I thought I’d get a break. Maybe catch some R&R. Boy, was I wrong. My best friend is still MIA. My foe turned friend—Inarus—is safe, maybe. Though he’s anything but sound. And now Melody, my Harpy gal pal—is missing, leaving behind a trail of blood like some macabre Hansel and Gretel.
I’m still trying to figure out how to balance being a mercenary, and the mate of the Alpha of Pacific Northwest Pack, and the cherry on the flipping sundae that is my life, is a string of attacks against the Pack’s Clan houses.
Something is off about these attacks. The assailants are hopped up on Harpy blood.
And I don’t know about you, but I don’t believe in coincidences. Someone kidnapped Melody and they’re using her to go after the Pack. I’ll give you three guesses who it is, but you’ll only need one. The HAC is behind everything, and my mother is behind them. It’s the fight I always knew was coming, but this time only one of us will survive.
BLOOD & MAGIC: THE COMPLETE SERIES CURSED BY FIRE (#1) KISSED BY FIRE (#2) BURNED BY FIRE (#3) BRANDED BY FIRE (#4) CONSUMED BY FIRE (#5) FORGED BY FIRE (#6)
Excerpt:
I sucked in a breath. No.
“Don’t touch him!” I shouted.
She tightened my restraints and then swept my hair away from my face, her hand lingering on my cheek.
“You will forgive me. One day.” She wore the patient expression of a mother trying to explain something to an irate toddler. It drove me mad.
I cursed her. Every vile name I could think of rolled off my tongue. “I hate you. I will never forgive you. Mark my words, you will regret this. You are the worst mother in the history of mothers!”
She didn’t respond.
I bucked against my restraints, a sense of urgency consuming me. Chaos erupted outside the room but I could only hear the single roar of my mate. He’d come in alone. Why? Where were the others? Where was his backup?
I’m just a girl with an obsession for Marvel movies, a love of all things Urban Fantasy, and a cheerleader for the underdog in any given story.
If you’re looking for a heroine you can root for … someone who defies the odds and gets up every time they’re knocked down … then look no further because that’s what you’ll find in my books.
I hope you’ll join me in Aria Naveed’s adventures. She’s pretty badass if I do say so myself.
“I love the Angelbound Origins world and just can’t seem to get enough of it!” – The Avid Reader
As the Great Scala, Myla Lewis is the only being who can move Purgatory’s souls to Heaven or Hell. It’s a big job. Too bad Myla goes through assistants faster than a hot knife through brownies. Not that it bothers her much; Myla’s always been a solo fighter.
Then comes the problem of the fading angels. Millions of Heavenly residents are dying. According to a prophecy, the only way Myla can save them is by traveling back in time, meeting King Arthur, and creating her own knights of the round table. The catch? Doing so might end the after-realms in a bloody demonpocalypse.
Yipes.
Myla and her main squeeze, Lincoln, aren’t afraid of taking a few chances (in between kisses). But with so much at risk, the stakes may be too high, even for them. And the biggest challenge of all? Finding those knights.
Because Myla Lewis doesn’t play well with others. At all.
“These books don’t just capture your attention, they straight up demand it. Christina Bauer has created a fascinating and unique world that you do not want to miss out on.” – Bookhalolic Brittany
Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.
Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.
Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates
The Brutal Time captured my attention when I read the blurb. I was intrigued to see how the author would spin the legend of King Arthur and Camelot. Then I read that memorable first line and thought to myself, “I am going to love this book.” And guess what, I did.
The Brutal Time is the 6th book in the Angelbound Series. I was a little hesitant to read the book because of that. I am happy to say is that this can be read as a stand-alone book. The author explained Myla and Lincoln’s backstories without getting into the previous books, which I enjoyed. That left me able to focus on the craziness that was going on in this book. And yes, there was a lot of that.
I loved Myla. She was unbelievably snarky and found herself in situations that made me scratch my head. Take, for instance, going to Lucifer’s lab. That set off a chain of events that ended up with her going to the past to save the future (make sense…it didn’t to me at first either). She thought well on her feet too. She was able to come up with last-minute plans that worked. She was just plain awesome!!
I liked that Lincoln was more leveled headed than Myla. He was able to reign her in, well somewhat reign her in. During the fight with the archdemons, Lincoln was willing to do whatever it took to stall them so Myla could come up with a plan. Plus, add in that he was head over heels in love with Myla, and it just made him a complete package.
I loved the author’s retelling of the King Arthur legend. I had no issue imagining King Arthur as a slob. It also made me remember that most myths are usually more fiction than fact.
The storylines in The Brutal Time were well written and fast-paced. There were no dropped storylines or dropped characters. I enjoyed how the author was able to merge the secondary storylines with the main one. It made for a more exciting read.
I loved the secondary characters. They added an extra depth to the story. I also like that Myla’s tail got recognition in the book. That tail was as sassy as she was!!
The end of The Brutal Time was exciting. I say exciting because there was something revealed that made me look forward to the next book!!
I would give The Brutal Time an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is mild language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.
I would reread The Brutal Time. I would recommend it to family and friends.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
All his other Harem brothers have found their one true love and they are spectacular princesses.
Not Valor’s girl.
Veila is the definition of evil.
Not the kind of girl a guy falls for. Especially a stand-up guy like Valor. He’s not interested in her sexy glow, her pretty hair, or her glowing eyes.
No. Valor only wants one thing for his fated princess.
Death.
But it’s kind of hard to kill someone you’ve been genetically engineered to love. And Veila not only has total control over him, but also Harem Station. The only way Valor can get Harem Station back is to use the soulmate bond against her.
Valor has to make Veila believe that their bond is true, that his feelings are real, and that he is willing to sell out his brothers, hand over all of Harem Station’s secrets, and leave his old life behind to help her get what she wants. But it’s never going to happen. Valor will never love Veila.
Ever.
He’d rather die trying to kill her than spend one moment as her puppet king. There’s just one problem.
The soulmate bond goes both ways.
Veiled Vixen is book six in the Harem Station series and features an army of pissed-off princesses, five brothers facing their past, a station filled with ruthless, rebelling outlaws, and a lesson in what matters. It’s a love story about revenge, and hate, and regrets – but also forgiveness, loyalty, family, and having the courage to see the truth behind the veil.
Excerpt:
“How the fuck did you get in here?” she demands.
“Your bot let me in,” I say, putting up my hands. Because her eyes are lit up white. She looks like an evil silver demon in this moment.
“What?” She whirls to address the Rexbot. “What the hell? Why would you let him in here?”
The bot flies up out of her reach just as she takes a swipe at him with her metal spoon. His chirping fills the room and my eyes follow him as he descends high up into the dome.
But then I get lost in the view.
The fucking view. I walk forward, unable to even process the threats that come spilling out of Veila’s mouth because I can’t quite believe what I’m seeing.
The thick, reinforced vacuum-grade plasti-glass dome starts at the floor, curves all the way up—several levels up—and allows me a full-on view of one side of the Harem Station ring.
But that’s not what has me breathless.
Because this ship—due to the nature of the top-level airlock on the outside of Harem—is positioned in such a way that looking from one side of the dome to the other affords a view of both of ALCOR’s gates.
I’ve seen them together before. When you enter the ALCOR Sector through one of the gates you can see the second gate immediately because they are positioned on opposite ends of Harem Station. And if you swing your ship around in the right way, you can see both of the gates at the same time.
Typically no one does that. So when you enter the sector you only see the gate you’re aiming at, and not both.
Right now, standing here in this dome, on this ship, in this dock, I can see them both at the same time and when I tip my head up I see the blobs of suns and the reddish-purple nebula that everyone calls the Seven Sisters. They are far, far away. Thousands and thousands of light years away.
When open the gates are fiery blue-violet rings with long, crackling tendrils of purple reaching out along the perimeter like flowing hair in zero-g. The inside of the gates are a deep, blue well of… well… no one really knows what the inside of a gate is made of. Space, for sure. But blue space, not black space. So some different kind of space.
“Wow,” I say just as Veila’s metal spoon cracks against the side of my head. “For fuck’s sake!” I yell, turning to face her. “What the hell?”
“Why are you here, sneaking around my place?” She’s fuming. Like if she wasn’t wearing that stupid frumpy shirt and her hair wasn’t all messy, I’d be afraid of her.
But somehow, despite her blazing silver eyes, she can’t quite pull off the whole villainess thing. So I just kind of smirk at her and say, “Calm down, you silver freak. The bot let me in! I just told you that!”
She grits her teeth and sets her jaw, clearly unable to reconcile me invading her space.
“What are you doing? And why are you dressed like that?”
Her brows furrow in confusion. Then she looks down at herself, realizes she’s wearing her comfy clothes and someone just caught her in them, and then the rage is back. She picks up a long knife from the counter and points it at me. “Get out!”
But I’m not ready to get out. I need answers and maybe she doesn’t have all of them, but she has some. “What’s going on here? Is this ship your home?”
Her knife is shaky in her hand as she continues to point it at me. “Get. Out. Or I will cut your throat with this knife from across the room.”
I laugh.
But then the damn knife is hurling through the air at me and I just barely slide to the side in time for it to miss piercing my throat.
JA Huss is the New York Times Bestselling author of 321 and has been on the USA Today Bestseller’s list 21 times in the past five years. She writes characters with heart, plots with twists, and perfect endings.
Her new sexy sci-fi romance and paranormal romance pen name is KC Cross and she writes novels and teleplays collaboratively with actor and screenwriter, Johnathan McClain.
Her books have sold millions of copies all over the world, the audio version of her semi-autobiographical book, Eighteen, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award and an Audie Award in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Her audiobook, Mr. Perfect, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award in 2017. Her audiobook, Taking Turns, was nominated for an Audie Award in 2018. Five of her book were optioned for a TV series by MGM television in 2018. And her book, Total Exposure, was nominated for a RITA Award in 2019.
She lives on a ranch in Central Colorado with her family.
Perfection isn’t an illusion. I met it, held it in my hands. But then it slipped right through.
Perfection isn’t an illusion. It’s elusive, cleverly evasive, and, in many ways, a horrible tease.
I’m not a man to be toyed with. Quiet, thoughtful, and even sometimes careful, but never someone to taunt. Even the most controlled men have a breaking point. I just met mine.
Why mess with perfection? You don’t. Unless perfection messes with you.
Title: #Fate Series: GearShark #6 (needs to be read in order) Author: Cambria Hebert genre: male/male romance Release date: November 4, 2019 (pre-order now!)
Cambria Hebert is an award winning, bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair.
Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house).
Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo.
Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.
In Don’t LOOK BACK by Dawn Ryder, she is the only woman worth fighting – or dying – for…
Shadow Ops Agent Thais Sinclair has sworn off falling in love for good. It’s what’s kept her calculated, steady, and on-task in a world dominated by men. She needs nothing and no one but her own wits and strength to guide her. But when she’s slated to shadow the one man who could reveal their entire operation, all bets are off.
Dunn Bateson, the illegitimate son of a Southern debutante, has always had to fight harder than the rest to get what he wants. Now, the last thing he needs is Thais following his every move. She is so strong, sly, seductive. . . No woman has ever captivated him so completely. Thais may only have room for her mission in her heart, but is Dunn up to the challenge of showing her that she’s worth every risk he is willing to take?
My review:
Don’t Look Back justifies my dislike of picking up books mid/at the end of the series. What I dislike even more is being confused by a book. And I was confused by this book. I would have been fine if the focus was on Dunn and Thais. Maybe a secondary main plotline about Carl’s evil doings. Instead, I got a book that was told from many points of views. I got many storylines going on. I was confused by where Thais’ storyline was going and what the Shadow Ops wanted to be done with her. I could go on and on but you get the drift with where I was going.
I didn’t dislike Don’t Look Back. Stripping away the “extras” that came with it, I thought that Dunn and Thais’ story was fantastic. Their backstories were tragic. I felt that because of everything that was crammed into the book, I didn’t get a chance to know them. I felt that their story was lost under the many other plotlines. I wanted to know them better. I wanted to know why Dunn’s mother left him. I wanted to know exactly what Thais’ mother trained her to do. Even more so, I wanted to know what Thais’ husband and brother-in-law were doing that justified her killing them. Maybe these questions were answered in the earlier books but I don’t know. I didn’t read them.
My other problem with the book was that there was no distinction when the POV’s changed. I kept going back and rereading the previous paragraph because I got confused. There would be a scene between Thais and Dunn and it would change to Kagan or any of the Shadow Ops and then would change to Carl and then change back to Dunn or Thais. All within the same chapters. Something like this (*****) would have been great. It would have made reading Don’t Look Back go so much smoother than it did. I did keep in mind that I was reading an ARC but still. Very annoying.
The Thais and Dunn’s sex scenes were fantastic. I liked that Thais didn’t want to be treated like a fragile doll. She liked it a little rough. I also liked that Dunn was able to provide that and more to her.
The suspense angle of the book didn’t do it for me. Because of all the POV’s, I wasn’t able to get as involved with the book as I would have been. So, I wasn’t able to get deep into the suspense part of the book. It was there but I thought it was lukewarm, at the best.
The end of the book was a confusing mess. There was too much going on. Also, the very ending threw me. I had an issue imagining what happened happening.
What I liked about Don’t Look Back:
A) Thais and Dunn’s sex scenes. They were awesome
B)Thais and Dunn’s backstories were fascinating
What I disliked about Don’t Look Back:
A) Too many POVs’
B) No distinction when POV ended and went to a different one.
C) The ending was a confusing mess.
I gave Don’t Look Backa 2-star rating. I couldn’t get involved with the characters. There were too many POVs’. There was no distinction between POVs within the same chapter. And the ending was a confusing mess. I did like the sex scenes, but that is about it.
I would give Don’t Look Back an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is graphic violence. There is language. I would not recommend anyone under the age of 21 read this book.
I would not reread Don’t Look Back. I also would not recommend this book to family and friends.
I would like to thank St. Martin’s Paperbacks, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Don’t Look Back.
All opinions stated in this review of Don’t Look Back are mine
**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**
The bravest of heroes. The brashest of rebels. The boldest of lovers. These are the men who risk their hearts and their souls—for the passionate women who dare to love them…
He is known only as The Rook. A man with no name, no past, no memories. He awakens in a mass grave, a magnificent dragon tattoo on his muscled forearm the sole clue to his mysterious origins. His only hope for survival—and salvation—lies in the deep, fiery eyes of the beautiful stranger who finds him. Who nurses him back to health. And who calms the restless demons in his soul…
A LEGENDARY LOVE
Lorelei will never forget the night she rescued the broken dark angel in the woods, a devilishly handsome man who haunts her dreams to this day. Crippled as a child, she devoted herself to healing the poor tortured man. And when he left, he took a piece of her heart with him. Now, after all these years, The Rook has returned. Like a phantom, he sweeps back into her life and avenges those who wronged her. But can she trust a man who’s been branded a rebel, a thief, and a killer? And can she trust herself to resist him when he takes her in his arms?
My review:
The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo was unlike any historical romance that I have read before. Why do I say that? A few reasons. This book was a lot darker than your usual Victorian romance. The author chose to explore themes that were taboo in that era. She also chose to make the book violent. I can count on one hand where I read a Victorian romance that had violence in it. Usually, those types of books are all sunshine and rainbows. Not this one. This one showcased the darker side of the human nature. And guess what, I loved it!!
The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is the story of Lorelei and The Rook (also known as Ash). Ash was left to die on the edge of a road as a teenager. Lorelei, her father, and her brother happened to be riding by in their carriage when Lorelei spots him. He was horrifically injured, lye poured over him. The only thing unmarked was a beautiful dragon tattoo. The stranger, who has no memory of who he is, is renamed Ash by Lorelei. One day he leaves with her older brother, never to return. Instead of saying goodbye, he tells her:
“There are only two indisputable facts in this world: The sun will set in the west, and I’ll come for you. Always.“
His leaving means that she is now at the mercy of her abusive older brother, who had crippled her as a child. Ash does come back for Lorelei…20 years later. He is not the same boy that Lorelei fell in love with. He is a man with scars on his soul and no memory of who he was before he met Lorelei. He has done horrible things. He has exacted his revenge on the people who held him captive for 15 years. Can Lorelei help Ash regain his memory and heal? Or will she fail to drive out his demons?
Ash was damaged. He wasn’t a good guy by any means. He did some pretty awful things in the 20 years he was separated from Lorelei. Even when they were together. But, the author made me feel pity for him. His reaction to Lorelei wanting to be with him was heartbreaking. As was the nightmares that he had. I wanted to reach into the book, hug him and tell him it was going to be ok. I enjoyed watching his interactions with Lorelei but I did feel frustrated with how he treated her at first. My frustration went away in the middle of the book when his internal monologue showed me how much he loved her. By the end of the book, Ash was still as damaged as he was in the beginning. But he was healing and that made me smile.
I liked Lorelei. Her rescue of Ash and her help in his recovery was excellent. I could see why Ash fell in love with her. An older Lorelei was amazing. She had been shaped by her life with her brother. Instead of turning into this fearful woman, she was someone who stood up to people. She was the one who made her father and brother stop the carriage. She had a hand in Ash’s recovery. So, I wasn’t that surprised when she discovered that she still had feelings for Ash. She fought for him, which I loved. It wasn’t that she had to compete with another person for his affections. Instead, she fought his demons for him.
The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo had some pretty hot sex scenes that weren’t between the main characters. There was intense sexual tension between Veronica and Moncrieff. That whole scene when she was watching him have sex with another woman was insane. Especially when she was getting turned on. Which is why I was surprised when the storyline took the turn it did. I was expecting something different.
Speaking of sex, Ash and Lorelei’s scenes were insanely hot. Mainly because you could taste the emotions when they were having sex. Everything Ash wouldn’t/couldn’t say came out when they had sex. The sexual tension between them was insane too. It didn’t go away when they had sex. Instead, it was even more turned on, if that makes sense.
I wish the storyline that involved Ash’s memory loss had been resolved earlier in the book. I felt that the conclusion to it was rushed. Which leads into the other storyline about the treasure. I didn’t like the way it went in the end. There was a twist that I should have seen coming but didn’t. A twist that made me go “Shut up” when I read it.
The end of the book was fantastic. I’m not going to go much into it but I will say this. I burst into tears at the last sentence of the epilogue.
What I liked about The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo:
A) How realistic Ash and Lorelei were
B) The storyline. Loved it!!
C) The sex scenes
What I disliked about The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo:
A) Ash’s memory loss storyline being resolved when it was
B) Mortimer
C) Moncrieff
I gave The Duke with the Dragon Tattooa 4-star rating. This is a dark romance with plenty of sex. I was able to connect to both characters. I felt that the memory loss storyline could have been ended sooner. Other than that, this was a book that I enjoyed reading.
I gave The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is graphic violence. There is language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.
I would reread The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.
I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo.
All opinions stated in this review of The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo are mine.
**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**
Dark Alpha’s Hunger is the sixth paranormal romance novel in New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant’s Reapers series featuring a brotherhood of élite assassins who wage war on the Fae at Death’s behest–and the women who change their hearts.
There is no escaping a Reaper. I am an élite assassin, part of a brotherhood that only answers to Death. And when Death says your time is up, I’m coming for you…
Where Death leads, I follow. Nothing will stop me from my duty – not even the darkness that claims me. It’s the music that leads me from the dark, returning me to my brethren and a new foe that has risen. Learning who hunts Thea could be the key to unraveling what we need to know to defeat our enemy. The Half-Fae’s music stirs a passion within me that I’ve never known. For her, I will break my vow of silence. For her…I will risk everything.
My review:
I had heard of the Reaper series but I hadn’t gotten around to reading any of the books. So when the publisher approached me to review this series, I decided, why not. Even though it is the 6th book in the series, I figured I could follow the plot. Which I did, kinda. The author kept bringing up earlier characters and their relationships. At one point, I couldn’t keep everything straight in my head. Other than a few quibbles that I had with characters, I enjoyed reading Dark Alpha’s Hunger.
I thought that Eoghan and Thea’s relationship started off odd and stayed a little odd. It was almost stalkerish since Eoghan decided to follow Thea around until he revealed himself. The only connection that he had with her was through her music. When she played her violin, he could find her. I thought it was a little creepy. Once they were together, they had great chemistry which bled over to fantastic sex.
Speaking of the sex scenes, these were hot. The chemistry between Eoghan and Thea was off the charts. I had to fan myself a few times. If it could, my Kindle would have steamed up.
I felt that Thea got the stick end of things during the book. First, she brings Eoghan back from the darkness. Then she is semi-stalked by him until he shows himself. Then her biological mother kidnaps her and lays a lot of crap on her. That girl needed a stiff drink and a hug by the end of the book. She had been put through the wringer. I did like that she was an accomplished violinist. I loved how music pulled her from a crippling depression at an early age and gave her purpose.
Eoghan’s backstory killed me to read. No wonder he chose to take a vow of silence. I would have too if I had been put through what he went through. I didn’t get why Death told him to rescind his vow of silence until the end of the book. Then it hit me in an “AHA” moment. I liked his relationships with the other Reapers. There was an instant bond between them.
The end of the book was interesting and laid a definite foundation for the next book.
What I liked about Dark Alpha’s Hunger:
A) The chemistry between Eoghan and Thea
B) Thea music interest
C) Eoghan’s relationship with his other Reapers
What I disliked about Dark Alpha’s Hunger:
A) Had an issue following the plot at first
B) The start of Eoghan and Thea’s relationship
C) Thea’s mother
I would give Dark Alpha’s Hunger 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 Dark Alpha’s Hunger. I would also recommend it to family and friends.
I would like to thank St. Martin’s Paperbacks, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Dark Alpha’s Hunger.
All opinions stated in Dark Alpha’s Hunger are mine.
**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**
![Dark Alpha's Hunger (Reapers Book 6) by [Grant, Donna]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51letb1wKFL.jpg)
