Mine To Take review

Mine To Take by Cynthia Eden is a romantic suspense novella that packs action, danger, violence, obsession, love, and friendship into a short read. 

Trace is an uber-alpha male. He's not afraid of violence and he's comfortable with revenge. He's a fairly dark hero and a secret military past. He chose the unselfish path by pushing Skye away so she could pursue her dream years ago. But when she comes to him for help, he's not going to let her go again.

Skye seems fragile though as a prima ballerina she is anything but in the physical sense. Plus, she survived a lot as a kid, something Eden shows glimpses of throughout the novel. She doesn't hide from Trace's darkness. Now she needs the kind of protection he can provide but is afraid to trust him again because he broke her heart once. 

I didn't guess who the stalker was until the reveal so that's a plus in my book - it wasn't so obvious that the suspense wasn't suspenseful :) In fact, I was pretty convinced it was one of the "good guys" but I won't say which one because I don't want to spoil it. 

Eden also announced that there will be a follow up book, a full length novel, in the fall featuring Trace and Skye so we'll get to read more of there story. I'm glad for that because there was a lot alluded to in the novella that I think could be explored further and I'd like to see where their relationship goes next.

If you're looking for a sexy, suspense read that won't take long, I highly recommend Mine To Take.

Synopsis

Sometimes you want someone so much…
Sometimes you need someone so much…
Lust can become love.
And love can turn into a deadly obsession.

***

Skye Sullivan knows that someone is watching her. Not just watching—stalking her. Months ago, Skye was involved in a dangerous car accident. The accident ended her dancing career and sent her fleeing back to Chicago. Skye is convinced that her stalker caused the crash, and she fears that he won’t stop pursuing her, not until she’s dead.

When someone breaks into her apartment in Chicago, Skye turns to the one man she believes can protect her—Trace Weston. Once, Trace was her lover. Two lost souls, they’d come together in a firestorm of need and desire. But then Trace had pushed her away. He’d joined the military, vanishing from her life. She’d put all of her emotion into dancing, and she’d tried to forget him.

Now Trace is one of the most successful men in the United States. Rich, driven, and carrying dark secrets, he agrees to help Skye. He’ll protect her from the danger that lurks in the darkness, but Trace wants more than to just be a guard for Skye.

He wants her. And he’ll take her. The years have changed him, hardened him. He’s not just a poor kid from the streets any longer. Now, he can have anything—or anyone—that he wants. And the one woman he has always wanted has just come back into his life. He won’t let her go again.
But with the threats mounting against Skye, she suspects that her stalker may be intimately close. He’s a man who knows her too well. As his attacks grow ever more dangerous, she realizes that if she trusts the wrong man, she could be making a fatal mistake.

Lust. Love. Obsession.

Just how far would you go in order to possess the one person you want the most?

Sexy in a Bottle review

 

Sexy in a Bottle by Andrea Laurence is the fourth novella in the More Than Men series. While overall I've enjoyed the series, Sexy in a Bottle wasn't my favorite of the novellas. The pacing is off - there is too much build up and then the ending feels rushed and abrupt. There is also one glaringly unanswered question at the end and that is one of my personal pet peeves.

Valerie was a pretty relatable character but at the same time she didn't seem very smart. She is dealing with health issues and is purposely isolating herself which I fully understood. I even understood her reluctance to believe that Rajan was a djinn who could grant her wishes. However, once she did believe in him and his power, why in the world didn't she go ahead and follow through and make both their wishes come true? It seemed a little stupid on her part.

I actually liked Rajan a great deal. He took everything in stride - probably because he's been around and granting wishes for so long. But he wasn't without his own issues and he had little belief in human goodness left. I thought he could have forced her to sit down and finish what was started rather than letting it ride the way he did but I also understand why he wanted to enjoy his time on the island with Valerie.

Overall, Sexy in a Bottle was just an okay story when compared to the previous ones that I enjoyed a great deal.

Synopsis

Strong, sexy and powerful... the kind of man every woman wants in her life and in her bed. But these men are more. Oh, so much more.

Valerie Thomas has hidden herself from the world, isolating herself in a New England lighthouse while she waits to die. Somehow, it’s easier for her to cope with the reality of her illness if she doesn’t worry about who she’s leaving behind. Not that there is anyone important in her life to really miss her.

Rajan has been trapped inside his gold and sapphire prison since his last master dropped the necklace into the ocean. He never expected to wash up naked on a rocky coastline with a beautiful woman hovering over him. A djinn, trapped by a sorcerer’s curse, Raj offers Valerie three wishes, but the stubborn woman refuses to make them.

As strong nor’easter threatens Valerie’s tiny island, she and Raj discover the key to ending each other’s miserable, lonely existence. But can the genie and his mistress both get their wishes granted?

Ascension review

 

I greatly enjoyed Ascension by Sable Grace, the first book in the Dark Breed series. It has been sitting on my shelf for a while and I finally picked it up over the weekend. I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner.

I usually lean more toward paranormal romance and while Ascension does contain the beginnings of a romantic relationship, it is definitely more urban fantasy. That's not a criticism because it features a well built world with very real and engaging characters. Perhaps I should be reading more urban fantasy. 

Kyana was an easy character to enjoy. She was smart, kickass, sarcastic, and jaded but there was a deep core of honor and loyalty to her that shown through her very thick protective walls at various moments. Kyana's disdain for the gods and humans was, frankly, completely understandable but that didn't stop her from doing her duty at great personal risk. Her ability to balance her vampire half with her lychen half and control them both is something she does not get enough credit for throughout the book.

While Ryker is a demigod and the son of Ares, he is almost more human than the formerly human Kyana. He craves the emotional bond he feels he could have with Kyana but isn't willing to take a chance to actually have it. Oh, he claims he knows she isn't willing to give him the relationship he needs but he actually never tells her the reason he has walked away from her. I did like his protectiveness despite knowing she is more than capable of taking care of herself. Ryker definitely grew on me throughout the book. 

The supporting characters were all interesting and engaging - some I loved like Haven and Geoffery and some I loved to hate like Ares and Atropos. But all were very well written and gave the story greater depth. 

I definitely recommend Ascension to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy or paranormal romance. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series and will definitely look into reading more urban fantasy in the future.

Synopsis

The gates of hell have opened, and one woman will stand in the crossfire as the Dark Breed—vampyre, demons, shape shifters—and mankind fight their last battle for survival.

Kyana is half Vampyre, half Lychen ... and the last of her kind. Determined, dangerous, and damned, she has no love for the mortals who have imprisoned and misused her. But when the Order of Ancients entrusts her with a mission—to find the key that will send the Dark Breed back into Hell for eternity—Kyana has no choice but to accept.

She is furious to learn her assignment comes with an escort ... Ryker, a demigod and fierce warrior who long ago found a way under her skin and stayed there. In a shaky alliance, they discover an ancient cult with dangerous motive and a god who seeks to destroy all others. And as Kyana begins to feel the heat that threatens to bind her to Ryker, she knows she has to resist. For it could only mean the undoing of them both...

Stealing Breath review

Stealing Breath by Joanne Brothwell had a lot of potential but it fell flat for me. While the plot was interesting and the writing was good, the characters were not enjoyable and there was just a little too much going on.

Sarah, an empath who has always felt others emotions, made some seriously stupid decisions, like running off into the woods alone instead of waking up her friends. She also refuses to find out who/what she is until she is forced to do so. She's twenty-one and has had this ability all her life but she just tries to ignore it instead of doing any kind of research or asking any questions about it.

The attraction and subsequent relationship Sarah and Evan also just didn't feel real to me. Evan randomly appeared and disappeared and they just fell into a physical relationship. I get that it was supposed to show the spiritual connection between the two but it just didn't really work very well.

Stealing Breath does have tons of action but there is little or no explanation of why things are happening or happened. It jumps from one crazy, paranormal situation to the next without answering any questions until the end and even then not everything is explained. I know there is a sequel but I don't like it when I still don't understand everything that happened at the end of a book.

Stealing Breath was a quick read and was just okay. I won't be reading the sequel.

Synopsis

Deep in the backwoods of North Dakota, twenty-one year old Sarah Ross is searching for a missing child when she is attacked by a glowing-eyed, transparent... creature. Sarah survives, destroying the monster by using mysterious abilities she didn't even know she had. Bloody and bruised, Sarah flees the scene and runs directly into Evan Valente, a handsome, charismatic stranger who helps her back to safety. But what is Evan doing out in the forest at five in the morning? Turning to a healer, Sarah is shocked to learn her eyes bear the mark of the Indigo Child-an evolved human with the ability to feel the emotions of others. But her indigo aura also makes her an easy target for those who wish to consume her powerful essence. Soon, Sarah is falling deeply in love with Evan and wants nothing more than to follow her heart and trust that he is the man he says he is. But she can't ignore the lingering feeling that Evan is hiding a terrible secret. The deeper she digs, the more danger she faces, leading her on a course that will force her to face the darkest, innermost parts of her soul.

Avenging Angel review

I was lucky enough to win a copy of Avenging Angel by Cynthia Eden, the fourth book in Fallen series. I have been looking forward to this book ever since I finished book three, Angel in Chains, and it was definitely worth the wait!

Avenging Angel was set up in Angel in Chains so we had already met Tanner and Marna and their backstory. Tanner is a shifter from the pack that featured in Angel in Chains but he was an outcast. Marna was an angel who lost her wings but had not truly Fallen the way that the angels in the previous books had. The relationship between Tanner and Marna is quite rocky given the loss of Marna's wings and her new earthbound status. Unfortunately for Marna, she is being hunted and Tanner is one of the few beings who can protect her. Tanner wants Marna but is own issues with who and what he is have him trying to stay away despite knowing she needs him to protect her. The chemistry between them is combustible and their need to work through their issues, both with themselves and with each other, makes for a very realistic relationship despite the paranormal aspects of the book.

Another recurring character is Cody who is Tanner's half brother - he is also half shifter and half demon, a pairing that makes him particularly hated by most. He screwed up and tried to fix it but is being used by the murderer who wants Tanner to kill Cody. I wonder if he'll continue to be a supporting character moving forward or if Eden plans to give him his own book at some point. We also got to see Sam again which I enjoyed because he is one of my favorite characters from this series.

Hovering nearby through much of the book, Bastion is an Angel of Death, as Marna was before she lost her wings, and is very clearly grappling with emotions he is not supposed to feel. I suspect Bastion will be the main character in the next book in the series.

Avenging Angel was a great addition to the Fallen series and has made me hungry for more! I definitely recommend the entire series to anyone who enjoys paranormal romance.

Synopsis

With a messed up family background and a tendency to grow claws and fangs, Tanner Chance isn’t exactly the boy next door. But he’s a decent cop, and he keeps himself on the side of the good guys. Convenient, because when he rescues a survivor of a horrific shifter attack he finds himself instantly smitten—with an honest-to-goodness angel, as innocent as she is irresistible.

Marna may be angelic, but she’s not stupid or weak. She can take care of herself. Tanner is more temptation than protection anyway. Or so she thinks, until someone wearing her face starts taking out some of New Orleans’ more unsavory paranormals. With police and predators both gunning for her blood, Marna has no choice but to trust Tanner…even though what’s sparking between them is hotter than anything holy.

The Wicked review

I have been in love with the Elder Races series by Thea Harrison since I picked up Dragon Bound and then read the next two books in the series in one day! The Wicked is a novella in the Elder Races series and will be published on July 2nd. Samhain kindly sent me an eARC for my review. 

The Wicked was a fun, fast paced story in the Elder Races world and it featured some characters from earlier books along with the new ones. I enjoyed getting another glimpse at the lives of Grace and Khalil, Carling, and seeing the growth of Phaedra after her pariah days. The story takes place mostly on the Other island that Carlin used to inhabit with it's legendary, and dangerous, magical library.

Olivia, a magical librarian, is smart, steady, and has the ability to see straight through the bull that people put out and get to the heart of their personality or situation. She's compassionate and passionate - both of which Sebastian needs from her.

Sebastian is a predator Wyr who co-owns and runs security business and who has been all over the world on adventures to protect people and magical items. One his last job he was cursed and is slowly losing his eyesight - which for an owl shifter is completely debilitating.

The chemistry between Olivia and Sebastian is palpable but it is Olivia's ability to understand Sebastian's desolation and give him hope that takes The Wicked from a fun romance novella to a deeper, more memorable story. The Wicked also had enough drama and danger to keep me on the edge of my seat even if the "bad guy" was fairly obvious from the start.

If you have enjoyed previous books in the Elder Races series, or if you just enjoy a solid paranormal romance, I definitely recommend The Wicked! It should help tide over readers until Kinked, the next full length novel in the series is released in November.

Synopsis

The adventure of a lifetime might just end in turmoil, but when it includes meeting your future mate, who gives a hoot?

A Novella of the Elder Races

For a librarian with a focus on rare magic books, Olivia’s new job is a dream come true. She has been hired as part of a team to help manage the safe transportation of the collection of books owned by the Vampyre sorceress Carling Severan. The fact that the library is located on a mysterious island in an Other land only heightens the adventure.

Head of security for the expedition, Sebastian Hale is tired of his rootless life of adventure and finds himself attracted to the calm, beautiful librarian. But he is living a personal nightmare. He has been hit with a curse that is slowly taking away his sight, and he doesn’t know if he will survive the results.

But the powerful feelings growing between them, along with Sebastian’s inner turmoil, take a backseat when they learn there is a traitor lurking among their expedition team. With Elder Races politics and a priceless library on the line, they’ll have to rely on each other to survive the experience.

Warning: When a librarian who likes to nest meets an owl Wyr who has always lived for adventure, their romance won’t just be fly-by-night…

Killer Hair review

Killer Hair by Ellen Byerrum is the first book in the Crime of Fashion cozy mystery series. The books take place in Washington, DC and the protagonist is a journalist who writes a fashion column.

The thing about cozy mysteries for me is that, much like historicals, I either love them or hate them. Because some of them are fantastic, I keep trying to find gems by reading new authors and series, which is one of the reasons I picked up Killer Hair. Unfortunately, this is not one I fell in love with in the cozy genre.

Killer Hair features characters that are just too cliché for me to invest in - there is the small town police chief turned private security provider, the  permanently rumpled, uber territorial beat reporter, the conspiracy theorist lawyer, the punk rocker pixie hair stylist, and the flamboyant psychic. The cast of characters didn't give me anyone to really feel for or want to know more about.

Lacey was supposed to be a smart, savvy reporter who got shoved into being the fashion columnist by her sexist editor. Yet, she repeatedly goes on fashion and style tirades so clearly it's something she should enjoy writing about. She is a complete pushover throughout the book and frankly often comes across as a moron. I couldn't cheer for her and honestly didn't think she had the investigative skills to  solve any crime.

Vic, the small town cop turned private security guy, is the "romantic" male lead here. However, he is an utter asshole with no apparent redeeming qualities that I could see. He truly couldn't understand why Lacey would not have sex with him while he was still married since he was "getting a divorce" - because no guy in the history of the world has said that very same thing in order to have an affair, right? 

As a murder mystery, I do give Byerrum credit for muddling the waters enough that I did not know who the killer was until the end of the book. There were several very good suspects and enough clues that could have fit more than one of them at any given time so that guessing whodunnit wasn't easy.

Overall, I did not enjoy Killer Hair and I doubt I'll read the next book in the series but if you enjoy a murder mystery that keeps you guessing and don't mind formulaic characters, you might want to pick up Killer Hair for a quick read.

Synopsis

Home of the helmet hairdo and Congressional comb-over, Washington, D.C. is a hotbed of fashion faux pas. If anyone should know, it's "Crimes of Fashion" columnist Lacey Smithsonian. She dishes out advice to the scandal-scorched and clothing-clueless, doing her part to change this town-one fashion victim at a time...

An up-and-coming stylist, Angie Woods had a reputation for rescuing down-and-out looks-and careers-all with a pair of scissors. But when Angie is found with a drastic haircut and a razor in her hand, the police assume she committed suicide. Lacey knew the stylist and suspects something more sinister-that the story may lie with Angie's star client, a White House staffer with a salacious website. With the help of a hunky ex-cop, Lacey must root out the truth...