Category Archives: Paranormal

June 5, 2015 · 1:18 pm

Bengal’s Quest (Breeds, #30) by Lora Leigh

Bengal's Quest (Breeds, #30)Bengal’s Quest by Lora Leigh

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Title: Bengal’s Quest
Author: Lora Leigh
Series: Breeds, #30
Pages: 352
Publisher: Berkley
Date: June 23, 2015

Summary:

New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh tells a story of two Breeds who are united by animal desires, only to find it’s vengeance that stirs the mating heat…

He was a shadow, ever shifting and insinuating, able to blend in everywhere and anywhere. The elusive ideal conceived and created by the Genetics Council, he went by just as many names as he had identities—the last one being Gideon.

Now calling himself Graeme, he hides in plain sight, terrifyingly close to his goal. A rogue Bengal Breed, he has loyalties to no one but himself. And he has a need for vengeance that surges hot and swift through his veins.

Graeme plans to exact an extreme and ruthless vendetta against those who wronged him—Breed and human alike. All will suffer his wrath: those who created him, those who pretended to love him, and those who betrayed him.

That includes the one at the center of it all: a seductive, enigmatic woman helpless against the man whose desire is just as desperate as his need to destroy.

And he’s on her scent…

Review:

Okay, the good and the bad.

THE GOOD

I love the Breed books. I have loved them since the first, Tempting the Beast, was published a decade ago. There is something about a human/animal mix that is fascinating, yet they are not shifters. The sex in these books is amazing and the differences the animal genetics bring to it heats it up even further.

I love the Breeds and their mates whether Breed or human. I even love the ones that irritate me to no end. Yes, Jonah, I’m talking about you.

My heart breaks for the suffering the Breeds have and are still enduring, but it also soars for the strength they exhibit even after all that suffering.
The storylines are wonderful and characters from previous books are integral to later books.

Bengal’s Quest is not exception.

I have been waiting for G’s book whether he is Graham or Gideon. He has suffered so much and deserves a happy ending. With Cat, he finally gets that ending.

But man does he have to work for it.

G has done so much to protect Cat, he almost loses her. She doesn’t trust him and she can’t believe he really cares for her. Her tiger has been suppressed for so long that she doesn’t trust her instincts either.

G only seems to know how to keep secrets. He does it to protect Cat, but she only knows that he doesn’t trust her with his secrets. How is she supposed to trust him?

Of course, it works out in the end. This is a romance after all, but the heartbreak along the way is painful.

THE BAD

There is nothing bad about the story itself. It’s just this is book thirty (that’s right, 30!) in the series which makes it confusing to keep straight. I have read all of the books in this series and I still have problems remembering the things that happened in the past. Unfortunately, these things are critical to the storyline of Bengal’s Quest. The author tries to give enough backstory to help the reader, but there is just so much going on.

This is definitely NOT a book that can be read as a standalone.

The other “bad” thing about this book is something that I have found in many of Lora Leigh’s recent books. The lack of editing is painful. I realize I have an advance reader’s copy, so it is not the final version, but this one should never have made it to the publisher’s desk. Because it is an ARC, I would not normally mention it in a review, but I have other published books by LL which have the same problems with editing. In all honesty, I no longer buy anything but her Breed books due to that.

I hate that this problem with the mechanics of writing takes so much away from my enjoyment of her books. The stories, this one included, are wonderful. The writing is wonderful. All it would take is a proofreader to make the books themselves wonderful.

Will I recommend this book to other readers? Of course, but only with the caveats regarding the backstory and editing issues.

This book was sent to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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June 3, 2015 · 9:22 am

Siren’s Call (Rainshadow, #4; Harmony, #12) by Jayne Castle

Siren's Call (Rainshadow, #4; Harmony, #12)Siren’s Call by Jayne Castle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Title: Siren’s Call
Author: Jayne Castle aka Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: Rainshadow, #4; Harmony, #12
Pages: 336
Publisher: Jove
Date: July 28, 2015

Summary:

In the mysterious world of Harmony, there are places filled with unexplored marvels. But Rainshadow Island isn’t about to give up its secrets…

In the alien catacombs of Rainshadow, there are creatures whose compelling songs lure the unwary to their death. That’s why Rafe Coppersmith, hired to clear out the catacombs for exploration, needs a music talent. He’s knows the perfect one, but she probably doesn’t want anything do with him…

Ella Morgan had once fallen hard and fast for Rafe, but then he disappeared for months…and he’s not about to tell her why. Ella, too, has secrets that only her dust bunny knows. She’s not just a music talent, she’s a Siren: a paranormal singer capable of singing men to sleep—or to their deaths.

But once on Rainshadow, Rafe and Ella will learn that surrendering to passion doesn’t come without risks—and fighting fire with fire only adds to the flame…

Review:

Goodreads calls this series Rainshadow. It is also part of the Harmony series. None of that matters. Those of us who read and love this series KNOW that they are all actually “the dust bunny books.”

Early in this series, the author introduced a companion animal, not a pet, called a dust bunny. They have stolen the show for me in all of the books. Yes, I love the human characters, their talents, and the romance that evolves between them. But the books just wouldn’t be the same without the dust bunnies.

In Siren’s Call, Ella has a talent we haven’t seen before. She has an affinity for music . . . especially alien music and she can use it to disable and even kill. There are fairy tales about Sirens, but everyone knows they don’t really exist. For Ella’s sake, everyone has to keep believing that.

Rafe has suffered a major psyburn and believes he is going insane. His talent is gone and although he wants Ella, he knows he has nothing to offer her. It’s only a matter of time until he is committed to a mental hospital or dead.

However, Rafe is a Coppersmith and his family’s corporation needs a strong music talent to protect people from the dinosaurs in Wonderland. Yes, I said dinosaurs AND Wonderland.

Doesn’t it sound great?

I had my suspicions about the identity of the bad guy, but not until the very end. It’s always a good thing when I can be surprised.

This book could easily be read as a standalone, but there is so much backstory I recommend the entire series starting with Bridal Jitters. This first book in the series does not have a dust bunny, but it is wonderful anyway. If you really get hooked, there are additional books that take place in our past and during contemporary times which interconnect with the dust bunny books. I recommend them all.

This book was sent to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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May 2, 2015 · 10:22 am

Cat’s Lair (Leopard People, #7) by Christine Feehan

Cat's Lair (Leopard People #7)Cat’s Lair by Christine Feehan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Title: Cat’s Lair
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: Leopard People, #7
Pages: 448
Publisher: Jove
Date: May 5, 2015

Summary:

Cat Benoit has finally escaped the past—and the man who was the source of her nightmares. She’s off the grid, underground but watchful, and creating a new life for herself in Texas, far from the torrid dangers of her native New Orleans. She’s safe. He’ll never find her this time. Cat has to believe that. It’s the only thing keeping her sane.

Yet she can’t escape the attention of Ridley Cromer, the instructor at the martial arts dojo where Cat takes lessons. She arouses the animal in Ridley—and something feral comes to life when their body heat rises. Cat is in no position to let her guard down with anyone, especially someone who could be endangered by her past. But Ridley has secrets of his own—secrets only Cat would understand. If she dares to trust him.

Review:

First off, I never, ever read series books out of order. Even if I am told individual books can stand alone, I always read them in order. Well, this time I ran out of time . . . and they were right. This book works perfectly well as a standalone.

Anyway, Cat is on the run. She has learned to stay unobtrusive in order to survive. Unfortunately, the man she is running from is an abusive, murderous crime lord named Rafe . . . who also happens to be a leopard shifter.

Cat is a shifter too, but she has yet to shift. Females do not shift until they are older and she is terrified of her leopard. She is afraid it will be a killer too because that is all she has ever known.

Enter Ridley Cromer – (view spoiler)

Ridley is an undercover DEA agent and they want Cat to testify against Rafe. She knows she will not live long enough to testify. Rafe will find her and either kill her or kidnap her again.

Ridley, whose real name is Eli, kidnaps her himself in order to protect her. The fact that he is a shifter as well and wants Cat as his mate is simply a side benefit. Yeah, right.
I loved the relationship between Eli and Cat. Given her childhood, you would expect Cat to be a terrified mouse. She is anything but. She is frightened, of course, but she is strong and determined to live her own life.

Eli is a dominant, which is to be expected with any of Feehan’s books. The males are always alphas. Eli takes it to an entirely different level. He is a dominant in the manner of BDSM. Fortunately, Cat discovers she loves his dominance and even though she is a strong woman, she is also submissive.

Eli is dominant and aggressive and hard headed and he loves Cat more than his own life. He is not afraid to admit it either. Cat can’t understand it, but he never lets her think she is not loved.

I love that Eli is open with his feelings about Cat. I also love that he is determined she learns to defend herself. He is not so stupid to think he will always be able to protect her. She has to be able to protect herself. And she does . . . up to a point.

The bad guy shows up and he is not alone. Bad things happen and Eli is not able to protect her. And, . . .

Read the book. Read the entire series. I’m going to.

This book was sent to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review. (hide spoiler)]

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April 5, 2015 · 8:33 am

Mate Bond (Shifters Unbound, #7) by Jennifer Ashley

Mate Bond (Shifters Unbound, #7)Mate Bond by Jennifer Ashley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Title: Mate Bond
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Series: Shifters Unbound, #7
Pages: 320
Publisher: Berkley
Date: April 7, 2015

Summary:

To cement the leadership of his North Carolina Shiftertown, Bowman O’Donnell agreed to a “mating of convenience.” Two powerful wolf shifters, he and Kenzie keep the pack in order and are adored by all. Bowman would do anything to protect Kenzie, for in each other’s arms they’ve found far more than friendship. But as strong as their attachment is, they still haven’t formed the elusive mate bond—the almost magical joining of true mates.

Now with a monster ravaging the countryside and threatening the Shiftertown community, some in the pack fear that a pair without a true mate bond isn’t strong enough to lead. Bowman and Kenzie will have to rely on their instinctive trust in one another to save their Shifters—and the ensuing battle will either destroy them or give them the chance to seize the love they’ve always craved.

Review:

The actual “bad guy” plot of this book is secondary to the story. The real focus is on Bowman and Kenzie – two strong, alpha wolves who love each other and are not afraid to show it. They’ve been together for fifteen years and have a wonderful cub named Ryan.

What they don’t have is a mate bond. The mate bond is a magical link between two shifters and overrides all other relationships.

And that is the problem.

Although they don’t discuss it, Bowman and Kenzie both fear that the other will meet their “true” mate and their family will be torn apart.

Now this a romance, so I can tell you that they do not get torn apart without it being a spoiler. However,the author certainly keeps you wondering how they will manage to keep their family together.

Oh yes, everything else – mutant shifters, time mists, FAE, and non FAE, new friends and old – All these make for an excellent story, but it is the relationship between Bowman and Kenzie that make this book.

This is the seventh book in the Shifters Unbound series. It is set in a different ShifterTown than the earlier books which would make it easier to read as a standalone. I wouldn’t though. This series is great enough that you should read them all. Actually, I’m jealous of new readers. You have seven books to read at once. I had to wait for each one. That’s okay though. They’re worth it.

One last thing, anyone else want to try naked ziplining?

This book was sent to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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March 1, 2015 · 4:23 pm

Dead Heat (Alpha & Omega, #4) by Patricia Briggs

Dead Heat (Alpha & Omega, #4)Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Title: Dead Heat
Author: Patricia Briggs
Series: Alpha & Omega, #4
Pages: 336
Publisher: Ace
Date: March 3, 2015

Summary:

For once, mated werewolves Charles and Anna are not traveling because of Charles’s role as his father’s enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely personal, as Charles plans to buy Anna a horse for her birthday. Or at least it starts out that way…

Charles and Anna soon discover that a dangerous Fae being is on the loose, replacing human children with simulacrums. The Fae’s cold war with humanity is about to heat up—and Charles and Anna are in the cross fire.

Review:
Wonderful, just wonderful. I love the Mercy Thompson books and these are a spinoff of that series. I love that Mercy is such a kickass heroine and she gives her mate Adam a fit.

And I love Anna.

Anna is nothing like Mercy. Anna is a rare type of wolf shifter known as an Omega. Charles is not the Alpha of the pack, but he is an Alpha and he is his father’s enforcer. His life has been violent and he is feared by almost everyone. Everyone but Anna.

As an Omega, Anna is not influenced by the orders of an Alpha. She is outside the hierarchy of the pack. None of that matters though because Charles and Anna are so much in love. Like any couple, they have their difficult moments, but you can always tell the love is there.

In Dead Heat, Charles and Anna are finally getting to spend some time together that does not involve Pack business. They are visiting an old friend of Charles’ and looking for a horse for Anna.

Guess how well that goes.

Enter an evil Fae who is attacking children, Pack children, and it definitely becomes Pack business.

I really enjoyed this story. We got to see Charles and Anna together without all the drama of relationship problems. Even though they are very much together, the focus is on saving the children, not on them.

An important subplot is Charles’ interactions with his old friend and his family. And that is the only place I had problems with the book. Because of the number of generations involved and the fact that one of the men is a shifter, I stayed confused on who was who. Charles’ friend is an old man who is dying. His father (the shifter) appears to be in his twenties and his son is maybe in his forties. I understand the relationships, but I kept mixing them up.

The Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series are two of my favorites. You can read this one as a standalone, but it will be much better if read in sequence. And they’re great books, so why wouldn’t you want to do so?

This book was sent to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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February 16, 2015 · 8:30 pm

Bear Attraction (Shifters Unbound, #6.5) by Jennifer Ashley

Bear Attraction (Shifters Unbound, #6.5)Bear Attraction by Jennifer Ashley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Title: Bear Attraction
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Series: Shifters Unbound, #6.5
Publisher: Intermix
Date: February 17, 2015

This book was supplied to me through NetGalley for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

This is a great series, although it is darker than some shifter books I read. Shifters are treated as second class citizens and required to wear shock collars to keep their “animal” instincts under control. The human Shifter Bureau is responsible for ensuring that all shifters stay under human control and obey the laws set out for them by humans.

Walker is the human liaison between the Bureau and Shiftertown and because of that none of the shifters trust him. So, of course, Rebecca runs afoul of the Bureau and Rebecca becomes Walker’s responsibility.

Oh yeah, and she also starts to feel the mating instinct with Walker.

This book was a good addition to the Shifters Unbound series. It is definitely an in between book, but still adds to the overall storyline. We get to revisit some of the characters from previous books as well as get hints about future relationships.

The only thing I had a problem with (and this is a personal issue, nothing against the story) is the fact that Rebecca is so much more powerful than Walker. This is only to be expected since she is a bear shifter, but I still had a problem adjusting to that aspect of the story. The author handles the issue by making Walker the more dominant personality.

As I said before, this is an in between book. I don’t recommend reading it as a stand alone, but I highly recommend the entire series. Book seven, Mate Bond, is due out on April 7th, 2015, so you won’t have long to wait.
In other words, you better get reading!

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November 26, 2014 · 8:00 am

Light My Fire (Dragon Kin, #7) by G. A. Aiken

Light My Fire (Dragon Kin, #7)Light My Fire by G.A. Aiken
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Dragon Kin, #7
Publisher: Zebra
Date: November 25th, 2014
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Comedy
Pages: 496

Book was obtained from NetGalley for an honest review.

The trouble with humans is that they’re far too sensitive. Forget you put a woman in the local jail for a few months – and she takes it so personally! And yet she is the one trying to assassinate the queen. And now I’m trapped with Elina Shestakova of the Black Bear Riders of the Midnight…gods! That endless name!

But what am I to do? I am Celyn the Charming with direct orders from my queen to protect this unforgiving female.

Even more shocking, this unforgiving female is completely unimpressed by me. How is that even possible? But I know what I want and, for the moment, I want her. And I’m sure that she, like all females, will learn to adore me. How could she not when I am just so damn charming?
I adore this series. The dragons are all just so full of themselves. Humans are, for the most part, cattle. But then there are certain humans that scare even the dragons.

Elina Shestakova of the Black Bear Riders of the Midnight Mountains of Despair in the Far Reaches of the Steppes of the Outer Plains is such a human. And yes, that really is her name. You do have to sympathize with Celyn the Charming on this one.

Elina has been sent by her tribal leader to kill the dragon queen Rhiannon the White, but her heart’s not really in it. She is easily captured and imprisoned and that is where the trouble starts. Celyn forgets about her. He leaves her to rot in a human jail . . . for months.

For some reason, she resents that and is not properly grateful when he does have her released.

There are so many plots and subplots in this book. It’s also a reunion of characters from most if not all of the previous Dragon Kin books. I loved catching up with everyone and seeing how their lives have developed.

On that note, I do recommend you keep the author’s Dragon Kin Glossary at hand.
http://gaaiken.com/reading-order/glos…

It really does help in keeping everyone straight.

Anyway, a religious cult is sweeping the lands and Rhiannon wants to make an alliance with the Tribes of the Steppes. Everything in the book spins from this need for an alliance.

As in all of Ms. Aiken’s (aka Shelly Laurenston) books, the humor is what makes them so wonderful. There is humor in the personalities of the characters. There is humor in the situations they find themselves in . . . and there is even humor in the architecture.

No, really! Wait until you read about the cult’s temples.

I highly recommend this entire series. It’s hard for me to say this book can be read on its own because it brings back so many of the characters from previous books. I think to truly enjoy it, you should read the entire series . . . back to back. I know I am going to with the release of the next book.

Now when is that going to be? I want it now!

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November 2, 2014 · 4:14 pm

Jason (Anita Blake, #23) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Jason (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #23)Jason by Laurell K. Hamilton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Jove
Format: ebook
Date/Year: December 2, 2014
Series: Anita Blake, #23

This book was provided to me through NetGalley for an honest review.

“Enjoying pain with your pleasure is something you either get, or you don’t. If you get it, then you don’t really need it explained, because you know how good it feels, and if you don’t get it then no amount of talking is going to convince you it makes sense.”

But sometimes you have to explain the unexplainable, especially if the love of your life needs to understand, or she’ll leave you. Jason Schuyler is one of Anita Blake’s best friends and favorite werewolves, with benefits. J.J. is his lady love, an old flame from childhood who dances at one of the top ballet companies in New York. She’s accomplished, beautiful, and she’s crazy about him, too. Neither of them wants to be monogamous, so what could go wrong?

J.J. is enthusiastically bisexual, with an emphasis on the female side of things. She plans to keep sleeping with women, because Jason can’t meet that need, just like she can’t meet Jason’s need for rough sex and bondage. J.J. doesn’t understand why Jason isn’t content to go elsewhere for a need she can’t fulfil, so Jason asks Anita to help him explain.

Anita is having her own relationship growing pains with her only female lover ever, Jade. Jason suggests that J.J. might be able to help Anita with her girl problem, while she helps him with his kinky explanations. With some encouragement from a few other lovers in Anita’s life she reluctantly agrees, and J. J. makes plans to fly into town for an experience that none of them will ever forget.

I love the Anita Blake books. Some of them more than others, just like any other series, but I love them. I know a lot of reviewers have issues with the extended sex scenes, but I enjoy them.

This book, however, starts out as being about just the sexual relationships. It has too much dialogue with nothing else happening. There is no plot besides the relationships. There is not a bad guy/vampire/demon/etc. for Anita to fight. It is all about the people.

And you know what? It worked.

I especially liked the fact that Anita is forced into recognizing she can’t be the emotional support for everyone she is linked to. She has said that before, but in this book I believe she really accepts it and realizes she has to take a stand with some of her partners.

My main criticism of the book is that neither Jean Claude nor Micah make an appearance. I love both of these characters and I want my fix!

However, beautiful, beautiful Nathaniel does have a large part, so I guess I can’t complain too much.

Yes, this book is all about the relationships, especially the sexual relationships, but it really does add a lot to Anita’s emotional growth. I can’t wait to see how that is manifested in the next book: Dead Ice. The release date is June 5th, 2015.

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November 1, 2014 · 5:41 pm

Rocky Mountain Miracle by Christine Feehan

Rocky Mountain MiracleRocky Mountain Miracle by Christine Feehan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Pocket Star
Format: ebook
Date/Year: November 17, 2014 (originally published in 2004)

This book was provided to me through NetGalley for an honest review.

When Cole Steele, a womanizer rumored to have killed his father, meets Maia Armstrong, a veterinarian rumored to practice magic, the sizzling romance could melt all the snow on his Wyoming ranch. And when an injured horse brings them together, Cole can’t help but believe that Maia casts spells on animals—and men. What else could explain the burning passion he feels for her and the thawing of his heart just in time for Christmas?

I have been a fan of Christine Feehan since I discovered her Carpathian series years ago. I love the Drake Sisters series and her Ghostwalker series as well. All of these are heavy on the paranormal or parapsychic so I was not sure what to expect with a straight, contemporary romance . . . but it’s not.

Maia is a traveling veterinarian. She has the ability to see images from the animals around her which makes her job so much easier. However, humans don’t understand her ability and so she can never stay long in one place. And she longs for a permanent home and family.

Cole doesn’t know what home and family mean. He and his much younger brother were both emotionally and physically abused by their father. After he was killed, the brothers inherit his ranch and all his millions.

But, who murdered their father? Was it either of them? If so, it was certainly justified.

Feehan does an excellent job of showing the damage done to both men through the use of flashbacks and their reactions to things other people treat as normal.

Regardless of the title, Maia’s healing influence is not shown as a miracle, but as result of developing love.

My heart broke for both brothers and it was wonderful to see how Feehan, with Maia’s help, brought their lives around.

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October 3, 2014 · 5:19 am

Skinwalker (Jane Yellowrock, #1) by Faith Hunter

Skinwalker (Jane Yellowrock, #1)Skinwalker by Faith Hunter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jane Yellowrock is the last of her kind-a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who can turn into any creature she desires and hunts vampires for a living. But now she’s been hired by Katherine Fontaneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katie’s Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire who’s killing other vamps…

This book reminded me a little of Patricia Briggs’ Mercy books, but I think it was just the Skinwalker angle. Jane is far more supernatural than Mercy is portrayed.

I really enjoyed it, especially Jane’s relationship with Beast. There is no romance in the first book and I hope the later books are different in that respect.

There seems to be several in between and prequel stories. Normally I jump right on those, but there are so many I don’t know whether I will bother this time.

Yes, it was really a good book, but I haven’t fallen in love with the series yet.

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