Salvage review

Salvage by Meljean Brook is a novella featured in the Enthralled anthology and is story 3.5 in the Iron Seas series. I am reading these stories out of order which I don't normally do but it hasn't been a problem with this series at this point.

Georgiana is strong and independent but wants her husband around in a way her father never was while she was growing up. Thom married Georgiana but then left to earn a living and make her proud.

There were a lot of mistakes made and most revolved around miscommunication between Georgiana and Thom. There is a lot of misunderstand about each others intentions and wants.

Southamptom is an aristocrat in the worst sense of the word. He has absolutely no honor. Mrs. Winch was the only secondary character who seemed like she was not too bad despite being a mercenary working for Southampton. The rest of the crew working for Southampton was barely introduced so there wasn't really much to the secondary characters.

Lady Corsair and Archimedes Fox, who we met in Iron Duke and then who had a book of their own, make an appearance which was fun.

I liked visiting the Iron Seas world again because I really enjoy Brook's steampunk world. Salvage might even make me move the rest of the books in the series to the top of my to-read pile.

Synopsis

A man who’s lost everything returns home to find that not only is his marriage in jeopardy, but he must now fight air pirates who intend to steal his one remaining treasure — his wife.

Magic Bites review

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews is the first novel in the Kate Daniels fantasy series, though apparently there is a prequel novella that I haven't read. I am blaming my new obsession with this series on Elle J Rossi since she is the one who recommended it to me. *shaking fist at Elle*

The first thing that I loved about Magic Bites was the absolutely fantastic world building. It is based in the familiar city of Atlanta but with a very magical overlay that comes and goes between technological cycles. During magic cycles, technology doesn't work and during technological cycles, magic doesn't work.

Kate is my favorite kind of female lead character. She is a sarcastic magic mercenary and a total smart ass. She has a mysterious power that she guards very carefully because just the knowledge of it would scare people enough to get her killed. She can kick ass with the best of them and has difficulty trusting anyone.

The Order is a rigid group but protects humanity and doesn't worry about money. The People are a group of power hungry necromancers who worship Roland even though none have ever seen him. To the People, money is everything. The Pack is the group of shapeshifters who live by following the Beast Lord and have a code of ethics. They are mortal enemies of the People. Curran is the Beast Lord in charge of the Pack but isn't sure what to make of Kate at all.

One thing in this book that I found rather amusing was that all of the male characters seemed to think that being a "leader" is synonymous with being an asshole. Kate really throws them for a loop which is fun to read.

Magic Bites is full of vivid details, has an interesting plot, and with a different twist on vampires and shifters. I knew what the bad guy was early on and figured out the who sooner than the reveal but that didn't lessen my enjoyment of this fantastic book one bit. I can't wait to read the next book!

Synopsis

Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for magic…

One moment magic dominates, and cars stall and guns fail. The next, technology takes over and the defensive spells no longer protect your house from monsters. Here skyscrapers topple under onslaught of magic; werebears and werehyenas prowl through the ruined streets; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst of knowledge and wealth, pilot blood-crazed vampires with their minds. In this world lives Kate Daniels. Kate likes her sword a little too much and has a hard time controlling her mouth. The magic in her blood makes her a target, and she spent most of her life hiding in plain sight. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, she must choose to do nothing and remain safe or to pursue his preternatural killer. Hiding is easy, but the right choice is rarely easy…

Ecstasy Under the Moon review

Ecstasy Under the Moon by Lucy Monroe, is a Children of the Moon novella and falls between Moon Burning and Dragon's Moon in the series. Ecstasy Under the Moon is part of the Enthralled anthology.

Una is an eagle shifter of Elan who was traumatized by wolf shifters at 14 and has been basically in hiding ever since. She never leaves the Elan territory and rarely lets any adult close to her. The fear has nearly paralyzed her life. Then the Faol move into the Elan territory to further mend relations between the two groups of Chrecte.

Bryant is a wolf shifter of Faol but with Elan royal blood in his ancestry. He is from the Balmoral clan and fully and passionately believes in trying to reunite the Chrecte. Bryant is one of the small group of Faol that volunteers to move into Elan territory in order to show that the Faol are trustworthy.

When the Faol move into the Elan territory, Una finds herself inexplicably draw to Bryant. Bryant knows at the first smell of her scent that Una is his true mate but he's not sure if he can overcome her terror of the Faol after what happened to her.

Both characters are well written, as are the surrounding characters, and the relationship is built in such a way that it seems natural and realistic. Despite the novella length, the story is fully developed and the plot moves swiftly but without seeming hurried or lacking in detail.

I would recommend reading the series in order or some parts of Ecstasy Under the Moon will not make sense. 

Synopsis

Lucy Monroe, national bestselling author of the Children of the Moon novels…unleashes the feral passions of a werewolf on the body, mind, and soul of his prey, his lover, his lifemate.

Cloche and Dagger review

Cloche and Dagger by Jenn McKinlay is the first in a fun new cozy mystery series. It was quirky, smart, and was definitely a good mystery.

Set in a very vibrant London, Cloche and Dagger features an American, Scarlett, who flees Florida after a spectacular breakup that went viral on the Internet to help out her cousin Vivian at the hat shop their grandmother owned. Scarlett was a strong woman but she had a touch of needy in her personality and she doesn't know how to not be part of a couple. She is very real - her character is someone I could easily imagine knowing and being friends with. She's smart, she's hard working, and she's a people person.

The clear love interest is Harrison, a handsome Brit who is the business manager for the hat shop. I honestly didn't care for him much - he seemed judgmental and there was just something about his interaction with Scarlett and his attitude that rubbed me the wrong way. That's not to say he wasn't a good character but he certainly wouldn't be someone I would be interested in dating or even being friends with.

Viv, when she showed up, seemed a little too spacey to own and run a successful business. I get that she was supposed to be the artist but even artists have to properly run a business or they won't have one for long. However, Viv was very supportive of Scarlett but also told her the truth rather than what Scarlett wanted to hear and I do love characters like that since that is what my best friend does for me.

The secondary characters, always an important gauge to me, were also excellently written. The society ladies, the neighboring photographer and his lover, the shop assistant, and the police officers were all full characters with great personalities and provided the necessary details that help create the world in which the mystery happens.

The mystery was definitely a mystery! I had no clue who the murderer was until McKinlay revealed it. And yet, it made perfect sense when it was all lined up for me. The talent required to pull that off in a book is mind boggling and yet McKinlay does so in both series that I've read.

If you are looking for a good mystery with solid characters and a great setting, I'd definitely recommend Cloche and Dagger. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series and, if you haven't read it, I highly recommend McKinlay's Library Lovers series as well. The first book in that series is Books Can Be Deceiving.

Synopsis

Not only is Scarlett Parker’s love life in the loo—as her British cousin Vivian Tremont would say—it’s also gone viral with an embarrassing video. So when Viv suggests Scarlett leave Florida to lay low in London, she hops on the next plane across the pond. Viv is the proprietor of Mims’s Whims, a ladies’ hat shop on Portobello Road bequeathed to both cousins by their beloved grandmother, and she wants Scarlett to finally join her in the millinery business.

But a few surprises await Scarlett in London. First, she is met at the airport not by Viv, but by her handsome business manager, Harrison Wentworth. Second, Viv—who has some whims of her own—seems to be missing. No one is too concerned about the unpredictable Viv until one of her posh clients is found dead wearing the cloche hat Viv made for her—and nothing else. Is Scarlett’s cousin in trouble? Or is she in hiding?

Fierce review

Fierce by Sabrina York is an erotic novella in the 1 Night Stand series by Decadent Publishing. Fierce was a fun story in a fun series. There are a massive number of 1 Night Stand stories and I have only read a handful so you don't need to read them in order or anything.

Katie is a loyal woman - she was loyal to her husband and loyal to her best friend who has a big mouth. She swears off men after her husband cheats on her. She is in no way interested in being with another man any time soon despite her best friend's insistence.

Sebastien only has one night stands after his wife cheated on him as he is not interested in trusting another woman with his heart. He finds Katie physically attractive but it is her loyalty that takes the attraction into the emotional realm.

Katie and Sebastien are hooked up after Katie's best friend signed her up for Madam Eve's 1 Night Stand service. The attraction is written really well and when they get together, it makes sense and "feels" right.

Fierce is an erotic novella and as the series title should tell you, the majority of the story is graphic sex. But the plot wrapped around that sex is something most readers can relate to or at least empathize with.

Synopsis

The last thing Katie is expecting—when she meets her friend Joy for a girls’ weekend in Vegas to celebrate her divorce—is an ambush. But Joy, determined to get Katie “back on the horse,” has submitted her profile with Madame Eve—who’s found her the perfect man.

Katie doesn’t want another man. She certainly doesn’t want or need confirmation that it’s her fault Mark could never satisfy her.

When Sebastian—scarred by the infidelity of his wife—overhears Katie’s confession, and the fact that she was faithful to her husband for ten years even though he never met her needs, he’s intrigued. More than intrigued. He’s determined to prove to this gorgeous, tempting, fascinating woman that she is not frigid. In fact, she is fierce.

Brown Eyed Girl review

Brown Eyed Girl by Mariah Stewart is a well-written and medium paced romantic suspense novel.

I have to admit it has been awhile since I read a Stewart book though I have always enjoyed them. My mom actually gave me Brown Eyed Girl  because my hometown is mentioned in it several times.

Leah is strong and creative but she is still hurting from the loss of her sister Melissa. Missy disappeared on her way home from college and Leah is determined to find the answers about what happened to Missy. A large monetary reward for information is available and a serial killer, Raymond Lambert, contacts Leah saying he has information but wants the reward money. Leah agrees but before Lambert can tell her what she wants to know, he is killed in prison. Leah is determined to find the answers without him and goes to the person she thinks is an expert in Lambert and his crimes.

Ethan has been hiding away from the world in rural Maine after his wife's death at Lambert's hands. He is giving and selfless, agreeing to help Leah find answers despite the pain it causes him. Ethan is also very protective and more likely to recognize the signs that something is wrong than Leah is. He's also more willing to take drastic action to keep those he loves safe.

The secondary characters, particularly Holly and Tom, Ethan's father and daughter, make this story. The interactions between Ethan, Holly, and Tom give Ethan's character a depth it wouldn't have otherwise had. Leah's remaining family, her cousin Catherine, is less revealing of Leah's personality. Catherine is a little standoffish and snobby and is a fairly flat character.

The mystery of the killer is done well and I didn't guess anything until his identity was revealed. However, the "unexpected twist" wasn't particularly unexpected as I guessed the involvement of that character early and easily.

Synopsis

A fashion magazine features editor, Leah McDevitt is haunted by the memory of her cherished younger sister, Melissa, who vanished years ago. Missy, whose extraordinary eyes -- one blue, one brown -- may have lured her abductor to her....When Leah receives a letter from death row inmate Raymond Lambert, she eagerly agrees to pay him the long-standing reward for information about Melissa -- even if it means coming face-to-face with a notorious serial killer.

But before Lambert can impart his secrets, he himself is killed. Devastated but determined, Leah heads to the Maine woods to seek out private investigator Ethan Sanger, who authored a book about Lambert in exchange for yet another of Lambert's terrible secrets. Leah and Ethan strike a sparking passion with the power to heal their painful pasts. But someone has his eye on Leah...someone who knows more than he should...and who won't be satisfied until Leah sees the truth with her own eyes.

Hell on Wheels review

Hell on Wheels by Julie Ann Walker is the first book in the Black Knights series of contemporary romance.

Hell of Wheels features the couple of Ali and Nate aka Ghost. The loss of Grigg, Ghost's partner and Ali's older brother, causes massive problems for this couple. Grigg had always told Nate not to go near Ali so Nate tried to avoid her because he loved her at first sight. Grigg's death just cemented Nate's belief that he wasn't good enough for Ali. Ali thinks Nate doesn't have any use for her so she fights her lust.

Nate is a pretty typical alpha with asshole moments. While he is close to the team at Black Knights, he doesn't really emote. Ali is a little naive but with a backbone of steel. I think she is maybe a little too forgiving of Nate's asshole moments but it works in the book.

Hell on Wheels introduced us to the whole team of Black Knights, our group of ex-military government contractors. It also completely sets up the next book with the included secondary storyline around Frank aka Boss and Rebecca aka Becky.

Overall, Hell on Wheels is a great contemporary romance with hard core alpha males. I definitely want to read more on the various team members and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Synopsis

HOLD ON TIGHT…
Ex-Marine Nate “Ghost” Weller is an expert at keeping his cool – and his distance – which makes him one hell of a sniper.  It’s also how he keeps his feeling for Ali Morgan in check.  Sweet, sexy Ali has always revved his engine, but she’s his best friend’s baby sister… and totally off limits.

ROUGH ROAD AHEAD
Ali’s never seen anything sexier than Nate Weller straddling his custom Harley – or the flash of danger in his eyes when she tells him she’s in trouble.  First something happened to her brother, and now’s she’s become the target of some nasty organization.  With Nate, her life in the most capable hands possible – but her heart in another story altogether.