Air Bound by Christine Feehan

For as far back as she can remember, Airiana Ridell has always been aware of her extraordinary gift. She can intuit revealing and illuminating 'patterns' in the air around her-whether in a spray of mist, in billowing clouds, or in the dense swirls of an impenetrable fog. Her abilities led to her placement in a secret government training facility when she was a child, but everything changed after her mother was murdered.

Airiana fled the program, but she couldn't outrun the desperate members of a shadowy cabal who want her, who need her, who will kill to get her. Kidnapped and held aboard a ship bound for dangerous seas, her only chance for rescue is Maxim Prakenskii. He has his reasons for helping her, but he isn't about to reveal them to Airiana. Not yet. Not as the two are drawn together as moth to flame. Not when there are so many secrets yet untold that could shatter the quaint community of Sea Haven and all who reside there. . .
~~

I don't know people, how much longer I can keep reading Christine Feehan. All in all Air Bound was a good addition to the Sea Haven series, and I enjoy reading how these "Sisters of the Heart" find their Prakenskii match, but the sexual violence might finally be getting to me. It didn't real feel out of place per se, especially considering the final Drake book, but it just makes me sad. I don't want to read about child predators and human trafficking rings when I'm reading a romance. Not even in a paranormal one. It immediately put a pall over everything I was reading and even while I was ready for the HEA the reality (or pseud-reality) of what the characters had experienced during the story stayed with me.

I guess in the end it's up to you. It's not a bad story and as far as alpha males go Maxim can be annoying at times but is not that bad, and he and Airiana ended up feeling like a good pair, in spite of any "fated" feelings. I just think think that as time passes I personally am having a harder time shrugging off the long term effects of sexual violence in books. It's not you ok? It's me.

Overall Feeling - B-

Series - 1) Water Bound 2) Spirit Bound 3) Air Bound

Pia Saves the Day by Thea Harrison

Pia and Dragos’s magical young son Liam (the Peanut), is growing at an unprecedented rate, and if that isn’t enough, he is also exhibiting new, and unpredictable, magical gifts. To protect him, the concerned parents decide to move to upstate New York.

Both Dragos and Pia relish the idea of leaving behind the city. They finally have the space to indulge their Wyr side, and Liam can grow in safety. It’s a breath of fresh air—literally—but their idyllic situation is shattered when Dragos is injured in a freak accident.

Stripped of his memory and bereft of Pia’s taming influence, there’s nothing holding back Dragos’s darkest side. And in order to restore her family and save her mate, Pia must confront the most powerful menace in Elder Races history.

It’s going to take more than a penny to fix this…
~~

Since Pia and Dragos are and have consistently always been my favorite couple in the Elder Races universe, I knew I would enjoy Pia Saves the Day. What I didn't expect was for Harrison to take a (comparative to her other novels) short story and use it to introduce a huge bump in the road to her entire series.

And it's a bump only sort of related to the couple themselves. Pia might have to work to reconnect with Dragos, but for a paranormal romance series, you knew they were going to find their way. Now, navigating the relationship between a unicorn and a millennia old dragon who doesn't remember anything isn't the easiest thing to accomplish I grant you, but hey - that' the fun of the story. My heart broke a little for Pia at the end when she was reunited with Liam, because it was yet another unexpected change to their circumstances instigated by a horrible accident. But in the en,d the actions in this story will have an immeasurable effect on the Wyr world in future books. I can't wait to find out what happens next in Peanut Goes to School (July 2014)!

Overall Feeling - A

Series - 5) Lord's Fall 6) Kinked 6.5) Dragos Takes a Holiday 6.6) Pia Saves the Day
 

Sun, Sand, and Sex by Linda Lael Miller, Jennifer Apodaca, and Shelly Laureston

What's better than a long, lazy day at the shore? Think beach—blanket bingo with a sizzling hottie (or three). So sit back, relax, and don't worry about tan lines, because in this scorching collection, swimsuits are definitely optional...

LINDA LAEL MILLER
"One Last Weekend"
College sweethearts Teague and Joanna Darby, once passionately in love, are on the brink of divorce. When a ferry strike leaves them stranded together at their beloved beach cottage, it could be the most awkward weekend ever. Or the perfect chance to fall for each other all over again-one steamy encounter at a time...

JENNIFER APODACA
"You Give Love a Good Name"
Lexie Rollins is a wedding planner on the lam. All she did was defend herself (with a staple gun) against a sleazy groom-who knew the Assault and Battery charges would stick? Now Lexie's "vacation" at an exclusive resort has put her at the top of gorgeous bounty hunter Nick Vardolous's list. And Nick always gets his woman-every which way imaginable...

SHELLY LAURENSTON
"My Kind of Town"
Deputy Kyle Treharne of seaside Smithville, North Carolina, hates Yankees-even exotically beautiful ones like Emma Lucchesi. The sexy New Yorker's got trouble written all over her, and she knows more than she's telling about the increasingly strange goings-on in his town. But if the lady's got a few tricks up her sleeve, so does the lawman. And it's high time for every wicked thing to be deliciously revealed...
~~

After Shelly Laurenston released a snippet of  "My Kind of Town" in her latest newsletter, I knew I had to have this anthology.  I love her writing all day everyday, but somehow I missed that there was another story in her Long Island Coven series! Boo!

Still, even though I bought it for her, all the stories ended up being good. I probably haven't read anything by Linda Lael Miller in years but I liked the way she created a realistic portrayal of a marriage near its breaking point, torn apart by misunderstanding and bad communication. "You Give Love a Good Name" was a more typical alpha male meets girl story but it was still amusing and I loved how Lexie was the one who saved Nick in the end.

I picked this up for $3 or so on Amazon and I totally recommend it!

Overall Feeling - A-/B+

Series - Various

Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston

Livy Kowalski has no time for idiots.  When you shapeshift into a honey badger, getting through life’s irritants is a finely honed skill. Until she gets stuck housing her nutso cousin and dealing with her dad’s untimely and unexplained demise.

That’s where Vic Barinov comes in—or his house does. Vic can’t step outside without coming back to find Livy devouring his honey stash and getting the TV remote sticky. It gets his animal instincts all riled up. But he’ll have to woo her at high speed: all hell is breaking loose, and Livy is leading the charge…
~~

Considering the fact that I have reread this approximately 10 times since finishing it the day it came out, I think it's safe to assume that this book is a keeper. Like the other stories in this series, Laurenston keeps the tempo up with smart dialogue and fierce action, whether it's between two bored shifters or between a honey badger and the idiot trying to lie to her.

I've read some other reviews that referred to the romance between Livvy and Vic as a bit of a slow burn, but I kind of think that's part of its charm. Even Livvy has to admit that the grizzly bear in Viv makes him prone to startling, so she has to take things slower than usual. But slower definitely doesn't translate to boring or less ridiculously hilarious, especially once Livvy is hired to be the photographer for Blaine's double wedding.

On the plot front things with Whitlan finally get wrapped up, in part because Laurenston doesn't plan to write any more Pride books for a while, and boy does he get what's coming to him. All in all this is a fantastically entertaining book that has the main characters from previous books come back for at least a little (if not a lot) screen time.

Overall Feeling - A

Series - 7) Bear Meets Girl 8) Wolf With Benefits 9) Bite Me
 

Dark Wolf by Christine Feehan

Skyler Daratrazanoff always recognized the miracle that was Dimitri Tirunul, a man beyond any dream that had ever engaged her nights. But she was human. Vulnerable. He was Carpathian. Nearly immortal. She was nineteen. He was an ancient. Yet she held half his soul, the light to his darkness. Without her, he would not survive. Caught between the two warring species, Dimitri has spent centuries hunting the undead to keep his people free, and humans safe. He had survived honorably when others had chosen to give up their souls. But now, marked for extermination by the Lycans, Dimitri found himself alone, and fearing for his life. But salvation was coming…

No Lycan would ever suspect someone like Skyler to dare mount a secret rescue operation. A teenage girl. A human of untested abilities. But she had something no one else had. She was predestined for Dimitri -- as he was for her. And there was nothing stronger for Skyler than her desire to see her life-dream come true. Whatever the risk.
~~

Before I forget I wanted to let you guys know that I checked out Dark Wolf from the library and you know what? It didn't suck nearly as much as I was afraid it would. Lowered expectations for the win! 

I was half hopeful half dread-filled going into this novel because honestly, things could have gone either way for Skyler and Dimitri. Feehan has been one of my favorite PNR loves for what feels like forever, but these last few books have just not been good. With Dark Lycan the series started to be redirected to an enemy other than the vampires/mages and I'm not sure if religious zealotry is totally the best way to go, but we'll see. What really matters here is that the relationship between Skyler and Dimitri, which initially took place off screen, develops in a great way. The two of them have feelings for each other, but no matter how big a physical attraction, the things that happened to her when was a child aren't just going to go away. I loved the way Dimitri was accepting and respectful of Skyer's PTSD episodes and how he even helped her learn to recognize them as a part of her self that couldn't be rejected. 

[Side note - I totally skipped all the healing chants stuff and most of the sex organ flower scenes. I'm glad that I finally checked back in in time to read Dimitri say that their sexual attraction wasn't going to be a magic cure-all, but the rest of it I didn't care about.]

I think I like the way the plot is shaping up and I have my fingers crossed that a particular couple are up next, so I guess I would say I'm tentatively hopeful about things?

Overall Feeling - B-

Series - .... 24) Dark Lycan 25) Dark Wolf

hold outs

As I work myself back into the groove for 2014, I thought I'd start things off with a quick introspective on some of the series that I have continued to read for years. It's not easy, in the ever changing world of genre books, to find a series that speaks to you in such a way that you just have to know what happens. It's much more likely that after a few books of lackluster characters or world building to move on to something new, because there's always something new. But these, my friends, are the 2013 hold outs:

Kate Daniels Series - Ilona Andrews (UF)

If you haven't heard of this writing duo before let me tell you - Ilona Andrews know what they're doing. In Kate Daniels they've created a powerful but kind of broken heroine who slowly but surely is finding herself making the sort of connections that villains love to exploit. The supporting cast is phenomenal (some of them have even gotten their own books) and with the latest title coming out this year (Magic Breaks) the series is one to get into now because big things are happening and you don't have to wait to find out!

Psy/Changeling Series - Nalini Singh (PR)

 There used to be quite a few paranormal romance series on my auto-buy list, but at this point I could only name a couple that are truly ones I have to have. I love Nalini Singh's ability to write alpha men with hearts of gold, women who are their matches and more but might have issues finding their own HEA's, and a world that is filled with societies on the cusp of a new future.

Harry Dresden Files - Jim Butcher (UF)

Such an oldie but a goodie! I feel like this series has been with me forever, and it's never too late for Butcher to throw Harry into a new conundrum of epic proportions that might get him and everyone he loves killed. My only concern now is that I'm starting to dread what's in store for him next. At some point, even in an urban fantasy series,  I'd like Harry to get a bit of emotional happiness or stability and I'm not sure when exactly that's going to happen. 

 Image from Floor to Ceiling Books

The October Daye Series - Seanan McGuire (UF)

 I've mention the Dayes series before because Seanan McGuire is still one of the only authors I've read who can scare the crap out of me and still leave me desperate to figure out what's going to happen next. Daye as a character has just enough magic and determination to get herself into all sorts of shenanigans to protect her friends, and as a woman of her word she'll always be the one people go to for assistance. Things between her and the Tybalt are finally starting to heat up in Chimes of Midnight but apparently things in the Sidhe kingdom are also ready to go to hell so I've got to hurry up and finish this book!

The Chronicles of Elantra - Michelle Sagara (UF)

 This is one of those series that takes some time to warm up to because there are just so many people and cultures to learn about it. Especially when we're getting all our information through the eyes of Kaylin, a woman who's managed to escape (for the most part) her own rocky start in life but is forever followed by the magic that compels her to help others.  In later books things have gotten kind of complicated character wise, and they've been coming out far enough part that I've had to backtrack to remember who everyone is. Still, Sagara has gotten me all attached to this woman and the dragons around her who control pretty much everything, so I will continue buying these until something forces me not to!

Shelly Laurenston (PR)

Laurenston is currently at the top of my 'comfort reads' pile because this woman has the singular ability to both get me excited and have me laughing out loud. Her shifters are violent, fun-loving, family oriented, and willing to shoot bad guys at 500 yards - I mean, who can complain with that? I can always be assured when reading her books that things will work out, the good guys will win, and the people who should get things coming to them, will. Wrap it all up in a 6-7 foot tall package of muscle and great personality and you've got a winner in my book!

Dark Wolf Running by Rhyannon Byrd

In Rhyannon Byrd's latest Bloodrunners romance, passion and secrets collide and only their love will save two werewolves and their pack.

With his sharp gaze locked on the most magnificent female he'd ever seen, Wyatt Pallaton did his best to hold himself back. Of course, Elise Drake was hardly just any female. Fiery and cool, strong, yet at the same time achingly vulnerable, she'd turned his entire world on its head.

No matter how bloody difficult it proved to be, he was done letting her pretend he didn't even exist. Done with letting her fight her own battles. Done driving himself slowly into this maddening state of frustrated desire. One way or another, things were about to change.

Come hell or high water, she was done running…
~~

Sometimes I just can't stop myself from thinking too hard during a romance book. Obviously I'm not supposed to sit around yelling at the screen about how the hero should "LISTEN TO THE DAMAGED HEROINE, IDIOT" but it still seems to happen more often than it should.

Starting that way probably makes it seem as if there's a whole lot wrong with Dark Wolf Running but it's actually very good. Wyatt is a great hero for the most part, full of (what he thinks are) unrequited feelings for Elise but tortured by his past. He's incredibly gentle with her but is at the same time relentless in pushing her not to settle. It would be so easy for both of them to settle actually, to just exist in those specific moments when their lives fell apart, but together they're so much more than that.  Their back and forth relationship results in some spectacularly firework laden sexy times, and except for that whole yelling at Wyatt part, the ending is satisfying but also builds up anticipation for the next book.

Overall Feeling - B

Series - ...4) Dark Wolf Rising (available for FREE on Amazon & Nook!) 5) Dark Wolf Running

*Title requested from NetGalley*

Hidden Passions by Emma Holly

Sexy fireman Chris Savoy has been closeted all his life. He’s a weretiger in Resurrection, and no shifters are more macho than that city’s. Due to a terrible tragedy in his past, Chris resigned himself to hiding what he is—a resolve that’s threatened the night he lays eyes on cute gay cop Tony Lupone.

Tony might be a wolf, but he wakes longings Chris finds difficult to deny. When a threat to the city throws these heroes together, not giving in seems impossible. Following their hearts, however, means risking everything...
~~

I love Emma Holly and her Hidden series, and I would possibly even go out on a limb here and say that a story existing within another story made this coupling even better. Chris and Tony spend so much of their time in the shadows that it results in an incredibly intimate relationship. The story is so much about why they can't go public, or at least why Chris feels he can't go public, that how much each is willing to take in the name of love becomes the focus. I think because the angst is more than just unnecessary drama it really works not only for me but for the story itself.

And I can happily say that even though it's her first full fledged M/M romance I wouldn't say Holly treats anything different in this book. There are lot of sexy times between Chris and Tony, which if you've read any of the previous stories in this series you wouldn't be surprised by, and their HEA is satisfying and dosed with a bit of sudden action. A great read!

Overall Feeling - B+

Series - 6) The Faerie's Honeymoon 7) Hidden Dragons 8) Hidden Passions

Dragos Takes a Holiday by Thea Harrison

Dragos Cuelebre needs a vacation. So does Pia, his mate. When the First Family of the Wyr head to Bermuda for some much needed R&R, it’s no ordinary undertaking – and no ordinary weekend in the sun. Between hunting for ancient treasure buried beneath the waves and keeping track of their son, Liam—a.k.a. Peanut, whose Wyr abilities are manifesting far ahead of schedule—it’s a miracle that Pia and Dragos can get any time together.

They’re determined to make the most of each moment, no matter who tries to get in their way.

And did we mention pirates?
~~

"Dragos Takes a Holiday" is an awesome little short and for fans of Dragos and Pia, a wonderful look into how they're making their lives work at the top of the Wyr food chain. It's not been easy after the Sentinel games, because even with a full roster Dragos has been forced to pick up a lot of slack as the old heads take their own vacations. By the time Pia subtly 'suggests' some time out near the Caribbean everyone's ready for a break (and maybe to buy their own island?).

The best part about this short is that it doesn't feel short. We get a look at what it's going to be like to care for a little being whose powers are completely unpredictable and has a mind of his own. Add in some hot and spicy sexy times between Pia and Dragos, a little bit of Eva and Hugh doing their bodyguard thing, and it all adds up to fun times had by (mostly) all.

Overall Feeling - A

Series - A Story of The Elder Races

Kinked by Thea Harrison

As a harpy, Sentinel Aryal is accustomed to dealing with hate, but Sentinel Quentin Caeravorn manages to inspire in her a burning ire unlike anything she’s ever known. Aryal believes the new Sentinel to be a criminal, and vows to take him out as soon as the opportunity arises. But the harpy’s incessant wrath has pushed Quentin to the limit, and forces him to make a deadly vow of his own.

To put an end to the conflict, Dragos, Lord of the Wyr, sends them on a reconnaissance mission to the Elven land of Numenlaur. Forced to work together, Aryal and Quentin’s mutual antagonism escalates. Each fight draws forth more passion—culminating in an explosively sexual confrontation. But when their quest reveals real danger, Aryal and Quentin must resolve their differences in ways beyond the physical, before the entire Wyr is threatened.
~~

I would say going into this story I was of two minds: Aryal isn't my favorite character so her having her own book so soon kind of threw me, but at the same time I trusted Harrison to make a book starring these two people make sense and damn if she doesn't do it. Neither Quentin or Aryal are willing to trust when the book starts. They have real and deeply heartfelt reasons for why they come to blows pretty much every time they see each other, and when finally forced out to Numenlaur it was clear that working together at all was going to be an issue. 

And yet somehow they do it. Well....to be completely honest they also spend some of that time planning out ways to kill each other that would look like an accident, but after that they find a balance and ways to lean on each other. Journeying across Numenlaur is no easy task - not only are there monsters and things they have to watch out for, the consequences of the God Machines are still being felt. Even though some of the things they face are obviously the necessary complications of taking over people's will and forcing them to do another's bidding (& I won't go into much detail for fear of spoilers) it was still hard to read.

Finally I would say that by the end of the book I believed in the connection between Aryal and Quentin. If there's too much going on around the two main characters, sometimes being Mates can be used as an avenue to gloss over the emotional road building that results in a HEA. Harrison does none of that as these two are constantly pushing each other's boundaries, physically and emotionally, and when the crowd at Dragos's Tower screams for Aryal so does the reader for the two of them together.

Overall Feeling - A

Series - ... 4) Oracle's Moon 5) Lords Fall 6) Kinked

Mini Me: "Shutdown" by Laurell K. Hamilton

This story is for all my readers who have been impacted by the current political SNAFU – and for anyone else who might need to enjoy a free story in these difficult times.

“Shutdown”, will be available free for the duration of the government shutdown. Once the government is back in business then the short story will no longer be available on line, at least not until my publisher and I figure out what we might want to do with it. But for right now, while we’re all wondering how it got to this point, here’s a brand new Anita Blake short story, featuring our favorite bad boy werewolf, yep, I mean Richard Zeeman. Hey, I’ve been telling you, he’s been working his therapy: read on to see the results that hard work and being brave enough to own your whole self can get you. - From goodreads
~~

"Shutdown" was a quick little freebie offered by Laurell K. Hamilton and I think a great look into the personal real-life consequences that sometimes result from staying true to who you are. Anita, Richard, Micah - they have the most screen time in this story but ultimately it's about what we want for ourselves to be happy and the balancing act that can require. Hamilton returns to the emotional roots of her series with this short and I think if nothing else it shows why so many of her fans keep coming back: at the heart of every one of us is a soul who just wants to be happy, someone who wants to accept themselves and be accepted by other people and the world doesn't make us any promises. There's no guarantee that will happen.

Enthralled by Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day, Meljean Brook, & Lucy Monroe

They have the power to hold you spellbound, to captivate your senses, and to keep you forever in their control. Forever enthralled…

#1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh returns to her sensual world of the Breeds…as one stubborn Breed meets her match, and can no longer deny her mate—or the fierce desires of her own heart.

New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Day introduces the League of the Black Swan…and the dangerous game one woman plays when her family’s curse dooms her to kill the man she loves.

New York Times bestselling author Meljean Brook delivers a new story in her steampunk world of the Iron Seas…as a man who’s lost everything returns home to find that not only is his marriage in jeopardy, but he must now fight air pirates who intend to steal his one remaining treasure—his wife.

And Lucy Monroe, national bestselling author of the Children of the Moon novels…unleashes the feral passions of a werewolf on the body, mind, and soul of his prey, his lover, his lifemate.
~~

I kind of remember when this anthology was released, I think it was on my Google calender, but it was thanks to the efforts of the good ol' DC Public Library that I brought it home. Enthralled is an anthology of 4 stories, all with authors I know but none of which I currently read regularly. The Breed series by Lora Leigh was the big draw, her books have been autobuys for me up until the last couple of years, and while "Devil's Due" was good it wasn't great and the lack of real conflict just made it ok as a read.

The real winners here were "Ecstasy Under the Moon" by Lucy Monroe and "Curse of the Black Swan" by Alyssa Day. Both are interesting introductions to the authors' individuals worlds (and characters) and even as short stories had very satisfying endings.

All in all the anthology isn't bad and for people who need a little help deciding what to read next there are a variety of genres on display to choose from.

Overall Feeling -B/B+

Series - Various

Dark Lycan by Christine Feehan

Tatijana of the Dragonseekers spent centuries encased in ice with her sister, trapped in limbo between life and death, never speaking to a soul other than those who tormented her. Now, she has been freed from her frozen prison by an unknown descendent. Awakened in human form, Tatijana yearns to explore the modern world in which she now lives—a world with more mysteries than she is prepared for.

Fenris Dalka has returned to the Carpathian Mountains after a long absence to be with his brother. He is scarred by centuries of battle, and every hard-won victory. But the real reason for his return home could prove deadly if discovered by the wrong man—or woman. Upon his arrival, he is compelled by a beautiful and enigmatic stranger who carries the scent of fresh earth, of forest, of the night itself.

In time Tatijana and Fenris will discover all that unites them—their secrets and pasts, their predators, and the hot flush of passion that stirs their souls. Yet just as surely, seduced into the silvery darkness of a full-moon night, they’ll also discover everything ancient and evil that exists to destroy them.
~~

Christine Feehan is killing me. This series used to be *it* for me and now, slowly but surely, I'm ready to throw it out the window. Dark Lycan is a step up from the last book in that Fenris isn't an asshole and Tatijana has some backbone, but neither of these are followed through very well. We start off and Tatijana doesn't want to use her voice around Fen because she doesn't want a lifemate (that's smart), and even when they're forced to confront what they are to each other they don't seal the deal because of each person's histories.  Interesting, no? Well we kind of breeze over this pretty quickly unfortunately, and they become true lifemates, after which the book focuses on multiple over the top battles with two Lycan/Vampire hybrids. 

At this point I got bored and started flipping through the book because honestly I just wanted to find out what happened and how we got more of Dimitri and Skyler who off screen at some point fell in love and are more than just the destined lifemates. Poop. As one would expect things end, new possible alliances are made, and Dimitri is kidnapped to I'm sure be tortured horribly so that he and Skyler have something new to talk about in the next book. Which I'll read (from the library anyway), because I'm an idiot.

Overall Feeling - C-

Series - ....23) Dark Storm 24) Dark Lycan

Undead and Underwater by MaryJanice Davidson

New York Times bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson “continues to put her own unique spin on paranormal romance” (Fallen Angel Reviews), and in this all-new anthology, she’s three times as outrageous as ever before…

Super, Girl!
Meet Hailey Derry, human resources representative and round-the-clock superhero. Born with the ability to convert anything she eats into crime-fighting energy, Hailey is now faced with her toughest challenge: the sexy new hire who has a mad crush on her. But how does Hailey break the news that she’s more of a Wonder Woman than he can imagine? She’d better think of something fast, because letting this guy go would be a crime.

Undead and Underwater
Betsy, queen of the undead, and Fred, the dour could’ve-been-a-princess mermaid, reluctantly team up to help a mutual friend in trouble. After all, a friend in need is a friend who, well, can really test your patience—because Betsy and Fred aren’t exactly BFFs. What they do have in common is the source of the problem: a man. And what’s more troubling than love?

Incomer
As leader of the Pack, it’s Lara Wyndham’s job to usher her breed to safety after the cataclysmic Kardashian Riots of 2025—and fend off the advances of Jack Gardner, a sexy Packer with alpha urges and a knack for getting into trouble. No matter how bad Lara wants it, she doesn’t need it. Not that intoxicating scent of his, or his talented mouth, or that perfect ass. Then again…
~~

I happened upon this while browsing in the library and even though I've lost touch with Betsy and the Undead series by Ms. Davidson this set of novellas was a lot of fun. Each one brings back characters from their individual series, so for those who are familiar with the set ups it might be a touch more poignant, but even as a standalone the stories have enough humor and action to make them worth a read.

(Also - kudos to Ms. Davidson for switching first person view points between two of her main heroines in "Undead and Underwater". I think maybe it was LKH who said she'd never do a crossover between Anita and Merry because they were both first person narratives but I think Betsy and Fred were balanced really well in that story.)

It's a great primer to Ms. Davidson's voice, and the sense of humor that runs throughout all her series, but none of it seems stale or out of place. It's a good, quick read, perfect for this patchy of rainy gloomy weather that DC is experiencing.

Overall Feeling - B+

Series - Various

Mini Me: Heart of the Sea by Christine Warren

In the world of the Others, affairs of the heart are no less complicated. Jenny Ferguson wants to give her husband-to-be a very special wedding gift, but what does a girl get for the selkie laird who has everything? She thinks she's thought of the perfect thing, but she needs help to put it together. Calling on one of her oldest friends — who also happens to be her first lover — she works a little magic that ends up causing a lot of unforeseen problems. After all, when your fiance catches you and another man… half-naked… at dawn… three days before the wedding… the situation can become more complicated than anyone ever anticipated. And Jenny might discover it will take more than magic to save her wedding day.
~~

As a freebie on Amazon I think this description kind of gives more heft to the story than what's really there. Not that it's not cute, but the angst is very small and even the supposed misunderstanding doesn't last all that long. The background and world building is interesting though, and the premise of the hero and heroine's relationship is one that I actually think would sustain a full novel.

Ultimately the whole thing ends up feeling pretty 'ok' but definitely not worth anything more than free.

Affliction by Laurell K. Hamilton

It’s a typical day at work for Anita Blake, if your day job is raising the dead, and being a U. S. Marshal for the preternatural branch. One phone call changed everything. It was from the mother of one of her live-in boyfriends. Micah Callahan’s father was in the hospital and he was dying. Micah had been estranged from his family for years, but now, his mother wants Anita to bring the prodigal son home for a last good-bye.

Anita thinks it’s going to be a tearful trip down memory lane, until she learns that Sheriff Callahan was attacked on the job by a zombie. The bite is rotting him from the inside out, as if it’s turning him into a zombie while he’s still alive, but Anita knows zombies and they aren’t contagious. But something is killing Micah’s father, and he’s not the only victim. And there are the missing persons, far too many to explain away. While Micah deals with his family, Anita is pulled into a case so terrible she has to call for back up from friends and lovers that are no more human than the some of the monsters they’re hunting, and even that isn’t enough. Edward, Death himself, comes with badge and flamethrower to watch over his friend, Anita Blake, while she fights for her life and the lives of those she loves.
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So.....pros. Edward - always cool to see him (thankfully I don't agree with the reviews that say this book is setting up their future sexy times. Phew.), Nicky - didn't expect to like him so much but he works well in this story, coming into this own as a person and Bride to Anita, Nathaniel - awesome as usual, Cop/bad guy stuff - interesting to read and full of action (I'm not complaining), Sex - surprisingly minimal.

But books can't always just be about the pros right? Especially when it's this series there's always a few things that end up bothering you (Micah's family being a menage a trois too? Really O_o?) but ultimately my problem here is the same problem I had with the end of the Mother of All Darkness - a bad guy that requires 500+ pages to identify can be finished off in a paragraph? How does that make sense? It detracts from the rest of the book when Anita is just that big and bad that no one can stand up to the full weight of her powers. I get that she's the heroine and supposed to win but can we make the outcome seem at least a little bit more questionable?

Also, what the hell happened with the zombies and getting the victims to open up their homes to them? I went back to re-read the end and yep, I'm pretty sure they never closed that plot point up. Anybody read something I missed? Help a reviewer out.

Overall Feeling - C+

Series - ... 19) Bullet 20) Hit List 21) Affliction

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

A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing by Tielle St. Clare

Blinded by a crazed doctor, Reese knows he has no chance of ever finding a mate...what good is a blind werewolf to anyone? But when an accident puts him in the path of a sexy veterinarian, Reese can’t control his wolf’s desire to have the lovely human.

Kieve couldn’t be more surprised when a neighbor brings him an injured wolf. It only takes a few minutes to realize the affectionate animal is someone’s pet and not a wild creature. While he searches for the animal’s owners, he begins having the strangest dreams—a hot sexy man in his bed, making love to him, and then turning into the pretty wolf right before his eyes. It’s clearly a sign he needs to get laid.

Reese tries to stay away from Kieve. It wouldn’t take much for his wolf to imprint on the delicious doctor. But Reese’s past isn’t finished with him yet and if he doesn’t find a way to deal with it, he’ll have no future with Kieve.
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So after finishing Let Sleeping Wolves Lie I just had to buy A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing. Even though he hadn't been at the center of the last book Reese was intriguing, the blind werewolf who refuses to bottom to anyone, and I wanted to learn more about his backstory while he found his HEA. I think though that it was exactly his backstory that made this book not quite as good as the last for me- there's just so much going on that it's hard to tackle it all in a format as short as this. Reese has a lot of violence and abuse in his past, due to his time in captivity by a crazy scientist, and when people start popping back up from it he's forced to deal with it all incredibly rapidly.

Now that's not to say Kieve doesn't do as much as he can to help. I applaud Clare for writing a hero that works to not only respect Reese's boundaries and soft spots, but to push them when needed, in ways that only Reese can say are appropriate. Communication is an even bigger necessity than in Wolves but I would have liked more pages to really explore the emotional ramifications of sustained sexual and physical abuse. It would probably not have been as 'fun' to read as steamy eroticas usually are, but I think it would have been truthful to Reeses's history and his future with Kieve.

Overall Feeling - B-

Series - 1) Let Sleeping Wolves Lie 2) A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing
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Let Sleeping Wolves Lie by Tielle St. Clare

When something tall, dark and yummy crosses Dex's threshold, his inner Omega wolf goes on full alert. Instinct tells Dex he's met his mate but the man seems less than thrilled at the prospect. And has totally suppressed his inner wolf.

Maddock has no intention of getting involved with any man, especially a little hottie who's a little nuts. The guy actually thinks he's a werewolf and that Maddock is one as well.

But resisting temptation is harder than he imagined. The full moon is on the rise and instinct can't be denied forever.

This can’t end well.
~~

I haven't read a true erotic novel in what feels like forever and is anyone really surprised that the woman who got me to come back to it is Tielle St. Clare? She almost feels like a part of my youth, lol, since it was my time at Duke (stuck without a public library and far away from bookstores) that had me stumbling onto the Ellora's Cave website. I feel as if it's only Tielle St. Clare that can have me totally invested in a completely over the top gay werewolf and pair him with an 'only kinda sorta gay' werewolf who doesn't know he's a werewolf. Anybody confused yet?

Let Sleeping Wolves Lie is a quick, sexy erotica that has just enough emotion for me to make it believable. Maddock isn't perfect and even though his and Dex's bedroom antics are OFF THE CHARTS (seriously - o_O) that doesn't mean that magically they'll find the perfect partner in each other. Both have to admit to their feelings and work hard to become someone the other can connect with and ultimately that's what had me hooked (and invested enough to immediately buy book two).

Overall Feeling - B

Series - 1) Let Sleeping Wolves Lie 2) A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing
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*NEW* Excerpt: Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston

*From Shelly Laurenston's August 2013 Newsletter

Back Cover Copy: Livy Kowalski has no time for idiots.  When you shapeshift into a honey badger, getting through life’s irritants is a finely honed skill. Until she gets stuck housing her nutso cousin and dealing with her dad’s untimely and unexplained demise.

That’s where Vic Barinov comes in—or his house does. Vic can’t step outside without coming back to find Livy devouring his honey stash and getting the TV remote sticky. It gets his animal instincts all riled up. But he’ll have to woo her at high speed: all hell is breaking loose, and Livy is leading the charge…

EXCERPT: (Unedited/Unproofed)

BITE ME

Coming From Brava

April 2014

As always, Livy’s plans did not turn out as she’d hoped. Although she’d planned to be back in Manhattan the night of her father’s funeral or, at the very least, early morning after, she’d ended up staying another full day in Washington. Although she’d helped her mother contact the many life insurance companies so that she could lay claim to Damon’s money only because it meant her mother most likely wouldn’t bother Livy for the next few…years.

Her mother often forgot how annoying she found Livy until she had to spend some “quality” time with her only child. Then all those memories came flooding back and Livy didn’t have to worry about seeing her mother—or putting up with her—for ages.

And despite Livy’s suggestions that she leave, Toni insisted on staying. Which, in the end, was good. Because the woman knew how to get people through an airport as quickly as possible.

“Sit here,” Toni said, pushing Livy down by her shoulders so that she sat on the one piece of luggage she’d brought with her. “I’ll get a taxi and we’ll be out of here.”

Toni went off and Livy rested her elbow on her knee, her chin on her fist, and gazed off across the busy streets surrounding JFK Airport. As she waited, obscenely long legs and massive bodies began to march by her.

She didn’t move or anything, but she did notice the squealing girls and the crowd of people following the full-human males walking by. It was around that time she heard a low male voice bark, “I am not a football player. Now get out of my face.”

For the first time in days, Livy smiled. She couldn’t help it. What exactly did the man expect? He was seven feet and two inches tall. Nearly four hundred pounds. And even with that handsome face, wickedly sharp cheekbones, and dark brown and gold hair that hung in ragged layers almost to his shoulders—he was terrifying looking. Of course people thought he was on a national sports team. Their other option was murdering serial killer from a “Friday the 13th” movie.

Livy waited until Vic was a few steps from her before asking, “Hey, mister. Can I have your autograph?”

Snarling, Vic replied, “I am not a—Livy?” Vic stopped right in front of her, gazed at her. “What are you doing?”

“Selling my ass on the streets for a few bucks.”

“Times that tough?”

Thankfully, Vic had learned how to deal with what very few called Livy’s sense of “humor” not long after they’d met. Which was good because Livy really didn’t know how to not ask people strange, disorienting questions. As an artist, she found their confusion fascinating.

“Tough enough,” she replied. “Hi, Shen.”

“Hey, Livy. Like your hair.”

Livy smirked at Shen’s running joke. As a honey badger, she had black hair with the white streak off to the side while Shen, as a giant panda, had white hair with big swipes of black through it. He was also munching on that damn bamboo crap. With his fangs, he was clearly a predator. But for whatever reason, although they had the digestive system of carnivores, giant pandas ate bamboo. The problem was that pandas needed a lot of bamboo in order to survive. A lot. So every time Livy saw the man…he was eating.

Still, it was fun to watch him hang around poor Vic Barinov. The hybrid didn’t know what to do with the sweet, but sometimes chatty, six-foot panda who was nearly as wide as he was tall. Something else Livy and Shen had in common. Massive shoulders on relatively smaller human bodies than most shifters were used to. Oh. And they were both Asian. Well, as Jake liked to say, “Livy is half Asian, half Polish and allllll honey badger!”

Livy, however, had much less in common with Vic, but they’d worked together once when helping Toni rescue her baby brother from Delilah’s cult.

“Before we go any further,” Vic said to Livy, “my house?” 

“What about it?”

Vic raised an eyebrow.

Livy rolled her eyes. “I haven’t been back since the last time you threw me out.”

“I didn’t throw you out. I asked you nicely to leave so I could call the contractor to fix all the holes you’d put into it.”

“I had to get inside, didn’t I?”

“But you have your own place.”

“I ran out of honey.”

“So you came all the way out to Westchester for honey?”

“You have really good honey.”

Vic blew out a breath. “Just tell me if I’ll be facing holes when I get home.”

“No holes.”

“Do I have any honey left?”

“Yes. You have honey left.”

“I don’t know why I’m getting the tone. You’re the one who keeps eating all my honey.”

Livy smirked. “When you have rum-infused honey in your cabinets—you’re asking for it.”

That made Vic smile, something he didn’t do very often. Then again…neither did she.

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