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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Review: The Sinner by Emma Scott

August 15, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

THE SINNER Genre: Paranormal Romance Author: Emma Scott Release Date: August 15, 2021

Shy, introverted Lucy Dennings lives a quiet little life in New York City, working for a nonprofit and keeping to herself. Every afternoon, she goes home to her empty apartment and Edgar, her houseplant, and every night, she loses herself in the pages of her beloved romance novels. Her lonely heart seeks solace in tales of passionate, enduring, all-consuming love, but more and more, Lucy feels she’s not just reading for pleasure but searching for a lost piece of herself in the pages. As if she once touched something beautiful but it’s been ripped away. Until one day Lucy discovers a dead body in the alley behind her apartment. Even if it’s too late, her first instinct is to help. Her second is to run. Because the dead body isn’t so very dead, and suddenly, her little world isn’t so little but one in which dreams feel like memories, “inner demons” actually lurk in dark alleys, and a beautiful creature of darkness with amber eyes and wings like night might hold the key to what her heart has been aching for…if she doesn’t fall down the path of eternal damnation first. From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Emma Scott, comes an emotional paranormal love story of passion, sacrifice, and the soul-deep love of a lifetime…more than one

AMAZON

I should stop inflicting myself on her, but I can’t. She is my weakness. The sweetest vice.”
This was one of the most beautiful, touching, and all encompassing paranormal romances I’ve read in a long while. I’m ashamed to admit it was my first Emma Scott book. I know! I know! Stop glaring at me. I clearly see what I’ve been missing out on. PNR was my first love. It was the genre that got me hooked on romance. So to say that I’m picky when it comes to it is putting it mildly. For that reason, I’m usually weary of contemporary authors trying their hand at paranormal. Because more often than not, world building turns into a data dump. But this was the furthest thing from the truth with this story. It was like a movie rolling behind my eyelids as I was reading it. I loved this world of demons and angels. And the set up of this story was absolutely delicious. You have a beautiful introvert, who is still dealing with the grief of losing her beloved father. When she finds a naked man with wings outside her apartment, she thinks she may be dreaming, but is actually something closer to her nightmares. Lucy is impossible not to love. She’s shy, sweet, and would give the shirt off her back to a stranger. She lives vicariously through her romance novels while wishing her handsome coworker would notice her. But she’s a wallflower that doesn’t mind fading in the background. Caz was….gah. EVERYTHING. The ultimate tortured hero…or anti hero. Whatever. The man was a demon, and not just a demon, but the ultimate demon. His secrets are dark and they run deep, and the more that gets revealed about him, the more desperate I was to learn more. I loved the way they just fit. Like light to dark, ying to yang, they were like two puzzle pieces that just fit. And the more you learn, the more epic it becomes. This was the ultimate story of soulmates and love everlasting. It was beautiful, emotional, and completely unforgettable.

Emma Scott is a USA Today and Wall St. Journal bestselling author whose books have been translated in five languages and featured in Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, New York Daily News and USA Today’s Happy Ever After. She writes emotional, character-driven romances in which art and love intertwine to heal, and in which love always wins. If you enjoy emotionally-charged stories that rip your heart out and put it back together again, with diverse characters and kind-hearted heroes, you will enjoy her novels. Visit www.emmascottwrites.com RECENT RELEASES Someday, Someday (M/M standalone) A Five-Minute Life (standalone) Bring Down the Stars (Beautiful Hearts #1) Long Live the Beautiful Hearts (Beautiful Hearts #2) “At Santa Cruz Central High, we called them the misfits, the outcasts, the weirdos. But most of us knew them as the Lost Boys.” The Girl in the Love Song (Lost Boys #1) : http://bit.ly/2MLnYhU

When You Come Back To Me (Lost Boys #2) : http://bit.ly/37BsCHh

The Last Piece of his Heart (Lost Boys #3) : http://bit.ly/2QeVlfa

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Review: Heartless by Gena Showalter

June 30, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

HEARTLESS
Series: Immortal Enemies #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Gena Showalter
Release Date: June 29, 2021

Vengeance is irresistible…

Kaysar the Unhinged One, fae King of Midnight, can drive anyone to madness with his song. A ruthless warrior forged in hate, he lives to force his enemies to their knees.

He will stop at nothing to succeed—even abduct and seduce his foe’s beloved bride, ensuring his own child one day sits on the male’s throne.

Except, his prize escapes to the mortal realm before the first kiss, her heart transplanted into a mortal beauty with dangerous secrets…

Chantel “Cookie” Bardot is a professional gamer girl great at trash talking, bad at peopling. After a long awaited surgery, she begins to morph into a powerful fae princess.

Catapulted into a strange land ruled by a cruel but seductive villain, she must battle flesh and blood monsters and navigate royal intrigues.

But the true danger is Kaysar, whose every wicked touch tempts her beyond reason. Should she run…or descend into the darkness with him?

AMAZON 

He struck her as a man who murdered without hesitation, breaking a sweat or regretting his actions.

As someone who’s read Gena’s entire backlist, it’s safe for me to say that this woman can write the alphabet on a sheet of toilet paper and I’d read it. So while I’ve been ravenous for Hades’s book and more of her LoTu, I will still jump at everything else she writes. And a brand new series that’s titled Immortal Enemies? Yeah you bet your patootie I’ll be all over it. No one writes enemies to lovers banter quite like Showalter. Then you add into it her sassy, sharp tongued, and bad@ss heroines meet tortured and uber protective heroes and I’m putty. PUTTY I TELLS YA.

Maybe you should let me go now?” she said. She needed a moment to think without him nearby.
Another chuckle. “Does my proximity bother you, sweetling?”
“Yes,” she burst out. “And I’d prefer an endearment like Machete or Chops. Now be a good boy, and let me go.”

The one thing I’ve come to appreciate about Gena’s stories, is the world building. We get a new world with fae, goblins, centaurs, and seers and I was so here for it. None of it felt like a data dump. All of it felt incredibly vivid, enchanting, and completely addictive.

Kaysar the Unhinged One is certainly appropriately known through the kingdom. The man is practically deranged in his need for revenge. The only thing that drives him is bringing all of the pain and suffering to his enemies who stole everything precious from him when he was just a small boy.

Chantel “Cookie” Bardot is a quirky gamer with a best friend who’s in her 60s and a cat to keep her company. She also has a bad heart and is looking at certain death unless she gets a heart transplant. Now I won’t give you a summary here because you can get everything you need from the blurb. But the second Cookie gets thrust into the world of Kaysar, I was totally and completely invested.

The tension and the relationship building between these two was utterly delicious. Their banter is hilarious and with a vein of sexual tension that’s so good, that by the time they finally give into you, you feel like you may go into flames yourself. There’s nothing better than that build up and man, I loved it so much here. Cookie is a bit of a nut herself. A gamer, she’s a bloodthirsty little thing herself. And when she gets a taste for battle in her new world, she finds she rather likes it. I couldn’t picture a better half for Kaysar’s particular brand of crazy. I loved watching him falling for her in spite of himself and I loved watching Cookie come into her own. I was afraid that having Lulundria’s heart and some of her memories may eventually morph her into someone else, but really it just gave her a boost.

There’s so much build up here that I can’t wait to read next with some secondary characters. Like a certain Frostline prince that lost his loved bride only to lose her all over again when her heart goes into the body of a woman that falls for his mortal enemy. GAH. How epic does that sound? Because NEED.

I will never complain about a new series from the queen of PNR. So even though I’m pretty sure I would go crazy until I get Hades’s book soon, this new series certainly helps. An entire series based on the enemies to lovers vibes? YES MA’AM! BRING IT I say.

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Review: A Fate of Wrath & Flame

May 25, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

A FATE OF WRATH & FLAME
Series: Flate & Flame #1
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Author: K.A. Tucker
Release Date: May 25, 2021

Gifted thief Romeria has flourished from her days as a street kid pilfering wallets to survive. Now she thrives, stealing jewels from the rich under the involuntary employ of New York City’s most notorious crime boss. But when an enigmatic woman secures her services at swordpoint, Romeria is plunged into a startling realm of opposing thrones, warring elven, and elemental magic she cannot begin to fathom.

Her quest is straightforward: Steal a stone from Islor’s sacred garden without anyone discovering her true identity, which would earn her certain death. But the identity she has inexplicably assumed is that of the captured Ybarisan princess–an enemy to Islor after she poisoned their beloved king and queen on the day she was to marry the prince.

Her betrothed, the newly crowned King Zander, detests her with every grain of his handsome being. Fortunately for Romeria, she is more valuable to him alive than dead. Zander gives her a choice: life in a cell, or an acquittal of all charges in exchange for her help in exposing the growing plot against him.

Romeria sees no other option and embraces the tricky role of smitten queen-to-be until she can escape, a ruse that brings her far closer to the king than she anticipated and threatens more than her safety. As she digs deeper into this sacred garden and the ancient feud between Ybaris and Islor, she discovers monstrous truths that could spell ruin for all.

  AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO

Why else does one kingdom fall but for another to rise?

I’ve been a devoted PNR reader for years, but fantasy has been a rare one for me. I don’t even know why, considering I’ve fallen in love with the genre. And what better way to read more of it than starting with a brand new KA Tucker series? And dang. I was no prepared for this story at all.

Admittedly it took me a hot minute to get into. I even put it down for a day because I knew this was a story that I have to be in the right mood to get into. There’s so much world building that takes place, and it took me almost 60% to fully wrap my head around all of it. Be prepared to be confused most of the story too. But that’s quite intentional as we spent the majority of the book in the heroine’s head, and she has no idea what’s going on and you get to experience that with her.

As for the story. It was absolutely magical. Pun intended. This is not a standalone and it’s looking to be one epic saga series. Rivaling kingdoms, elementals, gods, curses, and different worlds. The world building in this story was on another level. Romy is a skilled thief living in NY and just trying to survive. Her life is anything but ordinary but then it becomes otherworldly when a stranger with a secret agenda thrusts her into a realm that’s a different world entirely.

Romeria of this world is engaged to a king, who she is also responsible for the murder of his parents and seems to be persona non grata. But when you wear the face of the enemy, it’s tough to convince anyone you’re not her. Especially when you’re sworn to secrecy for fear of your life.

The chemistry between Romy and Zander is instant but the romance is very much a slow burn. As a matter of fact it felt almost secondary to the rest of the story, which I didn’t mind at all, because there’s just so much other things being revealed that the romance didn’t feel lacking. DOn’t get me wrong, it’s still there, just more of a zing in the background. Zander and the Romy of this realm are enemies, and even though Romy isn’t responsible for the monstrosities of the other Romy, she has to bear the brunt of the blame. She also has to struggle to understand because she has no memory of the other Romy or her agenda to fully grasp her current reality.

While the book took me about 40% to really get into, I couldn’t stop reading for the final 60%. I was slowly but surely sucked into this world and then hooked, line and sinker. I’m absolutely desperate for the next installment to see what happens next.

K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge.

She is the internationally bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series, He Will Be My Ruin, Until It Fades, Keep Her Safe, The Simple Wild, Be the Girl, and Say You Still Love Me. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, Publisher’s Weekly, Oprah Mag, and First for Women.

K.A. Tucker currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto.
 

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Review: The Warlord by Gena Showalter

April 25, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

THE WARLORD
Series: Rise of the Warlords #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Gena Showalter
Release Date: April  20,  2021

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter begins a dark, sexy new series—Rise of the Warlords—with a fan-favorite character from her beloved Lords of the Underworld series, Taliyah Skyhawk. The ice maiden faces off with her greatest enemy, a villain brutal beyond imagining.

For centuries, Taliyah Skyhawk has prepared to become Harpy General, leader of the deadliest female army in existence. One of the requirements? Remain a virgin. But, for a chance to save her people, she must wed the fearless leader of the Astra Planeta, Alaroc Phaethon.

The time has come for Roc to sacrifice another virgin bride to his god. There has never been a woman alluring enough to tempt him from his path. No warrioress powerful enough to overcome his incredible strength. No enchantress desirable enough to make him burn beyond reason. Until now.

With the clock ticking, war between husband and wife ignites. Except Taliyah never expected the merciless king to challenge the future she once envisioned. She certainly never anticipated the thrill of their battles turning into games… The problem is, only one spouse can survive.

Love is a battlefield in Showalter’s The Warlord.

AMAZON

I’ve never been a hero. I’ve never wanted to be. I make a better villain.

Gena Showalter: announces new series
Me:

*giggles in giddy fangirl*

When I saw the new series announcement from Gena, I’m pretty sure I spent hours stalking any and all information on it. Then I spent months, and I mean MONTHS, stalking for the book. The level of anticipation was high, people!

The Warlord is a brand new book in Gena’s Rise of The Warlords series but it’s also an overarching series from her Lords of The Underworld. If you recall the harpy sisters from that The Darkest Surrender? We get Taliyah Skyhawk’s story in this one and man was it delicious.

If there’s one thing that I love about Gena’s books, it’s her fierce heroines. And Taya was all of those things and more. With a bloodline that’s a deadly secret, Taliyah grew up with one goal in life; becoming Harpy General. Leading a deadly army of female harpies is all she wants and she’ll sacrifice anything, including staying a virgin to do it. I know, right?! Plot twist.

Roc is the deadly leader of the Astra Planeta, a fierce army of ancient warriors feared in every realm. His task? To sacrifice a virgin bride to ensure his army receives a mystical blessing. If he fails, they’re cursed to utter defeat for 500 years. And Roc would do anything for his warriors.

First of all, the antagonism and hate lust between these two? *chefs kiss* SO GOOD. Roc is all broody, grumpy, and warlordy. And Taya is sassy, hilarious, and always game to press every button he has and a few he didn’t even know he has. And this reader? Gobbled it right up.

I should probably apologize for my tardiness, and I will, just as soon as I’m sorry. As your men are proving with their nineinch salutes, I’m totally worth the wait. Well, he’s giving me ten.” She winked at Silver. “Bravo, sir.”

As always the world building was enticing, vivid, and full of new characters I can’t wait to read more about. Including a cameo by my beloved Hades. Well not really a cameo, more of a mention. But I’ll take any morsel when it coms to this man. But I digress again.

I loved this book and this new slew of warrior characters. Move over lords, there’s new tortured and brooding warlords. And I’m not one to pick favorites here, but I’m saying I’m dying for the next book! If this one is anything to judge the series by, we’re in for one heck of a ride and I’m already braced for it.

If you’re looking for a steamy PNR with plenty of chemistry, banter, and all of the action with incredible characters that you won’t be able to get enough of, READ THIS.

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Review: Bound by Forever by S. Young

November 18, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

BOUND BY FOREVER
Series: True Immortality #3
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: S. Young
Release Date: November 17, 2020

New York Times Bestselling author Samantha Young writing as S. Young.

Niamh Farren has been burdened by knowledge for most of her life. As one of seven fae children born into the human world with the ability to open the gate to Faerie, Niamh’s mission is to guide her fae brethren to do what’s right. Because Niamh has seen what will happen to the human world if she does not protect the gate. Throughout the years, she’s traveled the world with her brother Ronan, using her psychic visions to find the fae-borne and convince them to stay on the path that will keep the gate from opening. She has sacrificed much … but when she loses her brother to the mission, Niamh begins to lose herself.

For nearly one hundred and fifty years, werewolf Kiyo has wandered the planet as a lost soul. Cursed with immortality, he spends his awful eternity as a mercenary for hire. When the powerful Fionn Mór confides the truth about the existence of Faerie and hires Kiyo to protect one of the fae-borne, he accepts the challenge out of boredom, not heroism. Yet Niamh is unexpected in every way the werewolf can possibly imagine.

Guarding Niamh from her enemies is nowhere near as challenging as protecting the fae woman from herself. If Kiyo is to succeed, he must help Niamh find herself again, and not just for her sake. Ignoring the fierce connection between them may no longer be an option. A new enemy is rising and threatening to rip open the gate between worlds. To remind Niamh of who she really is, Kiyo must make the choice to lower his defenses and give into their bond. Or safeguard his own heart … and in doing so lead the human world to the brink of war


AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO

Protecting Niamh from her enemies was one thing. Protecting her from herself was a far greater challenge.

I live for a good PNR, and I was hooked on this series the second I read War of Hearts.

In this third installment an immortal werewolf is sent to protect a powerful fae with visions of the future from a revenge that may cost her her life. I’ve been anxiously anticipating this story ever since
Niamh first made an appearance as a nameless and mysterious secondary character in War of Hearts. Her story really came to a head in Kiss of Vengeance and I highly recommend that you read this series in order to truly get the full impact and experience. You definitely need to at least Kiss of Vengeance in order to fully understand Niamh’s plight and the introduction to Kiyo.

Now if you love your heroes grumpy and uber protective like me, you will fall head over ovaries for Kiyo the second you meet him. When Fionn hires Kiyo to protect Niamh, he’s not exactly thrilled. A loner by nature and one of the only immortal werewolf in existence, Niyo lives a life of secrecy and no attachments. A beautiful but tortured fae that tempts him at every turn is not a complication that he needs in his life. So suffice it to say that the two of them clash epically when they first meet. But then again, Kiyo does essentially kidnap her to protect her. And then she escapes him at every turn to run head first into danger. So this is certainly not a recipe for a smooth relationship.

The chemistry between them is instant even though the relationship is very a much a delicious slow burn. Kiyo fights his connection while Niamh yearns for something…more. I loved her sweet and vulnerable nature in comparison to Kiyo’s cold and ruthless one. I loved watching him succumb more and more to their connection and reveal bits and pieces of his past. I loved Niahm’s mixture of fierce strength and emotional vulnerability. These two were like the missing puzzle piece for the other.

The story was full of twists and turns with a layer of sizzling slow burn romance that I couldn’t get enough of. With each new installment in this series another layer gets peeled back and I can’t wait until the conclusion with book four. Bound by Forever was a wonderful combination of action, suspense, rich world building and swoony romance. I can’t recommend it enough for any PNR lover out there

 Samantha is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over forty books, several of which have been nominated for Goodreads Choice Awards. She writes adult contemporary and paranormal romance, YA urban fantasy and YA contemporary fiction. Her books have been published in 28 languages in 30 countries. She resides in Scotland.

For more information visit http://authorsamanthayoung.com

Connect with Samantha

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Review: This Time Tomorrow by Tessa Bailey

June 22, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

THIS TIME TOMORROW
Series: Phenomenal Fate #2
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: June 22, 2020

Roksana, heiress to the vampire slayer throne, has performance anxiety.

She’s supposed to kill Elias, but so far she’s only succeeded in maxing out his credit card. Now her failure to stake the brooding vampire has sent her back to Moscow in disgrace to face her mother’s wrath. Expecting punishment by death, she’s given a rare reprieve. She now has three tasks to complete, the last of which is to finally kill Elias. She will not fail this time.

If only the memories of one magical evening—back when Elias was human, would stop holding her back. He claims to have forgotten that night. Why can’t she? Three years ago, Elias was a SWAT team member on a guy’s weekend in Vegas. Playing poker and minding his own business, his life changed forever when a captivating blonde strolled past his table in a light-up bra. He followed Roksana as if compelled, his very bones demanding he do so, his soul resonating with the belief she would be important to him. Always. That turned out to be a vast understatement—and nothing has changed.

Roksana embarks on her mission, determined to win back her mother’s approval, but when an astonishing truth emerges in the eleventh hour, will her stake pierce the very heart that beats in her honor? Or will love triumph over duty?

AMAZON

I love you,” he whispered, shaken by the emotion expanding in his throat, cradling her in his arms and carrying her to bed.
“No matter what happens this time tomorrow, that will never change.”

You guys. YOU GUYS! I’m practically vibrating with glee as I write this review. Because OMG. I mean OH MY GOD. This was EVERYTHING.

I’m going to date myself a little here, but I have to say, that if you’re a die hard fan of Buffy and Angel like I was, this is the holy grail of romances here. I mean; a sassy and smart mouthed vampire slayer falls for the dark, brooding, and uber protective alpha vampire. HELLO?!!! This was my happy place for the few hours it took me to absolutely DEVOUR THIS BOOK.
Now I have a confession to make here, too….
*whispers* I didn’t love the first book in this series. *cringes* I KNOW! I felt awful. I love me some Tessa Bailey, so to not like a book of hers, I felt like I was broken. But everything that I wished the first book was, the second book turned out to be. I’m not even exaggerating when I tell you that I devoured it. It was quick paced, emotional, and full of Bailey’s signature dirty talk that’s a one two punch straight to the ovaries. I LOVED IT.

Roksana is impossible not to love. I loved her as a secondary character, and I absolutely adored her as a main one. She’s so much more than just a smart mouthed slayer threatening to kill the vampires that she’s somehow been working along side with. Though her threats to kill them tomorrow sort of soften the intent. I was immediately gravitated towards the magnetic pull between her and Elias in the first book. But in this one? I was absolutely obsessed with it.

The story takes us back to the beginning of how these two first met and brings us into the now. Though you don’t find everything out right away, and you’re told in delicious bits and pieces until the puzzle begins to click together.

Elias was…GOD. This man was EVERYTHING. He loves Roksana beyond reason, even if she’s non the wiser for it. He’d die for her and would do anything for her, even if it’s sparing her the truth of something that has cost them both everything. His yearning for his woman was a tangible thing that you can practically taste from the pages. I’m not even kidding. It was utterly delicious. Their chemistry was absolutely incendiary. I couldn’t get enough of them and their push and pull. Talk about opposites attracting. Roksana’s mission is to kill him while he’d die to protect her. SWOON.

The world building here just did it for me. I was riveted to the quick paced story and all the side action it brought to the romance. And can we talk about this cover? PERFECTION. You bet your ass I’ll be buying the hell out of this paperback. And not just because I have every intention of re-reading this book countless times. If you’re looking for a sizzling hot PNR with one of the BEST couples that you will love to root for, don’t miss this one. Seriously. DO IT. Thank me for it later.

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Review: Healing of the Wolf by Cherise Sinclair

June 21, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

THE HEALING OF THE WOLF
Series: The Wild Hunt Legacy #5
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Cherise Sinclair
Release Date: June 23, 2020

A decade in captivity tore away all hope.

But Margery never lost her resolve to help the sick. The village she’d hoped to serve as banfasa, caring for the ill and injured, is long gone. Humans captured the young shifters and killed the adults. Finally rescued, she has a chance at her dreams—at least for meaningful work. With her leg crippled and her face scarred, she knows she has no hope of ever finding love.

Tynan is ready to find their mate.

After years away from his littermate as a police officer among humans, Tynan is finally home, a beta in the wolf pack, and serving his people as a law officer. Assigned as Margery’s mentor in the pack, he patiently works to earn the skittish little wolf’s trust. Her captivity has left her with problems, including a fear of uniforms. But he’s a fixer at heart—and he’s starting to want more from the gentle female than just friendship.

Donal has no intention of making a family.

Separated from his littermate for years, Donal has remained unmated, devoting his energies to healing. Believing ugly rumors about their new neighbor—a banfasa—he won’t have her in his clinic or his life—no matter what his newly returned brother wants.

But a feral shifter’s attack on Tynan shows Margery in a whole different light. She’s levelheaded, compassionate, sweet—and far too appealing. What male could resist her?

But even as the brothers work to win their mate, cruel forces move to crush their entire clan.

AMAZON

It had taken him far too long, but he saw her in return. And liked everything he saw.

Cherise Sinclair books are my happy place. Whether she’s writing emotionally charged BDSM romance or just as emotionally charged MFM PNR, one thing is guaranteed; I’ll be glued to the pages.

If you haven’t read her Wild Hunt Legacy series, you, my friend, are seriously missing out. If you’re a fan of sexy PNR, I can guarantee this series is as unique as they come. Aside from the sizzle factor of each female getting not one but two alpha male mates, this series also packs one hell of an emotional punch which I’ve come addicted to.

Margery is a survivor. She’s spent years in captivity, surviving unspeakable brutalities and watching her fellow prisoners die at the hands of the vicious shifter hunters, Scythe. When she’s finally rescued, she’s experiencing a whole new world. She’s basically grown up in captivity, so the shifter life and traditions are a foreign concept to her. Margery is so easy to love. There’s just something so fierce about her. She’s a warrior in her own right. She’s survived horrors, but none of it has damaged her caring heart. She’s one of the most endearing heroines I’ve read. She’s just impossible not to love. Your heart breaks for her and you can’t help but yearn for her HEA.

Tynan is easy to love, too. He’s a cop in the human world, and the PTSD of her captivity with the Scythe soldiers makes Margery skittish around men in uniform. Tynan immediately puts her on edge. What I loved about him is just how patient and sweet he was with her. He recognizes her sweet soul right away and a woman that he needs to be with. He patiently waits her out and works through all of her fear and walls. This man was EVERYTHING.

Donal was a bit of a different story. The healer has some misconceptions of Margery that take him some time to work through. These misconceptions make him give her a bit of a cool reception and had me wanting to shake him in parts. However, when he finally sees the errors or his ways, he’s one determined man.

I loved the three of them together and I love how Sinclair manages to combine emotion and passion with a sizzling touch. I love this series, and can’t recommend it enough for all of my fellow PNR fans out there.

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Review: Reborn Yesterday by Tessa Bailey

April 23, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

REBORN YESTERDAY
Series: Phenomenal Fate #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: March 17, 2020

A timeless love story with bite.

It was a night like any other for funeral home director Ginny Lynn, until the exceptionally handsome—and unfortunately deceased—young man on her embalming table sat up, opened his emerald eyes and changed the course of her life
forever, making her feel quite fluttery while he was at it.

Humans aren’t supposed to know Jonas Cantrell, or any vampire, exists. It’s kind of a major rule. Despite his instantaneous bond with perfectly peculiar Ginny, he has no choice but to erase her memories of their one and only meeting.

That was the plan. Before a reluctant Jonas can wipe Ginny’s mind clean, she reveals a secret that brings their worlds crashing together. Human and vampire. Past and present. Darkness and light. And while their love is strictly forbidden, it might be the
only thing that can save them…

Reborn Yesterday is a standalone novel.

AMAZON 

I’ve been thinking on my rating for this book for weeks. And now as I’m posting my review, I’m still torn. Did I like it? Kind of.

Here’s the thing, guys. I love and I mean LOVE all things Tessa Bailey. When I see a new Tessa book, I don’t even bother to read the blurb. I know I’ll be reading it. And when I saw that she’s writing in a new genre for her? I was ALL over it. But here’s another thing. PNR is my first love. It was THE genre that got me into romance. So to say that I’m picky when it comes to it would be a mild understatement. Perhaps that’s what played a big role in my feelings for this story? What I’m saying here is take my review with a grain of salt. Many readers really loved this one and clearly I’m the anomaly.

So what worked for me? The characters. They were adorable. I love me a quirky heroine and Ginny was adorkably quirky. She’s a mortician with a goofball personality that enjoys making clothes on the side. It was impossible not to bond with her immediately. As much as I also wanted to love Jonas, I sort of waffled on two sides. A part of me loved his edgy and somewhat tortured side. Another part of me got frustrated by his purple prose-y side. The man is a dirty talking anomaly. He sounded like he belonged in a Victorian novel rather than a modern age PNR. I suppose he was too sweet for me in parts. God, that hurts to say. Don’t judge me. But he was.

The other thing is that the story itself felt campy. The world was difficult to fully wrap my mind around. The characters got a bit confusing. It was all mostly very…underwhelming. It just didn’t grab me. It took me almost a week to finish because I had to push myself to keep reading in the hopes that it would pick up soon, but it never did. The pacing was simply too slow.

I loved the idea of the series and the concept of the story. Unfortunately it just lacked something to truly grab me and connect me to the story. It did grab me enough to want to read the next book in the series. The set-up sounds delicious. Unfortunately no matter how much you love a certain author, you simply can’t love all of their books. This was that one for me. I still adore Tessa and can’t wait for the next one in this series.

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Review: The Darkest King by Gena Showalter

April 19, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

THE DARKEST KING
Series: Lords of the Underworld #15
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Gena Showalter
Release Date: February 25, 2020

A merciless prince feared by all…

Cursed by a vengeful witch, William of the Dark will die if he ever falls in love—murdered by the woman who steals his heart. His lone shot at redemption is a book filled with indecipherable code. Break the code, break the curse. Now, centuries later, he’s condemned to a string of one-night stands…until he finds the only woman in the worlds able to set him free.

A rare creature of myth and power…

One of the last living unicorn shifters, Sunday “Sunny” Lane works from the shadows as a cryptanalyst, on the run from assassins and poachers. Then the darkly seductive William abducts her, holding her captive in Hell. The closer they get, the more she hungers for his touch…and the stronger a mystical desire to kill him becomes…

Both forever doomed?

At war with his brother, Lucifer, and determined to become a king of the underworld at long last, William must resist the irreverent beauty who threatens his future. But every day Sunny tempts him more, his hunger for her unmatched. Will he risk his heart—and his life—or will the curse ensure his end?

AMAZON | NOOK | B-A-M | KOBO 

He wouldn’t be happy until he’d possessed her, body and soul. 

15 books. 15 FREAKING BOOKS! Over ten years I have been waiting for this moment. Never in my life did I practice this much patience. I’m telling you people, I don’t know how I’ve made it. After Paris, William’s book had to be one of my most anticipated Lords. We’re talking about the ultimate manwhore here. And you know what they say about the bigger they are? I couldn’t wait to see the woman that would bring him to his knees.

Now before I get into my review, let me address the pink elephant in the room real quick like. Gillian. I spent years and over 8 books utterly CONVINCED these two would end up together. The build up was there. The chemistry was there. I was THIRSTY for these two. Thirsty I tell you. Then Gillian’s book was announced…and she didn’t end up with William. So color me pissed here. But my love of all things Gena Showalter wouldn’t allow me the doubt. So I dove into The Darkest Warrior with no hopes and ended up absolutely loving it. Was I happy that Willy and Gilly don’t end up together? At the end, I got it. I really did. So I was eager to get to William’s book.

Welcome to Pleasure 101, baby. Class is in session, and Professor Climax has a hands-on assignment prepared. Screamers earn extra credit.”

Enter, stage right, Sunny. One of the last known surviving unicorn shifters. That’s right. A freaking unicorn. Who is also a badass. A badass, unicorn shifter, that goes from sweet and cute to vicious in 5 seconds flat. I kind of loved her.
Sunny may also be the only being alive that can help William break his curse. The problem with that is that she happens to be his mate, who is cursed to kill him once she falls for him. Talk about complicated.

Ah. I understand the switch. You’re a bad shot, so you need a bigger target. No wonder you selected my cock.”
“Good point,” she said, returning the barrel to his face. “There’s nothing bigger than your ego.”

The chemistry between the two of them was downright incendiary. As per Showalter’s usual, the banter was also on point. The woman writes some of the best banter. And Sunny sure knew how to give as hard as she gets. These two didn’t hold back any punches when it came to their complicated relationship. It was a delicious enemies to lovers story with plenty of twists along the way.

The reason I’m taking off a star is this book had some pretty embarrassing grammatical errors. At one point she jokes to William about being “artificially incriminated”. Usually, I’m not a big stickler for grammar, but when an ebook is over $11 and is traditionally published, then yes, I’ll be taking off a star. My expectations for grammar are pretty dang high at that price point. It is what it is.

Did I love this story? Hell to the yes. This marks the end of the Lords saga but there’s a spinoff coming and I cannot flipping wait. I’m sure it will be a hot minute until we get Hades’s book but I NEED it. The other set ups also sounds pretty delicious.

If you’re hesitant to read this one because you were rooting for Gilly and Willy, give it a shot. Gena made a believer out of me with this and trust me, I had concerns. BIG concerns. But I ultimately loved William and Sunny together.

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, two young adult series–Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles–and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a National Reader’s Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she’s appeared on Nightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black–if you ask her about it, she’ll talk for hours…hours! Her books have been translated in multiple languages.

She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com or Facebook.com/genashowalterfans

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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