This review covers bot Part I and Part II of Stopping Time by Melissa Marr.

I just love free books. Free e-books are even better, because then both my Kindle and myself are very happy. Overall, I was pleased with this little mini-series. These take us back to Irial, Niall, and Leslie. We see where she has come and what has developed since Ink Exchange.

First of all, I love the Wicked Lovely series. I love the universe, the characters, and where the story is going. That being said, Ink Exchange was my least favorite installment in the series. I don't know why, but it was just okay for me. When I recently re-read the series, I skipped it over.

Part I of Stopping Time focuses on Leslie. She's been getting weird calls and always feels like she's in danger. Niall and Irial are still looking after her, though. They have several fae guards who follow her around to make sure she is safe. From where Ink Exchange left off, Leslie is doing better. She's living on her own, taking responsibility, and is attending school. She's getting better, and that's good, because what we learned in Ink Exchange was that she didn't lead an easy life, and her involvement in the Dark Court complicated that. She feels a pull to both Irial and Niall, but realizes that both will destroy her. So she keeps her distance. She watches Irial from afar...sort of. They have weekly meeting where they both pretend to not notice each other, but secretly stare. Yea, creepy, I know. She tells Niall she loves him, but she ignores five out of his six calls, and isn't sure if she's lusting after Irial or not. What's weird is that Niall and Irial really aren't even fighting over Leslie. There is zero competition. I really think they'd be perfectly okay to share her. >.> Awkwarrrdddd.

I don't get the Irial/Niall thing. It really does not sit well with me. A good chunk of Part II of Stopping Time involves them talking about what was past...involves a (platonic?) kiss between the two sexy hunks of Ink Exchange...and I don't like it. I'm not sure if I should like or dislike Irial, and the Niall in Stopping Time, to me, is not the same Niall from Fragile Eternity.

So for me, I'd give Part I and Part II .