The Reading Cafe’s 10th Anniversary Celebration 10 -Prize Package

The Reading Cafe’s 10th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway-Today’s Prize Package

NOTE: All giveaways require a comment to qualify

Please be aware some of the books offered may be ARC copies from the publisher which may or may not have gone through final edits or final cover copy

The Reading Cafe is offering a 3 paper/print ARC book prize package for today’s giveaway

ONE (1) commenter will WIN all THREE (3) books.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by 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 onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please tell us to enter you into the giveaway.

4. LIKE and FOLLOW The Reading Cafe on FACEBOOK for an additional entry.

5. FOLLOW The Reading Cafe on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW The Reading Cafe on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

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8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs February 20-28, 2022

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HIGH MEADOW (High Mountain Trackers 1)by Freya Barker-Review Tour

HIGH MEADOW (High Mountain Trackers 1) by Freya Barker-Review Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 21, 2022

An emergency call to pick up an injured stallion on the side of the road sends Alexandra Hart, the new owner of Hart’s Horse Rescue, into action. A recent addition to the area, she is not impressed when the animal’s taciturn owner shows up. With his less-than-stellar disposition, he’s the kind of man she normally avoids at all costs, unfortunately, he owns the ranch just down the road.

However, when the manhunt for a pair of escaped prisoners gets a little too close for comfort, Jonas turns out to be a better neighbor than she expected.

The Alex who shows up at his ranch to help with his prize stud’s recovery is not exactly who Jonas Harvey expected. This is the same bleeding heart he met on the side of the road. Worried she’s not up for the job, he’d prefer to keep a close eye on her but his High Mountain Trackers team gets called in to track down a group of domestic terrorists.

But the slip of a woman proves him wrong. On all fronts. Alex not only charms his horses but him as well, and when trouble comes calling she proves to be a worthy ally to boot.

•••••••••

REVIEW: HIGH MEADOW is the firsts instalment in Freya Barker’s contemporary, adult HIGH MOUNTAIN TRACKERS romantic suspense series. This is fifty year old ex-special forces soldier and rancher Jonas Harvey, and horse rescue owner Alexandra Hart’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Jonas and Alexandria) HIGH MEADOW follows the building romance and relationship between fifty year old ex-special forces soldier and rancher Jonas Harvey, and horse rescue owner Alexandra Hart. An injured horse finds Alexandra Hart face to face with Jonas Harvey, a man whose first impression leaves something to be desired. Working together in an effort to ensure the recovery of Jonas’ horse, Jonas finds himself drawn to our story line heroine but Jonas and his former Special forces team mates also operate a search and rescue operation in Montana called High Mountain Trackers, and their latest assignment has the team going in search of escaped prisoners, prisoners possibly linked to home grown terrorism. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Jonas and Alex; the search for potential terrorists; the unexpected health concerns of Jonas’ father, and the dangerous mission that hits too close to home.

Alexandra Hart is a widow with a grown son but a woman who is equally capable of running her own business. Where Jonas struggles with the temperament of his own horses, Alex is able to calm the beast including our story line hero. Jonas Harvey served several tours overseas but was never able to completely leave the life behind. Owning and operating a search and rescue business, he and his former teammates are always on call, at a moments notice, and the hunt for a terrorist threatens the well-earned peace of everyone involved.

The relationship between Alex and Jonas begins acrimoniously as first impressions were equally awkward but Jonas quickly realized that his attitude may have been misplaced and directed at the woman with whom he would fall in love.Working side by side meant more time spent together, time where they would eventually fall in love. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Alex’s friend and cook Lucy, and Alex’s son Jackson; veterinarian Dr. Evan; Jonas’ teammates James Watike and his wife Ama, Bo, Sully and Fletch Boone, as well as Jonas’ father Thomas Harvey. Fletch’s story line is next in HIGH STAKES. The requisite evil has many faces.

HIGH MEADOW is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, family, friendships, relationships and love. The character driven premise is intriguing, fascinating and compelling; the romance is seductive and captivating; the characters are energetic, determined, and strong.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.

Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, and Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Facebook: http://bit.ly/FreyaFacebook
Twitter: http://bit.ly/FreyaTwitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/FreyaInstagram
Web: http://bit.ly/FreyaWeb
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/FreyaGoodreads
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Bookbub: http://bit.ly/FreyaBookBub

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Extasia by Claire Legrand – a Review

Extasia by Claire Legrand – a Review

 

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Description:
Her name is unimportant.

All you must know is that today she will become one of the four saints of Haven. The elders will mark her and place the red hood on her head. With her sisters, she will stand against the evil power that lives beneath the black mountain–an evil which has already killed nine of her village’s men.

She will tell no one of the white-eyed beasts that follow her. Or the faceless gray women tall as houses. Or the girls she saw kissing in the elm grove.

Today she will be a saint of Haven. She will rid her family of her mother’s shame at last and save her people from destruction. She is not afraid. Are you?

 

 

Review:

Extasia by Claire Legrand is a stand-alone YA horror novel. I loved Legrand’s Empirium trilogy, and decided to read this book.  Extasia is set in a dystopian future where a small group of men have created an oppressively patriarchal, abusive power in Haven.  I must add on that after reading the last chapter of this book, I suspect there will be another book from this world.

Amity, our heroine, has waited all her life to be chosen as a saint, and today she will become the 4th saint of Haven.  She looks forward to stand with her sisters to fight evil; though in this book, evil is indeed the people of Haven. The punishment given to the saints is horrific and terrible, as the elders allow the people beat up the girls during ‘visitations’ based on their hatreds/unhappiness.

Amity has been getting strange vibes, and when two of the other saints convince her to travel to meet the witches, who proclaim that Extasia has been calling her. She begins to see creatures and wraiths; in a short time, she learns spells/magic and becomes very powerful. Is she supposed to protect Haven or are the Elders a cult, betraying and harming the girls?

Amity goes through a journey that changes her drastically; she begins to question what the Elders have done, and why are women always hurt, blamed and punished; and the men are allowed everything. Very heartbreaking. As Amity’s powers continue to grow, she tries to understand what she sees in ghost appearances, learning spells from the witches, and trying to stop all the vicious murders in Haven; but she knows that the lies the Elders used on them needed to be stopped, and perhaps the Devil is truly the safe one.

I liked when the 4 saints changed their names in the book created by the witches; Amity became Rage, Mercy became Vengeance, Silence became Sorrow, and Blessing (her sister) became Hunger.  The girls were great characters, especially Blessing and Silence; and I did admire many of the witches, even though they were murderers.  Amity had a boyfriend (really best friend), Samuel, who was nice and loyal to her. 

Extasia was a very dark and violent story line. I did not know what to expect when I started this book, but surprisingly, Claire Legrand managed to pull me in from the start and despite all the evil, I ended up really liking this book.  This is a difficult review to write, as saying too much more would be spoilers; you really need to read this to understand it all.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Cross My Heart (Wilde Ways 14) by Cynthia Eden-a review

CROSS MY HEART (Wilde Ways 14) by Cynthia Eden-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 22, 2022.

There are some cases you never forget.

Former FBI agent Elijah Cross tried to put the past behind him. For years, he spent his days and his nights tracking some of the most brutal killers in the US. Now? He protects the rich and famous while working at Wilde. Less danger, more glamour…and a whole lot more cash. His latest gig has taken him to the sandy beaches of Florida’s Gulf Coast, and it’s on one of those gorgeous beaches where he comes face to face with the woman who haunts his dreams.

There are some people you can’t leave behind.

She was the last victim he saved at the Bureau. Penelope Kostas. The woman who survived a nightmare. He’d carried her out of hell in his arms, and Elijah had sworn to always protect her. But that promise had been given before his job at the Bureau had imploded. Before he’d broken every rule that mattered…for her. Only to have Penelope run from him.

There are some promises you must keep.

The serial killer who targeted Penelope was never apprehended, and Penelope fears that he could be hunting her once more. But this time, she will not be his victim. She wants Elijah to help her hunt him. To help her stop the killer before he can strike again. And she will pay any price for Elijah’s help. He’s the only man she trusts…and, once upon a time, Elijah had offered to do anything for her…even kill to keep her safe.

There are some desires that can’t be controlled.

Elijah still wants her just as badly. Penelope still needs him just as much. Lust, obsession—they always twisted together for them, and the longer that they are together, the more that dark and consuming need just grows and grows. Elijah will do whatever it takes to protect Penelope. She’s not the same woman he knew before. Not lost, not afraid. She’s determined to fight, and he will be at her side every step of the way. The killer won’t escape again. And Elijah will not lose the woman who owns his heart.

••••••••

REVIEW: CROSS MY HEART is the fourteenth instalment in Cynthia Eden’s contemporary, adult WILDE WAYS romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work and operate Wilde Ways security. This is former FBI agent Elijah Cross, and event planner Penelope Kostas. CROSS MY HEART can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from several third person perspectives including Elijah and Penelope CROSS MY HEART follows approximately one year after FBI agent Elijah Cross rescued event planner Penelope Kostas from an unknown serial killer. A forbidden affair, a broken heart, resulted in Penelope walking away, and Elijah handing in his gun and his badge. Fast forward to present day wherein Elijah Cross, now working for Wilde Ways Security on assignment in Florida, finds himself face to face with the woman he loves, a woman who believes the killer has returned to finish the job. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Elijah and Penelope, and the potential fall-out as a killer sets their sights on our story line couple.

Penelope Kostas is the only known survivor of a serial killer but no one believes Penelope when she claims the killer has returned to finish the job. Hiring Elijah Cross as her personal security forces Elijah to take back control of an investigation that was never far from his mind. Having never stopped loving our story line heroine, Elijah battles between head and heart believing he is just as bad as the monsters he is hired to take down.

The relationship between Elijah and Penelope begins when Elijah rescues Penelope from a serial killer. A short lived, forbidden affair finds Penelope walking away to save Elijah’s job but Elijah refuses to buckle under the pressure of the people in charge. The $ex scenes are passionate and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters play an integral role in the build up of the story line premise. We are introduced to Elijah’s former FBI partner Izaak Jones, Detective Melissa Wright, ask well as Wilde Ways agent Gideon Rainer and his partner, attorney Aspen Gray (Pretend You Want Me 13).

CROSS MY HEART is a story of betrayal and vengeance, jealousy, obsession and rivalry, love and acceptance. The premise is intriguing, engaging and suspenseful; the romance is seductive; the characters are strong, charismatic and edgy.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Protecting Piper
Guarding Gwen
Before Ben
The Heart You Break
Fighting for Her
One Hot Holiday
Ghost of a Chance
Counting on Cole
Chase After Me
Say I Do
Roman Will Fall
The One Who Got Away
Pretend You Want Me

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Hunter and the Heiress by Claire Delacroix-a review

The Hunter and the Heiress (Blood Brothers 2) by Claire Delacroix-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 15, 2022

Nothing could be further from Amaury de Vries’ expectations than being compelled to join a company of mercenaries in the wilds of Scotland, much less one led by his notorious half-brother. He chafes to return to his former life of privilege and knows a wealthy bride will allow him to regain his stolen legacy. Elizabeth is a prize unexpected—beautiful and an heiress—and when she is abducted by barbarians, Amaury’s path is clear. He may not be the sole contender for the lady’s hand, but he knows himself to be the best one—and he will use whatever means necessary to seal his triumphant claim.

All Elizabeth D’Acron desires is to wed for love, but her inheritance has made her both a pawn and a prize. Caught between warring chieftains, her defiance blossoms—she chooses instead to flee with Amaury and make a marriage of convenience, hoping her trust in the gallant knight is not misplaced. She does not expect the beguiling fire awakened by Amaury’s touch, much less his unexpected conquest of her heart, and she dares to hope that true love has found a way.

But Elizabeth’s legacy is not so readily claimed—when Amaury’s plan is revealed, she is shattered to learn that her chivalrous husband is no different from other men. Recognizing that the true prize is his lady wife, Amaury rejoins the company of mercenaries and leads the battl to ensure Elizabeth’s freedom, whatever the cost to himself. Can these two lovers overcome the wounds of the past to build a future together? Or will the secret behind Elizabeth’s inheritance destroy any such hope forever?

••••••

REVIEW:THE HUNTER AND THE HEIRESS is the second instalment in Claire Delacroix’s adult BLOOD BROTHERS historical, medieval romance series focusing on half-brothers Maximilian, Amaury and Rafael. This is hunter and knight Amaury de Vries, and former heiress Elizabeth d’Acron’s story line. THE HUNTER AND THE HEIRESS 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 (Amaury and Elizabeth) THE HUNTER AND THE HEIRESS follows in the aftermath of Amaury’s estranged uncle’s demise, wherein our hero will discover the truth about his family history. Meeting Elizabeth d’Acron, friend and ‘sister of the heart’ to his half-brother Maximilian’s wife Alys Armstrong, stirred something deep within our story line hero but Amaury found himself rescuer and protector when Elizabeth fell victim to a kidnapping, in response to her need to escape an arrange marriage. Returning Elizabeth to her ‘betrothed’ felt all kinds of wrong, and in the aftermath of her wedding and subsequent spiral out of control, Amaury and Elizabeth went on the run, in the wake of threats against Elizabeth’s kin. All was not well upon Elizabeth’s return home, a home and village she no longer recognized, as her uncle who laid claim to the inherited lands failed to look after the people in charge. What ensues is the building relationship between Amaury and Elizabeth as our couple struggle to regain a foothold of the family land, and the potential fall-out as Amaury must prove he is worthy of our story line heroine, a woman who is worth more than he could have ever imagined.

The relationship between Amaury and Elizabeth begins in book one THE WOLF AND THE WITCH, a story where Elizabeth and her ‘sisters’ are accused of being witches. Elizabeth was in hiding, refusing to marry a man she did not love, and Amaury , desperate for coin, captures our heroine, in an effort to return her to her future husband. Elizabeth is a strong willed, self-sufficient heroine with feminist type beliefs before her time. Always hoping to marry for love and not duty, Elizabeth is constantly at odds with Amaury’s ‘old-fashioned but era specific beliefs’ about women and men. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate but mostly implied, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of energetic, and colorful secondary and supporting characters, most of whom have questionable morals and attitudes towards women, money, ownership and $ex. We are introduced to Elizabeth’s estranged Uncle James, as well as several suitors who believe Elizabeth is their’s for the taking.

THE HUNTER AND THE HEIRESS is a detailed and intriguing story of power and betrayal, vengeance and determination, love and honor. The premise is captivating; the romance is seductive and spirited although Amaury refuses to admit there is any chance of a future with our story line heroine; the characters are startling and intense.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one THE WOLF AND THE WITCH

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Decker’s Dilemma (Knights and Dragons) by Chantal Fernando-review

Decker’s Dilemma (Knights and Dragons 1) by Chantal Fernando-review

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 22, 2022

The Knights of Fury and the Wind Dragons MCs come together in New York Times bestselling author Chantal Fernando’s gritty new series.

Wind Dragon princess Cara and ex-cop Decker will have to cross every line to be together—including the law.

At a Turning Point

It was a typical PI gig: track down the client’s newly discovered half sister. For ex-cop Seth Decker, finding Cara Ward was the easy part. Walking away from the sexy schoolteacher is going to be a whole different story.

At a Crossroads

Cara thought she had the road ahead all mapped out—she’d be a biker’s old lady, straddling a Harley behind the man she fell for in her teens. But she’s all grown up. And while the Wind Dragons will always be family, Cara wants something more, something for herself. Decker may not be a biker, but that means his woman will always come first.

Caught in the Cross Fire

Once an MC princess, always an MC princess, though. When Cara’s connection to the Wind Dragons puts her in the line of fire from a gang out for revenge, Decker realizes the safest place for her is by his side. After all, there’s nothing he won’t do to protect the woman he loves. Even if it means crossing the line of the law he once swore to uphold.

Knights & Dragons MC

••••••

REVIEW: DECKER’S DILEMMA is the first instalment in Chantal Fernando’s KNIGHTS AND DRAGONS MC romance series-a blending of the author’s KNIGHTS OF FURY and WIND DRAGONS MC series. This is former police officer turned private investigator Seth Decker, and school teacher Cara Ward’s story line. DECKER’S DILEMMA can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the original series is revealed where necessary. Several of the characters cross over from both series. Cara is best friend’s with Clover Black (Fallen Princess/Wind Dragons MC 7).

Told from dual first person perspectives (Cara and Decker) DECKER’S DILEMMA follows former police officer turned PI Seth Decker as he goes in search of Cara Ward, a woman he knows very little about. His latest assignment as a PI finds Decker looking for the a client’s half sister, an assignment with personal connections to the Wind Dragons MC. Seth Decker is the former law enforcement partner of Felix Banks, whose wife Clover Black is a princess with the Wind Dragons MC, and as such Decker will be caught in the middle when everything spirals out of control. Decker witnesses Cara’s current relationship implode, and comes to the rescue of our story line heroine, who will find herself the target of a local gang, vowing vengeance for the shooting by a member of the Wind Dragons MC. What ensues is the quick building romance and relationship between Cara and Decker, and the potential fall-out as the Wind Dragons call in reinforcements from the Knights of Fury when one of their own is threatened, and the attacks become more personal and potentially deadly.

Seth Decker doesn’t do relationships but finds himself considering a future with our story line heroine. Having just caught her long-term boyfriend with someone else, Cara never expected to fall so fast but falling for Decker was easy the longer they spent more time together. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters with several members from both the Knights of Fury and Wind Dragons MC including Clover Black and Felix Banks. We are introduced to Cara’s half-sister Constance Wilder, Decker’s boss and PI boss Nadia, as well as Cara’s ex boyfriend Rhett Madden, the heir apparent to the Wind Dragons MC, and the Forgotten Children aka FC gang.

DECKER’S DILEMMA is a story of betrayal and vengeance, love and friendships. The premise is engaging and dramatic; the romance is seductive and frenzied; the characters are familiar, charismatic and tenacious.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Reading Cafe’s 10th Anniversary Celebration 9 -Prize Package

The Reading Cafe’s 10th Anniversary Celebration Giveaway-Today’s Prize Package

NOTE: All giveaways require a comment to qualify

Please be aware some of the books offered may be ARC copies from the publisher which may or may not have gone through final edits or final cover copy

The Reading Cafe is offering a 3 paper/print ARC book prize package for today’s giveaway

ONE (1) commenter will WIN all THREE (3) books.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by 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 onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please tell us to enter you into the giveaway.

4. LIKE and FOLLOW The Reading Cafe on FACEBOOK for an additional entry.

5. FOLLOW The Reading Cafe on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW The Reading Cafe on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs February 18-28, 2022

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Inflamed by an Incubus by Felicity Heaton-Review & Giveaway Tour

Inflamed by an Incubus (Eternal Mates 19) by Felicity Heaton-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com.au / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play / Apple Books USA | Apple Books UK | Apple Books Canada | Apple Books Australia | Apple Books NZ

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release February 15, 2022.

Fated to be together. Cursed to be apart.

Condemned by a blood mage as an act of revenge, Fenix will do anything to shatter the eternal cycle of losing his beautiful phoenix shifter mate whenever she falls for him again. As he hunts for a way to break the curse, he battles the fierce compulsion to find her latest incarnation, but a moment of weakness brings him to the last place she lived—and what he finds there changes everything.

When a wickedly handsome incubus attacks her partner, Evelyn does what any Archangel hunter would—she takes him down and takes him in. But there’s something about the alluring fae, something that teases at her lost memories, and the powerful pull she feels towards him has her falling dangerously under his spell and brings her to a life-shattering realisation.

Swept up in a tempest of danger and with a dark threat on the rise, can Fenix find the one who cursed them before fate steals his mate from him this time? Or will the soul-searing passion that blazes between them burn everything to ashes again to restart the cycle?

••••••

REVIEW:INFLAMED BY AN INCUBUS is the nineteenth instalment in Felicity Heaton’s adult ETERNAL MATES paranormal/fantasy romance series. This is phoenix shifter Aderyn aka Evelyn, and incubus Fenix’s story line. INFLAMED BY THE INCUBUS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary but for backstory and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order as it pertains to the organization known as Archangel, a group of human hunters whose prime directive is to torture and destroy anything immortal.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Evelyn and Fenix) INFLAMED BY AN INCUBUS follows the search and rescue of Fenix’s fated mate Aderyn, now known as Evelyn. Years earlier, Aderyn killed the mate of a powerful mage, and our couple were cursed to never find one another, and if they did, to never fall in love lest Aderyn dies, only to rise and never remember our story line hero. Fast forward to present day wherein Fenix finds his mate is working for the group known as Archangel, a group of humans who capture, torture and kill anyone and anything they deem supernatural. Following his mate, Fenix discovers that Evelyn has been partnered with someone who is not quite human, a man who is determined to use our heroine for another purpose. With the help of mad elf Vail, and his mate Rosalind the witch, Fenix sets out to rescue a woman who may not want to be rescued, at all. What ensues is the recovery of Evelyn, and the potential fall-out as Fenix and Evelyn search for the mage who continues to destroy so many lives.

The relationship between is Evelyn and Fenix is one of fated mates, ripped apart by vengeance and grief. Like MacKenzie (Scorched by Darkness) Aderyn believed she is the last of her kind but as Evelyn will discover that betrayal runs deep and dark in the world of the mage. As Fenix struggles to ensure Evelyn is free, he knows that for Evelyn to fall in love means another death, and a rise to be forgotten. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

The secondary and supporting characters include Vail and Rosalind (Tempted by a Rogue Prince 3), Mackenzie and Hartt (Scorched by Darkness 18), Talon (Turned by A Tiger 12), and Kyter (Hunted by a Jaguar 4), as well as the introduction of Archer, Mage Drystan, and Aryanna. Our couple are separated for a good portion of the story line.

INFLAMED BY AN INCUBUS is a story of power and control, vengeance and betrayal, fate and love. The premise is detailed, complex and entertaining; the romance is fated ; the characters are energetic, powerful and determined.

Reading Order 

Book 1: Kissed by a Dark Prince  ( currently FREE !)
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
Book 15: Unchained by a Forbidden Love
Book 16: Avenged by an Angel
Seduced by a Demon King
Scorched by Darkness

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

Aderyn grunted as she hauled Fenix into a deep, dank area that came and went, flowing in and out of focus as he struggled to remain awake. Her fear seeped into him through their bond, a tangible thing that drove him to reassure her, to steal that emotion away by somehow healing the gaping hole in his side that was leaking blood.
Probably leaving a trail of it for someone to follow.
His beautiful mate adjusted her grip on his shoulders, fisting the black leather jerkin he wore, her claws piercing the material. “Stay with me, Fenix.”
She sounded desperate, her usually light voice strained with fatigue and fear, and he reached for the connection that linked them, needing to soothe her.
“That trick is not going to work this time.” She huffed and grunted as she dragged him into a large cavern and paused to look around. He stared up at her and wanted to curse when she kept wavering in and out of focus, a blur of spun gold and violet one moment and clear the next. She glanced down at him, worry in her pale eyes that almost matched the colour of her hair as it swayed away from her purple leather corset. “This will do.”
She eased him down onto his back and he grimaced as his side blazed. He needed to get a look at the wound because it felt as if someone had punched a hole clean through him. The surrounding area felt cold, the chilly air in the cavern sucking the heat from the blood that continued to pump from him. He was losing too much.
Aderyn eased to her knees beside him and looked him over, the worry in her golden eyes growing as her fine eyebrows furrowed. Those eyes darted to meet his. “We need to help this close.”
Fenix swallowed hard and shook his head, because if she did what he thought she was going to do, then he would pass out and he needed to remain awake. He needed to be here for her, in case the mage came after them again.
“Should not… have… killed her.” Every word was a struggle as he pushed them from his lips and he hated the way her expression shifted, her emotions changing with it.
He didn’t want to hurt her, but it had been a mistake to kill the wife of the mage, a female Aderyn had befriended and believed able to help her find a way to reopen the gateway between this world and the one of her phoenix kin—a portal that had been sealed shut for centuries. He could understand the betrayal had wounded her and part of him couldn’t blame her for how she had reacted. He had felt how crushed she had been when they had discovered the female had wanted to lure Aderyn into a trap, gifting her husband with the power contained in Aderyn’s phoenix blood.
But killing her hadn’t been the answer.
The mage had come after them because of what Aderyn had done.
Fenix gazed up at her, seeing how much she still hurt because of the betrayal, that pain hidden beneath the worry she felt for him. He cursed the mage’s wife, the less reasonable part of him—the part ruled by his instincts as her fated mate—wishing he had been the one to make her pay for how she had treated Aderyn.
His kind, beautiful Aderyn.
If his female had one flaw, it was that she always saw the good in people and never the bad.
He supposed his flaw was that he too often saw the bad in people and not the good.
The corners of his lips twitched at that.
Fate truly had made them for each other.
Aderyn leaned over him and claimed his lips, tearing a low groan from him as hunger surged and he felt her strength pouring into him. He greedily devoured what she offered to him, savouring her kiss as he fed upon it, part of him trying to hold back his own needs so he didn’t hurt her while the rest of him craved more, demanded he take everything from her. She tasted of heat and spice, a hint of smoke and love. He wanted her to break this kiss while at the same time he never wanted it to end.
A warm haze rolled through him, fogging his mind as his incubus nature rose to the fore and attempted to steal control. He relished the feel of her lips upon his and how strong she was—strong enough to withstand him even when he was starved, maddened by a need to feed. A weaker female would have been killed by him in the throes of his hunger, when he was mindless and vicious in his pursuit of the pleasure that would feed him. Not his Aderyn.
His mate had brought him back from the brink more than once, feeding him well enough to leave him sated for weeks, surrendering herself to him and giving him more than sustenance. She gave him pleasure too. Something he had never truly felt with anyone other than her.
She drew back and feathered her fingers down his cheek, concern shimmering in her eyes as they shone with flecks of amber fire and her brow furrowed. He mourned the loss of the feel of her touch as she sat back and glanced down at his side, her expression growing sombre.
“I am sorry.” She gave him that look, the one that said this was killing her but she was going to do it anyway, was going to go against his wishes and deal with the wound. “I cannot let you bleed out.”
Was it that bad?
He moaned and grimaced, his lips pulling taut as he tried to sit up and get a look at the wound the mage had dealt him when he had struck him with a glowing orb of blue magic that had poured lightning through Fenix’s veins. Pain blazed through him, stole his breath and ripped an agonised bellow from him that echoed around the cavern as he sank back against the damp stone ground. He struggled for air, his heart labouring as he fought to remain conscious.
Aderyn pressed her right hand to his shoulder and leaned over him, and he had the feeling she was doing it to keep him in place. She smiled softly.
“Look at me, Fenix.”
He shifted his gaze to lock with hers, cursed her in his mind when he saw the apology in her pale golden eyes and knew in his heart it wasn’t only because she was about to hurt him.
“Do not,” he croaked, desperation flooding him, making him restless as a need to stop her from doing something so reckless and dangerous seized him.
Her smile wobbled.
Heat blazed across his side, the firelight chasing over the sculpted planes of her face as she gazed down at him, as tears lined her eyelashes.
Fenix tipped his head back and screamed as the scent of burning flesh reached his nostrils, choking him. Every inch of him was on fire, on the verge of turning to ashes.
Darkness rolled up on him and he fought it, desperately clung to consciousness, aware that if he passed out then no one would be here to stop Aderyn from doing something foolish.
But he wasn’t strong enough to hold back the rising inky tide and it swallowed him.
The sound of water dripping in the distance roused him from the dark embrace of sleep.
Fenix groaned as awareness slowly returned, his senses gradually coming back online. His side throbbed at the same tempo as his heartbeat and he swallowed thickly, his mouth as dry as ash.
“Aderyn?” he husked, willing her to respond as the haze of pain and sleep cleared from his mind and he remembered what had happened.
Only the plip-plip-plip of water answered him.
He gritted his teeth and rolled to his right, away from his injured side, and opened his eyes. Everything was blurred. He rubbed at his eyes, clearing the salty grit from them, and tried again. A cave greeted him. Dark. Damp.
Empty, save for him.
“Aderyn?” He tried again, louder this time, hoping she was somewhere nearby and would hear him.
Only he couldn’t sense her.
His connection to her was weak, like a fragile strand of spider silk that could snap with the gentlest of touches.
Fenix got onto his knees, grimacing as small chips of basalt bit into them through his black leathers and jabbed his palms. He scanned the cavern again, aching to see Aderyn, to know that she was safe and hadn’t done something reckless.
Even when he knew in his heart that she had.
She had gone after the mage, still believed he knew the way to open the gateway, that he was the key to succeeding where she had failed so many times before.
He needed to get to her.
He needed to stop her before it was too late.
He pressed his hand to his left side, the hole in his black jerkin so large that he could fit his entire hand in it. The skin beneath his palm was puckered and sore, tender to the touch, but it was healed.
She had saved him.
Now he would save her.
His beautiful mate was headstrong and obsessed, driven by her desire to reunite with her people, and while he couldn’t understand that, he could understand the need that blazed within him—a desire to reunite with her.
He pushed onto his feet, collapsed back to his knees as his legs gave out, and then tried again, refusing to give up. He was healed and that meant he was moving, going after his female. There was no way in this world or the mortal one that he was going to let her face the mage alone.
Drystan would kill her.
Or worse.
He would use her as a source of power, slowly destroying her by stealing her blood to fuel his magic and his immortality.
Fenix couldn’t let that happen.
He made it onto his feet and turned slowly, not trusting his legs. His senses reached out around him but he still felt nothing—no trace of Aderyn—so he focused on himself instead, summoning his strength.
And teleported.
His knees buckled as his boots hit the uneven black ground and his head spun as he tried to look around him, the strange dead garden of the obsidian stone house wobbling in and out of focus.
A scream blasted through the air.
His heart squeezed.
“Aderyn.”
His head whipped to his left, towards the small two-storey house and he teleported inside, stumbled and slammed into a wall. The scent of sulphur and smoke hit him, laced with the tinny smell of magic, and he pushed off, staggering along a wide hallway towards his mate. He could feel her there, ahead of him somewhere. He clenched his jaw as his head turned again, gripped his side and pushed onwards, refusing to let the weakness invading him stop him from reaching her.
His mate needed him.
Another scream cut him to his soul.
“Aderyn!” he bellowed and teleported again, grimaced as he landed on his hands and knees this time and his vision tunnelled.
He was pushing his luck.
He sucked down a breath.
Froze as the scent of blood hit him.
“Aderyn,” he whispered and lifted his head, wanted to roar in fury as he spotted her.
The white-haired mage held her by her throat, colourful glyphs swirling around his hand and her head as she struggled against him, her legs flailing a few feet off the ground. Her boots caught the flowing hem of the black robes the mage wore, each frantic kick knocking the material away from his leathers.
Panic seized Fenix’s lungs as he sensed her weakening. His gaze darted over her and stopped when he found the cut on her neck.
Crimson dripped from it, but rather than flowing down her chest to seep into her violet leather corset, those droplets rose into the air, slowly lifting upwards until they reached a point just above her head, where they gathered into a rippling sphere.
“Let her go.” Fenix pushed onto his feet and grimaced as his right leg gave out and he staggered sideways. He grunted as he hit a heavy wooden bench table and sagged against it. His side blazed as the mage turned cold red eyes on him.
Malice filled them, fury so dark and deep that Fenix swore he could feel the male’s rage.
Drystan slid Aderyn a look.
She screamed, throwing her head back as her body contorted, as another cut appeared on her chest and began to spill more crimson.
“No.” Fenix lunged for her, desperate now. “Let her go. She—”
“She killed my wife,” Drystan snarled, his face blackening as he angled it towards Fenix again. “And now she wishes to kill me.”
Fenix shook his head. “She only wants to open the gateway.”
The mage spat, “Lies. She wants me dead. All her kind do. I lived a peaceful life. I had all I needed… meant to live with my mortal wife for the rest of our days and then pass on as she did.”
His face twisted in vicious lines as he cast a black look at Aderyn where she struggled in his grip, her movements weaker now.
“And she took that life from me.”
Fenix gritted his teeth, anger surging through him too now. “Your wife was luring her into a trap. She meant to gift you with Aderyn’s blood to make you live longer!”
“I will not hear your lies. My sweet Cyra wanted to do no such thing. She was happy as we were.”
Fenix didn’t think she had been. Drystan’s sweet Cyra had spoken of immortality, had seemed desperate and wild when Aderyn had realised what she had intended to do to her and had turned on her.
“Cyra wanted her blood. She wanted to be immortal and she thought you could make it happen.” Fenix growled those words, feeling as desperate and wild as Cyra had been as he looked at Aderyn and saw her fading. She was losing too much blood. If the mage stole much more of it, she wouldn’t be able to resurrect. “Let her go.”
Drystan opened his hand and dropped her.
She hit the ground hard, slumped onto her side and didn’t move. Fenix hurried to her, his heart lodged in his throat as his senses locked onto her. She had to be all right. He couldn’t live without her. Didn’t want to.
He sank to his knees beside her and pulled her onto her back, so she was resting with her head on his thighs. “Wake up, Aderyn.”
The mage stared down at them and Fenix struggled to keep his focus on her as her eyelids fluttered. Her pale golden eyes opened, a glassy quality to them that he didn’t like as she struggled to lift them to meet his. He stroked her cheek, wishing he could give her strength as she could give it to him. If he could, he would drain himself to the brink of death to save her from it.
His eyes misted as he gazed down at her, as he fought to believe that she would make it through this death and that the mage hadn’t taken too much precious blood from her. Her power was in that blood and if the mage had stolen too much of it and she died—
“She will die,” Drystan said. “There is no way of stopping that now.”
“Shut up.” Fenix kept his focus on his mate. “Come on now, sweetheart. Do not do this to me.”
Her eyes slipped shut and his chest constricted.
But then they fluttered open again.
“I loved as deeply as you do, and that love was ripped from me.” The mage came to loom over him and Fenix looked up at him, that tight feeling growing in his chest again as he saw the darkness in the male’s red eyes.
The need for revenge.
Fenix shook his head, silently imploring the male to leave her alone, to leave them both alone.
“I will ensure she does not come after you again. Please. Let her live.” Fenix’s brow furrowed as he gathered Aderyn closer and crossed his arms over her chest in a protective gesture that he knew was futile. If the mage wanted to get to her, he would. Fenix wasn’t strong enough to stop him.
“Oh, she will live. As will you.” The white-haired male raised his hand and closed his eyes, muttered words in a foreign tongue that had the hairs on Fenix’s nape rising and charged the air around him.
Tiny sparks of electricity skittered over his arms and he shook his head as Aderyn moaned and tried to curl up into a ball.
The mage crouched and reached for her.
Fenix batted his hand away and glared at him.
Locked up tight as the male’s crimson eyes collided with his.
Fenix unleashed a frustrated snarl when he tried to move and found he couldn’t. Damn this mage. He tried to yell at the male, to make him leave her alone, but his mouth wouldn’t cooperate.
All he could do was watch as the mage pressed his palm to her chest and continued to mutter something over and over again.
The mage’s red gaze lifted to meet his.
Blazed like fire as the static charge in the air grew stronger.
Aderyn disappeared.
The mage rose to stand before Fenix, his gaze never straying from him, burning like an inferno but as cold as ice.
“I condemn you both. Her to die and forget you if she ever recalls her love for you. You to forever chase her ghost, desperate to make her love you again.”
Drystan turned his back on him and strode away. He disappeared before he reached the door of the room, but his words lingered in the icy air.
“Enjoy your eternity.”


 

Felicity 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:

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Enter the grand tour-wide giveaway to win one of five signed paperbacks and swag packs at the Inflamed by an Incubus book page. This giveaway is international and open to everyone, and ends at midnight on February 28th. Enter now:

https://www.felicityheaton.com/inflamed-by-an-incubus-paranormal-romance-novel.php

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