A Place for Romance: Paranormal | Fantasy | Futuristic | Contemporary | Historical | Suspense | & Asian Dramas

12.31.2016

Total Reads in Twenty-Sixteen




Well, look at that... The new standard.

Actually, I read far more than 12 books this year. But children's books don't count towards my blog goal, unfortunately. If they did, I'd be back in that one book a day category. More than that, actually.

But those days are far behind me.

And the days of lesson plans and science experiments are here and ahead. And history books... oh the history books.


  1. Mastering the Mistress (BotK 14.5) by Evangeline Anderson (1/07)
  2. Forgotten (BotK #16) by Evangeline Anderson (01/20)
  3. Final Protocol by J.C. Daniels (01/21)
  4. The 100 by Kass Morgan (02/24)
  5. End of the Line by Biana D'Arc (02/25)
  6. Crash & Burn (Cyborg Sizzle #3) by Cynthia Sax (3/9)
  7. Adam (Cyborgs: More Than Machines #6) by Eve Langlais (04/14)
  8. Avion (Cyborgs: More Than Machines #7) by Eve Langlais (04/21)
  9. Switched (BotK #17) by Evangeline Anderson (4/29)
  10. Abducted (Alien Mate Index #1) by Evangeline Anderson (12/07)
  11. Protected (Alien Mate Index #2) by Evangeline Anderson (12/09)
  12. Descended (Alien Mate Index #3) by Evangeline Anderson (12/15)

All Sci-fi!


EDIT:

I found that I actually read THIRTEEN books last year, including The Pirate Captain's Daughter (Book 5.5 of the Mandrake Company) that I finished on May 6th! Woo hoo!

12.15.2016

Descended (Alien Mate Index #3)


Descended
Evangeline Anderson
Alien Mate Index, book three
ebook
Published August 27th 2016 by Smashwords Edition
ISBN 9781311691583

Charlotte Walker is just an intern trying to get through her surgical rotation in one piece when her life takes an abrupt turn for the weird. A seven-foot tall patient with multicolored eyes and golden skin shows up in the ER asking for her. When he tells Charlotte she's supposed to be the Empress of the entire galaxy, she naturally thinks he's high or crazy or both.

He's not.

Kristoff Verrai is the Captain of the Imperial Guard of the Goddess-Empress of the galaxy. For ten cycles he served his old mistress faithfully. Now that she is dead, his only job is to find and protect her new Incarnation until she can ascend the throne.

He doesn't expect to fall in love with her.

But a relationship between them can never be--the Empress must have a Consort with Royal blood and Kristoff is just a commoner.

Can they fight the love growing between them? Or will it overwhelm them?

If only Charlotte wasn't Descended from the most powerful female in the universe, they might have a chance...

I fully intended to take a break from AMI after finishing book two, but then, as it happens, Kristoff - whose name I hate btw - made his first appearance in Protected and ended up being on the right side of awesome... so here we are.

I loved this... up until the very end and that's only because I don't care for it when EA ends the story with girl talk. But everything pertaining to Kristoff and Charlotte was spot on. From K's sworn loyalty and chastity to his Empress to his soul deep vow to remain true to his people's ways and religion. Typically, a woman tearing a man from his honor doesn't hold an appeal but every now and then, as in this case, Charlotte pushes Kristoff to the point where religion is lost and the natural instinct to take his rightful mate prevails. Against all political and philosophical chains. Against all perceptions. After all was done, only the will of the gods - or Goddess - stands. And... yes, death is a price justly paid.

So, yep, spot on with how everything played out.  Kudos to the author.

4 out of 5 stars.

Previously in the series:

12.09.2016

Protected (Alien Mate Index #2)


Protected
Evangeline Anderson
Alien Mate Index, book two
Kindle Edition, 466 pages
Published July 19th 2016 by Evangeline Anderson Books
ASIN B01G97FPCU

Grav N’gol is many things. Murderer…ex-con…Alien half-breed…

And a Protector.

More than just a bodyguard, a Protector chooses a female to ward for life and swears an oath to die for her if necessary.

Enter Leah Roth. The luscious little Earth female is supposed to be just a quick surveillance gig for Grav. He’ll check on her and report back that she’s okay—it should be easy.

Only she’s not okay.

When Grav sees Leah’s abusive husband hurting her, he swings into action. Before he knows it, he has Leah aboard his ship. When he’s given a dangerous and difficult mission, Leah volunteers to come along and help…and somehow Grav can’t say no.

But as much as he feels drawn to the lovely little human, Grav knows it can never be between them. For in his past lurks a bloody and savage secret that would turn even the most forgiving heart against him.

From his past and from his true nature Leah must be... Protected at all costs.

Oh no she didn't yes she did put Donald J. Trump in an erotic romance novel.

...Words I never thought I'd utter.

...Words you likely never thought you'd hear. Right?

After reading Sarden's story in book one where we also first get introduced to Grav, I didn't expect to like Grav as much as I did Sarden. As it turns out, I much preferred being in Grav's head. He was, by far, the geekiest of the two.

I needed to stop that shit.

And he's one of those fuckety-fuck-fuck-fuck kinda guys when he speaks, so yes, my corrupted little mind had all sorts of fun with him.

Why is it that I love it when males swear and cuss in books, but find it oh so repugnant in everyday life?

A moment of reflection. Gotta love it.

Although the idea of it is simply adorable, the concept of not being with someone because they're 'too good' for you drives me into madness. I need something more than that to overcome. Thankfully, we're getting that extra oomph in the next installment with Kristoff (bad name, bad bad name) and Charlotte's story.

3 out of 5 stars.

Previously in the series:

12.07.2016

Abducted (Alien Mate Index #1)


Abducted
Evangeline Anderson
Alien Mate Index, book one
Kindle Edition, 485 pages
Published June 11th 2016 by Evangeline Anderson Books
ASIN B01FNPMJ9G

My name is Zoe McKinley. I have a boring life, an awful job, and a boss that throws staplers at my head. What could be worse?

How about being abducted by Aliens?

Being dragged through a mirror, naked and screaming, onto an extraterrestrial ship was bad. Finding out I had been sold to a huge alien male who looks like the Devil was worse. But learning he wanted to trade me to an intergalactic petting zoo was the worst of all!

Now I'm whizzing through the galaxy with a robot butler, a trio of nib-nibs (they're like tiny green monkeys) and one huge, muscular, and very grumpy alien. The clothing they gave me shows all my lady-bits, the food-sim makes banana cream pie that tastes like sauerkraut, and Sarden, my captor, is too hot to stay mad at, even if he is a jerk.

In fact, I think I might be falling for him.

What's a girl to do? It's all in a day's work when you've been... Abducted.

4 out of 5 stars.