Thursday, June 25, 2015

Romance Book Review: Maya Banks' Safe At Last

Author: Maya Banks
Series Connection: Slow Burn Novel
ISBN: 978-0062312501
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Avon

Purchase Link: Amazon

Security expert Zack Covington protects and rescues people for a living, but he still remembers the girl he loved who walked away 12 years ago. When he finds her again while on a job Zack can't believe his eyes, but his long lost love is so scared of him and keeps talking about his betrayal that Zack can't get close enough to find out what she's talking about.

Anna-Grace Hill is about to finally turn a corner and get on with her life after 12 years of living in the past and hating her ex for his betrayal. She has made a good friend who is helping her with her first big art show, but when she walks into the gallery where her art is displayed she walks right in on her past and she is completely terrified to see the man who she believes wants her dead--Zack.

All isn't as it seems, but before the two get to work out their problems someone from Zack's past leaves a battered and bruised Anna-Grace for dead on his door step and now she trusts him even less. Can Zack gain back Anna-Grace's trust before those that want to use her to get back at Zack and his partners kill Anna-Grace or someone else they love.

I jumped at the chance when I found Maya Banks' new book even though I had missed book one and two in the series. I do that a lot and if I feel I liked book enough I might purchase the earlier books to read them. Generally you can get enough information throughout the book to tell the story. With this book, I kind of caught on, but I think to really understand why the bad guys want to ruin the DSS team you have to read books one and two first. That being said I did get the general gist of this story.

In some ways this book deviates from Maya Banks usual books. While there is a hot love scene at the end of the book it doesn't take on the author's usual hot, hotness, but works well with the story as this is truly a love story.

The heroine is a little too fragile for my taste, but the hero's sensitive side will knock your socks off. I loved his character through and through. As for the Anna-Grace--I wanted to bang her upside the head a few times and just get her to talk to Zack and tell him what happened already.

Another well done part of the book is supporting characters Wade and Eliza. Unfortunately it seems this was only a three book series and this was the last book. Maybe Maya Banks will bring Wade and Eliza back in another series sometime in the future.

Description:
The third book in the beloved #1 bestselling author's sexy, romantic suspense Slow Burn series…
They say young love doesn't last, but a girl from the wrong side of the tracks with unique abilities and the hometown golden boy were determined to defy the odds. 

For Zack Covington, Anna-Grace—his "Gracie"—was the one. Until one night forever alters the course of their future, when a devastated Gracie disappears without a trace, leaving Zack to agonize over what happened to the girl he loved. As the years pass, his desperate efforts to find her uncovered nothing.

Now working for Devereaux Security, he stumbles across a painting featuring a special place only he and Gracie would know. The image is too perfectly rendered for it to be coincidence. His Gracie must be alive. When he finally tracks her down, he is shocked—and heart-broken—to discover the wounded shell of the girl he once knew and still loves. Her psychic gifts are gone, and worse, she believes he betrayed her all those years ago.


Zack has enemies, and once his weakness is discovered, Gracie becomes a target for revenge. He'll have to save her before he can earn her trust and her love. And he vows they'll never be torn apart again.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Romance Book Review: Monica Owens' Fallen Angel Series

Title: Fallen Justice
Author: Monica Owens
Series Connection: Fallen Angels Series
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Fantasy, Suspense, Gothic, Mythology, Mystery
Publisher: Red Sage

Purchase Link: Amazon

With the loss of his sword, fallen angel Dagon is slowly going insane. His only hope is to get his sword back. When an ex-nunn dies, the church asks the fallen angels to help and find out what happened to her, they know that there is more involved in the old Nunn's death then the police can find out. 

Gina never knew her parents and when she found the Sister Mary Ruth she felt she had finally found her grandmother. 

Dagon knew when he first met Gina with Sister Mary Ruth that he wanted her. At Sister Mary Ruth's funeral he knows that he needs to protect her even if it is from the Devil himself. 

Description:
Dagon is a fallen Archangel. When he fled Hell, he took along his soul-killing sword of Hellfire. After centuries with his sword, Dagon has it stolen, causing him to descend into a whirling madness. Gina Marcos has just found her grandmother and now is forced to bury her. The murder of the ex-nun comes to the attention of the church and they ask the Fallen Angels to investigate. 

Gina, and her many secrets, finds it necessary to coexist with Dagon and his roommates. As the investigation into Sister Mary Ruth's death continues, Gina and Dagon enter into a dangerous relationship. And if Gina's past doesn't come between them, then Dagon's madness surely will. 

Reader Alert! Insanity. The Devil's children. Love. Lust. Be prepared...this is not a love story for the faint of heart. It does not fit a mold. Dagon's madness sparks an anger and rage most women would run from. Ah, but be patient, Dagon may win it all in the end... To My Readers: Thank you for coming along on another of Fallen's wild rides. This book features Dagon, our insane hero, and the object of his lust, Gina. Enjoy Dagon and Gina's story--there might be a surprise or two!

Title: Fallen Demon
Author: Monica Owens
Series: Fallen Angels Series
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Supernatural, Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Red Sage

Purchase Link: Amazon

Paige and her twin sister took a trip to Germany. They only have each other left in the world. While on a hike, Paige and her sister get separated and her sister disappears. 

In the meantime, Paige comes across an injured man and helps him. She brings him back to her hotel in an effort to make sure he is okay. Later after the handsome man leaves her, Paige attempts to find her sister, only to be swept into a world she never knew existed. 

Description:
After centuries of life on earth, things are heating up for the Fallen Angels. A group of humans has stumbled upon their existence and a Rogue fallen angel is using their fear to his advantage. The first piece of his plan is going into effect: in the picturesque locale of the Black Forest, Germany. 

Samael the Seraph has made a home for himself in Germany. For the most part, it has been a calm life, with only a few painful difficulties over the years. But now tourists are missing and turning up dead. Sam and his group of fallen angels can’t figure out who is behind these heinous crimes, but they know for sure that this is not a human murderer.

Paige and her sister Victoria are visiting Germany from England. Victoria vanishes just as Paige meets Sam, saving his life. She insists on helping Sam and his friends find Victoria and Sam decides the only way to keep Paige out of trouble is keep her by his side. As they close in on the murderer, the danger to Paige reaches sickening heights, and Sam isn’t sure he can keep her safe. Not with the evil the Rogue intends to unleash upon the world…

Title: Fallen Daughters
Author: Monica Owens
Series Connection: Fallen Angels Series 
Genre: Contemporary, Fantasy, Paranormal, Suspense, Gothic, Mystery, Mythology
Publisher: Red Sage

Purchase Link: Amazon

Meet three of Satan's daughters and the men they fall in love with. Each daughter has a different kind of relationship with the Devil.

Ember has been kicked out of Hell left to live for centuries on Earth with humans. As a parole officer she meets a member of the local motorcycle gang, Cage. 

When her father asks Amaryllis to go visit her sister Ember to check and make sure she is doing well, shy innocent Amaryllis doesn't realize that Daddy dearest may have an ulterior motive in Amaryllis going to see her sister. 

When Amaryllis gets to earth she meets Dominguez, a biker that comes from the same gang as Cage. Stuck in a snow storm she can't get enough of the sexy biker, but what will happen when Dominguez finds out that she's the Devil's daughter. 

Ruby is about to get stuck in an arranged marriage so that she can start having babies in hopes that a male child would be in the future. All she wants is one last weekend of fun before she marries so fat old minion of her father's. When she gets to earth she meets Maddox of the same motorcycle gang her two sisters have attached themselves to the two hit it off right away, but when her mother Lilith realizes that she's gone and comes to get her all hell breaks lose. 

Description: 
Fallen Daughters contains three stories all intertwined with the Devil Bones MC. The first story belongs to Ember and Cage as he fights for the life of his motorcycle club. With Ember's encouragement, he makes the changes needed, but at a huge price. Will he lose the love of his life when she makes the ultimate decision? Amaryllis is sent to check on her sister, but instead runs into Dominguez. 

When Amaryllis realizes her father has betrayed her, Dominguez turns his back on her and she goes home in disgrace. But the feelings Dominguez incited cause Amaryllis to make a daring choice. Ruby wants one last fling before marrying the man her father has chosen for her. 

What she finds is Maddox, the tattooed, pierced Sargent at arms of the Devil Bones MC. When a deadly shooting occurs, Mad takes off after Ruby to get some answers. What he gets is an experience he'll never forget, not after meeting Ruby's mother Lilith.

Fallen Grace
Author: Monica Owens
Series Connection: Fallen Angels Series
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Gothic Romance, And Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Red Sage

Purchase Link: Amazon

For more than 500 years Fallen Angel Forneus has not had sex and although it has been hard, it has never been harder now that his fellow fallen have found their mates and he has to live with them. Taking a trip to help a woman in need Forneus finds this one woman might be the one who soothes his woes. 

Holly's cousin has some serious mental issues, but when she asks Holly to contact an email address and ask for help, Holly can't deny her. When Forneus walks in the door, Holly isn't sure she can trust him. Se decides to tell him to forget it, but Forneus doesn't give up that easily. While he is checking out for more details, the devil's soldier tries to kidnap her.

Description:
Forneus is done. Done with Chicago. Done with love. Done with everything. He decides to throw himself into helping others, because isn’t that what the Fallen Angels are here for? He answers an email by arriving in Las Vegas to help a woman out of a sticky situation. A situation that she has failed to communicate. But anywhere is better than Chicago.

While each of these stories can be read alone, reading the entire series helps to keep the back story straight. It will allow you to understand fully how desperate the Devil is to find his missing daughters. Easy reads with an interesting plot, good fight signs and lots of romance. 

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Romance Book Review: Celia Kyle's Pailey

Author: Celia Kyle
Series Connection: Alpha Marked
ISBN-13: 9781680399967
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Werewolf Romance, Witch Romance, Menge Romance, Erotic Romance, BBW Romance

Purchase Link: Amazon

Paisley's story picks up where Lorelei's story ends while her sister's are meeting their mates at the Gathering, Paisley is kidnapped not knowing anything about werewolves and the magic she carries inside. Just when she thinks she's about to come to a disturbing end something blows up and when she realizes it was her own doing that is just the beginning of the story.

Coming to her rescue after she knocks out her captor are two hot looking werewolves, Hawkins and Chance. They have quite a story to tell her and while she is reunited with her sisters Paisley must come to terms with a whole world she doesn't know anything about and figure out why she was kidnapped in the first place.

I purchased this book a while back, but didn't get a chance to read it until just this week. First of all if you have missed the Alpha Marked series I would recommend you read it in order to keep up with who all the characters are and why these sisters and cousins find themselves in the middle of a werewolf war.

Once you get to Paisley's story you are in for a treat. So far my favorite, Paisley's story digs deeper in the personalities between the three chosen mates and pulls in a little more emotion than the other stories. Paisley comes to terms rather quickly with what is going on and I wish with the rest of what is going on she would have held off a bit longer, but otherwise the connection to the rest of the storyline works well.

Not that Celia Kyle has finished with the second set of sisters it will be interesting to see if she decides to go on with a new group of characters.

Description:
Thirty and single? Well, getcha butt to the Gathering! Wait… what? 

Paisley Twynham is over the whole werewolf thing. It’d been a shock to be magically kidnapped and plopped in the middle of a werewolf gathering. Then she got kidnapped a second time, had the crap beat out of her, escaped, and then met two men who are supposed to be her mates. Yup, all kinds of “over” the Gathering. Her only salvations are her sisters and… the two men she can’t help but drool over. Tall, muscular, sexy as hell, and for some reason, they want her fluffy ass. Maybe she doesn’t hate werewolves as much as she thought… 

Chance and Hawkins don’t quite have a solid Warden bond. Hawkins is holding back while Chance is slowly reaching the end of his patience after ten years of partnership. The only woman who might save them is Paisley. Seductive, curvaceous, vivacious Paisley Twynham. She’s their Warden Born mate and Chance refuses to let Hawkins’ past stand in the way of their future. 


But something else hides in their path that threatens to end their mating before it begins. Or rather, someone.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Romance Book Review: Amber Daulton's Cinderella's Enchanted Night

Author: Amber Daulton
Series Connection: A Cinderella Body Club
ISBN: N/A
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Purchase Link: Amazon

Annalise has been enamored with Elijah for months, but hasn't had the guts to approach him. Instead every week she follows his tour around a local museum just to hear him speak. Fearing she was turning into a stalker she went to her weekly evening with the girls and lamented her woes. One of her friends tells a tale of her last visit with her aging grandmother and a magic locket. Throwing caution to the wind, Annalise and her friend decide to take advantage of the magic that could make their dreams come true if only for a day.

The next day Annalise can't believe her eyes when the magic works, making her beautiful and giving her a chance to feel confident enough to approach Elijah. She only has until midnight and she is making the most of it.

Cinderella's Enchanted Night is part of a four series novella set for four individual authors, each book can be read alone but it would be good to read all of the books to learn how all the ladies do with their special day.

Cinderella's Enchanted Night was a sweet fast read with two shy individuals that worked well together. Elijah's vulnerability and personality matches Annalise and her own issues.

Description:
Annalise Gallagher wanted Elijah Burleigh. Plain and simple. She’d watched him from afar for months, her friends called her ‘his own personal stalker’, and then she made a wish on a magic pendant for a full-body makeover. Transformed into the gorgeous knockout she’d always wanted to be, she asked Elijah out on a date and wore a haute couture gown straight from Paris to his friend’s wedding. 

With just twenty-four hours on the clock, her enchanted night faded into the morning hours and everything crashed down around her. Annalise harbored a shameful secret and Elijah demanded the truth with the veil of magic gone. 


The truth, however, could destroy her fragile confidence and push him away forever.

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Romance Book Review: Georgette St. Clair's Bridenapped

Author: Georgette St. Clair
Series Connection: Alpha Chronicles
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Werewolf Shifter Romance, Erotic Romance, BBW Romance

Purchase Link: Amazon

Running through her morning mail Caitlin receives an invitation to her own wedding. At first she thinks it is a joke, but then she realizes that the local werewolf pack alpha is serious and is planning to "Bridenap" her and make her his.

Caitlin may be attracted to the jerk, but after what he has done to her family she has no intention of marrying him, but she has no choice because if she doesn't the whole town has to each give the pack a year of their salary and leave her town in shame with the whole world watching.

Now Caitlin has to figure out a way out that doesn't involve hurting anyone, including herself after just one night with the sexy alpha Kristofer she doesn't know how she will resist.

Cute fantasy story. The old world of tradition the werewolves live in, compared to modern Caitlin is an interesting contrast. There are just the right amount of villains and good guys, adding the charm your pants off alpha and two fun loving best friends.

Description:
Bridenapping? That old tradition where the Alpha grabs the bride of his choice and takes her back to his pack’s property to submit to his lustful demands? That’s so 19th century. 

Unfortunately, the law is still on the books, and quite enforceable. And even worse, the sexy new Alpha of the Verhold Pack has the nerve to stake his claim – on the one human in Lakeville who has reason to loathe him the most. Caitlin Bellefont blames Kristofer for taking her family’s lands, but if she refuses him, it means financial ruin for her entire town. 


Now Caitlin’s only hope of escape is to resist the scorchingly sexy man who is determined to show her the pleasures of submitting to an Alpha. Not only that, the whole world is watching – and not all of the eyes on Caitlin are friendly. While TV shows beg for interviews, and social media sites are blowing up with rumors and news leaks, it seems that someone very dangerous will stop at nothing to prevent this wedding. Can Caitlin sort out her tangled feelings for Kristofer, and resolve her family’s bitter feud? She’s got until the next full moon to find out.

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Romance Book Review: Celia Kyle's Roaring For Him

Author: Celia Kyle
Series Connection: Wicked in Wilder
ISBN-13: 978-1-68039-989-9
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Shifter Romance, BBW Romance
Publisher: Celia Kyle

Purchase Link: Amazon

For bakery owner, and half-werelion Tilly McBride protecting her sister is everything to her, which means even protecting them from their own mother. 

On a routine morning at her bakery Tilly has to call a client to tell him his cookie order will be a little late, when the phone is answered at the other end she is speechless. The voice on the other end of the line is makes all her girly parts go wild. 

It isn't even 10 minutes after she's abruptly hangs up that the man from the other end of the line shows up at the bakery to meet the her.  Alpha werewolf Mitchell Blake can't believe the voice on the other end of the line made his inner wolf sit up and howl. He has to go check her out for himself. 

While the animal attraction between Mitchell and Tilly couldn't be hotter, these two have some big obstacles to get around, not the least of which cats and dogs don't get on very well and Tilly's mother is up to another blackmail scheme to get more money out of Tilly and Mitchell won't let the fly.

Amongst the laughter and the tears in Celia Kyle's new full length novel is a story with a lot meat. As the two lead characters make their way through the first days of getting to know each other they have a big fight on their hands coming up. Members of Mitchell's pack don't like the idea of their alpha mating with a cat and Tilly's got her hands full trying to protect her younger sister Phoebe. 

Once again through it all, Celia Kyle lets her sense of humor shine through. Mitchell interactions between Phoebe and Tilly's best friend Emma, as well as watching the two navigate their new relationship keeps readers entertained through to the end of the book. This is a fast-based book that is an excellent weekend read for shifter fans. 

On one last quick note: the cover is awesome, love the sexy models and the lion is just so perfect. 

Description:
Can cats and dogs get along? Maybe. What about werelions and werewolves? If it’s Tilly and Mitchell, definitely. Or rather, maybe. If he’d just get his head out of his…

Half-werelion Tilly McBride owns Bless Your Tart, the South’s latest and greatest bakery. Or at least the best one in Georgia. Fine. It’s the best in Wilder, Georgia, mainly because it’s the only one. She manages to balance running the shop, keeping her middle sister in college, and making sure she doesn’t kill her youngest sister before she graduates high school. 

She’s a proprietor, an older sister and… a mate? At least that’s what local werewolf alpha Mitchell Blake seems to think. He also assumes she’ll hop on the Bang Town Express the second they meet. Sure, he’s hot. Hotter than hot with his muscles and that smile and the way he growls… Should. Be. Illegal. But is he better than a chocolate cupcake with buttercream icing? That is the question. She’s afraid the answer might be yes. 

Werewolf Mitchell Blake thinks the answer to every question should be yes. Yes, he wants Tilly. Yes, he craves Tilly. Yes, he’d like to bend Tilly over the pack’s claiming altar and mate her so everyone will know she’s his. She. Belongs. To. Him. He just has to convince her first. That shouldn’t be a problem. He’s the Wilder alpha. Every woman wants to be with him. Except one curvy, annoying, delicious package named Tilly McBride. 

Mitchell will have her. Just as soon as he gets rid of the one trying to end their mating before it has a chance to start. Permanently.