Review: Phoenix Burn (From The Ashes Trilogy Book 1) by Karina Espinosa

Phoenix Burn by Karina Espinosa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Interesting Start To A Series

Octavia’s real name is Camila. Camila was killed 6 months ago and Octavia took her place, trying to find out how she survived her death and who killed her. She’s living pay check to pay check, hiding from family and friends as she’s terrified to bring her problems to their door.

Octavia ends up being torn between two different men and their friends, each seeming to want her to join them for reasons she can’t comprehend. She’s unsure and all she wants to know is what she is and why is she being hunted.

I liked the way the main character was wary which is the way it should be when your life has been turned upside down by violence. The way she was introduced to the supernatural world was not an easy one and she spent most of the book being scared and unsettled with short bursts of contentment.

The characters surrounding Octavia were interesting and as this is the first book in the series I look forward to getting to know them better. We are only treated to one point of view, which is Octavia’s and she only sees the very surface of the characters she interacts with.

The world building is on the small scale as part of the appeal of this book is Octavia finding out about the world in which she has landed. There is no information outside what small amounts she uncovers.

The book ended on an awful cliffhanger, and I really want to know what happens next. Thankfully that book is already out or I would be throwing my kindle across the room!

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Review: Fain (Texas Kings MC Series Book 12) by Cee Bowerman

Fain by Cee Bowerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Funny and Sweet

It won’t come as a surprise, if you’ve read any of my reviews about this series, but I really enjoyed this book. It fills in the story about Fain and Jenna that was hinted at in some of the previous books.

Jenna fell for Fain when she was 16. He was a lot older and had been to prison before becoming a prospect. A few years have passed and they have become best friends, except Jenna wants more and Fain doesn’t think he’s good enough. They have a fight and she gets in a car wreck. This story covers what happens following the accident when Jenna gets flown to a rehab centre in Colorado and Fain goes with her. This is all information from previous books, so I'm not giving you any spoilers here.

We find out about Fain’s history and meet his siblings. We get to see Jenna finally grow up as she learns how to use her damaged body and we see them both learn to to handle difficult situations together.

It’s hilarious, as all these books are. It’s sweet too, which is no surprise. These books are a quick bite of pure entertainment that make me smile. I can’t resist them. I really hope there are books in the future that cover Fain’s siblings because they are all awesome and there’s definitely enough of them to create a decent sized series.

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Review: Desert Dragon's Hunt (Royal Dragon Shifters of Morocco Series Book 7) by Ava Ward

Desert Dragon's Hunt by Ava Ward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mystical Growth

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This book was one of transitions. It moves us from one section of the story to another and as such wasn’t as enjoyable as those previous. It’s because transitions are usually painful, to the character, the author and the reader. The author has to get the character over the abyss and that usually involves tangling themselves in knots as to how to do it and thus the character is forced through difficulties they never imagined. This is quite torturous to the reader who comes expecting one kind of book, like the rest of the series, and is delivered something very different, the difficulty of transitioning from one state to another.

In order for a character to truly grow and progress she must be scorched to the earth and rebuilt again through pain and understanding. This book fulfils that definition. Layla is tormented by her dragon’s withdrawal. Her binds have disappeared, though their binds to each other are still in place. She can’t touch her dragon and needs to understand why. She goes through an epic journey learning to understand herself, the universe, her history and her powers and it is not easy for her or those that she loves.

This a difficult but necessary book, but knowing that does not make it an easier read. The quality of the writing is still exceptional, the pacing of the plot and the world building is extraordinary. The writer’s prose is beautifully captivating and the imagery conjured by her words is stunning. What it didn’t have was any real interludes where Layla had a break from it all, unlike the other books. It means that it’s full on from around 20% in, all the way to the end and you feel like a bus has run you over by the end as poor Layla get’s pushed to her limits.

In a way, I’m glad I waited a while to read this book, as I know the next book is already out so I can dive into the next instalment to cleanse my poor battered heart.

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Review: Taming My Whiskey (The Whiskeys: Dark Knights At Peaceful Harbor Series Book 6) by Melissa Foster

Taming My Whiskey by Melissa Foster
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Long Distance Romance

I listened to this as an audiobook and therefore there are comments relating to that in my review.

Dixie Whiskey is 30 years old and lonely. She’s happy surrounded by her family and friends, working in her family’s bar and auto shop and being the most doting auntie on the planet, but she’s the last of her siblings to find their love match.

Dixie has had a crush on Jace Stone since she was 18, what she doesn’t know is that when he first met her, as a man of 27, she wriggled under his skin, but knew he had to stay away. When an opportunity comes up for his business he knows he wants Dixie involved and is prepared to do anything to get his way, even if Dixie is reluctant. Let the wooing commence!

I’m very fond of this group of characters that I’ve read about over several books. The family is big, boisterous and kind. Dixie is over protected and despite her frustration with this she knows it comes from love. I don’t think I would have put up with it as long as she did though!

Jace is the quintessential alpha male. He’s big, strong and handsome, works hard and loves his family. He has resisted settling down because he loves his job and travelling too much to give it up. He can be a bit of an idiot when it comes to relationships because he hasn’t had any.

This was a sweet romance and barring a few miscommunications there was no real drama, except of their own making. This makes it a nice easy read and gives a great mushy happy ever after.

With regards to the narration I found the voices for Jace and Dixie’s points of view to be really convincing. They were natural and good at conveying emotion without being too over the top. They both allowed the characters to speak through them without forcing it. I’d definitely keep an eye out for other books both Devra Woodward and Aiden Snow have worked on.

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Review: Nate (The Chaos Chasers MC Series Book 1) by CM Marin

Nate by C.M. Marin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable MC Romance

I’ve not read anything by this author before but thought the blurb looked interesting and decided to take a chance. This is the first in a series about the Chaos Chasers MC. The Chaos Chasers MC are an MC that don’t believe in running guns, drugs or women so that probably tells you a lot about the premise for this book.

Camryn left her small town in Texas to go to college and stayed in LA after graduation. Her parents died several years ago and she hasn’t been back since the funeral, though she still has the house. Her fiancee died a year ago and at the end of the school year she came back home to help grieve, despite not having any friends or family there.

Nate is the president of the Chaos Chasers MC. He became president after the old president, and his two sons were killed by a rival MC, so he’s quite young for the position. His best friend is the old president’s grandson. Nate is a big handsome man (aren’t they all?) and he and Camryn click immediately, but as she is grieving he is patient, which is good to see in this type of book.

There is quite a complex plot in this book and though I guessed part of it, there were still some mysteries to uncover, which was a pleasant surprise.

The characters were interesting and I liked that Camryn wasn’t a total stereotypical ‘good girl’, even though she was a good person. Nate wasn’t a stereotypical ‘bad boy’ even though he wasn’t a total good guy. Their relationship was given time to grow and I liked the pacing of the plot. The supporting characters were all quite interesting and I enjoyed reading about them too, in particular Jayce, Nate’s best friend and Melvyn the 18 year old prospect who Camryn took under her wing.

It was an enjoyable read, and I’ll definitely read the rest of the series at some point.

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Review: Shoot the Messenger (The Messenger Chronicles Book 1) by Pippa DaCosta

Shoot the Messenger by Pippa DaCosta
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Twisty Plot

I love the concept of this book. It’s basically set far in the future long after human fae wars. It’s a fantasy/sci mash up!

Kesh is a human messenger. Though she’s human she is something more, she can blend tek and magic, making her invisible to surveillance, something invaluable for sending messenges in secret. When on a job, someone sets her up for murder and it looks like it might have been a warfae something not seen in human space for a 1000 years.

Because there are so many plot twists in this book I find myself in the position of not really being able to give a more full review because to do so would reveal too much.

This story gave me whiplash. Every time you think you have a handle on what is going on, something shifts. There are so many lies and plots within plots it’s hard to make sense of things at times. However, I couldn’t stop reading it. I had to know what happened next and the writing was really good. The world building was superb and I lost myself in the book. I’m very intrigued to see what happens next.

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Review: Prince Claimed: A Sci-Fi Alien Warrior Romance (The Mates Lottery Series Book 1) by Vivian Star

Prince Claimed: A Sci-Fi Alien Warrior Romance by Vivian Star
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fun Alien Mates Romance

I’d probably give this book 3.5 ⭐️ if I could.

For some reason I’m having a spell of craving alien mates books. I go through these phases every now and again. I think it’s the simplicity of them.

In this series, Earth is broken. It’s one saving grace is that aliens have found Earth and they need water and fertile women, something Earth has in vast numbers. Women can sign up to be considered as potential mates drawn in a lottery and get paid for entering it. As there always poor women there are no shortage of people signing up.

Darcie Jackson is one of five orphan sisters who used to have money, but have burnt through it paying for medicine for their the youngest. Darcie is the last of her sisters to sign up for the payment as she is very reluctant. She is terrified when she is chosen, along with three of her sisters. She is matched to Prince Khirrox of planet Strixa.

This is a pretty straight forward story. It’s girl meets alien, falls for alien, has HEA. There’s a few hiccups in the way a few episodes of mild peril but I wouldn’t call any of it particularly deep. However, sometimes you just want something easy and light to read that entertains and diverts and this book does that well. I enjoyed it enough to make a note of the next book in the series that covers one of Darcie’s sisters.

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Review: Waterfront Café by Mia Malone

Waterfront Café by Mia Malone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Moving To Maine

Marie’s husband died days before their divorce was finalised. Her children are at college and her job as an account manager leaves her feeling dry and hollow. She decides to finally take a risk, hands in her notice, puts her house up for sale and travels hundreds of miles to move to Maine, over the objections of her family and friends.

When Marie arrives in her wonderful pink house with a mermaid painted on it she discovers a new life, new friends, new career and a really hot man who happens to live next door.

Brody has worked all over the world in restaurants, achieving Michelin Stars and rave reviews, even publishing a book. What he has to show for it is an empty place in his soul, two ex-wives and two kids that he doesn’t really know. What he does have is a home town waiting to welcome him back and a cafe that his uncle is willing to sell to him, the same cafe where he first learnt to cook as a child. He still feels hollow inside until a lovely woman with a warm smile and mouth that runs away with her sometimes walks into his cafe and announces she is the new tenant in the house next door to his.

This is lovely gently paced book that allows the characters to grow and develop with each turn of the page. We see how both Marie and Brody become more open and happier in their lives, not just with their romance. They are both in their fifties and are still learning about themselves. I love Marie’s sense of adventure and curiosity, her sense of fun and sweet gentleness. Brody is someone who has lived a very hard paced and demanding life and it’s cost him his marriages and children and it has mellowed him. He is not the man he was at 20 and he prefers the man he is now. All the other characters are fun and well rounded and I’m sure that this series will be as good as the other ones this author has written. I know that I will always pick up a new one by Mia Malone, her writing is sweet, sexy and believable. I can’t wait for the next book.

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Review: Not Quite Prey (Not Quite Series Book 4) by Kaye Draper

Not Quite Prey by Kaye Draper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Difficult Times for Sam

Sam starts off this book in a situation that is making them happy. They have settled with their mates and they have a little money in the bank, they even have someone they are interested in becoming more involved with. Then things start going wrong and keep going wrong and Sam just hasn’t got the emotional capacity to handle things.

There are bits of this book that were quite difficult for me to read. Those bits were to do with anger and fear and guilt all mushed up into one explosive ball of emotion. This is what happens when big emotions are repressed for a long time, as is Sam’s wont. That sense of spiralling is one that I have experienced a few times and reading it spelled out so clearly gave me an overwhelming sense of deja vu, which was uncomfortable.

It felt like very little got resolved in this book, which is the nature of Kaye Draper’s series. Each book is part of the whole and therefore cannot be treated as a solitary item, it has to be considered within the framework of the whole. Because of uncomfortable emotions I can’t say I ‘enjoyed’ this book, but I know before the series is complete I will have read it again and enjoyed it within it’s intended frame.

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Review: Bird of Prey (Project: F5 Series Book 1) by Jade Waltz

Bird of Prey by Jade Waltz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Spin Off Novella

I’d probably give this book 3.5 ⭐️ if I could

As this is a spin off novella from the Project: Adapt series, it is not standalone. You really need to have read the other books before this one for it to make much sense. However, I get the impression that you could omit reading this novella for Project: Adapt to make sense, you just wouldn’t have a well rounded view of these supporting characters.

In previous books we are introduced to Qraniebi, who works for Zirebe. He is currently under investigation because his ship and crew kidnapped Zirene’s mate. We also have met Bryeca before, she is one of the Fab Five and sister to Zirene’s mate, Selena’s, bodyguard. Both Selena and Bryeca’s brother are missing. She has been entrusted with finding out if Qran is involved in that situation.

It doesn’t help that Qran and Bryeca have been lovers on and off for some time.

This novella doesn’t give an awful lot of time to delve into these characters. It feels like plot explanation rather than too much emotional content. I felt it could have been more, which is what I’ve felt with this author’s novellas before. I feel like a lot of the good stuff is stripped out to make room for the plot to make sense. I’m not sure if I’ll read the other novella in this series before reading the next book in the Project: Adapt series as I would rather just delve back into a full scale novel.

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Review: The Magic Of Discovery (Emerald Lakes Series Book 1) by Britt Andrews

The Magic Of Discovery by Britt Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable Debut Novel

I really enjoyed this novel and was surprised to read it was the author’s debut. It was very well paced and the characters were exceptionally well developed. I also really liked the world building and plot.

Saige is a witch. She’s 27, lived in her small town for her whole life and actually likes it there. She owns a magic shop and spends much of her time gardening and making things for her shop, using her green magic. Raised by her sex obsessed grandmother, who Saige adores, she is happy, friendly and open despite her previous poor relationship choices.

Then four mages, Cam, Kai, Sloane and Fischer, come to town and rent the apartment above her shop and there is instant chemistry, however I like that the involvement with the men progressed at different rates. Her relationship with each man is unique and stands separate from the rest, as well as being interwoven with them all, as all men have been friends since childhood. However, Saige doesn’t know that the mages are in her small town to investigate the sighting of a missing woman for their boss.

On top of the insta-lust and unknown undercover investigation, there is something screwy with Saige’s magic, her psycho ex is creeping around and she just became part of a weird prophecy.

I think this book has the potential to turn into a very good series if the rest of it builds on what this first book has established. The progression of building tension was done very well, starting out slowly and gradually ramping it up to the cliffhanger ending. The heat starts out quite early though and that part of the book is nice and spicy with MM, BDSM and Ménage scenes.

I won’t say the storyline is terribly unique and nothing really surprised me greatly, but this is a very good example of hot Paranormal RH done well and I look forward to the next book in the series.

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Review: Cautious (Everyday Heroes World) by Candice Wright

Cautious by Candice M. Wright
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Funny, Sexy and Fast Paced

I love this author. I think she writes exceptional contemporary romance, which is a cut above the usual fare. I wasn’t sure about this book because when authors write about a shared world it sometimes doesn’t work, but in this case it was fantastic. Though this is a shared world it seems to have little connection to any other books in the project that I can see, so it seems to be a thematic collection rather than a content collection.

Callie is trying to start over. Her life has been exceptionally hard, with violence and mental abuse throughout. She moves to a new small town in California and rents a house, ready to settle in to her small scale life that feels safe and warm. However, she meets a really hot neighbour as she’s moving her stuff in. Throw in his foul mouthed, sex positive grandmother who lives next door and her life is obviously going to be shaken up a bit.

Blake joined the army at 18 ready to leave his small home town the moment he could. However after a few tours of duty and losing his closest friends he came back to set up a security firm. His team have become his friends and he enjoys his job, and loves his grandmother dearly despite her tendency to embarrass him. He is focused on work and the odd occasional hook up until he meets the gorgeous new neighbour, especially when she drops a box full of sex toys and starts reciting facts about their capabilities.

Both of the main characters are instantly drawn to each other, but hold quite a lot back from their past. The story starts out like a romantic comedy and there are some laugh out loud sections as Callie is hilarious. The banter between her and all the guys from Blake’s firm is adorably sweet and funny. However the book then turns into a romantic suspense book as people and danger from Callie’s past track her down in her new home.

I love how Candice Wright does this. She has such a deft hand at weaving peril and humour in such a way that the danger never overwhelms and the sweet isn’t sickly. There are some pretty terrifying things in this book for Callie, but the author doesn’t let it get too much so it stops short of being too dark for most people to enjoy.

I really hope Ms Wright writes more about these people because they are really are a wonderful set of characters. I have hopes because there are lots of mysteries about them that are alluded to in this book, which means the author may well be already thinking about future stories.

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Review: Choices by Mia Malone

Choices by Mia Malone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mid Life Changes

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This author writes really beautifully about finding love mid-life. I really enjoyed The Brothers series and the Thorn Series and knew that this book was set around a different group of people, but who were of a similar age. Of course I wanted to read it.

Nina is on the cusp of getting a divorce after being married for 20 years to her husband Dave. There’s nothing wrong with Dave, he’s a perfectly nice man, but the marriage isn’t working and hasn’t for a while.

Matthias works too hard and has stopped looking after himself. His wife moved out 7 months ago and he still hasn’t sorted out whether to get a divorce or not.

This book is about two people who have reached a cross roads in their lives and over a period of months seems to keep bumping into each other. Their relationship slowly unfolds through the book and along the way they also start to rebuild their lives, discover their passions and strengthen old friendships whilst making new ones.

It’s a gently paced book, that peels off the layers of feelings carefully and tenderly lays them out for the reader to enjoy. It’s a subtle and sweet book, that still has plenty of heat between the sheets, and up against the wall, and ...... you get the picture. It’s fun reading about people in their 50s finding their way in life after being lost for a while. I hope there will be more such wonderful books by this author, as there is a distinct lack of something like this around and I want to read more.

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Review: Angel Unseen (Unseen MC Series Book 1) by J Bree

Angel Unseen by J. Bree
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

1%er MC Romance

Just a heads up that this is definitely a 1%er MC Romance. There is death, violence and women are definitely not treated with respect unless they are the ‘chosen one’. Essentially all women are receptacles until the man chooses them to be theirs. I don’t find men who treat women like this attractive or any way admirable in real life and I feel uncomfortable reading about it in romantic fiction. However, this book was very well written and I couldn’t stop reading it. I didn’t like myself very much for reading it, but I stayed up way too late to finish it.

This story is based around the Unseen MC, which is a dangerous and ruthless MC, however it’s all about the family for them and they will do anything to protect what’s theirs. The men of the family, are supposedly ‘cursed’ to be struck by the woman they fall head over heels for. The end result is either perfect or a complete horror of a relationship. Basically our MMC Tomi really doesn’t want the hassle of being struck, so when he finds himself feeling that way about Angel, a new hot stripper at the strip club owned by the MC he wants to avoid it all costs.

Angel is living out of her car, after running away from a very bad situation. She is enrolled in college and is determined to better herself. In order to pay for college and buy herself a house she decides to find a great strip club and use all the dance classes she got as a kid. Because of the bad situation she ran away from she hates being touched, finds it hard to be around men and just wants to do her job, get paid and leave.

Obviously these two characters are going to have problems getting together. In the background of the potential relationship there is all sorts of shenanigans going on with the club, with rival clubs and internal problems which takes up quite a lot of space and time in the book. We also see Angel’s character develop and change as she starts to accept the hands of friendship offered to her.

Like I said, it’s a really gripping and well written book and I definitely enjoyed it, I just kind of don’t like myself very much for doing so!

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Review: Succubus Trials (The (Un)Lucky Succubus Series Book 6) by LL Frost

Succubus Trials (The by L.L. Frost
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Succubus on Trial

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

After the adventures in the previous book, everyone hoped that life would turn back to ‘normal’. Sadly Adie and Julian end up with a demon court summons to stand trial for their actions. Luckily they have the Destruction Demons, Kellen’s witches, Tally, Aren and the BBBB to help out, not to mention some newcomers.

Adie also seems to be developing some new traits since her activities in the previous book, but her relationships with the Destruction Demons only seems to be growing stronger. Even the revelations of how she ended up in her contract don’t seem to putting a dampener on things.

This book left me feeling warm and fuzzy. There was danger, evil and magic galore, but there was also the companionship and love between lovers and friends and the forming of a new kind of family.

This series continues to weave it’s way into my heart with it’s hot passions, deep affection and contracts that mean more than the words on the page. I particularly love the imps as they learn to become more than the formless blobs they arrived in. It’s a great series and I can’t wait for the new book, even if there is a really good HFN ending to this one.

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Review: Succubus Dreams (The (Un)Lucky Succubus Series Book 5) by LL Frost

Succubus Dreams (The by L.L. Frost
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dreaming Demons

I’d probably give this 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

The plot line for this book was on the grand scale of things. When Adie nearly made it to Dreamland on her own, she saw something on the edges. No one believed her, so she let it go. Then a week later Tac woke her from a nightmare to find the same thing on her balcony.

In this book we get to see where succubi and incubi come from and where they get their power. We also find out a bit more about the witches and Baku and the way the demon plane and Dreamland all work together. It’s full of world building stuff this book. It’s also full of really interesting plot, danger and emotions. We start to understand why Adie is so very different from her cousins and what that means for her going forward. It’s a fantastic book and really builds on what has gone before.

I really can’t wait to see what Adie does next.

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Review: Chaos Reigning (Consortium Rebellion Series Book 3) by Jessie Mihalik

Chaos Reigning by Jessie Mihalik
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Saving The Galaxy

I’d probably give this book an overall rating of 4.5 stars if I could.

This review was based on listening to the book via audible and as such has references to the narration as well as to the story.

This is the third book in the series and has the same narrator as the first two. My same comments about her narration stand for this book as for the others. Emily Woo Zeller is a competent and natural narrator, but her male voices drive me nuts. She tries to make the male voices too deep for her natural range and she just ends up sounding strangled. Apart from that mild annoyance I really enjoy her reading style.

This book follows shortly after the second book in the series and focuses on Catrina, or Cat as she prefers to be known to her friends and family. Cat is the youngest in the family and plays up to the stereotypical spoilt baby of the family role. As with her older sisters she is playing a role for the benefit of the family. Sometimes the role is so convincing she almost believes it herself. She plays the social airhead who cares more about pretty dresses than body armour but she is also sweet and kind to those around her. She is often overlooked and she sort of likes it that way.

When Cat decides that she needs to get information from one of the lower houses to find proof that they were involved in her brother’s kidnapping, her older sister Bianca steps in and asks Alex and Aoife, two friends of Locke and Ian to accompany her, with Alex posing as her date and Aoife as her bodyguard. This is the start of a series of adventures for Cat, that stretch her confidence and ability to their limits.

I really liked Cat. She’s a fun character with hidden depths. She young, lively and intelligent. She’s also brave and determined, with a definite bossy streak.

Alex is a perfect foil for Cat. He’s handsome, confident, skilled and adept at falling into any role required. He and Cat have some big fights but they are mainly about her safety, and he is sweetly supportive. They also have some very spicy scenes, which mainly come towards the end of the book.

I don’t know if there are any more of the books in this series but I will be keeping an eye out because I really would like to know what happens to all the characters and their plans for the future. It’s definitely an HEA ending, but it could easily be changed to a HFN if the author wanted to carry on with this universe.

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Review: Succubus Hunted (The (Un)Lucky Succubus Series Book 4) by L L Frost

Succubus Hunted (The by L.L. Frost
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

More Demonic Fun

This was a much longer book than the last three, and it made the plot more complex. Demon Hunters have come to town and it appears that Adie is a target, being a weak demon and easy to trap, kill and harvest for parts. The Librarian decides to give a Quest to Adie which involves getting rid of the Hunters.

During the course of the Quest, Adie spends more time with her Destruction Demons and becomes much better friends with Tally and her men. She also becomes more attached to her imps.

Adie’s existence is complex and far from run of the mill according to the world lore created by the author and it means that we learn about the demons at the same time we learn how unusual she is. It’s a clever technique for world building.

I enjoyed this read and was more satisfied at the end of it than the previous books, simply because there was more meat to the story and a lot of the world and character building had already been done in the previous books. I definitely want to see what happens to Adie next.

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Review: Succubus on a Mission (The (Un)Lucky Succubus Series Book 3) by L L Frost

Succubus on a Mission (The by L.L. Frost
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable Urban Fantasy

I enjoyed this book as much as the previous two and will continue to read the series. I would write a more complete review, but I’m tired because I didn’t stop reading until well past my usual bed time. I’ll probably forget to do something more complete, but hopefully the fact I couldn’t stop reading will tell you that I enjoyed this book a lot and if you liked the previous two you won’t be disappointed by this one. 

Update: I was right, I forgot to go back and review this properly. Apologies for the very brief post this morning. Just know it was a really good book and I enjoyed it. You should read the series!      Borrow 

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Review: Pleasantly Undead In Dark River (Dark River Days Series Book 3) by Grace McGinty

Pleasantly Undead In Dark River by Grace McGinty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Building a Family

I’d probably give this 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

I really like this series, it was what brought Grace McGinty to my attention. Since reading the first book in this series, I’ve read most of her other books and they are all worth a read.

This third book in the series, doesn’t work as a standalone, so if you haven’t read the first two book, walk away from this review and download them right away, you won’t be disappointed. If you are still here, you probably like the inhabitants of Dark River as much as I do and just need to be reassured that this book is just as good, if not better, than the first two.

After all the recent drama Raine is desperately hoping for some normalcy and sadly it doesn’t look like it’s going to be in great supply. There’s a vastly powerful shifter who believes Tex to be his progeny and he’s taken to hanging around. There’s also an ancient vampire leaving ‘offerings’ on her doorstep. Raine was hoping to reopen the bakery, but discovering she can’t actually bake is a bit of a problem. However, her men are there trying to help her make the most of her undead existence and protecting her.

There’s so much I want to say about this book and why I like it, but if I even start to hint about why each bit was good it will give away so many spoilers it will ruin the book. This is great as a reader, not so much for a reviewer! Just take it from me, there’s loads of really good stuff in the book, plot wise. There’s enough heat to run a sauna and we learn a lot more about the supernatural world. It’s a fantastically fun read. I recommend it.

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Review: Succubus Studies (The (Un)Lucky Succubus Series Book 2) by LL Frost

Succubus Studies (The (Un)Lucky Succubus, #2) by L.L. Frost
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Give Me Some Sugar

In this book we find out a lot more about succubi and where they come from. Adie is a young demon and hasn’t been corporeal for very long so is struggling to find out information that she thinks she should have been given already. No one else seems to agree with her.

Adie is busy getting her bakery set up, looking for staff and fixing the ovens, and at the same time she’s trying to establish rules for her new household. Her ‘room-mates’ are not making the ‘no sex’ rule easy to stick to and are slowly driving her nuts.

I really love how we find out about the different kind of demons and their levels of intellect and power, in this book. Adie’s relationship with Tac the cat-bat-thing is so sweet

This is a really nice series. It makes me smile a lot. I can’t wait to see what Adie gets up to next.

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Review: Succubus Bargain (The (Un)Lucky Succubus Series Book 1) by LL Frost

Succubus Bargain (The (Un)Lucky Succubus, #1) by L.L. Frost
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun Paranormal Romance

Adie is a succubus, but not a very good one. She can’t gain her energy from dreamland so she can only access it in physical form. She hasn’t been corporeal very long but she dreams of opening a bakery where she can skim all the happy positive energy from her customers. But it seems her dreams hit snag after snag as she falls foul of three old and powerful demons.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s light hearted but still interesting. The world building is strong and the characters are intriguing. Adie is sweet and honourable for demon, but it seems that the demons that surround her don’t really have her best interests at heart and she doesn’t get the training she needs to be a good succubus.

The three demons she keeps bumping into are Emil, Tobias and Kellen. The three powerful demons seem to be rather unpleasant to be around but at the same time are very attractive and exude the kind of energy Adie dreams of. Their banter with each other is funny, especially as Adie is very different to what they expect and don’t know what to make of her.

It’s a fun and unusual set up and I really enjoyed the book. I will definitely be reading the next in the series.

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Review: Horns, Hugs, and Hunger (Gods and Demons Series Book 3) by Kaye Draper

Horns, Hugs, and Hunger by Kaye Draper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Plot Thickens

This book is definitely the best so far of this series. It’s when all the plot construction, world building and emotional bonding with characters pays off. We finally get to find out more about Orion and Derek and about their bond. We also find out a little more about Troya’s first life.

Troya is working hard at building up her healing skills. The godspark is growing as she works with it more and more and the patients at the clinic are benefitting from her increased skill. When Derek plans to go and rescue a shifter from his town from a different city, where he is trapped, Troya insists on coming along as they will probably need her skills to help the shifter and all the other supernaturals they are hoping to rescue. This mission throws her together more with Derek and Orion and their interactions are very interesting.

The plot moves quickly in this book and a lot of action is crammed into a few pages. It’s exciting, informative and hot as hades. There is also an overwhelming hideous cliffhanger AGAIN!!! I really hope the next book is out or out very soon or I will be cursing the author with very complex and interesting swear words.

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Review: Wishes, Wings, and Woes (Gods and Demons Series Book 2) by Kaye Draper

Wishes, Wings, and Woes by Kaye Draper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Discovering Who You Are

I always find it difficult to review and rate Kaye Draper’s books because they parts of the whole. There is no real individual storyline in this book, it is simply part of the longer whole series. This means there is a cliffhanger, even though the next book is already out. But, as I said, it makes it hard to really review this one part of the whole without reading everything. It’s like reviewing the first fifth of a book without seeing the rest of it.

However, I really enjoyed reading it. It had the author’s usual excellent world building, creative character building and intriguing storyline.

The world just imploded and Troya suddenly finds herself without a regular schedule, with her college being closed and the hospital telling her to leave from her last day as an intern there because of a demon’s behaviour. She is bored and lonely because everyone else is out saving the populous. Eventually Orion arrives and offers to let her intern at Derek White’s clinic for supernaturals. Desperate for diversion she takes her chance and is thrust into the supernatural world head first.

I really am enjoying learning much more about Derek and Orion’s history through this series. They were characters that always intrigued me in Gesa's Menagerie and this series is revealing. I’m also enjoying the way Troya views things as she thought herself human for her entire life and suddenly everything is different, including people she cares about. It’s a different way of looking at the world that we first saw in Gesa’s Menagerie and it’s an enjoyable one, as she’s handling it pretty well.

As the book ended on a cliffhanger, I really need to go and download the next book to find out what happens next. I recommend this series highly. I’d probably give the book more stars if I knew how the rest of the series panned out! 

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Review: The Rejection of Amarli Wolfe (The Centrum Trilogy Book 1) by Lucy Scott Bryan

The Rejection of Amarli Wolfe by Lucy Scott Bryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Turning Her Life Around

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This is quite an interesting book and I had no idea where it was going from one page to the next. The pacing started off quite slowly and then gradually ramped up to full on running towards the next new idea.

Amarli is a wolf shifter. She is 21 and everything is right in the world. She has a great family and her soon to be mate is the next alpha. There is a ceremony to elevate the next generation to their new positions except Amarli is rejected by her supposed mate and then cast out by the alpha. Amarli is so hurt by this she spends the next 4 years living as a human.

When she meets the son of the alpha of a pack that lives where she works, by accident, she is revealed to them. With this accidental meeting she is thrust back into the supernatural world and has to cope with all the things she thought she left behind.

The world building is a little confusing in places, simply because the author has so much to tell the reader that some things get skimmed over a bit. As this is a series, I’m sure the gaps will be filled in with future books.

Amarli is interesting in that she is both strong and weak at the same time. Mentally and physically she is tough but her emotions make her vulnerable. She has to deal with a lot in a very short period of time and she handles it pretty well on the whole, apart from a few wobbles.

There is definite cases of insta-love/lust in this book that is explained as being fated and that is the reason for the rapid bonding with people. Sometimes I’m in the mood for that and other times it drives me mad, so I thought I’d warn people, just in case they were like me.

I’ll be interested to see where this series heads next as there is a lot of potential there that I hope is fulfilled in the rest of the series.

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Review: Corsets and Quartets by Mercy DeSimone

Corsets and Quartets by Mercy DeSimone
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Subtle and Clever Reverse Harem

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This author is new to me and I picked up this book on a recommendation in a Facebook Group. It’s always nice to find romances written for people who have experienced life and this book is a brilliant example of that.

Josie is 42, manages a cookware store, has a pet cat she adores and writes romantic fiction. She enjoys her food and is therefore on the voluptuous side and is happy with the way she looks, which is a refreshing change. So often if we have a plus sized MFC they are insecure and have very negative views about themselves and the way they look. Josie is mature enough and has worked her way through life to accept herself and the way she looks without worrying too much about what other people think about her.

Josie’s best friend, Emma, has been trying to convince Josie that she needs to find a man/men to make her happy and to also inspire her romance writing to be a bit more spicy. In the end she caves and agrees to meet a man she met through an online dating website. This is the first step in her journey into finding a relationship that works for her.

One of the things I really loved about this book is that it was believable. The people were not all flawlessly sexy, confident and wealthy. They were successful in their fields, with insecurities and dad-bods. The way the relationships evolved felt natural and unforced.

I loved the friendships involved in this story almost as much as the romance. Emma is Josie’s rock. She utterly believes in her friend and is her biggest cheer-leader, but still calls out her friend when she is down on herself. Mark and Heath have been friends for years and are supportive and honest with each other. Simon is the outsider but still he is included and cared for, not only by Josie but by Mark and Heath.

I love stories about people in their 40s, because that is my stage of life now. I also like them about people who are that age who have no children because it makes us a breed apart. So often romances are about people finding love and having babies, when you start relationships in your 40s that becomes less of an option and it’s nice to have a romance where that isn’t a focus and is talked about by the characters.

This is a grown up Reverse Harem and I loved it. It felt like a breath of fresh air and I’m happy to see that there is a book planned for Emma.

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Review: Sabotaged (Sundance Series Book 3) by CP Rider

Sabotaged by C.P. Rider
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Facing Herself

The third book in this series ramps things up further in Neely’s fight for her freedom. She’s attacked frequently by alphas seeking to control her, when all she wants is to work out whether she wants to keep her bakery open or not and whether what she feels for Lucas is more than friendship and lust. Neely is starting to come round to the idea that there is more between herself and Lucas when her ex turns up to win her back.

This book is all about Neely learning to fight for herself and people less able to defend themselves. She learns about facing her conflicts about embracing who she really is and what she is capable of doing, instead of just acting out of fear.

It’s really gripping through this book, not just because of the plot, of which there is plenty, but because of the development of Neely’s character. She moves from one state of being to another and it’s trial by fire. We also get to know more about her past and her heritage.

Honestly, these book just keep getting better and I can’t put them down once I start them, which is really bad for my sleep regimen! If you like urban fantasy, you will love this series because it’s superb. Read the series!

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Review: Compounding Traumas (Artemis University Series Book 6) by Erin R Flynn

Compounding Traumas by Erin R. Flynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Back to School

I do love these books. I’ve missed the quick publishing pace of the author (personal reasons) and I’m glad to read at the back of the book that the old pace will be resumed. One of my only quibbles with these books is that the publishing pace could possibly be slowed just a little bit to allow all of the many typos and unclear sentences to be caught. It’s a little niggle, but it’s there.

This book starts around the time that Tamsin goes back to Artemis University for her sophomore year. She’s spent the summer in Spain, working with Dean White and pushed through many of her her high school courses and seriously advanced her magic. She’s been nursing her broken heart and trying to move forward with saving everyone.

Once back at AU things start to ramp up again, with her ex-lovers trying to get back with her. The councils also start to play the the hands they have spent all summer working on. But Tamsin has allies, she’s determined to protect as many students as possible and get word out to the rank and file supernaturals that their council members are corrupt and only out for themselves.

Once again it’s a high paced, plot filled novel. It has intrigue, action, emotion and plenty of heat. I can’t wait for the next one!

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Review: Earp & Chandra (Sundance Series Book 2.5) by CP Rider

Earp & Chandra by C.P. Rider
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great Novella

Novella’s are tricky things to write. They are a bit easier for established series, where the world building and characters are already created and fully rounded, but that still leaves the author trying to fit a nicely complete plot in between the covers.

This novella helps round out some of the back story for Chandra and Earp, as is indicated by the title. The story is firmly located in the main series timeline, between books 2 and 3, but it discusses the past of both characters and shares more about their roles within the community. A quick note that this is not a romance between Earp and Chandra, this is story of their friendship.

I have to say after reading this I love both characters even more than I did before. Chandra is a ruthless assassin, but she has a hidden heart. She is passionately loyal to Lucas and the Blacke Group after finding a home for the first time in her life. She employs all her honed skills and instincts for preserving the lives of those she is loyal to.

Earp has always come across as a grumpy hermit, which he was to a large extent, however he still enjoys being part of the Group. He started dating Dottie, the witch, in the previous books but we get to see how he perceives the relationship for the first time in this book.

We also see how these two different loners share a connection, almost despite themselves.

it’s a great novella and fills in some gaps in the characters personalities and histories that I found enlightening as well as entertaining. Definitely worth downloading.

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Review: Summoned (Sundance Series Book 2) by CP Rider

Summoned by C.P. Rider
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Murder, Magic and Mayhem

I loved this second book of the series even more than the first. This is pretty common for me, I admit, but it’s always such a relief when a second book doesn’t disappoint. This book took the great characters from the first book and built them even further into not only well rounded characters but ones you really want to spend time with.

Lucas tells Neely about his old alpha leader who wants to meet her. She’s scared silly about it but Lucas thinks she really doesn’t have a choice because he’s so powerful. They decide to go and face him and an incredibly complex and intriguing plot ensues. My goodness the plot keeps your mind hopping. You leap from one idea to the next without any clue where the next snippet of information is coming from.

I loved how Neely’s character developed during the course of this book. With the help of the witches, Chandra and Lucas she’s starting to understand that she can’t pretend to be human anymore and she has to embrace her spiker side to just stay alive.

The relationship between Neely and Lucas is fascinating. There is so much bickering it’s untrue, and also hilarious, but there is also a great deal of affection and understanding between them as they try to learn to trust each other and become friends.

It’s another cracking book, and you should definitely read it if you have already read the first book in the series. If you haven't read it yet, you really should because this is a great series.

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Review: Echoed Defiance (Jacky Leon Series Book 4) by KN Banet

Echoed Defiance by Kristen Banet
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Superb Urban Fantasy

KN Banet, or Kristen Banet as she was when this series first started, is a superb writer. No matter the genre of work I find her characters rich and deep, her world building complex and her plots captivating.

This book pulled all those things together in an exceptional way. It also dealt with some deep history and issues surrounding family that Jacky had never dealt with.

As the American liaison for the werecats, Jacky gets a call asking her to come and help a human that has been asking for her by name. It ties into issues that seem to have been cropping up with the Russian werewolf pack and as a result Heath insists on coming with Jacky. When they arrive they find that the matter is a lot worse than they thought and the human in trouble is someone from Jacky’s past.

There is a lot of emotional spade work in this book and slightly less action than usual. There is is still plenty of plot to keep you occupied but the driving force in this book is Jacky dealing with her baggage and how she relates to her werecat family and the rest of the supernatural world. It’s complex, subtle and intriguing writing and I devoured the book in one sitting.

Jacky Leon has rapidly become one of my favourite Urban Fantasy characters and this book is a perfect example of why. Read the series, it’s excellent and I’m sure the rest that’s yet to come will be equally brilliant.

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