Review: Anomaly

Anomaly by Tonya Kuper

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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

Wow! This is the absolute perfect blend of YA drama and paranormal romance all wrapped up in an adorably dorky package. If nerdy references and witty sarcasm are things you enjoy, you should definitely check out this wonderful read.

The story begins in your typical YA way, with a high school girl (Josie) on the verge of a big change. Having just broken up with her boyfriend, her birthday is decidedly not going as planned. Enter super hot guy on a motorcycle, bringing with him all the change and paranormal goodness that you can handle. Turns out that this brainy teen has the ability to "push" things into existence with a mere thought. There was a really great explanation that made my science loving brain very very happy. I can honestly say that I haven't encountered any paranormal story that really explained phenomena in such a believable way (and, by the way, I'm a scientist in real life, so that is saying something).

The world that we are introduced to in this book sucked me in and had me completely engaged from the first chapter. From the characters, to the powers, to the mysterious big bad, I just wanted the book to go on forever. Josie and Reid (her trainer, and hottie crush) were captivating and I was on the edge of my seat playing the "will they or won't they" game. The chemistry is sizzling, the paranormal abilities are unique and completely awesome, and the story was surprising and new. Josie is a great teen to watch grow into the tough "anomaly" that everyone believes she can become. There was none of the dreaded misunderstanding segments or pointless fights. This book was jam packed with meaningful scenes that didn't waste a moment.

All in all, this was exactly what I look for in an excellent 5 star read. Oh, and to top all that good stuff off the right way, there's no big cliffhanger moment that made me want to chuck my kindle across the room. You get some good with some bad, but in a surprisingly "real" story. I will be counting the days until the next book in this series comes out.



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Review: Lives of Kings

Lives of Kings by Lucy Leiderman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

After being pleasantly surprised by the first book in this series, I was very eager to see where book 2 would take us. This set of books is a really enjoyable mix of epic storytelling, paranormal romance, YA drama, and urban fantasy. Oh, and you get some bonus reincarnation/historical elements thrown in to round out the series.

Gwen and her past-life/current-life group of magic infused teenagers are still poised to do battle against the “Magicians.” While they begin this book on the run, they soon realize that there will be no progress with either their magic or their memories if they stay in hiding. It actually takes some scary witch doctor magic to convince them of what they probably already suspected. While we spend about half the book with Gwen and her friends, the rest of the time is spent learning Kian’s backstory, motivation, and generally getting over the fact that he appeared to betray them all. Me, being a hopeless romantic, was hoping for Gwen and Kian all the way. I was eager to forgive him all his past sins and was quick to accept whatever motivation led him to end up with the magicians.

This book also gave us a deeper look into the powers and responsibility that each of these teenagers has accepted. Tensions rise and some people are not able to handle either the pressure or the responsibility. While this is a bit of romance, it is mostly made up of the friendship or kinship that these gifted individuals share. The massive events of this book left us with a little bit of a cliffhanger in the form of “how will they deal with this new set of challenges?!?” but otherwise it was a very satisfying action/adventure tale. The good guys are making progress, the bad guys are taking hits, and I’m still rooting for lots of love and relationships to spring out of these extraordinary circumstances.




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Review: A Cursed Bloodline

A Cursed Bloodline by Cecy Robson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

I admit, I’ve only read a short prequel to this series and haven’t read any of the other books. That being said, I don’t think it was really too difficult to catch up. The author does a good job getting the reader up to speed.

Poor Celia should be having the best day of her life when she is suddenly thrown into some insane supernatural drama. Anara, evil bad guy extraordinaire, rains on her parade by making her break up with Aric, her werewolf mate. If that wasn’t bad enough, he also beat her up (a lot). Celia is mostly left to her own devices (even when surrounded by family and friends) because Anara also threatens her for even thinking of telling anyone about his evil deeds. There was a lot of crying in this book. A lot. Everyone cried. The emotional turmoil dial was set at 11. When they weren’t running from bad guys or fighting for their lives, the sisters were as weird as they are made out to be. That’s not to short any of the other characters in this book. Be warned, I’m going to ramble!

I am in love with these wacky characters. They do the silliest, sweetest things at the strangest times, but that only adds to their charm. I was especially smitten with the vampires and “schoolgirls” that filled the middle of this book. I could read an entire spinoff that shows a day in the life of Misha. Misha was also my favorite of the adorable men in this book. Watching him interact with Celia and his harem had me smiling all the way through.

This book was certainly a rollercoaster ride of emotion. People go from happy to heartbroken in less than a page, with some truly heinous acts in between. If gore or touchy subjects bother you, this book will probably offend you in one way or another. For me, though, this was a really strong read in the arena of paranormal romance (with a gritty urban fantasy edge).




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Review: Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between

Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between by J.A. Saare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

Looking for a book that’s a mix of strip club, vampires, and necromancers? Look no further than this one! This gritty urban fantasy is an eclectic mix of characters and stories that blend together to create something truly unique. Beware, though, because this one has a hard to swallow cliffhanger at the end.

Rhiannon is a tough as nails ex-foster kid who now works bartending at an even tougher strip club. She’s grown up knowing that she sees dead people, but doesn’t quite know what to do with this talent. Mostly, she ignores it, until a vampire won’t let her. Disco (ugh, that name kills me) is the vampire in question, who forces Rhiannon to face her powerful talent and her undeniable attraction to him. The chemistry sizzles and the magic is pretty snazzy too.

Ultimately, Rhiannon finds herself caught in between some really bad black magic and the vampires she’s grown to respect (and love?). There are some truly gritty and tough scenes, but I found that it only made me appreciate the sappiness more. This book had me hooked right up until the end, when it slapped me across the face with some cliffhanger pain.




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Review: Penumbra

Penumbra by Keri Arthur

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

This book is the last in the trilogy for the Spook Squad. I would've liked to have had more time to wrap my head around this very fast-paced, action-packed series, but this book makes it very clear that there will be no more.

Sam and Gabriel are still butting heads at the start of this book. She's fighting against his constant avoidance by forcing his brother to re-assign her where she can better do her job. It's sad, because I feel like Sam would be great at her job, if she could actually do it without all the secrets, lies, and misdirection. Gabriel takes Sam's reassignment just about as well as you can expect, which is to say, like a child. He loves her, he hates her, etc etc. After 2 previous books of being wishy-washy, I had high hopes for this book being a nice wrap up to all the oodles of questions. I really have to remember that Keri Arthur is not big on tying up all the loose ends.

Yes, we get to find out who Josh, Joe, and Sethanon are (you've probably guessed the answer to this already, maybe around book 2). Yes, there is resolution between Sam and Gabriel. No, things are not wrapped up in a tidy bow. If this will bother you, I'd recommend not even starting the series. This will hurt, badly, and you might end up a little less likely to start something else by the author, and that would be a shame. The other series I have read have slightly more reassuring endings, if not tidy. Overall, this series has *a lot* of questions, story, action, and a smidge of romance. If you can endure having a not so solid ending, it's worth a read.



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Review: Haunted

Haunted by Kelley Armstrong

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I will admit to being very reluctant to read a book that revolved around Eve. I've already complained about how the previous books are starting to convince me that this evil witch wasn't so very evil. It's amazing what this author can do, though, because by the time I was a quarter of the way through the book, I was rooting for Eve all the way.

This book is from Eve's perspective. Sure, we get visits from Jamie, Lucas, Paige, Savannah, and even a cameo from Jeremy, but it is mostly starring Eve and her ex/not-so-ex Kris. Oh, and there's angels now. Huh. The fates we met in the last book, so I guess angels shouldn't be so far fetched. While some of the other books might have been filled with some sunshine and rainbows, this book was certainly a bit darker and more gritty. Eve is in the afterlife, breaking all the rules but managing to keep her own set of rules unbroken. She barters instead of owing, always paying all her debts. One such debt was earned in the last book for Paige and Lucas. When the fates call her in, she accepts without question, tasked with hunting down a demi-demon (a "Nix") who is responsible for a whole string of serial killers.

One downside to this book is it was filled to the brim with history and backstory. It's kid of essential for the true story of this Nix to be told, but did fill up a lot of pages along the way, slowing the action down a bit. Aside from that, it had all the goodness you've come to expect: lots of paranormals, a snarky necromancer, an unlikely love story, and sacrifice a'plenty. Oh, and angels. They seem like the oddest thing to throw into this story about a "black witch," but I guess the fates are crazy.

At the end of the story I took a peek to see what the next book was about and was a little startled to see it didn't have anybody's name in it from this one. What about Tsriel (did I spell that right?)? We spent a whole bunch of time learning about angels to just drop them now... Maybe we need all this information at some point in the future...



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Review: Shadow Burns

Shadow Burns by S.M. Reine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This book picks up where the others left off - going around solving paranormal crimes with Cesar and Suzy (and Isobel). Things are really beginning to fall into place with this one.

Cesar is still... Cesar. I'm not really his biggest fan and that may have led to my slow read of this installment. The overall story begins as a simple haunting report but grows into so much more. Really, the big payoff is in details about Isobel. We learn *a lot* about her in this story and will probably get all the answers in the next one. It's a little hard to summarize the story, because of the twisty-turny way it gets from start to finish, but that's about what I expect from the Preternatural Affairs books. Cesar stumbles his way through all of the paranormal elements, usually getting bailed out by Suzy (or Isobel, or Fritz, or all three...).

Fritz is another character that we got to see even more of in this book. It is exciting to have all these clues dangled in front of you and get some solid payoff at the very end. Well done! You've sucked me in for even more mystery and mayhem from the world of Cesar Hawke.



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Review: Charming the Beast

Charming the Beast by Cynthia Eden

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This book picks up in the same world as the previous ones, where the Para Unit has tasked Connor with protecting their latest oddity - Chloe, the woman who can't die. There was a lot of action, some animal attraction, and more insider information on the Para Unit itself.

Chloe is on a mission to escape her life in prison. She traded her father (well, ok, she killed him in a blaze of phoenix-like rage) and his prison-like existence for one that is controlled by the Para Unit, in the form of one overprotective werewolf named Connor. Her werewolf scent has ramped up since her first death scene and now she's attracting all kinds of wrong attention. Fortunately for her, Connor seems mostly immune to her scent, but not so immune to falling for her the old fashioned way. They play this little cat and mouse game for a little bit, but there is a bigger story at play. Turns out the man that Chloe's father was working with had a second in command who is working to steal Chloe away as his.

This book read really quickly because of the amount of action jammed into a very short amount of time. We get to see all the previous stars, watch them all kick some butt, and end up with a nice HEA. There are breadcrumbs leading to the next story where we hopefully get all our answers about Mr. Grumpy Para Unit Leader. All in all, this series is relatively light and quick to read, making a good match to all paranormal romance fans.



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Review: Industrial Magic

Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This book gave me exactly what I wanted – more Lucas and Paige. I am absolutely in love with them as a couple and even though this book was filled with your typical relationship drama and misunderstandings (and awkward family moments); it still gave me some quality time with the two of them. The last book was a mostly Savannah-centric story while this one has her absent for most of the time. Instead, this reads as a sort of “road trip” book, where a lot of faces from the past pop up to help with this complicated investigation.

The big mystery of this book begins with the race to find the Cabal kid killer. Lucas’s father uses his weaknesses against him to drag him into the investigation, but he probably would have accepted the case either way. We get some insider looks into the family drama that is the Cortez family. Paige manages to handle the twisty-turny way they deal with one another rather well, proving that she is the ultimate partner for Lucas. I think even Lucas’s father would agree with me by the end of the book. Most of the book is spent hopping from place to place, balancing trying to protect the next possible victim and finding the murderer. Along with learning more about Lucas’s family, we get a nice refresher on what other paranormals are out there. We’ve got vampires, werewolves, clairvoyants, snarky famous necromancers, and ghosts. We even get to sneak a peek at the possible afterlife.

Among the notable cameos and new character introductions is (of course) Jaime. She made a little appearance in the last book but was a very prominent character (that helps?) in this book. A few of my friends have said she is their favorite, but I’m not quite there yet. She’s quirky and undoubtedly has her own motivation for teaming up with Lucas and Paige, but I’m not quite sure how I feel about her yet. One thing that this book did that made me a little uncomfortable is that it started selling Eve to me as something other than a “bad guy.” I should’ve seen this coming, having been a big part of the Savannah storyline, but it still caught me a little off guard. Eve is supposed to be the bad guy and I had a difficult time accepting her as anything else. If this book has a theme, I guess that would be it: not everyone is as they appear to be. I’m also a little scared about the next book, seeing that Lucas and Paige might not be the central characters. I will miss spending my time with them, but I hear the series gets better and better.




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Review: Catch Me When I Fall

Catch Me When I Fall by Vicki Leigh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This unique YA paranormal story combines a bunch of different stories into one exciting read. There was a mix of reaper, dream guardian, witch, and angel mythology all rolled into something completely unexpected.

Daniel is a protector, also known as a “catcher,” who is in charge of keeping Nightmares (actual creatures) from attacking people’s dreams. He’s thrown himself into his work since he was first recruited (after his death). The most hard working and determined protector, it surprises everyone when his new charge immediately gets under his skin. She’s a teenager who has been committed because she insists she lit her would-be-rapist on fire with her mind. Daniel finds himself inexplicably drawn to her, revealing the secret world of protectors and developing feelings he thought long dead. Kayla is a damaged girl who is fighting to balance what she thinks and what is real. This situation with her “magical powers” has left her doubting herself every step of the way. Through Daniel, though, she really starts to become one tough cookie.

There’s a ton of fighting and action jammed into this book. Deception, hidden motivations, constant attacks, and kidnapping keep you constantly on the edge of your seat. Just like Kayla, you’re not sure who to trust until the very end. I was completely drawn into this YA romance from start to finish, rooting for this unlikely pair of characters. This unique world certainly has a lot of room to grow and I hope the future installments will give us even more backstory on the protectors involved.




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Review: 'Til Dragons Do Us Part

'Til Dragons Do Us Part by Lorenda Christensen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This sort of post-apocalyptic future world is filled with flirty and fun dragon/human romance. This installment had a slightly different spin, pairing an art thief (dragon) with a human security officer. These two seemed to simply glow when they were around one another, which had me cringing at all the secrets that were kept. Overall, though, the drama was worth it for the HEA.

Savannah is a dragon morph in hiding. She’s keeping her secret, even though dragon morphs are now in the open. Part of the reason probably has something to do with her being a high stakes art thief. Together with her “cousin” and his family, they rob from dragons that have been hoarding museum treasure since the fall of technology (and the world as we know it). The last thing Savannah expects is to fall in love while undercover. Cameron deals with dragon security and already has one strike against him. If Savannah ends up stealing the priceless art from under his nose that will probably be the end of his career. Ordinarily, that wouldn’t matter to her, but this job brings her far too close to the people affected by her crimes.

The romance was adorable and fun, even if it was filled with lies and deception. There is the added benefit of a really great HEA to get you through, though. This paranormal romance mixes a lot of fantasy with a bit of post-apocalyptic future to come up with a really great world. I’ll continue to read the rest of this series as soon as it comes out, especially if it keeps changing up the typical romantic formula.




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Review: Bewitching the Enemy

Bewitching the Enemy by Dawn Chartier

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

This book was a witchy paranormal romance with a “fated mates” spin. It was a little dark but had a new kind of witch/warlock lore that I was unfamiliar with. You can tell that this book was being used to set up a series to come.

Storm is a tomboy type who is definitely not ready to accept any “woo-woo” magic stuff in her life. She’s represents the contractor portion of a group of sisters who own a construction company. I can easily see how this book will slide into other stories about each sister. They were all very different and will be coping with the revelations in this book in different ways. Backing up, Storm is excited about a new job to renovate an empty building into a surgery center. When the owner of the job, Nate, runs into her at his day job as a surgeon, the sparks fly in some conflicted ways. Nate is a Paladin, tasked with defending witches from the evil warlocks. When he meets Storm, he isn’t sure if she’s good or evil, but a mating brand removes any doubt from his mind that she is his to protect.

The romance was a little stop-and-go with the feeling of “fated mates” being rushed to consummate the relationship in record time. The ending delivers a solid HEA for at least one sister, but we aren’t sure what the future holds for the rest. Because of the amount of groundwork and the shifty past of the characters, I had some trouble getting into this one. However, this first book easily leads right into future ones to come.




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Review: Protecting His Witch

Protecting His Witch by Zoe Forward

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This little yummy read was a sinfully sexy story about a reluctant Druid and a demigod witch. Their romance spans a pretty long time and distance, over multiple dimensions. It combines elements of sci-fi in such a way that we don’t have airships, but we do have dimensional differences. All in all, I devoured this book in one sitting and was smiling throughout.

Kat just wants to be a normal veterinarian. She’s got oodles of baggage in the form of a failed one night stand, but that is overshadowed by the fact that she suddenly shifts between dimensions for no rhyme or reason. Torn between thinking she’s crazy and thinking she might have magical powers, she is unfortunately forced to face her one night stand over and over with each shift. Her power appears focused on none other than Matthew Ryan. Matt is a Druid that has long ago given up his responsibilities to protect the Pleiades witches. These special witches are crucial to maintaining the balance between dimensions and they are currently missing one. While he might suspect that Kat is the missing witch, he is determined to remain separate from the whole Druid organization.

Kat and Matt would be fine shuffling around their awkward attraction if there wasn’t the fate of the world being held in the balance. Oh, and there’s bad guys too, shooting at her and ultimately trying to end her line. While the story gets a little dark at times, the book is an overall joy to read. From start to finish, this book was light, fun, and completely enjoyable to read. As a standalone, any paranormal romance fan should check this one out.




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Review: Tainted Blood

Tainted Blood by Karen Greco

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

Nina and her crew are back in this installment and it is filled with love triangle drama, crazy vampire attacks, demons being really evil, and soap opera like surprises. If you enjoyed the first book (which you should definitely read before this one), you’ll love getting even more in this wild and crazy world.

In this book Nina is trying to reconcile her two lives: one as a developing witch and another as a vampire Blood Ops agent. Oh, and she’s walking on eggshells around her kind-of-ex-turned-Berserker. Nobody can fault her for feeling a little out of sorts. Add on the fact that she is now forever linked to her vampire partner Frankie, and it’s like a soap opera playing out before our eyes. Don’t get me wrong – Nina kicks some serious butt. Unfortunately, it appears she’s not the best at the interpersonal junk, and that’s what ultimately gets her in trouble (and out of trouble, sometimes). The characters are unique and cleverly written, keeping me guessing and hooked from start to finish.

This book had everything from rock star riots to sizzling sexy paranormal chemistry to witchy spell casting. It ranges from gritty urban fantasy to paranormal action read all mashed into one. As a paranormal romance junkie, I was happy that we get a little taste of that thrown into the mix, too.




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Review: Dime Store Magic

Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I put off reading this book for a long, long time. I read the first few books of this series (about werewolves) a while ago and then just couldn’t get myself to read this one. Maybe it was because I wasn’t in love with the idea of reading a book about a witch I barely knew and her adoptive daughter. Silly me, I should’ve read this book ages ago! If anyone out there has stalled after reading the first few books, listen to me – keep going! It gets so much better!

Paige is the star of this installment and she is pretty awesome. She is leader of the coven and has somehow managed to shape Savannah into something that looks like young adult normality. Sure, she still practices dangerous magics. And, yes, she knows way too much about dark magic. All that aside, she’s kind of a normal girl, trying to grow up in a household filled with magic. There’s hormones running rampant and not nearly the amount of fighting you’d expect to see. Unfortunately for this mostly happy family, Paige gets issued a notice contesting custody. This introduces us to the complicated world of Cabals, or in Paige’s analogies, the sorcerer mafia. In Paige’s time of need, the coven appears to abandon her, leaving her with little choice but to take the services of a sorcerer attorney.

I’m glossing over a lot of fighting, stubbornness, and adorably uptight verbal onslaughts. Lucas, the sorcerer attorney, is the best. If for nothing else, you should read this book because he is amazing. He might be my new favorite character of the series. He knows how to tame the wild Savannah, calm the fiery Paige, and balance the many worlds he has a stake in. Oh, and he’s adorable. Throw all those things together, add a lot of action, teenage hormones, and you’ve got a wild and crazy ride from start to finish. Oh, and hotness. There is much hotness to be had.

While you don’t get a solid HEA, you get what accounts for most of one after all the crazy things that happened in this book. The next book continues with the witches’ storyline, so you shouldn’t expect all the loose ends to be completely tied up, right? I can’t wait for more Lucas.




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Review: Demons in My Driveway

Demons in My Driveway by R.L. Naquin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

If you’re looking for a zany and amazing group of misfit paranormals, look no further than this series! They have everything from closet monsters to gnomes and all the paranormals (or “Hidden”) in between. Zoey and her friends battle against Armageddon (and zombies) in this one, and it contains just the right balance of sarcastic humor and wit to make it a fabulous read.

Zoey is in a weird place when we start this book. She’s broken up with her reaper boyfriend and is still trying to figure out where she belongs. Surrounded by her unique group of “hidden” friends, she has no shortage of support system while she struggles through the trials and tribulations of being one of the last remaining Aegis…es… Aegi?...I have no idea what the plural of Aegis is. At any rate, this book is definitely jam packed with action and excitement. There’s monsters upon monsters coming at them from all angles. Also, there’s a bunch of personal drama that gets mashed in between battles.

All in all, if you’ve read the series before, or even if you’re willing to dive into a series already in progress, you’ll be smitten by this completely crazy and wacky group of unlikely allies. Their interactions are silly but full of feeling. This series never fails to entertain.




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Review: Claimed

Claimed by Alisa Woods

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

Yay! This series took me on a long ride to get here, but this book is all about the fan service. I got everything I wanted in a final installment -- sexy sexy sexy, hot hot hot, and filled with romantic overtures. This one right here is the best of the best.

Obviously, this book is about the claiming. While there was some typical drama, a lot of tough decisions, and silly girls being silly, you ultimately get what you're looking for between Mia and Lucas. This pair is unstoppable in their stubbornness and in their dedication to one another. There are some swoon worthy lines throughout the book, but you'll have to read the series to truly appreciate them for yourself. I highly recommend this series to my paranormal romance readers out there. This has everything you could want in a serial format. Now what am other yummy paranormal romance am I supposed to snack on while I wait for Dark Alpha?



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Review: Sacrificed

Sacrificed by Alisa Woods

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This series is really ramping up now! There is a lot of action thrown into this installment, some really scary stuff, and some shocking discoveries about shifters. All along the way, I've been rooting my heart out for Lucas and Mia. I absolutely cannot wait for the last installment!

Lucas is on his way to rescue Mia, with the help of a few dozen wolves at his back. Mia, however, is not even trying to wait for his rescue. In true "girl power" form, she ends up teaming up with an unlikely ally in Jak. There is a major showdown, which is hopefully the last we'll see of this evil Red pack (for now at least). I'm keeping my fingers crossed at this point.

While this one wasn't sizzling with heat, it really helped tie up all the loose ends, while introducing a lot more shocking surprises along the way. TEAM LUCAS!



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Review: Touching Paradise

Touching Paradise by Cleo Peitsche

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

Wow -- I have to say that I wasn't expecting such an addictive and sizzling hot book when I picked this one up. Shark shifters? I'm open to new things, but wasn't really expecting such a fun and well written little book. As someone who usually doesn't have trouble hopping from book to book, I can't stop thinking about finding the next book in this series. It has definitely made me into an addict for shark sifter romance.

This story begins with a heartbroken shifter, Koenraad (you get used to it), who is throwing his money into finding his missing child. There's some drama there, that I'm sure we'll find out more about, but it sets the scene for things to come. Later, Monroe ends up on the same island, in the mood to shake up her boring and less than satisfying life. For a woman afraid of the water, a snorkeling trip seems like just the thing. Things don't appear to be shaping up for her when the boat breaks down, until Koenraad swoops in to save the day.

The romance and sexual chemistry between these two is off the charts. I couldn't put this book down once I started reading because I *had* to know what happened next for this pair. As a longtime paranormal romance reader, it takes a lot to get me hooked, and this series has definitely done it (and then some). I'm absolutely dying for the next installment and cannot wait to see where Koenraad and Monroe end up!



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Review: Unforgiven

Unforgiven by D.B. Reynolds

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This is definitely my favorite of all the Cyn/Raphael novellas in this series. It had some really relevant plot development, some truly surprising twists and turns, and (of course) a healthy dose of sex. While the rest of the novellas might not be 100% required reading for the series, this one should be.

Cyn and Raphael are still on their way to completing Raphael's vision of a united North America. Because of this, enemies are starting to circle. In this story we get to see what Cyn's friend Luci has been up to (yay!) and get to watch Raphael's security team blow away a competitor. Oh, and we get a lot of resolution in the form of some much needed death. This short story sets up really nicely for the books to come.



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Review: Aden

Aden by D.B. Reynolds

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

To be honest with you, after he previous novella, I thought I would hate Aden. He seemed like an old school chauvinist vampire that would stomp around and not sent much time on romance. Boy was I wrong. Maybe a his interactions with Cyn set the stage for all the things that happen in this book. Either way, this was a good, sexy read.

The book takes place after the challenge has been set. Aden is obviously the front runner, which means dealing with a string of challengers to become the next Vampire Lord. Unexpectedly, Aden also finds himself the recipient of Sid, a woman determined to make Aden bend to her wishes. Sid has been investigating the slave running since the previous Vampire Lord was involved. Now that he's dead, she figured the next best person to get information from would be the vampire most likely to win the title. The sparks fly from the moment that they meet. Aden, with his macho attitude, figures she'll be a good bedmate, but Sid has other ideas, determined to resist him (because he is a jerk).

Somehow, through the fighting, kidnapping, slave saving, and other assorted drama, these two make a pretty great team. Sid cracks Aden's tough exterior and we all share the delight that we get to see from Lucas in this HEA. Another solid installment in this series that is rapidly heading towards something much bigger in the books to come.



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