Surrender by Stephanie Tyler (Section 8 #1)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Signet

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Pam

DESPERATE, FEARLESS, AND HUNTED For former Navy SEAL Dare O’Rourke, Section 8 was legendary. The son of one of its missing members, he grew up in the shadow of its secrets. All he knew was that it was a cabal of operatives discharged from branches of the military and reassigned to extremely dangerous, off- the-books international missions. And that their handler was as shrouded in mystery as the missions themselves.

NOTHING CAN STOP THEM. NOTHING CAN BREAK THEM. Now the handler of Section 8 has given orders to kill any remaining members, along with their families. Dare must save his long-lost half sister, Avery, whom he was never meant to meet. Determined to fight for their lives and find their missing father, Dare and Avery bring together for one last mission those who are in danger because of their relationship to Section 8—to avenge their families and to survive.

When you think of a Section 8, you think of some mental disorder, craziness and being discharged out of the military, which is exactly what those behind the Section 8 black ops group created. It consisted of seven men and one woman recruited from various military branches and the CIA and all had a little bit of crazy in them, many were getting discharged out of the military and they were snapped up by the handler that took care of all the missions. No one was supposed to know who the handler was, then and now. However his name is getting out and in the last few years there has been a clean sweep order to keep is identity under wraps.

Over the last six years those with ties to Section 8 including their families were gone, accidents and unexplained deaths were killing those with even the smallest connection. Darius O’Rourke was part of the original eight and his son Dare knew that they were both on that list, his father has been missing for a year and Dare was supposed to have died a year ago in the jungle, however someone saved his life, at a very high price.

Dare knew that S8 had officially disbanded when he was thirteen and for years the members worked missions on their own, until they got a call and the remaining six members had one last job, four men never returned with only Adele and Darius coming back alive, however they were never the same. Now Adele was visiting Dare, coming to a place where he never has visitors; after he almost died he has been alone for a year with his nightmares. Adele tells him that his half sister needs him and he will have to come out of hiding to help her.

As he rescues his sister Avery, they travel to New Orleans where they start to find others as they come to find answers, Gunner, Key, Jem and Grace all have something in common and they are all facing death unless they come to some kind of understanding and work together to find the one man that wants his secrets to die with them.

This book is full of action, adventure and all the fun of tortured alpha men and women just at tough. It should also be noted that the blurb on the back only talks about his half sister, this is not who Dare has a romance with; the author even writes a side note about this on GoodReads, the blurb seems to be missing a major player in this romantic suspense. However, blurb aside, this was a great book and I am so excited it is the start of a new series. I love how the story kept me guessing until the end, the plot twists are page turning material. There were several surprises as the ending came and I liked how I never saw them coming.

The characters all fit the perfect black ops profile, all with questionable and secret pasts, tortured souls and they all had a bit of “crazy” in their personalities, they all had this adrenaline rush they would experience when they would do something just a little off, and it happened to all of them, a personality quirk that the author wrote in to each one. I would have liked more information about how Dare is dealing with his nightmares, as this was something that immobilized him for a year, it seemed glossed over when all the action hit, and I am not sure when any of them slept as there was so much going on. I also was confused when Key and Jem go to their family home to pick up a Jeep that had been in a shed for years, and it just started right away, maybe more will be explained in each of their stories. Otherwise the story flowed well as we go from one heart stopping moment to another.

The romance between Grace and Dare was heartfelt and I enjoyed the chemistry between the two, even though they could not trust each other at first as they each have all these secrets. I liked each of the other characters that they collected along the way to help thwart the bad guy, they all had

something in common as they form this tenuous group. I look forward to getting to know each one in future books, the back stories are all intriguing and I can’t wait to hear about their tortured pasts, I love those tortured heroes.

All in all this is a wonderful action packed story and a series that I will continue with. I am not sure whose story is next, however I will take any of them as they are all interesting characters.

I give Surrender by Stephanie Tyler 4.5 Stars!

Fever by Maya Banks (Breathless #2)

Available: April 2, 2013 Amazon/B&N

Type: Erotic Romance

Publisher: Berkley

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Nikki

Jace, Ash, and Gabe: three of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the country. They’re accustomed to getting anything they want. Anything at all. For Jace, it’s a woman whose allure takes him completely by surprise…

Jace Crestwell, Ash McIntyre, and Gabe Hamilton have been best friends and successful business partners for years. They’re powerful, they’re imposing, they’re irresistibly sexy, and Jace and Ash share everything—including their women.

When they meet Bethany, Jace begins to feel things he’s never experienced before: jealousy, and a powerful obsession that threatens him, overwhelms him—and excites him beyond control.

Jace isn’t sharing Bethany—with anyone. He’s determined to be the only man in her life, and it’s jeopardizing a lifelong friendship with Ash. Bethany will be his and his alone. Even if it means turning his back on his best friend.

Maya Banks returns to her newest erotic trilogy with Fever, book two in her Breathless series! After book one affected me so much I wasn’t sure what would happen when I cracked this one open. There has been buzz about this series throughout the internet and book one brought much criticism and praise alike from reviewers.

Fever brings readers Jace and Bethany, a couple who are worlds apart in everything. Jace is powerful, rich and incredibly gorgeous. Though his kink has always been bdsm and threesomes involving his best friend Ash, when he sees Bethany across the room at his sisters engagement party he feels something completely out of his realm of expertise. Curiosity and a powerful draw unlike anything he has felt before. One night of passion with the three of them and Bethany disappears from his life leaving him stunned and more then a little angry.

When he finally catches up to her and learns her heart wrenching story he is at a loss on how to proceed. Bethany is homeless, a recovered drug addict and being dragged down by a failing best friend. Her self worth is shot and Jace tries everything in his power to gain her trust. He messes up quite often though and ends up failing her time and time again. Jace knows he needs to proceed slowly so not to scare her off but his all-consuming need for her often wins out.

I found Bethany to be a completely unique heroine. Her homelessness was something I wasn’t expecting and I thought it added to her appeal as a character who had plenty of room to grow. Her being an addict was unexpected as well and it presented an ongoing conflict that kept the book interesting as she is tested again and again. She is so beaten down emotionally that I was rooting for Jace to build her up and not break her heart. I would get so mad as the book went on because he would fail her. Not believing in her, playing on her emotions, accusing her of using again. I wanted to beat him to a pulp for the way he treated her, unintentional or not. He was so all consumed by her and his temper often way to quick, but in the end, they worked well off each other and Jace was exactly what Bethany needed. Fever is very much a “Pretty Woman” rags to riches type story. I hope other readers connect to Bethany and her horrible self esteem like I did. I understood her personality on a deeper level. Her fear of hope, of believing things can be better and that she was worth the effort of trying.

Gabe and Mia (from book one, Rush) as well as Ash all play integral roles in Fever. Jace counts on them to level him out and even though Mia is his true sister, Gabe and Ash are no less his brothers. Ash will get the last book and I look forward to understanding the darkness that swirls so obviously inside him. I can’t wait to see what rules Banks breaks with his heroine!

Maya Banks is simply phenomenal with her ability to make a reader feel….everything. Anger, contempt, happiness or dangerously erotic twitches. Her words weave a trail through your mind that won’t let go even after you close the book. Days later her words will still invade your thoughts.  She can make you mad and yet you still end up enjoying the books. I don’t know how she does it other then it has to be magical.

I give Fever by Maya Banks 4.50 stars!

Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox (Camelot #2)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Random House

My Copy: NetGalley

Reviewed by: Pam

Ruthie Knox’s Camelot series continues in this sizzling eBook original novel, featuring two headstrong souls who bump heads—and bodies—as temptation and lust bring nothing but delicious trouble. An accomplished lawyer and driven single mother, Ellen Callahan isn’t looking for any help. She’s doing just fine on her own. So Ellen’s more than a little peeved when her brother, an international pop star, hires a security guard to protect her from a prying press that will stop at nothing to dig up dirt on him. But when the tanned and toned Caleb Clark shows up at her door, Ellen might just have to plead the fifth.

Back home after a deployment in Iraq and looking for work as a civilian, Caleb signs on as Ellen’s bodyguard. After combat in the hot desert sun, this job should be a breeze. But guarding the willful beauty is harder than he imagined—and Caleb can’t resist the temptation to mix business with pleasure. With their desires growing more undeniable by the day, Ellen and Caleb give in to an evening of steamy passion. But will they ever be able to share more than just a one-night stand?

Ellen Callahan is a divorced mother of a young two year old named Henry. She is a lawyer for young celebrities and her brother is the hottest thing in pop music. Her next door neighbor, Carly recently dated her brother Jamie and is also very pregnant, a story that has all the tabloids buzzing. Jamie is Ellen’s twin brother and her mother never let anyone forget who the talented twin in the family was. Even though he did not really get famous until Ellen was in college, her mother always treated Jamie special and their lives revolved around Jamie and his talent. Jamie is the only one who expects Ellen to do more in life than be in his shadow. He always wanted the best for her and knew their mother treated her differently.

Ellen lives in Camelot Ohio, a small town that has been a refuge to her since her divorce. She was raised in Chicago and married for three years to Richard who cheated on her while teaching at the local college. Between her mother and Richard doing a number on her ego, she has finally reached a stage in her life that she truly feels in control and she is not letting it slip away.

Carly was married for several years but could never get pregnant. They went for tests and found out that her husband was part of the problem so they had in-vitro done and when she finally got pregnant, her husband left her. She met Jamie and they hit it off right away, she was different as she was never in awe of him and treated him like just another person. However they got into a fight about her blog and he left town. Both are miserable but stubborn; however in the meantime the paparazzi are swarming trying to get more info and photos of Carly. So Jamie has his security firm hire local security to keep the press out of both Carly’s and Ellen’s lives.

Caleb Clark is hired by Jamie’s firm to work the security detail, he has grown up in Camelot and knows Carly well however has only been back in town for six months. He was deployed to Iraq three times in five years, then stayed in the army as military police until he felt he was needed back home. His father had a stroke and now needs more help with the apartments they own and his sister recently moved back from Alaska heartbroken and angry so he lets her live with him.

Caleb sets up the area around Ellen’s house trying to convince her that she needs this security. She is fighting him every step of the way as she feels her control is being taken away. Even though they are attracted to each other she seems to fight him on everything, however not all is lost as she seems to be open to negotiations and compromise for both the security and their mutual attraction.

In the meantime things are just going from bad to worse, her ex-husband Richard has been sober for a month and wants back into her life, which will never happen, Carly is showing signs of preeclampsia and must be on bed rest and Jamie sees the information on TMZ and freaks out and cancels his shows sending the tabloid world into a frenzy. This makes Caleb’s job that much harder because now the famous pop star is in town with more media following him. All the while, Caleb and Ellen struggle with their relationship until she gets scared thinking she has nothing to give him and he is too busy to help her realize that she already has given him everything he needs.

What a fun and entertaining book. I really enjoyed this addition to the Camelot series and Ms. Knox’s way with words is amazing. I liked the characters and although I wanted to kick Ellen a few times she does have some well documented reasons for being so scared. I loved Caleb; he is a patient soul as he waits for Ellen to come around, even when it looks like she would never give in, he tries not to give up. Ellen’s son Henry is such a cutie and I loved when he has page time in the story. Also playing a large role is Carly and Jamie, both fun and entertaining as they worked through their pain and the scare of the pregnancy. This is just an all out wonderful book.

I give Along Comes Trouble by Ruthie Knox 4.5 stars!

Crave The Darkness by Amanda Bonilla (Shaede Assassin #3) & GIVEAWAY

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Urban Fantasy Romance

Publisher: Signet

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Pam

Nothing comes easy for Darian. Her heightened powers make her indispensable to the Shaede Nation, but dangerous missions have driven her lover, Tyler, to his breaking point. Darian must salvage their bond, but a new assignment to protect Anya—a fellow Shaede and the first of their kind to become pregnant in centuries—stands in the way.

It doesn’t help that the two Shaedes are longtime rivals and share nothing besides mutual hatred. But when it becomes clear that someone—or something—is bent on destroying the expectant mother and her unborn child, Darian must put her feelings aside and track down Anya’s would-be assassin. As she probes into Anya’s past, Darian digs up long-buried secrets—and a connection between Tyler and the mission that could destroy everything between them…

Another great book in this series that picks up right where the last one ended with Tyler still gone and Darian facing punishment for kidnapping and breaking and entering. While Darian was helping her best friend find his daughter she may have broken some rules and is now facing charges from the PNT, however the PNT does not see things the same way she does and she is about to find out her punishment when Xander walks in, talks to several members of the PNT and in seconds, she is free to go.

Darian did not really care what the PNT did to her. She has been so depressed since Tyler left that she has both Raif and Xander worried about her. She wished for Tyler every day for the first month and although she does not wish as often, the ache has not healed and it has been 87 days. To top off her aggravation, she is getting mysterious postcards in the mail, somewhat all too familiar as it reminds her of someone from long ago. A century ago her former lover Azriel, helped an Armenian mob boss’s son go into hiding and for months Lorik sent postcards from everywhere he visited writing only “wish you were here” on them, now when the mobster’s son, who was human, should have been long dead, the postcards are showing up again and the fact that no one knew about them except her, Azriel and Lorik is a little disconcerting.

Xander has had enough of her depression and comes by to tell her to snap out of her funk as she is a disaster and she needs to move on, he has a job for her. Xander wants her to protect Anya, a Shaede, that although she is not too fond of, Anya is pregnant and children are precious to the Shaedes because they are rare.

Darian and Raif are putting together a team that will help protect Anya, they choose four team members, however she tells Raif that she also wants to pick Asher, a young fighter that intrigues her. He is so quiet when he moves around that she believes he must be more than Shaede. While training she receives a message from Marcus, Tyler’s right hand man. Darian is furious that Tyler is back in town and has Marcus sending her a message and not Tyler. She goes to his place to talk only to find a beautiful woman in his apartment. Tyler sees her and is about to say something but does not get a chance before she takes off.

She throws herself into training with the new team and protecting Anya, as they are shot at when they go on their first errand. Darian races after a mysterious man that is beautiful to look at, almost Angelic, however is pure evil. He tells Darian to give Anya a message “Tell Anya her past has caught up to her” Darian knows that Anya recognizes him, yet she is keeping her secrets.

Darian finds out that Tyler’s friend is named Adira and is a Jinn like Tyler. Years ago Adira found him roaming the desert of Sudan and they spent a few hundred years together before they went their separate ways. She makes a point to tell Darian that Tyler is happy now and she is what he needs, which just pisses Darian off. However she learns from Tyler that there is a tie between Anya, Adira and the angel man whose name is Kade. He is a Chambion, part demon and part Incubus, a deadly combination and Adira is his Jinn who is slowly dying because of Kade.

Anya met Kade while in Russia, she was born there and while living on her own and starving, she took to stealing and later formed a partnership with Kade. Dimitri was working for Kade in security when he met Anya and they fell in love. It was Anya that traded Kade for Dimitri when they were found stealing from Kade’s father and now that he has escaped from prison he is after revenge.

Darian wants to break the Jinn bond between Adira and Kade, to help her escape and help Darian kill Kade. As the team protects Anya from Kade, the danger to Dimitri, Darian and Tyler escalates. The team must manipulate Kade to sever his bond with Adira however he is so powerful that Darian finds herself in way over her head. She must count on and trust those that will always have her back and help her, Tyler, Xander and Raif.

This is another great book in this series. I love the characters, and in each book the relationships get more complicated and more interesting. I hated that both Darian and Tyler are struggling with their connection and although I know they belong together, I understand how their relationship must go through heartache before they can mend it – at least I hope they mend their relationship! The book starts off with a bang and kept me turning the pages until the end with a wild ride in between. I went in with preconceived ideas about how I thought this book would end – but wow there are so many surprises. I can’t wait to see what happens next, as there are many unresolved issues, who is sending the postcards, what about Tyler and Darian, and then there is Xander and Asher. And of course Anya and her baby.

I give Crave the Darkness by Amanda Bonilla 4.5 stars!

**GIVEAWAY- one paperback copy will be given to a US or Canadian commenter. Open until 3-11-13 at 11:59pm EST with winner announced shortly after**

Angel Bait by Tricia Skinner (The Angel Assassins #1)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Crimson Romance

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Nikki

Saved by the angel sent to kill them, four half-angel boys are trained and employed as Heaven’s assassins. Jarrid and his nephilim brothers are raised as members of The Eternal Order, and must enforce Heaven’s laws by hunting down those who defy the Directorate.

His only shot at freedom is Ascension, but his employers won’t permit the ancient ritual. Then Jarrid learns a Renegade angel is in Detroit. Such a high-level take¬down is the answer to his prayers—all the leverage he needs to Ascend.

For freedom, Jarrid is willing to do anything to lure his elusive enemy out of hiding.

Even use an innocent woman as bait.

News reporter Ionie Gifford has no clue an angel outlaw wants her dead. She agrees to help Jarrid, the enigmatic nephilim with penetrating silver eyes and a worship-worthy body, but only because he accepts her terms. He’s her all-access pass into the city’s supernatural underworld where she hopes to locate her mother’s killer.

Blind¬sided by Ionie’s beauty and tenacity, Jarrid soon finds the eternity-old glacier around his heart thawing. With duty and desire at war within him, he’s forced to make a choice—either save Ionie from the trap he snared and stay chained to Heaven, or allow her to become collateral damage.

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Angel Bait, while so like a lot of things on the market right now, still blew me away in parts and will have me talking about it for some time. I love a good paranormal romance, especially one with memorable characters and unique aspects. Angel Bait gave me everything I wanted and though it did drag until about 30% in with a huge informational dump, after that it blew me away with the action, emotion and intricate story line! I’m really glad I stuck with it.

A news reporter in a world where many beings walk along side humans generally doesn’t leave a dull moment for Ionie. She wants a story to land her on the map and she gets exactly that when she meets Jarrid. The only group of paranormals to be unreachable are angels and a near mythical faction of half angels called nephilim. Cast out of heaven because of their mixed angel/human heritage and forced to work as assassins without any of the perks. Ionie may think he’s giving her access in exchange for letting him talk to her sources in search of information on a classified case. Jarrid has other plans though and they include using Ionie as bait to catch a fallen angel, a Renegade.

The parallels drawn between Ionie ( a mixed race human) and Jarrid (a mixed race paranormal)  were pretty stark. They were alike in so many ways and yet totally different in others. Jarrid had to deal with obvious racism from the angels for his entire life. If not for their scarred angel leader Tanis, the other angels would have wiped the “abominations” from the earth long ago. I instantly liked him because he stood up for them so long ago and felt for the kids they once were. Now battled honed warriors they are a band of brothers and loyalty is extremely important to them. They felt very much like the Black Dagger Brotherhood…you know, before that series got way to intricate and I had to start taking notes.

Ionie was such a fierce female lead. She didn’t have powers and was essentially a normal human but she was smart, truthful and she didn’t allow insurmountable odds to get her down for long. She wormed her way right under Jarrid’s tough exterior and before he knew it she was a major part of all their lives. I loved how effortlessly she became such a huge part of their group and how they all surrounded her when she needed help. Especially Jarrid, the toughest of the warriors. I do love a virgin hero! His confusion was constantly warring with his protection instinct and he didn’t understand any of the human emotions he was feeling. Ionie brought out everything he had been denying himself and he soon found the idea of using her as bait as unacceptable.

The last half of the book is filled to the brim with emotion and action and a plot that should continue on into the next installment. I am really looking forward to following each brother into their own story and seeing the heroines that will bring them to their knees. I really hope Tanis gets a book as well. His strength has been the glue for these brothers for so long and he deserves to make amends for his past and find a woman who can give him what he needs. Love and redemption.

This definitely did not feel like a debut novel. This is written with the excellence of a seasoned writer. For a reader like me, who has gotten bored with the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward, this is exactly what I have been looking for!

I give Angel Bait by Tricia Skinner 4.50 stars! 

The Summer He Came Home by Juliana Stone (The Bad Boy Of Crystal Lake #1)

Available: April 2, 2013 Amazon/B&N

Type: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Sourcebooks

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Nikki

Sometimes the best place to find love is right back where you started…

Falling asleep in a different bed every night has made it easy for Cain Black to forget his past. It’s been ten years since he packed his guitar and left Crystal Lake to chase his dreams. Now tragedy has forced him home again. And though Cain relishes the freedom of the road, one stolen moment with Maggie O’Rourke makes him wonder if he’s missing out on something bigger than fame.

For Maggie—single mother and newly settled in Crystal Lake—love is a luxury she just can’t afford. Sure, she appreciates the tall, dark and handsome looks of prodigal son Cain Black. But how long can she expect the notorious hellion to stay?

The last thing either of them wants is something complicated. But sometimes love has its own plans.

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I. Loved. This. Book. That’s all folks, just read it……………..

Ok fine, I guess I can tell you a few more things that made me love the book since you seem to need more. Cain has come home for a sad occasion. Jesse, one of his best friends funeral. Though Cain hasn’t been back to the small town in many years when he hears of the death he hurrys  home. He left the town and his three best friends destined for stardom and years later he has achieved that status on the stage as lead singer for popular rock band. His personal life wasn’t so lucky and one failed marriage later he’s not in any hurry to start anything new.

The first person he sees upon returning is a precocious little boy who he immediately likes. He also falls hard and quickly for the boys mother Maggie who seems to be a loner of her own choosing. Maggie makes him feels as if his life of fortune and fame has been missing something. A spark he wasn’t even aware of.

Maggie is hiding from her past and more specifically an abusive husband intent on tracking her down and taking her son from her. The small town offers her a place to earn a living that won’t result in her being found. Dating Cain isn’t smart and the threat to being found is heightened if pictures were to get out. Not to mention every woman in town wants a piece of him too and Maggie is just everyones maid.

Juliana Stone weaves a romantic story from start to finish that gives readers everything they could possibly want. The emotional turmoil she gives her characters makes for great reading. Cain is so conflicted. Not only with himself and dealing with the death of his friend, but with his surviving friends as well and how they have grown apart in the years since he left town. Each guy having had a life of their own that didn’t turn out exactly as planned.

The subtle warming of Cain and Maggie’s relationship felt fluid and right. There was never a boring part of the book and I felt entwined in the story. Maggie is skittish, rightfully so, and Cain has to tread lightly if he wants to get anywhere with her. Finding a woman who doesn’t care that he’s a rockstar is a breath of fresh air to him and he’s determined to make it work.

Jake (the brother of Jesse) and Raine (Jesse’s wife)  have the next story and I can’t wait. Well I’ll have to since it’s not until December but I’ll deal. They have a dark back story that seems to be taunt with tension and now guilt for the reemergence of feelings after Jakes death. Raines insistence to use stored sperm to have Jesse’s baby puts Jake over the edge knowing that it’s mainly her grieving that’s driving her.

The Summer He Came Home is an excellent contemporary romance wrought with emotion that guarantees readers will be sucked into the story for it’s entirety. Stone’s transition to contemporary is seamless and a sure fire win!

I give The Summer He Came Home by Juliana Stone 4.50 stars!

 

How To Seduce An Angel In 10 Days by Saranna DeWylde (10 Days #3)

Available: Feb 26 2013 Amazon/B&N

Type: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Kensington

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Nikki

GOT ANGEL?

Drusilla “Tally” Tallow does. Both fallen and otherwise because she’s got ten days of Heavenly and Infernal Parole after knocking Falcon Cherrywood from his broom. All she wanted was to settle down with a nice warlock, have babies, and grow old together. But she’s got a bad habit of falling for the wrong warlock. She blames Cupid. Too bad her Heavenly Parole Officer is none other than the heart bandit himself—the newly appointed Cupid and current fixture in all her fantasies, Falcon Cherrywood.

After smiting Cupid with a fireball, Falcon Cherrywood must now play the Diapered Archer. He can’t think of anything more humiliating than flying around in pink wings shooting arrows into hopeless fools. Archery was never his strong suit and Falcon doesn’t even believe in love. But more troubling are the feelings his sinfully irresistible parolee sets off in him—for only Tally has the power to make him believe in things better left to fairy tales, like Happily Ever After.

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Saranna DeWylde is steadily working up my list of go-to authors with every book she releases! I find this series to be highly engaging and hilarious with How To Seduce An Angel In Ten Days being no exception.

Tally has made some mistakes in her life, the biggest being letting an ancient evil take her body over and rocking the entire witching community. Her actions have made her an outcast which is really how she’s seen herself for years anyway. Even her best friends family her been treating her differently. Except Falcon, the inspiration behind all her “one handed” sexual fantasies. She’s been half in love with him her entire life, but when the evil inside her knocked him off his broom to his death the only way to save him was to force him into a new job as Cupid. A job he doesn’t believe in because he doesn’t believe in love. Now he smells like cotton candy and has pink wings. His first job? Making sure Tally stays on the heavenly side and doesn’t listen to the “devil” on her other shoulder, a demon named Ethelred.

Tally has such low self esteem that she hides behind her sassy wit and pure sex appeal. She didn’t think she deserved a happy ever after before the evil took her over. Now she has even less belief in her story including herself being happy. Though Falcon denies he doesn’t believe in love, he is adamant in making her believe herself worth of being happy. He refuses to fail where she is concerned, even if that means in the end he might die himself. Tally was a strong female character but her self esteem was holding her back. As she and Falcon got closer she started to realize the kind of power she had and how she could use it to finally make amends for her past. Learning to be selfless without regard for yourself was a central theme and happiness was the reward.

Tally and Falcon definitely have some hot scenes but what I enjoyed most about them was that their relationship was born out of a life long friendship that they shared. Falcon, for as much he resisted, sure experienced every feeling a man in a relationship would feel right down to the bone deep jealousy regarding Ethelred. He was protective and fierce and honestly, who doesn’t want a man who tastes and smells like cotton candy?

How To Seduce An Angel In 10 Days had everything I enjoy in a light-hearted paranormal romance. A smoldering hero complete with pretty pink wings who needs to embrace life, a heroine who is stronger then she gives herself credit for and a supporting cast of characters who pop off the page. Hilarity ensues and I found myself laughing at the hijinx Tally experiences along her journey. Not many authors can work in a 5 foot tall walking, talking vajazzeled vajayjay into a book and make it work. But DeWylde can and does which resulted in me laughing so hard at work that I couldn’t answer the phone until I got myself under control. Loved this book! In a sea of dark gritty books, How To Seduce An Angel In 10 Days is a welcome distraction that is well written and exceptional!

 

I give How To Seduce An Angel In 10 Day by Saranna DeWylde 4.50 stars! 

 

Winterblaze by Kristen Callihan (Darkest London #3)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Historical Romance

Publisher: Forever

My Copy: NetGalley

Reviewer: Pam

Once blissfully in love . . . Poppy Lane is keeping secrets. Her powerful gift has earned her membership in the Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals, but she must keep both her ability and her alliance with the Society from her husband, Winston. Yet when Winston is brutally attacked by a werewolf, Poppy’s secrets are revealed, leaving Winston’s trust in her as broken as his body. Now Poppy will do anything to win back his affections . . .

Their relationship is now put to the ultimate test. Winston Lane soon regains his physical strength but his face and heart still bear the scars of the vicious attack. Drawn into the darkest depths of London, Winston must fight an evil demon that wants to take away the last hope of reconciliation with his wife. As a former police inspector, Winston has intelligence and logic on his side. But it will take the strength of Poppy’s love for him to defeat the forces that threaten to tear them apart.

The first time Winston Lane sees the striking woman at the train station he knows she is the one for him. From that day forward after meeting Poppy his life changed completely. Winston was nineteen and already set in his ways, bookish, orderly and logical and for a woman to make such an impact on his life was extraordinary.

Winston and Poppy have been married for fourteen years, however something has happened and he left her without asking for explanations. He felt betrayed and that their life together was a lie.

Winston was attacked and left for dead one night and when he found out Poppy was with the SOS and there are strange creatures living among humanity, he had not even waited for the details, he just left her. Ian and Archer had harassed him to stay at Ranulf House to get well and train his body. They’d taught him how to fight, both with his hands and with a sword.

Poppy was meeting her sister, Daisy and Mary Chase in her office which was very unusual, Daisy had only recently found out who she was. Mary was a GIM (Ghost in the Machine) as was Daisy, they were the best spies there are, as they learn and secret away bits of information until they find out the truth. Daisy wants Mary to meet Mother, the head of The Society for the Suppression of Supernatural’s or SOS, an organization whose purpose is to keep the world from learning the truth, that monsters were real. Mother was someone no one was ever to meet however two GIM’s now know Poppy’s secret.

Mary’s service as a GIM was over and she wants to be a Regulator. A tough life as a fighter and often a short one as they come face to face with things that give monsters nightmares. Daisy tells her that Mary knows who Poppy is and that Mary would be a good companion as well as protector. So Poppy tells Mary that she has her chance as a Regulator and to get ready as a demon has just escaped his prison.

Poppy finds out that Winston is on holiday in Paris, she is shocked as he always hated Paris. He went there after he beat a suspect almost to death several weeks ago. The CID, which was Winston’s life let him go and he is a little lost. Win had given up everything to become an inspector, including being cut off from his family. Now Win is coming back to London on one of Archer’s ships, so Poppy rushes to meet him because she believes he is in danger, telling him that a demon is coming for him. When last she knew the demon he went by the name of Lord Isley. She thinks he got the identity from an Earl he had murdered. Demons can change their appearance to suit their needs by using someone’s blood, so you can’t trust anyone. Years ago, Poppy put Isley in prison as he had killed her mother. Miranda and Daisy think their mother died shortly after giving birth to their brother, but Poppy knows the truth. Now that he is free, Isley sends her a message saying that he is going to take something of hers and destroy it.

The demon (Jones, Isley) finds Winston on board the ship and he tells him that he is a grantor of bargains in exchange for souls. And he has come to collect his due. Fourteen years earlier Winston signed a contract he does not remember signing, the demon says that part of the process is that he forgets about the whole transaction. Winston remembers losing himself to the power of Absinthe in his early days, because he had wanted a woman that he could not have, so Jones gave him a new life, to be rid of the family responsibilities and have Poppy. Winston is confused because he thought that all this time his father had disowned him – in reality his family thought he was dead. Because

Win had cheated death earlier, he was in breach of contract, therefore the grantor can take the soul of the first born, however the demon is willing to bargain as there is something he wants, a woman by the name of Moira Darling.

He has four days to complete the task and tells Poppy about the meeting also telling her how he feels, like a hypocrite, he left Poppy because she lied to him and yet he feels he has done something ten times worse.

As they work toward finding the secret of Moira Darling, Win and Poppy must find the trust they once felt for each other, they must work through the anger, betrayal and hurt they both are feeling. The danger they face is overwhelming and they realize that others are also in trouble. They send Mary to find Jack, the shifter, since the being inside his body is not him, they find him almost dead. Poppy also must be completely honest with her sisters and tell them the whole story as there are new details that come to light that even Poppy did not know about until recently.

What a great addition to this series. I have been looking forward to Win and Poppy’s story since Moonglow. Winston and Poppy are truly made for each other and it is heartbreaking to watch them struggle with feelings of betrayal. You just want to slap Win sometimes as he seems so uptight and when he realizes he may have committed the same type of mistaken he still has trouble with his feelings about Poppy. However Poppy is also very stubborn. I felt the story was compelling and engrossing and will keep you turning the pages until the end. There are several twists and turns and some surprising revelations in the end. Jack’s story is next and what a tale that will be.

I give Winterblaze by Kristen Callihan 4.5 stars!

Lord Of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt (Maiden Lane #5)

Available: February 26, 2013 Amazon/B&N

Type: Historical Romance

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

My Copy: NetGalley

Reviewer: Pam

When Strangers In The Night He lives in the shadows. As the mysterious masked avenger known as the Ghost of St. Giles, Godric St. John’s only goal is to protect the innocent of London. Until the night he confronts a fearless young lady pointing a pistol at his head—and realizes she is his wife. Become Lovers… Lady Margaret Reading has vowed to kill the Ghost of St. Giles—the man who murdered her one true love. Returning to London, and to the man she hasn’t seen since their wedding day, Margaret does not recognize the man behind the mask. Fierce, commanding, and dangerous, the notorious Ghost of St. Giles is everything she feared he would be—and so much more.

Desire Is The Ultimate Danger When passion flares, these two intimate strangers can’t keep from revealing more of themselves than they had ever planned. But when Margaret learns the truth—that the Ghost is her husband—the game is up and the players must surrender…to the temptation that could destroy them both.

The intrigue continues with this wonderful historical series.

Lady Margaret is bound and determined to kill the Ghost of St. Giles, she was pointing a gun at him pulling the trigger but since she was not a very good shot she misses. Godric St. John is glad his

wife is a terrible shot because as soon as he is done saving her life, he is going home, hopefully without being injured. Godric has not seen his wife in two years, not since that awful night they were married, he left her in the countryside at his estate while he went back to his lonely existence in London.

Megs watches the Ghost get away but is determined to try again soon, as she believes the Ghost killed her lover Roger several years ago. Roger is the reason she married Godric, with her lover dead and a child on the way, her brother needed a husband for her. Unfortunately the night they married she lost the baby and has lived for two years in the country without seeing her husband. But she is done with this existence and has come to London for one purpose, she wants a baby and her husband is the only one that can help her with her quest. She is just unsure of how to seduce a man she does not know.

Megs and her entourage which includes Sarah, Godric’s sister and Megs’ aunt along with several servants invade Saint House, the house where Godric lives alone with his butler Moulder. She did not want him to tell her no, so she did not write and tell him they were coming, which was unusual. For the first year of their marriage there had been no correspondence, however Megs started to write him letters in the second year and even though he rarely responded she kept writing, telling him about the garden, his sister and other odd and interesting things that were happening at the country house. Although he is a little intrigued by his wife, Godric does not want his life and his nightly pursuits to be interrupted so he believes he can make his wife leave within a week. And when she is gone he will go back to being the solitary person he has been since his first wife, Clara died.

The Ghost had dropped off two small girls at the Home for Unfortunate Infants and Foundlings the evening before and while Godric and Winter talk, they find out that the lassie snatchers seem to be back in business. The lassie snatchers are those that take young girls off the streets to work in workshops making lace for the wealthy, it was only several years ago the Ghost and others managed to break up this evil practice so Godric knows he has to stop it again.

Much to Godric’s dismay, Megs still wants to find Roger’s murder so one night she goes back to St. Giles and runs into the Ghost, determined to kill him this time, she stabs him, only to find out after he speaks that it is Godric. She is so worried she has killed him; however when they get home Moulder takes control of the situation making her feel left out. She finds him alone later and he tells her the story of how he became the Ghost and that there were two others out there helping with the fight. He also tells her that someone else killed Roger, the Ghost was not near where he was killed that night and he tells Megs that he will continue to look for the murderer for her, which seems to be the first of the ice around his heart thawing.

I love this book, the continuing story of these fascinating characters and the fight that goes on in St. Giles is both intriguing and full of heart tugging moments. Both Godric and Megs must come to terms with their lost loves and move on no matter how hard it is for them. Everyone believes Godric must return to the living, to those that love him including his sisters, step-mother and eventually to Megs. The danger for Godric as the Ghost is exciting as he races through St. Giles helping those less fortunate while on his tail is the enigmatic Captain James Trevillion who is the head of the dragoons, the force that wants to take out the Ghost forever. An interesting twist at the end leaves us wanting more as we wait to see if another Duke finds his love and who else is taking up the cape of the Ghost.

I give Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt 4.5 stars!

One Good Earl Deserves A Lover by Sarah MacLean (The Rules Of Scoundrels #2)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Historical Romance

Publisher: Avon

My Copy: Edelweiss

Reviewer: Pam

Lady Philippa Marbury is odd. The bespectacled, brilliant fourth daughter of the Marquess of Needham and Dolby cares more for books than balls, flora than fashion and science than the season. Nearly engaged to Lord Castleton, Pippa wants to explore the scandalous parts of London she’s never seen before marriage. And she knows just who to ask: the tall, charming, quick-witted bookkeeper of The Fallen Angel, London’s most notorious and coveted gaming hell, known only as Cross. 

Like any good scientist, Pippa’s done her research and Cross’s reputation makes him perfect for her scheme. She wants science without emotion—the experience of ruination without the repercussions of ruination. And who better to provide her with the experience than this legendary man? But when this odd, unexpected female propositions Cross, it’s more than tempting . . . and it will take everything he has to resist following his instincts—and giving the lady precisely what she wants.

I love Pippa, an intelligent women who is a bit odd but is the perfect woman for Cross.

Jasper Arlesey was the second son and he loved it, the freedom to do whatever he wanted without any expectations was wonderful. That is until the day he brother died and his father could only say to him “it should have been you.” Soon after Jasper, Earl Harlow faded away and disappeared. He re-emerged as Cross, part owner of the very successful Fallen Angel gambling hell.

Seven years later, Lady Philippa Marbury is standing in Cross’ office correcting a ledger and telling him that she requires ruination as she believes he will be a great research associate. Cross is staring at her like she is mad. Pippa had selected Cross carefully; he has the reputation she needs for her research. Of course Cross knows who she is; the sister of Penelope, his partner Bourne’s wife however what she does not need is to be here in the gambling hell.

Pippa needs information about what to expect after she gets married. She has fourteen days before the ceremony and she is desperate to know what happens in the bedroom the night of the wedding as she feels unprepared, and Pippa is nothing if not thorough.

Pippa and her sister Olivia are to have a double wedding which is the talk of the ton, Olivia is vivacious and exciting, everything Pippa is not and the fact that Pippa is marrying a man she has little in common with does not help with her anxiety. She is marrying Lord Castleton because it is what is expected of her and it is what she has agreed to and she does not care for dishonesty. She is counting her blessings that someone is willing to marry her, because she is odd and Castleton does not care.

Of course Cross turns her down and tries to send her on her way; however she believes it is because she thinks that her offer does not intrigue him. After all, he is a man of knowledge and experience and she is the fourth daughter of a double marquess who could name all the bones in the human body, she was odd.

Digger Knight is the owner of another gambling hell called Knights, and he has something over Cross. Six years ago Digger had beat him within an inch of his life ordered him stripped of his money and thrown from the hell. Cross had won a lot of money because of his intellect but he was drowning in despair because of the death of his brother as he blamed himself. Now Digger has come to Cross to tell him about his brother-in-law who has lost a great deal of money at Knights, Digger wants something from Cross and it is not re-payment of his family’s debt. What Digger wants is his daughter to be a countess.

Cross has no plans to marry and makes it known to all including Digger, he decides to use the yearly Pandemonium event to ruin Digger’s plans. Unfortunately Digger’s knowledge of Pippa causes more problems that Cross has to deal with.

Cross is unsure how his world became so complicated, between Pippa trying to learn all about what comes after the marriage ceremony, Digger trying to marry him to his daughter and helping his sister Lavinia deal with Digger and the debt owed is making him crazy. Cross believes he must save those he cares for, as he feels guilty about his brother’s death and his sister current status in life. Pippa decides that Cross is the one that needs saving and finds a way to do just that.

She decides to take matters into her own hands, and with the help of her now ex-fiancé and Cross’ partners, she has a plan.

I loved this story; Pippa is a wonderful heroine, funny, smart and odd. And Cross is the perfect hero for her intelligence. He is kind and truly only wants what is best for her, no matter what it cost him. Their chemistry worked as they danced around each other throughout the book. There was some really funny, laugh out loud parts, especially when Pippa was asking questions to anyone who would answer. And of course there were touching parts as Cross’ hurts come out about his brother and sister. I enjoyed seeing the other partners of The Fallen Angle and look forward to their stories. The only problem with the ending is that I felt the sister’s problems were brushed aside, and although there is mention that things were fixed, I feel it was rushed and it will be interesting to see if any more of her story comes out in another book.

I give One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean 4.5 stars! 

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