Review: After Dark

Reviewed by Jen
 

This anthology features two novellas: one which was previously published by Gena Showalter as part of her Lords of the Underworld series; the other a prequel to Kait Ballenger's new Execution Underground series.  I'd read the Showalter short before.  If you didn't catch my review on it the first time around:

"The Darkest Angel" - Gena Showalter seamlessly connects the dots between The Darkest Whisper and The Darkest Passion with this super sexy short story.  Our heroine is Bianka, sister to Gwen, and a fellow Harpy.  As our story begins, she is kidnapped by the angel Lysander. It turns out, she is his one true temptation and he thinks to neutralize the threat she poses. Ultimately, they each prove to be more temptation than the other can resist. But can they overcome their huge differences? 
 

The great thing about this short story is that it hyper-focuses on the romance. And by "romance,"  I mean spectacular sexual tension and payoff. --Yeah, you could skip this short story and still understand what is happening in the next book. But honestly, why would you want to? It was a great story. (I'm still fanning myself.) And unlike some of the other short stories set in the LotU world, this one actually features the Lords, albeit in supporting roles. 

Rating: B

"Shadow Hunter" -  This was a story with an interesting premise.  Damon is a vampire hunter, part of an elite fighting team called the Execution Underground.  He is trying to kill Caius, the vampire responsible for the death of his best buddy Mark.  Damon feels responsible for Mark's death and has lost more than his friend. He also lost Tiffany, Mark's sister and the woman he has been exchanging letters with for years. Damon has no idea that Tiffany, too, has been hunting Caius, until the two come face to face on the job.  The spark between them is instant and they explore their relationship as they work together to find justice for Mark.

There were problems for me from the start.  One: Tiffany is 22 years-old, gorgeous, and has never even been kissed. COME ON.  So unnecessary to the story and immediately had my eyes rolling.  Two: the instant overwhelming attraction between Damon and Tiffany (who each had no idea who the other was) was something you would expect, maybe, from shifters. But to go from never been kissed to sex with a stranger in the same night? Again, I say COME ON.  Three: Damon's constant bemoaning about lusting after his friend's baby sister.  And this was all in the first 25%.

But as trying as all that was for me, the absolute worst part of the story is the ending.  The completely NOT HAPPY ENDING.  I have an expectation of a HEA --or at the very least, HFN, in PNR.  But no. The ending is bad.  Unforgivable.  

Rating: D

*ARC provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon 

After Dark

by Gena Showalter & Kait Ballenger

Release Date: June 25, 2013

Publisher: HQN

Review: The Mane Event

Reviewed by Jen
 

I've been hearing rave reviews about this series for awhile, so I figured I would finally give it a try.  And it was exactly the two things people told me it was: funny and sexy.  This "book 1" in the Pride series is actually comprised of two novellas based on men of the Llewellyn lion shifter Pride.

"Christmas Pride" focuses on Mace, the prodigal son of the Pride.  He has returned home after more than a dozen years in the Navy and he wants to reconnect with the woman he fell in love with as a teen.  Dez is now a cop and a divorcee, but she is also everything he remembered and more.  A murder of a male pride member helps bring her back into his life. He takes full advantage of the opportunity and makes a full court press to make her his own.

I had a couple of issues, most notably the structure of the pride.  Men are sort of shipped in to breed with various females.  It squicked me out a little. I also didn't like that the female shifters (with the exception of Sissy) were all portrayed as cut-throat bitches.  These things didn't ruin the story, but they did give me pause.

I definitely laughed out loud more than once, with both the physical comedy and the dialogue.

"Mace, he's a problem. The man has a sheet longer than your dick."
"Wow. That's huge."
Dez sighed. "Would you focus?"

(*snort*) I liked that the heroine was curvy... maybe even a big girl.  Though we did spend a lot of time focusing on the size of her boobs.  --The sex was hot too.

I wouldn't call it deep or anything, but it was fun and entertaining.

"Shaw's Tail" centers on Shaw, a former Breeding Male of the Llewellyn Pride. He was badly beaten in the first story and as this one begins, wolf-shifter Ronnie Lee is tasked with taking care of him during his recuperation. Apparently, the healing fever also induces some amorous behavior, because Shaw can't keep his paws off her.  Ronnie is a free-spirit, though, and has no interest in pursuing a relationship... even when Shaw has recovered and still comes after her.  The sex is great between them, but he won't be satisfied until he can convince her to give him her heart.

The sexy times were back in full force and so were the laughs.

"Rhonda Lee ever tell you how she and Sissy Mae made money while traveling the world?"
"No. How did she--"
"Hookin," Ronnie Lee tossed in desperately. "I was a prostitute. A damn good one too."
"Stop lyin, Rhonda Lee," her mother called from the kitchen. "I doubt you were good at all."

But like the first story, there wasn't much in the way of an emotional connection here.  These two were sexually attracted to each other, had fun together, and were "in love" in couple of days.  It wasn't bad, but it was definitely light reading.  Also, the whole Southern drawl, backwoods Tennessee thing got a little old for me.  As a Southern girl, I'm not a huge fan of the stereotype.

Overall, the book was an ok read, but I can't say I loved it.  I'll probably give book two a try, but I am not in a big hurry.

Rating: C+

Click to purchase: Amazon

The Mane Event

by Shelly Laurenston

Release Date: October 1, 2007

Publisher: Brava

Review: Wild Invitation

Reviewed by Jen
 

I really enjoyed this collection of Psy-Changeling short stories. Two have been previously released. The other two are brand new, including one on Lara and Walker!!

Beat of Temptation - Tamsyn has known Nate was her mate since she was 15 years-old.  But he was 25 and he knew she was too young for them to be together. He insisted that they wait. Now it's been four years and Tammy is at the end of her rope.  She is beginning to feel like Nate will never truly want her and it breaks her heart.

Of course, Nate does want her, but he is convinced he is doing the right thing by giving her time.  He is too wrapped up in his own ideas to see how he is hurting the young woman who he is supposed to love.  It was bittersweet reading in places, because Tammy is such a good person that I hated to see her question her worth. In fact, I wanted to toss a bucket of water on Nate more than once.  But these two have a great HEA ahead and I liked learning their origin story.  Plus, Nate did redeem himself a bit when he showed Tammy she was an "orchid kind of girl."

Stroke of Enticement - This is the first human - changeling couple combination I read in the series and I liked the change in dynamic.  Annie is human and has never completely physically recovered from an accident in her childhood.  Her leg was mangled and her flaw has left her a bit cut off from those around her.  She never expects to find the kind of connection she makes with Zach, the changeling uncle of one of her students. He recognizes her as his mate right away and works to woo her into his life.

The love was pretty instant here, which for Zach, I could write off as a bonding thing. But it was little harder to swallow from Annie.  The sex was really hot, though, and the romance was sweet.

Declaration of Courtship - This story was so, so good!   It features two Snow Dancer wolves who live in a different den than Hawke and those in the pack we already know.  Cooper is a lieutenant and is the dominant of the group.  And he's set his sights on Grace, one of the most submissive wolves in the pack.  He knows he'll have to go very slow with her, but she is worth the effort.  Grace can't believe Cooper is interested in her and her wolf is thrown by its need to submit.  She and Cooper have to work the dance just right to teach her wolf that it's safe to stand up to a man so powerful. 

I loved that despite their status in the pack, it's really Grace who hold all the cards here.  No matter how hard it is, Coop forces himself to hold back until she is ready.  --It's totally worth the wait, by the way.-- The sexual tension is hot and the romance is sweet.  (And the D/s elements of their relationship stay completely out of the bedroom.)   Loved it.

Texture of Intimacy - I was so disappointed when Lara & Walker's mating happened as a side plot in Kiss of Snow! I really wanted to see these two get undivided attention.  And now they have it, thanks to this novella.  It picks up the very night of their mating and follows them over the course of weeks as their relationship solidifies.

You might think because these two are mated at the beginning of the story that there is not much tension, and in some ways that is true.  We saw those first tentative steps of their mating dance already.  But there is still a lot of ground to cover as Walker learns to let down his guard and let Laura in.  This one may not have been as exciting as a new love story, but it was very gratifying since we already have a connection to the couple.  I am so glad we got to witness the next phase of their love story.

Overall, a great collection of stories that no Psy-Changeling fan will want to miss.

Rating: B+

*ARC Provided by Berkley

Click to purchase: Amazon

Wild Invitation

by Nalini Singh

Release Date: March 5, 2013

Publisher: Berkley

Review: A Marry, Merry Christmas

Reviewed by Jen
 

This anthology features two historical and two contemporary romances with a Christmas wedding theme.

"His Indecent Proposal" - After years abroad, Victor has returned to his brother's home. He is shocked to find out that the family's governess is the same feisty woman he nearly accosted in a tavern years ago.  The attraction he felt for her then is still strong now. He wants to make her his, but she believes a future together is impossible. Can he change her mind?

The premise for this story is fairly good, but I felt like it was rushed in places.  Penelope changes her tune very quickly and it seemed abrupt and forced.  Maybe it's because the story is so short, but I needed a more realistic transition for her... and a better explanation for her initial rejection of Victor's honorable proposal.  It's not a bad story, it just felt like it had some holes in it. 

"A Love Like That" - After two years, Tina is still mourning the loss of her husband David.  But she is determined to open herself up to new possibilities for happiness.  Enter her neighbor, Wade.  It turns out that the sexy plumber has been doing small acts of kindness for her for months. From plowing her driveway to fixing her mailbox... to a lovely rose he left behind.  He is so different from her husband, but she can't deny her growing feelings for him.

I liked this one. Of course, I am a sucker for stories where the hero doesn't feel good enough for his heroine.  I liked the pacing and almost everything about this one, except for how quickly the L-word started flying.  The last chapter/ epilogue solidified the HEA, so why profess love on the second date? (*sigh*) Even though that bugged me, I enjoyed this one overall.  It was probably my favorite of the bunch.

"Forever Winter" - Susanna feels like she has been waiting for her wedding day forever, but when it finally arrives, it's one disaster after another.  A terrible snowstorm delays her dress, injures the reverend, and keeps away many of the guests.  Then, an attack from her horrible brother-in-law takes things from bad to worse. But all she wants is to marry the man she adores.

I would be upset, too, if my wedding day tanked this way, but Susanna came off a bit like a spoiled child.  Camden made an admirable groom, but I wish I would have had a chance to know him better.  Then, after all that build-up, I have to say I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get to see the payoff.  I would have preferred to read about the wedding night, rather than the epilogue five years in the future.

"Together at Christmas" - We switch back to contemporary for this last story.  Penny is a widow with two kids who is going home to visit her family for the holidays, when she accidentally grabs the wrong little boy at the train station and pulls him on the train.  It turns out she took the foster son of a station employee named Rick, who cared for her child until they could switch the kids back.  The story follows the couple falling in love and creating a blending family.

This was by far the least compelling of the stories in the book.  While I thought the premise was fine, I saw absolutely no reason for these two to fall in love. There is no build up. No emotion. No sexual tension. Nothing. And they end up married in a week.  Not to mention, Rick orchestrates an adoption in even less time.  Totally implausible, without even a strong emotional tie to make me ignore it.   

Overall Rating: C

*Book provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

A Marry, Merry Christmas

by Amber Daulton, Lynn Kellan, Susan Kaminga, & Terry Long

Release Date: December 4, 2012

Publisher: Bradley Publishing

Review: Romancing the Holiday

Reviewed by Allison
 

"We'll Be Home for Christmas" by HelenKay Dimon

Lila Payne has been trying to find her way after her marriage fell apart and she thinks that moving to Holloway to take care of the campground "resort" that her uncle gave her is as good a place as any to start over. Only she didn't expect that when she went to Thomas Nurseries to pick up something her uncle ordered, she'd run into the man she hasn't been able to get out of her head for three months... not since their hot and heavy 3-night stand. Once Spence spots her, he can't help but be drawn back to her with memories of that weekend in the swank hotel, and he's dying to know if it was just a one-time sizzle or if the fireworks are still there.

My trip back to Holloway was even better than the last! Spence was the perfect balance of smart and sexy with shake-your-head-he's-such-a-man. This short story was so emotionally charged between the devastation of a marriage gone wrong that Lila was dealing with and the lifetime of women leaving (starting with his own mother) to complicate his commitment issues on Spence's end of things.

All the smexy lovin' happened behind closed doors but this story was SO good, it didn't even matter. The emotions were intense, the tortured hero just right, and the "moment of truth" so satisfying that even though it wrapped up a bit quick, it was easily forgivable.

The growth that he showed in just a few chapters was truly a joy to read and made it hard to stay mad once he decided to finally make the dive into the unknown with the woman he found himself willing to risk being with - whether she stayed or left.

Grade: B+

"Ask Her at Christmas" by Chrisi Barth

This short was about best friends, Caitlin and Kyle. BFFs since high school, they take care of each other, lean on each other, talk each other to sleep every night... and hold back their true feelings in order to keep the friendship at a safe level. Unfortunately, when Kyle pops the question and reveals that Caitlin is his "practice run", she might have lost him for good.

Kyle explains that he is proposing to his girlfriend of six months to make his father proud and to solidify a merger between the two families companies. He figures that even thought it's essentially a business transaction, he'd put a little effort into it to try to at least base the marriage in respect and friendship.

Although the romantic in Caitlin is completely horrified (I'd feel the same way!) she has always supported Kyle and won't stop now. She does everything she can to plan a romantic proposal, giving him plenty of Christmas-y ideas like the ice rink, a fairy tale ending in front of Macy's Christmas windows, and a surprise Christmas gift. Nothing seems right to Kyle but as the days to Christmas tick down, the plan gets more real, and he doesn't know if he can go through with it.

It was absolute torture watching Kyle try to please his dad by ruining not only his life, but Caitlin's. These two are so perfect for each other that while rooting for them you go from wanting to beat him over the head with a blunt object one moment, to cheering like a crazy person the next!

This story will make you fall in love, get pissed, stand proud, and swoon in 24,000 words - in short, you'll love it!

Grade: A

"The Best Thing" by Jaci Burton

Tori has worked for Kent Construction for a few years, but the past 10 months have been especially difficult - ever since Brody Kent kissed her at the company Christmas party and she bolted. She's been in love with Brody for years, but can't let her heart get involved because of Brody's playboy reputation. She knows she wouldn't be able to handle being used and tossed aside by this man. So when Brody's brothers tell him to "fix it", he starts a dialogue with her that eventually ends in a magical weekend for the both of them... but can Tori get past her trust issues and can Brody finally man up and settle down?

I really liked Tori and Brody, but I think some background from the previous stories (this is book 3 in the series) would've helped frame their struggles a bit better. I also think that Tori had good reasons to be wary of Brody and while he did prove himself, I think she forgave him a little too easily. That's probably due to the nature of the short story though, because it's still a great tale of love and family with a Christmas twist!

Grade: B-

All three of these stories are the absolute perfect Christmas read, they're emotional without being overwhelming and will satisfy every hopeless romantic's need to swoon this holiday season!

*ARC provided by Carina Press via Netgalley

Click to purchase: Amazon

Romancing the Holiday

by HelenKay Dimon, Jaci Burton, & Christi Barth

Release Date: December 3, 2012

Publisher: Carina Press

Review: The Lady Most Willing

Reviewed by Jen
 

It's anthology, but not.  It's dubbed as "a novel in three parts" and I think that's a pretty fair assessment. Each author tackles a different couple, but all three love stories fall under the umbrella of a bigger picture.  And for the most part, I really liked it.

The basic story is this: a Scottish laird, who sees no prospect of a wife and child of his own, decides to find a matches for his two nephews and potential heirs.  So he kidnaps four eligible heiresses (and one stuffy duke by accident) and drags them back to his castle to put his plan in motion.  Snow keeps anyone from leaving, and everyone ends up finding their perfect match over the course of a few days.

Generally speaking, I really hate it when couples fall in love in such a short time, but the story had almost a fairy tale type feel that made me fixate on this less.  And though the individual love stories were clearly defined, I thought the authors did a fantastic job of working together to make it all flow together in a cohesive way.

The first third of the book was my favorite.  It features a lovely pairing between the stuffy duke, Bret, and Catronia, a lesser member of the nobility. The laird didn't really mean to kidnap either of them. After all, Catronia has no money to bring to a match with one of his nephews, and the duke is --well-- a man.  But they really make a great couple, as the duke found someone to look past his title for the first time and see him simply as John.

Part two featured the laird's uptight and proper nephew, Byron, and Fiona, the bespectacled redhead with a tattered reputation. This one was my least favorite of the three. I just didn't think Byron made an attractive hero and his affections toward Fiona seemed to come out of nowhere.

Part three focused on the laird's true heir, Robin, who has a reputation as a dissolute rake.  But Lady Cecily doesn't judge him on the gossip. She is a firm believer in true love, and (though neither realizes it right away) theirs was a case of love at first sight.  Robin really tries to stay away from Cecily, because he believes she deserves better than him, but she won't give up on what's in her heart.

The whole thing was very easy reading... sweet and fun. I was a bit sad when it was over.  Definitely worth reading for fans of historical romance.

Rating: B+

*ARC Provided by Avon

Click to purchase: Amazon

The Lady Most Willing

by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, Connie Brockaway

Release Date: December 26, 2012

Publisher: Avon

Review: All I Want for Chrisrnas Is a Duke

Reviewed by Jen
 

This duology features two fantastic novellas, featuring historical Christmas romances.  I would absolutely recommend, since I adored them both.

"Merry Christmas, Mrs Robinson" - I really, really enjoyed this one!! Years ago, Jane fell in love with a secret admirer.  A man who called himself only Mr. X sent her beautiful letters... letters she responded to in kind.  She had no idea they were coming from Martin, a younger friend who never believed she would return his affection if she knew who she was.  When an older, dashing man came forward, claiming to be Mr. X, Jane believed him and married him.  It only took a couple of weeks for his lies to surface and for Jane to demand a divorce.  Only, her husband dropped dead before he could grant her wish.

It's been eight years since that happened.  Martin, who left town when Jane got married, is back.  And circumstances bring him back into Jane's life.  This time, however, he refuses to hide who he is and how he feels.  Can they find love after all that has happened?

This story was so good!  The characters were so engaging. It's impossible not to root for Martin as reaches for his dream of a life with Jane.  The sexual tension is palpable. The sex is hot.  And in just 100 pages or so, Delilah Marville had me completely emotionally invested in their future.  Loved.

"The 12 Days of Seduction" - The day Adrianna has long dreaded has finally come to pass.  Her employer has finally learned about her past and real identity. She had adopted a softer, more proper, persona as governess to Alexander's daughter.  The position, and the child, have come to mean the world to her.  But all is not lost. Alexander wants her as his mistress. She challenges him to seduce her and as he works to do that, he ends up peeling back the layers of Adrianna's true self she has hidden for so long.

Adrianna has worked hard to shed her horrible past, and she is a good person. I loved watching Alexander discover what a treasure she is. Just the right combination of romance and sensuality, this novella really hit the spot.

It's rare for a novella to truly satisfy for me, but both of these really did.  I was already a fan of Marvelle, but now I won't hesitate to try more from Clairmont.

Rating: B+

*ARC Provided by Entangled via NetGalley

Click to purchase: Amazon

All I Want for Christmas Is a Duke

by Delilah Marvelle & Marie Claremont

Release Date: December 5, 2012

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Review: Second Chances

Reviewed by Jen
 

I found myself enjoying almost all of the five short stories in this m/m anthology.  Each had a slightly different take on the theme of second chances. I think the fourth story, Dirty Martini, was my favorite.

Non-Negotiable (T. D. Green) - It's been six years since Alex broke Jacob's heart and time has not healed the wound.  After three years together, Alex bailed on their relationship, just as Jacob's sister was dying. Now, Alex has found his way back into Jacob's life through work.  And it takes everything in Jacob to say no.  But how long can he truly keep up his walls when he never really stopped loving his college sweetheart?

I liked this author's voice and I felt like I had a good idea of who Jacob was, even with the short story length.  But I thought he forgave Alex much too easily. I didn't feel like Alex actually redeemed himself... just that circumstances and Jacob's tender heart worked in his favor.  This bothered me.

Heart of Glass (L. J. Harris) - I enjoyed this one. It's basically a story of an instant connection between two men who find exactly what they need in one another. Zack is an American who has moved to Australia to get a fresh start after a bad break-up. Heath is a man who left his wife and old life behind in order to figure out who he really is.  It takes hitting rock bottom to rebuild himself, but that's what he does.  His transformation doesn't become complete, however, until he crosses paths with Zack. Attraction gives way to passion, and ultimately love.  I would have been ok without the flash forward at the end, but overall, I thought this was sexy and sweet --and I was surprised by how much I felt like I knew these guys in a very short time.

Better Together (DaNay Smith) - Sometimes love just isn't enough. Grayson gave up his career as an artist to follow Dom for his residency in Baltimore. But after years of putting his own needs aside, he up and leaves to go back to New York.  He rekindles his career. He's a smashing success. It's not enough, though.   His heart is empty without Dom. But can they get back what they once had?

I liked this second chance romance.  Both men are flawed, but there is no doubt about how much they love each other. It was easy to root for them to work it out.

Dirty Martini (Bette Browne) - Daniel was only looking to drown himself in an alcohol induced oblivion when he dropped into Nate's bar.  He had just seen his ex out with another guy.  But even through his drunken haze, he made a connection with his sexy bartender.  The next night, he went back to the bar, hoping to make a better impression on Nate... and from there a romance was born.

This one is a little sexier than the other stories and I thought the bedroom action was well-done.  The attraction between Dan & Nate was hard and fast, but thankfully the author gave them a little time to let the emotions grow.  I liked it.

Notice to Appear (C. C. Lorenz) -  Things seemed like they couldn't get any worse for Josh when a lame date turned into a trip to court for driving with an expired license.  But after the huge fines and massive inconvenience, the universe added insult to injury when his old high school crush turned up just in time to witness his humiliation.  Fortunately, the story only gets better from there. Carter not only remembers Josh, but he asks him out on a date --and turns out to be everything Josh ever dreamed of and more.

This was a sweet first love story, though I probably would have enjoyed it even more if it were a little more fleshed out.

Overall Rating: B

*ARC Provided by Bottom Drawer Publications

Click to purchase: Amazon

Second Chances

by T. D. Green, L. J. Harris, DaNay Smith,

Bette Browne and C. C. Lorenz

Release Date: August 31, 2012

Publisher: Bottom Drawer Publications

Review: Warriors in Winter

Reviewed by Jen
 

This anthology revisits Michelle Willingham's world of the MacEagan family, with three short stories from the second generation of sons and daughters.

In the Bleak Midwinter - This is a story about moving through grief to find new happiness.  It's been a year since Brianna's husband was killed by a Norseman, but her heart is still broken. When a handsome Spaniard named Arturo ventures to her village for his sister's wedding, she is shocked by his interest in her. But he understands her loss. His wife died three years ago and he wants to help soothe her hurt.  The question is, can she let him inside?

I really felt poor Brianna's heartache here and as a result, this story was pretty heavy. But I liked Arturo and enjoyed watching him break down her walls.  Their romance was really fast --crazy super fast-- but it was bittersweet and emotionally resonant.

The Holly and the Viking -  I really, really enjoyed this one. It's my favorite in the anthology. I am such a sucker for broken heroes.  And I was pleasantly surprised to find the hero and heroine of this story were familiar faces from the first one.  Kaal is the Viking who killed Brianna's husband. But all was not as it seemed when he pulled his spear. It turns out, Kaal is blind.  And that day he defended himself, he lost everything he held dear.. including his young daughter.

Rhiannon never thought she would find love, but a terrible storm drove her to Kaal's cave and she quickly fell for the man's quiet strength and sensual touch.  Kaal believed he would be alone the rest of his life, so it was so satisfying to watch the romance develop between these two.  Yes, it was really fast (again,) but it hit all of my favorite romance buttons, so I barely noticed. I wish there was more of this one!

A Season to Forgive - Here we revisit Adriana and Liam, a couple first featured in the previously released short story "Lionheart's Bride."  And this story was a tough read.   Adriana is set to marry Liam, but she is hiding a terrible secret. She bartered her virginity to the king in order to save Liam's life... and he has no idea.  She spends most of the story holding in her heartbreak.  But when Liam learns the truth, things only get worse.

I was very disappointed in how Liam handled the news.  I felt like he blamed her and ultimately she had to convince him to forgive her for an act where she was the victim.   This made it very difficult to like Liam, even when he finally comes around.

I enjoyed the book as a whole. I liked the way all three stories were intertwined.  Though it's listed as book 7 in the MacEgan Brothers series, I had no trouble following along. In fact, it made me want to check out the backlist (especially Kaal & Brianna's story!)

Rating: B- (We lost points on Liam.)

*ARC provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Warriors in Winter

by Michelle Willingham

Release Date: November 13, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin

Review: Blood by Moonlight

Reviewed by Jen

This anthology features three PNR/UF stories all loosely tied to Halloween.  The stories are pretty short... the total number of pages was a little over 100 pages.  Here's how they break down:

Of Monsters and Men - Jocelynn Drake takes us back inside her Asylum world for a new adventure of Gage and Trixie.  This short story is set after the events of Angels Ink.  And it's really designed to show just how deeply Gage has fallen in love.  Jack --the werewolf who Gage turned in a chihuahua in the novel-- is in need of help.  The Winter Court of the Fae is about to unleash the Wild Hunt on his pack.  He knows Gage has the juice to stop them. But when Trixie is threatened, we see just how far Gage will go to keep her safe.

I enjoyed revisiting this series and I like seeing this edge to Gage.  I'm not completely invested in the romance, but I really like the world building --and the fact that hero is not all black or white.

The Ghoul Next Door - This short is from new-to-me author Terri Garey. It follows the efforts of an angry witch (Cassie) as she tries to drive the new owner out of her family home.  She has no idea, though, that James has his own powers and his own reason for living there.  And it doesn't take long before she realizes that there is a thin line between love and hate.

I liked the writing in this one and the story was pretty good. My only beef is the speed that these two go from enemies to soul mates... and that is saying nothing about the make-out sessions while being held hostage.   The romantic resolution is just too rushed to really satisfy.

Trick or Treathen - Jenna is a human, desperate to rescue her sister --who has been kidnapped by a sadistic master vampire. Her only hope for help is through another master vamp, Treyne, who has she has become friends with over the past several months.  Now, she's tired of waiting, so she tries to force Treyne's assistance. What ends up happening instead, is that she lights the powder keg of sexual attraction that has been brewing between them since day one.  They are on the verge of sealing a bond between them that neither wants... or do they?

I had a couple of problems with this one.  First of all, I felt like I was jumping into an established series, the way the past between the hero and heroine was characterized.  I'm glad they have a history --don't get me wrong-- because it gave a basis to all the feelings these two have over a short number of pages.  The quick about-faces they do would have been even worse without it.  I didn't like the small time jump at the end.  But on the plus side... the sex was well done in this story, IMO.  And while it was a different vampire world, it felt similar in tone to the first Blood Rose book I read from Caris Roane not too long ago.

Overall Rating: C+

*ARC Provided by Avon

Click to purchase: Amazon

Blood by Moonlight

by Jocelynn Drake, Terri Garey, Caris Roane

Release Date: October 23, 2012

Publisher: Avon

Review: Into the Woods

Reviewed by Jen
 

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories by Kim Harrison. I had read more than half of them already in previously released books. But the anthology included one all new Hollows short story and four stories outside of the Hollows world.

“Undead in the Garden of Good & Evil” (originally released in Dates from Hell)
Ever wonder what Ivy was like before she met Rachel? We get a little peek in this short story. It’s set a couple of years before the events in Dead Witch Walking.  Ivy has been a Homicide Investigator at the I.S. for about 6 months. She is living with Kisten and they are in a relationship. This is before her blood-fast… she is still giving and taking blood. But she is very confused about what it means to her.  She tries not to equate a blood exchange with anything emotionally meaningful, unless it involves sexual intimacy. And her boss, Art, wants both from her.  If she doesn’t give in, he’ll never promote her.  But she doesn’t like the man and if she gives in, it will be a huge blow to her self-respect.  This novella is great for Hollows fans because it shows us the Kisten/Ivy relationship that has been referenced all along in the series.  It shows us the events that lead to Ivy abstaining from blood and gives us a better insight into her struggle with what her vampiric needs mean for her. And it introduces Art. He comes back to bite our friends in a big way down the road.  This story sets the stage for why he hates them so much.

“Dirty Magic” (originally released in Hotter Than Hell)
This story doesn’t directly involve any of the main characters in the Hollows, but instead, focuses on a banshee named Mia. We met her in “Undead in the Garden of Good & Evil,” when she was called in to help with a case Ivy was working on. She was the one who helped Ivy realize should could change her life. And we learn here what happened to that wish Rachel gave Ivy in Dead Witch Walking. She gave it to Mia.  The banshee has since gone on to marry and have a banshee baby named Holly. And now, she is having an affair with a human named Tom. She is soaking up his love like a sponge, but in the process she is killing him.  Can her wish give her the lasting relationship no banshee has ever been able to maintain?  –This story is very short… only about 30 pages. And I didn’t like the twist at the end.  You could skip this one… but we do see Mia and her clan again in a later story.

“The Bridges of Eden Park” (originally released in For a Few Demons More)
It was very bittersweet to get this short story about Kisten and Rachel after the tragic end of For a Few Demons More.  It’s probably set chronologically, just before that book’s beginning.  Our couple is having a picnic at the park, when they are interrupted by Kisten’s sister and his nephew, Audric. The child’s father is trying to kidnap him and sends thugs to get the job done.  Kisten and Rachel work together to stop them. This story is only 12 pages long, but it reminds me how much I love Kisten.

“Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel” (originally released in Holidays are Hell)
We get a blast from Rachel’s past in this novella. It takes place when she is just 18 years-old and has decided she wants to join the I.S. Her big brother Robbie is against the plan, sure she is not strong enough.  But he agrees that if she can do a spell to ask their father’s ghost –and he gives his blessing– Robbie will support her. When Rachel does the spell, though, she brings forth the ghost of a witch named Pierce, who hunted evil vamps over 100 years ago. He quickly realizes that a vampire he once hunted is kidnapping girls in the present day. He and Rachel work together to bring him down and save the child.  This story gives us a chance to meet Rachel while she still feels the effects of her illness. But she already has that fire we love about her. There are definite sparks between her and Pierce –and we haven’t seen the last of him yet.

“The Bespelled” (originally released in The Outlaw Demon Wails)
This quick, 9 page read, gives us the backstory of how Ceri became Al’s familiar.  It seems that unlike any other would-be familiar he has brought across the lines, Ceri was willing to go. After 7 years of summoning Al, she had fallen in love with him. And he seemed strangely enamoured of her as well. Though it was not enough to keep him from breaking her will and torturing her for 1000 years.

“Ley Line Drifter” (originally released in Unbound)
Jenks gets his very own story in this novella.  Another pixy comes to him, asking for help when a statue in his garden seems to be possessed by an evil force.  The statue is endangering his babies and he doesn’t know what to do. So Jenks and Bis come to the rescue.  It turns out that it’s a Druid trapped in the stone… and a nymph has been tasked with keeping him bound there.  Jenks struggles to determine who is the good guy and who is the bad, so he can help the young pixy family in need.  It was great to see things from Jenks’ perspective while we get a closer look at pixy culture.  Somehow, I think we’ll see Sylvan the Druid again someday.

"Million Dollar Baby" - This is the story you will buy the book for. And it will be worth it.  I loved this story. Loved, loved, loved.  We get to see, firsthand, the adventure of Trent and Jenks as they kidnap baby Lucy from Ellsbeth. I think what really makes it sing is that it is in Trent's POV. We get to finally have a little peek as to what is going on inside his head.  Unfortunately, there is no big Rachel reveal, but it's still really interesting stuff.

We get a glimpse of how Trent sees himself and about the kind of man he wants to be.  And we see the camaraderie build between him and Jenks. This story makes me 10x more hungry for Ever After than A Perfect Blood ever did.  More Trent!!!

"Pet Shop Boys" - This short story is set in a world where vampires and the Fae live in a realm parallel to humanity. Cooper, a 20-something pet shop employee finds out about their existence the hard way. It all starts when a strange young girl and her beautiful mother enter his shop to buy a cat. The woman invites him to an exclusive club where he quickly discovers all is not as it seems. There is something sinister behind the ratio of beautiful people to average-Joe's.  Can he get away or was his fate sealed the moment he entered the door?

This story was ok. I never really got what made Cooper so special that Felicity would want him the way that she did... especially after such a short time in his company.  I also thought the world-building was really hazy here. The premise was interesting, but I think it needed a lot more fleshing out to really work.

"Temson Estates" - Will travels across the ocean to claim his inheritance when his grandfather dies.  It's a huge plot of woods and he realizes he can sell the land for logging. He could really use the money to help in his life.  But his grandfather's sister has other ideas. She knows there are dryads (tree spirits) inhabiting the woods.  So she sets out to help him learn the truth about the family land.

The story flew by pretty fast. The dryad mythology was interesting and Will seems like a good guy, It's not very deep, but for 15 pages, what can you expect?

"Spider's Silk" - I thought this one was really cool, with an awesome/ horrible twist at the end.  For her entire life, Lilly's mother has told her stories of the spirit Penn that lives in the trees. It wears the guise of a young man, hoping to lure girls into the woods for his own nefarious ends.  Her mother says she trapped Penn inside a tree in her youth, but now he's back and he is targeting Lilly's daughter.

Of course, Lilly initially thinks her mother is crazy, but as the story progresses, she becomes less and less sure. Then, it seems Penn has set his interest on her. Is she strong enough to fight his lure, when he knows exactly what she needs?  This one is kind of creepy, but I liked it.

"Grace" - This was my favorite of the four "non-Hollows" stories.  It's title character is a "throw" --a person who can manipulate energy. Her job is to collect young people with the same abilities, so that her employer, The Strand, can either teach them how to control their powers or burn them out to prevent a danger to society at large.

This story follows Grace on a particularly tough run, one that will test her skills and her moral compass. Making an already difficult situation worse is the re-emergence of an old flame into her life. The world-build here is very intriguing. Grace is very likable and I'd really like to see her story continue beyond this.  Especially with Jason.  (*fingers crossed*)

Overall, this is a good anthology. Especially for readers who haven't read all of the previously released novellas.  The Trent novella alone makes it a must-read for any Hollows fan.

Rating: B

*ARC Provided by Harper Collins

Click to purchase: Amazon

Into the Woods

by Kim Harrison

Release Date: October 9, 2012

Publisher: Harper Collins

Review: Hot in Handcuffs

Reviewed by Allison

Arresting Desire
Shayla Black

When FBI Agent Jon Bocelli went undercover in the mafia, he met and never forgot the beautiful Lucia DiStefano. When his brother ends up in jail and won’t talk to get out or save his life, Jon decides he has to come calling to his old “family” contacts to make sure his brother gets out alive. After spotting Lucia across the club, he decides that since she’s waited this long to save herself, he would be the one to finally deflower her. Aggressively. After much “protesting.” There was a mystery surrounding her father and somehow it all tied back to Jon’s case when he was undercover but to be honest, it wasn’t all that interesting. Definitely hot, but pretty underwhelming otherwise.

Grade: C

On Fire 
Sylvia Day

Deputy Marshal Jared Cameron blows into Fire Inspector Darcy Michaels’ small town in order to aid an investigation of a series of arson attacks destroying their community. The chemistry between these two is explosive & immediate. It starts as just an itch to scratch, but quickly (and I do mean quickly) moves to much more. Even though I’m not usually a fan of the “we’re meant to be” after 24 hours in bed, for some reason it totally worked with these two. You could just feel it, you were swept up in the passion and knew that there was no one else who could answer the others needs like they could for each other.

“Good.”
The rush of relief he felt almost made him dizzy.
“So we make it work.”
“It’s going to be work. A lot of it. We’re too volatile. Too…greedy.”
“Like a thirst you can’t quite quench,” he agreed softly.
“The flip side being that every time you take a drink, it’s the best fucking thing you’ve ever tasted. If that’s not worth working for, what is?”

Right?! (*sigh*) The on-the-job chemistry worked really well, too, as Jared and Darcy worked together to figure out who was behind the fire and another mystery that pops up. I had an inkling who the culprit was but she definitely surprised me! I definitely enjoyed this short story and look forward to reading more by Ms. Day!

Grade: B+

The Unwilling
Shiloh Walker

Mica Greer is a cop trying to solve a strange series of brutal murders of women when her ex-FBI ex-boyfriend, Colby Mathis, gets called in to consult on the case. He is “psychic” and probably their last chance at finding the bastard before he hits again. As they work together to find whom they’re coming to believe is a fellow cop, the passion they once shared is reignited in their search for the truth.

The psychic twist to this one didn’t really float my boat. I love paranormal stories but this one didn’t seem to add to the story much.

Ms. Walker is an incredibly talented writer, but this story was too graphic and creepy for me to find it the least bit sexy. If you like to get in the killer’s head, be steeped in the mystery, and get creeped out, then this story is for you. It most assuredly wasn’t for me.

Grade: C (This is based on the fact that it wasn’t my cup of tea, because it really was well written and constructed.)

Click to purchase: Amazon

Hot in Handcuffs

by Shayla Black, Shiloh Walker, Sylvia Day

Release Date: July 3, 2012

Publisher: Berkley

Review: Fun With Buster and Other Short Stories

Reviewed by Shelly
 

This is a very quick read, about 20 pages, with 4 stories.

1. Fun with Buster (m/f/male sex doll)
2. Worship the cock (oral only)
3. Fantasy (m/f)
4. Day One (f/f/m)

Fun with Buster follows a couple who both lost their jobs two years prior and have now decided that the best way to make money is to do videos for a porn site. The story is told in first person from the husband’s POV and no one ever called his name so I don’t know what that is so I just called him Dude. There's quite a bit of sex between Dude and his wife Veronica - did ya know you can squeeze in two sex scenes in a 4 ½ page story. WTF! The part that really did me in though was when Dude had the nerve to say that when they uploaded their video to the distributor’s server, the amount of viewers was so high that they crashed the server. You’ve got to me shitting me, right?

Worship the cock is a single page story about the title. Not much to say there.

Fantasy is role playing about a Nurse taking the 'temperature' of her male patient. I can't tell you how the temperature is taken because that would just ruin the surprise now won't it.

Oh, finally a plot (don’t get excited – it ain’t all that). ‘Day One’ tells the story of a world taken over by alien ‘Pirates’. On the run after the death of Emily, her college roommate and lover, Jessica has been on her own. While in hiding, she’s found by fellow survivors including Peter and Marianne. When she’s taken back to Peter and Marianne’s tent, Marianne gives her a bath. Why the hell is a grown woman giving another grown woman a bath unless she’s looking for some? Come on, even I can see that one coming. Lot of things happen in day two, Jessica turns into Zena, Princess Warrior just slicing through ‘Pirates’ like they’re water on her blade and even better she’s agreed to be the second wife to Peter and bear his children. That’s believable right? This story had such potential, I was so excited when I read the first couple of paragraphs then it just seem to go downhill. Oh and by the way – I have never liked f/f and I don’t think I ever will and I really don’t like it when I’m not warned that the story contains that coupling.

Overall, they're short and over very quickly so don't blink because you might miss it. I don't know what to tell you folks other than this – the first three are what they are and the last one disappointed me and even pissed me off a little.

Happy reading folks!

Rating: F

*Book provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Fun With Buster and Other Short Stories

by Tiffany Rose
Release Date: May 11, 2012

Review: Royal Bridesmaids

Reviewed by Jen
 

This anthology features a collection of historical short stories, featuring royal weddings where the bridesmaids find love.  I was excited for this one, as I enjoy all three authors.  I knew the stories would be short, but I was unprepared for how short, especially when the entire ebook was 181 pages.

"A Return Engagement" (S Laurens) - I didn't really love this one because so little of it actually focused on the romance between the hero and heroine. That would be a problem in any story, but it's even more pronounced in a short story like this one.  Nell and Robert were an item nine years ago, but he never proposed when she thought he would and their romance ended abruptly. Now the two of them are thrown together as Nell's sister prepares to marry the prince Robert works for. Most of the story centers on the wedding and Nell & Robert's efforts to make it happen. There just isn't enough about the two of them and their feelings for each other to make me care about their future one way or the other. 31 pages.

"The Imposter Bride" (G Foley) - This one, I did enjoy.  The prince and princess of two warring nations have agreed to marry to make peace. But the night before the wedding, the bride runs away, leaving her lady in waiting, Minerva, to assume her identity and take her place at the altar. Minerva quickly falls for her new husband, Tor.  But how long can she keep up the charade?  The story was a little predictable, but I really liked Minerva and the chemistry between her and Tor.  Sweet and a little sexy. 38 pages.

"Lord Lovedon's Duel" (L Chase) - Probably the best in the bunch.  It's based loosely in the Dressmakers world. Just after Chloe's sister is married to a duke, the women overhear some men saying the groom married for money and not love.  Angered over the hurt it causes her sister --and just a little bit drunk-- Chloe confronts Lord Lovedon, the man speaking most disparagingly of the match. She demands a duel, sparking his attention and a witty banter which evolves into a relationship. It was funny and sassy.  21 pages.

If you do the math, you'll find that the short stories make up 90 of the 181 pages of the ebook.  The rest of the space is filled with previews and excerpts of future Avon historicals, from the featured authors as well as Carla Swafford, Alice Gaines, Candis Terry, and Anna Randol.  If that's something you're interested in, that's great, but it frustrated me.  It was more tease than substance. 

Rating: C

*ARC Provided by Avon

Click to purchase: Amazon

Royal Bridesmaids

by Stephanie Laurens, Gaelen Foley, Loretta Chase
Release Date: July 17, 2012
Publisher: Avon

Review: Moonlight Secrets: Werewolf Love Story

Reviewed by Shelly
 

All separate and short tales, these stories will appeal to those who like their stories with a little, okay a lot of spice. 

What I didn’t see and should have seen was a disclaimer that read something like ‘a single story contains a sexual situation involving a werewolf in beast form’. Some people, including me, like to have those things pointed out up front. Also, the title of the book is a little misleading. There is only one story in the series of nine where a werewolf is involved. I think a better title might have been something like ‘Secrets’ because all of the stories had that in common. 

Below is a list of the stories, and I’m adding the genre in parenthesis. 

1. Moonlight Secrets (shifter, paranormal ***disclaimer – sexual situation involving a werewolf in beast form) – Rating C (I’m taking points away because of that missing disclaimer)

2. Friendly Skies (contemporary) – Rating A-

3. Between the Soul and Soft Machine (sci-fi) – Rating A+

4. The Ambush (vampire, paranormal, suspense) – Rating B

5. Warm and Wet (contemporary, suspense, action) – Rating B+

6. The Passion of Spies (contemporary) – Rating C+

7. In Good Health  (contemporary) – Rating B

8. Feeling Right Doing Wrong (contemporary, action, suspense) – Rating A-

9. Sexting in Class (contemporary) – Rating C

I’m not going to review each story, but I will say that I really enjoyed the majority of the stories and especially the interesting places and situations that the characters ‘came together.’ One of my faves is "Friendly Skies" about Cara and Eric a married couple who are in flight on their way to a vacation.  Eric decides that the only way to get uptight Cara to relax and begin enjoying their vacation is to bargain. And oh boy dies he bargain well. I can't give away too much here because it's a short story after all but I will say that even with brevity, the sex scene was very well written.   

"Between the Soul and Soft Machine" was really well done also. Cyborg Alee and Lawman Jackson are a good match that worked for me. Alee's gotta figure out how to be more 'human' and it's Jackson's job to teach her. Well of course, Jackson decides that she needs more than a lesson on interrogation. I'm thrilled to say that the sex scene was believable and sexy between this particular lawman and his partner.

In "Feeling Right Doing Wrong,"  Anna and Miska are enemies on opposite sides of the law. Former law agency partners, Anna's career is focused on bring Miska down and making him pay for his crimes. We'll, low and behold, there's some feelings there too. I can really see this story being a full length novel. There's so much left unsaid that I was kinda, slightly upset when I turned to the last page. This couple is magic on paper and the tension between them was palpable and I can't wait to see if we get more of them.

The ones that I rated an ‘A’ are the stories I would really like to see flushed out into a novel. These were above average and really quite well done.  As you can see, some stories were better that others but I think that’s par for the course when you get multiple stories in the same novel. 

Overall, the characters were likeable and the sex scenes were well told and quite good (except for the story with the beast form. In my eyes, you can’t dress that up to make it sexy). 

Happy reading folks!

Overall rating: B

*Book provided by author for review 

Click to purchase: Amazon

Moonlight Secrets: Werewolf Love Story

by Lisa Tyler

Release Date: March 20, 2012

Review: Angel's Flight

This anthology features a collection of short stories in the Guild Hunter world. Three have been previously published. The last is new.

Angels' Pawn - Throughout the first three Guild Hunter novels, we get little teasers about the hunter Ashwini and her constant foil, the sexy Cajun vampire Janvier. But in this short story, we get to see the two of them in action.  Though Ash is usually hunting Janvier, here they are working together to bring in a vampire at the center of a power struggle.  The whole thing serves as a little slice of life for the Guild Hunter, but it also showcases the sexy dynamic between Ash and Janvier.  This isn't a story with an HEA. It does, however, leave the door wide open for the possibilities between these two. I hope they get their own story one day. The backstory on Ash alone would make it worthwhile.

Angel's Judgment - This is our chance to see Sara and Deacon when they first meet and fall in love.  When the story begins, Sara is trying to decide whether she will accept the position as the new Guild Director. (Chronologically, it happens before the events of Angels' Blood.) As she works a case, trying to find a killer who is targeting vamps, she is paired with Deacon.  He is known within the Guild as The Slayer, investigating rouge hunters and delivering punishment when necessary.  They work together to find the guilty party, and grow close in the process.  Sara has always been just a background character for me in the series, but this story gives her more depth.  And Deacon is hawt!  A great novella, filled with action and awesome sexy-times.  Definitely a keeper for fans of the series.

Angels' Wolf - Poor Noel.  Back in Archangel's Kiss, he was the vampire savagely beaten and tortured to send a message to Raphael.  His body has now healed, but he may never recover from the emotional damage.  As this story begins, Raphael sends him on a mission to Louisiana, to help the angel Nimra figure out who is trying to kill her.   Nimra is very powerful, striking fear in even the most brutal angels.  But Noel finds there is a gentle spirit behind her fierce reputation.  It was strange seeing such a soft angel, when almost all the others in the series have this vein of inhumanity.  But I did enjoy watching her breathe new life into Noel's broken spirit.  By the time the story ends, we finally get an idea of who he was before his attack.  And it's clear that through love, he'll one day be whole again.

Angels' Dance - Set 400 years in the past, this story gives us the chance to watch Galen and Jessamy fall in love. Jess is a teacher at the refuge, loved and respected by all, but the ancient angel has never known a man's touch. She is thousands of years old, but her malformed wing has kept her grounded and isolated. Galen recognizes that there is more to her than just a teacher and historian. He sees the woman beneath. And he takes her to the skies... exposes her to the world. He awakens feelings in her that she never thought she would have. This is all happening as Galen works to prove himself worthy of entering Raphael's service. Also at the same time, there is turmoil in Cadre with a missing archangel and an attempt on Jessamy's life. But the real draw is the love story that develops between Jess and Galen. They are wonderful contrasting characters, proving how much opposites attract. A lot of time passes over the course of less than 150 pages, but it only adds to the depth of their feelings. Very satisfying.

Overall rating: 4 stars.

*ARC Provided by Berkley

Click to purchase: Amazon

Angels' Flight

by Nalini Singh

Release Date: February 28, 2012

Publisher: Berkley

Review: Cereus: The Building

Reviewed by Jen
 

The stories in most anthologies are barely held together by a common thread. Sometimes I wonder what they have in common at all. But this one is different in that all three novellas take place inside the broader construct of a larger story. The premise is pulled from Julia Talbot's Bloodrose series. (Though it will make sense even if you haven't read those books.) A new club, catering to supernaturals is opening... and each short story features characters who are working there.

"It's Elemental" is Talbot's offering. It features a Native American werewolf shifter named Chayton and his unlikely relationship with a demon named Kenny. Chayton is the strong, silent type... and he is working construction on the new property. Kenny is the interior designer. The story is fast-moving and very sexy. There's not a lot of emotion behind it, but it's quick and hot. Neither man expects expects overpowering attraction they feel for each other, but it's fun watching them surrender to their desires.

"The Third Course" is a shifter-menage short story by BA Tortuga. The sexual dynamic in this one was not my brand of kink... for two reasons. First and foremost, it's a twincest story. Secondly, it's a dom/sub relationship (which is also not my thing.) In a nutshell, twin chefs Marco and Stephan are werecats and lovers. Marco is the submissive/beta and Stephan "takes care of him." Then alpha werewolf shifter Faelan comes along and tops them both. It helped me get through the incest thing to simply pretend the guys weren't really brothers while I read about them having sex with each other... otherwise I just would have been too squicked out.  There were sexy times --and I like the way Tortuga writes her shifters, with their animal traits bleeding over into their human lives. She took the same approach in Just Like Cats & Dogs, which I liked better.

The last novella is "Smoke and Gold" by Sean Michael. This is the story of dragon-shifter Daniel and the demon Zee. Daniel is the dragon who owns the property that the club is being built on. Zee is the head dominant, there to make sure all the "playrooms" are up to snuff. This story was basically the struggle of Zee trying to top Daniel. Again, the whole dom/sub thing is not a turn-on for me. There is alot of back and forth banter about who is the child and who is the master; there is a lot of spanking; some sex; a dash of magic --and then a few whacks with the belt for good measure.

Overall, I liked the idea of pulling all the stories together under a common arc.   The first story was the best in the bunch for me... it simply suited my tastes much better than the other two. But if D/s relationships and twincest rock your boat, you might like the other two stories more than I did.  It was all an interesting foray outside of my comfort zone.  But I am hard pressed to figure out how to give it a rating.

*ARC provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Cereus: Building

by BA Tortuga, Sean Michael, Julia Talbot

Release Date: September 13, 2011

Publisher: Torquere Press

Review: A Midwinter Fantasy

A Midwinter Fantasy is a mixed bag of short stories from the fantasy romance genre with a Christmas theme. Here's a look at the novellas included:

"A Christmas Carroll" - This story serves as wrap-up for the Percy Parker series by Leanna Renee Hieber. And I understand fans of the series loved it.  Speaking as someone who has never read these books, the story wasn't so great.  Obviously the world-building in this series is pretty complicated and while the bare bones are laid out here, it was painfully apparent how much I had missed. 

Basically, the novella is set up in the framework of the Dickens story of the same name.  But here, the spirits are trying to teach the heartbroken Rebecca that she has had true love at her fingertips for 20 years. In a series of flashbacks, she learns how much Michael has always loved her and that all she needs to do is reach out to him to find happiness.  This is all set up in the context of a world of ghosts and a secret Guardian society set in Victorian London.  The story was ok. But I had the unmistakable feeling I was reading the last chapter of an unfamiliar book. 

"The Worth of a Sylph" - This was the story I read the anthology for --as I am a big fan of LJ McDonald's Sylph series. I was a little confused when I first heard that this was a love story for Mace. After all, he bonded with Lily back in The Battle Sylph.  But a whopping 19 years have now passed since the events of that book.  And Lily is an old woman. She knows that she doesn't have much time left, so she encourages Mace to find a new master... a woman he can love.

Meanwhile, Jayden, one of Lily's orphan children has run away and she asks Mace to find him. On his journey, he reconnects with Sally, a woman who he shared a tumble with in the first book.  They instantly reconnect and it's quickly apparent that she will be the woman who has his heart.  The people in her village have ostracized her for her affair with Mace and their cruelty extended to her son... who seems to be traveling with the bandits who have Jayden. Now Mace is on a mission to save both boys, while he hopes for a future with the woman who could finally be his soul mate.

Be aware that this story is a peek into the future.  The series jumps back 13 years for the next full length book, Queen of the Sylphs. 

"The Crystal Crib" - Sonja has traveled to Iceland to broker a business deal for her aunt. But when she arrives in Vidar's office, instead of her aunt, he is shocked to see her.  It turns out that Vidar has been the guardian angel tied to Sonja's soul her whole life. He saved her life as a baby and has been linked to her ever since.  But with her return to Iceland, she is drawn back in the feud between her father and Vidar's.  At first she seems to be just a pawn, but it's slowly revealed that she is much more.

The connection between Sonja and Vidar is sweet and sexy.  The story is set on the backdrop of Norse mythology, which is fun and a little off the beaten path.  Nothing too deep, but entertaining.

As a fan of the Sylph series, obviously the McDonald selection was my favorite. Taylor's wasn't bad.  But I think Hieber's story may be a miss for readers unfamiliar with the previous books.  Almost 4 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

A Midwinter Fantasy

by Leanna Hieber, LJ McDonald, Helen Scott Taylor

Release Date: November 23, 2010 

Publisher: Dorchester Publishing

Review: Kitty's Greatest Hits

Reviewed by Jen
 

This is an eclectic collection of short stories that are supposed to take place in the Kitty Norville world.  Some are better than others. A few... I'm not sure what they're doing in this book at all.  Here's a breakdown.

"Il Est Ne" - Being a werewolf is new to David. He can't control his changes; he has no pack.  He thinks he'll never lead a normal life again.  Then, he meets Kitty at a Waffle House on Christmas.  She recognizes what he is and tries to guide him.  As they talk, news reports come in, of a series of deadly attacks in the area.  David immediately wonders if he is to blame.  So he and Kitty work together to solve the murders.  (This story takes place after the events of Kitty and the Midnight Hour.)

"A Princess of Spain" - I'm not entirely sure what this story is doing in this anthology.  It's set in England in the early 1500's and tells the story of Catherine of Aragon's marriage to a young Prince Arthur.  The young groom is too ill to consummate the marriage and it turns out that a vampire has taken him for her pawn.  It wasn't a bad little story, it just felt out of place.

"Conquistador de la Noche" - We're still in the 1500's here, but there actually is a Kitty connection this time.  This is the story of how Ricardo de Avila became a vampire.  Yes, we're talking about Rick.  He was one of Coronado's men, exploring the new world.  After 10 years, he was approached by an old friend and lured to a neighboring village. It turns out that Diego is a vampire.  Ricardo found out when Diego and three of his vampire friends attacked him and changed him against his will.  The other men thought that once he was turned, Ricardo would be content to kill and plunder at their sides. They were wrong.  Ricardo is made of sterner stuff. And while he'll never be human again, he won't be the evil thing they expected him to be.

"The Book of Daniel" - This story jumps back to Persia, just after the fall of Babylon.  Daniel is a lion-shifter and advisor to the Persian king, Darius.  Daniel is a pious man, a Hebrew.  His wisdom and devotion to his faith make him a target of the other advisors.  They try to have him killed by tossing him in a lion's pit.  Imagine their surprise when he walks out, unscathed, the next day.

"The Temptation of Robin Green" - Robin is a Lieutenant in the military, working for the Centers for the Study of Paranatural Biology.  We heard about this research facility in Kitty Goes to Washington, although in this story, there are far more outlandish creatures than we were introduced to in any of the Kitty novels.  Basically, the story is about how Robin encounters a Selkie and succumbs to his charms.  But what really bothered me about the whole things is the presence of Rick. Apparently, he was a prisoner there at one time... though to my recollection that has never been acknowledged in the series. (Did I forget this?)  Robin frees him when she escapes with the Selkie.  --And by the way, the Selkie ditches her.

"Looking After Family" - Now THIS is the kind of story I had in mind for this book. It's a little peek into the history of Cormac and Ben. It takes place right after Cormac's father is killed and he goes to live with Ben's family.  Cormac is cut off emotionally and Ben barely recognizes his cousin.  On the first full moon after he moves in, Cormac sneaks out to hunt and Ben tags along. It's then that Ben learns about werewolves and what really killed his uncle.  And it's the beginning of that connection between Cormac and Ben that continues into the current books.

"God's Creatures" - Here we see the Cormac we met at the beginning of the series.  He's a hunter; he believes all werewolves are monsters.  And he's been hired by a rancher to track one down and kill it.  Cormac discovers the creature is linked to a local Catholic girls school.  I think maybe this experience is one of many that begins to show him that there are more to werewolves than just beasts.

"Wild Ride" - Oh, TJ, I hardly knew you.  (**sniff**) This is the story of how TJ became a werewolf.  From the moment he found out he was HIV positive, to his decision to be bitten... and his eventual choice to strike out as a lone wolf.  It was good, but bittersweet, in light of the events of Kitty and the Midnight Hour.

"Winnowing the Herd" - This may be the shortest story in the book... just six pages.  It gives us a glimpse of Kitty's state of mind just before the first book. She's at a staff party for the radio station... basically stifling the urge to forgo the vegetable tray and have one of her co-workers for dinner.

"Kitty and the Mosh Pit of the Damned" - It's been about a year since Kitty took her talk show national, and she's at a club to investigate a band whose every concert ends in violence.   Is there something in the music making it happen? Is it the bandmembers themselves?  Things go bad quickly when an audience-member is killed in the moshpit.  It's then, that the true source of the violence is revealed.

"Kitty's Zombie New Year" - Kitty is celebrating the new year at a party with her radio station crew, when a strange girl shows up at the door. Her eyes are dull; she's unable to talk. Kitty realizes she must be a zombie... but how did she get that way?  Zombies in Kitty's world aren't brain eating, walking carcasses.  The girl is the victim of a selfish lover... and it's damage that can never be undone.

"Life is the Teacher" - Remember Emma? She was Alette's living descendant who was turned into a vampire at the end of Kitty Goes to Washington.  In this story, she is still coming to terms with what she has become and sets out to take blood from a human for the first time.  She encounters a man from her old life and struggles with the rising monster inside her.  It was a sensual story with a satisfying ending.

"You're on the Air" - We were introduced briefly to Jake in Kitty and the Silver Bullet. He was a vampire who called into Kitty's show. He was made against his will and had no family.  Now we get that phone call from his perspective... and we get to see what happens after he hangs up and decides to live his unlife with the cards that were dealt him.

"Long Time Waiting" - This is the story most people will probably buy the book for.  It details what happened to Cormac when he went to prison.  Essentially, there is a demon killing inmates.  And in the prison is the spirit of a demon hunter who knows how to defeat him. Amelia needs a human host to do the job and she thinks Cormac would be the perfect host. He fights the idea, but eventually gives in for the greater good.

Here's the thing: I hate the entire concept of Cormac sharing his body with this woman.  Is she supposed to be an eventual love interest?  The story reminds us of the unresolved feelings of Cormac for Kitty.  Why does Carrie Vaughn torture me this way?  Kitty and Cormac are like the dangling carrot I have been chasing for years.  Kitty (and in a different way, Ben) is supposed to be the one who sees inside him... who has this bond with him... not some woman that's been dead 100 years.  It was a good story, but it just stirs up my angst all over again.

Vaughn did provide some Author's Notes at the end, which I did find insightful, answered a few of my questions, and added to the stories.

The bottom line: I enjoyed the book as a whole.  It reminded me why I liked the series... especially "Looking After Family," "Wild Ride," and "Il Est Ne."  Unfortunately, it also reminded me how frustrated I've become with the direction it has ultimately taken.  4 stars.

*ARC Provided by Tor Books

Kitty's Greatest Hits

by Carrie Vaughn

Release Date: August 16, 2011 

Publisher: Tor Books