First off let me say that I loved Velvet and it was a favorite of mine. It also was one of the rare books I picked up to reread parts of which doesn't happen very often for me. So when I say I was so extremely excited for Cashmere I want everyone to fully understand.
Cashmere did not disappoint me at all! I was giggling and smiling pretty much the whole time. And I think that's one of the many reasons why I adore this series so much. It has so many adorable amazing moments and characters that you just love so much and care about so much. While there are those moments there are definitely moments that had me wanting to cry. Which I think makes this series balance out so well.
I had no problems with this book. And could probably go on forever about all that I love about Cashmere. I am just so happy to have a vampire series in my life again that I love so much.
Quick Thoughts and Rating: 4.5 stars! This book was an epic, emotional rollercoaster ride from start to finish! It's hard not to feel a tad jumbled as we bounce between the joyous, cute moments shared between Adrian and Caitlin, the tenser times with the Council, the mystery surrounding Adrian's demon dad and the disappearance of Lucian, and all the highs and loves of everyday life in-between, but Ms. West knows how to chart the course of a book and so this stayed consistently amazing.
Cashmere is full of action and playful downtime, swoons, and snark. We might have gotten some of the answers I was begging for in Velvet, but Cashmere certainly leaves you with a whole host of new ones, too. I can't get book three in my hands soon enough.
♥ Review: We immediately fell back in to the routines of the adorable, secret relationship happening between Caitlin and Adrian–Man, I full-on ship the hell out of their cuteness!– and all the vampire business regarding the Demon Dad and the illustrious Council. I love the way the author manages to incorporate the vampire side of the story while still maintaining a semblance of the day-to-day life that your average teenager will go through; regular relationship stuff, school work, and a home life with Caitlin's family. But then a shift happens and Caitlin is given a real chance to chase her dream of being a fashion designer through an internship opportunity while still having to deal with Council/Vampiric Business, and so the storyline changes a bit, but the rhythm of the story stays the same. I love how this plot always has a realistic feel to it with a paranormal edge. It allows me to connect with Caitlin while still being engaged and mystified by all the scarier, more confusing elements of the unique vampire world that West has truly created, adapted, and made entirely her own. A lot of crazy (SPOILERISH) stuff happens as Caitlin undergoes more intense questioning about why Adrian's demon father is so truly captivated with her, and this allows Caitlin to learn things about herself, about what she truly is. It was completely unexpected but downright cool as hell if I'm being honest when it all comes to fruition and we get that big answer. But then other spoilery things happen that I can't talk about (even though I have an unlimited amount of thoughts and feelings about them!!!), so just know that an ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF SHIT HITS THE FAN AND I AM NOT OKAY!!!! I'm terrified/perplexed/anxious about how West plans to continue the storyline and end the trilogy after ALL THAT CRAP THAT JUST HAPPENED AT THE VERY END OF THIS BOOK went down. I mean, I obviously have faith because she just spun the hell out of that story and turned the entire vampire world on its head with her own interpretation of their lore, but I'm a little whole freaking lot scared witless about how things can go from here on out. I've become slightly invested in this world and certain characters (this includes some pretty incredible new characters we meet and some old ones that are shown in a new light that I'm quickly learning to love) and I will literally cry if they don't get a HEA. I need that or I won't be okay, and right now, I have major concerns that those things won't be able to happen. Please, Ms. West, don't do these things to my heart! My emotions are easily manipulated and I'm trusting them with you. Okay? Okay.
You know how some people think that vampire books are overrated, especially young adult vampire books? Well, those people are wrong. When I go into fantasy or paranormal books, I’m always looking for three things: 1. Well-developed characters; 2. Great world-building; and 3. Originality–and the possibility of a new spin on old ideas. Temple West’s Velvet series has all of these qualities, and Cashmere, the second book to Caitlin and Adrian’s love story, does not disappoint.
As an avid follower of Temple West’s social media accounts, I could definitely tell West puts a lot of herself in her writing. She’s creative, a designer, a storyteller, and someone that wants to give the world a badass heroine worth rooting for. Yes, the main character, Caitlin, has her flaws, but what teenager doesn’t. Caitlin’s character shines more brightly when she is stubborn, ranting, and articulating her next move. Even if that next move is mending a friendship, designing her prom dress, or understanding the role she plays in the paranormal world she is currently accepting as reality. Caitlin is a “think-before-I-act” type of person, which makes me love her even more.
I like West’s writing, because she writes with a rhythm that allows you to get lost in her words and world-building. In Cashmere, she puts you in the characters’ heads, and you get the grit, the raw emotions, and even the messed up dreams that might characterize your subconscious as a Star Trek character (HAHAHA). I do not know how West does it, but she can take the most scary and uncomfortable scenes and add a dash of silliness that equates into the most powerful and memorable chapter.
In Cashmere, West brings back a lot of familiar characters from Velvet, but she also introduces some new characters. Kalare is definitely my new favorite character. Kalare adds so much sass and smarts to each scene she is in. This girl can rock a leather jacket, a designer dress, and some hilarious sarcasm.
The main rant I have about the book is that I thought some of the chapters could have been condensed. Some scenes, close to the end of the book, run too long for my comfort. I love when action, even if it is the characters plotting their next move, carries the flow of the story. However, sometimes I found the story stuck and I wanted to skip to the next chapter (I might just be a little impatient, hahaha). Overall, I really enjoyed Cashmere and the unique vampire twist West has given her series. Now I need book three!
Wow! What an amazing sequel! My mind is spinning from all the action, new discoveries and now more mystery and unanswered questions. Book 3 can't come soon enough!
ARC kindly provided by Netgalley & In Medias Res. This in NO WAY affects my review of this book.
Velvet was one of my favorite reads of 2015 and ever since, I've been yearning for the second book, Cashmere. Luckily Netgalley had this one as a Read Now option and I jumped at the chance to read this baby. Let me tell ya, if you, like me loved Velvet then you'll be blown away by Cashmere!
The worldbuilding was astounding in Velvet and the author, Temple West did a great job building off of that and making the world inside of Cashmere even bigger, more detailed than the previous book, sharper if you will. Maybe I'm jumping the gun but this makes me super excited for the third book! If she follows in the same footsteps (which I'm sure she will because she's amazingly talented!), doubled with the ending, the worldbuilding will be huge! And I can't forget to mention, there's some pretty awesome science that explains some things, especially about vampires that made this book even more appealing.
Of course, my favorite thing about Cashmere are the characters. West does a fantastic job fleshing out her characters and really bringing them to life. From the main characters all the way to the most minute of characters, they were all great!
That brings me to the epic, yes EPIC romance inside the wonderful pages of Cashmere. Caitlin and Adrian are the epitome of everything I desire in a fictional couple. Their feelings for each other are truly heartfelt and of course, the romantic scenes are searingly swoon-worthy! Of course, it wouldn't be Cashmere if we didn't have some added snark to go with the romance...
"Try some other flavors, kid, I guarantee you Adrian is not the hottest shit out there."
"I don't care if he's the hottest shit," I muttered, "he's my shit."
I wish I could mention EVERYTHING that makes this book awesome but I'd be spoiling all of the fun for you, and well, I'm sure you want to have fun while reading this one, so I'll let you discover all of the amazingness yourself! Wow, that was one long sentence! I will say that Caitlin and Adrian go through some pretty serious situations. I ugly cried during a particular scene. Ahh, I wish I could share it with you! If you've read this one or are wanting to I'd love to chat fangirl over Cashmere with you!
What is second book syndrome???? Because Cashmere did not suffer from it. I'm all for romance but Caitlyn's drive to achieve her dreams are very admirable and made the story for me. I'm happy that we get to see Caitlyn grow and act like a high schooler. Same with Velvet, the conversations are so fun to read. Especially between Caitlyn and Kalare. And there were MANY Harry Potter references, I was freaking squealing. Questions are definitely answered but now everything has gone absolutely nuts and I have to wait until 2018!? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
