Category Archives: Short Story Or Novella

Review: Free Fall – Carolyn Jewel

May 8, 2012

Expected Release Date: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Self Published
Imprint: N/A
Author’s Website: carolynjewel.com
My Source for This Book: Gift from the author
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 4.5, My Immortals Series
Series Best Read In Order: Works well as a standalone
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

Attorney Lys Fensic has spent her life controlling a psychic power that kills. Her ability to lock herself down falls apart when her ex, a mage, sends enslaved demons to kill her. In a psychic free fall, she turns to tough guy Telos Khunbish for help. But is he a mage as she’s always suspected or is he something far more dangerous? 

What Worked For Me:

  • I loved Lys’ psychic powers.  Not only did it make for an intriguing addition to the storyline, but it gave me a lot of respect for her character as a whole. Anyone who can stay strong enough to leash that much power is worthy of my admiration.
  • Telos. Oh, Telos. *fans self*  Not only is he a hacker, which I admit, my inner nerd finds sexy as all get-out, but he’s a deliciously powerful shape-shifting demon with both a bit of rebelliousness and an enormous amount of protective instincts when it comes to Lys.  I really enjoyed Telos as a hero, and thought he was a perfect foil for Lys.
  • Watching Lys crack under stress was so engrossing, and I was literally chewing on my nails worrying over how she was going to make it through the climax of this story.
  • The chemistry between Lys and Telos was palpable, and while the love scene may have pushed the envelope a bit for more sensitive readers, I thought that the intensity between the two of them was scrumptious.
  • I have to be careful about spoilers here, but the misunderstanding between Lys and Telos towards the end made me grin.
  • I really liked how this worked well as a standalone. Now, to be fair, I have read another book in the series about a year ago, so I did remember the basic gist of what was going on. Even so, I think that newcomers to the series will have enough information to keep up, while piquing their interest about the rest of the series.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • A very minor point, but I was a bit taken aback by some of the dialogue before the love scene.  While I know “the talk” is an important and responsible one for new lovers to undertake, this one was a bit much since it included more than just the “protection” discussion.  Again, not a big deal, but it did pull me out of the action a bit.
  • I do think some readers may be put off by the fact that Telos transforms into his demon form during lovemaking. While it didn’t bother me at all, and therefore did not count against the rating, I do think it’s worth mentioning because it may be a bit weird for some readers.

Free Fall is based on Future Tense, a free short story that is available on the author’s website. Since I had not personally read the original short story, I did read over it before writing this review, and I cannot recommend emphatically enough that readers opt for Free Fall instead.   There is so much more emotion, action, romance, and of course, steam, not to mention an actual Happily Ever After in Free Fall than there was in Future Tense.

Newcomers to the series may find a slight moment of confusion in regards to the animosity between mages and demons, but honestly any bewilderment will be quick in passing.  I’ve quite literally read over three hundred books since I last read a book from this series, and I was able to easily follow along with the action.

The dynamic between Lys’ very staid, tightly controlled character and Telos’ much more laid back and even aggressive personality was wonderful, and the chemistry between the two was absolutely sizzling.

Overall, I couldn’t put it down. With plenty of action, steam, and powerful romance, this is a wonderful introduction to the series, and a great story in its own right.

A very solid 4.5/5 Stars.

My Immortals Series Reading Order:

Also posted in Paranormal Romance – 0 Comments

Review: Improper Relations – Carina Press – Juliana Ross

April 22, 2012

Expected Release Date: April 23, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Carina Press
Author’s Website: http://julianaross.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Hot

Official Blurb:

Dorset, 1858 

When Hannah’s caught watching her late husband’s cousin debauch the maid in the library, she’s mortified — but also intrigued. An unpaid companion to his aunt, she’s used to being ignored. 

The black sheep of the family, Leo has nothing but his good looks and noble birth to recommend him. Hannah ought to be appalled at what she’s witnessed, but there’s something about Leo that draws her to him. 

When Leo claims he can prove that women can feel desire as passionately as men, Hannah is incredulous. Her own experiences have been uninspiring. Yet she can’t bring herself to refuse his audacious proposal when he offers to tutor her in the art of lovemaking. As the tantalizing, wicked lessons continue, she begins to fear she’s losing not just her inhibitions, but her heart as well. The poorest of relations, she has nothing to offer Leo but herself. Will it be enough when their erotic education ends?

What Worked For Me:

  • I admit, the entire “sexually uneducated widow” trope is a guilty pleasure read of mine. I don’t know why it appeals to me so much, but I’ve always enjoyed the tutoring of women who have previous experience over that of virginial heroines.
  • I loved the forbidden nature of Hannah and Leo’s relationship.  The illicitness definitely added a lovely layer of steam to the story.
  • I also really enjoyed how Leo was willing to own up to his own asshattery, and didn’t try to pawn off blame for any of the consequences of his actions.
  • I was very pleased that Ida was an okay kind of gal. She didn’t play an enormous part in the story, but I was concerned that she would’ve been one of those “bitter ex’s” that make things difficult for the couple in the future. Instead, she was a decent person, and I greatly appreciated that the author didn’t take the easy route and make her a villain.
  • “You’ve ruined me for anyone else” *swoon*
  • Strangely enough, I found that I enjoyed the uncertainty of their  relationship. There’s certainly something to be said for having to savor the moment rather than take things for granted.
  • I loved that the I Love You’s weren’t thrown around willy-nilly, and instead came at a very believable time.
  • There was a fantastic epilogue, which is something that I absolutely adore in romance.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • I’m just not a big fan of crude sexual language, especially in historicals.  I absolutely understand that a lot of people find that sort of thing sexier than euphemisms, but it’s really not my thing.
  • On a very similar note, I don’t really think there’s anything sexy about anatomy lessons in love scenes.
  • This did not count against the final rating, but voyeurism isn’t my kink. Well, no, that’s not actually accurate — I prefer not to witness one of the protagonists having sex with another character. However, as I said, this did not count towards the final rating, because I was well aware going into the story that Leo would be “debauching” a maid in front of Hannah.
  • I can’t really explain fully as it would be a spoiler, but I was very frustrated with one of Leo’s actions because I just knew as I read it, that it was going to lead to Bad Things.

My biggest issue with this novella is that I’m just not a big fan of “blunt” or “crude” language in romances, nor do I care for anatomy lessons during lovemaking.  It’s simply not a writing style that appeals to me.  So you can probably understand when I say that this was actually a tough story to review.  I loved the characters, with the unrepentantly wicked Leo and the blossoming widow Hannah taking center stage.

However, when a story is billed as an “erotic romance”, it’s very hard to rave about it when you didn’t actually care for the lovemaking. I loved the characters, and I enjoyed the plot, but the actual love scenes really didn’t do much for me.

So, in the end, I’d recommend this for fans of historical widows experiencing their first sexual awakening, bored rakes fighting their ennui with a forbidden affair, and explicit language to go along with the explicit romance.

3.5/5 Stars

Also posted in Historical – 2 Comments

Review: Demon Bait – Samhain – Moira Rogers

March 17, 2012

Expected Release Date: November 29, 2012
Publisher: Samhain
Imprint: N/A
Author’s Website: http://www.moirarogers.com
My Source for This Book: Gift from the author (Bree)
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1, Children of the Undying.
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Hot

Official Blurb:

His mark could bind her forever—or finally set her free.

Fifty years after a demon apocalypse devastated the world, summoners still bear the bulk of the blame. Marci lives in secret, hiding the gifts that could cost her a secure spot in one of humanity’s underground cities, and access to their virtual world. After all, her chances of avoiding the genetic-testing lotto are better than her chances of surviving topside.

The bastard son of a terrifying incubus, lust heats Gabe’s blood and sex fuels his magic. Innate charm and charisma help him navigate the cultural gap between the outcast town he calls home and the human settlements he infiltrates for trade. His latest mission nets him an unexpected asset—a summoner strong enough to soothe his darkest needs.

Trust a half demon, especially one who uses a lockdown to trap them together? Not in this lifetime. Yet Marci can’t resist Gabe’s offer to see her safely to a selective outcast settlement where she can live without fear. The journey alone is as dangerous as the way Gabe makes her heart race, but it could be her one hope of a real life.

If only she could be sure Gabe’s telling her the whole truth…

Warning: Contains a virtual world where humans flee to escape the demon-infested earth, a dangerously seductive half demon with sex magic to burn and a network-hacking summoner brave enough to make herself vulnerable to him.

What Worked For Me:

  • I really enjoyed the mythology with the demons, summoners, and hybrids. I do wish there’d been a bit more world building and perhaps some more details on both Marci and Gabe’s powers, but there was definitely enough information where I never felt lost, and the lack of details actually helped me focus on “Gabe and Marci” instead of just the world the story was set in.
  • As always, Moira Rogers knows how to write some incredible chemistry, passion, and steam, with Gabe and Marci burning up the pages.
  • I was so thankful that the “marking” Gabe spoke of didn’t require sex.  So often in paranormal romance, any sort of “marking” must involve sex. So I admit, whenever I hear it mentioned in romance these days I tend to roll my eyes because it always feels like a cheap way to force the hero and heroine into bed.  That wasn’t the case with Gabe and Marci, and that tiny little detail changed the entire dynamic between them for the better.
  • I really enjoyed how large a part virtual reality played in this story as well.
  • One thing I really enjoyed was how the story didn’t follow what I would consider to be “the expected route for many of the plot turns.
  • Clocking it at I think 100 pages, this book was surprisingly complete.  While I do of course wish that there’d been more details

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • There was a time or two where the story kind of fast-forwards a few days, which could be a bit disorienting at times.

Clocking in at only around 100 pages, Demon Bait packs quite a bit of punch for what could be considered a relatively low word count.  With a captivating universe where evil demons have taken over and the world’s human population has taken to the underground for protection, much of a person’s life is spent in virtual reality.  Having blamed summoners for bringing down the scourge of demons, humans live in fear and prejudice against those who may carry demon or summoner blood.

Marci was wonderful. She was a strong character without being bitchy, and Gabe was alpha while still desperately trying to find a balance between his instincts and actual consideration for Marci.

While I do of course wish there’d been a few more details of both the history of the demon/summoner relationship and of the realities of the world outside of the compounds, I still found this an incredibly satisfying read.

As always, the love scenes are steamy without ever feeling gratuitous, and the ending was absolutely perfect.

A delightfully solid 4.5/5 Stars, and I’m very much looking forward to reading the sequel.

 

 

Also posted in Sci-Fi and/or Futuristic – 1 Comment

Review: A Waltz at Midnight – Carina Press – Crista McHugh

February 27, 2012

Expected Release Date: February 27, 2012 (Available Now!)
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Carina Press
Author’s Website: http://www.cristamchugh.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Warm

Official Blurb:

New York, 1866 

When her mistress receives an utterly unromantic letter from a potential suitor, servant Susanna Parkwell is asked to craft an appropriate response. Though hesitant to take part in the deception, Susanna agrees, never dreaming the scorned suitor will write back. 

Theodore Blakely abhors being pressured by his family to marry, but he’s intrigued by the witty refusal he receives from “Charlotte”. After exchanging more letters, Ted believes he’s found a soul mate in his thoughtful and understanding correspondent, and asks permission to formally court her. 

Though racked with guilt over her lies, Susanna can’t resist the opportunity to meet Ted in person. So she poses as Charlotte at a holiday ball, where she vows to tell him the truth. But when the clock strikes midnight, will Susanna have the courage to reveal her identity and risk losing the man she loves?

What Worked For Me:

  • There is just something hopelessly romantic about falling in love via letters. Perhaps it’s because it takes physical appearance out of the equation, or maybe it’s just the thought of anticipation between missives, but whatever it is, it certainly helped add a certain sweetness to the story.
  • I adored Susanna. Though it’s true she was technically hiding behind another woman’s name in writing her letters, her bluntness really endeared her to me. She never shied away from calling a spade a spade, and you could just feel when she started to feel more than animosity towards Teddy.
  • While not an obnoxiously overt reference to Cinderella, there was still a fairy-tale quality to the story, with a rags-to-riches theme, as well as the feeling that true love conquers all.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • I was a little disappointed that the only “action” we get is a kiss. A minor point, to be sure, but I tend to prefer steamy romance, so I felt it was worth mentioning.
  • I really wish that there had been an epilogue. While I definitely felt that Susanna and Teddy were in love at the end of the story, but I was really left with the feeling that a solid epilogue could’ve made me believe in their Happily Ever After a little bit more.  As it was, I didnt’ have complete faith that things would work out between them, no matter how much I adored them as a couple.  This was the main thing that kept this story from receiving a perfect score.

This was a very sweet, incredibly romantic novella, and I absolutely adored it.  While not a sensual romance, the emotion that developed over the course of this love story more than made up for any lack of steam in my opinion.

I really enjoyed the sort of Cinderella story, with Susanna having gone from riches to rags, and then back to riches again, and her own tenacity in dealing with Teddy.

In the end, this was a delightfully romantic, easy read, with just enough conflict to keep things interesting.

A sweetly romantic 4.5/5 Stars.

Also posted in Historical – 1 Comment

Review: Heart of the Incubus – Entangled Publishing – Rosalie Lario

January 30, 2012

Expected Release Date:  January 2, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Imprint: N/A
Author’s Website: rosalielario.com
My Source for This Book: Amazon.com
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 3.5, Demons of Infernum
Series Best Read In Order: Probably, but works well as a standalone.
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

Biochemist Cresso Taylor lives the sort of lifestyle most men would envy—he has wealth, natural incubus charm, and more women than he can handle. But it’s not enough anymore. Not after meeting Genevieve Russell, the sexy scientist who works with him at Elcorp Laboratory. And she wants absolutely nothing to do with him. 

After her fiancé broke her heart, Genevieve has had enough of womanizers. She’s determined to steer clear of sexy-as-sin Dr. Taylor, despite the fact that his incubus allure makes her want to rip his clothes off. But when a secret admirer’s affection turns to the macabre with threatening notes and grisly gifts, Cresso appoints himself her protector. As she and Cresso hunt her stalker, she discovers there’s a lot more to the sensual incubus than she ever imagined.

What Worked For Me:

  • One thing that really stood out to me is that while this is technically a novella, it never felt rushed or incomplete, nor did the pacing feel too fast for the relationship. This is a huge plus for me, as pacing is one of my biggest complaints about most novellas.
  • There is so much I loved about the angst caused by Cresso’s requiring sex to live. Sure, many men like to claim such a thing, but for Cresso it’s actual fact, since he’s an incubus, and adding to that the fact that sex demons can only have sex with other sex demons, and that there are far more succubi than incubi, his history and reputation as a manslut is completely unavoidable.  While many people think that incubi live the fantasy life of a porn star, the reality is that there’s very little chance of love, of ever settling down, of having a life that doesn’t revolve around feeding and multiple lovers.  Yet Cresso’s discovery of a vaccine that allows sex demons to take lovers from other species doesn’t really make things easier for him, because some people can’t look further than his past, no matter that he only did what was necessary for both his survival and the survival of his species. Loved it.
  • I really enjoyed the stalker, both with the mystery of the stalker’s identity, to the creep factor of the stalker’s “gifts”, to  wonderful twists and turns in that plot line.
  • As always from this author, the sexual tension was thick and the love scenes beautifully steamy, with just the right amount of angst thrown in.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • To be honest, there wasn’t much that didn’t work for me with this story. The only thing that really jumps out at me is how badly I wanted to smack Genevieve on occasion.  To be fair, most of her asshattery was because of her own relationship baggage combined with the fact that she didn’t see the behind-the-scenes into Cresso’s life like readers did, but even so, it was a bit of a downer at times.

I’m a huge fan of the Demons of Infernum series, and when Cresso played quite a large part in the last book, Touch of the Angel, I knew I would have to read his story if it ever came out.  I was not disappointed.

Cresso was just as tortured and sexy and wonderfully in love as he had been presented in the previous book, and watching his unrequited love for Genevieve

While there were several cameos from the main series, I do think that this one would work okay as a standalone. There was nothing that really jumped out to me as something I’d have needed to read the previous stories to understand, and while I would of course recommend this series to any fan of sexy paranormal romance, I do think that those unfamiliar with the series would still get the full impact of this story.

Recommended for fans of unrequited love, terrifying stalkers, and angsty inter-office affairs, sprinkled liberally with some incredible sexual tension and intense passion.

A delicious 4.5/5 Stars.

Also posted in Paranormal Romance – 0 Comments

Review: Banshee Charmer – Entangled Publishing – Tiffany Allee

January 24, 2012

Expected Release Date: January 24, 2012 (Available Now!)
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Imprint: N/A
Author’s Website: http://tiffanyallee.com
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1, From the Files of the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

When she’s sent to a crime scene and finds her second dead woman in as many weeks, half-banshee detective Kiera “Mac” McLoughlin is convinced a serial killer is on the loose. Incubi are extinct, her boss insists. But what else can kill a woman in the throes of pleasure? When her partner is murdered after using witchcraft to locate the killer and Mac is thrown off the case, her frustration turns to desperation.

Certain the killer is an incubus, Mac works behind her department’s back to chase down slim, sometimes perilous leads. While the killer eludes her, she does discover handsome Aidan Byrne, an investigative counterpart from the enigmatic Otherworlder Enforcement Agency. Mac typically runs her investigations fast and hard, but with Aidan at her side, she’s running this one “hot” as well. But Aidan knows more than he’s letting on—something that could shatter their blazing romance and add Mac to the killer’s growing body count…

What Worked For Me:

  • I really enjoyed the first person point of view in this one. Getting inside of Kiera’s head really helped to add both perspective and mystery to the story, as the reader gets to experience all of the emotions and confusion that Kiera suffers through during the course of the novel.
  • I  loved Aiden. *fans self*  Sexy, handsome, and a danged fine investigator with the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency, Kiera knows that he’s not fully human, but even so, the fact that he’s not intimidated by her half-banshee heritage endears him to her.
  • While I suspected the big twist early on, I still enjoyed how it played out.
  • I also enjoyed the mystery behind the serial killings that Kiera was attempting to investigate, as well as how the entire investigation became personal quite early on.
  • Despite the sexy nature of the premise, there was no overwhelming amount of sensuality. Instead, the delicious bedroom action was very well balanced with the law enforcement aspect and the mystery behind the serial killer.
  • The love scenes were wonderfully hot, with just the right amount of emotional angst blended in.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • A very minor point, but the cover model for Aiden was nothing like what I’d seen in my head. This didn’t count against the rating, but it still stuck out at me.
  • I was a little disappointed by how obvious part of the twist was. Don’t get me wrong, the BIG twist was a good one, and there were several times where I was a little shocked by the plot developments, but there was definitely one twist that I saw coming from the very beginning. To be honest, however, I’m not 100% certain that wasn’t actually intentional.

This was a wonderfully fun, fast-paced read, with the perfect amount of sensuality.  I loved Aiden, and the chemistry between him and Kiera was truly delicious.  Adding in the mystery behind both the killings and Aiden’s true identity added a wonderful amount of tension and angst as well.

Overall, this was a fast, sexy read that was also quite heavy on plot as well. Recommended for fans of heroes keeping secrets, of heroines juggling a tortured past, demanding job, and complicated relationship, and of high action urban fantasy, all sprinkled with a solid dose of sensuality.

4/5 Stars

Also posted in Urban Fantasy – 1 Comment

Review: The Stubborn Dead – Carina Press – Natasha Hoar

January 23, 2012

Expected Release Date: January 23, 2011 (Available Now!)
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Carina Press
Author’s Website: http://natashahoar.wordpress.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1, Lost Souls series
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Chaste

Official Blurb:

Rachel Miller thought her next job was a run-of-the-mill haunting. As a member of the Order of Rescue Mediums it’s her duty to release trapped spirits from the earthly realm. But when called to client Sylvia Elkeles’s house, she finds a wraith who doesn’t act like he should.

The Order considers the wraith an extreme threat and Rachel may be forced to use a barbaric ritual to free him—a ritual that comes with a heavy personal price. If she fails to humanely release the wraith, she’ll have her supernatural abilities bound.

When Janus Ostara—local supernatural mob boss—shows up demanding her attention, and Sylvia keeps secrets that may place Rachel in mortal danger, she doesn’t need her abilities to know something darkly sinister is at play.

Between uncovering Sylvia’s disturbing motives, and avoiding Janus, Rachel has enough on her hands without dealing with a wraith who may not realize he’s supposed to be dead…

20,000 words

What Worked For Me:

  • I loved the entire setup with the Order of Rescue Mediums, including their rules that could result in Rachel having her powers bound, face branded, and cut off from everyone in the Order, including her mother.
  • Am I the only one hoping she hooks up with Janus eventually? I get the feeling that perhaps if there’s going to be a romantic entanglement for Rachel, it’s intended to be with Kit, but I tell you, the tension between her and Janus is palpable, and it’s obvious they have a history that I’m itching to explore further.
  • I also really enjoyed the mystery and mythology of the rodach itself.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • As with most novellas, I do with that this had been a full-length novel.  While everything important to this particular plotline was included, and had ideal pacing for the content, there is so much left unanswered about this world that I would have happily read at least another hundred pages or so had they been included.

I  am dying to read more in this series. Simply dying. This novella, while a complete story in and of itself, is like a tasty hors d’oeuvre that left me hungry for more.

The entire idea behind the Order of Rescue Mediums snagged my attention, but it was Rachel who grabbed my by the gut and refused to let me go.  She’s kickass, sure, but she’s not the perfect, all-powerful heroine that many have come to expect in Urban Fantasy. Instead, she almost gets her ass handed to her several times, which I greatly appreciated.

The mystery behind the identity of the rodach, as well as the time constraint Rachel was working under worked perfectly with the pacing of the story, and I for one am looking forward to finding out more about Rachel’s tenuous “relationship” with Janus.

There’s one thing I’m sure of — Natasha Hoar is definitely an author to watch.

A resounding 5/5 Stars

Also posted in Not A Traditional Romance, Urban Fantasy – 3 Comments

Review: Don’t Bite The Messenger – Carina Press – Regan Summers

January 16, 2012

Expected Release Date: January 16, 2012 (Available Now!)
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Carina Press
Author’s Website: http://regansummers.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1, Vampire Messengers
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

Anchorage, Alaska

The vampire population may have created an economic boom in Alaska, but their altered energy field fries most technology. They rely on hard-living—and short-lived—couriers to get business done…couriers like Sydney Kildare. Sydney has survived to the ripe old age of twenty-six by being careful. She’s careful when navigating her tempestuous clients, outrunning hijackers and avoiding anyone who might distract her from her plan of retiring young to a tropical, vampire-free island. Her attitude—and immunity to vampires’ allure—have made her the target of a faction of vampires trying to reclaim their territory. Her only ally is Malcolm Kelly, a secretive charmer with the uncanny habit of showing up whenever she’s in trouble. Caught in the middle of a vampire turf war, Sydney has to count on Malcolm to help her survive, or the only place she’ll retire is her grave…

Vampires are real, and are even productive members of society. However, vampires have one trait that makes it impossible for them to mix in with large communities — they give off an energy field that disrupts most technology.  Phones, fax machines, computers, and the like, are unpredictable at best when a vampire is near, so large populations of vampires have congregated in areas where there are fewer people, such as Alaska.  Vampire factions operate similarly to the mafia, with rival factions constantly attempting to infiltrate another in order to secure their own domination, and a tendency to try to intimidate and even harm messengers for the other side.

Sydney has not lasted so long in the business by being careless. She alters her appearance daily, always alternates her route through the city, and is careful to vet potential clients – and to never, ever betray one.

Her immunity to vampire allure, the hypnotic power that vampires possess to bend humans to her will, makes her an incredibly valuable asset to her vampire clients — one that also makes her a target.

When a move is made to shift power in the vampire communities, Sydney finds herself depending on the mysterious Malcolm — a vampire with his own agenda — but can she really trust him?

What Worked For Me:

  • I really loved the idea of messengers working for vampire clientele, and all of the precautions and secrecy necessary to succeed in that position. With feuding vampire factions, I imagine it would be similar to working for the mob — as a messenger, you’re a liability that other factions could use against your employers, and as such things like changing your appearance, never using the same route, and being 100% loyal to your client and the terms of the agreement are absolutely imperative.
  • I also really enjoyed the first person point of view. In this case, it definitely helped me as a reader identify with a character that I personally have nothing in common with, which was great.
  • I also adored Malcolm.  A bit on the shady side, and not really appearing to be trustworthy, he added quite a bit of tension to the story, sexual and otherwise.
  • While not a super-steamy read, there was wonderful chemistry between Sydney and Malcolm from the very moment they met, and I loved it.
  • I also greatly enjoyed the action scenes, and the thrilling amount of danger that Sydney was in as a messenger, both from normal hazards like traffic, to competition, to being taken out by a rival vampire faction.
  • I loved the mixture of fear and lust during the love scene. While perhaps not high on the sexy-meter, it definitely added quite a bit of excitement as well as helped to remind me that vampires are not sweet little sparkly creatures, but are, in fact, dangerous predators.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • As a huge fan of a Happily Ever After, I was slightly disappointed that this seemed to end with more of a Happily For Now. Even so, this is a fairly minor point, because I wasn’t left with the feeling that things couldn’t work out between them.
  • I also wasn’t thrilled with the forced nudity in this story, but as any of my readers know, this is simply a trope that leaves me cold.

Overall, this was a fast-paced, exciting urban fantasy.  Sydney and her life as a messenger for vampires was fascinating, and Malcolm was mysterious and dangerous while still being sweet and sexy.

While a fairly short read, the pacing was wonderful, with plenty of action but not skimping on character development or plot either.

I sincerely hope that this is the beginnings of a new series, as I would love to see where Sydney and Malcolm go from here.

4/5 Stars

Also posted in Urban Fantasy – 1 Comment

Review: Magic Gifts – Ilona Andrews

January 11, 2012

Expected Release Date: December 24, 2011
Publisher: Self- Published
Imprint: N/A
Author’s Website: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/
My Source for This Book: Ilona Andrews’ Website*
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 5.4, Kate Daniels Series
Series Best Read In Order: Yes
Steam Level: Warm

Official Blurb:

A dinner date after a hard day at work sounds heavenly. Of course, when that date is between the Beast Lord and Kate Daniels, things don’t go as planned. Before you know it, undead are running amok, heads are being chopped off, lawyers are deployed and used with extereme prejudice, and drunk vikings are calling people out.

Read at your own risk.

What Worked For Me:

  • It’s Kate Daniels. Duh.
  • There are Vikings. Well, members of the Norse Heritage Foundation, at least.  Living up to their reputation for drunkenness and violence, the entire exchange between them and Kate & Co. are pretty hysterical, especially when it involves a vampire piloted by Ghastek.
  • Ghastek is absolutely delightful in this story.  His arrogance has always been his weakness, and it comes back to bite him, quite literally, in the teakettle this go round.
  • Håkon was wonderfully creepy, and I loved how Kate and Curran solved the dilemma of finding “sacrifices” to protect her from him.
  • As always, I loved seeing the Beast Lord in all his furry glory.
  • The overall storyline was actually quite intriguing to begin with — a child in danger, having to not only visit a group of Vikings, but dealing with a horrifying draugr on top of everything else.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • The cruel, cruel tease to Andrea’s book, which I already desperately wanted to read before picking up this novella, and am now lamenting loudly the fact that its publication has actually been delayed due to an illness in the authors’ family.  Gah.
  • There are quite a bit of grammatical and typographic mistakes in my copy, though it was made quite clear up front that this version was unedited.

There was so much that I loved about this novella that it would be impossible to list everything without retelling the story. Jim’s clipboards. Curran’s comment about having to get dressed up and meet with the People despite his dislike for them. Kate’s epic “entrance” to the meeting with the Mercenary Guild. The list goes on.

Sure, there were some grammatical and typographical mistakes, but it was clear up front that this was an unedited “bonus” of sorts for fans of the series, and except for one instance where a character’s name was misspelled, I honestly barely noticed.

Overall, I ate it up with a spoon, and was left whimpering for more, just as I have been with everything I’ve read of the series since Book 3.

While this is definitely not something I would recommend for newcomers to the series, I think that old fans will greatly enjoy it, and I for one cannot wait to get Gunmetal Magic, due out in Summer 2012.

A resounding 5/5 Stars.

*This novella was available on Ilona Andrews’ website for a very limited time as a bonus to their readers, but is no longer available through the site.  The latest information I have on future availability is that this novella will likely be printed at the end of the next Kate Daniels book — Gunmetal Magic (Andrea’s Book), as it occurs simultaneously to that story. 

Also posted in -- Book Bargains --, Urban Fantasy – 1 Comment

Review: Bound In Darkness – Cynthia Eden

December 4, 2011


Expected Release Date: September 12, 2011
Publisher: Self Published
Imprint: N/A
Author’s Website: http://www.cynthiaeden.com
My Source for This Book: Amazon.com
Part of a Series: Yes, Bound series
Series Best Read In Order: Works well as a standalone
Steam Level: Hot

Official Blurb:

Hunter…

When it comes to killing vampires, werewolf Cade Thain is the best slayer in the Northwest. So when a witch hires him to take out a pureblood vamp, the assassin thinks it will be just business as usual. One less vicious vamp on the streets…one more undead parasite gone from the earth. Then he meets her.

Protector…

Allison Gray isn’t the prey that Cade expects. Beautiful, innocent, she stirs a dark desire within him. Allison hasn’t transformed fully into a vampire, not yet, and it’s Cade’s job to make sure that she never does. Allison thinks that he’s at her side to keep her safe, but Cade is supposed to pick the right moment—and kill her.

Lover…

Killing Allison is soon the last thing that Cade plans. As she begins the transformation that will turn her into a vampire, her bloodlust and their desire merge in an explosion of need that neither can control. But Allison’s enemies are closing in, and the coming battle will take Cade and Allison beyond life, beyond love…and into a deadly darkness that waits to claim them both.

Bound in Darkness.

What Worked For Me:

  • Whooo mama the intense chemistry between Cade and Allison was scrumptious!  While I don’t think it was technically a “fated to be mated” type storyline, the attraction was so intense between then that it might as well have been. Allison brought out every protective instinct in Cade that he’d thought was long dead and buried, and the sexual tension was practically dripping between them.
  • Cade was wonderful. Physically and emotionally scarred, he hated all vampires, but found that when he came face to face with Allison as a target, he simply couldn’t kill her.  He was fascinated by her blend of toughness and naivete, and despite the fact that she was a purebred vampire on the cusp of her transformation, the alpha male in him refused to let anyone harm her. The way he took control of the situation
  • Despite there not being a large amount of sex scenes, the sensuality was pretty intense, and the love scenes that were included were all sorts of hot and yummy.
  • I loved the angst caused by Allison’s pureblood status, especially since she’d been unaware of it, and Cade’s intense dislike of all thing vampire.
  • I also loved the twist with the vampires who were hunting Allison, as well as the idea that the witch might have started a chain reaction that brought about her fate in her attempt to avoid it.
  • The pacing was perfect, and despite the fact that theirs was a whirlwind relationship, something about the intensity of their attraction actually made it believable.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • Honestly, there wasn’t anything that came to mind. Upon further thought, I think there was a typo or two, or a strange bit of formatting on occasion, but that’s really more from the ebook conversion than anything.
This was a fast paced, action packed, sexy little paranormal novella, and I loved it.  Cade was absolutely delicious, and Allison was likable as well.   The chemistry was sizzling, and the actual storyline about the witch and other assassins, as well as the vampires on Allison’s trail kept the story moving.
I loved the hints at Cade’s background, as well as his protective instincts, and Allison’s determination to keep from becoming an “evil” vampire made me love her as well.
Recommended for fans of sexy as sin shifters, starcrossed lovers, and finding out you shouldn’t try to mess with fate. 5/5 Stars.
Also posted in Paranormal Romance – 1 Comment
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