Tag Archives: 1001 Dark Nights

THE SUBSTITUTE (Single in Seattle 5.5) by Kristen Proby-review

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THE SUBSTITUTE (Single in Seattle 5.5) by Kristen Proby-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 20, 2024

Derek Langley can’t keep an assistant to save his life. He’s grumpy, demanding, and sometimes mean, which mirrors his reputation in court. Derek doesn’t have time to coddle an employee, so when the temp agency informs him their next placement will be the last, he knows he’s doomed.

Maya Sterling is excited to move to Seattle. She wants to be closer to her siblings and her new friends, and a position with a temp agency fits the bill for her new life in the city. She doesn’t plan on walking in and finding a sexy British grouch for a boss, but his gruff nature doesn’t really bother her. In fact, she’s attracted to his rough-around-the-edges nature.

They quickly realize the attraction is mutual and steam up the office. But Maya’s position with Derek is temporary, and she knows she must maintain a professional distance to preserve her sanity.

Will they be able to resist each other? Or does fate have other plans?

••••••

REVIEW: THE SUBSTITUTE by Kristen Proby is a contemporary, adult, erotic, novella found in the author’s SINGLE IN SEATTLE series, and a part of the 1001 Dark Nights multi-authored series. This is attorney Derek Langley, and PA Maya Sterling’s story line. THE SUBSTITUTE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. May is Grayson Sterling’s sister (The Scandal)

Told from dual first person perspectives (Derek and Maya) THE SUBSTITUTE follows Maya Sterling as she struggles with a direction in life. Having spent six months touring Europe, Maya returns home, excited about a move to Seattle but leaving her parents is hard, in the face of her mother’s ongoing failing health. Working for a temp agency, Maya begins a thirty day trial period with attorney Derek Langley, a man whose reputation as a difficult boss, and toxic environment precedes his introduction to our story line heroine but form the outset Maye refuses to bow to Derek’s demands, and in the end, places her own boundaries when they both cross the line. What ensues is the rapidly building relationship between our story line couple, and the potential fall-out as Maya’s time with Derek comes to a close.

The relationship is one of immediate attraction but Derek doesn’t do relationships; he’s demanding and over bearing; and expects perfection from everyone in his life. Falling for Maya was never in the future but Derek knew Maya was the woman to calm his heart. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate.

We are reintroduced to several members of Maya’s family including her brother Grayson Sterling, and both Maya and Derek’s parents.

THE SUBSTITUTE is a story of family, friendships, relationships and love; forgiveness and acceptance. The fast paced premise is enthralling and captivating; the romance is fast and furious; the characters are determined, strong and dynamic.

Reading Order and Previous reviews
The Secret
The Surprise
The Scandal
The Scramble
The Score
The Set Up
The Stand In

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

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New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves. Kristen lives in Montana with her husband and their four pets, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.

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Happily Ever Maybe (Montgomery Ink Legacy) by Carrie Ann Ryan

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Happily Ever Maybe (Montgomery Ink Legacy 1001 / Dark Nights) by Carrie Ann Ryan-review & excerpt

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 13, 2024

It was only supposed to be one job.

I know the rules.
Get in. Get out.
Protect the girl, then move on.
Only it never works out the way it should.
Now Jennifer and I work with each other and there’s no going back to normal.

Then it turned into something more.

Gus isn’t for me. I know that.
Only the chemistry that burns between us won’t fade away.
We promise it will only be one night.
Then another.
But when our actions have consequences that could mean the end of our future, we’ll have to figure out exactly what we want.
Even if it means walking away broken before it begins.

••••••

REVIEW:Guess who’s back…back again? The Montgomery’s and they are playing with all of my emotions! Happily Ever Maybe by the ever talented Carrie Ann Ryan is the next story in the Montgomery Ink Legacy series. Now this one is a novella, so it’s a but shorter, but nonetheless it is packed with all the goodness CAR is known for.

Gus and Jen are co-workers and partners now in the Montgomery Security Firm, both love their jobs, but both are feeling more than a little “friendly” with each other. Neither however want to make the first move and mess up their friendship or their working relationship. But what always happens in a good ole romance novel? That’s right. They finally give into their chemistry and agree to a glorified one-night stand. Yeah right. Neither of them was ready for what the night unlocked for them.

I will always go for CAR books. Her characters are so relatable and real when reading. Jen and Gus were a hoot! Jen is a baddie and she knows it, but under that strong personality is a soft, feminine woman just waiting for the right guy to make a move. Gus, well he holds a special place in my heart. He is everything you would want in an alpha guy; but with a golden boy personality. He is so sweet and I just love it for Jen. CAR is a word wizard and I can’t wait to see what she has waiting for us next.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Bittersweet Promises
At First Meet
Happily Ever Never 2.5
Longtime Crush
Best Friend Temptation

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sarah

 

 

But for some reason, I was edgy now.
No, that was a lie. It wasn’t just some reason. I knew exactly what it was.
And it wasn’t Daisy and Kane, my fellow team members today. No, it was the other one.
Her.
I didn’t want to think about her, but I wasn’t sure I could stop. I needed to, however. My job demanded it.
I was a bodyguard and an installer. I not only protected my clients and charges, I also installed security equipment for businesses and homes. While my bosses laid out the security profiles and programs for large corporations and small residences—and also worked with cybersecurity—I did the installs when I wasn’t on bodyguard duty. I enjoyed both aspects of my job and was talented at it.
Yet it didn’t feel like that.
Not with her.
It was always hard to think about anything when it came to Jennifer. My coworker and my nemesis. Not that she knew she was my nemesis. No, that was all on me.
Those blue-gray eyes of hers were piercing and saw everything. At least when it came to the job. She could scent an incoming threat as quickly as I could, and that was saying something. I might be cocky as fuck when it came to my job, but it was for a reason.
And Jennifer was sometimes even better.
Her dark brown hair was pulled into a tight bun away from her face. I liked it when her hair was down, though, since it fell in soft waves past her shoulders. She pulled it back in a ponytail or a braid when she was working out, but when she was on duty, like today, it was in a bun, so nobody could use it against her in a fight.
I always kept my hair decently short, but my beard was getting longer. I’d probably have to trim it soon. I wasn’t trying to blend in like I had with my old job when everybody had long beards, and I was undercover. Now, I needed to trim it a bit so nobody could pull it in a fight.
But Jennifer? She’d thought about all of that already. Hence the bun.
She was slim with a narrow waist and average height—though not much about her was average. But that delicate frame was all muscle. She could bench press more than a few of the guys on the team and kick any of our asses on any given day. Hell, she’d pinned me to the ground once, and I nearly swallowed my tongue. And then I’d had to hide my erection from her. Like I did most days. Because Jennifer was a distraction.
My distraction.


 

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Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, paranormal, and young adult romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Fractured Connections, and Elements of Five series, which have sold over 3.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over seventy-five novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not losing herself in her emotional and action-packed worlds, she’s reading as much as she can while wrangling her clowder of cats who have more followers than she does.

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Just One Summer (Dirty Dares) by Carly Phillips-review tour

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Just One Summer (Dirty Dares/ 1001 Dark Nights) by Carly Phillips-review & excerpt tour

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Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3OyVPe9

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 30, 2024

Gabriella Davenport is a gorgeous, twenty-two-year-old virgin with a trust fund, vacationing in the Hamptons for the summer and running from family pressure to marry someone she doesn’t like, let alone love.

Maddox James is a sexy bar manager, older than Gabby by a decade. Though he made his fortune on Wall Street, he has returned to his working-class roots with a healthy distrust of wealthy women.

✔️ Grumpy Sunshine
✔️ Age Gap
✔️ Virgin
✔️ Good Girl/Bad Boy
✔️ Opposites Attract
✔️ Close Proximity

The last of the Dirty Dare series is here. Don’t miss this sexy standalone novella!

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series.

••••

REVIEW:JUST ONE SUMMER is the final instalment in Carly Phillips’ contemporary, adult DIRTY DARE erotic, romance series, a part of the 1001 Dark Nights. This is twenty-two year old, heiress an artist Gabriella Davenport, and thirty-two year old, bar tender Maddox James’ story line. JUST ONE SUMMER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Gabrielle and Maddox) JUST ONE SUMMER follows the building romance and relationship between our story line couple. Gabrielle Davenport’s life is no longer under her control. When her parents picked the man she was supposed to marry, Gabrielle fled, finding solace in margaritas at The Back Door bar but Gabrielle never expected to meet her future and her savior in the guise of Maddox James, the man with whom Gabrielle will fall in love. As Gabby begins to exert her independence, the wealthy Davenport clan return to claim their wayward daughter. What ensues is the building relationship between Gabrielle and Maddox, and the potential fall-out as Gabby refuses to return to the family home.

The relationship between Gabby and Maddox is one of insta-lust to love. Maddox works at the Dare owned family bar but his trading in high finance reveals a connection to Gabby’s past. As Gabby finds a home with Maddox James, her new found independence proves she is capable of making it on her own. The $ex scenes are passionate and seductive.

The secondary and supporting characters are questionable including Gabby’s parents. With the support of her grandmother and sister Penelope, Gabby has found a future with our story line hero.

JUST ONE SUMMER is a novella length story set in the Dirty Dare world. The premise is entertaining and fun; the romance is energetic and flirtatious; the characters are determined and dynamic.

 

Previous Reviews and Reading Order

Just One Night
Just One Scandal
Just One Chance
Just One Spark
4.5 Just One Wish
Just One Dare
Just One Kiss
Just One Taste
Just One Tease

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

Haven’t started the series? Book one JUST ONE NIGHT is FREE at these ebook retailers:

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play / Apple /

 

He settled his free hand on her other shoulder and she leaned into his protective grasp. “You deserve better,” he said in a husky voice. “You should have people in your life you can trust.”
She swallowed hard at the sincerity in his voice, pushing back the lump in her throat. It wasn’t often she let herself think about what she was missing in her life. It wouldn’t do her any good. Her focus had always been on looking ahead and making sure she held tight to whatever convictions she could. Like standing firm against her parents’ desire for her to date and marry Preston.
“I have my grandmother. She knows where I am and she’d never say a word,” she murmured. “I have my sister. And now I have you.”
His eyes opened wide, his surprise evident. She understood. She wasn’t sure what had possessed her to include him in her tiny circle, but her gut told her it was true. He’d given her a place to stay, allowed her to help at the bar he managed, let her paint in his house, and most importantly, he’d kept Preston away. Not to mention, he’d threatened him on her behalf.
Yes, she could trust Maddox James.
She also wanted him. Wanted him to kiss her without reservation this time. Wanted to see his muscled, sexy body naked and aroused for her, and to feel his warmth on her skin.
She wanted him to take her virginity.
There was so much he could show her, teach her, and make her feel. Though she knew, even if she convinced Maddox to let himself go, this thing between them could only be temporary. He’d already listed his reasons he wasn’t right for her.
Even if she knew he was wrong.
Despite the obstacles, Gabby wouldn’t be deterred. She met his hooded gaze and saw the desire in his eyes. He was feeling the same need.
“Maddox? Are you going to push me away again?” she asked in a whisper.
A long moment passed, and she waited, anxious and nervous. She couldn’t handle another rejection, but she’d never regret putting herself out there. She sensed he’d be worth it.
A low growl sounded from inside him and he finally caved, lowering his head, his mouth inches from hers. “I want you, Gabby.”

After a successful fifteen-year career with various New York publishing houses, and over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels published, N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips is now an Indie author who writes to her own expectations and that of her readers. She continues the tradition of hot men and strong women and plans to publish many more sizzling stories. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She’s a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she’s a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers.

Website  Mailing List   NewsletterGoodreads  Amazon  Facebook  Twitter

Text Updates of New Releases  Carly’s Corner!  Instagram

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ROCK CHICK REMATCH (Rock Chick 9.5)by Kristen Ashley-tour

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ROCK CHICK REMATCH (Rock Chick 9.5 / 1001 Dark Nights) by Kristen Ashley-review tour

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Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 23, 2024

In high school, Malia Clark found the man of her dreams.

Darius Tucker.

But life hits them full in the face way before it ever should. Darius makes a drastic decision to keep his family safe and Malia leaves town with a secret.

When Malia returns, she seeks Darius to share all, but Darius finds out before she can tell him. At the same time, she finds out just how much Darius has changed in the years she’s been away.

She just refuses to give up on him.

Until he forces her hand.

Secrets come between Malia and Darius, at the same time Malia has to worry about weird things going on at the law firm where she works, her kid wants a car and she’s stuck in slow-cooker hell. Luckily, her ride or dies have her back.

And in the meantime, she might just learn she never should have lost hope in Darius Tucker.

••••••

REVIEW: ROCK CHICK REMATICH by Kristen Ashley is instalment 9.5 in the author’s contemporary, adult ROCK CHICK erotic, romance series, and a part of the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights. This is Darius Tucker and Malia Clark’s story line. ROCK CHICK REMATCH can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order as Darius and Malia’s story is revealed throughout.

Told from first person perspective (Malia) covering approximately sixteen years, ROCK CHICK REMATCH focuses on the acrimonious and strained relationship between our story line couple. Approximately sixteen years earlier, a then sixteen year old Malia fell in love with our story line hero but life would deal Darius and Malia a devastating blow, and for the next sixteen years Darius would come in and out of Malia’s life whenever he wanted or felt he was needed. Fast forward to present day, Darius is a changed man, a new job, a new perspective, and Darius wants another chance with the woman he has never stopped loving, a chance at the family he has always wanted.

The world building follows Malia as she struggles with her love for a man who is keeping secret a life she knows nothing about. Pushing Malia out of his life, Darius knew he was protecting those unable to protect themselves but sixteen years of secrets and lies meant Malia would struggle between head and heart to forgive the man she never stopped loving.

The relationship between Darius and Malia is fractured at best. Sixteen years earlier, after professing their love for one another, Darius’ life imploded, and he walked away from the only woman he would ever love. Malia moved, desperate for a support system from the people she loved but upon her return, Darius would discover the secret Malia has kept for several years. With Darius coming in and out of Malia’s life, she still knew very little about the man she believed wanted something else. 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 familiar, colorful, energetic and fun secondary and supporting characters, most of whom we have met in the previous story lines including the ‘Rock Chicks’.

ROCK CHICK REMATCH is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, power and control, desperation, forgiveness, acceptance and love. The fast paced, character driven premise is intriguing, heart breaking and captivating; the romance struggle in the face of deception and secrets; the characters are broken, desperate, determined and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn’t taken her first breath!).

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

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Darkest Need (Dark Ones / 1001 Dark Nights) by Rachel Van Dyken

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DARKEST NEED (Dark Ones Novella / 1001 Dark Nights ) by Rachel Van Dyken-review & excerpt tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 10, 2023

I see everything. I feel everything.
I watch people fall in love. I watch them burn with hate, anger, rage, and I see the cycle repeat over and over again. I take it on every night I work at Timber, aka Anubis’s bar in downtown Seattle, and then I help the rest of the immortals keep the very intense balance between Heaven and Earth.

I see everyone’s future but mine, and when I try to look, all I see is darkness, despair, need…

Until she walks into my bar with bruises on her face, getting pulled by one of the lesser demons. I do what any good bartender would do… I beat him within an inch of his life and turn my eyes to her.
By then, it’s too late.
She already has me in her grasp.
A succubus that has no other plan than to suck me clean of every inch of power that’s been bestowed on me by the Heavens.

I never thought my future involved getting kidnapped and tied up or that I’d die by way of sex—then again, maybe that’s for the best. Dying at the hands of my enemy rather than being one more burden to my already mated friends.

After all, giving into one last need before death, while selfish, may be exactly what my darkness means.

My need is great.
And she’s about to find out just how much.

•••••

REVIEW: DARKEST NEED is a contemporary, adult, novella found in Rachel Van Dyken’s DARK ONES paranormal, fantasy series, and a part of the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights. This is Tarek, werewolf prince, and demon/succubus Lilith’s story line. DARKEST NEED can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order to learn about each member of the immortal council.

Told from three first person perspectives (Cassius, Lilith and Tarek) using present day and memories from the past DARKEST NEED focuses on the seduction of our story line hero. Lilith knows what she must do, and Tarek is her target but Tarek for all of the power of a prince quickly discovers that his life is to be forfeited for sins of the past. Lilith and Tarek have history, one that Tarek no longer remembers but it is their history that continues to bind the couple together.

The world building continues to focuses on life and death-someone must die in order for someone to live; sacrifice and survival, blood and memories, gods and goddesses, betrayal and revenge.

The relationship between Tarek and Lilith is one of need: Lilith is to seduce our story line hero, ensuring his death by $ex is one he will never forget. As Lilith ensures a sacrifice in order to live, she will realize that love may be stronger than the need to survive. The $ex scenes are passionate but mostly implied.

Most of the previous story line couples return as secondary and supporting characters. The Fallen Angel Cassius continues to struggle with the life and death cycles, the sacrifices in order to survive, as he watches his friends suffer to keep the world in balance.

DARKEST NEED is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, madness and mayhem, death and resurrection, forgiveness and love. The fast paced, character driven premise is intriguing and engaging; the romance is limited to dreams, sacrifice and acceptance; the characters are magical, powerful and determined.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

________

THE DARK ONES
(Dark Ones Saga 1)
by Rachel Van Dyken
Genre: adult, paranormal, fantasy, romance

Amazon.ca / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /

ebook FREE at these outlets: Amazon.com / B&N /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 2015

To touch a Dark One is death.
To talk to an immortal is suicide.
Yet, I’ve been marked by both.
A Vampire.
And the King of the immortals.
My life is no longer my own.
And now I know the truth, my life was never mine to begin with.
It was theirs.
It’s always been theirs.

••••••

REVIEW: THE DARK ONES is the first full-length instalment in Rachel Van Dyken’s adult DARK ONES SAGA paranormal/fantasy romance series. This is ancient vampire Ethan, and human Genesis’ story line.

NOTE: There is a prequel novella DARK ORIGINS that explains some of the history but it was either released in a newsletter or part of an anthology.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Ethan and Genesis) THE DARK ONES follows in the wake of the immortals choosing a human. It has been fifty years since the immortals have chosen a human female, a female that has been educated in the ways of the supernatural but Genesis will quickly discover that her education had been wrong, misleading and full of lies. Throughout her life Genesis was lead to belief she was never good enough, pretty enough or smart enough to be one of the chosen but when her ‘number was called, Genesis would discover that more than one immortal was willing to claim Genesis as his mate. Enter ancient vampire Ethan, and the man with whom Genesis will fall in love. What ensues is the re-education of our story line heroine, and the potential fall-out as our heroine will discover that to mate an immortal means to live and die precariously at the hands of the people in charge.

The world building introduces the who, how and why of the chosen human females. Genesis comes from a long line of females educated and prepared to be one of the chosen but fifty years has passed, and the last female chosen didn’t survive to her fate. As Genesis, Nathan, and his family of supernaturals struggle to make sense of what happened and why, a fallen angel will reveal the secrets he has kept to protect them all.

The relationship between Ethan and Genesis is that of fated mates. Genesis has been chosen, marked by both vampire and the fallen but in an effort to protect our story line heroine, Ethan will have to claim Genesis to save her life. The $ex scenes are passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Ethan’s family of immortals: werewolf Mason; fallen angel Cassius; sirens Alex and Stephanie; as well as several Archangels. Not everyone who is they claimed to be, and not necessarily of their own choosing.

THE DARK ONES is a story of power and control, death and immortality, betrayal and punishment, madness, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is detailed, complex and enthralling; the romance is seductive and fated; the characters are desperate, dynamic and determined.

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

Listen, I know I have chains wrapped strategically around my wrists and that every second that goes by, said chains are burning a mark into my skin that may or may not mean I’m about to get completely demolished by a succubus demon.
But this is not how the story starts.
I mean, maybe it’s how it ends since I’ve been in this exact spot for the last two days without food or water, waiting for a rescue from my immortal friends, knowing full well they’re probably all just having sex and enjoying marital bliss without realizing I’m actually missing.
Me.
The manager of the Seattle demon bar, Sin.
Werewolf prince.
All around really upright kind of guy—or so I like to think. But do you know where that got me?
Here.
Chained.
See also: Demon goddess who has not come back to check on me even once and says she wants to kill me via sex.
Bartending is looking great right now. Immortal life in my werewolf clan did not prepare me for this or the fact that saving one succubus would actually turn me into her prey.
She was bruised.
Beaten beyond recognition.
I was going to kill the vampire that attempted to slaughter her, but that’s a longer, more violent story since she ended up doing the deed once she got a bit of my blood. But I did give her water, thinking, wow, I’ve done this person a total solid. I mean, despite the fact that she was pretty. Even her tears were pretty. The bruising and swelling on her face didn’t even hide how beautiful she was—or is.
Maybe my first wrong act was comforting her. Because the minute we touched, her eyes flashed a creepy red, and well…see also actual burning handcuffs around my wrists.
It’s clearly been a fun forty-eight hours. Maybe she’ll make it quick, though a weird part of me kind of wants my last few moments being sucked dry via sex to last for a while, so long that it’s all I focus on, all I care about, all I see.
I see visions of the future, but I never saw this.
So, strap in because I’m sure it’s going to be a great story. I just may not make it all the way to the end with you.

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Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!

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Cry of the Banshee by Heather Graham – review tour

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Cry of the Banshee (Krewe of Hunters/ 1001 Dark Nights) by Heather Graham – Review Tour

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Bookbub

 

Description:
Strange things are happening at Castle Darien, the legendary home of Angela Hawkins Crow’s family just outside of Dublin, Ireland.

People are dying in the most unusual drowning where there’s no water, falling from heights that don’t exist…

But before every death, the banshee lets out a cry, warning that loved ones are in danger. The Irish death ghost’s haunting shrieks and sobs echo within the ancient stone walls and travel up and down the hillsides.

Terrified and broken after the death of a friend, Moira Hawkins, Angela’s second cousin, turns to her family for help, convinced that evil is at work and sure the Krewe of Hunters can determine what is happening and put an end to the strange and deadly haunting.

Angela is mystified and stricken, but she and Jackson travel to the Emerald Isle to investigate, certain that someone very much alive is behind whatever is going on.

But she and the Krewe just might need the dead to uncover the truth.

 

 

Review:

Cry of the Banshee by Heather Graham is a novella from her wonderful Krewe of Hunters series. I am a big fan of Heather Graham, and always enjoy her books.

The story begins in Ireland, where strange things are happening at Castle Darien, such as strange mysterious deaths. Moira Hawkins, who owns the Castle, wakes up during the night, hearing a warning cry that someone is in danger; Moira can hear a banshee giving warning shrieks that only she can hear. That evening, during the castle’s tour, a woman is found dead. Moira is in a panic, worried that she is losing her mind. She makes a call to her cousin in the States for help, since her cousin is a member of the Krewe of Hunters. 

Angela Hawkins Crow is Moira’s cousin, and she convinces her husband, Jackson to take time off and go to Ireland to help her terrified cousin.  Angela and Jackson are the leaders of the Krewe of Hunters, and together they decide to take time off to travel to Ireland to try and discover what evil is happening at Castle Darien. 

When they arrive at the Castle, they are greeted happily by Moira, who was thrilled to have them come help discover what strange and deadly hauntings are happening.  Angela and Jackson get to meet all the staff in the Castle, as well as the guards and the tour director. Irish Inspector McCrae joins them in the investigations, with the Inspector noting that the dead woman died of a heart attack. Both Angela and Jackson look around the bathroom where the woman died, and found nothing; but trying again the following morning they do find a small clue.  When visiting the morgue, both notice some tiny marks on the woman hairline, and the Inspector returns with the clue they had found to note that it was found to be a unique poison.

What follows is an exciting, tense story that opens up the investigation on everyone from the tour visitors and the staff.  Angela, who has some psychic ability hears the cry of the banshee, and follows the sound outside; a woman who is a banshee ghost, trying to stop the evil in the castle. Angela learns that there is someone who is evil causing the deaths, and the banshee will warn them the next time.  Moira is thrilled that Angela was able to see the women, and hopeful this would give them help to find the culprit.  The last third of the book was very exciting, with surprise twists.

Cry of the Banshee was another great story so very well written by Heather Graham.  I was happy to see Angela and Jackson get their own story again.  If you are a fan of Krewe of Hunters, you need to read this book. If you are new to Graham, you should start reading her books.  Always very good.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

At first, Moira Hawkins thought she might be imagining the sound. It was so soft at first, like a sigh on the wind or a whisper through the trees.
Except she wasn’t in the woods. She was lying in bed in the private wing of Castle Darien, her family’s nearly ancient stronghold.
But the windows were open. That had to be it. The temperature was cool but pleasant, and she didn’t need to use the heat or air-conditioning systems. Which was good since they would never be great in such an old stone fortress.
Moira had promised her grandmother she wouldn’t let the castle, built at the end of the thirteenth century, go to ruin. She said she would do everything needed to bring it up to the standards so many others used to save the structure and turn it into a hotel.
She was partway there. While she worked on getting the necessary loans and finding contractors to undertake such an epic restructuring, she hired a tour company to bring visitors through. There were even a few Haunted Ireland tours put on by historians, who talked about some of the dire events of the Emerald Isle’s bloody past.
She figured anything around for over eight-hundred years must have some nightmarish events to relay.
And her ancestral home was in the Republic of Ireland, which had suffered a great deal of bloodshed to get where it was today.
Yet…
It occurred to her that she had heard—or at least imagined—the soft, mournful sobs before.
The night Granny had died.
Imagination. Had to be.
But she’d heard the sound the night before they found the old man drowned in the river that ran alongside the castle’s western wall, too.
And the time the would-be thief fell to his death from the wall.
They’d learned the elderly gentleman, visiting family in the area, had been suffering from cancer. Moira wondered if he had chosen his end.
And while the thief shouldn’t have been trying to climb the wall, he hadn’t deserved death.
As she thought back, she realized the sound had preceded all those events.
She shook her head. She had to be imagining it. She might have spent the last few years of Granny’s illness working in the States, but she’d grown up with all the tales of leprechauns, pixies, fairies, and banshees. Granny had been so good at telling them, holding her cousins and her spellbound as she wove her magical tales.
The crying grew louder. She wasn’t imagining it. She could definitely hear it.
It wasn’t a frightened cry. It was mournful, heartfelt. Yet Moira was afraid.
Where is it coming from?
She glanced at the clock on her bedside table—just past midnight.
The last ghost tour had ended by now, but she wasn’t alone in the castle. Stewart McKenna, her grandmother’s longtime castle steward, slept down the hall with his wife. Their son’s bedroom was next door to theirs. Nellie Antrim, the head housekeeper, was on this floor, as well. And while the tour of the two unoccupied towers had just ended, Mark Meadows, the tour agency’s director, often stayed behind to answer any questions the guests might have regarding the castle or Ireland’s history. Because, of course, Mark wasn’t just a businessman, though he was a good one. He truly loved history and didn’t mind working late. He was…wonderful.
The sobbing continued.
Moira’s mind went to something her granny had told her.
Banshee. Banshees are the remains of the Tuatha dé Danann, the gods of Ireland, driven underground when the Milesians arrived—Gaels who traveled the Earth, seeking a home. And there, in Éire, they claimed the land while the Tuatha dé Danann settled the underworld. Once, keeners had been on hand at funerals, sobbing mournfully for those who had left the earthly world. The banshees fulfilled that tradition now, warning of someone’s death…
Get a grip! she told herself. Seriously, she’d spent enough time in the United States to learn all about all kinds of myths and legends from around the world.
There are no such things as banshees.
Still…

For More Information about Heather Graham, visit her website:

https://www.theoriginalheathergraham.com/

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Heather Graham has written more than a hundred novels. She’s a winner of the RWA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Thriller Writers’ Silver Bullet. She is an active member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America. For more information, check out her websites: TheOriginalHeatherGraham.com, eHeatherGraham.com
HeatherGraham.tv. You can also find Heather on Facebook.

 

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THE GRAVE ROBBER (Charley Davidson) by Darynda Jones-review tour

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THE GRAVE ROBBER (Charley Davidson 13.8) by Darynda Jones-review & excerpt tour

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September5, 2023

Eric Vause is done.

Done with ghosts. Done with hellhounds. And definitely done with asshole demons, mostly because he’d been possessed by one. Even now, five years later, the rage he absorbed from the creature has yet to wane, so he decides a road trip is in order. Surely some cool air, great scenery, and a case of Dos Equis will shake things loose. Unfortunately, supernatural events happen everywhere. When he meets up with a friend whose partner’s daughter needs help with a pest problem—aka, a ghost—Eric takes that as his cue to leave.

Until he sees her.

He can tell Halle’s house isn’t the only thing that is haunted. The hopelessness behind her eyes tugs at something deep inside him. Something all too familiar. The fact that she’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen has nothing to do with his change of heart. And he vows to leave her in his rearview the minute he takes care of the poltergeist. Then again, vows were never his strong suit.

•••••

REVIEW: THE GRAVE ROBBER is instalment 13.8 in Darynda Jones’ contemporary, adult CHARLEY DAVIDSON paranormal series, and a part of the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights. This is Eric Vause, and twenty-nine year old Halle Nordstrom’s story line. THE GRAVE ROBBER can be read as a stand alone but for cohesion and back story I recommend reading book thirteen SUMMONED TO THE THIRTEENTH GRAVE where Eric’s life change.

Told from first person perspective (Eric Vause) THE GRAVE ROBBER follows Eric Vause as he is tasked with hunting down a ghost haunting our story line heroine. All of his life Eric has had the ability to know if something is going to happen but five years earlier, Eric was possessed by a demon during Charley and Reyes war to save their daughter, and in the ensuing time Eric’s ability to see the future also allows his to talk to the dead. Halle Nordstrom believes she is haunted by a ghost, a ghost that came into her life at twelve years of age, when something catastrophic happened in her life but Eric is about to discover there is more to the ‘ghost’ than he could have imagined, something more tangible and deadly for our story line heroine. What ensues is the search for the truth, and the potential fall-out when our couple are targeted by a ‘ghost’ from the past.

The relationship between Halle and Eric begins when Eric is asked to ‘exorcise’ the ghost from Halle’s life but Eric suspects there is more to the story than anyone has revealed. Halle and Eric’s sexual attraction is palpable, but Eric believes his time with Halle is about to come to a violent close. The $ex scene is limited but passionate and intense.

The secondary and supporting characters include bar manager and Eric’s friend Jason Vigil, as well as Halle’s father, Charley’s late Aunt Lil, and her father’s head of security Paul.

THE GRAVE ROBBER is a fast paced, character driven story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, acceptance and love. The premise is intriguing and captivating ; the characters are energetic, sassy and determined.

Reading Order and previous reviews
First Grave on the Right
Second Grave on the Left
Third Grave Straight Ahead
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Fifth Grave Past The Light
Sixth Grave on the Edge
Seventh Grave and No Body
Eighth Grave After Dark
Brighter Than the Sun (novella)
The Dirt on Ninth Grave
The Curse on Tenth Grave
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
Trouble with Twelfth Grave
Summoned to the Thirteenth Grave
The Graveyard Shift
The Gravedigger’s Son
The Graveside Bar and Grill

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

 

“What do the notes say?”
She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, stalling. She stalled some more when she said, “I can’t always read them.”
“Halle,” I warned.
Her shoulders deflated as she released a surrendering sigh. “At first, they were just numbers. They started right after my mom died. The number twelve kept popping up. But a month later, it changed to an eleven. Then a ten. Then a nine.”
“A countdown.”
“Yes. Every month for the last year, he’s been counting down. And now we’re at number two.” She leveled an accusing gaze on me. “And you’ve known since the first time you laid eyes on me.”
“Not the first time,” I said, slightly offended. “What makes you think they’re death threats? They could mean anything.”
“Because the other note he leaves is pretty explicit. It’s just one word. Payback.”
Ah. Now we were getting somewhere. “Halle, what happened seventeen years ago? What changed your life so dramatically? And who wants payback?”
She shook her head and looked away, tears shimmering in her eyes.
I leaned onto my elbows and put a hand over hers. “Halle, I know this is hard, but please trust me.”
“It’s not that. It’s not that I don’t trust you. You’ve earned that and then some. But if I tell you what happened, what I did, you won’t want to have sex with me anymore.”
I almost snorted. Clearly, she didn’t understand the male thought process.
But I needed to chill. I was pushing her too hard. I wanted her to bend. Not break.
The furball started whimpering at her feet. Halle picked her up, nuzzled her, then set her in the box she’d brought along with a dry towel from the bathroom. With a full belly, the furball settled immediately and went to sleep.
Halle straightened and walked over to stand in front of me. “Is that a yes?”
“No,” I said, taking in every curve she had to offer. She smelled sweet, like jasmine. “It’s a hell yes.” I put a hand on her hip, the heat from her body soaking into my skin as she straddled me.
With hesitant fingers, she tested the abrasion on my jaw. “Are you sure this is okay? You were hit by a truck yesterday.”
“I was sideswiped by a truck. Huge difference.”
She nodded and grew thoughtful as though making calculations in her head. Now was not the time for math.
“I’m pretty sure you’re a supernatural being,” she said, completely serious. “That you’re not real and will disappear as soon as all of this is over.”
“I have several friends who are supernaturally inclined. I am not one of them. And I’m not going anywhere.”
She buried her fingers in my hair and covered my mouth with hers. I’d never welcomed a kiss more in my life.


 

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NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a Rebecca, two Hold Medallions, a RITA ®, and a Daphne du Maurier, and she has received stellar reviews from dozens of publications including starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and the Library Journal. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike, and she is ever so grateful for the opportunity to carry on that tradition. She currently has two series with St. Martin’s Press: The Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of almost 30 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys. She can be found at www.daryndajones.com.

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Tempted (Masters & Mercenaries) by Lexi Blake-review tour

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Tempted (Masters & Mercenaries/ 1001 Dark Nights) by Lexi Blake-review & excerpt tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 27, 2023

When West Rycroft left his family’s ranch to work in the big city, he never dreamed he would find himself surrounded by celebrities and politicians. Working at McKay-Taggart as a bodyguard and security expert quickly taught him how to navigate the sometimes shark-infested waters of the elite. While some would come to love that world, West has seen enough to know it’s not for him, preferring to keep his distance from his clients—until the day he meets Ally Pearson.

Growing up in the entertainment world, Ally was always in the shadow of others, but now she has broken out from behind the scenes for her own day in the spotlight. The paparazzi isn’t fun, but she knows all too well that it’s part of the gig. She has a good life and lots of fans, but someone has been getting too close for comfort and making threats. To be safe, she hires her own personal knight in shining armor, a cowboy hottie by the name of West. They clash in the beginning, but the minute they fall into bed together something magical happens.

Just as everything seems too good to be true, they are both reminded that there was a reason Ally needed a bodyguard. Her problems have found her again, and this time West will have to put his life on the line or lose everything they’ve found.

••••

REVIEW: TEMPTED by Lexi Blake is a contemporary, adult, romantic suspense story line set in the author’s Masters and Mercenaries series, and a part of the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights. This is former rancher turned security specialist West Rycroft, and Hollywood actress Ally Pearson. TEMPTED can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Lexi Blake’s participation in the 1001 Dark Nights focuses on the secondary and tertiary characters we may or may not have met in the previous story lines. West is Wade’s brother (Protected 16.5),

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Ally and West) TEMPTED follows with the knowledge that many someones may be threatening Ally Pearson. Ally Pearson is considered Hollywood royalty, and a reality show has brought out the crazies including more than one potential stalker. Cast for an upcoming movie, Ally’s step-father contracts with McKay-Taggart to provide protection for our story line heroine in the wake of threats against our story line heroine. Enter former rancher turned security guard West Rycroft, and the man with whom Ally will fall in love. West is part of a three-person crew assigned to protect Ally but West struggles from the outset believing Ally to be a spoiled princess, a brat, a child of privilege, and demanding. West would quickly discover that Ally is not the person the paparazzi has made her out to be, a paparazzi that is trying to discredit and destroy our story line couple. As West, and the team at McKay-Taggart hunt for the person responsible, the threats become more personal and dangerous, forcing our couple together in more ways than one. What ensues is the building but forbidden relationship between Ally and West, and the potential fall-out as the guilt party may be someone Ally knows.

The relationship between Ally and West begins as an assignment, a reluctant assignment in which West is quick to label and judge our story line heroine for who she is, and what she does.West had already completed one assignment with a real, spoiled princess, and he was in no mood to do it again. Ally knows she has a stalker but refuses to give in and give up her life.Falling for West was easy, staying with West may threaten both of their careers. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include Martin Rehn and West’s twin brother Rand Rycroft, Tessa Santiago-Hawthorne, Ian ‘Big Tag’ and Charlotte Taggart, Ally’s sister Brynn, their mother and step- father Gavin Jacks; as well director Jay Clarke, several actors and actresses, and members of the crew.

TEMPTED is a story of power and control, greed and betrayal, family and friendships, relationships and love. The premise is intriguing, dramatic and captivating; the romance is seductive and fated; the characters are desperate and determined.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Soft music was playing. It was folksy but modern. Not at all what he would expect. And she wasn’t in front of the TV. She sat at the dining table which was covered in… Were those puzzle pieces?
“Hey,” he said. “I’m here for the rest of the night and through tomorrow. Was Tessa okay?”
Her head came up, and she damn near took his breath away. She was in pajama bottoms and a tank top, her face scrubbed free and hair piled on top of her head. She was every bit as gorgeous this way. “She was great. I liked her a lot.”
“But you didn’t like Matt?”
Her lips turned down. “Well, now I like Tessa less.”
He set down his duffel on one of the chairs and set the grocery bag on the table away from the numerous puzzle pieces. She’d started working on the edges, and it looked like she was a sorter. “Don’t. It’s literally my job to make sure you’re okay. She’s going to give me any information I need.”
“Did she tell you I thought you were an asshole?”
For some reason, that made him smile. “She did. And I was. And if Matt does anything at all to make you uncomfortable, I expect you to tell me. Ally, I had a job go weird a couple of weeks ago. I know men are supposed to want any pretty woman who comes their way…”
She sat up, her expression turning distinctly sympathetic. “Someone tried to sex you up when you didn’t want to?”
That was one way of putting it. “She was very aggressive, and it bothered me more than I realized. I think I took a little of that out on you today, and for that, I am truly sorry.”
“Did she look like me or something?”
“Not even close,” he said with a huff. “Like she wasn’t as… No, she didn’t look like you. But she was something of a celebrity. She was a European royal.”
“Please tell me it was Kate.” Her eyes had gone super wide like this would be the best gift ever.
She would so get along with his brother and Martin. “It was not. She’s a minor royal but a major pain in my ass. I’m sorry. I hope you’ll give me a second chance.”
She stared for a moment as though assessing the situation. “Are those Flamin’ Hot Cheetos?”
“My brother’s fiancé swears you like them. His name is Martin, and he’s a big fan.”
Her shoulders relaxed, and he would have sworn that girl…woman…glowed. “That’s so nice. If he has any time, he could come up to the set and have lunch with us. And he’s right. Gimme. I love them, but the camera adds five pounds and…”
“You always have four cameras on you.” He handed her the chips and sat down. It would be a much quieter night than he’d counted on, but he kind of liked that.
She opened them and had one of those suckers in her mouth very quickly. She sighed, obviously content. “Not now I don’t. All right, Rycroft, we start again. And Matt’s probably fine. You’ll know he’s done something wrong if he has to go to the hospital because I kicked him in the balls. Pass me that blue piece. I think it goes here.”
He handed her the piece, and they got on with their first night.

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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