Archives

Pretty Poison by Kari Gregg (4 Stars)

Aug28

Two strong-willed shifters overcoming obstacles in order to spend their lives together.

Noah fell from a balcony when he was a young child. Since many of his packmates thought he should be put down, his family left the pack and tried to keep him out of sight. Wade is the new alpha of the pack, and he wants the family to meet their obligation of providing a mate. More importantly, he wants Noah to be his mate. Told in a world where shifters live among humans, there was an interesting aspect to this story about the medical treatment of the two different species.

The plot revolved around proving to the pack that Noah would make a good mate for Wade. The entire story is told from Noah’s point of view. Unfortunately, he’s led an extremely sheltered life due to his injuries. He spent most of his time hidden away while recovering from multiple surgeries, avoiding the shifters that wanted to kill him and running his web-based business.

The blurb suggests that there is dubious consent in this story, but I didn’t really see it that way. Since this is taking place in the shifter world, and Noah was excited to be with Wade, I thought the beginning of their mating worked very well. I really liked Wade and thought that he was a good leader. I also thought that he cared about Noah and went out of his way to do special things for him. There were quite a few sex scenes, but outside of the knotting that took place, there wasn’t anything kinky in it. Since these two liked each other, the sex was extremely hot.

The secondary cast of characters was interesting and definitely added to the story. I only wish less time had been spent on Noah’s health issues and instead focused on the development of his relationship with Wade.

A very sexy shifter romance with two strong characters strengthening their mating with the odds stacked against them.

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb

Wes and Kit by Hollis Shiloh (4 Stars)

Aug27

Interesting and enjoyable characters meet under unfortunate circumstances and fall in love. Very sweet story romance with a mystery running in the background. I would have liked a bit more dialogue with Kit and Wes, but I still felt like I got to know them well enough to believe the connection. I really liked how the different issues with their hearts were presented. I also adored their spunky dog, Lolly, who always managed to make me smile. All sex takes place off-page, but there was plenty of cuddling. Although this couple gets their HEA, the mystery isn’t resolved yet and continues in the next story which I will definitely be reading.

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Book Blurb

Dead Man and the Restless Spirits (Dead Man #1) by Lou Harper (5 Stars)

Aug7

Spirits and romance mix in this fast-paced, enjoyable story.

Denton Mills can see the spirits of those who have died. It has made his life a bit challenging, but it’s about to get a lot better after he meets Bran Maurell. Bran is a witch who cleanses homes and has a very prickly personality. Denton and Bran start to work together and also begin to have feelings for each other. But Bran has a secret, and he’s afraid Denton will leave once he finds out.

Denton was a great guy with a lighthearted personality. I liked his partner, Joy, and enjoyed watching them interact on their web design business. Bran was a challenge at some points with his grouchy personality. At the same time, I liked that he never really changed outside of smiling a bit more and starting to warm up a little. It made the story much more realistic.

As we learn his secrets, his issues make perfect sense which just made him more lovable. Most of the sex in this story takes place off page. However, there is a bit of kink involved once you learn Bran’s secret. This definitely made the little bit of sex extremely steamy in a unique way.

I loved the paranormal elements and how they played perfectly with the romance angle. There were a few different cases they took on which kept the story moving quickly without ever getting overwhelming or confusing. The most emotional moment in the story, which had me in tears, actually took place between two of the spirits.

There were some minor open ends in the story which make me hope I’ll see these characters in future stories of the Sanquine series. Denton plays a role in the first story in the series, but it wasn’t necessary to read it before this one.

I highly recommend this sweet paranormal romance with quirky characters and some really touching moments which made for a delightful read.

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb

Creature Feature by Mary Calmes and Poppy Dennison (3 Stars)

Jul24

It’s a double serving of creatures with werewolves and demons and twice the danger!

Diagnosis: Wolf by Poppy Dennison

Andrew Hughes is struggling to meet the bills after his brother stole everything from him. Fortunately, he’s a nurse and an opportunity for a high paying job just opened up. Not sure what he’s getting himself into, but desperate enough not to care, he shows up to take care of a very sick and special patient. The patient, Caleb DiMartino, is a shifter who is immediately attracted to Andrew. Can they find out what’s wrong with Caleb in time to save his life?

Andrew and Caleb made a cute couple as Andrew tries to cope with the thought of having a werewolf for a boyfriend. In addition to trying to save Caleb’s life, they spend some time getting to know each other. Andrew is a pretty good guy who seems to get taken advantage of too frequently, especially by his brother. It was nice to see Caleb yearning to take care of him. There were some family issues with pack politics coming into play. They were somewhat interesting until the mystery was solved. At that point, there was just a bit too much going on that wasn’t explained well enough to make sense. However, there was a really sweet epilogue bringing everything to closure.

Landslide by Mary Calmes

Frank Corrigan has been working as a courier for the demon, Cael Berith, for three years. Frank has significant self-esteem issues, and he doesn’t believe that he is Cael’s mate. When Frank’s sister is in need of some help, he is desperate enough to ask for Cael’s help. This is the chance Cael has been waiting for so that he can prove to Frank that they are mates, and Cael will never leave Frank.

Frank was an awesome character. He was mentally strong although a bit insecure due to his concern about his weight. Cael was sexy, confident, and very much in control of everything around him except for Frank. The romance between the two of them was a bit frustrating. It didn’t make sense that it would take 3 years for Cael to push the issue with Frank. Their declarations of love and overall discussions also became a bit repetitive.

The world building was great in this story and very well fleshed out. Unfortunately, while short stories are normally a huge win for me, there was just too much going on in this one. On top of the new world and a budding romance, there was also an issue with his sister, a murder, and a competitive “friend”. The shifter politics were also a bit confusing. However, this would be a great start to a series in this world.

The stories are not related and can be read independently. Neither of them are really very scary or gory. If you enjoy suspenseful paranormal stories with low angst, then this might be the book for you.

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb