Tag Archives: Paranormal

A book that has elements of fantasy, science fiction and/or horror.

Review: Dark Lover

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Review: Dark LoverDark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #1) by J.R. Ward
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #1
Published by Signet on September 6th 2005
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 393
Goodreads
five-stars

Sexy, Exciting Vampire Romance

THE STORY: Wrath is the last purebred vampire and although he is recognized as king, he doesn’t want to be in that position because he believes himself unworthy. Because of his purebred blood, he ends up agreeing to help half breed Beth Randall through her transition to become a vampire. Beth grew up as an orphan and had no idea that her father was a vampire. When Wrath and Beth meet, both of them have their expectations blown apart. At the same time, there are serious threats from the Lessers (de-souled humans) who threaten both humans and vampires alike.

OPINION: I loved this book. Intense, sexy and exciting, DARK LOVER is the story of a serious alpha male who is made both vulnerable and strong by love. The men of the Black Dagger Brotherhood are vampires crossed with dangerous motorcycle gangs. Dark and gritty, DARK LOVER also manages to be deeply romantic. This book is clearly the first in a series as there is much setup and explanation. Also the plotline regarding the war between the vampires and the lessers is just beginning and is clearly not resolved by the end of the book.

WORTH MENTIONING: Ward introduces several other men of the Black Dagger Brotherhood with intriguing stories that will play out in future books.

FINAL DECISION: I really loved this book. Wrath and Beth are a great couple and the story is exciting.

CONNECTED BOOKS: DARK LOVER is the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

five-stars

Review: Whisper of Sin

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Review: Whisper of SinWhisper of Sin (Psy-Changeling, #0.6) by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #0.6
Published by Jove on February 25th 2014
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 88
Goodreads
four-stars

Novella Prequel to Psy-Changeling Series

THE STORY: Ria Wembly is attacked. She is saved by leopard shapeshifters known as changlings. Emmett is a leopard changeling and he immediately knows that Ria is important to him. He is determined to find out who is trying to hurt Ria and to eliminate that threat. Emmett is possessive and dominating and Ria lives with a family that has tried to control her for too long. Can she deal with Emmett?

OPINION: I liked this novella. Singh has created an interesting world and set of characters and I look forward to reading the actual novels in the series. The story between Ria and Emmett is fast and intense. I really enjoyed the glimpses into her family who are a unique bunch. I recommend this novella whether or not you have read the other books in the series.

WORTH MENTIONING: I read this book before any of the major novels in the series. While I suspect that there are lots of cameos by characters that appear in the series, I did not feel that I had missed anything. I understood what was happening in the story.

FINAL DECISION: I enjoyed this story and can’t wait to read the full length novels in the series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: This novella is 0.6 of the Psy-Changeling series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

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four-stars

Review: Wild Invitation

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Review: Wild InvitationWild Invitation (Psy-Changeling, #0.5, 4.5, 9.5, 10.5) by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #0.5, , ,
Published by Berkley Sensation on March 5th 2013
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 339
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Great Set of Four Psy-Changeling Novellas

WILD INVITATION consists of four novellas about the Psy-Changeling world. The first two stories are about secondary characters in the DarkRiver leopard pack and the second two stories are about secondary characters in the SnowDancer wolf pack. Overall rating: 4.25 stars.

BEAT OF TEMPTATION: This novella is a prequel to the Psy-Changeling series. It is the story of the DarkRiver leopard healer Tamsyn and Nathan Ryder, a sentinel. Although Tamsyn and Nathan are destined to be mates, Nathan refuses to approach Tamsyn because he wants her to have a chance to explore and consider life before settling down. Tamsyn is angry at Nathan because she wants him now and doesn’t appreciate him deciding what is right for her. A prequel to the series, the events of this novella occur before SLAVE TO SENSATION. I liked the romance between Tamsyn and Nathan. I read this novella before any other book in the series and understood exactly what was happening. Rating: 4.25 stars.

STROKE OF ENTICEMENT: This novella is the story of Annie Kildaire, a human and Zach Quinn, a leopard changeling. Annie is a schoolteacher for changeling cubs. The drama in the story is around Annie’s fears of having a long term relationship with Zach because she fears that he will tire of her and abandon her. I liked this story although it was the least memorable of the collection for me. Rating: 4 stars.

DECLARATION OF COURTSHIP: This novella is the story of a dominant SnowDancer wolf lieutenant Cooper and the sweet submissive wolf Grace who catches his interest. The couple’s courtship was mentioned in PLAY OF PASSION and this novella gives their story. Cooper is determined to court Grace but she worries that her submissive nature will ruin any relationship they may have. I really liked this story because the relationship is different from the others in the main novels of the series and gives a different view of what dominant and submissive is in the changeling world. I smiled at this story because Cooper does the hard sell in courting Grace with tons of gifts and sexy, naughty notes. A sweet addition to the series. Rating: 4.25 stars.

TEXTURE OF INTIMACY: This novella continues the romance between Lara, the SnowDancer healer and Walker Lauren, Psy defector. Their romance was detailed as a secondary romance in KISS OF SNOW. This novella begins after the events in KISS OF SNOW. Here Lara and Walker are mated but are learning to live together and build a life. Sweet and beautiful and more a love letter to the entire series, I enjoyed this story as a coda to KISS OF SNOW. It gives readers a chance to focus on Lara and Walker and to demonstrate that they have an honest happily ever after. This story was my favorite because I was already invested in Lara and Walker’s story and was happy that they got extra time. Rating: 4.5.

four-half-stars

Review: Archangel’s Consort

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Review: Archangel’s ConsortArchangel's Consort (Guild Hunter #3) by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #3
Published by Berkley on January 1st 2011
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 352
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Paranormal Mystery Thriller and Fierce Romance

“A lot of women have trouble with their mothers-in-law.” Raphael’s look was priceless. “My mother is an insane archangel.”

THE STORY: The story of Elena the vampire hunter turned angel and her lover, the archangel Raphael, continues. Elena and Raphael begin investigating a series of strange events where rage and madness seem to take over various people in the world. Such events portend that one of the ancient angels is awakening from sleep. Raphael fears that it is his mother causing these events. His mother, who left him severely injured while she was half mad. In a story dealing with parents, Elena is still dealing with her estranged father and the memory of her mother’s death. Threats of Elena also test Raphael’s promise to allow Elena freedom. Part murder mystery, part thriller, ARCHANGEL’S CONSORT investigates the role that Elena plays in Raphael’s life.

OPINION: This novel is about parents. Both Elena and Raphael have complicated parental relationships. The trust between the two grows as they heal each other from the pain of those relationships. This book is almost like a murder mystery as everyone attempts to discovery what is going on. Singh writes such a detailed and amazing world that readers cannot help but be compelled to discover more about all the characters. I find the story compelling and am interested in the fact that these characters and their relationships just keep developing as the books go on.

WORTH MENTIONING: I kept thinking when reading this book that this series reminds me of the early books of JD Robb’s In Death series. This series is paranormal and that book is futuristic crime but in many ways the books have a similar feel.

FINAL DECISION: ARCHANGEL’S CONSORT expands the relationship between Elena and Raphael in a powerful way. The novel investigates the pain of parental relationships. Both Elena and Raphael have complicated relationships with their parents and parental memories and this book brings that storyline to the forefront. I enjoy how I learn more about these characters and this world in every novel.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ARCHANGEL’S CONSORT is the third book in the Guild Hunter series. While the book can be read independent of the others, it is part of the continuing story and is best appreciated when read after the first two books.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

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four-half-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