Review: Shifter in Paradise

Shifter in Paradise by Susan Kearney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a very short paranormal romance about a different type of shapeshifter and his fated mate.

Ari is a shapeshifter who, after dreaming of his fated mate, shifts himself into the form of her personal pilot and essentially kidnaps her. They end up landing on his secluded island where he is somehow supposed to both convince her to trust him and convince her that she can make herself change forms.

Samantha, rightly so, is not exactly on board with the kidnapping plan. She’s a powerful, independent woman, who does not enjoy being played with. Luckily for them both, nature makes them irresistible to one another, helping her overcome her hesitation in short order. What initially feels impossible is suddenly part of her hopes and dreams. These two are definitely an unlikely pair, and would probably have continued to be without the help of this fated mate “push.”


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Review: Fifty Frogs

Fifty Frogs by Tawdra Kandle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an adorable, page-turning read that gave me smiles, laughs, and (of course) oodles of romance.

Poor Vivian. She left for her temporary reporting assignment with a rewarding job that she loved and a guy that could have possibly been the one (if she was willing to settle for stability over spark). When she returned home, she was pretty much homeless and jobless, and to make matters worse, the guy she could settle for was no longer willing to settle for her! Following some sage advice, she decided to explore the concept of having to kiss a lot of frogs to find her prince.

She meets exactly who you’d expect she would when she dives back into the dating scene – clingy, weird, aggressive, etc. Every woman has these stories, which is what would make Vivian’s article so likely to be picked up. As usual, it’s the guys that you never think of that end up being “the one.” In this case, we were introduced to a yummy dream man on Vivian’s way to reaching her goal of kissing fifty frogs.

This was an adorable story that really kept me entertained from start to finish. If you’re looking for a super fun and relatable book for a nice hot summer night, this is definitely worth it.


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Review: Defy the Dawn

Defy the Dawn by Lara Adrian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was definitely a different type of Midnight Breed book. Rather than focusing on the breed, really, it had a lot to do with the Atlantean race.

Brynne, who we met previously, is newly out of a job because of her work helping the breed warriors. She's used to having a very solitary life so when she goes from London to the breed compound, it's a bit jarring to have people in her business 100% of the time. There is also the issue of the very sexy and alluring Zael. These two are obviously the stars of this book and will obviously end up together, but they certainly do not make it easy.

Brynne is filled with secrets and issues that Zael only seems more inspired to tackle. It seem the challenge is even more attractive to him. Aside from their romantic storyline, there is also the ever-present terrorist group who is taking out large scale targets. This escalation and the mystery of the Atlantean crystal eventually take the Order to the doors of an Atlantean colony. Or rather, it takes some volunteers - Brynne and Zael - to the colony. If you thought the colony would have less drama or strife, you'd be wrong. It looks like Brynne and Zael just can't catch a break, but don't worry, we get our HEA.

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Review: That Old Black Magic

That Old Black Magic by Laurie Carroll-Kuna
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is the second in a magical world. Witches exist, but they're hiding. Oh, and there's vampires, too.

Endora we met previously in the first book of the series. She's buttoned up, can shapeshift into a cat, and likes her life to be in order. All of that changes when she receives a summons by the Tribunal. They are the ones that removed the majority of her power as a misplaced punishment for being present at a mass murder. She wasn't alone in her punishment - her soul mate, Marcus, received a similar punishment. Also, they were told to stay away from one another. Now, it seems, the Tribunal wants their help tracking down the real bad guy.

It's a little confusing as to why these two are specifically tasked with this job, and why they won't give them their powers back to do it, but I guess fate is weird that way. These two have some sizzle, but Endora is determined to fight it. You can probably guess how well that works. In the end, this story shows that love is powerful and can conquer even the most evil of villains.

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Review: Drawing Dead: An Urban Fantasy Thriller

Drawing Dead: An Urban Fantasy Thriller by SM Reine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

OK, wow - this book really surprised me in a good way. If you've never experienced this universe and are not well versed in the mythology, you can probably appreciate this book, but I have read them all and had some... preconceived notions. I honestly didn't like Dana when I met her in the previous books as an adult. I didn't know how I could possibly get through an entire book about her, but I devour everything by this author so I gave it a shot. I am so glad I did!

This story takes place in Vegas, where the Hunting Club is taking shots at the local vampire group while they take shots right back. The cops and the OPA are done turning a blind eye to these activities and have threatened them with an end to both of them if they don't behave. Dana is not really one for behaving and neither are some members of the vampire group. Oh, and then there's the whole issue where Dana just got forcibly turned into a vampire. That kind of throws a wrench into her plans.

Aside from Dana's dramas (which also involve some lovelife issues, of which there appear to be many), we spend a bunch of time in Nissa's head. She's a vampire with empathy who has never actually gotten up the nerve to drink blood. She's in good with her vampire friends but she is also not really a team player. You've always got to watch out for the quiet ones in these books. Oh, and the familiar characters from previous stories. Really, you've got to watch out for them all, since this author loves to surprise you.

While this book was really frickin' entertaining to read, it is certainly not a standalone, wrap-everything-up type book. We get to see into Dana's world and, wow, it is messed up. I can't wait to see what Dana does next, and where we head from here. With all the changes and bad guys we've now met, it should make for a really great new series.

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Review: Cougar Bait

Cougar Bait by Evangeline Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

These books are never straight vanilla and definitely veer towards the darker side, but they still never fail to deliver an unexpected romance.

Samantha is the sister of the previous book’s main character. While we briefly met her at the end, we certainly haven’t gotten to see all she has to offer. I think it would be okay to start reading the series here, but it would certainly help (or hurt) to see Liam as he plays a pretty strong role in book 1. Samantha, even after being locked up and watching Liam essentially threaten her sister with a forced mating, manages to save Liam’s life. As a surgeon, it kind of comes second nature to her to want to help people, but I’d be hard pressed to want to save the man that he was in book 1. He was pushy and almost forced a mating, which I thought would make it hard to get behind this romance. I was wrong. Liam won me over.

Liam ended up in a similar situation with Samantha, where a certain draw keeps him chasing her, no matter how much she insists she cannot be in his life. She has a normal human life, no signs of being a shifter any time soon, and has no interest in throwing her life away for any man. That all changes when she’s attacked and realizes that there might be some secret genes hiding in her somewhere. Their lives take a tumble and suddenly we all end up on Team Liam. I’m not really sure where the series will head from here since we’ve paired up the two main men, but I guess we could see what madness was unleashed from this book and follow it to its conclusion.


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Review: Fierce Obsessions

Fierce Obsessions by Suzanne Wright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book had everything I love – a spunky female lead, smutty goodness, and an engaging mystery.

Riley is the quirky raven shifter who brought two lovable misfit children to the Phoenix Pack. She and Tao have been dancing around each other since she got there. What might have looked like animosity has quickly grown into a burning desire. These two are *fabulous* together, especially because nothing is ever predictable.

Tao has done his best to sneak up on the raven shifter, but eventually a drunken night and a phone call from Riley’s past puts him in a position to push his luck. Who knew that a trip to Riley’s old home would involve an attempt on their life and the lives of those around them? I guess it should have been expected from this unpredictable duo.

Caught between trying to find a killer and coming to grips with her past, Riley also manages to let Tao in. I can’t say enough good things about this pair! They are now officially my favorite in the series. I wish there was more story from them – I could read a whole other book just for the witty banter.


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