Review: Dragon on Top by G.A. Aiken

**Only the novella by G.A. Aiken is being reviewed.  Couldn't find a separate cover.**

Author: G.A. Aiken

Title: Dragon on Top

Series: Dragon Kin #4.5

About the Book: Escorting the highborn Bram through deadly Sand Dragon territory will try Ghleanna’s patience… and her resolve. For Bram is determined to enhance the journey with a seduction no female could resist…

My Thoughts:

Throughout the Dragon Kin series, a recurring thread has been how much Ghleanna hated her father's past as 'Ailean the Whore.' His reputation fared well for their sons, she always said. People ascribed prowess to them, while expecting that his daughters must be whores.

Well, in Dragon on Top, Ghleanna, who had always thought she'd be alone as a result of these assumptions, gets to find her soul mate. And surprise, surprise, he's been staring her in the face all this while. Bram the Peacemaker, as he's known, is the truce maker for Rhiannon's court. He's nothing like the fierce warrior Ghleanna is. He's quite beta, actually, and has been in love with her for ages. I think everyone knew but her.

I loved it! Loved the contrast of these two! So far, this is the only pairing I've read in this series where the two partners weren't both 'dominant,' 'alpha' characters. I love the sense of calm and purpose that surrounded Bram; I loved the calm and rationality he brought into the mix of this crazy family.

I loved seeing Ghleanna realize her chance for love stood right in front of her, albeit in a different package than she expected. I loved seeing Ghleanna herself in action, maneuvering her way around Helena's court with a stratagem worthy of any politician.

And best of all, I loved the tenderness that underpinned the whole novella. From the obvious love Ghleanna's family have for her and each other, Bram's gentle love, the younger brothers' appearances, and Ghleanna's realization that her father was so much more than his past.

Perfect little novella!

OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES:

1. Dragon Actually 
2. About a Dragon
3. What a Dragon Should Know - 4/5
4. Last Dragon Standing

 

Review: What a Dragon Should Know by G.A. Aiken

Author: G.A. Aiken

Title: What a Dragon Should Know

Series: Dragon Kin #3

About the Book:Only for those I love would I traipse into the merciless Northlands to risk life, limb, and my exquisite beauty. But do they appreciate it? Do they say, 'Gwenvael the Handsome, you are the best among us - the most loved of all dragons?' No! For centuries my family has refused to acknowledge my magnificence as well as my innate humility. Yet for them, and because I am so chivalrous, I will brave the worst this land has to offer. So here I stand, waiting to broker an alliance with the one the Northlanders call The Beast. A being so fearful, the greatest warriors will only whisper its name. Yet I, Gwenvael, will courageously face down this terrifying...woman? It turns out the Beast, a.k.a. Dagmar Reinholdt, is a woman - one with steel-gray eyes and a shocking disregard for my good looks. Beneath her plain robes and prim spectacles lies a sensual creature waiting to be unleashed. Who better than a dragon to thaw out that icy demeanor? And who better than a beast to finally tame a mighty dragon's heart?

 

My Thoughts:

The first book in this series was very enjoyable for me, but the second one was not too good, and frankly I didn't expect to like the third book, this one, because of the lead character, Gwenvael. In the previous books, he was portrayed as a bumbler, and a rabid man-whore who slept with anything that moved...eh.

But I was surprised to find that he had much more depth than the his character in the previous books would suggest. Additionally, the focus on smex was very little (compared to the other books), which allowed Ms. Aiken to focus a lot more on character development and the various relationships in the book. I thought that was wonderful.

But what made the book for me was Annwyl's story. She has been the most compelling character for me since I started the series, and I am delighted to get to follow her and Fearghus as hey get on with their lives. Seriously. They are the reason I continue with the series - Annwyl and Fearghus along with Bercelak and Rhiannon - so I can see what shenanigans they're up to. My favorite scenes in this book had to do with the birth of Annwyl's twins: so moving how much they all love her.

I definitely enjoyed this one more than I thought I would, and I have a lot more respect for Gwenvael after reading his story.

OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES:

1. Dragon Actually
2. About a Dragon

 

Review: Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh

Author: Nalini Singh

Title: Blaze of Memory

Series: Psy/Changeling #7

About the Book: Dev Santos finds a woman with amnesia-and all she can remember is that she's dangerous. Stripped of her memories by a shadowy oppressor and programmed to kill, Katya's only hope is Dev. But he could very well be her next target.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this one for a book that didn't have any changeling protagonists and didn't have any wolves in it (no Hawke for me, sniff, sniff). I enjoyed Dev and Katya very much. I also enjoyed seeing Sascha and Lucas.

Things got a bit cheesy and rather improbable at the end, but what-the-heck, it's fantasy, after all :D.

If I didn't know better, judging from the conclusions jumped to on every single occasion by a certain person, in just about every book, I'd think the primary jobs of empaths are to prophesy as much doom-and-gloom and see impossible odds for people while going on and on about their own bliss as possible.

And oooh! I am beginning to appreciate the awesomeness of Judd Lauren, and beginning to be more interested in Kaleb Kyrcheck, Aden, Vasic and the other arrows.

Fun times.

OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES:

1. Slave to Sensation
2. Visions of Heat
3. Caressed by Ice
4. Mine to Possess - 2.5/5
5. Hostage to Pleasure
6. Branded by Fire

 

Review: Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh

Author: Nalini Singh

Title: Tangle of Need

Series: Psy/Changeling #11

About the Book: Adria, wolf changeling and resilient soldier, has made a break with the past--one as unpredictable in love as it was in war. Now comes a new territory, and a devastating new complication: Riaz, a SnowDancer lieutenant already sworn to a desperate woman who belongs to another.

For Riaz, the primal attraction he feels for Adria is a staggering betrayal. For Adria, his dangerous lone-wolf appeal is beyond sexual. It consumes her. It terrifies her. It threatens to undermine everything she has built of her new life. But fighting their wild compulsion toward one another proves a losing battle.

Their coming together is an inferno...and a melding of two wounded souls who promise each other no commitment, no ties, no bonds. Only pleasure. Too late, they realize that they have more to lose than they ever imagined. Drawn into a cataclysmic Psy war that may alter the fate of the world itself, they must make a decision that might just break them both.

 

My Thoughts:

As a rule, I enjoy the books featuring the SnowDancer wolf pack, so I expected to like this one, and I did, quite a bit too, but not as much as the other SD books.

My favorite parts were the parts with Hawke and Sienna, which were so ridiculously cheesy and utterly adorable. I loved every second of their on-screen time. They're adjusting to mated life, and it is so cute to watch. We also get to spend time with just about every SnowDancer who's ever been mentioned, which was a great treat for me. Their pack dynamics are just fantastic. Riley and Mercy's news was awesome and I cracked up at he and Hawke getting drunk. Mercy's a bit more likeable now that she hangs with the wolves. And Hawke is so silly he makes my heart sing. Love that wolf!

Okay, Riaz and Adria. I enjoyed very much this journey of two broken people healing each other and then unexpectedly becoming indispensable to each other, and it was awesome seeing their pack help them along the way. It was only in the last 20% or so of the book that their story finally started to really engross me. I think Ms. Singh handled it so well, and I love the emphasis on choice (i.e. that mating is not automatic; you have to make a conscious decision) and the noting of the fact that it's not only mated changelings who can have a fulfilling life, that humans who love each other can have just as fulfilling a life as mated changelings. It felt like an affirmation of love and humanity and it was awesome. That final scene with Riaz and Adria drove home the point wonderfully; it was poignant and amazing.

BUT! As I was reading I realized I wasn't ready for this story. I love SD and all the lieutenants have grown on me, so my excitement has been building ever since Ms. Singh announced that she'd be writing Riaz's story. I was sure I would enjoy it, and I did. However, he and Adria really only appeared on the scene in Indigo and Drew's story, 2 books ago. I felt like I hadn't had time to get to know them and be invested in them, so I was actually more caught up in other things: Hawke and Sienna's sheer adorableness, noticing how awesome Riley is, enjoying SD pack dynamics, paying attention to the Psy drama and the tension in the PsyNet.... just about everything else except for the main couple. They weren't strong enough to carry the book because I hadn't had time to know them before they were thrown together. For this book to have worked better, I think Riaz and Adria should have been introduced much sooner, or their story to have come later.

The next ARC of the series promises to be interesting. This ride is far from over. Recommended read, even though the whole is a teensy weensy bit less than the sum of its parts.

OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES:

1. Slave to Sensation
2. Visions of Heat
3. Caressed by Ice
4. Mine to Possess - 2.5/5
5. Hostage to Pleasure
6. Branded by Fire
7. Blaze of Memory
8. Bonds of Justice
9. Play of Passion
10. Kiss of Snow - 5/5

 

Review: Oracle's Moon by Thea Harrison

Author: Thea Harrison

Title: Oracle's Moon

Series: Elder Races #4

He will watch over her...

In the latest Novel of the Elder Races, an untested young woman must claim her place as the Oracle—and contend with a powerful Djinn who has decided to become a part of her life...

As a second daughter, Grace Andreas never had to worry about the intrigues of the Elder Races. But when her sister, Petra, and Petra's husband are both killed, Grace inherits the Power and responsibilities of the Oracle of Louisville, as well as her sister's two young children—neither of which she is prepared for.

Yet, she is not alone. Khalil, Demonkind and Djinn prince of House Marid—driven by his genuine caring for the children—has decided to make himself a part of the household both as their guardian and as an exasperating counterpoint to Grace's impudence toward the Elder Races.

But when an attempt is made on Grace's life, she realizes that Khalil is the only one who can protect her—and offer her more than a mortal man...

My Thoughts:

Hmph.

I debated whether or not to write review for this one, considering that I was ready to write off the series after Book 3, but here I am, so what the heck.

I rated this one 3 butterflies keeping the other books in series very much in mind and not on its own merit. I am not sure the rating would be higher if considered on it's own merit.

The strongest and probably only reaction I had to this book after finishing was supreme indifference. Nothing happens in the book. Really. Nothing happens. Grace and Khalil were thrown together at the beginning and there they remained till the end (well, it's not exactly true that nothing happens - there is some drama in the final 40 pages of the book, but by then we've been through 302 pages of nothing, so those pages don't count).

There is no sense of rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, no real conflict..... nada. Zilch. That in itself isn't a bad thing. Sometimes the journey a story takes you through is the destination. This was not one of those books or stories for me.

I guess it was a good story. But it was like a beautiful mannequin as opposed to a living, breathing human being, or like a nice painting that evokes no emotion whatsoever. There was no life to it.

Khalil had some moments where he came to life, I think. But Grace remained stiff and lifeless throughout. This might just be a quirk of mine, but I also found some of the interactions of Khalil and Grace with other people rude instead of cool. I've been having that problem with several books and characters lately, so it might just be me and not them.

It has been this way for every single book.

1. I struggled to find life in book 1, Dragon Bound: I found it after 50% and it was a gushing fountain that spilled forth and colored the whole book and the characters. I ended up loving it and do reread it often.

2. The struggle began again with book 2, Storm's Heart: I guess I found some life because it evoked strong feelings of wanting to bludgeon the male lead. But there was something there.

3. The struggle was there again in book 3, Serpent's Kiss: And yet, there must have been residual traces, because I had some sort of reaction: surprised liking for Carling and huge disappointment in Rune

4. Book 4 - Dead in the water.

I read this one against my better judgment, and...my better judgment was right.

I'll read the next book in series because I hope Ms. Harrison will be able to recreate her combination of great writing with vibrancy and life in Dragos and Pia.

And after that, probably only a book that has Graydon in it, because I like him.

OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES:
1. Dragon Bound - Mind-Blowing
2. Storm's Heart - Meh
3. Serpent's Kiss - Good 

REVIEW: The Mane Event by Shelly Laurenston

Author: Shelly Laurenston
Title: The Mane Event
Series: Pride #1
Source: Library

One of the hottest new voices in paranormal romance, Shelly Laurenston knows how to do it all, delivering tales that are wickedly funny, action-packed, and scorch-your-fingers sexy. With The Mane Event, she proves just how delicious love can be once you unleash your inner beast...

I heard this series was rather humorous, and so wanted to check it out. The first book in this series is actually to separated stories with two separate couples; one just happens to take immediately after the other, sort of a continuity.

I didn't care for the second story (featuring Brendon and Ronnie Lee) too much, but I do think that the first story epitomizes all that fans say is good about this series.

Mace and Dez's story: 3-3.5 stars
It started off strong and was laugh-out-loud funny in several places, making it unique, to me at least (I don't often come across PNR that's this funny). I liked Mace a lot, and I thought the idea of the shifters Ms. Laurenston had created were great. I liked the characteristics she gave them: lions usually grew up in a pride, the males grew a mane, literally. They had to cut their hair almost daily or they'd had a shaggy ole mop on their heads, the hyenas were brutal....just little quirky things that reminded me of the animals themselves.

Then it all goes downhill from there. Believe it or not, I didn't realize this book was classified erotica before I started reading it and had gotten well into the first story. And while I have nothing against erotica apart from it's not really a genre I read, this was one instance where I felt that the story was hindered by all the smexing. Before it started, we were being treated to a rather funny story of a shifter trying to woo his childhood friend, whom he'd loved all his life. Then the smex started and wouldn't stop. Every blessed passage they were going at at like rabbits. All the emphasis on sexual gymnastics took the focus off the romance - at least for me it did. I really felt the story would actually have been so much better if the intimate scenes were...well, intimate, instead of so hot and heavy... anyway, they fell flat for me, and since they dominated the story once they began, the rest of the story fell rather flat for me too, spoiling all the fun I'd been having. The story moved from four to three-ish stars.

Brendon and Ronnie Lee's story: 2.5 stars
Unlike Mace and Dez's, I didn't find much romance in this one to begin with. the focus was pretty much on body parts from the get-go, and beyond that, there wasn't much to go on. The side characters were pretty much annoying in this one, and the things that were cute in the previous story quickly became annoying here. Yes we know: cats are tricky; wolves can't hold their tequila - we get it all; we don't need to be reminded every two pages. I didn't much care for Brendon or Ronnie either. Meh.

Final thoughts:
All in all, it was an okay book. I think I would have enjoyed it far more if I'd only read the first book, and if it had sensual intimacy instead of the gymnastics, but we don't always get what we want, :) I'd recommend the book, the first story, at least. It really is funny and wonderfully written. And who knows, you might find it hot too :D.

I don't think I'll be reading more in this series, but I'll definitely be checking out Ms. Laurenston's work as G.A. Aiken, and I'll make sure to find out if it's erotica before I start!

★★★

OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES:

 

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
My rating: ★★★★

"I am not a fool," says Yelena, and damn straight she isn't. After all, only fools would turn down the offer of becoming the Commander's food taster in favor of the gallows.

Even so, Yelena finds that being a food taster is far more than she had bargained for. The book chronicles Yelena's life as a food taster, and how she comes into her own and finds love, friends, and alla that jazz.

I like the heroes and heroines Ms. Snyder creates. And the stories she tells. This is my second book by her, and she had me hook, line, and sinker. Never a dull moment. She had me and didn't let me go till the very end. And even there, I wanted more.

After reading about Valek, I need to go find me an assassin boyfriend who can make the wryest, funniest comments with a straight face. His lines were gold.

I knew about this book, but was dragging my feet. Thank you, Sans for reminding me to read this one ASAP.

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Serpent's Kiss by Thea Harrison

Elder Races #3
Serpent's Kiss by Thea Harrison
My rating: ★★★

This is the third novel in the Elder Races series and Rune's story, with the Vampyre Queen Carling as his love interest.

I do think this is a much better book than the travesty that was Storm's Heart, but it is nowhere near as good as Dragon Bound. It was okay.

Hands down the best thing about the book was the heroine, Carling. I liked exploring her backstory and her motivations for her actions. She was also a strong, likable character. I did not like Carling from the previous books, but I am surprised to find myself in love with her in this novel. She rocks!

The person that didn't rock, much to my surprise, was Rune. I have loved him through Dragon Bound and Storm's Heart, but that love stopped in Serpent's Kiss. He did not seem funny to me, and all his "cool-talk/witty repartees" missed the mark for me: I found them hollow, unfunny, and sometimes quite disrespectful. Simply put, I didn't like the person Rune was in this book, and I found myself liking him less and less as the book progressed; I did not like the person he became in the end at all.

I was also very disappointed that he did not share the fact of his changing the past with Dragos and the Gryphons, or the fact that he'd mated with Carling (until he couldn't hide it later). His excuse was that he didn't trust them. That doesn't wash with me. You would think you could trust people who had been your friends and comrades in arms for centuries. Especially as they could feel the effects of his changing the past. But apparently Rune's definition of friendship and mine are different.

Another thing that bothered me was the Rift between Dragos and Rune at the end. It just didn't make sense in the grand scheme of things, and I'd have expected Rune to be less of an ass. You don't hide essential info from your closest friends and yet expect them to act as if they knew the entire picture. Needless to say I didn't think he deserved the friendship of the other wyr, much less Dragos' friendship. Dragos did not do anything wrong and acted very fairly, given what little he knew and given that he had the interests of the entire wyr race to consider. Sigh. Rune was so much less than he appeared to be in the other books. Womp.

One final thing that didn't work for me was the love. I loved Carling, and I could see her relationship blossom with Rune. It just did nothing for me - I could see the love but could not feel it. I went into this book worried that Rune would be stuck with Carling, but now I am kinda sad that Carling is stuck with Rune.

Needless to say, I am not too keen on continuing the series after this one. I'll just read Dragon Bound to regain my happy memories and quit while I'm ahead. But I am glad I read this book. If nothing at all, it wiped the bad taste of Storm's Heart from my mouth.

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Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh

Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh
My rating: ★★★

Sigh. This is the problem with reviewing books way after you read them: you can't remember what your exact thoughts were. Anyway, here goes nothing....

4 stars for Lord of the Abyss
Nalini Singh has this writing style that just appeals to me. When I pick up book she has written, I know, more often than not, that I will enjoy her work. Lord of the Abyss is no exception. I liked the writing and I like the characters. Micah made me smile a lot, and Liliana was a brave girl. Both hero and heroine deserved each other - in a good way: they complemented the other. the story development was the best in the quartet. With regards to sensuality, the heat factor was rather amped up in this one, so that it was more like Gena Showalter's than Jessica Andersen's or Jill Moroe's. All in all, I do think this was the best in the series as a whole.

Why I gave it three stars
The series as a whole is not very well done. As a quartet, I felt it was not very cohesive - there were no ties that bind. A few sentences about siblings here and there didn't connect the works quite as well as I'd hoped, so that was disappointing.

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Lord of the Wolfyn by Jessica Andersen

Lord of the Wolfyn by Jessica Andersen
My rating: ★★★

3 Stars.
This installment was based on Little Red Riding Hood and was a pretty hard one to rate. I kept vacillating between 2+ and 3 stars. Here’s why.

The good:
1.It’s a little thing, but I loved all the names in this book. Wolfyn, Dayn, Reda, Moragh… even Kenar. I liked them. These were names that belong in a fantasy novel, and they made me smile to read them.

2.Jessica Andersen (a first-time author for me) wrote certain scenes quite beautifully, and I found myself being carried away with the emotion and events in those scenes.

3.I liked Dayn a good amount of the time.

The not-so-good:
1.The niggling issues I had in the first and second (mostly the second) installments are piling up and becoming magnified. The timeline in the kingdom is really fuzzy for me. 20 years ago Dayn was 26? So that makes him 46 now? (Not a young man, although it the book makes it sound like he is young. Same for Nicolai and Breena). Just confusing. Is lifespan different in the other realms? How?

2.I was left with the feeling that Dayn was so much less than he could have been. He spent too much time “thinking” noble/brave thoughts than “acting” nobly/bravely.

3.As I’ve said before, the history behind the parents just doesn’t feel right to me.

4.I did feel Reda as a heroine was lacking, but I’m not sure she could have been more than she was. Some of the conclusions she jumped to, I’m not sure how the thought processes went. Smh.

All in all, this book was a rollercoaster. I’d be liking it one moment, not liking it the next. The whole was less than the sum of its parts. I’ll go with a 3-star rating.

Off to the final book in this quartet!


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Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe

Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe

My rating: ★★★★

Lord of Rage is the second installment of the Royal House of Shadows continuity quartet/series, and my first book by Jill Monroe. This is the story of Breena, the second born, Princess of Elden. As with Nicolai she is filled with the thirst for survival and vengeance that their parents instilled in them before their deaths; she also wakes up in a strange place, with a hazy memory. She stumbles on for awhile and comes to a hut in woods, which, unbeknownst to her, belonged to the berserker Osborn, and his two younger brothers. Jill Monroe modeled her story after Goldilocks, and unlike with the first installment, I had no trouble remembering. Some of the scenes were classic Goldilocks, and they made me laugh.

Osborn is a berserker, the last of them, because his entire family and village were destroyed by vampires, save for his two brothers. He ekes out a living for them as a mercenary until he can't take it anymore, and flees to the woods (I am still not sure where/how the woods is in the mythology. Is it outside of time or just a secluded woods? I dunno) - and their hut is what Breena comes across.

Osborn knows Breena as the seductive girl who invades his dreams at night, and Breena knows Osborn as the warrior who she goes to in her dreams at night. Now that she's found him, she wants him to help her in her quest for vengeance.

I am still loving the mythology that has been created for this world, and I also enjoyed Ms. Monroe's storytelling. I was always present in the story, following the journey of the characters.

Three niggling issues -

1. The characters. I felt that for a good part of the book, Breena was a user. She just wanted someone to further her own ends, and nothing more. It's funny, since Nicolai, in the first book, did the same thing to Jane. But the difference as soon as Nicolai realized that Jane was a person, he felt conflicted about what he had to do. Breena - I didn't get that feeling from her, she was only selfish. So I do not like her as much as I could have. I also felt that Osborn (fitting name for a berserker, lol) was not as honorable a character as he might have been. I hated the scene where it looked like he was going to barter teaching Breena how to fight in exchange for her body

2.Breena's background was a bit confusing to me. From the parents Nicolai remembered, I found it hard to believe that these were the same parents who'd raise their daughter only as a princess to be married off. But then, double standards when it comes to sons and daughters is fairly common, so I guess it makes sense. But I still get the feeling that it was out of character for her parents as well as the world. Being raised as a dainty princess just did not fit right.

3. The continuity is kinda off. I felt the same with the previous book, but it did not bother me as much, I guess, because it was the first book. I can't figure out the timeline..or the ages of the royal kids. Were they all caught in a timewarp? I don't know. I can't tell. It's really confusing.

That being said, I really enjoyed the book. I liked watching Osborn and Breena fall in loved. Ms. Monroe has created another winner. On to the third!

*I received this ebook/eARC free from Netgalley; it had no influence on my rating/review*



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Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter

Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter
My rating: ★★★

ETA: after finishing all the books in the series, I am downgrading my review to three stars. It factors in how much I like each book, and how many flaws I felt each book had when taking into consideration the whole quartet.



Now I understand why so many people love Gena Showalter. The woman is a master storyteller. The first book I read by her totally underwhelmed. This is my second book and I am totally overwhelmed.

I love, love, love the mythology Ms Showalter and the other three ladies have created for this series.

This is the first book in the series, and Ms. Showalter chose to model her story after Alice in Wonderland (I had to look that up to remember :O), and I guess I kinda see the resemblance.

I liked the book quite a bit. I was completely transported into the world and the experience of the characters. I felt rage when Nicolai was enraged, I felt sad when Jane was sad, I felt angry when Nicolai was angry. The tension/foreshadowing was out of this world.

After a tragedy that befalls his family, Nicolai, crown prince of a kingdom that runs parallel to our world, is trapped in a time warp, literally, with his memory wiped clean. He's been made a sex slave in the time warp kingdom and lives his days out planning his revenge. He also knows there is something urgent to do re taking back a kingdom, but with his memory gone, he has no idea what he is supposed to do. With his magic he summons Jane, a woman with her own scars, to free him. This being a PNR, of course they fall in love along the way (well these two fell in love rather early).

The characters were fantastic. Nicolai was one scary dude- he reminds me vaguely of Jericho Z Barrons and Nalini Singh's Raphael - utterly ruthless, completely without ruth (lol!). I felt every bit of his frustration when he'd start to remember something about his past only for the memory to fade when he was on the cusp of remembering, argh! The little snippets of memory he did have about his family all made me go "awwww."

I also totally loved that Nicolai was a vampire, but not in the undead sense of it. I don't like the undead. So this was one 'vampire' novel I enjoyed.

Jane was a kick-ass heroine, smart, witty, mature, and not at all TSTL. Girl was take-charge, going straight for what she wanted: Nicolai. No misunderstandings, no nothing. Just two adults who were as straight as possible with each other (well, most of the time) from the get go.

I loved reading this book. I see what all the fuss about Ms. Showalter is about now.
I am excited for this series and I am excited to read more of Gena Showalter's work.

I highly recommend this book
*I received this ebook/eARC from Netgalley free of charge; it had no influence on my review/rating*


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Heart of the Highland Wolf, by Terry Spear

Heart of the Highland Wolf by Terry Spear

My rating: ★★★½


The Good

1. Ms. Spear's writing and mythology. She has an interesting take on werewolves that always makes for fun reading.
2. The story is rather engaging (in parts).
3. The hero and his brothers are quite nice men and werewolves, too.

The Bad
1. The heroine. Julia is likable only in small doses. Read about her for too long and she becomes entitled, bitchy and inconsiderate. In short doses she can be thought of as spunky and funny.
2. The plot can be slow at times.
3. The conflict between Ian and Basil was meh at best. not too interesting.

It was a good read, although it wasn't the best I've read from Ms. Spear. Not bad at all for a kindle freebie.



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Kiss of Snow, by Nalini Singh

Psy-Changeling, #10
Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

My rating: ★★★★★

I'm not going to go into plot details because other reviewers have done that better than I could have.

I think this might just be my favorite of the whole series, right up there with play of passion. It is not just because Hawke is my absolute favorite character (how can you NOT love the hotness that is Hawke?).

See, Kiss of Snow isn't perfect. At all. In fact it has a lot wrong with it. for example the story (Sienna and Hawke's) was fast. I felt like i didn't have time to savor it. And there were a lot of things going on in the story at the same time, making it feel choppy and episodic.

But the things that were wrong with the book were also what made it special. In many ways this book isabout precious moments, cherished moments, moments stolen from busy, chaotic, choppy days.

It was about the little moments that made up Sienna and Hawke's courtship; it was about finding precious moments to nurture love in the midst of upheaval.

It was about moments with friends, and about family bonds, friendship bonds, loyalty, love... all in busy times, moments stolen from the day.

It was about the ties that bind.

At the beginning I wasn't sure this was going to be my favorite book. but it's definitely in my top 3 of this series. I LOVE it! the many moments Hawke and Sienna had and the last 25% of the story made up for everything else.

And Hawke is a man after my own heart. he is simply awesome (anyone that says different is a huge liar, lol) and one of my favorite heroes in fiction. One of the things I love most about his character is how flawed he is. Unlike many of the heroes in this series, he is hugely flawed, with real flaws too (none of the "noble, admirable" flaws crap).He is not at all perfect, and in many ways Sienna is more 'perfect' than he is. I immensely enjoyed learning what made him tick, his history and his imperfections too.

Sienna is awesome. Many times i forgot she was only 19. She is much more mature than any 19 yo (she is more like Indigo than Evie) and more than a match for Hawke. She could hold her own against him. She's a force to be reckoned with in her own right. And I LOVED their love story, if that's not obvious by now. I also really enjoyed seeing how much-loved Hawke is, how much his pack loves and admires him, and just how much of himself he gives to his pack, how much he loves them, how hard he works to deserve their love and admiration. I only wish there has been more time to spend with Hawke and Sienna and the SnowDancer pack.

The interactions of the Lauren family were also great to see (Toby and Marlee need their own book, hehe). Kiss of Snow is not your most perfect story out there, but it is an amazing love story and well worth the wait (I see you amazon.com, making me wait till past three am to get my hands on this book).

Now all that is left is to make Hawke a daddy!!!!

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Mine to Possess, by Nalini Singh

Psy-Changeling, #4
Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh

My rating: ★★½


It was aight. Just barely. I took 2 stars off for Talin and a 1/2 star off for DarkRiver :D

Ms. Singh writes excellently as always, but the heroine blew hot and cold way too much and DarkRiver doesn't interest me too much, so.....

It was aight. My least favorite so far.



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The Iron Duke, by Meljean Brook

The Iron Seas #1
The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook
★★★½

I don't quite know how to feel about the Iron Duke.

I really enjoyed Ms. Brook's writing style,the genre (steampunk) is new to me, and her premise was fascinating. Having said all of that...

The plot was kinda confusing for me to follow. We have a parallel world which I did not fully understand. I still can't quite picture the horde in my mind and it took several chapters for me to figure out who a bugger was. There were also several scenes that I read that I couldn't quite 'see' with my mind's eye, so it felt like I was just reading words instead of following the story.

This is supposed to be a romance (no?) but there was a mystery that formed a significant part of the plot - I enjoyed the bits I could understand. Even though I read the book, I still am not clear how exactly they pieced the clues together....yeah.

Rhys, the title character ,is the hero (duh) and a well-written one at that. (What is it with authors writing really good heroes and slightly less-good heroines?)He was a man of honor, although it was a peculiar sort of honor. I liked his characterization. He has an interesting backstory which I felt could have been explored more. In any case, the details Ms. Brook gave of his past was not enough to satisfy me, nor was it enough for me to be able to see why/how Rhys grew into the man we know as the Iron Duke.

Mina the heroine was...less well-written than Rhys, but she was one of the better heroines I've read: not simpering, not an idiot, not harsh-masquerading-as-badass. Her backstory was heartbreaking. She was the preoduct of a mating frenzy where her mother had presumably mated with a horde. Unfortunately she was born with horde features,a constant reminder to the people of England what they'd suffered at the hands of the horde; so she went through life a pariah, with people spitting at her in the streets, etc. She was also the reason I almost cried reading this book.

But sister-girl could be annoying at times. No, Rhys is not obligated to pay the ransom for all of the boys taken captive by the pirate ship! And a good deal of the misunderstanding she and Rhys had could have been avoided if she'd just opened her mouth and said something instead of being a martyr.

I enjoyed immersing myself in the world Ms. Brook has created: the mystery and the romance were engaging enough - but there were several things that detracted from it for me, especially the murkiness of the plot ( others may not have been confused, but several times I was confused ) But I'm glad I read this one. And I'll continue with the series.
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Dragon Bound, by Thea Harrison

Elder Races #1
Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

My rating: ★★★★★

THIS BOOK!

LOVED IT!

Well, not so much the first half - that was just meh. The writing was good, but I just could not get into it. Pia was annoying, but Dragos (insert besotted smile here) was cute from the very beginning.

The second half however, is gold, pure gold. I could not stop giggling while i was reading it. it was funny and sweet and cute.

Pia was actually a very worthy heroine. She was kick-ass, smart, funny, and snarky while still managing to be gentle, and sweet and cute (those three words again). You don't get a winning combination like that often. I thought she was annoying in the beginning, but she's truly charming. I take back everything bad i said about Pia, lol. My one pet peeve is that I HATED it when she called Dragos "Big Guy". The heck? All this great writing and Thea Harrison couldn't come up with a better pet name for Dragos? smh.

Dragos is one of the best heroes I've had the pleasure of reading in a while. He is your typical "alpha-male",take-charge, gruff, dangerous, primal, untamed, wild... alla that good stuff, and he is at the same time endearing and sweet. I mean, how many 'uber-male, he-man-type' heroes do you know of who have no trouble saying "sorry" and meaning it? (I can't tell you how much I loved it when he offered sincere apologies to Rune and Pia). Right from when I read about him, I loved him.

The plot:
Like I said before, it dragged in the first half, but man, oh man was I sucked in during the second half. Many times I found myself going back to read the pages I'd complained were dragging, lol.

when i remembered getting to the end that Pia and Dragos had only known each other a week or two, I was actually surprised. I felt like we had been with them ages, watching them grow with each other, so I must say that their love story worked very, very well for me.

The supporting cast was great: Tricks was cute, but Rune and Graydon were my favorites. I liked Rune immediately I read about him, but Graydon took a while. I fell head over heals for him the moment he said "that was goddamn balletic, Pia" on the excercise mat, after she'd thrown Rune down. I mean, how cool is that? Who says "balletic" - I HAD to love Graydon after that. I hope he gets a book (I know Rune and Tricks get theirs).

In a way, I wish the next books were not going to focus on other characters, I'd have loved to see more of Dragos and Pia. They're that cool.

I will be waiting to read the other books. But this book is gold. It is lovely, funny, witty, charming...all the superlatives you can think of. Well the last 50% anyway. Skip the first half if you can :D

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Storm's Heart, by Thea Harrison

Elder Races #2
Storm's Heart by Thea Harrison
 ★★½


(Disclaimer: if it seems ranty, please note that i was hungry and sleep-deprived (and possibly moody) when i set out to write this review :O)

In a nutshell: Tricks has to leave the Wyr to go off and become the Dark Fae Queen. Tiago is sent with her for her protection. Things happen. Tricks (now known by her real name, Niniane) and Tiago fall in love. More stuff happens.Then comes their Happily ever after.

The characters:
Tiago in one word: brutish. and rude. and crabby. and always running roughshod over things/people. All the time, and mostly for no (justifiable) reason. He is all the things we hate about so-called alpha male heroes, with none of the endearing qualities that makes us gloss over forgive their worst faults. I did not like him at all. The only scene where he made me smile was when he was thoughtful enough not only send for clothes for Niniane, but also to request some chocolates and magazines and earrings for her. That was sweet. There were also a few moments here and there when he was not a complete jackass. The rest of the time, he was plain unlikeable; crude also(it was NOT sexy). I felt his behavior was inexcusable, being old and primal be damned. Heck, Dragos is even older and more primal, but he happened to be endearing. Tiago is not. Irksome is what he was. Running around like a petulant child throwing tantrums when things don't go his way and just generally being a pain (ick!) I did not think he deserved Rune's friendship, nor Dragos, nor any of the Wyr. What he mostly deserved was to have some sense and manners chuck-norris-roundhouse-kicked into him.

Niniane in one word: Hmm - I don't quite know a good one. Mebbe simpering(?) I saw a different Niniane than we had met before in Dragon Bound, when she was Tricks. Tricks was funny and spunky and take-charge; Niniane was flaky, tantrum-prone, and rather shallow (not a good combo). In short, she was a ninny (hah! I amuse myself, lol). For me she was not a very empathetic character. Even the extenuating circumstances could not garner sympathy. I was more like "get it together woman and get serious. you effing have a job to do, do it!" Actually, i wish they had another candidate for queen, because I don't think Niniane has what it takes, nor did I get the feeling she would be a good queen (ie what the Dark Fae need, not one who is liked/loved by 200% of the people, which seemed her primary purpose in life). And oh yes - it really bugged me that all it took for Niniane to start doubting the Wyr (read: Dragos and the sentinels) was a few statements from Carling. Really? No matter how stressed you are, you do NOT doubt the people who have taken you in, treated you as family, and protected you when your own wanted to kill you -people who gave you safe haven for what, TWO HUNDRED YEARS?! and ESPECIALLY when the seeds of doubt are being sown by someone you a) don't trust/know that well, and b) who would have a stake in you not getting along with said people who took you in. I would think by now you know without a shadow of a doubt that they got your back. But no. we doubt them and then chalk it all to stress. smh.

The secondary characters: Dragos and Pia made me smile the scant times they were on; Rune was cute as always. Aryal I found slightly more endearing in this one than in Dragon Bound. So in a sense, it was only the old supporting cast that I enjoyed seeing. None of the new characters were memorable/people i think i would enjoy/care reading about some more. Carling I didn't like one bit (why oh why is she going to be my darling Rune's mate?), nor Arethusa or whatever her name is. Just... no.

The Plot: The "love" between Niniane and Tiago didn't do it for me. Additionally, I ended up skimming rather large portions of this book because I found it hard to keep interested in the Dark Fae elements and the "mystery" aspect - ie, who was interested in killing Niniane. Heck, I wanted to kill Niniane. And Tiago. Most especially Tiago.

Ms. Harrison's quirky and fun writing is what ultimately makes this book likeable.

But I was sorely disappointed with the story and even more so with the characters. I will not be re-reading this one. I will be continuing with the series, because the writing is good, and I love Rune, so I gotta read his book :).


Favorite Quotes:

"I know. I'm sorry. I was scared too. I was so scared. Thank you for coming after me. Thank you so much for finding me" - Niniane to Tiago.

"I will have every part of you, until I live with you underneath your skin" - Tiago to Niniane


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