A review by crissimarie
Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

There is something so comforting about reading an old, familiar book.  I think I've read this series about a half a dozen times so this is far from a first impressions review but I do think it kind of says something about the book that I can read it that many times and not get tired of it.  I do have to say though, that this book reminded me why I hate love triangles (I still really enjoy the book though).  I feel like love triangles in books were a lot more common in the books that I read when I was younger or maybe I've just been really good at avoiding them because I don't come across as many anymore.  In the first book, Layla and Roth begin to develop a romantic relationship but the book ends up with Roth being trapped in the Pits.  This book begins with Layla worried for Roth but when she sees him again after he is released from the Pits, he pushes her away (I hate when a love interests does that) and as a result she grows closer to Zayne.  Zayne and Layla have been friends for years after she was taken in my Zayne and his dad but in this book they start to form a romantic relationship.  Normally, I really like friends to lovers relationship but I think that now that I'm older, I wasn't a huge fan of the age difference between Layla and Zayne.  They are only four years apart but there is a big different between characters that are in their 20s and 30s being four years apart versus this situation where Layla is still a teenager and Zayne is in his early 20s.  I feel like this was something that I didn't think about when I was younger but now I'm older, I'm just not sure how I feel about it.  I'm glad that her and Zayne didn't end up being the endgame relationship because I just felt like Layla had more chemistry with Roth.  I feel like in this book, Layla learned a lot more about herself and she grappled with whether or not she can be truly good since she's part demon.  I think it's still a fun read all these years later even if some parts are a bit dated.  At times some of the dialogue or actions of the characters are a bit cringey but I think the book is definitely a product of the time it came out.  I just really like how easy it is to read and enjoy.  It feels a bit like a cheesy teen drama mixed together with a cheesy paranormal romance and I'm here for it.  Rereading this series has just made me so happy despite the fact that I know it's far from perfect.