Monthly Archives: April 2013

Werewolves Be Damned by Stacey Kennedy-a review

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WEREWOLVES BE DAMNED (Magic and Mayhem #1) by Stacey Kennedy-a review

Werewolves Be Damned

Amazon/ Barnes and Noble/ KOBO

ABOUT THE BOOK: April 15, 2013

Nexi Jones—part witch, part guardian, and wannabe kick-ass warrior—can’t throw a punch or conjure the simplest magic. But that doesn’t stop her from hunting the werewolves who slaughtered her human family. She’ll have her revenge, but only if Kyden, the elite guardian, would get the hell out of her way.

Kyden can’t decide if Nexi wants to get herself killed or if she just has no clue what she’s doing. But her father made it clear: keep Nexi safe…or else. Of course, the more Nexi runs toward revenge, the more she needs Kyden’s aid, and as she grows into her power and confidence, so does his desire to protect her. The only problem? She’d rather he dropped dead.

But when a vampire paints a bull’s-eye on Nexi’s back, she’s hard-pressed to deny Kyden and the help he’s offering. Even if it means getting her revenge will be a little bit harder. At least it will still be as sweet.

********************

REVIEW: Werewolves Be Damned is the first storyline in Stacey Kennedy’s new Magic and Mayhem series featuring guardians, witches, vampires and werewolves. The focus of this storyline is one Nexi Jones who, following the murder of her adopted parents, discovers that she is no ordinary human. She will be swept into a war between the supernatural species where she will become the ultimate prize.

Nexi is a strong heroine who seeks revenge against the werewolves that killed the only family that she has ever known. But as the storyline progress, Nexi will meet others like herself as she trains for the ultimate showdown between good and evil. Only she will lose more in this battle-she may lose the man with whom she has fallen in love.

Kyden is a Guardian and the man who has made it his mission to train Nexi. Knowing she is not prepared for a face to face confrontation with the being who destroyed her life, Kyden takes Nexi into his care, but will lose his heart in the process.

We learn, along with Nexi, the truth behind her birth mother’s death and all too soon her world will once against be turned upside down when she must face the ultimate evil in a battle for her life as well as for the man that she loves.

WEREWOLVES BE DAMNED is a fast paced, interesting storyline that pulls together many of our favorite supernatural heroes and villains. I would have preferred a little more character development – we meet our hero and heroine and are immediately thrown into the action of the story. I felt like we did not have a chance to know some of the characters before death and heartbreak took hold. Let’s hope the next storyline will delve deeper into the personalities and quirks of the central characters as well as the secondary characters who are interactive in a good portion of the premise. Werewolves Be Damned is a fascinating look at the hunger for power among the supernatural races where one small but powerful female controls the outcome in the palm of her hands.

Copy supplied by the publicist.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Let It Be Me by Kate Noble – a Review

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Let It Be Me by Kate Noble – a Review

Let it be Me

Links to order Let It Be Me: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository / Kobo

Description:
London weather is chilly—and the social scene even more so. Luckily, Bridget Forrester is just getting warmed up…

Bridget longs to meet a gentleman who doesn’t mention her beautiful sister upon shaking her hand. But since being branded a shrew after a disastrous social season, Bridget knows she’s lucky to even have a man come near her. It’s enough to make a lady flee the country…

So Bridget heads to Venice for music lessons with the renowned Italian composer Vincenzo Carpenini, with whom she’s been corresponding. But not only is Carpenini not expecting her, he doesn’t even remember her! His friend, theater owner Oliver Merrick, does, though. And one look into her tantalizing green eyes has him cursing his impulsive letter-writing, which brought her across the continent. Yet before Merrick can apologize, Carpenini has ordered her away.

Little does either man know that they will soon be embroiled in a wager that will require the beautiful Miss Forrester’s help—or that there’ll be far more at stake in this gamble than money

Review:

Let it Be Me by Kate Noble is the 5th book in her Blue Raven Historical Romance series.  This is the first time I have read Kate Noble, as I have not read this series.  I found her writing to be excellent, with humor & and an enjoyable read.  Let it be Me takes place in the year 1824, in London, and Bridget Forrester, our heroine, is attending a ball in her first season. Bridget has always lived in the shadow of her sister Sarah, who is now married.  

Thus far, Bridget finds herself being mostly ignored by the men, with no one asking her to dance.  Bridget has built a reputation of being a shrew, with a smart mouth.  But her fortune is about to change, as she later receives a letter inviting her to train with one of the top composers, Vincenzo Carpenini.  However, plans changed, and Carpenini did not come to England as planned, and Bridget was distraught.  Shortly thereafter, a freak accident causes their home to be damaged, and Bridget, her sister Amanda, and their mother go on a tour of Italy, until their home is livable again.  Bridget uses this as a means to visit Venice, and Carpenini, and hope he will still train her. 

We meet our hero, Oliver Merrick, who is Carpenini’s half brother, and handles all of his affairs.  It was Merrick who wrote that letter to the Forrester home asking to have Bridget train with Carpenini, in a plan to make some money, as Carpenini is having a down time composing anything new.  When Merrick opens the door, he is shocked to see Bridget, and before he can do anything, Carpenini’s walks by and insults poor Bridget, who takes off in tears. 

It is Oliver who comes to the rescue, and soon Bridget is indeed learning from Carpenini.  A bet between composers, and involving the Marchese, pushes Carpenini to work with Bridget and he will do everything to win this bet.  But it is Oliver who falls hard for young Bridget, as he helps her rise above her fears to fail in front of Vincenzo.  While Bridget learns how to play Beethoven music, it is so cute to watch both Oliver and Bridget fall in love. 

This was a fun romantic story, with music as the background of the story.  Slowly, Oliver, who feared at first that Bridget was only interested in Vincenzo, starts to win her over.  I thoroughly enjoyed their romance, and how she saw everything, including her love for Oliver in musical notes.  Bridget even composes a tune, as she uses her discovery of her feelings for Oliver to pen the tune.   Oliver was a great hero, and the perfect man for Bridget.  He is sweet, caring, protective, and totally in love with her, and she begins to see that Oliver is what she wants, and not the womanizing Carpenini. 

As the competition begins, Bridget must rise to the occasion, despite her nervous fears, as well as discoveries that will bring her world down.  Will Bridget and Oliver fulfill their romance?  How did Bridget do in the competition?  This is romance, which usually means a happy ending, but you will need to read this book to find out the answers to all of the above.  This was a fun book, with a lot of music in the background, and a couple you will thoroughly enjoy.  I fully recommend you read Let It Be Me for an enjoyable read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Blood Trade by Faith Hunter – a Review

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Blood Trade by Faith Hunter – a Review

Blood Trade

Links to order Blood Trade: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository / Kobo

Description:
Jane Yellowrock is a shape-shifting skinwalker who’s always up for a fight—even if it means putting her life on the line…

The Master of Natchez, Mississippi has a nasty problem on his hands. Rogue vampires—those who follow the Naturaleza and believe that humans should be nothing more than prey to be hunted—are terrorizing his city. Luckily, he knows the perfect skinwalker to call in to take back the streets.

But what he doesn’t tell Jane is that there’s something different about these vamps. Something that makes them harder to kill—even for a pro like Jane. Now, her simple job has turned into a fight to stay alive…and to protect the desperately ill child left in her care

 

Review:

Blood Trade by Faith Hunter is the 6th book in her wonderful Jane Yellowrock series.  I have loved this series since the start, and Jane and Beast are two of my favorite characters.  For those who may not know this series, Jane is a skinwalker, and Beast, is her other soul, who is a mountain lion. 

Blood Trade picks up not long after Death’s Rival left off.  Having revealed her other soul, and being a skinwalker, Jane no longer hides what she is.  But when we start, she is depressed, having lost her boyfriend Rick, angry at the betrayal of her other suitor Bruiser, and most importantly afraid of the binding of Beast to Leo, the Master of the City (MOC of New Orleans, and more).   Poor Jane, she does have a lot of reasons to be depressed.

But nothing like a case that will cure her depression.  She is off to Natchez, to meet Hieronymus, the vamp leader in that territory. In Death’s Rival, Jane and her team helped destroy the enemy, but in doing so, much of Natchez was left in ruins.  But Hieronymus needs help, as a mutate group of vampires are killing humans, and they still have their own vamps effected by the plague.   Jane brings Eli and Alex with her, as they set out to find who is behind the mutation that is also behind the disappearance of witches.

But as soon as she arrives, she meets some friends from her childhood, Misha and Bobby.  In a short time, Misha, who is writing a story about vamps, disappears, and leaves Jane a note to take care of her sick child, Charly.  Jane does not like being distracted but feels a sense of loyalty to Bobby, and Charly.  Jane will learn that Misha’s disappearance has to do with the other missing witches, and Misha, she learns is a witch.

The story can be at times difficult keeping up with all the details that Jane discovers, but the story flows, and becomes very very exciting.  I love Eli, and though I know they are like brother and sister, I so wanted him with her.  But Jane is locked into her triangle with Rick and Bruiser, though she seems to care more for Rick.  Of course Beast just happens to want both Rick and Bruiser. Lol

I adore Beast, and get a kick out of her listening, watching, and helping Jane overcome the enemy.  But one of the best parts was when Jane shifted to Beast, and Eli came face to face with Beast, a ferocious mountain lion.  I laughed when Beast walked up to Eli, showing teeth, then jumped up with paws on his shoulders..chuffing (laughing).  Very cool.

Without giving away spoilers, the last half of the book was non stop action, with Jane trying to understand the clues given to her by an old time witch.  It was fun to watch Jane & Beast work with some of the wonderful characters Faith has given us in this series.  Rick, Bruiser, Evan (miss Molly & Angie), a little of Leo; and some wonderful newer characters, such as Eli, Kid, Soul, Sylvia, just to name a few.  I really enjoyed how some things from earlier books were tied up at the end, not to mention the climatic ending.  Of course, we do not have a resolution to Bruiser and Rick. Everyone is on team Rick, but I like Bruiser.  Faith Hunter continues to give us a wonderful story, and each book opens up Jane and Beast even more. Faith, do not ever stop writing this series. If you have not read this series, it’s time to meet Jane Yellowrock and Beast.

Reviewed by Barb

 

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Character Interview with Sarah and Evan (Silencing Breath) by Joanne Brothwell

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Character Interview with Sarah and Evan (Stealing Breath series) by Joanne Brothwell

Stealing Breath Collage

March 2013 saw the release of Joanne Brothwell’s second installment in the Stealing Breath series Silencing Breath. The Reading Cafe would like to welcome Sarah and Evan-Stealing Breath’s leading couple.

Interview-Purple

TRC: HI Sarah and Evan and welcome to The Reading Café. *offers Sarah and Evan a cup of coffee*

Sarah: Hi Sandy.
Evan: Hello.

TRC: Congratulations Evan on the success of Valente Enterprises.

Evan: Thank you. Although, as you know, most of the success has little to do with me. Truthfully, this company was been built on my father’s greed and ruthless ambition. And when I say ruthless, believe me, I’m not kidding.

TRC: We would like to start by having you both introduce yourself.

SARAH:
Hi, I’m Sarah Ross, soon to be Sarah Valente (smiles at Evan). I am an Indigo Child, but I prefer not to tell people about that, so please don’t share, okay?
EVAN:
Hi everyone, I’m Evan Valente. As Sandy already mentioned, I own Valente Enterprises, a land development company my father built. I’d like to say I am proud of my family history, but growing up in a Malandanti family is not exactly something I like to brag about.

Stealing BreathTRC: How did the two of you meet?

SARAH: We met out in the forest one morning, right after I’d been attacked… by a Skinwalker. (Turns to Evan and they exchange a ‘look’). Evan helped me back to safety.
EVAN: (Evan’s expression is tight, and he nods). That’s correct.

TRC: Was it love at first sight?

SARAH: Was it ever! I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything quite so, um, mesmerizing.
EVAN: Absolutely. I couldn’t have predicted that my target would have turned out to be my soul mate.

TRC: Evan-you can be honest. Knowing what your original intentions were for Sarah, how did you ‘really’ feel when you first met Sarah?

EVAN: I felt sick. I knew what I was tasked to do, but that all just disappeared the moment we touched. It’s not every day you meet your spiritual counterpoint.

TRC: Sarah (as an empath) what difficulties and challenges occurred for you when you realized you were unable to ‘feel’ or ‘sense’ Evan’s emotions?

SARAH: I was so confused. I didn’t know if my ability wasn’t working or if he was different, you know? And if he was different, was he purposely hiding them from me? It was just so totally disorienting.

TRC: Evan-do you believe there will come a time when you can forgive your parents for the lies you were told?

EVAN: I don’t know if I can really forgive, per se, but I am working on letting go. I can’t remain a hostage to their lies by remaining angry.

TRC: Sarah, would you please tell us exactly what is an ‘Indigo Child’?

SARAH: Sure. The “Indigo Children” are small group of humans with a special purpose: healing. We are unable to resist the deep inner purpose. We possess an inborn ability to “read” other people because we are unusually sensitive, the basis for our healing trait.

Indigo is the colour of the aura, an obvious manifestation of their healing ability, also representing the “third eye” chakra, the perception centre. Soul-readers can identify the Indigo Child by the colour of their aura; but to the average person, they would be viewed exceptionally attractive, with startling indigo coloured eyes.

TRC: Evan, would you please explain what is a ‘Sapphire Child”?

EVAN: Sure, I can try, but I’m still trying to figure that out. The Sapphire Child represents the throat chakra, the communication centre. What this really means in terms of life purpose, I’m not sure.
SARAH: Evan has a way with words. He’s very persuasive. I think his life purpose has something to do with his ability to express himself through language.

Silencing Breath Apr 2013TRC: Sarah, how did you feel when you learned that Evan was hiding a secret? Have you forgiven Evan? What are you biggest fears?

SARAH:
I was furious! Betrayed doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt when I found out he was lying. Have I forgiven him? Yes. Because I see the bigger picture now. There are always reasons for things. I only fear that he is at risk of being harmed in some way by the Malandanti family heritage.

TRC: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

SARAH: Sometimes I wish I could just not care so much. I know my ability to feel so much is a gift, but it can also be a burden.
EVAN: I wish I could change my past. I want to be able to scrub all of those evil memories from my mind and start over with a fresh slate.
SARAH: (Grabs Evan’s hand) We’ll start over together.

TRC: What are your plans for the future?

SARAH: I decided to use my gift and get my degree in psychology. Having healing powers like this shouldn’t go to waste. I feel like I owe it to the world to at least use them, to contribute to society.
EVAN: I wish I had such a selfless goal like Sarah, but I think I’ll stick to what I know. Land Development. Besides, being married to Sarah is a dream come true for me.

TRC: Tell us ONE thing about yourself that the other does not know

SARAH: (Turns to Evan and smiles) Did you know I humiliated my ex-boyfriend in public?
EVAN: What?
SARAH: Yeah. Didn’t you read about it in the prequel Joanne wrote, Vicarious? I told you he was a douche. He deserved it.
EVAN: (Eyebrows high on his forehead) I wouldn’t have predicted you have a vengeful bone in that gorgeous body.
SARAH: I guess it’s true, you do learn something new every day. What about you? Any secrets, Evan?
EVAN: Um, I’m an open book. (Smiles his thousand-watt smile).
SARAH: Bullshit.
EVAN: Some things are better left unknown.
SARAH: (Rolls eyes)

TRC: Tell us something about Joanne we would not know? You can tell us—we won’t tell anyone!!

Forest of the ForsakenSARAH: Joanne’s writing is getting way more steamy. Have you read Forest of the Forsaken? Holy sh*t, it’s hot!
EVAN: Yeah, Joanne is definitely venturing into new territory. I don’t know what I think about that.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

SARAH: Thanks for having us here today, Sandy! I love hanging out with you!
EVAN: Thanks, Sandy! Great coffee, by the way. Keep up the great work!

TRC: Thanks guys for answering our questions. We are looking forward to your next adventure.

*******************

Silencing Breath (Stealing Breath #2)
by Joanne Brothwell
Release Date: March 15, 2013

Silencing Breath Apr 2013

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

Silencing Breath, book two in the Stealing Breath series.

Just as Sarah Ross is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an Indigo Child and settling into a normal life with her beloved Evan, her entire world shatters when Evan disappears without a trace.

Desperate to find him, Sarah’s search leads her to a sadistic serial killer who confirms her worst fears are true; Evan has been kidnapped, and he is once again in the clutches of his abusive family of necromancers.

Sarah uncovers not only Evan’s dark past he tried so desperately to protect her from, but also The Key of Solomon, an ancient text for summoning the dead.

Knowing her abilities are limited in the face of this ancient power, Sarah is forced to face the Malandanti in order to save him. However, one question remains: once he is found, will Evan be the same man she fell in love with?

About The Author Black and Purple

Joanne Brothwell

Joanne Brothwell lives in the country on the Canadian prairie where her stories are inspired by the dead things that appear at her doorstep on a daily basis.Of course, her two pets, a retired police dog with titanium fangs and a feral barn cat missing two toes, make the safety of surrounding wildlife, at best, uncertain.

Nicknames are something Joanne has in abundance; most notably “Grumpy Bunny” (her husband), and “Princess with a Sailor’s Mouth” (her friends). She’s known to daydream, and ever since grade school has been accused of having a poor attention span. The truth is, Joanne has an alternate reality inside her head, where characters speak to her, sometimes so loudly (and incessantly) she just can’t hear anything else!

Joanne is thrilled to see her alternate universe finally become real with the publication of her novel, Stealing Breath, and her prequel novella, Vicarious. Now, with the sequel Silencing Breath on the way, you can be rest assured you will see much more of Joanne’s writing in the future, as those characters in her head, having tasted the sweet freedom of release, simply refuse to be silenced!

Follow Joanne: Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter/ YouTube

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Silencing Breath (Stealing Breath #2) by Joanne Brothwell-a review

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SILENCING BREATH (Stealing Breath #2) by Joanne Brothwell-a review

Silencing Breath Apr 2013

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Released March 15, 2013
Silencing Breath, book two in the Stealing Breath series.

Just as Sarah Ross is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an Indigo Child and settling into a normal life with her beloved Evan, her entire world shatters when Evan disappears without a trace.

Desperate to find him, Sarah’s search leads her to a sadistic serial killer who confirms her worst fears are true; Evan has been kidnapped, and he is once again in the clutches of his abusive family of necromancers.

Sarah uncovers not only Evan’s dark past he tried so desperately to protect her from, but also The Key of Solomon, an ancient text for summoning the dead.

Knowing her abilities are limited in the face of this ancient power, Sarah is forced to face the Malandanti in order to save him. However, one question remains: once he is found, will Evan be the same man she fell in love with?

***********************

REVIEW: *sniff* Silencing Breath is the second storyline in Joanne Brothwell’s Stealing Breath focusing on Sarah Ross and Evandro Valente. Evan comes from a family of skinwalking, neromancing warlocks and witches whose patriarch was not above using his family as his weapons of choice. Sarah and Evan will be pulled into the family dynamics when it becomes clear that the Malandanti (evil) are alive and well and, their leader has risen from the dead thanks to the Keys of Solomon and a dutiful son.

The love between Evan and Sarah is pure. From a time when Evan was willing to end her life to a place where they are planning their future together, Evan’s love for Sarah is never questioned and grows with every breath he takes. But Sarah knew something was not right the day she returned home to find her fiancé missing and clues pointed to that fatal day –four years earlier-when Evan’s brother walked out of their lives-or so they thought. Caught up in the upheaval of her life, Sarah did not notice that there were others willing to take them down.

We follow Sarah and her friends as they try to uncover the whereabouts of her missing fiancé only to find themselves in the same predicament as our tortured hero. Without any means of escape, the small group of friends will begin to unravel until aid comes from an unlikely source. There were rare moments of relief and each encounter with freedom or release of frustration would be matched by an equally dark moment in time.

Joanne Brothwell has written a dark tale of torture, hatred, power and death. In fact, the storyline is fraught with enough torture that my stomach hurt and I had to read quickly through the passages lest my tears begin to fall for a fallen hero whose only sin was to fall in love with an Indigo Child. The torture is graphic and may not be suitable for everyone.

I have to add that I did not expect the gruesome scenes. There are some authors who we know their writing style and expect certain situations and styles, but this was unexpected and heartbreaking. The descriptive nature of the torture and humiliation took me out of my comfort zone. To know that the one being tortured would eventually turn on everyone he loved was gut wrenching and difficult to read.

Silencing Breath is a well-written, fascinating tale of power and greed, hatred and love, and one woman’s fight to save the man that she loves. The storyline will cut you to your soul and your sorrow will be matched by the sorrow of the characters.

Reading Order
1. Stealing Breath
2. Silencing Breath

Copy supplied by author.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Mated to the Devil by Eve Langlais – a Review

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Mated to the Devil by Eve Langlais – a Review

mated to the devil

Links to order Mated to the Devil: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Description:

Not all pleasures are a sin…

Mina wants to put her seduction by a golden-eyed devil behind her, but the birth of her son, Jacques, renders that impossible. She tries to forget the only manwho ever roused her passion, but when she notices her son exhibiting strange behaviour—and less-than-human characteristics—she must face her past and learn to trust, and love, again.

Howling drunk, the one thing Remy clearly remembers is seducing Mina. A pity he didn’t think to get her address, especially since he marks her as his mate. Whenshe disappears, he’s got plenty of time to regret, but he doesn’t get a chanceto atone until she comes back into his life with an unexpected surprise.

Thrust into the role of father, Remy works to bond with his son while gaining forgiveness. But will he get the chance to truly make Mina his mate before danger threatens their fragile happiness?


Review:
Mated to the Devil by Eve Langlais is a Paranormal Romance. I did like the way it starts ….. She’s here. My mate.

This had to be a first for me. Mina gets talked into going to a frat party with her cousins. (been there, read that) but unlike most of the stories I have read, Mina is a god fearing Christian. She is afraid of her own shadow; her parents rule the house with an iron fist. So not sure how she got talked into the party, but that is not the point. Mina wanders through the house, unaware that she is being stalked.

Remy is a party loving, loud and proud a**h**e. He is from a long line of shape shifting alphas, (so he has stuff to prove 🙂 He doesn’t ever believe he will find his mate. And certainly not at a college party. But all of a sudden he smells her, and that is it, he is hooked.

Remy has this all consuming desire to find and claim his mate. The instincts kick in and he is totally focused. But with alcohol in his system, the wolf seems to gain control. Remy needs to woo his mate, before he can claim her. There is no female shifters, only male. And the females once bitten take on some of the males characteristics, faster, better hearing, and aging process seems to slow down. So Remy has to woo the female before explaining what he is, then he gets to bite her. And apparently no sex before claiming as well, as the instinct to bite kicks in.

Remy manages to corner Mina in the kitchen, and practically begs for a kiss. She by now is totally freaked, she wants to go home, she is convinced she is going straight to hell, and her soul is in peril. After escaping Remy, Mina goes looking for her cousins, but gets told to go wait in a bedroom, as they are having far too much fun to go home yet. Mina gets escorted to a bedroom to wait for her cousins, but gets more than she bargains for. Her escort turns out to be a total scumbag, and along with his friend tries to rape her. Mina is saved by Remy, when he finds and dispatches the would be rapists. He tries to comfort and calm Mina, but the wolf is still intoxicated, so it’s logic is all instinct at the moment. All the male smells are other males all over his mate. Things take a different turn.  

The story then picks up five years later, with Remy a broken man, as he never found his mate, he never got her name. She never went to the college, and no one noticed her at the party. After his father cleared up his mess at the frat party, Remy was sent home in disgrace.

Mina is now a mother. After being thrown out by the family, and disowned. She has a daily struggle to provide for her son Jacques. But her son isn’t the same as other kids, he growls and his eyes glow. Driven by fear that her son is the spawn of Satan, she goes to a doctor. She needs answers and she needs assurance. Jacques on the other hand isn’t having any of it, and tries to bite the doctor!  After the doctor tries to tell her that her son will need to be studied, Mina becomes afraid, what if they take her son, maybe he is strange, but he was her son, and she loved him dearly. Unknown to her, Remy’s father Pierre gets a call from a shifter working in the labs, Jacques blood was flagged. He can’t believe there is an unknown wolf in the system.

After tracking down the unknown wolf, and making the realization that this is his grandson, Pierre has some decisions to make. He doesn’t immediately contact Remy, as he knows his son is unstable after losing his mate. But Mina isn’t having any of it, she wants nothing to do with Remy, she still thinks he might be the devil, as she lost all control that night, and it must have been something he did.  An attempt at trying to kidnap Jacques, convinces Mina to leave with Pierre. And they leave for Pierre’s home.

 Remy is a broken wolf, he barely sleeps, he hardly eats, nothing holds his interest. He walks straight into his father’s home, and the scent hits him instantly.  He won’t believe it, he can’t understand where it’s coming from, and he thinks he is finally losing his mind. But there is also another Lycan in the house, Remy is afraid that the other wolf has laid a claim to his female. The reunion between Mina and Remy doesn’t go as smoothly as Remy thinks it should. She faints, he apologizes, and a tentative truce is struck. Mina won’t believe that Remy hadn’t stopped looking for her, and wanted to be together. And Remy is stunned to find out that he is a father.

There is chemistry between Remy and Mina, and he thinks it will be only a matter of time before Mina becomes his. Boy does she make him work for it. She is suspicious and distrustful. Her family hurt her with their cruel actions and comments. She can’t believe that a handsome man wants dumpy and plain Mina.

The Christian and the race issues were well handled, with Remy being black and Mina being white, and Jacques was of mixed race.  I liked that although they had sex within the first few chapters, they didn’t immediately jump back into bed with each other. We got to see them evolve in their new relationship. The fact that Remy had a son with Mina, didn’t mean that they were going to be a couple. Mina needed to be treated with respect and love, and Remy gave that to her in spades. I liked the interaction between all four of the main characters. The love Pierre had for his son shone through. And a mother’s love that Mina had for her son, even though she thought he was the devils child.

I really liked this story. And I hope we get to hear more of the other wolves. I will be adding this author to my reading list. I would also recommend her to many of my friends. The sex was hot, the violence graphic enough for me. And the couple worked well. There were funny elements that had me laughing at the most inappropriate times (the bus raised a few eyebrows).

Reviewed by Julie B.

Copy provided by Author

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Love Irresistibly by Julie James – a Review

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Love Irresistibly by Julie James – a Review

comps_LoveIrr.indd

Links to order Love Irresistibly:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository / Kobo

Description:
He’s used to getting what he wants. . .

A former football star and one of Chicago’s top prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cade Morgan will do anything to nail a corrupt state senator, which means he needs Brooke Parker’s help. As general counsel for a restaurant company, she can get a bug to the senator’s table at one of her five-star restaurants so the FBI can eavesdrop on him. All Cade has to do is convince Brooke to cooperate—and he’s not afraid to use a little charm, or the power of his office, to do just that.

And what he wants is her.

A savvy businesswoman, Brooke knows she needs to play ball with the U.S. Attorney’s office—even if it means working with Cade. No doubt there’s a sizzling attraction beneath all their sarcastic quips, but Brooke is determined to keep things casual. Cade agrees—until a surprising turn of events throws his life into turmoil, and he realizes that he wants more than just a good time from the one woman with whom he could fall terrifyingly, irresistibly in love . . .

Review:

Love Irresistibly by Julie James is part of her FBI/US ATTORNEY series.  I have not   read this series until this book, and now that I have, I will most certainly be going back to    the beginning and read them all.  Julie James writes contemporary romance at its best.    So did I love this book?  Yes in so many ways.

Our heroine is Brooke Parker, a strong, intelligent woman, who is also a workaholic, and   can’t seem to keep a relationship for long.  Brooke is a lawyer, who as GC (general   counsel) to a restaurant chain has risen to the top.  Sterling Restaurants runs a sports       chain for stadiums/arena’s, and with her strong sales skills, knowledge of Sterling, and    the competition, Brooke has become very successful, and also a very busy young lady.      The job is her life, but she does enjoy the company of men, and yet cannot seem to keep anyone for long, since she spends too many hours working.

We meet our hero Cade Morgan, an assistant US attorney, who needs her help in doing a sting on a senator. He wants to use one of Sterling’s fancy restaurants, and Brooke agrees to help.  Right from the start, you can see the chemistry between them, but both are not interested any serious relationship, as both are career minded and have their own issues.  However they in time will explore that chemistry with what they call casual sex.

One of the best things about this book was the entire story written by James, with all the different pieces that was fun and interesting; not to mention some wonderful characters.  With Cade, we see him working with his FBI friends, and how they handle their cases; with Brooke, we learn about the restaurant business, and get to see her negotiating with various sports complexes to get their contracts; and most of all, we get to meet their family and friends…very nicely done. 

Best of course was watching Cade and Brooke begin to discover there is nothing casual about how they were beginning to feel about each other. I loved their banter between each other.   Despite their busy and successful careers, they started finding time to be with each other, and the sexual heat between them was great.  This was such a wonderful romance, as I adored both Cade and Brooke.  Awesome characters on their own and they became an awesome couple.  Julie James has risen up on my list of authors I must read. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provoded by Publisher

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Free Fall (Elite Force #4) by Catherine Mann-a review

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Free Fall (Elite Force #4) by Catherine Mann- a review

15942632

Amazon/ Barnes and Noble/ KOBO

About the book:

Pararescueman Jose “Cuervo” James is the guy they call for the most dangerous assignments. He lives for his job.

On a high-risk rescue deep in the African jungle, Jose encounters sexy, smart Interpol agent Stella Carson. They’d once had an affair that burned hot and fast, but family is everything to Stella, and Jose just can’t go there.

Fate has thrown them into the deadly hot zone together, and sparks will fly…but only if they can live to tell about it.

Review:

Stella Carson has been on a mission since she was a child. Find out what happened to her mother. Her mom had split her time between their home and doing mission work in Africa and when she was killed in an accident, Stella never really bought into the story they were told. Bound and determined, Stella became an Interpol agent in hopes of getting to Africa to try and track down the facts. One lesson she learned? Be careful what you wish for.

Stella is on assignment off the coast of Africa. She is to rendezvous with a team of SEALs and parajumpers who are there trying to break up a pirating ring. Once she makes contact and picks them up, she encounters Jose, and their attraction is instantaneous. A relationship ensues, but hits a dead end for Stella a few months in. She and Jose don’t seem to want the same things. She longs for a family, but for Jose, a recovering alcoholic, with a tragic family history, a family is the last thing he wants. He seems to think that history will repeat itself and they end their relationship.

However, when Stella is kidnapped by a rebel group in Africa, Jose’s team is called in to rescue her and the group she was with. And, once they reconnect, things start to unfold rather quickly. There are subplots happening simultaneously that left me confused at first, but once things got rolling, I could not put this book down. Jose’s team is to guard the vice-president’s wife who is traveling to Africa on a peacekeeping mission and Stella is caught up in the intrigue. As Stella and Jose struggle with their feelings for each other, the subplot comes to the forefront and explodes. Seemingly good guys aren’t so good and what of the mysterious Annie Johnson who ends up on the base with Stella? Well, you’ll have to read to find out.

This was a well written story that grabbed me from the beginning. The first of the book details Stella’s childhood so that we’re not lost when the main storyline unfolds. The chemistry between Stella and Jose is, like I said earlier, instantaneous. And, Mann does a wonderful job of pulling everything together. I wasn’t left wondering “wait, what about so and so?”. There is so much I’d like to say about the storyline, but don’t want to ruin it for anyone. Even though I kind of figured out the direction of the storyline, I was still surprised at how Mann actually played it out. Definitely worth the read. And, I had no idea it was number 4 in a series. I didn’t feel like I missed anything by not reading the first three, but, I will go back and read the others when I get the chance!!!

Reviewed by Vickie M.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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