Quite short - I wish it had been longer. And the hero goes from barely being able to pass as human to very charming very quick - but it's super cute! Quite short - I wish it had been longer. And the hero goes from barely being able to pass as human to very charming very quick - but it's super cute! And made me laugh.
Finished my listen and really enjoyed. First time I've listened and the narrator is terrific. Finished my listen and really enjoyed. First time I've listened and the narrator is terrific. ...more
Gail Carriger writes such cute, quirky books and in this novella (although it felt like a long novella) she gives us a grumpy werewolf hero and a humaGail Carriger writes such cute, quirky books and in this novella (although it felt like a long novella) she gives us a grumpy werewolf hero and a human heroine who loves to collect rocks.
Faith had an indiscretion with a werewolf in Boston (it’s hinted at in the blurb and you will learn more about it as you read) and her family shuns her and sends her to live with distant relatives in England. In England, werewolves are titled and part of society. Her family thinks they are punishing by sending her away, but Faith is so unloved at home, casting her off is just another part of her life. When she lands in England, she is greeted by her future husband, she just doesn’t know it yet. Faith loves to collect rocks. In her mind:
“Rocks represent so much time and space, so much history. Yet they’re so solid and unchanging themselves.”
She has an extensive collection, all carefully organized. She also prefers to wear pants and last year’s style. She doesn’t quite fit into “normal” society. The family that has taken her in are adorable, and nice and want her to be happy. Faith really can’t believe her good fortune.
Our hero is Major Channing Channing – and yes, his parents gave him the same first name as his last name. Channing is a werewolf, gamma in his pack (third in command) and the head of the BUR, The Bureau of Unnatural Registry. He meets Faith as she lands in England because he has received word that there are “Sundowner bullets” being smuggled into England, and as these bullets can kill both werewolves and vampires, Channing doesn’t want them getting into the wrong hands. As Faith’s luggage weighs very heavy due to all of her rocks, he gets suspicious and searches through all her things, much to her rage.
These two start to meet again as they are invited to the same balls, and because Channing’s alpha owns a hat store, and helps the ladies with all of their fashion requirements – something Faith is in need of. As they start to spend time together, their biting banter starts to become more flirtatious.
This is a slow-burn romance and it worked so well for me. Both Faith and Channing have had loss in their life (I won’t go into it as not to spoil) and they eventually bond over that. They are both strong-willed, independent and stubborn, which makes their pairing quite delightful. Channing has chosen a path in his life to be alone, except for time spent with his pack. And Faith never thought she would have another chance at love after her disaster back at home. It takes time for the two of them to trust what their hearts are saying, but it’s a wonderful journey to their HEA.
Channing is so gruff and grumpy and there are really cute scenes with his pack as they give him a hard time when they can tell he is falling for Faith. This paranormal world isn’t as violent as other worlds. We get a more quirky cast of characters and it was a refreshing change.
Their eventual declaration of love for each other was so sweet and made me smile. A really fun collection of characters, and a hero and heroine you can’t help but root for. I really like this author’s voice.
Is there anything better than a book recommendation via Twitter? I love it when people are enthusiastic about a book. Thanks to Lillie, I saw her tellIs there anything better than a book recommendation via Twitter? I love it when people are enthusiastic about a book. Thanks to Lillie, I saw her telling everyone to read this, and I hopped on that train. I didn’t even read the blurb – so imagine my surprise when this turned out to be a male/female/male HEA. And a believable one at that. Let me also say, it starts a bit as a love triangle, but if love triangles turn you off, don’t let that sway you away from this one. The angst level and fighting between the men and our heroine is pretty low.
Contessa Dahl, or Tess, has led a hard life. Growing up in foster care, she has had no one to protect her, but herself. Now at twenty-eight, the unthinkable happens. She sees a man named Harvey, who she knew as a kid on the streets. They were close for a while before they lost contact with each other. He pulls up in a dark vehicle, and seeing his familiar face, she rushes to greet him. Then gets stabbed in the neck with a needle and it’s night-night time.
But don’t fret for Tess – these are the good guys. Unknown to Tess, she is descended from Norsemen royalty. She is the long-lost Queen of the Afótama, a group of people descended from the Vikings who have been shunned and hunted due to their telepathic abilities. Now that her family has found her, her abilities come to light. She is the Queen they have been searching for and Tess now has to learn a new life. One where she has to control the chaos from the people she now leads, as their thoughts all enter her head. She is in some shock:
“Wait—can we rewind here?” Tess asked. “I think I’m holding up admirably given the circumstances, but there’s only so much disbelief I can suspend all at once. Just today, I’ve been reunited with family I didn’t know I had, told that I have some tenuous association to Vikings—did I hear that correctly, Harvey? I was doped up at the moment.”
He grunted.
“That was correct.” “Okay. I’ve also been informed I may have some undefined power, and now you’re bandying around the word queen as if it were just a nickname. As much as I like the idea of being something greater than a cocktail waitress, I’m not sure if I’m qualified to be anyone’s ruler.”
In this world, women rule:
It’d be different if he were king, but the Afótama didn’t have kings. They hadn’t in at least a thousand years. Yet another reason their Viking peers had ostracized them. Ancestors of the Afótama let woman rule them, and their fellow Northmen believed that made them weak.
Not so. The Afótama knew their strength was with their mothers: the queen and the matriarch. The queen bound them together, and the matriarch soothed their hurts.
Harvey (the man who found her and was a childhood friend) and Tess have an instant connection. Harvey is also part of the Afótama clan and knows that Tess is his mate. He is alpha, and demanding – but not an asshole and also knows his place because she is queen. But there is a catch.
There is a man named Oliver, or Ollie, who doesn’t live with the rest of the Afótama, choosing to live away from the rule of the clan. He has been having dreams that star Tess – and once she is announced Queen, he can’t believe his eyes. He knows for certain this woman is his destined mate, and he travels to her and makes a claim. Harvey is none too thrilled.
The three of them not only work out their romance, but the two heroes, along with some of Tess’s family help her navigate her new life. They are all funny, and vibrant and just full of life. It’s such an engaging cast of characters.
I absolutely adored Tess. Her induction into her new life is believable as she struggles with her new abilities. She asks for help when needed, and learns to rule as the queen she is. She doesn’t let the two alpha men in her life run the ship. She puts them in their place when need be and allows them to pleasure her when the time comes. It’s super sexy.
My one complaint is that I wish we had gotten to see the world outside of Tess’s little circle. I wanted to see outside of her room and get a better feeling for the world around her. But this series continues with Tess, Harvey and Ollie in the next book, so I hope to get a better glimpse then.
This spin-off series of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, is still BDB....just with a new crew of warriors. But the veterans are still roaming the halls, This spin-off series of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, is still BDB....just with a new crew of warriors. But the veterans are still roaming the halls, and making appearances.
Blood Fury gives us two romances - Peyton and Novo, two trainees in the brotherhood fighting program, who start off the book more as enemies, and it takes a bit for them to move past hate sex to --oh wait, I love you. Peyton had very intense, romantic feelings towards another trainee, Paradise, but if you have read this series, you know she got a HEA with another male. Peyton is still in love with her and has a hard time working with her on a daily basis. Novo is trying to prove herself as a fighter in this male dominated field, and when she gets injured, she feels like she has to prove herself even more. Peyton is always lurking in the background, and they start this hate/sex/lustful thing until their feelings turn much more romantic.
The other couple, and the reason I really anticipated this book, is Saxton and Ruhn. Saxton is Wrath's solicitor, once lover of Blay, and has had a hard time moving past that break-up. Ruhn is Bitty's uncle. Readers of this series will remember Bitty, who is Rhage and Mary's adopted daughter. Ruhn moved into the brotherhood compound with Bitty, and has stayed around. He feels like he isn't doing enough to earn his keep (although the brotherhood expects nothing from him, and considers him family).
When there is a land dispute, Saxton has to make a lot of trips out to a house to try to get some paperwork in order, and Wrath sends Ruhn as Saxton's bodyguard in case danger breaks out. As these two spend time together, they realize they have feelings for each other, something that really surprises Ruhn, as he has only had feelings for women in the past. Ruhn has a dark, tortuous past, and that angsty torture still looms around him. He is super quiet and always down on himself. I really enjoyed his pairing with Saxton.
In lieu of a reply, Ruhn walked forward...and it was about when he was halfway across the distance that separated them that Saxton realized...
The male was aroused.
Ruhn had not come here for a never-again, but rather for some more.
Saxton's body responded instantly, his blood rushing, his cock hardening, his annoyance, frustration, and exhaustion instantly evaporating.
As the other male came to a halt with mere inches between their faces, Saxton had to smile a little."I guess I read this wrong, huh."
"Yes," came the growl. "You did."
Holy from-out-of-nowhere.
Ruhn took hold of Saxton by either side of the throat and yanked him forward, the male's kiss nothing tentative or shy, nothing experimental.
Ward splits page time pretty evenly for these two couples, and best of all, there are no other storylines to take away from these romances. While Sax and Ruhn are fighting a land dispute, and Peyton and Novo are dealing with an injury, most of the page time is devoted to building up their romance and relationship. V, Rhage and Wrath all make brief appearances (yay!) but no other distractions take away from the two HEAs.
This is just a really fun addition to the series. Super sexy, a few laughs and two couples that I really enjoyed. We even heard the distant screams of Assail down the corridor a few times. A sure sign that he is still suffering until his book comes out this spring.
I find that Megan Hart writes such different things from book to book. I fell in love with her when she wrote Broken, Dirty etc.., and I’ve followed hI find that Megan Hart writes such different things from book to book. I fell in love with her when she wrote Broken, Dirty etc.., and I’ve followed her work since then. When I saw her new series featuring a female bodyguard set in the future, I was definitely intrigued.
First, and I didn’t realize this, the entire series follows Nina and Ewan. I assumed book two would have a different hero and heroine, so I was expecting more to happen in this book. Dangerous Promise started very strong for me but it definitely lags in the second half.
Nina is one of fifteen enhanced humans in this futuristic world. After joining the military, she dies on the table and is brought back with a series of nanochips, that gave her “greater than natural control over her bodily functions. Endurance, strength, focus.” Coming back like this led her to have a falling out with her family and since then she has gone into the private sector as a bodyguard. Hired out to keep people safe, she is the best of the best. And that is why billionaire Ewan Donahue has hired her.
Unknown to Nina, Ewan actually developed the tech that lives inside Nina. But then he realized this tech could be used by the wrong people and could create horrible consequences. He immediately reversed his stance, and now lobbies hard against enhancing humans. Nina knows about his lobbying and hates him for it, as upgraded tech is really needed for her and the few others that have it, as theirs is becoming outdated and causing some pain. But a paycheck is a paycheck, and she agrees to guard him, as Ewan has had multiple threats and attempts against his life. He isn’t sure who is targeting him, and after two of his regular bodyguards die, he turns to enhanced humans.
They hate each other at first, and I do like a nice hate relationship where that lust simmers right underneath the surface. Ewan does get attacked – several times and this author writes well done action scenes. Ewan has to accept the fact a woman is saving his butt (the horror!) and comes to trust her and respect her once he sees her skills. He has guilt about her not knowing it was him who created the tech to begin with, which eventually comes out later in the book.
The first half is all about understanding Nina’s enhancements and guarding Ewan’s life. I was into it for sure. But the second half really drags. Their hate for each other eventually turns to a romance, but it takes a long time. Like I said at the beginning, I didn’t realize these two would continue to star in the subsequent books so I was expecting a faster pace. I was also a little confused about Nina and her ability to feel emotions. I thought it was limited due to her enhancements – but then she is falling in love and feeling all the feelings towards Ewan and I wasn’t sure if that was really consistent with what we are told at the start of the book.
I wanted Nina to be a little – less human, if that makes sense. By the end of the book, I had kind of forgotten how powerful she was at the start of the book. She seemed more regular and I would have liked her “otherness” to still be prominent. I also though Ewan goes from such a jerk to too nice. Especially since we get more of him as the series progresses. I know, I know – I’m so picky!!
I loved the set-up and the brief glimpse at the world. I may read book two, but I think I will read reviews of it first.
Favorite Quote: "Listen to me, my deadly little pearl. Choose love. Always choose love. If the decision is between love and anything else, choose loveFavorite Quote: "Listen to me, my deadly little pearl. Choose love. Always choose love. If the decision is between love and anything else, choose love."
I haven't read Gail Carriger in so long - fail on my part! I really enjoyed the first few Parasol Protectorate books, and then unfortunately, she fell off my radar. Shame on me. Poison or Protect is an adorable novella, that works well as a stand-alone. It falls in the paranormal/steampunk/historical genre and while it took me a few pages to settle into the prose of this book, it is a fast and adorable read.
Lady Preshea Villentia is known as "The Mourning Star" as she has four dead husbands in the grave. Rumors swirl that she poisoned them all, and Preshea is content to let that rumor go - and is also pretty proud of her title.
Preshea was proud of Mourning Star. It took two dead husbands before they called her anything special at all, and when it stuck through the next two, she knew herself to be infamous. It could have been worse; some of her American counterparts got monikers like Black Widow. Absolutely ghastly.
But as the blurb states, "What society doesn’t know is that all her husbands were marked for death by Preshea’s employer." Oooooh. And her final assignment might look boring on paper, but things turn very interesting. Preshea is a trained assassin, and this employer mentioned, a vampire, sends her to a house party out in the country with two goals: One, to keep the duke, who has passionate political views, and who resides at this house, safe from an assassination attempt. And two, to help the duke remove his daughter's suitor, who he deems to be....unsuitable. Preshea agrees, and off she goes.
Our hero is a huge, growly scottish werewolf. Is there anything better than a growly, scottish werewolf? I think not! He is so cute. He ends up at the same house party for two reasons as well: One, his good friend is the unsuitable suitor, who is a little loud, and talks about topics that aren't really proper, and Gavin goes to help keep his friend, Mr. Jackson in check. It's a hard job:
“My pearl of the sea,” he declared at one point, “I will find for you all the delectables of the briny deep. Have you ever had winkles?”
“Pardon me?” Lady Violet was taken aback.
“Winkles!” said Mr Jackson loudly. “Sea snails, don’t ya know? Like whelks, only smaller. Very tasty. You must try them. Next time I visit the seaside, I shall return with a bouquet of the little creatures.”
“Oh, dear.” Lady Violet was coming over faint.
When they all arrive, witty banter ensues. Preshea has a reputation, and she knows it, and uses it to mingle innocently with the guests, all the while keeping an eye on the duke and try to figure out how to breakup a courtship. As the days progress, Gavin and Preshea start this adorable romance. Preshea has had four husbands who have treated her badly. She considers herself a virgin, because she has never wanted their kisses or sexual advances. Gavin is this huge guy, and she can't help but think the worst of him at first.
He would be no different from the others. His tenderness was a front to hide angry force. He was a soldier and he had killed, like her. Once bare of society's trappings, he would be as demanding as any man, as ignorant of her needs, as cruel in his desire. How dare she want? To forget the past so easily?
But he is so sweet, and so gentle, and when their first kiss does come, it's exactly what Preshea needs:
“Will you be kissing me now?” he wondered.
“Should you like it if I did?”
“Verra much.”
She stood on her tiptoes and braced one hand on his shoulder, the other on his wide chest.
He bent down. He had to; even on her toes she wasn’t tall enough. He waited, though, for her to begin. How did he know how much she needed that patience? How important it was for him not to be just another man who wanted to consume her.
Someone find me a werewolf to kiss, immediately!
Great pacing, great sexual tension, great banter - for a quirky, quick read, pick this one up.
This one didn't grab me like the first book. It was a little slower and the stuff happening in the world fell flat for me. Maybe the romance a little This one didn't grab me like the first book. It was a little slower and the stuff happening in the world fell flat for me. Maybe the romance a little too.
I liked this a lot - I've tried other dragon shifter series and I think this has worked the best for me.. I have not read Dixon's other sci-fi series I liked this a lot - I've tried other dragon shifter series and I think this has worked the best for me.. I have not read Dixon's other sci-fi series so I don't have that comparison (I read some said this world/set-up is a little similar)
I adored the heroine - strong, feisty, stubborn.. and the hero plays a great character as he is stubborn and doesn't understand why his fated mate just won't have him.
Really sexy too. Super fun..can't wait to read bk 2...more
Thea can invade people's emotions and manipulate them any way she pleases. She does this sometimes to get what she wants, sometimes feeling guilty butThea can invade people's emotions and manipulate them any way she pleases. She does this sometimes to get what she wants, sometimes feeling guilty but she tries to use her power only for good. When she sees horned, demon-like creatures following her one night, she is sure she must be hallucinating. But these creatures are real and she is in trouble.
Cam is an angel whose life goal is to kill demons. After losing his destined mate, Cam has turned his rage into fighting demons, making him one of the most skilled, and powerful angels around. When he is assigned to train Thea, a half-angel, half-human woman who has no idea what she is, Cam wants nothing to do with it. But duty calls, so he finds Thea and starts to train her in demon fighting ways. Along the way they fall for each other.
It's been a while since I read an angel book (maybe Nalini Singh's series is the only one I read?) so I decided to give this one a try. Unfortunately it didn't work that well for me. Cam is a big, alpha angel and Thea has moments of being kick-ass but we spend so much time training and training, and even more training, I got bored. Thea lives in a not so great neighborhood and is involved in some shady dealings - I wish that had been fleshed out more in this book to get a better picture of her life before Cam enters it.
I think months pass as Thea trains and I wanted more action or witty banter or something. While Cam is sexy and there are some very sexy moments in this book, I never felt like they fell in love. They have chemistry and there is a lot of sex...but no romance. I expected a lot more demon action and more courtship.
First of all, I really liked this book. Before I get into it though, let me say it is a rerelease from a book titled, From the Ashes by Adrien-Luc SanFirst of all, I really liked this book. Before I get into it though, let me say it is a rerelease from a book titled, From the Ashes by Adrien-Luc Sanders released in 2012.
The blurb completely drew me into this one:
Sociopath. Killer. Deviant.
Monster, devoid of morals, incapable of human emotion. The villain known as Spark has been called this and more, and as a super-powered aberrant has masterminded countless crimes to build his father's inhuman empire. Yet to professor Sean Archer, this fearsome creature is only Tobias Rutherford--antisocial graduate researcher, quiet underachiever, and a fascinating puzzle Sean is determined to solve.
But one kiss leads to an entanglement that challenges everything Tobias knows about himself, aberrants, and his own capacity to love. When his father orders him to assassinate a senator, one misstep unravels a knot of political intrigue that places the fate of humans and aberrants alike in Tobias's hands. As danger mounts and bodies pile higher, will Tobias succumb to his dark nature and sacrifice Sean--or will he defy his father and rise from the ashes to become a hero in a world of villains?
And Spark or his regular name, Tobias lives up to the blurb. This is a world where there are humans and humans who also have a gene that sets them apart from regular humans. Called aberranst, they have different abilities - Tobias has the power of electricity. Others can control water, or wind etc.. In general, they use their power for evil, all under the control of the big bad guy, and Tobias's father, General Infernus Blaze:
My name is Tobias Rutherford, and I am the instrument of mankind's destruction.
To the human world, to my father, I have only one name: Spark. I suppose it's a fitting name for the son and second-in-command of the world's most feard villain: The Lord High General Infernus Blaze.
That all sounds very dramatic, and in a way it is but the story isn't all big theatrics and over the top evil. There are some very quiet, dark, introspective scenes in this book that left an impact with me. But this evil General is no joke - using Tobias's powers and others, Blaze literally wiped out Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. He created a new land called Xinth, where you either bow to his rule, or you die. Tobias grew up knowing he was an aberrant, and knowing he had no choice but to commit these awful acts. He doesn't feel and lives a very lonely life, doing the bidding of his father. Humans are terrified of Aberrants, and while the government is busy trying to pass legislation to somehow control them, Blaze sets up Tobias to undermine them at every turn. Currently, Tobias is studying for his doctorate and working at a lab, carefully ruining any research his lab employer, Dr. Langdon, is doing that gets him close to anything to do with aberrant DNA.
Tobias starts to become conflicted though - he develops feelings for a human professor, Sean Archer - a mysterious and quiet man who develops a relationship with Tobias. They both have secrets, and they both have lustful, passionate thoughts about the other. Tobias knows getting involved with a human is very dangerous, as he is pretending to be human himself.
I can't afford to let anyone too close. One casual slip, and it's over. My first year in the States, a lab assistant caught me using my abilities to interface with the campus intranet and access Dr. Langdon's personnel files, class schedule, and records of his grant appilications. Hiding the corpse wasn't easy. Harder still was removing the fingerprints, and the teeth.
The face was already burned well beyond recognition. A hundred thousand volts at point-blank range will do that.
In case you were wondering, our hero Tobias crosses some moral lines. An anti-hero, a villainous hero? That would be a safe bet. Can a man who has done these horrible acts be redeemed? I think he is to an extent in this story. He does these acts because his horrible father raised him thinking his aberrant gene drives him to violence. As the story progresses, he learns about the world from other sources than his father, and things start to change.
Sean brings out a side in Tobias he craves for .
Sean Archer haunts me.
I think, if you were ever in that situation, you might change your mind.
Would I? I've always know my path. Maybe it isn't what humans consider right, but it's the only path I have. Fight. Conquer. Kill..or be exterminated. I've never had to wonder, never had to question if there was any other way. My father defined my destiny before my birth. He will created his empire - and when he passes, I will rule in his stead.
Yet as I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, I see only those pretty red lips asking a question I can never answer.
As he gets to know Sean, he starts to learn things about himself. His extreme loneliness becomes even more unbearable. The fact he can't change the way his life is - feeling that due to being an aberrant, and the son of the General, there is no way out. And besides being different because he is an aberrant, he also deals with racism for having brown skin and passing as a human:
I'm an aberrant, Sean. I'm an aberrant and I can never tell you, and I feel alien in so many fucking ways when even people who think I'm human see me as inferior just for being brown.
You can't comfort that.
You can't fix any of it.
This book is so well written - so intriguing and engaging. I do think the world outside of Tobias's immediate circle, is hazy - We are told that Blaze has done these horrible acts, but it was hard for me to see it. To see how an average human sees his or her world - is there constant fear of aberrants? Are they more in the background? Are humans still cocky around them etc? I would have liked a better glimpse into the world. But beyond that, this story is excellent. The romance between Tobias and Sean is passionate, yet held back in a way because Tobias knows he can't get too close. There is a high angst level and you can feel his hurt. The fact that he has killed so many and the question of nature vs nurture - is he designed to kill and to feel nothing? Then why does he fall in love with Sean? Does the government have the right to kill or abort or torture aberrants just because of their DNA? This is all brought up, but the author keeps the story moving and puts in action and romance so that it never gets super weighted down.
I wouldn't call this a novella, but it is a faster read. I really hope because this has been rereleased, that we are going to get a series out of it - I'd love to revisit this world.
Favorite Quote: “You smile like the devil,” Mona said.
“The devil doesn’t smile,” he said. “The devil smirks.”
A brief overview of my history of readingFavorite Quote: “You smile like the devil,” Mona said.
“The devil doesn’t smile,” he said. “The devil smirks.”
A brief overview of my history of reading Tiffany Reisz – I think her Original Sinners series is amazing, especially books one and two – they have a spot on my favorites shelf. I am not a fan of her fiction book set in Kentucky, The Bourbon Thief. But overall, I really like her voice. She has a way of writing that resonates with me.
That being said, many of my reviewer friends who read The Red previous to me warned me it was super erotic and a little “out there.” That it fit firmly in the erotica category and to not expect a HEA. I was honestly a little scared to read it but I knew I had to try it for myself. Maybe because I was warned – but even though I don’t read a lot of pure erotica (because I like a firm HEA) this one was an engaging read. So here is the same warning to you: This is erotica. It’s basically sex scene after sex scene. Some of the scenes made me squirmy. There isn’t a lot of back story on our protagonists, although a story is weaved in throughout the book. The ending felt like a forced, pretend HEA, in my opinion. But I think this book will produce a lot of varying, strong opinions. It’s the type of book that you know if you recommend, some will disagree. But that is okay. That is why this genre is so fun.
The Red is an art gallery, owned by Mona Lisa St. James . This gallery used to be a premier spot to display the best art – but times are tough these days. After Mona’s mother suffered and died from a prolonged illness, Mona realizes there is no money left, but she promised her mother, as she lay dying, that she would do anything to save The Red. But now that her mom is gone and Mona takes a good look at the books, she realizes she would need at least half a million and there is no way that is going to happen. She is going to have to sell. But a man appears in her gallery who has an offer. Wearing a three-piece suit with the looks of a long ago sophisticated person, this man, Malcolm, offers Mona a million dollars if she becomes his whore for a year.
“What is it you want from me?”
“May I be blunt with you?” he asked.
“I’d prefer it.”
“I very much wish to fuck you.”
She opened her mouth and said nothing.
“Too blunt?” he asked, a slight smile on his lips.
He wants to use her body, as he sees fit, every month or so, for one year, and then he will make sure The Red stays in business. Mona, twenty-five years old, can’t believe she is agreeing to this…but she did promise her mother she would do anything. And he warns her, “anything” is on the table.
“I’m not paying you a million dollars just to fuck you. Fucking you is the least of what I’ll do to you. What I’m paying a million dollars for – minimum, mind you – is to fuck with you.”
She doesn’t know why Malcolm chose her or what his specific intentions are, but she agrees and one night in the near future, he meets her in her brass bed, located in the back of The Red, with all the paintings in storage. From here, they meet, about once a month. Each meeting is revolved around a different painting. One is Olympia, where Mona puts white sheets on the bed, as the painting shows, and wears a velvet choker with a flower in her hair, as Olympia does in the painting. She does this for each painting, as Malcolm leaves her a clue to each painting shortly before he arrives.
Malcolm tells her she isn’t going to like some of the sexual encounters. She is beaten once by 100 strokes with a cane. Another time he takes the shape of a Minotaur. Which, I am sure has you scratching your head. There is a paranormal aspect to this book, but I don’t want to go too far into details. Best to let it expose itself.
What I can tell you is this book is pretty much all sex. Some of the scenes took me out of my comfort zone. Some were tough to read. But overall, I found this story engaging, since I knew to expect this. Some may say it’s an odd story -I’d say it’s a unique story. It’s unlike anything I have read. For those completely brand new to Tiffany Reisz….I don’t know how you will like it. For those that know Reisz’s writing, I think you will be more prepared. I had fun with this. Coming in at under 300 pages, I read it in almost one sitting. It’s a total fantasy escape.
The ending – eh – not my favorite ending, but I don’t know what I really wanted out of the end. As I mentioned earlier, to me, the end felt like a forced HEA which I totally didn’t need.
Very interested to hear others thoughts. This one is definitely one you need to text your girlfriends about when you finish. Tori read it and liked it but had a few more reservations that me I think.
This is the second book in the BDB spin-off series, but as we have seen in the past – this book has a main H/H, Axe and Elise, but the other half of tThis is the second book in the BDB spin-off series, but as we have seen in the past – this book has a main H/H, Axe and Elise, but the other half of the book (maybe even more than half) is the continuing story of Rhage, Mary and their adopted daughter Bitty. If you didn’t read Rhage’s book that came out in March, you might be a little lost with Bitty. Mary and Rhage adopted her (or are in the process of adopting her) after Bitty’s mother died from extreme abuse from her husband. Bitty also suffered, and because so many bones in her body were broken and healed poorly, they are afraid when she transitions into an adult vampire, she could have permanent damage to all of her limbs. On top of that, her blood-uncle makes contact looking for her and Mary and Rhage worry that he will take her away from them.
Look – Bitty bored me tears because – we all know, Bitty is going to stay with Rhage and Mary. They have their HEA, and to stay happy forever, they can’t lose Bitty. So they entire drama with Bitty’s uncle coming into the picture didn’t do anything for me. Plus – Bitty is the most well-behaved teenager EVER. My God, I wanted her to rebel or have some kind of attitude. Be a brat just for a second, Bitty! Even her uncle was super nice. It was a LOVEY MUSH-FEST. Don’t get me wrong, I loooooove when Rhage goes mushy on Mary. It melts me. But, the entire family being this ooey-gooey lovey-dovey pile of mush? For half the book? My bitter, jaded heart was over it.
The main couple is Axe and Elise and I liked them! Axe is a trainee at the BDB compound. Ex-heroin user, super poor, abandoned by his mother, father killed in the raids. Belongs to a sex club. He was edgy and grumpy and badass. Elise is glymera – wealthy, privileged and her father is terrified for her safety after all the raids and murders that have occurred. He ends up hiring Axe to be her bodyguard – and the two have super hot chemistry. Elise rebels against the glymera and wants to live her own life her own way. She was a stronger heroine for Ward – I enjoyed her a lot. Their relationship is spicy and hot.
I also love the trainees – Peyton, the arrogant asshole, Novo another female trainee who is cool, and the quiet dude who has issues (he will be a super sexy hero). I wish there had been more training by the brothers and less Bitty (sorry – I’m so annoyed by Bitty!)
The conflict between Elise and Axe at the end is a little meh and not sure if they were at the declaration of love yet – that felt weird for Axe to say. He is so jaded and hard-edged – him saying I love You felt odd. I believed in their romance, but maybe not in love yet? I don’t know.
I did enjoy reading this – Vishous is around. Lassiter was amazing! He not only made me laugh (especially the last scene) but he has such a sweet moment! His relationship with Bitty is more engaging that Rhage and Mary. I adore him.
It’s a fun read, I just didn’t want a third Rhage book.
Now to get my hands on Xcor and Layla this Aprl. Oh baby I’m excited.
I first saw this book talked about at Dear Author and immediately realized I was in need of a good shifter book. With a sci-fi feel to it, Shifter PlaI first saw this book talked about at Dear Author and immediately realized I was in need of a good shifter book. With a sci-fi feel to it, Shifter Planet gave me much enjoyment. It has a very slow start - please remember that if you decide to read it. But it definitely picks up and after a while, I could not put it down.
Set in a futuristic world where humans aka Earthers have gone to space to live, Amanda was born on a ship and loves to discover new planets. She is tough, smart and has a passion inside of her to find new things. Her current mission is to explore the Earth-like planet called Harp. Long ago, humans crash landed on this planet, and Amanda and the others on her ship are very curious to discover how they have survived on this planet.
There were people living on this planet - human colonists who'd had no contact with Earth in almost five hundred years. That meant a specialized First Contact team would be going down there, followed by a full scidence contingent.
The first thing Amanda notices when she lands on Harp, is that she can hear the trees singing. Realizing no one else can, she keeps this secret to herself. The lush forest on this planet seems to hold a special place, but sheis also warned that it is very dangerous and she should not go exploring on her own.
She soon meets the people who live on this planet, and our hero Rhodry. Very alpha, very cocky, Rhodry doesn't take kindly to the fact that his planet has new visitors. Being a warrior of one of five mountain clans on the planet, he wants them gone before their weapons can destroy his home. Rhodry belongs to the elite guild, a special unit sworn to protect the Green (aka the lush forest). The guild can also communicate with the trees, something Amanda finds very interesting. Obviously, with the title called Shifter Planet, you realize there are shifters on Harp, including our hero. I am going to leave the details of why they shift and who shifts etc... to uncover as you read, as Amanda is in the dark about those specifics and I feel like as the reader, it's important to go on that journey with her. But I like the background about how the shifters came to be.
Amanda decides to uncover the secrets of Harp, she is going to have to become one of them, and decides to try out to be a Guild member. Obviously the current guild members do not want her to join, and most assume this female will never make it past the tests. After Amanda aces the written exam, she must then go through a final challenge - where she is dropped off at an undisclosed location and must make her way back. This is the meaty portion of the story and the part I could not stop reading. With a ton of action, foul play, and finally a romance that blossoms, this is where Amanda and Rhodry's personalities shine. Again, I'm not going to give away specifics of what happens here, but it's really fun. It reminded me a bit of the Kresley Cole Immortals After Dark book where the characters had to go on that challenge - that was always a highlight in that series for me.
The romance is slow to build, but once it gets going, it worked very well for me. Both Amanda and Rhodry are a bit sarcastic and stubborn and butt heads. At one point Rhodry is injured and Amanda has to take control and to watch the power struggle between them is fun.
Stick with it through the slow beginning - it's worth it! Smexy reviewer, Sheena enjoyed this a lot too.
Enjoyed quite a bit - I'm not a huge fan of ghost stories but I really liked this. The heroine and hero are so well done. Creepy, suspensefuAudio Book
Enjoyed quite a bit - I'm not a huge fan of ghost stories but I really liked this. The heroine and hero are so well done. Creepy, suspenseful with wonderful characters
I love Megan Erickson's books. I've enjoyed her m/f contemporary series and her m/m contemporary series. And then she told me she wrote a paranormal sI love Megan Erickson's books. I've enjoyed her m/f contemporary series and her m/m contemporary series. And then she told me she wrote a paranormal shifter book. Not only that, but a m/m fated-mate story. Feed yourselves family, mom is busy!
This world is set-up as shifters meet The Walking Dead. There are no humans left in the world, but three types of shifters: a werewolf, who can either be human or shift into a wolf. A were, who can be human, shift into a wolf, or be a half human/half werewolf upright creature. And finally, a Nowere - the undead Were (zombie werewolfs) who walk around in hoards eating everything in sight.
Reese is a werewolf and when he was younger, his parents ran him and his brother and sister to safety but accidentally into the hands of a horrible alpha. This man killed Reese's parents, and enslaved Reese, his brother and his sister. Now an adult, Reese is desperate for himself and his siblings to escape this horrible man. Reese gets himself and his brother Jude out, but his sister is left behind. Reese though isn't free yet. He wakes up to find himself chained in another prison. This time, the man who has him is named Dare, and is the alpha of the Silver Tip Pack - a pack of weres. Reese is frightened, as he has heard of this pack and how ruthless their leader is. And even more confusing, Dare takes a big sniff of Reese, and he realizes they are fated mates. Dare will now do anything to keep Reese safe - all Reese wants to do is to go rescue his sister - but Reese is afraid that would cause a war - and he is too scared to tell Dare he needs help.
I find that Megan Erickson writes very emotional characters and her shifters are the same way. Reese wears his emotions on his sleeve. He cares deeply for his siblings and will do anything to keep them safe. He is horrified his sister got left behind with the monster that enslaved them and is desperate to go back and rescue her. But it's complicated to go back and he doesn't know what to do. He is terrified of Dare at first because of all the rumors about him. Dare is large and menacing, but also protective and warm. The warm part doesn't come into play at first.
The footsteps stopped, and I held my breath until a movement caught my eye. In one moment, the space in front of me was empty, and in the next, a Were was there, landing with a shuddering thud from out of nowhere, the dust swirling up around his black boots and legs clad in leather pants. My gaze rose. And rose. And rose. Up past thighs the size of my torso, a bare stomach rippling with muscle beneath tanned skin, twitching pecs glistening with sweat, over shoulders that could bench press three of me, and finally up to meet the green-eyed gaze of Dare.
You guys - twitching, glistening pecs.
Once Reese is assured his brother won't be harmed, Dare takes Reese to his room so they can get to know each other and complete the mating bond. This fated-mate is presented well but keep in mind it is pretty much insta-love. But I liked it that way. Both feel the call to be with the other, and their sex is so intense - Dare even blacks out.
Beneath me, his mouth dropped open, and he screamed, his fists clenching around my wrists. When the smell of his release hit my nostrils, my Were went beserk. I heard myself howl, and then everything went black.
And they do it a lot:
I couldn't stop attaching myself to Dare's dick.
I love that they have that time to get to know one another. I also love the fact that Megan Erickson takes the time to let us get to know the Silver Tip pack and their culture and politics and the personalities of the other members. There is Bay who is Dare's brother who made me laugh a lot. And G, who is Jude's guardian who I came to really like.
There is upheaval in Dare's own pack, a race to save Reese's sister and zombie werewolves trying to eat everyone. Lots of action, lots of sex, lots of romance and a pack I really enjoyed.
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