Review: Jillian Spectre & The Dream Weaver

Jillian Spectre & The Dream Weaver by Nic Tatano

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 first book left us, with our amazing crime fighting gang with superhuman powers. They’re still battling against evil (and generally helping out the good guys) but they are not prepared for what they face here: college. Yes, OK, there is a bigger evil plan hatching, but ultimately the thing that they have the hardest time fighting is their own emotions, feelings, communication, and distance. Strap in for some tough teenage drama here!

Jillian is still madly in love with her boyfriend Ryan, and he’s pretty much the rock that she leans on (literally, when she passes out from using too much of her powers). Unfortunately, even he can’t protect her from the powers of the big bad of the book: the dream weaver. What happens when you can’t figure out if you’re dreaming or awake? Bad things. Really bad things. On the small scale, there’s a bunch of people losing their ability to make decisions, on the larger scale there are some big governmental changes that can be orchestrated.

Of course, with great power comes great responsibility so Jillian and friends find themselves tasked with saving the world. This time was a bit more difficult because the group is largely compromised by the dream weaver’s actions (and the fallout afterwards). You don’t know who to trust until the very end, and even then the lines are still fuzzy. I felt bad for all the turmoil jammed into this book, but such is the life of a superhero I guess. I’m loving these YA-ish books and their zany antics. I can’t wait for another one!





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Review: Dragon Her Feet

Dragon Her Feet by Celia Kyle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

Oops, I missed the first book in the series, but was luckily able to jump into the story without issue. If you’ve read some of this author’s other series (Ridgeville) there are some familiar characters. The world is so fun; I’ll read anything that takes place there. This one follows the fated romance between a dragon and his mate.

Katie is a werehedgehog on a mission to buy the home of one of her dearest (and unfortunately recently deceased friends). She was the one taking care of him in his final hours but the house was left to his absent son. Motivated by the frustration she felt, she goes about cleaning up the house only to find herself face-to-face with the infamous son (and dragon). Unfortunately, no matter how much she wants to hate him, fate seems to have other plans. After one whiff they both know that they are fated mates.

There is a lot of stubborn fighting, sizzling chemistry, and dangerous situations thrown into this short read. As always, when you are done reading, you leave with a smile on your face and the desire for more installments. The book doesn’t disappoint and I can’t wait to see more antics in this wonderful world.




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Review: Hard as a Rock

Hard as a Rock by Christine Warren

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 previous one left off. While you can probably dive right in here, you would appreciate the series more if you started from book 1. That being said, this book continues the trend of woman meets gargoyle (who is super hot and strong), woman resists gargoyle, and gargoyle eventually wins everything (including the woman’s heart). The twist here is that Wynn is a witch of sorts (who we met in previous installments).

Wynn is a little bitter about not being allowed to be a Warden. Her brother was chosen and she was snubbed because of her sex. After her brother’s disappearance and her own involvement with the awakening gargoyles, Wynn doesn’t know what to believe anymore. Through an unusual turn of events, Wynn ends up awakening a newly summoned gargoyle named Knox. The two hit it off but are immediately thrown into the thick of things. In this case, Knox is the part of the pair that appears to see clearly (as far as their growing relationship is concerned) while Wynn fights it every step of the way. She is spunky and entertaining, but I wanted to shake her at times for ignoring the obvious.

The big bad in this book comes from in an unexpected form during the big showdown. I admit to being shocked by this twist (which I’m usually not). The larger storyline is definitely still building and I’m interested to see where the next book will take us. These books never fail to deliver an entertaining and engaging read.




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Review: Cursed by Ice

Cursed by Ice by Jacquelyn Frank

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

I have not read the previous book (and didn’t realize there was one until this one started), but I think it reads fine as a standalone. It was like a mix between a historical and paranormal romance, with a mythical spin.

Garreth is the second brother awakened after a horrible curse. He went along with his brother’s foolish plan to search out immortality only to get trapped freezing to death over and over again, unable to escape. His brother, Dethan, eventually works out a deal to free him to fight for a goddess, but he is still forced to endure the freezing torture once every night. This has obviously led to a very bitter sort of happiness between the two. While happy to be free, Garreth is essentially still a prisoner, forced to search out war in a goddess’s name and freeze to death on a nightly basis. All of that changes when they attack a city inhabited by a warrior woman who will not be defeated.

Sarielle has been held captive under threat of punishment for her little sisters. She went to great lengths to obtain the power to control a dragon-like creature. During Garreth’s raid, she is forced to let loose the creature on them only to find it gravely injured. After the fighting is over and it becomes clear that she was being forced to fight against them, Garreth immediately orders aid for her. She and the creature are linked at the soul level which means she produces the same injuries it has. Through the journey to save her, Garreth develops some pretty strong feelings. Much girl drama and brother drama ensue, but we ultimately get a nice happy ending (with some caveats). If historical fiction is your thing, this series will probably suit you well.




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Review: Dark Instincts

Dark Instincts by Suzanne Wright

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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

Oops, I didn't realize that this was a later book in the series! I'm completely bummed that I missed out on what had to be some awesome books before this one. This book knocked my socks off! There was a really perfect mix of naughty fun, sizzling chemistry, tough chick action, and alpha male amazing. This book grabbed me from the first page and wouldn't let me stop!

Roni is the antisocial enforcer of a werewolf back that Marcus's pack is friends with. Marcus has been circling Roni for forever, trying to figure out how to crack her tough outer shell. He's got his own demons, so the two of them seem well suited. Roni uses her antisocial tendencies to get away from the scary intimacies that seem to have taken over all her packmates's lives. She is also most determined to avoid the super sexy Marcus to avoid becoming one of his many slutty fans.

These two simply lit the pages on fire with their sexual tension! I got a lot of naughty goodness in this book, but I still want more! This might be one of my new favorite couples in the werewolf genre simply because they were an absolutely wonderful and entertaining pair. Sure, there's some action going on, lots of super scary danger, and tough choices, but the real story at the center of the book is Roni and Marcus trying to find a way to get rid of their baggage. I'm going to have to check out what else I can get my hands on from this author, because I can't possibly stop here!



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Review: The Whitcombe Legacy Book One: The Vampire Julian

The Whitcombe Legacy Book One: The Vampire Julian by Ann B. Morris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This book managed to do something original and unique with what can be a very tired vampire genre. The setting, the characters, and the larger story all contributed to a book that had me coming back for more. I think there's some more books in the series that I should check out after this one.

Julian is a tired vampire. He's been living his life battling the evil type of vampires and sustaining himself on synthetic blood manufactured by his very own shifter life companion. Julian is holding out hope that the prophecy is real and one day a human woman will love him enough to risk her life for him, ridding him of this curse.

Simone appears to be just that woman when she shows up at Julian's bar looking for a job. She's been trapped in New Orleans since the hurricane and was separated from her sister (who is now missing). Out of money and desperate for a way to continue searching, Simone takes on a job working with Julian. The two of them have a spark almost immediately and it takes off from there. While their romance was pretty much a forgone conclusion, it was interesting to see how they would both try to handle the impending prophecy. While we get a lot of resolution in this book, I would be interested in checking out the rest of the series to see how the rest of the Whitcombe family ends up.



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Review: Darkness Eternal

Darkness Eternal by Alexandra Ivy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

I originally read this short story as part of the Supernatural compilation. Having only picked up the series at book 1 (admittedly a mistake I plan on remedying), there were some gaps in the overall storyline for me. That being said, this was still a sizzling short read that truly didn't need much knowledge of the series to enjoy.

We join Uriel after he has already been scarred by the Jinn and now fears what his future has in store. Now tasked with rescuing a gypsy woman, Kata, from her evil sister's clutches, he is less than enthusiastic. He considers her a "Jinn-whore", having birthed her own half breed with the one who scarred him. Kata has been tortured and locked up by her sister for centuries when she is finally freed. A journey into the underworld ends up binding these two reluctant characters together for more than just their journey.

This was a very hot and entertaining read that could easily suck new readers into this series. It is definitely worth it!



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Review: A Highlander's Passion

A Highlander's Passion by Vonnie Davis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This series is super fun and filled with oodles of love. It has a generous helping of wild old ladies, sexy Scottish shifters, and willful women.

Bryce and Kenzie have a history together. They were childhood friends until Bryce fell in love with his wife and had a child. After her passing, the two reunited briefly, but Bryce's guilt over moving on never allowed them to truly be a couple. Now, after Kenzie lost her abusive husband and swore off men, Bryce is more determined than ever to get her back. It was so sweet to watch Bryce and his adorable daughter, Colleen, plot and plan to get Kenzie back.

The larger story revolves around Kenzie's powers as a witch and her hidden past resurfacing. Through the magical powers of bear-shifting, someone has been messing with everything that Kenzie thought she knew. This book had a few shocking revelations, some steamy smut, one very determined alpha male, and a very rewarding happy ending. While the first book is worth a read, you can probably dive into this book as a standalone. Either way, it's definitely a good read.



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Review: Deception

Deception by D.B. Reynolds

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This book took us back to where it all began. A 100% Cyn/Raphael book is exactly what I needed to get me back into the series. We get to see all the smutty sizzling goodness you could ever want, watch Cyn kick some serious butt, and Raphael gets to be the "master of the universe" all over the place. Who could ask for more?

The story starts innocently enough with a letter getting put through Raphael's security team. The letter, written in blood, is finally the start of a call to arms in this war. It's been hinted at and set up in the books previous, but this is totally the start of the war. They've asked him to meet on semi-neutral territory in Hawaii to discuss things. Of course, everyone knows this is a set-up but there is essentially no other available course of action. Cyn goes immediately into overdrive planning for the inevitable double-cross.

At this point I should know to expect the worst in all these situations, but I was still surprised when Raphael was caught off guard. I also know to trust Cyn in hostile situations, but she really exceeded my expectations with her plans in this one. This book and the situations within really gave us the opportunity to learn a lot more about the characters surrounding Raphael. His bodyguards, Cyn's bodyguard, Cyn's BFF, and even the characters we met in previous books all got a lot more interesting here. It was great to watch Raphael's network of allies set up.

I devoured this book and can't wait for more! Bring on the war!



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Review: Ares' Temptation

Ares' Temptation by Aubrie Dionne

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

Kaye is the friend of gods and otherworldly creatures. This obviously leads to attendance at the most unusual types of gatherings. At her friend's wedding, she is thrust further into the world of gods when she finds herself seated next to the God of War. Since the both of them arrived alone, she tries to make small-talk which only seems to infuriate the both of them. Between his harsh demeanor and her clumsiness, the two cannot seem to mesh. Lucky for them, a witch steps in to curse Ares to lose his powers to whoever touches him (and of course that's Kaye!).

Unbeknownst to her, Ares has to make Kaye fall in love with him to get his powers back. This is like your typical geek/hottie makeover teen flick with a god-like twist. These two have chemistry, but they have to overcome a lot of differences to get where they need to be. The story was cute and had some chemistry, but it takes a while to get there. Kaye was very likable and more than made up for the brute that was Ares.




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Review: The Darkling Lord

The Darkling Lord by Shona Husk

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

This book introduces us to the dark world of a "darkling" who has to steal a soul every year in order to survive. Somehow the author has managed to make this soul-stealer into a sympathetic hero, no matter how he got there.

Darah has one task - to spy on the darkling who is gathering an army of the banished. She assumes it should be easy, especially since she was raised in the ways of the court. Little did she know, she would be put face-to-face with banished who know all about court, deception, and the royalty that keep it alive. Darah also didn't expect to find herself drawn into the world this "darkling lord" has created.

Henry is a man struggling with his past. He has killed every year since his birth (beginning with his mother) and is searching for meaning. Somewhere along the way, he began to focus on fixing up the city through any means necessary. While this puts him at odds with the corrupt government, he's more than willing to risk his life to improve the lives of those around him. It's for this and tons of other reasons that the banished begin to flock to him. He's a fair and kind leader to his "people" and that is what led Darah into his life. While everyone appears to know about her attempt to spy, Henry seems most interested in her story. These two fight to figure out if any real relationship can be built upon layers and layers of lies.

Ultimately this story ties back into the new king and how he will deal with Henry's "court." If you've read the other books in this world, you will recognize some familiar faces here and there. It's nice to pick up a book and be able to dive back into the world. This series always entertains.



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Review: The Only One

The Only One by Tawdra Kandle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

The end of this trilogy is bittersweet. I'm happy that everyone managed to find their HEA, but I'm sad to see this group of wonderful characters go.

Rilla was introduced previously as the mousy girl with a plan to make the farm stand grow. Using her online college degree, she managed to make a difference to all the other characters we've met, so it only makes sense that she gets to star in her own installment. Though she was raised in a very sheltered environment, Rilla is finally growing a backbone. She's testing her boundaries and pushing her father's limits. While she still lives at home, she's determined to grow her own business and begin her new life. This, of course, leads to much drama at home. Mason is a widower, single-father, and owner of the hottest place in town. While he's not hurting for business, he is trying new things. This led him right to Rilla.

These two are very different, but they both have great love for Mason's little girl, Piper. She's adorable and it's easy to see how she ropes Rilla in at first sight. When Rilla is confronted with Mason's caregiver dilemma, she jumps right in to help. This modified family unit just seems to... work. There is a synergy right from the start and even the "determined never to love again" Mason find himself making wild and unexpected leaps.

This book had a lot of unusual twists and turns, but it still had the same heart that the other books in the series had. No matter how broken a character, everyone somehow manages to find their happy ending. There's a nice epilogue that is bound to give you some warm fuzzies.



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The Only One (Release Day)

The Only One is available now!

 

The anticipated final book in The One Trilogy

is finally here!

Rilla's a good girl who's ready for a change.

Mason's a tough guy who's afraid to love again.

Sometimes love isn't the easy choice.

Sometimes it's the only one.

***

Amazon/iBooks/BN/Kobo

Mason Wallace left his hometown to live his dream: he had the perfect career, a gorgeous wife and a beautiful baby girl. He was on top of the world, until it all shattered with the sudden death of his wife. Now he’s back in Georgia, running his bar and trying to take care of his family. And he needs all the help he can get. Rilla Grant’s never been farther than twenty miles from her family’s farm. Her overprotective father wants her to marry their church’s youth pastor and settle down into the life he’s chosen for her, but she’s not sure that’s what she wants anymore. Rilla’s chafing to make her own choices, and that includes starting her own PR business and maybe even moving off the farm, no matter how much her dad hates it. When Mason asks Rilla to work on some promotion for his bar, she’s both excited and terrified. Excited, because it’s just the opportunity she’s wanted, and terrified because Mason, with his intriguing hazel eyes and drool-worthy body, is the kind of guy who makes her knees weak and her heart pound. He’s the only one who’s ever tempted Rilla to defy her family, and when she does just that by moving in to help take care of his daughter, they’re both forced to make a decision that’ll change their lives forever. Sometimes love isn’t the easy choice. Sometimes it’s the only one.

***

Don't miss the first two books in The One Trilogy!

The familiarity of home, the warmth of family ties, the sweet sensation of being wrapped in the arms of THE ONE love that meant everything. . .each story is a remarkable package of all this and more.

--Olivia Hardin USA Today Best Selling Romance Author

The Last One

The One Trilogy Book 1

Meghan Hawthorne is restless. The last year has been a roller coaster: her widowed mother just married a long-time family friend. Her younger brother unexpectedly became a father and a husband. Everyone's life is changing. . .except for hers. As she begins her final summer of college, Meghan's looking for excitement and maybe a little romance. Nothing serious; this girl just wants to have fun.

But the only man for Meghan turns out to be the last one she expects.

Sam Reynolds doesn't need excitement, and he doesn't want romance. Fun is out of the question. He's been the steady, responsible one since his parents were killed, and serious is his way of life.

When Sam rescues Meghan alongside a dark Georgia backroad, she falls hard for his deep brown eyes and slow drawl. But making him see her as more than just a party girl won't be easy. Sam's tempted by the fiery young artist, even as he realizes that giving into his feelings will mean radical change. . .maybe more than he can handle.

Nobody ever said love was simple. "As an almost strictly paranormal romance reader, it takes a certain type of author to convince me to dive into straight romance. Tawdra Kandle is one of the few authors I will make an exception for. Her writing style is so easy and relaxing that I have to really keep an eye on the time or I’ll stay up all night to finish one of her books." Carrie Williams, Goodreads Reviewer "Wow. Talk about romance with an edge. From the beginning the characters were so real that I was completely invested in them. The sexual tension woven into the story added so much value to the relationships. I will be reading this book many times just so I can spend more time with Meghan and Sam." Cheryl Garrett, Goodreads Reviewer "I'm in love with this book!!" Leah Fennick, Goodreads Reviewer

Buy it now at Amazon/iBooks/Barnes and Noble/Kobo/Google Play

***Free for a limited time***

Watch the trailer here!

 

The First One

The One Trilogy Book 2

Ali and Flynn were high school sweethearts. Eager to see the world and leave behind their small Georgia hometown, they’d planned for an exciting new life together after they finished school. But on graduation day, only one of them hit the road. Eight years down that road, an unexpected loss brings Flynn home again. He’s a big-shot photo journalist, and he’s made most of his plans reality. But he’s done it alone. Is it too late for his biggest dream to come true? Ali’s spent those years working hard, raising a daughter and helping her brother keep their family farm alive. Thinking about Flynn and what might have been is a pain she tries to avoid. . .even when it’s impossible to forget. Flynn’s return brings back feelings Ali thought were long dead and hopes she’d abandoned. Finding their way back to each other will change them forever, opening old wounds and stirring up memories. Can first love be the one to last forever? "Tawdra Kandle knows how to weave a story that is both steamy and heartfelt. I cannot even tell you how many times I was brought to tears while I read The First One. I've been waiting for Ali's story ever since I finished reading The Last One, and I was not disappointed." Melissa at Reading It All "This was a beautifully executed romance that managed to change around all my preconceived notions about Flynn and Ali from the previous book. I started the book determined to hate Flynn all the way through for abandoning his family, but somewhere along the line I began to hope for happiness between these two. Amazing!" Carrie Williams, Goodread reviewer

Buy it now at Amazon/iBooks/Barnes and Noble/Kobo/Google Play

Watch the trailer here!

  Tawdra Kandle writes romance, in just about all its forms. She loves unlikely pairings, strong women, sexy guys, hot love scenes and just enough conflict to make it interesting. Her books run from YA paranormal romance (THE KING SERIES), through NA paranormal and contemporary romance (THE SERENDIPITY DUET, PERFECT DISH DUO, THE ONE TRILOGY) to adult contemporary and paramystery romance (CRYSTAL COVE BOOKS and RECIPE FOR DEATH SERIES). She lives in central Florida with a husband, kids, sweet pup and too many cats. And yeah, she rocks purple hair. Follow Tawdra on Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Instagram Visit her Website and subscribe to her Newsletter for special content and giveaways!