Stone Cold Touch (Dark Elements #2)

This installment picks up just a few weeks after Roth has sacrificed himself at the end of White Hot Kiss. Layla's really hurting after that loss. Roth is trapped in the pits and she doesn't know if she will ever see him again. There was no need to worry though as Roth shows up, at the Warden's house no less.

He tells them all that they failed and a Lilin has in fact been born. They will have to work together in order to stop the Alpha's from wiping them all out. So, they enter into an unlikely truce, until the problem is taken care of.

A Lilin can take a soul with just one touch and they need to see who has been effected. There's one MAJOR problem though... Layla can't see souls anymore! Her abilities are going wonky when she needs them the most! Not fun times!

Roth turns cold to Layla and pushes her away. Telling her that she was just a fun distraction to him. This in turn makes her move closer to Zayne. Her childhood best friend. They grow closer and even take their relationship to the next level. Yet, she still finds herself drawn to Roth. Wonder why...

Layla begins to believe that there is no Lilin and that she's the one who's causing all this to happen. After all, her powers seem to be changing. She even kissed Zayne a few times without taking his soul. Even the insane Church of God's Children hate her. They threw Holy Water on her to prove a point and that's how her best friends found out about her. Which is fine by me as I happen to love Stacey.

Though it couldn't last forever and she does take a part of Zayne's soul when she kisses him for the last time. Abbot's pissed and locks her in a cage. They keep her drugged and then stab her with an iron blade. She is going to die at their hands until two awesome Warden's decide to do the right thing and warn Roth. He saves her and takes her someplace safe. Oh, Roth I love you. Sorry off track there. I went into fangirl mode.

Roth gets the witches who worship her mother to give her something that will save her. Only he has to promise something huge in return. We don't find out what he has to give up until the last book. Layla lives and she decides that she can't go back to her room in the Warden's place. She does get to visit Stacey and it's here that the Lilin is revealed!

I saw this coming a mile away. It honestly got to the point where I wanted to smack Layla and tell her to open her eyes. To quit being torn between Zayne and Roth. She should've seen this coming. The signs were all there. He was just changing way too much.

Now the boys. Zayne.... I don't hate him but he's just not my type. He's too overbearing. He's too good. He's also rather annoying. I just can't.... He's a great character and all but there is just something about him that rubs me the wrong way. Am I alone in this?

Roth. Roth! ROTH! Do I really need to say more? Yes, he's an ass in the beginning of the book but he had good reasons and you even find those reasons out in the end. He also loves Layla so much it's just the most adorable thing ever.

The writing as always is just awesome sauce. No one writes better dialogue than JLA. It's so witty and makes me laugh. I enjoy her books so much. The banter just gets to me. I even have my partner saying some of the things she has written.

Overall, great plot, characters, Roth, writing, romance, Roth, humor, action and Roth.

MY THOUGHTS
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 any more. Add in the fact that mysterious things kept happening when she's around and her classmates are acting more crazy than usually, 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.


IN CONCLUSION
I know this review is all of 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 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!

I can't get enough if Roth and Layla!