Review: Sunroper

Sunroper by Natalie J. Damschroder

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Having picked up this series at book 2, I was really eager to get my hands on more from this author. The writing style is great, the pacing is quick, and the story is addictive. This world that these books takes place is really unique and interesting, too.

This book picks up with Marley, who we were all worried about at the end of book 2. She's toughed up considerably and is now working with the most unlikely of partners. While on her mission to nullify as many possible leechers as possible, she runs into Gage. Gage is looking for his brother, who went undercover to infiltrate a group of guys who are getting high off power doled out by a rogue sun goddess. He crosses paths with Marley and is immediately ensnared.

Marley sees herself as damaged, but Gage sees her as perfection. Their reluctant love story was sweet, gritty, and real. There were a lot of characters from previous books, too, which was a nice little treat. Marley started the book so hard, I'm glad that we get a pretty good HEA out of this one. She deserved it.



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Review: Heart of the Incubus

Heart of the Incubus by Rosalie Lario

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this little paranormal read. I've not read any of the other books in this series, so all the characters were brand new to me, but it didn't hinder my enjoyment of this really well written novella.

Cresso is an incubus who has fallen in love. He also happens to be a coworker in a large scientific organization with the object of his affections. The problem, of course, is that she seems completely uninterested in him. Genevieve is a researcher with a small amount of magical gift. She was recruited for this rather hidden organization and thought it was a great time to run away from her cheating fiance and all the problems associated with it. This left a very scarred and broken woman that obviously thinks herself unable to draw the attention of one very sexy incubus.

There is some fun back and forth where both characters think they are unworthy of the other that ends in some rather explosive and sizzling scenes. There was mystery, romance, action, and some amazing chemistry. While I wasn't familiar with this author before this short story, I'll be sure to remedy that in the future. I would love to see what the author can really do with a full length installment in the series.



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Review: Dragon Awakened

Dragon Awakened by Jaime Rush

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this book really takes off from page 1 without letting up! I've read one of the short stories that takes place before these books (I think), but even that didn't prepare me for diving right into this book. You get thrown head first into the deep end of this new world of the hidden -- where dragons and magicians are real things.

Raised on fairy tale stories by her uncle, Ruby never knew anything was different about her, other than her orphan status. When she watches something unexplainable murder her Uncle, Ruby's world starts to tilt on its axis. Chasing down leads on his Uncle's murderer drags her to Cyntag. Years previous, Cyntag was just going about his duties as a sanctioned assassin when he found the child of his victims still alive in a boat. Since then (and after quitting his job) he's been duty sworn to protect her. But can it actually be possible for a romance to happen between a woman and her parent's killer? I was skeptical too, but this book completely sold me on it.

The romance is really wonderfully done, with just the right amount of sizzling scenes thrown in to keep the dragon's sensuality just right. The fighting and training made for some really hot story. I'm so sad that the book came to such an abrupt end -- I want more! There was some resolution, but I guess I should've waited until I had the whole trilogy before starting the first one. Now I've got to worry and wonder about these characters that I've grown to love.



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Review: Legend of the Highland Dragon

Legend of the Highland Dragon by Isabel Cooper

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

To be honest, I'm not usually a fan of historical paranormal romance, but since I was on a dragon kick, I figured I'd check this one out as a change from my typical reads. This was a fun little story that was a mix of romance, paranormal, and mystery. There's lots of magic and strong female characters, along with a good start to a few dragon book follow-ups.

Mina begins the book as a tough little secretary to an aging professor. One day, Stephen MacAlasdair walks into the office and turns her life upside down. Drawn into his mysterious conversation, she ends up ultimately working for him and living in his house. While I'm used to a more contemporary romance that has a few hot scenes leading up to some sort of culmination, this was certainly a book with "propriety of the times" in mind. Mina certainly can hold her own, and there is a lot of feminism that pops up along the way.

All in all, this was an interesting read, especially for the historical romance fans out there.



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Review: Caged in Bone

Caged in Bone by S.M. Reine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



These books are completely addictive. They suck you in and just won't let you go! Elise and Rylie once again joined forces in what seems like a small task, but ends up exploding to apocalyptic proportions.

Abel has gone missing and the only clue they find is a rune that indicates the ever elusive James Faulkner has been somehow involved. Rylie obtains the ruler of Dis's help (aka Elise) in a cross country search for her missing mate. Elise, of course, has an agenda of her own that is a mix of guilt, rage, and conflicted love/hate feelings that still bounce around between James and Elise.

I pretty much read these books for the heartbreaking little scenes we get between James and Elise. Every time James enters on the scene, I smile. As much as I know we should all hate James by now (especially Elise), I'm rooting for every small sign of affection between the two of them. I think I finally figured out what first drew me to this book two-some. They completely remind me of Aeon and Trevor from the Aeon Flux series. It's a tortured love/hate relationship, but you still can't help but root for a happy ending. If that brings back fond memories for you, this series can't be missed. Start from the beginning, though, because all the torture is really worth it for the moments of true happiness.

There are some truly big events that happen in this book, further progressing the storyline and pushing us towards whatever massive ending this series has in store for us. We get slightly more happiness and slightly less torment by the end of the book. It's still a gritty and awesomely action-packed read that you've come to expect from S.M. Reine, with a little ray of sunshine to keep the HEA-chasers holding on to hope. I can't wait to see where this series ends up!



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Review: Reaver

Reaver by Larissa Ione

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, now that I'm officially caught up on this series I don't know what to do with myself! It seems like with each book, we get more an more answers, but at the same time, there's more questions floating around, too! This book was a few installments in the making, so I'm glad that a lot of my most pressing concerns and questions were all resolved in one tidy book.

This book, obviously, was about Reaver and Harvester (as they've both "reinvented" themselves in their new names). With oodles of baggage for each of them, it seemed like they would never actually be able to be with one another. Lots of trust issues, LOTS of memory tinkering and betrayal, but at least there's a big impetus to clean house in the angel ranks, since it seems just about every bad thing that happens originates there. It's a little hard to give a review without being too spoilery, but I will say that this book had some pretty dark moments, but managed to spin it around to yet another HEA ending to make me smile.

I still really love Reaver, but learning about his past was a bit of a turn-off. Turns out, his past should have probably stayed a mystery. I mean, yes, we learned some really big things in the previous book, but as far as relationships go, he was kind of a douche (to steal a popular word from this series). I kept thinking we'd learn something that was missing (like he was somehow forced to be a mean guy to save something blahblahblah). Nope. Just a douche. Luckily, he's had five thousand years to kind of redeem himself. Harvester, on the other hand, really seems to have gotten the short end of the stick in all of this. She really did do things for some pretty selfless reasons all along and got nothing but grief about it. I guess ending up with the yummy Reaver is a bit of a prize. I'm still waiting for a teary baby scene.

As far as future installments go, we saw the setup for the next one pretty obviously in this one. I'm not sure how much longer this series can sustain itself on some of the side characters, but with all the revelations in this book, I'm eager to at least read about Rev. The writing style and pacing have me diving into these books and not stopping until I am done. Sadly, I'll actually have to wait for the next one before I can continue my binge reading.



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Review: O Come, All Ye Horsemen (and Angels) (Lords of Deliverance, #4.6);

O Come, All Ye Horsemen (and Angels) (Lords of Deliverance, #4.6); by Larissa Ione

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This was another of the author's short little reads that take place before Reaver's book. It follows Reaver as he tries to figure out what his first gifts to his children should be. As most Christmas stories are, it was adorable and heart warming to watch these tough guys and girls share a moment during the holidays. I can't wait to read Reaver's book now.



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Review: Oh, Christmas Hells, Oh Christmas Hells… (Lords of Deliverance, #4.5);

Oh, Christmas Hells, Oh Christmas Hells… (Lords of Deliverance, #4.5); by Larissa Ione

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This was a cute little blurb that let us see how shade and Runa are handling all their kids and the meshing of their very different holidays. It was good to get a little catch up from some often overlooked characters. The story was available for free on the author's website, so anyone can swing by and read it for themselves.

In the spirit of reading everything from these overlapping books, I'm going to read all the mini stories to make sure I don't miss anything!



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Review: Rogue Rider

Rogue Rider by Larissa Ione

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Things are really starting to fall into place, and this book was a really solid installment in the series. We get love and action and some really big reveals in this book.

The central story is about Reseph, who had all his memories taken from him when Reaver dumped him in a snowy field. Luckily, Jillian finds his frozen body and drags him back to her cabin in the middle of nowhere. All of the other big changes in the previous books (Aegis drama, DART formation, hellhound activity, the Horsemen's mystery father, Harvester sneakiness, and Reaver's missing memories) seem to all play a major role in this book. Yes, Jillian and Reseph's love story plays out in a pretty predictable way, but it was almost nice to have something easy to predict when everything else is falling apart.

To be honest, I predicted who their father ended up being before the previous book ended. There were some clues scattered throughout the books, which would make a re-read pretty fun. All of the other events came fast and furious and even though the "demon apocalypse" isn't on the horizon, I can see the setup happening for this other "biblical apocalypse." These books are fun and completely addictive. The blend of mind-blowing action and some hot paranormal romance (and smut) is perfect.



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Review: Lethal Rider

Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Wow, this book was just jam packed with all sorts of storyline progress. There's the usual sexy goodness and witty banter that I expect from Larissa Ione, with so much action that I couldn't put the book down.

We meet up with Than and Regan almost 9 months after she got pregnant. She's been held at the Aegis headquarters to try to keep her safe. She's still conflicted and sad, but very determined to save her baby. Than has been drugged and going out of his mind. Through some magical meddling, Than escapes his caring captors to find Regan, drawn by the baby. This sets off a huge set of events that can't really be summarized. Reseph is still on a rampage, bad things are still happening around the world, we still don't know who the horsemen's father is, but the pieces are really starting to come together.

I'm especially glad that I read the short story in "Supernatural" before this one, and the short story in the "Apocalypse" compendium. It gave some insight that I appreciated while some things were coming together. I really like that the series spent so much time giving a nice HEA to Regan and Than, while I thought this book might spend more time on another pair of doomed mates. I absolutely can't wait to continue with this series.



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Review: Apocalypse: The Lords of Deliverance Compendium

Apocalypse: The Lords of Deliverance Compendium by Larissa Ione

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I'm not really a fan of these compendium style books, but the short story in it was what motivated me to read this one. The short story was a really nice bonus that gives insight into how Lilith seduced Yenrieth. We get to see some characters that ultimately get referenced in later Lords of Deliverance books. It's like a little gem that you, as an "insider" get to read because of your super fandom.

Lilith was obviously a sex demon, on a mission to seduce a sexy angel from the moment she sees him. Yenrieth is a conflicted (and kind of oblivious) angel who feels nothing wrong with having some casual sex with what he believes is just a very confident human woman.

The story was smutty and gave some insight, but wasn't anything really mind blowing. There's more mysteries than there are answers, but I know it's all heading somewhere spectacular.



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Review: Let it Snow

Let it Snow by Erica Ridley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a short and adorable paranormal romance. Set in a sort of contemporary but magically medieval world, Lance and Mari get stuck in a groundhog's day-esque situation in a legendary castle. There was a lot of quick and witty banter, oodles of fun pop culture references, and a sigh worthy love story.

While trying to fight off assassins after a reward on his head, Lance heads off in search of a priceless treasure kept in a legendary castle. Unfortunately, Lance gets trapped in the castle, just like all the adventurers that came before him. He finds Mari, wearing a medieval gown, and desperate to not tell him the truth -- that at midnight, anyone else that has gotten caught in the castle has turned into a Christmas ornament for her rapidly filling Christmas tree. Through some magical designs (or fate?), Mari and Lance end up being able to spend a few wonderful days trapped in Mari's rather large cage and they begin to know the real people hidden behind their first impressions.

This author's writing style is easy and fun, peppered with lots of wit, sarcasm, and a truly entertaining storyline.



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Review: Rival

Rival by Lacy Yager

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am in love with this series and this author. The writing is easy and fun to read. The characters are YA-ish and completely adorable. The action is fast-paced and perfectly balanced. Oh, and the dialogue is always sarcastic, silly, and 100% entertaining.

This was a short installment from the strictly Chaser perspective. I've read the other two books in the series before reading this installment, which probably helped. Emily was raised in a Chaser family, but when her father passed away, her mother forbid her to continue following her calling. Brett is a boy who has been in love with Emily for most of his life. They fight together, but their relationship has been strained by what she believes was him throwing their last fight in the tournament.

Aside from the story being really fun to read, it was nice to have a touch of my real life thrown in. Having recently been diagnosed with RA rather early in life, reading about Brett's battle with hiding and managing his RA really struck home. I'm glad that it doesn't always have to be the female characters that have some sort of hidden flaw. Brett's inner turmoil and romantic inner monologue was really refreshing to read. This was a wonderful addition to what is quickly shaping up to be a great series.



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Review: Shadow Allegiance

Shadow Allegiance by Lacy Yager

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love these little yummy reads. They are perfectly paced with short, changing POV chapters filled with adorable YA-ish crushes and romance. Oh, and there's action. Lots and lots of action. But the witty banter and hilariously "real" dialogue was peppered in all the scenes (even while knee deep in blood and guts), making the book a wonderfully entertaining read.

This book primarily focuses on Rachel and Alex. I admit, I had to give myself a little crash course on what happened in the last book (there were a lot of books for me in between that one and this read), but once I did that, this book refused to be put down. While Rachel came across as a petulant teenager in the last book, she really revealed herself in this one. Alex also, came across as the quintessential baddie, but both he and Rachel are able to become so much more together.

If you're a fan of paranormal romance and love your action quick and filled with laugh-out-loud dialogue, this series is for you!



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Review: Prince of Shadows

Prince of Shadows by Tes Hilaire

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read any of the other books in this series, but was able to pick this book up and dive right in. It was a great blend of action, romance, smut, and unique paranormals.

While there were smaller storylines that I'm sure will star in the next few books, this one followed Gabby and Valin. Gabby is a half breed who was forcibly turned into a vampire. After years of abuse, she still managed to hold her own and eventually broke free of her tormentors. Now training a group of half-Paladin gifted warriors, she is determined to not fall in love with Valin. Valin, on the other hand, knows that Gabby is his mate. He's been searching for her since she last ran from him. Their cat and mouse game was really fun to watch and sucked me right in.

Something about their chemistry and the twists and turns of the story had me rapidly plowing through this book. The characters were entertaining and the story was something I haven't read before. I'm hooked and eager to see a certain null get her story told! I'll certainly be looking for the next books in this series.



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Review: Best Served Cold

Best Served Cold by Tawdra Kandle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm typically a paranormal romance reader, but made an exception for this author because her other series is one of my all time favorites. This book reminded me that contemporary romance can be fun and easy too. The writing style was the same wonderful breath of fresh air that I've come to expect from Tawdra Kandle books. It's easy and has some truly "real" feeling interactions and character building.

The story was one of a Julia, a woman scorned. Her longtime boyfriend, Liam, broke up with her in a particularly spectacular and publicly humiliating way. Still reeling from the burn, she, her roommate, and Liam's roommate work to try to get them back together (while Julia and her roommate are secretly setting up a way for Julia to humiliate Liam). While this plan is at work, Julia stumbles into a situation she couldn't have planned. Jesse, the older brother of Julia's babysitting charge, turns out to be a temptation that she can't ignore. He's sweet and adorable, with just the right amount of sizzle. They sure did heat up the pages with their chemistry. Their dates made me sigh and smile right along with them. And the Joss references didn't hurt!

This book was a really refreshing take on a revenge storyline. Rather than getting mired in the negativity, this book felt really positive. There were no cliche "gotcha" moments and it left me with a really big smile on my face. After a stressful morning, this was a great relaxing bathtub read that turned my whole day around.



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Review: Darkfever

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Jeez, this book was really a super quick read and fantastic! Yeah, it ends on a "to be continued" but really, it makes me want to dive right into the next of the series. I thought I'd find the main character annoying, but she's growing on me. We'll see how well this series develops because I am downloading the next one immediately after posting this :-)

Update: I re-read this thing in record time and -- damn -- it was still really great!

Update: 2nd re-read and it still sucks me in. I listened to the audio version of the additional scene and it still broke my head. Onward to book 2!

Update: This was my 4th time through (3rd re-read) and I can't wait to continue on. Each time I try to pick up more "clues" and re-read with new people. I have to say, the comments about it getting annoying how Mac always talks about the things that happen later are completely spot on. I admit to skimming on her doom and gloom at parts only to slow down on the yummy early Barrons/Mac interactions. Since we read all the highlander books in the book club before starting this re-read, I'm curious to see how I'll enjoy this time through as compared to the others. We shall see!



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Review: Rescuing Their Virgin Mate

Rescuing Their Virgin Mate by Vella Day

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This was a short but really nice erotic read. There was MFM, the werewolves I’ve grown to know in the previous two books, and a nice resolution to the storylines started earlier.

Elena was kidnapped earlier in the series, but we didn’t exactly know what became of her. Turns out, she was kept in a cage until it was time to auction her off to the highest bidder. Luckily, Clay and Dirk had already planned a rescue mission that began with them “purchasing” her from Hood (the big bad). Little do they know, Elena is destined to be their mate. After some awkward virgin moments, the three really hit it off in a good way that balanced their relationship out. The dirty/bad thoughts that had Elena second guessing herself (thankfully) did not last long.

In the end, it was a fun, quick read for an erotic paranormal story reader. I recommend reading the books in order, which are now available in a box set.




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Review: Midwinter Magic

Midwinter Magic by Erica Ridley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am in love with this world. The author really does a great job of creating a quirky and wonderful read that I just cannot put down! This was a shorter installment in the “Nether-Netherland” series, but it was still just as enjoyable as the first.

This book follows Sarah Phimm, a guardian angel who has been assigned to Jack, a very driven philanthropist who will stop at nothing to “save the world.” Because Jack is diving head first into saving some small villages, Sarah is forced to reveal herself and try to stop Jack from constantly putting himself in danger (thus making her job harder along the way!). Their interaction was adorable and heartwarming. There was a ton of chemistry and magic thrown in along the way that kept this book firmly in the paranormal romance zone. It was such a joy to read.

If you are a paranormal lover and enjoy a good HEA, check this book out. No previous experience with the Nether-Netherland world required.




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Review: Blood Unleashed

Blood Unleashed by Tracy Cooper-Posey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this third installment of the Blood Stone series really had a lot jam packed into it! There was tons of action, romance, smut, character development, secrets revealed, and mystery mystery mystery! I had no idea what to expect next because this book was really a departure from any formula I’d seen in the author’s previous work. Yes, there is still M/F/M action and M/M action and lots of interesting combinations, but this book also caught us up on all the other characters we met along the way.

The three main characters in this book are Marcus (a CIA agent, which was kind of expected after the ending of the previous book), “Rick” (a vampire who we also met at the end of the previous book, as a “vampire computer”), and Ilaria (an assassin vampire hottie who is working for some ultimately evil organizations). The interactions between these three happened in a strictly one on one fashion until part 2, where everything changes. The alliances, political motivations, and other drivers were hard to get a grip on to predict any sort of happy ending, but boy oh boy was it a wild ride along the way.

It was a great treat to catch up with some of our favorites from the previous books as well as seeing them in their previous roles. I’m rapidly falling in lust with all these characters and stories and can’t wait to read more. I was a little sad when I thought that this was the last book. So much happened along the way that I couldn’t imagine leaving everyone where they ended up. Luckily, after finishing up, I saw there is another book scheduled! Happy day! I am loving these stories that are so alike and yet so different. If you want a good paranormal erotic read, check these out!




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Review: Blood Stone

Blood Stone by Tracy Cooper-Posey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really solidly developed book that just so happens to have some erotic scenes in it. While I have had experience with the author’s other books, this series really is in a league of its own. There is a really interesting plot, well developed characters, vampire angst, and of course smuttity smut smut. The levels of each are much more balanced than I was expecting and I’m really sucked into this series.

Here we meet up with Kate, a tough Hollywood producer who is unwittingly drawn into a whole bunch of vampire politics. Ramping up their “coming out” to the public, Nial sends Garrett to get “invited” to the set of Kate’s new movie. At the same time, Roman (Garrett’s ex-lover) is working his own angle that includes seducing Kate. They both get sucked into something even more real than the vampire political games the warring factions are stirring up.

As I said previously, the smut and story were really balanced in this installment. I was rooting for Kate, Garrett and Roman all the way through, even when they were all fighting against it. I also really liked the strong heroine that really didn’t need saving most of the time. This was a hot and interesting paranormal read with some solidly ramping up story. I can’t wait to see where this ultimately ends up.




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Review: Blood Knot

Blood Knot by Tracy Cooper-Posey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read other books by this author, but this one is really a different breed. There is some serious story development and character building going on that, while is present in the other books I’ve read, is given some more time to grow in this book. There is still the M/M/F, M/F/M dynamics and oodles of smut to entertain you, but it had a little something… extra.

This book follows Winter, a breed of her own in that she can control body chemistries. Totally unique, she doesn’t really have a support system. While working as a thief and con artist with Sebastian, they later discover that they’ve both been hiding themselves when Winter inadvertently cures Sebastian of his vampirism. After a bunch of drama, Winter ends up on her own, dealing with some inherited blood cravings and trying to fight off Nial, Sebastian’s ex-lover and maker who has suddenly turned up and started trying to seduce her.

This book is the first in a series and really shows some good promise of things to come. I’m eager to begin book 2 to continue this storyline!




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Review: Beauty's Beast

Beauty's Beast by Tracy Cooper-Posey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This author is fast becoming my go-to for paranormal erotica. These quick serial reads are long enough to keep me engaged, and jam packed with sizzling hotness.

The story picks up years after the first book. Tally is dead, and her daughter, Riley, has finally been found. Damian and Nick appear on her doorstep to take her into their world of gargoyles and other supernaturals. She has to learn how to be the demon hunter that her mother spent years becoming. Oh, and she also has to work around the issues between her, Damian, and Nick almost from the get go. The boys have a lot of vampire/boyfriend baggage that Riley is tasked with handling. The attraction is instant, and HOT.

These books are yummy erotic reads and I'll keep reading them until the author stops writing them. What's not to like about paranormal erotica?





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Review: Forged by Fate

Forged by Fate by Reese Monroe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book really blew me away! I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this book was well written, had some really great characters, and was completely unique.

Theo is a Gatekeeper, tasked by the "great one" with protecting people from demons and sending them back to Hades. His brother, Justin, has been keeping him company and helping him with his fight for over 900 years. All the while, Theo has been eagerly waiting (and saving himself!!?!!) for his mate, a predestined woman who will be bonded with him and help him come into his true powers.

Sadie is an orphan who has made up for her luck in life by excelling at martial arts (as a black belt) and breezing through college by the age of 18. Set to graduate in mere days, her world is turned upside-down when a mysterious tattoo shows up on her shoulder. That coupled with her inability to keep down food does not bode well for her. All of her book smarts couldn't prepare her for meeting Theo, though. After a tumultuous first meeting, they spend the next few days running from demons, alternately saving each other from demons, and fighting some serious attraction. My only warning (depending on your reading tastes) is that this book is filled with a lot of sizzle, some fade to black, and a little sexy time. I don't think any of those things took away from the book, but there are some people out there who are very specific about what level of "sexy time" they want in their books...

This book was like a breath of fresh air. The dialogue was easy and the characters had me hooked from page one. I found it really disappointing to have to put the book down to do silly mundane things like sleep or go to work. I was torn between wanting to speed through to see what happened between Sadie and Theo and savor each and every page. I'm really eager to see what the next installment delivers. Will we follow Theo? Will we get to see Justin get his comeuppance? Will there be a new big bad? I'm hooked!



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Review: Unclaimed

Unclaimed by Sara Humphreys

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read any of the other books in this series, but I don't think it hurt me at all. The backstory was revealed as needed and the characters were developed enough in this book to stand on their own. This was a solid paranormal romance, with a mated pair twist (and oodles of action!).

The book revolves around Tatiana, a vet who can read the animal's emotions thanks to her half-amoveo (aka shifter) heritage. She's got a chip on her shoulder about the Amoveo people, even though her sister is mated and happily living in their camp. After some horses get sick on the prince's ranch, Tatiana begrudgingly heads out to help. Of course, this is where she meets her mate, who she has been hiding from for a while now. Dominic seems just as conflicted about being saddled with a mate as Tatiana, which leads to a whole heck of a lot of denial and running away.

Of course, fate won't be denied, and while the action and mystery were great motivators to keep the pages turning, the mated pair was what really kept me interested. There's a lot of sizzle and steamy scenes wedged in between the paranoia and shootouts. After getting a warm and fuzzy HEA vibe from this book (which made all the couple issues worth it), I'm interested in where this series will go in the future and will have to keep my eye out for new installments to come.



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Review: By Blood

By Blood by Tracy E. Banghart

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow – this was a really fantastic read! The writing was excellent, the characters were well thought out and engaging, and the story had me on the edge of my seat the entire time! This was YA goodness at its best!

The main character is Emma, a teenager being raised by her father in the US. Her mother, in an attempt to spend some quality time, invites her to spend the summer in England with her, her new husband, and their infant. Despite her begging and pleading, Emma still ends up on the long plane ride overseas. While moping and fighting every step of the way, she discovers that she’s not the only houseguest. Josh, her stepfather’s research assistant, has been chosen to stay with them for the summer as well. The hot, young American is a great distraction from Emma’s plan to be miserable. I really loved the relationship and banter between the two of them. Something about their interactions just seemed really genuine. A simple love story is never as entertaining as a complicated one, though, so Emma had to find a way to mess up this good thing with Josh. It came in the form of a group of “druids”, led by the mysterious and sexy Simon.

I was firmly on team Josh, but I have to say that Simon was awfully tempting. He’s a complete mystery for most of the book and really had me guessing at his motivations. I’m still not quite sure what really drove him throughout the book. Of course Emma was caught in this horrible love triangle and it was a little frustrating to watch. Josh was clearly the good guy while Simon was the sexy bad boy. I guess I can’t blame her for wanting a little bit of both on her seemingly horrible summer abroad.

This was a truly amazing read that I couldn’t put down. The story and writing had me flipping pages quickly and eagerly. The ultimate payoff was a great wrap-up that made this book stand alone as a winner for me. If you’re interested in a YA paranormal romance, you won’t be disappointed by this one.




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Review: Black Widow Demon

Black Widow Demon by Paula Altenburg

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

To be fair, I haven’t read book 1 in this series, but was intrigued by the synopsis of this one. I’m a big fan of paranormal romance, so this seemed like that plus a cowboy twist. It is a lot more than just that. The world is almost a post-apocalyptic type, destroyed after some goddess/demon dispute that left a bunch of half demon “spawn”, a camp that is loyal to the now missing goddesses, a group of assassins and those in training, and those who are just trying to survive in this new environment.

This book read a bit like a high fantasy novel, but was set in a world very similar to the old Wild West. There is a big “quest” that involves a lot of hiking around, there are powers being discovered and explored, friends made along the way, and a reluctant love story (where the two characters are fighting to save the other from a horrible fate with them). In this world, women are treated as possessions, suspected spawn are burned at the stake, and there are miles and miles of desert to roam. The story begins with Raven, the stepdaughter of a goddess chosen loyalist, who is a spawn with the power to call men to her. After rejecting her stepfather’s advances, she is set to be burned at the stake. Blade, an ex-assassin (and presumably involved in book 1), wanders through the town, only to watch Raven escape from her punishment. Drawn to her, he takes her troubles upon himself and they end up setting off on this “quest” together.

There are oodles of characters and a very rich world that exists in this book. It almost felt like a few books stitched together because as soon as it feels like things are wrapping up, even more mayhem invades their lives. For the fantasy fans out there that want a very dense alternative, this might really suit their needs.




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Review: Britton

Britton by Abby Niles

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've been eager to read this one ever since being introduced to Val and Britton. I knew there was a great story between them and this book proved me right. Something about the love/hate dynamic twisting to a lustful romp made for a wonderful read.

Val is a by the book, strict leader of SPAC, who never misses a chance to rub that fact in Britton's face. Britton is a shifter who has been forced to remain in human form for 20 years as punishment for endangering the shifter community while he was the leader of SPAC. This love/hate thing that they have going was bound to explode, but nothing could really prepare them for how it did. In order to re-enable Britton's masterful tracking abilities to solve a critical case, they have to give him back his beast (or stop silencing it). As with all shifters who fight too hard against any sort of mating instinct, Britton is almost brought down by it in the form on his previous enemy -- Val.

Val is equally dumbstruck by this whole mate thing, although she's at least knows what's going on. It was really great to watch the chemistry sizzle between those two, even as they fought it every step of the way. These books are little yummy delights and I can't wait to see where the story heads next!



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Review: Operation Saving Daniel

Operation Saving Daniel by Nina Croft

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nina Croft is becoming one of my favorite authors for a guaranteed fun read. There is a great balance of supernaturals, story, smut, and romance. I could tear through a hundred of these books without a problem.

This story is about Daniel and Lissa. Childhood friends, something changes on the last night before Lissa leaves. Determined to seduce him and rid him of his virginity, Lissa gives Daniel a farewell/birthday gift. After years of each having a crush on the other, this could have turned into something more. Unfortunately, Lissa runs away from this possible relationship. Fast forward 10 years and Lissa has finally decided it's time to stop running. Unable to fight her still present feelings for Daniel, she returns only to discover that he's a changed man.

Daniel is not ordinary guy and he certainly isn't the hesitant young man that Lissa fell in love with. The story only gets more interesting as the paranormal elements surface and Lissa has to fight to get the Daniel she knows back. The conflict and characters were interesting enough to warrant a whole series of follow-up books (which would be great!). The romance and steamy scenes were really well done in this book. The pacing was good and I was able to devour this book in an afternoon. As I said before, I will read as many of these yummy Nina Croft books as I can get my hands on.



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Review: Animal Instincts

Animal Instincts by Patricia Rosemoor

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a really unique paranormal read. It felt like we dove into the second or third installment in a series because of the rather developed characters and story. We hit the ground running, meeting Skye and Shade, a pair of twins with interesting telepathic abilities. Shade, a cop, has a skill more geared towards police work, while Skye is able to communicate with animals. After breaking up some illegal animal fighting, Skye bumps into Luc, a stranger who has an inexplicable control over some wild animals.

Luc is a conflicted half breed who is straddling the human and "kindred" world. In this book, the word kindred refers to a group of demon-like creatures who can shapeshift. This book was filled with a really unique mythology and a mystery that had me guessing until the very end. The romance was nicely paced, as opposed to your typical love at first sight stories. It was heavier on the romance and mystery and light on the smut (although there was some). This was a great stand alone book to introduce yourself to this author.



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Review: The Gleaning -

The Gleaning - by Heidi R. Kling

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book thankfully picks up immediately where book 1 left us. Logan and Lily are trying to figure out how to make their relationship work, all while the clock is counting down the "the gleaning." Throw in some really confusing and hot doppelgangers and we've got a really addictive YA read.

Yes, this one ends in a cliffhanger, too, so if that sort of thing is a deal breaker none of my review will matter. That being said, this was a really fun read. I like trying to put together the pieces and solve this grand mystery that the author is building up. I wish we got more Logan/Lily time, but am holding out for even more romance in book 3.

The structure of this book was similar to the first in that you are prompted to make choices along the way. I don't know that my read would be the same as everyone else's, but I kept choosing to run after Logan (as everyone should, I guess). I'm still rooting for the doomed couple and can't wait for more YA paranormal romancey goodness!



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Review: The Godborn

The Godborn by Paul S. Kemp

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I had just finished The Companions, book one of this series by R.A. Salvatore, and I enjoyed it very much. I am very familiar with Salvatore's books and characters and found it to be an enjoyable read. I assumed that all of the books in this series would be connected in some way, but that does not seem to be the case. Perhaps when further books in this series are released it will become more evident how they will tie together, if at all.

Unlike R.A. Salvatore, I have not read any prior works by this author, and I felt a little lost at times. The author does an ok job of filling in the backstory, yet I still had difficulty feeling familiar with these characters. I did enjoy the story for the most part, but it did feel a little slow, I would find myself struggling to get through certain parts. Overall not a bad read, but it felt a little too much like work at some times. I hope that the rest of this book series will tie everything together at some point, that might help me enjoy this book a bit more and make me want to re-read it.



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Review: Witch's Brew

Witch's Brew by Heidi R. Kling

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can honestly say I’ve never read a book like this before. It was almost like a “choose your own adventure” in that it asked which direction you wanted to go at two parts. I’m not sure how the book would’ve gone otherwise, but I really enjoyed what I read.

This is the story of a world where witches and warlocks are separated by a years old feud. Destined to battle it out in “the gleaning” to steal each other’s power, they are trained in same sex groups (women are witches and men are warlocks), with the witches getting the light power and the warlocks getting the dark power. After weeks of malfunctioning magic, Lily stumbles upon a book that details the 100 year curse that is set to expire. After those 100 years pass, they won’t have access to any magic, unless they find a warlock who can possess both types of magic. It looks like Lily finds a candidate for this in Logan, the first warlock she’s ever met.

The YA romance was pretty adorable. Logan and Lily had me rooting for them all along the way, no matter what their respective warlocks or witches had to say about it. Sadly, this ended in a huge cliffhanger (in my opinion). Luckily, I’ve got the next book lined up to start right now! I can’t wait to see where the story goes!




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Review: Eternal Ever After

Eternal Ever After by A.C. James

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoy tortured vampire romance (with some erotica thrown in), this is the book for you. It is jam-packed with a paranormal/paranormal relationship that is primarily slowed down by the vampire’s desire to protect the girl from his evil ways.

This book follows Holly, an average young girl, except for the fact that she is a “seer” and gets glimpses of the future when she touches people. Obviously, this put a bit of damper on her love life throughout the years. Arie is a vampire with oodles of baggage. Drawn to Holly because of her resemblance to her most recent ex (and her pretty gold aura), he ends up at the coffee shop she works at more days than not. In an effort to protect her from his insane ex, he enters her life reluctantly. Arie constantly struggles to find a balance between protecting her and keeping her safe from the insanity that comes with a vampire’s life.

The story in this book ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, which indicates that there are many more books to be written. The world was filled with enough interesting characters to keep the series going for a little while, without it being forced into a formulaic serial. Arie and Holly’s story was a good start to this new series.




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Review: Charred Heart

Charred Heart by Lizzy Ford

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a steamy dragon shifter paranormal romance that kicks off a new type of series for Lizzy Ford fans. There's a good balance of smut and story, with a few last minute twists and turns to keep it interesting. I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger ending, but I can't wait to see what happens in the next installment.

Chace is a dragon shifter who is ready to end his life. Unfortunately, he's unable to die unless he enlists the aid of a mysterious shifter who has amassed the magic to do so. This, like all paranormal bargains, comes with a price. He must hand over Sky, a dragon hunter, in order to complete the deal. While this seems pretty straight forward at the beginning of the book, their relationship really grows as Sky discovers that the hunter organization she never doubted before may have taken more from her than she thought.

This was a really unique twist on your typical hunter/hunted paranormal romance. I was happy to see a lot of mystery and twists thrown in to keep me guessing throughout the book. Oh, and sizzling shifter scenes never hurt.



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