Out with a Fang review

Out with a Fang by Jessica Sims is a novella in The Undead in My Bed anthology. I hadn't read anything by Sims until Out with a Fang.

The main character, Ruby, is a jaguar shifter and is still in love with a forbidden human, Michael, who she dated in the past. In an attempt to get over him, Ruby goes to a dating service for the supernatural world. Her blind date insists she be just that - blind - during the whole date! Frankly, that would have had me walking away but that's why I'm not a character in a romance story :)

The blind date is, of course, Michael. He is no longer human but a vampire so he and Ruby are free to be together. Oh, except for that pesky assassin that's after him.

The interactions between Michael and Ruby are interesting and it's easy to see the tangled relationship of their past in the short amount we are given. I enjoyed the story and will be looking for more stories by Sims in the future.

Synopsis

Jessica Sims’s “Out With a Fang” features Ruby Sommers, a lonely were-jaguar who signs up for a blind date through the paranormal dating agency Midnight Liaisons. When she arrives, she finds out that her date, a vampire, was the human she’d been in love with four years ago but was forced to dump.

Mine to Hold review

Cynthia Eden has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I've yet to read anything by her that I haven't absolutely loved and Mine to Hold, third in the Mine series, is no exception.

In Mine to Hold, we read about Noah and Claire, who were introduced in Mine to Keep. Noah is a playboy mercenary who happens to own hotels and he's enough like Trace to be familiar to readers of the series but different enough to be interesting and engaging. I have not so secret book-crushes on all of the men from Trace and Noah's old mercenary group :)

Claire, the sister of Trace's assistant in Mine to Keep, is still being hunted after her crazy boyfriend murdered her parents when she was a teenager - only the crazy boyfriend is in prison. Noah is, of course, determined to protect Claire from the clearly dangerous threat but he is equally determined to have her for his own. Claire, understandably, is wary of Noah's possessiveness and his love 'em and leave 'em ways. Two strong personalities, a dangerous situation, and incredible, jump off the page chemistry - Mine to Hold has all the elements you expect from solid romantic suspense.

Eden's characters - whether contemporary ex-military, paranormal creatures, or Greek gods - are always vivid and entertaining. While Mine to Hold has a lot of drama - it is romantic suspense - there are moments of levity at the perfect time to keep the story from being too dark. Also, Mine to Hold features a lot of action and is fast paced, which I greatly enjoy.

If you aren't reading Eden's Mine series and you enjoy romantic suspense, I would highly recommend the entire series!

Synopsis

She was one man’s obsession…
Nine years ago, Claire Kramer’s lover brutally killed her family, and he tried to kill her. She escaped, but she’s been haunted ever since that attack. Too afraid to trust another man and too worried that her past will catch up with her, Claire never gets too close to anyone. But then she meets Noah York.

He must have her.
Noah York is a man with secrets. The world sees him as a billionaire hotel tycoon, but Noah has a dark and dangerous side. For years, he worked covert military operations before he built his fortune. When it comes to death, Noah is a master. He knows that he should steer clear of Claire, but the white-hot attraction Noah feels for the delicate beauty is instant—and consuming.

He will never let her go.
Someone else is just as consumed by Claire—someone who will kill to possess her. And if Noah can’t stop the hunter in the darkness, he may just lose the one woman that he can’t live without.
 
Author’s Note: MINE TO HOLD is a dark and sexy romantic suspense novel. It contains a twisted killer, a hot hero, and a heroine who has been pushed to the edge. Adult language and sexy situations are included. Please consider yourself warned. 

Alpha and Omega review

Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs is the novella that kicks off the Alpha and Omega series. It was first published as part of the On the Prowl anthology but is available as a stand alone ebook. Seriously, if you want to check out this series, read the novella first or you will be confused!

Briggs introduces Charles and Anna, werewolves though different from others of their kind in unique ways. Charles is the son of the Marrok, the werewolf alpha who rules North America, and Anna is a recently turned wolf who has been used and abused by her pack.

I wasn't sure at first if I'd like this series because I tend toward much stronger female characters but the more I read, the more I realized that Anna is a very strong character just in more subtle ways rather than my more usual "kick ass and don't bother with names" way. I also like that, while Charles is an alpha, he is honest that he doesn't know everything and that emotions are not his strong point.

The novella Alpha and Omega is an intriguing short story that can be read alone but I couldn't wait to dive into the first full length book that is really a continuation of the novella. I definitely recommend checking out this series if you enjoy shifter books and interesting characters.

Synopsis

Anna Latham never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack... and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the Chicago pack, she's learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. But when she discovers wrongdoing in her pack, she has to go above her Alpha's head to ask for help.

Charles Cornick is the son — and enforcer — of the leader of the North American werewolves. Now his father has sent him to Chicago to clean up a problem there. Charles never expected to find Anna, a rare Omega wolf — and he certainly never expected to recognize her as his mate...

Curse of the Black Swan review

Curse of the Black Swan by Alyssa Day is technically the first story in the League of the Black Swan series but it was published after The Cursed. Curse of the Black Swan is a novella featured in the Enthralled compilation. As of this writing, the story is not available as a standalone.

Sean is half fire demon and a firefighter, which is probably logical. He is one of four O'Malley brothers, all of whom are renowned for their looks and their way with women. Sean is rough, large, and very much an alpha male. But being a fire demon is something he and his brothers promised they'd never let anyone find out so he hides half of himself from everyone he allows in his life.

Brynn is cursed. She, like all the first born females in her family, must turn into a black swan at regular intervals and sing for the goddess. She is great with animals leading naturally to her owning an animal grooming business. Brynn vows never to have children in order to break the curse.

To add drama to an already dramatic story, Day adds in a serial arsonist and when that arsonist is reveal it is at once unexpected and yet so obvious.

Curse of the Black Swan also has fun secondary characters - Luke *squeee* - that make you want stories for each of them. I look forward to a long and interesting League of the Black Swan series.

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Day introduces the League of the Black Swan…and the dangerous game one woman plays when her family’s curse dooms her to kill the man she loves.

Moon Called review

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs is the first book in the Mercy Thompson series and I really enjoyed it.

The Mercy Thompson series is loosely connected to the Alpha and Omega series with crossover characters but I don't think you need to read the Alpha and Omega series to understand and enjoy the Mercy Thompson series.

Mercy, or Mercedes, is a coyote shifter and is fairly kick ass. She was raised with werewolves, not easy for a coyote shifter, and doesn't put up with much from anyone. She also runs a successful garage. Mercy also lives next to the local Alpha, Adam, who she enjoys annoying for being too controlling. But when Adam is attacked and his daughter kidnapped, Mercy takes charge and doesn't give much of a damn what the Pack thinks about it. Of course, there is the small problem of the wolf who broke her heart showing up but what's one more thing to deal with, really? :)

Briggs gives us a lot of different kinds of paranormal characters in the series beside shifters. There are also vampires, who are hidden from humanity like the shifters, and fae, who revealed themselves to humans with not so good consequences. She also builds an interesting world that is pretty much like our own but with these hidden communities of paranormals. It makes me wonder who the new neighbors might be!

If you enjoy a strong female lead and like a variety of paranormal characters, I recommend you check out Moon Called and the Mercy Thompson series.

Synopsis

Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson is a talented Volkswagen mechanic living in the Tri-Cities area of Washington. She also happens to be a walker, a magical being with the power to shift into a coyote at will. Mercy's next-door neighbor is a werewolf. Her former boss is a gremlin. And she's fixing a bus for a vampire. This is the world of Mercy Thompson, one that looks a lot like ours but is populated by those things that go bump in the night. And Mercy's connection to those things is about to get her into some serious hot water...

Undead Sublet reiew

Undead Sublet by Molly Harper is a novella in the anthology The Undead in My Bed and the first story I've read by Harper.

I found Undead Sublet to be both fun and funny although I felt the end was a little abrupt but that's often the problem with novellas. In Undead Sublet, we find that vampires are "out" - they are known to the human population with the expected mixed reactions.

Tess, the main character and a chef, goes a little crazy (literally) so she takes a vacation to a small town where her mentor lives. Upon arrival, she finds that there is a vampire in the basement of the house she has rented. I love that she's the kind of woman who isn't afraid to get into a prank war with a vampire :)

The secondary characters are great as well. Three women that Tess becomes friends with - Jane, Andrea, and Jolene - remind me of my closest friends. They accept her as she is but aren't afraid to call her on her craziness either.

All in all, a fun story and I'll be looking for more of Harper's work.

Synopsis

After overworked Chicago chef Tess flips out (can everyone hear that arugula talking, or is it just me?), she rents a quiet house in Half-Moon Hollow for a month of R & R. But when she finds the place occupied by a drop-dead gorgeous vampire, Tess’s tastes—for comfort food, for small Kentucky towns, and for her irresistible lover—become nearly insatiable!

Silence of the Library review

I received an ARC of The Silence of the Library by Miranda James in exchange for a review. The Silence of the Library is the fifth book in the Cat in the Stacks series and is pretty consistent with the previous books.

Beloved characters Charlie and Diesel find themselves entangled in yet another murder mystery when the Athena Public Library’s planned exhibit of children’s books for National Library Week - yes, that’s a real thing - leads to a murder. The plot is well-written and flows quite well. I enjoyed the interspersing of excerpts from a fictional children’s mystery book and the secondary characters have the same love of books that I do.

As for the mystery, unfortunately, it wasn’t very mysterious. I had figured out what was going on by the time I had read a third of the book. That didn’t stop me from enjoying the rest of the book but if you are looking for a true mystery, this might not be for you. 

The things I’ve enjoyed the most about this series - wonderful main characters, colorful and entertaining secondary characters, solid police work by the local authorities, and book references galore - continue in The Silence of the Library making it a solid addition. 

Synopsis

Everyone in Athena, Mississippi, knows Charlie Harris, the librarian with a rescued Maine coon cat named Diesel. He’s returned to his hometown to immerse himself in books, but a celebrated author’s visit draws an unruly swarm of fanatic mystery buffs…and one devious killer.

It’s National Library Week, and the Athena Public Library is planning an exhibit to honor the centenary of famous novelist Electra Barnes Cartwright—creator of the beloved Veronica Thane series.

Charlie has a soft spot for Cartwright’s girl detective stories (not to mention an extensive collection of her books!). When the author agrees to make a rare public appearance, the news of her whereabouts goes viral overnight, and series devotees and book collectors converge on Athena.
After all, it’s rumored that Cartwright penned Veronica Thane stories that remain under wraps, and one rabid fan will stop at nothing—not even murder—to get hold of the rare books…

The Final Cut review

The Final Cut by Catherine Coulter and JT Ellison is the first book in the Brit in the FBI series. A globe hopping mystery, Coulter and Ellison give readers an interesting and entertaining story.

Murder, jewel theft, international diplomacy, and cops from multiple countries all come together in The Final Cut. A once in a lifetime exhibit at the Met in New York of the Crown Jewels from London leads to the murder of a Scotland Yard inspector. Was she a random victim? Was she killed because she knew something? Or was she a dirty cop? Nicholas Drummond, heir to a barony and a chief inspector in London, is determined to find out why his friend and colleague is dead and the FBI isn’t going to stop him.

Agent Michaela Caine, known as Mike, must solve the murder of a foreign cop and work with Nicholas despite her misgivings. When the murder case turns into a jewel theft investigation and more murders occur, the pieces start to fit together - only to fall apart again during the opening reception of the jewel exhibit.

The thief’s identity was pretty easy to figure out even before the reveal but the twisty turns of the various murders and the subsequent investigations, kept me guessing until the authors revealed the final piece. Starting in New York and then through the streets of Paris and the banks of Switzerland, The Final Cut is a wild ride that I couldn’t put down. 

Synopsis

Scotland Yard’s new chief inspector Nicholas Drummond is on the first flight to New York when he learns his colleague, Elaine York, the "minder" of the Crown Jewels for the "Jewel of the Lion" exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was found murdered. Then the centerpiece of the exhibit, the infamous Koh-i-Noor Diamond, is stolen from the Queen Mother’s crown. Drummond, American-born but raised in the UK, is a dark, dangerous, fast-rising star in the Yard who never backs down. And this case is no exception.

Special Agents Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich from Coulter’s bestselling FBI series don’t hesitate to help Drummond find the cunning international thief known as the Fox. Nonstop action and high stakes intensify as the chase gets deadly. The Fox will stop at nothing to deliver the Koh-i-Noor to the man who believes in its deadly prophecy. Nicholas Drummond, along with his partner, FBI Special Agent Mike Caine, lay it on the line to retrieve the diamond for Queen and country.