#Review - The Unyielding by Shelly Laurenston

The Unyielding: Erin Amsel and Stieg Engstrom

(Call of Crows #3)




Summary:

From Goodreads.com

Stieg Engstrom, Angriest Viking Ever, has got big problems. The human Viking Clans of earth are in danger of being obliterated—along with the rest of the world—and the only one who may be able to save them is a super pain-in-the-ass Crow. Most people annoy Stieg, but this is the one woman he really can’t stand…

Erin Amsel loves being a Crow! Why wouldn’t she when the other Viking Clans are so hilariously arrogant and humorless? She’s not about to let all that come to an end! She just didn’t expect to be shoulder to shoulder in battle with Stieg. Then again, he’s so easy to torment—and also kind of cute.

With the future of the world riding on them, Stieg knows he’ll have to put aside his desperate need to kiss the smirk right off Erin’s face. Wait. What? He didn’t mean that—did he? No! They have one goal: To conquer the idiots. Because nothing bugs Stieg more than when idiots win. If only he can keep himself from suddenly acting like one….

Review:

The Unyielding by Shelly Laurenston is the third book in the Call of the Crows series. There is a pesky god on the loose and if they fail Ragernok will happen sooner rather than later. The fate of the world is in one persons hands.... Erin, the most hated Crow. Erins life mission is to annoy and irritate as many people as she can, why? Because she can... Doesn't matter if you are her fellow Crow or one of the Norse Gods. No one is safe from Erin. Despite her irritating personality she actually has a heart of gold and a fierce fearless spirit. Regardless, no one wants the fate of the world in Erins hands.

Steig is a cranky Viking, even for other vikings he's cranky. He converses with very few people and has a chip on his should the size of a glacier. When Erin irritates a person to the point of violence he just laughs, until he ends up accompanying Erin on her quest.

With this installment look out for more laughs, a surprising amount of emotion and LOTS of violence. Everything that you look forward to in a S. Laurenston novel you will find in abundance here. I adore this series and look forward to each new installment. So dont miss out, get started now.

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

#Review - Silver Silence by Nalini Singh

Silver Silence: Valentin Nikolaev and Silver Mercant

(Psy-Changeling Trinity #1)




Summary:

From Goodreads.com

Control. Precision. Family. These are the principles that drive Silver Mercant. At a time when the fledgling Trinity Accord seeks to unite a divided world, with Silver playing a crucial role as director of a worldwide emergency response network, wildness and chaos are the last things she needs in her life. But that’s exactly what Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater Bears, brings with him.

Valentin has never met a more fascinating woman. Though Silver is ruled by Silence—her mind clear of all emotion—Valentin senses a whisper of fire around her. That’s what keeps him climbing apartment buildings to be near her. But when a shadow assassin almost succeeds in poisoning Silver, the stakes become deadly serious…and Silver finds herself in the heart of a powerful bear clan.

Her would-be assassin has no idea what their poison has unleashed…

Reviews:

I've been a huge fan of the Psy-Changeling series since I started reading it many years ago. I was super excited when this book came out because not only is it the Silver but we get bear changelings! They've been on the edges of this world for several books now but now we get a closer look. While I did enjoy this book, enough to give it four stars it is not one of my favorites. The plot almost seemed like a repeat of previous stories and I don't feel like we have progressed as much as we should have for 16 books in. It almost feels like we're back at the beginning.

With that in mind I did thoroughly enjoy the bears! They were a refreshing and adorable addition to this series and I'm so glad we got some time with them. The Merchant family is quite fascinating as well as Silvers place in her family as heir apparent. I really enjoyed These two together, our hero forced playfulness on Silver and started pulling her out of her silence but it all may be in vain as Silver has a secret... If her silence breaks... so does she... Can love overcome?

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

Review: Gerard's Beauty by Marie Hall

Gerard's Beauty: Gerard Caron and Betty Hart

(Kingdom #2)

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

A not so classic retelling of Beauty and the Beast, as seen through the eyes of the villain...

Betty Hart has had it with men. Jilted in love, her life now consists of shelving books by day, watching too much Anime by night, and occasionally dressing up like a superhero on the weekends with her fellow ‘Bleeding Heart’ nerds. Men are not welcome and very much unwanted. Especially the sexy Frenchman who saunters into her library reeking of alcohol and looking like he went one too many rounds in the ring.

Gerard Caron is in trouble. Again. Caught with his pants down (literally) he’s forced to seek asylum on Earth while his fairy godmother tries to keep Prince Charming from going all ‘Off with his head’. Maybe, messing around with the King’s daughter hadn’t been such a great idea after all, not that Gerard knew the silly redhead was a princess. But his fairy godmother knows the only way to save his life is to finally pair Gerard with his perfect mate, whether he’s willing or not.

From the moment Gerard lays eyes on the nerdy librarian he knows he must have her, but Betty is unlike any woman he’s ever known. He thought Betty would come as willingly to his bed as every other woman before her, but she is a woman who demands respect and even… horror of all horrors… love. Is it possible for a self-proclaimed Casanova to change his ways?

Review:

Gerard’s Beauty by Marie Hall is the second book in the Kingdom Series featuring the Bad Five the villains in some of the most popular fairy tales, but they are more than tales, they are real! I suspected I knew which fairy tale Gerard is from but we don't find out for sure until a little ways into this book. I didn't feel like this book had quite the same emotional connection as the first book. It was still entertaining but it missed a bit of that. Gerard is what we might call a manwhore, he got himself into a spot of trouble and go thrown out of Kingdom. Danika took the opportunity to introduce Gerard to his fated mate. It is not love at first site between Betty and Gerard.. Maybe a whole lot of lust but Betty is less than impressed with Gerard when they first meet.

Betty ends up taking in the homeless, jobless, confused Gerard and ends up stuck with him for a month. Gerard is cursed with pretty much his worst nightmare as part of his sentencing and is banned from Kingdom for one month. At the end of the month his fate is in Betty’s hands. I liked how this book wasn’t insta-love. It pretty much takes the full month for deep feelings to develop. It builds as they spend more time together and get comfortable. Betty was cute and I enjoyed her even her quirkiness. Gerard, I wasn’t feeling that much at first but little by little he turns himself around. We find out there is more to him than just his cock. If that's all he had there was no way he’s have been able to win Betty over. Overall, it was good; it wasn’t great but a fun quick read. And this one is available for free on Amazon in the three book collection.

Review: Her Mad Hatter by Marie Hall

Her Mad Hatter: Hatter and Alice

(Kingdom #1)

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

Alice is all grown up. Running the Mad Hatter's Cupcakery and Tea Shoppe is a delicious job, until fate--and a fairy godmother with a weakness for bad boys--throws her a curveball. Now, Alice is the newest resident of Wonderland, where the Mad Hatter fuels her fantasies and thrills her body with his dark touch.

The Mad Hatter may have a voice and a body made for sex, but he takes no lovers. Ever. But a determined fairy godmother has forced Alice into Wonderland--and his arms. Now, as desire and madness converge, the Hatter must decide if he will fight the fairy godmother's mating--or fight for Alice.

Review:

So I picked up Her Mad Hatter by Marie Hall on Amazon as a freebie several years ago. The cover intrigued me along with the blurb. I'm not sure why it took me so long to actually read it but I’m sad I didn’t get to it sooner. Immediately I liked Danika who is the fairy godmother to the Bad Five. She’s a fairy with some sass and likes to take on a challenge. Her most current challenge? To find the mates of the Bad Five before the year is up or they will be no more.  She’s been trying to find Hatters mate for years but she can sense his time is drawing near as he is retreating more and more into Wonderland and his own madness.

Alice has always been obsessed with Alice in Wonderland the book. She swears when she was 13 that Hatter came to her when she was in the hospital. She’s been in love with Hatter ever since. Alice thinks she is dreaming when she first lands in Wonderland but soon realizes that this is no dream and the Hatter is really there.

I really enjoyed this book, it’s pretty short about 150 pages but it packs a pretty good punch. The ended almost had me in tears but I managed to stay strong and keep it in check lol. I loved how descriptive Marie Hall’s writing was and how she re-imagined Alice and Hatter. She took a well known fairy tale and turned it into her own. Hatter and Alice have some obstacles to overcome including Wonderland accepting Alice and one of its own, but Alice fights.. She fights for what she wants.  I definitely recommend grabbing this one and giving it a chance. Why not, it's free afterall.

Review: Kinked by Thea Harrison

Kinked: Aryal and Quentin Caeravorn

(Elder Races #6)

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

Two opponents must confront the cause of their obsessive fury in the latest Novel of the Elder Races…

As a harpy, Sentinel Aryal is accustomed to dealing with hate, but Sentinel Quentin Caeravorn manages to inspire in her a burning ire unlike anything she’s ever known. Aryal believes the new Sentinel to be a criminal, and vows to take him out as soon as the opportunity arises. But the harpy’s incessant wrath has pushed Quentin to the limit, and forces him to make a deadly vow of his own.

To put an end to the conflict, Dragos, Lord of the Wyr, sends them on a reconnaissance mission to the Elven land of Numenlaur. Forced to work together, Aryal and Quentin’s mutual antagonism escalates. Each fight draws forth more passion—culminating in an explosively sexual confrontation. But when their quest reveals real danger, Aryal and Quentin must resolve their differences in ways beyond the physical, before the entire Wyr is threatened.

Review:

Kinked by Thea Harrison is the newest installment in one of my favorite series, the Elder Races. Thea Harrison has a great sense of humor and her characters are memorable and loveable. Wicked is another great installment in this fun series. Kinked takes place months after the Sentinel Games, tensions are riding high between Aryal and Quentin, Ayral has been investigating Quentin for a long time and things are finally coming to a head between them, and Dragos has had enough. Ayral and Quinton are sent from New York to an Other Land to work out their differences and to check to make sure nothing has happened to the Other Land since it is no longer occupied. Aryal and Quentin quickly realize that there is more to their tension then the mutual hatred they thought they were harboring, they realized a lot of the tension is sexual. Both Aryal and Quentin are sexually dominate and part of the fun is seeing who's going to be on top.

As with all Thea Harrison novels her trademark sense of humor prevails in this book, both Quentin and Aryal have sharp tongues and even sharper wit. They are both intelligent, funny, dangerous and thoroughly alpha. A lot of the fun of this book is watching two Alphas battle it out to be on top. Both are sexually dominate with a more then a bit of kink to their sexual preferences. They make a bargain, an arrangement of sorts, but their arrangement gets thrown to the side when all is not what it is supposed to be in the Other World and all of a sudden a simple mission becomes significantly more dangerous as they are attacked and Aryal may never be the same. I swear when Aryal is thinking about what had happened to her, she about had me in tears, a couple of times. Part of her was crushed, and it crushed more than just her bones. Aryal is a fierce warrior and a wild spirit to see her broken like that is disheartening, but its Quentin that unexpectedly help pull her out of it. Aryal and Quentin are both extremely passionate in nature and love as much as they hate so when their hate turns, is their hate to turn to love? It’s fun to watch them try to figure it out.

While the name of this book is called Kinked, it’s not very kinky and probably the least steamy of all of the Elder Races books. I think I know where Harrison was going with this but it didn’t quite make it there. She put two dominates together and wanted to watch them work it out, take turns but it mostly ended up being a lot of talk and little action. They did come together but mostly it was pretty vanilla and tame. Luckily, the rest of the story was action packed and kept the pages turning. Their mission was definitely interesting and takes a very dangerous turn very quickly when spirit wolves attack and a powerful witch comes at them, things take an even more dangerous turn when they are thrown bloodied and crushed with no access to their magic and healing powers in a dungeon where they find three missing elves on the brink of death. We are taken on a roller coaster of powerful emotion and ferocious action. All in all another great story from Thea Harrison can’t wait for the next!

Review: Cursed By Destiny by Cecy Robson

Cursed By Destiny: Celia Wird and her three sisters

(Weird Girls #3)

Summary:

Goodreads.com

Celia’s a girl in trouble.  Her heart is bound to Aric, but he is a pureblood were who must deny her or risk condemning his species to extinction.  And that’s just her love life. She’s also been called to take down a group of demon terrorists seeking to overthrow the paranormal world. (No pressure.)

In order to bring them down, Celia must ally herself to Misha, the master vampire who has made no secret of his desire for her. And if that weren’t enough misfortune for one girl, a clairvoyant’s prediction could destroy Celia and Aric’s love for good. The only way to protect the world from unbridled supernatural terrorism is for Celia to bind herself to her destined mate. And that doesn’t appear to be Aric

Review:

Cursed by Destiny by Cecy Robson is the third book in the Weird Girls Series an action packed humorous Urban Fantasy series with a bit of romance for you romance lovers out there. This series is on my up and coming favorite paranormal series, so if you haven’t been reading it, you’ve been missing out. It has all of the great elements, lots of paranormal (witches, special powers, vampires, were’s, demons, etc…), good laughs to be had, a love triangle, and tons of ass kicking! These are some strong powerful women and the men who adore them.

So enough fan girl time with the series and on to the book itself; so basically when we left off hell had pretty much broke out in Tahoe and the demons had demolished a huge chuck of the paranormal world especially the pure bred wolves. Aric as a pure bred has a duty to his species to procreate with another purebred and left Celia devastated. All she can do is move on and she has chosen to ally with Misha the master vampire that has never hidden the fact that he has desired her. With the demons gunning for Celia she can’t live with her sisters and potentially endanger them. Somehow word has reached the demons about Celia and they have a real hard on to take her out. The Wird sisters are no wilting flowers and they plunge into battle right next to their older sister. Seriously from beginning to end it is non-stop action and intense. Either there is an intense battle, intense training or intense passion at any given time within this novel and don’t forget the story while intense in this series even in the midst of an intense scene Cecy Robson always takes the time to give us a good chuckle.

So the love triangle, so I know you are dying to know what happens here. Aric is engaged to another purebred, will he go through with the wedding and make the elders happy? Or will his mating instinct be too strong.. HA! Like I'm going to tell you! I will admit to being on Team Aric tho. Yes, I thought him being a bit of a pansy by giving into the elders but Cecy does go a bit into it in this book so he’s not as much as a sissy as I was feeling for him before. So this may restore some reader’s faith in Aric and swing them back to Team Aric and away from Team Misha. Misha is not giving up; however, he still wants our fair Celia. What I don’t get about Misha is he wants Celia and claims to love her but he parades so many women in front of her. Ahhh Misha, I gotta tell you the way to a woman’s heart is not constantly proving you are a manwhore it will just make her feel like a notch in the belt. So that’s kinda my thoughts on Misha, maybe if he wasn’t such a manwhore I could have liked him more and been on Team Misha at least be a bit more discreet about it. Oh and to complicate things there is a new player in town, a lion who is “destined” to be the father of Celia’s babies! Oh yeah, Cecy Robson just upped the ante! How thrilled do you think Misa and Aric were to hear that?! Ha! Seriously there is never a dull moment in this book. Maybe not as emotionally charged as the last one but it is no less fantastic. I’ll pick up a Cecy Robson novel any day! Put her on my auto buy list for sure.

Review: McQuade: The Lone Wolf Takes A Mate by Lynn Richards

McQuade: The Lone Wolf Takes A Mate: McQuade Jenner and Rose Spencer

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

McQuade Jenner was a lone wolf.

He didn't need some antiquated idea of one mate for life messing up his perfect bachelor lifestyle. On any given night he could find a biker groupie–human or shifter–reckless enough for a one-time fling with a wolf. He could bed a woman when he felt the need and go home to the solitude he enjoyed. And that's exactly what he'd intended to do the night Rose Spencer walked into his life–alone, wet, and trouble just waiting to happen. He’d never intended to get involved with the innocent Rose–she was a life-time commitment and McQuade didn't do commitment. But what was a wolf protector supposed to do when the woman his wolf wanted was threatened by a low-life lion shifter?

Rose Spencer wasn't the bar-scene type. She'd never have stepped foot inside the shifter bar unless she’d been trying to protect her sister–again. When would she learn that Alice was quite capable of taking care of herself–and that she was the one suddenly in need of protection?

Review:

So here we go again an insecure BBW female that doesn’t think she deserves a good looking man just because she has some curves. Why can we not have a curvy girl that rocks her curves and loves it? Seriously?! Why not why does almost every bigger female we read about have to be so down on themselves? So basically we have Rose our innocent virgin who has never had a relationship because she's on the bigger side because of course there could never be a guy that likes a girl that rocks her curves.. that just doesn’t exist until she walks into a shifter bar. Then she is the most popular girl in the bar.

McQuade is a bad ass shifter, an enforcer for his pack. He’s not that comfortable with the idea of belonging to something, he’s more of the lone wolf time but he felt it was time to rejoin a pack and the pack he joined is pretty laid back and lets him do himself. He’s out at a bar looking for a “good time” when the innocent Rose walks into the bar and suddenly the tension in the shifter bar is off the chain. Normally that would been fine with McQuade but this time he wants the fair Rose for himself and he’s even willing to battle a bar for her. The sexual tension between Rose and McQuade is hot hot hot! These two have a blazing chemistry but McQuade is determined to avoid Rose and deny that he may be feeling a mating bond with Rose. But when Roses life is in danger he can no longer deny his instinct to protect his mate. Once they stopped fighting the attraction things moved along at a rapid pace. They were in sync with each other and truly seemed compatible. McQuade was sexy and sweet once he got past his growly avoidance phase. I wouldn’t have thrown him out of bed. Rose when she started to not be so hung up on her weight was actually likable. I ended up for the most part enjoying the book. The story itself wasn’t very flushed out but in all fairness it was pretty short. The whole plot line with her sister and the lion shifter was just kind of cut short with no real explanation. I guess it just gave a reason for Rose and McQuade to really get together and then stopped being useful so it came to an abrupt end. I did really enjoy McQuade’s best friend, his name is eluding me right now; but he was funny and kind hearted. If he ever gets a book, I’ll probably read it since I liked him so much.

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

Review: Broken Blade by J.C. Daniels

Broken Blade: Kit Colbana

(Colbana Files #3)

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

Kit Colbana: assassin, thief, investigator extraordinaire. Now broken. She always expected her past to catch up with her but never like this. Haunted by nightmares and stripped of her identity, she’s retreated to Wolf Haven, the no-man’s land where she found refuge years before. But while she might want to hide away from the rest of the world, the rest of the world isn’t taking the hint.

Dragged kicking and screaming back into life, Kit is thrust head-first into an investigation surrounding the theft of an ancient relic...one that she wants nothing to do with. Her instincts tell her it’s a bad idea to just leave the relic lying about, but finding it might be just as bad.

Forced to face her nightmares, she uncovers hidden strength and comes face to face with one of the world’s original monsters.

If she survives the job, she won’t be the same...and neither will those closest to her.

Review:

Ok folks, here is another review I’ve been sitting on for quite some time. I really should have reviewed this book like a month ago. Oops, but here is my go at it.

Broken Blade by J.C. Daniels is the third book in the Kit Colbana Files series. It picks up a couple of months after the end of Night Blade, which about broke my heart. Night Blade was a gut wrenching novel that made Broken Blade highly anticipated.I was wondering how J.C. Daniels was going to follow up from the emotional upheaval from its predecessor and I have to say I wasn’t disappointed with this book. The first half of the book had us going through Kit’s recovery from the trauma of her capture. She was barely existing in this life when her friends basically pulled her from her oblivion. She had some serious pain to work through and we took that journey with her, I swear I had tears ready to go for most of the first half of the book. In the beginning she could barely get out of bed but through her friends she started to find her inner strength and survival instincts and more and more the Kit we know and love starts to come back. Her first case back in the swing of things is fairly easy but it brings her back to Damon which is another heartbreak, the guilt he carries and her feelings of betrayal run deep and it is something they have to work through if they are ever going to find their way back. I swear when he says that he will wait for her forever I about choked up all over again. The second half of the book, while not fully healed Kit is definitely back and kicking! She takes a case that she is pretty sure that she should not take, one that brings her face to face with one of the original evils. Kit and her old pal Justin have to work closely together on this one and the young Doyle can’t stay away. He plays an instrumental role in her case and we find out some secrets about his past. This third book in the installment while not as gut-wrenching as the second, is no slouch and I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. I definitely recommend this series to the Urban Fantasy fans out there.

*ARC was provided through Netgalley for an honest review no other compensation was provided.

Review: Edge of Darkness by J.T. Geissinger

Edge of Darkness: Christian McLoughlin and Ember Jones

(Night Prowler #4)

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

Six years after a shocking tragedy left her emotionally and physically scarred, Ember Jones lives a life of quiet isolation in Barcelona. Determined to keep her troubled past a secret, she keeps her head down and her heart locked up tight. Until the day a beautiful, mysterious stranger walks into her life, and her carefully controlled world is shattered forever.

Christian McLoughlin is unlike anyone Ember has ever met. Wealthy, cultured, and utterly charismatic, he also has dark secrets of his own. They succumb to the undeniable pull between them and embark on a passionate affair, but things turn explosive when the truth about Christian and the reason he came to Barcelona is exposed. As their dark pasts collide, the two unlikely lovers find themselves caught in a web of danger and deceit that neither of them might survive.

The Edge of Darkness, where hunter becomes hunted, no one can be trusted, and love is the most dangerous game of them all.

Review:

Edge of Darkness by J.T. Geissinger is the fourth book in the Night Prowler series. I have to admit this is the first book that I have read in the series, that being said, I picked the world up pretty quick. I could tell at times that I should have read the first three books and there were some lingering questions that I had that could have been addressed earlier in the series but it didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of this book. The language is rich and descriptive; there were a few times I think I had to use my dictionary to see what a word meant. Geissinger does not shy away from using “SAT words” lol. Both Christian and Ember are likable. Ember is suffering from a pretty tragic past that took the lives of her mother and little brother. She suffers from some extreme survivor’s guilt that she walked away from the accident, which was fine in the beginning of the book but the guilt started to get a bit old by the end of the book, good thing Christian is stubborn and decided that Ember is his survivor’s guilt and all. Christian is quite sexy, he’s all sophisticated, sexy and a bit of an alpha, he’s not THE alpha but he definitely has what it takes to be one. The story is pretty fast paced and moves along at a good pace, however, for some reason I liked the first half of the book more than I liked the second half. I think I liked Ember and Christian dancing around each other. Overall, I quite enjoyed the book and may read the next one in the series.

*Review copy was provided to me through Book Monster Promotions for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Early Review: Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews

Magic Binds: Kate Daniels and Curran

(Kate Daniels #9)

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

Mercenary Kate Daniels knows all too well that magic in post-Shift Atlanta is a dangerous business. But nothing she’s faced could have prepared her for this…

Kate and the former Beast Lord Curran Lennart are finally making their relationship official. But there are some steep obstacles standing in the way of their walk to the altar…

Kate’s father, Roland, has kidnapped the demigod Saiman and is slowly bleeding him dry in his never-ending bid for power. A Witch Oracle has predicted that if Kate marries the man she loves, Atlanta will burn and she will lose him forever. And the only person Kate can ask for help is long dead.

The odds are impossible. The future is grim. But Kate Daniels has never been one to play by the rules…

Review:

Let me just start by saying that the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews is one of my favorite if not most favorite Urban Fantasy series. I dont think the husband and wife writing duo has ever written anything that I havent enjoyed. When you pick up one of their novels you know you are going to get a quality, smart, engaging novel. So to say that readers of Ilona Andrews have high expectations anytime they put something out is an understatement. Magic Binds continues to deliver in true Ilona Andrews fashion.

So in this novel Kate has claimed the city and is still working out all that means.  In this book she learns a lot about this particular subject.  She finds a teacher/ally in the most likely of places. It is very important that Kate learns as much as she can in a short of a period as she can as she has two very unacceptable scenarios/visions looming over her head. Her future looks bleak and needs to do something drastic to change her future.

I’d say in the past books most of the battles have been physical. Kate whacking away with her sword or blowing things up. Curran right beside her ripping enemies limb for limb. In this book it's more of an internal struggle. Kate is changing and not for the better. Her power is growing exponentially after the claiming and that power is greedy. She struggles to maintain who she is all while trying to figure out a way to avoid her near future, all while planning a wedding.. Or not planning as it were.  (I have to say I quite enjoy their choice of officator for their nuptials.. He made the planning quite entertaining). Kate also has to learn how to let go of some of the reins when it comes to Julie. It’s a lot of emotion with some action thrown in. We do get an epic battle at the end so worry not my friends even tho it’s not as action packed as some of the previous books there is still action to be had. :)

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

**This review will also be available on Brazen Babe Reviews

Early Review: Vice by Genevieve Jack

Vice: Laina Flynn and Kyle “The King” Kingsley

Knight World #1

Summary:

Some cravings can't be denied.

Werewolf Laina Flynn longs to break from the patriarchal expectations of Fireborn pack. A successful entrepreneur, she doesn’t have time to be bossed around by her alpha brother, Silas, let alone to act as a proper werewolf princess.

But when a wolf is found murdered on Fireborn shifting grounds, Laina will do anything to protect her pack, even if it means posing as a waitress at a club that flies in the face of her feminist ideals. Unfortunately, her inner wolf marks the club’s owner, Kyle “The King” Kingsley, as her vice—her metaphysical addiction. He becomes a hunger she can’t ignore…one that could threaten her life, her family, and her pack.

Review:

Vice by Genevieve Jack is the first in a new series featuring werewolves and other supernatural creatures. I believe it is a spin off of an early series which I had not read, but that is ok, I dont believe that you would have had to read any of her other novels to get this one. That being said, I have read one other book by Ms. Jack several years ago.  (The Ghost and the Graveyard) I quite enjoyed this book which is why I requested this one when I saw it on NetGalley.  I do enjoy me some werewolves, so why not???

So my thoughts on this one. About 30% of the way through the book, I have to admit I was a bit worried. Our heros of this novel had really only exchanged a handful of sentences at this point and maybe a page together. So I was concerned with so little interaction how I was going to buy into the love story. While I still think the pacing of the beginning of this book is off, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised on how Ms. Jack was able to pull out the love story. The couple end up spending about a month together, getting to know each other, so its not like BAM they’re in insta-love. There was a whole bunch of BAM insta-lust, but I am definitely ok with that.

Laina is pretty feisty and an alpha personality. Even though her brother is technically the alpha she puts up a pretty good fight and knows her mind. Kyle is surprisingly sweet, he has a rep of being a playboy but with these things rumors are not often true. He’s a bit of a romantic and has no problem with Liana’s alpha tendencies and in fact encourages them.  The story was pretty interesting and it was a quick read. I enjoyed my time with this novel and wouldnt have any problems reading the next book in the series. Oh and a bonus with this book, I found out who Grateful from The Ghost and the Graveyard picked.  Yay!

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

*This review can also be seen on Brazen Babe Reviews

Early Review: Wild Embrace by Nalini Singh

Wild Embrace: An Anothology

(Psy-Changeling #15.5)

Expected publication: August 23rd 2016

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

Echo of Silence

In a deep-sea station, Tazia Nerif has found her life’s work as an engineer, keeping things running smoothly. But she wants nothing more than to break down the barrier of silence between her and her telekinetic Psy station commander...

Dorian

A changeling who can never shift lives a life of quiet frustration—until he learns how to let his leopard come out and play...

Partners in Persuasion

Still raw from being burned by a dominant female, wolf changeling Felix will never again risk being a plaything. But for dominant leopard Dezi, he’s the most fascinating man she’s ever met. She just has to convince this gun-shy wolf that he can trust the dangerous cat who wants to take a slow, sexy bite out of him…

Flirtation of Fate

Seven years ago, Kenji broke Garnet’s heart. Now the wolf packmates have to investigate the shocking murder of one of their own. And the more Kenji sees of the woman Garnet has become, the deeper he begins to fall once more. But even his primal instincts are no match for the dark secret he carries…

Review:

I am a huge fan of Nalini Singh and in particular her paranormal series. We are already 15 full length novels deep into the Psy-Changling world and numerous novellas plus all the snippets. So if you have been reading this series you are probably deeply invested in the characters. I know I am.  I am super stoked we got another anthology with 4 brand new novellas. . Whoot whoot. I can’t get enough! As a whole this is a fantastic addition to the this series and I loved every minute I spent reading this. The only issue I have with this is the very first novella… Echo of Silence.. I just wish it has been released BEFORE Vasic’s book. There are a few references to Stefan in previous books and I was wondering who in the heck he was. I even went and looked to see if I had missed a novella, and alas, I hadn’t. So when his name kept popping up, especially in Allegiance I was confused. Having this novella before that would have helped a ton in that area. So really its not an issue with the story itself but the timing in which it had been released.

Dorian’s story spans over most of his lifetime and I’m so glad we got to read it. To see how he struggled and how he got to be the man he is today.  Dezi and Felix, This is the first changeling couple where the female is so very much more dominate than the male. Yes technically Indigo is more dominate than Drew but the difference is negligible.  With this couple think more like Grace and Cooper only in reverse. It was really good to see how this one worked. I loved when Felix backed up Dezi and had no problems letting her lead in certain areas. FINALLY we get Gem and Kenji!, for YEARS they have been flirting and giving us little glimpses and now they have a novella! They circle each other, Kenji broke Gems heart but Kenji had the misguided belief that it was for her own good. Gem decides something deeper is going on and is determined to discover it. LOVE it!

I am super happy with this book and devoured it as soon as I got it. If you’re a fan of the series I am confident you will as well. If you are new to the series, well technically these are all standalones but I wouldn't read them without having read at least some of the series. Timeline wise I think all of these take place in the second half of the series. So like book 8ish and beyond.

*This book was provided thru NetGalley for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Review: Shards of Hope by Nalini Singh

Shards of Hope: Aden Kai and Zaira Neve

(Psy-Changeling #14)

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

Awakening wounded in a darkened cell, their psychic abilities blocked, Aden and Zaira know they must escape. But when the lethal soldiers break free from their mysterious prison, they find themselves in a harsh, inhospitable landscape far from civilization. Their only hope for survival is to make it to the hidden home of a predatory changeling pack that doesn’t welcome outsiders.

And they must survive. A shadowy enemy has put a target on the back of the Arrow squad, an enemy that cannot be permitted to succeed in its deadly campaign. Aden will cross any line to keep his people safe for this new future, where even an assassin might have hope of a life beyond blood and death and pain. Zaira has no such hope. She knows she’s too damaged to return from the abyss. Her driving goal is to protect Aden, protect the only person who has ever come back for her no matter what.

This time, even Aden’s passionate determination may not be enough—because the emotionless chill of Silence existed for a reason. For the violent, and the insane, and the irreparably broken…like Zaira.

Review:

This book is all about the Arrows, we get an indepth look into the Arrows, how they live, how they function and their loyalty towards each other. Aden is all about the Arrows and one Arrow in particular.. Zaira. A girl he met in childhood, one so full of fire she sets him on flame. Now if only he can make her see that. When the book starts Aden and Zaira have been abducted and need to get out of a perilous situation, but being Arrows, dont worry about them too much. As dangerous as it is this give Aden a chance to work some magic on the stubborn Zaira without Arrow or Psy interruptions.  

Aden is a determined man, and he is determined for Zaira to be his.. Zaira is just as determined to not be his. She knows she’s dangerous to him, she has anger issues and gets so possessive she’s willing to kill for whatever she deems HERS. If she and Aden take that next step, he would become hers and she’s not one to share. As the leader of the Arrows she’d have to share him with the world. As we are navigating through all of the twists and turns of a post Silence world Aden is wearing Zaira down little by little but there is still a threat on his life.

In Post Silence the Arrows are forging new bonds with new allies, making friends in unlikely places. Which is opening up this world to new opportunities to take us into a new storyline arc. Lots of new Changelings, lots of new Arrows, not as many humans but I'm sure that will come.  Aden recognizes that if the Arrows are to survive and remain strong they have to form allies outside of the Psy-Net and he goes about doing that with determination and intelligence.  This installment just reinforces why this series is one of my all time favorite!  

Review: Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh

Shield of Winter: Vasic and Ivy Jane

(Psy-Changeling #13)

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

Assassin. Soldier. Arrow. That is who Vasic is, who he will always be. His soul drenched in blood, his conscience heavy with the weight of all he’s done, he exists in the shadows, far from the hope his people can almost touch—if only they do not first drown in the murderous insanity of a lethal contagion. To stop the wave of death, Vasic must complete the simplest and most difficult mission of his life.

For if the Psy race is to survive, the empaths must wake…

Having rebuilt her life after medical “treatment” that violated her mind and sought to stifle her abilities, Ivy should have run from the black-clad Arrow with eyes of winter frost. But Ivy Jane has never done what she should. Now, she'll fight for her people, and for this Arrow who stands as her living shield, yet believes he is beyond redemption. But as the world turns to screaming crimson, even Ivy’s fierce will may not be enough to save Vasic from the cold darkness…

Review:

So basically the Psy-Net is dying and Caleb has an idea.. It’s time to “wake” the empaths. Ivy thinks she is defective, she was once rehabilitated to the point where she almost lost herself. Now she has managed to carve a life out for herself but she is fundamentally flawed so when an icy solider comes to her and tells her she’s not flawed but an empath and gives her the means to explore her abilities she jumps on it. Maybe even hoping a little bit that she’ll get to spend more time with the enigmatic soldier who protected her??

Vasic is damaged, in body and in mind. He knows he’s been put on empath duty because Aden is worried about him but he can’t bring himself to care.  The more time he spends with Ivy the more he thaws a little. Vasic has one of the more drastic transitions out of Silences, because he was so close to the edge before. Vasic has long since been one of my favorites and I was eagerly awaiting his book. I really wanted a leopard Changeling for him but after reading this book I can see that an empath and in particular Ivy is a better match for him. Ivy is the sole person who can break through his ice and make him whole again.

As far as storylines go, I have to admit this one is kind of depressing. Just so many people die as the Net collapses. Despite all of the death the main theme in this book is hope. Hope that as a race the Psy will be able to come together to save themselves, to put their fears and hatreds aside. I think that by the end of the book, there is a better chance of that than ever. This was another fantastic installment of this series!