First story of this anthology was Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend. Now I Review originally posted here: Offbeat Vagabond
Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend
First story of this anthology was Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend. Now I have never read a book by Vivian Arend, but I have always seen her name around, specially for Erotica. Well Erotic doesn't even describe it, just downright nasty. And well, I loved every last minute of it.
Tangled Tinsel starts off with us following our male lead, Kyle Branegan, who is a werecat. He is hiding and on the hunt...for a fellow playmate. That is when he comes across Eloise Scott. Another werecat that he is sure can't resist him. But Kyle soon finds out that she had his number way before their little "get together" in a lingerie shop. Eloise (El) is an undercover cop who was sent to tail and keep tabs on Kyle. They know he is in the middle of a case (not they way they think) and he needs watching since he can't keep his hands to himself.
While they are stuck together, El has to visit her family for Christmas. El is not the biggest fan of her ridiculously wealthy family and has tried to avoid them, but can't any longer. So while El and Kyle are together at her folks place, they end up together after El finally comes to terms that she is a cat, not a human. It is okay to just let go. While there, they also get a surprise visit from Kyle's uncle, who he can't stand and to get his uncle off his back and not think he is after El's family's money, he announces they are engaged to be married.
This was a great story. Plenty of ups and downs between these two. I liked Kyle even though he was a manwhore to the max and El had her own issues, but I liked her too. She has been trying so hard to live in the human world. Didn't like her cat side because she wants her independence and didn't want to be like other female cats barefoot and constantly pregnant. Seriously, her parents needed to slow down. Goodness! Kyle was great too, I like that he helped El break her shell and actually changed in the book.
I did have a couple of problems though. I wish that we got to know more of Kyle's uncle. It was so random with him at the house. How and who invited him? We know it wasn't Kyle because he hates him which in turn means he doesn't talk about him much. So how? Then there was the almost fight at the New Years' Party. Kyle said it seems like his uncle was almost looking for someone to fight with, but we are never told why exactly.
Nonetheless, this was a great story. It took a turn that I didn't see coming towards the end and it made me enjoyed it even more. I love books that do that. When you think you have it all figured it and just like that, you find out you didn't know anything. It was a fun surprise. I highly recommend this if you want a great story and you aren't offended by very graphic and detailed sex scenes. Vivian Arend is definitely not a shy woman. Wow!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
No Angel by Vivi Andrews
This was the second story in the anthology and this was hands down my favorite of the three. What a story! I love how unique it was. Never read anything from Vivi Andrews either, but I have added her on my must reads list after reading this.
No Angel is about a young woman named Sasha Christian who lives in Los Angeles. Sasha is the daughter of the world's most beloved "angel" her Hollywood actress mother, Layla Christian. She hates the recognition, hates the attention and hates airhead blondes from Oklahoma who think being rich and famous is the key to happiness. But while on the phone being hassled by her mother over not ever getting the chance to meet Sasha's boyfriend (Layla believes he was made up), Sasha has the sinking feeling, he is going to bolt for good.
Sasha's boyfriend, Jay, is in trouble. He is half-demon and half-human. But he hasn't told Sasha that. Not only that, but he is on a very tight schedule. Since he is a demon, he has limited time on earth. Demons aren't allowed on Earth on Christmas Day. Thing is, Jay doesn't want to go back to Hell with his ruthless mother who just happens to be the wife of the devil himself. Jay is in love with Sasha and doesn't want to lose her, but telling her he is a demon and his stepdad is the devil, will definitely put a damper on things.
When Jay finally gets the courage to tell Sasha the real reason he can't be with Sasha on Christmas, it is too late. He is grabbed through a vortex to Hell in the middle of her kitchen while baking cookies. She is in shock, but to add to that, she gets a visit from an angel. This angel drops an even bigger bomb on Sasha to let her know she is God's Champion of Virtue and if she wants Jay back, she will have to go into Hell and save Jay or he will be there forever.
I could talk about this story forever. It was so amazing. It was complex and simple all at once. The characters were amazing. I absolutely loved Sasha. She reminds me of myself. Nice, but is not afraid to show her edge and push back when she needs to. I loved Jay as well. The fact that he is from Hell and doesn't seem to have an evil bone in his body is insane.
I also love that this story really takes what we think about Hell and twists it a little. When and how Sasha gets to Hell was definitely unique and funny. With such a topic as Hell, this book can be surprisingly light. It is full of humor, action, and apparently lets us know Lucifer isn't so bad.
Like I said, this was a definite win for me. Only disappointment for me was that it wasn't longer. I would have loved to have read more of Sasha and Jay. Sasha is just a great heroine. Takes a lot for a woman to go to Hell to save her boyfriend. Nonetheless, highly recommended.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Freeze Line by Moira Rogers
Now for the very reason I requested this anthology, Moira Rogers. Rogers is no stranger to amazing paranormal romance. I saw her name and knew I had to get this because I have read other works from her and knew I would love it. Unfortunately, this wasn't a love for me, a like, but not love.
Freeze Line is about a werewolf named Shane Sullivan who lives on his own. Doesn't have friends or neighbors. So while out in the ridiculous winter, he stumbles on a witch named Nadia. She is on the verge of dying since she was above the freeze line. The closer to the line, the less powerful you are, which is what Shane wants since he doesn't like his werewolf side. But in order to help save Nadia's life, he has to go further South and he is afraid to lose control, of both his wolf and with Nadia.
Now my issues. My problem, the biggest problem, were the back stories. Not just for the characters, but for the environment itself. When we meet Nadia, she is bruised and beaten into an inch of her life. We find out that she was either kidnapped or sold and somehow escaped her captors. Problem is, we don't find out who or why. All we know is that she was in a lab and was being studied and somehow got away. That's it. We do actually find out why Shane resents his wolf side so much and I was happy to get that, made me feel sorry for him.
Then there's the environment. We don't know exactly where they are and even more, we don't know what exactly happened to America. California is not California, it is called the Gulf of California. Shane says he has heard of the place, California. They are in a time where everything is split up into tribes or regions. It says that they are in the middle of a 21st Century ice age, but how did America itself change? I mean it seems like there was an apocalypse of some kind, but we don't know for sure. Hell, we don't really know the year is exactly. Is it now or sometime way later in the 21st century?
It has taken me a couple of days to do this review because I was debating what to give this. I won't line. As much as I enjoy Moira Rogers work, I was tempted to give this 2 stars, but at the end of the day, this was about the romance. I did love it. Shane has his demons and is afraid of his wolf side, afraid of hurting people (given his story, can't blame him) and I like that Nadia doesn't push him into it, I would have hated her for that. There is an attraction between them that was great because they really defended each other. Happy Nadia wasn't a damsel in distress, she really was a warrior and could take Shane head on if she had to.
Overall, this was a good story, despite my complaints. I just wish I didn't feel like there was a whole chunk missing out of this story. When I read, I like being engulfed in a new world, I couldn't get engulfed in this world since I didn't really know where I was and what I should and shouldn't do. Hope that made sense. There will be those who love the simplicity of the story, which is great. But I just wish there was more development.
First story of this anthology was Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend. Now I have never read a book by Vivian Arend, but I have always seen her name around, specially for Erotica. Well Erotic doesn't even describe it, just downright nasty. And well, I loved every last minute of it.
Tangled Tinsel starts off with us following our male lead, Kyle Branegan, who is a werecat. He is hiding and on the hunt...for a fellow playmate. That is when he comes across Eloise Scott. Another werecat that he is sure can't resist him. But Kyle soon finds out that she had his number way before their little "get together" in a lingerie shop. Eloise (El) is an undercover cop who was sent to tail and keep tabs on Kyle. They know he is in the middle of a case (not they way they think) and he needs watching since he can't keep his hands to himself.
While they are stuck together, El has to visit her family for Christmas. El is not the biggest fan of her ridiculously wealthy family and has tried to avoid them, but can't any longer. So while El and Kyle are together at her folks place, they end up together after El finally comes to terms that she is a cat, not a human. It is okay to just let go. While there, they also get a surprise visit from Kyle's uncle, who he can't stand and to get his uncle off his back and not think he is after El's family's money, he announces they are engaged to be married.
This was a great story. Plenty of ups and downs between these two. I liked Kyle even though he was a manwhore to the max and El had her own issues, but I liked her too. She has been trying so hard to live in the human world. Didn't like her cat side because she wants her independence and didn't want to be like other female cats barefoot and constantly pregnant. Seriously, her parents needed to slow down. Goodness! Kyle was great too, I like that he helped El break her shell and actually changed in the book.
I did have a couple of problems though. I wish that we got to know more of Kyle's uncle. It was so random with him at the house. How and who invited him? We know it wasn't Kyle because he hates him which in turn means he doesn't talk about him much. So how? Then there was the almost fight at the New Years' Party. Kyle said it seems like his uncle was almost looking for someone to fight with, but we are never told why exactly.
Nonetheless, this was a great story. It took a turn that I didn't see coming towards the end and it made me enjoyed it even more. I love books that do that. When you think you have it all figured it and just like that, you find out you didn't know anything. It was a fun surprise. I highly recommend this if you want a great story and you aren't offended by very graphic and detailed sex scenes. Vivian Arend is definitely not a shy woman. Wow!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
No Angel by Vivi Andrews
This was the second story in the anthology and this was hands down my favorite of the three. What a story! I love how unique it was. Never read anything from Vivi Andrews either, but I have added her on my must reads list after reading this.
No Angel is about a young woman named Sasha Christian who lives in Los Angeles. Sasha is the daughter of the world's most beloved "angel" her Hollywood actress mother, Layla Christian. She hates the recognition, hates the attention and hates airhead blondes from Oklahoma who think being rich and famous is the key to happiness. But while on the phone being hassled by her mother over not ever getting the chance to meet Sasha's boyfriend (Layla believes he was made up), Sasha has the sinking feeling, he is going to bolt for good.
Sasha's boyfriend, Jay, is in trouble. He is half-demon and half-human. But he hasn't told Sasha that. Not only that, but he is on a very tight schedule. Since he is a demon, he has limited time on earth. Demons aren't allowed on Earth on Christmas Day. Thing is, Jay doesn't want to go back to Hell with his ruthless mother who just happens to be the wife of the devil himself. Jay is in love with Sasha and doesn't want to lose her, but telling her he is a demon and his stepdad is the devil, will definitely put a damper on things.
When Jay finally gets the courage to tell Sasha the real reason he can't be with Sasha on Christmas, it is too late. He is grabbed through a vortex to Hell in the middle of her kitchen while baking cookies. She is in shock, but to add to that, she gets a visit from an angel. This angel drops an even bigger bomb on Sasha to let her know she is God's Champion of Virtue and if she wants Jay back, she will have to go into Hell and save Jay or he will be there forever.
I could talk about this story forever. It was so amazing. It was complex and simple all at once. The characters were amazing. I absolutely loved Sasha. She reminds me of myself. Nice, but is not afraid to show her edge and push back when she needs to. I loved Jay as well. The fact that he is from Hell and doesn't seem to have an evil bone in his body is insane.
I also love that this story really takes what we think about Hell and twists it a little. When and how Sasha gets to Hell was definitely unique and funny. With such a topic as Hell, this book can be surprisingly light. It is full of humor, action, and apparently lets us know Lucifer isn't so bad.
Like I said, this was a definite win for me. Only disappointment for me was that it wasn't longer. I would have loved to have read more of Sasha and Jay. Sasha is just a great heroine. Takes a lot for a woman to go to Hell to save her boyfriend. Nonetheless, highly recommended.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Freeze Line by Moira Rogers
Now for the very reason I requested this anthology, Moira Rogers. Rogers is no stranger to amazing paranormal romance. I saw her name and knew I had to get this because I have read other works from her and knew I would love it. Unfortunately, this wasn't a love for me, a like, but not love.
Freeze Line is about a werewolf named Shane Sullivan who lives on his own. Doesn't have friends or neighbors. So while out in the ridiculous winter, he stumbles on a witch named Nadia. She is on the verge of dying since she was above the freeze line. The closer to the line, the less powerful you are, which is what Shane wants since he doesn't like his werewolf side. But in order to help save Nadia's life, he has to go further South and he is afraid to lose control, of both his wolf and with Nadia.
Now my issues. My problem, the biggest problem, were the back stories. Not just for the characters, but for the environment itself. When we meet Nadia, she is bruised and beaten into an inch of her life. We find out that she was either kidnapped or sold and somehow escaped her captors. Problem is, we don't find out who or why. All we know is that she was in a lab and was being studied and somehow got away. That's it. We do actually find out why Shane resents his wolf side so much and I was happy to get that, made me feel sorry for him.
Then there's the environment. We don't know exactly where they are and even more, we don't know what exactly happened to America. California is not California, it is called the Gulf of California. Shane says he has heard of the place, California. They are in a time where everything is split up into tribes or regions. It says that they are in the middle of a 21st Century ice age, but how did America itself change? I mean it seems like there was an apocalypse of some kind, but we don't know for sure. Hell, we don't really know the year is exactly. Is it now or sometime way later in the 21st century?
It has taken me a couple of days to do this review because I was debating what to give this. I won't line. As much as I enjoy Moira Rogers work, I was tempted to give this 2 stars, but at the end of the day, this was about the romance. I did love it. Shane has his demons and is afraid of his wolf side, afraid of hurting people (given his story, can't blame him) and I like that Nadia doesn't push him into it, I would have hated her for that. There is an attraction between them that was great because they really defended each other. Happy Nadia wasn't a damsel in distress, she really was a warrior and could take Shane head on if she had to.
Overall, this was a good story, despite my complaints. I just wish I didn't feel like there was a whole chunk missing out of this story. When I read, I like being engulfed in a new world, I couldn't get engulfed in this world since I didn't really know where I was and what I should and shouldn't do. Hope that made sense. There will be those who love the simplicity of the story, which is great. But I just wish there was more development.
Adrian Mitchell is a sexy and deadly angel, a Sentinel, who has the job of punishing angels. Angels that fraternize with humans must have their wings and power taken away from them and in turn, they become vampires. So angels and vampires are in a war. Lycans are with the angels, but they want to be on their own and not the angels’ servants. Consequently, Adrian himself has fallen prey to human love when the woman he loves has been reincarnated again. Yes, reincarnated. Her father wanted her to be a vampire so she wouldn’t be with Adrian and she died before the process took place. Now she is in the body of a woman named Lindsay who has a few tricks up her sleeve the angels and lycans didn’t see coming. Now Adrian has to fight with his feelings for her and the spirit of his long lost love.
This is my first experience with a Sylvia Day book. I initially wanted this because the cover is so incredible. Can’t help it, I am a sucker for wings. But Day has found herself a new fan here. I loved this. I did expect it to be a mixture of Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy, but it is more PNR. That isn’t a bad thing; it did take away from some of the tension I expected to come in the book. Nonetheless, I am very excited about this book and I am even more excited for book 2.
This book was well written and the pace was great. I love where the story goes. I love the idea of angels fighting to stay angels while still resisting temptation. That couldn’t be truer for Mitchell. He was the top dog, but he got weaker and weaker everytime he finds his lost love, Shadoe. I like that Day wrote it in a way that he loves Shadoe, but he starts falling for the vessel, Lindsay, her spirit is in. This lead to a very interesting storyline, not necessarily a love triangle, but will he fight for Lindsay or for Shadoe?
All the characters were great. Adrian and Lindsay were great together. I love that Lindsay was never intimidated by being surrounded by angels and lycans. She was able to hold her own. Definitely not a damsel in distress. I also liked that she actually tried not to damn Adrian by sleeping with him. But when they did, boy was it hot. I did want to slap Adrian though for being a hypocrite. He has to punish angels who sleep with humans, yet he continues to search and be with the woman he loves. There was actually a scene where a fellow angel asked for his help to be with the man she loves and well, it didn’t end well. I wanted to punch him. This was one of my little issues with this book.
My favorite character though was Elijah. I loved Adrian, he was a great lead character, but I must be honest, I actually found Elijah more interesting. I am not the only one to say so either. He is the alpha for the lycans, they all look up to him and want him to lead them away from the angels. He has the potential to be a threat to the angels, but he is so loyal to Adrian. I can't help it, I navigate to the alphas. I also loved the friendship between him and Lindsay. Elijah comes off cold and serious, but Lindsay brings a smile to his face. I honestly would have like this book just as much if Elijah was our lead character. I know he will get a story and I can’t wait for it.
Now back to some issues. Besides me wanting to punch Adrian. Another issue I had was that we weren't given a clear picture of what happened between Shadoe and Lindsay. I won’t spoil it, but it just happened and that was the end. I liked how it ended, just not sure of what was in the middle. Something else I was on the fence about was the villains. I liked them, I mean to the point that I was sort of rooting for them because they weren’t all that bad. They actually have a real reason to be pissed at the angels. But in a way I like that Day wrote it this way because she gave us a little surprise. Something much bigger is happening; we just don’t know what yet.
Overall, this is worth checking out. It was a great read and it was very steamy. Like I said, I am so looking forward to A Hunger So Wild (Elijah’s story, WOOHOO!). So there may be a few kinks and crannies, but they don’t take away from the story as a whole. You will have fun with this one....more
Lords of the Underworld is one of my favorite PNR series. When I started it, I did not know about the short novellas between some of the books. The Darkest Prison is the first novella right after Reyes and Danika's story in The Darkest Pleasure (they have a cameo at the very beginning actually). The book follows Atlas and Nike, god and goddess of Strength. The way it starts really has you questioning the romance between these two. I honestly thought I read the synopsis wrong because they did not like each other at all.
We find out very quickly that Atlas is quite the ass. I did not like him because he basically acted like a scorned frat boy. Nike hates him because he used her and threw aside like trash. But Atlas finds that once Nike is in a cage with her ex-fiance, they both try to one up the other even though Atlas says he doesn't even find Nike attractive.
I love seeing how their hate for each other developed into something past lust. They both stopped being stubborn and/or forget the past and saw they were the perfect match. I especially loved how Atlas changed his views of Nike and didn't treat her like the prisoner he kept her as. Even though it might get him in trouble with Cronus who doesn't care at all for his Greek prisoners (duh). Not to mention that ending. It really put a smile on my face. Nike puts the bad in badass.
Nonetheless, this was a fun and sexy short read. It can be read without reading the main books in the series, but I wouldn't recommend that. This series is too good to read halfway and you will be missing out on some amazing and very gorgeous men. So high recommendation for LOTU fans and newbies alike.
Lords of the Underworld is one of my favorite PNR series. When I started it, I did not know about the short novellas between some of the books. The Darkest Prison is the first novella right after Reyes and Danika's story in The Darkest Pleasure (they have a cameo at the very beginning actually). The book follows Atlas and Nike, god and goddess of Strength. The way it starts really has you questioning the romance between these two. I honestly thought I read the synopsis wrong because they did not like each other at all.
We find out very quickly that Atlas is quite the ass. I did not like him because he basically acted like a scorned frat boy. Nike hates him because he used her and threw aside like trash. But Atlas finds that once Nike is in a cage with her ex-fiance, they both try to one up the other even though Atlas says he doesn't even find Nike attractive.
I love seeing how their hate for each other developed into something past lust. They both stopped being stubborn and/or forget the past and saw they were the perfect match. I especially loved how Atlas changed his views of Nike and didn't treat her like the prisoner he kept her as. Even though it might get him in trouble with Cronus who doesn't care at all for his Greek prisoners (duh). Not to mention that ending. It really put a smile on my face. Nike puts the bad in badass.
Nonetheless, this was a fun and sexy short read. It can be read without reading the main books in the series, but I wouldn't recommend that. This series is too good to read halfway and you will be missing out on some amazing and very gorgeous men. So high recommendation for LOTU fans and newbies alike....more
Let's Talk About Tickling is about exactly what the title suggests. Now self-help books are not my thing especially ones about tickling. But the author Frances has asked me to review this for her after I enjoyed her erotic romance Tickling Daphne H. I have to say, I found myself enjoying this more than I thought. It is the same way I felt after reading Tickling Daphne H. I am a pretty open minded person and I am very happy I took the plunge and gave this book a go.
Now in Tickling Daphne H, Frances did a great job writing a very sexy book about a fetish I didn't even know existed. Now in this book, it is taking the same subject and giving you a very in depth look into what it is and how enjoyable it can be. I really love Frances work. It takes me out of my comfort zone, to say the least, but I never feel uncomfortable. She makes it easy to understand the fetish and how well it can fit into your life. I love how detailed she is and it covers everything. Well, the different levels of the fetish. Like how it is not really about sex. I never thought about it being a turn on, but this book has made it make sense.
Overall, even if this isn't your sort of read, I still recommend this book. Frances is a very thoughtful writer and it shows. She has a great talent for engrossing her audience through humor, openness, and experience. Frances is definitely a voice I didn't expect to find, but I am very happy I did. This is definitely worth checking out....more
Alice Will is a fun and super imaginative read for everyone to enjoy. In this story, we follow a young demi-god named Trotter. Trotter and her companion, Prowler, are quite a team. Trotter is a stubborn and smart girl. She had the power of truth telling. But she has no idea how strong her powers are. We also follow a very young girl named Alice. Alice is a servant girl for a terrible couple who run an inn. Alice has an ability to see things others can't and make people see and believe things that aren't there. Alice is a bright girl and knows she is special. Others are taking notice to how special she is as well. Neither girl are aware that their powers are very coveted specifically by a very angry and trapped god.
I loved this story so much. I haven't read much middle grade books, but I am glad I caught this one. The story was unique and witty. I wasn't expecting all the laughs. It was a nice surprise. I loved the lore in this book a lot. Chappell put so much in this book, but never once did I feel confused. I loved all the backstories especially the one of our villain, Laramak. He was a vicious and jealous man. Anyone that seemed to have more power or had a one up over him, he felt the need to eradicate them.
The story was fast paced and well thought out. I love the characters. Mostly everyone has a secret involving Trotter, but for good reason. Trotter's powers are growing stronger and stronger everyday. One day she attempts a small trick that seems to have caused a quake. Quakes mean bad things are coming and now people of a bit frightened of Trotter. She knows she is innocent and wants to prove her innocence. I love how her and Alice's stories coincide. They are both so young and they take on things no one could possibly imagine especially Alice.
This was such an adventurous read. I really had a hard time putting this book down. This was such a wonderful fantasy read. I was captivated from page one. You really want to know if the main character is going to annihilate the world and how. It could be scary, but I love that Chappell made it fun and action packed as well. Chappell's imagination is worth raving about. She has such a great way of getting you so invested in her characters and the worlds she built. I was on the edge of my seat. This is a highly recommended read. Even if fantasy isn't your thing, I would say check this out. It may change the way you feel about fantasy, Yeah, this book was that good....more
I want to say first and foremost the synopsis for this book isn't enough. There is soooo much more going on in this book, it is beyond insane. I was expecting a sexy, contemporary romance. I got more than that and I really liked it. I am really at a lost for words because I knew something was up, but man, I didn't see that coming. I am sort of dumbfounded right now. If this is what Doucette's work is like, I want more.
Mara is our leading lady and I really liked her. Her and her best friend/roommate, Davis, were a blast from the first page. I loved the dialogue between them. I wasn't expecting this book to be humorous and that was a really nice surprise. I am in love the erotic genre, but I wish there were more that weren't afraid to crack a joke every now and again. This book gave us that and more. It came off like conversations I would have with friends and I loved them. Mara and Davis have a seemingly boring job, they are archaeologists who work for a museum cataloging the latest findings. Things become a bit more exciting when Mara meets Argent Leeds. He was quite an interesting character. He was the dark, sexy, and rich type. He has eyes for Mara after a rather embarrassing incident takes place with one of his discoveries at the museum. She finds that one of his displays are fake and she pretty much lets the whole museum know it.
Mara and Argent get into it quite quickly in this book. It was sexy, for sure, but something is off. Argent owns this gemstones which are said to be mystical. But both Mara and Argent are scientists, so they immediately dismiss the motion. But not only is something off about the gemstones, specifically the sapphire that Argent has let Mara touch, something is off about Argent too. Then Mara starts changing as well, but she doesn't know the how or the why. Things maybe far worse than Mara imagined. This all was really surprising because, again, the synopsis doesn't clue you in to what you are in for, which is nice. The book has a bit of a paranormal edge to it which you know I love, but it isn't exactly what you would think. The paranormal bit in this book isn't something one would find fun. It is quite terrifying actually. The book can be very dark and disturbing for some and I mean really damn creepy. Hell, the sex scenes will be more than some can handle. Trust me, they don't pan out the way you expect them to, but there is a reason. Don't say I didn't warn you. But I do love that this book goes out of the box a bit though.
There really aren't enough words to describe this. It is really not the average BDSM/Erotic Romance I was expecting and for that, it makes me love it more. This book literally has everything. It goes from funny, suspenseful, mysterious, sexy, adventurous, and then downright creepy. If Stephen King were to ever write an Erotic Romance, I think this is how it would pan out (although, someone would have to die first though). No way he would give you what you are used to and that is amazing. Doucette has quite an imagination and I want to explore it more. He is used to writing science fiction and this is his first erotic romance. I never would have known. He really captured the characters so well and this story kept me at the edge of my seat especially those last few chapters. I am a fan. Highly recommended, but only if you have the heart for it. This will not be for everyone....more
I was expecting to this book to be sexy, but my goodness. It went far beyond that. I am still fanning myself as I typing this. This is my first read by Deveaux and if this is what I am in for with her work, I want more now.
Our main character, Jody, is a busy soccer mom who finally got time for herself. She decides to go on a seven day cruise with three of her best friends. She expects relaxation and plenty of sun. What she didn't expect was to be the main attraction for a rich, self-help guru, Taggart, who is also on the cruise. I loved how instant the chemistry was between these. I loved the way they met period. Jody is wearing super uncomfortable sandals that get stuck in the deck and it nearly flies into the ocean. Taggart catches it before it reaches its watery death. I cracked up because this is the sort of embarrassing situation I would find myself in. Most likely though, my shoe would have hit another human being first. Nonetheless, these two have googly eyes for each other, but Jody wants to try and avoid him as much as she can. Her divorce has just been finalized and she has a 12-year-old son, she knows she can't handle a man right now. Taggart has other plans, however.
I liked Jody a lot in this book. I will say I wanted to hit a few times. She is constantly fighting herself and her feelings for Taggart. Sometimes it felt like she was grabbing at straws. I did understand though with her having a son about to hit his teen years and just ending her own marriage. You will root for her though. She was a great character. I enjoyed her and all of her friends. Jody is a great friend, everyone goes to her with their problems and she is always there to help. Everyone had some kind of trouble, all of which were pretty big and she was right there for them.
I also loved how she used the cruise to become a different woman. One moment she is innocent and then when she is with Taggart, she is an unpredictable vixen. He brought out so much in her in this book. It was clear. Then we have Taggart. He was damn near perfect. They both use this cruise as a way to just start a little fling and they both find out it won't be that easy. Taggart's career comes first in his life. He is a celebrity, but with Jody he sees that he has been missing something.
But that is where the problem comes in. They both come from very different worlds and they know they can't be together when the week long cruise is over. Taggart, being the self-help guru who makes a living on telling people to just go for it, he is going to take his own advice. I loved seeing their relationship grow. Jody fought him every step of the way and he was going to show her he wasn't going anywhere. She doesn't believe her mundane life would be his style. She has a son and an ex-husband who she still has to clean up after. The cruise was nothing but a fantasy. What she was on the ship is not the woman she is in real life. It all brought out something in both of them they didn't expect.
I really enjoyed this book. It is a sweet and super hot read that you will speed through. It is quite a light read and would be perfect for the summertime. This book was far sexier than I originally thought and that made me love it more. The book will make you smile one minute and melt in a puddle the next. Deveaux, thank you....more
I won't lie, I signed up to review this book even before reading the synopsis. You know why? Ilona Andrews. That name, in my opinion, is synonymous with excellence. This amazing writing duo can't do wrong. I know someone may be saying "Bullsh*t!", but that is probably because you have never experienced a read by Ilona Andrews. If you have, you would agree with me. Their voice in the Urban Fantasy genre is fresh and unique. You know when you are reading their books because there is nothing quite like it. They have created unforgettable worlds and even more unforgettable characters. I am happy to report that this read is no different. Pure awesomeness in the flesh, well, on paper anyway.
Let me start off by talking about the worldbuilding. In this world, magic is something you are born with. If you are born with it, you end up with wealth, power, and privilege. Our main character, Nevada, is a private investigator. She is very good at her job partly because of her magical talents no one knows about besides her family. Nevada knows when someone is lying. It is not much of a magical talent that can rival the wealthy families, but it is enough to help catch them. That is what happens when a man name Adam who is very rich and powerful goes a bit crazy. Adam allegedly burned and killed a security officer and burned his wife and kids in the process as well. Adam is a Prime pyrokinetic which means he is the highest rank. He is so powerful, he could easily melt steel. He is now on the run. Nevada, however, is forced to catch him and bring him in. Not only must she catch him, she has to catch him first before the cops do and even they are having a hard time. If she doesn't get the job done, she will lose everything her and her family worked so hard for.
I loved these characters so much. Nevada is an instant favorite. I love that even when we are given such a fantasy setting, Andrews really makes things realistic. You can see yourself in Nevada. She is a hardworking woman trying to protect and provide for her family. After her father died and her mother was injured, she became head of the family P.I. business. They are a great family too. You love them just as much as Nevada does. You feel like you know them because their is such a realistic quality to them. I absolutely love that.
Nevada is one clever woman. Even in dire situations, she is thinking ahead of the game and the smartest course of action. When we first see her in action, it is clear she saved a woman's life from her cheating husband. If she didn't have her head on straight, things would have ended much differently. Then we have Connor "Mad" Rogan. Mad Rogan is also a Prime. He is a telekinetic. He wants to get to Adam before anyone else, but Nevada is in his way. He is the ultimate badass. But I love that we see more to him in this book. The connection between him and Nevada was to die for. They needed each other and they didn't know it.
Andrews books never bore me. The writing and the characters always draw me in. I couldn't put this down. The pacing and dialogue are amazing. Ever since Kate Daniels, Andrews sense of humor is always something to look forward to and it is no different here. I found myself laughing so hard sometimes, I had to stop for a few moments to catch my breath. They do this and they do it so well. It is perfectly timed and fits the tone of the book. It just makes the book that much more enjoyable.
I could probably gush about Ilona Andrews all day. Can you really blame me? I loved this story. It was full of action and creativity. It is a world that may have fantasy, but is also based in reality (if that makes sense). The characters will put a smile on your face and have you cheering them on. This is definitely one of my favorites this year. There is a reason Ilona Andrews is on so many favorites list and this book is just another example. Highly recommended....more
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