Ancient Enemy (Ancients Rising #2) by Katie Reus-Review & Excerpt Tour
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 15, 2020
She should be his mortal enemy.
Ancient dragon shifter Rhys awoke from his slumber hungry for revenge against the witch who killed his sister. When his hunt takes him to the rebuilding city of New Orleans, he finds a woman he can’t keep his eyes off—but she’s a witch. While Rhys wants to despise all of Dallas’s kind, even he can’t deny that she’s beautiful, kind and…adorable. And her pet baby dragon only increases his fascination with the sexy woman. Protective instincts he never knew he had take over him as they hunt powerful monsters. He’s forced to confront everything he thought he knew about witches as his life is turned upside down.
But he wants her anyway.
Dallas Kinley is used to being hated because of what she is. Witches have always been the pariahs of the supernatural community. Until now, when the world needs rebuilding. Even though she wants to keep her distance from Rhys, vampires and humans are dying in New Orleans, so she vows to help him hunt down those responsible. But finding the enemy comes at a heavy price, because Dallas is hiding a terrible secret. As they race against the clock to find the murderers, she can only hope his need for revenge won’t rip them apart. Especially when he finds out what she’s been hiding from him.
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REVIEW:ANCIENT ENEMY is the second instalment in Katie Reus’ contemporary, adult ANCIENTS RISING erotic, paranormal romance series. This is ancient dragon shifter Rhys of the Donnachaidh clan in Scotland, and witch Dallas Kinley’s story line. ANCIENTS RISING is a spin off from the author’s DARKNESS but you do not have to have read the original series to follow the current time line.
Told from several third person perspectives including Rhys and Dallas ANCIENT ENEMY follows in the aftermath of The Fall in which a group of dragons made an attempt to destroy the world but in doing so revealed the existence of the supernatural to humankind. Following a thousand years in hibernation, ancient dragon shifter awakens and goes in search of the witch who killed his sister thousands of years earlier only to discover his attraction to a woman who should be his mortal enemy. Enter powerful with Dallas Kinley, and the woman with whom Rhys will fall in love. When a number of vampires and humans go missing, Dallas and Rhys go in search of the truth only to discover the truth hits too close to home. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Dallas and Rhys, and the potential fall-out as the witch Rhys seeks continues to wreak havoc on the world of the paranormal.
The relationship between Rhy and Dallas is one of immediate attraction but Dallas has no idea that Rhys’ dragon has found his mate. Unable to stay away, Rhys becomes guardian and protector of the witch he has sworn to hate, a witch whose own past is has been marred by dark power and hate. 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 colorful and supernatural secondary and supporting characters including New Orlean’s alpha wolf King, and the phoenix Aurora; wolf Darius, snow leopard Bella, lion shifter Axel, tiger Harlow, Lola, and tiger Brielle; half demon Cynara; Rhys’ brothers Lachlan (and Star) and Cody, and of course Dallas’ ‘pet’ Willow.
ANCIENT ENEMY is a story of betrayal and vengeance; power and control; family, friendships, relationships and love. The fast paced premise is energetic and entertaining; the characters are dynamic and powerful; the romance is sexy and sweet. ANCIENT ENEMY is a wonderfully, exciting story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one ANCIENT PROTECTOR
Copy supplied by Netgalley
Reviewed by Sandy
Excerpt intended for mature readers due to context and text.
Dallas jerked in Rhys’s arms, her eyes flying open. She’d only been asleep for three hours and he knew she needed more. It was clear in the wild, almost unfocused glaze of her beautiful gray eyes.
“Is Willow okay?” she rasped out.
His heart clenched. She was always thinking of other people, other beings. He’d never imagined a female like her in his life. “She’s fine. Currently being spoiled. It’s only been a few hours, Dallas.” The blackout curtains were firmly in place but bits of the late morning light still peeked through.
Dallas sighed and seemed to settle more against the sheets. “Good.” She nuzzled her face against his chest, wrapping her arm around him and throwing one leg over him as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Just like that, his cock hardened. He’d already been in a semi-state of arousal on and off for the last few hours. Every time she shoved her ass up against him, or turned over and wrapped her body around his, he got hard. Then he’d have to think of shitty things so his erection would go down. It was a vicious cycle.
Now with her curled up against him, her full breasts pressing against his chest, it was definitely too much for his waning self-control.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, fighting to steady the wild beat of his heart, and tried to think of anything but Dallas’s lush body pressed up against his.
“I wouldn’t mind that kiss right now,” she sleepily mumbled against his chest.
Oh, hell. He rolled his hips against her, leaving no doubt how aroused he was.
She leaned her head back to look up at him. She was half awake, but he saw the fire simmering in her bright eyes that had gone almost silver and he could clearly scent her desire. It was sweet and overpowering, leaving him no doubt that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her.
Without second-guessing himself, he crushed his mouth to hers, tasting, teasing, taking. Goddess, he wanted to consume her, to bring her so much pleasure that she passed out from it. His female needed rest—and an orgasm.
Moving quickly, he caged her body underneath his, glad they had an actual bed in here now as opposed to that flimsy cot.
Moaning, she stretched out underneath him, arching her unfortunately covered breasts against his chest. But he felt the beaded points of her nipples rubbing against him as he plundered her mouth. Her taste was perfection. She was perfection.
He slid his hands up the tiny shirt he’d picked out for her earlier, cupping her breasts, shuddering at the feel of them in his hands, at the fact that she wanted him to touch her at all.
She groaned into his mouth and the scent of her desire spiked in the air as he slowly teased her nipples.
He needed to see her naked, or at least more of her. And he needed skin-to-skin contact, was desperate to feel her against him. When he leaned up to tug her top off, he realized he was slightly glowing.
The mating manifestation. Dallas was…his mate.
Katie Reus is the New York Times, USA Today, and IndieReader bestselling author of the Red Stone Security series, the Moon Shifter series and the Deadly Ops series. She fell in love with romance at a young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom’s stash. Years later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing it.
However, she didn’t always know she wanted to be a writer. After changing majors many times, she finally graduated summa cum laude with a degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new love. Writing. She now spends her days writing dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense. Her book Avenger’s Heat recently won the Georgia RWA Maggie Award for Excellence in the fantasy/paranormal category.
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