Devon’s review of Big Bad Wolf (The Others, Book 8 ) by Christine Warren
Paranormal Romance released by St. Martin’s 29 September 2009

Christine Warren’s The Others series are a set of sexy, lighthearted romps based mostly in Manhattan. They follow an urban group of various supernatural races as they prepare for, and go through with, making themselves known to the human world. After awhile, I find that the heroines are a bit too similar to each other, but otherwise these books are a reliable choice for a fun read that’ll keep your interest for a few hours.

Although this is advertised as the eighth book in the series, it must be noted that Big Bad Wolf is a revised and expanded version of a previously published Ellora’s Cave ebook (as were One Bite With a Stranger and You’re so Vein). So the plot and the romance actually take place earlier in the timeline of the series, if you know what I mean. Those who began with Wolf at the Door, and earlier installments will already be familiar with werewolf alpha Graham Winters and his luna Missy Roper. While it doesn’t deter from my enjoyment, it can be a bit weird. Things haven’t happened yet, but I know they will. Newcomers to the series may prefer to figure out the chronological order, and read them that way, rather than going by the published order (see booklist at her site).

Graham is a sexy Alpha werewolf who is growing increasingly dissatisfied with his love life, busy as it is. Missy Roper is the human kindergarten teacher, way too mousy to get Graham’s attention. (Of course, she is really quite sassy and spunky, aren’t they all). When Missy’s friends get her dolled up for a party, she gains Graham’s immediate notice. Her scent, her looks…could she…could she be his elusive mate. Of course she is! However, Missy’s not thrilled that Graham doesn’t realize that he’s already met her, when she was the maid of honor and he was the best man in a wedding party. She doesn’t believe that someone as gorgeous as Graham could ever notice her.

There is not a whole lot of plot outside of the romance. A bit of tussling over the pack hierarchy, which doesn’t add too much excitement or suspense. What we have here is a slight but entertaining romance. Nothing new or earthshaking, but fun. It serves as a good introduction to the Silverback clan, who play a large role in later installments. Warren uses the tired soul mate trope, but she always makes it work. There’s chemistry, banter, and they actually get to know each other, as Graham tries to convince Missy that they belong together, and Missy tries to decide if she wants to get involved with Graham and this strange new world.

If you enjoy light paranormal romance that’s not too corny, this is a good series to try. This is a fun addition to the series, and may be actually be a good place to start.

Grade: B-

The Summary:
Graham Winters is a werewolf with a problem. His idiot cousin Curtis wants to take over as Alpha of the Silverback Clan because of an archaic Lupine tradition that says an unmated Lupine can’t lead a pack. So what is Graham supposed to do? Pull a mate out of his hat? Where else will he find the perfect woman for him in time to thwart Curtis’s plans?

As it turns out, the answer is right under his nose.

Six months of unrequited lust for a playboy werewolf have gotten Missy no closer to fulfilling her fantasy of becoming the love of Graham Winters’s life. But when her four best friends decide to dress her up for a blind date the night of Reggie and Misha’s engagement party, everything changes. Suddenly Graham is declaring his undying lust, the members of his pack are calling her Luna, and his cousin and rival are trying to kill her. Clearly, a little adventure can go a long way.
Now the question is whether Missy is willing to risk her heart and her life for a chance at finding out whether werewolves really do mate for life…
No Excerpt Found

Read Devon’s review of One Bite With a Stranger
Read Devon’s review of Walk on the Wild Side
Books in the series:

This just in…

Christine Warren and St. Martin’s are giving away a free copy of a new short story in Christine’s Other series. Check out how you can get your copy…

~ The title of the story is Heart of the Sea.

~ You can read an excerpt of the story here.

~ There’s two ways you can sign up to receive your copy via email: at St. Martin’s new romance website, She Loves Hot Reads, and look for the book cover you see here on the left, or just take the direct route here.

Consider yourself flashed.

 You’re So Vein (The Others, Book 7) by Christine Warren

release March 31, 2009

Prolly just me but I find this title totally amusing. Read more about the book below and the last book in the series is reviewed here.

Ava Markham is beautiful, savvy, chic, and more at home with Kate Spade than with the idea of fangs and fur. She can’t get quite used to the fact that some of closest friends have crossed over to the Other side. Then one night she is attacked by a rogue vampire, and her deepest fears are realized when her body begins a dangerous transformation from human to immortal—a change she cannot survive without the help of an alluring stranger who comes to her rescue…

Vladimir Rurikovich, an elite member of the European Council of Vampires, is on the prowl for a murderous vampire fugitive on the night he saves Ava from the clutches of death. It takes just one look for Dima to know he cannot live another eight centuries without the stunning and seductive Ava—until he discovers a secret about her bloodline that could change everything…

can’t find an excerpt on her site or at Macmillan yet…

You can catch up on The Other Series info here

Devon’s review of One Bite With a Stranger (The Others, Book 6) by Christine Warren
Paranormal Romance released by St. Martin’s 7 Oct 08

Although technically this is number six in The Others series, it is a revised and expanded version of Fantasy Fix, previously released by Ellora’s Cave. It takes place before the other books in the series, and according to the author’s site, this could be considered Book One. I’ve been looking forward to reading these earlier stories, and this one didn’t disappoint. It was an entertaining read with fun characters, hot love scenes and d/s overtones.

Regina MacNeill is a straightlaced kind of gal who finally gives in to her (rather annoying) friends’ desire to get her to act out a secret sexual fantasy. She ends up in a vampire wannabe club on the Lower East Side, where she attracts the attention of a real-life vampire (for once, not the club owner). Dmitri Vidame is powerfully attracted to Regina and when he looks into her mind and sees her submissive desires, he knows she is the one for him. Regina is in for some hot sex, and some soul searching, as her feelings for Dmitri are as strong as her concerns about him.

For this to all work, Dmitri had to be likeable. He is very alpha, overwhelming and dominant, and he could easily come off as a stalkerish asshole. But I did like him. The chemistry between the two was incredible, and Warren made the whole instant soulmate thing work (she’s good at that). Dmitri showed a lot of regard for Regina’s feelings and desires, and had a sense of humor as well, which made me like him.

Regina seemed like a bit of a doormat at first, but I came to like her. Sometimes she veered toward that shrill, bratty,“I know you are but what am I” humor. The humor in general was a bit juvenile. I didn’t like her buddies too much. Regina is a bedroom submissive, and Dmitri is quite the dominant fellow. I thought the sex scenes were very hot. No whips and other accoutrement, if that freaks you out. And that dynamic is confined to the bedroom.

The external plot was minimal, but that was fine with me. It was a break from multiple storylines and bands of brothers etc. The focus was on Regina coming to terms with herself and her desires, and a new relationship with somebody very different than she planned. Very different, given the bloodsucking and all. If you haven’t read any of The Others, you could start here. While not the strongest of the books (plenty of filler), One Bite with a Stranger, was sexy, fun and fast moving.

Grade: B-

The Summary:

When Regina’s friends insist on setting her up a “Fantasy Fix” to help her get over her cheating ex, she dreams up some kinky out-of-this-world encounters that they could never possibly bring to life. But the next thing Regina knows, her friends have got her laced into a shiny black corset, tight leather pants, and a sexy pair of stilettos. It’s time for some downtown vampire-fantasy fun…

The Vampire Ball in Manhattan’s East Village isn’t really Dmitri Vidâme’s idea of a good time, but as a member of the Council that governs the Others, he has to keep an eye on all the young vamps who prey on the pretenders. After he feasts his dark eyes on fiery Regina at the bar, he knows that he must have her. But for the first time Dmitri meets a woman who is more than a match for his indomitable will. And he may be the fantasy Regina hoped for… until she—and her feisty friends—discover her sexy new lover’s bloodsucking secret…

Read an excerpt

Other books in the series:

Devon’s review of Walk on the Wild Side by Christine Warren
Paranormal Romance released by St. Martin’s 3 Jun 08

Christine Warren has become an auto-buy for me. I know when I read one of her books I will get an entertaining story anchored by a solid romance. Warren has a tight, crisp writing style, light and amusing without resorting to labored, wacky hijinks. The fifth installment in “The Others” series is another good read. Set in a US where the paranormal beings have recently revealed their existence to the humans who live alongside them, WWotWS shifts the action from New York City to Las Vegas. We are also introduced to a new group, the Red Rock Pride of Leos, or lion shifters.

At 24, Kitty Sugarman has just learned that she is not quite human. The Tennessee gal heads to Vegas to meet the father she never knew, as well as learn how to control her feline side. Max, the baas (second in command) of the Red Rock Pride is sent to meet Kitty and bring her to her father. They are immediately attracted to each other. But there are several obstacles in the way: he’s a rich city boy to her small town style, Kitty’s not at all sure how much she wants to get involved and somebody seems to be trying to kill her.

This was a engaging read that kept my interest throughout. Kitty is another lively heroine (Warren is good at these). Unfortunately, she had some strong TSTL tendencies. Why would you go dashing out into an unfamiliar desert landscape, where gunshots have been heard, just to prove you don’t have to listen to the hero? Her pride seems a bit silly at times, but I liked her otherwise. The hero was attractive, and not as domineering as Kitty made him out to be. Max mostly seemed concerned about the very real threats to her safety. They had nice chemistry, and made me believe in their romance despite the speedy time frame.

The secondary characters were vivid: Kitty’s ailing father, his awful ex-wife and kids, even the female Leo Kitty hits it off with. It seemed as if the differences between Kitty and Max, and her feeling that he was out of her league, was going to be a bigger issue than it ended up being. I would have liked to know how the Leos were impacted by the Unveiling of the Others. I couldn’t even tell if they were “out” or still hiding their identities. The Unveiling played a large part in the other books. This book had no connection to the previous ones, apart from mentioning the Unveiling.

On the other hand, readers jumping in now will have no problem following the storyline. Although I do recommend the prior books, I didn’t mind the change in direction. And though I had some quibbles, I still enjoyed the book and polished it off in a matter of hours. If you are looking for a light paranormal read to relax with a for a few hours, Walk on the Wild Side is a good choice. I plan to continue following this series.

Grade: B

From the Back Cover:

Kitty Sugarman is a lot tougher than her name implies. Still, she’s content with how her small- town life keeps her removed from all the changes happening in the world—like the Unveiling of the Others. That is, until a near-tragedy strikes and Kitty discovers she has abilities . . .thanks to a father she never knew was alive. He also happens to be a were-lion and leader of one of the most powerful Prides out West.

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

When Kitty heads to Vegas to find out more about her father, it’s his sexy, seductive second-in-command or baas of the Pride, Marcus Stewart, who commands her attention. Now that she has tempted Marcus’s hunger for a mate, Kitty finds herself stuck in a vicious struggle for her father’s fortune, while deadly unrest stirs within the pride. Kitty’s rivals won’t rest until she’s gone for good, but Marcus will fight until his last breath to save her…even if it means going against the pride.

No excerpt found

Other books in the series:

Has anyone read Wolf at the Door yet? The book comes out in March, so I would think ARC’s have gone out for review by now. It doesn’t look like Christine Warren’s site is up-to-date, other than the news blurb (The second Novel of the Others, She’s No Faerie Princess, comes out in Fall 2006 from St. Martin’s Press. And I think there is one after that.) There is an excerpt up at St. Martin’s site.

Yes, just what I need another new book to want. Amazon’s 4 for 3 is sounding better and better.

From the Back Cover:

Christine Warren’s spellbinding new series takes you into the enthralling world of The Others-mystical creatures who have long kept their true natures hidden from human eyes. Now, these werekin, shapeshifters, vampires, and witches must choose between revealing their powers or fighting a sinister sect hell-bent on their destruction…
Sullivan Quinn didn’t travel 3,000 miles from his native Ireland and his wolf pack just to chase rabidly after the most delectable quarry he’s ever seen. Quinn is in America on a mission-to warn his Other brethren of a shadowy group willing to use murder and mayhem to bring them down. But one whiff of this Foxwoman’s delicious honeysuckle fragrance and he knows that she is more than a colleague or a conquest… she is his mate.

Anthropologist Cassidy Poe is a worldrenowned authority on social interaction, but the overpowering desire she feels around Quinn defies every ounce of her expertise. Working by his side to uncover The Others’ enemies poses risks she never expected-to her own safety, to those she loves, and to her heart, as every encounter with Quinn proves more blissfully erotic than the last…

Now, with no one to trust but each other, Quinn and Cassidy face a foe that’s edging closer every day, threatening to destroy the life they’ve always known, and the passion they’ve just discovered…

I had no idea she has so many books out. I have only read one, Fantasy Fix and I enjoyed the writing but the way the friends interacted got on my nerves. Might be why I haven’t been keeping up on what Christine Warren writing, well and the lack of updates.

** yes jay I am liking the pictures

Fantasy Fix is another Ellora’s Cave novel. This time it is vamps!

I love a good vampire tale. The idea is a group of friend form this club of sorts. They write down five fantasy, when it is their turn the others randomly pick one and make it happen.

They get around the, don’t go home with a stranger rule by using friends of friends. All I can say is they must have really good friends.

Regina doesn’t want to do it, and missed her last turn because she was in a relationship. So they wanna ‘fix’ her twice. She writes what she thinks are five stupid impossible fantasy. And poof next you know they are at a goth club.

All doesn’t go as planned and she goes home with a real vampire, Dmitri. He is an alpha pushy guy, go figure, so if that isn’t your bag baby skip this book. My only bitch is no ones friend should ever get that pissed off you didn’t go home and fuck the guy you were suppose to. Honestly that was a lil odd.