Review: Hero in the Highlands by Suzanne Enoch

Hero in the Highlands: Major Gabriel Forrester and Fiona Blackstock

(No Ordinary Hero #1)

Summary:

WILD AT HEART

Scotland, 1812: He’s ferocious and rugged to the bone, an English soldier more at home on the battlefield than in any Society drawing room. And when Major Gabriel Forrester learns that he’s inherited the massive Scottish Highlands title and estate of a distant relation, the last thing he wants to do is give up the intensity of the battlefield for the too-soft indulgences of noble life. But Gabriel Forrester does not shirk his responsibilities, and when he meets striking, raven-eyed lass Fiona Blackstock, his new circumstances abruptly become more intriguing.

Like any good Highlander, Fiona despises the English—and the new Duke of Lattimer is no exception. Firstly, he is far too attractive for Fiona’s peace of mind. Secondly, his right to “her” castle is a travesty, since it’s been clan Maxwell property for ages. As the two enter a heated battle of wills, an unexpected passion blazes into a love as fierce as the Highlands themselves. Is Fiona strong enough to resist her enemy’s advances—or is Gabriel actually her hero in disguise?

Review:

Im not sure how I feel about this book. It was ok edging towards good towards the end but I never feel in love with either of the characters.

Im still left wondering what exactly happened to the brother?? I wanted to know more here, get a solid conclusion. In sure Fiona would want to know as well as it was left for her she still doesn't know what happened to her brother.

I wanted more back story on the hero. Why did he go into the military? More on his childhood. How could he be related to a duke and not know it.. Thats the kind of thing that families pay attention to esp back then.

What is camp de aide going to do. It sounded like he was going to stay on, maybe, but as what? These are the things I wanted to know but there is no conclusion. Subplot lines just left open.

She was pretty shrewish in the beginning. At first I was like nice a sassy heroine with a backbone and then she was just a shrew arguing to argue. It wasn't until maybe 60% or so that she started calming down and her real personality came out. still with a sharp tongue and a back bone but if she was standing up for something it meant something.

I did start to like the story more towards the end but the beginning and early middle of the book were just ok and I was having a hard time really getting into the characters and story.

*Review copy was provided through NetGalley for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Review: Gilded Hearts by Christine d'Abo

Gilded Hearts: Samuel Hawkins and Piper Smith

(The Shadow Guild #1)

Summary:

Samuel Hawkins, Sergeant in the King's Sentry, has been called in to investigate a murder case. As he awaits the Archivists to arrive—the team who will use a special device to extract the memories of the dead man to help find clues to his murder—he never expects to come face to face with the woman he'd left behind when he'd fled the Archives five years earlier.

Piper Smith has grown from the girl Samuel remembered into a strong woman and full-fledged archivist. Shadowed by her mentor, Master Ryerson, Piper will be performing her first extraction. When she sees Samuel, she must push aside her childhood crush, else risk her standing within the Guild.

As the two begin working together to find the killer, Samuel and Piper explore their intense attraction to each other. But "Jack the Ripper" proves to be harder to catch than the two originally thought. What's worse, they discover he may very well work for the Archives. Now, Samuel and Piper must battle internal and external threats as they try to foil a plot against the Crown and stop Jack the Ripper from taking his next victim.

Review:

Gilded Hearts by Christine D’Abo is the first in her new erotic historical steampunk series. I’m a fan of Ms. D’Abo, in particular her Long Shots contemporary series so when I saw this book come up I was quick to grab it. In general, I not a huge fan of steampunk as in I don’t go purposefully looking for but I do enjoy it from time to time and I think this one was a decent effort into the Steampunk genre. The concept of the Archives is interesting and a different twist on things. It’s a little bit creepy, im not sure I would want my memories stored in a little glass vial for anyone to study but D’Abo did a decent job at not making it too creepy. As a whole with this book the world building could have been better, it got confusing in places, things mentioned and then forgotten about and it took me a while to get a grasp on this world but there is potential there and I hope that it gets better as the series moves on. Where I like Christine D’Abo is her characters. She tends to write flawed but likeable characters and this one is no different.

Samuel grew up in the Archives there wasn’t a time that he does not remember being there. He’s always had an affinity for machines, which branded him as different in the Archives. In the Archives different is not a good thing, Sam got beaten on a pretty regular basis. The only thing that seemed to make his living situation better was Piper, she came to the Archives as a young girl and decided that Sam was going to be her friend and didn’t look back, until that one night when Sam left her which she never quite recovered from. Something happened in the Archives that made Sam snap and he had to leave, he tried to take Piper with him but she refused to go. Sam was found on the streets and taken in and he worked his way up in the King’s Sentry. He is at a murder scene when he comes face to face with Piper again and all those feelings he set aside for her come rushing back stronger than ever. Sam is a bit of a runner, he ran from the Archives, more recently from Piper, even though he’s a bit of a runner he’s fiercely protective and obviously loves Piper so it was pretty easy to forgive his runner tendencies. As a character I did like Sam, he is intelligent, protective, quick witted and takes his job seriously. He doesn’t have many friends but those friends he does have mean the world to him. Piper on the other hand is sassy, strong willed and steady. She’s not one to run away but to forge forward even at her own peril. She has a mind of her own and isn’t going to let anyone think for her. She is also protective of those she loves and fiercely loyal. I think of the two, I liked Piper just a little bit more.

Overall, this book was pretty good. There were some twists and turns in the plot that kept things interesting. The characters were engaging and likeable. As previously mentioned there were some issues with the world building but by the end of the book I had a pretty good grasp on the world even with some of its issues. I am looking forward to seeing where this series goes and will more than likely be reading Quicksilver Soul the second book in this series which comes out in April of 2014.

*This copy was provided to me through NetGalley for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Early review: The Highlander by Kerrigan Byrne

The Highlander: Liam MacKenzie and Philomena

(Victorian Rebels #3)

Expected publication: August 2nd 2016

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

Can the fiercest master of battle conquer a woman’s heart?

They call him the Demon Highlander. The fearsome Lieutenant Colonel Liam MacKenzie is known for his superhuman strength, towering presence, and fiery passion in the heat of battle. As Laird to the MacKenzie clan, the undefeated Marquess has vanquished his foes with all rage and wrath of his barbaric Highland ancestors. But when an English governess arrives to care for his children, the master of war finds himself up against his greatest opponent... in the game of love.

Defying all expectations, Miss Philomena is no plain-faced spinster but a ravishing beauty with voluptuous curves and haughty full lips that rattle the Laird to his core. Unintimidated by her master’s raw masculinity and savage ways, the headstrong lass manages to tame not only his wild children but the beast in his soul. With each passing day, Liam grows fonder of Miss Mena—and more suspicious. What secret is she hiding behind those emerald eyes? What darkness brought her to his keep? And how can he conquer this magnificent woman’s heart... without surrendering his own?

Review:

Rating 3.5

I have mixed feelings about this book, on one hand I loved the writing: it was beautiful, descriptive and everything I would expect from a Kerrigan Byrne novel. Hell the prologue itself gave me some serious chills. The characters were engaging and flawed. I liked all of them. Mena really came into her own throughout the book. She found her backbone that had all but been beaten out of her by her husband. She survived and started thriving. Liam has his own internal struggles, a quick temper and a tendency towards violence but underneath it all he is a protector. He struggles with controlling his anger and his violence but he would never do what his father did to him. I liked Mena's relationship with Liam's kids, they had some good interactions. There were also some really great quotes that really resonated. K. Byrnes quality of writing is never in question.

My problem with this book was the pacing. Until about 15 or 20% of the book we were chugging along quite merrily and then we kind of seemed to hit a lag from then until about 65% or so. It's not that nothing happened but it didn't seem to move the plot along to anywhere and I wasn't feeling the "romance" between Liam and Mena. She was mostly just afraid of him or he was yelling at her and there wasn't enough sexual tension to really overcome that. and then all of the sudden in the last 30% or so of the book everything started happening. The were a couple of sub plotlines that were a bit anti-climatic but the romance picked up. Im still not sure by the end of the book I truly bought into it but we were in a better place than I thought we would be. Maybe it's Byrnes experience at writing novellas that she was able to pull off so much in the last part of the book, but I just wished it had been spaced out better.

*ARC was provided through NetGalley for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Review: The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne

The Highwayman: Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More and Farah Leigh Mackenzie

(Victorian Rebels #1)

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

They’re rebels, scoundrels, and blackguards—dark, dashing men on the wrong side of the law. But for the women who love them, a hint of danger only makes the heart beat faster…

STEALING BEAUTY

Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, is a ruthless villain. Scarred and hard-hearted, Dorian is one of London’s wealthiest, most influential men who will stop at nothing to wreak vengeance on those who’ve wronged him…and will fight to the death to seize what he wants. The lovely, still innocent widow Farah Leigh Mackenzie is no exception—and soon Dorian whisks the beautiful lass away to his sanctuary in the wild Highlands…

COURTING DESIRE

But Farah is no one’s puppet. She possesses a powerful secret—one that threatens her very life. When being held captive by Dorian proves to be the only way to keep Farah safe from those who would see her dead, Dorian makes Farah a scandalous proposition: marry him for protection in exchange for using her secret to help him exact revenge on his enemies. But what the Blackheart of Ben More never could have imagined is that Farah has terms of her own, igniting a tempestuous desire that consumes them both. Could it be that the woman he captured is the only one who can touch the black heart he’d long thought dead?

Review:

The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne is at turns, sweet, cute and heartbreaking. You run the full gamut of emotions in this book and it was fantastically done.  I’ve been a fan of Kerrigan Byrne for a number of years, it all started with her historical paranormal novellas that I stumbled upon and I’ve been snapping up anything she’s had to write ever since.  So needless to say I was pretty excited to read this book. As with all of her other writing she creates a world and characters so clear you would think you were right there with them.  This particular book starts when Farah is a small child and she pledges herself to her best friend and protector. Almost right after their “handfasting” they are attacked by a priest where they are living as orphans and her best friend is arrested for killing the priest. He later dies in prison but she never forgot her “husband”.

It is years later and Dorian enters her life. He kidnaps her and convinces her to marry him as a part of a convoluted plan.  Turns out, Dorian knew and was friends with her husband in prison which forges a bond of sorts between them. Dorian is super damaged, I’d say one of the more damaged characters I have read to date. He can’t stand to be touched after everything has been done to him, which makes for an awkward arrangement with Farah.  But over some time, he begins to let her in more and more and a trust builds. I think Dorian as a character will break your heart a little bit. Farah as a character may help to restore some of your faith in humanity because she is loyal to the core and has a backbone of steel. She does not take shit from Dorian or anyone else and has a way of shutting people up with just a look. These two shouldn't work, but for some reason they do and they’ll worm their way into your heart.

Review: Of Silk and Steam by Bec McMaster

Of Silk and Steam: Leo Barrons and Lady Aramina

(London Steampunk #5)

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

When her beloved father was assassinated, Lady Aramina swore revenge. The man responsible is well beyond her grasp, but his dangerously seductive heir, Leo Barrons, is fair game. When Mina obtains evidence proving that Leo is illegitimate, she has the means to destroy both the killer and his son, a man who troubles her heart and tempts her body.

A woman of mystery, Mina's long driven Leo crazy with glimpses of a fiery passion that lurks beneath her icy veneer. He knows she's hiding something, and he's determined to unravel her layer by silken layer. He just doesn't expect the beautiful liar to be the key to overthrowing the corrupt prince consort… or to saving his own carefully walled-off heart.

Review:

Wow.. I totally thought I had reviewed this book forever ago, but I guess it slipped through the cracks. So anyway. Of Silk and Steam. Can’t say I liked Mina or Barrons all that much from the previous books, so needless to say I wasn’t really all that excited about this installment. That being said, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I would even go as far as to say that it was a really strong installment in this series. Mina is a lot more complex than we ever knew. She’s got some serious layers going on and is super sneaky. I wasn’t expecting all that, at all! Go Bec McMaster for sneaking that in.

Barron’s who knew he had a heart? But apparently he does and it’s all for Mina and has been for quite some time. Mina leads him on a merry chase and I say good for her. A man should have to work for it every now and then. Barrons had a secret of his own, one we’ve known about for a long time but if anyone in the Echlon finds out, it could mean his death. When Mina finds out, he puts his trust in her to keep his illegitimacy a secret.

But these are dangerous times, and Barrons and Mina dont have the luxury of finding their way towards love in a safe environment. The Prince Escort is escalating and now is the time to overthrow him but no one knows who their allies are or if they can trust anyone else. It’s a time of peril and can Mina and Barrons learn to trust each other before they are both destroyed?? Dutduhdaaa

PS. This series should totally be read in order. This would not be a good place to pick it up.

Review: The Hunter by Kerrigan Byrne

The Hunter: Christopher Argent and Millie LeCour

(Victorian Rebels #2)

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

They're rebels, scoundrels, and blackguards—dark, dashing men on the wrong side of the law. But for the proper Victorian-era ladies who love them, a hint of danger only makes their hearts beat faster...

A scandalous proposal.

As one of London't most elite hunters, Christopher Argent never misses his mark and always gets his man. But when his latest target turns out to be a woman—the popular, and stunningly beautiful, actress Millie LeCour—it turns his whole world upside-down. Overwhelmed by the heat that simmers between them, Christopher can't complete his mission. On the contrary, he'll do anything to save Millie's life—even if it means risking his own...

A dangerous passion...

When she learns what Christopher was hired to do, Millie is torn between the fear in her heart and the fire in her soul. Putting herself in this dangerous man's arms may be her only path to safety—but giving in to her desire may be the deadliest mistake she's ever made. With both of their lives in jeopardy, Millie and Christopher must learn to trust the real feelings they're hiding—to find the true love they're looking for…

Review:

So I am not a huge historical fan but when I saw Kerrigan Byrne had some full length novels out I had to give them a whirl and I am so glad I did. I've read most of K Byrnes historical paranormal novellas and enjoyed them all and while I miss the paranormal aspect (because she does it so well) in these books I still really enjoyed them. I actually finished this a few days ago, it was good. I liked the 1st book a bit better but i did still really enjoy this installment. I found both characters quite enjoyable and even liked that their 1st time together was not instant explosions and multiple orgasms. I like that K. Byrne writes flawed characters, they make mistakes they aren't always good people and in this series, some are straight up criminals. But criminals with hearts of gold, mostly. The plot is always engaging and exciting and moves along at a quick pace. I have been a fan of K. Byrnes work for many years and she is an excellent writer and story-teller. I am excited to see how this series develops.

**Review copy was provided through NetGalley for an honest review, no other compensation was provided.

Early Review: Forevermore by Kristen Callihan

Forevermore - St. John Evernight and Miss Layla Starling

(Darkest London #7)

Summary:

Goodreads.com

Miss Layla Starling, the young, beautiful, and extremely wealthy heiress, is the talk of London. Until now, she's managed to evade the marriage noose. Despite the fact that she is unfortunately American, she's received a staggering number of offers. And turned down every one. St. John Evernight does not want to admit the relief he feels every time he hears that she has rejected one of her suitors. Which is unfair of him. Layla deserves to be happy. But he can not offer her happiness. He will never be normal, never be anything but a freak in her world. So St. John resolves to keep his distance, until he is recruited by the Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals to guard Layla. For she is in grave danger, and he is about to learn the full extent of his powers.

Review:

I am sad this is the last book in this wonderful series, it’s been one of my favorites since I first took a change on Firelight all those years ago.  Callihan is a master of her craft; she weaves wonderful tales blending the supernatural with the historical.  I’d say she is at the top of her genre and I hope that while this series is done she continues with another historical paranormal series.

My heart broke a little bit for Sin.. pobrecito. I really enjoyed his character would have liked to see more of his powers. I dont feel like we really got to see him go full out with them. But he was so cute with Layla and protective. I really love how they fell in love as teenagers and it withstood the test of time and life.

Layla was pretty awesome. She was fierce and she knew what she wanted (Sin) and she was not taking no for an answer. She knew he was for her and she went about getting him. i loved when she dragged Sin out to get some practical experience showed she was not willing to be a victim or let a man protect her when she could do it herself. In the end she was kicking some serious ass and I was quite proud of her.

We caught up a bit with past characters and got to see them end in a good place which is always nice since this is the last book in this series and I dont think there are any plans for a spin off. I'll be sad to leave this world but I know the characters are in a good place... =)

**Title provided through Netgalley for an honest review. No other compensation provided. 

Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed by Anna Campbell

Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed: Jonas Merrick and Sidonie Forsythe

(Sons of Sin #1)

Summary :

From Goodreads.com

Will a week of seduction...

Desperate to save her sister's life, Sidonie Forsythe has agreed to submit herself to a terrible fate: Beyond the foreboding walls of Castle Craven, a notorious, hideously scarred scoundrel will take her virtue over the course of seven sinful nights. Yet instead of a monster, she encounters a man like no other. And during this week, she comes to care for Jonas Merrick in ways that defy all logic—even as a dark secret she carries threatens them both.

...Spark a lifetime of passionate surrender?

Ruthless loner Jonas knows exactly who he is. Should he forget, even for a moment, the curse he bears, a mere glance in the mirror serves as an agonizing reminder. So when the lovely Sidonie turns up on his doorstep, her seduction is an even more delicious prospect than he originally planned. But the hardened outcast is soon moved by her innocent beauty, sharp wit, and surprising courage. Now as dangerous enemies gather at the gate to destroy them, can their new, fragile love survive?

Review:

Ok, I guess I never reviewed this book. Since I just did a re-read I guess I'll do it now, 4 years late but never late than never right?

So I remember really loving this book the first time I read it, and while I still enjoyed it, my love for it has diminished somewhat. I think mostly from one scene in particular that just had me scratching my head and thinking what an idiot... That scene aside, I really liked Jonas and Sidonie. Sidonie stood up to Jonas at every turn and he is a strong with a domineering personality. She was fiesty and loyal, she tried to do what she thought best for everyone but usually someone always gets hurt in these scenerios. 

Jonas for the first chapter or so is supposed to be our villain. He attempted to lure is enemies wife to his home for a weeks seduction. What he got was her sister and he quickly learns that is so much better. He makes a deal with Sidonie.. a week...he has a week to seduce her and she has a week to resist her charms. During the course of the week we find out that Jonas is so much more than what he shows to the world. He's vulnerable and as scarred on the inside as he is on the outside. Only Sidonie seems to break down the walls he's erected.

By the end of the book we leave off with a warm fuzzy feeling and I quite enjoyed the tumultuous ride to get there. If you like beauty and the beast like stories I think you'll really enjoy this one. :)  

*ARC from NetGalley

Review: Forged by Desire by Bec McMaster

Forged by Desire: Garret Reed and Perry

London Steampunk Series #4

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

Captain Garret Reed of the Nighthawk guard has a deadly mission: capture a steel-jawed monster preying on women. He hates to put his partner, Perry, in jeopardy, but she’s the best bait he has. Little does he realize, he’s about to be caught in his own trap.

Perry has been half in love with Garrett for years, but this is not exactly the best time to start a relationship—especially when their investigation leads them directly into the clutches of the madman she thought she’d escaped...

Review:

As a collective work, this series is a great one. Bec McMaster is a great storyteller. She has created dark, gritty, memorable world with the London Steampunk series. It’s quite unique and stands out in the historical paranormal romance genre.  This installment in the series is a solid addition to the series, it’s not quite one of my favorites but it definitely a good story overall. 

We pick up this story not too long after MY LADY QUICKSILVER ends. Lynch and Garrett are at odds due to his role in helping Rosalind. Lynch has left a large hole to fill and while Garrett is the obvious person to lead the Nighthawks but he is having a hard time getting total buy in. He has a lot on his plate and when his long term partner Perry starts acting strangely he is worried and doesn’t know what to do, on top of that he has his own rising problems outside of his leadership. Perry and Garrett need to work together on one of their most difficult cases of their careers, one that is striking too close to home for Perry that seriously has her thinking if it’s time to cut her losses and get out of town. Only her love of Garrett is keeping her there. McMaster takes us through the twists and turns of the London Underworld. These two must work together to save girls that have been going missing around the city, as the danger increases so does their desire. It soon becomes too much keep contain it. This may be one of McMaster’s more steamy novels as the desire between these two friends builds and builds until it combusts off the pages. Be prepared to take a wild ride through Bec McMasters world!

Evernight by Kristen Callihan

Evernight: Will Thorne and Holly Evernight

The Darkest London Series: Book 5

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

Once the night comes . . .

Will Thorne is living a nightmare, his sanity slowly being drained away by a force he can't control. His talents have made him the perfect assassin for hire. But as he loses his grip on reality, there is no calming him—until he finds his next target: the mysterious Holly Evernight.

Love must cast aside the shadows . . .

Holly cannot fathom who would put a contract on her life, yet the moment she touches Will, the connection between them is elemental, undeniable—and she's the only one who can tame his bouts of madness. But other assassins are coming for Holly. Will must transform from killer to protector and find the man who wants Holly dead . . . or his only chance for redemption will be lost.

Review:

So this is not my favorite book of the series. I think that Callihan had a lot of room to really play with these characters; they had a lot of potential for some cool things. Although I liked the book, compared to previous books it just wasn’t as good and it left me feeling a bit flat. There weren’t as many twists and turns we expect from this series. Something else that I guess didn’t meet my expectations was Holly, I didn’t really feel like I truly knew her. I knew her on the surface, sure, but especially when it comes to her feelings towards Will. Will, I knew he was all in, it was felt throughout the book. His character was more developed and I did really enjoy Will.   

Now, I don’t want you to think this book was bad because it wasn’t it definitely did have a good story and some good emotion especially after both Holly and Wills torture together in the previous book. There was some healing they both had to go through emotionally and of course you don’t have a Darkest London book without some intrigue. I just had such high expectations from this author and series. If you haven’t been reading this series, you should be. It’s a paranormal historical romance with a steampunk twist, so it’s definitely unique! 

Soulbound by Kristen Callihan

Darkest London Series:

Book 6:

Soulbound: Adam and Eliza May
 


Amazon Link
Goodreads Link 
 
Summary:
Once two souls are joined...
 
When Adam's soul mate rejected him, there was more at stake than his heart. After seven hundred years of searching, his true match would have ended the curse that keeps his spirit in chains. But beautiful, stubborn Eliza May fled—and now Adam is doomed to an eternity of anguish, his only hope for salvation gone...
 
Their hearts will beat together forever...
 
No matter how devilishly irresistible Adam was, Eliza couldn't stand the thought of relinquishing her freedom forever. So she escaped. But she soon discovers she is being hunted—by someone far more dangerous. The only man who can help is the one man she vowed never to see again. Now Adam's kindness is an unexpected refuge, and Eliza finds that some vows are made to be broken...
 
Review:
After reading Soulbound, im pretty convinced Kristen Callihan can’t write a bad book. Yet again she scores with Soulbound. I admit I wasn’t that thrilled with Adam after the last book, he was pretty much an ass to Eliza; in fact she basically had to be rescued. She was rescued only to be placed in a gilded cage. Good ole’ Aunt Mab was not the saving grace Eliza thought she would be. Eliza is still a prisoner only it is in a much fancier cage. Most of her life Eliza has been chained to one person or another who has used her, when she ran from her old life she was killed only to be set in chains. Now her “aunt” may not have her in chains but she wants something from her all the same, she just hasn’t figured out what yet. When she followed the sound of a howling dog she came upon another set of chains and what was in the chains horrified her.
 
Sometimes you find your allies in the most unlikely of places in the most unlikely of situations and that’s how the Adam/Eliza alliance formed. For the time being they needed each other to defeat a common enemy that is if they don’t kill each other first. Tensions are still riding high between these two after what had happened when they met. Adam erred badly by chaining Eliza to his side more than he could have even known. So there was quite a bit of distrust between these two but I had to hand it to Adam, he set out to make it right and he redeemed himself in my eyes. He was protective, sweet and learned from his mistakes. He treated Eliza as an equal. I went from being not too happy with Adam to enjoying him tediously. Eliza is a strong female, a survivor she thinks quick on her feet and doesn’t take Adams shit. This time she is in control of her life and she makes her own decisions. Got to love a female that holds her own, she also has a gift, one that terrifies even her. She hides it as much as she can especially against those who would use her and her gift/curse, but it’s that very gift that can save what she cares about the most.
 
The plotline has plenty of action and takes you on twists and turns making for a quick page turner. You’re immediately swept up into the story and it doesn’t let you go until you have finished. Callihan has a fantastic gift and can really paint a scene with her words. You have no troubles visualizing what she wants you to see. Callihan delivers each and every time and I cannot wait for Sinjin’s book. He has his own surprises in store for us!
 
Rating:



*Arc copy was provided for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Review: Kerrigan Byrne - Reluctant

Highland Heros and the MacKay’s
 
Book 3 and 6:
 
Reluctant: Soren Laird of Shadows and Kamdyn MacKay
 

 
Purchase on Amazon: Kerrigan Byrne - Reluctant (Heroes of the Highlands) (The MacKays #3)
 
Summary:
From Goodreads.com
 
He would be her first kill...
 
Kamdyn MacKay is a Banshee assassin who has never killed a man. When her first mark becomes the Berserker warlord terrorizing the Highlands, she knows she must slay him or face unthinkable consequences. Once she's face to face with the notorious Laird of Shadows, Kamdyn realizes she's also never been taken by a man, and his carnal proposition may prove too seductive to resist.
 
She would be his first kiss...
 
The brutal Laird of Shadows fears nothing, especially not a warrior's death. When a tiny, lovely Banshee invades his camp intent on his demise, a mistaken kiss brands her as the mate he's been searching the decades for. The least he can do is persuade his tempting executioner to make his last night on earth something to remember.
 
Review:
YAY!!! Byrne returned to her berserkers! This makes me to thrillingly happy! I ADORE berserkers, I think they are the least utilized in the paranormal genre and should be used so much more. Kerrigan Byrne is the only author that I can think of that uses them on a regular basis, which is how I discovered her in the first place and have never looked back!
 
In Reluctant we fast forward quite a number of years; I think it is close to 20ish? Kamdyn is a handmaiden to the Fae Banshee Queen. She selflessly gave herself to the Queen so that her sister could live with her Druid mate in the second book. For this alone she has endeared herself to me, there was no way I couldn’t love her coming into this book. I could only hope that her mate would be worthy. I was not disappointed in this aspect. I think Soren has become my favorite male of this entire series, including the other berserkers. He’s a brute of a male but so very self-aware. The things he says to Kamdyn are to make your heart beat a little bit faster. I’m not a huge highlighter in books, but some of what he says I just cannot resist, it was just too damn perfect. Even warlords have feelings and he has no problem expressing himself so eloquently. At the end he is willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING for his wee Banshee and it’s quite beautiful. Kamdyn has such a soft heart and can’t bring herself to kill this warlord that says things to her that melt her heart a little bit more each time he speaks. The chemistry between Kamdyn and Soren is explosive and heats up the pages. You may have to fan yourself off a little while reading this scorcher!
 
With each book that Kerrigan Byrne writes I am again reminded why she is on my auto-buy list and I read her books within days of their release. I have loved every single one of them and this one might just top my list as my new favorite!
 
Rating:
 
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Review: G.A. Aiken - Dragon Actually

The Dragon Kin Series:
 
Book 1:
 
Dragon Actually: Novella #1: Annwyl the Bloody and Fearghus the Destroyer, Novella #2 Princess Rhiannon and Bercelak the Vengeful
 
 
 
Purchase on Amazon: G.A. Aiken - Dragon Actually (Dragon Kin)

Summary:

From Goodreads.com
It's not always easy being a female warrior with a nickname like Annwyl the Bloody. Men tend to either cower in fear - a lot - or else salute. It's true that Annwyl has a knack for decapitating legions of her ruthless brother's soldiers without pausing for breath. But just once it would be nice to be able to really talk to a man, the way, she can talk to Fearghus the Destroyer.Too bad that Fearghus is a dragon, of the large, scaly and deadly type. With him, Annwyl feels safe - a far cry from the feelings aroused by the hard-bodied, arrogant knight Fearghus has arranged to help train her for battle. With her days spent fighting a man who fill her with fierce, heady desire, and her nights spent in the company of a magical creature who could smite a village just by exhaling, Annwyl is sure life couldn't get any stranger. She's wrong…
 
Review:
This is EXACTLY what I needed to read at this time! I wanted something paranormal preferably something with dragons to make up for a previous disappointing dragon shifter book and something I knew I would laugh from. This book gave me exactly what I wanted! My girl Anne from Under the Covers Book Blog recommended this series to me forever ago when we were discussing dragon shifters. She had told me that this was one of her favorite dragon series. I knew this series was written by alter-ego Shelly Laurenston who is freak’n hilarious so I knew I would be laughing.
 
Annwyl the Bloody is fierce to say the least; they say she bathes in the blood of her victims. Annwyl feels misunderstood, she is just protecting all that she holds dear and has one mission in life, to kill her evil brother. It is in battle when Annwyl meets Fearghus the dragon. She has been mortally wounded outside the cranky dragon’s lair. Impressed by her fearlessness Fearghus takes her in and heals her. Fearghus never involves himself with human affairs but this wee human intrigues him. Fearghus and Annwyl start an unlikely friendship that turns to more? Annwyl finds more and more that Fearghus is becoming the center of her life, she feels at home with him but he is a dragon and it can never be more than that, can it?
 
I LOVED Fearghus and Annwyl together! They had a unique relationship, at first it is based on friendship as Annwyl does not realize that dragons can shift to human form. Fearghus is so super cranky with everyone but Annwyl. With Annwyl for the first time he has found someone that he can talk to. He finds that not only is he unbearably attracted to her body, but her mind too. He wants to protect her, which is why he starts to train her as a human. Annwyl finds herself so confused. By day she trains with a human solider who she intensely desires, by night, she is with her dragon who engages her mind and she is slowly falling for. I’m a little surprised that Annwyl never caught on to Fearghus also being the solider but then it wouldn’t have made for such an entertaining situation. This created all sorts of extra tension on the story. Of course Fearghus found himself conflicted on one hand he is pleased by Annwyl attraction on the other he is not pleased that it is not him, at least not that she knows of. The attraction between Annwyl and human Fearghus is super intense. It makes for some fun sexy times. On top of the fun sexy times there is plenty of humor, G.A. Aiken is just as funny as her alter ego Shelly Laurenston. You can expect lots of sarcasm and witty banter between Fearghus and Annwyl. The side characters are equally entertaining and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
 
Novella #2:
I actually think that this one should have been first in the series to read, it gives some fun background on Fearghus’s parents. Princess Rhiannon is such a raging….. But a funny one. Aint no one going to be able to put up with her ish except Bercelak. Bercelak has been in love with the princess for over 50 years, only she never knew it. When she is given to Bercelak for Claiming he takes her, but he refuses to Claim her without her giving her heart. Bercelak sets out to win the fair princess, but in his own way. Bercelak is I guess the dragon version of a Dom is there is such a thing lol. Little did Rhiannon know that she would like it so much. They are freak’n hilarious together. The battle of wills is formidable. Once they got over some of their bickering, they realized that they have a bigger foe then each other, Rhiannon’s mother… I thoroughly enjoyed Bercelak and Rhiannon is this relatively short novella.

Rating:

 


 

Review: Kerrigan Byrne–Redeemed

Highland Historical (The Banshees)
 
Book 4:
 
Redeemed: Kylah MacKay and Daroch McLeod
 

 
Purchase on Amazon: Kerrigan Byrne - Redeemed (Heroes of the Highlands) (The MacKays #2)
 
Summary:

To a Banshee, revenge is a dish best served screaming...
 
Kylah MacKay was brutalized and burned alive, but denied her vengeance by a cruel twist of fate. She's drawn to the one man more damaged then her, and becomes a pawn in an ancient war that may cost her very soul. Somehow this man, who has no use for emotion or love, awakens dangerous desires she'd thought died with her.
 
He's a man out of time...
 
Daroch McLeod is a ruthless and brilliant Druid driven by a single purpose: Retribution. Abused and tormented, he's promised not to stop until he's retaliated against his immortal captors. And he's never been closer to his goal. Daroch refuses to let the beautiful, inquisitive Banshee, who haunts his every step, uncover his deadly secrets.
 
Can two souls searching for vengeance find redemption instead?
 
Review:

I pick up a Kerrigan Byrne book and I know that I am going to get a well written entertaining story. She has never, not once failed to impress me with her mad story telling skills. This installment of the Banshee series is no exception to that. This book picks up pretty close to where RELEASED left off.
 
Of the wronged MacKay women Kylah has the most reason for revenge: chained, used and left to burn alive Kylah feels nothing in death. She is left uncomfortably numb. She knows that she should feel something at the very least a burn for revenge but with that option gone for good she has nothing left, not even her Banshee scream. As a banshee she is drawn to strong dark emotions, one day she was out wandering and was drawn to a place of great anguish. It is there in the presence of all that pain that she is finally able to find her own pain and anger and at long last her scream. She is surprised to find that she is not alone in the cave and as it turns out it was the Druid and not the cave that she was drawn too. Never has she felt such pain in one person, not even herself. Daroch is a man of science, a Druid, possibly the last of his kind. Born thousands of years earlier he should have died with his people, but fate was not so kind. Now his one goal in life is to destroy all things Fae, and he is running out of time. When a curious, beautiful banshee shows up in his cave the last thing he wants is her distracting him or finding out what he is up to. If he finds a way to kill the Fae, that would include her…
 
Despite everything that was done to her Kylah has this quite innocence about her. At the time of her death she was still young and had left a fairly sheltered life and even though her innocence was stolen from her she still maintains a piece of that after death. She also has an insatiable curiosity about her, it kind of reminds you of a young child always asking the question “why?”. Only instead of being annoying she asks intelligent questions and has a quick mind. Daroch is at first annoyed that his solitude has been invaded but he quickly comes to appreciate her intelligent, curious mind. Kylah is had to not like, she is sweet and despite her beauty she is not spoiled. With little else to do, Kylah decides to throw in her lot with Daroch whether he likes it or not, so she is a bit of a stubborn wench.
 
Daroch has met his match, finally someone that can out stubborn him. She’s not tangible so it’s not like he can physically remove her from his presence. Daroch is dark, brooding and tortured soul; everything we have come to love in our Alpha male lead. He is freak’n sexy! All muscle, brains, magic and bad attitude! A killer combo if you ask me. Kylah is not immune to this combo either. Even though Kylah almost kills him twice in about an hour, Daroch finds himself thawing towards her. Soon he is finding himself looking forward to her company instead of dreading it and then he is left wondering how in the hell that happened. For over a century he hasn’t so much as wanted to be near another person, but this slip of a lass is getting past all of his defenses.
 
Together, these two are better than they are a part. In such a short period of time they become a team. Each one is strong where the other is weak, each teaching other new things about life and about death. Kylah gets Daroch to rethink some of this theories and start and living. Daroch helps Kylah find herself as a woman and to help her discover she is more than a beautiful face and that she has a brain that she can use. Little by little they help each other heal, but each has a soul deep need for revenge and it may just destroy them both…
Rating:

 

ARC Review: Bec McMaster – Heart of Iron

London Steampunk Series:

Book 2:

Heart of Iron: Will Carver and Lena Todd





Expected publication: May 7th 2013

Purchase on Amazon:  Bec McMaster - Heart of Iron (London Steampunk)

Summary:
From Goodreads.com
In Victorian London, if you’re not a blue blood of the Echelon then you’re nothing at all. The Great Houses rule the city with an iron fist, imposing their strict ‘blood taxes’ on the nation, and the Queen is merely a puppet on a string…

Lena Todd makes the perfect spy. Nobody suspects the flirtatious debutante could be a sympathizer for the humanist movement haunting London’s vicious blue blood elite. Not even the ruthless Will Carver, the one man she can’t twist around her little finger, and the one man whose kiss she can’t forget…

Stricken with the loupe and considered little more than a slave-without-a-collar to the blue bloods, Will wants nothing to do with the Echelon or the dangerous beauty who drives him to the very edge of control. But when he finds a coded letter on Lena—a code that matches one he saw on a fire-bombing suspect—he realizes she’s in trouble. To protect her, he must seduce the truth from her.

With the humanists looking to start a war with the Echelon, Lena and Will must race against time—and an automaton army—to stop the humanist plot before it’s too late. But as they fight to save a city on the brink of revolution, the greatest danger might just be to their hearts…

Review:

I love love love this series. I cannot thank Annie ( Under the Covers Book Blog ) for suggesting this series to me. This book is the best of the series so far. I am in love with Will and want him for my very own! I read this book several weeks ago and for about a week after I finished it, I walked around with a Heart of Iron hangover! I couldn’t start any other books because this one was still swirling around in my head and in my heart.

This book takes place three years after the events of the first book. In the first book, Lena was determined to drive Will crazy and was very successful at this task. So much so, that Will had to leave and move into his own place. He desires Lena but there is nothing on earth that could make him take her as his own. For at least a year he has managed to avoid Lena, now that she has joined the Echelon that has become that much more untouchable. When Will next meets Lena he finds a missive on her with a damning code. Will recognizes that code, he knows it belongs to the Humanists who just blew up a draining factory and almost killed Blade. Will knows Lena is in over her head. When he is called forth by the Prince Regent for a favor he realizes that his is a chance not only to free himself but to keep tabs on Lena. Lena is in way over her head, she never signed up for explosions and death. She ends up with danger all around her, without Will, she surely would have died.

Bec McMaster has created a complex world and her world building is phenomenal. She really took her time building the world in the first book, so that by now we are familiar with all of the terminology and the world enough that we can truly appreciate the world that McMaster built! There are elements of paranormal, historical and steampunk effortlessly combined for a completely unique series.

I never expected to actually like Lena, she didn’t quite endear herself to me in the first book. However, in this book she is actually pretty fierce! I came to love her as a character. She wants to believe in a cause, one bigger then herself. She thought that life in the Echelon  was where she wanted to be but the life of parties, riches and Thralls turns out to be more and less than she thought it would be. She doesn’t really belong anywhere, so she throws herself into the Humanist movement. When she sees Will again she realizes that she may be in over her head and that she never asked the right questions. After the chance meeting Will manages to entangle his life with hers. He has to be able to move through society and he needs Lena to help him with that. Being so close to Lena is both bliss and torture, he knows that she is HIS but he can never risk being with her. The Lupe Virus is so aggressive he can’t risk infecting her. Will is your typical Alpha male; he is possessive, protective and caring to his woman. The way he is with Lena is something you would never expect from such a mysterious, dark and complicated man. As a general rule, he stays away from people and especially females but his draw to Lena is undeniable. Time after time Will has to come to Lena’s aid making for an exciting story. There is always something going on. Bec McMaster knows how to bring on the action to keep the reader entertained! While the action is raging, the romance is building. There is nothing quite like danger to bring a couple together. The passion runs deep and smoldering. Ms. McMaster makes us wait for it, she teases us so good you don’t even realize we are waiting for it. When we finally get it, it’s worth the wait. Will is definitely worth the wait!

Rating:






*This book was provided to me through NetGalley for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Review: Bec McMaster - Tarnished Knight

London Steampunk Series:
 
Book 1.5:
 
Tarnished Knight: Rip and Esme
 

 
Free on Smashwords.com (for now):
 
Summary:
From Goodreads.com
After a vicious vampire attack left him struggling to leash the dark urges of the craving virus, John "Rip" Doolan thinks he's finally starting to master the darkness within. The only thing that threatens to shatter his hard-won control is Esme, his closest friend and the only woman he's ever wanted. If the stubborn beauty ever realized precisely what was going through his mind, their friendship would be ruined.
 
For six months, Esme has waited for Rip to recover and take her as his thrall, not daring to hope for more. Too afraid to put her heart on the line, she is devastated when Rip reveals that he never had any intentions of making her his.
 
But when a savage gang of Slashers start causing havoc in Whitechapel, Rip and Esme have no choice. They must face up to the depth of the passion that burns between them and forge a new relationship…or risk losing each other forever.
 
Review:
I very quickly came to love this series! I am so glad that Anne from Under the Covers Book Blog recommended this series to me. It is a unique blend of historical, paranormal and steampunk. This book takes place approximately 6 months after the first book left off. Rip was given the blood-craving to survive a mortal wound at the end of the first book. It was Esme who provided blood for the first time to Rip so that he would survive. For the last six months Rip has been fighting his control of the craving. He has no intention of ever letting Esme be his Thrall. He believes that she is better than that, better than him. For the past six months Esme has been waiting for Rip to take her as his Thrall. She has would give anything to be so close to him, only he doesn’t seem to realize that he is her craving.
 
In this novella we are taken on a rollercoaster of misunderstandings which make for an entertaining read. Esme and Rip can never quite seem to get on the same page, he can’t believe that she would want likes of him and she can’t seem to make him understand that she wants him as more than just her friend. She is ready to take their friendship to the next level, more than ready, like years ago ready. But he never makes the move. Rip is a giant but a gentle giant at heart, Esme’s friendship means everything to him and he is not willing to do anything to jeopardize that. He can’t seem to make Esme understand that he respects her too much to take her to Thrall.
 
When the Slasher’s make a play for Blade’s territory, it is Rip that risks his life to take them out. Only the tasks becomes more than he can handle alone. When woman start disappearing he realizes that everyone is in danger. Could it be that Esme will be the next victim of this sadistic bastard. The danger that the Slasher’s pose adds an exciting element of danger to the story. This book may not be very long but it certainly packs all that it can in a short span of time. This book is an action packed tale with plenty of romance. It was a fantastic installment to this exciting new series!
 
Rating: