Category Archives: Reviews

Reviews of romance books with a fair look at positives and negatives of each book.

Review: The Master

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Review: The MasterThe Master (The Game Maker, #2) by Kresley Cole
Series: The Game Maker #2
Published by Gallery Books on February 17th 2015
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 448
Goodreads
five-stars

Wow! A Hot Book With a Hot Russian

“Never, never, never trust another man.”

THE STORY: Catarina Marin is desperate. She has been on the run for years from her murderous husband. She needs to flee Miami and needs money to do it. She decides to agree to be a substitute escort for one night in order to make enough money to leave. Her client is Maksim Sevastyan. Maksim is a rich Russian politician and also Mafiya. Cat is nothing like the woman that Maksim ordered but she is appealing to him in ways he doesn’t expect. Their experience is more explosive than either expects and both are drawn to one another in ways that two solitary people never expected.

OPINION: I loved this book. It is hot and full of angst. Cat is a great heroine who takes control of her own life even while it is a mess. Maksim is sexy and filled with his painful past. Cat and Maksim are wonderful together as these two people who have no trust to give one anyone find something special together. This book works so well together. This book is definite erotica, but even though sex is an important and central part of this book, the relationship is never overshadowed by the graphic sexual depictions. This book worked much better as a whole than the first in the series. After finishing this book, the reader is left with the strong characters as the focus rather than the erotica. The book was filled with witty conversations and sweet emotions for two people who don’t expect it. This was a book that grabbed me from the beginning and I loved just about everything about it.

WORTH MENTIONING: Fans of THE PROFESSIONAL will get to attend the wedding of Aleks and Natalie.

FINAL DECISION: I loved this book and found Cat and Maksim to be a great match in every way. There was enough drama and angst and hot sex to keep the story interesting without overwhelming the romance.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE MASTER is the second book in The Game Maker series. It can be read as a standalone although characters from the first book make significant appearances here.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

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five-stars

Review: The Professional

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Review: The ProfessionalThe Professional (The Game Maker, #1) by Kresley Cole
Series: The Game Maker #1
Published by Simon & Schuster UK on May 6th 2014
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 400
Goodreads
four-stars

Conflicted About This One

THE STORY: Natalie Porter is a grad student in Nebraska when the search for her birth parents leads her to discover that she is the long lost daughter of a Russian Mafia leader. She discovers this when her father”s enforcer, Aleksandr Sevastyan drags her out of her ordinary life and forces her on a plane to Russia. Natalie and Sevastyan are immediately combustible together in every way. Sevastyan was sent to protect Natalie but becomes obsessed with her while fighting his attraction to her. The two are quickly engaged in a sexual BDSM relationship while Sevastyan fights the emotional connection.

OPINION: I am conflicted about this book. I wonder if the original format (being split into three ebooks) interfered somewhat with the development of the story. I loved portions of this book. The beginning was incredibly strong. I am a complete sucker for the emotionally damaged alpha hero, but the continued conflict between Natalie and Sevastyan just went on too long in a too repetitive manner for me to find this a great book. It was on the edge of that, but at about the two-thirds mark, I found myself saying “not again!” The couple would have a break through and then her hero would back away once again — over and over again. I think the story could have been pared back somewhat. At the same time, I did love the rough alpha hero who doesn’t completely reform at the end and I liked how the heroine demands to be treated as a woman with her own sexual desires and wants even when the hero wants to treat her as fragile.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book is erotic romance with extensive and explicit sexual exploits including public sex so readers should be warned.

FINAL DECISION: Parts of this book I really loved and some of it was just okay for me. I ultimately recommend it because I think it is interesting.

CONNECTED BOOKS: This is the first book of the Game Maker series. The second book will feature the brother of the hero of this book.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

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four-stars

Review: Bad Wolf

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Review: Bad WolfBad Wolf (Shifters Unbound, #7.5) by Jennifer Ashley
Series: Shifters Unbound #7.5
Published by JA / AG Publishing on July 14th, 2015
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 223
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Great Novella with Sexy Shifter and Lots of Cameos

“It was hard to protect a woman who went charging ahead before Broderick could check that the way was safe.”

THE STORY: Broderick McNaughton is a wolf shifter who lives in the Austin Shiftertown. Readers of the Shifters Unbound series will know that the shifters are treated as second class citizens, forced to live in designated town with few rights. They are magical creatures having been created by their enemies the Fae to be entertainment and weapons of war.

Broderick knows something is wrong when he awakens in a strange place. He realizes that he has been abducted. The people who abducted him want information about the Shifters. Broderick escapes and returns to the Austin Shiftertown and his sort of girlfriend Joanne Greene. Joanne is human and her relationship with Broderick is complicated. The two are circling around one another at the same time that they are attracted to one another. Broderick’s abduction brings them closer together as they work together, use Joanne’s skills as a hacker, to discover who is threatening the Shifters.

The mystery includes a murdered Guardian, appearances by and updates about Austin Shiftertown residents and a real partnership between the main characters.

OPINION: I really liked this novella. The story is snappy and I was surprised at the resolution. It was a definite suspense/mystery story. With unexpected appearances and surprise resolutions, this book is a treat for fans of the series.

Ashley does a great job of keeping the overarching storyline of the series moving forward without allowing the plot to become too complicated.

Broderick is a fun hero. Sexy and brave, he doesn’t think much of himself at times because he is not part of the leadership of the Shiftertown. This story, however, shows that he has an important role and that he is important to those around him. He is a shifter who does his job. I especially liked that he is interested in what Joanne does because it is important to her and wants to know more about it only because of the importance in her life.

Joanne is a character that has grown. I liked that Ashley has redeemed this character who was a negative character when first introduced. There is much here about characters not being simply good or evil. Throughout the series, many characters who had negative appearances have their motivations explained, their opinions changed and become better people because of their life experiences. Joanne is smart and able to take care of herself but has learned a lot and has a more humble view of the world.

This is a bridge book which finishes up some loose storylines and allows the story to continue in future books. It is a good one.

WORTH MENTIONING: Readers of LIon Eyes will be happy to have some additional resolution regarding that story here. Also, I was especially pleased to see Tiger again. He happens to be one of my favorite characters and plays an important role in this story.

FINAL DECISION: I loved this novella. Broderick was a compelling hero who seemed kind and compassionate but with a hell raising side. The romance is not as strong here as with other of the books in the series, but the appearances by other characters makes up for it.

CONNECTED BOOKS: BAD WOLF is book number 7.5 in the Shifters Unbound series. A reader doesn’t have to follow the whole series to enjoy this book. This book is most closely connected with BEAR ATTRACTION and the novella LION EYES so readers might enjoy BAD WOLF more if those are read first.

STAR RATING: I give this novella 4.5 stars.

four-half-stars

Review: Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set

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Review: Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance: Paranormal Romance Boxed SetDark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set by Jennifer Ashley, Caris Roane, Erin Kellison, Felicity Heaton, Erin Quinn, Laurie London, Bonnie Vanak, Colleen Gleason
Series: , Iron Portal #4, Werewolves of Montana Mating Mini #4, Her Angel #8, Dragons of Bloodfire #1, Beyond #2.5, Gardella Vampire Hunters #7
on June 12th, 2015
Genres: Paranormal
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Great Collection of Paranormal Romances

This is a great collection of paranormal romances.

LION EYES by Jennifer Ashley: Bree is a shifters groupie who finds herself with a lion shifter in her truck. He is running from someone and demands that she drive. Seamus is being chased by the authorities who believe he has committed a murder. I really liked the romance between Bree and Seamus. He has an interesting story being part of the renegade uncollared shifters. I also really enjoyed the appearances by Shifter favorites. I thought that Seamus was sweet. This is Book 6.6 of the Shifters Unbound series. Rating: 4.25.

BLOOD FLAME by Caris Roane: Vampire Officer James Conner of the Crescent Border Patrol is a widower. Iris Meldeere is a witch who is a Tribunal Public Safety Officer. In a world where vampires kill witches and witches return the favor, James and Iris at best work reluctantly with one another and more likely have to fight the instinct to kill one another. Thrust into a situation where there are unnatural interactions between vampires and witches and someone seems willing to kill both, Iris and James find that they may have more in common than wanting to kill one another. This story was an interesting introduction to this world but not knowing about this world before, it felt too complicated and took a little away from the romance of the story trying to figure out the rules of the world. This is part of the Flame Series. Rating: 3.5 stars.

TEMPTED BY FIRE by Erin Kellison: Dragon Shifter Thane Ryce Ealdian is determined to avenge the death of his wife and son. When their bodies are discovered, a dispute between Thane and another family over possession of the remains leads to the intervention of Emerson Clark who is a mediator. Orphaned as a child, Emerson knows that she is a bloodkin dragon but doubts whether or not it is true. The story is sexy and intense and I found it an enjoyable read. This is part of the Dragons of Bloodfire series. Rating: 4 stars.

HER SINFUL ANGEL by Felicity Heaton: Lucifer, the king of Hell, is a fallen angel. One day a mortal woman, Nina, is left unconscious in his courtyard. Lucifer is not as evil as might be portrayed but rather has made some bad decisions in his life. Nina has been brought to him for a purpose and he intends to discover what that is. This book has great characters and I was sucked right into the story. Lucifer is a compelling character with an interesting back story. Immediately after finishing this story, I bought the rest of the series. There are mentions of other characters who have stories written about them. Their appearance made me interested in reading their stories, but I didn’t feel that I needed to know that background in order to appreciate this story. This is book 8 in the Her Angel Series. Rating: 4.5 stars.

THE RESURRECTION OF SAM SLOAN by Erin Quinn: Maggie Sloan was left by her husband when he abandoned her and his two children. A year later she is called to his hospital bedside when he is dying from a gunshot wound. Just at the moment of death, Reaper becomes trapped in Sam Sloan’s body when he wants to touch Maggie. When Maggie brings her husband home, she realizes that he is different from the man she knew. The family is threatened by something dark and sinister. This was an interesting story of resurrection and rebirth and also a suspenseful mystery. I liked the story but felt some distance from Reaper even as the story progressed. I did think the romance between these two worked. This is book 2.5 in the Beyond Series. Rating: 3.5 stars.

REBEL’S DESIRE by Laurie London: Toryn Flynn is an Iron Guild Warrior and Keely Weber runs a bookstore with her sister. Keely and her sister were kicked out by their father when it was discovered that they were Talents. When Keely’s sister is kidnapped in order to be sold into the sex trade. Toryn agrees to help Keely find her sister. This was an intriguing story that made me want to read more of the series. I thought the characters were well defined and interesting. This is book 4 of the Iron Portal series. Rating: 4 stars.

REDEMPTION by Bonnie Vanak: Robert Keynes is an Alpha wolf cursed after his Mage lover destroyed the land to which his pack is connected. He desperately needs to break the curse and believes that Aurora Seville, herself a Mage, is the one to do it. I found this story compelling. Both characters have secrets that are slowly revealed in the story. This story is book 4 of the Montana Mating Mini which is connected to the Werewolves of Montana series. Rating: 4.25 stars.

RAGING DAWN by Colleen Gleason: Max Dawson is a vampire hunter whose wife was killed by vampires. Savina Eleaisa has a plan to help kill the vampire that destroyed Max’s family — she intends to seduce the vampire. Very intriguing story with rich characters. Definitely wanted more. A Gardella Vampire Hunters novella. Rating: 4.25 stars.

four-half-stars

Review: Bear Attraction

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Review: Bear AttractionBear Attraction (Shifters Unbound, #6.5) by Jennifer Ashley
Series: Shifters Unbound #6.5
Published by InterMix on February 17th 2015
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 167
Goodreads
four-stars

Another Winning Shifters Novella

“She was a tall, sexy-as-hell Shifter woman who turned into a bear — not your usual girl next door.”

THE STORY: Rebecca is a bear shifter who lives in Shiftertown. Shifters are treated as second class citizens where they are collared and subjected to laws to restrict their movements and behavior. One night Rebecca is apprehended when she is taking a run and ends up going through a restricted area. She is taken into custody by Major Walker Danielson. Walker is the liaison between the Shifter Bureau (which is in charge of Shifters) and Shiftertown. Walker has grown to understand Shifters and especially Rebecca. In order to save her life, Walker has gotten the agreement that Rebecca will be released into his custody in order to help him find a missing woman who is believed to have been abducted by shifters.

OPINION: Readers join this romance already in progress. Rebecca and Walker have already met and although they had a confrontational first impression, they were also attracted to one another. Months have passed and although the two have flirted with one another, neither has made a move. The novella is about how they finally get together. This novella also solves a mystery from prior novels about the disappearance of the woman. Ashley has a complex story structure in this series. Mysteries and challenges are developed and solved over time and various novels and novellas rewarding the long time reader while keeping each book pretty self contained. Rebecca and Walker are a more straightforward couple than might have been expected and Ashley makes the decision to make the drama about the mystery rather than the romance. It is clear from almost the start that Rebecca and Walker are meant to be together and just need that final push to get them there. I like the story and the characters and was glad to see old friends again.

WORTH MENTIONING: There is a new group of shifters introduced in this novella.

FINAL DECISION: A good balance between action, story and character and romance, BEAR ATTRACTION is a fun read. Not as emotional as some of the shifter books, this one is more action adventure with a good dash of romance.

CONNECTED BOOKS: BEAR ATTRACTION is number 6.5 in the Shifters Unbound series. The story, however, builds upon previous books where Walker and Rebecca already had encountered one another. A new reader can start here and be satisfied although it is better experienced after reading the other books in the series.

STAR RATING: I give this novella 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Wild Wolf

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Review: Wild WolfWild Wolf (Shifters Unbound, #6) by Jennifer Ashley
Series: Shifters Unbound #6
Published by Berkley on April 1st 2014
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 294
Goodreads
four-half-stars

These Books Are Just Getting Better

WILD WOLF is the sixth novel in the Shifters Unbound series. It is the story of wolf shifter Graham McNeil and his human girlfriend Misty Granger. The two were introduced in MATE CLAIMED and have been together for eight months at the start of this book. The relationship, however, has been kept casual by Graham who, while he is attracted to Misty, knows that he cannot mate claim her. He needs a lupine mate to help strengthen his pack and his leadership position. Of course, he cannot help but want Misty even though she is completely wrong for him.

This book is definitely about Graham. It is he who has to make all the movement in this relationship. He is gruff and quite honestly a jerk to a lot of people, but he is also caring and protective of those he considers his. Ashley does a great job of making Graham a hero while not sacrificing his character as we have seen him before. We just get to see a more complete picture of Graham.

Misty is a good match for Graham. She doesn’t take his being a jerk. She challenges him and he likes it. This is an action packed book and both Graham and Misty take part. Misty is not merely the damsel in distress. This book is also seriously hot for those who care about that aspect.

The relationship between Graham and Misty has been playing out in the last several books and I would recommend reading at least MATE CLAIMED before reading this book just so one gets to know Graham better. We also get to see many of our past heroes and heroines and it was nice to have an update but it might be somewhat disorienting for those new to the series. Reading MATE CLAIMED first will take care of much of the introductions.

This book also advances the continuing saga of the Shifters, Fae and humans. There is a serious development here that I won’t spoil but that clearly will be a focus in upcoming books.

I loved this book. I liked the early books in the series, but the more recent ones have been fantastic. I didn’t like this one as much as TIGER MAGIC, because I just liked Tiger more as a hero, but this book is close. I’d rate it a 4.5.

four-half-stars

Review: Feral Heat

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Review: Feral HeatFeral Heat (Shifters Unbound, #5.5) by Jennifer Ashley
Series: Shifters Unbound #5.5
Published by InterMix on March 18th 2014
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 153
Goodreads
four-stars

Sweet Novella in the Shifters Unbound Series

FERAL HEAT is a novella (number 5.5 in the series) in the Shifters Unbound Series. It is the story of Jace Warden (Eric’s son from MATE CLAIMED) and Dani Rowe (sister of Ellison from LONE WOLF). After an accident a year ago, Dani has been waging a war for her sanity as she has been close to going feral unable to control her wolf. Jace has traveled to the Austin Shiftertown as part of the Shifters experiments to remove the collar that controls the Shifters. The two meet and sparks are immediate.

I really liked this book. It is not for a new reader. There is too much assumed in the story, but for fans of the series, it is a perfect bridge story to the next novel. It progresses the story on the attempts to remove the collars. It also nicely finishes the story begun in Lone Wolf regarding Dani.

Some readers might object to the abbreviated story here, but as part of the entire series, it works. We already know these characters and it is nice to have their stories wrapped up.

It was also really nice to get small glimpses of many of the great characters in this series.

four-stars

Review: Tiger Magic

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Review: Tiger MagicTiger Magic (Shifters Unbound, #5) by Jennifer Ashley
Series: Shifters Unbound #5
Published by Berkley Sensation on June 4th 2013
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 308
Goodreads
five-stars

My Favorite of the Series

TIGER MAGIC is the fifth novel in the Shifters Unbound series. It is the story of Tiger who had been a government test subject. He has no name and has spent most of his life in a cage. He comes across Carly Randal and immediately identifies this human as his mate. Early is drawn to Tiger, who Shifters distrust but who Cubs love. Tiger exists at the edges of Shifter society because he doesn’t accept all the social constructs. The relationship between Tiger and Carly is interwoven with the mystery of Tiger’s origins.

This is my favorite of the series. I absolutely loved Tiger who is definitely an alpha and yet is a real sweetheart. I thought the story of how Tiger is an outsider even among outsiders was really interesting as well. The story kept me turning the pages.

Loved it!

five-stars

Review: Lone Wolf

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Review: Lone WolfLone Wolf (Shifters Unbound, #4.6) by Jennifer Ashley
Series: Shifters Unbound #4.6
Published by Penguin on April 16th 2013
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 151
Goodreads
four-stars

Ellison is a great hero

LONE WOLF is a novella in the Shifters Unbound Series. It is the story of Ellison Rowe and Maria. Ellison is sweet and caring. He is very lonely living in Shiftertown with only his sister, who is having serious problems after an accident, and her two cubs. As a wolf, he misses having more of a pack. Maria, a human, has been psychologically wounded by having been forced to live among uncollared shifters in Mexico. She plans on building a future for herself and having a mate has no place in her mind. The plot also deals with someone who is trying to steal cubs.

I really liked Ellison in this book. He has wanted Maria for a long time but has stayed back and been a friend to allow her time to heal from her ordeal. These two are sweet together. The boo is more straightforward and not as intricate as the other books in the series, but as a novella it is good. Readers of the series will immediately pick up the threads of the story. People new to the series may have a difficult time because there is a lot of inside information tossed out here and no back explanation. The book is worth reader, but start with the first in the series.

four-stars

Review: Unbound

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Review: UnboundUnbound (Time Hunters #2.5, Shifters Unbound #4.5, The Elementals #1.5) by Angela Knight, Jennifer Ashley, Jean Johnson, Hanna Martine
Series: Shifters Unbound #4.5, Time Hunters #2.5, The Elementals #1.5
Published by Berkley on March 5th 2013
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 441
Goodreads
three-stars

Merely Adequate Anthology

UNBOUND is a collection of four stories. Overall, I rate this a 3.

ENFORCER (Angela Knight): This is the story of Dona and Alerio who are genetically engineered enforcers. There is a serious complication because Alerio is Dona’s superior and she has a bad history with men. This is the longest selection in the book. I haven’t read the other books in this series but this one nearly lost me in the first ten pages. I really struggled to get into the story. There was too much that a new reader needs to understand. Perhaps a series reader would enjoy it better. Rating: 3.

PERFECT MATE (Jennifer Ashley): This is part of the Shifters Unbound Series. This is the story of Bear shifter Nell who finds herself as the subject of interest of a newcomer Bear shifter Cormac. Cormac is looking for a mate, but single mother Nell has loved and lost before and says she has no interest. Cormac is a determined Bear. I was not inclined to like Nell from previous books. Here, however, I really came to understand her prickly nature. The romance between Cormac and Nell is not as good as the other books in the series, but for fans of the series, this is a good addition. Rating 3.5.

THE HUNTER’S CABIN (Jean Johnson): This is the story of Kiereseth and Vielle are on the run when he is accused of treason. They take refuge in a cabin. This story had promise because I liked the concept and the characters and their relationship was interesting. However, I think there was too much that I needed to know from the rest of the series. By the time that I started figuring it out this really short story was done. Rating 2.5.

NO SURPRISE MORE MAGICAL (Hanna Martine): This is the story of David and Kelsey. They were to be married but David called it off because he loved Kelsey. This is also part of a series. I haven’t read anything else by this author. I was sad about this story because I really liked the characters but there was too much going on and the story relied exclusively on the characters not talking too one another. Rating 2.5.

three-stars