Review: Blood Orange by Karina Halle

December 29, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

BLOOD ORANGE
Series: The Dracula Duet #1
Author: Karina Halle
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: October 16, 2022

From New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle comes a dark and delicious Dracula retelling filled with secrets and lies, dangerous liaisons and a forbidden, student-teacher, second chance love story with a twist.

“My heart will always find yours.”

Dahlia Abernathy has only known revenge. When her parents were killed at an early age by vampires, Dahlia spent the rest of her life under the thumb of the Witch’s Guild being trained to kill them. Her latest mission sends her undercover to a prestigious music academy in Venice, Italy. Her goal? To kill Professor Valtu Aminoff, her teacher and the notorious vampire who inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

But getting close to a dangerous vampire like Professor Aminoff is one thing. Falling for him is another. With Dahlia’s appearance disguised under a glamor spell, Valtu has no idea that the woman who has become his new dark obsession is actually the reincarnation of the woman he loved and lost twice before.

And Dahlia doesn’t remember that the very man she has been sent to kill is the love of her life.

Will their love come through and transcend time once again? Or are the fated lovers destined to let history repeat itself?

Blood Orange is a modern-day Dracula retelling about the “real-life” Dracula that inspired Bram Stoker. This is a dark vampire romance with plenty of content warnings (please check interior of book for extensive list as it is +++++spicy) and while it is a spinoff of The Dark Eyes Duet, you do not need to read any other books before Blood Orange.

AMAZON

To forget her would be to forget what it’s like to be human, and I’m dangerously close to losing myself all together at times. And so I will write down all I remember of her, in hope that our love might bring about my humanity.

I have a confession and I don’t need you judging me for it, okay?

…This is my first Karina Halle book…
I said not to judge me! What are those judgy eyes? I see them! But anyhoos

I was in the mood for a spicy PNR and boy did this deliver. A fresh take on the story of Dracula, this brought together two of my favorite things; soulmates and dirty talk. *dreamy sigh* Oh and a bit of my Buffy/Angel fetish with the whole vampire, and vampire slayer thing. *another dreamy sigh* But I digress again.

Dahlia Abernathy is in Venice on a mission. Posing as a student, she’s determined on her mission to kill the elusive Dracula…who happens to be her new professor. Oh and he’s also sexier than sin. Dahlia is a witch, who after the gruesome death of her parents by vampires, has killed many in her search for revenge. But nothing prepares her for her encounter with Dracula, Valtu Aminoff.

For my girlies who love their MCs kinky and with plenty of dirty talk, prepare yourself for the experience that is Valtu. I’m obsessed with this man…erm…vampire. Unwillingly, Dahlia finds herself quickly drawn to the one she’s been sent to kill. He’s not at all who she thought he was. She also soon finds herself questioning everything she’s been told her entire life and just how clearly she sees things.

This was an addictive page turner that I devoured in two days. And that cliffhanger? Painful! Desperately need the next book.

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Review: Ruthless by Gena Showalter

August 9, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

RUTHLESS
Series: Immortal Enemies #2
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Gena Showalter
Release Date: August 9, 2022

Forbidden. Powerful. Ruthless. 

Micah the Unwilling, fae King of the Forgotten, can tame even the most violent of beasts. Forged on the battlefield, this iron-willed warrior considers his soldiers his family, and he will stop at nothing to reclaim their dispossessed land. Gearing for war with a sadistic enemy, he is disciplined and focused—until a feral beauty he encountered long ago wanders into his camp. 

Viori de Aoibheall wields a terrifying ability to sing monsters to life. Having spent her childhood in a forest, raising herself and her frightening creations—the only friends she’s ever known—she’s ill prepared for the scarred royal and his fearsome brutality. Not to mention the ferocity of their connection and the carnality of his touch. But the real problem? Her brother is Micah’s greatest foe. And though the sensual king makes her burn, she must stop him, whatever the cost.

AMAZON 

I pledge nothing but your downfall!”
“Consider your pledge fulfilled.” He sounded deadened inside. “I fell the first moment I saw you.”

How does the woman do this? Every. Single. Time. She just knocks it right out of the park leaving me a happy pile of satisfied goo and yet desperate for my next fix. I am OBSESSED with this series! OBSESSED and beyond loving it.

Imagine an entire series based on your all time favorite trope of all time; enemies to lovers. And while this is a standalone with a new couple, I highly recommend you start with Heartless for a full experience. Trust me on this. You may be lost to a lot of the various details and characters if you don’t. Ruthless brings us the story of Viori de Aoibheall, the baby sister of Kaysar the Unhinged One.

Micah the Unwilling, fae King of the Forgotten, has been fighting to protect his people from the ruthless Belua for as long as he remembers. A chimera, a rare fae who is born with dual glamaras that were constantly at odds, his kind has never been accepted by fae and feared in all realms. But his viciousness on the battlefield and cunning mind has left him in charge of them, though still yearning for the acceptance he will never get. He’s good enough to fight for them, but will never be good enough to stand equally among them.

Micah and Viori have a unique history as teens, which only gets more unique as they reunite as adults. Viori has been on her own for too many years to count. Ever since she lost first her parents, and then her beloved brother, she’s been fending for herself, with only her terrifying creations to keep her company. Longing to be reinitiated with her beloved brother, she somehow ends up with her brother’s biggest enemy. A scarred warrior that both enrages and calls to her all at the same time.

If there’s one thing that Gena knows how to bring, it’s the banter. I love her sassy and fierce heroines almost as much as I love her grumpy, broody, and tortured heroes. And I really loved Micah and Viori together. The pacing of the story was on point, and the romance was deliciously engaging. You can’t hope but root for these two as they make countless mistakes and assumptions with one another. Leaving you both frustrated and wanting to shake them, and rooting for their HEA.

This was another deliciously satisfying installment and if you like fast paced PNR, unique world building, banter, and enemies to lovers, you don’t want to miss this!

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Review: Beyond My Darkness by RC Boldt

July 12, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

BEYOND MY DARKNESS
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: RC Boldt
Release Date: July 12,  2022

USA Today bestselling author RC Boldt delivers a seductively unique romantic suspense with a paranormal twist in Beyond My Darkness…

Twelve years ago, I fled, vowing to never again use my power. But everything changes when I break that vow and bring two bodies back to life in the morgue.

It sends me spinning directly into his orbit.

Arrogant. Menacing. Enigmatic. That’s Bronson Cortez, the notoriously violent gang leader who remains elusive to authorities.

He breaks the law at every turn and answers to no one. But when he offers me an alluring glimpse of what lies beneath that iron-clad exterior, I realize there’s more to him than meets the eye.

The man who fiercely guards his heart somehow manages to claim mine.

But he doesn’t know the truth about me.

I wonder if he could be the first to accept me for who I am—what I am.

I wonder if he’ll be the first to see beyond my darkness.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

I’m prepared to rain down hell on anyone who tries to hurt her.

It’s official: I’m addicted to RC Boldt’s romantic suspense. Her stories are pure book crack, full of action, mystery, and incredible multilayered characters. But this book? Well, this book may have been my favorite of hers to date.

I do want a nice guy.”
“Yeah?” There’s a hard edge to his voice that sends unease tiptoeing along my spine. “I can be nice.” He dusts his lips over mine in the barest caress, and I know when he says the word nice, his meaning differs greatly from mine. “I can be real nice.”

This, while in a similar vein to her romantic suspense, packed a paranormal gritty edge. It was unique and completely unputdownable.

If you like anti heroes, prepare to fall fast and hard for Bronson Cortez. This is a dangerous man with blood on his hands, but with a heart of gold. He’s a man that does bad things to protect his community and his people. And he’s a man with a lethal reputation that is justly earned.

Georgia Danvers is a medical examiner with a dark secret. She’s a woman with a painfully dark past and a secret that haunts her present. Her job in the morgue is where she feels most comfortable. People are complex, but the dead aren’t, and she loves what she does. But Georgia carries a dark secret that could cost her everything like it once almost did. When a body that ends up in her morgue sends her in the path of the town’s most dangerous man, she doesn’t try to overthink it. She just needs to give him a message and move on. But you know what they say about best intentions?

Bronson and Georgia together were absolutely incendiary. The chemistry between them is just as fiery as it is dangerous. These two were INTENSE. But nothing was more intense than Bronson. God but this man had me by the throat in the best possible way. He practically oozed danger and crackled with electricity off the pages. I couldn’t get enough of him. And while Georgia is a little awkward and quirky, she’s not a pushover. This is a woman full of sass and passion. She’s a woman that gives as hard as she gets, and doesn’t let Bronson steamroll her. There’s just this endearing quality to her that I couldn’t get enough of.

Now this isn’t your typical romantic suspense, and I personally loved the paranormal element to this. I was glued to the pages from beginning to end and devoured it in one sitting. And when I saw that Bronson’s friend is getting a book next? Beyond excited.

If you’re looking for something unique and addictive, you need this book in your life.

RC Boldt is a USA Today bestselling author currently living in part of the Costa Rican jungle with the love of her life and her mini-me.

If you’re in the mood for some killer mojitos or can’t recall the lyrics to a particular 80s song, she’s your girl.

Connect with RC Boldt 

Website: http://www.rcboldtbooks.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14543027.R_C_Boldt

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Kq1H9C

Facebook: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtFB

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BBBReaders/

Instagram: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtIG

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtBB

Verve: https://bit.ly/3jEf18z

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Review: The Heir Apparent’s Rejected Mate by Cate C Wells

April 22, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

THE HEIR APPARENT’S REJECTED MATE
Series: The Five Packs
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Cate C Wells
Release Date: April 22, 2022

He rejected me for “reasons.” Too bad for him. No take backs.

Rosie

Fate made a huge mistake when she mated me to Cadoc Collins. He’s the heir apparent. I’m a scavenger. My people are so low in this pack, we don’t even rank.

I should have known better, but for one night, I let myself forget the facts of life in Moon Lake. Cadoc Collins might be powerless to resist me, but he’s not going to claim me, either.

A pink line on a stick makes it a much bigger problem than my bruised heart.

I’m eighteen, knocked up, and publicly rejected by the future alpha. And this baby in my belly? It might as well be a target on my back.

Lucky for me I’m a scavenger. My kind are good at finding things, but we’re great at getting lost.

Cadoc

The fate of Moon Lake rests on my shoulders. I can’t claim the scavenger female.

The pack is on the verge of a revolt, and a mating so controversial could push our warring factions into open conflict.

All I need is time. I’ll do what’s expected of me as our future leader, and when the politics are sorted, I’ll do right by the odd little scavenger.

I’m the heir apparent. She’ll be there when I’m ready.

Right?

The Heir Apparent’s Rejected Mate is a wolf shifter romance. No cheating. HEA guaranteed. Intended for adult readers only.

AMAZON 

 

Rosie isn’t the scavenger who is my mate, the female who I can’t claim—she’s air.

After riding the high that was The Tyrant Alpha’s Rejected Mate, I was giddy with excitement for more in this series. And while this hit the spot, I can’t help but feel that my expectations also got the best of me here too.

Rosie is a scavenger. Which in her pack, they’re the lowest of the low on the totem pole. With little respect and zero recognition, she’s used to going unnoticed and overlooked, until the moment she realizes her mate is Cadoc Collins. As the heir apparent, he’s the next one in line to take over the pack, if he finally manages to flip shift in order to beat his known challengers.

There was a lot of world building here, and even though I enjoyed it, I couldn’t help but feel the romance came in secondary. Add into it how young the two of them were, I really wished we got more of the romance. Additionally, I’m not a fan of surprise pregnancy trope in general, but I can overlook it for the right story. I think Rosie’s age here just really made this not work for me. I don’t even know how to explain it, but it didn’t feel pivotal to the story. Rosie is just 18, and I wanted something else to bring them closer. But it is what it is.

Cadoc places his duty to the pack above all else, and so he rejects Rosie. Rosie of course doesn’t take this lightly and writes him off so he has some groveling to do. And while he does work for it, it wasn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped. I loved the history of the secondary characters that we got here, but also couldn’t help but feel that some things went unanswered. Perhaps we’ll get that in future books, but it felt a bit left in the air.

This series is seriously addicting though and I can’t wait for the next installment. While I didn’t love this one, I didn’t dislike it either. It hit the spot nicely and I’m looking forward to my next hit.

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Review: The Tyrant Alpha’s Rejected Mate by Cate C Wells

February 21, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

THE TYRANT ALPHA’S REJECTED MATE
Series: Five Packs #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Cate C. Wells
Release Date: November 12, 2021

He rejected me, and then he realized I’m the center of his world. Bummer.

Una
I keep my head down. In this backwards pack, females rank low, and my bad leg makes me damaged goods. It doesn’t help that I’ve never shifted. I don’t mind the late twenties single life, though. No one’s paying any attention as I build an illicit farmer’s market empire.

My roomies and I are doing it for ourselves, and if life under Killian Kelly is stifling, at least it’s predictable. We can deal.

But when biology finally kicks in, I lose my mind. I claim our alpha as my mate. And he rejects me in front of the whole pack.
It’s all good. It only hurts when I breathe. I’ll survive. That’s what I do.

Who wants an arrogant jerk for a mate, anyway? I’ve got a business to run.

Killian
To lead this pack out of the dark ages, I’ve had to be hard. Merciless. I don’t flinch, and I don’t make mistakes.

Una Hayes isn’t my mate.

My wolf might have some kind of strange infatuation, but if she were mine, I’d know it. And I can walk away, can’t I?
And if I keep coming back? If she starts living in my head?

I’m the strongest male in five generations. My pack scrambles to do my bidding. I can bring one quiet female back in line. No one can possibly be as stubborn as I am.

There’s no way I’ve ruined the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

I’m the Quarry pack alpha. I don’t lose.

The Tyrant Alpha’s Rejected Mate is a full-grown shifter romance. No cheating. HEA guaranteed. Intended for adult readers only.

AMAZON  

I need not to have fucked up the best thing that’s ever happened in my life before it even happened.

Say it with me: Book. Crack. Where has this author been all my life and why am I only discovering her now? I’m obsessed!

After seeing a friend talk about this book on Instagram, it took only three words to hook me immediately: rejected mate & grovel. Yep. The magic words and formula. I’m a sucker for the rejected mate trope, but a good one is impossible to find. See I love the rejected mate trope but when the MMC is doing the rejecting. Because the grovel that’s surely to come is the most delicious thing about it. And oh my god, the grovel here was just GAH.

Killian is this fascinating combination of fierce and cinnamon roll. Because while his strength is unmatched as an alpha, when he realizes how badly he screwed up, this man does everything to get back in his female’s good graces.

Killian is the alpha of the pack with a unique ability to flip shift at will. His strength is unmatched and his ferocity unquestionable. He’s made peace with the fact that as he’s gone this long without finding his mate, he doesn’t have one. So when the runt of the pack who he’s known his whole life announces she’s his mate, his response is swift and cruel.

Una is the black sheep of the pack. An grossly injury from her youth never having healed properly has impacted her wolf, and she’s never been able to shift. Denounced to the bottom of the totem pole of her pack, she’s made peace with this. Until suddenly the mating bond activates and her mate rejects her. Hurting, desperate, and heartbroken she barely escapes the humiliation of the night. And when she’s offered to remove the mating bond, she jumps at the chance. Then, the true deliciousness kicks in, because her mate comes to his senses and realizes what he did. While he didn’t feel the bond before, he feels it now, but it’s a little too late. And oh the way he tries to get back into her good graces. Half the book is his grovel, and I was so here for it. There was just the right touch of spice to make this even more satisfying. I loved the slow burn of it and I loved watching Una grow into the fierce she wolf, her injury aside. I am absolutely hooked. HOOKED on this series. I’m already dying for book two!!

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Review: The Immortal by Gena Showalter

February 8, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

THE IMMORTAL
Series: Rise of the Warlords #2
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Gena Showalter
Release Date: February 1, 2022

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter delivers The Immortal, the second dark and sexy book in her Rise of the Warlords series, featuring a cold and merciless assassin and a stubborn harpy warrior…one fated to die by the other’s hand.

Halo Phaninon, assassin of gods, is as cold and merciless as a machine. For victory, he will cross any line. When tasked to kill twelve of mythology’s fiercest monsters in twenty-four hours, Halo eagerly accepts. Except, each morning he awakens to the same day, forced to relive it over and over again. Only one other person retains their memory—the beauty who threatens his iron control.

Ophelia the Flunk Out hates her disaster of a life. She’s the family disappointment, a harpy warrior without a kill and powerless—or is she? Every night she’s doomed to repeat her own murder, but every morning she rises to spar with Halo, a ruthless warlord increasingly determined to save her…and lure her to his bed.

Halo’s insatiable desire for the stubborn Ophelia drives him wild…and he only craves more. If he remains in the time loop, they stay together. But if he escapes, they lose each other forever.

AMAZON  

He glowered at her. “Why can’t you enjoy staying safe?”
“Because I’m a hardcore warrior with titanium ovaries.”

I live for Gena Showalter’s brand of banter. LIVE FOR IT. It Never fails to put a goofy smile on my face and keeps reading well into the night. And this book was definitely no exception. The Rise of The Warlords series has quickly become my new obsession and I eagerly anticipate each new installment. And while I really liked the first book in this series, I loved this one even more.

Every teacher, trainer, and superior has bemoaned your stubbornness.”
“I’m passionate about my belief that I’m right.”

Halo Phaninon is the ultimate tortured hero. This is a man who had his humanity and any and all emotion beat out of him when he was just a young boy. He feels nothing and kills without feeling. His only goal is the success of the Astra’s mission. Women are just a means to an end to him, until Ophelia.

I absolutely love Showalter’s heroines. The sass, fierceness, and banter they’re all chock full of just does it for me. And Ophelia the Flunk Out is all of the things. A harpy nymph, all she’s ever wanted was to prove herself, and she seems to fail at every turn. When she’s thrown into a loop of challenges with the cold and unfeeling Halo, things get seriously interesting. Halo’s goal is to win at all costs while on an unending loop of a repeat of the day. Her goal is slightly different. The chemistry between them? Unspeakably hot.

This was another fantastic addition to what’s become an incredibly addictive series. The banter, the chemistry, the twists and turns, all of it made for one page turner of a read. I loved seeing Halo slowly thaw for the sassy harpynymph. I loved seeing Ophelia slowly come into her own and become the fierce warrior that she was always meant to be. And the chemistry between them was just everything. I can’t wait for more in this world!

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Review: Munro by Kresley Cole

January 25, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

MUNRO
Series: Immortals After Dark #18
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Kresley Cole
Release Date: January 25, 2022

A human monster huntress. An immortal werewolf. Could any passion be more forbidden?

The next stand-alone installment in the electrifying Immortals After Dark series by #1 New York Times best-selling author Kresley Cole. Venture deeper into the Lore, fierce realm of the immortals—if you dare. . . .

TORMENTED IN UNIMAGINABLE WAYS

Coming off torture at the hands of his warlock captors, Munro MacRieve never expected to find his mate, or to lose her just as abruptly. Driven to desperation, the ruthless warrior uses his enemies’ own powers to reunite with her—in the distant past.

STOLEN FROM HER TIME

When a crazed werewolf crashes her wedding, Kereny “Ren” Codrina does what any cunning huntress would do: she captures him. Yet she finds herself softening toward the wounded beast—until he turns the tables and forces her into an incomprehensible future.

CAN A HUMAN AND AN IMMORTAL UNITE IN ORDER TO SURVIVE?

As danger mounts, Munro will do anything to make her undying, even sell his soul to an evil sorceress. But first he must convince his fiery mate that she belongs with him. If seduction means her survival, Munro will use every weapon in his arsenal to possess her—forever.

AMAZON  | PAPERBACK | NOOK | iBOOKS | KOBO | GOOGLE

 

 

 

Do I make you nervous, wolf?”
“Bit.”
“How can that be? I’m merely a mortal.”
“Because I want you dearly, and I have a feeling you’re about to use your wiles on me.”

The Lykae and his harridan are finally here and they were worth every agonizing minute of the wait!

The minute I finished MacRieve I was desperate for his twin’s book. That sneak peek at the end? PAINFUL. And considering I finished MacRieve when it released in 2013, suffice it to say I’ve been just a touch rabid in my wait. *sheepish grin* This is hands down one of my favorite PNR series, so I’ll happily wait forever for each finger licking taste of the world. And while Kresley gave us a wait between releases, she’s back with a vengeance in this latest installment.

If you’ve read this series, you know the Hot and Hotter twins. And you also know of the seer who foretold that Munro’s mate to be a harridan. And if you’re like me, you’ve been desperate to see just how this prophecy comes to life. But oh the twist! Not only is Munro’s mate a mortal from another time (read-century), but she’s a monster hunter who hates immortals. *pause for dramatic effect*

We saw their first meeting at the end of MacRieve and let’s just say things don’t go well.

I cannot describe to you all just how happy I was to find myself in this magical world again. Munro and Kereny’s story was EVERYTHING. It was a delicious slow burn full of chemistry and unbearable yearning. When a Lykae finds their mate, that’s it. And Munro is prepared to do anything to have Kereny. Even if he has to make her immortal against her wishes. Ren puts my beloved wolf through hell, and at times I wanted to shake her for her stubbornness. Admittedly, she did take me a bit to warm up to. But much like all Kresley heroines, she’s fierce, sharp tongued, and full of sass, so it didn’t take too long for her to grow on me.

All of my favorites are back, especially my crazy vampire Lothaire, Nix, and a peek into Kristoff. The story is fast paced, full of action, chemistry, and amazing characters new and old. We get a bit of Dorada along with a crazy twist at the end, and all of this makes for one unputdownable read! The queen of PNR is back y’all!

Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series, the young adult Arcana Chronicles series, the erotic Game Maker series, and five award-winning historical romances. Her books have been published in 23 countries and consistently appear on the bestseller lists in the U.S. and abroad.

A master’s grad and former athlete, Kresley has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings. 

She lives in Florida with her family and too many pets. 

Subscribe to Kresley’s newsletter: https://bit.ly/KresleyNews

Kresley’s website: https://kresleycole.com

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Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kresleycoleafterdark

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Review: The King of Battle & Blood by Scarlett St. Clair

November 30, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

KING OF BATTLE AND BLOOD
Series: Adrian X Isolde #1
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Author: Scarlett St Clair
Release Date: November 30, 2021

Their Union Is His Revenge.

 

Isolde de Lara considers her wedding day her death day.

To end a years-long war, she is to marry vampire king, Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev, and kill him. ⠀

But her assassination attempt is thwarted and Adrian threatens that if Isolde tries kill him again, he will raise her as the undead.

Faced with the possibility of becoming the thing she hates most, Isolde seeks other ways to defy him and survive the brutal vampire court. ⠀
Except it isn’t the court she fears most—it’s Adrain.

Despite their undeniable chemistry, she wonders why the king——fierce, savage, merciless—chose her as consort. ⠀

The answer will shatter her world.

AMAZON

“Will you take a wife for every house you conquer?” I countered. Adrian seemed amused, his brows lifted, his lips pursed.
“I think you will be challenging enough. Why would I wish for more?”
“Why me?”
He stared at me, and I got the impression he did not know how to answer my question. “You assume I want a wife,” he said. “But I came for a queen.”

If you follow my reviews, you already know how much I love a good fantasy romance/PNR. I’ve had this author on my TBR for what feels like forever. So when I read the blurb to King of Battle and Blood, I knew this would become my first Scarlett St. Clair book. Now generally, I don’t like to read a book knowing the series is not yet finished and it’s not a standalone. But I just couldn’t resist this one and I’m so happy I didn’t.

You’re supposed to say no, at least to my face. Unless you wish to conduct our marriage openly. In which case, shall I start scouting for potential lovers?”
Adrian’s mouth hardened. “Are you demanding fidelity?”
“I will follow as you lead,” I said.

Marriage of convenience.
Enemies to lovers.
Fierce warrior heroine.
High fantasy.
Rich World building.
All of the chemistry.

This book had it all and I was so here for it.

Isolde is a heroine that you love immediately. She’s a beautiful princess, but she’s not sheltered by any means. This is a woman who’s fierce. She’s battle hardened. And she’s also a woman that owns her sexuality and isn’t a shy virgin ingenue. And I absolutely loved that about her.

The Blood King is a monster among men. His name is whispered in fear. His reputation as a ruthless, bloodthirsty monster spans villages. And Isolde isn’t excluded from the list. So when the vampire who is demanding surrender from her kingdom, is willing to trade protection of her people in exchange for her as his bride, she accepts. She would do anything for her people. Even walk willingly into the arms of a monster who she’s been taught to hate and fear all of her life.

I can be anything. Your jailor, your savior, your lover.” His mouth was closer to my ear as he added, “Your monster.”

Adrian was just…gah. I fell so hard for this man. This supposedly ruthless vampire who isn’t at all what he appears to be. I loved discovering every new layer about this man through Isolde’s eyes. The story is told in first POV only from Isolde’s perspective. The pacing was perfection and I simply devoured this story.

The sexual chemistry between Isolde and Adrian was on a whole other level. These two were insidiary. This hate lust that Isolde has for Adrian in combination with his reverence for her was simply delicious. There’s action, rich world building, incredible secondary characters, and sizzling romance. This book was nothing what I expected and everything I had wanted. It ends on a satisfying enough note but still leaving me desperate for the next one. I’m not sure why I haven’t read this author before, but I plan on rectifying this mistake immediately with her backlist. If you love a steamy PNR/Fantasy romance, you don’t want to sleep on this one. Trust me.

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Review: Bond of Destiny by Larissa Ione

August 24, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

BOND OF DESTINY
Series: Demonica #20
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Larissa Ione
Release Date: August 24, 2021

Sold into slavery mere hours after his birth to werewolf parents, Tracker spent decades in service to cruel underworlders. Then the fallen angel Harvester transferred his ownership to a human woman who gave him as much freedom as the unbreakable bond would allow. Still, thanks to his traumatic past, he’s afraid to trust, let alone feel love.

But when an acquaintance shows up at his door, injured and in need of help, he finds himself longing for a connection. For someone to touch. For someone to care.

Stacey Orr has had it bad for Tracker since the day her best friend, Jillian, was forced to hold his unbreakable slave bond. At first, the fact that he’s a werewolf seemed weird to Stacey, but hey, her best friend was married to one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, so weird is definitely a matter of perspective. Stacey knows the depths of Tracker’s trauma, and she longs to help him even as he helps her, but breaking through his walls isn’t easy.

And it only gets harder when the only blood family he has, the pack that gave him away, lays claim to him… and everything he loves.

AMAZON

Do you know how obsessed I am with this series? No, but do you? DO YOU?! Because Ione can write 40 more books in it and I’ll be desperately awaiting each new one. Not often you can say that 20 books in, but this series just hits the spot each and every single book.

This is a story I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for. If you’ve read Rogue Rider and Reaver, then you already know exactly who Tracker is. And if you’re anything like me, you’ve been desperately waiting for his HEA because to say that this man has been through hell and back (literally) is a mild understatement. His own parents sold him into slavery when he was just born. As a born werewolf, he knows nothing of his customs. As a born slave, he’s known nothing but misery and still can’t acclimate to life of limited freedom. Even though his slave bond was transferred to Jillian, he’s still not free. And even though Jillian tries to give him everything he was missing in life, it’s tough to accept that life for him.

Stacey was absolutely awesome. She’s a female that owns her sexuality and doesn’t feel ashamed of her history with men. She’s also tough and fierce, which I loved as well. A massive snow storm causes her car to crash and her to be rescued by Tracker. A little forced proximity for the win. Tracker fights his attraction to her, and Stacey feels like Jillian has warned her off of Tracker because of his tragic past and her instability with men. I loved the way these two just clicked. Their chemistry was through the roof and the build up was delicious.

Larissa Ione never disappoints and this story just hit the spot for me. I loved the suspense, I loved the action, and I absolutely loved the romance. The cameos by some of my favorites was also fantastic. I loved getting more of Harvester. I do wish we’ll get a full length novel from Ione soon because as much as I love the novellas, I can’t help but yearn for more.

Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career in meteorology to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her retired U.S. Coast Guard husband, her son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhounds, a King Shepherd named Hexe and a Belgian Malinois named Duvel.

 

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Review: Claimed by JR Ward

August 16, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

CLAIMED
Series: Laird of the Wolven #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: JR Ward
Release Date: July 27, 2021

A heart-pounding new series set in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world, with a scientist fighting to save the timber wolves—and getting caught in a deadly trap herself…

Lydia Susi is passionate about protecting wolves in their natural habitat. When a hotel chain develops a tract of land next to the preserve, Lydia is one of the most vocal opponents of the project—and becomes a target.

One night, a shadowy figure threatens Lydia’s life in the forest, and a new hire at the Wolf Study Project comes from out of nowhere to save her. Daniel Joseph is both mysterious, and someone she intrinsically wants to trust. But is he hiding something?

As the stakes get higher, and one of Lydia’s colleagues is murdered, she must decide how far she will go to protect the wolves. Then a shocking revelation about Daniel challenges Lydia’s reality in ways she could never have predicted.

Some fates demand courage, others require even more, with no guarantees. Is she destined to have true love… or will a soul-shattering loss ruin her forever?

AMAZON

He’d gotten it wrong. She wasn’t his. It was the other way around. She owned him.

I have been sitting on my rating of this book for almost a week now, struggling to figure out how I felt. Ultimately, while there were definitely things about this book that didn’t really work for me, it did hook me enough to want to read the next one, but just not enough to rate the book any higher than I did.

Now for the story. If you haven’t read the BDB series, you may find yourself a little lost here. This is set in the same world as BDB with an overarching story line for Xhex from Lover Mine as well as events spanning from those that happened later in the BDB series. While you get some explanations, if you haven’t read BDB, you may find yourself a bit confused.

Additionally, this is not a standalone. This caught me completely off guard. I was expecting a standalone in an interconnected series, not a cliffhanger. I wish this was made clear to the reader and the cliffhanger here doesn’t catch you unaware.

But those things aside, let’s talk about the story. I love Ward’s brand of story telling. She’s written some of my favorite PNR books. When I saw she’s taking a step from the vampire world to dive into werewolves, I was so here for it. Now usually book one in a new world, does read slower. You have a whole new world to introduce. But while I expected slower paced, I didn’t quite expect to feel as disconnected from it as I did. I found myself bored, skimming the pages. The mystery is what kept me going, but everything else felt lackluster. I found myself struggling to connect to the romance. I never fully felt the chemistry here. It all just felt a bit…bla to me.

Now don’t get me wrong. While the story didn’t blow me away, it still kept me engaged enough to keep turning the pages. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. It was just very bland compared to what I’ve come to expect from Ward. I will say that even though I didn’t expect the cliff, the last 20% off the story is what won me over slightly. That’s when the action really began to take place and the story began to pick up at least a little pace. It hooked me enough to want to read the next book and desperate to see how everything ends. Though it’s still not clear if the next book is the conclusion or if it will be a series focused on one couple.

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