The Quick and the Undead by Kimberly Raye

Blurb:

Welcome to Tombstone, Texas, where anything is possible, even your wildest fantasy. Once a haven to outlaws, Tombstone is now a tourist town that gives travelers a taste of the old West. What visitors don’t realize, however, is that the super-hot cowboys, gunslingers, and lawmen walking the streets aren’t actors—they’re originals. These ancient vampires claimed Tombstone two centuries ago.

So step right up, folks, and book your trip today! The outlaws of Tombstone will be waiting . . .


Travel blogger Riley Davenport loves her job, travelling to the most exotic places in the world. Even better, it keeps her one step ahead of her stalking ex. The last thing she wants in her life is a strong alpha male. But that’s exactly what she gets when she comes face-to-face with Sheriff Boone Jarrett, a hero right out of her most erotic fantasies.

Boone isn’t just the law in Tombstone, Texas. He’s also an ancient vampire and the target of a crazed killer. He certainly doesn’t have time for romance. But a temporary fling? Now that he can handle.

Unfortunately, their first night together ends in disaster when Riley witnesses a murder. And to protect her, Boone forces her into hiding. Only her “captivity” ends up becoming the realization of her wildest, most carnal fantasies. Still, Riley’s not going to fall for him, at least that’s what she tells herself.

But as she gets to know him—the man and the vampire—she starts to wonder if she can hold out . . . 

My review:

If you are looking for light and fluffy vampires like Kimberly Raye‘s Dead End Dating series The Quick and the Undead is not for you.. There are strong alpha cowboy vampires and feisty modern day women but definitely no pink bats and fabulous wardrobe.  The Quick and the Undead appears to be the first in a new series.  It has possibilities but honestly this first book left me wanting and I’m not sure exactly why.  I will pick up the next installment in the hopes that my dissatisfaction had to do with world building rather than the story itself.  

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Buy Links:

Amazon

B&N

Blood Assassin (The Sentinels Series # 2) by Alexandra Ivy

Blurb:

They are the outcasts of humanity. Blessed with power. Cursed by fate. Driven by passion. The Sentinels have returned. . .


Out Of The Shadows

At six-foot-three and two-hundred-fifty pounds, Fane is a natural born guardian. A flawless mix of muscled perfection and steely precision, he has devoted years of his life to protecting a beautiful necromancer. But after she found love in the arms of another, Fane has been a warrior adrift. He swears allegiance only to the Sentinels. And no woman will ever rule his heart again. . .

Into The Fire

Not only a powerful psychic, Serra is that rare telepath who can connect to minds through objects. When the daughter of a high-blood businessman is kidnapped, Serra agrees to help. But when she stumbles onto a conspiracy involving secrets sects and ancient relics, her life is in mortal danger--and Fane is her only hope. Is the warrior willing to risk his body, his soul, and his heart, for Serra? Or will one last betrayal destroy them both? 

My review:

This is a fast paced well written romantic suspense story with paranormal elements. The byplay between the characters was real, the romance was sweet and steamy and the secondary characters were a blast.  The female lead, Serra, is a psychic and telepath who has been sheltered by Valhalla and those that love her but not to the extent that she is an innocent.  She is smart, tough and well liked except by the one man she loves to distraction, Fane.  Fane is intent on protecting Serra from him and his love for her.  Crazy right?  I love that she doesn’t let him off the hook right away and protects her heart as best she can when he finally gets his head out of his tail and gives in to their love all while running all over town to save the villains daughter.  Action, adventure, romance it doesn’t get any better than this.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N

ARe

Tall, Dark, and Vampire (Dead in the City #1) by Sara Humphreys

Blurb:

He's dying to have her...

She always knew Fate was cruel...

The last person Olivia Hollingsworth expected to see at her Greenwich Village vampire club was her one true love, Doug Paxton—whom she believed to be dead for centuries. Olivia thought she had moved on, but when Doug reappears, her heart knows she'd rather die than lose him again.

But this is beyond the pale...

Ever since Doug can remember, a red-haired siren has haunted his dreams. He never thought she could be real until he goes to investigate a murder at Olivia's night club. However, as the bodies keep piling up at her feet, he must fight to prove her innocence—even if it costs him his life...

My review:

Tall, Dark, and Vampire is the first in a spin-off series by the fab Sara Humphreys.  I’ll admit it took a bit for me to get into it but once I did I couldn’t put it down.  The characters are engaging and the story sucks you into a world of vampires, shape shifters and other creatures that go bump in the night.  Because it is a spin-off you don’t have that awkward getting to know the world that the story takes place in.  The author is already comfortable there and even if you haven’t read any of her other books you will be comfortable there too.  The story is fast paced and will keep you wondering just what is going to happen next.

Buy links:

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

BOOKS A MILLION

DISCOVER A NEW LOVE

KOBO

  

Lover's Purr by Claudia M. Farwell

Blurb:

~One young woman looking for a normal summer vacation-- one hot, smoking shifter who will change everything~

Karina wants fun in the sun, lots of trips to the lake, and maybe finding a hot boyfriend. Seems easy enough – especially when she literally runs into the sexiest man in town!

Jace is kind, enigmatic, and absolutely gorgeous! He’s also got a big secret-- a furry, whisker-covered, fang-filled secret. He's a bobcat shifter, and Karina has no idea.

Will his secret tear them apart before he can win Karina over and convince her she's his destined mate? Or will the coyote-thugs who have a bone to pick with Jace stir up more trouble than anyone could have guessed?

Warning: This book contains explicit, steamy sex, a wild bobcat who knows what he wants, and rough violence/language.

My review:

This is a short sexy romp by a “new to me” author.  I love the cover.  I liked Jace/Duke and the town legend.  I think the bad guys were well done.  Where I lost it was with Karina.  She is supposed to be about to become a college senior but she acts like a giggling junior high tweener.  This is the first book in the story there are questions left hanging.  I can only hope that Karina grows up. 

A gifted copy was provided by author for an honest review

  

Barracuda's Heart (Hot Rods #6) by Jayne Rylon

Blurb:

Roman knows he’s been an asshole. But the toughest of all the Hot Rods has been through hell. Carver has always sensed when Roman’s on the verge of falling into the pit of his inner darkness, and pulled him back with his endless laughter.

The two guys have messed around with women plenty, but never anyone serious. Until the gang of mechanics started exploring the complex relationship that Roman realizes right away they’d been destined for. Part of him is pissed. He might get what he’s always secretly wanted—Carver, submitting to him in a kinky BDSM relationship—but it might not be exactly like he had fantasized about. Sharing isn’t his strong suit.

After months of struggling with their new reality, he finally breaks down and confesses to one of the visiting members of The Crew who helps him understand that everything is fair in love. Even playing for keeps.

Now all Roman has to do is convince Carver that he’s man enough to replace a whole host of lovers. And maybe be willing to make some compromises. Because after all, he enjoys watching and bonding with the rest of the Hot Rods too. Together they find their own way of loving and living within the group, which accepts them unconditionally. And always will, no matter how they decide their relationship works best.

My review:

m/m

Barracuda's Heart is the sixth in the Hot Rods series by Jayne Rylon.  The Hot Rods are a spinoff of the kinky Powertools series.  Jayne Rylons kinky men and women will have you cocking your head side to side saying can they really do that?  The author informs me that if it is in her books it can be done. 

Barracuda's Heart is not the kinkiest entry into this series but it may be the one to bring you to tears.  I know I welled up.  At the end of Swinger Style (Hot Rods #5) we are left waiting to see if Roman survives his overdose.  Barracuda's Heart starts right where Swinger Style left off so you might want to read it first.  This is a case of friends to lovers to more with a lack of communication thrown in for good measure.  Like any Jayne Rylon book there is a great deal of hot lovin’ surrounded by a terrific story. Carver (Meep) and Roman(‘Cuda)s story is hot and sweet and will make you laugh, cry and sigh.  My only problem with this series continues to be the way she switches back and forth between nicknames and real names.  The cast of characters is large enough without doubling it.   

 Buy links:

Samhain - http://bit.ly/1CfeRsb
Amazon - http://amzn.to/1sQpwcJ
Nook - http://bit.ly/1x654pT
ARe - http://bit.ly/1HcvtSr
KOBO - http://bit.ly/1v7rGPz

Some Like it Secret (Going Royal #4) by Heather Long

 Blurb:

His life is an open book.

The second Andraste son, Sebastian, has always been the “spare.” His secret affair began as a lucky accident yet lasted over five years. After his older brother’s marriage, the press speculates wildly about which Dagmar will be next. The paparazzi dogs his every step, making it harder and harder to spend time with Meredith. When she abruptly ends the relationship, his world seems to turn upside down.

She’s his dirty little secret.

The last place Meredith Blake expected to find herself was in the bed of a prince, but her tempestuous affair with Sebastian Dagmar feeds her need for passion. He's put off revealing their relationship and, understanding his need for privacy, she’s contented herself with being the object of his very real affection whenever they were together. Those times draw farther and farther apart and his royal life stampedes their romance. She wonders if she's just not good enough for him. Deciding enough is enough, Meredith ends their affair, tired of being his dirty little secret.

Enough is enough…

Sebastian wanted to protect Meredith from the media and security circus that came with the royal package, but he refuses to lose the love of his life. He'd do anything to keep her—even kidnap her to a private isle. Can he overcome her reluctance, evade the press, and protect her from assassins determined to end the Dagmar family once and for all? 

My review:

Some Like it Secret is a modern day fairy tale.     

Sebastian is the royal second son the spare to his brother being the heir.  With his father’s death he has become the heir until his brother has a child.  This brings a lot of responsibilities to his life thus limiting the time he can spend with the woman he loves.  For five years they have carried on their affair in secret.  Now Meredith is tired of being his dirty little secret and wants to end their relationship. 

Both of these characters deserve each other. Sebastian is autocratic and not used to explaining himself. Meredith is smart but has let him get away with it for five years.  I wanted to Gibbs smack both of them.  But even so it was fun watching them both catch up.

Buy link:

Amazon

The lost art of letter writing.

The lost art of letter writing.

I recently won a contest in which the prize was a letter from the author.  I’ve been a fan of Emily Kimelmans’ Sydney Rye series since its inception and am just now reading Inviting Fire (Sydney Rye #6).  If you like action, adventure and mystery that comes at you from a very different angle you need to give this series a try. 

Back to the letter.  I can’t tell you the last time I got a personal letter via snail mail.  Email just doesn’t feel the same.   I am old enough to remember typewriters of the sort that Ms. Kimelman used to write her missive.  It took me back to the days when I would play on my Grandmothers Royal . My Grandmother was an executive secretary when most Grandmothers didn’t work. It amazed me how strong her fingers must have been to type as fast as she did.  I still remember the letters she would write to me on her typewriter while I was away at summer camp.  When I opened the letter today I had visions of letters by long ago authors at auction.  Who knows… it’s a fun fantasy.   

Inspired by the letter my husband dug out his dad’s old typewriter.  He remembers his Grandfather typing up menu’s for the Royal Palm Restaurant.  Printing out copies just doesn’t have the same romance.

All in all this was a fantastic trip down memory lane and I thank Ms. Kimelman for the ride and taking the time to write the letter.    

If you want to get to know this terrific author check out her

web page: http://emilykimelman.com/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EmilyKimelman

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/kimelman

No sooner had I written this than I came across this blog post by another author I follow: 

The Lost Art of Letters by Victoria Vane (posted 12/23)

 http://www.embracingromance.com

Dragon Her Back (Las Vegas Dragons #3) by Susannah Scott

Blurb:

A paranormal category romance from Entangled's Covet imprint… 

How To Claim Your Dragon...

As the head of security of Vegas's Crown Jewel casino―and its hidden dragonshifter sanctuary―ice dragon Darius Dachien commands respect. Unfortunately, that respect isn't always reciprocated. In fact, when it comes to the stunning Mei Chen, hostility might be a better word. Which makes things even harder for Darius, since Mei is his dragon mate. Without her, his dragon form is fading fast... and once lost, will be gone forever. 

Mei can't deny the fierce chemistry that simmers between them. If Darius were ever to discover who―or rather, what―she really is, she wouldn't just lose him, but her place with the dragonshifters. The moment Mei's past comes crashing into her present, she realizes her time for secrets has ended. Now she must reveal her true self... and risk both her life and her heart with the one man who could destroy her.

My review:

This entry into the Las Vegas Dragons series is a little more paranormal action adventure and a little less silly or romantic than the previous books although it isn’t totally bereft of either and how could it be after all head of security Darius has waited for five almost six years now to convince Mei to be his mate.  The mating mark is upon her hand and in her heart she knows he is the one but Mei has secrets that could/would put all those she cares for in danger and most especially Darius.  But secrets have a way of getting out and now she has to decide whether to go all in or fold. 

Once again this series deals out some dishy dragons and a fun tale.  This book could be read stand- alone but would probably be more enjoyable if you’ve read the first two.

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N

ARe

Falling for a Santini (The Santinis #7) by Melissa Schroeder

Blurb:

A crush that turned into love.

Being the only girl in a family with five Santini brothers was never easy on Elena Santini. She always tried to be faster and smarter to make sure they always took her seriously. They were always trying to tell her what to do, and worse, who she could date. That’s why falling for her oldest brother’s best friend wasn’t smart especially when he treats her like a sister. That is, until she gets him alone in her apartment one night.

One night in Heaven. 

NCIS agent Jethro Thomas, known to everyone as JT, has always played it smart. When his admiration turned to attraction a few years ago, he started avoiding Elena. A guy wasn’t supposed to have those kinds of thoughts about his best friend’s little sister. After returning from an undercover assignment, and about to go on another one, he can’t seem to resist the temptation. One night with her and he knows he’s lost, but he has a job to do.

A changed man.

JT returns from the assignment with a few more scars, both physical and emotional–but he survived for one reason. He’s ready to start a new life with Elena, but a dark cloud hangs over the new love. When small incidents evolve into near death accidents, JT realizes someone from his past is ready to destroy his happiness, even harm Elena to make him pay.

My review:

The Santini’s are a big raucous close knit family most of whom are honored to serve in the US armed forces.  Even the only girl, Elena, is a Marine piolet.  Elena has crushed on her big brothers best friend JT since she was twelve.  She isn’t twelve anymore and JT is quickly finding that out.  Once the clothes come off he can never go back.  He needs Elena like his next breath even if it means falling out of favor with his best bud and the family that saved him from himself. 

This is the 7^th in the series (and may just be the hottest yet) but it can be read stand-alone. The author gives you enough background on what has happened previously without it seeming like you are re-reading the other books and so you know the relationships.  Falling for a Santini is a wonderfully sweet and sexy read.  It starts out hot and as Elena & JT fall deeper for each other it gets hotter.  And for comic relief you have her brothers.

Buy links:

Amazon
B&N

What Matters Most (The Billionaire Bargains #2) by Erin Nicholas

Blurb:

He can buy anything he wants…except the thing he needs the most.


The Billionaire Bargains, Book 2

Things come easy to Tony Steele. Money. Women. A good time. It’s all a piece of cake. Until that cake turns into the wedding cake of Tony’s best friend and the woman of Tony’s dreams, Reese Chaplin.

Tony can’t fix this problem by writing a check. And when Tony finds out his “friend” has been cheating on the woman who’s stolen his heart, he doesn’t hesitate to steal her away. Even if it’s her wedding day.

Nothing about Reese’s big day goes according to plan. She walks down the aisle to marry one man, and winds up in a Vegas wedding chapel with another. After a hot night with Tony, the only thing Reese regrets is that her new husband doesn’t remember anything about it.

Reese suspects the marriage is going to end badly, especially when Tony offers her a million dollars a month to stay married—who does that? But walking away from him turns out to be harder than she’d thought. Especially as she starts to know the man behind the wallet.


Warning: Contains a billionaire playboy who can’t handle his tequila, a Vegas wedding, hot phone sex (and other kinds of hot sex), and a woman who knows how to make a point—even if it requires jumping out of an airplane. 

My review:

I LOVE Tony Steele!  On the surface Tony is a good time billionaire.  But there are layers to Tony that he hides really well under his outgoing personality.  Tony is a giver.  He likes being what or who you need.  It started with his brother Adam (No Matter What - The Billionaire Bargains #1) and has become a way of life.  It has never bothered him until his best friend proposed to the woman Tony loves from afar.  He would even have given her up but then he found out that his buddy was cheating on her.  Tony breaks up the wedding and sweeps her away to Las Vegas.  There is the drunken wedding and then…our story gets really interesting. I loved watching Tony and Reese grow together.  And just when I was ready to slap Reese Tony got a spine and then I fell in love all over again. Fun contemporary and although it is part of a series it can be read stand alone.

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N

ARe   

Lighting the Flames by Sarah Wendell

Blurb:

Genevieve and Jeremy have known each other since they were seven, and have been summertime best friends at Camp Meira, a Jewish overnight camp in the mountains. As campers, and then as staff, their friendship was a constant, something neither wanted to change, no matter how tempting those changes might be. 

Then, last year, with little warning, Jeremy left camp early. After that summer, Gen left the country on a graduate fellowship. 

Now, a little over a year since they were last at Meira, Gen and Jeremy are back together to help run a special Winter Camp during Hanukkah. Any water under the bridge is frozen this time of year, and with so much left unspoken and unexplained, this week may be their chance to rekindle their friendship, or turn it into something new.

My review:

Yay! A real Hanukkah romance!  This is a sweet contemporary friends to lovers romance that takes place during Hanukkah. Jeremy and Gen are sweet without being saccharine. Their story reminds me of summers spent at camp. I absolutely adored this story and thank the author for sharing it with us.      

Right now it’s available for free at the following vendors: Apple iBookstore, Google Play, Smashwords, Kobo, and on Scribd it’s also available on AllRomance and BN, too!

Stay the Night: A Navy Seal Erotic Romance (Take a Chance Book 4) by Caridad Piñeiro

Stay the Night: A Navy Seal Erotic Romance (Take a Chance Book 4) by Caridad Piñeiro 

Blurb:

Rafe and Elena are together after months of separation. Will Rafe stay the night so they can rekindle the love they once shared? 
He was the kind of man that every woman would want . . . 

Sexy and handsome Rafael Castillo was a star athlete and honor student. Everyone knew Rafe was going places and would make his hometown proud. Elena Martinez dreams of the day that the friendship she shares with Rafe will turn into something more. When that moment comes she doesn’t hesitate to grab it, and Rafe, with both hands. 

She was the woman he’d dreamed of and whose life he’d ruined . . . 

Rafe has been in love with Elena since the fifth grade when she stood up for him and stopped bullies from teasing him for being different. In the years since then, Rafe has watched Elena grow into a smart, beautiful, and desirable woman. He had hoped Elena would be a part of his future and is determined to show her how special she is to him. 

Can they forget the past in order to build their future? 

A fateful night of passion will change the future both Elena and Rafe had envisioned. Forced into marriage by an unexpected pregnancy, they find themselves separated by the demands of impending parenthood. Rafe enlists in the Navy Seals to support his new wife and the child who is on the way, but Fate is determined to throw them another curve. After Elena’s miscarriage and years of separation during Rafe’s tours of duty, have they grown too far apart or is love still possible between them? 

My review:

Starting over.  It takes a special kind of love to survive the kind of separation being the military can bring.  Rafe has loved Elena since the 5^th grade and they married because of a baby scare.  That is also why Rafe joined the Navy so he could care for his wife and child. Elena and Rafe have been married for 5 years but only spent months together there is no baby and they have both grown and changed.  Rafe has come home but have they changed too much to be together? 

Stay the Night is a sweet and spicy hot military romance.  It is loosely connected to the others in the Take a Chance series but can be read stand alone.  If you want a quick feel good story with a hunky hero and a smart sexy heroine give this a shot and you too will be hooked.

Buy links:

Amazon   
B&N      
ARe   

Till Death (Logan's Lonestar Heroes, #1) by Becky McGraw

Blurb:

Dave Logan, owner of Deep Six Security, is stunned when former Dallas FBI head, Susan Whitmore, darkens his doorstep accusing him of being the cause of her losing her job. After hearing her situation, Dave feels something he never expects to feel–sorry for her. But he also knows any problems she had at the agency were all her own fault. The woman has a tongue so sharp it could rip a man to shreds, and had many times. There was a reason her agents dubbed her the Barracuda. 

Although Dave needs agents in the worst way, and Susan, with an IQ higher than Einstein, better skills and more experience than any of his men, along with a master’s degree in criminal justice, is more than qualified to be a member of his team, he just doesn’t need the drama she and her mouth would bring to Deep Six . Even as his brain said no way though, his damned white-knight complex forces him to offer her a job as his temporary secretary. 

Realizing he’s made a huge mistake hiring her, Dave calls in favors to get her interviews to get her out of his office. Before he can get rid of her though, Dave gets a new case only Susan can help him with. A wealthy Dallas oilman and his trophy wife ordered a designer baby from a local fertility clinic, and the surrogate has gone missing with the baby. The couple wants Deep Six Security to investigate the facility and find the baby, but the only way Dave can do that is to get inside. To get inside his only option is to go undercover with Susan, posing as a wealthy married couple looking for a baby. What they find when they get to the spa-like compound is frightening. Payoffs, missing surrogates and young women being used as lab rats are just the tip of the iceberg. 

Can two alpha personalities, both used to being in charge, work together long enough to figure out what’s going on at the clinic, or will they kill each other before the bad guys at the facility have a chance? If they’re lucky, maybe the delicious friction between them will turn into something so hot the place spontaneously combusts. Or if they’re luckier, perhaps it might just turn into something that lasts till death do them part.

My review:

For those that love romantic suspense (as I do) this is a must read.  I’ll admit I’d not read anything by this author until I met her at a signing.  I also met the lovely cover model and just had to get this book.  I can say I am well and truly hooked.  This is a fun, fast paced action adventure, type romance that will have you laughing, growling, holding your breath and turning pages.  Looking forward to seeing the rest of the gang find their HEA.

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N

ARe

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Death of a Dapper Snowman (Stormy Day Cozy Murder Mystery #1) by Angela Pepper

Blurb:

“A great cozy murder mystery with clever clues, plus plenty of fun characters to make you smile!” 
First book in a new series! 
Gift shop owner Stormy Day is settling into her new life until she comes across a frozen body, hidden inside a well-dressed snowman. 

When her own father is implicated in the murder, Stormy must chase down clues and uncover the town's secrets herself. 

As she draws closer to identifying the killer, Stormy's own life may be in danger. That is unless Jeffrey, the mischievous Russian Blue cat who led her to the icy body in the first place, can flick his sleek gray tail at the final piece in the puzzle.

My review:

This cozy mystery will leave you with a smile.  Stormy Day is back in town.  She’s left her ex fiancé and her high powered job to start over where she grew up.  When she stumbles upon a corpse buried in a snowman things get interesting real fast.  As the daughter of a cop Stormy can’t help but be interested in the investigation.  This is an action packed fun mystery that will keep you guessing, laughing and turning the page. Sign me up for the next one!

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Getting in the Spirit (Sapphire Falls #3.5) by Erin Nicholas

Blurb:

It’s Christmas time in Sapphire Falls! 

At least one good thing has come from Levi Spencer's car accident-- it seems to have knocked some sense into him. He's ready to leave his wild Vegas playboy ways behind and become a new man. And he knows just the place to do it... his brother Joe's new hometown. He's never spent time in a place described as quaint or idyllic, and now he intends to revel in every charming, sweet thing he can find. Like the homegrown country girl his brother sets him up with for the Christmas formal. 

Kate Leggot wants just one great Christmas. After a childhood without Christmas at all and three failed attempts to find the seasonal magic on her own, she agrees to spend the holiday with her friend Phoebe in Sapphire Falls. The Christmas-crazy town is a far cry from San Francisco and Kate quickly finds herself drawn into everything from the snow to the hot cocoa. And, of course, the sweet country boy Phoebe has set her up with for the formal. Looks like she's going to get everything she wanted-- and more-- under the tree this year. 

A not-so-little mix-up, a hot kiss under the mistletoe and a candy cane or two later and December in Sapphire Falls has never been so hot. 

This is a novella, about half the length of the novels in this series. Read only if you like fun, small town contemporary romances where they talk dirty and act even dirtier.

My review:

If Levi and Kate weren't so hot together this book might just be too sweet. As it was it was just right. Loved revisiting the folks of Sapphire Falls. Can be read stand alone.

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mind Tamer (Network One #1) by Moriah Densley

Blurb:

Meet Lyssa Logan: Red-head, violinist extraordinaire, deli sandwich addict. Her undergraduate music theory students call her “Sarge.” She hears you thinking she’s a “7” on the 1-10 hotness scale, and she likes to solve crimes before they happen. That’s not normal, but it gets worse. She suspects she’s not aging, and lately she suffers from horrible headaches, spasms of debilitating power she can’t control, and she’s losing her grip on reality.

Enter Kyros Vassalos: Molecular physicist by day and racquetball champion by night, and yes, those are leather pants he’s wearing. NASA, Interpol, and the Pentagon all have him on speed dial, but after a near-miss with an assassin, Kyros transfers to Northern California University to lay low for a while, until someone notices he’s not aging, either.

The moment Kyros sees Lyssa, he knows she’s of his kind. No hocus-pocus, no voodoo, they are simply among the very few “extra-sentient,” with the extraordinary ability to unlock the full potential of the mind. Kyros is desperate to teach her to control her power before it overwhelms and destroys her. Lyssa fears Kyros is more trouble than she bargained for, but once she steps into his world, there is no going back.

My review:

I love, love, loved this book!  Moriah Densley is a “new to me” author but I can tell you I will be checking out her backlist and looking forward to new installments of The Network.  Mind Tamer is the first in an exciting new series featuring extra-sentients. Extra-sentients are folks with extra gifts above and beyond genius or savant levels.  Kyros Vassalos is a smoking hot extra-sentient who has been around for over 300 years.  He is the good guy doing what he can to make the world a better place. He is super smart but even he isn’t prepared for Lyssa Logan.  She is an extraordinary violinist who moonlights as a crime stopper and is just coming into her gifts.  They chemistry between the two is flammable and although she fights it Lyssa finds she needs Kyros for more than just his help in training her gifts.  Although this book is billed as a paranormal romance it is more urban fantasy.  There isn’t a whole lot of sex but rather a slow burn.  Bottom line this is a well written, fast paced action packed read that I really enjoyed.

Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N

ARe

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest for a Hunky New Year

My wish for you in the new year is health, happiness and a lot of great reading.

My family gives me grief because I have a calendar that I write the release dates of books I want to read on so I won’t miss anything and have things to look forward to.  I’ve decided to give away a calendar to three (3) lucky winners so you can do the same. And looking at these hot guys and cute animals is no chore either. 

All you have to do is tell me what you are looking forward to in 2015.

International folks please note that the holidays noted on these calendars are for the USA.

Kittendales

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Arresting Holli by Lissa Matthews

Blurb:

Holiday ‘Holli’ James looks forward to the week between Christmas and New Year’s. This is her one chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of her successful decorating business. The plan this year: a trip to New York City to see all the sights and lights. 

What the plan didn’t include was a side trip to a small town jail in the middle of Pennsylvania. Nor did it include Officer Hunky. 

However... 

Single police officer, Michael, is working the holidays — again. With no local family and no interest in accepting the pity invitations to Christmas dinner from his married friends, he’s content to work and earn extra cash. Besides, this year looks to be as uneventful as every other year. Until he pulls a curvaceous spitfire over for speeding and discovers she’s wanted on charges of fraud. 

As Michael begins to investigate and learns that Holli isn’t who her file says she is, sexual tension spikes between them. Answers are slow in coming due to the holidays, but Michael is soon granted permission to remove Holli from the jail cell and place her under supervised house arrest. 

Only, his idea of house arrest is much more personal than the law ever intended. 

Warning: Gourmet food, melting marshmallows, snowball fights, and handcuffs... What more could a girl want for a New Year's celebration? 

Previously published as Arrested Holiday by Loose Id, LLC 

My review:

Sometimes the best thing that could ever happen to you is getting arrested. That is certainly the case when ‘Holli’ James gets stopped for speeding and is arrested because of a clerical error that mistakes her for someone with an outstanding warrant. So she sits in a lonely jail cell in a small town in Pennsylvania with no one but Officer Hunky, the cop who put her in jail, to talk to.  One thing leads to another and there is a hot time in the old town.  A quick read with some inventive sex that will warm you up for the holidays. 

It's A Vampire Christmas (Vampire Lords) by Lia Davis

Blurb:

The hunt for the past will set their future…

Alasdair Morgan, vampire lord of the south Atlantic region of the United States, and his mate, Gideon, are on the search for an ancient journal. The secrets the book holds within its leather binding can be used to destroy their race’s queen, Lilith. When they finally find the journal, they discover it has been sold to an antique store. However, a female with her own agenda has her sights set on possessing the book.

Some gifts come in twos…

Being a half-breed living among humans, Rhianna Howell knows the importance of secrecy all too well. When she discovers one of the lost vampire artifacts, she doesn’t waste time in collecting it before it falls into the wrong hands. But keeping the journal safe from evil will put her in the seductive path of two vampires who claim to be her mates.

The days and nights heat up this Christmas as she discovers a fiery passion she can’t deny or run from.

My review:

Ménage m/m/f

How much I like this book will really depend on where the next one takes us.  It's A Vampire Christmas really isn’t a Christmas story so much as a story that takes place at Christmas time.  It is the first (I hope) of a series.  This series has the chance to become epic.  There is a war coming between the Vampire Queen and her evil sister.  The Vampire Lords have to choose sides.  Oh and there are magical artifacts to be found. In It's A Vampire Christmas Alasdair and his mate Gideon not only find one of the artifact they find their third.  This is where my issues come in.  I want to know a whole lot more about Rhianna.  How did she come to be a foundling?  Is she a part of a prophecy? What exactly are her powers?  For that matter what powers does Alasdair have?  He is this really old vampire but we saw none of his gifts besides charming the pants off of Gideon and Rhianna?  So as much as I liked this, and I really did like this it left me wanting more and afraid that I am never going to get the answers.

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N

ARe

Jason (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #23) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Blurb:

"Enjoying pain with your pleasure is something you either get, or you don't. If you get it, then you don't really need it explained, because you know how good it feels, and if you don't get it then no amount of talking is going to convince you it makes sense."

But sometimes you have to explain the unexplainable, especially if the love of your life needs to understand, or she'll leave you. Jason Schuyler is one of Anita Blake's best friends and favorite werewolves, with benefits. J.J. is his lady love, an old flame from childhood who dances at one of the top ballet companies in New York. She's accomplished, beautiful, and she's crazy about him, too. Neither of them wants to be monogamous, so what could go wrong?

J.J. is enthusiastically bisexual, with an emphasis on the female side of things. She plans to keep sleeping with women, because Jason can't meet that need, just like she can't meet Jason's need for rough sex and bondage. J.J. doesn't understand why Jason isn’t content to go elsewhere for a need she can’t fulfil, so Jason asks Anita to help him explain.

Anita is having her own relationship growing pains with her only female lover ever, Jade. Jason suggests that J.J. might be able to help Anita with her girl problem, while she helps him with his kinky explanations. With some encouragement from a few other lovers in Anita's life she reluctantly agrees, and J. J. makes plans to fly into town for an experience that none of them will ever forget.

My review:

If you don't like the sex part of the Anita Blake series skip this one and wait for Dead Ice where you will get more of Anita at work. Jason is more about Jason trying to get his girlfriend to understand his kink and Anita trying to get a grip on her relationship with Jade. Always fun watching Anita struggle emotionally but yeah I want more Animator/Marshall action. 

Buy links:

Amazon

B&N