Demon Storm (Belador #5) by Dianna Love

LOVE this cover.

Blurb:

In the fifth book of this bestselling paranormal series, Evalle faces her greatest nightmare - losing Storm - and without his help the Beladors will fall to an enemy they have fought for centuries.
*Includes DEADLY FIXATION bonus short story from the Belador world.

With Treoir Island in shambles after a Medb attack that left the survival of the missing Belador warrior queen in question and Belador powers compromised, the Beladors have one hope for their queen's return and their own future: Evalle Kincaid, whose recent transformation has turned her into an even more formidable warrior. First Evalle has to locate Storm, the Skinwalker she's bonded with who she believes can find the Belador queen, but Storm stalks the witch doctor threatening Evalle's life. The hunter becomes the hunted, and Evalle must face her greatest nightmare to save Storm and the Beladors-or watch the future of mankind fall to deadly preternatural predators...

My review:

There is so much action in this book I feel like I’ve burned calories just reading it.  This is the 5th book in the series, so far. I recommend reading the first 4 before tackling this installment.  It will be a much better experience.   

Evalle and the gang are back and there is no rest for anyone.  There is almost too much going on. The Beladors are mourning their losses from the attack on Treoir Island, Brina and Lanna have gone missing, and Evalle has to find Storm so he can track them.  And now the Medb are doing the Beladors job killing demons.  WTH? 

This is a transition book.  Not only is it solely written by the fabulous Dianna Love but I believe that this book leads into a new story arc.  Meaning there are more adventures to come.  Poor Evalle can’t catch a breath.

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N  

Out of Control (The Sentinels 0.5) by Alexandra Ivy

Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Ivy quenches your thirst for illicit desire with this seductive tale of the Sentinels—outcast humans with the ability to tread the line between life and death—and pleasure and pain…

Ph.D student Angela Locke has a crush on her sexy professor, Dr. Nikolo Bartrev. When she learns he’s actually a Sentinel with extraordinary powers, she joins forces with him to catch a psychopath. But soon, their hottest pursuit is of each other...

My review:

This is an introduction to an exciting new series by the fabulous Alexandra Ivy.  This is a world of Norms and Freaks.  It isn’t explained where the Freaks (witches, psychics, necromancers, Sentinels  and others) come from but they exist.  Angela thinks she is a Norm.  She is deeply invested in her studies until she meets the smoking hot visiting professor. Little does she know how her life is about to change.  This is fast paced action adventure and I can’t wait for the next installment. 

ARC generously provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review 

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N

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Penumbra (The Spook Squad 3) by Keri Arthur

Blurb:

TWIN KILLING

Agent Sam Ryan wants out of the Special Investigations Unit. She’s sick of the attitude from her partner, Gabriel Stern. She’s sick of the paperwork. Most of all, she’s sick of feeling lonely. But her boss isn’t about to let her go that easily. He gives Sam a choice: either stay stuck in her office or guard a clone replacement of Dan Wetherton, a government minister. Sam reluctantly chooses the latter—even though she suspects she’s being used as bait to draw out the SIU’s elusive nemesis.

Gabriel would like nothing better than to be on his own, without a partner to hold him back. Then he learns that Sam has been assigned to protect Wetherton—or whatever it is that’s replaced him. Wetherton’s clone could have come from only one place: Hopeworth, the military base that contains the secrets of Sam’s past. Determined to protect her, Gabriel is drawn into a fight against unspeakable evil. And all too soon, Sam and Gabriel discover that 

the connection between them is far more powerful than anyone could ever have imagined.

My review:

This is a re-release of one of the first series I’d read by Keri Arthur. As I’ve re-read this series for the first time in years I realized just how well it has held up and am reminded just how much I enjoyed living in Sam and Gabriel’s world.

Penumbra is the third and final book in this series.  We finally get some answers about Sam’s past.  We find out who the mysterious Sethanon is and who Joe Black is.  This is the book I liked least in the series because for all the answers we do get there are still questions left unanswered. But it is still one hell of a ride.  

Buy links:
Amazon
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Archangel's Shadows (Guild Hunter #7) by Nalini Singh

Blurb:

Return to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s sensual and painfully beautiful Guild Hunter world in her new novel of sacrifice, loyalty, and the choices of love that can shatter the heart.

In the wake of a brutal war, the archangel Raphael and his hunter consort, Elena, are dealing with the treacherously shifting tides of archangelic politics and the people of a battered but not broken city. The last thing their city needs is more death, especially a death that bears the eerie signature of an insane enemy archangel who cannot— should not—be walking the streets.

This hunt must be undertaken with stealth and without alerting their people. It must be handled by those who can become shadows themselves…

Ash is a gifted tracker and a woman cursed with the ability to sense the secrets of anyone she touches. But there’s one man she knows all too well without a single instant of skin contact: Janvier, the dangerously sexy Cajun vampire who has fascinated and infuriated her for years. Now, as they track down a merciless killer, their cat-and-mouse game of flirtation and provocation has turned into a profound one of the heart. And this time, it is Ash’s secret, dark and terrible, that threatens to destroy them both.

My review:

Guild Hunter Ash & vampire Janvier have been fun secondary characters flirting with each other since Angels' Pawn.   After the battles that take place in Archangel's Legion (Guild Hunter #6) Ash is on the mend from a near fatal injury.  It is times like these when you rethink your priorities and Janvier is determined to make Ash see that they are meant to be together.  Ash may be stubborn but she isn’t stupid.  There are secrets she must reveal before giving herself to Janvier.  But first they have to hunt down a monster who is killing young women in a most horrific way.

It never ceases to amaze me that Nalini Singh can build such a terrific landscape and take you on a super fantastic ride with each story she tells.  Archangel's Shadows is another such ride and is no less fantastic than rest in this fabulous series.

Buy links:

Amazon, B&N, BookDepo B-A-M, Chapters, IndBnd Penguin

One in a Million (Lucky Harbor #12) by Jill Shalvis

Blurb:

As the brains behind wedding site TyingTheKnot.com, Callie sees it all: from the ring to the dress, the smiles . . . to the tears. It's that last part that keeps her single and not looking. Getting left at the altar will do that to a girl. But when Callie returns to her old hometown, she finds that her sweet high school crush is sexier than ever. And he makes it hard to remember why she's sworn off love . . .

Tanner is a deep-sea diver with a wild, adrenaline-junkie past—and now his teenage son is back in his life. How can Tanner be a role model when he's still paying for his own mistakes? It's hard enough that gorgeous Callie has appeared in town like a beautiful dream, challenging his best-laid plans to keep his heart on lockdown. Though there's something about being around her again that makes him feel like he can be the man she—and his son—deserve. Little Lucky Harbor holds their past; can it hold a beautiful new future?

My review:

What a terrific story to end this series.  This book is filled with the trademark humor and snark we expect from a Lucky Harbor story but this installment had its share of tenderness as well.  We get to check in with some characters from the past but as with the others this book can be read stand alone.  I adored getting to know Tanner and Callie and Lucille is always a hoot.  As sad as I am to be saying farewell to Lucky Harbor I look forward to seeing what Jill Shalvis will write for us next.

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N

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On the Growl (A Shifter Romance Anthology) by Celia Kyle, Lynn Red, Jessica Sims, Flora Dare and Marina Maddix

On the Growl (A Shifter Romance Anthology) by Celia Kyle, Lynn Red, Jessica Sims, Flora Dare and Marina Maddix 

Blurb:

From a pack of your favorite NYT and USAT best-selling paranormal romance authors comes a collection of ALL NEW novellas that will make you howl, scratch and bite... and leave you roaring for more!

Love comes in all shapes and sizes. No surprise there, right? Passionate, wild, hungry, dripping, salty, sweaty, steamy; falling in love is the best thing in the world.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a bunny with curves, a brand new werewolf without much clue what’s happening, a feisty wolverine shifter, a fun-loving house cat or a were-tigress with a short temper for obnoxious men, there’s a big, protective, incredible alpha for everyone... or in some cases, two of them!

Except... sometimes, it gets complicated. Mysterious and magical resorts, dangerous rogue wolves, dentists that get just a little too excited and start growing hair in funny places, a couple of bears who might be terrorists, and a tiger with a bad attitude?
Gulp. Things could get REAL complicated.

In places where the only rules are Pack rules; in towns where shifters and witch doctors rub shoulders; on exotic vacations where only eagles dare, and on planes where a wolverine shifter is sandwiched between two of the sexiest bears she’s ever imagined, you’ll never have more fun, or get more steamy, seductive, incredible paranormal romance in ONE PLACE at ONE LOW PRICE.

From our pack to yours, enjoy these incredible novellas, and keep howling for the moon!

* Waking Up Were by Celia Kyle *
What’s a gal to do when a dog bite isn’t a dog bite and her boss makes her want to howl at the moon? Keep him.

* Bear Your Teeth by Lynn Red *
A slightly clutzy rabbit-shifter and a big, bad bear of a dentist will take you along on a steamy, hilarious ride you’ll never forget!

* Tiger by the Tail by Jessica Sims *
Were-tiger Adrian Merino is determined to see the newest shifter on the block, Mandy, become his mate. But it's got to be her idea first...

* Bears Repeating by Flora Dare *
It takes double the werebears to handle one cranky wolverine in this menage romance.

* To Screech His Own by Marina Maddix *
It may be against the rules, but when a hot eagle shifter lands at an exclusive resort, one employee really wants to ruffle his feathers. What’s a curvy kitty to do?

My Review:

I bought this set because Celia Kyle and Jessica Sims are on my auto buy lists for shifters and for this price it would have been worth it for just those two.  That the other stories rocked was just an added benny.

Waking Up Were by Celia Kyle – There is a whole world out there that Brenna isn’t aware of despite the fact that her boss (who she has lusted after for 2 years) and her best friend are werewolves.  It is a rude awakening when she is bitten by a rogue and ends up turning.  Now her boss has to convince her she really isn’t going insane and that she is his mate.  Oh and they have to find the rogue before he bites anybody else. This book has all the heat and humor you expect from Celia Kyle.

Bear Your Teeth by Lynn Red – I have visited the crazy world of Lynn Red’s Jamesburg shifters before and have always laughed myself silly at the antics of her absurd shifters.  This story of a bunny and a bear shifter is no different. * The Jamesburg Shifters are a series of standalone novels that can be enjoyed in any order you like. No cliffhangers here!

Tiger by the Tail by Jessica Sims – This story takes place in the Midnight Liaisons world but can be read stand-alone.  Like Waking Up Were this is a story of a young woman who was bitten against her will.  She is not dealing with the change very well until she meets a tiger who is willing to listen and help her work through her issues.  If they fall for each other along the way so much the better. 

Bears Repeating by Flora Dare – Shifter, ménage, suspense and romance.  I’ve not read any of Ms. Dares other work but this story was a roller coaster ride of intrigue and heat.

To Screech His Own by Marina Maddix – I don’t know what to think about this story.  It could have been an episode of Fantasy Island.  The only thing missing was a lizard shifter as Tatoo.  Even the boss was named Mr. Roarke.  True he didn’t look like Ricardo Montalban and he wears khakis and Hawaiian shirts instead of a white suit but still.  The story was fun but I kept expecting some idiot to say “boss, the plane, the plane…”.

*swiped from Lynn Red’s Goodreads description of the Jamesburg Shifters

Buy Links:

Amazon

B&N

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Tales of the Djinn: The Double by Emma Holly

Blurb:

What would you do if the man you loved had a double?

That’s the challenge Elyse faces when a flying carpet lands her and her new djinn lover in the glorious city he calls home. Cade’s people need help recovering from a curse, but this isn't the only problem they’ll have to fix. Cade’s trip to Elyse’s world created a duplicate of himself, a not-quite carbon copy who firmly believes he’s Cade’s superior.

Book 2 in the Tales of the Djinn

My review:

Tales of the Djinn: The Double starts off where Tales of the Djinn: The Guardian ends and while it could be read standalone I believe you will enjoy it that much more for having read Tales of the Djinn: The Guardian first. 

Emma Holly transports you into a fantastic world of magic, mystery, and erotic delights.  This is a world I will revisit over and over again.  This is a can’t miss page turner but not for the faint of heart.  Ms. Holly takes you places you’ve never gone before.  This is a fairy tale for grown-ups. Absolutely wonderful.

Buy links:

amazon / smashwords / iBooks / bn.com / kobo

Primal (Overwatch #1) by Sasha White

Blurb:

BDSM club owner Adam Kessler is no one’s hero. He joined the army to get away from the gang-life that had taken his brother, only to come home to heartache. He doesn’t hide his dominant side, and he doesn’t hesitate in his need to protect or enforce his particular brand of retribution on those who’ve earned it. There’s no way in hell he could walk past a man hassling a woman in an empty parking lot and do nothing. Only when the confrontation is over and the voluptuous blonde turns eyes filled with desire to him, does Adam realize he’s in trouble.

Psychologist Olivia Lang grew up with the proverbial silver spoon, and has never regretted spending more time on her career than on romance, until she meets Adam Kessler. He’s dark, he’s dangerous, and he’s deliciously dominant… and she wants him.

Passion burns quick and hot between them and soon they’re caught up in an intensely carnal relationship that neither can deny. But when Olivia’s life is threatened and Adam shows her just how dangerous he can be, will it be too much for the civilized psychologist to handle, or will she truly accept the man and win her hero’s heart?


My review:

Holy Hotness Batman!  First look at the cover.  Now wipe off the drool. Break out the fan and the ice water because this book is smokin’.   I fell head over heels with Adam & Olivia.  Their story develops really fast and I would have liked a better/longer explanation about Barbara.  That being said I loved this super sexy quick read and am anxiously awaiting the next installment in what looks to be a terrific series.

Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

Buy links:

Amazon.com 

Barnes and Noble

ARe

iBooks 

Imperfect Mate (Harmony Springs Series #1) by Lia Davis

Blurb:

For tiger-shifter, Samira Anderson, leaving home for the first time to attend Harmony University should unnerve her. She’s never submitted to the fear of a challenge and doesn’t plan to start now. Meeting her dorm mates and touring the campus excites her and her cat. Although when she meets Gavin Stone, she’s not only nervous around him but fears she might lose the tight control she has over her tiger.

After a bad break up with his high school sweetheart, Gavin has no intentions of repeating past mistakes. Or so he thought until he sees the beautiful, smart, Samira at the dorm welcome party. Drawn to her like no other, he can’t stay away or shake the feeling Sam isn’t telling him everything.

When he discovers her secrets, a whole new world opens to him, filled with danger, unknown possibilities, and a passion so intense it could last many lifetimes.

My review:

Like the others in the R.O.A.R. series this is a short but powerful story of a young woman who has left all she knows for the first time in her life to go away to University.  She is smart and gifted and a tiger shifter.  When she falls fast for a human she deals but when another human is preying on young women on campus the protector she is trained to be comes out but will it cost her the human that is meant to be her mate?   This story sucks you in and grabs you from the first page to the last.  I look forward to future visits to Harmony Springs.

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N

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Otherworld Nights (Otherworld Stories #3) by Kelley Armstrong

Blurb:

This short story collection will include many brand-new tales and others only previously available on Kelley Armstrong's website. Most of the stories will feature the werewolves of the Otherworld, Elena and Clay, Jeremy, Karl and other members of the American Pack. These are some of Kelley Armstrong's best-loved and most enduring characters, from bestselling books such as Bitten, Stolen and Frostbitten.

1) Demonology - Adam's mother discovers what he is
2) Stalked - Clay/Elena honeymoon story from "My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon"
3) Hidden - SubPress 2012 Elena/Clay novella
4) Twilight - a Cass story from "Many Bloody Returns"
5) Chivalrous - Reese's backstory from SubPress's long sold-out "Tales of Dark Fantasy 2" (the Dec'14 SubPress graphic novella picks up this storyline)
6) Lucifer's Daughter - Hope/Karl story from "Blood Lite II: Overbite"
7) From Russia with Love - Elena bonus story included with hardcover of "Thirteen"
8) Vanishing Act - brand-new Savannah/Adam novella set after "Thirteen"

My review:

Fans of Kelley Armstrong's Women Of The Otherworld series will love the opportunity to have all these short stories in one place.  I know I do.  I really enjoyed the opportunity to revisit some of my favorite characters from the series.  I don’t recommend this for those who haven’t read the series.  But for those who have it is a great way to get either some back story Demonology,  Twilight , Chivalrous or in the case of From Russia with Love & Vanishing Act  follow up.  All in all a lot of fun and a great incentive for me to go back and re-read the series.  It is just that good.

I was lucky enough to receive a complimentary e-copy from Penguin First to Read but will be buying a hard copy for my library. 

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N

Being Naughty Can Be Fun: A Collection of Romantic Comedies by Rita Sawyer

Blurb:

Sarah is sick and tired of being the good girl everyone expects her to be. She's made a resolution to let the fun loving woman inside her free. She just needs a man, and when Eddie, a hunky real estate developer, finds her half dressed in a closet, he's more than willing to oblige...in Red Hot New Year.
Anthology including:
Falling Hard And Fast,
A Damsel Without A Dress,
8 Ways Onto The Naughty List,
and Red Hot New Year

Suzie has been fighting her attraction to Tim for months. When she literally runs into him in the grocery store, she races away. But Tim can't mistake the way he reacted to her, even if they were on the grocery store floor. He knows they both are Falling Hard And Fast.

Stacey agreed to be her sister's Maid of Honor, even though the best man, Alex, pushes all her buttons. A chance encounter with a spider leaves her nearly naked and in need of rescue, and Alex is more than happy to be the gentleman. And maybe, with a little help, he can convince the damsel, that he's her night...in A Damsel Without A Dress.

Unable to hide her growing desire for her boss, Patsy decides to quit. But her boss can't imagine his life without her and has feelings of his own. He has to convince her to stay, just as she decides that her only way out is to be fired...in 8 Ways Onto The Naughty List.

My review:

I met author Rita Sawyer at a couple of author reader get togethers and finally got around to purchasing one of her books.  I am so sorry it took me this long to “discover” her work. Now I am off to delve through her backlist as soon as I can stop laughing. 

Being Naughty Can Be Fun: A Collection of Romantic Comedies is exactly what the title says.  This is four tales of sexy fun. 

Red Hot New Year – The New Year is the perfect time to start over and if that includes a hunky new man in her life well who is Sarah to say no.

Falling Hard And Fast – This story is an “I Love Lucy” type of story.  Starting with a slapstick start and ending in bed.  I flew through this story laughing all the way.

A Damsel Without A Dress - I kept thinking of Jill Shalvis while reading this.  Jill is well known for her mishaps and fear of spiders.  Apparently she isn’t the only one.  Poor Stacey has not one but two run in’s with a spider that leave her dressless and in Alex’s arms.

8 Ways Onto The Naughty List – One of the funniest things to watch is two people destined to be together if they would only talk to each other.  Miscommunication has never been so fun or sexy as it is between Patsy & Dexter.

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N

ARe

Jupiter Gardens Press

Seductive Supernaturals: 12 Tales of Shapeshifters, Vampires & Sexy Spirits

Seductive Supernaturals: 12 Tales of Shapeshifters, Vampires & Sexy Spirits

by Erin Quinn , Caridad Piñeiro, Erin Kellison , Lisa Kessler , Chris Marie Green , Mary Leo, Maureen Child , Cassi Carver , Janet Wellington , Theresa Meyers , Sheri Whitefeather , Elisabeth Staab 

Blurb:

Bad boys, tortured alpha heroes, and kick-ass heroines all come together in 12 steamy full-length paranormal romance novels and novellas from NY Times, USA Today, and national bestselling authors! 

Whether you’re looking for tantalizing dark tales or the humorous side of the supernatural, you’ll get werewolves, vampires, fallen angels, monster hunters, and ghosts—every one of them a hot temptation you won’t be able to resist…

DIABLO SPRINGS by Erin Quinn

Gracie Beck vowed that she would never to return to Diablo Springs, but the haunted town lures her back—along with the man who betrayed her years ago. Reilly broke her heart with his lies. Now, he wants a second chance to win her, but can they survive the ghosts of Diablo Springs?

VAMPIRE REBORN by Caridad Pineiro

Would you be reborn for love? Ryder Latimer, sexy Southern vampire, will have to make one of the most difficult choices in his undead life: Become human again or protect his new wife and child.

SHADOW FALL by Erin Kellison

Just discovering her magic, ballerina Annabella Ames didn’t mean to summon a dark wolf from Twilight, nor the tempting fallen angel Custo Santovari, who has no place in Heaven. The cunning wolf stalks them relentlessly, and danger seduces as they fight for redemption and love.

NIGHT ANGEL by Lisa Kessler

When Colin Flynn returns home to Ireland, the immortal Night Walker's flesh has healed, but the scars hide a broken spirit. Juliana Duffy plays piano in spite of her deafness, challenging him to redefine himself and find the strength to battle an ancient enemy.

SHADOWS TILL SUNRISE by Chris Marie Green

Two monster hunters fighting a star-crossed attraction and one bloodthirsty phantom leaving a trail of death… Can love survive till the sun rises?

A SHADOW AT TWILIGHT by Mary Leo

They say Hotel Colorado is haunted, but when Dillon Spencer appears in his hotel room to find Hilly Thompson, his assistant, soaking in the tub, he begins to question whether or not he’s alive, dead, or caught in another dimension.

MORE THAN FIENDS by Maureen Child

At 32, Cassidy Burke discovers she’s a legendary Demon Duster. But she’s got bigger problems than some pesky demons. Like, Logan Miller--first love, baby daddy to her genius daughter is back. Then there’s Devlin Cole, a walking orgasm with too many secrets. Cassidy’s life is out of control and about to get way too interesting.

IMMORTAL POSSESSION by Cassi Carver

When Dr. Evelyn Vale is paired with Immortal Bounty’s sexy commander to go undercover and infiltrate a supernatural body-trafficking ring, she’s eager to get to work. Until she learns the catch… To crack this case, he’ll need to possess her body.

FOREVER ROSE by Janet Wellington

Tarot cards predict a dangerous journey for Taylor Rose, but she doesn’t expect to travel back to 1888 San Diego. What the cards didn’t predict was falling for a man bent on revenge, a helpful ghost, and spooky séances. Is she there to prevent a murder or to find love?

WELCOME HOME, VAMPIRE by Theresa Meyers

Corporal Cole Wagner lost his humanity in war – literally. Turned into a vampire by the military’s Vector Force, he’s the ultimate weapon, but when he returns home to set the past right, will the enemy stop at nothing to get him, including threatening the life of the woman he loved, and lost, before?

VAMPIRE MAGIC (Blood Genie, books 1 and 2) by Sheri Whitefeather

Two tenderly romantic, wildly erotic stories featuring supernatural hybrids (vampires/genies) who grant wishes for the exchange of blood.

WILD NIGHTS WITH A LONE WOLF by Elisabeth Staab

A mandatory vacation lands Agent Sherri Walker in bed with a local werewolf. Asher Hughes walked away from his outlaw pack but couldn't ditch the bad blood. Together they’ll have to pull off one hell of an act to get out of treacherous territory alive.

My Review:

I’ll admit I haven’t read all of the stories in this fantastic box set yet but here are my thoughts on the ones I have read:

DIABLO SPRINGS by Erin Quinn

Two stories in one.  Will a curse from the past give Gracie and Reilly a future?  If it doesn’t kill them first. 

VAMPIRE REBORN by Caridad Pineiro

This is a short action packed story that I thoroughly enjoyed but if you haven't read Die For Love you may not get as much out of it. Ryder and Diana are dealing with a lot of changes.  But what doesn't change is their love for each other.

SHADOWS TILL SUNRISE by Chris Marie Green

Lilly has a problem. She wakes every morning with no memory of who she is. This is actually a good thing for the reader as we find out together why this is and what mysteries lie in her past. There is action, adventure, danger, magic, mystery, and a bit of romance. And while this is a spin-off of the fantastic Vampire Babylon series this novel stands well on its own. I look forward to following Lilly as she learns and grows. If this series is anything like Vampire Babylon we are in for a heck of a ride.

MORE THAN FIENDS by Maureen Child

Funny, funny story about a woman coming into her Demon slaying powers.

IMMORTAL POSSESSION by Cassi Carver

This is a terrific start to a new series by “new to me” author Cassi Carver.  You can bet I will be checking out future installments.  The world building is fantastic and the characters make me want to revisit.

WILD NIGHTS WITH A LONE WOLF by Elisabeth Staab

I love werewolf stories and this is a super hot one with a surprising twist.

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N

Nedobeck's Alphabet Book by Don Nedobeck and a bit about my favorite artist.

Nedobeck's Alphabet Book

Each letter of the alphabet is represented by a sentence using words beginning with that letter, which is illustrated by a fanciful drawing.

This is a super fun book for both kids and their parents or grandparents.  The artwork is fantastic and the author/artist gets silly with each letter - Terri the tall thin tan tiger, talks with three tiny toads by their toy truck.

Don also has a Numbers book:

And his own whimsical vision of the 12 Days of Christmas:

All that aside Don is one of my all-time favorite artists.  He is multi-talented; painting and playing Dixieland Jazz.  He has paintings hanging in a children’s hospital, in the collections of well known personages and I even have 1 or 2 prints signed by him.  

I met Don at a local crafts fair many years ago.  I was drawn to the sound of his clarinet and stayed for his artwork.  I couldn't afford his paintings or even his prints at that time but I could afford his calendar.  

I have collected them ever since and just got my hands on next years.  

You can find Don at:

Web Page

Facebook

But Don is looking at 80 and not too web savvy so if you aren't able to get in touch with him get in touch with me and I'll hook you up.

Night Sky (Night Sky #1) by Suzanne Brockmann, Melanie Brockmann

Blurb:

SHE’S THE ULTIMATE WEAPON IN FIGHTING DESTINY.

Skylar Reid is shaken when Sasha, the little girl she babysits, is kidnapped. Scared that the weird dreams she’s been having about Sasha are real—and even more afraid that Sasha is already dead. When a mysterious girl with extreme butt-kicking abilities roars into town on a motorcycle and, well, stalks Skylar things get even weirder. Supergirl Dana tells Sky that she also has abilities – that a hormone in their blood makes them stronger, faster, smarter. A hormone that the makers of a new drug called Destiny will murder to get their hands on.

Dana and Milo, her dangerously hot yet oh-so-forbidden partner in crime, want Sky to join them in their mission – to mold Sky into the ultimate weapon. She can sense there’s something about her abilities they’re not telling her. But the only way to save Sasha and stop other girls from being taken is to embrace the weird…and fight Destiny.

My review:

I recommend that you read the prequel Dangerous Destiny (Night Sky 0.5) to introduce you to the world and leading characters because this book jumps in full steam ahead.  This is a YA paranormal tale with romantic elements.  If you liked Kathy & Brendan Reichs Virals or James Pattersons Maximum Ride series you should enjoy this.  This is an exciting story with well written characters discovering themselves in unreal situations. 

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N

Deconstructing Lila by Shannon Leigh

Blurb:

She’ll bring him to his knees…

Preservationist Lila Gentry returns to her small Texas hometown to restore the famous Chisholm Trail whorehouse where her great-great-grandmother was a madam in the 1880s. On her agenda is winning back Jake, the one that got away. But how do you rope a man who doesn't want to be wrangled?

Jake lives by one creed: Keep it simple. His ex showing up in town complicates his life and makes him think about things he'd rather forget.

When Lila's restoration project is threatened before it even begins, she turns to Jake for help. Working together stirs up old feelings, but while Lila and Jake always sizzle between the sheets—or wherever the moment takes them—it will involve some sweet-talking and finesse to bring these two together.

Excerpt:

Why’d she have to come home? Just when he’d stopped thinking of her every minute of every day, she’d walked back into his life, resurrecting painful memories. Physical needs. Making him agonizingly aware of what he’d given up, then and now. And goddammit, did he want it all back with a fury he didn’t expect.

My review:

On the one hand this is a western contemporary romance but simultaneously there it tells a story of the heroines great-great-grandmother, a madam in the house that Lila is determined to save while at the same time saving her marriage.  

I loved Lila a woman who has worked to get her life together and is determined to get what she wants and needs from it.  I adored her Granny and the Bombshells. But I wasn’t so thrilled with Jake the hero of this story.  Jake assumes he knows what is best and thinks he was being heroic by pushing Lila from his life under the assumption better to hurt her now than later.  Even so, this second chance romance has a lot to recommend it. 

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

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Closer to Home (Valdemar: The Herald Spy #1) by Mercedes Lackey

Blurb:

Mags was once an enslaved orphan living a harsh life in the mines, until the King's Own Herald discovered his talent and trained him as a spy. Now a Herald in his own right, at the newly established Heralds' Collegium, Mags has found a supportive family, including his Companion Dallen.

Although normally a Herald in his first year of Whites would be sent off on circuit, Mags is needed close to home for his abilities as a spy and his powerful Mindspeech gift. There is a secret, treacherous plot within the royal court to destroy the Heralds. The situation becomes dire after the life of Mags' mentor, King's Own Nikolas, is imperiled. His daughter Amily is chosen as the new King's Own, a complicated and dangerous job that is made more so by this perilous time. Can Mags and Amily save the court, the Heralds, and the Collegium itself?

My review:

Mercedes Lackey is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever come across and I adore her world of Valdemar. 

In this latest tale Mags & Amily come home to take up the reins of their adult responsibilities and to face Amily’s father and Mag’s mentor Nikolas to ask permission to marry.  Politics, magic, love, intrigue, and a bit of swashbuckling sword play and you have one terrific read.

Buy links:

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On the Naughty List by Lori Foster, Carly Phillips, Sugar Jamison, Beth Ciotta

Blurb:

The most wonderful time of the year is back with On The Naughty List, bringing perennial favorite holiday stories from Lori Foster and Carly Phillips, along with two Christmas stories that delighted readers a year ago. This sexy anthology will make you want to give your heart to Christmas again and again…

Lori Foster has two co-workers plan a Christmas party side-by-side-and discover a love worth celebrating in Christmas Bonus Carly Phillips explores a "mistletoe moment" when a no-nonsense lawyer intent on seducing her boss meets his twin instead--and gives him a scintillating kiss that leaves him begging for more in Naughty Under the Mistletoe. In Sugar Jamison’s Have Yourself a Curvy Little Christmas, former wild child Dina Gregory returns home to New York to find the father of her young son. Instead, she finds his stuffy older brother, Ben. Ben can’t help but admire her tenacity—and her bold beauty. Could it be that Dina has reignited his Christmas spirit? Beth Ciotta brings two friends who, after years apart, together at home for the holidays. They don’t seem to have much in common anymore, but when the two get stranded together during a blizzard, they are forced to reexamine if they are better off as "just friends"? Or could it be that true love was there all along? in Some Kind of Wonderful.

My review:

These four Christmas stories will put a smile on your face and in your heart.  What a wonderful way to start the season.

Christmas Bonus by Lori Foster

Two hearts meant to be as one separated by events beyond their control are brought together with the help of a sprig of mistletoe and some Christmas spirit in this sexy tale by Lori Foster.  This story has been released before but it is just as hot and heartwarming this time around.

Naughty Under the Mistletoe by Carly Phillips

This naughty tale by Carly Phillips proves that Christmas surprises are the very best kind.

Some Kind of Wonderful by Beth Ciotta

This may have been my favorite tale in this anthology.  Beth Ciotta’s twist on Scrooge will leave you with happy tears.

Have Yourself a Curvy Little Christmas by Sugar Jamison

Every baby needs a home and family on Christmas no matter how old they are. 

Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

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