Review: Kissing with Fangs

Kissing with Fangs by Ashlyn Chase

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

I think the series was really leading up to this installment. I’ve wanted to know what the deal was with Claudia and Anthony since book 1 and this one ties the trilogy up nicely.

How can they continue on with this trilogy if there is no bar to have as a setting? How will the paranormals all meet up? Well, it turns out, that’s not really a problem. Since the main characters are all friends outside the bar scene, they just ended up meeting at homes. As far as the lack of bar, that made for a nice plot point. Anthony is still figuring out what to do about his poor burned up bar when his “aunt” warns him to check in on Claudia. Claudia, it appears, has been hiding her alcohol problems from everyone and having no job at the bar anymore sent her in a tailspin. After years of sexual tension, with both of them remaining rigid and professional in the workplace, now there is no workplace to keep them apart. There’s still Ruxandra, though.

I was also worried about how on earth the author would make me care about Ruxandra, who has been a bit of an evil villain in the previous two books. Well, that happened pretty easily, too. This book was filled with HEA for everyone you can think of. For once, a trilogy has left me thinking happy thoughts for everyone. There are no real loose ends to worry over and while I’m sure there could be oodles of spinoffs, this trilogy is firmly ended. Was I 100% happy with how Anthony and Claudia get there? No, but it’s still good for both of them. This series was a fun ride and I’m glad that I took a chance and checked it out. You probably don’t have to read the previous books to enjoy this one, but it helps.




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Review: How to Date a Dragon

How to Date a Dragon by Ashlyn Chase

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This book combines a firefighter hottie with a paranormal, and pairs him with a sarcastic and stubbornly tough chick. It's a combination of things I love in paranormal tales, and it really delivers!

Bliss (yeah, I know, the name really killed me) is a greeting card writer/designer who is hoping that being a finalist in a reality show is just the break she'll need to make her business take off. Unfortunately, a fire in her apartment building ends up torching her plans (literally, because she doesn't back up her work online). Lucky for her, dragon shifter Drake is the firefighter who saves her and promptly falls for her, too.

While the romance in this one was a bit quicker and didn't really involve destined mates, I really enjoyed the witty banter and sexy times. The big bad plot was focused and easy to follow with mother nature returning to play a sort of narrator role. Fun times, good laughs, and the paranormals you met in the first one combine in this second installment to surpass the first. I think this trilogy has really hit its stride and can't wait to read book 3!



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Review: Flirting Under a Full Moon

Flirting Under a Full Moon by Ashlyn Chase

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This was a cute and quick read that delivered on all things supernatural. There were wizards, shapeshifters, brownies, vampires, and just about any other paranormal you can imagine. The world was silly and fun and had me immediately diving into the next book immediately after the last page of this one!

Brandee is a human bar waitress at "Boston Uncommon", a paranormal bar (in which the human staff is unaware of the paranormals). She's been dumped a few dozen times, but this one (via text message) sends her in a bit of a tailspin. Nick is a werewolf who has been a strictly one night type of guy in the hopes that he'd be free when he discovers his true mate. He's also changing careers from cop to paranormal PI to take on his first case -- saving Brandee's fire mage cousin from kidnappers.

Brandee is a bit of a stubborn woman and instead of getting Nick's permission to tag along on the investigation, she ends up following him and learning more than she bargained for. Nick, also, learned more than he anticipated -- namely that Brandee is his true mate. After some misunderstandings, arguments, and paranormal interventions in the form of a fortune teller, we get some serious HEA. If you're looking for a very light and fun read, this trilogy looks like what you need.



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Review: First to Burn

First to Burn by Anna Richland

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

Wow -- this was a really a delightful surprise! I admit that I'm not typically a military book reader, but this book was a really great blend of paranormal, military, romance, action, and mythology. I never thought I'd admit to loving a story that involves so much Beowulf after being forced to read it in school, but this book was just so unique!

I was worried, but, yes, this book takes place in present day. Seeing the word "Viking" in the series title always makes me think it's a historical read, so I figured that was worth a mention. It begins in Afghanistan with an army doctor and a special forces operative. Theresa is a Jersey girl (Jersey represent!) on the run from her connected family. Wulf has a lot more secrets than that and is forced to deal with a doctor poking her nose into his past. Being immortal, while beneficial in the field, is a little big harder to cover up when you get air lifted in as a wounded officer.

This was a great forbidden romance tale that sizzled off the pages. Because Theresa outranks Wulf, their relationship is off limits as far as the army is concerned. But don't worry, that's not the only story going on in this book. Aside from immortality and forbidden love, we've also got illegal smuggling, corruption in government, mob bosses, and forced research test subjects going on as well. This isn't just your typical quick and fluffy paranormal romance read. It is a very well developed and wonderfully written start to the world of Immortal Vikings. Even if this isn't typically your genre, it's worth a read!



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Review: Breathless Magic

Breathless Magic by Rachel Higginson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This was a great little short story that fills in the gaps left by Relentless Warrior. I found myself wondering what happened after Jericho left Eden and Kiran, and this story answers all of my questions. It also gives us a nice look inside Eden’s head again. It’s been a while since we were there, and it made me nostalgic enough to think of re-reading the first set of books in this series.

There was also the benefit of getting some Kiran/Eden romance, which I think all fans of the series will enjoy. With all the new budding romance, it’s easy to forget where it all started and this story does a good job reminding us. It is definitely worth a read for the fans of this series.




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Review: Silver Bullet

Silver Bullet by S.M. Reine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

As a fan of SM Reine’s Riley and Elise books, this installment of the Preternatural Affairs series was filled with goodies for me! We get lots of bonus time with one of my favorites, and that alone was worth reading this book. As an added bonus, this book was also filled with wonderfully sarcastic humor from Cesar and tons of story development.

Cesar is still fighting to find his bearings in this new world he’s been shoved into. It’s so early in his OPA career that he’s still learning about demons and all of the other things that are working hard to make his first week a nightmare (ha!). There’s magic and action and lots of big reveals for him along the way, but somehow Cesar retains his really great attitude and is really growing on me. There’s really not a lot of romance in this series right now, but for a paranormal romance junkie like me, the writing and the storyline is so engaging that you don’t miss it.

The supporting characters like Suzy, Isobel, Fritz, and some new Union folks are growing on me, too. I am eager to find out where all their complicated relationships end up as they continue to work as a team. This series is definitely a surprise to me and it’s a good addition to the world that SM Reine has already created.




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Review: Sealed with a Purr

Sealed with a Purr by Celia Kyle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



These books are such yummy fun, even when they contain some darker subject matter. This one was particularly handicapped in that it takes place after the biggest of the big bad gets killed. I was worried that there would be no real tie to the rest of the books, but it delivered.

Tess is the unofficial daughter of the big bad that was just killed (spoiler alert… you shouldn’t be reading reviews of future books unless you’re caught up!). She’s recovering in what amounts to a cell at the compound where she and a few other women were tortured for years. Oh, and she’s also a mind reader, a sensitive, and a sort of half shifter. Harding is one of Maya’s few remaining unmated bodyguards and, whether consciously or through a twist of fate, she sends him off to find his mate. Send to replace Stone as the women’s guardian, Harding follows orders and discovers his mate at first sight.

Between the two of them, there’s a real balance. Yes, there’s sexy, steamy chemistry, too. Turn out; Harding has a pretty broken past that rivals Tess’s own. He quiets her voices and she soothes his inner beast. It just takes Tess a really long time for her to leave her big ole pity party long enough to see that Harding is perfect. Of course these books are short, but I really wanted more time figuring out Harding’s past. I feel like he didn’t get enough in depth time from this installment. I still love these books, though. They are such a guaranteed fun and naughty time.




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