Review: Blood Moon

Reviewed by Jen
 

I have to be honest with you. I wanted this book to be something different. I wanted it to be a romance. It wasn't. There was sex. There were relationships... of a fashion. But there wasn't a drop of romance to be had.

This is book two in the Mythic series and as the story began, I was still smarting from the ending of the last book. If you haven't read Mythic, before you start this book, you need to know that Gianna is a rare human-vampire hybrid. She hated the vampire Mattias because she thought he killed her parents. She fell in love with another vampire, Nicolas. They were going to be together until she found out Mattias actually saved her parents and has protected them for years. Then Mattias gave her an ultimatum: be with him or he kills Nicolas. So out of gratitude for her parents and out of concern for her lover, she agrees to become Mattias' woman.

Obviously, as this book started, I was still firmly in the Nicolas camp. And Gianna does still love him, but she's attracted to Mattias like a moth to a flame. A nymphomaniac moth. It was very hard to accept her relationship with this man who practically forced her into it. But moving on... the story is actually about a THIRD guy. Dante is Mattias' second in command. He, too, is in love with Gianna. He knows he can't beat Mattias for her in a fair fight, so he leaves the coven to go to Greece so he can perform some ritual to embody the power of the Greek pantheon. He plans to rule as a God, with Gianna as his queen.

Mattias catches wind of this and sends Gianna to Greece to try to steal the book Dante needs to perform the ritual. Gianna has to go mighty far to convince Dante of her loyalty, and she actually gets turned on by the sexy times she has with him. If that weren't enough for me to consider her a total ho-bag, then she has more dirty sexy times with a brand new random shifter guy. Or was it a dream? It doesn't freaking matter, because I have lost all respect for her by this point. Why does every man want to sleep with her? Why does she want to get naked with every man? Remember you're supposed to be in love with Nicolas? Where the hell is Nicolas, anyway?

In the meantime, Dante has a human chick in love with him. He treats her like crap, but taking it proves her love, right?

"Remember who it is you serve Allyn. You'll do as I command whether it is to nourish me with your blood or place your tongue between Gianna's legs while I bury my cock in other parts of her body. You won't refuse or you'll be dealt the punishment of death for your defiance. Understood? Because I'd hate to repeat myself, he said.

A single tear trailed over her cheek. "After all this time, you still don't understand, do you? Threaten me all you'd like Dante. Because the truth be told, I love the way you touch me, how your hands feel on my body as you take what you wish. Even now, with such harsh words, I ache so terribly for you to fill me, I could die."

I'm sorry. I could not get on board with any of the pairings in this book. And I couldn't relate to any of the characters. Mythic had a couple I could root for. This one just doesn't. The sex was hot, but I couldn't enjoy it because I didn't understand why any of these people wanted each other... much less had any more tender feelings.

It just didn't work for me.

*Book provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Blood Moon

by Jae Lynne Davies
Release Date: June 16, 2012
Publisher: Tease Publishing

Review: Mythic

Reviewed by Jen
 

I'm having a really hard time with a review for this book. There are some things that were done really well here, but there were developments that made me want to pull my hair out at the same time.

The story centers on Gianna, a human-vampire hybrid, plotting revenge on Mattias, the man who she blames for the death of her parents. As the book begins, Gianna rescues the vampire Nicholas from some of Mattias' henchmen. Nicholas is only in London to try to end a feud between Mattias and his family. Obviously, it's not going so well.

Anyway, Gianna takes Nicholas to her home and the two of them hit it off right away. She knows his connection to Mattias, but he doesn't know hers. So he's shocked when he finds out she and Mattias are dating. The relationship is a ruse to get close to the man. And it seems like Nicholas and Gianna are on the path to something really good. He even takes her back home to the States. She gets close to his family; everything looks great.

Let me tell you, Jae Lynn Davies can write the hell out of some sex scenes. There were a good many hot moments. They never felt monotonous or redundant. They were outstanding. I loved the idea of Gianna finally finding happiness with Nicholas, even if he did fall in love with her sickeningly fast.

But then, the story is completely turned on its ear. All of a sudden, Mattias isn't what he seems and the book goes in a completely different direction. I would have drop-kicked it if I didn't value my nook so much. I completely lost any ability to relate to Gianna and simply could not understand her feelings. I hated where she ended up and the ending was a cliffhanger.

I guess part of the reason I'm so frustrated is because I really liked where I thought the book was going. I sure as hell was on board with the love scenes. But then... (**sigh**)

I guess it says something that I got invested enough to be this bothered by it all. But (*spoilers*) she should have ended up with the other guy, dammit!!! Argh. Very hard to rate this one.   3 stars.  It would have been more had the ending been different.

*Book provided by author for review

Click to purchase: All Romance Ebooks 

Mythic

by Jae Lynne Davies

Release Date: February 15, 2011

Publisher: Tease Publishing

AAD Author Spotlight & Giveaway: Jae Lynne Davies

Authors After Dark is a yearly opportunity for romance readers to interact with some of the amazing authors who keep us up late at night, sharing their stories of true love and hot sex. There will be some big name New York published authors at the con. But there are also a number of small press authors, ready to open the door to a bigger audience.

Jae Lynne Davies is a small press Paranormal Romance author. She has a short story, called "The Contract" featured in the anthology Love's Immortal Pantheon, Vol 5. And she has a full length novel called, Mythic, to which she is currently working on a sequel. Jae Lynne was kind enough to answer some of my questions today, so I can introduce some of you to her and her work.

Jen: Explain to new readers what they could expect from Mythic?

Jae Lynne: Readers will follow along the journey of vampire hybrid Gianna Marino as she plans to enact vengeance upon the vampire responsible for the death of her family.

Disguising herself as a human wanting to be turned, she infiltrates the enemy’s coven with the hope of bending him to her will and destroying him from the inside.

But when a handsome stranger, enters the scene and is lured into their seductive game that results in a heated love triangle, she discovers a secret that blurs the lines between good and evil, forever changing the course of her existence, and destiny will soon determine on which side she’ll stand.

Jen: What inspired the story?

Jae Lynne: I can’t say there’s one single event that inspired the story of Mythic. However, there might be a few factors that guided me in the direction. I’ve been intrigued by vampire lore for as long as I can remember. When I made the decision to write, it was only natural that I gravitated toward the world of vampires. I found my subject, but I wanted to be different and wondered what would happen if vampires mated with humans. What sort of challenges would their offspring face? Would they be accepted in either world?

During that moment, Gianna Marino and the world of Mythic were born.

Jen: Who are your literary influences?

Jae Lynne: I have several favorite authors whose work I’ll stop everything to read. Joey W. Hill, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Larissa Ione, and Sharon Page are at the top of the list.

Jen: You write some really great love scenes. Are you comfortable writing those or does it ever feel weird? Tell me about your process for putting intimate scenes on page.

Jae Lynne: Thanks so much for the wonderful compliment! Surprisingly, I find loves scenes easiest to write. As a romance reader, I look forward to reading these scenes most, because it’s the chance for the characters to express raw passion.

How to I transfer intimate scenes from my head to a page? Well, I don’t do a thing until my iPod is blaring a selected playlist. Then I start with a believable setting that’s natural for the characters involved.  Once the passion ignites, I’ll place myself inside the scene and often write what I’d feel, if placed in the characters’ shoes. I’ll add notes of my favorite colognes and write how the fragrances might smell when intensified by body heat. There’s so much that can be said through a single touch, the way a man places his lips against a woman’s skin, and the manner in which lovers embrace.

There could be a character in a particular story who isn’t exactly expert in verbal communication of feelings and emotions, but the way they make love to their partner, seeking their lover’s pleasure above their own, speaks louder than any profession of devotion. The successful conveyance of these things makes a love scene a powerful transition in both the relationship of the characters and in the story as a whole.

Jen: Will we see more development of the Gianna/Mattias/Nicholas story in Dante's book?

Jae Lynne: Absolutely! I’m just getting started, but I can say the two men will remain a constant presence throughout her journey.

Jen: What else can we expect from Dante's book and when do you think it will be published?

Jae Lynne Davies

Jae Lynne: Dante’s book is a bit darker than the first. He’s bitter, tired of being second best, and is about to take EXTREME measures just to claim Gianna for himself. I dive deep into Ancient Greek mythology, and give a lineage to a god and goddess who were believed to have never created offspring. You know that can only mean trouble.

When word is received of suspicious vampire activity, Gianna Marino heads to Greece, where she discovers Dante—Mattias Vitale’s recently resigned second in command, and a dangerous prophecy.

For Dante Diakos is the last of a pure immortal bloodline—a descendant of the gods, and he intends to invoke the power of the entire pantheon on the eve of the Blood Moon which occurs once every millennia. If he attains the legendary abilities, he’ll be the most powerful being on earth, and plans for her to rule by his side.

I’m working diligently to have the novel turned into my editor by Christmas. Keep your fingers crossed and stay tuned for official info.

Jen: Is there anything else that you are working on right now?

Jae Lynne: Besides working on Blood Moon, I’m tackling Desires of a Dark Lord, an erotic tale of a hell-bound demon on a mission and a human woman whose soul he must claim.

Jen: When people see your name on a book, what should they be expecting?

Jae Lynne: Fantastic question! When people see my name on the cover of a novel, I hope they expect sexy, dark, action-packed and unpredictable.

Jen: What are you looking forward to most from AAD in New Orleans next year?

Jae Lynne: Where AAD is concerned, I always plan to have an absolute BLAST! While it’s always wonderful to reconnect with friends, I can’t wait to meet new readers and hear all about what THEY want to read. I hope to attend a few more panels next year and learn some new techniques to strengthen my craft.

You can find Jae Lynne on her website, Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads to learn more. And if you think you'd like to give Mythic a try, you're in luck.  We're giving away a free ebook. Just enter the Rafflecopter form below.  The contest is open internationally. If you give the book a try and you like it, please spread the word. Let's support our small press authors!

Thanks so much to Jae Lynne Davies for chatting with me today.
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