Review: Warrior Fae Trapped (Warrior Fae Series Book 1) by KF Breene

Warrior Fae Trapped by K.F. Breene
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Engrossing Urban Fantasty

I’ve always enjoyed KF Breene’s writing, and this book is a superb example of it. Charity is poor, really, really poor, but she got a full scholarship to university. She promised her Mom that she’d make something of herself, and that is what she’s going to do.

Fate seems to have different plans for her future though. Charity lives with a spoiled rich girl, Samantha, who wants to Charity to go to a party with her. Despite her wishes, she is persuaded to go, not realising that it’s a vampire changing party, where all the invitees are going to be turned into vampires, to help build an army for a very dangerous Elder Vampire, Vlad.

Somehow Charity manages to avoid being changed and gets out of the house, using magic she didn’t know she had. Helped by Devon, the local shifter pack alpha and hot guy on campus, and his pack she escapes the vampires.

Being introduced to a magical world she knew nothing about and finding friends in the pack that is helping protect her from Vlad, has opened up Charity’s eyes, and revealed more than she could have dreamed possible.

This book is fast moving and exciting, with plenty of action, alongside deep emotions and brilliant world building. I loved the characters and how multi-dimensional they all seemed. I loved the pack dynamics and the way they embraced Charity as part of their group.

The push and pull between Charity and Devon is both exciting and hilarious. They drive each other to distraction with their constant bickering and the constant antagonism of their different magics. Their chemistry crackles and often devolves into violence.

There is so much covered in this book that my brain is a little full at the moment. I know much more is to come though, as the plot feels like it’s only just getting started. I have no idea where this series is heading, I just know it’s going to be good. Definitely worth a read.

Borrow Free With Kindle Unlimited
Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, made after using the above links.

Review: The Pact of the White Blade Knights (The White Order Series Book 1) by Barbara Russell

The Pact of the White Blade Knights by Barbara Russell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was approached by the author to see if I would review an Advanced Reader Copy and I was intrigued by the subject enough to give it a go. Barbara Russell is not an author I’d come across before so I was taking a bit of a leap of faith, but I’m glad I did. All opinions are my own.

Welcome to the world of the sin-eaters and sin-breathers. There’s a centuries old war that started with the Crusades, between these two factions. The White Blade Knights, a small band of knights who made a Pact to fight evil for eternity, banded together forever to draw strength and power from each other, they became sin-eaters. Sin-breathers generate one of each of the Seven Deadly Sins in a human, contaminating them with evil. Sin-eaters are their opposite number, able to consume the sins of humans to give them the choice of free will without the corruption of their previous sins weighing them down.

Centuries after their beginnings, a woman in London in 1884, gets drawn into their endless battle for good or evil. Hazel is alone in the world. She is a talented scholar who has just been fired from her job at the Royal Archeological Society. She has no other source of income and knows, as a woman, it will be difficult to find employment elsewhere. Forced to take any job, even ones that make her slightly wary she is approached by two very different men in the same day to offer her work.

Neither jobs make her very comfortable but she ends up taking the job offered by Sebastyon Sancerre, as the lesser of two evils. Her job is to help locate an object she has held at work and was drawn to. Tyon, as he asks to be called, sounds mad with his talk of sorcery, and his need to find his brothers with the mystery object, but a woman’s got to eat!

This story is very different from a lot of Paranormal Romance books. It is quite plot heavy and the romance part of the book is woven into the plot seamlessly enough that it verges on the Urban Fantasy. However, the romance is front and centre and sex is talked about explicitly throughout.

The characters were really interesting. Hazel is a strong, educated and independent woman in a time where women were still expected to put marriage and family above all other desires. She’s in a difficult and vulnerable position but she still manages to meet all the strange and different things that are thrown at her, head on.

Tyon is filled with fury, frustration and grief over the loss of his brothers to betrayal. His powers are unbalanced by the absence of his fellow White Blade Knights and his attraction to Hazel is distracting whilst he is doing his best to fight alone against the sin-eaters, in particular the brother knight who betrayed his order five years earlier, Aleximanus.

Aleximanus is an intriguing character who has embraced the evil of the sin-eaters for reasons we are initially unaware of. He seeks to contaminate Hazel into becoming a lust-breather so that he may destroy Tyon. He demonstrates the consequences of the sacrifices that are made in order to fight evil for centuries at a time.

This is a complex and interesting story that keeps you reading. I enjoyed that it is set in London in the 1880s. It adds an extra touch of fun to the story. The ending creates a Happy for Now situation but there is definitely a lot more to come with this story.

The release date for this book is 24th October 2019

Borrow Free With Kindle Unlimited
Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Fatal Desires (Fatal Cross LIVE! Series Book 1) by Theresa Hissong

Fatal Desires by Theresa Hissong
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Slightly Too Predictable For Me

I read a lot of Rock Star books. I’ve found that many of them follow a certain formula, which unless they’ve been written exceedingly well can be a little boring.

Sadly, this book follows the formula. Rock star meets girl, have a big misunderstanding, girl and rock star are forced together by circumstances, danger is applied and rock star protects girl and shouts “MINE!”. Now I’m not saying this formula can’t work, because it does when it’s written with well rounded characters and good pacing, but this book fell a little bit short on that front.

The MFC is strong and independent minded, but she is devoted to her rock star cousin, who she works for. Her cousin is very protective, but as it’s a big tour that she works on, and she sleeps on the roadies’ bus, she can get away with telling him as little as possible.

The MMC is a rock star who’s band took a 2 year hiatus to get clean from drugs. They are working their way back up again. He is instantly protective and possessive of the MFC. This means he is a little two dimensional as his attitude towards her takes over his entire character. We really only ever get to see him through the lens of how he treats her, rather than through interactions with other people.

The book is enjoyable enough, but it is definitely predictable.

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Asher (The Casanova Club Series Book 10) by Ali Parker

Asher by Ali Parker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Slower Pace

This book came as a bit of a relief after all the emotional turmoil of the last book. This one had a bit more of a sedate pace to it, which was in keeping with it’s royal subject matter.

Asher is related to royalty and his family is determined to see him married off to the ‘right’ woman, someone to solidify the already enormous family fortune and have appropriate children. Asher is 31 and still treated as a recalcitrant teenager by his parents, who are constantly trying to manipulate him into doing what they believe is the right course of action.

Piper is a breath of fresh air to Asher, she lives life to the full and throws herself into everything wholeheartedly, from working in a soup kitchen to dancing at a masquerade ball. In her he sees a future filled with happiness rather than one only filled with duty.

This book was sweet and more slowly paced. It gave Piper time to recover from the trials of the previous month. It also gave me the opportunity to take a breath after the whirlwind of the last few books!

I can’t wait to read what happens with the next part of the story.

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Out of the Red (The Braxton Hunte Story Series Book 1) by Arell Rivers

Out of the Red: The Braxton Hunte Story by Arell Rivers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good Rock Star Story

This is a good solid rocker story, with some interesting twists. The story is set in the 90s. I think the idea being that this is the start of a family series, so time passing for future books makes sense. Plus, the 90s were fun for rock!

Braxton Hunte is the lead singer of the rock band Hunte and they hit the charts 8 years previous to this book. At 20 years old the band hit the big time, his son was born to his high school sweetheart and then within a year his marriage fell apart, whilst his career was soaring.

Hunte had amazing success over the first four years of their career, but lately their star has been waning somewhat. Their venues are smaller and their bills have remained at the same level. Hunte tours haven’t run in the black for several years.

Sara Anderson is on the partnership track at an accountancy firm in Chicago. She’s known for being meticulous and keeping ballet and concert tours running in the black. It’s decided that in order to prove herself completely to the partners she needs to take on the notoriously difficult Hunte Tour account.

After realising the band is never going to stick to her daily budgets she decides to go and join them on tour and talk to the guys herself to make them see that staying on budget is the only thing from stopping them from going bankrupt.

The straight-laced Sara and the spendthrift rock star do not see eye to eye from the outset as Sara tries to cut back their spending. However, she starts to understand why some of the expenses are necessary and the band starts to understand why they need to make cuts.

I really like how this story is set up. It’s really unusual to come at the rock star storyline from the point of view of potential bankruptcy. Normally the story is all about how the rock star’s fame is the thing keeping the MMC and the MFC apart. In this story it’s all about the money!

I really liked both Brax and Sara. They were interesting characters with good strong backstories that helped make sense of their equally stubborn personalities. But, I preferred those characters together as they rubbed off some of their more sharp corners as they spent time together.

This was the first time I’d read anything by this author, and I’m glad I took a gamble on it. I’ll definitely be reading the next in the series, and I’ll probably be checking out some of the other work she’s done, because I do like a good rock star story!

Borrow Free With Kindle Unlimited
Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Consumed (Firefighters Series Book 1) by J R Ward

Consumed by J.R. Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really Good Firefighter Romance

This book was about the relationship between two firefighters, and the relationships that surround them. Anne is the daughter and sister of a firefighter. Her father died in the line of duty when she was a teenager and her brother is in charge of all the firefighters in the city. Anne couldn’t imagine ever being anything else.

Danny has no family left, both his parents and his twin brother are deceased. His brother was also killed in the line of duty as a firefighter.

Anne and Danny have worked together for several years and had a one night stand at a friend’s wedding, but they have never discussed it since. Then, during a big fire, they are both injured very badly, both blaming themselves for the other’s injuries and they avoid each other for months.

Anne is unable to return to the job she loves, so she retrains as a Fire Investigator. This leads Anne into a big investigation that uncovers a lot of connections with big names in the city, which brings danger calling.

I really enjoyed this book. There was a lot of really interesting content about the life of firefighters and especially the physical and mental toll it can take on both them and their loved ones. There is a lot about Anne’s relationship with her mother and her brother, neither relationship is particularly positive and there is lot about why that is.

Anne is a really independent and strong woman. I like that she has emotional issues, and though she’s not really had any professional support she has worked her way through a lot of them by herself.

Danny was a bit of a mess emotionally. He drank too much, smoked and slept around. Through it all, he cared about Anne and was unhappy they weren’t together. He didn’t have any family left, so he made the guys at his station his family. He was also still good friends with guys from college. He was flawed, but he was a good guy and he supported Anne in her chosen job(s). He has a temper, but he’s not an alpha male who is always in full on ‘protect his woman’ mode.

I liked that though this was a romance, it was only a part of the book. There was a big chunk of the book about how they felt about themselves as well as each other. There was also the content about the investigation.

I felt that the investigation was the one area that let the book down. There were several leaps of intuition that could sort of be explained logically, but not fully. The investigation also seemed to fizzle out towards the end, and did not get completely resolved to my satisfaction. It may be that this is the first in a series, which, given the (Firefighters) tag in the name of the book, is probable. If this is the case then maybe future books deal with the ramifications of this element of the investigation.

I really hope there are other books in the series, because so many of the supporting characters are really interesting, and I would really enjoy reading about them as main characters.

All in all this was a well thought out and entertaining read, that makes you think a bit, but not too much.

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Blues of Winter (The Thrive Series Book 2) by VB Gilbert

Blues of Winter by VB Gilbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good Follow Up To Book 1

If you read Book 1, I can confirm that if you liked it, you will enjoy this book just as much as it’s a good continuation of the story.

In this book we see Maggie recovering from all the shocks and trauma she has undergone. James has not been a great support because of the distraction of his baby and Penny, but Nate, Sean and Cassan all want to support her in any way that they can. Nate in particular fell for her when he was working with Monroe.

This book is all about building up their new community and the relationships within it. Even though they are constantly on the move and fearing for their survival they now have others to rely on. It’s not just Tate and Maggie’s mental abilities, they have others with them who have them too, which helps keep them safer and less exhausted.

With more men being interested in Maggie, and her need for companionship, love and support after being alone for so long, it’s not surprising that she begins to fall for the other guys and doesn’t know what to do about it. Working their way through this emotional minefield whilst trying to stay free and safe is hard work.

Through the book they find new people and add those that are just trying to stay safe to their number, whilst sending those with bad intentions to the military in San Antonio. Whilst I understand having the mental abilities they have helps keep everyone safe, I don’t think it’s realistic that guys who were in the military, until very recently, didn’t seriously hurt or kill anyone. I don’t think telepathy is a the neat cure all the writer uses as a plot device.

Other than that, this continues to be a well written and entertaining series. If you like dystopian books with emotional content rather than just blowing up zombies, you should enjoy this book.

Borrow Free With Kindle Unlimited
Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Reds of Summer (Thrive Series Book 1) by VB Gilbert

Reds of Summer by VB Gilbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really Good Dystopian Book

This book kept cropping up as a recommendation on Facebook Groups and Goodreads so I decided to give it a go. I’m so glad I did. It was a really good read and it sucked me in completely.

Maggie is 25 and used to be a school teacher. Then everyone got sick. Her whole family is dead and she is the last one remaining. Alone and frightened she runs away to a farm she knows about and finally finds companions to ease her loneliness. Having others to look after helps, but the responsibilities increase as the dangers start to escalate.

In this world where everything is broken, it seems difficult to trust and to know where to turn when danger is around every corner.

I liked the way this story built. It started quite soon after the pandemic hit and through Maggie we get a real sense of how society has broken down. I like that she suffers from anxiety and has done since being a teen. She is insecure and the events of recent weeks have caused her to start the panic attacks again, understandably. This makes her feel real. She falls apart, but then gets it back together again in order to protect the kids. She gets angry when pressured into doing something she doesn’t want to do, but she lets it go when the chips are down.

The relationships Maggie has with the kids is lovely. She doesn’t pretend to be a mother, but she has experience with kids and that shows with how she talks to them and cares for them.

The romance in the book grows slowly. It is based on growing trust and supporting each other in dire circumstances. It feels natural and unforced.

I really enjoyed the book and in particular the character development. I know that there is more to come and I think I will enjoy it as much as this book.

Borrow Free With Kindle Unlimited
Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: The Last Vessel (The Chronicles of Luna Moon Book 1) by Winter Rose

The Last Vessel by Winter Rose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very Good Fantasy Reverse Harem

I’m very impressed with the fact that this book was written by a debut author. The plot was intriguing and the layers of information were built up in a way that made the world comprehensible, rather than overwhelming.

The world borrows much from Greek mythology with the gods of the Olympian pantheon playing an active role. The supernatural races were created by the gods with vampires, werewolves, dragons, elves, sirens and jinn fulfilling the role of overseers. These particular races provide the ruling body, the Council, with members and warriors to protect the races from themselves.

Luna is a hybrid werewolf who was raised by priestesses until she was old enough to go to the training academy where she drives herself to become acceptable as a warrior. When we first meet her she is fulfilling her final task in her month of trials to see if she is of the standard to be put forward to the League for training, to become a warrior for the Council. She is desperate to get away from the clan that raised her as they have never treated her well, for being too different. She only has two friends, Luke and Sarah.

It is during the trials and just afterwards that she discovers how different she actually is, and her life takes her in a totally unexpected direction. She discovers just what she is expected to protect the races from, and exactly what abilities she has to help her achieve that end.

Luna is an interesting character. She is a strong and to a certain extent a loner, despite having two close friends since childhood. She has generally been treated poorly by her clan and wants to escape, but she still feels a drive to protect others by being a part of the League. She is thrown into chaos as she discovers who she is and her purpose for being and she only has a couple of freak outs. Through it all, her overriding sense of purpose is to protect.

The men that she meets are intriguing, a dragon, an elf, a siren and a vampire. They are all bonded to each other in a purpose to protect the supernatural races. They are all different from each other, not only because of their race, but because of their personalities. Luna has to find a way to fit into the group without being overwhelmed by their strong personalities.

There was a lot to pack into this book, as there always is with a first book in a series, but the author managed it really well. I didn’t feel overwhelmed with information or a cast of thousands, and I found it really hard to stop turning the pages in order to get some sleep. I really enjoyed the plot of this book and think that it shows a lot of promise and potential to really take off in future books.

This is a really great start to a new series, and I very much look forward to seeing where the series goes from here.

Borrow Free With Kindle Unlimited
Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Savage Beasts (Hearthstone Academy Series Book 1) by Alexa Saint

Savage Beasts by Alexa Saint
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Intriguing Paranormal NA RH Bully Academy Genre Mashing Story

I normally stay away from genre bingo books. I simply feel that the author is trying to hit all the genre buttons to maximise revenue, but this book feels like the story is the the motivation for hitting all the genres.

Cadence was raised by a really terrible foster mother from 6 weeks old. Her 16 year old mother died when she was born and no father was listed on her birth certificate. The one thing that Cadence has is her music. She is truly gifted and can play any instrument superbly, even if she’s never seen it before. When her awful foster mother gives her a letter saying she’s been accepted into a college for gifted individuals on a scholarship basis, she sees it as an escape. When she accepts the place, on her 18th birthday, her foster mother kicks her out.

After being homeless for a month she starts at her new college and the bullying starts before she’s even moved into her dorm room. She is tormented by the 6 ruling members of her freshman year, but thankfully makes 2 great friends, Lorcan, a superb singer, and genius with make up brush, and Horror, a goth and English major, early on.

There is so much to enjoy about this book. It’s well written, the plot is very deftly constructed and the main character is interesting. There are so many hints of why things are happening, but you really can’t guess outright from the hints. They just intrigue you more.

What I didn’t like was how attracted Cadence was to the three guys who were tormenting her and she didn’t seem to have any backbone against them, at all. I’m assuming that there is a reason for this, but that reason is not laid out in this book, which is why it annoys me. I also wished to see more of Horror and Lorcan’s personalities, apart from how they interact with Cadence. I know there are plot reasons for keeping it all from her point of view, but I like getting to know all the characters involved in a story.

Despite these few annoyances, I will definitely be reading the next book in the series, because I have to know what happens next, I have no other option!

Borrow Free With Kindle Unlimited
Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Hope (Rise of The Iliri Series Book 11) by Auryn Hadley

Hope by Auryn Hadley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Perfect Ending

I have loved every moment of this series from start to finish and this book was the perfect ending for all of my favourite characters. This book isn’t *necessary* to complete the story of Sal and the Iliri, but it is a wonderful epilogue that explains what happens next for her, her mates, her pack, her friends and the world as a whole.

This book is not just a “....and they all lived happily ever after”, it is actually a really good story of what happened in Anglia next. It covers how the three races of Anglia actually start to live together after the end of the war, and how problems need to be solved to smooth over the bumps in the road. I was initially worried that there wouldn’t be much substance to this final book, but I’m so glad I was wrong. I shouldn’t really be surprised as I don’t think this author is capable of half-hearting anything!

The book is about setting up a system for educating the young of Anglia, getting Iliri and Grauori recognised as legal entities equal to humans, creating a convention for war that includes the Iliri and Grauori and many more things that are needed to run a country that blends three races. This book is not just about people getting married or having babies, it’s about the nitty gritty of what happens after a war is won.

It’s a wonderful book that made me feel warm inside as I read it and saw how all my favourite characters got rewarded for their sacrifices. I smiled throughout almost every page and relished each word. The author’s final book in this series is a real gift to her readers. This series is one of my favourites of recent years and I know I’ll read it time and time again because it has everything in it, from pain, death and sacrifice to joy, love and friendship.

If you have read the rest of this series, I really recommend this final book, as it provides the last little piece of this puzzle. After I finished reading it felt like everything just clicked into place for me. It satisfied all my curiosity about what would happen to all the characters and provided information I didn’t know I wanted. I’m so glad I read it, thank you Ms Hadley for giving your readers this gift of a book.

If you are on the fence about reading this series, don’t hesitate, it’s wonderful from start to finish, it will wring you out emotionally and then will put you back together again. It is worth every penny of price you pay and every hour you spend reading it. It’s a wonderful series and you should read it.

Go on, go and buy the first book!

Borrow Free With Kindle Unlimited
Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, made after using the above links.

Review: Midlife Crisis: another romance for the over 40 (Sexy Silver Foxes Series Book 2) by L.B. Dunbar

Midlife Crisis: another romance for the over 40 by L.B. Dunbar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable Romance for the Over 40s

This the second book in the series, but can be read as a standalone.

Midge is 40, divorced with three sons. To help her son raise funds for a Music Therapy School she agrees to organise a 5k walk. As a result she meets Edie (from the first book in the series) and they become friends. She is invited to a party where she meets Hank.

Hank used to be in a rock band with Tommy, Edie’s husband but they haven’t seen each other in 9 years. Hank had a drink problem, but is now sober, living in his brother’s house and working in the family classic car garage.

Hank and Midge click, but circumstances send them on their separate ways. Both Hank and Midge have hang ups from their previous relationships, but Hank’s seem more serious.

I like both Hank and Midge and I liked the way they worked through their problems and miscommunications. They both had issues and they needed to be understanding of each other when they arose.

I liked the idea of this book. Hank was a successful musician, with a mansion and money in the bank and it all disappeared because he lived too hard. I imagine it’s common story, but it’s not one that’s often covered in rock romance books. This one is about how you pick yourself up after the success has gone and the lifestyle has destroyed you.

Both main characters were interesting and multi-dimensional. I enjoyed learning about them and their lives before they met. I liked their chemistry and their rapport. I really liked how Hank was with Midge’s sons. He treated them with respect. It was an important part of the story, as it should be when children are involved with someone you fall in love with.

I really am enjoying this series, that deals with mature individuals, who have life experiences, but who aren’t averse to finding love once more, even if they thought it would never happen for them again.

I will definitely be reading more of this author’s work.

Borrow Free With Kindle Unlimited
Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Reviving Kendall (White Trash Trilogy Book 1) by Brandy Slaven

Reviving Kendall by Brandy Slaven
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Emotional New Adult Reverse Harem

Kendall is an 18 year old high school senior who has lead a very difficult life. She lives in a trailer park with her grandfather who has terminal cancer. The boys she loved died two years ago in a car accident and she has been bullied ever since.

At school Kendall doesn’t have any friends and she suffers from depression. She works incredibly hard to help pay the bills and doesn’t have much in the way of material possessions. One day her isolation begins to change when she meets Maverick, Goose, Lucas and Teague at work. These guys are football stars at a nearby private school and at first Kendall doesn’t trust their interest. However, after they show her kindness, she begins to accept their friendship, along with Teague’s sister Ryleigh.

This book is packed full of emotional trauma. But the trauma doesn’t feel overdone. It feels real and deep. I also like how this reverse harem grows from friendship and they all experience doubts before changing the relationship.

Though there are sex scenes in the book, they are not too graphic in nature and feel a natural part of the story. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good spicy read, but it wouldn’t have fit with this particular book.

I really enjoyed this novel. It was written sensitively and realistically and the characters were interesting. I wish there had been more about the guys’ history, because this book really focused on everything from Kendall’s point of view, but as this is a series I hope that more will be explained in future books.

I will be reading the next book in the series, because even with a HFN ending, I know there is much more to come.

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: After Care: a romance for the over 40 (Sexy Silver Foxes Series Book 1) by L.B. Dunbar

After Care: a romance for the over 40 by L.B. Dunbar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really Good Romance for Adults

I love it when romances are about people who have lived life and have history and experiences that colour their take on things. This book is about 43 year old Edie, who is a cancer survivor. She takes her 22 year old son and 18 year old daughter on a trip of a lifetime to Hawaii to celebrate her survival.

In Hawaii she meets a young mother of two, Ivy, and they get chatting. Her daughter plays with Ivy’s young girls in the pool and then she meets Ivy’s husband and uncle. Ivy’s husband is a rock star and her uncle, Tommy, manages the band. After being accused of being groupies they finally get a proper introduction.

During the course of the holiday, the two families get close and Edie finds herself, 3 years after her divorce and the start of cancer treatment, being very attracted to a man. Tommy and Edie live in different cities, so neither believe their attraction can go anywhere, so they decide to have a holiday romance.

One of the things I like about romances for the over 40 is that there are different problems and priorities in play, than for the 20 something. There are often children involved, as is the case here, there are previous relationships, careers and commitments. In this book the families are very important to the story. They become connected through more than just Tommy and Edie.

Edie has very real concerns about her health and the changes her treatment made to her body. She was with her husband for nearly 20 years so dating and sex is not something she has a lot of experience of. Edie is also loyal and caring and puts her children first, whilst still being supportive and interested in her new friends.

All of these things add depth and interest to the story. Even though it’s a romance, there feels like there are more layers to it than the normal romance written about 22 year olds.

I really enjoyed reading about Edie and Tommy, and about their families. It was a well nuanced book and I really enjoyed reading it. I shall definitely be looking out for the other books in the series.

Borrow Free With Kindle Unlimited
Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: The Bottom Rung (In The Lap Of The Gods Series Book 1) by Sam Hall

The Bottom Rung by Sam Hall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Didn’t Quite Hit The Spot

Sometimes you can get really excited a book because of the blurb and the really cool cover. Sometimes you can start reading and think ‘ok this is interesting’. Sometimes those books don’t quite deliver and this is the most disappointing thing in the world.

I really *really* wanted to love this book. It has so many of my favourite ingredients for a book; reverse harem, vampires, witches, werewolves, suppressed minority with evil overlord, plucky underpowered MFC and so on. The main problem is that ingredients don’t quite mesh properly. The author was concentrating so hard on the world building that she didn’t pay enough attention to the characters.

Lethe is an albino (which is a supernatural race with very few powers). Albinos usually end up as food and sexual slaves for vampires, but she has managed to stay free of that pitfall by becoming a courier. She is also protected somewhat by her childhood friends/first loves, Gavin and Bennett, who were human but decided to become vampires, supposedly to protect Lethe.

Albinos are controlled by the humans with drugs and most are addicts. Lethe managed to get off the drugs but her ‘brother’ Marley did not. She supports him, despite his all consuming addiction. I think we are supposed to see her as self-sacrificing and loyal for this support. She also wants Gavin and Bennett to be human again. She rejects them romantically but still relies on them for their blood to make her strong enough to survive The Quarter.

Essentially, I didn’t like Lethe. It seemed like her feelings were the only important thing to her. She kept jumping into situations without thinking through the consequences, not only for herself, but for everyone around her.

There was plenty of steam in the book, but the romance was lacking. If romance is what you look for in an RH book, this is probably not for you.

I felt like the world building was overwhelming. So much information was thrown at the reader early on, but not really expanded on. This left great big holes in my comprehension. Every time I thought I might get a handle on what was happening, something else was thrown at me and I was left struggling to build something from the strands of spaghetti that was the world building and plot. I felt like the author was trying to create an epic fantasy saga but squash it into a regular sized book.

There is a lot of promise in this author’s work, but I just don’t think that this work lives up to it, and that’s a shame.

Borrow Free With Kindle Unlimited
Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Daybreak by Cheree Alsop

Daybreak by Cheree Alsop
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Entertaining Enough

This is probably worth 3.5 stars and sometimes I would round it up, but I just didn’t think it was worth that extra star.

The book is an entertaining sci-fi where a half human/half Damaclan woman is imprisoned in a circus by a cruel master. She is helped to escape by a Coalition Lieutenant and instead of her problems being over, they are just beginning.

Though the story was entertaining enough and the initial idea for the character was excellent I felt the world building was lacking somewhat. I also felt that the characters weren’t as well developed as they could have been, given the back stories they were given. I didn’t feel a connection to them, which was a shame because if written differently they could have been amazing characters. I feel that the potential for the characters was not met and that is disappointing.

The book was entertaining enough to finish, but I probably won’t read the next one in the series.

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Scent of Betrayal (Shifters of Rishard Series Book 2) by Denise Carbo

Scent of Betrayal by Denise Carbo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher through Netgalley, for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

This book is the second in the series, the first is Bloodlines: Shifters of Rishard, and as this is a continuation of the same story, just focusing on different characters, you really need to read the first book for it to make sense.

We first met Bethany and Davis in the first book, but they weren’t the main characters. Bethany is the niece of the former leader of the European Clan. She met Davis when her deranged brother tried to kill her, as Davis is a member of the North American Clan, when she visited Wyoming to be with the man her brother murdered. When Bethany wants to return home to Glasgow, Davis insists on returning with her as he believes she is in danger from her brother’s accomplice. Bethany doesn’t agree with his assessment but he gives her no room to disagree.

Bethany returns to her clan in upheaval as her uncle didn’t name an heir. Her cousin is determined to take over and rule, but he is vastly unsuited to the job. The Clan’s spiritual advisor wants to hold an election to see who becomes leader and he is standing in the election. Both men want Bethany to support their claim.

As with the first book, the plot aspect of this book is good. There is quite a lot of detail about the people of the European Clan and how Bethany interacts with them. Her place in the Clan is important to her and it is important to the plot. Finding out who Bethany’s brother’s accomplice was, is a big task and Davis gets little help from the Clan. In the end he gets help from the Council and having only two people running around trying to find out whodunnit means there are gaps where the bad guy can act.

In addition to this part of the plot the romance section of the book is much less annoying than in the first book, hence the higher rating. Davis is a bit of a stereotypical rubbish male about his emotions, which always feels like a bit of a narrative shortcut, but he wasn’t horrible or offensive. He was very focused on keeping Bethany safe but his alpha male tendencies got in the way of the relationship a bit.

Bethany was a very well defined character, probably more so than Davis, because he was introduced in more depth in the first book. She was calm, compassionate and reasonable, though she was a little insecure. She learned from her mistakes with her brother and wanted to learn how to take care of herself, but she wasn’t willing to become untrusting, or doubt her own judgement as a whole because of his actions. I really liked her.

Their relationship journey wasn’t a grand tortured romance, it was a more gentle revealing of feelings, though there were some difficulties.

Overall the book is a quick easy read that is pretty entertaining.

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Sapphire Flames (Hidden Legacy Series Book 4) by Ilona Andrews

Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great New Female Lead

This is the fourth book in the series, if you exclude the novella, and I love the change in direction. I really wasn’t sure about changing the main character from Nevada to Catalina, though my worries were mainly laid to rest by the novella. This book confirms it was the right choice.

The book is set 3 years after House Baylor was established and Catalina is now head of the House. She has been trained by Rogan’s mother for those last three years and she has learned a lot. She is more composed and certain of herself and she is more ruthless. Her vast intelligence has aided her in her new role and she delegates better than Nevada ever did.

The other thing Catalina has spent the last three years learning, is more about her power. She has a much firmer grip on her ability, so it doesn’t escape by accident, and she has been honing her ability like a sharp blade to attain what she needs, without permanently damaging anyone.

The story starts with a request to talk down a 15 year old boy, who is threatening to kill himself after learning his mother and sister are dead. When Catalina agrees to help find out who murdered his family she comes into contact with Alessandro once more. He’s the man she’s always had a huge crush since he aided in assessing her power when their House was established.

The combination of leading her House, helping her client and finding out whodunnit and spending time with someone she has feelings for, make for a very interesting plot. Things happen quickly and once again, I have to wait with baited breath for the next book.

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Diamond Fire (Hidden Legacy Series Book 3.5) by Ilona Andrews

Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Changing Of The Guard

This is a novella, and it works really well as a crossover point in the Hidden Legacy Series. It’s the point where the narrative baton is passed between the eldest Baylor sister, Nevada, and passes to the middle daughter, Catalina.

The story covers the preparations for Nevada and Rogan’s wedding. In the run up to the wedding, Catalina and Arabella end up organising the wedding. Both sisters are smart and capable, having worked in the family investigation firm for years to earn their allowance.

In addition to planning the wedding, Rogan’s mother asks Catalina to investigate the theft of a family heirloom, stolen from her home, where all her family are staying. Catalina is put into a situation where she is forced to really use her powers properly for the first time.

This book is really interesting because though we know Catalina and about her powers, we don’t know much about her and her history, except in relation to how it affected Nevada. We finally see things from her perspective and it’s really interesting.

Catalina is highly intelligent, but is understandably scared of her powers. She is trying to learn how to use them properly but that means practice, which is hard to do without damaging people.

This book has settled my mind about the change in direction the series is taking as I loved Nevada and didn’t want the focus to change, but reading this book makes me think that reading about this plot-line from Catalina’s perspective might just be a good thing.

Buy From Amazon UK
I was unable to find a US Link to a Kindle Book, but you can buy the paperback or audiobook here.

Review: Prophecy (Lughnasadh Elite Academy Series Book 1) by Layla Heart

Prophecy by Layla Heart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'd probably give this 3.5 stars if I could

This was a recommendation from the RHRA Facebook Group and on the whole those recommendations have been good. I decided to try this book as it was only 99p.

The book is about Litha who is starting at a college she wasn’t expecting to attend 2 days previously. She has just learnt she is a prophesied witch, who is destined to become Queen. Who will be king depends on which of four princes, also at the college, she chooses. She was raised in the human world to protect her from assassination attempts, as her rule would upset the existing political status.

The four princes are an incubus, werewolf, dragon shifter and fae and, despite being set up in competition with each other, are great friends.

I have to say that though it was an enjoyable book, it was predictable and nothing really happened other than setting it all up. I’m not sure I’d buy the next book. If it was in Kindle Unlimited, I’d probably read it, but I don’t like it enough to spend actual cash on the next book.

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Bite Me (The Pride Series Book 9) by Shelly Laurenston

Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Honey Badgers and Hybrids

This book merges The Pride Series with The Honey Badger Series, as this book is all about the badger!

Livy Kowalski is Toni’s, from Wolf With Benefits, best friend. She also happens to be a honey badger. Honey badgers are usually thieves and con artists, but because Livy became friends with Toni and was practically adopted into the family she took another route and became a photographer.

The book starts at Livy’s father’s funeral. He wasn’t a pleasant man and Livy isn’t particularly broken up about it, but at the funeral we are introduced to her very violent and angry family.

When she is leaving the airport she meet Vic Barinov, a hybrid grizzly-Siberian tiger, we met in the Wolf With Benefits book, when he helped Toni out in Russia. Livy and Vic have become sort of friends as she keeps breaking into his house and sleeping in his cupboards whilst eating his honey (it’s a honey badger thing).

This book delves into the hybrid hunters and the man behind it, so once more this is a plot heavy paranormal romance. The romance is sweet and passionate and the characters jump off the page they feel so real, but it doesn’t rely on that to be a good read. Throw in the belly laughs and you can't ask for a more entertaining read.

Once more, I highly recommend this series and this author's work, it always cheers me up.

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Wolf with Benefits (The Pride Series Book 8) by Shelly Laurenston

Wolf with Benefits by Shelly Laurenston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wolf Meets Jackal

After reading the Honey Badger books I’d always wondered about the Jean-Louis Parker family. They always fascinated me, but we never got much more than a taste, so this book was a wonderful treat for me. The Jean-Louis Parker family is made up a former child prodigy violinist, her husband and 11 children. The eldest is the only one of the 11 who is NOT a prodigy. The eldest child is Toni and she spends her life running around and mediating for her younger siblings. This is the way of the jackal shifters, the older children help to raise the younger ones. However, these children take a lot more raising than the average child. Toni has basically given up her life to raise her siblings and has never held down a proper job.

The summer in which the book is set has the clan arrive in New York and renting a house across the road from the Wild Dog pack. Jackie Jean-Louis Parker wants to mentor Johnny, the adopted son of the wild dog alpha female. Through Jackie’s machinations to gain this mentorship Toni keeps bumping into Ricky Lee Reed a wolf shifter from Tennessee, who works as security and protection in the shifter world. Ricky Lee instantly finds Toni and her family fascinating and goes about trying to gain her interest.

I love that this book is about Toni finding her way apart from her family and that Ricky Lee does his best to help. However, he does not want to separate her from her family and really does like them and her devotion to them. He just wants her to have her own life too.

There is actually quite a lot of plot in this book to keep you interested and as always there is tonnes of banter. I love all the characters in this book, just like I knew I would from the glimpses I’d seen in the Honey Badger books. I’m glad I got a chance to find out more about them.

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Bear Meets Girl (The Pride Series Book 7) by Shelly Laurenston

Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bear Meets Tiger

I really didn’t know much about Crush and Cella before this book as they are pretty minor characters in other books. However, it was lovely to find out about them.

Crush is a polar bear shifter who has been a cop for nearly 20 years. He has recently gotten a transfer to the all shifter team of the NYPD despite his wish to continue working as an undercover vice cop. He lives a solitary life, with only his dog Lola for company. He lives quietly and lives by a strong moral code. His main hobby is watching ice hockey. He happens to be a huge fan of the local team.

Cella works as a contractor for KZS, the cat shifter only protection force. She was in the marines and trained as a sniper before joining KZS. She has a 17 year old daughter and is still friends with her daughter’s Dad. So much so, she a bridesmaid at his wedding.

Cella is a Malone, a family of Irish Travellers who also happen to be tiger shifters. They are ruthless, bawdy and in each other’s business all the time. As well as working for KZS, Cella plays ice hockey for the local team. Her Dad is said to be one of the greatest shifter ice hockey players of all time.

Crush wakes up after a party next to Cella. He remembers nothing about their night and Cella toys with him, just like a cat. Not a great start to their relationship, especially when they find themselves working together in Crush’s new job.

One of the things I like about this author’s paranormal romance books is that the men are not all alphas. More often than not the women are in charge, or at least hold all the cards in the relationship, often by making the man crazy, which is the case in this book. Crush is a quiet, determined and nice guy. He doesn’t have to be in charge and it’s such a refreshing change in a PNR book.

As always with this series, the plot is great, the lines witty and the character captivating. Read it people!

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: I Am the Storm (The Night Firm Series Book 2) by Karpov Kinrade

I Am the Storm by Karpov Kinrade
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Theft of a Dragon’s Egg

This is the second book in ‘The Night Firm’ series. This book is set exclusively in The Otherworld and though the MFC Eve starts out as a human, it is pretty obvious in this book that she is not, so it feels more like a full fantasy book, than the Urban Fantasy book the first in the series started out as.

The Night Firm has successfully defended Dracula in his murder trial and Liam (a vampire made by Dracula and a member of The Night Firm) has discovered he is a father. When he is arrested for a crime his did not commit, his brothers and fellow vampires, along with Eve, do their utmost to try and exonerate him.

At the same time as trying to prove Liam’s innocence, Eve is keeping a secret with the power to cause much upset in the household.

There is much internal philosophical debate in this book. There is conflict about when is it right to do something for the wrong reasons and wrong to do something for the right reasons. There is also much contemplation about the nature of light and dark.

Sometimes I felt that the morality questions got in the way of connecting with the characters a little. It felt that the intellectual questions overtook the emotional nature of the characters. This meant it was harder to really engage with the relationships that were becoming stronger in this book.

The plot is excellent, and really draws the reader on and the world building is superb. The magical Otherworld is beautiful, dangerous and corrupt and it is all conveyed eloquently by the authors. I just felt a little disconnected from the characters in this book. I hope that will be re-engaged in the third book, as I want to know what happens next!

Borrow Free From Kindle Unlimited
Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Haunted by Pride (Gesa's Menagerie Series Book 8) by Kaye Draper

Haunted by Pride: Reverse Harem Urban Fantasy by Kaye Draper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is mainly about Halstead. In the last book Halstead was beaten and kidnapped by the Mage Guild. They set it up so White couldn’t return the mage at the end of his contract, all the time planning to pass on his contract to someone else.

After the pride accepts that Halstead is actually Gesa’s mate they have to work out a way to get him back. Of course White is on hand to exchange help for even more favours.

Whilst searching for Halstead we learn more about Kai’s history too, and I think the next book is set up to go deeper into her history.

This book was quite a feel good part of the series. There wasn’t too much danger and angst, but as the next book is the last in the series, I’m assuming that one will go with a bang.

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Big Bad Beast (The Pride Series Book 6) by Shelly Laurenston

Big Bad Beast by Shelly Laurenston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Wolf Dynasties Merge

Ric is a Van Holtz wolf. Van Holtz wolves are incredibly wealthy and have a proud history at the forefront of shifter politics. They also run a chain of extremely successful shifter restaurants and nearly all the members of the family either work or have worked in them to fund college. Ric happens to be a chef that runs the Manhattan restaurant. He also owns and plays for the local shifter ice-hockey team and run ‘The Group’ the organisation that protects shifters in the US. He’s a busy man, he’s also gorgeous, refined and unbelievably nice.

Dee-Ann Smith is a hillbilly and trained killer. Trained by her assassin father from a young age how to kill people, her temperament and upbringing left her little choice other than to follow in his footsteps. She joined the marines and then joined ‘The Unit’ the US Government’s shifter only team who go after people that hunt shifters. After retiring from ‘The Unit’ Dee-Ann ends up working for ‘The Group’ which she finds frustrating at times.

Ric fell for Dee-Ann the first time he met her and spends months subtly trying to woo her. This mainly involved not killing her when she randomly showed up in his apartment and feeding her great food.

These two seem so unlikely and it’s really fun watching how the author creates just the right circumstances to start their romance. This author really seems to excel at bringing unlikely characters together in a way that doesn’t seem obvious or unlikely.

The plot from the previous books of the hybrid hunters continues in this book as ‘The Group’ continues to seek out the source of the financing for them.

I love how this author is able to create a wonderful love story and weave it around a great plot, making the two inseparable from each other. Having the continuing plot certainly makes you more likely to pick up the next book in the series, if the quality of writing didn’t make you do anyway.

Another great book from this author.

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Beast Behaving Badly (The Pride Series Book 5) by Shelly Laurenston

Beast Behaving Badly by Shelly Laurenston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve always wanted to read the story of Bo Novikov and Blayne, ever since I read the Badgered books. The idea of a hybrid with sabre-toothed fangs appealed and the fact that he is grumpy and aggressive whilst Blayne is perky and kind just always made me wonder what their story was.

I’m so glad this book lived up to my expectations. Bo is a hybrid Asian lion and polar bear. He is also an extremely successful ice hockey player in the shifter league and has made a fortune. However, he’s not very popular and pretty much feared by everyone. 10 years ago he caught a glimpse of a teenage Blayne and was captivated. When he visited New York for a meeting about coming there to play he saw her again and took the deal despite it not being the best one.

Blayne is terrified of Bo, ever since he stared at her and chased after her 10 years ago, she worked on the assumption he was a serial killer. When he comes to New York and gives her the same stare she is petrified.

It is some very sleek story telling that gets them to the end of their HEA from this very rocky start. The author, as always, has a deft hand with plots as well as characters. I also fell in love with Ursus County in the Winter, the descriptions were so beautiful.

The back drop of the hybrid hunters from the last few books continued and added extra drama to the exceptional romance and I found it really hard to step away from the book once I started reading it.

Once again, a great book. You won’t be disappointed.

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Bloodlines (Shifters of Rishard Series Book 1) by Denise Carbo

Bloodlines by Denise Carbo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Alien Shifters in Wyoming

I’d probably give this 3.5 stars.

I actually read this book because I got an Advance Reader Copy of the second book in the series. I didn’t realise when I requested the ARC that it was a second book, but I didn’t want to read it before reading the first in the series. I’m glad I did, because it was an enjoyable read.

The book is set in the depths of Wyoming. It is the home of the Rishardans, a race of alien shifters who sought a new home after destroying theirs in endless wars. There are four clans spread around the world but the one in Wyoming is ruled over by Malcolm. He is closed off, tough, but fair and the last thing he is looking for is a distraction from his duties. He needs to keep his clan safe from discovery by the humans and safe from war with the other clans.

Elsie is a new human employee at Malcolm’s resort. She is the new hotel manager Malcolm’s brother Owen hired. The moment Malcolm sees Elsie sparks fly.

Alongside the romance, which is a bit annoying in places, there is a very good plot about an attack on the clan. Malcolm and his closest associates seek to find who attacked them and why, all in secret so a war can be prevented in at all possible. Their race tends towards being bloodthirsty in seeking revenge. Malcolm needs a cool head in order to prevent the clan screaming for retribution and heading into war.

The quality of the writing for the plot excluding the romance is what gave it 3.5 stars, if the romance had been less annoying it would have received 4 stars. Malcolm treated Elsie really poorly and with little respect and she let him because she was physically attracted to him. It’s hard to respect characters that do that. I’m hoping that the second book will improve on that aspect of the writing.

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: The Mane Squeeze (The Pride Series Book 4) by Shelly Laurenston

The Mane Squeeze by Shelly Laurenston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tigon meets Grizzly

Gwen is a Philly girl, born and raised, she also happens to be a hybrid shifter, her mother a lion and her father a tiger. She’s part of the family but will never be part of the Pride. She is constantly smothered by her difficult mother and yet can’t be happy whilst being apart from the Pride.

When attending a wedding her mother insisted on gatecrashing (Gwen went to protect the other attendees) she meets Loch, a gorgeous ex-marine grizzly shifter. They connect but think they’ll never meet again.

When her best friend, fellow hybrid, Blayne suggests they go into business together in Manhattan she knows she can finally escape her mother’s control. After moving and setting up in business, she meets Loch again and Blayne launches ‘Operation Bear Cat’!

As well as this charmingly sweet, yet funny, romance the book is filled with the feud between Gwen’s mother and an alpha female of a wolf pack. This creates plenty of tension and aggravated assault! Oh, and when I say funny, what I actually mean is "snort my drink out through my nose, hilariously funny".

I really liked this book. Loch has to be one of my favourite characters of the series so far. He’s sweet, thoughtful, intelligent, patient and kind, and turns into a raging homicidal monster when surprised or when someone hurts those he loves.

I also love how as the series builds there are more strands weaving all the stories together. More characters meet, become friends or family and the parties just get bigger.

Once more, this author has knocked it out of the park.

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Levi (The Casanova Club Series Book 9) by Ali Weston

Levi by Ali Parker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Piper’s Bad Boy Rock Star

I have a soft spot for books about tortured musicians. Just check out my book shelf on Goodreads for evidence. I knew Levi was going to be a bit of a favourite, because he was definitely tortured. Drugs and alcohol are his self-medication for being forced to create music he isn’t proud of. He loves the stage and performing, but the creation process is stalled.

Levi has one brother Jake who is always trying to get Levi help, but Levi just gets annoyed with him. His agent is no help at all. This is the situation Piper walks into.

I wasn’t sure how Piper was going to deal with Levi. I didn’t know which way her feelings would fall, as this was quite a different situation from the previous ones. I also wondered how much more she could take.

I think I’m glad that there is a little break before the next book now. I think I need to get my breath back!

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Cooper (The Casanova Club Series Book 8) by Ali Parker

Cooper by Ali Parker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Piper’s Play Boy

I expected Cooper to be a self-serving egotist, which to be honest he was. Cooper was a Rockefeller who changed his name to escape the family expectations. He moved to Nassau and spent his time, scuba diving, surf boarding and partying. He did not get off to a good start and things went downhill rapidly.

Piper didn’t expect much from Cooper, nor did Janie, and she was warned about him by the other Bachelors that he was only in it to ‘win’ rather than actually form a relationship. Piper went into this trip expecting to spend her time reading Aaron’s books by the pool and biding her time. Of course things didn’t work out quite as expected.

I wish I could stop reading this series, but it’s become a compulsion. I’m glad I didn’t start reading at the beginning of the year, but I’ve nearly caught up with only one more book to go before I have to start waiting

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US

Review: Hell on Wheels (Kings of Mayhem MC Series Book 4) by Penny Dee

Hell on Wheels by Penny Dee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book as an advanced copy from the publisher, through Netgalley, to review. The opinions given below are my own.

I read Book 3 in this series and enjoyed it, so I was really happy to be able to review this next book. I enjoyed this book even more than the last and I don’t know if it’s because I enjoyed the characters more or that the story felt more powerful. I think it may be a combination of both.

Chance is the Sargent at Arms for the Kings of Mayhem MC. His father was the previous President who was a cruel and vicious man who mentally and physically abused his child. To escape he joined the Navy and eventually became a SEAL. He came back after being medically discharged, a changed and very damaged man. He tries to keep going for his family and his club, but it’s very lonely when inside you feel so empty.

Cassidy is a young woman who has spent the last two years travelling. Cassidy isn’t her real name and she is hiding, which makes it difficult to settle in one place for very long and earn enough to keep a roof over her head. Cassidy also grew up in a dangerous environment. Her foster parents were wealthy but used her as a photo prop and her foster brother abused her. She ran away when she realised that after returning from college that her foster brother was never going to change and his parents were never going to make him face the consequences of his actions.

For a while she has been travelling with her best friend who convinced her to come with her to Destiny, where her mother left her a house when she died. Destiny is where she meets Chance. After meeting Chance, he suggests she perform at a party at the Clubhouse the next day, as she sings and plays guitar as a way of making ends meet. They are attracted to each other but Chance is scared to act on his feelings because he thinks he might be a danger to Cassidy. Despite not wanting to act on his attraction Chance still wants to help Cassidy.

I really liked both Chance and Cassidy. Both of them are good people despite the horrors of their upbringing. Chance has always tried to do the right thing, so his inclination is always going to be to protect someone, even if it is from himself. He’s really damaged and he can’t seem to find a way of coping with his feelings and memories and doesn’t want to share his experiences with anyone.

Cassidy is definitely a strong woman. Despite having to go on the run to escape her foster family you can tell she isn’t as damaged as she might have once been, even if she has a very healthy fear of what her family might do to her if she is ever found, because she once got professional help.

I also really liked the secondary characters in this series and they appear again in this book. In particular, Chance’s grandmother is hilarious and Bull the president of the Kings who is a strong leader who cares about his people and won’t do anything to risk their safety, unless absolutely necessary.

This author writes extraordinary stories in a natural and believable manner. Her writing is fluid and the characters really stand out because they are explored from several sides, not just one view point. The main characters interact not only with each other but with other people in the community and their family and friends. It gives more depth to the characters to see how others see them, not just their love interest.

On top of the excellent writing and smoothly paced plot progression, there are plenty of spicy scenes to keep most MC fans happy. MC books normally make for pretty hot reading and this is no exception. There is no kink involved, but it is quite explicitly written.

This really is a very good book, and I raced through the pages, finding it difficult to put down. As such, I highly recommend it for fans of the MC genre. You don’t need to have read the previous books in the series to enjoy this book, but if they are as good as this fourth book, I’d be inclined to give them a try too. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for any future books in the series.

Buy From Amazon UK
Buy From Amazon US