He’s ready to lead the way
Parker Wilson never thought he’d go from battle-hardened soldier to romance expert, but after his stint in the Rangers, that’s exactly what happened. As the owner of DreamMakers Inc., he helps other men win in the love department, using every resource available to plan the perfect date. When a routine recon turns into an unexpected night of passion, Parker’s mission becomes more personal—and he won’t give up until Lynn Davidson is all his.
She’s more than willing to follow
Lynn is a goner from the moment she lays eyes on the delectable Parker. She’s just ditched her boring almost-boyfriend and is tired of sticking to the straight and narrow. It’s time to walk on the wild side, and what better way than in the arms of the most irresistible man she’s ever met? But when their red-hot affair is threatened, it’ll take a team effort to make their dreams come true.
~~
I picked this up on an Amazon deal I think, because I recognized the name from a different military story (I wanna say it was a menage?) I read a while back. I remember liking the story well enough and since I haven't bought a new contemporary romance - let alone an erotic one - in a while, I said what the hell. And it did a fine job for what it is. It's a short, sweet little story with a lot of spice and not tons of emotional/character development. None of which I'm complaining about. I went into this not wanting a lot of drama and Arend and Kennedy supplied - pretty much everyone is an adult who owns their sexuality without any shame. There's a bit of an over the top villain at the end, but I got exactly what I wanted/needed out of the HEA so I consider it a good buy. Plus I have the second book to see if it gets any better!
No matter how much the paranormal politics of Atlanta change, one thing always remains the same: if there’s trouble, Kate Daniels will be in the middle of it…
As the mate of the Beast Lord, Curran, former mercenary Kate Daniels has more responsibilities than it seems possible to juggle. Not only is she still struggling to keep her investigative business afloat, she must now deal with the affairs of the pack, including preparing her people for attack from Roland, a cruel ancient being with god-like powers. Since Kate’s connection to Roland has come out into the open, no one is safe—especially those closest to Kate.
As Roland’s long shadow looms ever nearer, Kate is called to attend the Conclave, a gathering of the leaders from the various supernatural factions in Atlanta. When one of the Masters of the Dead is found murdered there, apparently at the hands of a shapeshifter, Kate is given only twenty-four hours to hunt down the killer. And this time, if she fails, she’ll find herself embroiled in a war which could destroy everything she holds dear…
~~
I, like many others, probably consider Magic Breaks the pivotal book of the Kate Daniels series. Since the very beginning readers have been wondering what the showdown between Kate and Roland was going to look like, and after re-reading the book (or parts of it) about a million times I think I'm finally ready to give my thoughts.
It was awesome.
And, thankfully for my poor little heart, it was not quite as emotionally wrenching as Magic Rises, even if Kate is obviously scarred by the previous events. Facing Roland has become so much more than what her foster father Voron wanted for her - Kate has a mate along with family and friends who are significantly more important than a magically fried dead man's vendetta. So instead of a prolonged battle between Kate and Roland, the book spends more time on the lead up to her decision about what she wants in her life, with much of it riding on how she handles Hugh and his sudden appearance in Atlanta and manipulation of the People. It results in a less violent book than some of the other installments of the series, but while it is obviously a bridge since the Roland arc kind of ends, it doesn't feel like fluff. Ilona Andrews has a deft hand in changing the direction of the series, and the significant amount of individual character development makes me really excited for what's coming next. Every part of the universe we've come to love is going to change because of the events of this novel, and while I've read some reviews where people have felt like more could have been done for this initial/final showdown between Kate and Roland, I'm happy that their acrimonious relationship is going to be fodder for future novels.
Overall Feeling - A+
Series - 5) Magic Slays 6) Magic Rises 7) Magic Breaks
Happy August friends! It's been the usually hectic month for me and I think I have to accept the fact that for the foreseeable future my "books read" number is going to be low. Like reeeeaaaal low. I don't like beating myself up about the fact that I can't read as much as I used to - life's too short and I feel like there are too many of us in the same boat. So instead, let's just continue to take a look at what I read and the random things on the internet that brought me joy.
Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston
The Search by Nora Roberts
The Witness by Nora Roberts
Sparrow on the Hill by Seanan McGuire
Indulgence in Death by J.D. Robb
I picked up Indulgence in Death on major discount at Books-a-Million, and it was just wonderful. I know Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb is a comfort read for me but she just kicks ass pretty much every time and Eve and Roarke are one of my favorite couples ever.
Links I Love
//I think a lot of these 24 Life-Changing Ways to Store Your Beauty Products depend on a certain kind of home aesthetic but if I ever purge enough of well...everything...to do this, I would love it!
//If only I oculd knit - this DIY Knit Wonder Woman Sweater would be mine!
//I'm not going to lie, I really want to make this Bastardized Ramen Burger. Anybody with me?!
//"50 Incredible Tattoos Inspired By Books From Childhood" (strangely this makes me want to get a Totoro tattoo, even though that story was never a book from what I know and I'm not even sure how old I was when I first watched it
