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Review: Fated in Winter by Carrie Ann Ryan
Fated in Winter
Carrie Ann Ryan
Tallon Pack Series, Book 11
One day he might turn rogue.
And he can never risk his mate.
Romy Temple knows what it means to be lonely.
She’s spent ninety-nine years in the Talon Pack, not part of the hierarchy, and not quite old enough to be elder.
She’s the wolf no one remembers.
With a rogue on the loose and the winter season approaching, two wolves who promised they would never fall find themselves on the brink of doing what could cost them the most.
Each other.
Originally found in the Shifters & Mistletoe Anthology.
Short with an emotional punch.
A chance meeting changed fate for two wolves that weren’t sure where they were headed. Romy knows loneliness all too well. Surviving the original pack wars she has been staying under everyone’s radar for just about a century. Connor is a wolf that shift exceptionally fast and has two great fears. One is going rouge and two is hurting his mate. A chance meeting has her saving his life. An order from the Beta’s has them working together. Then fate stepped in and gave them what they didn’t even know they needed.
Carrie Ann Ryan hit us hard and fast with all the emotions and feels with Fated in Winter. Short and powerful Connor and Romy gain something they never expected to have. Through all the heartache and suffering they found happiness together in the end.
Shadow Fallen by Sherrilyn (Kenyon) McQueen
Shadow Fallen
Sherrilyn (Kenyon) McQueen
Dream Hunters #6
Dark Hunters
New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon returns with Shadow Fallen, a brand-new entry in her Dream-Hunter series.
For centuries, Ariel has fought the forces of evil. Her task was to protect the souls of innocent mortals when they die. Captured by a powerful sorceress, she is transformed into a human who has no memory of her real life or calling.
And is plunked into the middle of the Norman invasion of England.
Cursed the moment he was born with a “demonic deformity,” Valteri wants nothing of this earth except to depart it and will do his duty to his king until then. When a strange noblewoman is brought before him, Valteri realizes he has met her before…in his dreams. When others come for her, bringing with them preternatural predators, he is faced with a destiny he had no idea was waiting. One he wants no part of.
The truth is that Valteri isn’t just a knight of William the Conqueror. He is the son of one of the deadliest powers in existence, and if he doesn’t restore Ariel to her place, she is not the only one who will be in peril. The world itself hangs in the balance, and he is the necessary key to hold back the powers of evil. But only if he can find a way to work with the woman who stands for everything in the universe he hates.
4 Stars
Sherrilyn is back
Fallen Shadow marks a comeback with everything that I have come to love from Sherrilyn’s writing.
In a medieval setting, the Battle of good and evil continues. Valteri has known nothing from life other than sorrow, pain and battle. Born with different color eyes made him an outcast from the beginning. Some say he was evil, others say he was a demon and some call him as a son of the devil himself. He is brother to the king and undefeated in war. A hardened man who is whispered about behind his back does nothing to change what people think of him. Knowing nothing of the good side of life, the Temptations of a beautiful woman make Valteri think quite differently than he normally does.
Ariel has been a part of the battle of good and evil for as long as she knows. Her job is to collect the souls of the dying on the battlefield for the unknown war of good and evil that’s going on. Ariel finds herself bound to the earth knowing nothing of who she is and with a curse because of the grief of a mother’s loss. Not knowing who or what she is Ariel stumbles onto the lands of a feared man but yet she embraces him. Sewing is not something Ariel knows but skill with a sword can’t be denied. Ariel is about to embark on something she’s never known but yet can’t seem to say no to.
As a long time fan I am very excited to see this wonderful author back in action. From beginning to end this book is classic Sherrilyn everything! Ariel and Valteri are perfect for each other. From the moment they met to the interactions they had there was no lack of chemistry whatsoever. I love the way they talked and interacted with each other. Whether it be funny, protective or sensual they seem so in tune to each other and just wanted the best for one another. A broken hero and a kick butt angelic woman find their happily ever after.
I know some will complain that this is not one of the big name characters that long time fans have been very patiently waiting for. However when a series is this long and has this many characters sometimes we have to be patient longer than we would like. Some wonderful bits of information are discovered within the pages Shadow Fallen And have some nice foreshadowing for one of those big names that we have been waiting for. And we even get treated with an appearance from one of the all-time favorite dark hunters. I very much enjoy the book and look forward to the things to come within the Dream Hunter/ Dark Hunter world.
Review: Immortal’s Honor by Rebecca Zanetti
Immortal’s Honor
Rebecca Zanetti
Dark Protectors Series, Book 14
First comes danger . . .
When Vampire-Demon Sam Kyllwood discovers he’s the keeper of some mysterious circle, he laughs it off. When he finds out that his younger brother is supposed to fight to the death in said circle, he snaps right to furious. And that’s before he starts uncontrollably making things explode —it turns out it’s never too late to develop deadly new immortal abilities. But even those explosions are nothing compared to what happens when he tries to handle a very suspicious, brilliant and beyond sexy human female whose piercing eyes ignite a heat that rages deliciously outside even his unbreakable control…
Then comes desire . . .
Honor McDovall is one of the best interrogators Homeland Security has ever had. But no matter how well she appears to fit in, her mystical gifts are slowly driving her mad. She doesn’t understand them, she doesn’t want them, but for now, she’ll use them to detect and defeat danger until she completely loses her mind. Unfortunately, her job brings her face to face with the deadliest man she’s ever met—and she senses Sam is even more gifted than she is. Yet once they kiss, she realizes he’s also more dangerous than the enemies suddenly coming from every direction. Good thing they both like to play with fire . . .
Rebecca Zanetti keeps readers on the edge of her seats while making them laugh with Immortal’s Honor.
Sam is a vampire-demon hybrid and middle brother to a king and one of the seven. He’s the keeper, part of something much bigger than himself and yet he’s the calm one of the lot. He’s the keeper of the piece, kind of zen, if there is such a thing in his world. Sam was so much more than what I would have ever guessed him to be. What a hero!!!! And when he fell I loved him that much more!
Honor is the best at what she does yet can’t quite seem to him her place. She had gifts and doesn’t understand them. It’s getting to the point of making her crazy. Yet with the even more crazy things going on in her life, She keeps an open mind and allows herself to become familiar with her gifts. Her job puts her in the line of danger but she may have just run into the most dangerous man she’s ever met. With gifts to rival her own or even maybe exceed some thing about this man stirred all kinds of feelings inside of her, and those feelings are not bad at all.
Rebecca Zanetti amazes me with every book. Immortal’s Honor. Sam and Honor are totally perfect for each other but yet neither one of them can make it easy on the other. They fight themselves just as much as they fight their attraction until neither one of them can hold back. The banter, the back-and-forth with each other and the intense chemistry. Danger, intensity and passion are the name of the game for these two. I really loved the amount of humor that was within the story. With so much going on and things coming from all directions it’s nice to be able to laugh right along with the characters. Ms. Zanetti cleared up some questions for us within the pages of this chapter of the Dark Protectors series and gave us more, firing up this reader to know what’s gonna happen next.
Review: Shadow Web by Yasmine Galenorn
Shadow Web
Yasmine Galenorn
Moonshadow Bay Series, Book 5
It’s my first Thanksgiving back in Moonshadow Bay, and everything is hunky-dory until the Witches Guild assigns me a research project for the upcoming Winter Solstice Festival. Not only do I melt down my computer, but I download a demon who ends up stuck in my house.
But Tarvish the Funtime demon is the least of my worries when my grandmother asks my BFF and me to go undercover. A magical pyramid scheme has moved into town and it’s siphoning more than money off its recruits. Will we be able to take it down, or will the leader of the cult manage to silence us for good?
It’s Thanksgiving time in Moonshadow Bay and January Jackson, in what should be a wonderful vacation while hosting her first Thanksgiving upon returning home, she soon realizes what the hustle and bustle of the season is all about. When a research project comes from left field and leaves her without a computer, a strange demon manifests in her house and an undercover mission from her grandmother that has her on edge. With chaos rising and soon a house full of people, January has a lot to cross off that to-do list in Shadow Web.
I thoroughly enjoyed Shadow Web. January is really becoming one with herself. She is learning who she is and it’s very much starting to show. I felt a big sense of hearth and home throughout the story. She has finally I believe put her past life behind her and is really looking forward to things to come. She’s happy and it shows. January knows that family is not always blood and she sees that in the people around her. She’s willing to help get to the bottom of things and even puts her own self in danger to make things right. From Funtime Demons to putting her own self in danger January makes leaps and bounds with who she is and what she’s capable of doing. Yasmine Galenorn gives a true holiday feel with her unique style of paranormal with Shadow Web.
Review: Dark Alpha’s Need by Donna Grant
Dark Alpha’s Need
Donna Grant
Reapers Series, Book 12
From New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant comes another gripping story in her Reaper series featuring a brotherhood of elite assassins who wage war on the Fae at Death’s behest—and the women who dare to love them.
There is no escaping a Reaper. I am an elite assassin, part of a brotherhood that only answers to Death. And when Death says your time is up, I’m coming for you…
The latest threat uncovered, it is my honor and duty to oust those responsible for the slaughter of so many and make the Fae Others pay for their crimes. However, nothing could have prepared me for the stunning and curious female that crosses my path. She’s an enigma: equal parts strength and vulnerability. She quiets the rage I’ve carried within me for so long and makes me question Death’s directives for the first time ever. Her tragic, emotional story touches something deep within me, and her bravery is awe-inspiring—which makes it doubly hard to let her return to the enemy and the dangers that await. I never expected her, but I need her. She is everything to me, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure she’s safe and by my side. Forever.
4 Stars
My first love in reading is paranormal. Donna Grant does it so right.
Dark Alpha’s Need is a fast paced, high intensity, quick read. Seeing Torin and Breda go from attraction to something much more in the middle of chaos. Breda is so much stronger than she gives herself credit for. What she’s endured from her own family and the others is something that no one should have to experience and yet she willingly holds her head high to make sure that no one else has to go through that pain. Torin knows the bitter taste of the betrayal and wishes that upon no one. Being a reaper allows him to be a protector in a way. But being a reaper had nothing to do with wanting to protect Breda. I loved their connection. They are truly something special together. We readers find out some indulging information concerning the others and find a personal mission has been granted.
Dark Alpha’s Need is a captivating read
Review: Everspell by Donna Grant
Everspell
Donna Grant
The Kindred Series, Book 5
New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant “skillfully melds history and legend” (RT Book Reviews) in a brand new series – The Kindred.
To live in the light, they hunt in the dark…
Runa is used to mysteries. Fortunately, she’s skilled at using those things to her advantage. Until some truths about her past are revealed, and her world is shaken to its very core. Now, she has her sights set on finding and saving the family she’s never known. What wasn’t in her plans is the sexy, mysterious stranger who seems to find her over and over, taking her breath every time.
All his life, Brom knew he’d eventually have to find the Varroki and take his birthright. Then a witch lays out a nearly impossible choice before him, and Brom decides to follow his heart. The beautiful and enigmatic female he’s drawn to is more than captivating. She makes him want to reveal all his secrets. But doing so could be the difference between life and death—for both of them. Especially in the battle between good and evil where all of the relics of the First Witch are in play—and everyone has a hidden agenda.
4 Stars
Soulmates, secrets and magic… it’s epic!
Runa is a loner. A survivor, warrior and a woman who knows how to take care of herself. Runa walks a thin line with her feet dangling on both sides of the line and holds her secrets deep. She’s someone I definitely wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of her sword but yet hope she would join in on my side of the battle. Just learning of family Runa didn’t believe she had any longer, her world is shaken just a bit. Runa is now on a mission when an unexpected man drops into her world and never leaves her mind.
Brom chooses to be a loner because he doesn’t feel like he fits in anywhere. He dreams of a woman he has yet to meet but feels the overwhelming pull to find her. Brom hides his true nature of what he is at the moment he needs the woman he sees in his dreams. He knows he can feel something so much more and knows deep inside that he can be himself with her. There Is much more to her and them than the lady in his dreams.
Everspell was epic in so many ways. From the moment Runa and Brom meet to the struggle they face, together and apart, to the battles they face in the end are epic. I knew I was walking into a well established series but let me say the world building it top notch. I feel like I was truly carried away to another world. The characters are confident and strong. Willing to fight to the end and very likable. The magical element was exciting and in your face. The romance between Runa and Brom was fast and furious but fate has a way of doing that. They fought for their lives and their passion. That is a winner in my book. I very much enjoyed Everspell.
Review: Whisky and Wishes by Donna Grant
Whisky and Wishes
Donna Grant
Dark KIngs Series, Book 18.5
Return to New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant’s Dark King world for a special holiday novella.
Finally free of the dangers surrounding him and the burden of pining after his mate, the King of Dragon Kings is ready for some peace—time to enjoy the woman he loves without interruption. Sure, the matter of accessing the clans across the Dragon Bridge still looms, as does the ultimate Fate of Con and his brethren. But for now, Con plans to enjoy the people he loves and celebrate the holidays with those closest to him. Why borrow from tomorrow’s problems? When the time comes to confront what’s next, they will do it. Together.
When the enemy is defeated we take a breath….
The King of the Dragon Kings finally finds a moment of peace that has been out of reach for so long. With no enemies knocking on the door Con and his long awaited mate Rhi. A time of talking, of love and of reflection. A meaning look at their past and plans for the future. With the holidays approaching and famil returning home, Con and Rhi give readers a deep looking into who they are with their passion, words and actions.
Whisky and Wishes is a feel good holiday tale. A homecoming, a gathering of friends and loved ones and a glimpse of what’s to come. Donna Grant just made me love that Dragon King even more. A feel good story with a bit of emotions and heavy on the love.
Review: Witching Time by Yasmine Galenorn
Witching Time
Yasmine Galenorn
The Wild Hunt Series, Book 14
4 Stars
The Wild Hunt is back.
Raven is all set to read cards at the annual Autumn Festival. Fun times should be had yet not all is as it seems. There’s a unsettling darkness surrounding a friends farm that puts Raven on high alert. All things are not as they seem.
Witching Time is an action packed, thrilling and dark urban fantasy. A beautifully diverse cast of characters that has someone for every type of reader. Ms. Galenorn creates a world that invigorates, captivates and almost entrance is the reader. Her take on myth, legend and lore is unique yet holds pieces of the original. Raven is one of my favorite of the Wild Hunt. She makes a few leaps and bounds within the pages of Witching Time. I loved getting to know her more intimately. One of the things I love most about The Wild Hunt books you always finish satisfied but yet you always want more of Ms. Galenorn’s creation.
Review: Beast by Lexi Blake writing as Sophie Oak
Beast
Lexie Blake writing as Sophie Oak
A Faery Story, Book 2
Published October 15th 2019 by DLZ Entertainment, LLC
Re-released in a second edition. Re-edited but no substantial changes.
A playboy who needs to grow up
Fresh from his latest tabloid scandal, vampire playboy Dante Dellacourt has been given an ultimatum. Either he takes a consort and settles down, or his family will disown him. Unwilling to lose everything he has, he reluctantly agrees to find a wife. Marriage is just another kind of contract, after all. No one said anything about love being a part of the bargain.
An outcast who has only known hardship
Exiled by her pack, Kaja is a werewolf without a home. Her life was never easy in the frozen tundra she grew up in, but it was familiar. Waking up in a foreign landscape, surrounded by bright lights, loud noises, and far too many people has left her overwhelmed. Frightened and with no one to trust, she savagely fights to get free of this strange new world.
A passion strong enough to change them both
Called to defend the gnomes of the marketplace, Dante is almost blinded by the radiant light coming off the fierce werewolf. Kaja glows like no consort he has ever seen. Gorgeous and wild, she calls to him in ways he had not dreamed possible. For Kaja, she finds in Dante a man unlike any she has ever known. They could not be more different, but she finds him irresistible.
In order to claim his werewolf bride, Dante must first discover how to overcome their differences. Will he tame his ferocious beauty, or will she unleash his inner beast?
4.5 Stars
Dante has given himself the reputation of the ultimate player. Perceived by most to only have interest in fun, women and good times. Dante is one of those people that you can’t judge by what he wants you to see. He’s intelligent, loyal and cunning. As Dante’s layers begin to peel away we find a man filled with emotions, determinations and wants he wasn’t ready to admit.
Kaja is primal yet submissive. Rugged Pack life was all she knew, then to be thrown into a world of which nothing is known the beast within her takes survival to an instinctual level. She was an outcast of the pack and something different to the new place she finds herself in. Dante is her alpha. From the moment she finds herself in his presence she sees him as her first. She feels a connection, something that’s unknown to her. Kaja is unique all around. From her sheer nature to the way she tries to adapt for something he’s not quite sure what it is, but she wants it.
Beast was fantastic. Dante was so much more thanI expected. He has some pretty deep layers of emotions. He did what he thought was expected of him only want to find out, those expectations were nothing but a push for him to find what he truly wanted him his life. Kaja and Dante together is something truly unique. I love the way their connection and bond formed, developed and grew into something more than either one of them expected it could be. Two beasts find their balance to their beast with another beast. I truly love this fairy world that Lexi Blake has created. This is not the first time I have kicked myself not discovering these books earlier. I am very happy they have been released and I get to enjoy them now.
Review: Alpha’s Promise by Rebecca Zanetti
Alpha’s Promise
Rebecca Zanetti
Dark Protectors Series, Book 10
Lyrical Press, Published June 25, 2019
To hell and back . . .
Though he has vampire, demon, and Viking blood rushing through his veins, Ivar Kjeidsen’s soul-crushing trip to hell broke him in ways he can barely fathom. One vow keeps the deadly immortal standing: To rescue the vampire brother who had sacrificed freedom for him. To do that, Ivar needs the help of a brilliant physicist with wary brown eyes, fierce brilliance, and skin that’s way too soft.
Dr. Promise Williams understands the underpinnings of the universe but has never figured out the human beings inhabiting it. Her function is to think—and not feel—until she’s touched by a vampire who’s nowhere near human. The primal hunger in his eyes awakens feelings in her that defy calculation. As she shows him the way to step between worlds, he brands her with a pleasure that could last more than a lifetime . . .
4 Stars
Ivan Kjeidsen make the average person shake in their shoes. He is a vampire-demon hybrid after all. Having seen hell with his own eyes leaves Ivan not quite right. He may be damaged in ways but not broken. Ivan made a promise, that is his driving force. The man is primal and determined. Not to mention sexy and hard headed, like many of the alpha that we love. Ivan sets himself on a mission to save a friend and in turn gets blindsided by something he didn’t see coming.
Promise Williams trusts numbers and science. Facts, that can be explained and seen. It’s a matter of logic. She was raised not to feel only to think. Mathematics is her world. A very lonely kind of world. Promise is beyond smart. Dr. Williams is an extremely talented physicist who just may hold the knowledge to be able to travel to worlds not her own. Promise is a bit quirky and takes some time to get used to, however in the end I truly enjoyed her character. Don’t let the smarts fool you Dr. Williams has some sass and spunk.
Ms. Zanetti rocked it hard with Alpha’s Promise. Excellent world building, great story, intricate plot and deep characters. Promise and Ivan get pushed into each other’s worlds and get more than their asking for. A talent physicist teaming up with a vampire-demon hybrid who on a mission to keep a promise and protect something precious. I very much enjoyed the banter between these two and the way the played to each other strength. They captivated this reader! Now I would like to note that I have not read every book in this series, but I was able to follow along with the overall plot of the series fairly well. I will also say I could tell I was I miss out on something but that didn’t take away from the story of Alpha’s Promise. It just makes me want to go back to the beginning of the series and learn more of this world and the interesting characters within it.
People will think I’m crazy when I say I have not read many books by Ms. Zanetti. Yes, I know. I’m smashing myself on this one. Paranormal is what brought me into the world that is Romance reading. Ms. Zanetti checks off everything I love in a paranormal while delivering a story that keep you going until the end. Alpha’s Promise is a fantastic read that I highly recommended.
Netgalley provided an ARC for an honest review.
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