Tag Archives: Vampires

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Fractured

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I just finished reading a book that continued the story from the previous one. Although it was short, it felt just right for the established and new characters involved. The characters were all well-developed, even the ones who only appeared briefly. The stories were engaging and helped to advance the plot lines.

Mia was freed when Abby and her family came to find Vicky and found her and other purebred vampires being held captive. While the other captives have all moved on she and Vicky remain at the training center for similar reasons, both feeling that they cannot move forward just yet. David wants nothing more than to help Mia get past her anxiety over being held captive. He has feelings for her that could be more than she can handle.

Just as Mia starts to think things can really be better a past she does not remember comes back to tear her newfound happiness apart.

I was so happy to see one of the Stooges finally in a position to get a little real romance. They have been a part of the family and got to see it happen so often it is only fair one of them gets a chance. This was a wonderful story that was a little heartbreaking. You could not help but feel for Mia and all that she had gone through but she proved to be a fighter. This is definitely for a mature audience with some seriously hot sex scenes. Enjoy!

My rating: ✩✩✩✩✩

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Savage Possession

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I really enjoy this book series, but it has become too predictable for me. The characters are still fantastic, and I love how they are depicted, but the plot is becoming a bit repetitive. The main couple always has to struggle to stay together due to some external force trying to keep them apart. This theme has been consistent since the first book, and while it was enjoyable initially, it has become tedious. It would be nice to see the characters dealing with different situations, or perhaps even have another couple in the pack face romantic challenges.

Darcy always knew that her life wouldn’t be easy. She expected to face various challenges and make hard decisions. Therefore, when she is faced with death, she makes an almost immediate decision that she will do anything to stay with her love, Mason. Zane suggests that she takes on vampire nature to replace her witch nature, and Darcy agrees without considering the consequences. However, after surviving the conversion, everyone is pleased, but they sense something different and dark about Darcy.

I already have the next book in the series but I’m unsure if I want to read it right now. I already know what’s going to happen since we’ve already had a showdown with the same villain before. Do I really need to waste my time? I do like the series, but it’s time for things to move forward. It feels like we’re always in the same place.

My rating: ✭✭✭✭

https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Possession-5-Mystic-Wolves-ebook/

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Day Shift

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The story continues seamlessly a few months after Manfred has taken up residence in Midnight and he is more a member of the community. The characters are already well established and I like them all, even Olivia. The town seems to be changing in subtle ways that the residents cannot do anything about. Several stories are going on in this book that relate to individuals and then come back to the group. This is an ensemble that works well apart but even better when they come together to help each other.

People say there is no such thing as bad publicity but in Midnight where the residents value their solitude it can be deadly. Olivia Charity is an anomaly in a town of secretive people. No one really knows what she does for a living, only that she is beautiful and dangerous.

While in Dallas on a working weekend, Manfred finds out just how dangerous Olivia really is when a couple she is seen in their hotel winds up dead at the end of the evening. Things take a turn for the worse when one of Manfred’s regulars dies during their reading, and her son makes claims that could put Manfred in jail as well as bring the eyes of the world to Midnight, Texas. Olivia is told to help Manfred get rid of his problem and she reluctantly agrees.

Sookie gets a mention here and a character from Dallas who hasn’t been seen in a long time. Things get a little more mysterious in some instances and we get some explanations for other things. I enjoyed this a great deal and think anyone else would too. This is a three-book series and should be read in order.

My rating: ✺✺✺✺

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All the Stars Look Down

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I really liked this duo and found myself lost in both of the stories, one with characters new to me and another with friends that I have missed. Because there are two stories I averaged the stars out to 4.25 for the book. I have never read Grace Draven before but definitely liked the tale that she has included in this book with characters who felt enough like people I found myself liking and would like to see more of in the future. Then there is Elizabeth Hunter who I have been reading and enjoying for a while with my favorite couple making a surprise appearance that made my holiday season.

‘Sunday’s Child’, 4 stars.
The story is based on Norse mythology and has an elf named Andor Hjalmarson who has been exiled for 1000 years for seducing one of the King’s favorite concubines. He is sent away to serve his exile as a helper to Saint Nicholas and in so doing finds someone that makes him feel far more than he ever expected.
Claire Summerland is special even though she may not know it. When she was a child she got to see something that all children wish for on Christmas Eve plus someone she never expected to see but which fades as she gets older. When Claire grows up she no longer sees the magic but does find a bit of magic that was lost to her.
This is a sweet story of love, sacrifice, and redemption. Enjoyable for all!

‘Lost Letters and Christmas Lights’, 4.5 stars.
Giovanni and Beatrice travel to Rome when a new mystery comes along and interrupts their Christmas. Bea is on the hunt for a journal written by a priest in the California missions to another priest in the Vatican. The journals hold the secret to growing grapes. But there is something even more about the letters than what meets the eye.
Fina Rossi was in charge of the library when Lorenzo first established it and Giovanni decided to keep her on after Lorenzo was no more. Fina and her son live there alone but she has been corresponding with a friend of Gio’s and wonders what he is really like. Zeno Ferrara works at the Vatican deep in the archives and has never considered leaving. Then he meets Fina and Gio’s offer of employment seems a little more tempting.
There is a little sweetness and a little heat in this matchmaking story that just happens to involve vampires. A great addition to the Elemental Mysteries series.

I think this is a nice holiday-themed book that will bring a smile to the face.

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Blind Date With a Vampire

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I have read quite a few novels by this author and always enjoy the story she weaves. This was no exception as I was drawn into the story from the very beginning and was reluctant to stop before the end. The main characters are well-fleshed and established in a short time so that you can decide how you feel about them for better or worse. The peripheral characters come clearer as the story progresses though some remain a little murky until the end. The setting is contemporary so there is no particular world-building other than to establish the quirks of these vampires.

Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Glover was an investment banker who came home from the Korean War with a case of PTSD, though they did not call it that then. In 1955 he was coping the best way he could without medication or a doctor with the help of his best friend who took him out for the evening. He gets much more than he wanted when he and his friend are turned by two women they meet. Because he cannot cope with his new life he decides to take a fifty-five-year nap and wakes in 2010 where he likes the technology but finds the women a bit forward.

Samantha Blythe was in an abusive relationship for a number of years, but she is now finally done with it. She just wants to meet a nice guy and her best friend, Pinky gets her on a dating site where she meets who she thinks maybe that nice guy. The only hitch is that he turns out to be a vampire but still a nice guy.

Sam and Nate hit it off but her ex is not done with her and he finds that he has some unfinished business with his maker that could mean the end of any relationship with Sam. Then there is the fact that his friend has kept him so in the dark that he does not even know how to be a vampire.

This was a little more than just a blind date, so the title does not seem accurate, but it was definitely a couple of good ones. There is some good action, with a sweet romance and steamy sex scenes. I would say it is a good recommendation.

My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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When Darkness Comes

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I am just lucking into good authors all over the place these days. I guess I have been missing out on some great reads because I get so stuck on my favorites. I think this may just be another of my favorites. I liked the characters and the way that things progressed in the story. It was a little bit of instalove but it could be forgiven since they at least had been around each other more than a few days. I could however have done without the term ‘lover’ being used as an endearment from start to finish, it really did not resonate with me at all. Most of the dialogue was smooth and seemed to fit the characters but every once in a while things would come off a little stiff.

Abby Barlow ends up having one hell of a day. There is an explosion, she watches her employer die, has a bizarre dream, and finds herself on the run with Dante a man she both fears and desires. Dante was guardian to Abby’s employer for 341 years against his will. But now as the spirit which he has protected falls on Abby, he finds it not the burden it had been in the past. As Dante tries to protect Abby from the dark forces gathering to kill her they find that things are worse than either could have ever imagined.

I liked both Dante and Abby because I could identify with both of them as people. Abby had a horrible childhood but still managed to be a fairly positive person. I would have liked to get some more background on Dante since it was pretty sparse as far as getting to know him.

I like the action and romance of the story. I would recommend it to anyone who has a thing for vampire romance.

My Rating: ✯✯✯✯

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A Werewolf to call Her Own

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I really do like this series. It’s pretty much light and fluffy with a nice romance that may not go smoothly but you know it will work out in the end. You get just what you need from this book and the others because you just want to be taken away for a while and this does that perfectly. The characters are who they need to be and you don’t need to go super deep because they give you enough. The location is exotic but could be almost any Island paradise you can imagine so it almost tailors to the individual.

Maxim is on vacation from the rigors of being beta to a pack he helped build. He has always had a hard time relaxing but this place seems to be working. Ceara is a young vampire, full blood, who is at Mystic Isle for the solstice but has a bucket list she would love to work on. When Maxim sees the young vamp he is enchanted and wants to meet her, and he gets his chance when she is approached by a demon who scares her. Maxim knows right away that she deserves better than him but cannot help wanting to spend what time he can with her.

Ceara falls fast for the werewolf who rescues her and just wants him to be the one. After being cloistered for so long she just wants to break out and enjoy herself if possible. Maxim could do that for her or he could cause her true heartache.

It kind of bugged me that the spelling of Ceara’s name changed from time to time. Other than that I found everything to be great. Look for that HEA for Ceara and Max.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Jabril

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I enjoyed this second book just as much as the first in the series. The old characters were more well defined and the new characters were pretty much brought in with full personalities that made you either like or dislike them immediately upon meeting them. You knew who was who and who could be trusted in a tense situation.

Jabril Karim is one of eight Vampire Lords and headquartered in Houston, Texas. While Raphael rules through loyalty and respect, Jabril uses fear and threats. Mirabelle is a young woman who was placed in Jabril’s care as a 15-year-old along with her 10-year-old sister. In order to get his hands on her money and control her, he turned her one day after her 18th birthday, but he still needs her because she does not get the bulk of her money until she becomes 25, but after that, he will not need her.

When Mirabelle’s sister runs away to avoid the fate of her sister Jabril hires Cynthia to find her, though he does not believe a woman can do the job. What he wants is to claim Cyn and rub it in Raphael’s face for not making her his. With her arrival in Texas Cynthia decides that what Jabril wants is something she will have to thwart in order to save her sisters who were given to a monster.

While the main story is good we have a secondary story that is just as good and compelling. Enjoy this book and be ready for the next which should prove just as good.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rumor has it Raphael used a private investigator, a very private investigator from what I hear, but one who resisted even that arrogant bastard’s charm.” “You would hire a woman?” “Oh hardly, Asim,” he said with a dismissive flip of his fingers. “Talk to the lawyers and find a proper man for the job. But call this woman of Raphael’s anyway. I want to meet her, and that bastard’s ego could use a good pricking. Do you think he would mind sharing?” “I think he would rather share with a snake, my lord,” Asim said with a sharp smile.

Jabril
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Raphael

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This is the first time I have read this author and I am very glad I had the fortune to find this book. While the plot starts out slow-moving, it is interesting from the beginning as we get to know the characters who will be important as the series moves forward. The prologue sets the stage for the story which will be told within the body. The characters themselves come across very well with personality quirks that make sense for the backgrounds they have been given. Then there are some who still have more time to have their personalities become more solid. The world they live in is very familiar to me since it is a place that I actually drive to or through on an almost daily basis.

Raphael is a Vampire Lord with the power of life and death over every vampire within his territory. He has the loyalty of thousands. A gang of humans attack his compound and kidnap a female vampire under his protection. Because humans are involved along with vampires he decides to hire a human investigator to help flush out his enemies. What he does not expect is to be drawn to that investigator so forcefully.

Cynthia Leighton is smart, tough, and sexy, she is also a private detective and former cop. When Raphael comes to her for help she is more than happy to oblige since she is tired of the cheating spouses and tracking bank accounts. Her work with the vampires may not always go over well with the human population but she can do things for them that regular law enforcement will not. Cynthia finds Raphael to be very magnetic but she wants to keep her distance because her heart is not a part of the bargain.

Loved this first book and had to read the next one immediately. I think it would be great for anyone who has a love of vampires and the culture they have established here. Highly recommend!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

And yet as powerful as each of them was, none was so powerful as Raphael himself. Some were older, but age was not everything. Some claimed greater skill, but skill was no substitute for strength. These things were never spoken of; they were simply understood. Boundaries were observed, respect was paid. Anything else would lead to war. And none of the men in this room wanted another war. But someone did. Someone thought to use Alexandra against him. And that someone would pay dearly.

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Crimson Death

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I still love the Anita Blake series because I have come to really like and appreciate the characters. Yes, I know how they will react in some situations, just I know how my own family will react to certain things. This just makes it more a part of me. If I did not feel this way then I would not have stayed with it this long because 25 books is a lot. There are the characters who are well known and and though they may not change in major ways they have subtle changes in the way they think and do things. Then there are always new characters both alive, dead, and shifter who sometimes are interesting and sometimes bland, but most will not be seen again.

Damian, Anita’s vampire servant is in a state that she nor anyone else has seen for hundreds of years. He is not dying as the sun comes up but falls into a sleep that results in his having nightmares and waking to blood sweats so bad he seems to have bled out. Then a call comes from Edward/Ted from Ireland about vampire attacks. The thing is there are supposedly no vampires in Ireland, or at least none have been seen.

There is not a lot Anita can do when she is not wanted in Ireland, but if she goes she is planning to take Damian back into the sphere of She Who Made Him. That could be the worst idea she has ever had.

I know there are people who have read the series in the past and are now extremely critical because they don’t like the direction it took. I would say to those people, Do Not Read It, and then you cannot be disappointed. For those who still enjoy the series as it has progressed I would say that you will likely enjoy this just as much. For me things continue to move in a way that works for me and seems right for the characters. That is all I want, plus it entertains and draws me away for a time. Not to mention that I would not hate being in Anita’s place one bit.

My rating: ✮✮✮✮✮ of 5