"Darker Things" by Rob Cornell

Darker Things (The Lockman Chronicles) by Rob Cornell is an action-packed urban fantasy thriller. It was not what I was expecting when I began reading it, but it was a good read. I saw that it had vampires in it and thought, Cool! However, this is not your sparkly, warm & cuddly, brooding, I-want-to-suck-your-blood vampire story.

Craig Lockman is the main character's alias. He's been retired from "The Agency," a secret, paranormal-battling government agency, and has been hiding for 15 years. Until one day, a young teenaged girl shows up on his doorstep. Not only does this girl know his real name, but she claims to be Lockman's daughter. Before Lockman can find out how she found him, a black-ops team of assassins attacks them. However, these aren’t ordinary killers — they’re heavily armed vampires sent by his most hated enemy. Lockman is forced to run with his daughter in tow. Now, he must protect her from an onslaught of horrors while searching for who betrayed him and why.

This story is chalked full of vampires, ghosts, werewolves, ogres, demons and some very sleazy humans. It's one breathless moment after another as Lockman attempts to save the world from a paranormal apocalypse which could cost him his soul.

I liked this story, but it wasn't what I thought it would be. That's on me because I didn't read up on what this story was all about. The categories for this book are Dark Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, & Superheroes.

The story kept my attention and read very fast. It is not a super deep, or super intellectual story, but it is a good ol' fashioned action-packed thriller. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Dark Legion, soon.

Grab a copy and start reading!

"Everafter" by Nell Stark and Trinity Tam

Everafter by Nell Stark

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Everafter is the first book in the series by the same name, written by Nell Stark and Trinity Tam. It begins by introducing Valentine Darrow, a medical student and Alexa Newland, a law student as soulmate lovers. Valentine wants to marry her lover and is all consumed with how to propose to Alexa when she is attacked by a vampire and nearly killed. Valentine survives but now she is consumed with a craving for blood and an obsession to find her attacker. Alexa’s love for Valentine runs so deep that all she wants is to give Valentine everything she needs to stay alive. But, Valentine’s appetite is too much for Alexa, as a human. So, Alexa risks everything for Valentine. Valentine and Alexa’s relationship is stretched but endures impossible odds.

The authors chose to make half this book Valentine’s point of view and the other Alexa’s point of view. It was written well enough that I wasn’t bothered by this shift. I felt the authors used it effectively.

Throughout the book, you see Valentine’s struggle to learn about her new life all the while doing so with her one true love. I was touched by the great love that Alexa has for Valentine. The sacrifice she made to support her true love is amazing!

Definitely a great read! I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

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"The Magic Hunt," By L.L. Raand

The Magic Hunt by L.L. Raand

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


"The Magic Hunt," by L.L. Raand is the 5th installment of the Midnight Hunters series. I’ve been a huge fan of this series and have looked forward to each installment.

After an assassination attempt, Sylvan Mir, wolf Were Alpha of the Timberwolf Pack, and her mate Drake McKennan vow to protect their own, no matter what the cost, from the government and all others who threaten their survival.

In this story, we are introduced to a new person, Fae royal Torren de Brinna. Torren escapes from the vampire dungeon and tries to get back to her people, but finds the doorway closed and is left with only one alternative… request that Sylvan give her sanctuary. However, she didn’t expect to fall in love with one of Sylvan’s young dominate weres, Misha.

Let me first reiterate that I love this series. With that said, I struggled, a bit, with the fact that Jody did not have a bigger part in this story. Since this is, most definitely, a war with the Viceregal of the vampires, I felt that Jody should have been a key figure, a liaison between wolves and vampires. However, she was not. In fact, I think she was in all of 5-pages in the whole book. I would have thought there would have been some kind of collaboration between Sylvan, Jody, and Michel. However, there was not.

The love story between Katya and Michel continues to grow, which I’m glad to see. They make a good match and I would like to see where this story goes. I also like Misha a lot and think that Torren will be a good mate for her. I hope to see more of these two couples in future installments.

I suppose I felt this story was not as complete as the others were. Sometimes, this is acceptable because the next book ties it all together and keeps the edge-of-your-seat entertainment. I’m hopeful for the next book!

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"Iron & Velvet" by Alexis Hall

Iron & Velvet by Alexis Hall

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I must say, I loved the cover and the title of this book. I don't normally say this in a review, but the cover intrigued me enough to get the book. When I opened it up to begin reading, I found I was very surprised. Firstly, there are a lot of typos and a number of very slang words that I had never heard before. In fact, I had to look them up. I found the definitions of these slang words on UrbanDictionary.com. Words like, "woofle," "wibbly," "wotsit," and "faffed," to name a few, baffled the hell out of me. The whole story reads in what I would consider British slang. Personally, I would have preferred a little more polish overall in this story. However, with that stated, I did really like the story.

Kate Kane is a faery princess by birth, but is a P.I. (Paranormal Investigator) by career choice. As I first started reading this, I became concerned that the author may have mimicked another series I’ve read, that I love very much. However, as the story progressed, I found the only commonality between this story and the other, which I’m not naming on purpose, is that the main character is a P.I. and a faery princess. After that, it builds on its own.

Kate is called in to investigate a murder that has paranormal written all over it. Though Kate is a professional P.I., she kind of handles the case like the proverbial bull in the China shop. She jumps in, makes her insinuations, causes a war to break out then realizes she was wrong and starts all over again. During this investigation, she falls in love with the Prince of Cups, which happens to be an eight hundred year old female vampire. I’d never heard of a woman holding the position of “Prince” so this threw me a bit. You have to understand, I’m an American and this book is written in British slang or perhaps, commoner English. So, it’s quite possible that I’m the only one who didn’t understand. The author does help you to understand what the Prince of Cups is though.

This wasn't a thought provoking story. But the author did such a great job detailing the surrounding areas that one could literally lose their lunch. However, I believe that was the intent as you get into the story. She had to trek through some extremely nasty areas. (No, I'm not saying… read the story yourself!) I would have loved to have had as much detail to describe the intimate moments between Kate and Julian (Prince of Cups). It seemed too shallow for me. However, it leaves me to think that this series will grow into something more and I hope to read the next in this series as well.



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"The King," by J.R. Ward

The King by J.R. Ward

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Normally, I don't hide my reviews because of spoilers, but this time I will. Although I don't tell you the outcome, I still feel it might give some away.

Oh what a beautiful story! As always, the Warden comes through! She caught every emotion. In this book, the primary story is about Wrath & Beth... his kingship, their marriage, their family. But intertwined are at least four other stories weaved throughout the book. We get some back story on Wrath’s parents and the struggles they went through as the monarchy of that time. Wrath went down memory lane quite a bit whilst he wrestled with his concerns of being king. Wrath has his demons he must deal with as he realizes his shellan is not complete without a young. He struggles with the idea of having an heir to the throne... what would he do if his young were like him, blind! The glymera have other concerns and cause their own set of problems!

As I said, there are several intertwined sub plots.

Though Xcor and his Band of Bastards endeavor to dethrone Wrath, Xcor has his own story building up. His feelings toward the Chosen Layla continue to grow and although, it would seem Layla also seems to be falling for Xcor, she’s more concerned with what Xcor and his men are doing to her king. She’ll do anything to stop Xcor from dethroning or even killing her king and queen.

Assail pursues Sola and kills a couple of her assailants who were also his business partners. Sola, realizing she’s all alone and being carted away by hired kidnappers, ends up doing the unthinkable to free herself. Assail knows this human is his and Sola, though seemingly in love with Assail, can’t stay with him if he intends on staying with his career. The nightmare of freeing herself from her kidnappers has emblazoned itself on the forefront of her mind, and to keep a promise to herself and her god, she chooses to take her grandmother south to get away from it all.

The shadow, Trez has his story continuing here too. Though he’s promised to marry his s’Hibe queen’s daughter, he does everything he can to make himself unworthy or unwanted so he can escape this match. Meanwhile, he seems to have his eye on a Chosen of his own and wants very much to be worthy for her.

John Matthew has something going on with him. As with all the other books, I’m lead to believe that his father may be in his head with him. Of course, don’t get that story here, but I can’t help but wonder if that’s what is going on. In this book, we hear more about John Matthew being the brother of the queen. We see more of their relationship there. He has a couple more of his seizures that cause Doc Jane, Xhex, & Beth to get him over to the hospital for a MRI. I’m not sure if we’re going to see more of this, but it really makes you wonder what’s going on inside John Matthew’s head.

There was so much in this book to follow it sometimes got confusing. But I love how J.R. Ward writes her books as if it is real life. She keeps these brothers as family and allows you to see snippets of their lives as they develop.

I must admit I cried through parts of this story. As with all J.R. Ward’s books, I do recommend you read this 12th installation of her Black Dagger Brotherhood series, but definitely be ready to have your emotions sprung!


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"A Blood Seduction: A Vamp City Novel" by Pamela Palmer

A Blood Seduction by Pamela Palmer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Wow! That about sums up my impression of this first of the book series Vamp City, "A Blood Seduction: A Vamp City Novel" by Pamela Palmer! Overall, this was an awesome story. Yes, there were parts in this story that dragged and were slow. And, yes, there were parts where I felt there was a lot of violence and perhaps, a bit too graphic. But I believe the author did a great job of impressing on the reader of just how vile these creatures really are.

This author brings our understanding of Vampires to a whole new level. Here, vampires live in Vamp City, a dark version of Washington D.C. Magic made this city what it is, an 1870’s carbon copy of Washington D.C. without sunlight; perfect for the vampires who reside inside it. But the magic is dying and sunlight is breaking through! The city needs to be restored if vampires are to continue living in Vamp City.
Quinn Lennox lives in current Washington D.C. with her brother Zack. Quinn works in a lab for the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. Lately, Quinn has been seeing visions that she can only label as Shimmers. These Shimmers have done strange things to her as she passes through them. They seem to change the colors of her clothing and the interior of her car. She can no longer take public transit because, how would she explain these changes? Sometimes, Quinn can see through the Shimmers, into what seems to be another time or perhaps another world.

Disappearances are reported daily of individuals who have never returned home. They have just vanished. This includes Zack’s friend, Lily. As Quinn and Zack look for Lily, they stumble upon another Shimmer near their apartment that only Quinn can see. They are pulled through this Shimmer into this other world.

Vamp City, also named V.C., is a dark place, and not just because there is no sunlight. In this city, a great sorcerer cast a magic spell to create this city where vampires could live without the threat of sunlight. The magic also locked in the vampires from getting out into the real world, which is a good thing, because the horrors that Quinn Lennox experiences after being sucked into this world through a shimmer of light would make everyone thankful that these vampires weren’t in our world. Palmer’s vampires feed not just from blood, but also from emotions.

V.C. is old and decrepit. Vampires rule over slave humans. Slaves feed all the vampires’ needs; blood, sex, pain, fear, anything a vampire needs or wants to sustain them, and then their memories are wiped and it’s done to them again. Vampires are mean sadistic creatures. They live off of a person’s fear or pain and will inflict whatever is necessary to bring the emotion that best feeds their needs.

Arturo, a vampire who feeds from the fear of his slaves, saves Quinn from her captors as she enters the vampire city. But Arturo’s intent is only to feed from her fear and her blood. After feeding from her blood, he realizes that Quinn is not your normal human. She has sorcerer blood in her veins. Because of this, he feels Quinn may be their savior. She may be able to renew the magic that hides Vamp City.

I’m intrigued with this series and can’t understand why I waited so long to finish reading this book. It is a very dark, grim story where vampires truly are frightening. But the story has a beautiful love story in it. Through this love, we begin to see compassion from some of these frightening vampires.

The book ends with you knowing that you have to read the next book. Many questions go unanswered as our heroine is sent back into her own world. You get a sense that Quinn & Zack are not done in Vamp City. Somehow, you just know they have may have a vendetta. At the very least, they still have to rescue Lily!

I highly recommend this book! If you love vampires and all that’s paranormal, you will LOVE this book! The world and characters in this book are very well developed. The story is very believable!

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"Kiss Across Time" by Tracy Cooper-Posey

Kiss Across Time by Tracy Cooper-Posey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I originally downloaded this book because it was an erotic romance with vampires and time travel in it, and it was free at the time. I’m always looking for new books to read with new ideas.

"KISS ACROSS TIME," by Tracy Cooper-Posey was refreshing and original with regard to bringing different nuances to a story. Most vampire books do not have ménage a trois in them. If they do, usually there is a build up to the threesome. However, with this book, the ménage a trois romance IS the story. This romance is a M/F/M romance with a quick glimpse at F/M/M. It’s interesting that in this story, the two male vampires are lovers before the female steps into the story, so one would figure there would be more focus on their relationship first. However, it is not. It is all about the woman and the connection the two men have with her.

As I began reading this story, I thought I had made a mistake. The story read well. The author has talent in writing. However, I couldn’t grasp how this woman, who had just lost her job because she could not nail down her thesis to facts, falls into this ménage a trois. She’s lured into her neighbor’s apartment with the sound of death metal music, using a poem from an ancient poet’s book that she had been researching but could never find any existence of. Yet here it was hidden in a death metal song.

When she’s introduced to the metal band that produced the song, sucked into a time travel memory through the kiss of the group leader/singer. She comes back to the present time, in the middle of the concert, wishing she could explore more. But she’s swept away by security to go backstage to meet the band. This I found interesting. But when the group leader introduces her to another man, his lover, to see what would happen if he were to kiss her, the two fall into a time travel memory as well. Instead of them coming back as the kiss ended, they break out into a rip-your-clothes-off erotic scene during the memory. When they arrive back to present time, they’re found in the throes of passion there too.

Here’s where I became confused. Although Taylor seemed to want to find out more about the time traveling, which I understand, all three of them find themselves trying to travel together by having a threesome together. We get our first glimpse of anal sex, which seemed over simplified. Both men, the woman finds out during sex, are vampires. They’ve tasted her sexually and tasted her blood, which “marks” her as theirs. She is now what we know as a "human servant."

This all happens in one night.

In order to time travel, they must have sex together. It doesn’t happen unless there is sex. There seems to be no real plot to this story, or at the very least, a weak plot. We just see that Taylor is obsessed with a poet from King Arthur’s time. These two vampires, Brody and Veris, can lead her to learning more. But the story had a lot of gaps for me. I found myself scratching my head, wondering how something like that could happen.

I suppose the best way to sum this book up is, good story, great potential, no substance. I wish the author would have spent more time beefing up the story. I may have to read this one again, just to be sure I didn't miss anything.


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"Bound by Night" (The MoonBound Clan Vampires) by Larissa Ione

Bound by Night by Larissa Ione

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Larissa Ione, author of "Bound by Night (The Moonbound Clan Vampires)" (The MoonBound Clan Vampires) has a different idea of vampires, which I found to be refreshing. The story begins with an 8 year old girl, Nicole Martin, whose family's business is to capture & sell vampires as slaves to humans. The family company does research on vampires as if they were animals or aliens. But, the vampires rebel against the family; leaving 8 year old Nicole Martin barely alive and most of her family dead. Jump ahead twenty years and we see Nicole all grown up and she has her head full of ideas of what vampires are, and generally, vampires frighten her.

Riker, a member of the MoonBound Clan, a bunch of renegade and free vampires, kidnaps Nichole in hopes of using her as a ransom trade for a gifted female vampire recently captured by the humans. Riker must rescue the female vampire and return her to her clan before war breaks out amongst the clans. Throughout the story, Nicole comes to some realizations about her family’s company and the creatures she's been studying. During her time amongst the vampire clan, she and Riker find themselves drawn to each other.

As relationships developed between Riker and Nichole, and Nichole and the rest of the clan, I found myself hoping that Nicole would be turned into vampire. Eventually she was, but not when I thought she should be or even how I thought she would.

Ms. Ione built a great foundation for her characters and the world they lived in. It was an odd sort of believable to me. Even though she describes everything so well, I still don’t understand how vampires who are physically more imposing; stronger, faster, and formidable predators, become slaves to humans so easily. How can humans capture vampires? At this point, we are left to our own imaginations. Perhaps, this will come out better in the next books in this series!

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"City of Fallen Angels" by Cassandra Clare

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I was clearly disappointed in this book. Yes, it was written well enough... but was it truly a necessary addition to the last three books? I don't think so. I really felt this book should have been the start of a new series that branched from this one.

I did really enjoy reading more about Simon. I felt that this book had more focus on him throughout it's pages. However, because of the other characters, Jace & Clary especially, and the importance they held in the other 3 books, this book couldn't just be about Simon, or Downworlders. It had to end with Jace & Clary.

I did not like how this book turned out! I half expected Jace to either kill Sebastian or himself to end this nightmare.

As I said, this book should have been a book 1 for a new series. It read like a first book in a series. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it didn't feel like the author was trying to resurrect an already well ended trilogy.

To be honest, I'm not sure I want to go to the next book, "City of Lost Souls." I didn't like Sebastian the first time. I don't want to read about him again! He's dead... keep him dead! He's not a Zombie. He's half demon... therefore he should have died as both demons and humans die.



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"City of Bones" (The Mortal Insturments) by Cassadra Clare

I had heard that there was a movie coming out on The Mortal Instruments series. I do love movies, but I really enjoy reading the book(s) before I go to see the movie.

Honestly, I thought I would get bored reading these books because they are young adult/teen books. However, I was greatly surprised! The storyline was excellent & the characters well described. I found myself routing for the heroes, feeling sad for the victims, and hoping they capture or kill the villain. The love interest in the series has its share of angst. There is always one or both who are in love, who fumble over themselves, can't decide what to do with their feelings, are scared, but then take the leap of faith, hoping that the other feels the same.

The main characters are Nephilim. Not the Nephilim you're used to hearing about. Nephilim are humans chosen by an Angel to become warriors, protecting this world from demons and downworlders. (Downworlders are creatures like vampires, werewolves, or fae.) However, downworlders don't seem to be an enemy any longer. The focus now, more than anything, is on killing demons and hunting down the Nephilim who has released them. Now the Nephilim & downworlders have a common interest & join forces to battle their mutual enemy.

If you're looking for a series that read fast, has great characters, and has a wonderful mixture of real world & a bit of fantasy, you'll really love this series!

Get a copy of Cassandra Clare's: The Mortal Instruments Series (5 books).

“A Shade of Vampire” by Bella Forrest

A request came from this author to review her book, "A Shade of Vampire." Here is my take on this book.

"A Shade of Vampire" by Bella Forrest is about a 17-year old girl, Sofia Claremont, who is kidnapped and brought to an island where the sun is forbidden to shine, to serve as a slave to the prince of The Shade, the most powerful vampire coven in the world.

By reading the synopsis, this really has some great potential. However, there were many parts in this book that worked too fast and had now build-up to hook me into the story. I had trouble at the very beginning and had to restart the book twice because I became confused with what was happening. The chapters are very short. The whole book is in first person but each chapter is from another person’s point of view. Personally, I don’t care for this kind of writing. It’s tricky to write in this style and not lose your reader. As I became involved in one chapter, it would end and move on to the other person’s point of view and confuse the hell out of me.

The best way to describe my experience was that I was reading the high points of an outline. There was not enough material to it to fill in the gaps. With that being said, I do believe this could be a good story if you can handle the first person point of view from several characters. But it really didn’t do it for me. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. I appreciated Ms. Forrest’s incredible imagination at creating the world that these vampires lived in, albeit very unrealistic and far-fetched.

I spoke with another reader who seems to like this story. She says the series gets better in book two. Sadly, I’m not captured enough in this story to want to read the next book in the series. Instead, I would like to see this book filled out a little more. As I said, I believe this could be a great story, but I think the author needs to really get into the head or heads of her characters. Fill it out and make it feel real. Make us fall in love or hate with her characters. Make us feel what they are feeling!

I've rated this 2 out of 5 stars. 

"The Lone Hunt" by L.L Raand

Last weekend I received a copy of “The Lone Hunt,” written by L.L. Raand, to read before it’s release. I am honored to have this opportunity. I have enjoyed reading every book in the Midnight Hunters series and am very excited to read the fourth installment, “The Lone Hunt”. It took me less than a weekend to read through this new book! I couldn’t put it down! Now, with that said, let me share some of what I experienced whilst reading this book.

I love Raand’s wolf Weres and their world. I don’t quite understand the anatomy of the Weres but I’ve marked it up as a part of the fantasy/fiction in the story. It doesn’t have to be completely understood, just believable. In this series, for the most part, the characters are lesbian but still procreate. This boggles my mind, but aside from that, I thoroughly enjoy getting into the story of the Adirondack Timberlake Pack wolf Weres.

In this book, “The Lone Hunt,” we get to see more of our favorite Weres, vampires, humans, and other praeterns, and the world they live in. We see more of the conspiracy that looms over Alpha Sylvan Mir and her pack. In this book, we see alpha become overly protective of her pregnant mate, Drake. And we’ll watch as loyalties and alliances form between the pack and other praetern clans.

 ----- W A R N I N G! -----

If you have NOT read this story yet, then please read no further because I don’t want to give anything away! Now, if you choose to continue, just understand that this MAY give things away.

In this book, along with the ever growing conspiracy that threatens Alpha Sylvan Mir and her pregnant mate Drake, we start to see wolf were turned vampire, Lara find her place within the pack and with the vampires. As Lara tries to find herself and where she belongs, she confronts an alpha cat were and her cubs that is trespassing on Adirondack Timberlake Pack land. As the pack’s centuri, she wastes no time taking down the cat were. However, something happens to Lara and she chooses not to kill this alpha cat. Instead, she takes her as prisoner but protects her closely. The wolf Weres and cat Weres are bitter enemies, which makes it difficult for Lara to protect her cat Were prisoner. As the story progresses, we see Lara falling in love with Raina, alpha to the cat Weres.

As with her other three books in this series, this is a beautiful love story with its continuing plot of conspiracies that we’ve become caught up in throughout the series. Although I enjoyed the story, I found myself wanting more. There were parts in this story that felt as if there should be more to build upon, more detail. I would have loved to have had some areas of the story filled out a little more. For instance, we read a little about cat weres in the last book, “Night Hunt” and then a bit more here in this book, but I still feel like I don’t know much about them.

Even though I did feel the book was short, possibly even rushed, I loved it and would recommend you read the whole series. I look forward to reading more paranormal by L.L. Raand! I can see so much more developing… I want to see where Ms. Raand takes us in this Praeternatural series.

You can get your copy from these online stores. Amazon,  Barnes & Noble, or Bold Strokes Books.

"The Vampire Queen’s Servant," by Joey W. Hill

Synopsis: Lady Elyssa Yamato Amaterasu Wentworth is a centuries-old vampire who's been given a new servant-Jacob, a total alpha male unaccustomed to submitting to any woman's wishes. What really binds Jacob to her are not her sensual midnight hungers, but something far more provocative. It stirs her blood, renews her life, and awakens her soul like only true love can. The passion between Elyssa and Jacob yields something else unexpected -- a shared history that reaches back through the centuries and is fated to challenge their destiny like nothing ever will again.

The Vampire Queen’s Servant, written by Joey W. Hill, is a beautiful story of a Vampire Queen who has lived a very long life and suffered love, violence, and loss, only to have love find her again. At first, I was leery to read this story because of its graphic content of bondage, discipline, sadism & masochism. I’ve never understood why people would submit themselves to BDSM, but I know that some find it very erotic and fascinating. This book brought me to a new level of understanding. The draw that Lady Lyssa and Jacob have in this story is definitely worth reading!

Ms. Hill holds a fantastic writing skill. Her ability to write such detail so easily, and also write in such an understandable way, made reading this book a fast read and very addictive. By the time I finished reading this love story, I had to get the next in the series. During my reading, I kept wondering where we were going next. I tried to understand how they each seemed to be drawn to each other. What bound (no pun intended) them together and kept them coming back for more. My biggest question was, if this man, Jacob wanted to be Lady Lyssa’s servant, why did he fight being submissive. My theory was, he wanted to be her lover and perhaps his way of getting into her presence to prove himself, was to take on the role of her servant. I can only hope as I continue reading that I will learn much more of Jacob’s motives.

Excellent book! I would recommend this book, but understand, this book is graphic albeit, very well and tastefully written.

You can find @JoeyWHill's website on my sidebar.

 

“Lover Eternal” by J.R. Ward

Once finishing J.R. Ward’s first book, “Dark Lover,” I had to jump off into the next. “Lover Eternal” is book two in this series, Black Dagger Brotherhood.

As I stated in my review of “Dark Lover,” the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, written by J.R. Ward, is about an ancient order of warrior vampires who defend and protect their race from vampire slayers known as lessers. These lessers are de-souled humans, recruited by an evil supernatural being known as the Omega. There are six warriors in the Brotherhood who stand between the extinction of their vampire race and the Lessening Society.

In this series, the author creates a vampire race, which is separate from the human race. In fact, to be a vampire, one must be born with vampire DNA. Vampires are born like humans, looking like humans, acting like humans, and in some cases, unaware of the changes the must go through in their mid-twenties, when their bodies go through dangerous changes. Surviving this transition, they must drink the blood of vampires of their opposite sex to survive. Living as vampires, they can drink any blood, human or animal, but to stay strong and live healthy, they must consume the blood of their opposite gender.

In this book, “Lover Eternal,” J.R. Ward brings to life the brother “Rhage,” also known as “Hollywood” to his friends. Rhage is the brother/vampire with the biggest appetite and he seems to be the best fighter of all the brothers. He has a dark side that lives inside him. The Scribe Virgin (the vampiric goddess of sorts), casts a curse on him that is to last two hundred years, a curse that forces him to live his life not feeling love. Sex and violence are his only means to keep the beast within him under control. When Rhage loses control, everyone around him takes cover as his beast bursts out and consumes every thing in sight. One day, Mary comes into his life and Rhage finds that he is drawn to Mary.

Mary is a human who suffers from leukemia again. Through circumstances brought in with other characters connected with Mary’s life, she meets Rhage. He’s handsome, strong, and he’s interested in her. She knows this time she will most likely die from her affliction. So now, she wonders if her life will end happily.

Mary is brave on so many levels. She fights for her on life, gets mixed in with the vampire race because of a secondary storyline within this book, and learns to understand the beast in Rhage.

I loved this story very much and in some ways felt, I could relate to Rhage the most. His constant battle with his own demons and the lack of control of his beast seemed to connect with me in many ways. It seemed that the more he pursued Mary, the more capable he was able to cope with his beast.

This book was a definite page-turner! It was dark with moments of sadness, yet a romantic sensual love story. J.R. Ward cleverly weaves a secondary storyline that introduces the next book in the series.

“Immortalis Carpe Noctem,” by Katie Salidas

Katie Salidas is, or I should say was, an unknown author to me. I have begun to follow numerous authors on twitter in the past months, but Ms. Salidas began to follow me first. I found her to be an excellent conversationalist, willing to chat at the drop of a, eh… tweet. She’s known on twitter as @QuixoticKatie… the name alone intrigued and caused me to watch her stream and what she posts.

Generally, new authors email me or tweet me to request that I read and review their books. Ms. Salidas never did this. She has promoted her books herself and with the affection that she whips up in her following. One day, I caught a random tweet where she was promoting, “Immortalis Carpe Noctem.” I browsed the link a couple of times, but honestly, I didn’t care for the cover. This is the truth. I did it… I judged a book by it’s cover!

I’m not sure exactly how the conversation came up but Ms. Salidas offered me a one time opportunity to download one of her books to read and review. I chose “Immortalis Carpe Noctem” because I really wanted to start the series at the beginning. Go figure.

I’m really hard on storylines. I have to tell myself that I have to read past the first couple of chapters, because quite honestly what I do is read the first chapter and if I’m not gripped in the storyline right there, I lay the book down and don’t pick it up again.

“Immortalis Carpe Noctem,” is written in first person and it is all the experiences of a young college aged woman who decides to walk home by herself in one of the roughest cities in America, Las Vegas. Of course, reading Alyssa’s point of view, she took us through her walk in the dark and introduced us first to her attackers who intended on raping, mugging, and killing her. They succeed at nearly killing her by stabbing her as she attempted to free herself. However, during her scuffle with her would be attackers, an ancient vampire named, Lysander, arrives just a little late to her rescue. Instead of taking her to a hospital to receive life saving skills from a doctor, he chooses instead to drain her further and then give her his blood thus turning her into a vampire.

At first, my thought was that this was just going to be another vampire love story. It wasn’t really. Actually, this author went one-step further. This whole story is Alyssa’s first hand experience of becoming a vampire and learning how to live as one in the twenty-first century. She has rules she must abide by, new senses to discover.

Ms Salidas kept with many, if not all, of vampire folklore. Her vampires can’t take sunlight, they live off of human blood, and of course they all have fangs.

So, what is my opinion of this story? I usually love any story that involves vampires. However, this story really didn’t have anything that different to it that would make me Oooh and Aah about it. There was no love triangle or for that matter a love affair. We do see Alyssa begin to fall for her maker, Lysander. They do have sex together… but aside from learning, what it would be like to experience vampirism first hand it was an okay start to a series. I am interested in reading the rest of the series. I feel there is great potential for Alyssa and this first book has laid a good foundation to springboard into the next book of a series. I would love to see what kind of a person Alyssa turns out to be.

This book was an awesome start to what I hope to be an excellent series. It definitely is worth the read. Let’s hit me with your next book, Ms Salidas.

You can find the link to Katie Salidas' web site in the left sidebar.

Press Release: "Forever Vampire" by Michele Hauf

Award-winner author Michele Hauf introduces a new kind of vampire—one with an undying need for revenge… Forever Vampire Michele Hauf ISBN: 978-0-373-77572-9 HQN mass market paperback April 19, 2011 "Hauf delivers excitement, danger and romance in a way only she can!" — #1 NYT bestselling author, Sherrilyn Kenyon on Her Vampire Husband. "Adventure, intrigue and a voice like no other— Michele Hauf is a force to be reckoned with!" — USA TODAY bestselling author, Emma Holly "Vampires, shifters, and faeries—oh my! Michele Hauf is a master of them all!" — NYT bestselling author, Kerrelyn Sparks

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Vail the Unwanted is a pure-blooded vampire. But raised in Faery, he has neither home nor peace, and when his aid is sought in the recovery of a priceless diamond gown, his price is information. Specifically the whereabouts of his accursed father. His goal is revenge, and the supernaturally sexy Lyric, the icy blond vampiress with whom he must work, is a distraction he can't afford.

Outwardly as cold as the diamond dress in which she was kidnapped, Lyric has her own secrets. Desperate to break free from her criminal family, she aligns herself with the brooding Vail. Together they seek justice while each secretly works for freedom and a fresh start. For Lyric that means, holding herself apart, even from the smoldering blue-eyed Vail. For Vail, it means a battle to the death for revenge—and for a temptress he can't deny.

MicheleHauf.com

blog.michelehauf.com

clubscarlet.michelehauf.com

Michele Hauf has been writing paranormal, historical and fantasy romance for over 20 years. Populated with vampires, angels, werewolves and more, her wickedly enchanting stories will appeal to today's paranormal readers. It's Twilight for big girls!

Reviewers, download an electronic review copy of FOREVER VAMPIRE at netgalley.com
Publicist: Megan Lorius
HQN Books
Megan_Lorius@Harlequin.ca
416-445-5860 (ext. 7189)

“Chosen” by P.C. Cast & Kristen Cast

Oh Man! This is a highly addictive series!

In this book, "Chosen," the heroine, fledgling vampyre, Zoey Redbird, finds that her friends have turned on her and she ends up turning to her sworn enemies for friendship. Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling with her humanity and Zoey doesn't have a clue how to help her. Now Zoey finds she's got three boyfriends, which can be a social disaster.

I was bothered by the fact that Zoey falls in love with her teacher and ends up having sex with him. I know this occasionally happens in real life and I know we don’t want to treat it like it should never be brought out of the closet. However, this is a YA (Young Adult) series. I do expect to read some language and sexual innuendo or perhaps tame sex scenes, but I don’t think things like this should be introduced as acceptable to our teens. The fact that she falls in love with just about every boy she makes contact with is grating, but it is a known fact with teens. Hormones are coursing through her veins.

Although I found a couple of points to take issue with in this series thus far, I did enjoy the overall story. The basic plot to the story focuses on a murder that happens on campus. This causes Zoey to move off campus where she attempts to save her best friend, Stevie Rae. Of course, Stevie Rae, now a red vampyre, seems to have lost her humanity, but Zoey can’t believe this to be true, and she makes it her goal to try to save her best friend.

Neferet is as evil as ever and we see what else she has to offer as she attempts to get rid of Zoey. I think out of all these characters, I truly love Aphrodite. She seems to put everything out there whether you want to hear it or not. Even in the most “Valley Girl,” “Rich Bitch” kind of way, Aphrodite holds no punches.

Again... a very addictive read! I couldn't and didn't put the book down until I was done!!

Now, if you have read the first two books of this series then this book is a must-read. However, if you are checking out the series as a mother or father of a teen who wants to read this, be cautioned there is adult content here… more than most other paranormal YA books.

“Betrayed” by P.C. Cast & Kristen Cast

After reading "Marked," there was only one thing I could do and that was to continue into the series by reading, "Betrayed."

Betrayed is the second installment in the House of Night series. It is dark and sexy, and was fantastic to read. It picks up where Marked left off.

Our heroine, Zoey Redbird, seems to be an anomaly among fledglings in the House of Night. She is the most powerful fledgling at the House of Night and quite possibly the most powerful in vampyre history. After taking over leadership of the Dark Daughters and Sons, she seems to be settling in nicely at the House of Night finishing school. She finally feels like she belongs. In this book, Zoey is determined to change things in the school, from a snobby elitist clique to something of substance, meaning. We begin to see Zoey feel comfortable in her own skin and she actually seems to mature a little.

Along with Zoey’s growing pains with learning to be the priestess that she seems to be training for, her love life seems to be a mess. She finds herself in love with two boys and one of her professors. Just when things begin to look up, trouble happens to the humans in her old life. They keep disappearing. Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart and her soul.

Once I started to read this book, I couldn't put it down. It was obvious how hooked I had become. I like how the Cast’s are developing the characters and how they seem to get along with each other in this series. Each character is beginning to grow into what they believe is their path in life. Even though I really like Zoey, I think I like Aphrodite and Stevie Rae a little better. They seem to be the most open and straight forward what’s happening throughout the book.

I find it odd that the Cast’s did not proofread their books though. I’m seeing a number of grammatical errors throughout the story. I can only hope they will see this in their future installations.

If you enjoy vampire stories, this is a good one. However, it is not like your typical vampire story. I think that is why I thoroughly enjoyed it.

You can visit the Cast's website to learn more about their other books in this series. http://www.houseofnightseries.com

“Amaury’s Hellion” by Tina Folsom

I finally found the time to read Tina Folsom’s book, “Amaury’s Hellion.” This book is the second installment to her Scanguards Vampires series. As I told Ms. Folsom after I had read her first book, “Samson’s Lovely Mortal,” I became fascinated with Amaury and really wanted to read more about him. When she told me that book two was all about him, I was ready to go.

Amaury LeSang is a vampire and part owner of Scanguards with his good friend Samson. He has a problem though. Amaury was cursed to feel everybody’s emotions. Now I used to think it would be really cool to be able to read another’s mind or, perhaps feel another’s emotions…but not at all like Amaury. His curse manifested in a constant migraine that could only be relieved through sex. At best, the sex would lift the pain only for about an hour. After that, he would get a rush of everyone’s emotions all over again and the migraine would resume.

As Scanguards is under the magnifying glass for murder/suicides allegedly caused by employees, Amaury, Samson, and the New York vampires put their wits together to figure out who-done-it. That is when Amaury meets the feisty human woman, Nina, who is out for vengeance for the death of her little brother. Of course, Nina’s blood boils for Amaury because she believes Amaury is the responsible one for her brother, Eddie’s death.

Amaury’s and Nina’s first meeting turns out to be more of surprise. Instead of killing Amaury as planned, Nina ends up kissing him. Of course, she’s trying to throw off his guard… and it does! Amaury realizes that in Nina’s presence, all his pain vanishes…and they haven’t had sex yet! With a cure seemingly within his reach, Amaury strives to hook up with Nina.

The story is an exciting love story with a touch of dom/sub flavor. Yes, Amaury doles out the spankings and Nina enjoys tying him up.

I must say that over all I loved this story. Amaury is a very caring vampire and loves Nina right off the bat and he’ll do anything to keep her safe. The story seemed well developed and easy to follow all the main characters. However, I did find some sections tended to go a little slow. Perhaps it was my desire to want more detail throughout the story. I would have loved to have read a little more of the dom/sub flavor.

Aside from my specific desires, and I know I’m tremendously finicky, Ms. Folsom has done another great job of carrying on the Scanguards Vampire series. I look forward to the third installation, “Gabriel’s Mate.”

“Dark Lover” by J.R. Ward

I have read many vampire series of late, enjoying every one of them in their own way. One day, I was about to read the next book in another series, when friends who follow me on Twitter insisted I read J.R. Ward’s “Black Dagger Brotherhood” series. On several occasions, whispers of this series came across my timeline but were ignored, simply because I had so many other books slated to read. One day, I finally broke down, bought the first six books of the series, and began to read.

Many series novels that I have read, take more than just the first book to hook you into the story. Not this series…no, this series sucked me in on the first book! Drama, fighting, friendships, and just all out romance sucked me right in and catapulted me into the next book.

The Black Dagger Brotherhood series, written by J.R. Ward, is about an ancient order of warrior vampires who defend and protect their race from vampire slayers known as lessers. These lessers are de-souled humans recruited by an evil supernatural being known as the Omega. There are six warriors in the Brotherhood who stand between the extinction of their vampire race and the Lessening Society.

Author, J.R. Ward, creates a different type of vampire in these novels. These vampires are a separate species from humans. In fact, to be a vampire you must be born carrying vampire DNA in your blood. Ms. Ward’s vampire race begin their lives as human and are unaware of what lies ahead of them until their mid-twenties when their bodies go through a dangerous. Surviving the transition, they must now drink the blood of vampires of the opposite sex in order to survive and stay strong.

This book, “Dark Lover,” centers on Wrath, the only pure blood vampire known to exist on the planet, and Beth, a half breed, half human-half vampire, who is on the verge of transition. Wrath is asked to help with Beth’s transition when her time comes by feeding her from his vein. Wrath hates humans, tries to live a loners life, never desiring a mate. However, when Wrath’s long-time friend and the father of Beth is killed by car bombing lessers, Wrath takes on the responsibility of protecting Beth and introducing her to her vampire heritage.

The attraction between Wrath and Beth is tangible and quite erotic. The chemistry between them makes it impossible for them to deny their love for each other and for the first time, Wrath is hopeful to end the loneliness in his long life. All is bliss until the baby powder scented vampire-slaying lessers kidnap Beth.

Throughout the book we see the beautiful choreography of all the warriors as they work together to battle their race’s nemesis and later find and free Beth from her captor.

If vampires are your thing, as they are mine, then this series is a must read! Do what I did, lay down that seventeenth book in the series you are currently reading and begin the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.