Unknown's avatar

Lords of the Were

6680770

Lords of the Were (Tales Of The Were #1)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really liked this story for being interesting enough to keep my attention and having characters who I would love to know in the real world. The story grabs you immediately and makes you want to find out what could possibly be so mysterious about what the ladies are doing. As characters are introduced you will want to continue on because things get more interesting as they progress. The story flows well and is explained as it goes so you do not have some of those gaps which can be so annoying.

Allesandra (Allie) was orphaned at a young age and never knew her real parents, so when a woman comes to her and says that her mother asked her to get in touch with her when the time came she should have been surprised. What she finds out is that her mother was a priestess and now she must be consecrated into the service of the deity that her mother served. Allie feels so comfortable in a world she had no idea existed until her 32nd birthday when it all opened up to her. She seems a little timid at first but steps up and turns into a gutsy woman.

Tim and Rafe are the twin pair Lord’s of The Were who are sworn to protect Allie and love her if she will let them. They rule over all were no matter what they may be and have a pact with the Lady which keeps them all safe. They are two gorgeous hunks of wolf who take their responsibilities very seriously and will do anything to protect their people.

What no one realizes is that a plot to kill their priestess from an ancient evil is moving their way and they may not be as prepared as they think.

This had what I love in a story in that it made me cry, made me laugh, made me hot! Their was hot sex, good fighting, good magic (black and white), emotional moments, and family. A quick read but a satisfying one.

*This book contains scenes of menage a trois
Unknown's avatar

Embracing the Wolf

18890922

Embracing the Wolf

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was looking forward to getting to know the other Ritter brother and it was well worth the wait. The writing here is crisp and expressive with characters who are as real as any I have ever seen. The story flows easily and pulls you along as the tension builds to a great conclusion. The language is perfect and makes me feel connected to everyone.

Kate Davis is a waitress at The Eatery and is working the graveyard shift when a man and a wolf come in to rob it. Unfortunately she is shot when she tries to protect one of her co-workers who wanders in not knowing what is happening and wakes without knowing what happened. Enter Richard Ritter who runs the security company which monitors the diner. He needs to speak to her and so goes to the hospital to continue the questions but never really got around to it. What he does find out is that Kate is the next target of a wolf who has been kidnapping and changing young women against their will. He feels drawn to protect her for a reason he is not sure about and the only way to do that is by taking a step he has avoided for years even while being nagged by his family. Has he found his true mate?

I really fell in love with these characters and the story fit what I would have expected from them. This was a sweet, sexy story with paranormal overtones. Not many wolves seen but a nice fight scene.

Unknown's avatar

Logan’s Acadian Wolves

18457827

Logan’s Acadian Wolves (Immortals of New Orleans #4)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was another great entry in the Immortals of New Orleans series. I am never disappointed and get great characters, great action, great romance and a mysterious person in the shadows who needs to be found. The introduction of new characters and old ones who have become like family is handled in a way that makes it plausible, for the world where  the supernatural exist, and easy to follow. The narration and language are always well done with few if any typos and grammar errors to drive you crazy. All the characters have a back story that helps you get to know who they are and what their place is in the current and past story if necessary.

Logan had been the Beta for Tristan and his friend for many years, but when he goes to check on things in New Orleans he finds that Marcel is dying and insists that he become the Alpha of the Acadian wolves when he dies. This is not something that Logan has ever considered but for his friend he takes the challenge. This means returning to his roots full-time and facing challenges from those who did believe that he should lead them.

Logan has been dreaming of a woman who he watches be murdered over and over again. Then he finds her running through the streets being chased by vampires and unwilling to disclose why. Wynter has grown up around wolves and understands many things about pack life but not what it means to be attracted to the Alpha. She has been working on something that could have bad results if it falls into the wrong hands and those hands are looking for her because they want her back along with the knowledge she carries. Logan has no idea what or who he has allowed into his pack and the danger that he has brought among them.

I loved Logan the first time I read about him with Tristan, he is hot and forceful and all male. But he does not like being lied to and he can hold a grudge easily, he is also loyal and kind. He is everything you could want in a man and then some. Wynter is a sweet girl who gets in over her head but is brilliant and a good match for Logan.

Alright, we know I recommend this because I think it’s wonderful. Now this one is not as hot as the others but gives some good action sequences along with a love story that has a lot of rocky moments that make them together even better.

Unknown's avatar

Moon Dance

8129929

Moon Dance (Vampire for Hire #1)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have never read anything by this author before but that is all about to change. I really enjoyed this novel more than I though I would. I was drawn into the story from the beginning, probably because it seemed at first that things were just so normal when I knew they weren’t. I’m glad that it started after she had been dealing with the situation for a while instead of taking us through the whole thing and having to arrive at that point. The characters are interesting and the situation unique to anything I have read in the past. The story is simple but at the same time incorporates a mystery that is fairly complex and keeps you guessing. You have the occasional missing word, wrong word, or typo but nothing that detracts from the action. The story moves along quickly with language that is fitting and characters who are given life enough to allow you to get a sense of who they are and what you can expect from them later.

Samantha Moon was your ordinary wife and mother who had a job in a government agency. She was attacked and when she recovers from her injuries discovers that her life has been changed forever. She has become a vampire and has to adapt this new life to her old one, which means changing jobs as well as being a much more tired mom since she must forego regular sleep in order to be awake during the day for her children. Samantha has become a very good private investigator in demand because she closes cases using her new abilities and her government connections. Her life seems normal on the surface but things are not as good at home as she could hope them to be.

Samantha is hired to find the person who attempted to kill Kingsley Fulcrum, a defense attorney who is maybe to good at his job. He was attacked and shot multiple times but survived and now wants to know who did it and why. If anyone can find out it is Sam.

I felt sorry for Sam because she was turned against her will and it made her life so much more difficult. Their was not a lot of action but for a get to know you story it was just right. Light romantic moments, introspection, a nasty husband, and a hot werewolf. Worth reading and worth following her continued story.

“I surveyed the others, who had all stopped in their tracks. “So what was the plan, boys? You were all going to get a fuck in? The very definition of sloppy seconds – hell, sloppy thirds and fourths and fifths. Than what? Slit my throat? Leave me for dead? Let some school janitor find me stuffed in a dumpster? You would deny my children their mother for one night of cheap thrills?”
J.R. Rain, Moon Dance   J.R. Rain
Unknown's avatar

The Mating

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!

 

Unknown's avatar

Tristan’s Lyceum Wolves

Tristan's Lyceum Wolves (Immortals of New Orleans #3)

Tristan’s Lyceum Wolves (Immortals of New Orleans #3)

My rating 5 of 5 stars
Once again a story I could fall into and enjoy without any major distraction other than my own stops to absorb here and there. The characters are as vivid as ever and makes knowing them a pleasant prospect in every book. They have rich and varied lives that could fit in anywhere and with any other people. I can follow and know that where it takes me will always be vastly interesting even with the violence which comes in their world.

Tristan is like any other man wolf or not. He values his freedom and thinks that settling down with one woman will take that from him, he does not give any thought to the fact that a woman might feel the same way. That is what it means to be Alpha, to be adored and obeyed, but not to always look at all sides of things. He and his Beta, Logan, have shared everything for years like their attitudes about finding a mate and on many occasions women.

Tristan wants to find out who fire-bombed his club and is trying to start a territory war. There are a lot of possibilities but he will need to narrow them down and he has only one clue which might help him with that. After getting a new club up and running within a week he hopes that he can now concentrate on that. He is given a lead that does not seem to be going anywhere at first but leads him to more than just the arsonists, but to his true mate as well.

Violence, sex, revenge, abuse, jealousy, betrayal stand right along side loyalty, love, and forgiveness. This is a great installment and I am in love with Tristan and Logan both. If I had to have an Alpha I would take Tristan any day of the week, he is strong and powerful yet tender and sweet. As a second no one can compare to Logan who loves his Alpha and would do anything to protect him. These characters speak to me and make my days a little less dreary when I am immersed in their world.

Unknown's avatar

The First Alpha

The First Alpha

The First Alpha

I gave this 3 stars but I feel more like 2.5 stars. I can’t really decide where I should go with this. I liked the premise of the story and it did move along at a nice pace, but still it was lacking in some ways. I would have liked if the characters were fleshed out more, particularly the character of Lucius. We are told he is a cruel and sadistic guy but we don’t really get to see enough of him to get to explore that. Then there is Megan who is there one minute and gone the next but seems to have an important role in what is going on, no development of who she is or why she did what she did.

The idea behind the story is good and I did enjoy it. Adam has wandered for 3000 years looking for his mate and has not found her in all those years. Cassie is 23 years old and has been given to the cruel 500-year-old Alpha Lucius by her mother to cement a treaty which would save their tribe from disappearing. When Adam and Cassie meet they know they are fated for each other, but the question is can they get away from what has been planned for Cassie since she was a child?

Cassie seems like a weak, whiny wolf with no common sense but then morphs into this strong woman all of a sudden and there should have been more. Adam is way older than Lucius but does not really seem as dominant as you would expect from a wolf of his age, though he is said to feel like an Alpha. This has introduced them and I would like to see more to see if the characters can be brought more to the front and made more interesting.

A quick read with a nice story that may pique your interest.

Unknown's avatar

Trail of Dead

Trail of Dead (Scarlett Bernard, #2)

Trail of Dead (Scarlett Bernard #2)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
There is something about these books that just make me like them. It partly has to do with the characters but it is also the fact that you have very little down time. The action is almost continuous with them running from one thing to the next without very much rest. There is always introspection or planning but things flow along and keep you pondering the next move that will be made. The characters seem very real, probably because they seem to be grappling with the same things we do every day, thoughts of morality, keeping family safe, whether they are loved, and who can be trusted. When you cannot put a book down you know that you have found a winner.When we last saw Scarlett she had just been released from the hospital. Her friend and mentor Olivia, who as a null was supposed to have died, shows up as a vampire and lets her know she is still hers. Scarlett goes to New York to see another null and try to get information on why and how they can negate the magic within others,but the trip is a bust. Upon her arrival home she is met at the airport by Detective Jesse Cruz who does not let her get a breath before he whisks her off to a crime scene, which appears to be related to the Old World. What ensues is a race against time to find a killer and save Scarlett from a woman who has killed to possess her and will not let her go, even if it means killing her.

You have your vampire king, Dashiell, who runs things in Los Angeles but shares governance with two other groups. The witches, who are lead by Kirsten, very powerful and a nice woman who likes Scarlett. Then there are the werewolves who are led by Will, their Alpha, who owns a bar called Hair of the Dog. each of them are powerful in their own right but band together to keep the peace. They all have a stake in what Olivia is ding and want to stop her before its to late.

The writing style here is very straight forward and keeps you guessing what is going to happen next. Scarlett is a troubled person who has lost so much that she can seem self-destructive at times, but she is likable in spite of that, mainly because you can see her love for the people around her. The first entry Dead Spot was good, this one was even better and I can only see it going up from here.

Unknown's avatar

Kade’s Dark Embrace

Kade's Dark Embrace by Kym Grosso   Kade’s Dark Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, #1)
by Kym Grosso

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

This book was just WOW! I am totally and completely in love with Kade Isaccson. The start of this book is so laid back at first you have no idea where it might take you, then Kade spots a woman he is drawn to and you know that their paths are going to cross before long. I knew I was going to enjoy this at that point. If I am intrigued within the first few pages I have to be ready for an all night read.

Kade has been called to Philly from his home in New Orleans by his friend Tristan (an Alpha) who says that a rogue vampire is rumored to be in the city. When a body is found on washed up on the dock apparently drained of blood and with the looks of a ritualistic killing Kade is sure he is right. Detective Sydney Willows is assigned to the case and does not like working with supernaturals but she does not have any choice if the case turns out to be a vampire kill. An attraction between these two could cause more problems for their investigation than either is ready to deal with.

This is a sexy, romantic story with a killer who uses magic, voodoo, and vampire powers to wreak havoc on a city as well as those looking them. This story flows seamlessly from start to finish and pulls you in as it builds to the final showdown with an evil that has no limits.

Sydney and Kade are hot together and would make me blush if I weren’t enjoying it so much. This is a great read for anyone.

 

Unknown's avatar

Rocky

Rocky by Bianca D'Arc   Rocky (Tales of The Were, #4)
by Bianca D’Arc

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

A solid 4.5 stars for being a good fast read that made me like the characters within the first 20 pages and giving me a grizzly bear shifter. I have found another author and series of books that I really want to read. The writing is tight and concise, the characters are well fleshed out, and they seem real in how they react with each other.

Rocky Garibaldi, Maggie , and Antonio Fernandez grew up together and in the end only one could get the girl. Tony and Maggie were married and Rocky moved away because though he was happy for them he could never have the girl he loved. Years later Maggie shows up Rocky’s doorstep in labor with twin male cubs and the news that Tony has been killed by a mage and she has been running from him for the past eight months. Rocky is shocked at the news since his best friend and clan brother was also a powerful Shaman and whoever killed him would have to be as powerful or more. He is happy still to have Maggie come to him and vows to keep her and her children safe. Will she let him be more than a protector however?

There was not a lot of action here but you do have a few hot scenes, cute baby grizzlies, sweet love story, and a great vanquish. This may not be for everyone, but I’m a sucker for a long lost love story. Plus it has a guy shifting into a big bear!