Her Scottish Wolf by Theodora Taylor

Her Scottish Wolf by Theodora Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For those looking for an interracial book with shades of Harlequin Presents with a black heroine, this would fit the bill. Good news is it's also a paranormal/werewolf romance.

Grumpy boss (check)
Plain Jane/Shy/Low Profile heroine gets her man and a great life (check)
Angsty angle (check)
Hot, steamy sexy paranormal romance (check)
Hunky hero with Scottish brogue (check)
Office romance (check)

I wasn't sure what to think when this book started. At first, I kinda hated Iain. He was being a total douche to Milly. And when she gives him her reasons why she's quitting, he goes full on a-hole with her. I didn't get him at all. I mean, who says that to someone who gives him that kind of news? It turns out that he had a plan all along, and things weren't how they seemed. His reasons for being a jerk become very apparent. Not an excuse, but there you have it.

There are some consent issues about something if I'm honest. If you've read Bitten, you know what I'm getting at. But it turns out better for Milly.

So that's not the happy ending, no Iain has to spend the rest of the book gaining Milly's trust. She has plenty of reasons not to want to be mated to him. Her life changes hugely, and I think any person in her situation would have had misgivings. I'm glad that she stayed true to herself and didn't lose her identity in the face of a very strong personality like Iain.

I loved the arguments between Milly's friend Tara and Iain's brother Magnus. They were a big source of entertainment, and Tara would go toe to toe with him in a way that Milly didn't with Iain.

For all the angst, there is some good humorous moments with Iain's villages wacky residents. There's some major culture shock for Milly, and Iain has to rearrange his life greatly, but he's got his mate, so that's all that matters.

I'd recommend this book, but we warned that Iain does start the book as a major ahole.


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Fury of Obsession by Coreene Callahan

Fury of Obsession by Coreene Callahan
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook of this and I was underwhelmed. At first I was excited since it's interracial. The heroine is a beautiful, dark-skinned African American woman and the hero is a dragon shifter (Caucasian in human form) from Eastern Europe. I still dug that about the story even though I was overall disappointed.

I think that the major issue is that it was too derivative for me. I love the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and I like that it's had an impact on paranormal romance, but I would like to see an author inspired by these books to take to some diversions in storytelling that make their story more unique. While the author chose to inhabit her story with dragons of all kind, which was very cool, I felt like the style of storytelling, the number of subplots, and the set up of the group that Venom fights with is way too similar to the Brotherhood. There are characters that you can identify as certain BDB characters. Also, I feel that there is a lot of similarity to the Midnight Breed series by Lara Adrian.

Another issue I have with the story is the dropped plotlines. At the beginning of the book Evelyn is in trouble with some Russian gangsters. It's like that all goes away. I was really confused about that. And some of the point of views I could deal without. I don't mind if we see the villain's POV somewhat, but not if they're not that interesting. I would rather have a scene where Venom kicks the crap out of the Russian gangster.

The plot resolution suffered and failed to impress me. It was very anticlimactic. When the book ended, I was like, that's it? Yeah, I was pretty disappointed with this. I'm interested in the one character who reminds me of John Matthew before his transition, I think his name in Osgood. I'd definitely read his book.

Overall thoughts:

The dragon aspect, good.
Romance: pretty good. Sort of an instaluv vibe, but I can live with that.
Characters: Mostly forgettable.
Plotting: poor. Too many storylines.
Narration: I give the narrator some points for enthusiasm and style, but his Scottish accent was ferociously bad. Some of his European accents sounded like a campy version of Vlad Tepes aka Dracula. But I liked him despite that. He was having fun and that made me have fun.

Overall rating: 2.5/5.0 stars.

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Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas

Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We started this on audio, but I finished it on kindle. I liked this one a lot more than many of Kleypas fans. In fact, I liked it quite a bit. I probably helped that I didn't have high expectations. I liked Justine from the other books, but I wasn't particularly attached to her character. She seemed a bit shallow but kind in the other books. I have the feeling that Kleypas didn't have Justine's character fleshed out initially. She must have spent some time with Justine in between Dream Lake and this book and came up with who we see in Crystal Cove.

As Kleypas continues the magical realism theme in this series, this one is very much "Practical Magic." I love the book and the movie, and Kleypas does it justice, with her own spin. Justine is a hereditary witch. She's not heavily into it, although she does at times do some minor spellwork. Justine realizes that the reason why she's hasn't had luck with love is because her mother cursed her to never fall in love. Justine does a spell of her own to remove the geas. This backfires. In the meantime, she meets Jason Black, a billionaire badboy tech genius who buys up Alex Nolan's land to build a retreat for his business. Jason stays at her inn and there is an instant attraction between them. Jason is the kind of man who is dangerous to a woman. He has no concept of love or commitment. And he has a good reason. He has no soul. I can't say that all of Jason's issues arise out of his souless status. It's moreso due to his abusive father and how he treated his mother. I liked that Jason is part Japanese and this culture is part of who he is. They both share some family trauma. Justine's mother is a horrible person. Jason's dad is a horrible person. Both have been shaped by their horrible parents.

What an interesting combination.

I didnt' really get the whole no soul thing. It was pretty darn real. It doesn't make sense for my own spiritual perspective. But okay, I just went along with it. The witchcraft thing is something that you can idea ignore or embrace, but if it's a hard limit, this isn't the book for that reader. Since Kleypas is going with "Practical Magic", it's hard to not have it in this book.

Like always, Kleypas' writing is beautiful and immersive. Jason has a bit of a kinky thing going on with the bedroom, but it's not out of my personal comfort zone. He has some control issues, and that thing he's into delves into this aspect of his personality. Out of the books in Friday Harbor series, this book is the most sexually explicit, but it makes sense with the characters in the book.

I have to admit, I really believed in the love that developed between Jason and Justine. They are both cynical about love, so it's so beautiful the way it develops between them, and it's a sacrificial love. The conclusion is both strange but also very beautiful.

I liked this book a lot more than I expected. I ended up falling for Justine and Jason. While witchy romance isn't my favorite kind of paranormal romance, I think that Kleypas served up a lovely one here. I definitely preferred this to Rainshadow Road. The character of Jason has so much more substance than Sam, in my opinion. I think I prefer Justine to Lucy as well.

My Friday Harbor Book Preference:

1. Dream Lake
2. Crystal Cove
3. Christmas at Friday Harbor
4. Rainshadow Road

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Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I read this book back in the summer, and I never got around to writing the review. If I had a word to describe it, it's charming. At the same time, I can't say either Lucy or Sam would be anywhere near the top of my list of favorite Lisa Kleypas characters or couples. In fact, I did have minor issues with both of them. Sam more than Lucy.

Lucy made me want to yell at her a few times. I didn't get why she let Alice get away with so much, although LK did a good job of explaining the complexities of the sister relationship and the fact that Alice getting away was stuff was doing business as normal. But I wanted Lucy to get Alice told, and she didn't quite do that. Alice is a mega-brat and she needed someone to hold her accountable for the crap she'd done and instigated in her short life, and Lucy wasn't willing to do it. I think Lucy will appeal to a lot of readers, because she does seem like a normal kind of woman (despite her magical abilities).

Sam, well he just comes off as selfish in that he is living his life and that's his thing. His family dysfunction is there, but he was able to escape from it in a way that his other siblings couldn't, I don't think. He had the neighbors to hide out with and they were like grandparents, giving him a sense of safety. Although I read Dream Lake after this, I started to think of these books as a group. Sam lives in the shadow of Alex for me. Sam managed to avoid most of the angst that hit Alex full in the face, so it’s not wonder that Alex is a trainwreck.

I know that a big issue that I have with Sam is his attitudes towards sex and relationships, or lack thereof. He had no desire for a meaningful relationship. Yes, as the child of two alcoholics, that makes sense. I think if he had shown more depth, I could have connected to him and his reasons. I did like that he finally realized how much Lucy meant to him and his gesture was so sweet and authentic.

As far as Sam and Lucy's relationship, it was pleasant. I did believe they loved each other, but it's hard to get too involved in their relationship considering that I didn't have strong feelings for either of them.

I liked the magical elements. It was different and unique. It's subtly done but integral to the storyline. Kleypas doesn't really explain why Lucy has this ability and no one else in her family does. I don't know if it's because of the fact that Alice always got all the attention and this was a gift that belonged her her alone.

I've read all the books in this series, and this is my least favorite. I think it lacks the punch that later books have, and with Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor, Holly pretty much cinches the story. Holly was in this book and I liked how Sam does connect with Holly, and that is an aspect of the story that gives Sam an added depth.

I have very high standards for Lisa Kleypas. She's been one of my favorite authors, well, for most of my life. I like her foray into something different, and she did it well, but this doesn't stand up well to her other books. Normally most of her heroes turn me into goo, but Sam left me very unmelted.

So, I gave this one 3.5/5.0 stars.

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Shadow Rider by Christine Feehan

Shadow Rider by Christine Feehan
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

An interesting new series for Christine Feehan readers. With everything going on, it took me a long time to finish it. I read most of it on the way home from Illinois when we got back from my grandmother's funeral. I was really sucked in at that point. This one is about a family of people whose shadows are alive and they can manipulate and move the through the shadows/ dark spots around them. Cool idea. I'd give the idea definitely over a four star. The story overall is more like a three and a half. I think it's me. I am not into the mafia vibe. There was a pervasive mafia feel to this book I didn't enjoy. The lead character, Stefano seems like a mafia don, a man of infinite power and who is infinitely adored. But he's in a violent world and capable of extreme violence. I think if there was no paranormal elements, this simply would have been a crime romance about made men in Chicago. It was creepy who everyone bowed down to Stefano and his family and was constantly telling Francesca how lucky she was to be the apple of his eye. I think I would want to get the heck out of there. It could be what's going on right now in the country that has me sensitive to a lot of Kool-aid drinking, but that was a turnoff for me.

The other thing that bothered me was so controlling and rough Stefano was with Francesca. Now I can't say he was abusive. But he was very clearly always the one in control and expected Francesca to go along with this. I'm not into that whole aspect in which the hero is uber dominant and the heroine is submissive to him in every aspect of their relationship. Francesca did have a backbone and she was her own person, but I found her too compliant for my tastes.

I was kind of meh about Stefano. He was hot looking, with the black hair and dark blue eyes (which I really like). I dug how the Ferraros always wore three piece suits and looks damned good in them. But being rich and hot isn't everything. I mean, he's a good guy and takes care of the family and the folks in his neighborhood. And he doesn't take crap. He puts his enemies down hard. He really lost me when he kept going on about how he needed sex and lots of it, but the women didn't mean anything to him. I can't stand when the hero's sexual past in rubbed in the heroine's face. Francesca kept running into Stefano's vindictive hookups and many excuses were made about how it was a nature of the Shadow Riders, but she was special to him and he adored her. Then the dude has the nerve to think about hunting down Francesca's first and only lover other than him and killing him. What. The. Frell? Nope. Yes, I like a possessive hero, but not when he's been there done that and gets irritated because the he isn't the first for the heroine. Double Standard Alarm going off.

Another thing is how raunchy and rough the love scenes have gotten to be in Feehan's books. Very much over the line into erotic. I am not against sex scenes, I just get to the point where it's too much for me. Especially when it's about the hero making all the demands the heroine submitting to him sexually. It doesn't do a thing for me.

I guess there was a good love story. I didn't really connect to that aspect of the book. I was more intrigued with the shadow rider concept and the suspense storyline. Feehan knows how to write a good action and suspense story. I loved the climax. It was on point. When I was about to check out because of all the sex scenes that went on too long, the storyline twisted back to focus on the action and suspense, and I was hooked as before.

This was almost a four star, but the things I complained about above kept it in the 3.5 star range. I really wish Feehan would chill down some of the raunchy love scenes and the must have control in the bedroom aspect. That's getting old. I love a tender lover personally in my romances. If he gets a little wild every now and then, that's cool. But rough 24/7, no thanks. I love the family element and I grew fond of the Ferraro siblings. I'm looking forward to the sister's story with the guy who's in the rival family. My luck, it will probably be the last book in the series. Since it's Feehan and she's like my personal brand of crack, I will read them all.

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Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas

Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dream Lake Review (finally)

I was excited to read Alex’s story and I was not disappointed. Alex out of all the Nolans grabbed my heart and squeezed it, wouldn’t let it go. Alex has traits that make him my kryptonite. I adored him. He’s tortured and grumpy. He’s described as having a ruined beauty that women can’t resist, but he’s not a womanizer. While having a broken beau is nothing a woman should aspire to in life, broken heroes seem to appeal to me like no other. I loved seeing Alex’s damaged psyche be healed in a realistic way. Kleypas doesn’t take any shortcuts. She shows you all the dark spots on Alex’s soul, even his destructive, unhealthy relationship with his ex-wife, Darcy. While Zoe in herself doesn’t heal Alex, the functionality of their relationship is a sharp contrast to his failed marriage. While Darcy seemed to want to put Alex back on the rails with his drinking, Zoe wants Alex to be whole and healed, not for herself, but for him. When Alex and Zoe meet in Rainshadow Road, it felt like magic to me, and it turned out to be the case. Zoe and Alex are made for each other. Zoe is fairly well balanced. She does have some self-esteem issues due to her extreme beauty and voluptuous physique, and the trauma of being judged for it. To the extent that she marries a man who is gay because he doesn’t objectify her. While Alex is obviously completely blown away by Zoe, he doesn’t treat her like a sex object, and in actuality, tries to push her away because he knows he’s damaged goods. However, the connection between them cannot be ignored. I ate up their falling in love. Enjoyed every scene they had together. Zoe’s major issue is the failing health of her grandmother. Her grandmother has a form of dementia that escalates rapidly, and Zoe takes on the role as caregiver. Alex takes on the job of remodeling the cottage that Zoe’s cousin Justine lets her live in with her grandmother. Their proximity is an excellent opportunity for the powerful emotions between them to blossom. And in seeing each other under their worst situations, they realize that love isn’t about perfection but about loving perfectly.

Kleypas was going for a magical realism theme with this series, and this book reminded me of “Like Water for Chocolate” or “Simply Irresistible” with some “Ghost” thrown in. Zoe’s cooking seems to have healing properties, although I don’t think there was really any magic in it. It was merely a case of the fact that her food was what sustained Alex and tempted him to eat when he was at the lowest point in his alcoholism. The ghost angle comes in with the spirit that attaches himself to Alex, a spirit that lives in the house that Alex’s brother Sam owns and that Alex has taken on restoring. Alex seems driven to restore the house, and the spirit becomes attached to Alex in the process. It’s hate at first sight. The spirit can’t stand Alex, who comes off as a complete misanthrope if not nihilist. It’s Alex’s hero’s journey to heal spiritually and to rid himself of the dark cloud that has surrounded him since his traumatic childhood, being victimized by two violent, unrestrained drunks. I don’t know what Kleypas’ spiritual beliefs are but she see doesn’t shy away from adding a spiritual component to this novel, that make sense in that we’re dealing with a ghost and a hero who is having a major existential crisis. The ghost often functions as Alex’s conscience and in some ways, much like the ghosts that visit Ebeneezer Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol.” This is another book in which Kleypas obvious love of literature is showcased and lovingly inscribed into her writing.

This book is my favorite out of the series, and it earns a resounding five stars. I think that it captures the tone and the notes of a beautiful contemporary romance only as Kleypas could deliver. She uses language so beautifully, from the well-developed characters, to the intentional and spot on dialogue. While the ghost story didn’t really add to this book for me, it’s integral to the story, and it would definitely appeal to readers who like a little paranormal in their romance. Not as excited about Justine’s book, but at the same time, looking forward to reading it.

Oh, I guess I should mention the audiobook narration. It was good. Serviceable.

My dream cast:

Kelli Garner as Zoe

Nicholas Hoult as Alex

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Stone Angel by Christina Dodd
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I feel kind of bad giving this less than four stars since I normally love this author and this series has really come into its own. However, the writing wasn't up to snuff in my opinion. I think it felt too thin and maybe a little silly at times. That is really harsh of me, but there you have it.

I love British and Irish heroes, but Liam felt a little too much like a caricature instead of a fleshed out hero. Amanda was fine. The idea of the Other who could turn people into living statues, now that was pretty brilliant, and so was Liam's ability. Also the message about love and sacrifice. I also enjoyed revisiting the Chosen Ones, most of whom are happily married. Aleksander is AWOL, and Charisma is worried about him. Pretty soon, I'll read Wilder and find out what happens there. Looking forward to it.

Overall, pretty good short read, but also disappointing in comparison to others by the author. It's not up to the same caliber of writing for Ms. Dodd. I think the short format was a factor.

Overall rating; 3.5/5.0 stars.

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Chains of Fire by Christina Dodd

Chains of Fire by Christina Dodd
My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars

It's been a long time since I read the other books in this series, so I was a little lost at first. However, it came back to me pretty fast. This series really found its stride after a shaky start. Samuel and Isabelle isn't my favorite couple, but Dodd writes their romance passionately and evocatively. They've been in each others' lives for a long time and never felt a connection like the one they share with anyone else.

Samuel is a complicated person. He's not nice or honorable or kind. But he has deep principles that carry him through. And he's defined by his steadfast love for Isabelle, although he's not done a good job of showing it.

Isabelle is complex in a different way. She had the power of healing. As an empath, her gift can lead to self-trauma, so every time she heals someone, it's an act of self-sacrifice. When she first meets Samuel, she heals an emotionally broken part of him, and from that moment, they will be connected for the rest of their life. But it doesn't promise a quick and lasting happy ending.

Through circumstances beyond their control, they both end up working for the Gypsy Travel Agency, a group that was formed to rescue abandoned children called Chosen Ones. Their organization is nearly destroyed, leaving very few Chosen Ones alive. Isabelle and Samuel have an uneasy working relationship, and on one cold winter night in the Swiss Alps, everything comes to a head, and they can no longer ignore their lifelong bond.

Some parts of this book felt a little awkward, but Dodd is such an engaging writer that I am more than willing to ignore what doesn't work in this novel for what works splendidly. I loved the sense of companionship between Isabelle and Samuel (when they aren't fighting) and the other Chosen Ones. It was so much fun to revisit the past couples, and made me want to reread Aaron and Rosamund and John and Ginny's books (my two favorites). I'm excited to read Aleksandr's long awaited story, but I'm deeply worried about what's going to happen. I can't wait to see how things evolve between him and Charisma. At the same time, sorry to know that Wilder will be the last in the series.

Not a perfect book, but very enjoyable. Thus the 4.25/5.0 star rating.

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Dark Hunger by Christine Feehan

Dark Hunger by Christine Feehan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm just now getting back into reading the Carpathians after such a long break. This was a good start. About Riordan, the youngest De La Cruz brother and Juliette a member of the jaguar shapeshifting species, this is a steamy and action-packed short read.

It has all of the Carpathian aspects that one would expect to see. The manner in which a Carpathian male is brought back to life by his destined lifemate. I have missed all that ritual and the culture of the Carpathians. It was interesting how Juliette and Riordan work out their new matehood. Juliette comes from a species that is highly sexual and Riordan has to get past his jealousy that Juliette was with other men. He isn't a jerk about it, but it's definitely part of his nature to be highly possessive. He loves Juliette, so he accepts that this is part of who she is. It turns out that Juliette is an excellent match for him. Strong and independent, and sensual. Juliette has some serious baggage, due to the dysfunctional social dynamics of the jaguar, the way they abuse their women. She lives with her younger sister, Jasmine and her cousin Solange, and none of them are overly fond of men, with good reason. My mind went to the fact that despite their dislike of men, they had to do their thing because of their species, physical needs. Perhaps in a longer book, Feehan could have delved into that whole jaguar dynamic. It was interesting, and seems to fit thematically with my last couple of Feehan reads, which were in the Leopard series.

This is full of sensuality that Feehan writes so well, and the action is very good and well-integrated into the story. I love reading about all the abilities of the Carpathians, and they're uniquely tailored to this story about a Carpathian with a jaguar shifter lifemate. Of course, it does end abruptly, as a short story. It left me wanting more of Juliette, Riordan, Jasmine and Solange, so that's a good thing.

I went ahead and got this in Darkest at Dawn, in which it's accompanied by Dark Secret, a more controversial Carpathian book, although it's one of my favorites.

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The Awakening by Christine Feehan

The Awakening by Christine Feehan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A nice introduction to the Leopard series. I'm late reading this, but I finally got an opportunity. I splurged and downloaded Fever (a duology of "The Awakening" and Wild Rain, which I've already read. This took me a while because I was listening to it on Kindle Text-To-Speech at bedtime, and I kept falling asleep and having to rewind.

We learn about the Leopard shifters and how their society and physiology works. We're along for the ride as Maggie Odessa goes to the Borneo rain forest to find out about her birth parents. She's been lured there by Brandt Talbot, the man who happens to be her destined mate. He's known for some time that she was his mate (in their race they spend lifetimes looking for their mates). Maggie has no idea that she's a Leopard shifter. She's getting some feelings and physiological changes that don't make sense and are actually quite embarrassing, including some amorous feelings when that wasn't a problem before now.

At first, Brandt seems a bit stalkerish. I don't mind that if it's done well. It was a little weird in this book. He was stalking along beside Maggie in panther form when she arrives with some of the Leopard Men to their village. I was like, could you just say hi already? I was glad he finally introduced himself, and I think that he did come a little too strong at first. However, I liked that he realized that his love for Maggie meant that he had to make sure she was happy with being with him. I like that it wasn't going to be a foregone conclusion that she would accept him. He gave her the choice. Interestingly enough, I found Brandt quite a desirable contrast to the hero in Cat's Lair, who assumed and was willing to force his mate to accept him. I think that Maggie and Brandt are a really excellent match, although I didn't feel that way at all about the couple in "Cat's Lair."

I really liked that Maggie gained control of her change on her own, and I loved the scene when she changes for the first time. That was very well done. I felt like I was seeing and feeling everything along with her. The rainforest and its flora and fauna was beautifully rendered in Feehan's descriptive pose. I wouldn't love the humidity or the insects, but I would love seeing so much vibrant life firsthand.

This was pretty darn steamy. Less of the off color words that are in the newer books, but no less steamy. Great chemistry between Maggie and Brandt. Not hard to believe they loved each other, even in this short format.

The suspense aspect was a little weak, to be honest. Feehan was a bit preachy about the environmental message. Don't get me wrong. I'm 100% on board with conservation and environmental awareness, but I don't like when it comes off as a Public Service Announcement in a fiction novel. But overall, this was a satisfactory short story. I'll give it the full four stars.

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Cat's Lair by Christine Feehan

Cat's Lair by Christine Feehan
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

It took me a while to process my thoughts after reading this. I love Christine Feehan's books. She's got her quirks, for sure, but she is one of my autobuy authors for a reason. I liked this book, but I disliked some prominent aspects enough that I had to knock my rating down to 3.5 stars. I will try not to get too graphic in describing why, but I hope that no one is offended by any content in this review. I will refer to the hero as "the hero", because if I call him something else, it's a spoiler.

I am not an erotica fan when it comes to romance. This book has definitely crossed the line into erotica. In fact, some love scenes actually felt downright porny to me. There is actually too much sex in this book, and not because sex is not good or wrong, but it doesn't really add to the story after a certain point. Plus, some of the sex scenes were not appealing to my taste. Thankfully, there is no anal sex or content, but there were still some sex aspects I felt were not necessary in a romance novel. A lot of it ties into the hero's dominant proclivities. I know a lot of romance fans really like that D/s stuff, but I don't like it. I think it's counter to what I love about a deep, strong romantic bond. I like a mutual submission and I like that there's give and take and that both parties can be strong and gentle instead of one person always having the reins. I think that if a hero always wants control in the bedroom 100%, that says a lot about his personality as a partner, and that comes across loud and clear with the hero. I'm not for that in a relationship. If the author goes there, it needs to be well done, and so far, I don't think it's been done in a book to my satisfaction, not that I'm looking for that, because I'm not. In this book specifically, it was a big turnoff for me, more than anything else. Frankly, I love when the hero is all tough and lethal and growly, but the heroine has him wrapped around her little finger. That's really sexy to me. Not a hero who's always giving orders and wants control, even in the most intimate and safest of places, the bedroom. The bedroom needs to be a place of trust and absolute security. Not a place where the roles are so locked into place that it's all taking from one party (and I don't mean orgasms).

I have no problem with oral sex, but I don't like the forced/aggressive kind of aspect to it that has a certain name that won't go into on this review. There was another oral sex act that is straight out of a porno that I was like, "Not so much." I also don't like spanking used as punishment for a grown woman included in sex. Even if the heroine likes it, it feels wrong to me. Your mileage may vary.

I love stalkerific heroes like a house on fire. I like when the hero is crazy and even obsessed with the heroine. I find that highly appealing. But there is a limit to it in this way: I don't like when the hero is super-controlling or dominant. Especially in bed. And also in that he wants the heroine to live life according to his rules. I'm not against a hero who wants to protect the heroine and feels like he knows best. Especially if he does know more about keeping the heroine safe than she does. But he shouldn't feel like he has the right to administer corporal punishment if she fails to follow his instructions. I mean, Really???

I don't like that a hero always wants sex to be his way and feels like he has to train his heroine to accommodate his needs. In that sense the hero crosses the line with me. He made a point of saying that he was a rough man and he had certain needs. He had already determined that was his woman, and he would have to train her to his way of doing things. To me, that's not really showing love. Love is when you accept people for who they are essentially. You don't try to change them, making the assumption that they will like changing for you and doing things your way. He knew how Catarina grew up, but he didn't even try to gentle himself for her, considering that she had been in a controlling situation her whole life before him. While the hero did love Catarina, and he cared for her and made sure her needs were met, I felt their relationship was a 60/40 relationship, with the balance his way. Catarina is very young, and I can't help wondering if she's happy with the hero just because he's all she's known other than the life she ran away from. She loves that he focuses on her, compliments her and takes care of him, and is willing to accept his need for control. She loves what he does to her sexually, but how does she know she wouldn't like a more gentle lover? She doesn't. As she grows, I feel that she will eventually find that control to be a stranglehold on her. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am.

I loved Catarina. She was a cool heroine. I liked the aspect of her being a master chef and barista, and that she taught herself to read. I liked that she had found a home at the dojo and working in the cafe shop, her own life, what she deserved.. The hero frankly ruined that for her. I didn't mind that she was compliant and submissive. Truth be told, she was way too good for the hero. I think he needed to work harder to be worthy of her in my eyes. To clarify, I felt like she needed a different hero based on her past. The hero was a bit too much like the man she was running away from, and if that is the case, I think the resolution could have been stronger than how it occurred. There was one aspect I loved, because you could see how deeply the hero cared for the heroine at what happens near the end. I'm sorry that it took this, frankly. I think there needed to be more of a confrontation between the hero and Rafe, the man she was running away from. Instead, there was the big smack down but no words exchanged as humans. I would have loved seeing the hero hand the jerk the beating he deserved. I feel that Feehan always writes awesome heroines and I usually love her heroes, with rare exception. This hero is definitely an exception for me.

I always like the parts of this series where the hero and heroine run as big cats. I think that part was too short. I'm a cat fancier, and I always get a kick out of the H/h running free together. I would easily have sacrificed one or more love scene for more of this. It's one of the best aspects of this series. The animal nature is so integral to the characters, and it should be more of a plot element than making the hero require rough sex.

It was great to see Emma and Jake again. It made me want to reread Burning Wild again. I just might!

Despite its issues, this was a very readable book, and I couldn't hardly put it down. Feehan knows how to write paranormal romance and compelling stories. I think I expect a lot from her, so that's part of why I was disappointed with this book. I feel that the hero just didn't work for me, and the sex aspects were unnecessary and unappealing. I still have high hopes for Elijah's book. I have been wanting his story for a long, long time.

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The Unleashing by Shelly Laurenston

The Unleashing by Shelly Laurenston

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a group read for the Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group, and I'm glad it got voted for.  It gave me that push to read Shelly Laurenston. I've heard from many that she's a good author, and I actually have most of her Dragon books written under G.A. Aiken, but I just hadn't gotten around to reading her books written under this name.

One thing that one needs to understand about this book is that it's very heroine and women-bonding centered.  Kera is a woman who needed strong bonds with women who had her back and who accepted her no matter what, and she found that with the Crows. At the same time, it's a romance, but the romance doesn't really develop until maybe 70 or so pages into the novel.  Having said that, I found this very enjoyable.  It's really funny and every character is a real 'character'.  There's even a dog that manages to steal some scenes.

I liked Vig, a lot.  He's a dangerous hero, but in a cuddly kind of way (when he's not in battle mode and ripping people's arms off.)  He's very supportive to Kera, and I'd call him the perfect boyfriend.  I would say the cover is highly misleading. I tried not to be embarrassed about it when I'd have it at work and my coworkers saw it.  Vig has a big beard and lots of hair. He's not a clean-shaven male model type.  I guess the publishers didn't think people would go for a cover with Vig as he looks in the book.  It seems to me that having big beards is very much in vogue, so I'd find that intriguing if the cover actually reflected that (not that like facial hair, because I don't). I like that Vig was comfortable with himself and thus with Kera as she was.  I think that's so crucial in a relationship that people accept you as you are.  They want the best for you, but they aren't constantly trying to change you.  The romance worked for me because it was built on mutual like and respect, as well as passion and strong emotion.

This book is pretty violent, with descriptive action scenes.  It wasn't over the top, and after reading Matt Reilly this past month, it seemed kind of mild, to be honest.  The story is about a violent subculture of fighters for the Norse gods who go all out.  I wasn't surprised for it to be violent with that expectation.  The story itself is intriguing and makes me want to keep reading this series.

So I really liked this one. I liked Kera a lot. She was a real person and I appreciated her strengths and weaknesses.  She was very caring, but tough as well.  I loved the multicultural feel to this book. There are people of just about every race and ethnicity.  And considering this is based on Norse mythology, it was cool that Laurenston was able to achieve this.  I also loved how the Crows are all strong women but not all cut from the same mode. I love when the diversity of strong women is presented instead of making it seem like all women have to be the same to be strong and confident.

There was a lot to appreciate about this book. Four well earned stars.



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One More Valentine by Anne Stuart

One More Valentine by Anne Stuart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reread on Kindle Text to Speech completed in the month of August, 2014

Anne Stuart has taken the events of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and created a "What If?" scenario that turns out to be a very satisfying romance.

James Rafferty and six of his friends were murdered in the infamous massacre, but they didn't stay gone. Every year, they came back for 48 hours between February 13 and February 15th. And the lucky ones, if they fall in love with a woman, they are able to stay and lead a normal life.

James has been doing this for sixty years. He has given up on the the idea that he can find a woman who will love him. Instead, he merely enjoys his 48hrs of existence, before next year comes after again.

This time, he has to help an old friend out of a fix, and meets Helen Emerson, not his 'type of girl' at all. But is she the woman who will finally end his limbo?

Only Ms. Stuart could take a dodgy concept like this and make me eat it up like dessert. I think a lot of that hinges on the incredible chemistry she creates between Jamey and Helen. Not to mention that Jamey is the kind of bad boy that you can't help loving, even when your rational brain tells you he's a bad bet. He's just all kinds of charismatic. Helen is very likable, a woman who holds her own against a compelling man like Jamey, without compromising who she is. I liked that she was still a virgin at the age of 29. Her experience is somewhat opposite Jamey's, coming up in a cop family and he was on the wrong side of the law.

Billy is a sweetheart. Not what you'd expect for a gangster, but that was the point of this story. Maybe those guys weren't all as bad as we think, considering they were gangsters and were part of a gangland war that tore the city of Chicago apart. Maybe some of them were family men trying to do the best they could for their situation during a tough time.

I actually liked the idea of these guys getting a 'second chance' until they made it right. I'll always be romantic enough to believe that love conquers all. In fiction, there is no getting over exploring that concept for me. In fact I seek out books where love does win out against incredible obstacles.

Another thing I love about this book is the setting of Chicago. I grew up a half hour from this great city of the Midwest, and it still holds a charm for me. Since I don't get to go back often, it's always a treat and a welcome experience to visit in the fiction I read.

As much as I admire all her work, I really do miss Ms. Stuart's contemporary romances she wrote for Harlequin. At least I can revisit those in rereads.

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Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts

Blood Brothers (Sign of Seven trilogy #1) by Nora Roberts
My rating: 3.75 of 5 stars

Yay! I finished it!

Thoughts on the Story:

I loved the brotherhood bond between Cal, Gage and Fox. They had been friends for a very long time, and you could see that that bond was titanium and strengthened by their horrific mutual experience and legacy. I liked how they were three very different men, and I could see a distinction in their personalities throughout this book. I loved how the book started in the past, where we see how horrors begin in Hawkins Hollow, but also the three main characters as kids. It made me think of Stephen King's "It", "The Body", and also "Needful Things" and "'Salem's Lot". While I saw sort of an homage to King, I think Nora Roberts distinguished herself very well and gave this story her own stamp.

Additionally, I liked Quinn, Layla (writing this makes me laugh because I always thought of the Black Dagger Brotherhood when I heard their names in the same sentence, which also has a Quinn and Layla, although Quinn is spelled differently), and Cybil. I liked how their characters complemented Cal, Fox, and Gage's characters. While the other characters don't get as much page time, I got a sense for the local color and the world in which the main characters lived, how they related to their friends and family. I am a huge fan of small town fiction, and I think Roberts did a great job with creating this small town which seethes with dark secrets, anguish, but also loving families and friends, who are suffering with a difficult legacy and curse.

One of the best things about this book was the horror element. Roberts spectacularly imbues this book with a dark, horrifying atmosphere. I suppose this is a romance more than anything, but it really stands on its feet as a horror novel. The scary scenes were vivid and quite effective. I won't go into detail because I don't want to spoil anyone, but wow! Stephen King would probably give Roberts a pat on the back.

I have to say that the horror aspect engaged me more than the romance. I liked the romance, but I didn't feel any strong bond or connection to Cal and Quinn as a romantic couple. It could be that I like my romance intense and this wasn't that intense. It was more everyday to me, like when you see your friends meet and get together, and eventually get married. Nothing wrong with that. Just not as enthralling as the horror aspect of this book.

Audiobook Impressions:

I had mixed feelings about the narrator. He made some of the characters sound kind of goofy, but I liked how he made Gage's voice really deep, and how he did Giles' Scottish accent. I didn't like the way he did the female character's voices. They sort of sounded like men in drag. I think I might have connected more with the females if they sounded more authentically female. I think he did a good job of making each character have a different voice, so points there. On the good side, I loved the sound effects and music. It added to the eerie feel of this story. I listened to this at bedtime, late at night, and I had a couple moments where I questioned the rationality of that. Since audio is a good way to get a book read and still stay on my reading schedule, I'll probably get the other two on audio as well.

Overall Thoughts:
I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I think the horror part makes this a higher rated book for me. As I said above, the romance was sort of average to me. Not a big draw in this book. I did love the bonds between the characters and the small town feel, so that's another plus. I want to see how this series concludes, so I'll keep reading. It was a pretty good way to spend some hours listening.

Overall rating: 3.75/5.0 stars.

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Playing With Fire by Gena Showalter

Playing with Fire by Gena Showalter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Belle Jamison is quite the heroine in this superhero-themed paranormal romance. She’s very ordinary, a working stiff like most of us. Sailing from menial job to menial job (keeping none very long), with good intentions. She wants to take care of her ailing dad who sacrificed so much for her. One day, she literally runs into a mad scientist who doses her with a special formula in her mocha latte. A formula that makes her able to harness all the elements: earth, wind, fire, air and water. That puts her on the map for two vying supernatural agencies, one bad and one that works to protect the world from scrims (supernatural criminals). She meets super-sexy PSI agent Rome, and sparks fly, literally. Rome is sexy and lights a fire in Belle’s heart, but she can’t afford to let her libido make decisions for her now. Rome might be hot for her body, but his priorities are elsewhere. Can suddenly super Belle save herself, and maybe even the world?

This was a fun book. I love superheroes, and I liked the idea that Belle started out so normal. She has been fired from most of her jobs, she doesn’t have the best temper, and her luck with men is so-so. But deep down, Belle finds her destiny, and that’s not something you can run from. Along with the fun superhero elements, there is sexy, sizzling romance between Belle and Rome. Rome has some interesting secret powers of his own, and that was fun to discover. I also liked Tanner, the young man who Belle befriends, who turns out to have some abilities of his own. The superpower scenes are exciting, well-written, and often very funny. I could visualize this as a movie very easily.

This is classic Gena Showalter: fun, flirty, hilarious, and sexy paranormal romance, with a kickbutt heroine that you can’t help loving, even in all her snarkiness. I definitely recommend this book to readers who like superheroes, and want a tough (and mouthy) lead female who gets to do a whole lot of the saving and buttkicking herself.


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Ascension by Caris Roane

Ascension by Caris Roane

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


Ascension took me a while to read, when I typically devour most paranormal romances. The writing style didn't grab hold of me and refuse to let me go, which is a shame. However, I did like enough about this book to keep me wanting to continue the series.

What I liked
*The concept of ascensions was captivating. I loved the idea that there were various Worlds accessible via dimensional gates that only a person who had ascended could pass through. This had some metaphysical aspects that appealed to me as a person with interest in the ethereal and the scientific.
*I liked the mix of high tech science with fantasy aspects which are integral to this book.
*The romance was strong and involving despite the dense writing style. The steam and attraction elements were well done.
*I'm a sucker for a brotherhood of warriors. What can I say? I like the way Roane sort of makes fun of the seemingly obligatory aspect of the brothers going out to a club to get drunk, drink blood, and have sex with willing, nubile females. This has become quite a convention of the paranormal genre which I can’t say I’m in love with. I like that Alison talked about how sexist that was with Kerrick, because it’s a thought I often have when I read these books, even as an admitted paranormal addict.
*Good action sequences, and the displays of superhuman abilities were well done. I had these images of large-scale, majestic battles between winged warriors. She conveyed this imagery very well.
*There's something about winged people that just does it for me. These aren’t angels, but I’d probably lump them into that category because of the whole ascended being with wings aspects.
*Endelle is a character that totally stands out. Normally, you don't see these kinds of outre', unabashedly over the top alpha females in these books. She is a good source of humor and I love that her word is law, even to this group of very powerful warriors.
*I liked the concept of the breh-hedden. While the fated mate theme is nothing new, I liked the way Roane presents her version. Although I'm not 100% keen on the idea of a hot warrior who is your fated mate smelling like fennel/licorice (Marcus, a secondary character smells like licorice to Havily), at least it's kind of unique.

What could have been better
*Honestly, I think that this could have stood a very liberal edit, at least 50 pages. I felt as though there were excessive pages and words used than were needed to tell this story. This was quite striking considering that I had a question mark in my mind over the whole concept until about 300 pages had gone by. A surgical use of words could have conveyed more of what the author intended in a more concise fashion, and made for a shorter, easier read. Admittedly, I'm a reader who prefers more short and snappy writing. I can get past that with a really compelling read. However, in the case of this story, it just felt apparent to me that not all the words she used were needed.
*I felt that most of the warrior brethren are still somewhat sketchy as far as characters. I can name them and give brief traits about them, but for all the length of the story, I would have liked a better integration of them in the narrative than I saw. This made the book have a samey feel in comparison to other popular paranormal series out there, when there is more than enough to distinguish this book from others in the genre.
*The villain was a bit sketchy too. I couldn't feel his motivations. I was told rather than shown these, and it didn't quite ring through to me. I hope that he is better developed in the subsequent books.

Final Verdict:

After a rather slow, frustrating read, with some moments of brilliance that spurred me on to keep reading, I can say I liked this book, but I did not love it. I like the ideas, and I really want to fall in love with this book. I hope that I will feel more drawn in with the subsequent books since I have gotten a introductory feel to this world. For a first book in a high concept series, Ascension isn't bad. It is just one of those books that it takes patience and determination to get through.



Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars .



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When Darkness Comes by Alexandra Ivy

When Darkness Comes by Alexandra Ivy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Sadly, this is a very weak three stars. It was sooo hard to read this book. It just didn't keep my interest. My attention kept wandering, until there would be an appealing snippet that caught it, and then it would be off again.

Honestly, this is not a bad book. It's just underwhelming to a die-hard paranormal fan who has some favorite series that Bring It. I know that it's First Book Syndrome, because there are some ideas that I like about this series, that will make me keep reading (which is a good thing since I bought the subsequent books). I know some of my friends who have similar tastes enjoy this series, so that makes me hope I will find the next books appeal better.

What I liked:

*I liked Abby a lot. She has had a tough life, and she's very down to earth, adaptable, and strong-minded without being annoying. She has an everyday, regular girl appeal that I liked. She is the type of woman who can take it on the chin and doesn't throw herself into a sobbing heap when things get hairy. I admire her for what she overcame with her abusive father and two parents that were alcoholic. And she didn't stay in denial too long when her life got weird. She saw the evidence and adjusted her worldview accordingly.
*Dante was also likable. He had that sexy old world vampire vibe that I liked a lot. I appreciated that he really cared about Abby and had been half-way in love with her since the book started.
*Viper. Oh my! I really liked him. I can't wait to read his book! I liked that he was Boy Scout prepared. He had a solution to most situations, and that made it fun to see what relics he had to deal with various situations. And I liked his loyalty to Dante. He was a good friend.

What could have been better:

*The worldbuilding felt...unfinished to me. There were some mildly tantalizing elements that made my interest perk, but they teetered off too often. I do think she introduced some interesting characters in the PNR world of this story that make me want to keep reading, so that's a plus.
*Paper Tiger villain. The main villain was lame....He was the type to get others to do his dirty work and he just didn't impress me. I did like that she turned things around and gave a more intense climatic situation. But things still fizzled a bit on that score.
*Although I felt that Abby and Dante had good chemistry, the love scenes didn't really enthrall me. I guess I just have high standards for paranormal. I don't want to compare, but when you read some of the other top series, you do have a benchmark that you expect from books in that genre.


Final Thoughts:


I admit I was disappointed with this one. It was so hard to keep reading at times, but I persevered. At the end, I was glad I finished it, not just because I hate dnf'ing books. At least I got to meet some pretty cool characters like Abby, Dante, and Viper (who is kinda droolicious) But I still have hope that the next books can turn it around.



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The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I have to hand it to Meljean Brook. She created a wonderfully-detailed and fantastical world in this book. If a reader is wondering what 'steampunk' is, I will definitely point them towards this book. I was very impressed how she integrated nanotechnology into her world-building, and the nanotech fit very well in this universe. There are some aspects that seem rather dystopian, despite the fact that this is a Victorian-like setting. The use of robotic technology has some great applications, but some are rather horrific. In this story, a large degree of the world, particularly Europe and associated continents, has been subjugated by the Horde, which I intepreted to be the Mongols (as in Genghis Khan). Many of the major cities of Europe are under occupation or have been razed to ruins. Zombies roam the unoccupied territories, humans who were infected by nanobots that caused them to become vicious, cannibalistic monsters. However, many regular humans are infected with nanobots that enhance them in many positive, and some negative ways. The problem is that the Horde can control those humans, called buggers, with radio signals. In this world, the Horde are hated and despised, which creates a lot of problems for the heroine, Mina. She is the product of a Horde "frenzy" in which control of her mother's body (via control of the nanobots by radio signals) was overtaken by the Horde, and she engaged in a Horde orgy, resorting in Mina. She was so horrified at the sight of her half-Horde baby that she gouged her eyes out. Yeah, right away, I knew this story was going to be kind of dark.



I was very impressed with the meticulous world-building and attention to detail in this story. In addition, there are several major players who all want a say in the future of England, and the rest of the world, grabbing any kind of power or edge they can to gain that. This book has everything: mechanically-enhanced humans and animals, pirates, zombies, giant sea monsters, airships, you name it. However, it was so well-done, it never came off as over-the-top. While this book probably wouldn't work for straight romance fans, or even some fantasy/science fiction fans, I loved it, because I got a kick out of how imaginative and unique this Victorian world was. Despite my enjoyment, this wasn't an easy read for me. I often had to reread certain passages to make sure I was getting a clear understanding (that's not due to Ms. Brook's fault, but to my inexperience in reading a lot of science fiction-type literature and not having a head for political intrigue storylines). That's okay, because I wanted to get a full grasp of this book, and it certainly enhanced my enjoyment.



In my opinion, Ms. Brook didn't let her romance fans down. The love story between Rhys and Mina is equally important. I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of The Iron Duke when I started this book. When he showed up, I was not disappointed. He's a very unique character, which some aspects that I had not encountered in a hero thus far. I loved his vitality, his ruthless nature, his determination. Mina has a pull on him that compels him throughout this book. He is the kind of man who will move mountains to get his woman, which definitely works for me. Even outside of that, I respected him for his strength in enduring a very rough past, his determination to do what was necessary and to protect others. He might have seemed self-absorbed (he put importance on protecting what was his, whether it was his ship, the sailors, on it, or his properties and subjects as the Iron Duke). He didn't really like the ceremony of being a Duke, but he took the responsibility seriously, because that was the kind of man he was. He wasn't a smooth, refined character, which is fine with me. When he considers his feelings for Mina, they are described in a very rough way, but the emotions behind them are pure, and he definitely shows his love for her, not just physical infatuation.



As for Mina, I couldn't have liked her more as a heroine. She's tough, really tough. But she's not hard or frustrating. Any armor she has, I can't fault her for it. Because of her heritage as half-Horde, she is despised by many in London. They try to attack and harm her physically, so she has to have a bodyguard at all times, the hulking but gentle Constable Newberry. Those who don't hate her, fear her because her features remind them of the Horde. This aspect of the story hit home with me. Prejudice of any kind always does. Being judged by your features, your heritage, the color of your skin is wrong. Even if there are many of your heritage who are bad, that doesn't mean that you are. Because of being a woman and half-Horde, Mina has to work four times as hard just to be respected for her abilities as a Detective Inspector, and she's not afraid to do that. Rhys determined pursuit is a huge problem for her. She knows that their involvement is just going to cause more fodder for the distrust and lack of respect that the public holds for her. Even if she's very attracted to him, and he reaches her carefully guarded heart.



The relationship between Rhys and Mina develops very well. They start out as untrusting allies, with a reluctant attraction. As the story progresses, they come to respect and understand each other, and the love blossoms between them naturally. And their passion is red-hot. Rhys is a primal, demanding lover. However, he doesn't force Mina. Understanding what her issues are about being in control of her passions, he patiently works past those issues, and it's a beautiful thing to read. He won't be the kind of guy who whispers sweet, elegant words in a woman's ear. But he shows and tells a woman how much she means to him in simple, but effective ways. That definitely speaks to me. As for as Rhys and Mina getting their HEA, just being in love wasn't enough. They had to deal with the issues that they faced with their enemies, and the society they lived in. Although the romantic in me loves when a couple can easily surmount obstacles and be together, the realistic knows that's not always a simple thing. I like that Ms. Brook didn't allow their problems to just blow away in a puff of smoke because Mina was a "great person" and Rhys was the powerful "Iron Duke." However, I was completely satisfied with the romantic conclusion in this story, which I am very glad to say.



My experience with steampunk is fairly limited, but I love the ideas and the concepts of this genre of fantasy/science fiction. I highly recommend this novel to a reader who wants to experience this genre. Although this is not a simple world, there's a very fascinating world here that Ms. Brook created. The complex textures--Victorian setting, science fiction, fantasy, pulp fiction, adventure, romance, seafaring/pirate elements--just made this an even better read for me. This was a thoroughly enjoyable, engrossing book, and I will be looking out for the forthcoming books in the Iron Seas series with great expectation.



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Living on the Edge by LaVerne Thompson

Living On The Edge by LaVerne Thompson

My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars


This was easily a four star book, because I really liked it. Ms. Thompson is a very good writer. The story was interesting, and the characters likeable. The mystery/suspense was good. I liked the world she created with her Atrox shifters (extinct Cave lions). I think she was true to the cat nature in crafting her characters. I think it was interesting how many of the Atrox were in this story, even though they were supposedly rare (and Ms. Thompson even had a character make a comment about this). I liked that Ms. Thompson didn't have any loose ends or implausibility in her world-building. I have come to realize that although I am a huge cat-fancier, I love werewolf PNR more than cat paranormal. But a fan of cat shifters will be very happy with this book.



I found the characters to be well developed, although this is a shorter novel. I liked that Ethan was a good mix of alpha and beta, possessive and strong, vital and masculine; but he was cool with a strong woman, and he could handle her independent nature, and trust her to do what she did well, without taking it as an assult against his masculinity. Edge was a capable heroine, very intelligent, tough and confident, but not annoying in her kick-butt nature. It's not easy to bring an alpha heroine to life, and Ms. Thompson did it well.



The sensual parts were tres sexy, and the attraction between Edge and Ethan rich and natural. I liked that they didn't jump right into bed. Any sex breaks they took were appropriately timed. Although Edge wanted to look on their relationship as more casual than it was, Ethan definitely wanted to stake his claim. I could see Edge's reasons, but I don't like the casual sex thing, so I was bummed at her attitude about their relationship. But all that ends well.



One thing I must mention is there were some editing oopsies. I hate to harp on that, but I think it's important to state for anyone who has a serious issue with editing errors who might read this review. They were pretty minor, just a lack of commas were I felt there needed to be, and just a couple of homonym errors. I am no grammar expert, and I won't pretend to be. I can overlook minor editing problems very well, but I just wish the epublishers were better about not letting stories get by without fixing those things. Ms. Thompson is a very good writer, and her story has a polish that shines through, and I hate that poor editing might cause readers to look down on her work. In all fairness, I have seen major publishing houses and books by best-selling authors with errors, so I tend to try to shrug that off for the most part. (Danielle steps off her soapbox)



I must say, I am very picky about paranormal romance. It's one of my favorite genres, and I've read enough that I know what I like and I don't, and my standards are probably unfairly high, and I have found I am tougher about my rating of PNRs as I read more and more of them. I really need the zing factor with a paranormal romance to give it five stars. This one is up there for me, although not a five star read. Having said that, I want to thank Ms. Thompson for the opportunity to read her novel. It's clear she knows what PNR fans want, and she has a feel for writing a very good romance that shows in Living on the Edge. I will definitely read more of her books!



Overall rating: 4.25/5.0.



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Upon a Midnight Clear by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Upon The Midnight Clear by Sherrilyn Kenyon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I felt like there was something missing from this book. I liked it, but I think it could have been better. The storytelling seemed basic--not something I'm used to with Ms. Kenyon. I get that this was supposed to be short story, but it was a little too barebones for me. The characters (other than Aidan) just didn't seem to come to life for me, which is atypical for a Sherrilyn Kenyon story. My biggest issue is the short length. I think that keeping this short really restricted the complexity of this story, and it really did need more depth. I think this would have been a great novella, but it falls short of greatness as a novella, unfortunately.

What I liked:

*Aidan was a good hero. I could see why he was so bitter and sad. He'd been let down by people he was supposed to trust, people he'd do just about anything for. It was interesting that he was a movie star, what that entailed. I did appreciate how Ms. Kenyon wrote about the negative aspects of fame, although Aidan always had a good head on his shoulders. If he was a real guy, he'd be a movie star I'd respect as a person. I would love to see that movie Alabaster, that he was in. It sounds good.
*Leta was good too, although I thought that I could have used more elaboration about her backstory. It was a nice change for the heroine to be the one driven by vengeance.
*There was a good romance here, although I needed more depth to be great.
*It was good to see Deimos again. I liked him in The Dream Hunter. Hope he shows up again.
*I liked how we got to see various people who we've met in the Dark-Hunter world celebrate Christmas. It brought back some happy memories of reading their stories, and made me eager to read the following books in this series.
*I loved the fantastical elements, especially the worlds that Lyssa created. Very freaky and weird. Nice touch.

I think every author has a book that's not so great. Unfortunately, this is probably the one I'd name for Ms. Kenyon. I think she's a very talented author, and I enjoy reading her books. I just needed a richer longer book for this one to shine as brightly as it could have.

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