Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Review: The Locksmith

The Locksmith The Locksmith by Susan Kaye Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am still in love with this world. I would read just about anything that gave me more involving the universe that got me addicted.

This story follows Zeph, a jacker who tries to blend in but also wants to be a kid. He's got a crush, he's got an annoying younger sister, and he's fallen in with a not-so-nice clan. His power is really the most interesting part. He can lock and unlock minds, making them either jack-able or un-jack-able. It was really interesting to read the process and see how much this could completely impact the way you see the other books and stories. Poor Zeph was gifted with an awesome power. The jackers and readers alike are lucky he has integrity (eventually).


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Review: Rebel's Desire

Rebel's Desire Rebel's Desire by Laurie London
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

We join the Iron Portal gang for Toryn's story. He's a little rough around the edges, but find himself hiding his past when a wild child throws herself into his arms.

Keely is determined to get her sister back from an evil mobster. They were late on their payoff (because of her own mistakes) and now her sister is being controlled and abused. To distract the thugs chasing her, she ends up making out with a stranger that only leads her into more trouble. What seemed like a fun, supportive, and sizzling hot relationship only ends up being even more confusing that her current sister troubles.

These two end up being your typical drama filled couple. One hides a bunch of secrets, then ends up being defensive and leaping to conclusions. Blah blah blah. The great part is that the end result is worth it. Another warrior paired off and "mellowed."

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Review: Unfinished Muse

Unfinished Muse Unfinished Muse by R.L. Naquin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

Wow! This book seamlessly rolled mythology, romance, and inspiration all into one story that had me running to my car to start (and finish) my next big project! Interested? You should be, because this book was fantastic!

Wynter (yeah, the name screams hippie parents) has just quit her job and dumped another boyfriend. She appears to be your typical "quitter" personality - anytime things look like they might force her to commit, she beats them to the punch. No roots, no baggage, and this seemed like her forever path until the weirdest things started happening. Her houseplant/lifemate starts a conversation with her for the first time ever. Also, she finds herself at an abandoned building, walking into a world filled with real-life mythical beings.

Turns out, the mystery father that her off-the-wall mother keeps telling tales about is an actual deity (or something). This fast-tracks her into the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency training program. Through some sort of twist of fate (ha), Wynter ends up becoming a very poorly trained Muse. Her clients are depending on her for inspiration and the motivation to complete their projects on-time.

I have to admit, I thought this would be all fluff and laughs, but there was truly some inspiration story jammed into this outrageous world. While watching Wynter struggle to keep her "clients" on track, I found myself smiling and rooting right along with her. It takes a lot from a book to really reach out and grab me, but this one did it. If you have even the slightest interest in a paranormal read, this one is guaranteed to entertain you (and might have you finishing a project of your own!).

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Sunday, July 19, 2015

Review: Tempted By Fire

Tempted By FireTempted By Fire by Erin Kellison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

I am loving this new world of dragon shifters! This story was sexy, sweet, and completely addictive. I couldn't put the book down once I started. I had to know what happened to this unlikely of pairs.

Thane is pretty sure he's on his way out. He can't shift anymore for fear of him not coming back to human form. He's lived a long life and just found out that the remains of his wife and child were found in an archaeological dig. Sadly, he is being contested for rights to the remains by an enemy dragon clan. This has required their use of a mediator.

Emerson is still not 100% sure she actually has any dragon blood in her. Luckily, though, her testing positive gave her a free ride in school, supplied her with her cushy job, and has given her (unwanted) security guards. She's pretty sure that she wants out and that this will be the very last job she works for the "bloodkin." If she can survive these two hotheaded dragon shifters then she should be fine on her own.

Thane and Emerson don't instantly fall head over heels in love. I liked that they didn't even seem to have romance in mind until it whacks them over the head. Thane is doing his final farewell tour at the same time that Emerson has essentially checked out of her own life. These two reawaken exactly what they each need. Thane needs a reason to live and Emerson needs a reason to accept her bloodkin status.

After lots of bloodshed (in the typical dragon way) and even more denial, these two make an absolutely perfect couple. I was completely sad when the book ended because I wanted even more from these two. The world, the characters, everything really drew me in. I can't wait for more from this author.

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Review: Wicked Embers (Souls of Fire, #2)

Wicked Embers (Souls of Fire, #2)Wicked Embers by Keri Arthur
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

I didn't realize this was a second book in the series before I requested it. I tried to get the first book but was not sent a copy. This might have really impacted my enjoyment of this one. While I liked the nonstop action and do like to dive right into stories, it was a little rough to juggle all these stories going on at once.

Emberly is a phoenix that is cursed to get her heart broken. She has already done this lifetime's heartbreak, but her ex is still managing to stomp in and out of her life. Her phoenix mate keeps picking up the pieces when he re-breaks her heart, but it's getting old quick. Beyond this story, I get a little sketchy on the details. There's a mafia of vampires that is out to get them. Or maybe more than one mafia. Or something. There's a group of mutant drone vampires and a big bad leader of the virus created vampires. There's also a race to find someone's notes, or research, or backup of research. I think it was sold by the owner of the company? Oh, and she has dreams of some mythical creature eating organs. But her phoenix mate doesn't. Maybe it's specific to her and not her race?

Like I said, sketchy details here. Either way, all these things make Emberly run from hideout to hideout, stopping only to have lots of sex with her Fae booty call, Jackson, or have prophetic dreams of death. She decides to stop trying to run from stuff about halfway through and take the fight to them. So they end up chasing after the mafia vampires, the evil organ eater, and research note stealers.

There is a very abrupt ending here where I think some things are resolved (at least we get 1/3 for sure resolved). I'm not quite sure where the book series will go, but it will undoubtedly involve action, action, action (and sex). It seems like this book is torn between being a smutty paranormal romance and action read. With so many big bads roaming around and a lot of open cases, there isn't much time to smut it up enough to be enough of a PNR for me.


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Review: Wanting a Mate (Quick & Furry, #5)

Wanting a Mate (Quick & Furry, #5)Wanting a Mate by Celia Kyle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

Short, sexy, and sweet - I love these yummy quick reads!

This story gives us an intro to a mating/dating service. They offer a way for shifters (and non-shifters) to sniff out their match. In an act of desperation, Chloe ends up signing up to attend. She's not picky and she could end up getting the better part of the deal, especially with a cat shifter.

Holt's brother is determined to settle his brother down. He's been growling and losing his temper non-stop and has been displaying all the critical signs of needing a mate. After oodles of forms, Holt is pretty much forced to attend the "mixer."

These two go from total stranger to uncontrollably possessive. In the typical fated mates way, there is an uncontrollable urge to mate thrust upon them both. The key word there is "thrust." There is a nice dose of yummy goodness to end out this quickie read. Definitely enough to get your motor running (or purring, as the case may be).


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Review: Fire of Fryslan (Tales of Skylge, #3)

Fire of Fryslan (Tales of Skylge, #3)Fire of Fryslan by Jen Minkman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This was the perfect end to a really interesting trilogy. It took everything I thought I wanted in a book and twisted it into this alternate universe fantasy read (with mermen!). I can honestly say that there is nothing else on my virtual bookshelf that comes close.

In this installment we follow Dani and Melinda as they try to rescue the objects of their affection from the evil mayor. At the end of the previous book we watched the rebel gang get caught after returning the light to where it belonged and ending electricity use on the island. Dani believes that she can make Sytse love her by showing him how brave she is. Melinda believes she can show Aska how much she loves her by undoing her betrayal. Somewhere along the line, Dani and Melinda start believing in the cause and worrying less about the love story.

This final chapter gives us a great resolution to the evil mayor's plan, a nice path forward for all the oppressed islanders, and love for all of our star-crossed lovers. These books should obviously be read in order to deliver the maximum payoff. If you're looking for something new and interesting, this trilogy makes for a quick and satisfying read.

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Review: Bridged by Love (Kagan Wolves, #1)

Bridged by Love (Kagan Wolves, #1)Bridged by Love by Nancy Corrigan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

Wow, this book has some serious sizzle! There was all sorts of things I love: werewolves, smut, alphas, fated mates, and action.

Nic ran away from Riley 4 years ago to avoid fighting with his wolf. While the human is very clear about Riley's status has his mate (even if she is human), the wolf inside is fighting him every step of the way. Riley has come to accept his rejection over the years, but certainly never forgot her. These two have a bunch of werewolf drama separating them, but when Nic comes back to town to take his rightful place as alpha, they are drawn to one another like magnets.

Nic has issues. Lots of issues. His sister is driving him crazy, his mate is a human, his dad is deteriorating, and no one has a viable solution. Sure, there's your typical "love conquers all" types, but how can that apply to these two? Nic is set to take a loveless shifter mate if he can't find the solution. Luckily, Riley is willing to fight for him. These two were great to watch both fight and accept their destiny as fated mates. I hope that all this character introduction follows through in many additional books, too. Nic's sister had me especially concerned and eager for more. At least for these two we get a nice, solid HEA.

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Monday, July 13, 2015

Review: Hunger (Blood Rose Tales #2)

Hunger (Blood Rose Tales #2)Hunger by Caris Roane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This was a quick read that showed a unique spin on the blood rose story. What happens when you resist the mastyr vampire call but are confronted with your blood rose?

Yolen and Brianna have been dating for a while and she has been putting up with a lot. Yolen (to "protect" Brianna from his work targeting her) has rules. Lots of rules. They can only be together Friday nights. They can only talk to confirm the dates that week. I wouldn't have put up with this nonsense as long as Brianna did, but I guess love makes you do stupid things. Brianna was on the edge of breaking up with Yolen when she suddenly finds herself drawn to another mastyr vampire and wants him to take her blood.

Obviously, this doesn't go over so well with Yolen. He's been fighting the urge to "level up" to mastyr vampire for a while now but it's getting that much harder to resist. These two both have a serious case of denial. It was nice to get a HEA out of these two.

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Review: Awakening (Rapture's Edge #1)

Awakening (Rapture's Edge #1)Awakening by Caris Roane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This book is a spin-off from another series. We were introduced to the darkening, Duncan, and Rachel (and the breh-hedden) before, but they spiral together in a great story that begins here with book 1.

Duncan and Rachel have had a tumultuous relationship. We saw Rachel's "tree hugging" ways in his brother's book (when he has to rescue her) and we saw Duncan display his warrior skills by holding out against the odds in his prison cell. After rescue, Duncan finds himself trapped in a sort-of-coma watching an evil woman try to learn his secrets. It wouldn't be so very bad if the woman wasn't also out to kill Rachel.

Rachel's "normal" life without using her powers comes to a crashing halt when Duncan warns her of danger. The two end up on the run from the bad guys and snuggling up close thanks to the infamous warrior bonding. Duncan's already primitive behavior is made even more so by this fated match. It as neat to see this spun in a different way, developing between a couple that already had a history.

While we get a nice beginning to the story, this book is clearly that: a beginning. Don't look for a nice HEA at the end of this one because there is clearly more to come.

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Review: Embrace the Magic (The Blood Rose #2)

Embrace the Magic (The Blood Rose #2)Embrace the Magic by Caris Roane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

Remember Ethan from book 1? This is a book all about him! While he isn't as irreverent as he was in book 1, he was fun to watch squirm under the effects of his blood rose.

Ethan is a Mastyr (yeah, it still hurts a little to read like that) vampire who suffers constantly with his blood hunger burden. Samantha has reluctantly dragged herself to a realm club filled with fae, vampires, and other assorted paranormals. She's never been very interested in realm species and plans to escape as soon as she's done with her school research interviews. Ethan and Samantha lock eyes (and noses) for a minute and her entire life is changed.

Did she think she was 100% non-realm? Did she think she could sneak under the radar after being outed as a blood rose? Everything changes very quickly for Samantha after that one moment in the club. Ethan tries to take the moral high ground and offer to protect her from other vampires who will be drawn to her (and might not be as nice as Ethan). He convinces himself that he won't bond with her and will simply protect her from others.

Somewhere along the line these two end up in a relationship (with or without bonding) and it is adorable. All the fighting makes it that much sweeter. These two end up becoming a wonderful pair.

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Review: Dark Night (The Amulet, #2)

Dark Night (The Amulet, #2)Dark Night by Caris Roane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This short story continues along with the amulet tales and takes place in the world of master vampires and witches.

Eligio has been trying to "woo" Sol-Brenna for a while now. When he finds out that a powerful amulet has been purchased on the black market by none other than the witch he's been hunting, he uses this information to his advantage. With blackmail as an excuse, these two really ignite the pages (of my kindle). There's oodles of sexiness which unfortunately distracts them from the evil-doers out there who also want to get their hands on the powerful amulet.

These are short, sexy reads that give an itty bitty glimpse into what could be a really neat world. The author can really set the stage with a full length book but I found these stories a little too short to get really good.

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Review: The Darkening (Guardians of Ascension, #6.5; Dawn of Ascension, #2)

The Darkening (Guardians of Ascension, #6.5; Dawn of Ascension, #2)The Darkening by Caris Roane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This world is completely addictive. I find that I can't read these books fast enough and can't wait for the next pair of fated mates!

Samuel feels like a dark warrior after his long captivity. They forced him to develop a talent that he feels he cannot control and is not "pure." The last thing he wants is to subject a woman to his tainted lifestyle. Unfortunately, fate has something else to say about it. The moment Vela and Samuel "scent" each other, they can't keep off one another. This bonding really took the chemistry and turned it up a notch!

Vela's character has suffered also. She lost her husband and has since sworn off fighters. Luckily the bonding has really turned her world upside down and she's forced to re-evaluate her choices. This, coupled with her new power in the darkening (a world that connects others), have this pair working together whether they like it or not. I'm excited about all the new character introductions and hopeful for followup for all of them (and mates!).

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Review: A Shiver of Light (Merry Gentry #9)

A Shiver of Light (Merry Gentry #9)A Shiver of Light by Laurell K. Hamilton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Where to start? I read the rest of this series a while ago which might be why I had less continuity issues than some of the other reviewers out there. That being said, if you picked this book up (or listened to it, as I did) and expected some epic read, filled with not a lot of sex and a massive amount of story, you will be disappointed. If you enjoy descriptions of men, comparing their skin color, eye color, and hair color to beautiful things, then this is the book for you! Oh, and liking the smut would help, too.

Honestly, I picked this book up because it bothers me if I haven't finished a series. I thought I was done with Merry (she was pregnant, things here looking up, the series had ended), but I guess LKH had to poke at things. I assume this will start up the series all over again, because we certainly don't get a lot of resolution in this book.

So, the review. I really have no idea where to start. The book kind of meandered until the end, when MAJOR things happen and then get wrapped up in a summary. The book starts where the series ended: Merry is pregnant and with oodles of men. She declined the throne but is making her own little bit of her home on US soil. The entourage is living with a fae movie star and everyone is super fertile now. In the first few pages we get another pregnancy shocker and then there are babies. I was worried that babies would slow down the smuttiness of the book and while it puts a damper on things for a few chapters, they ramp right up to standard levels before you know it. To balance, we are reminded of Merry's Uncle's rape every other chapter.

Hard to say what the actual story was, really. There's lots of emotional Merry, catty girl fights, dream fights, emotional Merry, baby daddy drama, jealous fae fights, emotional Merry, sex sex sex, Merry saving some of her soldiers, romance, Emotional Merry, death, and it all ends with Merry being pretty awesome. If the book had started with the event at the end and spent the time in between investigating, it might have been a bit of a better read. Of course, I'm setting standards that shouldn't be applied to book 9 of a long dead series. It was nice and cozy to come back to these characters. Based on the read alone it should be a 3 or so, but I like this world so I bumped it up to 4.

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Review: Pure Blooded (Jessica McClain, #5)

Pure Blooded (Jessica McClain, #5)Pure Blooded by Amanda Carlson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

Poor Jessica never gets a break. She goes from one major issue to another when all I want is for her to have a moment to spend smooching on Rourke. This book is (again) tons and tons of action. It almost read like two books mashed into one. At about 50% I was sure my kindle was lying to me when *BAM* there was a whole other big bad to worry about.

Remember the issue her father was trying to deal with in the last book? Well we get to deal with it in this one. The gang all travels (or tries to) down to the swamp to try to help her father with his rogue pack issues. Really, the big bad in this book didn't matter as much as the loyal pack that Jessica is rapidly building. In each book, the characters all get closer and closer together. I guess each time you end up saving each other in a fight to the death has a way of binding you tighter. By the end of this book, you can really see the loyalty and love between all the characters.

The focus of this book was a little witchy, minus the missing witch. Marcy really grew into her own along the way (when did that happen?) and this storyline easily leads into what will no doubt be the focus of the next installment. I definitely liked this one significantly more than the last book in the series, which was probably due to the return of her "crew." The characters are truly worth sticking around for.

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Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Review: Warrior's Heart (Iron Portal #3)

Warrior's Heart (Iron Portal #3)Warrior's Heart by Laurie London
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

Remember Vince from the last book? He's Olivia's brother who was taken away by the army when his talent was revealed. Also, in the last book, Asher identified his sister (Zara) in some of Vince's drawings, indicating that somehow these two knew each other.

Zara believes that the man of her dreams abandoned her and her unborn child and has let this shape her life. She has been using her power to become invisible to take back artifacts stolen from her world. When she suddenly finds out that Vince has been in prison all this time (and he didn't mean to abandon her), everything changes. She is determined to help rescue him and introduce him to their son.

Vince is certainly not the bright eyed boy Zara fell in love with. They have both grown and changed along the way, but he suffered years of torture and interrogation. He didn't break and use his portal finding power, but he certainly has the scars of his time in prison. Zara and Vince have their work cut out for them in this story.

This book is definitely darker than the ones previous. Zara and Vince have a great love story, but it is clouded by years of pain. Watching them work through it all was tough, but the end result was worth it. These two gave us a look at the gritty and dangerous work that the army has created.

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Review: Rogue's Passion (Iron Portal #2)

Rogue's Passion (Iron Portal #2)Rogue's Passion by Laurie London
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This book managed to hook me from the start with a nice blend of fantasy, romance, and action.

Olivia has been hiding her healer talent from the army for a while. After they killed her father and kidnapped her brother, she's got a lot of motivation to do so. After mistakenly revealing her talent to her ex-boyfriend, she's been hiding even further. Unfortunately, an explosion in front of her job forces her to help out and put herself at risk.

Asher is on a mission to punish the people who killed his friend. While hunting, he ends up being caught up in the same explosion as Olivia. These two have plenty to hide and somehow end up relying on each other to keep their secrets. While the chemistry was there and the smuttiness was nice, these two also had a way of balancing each other out. It was also fun to watch those around them point out the obvious - that they belong together for more than their agreed upon "fling."

This series has seriously sold me on the Iron Portal worlds and keeps me begging for more.

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Review: Hunter of Her Heart

Hunter of Her HeartHunter of Her Heart by Kaylie Newell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This book picks up after the first, in the same small town but this time with more focus on Candi and Zane's relationship. We learned a little bit about these two in the first book, but I don't think I was prepared for everything we get in this one.

Zane is a jerk. Really, he is. He constantly disappoints the kindhearted woman who has been putting up with him for years. He also has a habit of letting down the rest of his loved ones, too. At the start of the book, though, he finally gets an excuse for all his bad behavior. The changes start small, but eventually he has to confront his "wolfish" behavior.

Ultimately, if you took away the werewolf storyline, this would be a book about a woman who has trapped herself in a relationship with a selfish guy. I just couldn't see the good in Zane no matter how hard I tried. Sure, he occasionally comes through, but I really just felt sorry for Candi and the situation she's in. If you've got a thing for "bad boys" you will probably be able to find some way to forgive Zane, but I didn't see it.

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