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9.29.2012

No Flowers Required: Love Required #2


No Flowers Required
Cari Quinn
Love Required, book two
ebook, 158 pages
Published August 23rd 2012 by Entangled Publishing (Brazen)
ISBN 9781622669677

He’ll give her everything she desires...except his identity.

Flower shop owner Alexa Conroy had it all before the recession hit and her customers fled to cheaper shopping grounds. Desperate to make ends meet, she sells her dream home and moves into the rundown apartments above her shop. When she spots six feet of sexy distraction—complete with muscles, piercings, and tattoos—ripping up flooring, Alexa knows the karmic windfall she’s due just landed on her doorstep.
And the attraction’s definitely not one-sided.

Dillon James, reluctant heir to the corporation about to foreclose on Alexa’s shop, is not about to jeopardize their scorching chemistry by admitting he’s not the building’s handyman. But with only weeks until her business goes under and his identity is revealed, Dillon must find a way to convince Alexa cooperation isn’t a dirty word, help her save the shop from his brother’s greed, and persuade her that he’s not the enemy...or risk losing the only woman who’s seen the real him.

Nearly two years have passed since No Dress Required. Nellie and Jake are now married with a baby girl on the way and this time around it's Alexa's turn at love.

Dillon is so on the yes, please list! Brains and brawn. Hands that can work a wrench, computer, and a woman's body with an effortless talent. Yeah, not sure where that can from... but it's all there. And no, deceiving Alexa was the *last* thing he wanted to do before getting involved with her.

But hell, when the woman throws herself at him atop her apartment building amidst his thriving eco-garden, what else could a guy do? He did try to both warn and stop her from taking things too far. More than once. Although, he's lucky snatching up that magazine didn't come back to bite him on the ass.

I do hope Dillon's brother, Cory, and Vicky have a story next. He was set up as an ass, but I still liked him. And Vicky already wants to kill him so we're off to a great start.

4 out of 5 stars.

Previously in this series:

9.27.2012

Simple Twist of Fate: Fated #3


SimpleTwist of Fate
Karen Erickson
Fated, book three
ebook, 109 pages
Published August 16th 2011 by Samhain Publishing
ISBN 9781609285142

Sometimes you run in to love. Sometimes it runs into you.

Love at first sight? It’s so not happening for Morgan. Never mind that her two best friends, who are both up to their eyeballs in happily ever after, are playing matchmaker. She wants out of her worst blind date ever—and her “out” abruptly finds her when she’s knocked out cold walking into a door.

One look into the eyes of the beautiful woman with the gash on her head, and paramedic Evan Marshall is a goner. Professional ethics say hands off the patient. Once her stitches are out, though, he can’t resist the impulse to ask her out. As their first date flares into a white-hot affair, he feels it in his bones—she’s the one.

Evan’s everything Morgan could ever want in a man, but things are happening way too fast. She made that mistake once before and, certain this relationship is careening down the same road to heartbreak, she slams on the brakes.

To her surprise, Evan lets her go. And by the time she realizes she just let her one chance at happily ever after slip away, it could be too late…

Warning: Fated love strikes again. Featuring toe-curling sex, a sweet-talking man and a woman who can’t help but give in to her secret desires. Will true love reign supreme? Most definitely.


Once more, and that makes three in a row, I'm swooning over these men of Erickson's. They're just too good! These are the romance books guys *really* don't want us women to read. How can they compete? They just can't!

Out of Brett, Jacob, and now Evan... I'm thinking Evan was the best in bed. Although I do have fond memories of Brett... But having to choose between the firefighter and the paramedic, I'm going the latter route for sure.

4 out of 5 stars.
  • He had it bad.
  • And he never had it bad.

Previously in the series:

No Dress Required: Love Required #1


No Dress Required
Cari Quinn
ebook, 61 pages
Published December 27th 2011 by Entangled Publishing (Flirt)
ISBN13
2940013807136

After years of ho-hum dating, Noelle Gregory is tired of fooling around. There’s only ever been one guy for her—Jake Conroy, her best friend’s older brother. Now that Jake’s back in town, she’s headed to his sister’s New Year’s Eve party to make her move. Purse full of condoms? Check. Sparkly dress guaranteed to show Jake the sexy woman she’s become? Check.

Carjacker that makes off with both two hours before the party? Check.

When Jake finds Noelle stranded on the side of the road—looking sexier than ever in her striped socks and silly holiday shirt, damn it—he’s glad for the snowstorm that cancels his sister’s party. His and Noelle’s friendship has tormented him for years, and now, Jake wonders if he should dare to sample what he’s always wanted…and if he’ll be able to walk away when it’s over.

LOVE!

  • He pressed against her, his thumbs framing her face, and closed his eyes, wanting to savor these last seconds before he kissed her for real. There wouldn’t be another moment like this between them again.

Or at least a very strong like.

I was having a little trouble focusing on my current book so I grabbed up this one for a quick flavor change. Plus, it had been a while since I'd gotten my hands on a good friends-to-lovers read.

Which this certainly is.

It's playful while still holding a level of maturity. They do examine the consequences before tumbling over the line, which is always a refreshing reality check to me and holds fond memories.

4 out of 5 stars.

  • It wasn’t fair. The one woman who’d stirred his interest—and other parts of him—since Mo wasn’t a possibility. Not because she wasn’t perfect, but because she was. She’d grown up into a smart, stunning woman, exactly like he’d always known she would, and he couldn’t have her. Fuck, but what if he could? She was acting possessive. Demanding. Almost jealous.
       “Shit,” he muttered, rocking back on his heels. No way. She didn’t want him. They weren’t about that. Were they?
       She frowned. “What?”
    He was just going to say it. If she thought he was a complete loser then, well, he’d take her to her house—or to Alexa’s, since she seemed determined to go to the party—and he’d head home to soothe his wounded pride in private. But he had to know. Jake speared his fingers through his hair and clutched a handful of it against his head, searching for the right words. Surely he had some finesse somewhere.
       “Jake?”
       “You want me, don’t you, Nellie?” At her stricken gasp, he groaned inside and wished he’d bitten his tongue off instead of asking. At least, not like that. “I mean, you’re interested in me?” Interested sounded better. Less threatening. “You have to be,” he continued, a little desperately.

9.23.2012

A Demon and His Witch: Welcome to Hell #1


A Demon and His Witch
Eve Langlais
Welcome to Hell, book one
ebook, 158 pages
Published June 10th 2012 by Eve Langlais (first published June 2nd 2012)
ISBN 9781927459034

Welcome to Hell where you’re screwed if you do and damned if don’t. And just so you know, Lucifer’s got a special spot reserved for you.

Burning alive is nothing compared to the heat of his touch.

Roasted at the stake as a witch, while her lover watches, Ysabel sells her soul to the devil in return for revenge. A fair trade until her ex-boyfriend escapes the bowels of Hell and she's forced to team up with a demon to fetch the jerk back.

Remy's seen a lot of things during his tenure in Lucifer's guard, but nothing can prepare him for the witch with the acerbic tongue--and voluptuous figure. Her mouth says 'Screw you,' but her body screams 'Take me.' What's a poor demon to do when his heart makes things even more complicated by goading him to make her his, forever? Before he can decide if his demonizing days are done, though, he needs to catch the bad guys, save the girl and then find a way to convince her to love him and not kill him.

Warning: This story contains a sexy demon with corny pickup lines and an irritable witch who works for Satan. There is coarse language, hot scenes, twisted religious ideology and a whole lot of giggles. Also, be warned that Lucifer is back trying to steal the show. If you possess an open mind, a good sense of humor and a tainted soul, then read at your own peril.

Remy is a soldier to the core. And a bastard to boot. He's also a half-demon who, up until now, prided himself on the many women he could juggle. But as of late, he feels the need for a change. And maybe settling down with one woman is just the thing.

Ysabel hasn't been with a man in over five hundred years. Not since the cheating jackass, Francisco, left her to burn at the stake for being a witch. She sold her soul for revenge, overlooking the fine print, and got herself stuck with the grand task of serving as Lucifer's personal assistant. As her contract nears its end, the five people doomed to suffer for eternity for their crimes against her escape from Hell's prison. With Remy's aid she must return them to their punishment if she ever wants peace from the curse of reliving her death.

It's a strange clause. Sure, Lucifer agrees to torture your enemies but *you* have to be the one to keep them in Hell? How lazy can a guy get?

I can't say this one was better than book two, but had I read this before A Demon & His Psycho, that opinion may have flipped. Doubt it, but agree to entertain the possibility. It's just as crass and nearly as funny. However, the psychotic killing spree from its sequel still takes the crown for me.

4 out of 5 stars.

9.22.2012

Cast in Peril: Chronicles of Elantra #8


Cast in Peril
Michelle Sagara
Chronicles of Elantra, book eight
Paperback, 544 pages
Published September 18th 2012 by Luna

USUALLY DISASTER DIDN'T STRIKE QUITE SO CLOSE TO HOME


It has been a busy few weeks for Private Kaylin Neva. In between angling for a promotion, sharing her room with the last living female Dragon and dealing with more refugees than anyone knew what to do with, the unusual egg she'd been given was ready to hatch. Actually, that turned out to be lucky, because it absorbed the energy from the bomb that went off in her quarters....

So now might be the perfect time to leave Elantra and journey to the West March with the Barrani. If not for the disappearances of citizens in the fief of Tiamaris- disappearances traced to the very Barrani Kaylin will be traveling with.

For eight years I've been reading this series--still can't see an end in sight as Cast in Sorrow is due out in 2013--and it continues to be the one series that tortures me tirelessly.

I know, being an Urban Fantasy, it will never give me the same satisfaction that erotica provides, or even romantic fantasy does for that matter. But, damn it, people kiss in UF and I'm holding out for that kiss between Severn and Kaylin.

And so, I read.

Nightshade is an asshole. He has information, and what does he do with it? Blackmails those necessary to get Kaylin on an extended eight week leave. Teela may join her but no other Hawk may accompany them. As I said, asshole.

Luckily, Severn, our favorite former Wolf, has a past that seems to come full circle and his former lord sends him along on an unclassified mission. My guy's on the hunt!

Not even out of chapter two yet, and Kaylin's beloved apartment goes up in smithereens. And the egg has hatched, revealing a familiar inside that to all but Bellusdeo, resembles a glass dragon. One that eats one of Kaylin's marks. Whatever he is, he's got a great judge of character. Despite his miniscule size, he's got no qualms about attacking Nightshade and he's just as content lounging on Severn's shoulder as he is with Kaylin's. Yeah, the winged lizard is kind of awesome.

The journey to West March doesn't get started till about 200 pages in. Soon enough, hot damn, there's a six page scene that sets my heart to racing. Kaylin and Severn somehow get set up to share a room, and a bed. Sagara, you are such a tease!

When she rose, she sat heavily on the left side of the bed. “Ten years ago, this wouldn’t have been a problem,” she told the dragon.
“It isn’t a problem now,” Severn said.
She froze and then swiveled slowly to look at him; he was wearing a bathrobe. His hair was wet in the messy, toweled-dry way, in the room’s light, his eyes looked darker.
“I am not Barren.”
She flinched.
“I’m not Nightshade,” he continued. “I’m not a bored, self-indulgent noble. And I’m not a young Hawk whose jaw you could easily break.” He walked over to the right side of the bed and sat. He looked a lot more comfortable than she felt. “Nothing will happen tonight-nothing that you don’t start.”
Pulse-raising, right? A short, minor change of topic, and then…
She fell silent for a long moment. “I’m not good at starting things.”
“I know. And I’m not good at waiting.”
“You waited for seven years.”
“Yes. I don’t really want to wait out another seven, but I can. It’s not the waiting that’s hard.”
“No?”
“It’s the not doing. It’s knowing that you’re here and I can’t safely touch you if I ever want to touch you again. It’s knowing that Barren’s dead, and I can’t kill him.”
“Morse needed to kill him.”
“And you didn’t?”
She closed her eyes. “Not as badly as Morse did. I saw him die. That was almost enough.”
“But he’s there, between us.”
“Yes.” She swallowed. “It’s not just Barren.”
“No. If I can ask one thing of you tonight, please don’t mention their names.”
She nodded and then said, “Yes. I mean, you can ask, and I won’t.”
Night continued to fall in the room, the shadow’s shifting from gray to indigo. Kaylin listened to Severn’s breathing and forced hers to match his, until they sounded like one person. One person and small dragon who curled up against the top of her head. “Don’t you ever get tired of it? The waiting?”
“Not yet.”
“Will you?”
“What do you think?” He shifted position in the bed; she felt the tug of the covers as he slid beneath them. “Is that what you want?”
“…No.”
“Then don’t ask again. I didn’t waiver when you tried to kill me the first time, in the Hawklord’s Tower. I didn’t give up when you tried to kill me in the Foundling Hall. But enough time has passed, Kaylin.” He shifted again and whispered a different name. “Elianne.”
“You almost never call me by my name.”
“I call you by the name you chose. What you’re called doesn’t change what you mean to me. I don’t know if we’ll ever get past what I did. I want to try. If you know it’s impossible, tell me. I’ll deal with it.”
She wanted to say something, but all the words were messed-up, wrong words.
And then…
She could feel his breath in the space between them-and there was space between them. And she thought she wouldn’t mind if there was less of it, because it was dark and she couldn’t see his expression. She could hear his voice, and she thought there was nothing in his voice, ever, that could remind her of Barren and her self-loathing.
But she couldn’t quite bring herself to bridge the gap, and she knew if she didn’t, it wouldn’t be bridged. She even thought she understood why. If something happened, it had to be because she was certain; something as feeble as “not minding”-tonight-wouldn’t cut it. “I’m afraid of change,” she whispered.
He didn’t answer. He lifted a hand and then, in silence, lowered it. She thought it trembled.

One thing that’s odd to me about Sagara is that she doesn’t recap. If you don’t know this series, don’t pick up a book until you start from the beginning. To the unfamiliar reader, one that knows nothing of the murders of Steffi and Jade, it sort of sounded right there like Severn cheated on Kaylin, multiple times at that. But my guy doesn’t cheat…. He butchers.

She doesn't clear it up until much later and it's glossed over at that. It's then you know what he did, just not why he did it.

The journey to the West March is this book. Stay after stay at way-stations. They eat. They talk. The sleep. They eat again. And they move on.

Every new Hallionne they meet seems to notice the same things. Kaylin fears losing Severn-she doesn't want him hunting. And Severn isn't getting enough sleep. Kaylin's far too distracting in his bed. XD

The purpose of the journey, the revelation of a story, falls to the next book. Any wonder why after eight books, it hasn't even been a year since the beginning of it all?

3 out of 5 stars.


9.20.2012

Wicked Werewolf Secret: Werewolf Society #2


Wicked Werewolf Secret
Lisa Renee Jones
Werewolf Society, book two
ebook, 71 pages
Published May 8th 2012

Kole Smith will soon become the leader of his pack, and not just any pack. He will lead the Royal Guard of the Werewolf Society. Before he accepts his role, he has unfinished business and her name is Sarah.

Sarah’s family ran the Casino Operation used as a front for The Werewolf Society, until the greed of the rebels trying to overthrow their government led to her family's murder. Kole saved her life, gave her the opportunity to live and to deliver the vengeance she craves against the rebels.

When they meet again, their passion will explode in a firestorm that will either heal the pain of the past or destroy them forever.

I *knew* I liked Kole. He didn't disappoint and Sarah wasn't so bad either. They were the best characters by far of this growing series and they're the only ones yet who haven't needed Ariel to save the day.

They meet in her family's casino, sharing flirtatious banter for weeks before Kole finally makes his move. But their plans are interrupted when Sarah is taken hostage along with her father, mother and sister. He saves her, but is unable to save her family.

Sarah disappears for two years, becoming a vigilante against the Rebels. Seeking justice as no other would for their deaths. Kole manages to intercept her just before she goes after Derek, the leader, and challenges her to take he himself down. Only then would he believe she was ready to go after the last, and strongest, of them.

Sarah claimed an exceptional gift-being able to replicate any form of fighting after being exposed to it only once. Never did see evidence of it though. Kole fights the urge to claim her. She isn't ready for that yet, and he still blames himself for failing her. Both Shi and Nico are forced to intervene and by the end, the King himself pays a visit. And suddenly things go all fairy tale. And they lived happily ever after. ;)

4 out of 5 stars.

  • Mine. The word echoed in his mind again, a word he’d never used with any other female, and he moved between her legs, licked her clit and suckled it. Mine. She was his mate. He’d hunted for her, grieved for her, and she’d hidden from him as she could never do once they had exchanged blood. He’d be able to track her, he’d be able to protect her. She’d be stronger, live as long as he. Kole lapped at her, licking and tasting, claiming her.

Previously in the series:


Wicked Werewolf Passion: Werewolf Society #3


Wicked Werewolf Passion
Lisa Renee Jones
Werewolf Society, book three
Published August 2012 by Lisa Renee Jones

Shi is a wolf whose been shunned by the Royal Guard he once fought for, the head of a mercenary team that does the jobs too dirty for everyone else. His newest job is to find, and kidnap, the gorgeous daughter of a high ranking member of the council, and make him confess he’s working for the enemy. Dirty work, but someone has to do it. Only this gorgeous wolf isn’t about to believe her father is on the bad side of the fence, nor does she have plans to be anyone’s captive. In fact…she might just make Shi her captive.


This story kicks off six years before book one-Wicked Werewolf Night, fast forwards eleven months, then lands on present day with a hell of a lot less confusion than WWN. That doesn't mean I didn't have at least one question. Like *why* does Alexander want Shi dead? Is it the evil magic, or the simple fact that he's trying to mate his daughter, Carmen, before she's of claiming age. After book one, I was in the mood to just have it spelled out for me.

Carmen, thankfully, had more fight in her than Aylia.
  • “Who do you belong to?” he asked, lifting his head. 

    “I told you, damn it. Fucking me isn’t going to make me yours.” She reached up and tore the tie from his hair, letting the waves of raven hair streaked with red fall wildly around his shoulders. “It just makes me wish I was.”

Next up is book two, Kole's story. I know, I know. I'm screwey. But I'm hoping I saved the best for last.

3 out of 5 stars.

On a side note... lookie what I found!

Set in an alternate universe of the Knights of White series.

The Knights of White serve ArchAngel Raphael.

The Enforcers -- known by those of the otherworld as SONS OF GABRIEL -- serve ArchAngel Gabriel.






Previously in the series:

9.19.2012

Wicked Werewolf Night: Werewolf Society #1


Wicked Werewolf Night
Lisa Renee Jones
Werewolf Society, book one
ebook, 52 pages
Published December 13th 2011 by Indie
ISBN 9781465994868
Amazon free read

A witch after his secrets. A werewolf after her pleasure.

Nico Moore is the leader of of The Werewolf Society's elite Royal Guard. Aylia Richardson is the witch who calls to the beast in Nico, but destiny has also made her the keeper of a gift that threatens the very existence of his race. To destroy this gift will destroy this woman...the only one he has ever dared to call 'mate'.

I was on the third page of this read before I had to stop and ask myself, WTF did I miss? It felt like I was smack in the middle of book two. But no, this is definitely book one and I was nowhere near the middle. So.. don't do like I did and skip the Note To Readers. Very helpful info there.

If you've read Jones's Vampire Warden series, you'll know where you are. If you haven't-like me-prepare for the confusion.

I collected a little list of not so nice things about this story. For one, the confusion of picking up from a scene from another book and instantly having a bunch of characters thrown at you. Secondly... I've read LRJ before and loved it. This, for some odd reason, didn't feel like the same author to me. Nico, I loved. All Alpha there.

  • He shoved open the door and she was already in motion; ready to end the silence between them. Nico followed on her heels, kicking the door shut. She started to whirl around to face him, when he crowded her and pressed her back against the door.  His fists pressed against the door, framing her face. “Don’t ever challenge me in front of the pack again. Someone could have easily ended up dead tonight. You know this. You know the rules.”

    “You stole my necklace,” Aylia blasted back. “Where are your rules, Nico?”


    “That stunt you pulled wasn’t the way to get it back. You know damn well how the pack operates. You know how easily someone ends up dead.” 


    “I’m not a wolf,” she said. “I’m a witch and I act like a witch and we both know that’s a bad word in your world. I don’t belong here and neither does my necklace.”


    His fingers slid around her neck, his mouth lowering above hers. “You belong with me,” he growled, slanting his mouth over hers, in a brutally possessive, deep kiss, a branding with his tongue. Aylia tried not to respond, but his tongue stroked hers, hot and hungry.

Eh, Aylia was... not so loveable. And the problem of her curse was way to easily solved.

Kole, I liked, despite the red leather thing he's got going on. Yes, I really liked Kole.

So... I'm moving on to book three which opens up six years before this one and I actually purchased first. Slow learner here.

2 out of 5 stars.

9.17.2012

A Demon and His Psycho: Welcome to Hell #2


A Demon and His Psycho
Eve Langlais
Welcome To Hell, book two
ebook
Published July 17th 2012 by Eve Langlais
ISBN 9781927459089


Welcome to Hell where the rules are always changing, the ash is constantly raining, and Lucifer is watching, waiting to steal your soul…

I'm not crazy. I just have anger issues.

With a giggle and an outrageous mouth – perfect for things other than talking – Katie comes flying into Xaphan’s life, upsetting centuries of self-inflicted misery. How can he stay true to the one he lost when a bubbly psycho, with mismatched eyes, keeps consuming his thoughts – and awakening his desire?

So she was a tad bit nuts, Katie’s insanity came in handy as the Devil’s favorite problem solver. But killing’s not on the menu when a dragon goes missing, and worse, Lucifer teams her up with Hell’s grumpiest demon. His rejection of her advances only makes her more determined to seduce him. And despite her violent reputation, a part of her is oddly tempted to let him live.

Warning: This story centers around a grumpy demon holding onto an ancient vow and a perky psycho (with killer tendencies) who is determined to make him snap. There's cursing, melt-your-screen hotness, messed up religious tropes and snort out loud fun. If you enjoy raunchy humor, sizzling moments and already know you’re going to Hell, then dive on in.


She's wrong. This bitch *is* crazy. And by the end, she even drives Xaphan to madness.

I had too much fun reading this one. So much that I wanted to grab a copy for Redd but apparently erotica has been making her gag lately... Too bad. Cuz this was laugh-out-loud fun.

The only bad thing about this book is the font on the cover. Everything else, pure genius! Forget Hell as you know it. In this world, God and Lucifer are brothers and Luci's in a romantic relationship with Mother Earth. When Lucifer's granddaughter's pet dragon, Fluffy, goes missing from her garden, Xaphan and Katie are teamed up to track it down.

Xaphan is a thousand times a fool. Back when he was human, and a knight with no land or riches, he fell for his lord's woman and she used his infatuation to do her bidding. He sold his soul and pledged his undying love. Now he's a demon in Hell.

Katie's had a rough life. Every man she's ever known has let her down. So she kills them all. And others. And anyone else that inspires her psychosis.

  • A smile hovering around his lips, Lucifer waved her closer. “I see you’ve met your partner.”

    Lips pulled down in a grimace, Xaphan answered. “Unfortunately. You expect me to work with her? You can’t be serious?”


    “Oh but I am,” Lucifer replied with a smile that sent the damned – the smart ones at any rate – running.


    Smart or not, Xaphan wasn’t giving in without a fight. “Like fuck. I am not working with that crazy female.”


    “Why not?” she asked with a pout, planting her hands on her hips. It was ridiculously cute, and proved his point.


    “Exactly how are you supposed to help? Look at you.”

    She peered down and rotated her hips, trying to look behind her. “What about me? Is it the shorts? Did I not trim enough off? I skipped the underwear so I wouldn’t have any lines. It’s the bra, isn’t it? I went for support so I wouldn’t jiggle when I ran, but you’re right. It’s got to go.” And it did. A shimmy, a wink and a wiggle later, a black lace confection went whipping towards his face.


    He caught it, stunned. “You’re completely and utterly psycho.”


    “Why thank you,” she said, as she held a hand to her chest and preened. “I do try my best.”


    “That she does,” Lucifer agreed. “Which is why I think she’ll be a perfect match for the task I’ve got planned.”


    “I am so winning employee of the year this time,” Katie exclaimed, punctuated with a fist pump.


It was crude and delicious and I want more! Somebody get these two a tv show!

Seriously, I am madly in love with this book. 5 out of 5 stars. And it's my first favorite of 2012. Wheee!

  • “Why did you come?”

    “Because I love you.” He slapped a hand over her mouth before she could retort. “No. You don’t get to talk yet. You have a tendency, I noticed, of flying off the handle with wrong conclusions, so this time you need to listen. I love you, Katie, killer of demons and sexy psycho.


    She shook her head behind his enforced silence.


    “Don’t try and deny it. I know what I’m feeling. And I’m telling you right now I never felt it before.” She narrowed her gaze. “Never. What I had with Roxanne was nothing like what I feel for you. Not even close. I need you.”


    No, she wouldn’t melt. She had to stay strong.


    “Stubborn, psycho. Fine, you need more proof? I went to the bars the first day after you left.”


    Aha, the cheater.


    “I let women hit on me, left, right and center.”


    Oh, she could feel a murderous rampage coming on.


    “They left me cold.”


    Killing spree averted.


    “So I went to a dating service.”


    Blood pressure rising.


    "They introduced me to beautiful women, nice women.”


    Going to explode.


    “None of them could hold a candle to you.”


    Out went her breath.

Eve Langlais is typically a MFM author. So glad she makes the occasional exception.

9.16.2012

Pursued: Brides of the Kindred #6


Pursued
Evangeline Anderson
Brides of the Kindred, book six
ebook, 453 pages
Published June 20th 2012 (first published June 1st 2012)

Elise is fractured inside, stained by a past she refuses to remember.

Merrick is scarred both inside and out, a half-breed with a brutal background, at home nowhere in the universe.

Now they are tied together by an unstable bond which could kill them both.

Their journey will take them to the lawless planet of Rageron—the wildest of all the Kindred worlds. There, in the deep blue jungles of an alien world, Elise must bare her soul and relive the horror that nearly killed her. Can she and Merrick make each other whole or will Elise run from her pain?

If she does, Merrick cannot help but chase her…Elise is being Pursued.

Merrick and Elise were getting along beautifully in Revealed, book five of this series. So much so that Merrick, a seven-foot-seven hybrid Kindred was actually starting to believe it possible that he could forge a bond with a female. A female scarred so emotionally, physically, and mentally deep that her memory is a blurry mess. Then things fall apart. For Elise has a fiance.

And Merrick is pissed.

Having around a growly half Beast/half Blood Kindred with the Beast's rage to kill and the Blood's coldness to keep that rage fueled... Not. So. Good.

Xairn had a dirty mouth, but Merrick takes the crown in the cursing arena. I'm not sure what it is, but I love that in a man.

No matter what. When the girl comes out of the stasis chamber, DO NOT touch her.

Simple enough instructions, right? Not enough so for Merrick as he jumps to do just that when Elise flatlines moments after emerging from stasis. And now, there's a terminal bond joining them. One that fuels Elise's hunger, and is killing Merrick. Despite the falseness of it, though, it's a bond Merrick is reluctant to break. For it may be the only kind he can ever have.

But if it kills him, it will kill Elise, too. So he hides behind his walls of aggression, pledges to see Elise safely to Rageron where they will collect the plant with the means to cure them, and return her to her jackass of a fiance for their wedding. A wedding that is less than a month away. And so, on with the tension.

  • “Is that fucking right?” Merrick felt rage and hurt and desire all rising inside him. Somehow he managed to choke the emotions down, at least long enough to talk. “Let me tell you something, baby,” he said, his voice going hoarse. “Last night was the best fucking sex I’ve ever had in my life and it wasn’t even really sex. You know why that was? Because it was with you.”

    Her eyes went wide and then she looked down, biting her lip. “You…you just think that because of the bond,” she whispered. “It’s a fake emotion, like everything else we feel for each other. It's not real.”


    “Isn't it?” Merrick demanded. “Because right now I feel like you reached in my chest with that soft little hand of yours and ripped out my fucking heart. How much realer can it get than that?”

One can't help but be humored by Draven. A smartass villain has a certain charm.

And Lissa, our dear exiled priestess has been reunited with Saber. Reminiscent of EA's Picture Perfect, a step-sibling love story, my draw to these characters was instant. Picture Perfect was *hot* and what I've come to consider my favorite read of Anderson's. It has to be. I've read it four times. Anyway, Lissa's parents and brother were slaughtered by pirates which left her orphaned and adopted by the Sun Clan. She was taken in by the Over Chief who had a son four years her senior. Saber, her new step-brother both protected and cared deeply for Lissa. But to their people, being step-siblings in love is not only taboo, being in love and of the *same* clan is as well. Double cursed.

Despite it, though, Saber pledged his love to her. But when his mother discovered them, even though they had never physically touched in any romantic way, she forced Lissa to renounce him. Lissa regretfully obeyed.

Meanhile... allow me to update, as it looks as if Xairn will once more be the focus of another attack upon the Kindred. He dreams of a woman able to change her appearance. A woman, Draven has bartered with. And... Sophie's finally pregnant! With boy/girl twins.

It freaking figures. I'd love to jump right into book seven, but it's not out yet. According to an Amazon post by EA herself, it's due out in Autumn-which kicks off Saturday! Gimme gimme gimme!

4 out of 5 stars.

Previously in the series:

9.14.2012

Legacy of the Witch (The Portal #0.5)


Legacy of the Witch
Maggie Shayne
ebook, 53 pages
Published September 1st 2012 by Harlequin
ISBN 9781426875571
Free Read from Amazon

"Once upon a time, there lived three witches…"

As a child, Amarrah loved her grandmother’s stories of three witches who were members of the king’s harem—but they were more than just stories. Amarrah knew she had been there with them…and now their legacy, along with an ancient box that once belonged to them, lies in her hands.

Charged with keeping the box safe, Amarrah is heartbroken when it is stolen from her while she moves to America. Years later, she is shocked to see it on TV and is determined to get it back. Tracking the artifact leads her to Sergeant Harrison Brockson, a handsome soldier who stirs memories of a man she knew centuries ago in ancient Babylon. Is Harrison the key to finding the box—or could he be her destiny?

Prequel novella to Maggie Shayne’s exciting trilogy, "The Portal"

I liked this. And the blurb sums it up nicely.

Now I'm not into talk of harems, but I am forever intrigued at the possibility of past lives. Amarrah was, oddly enough, always Amarrah. Harrison Brckson, present day soldier and hero, was once Harmon, son of Brock. They share a love born lifetimes ago when they were just children in long ago Babylon. When Amarrah's beloved mistresses of that time are arrested and set to be killed for their witchcraft, among other sins, it's up to both Amarrah and Harmon to ensure the sisters have hope in the future. The very, very distant future.

I know *nothing* about the upcoming Portal series and have a pretty bad track record with prequels. But this, this was a success. It gives a great back story and sets up the protagonists of each of the books beautifully. Will I read book one? Maybe.... just maybe...

3 out of 5 stars.

Mark of the Witch is due out October 1st.



She was born to save what he is sworn to destroy.

Revealed: Brides of the Kindred #5


Revealed
Evangeline Anderson
Brides of the Kindred, book five
ebook, 376 pages
Published February 24th 2012 by Evangeline Anderson Books (first published January 12th 2012)
ISBN 9781452488356

Nadiah has the Sight—the ability to see into the future. But the one thing she can’t see is how she’s ever going to be free of the blood bond her parents forced her into when she was only six. Her fiancée is an evil bastard who delights in torturing her and her only way out of a loveless marriage is for a Kindred warrior to challenge the hated bond. But Nadiah has no warrior to challenge for her—she just has Rast.

Adam Rast doesn’t know why he feels so protective and possessive of Nadiah, only that he’s willing to kill or die to protect her. When the chance to set her free arises, he takes it without hesitation, even though his lack of Kindred blood could mean his defeat or even his death. But Rast has a secret, one even he doesn’t know he possesses. When he undertakes Nadiah’s quest, the truth comes out in a strange and provocative way.

Can Nadiah and Rast live through their ordeal? Will the truth about Rast set them free…or kill them?

! Spoilers !

After four books, we finally get a change of pace. A breath of fresh air. Up until now, the males have been wonderful mates, living and breathing with the sole purpose of cherishing and protecting their women. Well, now we have Detective Adam Rast. A guy who doesn't give a damn about pissing off a girl.
  • Rast gave her a long look and then shook his head. ​"You'​re fucking gorgeous, you know? It​'s too damn bad all that pretty has to come with crazy attached to it."​ (taken from Found)
And yet... it doesn't last. Suddenly Rast is one of our own when Nadiah faints beside him in the HKR building and is unable to be revived. Sylvan comes at once to collect his weakened cousin. As he attempts to take her from Rast's arms, a switch gets flipped and instantly Rast is consumed with the need to keep her to himself. No other male may touch her. No matter that Sylvan is married and kin to the woman.

Honestly, both Rast and Nadiah have changed since we first met each of them. Back in book two, Nadiah was a spirited young woman who swooned over anything romantic. But when the gift of Sight comes upon her, Nadiah matures fast from the burden, and her impending bond in an arranged marriage only exacerbates her misery.

The first chapter alone was so touching and I didn't expect chapter two at all as Rast jumps right into the challenge to break Nadiah's blood bond betrothal. Soon enough, he's telling his mom he's leaving Earth and will likely never return. Okay, son, By the way, you're adopted.

These two definitely have some fucked up parents. On a positive note, the guy's willing to sing. And vows not to change the color of Nadiah's eyes (for us non Tranq Prime people, that means he won't fuck her). The guy goes through almost the whole ordeal with the state of mind that he doesn't get to keep her in the end. But alas, he declares his love and his intention of marrying her. And only then will he take her virtue. Big mistake there.
  • “No!” It was a shout of agony from the bottom of his soul. Suddenly Rast knew what he had to do. He had to pull Nadiah to him, yes. But he also had to give her a reason to come. Had to give her the strength to break the bond with her evil fiancée and come to him forever.

    “Nadiah,” he called, yanking on the cord as hard as he could. “Nadiah, come back to me right now. Come back to me because I love you!”


    Her eyes flew wide and she turned her attention from Y’dex to him. “Rast,” she whispered uncertainly. “Do you…do you really mean that?”


    “Of course I fucking mean it!” he shouted, angry and desperate with love for her. “Now get back here so I can prove it!”

Merrick finally makes his grand entrance. He's a seven-foot-seven hybrid Kindred male with the cock of the Beast Kindred and the fangs of the Blood Kindred. His eyes are mismatched and he bears scars across his face. Formidable for sure. But Elise, the last tortured victim of the AllFather doesn't even notice when he saves her from her escape pod which has been lost, floating in space.

Updating our other favorite people... Kat is preparing to marry Lock and Deep. Lauren is pregnant. Yay Xairn!! And Sophia and Severn have yet to conceive, but apparently there's a reason. For the Goddess is waiting for the heir to take the Empty Throne. And our loveable no-mere-human is that heir.

All he has to do to claim it, is sprout wings. and remain on First World forever.

I'm not sure where all these people would be without Sylvan and Kat. Certainly not together. Those two are the answers to so many of the problems that arise. And thankfully, now Sylvan can become a daddy.

By now, we've met Lissa, whom I'm fairly certain is the heroine of book seven. She's been exiled to the First World by her mother to serve as a priestess and well, the book *is* entitled Exiled. I'm beginning to wonder if this series ever ends...?

Taking a small, day-long break before book six to explore another story. It's way overdo, and with fourteen new books this week, I've got plenty of options.

4 out of 5 stars.

When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love


Previously in the series:

9.12.2012

Found: Brides of the Kindred #4


Found
Evangeline Anderson
Brides of the Kindred, book four
ebook, 379 pages
Published October 15th 2011 by self published (first published October 14th 2011)
ISBN 9781452444468

A warrior with a scarred heart who doesn’t know how to love. And the woman who must teach him how before it’s too late…

The son of the evil AllFather, Xairn is filled with conflicting emotions. On one hand, he has finally gained his freedom and cut the ties that bound him to his race and the sadistic male who is his father. But doing so has unleashed feelings in him Xairn would rather keep buried. Desires that he prayed would never manifest now rage through him and they are centered on one woman alone…

Lauren Jakes is the long lost cousin Liv and Sophie never knew they had. Abducted by the Scourge, she formed a connection with Xairn more meaningful than any other in his life. But though Lauren thinks she knows him, there is more to the huge Scourge warrior than she comprehends. A nightmare childhood and a cruel father have scarred Xairn’s heart almost past the point of healing. But that is nothing to the secret inside him—the forbidden desires coded into his very DNA itself, which urge him to commit unspeakable acts in order to sate his newly awakened hunger.

Now a conflict is brewing—both in Xairn’s soul, and aboard the Fathership where the twisted AllFather has hatched a new, malicious plot to bring his estranged son home. Can Xairn resist the brutal lust growing within him? Can he fight against his very nature which urges him to dominate and control any female he mates? Can Lauren heal his heart before the AllFather’s trap closes on both of them? And can she teach him how to love before it’s too late?

! Spoilers !

Xairn and Lauren have escaped the AllFather through a wormhole in space, but he's tracking them and Xairn knows there's nowhere they can hide. Not unless they change their very DNA.

So they seek out a man who can do just that. Xairn's been planning it for years, although Lauren was in no way a part of the fantasy and he begins to fear he hasn't the goods to afford to barter for the procedure for them both. Luckily, after Lauren nearly sells herself into sexual slavery to a guy called Spider, they're able to come to a deal with a scientist and Xairn's and Lauren's DNA are mixed.

Xairn awakens to find his grey skin now a rich, tanned white and his eyes a deep blue green. Lauren, though, as Xairn preferred, changed in no physical way. Her scent, however has been altered. For now she smells of him.

By now we've also learned the mating history of Xairn's people. The way they chained and bonded their females. Collared them. Branded them. And thoroughly dominated them. Things that Xairn feels compelled to act out upon Lauren. And despite his warnings, Lauren isn't all that affected by his BDSM urgings. Although getting pierced below the belt is definitely in the not-gonna-happen category.

Still, despite her acceptance of him, Xairn rejects her body. And her affection. Until, met with the chance of losing her yet again to Spider, he takes her name as a brand on his chest. Forevermore, she owns him. Body, heart, and soul.

Meanwhile, Sophia and Sylvan have prepared a quiet bonding ceremony much like an intimate wedding. Nadiah, Sylvan's cousin has been invited and although she's due to be bonded to Lick Yo-Dah Low (yeah...) she's psyched to be the female chosen to do the Luck Kiss which she's foreseen will be with a Kindred Warrior. And this girl's got the hots for Kindred Warriors.

Things get screwy though when Deep and Lock mistake Detective Rast as Sylvan's friend, Merrick, and push him into place for the Luck Kiss. And my, what a kiss it was. That man's no mere human. And neither is he a believer in Nadiah's gift. So yes, we're back to another couple off to a bad start and with a detective that doesn't have faith in psychics we're in the land of cliche again. But it's not so bad this time around, I must say.

  • Olivia put a hand on her hip. ​"Seriously, Detective Rast, does it say ​professional jerk​ on your business cards or what?"
    ​ "No, it says that I find missing persons,"​ he snapped. ​"And I don​t need a bunch of psychic mumbo-jumbo to help me do it."
    "​I never offered you my help."​ Nadiah gave him a look that could freeze a laser beam. ​"And don'​t worry, Detective, I never will."
    His striking green eyes flashed. "​I wouldn'​t take it if you begged me."
    Nadiah put her hands on her hips. ​"Begged you? Are you out of your tiny human mind?"​ She sniffed and her eyes flickered down to his crotch. "​Though I'​m sure that​'s not the only thing that​s tiny about you."
    Detective Rast, who was as big as Xairn or any of the Kindred warriors Lauren had seen, raised an eyebrow at Nadiah. "​Are you saying you want to come down and check out my equipment? Because that​s certainly what it sounds like."
    Nadiah​s cheeks went bright red. "Of course not. I have no interest in your... your... in that!"
    He crossed his arms over his chest. ​"Then why were you looking south of my belt?"
    "​I... I was looking at your weapon,"​ Nadiah protested. ​"I have no interest in anything else."
    "​My weapon, huh?"​ He smirked. ​"Well, I think I can promise you it​'s a larger caliber than you could handle.​"


After Xairn and Lauren make it safely to Earth, we begin to explore the new Xairn. A virgin with an increasing desire to dominate (bondage included), who doesn't know even the basics of a relationship. As he attempts to avoid his urges during their first sexual encounter, he fails to realize his actions are exactly that. He maintains control of her through instruction and physically bracing her. I loved every minute! This was the Evangeline Anderson work I love.

When the sexual tension becomes too much for Xairn to fight or ignore, he suggests a different approach. He takes the submissive role. And I LMAO!

  • The black leash was stiff and awkward to work with. In the end Lauren had to settle for tying his hands behind his back and making them fasten to the back of the kitchen chair he was sitting on. When she was done, Xairn looked up at her with fiery eyes.
    “Now slap me.”
    “What?” Lauren protested. “I dont want to do that!”
    “Do it,” he grated. “I could shred this little cord that binds me and snap the chair to splinters with no effort at all. “You need to assert your dominance, Mistress.”
    “But I can’t.”
    “Yes, you can,” he growled. “Damn it, Lauren, do you want this or not?”
    Lauren lifted her chin. “You know I do.”
    “If you want me, you have to dominate me first.” His eyes flashed. “Or I’ll free myself and dominate you instead.” Suddenly his voice dropped to an almost pleading tone. “Please, Lauren, I don’t… don't want to do that. Don’t want to hurt you.”
    Lauren took a deep breath. This wasn’t how she’d imagined her first time with Xairn. Hell, this wasn’t something she’d imagined doing with anyone. But she loved him and if this was what it took... “Fine,” she said in a low voice. “I’ll do it. And… and I won’t hold back.”
    “Good.” He looked at her hungrily. “Then slap me.”
    Lauren shook her head. “I said I’d do it but I’m going to do it my way, you understand?”
    He just stared at her, that hungry, animalistic look growing in his eyes. Lauren sensed she was losing him. Have to do something quick! Threading her fingers through his thick black hair, she grabbed a handful and yanked his head back. Then she leaned over him and looked him in the eye. “I said, do you understand?”
    Xairns whole body jerked and his eyes widened in obvious surprise. “Yes.”

Mmmm. Better than chocolate. But damn, out of all four books so far, this one had the least smut. And it was the most deserving!

Lauren doesn't hold the control for long and both are a bit lax when it comes to punishment but at least the task gets accomplished and by the end, the AllFather is dead, Xairn and Lauren are bonded, and Nadiah and Rast have settled their dispute.

Whew! You know it's a good read when your post ends up this long, and you still can't shut up. 5 out of 5 stars.

On to the next!


Previously in the series:

9.09.2012

Sought: Brides of the Kindred #3


Sought
Evangeline Anderson
Brides of the Kindred, book three
ebook, 363 pages
Published July 10th 2011 by Evangeline Anderson Books (first published July 7th 2011)
ISBN 9781452436296

Kat O’Connor is no pushover. She’s a no nonsense girl with a commonsense approach to life. But there’s nothing common about what’s happening to her lately…

First she was forced to have a kinky mind ménage with two of the hottest and most irritating men in the galaxy—Twin Kindred warriors, Deep and Lock—in order to locate her kidnapped friend. Then she couldn’t get their feelings out of her head. And now she’s on her way to their home planet, Twin Moons, to find a cure for the debilitating illness their unorthodox joining caused, when all she really wants to do is go home.

Locks Tight, the light twin of the two, is already in love with Kat. Her curvy plus-sized body is the epitome of beauty on his home planet and her sharp mind makes her doubly attractive. But though he fell for her the moment he saw her, Twin Kindred are unable to mate a woman alone. Lock knows nothing can happen between them without his brother…

Stabs Deep. The dark twin has a secret agony in his past—a tragedy he feels he and he alone is to blame for. He too, hungers for Kat, but he hides his fear of rejection behind an impenetrable wall of angry sarcasm. For if he lets anyone get too close, the unbearable pain he has already endured once may happen again.

Now Kat and her twin warriors are on a quest—but they’re all looking for different things. Kat wants to find a way to dissolve the half-formed bond between them so she can be alone in her own head again. Lock wants to convince both her and his brother to complete the bond which will keep them together forever. And Deep is trying to protect his heart and love Kat from afar…though it grows more and more difficult to deny the hunger he feels for her growing inside him.

Their travels will take them from the uncharted wilds of Twin Moons to the Deadworld of the Scourge home planet. Will Kat find a cure for having other people’s emotions crowding her mind? Will Lock convince his brother and the woman they both love that they’re all meant to be together forever? And will Deep ever unshield his heart long enough to let Kat in?

What I like about Kat... She's got one hell of a mouth on her. Aside from that, the only reason I read this book is to get more of a back story to Lauren before beginning Xairn's story in book four, Found. Meeting Adam, Nadiah's intended in book five, was pure bonus.

Olivia and Sophia's mother once had a sister who became estranged from the family during her pregnancy with her twin daughters. One daughter, the only that survived, she named Lauren. And Lauren, is she who the AllFather has been seeking.

And has finally found.

Furthermore, she's annoying the hell out of Xairn. She speaks to him incessantly. Talks of things like cupcakes and raves over her bakery. Of the pleasure of consuming junk food. Things Xairn knows nothing about.

Imprisoned and nude, Lauren tries desperately to create a connection with Xairn in hopes that he'll grant her freedom. She senses none of the great evil in him that she finds in the AllFather. She's kind and sweet.. and annoyed the hell out of me as well. Then she had to go and remind him of Sanja. And, oh my poor Xairn.

But she continues to talk and Xairn continues to listen until the AllFather demands they return to their home world so that he may harness the power to breed her. Then comes the biggest WTF moment of Xairn's life when Lauren pleads that if she has to be taken sexually, she wants him, Xairn, to be the one to do it.

I won't be rating this book because I really only read about thirty percent of it. Just the Xairn and Lauren parts and that which overlapped with Kat, Lock, and Deep. I can make note that by the end, Deep got stupid and severed his bond with Kat and his brother which nearly cost Kat her life after she was cut by a poisoned blade for which there is no cure.

Xairn and Lauren made a nasty escape and although he'd rather she fled with the others, he was forced to take her away himself. So now, Xairn's instincts have been awakened in time for book four. And rumor is, the Scourge like their sex rough. Bondage and domination rough. Yum!


  • “NO!” Bending, Xairn scooped Lauren into his arms. “I will die before I let you have her. And I will kill you if you threaten her again. I renounce you as my father and I renounce my race. For now and evermore I am no longer Scourge.”

    Xairn felt the words of power leave him and gloried in the sense of rightness they gave him. He wasn’t just saying this to hurt the AllFather, he had given his oath to the universe. It had gone out from him with a finality that could not be refuted or ignored. He had cut the ties that had bound him all his life—he truly was no longer Scourge.

    His father said something else, but though Xairn felt the drag of his mental command, it couldn’t control him. His heart, so long a cold and shriveled lump of carbon, was a glowing, beating star—a super nova in his chest. He was alive in a way he never had been before. Alive and filled with emotions he had been suppressing for a lifetime. He wanted to rip the AllFather limb from limb and bathe in his blood. Wanted to throw back his head and howl like an animal scenting prey. But most of all, he wanted to take the woman in his arms right there, filling her with his cock as she writhed beneath him on the cold, hard floor while he pounded into her again and again as she screamed his name and…No! No, get hold of yourself!


Previously in the series:

9.08.2012

Hunted: Brides of the Kindred #2


Hunted
Evangeline Anderson
Brides of the Kindred, book two
ebook
Published April 29th 2011 by Evangeline Anderson, via Smashwords
ISBN 2940011317057

Sophia Waterhouse has always been afraid of needles and vampires so there’s no way she wants anything to do with a modern day Count Dracula—even if he does come wrapped in the package of a huge Kindred warrior with blond hair and ice blue eyes. She’s only on the Kindred Mothership to participate in her sister Liv’s wedding and that’s all.

Sylvan is a Tranq Kindred who has made a sacred vow never to call a bride. After a devastating rejection on his home planet, his heart is a block of ice no one can melt—or so he thinks until he meets Sophia.

When their ship is forced down in the middle of a rugged mountain range Sophia and Sylvan are stranded. Running for their lives they have only each other to depend on. Will they give in to the intense attraction between them or will the evil hunting Sophia take its toll?

Sylvan, a Tranq Kindred, is suppose to have little emotion. It's the Beast Kindred that possess the rage, they say. But damn, I'll take Baird over his half-brother, Sylvan's fury any day.

Sylvan and Sophia first became acquainted when Baird came to Earth to claim Sophia's twin sister, Olivia. Despite his greatest attempt to be the peacekeeper of the group, nothing could save Sylvan from pissing off Sophia. And it's been one misunderstanding after another between them ever since.

(spoilers follow)

Sworn to never take a bride after a failed mating bond, Sylvan is bewildered by his body's response to Sophia. His mating scent is out in full force and his fangs keep showing. Meanwhile, Sophia has her own shame ridden past which is obvious from the start. She was raped as a teen, and as a child she developed a fear of needles. Sex with an alpha male who bites and shares blood with his mate doesn't fall anywhere close on her To-Do list.

Soon enough, Sophia finds herself hunted by the AllFather as she is presumed to be part of a prophecy and whom he intends to breed with. She and her volunteer pilot, Sylvan, crash land on Earth and barely manage to survive. With their subsequent return back aboard the Kindred mother ship, Sophia's presence is deemed a threat and she is sent away to Tranq Prime, Sylvan's home planet. Of course, he again takes up the role as her protector despite relinquishing any romantic claim he could make on her.

Then Sylvan's ex returns. Sophia nearly gets molested by what amounts to toilet paper. We meet Nadiah, Sylvan's cousin. And Xairn's spirit is finally broken.

So, it's rare that I dive immediately into book two. And the last time I jumped straight into book three and beyond was the Sons of Destiny series by Jean Johnson. It's crazy. I can't bring myself to give these Kindred books five stars but I can't get enough! I *want* to skip book three-it's focused on Kat and the Twin Kindred, Stabs Deep and Locks Tight (I laugh every time I read those names), and threesomes aren't my thing-but these stories blend one right into another so I'm not sure what to do...

But I need to decide fast because book four, Found, is Xairn's story. He's the son of the AllFather and is in desperate need of salvation. Redemption. And some goddamned vengeance. That AllFather bastard is responsible for Sanja's death. And I cried over that bitch!

Now's seriously not the time for a series addiction. Cast in Peril is just two weeks away!! And Nadiah is in book five?! Can't. Read. Fast. Enough!

4 out of 5 stars.

  • “I’m sorry, girl. So sorry. I tried to protect you,” he murmured, looking into her true, brown eyes one last time.

    “Xairn!” The AllFather’s voice rose with fury. “I sssaid release her!”

    Again he fought the compulsion and again he won though it was harder this time—so much harder. It was now or never—he had to give the order he had always feared giving. The only one that could save his beloved Sanja from the evil and madness inflicted by his father. Save her from living a life as worthless and miserable as his own. “Sanja,” he told her, his voice breaking as he voiced the dreaded command. “Sanja, die.”

Previously in the series:

9.06.2012

Claimed: Brides of the Kindred, #1


Claimed
Evangeline Anderson
Brides of the Kindred, book one
ebook, 318 pages
Published February 9th 2011 by Smashwords
ISBN 9781452413167

Olivia Waterhouse has just graduated from nursing school and has her whole life ahead of her—until she gets drafted. Problem is, she isn’t being forced into the Army, she’s been chosen as a Kindred bride.

The Kindred are huge alien warriors—a race of genetic traders whose population is ninety-five percent male. After saving Earth from the threat of invasion they demand a reward—the right to find brides among the population. The chances of being chosen are about the same as those of winning the lottery—guess it’s just Liv’s lucky day.

Baird is a Beast Kindred who recently escaped imprisonment and torture at the hands of the malevolent Scourge. Through the torment and pain only one thing kept him sane—the thought of finding and claiming his bride—Olivia. His need to possess her is a burning intensity that threatens to consume them both.

Angry at having her future and her family taken away from her, Liv vows to fight back the only way she can—by resisting. She has one month on the Kindred Mothership with Baird—their claiming period. If she can keep from having bonding sex with him during that time, she can go home and get on with her life on Earth.

But Baird isn’t going to make it easy for her. Every week he is allowed to touch Liv more and more intimately and according to the contract she signed, she has to let him. She’s determined to resist him but his touch sets her on fire. And just as she thinks she knows what she wants, a twist of fate and an attack by the faceless Scourge AllFather changes everything…

Sylvan, despite your icy blue eyes and spiky blonde hair, you've won my heart already. Too bad this is your half-brother's story.

This one started out perfectly. The prologue was right on and the first chapter kicked off oh so delectably. Then we begin to learn about the women... and things get all cliche. One's in nursing-Olivia. One's in law-Kat. The other-Sophia- Olivia's twin sister... a teacher. And they're all fat. Yes, fat. Full figured blah blah blah... They're fat. Leave my girls athletic or thin... or hell, big boobed.. but don't say full figured. My mind goes all Garcia from Criminal Minds with that shyt.

But hey, I'm a walking stick. Size eight is obese compared to me.

Nearly six months of torture, and the only thing that kept Baird sane and kept him fighting was the Earth woman destined to be his Bride. Their minds met. Dreams were shared. Visions traded. And still she rages against their union. Even with his pledge of devotion, love, and protection, Olivia is loath to admit her attraction to the Beast Kindred. And only with his half brother Sylvan's meddling words of advice does he have the patience to keep his distance. Not a lot of distance, mind you.

As we go through the four weeks of claiming-holding, bathing, tasting, bonding-things get repetitive. Oh boy, do they get repetitive, and we don't even make it through week three before things go to hell! Baird needs her. Or so we're told (over and over) but I never really *felt* it. Despite the months of torture, he's recovered quite nicely without her help. And when it happens all over again, it's nothing that a little striptease can't handle.

Overall, I was left disappointed by Baird and Olivia. However, Sylvan had me in his pocket the entire time. And so, I'm moving on to do something that I rarely ever do-jumping right into book two. Hunted. Sylvan and Sophia's story. She's suppose to be the daffodil of the three women, but it looks like she can put up a fight just as good as Olivia ever did. And hers is so much more intriguing.

3 out of 5 stars.