Showing posts with label Forbidden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Forbidden. Show all posts

Shadow's Edge by J.T. Geissinger // Review

March 13, 2021

Shadow's Edge by J.T. Geissinger

A book lay on her bedside table. He flipped it open with one finger, read a single paragraph.

Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.

Leander's lips curled into an amused smile. Animal Farm by George Orwell.

Ah, the exquisite irony.


Shadow's Edge by J.T. Geissinger

Shadow's Edge by J.T. Geissinger


Standalone - Night Prowler #1
Release - June 12, 2012
Genre - Paranormal Romance
Multiple POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5/a few scenes
Format/Source - ebook borrowed through KU
Length - 383 pages
Publisher - Montlake Romance

Blurb from Amazon:
Deep within the primeval forests of southern England, a race of beautiful, savage shape-shifters lives hidden from the everyday world. Bound together by ancient bloodlines and a ruthless code of secrecy that punishes traitors with death, the Ikati send their leader Leander on a mission to capture one raised outside the tribe before she can expose their secret. When Leander tracks the unsuspecting outsider to Southern California, the hardened warrior is prepared for a fight—but not for the effect the sensual young beauty has on his heart.

Jenna spent her childhood in hiding, on the run from someone—or something—her parents refused to discuss. She trusts no one, not since her father’s mysterious disappearance, not since her mother’s sudden death, and definitely not since she began exhibiting strange, superhuman abilities. When handsome, enigmatic Leander appears, promising answers to the mysteries that shroud her past, she knows she shouldn’t trust him either. But their connection is undeniable, and as powerful as the enemy hell-bent on destroying every one of their kind...

When I asked for paranormal romance recommendations (and I'm always asking for them), Shadow's Edge came up a few times so I knew I had to add it to my list. I am so glad I finally got the chance to read it!

This book had so much of what I look for in a great story:
🐾 intense and dynamic characters — and I mean ALL of them!
🐾 compelling plot — I love when I can't predict exactly where the story is going to go. Who's friend and who is foe?
🐾 insane chemistry — I'm telling you, the tension that burned between Leander and Jenna was immense. It practically leaped off of the pages!
🐾 no unnecessary drama — only necessary dramatics, although the heroine came this close to getting on my nerves
🐾 a happy for now ending — the underlying plot isn't over so I'm sure more of this couple will be shown as the series goes (hopefully)

Leander was the brooding, gorgeous and fierce Alpha of the Ikati. He ruled, protected, and carried the heaviest of burdens. When it becomes clear that a half blood is approaching their 25th birthday, a day when their gifts either present themselves or don't, it's up to him to impose punishment. In his world, half breeds are an abomination and should be put to death. Will he be able to carry out this judgment?

Never calling any one place 'home', Jenna has become accustomed to spending her whole life bouncing from one place to the next, never understanding why she and her family couldn't stay still. She always knew she was different and after her father's mysterious disappearance, she was told to hide how special she was. She only knew that if 'they' found her, she was to disappear. However, when Leander comes into her life, she has to choose between fight or flight. Does she continue to hide or does she find the courage to face what she's unknowingly avoided her whole life?

I enjoyed the push and pull of the relationship that developed between Leander and Jenna. There was no easy road for them, but the author didn't make it impossible. Instead, we were given strong people who had to learn to adapt - to a new world, to a new truth, to each other. It was obvious that they were meant to be... the author just made them work for it. I could have easily done without Christian's feelings, which took away from how much I enjoyed getting to know his character, but I'm guessing this is something that will get worked out in another book. Overall, a solid and well-written read and I will definitely be checking out the next book of the series.

You can find your own copy of this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/38C5Lhn
Note that it is FREE to read with Kindle Unlimited


Shadow's Edge by J.T. Geissinger

“Don’t put yourself in danger like that again. Please. I can’t take it. It’s important to me that you’re safe, Jenna.” His arms tightened around her, hard, and his voice dropped to a whisper. “It’s more than important. It’s everything. I would give everything I have to make sure nothing hurts you.”

You’re the one that can hurt me,” she protested, hating how weak it sounded. Ambivalence and euphoria were doing battle within her, and euphoria was quickly winning. She shook her head, trying to clear it. “I know you think you can keep me here—but I won’t be locked in a cage, Leander. I won’t be your prisoner.”

He dragged his lips over her neck, down to her collarbone. His teeth pressed against the tender flesh there so hard it stung.

“I can’t deny I want to keep you with me. And I want you to want to stay. But...I would do anything to make you happy. Even if it means letting you go, if that’s what you want. Even if it means breaking every Law there is. I’ll do anything, Jenna. I’ll do anything.”

Though his voice was hushed, muffled against her skin, she recognized the truth in it, the raw emotion, and she started with the abrupt realization that he would put himself in danger for her.

He was willing to release her, protect her, and take the consequences, with nothing in it for himself except pleasing her and inciting the rage of all those snarling dark beasts.

It pierced her in the center of her chest, an unfamiliar sweetness that brought a prick of tears to her eyes. She had forgotten sweetness, had forgotten what it was like to be touched and held and cherished, and it opened something in her, it melted her like sunlight on snow. When she next exhaled, all her fears and hesitation sifted away with her breath, leaving only warmth and certainty behind.

J.T. Geissinger is a #1 internationally bestselling author of twenty-six novels. Ranging from funny, feisty romcoms to intense, edgy suspense, her books have sold over four million copies and been translated into more than a dozen languages.

She is a three-time nominee in both contemporary and paranormal romance for the RITA® Award, the highest distinction in romance fiction from the Romance Writers of America®. She is also a recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book and the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy.

She’s a Southern California native currently living in Nevada with her husband and rescue kitty, Zoe.

For more about this author and her books, check out her website: http://www.jtgeissinger.com/

Unspoken by Ari Reavis // ARC Review

March 08, 2021

Unspoken by Ari Reavis

I feel myself losing control again. Feel the magic churning in my gut like it wants to completely overtake me and burn this palace to the ground. I have never felt so desperate, so reckless. And even with so much power, more than I've ever felt before, I have never flt more powerless. I have magic I cannot use. A title that offers me no protection here. And a father who is feeding me to a monster piece by piece, and all with a smile because he thinks it will save him from the very same fate.

Unspoken by Ari Reavis

Unspoken by Ari Reavis


Standalone - Nur Series #1
Release - April 12, 2021
Genre - Fantasy Romance
Single POV - Ameera (heroine)
Heat Level - 3.5 (a couple of scenes)
Format/Source - eARC provided by the author
Length - 295 pages
Publisher - Indie

The Unspoken One has been banished for many years, his very existence erased. Ameera must find his true name and summon him if she has any hope of saving her kingdom from war, and herself from marriage to a ruthless king.

The Kingdom of Nur has been suffering for years under Ameera’s father’s rule. She's bid her time, carefully keeping her secret hidden and waiting to become queen so she can repair what her father has broken. Then an unwanted marriage to the brutal king of Nur’s enemy threatens everything she’s worked towards.

With her wedding drawing near and the future of her kingdom in peril, she finds the forbidden name. She knows The Unspoken One is her last chance to save Nur, but she risks much in summoning him. His magic is not understood, the crime he was banished for is unknown, and speaking his name carries an unbearable punishment.

For Nur, for herself, she must risk it all. Or lose everything she holds dear.

She speaks the name too many have paid a painful price for uttering. Nothing, not the kingdom, their lives, or her heart, will ever be the same.

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2PGWXAo
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2O7tnnc


Unspoken by Ari Reavis

I have read every book that Ari Reavis has published and Unspoken is unlike anything that I've read from her before. And it's not just because it's a fantasy romance, something new the author has done. It's the story's tone. At once somber and hopeful. Dark and light. It had an optimistic lean to it that got me through its darkest moments. This author's voice is beautiful and needs to be heard!!

Ameera is the last living child of a ruthless and tyrannical king. Desperate to save himself from impending war, he promises his daughter's hand to an equally devious, if not murderous, king to unite the kingdoms. Too bad Ameera has no intention of tying herself to man who cares only for himself, imposing death, conquering lands, and starving his people.

She has hopes that when it is her turn to rule, she can fix what her father has broken. She can begin to rebuild her once glorious home. But she cannot accomplish all she hopes for alone. She must invoke the name of the man who was banished from Nur. A man who is called upon to right wrongs, to fight for justice. A man who could bring about her end before she's even started.

I found it impossible not to want to join in on Ameera's fight. This woman, who has been beaten down by her father since her birth. This woman, who has been humiliated before the entire kingdom. This woman, who only wants to bring prosperity and success to her people. This woman, who is absolutely deserving of the greatest of loves... How could I not want her to triumph?

And the love story that developed? I couldn't have asked for more. So much can be said without saying a word and the author did an incredible job of capturing that. The tension between Ameera and Hamza... their chemistry... I lived for their every interaction!

With Unspoken, I was lost to the magic and the wonder that was created. I was easily able to picture the halls of Ameera's palace. I believed I could feel Nur's cool autumn breeze or the bitter cold of Sameer. From the downtrodden and the oppressed to a princess who was treated as a pauper, this story made the fantastical seem real.

Ari Reavis is a wife and mother of five. Born in New York and raised in New Jersey, she enjoys staying in, devouring books and watching movies. Her kids are running around, her husband is trying to show her martial arts moves, and she's trying to write. Her day in a nutshell.

Find more about Ari and her books on her site: https://arireavis.wordpress.com/

Burning Ash by N.J. Walters

September 04, 2020

Century upon century had passed. Duty and service his only solace. For ten thousand years, the world had changed but he had remained the same.
Until Jo.

Tempting the Prince by Christi Barth

August 24, 2020

Tempting the Prince by Christi Barth

She'd never forget her first ball where the gorgeous prince chose her.

Welcome to the Dark Side by Giana Darling

August 21, 2020

I couldn’t breathe because he held my breath, couldn’t think because he’d rewritten my thoughts into ones of his own making. He controlled me but only to love me, to make me understand how I could love myself better than I already did.

Welcome to the Dark Side by Giana Darling

Welcome to the Dark Side by Giana Darling


I was a good girl.
I ate my vegetables, volunteered at the local autism centre and sat in the front pew of church every Sunday.
Then, I got cancer.
What the hell kind of reward was that for a boring life well lived?
I was a seventeen-year-old paradigm of virtue and I was tired of it.
So, when I finally ran into the man I'd been writing to since he saved my life as a little girl and he offered to show me the dark side of life before I left it for good, I said yes.
Only, I didn't know that Zeus Garro was the President of The Fallen MC and when you made a deal with a man who is worse than the devil, there was no going back...

Hardest Fall by Juliette Cross

July 29, 2020


He had a piece of me inside him, holding his heart together. That magnificent heart that cared for others without cause.


Hardest Fall by Juliette Cross
The tattooed demoness, Bone, doesn’t like anything except the magical weapons she makes. But she has hidden talents few know about. When I was brought to her near death, she used her Seraph song to manipulate flesh and bone to heal me. But she wasn’t happy about it.

Now I must return the favor. Even though she refuses to take sides in the apocalypse, there’s one job she’s not willing to do for the demon prince Rook. If she doesn’t, her head will end up on a spike. Of course, there’s a good chance we’re all going to die anyway, but I will do anything to protect this fierce woman—and not just because she saved me.

So, we’re both off to kill a demon—or three—and possibly save the world.

Join the Club by Lani Lynn Vale

July 07, 2020

I wanted her.
I wanted her bad.
But I couldn't have her.
Brother's baby mama.
Brother's baby mama.

Join the Club by Lani Lynn Vale
There are a few lessons one has to learn for themselves. Then there are the lessons that most people don’t have to learn because it’s just not done.

For instance, most people know instinctively that they shouldn’t crave the mother of their brother’s child.

Bourne Pena isn’t most men.

Bourne does everything he can to fight the attraction he feels for Delanie, but in the end, his refusal to go there almost ends up costing him his life.

***

Delanie Davidsdottir just wanted to forget. One night, she wanted to feel like a normal human being.

That one night changes her life and gives her a daughter that becomes her heart and soul. From that point forward, she does her level best to keep her head on straight and not make any more mistakes.

And falling for her child’s father's twin brother—say that three times fast— would be a mistake. Not only is he Trouble with a capital T, he’s also a SWAT officer that puts his life on the line every single day.

She can’t take another loss like the one she suffered once before.

Then again, Delanie never encountered a man like Bourne Pena before, either.

Blood Laws by Lexi C. Foss

May 20, 2020

Blood Laws by Lexi C Foss
The lines between illusion and reality blur as a dark romance brews between two unlikely soulmates…

Stas isn’t your average human. She can bend others to her will, a psychic talent she’s kept hidden since the brutal murder of her parents.

Issac isn’t human at all. He’s an immortal masquerading as one of New York City’s most eligible bachelors while secretly seeking revenge against a former ally.

A fateful meeting ends in a seductive proposition. As their lives intertwine, secrets are exposed and passion ignites. It’s a bond built to last a lifetime, if they’re willing to risk everything to protect it.

Goodreads * Amazon
Free to read with Kindle Unlimited

Arctic Bite by N.J. Walters

May 18, 2020

Arctic Bite by NJ Walters

Something about Cassie filled the dark places inside him with light, completed him in ways he hadn't realized were lacking.

Fury Unleashed by N.J. Walters

March 25, 2020

Walking The Line by Janine Infante Bosco

February 20, 2020

Walking The Line by Janine Infante Bosco

Find Walking The Line here:
Goodreads | Amazon

The Darkest Assassin by Gena Showalter

December 05, 2019

The Darkest Assassin by Gena Showalter

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter comes a new story in her Lords of the Underworld series...

SLAY ALL DAY by Cynthia Eden

October 28, 2019

SLAY ALL DAY by Cynthia Eden

What happens when a monster hunter falls for his prey?

KISSING TOLSTOY by Penny Reid

September 17, 2019

Find your copy of Kissing Tolstoy here:
Goodreads | Amazon

BREATHING VAPOR by Cynthia Sax

September 04, 2019

BREATHING VAPOR by Cynthia Sax

Find it here:
Goodreads | Amazon

DIRTY POOL by Bethany-Kris

May 05, 2019

Dirty Pool by Bethany-Kris
To get what he wants, he’ll have to play a game of dirty pool.

Michel Marcello never wanted to be a mafioso like every other man in his family—he wanted to be more. That doesn’t mean he’s unfamiliar with the life, or that he can’t hold his own against other made men.

They forgot where he came from …

His chance encounter with the fiery and beautiful daughter of Detroit’s most notorious Irish mob boss stokes flames beyond the ones that ignite between Michel and Gabbie Casey. Rivals shouldn’t mix, but these opposites have never been more attracted, either.

The lines between family loyalty, their duties, and responsibility begin to blur.

Love ruins all.

But these two aren’t the only ones playing this game, and it just became far more dangerous to get out alive.

Dirty Pool is a standalone romantic suspense.

Add to Goodreads
Get it on Amazon

ARC Review of Vermilion Lies by L.D. Rose

April 07, 2019

Vermilion Lies by LD Rose
Wherever Dax Knight sets foot, hell is bound to freeze over.

As a mercenary for the Order of the Senary, Dax departs for New England to assist his comrades in battling the vampire forces threatening to consume the Northeast. The last thing he expects to find is a gorgeous vampiress who surrenders to him entirely. Ensnared by her allure, their intense attraction ignites, and he discovers she isn’t what she seems.

Cindel Konstantinov has been on the run since she escaped her sire’s possession, trading one life of abuse and imprisonment for another. As her hope for freedom wanes, she encounters one of the infamous Knights, and his dangerous appeal is undeniable. After a life-altering moment of mercy, they careen down a path of secrets, lies, and a forbidden passion neither of them can resist. But when her past comes back to haunt them, they’ll have to face the consequences of their actions—and their desires.

Dax and Cindel will need each other more than ever as their world spirals into chaos. But are they strong enough to survive the oncoming storm?

Review: Pride by J.D. Hollyfield

February 22, 2019

Pride by JD Hollyfield
Release: February 25, 2019
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat: Explicit
Type: Standalone - The Elite Seven #2
Length: 187 pages
Format: eARC provided by Give Me Books PR

Review of Book One - Lust

The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.

But who said the devil was a he?

In my world, she was out to cause havoc on all our lives.

She’ll use the one thing I care most about to control me—force me into her Elite world, filled with sin, deceit, and power. And under her spell, I’ll lead a sinister brotherhood of seven at one of the most prestigious universities in New Orleans.

Review: Silence by N. Isabelle Blanco

January 21, 2019

Silence by N Isabelle Blanco
Release: January 23, 2019
Genre: Paranormal Romance - Forbidden
Male POV - 1st person
Heat: 4.5
Type: Standalone
Format: eARC provided by author

When my brother, the King, married fifteen-years ago, I welcomed his new family as my own. His wife . . . her baby girl.
My niece by marriage.
I left to war the savages. For years I traveled back and forth, seeing that child age.
But then the last battle kept me away for five years . . .
I’ve returned now to take my rightful place: second-in-command to the throne.

I am everything this kingdom stands for—everything it needs. The kind of pillar not even my brother can aspire to being.
They all look up to me. To maintaining their code.
Yet, they do not know the truth.
In the grip of the shadows, she haunts me at night.
During the day, she smiles and whispers, showing me traces of that sweet little girl.
At night, she’s there, a vision in black. Watching, stalking . . . no words need to be said.
She knows.
I’m losing the battle. This thing between us is an evil spark.
Thousands of years of honor are threatened—about to be shredded by the impossibility of our desire.
She doesn’t care.
It’s in her silence that she kills me . . . and she wields it like a blade.
The savage call of her blood is more than I can handle . . .
And the need to own her body might destroy us both.

Review: Demon's Mercy by Rebecca Zanetti

Demon's Mercy by Rebecca Zanetti
Release: January 22, 2019
Genre: Paranormal Romance - Forbidden
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat: 3.5
Standalone - Dark Protectors #9
Format: eARC provided by NetGalley

Duty meets desire . . .

Mercy O’Malley hates killing people. So when she’s assigned to take out Vampire-Demon Logan Kyllwood, she lures him to a seedy bar in Scotland, then decides to kidnap him instead. How can she cold-bloodedly end all that heat, those green eyes, that ripped body?

Unfortunately for Mercy, attempted murder and kidnapping are just foreplay for the Kyllwood brothers. Logan may be the youngest of the bunch, but death and violence are already a way of life. Now he’s ready to complete a painful, terrifying ritual to become one of the Seven, dedicated to protecting this world from the most dangerous evil it’s ever known. But first he has to deal with a blackmailing Fey, a ransom demand and his own pounding need for the last female he ever should have fallen for.