Have My Baby (DILFs #1) by Taryn Quinn-a review

HAVE MY BABY (Dirty DILFs #1) by Taryn Quinn-a review

Have My Baby

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 25, 2017

Have my baby.

That was what my single dad best friend Seth said to me while I was waitressing at the diner.

His little girl wants a sibling. But Seth is a workaholic millionaire and doesn’t have time to meet someone.

Someone who won’t screw him over, like his kid’s mother.

Only problem is this someone has secretly been in love with him since high school. I’ve been hiding it forever, not wanting to risk our friendship.

Sleeping with him is my biggest fantasy. And I’ve fantasized plenty, being a virgin. Another thing he doesn’t know.

Now I have to make the biggest decision of my life.

Is having a no strings attached affair just to make a baby better than never having him at all?

•••••••••••

REVIEW: HAVE MY BABY is the first installment in Taryn Quinn’s contemporary, adult DIRTY DILFs erotic romance series. This is thirty year old, single father and successful real estate agent Seth Hamilton , and waitress Allison ‘Ally’ Lawrence’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspective (Seth and Ally) HAVE MY BABY is a best friends to lovers story line that follows the building, romantic relationship between high school best friends- a relationship years in the making. Ally Lawrence has been in love with her best friend since they were both fifteen years old but Seth Hamilton thought he found his happily ever after with someone else. Fast forward to present day-One marriage, one child, and one divorce later, Seth is hoping to expand his immediate family by adding another child into the mix. Enter his best friend Ally Lawrence, and the woman he has always loved. What ensues is the building relationship, and awkward negotiations between Ally and Seth when Ally realizes that Seth only wants her for the baby making process.

Ally Lawrence is a thirty year old virgin; saving herself for the only man that she will ever love but a man too oblivious to the fact that his best friend has been in love with him for a number of years. Seth Hamilton doesn’t want another relationship; his first marriage was a complete failure; offering Ally everything she has ever wanted came with a price.

The relationship between Ally and Seth is one of mutual friendship and love, although Seth is having a difficult time understanding what it is he is feeling and why. The $ex scenes are intimate, seductive and intense; our heroine tends to ‘run’ to avoid the morning after ‘walk of shame’.

We are introduced to Seth’s twin brother Oliver; their father; and Seth’s four year old daughter Laurie; as well as Ally’s co-worker and friend Sage Evans.

HAVE MY BABY is a story of friendship and love; second chances and a happily ever after. The premise is cute, fun and sexy; the characters are colorful and lively; the romance is passionate and energetic. HAVE MY BABY is a heartwarming and inspiring story of romance and love.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Unspeakable (Beyond Human #2) by Nina Croft-Review & Excerpt

UNSPEAKABLE (Beyond Human #2) by Nina Croft-Review and Excerpt

Unspeakable

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 25 ,2017

Sadie Brooks grew up knowing she was different…special. And she thought the undercover work she did for the government was making a difference…making a better world. Then she discovered she was simply an asset—to be used or destroyed at whim.

Escaping her government controllers, Sadie is determined to get her revenge on the organization responsible for the death of her twin sister—the Conclave.

Ethan Weiland has doubts about the Conclave but he’s never known anything else.
Brought up from birth as the next hereditary leader, Ethan has never questioned his
destiny. Until he comes face to face with a beautiful enemy who can read his mind and bring him to his knees with a thought. For the first time, Ethan sees a chance for redemption. When he’s in charge, he’ll be able to change things.

Too bad it won’t be that simple.

••••••••

REVIEW: UNSPEAKABLE is the second installment in Nina Croft’s adult BEYOND HUMAN paranormal, sci-fi romance series focusing on a class of supernatural humans known as the Tribe-descendants from a group of people discovered, over 100 years earlier, by an expedition to the Mountains of the Moon (Congo Free State of Africa). This is Tribe member Sadie Brooks, and Conclave royalty/Afghanistan army veteran Ethan Weiland’s story line. UNSPEAKABLE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion. There is a prequel short story-NO MORE LIES-that introduces the premise behind the series concept. On that note, NO MORE LIES can be found in the multi-authored anthology THE TELEPATH CHRONICLES originally released in 2014.

SOME BACKGROUND: The Tribe believe themselves to be descendants of a species of humans blessed and cursed with supernatural, psychic powers. Their discovery has led to the formation of the Conclave who have taken it upon themselves to experiment with the mind and the brain, destroying that which they do not understand.

Told from several third person points of view including Sadie and Ethan UNSPEAKABLE continues to focus on the discrimination and specieism aimed at the descendants of the Tribe- a race of tall, blue-eyed Caucasians believed to be the product of inbreeding who were transferred to Scotland, given a home and all but forgotten until a secret, government faction known as the Conclave set about trying to capture and experiment upon those that have survived. Sadie Brooks’ latest assignment finds her face to face with the enemy and her future-Ethan Weiland- a man whose direct link to the Conclave places Sadie and the members of the Tribe in mortal danger. When a mutual contact is found dead, Sadie sets into motion a meeting with the man with whom she will fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship between Sadie and Ethan as they attempt to uncover the whereabouts of Sadie’s missing friends; and the search for the truth behind the Conclave’s desire to eradicate a species struggling to survive.

UNSPEAKABLE is a detailed story line that follows several paths including the revelations about the death of Sadie’s sister, and Ethan’s mom; the imprisonment, experimentation and death of members of the Tribe; and the discovery that not everything and everyone is who they appear to be. A time-machine, possibly from the future, is the Tribe’s only link to the past-a past that is quickly re-written at every turn.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including several members of the Conclave, the Tribe, and the introduction of a potentially new but familiar enemy on the horizon. We are introduced to Ethan’s father, his cousin Travis, Travis’s wife Joelle, and Ethan’s assistant ex-military Fergus Baker. I am hoping Fergus will find his happily ever after.

UNSPEAKABLE is a story of family and friendships; discrimination and fear; and the struggle to survive. The premise is entertaining and intriguing; the characters are colorful, dynamic and challenging; the romance is passionate and forbidden. UNSPEAKABLE is a revealing installment in Nina Croft’s BEYOND HUMAN series.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one UNTHINKABLE

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

excerpt

Excerpt copy supplied by the author

 

“This is for real?” Fergus sounded…bemused. “She can read minds?”
“Oh, it’s real,” Sadie said. She strolled across and patted Fergus on the arm. He flinched under the touch. “But don’t worry, I won’t tell your boss that his big, bad, macho assistant has been secretly in love with him for the last twelve years.”
Fergus stepped back, shock stamped clear on his face. Ethan was sure his own looked the same. Had she just said Fergus was in love with him?
Sadie laughed out loud. “I’m kidding, guys. Geez, you’re so easy to wind up.”
He shook his head. “Really?”
She grinned. “Hey, you have to admit it was funny. Just the expressions on your faces.”
“Bitch,” Fergus muttered. He stood staring at the floor for a minute. “So what am I thinking?”
“Three thousand five hundred and sixty…four. Though why I’m playing along with this, I don’t know. It’s nothing to do with me if you don’t believe. I’m sure there’s nothing in your head worth seeing.” She turned her attention to him. “He thinks you should kill me. I’m too dangerous to keep around. Too many secrets.” She went back to her perch on the desk, swinging the empty glass from her fingers. “You know, those government controllers promised us a world with no more secrets. No more lies. Then they gave us the same old shit.”
She sounded bitter and sad. He wanted her laughter back, and as the thought crossed his mind, a small smile curved her lips. “You know you’re not the badass you like to make out to be.”
He decided to give Fergus time to come to terms with things. He was clearly still in the shock stage.
“Why did you run in the end?” he asked her. “What changed?”
“One of us died. He wasn’t the first, but we’d always believed them before—they told us the deaths were from natural causes. But they’d been lying to us almost from the start.”
Maybe not from the start. More likely, when the Conclave got involved. She looked at him sharply and gave a quick nod in agreement.
“Did someone close to you die?”
“My twin sister. Four years ago. They said it was some sort of blood disease, but they killed her, experimenting on her until she died. I never even saw the body.”
“Is that why you came looking? Is that what you want out of all this? Revenge?”
She pursed her lips, maybe considering what to tell him. “Actually, I do want revenge. But the main reason my group is hunting the Conclave is because, believe it or not, we’re more interested in secrecy than even you are.”
“Why is that? “Ethan asked.
“Ah well, now that would be telling secrets.”
God, she was annoying. “The hunted becomes the hunter,” Ethan said. “I quite like the concept. It has a certain irony.”
“So you’re not a prostitute?” Fergus interrupted them. He still sounded a little bemused.
“Why? Were you hoping to do business with me?”
“I don’t pay.”
She rolled her eyes. “Why ever would you have to? You’re such a charmer. But no, I’m not a prostitute.”
“And you read minds.”
“Among other things.”
“What else?” Ethan asked.
“I can talk to animals. Well, not really talk, but they understand me and usually do what I ask.”
“How well do you read minds? How much can you see?” Fergus sounded rattled.
“Now that would be telling. But I’m not the best. Let’s just say, I can see that you don’t want to believe me, but you do. You think Ethan has made a deal with the devil—that’s a bit strong by the way, I’m not that bad—which will likely get us all killed.” She studied him for a minute, her eyes narrowed, her head cocked on one side. Poor Fergus almost squirmed beneath her direct stare. “You think he wants this too much, and that he should maybe leave the past in the past, where it belongs. And move on.”
How much was she getting? He wasn’t ready to reveal his purpose yet.
She shook her head. “But the problem is, Ethan’s not ready to move on. Mainly because he has nowhere he wants to go. Poor Ethan. Brought up to believe he’s got the right to rule the world and part of him thinks, yes—he can do a better job than most—so why not?” She gave him a small smile. “But he also suspects that ultimate power corrupts, and a system based on hereditary passing on of power can only ever lead to disaster. And that soon, he might very well be faced with a difficult choice.” She shrugged. “Fingers crossed he makes the right decision.”


 

About the Author

Nicola CleasbyFollow: Goodreads / Website Facebook / Twitter / Newsletter Sign UP/ Pinterest

Growing up in the cold, wet, north of England, Nina Croft spent a lot of time dreaming of faraway sunnier places and ponies. When she discovered both, along with a whole load of other things, could be found between the covers of a book, her life changed forever.

Later, she headed south, picked up the perfect husband along the way, and together they volunteered to work in Africa. There they discovered a love of exotic places and a dislike of 9-5 work. Afterward they spent a number of years travelling (whenever possible) intermingled with working (whenever necessary.) Eventually they stumbled upon a remote area in the mountains of southern Spain and the small almond farm they now call home.

Nina spends her days reading, writing and riding her mare, Gencianna, under the blue Spanish skies—sunshine and ponies. She reckons this is proof that dreams really can come true if you want them enough.

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Night’s Caress by Mary Hughes – a Review

Night’s Caress by Mary Hughes – a Review

 

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Description:
When artist Brie Lark left her vampire ex and her straitjacket of a hometown to breathe free in New York City, she promised herself two things: she’d never go back to Meiers Corner, and no more vampires. The last thing she expected—or wanted—was to be sent back home on an assignment. But her boss at the FBI needs her undercover on a murder case, working with a black-haired, black-eyed giant god of a man who’s her idea of perfection, except for one thing—he’s a vampire.

FBI Special Agent Seb Rikare is an ancient vampire hardened by loss. He’s cut all emotions to protect himself and leads a deliberately steady, almost sterile life. The brash young woman forced to pose as his lover irritates him, with her jangling bracelets and colorful hair. But as much as she irritates him, he finds himself drawn to her lively spirit and he’s tempted to make fantasy a reality.

 

Review: 

Night’s Caress by Mary Hughes is the 1st book in her new The Ancients series.
I haven’t read anything by this author before, and looking on her site I noticed this might be a spin off from a former series, This doesn’t detract in any way from the book, but it did make me want to read the other series after this one. 

FBI special agent Seb Rikare is an ancient vampire and is investigating a string of murders that look like vampire kills. Seb is your typical vampire, tall and brooding. In his life before coming a vampire, he had a wife, but it wasn’t a love match and  he suffered because his wife didn’t love him, so he cuts himself off from emotions and feelings. When he meets Brie, he isn’t impressed with the bangles and the coloured hair, so he tries as hard as he can to fight the feelings he starts to have for Brie. 

Brie Lark is an artist who works for the FBI as a civilian. She wanted out of her small minded town of Meiers Corner, and when she moves to New York, it’s like all of her wishes have come true.  She is finally happy, but will her happiness come crashing down when she’s asked to be a girlfriend to a moody vampire, and to return to the small town she couldn’t wait to leave? 

Brie has also been hurt, and by a vampire too, so Brie isn’t interested in falling for the vamp, but her mind has other ideas, in fact her imagination ran away with her at times.

This story is well written, flows well and quick, with some fight scenes that are a little gory. 

Brie will need all her strength and skill to survive. Will she fall  for Seb ? Or will she want to escape both the vampire and Meiers Corner ?  Seb will have to battle an old foe. Will he be strong enough to survive the battle ? And will he open his mind and heart to a woman who drives him to distraction? 

The different POV’s did take a little while to get my head around, as we would swing from 1st person to 3rd person. I would have preferred it to be one or the other. But it was a good read, which I will keep on my reading list. 

Reviewed by Julie B

Copy provided by Publisher

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Cain (Hell’s Lovers MC #4) by Crimson Syn-Review and GiveawayTour

CAIN (Hell’s Lovers MC #4) by Crimson Syn-Review and Giveaway Tour

Cain Banner

CAIN
Hell’s Lover’s MC
by Crimson Syn
Release Date: August 27, 2017
Genre:adult, contemporary,erotic, BDSM, romance, MC

Cain

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Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts and a giveaway!

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 27, 2017

Sophia Moreno is a mystery wrapped up in a gorgeous package.
She’s soft and sweet, but there’s something hidden in the depths of her green eyes.
From the first instant my eyes held hers, I claimed her as mine.
When I finally have my hands on her, she’ll know I’m not one to play games with.
I’ll torture her into ecstasy until she’s screaming for me to take her,
Because the god she’ll worship is one kinky mother fucker.

Cain Scardino is a wild man with a dominant streak
And I’m more than willing to hand myself over to his sensually erotic instructions
He’s a sexual god with a wicked taste for the taboo
But what Cain doesn’t know is that I yearn to succumb to his dark desires.
As he tightens his ropes on my body, he also secures them around my heart.
He’s the only man who could take me so completely
And I’ll do anything to be tied down by him.

Mature Audiences Only 18+
This series is full of naughty alpha bikers, explicit sexual scenes and dirty language. This one in particular has a very sexy DOM who wants to play.

•••••••••

REVIEW: CAIN is the fourth installment in Crimson Syn’s contemporary, adult HELL’S LOVERS MC erotic, romance novella series focusing on the men and women of the motorcycle club the Hell’s Lovers. This is Sargent at Arms, thirty five year old Cain Scardino, and thirty year old, pole dancer Sophia Moreno’s story line. CAIN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous installments is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: CAIN contains graphic scenes of BDSM, and may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Sophia and Cain) CAIN follows the building relationship between pole dancer Sophia Moreno, and Hell’s Lovers MC Sargent At Arms Cain Scardino-a relationship predicated on lies and secrets. Sophia is the new hire at Ravenous-the bar and strip club owned by the Hell’s Lovers MC, and a woman with a secret that if revealed would surely result in our heroine’s death. Enter Cain Scardino, all muscled, Dominant who catches the eye of Sophia Moreno. What ensues is the building relationship between Sophia and Cain, and the fall out when the truth is revealed. Ramon Tuco Moreno and the Los Perdidos MC continue their threats against the Hell’s Lovers MC but the Columbian Cartel is about to come forward with threats of their own.

The relationship between Sophia and Cain is one of immediate attraction but I had a difficult time with the developing relationship as the attraction was purely sexual, and Sophia’s fall from grace came with a desperation and proclamation of love that reflected negatively on our already embattled heroine. The $ex scene are erotic and intense; the BDSM scenarios are aggressive and not without some questionable intent.

CAIN is another dark and gritty MC story line. Our ‘hero’ is a Dominant; a man who enjoys making the women in his life submit including Sophia Moreno-a woman whose secrets will destroy Cain’s trust in the woman with whom he will fall in love.
The men of the Hell’s Lovers MC are dangerous, foul-mouthed and misogynistic; the women tend to be collateral damage in the battle between the warring MCs.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Wolf
Grayson
Riggs
Cain

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Cain Teaser

About the Author

My name is Crimson Syn, not really, but what fun is it to use my real name. Instead I’ll use my inner goddess’ name, it’s much more fun that way. I grew up in New York City where I had a wonderful education, loving parents and awesome friends. What more could a girl ask for?

I started writing at the age of sixteen. The first romance I read was Stephanie Laurens’ Devil’s Bride. Since then I have been influenced by dozens of flourishing romance authors and even more dashing and daring rogues. I must say it, but Fifty Shades was not my first erotic romance, nor did it influence me to start writing them. If you’ve never read Mary Balogh, Elizabeth Hoyt, Lisa Kleypas, Bertrice Small or A.N. Roquelaure’s Sleeping Beauty trilogy, then you’re missing out. Those were my sweet introductions to erotic romance, and boy were they hot.

So here I am, after reading so many wonderful stories, I have too many sinful tales of my own not to share. I like my alphas rough and possessive, and I have no shame in saying it or writing it. I had delightfully wicked teachers growing up, their books took me to new worlds and brought me new loves. So, I want to do the same for you. I want to indulge my readers in those steamy reads that will send them into the arms of dangerous alphas and deliciously sexy rogues, without leaving the confines of their nice warm bed. If I am able to entice your inner goddesses, then I have done my job and I am satisfied.

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Storm Gathering (Scorpius Syndrome #4) by Rebecca Zanetti-a review

STORM GATHERING (Scorpius Syndrome #4) by Rebecca Zanetti-a review

Storm Gathering

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About the book: Release Date September 19, 2017

Even before surviving the Scorpius bacterium, Greyson Storm was a lone wolf navigating minefields. As a kid, he learned to take a hit and find safety. As an adult, he joined the military and quickly learned how to protect and defend. When the world ended, he created a mercenary camp with military precision, no entanglements, and a promise to avenge a fallen friend. As part of that vow, he kidnapped Maureen Shadow, but now that he has let her go, her blue eyes and intriguing mind keep haunting him…

As possibly the only Biotechnology Engineer still living, Maureen Shadow might be humanity’s one hope to survive the aftermath of Scorpius, making her frighteningly valuable to both allies and enemies. Even after sexual tension explodes with Greyson, she’s not sure which camp he belongs to—friend or foe? Worse yet, survival may mean thwarting his prime mission, putting her in even more peril. When danger and seduction collide, there is no safety in this new world.

•••••••••

REVIEW: STORM GATHERING is the fourth full-length installment in Rebecca Zanetti’s  adult SCORPIUS SYNDROME cross genre Sci-Fi/ UF/Dystopian series focusing on a biological pandemic sweeping the planet that has already killed 99% of the world’s population. This is US Marine sniper Greyson Storm, and biotechnology engineer Maureen Shadow’s (Raze’s sister) story line that looks at life in the aftermath, and the fallout from an unknown bacteria-from space. For more background information and some history, there is a prequel novella-SCORPIUS RISING-which can be found in the ON THE HUNT anthology (August 2015).

NOTE: Some of the premise of STORM GATHERING runs parallel to and crosses over with the events of book three-Justice Ascending.

SOME BACKGROUND: Some of those infected with the biological virus have survived to become something known as a Ripper, but there are two types of Rippers inhabiting the world-one is a zombie like creature who feasts on the living; the other is a survivor whose brain has been altered resulting in a stronger, more powerful enhanced human being sometimes bordering on the sociopath ideology with delusions of grandeur, obsession and hate. If you are a fan of the series The Walking Dead (or Mad Max), you will see many similarities in the story line premise including the search for food and supplies, attacks of the ‘undead’, and various groups of survivors vying for power and control.

Told from several third person perspectives including Greyson and Maureen STORM GATHERING continues to focus on the struggle to survive as the depleting inventory at the Vanguard compound and Mercenary territories begins to push at the fragile hold each has on their safety, sanity and dwindling reserves. As head of the ‘Merc’ faction of post-apocalyptic warriors Greyson Storm is desperate to find more food and weapons for his growing population of forgotten refugees. Enter biotechnology engineer Maureen Shadow and the woman with whom Greyson will fall in love. What ensues is the back and forth, tepid relationship between the Vanguard compound and Mercenary territory; the struggle in their search for supplies; and the continuing attacks by the government’s Elite Forces, and the self-proclaimed president of the USA- a man once infected by the Scorpius virus who has since become a sociopathic Ripper. Greyson Storm is on a mission not only to protect the woman that he loves but to take down a tyrant desperate to take control of the few remaining resources .

The relationship between Greyson and Maureen begins as a one-night stand following Maureen’s abduction from the Vanguard compound. Greyson’s attempts to secure a future for the many mouths he has to feed finds our hero taking risks including the kidnapping of the woman with whom he will fall in love. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. The sexual attraction is palpable; their energy is passionate and sensual. Greyson’s protective instinct goes into over-drive where our story line heroine is concerned.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Tace and Sami (Justice Ascending), Vivi and Raze (Shadow Falling) , Lynn and Jax (Mercury Striking), as well as Greyson’s second in command Damon Winter, Marcus and Dr. Penelope. The requisite evil, aside from the Scorpius virus, has many faces including President Bret Atherton, and his Vice President Lake. Damon Winter’s story is next in Winter Igniting.

The world building continues to focus on the search for a cure. With the growing number of scientists and researchers under protection at the Vanguard Compound and Mercenary headquarters, the intrepid group of survivors starts locating some of the hidden files that focus on the bacteria and a potential cure. A possible merger between the two camps may be required if everyone is to survive the ongoing wars, and the raging wild fires burning out of control.

STORM GATHERING is an edgy, encouraging and engaging story line. The premise will captivate your attention; the characters are colorful, animated and determined; the romance is hopeful and seductive.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Scorpius Rising (On the Hunt Anthology)
Mercury Striking
Shadow Falling
Justice Ascending
Storm Gathering

Copy supplied through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Wickedly Spirited by Deborah Blake – a Review

Wickedly Spirited by Deborah Blake – a Review

 

Wickedly SpiritedAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM

Description:
Jazz, the powerfully magical teen first introduced in Wickedly Powerful, is now being trained as a Baba Yaga—and she’s determined to free the Broken Riders herself.

Jazz had a rough life before meeting her guardian, and she knows she’s lucky that Bella is training her to be a Baba Yaga. But the gifted young witch is frustrated by the slow pace of her lessons. Jazz knows she’s capable of even greater magic, and she wants nothing more than to find a spell that will give the Riders back the immortality they lost. 

With the reluctant assistance of Bella’s dragon-turned-cat Koshka, Jazz travels to the Otherworld to get the necessary ingredients to perform the spell. A willful young witch, dangerous magic, and one powerful wish—what could possibly go wrong?

 

Review:

Wickedly Spirited by Deborah Blake is a novella in her Baba Yaga series.  Blake has another series, Broken Riders, that is a spinoff of her Baba Yaga series.  Broken Riders are warrior men who protected the Baba Yaga witches, until a powerful crazed witch took away their immortality, emotionally breaking them. 

In Wickedly Spirited, Jazz, a teenage Baba Yaga in training is determined to find a way to help return the Broken Riders to the way they were.  Jazz lives with Bella, the Baba Yaga who is her mentor and training her.  Bella knows that Jazz has a lot of magical power, but tries to hold her back until she learns everything there is to know about using potions and spells.  Jazz is tired of being treated like a kid, which she is, and decides secretly to come up with her own potion. 

This being a novella makes it difficult to tell too much more, as it would be major spoilers.  What follows Is a fun storyline, where Jazz will visit the Otherworld, with Koshka, (a cat -really a dragon) to get what she needs to create this new potion.  She is determined to do what she feels is right, even if all the Baba Yago witches have failed.   Jazz is an overconfident teenager, who will not listen to warnings until she performs the spell she created, with an unexpected outcome, which will certainly teach her a lesson.  Do you want to know what happens…..you need to read this cute quick story.  

Deborah Blake gives us a fun fast read to lead the way to the next book in either Baba Yaga or Broken Riders series.   I really did enjoy Wickedly Spirited, as it was a nice quick fun read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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Treasured by a Tiger (Eternal Mates #14) by Felicity Heaton-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

TREASURED BY A TIGER (Eternal Mates #14) by Felicity Heaton-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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TREASURED BY A TIGER
Eternal Mates #14
by Felicity Heaton
Release Date: September 9, 2017
Genre: adult, paranormal, fantasy, romance

Treasured by a Tiger

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 19, 2017

Despised by his tiger shifter pride as an abomination, Grey has ventured far from home, deep into the bowels of Hell in search of answers about the machinations of Archangel, the mortal hunter organization that held his twin captive. With no knowledge of the realm, and little skill with the local languages, he quickly finds himself at a dead end—until he crosses paths with a beautiful hellcat female who rouses his darkest most dangerous instincts.

Lyra has been a fool, falling for the charms of a male whose only desire was to make a fast buck by selling her. Shackled and collared, her strength muted by magic, she awaits her time on the stage at a black-market auction, but before it can come, all hell breaks loose and she seizes a chance to escape—and runs straight into a majestic warrior who steals her breath away and tempts her like no other as he battles alone to free everyone.

When Lyra offers her services as a translator to repay Grey for saving her, will he be strong enough to resist the needs she awakens in him and spare himself the pain of her inevitable rejection when she discovers the truth about him? And when the powerful male in charge of the slave ring starts a bloody hunt for Lyra, can she escape another collar and find the courage to trust the tiger who is capturing her heart?

••••••••••••

REVIEW: TREASURED BY A TIGER is the fourteenth installment in Felicity Heaton’s contemporary, adult ETERNAL MATES paranormal/fantasy series. This is tiger shifter Grey, and hellcat Lyra’s story line. TREASURED BY A TIGER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Grey and Lyra) TREASURED BY A TIGER follows Grey as he searches for the truth, and a place to belong- his target is the realm of Hell- and the place known as Archangel where his twin brother Talon was imprisoned and tortured months ago. When a caravan of slave traders crosses Grey’s path, something or someone calls to his inner cat, and our hero sets out to destroy everything in his way. Enter Lyra, a hellcat destined for sexual slavery, and the woman with whom Grey will fall in love. What ensues is Grey’s overwhelming need to claim Lyra as his mate as the couple struggle to stay one step ahead of the organization hoping to reclaim Lyra as their own.

TREASURED BY A TIGER is a narrative where most of the story line is told through thoughts and the emotional struggle to let go of the past. Most of the conversation, and one on one interaction takes place towards the final third of the story. Grey is a protector by birth but when his sister found her mate Grey’s direction in life crumbled. Feeling alone and without purpose Grey goes in search of the group that has destroyed so many supernatural lives. In payment for her rescue Lyra offers her help to Grey but Grey battles his own demons including the truth about the who and what of his shifter species.

The relationship between Lyra and Grey is one of immediate attraction; they are drawn to one another as fated mates, something Grey is determined to push aside now and in the future. The $ex scenes are limited but intimate and provocative.

We are introduced to the Dragons of Hell including their leader Ren (whom we met before), and Brink who reveals some of the truth behind the dragon’s inability to leave the realm. Felicity brings together an eclectic mix of supernatural powers including the Fae, demons, vampires, shifters, witches and dragons.

TREASURED BY A TIGER is an action packed story of mystery and suspense; a romance tale of fated mates; a revealing story line that ends one arc of the series leading towards the start of a new arc. The premise is engaging and energetic; the characters are colorful and animated; the romance is destined by fate.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Books in the Series

Book 1: Kissed by a Dark Prince (FREE AT SELECTED RETAILERS!)
Book 2: Claimed by a Demon King
Book 3: Tempted by a Rogue Prince
Book 4: Hunted by a Jaguar
Book 5: Craved by an Alpha
Book 6: Bitten by a Hellcat
Book 7: Taken by a Dragon
Book 8: Marked by an Assassin
Book 9: Possessed by a Dark Warrior
Book 10: Awakened by a Demoness
Book 11: Haunted by the King of Death
Book 12: Turned by a Tiger
Book 13: Tamed by a Tiger
Book 14: Treasured by a Tiger

Excerpt

Curiosity killed the cat.
It was always there, in the back of Grey’s mind.
Although this time, it was his twin’s curiosity that might get him killed.
Black lands stretched as far as the eye could see around him, the sky a dull gold that was growing brighter as he trekked closer to the realm that fiery glow emanated from. Not like he wanted to go anywhere near that damned place, but it seemed the trail he was following wanted to lead him straight towards it.
Grey looked over his shoulder at the distant blue glow that King Thorne of the Third Realm of demons had told him belonged to the elf kingdom. Fucking place sounded magical. Why couldn’t Talon’s itch have led Grey in that direction?
Lush green hills, towering grey mountains, glittering blue streams, and all the sunshine their portal could pour into their kingdom.
He would have given anything to be there, stretched out on the long grass, soaking up that sun and letting the cool breeze play over his bare skin.
Instead, he was trudging through a wasteland, his feet sore in his black leather boots, and the sweat pouring off him sticking his black t-shirt to his skin.
All for his brother’s sake.
He rolled his stiff shoulders, grimacing as a few vertebrae cracked.
Maybe not all for Talon.
The thought of being at the pride village now that his sister, Maya, was gone to be with her fated one, August, had driven him to leave, to find somewhere else to be.
Maybe somewhere he belonged.
He had ended up at Underworld, the nightclub Talon now called home because his fated mate worked there. Grey didn’t belong there though. A few quiet days had passed before that restless itch had pushed him to keep moving, and he still wasn’t sure where he was meant to be going.
He was lost.
He exhaled hard.
Not a sigh.
He might not be sure where he was meant to be going, but his feet were carrying him forwards anyway, and if he had to keep walking forever until he found that place they wanted to rest, he would.
Talon had given him a new direction at least.
Over dinner one night, Talon had mentioned seeing the door again in his dreams. Sherry had given her mate a concerned look, one Grey hadn’t missed. He had focused on his brother then, and felt that need flowing through him, that curiosity that wouldn’t let him go, not until he knew what was beyond that door.
It wouldn’t have been a problem, but the door in question was deep in the bowels of the headquarters of a mortal hunter organisation, a building where Talon had been held captive and tortured for months.
Grey was damned if he was going to let his brother go back into that hellish place.
So, when Sherry had mentioned looking through the files they had stolen from Archangel when breaking Talon’s friends out, Grey had leaped at the chance to help. He would do anything for his brother.
Including going to Hell in his place.
The moment he had found the door mentioned in one of the project files, and uncovered that it was connected to something in Hell, he had known what he needed to do.
Where he had to be.
Talon needed to know what was beyond that door, and Grey was going to find out for him.
His twin had fought him on that, which hadn’t been a surprise given Talon’s habit of trying to act like his big brother. The bastard was stubborn and pushy, had been like it since birth when he had muscled his way out first, arriving in the world a whole eight minutes ahead of Grey.
Eight minutes did not an older brother make.
Grey could be just as stubborn though, and eventually Talon had given in, Sherry convincing him to let Grey go to Hell in his place and follow up their lead.
He had left immediately.
He would find out what was beyond that door even if it killed him. He would do that for Talon, to put his mind at rest and free him from the clutches of his curiosity.
He sighed and looked back over his shoulder, in the direction of the Third Realm and the elf kingdom beyond it. Although, it still would have been nice if Thorne had told him to head that way instead of towards the Devil’s lands.
A cold sinking feeling had gone through him in the demon king’s library when the huge russet-haired male had jabbed a strong clawed finger against a mountain range and told him that was where he needed to start, because it was the place mentioned in one of the reports linked to the project.
Grey hadn’t failed to notice that east of that mountain range was labelled as the dragon realm, and beyond that was the Devil’s domain.
Thorne had been generous enough to offer him an escort.
It had felt like a kick in the balls at the time.
Even Sable, the demon’s little queen and ex-Archangel hunter, had flinched at the offer, and had dished him out an apologetic glance.
Grey had refused Thorne, because he had grown tired of being coddled by his brothers a long time ago, and wasn’t about to accept it from a male he barely knew.
Looking back, he probably should have taken the demon up on his kind offer. The big guy had been nice enough to teleport him into Hell, had put him up for a few days at his castle, and had sent him off with some provisions and a crudely drawn map of Hell.
Grey pulled the map out of the thigh pocket of his black combat trousers and stared at it.
At how close the village was to dragons and the Devil.
A few demonic travelling companions probably wouldn’t have been a bad thing.
It wasn’t as if he knew Hell. He had come here without a plan, without any idea about what to expect, and that was dangerous.
His family had raised him to be prepared.
It had all gone out the window when Maya had left, and that feeling had kicked in, that need to walk and not stop walking, to put as much distance as he could between him and his pride.
He pressed his hand flat against his chest, felt his heart thumping hard against his palm, and stared into the distance, not seeing the cragged mountains that speared the gold sky.
What was it that had made him leave?
He was mad at his older brother, the alpha of their pride, and needed some space and time to work through those feelings. Mostly because he wanted to throat-punch Byron whenever he saw him.
Was that the reason he had strayed this far from home?
He didn’t want to do something he would regret?
As much as he hated Byron right now, which the bastard deserved after everything that Maya had been through because of him, he still loved the son of a bitch. He was still Grey’s brother.
Grey started walking again, his hand drifting across his chest to adjust the straps of his backpack. He jammed his thumb through the right strap and let his hand dangle there, his mind whirling as he thought about home and the gnawing feeling in the depths of his heart. Something had made him leave. Something other than his anger towards Byron.
Had to be.
Gods, maybe he was just messed up.
More fucked up than he had thought possible.
Or maybe there was nothing keeping him at the pride now.
It was strange having his freedom after spending two centuries at the pride, devoted to the care and protection of his little sister. He couldn’t remember a time when he had been free to come and go as he pleased. It had been erased from his memories, replaced by the decades that had come after Byron had become alpha, a time when Grey had been locked away from the world because Byron had deemed it too dangerous for Maya to be allowed to go outside the pride village, and had charged him with being at her side always.
Meaning the bastard had shut them both in a cage.
Fuck, it was weird.
Was that why he felt lost?
Because he was free at last?
He still hadn’t processed that, wasn’t sure he would for a long time yet. He had never really felt like a captive, because his family had been there, everyone he cared about at the village with him, but now that he was free to come and go as he pleased, he felt as if he had been a captive his entire life.
The world beyond the one he had known was huge, endless, filled with incredible things and possibilities, and he had hurled himself headlong into that world.
It was a little overwhelming.
His senses sparked, warning of life nearby, and he tensed and stilled, stretching his focus outwards to encompass the area. He slowed his breathing, becoming silent in the shadowy world, and his vision brightened as he studied the dimly-lit lands surrounding him, making it easier for him to pick out the rocks that could easily hide enemies, giving them ample chance to sneak up on him.
He should have taken Thorne up on his offer.
But the thought of having a demon escort had felt like another cage.
He wanted to be free.
He curled his lip and dragged air over his teeth, trying to scent the owner of that heartbeat.
Another joined it as he risked a step closer, and then a third and a fourth.
He peered ahead of him, into the darkness.
Something was there.
He risked another two steps.
The shadowy shapes came into focus.
Huts.
The village Thorne had said was the one Archangel had named in their report.
He must have walked further than he had realised while lost in his thoughts.
Grey cautiously moved forwards, lowering his hands to his sides as he approached the village. The loose black gravel crunched under his heavy boots, loud in the thick still air, grating at him. His muscles twitched beneath his skin and an urge to shift settled over him as he closed in on the buildings and the people coming and going between them.
It had been more than a day since he had last seen people, a day of trekking across a black wasteland with only an occasional distant screech or roar punctuating the silence. Those sounds had raked at his nerves, leaving them raw and stealing sleep from him. He hadn’t rested in more than twenty-four hours.
It was little wonder he felt on edge now.
Ready for a fight.
He felt vulnerable, easy prey if anyone chose to fight him, his body and mind badly in need of rest.
For all he knew, those sounds that had kept him marching forwards rather than taking a break could have been made by people. Hell was full of things he had never seen before, creatures straight out of myths and legends, or horror movies.
He could be walking right into a nest of the howling, shrieking beasts, lured into a false sense of security by their human appearances.
The urge to shift into his stronger form to protect himself grew stronger, and he slowly pulled down another calming breath. He was letting his imagination run away with him, and that was dangerous.
He needed answers, and kicking up a fuss in his tiger form just because he feared the things that had gone bump in the night in the wasteland wasn’t going to get him any, especially if the people in the village found out he thought they were the ones making those unholy noises.
He doubted they were.
It was just his imagination tricking his weary mind into believing something ridiculous—something liable to get him killed.
He needed to rest and regain some strength, and then his imagination wouldn’t hold such sway over him.
He didn’t need to shift.
He kept it tamped down, breathing through it and tightening his hold on his control, refusing to let his tiger instincts rule him. He was only here to speak with the people and find out what they knew about the project, and what Archangel had wanted when they had come through this way.
He wasn’t here to fight.
The urge to shift didn’t abate as he entered the village perimeter, marked by a rough stone wall that circled the few black huts and makeshift tents made of some sort of animal hide. If anything, it grew stronger in time with the scents of the people coming and going through the settlement.
Some of them were powerful.
Some smelled of the tinny scent of magic.
A dark-haired male dressed in long black robes off to his right stopped hammering a peg for his tent into the inky dirt and looked up at Grey.
A witch. Or did they prefer warlock? Wizard?
What the hell did they like being called? He could hardly go and speak to the male if he wasn’t sure. The last thing he needed to do was insult someone who could flay him with nothing more than a few muttered words.
Grey shuddered as he looked at the male’s hands.
And realised the tent peg he had been hammering into the black ground wasn’t the sort bought in a store in the mortal world.
It was a broken bone.
Definitely not talking to him.
It had nothing to do with the male’s creepy, dangerous, air and everything to do with the fact he was obviously a traveller.
Grey needed to speak with a resident if he was going to find out what Archangel had been doing here.
He scoured the small village, trying to spot a local. A few people stopped to stare on their way past. Nothing new there. Grey was used to people staring at him.
He ignored them and continued his search. On the opposite side of the village, two males and a female exited the largest of the thatched huts, laughing with each other, a glow to their cheeks. He breathed deep to catch their scent. Smiled. Alcohol.
Was the hut a sort of tavern?
He crossed the village to it, pretending not to notice the way more people stared at him, their eyes tracking his progress. He didn’t care. He really didn’t.
He bared his fangs at one male, a reaction he hadn’t been able to hold back. The male bared fangs right back at him, his pupils turning elliptical in the centre of his red irises.
A vampire.
Grey supposed Hell was probably fabulous in their eyes. No sunshine to make them go crispy. Just endless night.
He flashed fangs at the male again, and stood a little taller as the male turned away and walked in the opposite direction to him. Easy win. Which was strange. Normally vampires liked to fight to claim top spot, to prove themselves the most powerful things with fangs out there. Which was utter bullshit.
Dragons had to be the most powerful things with fangs.
Maybe demons cut a close second, possibly a joint placing with the elves. Grey had heard all manner of things about elves, some of which made them sound dangerous and not as magical and wonderful as he had believed as a kid.
Hellcats slotted in below them.
Vampires barely ranked above the other feline shifters.
Still, it was odd of the male to leave without a fight.
Grey slowed his steps and watched the male walking away. He didn’t stop at the perimeter of the village. He kept walking, heading into the darkness, going south-east.
High, bubbling laughter broke the silence.
He shook off his curiosity about the male and returned his focus to his mission, shifting his gaze back to the hut that was possibly a tavern.
Another female toppled out of it, a male following close behind her.
“Excuse me.” Grey raised his hand to snag their attention.
Both of them stared blankly at him.
They looked at each other.
Spoke.
In a language he didn’t know.
The female was rather animated as she prattled on, tossing her blonde hair over her bare shoulders, revealing a small top that was more strapless bra than corset. Matching black leather hugged her long legs. She was pretty too, a bright glow around her pupils that might have fooled him into believing her a shifter like him.
Only she smelled of sex and sin.
A succubus.
Her partner stood behind her, giving Grey a death glare turned up to the max.
Succubus sidled towards Grey, a wicked sway to her curvy hips and a smile tugging at her cherry red lips.
Crimson bled into the male’s eyes, his pupils stretching thin in their centres.
Another vampire.
And this one looked as if he might fight to prove who was stronger.

 

 

About Felicity

Felicity HeatonFelicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you’re a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.

If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:

WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | INSTAGRAM

Giveaway

There are TWO (2) ways to WIN !

In addition to the gift card giveaway below, Felicity is graciously offering an ecopy of any ONE book in her ETERNAL MATES series *excluding Turned by a Tiger, Tamed by a Tiger, Treasured by a Tiger* (international) to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered, please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging in, please refresh the page at the top of your computer

2. If you are using a social log-in such as Twitter or Facebook, please post your email address with your comment.

3. –> Sign up for Felicity Heaton’s NEWSLETTER

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5.LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Giveaway is open internationally.

7. Giveaway runs from September 22-26, 2017

Grand Giveaway

Enter the grand tour-wide giveaway to win a $25, $50 or $75 Amazon Gift Card at the Treasured by a Tiger book page. This giveaway is international and open to everyone, and ends at midnight on September 24th. Enter now: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/treasured-by-a-tiger-shapeshifter-romance-book.php

Grand giveaway

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Against All Odds by Jezz de Silva – a Review

Against All Odds by Jezz de Silva – a Review

 

Against All OddsAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM

Description:
The bomb ticking inside Abigail Williams has shadowed every moment of her adult life. With the timer counting down, Abi embarks on one final adventure into theAustralian outback before returning to L.A. to fight for her life.

Sergeant Ryder Harper survived over a decade in Australia’s most elite military unit. He’s ready to hang up his assault rifle and drag what’s left of his broken body back home. He dreads the long flight back to Brisbane, until he collides with the stubborn, maddening seductress sitting beside him.

Abi ignites a need deep inside Ryder, leaving him desperate for more time with this woman with mesmerizing eyes and an even more intoxicating spirit. But when Abi finally relents to Ryder’s offer to be her outback guide, she has one condition: When it’s time, he’ll have to let her go.

 

Review:

Against All Odds. Anyone remember the movie – the namesake song within the movie? I barely do, but it’s hardly necessary when reading this powerhouse of emotion. Escapism might be the initial common bond for these two strangers, but HEA is their unexpected miracle. Jezz de Silva‘s debut novel, Against All Odds, tells a mighty love story derived of hope and promise. They go hand in hand and blessedly held forever.

Abi’s future is so bleak, she’s created a bucket list to complete in a once in a lifetime trip to Australia. But when her window-seat neighbor offers her an authentic tour of the Outback only a native can claim, who knew her heart would be the ultimate sacrifice? There’s steam, and plenty of it, but you’ll get swept up by Ryder and Abi’s instant connection, their shared sensibilities, their natural communication. A good writer makes baring their souls as provocative as shedding their clothes.

Ryder is a man’s man. He’s gained notoriety in his home country, as well as the States, for exemplary service. But while Ryder may have received military honors, his unflinching bravery shines upon discovering Abi’s personal battle. In spite of their two week friendship, Ryder’s heart unquestionably beats alongside Abi’s. Ryder’s new mission may not be on the battlefield, but failure is not an option: He wants Abi, heart and soul.

Insta-love isn’t rational, but matters of the heart seldom are.

“It didn’t make sense, it was impossible, it was crazy, it was suicidal, but love wasn’t meant to be understood.”

I loved Abi and Ryder. They fought different wars, but virulent enemies all the same. When there appeared little hope, the unexpected jettisoned complacency and proposed a few more adventures. Bravo to Mr. de Silva for delivering an impactful , inspirational love story. Write on…I’m reading!

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher

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