Category Archives: Paranormal Romance

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Keep Me Ghosted

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17695088

Keep Me Ghosted (Sophie Rhodes Ghostly Romance #1)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a light and easy read that flew by because the characters were fun and made me want to find out about them. The story was simple and yet still pulled me in with a mystery and ghosts who refused to leave. I read this in the course of a few hours and felt satisfied at the end that everything was as it should be. The characters were well-defined and there was a feeling of seriousness but it had a light touch with a nice romance, even if it happened a bit quickly. Things progressed at a rate that was easy to follow.

Sophie has been looking for job and she has a friend who keeps making things more difficult for her, this friend just happens to be a ghost and her best friend. When she goes to her latest interview the interviewer has a similar friend who does not seem inclined to share him, even with an employee. There is something not quite right about the ghost that has attached itself to Cal, Sophie’s new boss, and she starts to look into it as things start to escalate in the office. Falling for your boss is bad but falling for your boss when he has a psycho ghost is even worse and she needs to find a way to put her to rest before she causes serious harm to someone.

I liked the fact that I there were some serious moments but that there were also moments that gave me a chuckle here and there. Sophie’s ghost friend Marmaduke was a treasure, both a good friend and protector who just wanted Sophie to be happy. You get some light romance, a bit of paranormal activity, some ghostly angst, and mystery. Very enjoyable and most would probably find it so.

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A Vampire’s Christmas Wish

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18660543

A Vampire’s Christmas Wish

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a nice short read that was good but made me feel like I was missing something more. There is an introduction that gives you some background on the character but you don’t get to really know him. The story moves along fairly quickly with introduction of more characters who we also do not get to know nearly well enough before everything starts to happen. I think I just wanted more information about who they were before I had to care about what they were going through. But overall it was still an interesting story that held my attention and left me with a smile.

Janus Morano is a master vampire has been looking for the reincarnation of his lost love through time. They had been happy once, and he wishes that it could be the same again. Deidre Helm has had a tragic history and has compounded it with her life choices. When Janus sees her he feels like she could be the one he has sought for so long. Now he must keep her alive long enough for her to remember him and accept who he is.

I liked Janus even though I would have liked to know how he became a vampire and when. He seemed like a vampire who had a big heart and endless love in him. Deirdre on the other hand kind of annoyed me. She runs off with a strange man and then proceeds to act like he kidnapped her or something, a weak and whiny woman, the worst kind. There was also an issue with the fact that words were missing, misused, misplaced, and whole phrases made no sense, which did make for a rough read.

I enjoyed it none the less.

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Shattered Promises

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Shattered Promises (Shattered Promises #1)

 

This is 4.5 stars for entertaining even though I was not sure what was going on for the longest time. I loved the characters and the way that they were introduced even though I would have liked to have gotten more information on some. The story was confusing for me but it still managed to maintain a flow that allowed me to follow where it was going and enlighten me along the way. The story is rather complicated and twisty so you really have to pay attention to who you are with and what they are doing.

We meet Gemma Lucas as she finds that emotions are no longer a thing only other people feel. Gemma is a student in her final year of college and has no idea what she is going to do when it ends. But sometimes you shouldn’t temp fate by wondering about such things because you may find out that she has plans you might not agree with. She meets Aisling and Alex Avery in one of her classes and feels an electrical charge when she is around Alex, but does not know what it means, and he seems to be unaware of it however.

When she starts to have strange dreams and waking nightmares Gemma believes that she is going insane, but that is far from the truth. Gemma finds herself being pulled into a world and situations that she would have never believed existed. She also finds herself with emotions that she has never had to contend with, and controlling them proves to be difficult. Does she love Alex or hate him? Can she trust Alex? Should she trust Alex? Lots of questions and few answers but finding out is going to be a heck of a ride.

As I said, I did not always know what was going on but half the fun is trying to figure out who to trust and who not to trust. I am just as baffled as Gemma but can’t wait to see if I have chosen wisely. There are thrills, chills, and paranormals galore.

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Captured

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Captured (The Captive #1)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really liked this story and the writing style of Erica Stevens, since this was the first book I read from this author.I felt like I really got to know the characters and that they were very real for me. I got interested from the very beginning and it kept me interested through the end. The story was fluid and there was nothing which did not make sense about what was happening. The world they inhabited was dark and dangerous but it had lightness to it also. The characters have personalities that are three-dimensional and not flat, giving you a chance to know them as people.

Vampires have taken over the world and have ruled for 100 years, meaning that many humans do not even remember what the world was like before they took over. While the vampires live in the cities, in homes and palaces and conduct regular business, the humans who still resist live in the forests in caves and makeshift camps.

Arianna is young and is part of the resistance outside of the town where the vampire royal family lives. She is captured while protecting a young boy and put up for auction along with all the other captives, she can only hope for death or to become a blood slave giving her a short and brutal life, she prays for a quick death. Arianna is a strong character but has some tendencies that make her seem weak at the same time, but I still liked her even she was all over the place emotionally.

Braith is the vampire prince who claims Arianna as his blood slave, even though he has never  had one in all his years of existence. Braith  fought in the war which reduced humanity to slaves and servants. Braith is not like the other vampires, he does not have a cruel streak but has a core of caring. I wasn’t sure what he was doing but felt sorry for him because he wanted something more than just killing and torture in his life.

This is a story about two people who have lived very different lives. While Arianna has heard all these horror stories about vampires she learns that not all of them are the same. Braith finds that love can come even to the most jaded and from the least likely person. They find each other but can they keep each other. I will be reading further because I really need to know what happens to them.

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The Mating

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7785207

The Mating (Law of the Lycans #1)

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was not expecting to enjoy this so much when I started it. Once I started it was impossible for me to stop because I became so wrapped up in what might happen next. The characters were really great and made me care about what was going on and how they would react to what I already knew. The plot was simple and yet still complex enough to keep you turning the pages as the action played out. I had never read anything by Nicky Charles but can see why so many people have said such good things about these books, they are able to really take you away.

The story starts out simply with a girl, Elise, being informed that she will be mated to a man that she has never met. While she is less than happy about it, because she thinks herself already in love, she would never think of not doing it. Her intended, Kane, has agreed to mate her because he is an Alpha and it is time he started a family. Elise must leave home and start life in unfamiliar territory, with people she does not know and there are things going on which she cannot understand within this new group. Things which could be dangerous to her and those around her.

I started not liking Elise because she seemed so whiny and childish, and I really hate whiny people, but she came around and grew a backbone. Kane I liked from the beginning because he sounded impossibly hot but also understanding and sweet. The rest of the people around him were well drawn out and I ended liking all of them except for Marla who was a snake and done just as well. Nothing like having someone to really dislike in a story, makes it more interesting and fun.

I suggest reading this book and the rest just like I plan to do!

 

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The Hybrid’s Mate

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The Hybrid’s Mate

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a very nice novella which would have been even better if it had been expanded on. At least that’s the way I felt about it because I was enjoying it and was really sad to see it end where it did. I wanted more of the story and to find out what happened to everyone. The characters are different but not to different from what you would expect when reading about vampires and werewolves. Though the story started a bit slowly it picked up quickly enough that I was wiling to forgive the drag of the introduction. Once things started it flowed and made perfect sense within the explanations for what had happened in the world. I don’t think that the characters are as well-developed as they could have been but they still manage to capture your imagination.

Shay is a hybrid, half vampire and half something else, she has been looking for her mate for years with no success. When she finally finds him it turns out that he is a vampire, much to her surprise. Draven is more than just some vampire, he is royalty and has been looking and waiting for her arrival so that he can really begin his life. Though the world is now ruled by the vampires and humans are nothing more than cattle and slaves, Shay hopes that it can change now that she has found her other half.

While they are trying to settle into their life together there is someone who is plotting against them. Just as their lives start to look up one of them is taken and the other must go and rescue them before it is too late.

 

 

 

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Ghost Betweens

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Ghost Betweens

My rating 4 of 5 stars
I usually like my horror a bit more bloody and dark but for this I will make an exception. While not bloody it did have a dark edge to it. It was an easy read that allowed you to get to know the characters in increments as the book progressed. Some were better represented than others but you still had an idea of who they were in relation to each other. The reasons behind the haunting was never made completely clear but the story was still good even without knowing every detail. It was able to keep my interest and keep me turning pages wanting to find out what would happen next. The term Ghost Betweens was a new one on me and I think I like it, it seems very apt for the teens here.

Citrus Valley is located somewhere between Los Angeles and Orange County in California. There is a farmhouse just outside the town which is said to be haunted and no one can say how long it has been empty. The local kids don’t party there and no one has even stayed for a night in the abandoned house, but it has a feeling that keeps people away. There is a sign out front which changes year to year or month to month and sometimes day by day, yet no one has ever been seen doing it.

Josh and Zach are high school boys who decide to go out and take pictures around the old farm and maybe capture some ghosts on film. They definitely get there wish and when the pictures are shown to one of their teachers he enlists them to continue their search for ghosts. They in turn bring into it Kendra, the girlfriend of Zach, and a new girl in school, Whisper who at first thinks she is joining a photography club. They wake up an evil that wishes to use them and they must race to master skills which will keep them alive and save more than their town from what could be released.

While light on scares it gives a nice story of young love blossoming in the face of horror. Finding the person who completes you before you are even complete yourself and learning to work together for the greater good. There was only one thing that bugged me and that was we never really got any answers about the teacher, like how he knew so much about ghosts, and spells, and evil entities, he was a history teacher after all. But that was a small thing and did not detract from the overall enjoyment of the story. This book is YA and so has no major heavy content.

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The Trials

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The Trials

The Trials (The Elite #2)

I have fallen in love with this series and this is only the second book! From the start I was ready to follow this story anywhere it wanted to take me, it had me at the first sentence. The characters are so well defined they seem like friends who decided to drop by and relate a new adventure. The language is straight forward and appropriate for the place and type of people they are. There is nothing slow about anything which happens, we keep moving from action to action with time for reflection that does not even slow down the pace. This was a perfect blend of action and introspection that allowed you to know the character and get behind or against them through their thoughts and deeds.

Connor Moore has been changed forever, he now officially belongs within the world of the Elites, but must still prove himself to be the Judge of the prophesy who will save his race and humankind from a darkness coming to claim them. To do this he must endure The Trials, which have not been used in over a thousand years but is the only way to garner support for a half-blood. When he accepts to undertake them he finds that he is told that he must pass the three trials which will test him mind, body, and spirit. Being eighteen is hard enough but to take on the role of savior is more than any teenager should have to do. The question is if he can do it before the darkness overtakes them. And to add to his burden he has not one but two girls who want to know where they stand in his life. That may have to wait until they see if they survive.

This is a smart, witty, action packed series that has eye candy throughout (great imagination from great descriptions) that anyone would enjoy. I have found characters that I can relate to and cry for or laugh about or hate and that is what good writing does, it draws you in and makes you care one way or the other. That is what I have here. It may not be for everyone but I would think if given a try it would do the same for anyone. And I for one cannot wait for the next installment, cliff hangers always make me anxious and I want to know what happens!

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Magic Possessed

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Magic Possessed (The Hidden, #2)

Magic Possessed (The Hidden #2)

I received this book from Goodreads First Reads for free.

I totally loved this book and would give it 4.5 stars because it grabbed me and kept me engrossed until the end. I will definitely be reading the first book in the series and following up with the rest. The characters are so well written that I came to really care about them and what they were going through. Of course some were filled out better than others but the main ones and most of the side characters made this worth while. The world they inhabit is like ours but just different enough to make it interesting.

With a number of mythical characters, chief among them dragons, sorcerers, and caidos (descendants of fallen angels). These people came from a place called Luciferia, a place that no longer exists except as the Bermuda Triangle we know today. When their home is destroyed they head to Florida and make a home for themselves there among the back roads and small communities. While they do not always get along they have managed to create a place they can live and thrive until someone decides that things are going to well and starts to shake the hornet’s nest.

Violet Castanega and her family are Dragon shifters and a bit of a rowdy bunch, along with most of her neighbors. She was a brawler when she was younger but has grown into a responsible woman and then the murders start. I liked Violet because she was a strong woman who was not afraid to do whatever was needed to protect her family and those around her. She was also able to trust when she had no reason to.

Kade Kavanaugh is a Deuce (sorcerer) and he works for the Guard, they are a police force for the supernatural folks in the area. They do not have any love for the dragons who they see as completely uncivilized and therefore are unconcerned when dragon bodies start dropping. That is until Violet shows up and he is ordered to assassinate her with no explanation or proof of wrong doing. Kade is an honorable guy who would never do anything he felt was wrong, and you have to love him for it.

This was a fun and emotional ride with mystery, hot sex, conspiracies, murder, revenge, and above all Love. I laughed, cried, yelled, and thoroughly enjoyed myself! If you want something that will take you away and entertain you, then you have got to read this. You will be missing out if you don’t give it a look.

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The Beast Within

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The Beast Within

The Beast Within (The Elite #1)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a great and exciting book! I was pulled into the story immediately and could not put it down. You may go in thinking you are about to read another vampire/werewolf story but you get so much more than that. The characters are well-defined and real, they have personalities which will make you run the gambit of emotions when you read about them. The plot starts with a kick and makes you want to keep going from chapter to chapter in order to see what will happen next.

Connor Moore is your average eighteen year old, he’s graduated from high school and lost his girlfriend of the last two years when she breaks up with him. His world is one of working for his mother, working out, and trying to figure out how to tell her he is not going away to college but staying close by, just your normal everyday things. But when he meets Laren Abelardus in the woods one day after a run things start to change for him, both for the better and the worse. Connor is drawn into a world that has been hidden but living alongside humans for generations, a world of human like creatures who live among us but do not interact with humanity on a daily basis.

Connor finds that what he always thought to be true about the world and himself is a far cry from where the truth lies. People he has known for years are not who they appear to be. He is not who he thought he was and things he has always held to be true are not.

If I say anything more I will likely give away to much and I wouldn’t want to do that. There is action packed moments, villains, heroes, sorcery, shifters, and betrayal. There is not a lot of teen angst, which I am happy for. If you like YA or even if you only read it on occasion you should give this a try. It is well worth the time.

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