One Eye Open

Two years ago, Carson's wife, child and pet were gunned down by whom Carson believes was his partner, Alex, in the DEA. Since his own recovery from the brink of the death, he has hunted his former friend for answers. And for justice.

He's not the only one looking. Brenna,Alex's twin sister, has her own reasons for finding him. When their paths cross, Carson decides to take Brenna captive as his bait.

So I liked this...

“You know they’ll want to debrief you.”

“Later. I’ve got to talk to Brenna.”

Alex’s gaze sharpened. “What do you want with her?”

“My entire future.”

“Really?” Alex’s voice seemed unnecessarily curt. The steely glint in his dark eyes carried a warning.

“Damned if I’m going to ask your permission.”

And I think of all people, Carson took finding out Brenna was a werewolf the best...

“I won’t let you hurt her. She’s my sister. I love her.”

“I do, too.” Lowering his gaze, Carson looked at Brenna as he spoke. Her eyes filled with tears. “I love you.”

She sat up, grimacing as the movement caused her pain. “Even though you know what I am?”

Carson hesitated. As an undercover agent, he’d thought he’d seen it all. Now he realized he’d barely scratched the surface.

“What are you?”

“We’re shape-shifters.” Brenna’s low voice was edgy, yet controlled. “We’re an ancient race.”

“Werewolves.”

“In a way.” Alex shrugged. “Though we rarely howl at the moon. And we can control it, for the most part. We aren’t compelled to change because of a full moon or anything like that. We try to integrate ourselves into society and live normal lives among humans. Insiders know us as the Pack.”

Carson turned to Brenna. “You once referred to your family that way.”

She nodded, her expression watchful.

“This all sounds like some movie of the week.”

“Yeah.” Alex gave a short laugh. “Or a good book.”

“Yet it all makes sense. Your eyes, the way you move, your confidence.”

Brenna grinned. “Like that, do you?”

Alex coughed, drawing both their frowns. “Still, we are not human.”

“Are you immortal?”

“No. Though we heal much faster, our life spans are the same as yours.”

Tilting his head, Carson considered the woman he loved. “Let me get this straight. You live, you die. You eat, you sleep, you breathe. Like me. Right?”

Brenna nodded, her expression tight.

“So the only difference is that you can change into a wolf at will.”

Again she gave a nod, still watching Carson with shuttered eyes.

Throat tight, Carson managed to lift one shoulder in a shrug. “So who cares?”

★★★★

Never Cry Werewolf

*spoilers*

In Never Cry Werewolf, Sasha Trudeau finally answers for her failure to 'contain' the issue of the existence of weres, vampires, faes, etc. Her team has been disassembled and she's been replaced and put on house arrest. And well, Hunter's just as pissed about it as she is. The 'team' gets together for shots and beers to drown their teeming emotions, when Madison (her replacement) and his new team show up to well, just be jerks. A few insults fly, and soon, it's a brawl. Hunter vs Colonel Madison.

Then Hunter did the unthinkable. On the next lunge, he spun out of Madison's way and then bitch-slapped the colonel. Sasha's mouth flew open. Oh...my...God.

Which led to...

"You know what I don't like, Sasha, is how you are straddling the border between worlds in this critical time."

"Okay, now that's not fair," she said, defensiveness weighting every word.

"It is fair," he said, opening his arms wide, and gesturing wildly. "What's not fair is having to live in the shadows like your pet! Like your faithful, obedient dog that you call when you want comfort or affection and then gets put in the yard to guard your house- but who has no authority or decision-making involvement in your life! I never signed up for that tour of duty, Sasha! Never! What's also not fair is having to always put the national interests of the Shadow Clan second to those of your human leadership, no matter how ill informed or misguided- people who know nothing about our sovereign nations! For all intents and purposes I have been your goddamned beta, Sasha- but no more!"

"Whoa, whoa, you haven't been-"

"I haven't been what?" He glared at her and stalked away, deep into the mist. "I haven't been honest? I haven't been loyal? I haven't had your back? I haven't understood? I haven't been invisible? I haven't loved you more than my next breath- and haven't been faithful to you as my mate? I haven't been hurt by you in ways I don't want to revisit?" He turned away. "Tell me what I haven't been."

So yes, once again Hunter has jerked me onto his side. More tears spent over Hunter. Cuz even though he was *this* close to mounting that damned chick in stilettos, it was Sasha that literally did the dirty in the shadows with Shogun.

This book summed up a lot. Since day one at the diner and the first night Max Hunter and Sasha Trudeau shared, Max had given himself fully to Sasha. But what amounted to a wedding night for him was naught but a one night stand to Captain Trudea. And so, he's spent the last four books waiting for when she would finally accept him as her mate.

And well, now not only does she wear his mark, but his ring as well. And she's retiring from the service.

Then.. remember how foolish Crow Shadow slept with some woman without knowing he was suppose to use protection? Of course you do. I reminded you two posts ago. Well, he ended up going in search of her. Yup. He's a daddy.

But to top it all off is Shogun. Who, even though he said this to Hunter -

"I love her too... If you were ever to die in combat, I would go to her and stay with her until she would have me."

"And as your brother, being as honest as one man can be to another, if you let this break, if you throw away your gift, I have no honor... I will go after what you have cast away without shame."

- ended the book with falling for the chick that got possessed by his aunt, and was gifted her by her father to wed. How's that for an ending???

My Shifter Showmance

Cue the music.

Here kitty, kitty. You know you wanna play.

And with that, it was on. The characters. The book. Hell, with that, I was on!

My Shifter Showmance is the story of Thomas Lyons, a lion shifter. When his roommates finally have enough of Thomas's bitching about being forced to hide who and what he is, Saint - the most entertaining, loveable, and wickedly hilarious half demon I've ever met - shoves a laptop into his hands and points to the webcam.

Tadah! Shifting Reality is born, a site dedicated to the telling of the lives of Thomas, Saint, and their housemate, Mac, the loner vampire.

Soon enough, the site is forwarded to Margo, who is instantly enthralled by the Tomcat on the screen. Conversation flows, and she just as quickly becomes Thomas's favorite poster.

What next? An elaborate scheme revolving around a week in a Scotland castle.

This one was oh-so-good. And I am too happy Neena forwarded word of this sucker along. Funny. Sexy. It's quick, so it doesn't get too deep, but oh, what a ride!

★★★★★

Candy Houses: Grimm's Circle #1

Not sure what to think about myself when a sex scene actually brings tears to my eyes.

Reaching down, I wrapped my fingers around his wrists. “Faster,” I said, staring down at him. “Harder.”

Rip’s lashes lowered. “I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to scare you.”

“You wouldn’t ever hurt me. You couldn’t ever scare me.”

As I said it, the dream shifted around me and we were no longer the beach, but in a bed. A big, soft bed that cradled me like a dream as Rip moved over me.

“Say my name,” he whispered. “Let me hear it.”

“Rip…”

“Tell me you’ve missed me,” he ordered, kissing me hard and rough. His voice was just this side of desperate, something I wasn’t prepared for, not with him. “Give me something, damn it.”

But I couldn’t ignore that plea—it was just an echo of my own need, anyway…right? That’s all dreams were.

“I’ve missed you,” I told him. Then his mouth came down on mine and he was kissing me like he could drown in me.

One second I was dreaming, lost in Rip’s arms, lost in his kiss and hovering on the edge of climax, and the next second I was awake, brutally awake and all too aware of the fact that I was being watched. I jerked up in bed, clutching the sheets and blankets to my chest.

Rip was standing in the doorway with one shoulder propped against the door jam. He had a look in his eyes that sent my skin to tingling all over. I mean all over—I felt it in my lips, my toes and every square inch in between.

“Hey,” I said. My voice cracked.

He continued to stare at me.

And where it went from there was only more... everything.

Candy Houses tells the story of the "real" Greta from the tale of Hansel and Gretel and Rip from Rip Van Winkle. Now a Grimm (fighter against the many kinds of demons in the world), Greta finds herself the savior and mentor to Mandy, a young girl who gets her hands on a book that could open the door to a demon taking over her soul.

At the same time, her path crosses once again with Rip who's on the hunt of a Grimm gone bad.

The best part of the story was the interactions between Greta and Rip. Two people who can't read each other very well until all masks are dropped. Suddenly every emotion is painted in pink and neon yellow poka dots across their faces.

I loved Rip. Actually, if I could be any character I've ever read, I'd want to *be* Rip. Just... without the blond hair.

★★★★☆