Tag Archives: shifter

The Dragon’s Bond by Marie Johnston-a review

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The Dragon’s Bond (The Jade Dragon Shifters Brothers 2) by Marie Johnston-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 18, 2022

Lachlan

I was supposed to be a brutal and ruthless ruler of my dragon shifter clan, but I’ve defied the odds to become a calm male who thinks before he acts. I rule my small town fairly, without the bloodshed. The only time I acted with the same selfishness of my parents was when I selected my mate. And for the last four years, I’ve worried I ruined her life. I want to do better, but I don’t know how, and if I don’t figure it out, she’ll be gone.

Indy

I know Lachlan didn’t grow up like me. He didn’t have a loving, supportive, and completely smothering family to dote on him. But when he announced he wanted me to be his, I was elated. I had high hopes. And then we just…existed together. A female dragon shifter is rarely short of pride, but if Lachlan doesn’t talk to me, I can’t picture a second chance for us. And when someone tries to kills me, I worry we won’t be able to try.

•••••

REVIEW: I’m loving this series and meeting more family members. We started off with the Silver Clan, which lead us to the Jade Clan and then the Garnet Clan, and also the Peridot Clan. (So I’m hoping another series of books will spring out from them) ?

Indy has had enough of being the leaders mate! She tired of being ignored and not being included in the running of the clan! It’s time to make changes …..

Lachlan is the leader of the Jade Clan, he’s been their leader since his parents died in a fire. Lachlan is hiding a secret, and he’s terrified someone will eventually find out!!

We get to meet Levi which will take us to meet a new Clan (although we met them briefly in this book, and it’s not another dragon Clan!)

You don’t need to read the previous book, it stands well enough in its own. But reading the previous book does give a little insight into Lachlan and his thoughts…..

Lachlan and Indy have been mated for a few years! Lachlan needed to mate for leadership reasons! Indy did as she was asked! Although she was both relieved (her former boyfriend was beginning to give off creep vibes!) and surprised (Lachlan could have had his pick of mates). But with a vast chasm between them how will they ever overcome it? Do they want too?

It has a little angst, passion and secrets. It also has a little danger for both the main characters. Lachlan finds it hard to express his feelings for his mate, he truly loves her, but I get the impression he’s never really told her! And Indy is full of self doubt when it comes to her mate! He’s never at home and he’s always with other women (her family and town like to tell get often!) Both characters needed their heads banged together. Both have feelings for one another, and both can’t express them…..

If you love a second chance romance with dragons and a bossy mate, I’d recommend this one in a heartbeat. It’s shortish, and with all of her books you want just a little more ? characters are great, settings are detailed enough for you to imagine yourself there.

Click HERE for Julie’s review of book one THE DRAGON’S PLEDGE

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie ?

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You Had Me At Wolf (Wolff Brothers #1) by Terry Spear-a review

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You Had Me At Wolf (Wolff Brothers #1) by Terry Spear-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 25, 2020

First in a thrilling new series from USA Today bestseller Terry Spear featuring the hot, powerful Wolff brothers!

A wolf on a mission cannot be deterred…
The hot, powerful Wolff brothers have moved to the outskirts of Silver Town and opened a ski lodge. They’ve always wanted to live in a wolf-controlled area, and now they have their chance. They’re settling in for a quiet winter, when their lives suddenly become way more exciting than they’d ever planned.

Private Investigator and Gray wolf shifter Josie Grayson is hot on the trail of a dangerous criminal hiding out at the ski lodge when her partner takes ill and must leave her to pursue the mission alone. Blake Wolff steps in–he can’t resist the allure of this brilliant and focused she-wolf whose presence awakens a long dormant yearning in his heart.

As pursuit of their quarry heats up, Blake has a mission of his own…to convince Josie that there’s more to life than work…and that she’s his perfect mate.

••••••

REVIEW:YOU HAD ME AT WOLFF is the first instalment in Terry Spear’s contemporary, adult WOLFF BROTHERS paranormal, romance series-a spin off from the author’s Silver Town Wolf series. This is Private Investigator, former special agent in the US Army Criminal Investigation Command, and Gray wolf shifter Nicole Grayson, and Wolff Timberline ski lodge owner Blake Wolff’s story line. You do not have to have read the original series to understand or follow Wolff Brothers.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Nicole and Blake) YOU HAD ME AT WOLFF follows the building relationship between is Private Investigator, former special agent in the US Army Criminal Investigation Command, and Gray wolf shifter Nicole Grayson, and ski lodge owner Blake Wolff. Nicole Grayson, a gray wolf shifter is an insurance fraud investigator, and her latest assignment took her to Silver Town, a shifter run town, where the Wolff brothers owned and ran a local ski lodge. When her partner in the investigations took sick, Nicole found herself face to face with Blake Wolff, and the Wolff extended pack and family, as our heroine investigated the case of insurance fraud involving a once-dead client who is very much alive. What ensues is the building relationship between Nicole and Blake, as they work together to reveal the truth.

The relationship between Blake and Nicole is one of immediate attraction but Nicole is only in town for a short time as she investigates a case of fraud. While Nicole had no intention of extending her time in Silver town, the developing relationship between herself and Blake forces Nicole to reconsider the future, and the future of her own extended family. Blake knows that Nicole is the one but they must first uncover the truth with the help of his Pack, and extended family. The $ex scenes are intimate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Blake’s large extended family including his brothers Landon, Brandon and sisters Kayla and Roxie, Pack leaders Darien and Lelandi Silver, Nicole’s brother Nate, as well as several members of the Silver Town Pack previously introduced in the original series.

YOU HAD ME AT WOLF is a story of family, friendships, relationships and love. The slow building premise is entertaining but so much of the story line felt like filler-from the many detailed dinners to side stories, that had nothing to do with the overall premise. The characters are numerous, colorful and energetic; the romance is passionate but I didn’t feel the palpable sexual attraction.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Leopard’s Wrath (Leopards #11) by Christine Feehan-Review & Giveaway

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Leopard’s Wrath (Leopards #11) by Christine Feehan-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

LEOPARD’S WRATH
Leopard Series #11
by Christine Feehan
Release Date: November 5, 2019
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, paranormal, romance

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 5, 2019

He’s a man used to getting what he wants, but she’s not the type of woman to take things lying down….

Born into a life of crime, Mitya Amurov has had a hard life, and his leopard has developed into a feral beast to protect him. It’s constantly trying to claw its way to the surface—until a chance encounter with a stranger instantly calms the predator inside him. While Mitya wants Ania desperately, it’s only a matter of time before his past catches up with him, and he’d rather die than put her in danger. But Ania is dealing with dangers of her own….

Considering her family’s history, Ania Dover should know better than to get mixed up with a criminal like Mitya, but she just can’t stay away. Something wild in her responds to his presence. A need so strong it scares her. But she’s not sure she can accept what he’s offering. Ania has always been an independent woman, and Mitya expects to be obeyed in all things.

Even with her body calling out for his, Ania won’t let anything stop her from settling a deadly score years in the making—not even the man who wants to claim her as his mate.

•••••••••

REVIEW:LEOPARD’S WRATH is the eleventh instalment in Christine Feehan’s contemporary, adult LEOPARDS paranormal, erotic, romance series focusing on a group of Leopard shifters. This is Russian leopard shifter and businessman Mitya Amurov, and Anja Dover’s story line. LEOPARD’S WRATH can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for backstory, history and cohesion.

NOTE: LEOPARD’S WRATH contains scenes of graphic violence and implied abuse, including memories and retelling of events as well as spanking and discipline, that may not be suitable for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Ania and Mitya) LEOPARD’S WRATH follows the building relationship between Russian leopard shifter Mitya Amurov, and Anja Dover. MItya Amurov found Ania Dover stranded on the side of the road not realizing that Ania was his intended mate, a female leopard shifter who lived on the neighboring estate. About to enter into the Han Vol Dan, the female leopard shifter’s first fertile period, Ania is caught unaware as she struggles with her father’s declining health, and staying one step ahead of the people who have targeted her and her family for execution. But all is not well in the world of the Leopard shifter, as more than one family has been targeted by someone intent on destroying them all. What ensues is the building relationship between Ania and Mitya, and the potential fall-out as secrets and lies, and the struggle for power threaten everyone in Ania and Mitya’s circles.

Ania Dover comes from a long line of leopard shifters who have worked on the periphery of organized crime. A car enthusiast and lover of speed, Ania is more than capable of holding her own when it comes to getting out of harm’s way but Ania is unprepared for the emotional and physical needs of her leopard, and finds herself in situations where she has very little control. Mitya Amurov never thought he would find someone to love especially in the wake of his violent lifestyle and the abuse he suffered as a child but meeting Ania Dover meant the possibility of his own happily ever after if not for the threats against his life by the leopard that is his sire.

The relationship between Ania and Mitya is one of immediate attraction fated by DNA, need and the Han Vol Dan. Mitya Amurov, like all male leopard shifters, is a possessive and controlling man, and is aware that Ania is about to enter into her time of need, a time when every male shifter will target the woman he loves, to make her their own. Ania will become the recipient of many offers as she approaches the Han Vol Dan. Ania struggles with her attraction to Mitya, a man she knows to be dangerous and dark but her father’s rapid decline in health meant Mitya is the man to step up and help the dying shifter in his final hours. The $ex scenes are passionate, erotic, and intense. There are some scenes of spanking and discipline .

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of strong secondary and supporting characters including Mitya’s cousins and their mates: Evangeline and Fyodor Amurov (Leopard’s Blood #8), Timur and Ashe Amurov (Leopard’s Run #10), as well as Jake Bannaconni, Drake Donovan, Joshua Tegre, Elijah Lospostos, Eli Perez, Mitya’s right hand man Sevastyan, and shifters Vikenti and Zinoviy, Miron, Kiriil and Matvei, Mitya’s father Lazar; Ania’s father Antosha, as well as numerous leopard shifters from various crime families.

LEOPARD’S WRATH is a story of family, betrayal, power and revenge; a story of grief, loss, threats and control. The action packed premise is entertaining, engaging and emotional; the characters are colorful, energetic and dynamic; the romance is spicy, sensual and hot. LEOPARD’S WRATH and the Leopard Series will open up your imagination to the wonders of the paranormal.

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

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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

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The Reading Cafe and Christine’s Feehan’s publisher is graciously offering a paper copy of LEOPARD’S WRATH to ONE lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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9. Giveaway runs from November 5-10, 2019

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In A Badger Way (Honey Badger Chronicles #2) by Shelly Laurenston-dual review

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IN A BADGER WAY (Honey Badger Chronicles #2) by Shelly Laurenston-dual review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 26, 2019

Petite, kind, brilliant, and young, Stevie is nothing like the usual women bodyguard Shen Li is interested in. Even more surprising, the youngest of the lethal, ball-busting, and beautiful MacKilligan sisters is terrified of bears. But she’s not terrified of pandas. She loves pandas.

Which means that whether Shen wants her to or not, she simply won’t stop cuddling him. He isn’t some stuffed Giant Panda, ya know! He is a Giant Panda shifter. He deserves respect and personal space. Something that little hybrid is completely ignoring.

But Stevie has a way of finding trouble. Like going undercover to take down a scientist experimenting on other shifters. For what, Shen doesn’t want to know, but they’d better find out. And fast. Stevie might be the least violent of the honey badger sisters, but she’s the most dangerous to Shen’s peace of mind. Because she has absolutely no idea how much trouble they’re in . . . or just how damn adorable she is

•••••••••

Sandy’s REVIEW: IN A BADGER WAY is the second instalment in Shelly Laurenston’s fun and fabulous contemporary, adult HONEY BADGER CHRONICLES paranormal, romance series-a spin-off from the author’s PRIDE and PACK series. This is prodigal genius and badger hybrid Stevie Stasiuk-MacKilligan, and security specialist/panda shifter Shen Li’s story line. IN A BADGER WAY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from several third person perspectives including Shen and Stevie IN A BADGER WAY follows several paths but continues to focus on the MacKilligan half-sisters: badger/ wolf Charlie; honey badger Maxie, and our heroine badger/ tiger Stevie MacKilligan. Stevie is a prodigal, a genius but suffers from severe anxiety, panic attacks and depression that when provoked or threatened, her self preservation instincts result in a beast that no one is able to control. Currently housing another child prodigy, Kyle Jean-Louis Parker, and his security guard Shen Li, Stevie struggles with demons from the past including a father and uncle who may or may not be threatening the people she loves. When a number of hybrid shifters are found dead, Stevie is contracted by Dr. Irene Conridge, to go in search of the people responsible in an effort to protect shifters like herself. With Shen Li at her side, Stevie will face down her demons, the Bears, the Wild Dog Nights, and possibility of losing herself in the name of science. What ensues is the building romance and relationships between Stevie and Shen, and the potential fall-out as Stevie is targeted by a man desperate to eradicate the impure shifters.

IN A BADGER WAY has all the requisite snark, humor, fun, and over the top craziness expected from Shelly Laurenston’s shifters. The MacKilligan sisters are over protective, fiercely loyal, and when threatened are a force unto themselves. Feared by other shifters, the sister’s reputations as hybrids of unknown consequences places everyone on alert when the proverbial sh*t hits the fan-Stevie is no match for the strongest and biggest shifters, or science, itself.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including some very familiar shifters (Dee-Ann and Ric; Niles Van Holtz and his human wife Irene Conlan, Bo and Blayne, Loch and Gwen, and Marcella Malone), the Berg triplets Berg, Dag and Britta Dunn, Kyle Jean-Louis Parker and his sister Oriana as well as Maxie’s best friend, wolverine shifter Dutch Alexander.

A fantastic story teller, Shelly Laurenston brings her imagination to life blending animal characteristics with a human mind set ensuring no character is entirely free from one or the other. A spirited, energetic and animated series The Honey Badger Chronicles, and thusly the Pride and Pack series are a definite must read.

 

Barb’s REVIEW:  In a Badger Way by Shelly Laurenston is the 2nd book in her wild crazy exciting and hilarious Honey Badger Chronicles series.  Trust me when I say, if you have not read Shelly Laurenston, you are missing not only a gem of an author, but so much fun as you read each and every one of her books. I cannot say enough about Laurenston, as she continually has me engrossed in the story, which has a lot of action and violence, but at the same time I am laughing all the way.  Needless to say, I adore Shelly Laurenston and cannot get enough of her books.  Now for my review  🙂

In the first book of this trilogy, Charlie, the oldest sister was the heroine.  She was an awesome heroine, tough, respected and devoted to her two younger sisters, as well as being the sister who is always in control and feared the most.  They are Honey Badgers, but hybrids; together all three made a wild crazy and terrifying team.  In a Badger Way, the youngest sister, Stevie is our heroine, and we can’t help but love Stevie; she is the child prodigy that everyone wants, even at times to kill her.  Stevie is a genius in everything she does, whether its music or physics, but she has a flaw; she has anxiety panic attacks and when scared, she loses control and shifts into a huge tiger monster.

What I love about this series is that the three sisters are there for each other, even if they also fight each other.  In this story, Charlie and Max are always helping to protect Stevie, even if she can handle herself, if she stays in control.   We also get to meet many of the other shifters we have met previously, like Blayne, Irene, Dee Ann, Jess, just to name a few.   It will be Irene who will convince Stevie and her sisters, as well as some of the MacKilligan family to help bring down a group that are planning to create  a drug that will neutralize hybrids.

Shen Li, our hero, is a panda shifter, as well as a bodyguard.  Shen finds himself spending more time trying to protect Stevie, then what he was hired for.  But living with the MacKilligans is a non-stop wild ride, and life will never be the same.  Stevie likes having Shen around, as she find the panda cute; in a short time after all those around him (especially Max and Charlie) hint that something is going on between him and Stevie; first Stevie and then slowly Shen start falling for each other. Shen realizes that he enjoys being with her and her sisters; he was the perfect person for Stevie, not only protecting her but helping her learn to control her violent anger and shifts.

What follows is an exciting adventure that was also fun-filled, wild & crazy action, three great sisters, wonderful secondary characters, and so much hilarious laughter. Telling too much more would be spoilers, and this is the kind of story that needs to be read and fully enjoyed.  I cannot wait for the next book.   If you have not read Shelly Laurenston, you are missing an author that always gives us fantastic stories.  When it comes to fun, crazy, hysterical and exciting, with fantastic characters, no one does it better then Shelly Laurenston.


Click HERE for our reviews of book one Hot and Badgered.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

___________

 

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Wolf’s Mate (Crescent Moon #7) by Katie Reus-a review

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WOLF’S MATE (Crescent Moon #7) by Katie Reus-a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 3, 2018

She wasn’t supposed to fall for him.

Erica’s time away from her pack was just supposed to be fun. Then she met Hudson. Instead of the no-strings attached fling, she ended up falling for him. But they’d promised each other that they’d keep things casual. Instead of risking her heart, she ran. Now she’s pregnant—and he’s determined to claim her. But the last thing she wants is to be an obligation to him.

Now she’s pregnant.

Erica could never be a duty to Hudson, but for some reason that’s what she thinks she is. He tried to go slow, to give her space—so he wouldn’t scare her off. Now he realizes that was a mistake. It’s time for this wolf to claim his mate. Unfortunately a neighboring pack is stirring up trouble for his pack, and his she-wolf is determined to keep walls between them. Walls he intends to bring down once and for all.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: WOLF’S MATE is the seventh instalment in Katie Reus’ contemporary, adult CRESCENT MOON paranormal, romance novella series. This is wolf shifters Erica and Hudson Kendrick’s story line. WOLF’S MATE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Erica and Hudson) WOLF’S MATE follows the building relationship between wolf shifters Erica, and Hudson Kendrick. Erica has been traveling for close to a year, and her final destination brings her up close and personal with the Kendrick Pack of Montana. One month together with Hudson Kendrick, their second in command, has Erica thinking about a happily ever after but Hudson makes no attempt to claim our heroine as his mate. Upon her return home to the Kincaid Pack in Alabama, Erica discovers that she is pregnant with Hudson’s pups, and struggles with the possibility of raising them on her own. What ensues is the quick profession of love between our leading couple, as they must make a decision about their future.

WOLF’S MATE is a very quick read; a sexy, sassy and cute story about two shifters, a lack of communication, and a happily ever after. The premise is imaginative; the romance is spicy; the characters are spirited and animated. Katie Reus continues to build upon her Crescent Moon series one entertaining shifter couple at a time.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Midnight Wolf ( Shifters Unbound #11) by Jennifer Ashley-Review & Giveaway

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MIDNIGHT WOLF (Shifters Unbound #11) by Jennifer Ashley-Review and Giveaway

MIDNIGHT WOLF
Shifters Unbound #11
by Jennifer Ashley
Release Date: April 24, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, shifter, romance

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 24, 2018

Angus Murray, bouncer for a New Orleans Shifter bar, is sent to round up an elusive, Collar-less Shifter woman, Tamsin Calloway, who is causing trouble for Shifter Bureau, and possesses information they want. If Angus refuses, he risks losing his cub. He finds Tamsin but she’s slippery and not about to be rounded up quietly.

In fact, quiet is nothing Tamsin will ever be. She leads Angus on a wild chase, but he’s determined to bring her in to save his son.

Can Tamsin convince Angus she’s worth helping before she’s locked away by Shifter Bureau, Collared, or perhaps killed?

••••••••

REVIEW: MIDNIGHT WOLF is the eleventh full-length novel in Jennifer Ashley’s contemporary, adult SHIFTERS UNBOUND paranormal/ fantasy romance series. This is lupine shifter/tracker Angus Murray, and Tamsin Calloway’s story line. MIDNIGHT WOLF can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but for cohesion and backstory I recommend reading the series in order as there is a continuing arc focusing on the impending war with the Fae.

SOME BACKGROUND: Thousands of years in the past, the Fae created the shifters-a cross between beast and man-and in the ensuing time the Fae lost control and power over the battle creatures they had created for war. Approximately twenty years ago shifters were exposed to the human population. Out of fear, discrimination and specieism, the shifters were collared with Fae magic in the belief that it would control aggression; then they were forced into segregated communities known as Shiftertowns. There are several Shiftertowns located throughout America where shifters live in a relative but strained peace amongst their own kind.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Tamsin and Angus) MIDNIGHT WOLF follows lupine shifter and tracker Angus Murray as he is forced by the Shifter Bureau to track an uncollared shifter of unknown origin. Enter Tamsin Calloway, a rogue, female shifter, and the woman with whom Angus will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Tamsin and Angus as our couple tries to stay one step ahead of the Shifter Bureau whose intent is to dissect and destroy our story line heroine.

Angus Murray is a single father, working as a bouncer when threats against his family force our hero to go on the hunt. With his cub in custody Angus has no choice but to do the Bureau’s bidding, as he searches for the rogue female he knows nothing about. Tamsin Calloway has spent most of her life on the run. Collar-less, and without support of any kind, Tamsin finds herself on the Bureau’s most wanted list for a series of crimes but none more so than the information she keeps secreted in her mind. Meeting Angus Murray never felt so right or so wrong including the maternal feelings that arose when she met Angus’s motherless cub.

The relationship between Angus and Tamsin is a forced friendship in order for our heroine to survive. Targeted by the Bureau, and thusly Angus Murray, Tamsin must succumb to her captor or find herself on the receiving end of imprisonment or worse. Falling in love was never on the agenda but a mate bond is claimed by Angus to protect the woman with whom he has fallen in love. The $ex scenes are passionate but limited, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a very large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including the return of Tiger and Carly, Ben, Zander and Rae, Dimitri and Jaycee, Dylan and Sean, as well as the introduction of bear shifter and carnival owner Dante, his mate Celene and their daughter Brina, and Angus’s son Ciaran. The requisite evil has many faces including several members of the Shifter Bureau.

The world building continues to focus on the potential war between the shifter and the Fae, but follows the ongoing discrimination of shifters: the laws to collar and control, as well as the segregation and Shiftertowns meant to isolate those deemed different.

MIDNIGHT WOLF is an exciting, detailed story line about trust and betrayal, family and friendship, fated mates and happily ever afters. The premise is thrilling and fascinating; the characters are colorful, energetic and inspiring; the romance is intimate and animated. MIDNIGHT WOLF is a welcome addition to Jennifer Ashley’s Shifters Unbound- a cross-country journey as fated mates stay one step ahead of a potential take down and catastrophic danger to all involved.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Shifter Made .5
Pride Mates
Primal Bonds
Bodyguard
Wild Cat
Hard Mated 3.5
Mate Claimed
Perfect Mate 4.5
Lone Wolf 4.6
Tiger Magic
Feral Heat 5.5
Wild Wolf
Bear Attraction 6.5
Mate Bond
Lion Eyes
Bad Wolf 7.5
Wild Things 7.75
White Tiger
Guardian’s Mate
Red Wolf

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Excerpt provided by Penguin Random House Publisher

 

Tamsin Calloway looked younger than in her photo. She had a wave of bright red hair flowing back from a broad forehead, her face narrowing to a somewhat pointed chin. He couldn’t tell the color of her eyes from this distance, but her skin was the pale hue of a true redhead, one from the northern climes of Scotland. Angus had seen Fae inside Faerie with hair that color.
She sat at a table that held seven other men, all human. Her cards hung negligently in her hands while she leaned forward with a little smile, as though eager for the next bet. They were playing Texas Hold ’em. The cards showing on the table were two queens, a jack, and a ten. Plenty of money sat in a pile in the middle. No chips, just cash.
As Angus paused, trying to decide on his approach, one of the men at the table glared at Tamsin. “I’ll raise you a hundred.” He shoved in a stack of twenties.
“I’ll see that,” Tamsin said without losing her smile.
Four of the other men groaned and tossed down their cards. “Fold,” they each said, with one saying, “I’m toast.”
Three men and Tamsin left. Two put in their money, leaving it to the man who’d raised the last time. He plucked up two more twenties and a ten and let them drop into the pile. “Another fifty.”
Tamsin shrugged and added her money. Another man threw his cards down in disgust. “I’m out.”
Now it was Tamsin and the other two. One man looked at his cards, the five on the table, and the pot. He sighed and pushed his chair back. “Damn it.”
The remaining man watched Tamsin. He hunched forward, anger in every line of his body. If he didn’t win, things might go bad for Tamsin.
“Call,” the man snarled.
Tamsin laid down her cards. “Two little ladies make four of a kind.”
A string of foul words came out of the man’s mouth. His cards fell from his hand, nowhere near anything to win.
“You cheating bitch!”
Tamsin raked the money to her and rose. Ignoring the raging man and his friends, who were telling him to suck it up, she looked across the room and straight at Angus.
Angus froze in place, doing his best to be just another Shifter looking to relieve boredom in this backwoods casino.
Tamsin wasn’t fooled. The eyes that met Angus’s told him she’d already seen him, recognized him for Shifter, and knew why he was here. Her eyes were a hazel shade, the light over the table showed him, almost golden, the color of whisky. Her faint scent came to him over the stench of humans and smoke—warm, like nutmeg.
Tamsin stuffed double handfuls of cash into her pockets, at the same time moving back from the table on quick feet.
“Gotta go, boys. Thanks for the game.”
Two more strides, a flash of a grin over her shoulder, and she faded into the shadows.
Angus charged across the room after her. A heavy curtain hid the wall she’d run toward, and Angus jerked it back to find a window, wide-open and letting in the fog.
Angus scrambled through the window, jerking his bulk through the tight fit, and landed on the veranda that surrounded the house.
Mists flowed between him and the trees beyond, and there was no sound. Tamsin, her flame hair, and nutmeg scent, had vanished.


 

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Hot and Badgered (The Honey Badger Chronicles #1) by Shelly Laurenston-a dual review

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HOT AND BADGERED ( The Honey Badgers Chronicles #1) by Shelly Laurenston-a dual review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 27,2018

It’s not every day that a beautiful naked woman falls out of the sky and lands face-first on grizzly shifter Berg Dunn’s hotel balcony. Definitely they don’t usually hop up and demand his best gun. Berg gives the lady a grizzly-sized t-shirt and his cell phone, too, just on style points. And then she’s gone, taking his XXXL heart with her. By the time he figures out she’s a honey badger shifter, it’s too late.

Honey badgers are survivors. Brutal, vicious, ill-tempered survivors. Or maybe Charlie Taylor-MacKilligan is just pissed that her useless father is trying to get them all killed again, and won’t even tell her how. Protecting her little sisters has always been her job, and she’s not about to let some pesky giant grizzly protection specialist with a network of every shifter in Manhattan get in her way. Wait. He’s trying to help? Why would he want to do that? He’s cute enough that she just might let him tag along—that is, if he can keep up .

••••••••

Sandy’s REVIEW: HOT AND BADGERED is the first instalment in Shelly Laurenston’s contemporary, adult THE HONEY BADGERS CHRONICLES paranormal, romance series –a spin off from the author’s Pack and Pride Series. This is hybrid honey badger/ wolf Charlie Taylor-MacKilligan, and grizzly shifter Berg Dunn’s story line.

NOTE: Fans of the author’s Pride and Pack series will recognize a number of the secondary and supporting characters including the Jean-Louis Parkers, Bo and Blayne, and of course the Van Holtz and Smith Packs; Sissy Mae Smith and her mate lion shifter Mitch Shaw.

Told from several third person points of view including Berg and Charlie HOT AND BADGERED introduces the MacKilligan Honey Badgers and their large extended family, and the Dunn grizzly bear family and friends of the BPC –Bear Protection Council-the international protection agency for the bear nation. HOT AND BADGERED follows the MacKilligan sisters as the struggle to stay one step ahead of a group of mercenaries intent on taking them down –dead or alive. Charlie, and her half-sisters Maxie (honey badger) and Stevie (honey badger/tiger) have been on the run for years. Their father, Freddy MacKilligan, an a$$hole of the first degree, has endangered his daughter’s lives since the moment they were born, and in this, the trio have battled enough evil in their lives to ensure a lifetime of therapy for everyone involved. When news comes that their father has died, the girls go in search of the truth only to discover that desperate times call for desperate measures and the trio find themselves hiding out amongst the shifter bears of New York. Enter Berg Dunn, grizzly shifter and security expert, and the man with whom Charlie will fall in love. What ensues is a complex battle with several forces intent on taking down the MacKilligan sisters, as a series of events and catastrophes threaten their less than well-ordered lives.

HOT AND BADGERED is a detailed storyline with all of the author’s requisite humor, sarcasm, wit and charm. Charlie MacKilligan, the eldest sister, is very protective of Stevie and Max. As members of the honey badger shifters, the trio are feared for their aggression and ability to kill but it is their ‘hybrid’ genes that make them an unknown threat in the world of the shifter nations. Stevie has a copious number of emotional and psychological problems, and her ‘shifter abilities’ attracts some unwanted attention. Maxie is a trained killer; a warrior in her own right, and a woman whose ability to get the job done catches the eye of The Group, and The Carnivore’s shifter hockey team.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including some very familiar shifters (Dee-Ann and Ric; Niles Van Holtz, Bo, Blayne, Loch, Crushek and his mate Marcella Malone) and the introduction of many more including Berg’s triplet brother and sister Dag and Britta Dunn, and Maxie’s best friend wolverine shifter Dutch Alexander. Panda shifter Shen Li, Kyle Jean-Louis Parker’s body guard has caught the eye of Stevie MacKilligan.

HOT AND BADGERED advances the series several years as there are now a number of off-spring spawned by the Pride series characters. It was great to reconnect with so many familiar characters, and witness the next-generation of shifters taking their place in the author’s story lines and series.

Shelly Laurenston has an amazing ability to pull the reader into an elaborate world of spirited and playful shifters with her fantastic story line banter, and characteristic charm. Maxie’s on-going and stingingly successful raids on the local honeycomb and bee apiaries is nothing short of pure unadulterated fun; and Stevie’s inability to navigate the world in which she was born is both heart breaking and humorous. HOT AND BADGERED is a fantastic and imaginative take on the paranormal; Shelly Laurenston is an author you do not want to skip.

 

Barb’s Review:

Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston is the 1st book in her new The Honey Badgers series. I was happy to see that Laurenston was starting a new series, as I know whatever I read by her I will have fun and laugh my way through a great story. Once again, Shelly Laurenston gives us a wild crazy hysterical story, with three fantastic heroines.  

Charlie MacKilligan, our main hero in this book, is the oldest sister of the crazy MacKilligans, who are honey badgers.  Charlie is the one who keeps the other two girls in line, and believe me when I say that is some job. Lol  The three sisters are hybrids, not full honey badgers, and they have the same father, but different mothers.  All the MacKilligans, including the three sisters, hate the father who lies and steals from everyone, which gives them one common bond, they want him dead and out of their lives.  Charlie and her sisters, Max and Stevie are usually on the run, with villains trying to kidnap the child prodigy Stevie or using the girls to get the father.  Right from the start, there is an epic battle that allows us to see how powerful and good all three are, and they complement each other.  They manage to fight and kill their enemies, but run to a safe house to hide.

Berg Dunn, our hero, is a bear, and he meets a naked Charlie, when she comes out of a shower.  Seems Berg was on assignment to protect a famous musician, and before he could learn who she is, Charlie is gone.   He will come upon her again a bit later, and will offer to help them hide in his bear pack territory.  Berg is a triplet, and I loved his sister Britta, who is leader of their pack.  Berg knows he is falling hard for Charlie, but she isn’t interested in any long term relationship, as she feels it is too dangerous to be associated with the MacKilligan sisters; though she is very attracted to the cute Berg.

What follows is an exciting adventure to find out who is threatening the sisters, as well as stepping in to help some of their cousins.  There are some villains, and the story is very good.  But what makes this so good is Shelly Laurenston’s amazing ability to have us loving her characters; laughing all the way though the wild craziness that happens constantly, and create a good storyline. 

I loved loved all three of the MacKilligan sisters, who were all hilarious.  Charlie was the strongest and most respected by her Mackilligan relatives, as she has an uncanny ability to take control of any situation, as well as calm things down.  Max was a fearless amazing and yes crazy middle sister.  Everyone fears her, since she is lethal, as she smiles while she happily kills those who are threats to her sisters.  Lastly, Stevie is the younger sister, who is a genius and a prodigy, whom those nasty  villains want.  Stevie with all her smarts, has anxiety and always flips out, leaving us in hysterics at her antics.  LOL   I never had so much fun spending time with all three of these girls. 

Laurenston never lets up, as we just gobble up all the fun, with our own smiles throughout.  The romance between Berg and Charlie was slow built, and very nicely done.  I love how Charlie’s sisters try to push her toward Berg, knowing she too is falling for him.  I loved the relationship between the girls and Berg, Britta and Dam.  Trust me…this was so much fun.

Hot and Badgered was a fun, hilarious story, with great characters, sweet romance, action, suspense and so much laughter.  I cannot wait for the next book.   If you have not read Shelly Laurenston, you are missing an author that always gives us fantastic stories.  When it comes to fun, crazy, hysterical and enjoyable stories, no one does it better then Shelly Laurenston.

 

Copy supplied by Publisher via Netgalley

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Kayden / Simon (Bayou Heat 21 & 22) by Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright-Review and Book Tour

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KAYDEN/SIMON (Bayou Heat 21 & 22) by Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright-Review and Book Tour

Kayden:Simon Banner

KAYDEN/SIMON
Bayou Heat 21 & 22
1001 Dark Nights
by Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright
Release Date: August 9, 2016
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, romance

Kayden Simon

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 9, 2016

ENEMY TO LOVER
Kayden is obsessed with revenge after his parents disappeared when he was just a cub. Now the gorgeous Hunter has discovered the man responsible for betraying them – Joshua Ford – and it’s time for payback. Beginning with the kidnapping of Joshua’s daughter, Bianca. But last thing he expects is to be confronted with the horrifying realization that Bianca is his mate. Will he put revenge before his chance for eternal happiness?

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Sexy male model, Simon refuses to give up his exciting life in New York City to return to the slow heat of the Wildlands. For a decade, many pantera have tried to capture the rogue Diplomat and bring him home, but all have failed. Now it’s Tryst’s turn. The hard, brilliant, and gorgeous, Hunter is the ultimate tracker. But can the admitted beast-girl of the Wildlands capture her prey without losing her heart in the process?

••••••••

REVIEW: KAYDEN/SIMON co-authored by Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright is the latest installment in their contemporary, adult Bayou Heat paranormal romance novella series focusing on the Pantera shifters of the Wildlands of Louisiana. KAYDEN/ SIMON is also part of the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights series.

____________

REVIEW: KAYDEN (Enemy to Lover) by Alexandra Ivy follows Kayden as he continues his hunt for the man that destroyed his life. Thinking his parents died years before in a plane crash Pantera Geek discovers that they were the victims of Joshua Ford-the man who has been experimenting with Pantera DNA for years. When Kayden sets out to kill the man that murdered his parents, he confronts Joshua Ford’s daughter Bianca- a Pantera- and the woman who would one day  be his mate.

KAYDEN is a story about betrayal and revenge. One man’s need to avenge the death of his parents, and one woman’s desire to remain close to the man who has stolen her heart. The premise is enjoyable; the characters are animated; and the romance is a quick build to happily ever after.

••••••••••

REVIEW: SIMON (Beauty and the Beast) by Laura Wright focuses on Pantera Hunter Tryst- a shifter who prefers to remain in animal form but a woman whose recent assignment finds her coming face to face with male model and Pantera Suit Simon- a Pantera with a secret that keeps him distanced from the Wildlands of Louisiana, and Tryst’s reluctant mate.

SIMON is a story of fractured family dynamics, discrimination and loss. The premise is heartbreaking; the characters are colorful and charismatic; the romance is passionate and fated.

KAYDEN/SIMON is another entertaining installment in the BAYOU HEAT paranormal series focusing on the puma shifter known as the Pantera. As the species struggles to remain hidden in the Wildlands, there are those whose sole purpose is to destroy that which they do not understand or fear about the unknown.

Copy supplied by the tour promoter

Reviewed by Sandy

Kayden Simon teaser

excerpt

“Who’s that?”
It took a minute for her to catch the sound of approaching footsteps. Yeesh. She’d thought that she had good hearing. This man must have the ears of a bat.
“I assume that it’s Donald,” she said.
Again he stiffened, his eyes flashing with a strange glow. “Your husband?”
She shook her head. Why was he so anxious to assume she was married?
“I don’t have a husband,” she said. “Donald’s my bodyguard.”
He stepped toward her, wrapping her in the warm scent of his skin. It was rich and musky, and it sent odd tingles through the center of her body.
“Why would you need a bodyguard?” he asked.
She sucked in a deep breath, the tantalizing musk making it difficult to think.
What was wrong with her?
“My father’s a little overprotective,” she admitted in distracted tones.
He studied her with an unnerving intensity. “Is he?”
“I suppose most father’s feel the need to keep their daughters safe,” she babbled.
“He must love you very much,” he murmured.
Did he love her? It was the second time that night that Bianca found herself considering the question. And once again, she fiercely told herself that he must care for his only child. After all, he spent a fortune providing her with a comfortable home and plenty of food, plus an expensive education.
“I…yes, of course he does,” she forced herself to say.
A sudden smile curled his lips. A smile that didn’t reach his glowing eyes.
“Let’s put that to the test.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“We’re taking a trip together.”
“What?” She took a hasty step back. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
His smile widened, revealing pearly white teeth. “It wasn’t an invitation.”
Fear returned, thundering through her as she tried to scramble away.
“No.”
Moving forward, the stranger reached out to wrap his arms around her. Then, with fluid ease, he scooped her off her feet and headed toward the French doors.

About The Author

Alexandra Ivy

Alexandra Ivy is the New York Times bestselling author of the Guardians of Eternity series, the Immortal Rogues series and the Sentinels.

Alexandra graduated from Truman University with a degree in theatre before deciding she preferred to bring her characters to life on paper rather than stage. She currently lives in Missouri with her extraordinarily patient husband and teenage sons.

Connect with Alexandra:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

 

laura_wright

Author of the Bestselling Mark of the Vampire series, Laura Wright spent the early years of her life immersed in the worlds of singing, acting and competitive ballroom dancing. But when she started writing, she knew she’d found her true calling. Laura lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband, two children, three dogs, two frogs and two fish. She’s been thrice nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award, and loves hearing from her readers.

Connect with Laura:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

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