Ash’s review of The Darkest Seduction (Lords of the Underworld, Book 9) by Gena Showalter
Paranormal Romance published by HQN 28 Feb 12

I have to say that Gena Showalter can really do no wrong by me. Paris’ story is one I have been waiting for. He has been through so much and I think he’s really grown, maybe not in a good way at first, but he’s definitely not the same person he was at the start of this series.

At the start of the book, Paris is still searching for Sienna. He doesn’t know what will happen when he finds her, he knows he wants a happily ever after, but he’s doubtful since he is the reason she’s dead.

I think one of the things I appreciate most about The Darkest Seduction is the way Paris and Sienna come together. They don’t see each other and suddenly fall madly in love. It’s awkward and they have a lot of baggage to overcome. They are both full of guilt toward each other, but also have hope. They still have tons of chemistry and this book is hot. Paris has not been the keeper of Promiscuity without learning some things. They really have a love story, and I can read it over and over again. Paris is my new favorite, after William, of course.

There is also more fighting, new bad (maybe?) guys, new creatures, new good (maybe?) guys, and even a very conceited goddess who I love to hate. Things have been steadily going toward something happening, and finally something does.

The twist in their lives is completely unexpected, at least for me. It does make perfect sense, though, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. It’s refreshing to not have things be put off book after book. It keeps things exciting and I want the next book right now. I also am dying for Zacharel’s book, and the start of that series. We get glimpses of the other Lords, and now I want to go and re-read Lucien and Maddox’s books – and probably all of the books.

I am just very happy when I am reading anything set in this world.

Grade: A

Summary:

Possessed by the demon of Promiscuity, immortal warrior Paris is irresistibly seductive—but his potent allure comes at a terrible price. Every night he must bed someone new, or weaken and die. And the woman he craves above all others is the one woman he’d thought was forever beyond his reach…until now.

Newly possessed by the demon of Wrath, Sienna Blackstone is racked by a ruthless need to punish those around her. Yet in Paris’s arms, the vulnerable beauty finds soul-searing passion and incredible peace. Until a blood feud between ancient enemies heats up.

Will the battle against gods, angels and creatures of the night bind them eternally—or tear them apart?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of The Darkest Surrender (Lords of the Underworld, Book Eight) by Gena Showalter
Paranormal Romance published by HQN Books 27 Sept 11

What do you get when you cross a Harpy nicknamed Kaia the Disappointment, who happens to be headed for her equivalent of the Olympics (though totally unlike any Olympics imaginable), with a warrior who is host to the demon of Defeat? A wild and crazy ride!

Kaia hasn’t really been on good terms with other Harpies since a youthful mistake wreaked havoc at the Harpy Games. Her sisters (including familiar faces Gwen and Bianka) are really the only Harpies that will speak to her. Imagine Kaia’s surprise when she is invited to participate in the next upcoming Harpy Games.

Kaia has been in an ongoing flirtation with Strider, keeper of the demon of Defeat. Defeat forces Strider to accept all challenges issued and rewards him with pleasure if he wins but punishes him with pain if he loses. As you might imagine, faithful reader, Strider does not like to lose.

After convincing Strider to accompany her to the Games (and pretending to be her consort), Kaia finds out all the other Harpy teams are out to get her. After all the years of ignoring her existence, they have decided to punish her for what she did as a teenager. Everyone – including her mother – is going to gang up on her during every portion of the Games until she is dead…or wishes she were. Wow, there is a lot of violence! Harpies do not pull their punches, faithful reader. But they balance out their violence with much love of all things girly and sheer joy in living.

There is so much banter between Kaia and Strider. Even when he isn’t completely onboard with the whole consort thing, he doesn’t want anything to happen to her and he and Defeat are determined to keep her safe and help her win. The Harpies have sharp tongues and love to joke (they remind me a little of the Valkyries in Kresley Cole’s IAD series, actually) and Strider keeps up with Kaia completely.

Strider isn’t the only Lord of the Underworld attending the Harpy Games. Lysander and Sabin are on-hand to support their ladies too. It was nice to see the guys all hanging out together, cheering on their Harpies and having a little bit of downtime (but just a little). They did help a bit behind the scenes. It was nice to see them doing something besides fight the Hunters. I’ll admit I get a little tired of the back-and-forth between them and the Lords. I prefer the stories like this one where they only play a small role.

The flow of this book is better than the previous one. We spend most of our time with the main couple, but some supporting storylines moved forward, as well. Paris’ story progresses a good bit, since he was left in a cliffhanger – his book is up next! We finally got a bit of William’s backstory. I’ve always been intrigued by William…for such a noticeable presence through the last several books, he has remained quite the enigma. And Kane steps into the spotlight finally. Since he is keeper of Disaster, you know his story will be entertaining.

All in all, this is a solid entry into the Lords of the Underworld series. Kaia and Strider are a fun couple and their relationship develops quite nicely. Kaia’s issues with her mom and the Harpies are resolved and she even gets a new awesome nickname.

My grade: B

Summary:

The Lords of the Underworld return in this enthralling tale of an immortal warrior determined to win and the beautiful seductress he can’t resist.
 
Possessed by the demon of Defeat, Strider cannot lose a challenge without suffering unimaginable pain.  For him, nothing stands in the way of victory.  Until Kaia, an enchanting Harpy, tempts him to the razor’s edge of surrender.
 
Known among her people as The Disappointment, Kaia must bring home the gold in the Harpy Games or die.  Strider is a distraction she can’t afford because he as an agenda of his own – steal first prize, an ancient godly artifact, before the winner can be named.  But as the competition heats up, only one prize will matter – the love neither had thought possible…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Liviania’s review of Twisted (Intertwined, Book 3) by Gena Showalter
Urban fantasy published by Harlequin Teen 30 Aug 11

Gena Showalter’s Intertwined series has never been light and fluffy, but Twisted takes some dark turns.  This isn’t too surprising considering Unraveled ended shortly after Aden, the hero, got stabbed through the heart.

Aden’s survival has serious consequences for both him and his vampire girlfriend Victoria.  Namely, they’ve been swapping both powers and personalities.  Aden’s not prepared to deal with the monster that lives in her head, nor is she suited to coping with the three souls that live in Aden’s.  Aden is becoming colder, which helps him to rule the vampires, but it hurts their relationship as Victoria becomes more insecure.  I particularly enjoyed the passages through Victoria’s POV.  She understands what’s happening, and she’s pretty good at working through her jealousy to pay attention to what’s really at risk.

Things at the homefront kick into gear when Victoria’s brother Sorin arrives to challenge Aden for the throne.  It’s a fight to the death, but Victoria wants both pugilists to survive.  Aden’s old mates at the home for troubled boys are brought back in a clever way but mostly wasted.  How the fight plays out between Sorin and Aden is genuinely thrilling, however.

Elsewhere, Mary Ann, Riley, and Tucker are trying to track down Aden’s parents and the people who knew the souls in his head before they died.  They’re having success, but Tucker’s still on the baddie’s side.  Of course, usually competent Riley does everything he can to alienate Tucker while letting him in on all of their plans.  (Riley also ends the book with some frustratingly dumb moves.)

Mary Ann and Riley’s problems reflect those of Aden and Victoria – down to Riley thinking about how he and Mary Ann have swapped personalities – but it just doesn’t work as well.  Possibly because we get a decent chunk of their story through Tucker’s POV.  Showalter tries valiantly to make him sympathetic, but it never takes.  His little brother is being held hostage, but he did a lot of damage before that development.  And, “I’m sorry I got her killed because I honestly liked her” seems more loathsome to me rather than less.  Tucker puts a lot of lip service toward escaping Vlad’s control, but that’s all it ever amounts to.

I enjoyed Twisted more than Unraveled, although things kind of fell apart at the end.  Until then, there are a number of good action sequences and several intriguing concepts are explored.  I’m loving Aden and Victoria, but it might be time for Riley and Mary Ann to see other people.

Grade: B-

Summary:

SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD ADEN STONE HAS HAD A HELL OF A WEEK. HE’S BEEN:

Tortured by angry witches.
Hypnotized by a vengeful faery.
Spied on by the most powerful vampire in existence.
And, oh, yeah. Killed – twice.

His vampire girlfriend might have brought him back to life, but he’s never felt more out of control. There’s a darkness within him, something taking over . . . changing him. Worse, because he was meant to die, death now stalks him at every turn. Any day could be his last.

Once upon a time, the three souls trapped inside his head could have helped him. He could have protected himself. But as the darkness grows stronger, the souls grow weaker – just like his girlfriend. The more vampire Aden becomes, the more human Victoria becomes, until everything they know and love is threatened.

Life couldn’t get any worse. Could it?

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

C2’s review of The Darkest Secret (Lords of the Underworld, Book 7) by Gena Showalter
Paranormal Romance published by HQN 29 March 11

Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series has a very interesting basis, I’ve always thought.  In her world, Pandora’s Box held demons and when the demons were released, rather than all flying free to fill the world with misery, etc., some were caught and housed inside the warriors that were supposed to keep the box safe and intact.  After thousands of years, the warriors and demons have learned to deal with each other relatively well…most of the time.  A very good thing, since it turns out the warriors cannot survive if their demon is removed.

Amun is the Keeper of Secrets.  His demon absorbs the darkest, deepest thoughts of those around him.  And once those secrets are in his head, he has no way to be rid of them.  Amun chooses not to speak aloud because, once the secrets start pouring out, he is afraid he will not be able to stop.  Instead, he uses sign language to communicate with the other Lords.

Haidee is a Hunter – a group dedicated to eliminating the Lords of the Underworld.  She is brought to the Lords’ fortress after being captured by Strider, Keeper of Defeat.  Strider thinks they will be able to get all sorts of useful information about the Hunters from her…one way or another.  What Strider doesn’t realize is that Haidee has a secret.

Amun and some others have just returned from a mission to Hell – literally (in The Darkest Lie).  This time he absorbs not only secrets but actual demon minions and they are slowly driving him insane.  Amun absorbs so much evil it seeps from him and affects those around him – they crave things they would never want and are tempted to do things they would never normally do.  He is under guard until it is clear he will not harm himself or others.  During his suffering, Amun internally calls out for help.  Haidee has been locked in the room next to his and hears his mental call…first in a nightmare and then awake.

When Haidee hears a familiar voice where she expects only enemies – the horribly injured person next door looks and sounds like her boyfriend, Micah (a man she has dreamt of all her life, even though they only met a few months before) – she is determined to get them both out of the Lords’ fortress safely.  When Amun realizes she is a Hunter and she thinks he is someone else, he plays along so he can keep her safe.  Of course, she quickly finds out the truth – that he is one of the creatures she is determined to kill…even if that option isn’t as attractive as it should be.

Only with Haidee is Amun lucid and able to keep the demons inside him subdued.  Since she is a sworn enemy, the Lords are determined to find another way to save him.  The only option they can find is that Amun must return the demons to Hell.  And the only way he can manage is if Haidee goes with him.  While they are on their quest, Amun is determined to find out exactly who and what Haidee is…why she affects him the way she does…and he may have to do it the hard way – by talking – because his demon isn’t particularly cooperative when it comes to Haidee’s secrets.

During their travels through the realms of hell (creepy, creepy realms!), they do get to know each other.  And their attraction increases – even though Haidee is fighting it.  She tells Amun she doesn’t want to start a relationship with him until she breaks up with her boyfriend…and cell reception in hell is not so good, faithful reader.  I have to say, Haidee’s insistence on the whole break-up-first issue is annoying.  She already knows she’s only attracted to Micah because she thought he’s the man she’s been dreaming of for so long.  And they had barely even dated!  The only thing they had in common is that both were Hunters.

Eventually (almost too late) all Haidee’s secrets are revealed to Amun – why her skin is so cool to touch, why she has lived many lifetimes, why demon minions flee from her.  Don’t you want to know what she is? How she can do all sorts of things a normal human Hunter shouldn’t be able to do?  Of course you do!

The structure of this book is different from earlier books in the series.  The Darkest Secret spends a lot of time with Strider and some of the other Lords in a not-very-connected subplot.  I enjoyed the subplot sections but, because the tone is so different from the main plot, the transitions are jarring.  I’m sure it is to expand the world of the series and to set up Strider’s book (coming up next), but the two plots didn’t blend as seamlessly as they could have.

Is this book for you?  If you have enjoyed the series so far, yes.  This isn’t my favorite of the series, but it held my interest.  Does it stand alone?  No.  I always recommend starting a series at the beginning, but you really need to here – if nothing else, read the previous book, since Amun’s story really starts there.

Grade: C

Summary:

Keeper of the demon of Secrets, Amun can manipulate the darkest thoughts of anyone nearby. But when the immortal warrior is chained and isolated to protect those he loves, death is his only hope of release—until he meets Haidee, a fellow prisoner whose beauty and hidden vulnerability draw him into a reckless test of his loyalty….

Haidee is a demon-assassin, raised to despise Amun’s kind. Yet how can she hate the man whose touch sets her aflame? But to save him, she must give herself body and soul…and face the wrath of a powerful adversary sworn to destroy her.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

When anyone asks me what I am waiting for, there is really only one book that I immediately think of. I am pretty blinded to anything else, so I had to look at what’s coming out. These are what I found, which I mostly knew about, but they just got shoved into the back of my mind.

Lover Unleashed by J. R. Ward

I don’t think anyone else could write a world like this and get away with it.

The Darkest Secret and Dark Taste of Rapture by Gena Showalter

I love her books. I can’t say I’ve ever read one I didn’t like. She is an auto buy for me, no matter what the book is.

The Vampire Voss by Colleen Gleason

I’m really looking forward to all her books that are coming out this year.  I love her Gardella Chronicles books, so I am excited for this one.

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

Every April, it’s not spring that I am looking forward to, it’s Harry Dresden! My favorite Urban Fantasy man will be back again and I so cannot wait. This is my 2nd most wanted book this year.

Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

This is the book I have been waiting years and years for! Hawke is just….well, words cannot describe how badly I want this book right now. I don’t think I have ever been so anxious for a book that wasn’t Harry Potter.

Naked City anthology

Jim Butcher and Patricia Briggs, it doesn’t get much better than them in urban fantasy.

Hidden Away by Maya Banks

I think this is my favorite contemporary series. Maya Banks knows how to write amazing emotional love stories.

I am going to stop here, there are so many books coming out this year, this list could be pages long.

Gwen’s review of Ecstasy in Darkness (Alien Huntress, Book 5) by Gena Showalter
Sci-fi Romance released by Pocket Star 26 Oct 10

For the first chapter or two (or three) of this book, I was convinced I would hate the hero.  The heroine I loved – great dynamic between her and her BFF, and I was getting a kick out of how she treated the hero.  She’s someone I’d love to go to lunch with.  He was someone I wanted to pummel with a rotten fish. But then I kept reading…

Showalter’s Alien Huntress’ world always surprises me.  The stories are fun, the characters engaging, the dialogue a blast to read, and the romance hot and believable. Don’t let me forget to tell you that there’s almost always a twist to the story that makes it a boatload of fun to read. Ecstasy in Darkness is no exception to all these “rules”.

The hero, MKell, is introduced in earlier novels.  He’s is downright surly and nasty for the first few…  well, for the whole book. BUT! But he grows on you.  I actually got to like him and, more importantly, I got to sympathize with him and loved his romance with the “mere human” heroine, Ava.

I found myself many times cheering Ava on when she would yank a knot in McKell’s tail (Texas saying – let me know if you’re not sure what I mean here).  I also love – LOVE I tell you – how McKell would stop time so that he could punch the smarmy face of some dickhead that insulted Ava, then start time again whereupon said dickhead would try to figure out how come his face hurt. HA!  I mean, how many of us have wished we could do THAT?!

The great thing about Showalter’s Alien Huntress books is that she takes characters who would not typically get HEA’s in “typical” romance novels, and gives them the full treatment.  Her heroes and heroines aren’t always noble, upstanding citizens, but they’re still people (mostly) and, according to Gena, they still deserve that one, special love. And we deserve to read about them – thank goodness.  I have derived many hours of contented entertainment reading Showalter’s books. I don’t think I’ve been disappointed by her yet, and I’m a very unsentimental reader.

The pace of Ecstasy in Darkness is quick and fun, though the reader is never left in the dust.  It can be read on its own, but you’ll have a lot of fun reading the other books in the series and will understand more of the hero’s backstory.  The ending is a little abrupt, but I think there must be more to this story in the next few of the series (I can’t wait!).

I highly recommend this book to anyone following the series, fans of sci-fi romance, or just fans of quirky, action-packed romances. It’s a great story about a surprising couple set in a memorable world.  Loved it.

Grade: A

Read more information on this series by following its tag here.

Summary:

Growing up poor on New Chicago’s meanest streets, Ava Sans had two options: be the predator, or be the prey. No contest. Now, working for Alien Investigation and Removal, she’s been ordered to capture the biggest, baddest warrior of all—a vampire too beautiful to be real, with the ability to manipulate time. Once the leader of the entire vampire army, McKell has been deemed savage and unstable, spurned even by his own kind.

To McKell, humans should be nothing more than sustenance. Yet the petite, golden-skinned Ava is a fascinating contradiction—vicious yet witty, strong yet vulnerable, lethal but fiercely loyal. Against his better judgment, McKell craves that loyalty, and much more. When the chase leads to seduction, McKell and Ava will race to discover the truth about his past. But the answers will come at a price, even for a woman who thought she had nothing left to lose. . . .

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Liviania’s review of Unraveled (Intertwined, Book 2) by Gena Showalter
Young adult urban fantasy released by Harlequin Teen 31 Aug 2010

I like Gena Showalter.  But even an author you really like can write a novel that doesn’t quite work for you. Unraveled falls into that category.  There were parts of it that I enjoyed, but the book felt like it was standing still.

When I reviewed Intertwined, I noted that it had a huge cast of characters and that many of them were underdeveloped – especially those of the voices in Aden Stone’s head.  As Intertwined focused on one of the voices, I expected subsequent novels would do the same.  But Aden’s three remaining voices are mostly shoved to the side in Unraveled.  Poor Caleb gets close to the limelight, but doesn’t get any answers because the other characters don’t have time to figure out anything about his past other than the fact he’s connected to the witches harassing them.

The end of Intertwined introduced the witches, who placed a death curse on Aden, Mary Ann, Victoria, and Riley.  The beginning of Unraveled introduces the fairies, who loathe the vampires.  Aden kills the fairy who tries to kill him and then must hide his deed.  Both of these plots need to be dealt with, but there are also lingering issues from Aden becoming the vampire king.  He needs a vampire queen and they won’t let him pick Victoria without considering other girls first.  Plus, he has to wait to be crowned since the old king might not be dead yet.

The vampire plot takes up most of the novel, with the witch and fairy plots periodically showing up before Aden again turns his attention to the vampires.  (He pretty willfully ignores that he should do something about his therapist.)  That is until the witch and fairy plots take over for a big fight scene to finish the novel.  The witch plot does get a bit more attention when the novel focuses on Mary Ann.  She’s finding out that her ability to dampen other’s abilities might not be that innocent.  She’s also trying to hide the extent of her relationship with Riley from her father.

I liked the development in Mary Ann and Riley’s relationship, as Victoria and Aden’s still fills kind of shallow.  They do have some good scenes together as well, however.  That’s the whole problem with Unraveled.  There are good scenes, but it’s all kind of shallow.  There’s too much going on.  Showalter never focuses on one thing long enough for me to feel invested.  Every time she sucked me in she pushed me right back out to moving on to something completely different without offering any resolution.

I may continue this series just because I like Showalter, but I vastly prefer her Lords of the Underworld series.  She does a much better job there of setting up plots that run through multiple books while still developing and resolving a single book plot.

Grade: C-

Summary:

Since coming to Crossroads, Oklahoma, former outcast Aden Stone has been living the good life. Never mind that one of his best friends is a werewolf, his girlfriend is a vampire princess who hungers for his blood, and he’s supposed to be crowned Vampire King—while still a human! Well, kind of.
With four—oops, three now—human souls living inside his head, Aden has always been “different” himself. These souls can time-travel, raise the dead, possess another’s mind and, his least favorite these days, tell the future.

The forecast for Aden? A knife through the heart.

Because a war is brewing between the creatures of the dark, and Aden is somehow at the center of it all. But he isn’t about to lie down and accept his destiny without a fight. Not when his new friends have his back, not when Victoria has risked her own future to be with him, and not when he has a reason to live for the first time in his life….

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Ash’s review of The Bodyguard by Cherry Adair, Gena Showalter, and Lorie O’Clare
Romantic Suspense released by St. Martin’s Paperbacks 29 Jun 10

It’s great to read an anthology and like every story in it. Sadly, that didn’t happen to me with this one, but I did like and love two out of the three.

Cherry Adair’s contribution is Temptation on Ice. I felt like I was reading a James Bond story, not that I have ever seen a James Bond movie, but this is how I feel they should be. Sebastian saved the girl, together they fought the bad guys, all while on a Russian submarine base. They already have a past together, so there was no awkwardness between them. I did get annoyed that Sebastian thought the worst of Michaela, but I hate when that happens in any book so it’s my own personal issue. It didn’t keep me from enjoying the story.

Grade C+

“Temptation on Ice”

When paranormal operative Sebastian Tremayne heads to the Arctic Circle to keep an eye on red-hot physicist Michaela Giese, the polar ice cap isn’t the only thing in danger of melting. This beautiful brainy woman could spark a nuclear disaster he cannot stop—even with magic—and ignite a fiery passion he cannot resist…

Gena Showalter’s story, Temptation in Shadows, is the longest of the three stories and my favorite. The hero, Sean, is darker than your average hero and I loved it. Gabrielle was a perfect heroine for her, she has her own darkness to her but together they work, without dragging each other down. It never felt like I was reading a short story. Gena Showalter made 147 pages feel like a full length novel. I would love to be able to read about these two again.

Grade A

Temptation in Shadows

Tall, lean and muscular — and definitely rough around the edges — Sean Walker is not your typical nightclub bodyguard.  He’s a controller of shadows, able to wield darkness at will.  But when a mysterious woman at the club turns out to have powers greater than his own, he has no choice but seduction…

Lorie O’Clare’s story, Hunting Temptation, was my least favorite story and I couldn’t bring myself to finish it. It just felt off, and I could never quite figure out why. The heroine is a werewolf and I was thrown off by her calling her house a den and her brother her litter mate. Yes they are wolves, but it just didn’t work. I couldn’t see her as anything other than annoying, and the same goes for her brother.  The chemistry between her and the hero was lacking and it wasn’t long before I just didn’t care anymore.

Grade: DNF

“Hunting Temptation”

A manhunter by trade, Seth is on the trail of his most dangerous prey yet: a living, breathing, maneating werewolf. But the last thing he expects to catch in his trap is a beautiful, beguiling woman—with some wild animal urges of her own…

All in all I really liked The Bodyguard, even if it was disappointing in the end. The Gena Showalter story alone is worth buying this book for, and Cherry Adair has given me another reason to pick up her other books.

Grade: B-

No excerpt found.

Liviania’s review of The Darkest Passion (Lords of the Underworld, Book 5) by Gena Showalter
Paranormal romance released by HQN 25 May 2010

Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series, I’ve decided, are the literary equivalent of a summer blockbuster.  They contain exotic locales, gorgeous people, hunts for MacGuffins, and plenty of action.  They may not be as intelligent or as artistic as other things you’re currently reading, but you enjoy yourself too much to care.  Showalter is out to entertain.

Aeron contains the demon of Wrath, which causes him to strike out at wrongdoers.  When he denies his demon for too long, he becomes bloodthirsty and can’t differentiate between someone lying to their mother and someone killing their mother.  He’s tattooed himself with images of the people he’s wrongly killed in order to remind himself of his own guilt.  He’s never been my favorite of the Lords, but I have been fond of his demon companion Legion.

In The Darkest Passion, their relationship becomes a major problem.  Legion’s in love with Aeron, but he loves her like a daughter.  When Olivia, an angel, decides to fall (literally and figuratively) for Aeron, Legion gets pissed.  Caught by her own passions, she makes some foolish decisions.

Guilty Aeron doesn’t feel like he deserves Olivia’s sacrifice.  She has a short amount of time to return to heaven and he’s determined to drive her away.  I felt that Olivia adjusted to being a human rather quickly, but I admired her determination and how she found ways to be an asset despite her lack of powers.  Aeron didn’t really win me over, but I like that he let himself be caught in spite of himself.  Olivia might’ve done most of the pursuing, but he didn’t run so hard that I felt the relationship was doomed to be forever lopsided.

As usual, Showalter wove storylines about the other Lords in between scenes with Aeron and Olivia.  There a few further developments in Paris’s (Lust’s) storyline, which has been part of the series from the first book.  Showalter sets up the The Darkest Lie by introducing Gideon (Lies) to his heroine.  I am excited about that one, considering Gideon has been one of my favorite Lords.  She sets up a romance for Legion that I did not expect at all and I am very curious to see how that will turn out.  (I am happy that Legion doesn’t get completely shafted.)  (This will be a massive series if all the Lords get their own book.)

In addition, the Lords interact with the Hunters more than usual.  The way the storyline ends, it seems like there won’t be long term consequences.  There are also some new TPTB getting in on the conflict between the Titans, Greek gods, Lords, and Hunters.  It looks like Cronus just might be offed sooner rather than later.  I can’t speak about the ending without spoiling anything, but it carries interesting implications for the rest of the series.

Before reading The Darkest Passion, one might want to read The Darkest Angel, available for free on Showalter’s site or in the anthology Heart of Darkness.  Showalter’s other novellas have been side stories, but The Darkest Angel’s couple plays a part in The Darkest Passion.  Aeron and Olivia didn’t knock my favorite couple from the series off their pedestal, but still made for a fun book.  I will admit that I do have higher expectations for The Darkest Lie than I did for The Darkest Passion.

Grade: B

Read other reviews on this series by following its tag here.

Summary:
New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with another sizzling installment of the Lords of the Underworld series, as Aeron, keeper of the Demon of Wrath, dares to taste the forbidden . . .

For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel–a demon-assassin–has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn’t bear to harm him. But trusting – and falling for – Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this ‘mortal’ with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron’s darkest passion?

Now, with an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn’t…
Read an excerpt here.

Liviania’s review of Into the Dark (Lords of the Underworld, Atlantis) by Gena Showalter
Paranormal romance anthology released by HQN 27 April 10

Into the Dark collects The Darkest Fire, The Amazon’s Curse, and The Darkest Prison, previously only available as ebooks.  It also includes Kresley Cole interviewing Gena Showalter and other behind-the-scenes material.  It’s nice to be able to get a hard copy of the novellas, and the bonus material is entertaining.  If you’re unfamiliar with the Lords of the Underworld series, however, Into the Dark probably isn’t the place to start.  The Darkest Fire and The Darkest Prison are side-stories that offer the flavor of the world, but not a real intro to the main characters.  That could be amended by the character profiles, but those are kind of spoilery.

The Darkest Fire

The Darkest Fire is a prequel to the series, detailing the origins of Pandora’s box. Geryon made a deal with the devil. Now he’s trapped in a monstrous form, guarding the exit from the demon’s prison. Kadence is the goddess that’s supposed to keep Hell under control. Unfortunately, the demon’s are breaking free. On one hand, I liked that Geryon didn’t have to lose his hideous visage in order to win Kadence’s heart – she cared more about his personality. On the other hand, I felt like Kadence’s personality was uneven. Her journey towards becoming more assertive is part of the story, but the change felt forced.

Despite being a novella, The Darkest Fire contains a decent amount of plot in addition to the romance. It has perhaps the least happy ending to a Harlequin work that I’ve encountered, but it fits the universe. While I feel that Kadence’s characterization was somewhat uneven, I enjoyed a glimpse into what happened before the series’ backstory.

Grade: B

A Lords of the Underworld prequel

Geryon is the guardian of hell, more monster than man. Kadence is the goddess of Oppression, more angel than woman. Together they will enter the flames to battle a dangerous horde of demon lords — and discover a passion unlike any other . . .

The Amazon’s Curse

To be honest, I haven’t read Showalter’s Atlantis series so I skipped over this novella.  Maybe I’m silly, but I like reading things in order and Showalter’s site lists The Amazon’s Curse as last in the Atlantis series reading order.

A tale of Atlantis

Zane, a fierce vampire warrior, has been enslaved by the Amazons. Nola, a lovely Amazon soldier, has been cursed with invisibility. Now, these two stubborn enemies must overcome the pasts that haunt them and embrace a love that can set them free…

The Darkest Prison

All those familiar with the Lords of the Underworld series are probably aware that the Titans overthrow the Greek gods after having been imprisoned for years.  Atlas, the Titan god of Strength, is now attempting to lord it over Nike, the Greek goddess of Strength.  She scarred him with her name after their disastrous affair.  (He was using her . . . as well as several other women.)

I had trouble connecting to both Atlas and Nike.  I understand her being upset that he cheated.  I understand him being upset with her reaction and why he cheated, since no one wants to be imprisoned indefinitely.  But they both felt blah to me, like they were too understandable.  I wasn’t intrigued by their story.

Grade: C+

A Lords of the Underworld Tale

Once, Atlas, the Titan god of Strength, was the Greek goddess Nike’s slave. Now, he is her master. And soon these sworn rivals destined to destroy each other will be forced to risk everything for a chance at love . . .

The Bonus Guide

I enjoyed the interview with Showalter, conducted by Kresley Cole, the most.  Both are funny ladies and had a chance to show it off.  I think my second favorite were the original chapters of what would become the Lords of the Underworld.  They’re quite different, but I think I would’ve read that novel as well.  Overall, fans will probably find this stuff fun, but it’s not essential reading.

Grade: B+

The Bonus Guide:
Twenty(ish) Questions with Kresley Cole
Classified Files: From the Private Records of Dean Stefano
Behind the Scenes: Creating the Lords of the Underworld
At home with the Lords of the Underworld
Round table: the women of the underworld speak
Frequently asked questions
Sneak peek of The Darkest Passion
The Sacred Scrolls
Glossary of Characters and Terms

Overall Grade: B

No excerpt found.

Liviania’s review of Intertwined by Gena Showalter
Young adult urban fantasy released by Harlequin Teen 1 Sept 09

I like Gena Showalter’s adult books.  I like young adult books.  It stands to reason that I’d enjoy Gena Showalter’s young adult fiction.  (Yes, I know that is not a logically sound argument.)  For the most part, I did.  Intertwined shares many characteristics with her adult fiction.    It’s fast-moving, with a large cast of characters and multiple plots.

Now, a large cast of characters works well in a romance series where you know each of the heroes and heroines will eventually get their day in the limelight.  It’s a little different when the character development left for later books is that of the voices in the protagonist’s head.  They are separate from him, but it feels like a large piece of Aden Stone is missing since most of the people who commentate on his actions and helped shaped his life are two-dimensional.

The other main storyline belongs to Mary Ann, a girl who can quiet the voices in Aden’s head.  Showalter does pull off a nice trick by making them only friends – their real love interests quickly come to light.  (Of course, by giving them each a romance, Showalter gives herself two more characters to deal with.)  That’s eight leading characters.   It’s ambitious, and Showalter does as well as she can, but sometimes it’s overwhelming.

At this point, the love interests feel somewhat obligatory.  They played into the plot, but I’m not entirely sure I buy the chemistry.  (Mary Ann and her guy work more for me, since they do get in some bonding time that doesn’t seem entirely hormonally fueled.)  However, I do have hope for them and the rest of this series.

Shortly before Showalter begins tying up some of the plot questions raised in Intertwined, she brings completely new ones into play.  I definitely want to read the next book to find even more answers.  Intertwined can be confusing, but it does promise that much of that confusion will be resolved.  With most romance novelists I feel character is their strong suit, but with Showalter I find her plots the most attractive.  They’re labyrinthine, but she knows how to resolve enough to be satisfying while leaving some mystery.  (One note on her characters: Showalter is one of the best writing paranormals to convince you that her characters’ powers do have truly awful downsides.)  Overall, I thought Intertwined was flawed, but worth reading for fans of urban fantasy.

Grade: B-

Summary:
Most sixteen-year-olds have friends. Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:

One can time-travel.

One can raise the dead.

One can tell the future.

And one can possess another human.

With no other family and a life spent in and out of institutions, Aden and the souls have become friends. But now they’re causing him all kinds of trouble. Like, he’ll blink and suddenly he’s a younger Aden, reliving the past. One wrong move, and he’ll change the future. Or he’ll walk past a total stranger and know how and when she’s going to die.

He’s so over it. All he wants is peace.

And then he meets a girl who quiets the voices. Well, as long as he’s near her. Why? Mary Ann Gray is his total opposite. He’s a loner; she has friends. He doesn’t care what anyone thinks; she tries to make everyone happy. And while he attracts the paranormal, she repels it. For her sake, he should stay away. But it’s too late….

Somehow, they share an inexplicable bond of friendship. A bond about to be tested by a werewolf shape-shifter who wants Mary Ann for his own, and a vampire princess Aden can’t resist.

Two romances, both forbidden. Still, the four will enter a dark underworld of intrigue and danger but not everyone will come out alive….
Read an excerpt here.

Liviania’s review of The Darkest Whisper (Lords of the Underworld, Book 4) by Gena Showalter
Paranormal romance released by HQN 25 Aug 09

This was my second Lords of the Underworld novel and third Gena Showalter overall.  Now, she’s no Kresley Cole, but I definitely enjoy her writing.  She pulls you into the story and gets things moving immediately.  Heck, The Darkest Whisper begins mid-battle.  That’s the kind of badass beginning an immortal warrior and his harpy love deserve.

And if you like your romantic leads best when they’re overcoming large obstacles, you’ll love Sabin and Gwen.  Sabin, like all the Lords of the Underworld, contains a demon.  His is Doubt, constantly needling at the psyches of those around him.  His girlfriends have a tendency to kill themselves, which puts a real damper on his love life.  It doesn’t help that he’s totally focused on the leader of the Hunters, Galen, and willing to use anybody if it means reaching his goal.

Gwen, on the other hand, grew up confused by the conflict of her violent harpy nature with her softer, angelic side.  It undermined her confidence and turned her into a meek, scared woman.  Being captured and forced to watch other women tortured didn’t do much to make her feel better about herself.  She’s exactly the sort of woman Sabin should avoid.  Yet Showalter makes it work.  Gwen’s confidence grows quickly, but naturally.  In the end you might wish she decided some things differently, but her decisions were true to her character.  She’s soft-hearted, but knows she can defeat anyone in the room if she needs to.

I find it hard to discuss The Darkest Whisper critically.  Showalter made that part of my brain click off.  She made me sit back and relax, and I let her since I needed it.  I must say I admire how she handles her massive cast.  The others aren’t enigmas waiting for their own books, but receive a decent amount of character development and have adventures unrelated to the main couple.

I particularly enjoyed the interaction between Torin and Cameo.  Theirs is an unusual relationship for a romance, including the fact they have to stick to sex acts like mutual masturbation due to Torin’s condition and don’t intend to ever love each other.  (Also, Torin was attracted to Nïx’s ears, which makes me long for an even fuller crossover between the Lords of the Underworld and the Immortals After Dark.)

I also enjoyed the development of Gideon.  He is hard to understand when outside his POV, since he can’t say what he means.  But inside he’s extremely interesting – devoted to Paris and enjoying his demon, since it comes with a nice set of benefits.  The others tend to angst about it at least a little more, so it’s a nice change of pace.

I do enjoy how the series arc is developing.  Searches for artifacts can be annoying, but Showalter downplays that aspect of it.  She focuses more on what the enemy is doing to defeat the Lords, what Cronus is up to in his position of power over the Lords, and what might happen to them once they do manage to gather the artifacts and restore Pandora’s Box.

It makes it worth coming back for the story, not just for seeing a favorite character pair off happily ever after.

Grade: B+

Read other reviews on this series by following its tag here.

Summary:

New York Times bestselling sensation Gena Showalter returns with her long-awaited next installment of the Lords of the Underworld series…

He is the keeper of Doubt and his entire world’s about to be rocked.

Bound by the demon of doubt, Sabin unintentionally destroys even the most confident of lovers. So the immortal warrior spends his time on the battlefield instead of the bedroom, victory his only concern…until he meets Gwendolyn the Timid. One taste of the beautiful redhead, and he craves more.

Gwen, an immortal herself, always thought she’d fall for a kind human who wouldn’t rouse her darker side. But when Sabin frees her from prison, battling their enemies for the claim to Pandora’s box turns out to be nothing compared to the battle Sabin and Gwen will wage against love…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter
Paranormal romance duology hardcover released by Pocket 13 Oct 09

Two of my favorite paranormal authors in ONE BOOK?  Dang.  How could I NOT read this?!  This book has one long story set in Cole’s Immortals After Dark world and another set in Showalter’s Alien Huntress world.  A terrific combination and way, way fun to read. 

Untouchable (Immortals After Dark, Book 7) by Kresley Cole (256 pages)

This story/book (long for a story) takes place roughly the same time as several of the other Immortals After Dark entries.  This one tells the story of the “man-whore” brother of the Wroth Brothers – Murdoch – and his downfall to the Queen of the Icere fae, Daniela.

The heroine and her world are so very different from anything I know.  Ice, snow, skin that burns from other’s body heat, etc., that it was difficult for me to relate.  Remember, though, that I moved to central Texas because I hate, abhor, and generally detest cold weather.  She is a good heroine, but I would have liked to see her kick a little more butt (personal preference, not a criticism).

The hero is the rake brother of the Wroth brothers.  Murdoch is used to women falling all over him and to being able to dispose of them like a used tissue.  He doesn’t want to do that with Danii and this completely perplexes him.  His normally smooth moves have all the grace of a pig on roller-skates, so you can imagine how this goes over with Danii.

The romance between these two is intense and believable.  The action is a little less than we’re used to in Cole’s other books, though it’s still fun.  Untouchable introduces a new species into the Lore – the Icere, or the ice fae.  Their world is a little “out there,” but I suppose there’s not a lot in this series that isn’t.

I enjoyed this story, though perhaps not as much as the other IAD entries.  Nevertheless, I highly recommend reading it if you’re following Cole’s saga.  I suppose this story could standalone, but I’m not sure if I’d recommend it.  You’ll get a lot more out of it if you’ve read at least one of the other Wroth brother books.

Grade: B

Summary:

KRESLEY COLE delivers a breathtaking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time…and a Valkyrie aching to be touched.

Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden — the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can’t be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure. Soon desperate for closeness, in an agony of frustration, Murdoch and Danii will do anything to have each other. Together, can they find the key that will finally allow them to slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?

Read an excerpt here.

Tempt Me Eternally (Alien Huntress Series) by Gena Showalter (169 pages)

I have got to read more of this series.  This is the second book I’ve read so far and I really like this world.  From what I can gather, the first one I read, Seduce the Darkness, takes place just after this story.

The hero, Breean, is a Rakan – a gorgeous male who smells like honey and cinnamon when aroused.  His blood is golden and tastes like sugar.  He’s also practically unkillable because of special abilities.  He’s puzzled by the heroine because he feels that he wants her and no other – apparently something unusual for his kind.

The heroine, Aleaha, is of unknown extraction and is a shapeshifter.  Out of desperation, she’s impersonating a member of AIR (Alien Investigation and Removal) named Macy, and is hiding from unknown bad guys her mother warned her about but didn’t specify.

The romance evolves well, but feels a bit convenient.  I enjoyed the story but felt like very little outside of the plot moves forward.  This may be because I haven’t yet read the other books in the series – contrary to my vow in my review of StD and for which I feel eternally remorseful.  I think I’d get a lot more out of the story if I did.

I recommend this story if you’re following the Alien Huntress series.  It stands alone, but I think a reader will get more out of it if they’re reading the series.

Grade: B

Summary:

GENA SHOWALTER puts a daring spin on a tale of huntress and hunted…and concocts a sensual chemistry that is positively explosive.

Aleaha Love can be anyone — literally. With only skin-to-skin contact, she can change her appearance, assume any identity. Her newest identity switch has made her an AIR (alien investigation and removal) agent and sends her on a mission to capture a group of otherworldly warriors. Only she becomes the captured. Breean, a golden-skinned commander known for his iron will who is at once dangerous and soul-shatteringly seductive, threatens her new life. Because for the first time, Aleaha only wants to be herself….

Read an excerpt here.

I enjoyed this duology quite a bit.  I like reading anthologies and the stories in this one are particularly nice because of their length.  If you’re following these series, you do not want to miss it, though you may want to wait for it to come out in paperback.

Overall Grade: B

Connect to more reviews and information for these series by clicking on the tags below.

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Immortals After Dark Series:

Alien Huntress Series:

Related YA books in the “Teen Alien Huntress” series:

Gwen’s review of Seduce the Darkness (Alien Huntress, Book 4) by Gena Showalter
Futuristic paranormal romance released by Pocket Star 30 Jun 09

I’ve read lots of Gena Showalter and enjoy her writing quite a bit – she’s edgy, passionate, and not afraid to go to dark places.  I hadn’t read any of this series until this book.  Even then, I read the blurb and, frankly, I was underwhelmed – it just didn’t grab me.  But I read reviews of the series, from people I respect, so I took a chance.  I even soldiered on in spite of early misgivings in the first few chapters. I mean, the hero is a total p___y hound and the heroine is a complete cipher.  I remained perfectly prepared not to like it.  Read on to see if I changed my mind… 

YUP!  THIS WAS A DA… er, DARN GOOD BOOK!

Now there were a couple of times when I wondered about the male characters’ dialogue – it doesn’t always sound too male.  I’d hazard a guess that male dialogue is one of the tougher elements for many a female author.  Nevertheless, I just can’t picture my brothers talking like Dallas and Devyn do a couple of times.  Looking past that very small and infrequent flaw, I had a damn good time reading this book.

The heroine, Bride, is one of my favorite kind – kick-ass, capable, powerful in her own right, and smart.  However, Bride is an orphan with no friends or family other than another young orphan she practically raised and from whom she’s been separated for years.  She’s never forgotten her young charge, though – particularly her smell. Growing up completely segregated from anyone like her has made Bride distrustful and very, very lonely.  A very unbalanced combination that leads to some interesting collisions with the hero.

Bride runs across Devyn, our hero, on a crowded street and, because of things you’ll have to read about, he smells like Bride’s missing friend.  This starts a series of events that thrust our main characters together in a battle of wills and libidos that fairly burns up the pages.  I got to where I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough.  The dialogue between Bride and Devyn – including their own internal dialogue – was some of the best I’ve read in an urban fantasy this year.  You SOOOO want this couple to get together that, by the time they do, you’re panting yourself.

In addition to the sexual tension, Showalter has a serious romance going on.  By the end of the book, you really can’t see these two ending up with anyone else.  They’re both very broken people who manage to find each other and see past the crazy façades to what they are deep inside -  both very lonely and in search of a home for their hearts.  Sounds trite, doesn’t it – yeah, I know – I don’t do the “soul mate” thing either, and, luckily, neither does Showalter.  But these two are as close to it as I think I’d ever care to read.  I love how Devyn and Bride challenge each other, allow each other to be their own people, but also expect and give respect.  It’s a wonderful balance they’ve built and it’s very satisfying to read.

So, the sexual tension and romance is high, but you wonder about the rest – how’s the action, the world building, the secondary characters, the overall story arc and motivations, right?  Excellent, good, excellent, and excellent.   Apparently one of the draws of this series is couples from the past books get to make reappearances in subsequent novels.  We get that in StD (no pun intended) – all logically woven into the main story and no excessive or gratuitous sequel-baiting or reunions.

The story arc takes us on an interesting road as Bride searches out more of her own kind and discovers some very interesting things about herself.  She ends up doing some amazing things that made me want to jump up and do a couple of Bruce Lee chops – all with a loud “KIIIYAH!”  (What can I say – I’m a child of the late 70′s.)

And you’ll be happy to know that the hero grew on me.  Sure, a bit like a fungus, but I like some fungi – again, no pun intended.  But he ended up devoted and in love and what’s wrong with that.  Not a darn thing, I tell you.

I’d recommend this book to anyone following the series, or anyone looking for a fun alternative, future Earth romance paranormal kind of love story.  This book stands alone fine, but I’m going right out and buying the back list so I can immerse myself in this world for a bit.  It’s a damn good time and a terrific summer read.

Grade: A

(GASP! This is the first of this series we’ve reviewed on this site!?)

Summary:
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SHE HAS A BODY MADE FOR TEMPTATION . . .
AND A KISS TO DIE FOR.
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The war between otherworlders and humans changed Earth beyond recognition. It also saved Bride McKells’s life. Before, the gorgeous vampire was a target for every fanatic with a stake and a crucifix. Now she’s free to roam the streets—and desperate to find others of her kind. One man claims to have the answers she seeks. Devyn, King of the Targons, is a warrior and a womanizer, and he makes no secret of how much he wants Bride—and how dangerous he could be to her in every way.
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An avid collector of women, Devyn easily seduces human and otherworlder alike. Until now. Not only does Bride resist him, but she leaves Devyn feeling something entirely new . . . a bone-deep need bordering on obsession. Her blood is the key to curing a vicious alien disease, but helping Bride uncover her origins will compel her to choose between electrifying passion and a destiny that could tear her from Devyn’s side forever.
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Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Not that Innocent, anthology with Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kresley Cole, and Gena Showalter, coming 31 Jul 09 (but I can’t find any details on the book)

Related YA books in the “Teen Alien Huntress” series:

And some close-up coverliciousness – just ’cause I love me some luvly man…

Gwen’s review of The Vampire’s Bride (Atlantis, Book 4) by Gena Showalter
Paranormal fantasy romance released by HQN 1 Mar 09

This is a varied and interesting series.  Its premise is that several paranormal species were created by the gods in their quest to create man.  The ones who were considered failures were sequestered in Atlantis and sunk to the bottom of the sea.  This means nymphs, vampires (really?), centaurs, dragons, etc., are all living, loving, and fighting together in their own little world.  It’s an interesting premise with some “out there” concepts”. 

I have enjoyed these books, but have found them to be consistently “slow starters.” It takes me about 50 or more pages to really get into their groove.  Once I’m there, I really enjoy the story.  But I almost have to be dragged to the altar, so to speak.

This entry is “Survivor-meets-paranormal-romance-story”.  In classic Greek mythos fashion, the gods and goddesses get bored and decide to fu… err… screw around with the denizens of Atlantis by testing them to see which species is the best.  The god/goddess who backs the winner gets Atlantis all to themselves to play with.  A tried and true godlike device (Heracles, Jason, Odysseus, etc.) and always makes for an interesting read.

This book has two or three storylines converging at the end.  Well, two at least, and one for another book, no doubt. There’s our hero and heroine, Layel (king of the vampires) and Delilah (an amazon warrior), plus a large cadre of secondary characters – some add to the plot, some are there simply for color.

I love how utterly ruthless Layel is thru most of the book.  Until he falls in lurve, of course, when he turns into this big puddle of mush.  The same happens to Delilah – merciless until she has to show how she feels, upon which time she turns into a babbling idiot.  This was the only bone I had to pick with the book – the way the lead characters change their stripes completely simply because they fall in lurve with each other (can’t name it “love” when it’s this purple).  I wanted them to love each other, but remain the ruthless, merciless people they were only to other people.  Instead, they soften to everything.

This change in characterizations very nearly ruined the book for me.  It was a very fun read until that point, afterwards becoming a lesson in patience broken up with a few very fun moments that did keep me flipping pages until the end.  Well, an end that was a bit too convenient and easy (literally a deus ex machina ending).  But I read it all.  I wanted to see how Layel and Delilah were going to make it all work in their two worlds but we’re not given that continuing view.

This was a good book, but not great.  I can recommend it to anyone following the series or who is a fan of the author’s writing.

By the by – HQN is re-releasing the first two books in the series in Jan and Feb 2009 with not-so-attractive bottom-lit images of some hunky men (see below). I hope they don’t do that to The Nymph King – I think it has the best cover of ANY book in 2007.

Grade:C+

Summary:

He is Layel, king of the vampires, a master seducer no woman can deny. But since a rogue horde of dragons killed his beloved over two centuries ago, Layel has existed only for vengeance…until he meets Delilah.

Wary of love, the beautiful Amazon wants nothing to do with the tormented vampire. Yet there’s no denying their consuming desire every time he nears her.

Neither trusts the other-nor can they survive alone. For in an impossible game of the gods’ devising, they’ve been trapped on an island, about to face the ultimate challenge: surrender to the passion that will bind them forever…or be doomed to an eternity apart.

Excerpt not available at the time this review was written.

Other books in this series.

Devon’s review of Mysteria Lane by MaryJanice Davidson, Susan Grant, Gena Showalter and P.C. Cast
Contemporary Paranormal Romance Anthology released by Berkley Sensation 7 Oct 08

This is the sequel to the August 2006 release Mysteria.  Mysteria Lane returns to the small Colorado town of Mysteria, a haven for supernatural creatures of all kinds, where all the different types of magic can cause strange things indeed. The same four authors return with new sexy, and lighthearted tales. There is some connection with characters from the previous volume, but you won’t feel lost if you haven’t read it (I hadn’t). But I’m going to go back and read Mysteria, because this was an enjoyable read. None of the stories blew me away, but it was just the thing for a quick read on a chilly October evening.

Disdaining Trouble by MaryJanice Davidson

The weakest story of the bunch. I absolutely loved MJD’s narrative style in the opening scenes, but there was just no meat to it. The Desdaine triplets—Withering, Derisive, and Scornful—have been trouble since the day they were born. They delight in causing trouble for others, until their naughty triumvirate is broken by Withering’s untimely fall into a wishing well. She returns minutes later, having spent twelve years in a demon dimension (and reminding me of Connor from Angel). Half human pizzeria owner Thad is fascinated by the strange and beautiful blonde. But will Withering stay, or return to the demon dimension?

As I said, the setting/atmosphere was great, but the characters were kind of bland and the storyline rushed. It felt like the beginning to a longer story. In fact, since I was unfamiliar with the anthology, I thought one of the other authors might return to these characters. Rather than an HEA, it was more like a “Hey, I kinda like you!”

Grade: C
No excerpt found.

The Nanny from Hell by Susan Grant

In this story, a sexy demon is dispatched by Lucifer to kill the young son of the town Minister and her ex-demon husband. However, sexy rogue demon hunter Quel Laredo senses something wrong the minute Shay D’Mon (no one noticed the name?) roars into town. Shay’s poor driving skills land her in that darn wishing well, with unexpected and unwelcome results.

This one kept my interest, but it felt rather familiar. So many of the elements seemed like I’d seen them over and over before. The demon who secretly wishes to be human, the rough and tough Latino demon hunter, the lovers in a past life thing…not bad, just not memorable.

Grade: C+

Read an excerpt.

A Tawdry Affair by Gena Showalter

Showalter is the only author I have never read before, although I have several of her books on the TBR pile. I’ll have to pull them out, because I enjoyed this one a lot. It was amusing without being over the top, the hero and heroine were likeable and had chemistry, and I was rooting for their HEA. I have a thing for stories where one party has feelings for the other, but is sure those feeling are unrequited, when in fact they secretly are.

Glory Tawdry, a love witch, hates bartender Falon. Hates him because she lurves him, that is. Falon is attracted to Glory, but has a bad history with witches. When Glory tries to get revenge on Falon, wacky and sexy hijinks ensue. A fun and satisfying story.

Grade: B
No excerpt found.

It’s in His Kiss by P.C. Cast

I really enjoy P.C. Cast’s work, so I was fully expecting to enjoy this story, and I did. She has a nice style, and can be depended upon for unusual and well drawn characters. Cast’s stuff is usually a bit different, so I was surprised by how formulaic some of the stuff felt, but it was a fun little romance. Summer Smith is a new high school English teacher. She has returned to her hometown to live out her life according to her rigidly controlled plans. Until a chance meeting with a vampire makes her rethink some of her ideas.

The bit about Summer’s need for control was so heavy handed and repetitive, I came to dislike her. She seemed like a knucklehead. But by the end, it made more sense. She had great chemistry with Colin. I have no idea why Colin was a cowboy. It added nothing to the story. Chicks dig cowboys, I guess. And I didn’t love the ending. But it was an entertaining little story about learning to trust yourself enough to take a chance.

Grade: B
No excerpt found.

Overall Grade: B-

The Summary:

Return to a town of bewitching seduction and sensual demons. There’s a spellbinding witch of love who wants to make one man hers; a vegan having trouble adapting to vampirism; Satan’s emissary, who is looking for steady work in Colorado; and angelic triplets feeling a wee touch of the devil.

Well, it’s taken me a week to recuperate and get back into the swing of things since I got home from San Francisco.  Was it all worth it?  Damn straight!

I was supposed to be at the RWA National Conference as a writer.  I started writing only a year or so ago, so I was really looking forward to learning more about the craft.  But who was I trying to kid?  I was 99.9% reader in San Francisco.   I couldn’t help myself.  Everywhere I looked were authors I’d been reading for years, authors who I just discovered, and even newer authors who I hadn’t yet discovered while at the conference.   And the books!  You’ve all seen my TBR mountain.  You all know how bad my addiction is.  There was no way in hell anyone could have kept me away from the books in the city by the bay, no matter how they tried.  So while I did learn a little, I had a dream of a week just schmoozing and staring in awe the majority of the week.

I had some wonderful highlights during the hustle and bustle of the conference.  The first was meeting two of my all-time favorite authors, who have also become friends.  First is Sandy Blair.  I started reading her books because of the time travel elements that appear every so often in her Scottish historicals.  But I joined her fan club because she’s one of the nicest, sweetest ladies I’ve ever met.  So it was a thrill, indeed, to meet her in person.  We had lunch together a couple of times, had drinks together, just chatted, laughed our tails off — she’s a great storyteller even outside of her books — and I enjoyed my time with her immensely.  I will remember each and every one of those moments forever.

Added to all that, I found some friends to get re-acquainted with while schmoozing with Sandy B.  It was great to meet author Tracy Garrett since getting to know her when I interviewed her online last year, and soon-to-be-published-I-just-know-it Suzy Welsh from the Romance Bandits is a hoot and a half and it was nice to chat with her outside Sandy B’s group.  I also met author Jo Davis, who just had her debut book, Trial by Fire, released last week.  You know, I started talkin’ with a southern accent after spending time with all those Texas ladies!

My next highlight came when I met author C.L. Wilson.  We’ve been chatting online for the last year or so after the release of her first two books, Lord of the Fading Lands and Lady of Light and Shadows.  Her series of Fae and magic and flying jaguars has captured not only my imagination, but the world’s.  It was so enjoyable meeting this lady who has such a lyrical voice when writing, an imagination that takes you away into fantasy so that you never want to leave.  Cheryl is a delight.  She’s so friendly, open and honest, and getting to know her was a pleasure.  She also joined Sandy B. and me for lunch on our first day in San Francisco. Let me tell you, I haven’t laughed so darned much and so darned hard in a very long time.   Author Susan Edwards also joined us at lunch, along with several other friends, and a good time was had by all and another wonderful memory was made.

If you haven’t read Cheryl’s books yet, you should.  There’s very few authors out there who can string ordinary words together and make them sing like Cheryl.  The next two books in the series, King of Sword and Sky and Queen of Song and Souls,  are being released this October and February 2009, respectively.  Start now and I guarantee you will be mesmerized and anxiously awaiting those new release dates.

Then there’s the Goody Room that’s a highlight at every conference.  My heavens, what an oasis and/or cacophony, depending on how you look at it and when you were there, of activity and goodies that was.  And everything there was free!  Books, buttons, bookmarks, candy, ink pens, CDs enticing you with book excerpts, business cards and flyers advertising anything and everything, and so much more filled table after table throughout the room.  You had to be quick in that room too.  No thinking you can come back later and pick up whatever you were looking at.  No guarantees whatsoever.  You had to make quick decisions and stick with them!

The Literacy Signing on Wednesday night was almost ovewhelming.  500 authors just waiting for you to walk up, chat for a minute, and buy a book.  What reader wouldn’t be in heaven while in that room?  I met more authors there who I’d corresponded with online or had gotten a thank you for reviewing their book:  Melissa Mayhue, Nancy Haddock, Lorraine Heath, Jill Shalvis, Lisa Kleypas, Kresley Cole, Kathryn Smith, Lynda Sandoval, just to name a few.  Then there were the authors that I’d read and loved for so long and newer authors who have given me hours of reading pleasure: Shana Galen, Jennifer Ashley, Shana Abe, Susan Crandall, Marianne Stillings, Christina Dodd, Julia Quinn, Gena Showalter, Elizabeth Hoyt, Bonnie Edwards and the list goes on and on.  And so many more than I’ll ever be able to remember!  It was a spectacular night and all topped off quite nicely when we learned the next day approximately $60,000 had been raised for literacy.  Good show!

There were other book signings the last days of the conference, and I had been warned to take large totes, rolling and handheld, and to be prepared to ship box after box of books home.  Pffft.  We were able to drive to San Francisco, who needs to ship the books back home?  I did.  Four of them.  Four big, big boxes of books.  I’m glad I took all the advice given to me. I definitely went prepared and I’m sure I was a sight lugging all those books across that big old hotel for two days!

My last huge highlight was meeting author Melissa Mayhue for dinner at Bubba Gump’s on Pier 39 our last free night of the week.  What a lovely lady!  Not only is she a wonderfully talented author, Melissa is one of the sincerest, kindest people I’ve ever met.  And there’s something about authors and humor.  Twelve women together with writing in common and we laughed and laughed.  And laughed.  For several hours.  I made a few more new friends that night and hope to keep in touch in the future.

In fact, I made new friends throughout the entire week, even some from my area.  It was a great time to share experiences and knowledge and I’m so glad I was part of it.  It was a time in my life that will never be forgotten, even when I attend another conference in the future.  The first time is special and the people I met will always have just as special a place in my heart.

Oh, the writer in me?  Yes, I did go to workshops and I did learn some.  So maybe the next time I’ll have more percentage points on the writing part of it all.  I have a feeling, though, the reader in me will emerge once again because she just has to be part of the fun.

Gwen’s review of The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld, Book 3) by Gena Showalter
Contemporary paranormal romance released by HQN 1 Jul 08

This new paranormal series from Showalter has been a very pleasant surprise – it has managed to stand out as unique and interesting in what has become a rather crowded field of contenders. And once again, the Cover Gods have shined a happy light on Showalter – isn’t this one yummy?

This is the third book, but the second one for me. One of these days I’m sure I’ll get around to reading the first and the prequel. Just as soon as I make it that far in my TBR (stop laughing, Sybil – it’s your fault ya know ). The series is based on immortal warriors who are possessed by demons who escaped from Pandora’s Box. It has taken these warriors hundreds of years to obtain control of their demons and now several of them are ready to try for happiness.

Well. A demon’s version of happiness.

In this entry the demon Pain and his host Reyes find their mate in Danika, a human introduced in the first novel. As with the other book in the series I’ve read (book 2), Showalter does an admirable job interleaving story lines for a few other characters. They’re all related to the main relationship with the hero and heroine, so I never felt like I was taken away from the reason I’m there – to read a love story. That’s a difficult thing to do with a large cast of characters – it seems like some authors tend to swing too far one way or the other when confronted with multiple characters.

Reyes and Danika are unique and both tortured souls. They find salvation in each other and the evolution of their relationship is interesting and very tender. I was very glad to see their HEA. I found both H and H to be very sympathetic and compelling – not something I felt in the first (for me) book.

The story arcs are nicely interleaved and the plot moves along smoothly. The erotic scenes are hot, action scenes are exciting, and the villains are suitably villainy. All in all, a very fun book to read. I will be reading book 4 (Sabin’s story), The Darkest Whisper, when it comes out May 2009.

I recommend this book for any fans of paranormal series and fans of Showalter’s work. It’s sexy, fun, different, and a great summer read.

Grade: B

Summary:

He can bear any pain but the thought of losing her… Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her—even defy the gods.

Danika is on the run. For months, she’s eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won’t rest until she and her family have been destroyed. But her dreams are haunted by Reyes, the warrior whose searing touch she can’t forget. Yet a future together could mean death to all they both hold dear. . .

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series – click on the Lords of the Underworld tag to see other reviews:

And just because I can, here’s this cover in large format. Yummy, isn’t he?

Gwen’s review of The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, Book 2) by Gena Showalter
Contemporary paranormal romance released by HQN 1 Jun 08

The Cover Goddess has been very good to Showalter with this contemporary paranormal series. Every one of the books has a beautifully rendered photo of a gorgeous man. I think this book has the best of all of them. What’s inside of the cover isn’t half bad either.

This is a relatively new entry into the “paranormal warrior series” romance subgenre. It has similar aspects to Ward’s Brotherhood and Cole’s Immortals, but is most definitely its own animal. The immortal, demon-possessed warriors in Showalter’s books are based on the Greek mythos and they are more”normal” – feeling a considerable amount of guilt for past misdeeds done by both them and their on-board demons.

In this second entry into the series (if you don’t count the prequel), we find the warrior Lucien, with his demon Death, falling for a (minor) goddess Anarchy, a.k.a. Anya. Anya is a hoot and I totally wanted her to get her HEA. She’s a heroine who is smart, sharp, and on the run. TSTL is not part of the vocabulary when you’re talking about her. Her taste in men is a little questionable, but whose isn’t. Showalter has given us a kick-ass heroine who is fun and very approachable.

For me, Lucien is a less sympathetic character. I liked him well enough, but felt he was a little self-indulgent with his “no woman could possibly be attracted to me” and “oh poor scarred me” attitudes. But, once you get past that, the development of the relationship between Anya and Lucien is really very good. And the sensual scenes are very, very hot.

There are a few scenes with the secondary characters in this book – it’s mostly Lucien and Anya – and I loved that. The setting and environment of the book are a lot of fun – you hop all over the world with the h/h looking for artifacts that will help them find Pandora’s Box (there’s a complicated mythos behind this you’ll have to read).

This book read fine on its own – I haven’t read the previous two entries and I was able to pick up the story easily. And, thankfully, I didn’t feel like there was a ton of info dumping. You learn as you go, organically. I did skim paragraphs here and there that seemed to be a bit repetitive, but I was reading an ARC, so hopefully some of that got edited out.

I really enjoyed this sexy, fun, action-filled book. It’s an interesting entry on the contemp paranormal scene and I’m looking forward to reading the next, The Darkest Pleasure (HQN, 1 July 2008).

You can find Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld site here.

Grade: B-

Summary:

She has tempted many men… but never found her equal. Until now.

Though she has lived for centuries, Anya, goddess of anarchy, has never known pleasure. Until Lucien, the incarnation of death-a warrior eternally doomed to take souls to the hereafter. He draws her like no other. And Anya will risk anything to have him.

But when the merciless Lord of the Underworld is ordered by the gods to claim Anya herself, their uncontrollable attraction becomes an anguished pursuit. Now they must defeat the unconquerable forces that control them, before their thirst for one another demands a sacrifice of love beyond imagining….

Read an excerpt here (click the links below the book covers).

Other books in the series:

Anyone have any rec’s? What type of books does she write? Is she any good? I saw a few of her books listed on Beverly’s site and am interested.

oh and I updated my want list with a few I had forgotten to write in my notebook but the wonderful beverly had up.