Holly‘s review of If He’s Wild (Wherlocke 3) by Hannah Howell
Historical Paranormal Romance released by Zebra 25 May 2010

It’s no secret that I’m a total Hannah Howell fangirl. I own every book she’s ever written – and multiple copies of my favorites. I stopped reading the Murray series awhile back because I felt it was becoming very repetitive, but that hasn’t stopped me from buying them.

Because she’s become kind of repetitive, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this new series. I read the second book, If He’s Sinful, and enjoyed it, but the slow pacing bothered me. The first in the series, If He’s Wicked, I can’t seem to recall right now (I think I read it, but the details are hazy). I’m thinking I’ll go back and re-read it now, however. The pacing issues of the second book were cleared up in this one, and I really enjoyed the overall story and the characters.

Alethea is a strong woman, but not as in-your-face about it as many other Howell heroines. She has a core of inner strength, but she isn’t a warrior or a fighter. Her strength is more emotional. Each of the members of her family, The Vaughns, and their close relations, The Wherlockes, have some kind of special “gift”. Alethea’s is visions. If she touches something belonging to someone else she will often have visions of that person and what they were doing while touching the item. She also has “knowings” or strong feelings about things to come. She doesn’t really see the future, so much as have visions of things that have happened or might happen in the future.

This isn’t always easy for people to accept, so she’s concerned about how the Marquis of Redgrave will react when she comes to tell him she’s had a vision of him dying. I understood her reluctance to share, and the reasons why her family is so reclusive and secretive about their gifts, but it was harped on a bit too much, IMO. Once the point was made, it could have been dropped.

Hartley was my favorite type of hero. He was strong and capable, yet willing to acknowledge his softer emotions. He cared greatly for his family, and he makes no secret about wanting a true marriage with Alethea. He doesn’t really believe in love, but he believes in companionship, trust, loyalty and fidelity. He’s protective, but not smothering. Best of all, he appreciates Alethea’s gift and those of her family. It took a bit of convincing, but once he realizes the truth behind what they can do, he’s totally supportive.

The suspense aspect was interesting, only because the villains are well known right from the start. The trouble comes from figuring out a way to expose them, since most of the knowledge of their misdeeds come from Alethea and her family’s gifts. Though I will say the villains are typical for Howell, and not surprising in the least. Sometimes I wonder if she doesn’t particularly like women, or if she’s just trying to prove the point that women can be worse than men and they shouldn’t be underestimated. Maybe a combination of the two?

Overall I enjoyed the story. The characters were well drawn and delightful, especially Alethea and her family. I was somewhat disappointed in Hartley’s niece and nephew, though. I expected them to be more traumatized than they were. I would have liked to see that aspect explored a bit more.

Grade: B+

She Sees His Face Everywhere…

Lady Alethea Vaughn Channing is haunted by a vision of a man in danger—the same man who she has seen in dreams time and time again. She doesn’t even know his name, and yet she feels the connection between them, knows she is the only one standing between him and disaster.

…Yet They Have Never Met

But rakish Lord Hartley Greville is capable of protecting himself, as he has proven more than once in his perilous work as a spy for the crown. If he’s to carry out his duty, he’ll need to put aside the achingly beautiful woman with the strange gift. And yet, when Alethea’s visions reveal a plot that could endanger children, Hartley will not be able to ignore the destiny that binds them together—or resist the passion burning between them…

Read an excerpt here.

Holly‘s review of If He’s Sinful by Hannah Howell
Historical Paranormal Romance released by Zebra 01 Dec 2009

I’m really glad to see Howell moving away from her Murray series and into new territory. Though I am concerned that she’s planning to exchange one large, eccentric family for another.

I enjoyed this for the most part. I was annoyed that the characters seemed to act so slowly, for it’s obvious early on who the villain is. Even so, I understood their reasons – they couldn’t act without proof. It just seemed it took them a rather long time to realize they needed to get it.

Penelope was a typical Howell heroine – strong and feisty. I really enjoyed her. She knows her family is odd, and doesn’t blame Ashton for not believing in the things they can do. She did her best to care for her cousins and I really appreciated her strong sense of family and doing the right thing.

Ashton was somewhat of a stick-in-the-mud, but I think that worked within the context of the story. He was conservative and not willing to jump to conclusions or act without proof. I think he was just what Penelope needed. He believed in her, but also tempered her and her family’s need to rush into things without thought.

It really made me angry that her family dumped all their unwanted kids on Penelope. I know things weren’t quite as they seemed in the beginning (Spoiler: The family was sending money and such even though Penelope didn’t get it: END) but it was still frustrating that they went so long without bothering to check in on her, or see how their children were. I was glad to see that was addressed in the end, however.

Although there are many dark elements, the novel is lightened by Penelope’s brothers and cousins. I really want to read about the rest of Ashton’s friends, especially Brant. I hope as the series continues Howell comes back to them.

Grade: B

Secrecy and intrigue ignite dangerous passions in “New York Times” bestselling author Hannah Howell’s seductive new novel…

It is whispered throughout London that the members of the Wherlocke family are possessed of certain unexplainable gifts. But Lord Ashton Radmoor is skeptical – until he finds an innocent beauty lying drugged and helpless in the bedroom of a brothel. The mystery woman is Penelope Wherlocke, and her special gift of sight is leading her deep into a dangerous world of treachery and betrayal. Ashton knows he should forget her, yet he’s drawn deeper into the vortex of her life, determined to keep her safe. But Penelope is no ordinary woman, and she’s never met the man strong enough to contend with her unusual abilities. Until now…

Read an excerpt here.

Sandy’s review of Chasing Midnight by Susan Krinard
Historical paranormal published 1 Oct 07 by HQN

Griffin Durant despises the animal within him. In all the years since the war and the fiery deaths of his parents and older brother, he has become the epitome of a gentleman of high society in 1926 New York. He takes the responsibility for his younger sister seriously, has kept the wolf in him at bay and teaches Gemma the same so that she will some day marry well and live a human life.

He has an ongoing fight with pack leader, Gareth Sloan, who wants Grif to become a member of the pack so that all werewolves in his area are under Sloan’s thumb and leadership. However, Grif has done well as a lone wolf all these years, taking care of what is his and massing a fortune in the process. Because of tragic events in his past, the one thing that has eluded Grif is happiness, and until he meets Allegra Chase he’s never known what has been lacking in his life.

Allie Chase vows she will never go back to her former life, a life full of pain in a wretchedly deformed body, imprisoned in a room where friends and family ceased to visit. She is now a vampire with a life of freedom, thanks to her patron, Cato, and has a life full of friends, fun, and laughter. It is also a life that has to be sustained by blood, which she takes from the dregs of society, but she is more than happy to make that exchange for the new life she’s been given. Meeting Griffin Durant has thrown her into confusion, however. Vampires usually feel no emotion, but Durant frustrates her with his Victorian attitude, amuses her with his morality, and drives her insane with lust when she’s near him. Befriending his sister has garnered her another friend, but she is determined to stay as far away from Grif as she can get. But fate has a mind of its own and they are being thrown into each other’s path no matter how much they fight not to do so.

Together they investigate the disappearance of their friends Malcolm and Margot, the further Grif and Allie dig into this mystery, the more complicated things become between the werewolves and vampires, heading toward a war that it seems only Griffin and Allegra know would devastate them all.

When I realized this book takes place in the 1920s, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. The ’20s and succeeding decades are not my favorite times to read about. But the more I read, the more engrossed I became in these characters’ lives and the more I wanted them to overcome their issues and be happy. Especially Griffin. He is the more tortured of the two main characters, trying to deny his origins and what he is while also passing that attitude on to his sister.

The scene where he tells Allie about his past, in achingly painful and sorrowful detail, is one of the best scenes in the book. It is so full of emotion the reader feels his pain right along with him. The few times Grif shifts into his werewolf are tense and harrowing, I would have liked to see more of them. However, the love scenes are both at first teasing and then very intense when passion flares between Grif and Allie and are simply wonderful.

There are also two secondary love stories that are quite nice, and they too are fraught with conflict and emotion and are resolved satisfactorily so you aren’t left hanging. I’m happy there isn’t too much of the ’20′s lingo and everyday life used to a very large extent. For me, that’s what made this book much more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise.

Grade: B+

Blurb:

By day, Allie Chase lives among the artists and eccentrics of 1920′s Greenwich Village, in search of adventure. By night, she haunts the city’s back alleys and seedy speakeasies, driven by a more primal hunger.

Here, amid the glitz and unrestrained morals of jazz-age society, even a vampire can fall prey to the temptations of the flesh. One look into the golden eyes of the dashing Griffin Durant, and Allegra knows she’s not dealing with just a man….

Though their kinds have been enemies for centuries, Griffin has never encountered a vampire as independent, uninhibited or eager for his touch as Allegra. Yet their love is threatened by a jealous vampire master, and a race war seems inevitable. Griffin and Allegra must struggle to stay out of harm’s way and hold onto their dream of an eternity of passion.

Excerpt.