Tag Archives: Outlaws

The Rebel Witch (Outlaws 3) by Lexi Blake-review tour

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The Rebel Witch (Outlaws 3) by Lexi Blake-review tour

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

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/45m6IFx

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 7, 2023

Kelsey Owens just wants to settle in with her gorgeous husbands, surrounding herself with her reclaimed family. Preparations should be made for the arrival of their new son. The world has other plans. War is brewing, powerful forces are lining up against everyone she loves, and her latest prisoner also happens to be her best friend in the world. Being the sheriff of the supernatural world really sucks sometimes.

Olivia Carey lost everything. Stripped of the magic that gave her life color and substance, she thought it couldn’t get worse. Then Kelsey was gone. She found a light in the darkness. A path back to her magic, but claiming it somehow put her on the opposite side of a war with everyone she knew and cared for. She knows that her cause was just, but lately things are confusing. Captured by the rebels she tormented and once called friends, she is forced to question everything she knows.

When someone dear to them both is struck down, Kelsey and Liv must join forces again. Only Liv can work the spell to save them, but that spell requires a unique ingredient found only on the Hell plane. Stealing it will mean risking everything—including the growing bond between Liv and her old boyfriend, Casey Lane. Hell has some tricks up its sleeve for both Liv and Kelsey. And in the midst of battle, Liv will be forced to decide between saving their world and burning it all down.

••••••

REVIEW:THE REBEL WITCH is the third instalment in Lexi Blake’s adult OUTLAW erotic, paranormal/fantasy series set in the world of the author’s world of the THIEVES. This is the continuing story of witch Olivia Carey, and guardian/hunter/wolf Kelsey Atwood. THE REBEL WITCH should not be read as a stand alone as many of the events of the current timeline are as of a direct result of the previous instalments and the original THIEVES series. Kelsey’s story begins in book six of THIEVES. I strongly recommend reading both series in order.

SOME BACKGROUND: Approximately twelve years earlier, along with the Queen of all Vampire / and the wife of the high priest of the Seelie and the Unseelie Zoey Donovan-Quinn, and king of the vampires Daniel Donovan, Kelsey Atwood travelled through a portal, a magical painting where they would spend four days in the land of the Faery but upon their return discovered twelve years in real time had passed, twelve years in which a war between the supernatural creatures killed many, destroying friendships and families, leaving Kelsey struggling for the years that she lost with her friends, husbands, family and children.

Told from first person perspective (Kelsey and Olivia) THE REBEL WITCH follows in the aftermath of the return and imprisonment of witch turned demon Olivia Carey. Olivia appears to have been the confident and uncaring slave to a man determined to destroy them all but Olivia has been missing for as long as her best friend Kelsey, and upon her return, Olivia is steadfast in the belief that the people she once called family and friends abandoned her, and left her to be used and abused. A curse has threatened the life of someone close, forcing Olivia to work alongside the people she blames for the past torture , torture that has ultimately blocked her magic, leaving her broken and lost. As Olivia struggles through the memories of the past, it will become readily apparently not everything was as it appeared to be. Returning to the Underworld at Lucifer’s command, in an effort to save their friend from final damnation, Olivia and Kelsey along with a large number of family and friends including Kelsey’s mates Trent Wilcox and Gray Sloane, find themselves at a crossroads, when Olivia is unable to mediate her own memories of truth and lies.

The world building is complex and multi-layered; detailed and intricate with many of H*ll’s more notable characters including Lucifer Morningstar and his first love Lilith. We are up close and personal with Olivia’s memories, both real and false, as our heroine must come to terms with what she had done, and with whom she has recklessly and unknowingly betrayed.

THE REBEL WITCH is a story of secrets and lies, magic and mayhem, betrayal and vengeance, manipulation and control, family and friendships, forgiveness and love. The premise is meticulous and elaborate; the romances are fated; the characters are broken, determined, desperate and lost. THE REBEL WITCH ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Reading Order and Previous reviews

The Rebel Queen
The Rebel Guardian

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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The Rebel Guardian (Outlaw 2) by Lexi Blake-Review Tour

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The Rebel Guardian (Outlaw 2) by Lexi Blake-Review Tour

 

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 11, 2022

After fighting her way across another plane of existence and facing off against ancient witches, there should be nothing more satisfying than coming home. Unfortunately, Kelsey Atwood had a different experience. The world she returned to has changed. Twelve years have passed, and they’ve been twelve hard years for the friends and family she never meant to leave behind. The little boy she adopted is now a grown man. The husbands she longed to see are scattered and on different sides of a war for control of the supernatural world. Her most trusted friend is now the leather-clad minion of the enemy, Myrddin.

Dealing with the wreckage of her personal life will have to wait, though, because the only chance at a hopeful future is deciphering an obscure prophecy, and she means to solve it. This quest will take her crew to a nest of primal vampires and the fierce world known as The Under. Filled with fantastic creatures and wonders she never imagined she would see, this new discovery leads her to something she is all too familiar with—a murder to solve and a killer to catch.

Trying to reconnect with her husbands and her son is already challenging enough, but as she begins piecing together the story behind the crime, it becomes clear that this mystery may tear down The Under and everyone who calls it home.

••••

REVIEW: THE REBEL GUARDIAN is the second instalment in Lexi Blake’s adult OUTLAW erotic, paranormal/fantasy series set in the world of the author’s world of the THIEVES. This is guardian/hunter/wolf Kelsey Atwood and her husbands werewolf Trent, and half-demon/ lord of H*ll Grayson Sloane’s story line. THE REBEL GUARDIAN can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order, as well as the author’s THIEVES series.

SOME BACKGROUND: Approximately twelve years earlier, along with Queen of all Vampire / and the wife of the high priest of the Seelie and the Unseelie Zoey Donovan-Quinn, and king of the vampires Daniel Donovan, Kelsey Atwood travelled through a portal, a magical painting where they would spend four days in the land of the Faery but upon their return discovered twelve years in real time had past, twelve years in which a war between the supernatural creatures killed many, destroying friendships and families, leaving Kelsey struggling for the years that she lost with her husbands, family and children.

Told from first person perspective (Kelsey) THE REBEL GUARDIAN focuses on Kelsey’s rekindling relationship with both of her husbands in the wake of the fall-out of time spent apart but all is not well in the ‘Under’, the plane where Kelsey and her family have been secreted away, when Kelsey is called in to investigate two murders that may or may not be connected to a prophecy foretold by her demonic husband. Along the way, Kelsey must contend with her best friend turned demon Olivia, a former friend who is determined to return to the H*ll plane with our heroine in tow. The search for a magical book of spells and Kelsey’s blade ‘Gladys’ only adds to the possibility that Myrddin Emrys aka Merlin, intends to close the portal to the Heavens, opening the portal to H*ll using the bloodlines of three powerful families, a portal he is hoping to send through the H*ll demons to Earth.

Lexi Blake has built a world of magical creatures and supernatural powers traversing several planes of history, times, and existence, as well as the intricate character revelations both living and dead, and the recently deceased who have become something else.

Like THE REBEL QUEEN, THE REBEL GUARDIAN is a complex, detailed, multi-levelled, action packed, character-filled and often humorous story line of power and control, betrayal and revenge, magic and mythology, family and love. I highly recommend reading the series in order, as well as the original THIEVES series as the history, background and world building is necessary in order to avoid any unnecessary confusion due to the references to previous encounters, and the complicated and intricate entanglements between characters including family, friends, and enemies.

Click HERE for Sandy’s reviews of book one THE OUTLAW QUEEN

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

I blinked in the bright light and allowed my eyes to adjust yet again. I’d gone from Frelsi, where magic kept the city warm, to the chilly depths of an underground nest to… I wasn’t sure where I was, but it was warm and there was water nearby and a small cabin. Trees rose around me, and I realized the water was more like a bayou.
That was the moment I knew someone was watching me.
The world went watery because Trent stood near the cabin. His beard had grown out and his hair was longer. He looked far more like the wolf he was than the soldier he’d presented to the world twelve years before.
I stood there, our gazes locked.
Twelve years. He’d taken in Fenrir because we were going to make a family together, and I’d left him alone. He’d had to raise not only Fen, but Lee and Rhys and Evan. He’d gone from single and free one day to raising a pack on the run, protecting and sheltering them.
From what I could tell the only person he’d been able to rely on had been Sasha Federov, a vampire. While Sasha had no doubt been an amazing general for their little army, he would also be dead at least half the day.
Years will pass. Your wolf will howl but he will remain steadfast.
Gray’s prophecy had told me that we would be standing here, Trent and I. We would be standing here with the years between us, my wolf’s steadfast faith still binding us.
I knew that because I could feel him. Even with yards between us, I could feel Trent’s love.
I had never seen my wolf cry, but there were tears rolling down that face I loved.
That was when my walls broke down. Trent was here, and we’d lost so much. We’d lost all that time, and he was still here with me. I recognized somewhere in the background that the old me would have wondered if he’d brought me out here so he could explain that he’d moved on.
But I’d meshed my soul with his, and I trusted and believed in him completely.
He was my mate.
The wall crumbled because he was here.
The world went watery, and I heard someone scream. Me. I let the pain out.
Twelve years. Twelve years. Myrddin had taken twelve fucking years. My son’s childhood. Twelve years of my marriage, of love between us. Gray was gone because I’d been trapped.
Olivia. He’d taken my best friend.
He’d killed people I knew, people who had lives and loves and should have had more of both. All gone because one wizard wanted power.
He’d scattered our families to the winds without a care for any of us.
I started to fall but Trent was there before I could hit the ground. His big arms went around me and through my wracking sobs, I could smell him. That woodsy, wolfy smell that felt safe, that brought me home, hit my soul, and I wrapped myself around him.
“I’m so sorry.” I was sorry I’d gone into that painting, sorry I’d spent the four days I’d been on the outer planes not thinking much about him. That was the worst. I’d practically viewed it as nothing more than a job. I’d felt inconvenienced, while his world had been turned upside down and he’d lost everything.
He squeezed me so tight. “I missed you. I missed you every second of every day for twelve years, Kelsey.”


 

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

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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Ruled (Outlaws #3) by Elle Kennedy-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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RULED (Outlaws #3) by Elle Kennedy-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Ruled Banner

RULED
Outlaws #3
by Elle Kennedy
Genre: adult, post-apocalyptic, dystopian, erotic, romance
Release Date November 1, 2016

Ruled

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / BAM /

ABOUT THE BOOK: RELEASE DATE November 1, 2016

Despite his magnetic personality, Rylan can’t seem to seduce Reese, the deadly leader of their town of outlaws. Winning her over is a welcome challenge, but her indifference isn’t the only thing standing in his way. If he wants Reese, Rylan must also win over Sloan, her stoic protector…

Sloan has always loved Reese, but their painful past has stolen his chances of a future with her. Rylan’s interest in Reese only intensifies the tension—until Sloan begins to wonder if the reckless man might be the one person who can bridge the distance…

The last time Reese fell for the wrong man, she had no choice but to kill him. Now, she desperately wants to take what both Rylan and Sloan are offering. But if she makes the wrong call again, she risks losing them both.

•••••••••••

REVIEW:  RULED is the third installment in Elle Kennedy’s adult , post-apocalyptic/dystopian Outlaws erotic, romance series. This is Rylan, Reese, and Sloan’s story line. RULED can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for backstory and history.

NOTE: RULED contains graphic and explicit scenes of M/M/, M/F and M/F/M sexual situations and may not be suitable for all readers.

SOME BACKGROUND: The OUTLAW series by Elle Kennedy focuses on the post-apocalyptic USA where the country is now divided into a number of respective territories without government control. There are various factions of bandits, enforcers, outlaws, and the people from the city. Life on the outside is hard; there are no laws, no law enforcement, and death is often the better option. Several groups of outlaws have banded together in gated communities for protection and control.

Told from several third person points of view including Rylan, Reese, and Sloan RULED focuses on survival. Reese is determined to end the suffering of the people in her ‘town’ and gathers together the leaders of the outlying camps in an attempt to take down the Enforcers patrolling the area. With one woman pregnant and about to give birth, and a number of under-aged children under her care, Reese’s settlement has been targeted by the people who claim to be in charge. Meanwhile Reese battles her attraction and the emotional fall out for the two men who call to her heart-Rylan and Sloan-both strong, alpha males whose attraction to one another adds fuel to the fire that is already burning. What ensues is the building relationship between Rylan, Reese and Sloan, and dangerous battle for power and control in a war between the Enforcers and the Outlaws.

RULED is a graphically, erotic story line of ménage between three people whose lives will be changed when the potential loss of one means the loss of their hearts. Sloan has been in love with Reese since the first day they met five years earlier; and Rylan’s need for his ‘fearless leader’ is compounded with his need for her second in command. The $ex scenes are intense, seductive and energetic with M/M, M/F, and M/F/M sexual situations.

The world building continues to focus on survival in a post-apocalyptic world where life expectancy is short; food and supplies are scarce; and security and safety is never guaranteed.

Elle Kennedy’s RULED and the OUTLAWS series is a gritty and graphic look at survival of the fittest. The premise is imaginative and clever; the characters are heartbreaking, vivacious, and heroic; the romance is real and raw.

Reading Order and previous reviews
CLAIMED
ADDICTED
RULED

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Excerpt

Rylan didn’t waste time. He strode to the two-story brownstone on Main Street and entered behind her. He didn’t bother to knock. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission and all that.
He found her upstairs in her small kitchen, arms braced against the counter as she stared out the window at the unkempt yard behind the building. It was empty, save for a decrepit playset in the back corner. The slide was long gone, but a single swing hung from a rusted bar.
“When you die,” she said without turning around, “I’m going to dub you Saint Rylan, patron of lost causes.”
Rylan stepped close enough that he could feel the heat from her body, but far enough away that there was room for her to escape. “How’d you know it was me instead of Sloan?”
“Your footsteps are different.”
“Huh.” He chewed on that piece of information a bit. He was probably reading too much into it, but the fact that she could distinguish his footsteps from someone else’s? That was all the encouragement he needed to stay. “You’re a damn impressive woman, Reese.”
“Is that right? Because I can tell you and Sloan apart?” She sounded tired, almost resigned. Rylan experienced a pang of concern. Connor had never sounded like this before, but then again, Rylan’s leader had never been in charge of eighty-plus people before either. Con kept his camp small. Even Hudson, his woman, had been an interloper he hadn’t wanted to take in.
Reese, on the other hand, threw her doors open to any misfits, wanderers, and beggars that rattled on her gates.
Rylan briefly pondered what it would’ve been like growing up if there’d been a Reese around when he was young. Maybe then every night wouldn’t have been filled with his mother’s tears and his father’s angry shouts, followed by mournful pleas for forgiveness and hollow exchanges of I love you.
“That, and because you’ve got a vision for the future that few people would ever try to make a reality,” he said frankly.
“You and Connor think I’m nuts, don’t you?”
“Nah, brave.”
And maybe a little foolish, but hell, if it wasn’t for Reese’s foot in their asses, they’d still be holed up in their isolated camp, avoiding Enforcers and scavenging for supplies. Reese’s plan was big and bold and possibly suicidal, but the alternative was to cower, and Rylan had had enough of that.
She sighed and finally turned to look at him. “Did Sloan send you in here to cheer me up?”
Was that a dig? It kinda felt like one. But it was also true—Sloan had sent him. Or at least given him the signal that he wasn’t totally barking up the wrong tree by running after Reese.
He searched her eyes for traces of derision, but he only saw fatigue with a side of melancholy. He wanted to scoop this tough woman into his arms and pleasure her until she was too satisfied to frown.
“I’m here because last night was the best sex I’ve ever had. Because walking away from you isn’t an option for me.”
She made a strangled sound—half laugh, half groan—and rubbed the back of her hand across her forehead. Is that all you can think about?”
“Around you? Yup. I fuck and I fight. Don’t scratch too deep because there’s nothing there.”
She snorted in disbelief. “Tell that to someone who’ll believe you.”
Rylan’s brow furrowed. He’d always skated on the surface of intimacy, enjoying the physical nature of sex—the hot embrace, the rough friction, the sharp desire. What he’d just told Reese was absolutely true. He didn’t feel deeply. He could appreciate it in others, but he’d witnessed firsthand the emptiness of love. What he wanted, and what he could give, was pleasure and nothing more.
“What’re you talking about?” he finally asked, feeling slightly off-center that Reese saw something in him that didn’t exist.
She studied him for a moment before waving her hand carelessly. “It’s nothing. Look, last night was hot, but there’s nothing left here for you.” She presented her back to him and stared out the window again.
Was that a challenge? Sure sounded like one.

 

 

giveaway

The Reading Cafe and Elle’s publisher are offering a paper copy of RULED to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

NOTE: If you are having issues commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page.

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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3. Please LIKE Elle Kennedy on FACEBOOK.

4. Please LIKE us on FACEBOOK and click GET NOTIFICATIONS

5. Please LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please LIKE us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Giveaway is open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from November 7-10, 2016

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Claimed (Outlaws #1) by Elle Kennedy-a review

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CLAIMED (Outlaws #1) by Elle Kennedy-a review

Claimed

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository / BAM

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 6, 2015

After a devastating war decimated most of the world, Hudson Lane has only known the oppressive life under her own father’s tyranny. She finally escapes, branding herself an outlaw and hunted by the Enforcers. Her best chance at survival is Connor Mackenzie, an aggressively sensual fugitive who opens her eyes to the wicked possibilities of a world without rules.

As the leader of a band of outlaw fighters, Connor can’t resist the beautiful stranger who asks for his protection. Despite his reservations, he agrees to introduce her to a whole new way of life. But when Connor discovers Hudson’s connection to the enemies of liberty, he wonders how far he can trust the woman who has abandoned all inhibitions to challenge every forbidden desire.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: CLAIMED is the first installment in Elle Kennedy’s adult, post-apocalyptic/dystopian Outlaws erotica, romance series. This is Outlaw leader Connor Mackenzie, and nurse Hudson Lane’s storyline.

NOTE: CLAIMED contains scenes of M/F and M/F/M sexual situations and may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from dual third person perspectives CLAIMED focuses on the post-apocalyptic USA where the country is now divided into a number of respective territories without government control. There are various factions of bandits, enforcers, outlaws, and the people from the city. Life on the outside is hard; there are no laws, no law enforcement, and death is often the better option.

Hudson Lane is on the run and needs protection-enter Connor Mackenzie-leader of the local Outlaws-and the man who would break Hudson’s heart. Connor is a reluctant leader but a man who commands and demands the respect of the small band of Outlaws he oversees and controls, and with it comes the decision making that could make or break the cohesiveness of their small family unit. When Hudson asks for help, Connor demands something in return and Hudson is willing to give Connor what he wants to ensure her future protection. Connor is a man whose past is dark; he has lost everything to the enforcers, and with it comes betrayal, distrust and a heavy heart. Our hero is on a mission, and he isn’t afraid to use whatever means necessary to get what he wants.

CLAIMED has a large cast of secondary and supporting colorful, charismatic, animated and energetic characters-an ensemble storyline with graphic and aggressive sexual situations, dystopian style lawlessness, and a barter system where nothing is for free and payment can be whatever the seller demands. We are introduced to Connor’s band of Outlaws: Rylan, Pike, Xander and Kade; as well as several different factions of Outlaws, bandits and people who go it alone. Connor’s Outlaws are the epitome of sexually aggressive alpha males who make no excuses for their wants and needs.

The world building focuses on the lawlessness of the Global Council’s control where the self appointed people in charge are evil, dangerous and not afraid to destroy everyone who questions their controlling ways. OUTLAWS primary focus in on the area once known as Utah, and with it comes a disturbing scenario about the power and control of people, places and things. Survival is never a guarantee. My only concern is the lack of history and information as to what happened to incur the wrath of a destructive force that all but destroyed what was once the US of A.

As an erotica storyline CLAIMED is heavily weighted in graphically detailed $ex scenes such that the actual story gets lost in the numerous sexual situations; where nothing is off limits; and $ex is often a commodity used to barter for one’s life, a favor or for food. If you have issues with questionable or coerced consent and detailed aggressive $ex scenes, CLAIMED may not be your first choice in reading material. Connor is a man whose initial sexual aggression towards the storyline heroine makes for some dubious acceptance and compliance but in the end Hudson knows what she wants, and she wants Connor all to herself.

CLAIMED is a provocative storyline with a passionate heroine, an intense hero, and a powerful need for revenge and retribution in a world of desolation and pain. The characters are challenging and hopeful; the romance is uncertain and sometimes angry but in the end Connor and Hudson will get their happily ever after but the path is lined with desperation, rejection and pain.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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