Free Books & Book Deals - 01/07/2022

January 07, 2022


It's the weekend! It's been far too long since I went searching for deals, much less shared them. Here's what I found on Amazon and I hope there's something that appeals to you. Happy Reading!

Please Note: All books are listed for $2 or less (prices valid at time of post). I apologize in advance if the sale is over by the time you found yourself here.

If you know of any deals I may have missed, please let me know in the comments section below :)

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Aleatha Romig

Bella Jewel

Brenda K. Davies

Carly Phillips

Chelle Bliss
  • FREE - Flame (Men of Inked: Heatwave #1)
  • FREE - Throttle Me (Men of Inked #1)
  • FREE - Maneuver (Men of Inked: Southside #1)

Cynthia Eden

Gemma James

J. Kenner

Jasinda Wilder

K.A. Linde

Kathy Coopmans
  • 99 cents - Concede (The Diamond Empire #1)

Kendall Ryan

Kennedy Ryan

Kristen Hope Mazzola

L.H. Cosway

Laura Kaye

Laurelin Paige

Lauren Blakely

Lexi C. Foss

Lili Valente

Lisa Renee Jones

Meghan March

Melissa Foster

Meredith Wild

N.J. Walters

Nana Malone

Pam Godwin

Pepper Winters

Piper Rayne

Rebecca Jenshak

Renee Rose

Shayla Black

Sherilee Gray

Skye Warren

Susan Stoker

T.L. Smith

Tia Louise

Tijan

Review // Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“I, Astaroth, Crown Prince of Hell, am in love with you, Layla Shaw. Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. A hundred decades from now, I will still be in love with you, and it will be as fierce today as it will be a decade later.”

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Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout


The Dark Elements #3
Release - July 28, 2015
Genre - Young Adult Paranormal
Heroine POV - 1st person
Heat Level - 1 out of 5 / fade to black / very vague
Format/Source - ebook borrowed from the library
Length - 288 pages
Publisher - Harlequin Teen

Some loves will last ’til your dying breath

Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.

Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction.

Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…

Find your copy of Every Last Breath here:

Goodreads * Amazon


My Two Cents

4 "How my feelings have changed" stars

I am so glad I stuck with this trilogy!

Every Last Breath gave me everything I was looking for from the beginning. Not only was there a bump in action (mannnnnn that Lilin ain't a joke), but Layla did a lot of growing up. Not once did she aggravate me. NOT ONCE!

After that cliffhanger in Stone Cold Touch, I had no clue how the story would resolve itself. Who lives? Who dies? No one is safe! And JLA kept me on the edge of my toes for all of it!

Roth was just as delicious as always. Actually, I think he was more scrumptious in this book. When a demon finds his heart...

“You are so beautiful, Layla. And if I could pick one thing I could stare at for the rest of eternity, it would be you.”

As much as I learned to appreciate Layla and as much as I loved Zayne (he's an amazing guy and I hope he finds true happiness), Roth was the true showstopper of this series. He permeated every bit of this story, even the scenes he wasn't a part of.

I'm here at the end and my mind is full of questions, such as:

1. Will Zayne find his mate? And who will it be? Is it Stacey?

2. What is Cayman? I know there's more to this demon. And will he appear again?

3. Will all of the gargoyles get a story?

4. Seriously... who or what is Morris?

5. And... will Layla and Roth show up somewhere?


I definitely recommend these books, if for nothing else, so you can fall in love with Roth too!

Excerpt

Cayman gathered up the slices of bacon, spreading them out on our plates before joining me at the island. If someone told me a year ago I'd be eating scrambled eggs and bacon made by a demon, I would've laughed in their face and told them that crack was whack.

Times had most definitely changed. I picked up a piece of bacon.

"What's going on with you and Zayne?"

I nearly choked on the bacon. My eyes watered as I grabbed the OJ and took a huge swallow. "Excuse me?" I croaked.

A half smile formed as he forked up some eggs. "You and Zayne, the gorgeous gargoyle. What's going on there?"

"How do you know something's going on?"

Cayman rolled his eyes. "Honey-child, a blind person could see there's major tension. What's the scoop?"

Heat blasted across my cheeks. Well then. "I…" I had no idea how to answer that question, because I wasn't even sure myself. "I don't know."

He sent me a long look. "Ah, I think you totally know, but you're just not ready to put it into words."

Shoving another slice of bacon into my mouth, I eyed him. "Oh, do you now?"

"Yeah. Your stuff is complicated. I got you, but I know what's really going on there, so I'm about to go all come to Jesus with you." Setting his fork down, he leaned over and whispered the "truth" in my ear.

I jerked back, his words echoing—no, actually taunting me—and anger rose in me swiftly. I glared at him, my hand tight on the fork. Something about what he said was so true I wanted to kick it back in his face. "I don't want to talk to you about this."

He chuckled. "Whatever floats your boat."

Ignoring him, I devoured the rest of my breakfast, then I got up and dumped the plate and silverware in the dishwasher. When I faced him, he was still grinning. I scowled. "Where's Roth?"

"He's out."

I waited and there was no answer. "Doing what?"

"Things," he replied. "Demon duties."

Sighing, I leaned against the counter. "You're real helpful."

Winking, he held up his empty plate between two fingers. Air crackled, and then flames sparked off the tip of his fingers, climbing the plate. My eyes widened as I watched the fire completely obliterate the plate. The fork went up in flames next.

"Well, that's one way to clean up," I murmured.

Cayman popped off the bar stool, all smiles. "Let's stop playing around, my own personal Beanie Baby. Zayne's in love with you. Roth's in love with you."

I inhaled sharply, but the air caught in my throat.

"Both would do anything for you—live, breathe and die for you, but you can't have both of them, Layla."

My hands fell to my thighs and I whispered, "I know that."

"And you know which one is the real deal," he continued, eyeing me intently. "You know, the forever kind of love, so why are you dragging this out?"

"I'm not dragging anything out," I protested. "I was kind of out of it, you know, what with the whole being held pris­oner and then nearly killed by my own clan thing. Then I was holed up here recovering, and then yesterday happened." Frustrated, I stalked around the island. "And maybe I don't think it's the right time for me to be with either of them. Did you ever think about that?"

Cayman cocked his head to the side. "When is there ever a right time to fully give your heart to another? There are always going to be obstacles. You just have to decide which ones are worth it."

"Whatever." I crossed my arms.

He mimicked my stance. "Don't be a coward."

"Excuse me?"

"A. Coward," he repeated, and I briefly considered picking up the vase in the center of the island and throwing it at him. "Not making a choice is the coward's way out. You love both of them. I get that. But you don't feel the same kind of love for both of them, and the sooner you accept that, the better…"

About the Author

# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Charles Town, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. In early 2015, Jennifer was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and death of cells in the retina, eventually resulting in loss of vision, among other complications. Due to this diagnosis, educating people on the varying degrees of blindness has become of passion of hers, right alongside writing, which she plans to do as long as she can.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Tor, HarperCollins Avon and William Morrow, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her Wicked Series has been optioned by PassionFlix. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. Her adult romantic suspense novel TILL DEATH was a Amazon Editor’s Pick and iBook Book of the Month. Her young adult contemporary THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER is a 2017 RITA Award Winner in Young Adult Fiction. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

She is the owner of ApollyCon and The Origin Event, the successful annual events that features over hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more.

Visit https://jenniferlarmentrout.com for more information

Review // Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh

January 03, 2022

Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh

For the first time in forever, he was stunned to silence. Not by her words, but by the tenderness in her hands, the worry in her eyes. He was an archangel. He’d been wounded far, far worse and shrugged it off. But then, there had been no woman with sun kissed by the sunset and eyes of storm gray to tear into him for daring to get himself hurt.

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Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh

Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh


Guild Hunter #3
Release - January 25, 2011
Genre - Paranormal Romance / angels, vamps, hunters
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 3.5 out of 5 / several scenes
Format/Source - ebook from the library / I own the paperback
Length - 377 pages
Publisher - Berkley

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux and her lover, the lethally beautiful archangel Raphael, have returned home to New York only to face an uncompromising new evil…

A vampire has attacked a girls’ school—the assault one of sheer, vicious madness—and it is only the first act. Rampant bloodlust takes vampire after vampire, threatening to make the streets run with blood. Then Raphael himself begins to show signs of an uncontrolled rage, as inexplicable storms darken the city skyline and the earth itself shudders.

The omens are suddenly terrifyingly clear.

An ancient and malevolent immortal is rising. The violent winds whisper her name: Caliane. She has returned to reclaim her son, Raphael. Only one thing stands in her way: Elena, the consort who must be destroyed…

Find Archangel's Consort here:

Goodreads * Amazon


My Two Cents

4 "And my final judgment is..." stars

What do I like the most about these stories? Everything that happens and surrounds Raphael. I cannot get enough of this archangel!

After taking out Uram, who was killing all willy-nilly in NYC in Angels' Blood, and somewhat defeating Lijuan, who was making the dead walk the Earth in Archangel's Kiss, I was beyond curious to see what Raphael and Elena would have to face next. Would Lijuan rejoin the living? Who would be the 'enemy' in this one?

I guess I should have figured with all of the information bandied back and forth between this couple about their mothers, Raphael's mom would feature in some way. There was a lot of interesting lead up (questionable storms and deaths), however, I found the eventual come to mama moment to be kinda anticlimactic. I can already feel the venom coming my way from die-hard fans, but I was expecting more. And while I'm not complaining about all of the scenes that helped to solidify Raphael and Elena as a couple, I found myself being a bit over Elena. She started grating on my nerves, which could be why the big moment didn't land they way it should have.

No, I don't hate Elena. I'm just not a fan. I admire her fight, her doggedness, her determination and her strength, but I didn't like how unrealistic and ditzy she could be. I kept rolling my eyes and internally screaming grow the heck up at times. But overall, she was okay. I wanted her to really accept that although she was Raphael's consort and that he loved her above all others, she wasn't his equal. Stop it. And the whole hunter-born repetitiveness became boring. I get it. You're hunter-born. So...

I have no clue what the many books in the series following this are about, but I'll definitely start reading them. This author can write and I want more of her words echoing in my head.

Excerpt


About the Author

Author Nalini Singh

On Me

I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I spent three years living and working in Japan, where I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page.

I’ve worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher, but not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency, but I call it grist for the writer’s mill.

On writing

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. All of my stories held a thread of romance, even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes. Creating unique characters and giving them happy endings is my favorite thing. I even love the voices in my head, so there’s no other job I’d rather be doing. When I got the call in September 2002 that Silhouette Desire wanted to buy my first book, Desert Warrior, it was a dream come true. I hope to continue living the dream until I keel over of old age on my keyboard.

Visit http://www.nalinisingh.com/ for more information

Review // Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

December 31, 2021

Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

He'd kill for her, destroy for her, savage anyone who dared attempt to take her from him.
And he would never let her go...even if she begged for her freedom.

────── ♔ ──────


Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh


Guild Hunter #2
Release - February 2, 2010
Genre - Paranormal Romance / angels, vamps, hunters
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 3 out of 5 / several scenes
Format/Source - ebook from the library / I own the paperback
Length - 352 pages
Publisher - Berkley

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed—an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control—even when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority…

They’ve barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing—and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena…

Find Archangel's Kiss here:

Goodreads * Amazon


My Two Cents

4 "I'm definitely warming up" stars

In the last book, Angels' Blood (see my review here), I found the story to be vague and a bit lackluster. I figured it was probably because this author and her books were new to me. This book gave me exactly what I thought was missing in the first one... THE ROMANCE!!

I also found this one a bit creepier than expected. There are zombies and yet they don't look like the walking dead. If it weren't for Raphael's super senses and Elena's keen nose, they could pass as vamps. It was heartbreaking and scary. And it was awesome!

The politics between the archangels was still just as entertaining and for some reason, I couldn't get enough of Lijuan. I wonder what role she'll play in the stories to come.

I'm still kind of reserving judgment because while I definitely liked this story, I'm still not in love, but if the author builds on everything I've read here, I can only see a better reaction on my part.

And I'm off to read Archangel's Consort because not only can I not get enough of this author's writing, but... Raphael!!

Excerpt


About the Author

Author Nalini Singh

On Me

I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I spent three years living and working in Japan, where I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page.

I’ve worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher, but not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency, but I call it grist for the writer’s mill.

On writing

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. All of my stories held a thread of romance, even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes. Creating unique characters and giving them happy endings is my favorite thing. I even love the voices in my head, so there’s no other job I’d rather be doing. When I got the call in September 2002 that Silhouette Desire wanted to buy my first book, Desert Warrior, it was a dream come true. I hope to continue living the dream until I keel over of old age on my keyboard.

Visit http://www.nalinisingh.com/ for more information

Review // Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh

December 29, 2021

Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh

He closed his eyes, dropping his forehead against hers. “You’ll be the death of me, Elena.”
She smiled. “You need a little excitement in that boring old life of yours.

────── ♔ ──────


Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh

Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh


Guild Hunter #1
Release - March 3, 2009
Genre - Paranormal Romance / angels, vampires, hunters
Multiple POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 3 out of 5 / one real scene
Format/Source - ebook from the library / I own the paperback
Length - 368 pages
Publisher - Berkley

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she’s the best—but she doesn’t know if she’s good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, only one thing is clear—failure is not an option…even if the task is impossible.

Because this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other…and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break…

Find Angels' Blood here:

Goodreads * Amazon


My Two Cents

3.5 "I'm reserving judgment" stars

All of my favorite PNR readers have recommended this author to me for years! And me, being the me that I am, took one thousand years and a day to actually give her a go. Maybe I'm an angel and time has no relevance to me. LMAO wouldn't that be awesome?!

So what did I get?
😇 a sexy archangel. Seriously, Raphael had it all. Cool, calculating, sexy, lethal, powerful, sexy, gorgeous, intelligent, ancient, sexy... You get what I'm saying
😇 a hunter who appeared to be able to handle just about anything thrown at her. And while I could take her or leave her, I did admire the guts that Elena seemed to have
😇 tons of beautiful vamps and angels. Dimitri... he could get it. Venom... I could probably look past those snake eyes and give it to him. And Bluebell... Mannnnnnn... Ilium could definitely get it!!
😇 a juicy plot that had me turning the pages as fast as I could to find out what the heck was going to happen next. This whole bloodborn business... the elusive mystery that surrounds these ancient archangels... I'm intrigued!

Yeah, I could love or hate Elena. I don't feel anything for her right now but bouts of annoyance, frustration, awe, and a bit of envy. I'm not a big believer in the romance that blossomed out of virtually nowhere, but that's probably because the chemistry between Raphael and Elena (or lack of) left me confused. Everything between them, apart from their mission, was so vague (at least to me) that I couldn't tell where they stood as far as a 'relationship' goes. So the fact that they end up together was a little surprising.

But that's just me it seems. I'm not really feeling it, but I know there are a couple of books still to read so I'm holding out hope for more and reserving judgment until then.

We'll see.

Excerpt

Elena’s instincts were screaming at her to grab the knife in her boot, do some damage and get the hell out, but she forced herself to stay in place. The truth was, she wouldn’t make it more than two feet before Raphael broke every single bone in her body.

It was exactly what he’d done to a vampire who’d thought to betray him.

That vampire had been found in the centre of Times Square. He’d still been alive. And he’d still been trying to scream—“No! Raphael, no!” But his voice had been a rasp by then, his jaw hanging on by stringlike tendons, his flesh missing in places.

Elena—out of the country on a hunt—had seen the news footage after the event. She knew the vamp had lain there in agony for three hours before being picked up by a pair of angels. Everyone in New York, hell, everyone in the country, had known he was there, but no one had dared help him, not with Raphael’s mark blazing on his forehead. The archangel had wanted the punishment witnessed, wanted to remind people of who and what he was. It had worked. Now the mere mention of his name evoked visceral fear.

But Elena wouldn’t crawl, not for anyone. It was a choice she’d made the night her father had told her to get on her knees and beg, and maybe, maybe, he’d accept her back into the family. Elena hadn’t spoken to her father in a decade.

“You should have a care,” Raphael said into the unnatural silence.

She didn’t collapse in relief—the air continued to hang heavy with the promise of menace. “I don’t like to play games.”

“Learn.” He settled back in his chair. “You will live a very short life if you expect only honesty.”

Sensing the danger had passed—for now—she unclenched her fingers with an effort of will. The force of the blood rushing back into them was painful in its extremity. “I didn’t say I expected honesty. People lie. Vampires lie. Even—” She caught herself.

“Surely you’re not going to practice discretion now?” The amusement was back but it was tempered with an edge that stroked like a razor across her skin.

She looked into that perfect face and knew she’d never met a more deadly being in her life. If she displeased him, Raphael would kill her as easily as she might swat a fly. She’d be smart to remember that, no matter how the knowledge infuriated her. “You said I had to do a test?”

His wings moved slightly at that instant, drawing her attention. They truly were beautiful and she couldn’t help but covet them. To be able to fly…what an amazing gift.

Raphael’s eyes shifted to look at something over her left shoulder. “Less a test than an experiment.”

She didn’t twist around, had no need to. “There’s a vampire behind me.”

“Are you sure?” His expression remained unchanged.

She fought the urge to turn. “Yes.”

He nodded. “Look.”

Wondering which was worse—having her back to an enigmatic and highly unpredictable archangel, or to an unknown vampire—she hesitated. In the end, her curiosity won out. There was a distinctly satisfied expression on Raphael’s face and she wanted to know what had put it there.

Shifting, she turned sideways with her whole body, the position allowing her to keep Raphael in her peripheral vision. Then she looked at the two…creatures who stood behind her. “Jesus.”

“You may go.” Raphael’s voice was a command that awakened absolute terror in the eyes of the one who looked vaguely human. The other scuttled away like the animal it was.

She watched them leave through the glass door and swallowed. “How old was…” She couldn’t call that thing a vampire. Neither had it been human.

“Erik was Made yesterday.”

“I didn’t know they could walk at that age.” It was an attempt to sound professional though she was creeped out to her toes.

“He had a little help.” Raphael’s tone made it clear that that was all the answer she was going to get. “Bernal is…a fraction older.”

She reached for the juice she’d rejected earlier and took a drink, trying to wash away the stink that had seeped into her pores. The older vamps didn’t have that ick factor. They—except for the unusual ones like the doorvamp—simply smelled of vampire, like she smelled human. But the very young ones, they had a certain rotten-cabbage/putrid flesh smell that she always had to scrub three times over to get rid of. It was why she’d begun collecting the body washes and perfumes. After her initial contact with one of the newly Made, she’d thought she’d never get the smell out of her head.

“I didn’t think a hunter would be so disturbed at the sight of the just Made.” Raphael’s face appeared oddly shadowed, until she realized he’d raised his wings slightly.

Wondering if that implied focus or anger, she put down the glass. “I’m not, not really.” True enough now that that first, instinctive flash of disgust had passed. “It’s the smell…like a coating of fur on your tongue. No matter how hard you scrape, you can’t get it off.”

Open interest showed on his face. “The feeling is that intense?”

She shivered and looked around the table for something else to take the edge off. When he pushed a cut grapefruit in her direction, she dug into it with relish. “Uh-huh.” The citrus fruit’s acidic juices dampened the reek a little. At least enough that she could think.

“If I asked you to track Erik, could you?”

She shivered at the memory of those almost-dead/not-quite-alive eyes. No wonder people believed those stories about vampires being the walking dead. “No. I think he’s too young.”

“What about Bernal?”

“He’s on the bottom floor of the building right now.” The barely-Made vampire’s odor was so noxious, it permeated the building. “In the lobby.”

Golden tipped wings spread to shadow the table as Raphael put his hands together in a slow clap. “Well done, Elena. Well, done.”

She looked up from the grapefruit, belatedly aware she’d just proven how good she was when she should’ve flubbed it and gotten out of this, whatever “this” was. Shit. But at least he’d given her some idea of the job. “Do you want me to track a rogue?”

He rose from his chair in a sudden, liquid movement. “Wait a moment.”

She watched, transfixed, as he walked to the edge of the roof. He was a being of such incredible splendor that simply seeing him move made her heart squeeze. It didn’t matter that she knew it was a mirage, that he was as deadly as the filleting knife she carried strapped to her thigh. No one, not even she, could deny that Raphael the Archangel was a man made to be admired. To be worshipped.

That utterly wrong thought snapped her out of her dazed state. Pushing back her chair, she stared hard at his back. Had he been messing with her head? Right then, he turned and she met the agonizing blue of his eyes. For a second, she thought he was answering her question. Then he looked away…and walked off the roof.

She jumped up. Only to sit back down, blush reddening her cheeks, when he winged upward to meet an angel she hadn’t seen until that moment. Michaela. The female equivalent of Raphael, her beauty so intense that Elena could feel the force of it even from this distance. She had the startling realization that she was looking at a mid-air meeting between two archangels.

“Sara’s never going to believe this.” She forgot the stench of young vampire for the moment, her attention hijacked. She’d seen photos of Michaela, but they came nowhere close to the reality of her.

The other archangel had skin the color of the most exquisite, fine milk-chocolate and a shining fall of hair that cascaded to her waist in a wild mass. Her body was quintessentially female, slender and curvy at the same time, her wings a delicate bronze that shimmered against the richness of her skin. Her face… “Wow.” Even from this distance, Michaela’s face was perfection given form. Elena fancied she could see her eyes—a bright, impossible green—but knew she had to be imagining it. They were too far away.

It made little difference. The female archangel had a face that would not only stop traffic, it would cause a few pileups in the process.

Elena frowned. Despite her appreciation for Michaela’s looks, she was having no trouble thinking straight. Which meant the damn arrogant blue-eyed bastard had been fucking with her mind. He wanted her to worship him? They’d see about that.

No one, not even an archangel, was going to turn her into a puppet.

As if he’d heard her, Raphael said something to his fellow archangel and winged back down to the roof. His landing was a lot more showy this time. She was sure he paused to display the pattern on the inside surface of his wings. It was as if a brush dipped in gold had started at the top edge of each wing and then stroked downward, fading to white as it neared the bottom. In spite of her fury, she had to face the truth: If the devil—or an archangel—came to her and offered her wings, she might just sell him her soul.

But the angels didn’t Make other angels. They only made blood-drinking vampires. Where angels came from, no one knew. Elena guessed they were born to angelic parents…though, come to think of it, she’d never actually seen a baby angel.

Her thoughts derailed again as she watched the fluid grace of Raphael’s walk, so seductive…so perfect.

Standing up, she sent her chair crashing to the tiles. “Get. Out. Of. My. Head!”

Raphael came to a standstill. “Do you intend to use that knife?” His words were ice. She felt blood scent the air and realized it was her own.

Looking down, she found her hand clenching on the blade of the knife she’d drawn instinctively from the sheath at her ankle. She’d never have made such a mistake. He was forcing her to hurt herself, showing her she was nothing but a toy for him to play with. Instead of fighting, she squeezed harder. “If you want me to do a job for you, fine. But I won’t be manipulated.”

His eyes flicked over the blood seeping from her fist. He didn’t have to say anything.

“You might be able to control me,” she said, in response to the silent mockery on his face, “but if that would’ve gotten the job done, you’d have never gone through the farce of hiring me. You need me, Elena Deveraux, not one of your little vampire flunkies.”

Her hand unclenched in a violent spasm as he made her release the blade. It fell to the ground with a thud cushioned to softness by the blood that had pooled below. She didn’t move, didn’t attempt to stem the flow.

And when Raphael walked to stand less than a foot from her, she stood her ground.

“So, you think you have me over a barrel?” The sky was a seamless blue but Elena felt storm winds whip her hair completely out of its coil.

“No.” She let his scent—clean, bright, of the sea—settle over the lingering coat of vampire on her tongue. “I’m ready to walk away without a backward look, return the deposit you paid the Guild.”

“That,” he said, picking up a napkin and wrapping it around her hand, “is not an option.”

Startled by the unexpected act, she closed her hand to help slow the bleeding. “Why not?”

“I want you to do this,” he responded, as if that was reason enough. And for an archangel, it was.

“What’s the job? Retrieval?”

“Yes.”

Relief began to wash through her like the rain she could feel so close. But no, it was his scent, that fresh bite of water. “All I need to start with, is something the vampire wore recently. If you have a general location, even better. If not, I’ll get the Guild’s computer geniuses on tracking public transport and bank records etcetera, while I hunt on the ground.” Her mind was already at work, considering and discarding options.

“You mistake me, Elena. It’s not a vampire I want you to find.”

That halted her in her tracks. “You’re looking for a human? Well, I can do it but I really don’t have any advantage over a good private investigator.”

“Try again.”

Not vampire. Not human. That left…“An angel?” she whispered. “No.”

“No,” he agreed and, once again, she felt the cool brush of relief. It lasted until he said, “An archangel.”

Elena stared at him. “You’re joking.”

His cheekbones stood out starkly against the sun-kissed smoothness of his skin. “No. The Cadre of Ten does not joke.”

Her stomach curdled at the reference to the Cadre—if Raphael was any example of their lethal power, she never wanted to meet that august body. “Why are you tracking an archangel?”

“That, you do not need to know.” His tone was final. “What you do need to know is that if you succeed in finding him, you’ll be rewarded with more money than you can hope to spend in your lifetime.”

Elena glanced at the bloodstained napkin. “And if I fail?”

“Don’t fail, Elena.” His eyes were mild but his smile, it spoke of things better not said aloud. “You intrigue me—I’d hate to have to punish you.”

Her mind flashed to that image of the vampire in Times Square, that broken mess that had once been a person…Raphael’s definition of punishment.

About the Author

Author Nalini Singh

On Me


I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I spent three years living and working in Japan, where I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page.

I’ve worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher, but not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency, but I call it grist for the writer’s mill.

On writing

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. All of my stories held a thread of romance, even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes. Creating unique characters and giving them happy endings is my favorite thing. I even love the voices in my head, so there’s no other job I’d rather be doing. When I got the call in September 2002 that Silhouette Desire wanted to buy my first book, Desert Warrior, it was a dream come true. I hope to continue living the dream until I keel over of old age on my keyboard.

Visit http://www.nalinisingh.com/ for more information

Review // Wish of Dragons by Aja James

December 28, 2021

Wish of Dragons by Aja James

He wanted that one.
Kai had never entertained such a thought across all his substantial existence.
It was extremely specific, startling, stubborn, and incontrovertible.
Undeniable.
Mine.

────── ♔ ──────


Wish of Dragons by Aja James

Wish of Dragons by Aja James


Dragon Tails #3
Release - TBA
Genre - Paranormal Romance / fated mates / Valkyries and dragons
Multiple POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 5 out of 5 / plenty of action
Format/Source - eARC provided by the author
Length - 240?
Publisher - Indie

Every lore of every clan, across time and space, dreamed of dragons. Did you ever wonder why?

Erebu and Sorin fought through countless lifetimes of trials and tribulations to find one another again. They even conquered death.

But Ere’s rebirth requires a price: he must answer the Celestial Summons when it comes and faithfully complete each task the Jade Emperor sets before him.

On the bright side, he doesn’t have to perform miracles alone. Sorin will be right there with him. One the not so bright side, his Fate, the Fate of all dragon Kind, and by extension, the Universal Balance, depend on the successful execution of each quest.

No pressure.

His third task is find and retrieve the Wish of Wonders.

Find Wish of Dragons here:

Goodreads


My Two Cents

5 "I am forever changed" stars!!

After meeting and experiencing Kai, I'll never be the same.

This book's mission took our heroes to the edge of worlds. There were vikings, trolls, giants and sprinklings of the mighty Odin and the whimsical Freya. It was fantastical, mythical, and almost ethereal magic.

And for all the wonder that was mixed into this story, I can't help but be completely in awe of all the greatness that was put into Kai.

There's just something too sweet to resist about a taciturn, brooding, broken, monster of a man (see Sorin). And Kai... He had the enchanting one-word and grunt seduction of Natalie down to a science. Yup, here I am, enamored by a man who barely spoke a word!

While I would never dream of sharing a man (and would definitely cut a b!tch if she thought we could), I'm fine with sharing Kai with Eir. She was not a sweet heroine looking for a daring rescue. She was a Valkyrie, a caller of death, and if rescuing was going to be done, she'd be a part of it. She went from cold to scorching over Kai and I absolutely loved how she finally found her heart through him.

...her warrior was different. First, because he was not average in any sense of the word. He was a hero among heroes, a god among men. Second, he was hers.

Okay, so back to Kai. My heart kept breaking for this man. Born to fight gods, he was a brother to Ere, but after the war was won, when Ere was reborn as a Pure One, Kai was kept prisoner. He was a weapon and nothing more. He had no real freedom and couldn't form real relationships. I loved how he and Ere and Sorin reconnected here. It was not only hilarious (thanks again, Ere), it was sweet and well deserved.

I'm saying it again... This author is a marvel at creating eerily beautiful worlds and stunningly beautiful characters.

They came together in a fury of mouths, tongues, teeth and limbs. Grabbing, clawing, sucking, biting. They hungered for each other, so they feasted. They thirsted for each other, so they drank their fill. They ached and longed and craved, so they inhaled, consumed and tore into each other with the wildness and abandon of animals in heat. But also with the intensity and passion of long-lost soulmates, coming back together as one.

And while I could expound on my great love for Kai, I don't want to encourage any of you to try to steal him from me. So just know that he is the epitome of the best you can find in a hero, love him from afar, and love this story whenever you read it. Because you really need to read it!

Wish of Dragons by Aja James

About the 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!

Visit https://aja-james.blog/ for more information!