Tag: book 3

Alpha’s Domain (Bear Shifter Billionaire: Book 3) by A.J. Tipton

Alpha's Domain: A BBW Paranormal Romance (Bear Shifter Billionaire Book 3) by [Tipton, AJ]

4 Stars

Publisher: Savvy Storytelling LLC

Date of publication: April 14th, 2015

Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Erotica

Series: Bear Shifter Billionaire

Alpha’s Heir — Book 1 (Review Here)

Alpha’s Mates — Book 2 (Review Here)

Alpha’s Domain —Book 3

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

A billionaire bear shifter haunted by his past. A hyper-organized hotel manager on the cusp of a life-changing realization. Will they save each other from the past, and make their future together?

Sally is the curvy and brilliant manager of the Wondernasium Ice Hotel who thinks she has everything handled. A whole hodgepodge of supernaturals shooting fireballs in the lobby? Handled. Guests, who try to eat the other guests? No problem. But there’s one thing Sally can’t manage: her desire for her boss. When a steamy encounter in Ben’s office turns her entire world upside down, Sally has to choose if she can embrace the magic within, or flee from her true self.

Billionaire shifter Ben Broyles inherited his fortune after his clan was brutally slaughtered. He built his magical ice hotel as a sanctuary for supernaturals in a dangerous world. But when the evil goblins responsible for his family’s murder check-in, Ben must stop them from destroying all he’s created. With his hotel–and his life–on the line, Ben is forced to risk everything before it’s too late.

Alpha’s Domain is a BBW paranormal romance novella in the “Bear Shifter Billionaire” series, a set of stand-alone stories that sizzle and satisfy. If you like sexy shifters, explosive magic, and journeys for justice, then you’ll love this breathtaking book.

My review:

Sally loves her job as manager of the Wondernasium Ice Hotel (the hotel that caused Cleo to be hexed in Alpha’s Mates). It is a challenging job. She has high maintenance customers that keep her and the staff on their toes. The hotel is located next door to the Winter Wondernasium theme park, and she isn’t complaining about her hot boss.

There is one tiny problem. The hotel’s guests are all supernatural beings, and Sally has no clue. Anything that happens out of the ordinary, Sally’s brain normalizes it.

Sally is called to a disturbance at the honeymoon suite of the hotel. Mr. and Mrs. Nosferatu and their bodyguard are upset over a T-Bone steak that is barely cooked. They cornered the bellhop that delivered it. Sally sends the bellhop to her office. She attempts to smooth things over and ends up getting roughed up by the bodyguard. Scared to death (especially after the comment that Mr. Nosferatu about her being a suitable replacement for a meal), she screams and gets rescued by her boss, Ben Broyles. After being reassured that those people were going to be thrown out of the hotel, Sally goes back to work.

Ben ends up at Audrey’s to let off steam and anger after the escapes at the hotel. Ben is attracted to Sally but is afraid of telling her the truth about the hotels and its guests. He discusses with Audrey and Lola how he is going to tell Sally the truth before the conclave. Representatives from all the supernatural races will be there, and it will be pretty hard to keep Sally in the dark.

He drops a bombshell on Lola and Audrey. Arctic goblins will be attending. Arctic goblins were the cause of Ben’s clan of polar bears’ deaths. Ben was away on a supply run when someone pumped poisonous gas into the ice dwellings, killing every single man, woman, and child in there. Soon afterward, the goblins bought the land and mined it. While Ben knew that it was the goblins who killed his family, he didn’t have proof. And they were coming to the hotel.

The plan to tell Sally about the hotel backfired on Ben. Sally’s eyes were bothering her and she thinks she is getting a headache. Lola deposits her on a sofa and lays down on it. The only thing, it wasn’t a sofa. It was Ben in polar bear form. He shifts while she was having an erotic day-dream about him. She realizes that he can turn into a polar bear and freaks out. As she is freaking out, all the electronics in Ben’s office shorts out.

Ben goes to Audreys. He tells Lola and Audrey what happened, including the shorting out of the electronics. Lola and Audrey do a little research, thanks to Audrey’s Gram’s Bartender Guide, and they figure out that Sally is a witch. At that point, Ben has to go back to the hotel. Sally is still MIA after her freak out.

While dealing with unhappy guests, an emergency happens. An Ifrit had been served a magical drink, and those types of drinks injure Ifrits. In her rage and pain, the Ifrit demolished her room and melted a hole in the ceiling above her. Ben has one thought: the goblins were behind hurting the Ifrit.

Lola takes Sally away to Audreys. There, she is told that she is a lighting witch and asked about her parents (she is adopted). They then hold a swift lesson in magic and sent her back to the hotel and back to Ben.

Ben is dealing with unhappy guests and a goblin who is trying to stir up trouble. Sally finds Ben and he tells her about his family. She decides that she would help Ben try to nail the goblins for his family’s murder. She was able to go through the computers, using her newly discovered magic, and get a ton of information that the goblins stored there. Which, thinking about it, is rather stupid. Who would keep e receipts of a crime? In her search, she also finds out something else. Something huge that the supernatural conclave needs to know.

But the conclave can wait. Ben and Sally have, um, better things to do. Like getting busy on a bed made up of bear furs and ice slabs.

Will the goblins get theirs? Will Ben and Sally be together?

Another great read from A.J. Tipton. She is fast becoming one of my favorite erotica/paranormal writers. Even though this is a short story, it is written as though it is a full-length book. The storylines (main and secondary) was great and kept me engaged for the whole book.

Sally was awesome. Even after seeing Ben shift and freaking out, she came back. Her lusting after Ben was cute because you know he was doing the same thing and when they finally did have sex, it was good.

I felt awful for Ben. I couldn’t imagine knowing who killed his entire clan and not being able to do a thing about it — then having to let them stay at his hotel. It would have driven me nuts. His crush on Sally was adorable (like I said above), and I loved how he went to Lola and Audrey for advice on what to do.

The end of the book was pretty good, and I was pretty impressed with how the goblin situation was resolved.

I would give Alpha’s Domain an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Alpha’s Domain. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Sentinel (Caretaker Chronicles: Book 3) by Josi Russell

Sentinel (Caretaker Chronicles Book 3) by [Russell, Josi]

4 Stars

Publisher: Future House Publishing

Date of Publication: November 17th, 2016

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Caretaker Chronicles

Caretaker – Book 1

Guardians – Book 2 (review here)

Sentinel – Book 3

Stasis Dreams – Short story

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Rigel Bryant is the only natural-born telepathic human in the history of the universe. His father, Ethan, wants him to lock his abilities away, but Rigel doesn’t see why it is wrong to use his gifts.

Rigel’s carefree attitude is shattered when he receives an urgent telepathic distress signal that overwhelms his every thought. The call comes from Ethan’s old friend, Tesuu the Zumiin, who saved his life during his misadventures as Caretaker.

In order to reclaim Rigel’s mind, the father-son pair hire a beautiful pilot named Carine to take them to the Zumiin planet. When the trio arrives, they are attacked by AI robots determined to kill any potential threat to the Zumiin, including their own programmer. Before Ethan and Tesuu can find a solution to the problem, a deadly poisonous snake bites Ethan, sending him into a deep coma. While Tesuu battles the rampaging robots, Rigel hunts for a rare antidote to save his father’s life.

Can Rigel become a hero like his father, or is it too late for him and the rest of the universe?

My review:

Rigel Bryant is the only known natural telepath in the known universe. The other two telepaths, his father and pseudo-grandmother (Kaia), but they were experimented on by an alien and gained their powers that way. They now wear a device called a thought blocker. That device can block the thoughts of the people around them, so they aren’t listening to other people’s thoughts all the time. Rigel, however, does not wear a thought blocker, and he can hear everyone’s thoughts all the time. He has learned to filter it out, and he has learned to use his ability for not so great purposes.

His latest venture was insider trading. He read his girlfriend’s mind and got the information about the merger from her thoughts. He was able to buy stock and then sell it for a hefty price. His girlfriend, who I felt bad for, didn’t know that Rigel was a telepath until he was arrested by the Coriol Defense Civil Division (aka CDCD) in her apartment. To say she was upset that he used her for her information is an understatement.

Ethan, Rigel’s father, is at the end of his rope with him. Not only can Rigel read thoughts, but he pushes people into doing what he wants, which happens when he is brought to the Governor of Coriol. After being released from the offices, Rigel heads home with Ethan for what becomes an epic intervention. Aria, who had long been Rigel’s champion and against him getting a thought blocker, told him that he was getting a thought block in the morning. End of story (at this point I was like, Go Mom).

Rigel takes off after telling Aria, Rigel, and Polara that he won’t get one. He goes back to his girlfriend’s apartment and pushes her to repress her anger and let him stay with her. It was during this time that he starts to have vivid nightmares about a gray planet with tunnels running across the surface. There is something wrong on that planet, terribly wrong. Pretty soon, the dream has invaded his waking thoughts. He does the only thing that he has left to do (since his girlfriend threw him out), he goes home and tells his father.

Ethan immediately knows where and who are sending the nightmares to Rigel. An old friend called Tessu, who resides on a planet called Entewen One. He tells Rigel that he needs help but then gets cut off. Ethan decides to take a day trip to Entewen One and drags Rigel with him. They hire out a ship called The Mirror with a young pilot named Catrine. The journey there is pretty easy because the ship has something called a chip drive, and that can get them there sooner than later.

When they get to the planet, they realize that something is wrong. Very wrong. They are attacked by spheres as soon as they land, and Catrine’s ship is taken by something. They are saved by a timely storm that sweeps away the spheres and allows them to find shelter in some nearby caves.

That is where Tessu meets them and tells them what is going on. His grandson, Ravi, did an upgrade on defense spheres that he had created, but something went wrong, and the spheres are now destroying anything that they think is a threat to Tessu’s species. The control sphere took Catrine’s ship and is now branching out to other planets in the galaxy, to protect the Zumiin.

Catrine is sent out in one of the Zumiin ships to warn the Mineans about the incoming spheres. Ethan and Rigel are told that there is a Pilaay ship in their trash heaps that still can be flown. All they need to do is get there. Which they do, but then they are attacked by a giant, venomous snake, and Ethan gets bitten. Rigel is now racing against the clock to find the antivenom that will save his father’s life.

What happens in the rest of the book? Well, you need to read it. Because what I outlined here doesn’t even cover what happens.

It was interesting to read Rigel’s transformation in the book. He went from someone who was only thinking for himself and using his powers to better his life to someone who risked life and limb to save people’s lives and used his powers to aid him in it. It was interesting to see the transformation.

His relationship with his family was painful to read. He did so much wrong and caused such a huge rift that I was beginning to wonder if it could heal.

The romance between Catrine and Rigel was cute. She was the only person, besides Polara, whose mind he couldn’t read and that was a big part of the attraction for him.

The end of the book was very suspenseful, and I read it thinking that what was hinted could happen would happen. But it didn’t, and I was pretty happy about that.

I would give Sentinel an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Sentinel. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Lost in Time (The Fine Art of Deception: Book 3) by Alyssa Richards

Lost in Time: A Time Travel Romance Book Series (The Fine Art of Deception 3) by [Richards, Alyssa]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: November 22nd, 2016

Genre: Romance, Suspense, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller

Series: The Fine Art of Deception

Undoing Time – Book 1 (Review here)

Somewhere In Time – Book 2 (Review here)

Lost In Time – Book 3

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Searching for the answers she needs, will Addie lose everything she has?

Adeline “Addie” Montgomery is searching for the truth. As she and Blake travel back to 1922, she expects her nemesis Otto is behind a string of art forgeries. The only problem is that the villain has completely disappeared. Addie must now find Otto without blowing her cover to keep the past intact, as long as a lover from a past life doesn’t get in the way…

Blake Greenwood wants nothing more than to catch Otto and return to the present with Addie, the love of his life. When his mother goes missing as well, he leaves Addie alone with his half-brother to save his family. As the future begins to change in unexpected ways, Blake and Addie begin to question everything. Can they find Otto and save their relationship before what they had disappears for good?

Lost In Time is the third book in an absorbing series of paranormal romance time travel novels. If you like museum capers, psychic powers, time travel, and steamy romance, then you’ll love Alyssa Richards’ thrilling conclusion to the Fine Art of Deception Series.

My review:

Lost in Time starts two years after Addie, Blake, and Philippe were sent through a painting by Otto. After making sure they weren’t able to get home, Otto then kidnapped Carolena, Blake’s mother and disappears. Blake has searched tirelessly for the paintings. Also, in the past with them are Addie’s father and grandfather, also banished there by Otto.

Addie and Blake have been cautious about who they talk to in the past. They do not want to change future events. That comes to a head when Blake meets Sarah, who Addie is reincarnated as in the future, and Addie meets Jack, who is Blake reincarnated in the future. Taken by surprise by a kiss, Addie warns Jack to be careful. What happens with those words changes her and Blake’s future and present in a big way

Addie also has become very irritated by her relationship with Blake. In the two years that they have been there, he has become very focused on finding his mother and a way home, leaving Addie feeling alone and abandoned. The only way that they connect these days is when they have sex, and even then, Blake is holding a piece of himself back.

Then they get word that Carolena is definitely in Paris, and they all head there to get her. Meanwhile, back in the future, Addie’s grandmother notices that a weird cloud is covering Blake in every single picture that they have. She finally realizes that something must have happened in the past for Blake to start being erased and sends word to Addie through the first edition of an F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book. They use that book to communicate with everyone.

I loved that the author chose to make Blake and Addie got through relationship difficulties, instead of everything is peachy keen. The ups and downs of their relationship were so realistic and added so much to the book. I mean, even Addie pleading with Blake to please open up, to please let her in, is something that everyone is relationships have said at one point.

Addie was a fish out of water in the early 1920s. I don’t know if I would have been able to pull off what society expected a woman in the era to be, and I give her props for doing it.

I was a little disappointed that we didn’t see Addie’s gifts in full force in this book. I mean, she did talk to 2 ghosts, she was able to pick up on Carolena just by touching a tub, and she used her abilities to see if the paintings were a forgery or not (and her other gift was also used). I just wanted to see her interact more with the ghosts. I know, weird.

Blake had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and I felt terrible for him. He was trying to protect (or control, depends on how you look at it) Addie, find his mother, find Otto, and find the paintings that can bring them home. Blake has been at it for two years, and I am surprised that he didn’t crack under pressure. He was at one point in the book, starting to act just like his father. I wanted to reach through and give him a smack on the back of the head and tell him to knock it off.

The sex scenes between Blake and Addie was as hot as ever. Those scenes scorched the pages; they were so hot, which was very good.

The end of the book was sad, in places, and it was what I expected. All of the storylines were resolved in a very satisfactory way. I will say that I didn’t expect the people to stay in the past who stayed. Looking back, there were signs, but I was still surprised.

The series as a whole was excellent. I think I learned more about art from this series of books, then I expected.

I would give Lost in Time an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Lost in Time. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Earthfall (The Circuit: Book 3) by Rhett C. Bruno

Earthfall: The Circuit by [Bruno, Rhett C.]

4 Stars

Publisher: Diversion Books

Date of publication: December 13th 2016

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: The Circuit

Executor Rising – Book 1 (review here)

Progeny of Vale – Book 2 (review here)

Earthfall – Book 3

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

The conclusion to Rhett Bruno’s stunning science fiction epic series The Circuit, which the San Francisco Book Review called “space opera that fans of Firefly and its ilk will appreciate.”

Earth is uninhabitable, but beneath its ruined surface sits massive deposits of Gravitum, a powerful, dangerous element with the ability to generate artificial gravity. Whoever controls the element can control the settled regions of our solar system, now known as the Circuit. For centuries the peoples of the Circuit endured an uneasy, if peaceful alliance designed to share resources. Now the Tribunal, a religious order, is nearly ready to take over all of it. With only the reconvened band of Clans inhabiting the asteroid belt known as the Ceresian Pact standing between the Tribunal and system dominance, one man––Cassius Vale––intends to end their oppressive rule. Vale’s brutal and brilliant plan is nearly complete.

In order to gain more time to complete preparations, Vale builds an army under the control of his robotic creation ADIM in order to attack one of the leaders of the Tribune. ADIM loves his creator but is growing more independent by the day, and soon may be too powerful for anyone to stop.

Talon Rayne, a mercenary, teams up with Sage Volus, a former Tribunal spy, when Talon discovers that his daughter has been captured by the very Tribunal leader Cassius Vale is after. Together, they have no choice but to ask for Vale’s help in saving her. Vale agrees, but are they just another cog in his scheme for bringing down the Tribune, or is there a part of him left that cares about anything other than vengeance?

My review:

Earthfall starts after the ending events of Progeny of Vale. Sage has been reunited with Talon, but it isn’t a happy reunion. He is upset that she killed his friend in front of him and wanted to kill her when he saw her. But she was on a mission to get his daughter back from The Tribunal. Talon has no choice but to join forces with her. He doesn’t trust her but she is his key to rescuing his daughter.

Cassius is going through with his plans of starting a war between the Ceresians and The Tribunals. Kalliope was the first shot in the war, with both sides blaming each other. While he is meeting with Zaimur Morastus, the head of the Morastus clan, he is contacted by Sage via a telecom device that he had put into her prosthetic arm. Cassius is Sage’s ticket to getting onto the Tribune vessel that is holding Elisha.

After they meet up with Cassius and discuss their plans to rescue Elisha, Talon and Tarsis have also introduced to ADIM. After the initial shock of meeting ADIM, a plan is launched to rescue Elisha. It involves ADIM taking over 500 androids to assist them when they recover Elisha.

I devoured the pages of the battle to get Elisha. I shed a tear when Tarsis gave his life, so Talon, Elisha, and Sage could escape. Cassius got his revenge on The Tribunal, but Talon and Sage discovered his deceit. The war between the Ceresians and The Tribunals escalate. While those two factions are fighting, Cassius slips away to do something that will have consequences beyond the conflict.

I loved Sage in this book. She becomes 100% human, instead of a tool of The Tribunal. Her relationship with Talon was complicated, but it was her relationship with Cassius that was even more complicated. She looked at Cassius as a father that she never had, and he viewed her as a daughter and he just wanted to better her world.

Talon came alive in this book. Even though he had a death sentence, he still fought against The Tribunals with everything that he had. The love for his daughter eclipsed everything in this book. I will admit that I wasn’t happy with specific events in the book. I got outraged and yelled at my Kindle.

Cassius remained in my top 3 favorite characters. Even though he started a war and did some horrible things, he wasn’t a bad guy. Cassius was a father, grieving for his child and wanting to get revenge for his death. He wanted to bring down The Tribunal. His actions did make sense. As did him building an android that could think for itself and that he considered his child.

The ending of the book was bittersweet. Just leaving it at that. I do hope that there will be more books written in this universe.

The whole series is worth reading. If you do decide to read the series, my suggestion would be to read it one after another, with no pauses for other books. The author intended for the book to be on a continuous story but separated it into three books because he didn’t want to chance that the book would be too long.

I would give Earthfall an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Earthfall. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Her Winged Viking, Her Rock Hard Viking and Her Christmas Viking (Her Elemental Vikings Books 3-5)by A.J. Tipton

Her Winged Viking: A Paranormal Romance (Her Viking's Desire Book 3) by [Tipton, AJ]
Her Rock Hard Viking: A Paranormal Romance (Her Viking's Desire Book 4) by [Tipton, AJ]
Her Christmas Viking (Her Elemental Viking #5)

Publisher: 

Date of Publication: 

Her Winged Viking – October 26th, 2014

Her Rock Hard Viking – December 18th, 2014

Her Christmas Viking – November 8th, 2015

Genre: Romance

Her Winged Viking – 81 pages

Series: Her Elemental Viking

Her Fiery Viking – Book 1 (review)

Her Steamy Viking – Book 2 (review)

Her Winged Viking – Book 3

Her Rock Hard Viking – Book 4

Her Christmas Viking – Book 5

Where you can find these books:

Her Winged Viking – Amazon

Her Rock Hard Viking – Amazon

Her Christmas Viking – Amazon

Book synopsis:

Her Winged Viking:

He’s no angel. Erik is a two-thousand-year-old Viking cursed with broken wings; he works as a carnival mascot to cover his shame. Con artist, playboy, and liar, Erik only cares about one thing in the world apart from himself: his best friend, Siobhan.

She’s no demon. Siobhan is an intense seven hundred-year-old leprechaun whose horns she must hide from the world to blend in at her job as the carnival’s CFO. Sarcastic, efficient, and beautiful, Siobhan would rather be forced to grant a hundred wishes than risk losing her oldest friend, Erik.

But when scandal endangers these two and their carnival, will Siobhan and Erik be able to admit their feelings before they both go down for this crime?

This mature romance involves horny immortals, a matchmaking supernatural bartender, the creative use of carnival rides, and a love powerful enough to soar.

My review:

I am doing this review a bit different from reviews in the past. The 3 books that I reviewed are part of a series of novellas and are under 100 pages each. To save myself time and patience (which I am running out of today…another post and a long story),  I decided to consolidate them into one review. So, this might seem to be the world’s longest review but it isn’t. It’s just me being lazy.

So, having said that, here is my review of Her Winged Viking.

Loved, loved, loved that Siobhan was a leprechaun and loved the different direction that the author took with it. Instead of a pot of gold, she is fascinated with numbers and she grants wishes. Which is pretty awesome and actually makes me want to go find a leprechaun….lol.

Erik did come off as somewhat of a playboy at the beginning of the book. I mean, his wish really wasn’t fair to Siobhan (not that I think she complained and she totally gave back). But, in the course of the book, I did love seeing how his character changed and, in a way, matured.

The sex scenes, of course, were hot, hot, hot and also very funny at the same time (can it be that???). I will never look at pinball games, whack a mole or those funhouse mirrors the same. There was some non-traditional sex involving feathers and horns that were totally different from what I have read. Still very hot!!

I loved the ending and how everyone got what they deserved/wanted!!

How many stars will I give Her Winged Viking: 4

I would give Her Winged Viking an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Her Winged Viking. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Book Synopsis:

Her Rock Hard Viking

Rock hard was never so literal. Carr, once a proud Viking warrior, was cursed to be the very island he invaded. But when a gorgeous woman parachutes into his life, everything changes. Will her sexual healing finally bring him release? Or will he give up his last chance at humanity to save her?

Becca never thought to pack sexy lingerie for this trip. She’s a botanist on the hunt for a miracle cure to save her family. What’s a woman to do when she discovers her remote island is actually an extremely passionate Viking? Go with it.

This steamy tale for mature readers contains sexy vine and waterfall action, an omniscient bartender, and a love passionate enough to make the earth move.

My review:

I was very excited to read Carr’s story and I wasn’t disappointed!!!

Becca is a botanist on a desperate mission. She is trying to locate a rare flower that will help cure her nephew an incurable disease that he was dying of. This flower is located on an island in the middle of nowhere, and unbeknownst to her, is alive.

Carr is the last of the Viking brothers cursed by a witch. He is cursed to stay on the island….to be the island until the curse is broken. Which he thought would never happen until Becca parachutes onto his island.

I have never read a book that used plants for sexual uses but because Carr was the island, it made sense and was totally hot. And when he became human, the sex was even better.

I also thought the whole sub-story of her nephew and his illness for heartbreaking and I loved that storyline was brought to a very nice end too.

How many stars will I give Her Rock Hard Viking: 4

I would give Her Rock Hard Viking an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Her Rock Hard Viking. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Book synopsis:

Her Christmas Viking:

Christmas is hotter than ever: the Elemental Viking brothers are back!

Over a thousand years ago, four Viking brothers led by their tyrannical father invaded lands under the protection of a powerful witch. Cursed for their crimes, the brothers suffered for their wrongdoing for over a thousand years. With the help of the women they loved, they became worthy of redemption and broke their curses.

Now it’s Christmas, and–with the help of a little magic–the entire family is reunited to celebrate. But when the yuletide spell bringing them together also summons their bloodthirsty father back from the veil, the boys and their lovers must band together to save the holidays.

This festive novella for adults features holiday spell work, naughty gifts, and a winter wonderland you’ll never see coming.

This STANDALONE novella is part of the “Her Elemental Viking” series and features characters from throughout the series. There are no cliffhangers and each short ends as it should: happily ever after.

My review:

This had to have been my favorite book of all the Elemental Viking books put together. Why? Simple. It brought all of the brothers together and we got to see what happened to them after their stories ended.

Bram did a spell without Audrey knowing and somehow summoned all of his brothers and their girlfriends/wives to the bar that they run. I got to see again:

Mikkel/Jo

Erik/Siobhan

Carr/Becca

But, unfortunately, it also summoned their father, Havarr, who was cursed along with them. To be PC about it, he is a big, huge jerk. When he found out that Audrey was a witch, he tried to run her through with his sword. In her haste to protect herself and Bram (who stepped in front of the sword), she magics everyone out of the room. Erik and Siobhan end up falling down the chimney, Mikkel and Jo end up in the freezer and Carr/Becca end up wrapped in Carr’s Christmas present to Becca. Audrey and Bram end up in the back storage room.

Each couple has to work to get out of their predicament and hot sex is used once. Not going to say which couple got busy but I will say that the other ones were jealous that they had it so easy….lol.

Of course, Havarr got what was coming to him and oh boy, did I laugh. Do I see a story coming with him or is he going to remain what he was turned into forever….lol?

The end of the book was very sweet and perfect for the series.

How many stars will I give Her Christmas Viking: 4

I would give Her Christmas Viking an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Her Christmas Viking. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Another Chance (Austin Heroes: Book 3) by Kathy Clark

Another Chance: An Austin Heroes Novel by [Clark, Kathy]

3 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: November 1st, 2016

Genre: Romance

Series: Austin Heroes

After Love – Book 1

Almost Forever – Book 2 (review here)

Another Chance – Book 3

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Homeland Security agent Luke Archer returns home to Texas on a dangerous mission—a hands-on fight against a terrorist organization that has infiltrated the United States—yet it’s a chance encounter with his high-school sweetheart that really gets his blood pumping. Luke considers himself a lone wolf who doesn’t need a woman in his life. But as memories of their sweet, innocent affair stir him body and soul, Luke starts to wonder whether he should give love another chance.

A high-powered attorney, Bella Shaw has never forgotton how Luke left her behind in Austin to chase his dreams. But when she’s being totally honest with herself, Bella can’t deny that Luke is the one man she ever truly wanted. Though he tells her that the terrorists are using her land, she’s more worried about defending her heart from the advances of the sinfully sexy lawman. Still, Bella is willing to trust him again—if Agent Archer proves he’s worthy.

My review:

I was taken aback by this book. I thought that this would be a clichéd 3rd book in a series. You know the one that is used to wrap up all the other storylines, which this one did, and kind of sucks because there is no plot, other than the hero and the heroine declaring Instalove after the first couple of chapters and then the rest of the book is them banging everywhere they can with misunderstandings all around until the end. This book isn’t like that.

See, Luke and Bella were friends since 3rd grade and boyfriend/girlfriend all four years of high school. They were each other’s firsts (first kiss and first time having sex) and were madly in love. They planned on becoming marine biologists and sailing around the world together after high school. From Bella and Luke’s flashbacks, it was a sweet (but hot and heavy) first love that ended when each of them got Dear John letters from the other person. They never got over each other.

So fast forward 14 years. Luke works for Homeland Security and is tracking terrorists that are coming over the border from Mexico. He happens to run into Bella after he was involved in a sting that failed to capture five terrorists and had one commit suicide by a grenade. She lived in the condo’s that happened to be on the same street as the building that was damaged when the grenade went off.

What happens next is what sets the book apart from other romances. Luke and Bella never fell out of love with each other. So no InstaLove or even InstaLust. It was just two people who had a history and who were madly in love with each other discovering each other again. There was no drama in that department. Once Bella and Luke hooked up, there was no one else, and no one tried to break them up. It was very refreshing to read. I love how Bella classified their relationship towards the end of the book.

Silly, silly man. All I’ve ever wanted was for you to love me. I don’t care if you’re a cop or a fireman or a janitor. I loved you when you beat up that little boy on the playground. I loved you before your voice changed. I loved you before you scored you first touchdown. I loved you when you just wanted to live on a boat and count starfish. I loved you when you risked your life to save me from that terrorist. You’re the strongest, bravest, most wonderful man in the whole world, and I promise I’ll love you forever, so might as well propose

I had tears in my eyes reading that and his reply was just as good (not going to put it in here because, well you should read the book to find that out)

The sex was hot, and there was the mandatory “I am on BC, so it’s OK not to use a condom” (I am going to start a safe sex for fictional characters fund…lmao) talk. I liked that the feelings that they had for each other showed while they were having sex, even before the “L” word was mentioned.

Now the two other storylines that were featured in the book were pretty good, but I thought the one where the terrorists just happened to be operating out of Bella’s barn was a little far-fetched. Not saying that it could happen but still.

The storyline with Grammy was excellent. She has to be my favorite secondary character ever, and I loved that she was given her happily ever after.

The ending was great, but everything was wrapped up all at once. I would have rathered read an epilogue 5-6 years in the future to find out what happened, then it happening all at once.

I would give Another Chance an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Another Chance. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Save Aether (The Trinity Key Trilogy: Book 3) by L.M. Fry

Save Aether: A Teen Steampunk Novel (The Trinity Key Trilogy of the Aether Series Book 3) by [Fry, L.M.]

Publisher: Eleah Enterprises

Date of publication: March 30th, 2016

Genre: Dystopia, Steampunk, Fantasy

Series: The Trinity Key Trilogy

Into Aether – Book 1 (review here)

Escape Aether – Book 2 (review here)

Save Aether – Book 3

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Julia never had a real family until meeting Theo and Valera. Now that they are united by the Trinity Key, they are plagued by nightmares. Danu, the goddess of Aether, is in agony and calls out to them to free her.
However, the Elders who rule Aether don’t want to give up their power and warn the girls to stay away from Danu’s tomb. Julia must decide whether to trust the Elders or to follow her instincts and unleash Danu upon the world. 

My review:

Save Aether starts where Escape Aether ends, with the girls on trial for combining the Trinity Key.

I will have to say that while I didn’t care for Julia in the first couple of books, I liked her in this one. She was so snarky, such a wiseass that I was dying laughing while reading. Slammy Magee (aka Slammy) was a favorite nickname of mine that she gave one of the Elders. She was more of an act first then think later kid, and it did help her out a few times in the book.

Valera continued to blossom into her own person in the book, and I loved it. She was not the timid, meek girl that we met in Into Aether. She was not afraid to stand up for herself or her friends. Even if that meant destroying her relationship with her mother, her brother, and her siblings.

Theo got even stronger in this book. She was the brains and the backbone of the group, and she always thought things through before acting. Theo also had the most control of her powers (behind Valera….Julia was last). Her relationships with Victor and her parents meant everything to her. But she was going to do what was right by freeing Danu.

I loved the Danu storyline. If any of you guys are into Celtic mythology, Danu is the mother goddess of the Tuatha De Dannan. At one point in my life, I was very much into Irish folklore and Irish mythology. So when I see it being used in a book, I get very excited (I know, complete nerd). The author did a great job of using the concept of Danu and giving her a huge spin. I wasn’t ready for that spin when I read it.

The ending was perfect for the series, and I don’t think I could have written it more perfectly if I tried.

How many stars will I give Save Aether? 5

Why: A great ending to a great trilogy. This book packs a punch and pulls at your heartstrings.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age Range: Teen

Why: Very clean (no sex) and moderate violence

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book

The Scarlet Tanager (Annika Brisby: Book 3) by Emigh Cannaday

The Scarlet Tanager: Fantasy Paranormal Romance (The Annika Brisby Series Book 3) by [Cannaday, Emigh]

Publisher: Silver Poplar Press

Date of publication: August 17th, 2016

Series: The Annika Brisby Series

The Flame and the Arrow – Book 1 (review here)

The Silver Thread – Book 2 (review here)

The Scarlet Tanager – Book 3

Where to find it: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

“You’re part samodiva. I knew that when I met you. It’s in your blood to be distracted by beauty…and pleasure.” He turned to face her, taking in every sensuous curve of her female form. “You seem to have forgotten that it’s in my blood as well. Whatever shall I do to remind you?” 

Scandal. Blackmail. Obsession. It’s just another day if you’re a Marinossian. When Annika disappears without a trace, Talvi launches the hunt for his most infuriating rival yet–a doppelgänger. His only clues about the mysterious shapeshifter are from a government he’s increasingly at odds with. In exchange for access to their resources, he does the unthinkable and reveals Annika’s true nature. Time is short, but the list of names Talvi can trust keeps getting shorter. 

Back home at the family’s country estate, his brother Finn is blindsided when the missing redhead turns up covered head to toe with vampire bites and no recollection of how it happened. While his mother tends to her physical wounds, Finn’s given the task of restoring her memory…and he just can’t resist showing her his version of the truth. But playing mind games is like playing roulette–and someone’s luck is about to run out. 

You’ll enjoy this edgy & dark blend of New Adult Romantic Fantasy and Paranormal Gothic Romance if you’re a fan of Laurell K. Hamilton, Kresley Cole, Donna Grant, Charlaine Harris, Karen Marie Moning, Jeanine Frost, J.R. Ward, Sarah J. Maas and Lynsay Sands.

My review:

I was so excited when Emigh asked me to review The Scarlet Tanager. I loved The Flame and The Arrow and The Silver Arrow, so I knew that I would like The Scarlet Tanager. And oh boy, I wasn’t disappointed.

The book starts where The Silver Arrow ended, with Annika in the car with Stephan, a doppelgänger, after being kidnapped. There is a close encounter with a police officer, and when the chapter ends, they are on their way to Prague. Reasons unknown but it couldn’t be good. I was scared for Annika during this chapter because I didn’t know what was going to happen to her. The unknown in books scares me.

Back in London, Merriweather Narayanaswamy is called into the London embassy. She is demoted from her position in the embassy. Merriweather screwed up a lot of things. She failed to research Stephan’s, her PA, background. He then morphed into her and stole Talvi’s records, and that was how Stephan got a hold of Annika.

Things further go downhill for her when Talvi and Chivanni discover that Annika is missing. When he finds out that Merriweather was responsible for Stephan kidnapping Annika, he had his revenge. It involves a tied up, drunk elf, and a ton of sex toys. After this, Talvi is mentioned and sometimes makes an appearance during the book, but the focus goes to Annika.

What happened to Annika at the “farm” was disturbing. She was fortunate that Pavlo discovered who she was and let Konstantine know that he had found her. Pavlo cleaned her up, well the best that he could without wanting to drain her blood and waited for Konstantine and Yuri to arrive.

Speaking of Yuri, I can’t stand her. She is spoiled, selfish, and plays mind games with everyone. I didn’t like her in Book 1, was relieved that she wasn’t mentioned in Book 2 but Book 3, I wanted to stake her. She was plain nasty to everyone, including Konstantine, who for some odd reason loves her. Or does he? I have a feeling that for some reason, he is stringing her along. Just a feeling I get.

Konstantine and Yuri bring Annika to Yuri’s parents to be nursed back to health. Annika suffers physical and mental scars from her time at the farm. Asbjorn was tricked by Sloan (his daughter) to kiss Annika’s neck all better, and she stabbed him with a fork in the face. Yeah, ouch. She also has lost all her memory of Talvi.

Which brings us to Finn. Oh, Finn, why did you do what you did? I mean, I understand WHY but still, it was wrong. Paris was supposed to be a one-time thing!!! As Asbjorn said, Finn traded one addiction for another. That addiction happened to be Annika.

The ending of the book was so sad for Talvi, Annika, and Finn. I cried more in those 3-4 chapters than I did throughout the entire book. There are a few other storylines that get wrapped up by the end of the book except for Yuri’s.

How many stars will I give The Scarlet Tanager? 5

Why? This was a heart wrenching but great read. Normally there is a lull after the second book (and I know I said this in the review for The Silver Thread) but this book just keeps on going. No lull at all!!!

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and some violence.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book

Anywhere You Are (Return to Briarwood: Book 3) by Elisabeth Barrett

Anywhere You Are: A Return to Briarwood Novel by [Barrett, Elisabeth]

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: September 20th 2016

Genre: Romance

Series: Return to Briarwood

Once and Again – Book 1

The Best of Me – Book 2

Anywhere You Are – Book 3

Where can you find this book: Amazon 

Book synopsis:

The author of Once and Again (“Engaging, sexy, and immensely touching.”—Marina Adair) invites readers back to the Briarwood with a novel about a single-minded businessman and the rock princess who melts his heart.

As the daughter of a music legend, Grace Davingham knows all too well what it’s like to be burned by the media’s glare. Now all she wants is to be left to do her painting and conservation work in peace, with no intention of returning to the spotlight. But after she sprains her ankle hiking and a handsome real-estate mogul comes to her rescue, Grace once again finds herself in the public eye.

Sexy, successful, and averse to any attachments, Marcus Colby thrives on rigid discipline in order to manage both his real-estate investment company and his personal life. Marc has no time for fun, and no patience for crazy. Which is why meeting Grace—and inheriting an enormous Great Dane who won’t listen to a word he says—has turned Marc’s carefully constructed world upside down.

Only when Grace and Marc square off over a local controversy do they realize how different they really are. But if opposites attract, their love is destined to bind them together—forever.

My review:

I was “Meh” about this book. It wasn’t because it was a 3rd  book in the series. Anywhere You Are can be read as a standalone book. It wasn’t because of Great Dane named Mr. Pipplepotts. It was because Marc and Grace weren’t believable as a couple. Something about their relationship struck me as forced. I don’t like it when a romance novel comes across that way.

Marc was rigid in his dealing with life and with Grace. I understood some of his rigidity but the way he acted with Grace was a little over the top sometimes. He blew hot and cold, and it drove me nuts.

Grace grew as a character in the book. She was a person who hid out all the time and let people take advantage of her. She became someone who stood up to her family, Marc and people who took advantage of her. I loved it. Plus her interactions with Mr. Pipplepotts was great.

Marc and Grace’s relationship seemed forced. I couldn’t put the finger on it, but his past issues were part of the relationship being the way it was. They also didn’t seem to connect with me as being a couple until the very end.

The ending was what I thought it was going to be and all issues throughout the book were resolved. What got me was that Marc, who is private, was OK with Grace doing guest spots on her family’s reality TV show. A total 180 from where he stood that the beginning of the book and that bugged me.

How many stars will I give Anywhere You Are? 3

Why? Like I said above, I was “meh” about the book. But, the plot was solid and the author did do a great job of making you like the main characters (yes, Marc grew on me after a while)

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age Range? Adult

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Highland Temptation (Highland Knights: Book 3) by Jennifer Haymore

Highland Temptation: A Highland Knights Novel by [Haymore, Jennifer]

Publisher: Loveswept

Date of publication: August 23rd, 2016

Genre: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Regency Romance, Historical Fiction, Scotland, British Literature

Series: Highland Knights

A Highlander’s Heart—Book 0.5

Highland Heat—Book 1

Highland Awakening—Book 2

Her Wicked Highlander—Book 2.5

Highland Temptation—Book 3

Purchase Links: WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis

Jennifer Haymore’s sweeping Highland Knights series is perfect for readers of Maya Banks, Monica McCarty, and Sabrina Jeffries—and as the saga resumes, one of Scotland’s most steadfast warriors shields a broken beauty while she soothes the pain in his soldier’s heart.

When Lady Emilia Featherstone discovers that her despicable father has been scheming against the crown, she turns to the Highland Knights for protection—and retribution. Spirited away to a safe house on the outskirts of London, Emilia is surprised to find herself sharing close quarters with a soft-spoken, musclebound Highlander. Before long, curiosity gives way to an alarming attraction. Emilia has learned firsthand from her father that men are not to be trusted. She just never met one so honorable and loyal, so powerful and, yes, tempting.
 
Ever since Waterloo, Colin Stirling has struggled with memories that haunt him night and day. Driven near to madness, he no longer trusts himself with meaningful relationships of any kind. At least in this temporary sanctuary, Colin can withdraw from the world—that is, until his stunningly gorgeous charge learns the full depth of his pain. In Emilia, Colin sees a kindred spirit with battle scars of her own. He also senses a chance to heal . . . and to find love.

I am a sucker for historical romances. I love the period clothes, the women courting, and the ton’s description, love it all. I love the Scots from this period. They are bad boys in every book I read, and I love it.

This book was no exception to that. But I wouldn’t class Colin as a “bad boy.”  He has PTSD and survivor’s guilt after fighting with the English Army at Waterloo. Emilia is his kindred spirit. She had been abused by her father and carries internal and external scars. Colin and Emilia touched my heart because of what they had gone through.

The story was good. Who doesn’t like a little mystery and intrigue in your romance? I know I do!!!

The only thing I can even complain about with this book is that it is the 3rd book in the series. This is not a standalone book. The characters from the old books come into play here. They talk about what happened in previous books. Which annoyed me.

I would recommend Highland Temptation to anyone over 21. There are sex scenes and a couple of scenes where Emilia is beaten.

If you enjoyed Highland Temptation, you will enjoy these books: