Review: The Relentless Warrior (Star-Crossed, #6)

The Relentless Warrior by Rachel Higginson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

Wow, just, wow. This book made me fall in love all over again with the Star-Crossed series. The balance between action and romance was absolutely perfect. I was on the edge of my seat, heart pounding out of my chest, blood sizzling in my veins and loving every single page of this story.

Jericho is a character that has had a hard time in this series. He got trampled by Eden, he gets used by Amelia to hide from Avalon, and yet he’s one of the biggest players in the whole war storyline. This poor guy really needed a break, but what he got was a feisty and aggressive woman in the form of Olivia. Olivia was rescued by Jericho and friends from the evil clutches of our latest big bad. The subject of his awful experimentation, she somehow escaped with new powers and absolutely no understanding of the world she fell into.

This book really was the perfect combination of what I’ve loved about all the previous ones. We get a truly wonderful romance that ranges from love/hate to soft and sentimental in the blink of an eye. Jericho is exposed as the truly good guy that he is in the way he works with Olivia and the way he helps her grow and accept her new life. He’s also a fighter and it was refreshing to have a character actually fight for what he wants, regardless of the odds stacked against him. Olivia is no pushover, either. She fights just as hard both for and against Jericho. Their banter was one of my favorite things about this book. It had me smiling and laughing right along with them.

Overall, we don’t get an absolutely perfect happy ending, but we do get a happily ever after (eventually) for Jericho and Olivia that was really rewarding. There are big events that happen in this book that will, I’m sure, be pivotal to the rest of the series, but what I truly cared about was the resulting happiness for the characters involved. The road that they are taking is probably going to get tougher before it gets easier, but I’m 100% on board with taking that journey with them. The dynamic between the characters really hit its stride in this book and I’m eager to see where we go in the next book.


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Review: Snow White and the Vampire (The Cursed Princes #2)

Snow White and the Vampire by Marina Myles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This book was packed to the brim with fairy tale, horror story, and typical London references: a cursed amulet, a forbidden castle, an evil stepmother, star-crossed lovers, Jack the Ripper, the Tower of London, and oodles of mystery.

Alba is playing the role of “Snow White” in this story. She’s got an evil stepmother and has been cursed. Dimitri is playing the role of Prince Charming (I think), if he was a vampire. If you can get on board with those ideas, you’ll really like this book. It was well written and had lots of twists and turns. Oh, and it even had some smutty good times in there (as much as old world London will give you, what with all the layers and propriety). A few stories are happening at once in this book – Jack the Ripper is hunting people, Alba is trying to escape her evil stepmother, Dimitri is trying to get away from his evil friend Somona, and they are both trying to escape some evil curse (or two).

Sadly, I don’t think this set of books is for me. I just couldn’t get on board with the many different curses and storylines that kept fizzling or counteracting one another. That being said, I don’t think that should put anyone else off from reading this book. The writing style was enjoyable and the mystery was well done (I had no clue who the killer was!). If you’re into fairy tales and vampires, this will be the perfect combination for you!


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Review: Circle of Fire (Damask Circle, #1)

Circle of Fire by Keri Arthur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This book series is a sort of spin-off from the Nikki and Michael ones, with a lot more emphasis placed on the Damask Circle and witches instead of vampires. This author has a very easy and fluid writing style that manages to convince me that I can read an entire book in one night. The pages fly by so quickly that I don’t even realize how much I’ve read in one sitting.

The story revolves around Madeline Smith, a “firestarter” who has been untrained and suffered for it. She’s a widow who has walled herself off from most of the world, with the exception of her nephew Evan. Jon is (much like Michael) a Circle member who has become married to his job. While on a mission of sorts, he ends up shot by a white ash arrow and slowly dying in a well. Able to astrally project to only Maddie (at Evan’s urging), he must somehow convince her to take the risk and come save him. Evan being kidnapped is the push that sends Maddie back out into the world and into Jon’s life.

Their reluctant romance was a lot like Nikki and Michael’s, with the exception of a blissful HEA at the end of the book. It was nice to have things tied up neatly at the end of one of these installments and gives me hope for the rest of the Damask Circle books. The feminist in me didn’t like that Maddie was so willing to wait out Jon’s reluctance to admit his feelings for so very long. The romantic in me loved every second of their unconventional love story. The chemistry between them was good, but the heart fluttering moments were really when they both internally admitted their feelings for one another. I’m eager to see what couple we get to see in the next book and how they will stack up to this pair.


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Review: Sun God Seeks…Surrogate? (Accidentally Yours, #3)

Sun God Seeks…Surrogate? by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

These books are really excellent quick reads! The writing style is zany and hilarious, the action has your pulse pounding, and the sizzle is off the charts!

This installment gives us a look into the life of a sun god. He's broody and obsessed with his work, but that isn't really the total package. Inside, he's a softie that is just wishing for life as a human, where he can fall in love and no longer have the burdens of saving humanity. So what changes everything? Cimil, of course. The wacky and unpredictable god has a hand in all things in these books, so it's no surprise that she orchestrates Kinich (the sun god) meeting his match in the form of Penelope. Penelope is just trying to save her mom from an unidentified illness. Along come Cimil, with a check in hand, sending Penelope off to meet her brother, in the guise of becoming a surrogate to bear his children.

Do things ever work as planned with Cimil? Not so much. There are midgets, sexy times, attacks, and running (lots of running). There's also the whole "impending apocalypse" thing that is looming over everyone's head. Through all this drama, though, we get to spend some quality time with the bunch of weirdos that make up the gods and their significant others (and the vampires, and demigods, who don't really fit in any other category). Oh, and we get some new species introductions, along with a killer cliffhanger. Will we ever get answers? Will we ever have a resolution to all these stories? Even without a firm HEA here, it was still a wicked ride. These books are awesome reads.

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Review: Jeanne-Claude and Eugene's Magic Lamp (I Dream of Jinns)

Jeanne-Claude and Eugene's Magic Lamp by Trinity Blacio
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This is a very short and quick read, filled with a paranormal I don’t often read about: Jinns. Becca is a woman on the run from the vampire mafia in Chicago. She’s been dreaming of two hotties for years, but didn’t ever suspect that they’d pop into her apartment one night when she needed saving from aforementioned vampires. Turns out, she’s got the right DNA for mating with the Jinn and helping them continue their race. Also, bonus, two hot guys will mate with her for life.

Overall, it felt a little bit rushed, but what do you expect with 42 pages? There’s not really a lot of anything, even smut (which I would’ve thought would be abundant, based on the cover). As the start to a group of short stories, it got my attention. I can kind of see where the remaining characters are headed, so would be interested in checking out the next story.


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Review: From This Day Forward: Dragon Shifters of Derkesthai Academy

From This Day Forward: Dragon Shifters of Derkesthai Academy by Mackenzie Lucas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This book series is getting better by leaps and bounds! I loved this installment. We get oodles of backstory and information about the world of dragons and other supernaturals.

April (who we met previously in book 1) is the wife of a dragon shifter who is currently stationed overseas. She's one tough chick who is also slightly damaged. Having her husband so far away from her and her three girls is not really helping matters. Oh, and she also has the ability to see "signs" and read auras and other fun stuff. Noah, her "Captain America" husband gets dragged into the mystery surrounding the horde thief (which started in the last book).

The love story of Noah and April is a really sweet one. Yes, there's some trust issues and lots of action jammed into this book, but these are little love stories at the heart of it all. I can't wait to read the next book to see where the bigger story ends up taking us!

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Review: To Have & To Hold

To Have & To Hold by Mackenzie Lucas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This book starts and we dive right into the drama and action. Cate and her husband Grayson have spent the past year apart. Her, dealing with the repercussions of what could possibly have been an attempt on her life by her husband. Him, in his dragon shifter form, fighting for control while protected magically in the upstairs attic. Cate has been using Grayson's law partner, Michael, as a shoulder to cry on, but he wants more. After a year without her husband, it seems like the logical decision.

When Grayson's time in "captivity" hits 1 year, Cate unlocks the door to find a seemingly changed man. Unfortunately, all that changes when he scents another man on her. This leads to a tailspin of events that ends in them separated by even more than before. We learn all about this new dragon and magic filled world that Cat and Grayson inhabit. It's filled with some really unique takes on some traditional paranormal elements. There's also a few different mysteries and stories going on. Overall, it's probably a romance at heart. The paranormal elements seem to just make it that much more complicated for the poor main characters.

The love story drew me in, and I'm curious to see what happens next for Cate and Grayson. There were a few characters introduced that I'd like to see more from, too. This novella was a good intro to a new world.

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