LynneC’s review of Darker After Midnight (Midnight Breed, Book 10) by Lara Adrian
Paranormal Romance published by Delacourte Press 24 Jan 11

I wanted this book because it’s Sterling Chase’s book, but while the first part keeps the reader on the edge of her seat, the second half descends into a big wtfkery, as Adrian sets the scene for what will probably be a new series. There will be spoilers in this review, however I’ll mark them for you, but the first part won’t have spoilers as such. However, we know certain things, and I don’t really consider them spoilers, such as this is a romance, so it has a HEA.

Sterling Chase is the hyper-controlled Breed male who joined the Order after giving up the Agency. Some of the best parts of this book are when Chase returns to his old Darkhaven and muses about his previous life, what he wanted and how he’d been mistaken. We actually get insights into his character and what makes him tick. But other parts of Chase’s character aren’t carried through properly. We know at the end of the last book that he has succumbed to bloodlust and so he’s doomed. He has to go cold turkey, or maybe he doesn’t, maybe he can just fight it. Bloodlust is described as an addiction, but Chase doesn’t behave like an addict. For one thing, he falls in love and puts that person above his addiction. Addicts don’t do that. It weakened that part of Chase’s character. And (spoiler) the resolution. What resolution? We just see lurve beating all, we don’t see him kicking his habit. It’s an important part of Chase’s character, until it stops being a part of his character. Until it’s not needed anymore to move the story forward. I want more about Chase and less about the badass villain.

Dragos has been the villain through the whole series. He has never been more than two-dimensional, and here he doesn’t disappoint in that respect. He’s a megalomaniac. While other megalomaniacs had quirks (Blofelt had a cat, Goldfinger had a third nipple), Dragos doesn’t even have that. He just wants to rule the world and is prepared to create chaos while he does so. Like a spoiled child wanting a toy, he doesn’t really know why he wants it or what he’ll do with it once he gets it.

As usual, we get destruction and mayhem, but some of the story threads lead nowhere and others come out of the blue. (spoiler alert). Atlantis? Really? And when Dragos dies, it’s over so fast and so easily, that you wonder why they bothered waiting so long. Dragos’s master plan is so ridiculously simple, I don’t know why he didn’t do it earlier, before the Order had a chance to fight him.

The heroine of this book is Tavia, who is more than she thinks she is at the start. And here’s another break with the rest of the rules of the series. I feel kind of cheated when I discovered what Tavia is, because, although the explanation is plausible, it negates some of the other earlier books. Tavia starts the book as an interesting character in an interesting job, but that dissipates as, before our eyes, she turns into a Mary Sue. Everybody loves her, except the villain, who wants her, and she makes everything all right. She cures addiction, she fights, she Saves The Day, and we are meant to believe that where a group of experienced warriors fail, a scheme that the aforesaid Blofelt could have spotted with one eye closed would succeed? At the end, she does something so stupid that I lost respect or interest for her.

Originality, this book has none. I don’t mind that so much as some readers. For instance, this series is about a bunch of otherworldly, vampiric badass warriors who all live together in a great big house and find their mates. Yep, definitely been there before, again and again for that matter, but the women are more proactive and interesting, and the writing is less simplistic than others in similar vein. What’s more, the characters, especially in the first three books, are far more involving, less ciphers, with motivations that make sense and story arcs that go somewhere. For me, the series started to fall apart when she turned Andreas Reichen into a totally different character for Ashes of Midnight, but I kept reading, hoping the series would turn. At some points, it did, but this last book is one of the weakest in the series, which is a real shame, as I loved Chase in the earlier books and I wanted to read about him, not some weird outer-space-meets-mythology mashup.

This story starts really well and I couldn’t stop reading, but at a certain point, it changed, and I just wanted to get to the end. Then I wish I hadn’t. Here followeth spoilers, but I’ll try not to make it too bad.

At one point toward the end, I groaned aloud. My daughter, who was in the same room, asked me what was wrong, and I said one word. “Atlantis.” She hasn’t read this series, didn’t know what I was reading, but she groaned, too. Oh dear. It’s like having a joker in the pack or playing a black two and then saying, “Oh, by the way, black twos are wild.” It came out of nowhere and it didn’t work. For that matter, the whole interpretation of dreams subplot didn’t work for me. I was tempted to skip, but I read, hoping it would come together at the end, but it didn’t.

The end of the book is one big Harlequin Presents ending. Couples cuddling and babies. Omg the babies! Sweet as sugar.

And the speech to the world? Absolutely unbelievable. I mean I didn’t believe it. It’s like a Godzilla film, with people rushing around screaming and school buses falling off high bridges, and the everything is all right, and “We’ll build a new world together.” Nu-uh. Not for this romance reader.

The book is a bit like a torn sock. All nicely knitted and working toward something interesting, and then lots of threads and tangles and an ending that doesn’t make sense.

Adrian has obviously set up a new series here, one that reads far more like urban fantasy, but I’m a romance reader. I want characters, their dilemmas and how they overcome them, drawing on resources inside themselves. I don’t want plot-heavy stories with characters who do as they are told. So this is where we part company, but the first three books of this series remain firmly on my keeper shelf.

Grade: C

Summary:

The climactic novel in Lara Adrian’s New York Times bestselling Midnight Breed series–and her hardcover debut–Darker After Midnight invites readers to enter a thrillingly sensual world where danger meets desire.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Book 10) by Kresley Cole
Paranormal Romance published by Gallery Books 10 Jan 12

In a long-running series, there are always a couple of characters whose books are especially anticipated. However, when said book actually arrives, it’s a chancy thing…will it live up to expectations? What if it goes completely in the wrong (from the reader’s viewpoint) direction? Kresley Cole’s latest release in her Immortals After Dark series finally gives readers Lothaire’s story. You’re curious now, aren’t you, faithful reader? Oh, there might be spoilers here, yo?

Lothaire, the Enemy of Old, has been a force throughout the IAD series. Sometimes he helps, sometimes he hinders…whatever suits his mysterious (until now) ultimate goal. Finally, Lothaire is ready to claim a key piece needed to attain his goal – his Bride. Like all vampires, Lothaire searched for ages to find his Bride – the one woman that allows him to once again walk among the living. A vampire’s Bride makes his heart start beating (literally). Lothaire is an ancient being and is steps from madness…his hold on reality is getting slippery, but time with his Bride can soothe him.

Lothaire’s Bride is unique, of course. At first he thought she was plain Elizabeth (Ellie Ann) Peirce, native of West Virginia – a human, of all things! Lothaire knew fate would never be so cruel as to pair him with such a lowly creature (Lothaire’s ego is…healthy). Then he discovered that Elizabeth had been inhabited by Saroya the Soul Reaper, goddess of death and blood (and the Vampire Horde’s ancient diety – suddenly all things became clear.) With Saroya by his side, he will be able to claim the Horde (vampires who drink blood straight from the source) throne and the throne of his mother’s people, the Dacians. First, though, he must find a way to get rid of Elizabeth’s spirit so Saroya can keep the body.

Until Saroya has full control of Elizabeth’s body, she will not consummate any sort of relationship with Lothaire – and won’t even stay present (she fades into a sleep-like state). So, as you might imagine, Lothaire is inspired to find a way to get rid of Elizabeth quickly. However, these things take time and he is forced to spend some of that time with Elizabeth. As he gets to know her, he begins to wonder if it might be that Saroya isn’t his Bride…what if he is really meant to be with Elizabeth?

Elizabeth, in the meantime, has suffered all sorts of horrors due to Saroya’s possession – she’s the Soul Reaper, remember. And she really, really enjoys reaping. Thanks to Saroya’s escapes, Elizabeth ends up convicted of multiple murders and is on death row, seconds from death, when Lothaire breaks her out. Elizabeth doesn’t want to be free, though. She knows if she is free, Saroya is too and if Saroya is free, more people will die. The only alternative Elizabeth sees is her own death. When Lothaire spirits her away, he explains why he will not allow Elizabeth to die – until he is ready to extinguish her spirit so he and Saroya can rule.

Elizabeth is not on board with the plan. She decides to try whatever she can to drive a wedge between Lothaire and Saroya – including seduction. Lothaire, however, views humans as animals, so she has her work cut out for her. Somewhere along the way, though, Lothaire begins to see Elizabeth as more than a vessel for Saroya. But unbreakable vows have been made and there are more players on the field than anyone realizes.

Oh, faithful reader, as you might imagine, there is much more to this book than my summary. So much happening! So many plot threads weaving along! This is barely an overview. This book, mostly, picks up right after Dreams of a Dark Warrior leaves off (there are some prologue bits to establish things too). However, is it absolutely necessary to read DoaDW before reading this one? I say no…not if you’re pretty familiar with the series. If you’ve never read the series, this is not the place to start.

Elizabeth is an excellent heroine, says me. Smart, quick, funny – she never stops trying to find a way out of her situation and does all she can to protect her family. Lothaire ends up being a better hero than I would have ever thought. HOT! NAUGHTY! *ahem* Moving along…the supporting cast is fun, too. Some new and interesting characters (yay, spin-off series) and some characters we already know. Also, let me report that we get more information about Nix – no, not who her hero might be or anything like that…just some stuff about her background and stuff. Still…yay!

Wow, that Saroya is a piece of work. Talk about icky villains! No remorse, nothing redeeming anywhere in her character. Bleh. Not that she’s one-dimensional…just evil. Also, I think Lothaire is blind to the reality of who his bride actually is for too long. And having Elizabeth sometimes speak in a mountain dialect is unnecessary – but I find that sort of thing annoying, generally, so take that for what it’s worth.

I enjoyed the book! It’s much better (and much less bloody) than DoaDW. If you are a fan of the IAD series, you will not be disappointed. And you will definitely be intrigued by the new characters introduced. Is it worth buying in hardcover? If you are a serious fan, sure. I don’t think the payoff is as big in this book as it is in Nalini Singh’s Kiss of Snow, for example. Has Lothaire’s story been very, very anticipated? Maybe it has, but I don’t think so. So, if you are behind in the series or just curious about it (and it is an excellent series), start at the beginning…by the time you’re ready for this one, it will be out in paperback.

Grade: B+

Summary:

ALL FEAR THE ENEMY OF OLD

Driven by his insatiable need for revenge, Lothaire, the Lore’s most ruthless vampire, plots to seize the Horde’s crown. But bloodlust and torture have left him on the brink of madness— until he finds Elizabeth Peirce, the key to his victory. He captures the unique young mortal, intending to offer up her very soul in exchange for power, yet Elizabeth soothes his tormented mind and awakens within him emotions Lothaire believed he could no longer experience.

A DEADLY FORCE DWELLS WITHIN HER

Growing up in desperate poverty, Ellie Peirce yearned for a better life, never imagining she’d be convicted of murder—or that an evil immortal would abduct her from death row. But Lothaire is no savior, as he himself plans to sacrifice Ellie in one month’s time. And yet the vampire seems to ache for her touch, showering her with wealth and sexual pleasure. In a bid to save her soul, Ellie surrenders her body to the wicked vampire, while vowing to protect her heart.

CENTURIES OF COLD INDIFFERENCE SHATTERED

Elizabeth tempts Lothaire beyond reason, as only his fated mate could. As the month draws to a close, he must choose between a millenniaold blood vendetta and his irresistible prisoner. Will Lothaire succumb to the miseries of his past . . . or risk everything for a future with her?

Read an excerpt (opens a PDF, FYI).

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of The Lure of Song and Magic (Magic Series, Book 7) by Patricia Rice
Paranormal Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 1 Jan 12

I’ve not read many of Patricia Rice’s books, but the few I have read, I’ve totally loved. Her voice is what first draws me into a story. As mysterious as the characters’ backgrounds are or the direction the storyline takes a reader, there’s a whimsical tone to her storytelling that gives the entire book an extra layer for a terrific reading experience.

Dylan “Oz” Oswin has been getting mysterious texts from someone calling themselves The Librarian. Those messages have led him to Phillipa Seraphina Malcolm James, the former teen singing sensation Syrene. Somehow she has a way of finding his kidnapped son, and he’ll do whatever is necessary to see that she helps, despite her vow to stay out of the limelight, tucked away in her little house in a little town in the middle of nowhere.

Having a voice that can cause riots, even kill, among other things, is a curse Phillipa will not allow to control her again. Her young husband is dead because of her, and these past years teaching children and writing children’s books has been a balm to her soul after the disaster of her musical career and such heartbreaking loss. When Oz shows up at her day care, wanting to make her the star of his new children’s TV show, her answer is no. She’ll never sing to the masses again.

These characters are total opposites. Oz is a legend in his profession, making money hand over fist for his clients as well as himself. Phillipa needs little in the way of material things. Nothing matters anymore but her inner peace and finding her family. So when Oz keeps after her to participate in the program, she’ll agree only if he’ll help find her any living relative she may have out there. She knows nothing about her family, having been left on the steps of a fire station in Bakersfield. Oz immediately takes her up on the offer, knowing he has the resources to solve her puzzle, and now he can move forward with his plan to find his son.

Oz is one not to let anything stand in his way, especially when it comes to the whereabouts of his son. The townsfolk all protect Phillipa in their own strange ways. But he finds that he likes these different people as he slowly gets to know them. The same with Pippa. There’s a quality about her that just calls to him. She’s thrilled to learn her voice has no effect on Oz. And once she relents, opens herself to him, her life begins to change. Again. Keeping the panic at bay is a very tall order, but with Oz at her side, perhaps she can have more than ever before.

I so enjoyed this couple. Their banter is fun, even when Pippa is pushing Oz away in the beginning. Then once they become more open to their attraction and Pippa’s desire to help Oz begins to overshadow her own needs and she now knows Oz will help her in any way possible, the relationship blossoms and is that much more fun to read.

The mystery of Oz’s missing son and Pippa’s family come together in a slow revealing and then a crashing crescendo. I like the family dynamic on both sides, but it’s Oz’s brothers who really pique my interest. Conan is the private investigator who does all of the legwork for whatever is needed to make progress for Oz. It’s interesting that Oz describes their family has one not wanting to be in the same room together for any length of time, but these brothers, while in their own worlds, would do anything and everything for each other. I’m hoping Oz’s siblings eventually get their own books.

If you’ve not read any of Ms. Rice’s paranormal books, you really should. They’re exquisitely written and the characters are unique and charming every time, with never-before-read concepts that keep you turning the pages well into the early morning hours. What else can a reader ask for?

Grade:  A

Summary:

Her voice was a curse…

When Dylan “Oz” Oswin’s son is kidnapped, the high-powered producer will do anything to get him back. Desperately following an anonymous tip, he seeks help from a former child singing sensation called Syrene, only to find she’s vowed never to sing again. Immune to her voice but not her charm, Oz is convinced she holds the key to his son’s disappearance-and he’ll stop at nothing to make her break her vow.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

LynneC’s review of Beyond The Darkness (Offspring Series, Book 5) by Jaime Rush
Paranormal Romance published by Avon 29 Nov 11

Petra is a girly-girl. She likes the Wizard of Oz, American Idol, and she’s training to be a beautician (called an esthetician here. Is there a difference? Pardon my ignorance!) In a previous entry in the series, she met and fell for Cheveyo , a part native American, part alien/paranormal being whose job is to chase down and capture the baddies that slip through the gaps between worlds. He is also in love with Petra, although she doesn’t know it. Cheveyo is a jaguar shapeshifter, which is pretty sexy all on its own.

At the beginning of the story, Pope, who was instrumental in saving Petra’s life in a previous book, needs help. He’s a renegade, and Cheveyo offers to help hide him until he’s used to our world and doesn’t need help anymore. But this puts Petra into danger. Two hunters from the other world are after him and they track him to her. Cheveyo wants Petra and she wants him, but Cheveyo is in psychic contact with his dead father Wayne (Wayne? Really? I kept seeing Wayne Rooney in my mind). Wayne pushes Cheveyo to keep up the good work, and he knows he has to, but he also knows he can’t bring Petra into his world. Pretty girly-girls don’t belong.

That’s about it, really, and hooray, I say. So many paranormal romances have pages and pages of rules and strange names you have to get used to. Not with this one. There are few odd words, and the ones that were there were explained adequately, so they didn’t wreck the flow of the story.

This isn’t a masterpiece, it isn’t a mind-blowing experience. What it is, is a damn good read. I had fun with this book. It’s a road book for a great part, with the baddies chasing our heroes and heroine, and the white-hats sometimes turning the tables. They drive through some wonderful scenery which is well evoked, and Cheveyo doesn’t live in a great big, dirty house with a bunch of comrades. He’s a loner, although he knows he’s not alone in his fight.

I like both hero and heroine in this book. At first, Petra seems like a bit of an airhead, but even at the beginning, there are touches that snagged my interest and made me want to leave on. Later, she gets more proactive and learns how to defend herself. And Cheveyo helps her, instead of automatically labeling her a weak woman to be protected. I like that, too, and that Petra doesn’t become an awesome warrior in leather boots and corset overnight. Or at all, come to that.

The sex is enough, although the long lead-up is a bit frustrating at times. There is a particularly disgusting villain and without going into spoiler territory, at one point I thought it’s going into unacceptable territory, but the scene turns around and it works out much better than I’d feared. Which, after all, is a writer’s job. I’m sorry to miss the falling in love part, and, in this instance, the book let me down. By the time I joined in the fun, that part was a done deal, and I wanted a bit more courtship and maybe a tad less yearning.

Cheveyo is stubborn and his insistence on Petra not staying with him gets a little bit annoying, especially after Las Vegas. But that apart, I like him. He respects her as a person, enjoys the touches of femininity she brings to him and his life. He listens to her, even though he might disagree with her. So, yes, for an enjoyable read, I can definitely recommend this one, and I will be looking for the others in the series now.

Grade: B

Summary:

They live ordinary lives, but they are extraordinary. They are the Offspring, children of a mysterious experiment gone awry—and they are in terrible danger.

Cheveyo: a name that stirs Petra like no other, reviving deep feelings of pleasure . . . and pain. Despite her rare psychic gifts, the beautiful half-human Offspring doesn’t know why the magnificent shapeshifter walked out of her life when the bond they shared was powerful . . . and intensely passionate.

But Cheveyo is not gone. From the shadows, he watches over his beloved, determined that the malevolent enemies he hunts with fang and claw will not invade her world. But now, suddenly, the stakes are getting higher—as an insidious evil plots the destruction of Petra’s race. Cheveyo can remain hidden no longer from the lover who completes him but could destroy him . . . if his own inner darkness doesn’t destroy her first.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Ash’s review of Chosen by Fate (Para-Ops series book 2) by Virna DePaul
Paranormal Romance published by Berkley Sensation 04 Oct 11

Chosen by Fate is a book I can see my self re-reading over again, just to spend more time with the characters. It’s made the series stand out a little more in my mind.

The biggest thing I liked about Chosen by Fate is the heroine, Wraith. She’s dead. She looks dead, she feels dead, and no matter what is done to her, she will come back and still be…dead. After the tension between them in Chosen by Blood, I was excited to see what would happen, and I’m disappointed. Caleb is a perfect mix of good guy and bad boy. I almost didn’t care about what’s happening in the rest of the story. My focus is centered on them and on finding out what would happen to Wraith.

We touch in with Knox and Felicia, but I’m pretty much over them. Usually I like seeing previous couples, but this time not so much. There is also the mission the Para-Ops team is on to find out why Felines are being raped. It’s interesting enough, but I feel like even the author keeps pushing it to the side. It doesn’t bother me though, so personally it’s not a complaint. We also get more of Dex, who I am starting to really like, and his future heroine, who I also like.

I only wish we could see more of Wraith after her “ending.” I want to see if she’s still the Wraith I have grown to love, how she and Caleb are, and also see how she’s handling her life now. I hope we get to see that in the next book.

In the giant world of paranormal romance, Chosen by Fate might not stand out too much. It’s a hard genre to be original in, but Virna DePauls’ characters are what keep me wanting more. They are fresh in their own way and as a reader I appreciate that more than I can say.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Five years after the Second Civil War ends, humans and Otherborn— humanlike creatures with superhuman DNA—still struggle for peace. To ensure the continued rights of both, the FBI forms a Para-Ops team with a unique set of skills.

Although he keeps company with a vampire and a were, human Shaman Caleb O’Flare can definitely hold his own. But neither his psychic ability nor his healing powers can help his sexy-as-hell teammate, Wraith—a ghost with no memory of her human existence, one who cannot experience touch without pain.

No wraith has managed to exist past its tenth year, so Wraith’s time is about to run out. She wants only two things before accepting her fate: to learn her human identity and experience one night with Caleb. Willing to risk any amount of pain, Wraith propositions him. But when a sign of impending death appears on his chest, Wraith sacrifices her own needs on the chance that sex with her could kill him.

Caleb doesn’t understand Wraith’s change of heart but refuses to let her push him away. As the team travels to Los Angeles to investigate a series of crimes in the feline community, Caleb sets out to prove to Wraith that pleasure and love are worth any risk, including death.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of The Departed (FBI Psychics, Book 2) by Shiloh Walker
Paranormal Romance published by Berkley Trade 3 Jan 12

This is the second book in Shiloh Walker’s FBI Psychics series and I’m hooked. Along with her characters, it’s Ms. Walker’s ability to make the reader feel emotion that draws me back to her books time after time. Add in the paranormal element, and these books are awesome.

Taylor Jones and Desiree Lincoln work together in a special branch of the FBI. He’s her boss. They’re attracted to one another, but they’ve kept that attraction under control for quite a while now. Dez is able to communicate with the dead, try to help them overcome whatever issue it is keeping them from crossing over. Taylor has no psychic ability, he’s just always honed in on what to do and how to do it when a case comes to his attention. And he has ghosts of his own, the tragic loss of his young sister so many years ago, something that still haunts him to this day.

Everything changes between them in the blink of an eye – or the speed of a bullet. Dez is shot just as she and Taylor are about to make their escape with a child they’ve rescued. The image of her lying on the floor bleeding tears Taylor apart. His determination to take care of her after being released from the hospital goes south. They spend a night of passion together, but afterward Taylor puts distance between them again. Dez has no success in breaking down his barriers, so she walks away from it all – the job and Taylor.

Working on her own, Dez takes cases wherever spirits call her. Then she meets Nathan, a young ghost who needs Dez to help him save a girl in Taylor Jones’ hometown. As she discovers more about the girl and the boys who want to hurt her, Dez calls for backup – the only man she knows who will drop everything to help. Heading home for an anniversary he dreads but gets through every year, Taylor is close by when he learns Dez needs him. It’s been more than a year since he’s seen her, and not one thing has changed when he gets his first glimpse of her.

Taylor and Dez work together to solve her case, all the while an underlying smoldering surrounds them. When they finally come together again, it’s as raw and intense as the first time. Now Taylor is determined to keep Dez in his life, no matter what he has to do. Breaking through the field of feigned indifference will be the most difficult. Dez has learned not to hope where Taylor is concerned. Even when it seems he’s sincere and wants her with him, she has a hard time letting go to believe him.

The emotion in this book is spectacular. From the exhaustion that dogs Dez as she goes from case to case for months to the fear of the victims she helps to the confusion of the spirits who need her to the sensuality and longing between Taylor and Dez, nearly every page tugs at your heart, drags you deep into despair, tosses you into the throes of passion, pulls anger and grief in equal measure from the depths of your soul. Especially after all is said and done in Dez’s current case but another spirit is keeping her nearby, and this time it’s Taylor who has to live through tragedy and heartache once again.

I hope this series goes on for several more books, that Ms. Walker has plenty of stories in mind for these FBI psychics. It’s intriguing as hell and I love it all. I’m very anxiously awaiting the next book, though this one just hit the shelves and it’s going to be a long wait. It’s definitely worth the wait, however.

Grade: A+

Summary:

A LIFELONG OBSESSION

FBI Special Agent Taylor Jones has made it his mission to save those in harm’s way by any means necessary—including employing psychic agents like Desiree “Dez” Lincoln, who can communicate with the disembodied spirits of the dead. Taylor is haunted by his own ghost, his kid sister, gone missing at age six. For a quarter of a century he has been tortured by her loss and the mystery of her disappearance.

A NIGHT’S INDISCRETION

When Dez is seriously wounded, Taylor can no longer hide his feelings for her. Getting involved could spell disaster for both of them—not to mention those who rely on them for help—but once Dez lays her hands on him, he can’t resist the fierce attraction. But after giving in to his desires, Taylor pulls back, and Dez strikes out on her own.

AN INESCAPABLE PASSION

Responding to the call of another anguished spirit, Dez is led to Taylor’s old hometown. As the two are forced to come together to save a girl in peril, Dez may be able to help Taylor finally find the answers he’s been looking for…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Warrior’s Redemption, (The Warrior Series, Book 1) by Melissa Mayhue
Paranormal Time Travel Romance published by Pocket Star 27 Dec 11

I really enjoy reading Melissa Mayhue’s Highlanders. They’re always honorable men, fair leaders, and, of course, wonderful heroes. On top of that, we usually get to time travel in her books. Actions and reactions to these events are varied and unexpected at times and make for great storylines. Once again, another good read from Ms. Mayhue in this first book of her new series.

Danielle has always believed in faeries. Nearly all her life she’s left milk for them, just as the book she read as a teenager told her to do, all on the chance they’d eventually place her where she belongs. Not once has she felt she belongs anywhere – except in a kitchen. Cooking calms her, keeps her centered. But it takes fifteen long years before the fae do decide to grant Dani’s one fervent wish.

Living with guilt over something he really had no control over, trying to keep his people from starvation during the upcoming winter, Malcolm’s life only becomes more difficult and complicated when his half-brother demands payment and fealty from the weary warrior. But Malcolm is now laird of his dead wife’s clan, and though he lacks the confidence to lead that he once held, he’s determined to do whatever necessary to see them flourish. Under Torquil’s rule is the fastest way to hell for them all.

Then out of the blue Malcolm has two extra people to take care of – a woman so different from any he’s ever known and his mother-in-law, whose presence only heightens his guilt. Of course, the fae would be involved in it all, they can’t seem to keep their magic out of his life. As he and his men prepare for battle with Torquil to rescue his sister, his feelings for Dani grow. They hatch a plan to distract and attack, but at the last minute Malcolm decides to take matters into own hands, facing his brother one on one and hoping their differences can be settled without bloodshed.

This puts the reader about halfway into the story, and so far the storyline lacks the action with sword and brawn that Ms. Mayhue does so well. So if you’re looking for that early on, be warned, this is a much slower rendition than her fans are used to. Even when I expected some of that action once Malcolm reaches his destination, I had to wait a little longer. When he finally faces his brother, that scene is a bit anti-climatic after my anticipation. It all seems to be over before it begins. Malcolm is held in chains while Dani and Patrick, another of Colm’s brothers, plan his rescue. I’m just a tad disappointed there isn’t more action throughout the book, though what do we get near the end almost makes up for that lack in the first half and despite the fact Malcolm seems to be out of his league when up against Torquil’s magic.

That magic, however, is a nice element to Ms. Mayhue’s stories, and she uses it quite well here to give the upper hand to the villain, causing our hero and heroine to have to outsmart the man for his final defeat. This one is pure selfish greed and power hungry, and he doesn’t care who he has to get rid of to get what he wants. I so enjoy the way Dani attacks the jerk, but it’s not the last we’ll see of him. And there’s a twist I didn’t see coming after the Torquil is down for the count.

One small nitpick I have is it seems Malcolm gets over his vow to never give his heart again and not to marry again a little too quickly. And once he does, his reasons aren’t delved into very deeply after such avowals. We know the reason for Dani being thrust back in time, but he doesn’t and I feel that needed to be explored more once he makes his decision for their future.

Warrior’s Redemption is a good start to this new series. I look forward to the rest of it. Christiana is a very interesting character and I’m anxious to find out what is in store for her, as well as Torquil. I hope his final end is spectacular.

Grade:B+

Summary:

Will the magic of modern romance help him defeat an evil ancient power?

Malcolm MacDowlyt sees himself a failed warrior, haunted by the death of the woman he married to become laird of Clan MacGahan.  Neither his Viking heritage nor his claim to descend from Norse gods can restore his confidence in his ability to protect his people.  His sister is held captive, her life in jeopardy, and his Magically powerful half brother wants him dead.  The last thing he needs is more responsibility, but that’s exactly what he gets when his Faerie mother-in-law arrives seeking justice for her daughter in the form of an enticing woman from seven hundred years in the future.

Danielle Dearmon has waited fifteen years to discover the life she is supposed to live.  She just never dreamed she’d end up in the thirteenth century with a handsome Scot bent on saving everyone but himself.

With the lives of those most dear to him hanging in the balance, Malcolm sets out to battle a powerful evil Magic, only to learn that the redemption he seeks exists only in the arms of the woman he loves.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

Warrior’s Rebirth – 2012

Sandy M’s review of Dreaming of the Wolf (Werewolf Series, Book Eight) by Terry Spear
Paranormal Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 1 Dec 11

I have no idea how Terry Spear keeps her werewolf stories fresh and exciting, but she does book after book and she does it well. Her characters are always strong, and she’s true to those characters whether in their human or wolf form. Details, big or small, are never redundant from story to story, nor are the storylines. Each featured couple receives their own unique tale, including a mystery designed just for them. This series has been consistently one of the best, never letting me down from the beginning.

Jake Silver doesn’t believe in love, soul mates, or dream mating. So he’s not on the lookout for a long-term relationship at this point in his life, despite how happy his oldest brother is since he found his dream mate.  But the curiosity inherent in his animal nature leads him to follow the beautiful woman he spies while waiting for a photography shop to open in Breckenridge. He’s supposed to drop off his wild flower collection for exhibition, but he’ll have to be a tad late. Following the lady into the restaurant across the street finds her courting all kinds of danger.

Keeping her vow of vengeance uppermost in her mind, Alicia Greiston has turned bounty hunter to bring the men who killed her mother to justice. That they’re part of the mob doesn’t matter. Danger now goes with her job, and she’s facing it head on when necessary. When she notices the sexy, hot guy eying her, she’s definitely interested, but she has to keep her focus. She has a promise to uphold.

But in the onslaught that is Jake, Alicia doesn’t have much choice. She responds to him immediately. And I like that Ms. Spear gives us their lovemaking early on in this book. Anticipation is great when waiting for a couple to finally come together, but sometimes you need them to be together much, much sooner, especially if they’ve teamed up and are working to solve a mystery or are running for their lives, as examples. In this case, Jake’s protective streak is in full force when he learns what Alicia is up to. The need to keep her safe, to be with her, to want her like he does mystifies him. He’s wolf. She’s human. They can’t mate. What is it about this woman?

That’s another thing about Ms. Spear’s werewolf stories – we don’t get the same old reason over and over for a human to be turned. Alicia is definitely turned, of course, but it’s in a way I’ve not read before and that made the story much more interesting, because there are repercussions to be dealt with by both Alicia and Jake, depending on what happened during her conversion. Very nicely done without stringing it out to the very end. Tension about the situation is still high, but it’s all done quite succinctly in only a few chapters. I like the dichotomy of Jake’s alphaness and dominance versus his skill in taking photographs, with his favorite subject being flowers. He’s a fierce protector, but that softer side enjoys nature and wildness and beauty.

The best parts of this book are those love scenes between Jake and Alicia and all of the shifting scenes, especially those by Alicia once she’s turned, because she’s had no one to guide her or teach her about being a werewolf. First, the love scenes. Very hot. Jake is to die for and Alicia isn’t about to say no to him. Smart woman. He also has a very tender core and it comes out in some very romantic ways. Then those shapeshifting scenes, I enjoy those immensely when these characters are in their wolf form. There’s a scene where Jake and Alicia are running through the forest, along with a couple of other wolves, and he runs next to her, fur rubbing fur, a nose prodding here and there, all very descriptive of the way wolves behave. There are several such scenes throughout which make this book so appealing to a shapeshifter fan.

The action is jammed packed when needed, especially the fight scene between Jake and the villain late in the book. Even his story is interesting, despite his evilness. His henchmen are the oily, scummy kind and you can’t wait to see their end, hoping it’s as painful as can be. We also get caught up with Darien and Lelandi, as well as Tom, the third brother. I’m looking forward to his book. These triplets have been a lot of fun!

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: if you haven’t started reading Terry Spear, get with it! You won’t be disappointed. If you’re a few books into this series, stay with it. Each book is better than the one before. You can never get enough of werewolves like these.

Grade: A+

Summary:

Jake Silver doesn’t believe in fate or dream mating, despite the fact his brother and other family members have been afflicted with this strange notion. But when dreams begin to plague him about a woman so seductive, he wakes up in a sweat and he’s losing way too much sleep over it, he seeks to learn the truth. Can dream mating be a reality? Is the woman real?

Alicia Greiston doesn’t dream. Not ever. So when a man visits her in the first dream she’s ever had, she’s startled, pleased, then alarmed. He’s not going away, and the dreams take a sinister turn. He’s in trouble, and if the dreams are a foreshadowing of the future, she has to save him.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

Veena’s review of Lord of the Abyss (Royal House of Shadows, Book 4) by Nalini Singh
Paranormal Romance published by Harlequin Nocturne 15 Nov 11

The Royal House of Shadows is the story of the “Elden” kingdom, which sounds like paradise ruled by a good and wise king and a beautiful queen with four beautiful and highly magical children.  They came to the notice of a terrible blood sorcerer who coveted this piece of heaven and conquered, then killed the King and Queen. At the final moment the Queen was able to perform magic that scattered and hid the four children in different corners of the world until it was time to re-claim the kingdom from the sorcerer.

Lord of the Abyss is the story of Micah, the youngest child who was 5 at the time of these events. At that time when the Queen cast her spell, the sorcerer also cast a counter-spell  which caused Micah to forget who he is, even his name.  He ended up in the realm between the living and dead and guardian of the Abyss where evildoers are cast into the abyss.  He is a fearful creature who is almost entirely encased in black armor, but his heart and mind retains the honor, goodness, and purity which was instilled in him during his five years with his family.

Liliana is the daughter of the blood sorcerer and who has a core of goodness which no evil act of her father has been able to erase. She has been raised on stories of the Elden family and wants to find Micah to help him regain his memories, restore the Royal House, and rid the Elden Kingdom of the evil that her father has perpetrated.  She manages to make her way to the realm which Micah rules and romances him with stories about his childhood to restore his memories. Micah falls in love with Liliana since she has the ability to see beyond the beast to the prince.

Nalini Singh’s imagination creates some fantastical creatures both on the good and evil side as Micah and Lily rebuff attacks by the sorcerer and make their way to Elden by midnight of the 20th year to reclaim the kingdom for good.  Each sibling’s story is written by different authors, and I have not read the other three, but since this is the final book in the series, I feel that the story would have been enhanced by having the siblings together at the end reclaiming their kingdom together and celebrating their reunion.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out.…

As the dark Lord who condemns souls to damnation in the Abyss, Micah is nothing but a feared monster wrapped in impenetrable black armor. He has no idea he is the last heir of Elden, its last hope. Only one woman knows—the daughter of his enemy.

Liliana is nothing like her father, the Blood Sorcerer who’d cursed Micah. She sees past Micah’s armor to the prince inside. A prince whose sinful touch she craves. But first she has to brave his dark, dangerous lair and help him remember. Because they only have till midnight to save Elden.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Hearts and Swords (Celta’s HeartMates, Book 11) by Robin D. Owens
Fantasy/Paranormal Romance released by Berkley 6 Dec 11

What do cryogenics, matchmakers, scandalous divorcees and talking animals have in common?  You might be surprised.  Robin D. Owens’ latest release is a collection of four novellas all set in her Celta universe.

For those new to the series, Celta is a planet where Earthlings with psychic powers found refuge after fleeing persecution.  Similar but different, something about Celta soon stopped Earth machinery from working.  However, psychic abilities continue to increase in strength and variety.  This time around a couple of the original colonists and supporting characters from previous books all get their happy endings.

Heart and Swords

In Hearts and Swords, original colonist Kelse Bountry is unexpectedly awakened from cryogenic sleep after the murder of the captain of the spaceship he is traveling in.  Kelse and others with psi talents are fleeing persecution on Earth, looking for an Earth-like planet to establish their own civilization on.

Kelse and his wife Fern were not supposed to be awakened until a planet had been found and the ship was about to land – they expected to be in stasis for about 75 years.  However, after the captain’s murder, the executive officer wakes Kelse and tells him he must take over.  And instead of sleeping for 75 years it has been nearly 250!  There are mutineers aboard – people who have grown up on the ship – who have no interest in finding a new planet.  They either want to go back to Earth or just keep traveling.

Kelse wants to take care of the problem and get the ship to a planet. He talked Fern into the whole space travel thing and he knows she would be very uncomfortable, so Kelse wants her to stay asleep until they are on the ground somewhere safe.  The ship (if you’re interested in the Ship, Nuada’s Sword, check out Heart Thief) has other ideas and soon Fern is awake and embroiled with the mutineers too.

I enjoyed this glimpse into the events that brought the colonists to Celta.  There have been bits of the story scattered through the series, but, like most history, the interesting personal bits are forgotten or glossed over or completely changed.  We see the beginnings of the Heart Mate/Heart Bond too.

Grade: A

Heart Story

Blush Willow was kept from her Heart Mate by her mean-spirited, scheming mother – a renowned matchmaker, of all things. Now, years later, her mother has passed away and her Heart Mate, Dri Paris, has returned from the distant city he fled to after Blush’s mother threatened his family.

Both Blush and Dri are bitter about what her mother did.  And each blame the other for not being strong enough to stand up to her – even though they were teenagers and she held a powerful position in society.  Can two adults get past their anger and distrust to find the love they know is waiting for them?

This story is the weakest. The plot is thin and the characters are not so interesting. I don’t remember being interested in Blush when I read the book this story is connected to, so…

Grade: C-

Heart and Soul

Then we move to Heart and Soul and change locations from Druida to Gael City, which is much less familiar to longtime readers of the series.

Genista Furze shocked the upper echelons of Druida City by divorcing her husband…that just isn’t done in the First Families.  Genista realized that it would be better for everyone if they were no longer together, though, and freed him to be with his Heart Mate (if you wanna know more about that, check out Heart Fate).

Now she has moved to another city and is living a much quieter life under a different name.  She has a house and a job and an attentive (and handsome) next door neighbor.  But there is more to him than meets the eye.  Her ex-husband’s family hired him to watch over her and keep her safe.

Apparently, her secret identity isn’t as much of a secret as she thought.  When a burglary ring targets her house, many truths are revealed.

It’s nice to see the other side of Genista. In Heart Fate and previous Holly-centric books, she was pretty one-dimensional, if I recall correctly. Mostly she was an obstacle and shallow party girl. Here she has made a new start and is focusing on the things that make her happy, instead of worrying so much about what others think.

Grade: B

Noble Heart

Finally, we have Noble Heart.  Walker Clover is happy with his life – he is one of the many Clover boys, lives in Clover Compound with his family, and has a job he loves.  Walker is tutor to one of the Druida FirstFamilies – the Ashes.  When young Nuin Ash enters his first Passage – a feverish dream state that releases the person’s Flair (psi ability – it varies from person to person and can be anything from art to healing to weaponry) – Walker’s Passage is triggered, as well.  But Walker is an adult who has always thought he had only the basic amount of Flair required to operate Celtan machinery.  By adulthood, highly Flaired Celtans have endured three Passages and Walker has never experienced Passage at all – and suddenly he experiences all three Passages at one time.  Most unpleasant.  And dangerous – not everyone survives Passage.

After Walker wakes up and is told what happened to him (at first it’s thought he’s sick), he is tested to see what his new Flair talent is.  He is surprised to learn his talent may lead him to a very important political position.  Walker is not pleased with the direction his life is taking, but he recognizes that his new Flair will help his family move upward in Celtan society – there are four main classes: Commoners, Grace Houses, Grand Houses and First Families.  Walker’s new flair catapults his family from Commoner status to Grand House status.

Walker and his allies recognize that he will need assistance to navigate his new position in society.  He also must pass a test to assume his new position.  He chooses Sedwy Grove to help him learn how to deal with his new situation.  Sedwy’s mother formerly held the position Walker may eventually attain.  Plus, she’s pretty and smells nice.

Will Walker be able to adjust to his new power and potential?  And will Sedwy be able to move past the scandal in her past and take her rightful place next to him?

This is my favorite of the bunch. The Clovers are a fun family and I really like Walker. It is a nice change to see a hero who isn’t uber ambitious and power hungry.

Grade: A

I must say, I very much like this novella format.  There are several series I would LOVE to see something similar from (I’m looking at you, Nalini Singh and Meljean Brook).

Do the stories stand alone? Maybe – the first story, especially. The others tie in with previous books, so a new reader might feel like they are missing something, although Ms. Owens does a good job of summarizing previous events. Certainly by reading these stories, a newbie would have a good feel for the world she has created.

If you’ve never tried the Celta series, I urge you to try it. The world Ms. Owens has created continues to expand and evolve.  (Also, unrelated to anything, it’s nice to see the art department is returning to form on the cover format.  The cover for Heart Journey was unfortunate.) It is such a consistantly excellent series and seems to get very little buzz – it makes me sad. Check it out, faithful reader. If you hate it, come back and tell me why. If you love it, tell a friend.

Overall grade: B

Summary:

Heart and Sword
Captain Kelse Bountry leads a colony fleet in search of a habitable planet. His Ship is far off course and his crew is on the verge of mutiny, circumstances that threaten both the success of Kelse’s mission and his marriage. But Fern Bountry is not about to give up on either…

Heart and Soul
Genista Furze, scandalous ex-wife of Tinne Holly, has created a new life for herself working for a clockmaker in small Gael City. Content with simplicity, and learning to value herself, Genista is in no hurry to risk her heart on another man – no matter how attractive her neighbor is…

Noble Heart
Walker Clover is experiencing Passage – the dreamquest to free his psi power – and learns that he possesses a flair for magic. When his parents learn of his abilities they reveal that his real mother was a noblewoman. Now, Celta’s FirstFamilies scheme to forge an alliance with Walker through offers of marriage – a prospect he finds abhorrent until he meets the mysterious Sedwy Grove…

Heart Story
A year has passed since Blush Willow’s domineering and murderous mother died, and Blush has drawn her hidden HeartMate, Dri Paris, to her. All should be well. But when they finally meet, unresolved anger at the past – and each other – flares between them. Yet they must work together to find a treasure and save Dri’s family.

No excerpt available.

Other books in the series:

Veena’s review of Artistic Vision (Gray Court, Book 3) by Dana Marie Bell
Paranormal Romance published by Samhain 22 Nov 11

“The child of Dunne will one day perform an act that will change our world,” prophesied the seer.

Is Shane Joloun Dunne this child of prophecy? He’s a talented artist who sees visions, possibilities of the future which he shapes into sculptures made of precious and semi-precious metals, jewels, and glass which he conjures from the earth using his magical abilities.

Akane Russo is the daughter of the seer and a dragon. She lost her father as a baby and has been brought up by her mother, who has not been able to give her the family that she craves.  She becomes one of Robin’s blades, a sort of secret service agent working for the Gray Court.  She meets Shane when she is assigned to guard him and fights her attraction to him as he teases, irritates, and tantalizes her with small meaningful gestures like hot chocolate, family love, and relationships.  However, one night she is fed “gold” in a drink that acts as an aphrodisiac, and like a homing pigeon she heads back to Shane where she marks him as her mate.

In the Gray Court series, Dana Marie Bell has painted a fictional world which consists of fae, vampires, dragons, brownies, leprechauns, and all manner of mythical creatures good and evil.  There is a white Queen Gloriana, a Gray court with a high King Oberon and a black queen.   There are evil plots and magical creatures, interesting battles which provide the background for the passion and humor which form the core of the developing relationship between Shane and Akane.

This is Book 3 in the series, and the author has done an excellent job of developing the characters from the previous books, including the other members of the Dunne family who have been featured in Books 1 and 2.  Also well developed is the character of Robin Goodfellow, who’s the primary character in the next book.  I really enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to Robin’s story.

Grade: A

Summary:

Desire is the raw material. Lust is the spark…and love will sculpt their destiny.

Akane Russo, one of the Hob’s top Blades, can’t wait for her current assignment to end. She’s been tasked with
protecting Sidhe hybrid Shane Dunne from the Malmayne clan’s scheme to kidnap him once again. But no one—not
even her Seer half—warned her she’d have to protect herself from his heated gaze. Or that her dragon half would find
him an irresistible puzzle.

Shane knew his destined bride would never come to him willingly, but she’s stuck with him and he plans to use her
predicament to his advantage. It’s only a matter of time before she succumbs to what they both want. Their Claiming will
be beautiful beyond even his wildest imaginings—and his wild, free dragoness will finally see herself as he sees her.

Then his unique, hybrid-borne visions reveal a new danger. The prophecy of the Child of Dunne can only be fulfilled
down a path he must travel alone. To a place so dark and dangerous that not even his truebond’s flame may be bright
enough to lead him home.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Avenger’s Angel (Lost Angels, Book 1) by Heather Killough-Walden
Paranormal Romance published by Signet 1 Nov 11

Goodness, I have to say Heather Killough-Walden keeps the twists and turns coming in this first book of her new Lost Angels series. I like the concept of the four favorite Archangels being given freewill to come down to earth to locate their Archesses – their soul mates. It takes them numerous lifetimes to find those unique women, and just when they think all might just work out, they couldn’t be more wrong.

Uriel, the former Angel of Vengeance, is up first. In his current life, he’s Christopher Daniels, famous actor the women scream over. In fact, it’s as he’s escaping a gaggle of teens that he runs into Eleanore Granger while she’s helping a young child – in the women’s rest room of the bookstore she works for and where he’s participating in a book signing. He knows at first sight she’s the one, the Archess made specifically for him.

Having moved all over the country to keep her secret hidden, Eleanore is finally weary enough to think about staying put and fighting all who might want to use her abilities for their own gain. Having the attentions of a handsome movie star never entered her mind, but when he persists it’s difficult to say no, as it is to Samuel Lambent, media mogel and about the most handsome man she’s ever seen. Unbeknownst to Eleanore, however, Samuel is truly Samael, the Fallen One, first archangel cast out and who is doing all he can to get his hands on an Archess.

Eleanore is torn at first, not knowing which man to trust, but she soon realizes it is Uriel who she’s destined to be with. But just as they are making initial headway, Uriel’s blood contract with Samael throws a kink into their lives – Uriel becomes a vampire due to the Dark One’s machinations. I’m still on the fence about this particular part of the story. I’m not sure why this happens, other than to throw more fear Ellie’s way. But she also gets some excitement out of it a few times, one being when Uriel flies her across the sky and along the coast and other places. I could go for that myself. And, of course, it helps in the end when they’re all fighting a new enemy. I just didn’t care for the total changing of my hero. He’s out of control most of the time due to his new powers, hunger, and lust and when they’re directed at Eleanore, it’s a little much, despite how much she likes it. It’s too close to being forced on her for me.

Even in this form, however, Ellie discovers things about Uriel that cast him in a new light for her, touches her heart, and re-enforces her love for him. Uriel, of course, would die for her, if it ever comes to that. How close does he come? You’ll be surprised. And the ending is one of the best I’ve read in a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It took some getting used to having the angels’ maker referred to as The Old Man. At first, it’s kind of abrasive, thinking there has to be another way to refer to the Almighty. But then it dawns me – for some reason I seem to be slow on this – after Uriel calls the other angels his brothers for the twentieth or so time that this deity is their father. Thus Old Man, as a lot of kids use to refer to dear old dad. Made more sense then.

The new enemy I mentioned is one of those twists in the book. Didn’t see that coming. Ms. Killough-Walden does a very nice job at distraction and misdirection when it comes to these powerful evildoers, the Adarians. The powers all the characters are given throughout are a lot of fun, whether for good or bad. I’m curious, though, as to why the Adarians got all the fun stuff and the Archangels seemingly got what’s left over, which is just the basic stuff. Yeah, I know, because it makes the fighting more interesting, tipping the scales in favor of the enemy so that triumph over them is more satisfying, but it would be nice to see those angels flexing some of those other abilities.

I’m usually not one who sympathizes with a villain, but I do find myself feeling a tad for Samael. That makes me wonder if perhaps down the road he might be redeemed and get his own heroine. I sure hope so. It would be fun to see his reactions to a soul mate loving him, trusting him, wanting him. Samael is even more striking, more powerful than the angels, but he has that smirk and attitude, an arrogance that drives you nuts when he uses it all for evil. He even says he’s not a kind man. But seeing how Ellie pulls something unexpected out of him, you can just imagine what a soul mate would do to him. I also like the attraction between Max, the angels’ guardian, and Lilith, another fallen one and assistant to Samael. That’s another book I would love to see in the series.

One thing that has bothered me once I started reading is the cover of this book. Not that it’s a bad cover, but I would have preferred no faces, only because both the Archangels and the Archesses are described as beyond beautiful, angelic of course. The models on this cover are attractive enough, but they just don’t do justice to the descriptions. A better choice would have been to follow along the lines of the UK cover, which I’ve included here. That cover just shouts exactly what this story is about, especially once you get to the end of the book.

I don’t usually read excerpts at the end of books, but couldn’t help myself this time. I’m curious. The former Archangel Messenger, Gabriel, is next, and I wanted to get the flavor of his story. I’m glad I read it – it starts out at a quick pace, no wasted moments. But then again, I’m a bit unhappy after reading it – it’s about a seven-month wait for the book to hit the shelves. That’s normally why I don’t read excerpts!

Avenger’s Angel is a good start to this series. It’s interesting and fairly fast paced with sexy and beautiful heroes who do anything necessary for their heroines, and it keeps you guessing. Though it has a couple of small issues for me, I think you’ll enjoy it.

Grade: B

Summary:

When four female angels were created for the archangels Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Azrael, a chaos spurned by jealousy erupted, and the archesses were secreted to Earth. The four favored archangels followed, prompting a search that has lasted millennia. But for Uriel, the former Archangel of vengeance, the search ends the moment he lays eyes on Eleanor Granger, his one true archess. Can he protect her from the danger lying in wait for her – and win her heart?

Read an excerpt. (scroll down to third excerpt.)

Other books in this series:

Messenger’s Angel – June 2012

Death’s Angel

Sandy M’s review of One Magic Moment (De Piaget Series, Book 12) by Lynn Kurland
Time Travel Romance published by Jove 3 May 11

Could y’all hear my heartfelt and happy sigh out there when I turned the last page of this book? I always have the best time when reading Lynn Kurland. She has a seamless way of bringing the past and the future together with characters who are so personable and charming, it’s like you’ve been best friends forever. You want to be there for them, give a shoulder to cry on, share in the laughter as well as the sadness, cheer them on, and revel in their happiness when it finally comes.

I wish I had the time to sit down and read all of her time travel books back to back, only because when so much time passes between books, some of those very important and salient moments are dim and sometimes forgotten from two or four or more books ago. And it would also help to keep all the characters straight. There are a wide variety of family on both sides of the timeline in these books that it’s difficult to remember them all. But it does come back to when you meet them again, if it’s their turn for an appearance or two.

So all I can say with regard to John de Piaget before One Magic Moment is that he is talked about, the son and brother who left home one day and has never been seen or heard from again. Some of his family assume and hope he did go to the Future, but they just don’t know. Luckily, John did make it and he’s been living a solitary but comfortable life in the English countryside where he doesn’t have many folks around to ask questions he doesn’t want or can’t answer due to his time traveling circumstances. He now owns a small garage in a small village and life is pretty good. Until the day she brings her car in for some work. That’s the day that everything changes for John, despite his efforts to keep away from her and keep his secrets safe.

Tess has inherited a castle, which is a dream come true, considering her love of things medieval. She’s an expert in that field, especially the politics of the day, teaching, giving lectures, and holding events in her new home. She’s still somewhat melancholy over the loss of her sister Pippa, who now lives in 1241 with her husband, Montgomery de Piaget. When she meets the new garage owner, she’s either seeing double or this man is related to her brother-in-law. Since he obviously is hiding his past, Tess says nothing and figures they won’t cross paths all that much anyway.

John pretty agrees with that – the less he sees of anyone, the less they can find out about him – but every time he turns around, he and Tess do cross paths. And then John finds himself offering to help out or take Tess places. He knows he should keep his distance, but this is the first woman in the Future he’s found interesting. And annoying but sassy. Definitely intelligent. Then out of the blue, little out-of-the ordinary things begin to pop up to make John suspicious and has his instinct kicking into high gear. Some things a man never forgets, and though John doesn’t need a sword to survive in today’s world, he still listens to his gut when needed. Someone is stalking Tess, and he’ll be damned if he’ll let anything happen to her. Not after finding her after all this time.

But the culprit has an agenda, and the next thing John and Tess know, they’ve been forced back to medieval times – John’s home that he hasn’t seen, along with his family, for a lot of years now. And I have to say, these scenes, especially with John and his family, are some of my favorites in the book. It’s an emotional reunion with his brothers first and later with his parents. And now Tess is getting a whole new outlook on all things medieval, not sure if she’d be able to live in this time like her sister has chosen to do. But can she leave John, knowing he’ll now want to stay with his family after being away from them for so long? She can’t ask him to return to her time and leave his life and loved ones all over again.

And when the danger also follows them to the past, John has to finally be honest with Tess, tell her everything that’s happened and admit his feelings for her. This is where my only little nitpick comes in. Even after John has told her how he feels in no uncertain terms, Tess still has doubts – about John, about his option of staying or going, about his feelings. That just doesn’t make sense to me. Especially because she returns his feelings and tells him so. I would have preferred her embracing those feelings and working with the man to figure out the best thing for them to do together. That finally comes, of course, but it just should have been a little sooner. If John hadn’t made his feelings so clear, that might have made a difference to me. But the man couldn’t speak any plainer than he does.

I do enjoy the twists Ms. Kurland always works into her storylines, and this book is no different. We learn how it comes to be Tess inherits her castle and all the little side bits that go with it and other elements in the story. Everything is sewn together nice and neat after a surprise or two, and it amazes me every time how she does it.

If you’re a Lynn Kurland fan, this book will hit the spot. If you haven’t read her yet, well, I don’t know that this would be the best book to start with. Starting at the beginning would be a little daunting but at least read Montgomery and Pippa’s story, One Enchanted Evening, to become oriented with their families. Other members of the families you’ll just have to catch up with as you read other books. No way around it. But I know you’ll have fun doing so.

Grade: A+

Read C2′s review here.

Summary:

There’s no time like the present . . . if you’re running away from the past.

Tess Alexander has it all: family within reach, work she loves, and the chance to live in a perfectly restored medieval castle. But then a trip to the village brings her face-to-face with the new owner of the local garage, who looks a great deal like the man who married her sister . . . eight hundred years in the past. She’s determined to remain objective about magic and destiny, yet she can’t help but wonder about the mysterious, sword-wielding mechanic . . .

As far as John de Piaget is concerned, he has no past; it’s safer that way. The last thing he needs is the nosey medieval studies scholar from the nearby castle dredging up ancient history—his ancient history. But from the moment he lays eyes on Tess, John can’t help but wonder how he ever took a decent breath without her . . . or how he’s going to protect her from the treachery that threatens both their futures.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Haunting Embrace (Mists of Ireland, Book 4) by Erin Quinn
Paranormal Time Travel Romance published by Berkley Trade 4 Oct 11

If you haven’t been drawn into the mysterious evil of the Book of Fennore and the haunting romantic love of charismatic time traveling characters in Erin Quinn’s Mists of Ireland series, you need to curl up on the sofa and absorb and live every last word of these books. Ms. Quinn has created a world that whisks you through time to try to stay one step ahead of malevolent tome that has targeted one Irish family to gather more power for its insidious ways. The ultimate twist in the series comes in this book, making it an all-consuming read. I could not put it down.

When we last saw Aedan and Meaghan, it was at the end of Haunting Desire, where they had just escaped the clutches of the Book of Fennore, along with others who had been imprisoned there. Aedan has taken on a job of fisherman with Mickey Ballogh, and after a long day out on the sea his instinct tells him to stay away from the evil vibrating from the cave where their run-in with the book took place. But its call is too powerful, and Aedan finds himself standing in the entrance, waiting for God knows what.

What he finds is Meaghan, barely conscious after their ordeal. And then joining them is Colleen Ballogh, Mickey’s wife – and Meaghan’s grandmother, though she is right that moment carrying Meaghan’s infant father around on her hip. They find themselves in the past, the mid 1950s, and have no idea why or what they’re supposed to do. Finding the book and destroying it would be first point of business, but fate has other things planned. The first of which is the information and pendant Colleen gives to Meaghan, all from a woman from an even more distant past.

Rumor has it that the powerful Druid who doled out the evilness of the Book of Fennore is still in the area, along with the book itself. Aedan is determined to keep that secret to himself, he likes the freedom he’s found from his millennia of confinement, despite the power he wielded. Knowing Meaghan has the pendant, the key, he himself crafted before his betrayal and subsequent imprisonment by the woman he loved only makes him more determined to put an end to the evil once and for all. Nothing is more important than giving it the sacrifice his eons-old ritual needs to bind that very evil within the book’s cover forever. He can feel the key and book, its presence and power. As can Meaghan.

But hers is an empathic sensation, picking up feelings from all around her. Including Aedan. She knows he’s not evil, even if he thinks there’s no way to rid himself of what he lived for so long. Seeing a different side of her loving grandmother at the hands of Mickey shocks her, but she’s filling in all the holes in her family history that no one ever wanted to talk about as she was growing up. When Mickey turns up dead after a drunken blow-up with Colleen and Aedan is the number one suspect, Meaghan also learns so much more about her grandmother than she could have ever imagined.  She also takes on a new power of seeing future deaths, something Aedan’s past love was able to do, thus binding her to that long-ago woman, and the pace of the story picks up as more and more secrets, more and more evil, more and more love and trust become apparent.

Ms. Quinn writes such intriguing characters, including the Book of Fennore. It has been its own character throughout this series and nothing has changed in this latest addition. Her use of Ireland is quite refreshing, and she makes you feel as though you’re standing on those Irish shores, taking in every nuance from blue skies to the emerald green the isle is known for. Her writing is as haunting as it is profound and lush. It’s more than worth your time to spend time with her characters, whose depths know no bounds.

I’m not sure if this is the last book in the series. I didn’t see anything on the author’s web site to answer that question. I sincerely hope there is more to come. Quality like this is hard to come by.

Grade: A+

Summary:

ENDLESS LOVE

Within Meaghan Ballagh surges the blood of an ancient sorceress whose long ago love for the druid Áedán ended in treachery—a fate that ensnares Meaghan herself when she is thrust into the past. She can feel the desire between the sorceress and the handsome druid rise inside her. To ensure her survival, she must piece together the history of the woman who haunts her and the man who needs her.

ETERNAL BETRAYAL

Áedán recognizes Meaghan. He always will. For the spirit of his one true love—and immortal enemy—is in her. A woman for whom Áedán once risked everything he ever had only to be repaid with betrayal and eternal damnation. This time, he’s not going to let Meaghan escape—because together they have the power to change their destiny.

As the passion between them grows, so do their fears of arousing an ancient, haunted, and forbidden love, and for changing a past that could irrevocably destroy the future.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of The Ruby Kiss (Magic Knot Series, Book 3) by Helen Scott Taylor
Paranormal Romance published by Dorchester 15 Nov 11

This magical world of Helen Scott Taylor’s only gets better and better with each book. Her characters are full of emotion, and I found myself tearing up a couple of times when it looks as though all hope is lost. The writing is strong and tailor made to pull you in so you can experience each and every nuance of the storyline as the characters do themselves. Outstanding.

We’ve met Nightshade in the previous two books in the series. He’s not always been a stand-up character, but he does go through a turn-around and tries to make amends for the damage and hurt he’s caused. He also discovers he has a younger brother and vows to keep the boy away from their father, a man who never showed anything but evil interest and intent and hate toward Nightshade. He’ll not allow that to happen to Rhys. So now we have a character who we didn’t like very much early on, who has now become a sympathetic character and hero material. Thank goodness Ms. Taylor saw this in Nightshade, because this book is now my favorite of the series. I’m wondering how close it was that he might not have gotten his own book.

Ruby is the typical modern-day Scottish lass, independent, relying on no one but herself. Her mother used Ruby’s “affliction” throughout her childhood to try to locate the father who never showed any interest in his daughter – or her mother. Finally refusing to help her mother any longer led to the woman’s death and Ruby’s freedom. Her “affliction” still hits once a month on the full moon – grass, trees, flowers, vines and the like grow at alarming rates wherever she is, so secluding herself for that time is the only way to keep things under control.

When Nightshade crashes through her skylight onto her bed and after deciding she doesn’t need her trusty bat as a weapon against the tall, dark, and sexy nightstalker, she nearly gives in to his sensual allure. But fearing being controlled again, Ruby pushes Nightshade away despite her want of him. So he takes flight once again to track down his father to force him to cede his rights to Rhys. The next thing he knows Ruby is also at the Gathering of Kith and Kin and not of her own volition. Forced there by creatures she’s never seen before, she discovers the otherworld is looking for her – the new Mistress of the Beasts – all thanks to her father, who is a piece of work just as Nightshade’s is. Now she’ll never be rid of her affliction.

From this point on, things really begin to move. Nightshade has vowed to protect Ruby no matter what comes her way, and a lot comes forth. She has to deal with the King of the Unseelie Court, who wants to use her powers for himself. Ruby still has to learn how to harness and apply those powers. She goes before the Bride of the Light at the Seelie Court, which is one of the best scenes in the book when Devin, Nightshade’s demon friend, sees the love of his life again, the daughter of the Seelie King and Queen, who refuse to allow them to be together. The longing, the regret, the love are entwined between them and it’s a very moving scene, especially because Devin is a character you come to like very quickly.

Another character who turns you completely around is Twister, the Unseelie King. The way he uses and handles Ruby in the beginning makes you despise him, but when you learn why he needs her powers, how long he’s been waiting, you feel so differently then. And even more so when he finally gets what he’s always hoped for and it doesn’t bring back to him what he so desperately wants. Very heart wrenching. Another such scene is later in the book when Troy, Devin’s father, sacrifices all for Nightshade and Ruby to be together. His selfless act surprises both of them and the reader, but it’s the scene when Devin comes to his father afterward that had me in tears. All of this revolves around Ruby’s, and others’, magic knots, which are stones that hold a person’s essence of mind, body, and soul. Though magic knots are a part of the previous two books, of course, they’re much more front and center here, and Ms. Taylor ties her characters and the reader in knots over them.

I think Ms. Taylor has made an admirable hero out of Nightshade. He wants a son, a family, and he learns what love truly means. Ruby is a typical woman, self-conscious about her weight, stubborn, independent, no one’s doormat, and, turns out, more adventurous than she thought she’d be again. Nightshade loves her lushness and extra curves. A man after my own heart. She does have trust issues, which pushes Nightshade away a couple of times, but she eventually does learn to give him her trust in a world where it’s needed at every turn. Ultimately, they are a unique couple and you cheer them on whenever it looks as though things may not work out for them.

I’m hoping Devin gets his book in the future. But with the business Ms. Taylor got caught up in with Dorchester, I have no idea if that will happen. I’m sure that would be another kick-in-the-gut read if it does come to be. Keeping my hopes high for it anyway.

Grade: A+

Summary:

A Powerful Nightstalker: Nightshade hungers to bring the strong and beautiful to their knees beneath the ecstasy of his bite, but he has never known sexual lust–not until he meets Ruby McDonald. The curvy redhead wields attitude and strength like an ax and she would be the perfect mother of his children. Caught in a clash between the Seelie and Unseelie courts, he battles not only for her survival but also for her heart.

A Mortal with a Secret: Plagued by magic inherited from a father she never knew, Ruby wants answers. Nightshade has them. But when he crashes into her bedroom late one night, the Fairy’s silvery eyes, dark intensity, and striking black wings tempt her with a whole lot more: a mysterious world waiting to be explored, a dangerous love that binds her in body, mind, and spirit, and the children she thought she could never have. The future offers her a choice between freedom and a power some would kill to possess. Should she deny her desires, or succumb to the seduction of…THE RUBY KISS

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

LynneC’s review of Dark Future by KC Klein
Paranormal Romance published by Avon Impulse 8 Nov 11

There isn’t usually one reason to DNF a book, but more often than not it’s because the book doesn’t grab me. If I persevere and get to a third or more, then I could do a full DNF review, if I have something to say about it. Sometimes it’s just not there, but it might be for you. A DNF isn’t always because it’s a terrible book. This book didn’t do it for me, but it might well do it for you. There’s no deep flaws, and the plot is interesting, but the authorial voice or the premise just didn’t take me away. So I’d say try it, get a sample and see if you like it. I got both these books from NetGalley, and it occurred to me that if I could sample the books, that might be a useful thing. The first chapter would have been enough, but I actually persevered a little more to see if I could settle into the read. Sadly, I couldn’t.

This book is written in the first person, which can be a problematic way to write a book. It takes a particular skill to write a book solely from the viewpoint of one person, and it’s far more difficult than most beginning writers suppose. The narrator has to be good at describing things and be believable, too, so that a character like Paddy Clarke sees things in his own idiosyncratic way. Not in the way that the writer would. Which leads me to another problem. The Mary Sue quotient can be high. Or the reader can just take a dislike to the narrator, and since there’s no respite, that’s that.

It’s the last one that is my main problem with Dark Future. The book starts promisingly with the heroine waking up to the awareness that someone is in her house. But even on the first page, the quips that sound more like authorial inserts than a true voice started to irritate me. One minute she is thinking rationally about what she should do, the next she’s making a quip that doesn’t quite come off. There are quips scattered throughout the book and to me they read as if the author was inserting them, rather than the heroine thinking them up naturally. As if there are two voices in there fighting for control. And I want the quipping one to go away.

Her intruder turns out to be a future version of herself. A ripped, tough version. Shades of Sarah Connor without the effort in between to learn combat and get ripped. She’s transported to the future.

So far no romance or any hint of one, and I am emphatically a romance reader. I skimmed until the hero appeared, but he seems to be an adjunct to the story, not an integral part of it. The heroine could have done what she did without him (he pops up in chapter four). So I gave up. A woman’s story with a bit of hot sex doesn’t really appeal to me. It might to you.

Grade: DNF

Summary:

Awakened in the middle of the night by a future version of herself, Kris Davenport is given a mission: go forward in time to save the world—and His life. Of course, her future self doesn’t tell her who he is, just sends her into the abyss and straight into an alien invasion.

He turns out to be ConRad Smith, the callous, untrusting commander of Earth’s army and the world’s last defense. There’s only one way for Smith to know for sure if this strange woman is an alien spy—slice her throat. Except, he didn’t anticipate the desire he would feel as he interrogates the hot-tempered, warm-blooded woman. For a man whose sole focus has been survival, she’s more temptation than he can handle. But a world on the brink of destruction leaves no room for love . . . and time is running out.

No excerpt available.

Sandy M’s review of The Storm that is Sterling (Zodius, Book 2) by Lisa Renee Jones
Paranormal Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 1 Nov 11

This series is already picking up speed quite nicely, moving along at a good pace to keep things interesting and intriguing. And Sterling. Wow, he’s so complex that he’s nearly very simple to figure out. But just when you think you do have him figured out, as his heroine Becca can attest, he throws you a curve you never see coming.

While I enjoyed the first book in the series, The Legend of Michael, it’s bogged down at times with too much info and not enough dialogue. This book is filled with terrific dialogue, mostly between Sterling and Becca, and has a fresher feel while still jolting you with danger and thrills throughout. This is the Lisa Renee Jones I’ve read before.

Sterling and Becca knew each other in high school. He finally asks her out back then, after a particularly fruitful day of computer hacking, but it’s also his last endeavor at that activity, and the beginning of the end of his date with Becca – he’s caught and given a deal to join the military where he can put his technological skills to better use. Fourteen years later fate throws Becca back into his path to help in the fight against a new drug that is killing those who are coerced into using it.

Having her hopes dashed once again for a cure to her cancer, Becca returns home from Germany only to have her life thrown into more chaos, once by the high school boy who has grown into a remarkably handsome man and then by the evil that forces her addiction to ICE, a derivative of the original alien DNA Sterling and other soldiers were injected with, which subsequently cures her disease but leaves her facing death anyway. She wants to trust Sterling, but that’s difficult with such insidious evil that’s after her, making it look as though Sterling is on their side.

But when these two finally find the trust they need to come together, they work well side by side and they make love beautifully. Sterling believes Becca is his lifebond, but when she doesn’t show the necessary bond markings, he still refuses to let her go. Becca refuses to put Sterling at any more risk, so she keeps secrets from him that would change everything for them, but she’s not willing to take any chances with his life. What I like about all of that is these two talk to each other. Yes, there are secrets, but as their trust and love grow, they become more open with one another and work together, despite Sterling’s alphaness. His gentleness knows no bounds where Becca is concerned.

All of the secondary characters, and then some, from the first book are back for more trouble, either taming it or wreaking it. Ms. Jones does a terrific job with Dorian, Adam’s son, both evil personified, and I can’t wait to see what their end will eventually be, good or bad. The rift between Sterling and Damion is interesting and gives those scenes between them an extra intenseness. In fact, Damion’s story is next up, so it’s nice to get to know him a bit better now.

I’m glad the tone of the series has taken a different course with this book. This is a much faster read and, therefore, more enjoyable. It’s so far a very good series, different from other concepts out there right now. I look forward to finding out what happens.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Adam, the leader of the evil Zodius soldiers has developed a street drug from his newborn’s DNA that is so addictive that he could easily created a worldwide dependency on him as the only source, as withdrawal kills the user. This drug will give Adam the power to rule the entire population if his plan for mass distribution is achieved. Sterling, and a brilliant, cancer stricken scientist, must stop Adam before it’s too late. But can Sterling trust this woman when he discovers this drug might be her only way of surviving cancer?. Is he in bed, and in love, with the enemy?

The Hero: Sterling

He was created, molded, formed from life, love, and misery…

Lethally daring. Ruthlessly passionate. He invites death to his door. Welcomes it with each breath he draws, each step he takes. And thus he is danger. A volatile storm that will sweep across the calm realms of humanity and shake it to the depths of its core. And that storm is…Sterling.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Ash’s review of Untamed Highlander (Dark Sword Series, Book 4) by Donna Grant
Paranormal Romance published by St. Martins 26 Apr 11

I have been trying to figure out for days now how to write this review. Hayden and Isla are my favorite couple of the series so far, but I feel their book was cut short.

Isla is my absolute favorite type of heroine. She is alone against the world, trying to prove herself, and I love a character who can overcome their situation. After the previous book, I wanted her with a different warrior. I didn’t think much of Hayden, but he changed my mind in a big way. He doesn’t want to want Isla, but he can’t resist her. Her kind is responsible for the death of his family and he would rather kill all the evil druids than love one. Now that I am actually writing this, they remind me of my one of my top romance couples, so I guess it’s not surprising I enjoy them together so much.

So the characters are great, but my issue came with everything else. I feel almost cheated in a lot of ways. I want more of a resolution to what their problems are. Hayden learns something about Isla that should affect him more than it does. I understand that by then he loves her, but there is this build-up from both of them and then because there is other stuff going on, it is kind of pushed to the side.

Then there is Deirdre, the bad guy. I thought as a villain Deirdre is severely lacking in the previous books. The direction Donna Grant takes with her in this book is interesting and has potential. It doesn’t last though, and it looks like she is right back to her usual self, which just bores me.

Untamed Highlander feels like part one of a book. Not much action happens, I’m left wanting to know more about Isla and her magic, plus I want more of an ending to the romance. As for the ongoing storyline, it’s like it goes nowhere. Nothing really changes from the book before or even the one before that, and if it weren’t for the characters I would have given up on the series. I haven’t yet, though, and I’ll continue to read for the warriors I can’t seem to let go of.

Grade: C+

Summary:

Druid-born and magic-blessed, Isla is one of the deadliest she-devils ever to serve the forces of darkness. As an immortal Highland warrior, it’s up to Hayden Campbell to destroy her and her kind. But for Hayden, Isla is more than a sworn enemy. She is temptation…

Taking Isla captive, Hayden hopes to avenge his kinsmen who died by Druid magic. But when he looks into Isla’s eyes, he sees the secrets of her past. When he touches her skin, he feels the passion in her soul. And soon Hayden comes to realize that this beautiful, beguiling woman is not his enemy at all—she is his destiny. And, even as the forces of darkness conspire against them, their love will conquer all…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of The Legend of Michael (Zodius, Book 1) by Lisa Renee Jones
Paranormal Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 1 May 11

I’ve been on the fence concerning this book since the beginning. I’d jump one way and then the other, again and again, with scenes here and there, which all surprised me, because the few Lisa Renee Jones books I’ve read, I’ve not had any vacillation at all. Her hero is to die for. Her heroine gives me the most ups and downs. The plot is interesting, though somewhat convoluted and scenes could be more action packed, and a few secondary characters end up irritating me just a bit.

First the plot. The heroine’s father has his hands on an alien DNA serum from the 1950s and has turned military men into stronger, faster, more indestructible warriors – GTECHS. They were hoodwinked into allowing injections of the life-altering stuff, and now there’s two factions of those soldiers – one, Zodius, that wants to rule the world and one, Renegades, that wants to stop such madness. Oh, and Daddy wants to rule the world too. Since the split, both factions have moved from their original home base, so there are those newly named areas, but even the old ones get new names and both are used just to make things confusing. With the Zodius and Renegades wanting to off each other, there’s also Daddy and his minions running around in the mix trying to off whoever they can in their rush to test and eventually use Red Dart, a new product that will now control those men who are exhibiting overly excessive violent tendencies. So Zodius wants Red Dart too to have total control, while the Renegades want it for safekeeping if needed in the future for any reason. So there’s a lot more bad guys here than good. Of course, there’s a lot more going on that just this, some of which really isn’t necessary.

Michael is the strongest of those who survived the transition, a legend unto himself with his abilities and reputation. Cassandra works for Daddy, but she knows only half-truths of what he’s up to. When the two of them meet, it’s instant attraction and they end up together fast. Much too fast. There’s nothing more between them, no getting-to-know-you stage, and they’re in bed by page 42 or so. Time moves very, very quickly during these first chapters, and I think it could have been slowed down some to give them time to get them where they need to be. But, having said that, I can’t blame Cassandra too much, because Michael is one hot, sexy, sensual, handsome man. Don’t forget dangerous. A lethal combo if there ever was one. He’s a killing machine, and when the factions divide, he has a chance to go undercover with Zodius to try to bring Adam, their leader, down. Things happen fast at this point, and he has no time to let Cassandra know what he’s going to do. His first big mistake. But Michael feels that’s all for the best, because Cassandra deserves better than he can ever give her.

Now, Cassandra does give me fits now and again. She’s a Daddy’s girl; it’s been just the two of them for a long time. So she does believe what her father tells her. She starts out as a fairly strong character, even when Michael leaves her and she has to start over. When he returns she tries to keep him at a distance, but the man has a killer body, lips that won’t leave hers alone, and she’s his lifebond mate. She can demand all she wants for him to stay out of her life, but the pull is just as strong on her as it is him. Eventually she has to admit that Daddy has a god complex, he’s not the man she’s always known, so she’s now working with Michael and Caleb, Adam’s twin and leader of the Renegades, to the end, no matter what. Where Cassandra irritates me is her refusal to let Michael keep her safe. It’s her war too, she says. She has to help, make up for what her father has done. Hello? We’re talking super soldiers here. Beefed-up hard asses to begin with. And now being X2 positive for aggression after injection? Come on, sweetheart. Quit being stupid at times and get a clue!

A couple of little nitpicks: Michael’s hair is described as dark, long, down to his shoulders. A lot. But every time I look at the cover of this book, that’s not the Michael I’ve been introduced to. Not a nitpick the author has control over, but it still bugs me. Jocelyn, Daddy’s cohort in crime, irritates me too, to some extent. She’s in charge of Red Dart, but lets Daddy control her like everyone else he’s got around him. There’s never any explanation as to why she allows this. She’s a strong woman and she’s been through a lot, she should have had more control from the beginning. But I do have to say surprise hit me square between the eyes when it’s revealed who she really is. I didn’t see that coming at all. Of course, you can tell I’m also not happy with Daddy. No name for him in my review. He’s just a power-hungry nobody and expects everyone to do his bidding, again with no explanation, though I guess one really isn’t needed since it is a god thing we’re working with here.

I do like the other Renegade soldiers, just as much as I hate the Zodius soldiers. In that, Ms. Jones does an excellent job writing blood-thirsty, evil men. Adam is one sick puppy, as are his minions, including his mate, Ava. What a pair. The dichotomy of Adam’s and Caleb’s resulting reaction to the transition to GTECH is quite interesting, however, and Ms. Jones draws out that distinction very well. It’s the Renegades’ Sterling who has captured my interest with his seeming death wish attitude. His book is next, due out in a couple of weeks or so, and I’m quite anxious to see what’s in store for him. Lastly, I feel the fight scenes between Zodius and Renegade warriors should have had much more action. They just seem to be over too quickly for all the powers and strength these men wield. And I haven’t even mentioned their special abilities each one eventually realizes some time after initial injection. I do enjoy those and they way they’re used. Very effective. But these battle scenes should be almost epic in scope, as far as I’m concerned.

Even with my nitpicks, this is a good read. It’s interesting and full of hot men fighting for good.

Grade: B-

Summary:

HE IS A LETHAL WEAPON…

One of an army of human soldiers injected with alien DNA, Michael is a legend within this new race, split between good and evil. Untamable, he has walked on the dark side and returned to the light. Feared and misunderstood, he leaves everything behind, including the one woman destined to be his mate.

HE IS HER ENEMY…AND HER DESTINY…

Fate leads Michael back to Cassandra Powell, for she holds the key to defending his comrades. With their loyalties divided between duty and the people they love, only together can Cassandra and Michael overcome insurmountable odds to save humanity from the wrath of a madman.

But no ordinary woman can control a creature such as Michael, and only one thing is clear—the world will never be the same…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

LynneC’s review of Ecstasy Untamed (Feral Warriors, Book 7) by Pamela Palmer
Paranormal Romance published by Avon 25 Oct 11

I had a few disconnects with this story, but there’s no doubt that Palmer knows how to write. Interesting characters and intriguing world building is let down a little by a few plot holes and an overlong book.

Faith is living in Poland helping street children. She’s an immortal, a Therian (I kept reading this as theramin, that awesome instrument Jimmy Page plays, but that’s my own fault for spending most of last night watching theramin performances on You Tube), a race of people once shapeshifters but now unable to shift. The only shapeshifters are Feral Warriors. One of them, Maxim, discovers her and claims her. He’s about to go to America to the compound. So she goes with him.

There she meets Hawke, who is a shapeshifting Hawk. And she feels an immediate attraction. Since she understood she was to be mated with Maxim, this confuses her. She’d felt the mating pull, or so she thought.

That basic plot is fine, but it’s at this point I get my first disconnect, or huh? moment. There are only nine Feral Warriors left. They’re very precious, very special people. And they all live in the same house? That’s a big no in my book. Surely they should live at opposite ends of the earth? Well, there’s a plot reason for that. They need to be in contact with the Radiant, who at present is the wife of their leader, Lyon, who is a shapeshifting lion. As far as I can gather, the Radiant is a kind of battery, and they have to recharge. That, to me, read like a plot contrivance. There’s no internal reason why that should be. Why there should be a battery, why they have to use it, why, in all their existence, they haven’t discovered a scientist clever enough to invent a way of remote-control charging, or even more of the batter—er, Radiants? It just didn’t work.

Yep, they all live in a mansion close to Bos—well, no there, but it’ss very, very reminiscent of the BDB headquarters, right down to the antiques. They all have bedrooms, a bit like a dormitory for Ferals. Very sweet. I don’t like this setup, but because these creatures are the last of their kind and precious, it seems criminal, Radiant or no Radiant, to put them in the same place. One hit and they’re gone. And why can’t they spell? Kougar, Lyon, Vhyper – just why? They also have very unimaginative nicknames, and I mean unimaginative. Lyon’s nickname is Roar and Hawke’s is Wings.

And, of course, ordinary humans know nothing.

Anyway, there are other creatures. There are shamans and ilinas, who were ghost-seeming people with power. Their enemies are Mages. To me, this all came across as a contrived world. I couldn’t believe in it. There are definitely echoes of North American native beliefs, but I know next to nothing about those, so I can’t go into more details. Perhaps it makes more sense if you’re more familiar with that world. Oh and there are draden, jellyfish-like creatures that we mere mortals can’t see, but that doesn’t matter, because they’re not interested in us. Only the Ferals and theramins (sorry, Therians).

Once Faith has realized that it’s not actually Maxim who floats her boat, much sexing ensues. They are sweet scenes rather than erotic or arousing. I’m not really sure why they’re there or what they’re doing. There is a plot about rogue Ferals, but if I wanted to question the reasoning, I came unstuck. See, there’s this virus, and—it really read as if Palmer just threw it at them as something for them to overcome.

There are some very long scenes where they sit around and talk or engage in not-too-interesting rituals, and the beginning is a big ol’ lump of exposition, but I’m not holding that against her because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to jump right in. Actually, I probably would. But there’s no depth to this world. Question it too much and it falls apart. every time you think you’ve got a hold on the story, Palmer throws something in to confuse you. I was constantly scratching my head and thinking, “Why?”

On the whole, an unsatisfactory read. I understand the world, but it’s confused and superficial. The most interesting part of the book is the characters. I enjoyed Hawke and Faith, but without them and their interaction, there wouldn’t be a whole lot left.

And I don’t blame the author for the cover. It’s not her fault, but oh, my eyes! I remember Lynn Veihl complaining about the pink cover on one of her books. Just as well she didn’t get this one.

Grade: C-

Summary:

They are called Feral Warriors—an elite band of immortals who can change shape at will. Sworn to rid the world of evil, consumed by sorcery and seduction, their wild natures are primed for release . . .

Shattered by recent nightmarish events, Hawke feels his bond with his animal spirit weakening—and once it breaks, he’s finished. The arrival of Faith sends his life spinning even further out of control, for although she delights him and enflames his deepest primal passions, she’s promised to Maxim, the newest Feral Warrior.

Faith is drawn to Hawke from the start, but Maxim holds her in his thrall and has secretly bent her to his malevolent will. Though gravely damaged, Hawke is the only one who can end Faith’s slavery and protect the Feral Warriors from Maxim’s evil designs. But first they both must embrace the wild . . . and surrender body and soul to a forbidden, all-consuming ecstasy.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Highlander for the Holidays (Highlander Series, Book Eight) by Janet Chapman
Contemporary Paranormal Romance published by Jove 25 Oct 11

I’m always wary after a number of books in a series that they can and will start to sound the same, nothing new going on, and everything becomes boring. But I have thoroughly enjoyed this series from the beginning. Janet Chapman has kept the characters and the storylines fresh and she’s kept these brawny Highland heroes true to their ancestry and homeland, though they’ve been in the modern-day United States for several decades now.

What started out as a time travel romance with the first book in the series has turned into one with magic dancing through these characters generation after generation. This time around it’s Ian MacKeage who must take responsibility for the magic coursing through him, especially after he meets Jessie, a woman both physically and mentally scarred after enduring a tragic and brutal attack.

Jessie has uprooted her life and come to TarStone Mountain Resort in Pine Creek, Maine to start anew. Since the death of her husband she’s felt out of sorts and out of place, not belonging any longer. So after perusing a brochure, she just knows this wonderful, magical place is where she needs to be, despite the flack she’s getting from family and friends. They want her to stay put, forget what happened, and go on with a life she’ll never be happy with.

But the moment she sets foot in Pine Creek, Jessie knows she’s done the right thing. And on her first night there she meets a man. Ian MacKeage. An old-fashioned, handsome, sexy Highlander. Which throws her into a panic wondering how he might react to her scarred and deformed body. Well, at least the place feels like home – especially when she finds the perfect house – and she figures Ian probably won’t bother with her again anyway.

Good thing Jessie figures wrong. Ian is completely taken with her, even more so after witnessing one of her flashbacks, which totally incapacitates her and requires her service dog, Tobias, to stand guard over her until she’s back on her feet. While Ian has his own demons to fight, which have caused him to spend more time on TarStone than in his own home after his return from Afghanistan, he still wants to get to know Jessie better. He also wants to prove to her that her disfigurement and scars don’t mean the same to him as they do to her. Ian MacKeage is the kind of man any woman would love to have in her life, accepting, nonjudgmental, loving, protecting and the list could go on forever.

Of course, with all the magic swirling around the MacKeages and TarStone, things get a wee off track at times and they have to find their way through, hoping they’re headed in the right direction. An ancestor of Ian’s – we’re talking from way back – meddles something fierce. He’s a hoot of a character, but Jessie learns and Ian knows not to second guess the man when it comes to his hints about the future. The scenes and descriptions of Camp Come-As-You-Are are fun and just the vehicle Jessie needs to know why Ian looks past her physical impediments and sees who she is inside.

The only thing that left me scratching my head and wondering about is near the end when Ian takes Jessie to the summit of TarStone and through his magic, which he now embraces, find out what happened that night four years ago when she was attacked. I know it’s his magic behind all of this, but I don’t understand his taking on the mountain to do it. Nothing more is said about that once he drives his staff into the rock and the magic takes over. We find out what happened to Jessie and who’s responsible for that night, but that’s all. Unless something just went right over my head, which is possible!

But even that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of this book for me. It’s wonderful seeing the entire family again, catching up with them and their lives. And this book also has more of a Christmas feel to it than its predecessor, A Highlander Christmas – which I also enjoyed quite a bit – especially Jessie and her Christmas tree.

If you’ve not started reading this series and you’re a Highlander fan like me, you need to get with it. You have a lot of fun and magical reading ahead of you!

Grade: A+

Summary:

After a brutal attack, Jessie Pringle moved to the small mountain town of Pine Creek, Maine, to start over. But she never expected to meet Ian MacKeage, who had seemingly stepped right out of the Scottish Highlands. As drawn to Ian as he is to her, Jessie finds it more and more difficult to deny her own desires…

Then, on one of her long walks through the wilderness, she meets a kindly hermit who sells her a walking stick-one imbued with a magic that may allow Jessie to finally be rid of the pain of her past, and build a future with Ian.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Dinca’s review of Shifting Heat (Storm Series, Book 6) by Lynne Connolly
Paranormal Romance published by Ellora’s Cave 17 Aug 11

In Shifting Heat you will find more than heat. You will find fire… in the blood, under the skin, not to mention in a flame-scorched world of flying dragons. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline where the good guys are not always good and the bad guys may or may not be as bad you think they are. It took me a while to decide who to cheer for and who to scorn. But you will fall in love with Andros,  anyone with a heart could not help themselves.

This is my second dragon book, so I am new to the shapeshifting paranormal genre. I steered away after the first book I tried appeared more like a textbook
on shapeshifters with very little story. It must have been the author who didn’t appeal, for I found nothing textbook about Shifting Heat, even if the heroine did work at a university.  I really enjoyed the story. I kept me reading even after it was time for lights out. The transformations were like pictures in my mind as I read. I could clearly see that beautiful blue dragon gracefully soaring above the city.

It is hard to imagine a nerdy geek as a stud muffin, but Lynne Connolly does a wonderful job. I have no problem visualizing Andros from every description, from the virile man taking his first step off a roof to turn into a dragon before he hit the pavement to the disabled geek who’s unable to move.

Andros can’t believe the beautiful dragon coming on to him, touching his mind and wanting him to return to her hotel room for a night of hot sex. Waking up after the best sex of his life, alone and groggy, with his ID bracelet missing, he returns to his apartment at Storm and discovers commotion. Something has happened and that beautiful dragon is involved.

Faye has been around a long time. A couple of generations longer than the young dragon she had selected to assist her in her plan to break into Storm. His ID bracelet is just what she needs, but she could not resist the human form from which he shifted. The taste and scent of him lingers with her long after the fact.  If only he didn’t work for the enemy.

As the storyline travels back in time and forward again, I got lost only once, which is probably more due to me than the book, since I am new to this genre. There is really nothing I do not like about this book. It holds my interest, it’s initiative, the sex is delivered with emotional heat and as far from clinical as you can get. And the story itself is new to me. There are five other Storm stories in this series. Once again I jumped in at the end of a series, though. But they all just might be worth glomming.  Each sounds just as interesting as this one.

Grade: A

Summary:

A book in the STORM world. Andros was a severely disabled geek working for STORM but now he’s a powerful shape-shifting dragon. Still a geek though. Meeting Faye when they’re sharing the same air space is a bit of a shock they quickly overcome in a convenient hotel room.

Hot, fast, rampant sex is just what Andros needs. Tangling with Faye between the sheets, against her desk, pretty much anywhere he can have her takes energy Andros now has in abundance. But he won’t let his emotions follow.

 

Faye never met anyone in her long life as exciting as Andros. But he works for STORM, Faye’s enemy. She’s never had anyone so young, either. But she can’t resist his strength, his determination—or his ripped body.

Together they must hunt down a mutual enemy, but to defeat him they have to come to terms with what they are, were and will become.

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Touch of Crimson (Renegade Angel Series, Book 1) by Sylvia Day
Paranormal Romance published by Signet 4 Oct 11

HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK YET??????

If you answered, No!,” then you need to get your butt in gear and read it! Now! OMG. I love everything about this book. Of course, that shouldn’t surprise me since it’s Sylvia Day. I’ve only read her historicals so far, so I wasn’t sure what to expect once I picked up one of her paranormals. I was pretty certain I’d love it, for Ms. Day has never disappointed me. But you just never know what will happen when you read a different genre by a favorite author. Now as far as I’m concerned, Sylvia Day can do no wrong.

What I love the most is, of course, Adrian, the hero and No. 1 archangel who punishes rogue angels and keeps tabs on them, the Fallen, once they have lost their wings. As well, he keeps the balance between his Sentinels and the Lycans, who are also Fallen and have unwillingly assisted the angels generation after generation. Adrian has power like no other and he wields it with an iron fist and by example, with very little deviation. Therefore, he’s alpha to the core. And that makes him as sexy as can be to me. He has his own demons due to his own transgressions, losing the only woman he’s ever loved over and over again as punishment for breaking the very rule he implemented for the Seraphim. But when Shadoe returns to him this time, everything about her and their eventual new relationship is different from all the times before.

Lindsay Gibson, who harbors the soul of Adrian’s Shadoe, is a self-reliant human who has taught herself to handle weapons to quickly dispatch those evilly disgusting vampires to hell, just like the ones who killed her mother. Her life has been dedicated to revenge, searching for those who are forever seared into her brain. On her way to California to take on a new job, at the airport Lindsay spies the most handsome, sexiest man she’s ever seen. He notices her too. Eye contact and there’s a connection like she’s never felt before. Thus begins a journey for both of them which will leave them changed in ways they couldn’t begin to guess at.

The restraint Adrian utilizes in taking it slow for Lindsay’s sake is remarkable. You can feel his want and need of her, as well as the stress and anxiety of everything going wrong around him, losing Sentinels, keeping Lycans leashed, and making sure Syre, the first Fallen, doesn’t get anywhere near Lindsay — he’s also Shadoe’s father, and he’ll do what it takes to make sure he’s reunited with his daughter. And if you think you’re going to hate these “villiains,” think again. Ms. Day is so talented, she makes you feel for them too. They’re Fallen, they’re dangerous, but just as the angels do, they protect their own. Syre wanting his daughter back is just that – a father grieving her loss every time, hoping her next incarnation will be the one to bring her home to him. And Torque, Syre’s son, breaks my heart with his current grief. Even the bad-ass female vamp, Vashti, pulls at the heartstrings now and again, despite her hard, revengeful exterior.

My favorite secondary character is Elijah, a Lycan given the job of babysitting Lindsay – her words. He’s an alpha, and there hasn’t been a Lycan alpha in generations, so the wolves are looking to him to begin a rebellion, to take this opportunity to free them from their bondage. But Elijah knows the cost of such an opportunity is much too high, and he tries his best to nip the growing mutiny in the bud. His friendship with Lindsay is quite special. His soon-to-be relationship with Vashti is going to be a devil of a ride in the next book in the series. One of my favorite scenes in this book is when Elijah gets his first gander at Vash. It’s a good thing their story is next.

The action when angels are soaring is spectacular. You can just seen their wings slicing through the air during fights. And when Adrian uses his to shield Lindsay, to comfort her, to show her love, those crimson-tipped feathers take on a life of their own. The play of the weather for both Adrian and Lindsay is also very interesting, connecting them together in an extra special way.

Through all of this, it’s Lindsay who is ready to sacrifice her love for Adrian. She can’t allow him to be punished for loving her, so she puts distance between them. But Adrian knows everything in his life moves on a higher level when Lindsay is by his side. The difficult part is just convincing her of that. But will he be too late once he discovers Lindsay is now in Syre’s hands? You’ll be very surprised at the answer to that question.

I’m looking forward to every book in this series, the emotion each character brings to the page, and the fascinating and action-packed storyline Ms. Banks has planned. I know it’s going to be one of those rides of a lifetime.

Grade: A+

Summary:

An angel with immense power and insatiable desire, Adrian Mitchell leads an elite Special Ops unit of the seraphim. His task is to punish the Fallen–angels who have become vampires–and command a restless pack of indentured lycans.

But Adrian has suffered his own punishment for becoming involved with mortals–losing the woman he loves again and again. Now, after nearly two hundred years, he has found her: Shadoe, her soul once more inhabiting a new body that doesn’t remember him. This time he won’t let her go.

With no memory of her past as Shadoe, Lindsay Gibson knows only that she can’t help being fiercely attracted to the smoldering, seductive male who crosses her path. Swept into a dangerous world of tumultuous passion and preternatural conflict, Lindsay is soon caught between her angel lover, her vampire father, and a full-blown lycan revolt. There’s more at stake than her love and her life–she could lose her very soul…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

A Hunger So Wild – Summer 2012

Liviania’s review of Frostbound (The Dark Forgotten, Book 4) by Sharon Ashwood
Paranormal Romance published by Signet 7 Jun 11

Sharon Ashwood knows how to write a fun paranormal romance.  Much of Frostbound would be cause for an angst fest in other hands.  But Ashwood’s characters aren’t the kind to revel in their own misery.

Talia Rostova just returned home to find her nearly identical, human cousin decapitated.  She’s the prime suspect because she’s a vampire and she has no one to turn to.  She’s been hiding from her human and vampire families as a fashion-obsessed English teacher.  In reality, she’s a clever and resourceful predator.  I enjoyed Talia’s ability to change her worldview.  She’s willing to accept that she doesn’t know everything and things might not be how they seem.

Lore is the alpha of the local hellhounds and currently being pressured to find his mate so that the rest of the pack will be fertile again.  He’s also responsible for keeping the city safe, which is why he takes Talia into custody.  Despite the fact he’s supposed to enforce the rules, Lore is pretty big on following his instincts rather than the law.  He’s willing to risk being wrong in order to be with Talia.

Pretty much, Talia and Lore are likeable because they’re very adult.  They keep their responsibilities and other people in mind, but they don’t trick themselves into believing there’s only one course of action.  They think things through before they do them.  It’s not that they’re never spontaneous or stupidly heroic, just that they manage to use their passion constructively.

The death of Talia’s cousin Michelle isn’t the only thing gone awry.  A vampire is running in the local election and certain factions want to make sure he doesn’t win.  For one thing, he’s loyal to the vampire’s Queen Omara and some other monarchs hold a grudge against her.  Plus, the Hunters aren’t too fond of the idea of a vampire mayor.

The first three books in the Dark Forgotten are pretty closely related, but only two of the previous heroes are given any mention in Frostbound (that I noticed).  Thus, it’s a pretty good jumping in point.  Ashwood has been expanding her world book by book, but there’s not much mythology that new readers need to pick up.

I’m pretty fond of the Dark Forgotten series.  They’re light, breezy, and the romances are believable.  Too many paranormal romance authors forget that people can have dark pasts and still enjoy life.  Frostbound is simply pure entertainment.

Grade: B+

Summary:

As a snowstorm locks down the city, someone beheads the wrong girl. Vampire-on-the-lam Talia Rostova thinks it was meant to be her. And now she’s the prime suspect in her own botched murder and the prisoner of her smoking-hot-neighbor: a hellhound. And the hot-blooded Lore was bred to serve and protect, so he’s not freeing Talia until he’s sure she’s the prey and not the hunter…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

C2’s review of Serpent’s Kiss (Elder Races, Book 3) by Thea Harrison
Paranormal Romance published by Berkley 4 Oct 11

In Serpent’s Kiss we get another different view of the Elder Races (in Book 1, we got an overview; in Book 2, a micro-view of the politics). This is a much more intimate book – it concentrates almost entirely on Rune, a gryphon Wyr, and Carling, queen of the Vampyres.  It must focus on them because they are racing to find a cure for Carling’s condition before she dies.

First, faithful reader, I must tell you that I love Rune!  He has replaced Dragos as my favorite Wyr.  Rune is such an interesting mix of
laid-back calm and kick-ass defender.  He can be lazy and affectionate one minute and in full attack mode the next.  Maybe that’s the feline in him?  <3  And once he decides to go after something?  Stand back!

Carling, who hasn’t been able to feed on blood for a very long time, is a succubus.  She feeds off the emotions of creatures around her – which makes it nice to have Rune around, since he is filled with all sorts of tasty strong emotions.

Carling knows she is dying.  She has been studying what happens to Vampyres as they reach great ages since she first lost the ability to feed off blood.  Carling has recently been having “episodes” where she is suddenly…absent.  She loses track of time and is unresponsive to those around her.  Unless she finds a cure, Carling will not live much longer.  Rune refuses to let that happen.  For all that he only came to her because he promised her a favor of her choice – a very big deal among the Elder Races – if she saved Tiago (in Book 2, Storm’s Heart), he finds himself increasingly intrigued by and attracted to Carling.

Carling, on the other hand, although she wants to find a cure, seems more resigned to her fate.  Her emotions are so much more distant than Rune’s (his emotions aren’t distant at all), even though they are both ancient creatures.  They aren’t the only people interested in Carling’s condition, however.  When the King of Vampyres finds out Carling has left her voluntary seclusion and that her episodes are affecting the world around her, he sends people to kill her.  Carling and Rune manage to escape and go on the run, in hopes that they find the information they need to save Carling before they are caught and before Carling has another episode and is lost forever.

Will they find a cure? What if Rune and Carling have found each other only as one is about to slip away? Oh, you know you want to find out for yourself, faithful reader. I am so enjoying the Elder Races series. Their world gets richer and deeper and more interesting with each book. And each story just leaves me wanting more. And did I mention that I love Rune? Love!

Grade: A

Summary:

In the latest Novel of the Elder Races, a Queen on the brink of sanity has no one to rely on except the Wyr warrior whose conviction is every bit as strong as his passion…

In order to save his friend’s life, Wyr sentinel Rune Ainissesthai made a bargain with Vampyre Queen Carling—without knowing what she would ask from him in return. But when Rune attempts to make good on his debt, he finds a woman on the edge.

Recently, Carling’s Power has become erratic, forcing her followers to flee in fear. Despite the danger, Rune is drawn to the ailing Queen and decides to help her find a cure for the serpent’s kiss—the vampyric disease that’s killing her.

With their desire for each other escalating just as quickly as Carling’s instability spirals out of control, the sentinel and the Queen will have to rely on each other if they have any hope of surviving the serpent’s kiss…

Read an excerpt! Or another! Or a third!

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of In the Heat of the Bite by Lydia Dare
Historical Paranormal Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 1 Jul 11

I’ve been looking forward to this offshoot of Lydia Dare’s Westfield Brothers series. I didn’t really know what to expect, just that vampyres are being introduced into the mix. Unfortunately, I missed reading the first book in this new series, so I’m not sure if that has somehow dampened my enjoyment of this book , if it’s something else entirely, or perhaps a combination of both.

While the majority of my disappointment in this story is more than like a combo, the main sticking point for me is it’s the hero who let me down this time. I’ve enjoyed most of the heroes in these books, a couple more than others, so I’m slightly surprised Matthew doesn’t work as well for me. He does everything right. He’s a gentleman and a vampyre. He takes his responsibilities seriously. And he’s taken immediately with Rhiannon, even despite her witchly powers. But in comparison to those other heroes, Matthew is…a tad boring.

Rhiannon is in London for her sister’s coming out, but their aunt won’t her anywhere near the girl. The woman looks down on those witchly powers. It’s due to this aunt that Rhi pitches a fit of a storm – she controls the weather – in the middle of the night in the middle of a park, and Matthew just happens by. He’s fascinated. Rhiannon, not so much return fascination. She hasn’t had much luck with vampyres, having been attacked by one, so she’s a wee bit lukewarm toward Matthew.

From this point on, things kind of get tiresome. Matthew isn’t the typical alpha hero for being a vampyre. All those traits he has are fine, but he’s a supernatural being. Gimme alpha along with it. So he’s just ho-hum, as is the story for a good portion of the book. While there’s a spark between Matthew and Rhiannon, nothing else all that exciting goes on. There’s not much conflict. In fact, there’s more conflict between Matthew and Alec, who is now a vampyre himself – something that happened in the first book, which I’d really like to know about. I think it would definitely help my understanding of this story more. The only thing that perks me up is Rhiannon’s weather control problems. While she can, of course, control it when she desires, she has none whatsoever when it comes to extreme emotion, and there are some fun scenes when rain and other elements show up at all the wrong times. Matthew has control problems with Alec, but he controls his desire for Rhiannon, despite her best efforts to make him lose every ounce. So there’s a whole lot of control problems, but none of the really wake the story up.

The one element of the story that really irritates me, though, is the fact that Matthew, once he falls in love with and acknowledges his love for Rhiannon, becomes human again. Sigh. That negates one of the main reasons why I read these paranormal books. Okay, I realize perhaps Ms. Dare is trying to give readers something different, but this is just too much. Happily ever after in a paranormal is just that, happy forever. Don’t take that away when that’s the ultimate romance, being with the one you love for all eternity. In hindsight, I see the clues in Matthew missing his long-gone human traits, always feeling the outsider, and the like, but this concept just caught me off guard, and I didn’t like it. And the fact that Rhiannon knew this could happen, something else from the previous book, and she never mentions it to a soul? Really? Doesn’t make sense when she talks about everything else under the sun with her coven sisters.

What I do like is Alec’s story, and I’m looking forward to his book. I’m hoping to read It Happened One Bite before I get to his, however, because I do want to know what happened to him as it happens and not from his or anyone else’s recollections or conversation about it, and I believe that will fill in the holes I’ve fallen into already. All of you read-my-series-in-order readers know how that goes. But I’m anxious to find out who his lady love will be after his infatuation and constant protection of Caitlin throughout all of these books.

We also get to reacquaint ourselves with past characters, and I’m still especially fond of Dashiel. He has his hands full with Cait and his brothers, whom at times seem a little too childish but do then show great character at others. I’m not sure I really like Callista’s character. She’s Matthew’s maker, and when she realizes she’s losing him, in more ways than one, she goes a little ballistic. I’d rather she’d been happy for the man after his being alone and basically unhappy for more than six centuries.

So, all in all, there’s just a mish-mash of goings-on all the way through this book, and that’s just not up to what I expect from Lydia Dare after four very successful books. Quite bewildering.

Grade: C-

Summary:

Chivalry is far from undead…

Matthew Halkett, Earl of Blodswell, is one of the few men in the ton who can claim to be a knight in shining armor- because that’s precisely what he was before being turned into a vampyre. When he spies a damsel in distress in the midst of a storm in Hyde Park, his natural instinct is to rush to her aid…

But not every woman needs to be rescued…

Weather-controlling witch Rhiannon Sinclair isn’t caught in a storm-she’s the cause of it. She’s mortified to have been caught making trouble by the imposing earl, but she doesn’t need any man-never has, and is sure she never will…

But when Rhiannon encounters Matthew again, her powers go awry and his supernatural abilities run amok. Between the two of them, the ton is thrown into an uproar. There’s never been a more tempestuous scandal…

No excerpt available.

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:

Ash’s review of Wicked Highlander (Dark Sword Series, Book 3) by Donna Grant
Paranormal Romance published by St. Martin’s 02 Nov 10

So I’ve put this book off for awhile because the first two books didn’t blow me away. Wicked Highlander is much better, and it finally really drew me into the story.

Quinn and Marcail are the more interesting couple of the series so far for me. Though it might just be Quinn, Marcail I could do without sometimes. Even though he’s an immortal Warrior, he is not written like an exaggeration of a person. I think that is what I like most about Wicked Highlander - Quinn is such an easy character to read.

Marcail started off strong, but, sadly, it seems like the more she cares for Quinn, the dumber she gets. I don’t think she has any self-preservation, and I like my heroines to be a little stronger than that. Most of the time she isn’t too bad, though she isn’t as interesting a person as I think Quinn deserves.

Deirdre this time is still more bark than bite to me. She continues to say how powerful she is, but we never really see it. Everyone from the previous books have appearances too, but I’m more interested with what’s going on at the mountain. The side characters, who all seem to have books coming, are another part that have me really into this book. I’m fascinated by all of them and I want to see what happens with them.

The series is getting better book by book and I look forward to the next one. Isla is one of those other characters whose story I’m interested in. I hope the progression continues, because Wicked Highlander has kicked things into gear and that is what I was waiting for.

Grade: B+

Summary:

The most reckless and fierce of the MacLeod brothers, Quinn is a prisoner of the god inside him, tormented by his inability to save his family from slaughter. His fury governs him, and day by day he loses himself to the darkenss in his soul. But Quinn has a profound yearning for a woman’s love….

Raised by Druids, the achingly beautiful Marcail is as spellbinding as the ancient magic that surges through her body. To Quinn, she is most desirable woman he has ever known. But to his enemy Deirdre, she is the perfect bait to lure Quinn into her trap. Once the two lovers are in her wicked grasp, their passion will be put to the ultimate test…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Janet Webb’s review of New York To Dallas: an In Death novel by J.D. Robb
Futuristic thriller hardcover released by Putnam Adult 15 Sep 11

I was so excited to have an opportunity to review this book. I have every single one of the In Death books and I re-read the futuristic series frequently, especially the earliest ones. J.D. Robb has created a world populated, at its heart, by a stronger-than-life heroine, Eve Dallas, and her gazillionaire Irish husband Roarke. What did I learn from New York To Dallas? First lesson: never, ever, ever take Eve and Roarke away from their home in New York City, at least not for almost the entirety of the book. New York hasn’t changed that much, in Robb’s 50-years-into-the-future-vision: it’s still the pulsating, vibrant, down and dirty and master of the universe center of the world, and it’s the heart and soul of Eve and Roarke’s world.

Monster McQueen escapes from prison and the first thing he does is gets a message to Eve. He’s out for revenge. Leaving trusty Peabody in charge, Eve and Roarke fly to Dallas, where McQueen has escaped. Readers know that Dallas, the city, is Eve’s childhood home and it’s the stuff of continuing nightmares for her. Brutally abused by her father, Eve eventually kills him and escapes, but she does not escape unharmed. McQueen knows of Eve’s past, which is why he lures her to Dallas. Roarke too has some history there, through his n’er-do-well con-artist father. I had expected New York To Dallas to be a very dark book, because of Eve’s childhood, and it was, sort of. Unfortunately, I feel her encounters with her memories and persons from the past are almost cartoonish: it’s a vivid, over-the-top tableau. Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker came to mind: the painfulness and reality of the past was so exaggerated as to not seem real.

My biggest difficulty with the book is, with the exception of the exaggerated memories from Eve’s childhood, everything is dialed back. The intimate bedroom scenes are anything but pulsing and powerful, the violence McQueen perpetrates on his victims is distanced and almost safe. Even the futuristic setting is less of a character in the novel and more a couple adjectives and nouns. Let me be more specific: in each book details serve to deepen the In Death world. In this book, I’m not even sure what Dr. Mira is wearing … instead Robb reintroduces and reintroduces the talismans from earlier books (Eve’s grey button, the huge diamond on a chain, even Galahad the cat). I feel as if Robb and her publishers decided to dial back, even more, the intensity of the earlier books, to introduce Eve and Roarke to a new audience. This happened once before: I thought there was a huge shift in the way the books were written when Robb transitioned from paperback to hardcover, but this takes the process even further.

Even the way the crime is solved, through bank records and knowing what things Isaac liked to buy, seems so been there/done that. This is not a fresh book, Dallas is no city for this New York couple and I was very disappointed. My recommendation: if you’re curious about the In Death series, buy Naked In Death and prepare to be transported and moved. It’s truly one of the best starts to a series of all time. I cannot recommend this book: for the first time, I won’t be putting it on my keeper shelf. Robb is too good a writer not to engage her readers and this book is readable on that level—it just could have been more.

I hold J.D. Robb to a very high standard: her best is excellent indeed and justifies her phenomenal reputation and following, and I still look forward to reading the next in the In Death series.

Grade: C

Summary:

The number-one New York Times bestselling author J.D. Robb presents an intense and terrifying new case for New York homicide cop Eve Dallas, one that will take her all the way to the city that gave her her name—and plunge her into the nightmares of her childhood.

When a monster named Isaac McQueen—taken down by Eve back in her uniform days—escapes from Rikers, he has two things in mind. One is to pick up where he left off, abducting young victims and leaving them scarred in both mind and body. The other is to get revenge on the woman who stopped him all those years ago.

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Naked in Death, Jul 1995
Glory in Death, Dec 1995
Immortal in Death, Jul 1996
Rapture in Death, Oct 1996
Ceremony in Death, May 1997
Vengeance in Death, Oct 1997
Holiday in Death, Jun 1998
“Midnight in Death,” Silent Night, Nov 1998 (anthology)
Conspiracy in Death, Apr 1999
Loyalty in Death, Oct 1999
Witness in Death, Mar 2000
Judgment in Death, Sep 2000
Betrayal in Death, Mar 2001
“Interlude in Death,” Out of This World, Aug 2001 (anthology)
Seduction in Death, Sep 2001
Reunion in Death, Mar 2002
Purity in Death, Sep 2002
Portrait in Death, Mar 2003
Imitation in Death, Sep 2003
Divided in Death, Jan 2004
Remember When, May 2004 (novella)
Visions in Death, Aug 2004
Survivor in Death, Feb 2005
Origin in Death, Jul 2005
Memory in Death, Jan 2006
“Haunted in Death,” Bump in the Night, Apr 2006 (anthology)
Born in Death, Nov 2006
Innocent in Death, Feb 2007
Creation in Death, Nov 2007
“Eternity in Death,” Dead of Night, Nov 2007 (anthology)
Strangers in Death, Feb 2008
Salvation in Death, Nov 2008
“Ritual in Death,” Suite 606, Nov 2008 (anthology)
Promises in Death, Feb 2009
Kindred in Death, Nov 2009
“Missing in Death,” The Lost, Dec 2009 (anthology)
Fantasy in Death, Feb 2010
Big Jack, Mar 2010 (novella)

Ash’s review of Entangled by Cynthia Eden, Jennifer Estep, Edie Ramer, Lori Brighton, Michelle Diener, Misty Evans, Nancy Haddock, Liz Kreger, Dale Mayer, Michelle Miles, and Allison Brennan
Paranormal romance anthology ebook published by Authors4theCure 07 Sept 11

First off I want to say that I think that what these authors are doing is a wonderful thing. I do Relay for Life every year for my aunt’s best friend who is a breast cancer survivor, as well as my great aunt who passed away due to breast cancer. I had a hard time with this review because I don’t want to say anything bad about this book. I think everyone should buy it, and I even planned to gift it to someone since I got my copy free to review. I didn’t like every story, not at all. The ones I did like, however, were beyond terrific and are worth every cent and more. Those are the ones I am going to talk about most.

Halloween Frost by Jennifer Estep

I love this one and it is a great start to the book. Powerful teens sent off to a special school is really nothing new anymore, but this feels fresh. I was able to immediately connect to Gwen and the other characters all have distinct personalities that stood out. I have a clear picture of the people, the town, and even the creatures. As soon as I read this,  I bought the first one in the series. The quick glimpse of Gwen Frost and her world pulls you in, and I can’t wait to read and learn more about it.

Grade: A

Medium Rare by Nancy Haddock

Here is another story that is clear and stands out in all the good ways.  I feel like I’m there with the characters and not just reading about them.  I’m not usually a fan of stories centered on ghosts because they tend to feel unrealistic (yes, I do believe in ghosts),  but Nancy Haddock knows what she is doing. It also has one of my favorite romance plot lines, enemies (ok not really, but definitely not friends) to lovers. I only wish there’s more romance, but I always feel that way.

Grade: B

Sweet Demon by Misty Evans

So this one appears to be the start of a new series, and I’m super excited about that. Sweet Demon feels like a full-length novel, and every time I remember it’s a short story, I get sad. I would have been happy reading much more about Kali Sweet. I am dying to know what happened between her and Rad 300 years ago, and especially what he was going to tell her when he saw her again. I have no clue when the next book comes out, but I really wish it’s soon.

Grade: A+

Feel the Magic by Liz Kreger

Definitely an interesting story. I can’t say I have ever read about a woman wanting to be magically transformed into a cat. The story felt a little bogged down with all the characters and all the talk about making the transformation legal. I would have liked more focus on the magic, the witch, and the cat wannabe.

Grade: C

A Bit of Bite by Cynthia Eden

This story reminds me why I always enjoy Cynthia Eden’s books. I haven’t read one in awhile, but now I want to go hunt some down. Werewolves have been slowly becoming my favorite over the past few years, and A Bit of Bite shows me why. Julian is the alpha werewolf and he has no intentions of letting Ava get away from him again. The tension in A Bit of Bite is thick and I love every bit of it.

Grade: B+

Sian’s Solution by Dale Mayer

A vampire saves her lover from a blood farm, and it is more of a slow build-up instead of loaded with drama. In a full-length novel I probably wouldn’t have had the patience, but it works as a short story. It’s interesting how she plans to get them both out safely and I always love when it’s the heroine doing the rescuing. A little more action would have helped a bit, though.

Grade: C

Breaking Out by Michelle Diener

This story is kind of Alias meets Heroes and I am definitely a fan of both. We have people with powers, black ops, and mind control. Add in some romance and I am sold. I feel teased with such a great short story and I sincerely hope there is more coming. I have to know more about Kell, Nate, and Giles.

Grade: A

So, it’s a great book for a great cause. I am anxious to start reading some of the series that these stories are from, and my only issue is I don’t know where to start. You also can’t beat the price, and considering it is all going to BCRF, it is more than worth it.

Overall Grade: A+

Summary:

Ghosts, vampires, demons, and more! Entangled includes ten suspense-filled paranormal short stories from authors Cynthia Eden, Jennifer Estep, Edie Ramer, Lori Brighton, Michelle Diener, Misty Evans, Nancy Haddock, Liz Kreger, Dale Mayer, and Michelle Miles, plus a Seven Deadly Sins novella by Allison Brennan.

Stacia Kane contributed the foreword. Formatting and cover art were also donated to the project by Lori Devoti and Laura Morrigan.

All proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Read an excerpt.