Petrify: A Dark Horror Romance

Whatever he is made of, so am I.

Available at Amazon.com

Petrify
Shaye Madison
ebook, 337 pages
Independently published July 31, 2026
ASIN B0HC4PFN2F
ISBN 9798993005416


The Pianist

Mallary Doyle wants nothing more than to make it as a professional pianist. When the affluent Beauchene family offers her a position as tutor for their young son, she knows this is her chance. But immediately upon arriving at their manor, things are not what they seem…

The Ghost

Fifteen years spent locked within the walls of Beauchene manor. Faceless. Terrorizing the inhabitants of this house with his rage, reminding the family that he still exists, even when they’ve made every effort to forget. Until she arrives and captivates him with her music.

There is a ghost stalking the halls, stalking her… and soon his obsession will become carnal.

The horror vibes of The Boy meets the romance of The Phantom of the Opera.

Mallary Doyle never applied for the job as the newest piano tutor to the heir of the Beauchene family. They sought her out nonetheless.

Hefty pay, a private wing all to herself, and the opportunity to get her name in the mouths of the who's who in the world of symphonies, how was a girl to say no?

So what if a certain ghost seems obsessed with her? What harm could the phantom truly do?

This... was far more than I had anticipated. And you would think a guy who's spent the last fifteen years neglected and banished to the walls of his family's estate would take the crown of being the most fucked up in the mental health arena, but oh, you would be wrong.

Bastien's motivations were simple. And for that, he was a delight. A bit weak in the foreplay game, but he had other qualities that kept me begging for his POV. Seriously, his chapters were far too short.

Mallary on the other hand... Between her mood swings and mental gymnastics, she was much harder to keep up with. Cursing him one second and begging in the next. She provoked him to take her time and time again. And I could never decide where her truths became lies.

That heat though.

4 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | paperback

2026/39

Lifebound (Royal Sins #1)

I could do ungodly things
if this guy kept calling my name in that voice.

Available at Amazon.com

Lifebound
D.N. Hoxa
Royal Sins, book one
ebook, 506 pages
Independently Published May 6, 2025
ASIN B0F31XJLNG
ISBN 9798319420206


Nobody ever believed me.

Not when I was five and told them about the boy with pointy ears who saved my life in the forest. Not during thirteen miserable years of bullying and being labeled the town weirdo.

Until a guy with golden eyes and a royal guard escort shows up at my door to drop a bombshell.

That little boy? Yeah, he’s real.

And he’s a fae Prince.

And he magically linked my life to his when he saved me.

I know what you’re thinking. Lucky girl, right?

Wrong.

Because now the Prince is sick and apparently, I’m the only one who can save him. How can I possibly say no?

That’s how I find myself in the fae realm, where pretty much everything either wants to kill me, eat me, or...use me for something worse. If not for the gorgeous fae who saved my life, I'd have died an hour in.

Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Grumpy has annoyingly beautiful eyes, a voice that sounds like sex, and a tattoo that screams trouble. He says his name is Rune, and he’ll take me to the Prince safely—if I do what he says.

With severely limited choices, I accept.

But the more time we spend together, the more near-death experiences we go through, the more Rune gets under my skin. He makes most people look the other way, but he's sweet when no one's watching. He makes my heart do really weird things.

And just when I think my life couldn’t possibly get any crazier—it does.

Turns out, this whole saving-the-Prince business can get a girl into a whole lot of trouble, and I’m not entirely sure I can handle it this time.

I didn't know if I was going to make it through this book. For one, the way the author structures her sentences can be a bit jarring. Two: If I make it to thirty percent and I still haven't been introduced to the MMC, we have a problem.

Lo and behold, he steps into the story at twenty-five percent.

Three: The FMC is eighteen. And she gives strong teen vibes. A prime example for people who refer to twenty-year-olds as babies. She's immature, hot-tempered, reckless, and very much thinks more highly of herself than justly deserved.

You're too small to speak to a superior being this way.

Did he deserve the hit? Yeah. Did she deserve the repercussions of her actions? Absolutely. Was it a lie? Not at all.

At this point, I received early access to a sequel that was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, so I dropped Lifebound mid-chapter and moved to that.

When I returned, it became glaringly obvious as we basically began to walk through Halloweenteen that I was struggling to bond with this FMC and it was not going to end well.

DNF at 31%.

Available in ebook | paperback | audiobook

2026/xx

Your Knife, My Heart (Dark Forces, #1)

You are the bearer of my soul.

Available at Amazon.com

Your Knife, My Heart
K.M. Moronova
Dark Forces, book one
audiobook, 9+ hours
ebook, 307 pages
Published November 11, 2025
ASIN B0F7GWD1PR


From USA Today Bestselling author KM Moronova comes a brand-new compelling and addictive dark romance in her Dark Forces world.

Dark. Deadly. Irresistible.

Cameron Mortem has a problem—he can’t stop killing his partners. Officially labeled clinically insane, he’s also one of the most lethal assets in the Dark Forces, a brutal underground military operation built on obedience, survival, and silence. But an experimental drug has fractured his control, making him a liability whenever someone else is on the field. As punishment, he’s thrown back into the Under Trials—a merciless boot camp designed to break the weak and sharpen the ruthless.

His one directive? Don’t kill the new girl.

Emery Maves narrowly escapes a death sentence after her own brutal crimes, only to find herself forced into the same violent world. Assigned to Cameron, she’s expected to survive the Trials and her partner's unstable nature. But Emery quickly realizes there’s more to Cameron than bloodlust and body counts. Beneath the madness lies a terrifying allure—and a strange, dangerous tenderness.

As the Trials push them to their limits, Emery must navigate the brutal demands of the Dark Forces while resisting the pull of a man who could just as easily kill her as protect her. And Cameron must fight the one urge he’s never been able to overcome.

Their bond is intoxicating, chaotic, and born of violence. And if it doesn’t destroy them both, it might just save them.

This was one hell of a pleasant surprise. Equally depraved and heart-achingly sweet.

I borrowed this audiobook for something to listen to while fluffing the branches of the Christmas tree only to find myself staring off into the void, my arms limp at my sides, with my mind thoroughly captivated by Cam and Em.

Mori and Morphine.

4 out of 5 stars. The romance is tender and the spice is dirty.

Available in ebook | audiobook | paperback

Next in the series:

2025/57

Avidian (Demon & the Savior #1)

You think you've won?
You haven't even seen the board yet.

Available at Amazon.com

Avidian
Ashley R. Odonovan
Demon & the Savior, book one
Kindle Edition, 358 pages
Published March 25, 2025
ASIN B0DBM2XLYL4
Free Read from Amazon

If Shatter Me and Divergent had a morally gray baby raised by ghosts—it would be Avidian.

This is a spicy, binge-worthy romantasy set in a dystopian world where she’s forced to solve a murder using her rare ability to see the dead—and the man offering her a way out might be hiding the most dangerous secret of all.

I can see the dead. They tell me their secrets. But this time, their secrets might get me killed.

My name is Kat Sinclair, and the Volkov family owns me. People like me, born with special abilities, are called Avids. But my gift doesn’t spare me from the demands of Marco Volkov, the ruthless family patriarch who keeps me in line with the ever-present threat of violence.

When a grisly double murder involving a family nephew and a cook shakes the household, I’m forced to uncover the truth. The whispers of the dead reveal more than I bargained for, unearthing secrets that could destroy the Volkovs—and me.

But I met a charming stranger who might be able to help. Except he doesn’t know about my gift, my scars, or the dark past I can’t escape. But in his eyes, I see something I thought I’d lost long ago—hope.

If I want to escape, I’ll have to play along. But this murder might be hiding something even more dangerous. If I’m not careful, I’ll be the next one the dead are whispering about.

We're going to just dive right into this one...

Malachi is annoying. A complete nuisance. His personality is like that of a trickster god but without any redeeming charm to his words.

Until Kat decides that her best plan to secure information is to play the whore route and Malachi has to start slicing throats to get her out of it. Yes. Do that. Talk less, Malachi. More blade action.

Meanwhile, Kat... talk more. Ask more questions. What does he mean he has people. Who are these people? Who's the guy with the slanting head?

Eventually the unasked questions get answered and my, what a shift. We have an entire undercover, underground, operation making moves. The Sindicate, whose base is in a silo miles deep into the earth with layers of scientists, combatants, and more gearing up to overthrow the ruling families.

And damn, I found myself longing for new episodes of Silo on AppleTV.

Anyway, Malachi's mouth is finally providing useful intel and the story begins to pick up about midway. Before that, it was basically a murder mystery wherein Kat is tasked with identifying the unsub in the murder of her master's nephew. Despite the fact that she can talk to the dead, the nephew is an arse and totally uninterested in communicating anything helpful to the situation.

He's not dead.

In one ear and out the other. I can't even begin to try to understand why the character would ignore something like this. Not even a second thought. Not a fraction of a fraction of a second thought. But hey, makes for a great time to go on a winter wonderland date and ride the ferris wheel. What is happening?! Who's not dead? Because the only person that's not suppose to be alive and yet, we've seen no evidence of their death is...

I have never wanted to slap some sense into a character so hard before. Kat has the attention span of a fruit fly. Good gods, woman, when someone hands you the journal of a murder victim, you don't just tuck it into your waist band and you sure af don't start at the beginning when you finally crack it open!

Without it, I would have come to the same conclusion, but it did speed up the process.

Chiiild! You didn't solve a damn thing. They didn't even need you had they just read the journal in the first place. This is some bs right here.

3 out 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

2025/18

To Kill a Fae (Dragon Portal #1)

If one more person questions me, people are going to start dying.

Available at Amazon.com

To Kill a Fae
Jamie A. Waters
Dragon Portal, book one
Kindle Edition, 338 pages
Published September 26, 2019
ASIN B07TW9JG8N
ISBN 9781949524178
Amazon Free Read

The darkness holds more than just secrets...

Marked for death, Sabine escaped from her home more than ten years ago.

But the Wild Hunt will never give up.

It should have been easy to stay hidden. All Sabine had to do was keep her head down, avoid telling anyone about her past, and above all else -- not let her glamour drop.

Even the best-laid plans eventually fall apart.

When a charismatic stranger arrives in the city, Sabine finds herself unwittingly drawn to him and the power she can sense hidden within him. Keeping her distance is nearly impossible, especially after a life debt is called due and she’s tasked into helping steal a rare artifact.

Sabine is the only one who can break the magical barriers protecting the item, but that means revealing the truth about her identity and exposing her darkest secrets.

Unfortunately, the Fae aren’t the only ones hunting her.

And the most dangerous monsters aren’t always confined to the dark.

When Sabine is attacked by four men looking for a payout for her assassination, she makes quick work of two. The third manages to draw blood but is easily dispatched alongside his companions. When she turns for the fourth, Sabine discovers him in a pool of blood at the feet of a stranger.

A tall, dark-haired, lethal male with a deep blue aura being escorted by the town goblin? Things just got interesting.

Malek Rish'dan. Captain Malek Rish'dan. A man who possesses Fae knowledge without any Fae appearance. Not quite human but something else Sabine can't pinpoint. A man with sensitivity to magic, or so she summizes as he tracks her glamouring her assailant's tattoos and enchanting a wooden coin for a lanky child on the street.

Sabine's power had called to him from the moment of his ship's arrival at the dock. When she offers to honor the debt of his aide, he strategically negotiates a simple dinner.

To ask for more than what's due would have negated the debt entirely.

In a world with demons and trolls, goblins and fae, it's Sabine whose spoken name silences a room. No one dares cross her. No one dares touch her. If she isn't enough of a threat on her own, then it's the demon, Dax, whose protection she is under that would give them pause. If not him, then surely his estranged brother, Bane. Heads of the thieves guild and assassins guild, respectively.

When the goblin, Pozgil, informs Dax of the attack against Sabine it becomes clear that heads are going to roll and limbs are going to tear.

When Dax finds Sabine's mark on Malek's wrist the threat of violence is just as imminent.

The book occasionally shifts from Sabine to Malek's POV and it's a feature I adored because Sabine can't fingure him out. And even Malek withholds his true identity and intentions from the reader for most of the story.

Leave it to Bane to finally solve the mystery.

Malek is a dragon. Not the average ship captain nor common smuggler. He's hunting Fae artifacts to mend the failing seal on the closed portal. Should it fall completely, war will return to their kinds.

This is a good read for anyone into kickass females surrounded by overprotective alpha males and all the pixies, witches, goblins, demons, and dragons one could hope for. That said, it's merely an introduction to the series that will span about six books. This installment ends just as Sabine's twin brother, Rhys, has recalled the Wild Hunt to track her down. He wants her dead in order to claim the magic he believes her existence has stolen from him. Sabine, accompanied by Bane, flees Akros aboard Malek's ship and that's where book one closes.

Without waiting for a response, she turned away from the demon and walked toward a dragon. And behind her, the city continued to burn.

Dax. Bane. Jacoby. This author watches a lot of American television. Malek. Riven. Rhys. Now she's just teasing outright.

3 out of 5 stars.



Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

2025/15

Dire Bound (Wolves of Ruin #1)

Welcome home, my queen.

Available at Amazon.com

Dire Bound
Sable Sorensen
Wolves of Ruin, book one
Kindle Edition, 682 pages
First published February 26, 2025
ISBN 9780316601405

Only the worthy survive the Bonding Trials. She’ll risk her life—and her heart—to be one of them.

Meryn Cooper has always hated the Bonded, elite warriors who form mental links with the massive, vicious direwolves they ride. While they live in luxury, Meryn struggles to keep her family out of poverty. When her little sister, Saela, is kidnapped—stolen across the border by the immortal monsters her country has spent centuries fighting—Meryn’s world falls apart.

Desperate to cross the front and save her sister, Meryn enlists in the army and is thrown into the deadly Bonding Trials, where any mistake will cost her life.

Now Meryn must survive four months of training at the castle. She is bound to a feral direwolf who refuses to communicate. The other trainees would love to spill her common blood. And her cold and beautiful instructor, Stark Therion, is eager to punish any weakness.

Everything is a competition, and everyone is out to get her—everyone except the dangerously handsome crown prince, whose attention adds another target to her back. In the castle, every smile hides a knife…and the halls hide dark secrets.

It’s bond or bleed. Duel or die. Failure is ruin.

Hunger Games meets Fourth Wing. That's what I was told. And they did not disappoint.

This will contain spoilers. You’ve been warned.

Meryn Cooper lives in a war torn world where the army and the Bonded, the king's elite warriors, face off against the Siphons, a vampire like enemy that has allegedly been abducting children for as long as Meryn can remember. Few have survived a Nabber's encounter, and those that are taken are never seen again.

Meryn is a fighter. Literally. It started ten years ago when her father was killed in the war and Meryn was left at twelve years old to care for her mentally ill mother and raise her newborn sister, Saela. She began picking fights with older boys in the alleys on a self destructive path that would have led to her death had Igor not taken her in under his tutelage and trained her properly. When her inherited job at the Laundry barely paid the bills, afforded her sister's tuition, or covered her mother's very necessary medication, Meryn turn to fighting professionally for the extra coin. She gained herself confidence, survival skills, and even a romantic partner that stood ready to patch her up once the fight was over.

That would be Lee. He works in the castle as a Messenger. He's a good guy. He supports her. He helps her take care of her family. He has zero apparent red flags. Which caused me to side eye the hell out of him because this is a fantasy romance so, obviously, he needed to go away.

With her mother's delusions worsening and the Nabber's strike closer than ever before, Meryn begins to train her sister and the local children in self defense, weighing the option of selling her skills to those of wealth and privilege in the Northern Quarter so that she may finally have the funds to get her family further out of harm's reach.

But then Saela is gone; taken in a moment of distraction. And when Meryn finally pulls herself out her depression and seclusion, she takes the only path left to her: she enlists in the army. Her goal is the front lines and a chance to make it past the border and recover her sister. 

Her timing is impeccable. For she enlists, unbeknownst to her, on the eve of the Bonding Trials. 

Bonding a Dire Wolf? Not the plan. Despite the magic she could tap into by doing so. She survives the Ascent, makes a few allies, and gets herself claimed by Anassa, a she-wolf far older than any of the other direwolves. It's the first time Anassa has ever bonded to a human and Meryn's ungrateful ass likely convinces Anassa to make it her last as well. 

Within this army are four packs that are separated based on their designations. The Phylax are the guardians. The Kryptos are the spies. The Strategos are the leaders and tacticians. And the Daemos are the warriors. Wolf determines pack. Anassa is Strategos so Meryn goes with the leaders.

And here we are offically introduced to the alpha of the Daemos: Stark Therion, and his dire wolf, Cratos. To which I respond: No.

No… no no. Nononono. Not this guy. This guy? This is the potential love interest? The guy who disemboweled a deserter in the middle of the street and, before the heart even stopped beating, threw the body to his direwolf as a snack? This guy.

But okay... Trust the process. 

And then there it was—the red flag.

I have never slammed my kindle shut so fast.

His name is Killian.

Crown. Prince. Killian.

And he would not be going away.

The absolute savagery. And it’s not just the wolves. Although… oof. But don’t fuck with Meryn. Unless you want your offending hand severed and shoved down your throat.

Oh, well. Earned herself a tat at least.

He leans down, his breath now hot against my neck. And his tongue streaks over my skin.

The alpha warrior, or the prince? The one that shoves you into battle, or the one that patches up the wounds when you return?

The man that delivers an all out attack the first time you’re alone together, or the man that watches over your ill mother and sees to the repairs of your dilapidated home?

Two very strong contenders. Both with their charms and their faults.

Stark, or Killian?

His Princess, or his Kitten?

Anassa certainly had an opinion.

I wasn’t feeling Stark at first. Not that he gave me much to work with. He’s basically skirting the light for half of the book, every so often serving as Meryn’s tattoo artist. But then Sorensen gives him a library.

And there I go slamming shut my kindle again. Because how am I anywhere but in Stark's corner after that?

But next I'm fighting the urge to throw the book across the room. And by the end, I had dropped it twice because: Mind. Blown.

Sure, any reader would have suspected the call was coming from inside the house. But the depth and breadth and length that these two men had traversed… The horse. The deserter. That dress. The dress that made her heart sing. The room, of all the rooms. You fucked up, Stark! And well played, Killian.

Well done, Annie and Eliza.

Make me your instrument of vengeance.
Let my hands act out your every savage, depraved thought.
Use me. I’m yours.

Hands up. Knees down. I submit.

5 out of 5 stars. This is the kind of book you want to flip back to the beginning and experience again.

Available in ebook | paperback | hardcover 

2025/07

Night Pleasures (Dark-Hunter #1)

Available at Amazon

Night Pleasures
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Dark-Hunters, book one
Kindle Edition, 321 pages
Audiobook, 10+ hours
Published April 1st 2007 by St. Martin's Press

See how it all began…

Have you ever wanted to know what it’s like to be immortal? To journey through the night stalking the evil that preys on humans? To have unlimited wealth, unlimited power?

That is my existence, and it is dark and dangerous. I play hero to thousands, but am known to none. And I love every minute of it.

Or so I thought until one night when I woke up handcuffed to my worst nightmare: an accountant. She’s smart, sexy, witty, and wants nothing to do with the paranormal.

My attraction to Amanda Devereaux goes against everything I stand for. Not to mention the last time I fell in love it cost me not only my human life, but also my very soul. Now I find myself wanting to believe that love and loyalty do exist. Even more disturbing, I find myself wondering if there’s any way a woman can love a man whose battle scars run deep, and whose heart was damaged by a betrayal so savage that he’s not sure it will ever beat again.

Never made it past the prequel to this series. Pretty sad, considering that book, Fantasy Lover, gave this blog its name.

Amanda Devereaux comes from a family all too familiar with magic and mischief. She herself wants nothing to do with the powers she possesses - powers of premonitions that she's failed to harness to the point where they actually benefit her. Plus, she's scarred from being unable to save her best friend when her powers gave her the foresight to do so. But when her sister is targeted by a daimon, and the dark hunter Kyrian gets literally chained to her side, Amanda faces up to the paranormal aspect of her existence.

While the Dark Hunter series doesn't do it for me the way the League series does, or did, I do find it an enjoyable experience. Albeit a simple one.

3 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | audiobook | paperback | hardcover

Power of Hades (Hades Trials #1)

I stared at Hades, my mind spinning.
He was a god. King of the Underworld, Lord of the dead,
and he'd just wiped a tear from my cheek.

Available at Amazon.com

Power of Hades
Eliza Raine, Rose Wilson | Raine's Website
Hades Trials, book one
ebook, 191 pages
Published May 11th 2020
Read for FREE with Prime Reading

I've been kidnapped by Zeus. Plucked from the streets of Manhattan and frightened half to death by a freaking Olympian god. And now I'm trapped in the Underworld, being forced to compete in a series of deadly trials for the position of Queen of the Underworld. Which would mean marrying Hades, the utterly terrifying Lord of the Dead. Who the hell wants a husband at all, let alone one made of smoke and riddled with death?

I have to get back home, to New York and my brother. But I can't leave without completing the trials and they've been designed for a godly Queen, not Persephone - barista and botanical garden enthusiast. I'm surrounded by lethal, all-powerful maniacs. Sexy-as-hell maniacs, sure, but as dangerous as they come. And I'm going to have to prove to all of them that there's a goddess of hell inside me. It's the only way I'll survive the Hades Trials. But then what? And why, why, why am I so desperate to see under Hades smoky exterior and find out what he's hiding from me?

If I win the trials, I have to marry the devil himself. But losing might mean losing my life.

Alright. All right. I'm a fan of mythology. As in, I spent my teenage years completely enthralled by medieval history and Greek gods. And even though that was a lifetime ago and I have the memory span likened to a chimpanzee, I manage to recall a few of the details. The story of Hades and Persephone is certainly one of those tales that sticks with you.

In this creative and well-written spin, Persephone is a college student of agricultural studies, working part time at a local coffee shop, when a blonde haired, blue eyed Zeus meanders in and suddenly, her entire formulated world crashes in around her.

We're going to stop there for a small mid-review rant. As a female who spent nearly two decades working in customer service, I need to know. I need to understand this. And I don't mean to generalize but why, WHY do heterosexual males appear to inherently possess this compulsory need to talk up a female, specifically to make her smile? Is it some kind of validation? Some small victory the male chromosome thrives on? I've yet to encounter this in a female. I don't personally feel the need to make a stranger smile be it man or woman. I'm going to handle my business and leave you the hell alone. With respect.

So someone tell me. Are my lenses blurred? Or does anyone else share this reality with me?

Back to topic.

Forced into a competition testing intelligence, loyalty, glory, and hospitality, the ultimate prize is to become the wife of Hades, Lord of the Underworld. It's a title she not only doesn't want, but has already held. And even though she has no memory of this place or these people, she finds her one inkling of familiarity in the flashes of Hades' silver eyes.

I oohed and aahed over Hades. And while it took a handful of chapters to get to the point where I couldn't put this book down, I did get there. And steamrolled right up to a cliffhanger ending. Argh!

4 out of 5 stars.

Available at Amazon.com in ebook | paperback | audiobook

Next in the Series:

Burning Dawn (Angels of the Dark #3)

"I want to give her more."

Available at Amazon.com

Burning Dawn
Gena Showalter
Angels of the Dark, book three
ebook, 432 pages
Published April 29th 2014 by MIRA
ISBN 9781488709562

A tormented past has left Thane with an insatiable need for violence, making him the most dangerous assassin in the skies. He lives by a single code: no mercy. And as he unleashes his fury on his most recent captor, he learns no battle could have prepared him for the slave he rescues from his enemy’s clutches — a beauty who stokes the fires of his darkest desires.

Elin Vale has her own deep-rooted scars, and her attraction to the exquisite warrior who freed her challenges her every boundary. But Thane’s unwavering determination to protect her means she must face her greatest fears — and enter a world in which passion is power, and victory means breathtaking surrender.

I'm definitely enjoying the Angels of the Dark much more than I am the Lords of the Darkness. And this, Thane's story, just might be my favorite of the Angels.

When we first met Thane back in book one, he was the epitome of a cold-hearted bastard and it's almost traumatizing to see him fall so far as he becomes a mindless sex slave to Kendra, a twisted Phoenix who used her poisons (and sex) to bind him to her. At this point not even even his beloved friends, Xerxes and Bjorn, can save him. It eventually falls to Elin, fellow slave and human/Phoenix half-breed, to set him free.

And soon enough, Thane goes from a sadistic/masochistic bed-her-and-forget-her jackass to a besotted romantic, living for Elin's happiness.

He headed into town to buy chocolates and romance novels. Several hours ticked past as he selected the very best of both. A man devoted time to what mattered to him- to what he deemed worthy of his attention.
When he finished, he tracked down Merrick.
A man guarded what mattered to him.

Too bad when he finally gets the chance to prove his faith in Elin, Thane's devastating failure shakes them both and their budding relationship to the core. With Elin's qualms about being unfaithful to her dead husband's memory, she finds even more of a drive to cut ties with the Sent One when he, upon discovering her mixed heritage, shuns her, abandoning her to what would have been her Phoenix masters had Xerxes not intervened. In the end, she ended up at the mercy of demons. Luckily, it took just hours for Thane to come to his senses and he has the chance to play Hero once more.

Had the ending not felt rushed as it did, this was definitely five star material.

4 out of 5 stars


Previously in the series:

My Brother's Keeper (Bewitched and Bewildered #5)

"Would you rather I throw you on the bed 

and pleasure you so much that you don't know your own name?

Or would you rather I love you tortuously, drawing out every single wave of ecstasy 

until my name is the only thing you know?"

Available at Amazon.com

My Brother's Keeper
Alanea Alder
Bewitched and Bewildered, book five
Kindle Edition, 237 pages
Published: November 17th 2015 by Sacred Forest Publishing
ASIN B0147DJPN8

Two hundred years ago Kendrick Ashwood had a premonition that showed him the gruesome image of his baby brother being killed in the line of duty while serving with the Alpha Unit. When centuries go by and Keelan is still alive and well, he begins to relax. He believes that his prayers sent to the Gods to make him wrong this one time have been answered.

As Kendrick feels his godsdaughter’s magic flare out of control he immediately merges with her in an attempt to rein it in. That is when he learns of the tragedy that has taken his only family away from him.

Using every resource at his disposal he immediately heads for Lycaonia to find out for himself who would be suicidal enough to harm his brother. What he finds shocks him to his core.

Anne Bennett gets a phone call that changes her life. Her new best friend Keelan has been hurt and his commander is asking her to move in to help take care of him. Her heart breaks when she hears from his family that the dreams she has been having of them together were shared by Keelan and that he was meant to be her mate.

Upon meeting Kendrick, her entire world is shaken. His more mature appearance and perpetual frown makes him look more like the man from her dreams than Keelan ever did. When she can no longer fight her attraction for him she confesses her feelings only to have them rebuffed. Kendrick is adamant that he would never steal his brother’s mate. But Anne is almost positive that she was never Keelan’s mate to begin with.

As the Alpha Unit races to find the enemies who have stolen Keelan’s soul and covered Lycaonia in black magic, Kendrick begins to uncover dreadful truth behind the necklaces. When turning to Anne feels more natural than it should, Kendrick faces the fact that Anne truly is his mate.

As the paranormal world teeters on the brink of chaos, he finds himself protecting not his brother’s mate, but his own.

Back in book three, Keelan began dreaming of the woman he believed was his mate, as one by one the others of the Alpha Unit have begun to do. And he found the girl he dreamed of, working at one of the local markets. The problem, subsequently confessed in book four? He's not attracted to her. Finally, in book five, we discover why.

: SPOILERS :

Keelan is a witch, and has mistakenly confused mate dreaming with dream state premonitions enabling him to protect not his mate, but his brother, Kendrick's.

All of the women of B&B, have had their own quirky obsessions: computer coding and video games, clothing and the office-stealing closet to hoard it, make-up galore... and now, Anne brings us anime! Without the Dr. Who fanatic angle. Double yays!

Hands down, Kendrick is my favorite of all the guys so far. The guy carries a full library in his pocket (er, pouch) and is all but a hermit as he doesn't play well with others. Open-minded. Open-hearted. As Meryn said, the guy is fucking awesome! And sums up my view of the world as is quite nicely:

"My heart hurts, Sei. I fear for our future. I don't know if I want to live in this world anymore. I am so tired..."

With the tension of Kendrick expecting to gain himself a sister and finding his mate instead, my mind was all over the place with the many ways this story could have played out. And Alder does not disappoint in the least.

As Kendrick and Anne bond over their relationships with Keelan, a love of Japanese culture, and a progressing addiction to anime, currently focused on the boy love premise, the two begin their mating as friends with the cloud of their erotic dream sharing and ever distracting attraction to one another only mildly agitating the natural fall into love.

They comfort one another. They protect one another. And they don't shy away from their feelings. Eventually they confess their feelings and confirm that Anne is definitely not Keelan's mate.

Then, ohhhhh then...

Then everything gets all convoluted when it comes out that Kendrick is actually Julian, the long lost son of a once hunted king, and is the elder sibling to twin brothers, Keelan and Kendrick. The latter of which died as a babe. He's fucking awesome, and a prince! It comes out that Amelia's parents, in truth, weren't off gallivanting across the maps as hippies but on a secret quest in search of their lost king. Whom is now dead, his body lying in a grave dug by his own son, and resting beside his wife and deceased child.

The ferals' plot is unmasked further in this installment as it becomes divulged that Kendrick's parents were the first victims of this evil crusade. After three hundred years, you'd think that whoever is behind this would have achieved his goal by now, right?

4 out of 5 stars.

Book six, My Guardian, is due out sometime next year.

Previously in the series:

Beauty Awakened (Angels of the Dark #2)

Available at Amazon.com

Beauty Awakened
Gena Showalter
Angels of the Dark, book two
ebook, 384 pages
Published February 26th 2013 by Harlequin
ISBN 9781460306420

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with another captivating Angels of the Dark tale, as a tormented warrior is brought to his knees by the most delicate of humans....

His name is Koldo. He is scarred, powerful, his control legendary--and he lives only for vengeance against the angel who viciously removed his wings. But if he yields to the forces of hatred, he will be eternally damned.

Nicola Lane was born with a defective heart, yet this fragile human shows surprising strength as demons stalk her every move, determined to end her. She is the key to Koldo's deliverance...and his downfall. Though he fights duty, destiny and his first addictive taste of desire, his toughest battle will be the one for Nicola's life--even if he has to sacrifice his own.

Previously in the series:

Warlock Unbound (Heart's Desire #4)

Available at Amazon.com

Warlock Unbound
Dana Marie Bell
Heart's Desire, book four
ebook
Published September 1st 2015 by Samhain Publishing
ISBN 1619231204

The last Beckett brother is going down.

If he had a choice, Daniel Beckett would wait to cast the Beckett family mating spell until his life is more settled. But his brothers, worried he’s losing himself to his wolf, aren’t giving it to him.

Daniel doesn’t need a spell to know Kerry Andrews is his mate. With the last of the Godwin warlocks still on the loose, Daniel crosses his fingers that the willful, stubborn, beautiful woman will allow him to protect her.

Kerry is tempted to make Daniel wait, like he’s made her wait for so long. But the decision is taken out of her hands when things start going horribly wrong. A sleeper hex is activated, putting her life in danger—and the only safe place to run is Daniel’s waiting arms.

Once there, Kerry finds a whole new world to explore with her magical mate. But Arthur Godwin is plotting to rip away their newfound happiness. Women who look like Kerry are turning up dead…and it’s only a matter of time before the killer’s weapon hits its intended prey.

Warning: This title contains explicit sex, graphic language, a growly wizard and the woman who loves him.

I read book one, Shadow of the Wolf, of this series way back in February of 2010. I will say that it was easily the best of the series and although Heart's Desire ended well, I'm left disappointed. Chris and Lana started it all, and yet they are the most removed of all the couples in Warlock Unbound. This can be easily explained as, after all, they're not the focus of the book, but somehow Jo and Zachary got more page time than they did. And after their sequel, I was hoping for far less of Zach and Jo.

Garrett and Genevieve, as the reigning royal couple, appear casually throughout and their presence adds a necessary touch to the story. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of Jo and Zachary.

Meanwhile, the protagonists Kerry and Daniel remain at the heart of the book and keep everyone together while basically removing themselves whenever, and where ever possible, to consummate their bond. Over and over.

3 out of 5 stars.

Previously in the series:

My Savior (Bewitched and Bewildered #4)

"I don't mind bathing myself in your blazing light,
knowing that my cremation will set you free."

Available at Amazon.com

My Savior
Alanea Alder
Bewitched and Bewildered, book four
Kindle Edition, 237 pages
Published August 25th 2015 by Sacred Forest Publishing
ASIN B00YAW6PG2

Amelia has dreamt of her mate since she was a little girl. All her life visions of a golden prince have warmed her heart and promised a fairy-tale future. She longs for the day when they will finally be together.

When the fateful day arrives and she meets Darian for the first time, she is nearly destroyed by his unequivocal rejection. His continued denial of their destined relationship has her doubting her own self worth and the visions she has had all her life.

Darian is teetering on the edge. He refuses to acknowledge Amelia as his mate and shadows continue to spread across his heart. He has grown used to the emptiness in his soul and almost fears the barrage of emotions she elicits. When an unexpected tragedy sends Darian spiraling into a hopeless abyss, will Amelia have the strength to pull him out, or will she succumb to her own darkness?

Amelia found her mate when she was six years old and spent the next three decades waiting for the moment they'd begin their life together. Unfortunately, her prince, Darian, a Fae serving in the Alpha Unit, has spent those same thirty years believing he was turning feral. When they finally again find each other, Darian is convinced it's far too late for him and chooses to deny their bond and send her away.

But Amelia, deemed Bubbles by Meryn herself, isn't about to give up that easily.

Darian goes through the stages rather quickly. From 1) You're not my mate, to 2) You are my mate, but you don't belong here, to 3) You're mine, I'm yours, and I'll give you whatever time I have left. The irony, whether humorous or not, is that to save himself, Darian need only to go home and let mommy make it all better. It was a cute addition to the series, although all I truly took away from it was a well placed curiosity towards Kendrick.

3 out of 5 stars.

Previously in the series:

My Healer (Bewitched and Bewildered #3)

"That's it... We're going to mother fucking Disney World!"

Available at Amazon.com

My Healer
Alanea Alder
Bewitched and Bewildered, book three
ebook, 236 pages
Published February 24th 2015 by Sacred Forest Publishing
ISBN 9781941315040

Fun loving wolf-shifter Colton Albright’s usual concern…his next meal, has been replaced by haunted dreams. The nightly visions of the sad, anxious face of his mate have this jovial jokester withdrawing from his fellow Alpha Unit members.

Rheia Bradley is a dedicated professional that lives to help others, but has long forgotten how to help herself. When she arrives in Lycaonia seeking the protection of the warrior units, Colton is ecstatic to discover that she’s his mate. His relief is quickly eclipsed by one small problem, a tiny, solemn four-year-old girl who happens to be his mate’s adopted daughter. Which means… he is now a father!

While Rheia settles into her new job, Colton and all his fellow warriors are about to get a crash course on little girls. The men quickly learn that not one ounce of their centuries-long training has prepared any them for this precocious child.

When Rheia uncovers something about their enemy that puts her name next to her daughter’s on their hit list, Colton is willing to do anything to keep his new family safe. But will it be enough?

I L.O.V.E.D. the beginning of this story! The first moments of Rheia and Colton's meeting... sheer fun bitchiness. The minute they realized what they were to eachother... just awwwww. And the way Colton reacted to discovering his new daughter, Penny... yeah, I melted.

Colton has always been the fun one in this series. And even though he has to man up and be a mate and a father, he manages to hold on to that goofy attitude throughout. I must add that this installment has the most to offer when it comes to the intentions of the ferals. Finally, we're given a theory as to what their goal is, and how they're managing to accomplish it. A long awaited kudos there.

And of course, Meryn (now pregnant) is just a cray-cray as ever.

"Let me stab him. Just once!" Meryn yelled. "Just four tiny holes!"

Now who wants a sandwich, complete with beef jerky, peanut butter, mayonnaise, cheese, and a pickle?

3 out of 5 stars.

Previously in the series:

Tave (The Ujal #2)

"The dawn does not have a butt crack. My advisers assured me of this."

Available at Amazon.com

Tave
Erin Tate aka Celia Kyle
The Ujal, book two
Kindle Edition, 84 pages
Published April 3rd 2015
ASIN B00VO2WDZI

Rina Zeret is not prepared to settle down. At least, not with a genetically selected mate. She wants true love and a happily ever after. Unfortunately, her mother has other ideas and submits Rina’s biological material—the woman’s a hairbrush thief!—to the Population Ministry to see if they can find a genetic match for her. Suddenly Rina is presented with Tave fa V’yl, Crown Prince of Ujal, High Warrior of the Ruling Caste and Earth’s greatest ally.

Her mother is going to be so happy.

TAVE is a three-part serial (like a TV show) and all parts are available now. The entire storyline is available for FREE with Kindle Unlimited, or you can purchase the full story as a bundle for $2.99.

There's certainly alot to love about the Ujal series. Told through various levels of humor, this story (much like the first) focuses on a male fully devoted to his honor as he strives to claim his destined mate. While predatory shifters may match the level of both possessive and protective traits, the Ujal's instincts come from a place of humility you'll not likely relate to the wolves or the cats or the bears. These mer(-like)men cater nicely to a woman's inner desire to be worshiped, nurtured, and just plain adored.

Tave wasn't looking for a mate but that doesn't keep his mother from seeking one out for him. The woman wants grand-hatchlings, damn it, and she's going to get them!

Rina's mother is probably the greater of the two evils as she forges her daughter's application into the database for those seeking to mate. Because that's how it's done these days. And Rina, in all her oblivious wonder, manages not to open a single letter notifying her of the match. It takes two royal guards showing up effectually unannounced to haul her away to the Ujal's royal house where her first introduction to his majesty is met with her justified bitchiness and Tave's 'She's damaged!' outcry.

Seriously, read it.

4 out of 5 stars.

Previously in the series:

Wicked Nights (Angels of the Dark #1)

"I am... How could... Love this."

Available at Amazon.com

Wicked Nights
Gena Showalter
Angels of the Dark, book one
ebook, 346 pages
Published June 26th 2012 by Harlequin
ISBN 781459233188

From the New York Times bestselling author who brought you the Lords of the Underworld comes a dark, seductive new series featuring angels poised on the brink of destruction....

Leader of the most powerful army in the heavens, Zacharel has been deemed nearly too dangerous, too ruthless-and if he isn't careful, he'll lose his wings. But this warrior with a heart of ice will not be deterred from his missions, at any cost...until a vulnerable human tempts him with a carnal pleasure he's never known before.

Accused of a crime she did not commit, Annabelle Miller has spent four years in an institution for the criminally insane. Demons track her every move, and their king will stop at nothing to have her. Zacharel is her only hope for survival, but is the brutal angel with a touch as hot as hell her salvation-or her ultimate damnation?

Oops! Made the mistake of starting this one way too early. Being a spin-off of Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series, I wasn't sure where the two met. Apparently, it's sometime after The Darkest Secret (book seven), and I was so not there yet. (Recently finished book three.)

And yet, I enjoyed Wicked Nights far more than any of the LotU books I've read.

Annabelle Miller was merely eighteen years old when a demon staked a claim upon her. That same night, it murdered her parents and left her to be tried and pronounced guilty of their deaths. For the next four years, Annabelle suffered within the confines of an institution where lowly demons and humans alike continued to harm her.

Zacharel lost his twin brother centuries ago, and has lived each moment since shut away from emotions. His callousness and disregard for human welfare have led his betters to offer him one last chance before he's cast from grace.

As Zacharel leads his army of Heaven's less favored against a horde of demons scaling the walls of a human asylum, he is led into the presence of Annabelle as she lies restrained upon a medical bed, drugged and angry. And yet, despite discovering an angel before her, Annabelle does not plead or scream for help. Her response to his appearance leaves Zacharel equally baffled and intrigued. Even more so when Thane, a fellow angel on probation, proclaims Annabelle carries Zacharel's mark. Zach's never met the girl before, let alone touched her.

Curiosity, jealousy, desire... Emotions, he's long denied himself come raging to the surface once Annabelle enters his life.

I couldn't help but fawn all over Zacharel. And that first kiss... it was oh so good, until it went oh so terribly wrong. It was probably the hottest part of the book, including the smut scenes. The ending however really sealed the deal with its awesomeness as Anna confronts her demon, and Zacharel is left with the consequences of a very large, centuries old, screw up.

5 out of 5 stars.

My Protector (Bewitched and Bewildered #2)

Please send me my mate. I just want someone to hold.

Available at Amazon.com

My Protector
Alanea Alder
Bewitched & Bewildered, book two
Kindle Edition, 236 pages
Published December 22nd 2014 by Sacred Forest Publishing
ASIN B00Q6UAE2C

Gavriel Ambrosios has been dreaming of his accident prone mate for weeks. Now that he is nearing the apex of his vampiric transition, she has made her way to Lycaonia, just when he is at his most dangerous.

Elizabeth Monroe was planning on staying in Lycaonia while humans forgot about the swan dive she took out of her boss’s office window. Little did she know that this short side trip was about to become permanent. Gavriel is the mate she has always dreamed of. Even as he sweeps her off her feet his need to protect her has him pushing her away. She’s both concerned with and drawn to his darker nature, but is determined to see him through his transition.

In the shadows their enemy has targeted Gavriel when they know he is at his most vulnerable. They creep ever closer to the Alpha estate putting the men on high alert.

But as the days get shorter and the nights get longer Elizabeth begins to wonder, which is the bigger threat? The enemy or her mate?

If you like a sappy romance, Gavriel is the man you want! Need a laugh? Meryn is just as feisty as ever. And this time around, she's blowing up Aiden's car. And it's no accident.

"Ryuu is Coffee God. Ryuu can do whatever the fuck he wants."

With the threat of ferals still looming about the estate, Gavriel, second in charge among the Alpha Unit and oldest living vampire, has more to worry about than just his forthcoming transition... He also has the most clumsy female that ever existed as a mate.

Bunny shifter, Elizabeth Monroe arrives on scene and is quickly accept by Gavriel, the Alpha Team, and the ever chaotic, Meryn, as My Protector continues the Bewitched & Bewildered saga with just as much focus on Meryn and Aiden as it gives to Elizabeth and Gavriel. You'll either love it or hate it because without a grand adventure or epic battle, it's rather simplistic. They meet, they love.. life goes on.

3 out of 5 stars.

Previously in the series:

Vados (The Ujal #1)

Mate Maris, and then pummel Niax. His to-do list was complete.

Available at Amazon.com

Vados
Erin Tate aka Celia Kyle
The Ujal, book one
Kindle Edition, 41 pages
Published February 25th 2015
ASIN B00U1HCQQS

A human woman, a tail-sporting alien, and a deadly hurricane… of course they’re going to hook up! Or rather, they did hook up. But that was then. This is now.

As a marine biologist, Maris Xayer is used to observing all types of marine life, but she never imagined she’d come face to tail with an Ujal. In the middle of a hurricane, Maris and Vados came together—ahem—and then he disappeared. She figured it was a one-storm stand with an Ujal and moved on. Except Vados hadn’t really gone anywhere and now the sexy as sin, red-skinned Ujal is back. For her.

Never judge a book by its number of pages, because with a mere forty-one, this one managed to rock.

After Maris and Vados met during a hurricane, and experienced a passionate romance as the storm raged, the two managed to part ways by sheer accident. Timing is everything, people. With photos of their brief affair publicly scandalized by a tabloid, Maris becomes the target of purists' attacks and, by chance, Vados, being the right hand guard and friend of the prince of the Ujals, is sent to protect her.

Their reunion, fated or by chance, gives the two the time needed to formerly construct their bond. And we get a few laughs out of the process.

4 out of 5 stars.

My Commander (Bewitched & Bewildered #1)

"What... In... The... Hell... Is... Wrong... With... You?!"

Available at Amazon.com

My Commander
Alanea Alder
Bewitched and Bewildered, book one
ebook, 236 pages
Published October 17th 2014 by Smashwords Edition
ISBN 9781941315002
Currently available at Amazon.com for 99¢

When the topic of grandchildren comes up during a weekly sewing circle the matriarchs of the founding families seek out the witch Elder to scry to see if their sons have mates. They are shocked to discover that many of their son’s mates are out in the world and are human! Fearing that their future daughter in laws will end up dead before being claimed and providing them with grandchildren to spoil, they convince their own mates that something must be done. After gathering all of the warriors together in a fake award ceremony the witch Elder casts a spell to pull the warrior’s mates to them, whether they want it or not.

Aiden McKenzie is adamant that he doesn’t need a mate and that she would only get in the way. He doesn’t have time to coddle a female. He likes his world run with military precision. Little does he realize, Fate is sending him his mate first! He meets his destined mate Meryn Evans and things go downhill from there. She is the embodiment of chaos. In the first twenty-four hours she kicks, screams and knocks her bear shifting mate unconscious.

Eventually they discover that life before finding each other may have been good, but life afterwards is perfect, even if it involves super soaker battles and accidentally discharging hand grenades.

"I think my mate may be mentally retarded..."

So those were the first words muttered by Aiden's second in charge, Gavriel, and it sets a great stage for the humor to be found in this book. (Sincerest apologies to anyone who finds the line offensive.) He and Aiden have begun dreaming of their destined mates. But while Gavriel's female is simply accident prone, or so he claims from the glimpses he catches in his dreams, Aiden endures the nightmare of watching his mate be murdered. But with no idea who she is, and no clue where to find her, Aiden is forced to ignore and attempt to deter the nagging dreams.

Until that very woman stumbles upon their home.

I didn't know what to make of Meryn at first. With "I love Rock'nRoll" blaring into her eardrums being a terrible opener for the gal, she found an almost instant redemption with me by sporting an over-sized hoodie atop a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle t-shirt. Heh, I'd learn to love her. And it needn't take long. The girl has no filter and her brain is filled overmuch with movie quotes. Leading Aiden to scream out his own official diagnoses: "My mate is fucking nuts!"

Yup. She's an anti-social, foul-mouthed caffeine addict. In a word: awesome.

And I defy anyone to not laugh their asses off when Meryn sends the Alpha Unit on a mission to buy tampons.

4 out of 5 stars.

The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld #3)

I have a feeling I will always come for you.

Available at Amazon.com

The Darkest Pleasure
Gena Showalter
Lords of the Underworld, book three
ebook, 308 pages
Published July 1st 2008 by Harlequin Books
ISBN 9781426818806


Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her--even defy the gods.

Danika is on the run. For months she's eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won't rest until she and her family have been destroyed. But her dreams are haunted by Reyes, the warrior whose searing touch she can't forget. Yet a future together could mean death to all they both hold dear.

For a reader who just looooooves a tortured hero, it doesn't get much better than Reyes, a warrior possessed by the demon of Pain.

Reyes and Danika first became acquainted when the gods called upon Aeron to take the lives of four human females: A grandmother, her daughter, and her daughter's daughters. Danika was the youngest of the two daughters. The Lords captured the woman and held them hostage for their own safety. Of course, that little piece of information was neither shared or explained to the woman and, once freed, they ran and hid. From the lords, and each other. Reyes found a connection to Danika from the beginning. He wanted her, needed her, but was forced to turn away lest his demon's needs taint her and the sickness of the pleasure found in pain corrupt her.

Despite getting no pleasure from the act, Reyes challenges her to a kiss when she refuses to attack him. Hoping it would be different with Dani, disappointment rises when the gentle but passionate touch of her leaves him flaccid. When she punches him thereafter, the strike instantly arousing him, Reyes is forced to confess his secret shame. And when she asks if he wants her to hurt him, he refuses that as well. For the before-mentioned reasons. The entire scene was one of the hottest first kiss moments I've read in quite a while. Having your heart go from pounding to breaking in the span of seconds is quite the ordeal.

Finally, in this book, the reason for Danika and her family's death sentence comes to light as Danika confesses, much to her own doubts, that she can see into heaven and, very likely, hell. She is the Eye.

It was the ending that soured this one and dropped it from a perfect five stars. Spoiler alert: If all it took to save Danika from Cronus was her pulling Reyes into heaven, then that's something that should have happened the moment she was torn from his arms. Absolutely nothing changed in those five days they were apart that made her any more capable of doing so then than in the beginning. Sorry, I don't buy into it being any more than word filler.

4 out of 5 stars.

Lords of the Underworld still to come...
4: Sabin & Gwen (immortal)
5: Aeron & Olivia (angel turned demon)
6: Gideon & Scarlet (demon possessed immortal)
7: Amun & Haidee (demon assassin)
8: Strider & Kaia (harpy)
9: Paris & Sienna (possessed by Wrath)
10: Kane & Josephina (half-Fae)
11: Torin & Keeley (the Red Queen)
12: Cameo & ?

Previously in this series: