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

Watching Wednesday: River Where the Moon Rises

River Where the Moon Rises 

Genres: Korean Drama, Historical, Romance, Costume & Period

Cast: Kim So Hyun, Ji Soo, Lee Ji Hoon, Choi Yu Hwa

Rated: PG-13

Year Released: 2021

Synopsis from Viki

Watch HERE with VIKIPass Standard

Born a princess and raised a soldier, Pyeong Gang (Kim So Hyun) is a woman with big dreams and limitless ambition. Determined to become the first Empress of Goguryeo, Pyeong Gang will stop at nothing to make her dream come true. Clever and level headed, Pyeong Gang is well aware of the obstacles that stand in her way and she’s more than capable of taking them on. With meticulous planning, she sets out to make her dream come true. But things take an unexpected turn, the day she meets On Dal (Ji Soo).

A peace-loving man, whose only goal in life is to live in harmony with those around him, On Dal is the exact opposite of the ambitious princess. A peaceful calm amidst the turbulent storms of Pyeong Gang’s life, the warrior princess soon finds herself falling for gentle On Dal. Equally in love with the princess whose heart he now possesses, On Dal finds himself forsaking his principles in order to keep her safe. An endeavor that proves increasingly difficult, as players from all sides converge in a lethal battle for the throne.

Forced to match both wits and strength against some of the most powerful men and women in Goguryeo, Pyeong Gang’s vie for power could very well cost her everything. Does she have what it takes to make her dreams come true or will the price she realizes she must pay prove to be too much?

Based on the novel “Princess Pyeonggang” by Choi Sagyu, “River Where the Moon Rises” is a 2021 historical romance drama directed by Yoon Sang Ho.

Hunted by the Sky (Wrath of Ambar #1)

Available at Amazon

Hunted by the Sky
Tanaz Bhathena
Wrath of Ambar, book one
Kindle Edition, 384 pages
Audiobook, 13+ hours
Published June 23rd 2020 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ASIN B082GRKKXX


Gul has spent her life running. She has a star-shaped birthmark on her arm, and in the kingdom of Ambar, girls with such birthmarks have been disappearing for years. Gul’s mark is what caused her parents’ murder at the hand of King Lohar’s ruthless soldiers and forced her into hiding to protect her own life. So when a group of rebel women called the Sisters of the Golden Lotus rescue her, take her in, and train her in warrior magic, Gul wants only one thing: revenge.

Cavas lives in the tenements, and he’s just about ready to sign his life over to the king’s army. His father is terminally ill, and Cavas will do anything to save him. But sparks fly when he meets a mysterious girl—Gul—in the capital’s bazaar, and as the chemistry between them undeniably grows, he becomes entangled in a mission of vengeance—and discovers a magic he never expected to find.

Dangerous circumstances have brought Gul and Cavas together at the king’s domain in Ambar Fort... a world with secrets deadlier than their own.

It should be obvious now... my earnest attempt to support the YA book genre.

This story is about Gul, a girl branded by fate with a birthmark foretold to bring the demise of a king. She will rise from an outcast to an assassin. From a slave to a servant. From a free woman to one promised in marriage to a prince. This journey will take her ever closer to fulfilling her fate.

And possibly, bore you.

Despite this epic sounding evolution, I didn't love this book. Even in reflecting on the many changes Gul was brought through, I was rather bored with the journey and even Cavas didn't manage to thrill me. There's magic. There's gods. Er, goddesses. Aspects I adore. But, unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me but I could see it holding more appeal for those closer to the tween/early teen age range.

2 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | audiobook | hardcover | paperback

Watching Wednesday: Fighting Youth

Fighting Youth 

Genres: Drama, Chinese Drama

Cast: Wu Jin Yan, Peter Ho, Yin Tao

Rated: PG-13

Year Released: 2021

Synopsis from Viki

Watch HERE | No subscription required

A talented rookie, Zhang Xiao Yu (Wu Jin Yan) has worked hard to secure a foothold in the cutthroat corporate world. Having caught the attention of Lin Rui (Yin Tao), the sales director of SW Cosmetics, a well-established company with global reach, Zhang Xiao Yu now works as Lin Rui’s assistant. But life in this fast-paced and highly competitive workplace is anything but easy.

Because of her numerous achievements, Lin Rui has gained recognition from the company’s board of directors in France and as such, has been shortlisted to replace the company’s current boss, Shu Wanting (Liu Min Tao). Unwilling to give up her position without a fight, Shu Wanting appoints Lin Rui’s rival, Fang Jing (Zuo Xiao Qing), to head up a second sales department, thereby pitting the two rivals against each other and forcing Lin Rui to prove herself once again. Despite finding herself caught in the middle of Lin Rui and Fang Jing’s never-ending feud and an overwhelming deluge of office politics, Xiao Yu finds her footing and not only manages to stand her ground, but to bloom.

Working hard to overcome the obstacles and stereotypes that plague today’s professional women, Xiao Yu and her co-workers will have their mettle tested time and time again, as they set out to make their dreams come true.

Focusing on the life and struggles of professional women, “Fighting Youth” is a 2021 workplace drama directed by Mu Xiao Jie.

While the romance is rather subdued in this one, I'm very much enoying it. And for a refreshing twist, one of the lead males manages to have his own life and not have everything he does revolve around the lead female. I'm about twenty episodes in and she's barely registering on his radar. ;)