As a mysterious dark cloud drains the life of her beloved brother, Doomsday Brethren leader Bram, Sabelle Rion can think of little else. Still, every time she meets Ice Rykard’s intense green gaze, her body aches with need for the sexy warrior. Their attraction is explosive, incredible—and forbidden. As dangerous as he is unpredictable, Ice is her brother’s sworn enemy. But as Bram weakens, a more sinister force is gaining power. Evil Mathias and his ruthless Anarki army are on a bloodthirsty hunt for the Doomsday Diary. Sabelle must guard the potent book with her life—and Ice vows to protect the beautiful witch with his. Duty demands that Sabelle deny her lover’s fiery call of possession and mate with a man who can sway the magical Council against the impending rebellion. With the fate of magickind hanging in the balance, will she forsake the burning desires she can’t ignore or turn her back on her people for the courageous man she can’t resist?
Category Archives: Paranormal
Possess Me at Midnight (Doomsday Brethren, #3) by Shayla Black
Filed under Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance
Seduce Me in Shadow (Doomsday Brethren, #2) by Shayla Black
Ex-Marine Caden MacTavish has shunned his magical heritage all his life, but he will do anything to heal his desperately ill brother, a Doomsday Brethren warrior in mourning for his missing mate. Posing as a photographer, Caden must convince firecracker tabloid reporter Sydney Blair to reveal the source of her recent exposé on a supernatural power clash. Unfortunately, keeping his hands off the sizzling redhead proves as hard as getting them onto the potent and mystical Doomsday Diary he discovers at her bedside. A bloody rebellion led by an evil, power-hungry wizard is imminent. If Sydney divulges the book’s existence, she will jeopardize magickind’s most deeply guarded secrets and become the ruthless wizard’s number one target. Caden has never trusted magic’s cruel and dangerous powers, but he will protect Sydney with his life and magic—even if it means risking his heart.
Filed under Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance
Fated (Doomsday Brethren, #1.5) by Shayla Black
Ronan’s Story – They were meant to be together…but will magic tear them apart?
This is a free ebook on the author’s site.
Filed under Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance
Tempt Me With Darkness (Doomsday Brethren, #1) by Shayla Black
Purchased
He’s an immortal knight hungering for satisfaction….
As soon as Marrok sees Olivia Gray’s dark windswept hair and burning violet eyes, he’s sure they’ve met in eons past. He’s felt her soft gentle curves writhing in pleasure beneath his own hard powerful body…Morganna! For centuries, towering Marrok, once the mightiest of King Arthur’s warriors, has endured a terrible curse cast upon him when he spurned the witch.
She’s a modern woman about to discover ancient magic….
Olivia shares a mystical — and irresistible — connection with brooding Marrok. Soon after the sexy warrior appears in her erotic dreams, he abducts her, demanding she uncurse him. Their intense passion is more powerful — and intimate — than either of them has ever known. Olivia may be the key to unlocking the diary that will break Morganna’s hold on his life. But in the wrong hands, the book also holds the power to destroy all magickind. As they search for answers, a ruthless wizard returned from exile is building an army of evil. When he discovers Marrok and Olivia have the diary, only their love — with the help of a powerful group of magical Brethren — can save them. (from Amazon)
I actually read this book for the first time almost a year ago exactly. There are now four books in the series and it was time for a re-read.
I have purchased and read other books by Shayla Black, but this is the only series I truly enjoy. I really like the tie-in to the Arthurian legend although you do not have to be a major fan to understand these books. She explains enough of the back history to keep things clear.
There were a couple of what I think of as cliches for male immortals. Marrok is 1500 years old, but is terrified of riding in cars and has never learned to drive. I don’t think a warrior would have limited himself that way.
Also, even though he uses a cell phone, he has no clue regarding computers. I mean really . . . he lives in the middle of nowhere without any means of transport and he’s not even online??
It doesn’t matter. The series is good anyway. There are a number of characters which can be hard to keep straight with several unexplained (so far) back stories going on. The endings are not quite cliff hangers, but critical issues are left unresolved. That is why I keep reading them (and re-reading them) I imagine.
Now on to book two: Seduce Me in Shadow.
Filed under Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance
Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Library
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.
Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.
In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.
First of all, I cannot believe I am six months behind in posting my book journal. I haven’t even kept the list updated since February and this is from November. I will never get caught up.
Anyway, I love this book. I have been telling everyone that it is my favorite book from the past year and not just my favorite Young Adult book. I am recommending it to everyone. Well, everyone female. I don’t think the guys would get past the romance in it.
I haven’t read the sequel yet because I have been told it has a real cliff-hanger ending. I will wait for the sequel to be published first.
Filed under Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Prince Charming Doesn’t Live Here (The Others, #10) by Christine Warren
Purchased
Danice Carter is not one for glass slippers. A stilettos-wearing lawyer at one of Manhattan’s most elite establishments, Danice has a very strong grip on reality. So when she’s asked by one the firm’s founding partners to take on a personal case, Danice knows she’s in for the opportunity of a lifetime. All she has to do is convince her top boss’s granddaughter, Rosemary, to file a paternity suit. Sounds simple enough…until Danice arrives at Rosemary’s home and is pounced on by a handsome stranger.
Private investigator McIntyre Callahan’s was only following his powerful client’s orders: Find Rosemary—at all costs. Instead, he’s found a super-hot lawyer prowling around looking for answers he can’t give. The half-human, half-Fae Mac tries to warn Danice that she’s way in over her head—that Rosemary may roam among The Others, and may have dangerous ties to the Unseelie Court—but she won’t be deterred. Even if that means following Mac to the ends of the earth to find Rosemary…or surrendering to his supernatural powers of temptation…until death do they part. (from Amazon)
This is a great series. I have been reading them since they were first published in online form only. This book is a expanded and republished version of her third book Faer Fetched. And that is the only problem I have with the series. Even the author does not seem to know what order to list them in. Once she started publishing in print, there has been no consistency. I did not even realize this one was a re-release.
The books definitely have a reading order which the publisher has obviously not taken into consideration. I need to rearrange my collection again to put this one in its proper place. However, there is a new title due out on April 26, 2011 (Black Magic Woman) and I have no idea if it is a totally new story or another re-release. Oh well, I will enjoy reading it anyway I am sure.
Filed under Contemporary, Humor, Paranormal, Romance
Eat Prey Love (Love at Stake, #9) by Kerrelyn Sparks
Purchased
Carlos Panterra is looking for a mate, a woman who will love and care for the young orphans he’s recently taken under his wing (or paw, as the case may be). When the shape shifter spies the beautiful Caitlyn, it’s like sunshine amidst the darkness. At last, he’s found the perfect woman, except…
Caitlyn Whelan is mortal. Worse, her father is the head of a CIA agency bent on hunting the undead. Still, Caitlyn knows that Carlos is the man for her, shape shifter or not. So she jumps at the chance when her sister offers her a job to work with him, determined to show Carlos their attraction is more than just animal magnetism. But danger lurks in the night, and their unleashed, untamed passion might just get them both killed… (from Goodreads)
This was not one of my favorites in the series, but I think that was because I was getting tired of reading them. I did have problems with Carlos’ determination to only mate with another full-blooded panther shifter. I understand that he was trying to save his species, but all that “nobility” can be hard to stomach.
There was some foreshadowing to indicate that he may not be as alone as he thinks. I certainly hope so.
Book ten, Vampire Mine, goes on sell March 29, 2011. We are finally going to get Conner’s story.
Filed under Contemporary, Humor, Paranormal, Romance
The Vampire and the Virgin (Love at Stake, #8) by Kerrelyn Sparks
Purchased
Olivia’s packing list:
1. Sunscreen
2. Bathing suit
3. Flip-flops
FBI psychologist Olivia Sotiris is looking for a cool ocean breeze, sand between her toes, and a break from her crazy, and sometimes dangerous, life. But when she escapes to the Greek island of Patmos, all she gets is a meddling grandmother trying to marry her off. None of the men there interest her—except a mysterious Scotsman named Robby MacKay.
Robby’s packing list:
1. Synthetic blood
2. More synthetic blood
3. Jogging clothes (even a Vamp has to stay in shape!)
Robby needs to cool off, too, since all he can think about is revenge on the Malcontent bloodsuckers who once held him captive. But then he meets Olivia, the beauty with wild curls and a tempting smile. When a deadly criminal from one of her cases back home tracks her down, Robby will have to save her life, along with giving her a first time she’ll never forget … (from Goodreads)
As much as I enjoy these books, I am glad I am reaching the end of the series . . . or at least, so far. It is definitely time for a change of pace. Anyway, Olivia is an empath, but she cannot read vampires. Personally, I have problems with that. The vampires are alive during the night, so she should be able to read their emotions. I guess it can be blamed on their psychic powers and ability to block others from their minds.
Filed under Contemporary, Humor, Paranormal, Romance
Forbidden Nights With a Vampire (Love at Stake, #7) by Kerrelyn Sparks
Purchased
Vanda Barkowski is in trouble.
As the owner of a hot nightclub, she’s more unconventional than most of her fellow vampires, and if some think her a little out of control, then so be it. But after three former employees filed a complaint about her temper, Vanda is sentenced to an anger management class. Worse, Phil Jones agreed to be her sponsor. Phil, the mortal who is forbidden to her . . .
If Vanda knew who—or what—Phil really is, she’d reconsider her attraction to him, for his true nature is wilder than anything she’d ever imagined. He has tackled the beast within and now is the perfect person to help Vanda with her rage . . . if only he can keep his cool when she makes him so undeniably hot. But with rogue vamps on the loose, will they ever have their forbidden nights? (from Goodreads)
This one is definitely a change of pace. We have a female vampire (not the first), but she is matched with a shape-shifter. In this case, the shifter is an alpha werewolf. It’s amazing how different authors twist the vampire and werewolf legends to suit their books. Of course, since there is not “true” history or description, anything goes.
This book definitely includes some foreshadowing for future novels. I think Phil’s sister will have her own book at some point.
Filed under Contemporary, Humor, Paranormal, Romance
Secret Life of a Vampire (Love at Stake, #6) by Kerrelyn Sparks
Purchased
A typical bachelor party is all about beers and beautiful women. A vampire bachelor party is no different — except the men are drinking Blissky (whiskey-flavored synthetic blood). And no one can throw a party quite like Jack, the illegitimate son of the legendary Casanova. But when the party gets out of hand and the cops show up, Jack has some explaining to do . . . if only he wasn’t struck speechless by the beauty of Officer Lara Boucher.
Lara is sure there’s something more than a bachelor party going on. What is Jack hiding? And why is he so interested in the recent disappearance of young women all over town? Her investigation uncovers more than she wants to know, especially about this modern-day Casanova. But if she’s ever to make detective, she’ll need to expose all his secrets . . . if only her heart wasn’t on the line. (from Goodreads)
I loved this storyline. Although it has the SAME problem of a woman going from not knowing vampires exist to immediately falling in love with one, I found this one more believable. Maybe I’m just becoming more accepting of the whole idea.
I did like the fact that Jack admitted he had been in love before. After all, he is over 200 years old. He hasn’t pined for his entire existence waiting for Lara to appear.
Her friend, LaToya is wonderful too. I see a book in her future as well.
Filed under Contemporary, Humor, Paranormal, Romance
Elaine Reads . . . constantly! 