Unmasking Miss Appleby by Emily Larkin

Book 1 in the Baleful Godmother series

http://www.emilylarkin.com/

Charlotte Appleby is a good woman in a bad situation; both her parents have passed and she now approaches the ripe old age of 25 under the roof of her insufferable aunt and uncle, still without having received the Season she was due. As a 'charity' case, her aunt and uncle don't seem inclined to help Charlotte find her way in the world, so Charlotte needs to forge her own path; something that becomes a trifle easier when her (albeit scary) Fairy Godmother shows up on her 25th birthday to grant her a special power...metamorphosis. Armed with the ability to transform into whatever, or whomever, she pleases, 'Mr. Albin' decides to make 'his' way in the world by answering an ad in the paper for a secretary... an ad placed by a very handsome earl.

Marcus, Lord Cosgrove, is in need of a new secretary after his last one was ambushed and hurt in a fight; Mr. Albin, while a bit unusual (and clearly untutored in all things manly), seems to be the only one in England who's willing to stomach the risk. Together, Albin and Cosgrove set off on an adventure to find whoever is smashing the Earl's windows, leaving 'nightsoil' on his doorstep, and, apparently, even trying to kill him. Albin and the Earl become good friends as they begin to unravel the mysteries surrounding Cosgrove's life - but will that all change when Cosgrove learns Albin, er, Charlotte's secret?

Charlotte is an amazing heroine - truly, her story and her personality captivated me. She was generous and thoughtful, and willing to take responsibility for her actions at all times - even when it was hard. She was honest (as much as can be expected when one is hiding a major, magical secret) and hard-working, her caring for Marcus stemming from a deeply personal place of friendship and concern. She is a self-made woman, someone who is reasonably afraid but takes action anyway; I found her to be one of the more admirable heroines I've read about. For his part, Marcus was also a gem; funny and loyal, incredibly caring, sexy in his competence and confidence, and very thoughtful. He actually took a backseat in my estimation, with Charlotte really being the mover and shaker in this book, which might be why he shines a little less brightly than she does despite still being a wonderful, consistent character.

The plot was fast-paced; the mystery of who was behind the events happening to Marcus (and when/how he would discover Charlotte's secret) kept the pages flying by and provided a lot of opportunities for Charlotte to prove her worth as Albin. I liked Charlotte's freedom to move through the plot and make change happen, so unusual for women in Regency that often are being pushed around by the ton and relatives, and I loved her growing self-confidence and bravery as she took charge. The setup for the magic is well-done so it doesn't feel ridiculous or overbearing, and the ending - the way Marcus and Charlotte resolve their differences - is classic and sweet. 

Honestly, there was only one thing that brought this book from an A/A+ region to a solid A-, and *SPOILER ALERT HERE - READ AT YOUR OWN RISK* the issue was really only a page, making it even sadder that it brought the book down in my estimation so much. Marcus has been sleeping with a woman called 'Miss Brown' (Charlotte); he realizes that Miss Brown and his secretary, Albin, are one and the same. He flies into a violent rage using his punching bag, repeating over and over in his head 'I fucked a man' while he tears his hands to pieces. The episode smacked of some very real and violent homophobia/transphobia, echoing real world events where trans women who come out to their partners are summarily beaten or murdered; overall, the inclusion of this scene made me wildly uncomfortable and I think there were better ways for the author to express Marcus's discomfort - perhaps by focusing on the lies that Charlotte had told rather than the gender. *END SPOILER ALERT HERE* 

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book - a fast-paced, fun and unique plot with a take-charge heroine and a man that matches her fire and spirit. What's not to love? Fun fact: by heading over to Emily's website and joining her reader group, I hear you can get this book for free! What's better than that?

Favorite Quotes: Unfortunately, I was not reading this book with the intention to review it (but once I discovered how good it was I knew I needed to share it with the world!) so I did not mark favorite quotes. Be rest assured, this book is really fun. 

"Sexy"ness rating: One thing I loved about this book was that it got hotter over time - you could see the way the friendship benefited the intimacy. Definitely does not leave you at the bedroom door. 

Overall Rating: A-

Bottom Line: Charlotte is a heroine of her own making; her bravery and self-direction, honesty and selflessness, make her an admirable woman - it felt like an honor to witness her journey to love. Marcus is also honorable, kind, and humorous; he is an alpha hero for sure - self-assured, a bit domineering, but still soft enough inside to be more than lovable.

Pages: 391

Published: November 2016

Genre: Historical/Regency

Touch of the Angel by Rosalie Lario

Touch of the Angel by Rosalie Lario

Book 3 in the Blood of the Demon series

www.rosalielario.com

All Amara is trying to do is stay alive and save her mother from harm.Unfortunately, since she's succubi, that's much easier said than done. When her accidental and unsuspecting prey one night is a sweet, if a little rough-around-the-edges, angel named Ronin, Amara has trouble forgiving herself for killing him through their one-night-stand (let me interject here for all of you non-paranormal people: succubi kill any non-sex-demon they have sex with). She can't seem to get his face out of her mind. Ronin wakes up drowsy and weakened from his one-night-stand with a beautiful girl - and it doesn't take long before he realizes she's succubi. Can he find her and take her off the streets before she kills anyone else? And what will he think when he discovers her real motivation for her dirty deeds?

This book started out disappointing – especially since the first two books in the series were so incredible. This book began slow, a bit confusing, and not terribly attention-grabbing. I wasn’t sure quite what I was reading and I wasn’t all that interested in reading about it. Luckily, that didn’t last too long! About 1/5 of the way through, it finally started to pick up the pace and turn into the magnificent book I was looking for. Still, that first 1/5 of the book was agonizing to get through and I’m still not certain I understand exactly why it was written the way it was – where the reader is plopped in the middle of a scene as if they should understand it. One other thing I noted that I didn’t like about the story was that the dialogue was a little unnatural and wooden at times. However that also disappeared as the book went on. Really, only the beginning didn’t live up to my very high expectations (well, the ending was a little cliché, but I was still able to enjoy it and put that aside).

I liked the book but there were a few things I absolutely adored: Ronin, Amara, and the unique nature of their romance. How many romances start with the heroine almost killing the hero… with sex? That was amusing, to me. I also really enjoyed how both the romance and the plot became increasingly unusual - and not in a bad way. There were some twists I wasn't expecting, and the focus of the story was far different than what I expected, which was still enjoyable. I also loved the romantic focus on the vulnerability of Amara due to her incredible sexuality. I really liked how Ronin protects her – recognizes that she needs protecting – and looks beyond his own anger at her, to the larger problem (the main villain). Many heroes can be short-sighted, but Ronin was looking far ahead.

Amara, for her part, is a savvy heroine. She's funny, sarcastic, smart and kind-hearted. She's going through a rough time, trying to keep her mom healthy and herself healthy in a deadly game where she's a near-useless pawn. She's struggling but she's keeping her head up. She was generally optimistic and I loved how she was able to keep her self-preservation instincts throughout the entire story instead of turning into a wimp that needed rescuing. Her determination to survive is unmatched. She has to make hard choices throughout the book but she doesn't let her bottom lip quiver - she does the best she can to make the best decision she can. She's definitely a strong woman, in need of an equally caring and equally strong man.

Ronin was really an incredible angst-y hero. Suffering through a nauseatingly awful childhood, he is strong, caring, protective, and smart. He looks past his own suffering to the suffering of others and does his best to ignore his own pain and rescue them from their demons (past and present). He’s a very giving hero, and inspiring. He’s also funny and your ‘typical man’ sometimes, which brings him down from being an obnoxious paragon to simply a caring human being (or rather angel-demon hybrid) capable of mistakes but not prone to them. The way he cares for Amara is beautiful and touching and makes for a great romance. The book's terrible start coupled with its beautiful prose and tender romance throughout the middle and end had this book averaging out to a B- in my mind – still good, but not as good as I’ve come to expect from Lario. Especially since this book became so unusual and interesting throughout the middle, I was extra disappointed by the still adequate but cliche ending.

Still, I would definitely recommend the entire series. Books one and two are phenomenal, and I can't wait for book four. Thank you so much, Ms. Lario, for sending me your book for review!

Favorite Quotes:

Getting captured sounded like the best thing ever.

Ronin’s chest expanded. “I like it. How’s Brynn?”

“Fine. Pissed at me. She says next time I have to be the one to give birth.” (Keegan)

“Sexy”ness rating: Hot! What else could you expect from a sex demon?

Overall Rating: B-

Bottom Line: This book started off slow but quickly picked up its pace to become the enthralling read I expect from Lario. Ronin is a loveable hero and Amara an admirable heroine. The book focuses on their struggles and provokes major amounts of empathy from the reader for both the hero and heroine. I also adored the struggle they faced as lovers – my only wish is that it wasn’t resolved so neatly. Overall, another touching addition to the series!

Pages: 286

Published: December 6, 2011

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

Courting Darkness by Yasmine Galenorn

Book 10 in the Sisters of the Moon series

http://www.galenorn.com

Many thanks to The Season ForRomance for providing me with this arc copy to review! 

The D’Artigo sisters are operatives working for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. Each of the sisters has her own special talents and gifts. Camille (our protagonist) has three husbands – Trillian, Smoky, and Morio. One of them, dragon Smoky, has a father who’s none-too-pleased with Camille and kidnaps her to his Dragon Reaches. The question is – can Camille survive long enough to escape before the father breaks her, body and spirit? Well, I never got the chance to find out because this book was way too hard for me to struggle through, and I set it down less than half way through.

This book is the tenth in the Sisters of the Moon series, and it was very clear from the first page that if you hadn’t read the first nine books you wouldn’t have a clue what was going on. And so it went – terminology I didn’t know, people and places that were unfamiliar to me, customs, cultures, and events referenced that I knew nothing about. Every other word was something different and crazy and alien. This book is definitely not a stand-alone. It was very confusing and difficult to read – although with the sheer amount of characters, worlds, and species, I think it could have been difficult to read even if you did follow the series. The world was far too complex while being poorly crafted to make a good story.

Now, even if I had been following this series from the beginning there would are several things that would have lowered this book in my esteem. The story read like a series of disjointed vignettes, stapled together. There was no flow, no underlying connection between the scenes – instead each scene was like opening a new box of confusing ideas and relationships that had nothing to do with the last. Furthermore, the way the author writes was distracting. The syntax was strange and awkward, and I found the sentences jarring. The book was unnatural, and instead of flowing smoothly it limped along like a zombie from a low-budget horror flick.

Finally, the characters were unlikeable. I found it hard to understand their motives, thoughts, and ideals. I didn’t understand them, found them lacking in any real depth, and therefore was unable to connect with them – adding to my frustration. They were so cliché. And the sex scenes… lets just say they hit my ‘squick’ button, multiple times. One of the husbands has HAIR that lifts itself up and strokes her. What is that? Not my cup of tea, that's what.

“Sexy”ness rating: Explicit and squicky

Overall Rating: DNF

Bottom Line: All in all, I didn’t enjoy the characters, the plot, or the prose enough to keep reading. While long-time fans of the series may enjoy this book, I would recommend others to skip this one and read something else.

Pages: 336

Published: Nov 1, 2011

Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy

Mark of the Sylph by Rosalie Lario

Book 2 in the Demons of the Infernum series

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4843915.Rosalie_Lario

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy!

This book pretty much blew my mind and there was so much awesome-sauce to talk about that I don’t think I could even cover it all. Lario isn’t from one of the big publishers and while I hate to stereotype usually the best books come from the big names. Lario, however, writes one of the most compelling, engrossing, deeply romantic and totally sexy paranormal romances I’ve read to date. With great action, touching sacrifice and sweet seduction combined with wonderful writing, voice, style, and character development this book literally has it all. I was in love with this book, its characters, and the world Lario built that from start to finish and I literally couldn’t put it down, even to eat. I have no doubt Lario is going to do great things with her amazing talent, and I am literally on the edge of my seat waiting for book three. The only thing I would caution: before reading Mark of the Sylph you really have to read book one, Blood of the Demon. It’s not a good standalone but Blood of the Demon is almost as good as this book, so it really isn’t a hardship to have to read the series in order. Which you should do. STAT.

Maya is a kick-ass librarian who lends books by day and, occasionally, kills demons by night. Taeg, a half-demon half-faerie Otherworld being, comes to her library while researching some old legends about a mythical sword and wonders at Maya’s absolute distaste for him when most women are attracted to his charm and good looks. Taeg soon discovers the truth – Maya can see through his glamour to his true demon form (fear not, ladies, his demon form is also sexy and attractive!), and she carries a deep grudge against all demons. However once Taeg discovers Maya's ability, he realizes that he needs Maya to use her rare ability to see through glamour to help him locate the sword which is purportedly able to destroy a book that keeps his sister-in-law in danger. But while Maya isn’t inclined to help a member of the race she so despises, Taeg just might be able to convince her to surrender to his will…

The characters in this book are phenomenally developed. I immediately felt connected and in sync with all of them and I liked them very, very much. In fact, I was in love with Taeg for all his flirty, bad boy charm. I liked Maya, because she really was an excellent fighter, admirable and strong, and sarcastically witty. Taeg was fantastic and a great hero - he let Maya fight and wrestle when she needed it (whew, that was sexy!) and held her close when she needed that instead. He was in tune with her, and his journey to falling in love with her was absolutely adorable and yet really super-hot. And I mean, wow. The sexual tension in this book was beyond smoldering. It was a frickin’ inferno. My Kindle was overheating.

As I believe I stated in my review of Blood of the Demon, Lario has created a fabulous world that is fascinating because it is extremely unique. I especially appreciated how well Lario knew her characters – like she’d sat down and had coffee with all of them and took notes to figure out who they were, deep down and on the surface. It was obvious Lario was closely connected to her characters thus making them so well-developed and all show, no tell. Lario also really seemed to come into her voice in this novel, more so than the previous one which was a little shaky. I really can’t begin to describe to you how wonderful this book was, in all ways - dialogue, plot, romance, the whole she-bang. Lario literally has made me a fan for life with her Demons of the Infernum series. I am overjoyed with her creativity, her imagination, and her ability to paint the world and characters in my mind with vivid detail and color.

In conclusion: all I can say to my fellow readers: Go out and get this book. It’s a wonderful, necessary addition to your bookshelf. The story is touching and hot, poignant and sexy, sweet and bad-ass. Mark of the Sylph is a book I will continually revisit; and I will cry and laugh out loud every time I do.

Favorite Quotes:

The woman had more moves than a horny teenager on prom night.

When he spoke, his voice came out a sexy rumble. “I like what you’re wearing.”

“I’m not wearing anything.”

“Exactly.”

“You’re the one who wanted to turn our conversation into a Bruce Lee flick,” he said to her, “I just wanted to talk.”

For one long moment she lay there, too caught off guard to answer. She pushed against his chest. “Get off, demon.”

Taeg lifted his head and curved his lips into a wicked smile. “Is that an invitation, sweetheart? Cause I’d sure as hell love to.”

“Sexy”ness rating: Oh. My. Holy. Deity. *faints* I need a Taeg. Stat.

Overall Rating: A

Bottom Line: If you like unique and flirty paranormals with fun, intriguing plots and fast-paced, touching romances (and, of course, a to-die-for demon hero with mad sexy skills) then hot damn does Rosalie Lario have a book for you.

Pages: 268

Published: September 4, 2011

Genre: Paranormal

Dangerous Highlander by Donna Grant

Book 1 in the Dark Sword series

www.donnagrant.com

The McLeod brothers captured my heart with their desperate, sad situation. My heart broke for Quinn and Fallon especially (the brothers of our hero, Lucan) seeing as they had such a hard time adjusting. But they all lost their family, their lives, their sense of self and their happiness. Unfortunately, empathy was one of the few emotions this book made me feel. I couldn’t feel the love blossoming between Cara and Lucan, nor could I understand some of the feelings of our protagonists. There was some silliness in this book that I just didn’t appreciate, as well.

Cara meets the McLeod brothers when, as she gathers mushrooms nearby, she starts to fall off a cliff. Lucan saves her from death and brings her to the castle, where the brothers argue about what to do with her, then end up protecting her from an attack. The book revolves around Cara learning about and understanding the gods inside each of the McLeod brothers, and helping them. She also learns about her own magical powers (she’s found to be a druid) and Lucan teaches her how to defend herself in case of another attack. While I felt the suspense, the attacks were too long and drawn out, clearly to give Cara time to learn to fight. I would have thought that Diedre (our villian) would’ve been smarter in her attack strategy, if she was as all-powerful as we were told. It made the plot slow, and a bit boring, on top of being unrealistic.

There was a lot of silliness in this book that I didn’t understand. For instance, the McLeod brothers have been in hiding, from everyone, in their castle for the last three centuries. Apparently, neither Deirdre nor the other Warriors thought to look for them in the castle. That would be the first logical place to look! Of course they returned home! They’re highlanders! And if you had 300 years to look for them, wouldn't you circle back to the castle on occasion just to see? Also, Cara discovers she has powers when she accidentally almost kills a plant (when she was angry and touching one). She then gets all freaked out about her powers. Why? It’s a plant! If I discovered I had powers that could potentially save me from being taken captive by an evil drough I would be hoping about trying to learn everything I could and explore. Her reasoning and fears, in that regard, didn’t make much sense. One of the things I hate the most in books is when things don’t make sense. It simply ruins the world-building and character-building. I mean, come on. Who WOULDN’T look at the castle? Seriously?

Finally, the characters were not consistent, nor well developed. With the exception of Quinn, I didn’t form a real bond with any of the characters and couldn’t see any real depth. There were also several inconsistencies in regards to Cara. At one point she pulls the typical heroine move - the ‘I must run away because my presence puts the hero in danger’. Then later in the book, with no significant thought-process to indicate why there would be this sudden change in though, Grant writes something like this: ‘he was just trying to protect her - the least she could do is cooperate.’ from Cara’s view. Huh. Where, Ms. Grant, did this new attitude come from? There were also occasional grammatical errors - talking in third person for a sentence, using the name of the person when speaking when they’re standing right next to you (not to gain their attention or anything), etc. It was enough to make me take note, but not so bad as to make me rant about it. Still, the silliness and stupidity, the inconsistency and lack of depth, and the inability to make me feel much beyond empathy leaves this book solidly at a C.

“Sexy”ness rating: Hot

Overall Rating: C

Bottom Line: The book was good, but I was feeling the lust more than the love. I had a hard time feeling the characters connect with one another. I felt plenty of empathy for both Cara and the McLeods, and felt fairly connected to them. The plot was interesting, but too slow and occasionally unrealistic. An average read.

Pages: 339

Published: December 29, 2009

Genre: Historical

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Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

Book 1 in the Demonica series

www.larissaione.com

Eidolon is a demon doctor, and a succubus about to reach his Change. If he doesn’t find a mate soon (and one that won’t kill him twenty years down the road) he’ll go ‘crazy’ and try to impregnate every female in sight. When a human female is brought to his clinic, he has reservations about helping her – especially when he discovers she’s Aegis or a ‘Guardian’ who slays demons to protect the human race. Following his own moral code, Eidolon saves her anyway – but as he does he detects unusual demon energies in her body. The woman is none-to-happy to wake up in a demon hospital, but Eidolon piques her interest and her libido. However, Tayla (our lady-patient) knows she can’t let Eidolon live – after all, he’s evil and a danger to society. But when the lines between good and evil blur, her own side tries to kill her, and her own body betrays her to the demon side will her priorities change?

This book reminds me of how ridiculously, outrageously fun paranormal can be. The hero literally has a magic cock. Yes, out of all 400 pages of this book, that was the thing that jumped out (jumped out?) at me to start this review. Reviewers and readers love to joke about the ‘magic cocks’ we discover in the romance genre, simply because it’s so ridiculous, but usually the magi-cocks are just incredibly large or responsible for boinking the heroine to blissdom with its goodliness. This, my friends, was a truly magic wang because, and I kid you not, the sperm it ejaculates is a super-powerful, fuck-me-now aphrodisiac. Yes. Can you order up men like that? - because if so I’ll take one. Seriously, though, one has to give Ione credit for writing a real magic cock. That takes guts.

Holy hell, this book was sexy. And hilarious. And fun. It reminded me a lot of Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow (love, love, love) in style and voice. There was some sarcasm, but it wasn’t overwhelming. The book was pretty serious in its tone. I liked the premise of Ione’s book, with Eidolon working as a doctor in a hospital yet being an 'evil' demon. Her world-building was very well-done and I really enjoyed reading about different kinds of demons, the Aegis, and the mating/bonding habits of succubus demons once they hit their Change. Eidolon was a great hero, patient, strong, understanding, and supremely loyal. He was endearing in that tortured-hero I-need-help-but-I’m-too-damned-stubborn-to-ask way.  What he suffers for his brother, Wraith, is incredible, but part of me wonders why he doesn’t confront Wraith instead of simply martyring himself. I mean, I can appreciate a good martyr, don’t get me wrong. But I appreciate a good, necessary martyr – when the martyring is unnecessary it just makes said martyr seem stupid even as I was endeared to him for his loyalty.

Tayla was your usual strong, kick-ass heroine but she had some vulnerabilities that made her special. I enjoyed how naturally she came around to the idea that demons, just like humans, weren’t all black or white, good or evil. She was a surprisingly sensitive for a kick-ass demon-slayer and I enjoyed that she didn’t lose her kick-ass-ishness even after she fell in love. Secondary characters, including the Aegis, Gem, Shade, and Wraith were all really well done with depth, humor, and intrigue. The action was smooth, the prose well written, and the dialogue flowed. The only problem I had with the book was the length – I skimmed/skipped about fifty pages in the middle of the book because, honestly, I really wanted to know what happened (the suspense was excellently written) and Ione was taking WAY too long to get there. I was definitely hooked, but Ione might’ve lost me with all those extra pages. Unnecessary.

All in all, it was a great book, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading Shade and Wraith’s books, then take it from there.

Favorite Quotes:

“I'll bet you could make a woman throw out all her toys.” (Tayla)

"You're at Underworld General Hospital. As you can probably guess, we specialize in nonhuman medical care. Our location is secret, so don't ask." (Eidolon)
"UGH ? Your hospital is called 'ugh' ? Oh, that's precious." (Tayla)

“Sexy”ness rating: Wowza – Zing!

Overall Rating: B+

Bottom Line: A fabulous, compassionate hero, a kick-ass, sexy heroine, and all the world to keep them apart. A great book, I would definitely recommend it to any super-natural paranormal lover or anyone who was just trying on the genre. The world building was great and easy to understand even if you’re not a regular wanderer into the paranormal genre.

Pages: 389

Published: June 20, 2010

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

Book 1 in The Elder Races series

www.theaharrison.com

I was really looking forward to this book, and it did not disappoint. Hailed as one of the best paranormal romances of the year, I was ready to be blown away - and for the most part, I was.
 
Pia Giovanni is blackmailed by her ex-boyfriend into stealing something from Lord Wyr Dragon dude Dragos Cuelebre. Dragos, extraordinarily displeased with this discovery, takes it upon himself to find the thief of this most treasured and valuable item (honestly, I would recommend this book just for the hilarity of seeing exactly what she stole. I loved that). After finding the lovely lady, Dragos determines he doesn’t want to kill her - but someone else might. They embark on a dangerous journey together as unlikely companions that fall in love in a funny, light-hearted, very contemporary romance.

I loved Dragos. He’s the ultimate Dragon, Alpha-male, OCD control freak, lover, you name it. He was male in his uncertainties and I liked how well Harrison infused his character with Dragon reasoning and logic. He was a very powerful, intense character and I liked him a lot. Pia confused me occasionally, and I wasn’t such a big fan of her - though I admired her strength, determination, and her honesty. They made an explosive couple in and out of bed, and they were a pleasure to read about. Their banter was witty and humorous, their conflicts equally amusing and very realistic. I only wished I’d felt a bit more depth to their emotion. I felt like Harrison was only grazing the surface of what was a very deep well of emotion and that disappointed me.

I truly wish this book could’ve been longer. I loved the romance plot, watching them grow in their capacity to love one another instead of just lust and watching them begin to explore and admire one another’s characters. I liked how Pia got used to Dragos violent, bipolar moods and calmed him, and how Dragos learned to respect someone else’s wishes instead of doing exactly as he pleased.The romantic journey, especially on Drago’s part was especially cool as this old as time being learns something new about life and love. The action plot was extraordinarily well-written and very suspenseful. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire book because the dramatic tension simply never let up.

The secondary characters were also amusing - Tricks the Dark Fae was fun and snappy, and I’m looking forward to reading her book. The Gryffons and other Wyrs were each well-developed and unique in their personalities. Graydon and Rune, in particular were excellent additions to the story and the bad guy was your typical self-assured evil villain. The ending, where Pia is brave and clever, was one of my favorite parts. I also loved it when she told Dragos her Name and he promised never to use it against her. Her trust and his possessive nature were beautifully intertwined to make this book extraordinary. I could’ve used a little more explanation on some of the Wyr stuff and the significance of mating and being able to change into one’s Wyr form, not being a paranormal reader for the most part. However this book was still very good as I mostly understood what was happening and anybody who reads paranormal a lot will love LOVE LOVE this book.

Favorite quotes:

“That’s my long, scaly, reptilian tail - and it’s bigger than anyone else’s.” (Dragos)

“I’ve had it up to here with your mulish bad-tempered crap, Tiago! I’ll thank you to remember my name is not ‘Tricks goddammit’ or ‘God damn you, Tricks.’ Henceforth those phrases are against the law - when you yell at me again the next one out of your mouth better be ‘Goddammit, ma’am’!” (Tricks)

Well, Dragos, it’s one thing to agree that we’re mates, but I don’t know about marriage,” she said. “I read Cosmo. You eat people. I think divorce court might call that the definition of irreconcilable.”

“A dragon just gave me a piece of jewelry,” she said. She took another swig and handed the bottle back to Graydon. “Have I been added to his hoard?”
He shook his head and drank too. “No, cupcake,” he said. “I’m pretty sure you’ve replaced it.”

“Sexy”ness rating: Hot - like, really super hot. He’s a dragon. What would you expect?

Overall Rating: A-

Bottom Line: This book is a definite to-read for paranormal romance lovers/dragon lovers. Dragos and Pia’s relationship is amusing, the story is fast-paced, suspenseful and fun, and the journey they share is well-written if a bit shallow for my tastes. Pick up this book on your next trip to the book store!

Pages: 328
Published: May 3, 2011
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy

Out of the Light Into the Shadows Anthology

Authors Featured: Lori Foster, L.L. Foster, and Erin McCarthy

Anthology – 4 Stories

Lori Foster: www.lorifoster.com

L.L. Foster: www.llfoster.com

Erin McCarthy: www.erinmccarthy.net

So this wonderful anthology has four stories in it – one by Lori Foster, one by L.L. Foster (these two names belong to the same wonderful woman, FYI) and two by the fabulous Erin McCarthy. Both of these ladies have written some of my favorite contemporaries, so I was very excited to stumble across this anthology at my local library (which I visit when I’m broke). Three of the stories have a strong paranormal element (Deal or No Deal, Total Control, Undead Man’s Hand) whereas one is pretty much devoid of paranormal activity (Have Mercy). Without further ado, I bring you your review (each story gets its own section and grade, with an overall grade for the book at the end).

Have Mercy – Lori Foster: Contemporary, 84 pages

I really liked Have Mercy. Wyatt Reyes is sexy and gorgeous, Mercedes (Mercy) Jardine is cute, fun, smart, and strong. Together they make a great pair. The premise of the story is as follows: Mercy and Wyatt have been dating for six months and are totally in love. Mercy, knowing she’s pregnant (even though she’s been on the pill) asks Wyatt if he’ll marry her – but he flat out refuses saying he never wants to marry or have kids, due to some issue in the past. He asks Mercy to move in with him and she agrees, hoping it will give her time to work on their problems and for her to convince him he’ll love a kid before the baby comes.

I won’t reveal all the secrets but I thought this story was realistic, touching, and even a little sad though it had a gorgeous HEA. I felt that our protagonists were well rounded and well developed. The story was fun, short, fast, and sexy. A good read worthy of an A- rating.

Deal or No Deal – Erin McCarthy: Paranormal, 58 pages

Deal or No Deal had the potential to be a favorite – I loved the story line of long-lost lovers reuniting, but having to re-establish trust. Unfortunately, this story was way to short to make the trust-building believable, or any of the plot so it seemed kinda silly at times, and definitely went unrealistically fast. Katie (Maria) Stolin is a duchess – and a vampire. The daughter of the last Tsar of Russia, she was meant for assassination but a vampire guard at the assassination site, Nick, saved both her and Peter (younger brother) from death. Now she lives as an undead blackjack dealer in Las Vegas. Michael St. Markov, her love from the past (now also a vampire) finally finds her after her century in hiding, and professes his love for her – but she doesn’t trust or believe the man she holds responsible for her family’s murder.

I liked the romantic plot well enough (cute at times, sexy at others), the secondary characters provided comic relief and spice, but the plot revolving around Rasputin and a necklace was hard to get into in such a short story. I also didn’t see the trust building really happen and this story was way to short for McCarthy to strongly develop the characters. I did like Michael though. An average read worth of a C rating.

Total Control – L.L. Foster: Paranormal, 86 pages

Braxton Jardine (Mercy’s older brother) has a special talent that enables him to control minds and read emotions with ease. Unfortunately (cry him a river, ladies), to keep himself sane he needs to have sex – a lot (sounds like a variation of ‘blue balls’ to me). His long-time assistant, Cameo Smithson, is the only woman he wants – he needs – and he intends to have her. What follows is a short story of total seduction and surrender with a bit of action thrown in.

Normally, I really like Lori Foster’s Alpha heroes (I can’t speak for L.L. Foster yet) but this one was way too overbearing for me. I found him annoying and insensitive at times, where that normally isn’t the case. Maybe I just didn’t get to know Brax well enough in this short story but I found him almost cheesy in his over-protectiveness. Cameo was a lovely, strong, spirited, open-minded heroine whom I absolutely adored though she had a few moments where I found her calm sanity hard to believe. Overall, I enjoyed the romance, and the action plot was great, but the hero was not my favorite earning this short story a C- rating.

Undead Man’s Hand­ – Erin McCarthy: Paranormal, 89 pages

Nick Stolin, the vampire bodyguard and ‘big brother’ figure to Katie in Deal or No Deal, is the protagonist in this story – and his female counterpart is human homicide detective Jordan Waters. The story opens with a scene through the eyes of Samantha Keller (who dies immediately after) and then goes to Jordan working on Samantha’s case – and how it intertwines with three other murders. After discovering that a boy was seen in the alley – identified as 'autistic' boy Peter Stolin – Jordan goes to talk to him and meets his ‘father’ Nick. Thirteen-years-old and pale, Peter isn’t any help – but Nick and Jordan soon start a very sexy relationship together. Jordan is enjoying herself, but Peter is really creeping her out. When Nick realizes he loves her and wants to tell her his secret – that he’s a vampire – will Jordan believe him, or walk away? And what of the murders?

This was a story of secrets. We know who the murderer is from page one, and he’s really a chillingly cold, messed-up killer (aren’t all killer’s partially messed up?). The romance was cute, and I liked Jordan’s very realistic reaction to Nick’s secrets. The story was fast-paced and drew you in from page one with chilling, intriguing, sadistic details of murder and light-hearted scenes of love and play. I really enjoyed this story and Nick was the perfect balance of manly-man and sweet-n-sensitive for my tastes. I also really enjoyed the to-catch-a-killer plot in this book. It was extremely well developed. Since I loved Jordan for her down-to-earth realism and I loved Nick for his sweet, yet sexy, nature, this story gets an A rating.

Favorite quotes:

Total Control –

Amos slowly stood. “I didn’t know Brax had a female of importance here.”

Cameo’s brows lifted. “So there’s another kind of female?”

Undead Man’s Hand –

“Let. Me. Go. There is no fucking way you can be over a hundred years old.”

He held on, knowing she could never escape, not with his strength, and he needed her to hear everything. “I can be if I am a vampire.”

“Oh, my God,” she whispered. “You’re a whack job! …”

“Sexy”ness rating: Hot and Sexy. Whew.

Overall Rating: B

Bottom Line: This is a fun anthology by two great, well-loved authors. It wasn’t my favorite of theirs, but it was entertaining and fun! There were some great and some average, but overall it was a fast, sexy read that I would recommend.

Pages: 342

Published: August 4, 2009

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Romance (Have Mercy)

Warrior's Rise by L.J. DeLeon

Book 1 in the Warriors For Light series

http://www.goodreads.com/ljdeleon

Throughout the course of this book I was annoyed, confused, stunned, offended, and I floated. Throughout the course of this review, you will figure out why. I even gave this review a special format so you could skip to the section you wanted to read most! Aren’t I kind? A real quick summary of the book: Deva Morgan was a simple bartender until Padraig comes into her bar, slaughters the demons hunting her, and tells her he’s her protector. She learns she is the Caidh Arm, sent by the Goddess and given lots of powers in order to save Earth from the Demon Lord in the upcoming war. Deva then goes on to fight many battles as she tries to get organized and learn how to control her powers, so she can be an effective leader.

The annoying:

I don’t know if it was just my copy, but there were a lot of errors – content-wise and grammatical – in this book. Those always hamper my reading, and it really annoys me. The author also does more telling than showing. There several instances where DeLeon would tell me something I’d already gleaned from the conversation and I would just stare at my computer screen thinking, No shit. DeLeon also contradicts herself several times. The story was very drawn out. I would have been much happier if this book had been condensed and scenes/conversations hadn’t been repeated over and over without any resolution. Which was annoying. Hence why it’s under ‘the annoying’ subtitle.

The confusing:

There were so many small characters, so many different species, so many plots that I had a really hard time following what was occurring, to whom, by what. So many characters came into the plot only to be inconsequential or die that DeLeon confused me with all the extra names. There were also tons of different names for all the different demons and other non-human creatures. I had a hard time determining what Deva and Padraig were facing and what abilities the creatures had because each creature had different abilities, but I saw it only once or twice. Finally, there were so many plots to follow. DeLeon lets some of the mini-conflicts float about unresolved from the beginning of the book to the end which really didn’t work for me. I like my mini-conflicts to either build upon each other in an obvious fashion that leads up to the main conflict or be immediately resolved. Not so in Warrior’s Rise.

The stunning:

There were some really decent parts to this book. First, the humor. I had seven highlights for this book, which is more than most books get. There were many humorous lines that you just stumbled upon, blinked once or twice, and then had to burst out laughing. I liked that. Humor Stun Guns are approved weapons on my blog, and DeLeon wielded hers with finesse. Also, DeLeon uses her extensive military background to write some great action scenes in which I could almost, almost lose myself in the story again. I appreciated that her research and knowledge of the subject matter significantly improved my reading experience.

The offending:

Authors that stereotype the general population of Earth assume I’m too stupid to notice they’re taking it easy. The reality is, if Earth were informed tomorrow that half our neighbors were werewolves, there would not be mass lynching, mob, and murder activities occurring. Most of the world is civilized and sane, and would not react in such a fashion. That was what offended me the most about this book. The characters didn’t act true to themselves or their human nature - they acted in a way that made writing easier for DeLeon. They acted to further the plot – to push it in the direction DeLeon wanted it to go. It was all very cliché. Also, I'm pretty sure our main characters – Deva and Padraig – have multiple personality disorder. They act like completely different people on several occasions in this book, and there was no consistency to their character (other than Deva’s relationship with the goddess – that was pretty solid). Does the author think I’m too stupid to notice that the character is unpredictable in the worst way possible, and has no substance?

The floating:

The worst part about this book was that I was never grounded in it. The author has difficulty establishing time and place clearly, so we’re constantly floating around in this vast space of randomness. I really had a hard time understanding the team’s movements. It seemed they were in random places for random amounts of time for really random reasons. I had a really hard time with that – the author’s inability to ground me in her story with a realistic, clear time/place plan. Of course, with the rest of the plot being so confusing, I’m not surprised.

Oh. Right. You want to know about the romance. Well. Here it is:

There is no building of tension. Honestly, I don’t recall one good kissing/steamy scene before Padraig and Deva… mate. It’s like romance is put on the back burner until, BAM, they have sex and then it’s back to the back burner for the most part. Like, woah. As far as their marriage, we discover their getting married about three days before they do. No prior warning. Deva’s best friend/older brother figure, Steve, mentions it once to Padraig before Deva and Padraig announce to everyone they’re getting married. Totally hit me over the head. There was never any mention of it, neither Deva nor Padraig entertained thoughts of marriage. It was all this war, war, war stuff and then BAM marriage. Kinda like the sex. Here’s the basic romantic plot line: War war war SEX war war war MARRIAGE war war… end.

Favorite quotes:

This siren would be a nightmare to train, much less protect. Protect? He was the one who needed protection. (Padraig)

The Fomorii were once considered sea gods.” Padraig nodded. “During the Great War against the Dark Lord, we D’ Danaan sealed them beneath the deepest part of the sea.”

“Must not have done a very good job.” Deva stared at him. “They got loose.”

“To the WAR room.” Moira giggled. “It stands for ‘Wedding Apparel Readiness.’ I thought of that.”

“Sexy”ness rating: No tension. Sex included.

Overall Rating: F

Bottom Line: This book had so much potential, but it’s really not worth your time. With so many great Fantasy books out there, this one simply isn’t worth it. From a really rocky beginning, the book plummeted.

Pages: 335

Published: March 20, 2011

Genre: Fantasy

Blood of the Demon by Rosalie Lario

This review was done on an ebook ARC copy provided by the lovely ladies at Sirens Song Reviews. Check out my post on their website at: Blood of the Demon by Rosalie Lario

Book 1 in the Demons of the Infernum Series

www.rosalielario.com

Wow, has it been a while since I’ve read a paranormal – and let me tell you, it was great! This was such a fun book to read. The hero and heroine were well done. The plot, besides being a tad silly at times, was refreshingly original. I loved the unique presentation of demons, angels, and their roles in the universe. This book has convinced me to look out for more Rosalie Lario works and perhaps read a few more paranormals, to keep it ‘unreal’. J That was a pun. Laugh. Please.

Thank you.

Anyways, on to the plot. Our hero, Keegan (I honestly could not find a last name. Coming from the land of historicals, where every character has not only a last name but thirteen titles, this was a disconcerting event for me), is a demon. He and his half-brothers, Taeg, Ronin, and Dagan, have been sent to Earth by ‘The Council’ to stop their father, Mammon (an insane, greed demon) from taking over the planet with an army of super-strong-flesh-eating zombies that he’s hoping to awaken with a spell from an ancient book. Only problem seems to be no one knows where the book is – or the heir, the only person on the planet who can make the spell work.

Keegan and his crew discover their heir’s identity before their father and whisk her away to… ah… safety. Brynn Meyers, however, is none too pleased at being whisked out of her art gallery and stolen by crazy kidnappers who believe she’s the key to the apocalypse. And thus, in a race against time to beat the maniacal father, the half-brothers and Brynn have to decide to work together. Although ridiculous at some points, I thought the book had a great pace. The plot was intriguing and definitely suspenseful. I was thoroughly entertained.

There were a few not-so-good plot problems. There were a few moments I wish were elaborated, for clarification and better understanding – and things were a tad rushed at the end. There were also a few minor plot details that didn’t exactly sit right, (for example if demons are never as strong as their parents, wouldn’t the entire species eventually die out from weakness as each successive generation would be weaker than the first?) but overall the plot was great and I was happily caught in the flow and the funny, sarcastic writing.

The characters. Keegan is a dark hero – the Alpha male, beaten by his father as a young boy, obsessed with responsibility in an effort to not turn out like dear ol' dad. He is the eldest, a leader, and very serious in terms of duty until Brynn comes along and rocks his world. Oh. Also, he’s really sexy. I don’t know if you like Tall, Dark, and Handsome but I definitely do. His brothers are all a riot, and I loved how they interacted! Taeg, especially was a hoot. He was uproarious, and a great comic relief but still loyal to his brother and intelligent and not simply a hopeless jokester. I liked that all of the guys had several dimensions. That can be hard to pull off, but Lario creates true characters matsterfully.

As far as our heroine, Brynn, I knew I liked her from page fifteen when she wakes up, remembers being kidnapped and says “That asshole.” Her spunk was charming, her strength an undeniable draw. She was open-minded, giving, compassionate, intelligent, curious, strong, and sarcastic. She stood up for herself and her man when it counted. She took all the strange things Keegan was telling her in stride, but she was intelligent enough to think about them, consider what they meant. She was definitely not an airhead. I loved her - she just got more and more admirable as the book went on.

The romantic plot, unfortunately, was probably my least favorite part – though it was still good! It lacked a proper build-up, and so some of the events seemed a little sudden. I couldn’t always feel the heat and sexual tension between Keegan and Brynn, especially in the beginning. I did love, however, how Keegan protected her and loved her fiercely at the end. His sacrifices for her and his family were so touching and emotional – and her bravery to save him was just as poignant. Overall, it was good – and it picked up steam as we went to a rip-roaring finish. This book was creative and dramatic - sensually and otherwise.

Favorite quotes (there were many more):

“Why don’t we take her to Disney World next? The Taj Mahal?” (Taeg)

“You were sent to Earth? So how are you supposed to have gotten here? Through a tornado?” (Brynn)

“What?” (Keegan)
“You know, like Dorothy? Wizard of Oz?”
Straight-faced, he said, “I’ve never met this wizard.”

“Wait a second. If there’s a portal in every major city, how come we couldn’t just use that to get here instead of flying?” (Brynn)

“Traffic control.” (Keegan)
“Are… are you shitting me?”

“Sexy”ness rating: Smokin!

Overall Rating: B+

Bottom Line: A sexy hero, a smart and spunky heroine, an insane father with apocalypse on the brain... this book had great characters, and a fun plot! I loved some of the unique ideas presented in this book. Reading this book made me remember why I love paranormal romance. A definite to read!

Pages: 241
Published: August 2011
Genre: Paranormal (Humans, Demons, Dragons, Zombies, Fae, Angels, Vampires, and Sirens all mentioned. Helluva zoo, I’ll say.)

Familiar by Michelle Rowen

www.michellerowen.com (buy the story at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/59524)

First off, let me say that some of the very first adult paranormal romance books I read were by Michelle Rowen, and I loved them (I believe it was her series about Thierry and Sarah Dearly). Her young adult short story, Familiar, captures some of her signature spunk that I love – though I really did wish it was longer. It had a lot of potential that simply wasn’t fulfilled in the 10,000 word limit.

The short story is about a young witch-in-training, Brenda, going to pick out her familiar. She chooses a runty little kitten – only to find out that this kitten is actually a shape-shifter named Owen. Brenda and Owen, in their little two-day adventure, run into quite a bit of trouble with werewolves and a really nasty older brother named Jeremy (Gr!!!). They help one another explore their situations and fears (albeit, rather hurriedly – this is a short story). A little bit of love blossoms, a happy ending occurs.

What does Ms. Rowen do well? She captures the essence of teenage uncertainty, desire to belong, and desire to please. She also writes the completely illogical nature of teenage logic (i.e. I don't want to disappoint my mother by being bad at magic, so instead I won't even try) really well. Any teenager would be able to easily relate, and all of us who have been teenagers once recall those feelings with clarity. If the story had been a little bit longer she could’ve done a better job developing the story and the characters and added more of her signature witty flair. As it was, it wasn’t bad – in fact it was pretty good for a story of its length. If you’re looking for a quick, fast-paced, light read, this is a book to pick up.

Favorite quote:

“Um, Owen? Do you want some breakfast or something?”

A smile stretched across his face, making him better looking, if that was even possible. “Breakfast sounds really good. Almost as good as ‘or something.’”

 “Sexy”ness rating: It’s Young Adult, so it’s totally PG with very sweet, chaste kisses 

(note – this book is graded on a Young Adult, Short Story scale. Do not compare its grade to those of full length, adult novels) Overall Rating:

B

Bottom Line: Perfect for an hour/two hour wait when you want to read an uncomplicated, fast-paced, young adult love story.

Pages: 10,000 words
Published: May 13, 2011
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal