Tag Archives: Marie Johnston

The Dragon’s Pledge by Marie Johnston-a review

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The Dragon’s Pledge (Jade Dragon Shifter Brothers 1)-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 22, 2022

Ronan

The next time my brother says “Hey, I’ve got an idea,” I need to run, not walk away. I might be from a dragon shifter ruling family, but I’m not demanding a female mate with me. Yet taking my time and winning her over is going nowhere. So far, I’ve punched my card as the older neighbor who’s way too nosy about the young female next door. Then I hear about what she’s got planned. And I’m faced with giving her what she needs and letting her walk away, even at the cost of the useless beating organ in my chest.

Brighton

Mate Ronan Jade, they said. It’ll be a good match, they said. The older shifter is a walking poster of smoldering, hardworking male. He swings a hammer all day and at night… Well, that thought dominates my mind more than I’d like. The problem is that he’s a great match. Superb. And I’m an inexperienced female trying to rule my clan. It’d be too easy to let him in. To let him take over. To allow him to dominate. So I try to find another mate instead. Only Ronan finds me first.

•••••

REVIEW: This is a spin off from the Silver Dragon Shifter Brothers Series, a three book series.

Brighton we’ve meet in the previous series, it’s not necessary to read that series, but you’ll get a little more background. (But this book does supply a few moments from Brighton’s life?)
She’s the youngest ever ruler of her clan, she’s also the first female to rule. But not everyone agreed with the decision and she’s has to fight to keep her leadership. (That’s how we met her, the dragons in her clan were turning rogue and injured a Silver clan member)

Ronan is brother to both Lachlan and Venus (Lachlan is the clan leader, Venus mated Penn from the Silver clan).We met him briefly in the previous series, we don’t know too much about him, but i got the impression he wasn’t too impressed with Brighton and her clan.
But after the Silver clan step in to help Brighton, and the Jade clan offer their support in rebuilding Brighton’s town.

It’s in a sorry state, neglected and falling apart, Ronan is there as both potential mate and contractor.

It’s not love at first sight, it’s not even a like! But when an alliance is needed to help Brighton keep her clan, Ronan is drafted in!

The fireworks between these two characters just light the pages up. They bicker and banter until a moment has them rethinking they could just make this arrangement work. But someone still wants Brighton’s leadership!

I love these stories, short with plenty of action, angst and storyline to make you wish they were longer.

Brighton although inexperienced and young, her determination to make her family proud is strong (she lost her parents and older sister in an accident, which we find out wasn’t an accident!)

So can Ronan and Brighton put their differences aside and build this clan back up? Can they find a truce and maybe go from there?

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B?

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Corrupt Fire (Angel Fire 5) by Marie Johnston-a review

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Corrupt Fire (Angel Fire 5) by Marie Johnston-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 12, 2022

One minute the angel Tosca is a respected enforcer having a drink with someone she considers an ally. The next minute she wakes up beside a dead body, red-handed and blackballed.

Now enforcers she used to call friends are calling her a murderer. When they dredge up the past she’s so carefully buried, she’ll only look guiltier. Her only hope for clearing her name is escaping to Earth—and seeking refuge in the one place she vowed never to set foot in again.

One minute the angel Bronx is a frustrated warrior railing at the corruption that keeps him from doing his job. The next minute he’s got free rein to hunt the bane of his existence.

The cute but infuriating enforcer has been questioning his every move and tattling to her crooked senator friends. But now that Tosca is on the run, there’s nowhere on Earth he won’t follow—even if it takes him smack into a nest of forgotten angels and unchecked demons who will do anything to stay that way.

Except once he finds Tosca, he doesn’t know what to do with her. His gut tells him she’s innocent, but he’ll have to gain her trust to learn who framed her and why. Yet Tosca has no intention of letting any male dictate her fate again, even one who stars nightly in her dreams. Together they could root out the corruption bedeviling their realm—but divided they will fall prey to a determined enemy adept at killing enforcers and warriors alike.

•••••

REVIEW:Book five in this series, and it’s becoming a firm favourite.

I really like the authors work and style of writing (she writes both paranormal and contemporary romance)

We jump straight into a murder and Tosca is the only suspect! Covered in the dead man’s blood it’s looking like she did it, only she’s certain that she couldn’t have…… Tosca is an angel enforcer, upholding the laws of her kind.

There is a past to Tosca she doesn’t want anyone to find out about (if you want to know what it is, you’ll have to read the book?) it definitely shaped her into the Angel she is today.

Bronx is confused. One minute the senate is telling him he’s doing his job wrong, and then the next they are telling him to use any means to track and apprehend the murderer, but when Bronx finds out who he’s suppose to be bringing in, he’s first surprised to shocked. But his feelings aren’t going to sway him in his duty. But the longer he spends around Tosca, the harder Bronx thinks she is guilty. He had a job to do, he needs to bring her in and for Tosca to answer for her crimes.

It’s a fast paced story that doesn’t stop until the end (and it sets up the next story) As always it’s well thought out and brilliantly written. We don’t get too bogged down with useless information. I really liked the characters of Tosca and Bronx, both have a past they’d rather forget, and both are doing their best to be better angels.

These books are loosely connected, but can easily be read without reading any of the other books in this series.

Corruption is rife in the angel realm and the price our characters that have had to pay for their happiness has been rather steep, and this one is no exception.

So how will Tosca clear her name? Can Bronx help her, or will he be another in a long line to let her down?

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B ?

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Marie Johnston is a RITA® Finalist, and a best-selling and award-winning writer of paranormal and contemporary romance – and an avid reader of them both.

Several years ago, when kids started outnumbering adults in the house, Marie Johnston left her job as a public health microbiologist to stay at home. Settling into working part-time and shuttling kids around gave Marie the opportunity to think about what she wanted to be when she grew up. A die-hard science geek, she explored her previously thought to be non-existent creative side after much time spent making snowman crafts and coloring princesses. Having entertained thoughts of writing a book one day then subsequently deciding it would be too hard, she finally put the figurative pen to paper and began to type – and fell in love with storytelling.

The Sigma Menace is the first series by Marie with Fever Claim being her first book EVER. She is humbled by the fact that people are willing to read to her books and looks forward to keeping readers entertained for many years.

Marie lives with her husband and four kids in the Upper Midwest where the summers are gorgeous, the winters are brutal, and spring and fall are luxuries.

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The Dragon’s Vow by Marie Johnston-a review

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The Dragon’s Vow (Silver Dragon Shifter Brothers 3) by Marie Johnston-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 14, 2022

Steel

When my brother was busy trying to win the mate of his dreams, I may have indulged a time or twenty in the voluptuous curves of a human woman. I fell hard and when I asked her for more, she turned me down flat. She would never move to the small shifter town I lived in and I could never leave. Message received. So I walked away before I told her what I was. Then I find out she’s pregnant with my young.

Avril

I moved to a big city after high school and I’ve been savoring the anonymity ever since. Then Steel shows up and destroys the tidy but exhausting life I’ve built for myself. I’m not allowed to raise a dragon shifter kid away from the clan, and since I know Steel’s shifter secret, I have to mate him. So, basically, I’m losing everything I worked for. But I refuse to lose my heart, no matter what.

••••••

REVIEW:Steel Silver is the middle brother in this series, and my favourite.
He’s the protector/enforcer for the Silver dragon Clan. It’s a job he takes very seriously. To the humans that live in the town the Clan reside they think he’s a sheriff?

Avril is Ava’s best friend (mated to Steel’s brother book?) She’s in a job she loves (nurse?) but the hours are beginning to wear her out, she needs to slow down!

Both were scratching an itch (but to Silver I think it was more.)

She’s pregnant! And she knows who the daddy is…. And when he finds out he’s in his car and off to confront her! She can’t have the baby outside of the Clan, the only alternative is to mate! But Avril wants to be wanted for her and not because she pregnant with Steel’s baby!
But when he tells her the reasons why, at first she’s very sceptical, she thinks Steel is delusional, put when she sees him in all his dragon glory, it hits home! She’s having a baby dragon!

So can Steel convince Avril he wants her and the baby, it’s not duty? And can Avril put her distrust of men aside and make a family with Steel?

Another great story from this author, pick it up, you won’t be sorry.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie

FOLLOW: Goodreads/Website/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram / Bookbub/ Pinterest

Marie Johnston is a RITA® Finalist, and a best-selling and award-winning writer of paranormal and contemporary romance – and an avid reader of them both.

Several years ago, when kids started outnumbering adults in the house, Marie Johnston left her job as a public health microbiologist to stay at home. Settling into working part-time and shuttling kids around gave Marie the opportunity to think about what she wanted to be when she grew up. A die-hard science geek, she explored her previously thought to be non-existent creative side after much time spent making snowman crafts and coloring princesses. Having entertained thoughts of writing a book one day then subsequently deciding it would be too hard, she finally put the figurative pen to paper and began to type – and fell in love with storytelling.

The Sigma Menace is the first series by Marie with Fever Claim being her first book EVER. She is humbled by the fact that people are willing to read to her books and looks forward to keeping readers entertained for many years.

Marie lives with her husband and four kids in the Upper Midwest where the summers are gorgeous, the winters are brutal, and spring and fall are luxuries.

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MAKE ME WHOLE (Oil Barrons 1) by Marie Johnston-Review Tour

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MAKE ME WHOLE (Oil Barrons 1) by Marie Johnston-Review Tour

 

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 18, 2022

I had a perfect life. Schoolteacher. Married to my high school sweetheart. Little starter house that we called charming but was really just old. All I needed was the two-point-five kids and I’d be living my perfect dream. Then my husband died.

After the funeral, I had a breakdown that lasted for a month…or twelve. But now I’m reemerging, healing, finding my way. It’s time to learn who I am now, and whether or not I can fix a leaky sink. And by my side, the entire time, is my husband’s best friend, Liam. The single dad knows a thing or two about personal struggles, and about how to replace faucets.

With Liam, I feel alive again. Confident. Capable. Liam has become my best friend too. Except if my parents, my in-laws, and the rest of the town had any say, I’d stay far away from him and his bad boy reputation.

How do I admit to them what’s so hard to admit to myself? That I’m starting to look at him like he’s more than a friend. That the heat in his eyes when he looks at me is far beyond friendly. That like it or not, Liam makes me feel whole again.

••••••••••

REVIEW: I throughly enjoyed the author’s King’s Series, and when I found out that she’d done a spin off I couldn’t wait to read it.

Kennedy is a widow, she’s still mourning the loss of her husband. It’s only been a year and a half, but slowly she returning to the land of the living. And she owes that mainly to her husbands best friend/cousin Liam. He checks up on her regularly, and she feels like the only one who really understands (Derek’s parents are still grieving and expect her to remain the same way.)

Liam is a single parent (a relationship that ended badly) he dotes on his boys, but wants a better life for hiss kids away from the town he grew up in.
Liam is the illegitimate child of the local oil/farming baron, he’s never been made to feel welcome, in fact if his father had his way the whole town would be against Liam and he’s be forced to move away!

This is a friends to lovers trope, and the author has done a great job of dealing with both the grief that both characters feel and the animosity that Liam faces living in the town he doesn’t feel like he belong too.

Liam has always fancied Kennedy, but when his cousin/best friend made a move on Kennedy, Liam was relegated to the friend zone! But ha’d rather have her as a friend than not in his life at all. After losing Derek, looking after Kennedy seemed second nature.
Kennedy begins to look at Liam in more than just a friend way, she notices how he cares and how he looks, that then makes her feel guilty at betraying her dead husbands memory.

And when they finally admit how they feel about each other, they have to face the gauntlet of emotions and the backlash from other people!

I’m hoping it’s the start of a new series. We get to meet some of Liam’s siblings in this book, so there is plenty to write about.

Really well thought out and written in a way that you connect with the characters.

So can Liam and Kennedy really be happy in Coal Haven? Or would it be easier to move away and start somewhere fresh?

? Reviewed by Julie

Copy supplied for review

 

 

 

Blinking to adjust to the dimmer light, it wasn’t hard to find Liam. Sparks flew from the far corner, where the light from the open door had the hardest time penetrating.
The torch Liam held went dark. He flipped his face shield up so it rested on top of his head. “Hey. That time already? The afternoon got away from me.”
He set his equipment on the work bench by the hunk of metal he’d been working on. He slapped his thick gloves down and took the face shield off. Then he shrugged out of his well-worn leather apron.
I blinked again, but it had nothing to do with lighting. His long-sleeved blue T-shirt with the logo of a bar and grill in Williston was plastered to his chest and back. A smattering of singe holes gathered around the collar and a few tiny ones on the sleeves where the apron didn’t reach. Liam adjusted his shoulders like he was trying to dislodge the fabric from his skin, but all the move did was make his muscles ripple.
I’d known Liam wasn’t the same lanky kid from high school, but I’d never had proof like this.
He ran a hand through his hair—same effect. Biceps bulging and rippling muscle.
My brain snapped a picture, like someday I might need to reference the type of man that could get my libido going again.
Which I wasn’t looking for. Dating wasn’t on my radar, much less…activities beyond that.
Although recently I’d been thinking… I gave myself a mental shake. My therapist said there was nothing wrong with thinking about dating someday. Nothing wrong with dating itself. Nothing wrong with not being ready. Nothing wrong with dating while still not feeling ready. I hadn’t reached that point yet. And I didn’t have to think about it at Liam’s.

 

FOLLOW: Goodreads/Website/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram / Bookbub/ Pinterest

Marie Johnston is a RITA® Finalist, and a best-selling and award-winning writer of paranormal and contemporary romance – and an avid reader of them both.

Several years ago, when kids started outnumbering adults in the house, Marie Johnston left her job as a public health microbiologist to stay at home. Settling into working part-time and shuttling kids around gave Marie the opportunity to think about what she wanted to be when she grew up. A die-hard science geek, she explored her previously thought to be non-existent creative side after much time spent making snowman crafts and coloring princesses. Having entertained thoughts of writing a book one day then subsequently deciding it would be too hard, she finally put the figurative pen to paper and began to type – and fell in love with storytelling.

The Sigma Menace is the first series by Marie with Fever Claim being her first book EVER. She is humbled by the fact that people are willing to read to her books and looks forward to keeping readers entertained for many years.

Marie lives with her husband and four kids in the Upper Midwest where the summers are gorgeous, the winters are brutal, and spring and fall are luxuries.

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Warrior Fire (Angel Fire Series 1-4)by Marie Johnston-Review tour

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Warrior Fire (Angel Fire Series 1-4) by Marie Johnston-Review & Excerpt tour

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WARRIOR FIRE
Angel Fire 4
by Marie Johnston
Release Date: October 18, 2021
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, paranormal/fantasy romance

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Sandeen’s a demon that did the impossible. He busted out of the underworld in his own form and roams the earth. His black wings and curved obsidian horns make it hard to blend in, but he hasn’t survived this long without being crafty. Just so happens, he knows about an empty cabin in the middle of Montana. Solitude. Peace. No need to worry about getting shanked as he sleeps. Until a persistent angel warrior hunts him down.

Harlowe’s world has turned upside down. Her best friend lost her wings because of a mind-blowing secret. Then a hauntingly handsome demon got away from her. All she can do is throw herself into her job and that involves hunting down the demon. Sandeen can’t hide. Forget his downy soft wings and the horns her palms itch to caress, his looks and inability to stay out of trouble will put him back on her radar.

Finding Sandeen was supposed to be the mission. Getting captured by him is an unplanned complication. Softening toward him could cost her everything. Sandeen risks his hard-earned freedom by keeping Harlowe alive, and it’s not long before they learn they have more problems than the growing attraction between them. Harlowe’s not the only one hunting Sandeen.

•••••••

REVIEW:I’d advise you to read the previous three books. You could probably get away with not reading them, but with an engrossing backstory going on, why wouldn’t you want to read them first?!

Sandeen is a demon, with horns, fangs and wings! So hiding in the human realm is going to prove tricky….But he’s a resourceful demon and he’s determined never to go back to the hell realm he escaped from!

Harlowe is an angel on a mission. To kill the escaped demon Sandeen, but finding him is proving tougher than she thought! And when she does track him down, she doesn’t bargain on being captured by him!

This book continues in the same vein that the previous three books did. Fast paced, full of action and a great storyline.Both the characters are in previous books.

I really liked Sandeen, liked the thought process and the sneaky attitude he had. The way he fought his way out of the Hell realm was interesting too, and his sense of humour gave us a few moments of light relief.

Harlowe, in previous books she came across as a little arrogant, it rankled that Sandeen escaped her once before, and had managed to evade her for a while before she tracked him down.I had to to chuckle when she was taken by surprise, her arrogance was definitely her downfall.

Without giving too much away, they have to work together to find out who is trying to kill Sandeen (apart from Harlowe) he seems to have a lot of knowledge that people/angels/demons are willing to kill for!

If your looking for hot angels/human/demons and plenty of action/adventure, then I’d recommend this book, and in fact the whole series as a must read.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B ?

A black bird flew into the air only to land on another evergreen tree a few down from where it had originally perched.
Sandeen eyed the bird from the front stoop of the little Montana cabin he was hiding out in and dipped his head. Smart creatures. Humans saw them as pests or ignored them completely. Demons did the same—except when considering whether to eat them.
Not him. He hadn’t survived the underworld by underestimating what he faced. Sylphs were worse pests than black birds would ever be, but the little demons had their uses. On Earth, they slipped unseen through the realm, interfering with humans’ lives until negative feelings in those humans coalesced into damaging thoughts that opened the human up to becoming a host for a higher-level demon.
In the underworld, sylphs were like cats. Ugly, stinky cats that no one wanted to let into their home. Sylphs shat where they ate and then they ate that too. But they had their uses. For a few tasty morsels they didn’t have to scrounge for, the little gossipmongers spilled their hearts out.
A second crow cawed. The first crow answered.
Sandeen flicked his gaze from the first bird to his right, then swiveled to look at the other bird. Each crow perched close to the top of their respective evergreen.
Interesting.
When Boone had lived here, he’d probably read the land a different way. Sandeen had seen the trapping lines the human had used to catch his food, but he had no clue how to use them. Wi-Fi for the win. He’d skimmed off someone else’s service until he’d gotten his own put together. Now he could order his own food and supplies delivered to the middle of Nowhere, Montana.
In the old days, all of ten months ago, he would’ve just found a host with a full fridge. But then he’d have to stay in that host to stay in the Earthly realm.
No longer.
Sandeen ruffled his wings. Both birds stared at him, cocking their heads one way, then the other. The first bird cawed.
“Thanks.” His voice was scratchy. He hadn’t spoken to anyone for months. He didn’t speak bird, but he liked to imagine that the crows hung around him thanks to his own glossy black wings.
It was probably bullshit. It wasn’t like a couple of antelope were going to hang around because of Sandeen’s obsidian horns. The birds were something to talk to, to keep his voice box from going rusty. To make him think he had a place in this realm where, as far as humans were concerned, he was an abomination. He was also evil as far as angels in the realm of Numen were concerned. Yet he refused to return to the underworld, the realm of Daemon. They’d have to drag his dead body through the Gloom first.
The second crow cawed and flew to another tree a little closer to Sandeen. The bird cocked his head at him.
Indeed. Sandeen dipped his head.
He looked down at his clothing. Boone had left quite a few things behind when he’d sold this place to what he thought was a single man who wanted a hunting cabin. The deal had been done online, thanks to a discreet identity Sandeen had constructed, along with a healthy savings account filled with money he’d pilfered from several hosts over the years.
It paid to be prepared.
The brown hiking boots would be fine. His heavy-duty blue jeans didn’t blend into his surroundings, but his wings threw all kinds of shadows around him. Paired with the black hoodie he’d cut the back out of to make room for his wings, he blended well.
Taking another sip of the coffee and grimacing—would he ever get used to this drink?—he opened the cabin door behind him. The hinges stayed quiet thanks to the WD-40 he’d found in the shed. Boone had taken many of his tools but left some essentials behind.
Sandeen set his cup down on the counter. A large knife rested on the island. He hooked it on his pants. Boone had also taken all his hunting rifles and shotguns. Sandeen could’ve used those, but blades would have to do. He didn’t want to risk buying a gun with his fake identity. No need to flirt with trouble.
He passed a ball cap but ignored it. Getting it over his horns was one thing, but his hair had grown thick and shaggy. Since he’d been alone for months, he’d quit trying to trim it. Same with shaving.
In the underworld, he’d been fastidious about his hair, facial hair included. Anything that could be used as a handhold for an enemy was kept short. And in the underworld, every demon was an enemy—including his sire.
Other high-level demons like his sire had underestimated his softly feathered wings for years. Sandeen had let them. Same with his horns.
Sandeen slipped outside and squinted into the sky. The crows had moved closer. The bird on the left tilted its head as it peered into the canopy of the trees. Sandeen flared his wings out and curled them around his body. Their silky darkness cast the same shadows as the trees until he was nothing more than a moving shadow.
He sidled left of the second bird. Hopefully whatever had interested the crows so much wouldn’t have the same advantage as him. Toeing his way through the underbrush, he took his time. Movement in the trees caught his attention.
Ah, so it was as he’d feared. He was being hunted. And, as he’d suspected, it wasn’t his fellow Daemon.
Oh, they were looking for him. But they had no idea this cabin existed and lacked the technical savvy to track his electronic trail, if they could even determine where it started.
But angelic warriors wouldn’t be so daunted. He’d known they would hunt him. He’d given them the nudge they’d needed to help their fallen friend and her human lover, Boone. But he’d also had to show his hand to do it. They wouldn’t let him go so easily.
The second crow flew closer to his cabin, its head cocked in the same direction as the first. Just one warrior. And judging by the long, lithe body and long blond braid, Sandeen knew exactly who hunted him.
His quiet life was about to be upended. There was no way the warrior would leave without knowing who, exactly, resided here. He should be irate. He should be raging at the unfairness. He should be planning how to kill his opponent.
Yet a smile stretched his lips. He’d faced this warrior before, but always while he was in a host. This time, it would be just him. And just her.


 

___________

ANGEL FIRE
Angel Fire #1
by Marie Johnston
Release Date March 18, 2019
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, paranormal/fantasy romance

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

ABOUT THE BOOK:

He doesn’t have to like his new mate, even if she is the only angel to accept him.

Bryant should’ve behaved himself. Now he’s been ordered to find a mate. Easier said than done when a bloke like him looks the way he does in a realm full of angels. He’d rather be fighting the good fight in the human realm. But mating the ravishing female that claims him shouldn’t be a hardship. If only her father wasn’t the reason for his scars.

Perhaps mating the surly, scowling warrior wasn’t Odessa’s best idea. But she’s committed, and he’s…frustrating. Enticing. Carrying a grudge she knows nothing about. Yet, when her boss winds up dead and she’s attacked, he’s there to save her.

Digging into the danger Odessa’s facing uncovers an ambitious plot against the realm. Good thing Bryant’s a persistent guy. He’ll stick to Odessa’s side and keep her safe, all so he can let her go in the end. Because one thing he’s learned about the down to earth angel is that she deserves better than him.

Except Odessa doesn’t want to be rid of the loyal warrior. But that’s an argument for a day when someone’s not trying to kill them.

•••••••

REVIEW: I love paranormal stories.I’ve read and loved the author’s Oil King’s Series.So I was looking forward to seeing how the author would work in this genre.Reading this was an amazing journey. The author brought her usual descriptive brilliance, bringing a whole new world for me to obsess over ? Bringing these angels and their lives to life…

Bryant doesn’t need a mate! It might center him, it could even help heal the hideous scars he has on his face. But the angels can’t see past his scars, and Bryant doesn’t want to settle for being second best! He’s going to concentrate on his job, and love can just go and do one!!

Odessa needs protection, and picking the biggest, baddest angel as a mate makes perfect sense.She might give off a brave vibe, but she’s scared…..

I loved this couple and loved the connection they had.But I did find it a little annoying that Bryant kept trying to push Odessa away (I think he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else!)Luckily Odessa saw through him and brought him up on his behaviour.

And when she gets kidnapped? Will it be too late for Bryant to tell her how he really feels?

First book in a four book series (although there is another book due out soon)And I loved it. Lots of world and character building (it was also fun to see if I’m right about future couples)Secrets, intrigue and a little angst.A mating that could go either way!And don’t forget the backstabbing and bad guys ?

Next book please……

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B ?

_________

WICKED FIRE
Angel Fire #2
by Marie Johnston
Release Date: October 9, 2019
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, paranormal/fantasy romance

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

ABOUT THE BOOK:

His thoughts are less than angelic around her….

Jagger Hancock is a fearsome warrior for the angelic realm, slaying demons left and right on earth and protecting the human race. But when a powerful senator is murdered, he’s reduced to acting as a bodyguard for the grieving daughter. Too bad she’s the same female who ruined his one and only chance at happiness.

Felicia Montclaire looks as angelic as the rest of her kind, but she hides her scars well. Yet the male who gave them to her is not just after her again, but seeking conquest over the entire realm too. While her life goes up in flames once more, the last thing she needs is a cranky bodyguard…even if he’s the only one who can keep her alive.

Jagger and Felicia might not survive each other, much less the constant attacks from their enemies. But when danger drives them back to the angelic realm, they’ll discover their past is waiting for them—and it’s far more dangerous than anything on earth.

••••

REVIEW: Book two sees Angel warrior Jagger acting as a bodyguard for the woman who ruined his happiness….. Felicia doesn’t want a bodyguard, and she certainly doesn’t want the Angel that is totally rude to her, but he seems to be the only Angel for the job….

Oh Lord!! This follows on from book one, and as I’ve read the book it follows nicely.But you could read this book without reading book one.

A fast paced action story that just didn’t stop.Without giving too much away from book one, there is a power play going on, sides are being drawn up, and a little double crossing is going on.Jagger and Felicia appear in book one, and they don’t really get on too well!And it’s definitely a hate/hate relationship at first.But the more Jagger is around Felicia, the harder it is to stay angry at her.

Marie Johnston brings this world to life with her brilliant descriptions. Building this world up steadily with the introduction of a few characters, instead of bombarding us with a legion of characters (and not always needed) Jagger and Felicia are such opposites you do have to wonder where the author was taking this book…

But they work, Jagger is just the Angel for the job when they have to return to the angelic realm. But danger lurks behind every corner! And it could cost Felicia her life!

I loved the book, not as much as book one. But I’m going to recommend this book if you love Angel/warriors and a fight to claim their love and their mates.

Book three sounds really intriguing ?

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B ?

_____________

DEMON FIRE
Angel Fire #3
by Marie Johnston
Release Date: April 12, 2021
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, paranormal/fantasy romance

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

She betrayed her kind and was exiled from her realm. When Sierra is dumped in a snowy forest before an impending blizzard, that should be the end of the newly fallen angel.

Boone wanted isolation. He wanted peace. He wanted to be left the hell alone. But a last-minute trip before he’s stormed in for days turns up more than spare wood and a rabbit in his snare. He finds an unconscious and bloody woman.

Sierra’s realm might have erased her existence, but that doesn’t mean she’s been forgotten by those who want to use her for their own means. Demons have found her, and sticking around puts Boone at risk, the one man who makes her think she might deserve more than shame.

Boone’s not going to let his fallen angel go. But going on the run with Sierra means discovering a terrifying new world, one with monsters who aren’t much different than the ones who killed his family. He barely survived then. Will this time end up killing them both?

•••••••

REVIEW:Damn!! This one is now my new favourite in this series (Sorry Bryant)
If you’ve been reading this series then you’ll know you really should read in order. There is an ongoing story that will have you wanting to know more and more about the demons, angels and fallen Angels that inhabit this realm.

Boone is a loner, likes it that way, but not how he got this way!! That’s a sad tale that we get to hear about.

Sierra is now a fallen Angel after an incident in the previous book! (See that’s why you have to read them in order ?)Abandoned and left to die, she’s not expecting to survive for long in the human realm!

So, this is a slow burn romance that is going to make your heart burst!They don’t want to rely on one another, they don’t think they deserve happiness. And they certainly don’t expect to be hunted by both angels and demons!We get to see characters from previous books, we also get to guess who is book four going to belong to.

These books just keep getting better. The lives of the couples in past and present books are woven into the realm they all reside in really well.Descriptions of battles will have you on the edge of your seat.The double dealings and back stabbings will have you booing the bad guys. But as I’m learning with this series, nothing is as it seems. Who you think are bad guys aren’t, and a demon isn’t necessarily going to be a bad guy. And when an angel falls, it’s not going to be pretty.

Boone is such a great character, and not what i was expecting, he might give this “don’t care” attitude, but he does. And watching as he falls forSierra is such a heartwarming journey.Sierra was in the previous book, and I didn’t want to like her, but her story will have you cheering her on.They make a cute couple, when they FINALLY decide they belong together. And if you’ve read the previous book you’ll know there is one important thing I’ve left out….
?

So grab this book, grab the previous ones, you really won’t be sorry.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B ?

FOLLOW: Goodreads/Website/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram / Bookbub/ Pinterest

Marie Johnston is a RITA® Finalist, and a best-selling and award-winning writer of paranormal and contemporary romance – and an avid reader of them both.

Several years ago, when kids started outnumbering adults in the house, Marie Johnston left her job as a public health microbiologist to stay at home. Settling into working part-time and shuttling kids around gave Marie the opportunity to think about what she wanted to be when she grew up. A die-hard science geek, she explored her previously thought to be non-existent creative side after much time spent making snowman crafts and coloring princesses. Having entertained thoughts of writing a book one day then subsequently deciding it would be too hard, she finally put the figurative pen to paper and began to type – and fell in love with storytelling.

The Sigma Menace is the first series by Marie with Fever Claim being her first book EVER. She is humbled by the fact that people are willing to read to her books and looks forward to keeping readers entertained for many years.

Marie lives with her husband and four kids in the Upper Midwest where the summers are gorgeous, the winters are brutal, and spring and fall are luxuries.

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King’s Country (Oil Kings 1-4) by Marie Johnston-Review Tour

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King’s Country (Oil Kings 1-4) by Marie Johnston-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour

KING’S COUNTRY
Oil Kings #4
by Marie Johnston

Release June 7, 2021

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

GOODREADS: https://tinyurl.com/3wy3wdb9

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 7, 2021

I’ve been the wicked witch of King’s Creek since I was eight years old, from my angry red hair down to my ball-busting boots. With a mean drunk for a daddy who left nothing but insults and unpaid bills in his wake, was there ever any other fate? Now his passing has left me one bad turn, from losing my land to the neighbors my family’s been feuding with for generations.

So of course it’s Dawson King who comes to my rescue in the middle of a snowstorm. But I don’t care how good he looks in a pair of Wranglers, or how much he spoils my horse, or how great of a cook he is. The Kings already have everything—money, looks, and charm. Dawson’s not getting my heart too.

I’m living my dream, I admit it. I took over the family ranch from my dad and grew it into the envy of Montana. I have the best views, the best employees, and the respect of the entire town. The only thing I don’t have is someone to share my dream with. So when my neighbor breaks her leg and nearly freezes to death, I all but kidnap her back to my place to recover.

We grew up less than a mile apart, but we couldn’t be in more different places now. Bristol’s had nothing but pride for so long, it’s hard to get close to her. And I want to get very close to Bristol.

I don’t care if the whole town loves me, I’m only interested in earning the love of one woman. But for a guy who’s got the world at his feet, Bristol’s heart might be out of my reach.

•••••••

REVIEW:Dawson is a good guy, living off of his family’s reputation. A hardworking cowboy, he loves being a rancher, what he doesn’t love is the neighbour from hell! He’d give anything for her to just disappear.

Bristol just can’t get a break! All her life she’s had people look down at her! Her father was a drunk, and the people in the town never gave Bristol a chance, so she grew to hate the town and everyone in it! Including the self righteous King’s!

A wintery night brings these two together, he finds and rescues her, and she has to be bad if she doesn’t snap at him like she usually does.
And then to make matters worse, she has to stay with him whilst her leg heals! This is going to be a nightmare for both of them!

But they weren’t always bitter enemies, as kids they would hang out together, and Dawson would walk her home. But all that changed when a horrible accident took the King’s mother from them. It left the boys without a mother, a husband without a wife and a young girl without a role model…..

There is a lot going on in the background, a family feud that’s been going on for generations. And a secret that if exposed will crush Bristol!!

Dawson and Bristol are drawn to one another, neither of them really want that, but fate has a habit of putting them in awkward situations.
And temptation can only last for so long until you give into it!

And when Dawson sees how the town treat her, he’s ashamed that they took their leaf from his family! It was never Bristol’s fault, but her daddy was a drunk, so Bristol had to defend the only person in her life. But to never get a break. To never get anyone smile and be nice to her, no wonder she was always mean as a snake! Who would blame her?!

So can Dawson change his families opinion on her? Can he make the town see the woman he is falling for is a good person? And what happens when Bristol finds out about the family secret m? Will it finally kill if the love she has for Dawson?

I loved this story, it’s my favourite in the series. It finally brings to light about the family feud between Bristol’s family and the King’s. The town was just full of nasty people, but when Bristol gives a few people a chance, she’s surprised to find out she can make friends. But with The King’s grandmother lurking in the background, you know it’s not going to be long before she breaks this couple up.

All the stories were brilliantly written. The descriptions made the places we visit just jump off the page. It’s jam packed with emotions, it’s overflowing with chemistry. And the humour was on point. You can’t help but root for the characters in this book.

I’d highly recommended this book and the whole series.

?Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B

__________

KING’S CROWN
Oil Kings 1
by Marie Johnston
Release Date: February 24, 2020

ebook ONLY. $1.99 Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play

I lost my job and got kicked out by my roommate, who happens to be my ex-husband, on the same day.

If I nail one interview, I can get my life back on track. I even get to fly on a private jet with my prospective boss’s dad Gentry King, a widowed oil company CEO. We’ll make one stop and once Mr. King’s business is done, we’ll continue on to Denver where I’ll hopefully land a high paying job that’ll keep me from moving back in with my parents. I’m not even thirty, I can’t go backwards in life.

Mr. King is unbelievably attractive and intimidating, but it’s a short flight and I never have to see him again after it’s done. Only we don’t make it to Denver. A snow storm strands us in Wyoming where the only hotel room available has one bed. Unlike me, Mr. King remains undaunted and continues to work remotely at the desk in the room, otherwise ignoring my existence. Until the power goes out and there’s nothing for us to do but get to know each other.

Between our age difference, his adult kids, and his former mother-in-law who’s still in control of the company, what happens in Wyoming might have to stay in Wyoming.

••••••••

REVIEW:Gentry has a lot of making up to do, after his wife died, Gentry threw himself into the single man’s life, drinking and women! In fact there wasn’t a woman safe from his charm, and because of that he list his sons! (They couldn’t forgive him for not mourning their mother)So he’s giving up women and focusing on his boys and his job.The job his wife got him (he works for his mother-in-law!) being the CEO of the company has him working long hours, but he’s not going to complain.

Kendall needs to get on with her life! But she didn’t realise it would happen all in one day! Being let go at work (downsizing) was bad enough, but getting home and finding your husband wants to move his new girlfriend into their home was a bit much!!She could move back home, but she doesn’t want to become the living nanny! (Her parents work long hours and put upon Kendall to look after her siblings!)So job hunting and flat hunting is a priority.

An age gap romance isn’t usually my go to read, but I really enjoyed it.I liked Kendall, she was just so matter of fact, nothing really threw her, and she tended to take things in her stride.Gentry came across as arrogant, he wasn’t the type to stay around once he’d had his fun. But reading his story you’ll probably see where he’s coming from.

They meet up when they both have to take a flight out of town. Gentry has a business meeting, and Kendall has a job interview with his son (it’s a long story, but it is a good one)The plane lands, but can’t take off again for Kendall to meet Beckett.They have to stay in a hotel together and in the same room….And I know what your thinking (same room, same bed, this is not going to end well) but nothing happens.Gentry is adamant that he won’t be tempted.And it works, for a while. But they more time they spend together, the harder it is to keep that promise.

Needless to say, Beckett thinks the worse of both Kendall and his father, so won’t even interview her! So she’s back to square one! But Gentry comes to the rescue and offers her a job.But that doesn’t really help, as gossips assume she’s sleeping with the boss!

And when they do finally get together, it’s not plain sailing! His mother-in-law gets involved, his sons have an opinion, and even the gossips make it awkward!

So can they really overcome all the obstacles that are thrown their way?

This leads nicely into book two of this series, King’s Ransom which features Gentry’s son Beckett.

?

__________

KING’S RANSOM
Oil Kings #2
by Marie Johnston

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

Release Date; April 6 ,2020

I lost my job and got kicked out by my roommate, who happens to be my ex-husband, on the same day.

If I nail one interview, I can get my life back on track. I even get to fly on a private jet with my prospective boss’s dad Gentry King, a widowed oil company CEO. We’ll make one stop and once Mr. King’s business is done, we’ll continue on to Denver where I’ll hopefully land a high paying job that’ll keep me from moving back in with my parents. I’m not even thirty, I can’t go backwards in life.

Mr. King is unbelievably attractive and intimidating, but it’s a short flight and I never have to see him again after it’s done. Only we don’t make it to Denver. A snow storm strands us in Wyoming where the only hotel room available has one bed. Unlike me, Mr. King remains undaunted and continues to work remotely at the desk in the room, otherwise ignoring my existence. Until the power goes out and there’s nothing for us to do but get to know each other.

Between our age difference, his adult kids, and his former mother-in-law who’s still in control of the company, what happens in Wyoming might have to stay in Wyoming.

•••••••

REVIEW:An enemies to lovers I suppose, only Beckett doesn’t realise Eva hates him and wants to ruin his reputation and company!

Beckett never wanted to go into the Oil business, nor did he see himself becoming a full time rancher. Beck has a knack of spotting things people need and then creating apps or promoting those those created the apps. And he’s become very successful. So successful that he needs a PA, his last one just wanted to marry him and get hold of his inheritance! And the one after that married his dad!

Eva wants to ruin Beckett King! He ruined her brothers reputation, and when companies pulled out of buying her brothers app, he spiralled into a depressive satiate that has Eva worried! So Beckett is going to feel all the pain and humiliation that Eva can bring down on him! She just needs a reason to be in his office!

I have to admit I didn’t like this one as much as the first book, but it’s still a great read. I didn’t really get the same connection that I got with book one.

Beckett gives Eva a job after mistakenly thinking she’s come for an interview. There are sparks, there is banter and there is the interfering grandma in the background trying to pull strings and orchestrate a wedding!!

So you can read these books out of order, you don’t need to read them all. But there is an ongoing story in the background….. Each King needs to be married to inherit a large amount of money. If they aren’t married then the money leaves the family! And grandma isn’t having any of that! So she’s harassing them to get married before they are thirty!

Beckett and Eva are getting on really well. There is a chemistry that they are both aware of, but Eva is trying to keep her distance. She’s not suppose to fall for her enemy, is she? But lies have a habit of being found out. And when they do…..

Can Beckett forgive Eva for lying to him about her motives for getting to know him? And can Beckett give Eva another chance, when usually no one gets another chance with him?

?

________-

KING’S TREASURE
Oil Kings #3
by Marie Johnston
Release Date: February 8, 2021

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

Broke, jobless, and stranded in Las Vegas on Valentine’s Day, I am forced to call my parents for a bailout. Again. A pampered princess and wannabe environmentalist, I know I’m a cliché and would do anything to change it. So when I meet Xander, a struggling photojournalist with absolutely nothing in common with my domineering, millionaire parents, I know just where to go next:

A wedding chapel.

But when I wake up the next day, my matrimonial rebellion comes with an unpleasant surprise. My husband is no penniless globetrotter—Xander King is the son of a billionaire oil tycoon, and my parents couldn’t approve of the match more. Now the only thing that could shock them would be a quickie divorce…except my new husband has a proposition for me.

••••••••

REVIEW: Xander wants to be known for his pictures, for his artistry, and not because he’s a King! Going into the Oil business with his family would have been a nightmare, the ranch work with his brother is ok, Xander just can’t see himself doing it full time!So Xander spends a great deal of time travelling the world and photographing it. And give the man his credit, he works his way around the world doing jobs.

He’s also hiding a secret, it keeps him from going home. He’s also hiding from his grandmother (who wants him to get married!!)

Savvy doesn’t want to go back home with her tail between her legs. If she does it means admitting defeat and fling back to work for her father! And he’s a hard taskmaster to work for, what she needs is a plan, and it’s a crazy one at that!

Xavier and Savvy meet in Las Vegas, get drink and then get married!She’s in awe of Xavier, he seems to know what he wants from life, and he goes around the world to get it.But in the morning, a cold and harsh reality sets it! Xavier isn’t a poor man, he’s in fact a potential client of her fathers! Talk about landing a big one!

There is a lot going on in this book, and for most of it I did enjoy the journey, but I couldn’t connect with Savvy, she seemed to want an independent life, but couldn’t break away from her family. And Xavier seemed like a waste of space in places!

So can this marriage work? Can Savvy finally break away from her domineering father? And can Xavier finally tell his family the dark secret that keeps him from going home?

?

 

Dawson’s brown gaze was serious by the time it collided with mine. He didn’t start with small talk. “Why can’t you stay with me?”
“Because I don’t need to.”
He cocked an arrogant brow, and it only added to his rugged manliness instead of making him repellent. “The snow’s started. I have your horse, your cow, and your dog. You might as well stay.”
I gave him a tight smile. “Are you going to put me in the barn too?”
“I have nice straw, what can I say?” He rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what cave you think I crawled out of, but I have a big house. You won’t even have to see me that much.”
I gestured to my cast. “All your bedrooms are upstairs.”
“Not mine.” Grief hid in the depths of his whiskey eyes. “I have Mama and Dad’s old room downstairs,” he added softly.
The reminder of his mom peeled open the haphazard bandage I’d slapped over my heart years ago. Sarah King had been one of the best people who roamed the earth, and one of my dad’s stupidest decisions had stolen her from us.
“I don’t want to sleep on a couch.” Dawson’s couch was probably nicer than the salvaged mattress I had in the RV, but I didn’t want to sleep under the same roof as him. If only the trailer were more inhabitable.
“I’ll stand at the end of the stairs so when you fall hopping up them, I can catch you.” His tone was dry. “You can use my bed.”
Heat swamped my body. There was no reason on God’s green earth that I needed to be near or in Dawson’s bed. I didn’t care if it was for convalescence. No. “I’ll be fine at home.”
That wasn’t true. I had no goddamn clue how I was going to stay in my RV and do what needed to get done, but I’d figure it out like I had all my life.
“Bristol.”
“Take me home.” I sat up and scooted my legs over, biting back a grimace. My right leg was killing me and my cuts screamed. “Never mind. I can call for a ride.”
“And pay them how? I didn’t see a purse on you.”
“I can call . . . someone else.”
“Like a boyfriend?” His voice was stilted. Odd.
I gave him a careful glare. “Yeah, like a boyfriend.”
He pulled out my phone and handed it over. The screen blinked on. The barrage of messages from Marshall would’ve been easy to see. My cheeks burned. Would there be a time I wasn’t ashamed around Dawson King?

 

FOLLOW: Goodreads/Website/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram / Bookbub/ Pinterest

Marie Johnston is a RITA® Finalist, and a best-selling and award-winning writer of paranormal and contemporary romance – and an avid reader of them both.
Several years ago, when kids started outnumbering adults in the house, Marie Johnston left her job as a public health microbiologist to stay at home. Settling into working part-time and shuttling kids around gave Marie the opportunity to think about what she wanted to be when she grew up. A die-hard science geek, she explored her previously thought to be non-existent creative side after much time spent making snowman crafts and coloring princesses. Having entertained thoughts of writing a book one day then subsequently deciding it would be too hard, she finally put the figurative pen to paper and began to type – and fell in love with storytelling.
The Sigma Menace is the first series by Marie with Fever Claim being her first book EVER. She is humbled by the fact that people are willing to read to her books and looks forward to keeping readers entertained for many years.
Marie lives with her husband and four kids in the Upper Midwest where the summers are gorgeous, the winters are brutal, and spring and fall are luxuries.

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