I’ve been really excited to read this since I saw the cover, because I loved the colors and the feel of it. This review was posted at Under the Covers
I’ve been really excited to read this since I saw the cover, because I loved the colors and the feel of it. Yes, yes, I know… One of these days I’ll learn. In all honesty, I thought each of the authors would get a short story and this would be more like a kinky anthology. But it’s actually just one story. And to my disappointment, it’s one of those cliffhanger type, to be continued, you have to read the next books to know who she is going to end up with, kind of book. I’m not a huge fan of that, although I can deal with it sometimes.
This started off great in the first few chapters but then it quickly turned into a bit of a mess for me because things were happening a bit fast and sort of completely unreal. Raine was taken in under Hammer’s protection and care when he found her on the streets after she ran away from home. She’s always idolized him and is 100% head over heels in love. He’s been trying to stay away from her because he wants her so much and he doesn’t think he would be any good to her. Yes, the good old “I’m too damaged because of all the bad shit that happened in my past that will just repeat itself with you” plot. Another thing I’m not a huge fan of.
But where things went sour for me in this story and what really threw my enjoyment of the book from where it should’ve been, was the fact that Hammer does something that puts him in asshole territory. For me, he never left that corner from that point on. So here I am rooting for guy B, his best friend Liam. Just as Dom but a caring and loving gentleman as well. The Irish accent helps also. Liam is left to pick up the pieces of poor Riane by the time Hammer is done stomping all over her heart and pride.
So needless to say when she struggles and goes back and forth, I was not so happy. I do think towards the end of the story, Hammer was starting to plant a seed of doubt about Liam in my mind. And I do trust that the authors will redeem him in the next story. But at least in this one, he wasn’t my favorite.
Now for the side characters, I am extremely interested to read more about Beck. First they talk about him like he’s the devil incarnate and such an uncaring sadist. Then he proves a softer side as the book goes along. Then he turns out to be a hot shot doctor. Now, tell me more about him. ;)
This was a bit of a different take on a bdsm club classic story. There’s a triangle instead of a menage, which I wasn’t expecting. Although I still have hopes for that to change. One thing is for sure. This was one hot story!
This is the second Christmas themed short story I’ve read by Ms. Milan and I have to admit, she has a way to tell an engaging short story. Of course, in this case I already knew the heroine of the book from reading THE DUCHESS WAR but I didn’t know about her past and what had happened to her. All of which was only hinted at.
Miss Lydia Charingford got pregnant at a young age. When her family brought her to the doctor, Doctor Jonas Grantham was there to learn and in the future take over the practice. He didn’t say a word, which in Lydia’s mind was the same as him passing judgement on her the same as everyone else.
Now years later, Doctor Grantham comes back to Leicester and runs into Lydia. And realizes that no other woman will do in his search for a wife. It will be her and no one else. But he won’t have an easy time at breaking down her walls.
Like I said, I already cared about Lydia from the first book, so she was easy to love and understand right away in this short story. She’s managed to stay positive even after everything that has happened to her, which in those times would’ve meant complete and total ruin. The shock of finding out why she lost the baby was also a big one. That’s a lot of emotional things to deal with. And in between all that she also has to deal with her own attraction and her body’s reaction to Doctor Grantham.
And I just LOVED Doctor Grantham. He’s blunt. My favorite kind of historical hero. He told it like it was and never curbed his words out of a sense of what’s right and appropriate to talk about it. It was just always about the truth, plain and simple. Even when it didn’t come out quite right.
His caring side was definitely what Lydia needed as well and I think they make a perfect match. Even though Lydia is not the kick ass heroine I prefer to read about, she still has a spine and is not pushover. She tries to see the good in everybody and the positive in any situation, but she is also a realist.
I guess my only complaint is that I wanted more! Not that their story wasn’t told perfectly the way it was, but I’m greedy and I want more of Courtney’s writing. Courtney Milan blows me away every time! A KISS FOR MIDWINTER was another great story by one of my favorite historical authors right now.
There are a few things that are very clear to me after finishing this book:
1. I will religiously read anythiThis review was posted at Under the Covers
There are a few things that are very clear to me after finishing this book:
1. I will religiously read anything Tessa Dare writes because she is now one of my favorite historical authors. Why? Because I have LOVED everything she’s written that I’ve read, period. No questions about it. Her books are always page-turners and addicting for me. I feel that I get so involved in the story, thanks to her wonderful writing, that it’s as if I’m attending the balls and getting in adventures with the characters. 2. She can write the best characters! The heroine AND hero of this story are both so amazing. No wilting flowers here, but not excessively feisty either. Eliza Cade is the perfect blend of what I like in a heroine. She starts off young and bubbly. She’s loyal to friends and family. When she figures out what she wants, she goes after it. 3. I realize that although we all love the bad boy hero, there’s something better…the bad boy hero who is really a good boy at heart. Mr. Wright surprised me in the end and I couldn’t help but want one of my own. 4. The woman has a talent for short stories. This is really an art. It’s not easy to write a short story about characters we’ve never heard about, about lives we’ve never cared for before, and make us fall in love and immerse ourselves in just a short 100 pages. This is now the second time that Tessa Dare rocks with a short story that I’ve read. 5. I can’t help but LOVE the title. Even though I usually can’t remember it. :)
Are those enough reasons why you should read this book?
First of all, I blame my really bad memory sometimes that when I start a book I’m completely lost. This review was posted at Under the Covers
3.5 Stars
First of all, I blame my really bad memory sometimes that when I start a book I’m completely lost. I read the previous book in this series, but seems like ages ago. It took me a little while to get used to the world and to get to know the characters. But that was just me.
Once the story got going and clicked in my head, I actually think it’s a bit faster paced than the previous book. Plus, I liked the young souls the hero and heroine of this book are. A little bit less doom and gloom, a bit more “I’m-going-after-the-love-of-my-life idealism”.
Jamys Durand might look young (he was made Kyn at 17, and continues to look young), and might still be under his father’s rule, but he has big wants. He specifically wants a human woman, Chris, and to get her he has to have his own territory. This is where I think it would’ve probably helped with my enjoyment of this book if I had actually read the original Darkyn series and had seen how these two actually met.
See, now Chris is working for Kyn Lord Lucan and wanting to become a Tresora so she can serve Jamys, the Kyn she fell in love with. She’s changed a lot about herself in the hopes to be qualified for that position. Meanwhile, Jamys was back home trying to figure out a way that he could come and make Chris his.
A lot of Jamys story was briefly mentioned but not really talked about, so I found myself a bit cheated because I couldn’t come to care for the hero as much as I wanted. The heroine, I thought was strong, with a lot of spunk and personality. The story is a bit dark and for readers of the Darkyn series, it does go back into Kyn Lord Lucan and Samantha’s relationship.
There is quite a bit of action in this one…even pirates! But although I like the authors’ writing a lot and I do enjoy being in this world, I keep finding that in order to fully enjoy this series, you really should read the one it’s originating from.
Even so, I enjoyed this story. Like I said, there’s something dark and intriguing about this world that keeps me coming back for more.
There is just something about this series that I always enjoy. The characters and storylines are always fun. They’re not long stories, but usually once I start them I can’t put them down until they are finished. And SNOW BALLS was no different. It got my attention from the very beginning and didn’t let me pull my ereader down.
A few reasons why…I thought JJ was adorable. I just wanted him to be my friend and hand out with me. His character was so conflicted because he’s a little…flaming, for lack of a better word. All fluttering hands, giiiiiiiirl let me tell you about it, and into interior design. Works at the art gallery and on occasion likes to dye his hair pink. Nothing much manly about him, except his size. He’s built like a football player which is why the guys he’s with are always putting him in the dominant role of their relationship. But he wants the opposite, someone to take care of him for a change.
So when Ryan Star shows up, a cop who just moved from New York, and sparks start flying, Ryan decides that he’ll pretend to be very macho to catch Ryan’s attention.
It goes to show that you should always be yourself, but also that thanks to that chance JJ took, he was able to find love and make a difference, not only in his life, but also Ryans’.
Ryan is the hero most women die to read about. All bad ass cop, with some emotional issues and hang ups, the kind of tough guy you want to fix. Except he’s so very interested in JJ even though he made it a rule not to play around with anyone in the vicinity of where he works. See, he got put back in the closet after something bad happened back in New York. And yes, there is just something way too hot about a guy in a uniform with guns.
Their relationship develops slowly and builds on their attraction and trust. I thought they had great chemistry and complemented each other perfectly. And don’t get me started on their physical chemistry because there were no problems in that department.
Now if I could only make one request……PLEASE GIVE JERRY A BOOK. He needs one, he deserves one, I’m dying to read his HEA....more
I like this series because it always manages to deliver a very hot and engaging story while still being shorThis review was posted at Under the Covers
I like this series because it always manages to deliver a very hot and engaging story while still being short. I find them perfect for in between full length and maybe a bit heavier books because it’ll put you in the “right mood” *wink wink*.
So the third story is about Cole Landon, pro soccer player, who is currently injured and in need of physical therapy so that he can hopefully go back to his job fully recovered. He’s the guy from the wrong side of the tracks, soccer has given him a certain status that he didn’t think he would ever get. And maybe that’s why he feels now he can get the attention of girls he wouldn’t have been able to think about when he was younger.
And first on that list is Haley Jones. His high school crush who was always out of his league. Except now that she’s his therapist, he may have a chance.
Once Haley and Cole come together, they are hot and heavy….Did I mention hot? I liked the fact that there was some previous history at least of the attraction in the past, because that always makes these short stories more believable to me. Ms. Fox usually is good at that and this series always featured this type of scenario.
Then there’s the fact that I really liked Cole. He’s tough and alpha, self made, he’s fought to be where he’s at and improve himself. And he’s now going full force ahead for what he wants. Haley.
I’m not sure if this series ends here or if there will be more shorts to come. Even though this might’ve not been my favorite of the three, I’ve had a great time reading each one of these stories and can’t wait to see what Ms. Fox comes up with next.
This is one of those sad but feel good stories about facing and overcoming adversities. I was almost in tearThis review was posted at Under the Covers
This is one of those sad but feel good stories about facing and overcoming adversities. I was almost in tears from the very beginning when we meet Hanna, Ken’s daughter. She’s been sick and now is diagnosed with cancer. They had just moved to a new town when this happens and after the first round of treatment, Ken’s longtime boyfriend decides to dump him.
It was sad to see Hanna go through her stages of being a happy and active kid, and then revert to being sick. Ken was strong throughout this and the last thing on his mind might’ve been finding another boyfriend. Except a really good looking and sweet man lived down the street from them. And you couldn’t help but notice the acts of kindness from him all the time.
But then he found out that Patrick couldn’t speak. We don’t know at first why but his story is also very sad but it shows his strength that he’s still pushing through after everything that has happened to him.
Patrick is the perfect compliment to Ken AND Hanna. Together they make a beautiful family. It was incredibly sweet to see Ken show Patrick his acceptance and his love, a love that built with time and it wasn’t rushed. A loved that felt true and it warmed my heart.
This was a beautifully touching story, and I wish I could read more like it....more
I don’t know about you, but I like to read holiday romance stories that are sweet and full of awwww moments.This review was posted at Under the Covers
I don’t know about you, but I like to read holiday romance stories that are sweet and full of awwww moments. And that’s exactly what I got from this book. It’s just what a holiday romance should be like!
Cheyenne Jensen recently divorced her good for nothing husband and is now struggling as a single mother of two. Her ex would be better completely out of the picture, but he’s still around a bit. When her son makes a wish in the mall’s Wishing Well after “meeting Santa” their life completely turns around.
Her son, Ben, is just adorable. I just wanted to hug him and squeeze him. He’s the sweetest thing, and I’m a sucker for a cute kid bringing two adults together. Kind of what happened here.
Jacob had taken his job as the mall’s Santa on his ill sister’s request, to help bring the spirit of the holidays back in his life. And meeting Ben and his sister, and then their mom, Cheyenne, was just what he needed. She seemed to fit him and changed his outlook on life in a short period of time.
It was sad at times to see how much the lack of a father figure had hurt Ben. He needed attention and love that he never got. And that’s what he asked for. A real family.
I admit I wanted to like this book, a lot. The very beginning had all the potential for a really hot book. BThis review was posted at Under the Covers
I admit I wanted to like this book, a lot. The very beginning had all the potential for a really hot book. Big dangerous guy find damsel in distress in the middle of a storm with her car completely dead. Except he’s been hiding from the world and she knows exactly who he is and how she could find him. So of course he kidnaps her, I mean, takes her in for questioning.
See Dr. Catherine Young has a special gift. When she touches someone she can see images of their past, but she can also feel their emotions. And she was on a mission to find Mac, but we don’t find out right away how she knew about him.
Mac is the leader of a military team that was believed to blow up a research facility that was doing research to find a cure for cancer. They were setup and now have gone into deep hiding. When Catherine shows up, they can’t help but believe she’s a spy.
Mac was a strong and brooding type of hero, very alpha. He’s described as ugly, with scars everywhere, but in my mind he was sexy as hell. Catherine is a perfect combination between strong and soft. She’s got a backbone, that’s for sure. But she’s also an everyday girl. I really liked that about her.
Why just 3 stars then? The pace of the story kept losing me a bit. Although the main idea of the book was great, I couldn’t help but putting this book down. And then…confession time…I skimmed through some sex parts. *gasp* Soooooo, that’s why.
I do feel that I have this same problem with other Lisa Marie Rice books I’ve read in the past.
This is a sequel to FURYOUS INK, even though I don’t believe it’s necessarily a series. This story tells us This review was posted at Under the Covers
This is a sequel to FURYOUS INK, even though I don’t believe it’s necessarily a series. This story tells us the somewhat parallel story of Esme and Frost. Esme is a witch and was also the woman who broke Kage’s heart many many years ago. Her backstory in the previous novella was one of the reasons I wasn’t as excited to start this because I thought she had acted so wrong and was going to be one of those tough to redeem characters.
Then she’s paired up with Frost, who is really a witch hunter. He’s been looking for Esmeralda for a long time and the Fury, Meg, had been hiding her from him. She’s now completely exposed and Frost comes looking for her. And things get very…strange from there.
He comes after her on a different level of conscience, so it’s not real physically at first. And they are both under the influence of a sort of erotic spell that he’s using to influence her to help him bring Galatea back from the dead.
But it turns out that she’s always had a crush on him and he’s also attracted to her. She has her powers stolen from her and he has to help her recover them. First, it was so she could help him. But then things changed. I did enjoy how he came to care for her and protect her.
In the end, I should’ve trusted the author because, yes, she redeemed herself! I got to like her once I saw her vulnerable side and her side of the story. I’ve come to really like Saranna DeWylde’s writing style. It flows, it’s sexy and it feels fresh and natural. I’ll definitely be looking to read more from her!
If you had the chance to read the first graphic novel for The Hollows, BLOOD WORK, you will know that these This review was posted at Under the Covers
If you had the chance to read the first graphic novel for The Hollows, BLOOD WORK, you will know that these glimpses into the series are told from Ivy’s POV. Also an important point is that they are telling of their early days as partners working for the IS. I find that I can just eat these up! They are full of an emotional and conflicted side of Ivy, when she wasn’t as in control and comfortable with herself.
In BLOOD CRIME she is still very much under Piscary’s thumb while she’s trying to not respond to Rachel the way she is. She wants Rachel’s blood, she also wants her body. She is fighting that attraction every day while now trying to find the one responsible for trying to kill Rachel, and just keeping the accident prone witch out of trouble.
This was also Rachel showing a stronger side, starting to make her own potions and going after the bad guys. It’s so nice to revisit these days when it wasn’t all about dark auras, dark magic and trips to the ever after. When things were simpler, even if still dangerous.
Again, kuddos for the illustration. I feel that it captures the essence of the characters and I love seeing the sleek sex appeal for Ivy and the bubbly bombshell for Rachel. I can’t wait to see Jenks in one of these!!! Please!!!...more
There are very few things that draw me in on a cover…one of those is tats. And that was mainly the This review was posted at Under the Covers
3.5 stars
There are very few things that draw me in on a cover…one of those is tats. And that was mainly the reason I wanted to pick this up. Well, that and the fact that I recently read a short story by Ms. DeWylde in the HOT AND HAUNTED anthology and thought it was the best story in that book.
So back to FURYOUS INK. I can be a little thickheaded sometimes and the title didn’t clue me in. This book has a Fury in it! I don’t get to read about them enough. Megaera Eumenides aka Meg, is a fury and a tattoo artist. She is also the only clue that Detective Marcus Kage, a Lycanos working his last case before moving on to another town where they don’t realize he’s aging. The case? There’s a serial killer of sorts, targeting Amazons, and all the victims have in common is a tattoo.
This story is sexy right off the bat (well, not right at the beginning when there’s a body to be found). Kage and Meg are pretty hot together, even when they think they won’t end up together because the happiness of a mate is not for them.
The mystery of the story was interesting, with a lot of different supernatural elements that I’m not used to reading about (furies, amazons and killer spiders) along with elements that I I’m more familiar with (lycans and witches). Looking for the killer threw me for a loop because I wasn’t expecting who the killer ended up being.
I find that Ms. DeWylde can write a very enthralling story (and I’ve only read her shorts) and FURYOUS INK was full of unique elements, some humor and gave me one hell of a hot ride.
One of these days I’ll learn to read blurbs. This story was previously publisher in the HAUNTED BY YOUR TOUCThis review was posted at Under the Covers
One of these days I’ll learn to read blurbs. This story was previously publisher in the HAUNTED BY YOUR TOUCH anthology, which I’ve had in my TBR for a long while. When short stories previously in anthologies get released individually, I feel it breaths new life into them and hopefully reach a bigger audience. I wasn’t planning on getting to read the full anthology anytime soon but as soon as Jeaniene Frost published the individual novella I was all over it.
OK so back to the story. NIGHT’S DARKEST EMBRACE is not a part of the Night Huntress series. When I have an author boxed into their successful series, I sometimes struggle really getting into something different they write. This was a bit like that for me. It took me a while to make a connection with the characters. I felt like I was going through the motions of reading it and not caring what happened one way or another.
However, it did pick up and captured my interest once I knew a bit more of what was going on in the world. I find that this is an interesting world of Purebloods and Fallen Angels and Partial Demons. In Nocturna you might not find everything you are used to in the human world and might even have to drink a warm beer. I thought the fact that time stands still was interesting as well. Our heroine, Mara, travels through both worlds and it’s hard for Nocturna people to gauge how long she was gone for.
Mara is looking for her cousin Gloria. She thinks she knows who took her, among other girls and she’s looking for him. They’re the Purebloods, she’s a partial demon. And while she goes off investigation she puts her trust in the wrong places but finds a mate along the way. Raphael is one HOT….not telling you what he is.
Overall, though, I think I didn’t fully connect with the story and can’t pinpoint the why. Maybe it’s as simple as it wasn’t what I was expecting. It is a different side from Ms. Frost and I’m glad that she’s stretching her writing into other stories. Maybe this one could develop more and be a good idea to continue....more
You know what they say…never judge a book by its cover. I’m sad to say that this was totally the case here. This review was posted at Under the Covers
You know what they say…never judge a book by its cover. I’m sad to say that this was totally the case here. I saw the beautiful cover and had to read it. I started the book and it didn’t grab me right away, so I put it down for a bit. Then I finally picked it up again and… well lets just say that I tried to be open minded but had quite a bit of trouble with this book.
See, it’s really hard to enjoy a book when the hero is egotistical (most of the time, there were a few exceptions) and the heroine tries so hard at being tough and kick ass that she just annoys the hell out of me. Yes, I’m sad to say this is a heroine I would gladly stab… repeatedly. Just when I thought she was getting a little better she would do something stupid again that would make me cringe or pull my hair out. I’m actually not sure if I disliked her more, or maybe it was the hero. But they were very close in that department. Although towards the end I could say at least he redeemed himself a bit while she stayed annoying. So yes, she wins.
But enough of that. The writing in itself was very good and it flowed. It was actually a fast read. The storyline had a lot of potential that was never developed, but maybe it suffered a bit from all the pointless sex the book had. Yes, I just said pointless sex. Something is wrong with me. *Checks forehead for temperature* But if I start to feel the need to skim a sex scene, there is a problem. And I found myself wanting to do that a lot in this book.
So what can you expect of this book? Well, fallen angels and Archangels with a bit of a chip on their shoulder, who really need to work on their attitude and how they use women. A story about lovers getting a second chance at love (that is quite obvious from early on). An undeveloped (to my taste) side story about a missing girl that is talked about in the first 20% of the book and then gets pushed aside by all the sex and doesn’t pick back up until the very end. Oh and the mix of sci fi with PNR that I’m not sure I was all too excited to see (aka aliens traveling through lightening, fallen angel battling said aliens to protect human half-ling soulmate).
In the end, although I should say that I was happy with how things turned out and how they got their HEA, all I could do was sigh in relief that it was done before I had to subject to my friends to anymore text messages about what was going on in the book. But no worries, the pretty cover was not harmed in my fits of wanting to throw the book across the room.
For now, this short story is only available on Sony eReader. If you don’t have a Sony eReader then you can sThis review was posted at Under the Covers
For now, this short story is only available on Sony eReader. If you don’t have a Sony eReader then you can still get it by downloading the Sony eReader app here. You don’t need an account,when you download the app, the ebook is preloaded.
TROUBLE ON RESERVE claims to take place between A PERFECT BLOOD and EVER AFTER (which is why it’s labeled as 10.5) however please be warned that it really seems to take place either during or even AFTER EVER AFTER. Reference is made to things that happen in that book and unless you want to be spoiled (not much, but it’s there) then I would recommend reading this after you read the next upcoming book in January. I will keep my review spoiler free.
This story basically gives us a small glimpse into the interactions between Trent and Rachel. That’s all there is to this story. It’s their connection, them coming together, working together, and facing danger together. And maybe starting to show how they truly feel about one another, how much they care.
As this series is slowly coming to a close, we are seeing more and more a vulnerable side of Trent. And I just love that! He wants to be good but sometimes he’s forced to be bad. Like when he takes Rachel on a job without telling her what he was really doing there and all hell breaks loose, of course.
Rachel has grown a lot and matured, but it was also nice to see her so sure of herself and her ability to protect Trent. Not to mention the action. These two can always get into trouble.
I really don’t know how this would work as a standalone if you didn’t know anything about The Hollows world, but in general, this series is not one that I would ever recommend reading out of order. These books are jammed packed with information and so many things happen and change from one book to the next that I feel it would certainly but a dent in your full enjoyment....more
I started off really liking this story. Morgan was sexier, edgier, rougher around the edges and seThis review was posted at Under the Covers
3.5 Stars
I started off really liking this story. Morgan was sexier, edgier, rougher around the edges and seemed like an animal trying to contain his urges. His attraction for Honey’s sister was instant! And Misty responded to that. I liked that she was flirty and fun with everyone else but with him, she was fighting the attraction and ended up being bitchy. Of course, with all that sexual tension that made for some explosive encounters whenever they let go and got near each other.
I enjoyed Misty as a heroine a lot more than Honey, but I can’t say she didn’t have her stupid moments. Especially at the end. And the other thing that I wasn’t completely sold on was the repeat history that now Morgan is going to go through the same thing Sawyer did with his ex wife, in regards to his kid.
Overall, though, this book was very sexy, with sizzling chemistry and a whole lot of alpha males....more
Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog)
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