Bitterroot

Bitterroot by SM Reine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This short read had me eager to start the next installment. This set of shorts will get you hooked and rooting for one (or both) of these sisters.

Charlie was raised by her mother, but that's the only other shifter she's known. All her life she has felt alone, especially when her mother packs them up on a whim to move elsewhere. After a particularly lame dance, she comes home to find her home invaded by tough looking men. Unfortunately her curiosity and determination to protect her mother end up getting her in even bigger trouble.

The world that Charlie ends up in is filled with shifters. They treat her like a prisoner, but it turns out that they are family. She's even got a new sister. Nothing like having to fight your new sister for the alpha position, right? These two are very different but have a similar personality - the only difference is that Charlie lets people see who she is inside while Regan (her sister) hides it behind a mask.

This drama was just starting to heat up when they also threw in a mysterious stranger who happens to make Charlie sizzle. Oh, and whoever wins alpha gets be married to the warring vampire clan. Lots of stuff is jammed into this short(er) read, but it has me dying for more.

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BITTERROOT Part 1

by Heather Hildenbrand & SM Reine

Seventeen year-old Regan Vuk has lived her whole life under the shadow of her future: the pack alpha. She is fast, smart, and determined. According to her own pack members, she is a shoo-in. But Regan’s dad has a secret.

Seventeen year-old Charlie spent her adolescence drifting from place to place with a mother desperate to hide her illegitimate daughter from the unforgiving reality of werewolf pack dynamics. All Charlie has ever wanted is to know her father--and the family that's been kept from her all these years. But most of all, she wants a place to belong in the world. Where she doesn’t have to pretend she can’t sprout fur and paws at will. Being kidnapped on her way home from prom was not she Charlie had in mind.

When Charlie finds out the only way to fit in with her new family is to defeat her long-lost sister for the role of alpha, she refuses. That is until she learns that the strange and alluring vampire she's befriended, Owen, is the same vampire prince that's been promised the winner.

Regan has no doubt that, although she loathes the vampires, it will be her who "wins" Owen.

Only problem: Charlie's already fallen for him.

Bitterroot is a Young Adult Paranormal with a dose of sibling rivalry... Who will you root for?

Amazon: http://bit.ly/Bitterroot1

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bitterroot-part-1-heather-hildenbrand/1122663399?ean=2940152356595

iBooks: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/bitterroot-part-1/id1040674412?mt=11

Contest! Help spread the word about Bitterroot!

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2 sisters. 1 vampires prince. Can family survive forbidden love? #Bitterroot for .99. http://bit.ly/Bitterroot1

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Review: Protecting a Mate

Protecting a Mate by Celia Kyle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

These little quick reads are so much fun and filled with so much yummy sexiness. Even if you've never read this series (or this author) they are totally worth a peek. No advance knowledge required. Must love smut.

Melanie (who we met in the last little book) is on her usual work schedule when she literally runs into her mate. This time it's a bear and he is positively yummy. These two are great together and make for a fun, quick read. Keep them coming!


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Review: The Redeemable Prince

The Redeemable Prince by Rachel Higginson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It was really sad to get to the end of this series, but I loved every second of it. This world, these characters, has made for an absolutely wonderful experience.

We've watched Seraphina and Sebastian implode from the outside during the previous installments, but we get a front row seat to the drama this time. I was a little worried about being in Seraphina's head, having first met her as a... pretty horrible person in the original books. Yes, she's changed, but I was still concerned. Turns out, she was actually pretty easy to relate to. Who hasn't watched your relationship change and dissolve for reasons that felt out of your control? It certainly felt very "real." Sure, the reasoning (always running off to fight magically against evil tyrants) wasn't your everyday occurrence, but it worked nonetheless.

Sebastian, on the other hand, begins this book with a tiny bit of fight left in him to stay away from Seraphina, but an attack pushes him fully into "win her back" territory. It was fun and at the same time very painful to watch these two play out their stubborn fates. Oh, and there's a bigger story going on from the other books. Everyone is still trying to find the elusive Terletov so that this kingdom can start healing itself. While our two "stars" of this book try to find their own way, we get to spend lots of time with all the familiar faces. While sad to see this series come to close, it was done in a really wonderful way.

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Review: Scrape

Scrape by Erin Kellison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

Wow - what a great finale to this series. It absolutely must be read from start to finish or you will not appreciate all of the intricate characters we have met along the way. I love these couples to bits.

This last story meets up with all the couples in the various degrees of trouble they are all in. At the end of the last book, we saw the sandman rise and destroy on of everyone's favorite characters. Have no fear, though, because this story has more twists and turns than you could ever imagine. All the big bads come out of the woodwork in one form or another and all the heroes get ample time to act, well, heroic. Vince is his usual quirky self, Mirren is a bit uptight still, Malcolm is willing to risk himself for perfect strangers, and Jordan is determined to hold her family (both blood and otherwise) together. Harlen finds himself in a unique position of somehow being the most senior and least compromised part of a system that used to keep the revelers safe. Now he's all alone trying to save who he can while hoping his friends are still alive and out there.

All of these stories had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see how this installment ended. If you've been with this series from the beginning, you will not be disappointed (except that it's over!). Oh, and if you don't already love the "wild child" of this story, you will now.

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Review: The Tenth Dark Lord a' Leaping

The Tenth Dark Lord a' Leaping by Angie Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This short but sweet read follows the biker witch gang on a Christmas themed package of chaos. What starts a simple Christmas party ends up with everyone on their motorcycles, racing to save the son of a fellow biker witch. It wouldn't be a normal night if there wasn't a dragon, a small dog, a smoking hot shifter, and a big bad demon. Throw in the holiday season and everything is super-sized.

Lizzie is once again forced to trust her demon slayer instincts to save the day. Sure, it might get a little messy, but that's part of her charm. She's the type of "superhero" that you can identify with. Who hasn't wanted to save the day while gearing up to host a holiday party?

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Review: Some Like It Hexed

Some Like It Hexed by Angie Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This short, adorable, silly, antic-filled, wild read is exactly what you expect to compliment this series. While I don't recommend reading this one if you have no other experience with the series, it probably wouldn't hurt too much.

Lizzie gets invited to a last minute Halloween party thrown by her biker witch friends - what could go wrong? Well, for starters, why would this be happening at a senior center? Oh, and why are there some more magical things happening in front of the normals? It wouldn't be a holiday if there wasn't the appropriate amount of magic and mayhem. The only thing missing from the story was the yummy Dimitri. This story, however, still managed to jam some sigh-worthy romance in with some unlikely participants. If you're looking for a quick, fun read that will make you smile - this is the book for you.

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Review: Base Instincts

Base Instincts by Larissa Ione
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

Ever wonder how a gay Seminus demon survives? Well this story gives you all the nitty gritty details on how one does it - or tries to, at least. You should probably have a good grasp on this world before diving into this short story. It would at least get you started with demon names, characters, and the bigger story.

Raze is the gay Seminus demon in question. He has been not only hiding the fact that he's gay, but also forcing himself to endure a very controlling relationship with a female succubus. Sure, they both kind of use one another for sex of some sort, but Raze is definitely getting the worse part of the deal. He can't even try to have sex with a man if a female isn't participating. Raze hadn't even wanted to try again until he met Slake at the vampire bar he medics at.

Slake had some serious motivation for being at the club that night. In an attempt to escape his demon clan, he has "lent" his soul to a company that gives him certain tasks to complete. If he doesn't complete the jobs, his soul is forfeit. This job, however, takes him very close to Raze, hunting his succubus. Once the two meet, however, all bets are off. While they are both hiding things along the way, they are completely perfect for each other.

Sure, this book has a lot of secrets, lies, pain, and betrayal, but in the end you get a fabulous HEA worth all the struggle. Oh, and there's some serious hotness, which you have probably come to expect from this author. I would eagerly read anything taking place in this wonderful world.

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Review: Into Eternity

Into Eternity by Larissa Ione
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a quick freebie read that gives a small glimpse into the brother dynamic that Revenant and Reaver have. They join forces to try to save their parents from the jail cell Satan had them locked in.

Sure, things don't ever end up going according to plan, but this story has a lot of resolution for our two heroes. This is a nice bookend to that part of their lives. After this, maybe they can both forgive themselves and move on.

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Review: Hades

Hades by Larissa Ione
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been wanting to read this story for a while. While we met Cat briefly in the previous book, this was a good chance to see her paired up with the unlikely Hades. The author, of course, manages to spin it all into an absolutely perfect romance.

Hades might look like a tough guy, but he's got the perfect blend of sarcasm, humor, and heart. When facing off with his own jailor, Azagoth, he's tough as nails, but when he is faced with babies or friends, he is a whole different person. Cat, however, is still trying to find herself. Sure, she's trying to redeem her horrible actions by acting as Azagoth's housekeeper, but admittedly she is pretty bad at it. She breaks stuff all the time, but this time she has inadvertently let some souls slip passed Azagoth's judgement. Woops.

In an attempt to make things right, she ends up throwing herself into the worst possible place for her - the Underworld. Aside from her little incident, the whole place is also in the midst of its own riots and escape attempts. Luckily, she's got her reluctant hero, Hades, who just so happens to also be her secret crush. These two sizzled and popped right off the pages when they were alone. The combination of innocent curiosity and bad boy antics was perfection. If you're a fan of this series, the author's world, or just paranormal romance, this 1001 Dark Nights is required reading.

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Review: Tall, Dark and Immortal

Tall, Dark and Immortal by Cat Devon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This book takes us back to the "entity" world of vampires, witches, demons, and hunters. While you can probably read this book without having read any others, it would probably help to read them in order (or have some prior knowledge of the world). This book has action, romance, mystery, and some timey-wimey goodness.

Alex is a detective who is confronted about being a vampire by a famous vampire hunter's granddaughter. That is not how he expected his shift to go. After trying the usual tactics (compulsion, denial, refusal to answer), he finally ends up getting pulled into her world. Keira is determined to use her new knowledge to help a sick boy not suffer a blood shortage. Sure, that means confronting a vampire and accepting that everything in her grandfather's journal was true, but desperate times call for desperate measures. It also doesn't hurt that the vampire in question is super sexy.

These two might start off as reluctant allies (or kidnapper-kidnappee), but it quickly becomes obvious that there is some magical element to their undeniable attraction. Oh, and there's a lot of questions they are trying to solve, like who is stealing the city's blood supply? Is the famous vampire hunter really dead? Is this a bigger plot of some mysterious big bad? There's also some familiar faces from previous books that pop up to make everyone smile or cringe, depending on which side they choose. In the end, though, Alex and Keira end up making a great team that can withstand any obstacle.

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Review: Seduced

Seduced by Caris Roane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This quick and easy read continues in the Blood Rose universe with another mastyr's blood rose reveal. We join the date already in session between these two fated mates and the chemistry if off-the-charts hot. Sure, Willem has some demons, having been drawn to his line of work (hunting serial killers) by his horrible experience as a child, but he is doing good work. Who knew that finding a blood rose could also help your serial killer hunts?

What Charlotte thought would be a simple date with a man she has been lusting over ends up changing her life completely. The only reason she even knew Willem was because she saw him at her college. After college, the plan was to head back to her world. A hot night with a mastyr certainly changed all that.

This story has some dark twists and turns, but is still the same sexy tale you have come to expect from the author. Oh, and there's some familiar faces that make an appearance in here, too!

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Review: Nightwalker

Nightwalker by Jacquelyn Frank
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

Wow - what a perfect way to tie up all of these wonderful worlds! This last of the series (right? for real this time?) tied up all the loose ends and somehow managed to make me like Kamen. What more could you want from an ending?

As I already indicated, this book's "star" was Kamen. He jumped ship after he realized the evil he unleashed a while ago (about a year in book time) and nobody trusts him. Hell, at the start of the book I didn't trust him. I was pretty skeptical about how much I could really get behind what would obviously turn into his love story. Boy, I was totally wrong! It took about a chapter or two before I was rooting for this underdog and hoping for his happy ending. Somehow the author made me get angry at the rest of the house that still didn't trust or like Kamen.

Kamen, meanwhile (oblivious to my moral dilemma) was trying to get the Nightwalker races to ally with them in the fight against the big bad. His first stop was the Wraiths, and that's when his life changed. Rather than running into the scary Wraiths we've seen in previous books, he runs into the half-breed Wraith that seems unwilling to kill another soul. As part of Kamen's negotiation with their leader, Kamen and Vieve (the half-breed) end up partners in the hunt for allies. Kamen really won the lottery when Vieve joined his team. She is exactly the right amount of fun passion that he needs injected into his depressing existence. I absolutely loved these two.

OK, so aside from the love story there is also the big bad battle. Yes, we get lots of resolution, although it was pretty darn fast. I'm both happy and sad to see this series come to a conclusion. I'll miss all the familiar characters, but they could probably all use a break from the non-stop fighting... So - what's the next spin-off?

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Review: Blood Flame

Blood Flame by Caris Roane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This book dives right into a new world and doesn't let up! Who can you trust? Will all the distrust lead to some seriously unhappy endings? While HEA might prevail (and there are no cliffhangers lurking), this was still a neat ride.

Connor lives in a world where normal humans have become something more. Either by willfully ingesting tainted drugs or being forced into a change, there are now a few different factions of the world. Conner was on a bender that ended with him becoming a vampire. He is now a border patrol officer, controlling the border between normal folks and the altered ones. His past isn't as clean as he would like, but he's doing his best to atone for his sins. One particular night, when he's called to a crime scene, everything changes. His natural enemies, the witches, are at the scene as well, and he's forced to ally with one of them to get out alive. If only it weren't the girl he's been stalking.

Iris is the witch in question, but she's OK with him stalking her. Their feelings are close enough that being forced to spend time together figuring this mystery out might give them both the future they want. Sure, there's magic and fate at work here, but these two did a good job at just being... good for one another. This was a fun departure from the typical world I read from this author. I'm not usually one for a post-apocalyptic vibe, but it felt kind of similar to the Hollows stories I love.

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Review: Veiled

Veiled by Caris Roane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This book picks up where the first one in the series ends. Duncan is still filled with angst and sexual frustration. Rachel is horny and fed up with his antics. These two stubborn individuals are fighting against the fated connection they share and slowly losing. Oh, and they still have to work together through it all.

Duncan is still convinced that he is unworthy of Rachel and her love for him. By not accepting her as his mate, they are both suffering immensely. While she is excelling at her new warrior tasks, they won't be as good alone as they would be together. After a particularly trying night and some "bent" rules of their living arrangement, Duncan gets some visions that lead them to the next phase of their war.

This book, while angsty, gave a lot of answers about some particularly mysterious characters. Yes, you can probably guess some of the revelations that come out in the book pretty early on (even if the characters themselves can't make the appropriate deductions), but it was still twisty-turny enough to keep the pages flipping quickly. Bring on book 3!


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Review: Nightbloom

Nightbloom by Juliette Cross
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

Wow! I’m so sad that I didn’t get into these books earlier! This book was fun, sexy, and had a story that made the pages simply fly by.

Ella is a woman who has always let her family rule her life. Her boyfriend is a jerk, but he comes from a good family and her mother loves him so she puts up with infinitely more than any sane person would. Her breaking point is reached when, while at the games that she despises, he agrees to offer her up as a prize in a fight. Paxon is a very controlled and affluent Morgon. He is also very taken with shy Ella. After seeing her get offered up as a prize, he quickly jumps into the ring to fight for her honor. These two have some serious SIZZLE. The chemistry is outstanding and addictive. Even though she was still dating someone else when they officially met, I was eagerly rooting for Paxon.

Will Ella be able to embrace her new found nature? Will Paxon be able to break through all her preconceived notions about Morgon men? Could they get any hotter? Both of these main characters have flaws and hidden sides that are simply beautiful. The world, the characters, and the sexual tension had me hooked from the first page. Where has this series been hiding? If you’re at all a fan of paranormal romance, you should check these books out!


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Review: The Skeleton in the Closet

The Skeleton in the Closet by Angie Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

What a fun and page-turning read! This author has a real gift for making lovable and awesome characters. Oh, and there's ghosts and a mystery, too!

Verity is still determined to act mostly normal, even when she has a gangster ghost as a roommate (along with her skunk), a town that believes she is a crazy woman for standing her cheating groom up at the altar, and a secret relationship with the brother of said ex-groom. Unfortunately she ends up being in the center of the drama once again. After discovering a body on the even of the town's biggest historical celebration, she goes on the hunt to discover the culprit. No, she doesn't play detective (at least not with the humans around). Instead, she uses her ghostly contacts to try to figure out this murder mystery.

This book has only made me love this series more. We got to watch all the characters from the first book really grow in this one. I am completely on the edge of my seat, hoping for the best but completely uncertain what will happen next. Will Verity continue to balance her secret love life and her evil ex-almost-mother-in-law (and her ex-fiance)? Will Frankie get released from Verity's rosebushes? Will there ever be a time when Verity is not in trouble (or assumed to be the cause of said trouble)? So many questions that keep me begging for even more of this series!

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Review: Howl My Name

Howl My Name by Celia Kyle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

What started a little dark actually ended up being the fun combination of dirty, sexy, tough awesomeness. Even without a lot of experience with the Grayslake pack, I had a really fun time with these characters.

Reid is a bad, bad man. He enjoys killing people who need killing. As a wolf in a bear’s clan, he has always been a bit of a loner. While he and his Itan had a bit of a love/hate relationship, he had a pretty consistent place in the pack. All of this changed when he ended up killing the current Itan for the Brookfield clan. An abuser, molester, and overall big bad, he certainly needed to die. When that happened, however, Reid inherited a broken pack of werebears. While extracting the rest of the evil from his pack, he ends up saving Evelyn Archer, daughter of one of the big bads.

Evelyn was the one that gave the anonymous tip about her broken clan. After having been away for years, moving back was a wakeup call. All these abused women and children were trapped under the rule of these bad bears until Reid showed up. He saved her family from their father and saved her from a life of solitude. These two are the most unlikely of pairs (a bear and a wolf), but they just… work. Evelyn is a little bloodthirsty, but also has a softness that allows her to connect to her damaged friends and family. Reid might be a killer, but he has a soft and gooey center, too. Throw them together with some fated mates magic and you’ve got a sizzling hot read. You also get some action, some excellent characters, and some HEA.


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Review: Dance with the Devil

Dance with the Devil by Angela Dennis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This book throws you into the deep end of this world and doesn’t let up. There are surprises, betrayal, and oodles of secrets that fuel this story.

Jillian has been hiding her shifter identity right under the nose of another powerful shifter, much to Carrick’s shock. These two have been skirting around their attraction for years, unwilling to act until the night Jillian knows she must head home. Her abusive home is the last place she wants to go, but when they call a Claiming, everyone must attend. Carrick has also been avoiding his home and enjoying his freedom. Fate (or meddling friends) have a hand in these two crashing together when they are from neighboring rival packs. When Jillian’s father kills Carrick’s, they both end up with a bucket full of drama.

After their explosive night together, the real world intrudes in a horrible way when they realize their Romeo and Juliet status. To make matters worse, the lion shifter governing body has already decided who Jillian should mate with, and it isn’t Carrick. Oh, and there’s a murder mystery, too. Wrap all that up and you’ve got a book that reads like more than one book, but somehow manages to mostly wrap everything up at the end. While the romance takes a little bit of a back seat in this book, readers who are more inclined to enjoy a mystery/action shifter read would enjoy this book.


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Review: Beauty and the Werewolf

Beauty and the Werewolf by Kristin Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

For a story that sounds so sad, this was a really great paranormal romance read. Isabelle is secretly a famous artist. After showing her father the first painting she did and getting a less than favorable review, she has hidden her work from her pack, but embraced her fame in human society. Sure, she doesn’t make public appearances, but she has still reaped the benefits of being a popular artist. Now that her father has very little time to live, she is determined to reclaim all her art to display for a final showing for him. Her father’s approval is all she wants, until she meets the stubborn art collector standing in her way.

Jack has always loved Isabelle’s art, but he doesn’t know she painted them. After having a heated bidding war over one of her paintings, the two of them end up with a lot more trouble than they signed up for. At one touch, Jack is convinced that they are fated mates. Unfortunately, they are from rival packs and Isabelle is convinced that her father would never approve. There was some action, lots of chemistry, and some really stubborn wolves, but this book really gives a warm and fuzzy HEA worth the drama.


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