Dark Storm (Dark #23) by Christine Feehan

You either love or hate this series.  I find I am enthralled by most everything this extraordinary author pumps out.  Dark Storm is no different.  It is despite its title not as dark as some of Ms. Feehan's more recent works.

Dax has been hunting Mitro for centuries.  As a hunter it was Dax’s job to kill Mitro the moment he turned.  When Mitro found his lifemate , Arabejila, Dax thought the danger of Mitro turning was mitigated.  But Mitro turned even on Arabejila who then sealed both Mitro and unfortunately Dax into a volcano in the Amazon to keep his violence and evil from the world.  Now these many years later both Mitro and Dax have evolved and Arabejila's seal is weakening unless her descendant Riley Parker can get there in time to restore it.

You know it is a good book if you wish to follow the couple into the next book.  I’d love to know what happens to Dax & Riley.  I hope we get to see more of Jubal & Gary too. 

Jane's Gift by Karen Erickson

Jane and her three young children survive a fire that takes the life of her husband.  Jane is burnt badly and it takes time for her to recover.  Two years later Jane and her children have returned to the small town she grew up in.  With her family close she is starting over. 

Christian Nelson is the new fire captain and local playboy in town.  He meets Jane and her children when she brings them to the station in hopes that it will help them get over their fear of fire.  He is instantly taken with the young widow but he doesn't believe in love and happily ever-afters.

Jane and Christian start dating and the chemistry grows.  Can she get over her fear of losing him to his job and can Christian get over his fear of love and commitment?  Maybe Santa can bring a Christmas miracle.

This was a sweet, sentimental, wonderful holiday story about two scarred people who need to give up fear in order to love.  I truly liked these characters and kept hoping for their HEA.

 I would like to thank Karen Erickson and Entangled Publishing for allowing me the opportunity to read this for an honest review.  The pleasure was all mine.

Cowgirl Up! by Carolyn Anderson Jones

This was an Amazon freebie I picked up because I was in the mood for a cowboy quickie.  Turns out this is a sweet romantic suspense story by new author Carolyn Anderson Jones.  I enjoyed everything about this story except the title.  I was expecting something completely different.   Blame it on Lorelei James.  What I did get was an interesting group of characters, a mystery and some sweet romance.  I encourage you to give this a try.  I will be looking for more by this author.

Samantha Kendrick is a large animal vet in a small town in Colorado.  Cheyenne Wells is a horse trainer for the biggest spread in the area.   Sam & Cheyenne have been fussin’ and feudin’ at each other since he pulled her ponytail in the first grade and she punched him back.  Now years later Sam has to help him find out who has been poisoning the horses in his care and try to figure out what to do with the attraction that has grown between them.  After all this time, whoda thunk. 

The Billionaire Bad Boys Club by Emma Holly

 OMG! Nobody does ménage like Emma Holly.  WARNING this book has sizzling hot m/m, m/f/m, m/m/f, and m/f sex and all of it will make you swoon. 

Trey is a brilliant young individual whose father beats him if he even looks like he is thinking about sex.  Being the smart young man he is he sure isn't going to share that he is bi-sexual.  Next door football hero Zane gets beat by his dad for because his mom ran away with the “mattress king” and Zane is there for him to take his frustrations out on.  Zane is also bi-sexual.  Trey and Zane discover each other sexually and help each other get through high school, college, and enter into business together.   Now successful billionaires the only constants in their live have been each other but there is one thing they can't give each other as they aren't female.  Enter Rebecca.  Sexy chef Rebecca has raised her twin brothers from the time they were seven and she a mere sixteen.  Now they are off in college and Rebecca is to start as chef at the BBC’s newest lounge/restaurant.  She has instant chemistry with Trey but he is her boss.  Then she meets Zane and oh boy is there chemistry there too.  But men leave and her job is too important to mess around so she puts him on the back burner too. 

Can the guys convince Rebecca there is more to life than work?  Will she come between Trey and Zane?  *** little spoiler here (yes, hard and often).

If you like a good story and fantastic sex scenes get this book!  

Suddenly Sexy, Sinfully Sexy, & Simply Sexy by Linda Francis Lee

The women of KTEX Julia Boudreaux station owner and her two best friends Kate Bloom, Anchorwoman and Chloe Sinclair, station manager.  El Paso Texas will never be the same.

Suddenly Sexy (Sexy #1) – Kate Bloom has had a crush on Jesse Chapman bad-boy golfer since she was 3.  Now he is back in town and living in her guest cottage.  Jesse has issues and just came back to town to get his golf game straight.  He doesn't need the distraction of sweet Katie Bloom.  But could she be the answer to his issues?

Sinfully Sexy (Sexy #2) – Chloe Sinclair has been told repeatedly that she is lucky to be plain and smart and she believes it to be true but she would love just once to be seen as sexy when she has to attend a benefit dinner in Julia’s stead she gets dressed to the nines and doesn't look or act like herself when she literally runs into a hunky stranger.  Sterling Prescott is everything Chloe despises or is he?

Simply Sexy (Sexy #3) – Can bad-girl Julia Boudreaux turn her life around and start over?  Why oh why is she drawn to those bad boys and how is she to be good when the baddest bad boy of them all Ben Prescott is staying in her guestroom?

Going in I thought this was just going to be a light fluffy romantic escape.  Which isn't a bad thing.  But while these are fun, sexy, romantic reads there is an underlying theme that deals with our self-image and how it is molded by our parents and out past.  This phenomenon is not just restricted to women.  I enjoyed these books. 

Not Just the Greek's Wife by Lucy Monroe

A sweet tale of second chances.  Greek Tycoon Ariston Spiridakou married Chloe 5 years ago in an arranged marriage to provide an heir.  Chloe falls in love with Ariston but comes to realize he doesn’t believe in love.  Through a series of misunderstandings she walks out after 3 years and he still has no heir.  Now its 2 years later and Chloe’s family once again needs Ariston’s help to save the company and Chloe is asked to intercede on their behalf.  Seeing Ariston again is harder and easier than she thought it would be.  Ariston agrees to help on the condition that Chloe fulfill her part of the original deal and provide him with a child.

I really didn’t want to like Ariston.  But as he wins over Chloe so too did he win me over.  

Twelve Kisses Later by Sandra Sookoo

Lucy Duckworth has been co-opted into working the Kissing Booth at the Winter Carnival as her roomie who was scheduled to do it has the flu.  Matthew Kincaid survivor of a bad marriage wants nothing more than to just work his farm.  His brother cons him into going to the kissing booth where he meets Lucy.  Kismet.  She isn’t looking for a man and he sure isn’t looking for a woman but the magic is there.  Matthew Kincaid’s Grandma told him that a guy could find the right girl in 12 kisses.  Maybe Grandma does know best.

This is a really sweet romance.  I’m more familiar with Sandra Sookoo’s spicier works but this was a fun read.  

Going Deep (Mustangs Baseball #2) by Roz Lee

Wonder what happened to Jason, Jeff’s twin brother from Inside Heat (Mustangs Baseball #1)?  This is his story.  After Jeff gets together with Megan and Jason’s girlfriend breaks up with him Jason goes into a slump. He feels as if his life is out of control.  He is in a batting slump and he has no clue as to what to do.  A team mate listens to his tale of woe and takes him to The Dungeon a local BDSM club where Jason finds that there are other “control freaks” out there and he isn’t the “perve” his ex accused him of being or if he was he wasn’t alone.  His buddy introduces him to Carrie.  Keeping Carrie blindfolded and in the dark as to his identity suits Major League catcher Jason just fine while he figures out if being a Dom really is his thing. With the media circling like vultures as he works to get his career back on track, the last thing he needs is a sex scandal if things don’t work out.  But keeping Carrie blindfolded doesn’t mean she is the only one in the dark.  Can Jason get his career back and the girl?

Another terrific, sexy tale from Roz Lee.  I fell a little in love with Jason in Inside Heat and felt sorry for him as Jeff and Morgan moved on with their relationship.  This story could have gone total fluff but didn’t.  I enjoyed the Holder boys stories and hope that maybe we will meet some of the other Mustangs in the future.   

Calling The Shots (Long Shots #4) by Christine d'Abo

Josh is the owner of Mavericks, a sex club where folks can get their kink on safely.  We met him in the three previous Long Shots books and he has ever been a friend to all but you just know there has to be more to him.  This is the book where we find out why this terrific guy isn’t hooked up with anybody.  In Double Shot Josh helps his best friend Paul get together with Sadie, In A Shot In The Dark Mavericks plays host in getting Paige and Carter together and again in getting Jeff and Ian together in Pulled Long.  In Calling The Shots Josh is feeling antsy.  It’s time for a change.  Paul is content with Sadie and running Mavericks isn’t the challenge it used to be so he is thinking of opening a new club elsewhere.  Beth, his assistant manager can take over running Mavericks especially if the hunky new bartender Oliver helps.  Now all he has to do is play cupid once again to get them together.  Beth is recovering from a bad romance and lusts after both her boss and Oliver but a workplace romance got her fired from Long Shots no way is she going to jeopardize this job.  Oliver is getting over a bad marriage and has trust issues.  He is also confused by his growing attraction for both Beth and Josh.  Can these three get over their past issues and find happiness together?

I like pretty much everyone else who has read the Long Shots series looked forward to seeing Josh get his HEA.  I was pleasantly surprised at the twists and turns this book took.  Josh was much deeper than the smiling cupid he appeared to be in the other books.  

Join Authors Against Bullying on October 19th

Although I am not an author I think this is a fabulous idea and I encourage everyone to check it out.  We could all use a little kindness.  Here is the link: http://mandyroth.com/blog/

White Wolf (White Wolf #1) by Jianne Carlo

Sorcha McFadden back in town after her Grandmothers death has been in love with her friend Susie’s older brother Gray since she was 13.  Gray is a member of the White Wolf Clan. They have the power of wolves but no shape shifting.  He also has an affinity for fire and water (which I would have thought were mutually exclusive).  Sorcha had originally left town after her father killed her mother, shot Sorcha and then turned the gun on himself.  Or did he?  Sorcha has no memory of the incident.  But know that she is back some memories are returning.  On top of that Gray’s wolf has recognized Sorcha as its mate and is impatient to claim her.  He has waited a long time to find her.  There is murder and mayhem and a lot of steamy sex. 

This is billed as an interracial romance.  I would call it more Paranormal than interracial.  I enjoyed the story.  It’s been on my TBR shelf for a long time and I was reminded of it when I hit Jianne Carlo’s web site on a blog hop.  I bumped it up and am glad I did.  I will check out the next installment soon.

Bridesmaid Lotto (McMaster the Disaster #1) by Rachel Astor

Light romantic comedy with some truly funny laugh out loud moments.  Check your brain at the door and go with it.  This is a fun escapist read.

A local celebutante decides to hold a lottery for the chance to become one of her bridesmaids.  An added perk is her future brother in-law is none other than hot single actor Jake Hall and he is in the wedding party.  Josie McMaster isn’t interested.  Well okay she would adore meeting Jake but as for being a bridesmaid… so not interested.  Josies mother has other plans and enters her into the drawing and lo and behold Josie is one of the four chosen.  Madness and frivolity ensue.

The Curse (Belador #3) by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love

If you want non-stop action, intrigue and hot heroes and heroines this is the series for you.  I am tired for Evalle and company.  Poor buggers don’t get a break.  I recommend you read the first two books before this.  You could jump in but you would miss a lot of the dynamics that it took to get these characters to where they are.  Besides they too are terrific reads.

Evalle has two days to make good on a promise to a Goddess all while still doing her regular Viper job of keeping humanity safe and now it seems as though she is a troll magnet.   Staying alive and fulfilling her obligations is taking every moment of her time.  Evalle is growing, evolving both physically and emotionally. 

I loved this book

On bookstores...

I love my local bookstores and the people that work there.  I do wonder sometimes how they come up with where to put what.

I wanted to re-read the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning (a fantastic series btw) which I had originally purchased in ebook form but I couldn't find it.  I couldn't figure out which online retailer I had purchased it from and with my luck they were probably drm'd for my palm pilot.  I decided to re-purchase the series in paper as I am sure I will read and re-read this series again and again.  There are five books in this series.  I found two in Romance, two in Fiction and one in SF/Fantasy.  How does this happen?  I am currently reading The Curse (Belador #3) by Sherrilyn Kenyon & Dianna Love.  These books are Urban Fantasy but I found them in Romance.  I'm pretty sure that guys would love these books but they aren't even going to give them a try if they are filed under Romance.  Can anyone explain the thinking behind this to me?

Fighting Addiction by B.A. Tortuga

m/m romance.  This is one of the most achingly sweet romances I’ve ever read.  These two guys about broke my heart.  I will read this one again and again.

This story takes place in the homophobic realm of country music.  Markus and Sebastian made wonderful music together until they were discovered in a compromising position that forced them apart or risk their careers.  Markus took to drink and Sebastian lost himself in his work.  Markus has been on the wagon for a couple of years now and Sebastian has become obsessive about pretty much everything.  Markus is surprised when Sebastian calls and wants to do a joint tour but jumps at the chance to reunite with the only man he has ever loved.  Can they fight their addictions and the big business machine to be together again and make beautiful music?

Provoked by Rebecca Zanetti

Opposites attract. Genius Kane Kyars (the smart one) meets his match in Amber Freebird home-schooled owner of a GED.  With Jase still held by the demons Kane is dispatched to go pick up the newly discovered Demon Destroyer Amber.  Amber is untrained and has no idea how to harness her gifts.  Amber and Kane come at life from different angles.  She is a peace loving vegan and he is a lab rat that understands the necessity of war.  But despite all that there is great chemistry between them.  Can they meet in the middle?

This book fulfills the promise of this series.  This is the best in the series by far.  A terrific fast paced story with both pathos and humor.  This series just keeps getting better with each book.

 

Thank you to eKensington and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The pleasure was mine!

Dark Protectors series by Rebecca Zanetti

Dark Protectors series by Rebecca Zanetti 

Fated – There are good Vampires and bad vampires (The Kurjans). The Kurjans have broken a 300 year old treaty to go after Empath Cara and her 5 year old Psychic daughter Janie because Janie is featured in some prophecy.  To prevent the bad guys from getting them Talen kidnaps them and forces Cara to mate and marry him. 

I almost didn’t finish this but pushed through as I figured that there were several books that followed and there wouldn’t be if the whole series sucked right?  Besides first books are all about world building.  I finished the book and found a lot about the world to like.  Will never be a big fan of Talen and Cara though.

Claimed – King of the Vampires and leader of the Realm (a consortium of Vampires, Shifters, and Witches) Dage has dreamed of a woman for 200 years.  Turns out the face in his dreams belongs to Cara’s sister Emma.  Emma is a Psychic and a genetic scientist.  Turns out she is pretty good at hiding from both the bad guys and good guys too.  Until she isn’t.  Then its Dage and his brothers to the rescue. 

This book takes place right after Fated and I like both characters even if Dage tends to be as neaderthalic (Cara’s word) as Talen.

Tempted – This short novella tells of Janie’s bodyguard Max being sent to help Sarah who is an escapee from a mental institution because she claims to have seen vampires kill a woman at the Lab where her half-brother works.  What she saw was a Kurjan. 

I adore Max.  A big bad bodyguard who doesn’t mind playing Go Fish and getting his nails polished by a little girl.  My only complaint is that we don’t get to see much of Sarah in the ensuing books.

Hunted – Vampire Warrior Prince Conn ends up mated to witch Moira after a one night stand.  Moira is young and The Seventh (seventh daughter of a seventh daughter).  She pleads for time to complete her studies.  It is 100 years later and with war on the horizon Conn comes to claim her.

A fun story.  It feels like this series is finally coming into its own. 

Consumed – Katie has loved Jordan Pride since he rescued her when she was 4 years old.  She is all grown up now and has been dealing with the effects of the Kurjan virus that has left her unable to shift by hunting werewolves.  Jordan has known that Katie was his mate since she turned 18 but she has always been to young.  She is now 34 and still a baby to his 300+ and now he has been infected with the virus too.  Chances are good he may turn into a werewolf and he doesn’t want Katie to have to kill him.  Can she save him?

My favorite in this series to date.  I like that Katie is a strong woman who knows what she wants and is willing to fight for it.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Undead by Katie MacAlister, and The Undead In My Bed by Katie MacAlister, Molly Harper, and Jessica Sims

Lifestyles of the Rich and Undead introduces us to Grayson Soucek hero of Shades of Gray Katie MacAlister’s story in The Undead In My Bed.  I am a huge fan of Ms. MacAlister but I have to admit I wasn’t thrilled with Gray and she has done the lusty ghost before.

The Undead In My Bed 

Shades of Gray by Katie MacAlister 

Noelle finally gets  her Dark One. Noelle has been a secondary character in both the Dark Ones and Dragon series.  She was supposed to be Sebastians “Beloved” but that didn’t work out for her.  Now she meets Grayson Soucek and is delighted to have found her Dark One.  Now all she has to do is convince him.  My only problem with this story is that I never figured Noelle as a giggler.  I guess love makes us all slap silly.

Undead Sublet by Molly Harper

A stand-alone tale from Half-Moon Hollow.  Chef Tess Maitland heads to Half-Moon Hollow to rest and relax.  She gets caught up in the middle of her landlords’ messy divorce.  And with help from Jane and friends rises to a new culinary challenge.

Out With a Fang by Jessica Sims

A lonely were-jaguar who was forced to give up the love of her life four years ago because he was human is finally ready to attempt to move on and signs up with an Alliance dating service for the weirdest date of her life.  Jessica Sims is the author of Beauty Dates the Beast and is someone I will be following.

Eyestrain

I guess I've been reading too much in poor light.  Doc says I need to take some time off.  I'll be back in a week.

Death's Rival (Jane Yellowrock #5) by Faith Hunter

I just finished reading Death's Rival and my heart is still pounding.  What an action-packed thrill ride.  This series is always fast paced but this installment bumps it to Vamp speed.  All I can say is this is a MUST read for any Jane Yellowrock fan.

Vampires are getting sick (which should be impossible) and blackmailed into changing their allegiance in return for a cure.  Leo has Jane to look after his interests and it looks like the Master behind the sickness is going to try to use Jane to get to Leo.  Can Jane ferret out the perp and prevent a Vampire war?

Redoubt (Valdemar: Collegium Chronicles #4) by Mercedes Lackey

Mags is back.  Mags has survived the mines, assassination and kidnap attempts and is stronger for it.  He has come a long way from the scrawny miner kid that Companion Dallen found.  Between saving the Kings Own’s daughter Amily, being a kirball hero and his association with Healer Bear and of course working with the Kings Own Nikolas Mags is starting to find his place at the Collegium.  But his past is still a mystery.  Still things are going well for Mags when he is hit over the head and kidnapped.  Head blind and unable to call for help not even Dallen Mags is on his own in a mystery that may finally give some clue as to where he came from and who his parents were.

I LOVE Mercedes Lackey!  She writes a world like no other.  Vivid and real you can’t help but fall in love with her characters.  What I loved most about this book is that while Mags is bemoaning to himself the loss of the things that he feels make him special he is doing extraordinary things to survive.  Another wonderful story from Mercedes Lackey.

Mate Claimed (Shifters Unbound #4) by Jennifer Ashley

Eric Warden leader of the Las Vegas shiftertown has a lot on his plate.  The humans have decided that the lupine shifters from Elko need to move to the Vegas shiftertown and aren’t even giving them enough time to build new houses for them.  The Wolves leader is a bit of a pain in the butt.  Eric’s sister is pregnant with her first cub. Eric is having problems with his collar (the device humans have put on shifters to keep them from fighting) and most of all Eric is having problems with what to do with the half-shifter Ilona who is passing for human but is entering a phase in her life where she will need shifter help with her control or out herself and her human mother for hiding her.  And then there is the fact that Eric wants her for his mate.

There is a lot going on in this book.  The pace is not as smooth as the previous books but I think that is due in part to the set up for future stories.  Still a good read.