Tag Archives: Phoenix Rising

Shatter by Joan Swan – a Review

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Shatter by Joan Swan – a Review

 

Shatter
Phoenix Rising series
Book #4
by Joan Swan
Release Date: December 31, 2013

Shatter
Links to order Shatter: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
For seven years, Halina Beloi has been in hiding. But she’s never forgotten Mitch Foster, the long, lean man she had to leave behind. Until, that is, Mitch shows up with a list of questions and a 9mm in his hand.

All Mitch knows is that Halina broke his heart and disappeared. But new information has surfaced implicating her as a player in the deadliest game of Mitch’s life. This time, he’s not letting go without answers. Now terror, danger and heat will fuse them together or shatter the future. . .

 

 Review:

Shatter by Joan Swan is the 4th book in her wonderful Phoenix Rising series.  I have read and reviewed every book in this series from the start, and have loved every moment of this fantastic ride.  I have been a big fan of Joan Swan from the first book, and Phoenix Rising has become one of my favorite series; as it is so well written; and each book has been filled with action, excitement, suspense, super team of friends, awesome couples, and steamy sexual chemistry between them. 

Our hero in Shatter has been one that we have been waiting for from the start.  Mitch is one of our awesome and hot heroes, even though he has not been one of the men/women who developed unique powers due to a chemical explosion years before.  It is Mitch, who is Alyssa’s (heroine of the 1st book) brother, who had the powerful connections & money to help protect and fight the evil enemies from DARPA.   We knew Shatter would be Mitch’s story, as we learned at the end of Rush, about his long lost love, Halina.

We meet Halina early, as she has built herself a new identity, after she left Mitch, 7 years before.  Halina, being a scientist, worked for Schaeffer, our villain, who is behind the threats against our heroes.  When Mitch comes face to face with Halina, his anger is evident, and Halina is shocked that he found her.  Mitch wants the truth about why she left him, and her involvement with Schaeffer; the explosion that affected the members of the Firehouse, who now all have unique powers. Halina tries to escape Mitch a number of times, as she knows that once she is discovered, the enemy will kill him, to get what they want from her.  She has never stopped loving Mitch, and spent these years watching him from afar; staying away just to protect him.  Mitch finds some truths, which angers him even more, as he doesn’t understand or trust Halina, but he knows that he still loves her. 

Once they get to the compound where everyone is staying together, the story becomes even more exciting, with the team learning more about Halina, her powers, as she too was exposed to the chemicals; and her research for Schaeffer that may have some answers.  The action is non stop, and it was just great to see all of our heroes together again, joining hands to fight a common enemy.  I loved loved Dex, Halina’s well trained guard dog, who becomes part of the team.  Most of all, I loved the romance between Mitch and Halina, even though Mitch was a bit rough with her early on, not knowing that Halina was trying to save him.  You knew they both belonged together, as their chemistry was off the wall.

I do not want to give spoilers, since this is an early review.  Shatter is a wonderful addition to Joan Swan’s Phoenix Rising series.  Each of the books in this series have been suspenseful, explosive non stop action, exciting, and tense;  with the added element of Joan’s wonderful blend of steamy sex for each couple.  If you want to read a book that has everything; excellent writing, romance, suspense, steamy sex, then look no further then Shatter.  But start with Fever, the beginning of this fantastic series.  Though there are some characters that can have their story told, Joan does tie up some loose ends, and Shatter could be the finale of this series, but I hope somehow we get to see more of these wonderful characters.  If you have not read this series, what are you waiting for?  When it comes to romance, suspense, with hot sexy couples, Joan Swan is one of the best.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher via NetGalley

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Rush by Joan Swan – a Review

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Rush by Joan Swan – a Review

 

Rush

Links to order Rush: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
Jessica Fury, Washington lobbyist, has money, connections, and her own firm. But five years ago she had something better: happiness. Her firefighter husband, Quaid, was handsome, courageous, and crazy about her. Then one day he walked into a chemical inferno—and never walked out. Jessica has been through hell to get back on her feet. And then a rumor surfaces that could bring a miracle or shatter her world – again.

Q has been a prisoner forever. He’s honed his mind and body into weapons. He’s developed abilities no one else understands. But he’s still at the mercy of a cabal of ruthless men, who blank his memory, test him like a lab rat, and tell him lies. Although his past has been erased and his future looks grim, instinct tells him he has a woman to live for. What his mind can’t remember, his body can’t forget



Review:

Rush is the 3rd book in Joan Swan’s Phoenix Rising series.  I have read every book, and each one was a wonderful read, and yet Swan manages to make the newest one better then the last.  I loved Rush. 

Rush was a roller coaster of a ride from start to finish.  Swan manages to pull all kinds of emotions from us throughout the book.  What I find amazing in this series is that each main couple that are featured in each of the books are totally awesome.  Swan creates such great characters, you find yourself loving them all.  Our heroes in Rush, Jessica and Quaid are no different.  Another thing I absolutely love about this series is that all the main & secondary characters play major parts in the books, as they have become part of our family.  We get to see the entire team throughout in this magnificent adventure, and they are wonderful together.

The story picks up after Blaze, as we meet our heroine Jessica Fury.  We learn early on, that 5 years have passed since the explosion that gave our heroes their unique paranormal powers.  Jessica is now working as a lobbyist in the political field, privately trying to find a way to destroy one of the men behind the government conspiracy that have tried to hurt her friends, including secret experiments being done.  Jessica was married to Quaid before the explosion killed him.  Having lost the love of her life, Jessica succumbed to drugs and encounters with other men to drown in her grief.  She managed to bring herself back, but she still has anxiety attacks. 

The scenes when they go back 5 years showing the love between Quaid and Jessica, and the rest of the members of that firehouse team were awesome, as they were a fun close knit family.  You can feel the love between them. 

Then Teague and Keira come to visit Jessica to explain about Cash (who was rescued in Blaze) and his friend (still captive).  They carefully try to tell a fragile Jessica that they think the man called Q, is in fact Quaid still alive and held captive all these years.   What follows is an exciting action filled adventure with the entire team helping to rescue Q. 

But rescuing Q is only the beginning.  Is he Quiad?  He has no memory of his past, having been tortured, brainwashed & made into a mercenary for the government conspiracy that the team has been fighting from the start.  It is the scenes between Q and Jessica; the love they had for each other before; the memories of the past; the friendships of the entire team; that totally tears you apart emotionally, as Q tries to remember who he is and who he was.  What is real?   This was a heart wrenching, tense, edge of your seat story, and I could not put this book down.

Joan Swan has outdone herself, as I felt each emotional pull; whether it was sadness, laughter, nerve wracking tension, or the heat of their sexual chemistry.  I love all the members of this team, and cannot get enough of them.  Do I love the Phoenix Rising series, you bet I do.  If you have not read Joan Swan or this series, what are you waiting for?  This is an awesome series, with everything, suspense, action, friendships, and very steamy sexual scenes.  I suggest you start with the first book in this series, Fever, as you do not want to miss any of these wonderful characters.

Reading order:
1. Fever
2. Blaze
3. Rush
4. Shatter

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Author

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Blaze by Joan Swan – a Review

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Blaze by Joan Swan – a Review

 

Blaze by Joan Swan, is the second book in her Phoenix Rising series.  The first book in this series, as well as Swan’s debut book was Fever.  Fever was a very good book, but Swan has taken Blaze to another level.  From the start to finish, this book is a page burner, you cannot, and will not put this down until you finish this exciting story.  Blaze has everything..action..suspense..excitement..intensity..love..sex (hits the wow factor), and constant danger.

The heroine in Blaze is Keira O’Shay, and she is one of the best kick ass heroines I have seen, and I have seen quite a few good ones.  Luke is the hero in this story, and we remember him from Fever.  Until the end of Fever, we did not really like Luke.  But almost from the start, that changes and he is equally as great a character as Keira.  I loved them together, and loved Mateo, the young boy in this book, who added so much to the story.

One of the best things, besides Keira and Luke, is that we get to spend a lot of time with the team we got to know in Fever…..Teague, Alyssa, Mitch, Seth, and the remaining of the Firefighting team.  Joan Swan does such an excellent job of creating unforgettable characters, and also the villains, like Dargan, who is back in full force.

Keira, ran away from Luke and her friends, a few years ago, and became an agent.  When the story picks up, she is one of their best agents, and a sharpshooter also.  Keira, who is afraid of commitment and family (she distances herself so not be hurt again losing family), is the lead on an assignment, and discovers that her ex, Luke, working for another division (ATF), is also on the same assignment. Though the years have passed, they both have never gotten over their love for one another. 

The story immediately is filled with intense action, with Luke and Keira in the middle of it.  Keira finds Mateo, a young boy she saves during the mission, and for some reason, she is drawn to him. She must protect him from the experiments being done to him and others.  Which brings Keira back to the friends she tried to avoid, in order to help her keep Mateo safe.  

DARPA is the enemy, as we saw in Fever.  Dargan is the villainous leader, and she is the one organizing the experiments on children creating enhanced abilities, as well as trying to eliminate the Firefighter team, who also now have enhanced abilities.  Keira can hear thoughts and things far away.  Luke, whose powers, strengthen with Keira near him, can withstand fire, bullets, etc. We know Teague is a healer, and young Mateo, who is only 5 years old, also has a great ability, as do the rest of the team.

Blaze is filled with so much action; you cannot sit back and relax.  But the crux of the story is the wonderful romance between Luke and Keira.  You know how much each loves one another, and the flaw in Keira, who had a rough childhood, and is afraid of commitment, even if she loves Luke with all her heart.  As I noted earlier, there was this long hot steamy sex scene that was so well done by Swan.  Just when you think, finally they will make it  together, all hell breaks loose, and changes things again. 

I loved Blaze, and Joan Swan has outdone herself.  Phoenix Rising continues to get better, and I look forward to meeting all of these wonderful characters again, in the next installment of this series.  I am already anticipating who is going to be the next couple…so many to choose from.  Maybe Mitch, as he is a fun and great character. If you have not started this series, I suggest you do so. Kudos to Joan Swan for a wonderful second book

Lastly, I do not normally add quotes, but this one had me laughing for a bit. My choice for best quote of the year:
“She felt as if she’d fallen into an Indiana Jones movie or into an Elisabeth Naughton novel, in possession of a treasure everyone wanted, on a quest she didn’t understand, running a race for which she had no timetable, no map”

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Author

Blaze Purchase Links:

Amazon / Amazon Canada / Barnes & Noble / B-A-M / Book Depository
Chapters / IndieBound / Powell’s

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Fever by Joan Swan – a Review

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Fever by Joan Swan – a Review

Fever by Joan Swan, is the first book in her Phoenix Rising series.  This is also Swan’s debut novel, which is romance suspense, and bit of paranormal, which is minimal in this first book of the series.   

We meet our heroine, Alyssa Foster right from the start.  She is a doctor, working overtime to cover the hospital shortages, and she is also competing with a fellow doctor for a permanent position.  Her last shift at night, one she always dreads, is to help a patient from the local correctional prison. A case of mistaken identity changes everything for Alyssa, as she becomes a hostage to two escaped prisoners.

Teague Creek is not your normal hero, though over the course of this book, you can’t  help but fall for him.  But not in the beginning, as he takes Alyssa, who was treating him as his hostage.  Teague is hard & tough, and has only one thought….escape and let no one stand in his way.  Alyssa’s worst nightmare is about to begin.  But then again, Teague has his hands full with Ayssa, who fights with everything she has.  She is the perfect heroine, someone who despite the odds will stand up to almost anyone. 

An unlikely romantic couple, but their chemistry together is excellent, especially early on when they both fight each other, especially vocally.  You know sooner then later, the attraction will begin to get stronger, as the gentle side of Teague begins to show himself to Alyssa.  The other escaped convict is an early villain; Taz is a racist, and totally wacko.  It is Teague, who needs Taz, to help them escape, but he also needs Alyssa, or who he thinks she is.  He also finds himself drawn to her, and also needs to protect her against the dangerous and despicable Taz. 

Fortunately for them and us, Taz is killed off fairly early in the book.  It then becomes the Teague and Alyssa story and how despite all that stands between them, the differences, the fighting, they begin to overcome this, and start a relationship that was never destined to be.  But destiny has its own mind, and Alyssa does begin to crack the hardness that Teague built around himself during those three years in prison.  It is Alyssa who finds out the truth and knows that Teague is innocent; together they go on an exciting journey to find his daughter and those who are truly responsible for the conspiracy that helped kill his friends, and possibly his dead wife. 

Fever is an exciting story from beginning to end, with a mystery as to why and how Teague was framed, and why does he have powers that no human can have, but he is fully human….all leading to a climatic conclusion.  It is tension to the end, towards the climax to save themselves against the real enemy.  The romance and sex between Teague and Alyssa was an added bonus, as they were totally steamy together.  I also enjoyed some of the other characters that came into play, as we may see them again in the future stories in this series.   I really really enjoyed Alyssa’s  brother Mitch, and though early on I thought Luke was bad, but he turns out pretty good. 

Upon reading a few comments regarding the racial slurs by Taz early on in the book, I understand why some people would get upset.  Wheras, we did suffer from his despicable presence for about a ¼ of the book, and we have met fictional characters like this; but in the real world, as much as we may not like it, the hardened life time prisoners may very well be foul mouthed and in some cases racists.   I did not let it bother me, as I felt it was part of the story, as well as to make him even more dislikable, and believe me when I say he is very much disliked.  Taz does meet his justifiable end early.  

Overall, I felt this was an excellent story, an excellent heroine, and eventually hero, and lots of action, mystery and suspense.  A great debut novel by Joan Swan.

Reviewed by Barb

Fever Purchase Links:

Kensington / Amazon / Amazon Canada / Barnes & Noble / B-A-M
Book Depository / Chapters / IndieBound / Powell’s 

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