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Leopard’s Scar (Leopard 14) by Christine Feehan-Review & Giveaway

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Leopard’s Scar (Leopard 13) by Christine Feehan-Review, Excerpt Giveaway

LEOPARD’S SCAR
Leopard 14
by Christine Feehan
Release Date: November 29, 2022
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, paranormal, romance

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: November 29, 2022

The moment Meiling sees Gedeon she knows he’s a leopard shifter—just as she knows she can’t trust him. Meiling doesn’t take chances, life has taught her better than that. So why does she find herself rescuing this deadly, gorgeous man, when she knows she’d be better off leaving him to die?

Gedeon is used to women throwing themselves at him, not throwing his injured body over their beautiful, deceptively strong shoulders and carrying him to safety. He might be embarrassed, if he wasn’t so aroused by the very thought of this feisty lotus blossom.

As they strike up a working relationship that suits them both, Gedeon starts to rely on Meiling for just about everything. But when her hidden nature rises to the surface, the connection that links them shifts into an all-consuming desire. And neither will escape unmarked. . . .

••••••

REVIEW: LEOPARD’S SCAR is the fourteenth instalment in Christine Feehan’s contemporary, adult LEOPARD erotic, paranormal romance series. This is fixer/Leopard shifter Gedeon Volkov, and Meiling Chang’s story line. LEOPARD’S SCAR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Meiling and Gedeon) LEOPARD’S SCAR follows the building but contemptuous relationship between leopard shifters Gedeon Volkov, and Meiling Chang. Meiling was too late to rescue her ‘cousin’ from a human trafficking ring but the appearance of a Leopard male shifter meant Meiling had only a matter of time to make her escape. A series of explosions destroying the compound and all survivors left Gedeon Volkov temporarily blinded and unable to walk, and Meiling found herself nursing the shifter back to health. Desperate for Meiling’s help, Gedeon offers Meiling a job, a partnership ‘fixing’ that which cannot be fixed but a partnership in business terms only. Gedeon suspects Meiling is a Leopard shifter who has yet to reach the Han Vol Dan (female leopard’s first heat), and in this, Meiling’s continual denial of herself threatens the relationship between our leading couple. Gedeon’s leopard is dangerous, dark and in constant need of sexual gratification but he refuses to cross the line with the woman with whom he will fall in love instead opting for a series of meaningless women, inciting jealousy in our story line heroine. As Meiling and Gedeon work together on a number of search and rescue assignments, Meiling struggles to keep her leopard under control knowing Gedeon is their mate but a man who has issues with a monogamous relationship. What ensues is the slow building relationship between Meiling and Gedeon, and the potential fall-out as the past continues to hunt for our story line heroine.

Both Meiling and Gedeon lost their families to murder at the hands of an assassin leaving our couple the only surviving members of their Leopard clans. Meiling and Gedeon are descended from a long line of powerful shifters, and in this, Meiling has been targeted by the people at the top. Gedeon has been biding his time, exacting revenge against the Leopards who destroyed his family and his Lair but never expected the betrayal to come from someone he knew.

The relationship between Meiling and Gedeon is a slow building relationship predicated upon revenge and betrayal, desperation and need. Meiling suspects Gedeon is her mate but Gedeon refuses to place Meiling in danger knowing his Leopard is demanding and deadly. Refusing to accept Meiling as their mate, Gedeon continues to push away the woman with whom he will fall in love. The $ex scenes are erotic, provocative and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of powerful and familiar secondary and supporting characters including but not exclusive to the Amurov Leopard Crime Family Evangeline and Fyodor Amurov (Leopard’s Blood #8), Timur and Ashe Amurov (Leopard’s Run #10), Elijah Lospostos, Jake Bannaconni, and Drake Donovan. The requisite evil has many faces.

LEOPARD’S SCAR is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, greed and hunger, violence and death, acceptance and love. The premise is edgy and dramatic; the romance struggles in the face of perceived betrayal; the characters are numerous, powerful and determined.

Now to address a new ‘revelation’- a species of Leopard with the ability to create and control dragon fire, a group known as the Dragon Throne Justice. I am not sure where the author is going with this new plot twist but it is beginning to sound too much like the Carpathian series.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Wild Rain
Burning Wild
Wild Fire
Savage Nature
Leopard’s Prey
Cat’s Lair
Wild Cat
Leopard’s Fury
Leopard’s Blood
Leopard’s Run
Leopard’s Wrath
Leopard’s Rage

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Excerpted from Leopard’s Scar by Christine Feehan Copyright © 2022 by Christine Feehan. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

 

 

Her body shook as if she had tremors that were uncontrollable. There was no fixing that, so she just accepted it, as she did anything she couldn’t change, and looked around her. The cabin was gone. Flattened. No, it was a hole in the ground. The forest around it was gone, the trees lying in piles of rubble and leaves everywhere. It looked like a war zone.
She started to turn away when she caught movement under one of the stacks of leaves and branches. It was a human leg and arm moving, the arm trying to throw the branch off the leg. She heard the curse. The groan. The branch settled back over the leg. The man cursed again, and she heard the raw pain in his voice.
Gedeon. Meiling closed her eyes. Naturally he would live through it. He was a leopard and probably had more than nine lives. If she helped him, he would most certainly reward her by killing her. He was Amur. What else would he do? If she didn’t help him, she would forever remember him taking on all those horrid men to free the women. She would never get the sight of him kneeling on the porch weeping from her mind. The latter two things didn’t fit with him being Amur leopard. Now she was the one cursing.
She made her way back to him, picking her way through the debris. “I’ve got a gun, and if you make one wrong move, I’m going to shoot you right through the heart. Do you understand? If you just behave, I’ll move the branch, leave you your clothes and you can go on your way.” Meiling made certain she didn’t speak until she could do so without the slightest tremor in her voice. She was still shaking like a leaf, but he couldn’t see her—at least she hoped he couldn’t.
There was a small silence and then she heard him sigh. “Lady, get the hell out of here while you can. I’m blind. My leg is broken. The branch is too heavy for you to lift, and I can’t help you with my leg like this. I’m naked, by the way. If you did manage to get me free, I got a good look at you and I weigh three times your weight. How are you going to get me out of here? On your back? That’s ludicrous. No doubt there are men on their way right now to see what the hell happened to their moneymaking operation, and you don’t want to be here when they get here. If by some miracle you did manage to save my life and I regained my eyesight and didn’t die of infection, I’d have to hunt you down, which I’m very good at, and kill you because I don’t leave witnesses. On top of everything else, my cat hates everybody and I’m pretty damned weak right now and I might not be able to hold him back. So get out of here.”
“You really aren’t telling me anything new other than the eye thing and broken leg. If you aren’t going to be useful, less talking, please. I’ve got to figure this out fast.” She put his clothes down and considered the branch. It was large, but it was mostly the angle that was going to give her trouble. If she dropped it on his leg a second time after she picked it up, it was going to cause considerably more damage.
She was strong, and unfortunately, the moment she showed him just how strong she actually was, he would guess she was more than she seemed. That meant the moment she could, she would have to run. She’d planned on doing so anyhow, but that knowledge would double his incentive for coming after her.
She caught ahold of the end of the branch, lifted and maneuvered it off his leg, closing her ears to the sound of his hastily cut off groan. The branch was cracked in several places and made horrid creaking and cracking noises, threatening to break into several large pieces, the offshoots shivering, throwing twigs and leaves raining down. She didn’t hesitate at all but kept the thick branch moving until it was completely away from Gedeon’s body. When she dropped it to the ground, it did break into pieces.
For the first time, she allowed herself to look at the man’s face to see if he was telling her the truth. His gorgeous jade-green eyes were definitely damaged in some way. Hastily, she tore a strip from his shirt, soaked it in the water from her backpack and slowly approached him.
“I’m going to tie this around your eyes. It’s all I’ve got at the moment to help. Then I’ll stabilize your leg to move you.”
“Why aren’t you afraid of my leopard?”
“I have a way with them. Is he acting up?”
“As a matter of fact, no.”
Meiling did feel a little smug at that. He sounded shocked. She wasn’t that surprised. She did have a way with large cats.
“How the hell do you think you can move me?” Now he was back to irritable.
“Does it matter? I’m getting you out of here unless you’d rather I leave you the gun and you take care of doing yourself in. Otherwise, stop whining and let me get this done. I don’t want to be here with you any longer than I have to.”
“I have to hand it to you, little doll, you have guts.”

 

Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 70 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, Ghostwalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series and Torpedo Ink. All of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.

Follow: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Christine’s Feehan’s publisher Penguin/Random House/ Berkley Romance and The Reading Cafe are graciously offering a paper copy of LEOPARD’S SCAR to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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9. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs from November 29-December 3, 2022

 

 

 

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SNAP: Pandemic Games by Michele Drier-Review & Giveaway

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SNAP: Pandemic Games (Kandesky Vampires) by Michele Drier-Review and Giveaway

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 10, 2022

Tension mounts around the world as the Covid pandemic takes hold, pitting nations against each other for vaccines and lockdowns. And against a misinformation campaign designed by Jazz, the Kandeskys begin to take on Russia, not realizing that Putin has plans of his own. Maxie and Jean-Louis do shuttle diplomacy between NATO and the EU, Brussels and Kyiv, working to stalemate any Russian incursions into Ukraine and bolstering the West’s stance against Putin’s dreams of empire.

•••••••••

REVIEW: SNAP: PANDEMIC GAMES is the eleventh instalment in Michele Drier’s contemporary, adult KANDESKY VAMPIRES paranormal, romance series focusing on the Kandesy Family of vampires: Jean-Louis and Maxie, Nik and Jazz.

Told from third person perspectives SNAP: PANDEMIC GAMES follows in the wake of the COVID Pandemic sweeping the world, and the imminent invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army. SNAP is the media arm of the Kandesky Enterprise, and in an effort to take down the Russian ‘fake-news’, Maxie and Jean-Louis are about to start a ‘disinformation campaign’ of their own but our couple quickly discover that they have competition in the ‘arms’ dealing division of Kandesky Enterprises by people working directly for the Russian government. As Jean-Louis,Maxie, Nik and Jazz begin to uncover the who, how and why, the Russian army is setting into motion an invasion of Ukraine, to reclaim what they believe is theirs all along.

SNAP: PANDEMIC GAMES blends reality with fiction and reads like a history text book, a geography lesson, and a political science lecture all wrapped in a vampire story line The COVID Pandemic and the war in Ukraine are the backdrop of a story focusing on vampires who have lived through several wars and pandemics themselves. As the Kandesky family struggles to uncover the truth, Russia continues to advance in the darkness, taking aim at the people of Ukraine. The premise is intriguing, engaging and all-too real including references to many current and past leaders and rulers, and conspiracy theories swirling around the origins of COVID ; the characters are powerful, informed and determined.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
SNAP: The World Unfolds
SNAP: New Talent
PLAGUE: A Love Story
DANUBE: A Tale of Murder
SNAP: Love For Blood
SNAP: Happily Ever After
SNAP: White Nights
SNAP: All That Jazz
SNAP: I Vampire
SNAP: Red Bear Rising

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

FOLLOW: Website /Facebook /Twitter / Amazon

Michele DrierMichele Drier was born in Santa Cruz and is a fifth generation Californian. She’s lived and worked all over the state, calling both Southern and Northern California home. During her career in journalism—as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers—she won awards for producing investigative series.

She writes the Amy Hobbes Newspaper mysteries, Edited for Death, Labeled for Death and Delta for Death, published May 2015.

Her paranormal romance series, The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, was named one of the best paranormal vampire series of 2014 by reviewers of the Paranormal Romance Guild. SNAP: All That Jazz, Book Eight of The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, was awarded second place for best book of 2014.

Box Set ebooks Vol 1-4 of SNAP: Kandesky Vampire Chronicles : Amazon.com / Amazon.ca/ Barnes and Noble/ KOBO

Michele Drier is graciously offering a paper copy of SNAP: PANDEMIC GAMES to one (1) winner (US/Canada only) and an ebook (International)

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10. Giveaway runs from November 26-30, 2022

 

 

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BLAST (Ben Blackshaw) by Robert Blake Whitehill-Review & Giveaway

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BLAST (Ben Blackshaw 6) by Robert Blake Whitehill-Review and Giveaway


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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 24, 2022

Ben Blackshaw discovers a murdered woman’s corpse frozen in the Chesapeake Bay. All the signs point to her being crew on a massive Liquid Natural Gas transport ship that’s trapped in the channel ice. Blackshaw, his wife LuAnna, his friend Knocker Ellis, and a band of neighbors take different paths to solve the mystery before a thaw frees the ship to sail off with all the evidence, or destroy Washington, D.C. and the Chesapeake fishery, in a single fiery blast

••••••

REVIEW: BLAST is the sixth instalment in Robert Blake Whitehill’s contemporary, adult BEN BLACKSHAW military, suspense, thriller series focusing on retired US Navy SEAL Ben Blackshaw, his wife, former Natural Resources police officer LuAnna, and his eclectic company of cloak and dagger investigators, former military personnel and first responders. BLAST can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from third person perspective, following numerous intersecting paths BLAST focuses on the discovery of several bodies encased in ice. Winter in Chesapeake Bay is dark and dangerous but Ben and his fellow residents including Vietnam veteran Knocker Ellis Hogan, have stumbled upon nine bodies, all frozen in the ice, all with apparent bullet wounds and injuries. Further investigation reveals a large tanker, trapped in the ice, a tanker whose cargo and location are too far off course. As Ben and Ellis begin a search for the truth including a clandestine exploration of the ice-jammed tanker, a group known as Faction takes aim at our story hero. From the FBI to rogue assassins and hired muscle, Ben, LuAnna and Ellis find themselves at the mercy of Mother Nature, and a potential bio-terrorist determined to take down the eco-system in Chesapeake Bay.

The large ensemble of secondary and supporting characters include FBI Special Agent Molly Wilde, and her husband Pershing Lowry, executive Assistant director for Counterterrorism and Counterintelligence; Sonny and Mary Wright; gun toting Reverend Mosby, as well as several members of different government agencies. The requisite evil has many faces.

BLAST is an intriguing, thrilling, and thought provoking yet cautionary tale of what ifs: of home-grown terrorism, power and control. The character driven premise is dramatic, detailed and intense; the characters are animated and unconventional-the camaraderie between the Smith Island residents is dynamic and incredible-they work together like the proverbial ‘well-oiled machine’.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Deadrise
Nitro Express
Tap Rack Bang
Geronimo Hotshot
Dog and Bitch Island

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow Robert: Facebook / Website / Twitter /

Robert Blake WhitehillRobert Blake Whitehill was born into a Quaker family in Mardela Springs, just outside Salisbury on Maryland’s Eastern Shore peninsula. The family home lay next to the pond that powered a colonial-era relic, the Barren Creek Mill. He grew up sailing the Chesapeake Bay, and one of her most beautiful tributaries, the Chester River.

After graduating from Westtown School Whitehill stayed in Pennsylvania to earn his B.A. in creative writing at Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges. Later he trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. As with David Mamet, exhaustive studies of the best English language drama for the stage and screen transformed an aspiring actor into a passionate writer.

An early focus on feature screenwriting earned Whitehill film festival wins at the Hudson Valley Film Festival, and the Hamptons International Film Festival where he also received an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship for his script U.X.O. (Unexploded Ordnance). His feature script Blue Rinse, co-written with Andrea Shane is currently under option with producer Bill Jarblum (Charley Bartlett, The Little Traitor, Cloudburst), with Olympia Dukakis to star, and Thom Fitzgerald slated to direct.

While writing many highly rated episodes of Discovery/Times Channel’s The New Detectives, Daring Capers, and The Bureau, he served as the Vice President of Independent Film Acquisitions for the groundbreaking Centerseat.com, developing and managing their Independent Film Channel.

His first thriller in the Ben Blackshaw series, Deadrise, was named by Cyrus Webb to the Conversations Book Club Top 100 Books of 2012. His second book in the series, Nitro Express, was named to the Conversations Book Club Top 50 Books of Fiction of 2013.

Movie studio HatLine Productions is optioning the first two books, as well as the third title in the series, Tap Rack Bang, for development into feature films.

Whitehill lives in New Jersey with his wife and son. For a number of years, he has worked with the Montclair Ambulance Unit as an emergency medical technician.

When not sailing, or knocking around the sky in a Cessna 152, Whitehill is a contributing writer to Chesapeake Bay Magazine

Robert Blake Whitehill is graciously offering a signed paper copy (US only) of BLAST to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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8. Paperback giveaway is open to US only

9. Giveaway runs from November 24-29, 2022

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A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams – Review & Giveaway

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A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams – Review & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
Country music’s golden boy Colton Wheeler felt the most perfect harmony when he was with Gretchen Winthrop. But for her, it was a love him and leave him situation. A year later, Colton is struggling to push his music forward in a new direction. If it weren’t about to be the most magical time of year and the support of the Bromance Book Club, he’d be wallowing in self-pity.

It’s hard for immigration attorney Gretchen not to feel a little Scrooge-ish about the excess of Christmas when her clients are scrambling to afford their rent. So when her estranged, wealthy family reaches out with an offer that will allow her to better serve the community, she’s unable to say no. She just needs to convince Colton to be the new face of her family’s whiskey brand. No big deal…

Colton agrees to consider Gretchen’s offer in exchange for three dates before Christmas. With the help of the Bromance Book Club, Colton throws himself into the task of proving to her there’s a spark between them. But Gretchen and Colton will both need to overcome the ghosts of Christmas past to build a future together.

 

 

Review:

A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams is the 5th book in her wonderful Bromance Book Club series.  Having enjoyed the first four books in this series, I looked forward to reading A Very Merry Bromance,   and happy to say I thought it was the best one yet. This is a fun romantic series that centers around a male book club group, most being athletes, and how they read and discuss romance novels to help teach each other how to handle their women with care and love.

Colton Wheeler, our hero, is a country music star, who is attending one of his friends (bromance book club members), wedding, and ends the evening with an amazing one-night stand with Gretchen Winthrop (she used to date Mack).   But she walks out in the morning claiming she needed to get back to her life, which did not include Colton.

Gretchen is an immigration attorney, who is an heiress of Winthrop family: one of Tennessee’s richest and most influential families.  But Gretchen is not close to her family, but when her brother asks her to help obtain Colton as a brand ambassador for the family-owned whiskey line, Carraig Aonair Whiskey, she agrees.  Gretchen forces herself to visit Colton, making an offer to be the face of the famous Carraig Aonair Whiskey.  Still unable to forget their glorious night together, Colton makes a counter offer; go on some dates with him.

Colton and Gretchen’s relationship becomes steamy, though she was a hard case to love.  Gretchen comes from a wealthy family, but the family did not treat her good; especially her bad brother, Evan. We totally understood how her family was unbearable; and why she was closed off.  I loved how Colton would push Gretchen to begin to enjoy Christmas, as well as meet all of his friends, making her know what a true family was like.

What follows is a fun sexy holiday story, that had many tender moments, as well as being emotional.  I enjoyed meeting Colton’s family, did not like the Winthrops, and loved seeing the wonderful members of the Bromance Book Club.  The guys were so much fun, and the women also joined in. 

A Very Merry Romance was another humorous fun story line, with a couple that won us over later in the book, and the fantastic group of alpha men/females that had me laughing throughout.  Lyssa Kay Adams did a wonderful job writing this fun story, which you need to read.  I know I will be waiting for the next book in this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Berkley Romance is graciously offering a paper copy of A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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Archangel’s Resurrection by Nalini Singh-Review & Giveaway

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Archangel’s Resurrection by Nalini Singh-Review & Giveaway

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 25, 2022

For thousands of years, the passion between Alexander, Archangel of Persia, and Zanaya, Queen of the Nile, burned furious and bright, seemingly without end. But to be an archangel is to be bound to power violent and demanding. Driven by its primal energy, Alexander and Zanaya fought as fiercely as they loved. Locked in an endless cycle of devotion and heartbreak, it is only Zanaya’s decision to Sleep that ends their love story.

Eons later, it is the Cascade of Death that wakens them both. The passion between them a flame that yet burns, Alexander and Zanaya stand together in one last battle against the ultimate darkness. But even a warrior archangel cannot win every war. Alexander’s scream shatters the world as Zanaya falls, broken and silent…only to rise again in a miracle that may be a devastating curse. For is it truly the Queen of the Nile who has been resurrected?

Only one thing is clear: this is the last beat of their passionate, angry dance. The final song for Alexander and his Zani…

•••••••

Sandy’s Review: ARCHANGEL’S RESURRECTION is the fifteenth instalment in Nalini Singh’s adult GUILD HUNTER paranormal/fantasy romance series focusing on Archangel’s, angels, vampires, shifters and hunters. This is Archangel of Persia Alexander, and Queen of the Nile, Archangel Zanaya’s story line. ARCHANGEL’S RESURRECTION can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and history regarding the Cascade.

Told in four parts, overlapping with several previous story line premises, covering thousands of years, using third person perspective ARCHANGEL’S RESURRECTION follows the life, the death and the life again of Archangel of Persia Alexander, and Queen of the Nile, Archangel Zanaya. Alexander and Zanaya have a colorful, riotous, and volatile history, and throughout the eons, separation would always rekindle with a violent clash as Archangel’s were not meant to be together for extended periods of time-too much power, too much ego, too many wars to protect or destroy but the time had come, Zanaya had chosen the ‘Sleep’ of the Archangel’s, leaving an embittered and heartbroken Alexander behind. Thousands of years would once again pass, bringing with it the Cascade (an event that causes massive power fluctuations and other changes among the members of the Cadre) brought about by Archangel Lijuan’s descent into madness. A prophecy of death and destruction, resurrection and renewal, as well as the rise and fall of Archangels would be the Cascade, an imbalance that would see the death and injury of many angels and Archangels including the awakening , the fall, and the rebirth of the woman Alexander loved, Zanaya, destroyed by the madness of Lijuan.

ARCHANGEL’S RESURRECTION looks at Alexander’s brother Osiris’ decline and plummet into madness and fanaticism; Cassandra’s sight revealing pathways that converge and divert; Antonicus, Archangel of the lost city of Elysium, who had dared to cross Lijuan’s black fog, is alive yet not, rising to take over where Lijuan left off.

ARCHANGEL’S RESURRECTION is a slow moving, complex, and detailed story line of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, obsession and madness, love and understanding. The premise is intricate, startling and enchanting; the romance is complicated and resilient; the characters are powerful, charismatic and strong.

———

–Barb’s Review: Archangel’s Resurrection by Nalini Singh is the 15th book in her wonderful Guild Hunter series.  Nalini Singh continues to amaze us with another fantastic addition to this series. Archangel’s Resurrection is centered on two wonderful heroes, as we learn everything about two ancient Archangel’s and their fantastic love over thousands of years. 

Alexander, the Archangel of Persia and Zanaya, the Queen of the Nile is a love story that lasts through eons, continuing to burn brightly, even at times when they separated over years, only to return to their true love.  Alexander is older, and when he became an Archangel, he knew he was attracted to the young Zanaya, but was determined to allow her to grow, until she became a General for her Archangel, and now Alexander claimed the woman he loved.  The relationship was strong and sizzling, but also tumultuous, causing disagreements that would last for a number of years, until they made up and resumed their deep loving relationship.  

Zanaya, after so many millenniums, decided to Sleep, leaving Alexander to live without her; temporarily shattering their love story.   When the evil Lijuan’s war happened, the cascade woke many ancient Archangels, with Zanaya waking up.  The passion between them still burns, as they stand together with other Archangels to fight Lijuan; and Alexander’s scream shatters the world as Zanaya falls being attacked by Lijuan.  Gravely injured in the battle, Zanaya is taken by Cassandra to heal; when she awakes after only ten years; she does feel a bit different, worried that she carries a small part of Lijuan. 

I loved seeing many of the other Archangels we have come to love.  In this story I loved Zanaya’s friendship with Auri, who became her best friend and her second; as well as Meher.  Avelina was also great as Alexander’s second.

Archangel’s Resurrection was a monumental love story over millenniums that was very romantic and very emotional throughout, which was a fabulous addition to this series.  I really loved Alexander and Zanaya together.

As in just about every book I read from Nalini Singh, I could not put this book down.  Archangel’s Resurrection was fantastic, taking us through millenniums with war, peace, tragedy, destruction, and a magnificent love.   If you are new to the series, you should start where it all began. Nalini Singh is one of my top favorite authors, and if you are not reading her books, you need to start now. Nalini Singh is one of my top favorite authors, and if you are not reading her books, you need to start now.

 

Nalini Singh’s publisher is offering a paper copy of ARCHANGEL’S RESURRECTION  to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

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8. Giveaway runs from October 25-29, 2022

 

 

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Dark Whisper by Christine Feehan-Dual Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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Dark Whisper (Dark).Carpathians 32) by Christine Feehan-Dual Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 11, 2022

Vasilisa Sidkorolyavolkva is a Lycan of royal blood. She knows what is expected of her, but all she wants is to be out from under her family’s watchful eyes. There is a fire inside her that is building. A restlessness coupled with a sense of growing dread. Every day she feels the weight of the legacy passed down through generations. The prophecy that says a man will come to claim her as his mate, and that she will guard his soul. She knows nothing about him except that he is hers. But nothing seems real until the night she meets him in the flesh….

Afanasiv Belan is a Carpathian, an ancient one. In all the centuries of his existence, no one has ever affected him like Vasilisa. He can see into her mind and feel what is in her heart. They are so alike, warriors bound by honor and plagued by secrets. They both know they must reveal the darkest parts of their souls if they hope to survive and protect the ones they love.

But if they claim each other as lifemates, it will change them down to the bone. They will become something more—something feared by both of their kinds.

•••••••

Sandy’s Review:

DARK WHISPER is the thirty-sixth instalment (or thirty-second depending upon where you look) in Christine Feehan’s contemporary, adult DARK /CARPATHIANS erotic, paranormal, romance series. This is ancient Carpathian warrior Afansiv Belan, and Royal Lycan Vasilisa Sidkorolyavolkva’s story line. DARK WHISPER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

SOME BACKGROUND: All Carpathian males must find their lifemates before they turn vampire or greet the dawn. Without a lifemate, the males no longer see in color, feel pain or experience emotions. A lifemate is the light to their dark. She is the keeper of his heart and the keeper of his soul. As the unmated Carpathian male ages, the darkness begins to envelope his soul, eventually turning the male vampire or forcing him to greet the dawn.

Told in five parts, leaning strongly on the belief of the Tarot, using third person perspectives DARK WHISPER follows another ancient Carpathian warrior as he finds his lifemate. Afansiv ‘Siv’ Belan is much more than an ancient Carpathian, and it is his heritage that makes him a target of Lilith and the Underworld but meeting his fated lifemate brings Siv into a world of color, sounds and emotions, a world in which he is about to come face to face with his tormented path. Vasilisa Sidkorolyavolkva is a Lycan of Royal blood, and with it comes the powers bestowed by DNA and prestige but through the years, Vasilisa has had the opportunity to share blood with a female Carpathian, and in doing so, makes Vasilisa a Sange rau-a hybrid of mixed blood, no longer pureblood, a Lycan often discriminated against by their own kind. Vasilisa has always known she carries the other half of a Carpathian soul, and with it, readily accepts our hero as her Carpathian lifemate but all is not well in the world of the Lycan, when her brothers are trapped in the Underworld, becoming something or someone Vasilisa no longer recognizes. Along with several ancients, as well as Dimitri and Skyler, Razvan and Ivory, and the few remaining Dragonseekers in the area, Afansiv must undertake a spiritual and psychic journey into the depths of H*ll, in an effort to save the Royal Lycan bloodlines, and stop the master vampires from killing them all.

DARK WHISPER continues to focus on a new enemy, Lilith and the demons of H*ll, an enemy controlled by a former foe who is alive yet not, whose existence was once thought dead and gone. The four portals to H*ll continue to be guarded by four ancient Carpathian females, females who have yet to find their lifemates but powerful woman whose job it is to protect and defend.

The relationship between Siv and Vasi is one of fated mates. Vasilisa is a warrior unto herself, trained to fight and to kill the vampire, with most of the same abilities as the Carpathian people. Afansiv Belan is an ancient but has accepted, to some degree, the modern women’s need for independence but like all lifemates, his duty is to protect and defend the woman he loves.The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including many of the Dragonseeker lineage and their mates-Dimitri and Skyler, Razvan and Ivory; Ancients Petru Cioban, Nicu Dalca, and Benedek Kovac; as well as the introduction of Vasilisa’s brothers: twins Garald and Grigor, and their ruler Andros Sidkorolyavolkva, their Aunt Olga, and several members of various Lycan families including Andros’ girlfriend Lada, the rogue Sacred Circle, and Gaia, a young Carpathian woman kidnapped and forced into H*ll, a woman who refuses to leave behind the ‘demon’ that saved her life.

DARK WHISPER reveals a new concept in the world of the Carpathian-ancients with tattered souls, thickened with dark scars through years of battling the vampires, and the fear of turning demon, not only vampire, but a demon meant to serve in the Underworld. The entertaining premise is detailed and complex- awash in numerous action-packed fight scenes with both vampires and demons, Carpathians and Lycans, magic and power. The romance is limited, not the main focus on the story line, almost an afterthought to the overall premise-I didn’t feel the attraction, it was a relationship based on fate. The characters are powerful and charismatic.

Love Love Love the cover !

_____________

Barb’s Review:
Dark Whisper by Christine Feehan is the 32nd book in her wonderful Dark/Carpathian series. We meet at the start, Vasilisa (Vasi) Sidkorolyavolkva, our heroine, a Russian Royal Lycan, who is an important member of this family of Lycan’s, with three brothers; as they take care of their people, both human and wolf. Vasilisa is a very powerful warrior, having been trained to use her supernatural skills, by her mother as a child; she is also a demon hunter.  Vasi has been sensing her soulmate, who is in deep danger, fighting vampires; she begins to have mental contact with him, trying to help him.

Afanasiv (Siv) Belan, is an ancient Carpathian, who spend many years at the monastery, with other ancients; protecting the innocent as they fight demons and vampires. Siv has almost given up in finding his lifemate, until he feels the connection to his fated mate; as the world changes when he begins to see colors again.

I loved meeting Vasi and Siv, as they were so good together.  Vasi accepted her bond to Siv, and he was absolutely awesome respecting her wonderful powers. Siv will constantly keep her close and safe throughout the danger they must face in the coming war of the Russian terrorists, as well as the demons from the underworld.  Vasi’s brother, Andros is the oldest brother who is the leader of their family and their people.  She has two other brothers (twins), Garald and Grigor, who are always there for both Andros and Vasi. They are under assault from evil enemies who want to take over her brothers and their village. Siv’s cohort of other Ancients comes to help as well as Lycans and Dragonseekers.

Dark Whisper begins the story of the remaining 4 ancients to find their Lifemates, with Siv being the first one. We can expect the remaining three men (Benedek, Petru, and Nicu ), to have stories upcoming, as they played a major part in this story.  I loved seeing so many of our previous favorites, who were there to help when the danger escalates.  It was so great to see Dimitri, Skyler, Ivory, Razvan, Fen, Tatijana, Branislava, just to name a few.  Loved seeing them all. We learn that the underworld and mages, desperately want a Dragonseeker, which Siv is also one.

Dark Whisper was an exciting, tense and fun story, with a fantastic couple in Vasi and Siv, as well as all the wonderful secondary characters. The action was non-stop, with battles throughout against the demons, as well as the Russian group trying to destroy the royal family.   Dark Whisper was very well written by Christine Feehan.  If you are a Dark/Carpathian fan, you need to read this book.

 

Copies supplied by the publisher

 

 

 

He framed her face with both hands and looked into her vivid blue eyes. She had beautiful eyes. Eyes a man could drown in. He brushed kisses gently over both eyes, the tip of her elegant nose and then the corners of her mouth. “I’ll add my safeguards to yours,” he murmured against her soft lips. “The weaves will be in my mind for you to follow.”
He ran the pad of his thumb over the curve of her bottom lip, etching the feel and texture of it into his soul for all time. Then he took her mouth. Gentle. Coaxing. Tender. Promising. Tasting her as she opened for him. The rush started. The heat. The flames. The fire. He wasn’t certain if he was the match or she was. They came together in a fiery explosion that was never-ending. He didn’t want it to end. It was the most feeling he’d ever experienced. Overwhelming. Good. Paradise. His brain turned off, so there was no real ability to think. He had Vasilisa and the way she made every nerve ending in his body come alive. Hot blood rushed through his veins and thundered in his ears, roared in his groin, pooling to make urgent demands.
He didn’t know who pulled back first, but suddenly he felt very much bereft, his mouth just scant inches from hers. “I know I was supposed to go somewhere and do something very important, but that’s gone up in flames.”
Her laughter was low, her blue eyes soft. Her fingers traced his bottom lip gently. “I believe you were about to go off on a rescue mission to retrieve my brothers from the depths of hell. Something easy like that.”
He nodded and captured her hands. “Be safe, Vasilisa. Don’t take any chances. Anyone coming to the cabin—anyone at all—related to you, looking like one of your friends, could easily be someone compromised.”
She nodded her head. “I’m well aware. I won’t allow anyone in, no matter the circumstances.”
“They can get inventive. Wolves devouring someone right outside your door.”
“They could try that, but I control the wolves. If they didn’t obey me, I would know immediately that it was a setup. Go before the sun is up.”
“Seal the fault after me. Leave one tiny space my spirit will come through that only you know of. Do not share with me.”
He saw the uneasiness on her face. “You cannot. We need to take precautions. A part of you will be with me, so you’ll know if you will need to escape quickly. This is a dangerous place. I cannot emphasize that enough. I have demons in me; you do not.”
She nodded. “Go then. Hurry back to me.”
He turned away from her, one of the most difficult things he’d ever had to do. He knew what it was like in the underworld. It hadn’t been easy escaping. He’d been there with his physical body. This time he was only taking his spirit. That gave him both advantages and disadvantages. He lay down on the cot, stretching out to full length and, without allowing further thought on the subject, shed his physical body.
Vasilisa touched his mind. Afanasiv felt her entrance, that sweet feminine brush along the walls of his brain. So light. Not tentative. She was never that. She knew what she wanted, and she acted with confidence most of the time. She generally filled every empty, lonely space with her energy, making him feel whole and complete. Right now, she found a very small space, barely there, and fit her spirit inside it.

Excerpted from DARK WHISPER by Christine Feehan Copyright © 2022 by Christine Feehan. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.


 

Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 70 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, Ghostwalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series and Torpedo Ink. All of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.

Follow: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Christine’s Feehan’s publisher Penguin/Random House/ Berkley Romance is graciously offering a paper copy of DARK WHISPER to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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Irrevocable (Guardians 1) by AJ Reid-Review, Interview & Giveaway

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Irrevocable (Guardians 1) by AJ Reid-Review, Interview & Giveaway

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 23, 2022

When Tess nosedives into Ethan, it’s a genuine accident. But when she trespasses? Maybe not so much.

When Tess Williams, a neonatal intensive care unit nurse, finds her fiancé in bed with another woman, she is done with dating. Even if it means she won’t have a family of her own, because trust and honesty are that important to her. Hellbent on avoiding any temptation of the male kind, she makes one devastating mistake: nosediving into the solid chest of a Delta Force operator.

Her second far-reaching mistake? Trespassing.

Ethan Mitchell, only son of a Texas billionaire, joined the Army to turn his life around. Adamant all women are only after money and can’t be trusted, and to keep his past secret, he is only interested in casual flings. Until a stubborn and infuriating five-foot-seven firecracker crashes into him, insisting he is mistaken, and he needs to apologize.

Sure. Like hell he is. And like hell he will.

Ethan may admit he is wrong (about one woman specifically), but will he risk exposing his secrets to keep her in his life? And Tess may give in to the attraction between them, but will she risk her heart for someone who, all too often, is sent on life-threatening missions?

•••••

REVIEW: IRREVOCABLE is the first instalment in AJ Reid’s contemporary, adult GUARDIANS erotic, romance series. This is billionaire/Delta Force operative Ethan Mitchell, and NICU nurse Tess Williams’ story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives IRREVOCABLE follows the turbulent but building romance and relationship between billionaire/Delta Force operative Ethan Mitchell, and NICU nurse Tess Williams. A night out with friends found Tess Williams stumbling into a sexy and brooding but cantankerous man, a man she would meet not once but two more times, several weeks later, where in she would discover our ill-tempered hero is one of her brother’s Delta Force Operatives, and a man who believes women are after him for only his money. A whirlwind affair between Tess and Ethan would end dramatically when Tess catches Ethan with someone else, the end of which Tess will suffer like she had never before. Life as she knows it is about to spiral out of control but Ethan refuses to listen or accept anything Tess has left to offer. What ensues is the building relationship between Ethan and Tess, and the fall-out when Tess walks away, pushing Ethan to close his heart, one final time.

The relationship between Tess and Ethan begins acrimoniously. Ethan believes Tess is a stalker; after his wealth and power; a woman who only sees Ethan as a final payday. Tess, on the other hand, has no idea as to Ethan’s identity, and crossing one another’s paths was nothing more than a coincidence that was about to become something more but Tess doesn’t do ‘army’, having watched from the sidelines as her parents’ marriage imploded. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Tess’s brother Joshua Williams; fellow Delta Force Operator Hayden Cooper, as well as Tess’s mother, and several co-workers at the hospital.

IRREVOCABLE is a story of mistaken beliefs, accusations and mistrust; jealousy and misunderstand; forgiveness and love. The fast paced premise is intriguing yet heart breaking; the characters are captivating, determined and animated; the romance is seductive but struggles in the face of issues of trust. Saying that, I made every effort to sympathize with our story line hero but his attitude and actions left something to be desired.

I would like to add, I wish there was more insight into the Delta Force operations-most of the missions and events are behind the scenes and off page.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

TRC:  Hi AJ and welcome to The Reading Café.Congratulations on the release of IRREVOCABLE.

AJ:  Thank you so much, and for having me today!

TRC:  We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself

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AJ: I’m an Aussie from Perth, Western Australia and am married to a wonderful husband who still makes me laugh after 24 years. We have two boys, 19 and 17 years old, and 3 dogs. We’ve been living in the US for almost 8 years, and our oldest son is starting university beginning of next year. Our baby, who isn’t a baby anymore, just started his senior year. I honestly can’t believe how quickly they’ve grown up. It feels like yesterday when I was sitting next to the pool writing while they had swimming lessons.

TRC:  Who or what influenced your career in writing?

AJ:During a 10-week work trip to the US in 2006, I joined a library when I had finished all the books I had brought with me and came across a Cynster novel by Stephanie Laurens. I couldn’t put it down, or the next one, or the next. When I was done with every Cynster, Bastion Club, and Cobra novel, I decided to try my hand at writing. I’ve never regretted this decision for one moment.

I initially thought I’d write Regency novels, but while I was researching potential historical events as the backdrop for my first book, I stumbled across the Reivers of the English-Scottish borders. I immediately knew I wanted to not only learn more about their turbulent past and history, but also that I wanted to write their stories. I immersed myself into research for almost 2 years before I started writing the first book.

After many years of research, learning the craft of writing, completing the first manuscript, and moving to the US, I needed a break from the past and returned to my other grassroots love, Contemporary Romance. Once I finish the GUARDIANS series, I plan to return to the 16th century border for their Happily Ever Afters.

TRC:  What challenges or difficulties have you encountered writing and publishing your stories?

AJ:Finding time for writing between my professional career, family, and my other interests like reading and traveling. I have a lot of support from my family which helps tremendously.

TRC:  Would you please tell us something about the premise of IRREVOCABLE and the GUARDIANS series?

AJ:Tess is a neonatal intensive care nurse who has gone through several bad breakups. She really wants a family, but after catching her fiancé cheating on her three weeks before their wedding day, she’s done with relationships and decides to have a baby on her own when the time is right.

She’s also dealing with the loss of her Special Forces brother during a classified operation, a dad who has put his Army career ahead of his family, and suspects her only remaining brother has just made Delta Force selection which renews her fears she might lose him too.

Ethan is the only son of a Texas billionaire, and had joined the Army to turn his out-of-control life around. He grew up believing that women are only after his family’s money and can’t be trusted, and is only interested in short-term flings to keep his past buried.

When they meet by accident in the hottest “It” lounge in Dallas, Ethan insists Tess is hitting on him. She doesn’t take being wrongly accused lightly. The second time they encounter each other, all kinds of sparks fly between them, but they assume they can ignore all of that because they are never going to see each other again. Which they of course do!

Every book in the GUARDIANS series take place in Dallas with heroes who are stubborn Delta Force operators and heroines who are NICU nurses with wills of steel. There will also always be horses, dogs, and of course, annoying and interfering family members! The main characters of the subsequent books are introduced in the previous ones, but they can all be read as stand-alone.

I should also mention that I don’t sugarcoat the more realistic aspects of neonatal nursing experiences. Where I can’t draw on my own experience, I make every effort to ensure I handle these very personal and sensitive themes with the utmost care.

TRC:  How many books do you have planned for the series?

AJ:I have 3 books planned for the GUARDIANS series.

TRC:  How do you keep the plot(s) unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

AJ:By making sure the motivations and emotions match the characters’ responses to the unexpected and don’t catch readers by surprise. Foreshadowing is also something I like to use to make sure, even though my characters have no clue what’s coming, that my readers are suspecting a little something.

My critique groups and beta readers are also a huge help to keep me on the straight and narrow, and they let me know when something doesn’t work or is confusing or unbelievable.

TRC:  Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

AJ:Absolutely. Most of the time the cover is the first thing to draw a reader’s attention and should make them want to read the blurb, which should make them want to read the first few pages, and then the rest of the book. They’re all tied together, and each plays a critical role.

TRC:  When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

AJ:I’ve only once let the characters do the directing, and never again. It was a disaster of epic proportions to sort that plotline out and make sense of things. So these days, I keep them on a short leash!

TRC:  The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

AJ:It’s key to really understand what the character is going through at that moment. I also consider how I would feel and respond to a similar situation, and then I dig deeper into what the character would feel and respond. There’s a fine balance to ensure the level of detail is appropriate for each scene, otherwise it can completely undo any emotional connection again.

TRC:  Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

AJ:I develop the storyline and characterization first before I compile a playlist, but I don’t always have one. When I do, I listen to the songs while I’m planning the next scene in my head or when I’m driving, and once in a while when I’m writing and am in the mood for music.

This is how I know the hero in the second book of the GUARDIANS series is going to be a handful. I mean, Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance is on that playlist…

TRC:  Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

AJ:I have two small, close-knit critique partner groups on Scribophile. We’ve been together for ages and know each other very well. It’s great being able to work with writer-friends who know my writing style, challenge me to take risks, and who I can ask all kinds of questions, anytime. I met some of them in person on a trip to Yellowstone National Park last year, which was fantastic. Yellowstone also lived up to its reputation. It was absolutely stunning!

I’m also part of bigger Scribophile groups where I can get answers for about just anything from doctors, nurses, lawyers, veterans, other Border Reiver gurus, and of course, writing, publishing, and marketing.

TRC:  What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

AJ:That most of us write full-time, and writing is our main/only income source.

TRC:  What is something that few, if any people, know about you?

AJ:I absolutely love everything netball, and recently, started to get into American football. I still love Aussie footy rules, too!!

TRC:  On what are you currently working?

AJ:The second book of the GUARDIANS series which I hope to have out early next year.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food
Butter chicken with white rice and veggies

Favorite Dessert
Black Forest Cake

Favorite TV Show
The Blacklist

Last Movie You Saw
The Lost City with Sandra Bullock & Channing Tatum and I only have good things to day about it!

Dark or Milk Chocolate
This is a really easy one, milk chocolate all the way, right?

Secret Celebrity Crush
Ryan Reynolds

Last Vacation Destination
On the back of a work trip to the UK earlier this year, I added a few days to hunt down the spirit of the Border Reiver on the English/Scottish border. It was so much more than I ever expected, and I had wonderful conversations with many awesome people who shared their personal stories, love of the border, and their family history.

Do you have any pets?
One Dachshund and two South African boerboels. The boerboel boy is still a puppy which means I’m dedicating a bit of my writing time to teaching the little guy the difference between furniture, shoes, and dog toys. But so far, so good. He’s smart and catching on quickly!

Last book you read
FINDERS, KEEPERS by Chloe Holiday. It’s a short, exceptionally satisfying read and I highly recommend it. The next one on my list is HERS TO KEEP by Avery Samson.

TRC:  Thank you, Janet for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on your new release.

AJ:Thank you again for having me, and for a fun interview!

AJ Reid is graciously offering a signed, paper copy of IRREVOCABLE to ONE (1) USA reader: and an ebook copy to TWO (2) international readers

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.

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10. Giveaway runs from October 8-13, 2022

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365 Days Trilogy by Blanka Lipinska-Reviews and Giveaway

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365 Days Trilogy by Blanka Lipinska-Reviews and Giveaway

365 Days
(365 Days #1)
by Blanka Lipinska
Genre: adult, contemporary, dark, Mafia, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Re-release February 2, 2021.

Laura Biel and her boyfriend are on a dream vacation in beautiful Sicily. On the second day of their trip, her twenty-ninth birthday, she is kidnapped. Her kidnapper is none other than the head of a powerful Sicilian crime family, the incredibly handsome, young Don Massimo Torricelli, who is determined to possess her at all costs. Massimo has his reasons. During an earlier attempt on his life, a vision appeared before his eyes: a beautiful woman, identical to Laura. After surviving the attack, he vows that he will find the woman in his vision and make her his own. No matter what.

For 365 days, Massimo will keep Laura captive in his palatial estate and attempt to win her heart. If she doesn’t fall in love with him during this time, he will let her go. But if she tries to escape at any point, he will track her down and kill her entire family.

Soon Laura develops a fascination with her handsome and powerful captor. But as a precarious, risky relationship forms between them, forces outside their control threaten to tear them apart.

•••••••

REVIEW: 365 DAYS by Blanka Lipinska is the first instalment in the contemporary, adult 365 DAYS erotic, dark romance series focusing on twenty-nine year old, Polish born Laura Biel, and thirty-two year old, Sicilian Don Massimo Torricelli.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

NOTE: 365 DAYS is the re-release of Blanka Lipinska’s best selling novel, and turned into a Netflix movie in 2020.

Told from first person perspective (Laura) 365 DAYS follows in the wake of Sicilian Don Massimo Torricelli’s ongoing visions and dreams (during and following weeks in a coma) about a woman he has never met but a woman he is determined to own. A chance meeting at the airport finds Massimo obsessed over our heroine Laura Biel, a woman already in a committed relationship with a man she doesn’t love. Kidnapped and held as a virtual prisoner in a gilded cage, Laura comes to learn she is Massimo’s captive for the next 365 days, wherein she will either fall in love or walk away at the end of the year. With several threats looming over her head, her family, and those of her friends, Laura reluctantly agrees to Massimo’s terms, terms that find our heroine falling for a man who will control every aspect of her life. What ensues is the tempestuous and contentious relationship between Massimo and Laura, and the potential fall-out as Massimo’s enemies have targeted our couple, and in this, Massimo is unwilling to place Laura in the direct line of fire.

The relationship between Massimo and Laura begins acrimoniously when Massimo kidnaps Laura to claim as his own. Unable to leave without the possibility of losing everybody she loves, Laura agrees to 365 days but refuses to make life any easier for the man with whom she will fall in love. The $ex scenes are erotic, intense, and aggressive, and not without some questions of dubious consent.

We are introduced to an ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including Laura’s new assistant Dominic, and her best friend Olga; Laura’s parents, her ex-boyfriend Martin, dance instructor Petrov, as well as several members of Massimo’s security and staff.

365 DAYS is an erotic tale of obsession and lust, power and control. The questionable behavior of both characters borders on disturbing and abnormal-our heroine’s behavior is often immature, up and down, back and forth but under the circumstances, she is otherwise a prisoner of man she knows very little about. Massimo’s temper and darkness is exacerbated by our heroine’s conduct and attitude, conduct she purposely employs to anger our story line hero. The premise is entertaining and interesting; the romance is erotic and dramatic; the characters are animated. 365 DAYS ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

On a side note, the book was originally written in Polish, and therefore there are some issues of grammar etc with the translation.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

________

THIS DAY
(365 Days #2)
by Blanka Lipinska
Genre: adult, contemporary, dark, Mafia, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: release Date December 7, 2021

Laura Biel’s new life in Sicily looks like the perfect fairy tale: a grand wedding, a wealthy and devoted husband, a baby on the way, and lavish luxury complete with servants, extravagant cars, and seaside palazzos. Yes, all of this would be perfect, except for the fact that Laura is constantly surrounded by gangsters as the threat of her kidnapping looms large. Laura is about finally discover what it means to be married to the most dangerous man in Italy.

••••

REVIEW: THIS DAY is the second instalment in the contemporary, adult 365 DAYS erotic, dark romance series by Blanka Lipinska focusing on twenty-nine year old, Polish born Laura Biel, and thirty-two year old, Sicilian Don Massimo Torricelli. THIS DAY should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events of book one 365 DAYS.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

SOME BACKGROUND: Several months earlier Laura Biel was kidnapped and held as a virtual prisoner in a gilded cage, learning he was to become Sicilian Don Massimo Torricelli’s captive for the next 365 days, 365 days wherein she will either fall in love or walk away at the end of the year. With several threats looming over her head, her family, and those of her friends, Laura reluctantly agrees to Massimo’s terms, terms that find our heroine falling for a man who will control every aspect of her life.

Told from first person perspective (Laura) with a final few paragraphs from Massimo, THIS DAY continues to follow the building relationship between Laura Biel, and Sicilian Don Massimo Torricelli. Massimo Torricelli is a powerful man in the criminal underworld, a Mafia Don who is often at odds with the woman with whom he is falling in love but the threats against Laura no longer come from Massimo himself, but from enemies and other power hungry men at the top. As Massimo’s brother Domenico falls for Laura’s best friend Olga, several other players enter the game, a game in which someone is going to lose. Ever the protector, with a need to control, Massimo will eventually meet his match when he is unable to protect the woman he loves.

The relationship between Laura and Massimo is erotically charged; highly sexual in nature wherein Massimo demands total submission from the woman he loves. Over protective to the point of obsession, Massimo never expected to fall hard, a fall that will place Laura in danger from Massimo’s competition and underworld powers. The $ex scenes are provocative, dominating and intense.

We are reintroduced to Massimo’s brothers Domenico and Adriano; Laura’s best friend Olga, as well as several Spanish Mafia executioner Marcelo ‘Nacho’ Matos, and his sister Amelia Matos; security specialists, MMA fighters, exes, and staff. The requisite evil has many faces.

THIS DAY is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, obsession and envy, friends and family, love and acceptance. The premise is captivating and riveting; the romance is aggressive and impassioned; the characters are determined, charismatic and desperate-there is a true Stockholm Syndrome relationship between captor and captive. THIS DAY ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

My only complaint is the choppy-nature of the presentation, often jumping from one scene/location/situation between paragraphs.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

_______

THE NEXT 365 DAYS
365 Days #3
by Blanka Lipinska
Genre: adult, contemporary, dark, Mafia, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play /

Release Date: September 27, 2022

As the wife of Don Massimo Torricelli, one of the most dangerous Mafia bosses in Sicily, Laura’s life is a roller coaster. She is often at risk, the potential target of Massimo’s unscrupulous enemies who will stop at nothing to destroy the powerful man. And when Laura is seriously injured in an attack, pregnant and fighting to survive, Massimo faces the toughest decision of his life. What will his life be without Laura? Will he be able to raise their child alone? What will the fate of his family be, and whose 365 days may come to a close?

•••••••

REVIEW: THE NEXT 365 DAYS is the third and final instalment in Blanka Lipinska’s contemporary, adult 365 DAYS dark, erotic, romance series focusing on Laura Biel-Torricelli, the wife of Sicilian Mafia Don Massimo Torricelli. THE NEXT 365 DAYS should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the cliff hanger and events of book two THIS DAY.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise including rape and sexual violence, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

SOME BACKGROUND: Several months earlier Laura Biel was kidnapped and held as a virtual prisoner in a gilded cage, learning she was to become Sicilian Don Massimo Torricelli’s captive for the next 365 days, 365 days wherein she will either fall in love or walk away at the end of the year. With several threats looming over her head, her family, and those of her friends, Laura reluctantly agrees to Massimo’s terms, terms that find our heroine falling for a man who will control every aspect of her life.

Told from first person perspective (Laura) THE NEXT 365 DAYS follows in the wake of profound loss for our story line couple. Unable to cope, Don Massimo Torricelli becomes a man his wife no longer recognizes, a man whose violence and power are growing every day. Weeks to months will pass wherein Laura has no concept of her husband’s whereabouts, time in which she reconsiders her life going forward. Getting reacquainted with a man from her past, Laura must come to terms with the failure of her marriage, and the man with whom she had fallen in love. What ensues is the break down of Laura’s marriage to her controlling captor, and the rebuilding of her life with someone else.

We are reintroduced to Massimo’s brothers Domenico; Laura’s best friend Olga, as well as Spanish Mafia executioner Marcelo ‘Nacho’ Matos, and his sister Amelia Matos. The requisite evil is a familiar face.

The world building continues to focus on the nature of the Stockholm Syndrome style relationship with an abusive man-Laura’s life, the path she has chosen, and the path that is no longer under her control. Laura’s marriage has imploded; the man she thought she had loved is showing the true nature of the beast; and Massimo is pushed to the limits when his wife falls in love with someone else. Like the previous two instalments there is plenty of jumping back and forth between paragraphs such that I had to often re-read what I had just read. I also have to question the ‘medical’ procedure, the after-care, and lack of real-world medicines and treatment-the lack of believability is concerning..

THE NEXT 365 DAYS is another story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, obsession and determination; acceptance and loss; family, friendships, relationships and love. Massimo Torricelli is a man out of control-he wields his power as a form dominance and discipline, a dominance manifested by rage and abuse. Laura Biel-Torricelli is a woman pushing the envelope of security and freedom but a woman who must forge a new path towards freedom, a freedom gained at a cost. Laura’s immaturity is prevalent; her indecisiveness is often frustrating.

THE NEXT 365 DAYS is not a story of romance or love between Massimo and Laura, but a story of obsession, control, recovery and acceptance. Laura will find true love with someone else, pushing Massimo to try and break the bird he was desperate to cage. The premise’s primary focuses in on Laura’s fight for her freedom, and her building relationship with another man-saying that, the blurb is misleading to the point that some of the issues alluded to did not exist ; the characters actions are questionable on so many levels including Laura’s back and forth, up and down persona, often exacerbated by her best friend’s marriage into the Torricelli family, as well as the uncivilized and unconscionable actions of the Sicilian Don.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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Simon and Schuster publishers are offering all 3 books in paper back in the 365 DAYS Trilogy by Blanka Lipinska to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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10. Giveaway runs from SEPTEMBER 25-30, 2022

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