Marked by Lauren Dane, Vivian Arend, and Kit Rocha

Three stories of passion, possession, and ink.

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lauren Dane takes you into a brand new world in ALL THAT REMAINS. Summer Killian falls fast and hard when Charlie arrives in Paradise Village. But the heat turns all the way up when she learns Charlie is also with Hatch -- the man she loved four years before. While she's not sure she's cut out for a triad, neither man is going to give her up. (Metamorphosis Series, #1)

Take a ROCKY RIDE with New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Vivian Arend as she leads you back to the Six Pack Ranch. Anna Coleman might be the law around Rocky Mountain House, but bad boy Mitch Thompson knows that under the stiff RCMP uniform is a woman with a passion for speed and pleasure that matches his own, and he's not giving up until she's his. (Thompson & Sons, #1 -- a Coleman Cowboys spin-off series)

Kit Rocha returns to Sector Four in BEYOND TEMPTATION. A promise to a dying friend backfires when Noah Lennox finds that the girl he was supposed to rescue is all grown up -- and wearing O'Kane ink. He wants to protect her from the secrets of their past, but she wants him. And an O'Kane woman always gets what she wants. (Beyond #3.5, set between Beyond Pain and Beyond Jealousy)
~~

[Quick note - Marked is on sale at Amazon for $2.99 through the month of February!]

The is one of those rare anthologies where I wasn't only happy with one author's story - each one had something unique to offer and provided a glimpse into how each person writes their own HEA's. 

Originally I was only interested in this collection for Lauren Dane's story. She's been a favorite of mine for years and even though this was going to be a foray into a new series for her, I trust her voice and was confident I would enjoy it. Which I did. I think she does a great job grounding her characters in a new future, creating sympathetic people who made choices they had to live by or atone for. I think my only problem, which I admit to being incredibly personal, was that I couldn't detach enough to really believe in how this future had unfolded. I've read too many dystopians where less women equaled less independence (for "protection" reasons) so to see how this society had evolved to revere women was a bit of a surprise. But like I sad - personal problem, I can't really attribute this to anything Dane did or did not do. 

Vivien Arend's story was great, the kind of contemporary erotic romance that I like so much, but Kit Rocha's entry was the biggest surprise for me. I'd heard a lot of good things about her Beyond series but somehow none of the reviews I'd read had pushed me over the edge into giving her a try. Marked was the perfect entry in her world as it not only included cameos by characters in previous books, it also tantalized me with just enough information about the world itself to leave me wanting more. I'm pretty sure though it was the except from Beyond Shame that finally did me in completely - I gotta know what happens!

Overall Feeling - A

Series - Various

*Title won in a Twitter contest*

Thankless in Death by J.D. Robb

Lieutenant Eve Dallas has plenty to be grateful for this season. Hosting Roarke’s big Irish family for the holiday may be challenging, but it’s a joyful improvement on her own dark childhood.

Other couples aren’t as lucky as Eve and Roarke. The Reinholds, for example, are lying in their home stabbed and bludgeoned almost beyond recognition. Those who knew them are stunned—and heartbroken by the evidence that they were murdered by their own son. Twenty-six-year-old Jerry hadn’t made a great impression on the bosses who fired him or the girlfriend who dumped him—but they didn’t think he was capable of this.

Turns out Jerry is not only capable of brutality but taking a liking to it. With the money he’s stolen from his parents and a long list of grievances, he intends to finally make his mark on the world. Eve and her team already know the who, how, and why of this murder. What they need to pinpoint is where Jerry’s going to strike next.
~~

I'm so glad for the internets that help me remember series that I've loved but haven't gone back to in a while. J.D Robb/Nora Roberts' In Death series had been a staple of mine a long time, but somewhere along the line I guess I got distracted and stopped keeping up with each new release. Jumping back in by re-reading Innocent in Death then following it up with with this book has got me all excited to go back and read the ones I've missed - it's just that good.

This isn't a whodunnit mystery, the book actually starts out with the murderer, but writing it this way allows the characters themselves to shine throughout the story. Eve and Roarke have been through a lot by the time we reach the 37th book, but they're still committed to standing up for the people who've been victimized and for the love they share for each other. The killer might get a lot of lucky breaks (and I admit to being a wimp and flipping through some of the more violent scenes) but ultimately he gets his comeuppance and Eve and Roarke recognition for all the help they've given the people of New York.

Overall Feeling - A

Series - ....36) Calculated in Death 37) Thankless in Death

Deception Cove by Jayne Castle

In the world of Harmony, Rainshadow Island is home to a mysterious preserve, secrets that have been kept for centuries, and a treasure worth killing for…

As a light-talent, Alice North has the rare ability to make things disappear, including herself—a gift that comes in handy during her magic act with her dust bunny Houdini.

Business mogul Drake Sebastian is day-blind, since his sight was nearly destroyed in a lab accident. But he’s the one man who can see Alice when she disappears—and he needs her.

On Rainshadow Island, two dangerous Old World crystals are missing, igniting a paranormal storm. Drake thinks Alice is the key to finding them, and proposes they head there, but only after a Marriage of Convenience.

Alice’s honeymoon on Rainshadow is guaranteed to be memorable, as the island—and the passion between her and Drake—is about to explode…
~~

I've got a soft spot in my heart for Jayne Castle (Jayne Ann Krentz) but I have to say the vulnerability she's putting into her heroes lately have been making the stories even better.  Drake is scarred inside and out, from a relationship that ended very badly, so while he's eager to establish a connection with Alice it's not clear even he knows exactly why it's so important. 

But once the two of them land in Deception Cove, and are forced to lean on each other for survival, the ways in which they complement each other come to the surface. Castle doesn't create stories where brute strength is enough to save it all and Alice and Drake have to look for clues to the missing stones, protect the hearts and bodies of the people still on the island, and understand what their relationship really is all at the same time. It results in a fast paced, entertaining novel with quick dialogue and a couple whose HEA you care about. Add in characters from past books and you've got a great addition to the Rainshadow series that functions well as a stand alone.

Overall Feeling - A

Series - 1) The Lost Night 2) Deception Cove

Teaser Tuesday (9/25)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"In the shadows her smile was a tantalizing mix of feminine invitation and challenge. "Are you always this hard to talk into bed?""

 -- pg 153, The Lost Night by Jayne Castle

Mini Me: The Lost Night by Jayne Castle

Even the mysterious world of Harmony has people who don’t quite fit in. They’re drawn to places like Rainshadow Island, a beautiful sanctuary where anyone can feel safe—and where secrets are closely guarded...

Schooled in an exotic form of martial arts, and with the ability to detect the auras of dangerous psychic criminals, Rachel Bonner and her dust bunny companion have found peace and quiet on Rainshadow Island, operating a bookstore and café.

But her tranquil new life is thrown into chaos when Harry Sebastian, the descendant of a notorious pirate, arrives to investigate strange developments in the privately owned woods known as the Preserve.

Immediately drawn to the amber-eyed woman, Harry must tread carefully. While Rachel’s special talents can help him track down dangerous rogues who have violated the Preserve, they can also sense the heart of darkness within him. But desire can weaken the strongest of defenses—and leave even the strongest man wanting more…
~~

Can I just put a mini-me right here? I promise I'm not trying to phone it in but writing a long review just seems unnecessary. I like Jayne Castle, I like her Harmony series, and this book was no exception. Kick ass hero, kick ass heroine, neither of them jump each others' bones in the first five pages. Instead we get a nice romance, some sexy times, and a struggle to uncover the msytery of Rachel's forgotten night in the Preserve. Who the bad guys are isn't exactly 'OOH AMAZING' but hey, that's not why I read these.

And to finish up - I can't wait for the next one!

Teaser Tuesday (9/18)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"One look into those brilliant amber eyes and everything else that was important in his life dropped to second place on his list of priorities. In that first moment of meeting her he had known that even if he never saw her again he would not forget her." 

-- pg 46, The Lost Night by Jayne Castle

Ghost Hunter by Jayne Castle

Where deadly energy ghosts lurk in the ruins of an ancient alien civilization. Where dust bunnies prove to be loyal pets. And where a ghost hunter will discover that a woman's heart is the most dangerous adversary of all...

Local Guild boss and powerful ghost-hunter Cooper Boone is everything botanist Elly St. Clair could ask for - the handsome, strong, and silent type. Maybe too silent. For when Guild secrets threaten her career at the college, Elly has to call off their marriage - and leave small-town life behind...

But starting over in the thriving metropolis of Cadence City isn't easy, especially when one of Elly's new friends disappears in the eerie catacombs beneath the streets. Cooper turns up just in time to help Elly investigate. And as the mystery deepens and dangerous ghost myths and legends come to light, Cooper makes it clear he intends to stick around - and this time he's holding nothing back...

~~

For an uncomplicated romance (futuristic or not) Jayne Castle/Jayne Ann Krentz remains a favorite. Her characters continue to be unique, even if there are similarities, and in the case of her Harmony world series I like the slight tinge of paranormal with the romance. It doesn't negatively affect the evolution of the relationship, but it does give rise to interesting reasons for conflict that don't annoy me (ie, no soap opera drama).

We're introduced to Elly and Cooper just as their relationship starts to turn sour. She gives back his ring and cancels their engagement after his promotion to head of the local Guild - a promotion she hadn't anticipated, which puts the initial problems she had about their relationship into new light. She moves to Cadence City and while it may take Cooper six months to follow her, he does, which is when the sparks between them and the danger surrounding them pick up speed. You get great action and funny conversations between our hero and heroine as they try to navigate the many misunderstandings that lead to their current predicament - it results in not a whole lot of time between the sheets but wonderful moments as they rekindle the romance and feelings that brought them together initially.

As one of the first few books of the series there are some big discoveries about the Underworld that happen in this book, which are further explored in the later installments. I recommend the whole series.

Overall Feeling - B

Series - 1) After Dark 2) After Glow 3) Ghost Hunter 4) Silver Master 5) Dark Light 6) Obsidian Prey 7) Midnight Crystal 8) Canyons of Night

Mini Me: Lesserblood Lies by Ainsley Davidson

To protect her children from the despotic Trueblood, Merianne defied them by taking her girls and fleeing the planet. Even though Merianne's daughters are Lesserblood, they have the Talents. The Trueblood would train her children to use their dangerous gifts, but their methods are cruel, and Merianne would never see her girls again.

Merianne tries to give her girls a safe, quiet life, but when they befriend Thorne, a brilliant scientist, she finds herself drawn to the kind and captivating man—despite his uncanny resemblance to the Trueblood.

Thorne wants to help the girls control their emerging Talents, and he's intrigued by their mother. But just as Merianne finally accepts Thorne's help, two of her children are seized. To rescue the girls, Merianne and Thorne must risk death at the hands of the Trueblood, who will kill to protect their lies.

~~

It's rare for me to do a review for a book that was a DNF but this was just so unfortunate. It started out ok, with Meri trying to start over on a new planet with her daughters (who were kind of cute) and getting drawn into this back and forth with the 'freesearcher' Thorne, but it didn't hold out. There was a lot of forced 'future-fying' of the language that resulted in most conversations sounding strange or stilted.

Pretty quickly I found myself flipping through pages just to get to the end because not only did I not care that Meri's three children had been kidnapped, I couldn't understand how both her and Thorne were so useless. Maybe I'm too used to take-charge, kick ass heroine but I was supremely underwhelmed by the whole thing. Once I finally got to the last chapter the HEA was for the most part unconvincing and I thought Eda's (the oldest daughter) choices for her future were kind of ridiculous considering the circumstances.

**Title requested from NetGalley for review**

Heart Search by Robin D. Owens

Laev T'Hawthorn -- one of the highest nobles in the land -- must rebuild his life after a devastating mistake.  He married a woman he believed was his HeartMate, only to learn she was a greedy social climber.  She callously used him, stealing his family heirlooms.  He is determined to reclaim all that he has lost -- beginning with his self-respect.

Abandoned at fifteen, Camellia Darjeeling values her independence above all.  She's fought to establish her own businesses -- elegant tearooms -- only to have her father and uncle re-enter her life.  They emotionally scourge her and extort money.  Trusting men, even her HeartMate, is too risky.

When Laev and Camellia meet, they refuse to acknowledge that they are true HeartMates.  After her shady relatives are implicated in the theft of Laev's property, Camellia and Laev's lives become ever more entangled bringing each to the brink of despair and passion...and a destiny they can no longer avoid.

~~

I loved Heart Search and it was wonderful to see Owens go back to some of the characteristics that made her books a favorite of mine in the beginning. Heart Search had just the right amount of romance and angst; Camellia, with her distrust of Laev and all men really because of her family and Laev, who knew he had a heartmate but because of his horrible marriage didn't want anything do with love. You could think that with two main characters who are firmly determined not to find themselves in relationships again you'd get type of anger and confusion typical of HP,  but instead you just get one that feels real.

I didn't feel like either Camellia or Laev went out of their way to deliberately misunderstand or hurt each other - unfortunately it was more circumstance from their own experiences that left them floundering. Camellia initially might know that Laev is her heartmate but he married someone else; a betrayal that she's hard pressed to get over, especially considering how much emotional (and physical) abuse that's doled out by her uncle and father. None of the people she should have been able to trust have her back and she's not in a place where she wants Laev to pick up the slack.

So Laev, after overcoming his own fears, has to be the one to convince Camellia that they're good for each other. They might have sparks but it's the emotional connection they need to repair, and Owens does a fantastic job of showing how both Camellia and Laev have to work hard to get to their happy ending. 

Recommended.

Overall Feeling - Thumbs up.

Series - ....7) Heart Fate 8) Heart Change 9) Heart Journey 10) Heart Search

Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews

This is the part were I usually have a title description but since I can't find one I'm going to go with the Tweet that sucked me in:

"Okay, it's basically Millionaire Boss and His Humble Secretary in space & secretary kills people with her brain"

(Or you could check out Goodreads which has the Andrews approved summary.)

~~

It's incredibly exciting for me as a reader (though I'm sure frightening for them) when an author goes out and releases something that's different from their norm. I'm always on the look out for the next great book to read and when an author adds something different to their repertoire I almost feel like it's an assurance that while it may be new it's going to be good. It's an author's voice that has the most to do with whether a story a resonates with me, and in the instance of Silver Shark, Ilona Andrews has once again written a fantastic world, never mind the fact that it's not Kate Daniels in it.

While I was reading I could definitely see its HP roots with the self-confident billionaire and the insecure secretary, but as is often the case with Andrews things end up being much more than that. Claire (the secretary) is insecure only in the realm of this new world she's found herself in, her abilities as a Kinsman and and a protector are still what define her sense of self. Ventura (the millionaire) picks up on that dichotomy from the beginning and is determined to figure out what makes her so different from everyone else.

What I'm saying is that the story may be shorter but sparks fly and the romance is just sweet enough, without the annoying alphole or TDTL heroine (which is what turned me off full blown Harlequin titles). Add in lots of action since they're both warriors and you've got an intriguing and interesting story and I can only hope that the Andrews team decides to give us more glimpses into the Kinsman universe later.

Overall Feeling - Thumbs up.

Series - 1) Silent Blade 2) Silver Shark (Released 9/16? Soon!)

**Title requested from the author for review**

Mini Me: Canyons of Night by Jayne Castle

The island of Rainshadow is home to the mysterious, privately-owned woods known only as the Preserve. Now, after fifteen years away, both Charlotte Enright and her teen crush, Slade Attridge, have returned. But will their psi talents and Slade’s dust bunny companion be enough to keep them from getting drawn into the darkness at the heart of the Preserve? 

~~

Canyons of Night was a good, but sadly not great, addition to the Harmony series. The elements were all there - characters with a past, kookie small-town setting, mysterious paranormal location that may or may not be imploding - it all should have added up to another home run. Unfortunately things felt more formulaic than usual in this installment and while I enjoyed it because I like the way Castle builds a romance between her two main characters, it's not my favorite and for those less devoted is a fine library read.

Dreamlight Trilogy by Jayne Ann Krentz

More than three centuries ago, Nicholas Winters irrevocably altered his genetic makeup in an obsession fueled competition with alchemist and Arcane Society founder Sylvester Jones. Driven to control their psychic abilities, each man's decision has reverberated throughout the family line, rewarding some with powers beyond their wildest dreams, and cursing others to a life filled with madness and hallucinations.

~~

I'm going to try not to gush too much, as I think it shows I'm probably a little too emotionally evolved to review these books, but I do think Jayne Ann Krentz did a wonderful job with this series. Readers are treated to 3 really interesting stories that intertwine with themselves and the particular environments of the 3 types of worlds Krentz has created.

As Krentz she wrote a contemporary romance, as Quick a historical, and as Castle a futuristic; each one worked well within her established environments. Thus nothing felt forced and instead flowed with the personalities of the characters. I would say though that for people trying to save their pennies the romances are a little similar (especially when read back to back) and it might be worth trying a novel or 2 from the library before buying the whole set. Since I like the way Krentz frames her narratives and like the back and forth she sets up between her heroes and heroines before the HEA I'm still a happy camper - but keep it in mind, this stories are in the same vein as what she usually writes.

Now on to a small little con (that is only really a con because I read all the installments so close together and am actually following the whole series) - the family history in each novel is almost overwhelming. In each novel we get another explanation/retelling of the tale of the original Winters and Jones. It's great from a publisher's stand point because then each novel works well as a stand alone story but it get's old pretty quickly from my viewpoint as the reader. That's kind of why I say it's a small con, because as annoying as it is to reread I understand the purpose of it and truthfully it's not that much of a hardship to flip a couple pages.

Overall Feeling - Thumbs up for all!

Series - 1) Fired Up 2) Burning Lamp 3) Midnight Crystal

Midnight Crystal by Jayne Castle

Adam Winters has enough responsibility as the new head of the local Ghost Hunter Guild without being saddled with the family curse. He's convinced his recent nightmares and hallucination swill lead to him becoming a psychic rogue- unless he can find a stolen relic and a woman who can read dreamlight.

Marlowe Jones rides into his life on a motorcycle and with a dust bunny at her side. Though a descendant of the rival Arcane family, she's just what Adam needs: a psychic private investigator and dreamlight reader extraordinaire.

Together, amid the glowing catacombs and steamy underground jungles of Harmony, Adam and Marlowe must break the curse, save the entire underworld- and fight a passion that could destroy them both...

~~

I always love Jayne Castle's forays into the world of Harmony and I think the only reason I didn't love this more is because it's part of trilogy I haven't read. Oy. Jayne Castle also releases books as Jayne Ann Krentz and Amanda Quick and there first two books were each released under a different name. It makes sense when you consider that she writers contemporary suspense romance, historical romance, and futuristic paranormal romance, but even I admit it can be a bit confusing.

Still Adam and Marlowe were a lot of fun to get to know and appropriately kick ass. Marlowe rides in on her motorcycle (which more often than not I think uber cool for the heroine) and immediately sets herself up as a strong partner to Adam. No protecting necessary, though it can be appreciated anyway. Mystery from the beginning with enough suspense, murder, and action to make the whole book experience a good one.

I think if I had to make a complaint I think it would be that there are a lot of elements to the book and not all of them are treated equally. The biggest bulk of the non-romance action goes to solving the problems with the Ghost Hunter Guild, but that's not the only mystery. Adam's sister has been injured from before, there's some big deal with the Underground Jungle, a psychic con artist and MORE. Like all of these things come at you as you're reading. Castle wraps it all up in the end but I could have done with some more time/book space devoted to these parts.

Still I liked this book and love her work as Castle so this ready is highly recommended!

Overall Feeling - Thumbs up. 

Series - 1) Fired Up 2) Burning Lamp 3) Midnight Crystal 

Play of Passion & Inside Out - 2 mini reviews

I've read (re-read in fact) both of these books a couple times since they've come out because they deserve the time.They're a lot of fun and great additions to wonderful series. The thing is that they've been covered a number of times on other book blogs that I like, so instead of doing in depth reviews on my own I'm just gonna highlight their greatness for you here.

First up is Play of Passion by Nalini Singh:

Passion and reason collide with explosive force in the newest installment of Nalini Singh’s “mesmerizing”* Psy/Changeling series. As a conflict with Pure Psy looms on the horizon, two powerful wolves fight a far more intimate war of their own…

In his position as tracker for the SnowDancer pack, it’s up to Drew Kincaid to rein in rogue changelings who have lost control of their animal halves—even if it means killing those who have gone too far. But nothing in his life has prepared him for the battle he must now wage to win the heart of a woman who makes his body ignite…and who threatens to enslave his wolf.

Lieutenant Indigo Riviere doesn’t easily allow skin privileges, especially of the sensual kind—and the last person she expects to find herself craving is the most wickedly playful male in the den. Everything she knows tells her to pull back before the flames burn them both to ash…but she hasn’t counted on Drew’s will.

Now, two of SnowDancer’s most stubborn wolves find themselves playing a hot, sexy game even as lethal danger stalks the very place they call home…

~~

Overall Feeling - Thumbs up! I can't say it's my favorite of the series, but it's still a fantastic romance with just the right amount of spark.

Series - 1) Slave to Sensation 2) Visions of Heat 3) Caressed by Ice 4) Mine to Possess 5) Hostage to Pleasure 6) Branded by Fire 7) Blaze of Memory 8) Bonds of Justice 9) Play of Passion 10) Kiss of Snow (June 2011)

Other Reviews - Fiction Vixen, Smexy Books

Next: Inside Out by Lauren Dane

 Ella Tipton is a survivor. In the wake of an attack that left her nearly dead, she’s spent each day putting her life back together. Once vibrant and outgoing, she’s needed to reclaim the best parts of who she was while retaining the hard won lessons. There hasn’t been room for any romantic entanglements, even if she were ready. Still, it didn’t mean she had to stop sneaking looks at Mister Tall, Dark and Tattooed himself.

Security professional Andrew Copeland isn’t quite sure when his jones for the lovely and decidedly skittish Ella developed. He’s known her for years, has watched her triumph over the pain she’d been dealt. Cope is no stranger to women, but he knows the nervous flush he gets every time he talks to her is different than any attraction he’s had in the past. Determined to get Ella to let him in, Andy does the one thing he can think of to get close: he offers her hands-on training in self-defense.

While Ella’s sure he’s just being nice, the prospect of being able to touch him and gain the tools to push away the last vestiges of her fear is more than she can resist. Soon enough, Cope shows Ella his feelings are far more than friendly and re-ignites something deep inside her. Before long desire and love turn them both inside out.

~~

Overall Feeling - Thumbs up. Again not my favorite in the series, Cope and Ella's romance still has a lot of heat and a lot of love AND a lot of friends to keep it upbeat.

Series - 1) Coming Undone 2) Laid Bare 3) Inside Out

Other Reviews - Fiction Vixen, Book Addict, Smexy Books

Burning Up by Nalini Singh, Angela Knight, Virginia Kantra, & Meljean Brook

Bring these four authors together and it's sure to ignite a spark...

Angela Knight pairs a vampire warrior and his seductive captor in a battle against demonic predators.

Nalini Singh returns to the world of her Psy-Changeling series as a woman in lethal danger finds an unlikely protector-and lover.

Virginia Kantra continues the haunting tales of the Children of the Sea in her story of a wounded soldier rescued by an enigmatic young woman.

Meljean Brook launches a bold new steampunk series about a woman who strikes a provocative-and terrifying-bargain for freedom.

~~

This book is a prime example of why I rarely like anthologies. Somehow it always turns out that they're not really worth my money. Now don't get me wrong, I loved Nalini Singh's story. It had all the fun heat and emotion that her Changeling relationships have. 

I unfortunately can't say the same for the rest of the stories.

Knight's story gave off this awkward forced-seduction-kinda-rape-but-I-love-you vibe, and that didn't turn out well in my opinion. Maybe if there had been a bit more of the story, more time for the characters to go from sex to love it would have been a bit believable. Instead it all seemed to rapid fire and I never quite got over how the two first come together. Kantra's addition still suffered from too few pages, with her characters coming off a little flat, though I liked more the more rarely seen relationship between a selkie-like shapechanger and a human male. 

Meljean Brook had the second best story in the anthology. I thought the background of the two characters was more thorough and the emotions more real. My problems were more with the execution of the story and a feeling of indignation on behalf of the heroine when she's stuck in situations due to other people's manipulation and reluctance to give her the whole story - but that would bug me no matter the author. At least from this story I was able to figure out that probably no matter the author I'm not going to be a big steampunk fan (except when it comes to the fashion of course).

Overall Feeling - Thumbs up for Singh, thumbs down for the rest.

Series - Singh's is part of her Psy-Changeling books (a prequel) but the others I don't know well enough to say

Healer's Garden by Nina Pierce

In the female-dominated society of the twenty-third century, mating with a male, even if it is to save the human race, is a distasteful task and one Healer Jahara Hriznek has successfully avoided—until now.

Brenimyn is a gifted breeding instructor at the Garden of Serenity. Forced to copulate with all females requesting his services, he yearns to find the one woman who responds to his touch. When Jahara arrives with the new class of breeders, Brenimyn’s body immediately aches for her, but convincing the stubborn healer that sex between a man and a woman is more than just an act for procreation proves to be a challenge he refuses to fail.

Jahara doesn’t want to enjoy the sinful rapture only Brenimyn brings to her body. Brenimyn has no intention of dousing the flames of desire licking at them until Jahara is completely his—body, mind and heart. But when the government finds their loving relationship a threat to the natural order, there may be more than their stubborn wills at stake.

**This book was provided by the author for review consideration**

Let's start off with the good - Nina Pierce has crafted a well written novel that has some interesting twists on the usual hierarchical themes. I've seen quite a few futuristic eroticas on Ellora's Cave where due to some natural disaster men are the ones left in charge but this is probably the first I've read where it's the other way around. I like the way Pierce switches up the perspectives so everything is not always from Jahara's POV - it's a big reason why I liked the story at all. Ultimately I feel she's created a believable futuristic environment with enough good points to make me think that while it wasn't my cup of tea other people will probably feel differently.

When I was reading this e-book there were a few big things that didn't work for me. First I didn't believe that someone who was a lesbian and in love, or at least in a big heap of like, would be able to fall in love with a guy. Right from jump that confused me and that confusion lasted for throughout because I never felt like it did make sense. That original feeling wasn't helped any by the way this futuristic society approaches sex and the way Pierce sets up Jahara's first time with a man. The question of coercion/forced seduction hasn't really been an issue for me because I think most of the time I'm willing to suspend my disbelief, but for some reason the way it's done here made me vaguely uncomfortable. I just couldn't shake the feeling that Jahara was being conned into something that she didn't want to do even if the guy was being nice about it (none of that 'asshole seduces the virgin and she gives in because she's a virgin and later they end up with this miraculous HEA' stuff). Secondly as much as Brenimyn wasn't a jerk his inability to understand why Jahara wouldn't just be in love and be happy with him irked me. Of course she's not sure you idiot! You're working on convincing her to be part of a relationship that she previously had no way to comprehend. If you could step off your high horse there for a minute I would appreciate it.

Overall I thought the book wasn't bad. The suspense elements are unexpected and done well enough and each supporting character's motivations were for the most part hidden until the very end. If thing had been different with the characters or really the way the world itself was set up (which I acknowledge would make it a different book) I probably could have seen my way to liking it. Unfortunately that didn't happen and it's just not for me.

Overall Feeling - Thumbs down.

Series - None.

August in Review

I think it's safe to say that it's been a good month for books. I picked up a lot of oldies but threw in some new ones for variety, which turned out to be exactly what I needed. I like buying my books. I like having them on my shelf for whenever a sentence or a scene or a character pops in my brain to remind me why I loved them. I feel like there are probably more than a few missing from my list unfortunately, just because I was picking up this one or putting down that one all the time. Still it's a good list with some great books, so I say if you picked anything from here to read you're going to enjoy yourself.


Old Dogs are the best dogs by Gene Weingarten
Loving the Highlander by Janet Chapman
Wedding the Highlander by Janet Chapman
Tempting the Highlander by Janet Chapman
Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh
Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh
Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh
Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh
Love Me If You Dare by Carly Phillips
Absolutely Positively by Jayne Ann Krentz
Wild Card by Lora Leigh
Tanner's Scheme by Lora Leigh
Water Bound by Christine Feehan
Kitty Goes to War by Carrie Vaughn
Take a Thief by Mercedes Lackey
After Dark by Jayne Castle
After Glow by Jayne Castle
Bengal's Heart by Lora Leigh
Orchid by Jayne Castle
Dark Light by Jayne Castle
Lion's Heat by Lora Leigh
Street Game by Christine Feehan
Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Cast in Chaos by Michelle Sagara
The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop

Reviews/Books Read: 13/25

After Dark & After Glow by Jayne Castle

Life is tough these days for Lydia Smith, licensed para-archaeologist. Seriously stressed-out from a nasty incident in an alien tomb, she is obliged to work in Shrimpton’s House of Ancient Horrors, a very low-budget museum. She has a plan to get her career back on track, but it isn’t going well. Stuff keeps happening.

Take the dead body that she discovered in the sarcophagus exhibit. Who needed that? Finding out that her new client, Emmett London, is one of the most dangerous men in the city isn’t helping matters either. And that’s just today’s list of setbacks. Here in the shadows of the Dead City of Old Cadence, things don’t really heat up until After Dark.


Life is complicated for Lydia Smith. She's working at a tacky, third-rate museum, Shrimpton's House of Ancient Horrors, trying to salvage her career in para-archaeology-and dating the most dangerous man in town. Just when she thinks she might be getting things under control, she stumbles over a dead body and discovers that her lover has a secret past that could get him killed. Just to top it off, there's trouble brewing underground in the eerie, glowing green passageways of the Dead City.

Descending into these twisting catacombs, Lydia will learn just what it's like to put her heart-and life- on the line...



I know I haven't done a ton of reviews lately, I've been distracted by my upcoming Dragon*Con adventures, but I did want to highlight a couple of books that I picked back up off my shelves last week. Jayne Castle (Jayne Ann Krentz) definitely has a winning series with her futuristic romance ghost hunter books. With each book we get a great look at the physical environment, social and cultural mores, and personal choices that motivate her characters. In particular with these two books it's even more engaging as the story is not really complete (no confirmed HEA) at the end of book 1.

Between the two readers have the opportunity to learn more personally about Lydia and Emmett and what makes them tick as a couple. Both have pasts that come back to affect their present, and there's a good bit of murder mystery to keep things interesting. Throw in Guild politics and hidden alien chambers and you've got a rollicking good time. I'd recommend to anyone that they go and pick up these 2 stories (along with the other books Krentz has released as Castle), but even without the rest these are very much worth your money and your time.

Overall Feeling - Thumbs up.

Series - 1) After Dark 2) After Glow

Teaser Tuesdays (8/24)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Hold on," Simon said. "Why are you meeting the new Guild boss again this afternoon?"

She opened the door. "I forgot to tell you that I'm marrying him."

--pg 73, Dark Light by Jayne Castle

Teaser Tuesdays (8/10)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"They'd been her most secret, most precious treasure. In those dreams she'd been who she might've been had she not lived the life of a Psy."

--pg 220, Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh