me with her books!
Although I really enjoyed reading White Hot Kiss, I was in no way prepared for the awesomeness that is Stone Cold Touch. I absolutely LOVED it!! Seriously, to me it was even better than the first, and how often is that actually true?! I thought the first book was good, but this one had me talking out loud, yelling at some of the characters, and giggling uncontrollably! It was fantastic and everything I didn’t know I needed. At times I literally could not put the book down, and that, along with a thunderstorm, is how I found myself staying up until 4 am (yes 4am!) to finish this book!
In this installment, our characters are dealing with the same concepts that they have been, plus a few new ones; however, everything is ramped up even more! The way Armentrout had me feeling all the characters’ feelings had me so emotionally invested in what was occurring. Usually, when there is a bit of a love triangle involved, I know exactly who I like best. But, with me feeling all of these feelings I found myself in the same predicament as Layla, not knowing who is the ultimate endgame. At times I’d find myself totally rooting for our resident wickedly terrific demon, while others I’d be swooning over the caring protective warden. Seriously, what’s a girl to do?
Not only was I caught up in the little love triangle we had going on, but I was wrapped up in Layla’s own conflict about who she is and what she is capable of. The problem is, Layla has no idea what she is capable of…no one really does. She feels so alone and like she doesn’t belong anywhere, and it is truly heartbreaking. Her DNA doesn’t make her evil, and I refuse to believe that she is evil.
So, we had all this emotional conflict going on in addition to some craziness and mystery. Strange things were happening in D.C….like demonically strange. Literally, so much was happening, and I was all about it! There were twists, intrigue, and deception! I totally called one of the twists and was still shocked when it happened, it was that crazily good! Holy cow! I absolutely cannot wait to start the next one after all this amazing goodness!
“Love is a strange creature one thinks one has a grasp on and understanding of, only to discover later that it was only the barest taste of the real thing.”
“Roth…well, the more sticky the situation, the more of a smart-ass he became.”
This is the second book of The Darkest Elements series and it picks up 2 weeks after the events of White Hot Kiss. Roth is in the pits of Hell and Layla is trying to find a way to move on with her life. Then strange things begin happening at Layla’s school and all of a sudden Roth shows up with news. It seems that the ritual they were trying to stop in WHK wasn’t actually stopped and they believed that a Lilin had been created. What follows is shenanigans, angst, love, drama, heartbreak and a hell of cliffhanger.
I never bought into it when Roth was telling Layla that she had just been a way to pass the time when he had been topside before. It still hurt when he said the things that he did to Layla in the guise of pushing her away for her safety, but it didn’t feel like he meant it because of his body language. Layla, of course, totally bought it. But then again, she’s never been in a relationship, she’s naive and has no idea how to handle things. So, while I was frustrated that she didn’t see it, I also understand.
I wasn’t happy when Layla moved on and tried to have a relationship with Zayne. The fact that her feelings for Roth persisted and she had to continuously remind herself of Zayne whenever she was with Roth was a huge red flag to me. I know that Layla loves Zayne but I don’t believe that she was ever IN love with him. I think the same thing applies to Zayne’s feelings for Layla. I believe that he truly cares for and loves Layla but I don’t believe that he was ever actually IN love with her. And it will alway irritate me that he never showed his feelings until there was actually competition in the form of Roth. I still like Zayne, but as I’ve said before I don’t love him in this series. For me it’s always been Roth and Layla. They’ve been my OTP from the beginning and the events in this book were just a road block in the way of that relationship.
Now I want to bring up Abbott for a minute. I wasn’t thrilled with him in the first book and this one made me absolutely loathe him. He tries to come off as enlightened and accepting at the beginning but when it really comes down to it he’s just like most of the other Wardens. Seriously, I wanted to reach through the book and punch him. Dez and Nicolai really stepped up in this book and showed their true characters, which made me adore them.
The last 25% of this book is so fast paced and full of information that it floored me. And the ending! That was definitely an oh shit moment for me and made me want to dive right into the last book.
“Something else occurred to me then. Zayne would lock me in a room to keep me safe if he thought there was even a hint of danger in the air. Roth…yeah, he’d tried to get me out of the way, but he wouldn’t shelter me. He would… he would just let me be.”
“I love you, Layla. Do you hear me? I’ve loved you since the first moment I heard your voice and I will continue to love you. No matter what. I love you.”
• •
: Stone Cold Touch
: The Dark Elements #2
: Jennifer L. Armentrout
: 4/5
This book was a hard one for me, personally, I am not a fan of love triangles (as I already mentioned in the Review of White Hot Kiss) and in this book it is clear we are fully heading into that direction. For those who LOVE love triangles, you’ll love this book! I have to admit I might have skimmed some pages, because I just couldn’t connect with Zayne, he was sweet and they did have their moments, but it felt weird to me because I feel she is just meant to be with Roth. So, was it necessary to nearly break my heart Jennifer?! I was really glad when Roth was in the picture again and from that moment on, I could not stop reading. I also love the banter and humor Roth has, it had me laughing out loud sometimes. The sexual tension in this book was also on an all-time high. I also started to care more about the side characters as well, they really made the story even better. The story itself was full of surprises and plot twists, I really can’t wait to see how this story will end. And that ENDING… my heart, was full and broken at the same time.
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I so adore all these characters! I love this world! But this one had a little bit too much of the love triangle drama for me. It got a little too messy. I’m so excited to get to the end of this series and get to a happily ever after!
Stone Cold Touch is the second book to Jennifer L. Armentrout’s The Dark Elements series. I had a hard time putting down my Kindle when I read this book. I was not expecting the story to go the way it did and the ending. The ending was a shocker! I couldn’t believe who was behind it all. Nope, that was a big surprise! I’m loving this series and can’t believe I’m just now reading it—shame on me for not reading it back when it was released.
Storyline/My Thoughts: Now, I’m not sure if I’m Team Roth or Team Zayne after reading the second book in the series. Dang you, Jennifer L. Armentrout! I usually steer clear of the love triangle trope in books, but lately, I’ve been devouring this kind of trope in books. First off, we have Roth, who is a full-blown demon and who also is a Crown Prince. There’s also Zayne, a Warden (Gargoyle shifter) who Layla can never kiss due to her ability to take a soul. I can’t friggin’ decided! This is madness!
In this book, though, things change for Layla, and she starts experiencing new abilities. It all happened right after the last book and how Roth sacrificed himself. She now has Roth’s familiar, Bambi, who happens to be a snake on her, and she’s starting to have abilities she’s used to beginning to disappear, and new ones appear. It’s a crazy time for a teenager who went through a lot in White Hot Kiss. Unfortunately, life is going to get harder in this book.
Layla thought Roth was never going to be seen again until he reappears at the Warden’s compound, telling them that a Lilin was born and now is wreaking havoc in the area. This is something that was not supposed to happen. Layla is happy that Roth is alive, but he pulls a stunt that left me in shock. He’s a different demon, and I’m not sure if I like this new Roth. Oh well, there’s Zayne who finally gets to be more in this story, and I really can’t say if I’m I like Roth or Zayne more now. Grrr!
I don’t want to go into much detail about the storyline. Be prepared because this book has a lot of twists and turns in it. Jennifer L. Armentrout did not make it easy for Layla, especially when it came to who she could trust and which boy she liked more. I know I can’t decide, so I feel Layla’s pain in this book.
Three scenes that I loved:
Bambi, the snake, eating someone. (I love that snake and how protective she is in the story of Layla.)
Zayne and Layla in his Impala. It was steamy, but not too steamy. They didn’t go far, but Zayne has proven how much he doesn’t see Layla as a little girl anymore.
Roth and how he changes again in the story and how he takes care of Layla at the end. The truth finally comes out of him.
Overall, this book receives five stars, and I’m diving into the next book right away. I needed this series to help me out of a reading funk, and it got me out of it and more.
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Dark Elements series.
Cliffhanger: Yes.
Trope: Love Triangle
Would I recommend this book? OMG! Yes! If you are a fan of Young Adult Paranormal/Fantasy, then I recommend this series. If you are a fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout and haven’t read this series, then why haven’t you?
P.S. And another thing, can I say that I love that Roth names his familiar’s after Bambi characters? Bambi has always been one of my favorite Disney movies, even if it makes me cry each time I watch it.
This author reallllllyyyy knows how to write heartbreak and betrayal so that the reader feels it with the narrator, and there was a lot of it in this book. I expected it from the Wardens, they suck so bad (they just keep surpassing my hate levels for them), but we also get some from Roth too. Hell, at one point even Layla dishes it out.
“I love you Layla. Do you hear me? I’ve loved you since the first moment I heard your voice, and I will continue to love you. No matter what. I love you.”
I was firmly Team Roth after WHK and that didn’t really change, but man, Zayne is just so sweet and he does really love Layla. I just feel like he could do more for her. Either way, both leading men are great. I feel like whichever love she chooses (I mean I already know cause I need spoilers…), it’s going to be tragic for that other love story there. What Layla has with each guy is real . It’s almost like in Dawson’s Creek when you’re happy and a little sad too, cause maybe she could also have been happy with the other guy.
Also, expect some shockers from this one.
Layla and Roth are back! I’m firmly still on team Roth. Man, these books are so good! I swear everything that Jennifer L. Armentrout writes is like my Kryptonite. Every book hooks me from the first page, and Stone Cold Touch was no different.
There was some major stuff going down in this book. I didn’t want to put it down.
And Roth, oh Roth. He’s seriously my favorite. I love his attitude, and just everything about him. And I guess Layla’s pretty awesome too. I do like Zayne, he just can’t compare to Roth, and I think Layla would agree. Lol.
The Dark Elements series is shaping up to be one of my favorite series from JLA. They are just so addicting and good. She knows just how to suck you into the story, and exactly how to keep you interested. Another amazing one in this series.
The Dark Elements series, of which this is book 2, is JLA at her best! It’s a paranormal romance trilogy, features gargoyle shapeshifters called Wardens, demons who are supposed to be their mortal enemies…and the girl who is both. JLA’s characters are so authentic and real you’ll feel like you are all best friends before you’re done. And wish you could help them fight. She is deeply emotional and also, just at the right moment, hella funny, and I think we all need a laugh with our emotional rollercoaster these days.
Omg this series just gets better and better. Layla, Zayne and Roth I just can’t get enough of. I don’t know who I want too end up with Layla, I am completely torn. This story is amazing and the characters are unforgettable. Your heartstrings will tug with how much emotions these characters go through. I can’t wait too read the next book especially how this book ended.
Seriously wow! I’m not a huge fan of the whole love triangle thing, which is normal for me. A little jealousy is awesome, but not a fan of actual love triangles. That said, I was deeply engaged with this one to the point of staying up half the night! I did have to remind myself that the characters are 17-18 years old and we were ALL a little dumb about things at that point. In any case, loved this. I love Roth and Layla so much. I even adore Zayne. Just not with Layla.
One of my favorite demon and gargoyle books! Would read it again in a heartbeat