Showing posts with label Paranormal Romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paranormal Romance. Show all posts
Hello and Happy Wednesday. I hope your week is going well so far.
I'm sharing three books I read and quite enjoyed and maybe you'll find something here to read too!
Unholy Vows by Mila Kane
Dual POV
Contemporary Romance / Organized Crime
Descriptive heat
437 pages
We never should have met. She wandered like an innocent lamb into my world, and the door slammed shut behind her.
Leaving her alive and free was a risk no capo would take.
I’ll let her live, for a price.
Her freedom.
She isn’t what she seems, but it’s already too late.
I'm obsessed, and nothing, and no one will keep her from me.
Rating - 
This was my first time reading from Mila Kane and I'll be back for more. I loved how possessive and almost out-of-control Renato's obsession with Charlie. Honestly, it was the only thing I really appreciated about this book.
Charlie has been taking care of her sister for years. More a mother than anything else, she's constantly cleaning up her messes and trying to keep her in line. When Lucy's latest mishap puts them on the radar of both the mob and a cartel, Charlie doesn't have a clue what to do. And it's very obvious. Lucky for her Renato took such a shine to her.
Charlie drove me nuts. Her sister drove me nuts. They were just too silly to take seriously. Again, I'm thankful for Renato and everything and everyone that had anything to do with him. I wonder if there are books for the side characters because I also liked them. Giada, Elio and Sonny deserve happy endings too.
This was my first time reading from Mila Kane and I'll be back for more. I loved how possessive and almost out-of-control Renato's obsession with Charlie. Honestly, it was the only thing I really appreciated about this book.
Charlie has been taking care of her sister for years. More a mother than anything else, she's constantly cleaning up her messes and trying to keep her in line. When Lucy's latest mishap puts them on the radar of both the mob and a cartel, Charlie doesn't have a clue what to do. And it's very obvious. Lucky for her Renato took such a shine to her.
Charlie drove me nuts. Her sister drove me nuts. They were just too silly to take seriously. Again, I'm thankful for Renato and everything and everyone that had anything to do with him. I wonder if there are books for the side characters because I also liked them. Giada, Elio and Sonny deserve happy endings too.
Kidnapped by the Krampus by Emily Shore
Dual POV
Paranormal Romance
Filthy heat
254 pages
TWYLA
Is Krampus real?
That's the question burning in my investigative journalist mind as I sneak into Krampus World to learn the truth about the eccentric CEO who always wears the monstrous holiday costume. I'm definitely making the naughty list for this.
After sharing a drink with the mysterious and quiet CEO, the last thing I expect is waking up with no clothes in the most beautiful winter castle. This horned heartthrob billionaire kidnapped me!
Despite the language barrier, I soon learn that his punishments are hot enough to melt the North Pole. And there are far worse things than being treated like a Christmas princess in a Yuletide-themed castle.
As I unwrap the layers of this hooved and horned enigma, I suspect the monster may be as real as Rudolph's red nose! And I might be falling for him faster than Santa coming down the chimney.
Well.... Monster romance is trending after all!
KRAMPUS
Don’t show them your tongue.
Don’t growl.
Don’t urge them to check your body for some nonexistent zipper.
Don’t wag your tail.
Don't show them how well you dance in hooves.
After a century of failures to find true love, Twyla is my last chance to break the curse before the clock runs out. I will do whatever it takes to keep my little star, my light in the darkness. It turns out this naughty girl may love my monstrous punishments and the magic of my realm.
It's not long before Twyla tangles around my heart more than twinkle lights. But can she believe a monster is her happily ever after? Will she save me from my icy fate?
Or am I doomed to be the demon of Yuletide with a frozen heart forever?
Rating -
Soooo... that happened. I enjoyed the premise of this book and that the monster didn't magically become a gorgeous male upon finding his true love or being cured of his curse. I didn't like the characters. Something about both of them prevented me from connecting with them or caring about them. Their relationship was absolutely filthy though so that's something. If you enjoy that sort of thing (like I seem to), pick this up and try it for yourself.
Soooo... that happened. I enjoyed the premise of this book and that the monster didn't magically become a gorgeous male upon finding his true love or being cured of his curse. I didn't like the characters. Something about both of them prevented me from connecting with them or caring about them. Their relationship was absolutely filthy though so that's something. If you enjoy that sort of thing (like I seem to), pick this up and try it for yourself.
Excerpt from Somewhere Beyond the Sea
Fantasy Romance / LGBTQ
Approx. 100 pages for the excerpt
A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything.
Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one.
He’s the master of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six dangerous and magical children who live there.
Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. He is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department In Charge of Magical Youth. And there’s the island’s sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite, and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children.
But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve.
And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name that Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart.
Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story.
Rating -
Should I feel so lucky to have received the first four chapters of this book? Because I'm happy right now and I only got to read a little bit of the story. What I've read so far has me super excited to read on when the book releases. We're getting Arthur's story and I have to say, everything about this male has me intrigued. Learning more about him sounds like an excellent way to spend a day.
Should I feel so lucky to have received the first four chapters of this book? Because I'm happy right now and I only got to read a little bit of the story. What I've read so far has me super excited to read on when the book releases. We're getting Arthur's story and I have to say, everything about this male has me intrigued. Learning more about him sounds like an excellent way to spend a day.
Every lore of every clan, across time and space, dreamed of dragons. Did you ever wonder why?
Find Kiss of Dragons here: Goodreads * Amazon
Find Kiss of Dragons here: Goodreads * Amazon
Kiss of Dragons by Aja James
Book 9 of the Dragon Tails series
Rating -
Release - July 6, 2024
Genre - Paranormal Romance / fated mates / second chance
POV - Dual 3rd person
Heat - explicit
Source - eARC provided by the author
Length - 321 pages
The journeys to the past have finally collided with the present, and where we go from here will dictate the course of the future.
Benjamin D’Angelo has taken over the Jade Emperor’s quests, though in recent years, he traveled to foreign lands and times for his own purposes. To find his own truth.
Now, as he prepares for a war looming on the horizon, the truth he’s thus far kept buried demands to be acknowledged and addressed. This time, Ben’s personal quest delves into how it all began. A Fate that bound two souls beyond life and death, beyond time and ken.
In the process, Ben grows closer to three curious people, who, unbeknownst to him, are the manifestations of a single soul. A soul Ben had always known and needs to remember.
But what will be the consequences of remembering? And what does it mean for the future? Will history repeat itself, or will Ben find a way to chart a new Destiny?
A single Kiss may light the way.
The end of the world may be just around the corner. Along the way, enemies may become lovers, reluctant friendships may form, and lots of hot, desperate, this-may-be-the-last-time-we-have-sex sex will definitely be had.
And who knows, you too may be bespelled by the… KISS OF DRAGONS
Benjamin D’Angelo has taken over the Jade Emperor’s quests, though in recent years, he traveled to foreign lands and times for his own purposes. To find his own truth.
Now, as he prepares for a war looming on the horizon, the truth he’s thus far kept buried demands to be acknowledged and addressed. This time, Ben’s personal quest delves into how it all began. A Fate that bound two souls beyond life and death, beyond time and ken.
In the process, Ben grows closer to three curious people, who, unbeknownst to him, are the manifestations of a single soul. A soul Ben had always known and needs to remember.
But what will be the consequences of remembering? And what does it mean for the future? Will history repeat itself, or will Ben find a way to chart a new Destiny?
A single Kiss may light the way.
The end of the world may be just around the corner. Along the way, enemies may become lovers, reluctant friendships may form, and lots of hot, desperate, this-may-be-the-last-time-we-have-sex sex will definitely be had.
And who knows, you too may be bespelled by the… KISS OF DRAGONS
I had so many arguments with myself over this story and I don't even know how I feel in the end. I think I'll go with hopeful. I'm hoping for a real future for this couple.
Okay, so let me start here... I have MAD respect for this author. How she keeps everything straight and constantly has me on edge, I'll never know, I'm sure. I'm forever wondering if I've figured everything out and then learning something new with every single book. I'm just in love with the way this story has evolved over two series.
Ben has always been an enigma. He was one of the original beasts and lived his current incarnation surrounded by them. Seen as the leader of dragons, he knew his destiny was already written, but he was always left wishing for more. Where was his mate? Who would it be?
Seven was a goddess. She was a fickle being who didn't understand human emotion and lacked empathy. While it may have worked well for her for eons, she has to come to discover that it didn't do her any favours. Ben used to belong to her, when he was a Beast. She created him after all. In this lifetime, she can't command him. She will have to earn his heart the old fashioned way.
It took me forever and a day to get on Seven's side. I've loved Ben for so many books and truly believed that he deserved the best of the best. Seriously, only the best would do and I didn't think Seven fit the bill. She took forever to learn her lesson, but when she did, I started to root for her. I could finally see where the author was taking this romance and I was most definitely on board.
The action started to pick up towards the end and when I thought there were no more surprises, the author gave me another one. I can't wait to see how it all plays out in the next book.
Best-selling author, Aja James, just completed the Pure/ Dark Ones paranormal-fantasy romance series in 2020. If you want your heart battered, bruised, shattered and skewered, then put back together in the most glorious ways, check out the series below. Every couple gets an HEA, but they fight like hell for it on the way.Aja is now working on her new series, Dragon Tails, because dragons are her favorite shifters of all!
Check out Aja's expanded distribution of the Pure/ Dark Ones series on Google, Apple, Kobo and Barnes & Noble Books.
Visit https://aja-james.blog for more information!
Review // Wed to the Ice Giant, What is Love?, The Midwinter Mail-Order Bride, and The Wastelander
April 25, 2024
Hello and Happy Thursday and I hope your week is going well so far. I should have posted this yesterday, but my life's a bit messy which is messing with my schedule. I'm sharing four books I read and quite enjoyed and maybe you'll find something here to read this weekend.
Wed to the Ice Giant by Layla Fae
Arranged Monster Mates #1
Paranormal Romance, dual POV, explicit heat, 137 pages
As king of the ice giants, I must have heirs. But our customs do not satisfy me. I do not want a giantess who will bear me a child and then leave to be with another. I would much rather pursue a union the human way: find a partner who will share my bed, bear my children, and stay by my side.
Until death do us part.
One drop of blood is all it takes to get a match. And when I see her, my cool blood rushes faster in a daze of heat. Only one thought is clear in my mind: she belongs to me. I must claim her before my subjects to prove once and for all this female will not take lovers. She will be mine forever.
I will show her vigorously how different I am from puny human males. And once she knows what it means to be with the king of the giants, she will never want to leave.
Rating -
I love when a new-to-me author is a discovery worthwhile. I easily fell in huge like with the world created here, no matter how odd I found it. Aldrig was an ice giant who wanted to eschew the mating ways of his people. There are so few female giants that they have their pick of the males and often take on several. Aldrig wanted someone who would be his alone. Lucy was a desperate maiden who grasped onto an opportunity to better the lives of her loved ones. All she has to do is marry the ice giant who is easily twice (maybe three times) her size. I even liked how ill-matched they seemed to be, at least sexually. The author didn't spare the details and I was definitely entertained.
I love when a new-to-me author is a discovery worthwhile. I easily fell in huge like with the world created here, no matter how odd I found it. Aldrig was an ice giant who wanted to eschew the mating ways of his people. There are so few female giants that they have their pick of the males and often take on several. Aldrig wanted someone who would be his alone. Lucy was a desperate maiden who grasped onto an opportunity to better the lives of her loved ones. All she has to do is marry the ice giant who is easily twice (maybe three times) her size. I even liked how ill-matched they seemed to be, at least sexually. The author didn't spare the details and I was definitely entertained.
What is Love? by Jen Comfort
Answer: From the Latin word for crossroads, this is knowledge so common as to be obscure, the pursuit of which engages millions daily. Question: What is trivia?
Trivia is the magic in the mundane, the connection in the commonplace, and Maxine Hart’s second-favorite pastime. A self-proclaimed Brooklyn street rat and a high school dropout, Maxine has never been a fan of formal education, but thanks to her ADHD “superpowers,” she’s a glutton for knowledge—and a good fight. And when Maxine enters the trivia game show Answers!, her brilliance, coupled with her penchant for big bets, devastates her competition. Even record-holding, 76-time-winner Teddy Ferguson.
Or was it their kiss the night before they faced off that threw the buttoned-up professor off his game?
Now, Maxine and Teddy cross paths again in a high-stakes tournament against all-time Answers! winners, including undefeated champion Hercules McKnight. With nothing in common but an insatiable appetite for knowledge and a desire to win, Maxine offers Teddy a deal: combine their strengths to shore up their weaknesses. She’ll push his tolerance for risk and improve his buzzer speed, if he’ll find creative ways to fill in the gaps in her education.
Except neither one of them foresaw just how scintillating learning could be…
Rating -
Standalone
Romantic Comedy, dual POV, vague heat, 345 pages
As a monthly pick from Prime Reads, this is the first winner I've come across. After many years, I found a story I could enjoy!
Harsh, I know.
But very true.
And while I didn't love this story, I found plenty to like. Okay, that's a lie. I really liked Teddy. For someone so uptight, he was a lot of fun. Mostly because Maxine was there to stir him up. And while it was hard to like Maxine for most of this story, I enjoyed the combative relationship between these characters. It made for an entertaining book. I don't think I've come across a story that focused so much on trivia and the world, real or imagined, behind a game show and its entrants. I didn't know who I wanted to win (that's another lie because it was Teddy, of course), however, I'm a fan of the way it all worked out.
Standalone
Romantic Comedy, dual POV, vague heat, 345 pages
As a monthly pick from Prime Reads, this is the first winner I've come across. After many years, I found a story I could enjoy!
Harsh, I know.
But very true.
And while I didn't love this story, I found plenty to like. Okay, that's a lie. I really liked Teddy. For someone so uptight, he was a lot of fun. Mostly because Maxine was there to stir him up. And while it was hard to like Maxine for most of this story, I enjoyed the combative relationship between these characters. It made for an entertaining book. I don't think I've come across a story that focused so much on trivia and the world, real or imagined, behind a game show and its entrants. I didn't know who I wanted to win (that's another lie because it was Teddy, of course), however, I'm a fan of the way it all worked out.
The Midwinter Mail-Order Bride by Kati Wilde
The Dead Lands #1
Fantasy Romance, dual POV, explicit heat, 180 pages
Some might call Princess Anja of Ivermere brave for offering herself up as a bride to Kael the Conqueror, a barbarian warlord who'd won his crown by the bloodied edge of his sword. It was not courage that drove Anja from her magic-wielding family’s enchanted palace, however, but a desperate attempt to secure a kingdom of her own — even if she has to kill the Conqueror to do it. She expects pain beneath his brutal touch as she awaits her chance. She expects death if he discovers the truth of her intentions.
Raised in the ashes of the Dead Lands, Kael fears nothing — certainly not the beautiful sorceress who arrives at his mountain stronghold. And no matter how painful his need for her, he has no use for a bride who would only tolerate his kiss. Yet the more of Anja's secrets he uncovers during their journey to return her home, the more determined he becomes to win the princess's wary heart.
Rating - 1/2
I wanted more. King Kael was a possessive, aggressive, warrior of a man. But his heart was solid gold. He knew what it was to be oppressed and refused to allow anyone in his kingdoms to suffer that fate. All he needs is a bride... too bad he didn't know it. With subtle manipulation, Princess Anja enters his life. She grew up believing she was nothing, but to Kael she was everything. And he wasn't afraid to share it or show it. I really liked this couple and would have kept reading if there was more to their story. Hopefully they make an appearance in the other books of the series.
1/2I wanted more. King Kael was a possessive, aggressive, warrior of a man. But his heart was solid gold. He knew what it was to be oppressed and refused to allow anyone in his kingdoms to suffer that fate. All he needs is a bride... too bad he didn't know it. With subtle manipulation, Princess Anja enters his life. She grew up believing she was nothing, but to Kael she was everything. And he wasn't afraid to share it or show it. I really liked this couple and would have kept reading if there was more to their story. Hopefully they make an appearance in the other books of the series.
The Wastelander by E.S. Luck
Book #1
Post-Apocalyptic Romance, dual POV, explicit sex, 356 pages
Born in a secure compound amidst the ashes of a world long dead, Claire Ainsley knows her place in the world: work her assigned job, live with her assigned husband, and keep her head down and her mouth shut. She knows what every compound resident has been the world outside is a Wasteland, and the only thing more terrifying than leaving the compound is being forced to confront those who live outside—the ones left behind.
But her safe, contained life is destroyed when she narrowly survives an attack conceived by a conspiracy from within the compound itself. Only by fleeing into the terrifying Wasteland, a vast wilderness peopled by bloodthirsty, cannibalistic Wastelanders, can she escape a violent end at the hands of her fellow compound dwellers.
Captured by the very savages she feared, she is saved by John Madigan, a mysterious and capable survivor—and a Wastelander. She tries to deny the instant chemistry she feels with a man that is one moment terrifying, the next patient and caring, but eventually, neither of them are able to resist the blazing passion between them. But the Wasteland is harsh, and her time with John fleeting. As his own personal mission comes to an end, he must return to his ancestral homeland, leaving her with little choice but to learn to survive without the man whose protection is her only salvation in a harsh, uncompromising post-apocalyptic landscape.
The Wasteland of this world has not been kind to those unchosen.
Rating - 1/2
The world as we know it is over and the only home Claire knew was behind the walls of a compound. She was sheltered and didn't know how much until she was shoved out of her safe haven and had to figure out how to survive in the Wasteland. When she was attacked and taken by cannibals, John saved her and brought her to his own slice of safety out in the wild. There she learned true survival and her warped views on those who lived beyond the walls she called home started to change.
I will admit that Claire's prejudice skewed my opinion of her for most of this story and I was just glad that by the end she had learned to appreciate how wrong she was. It didn't make up for everything she said or did, but it did give me hope for the future of this series.
The world they live in is a dangerous place and I can't begin to imagine what happens next as they travel to John's real home.
1/2The world as we know it is over and the only home Claire knew was behind the walls of a compound. She was sheltered and didn't know how much until she was shoved out of her safe haven and had to figure out how to survive in the Wasteland. When she was attacked and taken by cannibals, John saved her and brought her to his own slice of safety out in the wild. There she learned true survival and her warped views on those who lived beyond the walls she called home started to change.
I will admit that Claire's prejudice skewed my opinion of her for most of this story and I was just glad that by the end she had learned to appreciate how wrong she was. It didn't make up for everything she said or did, but it did give me hope for the future of this series.
The world they live in is a dangerous place and I can't begin to imagine what happens next as they travel to John's real home.
Maya filled him with a soft feeling of something that bordered far too close to what might be growing love.
Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon
Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon
Leopard's Hunt by Christine Feehan
Leopard People #14
Rating -
1/2Release - February 20, 2024
Genre - Paranormal Romance / fated mates
POV - Multiple 3rd person
Heat - descriptive
Source - copy provided by the publisher
Length - 396 pages
Gorya Amurov might be known as his family's peacekeeper, but the leopard inside him wants nothing more than to claw to the surface and unleash hell. A harsh life has shaped him into a vicious fighter with a calm exterior, but Gorya knows it's only a matter of time until he loses all control. Deep down, he truly believes he'd be better off dead, and that no woman will ever accept him as a mate....
Maya Averina has spent years hunting the criminals who destroyed her life, and she always takes down her prey. She keeps to herself, stays under the radar, and never loses focus. But with her body burning up and her mind distracted by her first heat, an ambush takes her by surprise. Now she's trapped, an unmated female shifter about to be sold off to the highest bidder. Maya is ready to fight her way out—until the most dangerous, powerful man she's ever encountered arrives to set her free.
Maya Averina has spent years hunting the criminals who destroyed her life, and she always takes down her prey. She keeps to herself, stays under the radar, and never loses focus. But with her body burning up and her mind distracted by her first heat, an ambush takes her by surprise. Now she's trapped, an unmated female shifter about to be sold off to the highest bidder. Maya is ready to fight her way out—until the most dangerous, powerful man she's ever encountered arrives to set her free.
Gorya and his family were tasked with taking over several territories, clearing them of trafficking, by any means necessary. No one really expected much from Gorya. He was the quiet cousin, unassuming and the peace keeper. Beneath that calm facade lurked the deadliest predator of them all... and it seemed that Maya was the first to recognize him for exactly who he was.
I thought that missing a few books in this series would leave me blind to the wonder of this story, but I was immediately absorbed, not missing a single moment. I was caught up in the connection Gorya and Maya shared, the way their wolves maneuvered them together (or manipulated, depending on how you see it), and the incredible action scenes that the author let play out. Gorya was a dangerous being, but with Maya... these two were lethal.
I admired both characters for their strength, and not just the physical kind. They endured such horrors as children and young adults, but turned that trauma into a passion to right the wrongs done to them. They shared an almost symbiotic connection, both from their pasts and the leopards that were driving them. I loved Gorya for his patience and understanding, Maya for her willingness to try. They made my heart hurt in the best way.
With the amount of voices contributing to this tale, there was no shortage of detail or nuance to this story. Doing bad things for the right reasons should be their motto. I loved this couple so much and I can't wait dive into the books I missed.
Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 70 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, Ghostwalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series and Torpedo Ink. All of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.
IN HER WORDS:
I've been a writer all of my life -- it is who I am. I write for myself and always have. The ability to create pictures and emotions with words is such a miracle to me. I read everything; I mean everything! All kinds of books, even encyclopedias. I am fascinated by the written word and I love storytellers. It is a great privilege to be counted one myself.
Visit http://www.christinefeehan.com for more information.
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