Tag Archives: vampires

Devouring Darkness by Chloe Neill – Review & Excerpt

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Devouring Darkness by Chloe Neill – Review & Excerpt

 

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Description:
As the only vampire ever born, and the daughter of two very powerful Chicago vampires, Elisa Sullivan knew her life was going to be…unusual. But she wanted to make her own way in the world, preferably away from her famous family. Then supernatural politics—and perhaps a bit of destiny—intervened, and Elisa had to steady her nerves and sharpen her steel to fight for the city of Chicago. Luckily, Connor Keene, son of the North American Central Pack’s Apex wolf, is right by her side.

When Elisa and her Ombudsman colleagues agree to escort a troubled sorcereress to Chicago, they inadvertently set in motion a scheme of long-awaited magical vengeance. The city may pay an arcane price it can’t afford unless Elisa and her allies rise to the challenge.

 

 

Review:

Devouring Darkness by Chloe Neill is the 5th book in her fantastic Heirs of Chicagoland series.  Refresher:  Elisa Sullivan, our heroine, is the only vampire child ever born, and her parents (Ethan & Merit) are the powerful leaders of the vampires that lead Chicagoland.  Connor Keen, our hero, is a werewolf and the heir apparent to the North American Central Pack Apex (Alpha). Connor and Elisa have become a wonderful romantic couple, as the chemistry between them is sizzling.

When Elisa and her Ombudsman colleagues agree to escort a troubled sorcerer to Chicago, they quickly learn that the woman they were trying save was a demon. With the demon loose, Chicago is under siege with chaos wreaking havoc.  The stakes are high, as Elisa tries to find the demon, and stop her from destroying Chicago; Connor always shows up to be by her side throughout.  Things become worse when Elisa’s family home disappears, which includes her mother, father, Connor’s mother, father, and many others we knew from previous books.  Time is of essence, as they only have a few days to stop the demon and save the family.  Connor is also under pressure from an out-of-town pack that plans on taking over his pack and challenging him.

I love how Elisa and Connor were so great together, with both of them always supporting each other, constantly being by their side whenever needed; even though she was a vampire and he was a werewolf.   They were both independent, strong, savvy and very much in love, with awesome chemistry. It was also nice to see many of the recurring characters in this series, such as Lulu, Alexi, Theo, Petra, as well as many of the originals from Chicagoland.

What follows is an exciting action filled adventure, especially in the last half of the book as the danger escalates, with threats are escalated. Devouring Darkness was very well-written by Chole Neill, with lots of action, romance, fun and intense. Once again, I thought Elisa was a fabulous heroine, and we got a glimpse of the monster inside of her, who would help her when the danger escalated, adding the strong element of a berserker. Only Connor was aware of the monster.

Chloe Neill gives us another great story, with a wonderful couple, great secondary characters.  Devouring Darkness was an exciting, tense, nonstop action filled addition to this wonderful series.  I wholly suggest you read this series.  I can’t wait for more.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

                             Excerpt

A human approached us-dark skin and dapper suit, trimly fit around a strong body. He smiled tentatively at me, then Lulu. “Lulu Bell?”

“That’s me,” Lulu said. “Hi.”

“I’m Clint Howard,” the man said, offering her a hand.

“Oh my god, sure!” Lulu said brightly, shaking and then gesturing to me. “Elisa, this is Clint. He owns the gallery.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said. “You’ve got a lovely space here. And . . . an eclectic collection.”

His grin was wide and a little sly. “We’re a space for emerging artists. And speaking of which, I saw your piece on Halsted. I’d love to talk to you about an installation.”

Lulu’s eyes went wide. She was a muralist and specialized in outdoor projects; her brightly colored creations covered at least a dozen brick

 

 

 

 

 

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Hot Enough to Burn/Slow Burn by Cynthia Eden-reviews

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HOT ENOUGH TO BURN/ SLOW BURN (Phoenix Fury 1 & 2) by Cynthia Eden

HOT ENOUGH TO BURN
Phoenix Fury 1
by Cynthia Eden
Re-release Date: January 20, 2022
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, romance

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

Do you believe in monsters? You should, they walk among humans every single day. Reporter Eve Bradley has known the truth about paranormals for a while, and her latest story has taken her inside the mysterious Genesis facility. It’s at Genesis that Eve first meets Subject Thirteen, Cain O’Connor. Big, gorgeous, and truly, truly HOT.

Cain is a phoenix shifter. Every time that he dies, he rises from the ashes…stronger, deadlier, and another step closer to losing his control. And what happens when a phoenix loses control? Welcome to hell on Earth.

Cain feels an instant connection with Eve, a woman who swears she wants to help him. The attraction between them burns hotter than his flames, and soon, Eve is the only link to sanity that Cain has as the world turns to fire around him.

Eve isn’t human, despite the cover she’s used for years, and she is more than capable of withstanding a little heat. But as their enemies plot to trap them, Eve and Cain will be forced to trust each other completely. Be forced to surrender to a desire that cannot be controlled, and soon, if they are not careful, it’s a desire that might just have the power to destroy them both.

If you want something too badly, if you want someone too much…you will never even see the fire coming, not until it’s too late. Be careful. You don’t want to get burned…

•••••

REVIEW: HOT ENOUGH TO BURN is the first instalment in Cynthia Eden’s contemporary, adult PHOENIX FURY erotic, paranormal romance series. This is phoenix Cain O’Connor, and reporter Eve Bradley’s story line.

NOTE: HOT ENOUGH TO BURN is the re-release of the 2014 BURN FOR ME.

SOME BACKGROUND: Approximately ten years earlier the existence of the paranormal, the supernatural was revealed to the world. A group calling themselves GENESIS is capturing, torturing and performing unsanctioned experiments on the supernatural. These are their stories.

Told from third person perspective HOT ENOUGH TO BURN follows reporter Eve Bradley as she investigates the Genesis facility, a facility performing unsanctioned experiments on the supernatural. Eve will witness the torture and murder over and over of Subject Thirteen aka Cain O’Connor, a man whose inner beast is soothed by our story line heroine. On the run together, our couple have been targeted for their ‘magical powers’, powers when combined reveal a secret our heroine can no longer contain. Determined to take down the people responsible, Cain and Eve find themselves facing off against vampires, super charged werewolves, demons and more. What ensues is the building relationship between Eve and Cain, and the potential fall-out as lives are lost, and Cain struggles with Eve’s need to save the world.

Eve Bradley isn’t quite human but our heroine has the ability to withstand the fall-out from the man with whom she will fall in love. Hoping to reveal the atrocities taking place at the Genesis facility, Eve discovers the experiments are meant to create the ultimate supernatural, an immortal killing machine impossible to kill.Cain O’Connor has only one mission for the foreseeable future-taking down the man betraying the supernatural community but Cain never expected to come face to face with the woman that calls to heart, the woman that calms with beast within.

The relationship between Cain and Eve is one of immediate attraction but Cain fears hurting the woman with whom he will fall in love. Eve has no idea about the who and what of our story line hero but Eve is the only person capable of surviving Cain’s return to the living. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and hot, without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to vampire Ryder Duncan, werewolf Trace Frost, and scientist Dr. Richard Wyatt. Ryder’s story line is next.

HOT ENOUGH TO BURN is a story of betrayal and vengeance; power, obsession and control; love and acceptance. The premise is enchanting and intense; the romance is erotic and seductive; the characters are magical and charismatic.

 Cynthia Eden

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_______

SLOW BURN
Phoenix Fury 2
by Cynthia Eden
Release Date: March 24, 2022
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, romance

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The king of the vampires is in hell…and he will do anything to get his freedom.

Ryder Duncan has been a prisoner at the Genesis facility for far too long. Trapped, starved, tortured—he is ready to do anything necessary in order to escape. If Genesis wants a monster, he will show his captors just how deadly he can be…

Then an angel is tossed into his cage. A beautiful angel who burns hell-hot and wrecks his world.

With one taste of Sabine Acadia’s blood, Ryder is hooked. Her taste is like no other and the flood of power he gets from her is a supernatural rush. He knows what she is—even before he is forced to watch the flames consume her. Beautiful, magical, more than a myth…Sabine is a phoenix, and when she rises, he vows that she will be his.

Thrown together in an alliance born of blood and passion, they have to trust each other.

Escape is their goal. Freedom their dream. Ryder vows to make their captors pay—in blood—even as he plans to keep Sabine at his side. He’s roamed this earth for centuries, and he’s always searched for his perfect mate. He just never expected his desire for her to burn so hot.

But that’s the thing about fire…even a slow burn will eventually consume you.

•••••••

REVIEW: SLOW BURN is the second instlament in Cynthia Eden’s contemporary, adult PHOENIX FURY erotic, paranormal romance series. This is vampire Ryder Duncan, and phoenix Sabine Acadia’s story line. SLOW BURN can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order.

NOTE: SLOW BURN is the re-release of the author’s 2014 ONE BITTEN, TWICE BURNED. Some of the event of SLOW BURN cross over with, and run parallel to book one HOT ENOUGH TO BURN.

SOME BACKGROUND: Approximately ten years earlier the existence of the paranormal, the supernatural was revealed to the world. A group calling themselves Genesis is capturing, torturing and performing unsanctioned experiments on the supernatural in an effort to create the perfect soldier. These are their stories.

Told from third person perspective SLOW BURN follows ancient vampire Ryder Duncan and phoenix Sabine Acadia’s escape from the group known as Genesis. Ryder Duncan is an ancient vampire, believed to be the first vampire, and as such his powers are beyond that of which anyone knows but Ryder’s blood has been used by Genesis in an effort to create the perfect soldier but the power within the blood is more than anyone can handle. Enter phoenix Sabine Acadia, a young woman who knows nothing about her powers or the existence of the supernatural but a woman who is about to find herself front and centre in the unsanctioned experiments at the Genesis complex, experiments that match Sabine and Ryder together in an effort to merge their powers. Upon their escape, Sabine is desperate to return home to her family but her returns brings chaos and death to the people she loves. What ensues is the building relationship between Sabine and Ryder, and the potential fall-out as betrayal and vengeance target our story line couple.

Sabine Acadia is an innocent, naïve to the world of the supernatural but Sabine’s past is mired in secrets and lies, and our heroine is about to discover how truly deep goes the betrayal. Ryder Duncan is the king of all vampires, and as such, he is impervious to most of the ‘usual’ things used to kill a vampire including fire and our story line heroine but one taste of Sabine’s blood, and Ryder is unable to stay away, blood that calls to our hero’s heart.

The relationship between Sabine and Ryder begins as an experiment that goes horribly wrong for our story line couple. Ryder is starved of blood for months at a time, and Sabine is ripe for our hero’s lust. Sabine believes that Ryder only wants her for her blood but her memories reveal a bite that is both deadly and arousing. The $ex scenes are intimate and erotic without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Cain Connor and Eve Bradley (Hot Enough to Burn #1), scientists Richard Wyatt and Cassandra Armstrong, phoenix Dante, vampires Julia and Grayson; Sabine’s father and her brother Rhett; Rhett’s cousin Vaughn and his father Keith Adams; and Ryder’s brother Malcolm.

SLOW BURN is another story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, desperation and manipulation, torture and abuse, acceptance and love. The fast paced premise is dramatic and passionate; the romance is seductive and fated; the characters are energetic and strong.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Nightslayer by Zoe Forward -a Review

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The Nightslayer by Zoe Forward -a Review

 

Amazon

Description:
A prophesy prohibiting him from biting her… and one hot connection that can’t be denied…

Gemma Leight doesn’t believe in magic, not after years of witnessing senseless tragedy as an ER nurse. But the sexy vampire anti-hero in his medievalesque TV show speaks to her. As in, he said her name while looking at her. Just when she’s convinced she hallucinated the whole thing, she gets sucked into the TV.

For over a century, Skarde Blackmann has roamed as a hunter-for-hire against evil creatures. The moment he begins to believe the prophesy about him is bogus, Gemma comes through a mirror. HIs life depends on it. One slip up, one bite to the sassy woman who makes him laugh, and she’ll become a vampire like him and condemn his soul to damnation. Not a problem. Until he has no choice.

 

 

Review:

The Nightslayer by Zoe Forward is a stand-alone novel.  We meet Gemma Leight, our heroine, an ER nurse, who is tired of seeing terrible tragedies over the years.  She has a witch friend, Val, who is always there for her, including giving her some potions.  Gemma goes home each night to watch TV, and comes across a show, with a hunk of a hero, and her rooting for him.  The surprise comes when Gemma shouts to the TV for him to watch out from a possible attack, and he turns and hears her. 

Skarde Blackman, our hero, is a vampire, who is sent to fight against evil witches/creatures. When Skarde turns around at the shout he heard, he sees Gemma and is immediately enthralled by her sexy beauty.  Gemma thinks that Val gave her something that causes these hallucinations, until she is pulled into the TV/Mirror alongside Skarde.   In a short time, both Gemma and Skarde are sexually attracted to each other, with their chemistry off the wall. Gemma learns that she is in another realm, meeting others along the way, (Cade, Skarde’s brother; VanClief, former friend and possible enemy, a dwarf, with magic ability). Though she knows he is a Vampire, he protects her and promises he will not bite her, and after switching between portals, Gemma, despite the danger, wants to stay with Skarde.  He worries that she is not safe, especially with a prophecy that may revolve around both of them.

What follows is an exciting, action filled story that holds our attention throughout, and the relationship between Gemma and Skarde is wild and sexy.  To say too much more would be spoilers. Will Gemma survive the attempts from those who want to kill her for the prophecy?  Will Skarde push Gemma away in order to keep her safe?  You will need to read this book to find out.

The Nightslayer was a fun read, and very well written by Zoe Forward. I suggest you read The Nightslayer.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for Review

 

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The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

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The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

 

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Description:
From the desperation of golden crowns…

Casteel Da’Neer knows all too well that very few are as cunning or vicious as the Blood Queen, but no one, not even him, could’ve prepared for the staggering revelations. The magnitude of what the Blood Queen has done is almost unthinkable.

And born of mortal flesh…

Nothing will stop Poppy from freeing her King and destroying everything the Blood Crown stands for. With the strength of the Primal of Life’s guards behind her, and the support of the wolven, Poppy must convince the Atlantian generals to make war her way—because there can be no retreat this time. Not if she has any hope of building a future where both kingdoms can reside in peace.

A great primal power rises…

Together, Poppy and Casteel must embrace traditions old and new to safeguard those they hold dear—to protect those who cannot defend themselves. But war is only the beginning. Ancient primal powers have already stirred, revealing the horror of what began eons ago. To end what the Blood Queen has begun, Poppy might have to become what she has been prophesied to be—what she fears the most.

As the Harbinger of Death and Destruction.

 

 

Review:

The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the 4th book in her fantastic Blood and Ash series. When we last left off, in The Crown of Gilded Bones, Cas is now a prisoner, being tortured by the evil Blood Queen, and her handmaidens and a powerful Revenant. Poppy, our amazing heroine, is determined to find a way to rescue Cas, with help from Kieran, the Wolvens, Drakens, and the Primal of Life guards. But in order to take back control of the territories that are part of the Blood Crown, Poppy must convince all the Atlantians, including her father-in-law (Valyn) to join forces, as they make their way to Carsononia, and the war to destroy the Blood Crown. I did like how Valyn was supportive to Poppy.  Poppy wanted to prove to the mortals in those Blood Crown lands that she wanted peace, and was not The Harbinger.

Poppy’s powers continue to increase, as she nears the culling; something Reaver (Draken) explains more about. I loved Reaver, not to mention Kieran and the fantastic wolvens loyal to their Queen, Poppy; the secondary characters were all awesome, Vonetta, Delano, Emil, Naill, Hisa, Tawny, just to name a few. 

For at least more than half way through this book, we only saw through Cas’s POV during his imprisonment, and the things they did to him to try and force Poppy to rescue him.  I love their heartmate dreams between them, that was great, as his devotion to Poppy was awesome. It was also interesting to see Malik, learn more about Millicent, and who she really was.  I also got a kick out of Kieran and Reaver’s bickering between them.  Fun. 

What follows is an intense, exciting and wild almost last half of the book, especially once Cas was freed and back with Poppy, Kieran and their wonderful team. The mind-blowing action in the last ¼ of the book was heart-wrenching, with lots of violence, danger, deaths that had me holding my breath, unable to put the book down.  Isbeth (Blood Queen) was truly evil, and the twist she threw at them was a surprise, but Poppy was as equally as strong as she was, which led to an amazing twist.  To say too much more would be spoilers and I do not want to spoil anything for you.   I so look forward to how the next book will have Poppy and Cas, and Sera and Nykos.   Should be amazing.

I will note that the terrible reactions from people (are they really fans?) crucifying JLA for the Joining, was very disrespectful.  JLA created her story line, how she saw it fit. It was her creativity, her characters, her story; however, she imagined it to be. 

The War of Two Queens was another intriguing continuation to this fantastic series, with wonderful world building, and lots of action, suspense, violence, passion and fantastic characters.    As we race to the exciting heartbreaking, shocking, mindboggling climax, there are some amazing revelations.  The War of Two Queens was very well written by JLA, and also a romantic and intense story line that had a bit of everything.  I can’t wait for the next book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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The Blood is Love (Dark Eyes 2) by Karina Halle-Review tour

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The Blood is Love (Dark Eyes 2) by Karina Halle-Review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 1, 2021.

From the fog-shrouded bay of San Francisco to the dark cobblestone streets of Helsinki and all the hidden places in-between, The Blood is Love takes the reader on a sensual and twisted journey deep into Lenore and Solon’s lush vampire world in this thrilling sequel to Black Sunshine.

When Lenore Warwick turned twenty-one, she expected lots of bar-hopping, parties with friends, and the occasional hookup. What she got was the realization that she’s both a witch and a vampire, and that there are things in this world that want her dead. Thank god she has her enigmatic vampire lover, Absolon Stavig, to help show her the ropes. But while Lenore struggles to fit into her new topsy turvy world, full of blood, sex, and magic, she also has to contend with her messy and complicated love for a vampire who isn’t always what he seems.

To make matters worse, her real father, Jeremias, a powerful warlock from the dark side, has professed an interest in her, while Solon’s father, the depraved vampire king Skarde, is intent on destroying everything she loves. When Solon and Lenore have to travel to Finland to work alongside Solon’s charming and vicious brother, Kaleid, in an attempt to defeat Skarde once and for all, the two of them enter a bloody new world that neither of them are prepared for. Even if their love survives the carnage to come, the chances of them getting out of there alive are slim.
Good thing they like to take their chances.

••••••••

REVIEW:Your advised to read the description and trigger warning before going ahead with this book….

Second book in this series, and you really should read the first book before diving into the next one, otherwise most of the book won’t make sense.

It’s been a little while since the first book (oh all right, just four months!) and not that I needed an excuse to read Lenore and Absolon’s first book, I just wanted to visit again ?

So……
This book starts where the last book finished. And I’m going to try not to give anything away. We spend the first half of the book watching the couple build a bond, it’s kinky, freaky and romantic all in equal parts.

Second part of the book is a non stop rollercoaster of emotions, fights and parental blowups!

Lenore is trying to manage her new skills as a witch/vampire, her parents are doing their best to help her, but they are also keeping their distance. Solon is also trying to help, but he can only help with the vampire side, to control her thirst, and getting to grips with her strength. And then her biological father shows up and tells her he can help her tap into her potential! (But why do I get the feeling her father isn’t going to be a great role model!)

Absolon is also trying to come to terms with his relationship with Lenore. He honestly never thought he’d love someone as much as Lenore, but he also worries for her and about her….His beast is trying to make its presence known, and if Solon doesn’t keep a hard hold on it and the beast breaks free, it could take the one thing Solon truly loves…..

We also get to see new and old characters, and so there should be plenty of spin-off’s Solon’s siblings, Lenore’s and Solon’s friends Amethyst and Wolf (there was some series vibes going on between these two) these added vibrancy and much needed relief and help in places.

The ending did grab me by the throat! I did not see that coming!!

It’s all about fighting the darkness and evil within oneself. It’s love and hate. Betrayal and redemption. Family doesn’t have to be blood. And friends can turn into family. Solon’s brother was great, his father King Skarde was one mean SOB! I couldn’t put the book down, it had me riveted to the pages. There will be moments that will have you cringing, parts that will have you almost throwing your kindle to the wall! But there is also moments that will bring a tear to your eye. It’s so cleverly written, it flows seamlessly from one chapter to the other.

It’s a great book, it’s dark, it’s disturbing and it’s a highly recommended book from me.

Click HERE for Julie’s review of book one BLACK SUNSHINE

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B ?

Karina Halle is a former travel writer, music journalist & screenwriter, and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling author of over 55 bestselling novels, ranging from horror and suspense to contemporary romance. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband, and her adopted pitbull Bruce, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Halle is represented by the Root Literary Agency and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster, Hachette & Montlake. Her work has been translated and published in 20 languages.

Hit her up on Instagram at @authorHalle, on Twitter at @MetalBlonde and on Facebook. You can also visit www.authorkarinahalle.com and sign up for the newsletter for news, excerpts, previews, private book signing sales and more.

Connect with Karina

Website: https://authorkarinahalle.com/
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Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/karina-halle

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Shadowed Steel by Chloe Neill – a Review

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Shadowed Steel by Chloe Neill – a Review

 

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Description:
Elisa Sullivan is the only vampire ever born, and she bears a heavy legacy. After a sojourn with the North American Central Pack of shifters in the wilderness—where she turned a young woman into a vampire to save her life—Elisa returns to Chicago.

But no good deed goes unpunished. The ruling body of vampires, the Assembly of American Masters, is furious that Elisa turned someone without their permission, and they’re out for her blood. When an AAM vampire is found dead, Elisa is the prime suspect. Someone else is stalking Chicago—and Elisa. She’ll need to keep a clear head, and a sharp blade, to survive all the supernatural strife.

 

 

Review:

Shadowed Steel by Chloe Neill is the 3rd book in her wonderful Heirs of Chicagoland series.   I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, and happy to say Shadowed Steel was equally as good.  I cannot wait to read more of this great series, as I love Elisa, who had become one of my favorite heroines.  Refresher:  Elisa Sullivan, our heroine, is the only vampire child ever born, and her parents (Ethan & Merit) are the powerful leaders of the vampires that lead Chicagoland.  Connor Keen, our hero, is a werewolf and the heir apparent to the North American Central Pack Apex (Alpha); in the last book, Connor and Elisa found their friendship becoming more romantic as they were falling for each other, and the chemistry between them is sizzling.

In the last book, Elisa saved the life of a dying young lady, making her a vampire.  Weeks have passed, and now out of nowhere, the AAM (new ruling body of vampires) has come to her threatening her to either bond with a house or she will be arrested.  Elisa refuses, with Connor and friends supporting her, which ignites one of the leaders (Clive) into a major fight to get her and force her to do what they ask.  Elisa, Connor and friends manage to win the battle, with the AAM saying they will be back. Turns out there is also a stalker, who is willing to hurt others to protect her, including hurting Connor.  Elisa needs to find out who is the stalker, as well as find a way out of the AAM threats.

I love Elisa and Connor together, even knowing that she is a vampire and he is a werewolf, and the chemistry between them was amazing.  I also loved the friends (LuLu, Alexei, Theo and of course the devil cat, Eleanor of Aquitaine,etc)  who supported Elisa, who were also great characters created by Neill.  

What follows is an exciting action filled adventure, especially in the last half of the book as the danger escalates, with threats coming from all over. It was great to see her parents show up to help her.

I thought Elisa was a wonderful heroine; strong, smart, sensible and truly likeable. She does have a secret that Connor knows about (he saw the change in her when an episode happened when they were children); she feels the monster inside of her, but when she is in danger, her monster is what will help her fight like a berserker, and she struggles to control it. It was nice to see her accept her other part, and slowly begin to work with it.  I look forward when she will be able to use this more when needed. Connor was very supportive, telling Elisa to use the power from the monster to help her fight.

Chloe Neill gives us another great story, with a wonderful couple, great secondary characters.  Shadowed Steel was an exciting, tense, nonstop action filled addition to this wonderful series that is very well written by Chloe Neill. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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Wicked All Night by Jeaniene Frost – a Review

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Wicked All Night by Jeaniene Frost – a Review

 

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Description:
Set in the Night Huntress World, ancient deities are poised to wreck havoc, unless vampires Veritas and Ian can stop them!

A gift from the gods…

Veritas and Ian have finally defeated their worst enemy, but the power it took to pierce through to the netherworld has unexpected consequences. Soon, Veritas is forced to rely on the last person she trusts—a golden deity named Phanes, who seeks far more than a temporary alliance with the beautiful vampire.

Can unleash hell…

But an escape from the netherworld soon pits Veritas and Ian against supernatural beings seeking to rule over mortals once again.  Now, they must rally friends and foes alike—if the vampire council doesn’t execute Veritas first. Plus, a wedge between Veritas and Ian threatens to destroy their love. Can they stand together against the unearthly powers about to be unleashed? Or does their love—and humanity—not stand a chance?

 

 

Review:

Wicked all Night by Jeaniene Frost is the 3rd book in her Night Rebel trilogy.  I am a major fan of Jeaniene Frost and her Night Huntress series, as well as her spin offs in that world, which is also Night Rebel.  When I started reading the Night Rebel series, I was surprised at finding myself totally loving Ian, the man we used to hate in her Night Huntress series.  After two books, I love Ian and Veritas, another bad ass. In the last book, Veritas and Ian, managed to defeat and kill Dagon, their worst enemy.

Wicked all Night begins with Veritas doing everything in her power to save Ian, including trying to find her father.  She is approached by a golden god named Phanes, who was the original intended betrothal force upon her by her father.  Phanes says he will help find her father, if she comes with him to show off his betrothed to his people. Veritas figuring, she will be gone 24 hours, though later learns in his world, time is different (24 hours equals months).

Ian and her brother Ashael manage to find Veritas, much to Phanes surprise, and Ian manages to rise up and defeat everything Phanes throws at him. Phanes agrees to take her to her father in the netherworld, where he tricks them and leaves them trapped unable to leave.  But fortunately for Veritas, her father will help them leave, but they have to find the two gods who escaped with Phanes.

What follows is an exciting, nonstop action and an amazing story that has Veritas and Ian working together to find Phanes and the two escapees. They will find themselves in dangerous situations throughout the book, coming up against powerful enemies.  It was great to get to see our favorites, who come to help them; Cat, Bones, Mencheres, Spade, Vlad, Denise, Marie. These are fantastic characters from Jeaniene that we have come to love.  So wonderful to see them again.

Veritas and Ian approach both Marie and the Vampire Council to convince them to help fight these evil destructive gods.  Ian mostly proves to the council that Veritas is innocent of the crimes they accuse her of, and convinces them to change the rules, allowing Veritas to be safe and free. When they face the villians, everyone will join the fight, and Ian implores Veritas to use her god like power to defeat them.

The last half of the book was exciting, intense, pulse pounding non-stop action, as we raced to the battle filled climax.  Wicked All Night was also sexy, fun, with our wonderful favorite characters to enjoy, and I loved every moment of it.   Ian and Veritas turned out to be a fabulous couple with a strong connection and scorching chemistry.  I absolutely adore Jeaniene Frost and these fantastic worlds she’s has created; I can’t wait to see what she has instore for us next.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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Bane’s Choice by Alyssa Day – Dual Review

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Bane’s Choice (Vampire Motorcycle Club #1) by Alyssa Day – Dual Review

 

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Description:
When a centuries-old vampire in search of redemption meets a doctor who’s on a mission of her own, a searing, world-destroying passion is the last thing on either of their minds.

Minds can be changed.

A doctor with secrets of her own is drawn to a dangerous predator in this pulse-pounding paranormal romance from New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Day.

What better way to hide the existence of vampires from humans than in plain sight? Thus, the Vampire Motorcycle Club was born. Bane, the 300-year-old vampire who leads the club, has fought for years to protect his kind. But the truth about vampires is not only that they exist, it is that they are creatures of pure desire. Conscience and restraint has been burned out of them by the process of Turning. Any woman Bane meets is either prey—or food.

Dr. Ryan St. Cloud finds out that vampires exist when one steals her patient out of the hospital right beneath her nose, leading her to question her own sanity. But when the dangerous man whose touch inflames her senses and whose gaze enthralls her comes to her for help, she is unable to refuse. Bane is a dangerous predator, but somewhere beneath his arrogance and power, she can see his heart—and she knows it could belong to her if she is strong enough to claim it. She is bound to a vampire, but loving her would be … Bane’s Choice.

 

 

Barb’s Review:

Bane’s Choice by Alyssa Day is the first book in her new Vampire Motorcycle Club series.  I have been a huge fan of Alyssa’s Atlantis series, and I did not know what to expect from this new series. I am happy to say I absolutely loved Bane’s Choice.

Bane, our hero, is a 300-hundred-year-old vampire, who runs Savannah, as well as the Vampire Motorcycle Club; the Club is mostly humans and vampires (though the humans do not know what they are), who help those in need of medicine.  Bane and his sister run the fund raisers to spend money to purchase the medicines for the poor.  When Bane’s human firefighter friend is near death from being seriously burned, Bane kidnaps him from the hospital and to save his life begins the transformation to a vampire.  Before Bane leaves the hospital, he is accosted by a beautiful woman, who threatens him to leave the man alone, as she is a doctor.  When he tries to compel her, he sees that it is not working, and also notices she is glowing a bit.  Who is this woman he cannot control?

Dr. Ryan St. Cloud, our heroine, doesn’t understand when she asks everyone in the hospital to find the patient, only to discover no one has ever heard of this patient (vampires can erase memory). In a short time, Ryan herself is kidnapped and brought to Bane, who cannot get this woman out of his mind; as he begins to feel things for her, especially those he has not had for all these years.

While this is going on, there are evil warlocks and sorcerers who try to do mind control on a group of werewolves to kill and destroy Bane and his team and take over Savannah and all of Georgia.  Bane manages to meet with the werewolf leader to work together to stop the warlocks, as war is on the horizon. Ryan did not understand why she was in this house with Bane, Meara, and their team; to her utmost surprise, they tell her they are vampires, which she laughs off.  But learns quickly that vampires do exist, as do werewolves, warlocks, necromancers and many other paranormal beings.  This was pretty funny when she begins to believe them, and ends up trying to help Bane’s friends, as well as begin to fall hard for Bane, who is already unable to let her go.  The chemistry between them was sizzling, and so much fun to watch them together.  I loved Bane’s team, especially his sister, as Day has created a wonderful group of secondary characters.

Bane was a wonderful hero, who at first was rough and unbending, willing to kill anyone who stands in his way; but once Ryan comes into his life, he is determined to keep the woman who has opened his heart.  Ryan was a very good heroine, independent, smart, savvy and feisty, willing to stand up and fight on her own.  We will learn why she does glow. 

Bane’s Choice was a fun, exciting, action filled romantic adventure, with a great couple, and wonderful secondary characters; as well as evil villains.  I look forward to seeing what Alyssa Day has in store for us in the future books.  If you enjoy paranormal romance thrillers, I suggest you read Bane’s Choice.

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Sandy’s Review: BANE’S CHOICE is the first instalment in Alyssa Day’s contemporary, adult VAMPIRE MOTORCYCLE CLUB paranormal, romance series. This is three hundred year old vampire, and VMC president Bane, and physician Dr. Ryan St. Cloud’s story line.

Told from several third person perspectives including Bane and Ryan BANE’S CHOICE follows the building romance between three hundred year old vampire, and VMC president Bane, and physician Dr. Ryan St. Cloud. Bane’s friend Hunter Evans was burned so badly he would never survive but a quick trip to the hospital to bring home his friend, is anything but when Bane comes face to face with Dr. Ryan St. Cloud, and finds himself in a stand off with a feisty woman who may or may not be completely human. Unable to control her mind, Bane quickly realizes that there is much more to Ryan than he could have imagined. Hoping to see Dr. St. Cloud again, Bane sets out to locate the woman that stirs something deep within our story line hero but all is not well in Bane’s territory when warlocks, necromancers, and a group that call themselves the Chamber enter into a battle to take over Bane’s territory. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Bane and Ryan, and the potential fall-out as the fight for Bane’s territory pulls Ryan in as collateral damage.

Ryan St. Cloud is a physician but has no idea that she is something more. Quickly accepting the existence of vampires and werewolves, Ryan’s jump into the supernatural quickly turns onto herself when she defends the man and the family with whom she is falling in love. Bane is the President of the Vampire Motorcycle Club, a biker club hiding in plain sight although a number of their members are only human. Never having fallen in love, Bane is caught off-guard when he meets Dr. Ryan St. Cloud, a woman who is more than she appears to be. Believing Ryan is his fated mate, Bane goes all alpha and over protective but it is Ryan’s power that will that will draw trouble to their front door.

The relationship between Ryan and Bane is one of immediate attraction but Ryan struggled with Bane’s ‘kidnapping’ of her severely injured patient. Unable to explain their palpable sexual attraction, Ryan moves into Bane’s mansion in an effort to stay close to the injured man. As Ryan and Bane’s attraction builds, threats from an outside source release Ryan’s power, and with it the realization about who and what our heroine might be. The Sex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Bane’s family: vampires Meara, Edge and Luke as well as their human housekeepers Mr. and Mrs. C. There is a large assortment of werewolves including alpha Carter Reynolds of the Wolf Pack MC. The requisite evil has many faces including warlocks, necromancer and members of the group known as The Chamber.

BANE’S CHOICE is a story of betrayal and revenge; secrets, magic, power and control. The premise is engaging but struggles between sluggish and energetic; the romance is intimate; the characters are energetic and dynamic-Ryan’s need to call it she sees is often fun and snarky.

I would like to add that the ‘motorcycle club’ aspect of the story line is limited, and definitely not akin to the usual MC story lines. The motorcycle club plot point is negligible, and more of a background element than anything else.

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